bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evidence of hydrogen termination at grain boundaries in ultrananocrystalline diamond/hydrogenated amorphous carbon composite thin films synthesized via coaxial arc plasma
Authors: Nishikawa Naofumi
Published: November 2020

Ultrananocrystalline diamond/hydrogenated amorphous carbon composite thin films consist of three different components: ultrananocrystalline diamond crystallites, hydrogenated amorphous carbon, and grain boundaries between them. Since grain boundaries contain many dangling bonds and unsaturated bonds, they would be a cause of carrier trap center degrading device performance in possible applications such as UV photodetectors. We experimentally demonstrate that hydrogen atoms preferentially incorporate at grain boundaries and terminate dangling bonds by means of several spectroscopic techniques. XPS measurements cannot detect quantitative transitions of sp2- and sp3-hybridized carbons in the films, resulting in 55%–59% of sp3 content. On the other hand, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and near-edge x-ray absorption fine structure exhibit some variations of the amounts of certain carbon hybridization for sure. The former confirms the transformation from sp2 to sp3 hydrocarbons by ∼10% by additional hydrogenation, and the latter represents chemical configuration changes from π* C≡C and π* C=C to σ* C—H as well as more σ* C—C. These results can be evidence of localized hydrogen at grain boundaries, which plays a part in terminating dangling bonds and unsaturated bonds, and they are correlated with the optical and electrical properties of the films investigated in some previous research studies. Our spectroscopic studies on the hydrogenation effects combined with the discussion on the optical and electrical characteristics confirm that the hydrogenation can be an effective tool for the enhancement of photovoltaic performance in the above sensing applications.
Adoptive Transfer of Group 3-Like Innate Lymphoid Cells Restores Mouse Colon Resistance to Colonization of a Gamma Interferon-Susceptible Chlamydia muridarum Mutant
Authors: He Ying , Xu Hong , Song Chenchen , Koprivsek John J. , Arulanandam Bernard , Yang Huixiang , Tao Lijian , Zhong Guangming
Published: November 2020

The obligate intracellular bacterium
Chlamydia muridarum
can colonize the mouse colon for a long period, but a gamma interferon (IFN-γ)-susceptible mutant clone fails to do so. Nevertheless, the mutant’s colonization is rescued in mice deficient in interleukin-7 receptor (IL-7R) (lacking both lymphocytes and innate lymphoid cells [ILCs]) or IFN-γ but not in mice lacking recombination-activated gene 1 (Rag1
−/−
mice) (lacking adaptive immunity lymphocytes), indicating a critical role of ILC-derived IFN-γ in regulating chlamydial colonization.
Ultrasensitive Diagnostics for Low-Density Asymptomatic Plasmodium falciparum Infections in Low-Transmission Settings
Authors: Zainabadi Kayvan
Published: November 2020

The emergence of multidrug-resistant
Plasmodium falciparum
malaria in Southeast Asia (SEA) has accelerated regional malaria elimination efforts. Most malaria in this and other low-transmission settings exists in asymptomatic individuals, which conventional diagnostic tests lack the sensitivity to detect. This has led to the development of new ultrasensitive diagnostics that are capable of detecting these low-parasitemia infections. This review summarizes the current status of ultrasensitive technologies, including PCR and loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP)-based methods, as well as a newly developed ultrasensitive rapid diagnostic test (uRDT).
Development and Clinical Validation of a Pangenotypic PCR-Based Assay for the Detection and Quantification of Hepatitis E Virus (
Orthohepevirus
A Genus)
Authors: Frías Mario , López-López Pedro , Zafra Ismael , Caballero-Gómez Javier , Machuca Isabel , Camacho Ángela , Risalde María A. , Rivero-Juárez Antonio , Rivero Antonio
Published: November 2020

The objective of this study was to design a pangenotypic PCR-based assay for the detection and quantification of hepatitis E virus (HEV) RNA from across the entire spectrum of described genotypes belonging to the
Orthohepevirus
A genus. The optimal conditions and the performance of the assay were determined by testing the WHO standard strain (6219/10) and the WHO HEV panel (8578/13). Similarly, performance comparisons were made with two commercial assays (Real Star HEV RT-PCR 2.0 and
ampli
Cube HEV 2.
EPEC Recruits a Cdc42-Specific GEF, Frabin, To Facilitate PAK Activation and Host Cell Colonization
Authors: Singh Vikash , Hume Peter J. , Davidson Anthony , Koronakis Vassilis
Published: November 2020

Enteropathogenic
Escherichia coli
(EPEC) is a leading cause of diarrhea in children, especially in the developing world. EPEC initiates infection by attaching to cells in the host intestine, triggering the formation of actin-rich “pedestal” structures directly beneath the adherent pathogen. These bacteria inject their own receptor into host cells, which upon binding to a protein on the pathogen surface triggers pedestal formation. Multiple other proteins are also delivered into the cells of the host intestine, which work together to hijack host signaling pathways to drive pedestal production. Here we show how EPEC hijacks a host protein, Frabin, which creates the conditions in the cell necessary for the pathogen to manipulate a specific pathway that promotes pedestal formation. This provides new insights into this essential early stage in disease caused by EPEC.
Correlations between α-Linolenic Acid-Improved Multitissue Homeostasis and Gut Microbiota in Mice Fed a High-Fat Diet
Authors: Gao Xiaoyu , Chang Songlin , Liu Shuangfeng , Peng Lei , Xie Jing , Dong Wenming , Tian Yang , Sheng Jun
Published: November 2020

