bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Genomics of the Uncultivated, Periodontitis-Associated Bacterium
Tannerella
sp. BU045 (Oral Taxon 808)
Authors: Beall Clifford J. , Campbell Alisha G. , Griffen Ann L. , Podar Mircea , Leys Eugene J.
Published: June 2018

Periodontitis (gum disease) affects 47% of adults over 30 in the United States (P. I. Eke, B. A. Dye, L. Wei, G. O. Thornton-Evans, R. J. Genco, et al., J Dent Res 91:914–920, 2012), and it cost between $39 and $396 billion worldwide in 2015 (A. J. Righolt, M. Jevdjevic, W. Marcenes, and S. Listl, J Dent Res, 17 January 2018,
https://doi.org/10.1177/0022034517750572
). Many bacteria associated with the disease are known only by the DNA sequence of their 16S rRNA gene. In this publication, amplification and sequencing of DNA from single bacterial cells are used to obtain nearly complete genomes of
Tannerella
sp. BU045, a species of bacteria that is more prevalent in patients with periodontitis than in healthy patients. Comparing the complete genome of this bacterium to genomes of related bacterial species will help to better understand periodontitis and may help to grow this organism in pure culture, which would allow a better understanding of its role in the mouth.
Intermittent Hypoxia and Hypercapnia, a Hallmark of Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Alters the Gut Microbiome and Metabolome
Authors: Tripathi Anupriya , Melnik Alexey V. , Xue Jin , Poulsen Orit , Meehan Michael J. , Humphrey Gregory , Jiang Lingjing , Ackermann Gail , McDonald Daniel , Zhou Dan , Knight Rob , Dorrestein Pieter C. , Haddad Gabriel G.
Published: June 2018

Intestinal dysbiosis mediates various cardiovascular diseases comorbid with OSA. To understand the role of dysbiosis in cardiovascular and metabolic disease caused by OSA, we systematically study the effect of intermittent hypoxic/hypercapnic stress (IHH, mimicking OSA) on gut microbes in an animal model. We take advantage of a longitudinal study design and paired omics to investigate the microbial and molecular dynamics in the gut to ascertain the contribution of microbes on intestinal metabolism in IHH. We observe microbe-dependent changes in the gut metabolome that will guide future research on unrecognized mechanistic links between gut microbes and comorbidities of OSA. Additionally, we highlight novel and noninvasive biomarkers for OSA-linked cardiovascular and metabolic disorders.
Metagenomics Reveals the Influence of Land Use and Rain on the Benthic Microbial Communities in a Tropical Urban Waterway
Authors: Saxena Gourvendu , Mitra Suparna , Marzinelli Ezequiel M. , Xie Chao , Wei Toh Jun , Steinberg Peter D. , Williams Rohan B. H. , Kjelleberg Staffan , Lauro Federico M. , Swarup Sanjay
Published: June 2018

Unravelling the microbial metagenomes of urban waterway sediments suggest that well-managed urban waterways have the potential to support diverse sedimentary microbial communities, similar to those of undisturbed natural freshwaters. Despite the fact that these urban waterways are well managed, our study shows that environmental pressures from land use and rain perturbations play a role in shaping the structure and functions of microbial communities in these waterways. We propose that although pulsed disturbances, such as rain perturbations, influence microbial communities, press disturbances, including land usage history, have a long-term and stronger influence on microbial communities. Our study found that the functions of microbial communities were less affected by environmental factors than the structure of microbial communities was, indicating that core microbial functions largely remain conserved in challenging environments.
Relationship of intercapillary area with visual acuity in diabetes mellitus: an optical coherence tomography angiography study
Authors: Tang Fangyao , Sun Zihan , Wong Raymond , Lok Jerry , Lam Alexander , Tham Clement C , Chan Carmen KM , Mohamed Shaheeda , Lam Thomas CH , Szeto Simon KH , Ng Danny S , Cheung Carol Y
Published: June 2018

Aim

To examine the correlation of best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) with intercapillary area (ICA) measured from optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A) in patients with diabetes, and to compare the strength of associations between BCVA with ICA and other OCT-A metrics.

Methods

A cross-sectional study involved 447 eyes from 299 patients with diabetes. All participants underwent OCT-A with a swept-source OCT (Triton DRI-OCT, Topcon, Tokyo, Japan). An automated customised MATLAB programme was used to quantify ICA (the mean of the 10 largest areas including foveal avascular zone (FAZ) area (ICA10_FAZ) and excluding FAZ area (ICA10_excFAZ)) and other OCT-A metrics (FAZ area, FAZ circularity and vessel density) from the macular OCT-A images. BCVA was measured using Snellen chart for the patients and then converted to logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) VA. We further defined ‘good VA’ as Snellen >0.7 and ‘poor VA’ as Snellen ≤0.7 as a binary VA outcome for logistic regression analysis.

Results

In univariate regression analysis, increased ICA10_FAZ and ICA10_excFAZ were significantly correlated with logMAR (p values <0.05). In multivariate regression analysis, only the association between ICA10_FAZ and logMAR persisted (β=0.103, p=0.024). In multivariable logistic regression analysis, increased ICA10_FAZ (OR=1.300, 95% CI 1.076 to 1.679, p=0.044) and FAZ circularity (OR=1.285, 95% CI 1.031 to 1.603, p=0.026) showed significant associations with poor VA.

