bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Rare diagnosis in a patient with diabetes with nephrotic proteinuria
Authors: Azevedo Ariana , Cotovio Patrícia , Góis Mário , Nolasco Fernando
Published: January 2019

We report a 63-year-old man with well-controlled type 2 diabetes mellitus and hypertension, who presented with new onset nephrotic proteinuria and rapid deterioration in renal function. The atypical clinical presentation prompted us to consider a non-diabetic and non-hypertensive cause and to perform a renal biopsy. A diagnosis of fibrillarglomerulonephritis (FGn) was made based on electronic microscopy. Proteinuria remained in nephrotic range despite treatment with prednisolone, and renal function deteriorated. We suggest that other causes of proteinuria should be considered in patients with diabetes who present with the nephrotic syndrome when there is no other evidence of microvascular disease. We review the spectrum of fibrillar glomerulopathies including FGn, primary and secondary amyloidosis and immunotactoid glomerulonephritis.
Severe leptospirosis in a patient with positive serological test for spotted fever rickettsiosis
Authors: Harada Yukinori , Hayashi Minato
Published: January 2019

Here, we report a case of a 64-year-old man with severe leptospirosis infected in an area in Japan that is non-endemic to leptospirosis. Initially, findings of high-grade fever, mild generalised arthralgia, rashes on the trunk, mild thrombocytopenia, elevated liver enzymes and renal dysfunction led to the suspicion of rickettsiosis, which was an endemic infectious disease in the area. Subsequently, leptospirosis was also considered after carefully reviewing patient history, which revealed that he may have been exposed to mice urine. Finally, leptospirosis was diagnosed after the serum indicated a positive PCR for leptospirosis. Furthermore, due to serum antibody positivity forRickettsia japonica, false-positivity or coinfection of spotted fever rickettsiosis was suspected. Despite the delayed diagnosis, the patient recovered with antibiotic treatment. Thus, to prevent diagnostic errors, leptospirosis should be potentially considered with high suspicion in patients with acute undifferentiated fever, even in non-endemic areas of leptospirosis.
Rheumatoid arthritis presenting as rheumatoid meningitis
Authors: McKenna Mary Clare , Vaughan David , Bermingham Niamh , Cronin Simon
Published: January 2019

Rheumatoid meningitis (RM) is a rare extra-articular manifestation of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). A 59-year-old man presented with a 10-day history of right-sided frontal headache and a 7-day history of subacute left-sided weakness. He had no history of RA. He was febrile (38.2°C). Left ankle dorsiflexion and plantarflexion were graded at 4+/5. He developed focal onset motor seizures. He was intermittently febrile with minimal improvement despite intravenous antivirals and antimicrobials. Serology revealed elevated rheumatoid factor 88.2 IU/mL and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) IgG >340 AU/mL. Initial cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was predominantly lymphocytic 96%, with elevated protein 672 mg/L and normal glucose 3.4 mmol/L. Interval CSF revealed newly low glucose 2.6 mmol/L. Extensive CSF microbiology tests were negative. CSF cytology confirmed reactive lymphocytes. MRI brain revealed right frontoparietal leptomeningeal enhancement. Brain and leptomeningeal biopsy demonstrated florid leptomeningeal mixed inflammatory infiltrate without granulomas. The combination of elevated anti-CCP IgG, erosive arthropathy, CSF lymphocytosis, asymmetrical leptomeningeal enhancement and biopsy findings confirmed RM.
Duodenal somatostatinoma presenting as obstructive jaundice with the coexistence of a gastrointestinal stromal tumour in neurofibromatosis type 1: a case with review of the literature
Authors: Thavaraputta Subhanudh , Graham Suzanne , Rivas Mejia Ana M , Lado-Abeal Joaquin
Published: January 2019

Somatostatinomas are rare neuroendocrine tumours, mostly located in the pancreas or duodenum, with an estimated incidence of 1 in 40 million. Duodenal somatostatinomas (DSs) are usually found in association with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), tuberous sclerosis and Von Hippel-Lindau syndrome. Gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GIST) have also been described in NF1, but the association with somatostatinoma is very uncommon. We report the case of a patient with NF1 who presented with obstructive jaundice due to multiple firm nodules around the ampulla of Vater. A pancreaticoduodenectomy was performed and revealed a 1 cm duodenal/ampullary mass which stained positive for somatostatin, together with a GIST also found on the duodenal wall. Despite its rarity, ampullary somatostatinomas should be considered in the differential diagnosis of biliary tract dilation in patients with NF1.
Ocular hypertension secondary to high endogenous steroid load in Cushing’s disease
Authors: Habib Sofia Noor , Lin Zhiheng , Puvanachandra Narman
Published: January 2019

