bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Integration of SQL Injection Prevention Methods
Authors: Chaki Shahbaaz Mohammed Hayat , Mat Din Mazura , Md Siraj Maheyzah
Published: December 2019

In everybody’s life including the organisations, database plays a very important role, since today everything is connected via the Internet. There is a need for a database that helps organisations to organise, sort and manage the data and ensure that the data a user receives and sends via the database mean is secure, since the database stores almost everything such as banking details including user ID and password. Make this data really valuable and confidential for us and therefore security is really important for the database. In this age, SQL Injection database attacks are increasingly common. The hackers attempt to steal an individual’s valuable data through the SQL Injection Attack mean by using malicious query on the application, hence revealing an efficient individual data. Therefore the best SQL Injection Prevention technique is needed to safeguard individual data against hackers being stolen. This paper compares two types of SQL Injection using the SQL pattern matching database system attack (SQLPMDS) and a SQL injection union query attacks prevention using tokenisation technique (SIUQAPTT) that allows Database Administrator to select the best and most effective SQL Injection Prevention method for their organisation. Preventing SQL Injection Attack from occurring that would ultimately lead to no user data loss. The results were obtained by comparing it to the results of the SQL injection attack query on whether the attack was blocked or not by two prevention techniques, SQL pattern matching database system attacks and SQL injecting union query attacks prevention using website tokenisation techniques. The conclusion is that the best method of prevention is the SQL pattern that matches database system attacks.
Muscle cross‐sectional area and motor unit properties of the medial gastrocnemius and vastus lateralis in normal weight and overfat children
Authors: Herda Trent J. , Ryan Eric D. , Kohlmeier Martin , Trevino Michael A. , Gerstner Gena R. , Roelofs Erica J. , Miller Jonathan D.
Published: December 2019

New Findings

What is the central question of this study?

Are differences in muscle size and motor unit properties between normal weight and overfat children muscle specific?

What is the main finding and its importance?

Muscle cross‐sectional area and motor unit action potential amplitudes and firing rates were similar between overfat and normal weight children for both the medial gastrocnemius and vastus lateralis muscles. There was no evidence that the chronic mechanical overload provided by the greater body mass resulted in significant hypertrophy of contractile tissue or motor units that would be used during lower‐to‐moderate intensity activities.

This study examined the possible differences in muscle cross‐sectional area (mCSA), motor unit action potential amplitudes (MUAPAMPS) and interspike intervals (ISIs) of the firing instances of the medial gastrocnemius (MG) and vastus lateralis (VL) between normal weight (NW) and overfat (OF) children aged 7–10 years. Fourteen NW (age = 8.6 ± 1.1 years, BMI = 15.8 ± 1.4 kg m−2) and 12 OF (age = 8.8 ± 0.9 years, BMI = 21.8 ± 2.4 kg m−2) children performed isometric trapezoidal muscle actions at 40% of maximal voluntary contraction of the plantar flexors and knee extensors. Surface electromyography was recorded from the MG and VL and decomposed into the firing events of motor units (MUs). Statistical procedures were performed on the composite recruitment thresholds (RTs), ISIs and MUAPAMPS of recorded MUs collapsed across subjects and the y‐intercepts and slopes calculated from each subject's ISI and MUAPAMP vs. RT relationships. Ultrasound was used to assess mCSA, echo intensity (mEI), and subcutaneous fat (sFAT) of the MG and VL. The OF had greater mCSAs, mEI and sFAT (P = 0.004–0.024), but there were no differences in mCSA when accounting for mEI for the MG (P = 0.506) and VL (P = 0.326). The NW children had significantly greater composite MUAPAMPS for the VL and MG (P < 0.001), but only significantly larger MUAPAMPS of the VL remained for the NW (P < 0.001) when subjects were matched for sFAT. There were no differences between groups for the ISI or MUAPAMP vs. RT relationships (P > 0.05). These findings suggest that the OF children did not undergo significant muscle or MU hypertrophy that would be routinely activated during activities of daily living.
Photoelectrochemical Study of the Delafossite AgNiO2 Nanostructure: Application to Hydrogen Production
Authors: Bagtache R. , Brahimi R. , Mahroua O. , Boudjellal L. , Abdmeziem K. , Trari M.
Published: December 2019

AgNiO2 is a semiconductor crystallizing in the delafossite structure; it is prepared by the hydrothermal route, and the photoelectrochemical properties are studied for the first time. The TG/DSC analyses show a low stability not exceeding 290 °C before its reduction into Ag and NiO. The direct bandgap energy of the bulk material is 0.87 eV, due to the d–d transition of Ag+ linearly coordinated. AgNiO2 is chemically stable in the pH region (4–14); a flat band potential of −0.022 VRHE with p-type behavior, inferred to oxygen insertion is reported in KOH solution (10−2 M). The holes density (1.92 × 1022 cm−3) agrees with a semi-metallic behavior. Positive potentials give rise to surface oxidation of AgNiO2 in the diffusion plateau before oxygen evolution. The electrochemical oxygen insertion, investigated by chrono-amperometry, is found to be slow with a diffusion coefficient of ∼8 × 10−16 cm2 s−1. The Nyquist plot exhibits a semicircle centered below the abscissa axis, whose diameter 4200 Ω cm2 decreases down to 760 Ω cm2 under visible illumination. Such results indicate dipolar and multi-relaxation processes and confirm the existence of the optical gap. The conduction band (−0.88 VRHE) derived from Ag+: 4d orbital is more cathodic than the potential of H2O/H2 (∼−0.64 VRHE) level and hydrogen is evolved under visible irradiation. An evolution rate of 1.43 mL g−1 min−1 at pH ∼ 12.8 is obtained with a light-to-chemical energy efficiency of 2.40%.
Improved TOPSIS Model and Its Application in Online Structural Health Monitoring System for Portal Crane
Authors: Li Fugang , Xu Feiyun
Published: December 2019

