bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The need 4 speed in real-time dense visual tracking
Authors: Kowdle Adarsh , Rhemann Christoph , Fanello Sean , Tagliasacchi Andrea , Taylor Jonathan , Davidson Philip , Dou Mingsong , Guo Kaiwen , Keskin Cem , Khamis Sameh , Kim David , Tang Danhang , Tankovich Vladimir , Valentin Julien , Izadi Shahram
Published: November 2018

The advent of consumer depth cameras has incited the development of a new cohort of algorithms tackling challenging computer vision problems. The primary reason is that depth provides direct geometric information that is largely invariant to texture and illumination. As such, substantial progress has been made in human and object pose estimation, 3D reconstruction and simultaneous localization and mapping. Most of these algorithms naturally benefit from the ability to accurately track the pose of an object or scene of interest from one frame to the next. However, commercially available depth sensors (typically running at 30fps) can allow for large inter-frame motions to occur that make such tracking problematic. A high frame rate depth camera would thus greatly ameliorate these issues, and further increase the tractability of these computer vision problems. Nonetheless, the depth accuracy of recent systems for high-speed depth estimation [Fanello et al. 2017b] can degrade at high frame rates. This is because the active illumination employed produces a low SNR and thus a high exposure time is required to obtain a dense accurate depth image. Furthermore in the presence of rapid motion, longer exposure times produce artifacts due to motion blur, and necessitates a lower frame rate that introduces large inter-frame motion that often yield tracking failures. In contrast, this paper proposes a novel combination of hardware and software components that avoids the need to compromise between a dense accurate depth map and a high frame rate. We document the creation of a full 3D capture system for high speed and quality depth estimation, and demonstrate its advantages in a variety of tracking and reconstruction tasks. We extend the state of the art active stereo algorithm presented in Fanello et al. [2017b] by adding a space-time feature in the matching phase. We also propose a machine learning based depth refinement step that is an order of magnitude faster than traditional postprocessing methods. We quantitatively and qualitatively demonstrate the benefits of the proposed algorithms in the acquisition of geometry in motion. Our pipeline executes in 1.1ms leveraging modern GPUs and off-the-shelf cameras and illumination components. We show how the sensor can be employed in many different applications, from [non-]rigid reconstructions to hand/face tracking. Further, we show many advantages over existing state of the art depth camera technologies beyond framerate, including latency, motion artifacts, multi-path errors, and multi-sensor interference.
Crowd space
Authors: Karamouzas Ioannis , Sohre Nick , Hu Ran , Guy Stephen J.
Published: November 2018

Over the last two decades there has been a proliferation of methods for simulating crowds of humans. As the number of different methods and their complexity increases, it becomes increasingly unrealistic to expect researchers and users to keep up with all the possible options and trade-offs. We therefore see the need for tools that can facilitate both domain experts and non-expert users of crowd simulation in making high-level decisions about the best simulation methods to use in different scenarios. In this paper, we leverage trajectory data from human crowds and machine learning techniques to learn a manifold which captures representative local navigation scenarios that humans encounter in real life. We show the applicability of this manifold in crowd research, including analyzing trends in simulation accuracy, and creating automated systems to assist in choosing an appropriate simulation method for a given scenario.
Deep unsupervised pixelization
Authors: Han Chu , Wen Qiang , He Shengfeng , Zhu Qianshu , Tan Yinjie , Han Guoqiang , Wong Tien-Tsin
Published: November 2018

In this paper, we present a novel unsupervised learning method for pixelization. Due to the difficulty in creating pixel art, preparing the paired training data for supervised learning is impractical. Instead, we propose an unsupervised learning framework to circumvent such difficulty. We leverage the dual nature of the pixelization and depixelization, and model these two tasks in the same network in a bi-directional manner with the input itself as training supervision. These two tasks are modeled as a cascaded network which consists of three stages for different purposes.
GridNet
transfers the input image into multi-scale grid-structured images with different aliasing effects.
PixelNet
associated with
GridNet
to synthesize pixel arts with sharp edges and perceptually optimal local structures.
DepixelNet
connects the previous network and aims to recover the pixelized result to the original image. For the sake of unsupervised learning, the mirror loss is proposed to hold the reversibility of feature representations in the process. In addition, adversarial, L1, and gradient losses are involved in the network to obtain pixel arts by retaining color correctness and smoothness. We show that our technique can synthesize crisper and perceptually more appropriate pixel arts than state-of-the-art image downscaling methods. We evaluate the proposed method with extensive experiments on many images. The proposed method outperforms state-of-the-art methods in terms of visual quality and user preference.
Bend-it
Authors: Xu Hongyi , Knoop Espen , Coros Stelian , Bächer Moritz
Published: November 2018