This case report describes a 35-year-old Caucasian man who was referred to the glaucoma clinic with high intraocular pressure (IOP) after routine optometrist assessment. He was diagnosed with ocular hypertension (OHT) and the management plan was for monitoring without treatment. Three months later, he presented to the endocrine clinic with symptoms of Cushing’s disease and was diagnosed with an adrenocorticotropic hormone secreting pituitary microadenoma. His symptoms preceded his presentation at both departments by 5 years. He underwent definitive surgical treatment of his adenoma via transsphenoidal resection. At 1-year follow-up in glaucoma clinic, it was noted that his IOP had normalised. Due to his high endogenous cortisol level at diagnosis, long disease duration, the pattern of IOP rise and subsequent normalisation after treatment, it is suggestive that his OHT is secondary to his Cushing’s disease. There are infrequent reports of this association in published literature.
Mucinous cystic neoplasm of the liver with biliary communication: an exception to the current classification
Authors: Anand Santhosh , Chandrasekar Sandip , Raja Kalayarasan , Pottakkat Biju
Published: January 2019

Cystic neoplasms of the liver are rare tumours. According to the recent WHO classification, they are classified into mucinous cystic neoplasm and intraductal papillary neoplasm based on the presence of ovarian-like stroma and biliary communication. We report two rare cases of mucinous cystadenoma of the liver with biliary communication and discuss the shortcomings of current classification.
The impact of user charges on health outcomes in low-income and middle-income countries: a systematic review
Authors: Qin Vicky Mengqi , Hone Thomas , Millett Christopher , Moreno-Serra Rodrigo , McPake Barbara , Atun Rifat , Lee John Tayu
Published: January 2019

Background

User charges are widely used health financing mechanisms in many health systems in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) due to insufficient public health spending on health. This study systematically reviews the evidence on the relationship between user charges and health outcomes in LMICs, and explores underlying mechanisms of this relationship.

Methods

Published studies were identified via electronic medical, public health, health services and economics databases from 1990 to September 2017. We included studies that evaluated the impact of user charges on health in LMICs using randomised control trial (RCT) or quasi-experimental (QE) study designs. Study quality was assessed using Cochrane Risk of Bias and Risk of Bias in Non-Randomized Studies—of Intervention for RCT and QE studies, respectively.

Results

We identified 17 studies from 12 countries (five upper-middle income countries, five lower-middle income countries and two low-income countries) that met our selection criteria. The findings suggested a modest relationship between reduction in user charges and improvements in health outcomes, but this depended on health outcomes measured, the populations studied, study quality and policy settings. The relationship between reduced user charges and improved health outcomes was more evident in studies focusing on children and lower-income populations. Studies examining infectious disease–related outcomes, chronic disease management and nutritional outcomes were too few to draw meaningful conclusions. Improved access to healthcare as a result of reduction in out-of-pocket expenditure was identified as the possible causal pathway for improved health.

Conclusions

Reduced user charges were associated with improved health outcomes, particularly for lower-income groups and children in LMICs. Accelerating progress towards universal health coverage through prepayment mechanisms such as taxation and insurance can lead to improved health outcomes and reduced health inequalities in LMICs.

Trial registration number

CRD 42017054737.
Endoscopic scar assessment after colorectal endoscopic mucosal resection scars: when is biopsy necessary (EMR Scar Assessment Project for Endoscope (ESCAPE) trial)
Authors: Kandel Pujan , Brand Eelco Christiaan , Pelt Joe , Ball Colleen T , Chen Wei-Chung , Bouras Ernest P , Gomez Victoria , Raimondo Massimo , Woodward Timothy A , Wallace Michael B
Published: January 2019

Objective

It is unclear whether endoscopic assessment of scars after colorectal endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) has to include biopsies, even if endoscopy is negative. Vice versa, endoscopic diagnosis of recurrent adenoma may not require biopsy before endoscopic reinterventions. We prospectively analysed various endoscopic modalities in the diagnosis of recurrence following EMR.