Fracture of the metal structure is one of the foremost causes of accidents for portal cranes, and such an accident can be catastrophic, resulting in great loss of life and large expenses. Assessing the structural health of portal crane is important as it can keep security threats from further development. In an effort to evaluate the structural health of portal cranes in real time, an improved technique for order preference by similarity to an ideal solution (TOPSIS) model is presented in this paper. By integrating the fitting function of the bathtub curve, an optimization function f(aij) of condition matrix aij is proposed. Entropy-weight method is improved and applied to determine the weights of criteria. Based on the historical operation data, an update method for positive-ideal condition A+ and negative-ideal condition A− is elucidated. To further substantiate the improvement, the proposed methodological model is applied to an online structural health monitoring system for portal crane. Laboratory test and field test have been conducted. Structural strain, inclination, and pitch angle of portal crane are collected. Structural health assessment during lifting, luffing, and turning processes are carried out. The results show that the improved model gets a more stable and effective structural health assessment result, and is favorable for online structural health monitoring system. Thus, the proposed model can be applied to other problems of structural health assessment.
Multi-Degrees-of-Freedom Energy Analysis for Identification of Failure Risk in Structural Components Subjected to Random Vibration and Shock Loading
Authors: Babuska Vit , Sisemore Carl L. , Skousen Troy J.
Published: December 2019

When designing or analyzing a mechanical system, energy quantities provide insight into the severity of shock and vibration environments; however, the energy methods in the literature do not address localized behavior because energy quantities are usually computed for an entire structure. The main objective of this paper is to show how to compute the energy in the components of a mechanical system. The motivation for this work is that most systems fail functionally due to component failure, not because the primary structure was overloaded, and the ability to easily compute the spatial distribution of energy helps identify failure-sensitive components. The quantity of interest is input energy. That input energy can be decoupled modally is well known. What is less appreciated is that input energy can be computed at the component level exactly, using the component effective modal mass. We show that the steady-state input energy can be decomposed both spatially and modally and computed using input power spectra. A numerical example illustrates the spatial and modal decomposition of input energy and its utility in identifying components at risk of damage in random vibration and shock environments. We show that the modal properties of the structure and the spectral content of the input must be considered together to assess damage risk. Because input energy includes absorbed energy as well as relative kinetic energy and dissipated energy, it is the recommended energy quantity for assessing the severity of both random vibration and shock environments on a structure.
Exploring Active Travel and Leisure-Time Physical Activity Relationships With Cognition Among Older Adults
Authors: Phansikar Madhura , Mullen Sean P.
Published: December 2019

Leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) is known to benefit cognition among older adults, but the impact of active travel is unclear. To explore this relationship, data from the 2011–2014 National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (N = 2,702; mean age = 70) were retrieved on the self-reported frequency and duration of active travel (walking/cycling for transport, >20 min), LTPA engagement (e.g., sport), and three cognitive outcomes. Four groups were created according to physical activity guidelines (600 metabolic equivalent of task/week): inactive (n = 1,790), active travelers (n = 210), engaging in LTPA (n = 579), and engaging in both (n = 123). Analysis of covariance (and follow-up comparisons) revealed a significant main effect for each cognition variable, after adjusting for the covariates, indicating that those engaging in LTPA performed the best. Although correlational, these findings suggest that LTPA engagement may be important for cognition among older adults, but active travel did not provide added benefit.
Analysis of Motivational Profiles on Sportspersonship Orientations in Secondary School Physical Education Students: A Self-Determination Theory-Based Perspective
Authors: Burgueño Rafael , Macarro-Moreno José , Sánchez-Gallardo Isabel , Lirola María-Jesús , Medina-Casaubón Jesús
Published: December 2019

Purpose: This research aimed to examine the possible difference of secondary school students’ motivational profiles on their sportsmanship orientation in physical education. Methods: The participants were 707 (53.61% men; Mage = 14.97, SDage = 1.58) secondary school students, who completed measures on their perception of behavioral regulation and sportsmanship orientation in physical education. A two-step cluster analysis was performed to explore the motivational profiles, and multivariate analysis of variance tests was conducted to examine differences on sportsmanship orientation among motivational profiles. Results: The cluster analysis identified four motivational profiles (controlled, amotivated, high motivational regulation, and autonomous). The multivariate analysis of variance tests found that the students in the four motivational profiles reported different levels in respect for social conventions, respect for rules and teachers, full commitment, and respect for classmates. Discussion/Conclusions: The motivational profiles provided a more comprehensive understanding of the motivational processes for each sportsmanship orientation in secondary school students in physical education.
Reprogramming of Small Noncoding RNA Populations in Peripheral Blood Reveals Host Biomarkers for Latent and Active Mycobacterium tuberculosis Infection
Authors: de Araujo Leonardo Silva , Ribeiro-Alves Marcelo , Leal-Calvo Thyago , Leung Janaína , Durán Verónica , Samir Mohamed , Talbot Steven , Tallam Aravind , Mello Fernanda Carvalho de Queiroz , Geffers Robert , Saad Maria Helena Féres , Pessler Frank
Published: December 2019