Insufficient intake of
n
-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids is an important issue in modern Western-style diets. A large amount of evidence now suggests that a balanced intestinal microecology is considered an important part of health. Our results show that α-linolenic acid administration significantly improved the host metabolic phenotype and gut microbiota of mice fed a high-fat diet, and there was a correlation between the improved gut microbiota and metabolic phenotype. Some specific bacteria may play a unique regulatory role. Here, we have established correlation networks between gut microbiota and multitissue homeostasis, which may provide a new basis for further elucidating the relationship between the gut microbiota and host metabolism.
Acute haemorrhagic oedema of infancy: a condition that is not always benign
Authors: Cucinotta Ugo , Mazza Francesca , Pajno Giovanni Battista , Gallizzi Romina
Published: November 2020

Acute haemorrhagic oedema of infancy (AHOI) is a rare condition and an unusual diagnosis for the paediatrician, as approximately 300 cases have been reported in literature so far. Although it was considered for years a less serious variant of Henoch-Schönlein purpura, nowadays it is thought to be a different entity, with his own characteristics and clinical outcome. In literature it is described as a benign condition, self-limiting and without any systemic involvement in most of the cases. We present an atypical case of AHOI with a severe presentation and which needed an aggressive and prolonged steroid therapy.
Rare pulmonary embolism caused by the combination of bilateral popliteal venous aneurysms and antiphospholipid syndrome
Authors: Fukui Tomoki , Ogasawara Nobuyuki , Hasegawa Shinji
Published: November 2020

Popliteal venous aneurysm (PVA) and antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) are under-recognised as potential causes of pulmonary embolism (PE). A 66-year-old woman presented with progressive shortness of breath. A contrast-enhanced CT revealed bilateral PE, a small renal infarction and bilateral PVAs. Direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC) therapy was initiated immediately for venous thrombosis. Given the positivity for serum antiphospholipid antibody (aPL) in an initial blood test, low-dose aspirin was included to prevent further arterial thrombosis. Her symptoms resolved and she was discharged 1 week later. Twelve weeks later, she was diagnosed with APS because of persistent aPL. Surgical resection of the right PVA was performed 1 year later from her hospitalisation. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of PE caused by the combination of bilateral PVAs and APS. This report emphasises the importance of careful screening to identify PE causes, and its optimal management.
Septic arthritis of the pubic symphysis in pregnancy
Authors: Boyles Glenn Patrick , Costantine Maged M
Published: November 2020

Septic arthritis of the pubic symphysis is a rare but serious entity which can be difficult to distinguish from common pregnancy-related problems. The following highlights the risk factors and clinical features of this uncommon condition and describes its diagnosis and management. The patient is a 26-year-old gravida 2 para 1 (second pregnancy that lasted >20 weeks and one prior term delivery) who presented to the labour and delivery triage unit of a tertiary care centre at 23 weeks’ gestation with pelvis and hip pain. The patient had elevated inflammatory markers andStaphylococcalbacteraemia. MRI demonstrated pubic symphyseal septic arthritis and osteomyelitis. The patient underwent two fluoroscopy-guided joint aspirations; synovial fluid contained abundant neutrophils and grew colonies of methicillin-susceptibleStaphylococcus aureus. She then completed 6 weeks of intravenous antibiotic therapy. Repeat MRI of the pelvis at 31 weeks’ gestation was favourable. The patient underwent caesarean delivery at 39 weeks’ gestation without complication. Pelvic pain is common in pregnancy. However, abnormal musculoskeletal exam findings, historical elements and elevated inflammatory markers may suggest septic arthritis or osteomyelitis of the pubic symphysis. Accurate microbial identification, aggressive source control and multidisciplinary treatment are essential to optimal maternal and pregnancy outcomes.
Atypical localisation of pleomorphic adenoma issue from heterotopic salivary tissue in the supraclavicular region: diagnosis and management
Authors: Hallak Bassel , Kamel Mohamed Ehab , Bouayed Salim , Yerly Stephane
Published: November 2020

Heterotopic salivary tissue (HST) is a normal salivary tissue located outsides the major and minor salivary glands. Multiple sites of localisation of heterotopias have been described, the occurrence of HST in the neck is rare and it may have several clinical manifestation. We report the case of 72-year-old Caucasian man presenting a suspect mass on the left-sided supraclavicular region. He is known for melanoma of the right elbow, surgically treated 11 years ago. The final diagnosis of pleomorphic adenoma of HST was retained. Methods of diagnosis and management are documented. Neoplasms arising from HST are uncommon with approximately 80% of benign tumours. Warthin’s tumour is the most frequent. The localisation of these neoplasms in the lower neck is very rare and often causes a diagnostic pitfall. Histological analysis provides certainty of diagnosis, defines management and follow-up.
Leishmania donovanimucosal leishmaniasis in Malta
Authors: Grech Paula , Vella Sarah M , Piscopo Tonio
Published: November 2020