Design

We conducted a prospective study of patients undergoing colonoscopy after EMR of large (≥20 mm) colorectal neoplasia. Endoscopists predicted recurrence and confidence level with four imaging modes: high-definition white light (WL) and narrow-band imaging (NBI) with and without near focus (NF). Separately, 26 experienced endoscopists assessed offline images.

Results

Two hundred and thirty patients with 255 EMR scars were included. The prevalence of recurrent adenoma was 24%. Diagnostic values were high for all modes (negative predictive value (NPV) ≥97%, positive predictive value (PPV) ≥81%, sensitivity ≥90%, specificity ≥93% and accuracy ≥93%). In high-confidence cases, NBI with NF had NPV of 100% (95% CI 98% to 100%) and sensitivity of 100% (95% CI 93% to 100%). Use of clips at initial EMR increased diagnostic inaccuracy (adjusted OR=1.68(95% CI 1.01 to 2.75)). In offline assessment, specificity was high for all imaging modes (mean: ≥93% (range: 55%–100%)), while sensitivity was significantly higher for NBI-NF (82%(72%–93%)%)) compared with WL (69%(38%–86%); p<0.001), WL-NF (68%(55%–83%); p<0.001) and NBI (71%(59%–90%); p<0.001).

Conclusion

Our study demonstrates very high sensitivity and accuracy for all four imaging modalities, especially NBI with NF, for diagnosis of recurrent neoplasia after EMR. Our data strongly suggest that in cases of high confidence negative optical diagnosis based on NBI-NF, no biopsy is needed to confirm absence of recurrence during colorectal EMR follow-up. A high confidence positive optical diagnosis can lead to immediate resection of any suspicious area. In all cases of low confidence, biopsy is still required.

Trial registration number

NCT02668198.
Estimating effects of Uber ride-sharing service on road traffic-related deaths in South Africa: a quasi-experimental study
Authors: Huang Jonathan Yinhao , Majid Farhan , Daku Mark
Published: January 2019

Background

Road traffic deaths are a substantial barrier to population health improvement in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). In South Africa, the road-traffic injury mortality (RTM) rate of 27 per 100 000 population is twice the global average, over 60% of which are alcohol-related. Recent US studies suggest the Uber ride-sharing service may reduce alcohol-related RTM, however RTM burden in the USA is relatively low and transport behaviours differ from LMICs.

Methods

Using certification data from all deaths occurring in South Africa in the years 2010–2014 (n=2 498 216), we investigated the relative change in weekly road traffic-related death counts between provinces which received Uber services (beginning in 2013) against those that did not using a difference-in-differences approach.

Results

Weekly road traffic-related deaths in provinces with Uber were lower following Uber introduction than in comparison provinces without Uber. The effect size was larger in the province which had Uber the longest (Gauteng) and among young adult males (aged 17–39 years). However, the absolute effects were very small (<2 deaths per year) and may coincide with seasonal variation.

Conclusions

Overall, findings did not support either an increase or large decrease in province-level road traffic-related deaths associated with Uber introduction to South Africa. More localised investigations in South Africa and other LMICs are needed.
Long-term effects of compulsory schooling on physical, mental and cognitive ageing: a natural experiment
Authors: Courtin Emilie , Nafilyan Vahe , Glymour Maria , Goldberg Marcel , Berr Claudine , Berkman Lisa F , Zins Marie , Avendano Mauricio
Published: January 2019

Background

Longer schooling is associated with better physical, mental and cognitive functioning, but there is controversy as to whether these associations are causal. We examine the long-term health impact of a policy that increased compulsory schooling by 2 years in France for cohorts born on or after January 1953, offering a natural experiment.

Methods

Data came from Constances, a randomly selected cohort of the French population assessed for cognition, depressive symptoms and physical functioning at ages 45 and older (n=18 929). We use a Regression Discontinuity Design to estimate the impact of increased schooling duration on health. Cognition was measured based on five validated neuropsychological tests and combined into an overall score. The Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale was used to assess depressive symptoms levels. Physical functioning was included as finger tapping, hand grip strength and walking speed.

