bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Penerapan Konsep Model View Controller Pada Rancang Bangun Sistem Informasi Klinik Kesehatan Berbasis Web
Authors: Ferdiansyah Devy
Published: June 2018

Klinik merupakan sebuah institusi layanan publik yang bergerak dalam bidang jasa kesehatan. Saat ini, masih banyak klinik yang mencatat kegiatan operasional harian secara manual dalam arsip kertas, seperti pendaftaran pasien, pengelolaan data rekam medik, dan sebagainya. Arsip berbagai data klinik menjadi bertumpuk, sehingga membutuhkan ruang penyimpanan yang lebih luas dan pemeliharaan yang lebih ekstra agar kertas catatan tersebut tidak hilang atau mudah rusak. Proses pencarian data pasien dan rekam medik membutuhkan waktu lama, akibat berada di tumpukan arsip yang semakin banyak. Tujuan penelitian adalah membangun sebuah sistem informasi klinik kesehatan berbasis web untuk membantu staff dalam mengelola data klinik kesehatan. Pembangunan Sistem berbasis web ini menggunakan bahasa pemrograman PHP dan database MySQL, dengan menerapkan konsep  Model View Controller(MVC) dalam teknik pemrogramannya. Penerapan metode MVC bertujuan untuk memberikan kemudahan bagi pemrogram web dalam membangun website, karena memisahkan data (Model) dari tampilannya (View) dan cara bagaimana mengolahnya (Controller). Penelitian ini menghasilkan sebuah aplikasi sistem informasi klinik kesehatan berbasis web, yang merubah pola kerja staff dari cara manual dan membutuhkan waktu lama, menjadi terkomputerisasi dengan waktu kerja yang lebih cepat, serta cara kerja yang lebih praktis dan efisien. Penelitian ini memberikan arahan yang jelas tentang bagaimana sebaiknya membangun sebuah sistem informasi berbasis web dengan baik, sehingga tidak menyulitkan pemrogram web saat harus memperbaiki atau mengembangkan sistem di kemudian hari.
Pengembangan Data Warehouse Penerimaan Mahasiswa Baru Untuk Informasi Strategik Pada Universitas BSI
Authors: Nugroho Kresno Budi
Published: June 2018

Institusi pendidikan perlu memiliki pengetahuan yang lebih, dalam mengevaluasi, merancang dan mengambil keputusan. Dimana dari pengetahun tersebut bisa didapat dari data kegiatan operasional yang tersimpan didalam database institusi pendidikan ke dalam data warehose, sehingga dapat digunakan sebagai pendukung dalam proses pengambilan keputusan. Data Warehouse memiliki peran besar dalam penyediaan strategik informasi yang bisa digunakan untuk memenuhi kebutuhan pihak manajemen dalam konteks bisnis. Penelitian ini mengkaji pengembangan data warehouse untuk data penerimaan mahasiswa baru pada universitas BSI Bandung, yang mana dapat menggali informasi-informasi penting yang dapat membantu mengambilan keputusan strategik dalam menunjang kegiatan promosi di Universitas BSI Bandung. Hasil dari penelitian ini adalah sebuah data warehouse lengkap dengan aplikasi presentasi data berbasis web. Tujuan akhir dari penelitian ini adalah untuk menghasilkan rancangan data warehouse yang dapat mendukung kebutuhan pihak manajemen dalam mengambil keputusan dengan cara memberikan informasi yang strategik tentang penerimaan mahasiswa baru, yang menghasilkan ringkasan informasi yang akurat dan berguna sebagai masukan untuk menentukan strategi dalam melakukan promosi.
Strategi Experiential Marketing Sebagai Metode Pendekatan Dalam Meningkatkan Revisit Intention Wisatawan Sabda Alam Garut
Authors: Andriani Rian , Fatimah Rikrik
Published: June 2018

Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk menganalisis faktor experiental marketing dalam meningkatkan revisit intention di Sabda Alam yang merupakan salah satu obyek wisata di Cipanas Garut berkawasan strategis dan merupakan taman air terbesar dikawasan Cipanas. Seiring berjalannya waktu, Sabda Alam menjadi salah satu obyek yang memiliki kendala pada kualitas produknya, hal tersebut terbukti dengan menurunnya minat kunjungan ulang wisatawan Sabda Alam. Metode penelitian yang digunakan adalah deskriptif dengan pendekatan kualitatif. Berdasarkan hasil penelitian diketahui bahwa strategi experiential marketing yang digunakan dapat meningkatkan revisit intention wisatawan di Sabda Alam, karena strategi ini merupakan pendekatan pemasaran yang paling efektif digunakan dalam menghasilkan pengunjung yang puas dan loyal di Sabda Alam
Tocotrienol-Rich Fraction of Palm Oil Improves Behavioral Impairments and Regulates Metabolic Pathways in AβPP/PS1 Mice
Authors: Durani Lina Wati , Hamezah Hamizah Shahirah , Ibrahim Nor Faeizah , Yanagisawa Daijiro , Nasaruddin Muhammad Luqman , Mori Masaki , Azizan Kamalrul Azlan , Damanhuri Hanafi Ahmad , Makpol Suzana , Wan Ngah Wan Zurinah , Tooyama Ikuo
Published: June 2018