Tuberculosis is the infectious disease with the worldwide largest disease burden and there remains a great need for better diagnostic biomarkers to detect latent and activeM. tuberculosisinfection. RNA molecules hold great promise in this regard, as their levels of expression may differ considerably between infected and uninfected subjects. We have measured expression changes in the four major classes of small noncoding RNAs in blood samples from patients with different stages of TB infection. We found that, in addition to miRNAs (which are known to be highly regulated in blood cells from TB patients), expression of piRNA and snoRNA is greatly altered in both latent and active TB, yielding promising biomarkers. Even though the functions of many sncRNA other than miRNA are still poorly understood, our results strongly suggest that at least piRNA and snoRNA populations may represent hitherto underappreciated players in the different stages of TB infection.
Fluconazole Monotherapy Is a Suboptimal Option for Initial Treatment of Cryptococcal Meningitis Because of Emergence of Resistance
Authors: Hope William , Stone Neil R. H. , Johnson Adam , McEntee Laura , Farrington Nicola , Santoro-Castelazo Anahi , Liu Xuan , Lucaci Anita , Hughes Margaret , Oliver Jason D. , Giamberardino Charles , Mfinanga Sayoki , Harrison Thomas S. , Perfect John R. , Bicanic Tihana
Published: December 2019

Cryptococcal meningitis is a lethal disease with few treatment options. The incidence remains high and intricately linked with the HIV/AIDS epidemic. In many parts of the world, fluconazole is the only agent that is available for the initial treatment of cryptococcal meningitis despite considerable evidence that it is associated with suboptimal microbiological and clinical outcomes. Fluconazole has a fungistatic mode of action: it predominantly inhibits growth rather than causing fungal killing. Our work shows that the pattern of fluconazole activity is caused by the emergence of resistance in
Cryptococcus
not detected by standard susceptibility tests, with chromosomal duplication/aneuploidy as the main mechanism. Resistance emergence is related to drug exposure and occurs with the use of clinically relevant regimens. Hence, fluconazole (and potentially other agents that target 14-alpha-demethylase) is compromised by an intrinsic property that limits its effectiveness. However, this resistance may be potentially overcome by dosage escalation or the use of combination therapy.
Developmentally Regulated Oscillations in the Expression of UV Repair Genes in a Soilborne Plant Pathogen Dictate UV Repair Efficiency and Survival
Authors: Milo-Cochavi Shira , Adar Sheera , Covo Shay
Published: December 2019

Fusarium oxysporum
infects plants through the roots and therefore is not exposed to the sun regularly. However, the ability to survive sun exposure expands the distribution of the population. UV from the sun is toxic and mutagenic, and to survive sun exposure, fungi encode several DNA repair mechanisms. We found that
Fusarium oxysporum
has a gene expression program that activates photolyase at the first hours of germination when the pathogen is not established in the plant tissue. Later on, the expression of photolyase decreases, and the expression of a light-independent UV repair mechanism increases. We suggest a novel point of view to a very fundamental question of how soilborne microorganisms defend themselves against sudden UV exposure.
A Porcine
Ex Vivo
Lung Perfusion Model To Investigate Bacterial Pathogenesis
Authors: Dumigan Amy , Fitzgerald Marianne , Santos Joana Sá-Pessoa Graca , Hamid Umar , O’Kane Cecilia M. , McAuley Danny F. , Bengoechea Jose A.
Published: December 2019

The implementation of infection models that approximate human disease is essential to understand infections and for testing new therapies before they enter into clinical stages. Rodents are used in most preclinical studies, although the differences between mice and humans have fueled the conclusion that murine studies are unreliable predictors of human outcomes. In this study, we have developed a whole-lung porcine model of infection using the
ex vivo
lung perfusion (EVLP) system established to recondition human lungs for transplant. As a proof of principle, we provide evidence demonstrating that infection of the porcine EVLP with the human pathogen
Klebsiella pneumoniae
recapitulates the known features of
Klebsiella
-triggered pneumonia. Moreover, our data revealed that the porcine EVLP model is useful to reveal features of the virulence of
K. pneumoniae
, including the manipulation of immune cells. Together, the findings of this study support the utility of the EVLP model using pig lungs as a surrogate host for assessing respiratory infections.
Uncovering the Diversity and Activity of Methylotrophic Methanogens in Freshwater Wetland Soils
Authors: Narrowe Adrienne B. , Borton Mikayla A. , Hoyt David W. , Smith Garrett J. , Daly Rebecca A. , Angle Jordan C. , Eder Elizabeth K. , Wong Allison R. , Wolfe Richard A. , Pappas Alexandra , Bohrer Gil , Miller Christopher S. , Wrighton Kelly C.
Published: December 2019

