bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Luminescence dating of Late Pleistocene faults as evidence of uplift and active tectonics in Sardinia, W Mediterranean
Authors: Casini Leonardo , Andreucci Stefano , Sechi Daniele , Huang Chun‐Yuan , Shen Chuan‐Chou , Pascucci Vincenzo
Published: February 2020

Precise dating of the activity of Late Pleistocene to Holocene neo‐tectonic structures is crucial to quantify the rate of deformation in low‐seismicity regions. Sardinia is a relatively stable continental fragment set in the middle of the tectonically active Western Mediterranean belt. This paper provides evidences of significant uplift of northwest Sardinia that support an ongoing tectonic activity since the Marine Isotopic Stage 7 (MIS 7; ca. 220 ka). In particular, it documents for the first time Late Pleistocene to Holocene tectonics based on luminescence dating of travertine sealing a major NNE‐SSW fault.
Development of a Chemical Equilibrium Model of the Downdraft Fixed Bed Gasification Process with known Product Temperature, Using air as an Oxidizing Agent
Authors: Quintero-Coronel Daniel Andres , Espinel-Blanco Edwin Edgardo , Flórez-Solano Eder Norberto
Published: February 2020

A chemical equilibrium model for known outlet temperature of the products was carried out on a downdraft fixed bed gasifier. Biomass from oil palm kernel is used with proximate and ultimate analysis; the general gasification reaction takes into account the biomass moisture, the reaction products are formed by CH4, H2O, N2, CO, CO2 and H2. The model is described in detail and the equations are solved using the EES software. The model shows the results obtained for temperature ranges from 500 K to 1500 K and 1.0 atm. The model is validated by direct comparison of the gas composition with the results reported in the literature for similar conditions, obtaining favorable results.
El derecho operacional como una categoría dentro de la taxonomía del derecho
Authors: Chíquiza Gómez Francisco Alejandro , Gil Osorio Juan Fernando
Published: February 2020

La presente investigación pretende reivindicar la importancia de construir, como objeto de estudio, una categoría del derecho denominada derecho operacional[1], con el fin de contribuir al debate socio-jurídico de las relaciones que se suscitan o se producen en las actuaciones de la Fuerza Pública, entendidas estas como Fuerzas Militares y Policía Nacional. En ese sentido, resulta completamente plausible construir todo un conocimiento entorno a los imperativos normativos que reglan los procedimientos de las instituciones castrense y policial, respectivamente. Así, se procura realizar una aproximación a los ejes axiales o definitorios de esta ordenación jurídica y que, eventualmente, podría dar explicaciones profundas a fenómenos del entorno social y que se relacionan con la contención de las amenazas de una sociedad. Finalmente, el documento propone un análisis de validez y eficacia de las reglas operacionales, dada su raigambre administrativa, justificándolas como principio de lex artis de la ciencia, el arte de las operaciones militares y los operativos policiales.

 

[1] En adelante DOPER
La excepción de contrato no cumplido. Algunas cuestiones relativas a su supuesto de hecho y consecuencias jurídicas
Authors: Maza-Gazmuri Íñigo Andrés de la , Vidal-Olivares Álvaro
Published: February 2020

En la presente investigación se pretende analizar el remedio de la suspensión del cumplimiento, o excepción de contrato no cumplido en Chile. En particular, se examina el supuesto de hecho de este remedio contractual y sus particulares condiciones, para luego atender a los efectos de la figura, atendiendo, también, a la relación que existe entre esta y los restantes remedios frente al incumplimiento.
Modeling the Transient Behavior of Gas Turbines
Authors: Petkovic Djordje , Banjac Milan , Milic Srdjan , Petrovic Milan V. , Wiedermann Alexander
Published: February 2020

As a consequence of the increasing share of volatile renewable energy sources such as wind and solar in present-day electrical grid systems, time variations of the power demand for fossil fuel plants can become more sudden. Therefore, an ability to respond to sudden load changes becomes an important issue for power generation gas turbines. This paper describes a real-time model for predicting the transient performance of gas turbines. The method includes basic transient phenomena, such as volume packing and the heat transfer between the working fluid and the structural elements. The dynamics of components are quantified by solving ordinary differential equations with appropriate initial and boundary conditions. Compressor and turbine operating points are determined from corresponding performance maps previously calculated using sophisticated aerodynamic, through-flow codes. This includes a sufficient number of such characteristics to account for the variations in speed and machine geometry. The developed dynamic model was verified by comparison of simulation results with experimentally recorded operating parameters for a real engine. This includes the start-up sequence and the load changes. Additional simulation covers the system response to a step increase in fuel flow. The simulation is carried out faster than the real process.
Turbulent Flames in Enclosed Combustion Chambers: Characteristics and Visualization—A Review
Authors: Sadiq Abdellatif M. , Sleiti Ahmad K. , Ahmed Samer F.
Published: February 2020