We report a case of a 76-year-old British man living in Malta who presented with a 7-month history of recurrent epistaxis and an enlarging right nasal vestibular lesion. Of note, his medical history included rheumatoid arthritis for which he was on long-term methotrexate. Blood results were unremarkable other than a mild lymphopaenia. Despite the use of various antibiotics and intranasal steroids, the lesion failed to resolve. This was eventually biopsied, and the histological picture was that of mucosal leishmaniasis.Leishmania donovanicomplex was detected by PCR. The patient was treated with liposomal amphotericin B on alternate days for a total of 20 doses. The lesion was found to have healed well at follow-up and the patient denied any further episodes of epistaxis.
Comparative effectiveness of physical exercise interventions for chronic non-specific neck pain: a systematic review with network meta-analysis of 40 randomised controlled trials
Authors: de Zoete Rutger MJ , Armfield Nigel R , McAuley James H , Chen Kenneth , Sterling Michele
Published: November 2020

Objective

To compare the effectiveness of different physical exercise interventions for chronic non-specific neck pain.

Design

Systematic review and network meta-analysis.

Data sources

Electronic databases: AMED, CINAHL, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Embase, MEDLINE, Physiotherapy Evidence Database, PsycINFO, Scopus and SPORTDiscus.

Eligibility criteria

Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) describing the effects of any physical exercise intervention in adults with chronic non-specific neck pain.

Results

The search returned 6549 records, 40 studies were included. Two networks of pairwise comparisons were constructed, one for pain intensity (n=38 RCTs, n=3151 participants) and one for disability (n=29 RCTs, n=2336 participants), and direct and indirect evidence was obtained. Compared with no treatment, three exercise interventions were found to be effective for pain and disability: motor control (Hedges’g, pain −1.32, 95% CI: −1.99 to −0.65; disability −0.87, 95% CI: –1.45 o −0.29), yoga/Pilates/Tai Chi/Qigong (pain −1.25, 95% CI: –1.85 to −0.65; disability –1.16, 95% CI: –1.75 to −0.57) and strengthening (pain –1.21, 95% CI: –1.63 to −0.78; disability –0.75, 95% CI: –1.28 to −0.22). Other interventions, including range of motion (pain −0.98 CI: −2.51 to 0.56), balance (pain −0.38, 95% CI: −2.10 to 1.33) and multimodal (three or more exercises types combined) (pain −0.08, 95% CI: −1.70 to 1.53) exercises showed uncertain or negligible effects. The quality of evidence was very low according to the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation) criteria.

Conclusion

There is not one superior type of physical exercise for people with chronic non-specific neck pain. Rather, there is very low quality evidence that motor control, yoga/Pilates/Tai Chi/Qigong and strengthening exercises are equally effective. These findings may assist clinicians to select exercises for people with chronic non-specific neck pain.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42019126523.
Determinants of clinical outcomes of surgery for isolated severe tricuspid regurgitation
Authors: Park Sung Jun , Oh Jin Kyung , Kim Seon-Ok , Lee Seung-Ah , Kim Ho Jin , Lee Sahmin , Jung Sung Ho , Song Jong-Min , Choo Suk Jung , Kang Duk-Hyun , Chung Cheol Hyun , Song Jae-Kwan , Lee Jae Won , Kim Dae-Hee , Kim Joon Bum
Published: November 2020

Objectives

Although the incidence of patients with isolated tricuspid regurgitation (TR) is increasing, data regarding the clinical outcomes of isolated TR surgery are limited. This study sought to investigate the prognostic implications according to procedural types, and to identify preoperative predictors of clinical outcomes after isolated TR surgery.

Methods

Among consecutive 2610 patients receiving tricuspid valve (TV) procedure, we analysed 238 patients (age, 59.6 years; 143 females) who underwent stand-alone TV surgery (repair, 132; replacement, 106) for severe TR. Primary outcome was the composite of all-cause mortality and heart transplantation. Clinical outcomes between the repair and the replacement groups were compared after adjusting with the inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) method.

Results

During follow-up (median, 4.1 years), 53 patients died and 4 received heart transplantation. Multivariable analysis revealed that age (p=0.001), haemoglobin level (p=0.003), total bilirubin (p=0.040), TR jet area (p=0.005) and right atrial (RA) pressure (p=0.022) were independent predictors of the primary outcome. After IPTW adjustment, there were no significant intergroup differences in the risk of primary outcome (HR 1.01; 95% CI 0.55 to 1.87). In the subgroup analysis, tricuspid annular diameter was identified as a significant effect modifier (p=0.012) in the comparison between repair versus replacement, showing a trend favouring replacement in patients with annular diameter >44 mm.

Conclusions

The outcomes of stand-alone severe TR surgery were independently associated with the severity of TR and RA pressure. In selected patients with severe annular dilation >44 mm, replacement may become a feasible option.
Association between right ventricular strain and outcomes in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy
Authors: Liu Tong , Gao Yifeng , Wang Hui , Zhou Zhen , Wang Rui , Chang San-Shuai , Liu Yuanyuan , Sun Yuqing , Rui Hongliang , Yang Guang , Firmin David , Dong Jianzeng , Xu Lei
Published: November 2020

Objective

To explore the association between three-dimensional (3D) cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) feature tracking (FT) right ventricular peak global longitudinal strain (RVpGLS) and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) in patients with stage C or D heart failure (HF) with non-ischaemic dilated cardiomyopathy (NIDCM) but without atrial fibrillation (AF).