Results

The reform increased average schooling, particularly among participants from disadvantaged families. Estimates suggest that for men, this reform improved cognitive scores (β=0.15, 95% CI 0.02 to 0.27), but had no impact on physical functioning. Among women, the reform did not increase cognitive scores or physical functioning but led to higher levels of depressive symptoms (β=1.52, 95% CI 0.32 to 2.72). Results were robust to a range of sensitivity analyses.

Conclusion

These findings highlight the need to carefully consider the potential limits of policies that increase the length of compulsory schooling as strategies to improve population health.
Foundation year one and year two doctors’ prescribing errors: a comparison of their causes
Authors: Lewis Penny J , Seston Elizabeth , Tully Mary P
Published: January 2019

Objective

Junior doctors have the highest rates of prescribing errors, yet no study has set out to understand the differences between completely novice prescribers (Foundation year one (FY1) doctors) and those who have gained some experience (Foundation year two (FY2) doctors). The objective of this study was to uncover the causes of prescribing errors made by FY2 doctors and compare them with previously collected data of the causes of errors made by FY1 doctors.

Design

Qualitative interviews, using the critical incident technique, conducted with 19 FY2 doctors on the causes of their prescribing errors and compared with interviews previously conducted with 30 FY1 doctors. Data were analysed using a constant comparison approach after categorisation of the data using Reason’s model of accident causation and the London protocol.

Results

Common contributory factors in both FY1 and FY2 doctors’ prescribing errors included working on call, tiredness and complex patients. Yet, important differences were revealed in terms of application of prescribing knowledge, with FY1 doctors lacking knowledge and FY2 misplacing their knowledge. Due to the rotation of foundation doctors, both groups are faced with novel prescribing contexts, yet the previous experience that FY2 doctors gained led to misplaced confidence when caution would have been expedient.

Conclusions

Differences in the contributory factors of prescribing errors should be taken into account when designing interventions to improve the prescribing of foundation doctors. Furthermore, careful consideration should be taken when inferring expertise in FY2 doctors, who are likely to prescribe in contexts in which their experience is little different to an FY1 doctor.
Vitamin D to prevent exacerbations of COPD: systematic review and meta-analysis of individual participant data from randomised controlled trials
Authors: Jolliffe David A , Greenberg Lauren , Hooper Richard L , Mathyssen Carolien , Rafiq Rachida , de Jongh Renate T , Camargo Carlos A , Griffiths Christopher J , Janssens Wim , Martineau Adrian R
Published: January 2019

Background

Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of vitamin D to prevent COPD exacerbations have yielded conflicting results.

Individual participant data meta-analysis could identify factors that explain this variation.

Methods

PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and Web of Science were searched from inception up to and including 5 October 2017 to identify RCTs of vitamin D supplementation in patients with COPD that reported incidence of acute exacerbations. Individual participant data meta-analysis was performed using fixed effects models adjusting for age, sex, Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease spirometric grade and trial.

Results

Four eligible RCTs (total 560 participants) were identified; individual participant data were obtained for 469/472 (99.4%) participants in three RCTs. Supplementation did not influence overall rate of moderate/severe COPD exacerbations (adjusted incidence rate ratio (aIRR) 0.94, 95% CI 0.78 to 1.13). Prespecified subgroup analysis revealed that protective effects were seen in participants with baseline 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels <25 nmol/L (aIRR 0.55, 95% CI 0.36 to 0.84) but not in those with baseline 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels ≥25 nmol/L (aIRR 1.04, 95% CI 0.85 to 1.27; p for interaction=0.015). Vitamin D did not influence the proportion of participants experiencing at least one serious adverse event (adjusted OR 1.16, 95% CI 0.76 to 1.75).

Conclusions

Vitamin D supplementation safely and substantially reduced the rate of moderate/severe COPD exacerbations in patients with baseline 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels <25 nmol/L but not in those with higher levels.