Remarkable progress has been achieved in measuring the flame propagation rate accurately under laminar conditions, which can be used to predict turbulent flame propagation rates using some correlations fitted to experimental data. However, such propagation rates, unlike the laminar case, cannot be unambiguously determined. Nevertheless, the advancement of laser imaging techniques has led to several definitions of turbulent burning rates (Roshan et al., 2010, “Simulation of Global Warming Effect on Outdoor Thermal Comfort Conditions,” Int. J. Environ. Sci. Technol., 7(3), pp. 571–580). Recently, a unified scaling factor has been successfully demonstrated using data gathered from several fan-stirred bombs. Such results are promising in compiling a comprehensive database of turbulent propagation rates for potential and common fuels of interest to internal combustion engines (ICEs) and gas turbines alike. The strict worldwide legislation to reduce emissions has forced many industries to look into alternative fuels with less emissions. One such alternative fuel that has gained much interest recently is the gas-to-liquid (GTL) fuel, which is being used in blended forms in several combustion applications. However, detailed combustion characteristic investigations are required before using this new alternative fuel widely in engines (Business, 2018, “Qatar’s Exporters Directory 2018”). In this study, the significant issues associated with the use of fan-stirred bombs are investigated. First, the effect of varying fan speed and geometry is reviewed, and then, the measurement techniques that are commonly used to track flame propagation are discussed. This is followed by the study of the effect of using different types of fuels on combustion characteristics. Furthermore, the use of diesel and gasoline optical engine setups as advanced flame visualization tools have been reviewed extensively.
Surface plasmon driven near- and midinfrared photoconductivity in ligand-free ITO nanocrystal films
Authors: Boyuk Dmitriy S. , Hu Weize , Hui Ho Yee , Filler Michael A.
Published: February 2020

Semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs) offer exciting opportunities to deploy infrared optoelectronic technology in a variety of applications that are off-limits to conventional single-crystalline materials. However, the performance and stability of state-of-the-art NC-based devices strongly depend on the details of the NC surface and its passivating ligands. Here, the authors use indium tin oxide NC films stripped of organic ligands and conformally coated with Al2O3 to show that absorption enabled by infrared localized surface plasmon resonances permit infrared photoconduction. For Au electrodes, these metallic NC films exhibit stable photoconductive performance over months in ambient and under electrical stress.
Exploration of excitation source information for shouted and normal speech classification
Authors: Baghel Shikha , Prasanna S. R. Mahadeva , Guha Prithwijit
Published: February 2020

Discrimination between shouted and normal speech is an essential prerequisite for many speech processing applications. Existing works have established that excitation source information plays a significant role in shouted speech production. In speech processing literature, various features have been proposed to model different aspects of the excitation source. The principal contribution of this work is to explore three such features, Discrete Cosine Transform of Integrated Linear Prediction Residual (DCT-ILPR), Mel-Power Difference of Spectrum in Sub-bands (MPDSS), and Residual Mel-Frequency Cepstral Coefficient (RMFCC), for shouted and normal speech classification. The DCT-ILPR feature represents the shape of the glottal cycle, MPDSS estimates the periodicity of the excitation source spectrum, and RMFCC characterizes smoothed spectral information of the excitation source. The authors have also contributed a dataset containing shouted and normal speech. This work is evaluated on three datasets and benchmarked against three baseline methods. Deep neural networks are used to study the classification performance of individual features and their combinations. The generalization performance of features (and combinations) is also investigated. Fusion of excitation source features with Mel-Frequency Cepstral Coefficients (MFCC) provides the best performance compared to other combinations. Noise analysis shows that adding excitation features with MFCC+ΔΔ provides a more robust classification system.
Long-range atmospheric infrasound propagation from subsurface sources
Authors: Averbuch Gil , Assink Jelle D. , Evers Läslo G.
Published: February 2020

In seismology and ocean acoustics, the interface with the atmosphere is typically represented as a free surface. Similarly, these interfaces are considered as a rigid surface for infrasound propagation. This implies that seismic or acoustic waves are not transmitted into the atmosphere from subsurface sources, and vice versa. Nevertheless, infrasound generated by subsurface sources has been observed. In this work, seismo-acoustic modeling of infrasound propagation from underwater and underground sources will be presented. The fast field program (FFP) is used to model the seismo-acoustic coupling between the solid earth, the ocean, and the atmosphere under the variation of source and media parameters. The FFP model allows for a detailed analysis of the seismo-acoustic coupling mechanisms in frequency-wavenumber space. A thorough analysis of the coupling mechanisms reveals that evanescent wave coupling and leaky surface waves are the main energy contributors to long-range infrasound propagation. Moreover, it is found that source depth affects the relative amplitude of the tropospheric and stratospheric phases, which allows for source depth estimation in the future.
Establishment of a Reverse Genetics System for Influenza D Virus
Authors: Ishida Hiroho , Murakami Shin , Kamiki Haruhiko , Matsugo Hiromichi , Takenaka-Uema Akiko , Horimoto Taisuke
Published: February 2020

The bovine respiratory disease complex (BRDC) causes high mortality and morbidity in cattle, causing economic losses worldwide. Influenza D virus (IDV) is considered to be a causative agent of the BRDC. Here, we developed a reverse genetics system that allows for the generation of IDV from cloned cDNAs and the introduction of mutations into the IDV genome. This reverse genetics system will become a powerful tool for use in studies related to understanding the molecular mechanisms of viral replication and pathogenicity and will also lead to the development of new countermeasures against the BRDC.
Identification and Cloning of a New Western Epstein-Barr Virus Strain That Efficiently Replicates in Primary B Cells
Authors: Delecluse Susanne , Poirey Remy , Zeier Martin , Schnitzler Paul , Behrends Uta , Tsai Ming-Han , Delecluse Henri-Jacques
Published: February 2020