Methods

Patients with dilated cardiomyopathy were enrolled in this prospective cohort study. Comprehensive clinical and biochemical analysis and CMR imaging were performed. All patients were followed up for MACEs.

Results

A total of 192 patients (age 53±14 years) were eligible for this study. A combination of cardiovascular death and cardiac transplantation occurred in 18 subjects during the median follow-up of 567 (311, 920) days. Brain natriuretic peptide, creatinine, left ventricular (LV) end-diastolic volume, LV end-systolic volume, right ventricular (RV) end-diastolic volume and RVpGLS from CMR were associated with the outcomes. The multivariate Cox regression model adjusting for traditional risk factors and CMR variables detected a significant association between RVpGLS and MACEs in patients with stage C or D HF with NIDCM without AF. Kaplan-Meier analysis based on RVpGLS cut-off value revealed that patients with RVpGLS <−8.5% showed more favourable clinical outcomes than those with RVpGLS ≥−8.5% (p=0.0037). Subanalysis found that this association remained unchanged.

Conclusions

RVpGLS-derived from 3D CMR FT is associated with a significant prognostic impact in patients with NIDCM with stage C or D HF and without AF.
Evaluation of different ways to identify persistent positivity of lupus anticoagulant in systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: Petri Michelle A , Avci Mertcan , Magder Laurence S
Published: November 2020

Objective

Persistent positivity for lupus anticoagulant has been associated with an increased risk of thrombosis among patients with SLE. Persistent positivity is often defined as having two positive assessments separated by more than 90 days. Our objective was to determine whether frequent repeated lupus anticoagulant testing would identify more patients with persistent positivity, and whether the additional patients identified were still at increased risk of thrombosis.

Methods

Using a large longitudinal cohort with frequent lupus anticoagulant testing, we compared three different hypothetical clinical strategies for identifying persistent positivity: (1) assessment of lupus anticoagulant twice more than 90 days apart; (2) assessment of lupus anticoagulant annually, with repeat testing if an annual assessment was positive; and (3) assessment of lupus anticoagulant 16 times (approximately quarterly for 4 years). The prevalence of persistent positivity was compared between the approaches and by demographic subgroups. Subgroups based on these definitions were compared with respect to the risk of thrombosis in subsequent follow-up using discrete survival analysis.

Results

Among the 785 patients included in our analysis, the prevalence of persistent lupus anticoagulant as defined by the first two patient assessments was 4.3%. Annual assessment resulted in a prevalence of 6.6%, and using all 16 assessments resulted in a prevalence of 10.5%. The prevalence was substantially higher in men than in women, and in Caucasians than in African-Americans (p<0.01 for all comparisons). The rate of thrombosis was significantly elevated among those with persistently positive lupus anticoagulant byanydefinition (HR ranging from 2.75 to 3.42) relative to those without persistently positive lupus anticoagulant.

Conclusion

While there are other risk factors for thrombosis (including other antiphospholipid subtypes), more frequent testing (not limited to twice over 3 months) for lupus anticoagulant would be useful for identifying more patients with SLE at elevated risk for thrombosis.
Bilateral ocular metastatic melanoma of unknown primary (MUP) in a dog
Authors: Swain Charlotte E , Pittaway Rachel , Ilchyshyn Nicholas P , Blacklock Ben , Stavinohova Renata
Published: November 2020

An 11‐year‐old Labrador retriever was evaluated for bilateral ocular discomfort and visual deficits. Ophthalmic examination revealed bilateral uveitis with secondary glaucoma; the right eye was blind. Further investigations revealed bilateral retinal detachment, a diffuse interstitial lung pattern and bilateral focal adrenomegaly. Aqueocentesis of the left eye diagnosed a melanocytic malignancy, whereas only inflammation was detected in the right eye. A staged bilateral enucleation was performed and histopathology revealed metastatic melanoma in both eyes. Complete staging diagnosed an unrelated pulmonary neoplasm but failed to detect a primary site of the melanoma. The patient was euthanased 17 weeks post diagnosis due to development of neurological signs. Postmortem examination confirmed disseminated melanoma but failed to reveal a primary site. This unusual case highlights the diagnostic utility of bilateral aqueocentesis in canine uveitis investigation and the critical role of histopathological evaluation of enucleated globes to discriminate between primary and metastatic neoplasia in the eye.
Growth effects in oregano plants (Origanum vulgare L.) assessment through inoculation of bacteria isolated from crop fields located on desert soils
Authors: Loera-Muro Abraham , Caamal-Chan María Goretty , Castellanos Thelma , Luna-Camargo Angélica , Aguilar-Díaz Trinidad , Barraza Aarón
Published: November 2020