Understanding the sources and controls on microbial methane production from wetland soils is critical to global methane emission predictions, particularly in light of changing climatic conditions. Current biogeochemical models of methanogenesis consider only acetoclastic and hydrogenotrophic sources and exclude methylotrophic methanogenesis, potentially underestimating microbial contributions to methane flux. Our multi-omic results demonstrated that methylotrophic methanogens of the family
Methanomassiliicoccaceae
were present and active in a freshwater wetland, with metatranscripts indicating that methanol, not methylamines, was the likely substrate under the conditions measured here. However, laboratory experiments indicated the potential for other methanogens to become enriched in response to trimethylamine, revealing the reservoir of methylotrophic methanogenesis potential residing in these soils. Collectively, our approach used coupled field and laboratory investigations to illuminate metabolisms influencing the terrestrial microbial methane cycle, thereby offering direction for increased realism in predictive process-oriented models of methane flux in wetland soils.
Conditional Hfq Association with Small Noncoding RNAs in Pseudomonas aeruginosa Revealed through Comparative UV Cross-Linking Immunoprecipitation Followed by High-Throughput Sequencing
Authors: Chihara Kotaro , Bischler Thorsten , Barquist Lars , Monzon Vivian A. , Noda Naohiro , Vogel Jörg , Tsuneda Satoshi
Published: December 2019

The Gram-negative bacterium
P. aeruginosa
is ubiquitously distributed in diverse environments and can cause severe biofilm-related infections in at-risk individuals. Although the presence of a large number of putative sRNAs and widely conserved RNA chaperones in this bacterium implies the importance of posttranscriptional regulatory networks for environmental fluctuations, limited information is available regarding the global role of RNA chaperones such as Hfq in the
P. aeruginosa
transcriptome, especially under different environmental conditions. Here, we characterize Hfq-dependent differences in gene expression and biological processes in two physiological states: the planktonic and biofilm forms. A combinatorial comparative CLIP-seq and total RNA-seq approach uncovered condition-dependent association of RNAs with Hfq
in vivo
and expands the potential direct regulatory targets of Hfq in the
P. aeruginosa
transcriptome.
Gastrointestinal stromal tumour masquerading as a diverticular bleed
Authors: Mirakhor Ebrahim , Wong Mary T , Jamil Laith H
Published: December 2019

Gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GISTs) only account for a small percentage of gastrointestinal malignancies with a wide range of clinical presentations depending on the location and size of the tumour. Herein, we present the case of a 55-year-old woman with occult gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB) despite imaging and two separate oesophagogastroduodenoscopy colonoscopies. On double-balloon enteroscopy, an oozing diverticular-appearing lesion in the ileum was identified which on laparoscopy was connected to a large pelvic GIST. This case highlights the importance of considering GISTs in patients with occult GIB, as a high index of suspicion is required for diagnosis.
Angiogenic factors during pregnancy in Asian women with elevated blood pressure in early pregnancy and the risk of preeclampsia: a longitudinal cohort study
Authors: Zhu Jing , Zhang Jun , Ng Mor Jack , Chern Bernard , Yeo George SH , Tan Kok Hian
Published: December 2019

Objective

It remains unclear what roles placenta-originated angiogenic factors play in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia among hypertensive women. We compared maternal soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 (sFlt-1) and placental growth factor (PlGF) levels throughout pregnancy in women with normal blood pressure (BP), elevated BP and hypertension in early pregnancy and their risks of developing preeclampsia.

Design

A prospective cohort study.

Setting

KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Singapore.

Participants

923 women with singleton pregnancy <14 weeks of gestation were included in the prospective Neonatal and Obstetrics Risks Assessment cohort between September 2010 and October 2014. Systolic, diastolic, mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) were measured at 11–14 weeks.

Primary and secondary outcomes

Maternal serum sFlt-1, PlGF and sFlt-1/PlGF ratio were tested at 11–14, 18–22, 28–32 and 34 weeks onwards of gestation. Preeclampsia was main pregnancy outcome.

Results

Women were divided based on their BP in early pregnancy: normal (n=750), elevated BP (n=98) and hypertension (n=75). Maternal sFlt-1 levels and sFlt-1/PlGF ratios were higher in hypertensive women throughout pregnancy, but maternal PlGF levels were not significantly lower. Rise in maternal systolic, diastolic BP and MAP at 11–14 weeks were significantly associated with higher sFlt-1/PlGF ratios during pregnancy. A 10 mm Hg increase in MAP was associated with a 5.6-fold increase in risk of preterm preeclampsia and a 3.3-fold increase in risk of term preeclampsia, respectively.

Conclusion

Women with elevated BP in early pregnancy already had a higher sFlt-1/PlGF ratio in early gestation and throughout pregnancy, and an increased risk of preeclampsia. In contrast, PlGF levels in these women remained normal.
Molecular characterisation of an avian influenza (H5N8) outbreak in backyard flocks in Al Ahsa, Eastern Saudi Arabia, 2017–2018
Authors: Hemida Maged G , Chu Daniel , Abdelaziz Adel , Alnaeem Abdelmohsen , Chan Samuel Mo Sheung , Peiris M
Published: December 2019

Background

Avian influenza viruses are still causing major concern not only to the poultry industry but also to human health across the globe. The live poultry markets and the small‐scale local breeding of various species of birds in backyards are still playing important roles in the sustainability of most virulent influenza viruses, especially H5N8.

Methods

The authors investigated an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N8 in backyard flocks in Al Ahsa, Eastern Saudi Arabia that occurred in 2017–2018.

