bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Occupational exposure to inorganic particles during pregnancy and birth outcomes: a nationwide cohort study in Sweden
Authors: Norlén Filip , Gustavsson Per , Wiebert Pernilla , Rylander Lars , Albin Maria , Westgren Magnus , Plato Nils , Selander Jenny
Published: February 2019

Objectives

The aim of this study was to investigate if occupational exposure to inorganic particles or welding fumes during pregnancy is associated with negative birth outcomes.

Design

A prospective national cohort study.

Setting

All single births from 1994 to 2012 in Sweden. Information on birth weight, preterm birth, small for gestational age, smoking habits, nationality, age, occupation, absence from work and education was obtained from nationwide registers. Exposure to inorganic particles (mg/m3) was assessed from a job exposure matrix.

Participants

This study included all single births by occupationally active mothers (995 843).

Outcome measures

Associations between occupational exposures and negative birth outcomes in the form of low birth weight, preterm birth and small for gestational age.

Results

Mothers who had high exposure to inorganic particles and had less than 50 days (median) of absence from work during pregnancy showed an increased risk of preterm birth (OR 1.18; 95% CI 1.07 to 1.30), low birth weight (OR 1.32; 95% CI 1.18 to 1.48) as well as small for gestational age (OR 1.20; 95% CI 1.04 to 1.39). The increased risks were driven by exposure to iron particles. No increased risks were found in association with exposure to stone and concrete particles. High exposure to welding fumes was associated with an increased risk of low birth weight (OR 1.22; 95% CI 1.02 to 1.45) and preterm birth (OR 1.24; 95% CI 1.07 to 1.42).

Conclusions

The results indicate that pregnant women should not be exposed to high levels of iron particles or welding fumes.
Effects of resistance training and/or beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate supplementation on muscle mass, muscle strength and physical performance in older women with reduced muscle mass: protocol for a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial
Authors: Osuka Yosuke , Kojima Narumi , Wakaba Kyohsuke , Miyauchi Daiji , Tanaka Kiyoji , Kim Hunkyung
Published: February 2019

Introduction

Resistance training (RT) and nutritional supplementation seem to have beneficial effects on muscle properties and physical performance in older adults. However, the reported effects of specific RT programmes and supplementation prescriptions vary among studies. The present study aims to examine the acute and residual effects of RT and/or beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate (HMB) supplementation on muscle mass, muscle strength and physical performance in older women with reduced muscle mass.

Methods and analysis

This is a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Older women fitting the eligibility criteria were recruited in February 2018 from a population-based sample identified via screening conducted in October 2017. In March 2018, 156 participants were randomly allocated to undergo one of four interventions (RT + HMB, RT + placebo, education + HMB and education + placebo) for 12 weeks. Supervised RT consisted of body weight, elastic band, ankle weight and machine-based exercises two times per week at the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology (TMIG). Each participant ingested HMB (1200 mg) or placebo supplements once daily. Sessions of education not associated with sarcopenia treatment were conducted every 2 weeks. Post-intervention follow-up will be conducted for 12 weeks, until September 2018. The study includes assessments conducted in March (baseline), June (post-intervention) and September 2018 (follow-up). The primary outcome is the longitudinal change in muscle mass. Secondary outcomes include the longitudinal changes in muscle strength, physical performance, muscle thickness, muscle quality, blood counts, blood biochemistry, calf circumference, skin viscoelasticity, habitual dietary intake, habitual physical activity levels, functional capacity and health-related quality of life. Intention-to-treat analyses will be conducted.

Ethics and dissemination

The study protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of the TMIG, Japan. The study is being conducted according to the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. The findings will be presented at international academic congresses and published in peer-reviewed international journals.

Trial registration number

UMIN000028560; Post-results.
Prevalence of clOpidogrel ‘resIstaNce’ in a selected population of patients undergoing elective percutaneous coronary intervention at a tertiary cardiovascular centre in Trinidad: the POINT pilot study
Authors: Seecheran Naveen Anand , Maharaj Aarti , Boodhai Brent , Seecheran Rajeev , Seecheran Valmiki , Persad Sangeeta , Ramsaroop Koomatie , Sandy Sherry , Giddings Stanley , Sakhamuri Sateesh , Ali Ronan , Motilal Shastri , Teelucksingh Surujpal , Tello-Montoliu Antonio
Published: February 2019

Objectives

 This novel, pilot study aimed to assess the estimated prevalence of high on-treatment platelet reactivity (HPR) in Trinidad and Tobago.

Methods

Patients (n=40) who were awaiting elective percutaneous coronary intervention on maintenance dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) with aspirin 81 mg daily and clopidogrel 75 mg or loaded at least 48 hours prior were recruited. Platelet reactivity with the VerifyNow P2Y12 assay (Accriva Diagnostics, San Diego, California, USA) was assessed prior to cardiac catheterisation.

Results

60.7% (17/28) of the South Asian (Indo-Trinidadians) patients had HPR, whereas 14.3% (1/7) of Africans and 40% (2/5) of mixed ethnicity had HPR. There was a significant association between HPR (P2Y12 reaction units >208) and ethnicity with South Asians (Indo-Trinidadians) (OR 5.4; 95% CI 1.18 to 24.66, p=0.029).