The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infects the majority of the world population but causes different diseases in different countries. Evidence that lytic replication, the process that leads to new virus progeny, is linked to cancer development is accumulating. Indeed, viruses such as M81 that were isolated from Far Eastern nasopharyngeal carcinomas replicate strongly in B cells. We show here that some viruses isolated from Western patients, including the MSHJ strain, share this property. Moreover, replication of both M81 and of MSHJ was sensitive to ibrutinib, a commonly used drug, thereby opening an opportunity for therapeutic intervention. Sequencing of MSHJ showed that this virus is quite distant from M81 and is much closer to nonreplicating Western viruses. We conclude that Western EBV strains are heterogeneous, with some viruses being able to replicate more strongly and therefore being potentially more pathogenic than others, and that the virus sequence information alone cannot predict this property.
Age-Related Variation of Bacterial and Fungal Communities in Different Body Habitats across the Young, Elderly, and Centenarians in Sardinia
Authors: Wu Lu , Zeng Tiansheng , Deligios Massimo , Milanesi Luciano , Langille Morgan G. I. , Zinellu Angelo , Rubino Salvatore , Carru Ciriaco , Kelvin David J.
Published: February 2020

Site-specific microbial communities are recognized as important factors in host health and disease. To better understand how the human microbiota potentially affects and is affected by its host during the aging process, the fundamental issue to address is the distribution of microbiota related to age. Here, we show an integrated view of the spatial distribution of microbes in a specific Mediterranean population (Sardinians) across a wide age range. Our study indicates that age plays a critical role in shaping the human microbiota in a habitat-dependent manner. The dynamic age-related microbiota changes we observed across multiple body sites may provide possibilities for modulating microbe communities to maintain or improve health during aging.
Comparison of Methods To Collect Fecal Samples for Microbiome Studies Using Whole-Genome Shotgun Metagenomic Sequencing
Authors: Byrd Doratha A. , Sinha Rashmi , Hoffman Kristi L. , Chen Jun , Hua Xing , Shi Jianxin , Chia Nicholas , Petrosino Joseph , Vogtmann Emily
Published: February 2020

A major direction for future microbiome research is implementation of fecal sample collections in large-scale, prospective epidemiologic studies. Studying microbiome-disease associations likely requires microbial data to be pooled from multiple studies. Our findings suggest collection methods that are most optimal to be used standardly across future WGSS microbiome studies.
Laboratory Evolution Experiments Help Identify a Predominant Region of Constitutive Stable DNA Replication Initiation
Authors: Veetil Reshma T. , Malhotra Nitish , Dubey Akshara , Seshasayee Aswin Sai Narain
Published: February 2020

The bacterium
E. coli
can replicate its DNA even in the absence of the molecules that are required for canonical replication initiation. This often requires the formation of RNA-DNA hybrid structures and is referred to as constitutive stable DNA replication (cSDR). Where on the chromosome does cSDR initiate? We answer this question using laboratory evolution experiments and genomics and show that selection favors cSDR initiation predominantly at a region ∼0.6 Mb clockwise of
oriC.
Initiation from this site will result in more head-on collisions of DNA polymerase with RNA polymerase operating on rRNA loci. The bacterium adapts to this problem by inverting a region of the genome including several rRNA loci such that head-on collisions between the two polymerases are minimized. Understanding such evolutionary strategies in the context of cSDR can provide insights into the potential causes of resistance to antibiotics that target initiation of DNA replication.
Proinsulin-specific T regulatory cells may control immune responses in type 1 diabetes: implications for adoptive therapy
Authors: Gliwiński Mateusz , Iwaszkiewicz-Grześ Dorota , Wołoszyn-Durkiewicz Anna , Tarnowska Monika , Żalińska Magdalena , Hennig Matylda , Zielińska Hanna , Dukat-Mazurek Anna , Zielkowska-Dębska Joanna , Zieliński Maciej , Jaźwińska-Curyłło Anna , Owczuk Radosław , Jarosz-Chobot Przemysława , Bossowski Artur , Szadkowska Agnieszka , Młynarski Wojciech , Marek-Trzonkowska Natalia , Moszkowska Grażyna , Siebert Janusz , Myśliwiec Małgorzata , Trzonkowski Piotr
Published: February 2020

Objective

Here we looked for possible mechanisms regulating the progression of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). In this disease, autoaggressive T cells (T conventional cells, Tconvs) not properly controlled by T regulatory cells (Tregs) destroy pancreatic islets.

Research design and methods

We compared the T-cell compartment of patients with newly diagnosed T1DM (NDT1DM) with long-duration T1DM (LDT1DM) ones. The third group consisted of patients with LDT1DM treated previously with polyclonal Tregs (LDT1DM with Tregs). We have also looked if the differences might be dependent on the antigen specificity of Tregs expanded for clinical use and autologous sentinel Tconvs.

Results

Patients with LDT1DM were characterized by T-cell immunosenescence-like changes and expansion of similar vβ/T-cell receptor (TCR) clones in Tconvs and Tregs. The treatment with Tregs was associated with some inhibition of these effects. Patients with LDT1DM possessed an increased percentage of various proinsulin-specific T cells but not GAD65-specific ones. The percentages of all antigen-specific subsets were higher in the expansion cultures than in the peripheral blood. The proliferation was more intense in proinsulin-specific Tconvs than in specific Tregs but the levels of some proinsulin-specific Tregs were exceptionally high at baseline and remained higher in the expanded clinical product than the levels of respective Tconvs in sentinel cultures.