Results

A range of poultry including chickens, ostriches, ducks, pigeons and turkeys were clinically affected. Phylogenetic analysis suggested that this was a common source outbreak caused by a virus closely related to H5N8 viruses causing outbreaks elsewhere in Saudi Arabia in early 2018.

Conclusions

Small backyard flocks are still contributing to the epidemiology and transmission of H5N8.
Nitrogen source and rate effects on residual soil nitrate and overwinter NO3-N losses for irrigated potatoes on sandy soils
Authors: Clément Chedzer-Clarc , Cambouris Athyna N. , Ziadi Noura , Zebarth Bernie J. , Karam Antoine
Published: December 2019

Residual soil NO3-N (RSN) is susceptible to loss during the non-growing season. This 5 yr study investigated the effects of three N fertilizer sources [ammonium nitrate (AN), ammonium sulfate (AS), and polymer-coated urea (PCU)] applied at four rates (60, 120, 200, and 280 kg N ha−1) plus an unfertilized control on RSN following potato production and on overwinter NO3-N changes in an irrigated sandy soil in Quebec, Canada. Composite soil samples were collected at the 0–15, 15–30, 30–60, and 60–90 cm depths immediately after potato harvest in fall and again in the following spring from 2008 to 2012. Residual soil NO3-N content within the 0–30 cm depth (RSN0–30) was highly correlated with the RSN content in the 0–90 cm depth (RSN0–90), indicating that RSN0–30 can be used as an indicator of soil profile NO3-N accumulation. Overall, RSN0–90 increased with fertilizer N application rate, particularly for above the minimum fertilizer N rate required to maximize yield (Nmax), and was generally higher for years with greater pre-plant soil NO3-N. The split application of AN and AS resulted in lower RSN0–90 than the single application of PCU at above Nmax. Overwinter losses of soil NO3-N were generally increased with increasing RSN0–90 in fall. The results suggest that reducing the fertilizer N rate is more important than the choice of N source in managing RSN.
Thermal preferences and effects of temperature on fitness parameters of an endemic Argentinean tarantula (Grammostola vachoni)
Authors: Schwerdt L. , de Villalobos A.E. , Pérez-Miles F. , Ferretti N.
Published: December 2019

Mygalomorphs depend on thermal microhabitats for successful behavior, but their thermal biology is still poorly known. Grammostola vachoni Schiapelli and Gerschman, 1961 is an endemic tarantula from Argentina and it is listed as vulnerable in the IUCN Red List. However, little is known about its biology; therefore, we attempted to explore the thermal biology of juveniles and adult females of G. vachoni under laboratory conditions. We characterized the preferred temperatures, evaluated the relationship between temperature and locomotor performance, and calculated the thermal sensitivity. Individuals showed a peak temperature preference and spent 40% of the total time at 25–29 °C; we did not find any significant differences in temperature preference between juveniles and females. We found that locomotor performance is strongly affected by high temperatures. Different sprint speeds of juveniles and females were found at 5, 35, and 40 °C. The highest thermal sensitivity was recorded in the lowest temperature range and thermal sensitivity was lowest in the highest temperature ranges. Our results are relevant in the context of climate change, because thermal parameters constitute a useful tool to explore some possible effects of this change on body temperature and thus the physiological performance and vulnerability of ectotherms like G. vachoni.
Shark detection probability from aerial drone surveys within a temperate estuary
Authors: Benavides Martin T. , Fodrie F. Joel , Johnston David W.
Published: December 2019

Drones are easy to operate over metres-to-kilometre scales, making them potentially useful to monitor species distributions and habitat use in shallow estuaries with widely varying environmental conditions. To investigate the utility of drones for surveying bonnethead sharks (Sphyrna tiburo) across estuarine environmental gradients, we deployed decoys, fashioned to mimic sharks, in the field. Decoys were placed in two flight areas (0.8 km2each) in shallow (<2 m) water near Beaufort, N.C., on five days during 2015–2016. Survey flights were conducted using a fixed-wing drone (senseFly eBee) equipped with a digital camera. Images were indexed for combinations of six environmental factors across flights. Images representative of all (N = 36) observed environmental combinations were sent to a group of 15 scientists who were asked to identify sharks in each image. Non-parametric rank-sum comparisons and regression tree analysis on resultant detection probabilities highlighted depth as having the largest, statistically reliable influence on detection probabilities, with decreasing detection probabilities at increased depth. Detection probabilities were higher during midday flights, with notable effects of wind speed and cloud presence also apparent. Our study highlights depth as a first-order factor constraining the temperate estuarine habitats over which drones may reliably quantify sharks (i.e., <0.75 m).
Knot quandles vs. knot biquandles
Authors: Ishikawa Katsumi
Published: December 2019

As a generalization of quandles, biquandles have given many invariants of classical/surface/virtual links. In this paper, we show that the fundamental quandle [Formula: see text] of any classical/surface link [Formula: see text] detects the fundamental biquandle [Formula: see text]; more precisely, there exists a functor [Formula: see text] from the category of quandles to that of biquandles such that [Formula: see text]. Then, we can expect invariants from biquandles to be reduced to those from quandles. In fact, we introduce a right-adjoint functor [Formula: see text] of [Formula: see text], which implies that the coloring number of a biquandle [Formula: see text] is equal to that of the quandle [Formula: see text].
Design and Optimization of Dual-Band Energy-Efficient OOK UWB Transmitter Via PSO Algorithm
Authors: Ben Issa Dalenda , Samet Mounir
Published: December 2019