Bacteria can establish beneficial interactions with plants by acting as growth promoters and enhancing stress tolerance during plant interactions. Likewise, bacteria can develop multispecies communities where multiple interactions are possible. In this work, we assessed the physiological effects of three bacteria isolated from an arid environment (Bacillus niacini, Bacillus megaterium, and Moraxella osloensis) applied as single species or as a consortium on oregano (Origanum vulgare L.) plants. Moreover, we assessed the quorum-sensing (QS) signaling activity to determine the molecular communication between plant-growth-promoting bacteria. The plant inoculation with B. megaterium showed a positive effect on morphometric and physiologic parameters. However, no synergistic effects were observed when a bacterial consortium was inoculated. Likewise, activation of QS signaling in biofilm assays was observed only for interspecies interaction within the Bacillus genus, not for either interaction with M. osloensis. These results suggest a neutral or antagonistic interaction for interspecific bacterial biofilm establishment, as well as for the interaction with oregano plants when bacteria were inoculated in a consortium. In conclusion, we were able to determine that the bacterial interactions are not always positive or synergistic, but they also might be neutral or antagonistic.
Staphylococcus aureus grown in anaerobic conditions exhibits elevated glutamine biosynthesis and biofilm units
Authors: Vudhya Gowrisankar Yugandhar , Manne Mudhu Sunitha , Pasupuleti Santhosh Kumar , Suthi Subbarayudu , Chaudhury Abhijit , Sarma Potukuchi Venkata Gurunadha Krishna
Published: November 2020

The enormous spread of Staphylococcus aureus infections through biofilms is a major concern in hospital-acquired infections. Biofilm formation by S. aureus on any surface is facilitated by adjusting its redox status. This organism is a facultative anaerobe shift more towards reductive conditions by enhancing nitrogen metabolism where glutamine synthesis plays a key role. Glutamine is synthesized by glutamine synthetase (GS) encoded by the glnA gene. The gene was amplified by PCR from the chromosomal DNA of S. aureus, sequenced (HQ329146.1), and cloned. The pure recombinant GS exhibited Km of 11.06 ± 0.05 mmol·L−1 for glutamate and 2.4 ± 0.03 mmol·L−1 for ATP. The glnA gene sequence showed a high degree of variability with its human counterpart, while it was highly conserved in bacteria. Structural analysis revealed that the GS structure of S. aureus showed close homology with other Gram-positive bacteria and exhibited a high degree of variation with Escherichia coli GS. In the present study, we observed the increased presence of GS activity in multidrug-resistant strains of S. aureus with elevated biofilm units, grown in brain heart infusion broth; among them methicillin-resistant strains S. aureus LMV 3, 4, and 5 showed higher biofilm units. All these results explain the important role of glutamine biosynthesis with elevated biofilm units in the pathogenesis of S. aureus.
Effect of pressure on the mechanical, electronic and optical characters of CsSnBr3 and CsSnI3: ab-initio study
Authors: Alyoubi R. Y. , Raffah Bahaaudin M. , Hamioud Farida , Mubarak A. A.
Published: November 2020

A theoretical comprehensive implementing of the structural, elastic, electronic and optical properties of CsSnX3 (X = Br and I) perovskite compounds under pressures 0 and 20 GPa is performed by ab-initio calculations included within the density functional theory (DFT). The structure of crystal perovskite compounds is found to be stable under induced pressure. The compounds have shown a decrease in the structural properties such as lattice constant and interatomic bond length when the pressure was induced. Whereas, there was an increase in the thermodynamic properties such as Debye temperature and average velocities of sound when pressure was induced. Moreover, the values of mechanical parameters, such as the elastic constant, increased under applied pressure. The electronic parameters indicate that the compounds can be classified as semiconductor materials with a direct (M-M) gap. The induced pressure is found to enhance the optical parameters in the different energy regions. Our calculation predicts that the studied compounds can be the relevant candidates in optical, thermoelectric and mechanical applications.
EBH-DBR: energy-balanced hybrid depth-based routing protocol for underwater wireless sensor networks
Authors: Kumar Rakesh , Bhardwaj Diwakar , Mishra Manas Kumar
Published: November 2020

Recently, applications of underwater wireless sensor networks like environment monitoring, underwater life imaging, tactical surveillance, ocean floor monitoring demand a persistent network period. However, underwater wireless sensor networks face many design challenges like unreliable link, high packet drop rate, inadequate bandwidth, restricted battery power, high attenuation, etc. Therefore, to prolong the network lifespan, energy efficient as well as energy balanced both types of approach is equally demanded. An energy-balanced hybrid transmission approach is proposed in this article, which uses depth information in place of location to transmit data packets. It uses some parameters like depth of the sensor nodes, residual energy of the node, and reliability of the link to select the relay node to forward data packets. In the proposal network divided into the slices of the same width, to control the hop-count as well as to balance the energy consumption of the sensor nodes participating in data transmission, and also prolonging the network lifespan. The effectiveness of the proposal is validated through extensive simulation and results show that the EBH-DBR outperforms its counterpart techniques in terms of network lifespan, energy consumption, throughput, and transmission loss.
A New Optimal Ensemble Algorithm Based on SVDD Sampling for Imbalanced Data Classification
Authors: Pirgazi Jamshid , Pirmohammadi Abbas , Shams Reza
Published: November 2020

Nowadays, imbalanced data classification is a hot topic in data mining and recently, several valuable researches have been conducted to overcome certain difficulties in the field. Moreover, those approaches, which are based on ensemble classifiers, have achieved reasonable results. Despite the success of these works, there are still many unsolved issues such as disregarding the importance of samples in balancing, determination of proper number of classifiers and optimizing weights of base classifiers in voting stage of ensemble methods. This paper intends to find an admissible solution for these challenges. The solution suggested in this paper applies the support vector data descriptor (SVDD) for sampling both minority and majority classes. After determining the optimal number of base classifiers, the selected samples are utilized to adjust base classifiers. Finally, genetic algorithm optimization is used in order to find the optimum weights of each base classifier in the voting stage. The proposed method is compared with some existing algorithms. The results of experiments confirm its effectiveness.
Thermal Postbuckling of Temperature-Dependent Functionally Graded Nanocomposite Annular Sector Plates Reinforced by Carbon Nanotubes
Authors: Gholami Raheb , Ansari Reza
Published: November 2020