Trial registration number

CRD42014013953.
Review of pig health and welfare surveillance data sources in England and Wales
Authors: Smith Richard P , Correia‐Gomes Carla , Williamson Susanna , Marier Elizabeth A , Gilson Daniel , Tongue Sue C
Published: January 2019

The capability to set baselines and monitor trends of health and welfare conditions is an important requirement for livestock industries in order to maintain economic competitiveness and sustainability. Monitoring schemes evaluate the relative importance of conditions so that: appropriate actions can be determined, prioritised and implemented; new and (re)emerging conditions can be promptly detected and the effectiveness of any actions can be measured. In 2011, the national pig levy board published a strategy document highlighting health and welfare conditions of importance to the pig industry that were to be targeted for control. In this study, existing schemes that could be used to monitor or set baselines for these conditions in pigs were reviewed, in order to evaluate their suitability for this purpose, using a standardised surveillance evaluation framework (SERVAL). The schemes included: government‐funded surveillance of endemic and exotic disease and pig welfare; industry surveillance of endemic diseases; regional schemes for improving pig health; national accreditation schemes and information collected by retailers, private veterinary practices and private laboratories. The evaluation of each scheme highlights its capability to monitor any of the targeted conditions. This study identifies the biases, strengths and gaps in each scheme and provides discussion of opportunities for future development.
Pilot study of head conformation changes over time in the Cavalier King Charles spaniel breed
Authors: Knowler Susan Penelope , Gillstedt Lena , Mitchell Thomas J , Jovanovik Jelena , Volk Holger Andreas , Rusbridge Clare
Published: January 2019

Modern interpretation of head conformation in the Cavalier King Charles spaniel (CKCS) has favoured a smaller, more exaggerated, brachycephalic type than originally described in the 1929 breed standard. Recent research studies identified brachycephaly and reduced hind cranium as two conformational (dysmorphic) features that increase risk for symptomatic Chiari‐like malformation and secondary syringomyelia (SM). A prospective pilot study investigated the hypothesis that dysmorphic head features could be assessed visually and correlated with risk of SM. Thirteen CKCS, selected from anonymised photographic evidence, were physically appraised by authorised Kennel Club judges using a head shape checklist. These subjective evaluations were then matched with objective measurements of the cranium (cephalic index and rostrocaudal doming) and their subsequent MRI. A positive correlation (P=0.039) between the judges’ checklist score and rostrocaudal doming (hindskull ratio) and a positive correlation between the cephalic index and hindskull ratio (P=0.042) were identified. Five CKCS had no SM and their status tallied with 62 per cent of the judges’ evaluation. Although the ability of adjudicators to identify differences in head conformation varied, there was sufficient association between the dysmorphic parameters and the risk of SM to cause concern and propose a larger study in CKCS breed.
Genetic improvement of resistance to cyclaneusma needle cast in Pinus radiata
Authors: Suontama Mari , Li Yongjun , Low Charlie B. , Dungey Heidi S.
Published: January 2019

Progeny testing of resistance to needle loss caused by Cyclaneusma minus (cyclaneusma needle cast) has been included in the needle disease resistance strategy of Pinus radiata D. Don in New Zealand since the late 1970s. Data on progeny trials, two in the North Island of New Zealand and one in Tasmania, Australia, were available to estimate heritability between trait genetic correlations and genotype × environment interaction. Resistance to cyclaneusma needle cast had moderate estimates of heritability (0.25 to 0.46) at all sites. Genetic correlations between the assessed traits indicated that selection for faster early growth, i.e., tree height at age 4 years and diameter at breast height at age 6 years, favours trees that are prone to Cyclaneusma infection, while a favourable genetic association between resistance to cyclaneusma needle cast and productivity was evident at a later assessment at age 9 years. No significant genotype × environment interaction was found for resistance to cyclaneusma needle cast; however, stability of genotypes across a wider range of environments and with a high genetic connectedness requires more research. Considerable genetic improvement can be achieved for resistance to cyclaneusma needle cast and indirect selection for the trait should be pursued by selecting for productivity and culling susceptible genotypes from breeding.
Isolation and characterization of mercury-resistant bacteria from wastewater sources in Egypt
Authors: Naguib Martha M. , Khairalla Ahmed S. , El-Gendy Ahmed O. , Elkhatib Walid F.
Published: January 2019