We have recently shown that the tocotrienol-rich fraction (TRF) of palm oil, a mixture of vitamin E analogs, improves amyloid pathology in vitro and in vivo. However, precise mechanisms remain unknown. In this study, we examined the effects of long-term (10 months) TRF treatment on behavioral impairments and brain metabolites in (15 months old) AβPP/PS1 double transgenic (Tg) Alzheimer’s disease (AD) mice. The open field test, Morris water maze, and novel object recognition tasks revealed improved exploratory activity, spatial learning, and recognition memory, respectively, in TRF-treated Tg mice. Brain metabolite profiling of wild-type and Tg mice treated with and without TRF was performed using ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) coupled to high-resolution accurate mass (HRAM)-orbitrap tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). Metabolic pathway analysis found perturbed metabolic pathways that linked to AD. TRF treatment partly ameliorated metabolic perturbations in Tg mouse hippocampus. The mechanism of this pre-emptive activity may occur via modulation of metabolic pathways dependent on Aβ interaction or independent of Aβ interaction.
Relationships between Cognition and Activities of Daily Living in Alzheimer’s Disease During a 5-Year Follow-Up: ALSOVA Study
Authors: Saari Toni , Hallikainen Ilona , Hänninen Tuomo , Räty Hannu , Koivisto Anne
Published: June 2018

Background:

Impaired cognition and activities of daily living (ADL) are core symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), but their relationship is unclear.

Objectives:

To explore relationships between cognitive domains and functional ability during 5-year follow-up in persons with AD.

Methods:

We analyzed ALSOVA study data from 236 individuals with very mild or mild AD at baseline. The CERAD Neuropsychological Battery (CERAD-NB) was used as a cognitive measure and Alzheimer’s Disease Cooperative Study ADL (ADCS-ADL) as a functional measure, analyzing the IADL and BADL sub-scores separately. Annual regression models and linear mixed-effect models (LMMs) covering a 5-year follow-up period were used.

Results:

Annually, the CERAD-NB total and especially Verbal Fluency, Clock Drawing, and Constructional Praxis were associated with the total ADCS-ADL and IADL scores increasingly yet modestly, and to a lesser extent the BADL score. In the LMMs, the same measures and MMSE were associated with ADL.

Conclusion:

Measures of executive function and visuoconstructive skills appear to be associated with caregiver-interview based ADL measure during the progression of AD.
Impact of Amyloid PET Imaging in the Memory Clinic: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Shea Yat-Fung , Barker Warren , Greig-Gusto Maria T. , Loewenstein David A. , Duara Ranjan , DeKosky Steven T.
Published: June 2018

Patients with cognitive impairment or dementias of uncertain etiology are frequently referred to a memory disorders specialty clinic. The impact of and role for amyloid PET imaging (A β-PET) may be most appropriate in this clinical setting.

The primary objective of this study was to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of the impact of A β-PET on etiological diagnosis and clinical management in the memory clinic setting.

A search of the literature on the impact of A β-PET in the memory clinic setting between 1 January 2004 and 12 February 2018 was conducted. Meta-analysis using a random effects model was performed to determine the pooled estimate of the impact of A β-PET in the changes of diagnoses and changes in management plan.

After rigorous review, results from 13 studies were extracted, involving 1,489 patients. Meta-analysis revealed a pooled effect of change in diagnoses of 35.2% (95% CI 24.6–47.5). Sub-analyses showed that the pooled effect in change in diagnoses if A β-PET was used under the appropriate use criteria (AUC) or non-AUC criteria were 47.8% (95% CI 25.9–70.5) and 29.6% (95% CI: 21.5–39.3), respectively. The pooled effect of a change of diagnosis from Alzheimer’s disease (AD) to non-AD and from non-AD to AD were 22.7% (95% CI: 17.1–29.5) and 25.6% (95% CI: 17.6–35.8), respectively. The pooled effect leading to a change of management was 59.6% (95% CI 39.4–77.0).

A β-PET has a highly significant impact on both changes in diagnosis and management among patients being seen at a specialty memory clinic.
Abstractions for security protocol verification
Authors: Nguyen Binh Thanh , Sprenger Christoph , Cremers Cas
Published: June 2018

We present a large class of security protocol abstractions with the aim of improving the scope and efficiency of verification tools. We propose abstractions that transform a term’s structure based on its type as well as abstractions that remove atomic messages, variables, and redundant terms. Our theory improves on previous work by supporting rewrite theories with the finite-variant property, user-defined types, and untyped variables to cover type flaw attacks. We prove soundness results for an expressive property language that includes secrecy and authentication. Applying our abstractions to realistic IETF protocol models, we achieve dramatic speedups and extend the scope of several modern security protocol analyzers.
Hypoglossal-facial nerve “side-to-side” neurorrhaphy for facial paralysis resulting from closed temporal bone fractures
Authors: Su Diya , Li Dezhi , Wang Shiwei , Qiao Hui , Li Ping , Wang Binbin , Wan Hong , Schumacher Michael , Liu Song
Published: June 2018

Background:

Closed temporal bone fractures due to cranial trauma often result in facial nerve injury, frequently inducing incomplete facial paralysis. Conventional hypoglossal-facial nerve end-to-end neurorrhaphy may not be suitable for these injuries because sacrifice of the lesioned facial nerve for neurorrhaphy destroys the remnant axons and/or potential spontaneous innervation.

Objective:

we modified the classical method by hypoglossal-facial nerve “side-to-side” neurorrhaphy using an interpositional predegenerated nerve graft to treat these injuries.