Conclusions

This pilot study serves to introduce the preliminary observation that the estimated prevalence of HPR is considerably higher within the heterogeneous population in Trinidad at 50% as compared with predominantly Caucasian studies. Furthermore, the HPR is significantly higher in South Asians (Indo-Trinidadians) (>60% of patients) which has severe clinical repercussions considering the cardiovascular disease pandemic. Clopidogrel may not be a satisfactory or optimal antiplatelet agent in this subgroup, and therefore, another more potent antiplatelet such as ticagrelor should be used instead. Further large-scale studies are imperative to confirm these findings. (Funded by the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine; POINT ClinicalTrials.gov number,NCT03667066.)
Native aortic versus mitral valve infective endocarditis: a nationwide registry study
Authors: Van Vlasselaer Abel , Rasmussen Magnus , Nilsson Johan , Olaison Lars , Ragnarsson Sigurdur
Published: February 2019

Background

Native aortic and mitral valve infective endocarditis (AVE and MVE, respectively) are usually grouped together as left-sided native valve infective endocarditis (LNVE), while the differences between AVE and MVE have not yet been properly investigated. We aimed to compare AVE and MVE in regard to patient characteristics, microbiology and determinants of survival.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective study using the Swedish national registry on infective endocarditis, which contains nationwide patient data. The study period was 2007‒2017, and included cases were patients who had either AVE or MVE.

Results

We included 649 AVE and 744 MVE episodes.Staphylococcus aureuswas more often the causative pathogen in MVE (41% vs 31%, p<0.001), whereas enterococci were more often the causative pathogen in AVE (14% vs 7.4%, p<0.001). Perivalvular involvement occurred more frequently in AVE (8.5% vs 3.5%, p<0.001) and brain emboli more frequently in MVE (21% vs 13%, p<0.001). Surgery for IE was performed more often (35% vs 27%, p<0.001) and sooner after diagnosis (6.5 days vs 9 days, p=0.012) in AVE than in MVE. Several risk predictors differed between the two groups.

Conclusions

The microbiology seems to differ between AVE and MVE. The causative pathogen was not associated with mortality in AVE. The between-group differences regarding clinical presentation and predictors of survival indicate that it may be important to differentiate AVE from MVE in the treatment of LNVE.
Factors associated with health-related quality of life among adults with tetralogy of Fallot
Authors: Sandtröm Anette , Sandberg Camilla , Rinnström Daniel , Engström Gunnar , Dellborg Mikael , Thilén Ulf , Sörensson Peder , Nielsen Niels-Erik , Christersson Christina , Johansson Bengt
Published: February 2019

Background

Due to improved care, the numbers of patients with tetralogy of Fallot (ToF) are increasing. However, long-term morbidity and need for reinterventions are concerns and also address issues of quality of life (QoL).

Methods

Patients with ToF and valid EuroQol-5 dimensions questionnaire (EQ-5D) were identified in the national Swedish register on congenital heart disease. EQ-5Dindexwas calculated and dichotomised into best possible health-related QoL (EQ-5Dindex=1) or differed from 1.

Results

288 patients met the criteria and were analysed. Univariate logistic regression showed a positive association between New York Heart Association (NYHA) class I (OR 8.32, 95% CI 3.80 to 18.21), physical activity >3 h/week (OR 3.34, 95% CI 1.67 to 6.66) and a better right ventricular function (OR 2.56, 95% CI 1.09 to 6.02). A negative association between symptoms (OR 0.23, 95% CI 0.13 to 0.42), cardiovascular medication (OR 0.31, 95% CI 0.18 to 0.53), age (OR 0.97, 95% CI 0.96 to 0.99) and EQ-5Dindexwas observed. In multivariate logistic regression, NYHA I (OR 7.28, 95% CI 3.29 to 16.12) and physical activity >3 h/week (OR 2.27, 95% CI 1.07 to 4.84) remained associated with best possible health-related QoL. Replacing NYHA with symptoms in the model yielded similar results.

Conclusion

In this registry study, self-reported physical activity, staff-reported NYHA class and absence of symptoms were strongly associated with best possible health-related QoL measured by EQ-5D. Physical activity level is a potential target for intervention to improve QoL in this population but randomised trials are needed to test such a hypothesis.
Schisandrin B ameliorates high-glucose-induced vascular endothelial cells injury by regulating the Noxa/Hsp27/NF-κB signaling pathway
Authors: Lin Qiu-Ning , Liu Yong-Dong , Guo Si-En , Zhou Rui , Huang Qun , Zhang Zhan-Man , Qin Xiao
Published: February 2019