An important mechanism for microbial resistance to mercury is its reduction into elemental mercury (facilitated by the merA gene). Thirty-eight microbial isolates from a variety of wastewater sources in Egypt were collected. Approximately 14 of the 38 isolates exhibited not only a high degree of tolerance to mercury (up to 160 ppm) but also a high degree of resistance to other tested heavy metals (Cu, Co, Ni, and Zn). From these 14, the 10 most resistant isolates were selected for further study and were found to include 9 Gram-negative and 1 Gram-positive bacterial strains. Multi-antibiotic-resistance profiles were detected for 6 out of the 10 selected isolates. All the tested Gram-negative isolates (n = 9) harbored a plasmid-encoded merA gene. The mercury removal effectiveness for the 10 selected isolates ranged between 50% and 99.9%, among which Stenotrophomonas maltophilia ADW10 recorded the highest rate (99.9%; at an initial mercury concentration of 20 ppm). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to (i) demonstrate the presence of a multimetal-resistant S. maltophilia bacterium with a high mercury tolerance capacity that would make it a suitable candidate for future bioremediation efforts in heavy-metal-polluted areas in Egypt and (ii) report Pseudomonas otitidis as one of the mercury-resistant bacteria.
A botnet detection method based on FARIMA and hill-climbing algorithm
Authors: Kun Huang , Jun Wu
Published: January 2019

In order to solve the problem of detection efficiency and the detection speed in botnet detection, a novel botnet detection method is proposed based on hill-climbing algorithm and FARIMA. At first, the evaluation indexes are presented in this method, and botnet and infection hosts are quickly searched with hill-climbing algorithm. Then, FARIMA model is introduced to cut down the long-correlation of detection index. Finally, a simulation was conducted to research on the key factors with MATLAB. The result shows that, compared to other algorithms, it has good adaptability, and it could effectively search for infected hosts and botnets.
Droplet transfer behavior of narrow gap laser wire filling welding
Authors: Zhang Z. , Wang R. , Gou G. , Chen H. , Gao W.
Published: January 2019

In this paper, we study the droplet transition behavior of narrow gap laser wire filling welding under the condition of changing welding speed and wire feeding speed, and it was observed by high-speed photography. It was found that with the increase of welding speed, the frequency of droplet transfer was reduced and the transition period was prolonged. With the increase of wire feeding speed, the wire was not fully melted and finally inserted into the molten pool.
Effects of alloying elements on the phase constitution and microstructure of in situ SiC/Al composites
Authors: Yang Hongyu , Dong Erting , Zhang Bingqi , Chen Liangyu , Jin Yunxue , Shu Shili
Published: January 2019

In this work, the in situ SiC/Al composites were successfully fabricated by the method of combustion synthesis and hot press consolidation in an Al-C-Si system. The effect of alloying elements (Mn, Zn, Ti) on the phase constitution and microstructure of in situ SiC/Al composites were investigated. Results indicated that the Al[Formula: see text]Mn[Formula: see text] and Ti[Formula: see text]Si[Formula: see text] phases were formed in the SiC/Al composites with the addition of Mn and Ti, respectively. By the addition of Mn, the size of the synthesized SiC particles was obviously reduced, and consequently the amount of SiC particles was increased. Meanwhile, the percentage of the submicro SiC particles increased about from 22% to 83%. However, the addition of Zn and Ti had little effect on the size of SiC particles.
A Bearing Fault Diagnosis Method Based on VMD-SVD and Fuzzy Clustering
Authors: Cheng Hongchuan , Zhang Yimin , Lu Wenjia , Yang Zhou
Published: January 2019

To obtain the fault features of the bearing, a method based on variational mode decomposition (VMD), singular value decomposition (SVD) is proposed for fault diagnosis by Gath–Geva (G–G) fuzzy clustering. Firstly, the original signals are decomposed into mode components by VMD accurately and adaptively, and the spatial condition matrix (SCM) can be obtained. The SCM utilized as the reconstruction matrix of SVD can inherit the time delay parameter and embedded dimension automatically, and then the first three singular values from the SCM are used as fault eigenvalues to decrease the feature dimension and improve the computational efficiency. G–G clustering, one of the unsupervised machine learning fuzzy clustering techniques, is employed to obtain the clustering centers and membership matrices under various bearing faults. Finally, Hamming approach degree between the test samples and the known cluster centers is calculated to realize the bearing fault identification. By comparing with EEMD and EMD based on a recursive decomposition algorithm, VMD adopts a novel completely nonrecursive method to avoid mode mixing and end effects. Furthermore, the IMF components calculated from VMD include large amounts of fault information. G–G clustering is not limited by the shapes, sizes and densities in comparison with other clustering methods. VMD and G–G clustering are more suitable for fault diagnosis of the bearing system, and the results of experiment and engineering analysis show that the proposed method can diagnose bearing faults accurately and effectively.
Discriminative Low-Rank Subspace Learning with Nonconvex Penalty
Authors: Xie Kan , Liu Wei , Lai Yue , Li Weijun
Published: January 2019