Methods:

Five patients who experienced facial paralysis resulting from closed temporal bone fractures due to cranial trauma were treated with the “side-to-side” neurorrhaphy. An additional 4 patients did not receive the neurorrhaphy and served as controls.

Results:

Before treatment, all patients had suffered House-Brackmann (H-B) grade V or VI facial paralysis for a mean of 5 months. During the 12–30 months of follow-up period, no further detectable deficits were observed, but an improvement in facial nerve function was evidenced over time in the 5 neurorrhaphy-treated patients. At the end of follow-up, the improved facial function reached H-B grade II in 3, grade III in 1 and grade IV in 1 of the 5 patients, consistent with the electrophysiological examinations. In the control group, two patients showed slightly spontaneous innervation with facial function improved from H-B grade VI to V, and the other patients remained unchanged at H-B grade V or VI.

Conclusions:

We concluded that the hypoglossal-facial nerve “side-to-side” neurorrhaphy can preserve the injured facial nerve and is suitable for treating significant incomplete facial paralysis resulting from closed temporal bone fractures, providing an evident beneficial effect. Moreover, this treatment may be performed earlier after the onset of facial paralysis in order to reduce the unfavorable changes to the injured facial nerve and atrophy of its target muscles due to long-term denervation and allow axonal regrowth in a rich supportive environment.
An Innovative Model for Adaptive Learning Utilizing Biofeedback and Item Response Theory
Authors: Gazdi László , Pomázi Krisztián , Szabó Máté , Forstner Bertalan
Published: June 2018

Measuring and providing efficiency of educational applications is a serious, open problem, which impacts the future of this expanding industry greatly. Reaching player engagement is a complex challenge, as it also depends on the given task and the mental state of the player. Researches answer this by using adaptive educational games. To reach the goal, however, knowledge about more parameters is required about the game tasks, the abilities of the player, his actual physiological state and performance as well. In this paper we present our results, which use a biofeedback based adaptive algorithm, and based on this, an innovative psychometric model to take a step towards maximizing user engagement.
Eighteenth-century Scottish Political Economy and the Decline of Imperial Spain
Authors: Whelan Frederick G.
Published: June 2018

This article examines the causes of the decline of imperial Spain as set forth in the works of Hume, Smith, Robertson, and other eighteenth-century writers, primarily Scottish. As in the classic case of the decline of the ancient Roman republic and empire, moral causes related to Spain's national character and its distortion under the impact of imperial wealth were sometimes adduced. Nevertheless, the famous Roman precedent proved inapplicable, for the most part, to modern experience. There was a decisive shift, in the case of Spain. Arguments drawn from Scottish political economy focused on the self-defeating character of the Spanish quest for precious metals and its related bullionist and mercantilist policies. The Spanish case also contributed significantly to the economic critique of imperialism and highly regulated imperial economies as an aspect of the general rejection of mercantilism.
Scots and Access to Spanish America from Before the Union to 1748
Authors: Lenman Bruce
Published: June 2018

This article begins with the idea that there was a vigorous political life in Scotland in the first half of the eighteenth century which could focus on issues other than Jacobitism or government patronage. The article focuses on the non-dynastic issues in Scottish politics that predated the Union and which carried on into the Westminster parliament to the accompaniment of considerable activism in Scotland, and a distinctive contribution from Scottish members of both houses of the legislature. The example here examined is the burning issue of securing commercial access to the forbidden lands of Spanish America. Studying it reveals very clearly that ‘The theme of Scotland's partial integration into the British state’ and the way in which it ‘was never wholly successful’, goes back to the very start of the eighteenth century.
Three Scottish Cousins in East India Company Service, 1792–1804
Authors: Singh Frances B.
Published: June 2018

This article studies three first cousins, James Thomas Grant, George Cumming, and Henry Mackenzie, who arrived in India in 1792, 1793, and 1797, respectively. Born in the 1770s, the same decade as Scott, none of the cousins reached their thirtieth birthday, and though none of them died in battle, Cumming left behind huge debts, Mackenzie owed money to a Calcutta lender, and Grant chose not to return to Scotland, where, in due course, he would have succeeded to a considerable estate and become the head of his clan. Their history is used to examine Walter Scott's idea of India as a corn chest, a fabulously rich society whose wealth could be squeezed
Axon Diameters and Myelin Content Modulate Microscopic Fractional Anisotropy at Short Diffusion Times in Fixed Rat Spinal Cord
Authors: Shemesh Noam
Published: June 2018

Mapping tissue microstructure accurately and noninvasively is one of the frontiers of biomedical imaging. Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is at the forefront of such efforts, as it is capable of reporting on microscopic structures orders of magnitude smaller than the voxel size by probing restricted diffusion. Double Diffusion Encoding (DDE) and Double Oscillating Diffusion Encoding (DODE) in particular, are highly promising for their ability to report on microscopic fractional anisotropy (μFA), a measure of the pore anisotropy in its own eigenframe, irrespective of orientation distribution. However, the underlying correlates of μFA have insofar not been studied. Here, we extract μFA from DDE and DODE measurements at ultrahigh magnetic field of 16.4T with the goal of probing fixed rat spinal cord microstructure. We further endeavor to correlate μFA with Myelin Water Fraction (MWF) derived from multiexponential T2 relaxometry, as well as with literature-based spatially varying axon diameter. In addition, a simple new method is presented for extracting unbiased μFA from three measurements at different b-values. Our findings reveal strong anticorrelations between μFA (derived from DODE) and axon diameter in the distinct spinal cord tracts; a moderate correlation was also observed between μFA derived from DODE and MWF. These findings suggest that axonal membranes strongly modulate μFA, which—owing to its robustness toward orientation dispersion effects—reflects axon diameter much better than its typical FA counterpart. μFA varied when measured via oscillating or blocked gradients, suggesting selective probing of different parallel path lengths and providing insight into how those modulate μFA metrics. Our findings thus shed light into the underlying microstructural correlates of μFA and are promising for future interpretations of this metric in health and disease.
Shock-Wave Structure of Supersonic Jet Flows
Authors: Zapryagaev Valery , Kiselev Nikolay , Gubanov Dmitry
Published: June 2018