Elastically deforming wire structures are lightweight, durable, and can be bent within minutes using CNC bending machines. We present a computational technique for the design of kinetic wire characters, tailored for fabrication on consumer-grade hardware. Our technique takes as input a network of curves or a skeletal animation, then estimates a cable-driven, compliant wire structure which matches user-selected targets or keyframes as closely as possible. To enable large localized deformations, we shape wire into functional spring-like entities at a discrete set of locations. We first detect regions where changes to local stiffness properties are needed, then insert bendable entities of varying shape and size. To avoid a discrete optimization, we first optimize stiffness properties of generic, non-fabricable entities which capture well the behavior of our bendable designs. To co-optimize stiffness properties and cable forces, we formulate an equilibrium-constrained minimization problem, safeguarding against inelastic deformations. We demonstrate our method on six fabricated examples, showcasing rich behavior including large deformations and complex, spatial motion.
Two-stage sketch colorization
Authors: Zhang Lvmin , Li Chengze , Wong Tien-Tsin , Ji Yi , Liu Chunping
Published: November 2018

Sketch or line art colorization is a research field with significant market demand. Different from photo colorization which strongly relies on texture information, sketch colorization is more challenging as sketches may not have texture. Even worse, color, texture, and gradient have to be generated from the abstract sketch lines. In this paper, we propose a semi-automatic learning-based framework to colorize sketches with proper color, texture as well as gradient. Our framework consists of two stages. In the first drafting stage, our model guesses color regions and splashes a rich variety of colors over the sketch to obtain a color draft. In the second refinement stage, it detects the unnatural colors and artifacts, and try to fix and refine the result. Comparing to existing approaches, this two-stage design effectively divides the complex colorization task into two simpler and goal-clearer subtasks. This eases the learning and raises the quality of colorization. Our model resolves the artifacts such as water-color blurring, color distortion, and dull textures.

We build an interactive software based on our model for evaluation. Users can iteratively edit and refine the colorization. We evaluate our learning model and the interactive system through an extensive user study. Statistics shows that our method outperforms the state-of-art techniques and industrial applications in several aspects including, the visual quality, the ability of user control, user experience, and other metrics.
Real-time compression and streaming of 4D performances
Authors: Tang Danhang , Dou Mingsong , Lincoln Peter , Davidson Philip , Guo Kaiwen , Taylor Jonathan , Fanello Sean , Keskin Cem , Kowdle Adarsh , Bouaziz Sofien , Izadi Shahram , Tagliasacchi Andrea
Published: November 2018

We introduce a realtime compression architecture for 4D performance capture that is two orders of magnitude faster than current state-of-the-art techniques, yet achieves comparable visual quality and bitrate. We note how much of the algorithmic complexity in traditional 4D compression arises from the necessity to encode geometry using an
explicit
model (i.e. a triangle mesh). In contrast, we propose an encoder that leverages an
implicit
representation (namely a Signed Distance Function) to represent the observed geometry, as well as its changes through time. We demonstrate how SDFs, when defined over a small local region (i.e. a block), admit a low-dimensional embedding due to the innate geometric redundancies in their representation. We then propose an optimization that takes a Truncated SDF (i.e. a TSDF), such as those found in most rigid/non-rigid reconstruction pipelines, and efficiently projects each TSDF block onto the SDF latent space. This results in a collection of low entropy tuples that can be effectively quantized and symbolically encoded. On the decoder side, to avoid the typical artifacts of block-based coding, we also propose a variational optimization that compensates for quantization residuals in order to penalize unsightly discontinuities in the decompressed signal. This optimization is expressed in the SDF latent embedding, and hence can also be performed efficiently. We demonstrate our compression/decompression architecture by realizing, to the best of our knowledge, the first system for streaming a real-time captured 4D performance on consumer-level networks.
Appearance capture and modeling of human teeth
Authors: Velinov Zdravko , Papas Marios , Bradley Derek , Gotardo Paulo , Mirdehghan Parsa , Marschner Steve , Novák Jan , Beeler Thabo
Published: November 2018

Recreating the appearance of humans in virtual environments for the purpose of movie, video game, or other types of production involves the acquisition of a geometric representation of the human body and its scattering parameters which express the interaction between the geometry and light propagated throughout the scene. Teeth appearance is defined not only by the light and surface interaction, but also by its internal geometry and the intra-oral environment, posing its own unique set of challenges. Therefore, we present a system specifically designed for capturing the optical properties of live human teeth such that they can be realistically re-rendered in computer graphics. We acquire our data in vivo in a conventional multiple camera and light source setup and use exact geometry segmented from intra-oral scans. To simulate the complex interaction of light in the oral cavity during inverse rendering we employ a novel pipeline based on derivative path tracing with respect to both optical properties and geometry of the inner dentin surface. The resulting estimates of the global derivatives are used to extract parameters in a joint numerical optimization. The final appearance faithfully recreates the acquired data and can be directly used in conventional path tracing frameworks for rendering virtual humans.
Ambient sound propagation
Authors: Zhang Zechen , Raghuvanshi Nikunj , Snyder John , Marschner Steve
Published: November 2018