Conclusions

T1DM is associated with immunosenescence-like changes and reduced diversity of T-cell clones. Preferential expansion of the same TCR families in both Tconvs and Tregs suggests a common trigger/autoantigen responsible. Interestingly, the therapy with polyclonal Tregs was associated with some inhibition of these effects. Proinsulin-specific Tregs appeared to be dominant in the immune responses in patients with T1DM and probably associated with better control over respective autoimmune Tconvs.

Trial registration number

EudraCT 2014-004319-35.
Characteristics of undiagnosed diabetes in men and women under the age of 50 years in the Indian subcontinent: the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-4)/Demographic Health Survey 2015–2016
Authors: Claypool Kajal T , Chung Ming-Kei , Deonarine Andrew , Gregg Edward W , Patel Chirag J
Published: February 2020

Objective

Prior studies examining diabetes prevalence in India have found that nearly 50% of the diabetes population remains undiagnosed; however, the specific populations at risk are unclear.

Research design and methods

First, we estimated the prevalence of undiagnosed diabetes in India for 750 924 persons between the ages of 15 years and 50 years who participated in the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-4)/Demographic Health Survey (2015–2016), a cross-sectional survey of all 29 states and 7 union territories of India. We defined ‘undiagnosed diabetes’ as individuals who did not know about their diabetes status but had high random (≥200 mg/dL) or fasting (≥126 mg/dL) blood glucose levels. Second, using Poisson regression, we associated 10 different factors, including the role of healthcare access, and undiagnosed diabetes. Third, we examined the association of undiagnosed diabetes with other potential comorbid conditions.

Results

The crude prevalence of diabetes for women and men aged 15–50 years was 2.9%, 95% CI 2.9% to 3.1%, with self-reported diabetes prevalence at 1.7%, 95% CI 1.6 to 1.8. The overall prevalence of undiagnosed diabetes for 15–50 year olds was at 1.2%, 95% CI 1.2% to 1.3%. Forty-two per cent, 95% CI 40.7% to 43.4% of the individuals with high glucose levels were unaware of their diabetes status. Approximately 45%, 95% CI 42.9% to 46.4% of undiagnosed diabetes population had access to healthcare. Men, younger individuals, and those with lower levels of education were most at risk of being undiagnosed. Geographically, the Southern states in India had a significantly higher prevalence of undiagnosed diabetes despite having nearly universal access to healthcare. Risk factors combined with random glucose could predict undiagnosed diabetes (area under the curve of 97.8%, 95% CI 97.7% to 97.8%), Nagelkerke R2of 66%).

Conclusion

Close to half (42%) of the people with diabetes in India are not aware of their disease status, and a large subset of these people are at risk of poor detection, despite having health insurance and/or having access to healthcare. Younger age groups and men are the most vulnerable.
Blood Transfusion Practices in Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding: Response to a Landmark Study
Authors: Wilhoit Cameron B , Holman Nathan D , Rockey Don C
Published: February 2020

Objective

Lack of clear evidence in red blood cell (RBC) transfusion during gastrointestinal bleeding has led to varied recommendations over the years. However, studies in broad areas of medicine have provided evidence about appropriate RBC transfusion thresholds, and a ‘landmark’ study published in 2013 provided evidence in patients with upper gastrointestinal (UGI) bleeding. We hypothesized that the response to the evidence would lead to improved RBC transfusion practice. Our aim was to determine the response in RBC transfusion practices at our institution.

Design

We examined RBC transfusion practices in patients with UGI bleeding who presented to the Medical University of South Carolina from January 2010 through December 2013. We abstracted extensive clinical data including demographic, medical history (comorbidities), medications, physical examination findings, laboratory data, endoscopic data, and RBC transfusion practices. We considered appropriate RBC transfusion to have occurred when performed for a hemoglobin level of <70 g/L.

Results

270 patients hospitalized with UGI bleeding had 606 RBC transfusions; 355 transfusions in 107 patients were appropriate, and 251 transfusions in 163 were inappropriate. In 2010, 2011, and 2012, the rates of appropriate RBC transfusions were 61/124 (49%), 92/172 (53%), and 84/142 (59%), respectively. There was a statistically significant difference in appropriate transfusions in 2013 (118/168 (70%)) compared with 2012 (84/142 (59%), p =0.003), as well as during 2010-2012 (237/438 (54%), p≤0.003).