A CMOS ON–OFF-keying 3–10.6-GHz transmitter with low power consumption and low complexity used to Impulse Radio Ultra-Wide Band (IR-UWB) communication system is presented in this work. This architecture is designed and optimized via particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm. The IR-UWB transmitter is adapted to generate a high bandwidth frequency and it has a band switching capability. It consists of a switching inductance–capacitance voltage-controlled oscillator (LC_VCO), a pulse generator circuit, an injection-locked frequency divider (ILFD) circuit, a buffer and an antenna. The VCO is switched ON/OFF by the pulse signal produced by a generator circuit which is realized through synchronizing the received data by a clock signal. The used technique for transmitting a discontinuous signal is based on a complementary switch-mode ON–OFF LC_VCO, whose main advantage is to reduce power consumption. In this work, a best agreement between the results of the optimization technique and those of the simulation is obtained. The simulated results illustrate a signal of pulse width of 2.5 ns and a pulse repetition rate (PRR) of 200 MHz. The output spectra are centered at 4-GHz and 8-GHz frequencies with 1,332-MHz and 1,350-MHz bandwidths, respectively. The peak-to-peak amplitude of a UWB signal output is 154[Formula: see text]mV. The IR-UWB transmitter power consumption is 11.4[Formula: see text]mW which corresponds to the consumption energy of 28.5 pJ/pulse @ 200[Formula: see text]MHz. The power spectral densities (PSDs) of the output signals of both circuits viz. ON–OFF LC_VCO and ILFD are less than [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]dBm/MHz, which agreed well with the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) regulation. The transmitter design is well implemented using a TSMC 0.18-[Formula: see text]m CMOS process technology in an Advanced Design System (ADS).
Superradiant stability of the Kerr black hole
Authors: Chen Wen-Xiang , Huang Zi-Yang
Published: December 2019

We know that Kerr black holes are stable for specific conditions. In this paper, we use algebraic methods to prove the stability of the Kerr black hole against certain scalar perturbations. This provides new results for the previously obtained superradiant stability conditions of Kerr black hole. Hod proved that Kerr black holes are stable to massive perturbations in the regime [Formula: see text]. In this paper, we consider some other situations of the stability of the black hole in the complementary parameter region[Formula: see text]
Hydrodynamical response of plane correlation in Pb + Pb collisions at s NN = 2.76TeV
Authors: Yang Jing , Zhang Yong , Zhang Wei-Ning
Published: December 2019

In high energy heavy-ion collisions, the final anisotropic flow coefficients and their corresponding event–plane correlations are considered as the medium evolutional response to the initial geometrical eccentricities and their corresponding participant–plane correlations. We formulate a systematic theoretical analysis to study the hydrodynamical responses concerning higher-order effects in [Formula: see text] collisions at [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]TeV by using Monte Carlo (MC) Glauber model. To further understand the transformations of the initial participant–plane correlation, we construct a new set of events which randomize the directions of the initial participant–planes of the original events. Our results indicate that the final strong event–plane correlations are mainly transformed from the large initial eccentricities, rather than the strong participant–plane correlations. However, the large flow coefficients and the discrepancies between the flow coefficients calculated by the single-shot and event-by-event simulations in peripheral collisions are relevant to those strong initial participant–plane correlations.
Incremental Learning of an Open-Ended Collaborative Skill Library
Authors: Koert Dorothea , Trick Susanne , Ewerton Marco , Lutter Michael , Peters Jan
Published: December 2019

Intelligent assistive robots can potentially contribute to maintaining an elderly person’s independence by supporting everyday life activities. However, the number of different and personalized activities to be supported renders pre-programming of all respective robot behaviors prohibitively difficult. Instead, to cope with a continuous and potentially open-ended stream of cooperative tasks, new collaborative robot behaviors need to be continuously learned and updated from demonstrations. To this end, we introduce an online learning method to incrementally build a cooperative skill library of probabilistic interaction primitives. The resulting model chooses a corresponding robot response to a human movement where the human intention is extracted from previously demonstrated movements. While existing batch learning methods for movement primitives usually learn such skill libraries only once for a pre-defined number of different skills, our approach enables extending the skill library in an open-ended and online fashion from new incoming demonstrations. The proposed approach is evaluated on a low-dimensional benchmark task and in a collaborative scenario with a 7DoF robot, where we also investigate the generalization of learned skills between different subjects.
The Tutte polynomial of ideal arrangements
Authors: Randriamaro Hery
Published: December 2019

The Tutte polynomial was originally a bivariate polynomial enumerating the colorings of a graph and of its dual graph. But it reveals more of the internal structure of the graph like its number of forests, of spanning subgraphs, and of acyclic orientations. In 2007, Ardila extended the notion of Tutte polynomial to hyperplane arrangements, and computed the Tutte polynomials of the classical root systems for certain prime powers of the first variable at the same time. In this paper, we compute the Tutte polynomial of ideal arrangements. These arrangements were introduced in 2006 by Sommers and Tymoczko, and are defined for ideals of root systems. For the ideals of classical root systems, we bring a slight improvement of the finite field method by showing that it can applied on any finite field whose cardinality is not a minor of the matrix associated to the studied hyperplane arrangement. Computing the minor set associated to an ideal of classical root systems particularly permits us to deduce the Tutte polynomials of the classical root systems. For the ideals of the exceptional root systems of type [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], and [Formula: see text], we use the formula of Crapo.
LDJ
Authors: Kang Dong Hyun , Lee Sang-Won , Eom Young Ik
Published: December 2019