In this study, the thermal buckling and postbuckling of functionally graded (FG) nanocomposite annular sector plates reinforced by carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are numerically analyzed. The effective material properties of FG nanocomposite are temperature-dependent (TD) and evaluated via the modified micromechanical method and rule of mixture. Based on the higher-order shear deformation theory (HSDT) and using the principle of virtual work and variational differential quadrature (VDQ) approach, the unified weak form of discretized nonlinear governing equilibrium equations is derived. Then, by using the linear part of equations and solving the derived eigenvalue problem, the critical temperature rise and associated mode shapes are obtained, which are used as the initial guess in solving the nonlinear thermal postbuckling problem. The pseudo-arc-length method and an iterative solver are employed to obtain the nonlinear thermal postbuckling equilibrium path of the FG nanocomposite annular sector plates. The influences of geometrical parameters, boundary conditions (BCs), CNT volume fraction, and CNT distribution pattern on the critical temperature rise and thermal postbuckling behavior of the FG nanocomposite annular sector plates are evaluated and discussed. Also, comparisons are made between the results considering the TD and temperature-independent (TID) properties. It is demonstrated that for higher values of sector angle, the effect of sector angle on the critical temperature rise and thermal postbuckling path is negligible. Moreover, by increasing the sector angle, the effect of BCs of straight edges vanishes, and the critical temperature rise and thermal postbuckling curves of for BCs of CSCS and SCSC approach those for CCCC and SSSS ones.
Damage Sensitive PCA-FRF Feature in Unsupervised Machine Learning for Damage Detection of Plate-Like Structures
Authors: Siow Pei Yi , Ong Zhi Chao , Khoo Shin Yee , Lim Kok-Sing
Published: November 2020

Damage detection is important in maintaining the integrity and safety of structures. The vibration-based Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) methods have been explored and applied extensively by researchers due to its non-destructive manner. The damage sensitivity of features used can significantly affect the accuracy of the vibration-based damage identification methods. The Frequency Response Function (FRF) was used as a damage sensitive feature in several works due to its rich yet compact representation of dynamic properties of a structure. However, utilizing the full size of FRFs in damage assessment requires high processing and computational time. A novel reduction technique using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and peak detection on raw FRFs is proposed to extract the main damage sensitive feature while maintaining the dynamic characteristics. A rectangular Perspex plate with ground supports, simulating an automobile, was used for damage assessment. The damage sensitivity of the extracted feature, i.e. PCA-FRF is then evaluated using unsupervised [Formula: see text]-means clustering results. The proposed method is found to exaggerate the shift of damaged data from undamaged data and improve the repeatability of the PCA-FRF. The PCA-FRF feature is shown to have higher damage sensitivity compared to the raw FRFs, in which it yielded well-clustered results even for low damage conditions.
A New Damage Detection Method for Special-Shaped Steel Arch Bridges Based on Fractal Theory and the Model Updating Technique
Authors: Cheng X. X. , Wu G. , Zhang L. , Ma F. B.
Published: November 2020

In this paper, an innovative two-level damage detection method applicable to real-world online structural health monitoring (SHM) systems is proposed for in-service large steel arch bridges. The method consists of Level 1 damage detection practice that includes strain data acquisition and damage location using the damage index based on the fractal theory, and Level 2 damage detection practice that includes acceleration sample acquisitions and dynamic model updating to quantify the damage. A numerical case study of the Yingzhou bridge based on various damage cases demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed damage detection method. It is revealed that Level 1 damage detection is sufficiently robust against the standard measurement noise and normal temperature variations. The study results also indicated that the accuracy of Level 2 damage detection largely depends on whether the initial structure imperfections are taken into account, and whether the utilized model updating method is effective under model errors.
When is a fixed ring comparable to all overrings?
Authors: Ayache Ahmed
Published: November 2020

An overring [Formula: see text] of an integral domain [Formula: see text] is said to be comparable if [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], and each overring of [Formula: see text] is comparable to [Formula: see text] under inclusion. We do provide necessary and sufficient conditions for which [Formula: see text] has a comparable overring. Several consequences are derived, specially for minimal overrings, or in the case where the integral closure [Formula: see text] of [Formula: see text] is a comparable overring, or also when each chain of distinct overrings of [Formula: see text] is finite.
Prediction of adverse drug reactions using drug convolutional neural networks
Authors: Mantripragada Anjani Sankar , Teja Sai Phani , Katasani Rohith Reddy , Joshi Pratik , V Masilamani , Ramesh Raj
Published: November 2020