Conclusions

Increased ICA measured from OCT-A, describing enlargement of capillary rarefaction or closure at macular area, is independently associated with BCVA, suggesting that ICA is a potential marker to quantify retinal microvascular abnormalities relating to vision among individuals with diabetes.
Interpregnancy weight change and adverse pregnancy outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Oteng-Ntim Eugene , Mononen Sofia , Sawicki Olga , Seed Paul T , Bick Debra , Poston Lucilla
Published: June 2018

Objectives

To evaluate the effect of interpregnancy body mass index (BMI) change on pregnancy outcomes, including large-for-gestational-age babies (LGA), small-for-gestational-age babies (SGA), macrosomia, gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and caesarean section (CS).

Design

Systematic review and meta-analysis of observational cohort studies.

Data sources

Literature searches were performed across Cochrane, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Global Health and MIDIRS databases.

Study selection

Observational cohort studies with participants parity from 0 to 1.

Main outcome measures

Adjusted ORs (aORs) with 95% CIs were used to evaluate the association between interpregnancy BMI change on five outcomes.

Results

925 065 women with singleton births from parity 0 to 1 were included in the meta-analysis of 11 studies selected from 924 identified studies. A substantial increase in interpregnancy BMI (>3 BMI units) was associated with an increased risk of LGA (aOR 1.85, 95% CI 1.71 to 2.00, p<0.001), GDM (aOR 2.28, 95% CI 1.97 to 2.63, p<0.001), macrosomia (aOR 1.54, 95% CI 0.939 to 2.505) and CS (aOR 1.72, 95% CI 1.32 to 2.24, p<0.001) compared with the reference category, and a decreased risk of SGA (aOR 0.83, 95% CI 0.70 to 0.99, p=0.044). An interpregnancy BMI decrease was associated with a decreased risk of LGA births (aOR 0.70, 95% CI 0.55 to 0.90, p<0.001) and GDM (aOR 0.80, 95% CI 0.62 to 1.03), and an increased risk of SGA (aOR 1.31, 95% CI 1.06 to 1.63, p=0.014). Women with a normal BMI (<25kg/m2) at first pregnancy who have a substantial increase in BMI between pregnancies had a higher risk of LGA (aOR 2.10, 95% CI 1.93 to 2.29) and GDM (aOR 3.10, 95% CI 2.74 to 3.50) when compared with a reference than women with a BMI ≥25 kg/m2at first pregnancy.

Conclusions

Gaining weight between pregnancies increases risk of developing GDM, CS and LGA, and reduces risk of SGA in the subsequent pregnancy. Losing weight between pregnancies reduces risk of GDM and LGA and increases risk of SGA. Weight stability between first and second pregnancy is advised in order to reduce risk of adverse outcomes.

Trial registration number

CRD42016041299.
Access to water and sanitation among people with disabilities: results from cross-sectional surveys in Bangladesh, Cameroon, India and Malawi
Authors: Mactaggart Islay , Schmidt Wolf-Peter , Bostoen Kristof , Chunga Joseph , Danquah Lisa , Halder Amal Krishna , Parveen Jolly Saira , Polack Sarah , Rahman Mahfuzar , Snel Marielle , Kuper Hannah , Biran Adam
Published: June 2018

Objectives

To assess access to adequate water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) among people with disabilities at the household and individual level.

Design

Cross-sectional surveys.

Setting

Data were included from five district-level or regional-level surveys: two in Bangladesh (Bangladesh-1, Bangladesh-2), and one each in Cameroon, Malawi and India.

Participants

99 252 participants were sampled across the datasets (range: 3567–75 767), including 2494 with disabilities (93–1374).

Outcome

Prevalence of access to WASH at household and individual level.

Data analysis

Age/sex disaggregated disability prevalence estimates were calculated accounting for survey design. The Unicef/WHO Joint Monitoring Programme definitions were used to classify facilities as improved/unimproved. Multivariable logistic regression was undertaken to compare between households with/without a person with a disability, and to identify predictors of access among people with disabilities.

Results

There were no differences in access to improved sanitation or water sources between households with/without members with disabilities across the datasets. In Bangladesh-2, households including a person with a disability were more likely to share facilities with other households (OR 1.3, 95% CI 1.1 to 1.5). Households with people with disabilities were more likely to spend >30 min (round-trip) collecting drinking water than households without in both Cameroon (OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.0 to 3.4) and India (OR 2.3, 95% CI 1.2 to 4.7). Within households, people with disabilities reported difficulties collecting water themselves (23%–80% unable to) and accessing the same sanitation facilities as other household members, particularly without coming into contact with faeces (up to 47% in Bangladesh-2). These difficulties were most marked for people with more severe impairments.

Conclusions

People with disabilities may not have poorer access to WASH at the household level, but may have poorer quality of access within their households. Further programmatic work is needed to ensure WASH facilities are inclusive of people with disabilities.
Improving the evaluation of worldwide biomedical research output: classification method and standardised bibliometric indicators by disease
Authors: van de Laar Lissy , de Kruif Thijs , Waltman Ludo , Meijer Ingeborg , Gupta Anshu , Hagenaars Niels
Published: June 2018

Objective

Since most biomedical research focuses on a specific disease, evaluation of research output requires disease-specific bibliometric indicators. Currently used methods are insufficient. The aim of this study is to develop a method that enables detailed analysis of worldwide biomedical research output by disease.

