bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Psychometric properties of the cyberbullying triangulation questionnaire: A prevalence analysis through seven roles
Authors: González‐Cabrera Joaquin Manuel , León‐Mejía Ana , Machimbarrena Juan Manuel , Balea Angel , Calvete Esther
Published: January 2019

This study explores the psychometric properties of the Cyberbullying Triangulation Questionnaire (CTQ), which measures and triangulates the roles of cybervictimization, cyberaggression, and cyberbystanding. The study sample was composed of 5,036 Spanish students with a mean age of 14.19 years (SD = ±1.7; range = 10–23 years). Confirmatory factor analysis of the three correlated‐factor model yielded a high goodness of fit. Reliability as measured by Omega coefficients was adequate (>0.94). The measurement model was invariant for the two age groups (10–14 years and 15–23 years). Cybervictimization and cyberaggression correlated with offline victimization and aggression (r = 0.49; p < 0.001; r = 0.57; p < 0.001, respectively). The results show that the most prevalent cyberbystanding subrole was that of the Defender of the Victim (54.6%), and that cyberaggression and cyberbystanding were more prevalent among male adolescents (p < 0.001). The lack of parental control over children's use of the mobile phone was associated with cyberaggression (p < 0.001).
Bacteremias following autologous stem cell transplantation for multiple myeloma: Risk factors and outcomes
Authors: Mohan Meera , Susanibar‐Adaniya Sandra , Buros Amy , Crescencio Juan Carlos Rico , Burgess Mary J. , Lusardi Katherine , Davies Faith , Morgan Gareth , Vanrhee Frits , Zangari Maurizio , Schinke Carolina , Thanendrarajan Sharmilan , Kothari Atul
Published: January 2019

Background

Autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) is a commonly used treatment for multiple myeloma (MM). This retrospective cohort study characterizes the risk factors and outcomes associated with bacteremia following ASCT at a single center.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective analysis in subjects who underwent ASCT for multiple myeloma and other malignancies from May 2014 to March 2015 at a single center. The control cohort included all subjects undergoing ASCT in the same time period who did not develop bacteremia.

Results

During the study period, 363 ASCTs were completed in 282 discrete patients. Bacteremia was documented in 13% of all transplants. Enterococcus faecium was the most frequent species overall (14/62, 23%). Vancomycin resistance was present in 93% of E faecium isolates. Bacteremia was associated with a significantly decreased survival in patients who received their transplant after the first year of myeloma treatment. Overall survival (OS) was not significantly different in the two cohorts among patients undergoing ASCT within the first year of myeloma treatment. Survival analysis showed a significantly decreased OS in patients who developed Enterococcus bacteremia as compared to the non‐bacteremia cohort. Enterococcal bacteremia was associated with significantly longer duration of neutropenia (mean 14 vs 9.7 days, P = 0.01), hospitalization (mean 61.7 vs 20.4 days, P = 0.0006), and higher mortality (69% vs 25%, P = 0.01) as compared to other bacteremias.

Conclusion

We found a high incidence of E faecium and a low incidence of MRSA and Pseudomonas bacteremias following ASCT in our patient population. Survival analysis in our cohort suggests that the effect of underlying disease status and cumulative chemotherapy is critically important in determining outcomes related to bacteremia. Enterococcal bacteremias following ASCT were associated with significantly higher morbidity and mortality than non‐enterococcal bacteremias.
Identification of an active miniature inverted‐repeat transposable element mJing in rice
Authors: Tang Yanyan , Ma Xin , Zhao Shuangshuang , Xue Wei , Zheng Xu , Sun Hongying , Gu Ping , Zhu Zuofeng , Sun Chuanqing , Liu Fengxia , Tan Lubin
Published: January 2019

Miniature inverted‐repeat transposable elements (MITEs) are structurally homogeneous non‐autonomous DNA transposons with high copy numbers that play important roles in genome evolution and diversification. Here, we analyzed the rice high‐tillering dwarf (htd) mutant in an advanced backcross population between cultivated and wild rice, and identified an active MITE named miniature Jing (mJing). The mJing element belongs to the PIF/Harbinger superfamily. japonica rice var. Nipponbare and indica var. 93‐11 harbor 72 and 79 mJing family members, respectively, have undergone multiple rounds of amplification bursts during the evolution of Asian cultivated rice (Oryza sativa L.). A heterologous transposition experiment in Arabidopsis thaliana indicated that the autonomous element Jing is likely to have provides the transposase needed for mJing mobilization. We identified 297 mJing insertion sites and their presence/absence polymorphism among 71 rice samples through targeted high‐throughput sequencing. The results showed that the copy number of mJing varies dramatically among Asian cultivated rice (O. sativa), its wild ancestor (O. rufipogon), and African cultivated rice (O. glaberrima) and that some mJing insertions are subject to directional selection. These findings suggest that the amplification and removal of mJing elements have played an important role in rice genome evolution and species diversification.
Effect of Maximal Anaerobic Loading on Lower Extremity Proprioceptive Sense in Soccer Players
Authors: Göktepe Mehmet , Çakır Ergün , Göktepe Meral Miyaç , Şenel Ömer
Published: January 2019