Prediction of Adverse Drug Reactions (ADRs) has been an important aspect of Pharmacovigilance because of its impact in the pharma industry. The standard process of introduction of a new drug into a market involves a lot of clinical trials and tests. This is a tedious and time consuming process and also involves a lot of monetary resources. The faster approval of a drug helps the patients who are in need of the drug. The in silico prediction of Adverse Drug Reactions can help speed up the aforementioned process. The challenges involved are lack of negative data present and predicting ADR from just the chemical structure. Although many models are already available to predict ADR, most of the models use biological activities identifiers, chemical and physical properties in addition to chemical structures of the drugs. But for most of the new drugs to be tested, only chemical structures will be available. The performance of the existing models predicting ADR only using chemical structures is not efficient. Therefore, an efficient prediction of ADRs from just the chemical structure has been proposed in this paper. The proposed method involves a separate model for each ADR, making it a binary classification problem. This paper presents a novel CNN model called Drug Convolutional Neural Network (DCNN) to predict ADRs using chemical structures of the drugs. The performance is measured using the metrics such as Accuracy, Recall, Precision, Specificity, F1 score, AUROC and MCC. The results obtained by the proposed DCNN model outperform the competing models on the SIDER4.1 database in terms of all the metrics. A case study has been performed on a COVID-19 recommended drugs, where the proposed model predicted the ADRs that are well aligned with the observations made by medical professionals using conventional methods.
Au NPs Loaded Al-MOF@PPy as Excellent Catalyst for the Removal of Organic Pollutants from Water
Authors: Wu Yalu , Xu Yinyin , Feng Jingbo , Zhang Yan
Published: November 2020

The novel Al-MOF@PPy@Au nanocomposites were synthesized by an in-situ growth method. The prepared Al-MOF@PPy@Au nanocomposites were characterized by Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer (FTIR), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The catalytic properties of the prepared Al-MOF@PPy@Au nanocomposites with different content of Au were investigated. The results illustrated that the Al-MOF@PPy@Au(G) with 27.80 wt.% (w/w) Au obtained good catalytic performance. P-nitrophenol (4-NP), methyl orange (MO), methylene blue (MB) and rhodamine B (RhB) were used to test the catalytic degradation of Al-MOF@PPy@Au(G) nanocomposites. The degradation efficiency of the Al-MOF@PPy@Au(G) nanocomposites for 4-NP, MO, MB and RhB reached 92.12%, 93.84%, 93.19% and 92.44% within 25 min, 7 min, 16 min and 2 min, respectively. The Al-MOF@PPy@Au(G) nanocomposites still have good degradation efficiency and good stability for 4-NP within one month being in water. The Al-MOF@PPy@Au(G) nanocomposites can be applied to the real water solution without causing the change of the degradation efficiency.
A Biofeedback Enhanced Adaptive Virtual Reality Environment for Managing Surgical Pain and Anxiety
Authors: Prabhu Vishnunarayan Girishan , Stanley Laura , Morgan Robert
Published: November 2020

Pain and anxiety are common accompaniments of surgery, and opioids have been the mainstay of pain management for decades, with about 80% of the surgical population leaving the hospital with an opioid prescription. Moreover, patients receiving an opioid prescription after short-stay surgeries have a 44% increased risk of long-term opioid use, and about one in 16 surgical patients becomes a long-term user. Current opioid abuse and addiction now place the US in an “opioid epidemic,” and calls for alternative pain management mechanisms. To mitigate the preoperative anxiety and postoperative pain, we developed a virtual reality (VR) experience based on Attention Restoration Theory (ART) and integrated the user’s heart rate variability (HRV) biofeedback to create an adaptive environment. A randomized control trial among 16 Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA) patients undergoing surgery at Patewood Memorial Hospital, Greenville, SC demonstrated that patients experiencing the adaptive VR environment reported a significant decrease in preoperative anxiety ([Formula: see text]) and postoperative pain ([Formula: see text]) after the VR intervention. These results were also supported by the physiological measures where there was a significant increase in RR Interval (RRI) ([Formula: see text]) and a significant decrease in the low frequency (LF)/high frequency (HF) ratio ([Formula: see text]) and respiration rate (RR) ([Formula: see text]).
Survival analysis of an impulsive stochastic facultative mutualism system with saturation effect
Authors: Chen Siyu , Liu Zhijun , Tan Ronghua , Wang Lianwen
Published: November 2020

A system of impulsive stochastic differential equations is proposed as a two-species facultative mutualism model subject to impulsive and two coupling noise source perturbations, in which the saturation effect is taken into account. A set of sufficient criteria for extinction (exponential extinction and extinction) and permanence (permanence in time average and stochastic permanence) of the system are established. Extensive simulation figures are demonstrated to support the theoretical findings. Meanwhile, we look at the effects of coupling white noises, impulses, intrinsic growth rates, intra-specific competition rates and inter-specific mutualism rates on the survival of populations.
Upper bounds for the forgotten topological index of graphs with given domination number
Authors: Alyar S. , Khoeilar R.
Published: November 2020

The forgotten topological index of a graph [Formula: see text], denoted by [Formula: see text], is defined as the sum of weights [Formula: see text] over all edges [Formula: see text] of [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] denotes the degree of the vertex [Formula: see text]. In this paper, we establish upper bounds on the forgotten topological index of trees, unicyclic graphs and bicyclic graphs with a given domination number.
2-distance choice number of planar graphs with maximal degree no more than 4
Authors: Zhou Wenjuan , Sun Lei
Published: November 2020