Conclusions

The data suggest that there was an improvement in RBC transfusion practices after a landmark study. However, the data also highlight that RBC transfusion practices in UGI bleeding remain imperfect.
Do not despair about severity—yet
Authors: Barra Mathias , Broqvist Mari , Gustavsson Erik , Henriksson Martin , Juth Niklas , Sandman Lars , Solberg Carl Tollef
Published: February 2020

In a recent extended essay, philosopher Daniel Hausman goes a long way towards dismissing severity as a morally relevant attribute in the context of priority setting in healthcare. In this response, we argue that although Hausman certainly points to real problems with how severity is often interpreted and operationalised within the priority setting context, the conclusion that severity does not contain plausible ethical content is too hasty. Rather than abandonment, our proposal is to take severity seriously by carefully mapping the possibly multiple underlying accounts to well-established ethical theories, in a way that is both morally defensible and aligned with the term’s colloquial uses.
Correlations between dynamic thermal properties, energy consumption, and comfort in wood, concrete, and lightweight buildings
Authors: Pépin Alexandre , Gosselin Louis , Dallaire Jonathan
Published: February 2020

An office building located in Québec City (QC, Canada) with different envelope assemblies has been simulated to determine the energy consumption and thermal comfort that they provide. The resistance, thermal mass, and materials (concrete, cross-laminated timbers (CLT), and light-frame) were varied in a series of 164 different scenarios, and the energy intensities for heating and cooling were determined in each case, along with the discomfort index. Results show that the materiel used to provide thermal mass has a larger impact on comfort and energy consumption than the value of the thermal mass thickness itself. It was also attempted to correlate the performance of the envelope assessed through energy simulations with four dynamic thermal properties (i.e., dynamic transmittance, areal heat capacity, decrement factor, and time lag). The internal areal heat capacity appeared to be the most important variable to explain variations of performance of the envelope.
Spin polarizations under a pseudovector interaction between quarks with the Kobayashi–Maskawa–’t Hooft term in high density quark matter
Authors: Morimoto Masatoshi , Tsue Yasuhiko , da Providência João , Providência Constança , Yamamura Masatoshi
Published: February 2020

A possibility of a quark spin polarization originating from a pseudovector condensate is investigated in the three-flavor Nambu–Jona–Lasinio model with the Kobayashi–Maskawa–’t Hooft interaction which leads to flavor mixing. It is shown that a pseudovector condensate related to the strange quark easily occurs compared with pseudovector condensate related to light quarks. Further, it is shown that the pseudovector condensate related to the strange quark appears at a slightly small chemical potential by the effect of the flavor mixing due to the Kobayashi–Maskawa–’t Hooft interaction.
Derivation of the Strutinsky method from the least squares principle
Authors: Mohammed-Azizi B.
Published: February 2020

The main purpose of this paper is to rigorously establish the Strutinsky method from the least squares principle. Thus, it is the mathematical basis of this method (aspect often neglected) which is revisited in an extensive way. Some formulas previously given without demonstration or in a simplified way are set out here with all the details. In this respect, the most important mathematical properties of the averaging functions are also established in this paper. When some conditions are met, it turns out that Strutinsky’s method is nothing more than a polynomial moving average of the semi-classical level density.
Dissipation, coherence and entanglement
Authors: Blasone Massimo , Vitiello Giuseppe
Published: February 2020

The study of the damped harmonic oscillator shows that dissipation could be seen at the origin of the zero point energy, which is the signature of quantum behavior. This is in accord with ’t Hooft proposal that loss of information in a completely deterministic dynamics would play a rôle in the quantum mechanical nature of our world. We show the equivalence, within quite general conditions, between the pair of a damped oscillator and its time-reversed image and electrodynamics. The ground state of the damped-amplified oscillator pair appears to be a finite temperature coherent two-mode squeezed state with fractal self-similarity properties and the modes are maximally entangled. Temperature is strictly related to the zero point energy.
Performance of Automotive Air Conditioning System with R134a and R1234yf
Authors: Kuwar Yogendra Vasantrao , Narasimham G. S. V. L.
Published: February 2020

A steady-state mathematical model of a small-capacity Automotive Air Conditioning System (AACS) working with the refrigerants R134a (1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane) and R1234yf (2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene) is developed. The model considers the major components of the system, namely, the swash plate compressor with fixed stroke, thermostatic expansion valve (TXV) and the compact heat exchangers (flat-tube, louvered-fin evaporator and condenser). In order to verify the mathematical model, an experimental facility has been developed for testing the AACS and experiments are conducted with R134a. The experimental results are also validated with published data. The effects of various operating conditions, namely, the condensing air temperature, condensing air velocity and the compressor speed, on the performance of the AACS are predicted for both R134a and R1234yf. The results of the simulations with R134a and R1234yf are compared with the experimental results obtained with R134a. The results show good agreement with the experimental results, with most of them showing less than 10–15% of variations from the experiment results. The uncertainty analysis is performed and showed that the most of validations follow below 10% difference.
A Procedural Approach to Creating American Second Empire Houses
Authors: Kramer Madison , Akleman Ergun
Published: February 2020

In this article, we present a procedural approach to capture a variety of appearances of American Second Empire houses, which are well known for their mansard roofs and their inspired ornamentation. To develop this procedural approach, we have identified the set of rules and similarities of Second Empire houses. Our procedural approach, therefore, captures the style differences of Second Empire houses with a relatively few number of parameters. Using our interface, we are able to generate virtual houses in a wide variety of styles of American Second Empire architecture. We have also developed a method to break up these virtual models into slices in order to efficiently and economically 3D-print them. Using this method, we have printed miniatures of two landmark buildings in Savannah, GA and Baltimore, MD: The Hamilton-Turner Inn and Enoch Pratt House, respectively. We observe that the virtual models still provide more details because of the limited resolution of the 3D printing process as shown in Figures 1 and 2.
Search versus Decision for Election Manipulation Problems
Authors: Hemaspaandra Edith , Hemaspaandra Lane A. , Menton Curtis
Published: February 2020