Background: To address the molecular mechanism of the anti-inflammation effects of schisandrin B (Sch B) in atherosclerosis, we examined injured HMEC-1, HBMEC, and HUVEC-12 cells induced by high glucose (HG). Methods: Western blot was performed to detect the levels of the proteins Hsp27, Noxa, TLR5, p-IκBα, and p-p65 in HG-induced cells, while ELISA was used to analyze the inflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-6, MCP-1, and IL-1β in cells with Hsp27 or Noxa stable expression. Results: Overexpression of Hsp27 upregulated the inflammatory cytokines and the release of IκBα, promoted transportation of p65 into the nucleus, and lastly, affected the inflammation process, while Sch B counteracted the upregulation. In addition, the effect of Noxa overexpression, which is different from Hsp27 overexpression, was consistent with that of Sch B treatment. Conclusions: Sch B may inhibit the inflammatory cascade and alleviate the injury to HMEC-1, HBMEC, and HUEVC-12 cells caused by HG by regulating the Noxa/Hsp27/NF-κB signaling pathway.
Non-destructive DNA extraction methods for entomophagous insects with emphasis on biological control
Authors: Suaste-Dzul Alba P. , Rodríguez-Vélez José Manuel , Rodríguez-Vélez Beatriz , Arredondo-Bernal Hugo Cesar , Gallou Adrien
Published: February 2019

One of the major challenges in molecular analysis of arthropods, especially for natural enemies of insect pests, is the intact preservation of the specimens to be integrated into entomological collections. However, most of the DNA extraction protocols involve maceration of the tissue, avoiding the preservation of the original specimen. Two general methods were adapted into non-destructive DNA extraction protocols, DNeasy® Blood & Tissue Kit (A) and the CaCl2 lysis buffer method (B), while the potential of the method with the alkaline lysis buffer (HotSHOT; C) was evaluated for the first time on insect specimens. These protocols were assessed for the recovery of DNA from Ceraeochrysa valida, Tamarixia radiata, and Hippodamia convergens. Photographical records showed that morphological features of the specimens were preserved after the DNA extraction process. COI fragments were successfully amplified with method A (100%), B (77%), and C (88%), respectively. We conclude that these non-destructive DNA extraction methods avoid the destruction of tissue and preserve the original insects and their morphological characteristics for future reference.
A low dark count rate single photon avalanche diode with standard 180 nm CMOS technology
Authors: Wang Wei , Wang Guang , Zeng Hongan , Zhao Yuanyao , Chio U-Fat , Yuan Jun
Published: February 2019

A single photon avalanche diode (SPAD) structure designed with standard 180 nm CMOS technology is investigated in detail. The SPAD employs a [Formula: see text]-well anode, rather than the conventional [Formula: see text] layer, and with a [Formula: see text]-well/deep [Formula: see text]-well junction with square shape, a deep retrograde [Formula: see text]-well virtual guard ring which prevents the premature edge avalanche breakdown. The analytical and simulation results show that the SPAD exhibits a uniform electric field distribution in [Formula: see text]-well/deep [Formula: see text]-well junction with the active area of [Formula: see text], and the avalanche breakdown voltage is as low as 9 V, the peak of the photon detection efficiency (PDE) is about 33% at 500 nm, the relatively low dark count rate (DCR) of 0.66 KHz at room temperature is obtained.
Pulsar Detection for Wavelets SODA and Regularized Fuzzy Neural Networks Based on Andneuron and Robust Activation Function
Authors: de Campos Souza Paulo Vitor , Torres Luiz Carlos Bambirra , Guimarães Augusto Junio , Araujo Vanessa Souza
Published: February 2019

The use of intelligent models may be slow because of the number of samples involved in the problem. The identification of pulsars (stars that emit Earth-catchable signals) involves collecting thousands of signals by professionals of astronomy and their identification may be hampered by the nature of the problem, which requires many dimensions and samples to be analyzed. This paper proposes the use of hybrid models based on concepts of regularized fuzzy neural networks that use the representativeness of input data to define the groupings that make up the neurons of the initial layers of the model. The andneurons are used to aggregate the neurons of the first layer and can create fuzzy rules. The training uses fast extreme learning machine concepts to generate the weights of neurons that use robust activation functions to perform pattern classification. To solve large-scale problems involving the nature of pulsar detection problems, the model proposes a fast and highly accurate approach to address complex issues. In the execution of the tests with the proposed model, experiments were conducted explanation in two databases of pulsars, and the results prove the viability of the fast and interpretable approach in identifying such involved stars.
Modular group representations associated to SO(p)2-TQFTS
Authors: Wang Yilong
Published: February 2019

In this paper, we prove that for any odd prime [Formula: see text] greater than 3, the modular group representation associated to the [Formula: see text]-topological quantum field theory can be defined over the ring of integers of a cyclotomic field. We will provide explicit integral bases. In the last section, we will relate these representations to the Weil representations over finite fields.
GENERATING EFFECTIVE INITIATION SETS FOR SUBGOAL-DRIVEN OPTIONS
Authors: DEMİR ALPER , ÇİLDEN ERKİN , POLAT FARUK
Published: February 2019

Options framework is one of the prominent models serving as a basis to improve learning speed by means of temporal abstractions. An option is mainly composed of three elements: initiation set, option’s local policy and termination condition. Although various attempts exist that focus on how to derive high-quality termination conditions for a given problem, the impact of initiation set generation is relatively unexplored. In this work, we propose an effective goal-oriented heuristic method to derive useful initiation set elements via an analysis of the recent history of events. Effectiveness of the method is experimented on various benchmark problems, and the results are discussed.
Special Motion Characteristic of Wind Turbine Installation Vessel in Waves
Authors: Huang Ya-Nan , Wang Wen-Hua , Liu Jun , Wang Yan-Ying
Published: February 2019