Ambient
sounds arise from a massive superposition of chaotic events distributed over a large area or volume, such as waves breaking on a beach or rain hitting the ground. The directionality and loudness of these sounds as they propagate in complex 3D scenes vary with listener location, providing cues that distinguish indoors from outdoors and reveal portals and occluders. We show that ambient sources can be approximated using an ideal notion of spatio-temporal incoherence and develop a lightweight technique to capture their global propagation effects. Our approach precomputes a single FDTD simulation using a sustained source signal whose phase is randomized over frequency and source extent. It then extracts a spherical harmonic encoding of the resulting steady-state distribution of power over direction and position in the scene using an efficient flux density formulation. The resulting parameter fields are smooth and compressible, requiring only a few MB of memory per extended source. We also present a fast binaural rendering technique that exploits phase incoherence to reduce filtering cost.
Power, Performance, and Area Benefit of Monolithic 3D ICs for On-Chip Deep Neural Networks Targeting Speech Recognition
Authors: Chang Kyungwook , Kadetotad Deepak , Cao Yu , Seo Jae-Sun , Lim Sung Kyu
Published: November 2018

In recent years, deep learning has become widespread for various real-world recognition tasks. In addition to recognition accuracy, energy efficiency and speed (i.e., performance) are other grand challenges to enable local intelligence in edge devices. In this article, we investigate the adoption of monolithic three-dimensional (3D) IC (M3D) technology for deep learning hardware design, using speech recognition as a test vehicle. M3D has recently proven to be one of the leading contenders to address the power, performance, and area (PPA) scaling challenges in advanced technology nodes. Our study encompasses the influence of key parameters in DNN hardware implementations towards their performance and energy efficiency, including DNN architectural choices, underlying workloads, and tier partitioning choices in M3D designs. Our post-layout M3D designs, together with hardware-efficient sparse algorithms, produce power savings and performance improvement beyond what can be achieved using conventional 2D ICs. Experimental results show that M3D offers 22.3% iso-performance power saving and 6.2% performance improvement, convincingly demonstrating its entitlement as a solution for DNN ASICs. We further present architectural and physical design guidelines for M3D DNNs to maximize the benefits.
Read-Once Branching Programs for Tree Evaluation Problems
Authors: Iwama Kazuo , Nagao Atsuki
Published: November 2018

Toward the ultimate goal of separating
L
and
P
, Cook, McKenzie, Wehr, Braverman, and Santhanam introduced the
Tree Evaluation Problem
(
TEP
). For fixed integers
h
and
k
> 0,

FT
h

(
k
) is given as a complete, rooted binary tree of height
h
, in which each root node is associated with a function from [
k
]
2
to [
k
], and each leaf node with a number in [
k
]. The value of an internal node
v
is defined naturally; that is, if it has a function
f
and the values of its two child nodes are
a
and
b
, then the value of
v
is
f
(
a
,
b
). Our task is to compute the value of the root node by sequentially executing this function evaluation in a bottom-up fashion. The problem is obviously in
P
, and, if we could prove that any branching program solving

FT
h

(
k
) needs at least
k

r
(
h
)

states for any unbounded function
r
, then this problem is not in
L
, thus achieving our goal. The mentioned authors introduced a restriction called
thrifty
against the structure of BP’s (i,e., against the algorithm for solving the problem) and proved that any thrifty BP needs Ω(

k
h

) states. This article proves a similar lower bound for
read-once
branching programs, which allows us to get rid of the restriction on the order of nodes read by the BP that is the nature of the thrifty restriction.
Multiple Facets of Marine Invertebrate Conservation Genomics
Authors: Lopez Jose V. , Kamel Bishoy , Medina Mónica , Collins Timothy , Baums Iliana B.
Published: November 2018

Conservation genomics aims to preserve the viability of populations and the biodiversity of living organisms. Invertebrate organisms represent 95% of animal biodiversity; however, few genomic resources currently exist for the group. The subset of marine invertebrates includes the most ancient metazoan lineages and possesses codes for unique gene products and possible keys to adaptation. The benefits of supporting invertebrate conservation genomics research (e.g., likely discovery of novel genes, protein regulatory mechanisms, genomic innovations, and transposable elements) outweigh the various hurdles (rare, small, or polymorphic starting materials). Here we review best conservation genomics practices in the laboratory and in silico when applied to marine invertebrates and also showcase unique features in several case studies of acroporid corals, crown-of-thorns starfish, apple snails, and abalone. Marine conservation genomics should also address how diversity can lead to unique marine innovations, the impact of deleterious variation, and how genomic monitoring and profiling could positively affect broader conservation goals (e.g., value of baseline data for in situ/ex situ genomic stocks).
Circulating Tumor DNA: Clinical Monitoring and Early Detection
Authors: Corcoran Ryan B.
Published: November 2018

Roughly 70 years after the presence of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) in circulating blood was discovered, cfDNA has emerged as a transformative technology in clinical oncology. The ability to assess the presence, level, and composition of tumor DNA from a routine, noninvasive blood draw has opened the door to a broad array of high-impact clinical applications. While cfDNA is rapidly gaining clinical favor as a means of tumor mutational profiling without the need for an invasive biopsy, emerging applications in the areas of clinical monitoring and early cancer detection hold tremendous promise. These developing applications of cfDNA are reviewed herein.
Aberrant RNA Splicing in Cancer
Authors: Escobar-Hoyos Luisa , Knorr Katherine , Abdel-Wahab Omar
Published: November 2018