This study was carried out to determine the effect of lower extremity muscle fatigue on proprioceptive sense in soccer players. 26 male soccer players who play licensed soccer in the amateur soccer teams of the Ağrı province and who was not injured in the past year (Age 20,03±3,38, weight 65,69±10,66, height 176,61±8,72) participated in the study voluntarily. The lactic acid concentration of the participants at rest and their proprioceptive sense measurements were determined by standardized methods and materials. Then, Wingate test was applied to the participants. The lactic acid concentration and proprioceptive sense measurements were repeated at the end of the test. The analysis of the collected data was carried out through the SPSS 22 program. Shapiro-Wilks test was conducted for normality distribution. Independent-Samples t-test was carried out in the comparison of test and control groups and Paired-Samples t-Test was utilized in the comparison of differences between pretest and posttest means. It was concluded that lower extremity fatigue in soccer players has a negative effect on lower extremity proprioceptive sense (p<0.05).
Preschool Teachers’ Perspectives on Aggressive Behaviors in Children: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Türkoğlu Bengü
Published: January 2019

The main aim of this study was to qualitatively analyze preschool teachers’ opinions about the aggressive behaviors of children in the classroom. The phenomenology design, one of the qualitative research methods, was used in the study. 46 preschool teachers selected by the maximum diversity sampling method constituted the study group. The data of the study were collected using the semi-structured interview technique, and the data were analyzed using the descriptive analysis technique. According to the results of the study, preschool teachers generally described the aggressive behavior as “damaging friends,” mentioned that the type of aggression they mostly encountered in the classroom was “physical aggression” and stated that the most important factor affecting aggression in the preschool period was “parental attitudes.” Furthermore, preschool teachers indicated that aggressive behaviors generally emerged “during game activities,” that the communication of children exhibiting aggressive behaviors with their peers was usually negatively affected, and that they mostly used the “verbal warning” and “punishment” method to cope with aggressive behaviors in the classroom, however, they also emphasized that they felt inadequate in coping with aggressive behaviors. The activities that will allow children to express themselves and their feelings, to properly communicate with their surroundings and to get rid of their energy can be included in preschool education institutions. Teachers can be provided with applied in-service training seminars on how they can cope with aggressive behaviors and what kinds of effective methods they should use. Furthermore, it is also considered useful to organize information seminars on how parents should approach their children’s aggressive behaviors.
Analysis of Goal Scored on Russia World Cup 2018
Authors: Çobanoğlu Halil Orbay
Published: January 2019

The aim of the research was to analyze the goals scored in Russia World Cup 2018.The sample of this research was composed of 64 games played and 169 goals scored in the 2018 Russia World Cup. No goals were scored only in one competition. Because of 12 goals scored were own goals, 157 goals scored were analyzed on eleven different ways. The research data were collected e-analysis soccer programme. Frequency, average, standard deviation which were descriptive statistics were used for analysis of the research data.Consequently it was observed that 61,14% of goals were scored in the 2nd half of the matches and most of goals in the last 15 minutes of the matches, 63,69% of goals were scored after organized attack (open play), 38,59% of goals were scored from penalty, 78,98% of goals were scored with foot shot, 72,61% of goals were scored with one touch, 84,71% of the goals were scored through the penalty zone and 60,50% of the goals were scored in 3rd zone which was determined in the penalty zone. Moreover, of the teams that scored first results showed that they won 71,42% of the matches. Scorer’s playing position was 32,48% striker. Asist player’s playing position was 44,03% midfielder. 11,92% of asist were passed from 9th zone which was determined outside the penalty zone.The work guided the coaches to design real competition-like trainings and tailor the game style to the match situation. Coaches can also use this information to set goals for players and teams that specifically refer to offense and defense games. It is advisable to coach to use the 3rd zone set in the penalty zone for more goals and to use the 3rd zone in the penalty zone for more effective defense for fewer goals.
Investigation of Organizational Cultures of People Working in Sports Facilities in terms of Job Satisfaction and Demographic Characteristics
Authors: Akyel Yakup , Burmaoğlu Gül Eda
Published: January 2019

In this research, it is aimed to determine the level that the organizational cultures of the employees working in sport facilities are explained by their job satisfaction and demographic characteristics. 162 employees participated in the research carried out in the relational screening model. The data of the study was collected through "Organizational Culture Scale" and "Job Satisfaction Scale". Hierarchical regression analysis was performed in the analysis of the data. As a result of the analysis, the innovative, bureaucratic and community cultures of the employees were determined to be meaningfully predicted only by job satisfaction. Besides, while the competitor cultures of the employees were significantly explained by job satisfaction, seniority, marital status and gender variables; their organizational cultures were found to be significantly explained by job satisfaction, seniority and marital status variables.
Pro‐contractile role of chloride in arterial smooth muscle: Postnatal decline potentially governed by sympathetic nerves
Authors: Kostyunina Daria S. , Gaynullina Dina K. , Matchkov Vladimir V. , Tarasova Olga S.
Published: January 2019

New Findings

What is the topic of this review?