Regarding the 2-[Formula: see text] coloring of planar graphs, in 1977, Wegner conjectured that for a graph [Formula: see text]: (1) [Formula: see text] if [Formula: see text]. (2) [Formula: see text] if [Formula: see text]. (3) [Formula: see text] if [Formula: see text]. In this paper, we proved that for every planar graph with maximum degree [Formula: see text]: (1) [Formula: see text] if [Formula: see text]. (2) [Formula: see text] if [Formula: see text].
Adaptive virtual MIMO-based cross-layer design for wireless sensor networks via hybrid optimization model
Authors: Prajapati Monali , Joshi Jay
Published: November 2020

In recent times, many MAC protocols were implemented for boosting and improving energy efficiency (EE) in WSNs. Moreover, the cooperative MIMO method is found to be much capable of enhancing the EE of WSNs if configured properly. This paper intends to propose cross-layer design for multihop virtual MIMO system to enhance the end-to-end (ETE) reliability, EE, and QoS of the adopted WSN. The protocol is set here to focus on the energy utilization for transmission of data packets by optimal selection of transmission constraints for each node of the network. Moreover, the protocol’s ETE latency and throughput are also modeled as the dependent variables of BER performance of every link. To discover the improved BER criteria of each link that meets the ETE QoS requirement in reduced energy utilization, this paper employs a new hybrid optimization algorithm named Lion Mutated Dragonfly Algorithm (LM–DA) that is a hybrid variant of both Lion Algorithm (LA) and Dragonfly Algorithm (DA). Finally, the performance of the adopted scheme is validated over other state-of-the-art models. The results state that the energy consumed by the adopted LM–DA approach is about 2.65%, 1.77%, and 1.77% reduced over LA, PSO, and DA schemes, respectively.
Performance Metrics for Striation-based Beamforming and Application Requirements with the Horizontal Line Array in Shallow Water
Authors: Liu Chang Peng , Zhou Shi Hong , Hui Juan , Ren Yun , Qi Yu Bo
Published: November 2020

Due to the dispersion of normal modes in shallow water, there exist regular striations on the interference spectrogram in space-frequency domain. Based on the range-frequency domain striations, waveguide invariant can be estimated with the prior knowledge of source range. Utilizing striations along the array, Rouseff and Zurk [J. Acoust. Soc. Amer. 130 (2011) EL76–EL81] proposed the striation-based beamforming (SBF), which shows a theoretical possibility to estimate waveguide invariant that is independent of source range. To make this beamforming technique more practical, its application requirements and performance limitation should be defined. These two issues are researched with the phase and amplitude relationships deduced by the frequency-shift compensation theory. It shows the source whose spectrum varies slowly and received signals that contain the complete information of transmission time are keys for applying SBF to real work. The azimuth limitation can lead to the degradation of array gain and distortion of interference structure. Matching parameters of waveguide invariant and source range, respectively, two modified striation-based beamformers are developed to eliminate the azimuth limitation. Simulation and experimental results are presented.
Aadhaar and the creation of barriers to welfare
Authors: Amrute Sareeta , Khera Reetika , Willems Adam
Published: November 2020

Being watched means much more than being seen. This forum investigates information flows of sensing culled from sources as diverse as temperature check and iris scans to sound and movement sensors across terrains. After Veillance discusses how these systems distribute risk unevenly and shape the lives of populations across the globe.
--- Sareeta Amrute, Editor
Single- and Double-Loop Learning
Authors: Daniel Sherae , Janansefat Shadi , Diamant E. Ilana , Ren Yuqing
Published: November 2020

Free/Libre Open Source Software (FLOSS) developers often make a single contribution to a project and then no more, making project management difficult. To improve understanding around why developers leave, this work explores the relationship between FLOSS developer motivations and their attitudes and behavior related to projects. In particular, we add insight to the current understanding of these issues by proposing single- and double-loop learning as intervening mechanisms that connect developer motivations to outcomes and thereby help clarify when developer motivations have negative and positive impacts for the project. We test our hypotheses in a sample of 132 FLOSS developers. We find that intrinsic motivations (motivation to learn) and social motivations (motivation to collaborate) positively influence single- and double-loop learning while extrinsic motivations negatively impact both types of learning. We further find that single- and double-loop learning have differential impacts on contribution to the focal project and other projects. While single-loop learning is associated with lower turnover intentions, double-loop learning is associated with higher turnover intentions. Implications of our findings for research and management are provided in the discussion.
Why Is It Hard to Fight Herding?
Authors: Darban Mehdi , Polites Greta L.
Published: November 2020

The ubiquity of information, in part a consequence of the fast growth of Internet technologies, provides individuals with previously unknown opportunities to acquire and share information about new technology products. We witness numerous situations where potential adopters observe the decisions (but not the reasoning) of others and imitate their adoption behaviors. This implies that herd behavior can lead to en mass adoption. However, individuals possessing different characteristics exhibit different degrees of herd behavior. The characteristics of a given technology must also fit with the requirements of the task(s) that a technology adopter wants to fulfill. It is important to understand these phenomena in the herding context because they can influence a technology's staying power. We examine how several different user and technology characteristics interact with the antecedents of herd behavior, observed popularity of prior adoption and perceived uncertainty, to predict one's individual propensity for imitation in technology adoption. We test our research model via an online experiment with 260 respondents. One key finding is that while prior research has not found uncertainty to have the expected effect on propensity to imitate, it does in fact have a significant effect when various individual difference and technology moderators are taken into account.