Design

We applied text mining techniques and analysis of author keywords to link publications to disease groups. Fractional counting was used to quantify disease-specific biomedical research output of an institution or country. We calculated global market shares of research output as a relative measure of publication volume. We defined ‘top publications’ as the top 10% most cited publications per disease group worldwide. We used the percentage of publications from an institution or country that were top publications as an indicator of research quality.

Results

We were able to classify 54% of all 6.5 million biomedical publications in our database (based on Web of Science) to a disease group. We could classify 78% of these publications to a specific institution. We show that between 2000 and 2012,‘other infectious diseases’ were the largest disease group with 337 485 publications. Lifestyle diseases, cancers and mental disorders have grown most in research output. The USA was responsible for the largest number of top 10% most cited publications per disease group, with a global share of 45%. Iran (+3500%) and China (+700%) have grown most in research volume.

Conclusions

The proposed method provides a tool to assess biomedical research output in new ways. It can be used for evaluation of historical research performance, to support decision-making in management of research portfolios, and to allocate research funding. Furthermore, using this method to link disease-specific research output to burden of disease can contribute to a better understanding of the societal impact of biomedical research.
Effect of a multispecies probiotic on reducing the incidence of antibiotic-associated diarrhoea in children: a protocol for a randomised controlled trial
Authors: Łukasik Jan , Szajewska Hania
Published: June 2018

Introduction

Certain individual probiotic strains have been proven to be effective in reducing the risk of antibiotic-associated diarrhoea (AAD). However, the effects of using multispecies probiotics (MPs) remain unclear. We aim to assess the effectiveness of a specific MP preparation (Winclove 612) in reducing the incidence of AAD in children.

Methods and analysis

A total of 350 children aged 6 months to 18 years, undergoing antibiotic treatment, will be randomly allocated to receive either a MP consisting of two strains ofBifidobacterium(B. bifidumW23 andB. lactisW51) and six strains ofLactobacillus(L. acidophilusW37,L. acidophilusW55,L. paracaseiW20,L. plantarumW62,L. rhamnosusW71 andL. salivariusW24) at a total dose of 1010colony-forming units daily, or a placebo, from the first day of antibiotic treatment until 7 days after antibiotic cessation, up to a maximum of 17 days. The primary outcome will be the incidence of AAD, defined as ≥3 loose or watery stools (a score of A on the Amsterdam Infant Stool Scale or a score of 5–7 on the Bristol Stool Form scale) in 24 hours, caused either byClostridium difficileor of otherwise unexplained aetiology, occurring during the intervention period. The secondary outcomes will include the incidence of AAD according to alternative definitions; the incidence of any kind of diarrhoea; the duration of diarrhoea; the need for hospitalisation; intravenous rehydration or discontinuation of antibiotic treatment due to diarrhoea; adverse events; and the intestinal microbiota composition.

Ethics and dissemination

The study protocol is approved by the Ethics Committee of the Medical University of Warsaw. The findings will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and submitted to relevant conferences.

Date and protocol version identifier

14/10/2017.

Trial registration number

NCT03334604; Pre-results.
How critical cost analysis can save money in today’s NHS: a review of carpal tunnel surgery in a district general hospital
Authors: Williamson Mark , Sehjal Ranjit , Jones Mark , James Chris , Smith Andrew
Published: June 2018

With today’s National Health Service (NHS) facing huge financial pressures the healthcare profession cannot afford to carry on spending at the current rate. Individual clinicians should be encouraged to critically appraise their own practices to bring about a more efficient and cost-effective service.

The purpose of this project was to analyse the way that carpal tunnel surgery was being performed within our institution and bring about safe changes to practice that reduce expenditure.

By critiquing our practices and applying simple changes based around sound evidence an annual saving of over £15 500 to the department was made. The changes instigated are simple, sustainable and safe to implement while providing improved patient satisfaction. They are also easily transferrable across institutions and to other minor hand surgical procedures to afford even greater ongoing savings to the NHS.
Financial costs of conducting science in the Arctic: examples from seabird research
Authors: Mallory Mark L. , Gilchrist H. Grant , Janssen Michael , Major Heather L. , Merkel Flemming , Provencher Jennifer F. , Strøm Hallvard
Published: June 2018

Research in remote locations is more expensive than similar activities at sites with easier access, but these costs have rarely been compared. Using examples from seabird research, we show that conducting research in the Arctic is typically eight times more expensive than pursuing similar studies at a southern location. The differences in costs are related principally to the much higher expenses of travel and shipping (typically 4–10× higher for Arctic work), as well as the good practice of meaningful engagement with northern communities (4%–25% of project costs). Although there is some variation in costs among Arctic countries, we hope that the consistent pattern of relatively higher Arctic costs allows policy-makers and funding agencies to better plan for research support, especially for this region that is experiencing rapid environmental change.
Progress toward an amplifiable metabolic label for DNA: conversion of 4-thiothymidine (4sT) to 5-methyl-2′-deoxycytidine and synthesis of a 4sT phosphorodiamidate prodrug
Authors: Hedger Adam K. , Oomen Marlies E. , Liu Victor , Moazami Michael P. , Rhind Nicholas , Dekker Job , Watts Jonathan K.
Published: June 2018