This symposium report discusses the previously unrecognized pro‐contractile role of chloride ions in rat arteries at early stages of postnatal development.

What advances does it highlight?

It highlights the postnatal decline in the contribution of chloride ions to regulation of arterial contractile responses and potential trophic role of sympathetic nerves in these developmental alterations.

Chloride ions are important for smooth muscle contraction in adult vasculature. Arterial smooth muscle undergoes structural and functional remodelling during early postnatal development, including changes in K+ currents, Ca2+ handling and sensitivity. However, developmental change in the contribution of Cl− to regulation of arterial contraction has not yet been explored. Here, we provide the first evidence that the role of Cl− in α1‐adrenergic arterial contraction prominently decreases during early postnatal ontogenesis. The trophic influence of sympathetic nerves is a potential mechanism for postnatal decline of the contribution of Cl− to the vascular contraction.
African swine fever in China: a new twist to an emerging crisis
Authors: Zhang Zhi-Qiang
Published: January 2019

n/a
High-throughput nanomanufacturing of synthetic antiferromagnet-polymer nanoparticles with high magnetic moment, very low remanence, and high magnetic susceptibility for biomedical applications
Authors: Nekrashevich Ivan , Chang Long , Litvinov Dmitri
Published: January 2019

A high-throughput top-down nanomanufacturing approach for making metal–polymer nanoparticles with tunable magnetic properties using nanoimprint lithography is reported. The nanoparticles comprise of a layered structure that includes a Co/Ru/Co synthetic antiferromagnet (SAF) and a polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) or a hydrogen silsesquioxane (HSQ) layer. The Co/Ru/Co structure deposited by magnetron sputtering was tuned to achieve antiferromagnetic coupling between Co layers, desired magnetic susceptibility, and saturation magnetization. Ultrahigh density positive tone thermal nanoimprint lithography molds designed to maximize the depth and minimize the thickness of imprint trenches in nanoimprint resist (PMMA or HSQ) were fabricated. The molds were used to pattern large arrays of 200 nm × 200 nm, 400 nm × 400 nm, and 600 nm × 600 nm SAF nanostructures with superparamagneticlike magnetic characteristics. The nanostructures were released from the wafers into an aqueous suspension by dissolving the sacrificial underlayers, Cu for SAF/PMMA nanoparticles and PMMA for SAF/HSQ nanoparticles.
Smallest perceivable interaural time differences
Authors: Thavam Sinthiya , Dietz Mathias
Published: January 2019

It is well-established that the smallest discrimination thresholds for interaural time differences (ITDs) are near 10 μs for normal hearing listeners. However, little is known about the hearing and training status of the test subjects from past studies. Previous studies also did not explicitly focus on the identification of the optimal stimulus and measurement technique to obtain the smallest threshold ITDs. Therefore, the first goal of the current study was to identify the stimulus and experimental method that maximizes ITD sensitivity. The second goal was to provide a precise threshold ITD reference value for both well-trained and un-trained normal hearing listeners using the optimal stimulus and method. The stimulus that yielded the lowest threshold ITD was Gaussian noise, band-pass filtered from 20 to 1400 Hz, presented at 70 dB sound pressure level. The best method was a two-interval procedure with an interstimulus interval of 50 ms. The average threshold ITD for this condition at the 75% correct level was 6.9 μs for nine trained listeners and 18.1 μs for 52 un-trained listeners.
Microsatellite Typing and Resistance Mechanism Analysis of Voriconazole-Resistant
Aspergillus flavus
Isolates in South Korean Hospitals
Authors: Choi Min Ji , Won Eun Jeong , Joo Min Young , Park Yeon-Joon , Kim Soo Hyun , Shin Myung Geun , Shin Jong Hee
Published: January 2019

A recent surveillance study in South Korea revealed that 14% (7/50) of
Aspergillus flavus
clinical isolates had a voriconazole minimum inhibitory concentration of ≥4 μg/ml. Of seven non-wild-type (non-WT) isolates, six ear isolates from four hospitals shared the same microsatellite genotype.
Population Pharmacokinetics with Monte Carlo Simulations of Gentamicin in a Population of Severely Ill Adult Patients from Sub-Saharan Africa
Authors: Bos Jeannet C. , Prins Jan M. , Mistício Mabor C. , Nunguiane Ginto , Lang Cláudia N. , Beirão José C. , Mathôt Ron A. A. , van Hest Reinier M.
Published: January 2019

In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), gentamicin is commonly used for severe infections in non-intensive-care-unit (ICU) settings, but pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic data for this specific population are lacking. We performed a population pharmacokinetic study in an adult Mozambican non-ICU hospital population treated with gentamicin (
n
 = 48) and developed a pharmacokinetic model using nonlinear mixed-effects modeling.
Results from a Prospective
In Vitro
Study on the Mecillinam (Amdinocillin) Susceptibility of
Enterobacterales
Authors: Fuchs Frieder , Hamprecht Axel
Published: January 2019