Wind turbine installation vessel (WTIV) is a kind of special ship that has large upper deck and shallow draft, which is specifically designed for the installation of offshore wind turbines. However, accurately predicting the motion of WTIV is still a challenge. In this paper, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is adopted to investigate the motion of WTIV under different wave conditions in a three-dimensional numerical wave tank using commercial software Star-CCM+. Reynolds Averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) equations and [Formula: see text] turbulent models are used for modeling the turbulent flow, and volume of fluid (VOF) method is applied to track the location and shape of transit-free surface. The overset grid technique is taken to handle the fluid–structure interaction (FSI) problem with large motion amplitude. The simulation results have been validated by comparing with the experimental data, and show potential to provide theoretical guidance and technical support for the motion of WTIV in waves.
Application of Biot–Savart law and generalized uncertainty principle
Authors: Khosropour B. , Moayedi S. K.
Published: February 2019

In the recent decade, many investigations have been done in the framework of generalized uncertainty principle (GUP), but the phenomenology of models in this framework are less studied. In this work, the applications of Biot–Savart law in the presence of a minimal length scale are investigated. We obtain the modified magnetostatic field from an infinitely long, straight wire carrying current [Formula: see text]. Also, the modified magnetostatic field from a circular loop carrying current [Formula: see text] and the modified magnetostatic field of an ideal solenoid are found. It is interesting to note that in the limit [Formula: see text], all of the modified magnetostatic fields become their usual forms.
An Efficient Hybrid Self-Learning Intrusion Detection System Based on Neural Networks
Authors: Mohammadi Shahriar , Amiri Fatemeh
Published: February 2019

An intrusion detection system (IDS) is an immunizing system that identifies the hostile activities in a network, and alerts the network administrator in case of detecting suspicious behaviors. Signature-based systems are the most common methods for intrusion detection, but however, they are not able to detect new attacks on the network. The main problem of these systems is to keep up to date the database of already containing known attack signatures. Neural networks have a high ability to learn and are generalizable. This study present as follow: A new intrusion detection system that is a hybrid of self-organizing map algorithm (SOM), radial basis function (RBF) and perceptron networks is proposed to solve this problem. For the first time, The Imperialist Competitive Algorithm is used to calculate the parameters of the Perceptron neural network. The proposed approach uses a hybrid architecture that tries to increase the quality of warnings. Signature-based systems using this method can detect new attacks as a self-learner. The results indicated better performance of the proposed hybrid algorithm compared to earlier methods.
Mitigation of Non-Narrowband Radio Frequency Interference Incorporating Array Imperfections
Authors: Steeb Jan-Willem W. , Davidson David B. , Wijnholds Stefan J.
Published: February 2019

In a recent paper, we presented a non-narrowband spatial radio frequency interference (RFI) mitigation algorithm for radio astronomy arrays. The algorithm constructs a 2nd-order filter by combining a 1st-order subspace subtraction method with a non-narrowband signal model. The model is based on the assumption that the frequency response is approximately flat and that the array is calibrated. In this paper, we consider the effects of array imperfections such as unknown complex gains and mutual coupling, incorporate these into the non-narrowband signal model and extend the RFI mitigation algorithm to include a calibration step. With a calibration step and no mutual coupling, the proposed algorithm was able to process twice the bandwidth per channel when compared to conventional narrowband techniques. This performance declines to 1.6 times greater bandwidth when the effect of mutual coupling is included. The evaluation of the algorithm was done using the layout of a Low Frequency Array (LOFAR) High Band Antenna (HBA) station and a digital audio broadcast recorded with a software defined radio.
Deep Learning Method for Prediction of DDoS Attacks on Social Media
Authors: Alguliyev Rasim M. , Aliguliyev Ramiz M. , Abdullayeva Fargana J.
Published: February 2019

Recently, data collected from social media enable to analyze social events and make predictions about real events, based on the analysis of sentiments and opinions of users. Most cyber-attacks are carried out by hackers on the basis of discussions on social media. This paper proposes the method that predicts DDoS attacks occurrence by finding relevant texts in social media. To perform high-precision classification of texts to positive and negative classes, the CNN model with 13 layers and improved LSTM method are used. In order to predict the occurrence of the DDoS attacks in the next day, the negative and positive sentiments in social networking texts are used. To evaluate the efficiency of the proposed method experiments were conducted on Twitter data. The proposed method achieved a recall, precision, [Formula: see text]-measure, training loss, training accuracy, testing loss, and test accuracy of 0.85, 0.89, 0.87, 0.09, 0.78, 0.13, and 0.77, respectively.
A Tale of Two Hormones
Authors: Foran Terri
Published: February 2019

The development of the steroid hormones currently used in contraception and menopausal hormone replacement provides an interesting story in terms of brilliant research, international rivalry, major advances and sheer serendipity. This paper provides a historical perspective on the use of oestrogens and progestogens in clinical practice from the 1920s until the present day.
Timos Sellis Speaks Out on Research in Australia and Greece
Authors: Winslett Marianne , Braganholo Vanessa
Published: February 2019