RNA splicing, the enzymatic process of removing segments of premature RNA to produce mature RNA, is a key mediator of proteome diversity and regulator of gene expression. Increased systematic sequencing of the genome and transcriptome of cancers has identified a variety of means by which RNA splicing is altered in cancer relative to normal cells. These findings, in combination with the discovery of recurrent change-of-function mutations in splicing factors in a variety of cancers, suggest that alterations in splicing are drivers of tumorigenesis. Greater characterization of altered splicing in cancer parallels increasing efforts to pharmacologically perturb splicing and early-phase clinical development of small molecules that disrupt splicing in patients with cancer. Here we review recent studies of global changes in splicing in cancer, splicing regulation of mitogenic pathways critical in cancer transformation, and efforts to therapeutically target splicing in cancer.
Universal Spin Transport and Quantum Bounds for Unitary Fermions
Authors: Enss Tilman , Thywissen Joseph H.
Published: November 2018

We review recent advances in experimental and theoretical understanding of spin transport in strongly interacting Fermi gases. The central new phenomenon is the observation of a lower bound on the (bare) spin diffusivity in the strongly interacting regime. Transport bounds are of broad interest for the condensed matter community, with a conceptual similarity to observed bounds in shear viscosity and charge conductivity. We discuss the formalism of spin hydrodynamics, how dynamics are parameterized by transport coefficients, the effect of confinement, the role of scale invariance, the quasiparticle picture, and quantum critical transport. We conclude by highlighting open questions, such as precise theoretical bounds, relevance to other phases of matter, and extensions to lattice systems.
The Smc5/6 Complex: New and Old Functions of the Enigmatic Long-Distance Relative
Authors: Aragón Luis
Published: November 2018

Smc5 and Smc6, together with the kleisin Nse4, form the heart of the enigmatic and poorly understood Smc5/6 complex, which is frequently viewed as a cousin of cohesin and condensin with functions in DNA repair. As novel functions for cohesin and condensin complexes in the organization of long-range chromatin architecture have recently emerged, new unsuspected roles for Smc5/6 have also surfaced. Here, I aim to provide a comprehensive overview of our current knowledge of the Smc5/6 complex, including its long-established function in genome stability, its multiple roles in DNA repair, and its recently discovered connection to the transcription inhibition of hepatitis B virus genomes. In addition, I summarize new research that is beginning to tease out the molecular details of Smc5/6 structure and function, knowledge that will illuminate the nuclear activities of Smc5/6 in the stability and dynamics of eukaryotic genomes.
Political Theory of Populism
Authors: Urbinati Nadia
Published: November 2018

Populism is the name of a global phenomenon whose definitional precariousness is proverbial. It resists generalizations and makes scholars of politics comparativist by necessity, as its language and content are imbued with the political culture of the society in which it arises. A rich body of socio-historical analyses allows us to situate populism within the global phenomenon called democracy, as its ideological core is nourished by the two main entities—the nation and the people—that have fleshed out popular sovereignty in the age of democratization. Populism consists in a transmutation of the democratic principles of the majority and the people in a way that is meant to celebrate one subset of the people as opposed to another, through a leader embodying it and an audience legitimizing it. This may make populism collide with constitutional democracy, even if its main tenets are embedded in the democratic universe of meanings and language. In this article, I illustrate the context-based character of populism and how its cyclical appearances reflect the forms of representative government. I review the main contemporary interpretations of the concept and argue that some basic agreement now exists on populism's rhetorical character and its strategy for achieving power in democratic societies. Finally, I sketch the main characteristics of populism in power and explain how it tends to transform the fundamentals of democracy: the people and the majority, elections, and representation.
Drugs and War: What Is the Relationship?
Authors: Andreas Peter
Published: November 2018

What is the relationship between psychoactive drugs and war? This review article identifies and traces five key dimensions of this relationship: war while on drugs, war for drugs, war through drugs, war against drugs, and drugs after war. The review provides empirical illustrations across times, places, and drugs to demonstrate the importance of each of these dimensions. Political scientists and other scholars have typically either ignored the drugs–war relationship or focused on only one dimension. The common tendency is to privilege illegal drugs such as cocaine and heroin in the contemporary era over the historical centrality of legal drugs such as tobacco and alcohol in relation to armed conflict. Placing both history and a wider range of drugs (legal and illegal) front and center in the analysis provides a corrective that allows for a fuller and richer understanding of the multiple linkages between psychoactive substances and warfare. It also suggests that as a counterbalance to contemporary accounts stressing the growing threat posed by drug-financed violent nonstate actors, we should recognize the many ways in which the centuries-old nexus between drugs and war has also been about statecraft and the pursuit of the state's strategic objectives.
ROS-induced autophagy regulates porcine trophectoderm cell apoptosis, proliferation, and differentiation
Authors: Luo Zhen , Xu Xue , Sho Takami , Zhang Jing , Xu Weina , Yao Jianbo , Xu Jianxiong
Published: November 2018