The activity of mecillinam (amdinocillin) was assessed in
Enterobacterales
(
n
 = 420) isolated from urine samples between 2016 and 2017. Mecillinam susceptibilities were 97.4% in
Escherichia coli
isolates (294/302), 89.7% in
Klebsiella
spp.
A Novel AdpA Homologue Negatively Regulates Morphological Differentiation in Streptomyces xiamenensis 318
Authors: Bu Xu-Liang , Weng Jing-Yi , He Bei-Bei , Xu Min-Juan , Xu Jun
Published: January 2019

AdpA is a key regulator of secondary metabolism and morphological differentiation inStreptomycesspecies. However, AdpA had not been reported to negatively regulate morphological differentiation. Here, we characterized the regulatory role of AdpASxinStreptomyces xiamenensis318, which has a naturally streamlined genome. In this strain, AdpASxnegatively regulated cell growth and morphological differentiation by directly controlling genes associated with these functions. AdpASxalso bidirectionally controlled the biosynthesis of xiamenmycin and PTMs by directly regulating their gene clusters rather than through other regulators. Our findings provide additional evidence for the versatility of AdpA in regulating morphological differentiation and secondary metabolism inStreptomyces.
Light Modulates the Physiology of NonphototrophicActinobacteria
Authors: Maresca Julia A. , Keffer Jessica L. , Hempel Priscilla P. , Polson Shawn W. , Shevchenko Olga , Bhavsar Jaysheel , Powell Deborah , Miller Kelsey J. , Singh Archana , Hahn Martin W.
Published: January 2019

Sunlight provides information about both place and time. In sunlit aquatic environments, primary producers release organic carbon and nitrogen along with other growth factors during the day. The ability ofActinobacteriato coordinate organic carbon uptake and utilization with production of photosynthate enables them to grow more efficiently in the daytime, and it potentially gives them a competitive advantage over heterotrophs that constitutively produce carbohydrate transporters, which is energetically costly, or produce transporters only after detection of the substrate(s), which delays their response. Understanding how light cues the transport of organic carbon and its conversion to biomass is key to understanding biochemical mechanisms within the carbon cycle, the fluxes through it, and the variety of mechanisms by which light enhances growth.
S-Like-Phase Cyclin-Dependent Kinases Stabilize the Epstein-Barr Virus BDLF4 Protein To Temporally Control Late Gene Transcription
Authors: Sato Yoshitaka , Watanabe Takahiro , Suzuki Chihiro , Abe Yuichi , Masud H. M. Abdullah Al , Inagaki Tomoki , Yoshida Masahiro , Suzuki Takeshi , Goshima Fumi , Adachi Jun , Tomonaga Takeshi , Murata Takayuki , Kimura Hiroshi
Published: January 2019

Late (L) genes represent more than one-third of the herpesvirus genome, suggesting that many of these genes are indispensable for the life cycle of the virus. With the exception of BCRF1, BDLF2, and BDLF3, Epstein-Barr virus L genes are transcribed by viral regulators, which are known as the viral preinitiation complex (vPIC) and the host RNA polymerase II complex. Because the vPIC is conserved in beta- and gammaherpesviruses, studying the control of viral L gene expression by the vPIC contributes to the development of drugs that specifically inhibit these processes in beta- and gammaherpesvirus infections/diseases. In this study, we demonstrated that CDK inhibitors induced destabilization of the vPIC component BDLF4, leading to a reduction in L gene expression and subsequent progeny production. Our findings suggest that CDK inhibitors may be a therapeutic option against beta- and gammaherpesviruses in combination with existing inhibitors of herpesvirus lytic replication, such as ganciclovir.
The Molecular Basis for Antigenic Drift of Human A/H2N2 Influenza Viruses
Authors: Linster M. , Schrauwen E. J. A. , van der Vliet S. , Burke D. F. , Lexmond P. , Bestebroer T. M. , Smith D. J. , Herfst S. , Koel B. F. , Fouchier R. A. M.
Published: January 2019

While influenza A viruses of subtype H2N2 were at the origin of the Asian influenza pandemic, little is known about the antigenic changes that occurred during the twelve years of circulation in humans, the role of preexisting immunity, and the evolutionary rates of the virus. In this study, the antigenic map derived from hemagglutination inhibition (HI) titers of cell-cultured virus isolates and ferret postinfection sera displayed a directional evolution of viruses away from earlier isolates. Furthermore, individual mutations in close proximity to the receptor-binding site of the HA molecule determined the antigenic reactivity, confirming that individual amino acid substitutions in A/H2N2 viruses can confer major antigenic changes. This study adds to our understanding of virus evolution with respect to antigenic variability, rates of virus evolution, and potential escape mutants of A/H2N2.
Assessing the Protective Potential of H1N1 Influenza Virus Hemagglutinin Head and Stalk Antibodies in Humans
Authors: Christensen Shannon R. , Toulmin Sushila A. , Griesman Trevor , Lamerato Lois E. , Petrie Joshua G. , Martin Emily T. , Monto Arnold S. , Hensley Scott E.
Published: January 2019