Subspace learning has been widely utilized to extract discriminative features for classification task, such as face recognition, even when facial images are occluded or corrupted. However, the performance of most existing methods would be degraded significantly in the scenario of that data being contaminated with severe noise, especially when the magnitude of the gross corruption can be arbitrarily large. To this end, in this paper, a novel discriminative subspace learning method is proposed based on the well-known low-rank representation (LRR). Specifically, a discriminant low-rank representation and the projecting subspace are learned simultaneously, in a supervised way. To avoid the deviation from the original solution by using some relaxation, we adopt the Schatten [Formula: see text]-norm and [Formula: see text]-norm, instead of the nuclear norm and [Formula: see text]-norm, respectively. Experimental results on two famous databases, i.e. PIE and ORL, demonstrate that the proposed method achieves better classification scores than the state-of-the-art approaches.
Color Constancy Algorithms Related to Human Visual Cognitive Process
Authors: Xu Xiangyang , Chen Qiao , Li Bo
Published: January 2019

Based on the cognition of the physiological structure of the human visual system, this paper considers that the mechanism of the human visual system to perceive the image color appearance includes the adaptive mechanism of the retinal photoreceptor to the ambient light and the spatial frequency response mechanism of the Neuronal receptive field in the visual pathway. In this paper, we first provide the computing framework of the image color appearance model related to human cognitive process, then propose using Gabor wavelet as the basis function of the visual nerve cells response to apply CIECAT02 model to the calculation of image color adaption and to simulate the multi-scale superposition of human visual spatial frequency tuning curves, and finally accomplish the development of the algorithm for predicting image color appearance. The results show that the prediction algorithm proposed in this paper is closer to the visual perception of human eyes than the similar algorithm.
Quasi-isometries of pairs: Surfaces in graph manifolds
Authors: Nguyen Hoang Thanh
Published: January 2019

We show there exists a closed graph manifold [Formula: see text] and infinitely many non-separable, horizontal surfaces [Formula: see text] such that there does not exist a quasi-isometry [Formula: see text] taking [Formula: see text] to [Formula: see text] within a finite Hausdorff distance when [Formula: see text].
Gravitational waves in modified gravity
Authors: Capozziello Salvatore , Bajardi Francesco
Published: January 2019

Gravitational waves (GWs) in Modified Gravity are discussed and compared with General Relativity in view of possible detection of new modes. After a summary of some classes of modified theories, we recall GWs properties in General Relativity as the basic standard by which to compare any modified theory. Then, we discuss GWs in Extended Theories like [Formula: see text] gravity, scalar–tensor gravity, Gauss–Bonnet gravity and other gauge theories, as well as Teleparallel Equivalent General Relativity (TEGR), taking into account also torsion instead of curvature, to describe the gravitational field. As a general remark, all these theories lead to new polarizations in addition to the two standard modes of General Relativity. It is possible to show that, in 4 dimensions, the polarizations are at most 6. Theoretical and experimental implications of new modes are briefly discussed.
PENALTY AMERICAN OPTIONS
Authors: KE ZIWEI , GOARD JOANNA
Published: January 2019

We present a new American-style option whereby on the event of exercise before expiry, the holder pays the writer a fee (which will be referred to as a ‘penalty’). The valuation of the option is not straightforward as it involves determining when it is optimal for the holder to exercise the option, leading to a free boundary problem. As most options in the traded markets have short maturities, accurate and fast valuations of such options are important. We derive analytic approximations for the value of the option with short times to expiry (up to [Formula: see text] months) and its optimal exercise boundary. Some properties of the option, such as the put–call relationship, are explored as well. Numerical experiments suggest that our solutions both for the optimal exercise boundary and option value provide very accurate results.
Nonlinear Vibration of Thermally Postbuckled FG-GRC Laminated Beams Resting on Elastic Foundations
Authors: Shen Hui-Shen , Xiang Y. , Fan Yin
Published: January 2019