Significant embryo loss remains a serious problem in pig production. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) play a critical role in embryonic implantation and placentation. However, the potential mechanism of ROS on porcine trophectoderm (pTr) cell fate during the peri-implantation period has not been investigated. This study aimed to elucidate the effects of ROS on pTr cell phenotypes and the regulatory role in cell attachment and differentiation. Herein, results showed that exogenous H2O2 inhibited pTr cell viability, arrested the cell cycle at S and G2/M phases, and increased cell apoptosis and autophagy protein light chain 3B and Beclin-1, whereas these effects were reversed by different concentrations of N-acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC) posttreatment. In addition, NAC abolished H2O2-induced autophagic flux, inhibited intracellular and mitochondrial ROS, and restored expression of genes important for mitochondrial DNA and biogenesis, cell attachment, and differentiation. NAC reversed H2O2-activated MAPK and Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin pathways in dose-dependent manners. Furthermore, analyses with pharmacological and RNA interference approaches suggested that autophagy regulated cell apoptosis and gene expression of caudal-related homeobox 2 and IL-1β. Collectively, these results provide new insights into the role of the ROS-induced autophagy in pTr cell apoptosis, attachment, and differentiation, indicating a promising target for decreasing porcine conceptus loss during the peri-implantation period.
Encoding prediction signals during appetitive and aversive Pavlovian conditioning in the primate lateral hypothalamus
Authors: Noritake Atsushi , Nakamura Kae
Published: November 2018

The lateral hypothalamus (LH), which plays a role in homeostatic functions such as appetite regulation, is also linked to arousal and motivational behavior. However, little is known about how these components are encoded in the LH. Thus cynomolgus monkeys were conditioned with two distinct contexts, i.e., an appetitive context with available rewards and an aversive context with predicted air puffs. Different LH neuron groups encoded different degrees of expectation, predictability, and risks of rewards in a specific manner. A nearly equal number of one-third of the recorded LH neurons showed a positive or negative correlation between their response to visual conditioned stimuli (CS) that predicted the probabilistic delivery of rewards (0%, 50%, and 100%) and the associative values. For another one-third of recorded neurons, a nearly equal number showed a positive or negative correlation between their responses to rewards [appetitive unconditioned stimulus (US)] and reward predictability. Some neurons exhibited their highest or lowest trace-period responses in the 50% reward trials. These response modulations were represented independently and overlaid on a consistent excitatory or inhibitory response across the conditioning events. LH neurons also showed consistent responses in the aversive context. However, the responses to aversive conditioning events depending on the air puff value and predictability were less common. The multifaceted modulation of consistent activity related to outcome predictions may reflect motivational and arousal signals. Furthermore, it may underlie the role the LH plays in the integration and relay of signals to cortices for adaptive and goal-directed physiological and behavioral responses to environmental changes.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY The lateral hypothalamus (LH) is implicated in motivational and arousal behavior; however, the detailed information carried by single LH neurons remains unclear. We demonstrate that primate LH neurons encode multiple combinations of signals concerning different degrees of expectation, appreciation, and uncertainty of rewards in consistent responses across conditioning events and between different contexts. This multifaceted modulation of activity may underlie the role of the LH as a critical node integrating motivational signals with arousal signals.
Microbial Isolates from Vegetable Foreign Bodies Inhaled by Dogs
Authors: Flisi Sara , Dall’Aglio Manuel , Spadini Costanza , Cabassi Clotilde Silvia , Quintavalla Fausto
Published: November 2018

Grass-seed inhalation is a common problem in canine patients, in particular during summer months, migrating in upper and lower respiratory tract. Grass awns can harbor bacteria and fungi, causing grass seeds foreign body-related disease (GSFBD). Aim of this study was to investigate the aerobic microbial flora isolated from grass awns extracted from 41 dogs with GSFBD and the antibiotic susceptibility of the isolated bacterial strains. Fifty-four grass awns were localized with diagnostic imaging tests and removed by endoscopy from respiratory tract. The most frequent localizations were in the left nostril and the right hemithorax. Only one grass awn was extracted from each patient except in 7 that had more than one. Bacteriological and mycological cultures, strains identification, and antibiotic susceptibility tests were performed. One or more bacterial strains were isolated from all grass awns. Fungal strains were isolated only in 4 cases. Staphylococcussp. was the most frequent isolate in the upper respiratory tract (36.8%), whileE. coli(24.4%) was the most frequent isolate in the lower tract. Fluoroquinolones and Doxycycline were the most effective antibiotics, while resistance was observed against Gentamicin (>93%), Cefapirin, and Clindamycin (>80%). These data are relevant in relation to the use of these antibiotics in both animals and humans, for the risk of transmission of antibiotic resistant bacteria or resistance genes.
The Resonance Reliability and Global Sensitivity Analysis of Curved Pipe Conveying Fluid Based on TIS Method
Authors: Yuzhen Zhao , Yongshou Liu , Qing Guo , Baohui Li
Published: November 2018

Based on the Flügge curved beam theory and total inextensible assumption, the dynamic equations of curved pipe’s in-plane vibration are established using the Newton method. The wave propagation method is proposed for calculating the natural frequency of curved pipes with clamped-clamped supported at both ends. Then, the performance function of the resonance reliability of curved pipe conveying fluid is established. Main and total effect indices of global sensitivity analysis (GSA) are introduced. The truncated importance sampling (TIS) method is used for calculating these indices. In the example, the natural frequency and critical velocity of a semicircular pipe are calculated. The importance ranking of input variables is obtained at different working conditions. The method proposed in this paper is valuable and leads to reliability estimation and antiresonance design of curved pipe conveying fluid.
E-Band Beam-Steerable and Scalable Phased Antenna Array for 5G Access Point
Authors: Islam Md. Mazidul , Leino Mikko , Luomaniemi Rasmus , Song Jinsong , Valkonen Risto , Ala-Laurinaho Juha , Viikari Ville
Published: November 2018