Most theoretical definitions about the complexity of manipulating elections focus on the decision problem of recognizing which instances can be successfully manipulated rather than the search problem of finding the successful manipulative actions. Since the latter is a far more natural goal for manipulators, that definitional focus may be misguided if these two complexities can differ. Our main result is that they probably do differ: If P ≠ NP ∩ coNP (which itself is well known to hold if integer factoring is hard), then for election manipulation, election bribery, and some types of election control, there are election systems for which the problem of recognizing which instances can be successfully manipulated is polynomial-time solvable, yet the task of producing the successful manipulations cannot be done in polynomial time.
Natassa Ailamaki Speaks Out on How to be a Systems Researcher and How to Manage a Large Research Group
Authors: Winslett Marianne , Braganholo Vanessa
Published: February 2020

Welcome to ACM SIGMOD Record's series of interviews with distinguished members of the database community. I'm Marianne Winslett, and today we're at the 2017 SIGMOD and PODS conference in Chicago. I have here with me Anastasia Ailamaki, who's a professor at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, better known as EPFL. Before that, Natassa was a professor at Carnegie Mellon. She's an ACM Fellow, a Sloan Fellow, and received the European Young Investigator Award, as well as ten Best Paper awards. After this interview, she received the Edgar F. Codd Innovation Award from the ACM SIGMOD in 2019, and the Nemitsas Prize in Computer Science from the President of the Republic of Cyprus in 2018. Her Ph.D. is from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. So, Natassa, welcome!
Contracts Adjustment under Bilateral Information Updating in a Supply Chain
Authors: Wang Xinhui , Su Yingsheng , Zhou Zihan , Fang Yiling
Published: February 2020

This paper investigates contracts adjustment between one manufacturer and one retailer under bilateral information updating. The manufacturer incurs uncertain production cost and the retailer faces uncertain demand, but they can acquire independent signals to update production cost and demand, respectively. They commit an initial agreement on an initial wholesale price, minimum order quantity, and information sharing as well as the transfer payment and decisions adjustment when information is updated. We find that due to the joint impact of production cost variation and market variation, the manufacturer may not decrease (increase) her wholesale price when the updated production cost is lower (higher) than expected. The retailer places an additional order even if the wholesale price rises when the market outlook is good, but places an order with the minimum order quantity even if the wholesale price falls when the market outlook is bad. Secondly, for a certain level of information accuracy of the production cost and market demand, the retailer is always better off with information updating, but the manufacturer may be worse off with information updating when facing a bad market outlook. Thirdly, when information accuracy of the production cost and market demand varies, the manufacturer only benefits from a high accuracy of production cost. Profits of the retailer and the supply chain are increasing (decreasing) with accuracy of production cost if the updated production cost is larger (smaller) than expected.
A Proficient Bee Colony-Clustering Protocol to Prolong Lifetime of Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Pathak Aruna
Published: February 2020

In wireless sensor network, replacement of node’s battery is very tough task in hostile environments. Therefore, to maximize network lifetime is the ultimate solution. Dividing the sensing region of wireless sensor network into clusters is an excellent approach to gain high energy efficiency and to enhance lifetime of the network. On the other hand, heads of the cluster need additional energy because of additional work such as obtaining data from its member nodes, aggregation of their data, and finally sending it to the base station. To enhance the lifetime of these networks, proper selection of heads plays a vital role. In this paper, we propose proficient bee colony-clustering protocol (PBC-CP) which is based on artificial bee colony algorithm. In PBC-CP approach, we have taken important factors for selection of heads such as node’s energy, degree of node, and distance from base station to node. For transmitting the data from cluster head to base station, it chooses the energy-efficient path which further minimizes the energy consumption of sensor network. Simulation experiments show the effectiveness of our proposed approach.
Application of Laparoscopic Radical Resection for Type III and IV Hilar Cholangiocarcinoma Treatment
Authors: Liu Sulai , Liu Xinyu , Li Xuepeng , Li Ou , Yi Weimin , Khan Junaid , Yang Pingzhou , Guo Chao , Peng Chuang , Jiang Bo
Published: February 2020

Background. This study is aimed at investigating the feasibility and safety of the laparoscopic radical resection for treating type III and IV hilar cholangiocarcinoma (III/IV Hilar C). Methods. Six patients with III/IV Hilar C were enrolled in our hospital. All patients underwent total laparoscopic surgery, including basic surgery (laparoscopic gallbladder, hilar bile duct, and common bile duct resection and hepatoduodenal ligament lymph node dissection) combined with left hepatic and caudate lobe resection/portal resection. The tumor size, operation time, intraoperative blood loss, and postoperative complications were observed. The follow-up of the patients after discharge was recorded. Results. Surgery was successfully completed in 6 patients. We found that the tumor size of 6 patients ranged from 1.5 to 3.6 cm, with 4 lymph nodes. The operation time was 540-660 minutes, and the blood loss was 300-500 ml. One patient developed bile leakage after surgery, healed within 2 weeks after drainage. The postoperative hospital stay was 16 (13-24) days. There were 4 cases of negative bile duct margin tumor, 1 case was positive, and 1 case was not reported. All 6 patients were discharged smoothly without perioperative death. Regular examinations were conducted every 3 months after discharge, and the median duration was 7 months. Only 1 patient had a marginal dysplasia, and 5 patients had no obvious signs of recurrence. Conclusions. Application of laparoscopic radical resection for III/IV Hilar C is safe and feasible and has good short-term efficacy with adequate preoperative evaluation, appropriate case selection, and precise operative strategy.
A Comparative Study of the Bias Correction Methods for Differential Item Functioning Analysis in Logistic Regression with Rare Events Data
Authors: Faghih Marjan , Bagheri Zahra , Stevanovic Dejan , Ayatollahi Seyyed Mohhamad Taghi , Jafari Peyman
Published: February 2020