The ability to metabolically label DNA in a way that produces a latent change from one nucleobase to another would create a signal that can be amplified by PCR — this in turn would allow studies of newly synthesized DNA using high-throughput sequencing. To function as an amplifiable metabolic label, a nucleotide analogue would need to be taken up by cells and incorporated into cellular DNA; after purification of DNA, it could be converted into a different nucleobase with a different base pairing pattern. We selected 4-thiothymidine (4sT) as a candidate metabolic label: 4sT is readily taken up by a large number of polymerases in vitro, and we present a method that allows 4sT to be converted into 5-methyl-2′-deoxycytidine (5mC) after incorporation into DNA. Encouraged by these results, we treated cells with 4sT nucleoside; however, we found that 4sT is not incorporated into DNA in bacterial, yeast, or mammalian cells to useful levels under the conditions we tested. A phosphorodiamidate prodrug of 4sTMP was successfully synthesized but did not measurably improve incorporation into cellular DNA.
Movement types of an Arctic benthic fish, shorthorn sculpin (Myoxocephalus scorpius), during open-water periods in response to biotic and abiotic factors
Authors: Landry Justin J. , Kessel Steve T. , McLean Montana F. , Ivanova Silviya V. , Hussey Nigel E. , O’Neill Caitlin , Vagle Svein , Dick Terry A. , Fisk Aaron T.
Published: June 2018

Shorthorn sculpin (Myoxocephalus scorpius) are among the most numerous consumers in the Arctic nearshore marine habitats. Despite this, little is known about their movement ecology or predator–prey interactions, particularly with Arctic cod (Boreogadus saida), an important forage fish in the Arctic. Using acoustic telemetry, the movements of tagged sculpin and cod were quantified based on specific locations using a Vemco positioning system during open water when both species were present in the near shore. Movement trajectories of sculpin distinguish three unique types: foraging and feeding behaviour and large transiting movements. The relative time of each of these movement types were correlated to biotic (presence of large numbers of acoustically tagged Arctic cod) and abiotic factors (percent ice coverage and temperature). This study provides unique data on the movement, feeding ecology, and behaviour of an abundant Arctic benthic fish that demonstrates similar movement types to temperate fish. However, further study is needed to quantify specifically the trophic interactions of these important fish and impact on food webs in the rapidly changing Arctic.
Electrical conduction mechanism in films of Se80−xTe20Bix (0 ≤ x ≤ 12) glassy alloys
Authors: Deepika  , Singh Hukum
Published: June 2018

This paper reports the study of DC electrical conductivity of films of Se80−xTe20Bix (0 ≤ x ≤ 12) glasses prepared using physical vapor deposition method. The films were structurally characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). TEM results indicate the formation of nanorods within the films. The electrical conductivity of the samples was studied using Keithley electrometer in the temperature range 303–373 K. The results show that conduction in these samples takes place via thermally assisted tunnelling and variable range hopping of charge carriers corresponding to higher and lower temperature ranges, respectively. Further, it was found that the conductivity increases with increase in Bi concentration in Se–Te system. This has been explained on the basis of chemically ordered network model. It was also found that nanorod formation improves the electrical conductivity of Se–Te–Bi system compared to bulk Se–Te–Bi system.
Tripartite entanglement and non-locality in three-qubit Greenberger–Horne–Zeilinger states with bit-flip noise
Authors: Zhao Jia-Qiang , Cao Lian-Zhen , Yang Yang , Li Ying-De , Lu Huai-Xin
Published: June 2018

Ardehali (Phys. Rev. A, 46, 5375 (1992). 10.1103/PhysRevA.46.5375 ) derived a Bell-type inequality for an n-particle system in a Greenberger–Horne–Zeilinger (GHZ) state. This inequality helps relax the detection efficiencies required for closing the detection loophole in Bell tests. Coffman et al. (Phys. Rev. A, 61, 052306 (2000). doi: 10.1103/PhysRevA.61.052306 ) gave a simplified form of tripartite entanglement of three-qubit pure states. We use theory and experiment to investigate both results using three-qubit GHZ states with different intensities of bit-flip noise. The purpose of our work is to relate the Ardehali inequality and the tripartite concurrence of the tripartite GHZ states in a noisy environment. Our results show that the experimental values are quite consistent with theoretical predictions for three-qubit GHZ states in a bit-flip noisy environment.
UNDERSTANDING CHINA’S URBAN CONSUMPTION PATTERNS: NEW ESTIMATES AND IMPLICATIONS
Authors: GU XIN , ZHOU ZHANG-YUE , WU YAN-RUI
Published: June 2018

Potential demand for consumer goods and services is enormous in China. Turning such potential into real effective demand will play a crucial role in sustaining China’s future economic growth. Based on most recent consumption data of major categories of goods and services by consumers of different income groups, this study empirically evaluates the potential of the market for goods and services in China using the panel data of 18 provinces over the period 2002–2012. The results indicate that (1) compared to developed countries, Chinese urban residents have much potential for consuming goods including medical care, transportation and communication, education and entertainment; (2) the profile of the expenditure elasticity for necessities such as food change is hump-shaped. Residents in middle-income groups are more income-elastic than the low- and high-income groups; (3) expenditure elasticity of medical care decreases as income level rises, while the trends of transportation and communication, education and entertainment share a similar profile across income groups.
THE INFLUENCE OF RELIGION AND SOCIAL INEQUALITY ON FINANCIAL INCLUSION
Authors: KIM DAI-WON , YU JUNG-SUK , HASSAN M. KABIR
Published: June 2018