This paper presents a new implementation of the beam-steerable two-dimensional phased antenna array for the forthcoming 5G networks. The antenna enables easy integration of phase shifters and other active electronics on a single PCB, low-loss feed network, low profile, and beam steering in both azimuth and elevation plane. In addition, the antenna is scalable in the number of elements and it can be made compatible with low-cost mass production in plastic injection molding with a metal coating. The antenna consists of a rectangular waveguide feed network, waveguide-to-PCB transitions, phase shifters on a PCB, and horn antenna radiating elements. The parts have been first designed and simulated individually and the operation of the whole structure is then verified by electromagnetic simulations. The phase shifter used in this work is a meandered microstrip line section, but the structure also enables the implementation of active phase shifters. A four-by-four antenna array prototype was manufactured. The beam-steering properties of the phased antenna array have been tested with radiation pattern measurements at 72.5 GHz, and the measured gains are compared with the simulated ones. The measured gains are 15.2 and 11.2 dBi for the boresight beam, and the beam was steered to 40°.
The Effects of Outdoor Source on Pollution Characteristics and Dynamic Changes of Particulate Matter in an Office
Authors: Zheng Guozhong , Lu Yuzhen , Wang Yajing , Zhao Zhengzheng , Li Ke , Zhang Xutao
Published: November 2018

The indoor air quality has a direct impact on human health. Particulate matter is one of the important factors affecting the indoor air quality. The paper selects an office as the study object and studies the pollution characteristics and dynamic changes of indoor particulate matter in different outdoor pollution levels. The mass concentration of outdoor PM10 is used as the evaluation basis of the outdoor pollution level. The outdoor PM10 concentration levels are divided into the range of 200–300, 300–400, 400–500, 500–600, 600–700 μg·m−3, individually. Firstly, the change characteristics of the mass concentration and the number concentration of the particulate matter in the five outdoor conditions are analyzed. Secondly, the maximum increase values and the maximum increase rates of the mass concentrations of different particle sizes in the five conditions are compared. Then, the penetration factors of the particulates in different sizes are compared among the five conditions. Finally, the correlation between indoor particulate matter and outdoor particulate matter is studied. The study results show that the effect of outdoor infiltration has a great influence on the indoor PM1 mass concentration, and the penetrating factors of the particulate matter between 0.3 μm and 0.5 μm are higher than 0.6; their permeability is the most obvious.
Application of Adomian Decomposition Method to Bounded and Unbounded Stokes’ Problems
Authors: Liu Chi-Min , Yang Ray-Yeng
Published: November 2018

The well-known Stokes’ problems are reexamined by applying the Adomian decomposition method (ADM) associated with other mathematical techniques in this paper. Both the finite-depth (bounded) and infinite-depth (unbounded) cases are analyzed. The present paper raises and deals with two major concerns. The first one is that, for Stokes’ problems, it lacks one boundary condition at the expansion point to fully determine all coefficients of the ADM solution in which an unknown function appears. This unknown function which is dependent on the transformed variable will be determined by the boundary condition at the far end. The second concern is that the derived solution begins to deviate from the exact solution as the spatial variable grows for the unbounded problems. This can be greatly improved by introducing the Padé approximant to satisfy the boundary condition at the far end. For the second problems, the derived ADM solution can be easily separated into the steady-state and the transient parts for a deeper comprehension of the flow. The present result shows an excellent agreement with the exact solution. The ADM is therefore verified to be a reliable mathematical method to analyze Stokes’ problems of finite and infinite depths.
New Iterative Methods for Solving Fokker-Planck Equation
Authors: Hemeda A. A. , Eladdad E. E.
Published: November 2018

In this article, we propose the new iterative method and introduce the integral iterative method to solve linear and nonlinear Fokker-Planck equations and some similar equations. The results obtained by the two methods are compared with those obtained by both Adomian decomposition and variational iteration methods. Comparison shows that the two methods are more effective and convenient to use and overcome the difficulties arising in calculating Adomian polynomials and Lagrange multipliers, which means that the considered methods can simply and successfully be applied to a large class of problems.
Massive Haemoptysis due to Obscure Aetiology: Perils and Management Dilemmas
Authors: Shreenivasa A. , Vishak K. A. , Sindhu K. , Sahu Kauslya , Chaithra G. V.
Published: November 2018