Welcome to ACM SIGMOD Record's series of interviews with distinguished members of the database community. I'm Marianne Winslett, and today we are in Snowbird, Utah, USA, site of the 2014 SIGMOD and PODS conference. I have here with me Timos Sellis, who is a professor at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology1. Before that, he was at the National Technical University of Athens and the University of Maryland. He is an ACM Fellow and an IEEE Fellow, and he has a VLDB 10-Year Paper Award. His PhD is from Berkeley.
TO901317 inhibits the development of hepatocellular carcinoma by LXRα/Glut1 decreasing glycometabolism
Authors: Xiong Ting , Li Zihan , Huang Xuelong , Lu Kaiqiang , Xie Weiquan , Zhou Zhigang , Tu Jian
Published: February 2019

This study was conducted to observe the effect and possible mechanism of TO901317 in vivo and in vitro to provide a new basis for the targeted therapy of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The expressions of liver X receptor (LXR)-α, glucose transporter (Glut)-1, proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 were analyzed from HCC public database (NCBI PubMed database). The result showed that LXRα was downregulated, whereas Glut1, PCNA, and MMP9 were upregulated in human HCC compared with normal liver. Furthermore, LXRα mRNA was negatively correlated with Glut1 mRNA. At the same time, HCC cells were cultivated in vitro and axillary injected in nude mice to establish the xenograft model. The xenograft in the TO901317-treated group was slower and smaller than the control group. The protein expression of LXRα, Glut1, and MMP9 could be detected by Western blot and glucose level. As a result, TO901317 could inhibit the cell proliferation of HCC in a dose-dependent manner by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. With the increase of TO901317 concentration, the cellular glucose concentration and ATP level were gradually decreased. Western blot results showed TO901317 could upregulate LXRα expression but downregulate MMP9 and Glut1 expression. Transwell and wound-healing analysis confirmed that, by increasing the concentration of TO901317, the cell invasion and migration were both decreased. LXRα small-interfering RNA (siRNA) could relieve the suppression effect of TO901317 on the cell invasion and migration and the expression of LXRα, Glut1, and MMP9. The glucose concentration was also raised. TO901317 could repress the progress of HCC cells by reducing the glucose concentration, upregulating LXRα expression, but downregulating the expression of Glut1 and MMP9.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY This subject confirmed that TO901317, a specific liver X receptor agonist, could inhibit the progression of liver cancer through upregulating liver X receptor-α, downregulating the expression of glucose transporter-1 and matrix metalloproteinase-9, and decreasing the glucose content in SMMC-7721 and HepG2 cells.
Interplay of spinal and vagal pathways on esophageal acid-related anterior cingulate cortex functional networks in rats
Authors: Sanvanson Patrick , Li Zhixin , Mei Ling , Kounev Venelin , Kern Mark , Ward B. Douglas , Medda Bidyut , Shaker Reza
Published: February 2019

Esophageal acid sensory signals are transmitted by both vagal and spinal pathways to the cerebral cortex. The influence and interplay of these pathways on esophageal acid-related functional connectivity has been elusive. Our aim was to evaluate the esophageal acid exposure-related effect on the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) functional connectivity networks using functional MRI-guided functional connectivity MRI (fcMRI) analysis. We studied six Sprague-Dawley rats for fcMRI experiments under dexmedetomidine hydrochloride anesthesia. Each rat was scanned for 6 min before and after esophageal hydrochloric acid infusion (0.1 N, 0.2 ml/min). The protocol was repeated before and after bilateral cervical vagotomy on the same rat. Seed-based fcMRI analysis was used to examine ACC networks and acid-induced network alterations. Three-factor repeated-measures ANOVA analysis among all four subgroups revealed that the interaction of acid infusion and bilateral vagotomy was mainly detected in the hypothalamus, insula, left secondary somatosensory cortex, left parietal cortex, and right thalamus in the left ACC network. In the right ACC network, this interaction effect was detected in the caudate putamen, insula, motor, primary somatosensory cortex, secondary somatosensory cortex, and thalamic regions. These regions in the ACC networks showed decreased intranetwork connectivity due to acid infusion. However, after bilateral vagotomy, intranetwork connectivity strength inversed and became stronger following postvagotomy acid infusion. Signals transmitted through both the vagal nerve and spinal nerves play a role in esophageal acid-related functional connectivity of the ACC. The vagal signals appear to dampen the acid sensation-related functional connectivity of the ACC networks.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY These studies show that esophageal acid-induced brain functional connectivity changes are vagally mediated and suggest that signals transmitted through both the vagal nerve and spinal nerves play a role in esophageal acid-related functional connectivity of the anterior cingulate cortex. This paper focuses on the development of a novel rat functional MRI model fostering improved understanding of acid-related esophageal disorders.
Energy-saving walking mechanisms in obese adults
Authors: Fernández Menéndez Aitor , Saubade Mathieu , Millet Grégoire P. , Malatesta Davide
Published: February 2019