In the present paper, we give a brief overview of the studies of supersonic jet flows which were performed recently with the aim of gaining experimental data on the formation of the shock-wave structure and jet mixing layer in such flows. Considerable attention is paid to a detailed description of discharge conditions for supersonic jets, to enable the use of measured data for making a comparison with numerical calculations. Data on the 3D flow structure in the mixing layer of the initial length of a supersonic jet are reported. Scientific interest in this phenomenon is due to its practical significance in studying the possibility of intensifying the mixing process as well as in studying the sound-generation process.
Aerospace Best Paper Awards 2017
Authors:   Aerospace Editorial Office
Published: June 2018

n/a
Image-Based On-Panicle Rice [Oryza sativa L.] Grain Counting with a Prior Edge Wavelet Correction Model
Authors: Gong Liang , Lin Ke , Wang Tao , Liu Chengliang , Yuan Zheng , Zhang Dabing , Hong Jun
Published: June 2018

The number of rice grains on a panicle is an important index for variety screening during high-quality rice [Oryza Sativa L.] breeding. For an in-vivo image-based measurement, the occlusion and overlapping among grains are the major challenges in non-destructive precise phenotyping of the on-panicle grains. In order to tackle these challenges, this paper describes a correction-model-referred on-panicle grain counting method based on the area of the rice panicle and its edge contour wavelet analysis. First, we assume that a deterministic correlation exists between the number of grains of the panicle and the traits of its edge contour morphology, which reflects the extent to which the grains are occluded. Second, a method for coarsely estimating grain number per panicle is proposed based on the projective area of the panicle in the image and the average area of a rice grain. Finally, a correction model which is built with the average wavelet frequency of the edge contour of the panicle is employed to correct the estimated value of the grain number. Two randomly selected cases are investigated in detail, showing that computation accuracy with a correction model is increased by 26% and 23% respectively when compared to that of the naive area-based computation. In conclusion, we reveal and validate the relationship between the number of grains of the panicle and the fluctuation frequency of its edge contours. Further, experiments show that errors caused by overlapping and occlusion scenarios can be alleviated with the estimation and correction hybrid models, achieving an average accuracy of 94% compared to the results of manual counting.
Current Knowledge in Ultrasound-Based Liver Elastography of Pediatric Patients
Authors: Dietrich Christoph F. , Sirli Roxana , Ferraioli Giovanna , Popescu Alina , Sporea Ioan , Pienar Corina , Kunze Christian , Taut Heike , Schrading Simone , Bota Simona , Schreiber-Dietrich Dagmar , Yi Dong
Published: June 2018

Studies performed using transient elastography (TE), point shear wave elastography (pSWE) and two-dimensional shear wave elastography (2D-SWE) have shown that these techniques are all feasible and accurate in children for the evaluation of liver fibrosis due to several etiologies. However, for some specific pediatric pathologies, such as biliary atresia, the evidence is still limited. As shown in adults, inflammation is a confounding factor when assessing fibrosis severity and care should be taken when interpreting the results. Due to the scarce comparative data between serological tests and elastography techniques in children, a definite conclusion regarding which is the best cannot be drawn. Neither non-invasive elastographic techniques nor laboratory scores allow determination of the presence and the degree of inflammation, necrosis, iron or copper deposits.
Enhanced Photocatalytic Efficiency of TiO2 Membrane Decorated with Ag and Au Nanoparticles
Authors: Gao Yining , Zhang Wenqin , Liu Peng
Published: June 2018

Ag and Au nanoparticles (NPs) were decorated on the surface of TiO2 membranes by two methods, i.e., hydrothermal synthesis and photoreduction. The size of Ag and Au NPs on the surface of TiO2 membranes was dependent on the method of preparation and varied from 2 nm–10 nm. The photocatalytic performance of the TiO2 particle, TiO2 membrane and the Ag/Au-decorated TiO2 membrane was tested for the catalytic degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) and Escherichia coli (E. coli) under irradiation of visible light. The experiment results showed that both Ag- and Au-decorated TiO2 membranes exhibited excellent photocatalytic activity in the visible light region. Among the prepared materials, Ag-decorated TiO2 membranes prepared by photoreduction showed the highest activity, which could be attributed to the local surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) effect of the noble metal.
Preliminary Investigation of the Feasibility of Using a Superpave Gyratory Compactor to Design Cement-Treated Aggregate Mixture
Authors: Du Yinfei , Liu Pusheng , Tian Jun , Zhang Jian , Zheng Yu
Published: June 2018