In this article, we propose a simple but practical and efficient optimization scheme for journaling in ext4, called lightweight data journaling (
LDJ
). By compressing journaled data prior to writing,
LDJ
can perform comparable to or even faster than the default ordered journaling (OJ) mode in ext4 on top of both HDDs and flash storage devices, while still guaranteeing the version consistency of the data journaling (DJ) mode. This surprising result can be explained with three main reasons. First, on modern storage devices, the sequential write pattern dominating in DJ mode is more and more high-performant than the random one in OJ mode. Second, the compression significantly reduces the amount of journal writes, which will in turn make the write completion faster and prolong the lifespan of storage devices. Third, the compression also enables the atomicity of each journal write without issuing an intervening FLUSH command between journal data blocks and commit block, thus halving the number of costly FLUSH calls in
LDJ
. We have prototyped our
LDJ
by slightly modifying the existing ext4 with jbd2 for journaling and also e2fsck for recovery; less than 300 lines of source code were changed. Also, we carried out a comprehensive evaluation using four standard benchmarks and three real applications. Our evaluation results clearly show that
LDJ
outperforms the OJ mode by up to 9.6× on the real applications.
An interview with Sarah Clinch
Authors: Anjum Bushra
Published: December 2019

In this series of interviews with innovation leaders, Ubiquity Associate Editor and software engineer, Dr. Bushra Anjum sits down with Sarah Clinch, computer science researcher and lecturer at the University of Manchester, to discuss the cognitive burden technology innovations create.
The Role of Translation Control in Tumorigenesis and Its Therapeutic Implications
Authors: Xu Yichen , Ruggero Davide
Published: December 2019

As a convergent mechanism downstream of most oncogenic signals, control of mRNA translation has emerged as a key driver in establishing and tuning gene expression at specific steps in cancer development. Translation control is the most energetically expensive molecular process in the cell that needs to be modulated upon adaption to limited cellular resources, such as cellular stress. It thereby serves as the Achilles’ heel for cancer cells, particularly in response to changes in the microenvironment as well as to nutrient and metabolic shifts characteristic of cancer cell growth and metastasis. In this review, we discuss emerging discoveries that reveal how cancer cells modulate the translation machinery to adapt to oncogenic stress, the mechanisms that guide mRNA translation specificity in cancer, and how this selective mode of gene regulation provides advantages for cancer progression. We also provide an overview of promising preclinical and clinical efforts aimed at targeting the unique vulnerabilities of cancer cells that rely on the remodeling of mRNA translation for their infinite growth and survival.
Cancer-Associated Cachexia: A Systemic Consequence of Cancer Progression
Authors: Biswas Anup K. , Acharyya Swarnali
Published: December 2019

Cancer is a life-threatening disease that has plagued humans for centuries. The vast majority of cancer-related mortality results from metastasis. Indeed, the invasive growth of metastatic cancer cells in vital organs causes fatal organ dysfunction, but metastasis-related deaths also result from cachexia, a debilitating wasting syndrome characterized by an involuntary loss of skeletal muscle mass and function. In fact, about 80% of metastatic cancer patients suffer from cachexia, which often renders them too weak to tolerate standard doses of anticancer therapies and makes them susceptible to death from cardiac and respiratory failure. The goals of this review are to highlight important findings that help explain how cancer-induced systemic changes drive the development of cachexia and to discuss unmet challenges and potential therapeutic strategies targeting cachexia to improve the quality of life and survival of cancer patients.
Diversity of neurogenic smooth muscle electrical rhythmicity in mouse proximal colon
Authors: Spencer Nick J. , Travis Lee , Wiklendt Lukasz , Hibberd Timothy J. , Costa Marcello , Dinning Phil , Hu Hongzhen
Published: December 2019

The mechanisms underlying electrical rhythmicity in smooth muscle of the proximal colon are incompletely understood. Our aim was to identify patterns of electrical rhythmicity in smooth muscle of the proximal region of isolated whole mouse colon and characterize their mechanisms of origin. Two independent extracellular recording electrodes were used to record the patterns of electrical activity in smooth muscle of the proximal region of whole isolated mouse colon. Cross-correlation analysis was used to quantify spatial coordination of these electrical activities over increasing electrode separation distances. Four distinct neurogenic patterns of electrical rhythmicity were identified in smooth muscle of the proximal colon, three of which have not been identified and consisted of bursts of rhythmic action potentials at 1–2 Hz that were abolished by hexamethonium. These neurogenic patterns of electrical rhythmicity in smooth muscle were spatially and temporally synchronized over large separation distances (≥2 mm rosto-caudal axis). Myogenic slow waves could be recorded from the same preparations, but they showed poor spatial and temporal coordination over even short distances (≤1 mm rostro-caudal axis). It is not commonly thought that electrical rhythmicity in gastrointestinal smooth muscle is dependent upon the enteric nervous system. Here, we identified neurogenic patterns of electrical rhythmicity in smooth muscle of the proximal region of isolated mouse colon, which are dependent on synaptic transmission in the enteric nervous system. If the whole colon is studied in vitro, recordings can preserve novel neurogenic patterns of electrical rhythmicity in smooth muscle.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY Previously, it has not often been thought that electrical rhythmicity in smooth muscle of the gastrointestinal tract is dependent upon the enteric nervous system. We identified patterns of electrical rhythmicity in smooth muscle of the mouse proximal colon that were abolished by hexamethonium and involved the temporal synchronization of smooth muscle membrane potential over large spatial fields. We reveal different patterns of electrical rhythmicity in colonic smooth muscle that are dependent on the ENS.
Gram-Scale Synthesis of Pt-Cu Nanowires with Enhanced Electrocatalytic Activity towards Methanol Oxidation Reaction
Authors: Sui Ning , Gao Hongxu , Wang Yukai , Li Jiali , Qu Shiyu , Bai Qiang , Xiao Hailian , Sui Jing , Liu Manhong , Yu William W.
Published: December 2019