Energy-saving mechanisms are used in human walking. In obese adults the energy cost of walking (Cw) is higher compared with normal-body mass adults. However, the biomechanical factors involved in this extra cost should result in a higher Cw. The aim of this study was to compare energy-saving walking mechanisms [i.e., mechanical energy saved via pendulum (Recovery) and maximum possible elastic energy usage (MPEEu)] and their influence on Cwin obese vs. lean individuals. The net Cw(NetCw), external work (Wext), Recovery, MPEEu, and gait weight transfer duration (gWT) were computed for 13 lean [L; body mass index (BMI) 21.9 ± 1.5 kg/m2] and 13 obese (O; BMI 33.8 ± 2.5 kg/m2) individuals during treadmill walking at five speeds (0.56, 0.83, 1.11, 1.39, 1.67 m/s). No significant difference was found between groups in relative (per kg of body mass) NetCw( P = 0.13). Relative positive Wextwas significantly lower at the three fastest speeds ( P ≤ 0.003) whereas Recovery was higher at the two fastest speeds ( P ≤ 0.01) in O than in L individuals. MPEEu tended to be lower in O than in L ( P = 0.06), with significantly lower values in O compared with L at 1.39 and 1.67 m/s ( P ≤ 0.017). gWT was significantly shorter in O than in L individuals at 1.67 m/s ( P = 0.001). The present results reveal that obese adults rely more on the pendular mechanism than on the storage and release of elastic energy for decreasing the amount of positive Wextand thus limiting the increase in the relative NetCw.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY We observed that obese individuals had a lower maximum possible elastic energy usage per kilogram of body mass than their lean counterparts and they may rely more on the pendular mechanism of walking than on the storage and release of elastic energy for decreasing the external mechanical work and thus limiting the increase in the relative net energy cost of walking.
Oscillations in neural drive and age-related reductions in force steadiness with a cognitive challenge
Authors: Pereira Hugo M. , Schlinder-DeLap Bonnie , Keenan Kevin G. , Negro Francesco , Farina Dario , Hyngstrom Allison S. , Nielson Kristy A. , Hunter Sandra K.
Published: February 2019

A cognitive challenge when imposed during a low-force isometric contraction will exacerbate sex- and age-related decreases in force steadiness, but the mechanism is not known. We determined the role of oscillations in the common synaptic input to motor units on force steadiness during a muscle contraction with a concurrent cognitive challenge. Forty-nine young adults (19–30 yr; 25 women, 24 men) and 36 old adults (60–85 yr; 19 women, 17 men) performed a cognitive challenge (counting backward by 13) during an isometric elbow flexion task at 5% of maximal voluntary contraction. Single-motor units were decomposed from high-density surface EMG recordings. For a subgroup of participants, motor units were matched during control and cognitive challenge trials, so the same motor unit was analyzed across conditions. Reduced force steadiness was associated with greater oscillations in the synaptic input to motor units during both control and cognitive challenge trials ( r = 0.45–0.47, P < 0.01). Old adults and young women showed greater oscillations in the common synaptic input to motor units and decreased force steadiness when the cognitive challenge was imposed, but young men showed no change across conditions (session × age × sex, P < 0.05). Oscillations in the common synaptic input to motor units is a potential mechanism for altered force steadiness when a cognitive challenge is imposed during low-force contractions in young women and old adults.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY We found that oscillations in the common synaptic input to motor units were associated with a reduction in force steadiness when a cognitive challenge was imposed during low-force contractions of the elbow flexor muscles in young women and old men and women but not young men. Age- and sex-related muscle weakness was associated with these changes.
Mixed Region Covariance Discriminative Learning for Image Classification on Riemannian Manifolds
Authors: Liu Xi , Ma Zhengming , Niu Guo
Published: February 2019

Covariance matrices, known as symmetric positive definite (SPD) matrices, are usually regarded as points lying on Riemannian manifolds. We describe a new covariance descriptor, which could improve the discriminative learning ability of region covariance descriptor by taking into account the mean of feature vectors. Due to the specific geometry of Riemannian manifolds, classical learning methods cannot be directly used on it. In this paper, we propose a subspace projection framework for the classification task on Riemannian manifolds and give the mathematical derivation for it. It is different from the common technique used for Riemannian manifolds, which is to explicitly project the points from a Riemannian manifold onto Euclidean space based upon a linear hypothesis. Under the proposed framework, we define a Gaussian Radial Basis Function‐ (RBF‐) based kernel with a Log‐Euclidean Riemannian Metric (LERM) to embed a Riemannian manifold into a high‐dimensional Reproducing Kernel Hilbert Space (RKHS) and then project it onto a subspace of the RKHS. Finally, a variant of Linear Discriminative Analyze (LDA) is recast onto the subspace. Experiments demonstrate the considerable effectiveness of the mixed region covariance descriptor and the proposed method.
Accelerated 19F·MRI Detection of Matrix Metalloproteinase-2/-9 through Responsive Deactivation of Paramagnetic Relaxation Enhancement
Authors: Faas Henryk M. , Krupa James L. , Taylor Alexander J. , Zamberlan Francesco , Philp Christopher J. , Williams Huw E. L. , Johnson Simon R. , Pavlovskaya Galina E. , Thomas Neil R. , Meersmann Thomas
Published: February 2019