We examined the influence of religious and social inequality factors on financial inclusion based on the fact that Muslim countries mostly have the lower level of financial inclusion around the globe. To do that, first, we calculated the financial inclusion indices (FIIs) of 152 countries including 48 OIC countries. Then, we examined the effect of religious and social inequality factors on financial inclusion using ordinary least square (OLS). Subsequently, we examined the Moran’s-I test in the OLS models and estimated spatial autocorrelation (SAR) models and spatial error model (SEM) in order to include the spatial correlation effect on the estimate models. Through these estimations, we found that the religious factors, such as whether OIC or non-OIC, religious diversity and Muslim population, have obvious effects on determination of financial inclusion. In addition, we also verified social inequality factors, such as gender inequality, education level and social opportunity level, work as determinants of financial inclusion. Moreover, we found the evidence that financial inclusion itself and unknown factors of neighbor countries have effects on financial inclusion by identifying the spatial effects of analysis models.
LIQUIDITY AND FIRM VALUE IN AN EMERGING MARKET
Authors: BATTEN JONATHAN , VO XUAN VINH
Published: June 2018

This paper investigates the link between stock market liquidity and firm value in an important emerging market, Vietnam. Specially, we examine this relationship using a sample of firms listed on the Ho Chi Minh City stock exchange for the period 2006–2014. We show that there is a negative relation between liquidity and firm value. This outcome is contrary to previous results for many developed countries. Further, we demonstrate that this result may be explained by differences in leverage effects and pricing-based theories, where stock liquidity influences firm performance via an illiquidity premium or mispricing.
POPULATION AGING SHOCK AND FISCAL SUSTAINABILITY IN CHINA: MECHANISM ANALYSIS AND EFFECT SIMULATION
Authors: LIU BAIHUI , YANG ZHIYONG
Published: June 2018

With the acceleration of population aging in China, the number of pure beneficiaries in the economy is higher than that of pure contributors, which seriously affects fiscal sustainability. This paper probes into the influence path and mechanism of population aging to fiscal sustainability in China, and numerically simulates the extent of such influence using a generational accounting method. Aging reduces the tax base and enlarges fiscal expenditure by reducing the quantity of labor and labor productivity, changing the resident’s consumption level and structure, cutting down the saving rate, and widening the gap between social security revenue and expenditure, all of which challenge the balance of the fiscal system. The empirical results show that the problem of inequality in terms of the fiscal burden across generations is extremely prominent and the per capita tax burden under different birth rate assumptions is obviously different. Under the pressure of aging, in order to maintain the fiscal balance, the future per capita tax burden will be increased by a maximum of 55.9%. Although increasing productivity and reducing interest rates can help reduce that gap, their roles are far less important than the role of fertility. In order to cope with aging, the fiscal system should see an increase in income, a reduction in expenditure, and a redeployment of structure. That is, while at the same time perfecting the tax system and widening the tax base, the expenditure structure should also be optimized.
DO KINSHIP NETWORKS CROWD OUT THE NEW RURAL PENSION PLAN IN CHINA? POLICY IMPLICATIONS FOR AN AGING CHINA
Authors: TAO DONGJIE , WANG JUNPENG , CAI HONGYING , ZHAO KUI
Published: June 2018

Using data from China Family Panel Studies in 2012, this paper investigates the impact of kinship networks on participation in the New Rural Pension Plan (NRPP) in China. The theoretical model and empirical results indicate that kinship networks can provide informal social security, such as psychological security and financial transfers from relatives. Thus, people who are part of stronger kinship networks are less likely to participate in the NRPP than their counterparts. Our research facilitates an understanding of the interaction between social networks and formal institutions and provides policy implications for an aging China.
AN EARLY WARNING OF AN IMPENDING CURRENCY CRISIS IN CHINA
Authors: ZHANG RUOXI , LI XUE , CHAND SATISH
Published: June 2018

Are there early warnings of an impending financial crisis in China? Our analysis using the Kaminsky–Lizondo–Reinhart (KLR) signal approach reveals that the probability of China having a currency crisis in the 24 months to October 2017 could be increased assuming no remedial action by the authorities to avert an impending crisis. Notwithstanding the above, our analysis shows that nine out of 15 economic indicators are effective in predicting a currency crisis. Loss function of policymakers and evaluation of usefulness are then employed to verify their validity. The results show that bank deposits and M2/international reserves are the most powerful indicators.
THE IMPACTS OF BIASED RESOURCE ALLOCATION ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF OFFICIAL DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE
Authors: LI SUNG-KO , TSANG CHUN-KEI
Published: June 2018

Many developing countries are receiving official development assistance (ODA). Whether ODA is beneficial or harmful to the receiving country is controversial in the literature. This paper analyzes this issue from a new angle by adopting the framework of competitiveness which allows us to link resource allocation with economic growth. Under this framework, we point out that the mechanism of resource allocation influences the effectiveness of ODA on economic growth. By applying data envelopment analysis (DEA) to competitiveness, we capture the effects of inefficient and biased allocation of resources on ODA. The data confirm the co-existence of positive and negative impacts of ODA. Finally, we conclude that current ODA is not efficient in helping most of the receiving countries.
Molecular dynamics simulation of cell membrane penetration by atomic force microscopy tip
Authors: Zhang Guocheng , Jiang Hai , Fan Na , Yang Longxiang , Guo Jian , Peng Bei
Published: June 2018