Cement-treated aggregate mixture (CTAM) is widely used in many countries. To design this mixture using the vibration compaction method brings about many problems, such as serious inconsistencies in key parameters and strong vibration energy and noise imposed on adjacent buildings and people. This work presents a preliminary investigation of the use of Superpave gyratory compactor, which has been widely used to compact hot mix asphalt in the laboratory, to design CTAM. The 3-2-2 mode of the locking point was used to determine that the gyration compaction number Ndesign should be 105. The performances of the CTAM specimens prepared using gyration compaction were compared with those prepared using the Proctor and vibration compaction methods. Compared with Proctor and vibration compaction, gyration compaction had a smaller influence on aggregate degradation. Also, the optimal moisture content after gyration compaction was the minimum. The index values for maximum dry density, unconfined compressive strength and dry/temperature shrinkage coefficient after gyration compaction were between those for Proctor compaction and vibration compaction. It can be concluded that it is feasible to design CTAM by using a Superpave gyratory compactor to compact the mixture for 105 cycles.
A Big Data and Time Series Analysis Technology-Based Multi-Agent System for Smart Tourism
Authors: Chen Wei-Chih , Chen Wen-Hui , Yang Sheng-Yuan
Published: June 2018

This study focuses on presenting a development trend from the perspective of data-oriented evidence, especially open data and technologies, as those numbers can verify and prove current technology trends and user information requirements. According to the practical progress of Dr. What-Info I and II, this paper continues to develop Dr. What-Info III. Moreover, big data technology, the MapReduce paralleled decrement mechanism of the cloud information agent CEOntoIAS, which is supported by a Hadoop-like framework, Software R, and time series analysis are adopted to enhance the precision, reliability, and integrity of cloud information. Furthermore, the proposed system app receives a collective satisfaction score of 80% in terms of Quesenbery’s 5Es and Nielsen ratings. In addition, the verification results of the interface design show that the human-machine interface of our proposed system can meet important design preferences and provide approximately optimal balance. The top-n experiment shows that the top-5 recommendations would be better for solving the traditional tradeoff between output quality and processing time. Finally, the system effectiveness experiments indicate that the proposed system receives an overall up-to-standard function rate of 87.5%, and such recommendations provide this system with high information correctness and user satisfaction. Although there is plenty of room for improvement in experience, the feasibility of this service architecture has been proven.
A New Closed-Form Solution for Acoustic Emission Source Location in the Presence of Outliers
Authors: Zhou Zilong , Rui Yichao , Zhou Jing , Dong Longjun , Chen Lianjun , Cai Xin , Cheng Ruishan
Published: June 2018

The accuracy of an acoustic emission (AE) source location is always corrupted by outliers due to the complexity of engineering practice. To this end, a preconditioned closed-form solution based on weight estimation (PCFWE) is proposed in this study. Firstly, nonlinear equations are linearized, and initial source coordinates are obtained by using equal weights. Residuals, which are calculated by source coordinates, are divided into three regions according to normal distribution. Secondly, the weight estimation is developed by establishing the relationship between residuals and weights. Outliers are filtered by the iteration between the weight estimation and source location. Subsequently, linear equations are reconstructed with the remaining measurements containing no outliers, while they are ill-conditioned. Finally, the preconditioning method is applied to weaken the ill condition of the reconstructed linear equations, so as to improve the location accuracy. This new method is verified by a pencil-lead break experiment. Tests results show that the location accuracy and stability of the new method are superior to traditional methods. In addition, outlier tolerance and the velocity sensibility of the new method are investigated by simulating tests.
Gating Hysteresis as an Indicator for Silicon Nanowire FET Biosensors
Authors: Ibarlucea Bergoi , Römhildt Lotta , Zörgiebel Felix , Pregl Sebastian , Vahdatzadeh Maryam , Weber Walter M. , Mikolajick Thomas , Opitz Jörg , Baraban Larysa , Cuniberti Gianaurelio
Published: June 2018

We present a biosensor chip with integrated large area silicon nanowire-based field effect transistors (FET) for human α-thrombin detection and propose to implement the hysteresis width of the FET transfer curve as a reliable parameter to quantify the concentration of biomolecules in the solution. We further compare our results to conventional surface potential based measurements and demonstrate that both parameters distinctly respond at a different analyte concentration range. A combination of the two approaches would provide broader possibilities for detecting biomolecules that are present in a sample with highly variable concentrations, or distinct biomolecules that can be found at very different levels. Finally, we qualitatively discuss the physical and chemical origin of the hysteresis signal and associate it with the polarization of thrombin molecules upon binding to the receptor at the nanowire surface.
Quantum Antenna as an Open System: Strong Antenna Coupling with Photonic Reservoir
Authors: Komarov Alexei , Slepyan Gregory
Published: June 2018

We propose a general concept of quantum antenna in the strong coupling regime. It is based on the theory of open quantum systems. Antenna emission into space is considered an interaction with a thermal photonic reservoir. For antenna dynamics modeling, we formulate master equations with a corresponding Lindblad super-operators for the radiation terms. It is shown that strong coupling dramatically changes the radiation pattern of antenna. The total power pattern splits to three partial components, each of which corresponds to a spectral line in Mollow triplet. We analyzed the dependence of splitting on the length of antenna, shift of the phase, and Rabi-frequency. The predicted effect opens a way for implementation of multi-beam electrically tunable antennas, potentially useful in different nano-devices.
Simulation of a Large Wildfire in a Coupled Fire-Atmosphere Model
Authors: Filippi Jean-Baptiste , Bosseur Frédéric , Mari Céline , Lac Christine
Published: June 2018