Abs targeting the HA head of influenza viruses are often associated with protection from influenza virus infections. These Abs typically have limited breadth, since mutations frequently arise in HA head epitopes. New vaccines targeting the more conserved HA stalk domain are being developed. Abs that target the HA stalk are protective in animal models, but it is unknown if these Abs exist at protective levels in humans. Here, we completed experiments to determine if Abs against the HA head and stalk were associated with protection from naturally acquired human influenza virus infections during the 2015–2016 influenza season.
A Cell Proliferation and Inflammatory Signature Is Induced by Lawsonia intracellularis Infection in Swine
Authors: Leite Fernando L. , Abrahante Juan E. , Vasquez Erika , Vannucci Fabio , Gebhart Connie J. , Winkelman Nathan , Mueller Adam , Torrison Jerry , Rambo Zachary , Isaacson Richard E.
Published: January 2019

Lawsonia intracellularis
is among the most important enteric pathogens of swine, and it can also infect other mammalian species. Much is still unknown regarding its pathogenesis and the host response, especially at the site of infection. In this study, we uncovered several novel genes and pathways associated with infection. Differentially expressed transcripts, in addition to histological changes in infected tissue, revealed striking similarities between
L. intracellularis
infection and cellular proliferation mechanisms described in some cancers and inflammatory diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. This research sheds important light into the pathogenesis of
L. intracellularis
and the host response associated with the lesions caused by infection.
Competition in Biofilms between Cystic Fibrosis Isolates of
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Is Shaped by R-Pyocins
Authors: Oluyombo Olubukola , Penfold Christopher N. , Diggle Stephen P.
Published: January 2019

A major clinical problem caused by
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
, is chronic biofilm infection of the lungs in individuals with cystic fibrosis (CF). Epidemic
P. aeruginosa
strains dominate and displace others during CF infection, but these intraspecies interactions remain poorly understood. Here we demonstrate that R-pyocins (bacteriocins) are important factors in driving competitive interactions in biofilms between
P. aeruginosa
strains isolated from different CF patients. In addition, we found that these phage-like pyocins are inhibitory against mature biofilms of susceptible strains. This highlights the potential of R-pyocins as antimicrobial and antibiofilm agents at a time when new antimicrobial therapies are desperately needed.
Functional Metagenomics Reveals an Overlooked Diversity and Novel Features of Soil-Derived Bacterial Phosphatases and Phytases
Authors: Castillo Villamizar Genis Andrés , Nacke Heiko , Boehning Marc , Herz Kristin , Daniel Rolf
Published: January 2019

Phosphorus (P) is a key element involved in numerous cellular processes and essential to meet global food demand. Phosphatases play a major role in cell metabolism and contribute to control the release of P from phosphorylated organic compounds, including phytate. Apart from the relationship with pathogenesis and the enormous economic relevance, phosphatases/phytases are also important for reduction of phosphorus pollution. Almost all known functional phosphatases/phytases are derived from cultured individual microorganisms. We demonstrate here for the first time the potential of functional metagenomics to exploit the phosphatase/phytase pools hidden in environmental soil samples. The recovered diversity of phosphatases/phytases comprises new types and proteins exhibiting largely unknown characteristics, demonstrating the potential of the screening method for retrieving novel target enzymes. The insights gained into the unknown diversity of genes involved in the P cycle highlight the power of function-based metagenomic screening strategies to study Earth’s phosphatase pools.
Feed Restriction Modifies Intestinal Microbiota-Host Mucosal Networking in Chickens Divergent in Residual Feed Intake
Authors: Metzler-Zebeli Barbara U. , Siegerstetter Sina-Catherine , Magowan Elizabeth , Lawlor Peadar G. , Petri Renée M. , O´Connell Niamh E. , Zebeli Qendrim
Published: January 2019

The impact of the FE-associated differences in feed intake on intestinal bacterial and host physiological parameters has so far not been clarified. Understanding the underlying principles is essential for the development of cost-effective strategies to improve FE in chicken production. Under conditions of quantitative feed restriction, low- and high-RFI chickens ate the same amount of feed. Therefore, this research helps in distinguishing intestinal bacterial taxa and functions that were highly reliant on feed intake from those that were associated with physiological adaptations to RFI-associated differences in host nutritional needs and intestinal nutrient availability. This work provides a background for further research to assess manipulation of the intestinal microbiota, host physiology, and FE in chickens by dietary intervention.
Effect of weaning age on the small intestine mucosa of rats
Authors: Crispel Yonatan , Shaoul Ron , Khamaise Ranya , Sabo Edmond , Hochberg Ze’ev
Published: January 2019