Pulmonary actinomycosis is an important differential diagnosis in patients with long-standing pulmonary infiltrates related to poor oral hygiene or compromised immune function. Up to a quarter of cases of thoracic actinomycosis are misdiagnosed as lung malignancy. Here, we report a 56-year-old man with a hypodense lesion in the left lower lobe presenting with recurrent massive haemoptysis for about one year. He underwent left lower lobe lobectomy due to intractable haemoptysis. Histopathological examination demonstrated actinomycosis infiltrating the left lower lobe. Rarity of the case was the presence of actinomycosis in an immunocompetent individual and without underlying preexisting lung disease. Also, intractable massive haemoptysis necessitating surgical excision which proved to be both diagnostic and curative due to actinomycosis is an unusual occurrence.
Functional Analysis and Fine Mapping of the 9p22.2 Ovarian Cancer Susceptibility Locus
Authors: Buckley Melissa A. , Woods Nicholas T. , Tyrer Jonathan P. , Mendoza-Fandiño Gustavo , Lawrenson Kate , Hazelett Dennis J. , Najafabadi Hamed S. , Gjyshi Anxhela , Carvalho Renato S. , Lyra Paulo C. , Coetzee Simon G. , Shen Howard C. , Yang Ally W. , Earp Madalene A. , Yoder Sean J. , Risch Harvey , Chenevix-Trench Georgia , Ramus Susan J. , Phelan Catherine M. , Coetzee Gerhard A. , Noushmehr Houtan , Hughes Timothy R. , Sellers Thomas A. , Goode Ellen L. , Pharoah Paul D. , Gayther Simon A. , Monteiro Alvaro N.A.
Published: November 2018

Genome-wide association studies have identified 40 ovarian cancer risk loci. However, the mechanisms underlying these associations remain elusive. In this study, we conducted a two-pronged approach to identify candidate causal SNPs and assess underlying biological mechanisms at chromosome 9p22.2, the first and most statistically significant associated locus for ovarian cancer susceptibility. Three transcriptional regulatory elements with allele-specific effects and a scaffold/matrix attachment region were characterized and, through physical DNA interactions, BNC2 was established as the most likely target gene. We determined the consensus binding sequence for BNC2 in vitro, verified its enrichment in BNC2 ChIP-seq regions, and validated a set of its downstream target genes. Fine-mapping by dense regional genotyping in over 15,000 ovarian cancer cases and 30,000 controls identified SNPs in the scaffold/matrix attachment region as among the most likely causal variants. This study reveals a comprehensive regulatory landscape at 9p22.2 and proposes a likely mechanism of susceptibility to ovarian cancer.

Significance:

Mapping the 9p22.2 ovarian cancer risk locus identifies BNC2 as an ovarian cancer risk gene.

See related commentary by Choi and Brown, p. 439
Whole-Blood DNA Methylation Markers in Early Detection of Breast Cancer: A Systematic Literature Review
Authors: Guan Zhong , Yu Haixin , Cuk Katarina , Zhang Yan , Brenner Hermann
Published: November 2018

Whole-blood DNA methylation markers have been suggested as potential biomarkers for early detection of breast cancer. We conducted a systematic review of the literature on whole-blood DNA methylation markers for breast cancer detection. PubMed and ISI Web of Knowledge were searched up to May 29, 2018. Overall, 33 studies evaluating 355 markers were included. The diagnostic value of most individual markers was relatively modest, with only six markers showing sensitivity >40% at specificity >75% [only 2 (HYAL2 and S100P) were independently validated]. Although relatively strong associations (OR ≤0.5 or OR ≥2) with breast cancer were reported for 14 markers, most of them were not independently validated. Two prospective studies performed epigenome-wide association analysis and identified 276 CpG sites related to breast cancer risk, but no overlap was observed between CpGs reported from these two studies. Five studies incorporated individual markers as panels, but only two of them used a test-validation approach. In conclusion, so far detected methylation markers are insufficient for breast cancer early detection, but markers or marker-combinations may be useful for breast cancer risk stratification. Utilizing high-throughput methods of methylation quantification, future studies should focus on further mining informative methylation markers and derivation of enhanced multimaker panels with thorough external validation ideally in prospective settings.
Racial and Socioeconomic Disparities in Cancer-Related Knowledge, Beliefs, and Behaviors in Indiana
Authors: Rawl Susan M. , Dickinson Stephanie , Lee Joy L. , Roberts Jamie L. , Teal Evgenia , Baker Layla B. , Kianersi Sina , Haggstrom David A.
Published: November 2018

Background:

This statewide survey examined differences in cancer-related knowledge, beliefs, and behaviors between racial and socioeconomic groups in select counties in Indiana.

Methods:

A stratified random sample of 7,979 people aged 18–75 who lived in one of 34 Indiana counties with higher cancer mortality rates than the state average, and were seen at least once in the past year in a statewide health system were mailed surveys.

Results:

Completed surveys were returned by 970 participants, yielding a 12% response rate. Black respondents were less likely to perceive they were at risk for cancer and less worried about getting cancer. Individuals most likely to perceive that they were unlikely to get cancer were more often black, with low incomes (less than $20,000) or high incomes ($50,000 or more), or less than a high school degree. Black women were greater than six times more likely to be adherent to cervical cancer screening. Higher income was associated with receiving a sigmoidoscopy in the last 5 years and a lung scan in the past year. Those with the highest incomes were more likely to engage in physical activity. Both income and education were inversely related to smoking.

Conclusions:

Socioeconomic and racial disparities were observed in health behaviors and receipt of cancer screening. Black individuals had less worry about cancer.