The Aullene fire devastated more than 3000 ha of Mediterranean maquis and pine forest in July 2009. The simulation of combustion processes, as well as atmospheric dynamics represents a challenge for such scenarios because of the various involved scales, from the scale of the individual flames to the larger regional scale. A coupled approach between the Meso-NH (Meso-scale Non-Hydrostatic) atmospheric model running in LES (Large Eddy Simulation) mode and the ForeFire fire spread model is proposed for predicting fine- to large-scale effects of this extreme wildfire, showing that such simulation is possible in a reasonable time using current supercomputers. The coupling involves the surface wind to drive the fire, while heat from combustion and water vapor fluxes are injected into the atmosphere at each atmospheric time step. To be representative of the phenomenon, a sub-meter resolution was used for the simulation of the fire front, while atmospheric simulations were performed with nested grids from 2400-m to 50-m resolution. Simulations were run with or without feedback from the fire to the atmospheric model, or without coupling from the atmosphere to the fire. In the two-way mode, the burnt area was reproduced with a good degree of realism at the local scale, where an acceleration in the valley wind and over sloping terrain pushed the fire line to locations in accordance with fire passing point observations. At the regional scale, the simulated fire plume compares well with the satellite image. The study explores the strong fire-atmosphere interactions leading to intense convective updrafts extending above the boundary layer, significant downdrafts behind the fire line in the upper plume, and horizontal wind speeds feeding strong inflow into the base of the convective updrafts. The fire-induced dynamics is induced by strong near-surface sensible heat fluxes reaching maximum values of 240 kW m − 2 . The dynamical production of turbulent kinetic energy in the plume fire is larger in magnitude than the buoyancy contribution, partly due to the sheared initial environment, which promotes larger shear generation and to the shear induced by the updraft itself. The turbulence associated with the fire front is characterized by a quasi-isotropic behavior. The most active part of the Aullene fire lasted 10 h, while 9 h of computation time were required for the 24 million grid points on 900 computer cores.
Dynamic and Thermodynamic Factors Associated with Different Precipitation Regimes over South China during Pre-Monsoon Season
Authors: Ma Wenqian , Huang Wenyu , Yang Zifan , Wang Bin , Lin Daiyu , He Xinsheng
Published: June 2018

Nine precipitation regimes over South China are obtained by applying the Self-Organizing Map (SOM) technique to the sub-daily precipitation during the pre-monsoon season (April to June) of 1979–2015. These nine regimes are distinct from each other in terms of precipitation amount and spatial pattern. The relationships between precipitation and different atmospheric dynamic and thermodynamic factors (large-scale divergence, water vapor flux, low-level jet, precipitable water, convective available potential energy (CAPE), and K index) are explored under the nine regimes. The upper-level divergence performs best in indicating the geographic positions of precipitation centers, which are also modulated by the orientations of low-level jets. The estimation of water vapor transport reveals that there are two major moisture sources for the precipitation during the pre-monsoon season, i.e., the Bay of Bengal (for all the nine regimes) and the South China Sea and West Pacific Ocean (for five regimes). Furthermore, the occurrence probability of more precipitation increases with the water vapor transported from the South China Sea and West Pacific Ocean. Compared to CAPE, K index performs better in indicating the precipitation centers and has a tighter relationship with area-average precipitation. The precipitable water exhibits complicated relationships with spatial patterns and amounts of precipitation, indicating that it may be not a good indicator for precipitation during pre-monsoon season over South China. Estimation of the persistence and transformation probabilities for precipitation regimes reveals that the persistence probabilities basically decrease with the precipitation amounts, and the transformations between different precipitation regimes are inclined to be associated with the southward shifts of precipitation centers.
Some Summation Theorems for Generalized Hypergeometric Functions
Authors: Masjed-Jamei Mohammad , Koepf Wolfram
Published: June 2018

Essentially, whenever a generalized hypergeometric series can be summed in terms of gamma functions, the result will be important as only a few such summation theorems are available in the literature. In this paper, we apply two identities of generalized hypergeometric series in order to extend some classical summation theorems of hypergeometric functions such as Gauss, Kummer, Dixon, Watson, Whipple, Pfaff–Saalschütz and Dougall formulas and also obtain some new summation theorems in the sequel.
Formation and Stability of Interface between Garnet-Type Ta-doped Li7La3Zr2O12 Solid Electrolyte and Lithium Metal Electrode
Authors: Inada Ryoji , Yasuda Satoshi , Hosokawa Hiromasa , Saito Masaya , Tojo Tomohiro , Sakurai Yoji
Published: June 2018