Weaning of mammalian progeny is associated with a change in food composition and mother–offspring separation. Weaning results in a critical period of low voluntary feed intake, during which the animal is adapting to the starter diet. To evaluate the effects of weaning age on morphological changes that occur in the intestines of rats, we assessed intestinal histomorphometry and somatic growth in 21-days-old pups and 90-days-old mature rats that had been weaned early (day 16), normally (day 21), or late (day 26). Early weaning resulted in deeper crypts, lower villous/crypt ratio, and a smaller villous area on day 21. Crown-tail length correlated positively with the crypt depth and negatively with the villous/crypt ratio. At age 90 days, early weaned animals had shallower crypts, a greater villous/crypt ratio, and a smaller villous area compared with their normally weaned counterparts. The rats’ crown-tail length correlated negatively with the crypt depth and positively with the villous/crypt ratio. Early weaning significantly affects the intestinal mucosa, which may impact food absorption and lead to differences in somatic growth compared with late weaning. Over time there may be a phase of compensation with increased villus height and crypt depth.
Effect of relative density and biocementation on cyclic response of calcareous sand
Authors: Xiao Peng , Liu Hanlong , Stuedlein Armin W. , Evans T. Matthew , Xiao Yang
Published: January 2019

Microbial-induced calcium carbonate precipitation (MICP) represents a promising approach to improve the geotechnical engineering properties of soils through the precipitation of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) at soil particle contacts and soil particle surfaces. An extensive experimental study was undertaken to investigate the influence of initial relative density on the efficiency of the biocementation process, the reduction of liquefaction susceptibility, and the cyclic response in biocemented calcareous soils. For this purpose, stress-controlled undrained cyclic triaxial shear (CTS) tests were carried out on untreated and MICP-treated calcareous sand specimens for different initial relative densities and magnitudes of biocementation. Improvement in the cyclic response was quantified and compared in terms of excess pore pressure generation, evolution of axial strains, and the number of cycles to liquefaction. The cyclic experiments show that MICP treatment can change the liquefaction failure mechanism from flow failure to cyclic mobility and can significantly change the excess pore pressure generation response of initially loose specimens. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images indicate the CaCO3 crystals alter the characteristics of the sand particles and confirm the physical change in soil fabric that impacts the dynamic behavior and liquefaction resistance of MICP-treated specimens. Furthermore, the effect of biocementation was contrasted against the effect of relative density alone, and MICP treatment was shown to exhibit greater efficiency in improving the cyclic resistance than densification.
Deformed mesh algebras of Dynkin type 𝔽4
Authors: Białkowski Jerzy
Published: January 2019

This paper belongs to the series of articles devoted to the classification of deformed mesh algebras of Dynkin types [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], and [Formula: see text]. We prove here that every deformed mesh algebra of type [Formula: see text] is isomorphic to the canonical mesh algebra of type [Formula: see text].
Two Triangular Membrane Elements Based on Strain
Authors: Rezaiee-Pajand Mohammad , Gharaei-Moghaddam Nima , Ramezani Mohammadreza
Published: January 2019

The strain formulation approach improves accuracy and removes complications, such as shear parasitic errors and sensitivity to mesh distortions. For analyzing plane stress and strain problems, two new strain-based triangular elements are proposed. Both compatibility and equilibrium conditions are imposed to these elements. Contrary to the quadrilateral shape, triangular element facilitates proper meshing of various geometries. To formulate these elements, the linear strain field is assumed. The first element is a five-node triangular element, in which each node has two degrees of freedom. In the second one, which is a four-node element, drilling degrees of freedom are added to improve applicability of the element for bending problems. Various numerical examples and patch tests verify high accuracy and efficiency of the suggested elements in comparison with the other existing plane elements.
MoS2 in-situ growth on melamine foam for hydrogen evolution
Authors: Li Wen , Qi Xiaopeng , Yang Hui , Jiang Honghui , Liang Tongxiang
Published: January 2019

Carbonized melamine foam (CM) was used as an ideal framework for the in-situ growth of MoS2 by hydrothermal method. And its hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and the catalytic mechanism were explored. By regulating the concentration of the precursor, the stacking pattern of MoS2 lamella on CM was optimized. And the results show that the sample with a precursor concentration of [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]M possesses the smallest overpotential (218[Formula: see text]mV @ 10[Formula: see text]mA[Formula: see text]cm[Formula: see text]) and its vertical arrayed nanosheets encased on the surface of carbon matrix provide more sites for the absorption of H[Formula: see text] in the electrolyte which accounts for the promotion of hydrogen generation.
Fracture and conduit controls on groundwater movement in the Carboniferous Limestone of the eastern Mendip Hills, Somerset, England
Authors: Newton Christopher J.
Published: January 2019

Karst science is beginning to recognize and understand better the interaction between conduits and the fractures and/or pore spaces within the aquifer. The relationship has important significance in relation to the understanding of contaminant transport, resource management and dewatering practices. This study presents the results of a dye trace carried out to investigate the link between the aquifer and conduits near a large dewatered quarry in the Mendip Hills in Somerset, England. At the point of undertaking the study, there were no records of the quarry directly intercepting any conduits but water from the conduit(s) is known to be drawn into the quarry. During the study, water from the conduits was observed to be lost to and gained from the fractures in different places in the aquifer. This complexity highlights the dependence of conduit flow on water levels in the aquifer and the sensitivity of groundwater in karstified aquifers to contamination.
Fast Random Integer Generation in an Interval
Authors: Lemire Daniel
Published: January 2019

In simulations, probabilistic algorithms, and statistical tests, we often generate random integers in an interval (e.g., [0,
s
)). For example, random integers in an interval are essential to the Fisher-Yates random shuffle. Consequently, popular languages such as Java, Python, C++, Swift and Go include ranged random integer generation functions as part of their runtime libraries.