In recent years, a delivery system based on atomic force microscopy (AFM) has been developed to transport nucleic acids, proteins and drugs to single adherent cell by controlling the indentation process. However, the transportation efficiency is limited by the low penetration rate of the common commercial AFM probe. The tip of commercial AFM probe is blunt and it is hard for blunt tip to insert into the soft cell membrane. In this study, dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) simulations were applied to investigate the penetration process of the AFM probe into the cell membrane subjected to different strain states. It was observed that the AFM tip moved down a shorter distance to penetrate the stretched lipid membrane compared with unstretched membrane. Moreover, the threshold value of penetrating force decreased as cell membrane extended. The short indentation time and small force can reduce the probability of cell membrane collapse, therefore it is easier for the AFM tip to penetrate the cell. We also performed the AFM indentation experiments via AFM to investigate the relationship between penetrating force and indentation speed. This work provides a potential way to improve the efficiency of cell transfection by using the AFM delivery system.
Small-Signal Modeling of the LLC Half-Bridge Resonant Converter
Authors: Ma Jianguang , Wei Xueye , Hu Liang , Zhang Junhong
Published: June 2018

This paper proposes a small-signal modeling method for building an LLC half-bridge resonant converter. In recent years, the LLC half-bridge resonant converter has attracted the attention of many researchers because of its high-power conversion efficiency and high-power density. Generally, the LLC half-bridge resonant converter consists of many passive components, including stray and parasitic elements, resulting in a high-order system. Because the fundamental harmonic approximation (FHA) method for an LLC resonant converter only considers the fundamental harmonic and neglects higher harmonics, it is not accurate and introduces large errors in a higher-order system. In this paper, according to the operation principle of the LLC half-bridge resonant converter, a small-signal model is established. Based on the small-signal model, the input-to-output and control-to-output transfer function is derived. The experimental result verified that the proposed model yields a high accuracy, thereby highlighting the usefulness and versatility of the proposed model over other existing models.
DHC: A Distributed Hierarchical Clustering Algorithm for Large Datasets
Authors: Zhang Wei , Zhang Gongxuan , Chen Xiaohui , Liu Yueqi , Zhou Xiumin , Zhou Junlong
Published: June 2018

Hierarchical clustering is a classical method to provide a hierarchical representation for the purpose of data analysis. However, in practical applications, it is difficult to deal with massive datasets due to their high computation complexity. To overcome this challenge, this paper presents a novel distributed storage and computation hierarchical clustering algorithm, which has a lower time complexity than the standard hierarchical clustering algorithms. Our proposed approach is suitable for hierarchical clustering on massive datasets, which has the following advantages. First, the algorithm is able to store massive dataset exceeding the main memory space by using distributed storage nodes. Second, the algorithm is able to efficiently process nearest neighbor searching along parallel lines by using distributed computation at each node. Extensive experiments are carried out to validate the effectiveness of the DHC algorithm. Experimental results demonstrate that the algorithm is 10 times faster than the standard hierarchical clustering algorithm, which is an effective and flexible distributed algorithm of hierarchical clustering for massive datasets.
Electronically Tunable Third-Order Quadrature Oscillator Using VDTAs
Authors: Chen Hua-Pin , wang San-Fu , Chen Yu-Nan , Huang Qi-Geng
Published: June 2018

This study proposes a new electronically tunable third-order quadrature oscillator using two multi-output voltage difference transconductance amplifiers (VDTAs) and three grounded capacitors. The proposed circuit provides three quadrature voltage outputs, two high-impedance quadrature current outputs, and one high-impedance current output with controllable amplitude. The proposed circuit can provide amplitude modulation/amplitude shift keying signals when the input bias current of the second VDTA is a modulating signal. The oscillation condition and oscillation frequency can be separately adjusted by the input bias currents of two multi-output VDTAs, and it is suitable for use on custom sensor networks. Experimental and H-Spice simulation results are given to confirm theoretical analyses.
A Digital–Controlled Soft-Start Circuit for Negative Output DC–DC Converter
Authors: Li Yan-Ming , Xi Xiao-Li , Zhang Hao , Chen Zhong-Hui , Sun Jian , Luo Yang , Jin Hai-Qin , Zhang Zan
Published: June 2018

To suppress the inrush current and overshoot voltage generated at the start-up stage of Buck–Boost converter, a digital–controlled soft-start circuit based on digital-to-analog converter (DAC) control technology is proposed in this paper. The power consumption of the circuit is zero and the circuit is also keeps the characteristics of simple structure and high reliability. The circuit has been integrated into a Buck–Boost converter with negative voltage output by using the 0.18[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]m CDMOS high voltage process. The experimental results show that this circuit can effectively suppress the rush current, and the output voltage drops smoothly from 0 to the adjustment value, [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]V.
Cross-diffusion and traveling waves in porous-media flux-saturated Keller–Segel models
Authors: Arias Margarita , Campos Juan , Soler Juan
Published: June 2018

This paper deals with the analysis of qualitative properties involved in the dynamics of Keller–Segel type systems in which the diffusion mechanisms of the cells are driven by porous-media flux-saturated phenomena. We study the regularization inside the support of a solution with jump discontinuity at the boundary of the support. We analyze the behavior of the size of the support and blow-up of the solution, and the possible convergence in finite time toward a Dirac mass in terms of the three constants of the system: the mass, the flux-saturated characteristic speed, and the chemoattractant sensitivity constant. These constants of motion also characterize the dynamics of regular and singular traveling waves.
Global boundedness of solutions to a chemotaxis–haptotaxis model with tissue remodeling
Authors: Pang Peter Y. H. , Wang Yifu
Published: June 2018