A facile method to prepare Pt-Cu nanowires (NWs) was introduced. Structural characterization such as high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HR-TEM), selected-area electron diffraction (SAED), EDS element mapping, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) showed the formation of Pt-Cu alloy, with a width of 4.5 nm on average. The formation process of Pt-Cu NWs was studied; it was found that bromine ion, who has preferential adsorption on Pt (100) face, served as a growth-directing agent; Brij58 not only served as a protector but also played an important role in forming Pt-Cu NWs; the mechanism was proposed. Their electrocatalytic activity towards methanol oxidation was investigated; we found that the current density of Pt-Cu NWs was 295 mA·mg-1 when the ratio of Pt/Cu is 1 : 1, which is 11.5 and 2.35 times higher than that of pure Pt (26 mA·mg-1) and commercial Pt/C (126 mA·mg-1). The high electrocatalytic activity is attributed to the presence of abundant structural defects and surface active sites on the synthesized Pt-Cu NWs.
Lactose Malabsorption and Lactose Intolerance in Children with Inflammatory Bowel Diseases
Authors: Jasielska Martyna , Grzybowska-Chlebowczyk Urszula
Published: December 2019

Background. Insufficient vitamin D and calcium intake associated with the restricted intake of milk and dairy products can lead to poor health outcomes like malnutrition and abnormal bone mineralization. The aim of the study was to estimate the prevalence of primary and secondary lactose intolerance in children with IBD. Methods. The study included 107 patients (mean age 14.07±3.58 years; 46.7% boys) which includes 43 patients with Crohn’s disease (CD), 31 with ulcerative colitis (UC), and 33 children with functional abdominal pain (AP-FGID). We analysed the result of the hydrogen breath test with lactose loading, two single nucleotide polymorphisms of the LCT gene (LCT-13910CC and LCT-22018GG). The results were analysed with MedCalc Statistical Software. Results. Adult-type hypolactasia (ATH) was found in 31% of patients with IBD and 42.4% of AP-FGID (p=0.2). Lactose malabsorption (LM) was found in 27.9% of patients with CD, in 22.6% with UC, and in 24.2% with AP-FGID (p=0.8). Lactose intolerance (LI) was diagnosed in a similar percentage of patients in each group (p=0.9). Secondary LI in IBD patients does not depend on the location, duration, and activity of the disease and the number of relapses (p>0.05). The median time of lactose-free diet in CD was 10 months and in CU 24 months. Conclusions. The incidence of LI, LM, and ATH does not differ among children with IBD from the population.
Colorectal Cancer and Polyps in Diverticulosis Patients: A 10-Year Retrospective Study in 13680 Patients
Authors: Abu Baker Fadi , Z'cruz De La Garza Jesus Alonso , Mari Amir , Zeina Abdel-Rauf , Bishara Amani , Gal Oren , Kopelman Yael
Published: December 2019

Introduction. Shared by certain epidemiological and etiological characteristics, diverticulosis and colorectal cancer (CRC) as well as colonic polyps has long been linked. This association was studied in several heterogeneous studies but has reported inconsistent results. Clarifying the association is clinically relevant for endoscopist awareness and potential modification of screening and surveillance intervals for diverticulosis patients. Methods. In this retrospective single-center study, patients diagnosed with diverticulosis on colonoscopy over a 10-year period were included. Each diverticulosis patient was matched with 1 control by age, gender, setting (inpatient/outpatient), and procedure’s indication. CRC and polyp detection rates were recorded and compared between the groups before and after adjustment for bowel preparation quality and exam completion. CRC location was recorded and compared between groups. Results. A cohort of 13680 patients (6840 patients with diverticulosis and 6840 matched controls) was included. Diverticulosis was located mainly to the sigmoid and left colon (94.4%). The CRC diagnosis rate was lower in the diverticulosis group (2% vs. 4.5%, odds ratio=0.472, P<0.001, and 95%CI=0.382‐0.584). Moreover, location of CRC was unrelated to diverticulosis location, as more CRCs in the diverticulosis group were located proximal to the splenic flexure as compared to the control group (42.5% vs 29.5%, respectively; P=0.007). Diverticulosis, however, was associated with an increased polyp detection rate compared to controls (30.5% vs. 25.5%; odds ratio=1.2, P<0.001, and 95%CI=1.11‐1.299). Conclusion. We demonstrated that diverticulosis was not associated with an increased risk for CRC. A possible increased polyp detection rate, however, warrants further evaluation in large prospective studies.