Pseudo-random values are usually generated in words of a fixed number of bits (e.g., 32b, 64b) using algorithms such as a linear congruential generator. We need functions to convert such random words to random integers in an interval ([0,
s
)) without introducing statistical biases. The standard functions in programming languages such as Java involve integer divisions. Unfortunately, division instructions are relatively expensive. We review an unbiased function to generate ranged integers from a source of random words that avoids integer divisions with high probability. To establish the practical usefulness of the approach, we show that this algorithm can multiply the speed of unbiased random shuffling on x64 processors. Our proposed approach has been adopted by the Go language for its implementation of the shuffle function.
Ranking and Selection
Authors: Görder Bjürn , Kolonko Michael
Published: January 2019

We introduce a new sampling scheme for selecting the best alternative out of a given set of systems that are evaluated with respect to their expected performances. We assume that the systems are simulated on a computer and that a joint observation of all systems has a multivariate normal distribution with
unknown mean
and
unknown covariance
matrix. In particular, the observations of the systems may be stochastically dependent as is the case if common random numbers are used for simulation.

In each iteration of the algorithm, we allocate a fixed budget of simulation runs to the alternatives. We use a Bayesian set-up with a noninformative prior distribution and derive a new closed-form approximation for the posterior distributions that allows provision of a lower bound for the posterior probability of a correct selection (PCS). Iterations are continued until this lower bound is greater than 1−α for a given α. We also introduce a new allocation strategy that allocates the available budget according to posterior error probabilities. Our procedure needs no additional prior parameters and can cope with different types of ranking and selection tasks.

Our numerical experiments show that our strategy is superior to other procedures from the literature, namely,
KN
++ and P
luck
. In all of our test scenarios, these procedures needed more observation and/or had an empirical PCS below the required 1−α. Our procedure always had its empirical PCS above 1−α, underlining the practicability of our approximation of the posterior distribution.
EnergyQARE
Authors: Chen Hao , Zhang Yijia , Caramanis Michael C. , Coskun Ayse K.
Published: January 2019

Power market operators have recently introduced smart grid
demand response
(DR), in which electricity consumers regulate their power usage following market requirements. DR helps stabilize the grid and enables integrating a larger amount of intermittent renewable power generation. Data centers provide unique opportunities for DR participation due to their flexibility in both workload servicing and power consumption. While prior studies have focused on data center participation in legacy DR programs such as dynamic energy pricing and peak shaving, this article studies data centers in emerging DR programs, i.e., demand side capacity reserves. Among different types of capacity reserves,
regulation service reserves
(RSRs) are especially attractive due to their relatively higher value. This article proposes
EnergyQARE
, the
Energy
and
Q
uality-of-Service (QoS)
A
ware
R
SR
E
nabler, an approach that enables data center RSR provision in real-life scenarios. EnergyQARE not only provides a bidding strategy in RSR provision, but also contains a runtime policy that adaptively modulates data center power through server power management and server provisioning based on workload QoS feedback. To reflect real-life scenarios, this runtime policy handles a heterogeneous set of jobs and considers transition time delay of servers. Simulated numerical results demonstrate that in a general data center scenario, EnergyQARE provides close to 50% of data center average power consumption as reserves to the market and saves up to 44% in data center electricity cost, while still meeting workload QoS constraints. Case studies in this article show that the percentages of savings are not sensitive to a specific type of non-interactive workload, or the size of the data center, although they depend strongly on data center utilization and parameters of server power states.
“Dave...I can assure you ...that it’s going to be all right ...” A Definition, Case for, and Survey of Algorithmic Assurances in Human-Autonomy Trust Relationships
Authors: Israelsen Brett W. , Ahmed Nisar R.
Published: January 2019

People who design, use, and are affected by autonomous artificially intelligent agents want to be able to
trust
such agents—that is, to know that these agents will perform correctly, to understand the reasoning behind their actions, and to know how to use them appropriately. Many techniques have been devised to assess and influence human trust in artificially intelligent agents. However, these approaches are typically ad hoc and have not been formally related to each other or to formal trust models. This article presents a survey of
algorithmic assurances
, i.e., programmed components of agent operation that are expressly designed to calibrate user trust in artificially intelligent agents. Algorithmic assurances are first formally defined and classified from the perspective of formally modeled human-artificially intelligent agent trust relationships. Building on these definitions, a synthesis of research across communities such as machine learning, human-computer interaction, robotics, e-commerce, and others reveals that assurance algorithms naturally fall along a spectrum in terms of their impact on an agent’s core functionality, with seven notable classes ranging from integral assurances (which impact an agent’s core functionality) to supplemental assurances (which have no direct effect on agent performance). Common approaches within each of these classes are identified and discussed; benefits and drawbacks of different approaches are also investigated.
Cloud Brokerage
Authors: Elhabbash Abdessalam , Samreen Faiza , Hadley James , Elkhatib Yehia
Published: January 2019