We consider a cancer invasion model comprising a strongly coupled PDE–ODE system in two and three space dimensions. The system consists of a parabolic equation describing cancer cell migration arising from a combination of chemotaxis and haptotaxis, a parabolic/elliptic equation describing the dynamics of matrix degrading enzymes (MDEs), and an ODE describing the evolution and re-modeling of the extracellular matrix (ECM). We point out that this strongly coupled PDE–ODE setup presents new mathematical difficulties, which are overcome by developing new integral estimate techniques. We prove that the system admits a unique global classical solution which is uniformly bounded in time in the two-dimensional spatial setting at all cancer cell proliferation rates. We also prove that, in the case of three-dimensional convex spatial domain, when cancer cell proliferation is suitably small, the system also possesses a unique classical solution for appropriately small initial data. These results improve previously known ones.
Microscopic optical potential obtained from energy-density-functional approach for neutron–nucleus elastic scattering
Authors: Nhan Hao T. V. , Nhu Le N. , Koh Meng-Hock , Quang Hung N. , Ngoc Duy N. , Pham Vinh N. T. , Hoang Tung N.
Published: June 2018

Nucleon–nucleus (NA) optical potentials are microscopically generated from a fully self-consistent framework of the particle-vibration coupling (PVC), in which the nucleon–nucleon (NN) effective interaction of the Skyrme type is consistently used to describe the Hartree–Fock (HF) mean-field, the small amplitude collective motions of the target, and the particle-collective states coupling. For the first time, a systematic calculation of low-energy NA elastic scattering off a series of doubly closed-shell nuclei is carried out without ad hoc adjusted parameters. Angular distributions obtained using the present optical potentials are in good agreement with the experimental data. This will be a major step forward in the applications of the Skyrme energy-density-functional theory to build up the global microscopic optical potentials, which are expected to be a powerful tool for the study of unstable (exotic) nuclei at low-incident nucleon energies.
Preparation of QDs@SiO2/Polystyrene Composite Particles for Cancer Cells Detection
Authors: Han Xiao , Wang Yilong , Shi Donglu
Published: June 2018

We report a sandwich immunoassay strategy for specific isolation and detection of cancer cells. Prostate cancer LNCaP cells overexpressing PSMA (Prostate-specific membrane antigen) were used as the model target to evaluate the performance of immunoassay. Inorganic/polymer nanocomposites with Janus-like structure and enhanced fluorescence properties were synthesized and applied for immobilization of QDs and the antibodies. PSMA antibodies were covalently conjugated to the QDs@SiO2/PS Janus-like composite nanoparticles to construct the fluorescent probes. Magnetic probes conjugated with polyclonal antibodies were used to capture and isolate the cancer cells. Results indicated high potential of the unique nanoprobes in specific isolation and detection of cancer cells.
MONEY DOES GROW ON TREES: IMPACTS OF THE PARIS AGREEMENT ON THE NEW ZEALAND ECONOMY
Authors: FERNANDEZ MARIO A. , DAIGNEAULT ADAM J.
Published: June 2018

The Paris Agreement (PA) asserts that emissions pathways of greenhouse gases (GHG) should be consistent with holding the increase in global temperature below 1.5[Formula: see text]C or 2[Formula: see text]C above pre-industrial levels. New Zealand (NZ) committed to reduce emissions to 30% below 2005 levels by 2030. The purpose of this paper is to assess the range of economic costs for NZ derived from the commitment under the PA, conditional to the mitigation potential of forestry carbon sequestration (FCS), pricing agricultural emissions, and linking the NZ emissions tradable scheme (NZ ETS) to the European Union ETS (EU ETS). We use a general equilibrium model and “soft-link” it with the global timber model. We found that NZ can meet the PA terms; however, important GDP decreases may arise due to limited domestic mitigation potential from the energy and transport sectors. FCS plays a significant role in mitigating the negative impacts, where the benefits of FCS outweigh those of pricing agricultural emission and linking the NZ ETS.
A Model of Information Diffusion in Interconnected Online Social Networks
Authors: Gaeta Rossano
Published: June 2018

Online social networks (OSN) have today reached a remarkable capillary diffusion. There are numerous examples of very large platforms people use to communicate and maintain relationships. People also subscribe to several OSNs, e.g., people create accounts on Facebook, Twitter, and so on. This phenomenon leads to online social internetworking (OSI) scenarios where users who subscribe to multiple OSNs are termed as
bridges
. Unfortunately, several important features make the study of information propagation in an OSI scenario a difficult task, e.g., correlations in both the structural characteristics of OSNs and the bridge interconnections among them, heterogeneity and size of OSNs, activity factors, cross-posting propensity, and so on. In this article, we propose a directed random graph-based model that is amenable to efficient numerical solution to analyze the phenomenon of information propagation in an OSI scenario; in the model development, we take into account heterogeneity and correlations introduced by both topological (correlations among nodes degrees and among bridge distributions) and user-related factors (activity index, cross-posting propensity). We first validate the model predictions against simulations on snapshots of interconnected OSNs in a reference scenario. Subsequently, we exploit the model to show the impact on the information propagation of several characteristics of the reference scenario, i.e., size and complexity of the OSI scenario, degree distribution and overall number of bridges, growth and decline of OSNs in time, and time-varying cross-posting users propensity.
On Incremental High Utility Sequential Pattern Mining
Authors: Wang Jun-Zhe , Huang Jiun-Long
Published: June 2018