Impact:

Understanding populations for whom cancer disparities exist and geographic areas where the cancer burden is disproportionately high is essential to decision-making about research priorities and the use of public health resources.
A CK1α Activator Penetrates the Brain and Shows Efficacy Against Drug-resistant Metastatic Medulloblastoma
Authors: Rodriguez-Blanco Jezabel , Li Bin , Long Jun , Shen Chen , Yang Fan , Orton Darren , Collins Sara , Kasahara Noriyuki , Ayad Nagi G. , McCrea Heather J. , Roussel Martine F. , Weiss William A. , Capobianco Anthony J. , Robbins David J.
Published: November 2018

Purpose: Although most children with medulloblastoma are cured of their disease, Sonic Hedgehog (SHH) subgroup medulloblastoma driven by TRP53 mutations is essentially lethal. Casein kinase 1α (CK1α) phosphorylates and destabilizes GLI transcription factors, thereby inhibiting the key effectors of SHH signaling. We therefore tested a second-generation CK1α activator against TRP53-mutant, MYCN-amplified medulloblastoma.

Experimental Design: The ability of this CK1α activator to block SHH signaling was determined in vitro using GLI reporter cells, granular precursor primary cultures, and PATCHED1 (PTCH1)-mutant sphere cultures. While in vivo efficacy was tested using 2 different medulloblastoma mouse models: PTCH1 and ND2:SMOA1. Finally, the clinical relevance of CK1α activators was demonstrated using a TRP53-mutant, MYCN-amplified patient-derived xenograft.

Results: SSTC3 inhibited SHH activity in vitro, acting downstream of the vismodegib target SMOOTHENED (SMO), and reduced the viability of sphere cultures derived from SHH medulloblastoma. SSTC3 accumulated in the brain, inhibited growth of SHH medulloblastoma tumors, and blocked metastases in a genetically engineered vismodegib-resistant mouse model of SHH medulloblastoma. Importantly, SSTC3 attenuated growth and metastasis of orthotopic patient-derived TRP53-mutant, MYCN-amplified, SHH subgroup medulloblastoma xenografts, increasing overall survival.

Conclusions: Using a newly described small-molecule, SSTC3, we show that CK1a activators could address a significant unmet clinical need for patients with SMO inhibitor–resistant medulloblastoma, including those harboring mutations in TRP53.
Residual Tumor Volume, Cell Volume Fraction, and Tumor Cell Kill During Fractionated Chemoradiation Therapy of Human Glioblastoma using Quantitative Sodium MR Imaging
Authors: Thulborn Keith R. , Lu Aiming , Atkinson Ian C. , Pauliah Mohan , Beal Kathryn , Chan Timothy A. , Omuro Antonio , Yamada Josh , Bradbury Michelle S.
Published: November 2018

Purpose:

Spatial and temporal patterns of response of human glioblastoma to fractionated chemoradiation are described by changes in the bioscales of residual tumor volume (RTV), tumor cell volume fraction (CVF), and tumor cell kill (TCK), as derived from tissue sodium concentration (TSC) measured by quantitative sodium MRI at 3 Tesla. These near real-time patterns during treatment are compared with overall survival.

Experimental Design:

Bioscales were mapped during fractionated chemoradiation therapy in patients with glioblastomas (n = 20) using TSC obtained from serial quantitative sodium MRI at 3 Tesla and a two-compartment model of tissue sodium distribution. The responses of these parameters in newly diagnosed human glioblastomas undergoing treatment were compared with time-to-disease progression and survival.

Results:

RTV following tumor resection showed decreased CVF due to disruption of normal cell packing by edema and infiltrating tumor cells. CVF showed either increases back toward normal as infiltrating tumor cells were killed, or decreases as cancer cells continued to infiltrate and extend tumor margins. These highly variable tumor responses showed no correlation with time-to-progression or overall survival.

Conclusions:

These bioscales indicate that fractionated chemoradiotherapy of glioblastomas produces variable responses with low cell killing efficiency. These parameters are sensitive to real-time changes within the treatment volume while remaining stable elsewhere, highlighting the potential to individualize therapy earlier in management, should alternative strategies be available.
Intrabiliary Migrated Clips and Coils as a Nidus for Biliary Stone Formation: A Rare Complication following Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy
Authors: Schreuder Anne M. , van Gulik Thomas M. , Rauws Erik A.J.
Published: November 2018

Clips inserted during laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) may migrate into the biliary system and function as a nidus for the formation of gallstones. Here, we present a series of 4 patients who presented with this rare complication 5–17 years after LC. All 4 patients presented with symptomatic choledocholithiasis with biochemical and radiological signs of biliary obstruction. Three patients also had fever and infectious parameters, compatible with concurrent cholangitis. All patients successfully underwent endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) with papillotomy and stone extraction. Patients with cholangitis also had antibiotic treatment. In 3 patients, obstruction of the common bile duct was caused by a single, relatively large stone that had formed around a clip (supposedly the cystic duct clip). In 1 patient, multiple stones had formed around an intrabiliary migrated cluster of coils that had been used for arterial embolization of a pseudo-aneurysm of the right hepatic artery. In conclusion, surgical clips and coils can migrate into the biliary tract and serve as a nidus for the formation of bile duct stones. Although rare, this complication should caution surgeons not to place clips “at random” during cholecystectomy. Patients with this rare complication are best managed by ERCP in combination with sphincterotomy and stone extraction.