Garnet-type Li7-xLa3Zr2-xTaxO12 (LLZT) is considered a good candidate for the solid electrolyte in all-solid-state lithium batteries because of its reasonably high conductivity around 10−3 S cm−1 at room temperature and stability against lithium (Li) metal with the lowest redox potential. In this study, we synthesized LLZT with a tantalum (Ta) content of 0.45 via a conventional solid-state reaction process and constructed a Li/LLZT/Li symmetric cell by attaching Li metal foils on the polished top and bottom surfaces of an LLZT pellet. We investigated the influence of heating temperatures and times on the interfacial charge-transfer resistance between LLZT and the Li metal electrode. In addition, the effect of the interface resistance on the stability for Li deposition and dissolution was examined using a galvanostatic cycling test. The lowest interfacial resistance of 25 Ω cm2 at room temperature was obtained by heating at 175 °C (5 °C lower than the melting point of Li) for three to five hours. We confirmed that the current density at which the short circuit occurs in the Li/LLZT/Li cell via the propagation of Li dendrite into LLZT increases with decreasing interfacial charge transfer resistance.
Introduction of Electric Vehicle Charging Stations to University Campuses: A Case Study for the University of Georgia from 2014 to 2017
Authors: Hovet Sierra , Farley Blair , Perry Jason , Kirsche Kevin , Jerue Michael , Tse Zion Tsz Ho
Published: June 2018

Electric vehicles (EVs) are becoming increasingly popular in the United States of America (USA). EVs attract buyers with benefits including energy efficiency and environmental friendliness. As EV usage grows, more public spaces are installing EV charging stations. This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of EV charging station usage at the University of Georgia (UGA) in Athens, Georgia. Three ChargePoint EV charging stations at UGA were used to collect data about each of 3204 charging events that occurred from 10 April 2014 to 20 June 2017. The charging event data included start date, start time, length of parking time, length of charging time, amount of energy delivered, and the postal code entered by the user during ChargePoint account registration. Analytical methods were proposed to obtain information about EV charging behavior, charging station occupancy, and geolocation of charging station users. The methodology presented here was time- and cost-effective, as well as scalable to other organizations that own charging stations. Because this study took place at a university, the results presented here can be used as a reference for EV charging station usage in other college towns in the USA that do not have EV charging stations but are planning to develop EV infrastructure.
Simultaneous Determination of AFB1 and AFM1 in Milk Samples by Ultra High Performance Liquid Chromatography Coupled to Quadrupole Orbitrap Mass Spectrometry
Authors: Rodríguez-Carrasco Yelko , Izzo Luana , Gaspari Anna , Graziani Giulia , Mañes Jordi , Ritieni Alberto
Published: June 2018

Milk is the world’s most consumed beverage, not counting water. Even though investigations on milk aflatoxin (AF) M1 contamination are regularly conducted, there is limited information on the contamination of milk with its parent compound, AFB1. Hence, the aim of this study was to develop a quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe (QuEChERS)-based method for the simultaneous analysis of AFB1 and AFM1 in milk, using ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography coupled with high resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap HRMS). The recoveries were in a range of 75–96% at 0.005, 0.01, and 0.05 µg/L spiking levels, with repeatability and reproducibility results expressed as relative standard deviations (RSDs) lower than 7% and 16%, respectively. The limits of detection (LODs) and quantification (LOQs) were 0.001 and 0.002 µg/L for AFM1 and AFB1, respectively. The LODs and LOQs that were obtained showed the suitability of the developed method for the determination of trace amounts of the selected mycotoxins in milk samples, and were up to ten times lower than those that had been reported in previous works using triple quadrupole mass analyzers. The matrix effect was evaluated and matrix-matched calibrations were used for quantification. The validated method was applied to 40 Italian milk samples. Neither AFB1 nor AFM1 were found above the LOD in any of the analyzed samples.
Bioengineering of a Full-Thickness Skin Equivalent in a 96-Well Insert Format for Substance Permeation Studies and Organ-On-A-Chip Applications
Authors: Schimek Katharina , Hsu Hao-Hsiang , Boehme Moritz , Kornet Jacob Jan , Marx Uwe , Lauster Roland , Pörtner Ralf , Lindner Gerd
Published: June 2018

The human skin is involved in protecting the inner body from constant exposure to outer environmental stimuli. There is an evident need to screen for toxicity and the efficacy of drugs and cosmetics applied to the skin. To date, animal studies are still the standard method for substance testing, although they are currently controversially discussed Therefore, the multi-organ chip is an attractive alternative to replace animal testing. The two-organ chip is designed to hold 96-well cell culture inserts (CCIs). Small-sized skin equivalents are needed for this. In this study, full-thickness skin equivalents (ftSEs) were generated successfully inside 96-well CCIs. These skin equivalents developed with in vivo-like histological architecture, with normal differentiation marker expressions and proliferation rates. The 96-well CCI-based ftSEs were successfully integrated into the two-organ chip. The permeation of fluorescein sodium salt through the ftSEs was monitored during the culture. The results show a decreasing value for the permeation over time, which seems a promising method to track the development of the ftSEs. Additionally, the permeation was implemented in a computational fluid dynamics simulation, as a tool to predict results in long-term experiments. The advantage of these ftSEs is the reduced need for cells and substances, which makes them more suitable for high throughput assays.
Anti-Cytokine Therapy to Attenuate Ischemic-Reperfusion Associated Brain Injury in the Perinatal Period
Authors: Disdier Clémence , Chen Xiaodi , Kim Jeong-Eun , Threlkeld Steven W. , Stonestreet Barbara S.
Published: June 2018