Paramagnetic gadolinium ions (GdIII), complexed within DOTA-based chelates, have become useful tools to increase the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast in tissues of interest. Recently, “on/off” probes serving as 19F·MRI biosensors for target enzymes have emerged that utilize the increase in transverse (T2∗ or T2) relaxation times upon cleavage of the paramagnetic GdIII centre. Molecular 19F·MRI has the advantage of high specificity due to the lack of background signal but suffers from low signal intensity that leads to low spatial resolution and long recording times. In this work, an “on/off” probe concept is introduced that utilizes responsive deactivation of paramagnetic relaxation enhancement (PRE) to generate 19F longitudinal (T1) relaxation contrast for accelerated molecular MRI. The probe concept is applied to matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), a class of enzymes linked with many inflammatory diseases and cancer that modify bioactive extracellular substrates. The presence of these biomarkers in extracellular space makes MMPs an accessible target for responsive PRE deactivation probes. Responsive PRE deactivation in a 19F biosensor probe, selective for MMP-2 and MMP-9, is shown to enable molecular MRI contrast at significantly reduced experimental times compared to previous methods. PRE deactivation was caused by MMP through cleavage of a protease substrate that served as a linker between the fluorine-containing moiety and a paramagnetic GdIII-bound DOTA complex. Ultrashort echo time (UTE) MRI and, alternatively, short echo times in standard gradient echo (GE) MRI were employed to cope with the fast 19F transverse relaxation of the PRE active probe in its “on-state.” Upon responsive PRE deactivation, the 19F·MRI signal from the “off-state” probe diminished, thereby indicating the presence of the target enzyme through the associated negative MRI contrast. Null point 1H·MRI, obtainable within a short time course, was employed to identify false-positive 19F·MRI responses caused by dilution of the contrast agent.
Bronchoscopic Treatment of Benign Endoluminal Lung Tumors
Authors: Dalar Levent , Ozdemir Cengiz , Sokucu Sinem Nedime , Nur Urer Halide , Altin Sedat
Published: February 2019

Background and Aim. Endobronchial benign tumors are a rarely seen clinical entity but may cause significant symptoms. Endobronchial treatment has the potential for relieving symptoms while saving the patient from invasive surgical procedures. No trials have been published that present and compare the various endobronchial treatment modalities for endobronchial benign tumors. The aim of the present study is to define safety and efficacy of endobronchial treatment in patients with benign endobronchial tumors from the point of complications and success rate.Methods. This study is a retrospective cohort study from a review of medical charts. Eligibility criteria included diagnosis of a benign endobronchial tumor. Our institution’s bronchoscopy and pathology database was searched for specific benign tumors, and the results were further detailed based on the endobronchial location.Results. Forty-four patients with pathologically confirmed benign endobronchial tumors were included. Tumor regression was achieved in all patients with diode laser and argon plasma coagulation in combination with or without cryotherapy and without any major complication. There were no significant differences between the use of either diode laser or of argon plasma coagulation as a modality with immediate effect from the occurrence of residual tissue that needed cryotherapy (P>0.05). There were no major complications. Eight patients had minor complications including minor bleeding (6 patients) and hypertension (2 patients) that were controlled medically. Thirty-one patients (70%) had very good response, and 13 patients (30%) had good response as defined in literature before.Conclusion. Diode laser and argon plasma coagulation in combination with or without cryotherapy are safe and effective methods for endobronchial treatment of benign endobronchial tumors.
Multiobjective Optimization of a Fractional‐Order PID Controller for Pumped Turbine Governing System Using an Improved NSGA‐III Algorithm under Multiworking Conditions
Authors: Zhang Chu , Peng Tian , Li Chaoshun , Fu Wenlong , Xia Xin , Xue Xiaoming
Published: February 2019

In order to make the pump turbine governing system (PTGS) adaptable to the change of working conditions and suppress the frequency oscillation caused by the “S” characteristic area running at middle or low working water heads, the traditional single‐objective optimization for fractional‐order PID (FOPID) controller under single working conditions is extended to a multiobjective framework in this study. To establish the multiobjective FOPID controller optimization (MO‐FOPID) problem under multiworking conditions, the integral of the time multiplied absolute error (ITAE) index of PTGS running at low and high working water heads is adopted as objective functions. An improved nondominated sorting genetic algorithm III based on Latin hypercube sampling and chaos theory (LCNSGA‐III) is proposed to solve the optimization problem. The Latin hypercube sampling is adopted to generate well‐distributed initial population and take full of the feasible domain while the chaos theory is introduced to enhance the global search and local exploration ability of the NSGA‐III algorithm. The experimental results on eight test functions and a real‐world PTGS have shown that the proposed multiobjective framework can improve the Pumped storage units’ adaptability to changeable working conditions and the proposed LCNSGA‐III algorithm is able to solve the MO‐FOPID problem effectively.
Efficient Missing-Tag Event Detection Protocols to Cope with Unexpected Tags and Detection Error in RFID Systems
Authors: Nguyen Chuyen T. , Hoang Tuyen T. , Hoang Linh T. , Phan Vu X.
Published: February 2019