The logistic regression (LR) model for assessing differential item functioning (DIF) is highly dependent on the asymptotic sampling distributions. However, for rare events data, the maximum likelihood estimation method may be biased and the asymptotic distributions may not be reliable. In this study, the performance of the regular maximum likelihood (ML) estimation is compared with two bias correction methods including weighted logistic regression (WLR) and Firth′s penalized maximum likelihood (PML) to assess DIF for imbalanced or rare events data. The power and type I error rate of the LR model for detecting DIF were investigated under different combinations of sample size, moderate and severe magnitudes of uniform DIF (DIF = 0.4 and 0.8), sample size ratio, number of items, and the imbalanced degree (τ). Indeed, as compared with WLR and for severe imbalanced degree (τ = 0.069), there were reductions of approximately 30% and 24% under DIF = 0.4 and 27% and 23% under DIF = 0.8 in the power of the PML and ML, respectively. The present study revealed that the WLR outperforms both the ML and PML estimation methods when logistic regression is used to evaluate DIF for imbalanced or rare events data.
Impact of Cold‐Rolling and Heat Treatment on Mechanical Properties of Dual‐Phase Treated Low Carbon Steel
Authors: Van Long Le , Van Hien Dinh , Thanh Nguyen Truong , Tho Nguyen Chi , Do Van Thom
Published: February 2020

The low carbon steel has good ductility that is favorable for forming process, but its low strength leads to limiting their application for forced structures. This paper studied improving strength of low‐carbon steel via rolling deformation and dual‐phase treatment. The results showed that the dual‐phase treated steel had a combination of high strength and good ductility; its tensile ultimate strength reached 740 MPa with elongation at fracture of over 15%, while that of the cold‐rolled steel only reached 700 MPa with elongation at fracture of under 3%. Based on the obtained results, relationships between mechanical properties and dual‐phase processing parameters were established to help users choose suitable‐processing parameters according to requirements of products.
Predicting Days on Market to Optimize Real Estate Sales Strategy
Authors: Castelli Mauro , Dobreva Maria , Henriques Roberto , Vanneschi Leonardo
Published: February 2020

Irregularities and frauds are frequent in the real estate market in Bulgaria due to the substantial lack of rigorous legislation. For instance, agencies frequently publish unreal or unavailable apartment listings for a cheap price, as a method to attract the attention of unaware potential new customers. For this reason, systems able to identify unreal listings and improve the transparency of listings authenticity and availability are much on demand. Recent research has highlighted that the number of days a published listing remains online can have a strong correlation with the probability of a listing being unreal. For this reason, building an accurate predictive model for the number of days a published listing will be online can be very helpful to accomplish the task of identifying fake listings. In this paper, we investigate the use of four different machine learning algorithms for this task: Lasso, Ridge, Elastic Net, and Artificial Neural Networks. The results, obtained on a vast dataset made available by the Bulgarian company Homeheed, show the appropriateness of Lasso regression.
Green Tea Polyphenols Modulated Cerebral SOD Expression and Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress in Cardiac Arrest/Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Rats
Authors: Hu Wanxiang , Wang Huihui , Shu Quan , Chen Menghua , Xie Lu
Published: February 2020

Background. Reducing cerebral ischemia‐reperfusion injury is crucial for improving survival and neurologic outcomes after cardiac arrest/cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CA/CPR). The purpose of this study is to investigate the neuroprotective effects of green tea polyphenols (GTPs) concern with the modulation of endogenous antioxidation and endoplasmic reticulum stress. Methods. After subjecting to CA/CPR, rats were randomized into the saline group (NS, n = 40) and the GTPs group (GTPs, n = 40). Each group was blindly located into four subgroups according to four time points (12 h, 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h). Other rats without experiencing CA/CPR severed as the Sham group (Sham, n = 10). Brain tissue samples were harvested at relative time points. The expressions of superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1), superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2), caspase‐3, and C/EBP‐homologous protein (CHOP) were detected by immunofluorescence, dead neurons were assayed by TUNEL staining, and the expressions of caspase‐12 and glucose‐regulated proteins 78 kDa (GRP78) were evaluated by western blotting, respectively. Results. Comparing with that in NS group, GTPs increased the expression of SOD1 and SOD2 at 12 h, 24 h, 48 h, 72 h, and the expression of GRP78 at 24 h and 48 h (p < 0.05) butdecreased caspase‐12, CHOP, caspase‐3 level, and apoptotic number of neurons (p < 0.05) after restoration of spontaneous circulation (ROSC). Conclusion. GTPs exert neuroprotective effects via mechanisms that may be related to the enhancement of endogenous antioxidant capacity and inhibition of endoplasmic reticulum stress in CA/CPR rat models.
NOTCH3 T6746C and TP53 P72R Polymorphisms Are Associated with the Susceptibility to Diffuse Cutaneous Systemic Sclerosis
Authors: Zmorzyński Szymon , Wojcierowska-Litwin Magdalena , Kowal Małgorzata , Michalska-Jakubus Małgorzata , Styk Wojciech , Filip Agata Anna , Walecka Irena , Krasowska Dorota
Published: February 2020