Perinatal brain injury is a major cause of morbidity and long-standing disability in newborns. Hypothermia is the only therapy approved to attenuate brain injury in the newborn. However, this treatment is unfortunately only partially neuroprotective and can only be used to treat hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy in full term infants. Therefore, there is an urgent need for adjunctive therapeutic strategies. Post-ischemic neuro-inflammation is a crucial contributor to the evolution of brain injury in neonates and constitutes a promising therapeutic target. Recently, we demonstrated encouraging neuroprotective capacities of anti-cytokine monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) in an ischemic-reperfusion (I/R) model of brain injury in the ovine fetus. The purpose of this review is to summarize the current knowledge regarding the inflammatory response in the perinatal sheep brain after I/R injury and to review our recent findings regarding the beneficial effects of treatment with anti-cytokine mAbs.
The Roles of p53 in Mitochondrial Dynamics and Cancer Metabolism: The Pendulum between Survival and Death in Breast Cancer?
Authors: Moulder David E. , Hatoum Diana , Tay Enoch , Lin Yiguang , McGowan Eileen M.
Published: June 2018

Cancer research has been heavily geared towards genomic events in the development and progression of cancer. In contrast, metabolic regulation, such as aberrant metabolism in cancer, is poorly understood. Alteration in cellular metabolism was once regarded simply as a consequence of cancer rather than as playing a primary role in cancer promotion and maintenance. Resurgence of cancer metabolism research has identified critical metabolic reprogramming events within biosynthetic and bioenergetic pathways needed to fulfill the requirements of cancer cell growth and maintenance. The tumor suppressor protein p53 is emerging as a key regulator of metabolic processes and metabolic reprogramming in cancer cells—balancing the pendulum between cell death and survival. This review provides an overview of the classical and emerging non-classical tumor suppressor roles of p53 in regulating mitochondrial dynamics: mitochondrial engagement in cell death processes in the prevention of cancer. On the other hand, we discuss p53 as a key metabolic switch in cellular function and survival. The focus is then on the conceivable roles of p53 in breast cancer metabolism. Understanding the metabolic functions of p53 within breast cancer metabolism will, in due course, reveal critical metabolic hotspots that cancers advantageously re-engineer for sustenance. Illustration of these events will pave the way for finding novel therapeutics that target cancer metabolism and serve to overcome the breast cancer burden.
Large-Scale Assembly and Mask-Free Fabrication of Graphene Transistors via Optically Induced Electrodeposition
Authors: Zhang Yu , Yang Yong , Liu Na , Yu Fanhua , Yu Haibo , Jiao Niandong
Published: June 2018

Graphene, known as an alternative for silicon, has significant potential in microelectronic applications. The assembly of graphene on well-defined metal electrodes is a critical step in the fabrication of microelectronic devices. Herein, we present a convenient, rapid, and large-scale assembly method for deposition of Ag electrodes, namely optically induced electrodeposition (OIED). This technique enables us to achieve custom-designed and mask-free fabrication of graphene transistors. The entire assembly process can be completed within a few tens of seconds. Our results show that graphene-based transistors fabricated with Ag electrodes function as a p-type semiconductor. Transfer curves of different samples reveal similar trends of slightly p-type characteristics, which shows that this method is reliable and repeatable.
The Behavior of the Deformation Vibration of NH3 in Semi-Organic Crystals under High Pressure Studied by Raman Spectroscopy
Authors: Cavaignac André Luís de Oliveira , Soares Rilleands Alves , Lima Ricardo Jorge Cruz , Façanha Filhoo Pedro de Freitas , Freire Paulo de Tarso Cavalcante
Published: June 2018

Single-crystal samples of the semi-organic compounds mono-l-alaninium nitrate and monoglycine nitrate have been studied by Raman spectroscopy in a diamond-anvil cell up to 5.5 GPa, in order to observe the behavior of the deformation mode of NH3 units. It was observed for these semi-organic crystals that increasing pressure produces a decrease in the wavenumber of the band associated with the deformation vibration, differently from most of the modes. Comparatively, mono-l-alaninium has a higher dν/dP than monoglycine nitrate, for the band associated with the deformation vibration. The anomalous behavior is explained in terms of the effect of high pressure in the short and linear intermolecular hydrogen bonds.
The Inverse-Square Interaction Phase Diagram: Unitarity in the Bosonic Ground State
Authors: Astrakharchik Grigori E. , Kryuchkov P. S. , Kurbakov I. L. , Lozovik Yu. E.
Published: June 2018

Ground-state properties of bosons interacting via inverse square potential (three dimensional Calogero-Sutherland model) are analyzed. A number of quantities scale with the density and can be naturally expressed in units of the Fermi energy and Fermi momentum multiplied by a dimensionless constant (Bertsch parameter). Two analytical approaches are developed: the Bogoliubov theory for weak and the harmonic approximation (HA) for strong interactions. Diffusion Monte Carlo method is used to obtain the ground-state properties in a non-perturbative manner. We report the dependence of the Bertsch parameter on the interaction strength and construct a Padé approximant which fits the numerical data and reproduces correctly the asymptotic limits of weak and strong interactions. We find good agreement with beyond-mean field theory for the energy and the condensate fraction. The pair distribution function and the static structure factor are reported for a number of characteristic interactions. We demonstrate that the system experiences a gas-solid phase transition as a function of the dimensionless interaction strength. A peculiarity of the system is that by changing the density it is not possible to induce the phase transition. We show that the low-lying excitation spectrum contains plasmons in both phases, in agreement with the Bogoliubov and HA theories. Finally, we argue that this model can be interpreted as a realization of the unitary limit of a Bose system with the advantage that the system stays in the genuine ground state contrarily to the metastable state realized in experiments with short-range Bose gases.