This paper investigates the issue of missing-tag event detection in practical radio frequency identification (RFID) systems with the presence of not only unexpected tags but also the detection error. Among all the previous works, the recently proposed protocol “RFID monitoring with UNexpected tags (RUN)” is one of the first studies taking the unexpected tags into account. The protocol is proven to outperform conventional ones in terms of achieving a required reliability. Nevertheless, it completely ignores the effect of the so-called detection error, which is a common phenomenon in the literature of RFID, on tag reading. The phenomenon might result in the false-alarm detection of the event and it is believed that RUN is no longer efficient and reliable. We therefore propose two modified versions of the RUN protocol, namely, mRUN1 and mRUN2, as solutions for the issue. Similarly to RUN, the protocols execute multiple Aloha reading rounds to cope with the unexpected tags. On the other hand, they utilize tracking counters supposedly available at the reader to mitigate the effect of the detection error. While mRUN1 requires many counters to monitor the existence of each expected tag (the tag’s identity is already known), mRUN2 uses only one counter to deal with the event caused by either real missing tags or the detection error. Performance analysis will be investigated to find optimal parameter settings for the protocols. Computer simulation results are also provided to validate our analysis as well as to show the merit of the proposed protocols in comparison with the conventional protocols.
Electrically Programmable Terahertz Diatomic Metamolecules for Chiral Optical Control
Authors: Cong Longqing , Pitchappa Prakash , Wang Nan , Singh Ranjan
Published: February 2019

Optical chirality is central to many industrial photonic technologies including enantiomer identification, ellipsometry-based tomography, and spin multiplexing in optical communications. However, a substantial chiral response requires a three-dimensional constituent, thereby making the morphology highly complex to realize structural reconfiguration. Moreover, an active reconfiguration demands intense dosage of external stimuli that pose a major limitation for on-chip integration. Here, we report a low bias, electrically programmable synthetic chiral paradigm with a remarkable reconfiguration among levorotatory, dextrorotatory, achiral, and racemic conformations. The switchable optical activity induced by the chiral conformations enables a transmission-type duplex spatial light modulator for terahertz single pixel imaging. The prototype delivers a new strategy towards reconfigurable stereoselective photonic applications and opens up avenues for on-chip programmable chiral devices with tremendous applications in biology, medicine, chemistry, and photonics.
Integrated Production and Distribution Planning for the Iron Ore Concentrate
Authors: Liu Wenbo , Sun Defeng , Xu Te
Published: February 2019

This paper studies the production and distribution planning problem faced by the iron ore mining companies, which aims to minimize the total costs for the whole production and distribution system of the iron ore concentrate. The ores are first mined from multiple ore locations, and then sent to the corresponding dressing plant to produce ore concentrate, which will be sent to distribution centers and finally fulfill the customers′ demands. This paper also tackles the difficulty of variable cut‐off grade when making mining production planning decisions. A mixed‐integer programming model is developed and then solved by a Lagrange relaxation (LR) procedure. Computational results indicate that the proposed solution method is more efficient than the standard solution software CPLEX.
A Sensor Deployment Approach Using Improved Virtual Force Algorithm Based on Area Intensity for Multisensor Networks
Authors: Xie Jiahao , Wei Daozhi , Huang Shucai , Bu Xiangwei
Published: February 2019

Sensor deployment is one of the major concerns in multisensor networks. This paper proposes a sensor deployment approach using improved virtual force algorithm based on area intensity for multisensor networks to realize the optimal deployment of multisensor and obtain better coverage effect. Due to the real‐time sensor detection model, the algorithm uses the intensity of sensor area to select the optimal deployment distance. In order to verify the effectiveness of this algorithm to improve coverage quality, VFA and PSOA are selected for comparative analysis. The simulation results show that the algorithm can achieve global coverage optimization better and improve the performance of virtual force algorithm. It avoids the unstable coverage caused by the large amount of computation, slow convergence speed, and easily falling into local optimum, which provides a new idea for multisensor deployment.
Contrast-Enhanced MicroCT for Virtual 3D Anatomical Pathology of Biological Tissues: A Literature Review
Authors: de Bournonville Sébastien , Vangrunderbeeck Sarah , Kerckhofs Greet
Published: February 2019

To date, the combination of histological sectioning, staining, and microscopic assessment of the 2D sections is still the golden standard for structural and compositional analysis of biological tissues. X-ray microfocus computed tomography (microCT) is an emerging 3D imaging technique with high potential for 3D structural analysis of biological tissues with a complex and heterogeneous 3D structure, such as the trabecular bone. However, its use has been mostly limited to mineralized tissues because of the inherently low X-ray absorption of soft tissues. To achieve sufficient X-ray attenuation, chemical compounds containing high atomic number elements that bind to soft tissues have been recently adopted as contrast agents (CAs) for contrast-enhanced microCT (CE-CT); this novel technique is very promising for quantitative “virtual” 3D anatomical pathology of both mineralized and soft biological tissues. In this paper, we provided a review of the advances in CE-CT since the very first reports on the technology to date. Perfusion CAs for in vivo imaging have not been discussed, as the focus of this review was on CAs that bind to the tissue of interest and that are, thus, used for ex vivo imaging of biological tissues. As CE-CT has mostly been applied for the characterization of musculoskeletal tissues, we have put specific emphasis on these tissues. Advantages and limitations of multiple CAs for different musculoskeletal tissues have been highlighted, and their reproducibility has been discussed. Additionally, the advantages of the “full” 3D CE-CT information have been pinpointed, and its importance for more detailed structural, spatial, and functional characterization of the tissues of interest has been shown. Finally, the remaining challenges that are still hampering a broader adoption of CE-CT have been highlighted, and suggestions have been made to move the field of CE-CT imaging one step further towards a standard accepted tool for quantitative virtual 3D anatomical pathology.