Introduction. NOTCH pathway and TP53 protein are involved in the development of fibrosis and autoimmune disorders, respectively. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of NOTCH3 and TP53 genes and serum anti‐TP53 antibodies with the susceptibility, clinical subset of systemic sclerosis (SSc), and clinical profile of SSc patient, particularly with lung involvement and disease activity. Objects and Methods. 124 white Polish SSc patients (101 with limited cutaneous SSc–lcSSc, and 23 with diffuse cutaneous SSc–dcSSc) and 100 healthy individuals were included in the study. Patients were assessed for the presence of autoantibodies and interstitial lung disease. Two SNPs at position 6746 of NOTCH3 gene (C/T alleles) and 215 of the TP53 gene (P/R alleles) were genotyped by PCR‐restriction fragment length polymorphism. Serum levels of anti‐TP53 antibodies were analyzed by means of ELISA. Results. The genotypic frequencies of the NOTCH3 gene for SSc patients diverged significantly from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium (p = 0.03; χ2 = 4.63). There was no significant difference between SSc patients and the control population in allele frequencies of both SNPs. The CT + CC genotypes of NOTCH3 influenced the susceptibility to SSc (OR = 1.85, p = 0.04), including dcSSc (OR = 3.43, p = 0.04), and active form of SSc (OR = 5.46, p < 0.001). The PR + RR genotypes of the TP53 gene were associated only with dcSSc susceptibility (OR = 3.30, p = 0.034). The levels of anti‐TP53 antibodies were not related to studied SNPs and clinical parameters of SSc including the presence of specific antibodies and interstitial lung disease. Conclusion. The CT + CC genotypes of NOTCH3 gene and PR + RR genotypes of the TP53 gene increased the risk of dcSSc development. Moreover, genotypes of CT + CC were associated with the active form of SSc suggesting the role of the NOTCH pathway in the pathogenesis of this disease.
Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Properties of a Bacterial Endophyte, Methylobacterium radiotolerans MAMP 4754, Isolated from Combretum erythrophyllum Seeds
Authors: Photolo Mampolelo M. , Mavumengwana Vuyo , Sitole Lungile , Tlou Matsobane G.
Published: February 2020

This study reports on the isolation and identification of Methylobacterium radiotolerans MAMP 4754 from the seeds of the medicinal plant, Combretum erythrophyllum, for the purposes of investigating antimicrobial and antioxidant activities from this endophyte. The strain identity was confirmed by 16S rRNA-based phylogeny and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Ethyl acetate and chloroform (1 : 1 v/v) extracts from the endophyte were tested for antimicrobial and antioxidant activity on a total of 7 bacterial species (3 Gram-positive and 4 Gram-negative) using the standard Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) protocol and Quantitative Radical Scavenging activity using the 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay, respectively. The MICs were recorded at 250 μg/mL for B. subtilis ATCC 19659, B. cereus ATCC 1076, E. coli ATCC1053, and 62.5 μg/mL for K. oxytoca ATCC 13182 and M. smegmatis ATCC 21293, while an IC50 of 5.65 μg/mL was recorded with the DPPH assay. Qualitative phytochemical analysis was positive for alkaloids, flavonoids, and steroids. Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis revealed the presence of 9-octadecene, 2,4-dinitrophenyl acetate, and 2(5H)-furanone, which have been previously reported for the targeted activities. M. radiotolerans MAMP 4754 tested positive for antimicrobial and antioxidant activity and this is linked to the production of plant-derived secondary metabolites by this strain.
Isolation of Cellulose from Wheat Straw Using Alkaline Hydrogen Peroxide and Acidified Sodium Chlorite Treatments: Comparison of Yield and Properties
Authors: Qasim Umair , Ali Zulfiqar , Nazir Muhammad Shahid , Ul Hassan Sadaf , Rafiq Sikander , Jamil Farrukh , Al-Muhtaseb Ala’a H. , Ali Muzaffar , Khan Niazi Muhammad Bilal , Ahmad Nasir M. , Ullah Sami , Mukhtar Ahmad , Saqib Sidra
Published: February 2020

Environmental concerns due to excessive use of synthetic or petroleum-based materials have encouraged scientists to develop novel, sustainable, and multifunctional material using abundant lignocellulosic biomass. In this work, a study was conducted on the isolation of cellulose from wheat straw using two different methods: acidified sodium chlorite and alkaline hydrogen peroxide. A comparative study was carried out based on the yield and properties of extracted cellulose. The final product (after treatments) was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) for the identification of properties. Both the treatments isolated pure white color cellulose. However, the yield of cellulose isolated through acidified sodium chlorite treatment (81.4%) was higher than alkaline hydrogen peroxide treatment (79%). Moreover, no huge difference was observed in the crystallinity and thermal properties of extracted cellulose.