High utility sequential pattern (HUSP) mining is an emerging topic in pattern mining, and only a few algorithms have been proposed to address it. In practice, most sequence databases usually grow over time, and it is inefficient for existing algorithms to mine HUSPs from scratch when databases grow with a small portion of updates. In view of this, we propose the IncUSP-Miner
+
algorithm to mine HUSPs incrementally. Specifically, to avoid redundant re-computations, we propose a tighter upper bound of the utility of a sequence, called Tight Sequence Utility (TSU), and then we design a novel data structure, called the candidate pattern tree, to buffer the sequences whose TSU values are greater than or equal to the minimum utility threshold in the original database. Accordingly, to avoid keeping a huge amount of utility information for each sequence, a set of concise utility information is designed to be stored in each tree node. To improve the mining efficiency, several strategies are proposed to reduce the amount of computation for utility update and the scopes of database scans. Moreover, several strategies are also proposed to properly adjust the candidate pattern tree for the support of multiple database updates. Experimental results on some real and synthetic datasets show that IncUSP-Miner
+
is able to efficiently mine HUSPs incrementally.
Landscape Pattern and Ecological Security Assessment and Prediction Using Remote Sensing Approach
Authors: Liu Pei , Jia Shoujun , Han Ruimei , Zhang Hanwei
Published: June 2018

In this work, we present a processing chain for landscape pattern and ecological security status assessment and prediction based on cellular automata Markov (CA-Markov) and pressure status response pattern (PSRP) models using remotely sensed data (RSD) captured in 1986, 1996, 2006, 2016, and RSD simulated in 2026 over Zhengzhou city, Henan province, China. Three major findings can be withdrawn through the experiments. First, there is a significant changing of landscape type area, especially for building land. The area of building land is up to more than 5%, from 1986 to 2016. Secondly, the heterogeneity of landscape is increasing, and the diversity of landscape is becoming more and more diversifying and complex. Third, the changing trend of ecological security of Zhengzhou city shaped as decreasing and increasing gradually during the last 40 years. While the ecological security status, nowadays, appeared to a good trend by contrast of the previous stages. The predicted results with CA-Markov model show that the level of ecological security is still in moderate and has a trend of moving toward to the center in 2026.
Upregulation of Immune Process-Associated Genes in RAW264.7 Macrophage Cells in Response toBurkholderia pseudomalleiInfection
Authors: Peng Dongmei , Pang Feng , Cao Ruiyong , Zhu Shu , Yang Xiaojian , Nie Xin , Zhang Zhenxing , Li Baobao , Huang Haifeng , Li Yaying , Li Guohua , Du Li , Wang Fengyang
Published: June 2018

Melioidosis is a severe and fatal tropical zoonosis, which is triggered byBurkholderia pseudomallei. To better understand the host’s response to infection ofB. pseudomallei, an RNA-Seq technology was used to confirm differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in RAW264.7 cells infected withB. pseudomallei. In total, 4668 DEGs were identified across three time points (4, 8, and 11 hours after infection). Short Time-Series Expression Miner (STEM) analysis revealed the temporal gene expression profiles and identified seven significant patterns in a total of 26 profiles. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) was utilized to confirm significantly enriched immune process-associated pathways, and 10 DEGs, includingCcl9, Ifnb1, Tnfα, Ptgs2, Tnfaip3, Zbp1, Ccl5, Ifi202b, Nfkbia,andNfkbie, were mapped to eight immune process-associated pathways. Subsequent quantitative real-time PCR assays confirmed that the 10 DEGs were all upregulated during infection. Overall, the results showed thatB. pseudomalleiinfection can initiate a time-series upregulation of immune process-associated DEGs in RAW264.7 macrophage cells. The discovery of this article helps us better understand the biological function of the immune process-associated genes duringB. pseudomalleiinfection and may aid in the development of prophylaxis and treatment protocols for melioidosis.
A Laboratory Investigation into the Effects of Coarse Aggregate Angularity on Performance of WMA
Authors: Ji Jie , Zhai Peng , Zheng Wenhua , Suo Zhi , Xu Ying
Published: June 2018

This study evaluated the effects of coarse aggregate angularity (CAA) on the performances of warm mix asphalt (WMA) because previous studies have predominantly focused on the effects of CAA on the hot mix asphalt (HMA) performances. Five different CAAs were fabricated using Los Angeles abrasion test, and the digital image processing method was used to identify the CAA. Five mixes with different combinations of CAA and Sasobit‐modified asphalt binder were prepared according to the Marshall mix design procedure. The performances such as the resistance to rutting and thermal cracking, moisture susceptibility, and volumetric characteristics of WMA were evaluated. The test results indicated that the CAA value was linearly declined with the abrasive wearing passes increased. Higher CAA value improved the potential to resistance to rutting of WMA but was not suitable to enhance the resistance to thermal cracking of WMA due to sharp corners that caused higher stress concentration. In addition, WMA was more prone to develop numerous macrocracking, which resulted in lower moisture susceptibility due to higher CAA value inducing higher air void, VMA, and VCA of WMA.