Background
—The proliferation of cloud services has opened a space for cloud brokerage services. Brokers intermediate between cloud customers and providers to assist the customer in selecting the most suitable service, helping to manage the dimensionality, heterogeneity, and uncertainty associated with cloud services.
Objective
—Unlike other surveys, this survey focuses on the customer perspective. The survey systematically analyses the literature to identify and classify approaches to realise cloud brokerage, presenting an understanding of the state-of-the-art and a novel taxonomy to characterise cloud brokers.
Method
—A systematic literature survey was conducted to compile studies related to cloud brokerage and explore how cloud brokers are engineered. These studies are then analysed from multiple perspectives, such as motivation, functionality, engineering approach, and evaluation methodology.
Results
—The survey resulted in a knowledge base of current proposals for realising cloud brokers. The survey identified differences between the studies’ implementations, with engineering efforts directed at combinations of market-based solutions, middlewares, toolkits, algorithms, semantic frameworks, and conceptual frameworks.
Conclusion
—Our comprehensive meta-analysis shows that cloud brokerage is still a formative field. Although significant progress has been achieved in this field, considerable challenges remain to be addressed, which are also identified in this survey.
Time-Randomized Wormhole NoCs for Critical Applications
Authors: Slijepcevic Mladen , Hernandez Carles , Abella Jaume , Cazorla Francisco J.
Published: January 2019

Wormhole-based NoCs (wNoCs) are widely accepted in high-performance domains as the most appropriate solution to interconnect an increasing number of cores in the chip. However, wNoCs suitability in the context of critical real-time applications has not been demonstrated yet.

In this article, in the context of probabilistic timing analysis (PTA), we propose a PTA-compatible wNoC design that provides tight time-composable contention bounds. The proposed wNoC design builds on PTA ability to reason in probabilistic terms about hardware events impacting execution time (e.g., wNoC contention), discarding those sequences of events occurring with a negligible low probability. This allows our wNoC design to deliver improved guaranteed performance w.r.t. conventional time-deterministic setups. Our results show that performance guarantees of applications running on top of probabilistic wNoC designs improve by 40% and 93% on average for 4 × 4 and 6 × 6 wNoC setups, respectively.
A Survey of Discourse Representations for Chinese Discourse Annotation
Authors: Kang Xiaomian , Zong Chengqing , Xue Nianwen
Published: January 2019

A key element in computational discourse analysis is the design of a formal representation for the discourse structure of a text. With machine learning being the dominant method, it is important to identify a discourse representation that can be used to perform large-scale annotation. This survey provides a systematic analysis of existing discourse representation theories to evaluate whether they are suitable for annotation of Chinese text. Specifically, the two properties, expressiveness and practicality, are introduced to compare the representations of theories based on rhetorical relations and the representations of theories based on entity relations. The comparison systematically reveals linguistic and computational characteristics of the theories. After that, we conclude that none of the existing theories are quite suitable for scalable Chinese discourse annotation because they are not both expressive and practical. Therefore, a new discourse representation needs to be proposed, which should balance the expressiveness and practicality, and cover rhetorical relations and entity relations. Inspired by the conclusions, this survey discusses some preliminary proposals on how to represent the discourse structure that are worth pursuing.
Global Software Engineering Education Practice Continuum Special Issue of the ACM Transactions on Computing Education
Authors: Clear Tony , Beecham Sarah
Published: January 2019

We are pleased to introduce this Special Issue on Global Software Engineering Education published by the ACM Transactions on Computing Education (TOCE) that focuses on educational practices to prepare students for a global workplace. This issue comes at a time when universities are recognizing the need to provide courses that address the challenges of distributed development and presents research that will facilitate course leaders currently running, or embarking on, Global Software Engineering Education (GSE-Ed).
Spatiotemporal Representation Learning for Translation-Based POI Recommendation
Authors: Qian Tieyun , Liu Bei , Nguyen Quoc Viet Hung , Yin Hongzhi
Published: January 2019

The increasing proliferation of location-based social networks brings about a huge volume of user check-in data, which facilitates the recommendation of points of interest (POIs). Time and location are the two most important contextual factors in the user’s decision-making for choosing a POI to visit. In this article, we focus on the
spatiotemporal context-aware
POI recommendation, which considers the joint effect of time and location for POI recommendation. Inspired by the recent advances in knowledge graph embedding, we propose a
spatiotemporal context-aware
and translation-based recommender framework (STA) to model the third-order relationship among users, POIs, and spatiotemporal contexts for large-scale POI recommendation. Specifically, we embed both users and POIs into a “transition space” where spatiotemporal contexts (i.e., a <
time, location
> pair) are modeled as
translation vectors
operating on users and POIs. We further develop a series of strategies to exploit various correlation information to address the data sparsity and cold-start issues for new spatiotemporal contexts, new users, and new POIs. We conduct extensive experiments on two real-world datasets. The experimental results demonstrate that our STA framework achieves the superior performance in terms of high recommendation accuracy, robustness to data sparsity, and effectiveness in handling the cold-start problem.