Investigated herein are the small- and large-amplitude vibrations of a thermally postbuckled graphene-reinforced composite (GRC) laminated beam supported by an elastic foundation. The piecewise GRC layers are arranged in a functionally graded (FG) pattern along the thickness direction of the beam. The temperature-dependent material properties of functionally graded graphene-reinforced composites (FG-GRCs) are estimated through the extended Halpin–Tsai micromechanical model. The nonlinear governing differential equations are derived from the higher-order shear deformation beam theory and the von Kármán-type strain–displacement relationships. The thermal effect, the beam–foundation interaction and the initial deflection caused by thermal postbuckling are also included. A two-step perturbation approach is applied to determine the thermal postbuckling equilibrium paths as well as the nonlinear vibration solutions for the FG-GRC laminated beams. Results are presented to demonstrate the nonlinear vibration responses of thermally postbuckled FG-GRC laminated beams under a uniform temperature field. The effects of the FG reinforcement patterns and the foundation stiffness on the nonlinear vibration responses of FG-GRC laminated beams are examined and discussed.
Efficient Implementation of an Adaptive Multi-Moment Method for Both Compressible and Incompressible Flows
Authors: Omar Syazana , Li Qijie
Published: January 2019

The Article has been requested to be withdrawn by authors due to technical errors in the manuscript.
Characteristic wavelength selection of volatile organic compounds infrared spectra based on improved interval partial least squares
Authors: Ju Wei , Lu Changhua , Zhang Yujun , Jiang Weiwei , Wang Jizhou , Lu Yi Bing , Hong Feng
Published: January 2019

As important components of air pollutant, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can cause great harm to environment and human body. The concentration change of VOCs should be focused on in real-time environment monitoring system. In order to solve the problem of wavelength redundancy in full spectrum partial least squares (PLS) modeling for VOCs concentration analysis, a new method based on improved interval PLS (iPLS) integrated with Monte-Carlo sampling, called iPLS-MC method, was proposed to select optimal characteristic wavelengths of VOCs spectra. This method uses iPLS modeling to preselect the characteristic wavebands of the spectra and generates random wavelength combinations from the selected wavebands by Monte-Carlo sampling. The wavelength combination with the best prediction result in regression model is selected as the characteristic wavelengths of the spectrum. Different wavelength selection methods were built, respectively, on Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra of ethylene and ethanol gas at different concentrations obtained in the laboratory. When the interval number of iPLS model is set to 30 and the Monte-Carlo sampling runs 1000 times, the characteristic wavelengths selected by iPLS-MC method can reduce from 8916 to 10, which occupies only 0.22% of the full spectrum wavelengths. While the RMSECV and correlation coefficient (Rc) for ethylene are 0.2977 and 0.9999[Formula: see text]ppm, and those for ethanol gas are 0.2977 ppm and 0.9999. The experimental results show that the iPLS-MC method can select the optimal characteristic wavelengths of VOCs FTIR spectra stably and effectively, and the prediction performance of the regression model can be significantly improved and simplified by using characteristic wavelengths.
Atanassov’s interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy set theory applied in KU-subalgebras
Authors: Senapati Tapan , Shum K. P.
Published: January 2019

In this paper, the notion of interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy (IVIF) [Formula: see text]-subalgebras of [Formula: see text]-algebras are introduced and some fundamental properties are discussed. The image and the inverse image of IVIF [Formula: see text]-subalgebras are defined and how the image and the inverse image of IVIF [Formula: see text]-subalgebras in [Formula: see text]-algebras become IVIF [Formula: see text]-subalgebras are studied. Moreover, the cartesian product of IVIF [Formula: see text]-subalgebras are given.
An improved method of optical flow using human body-following wheeled robot
Authors: Wu Yingnian , Yang Qi , Zhou Xiaohang
Published: January 2019

The theory and technology of human–machine coordination and natural interaction have a wide range of application prospect in future smart factories. This paper elaborates on the design and implementation of a body-following wheeled robot system based on Kinect, as well as the use of gesture recognition function to enhance the interactive performance. An improved optical flow method is put forward to obtain the direction and speed of the target movement. The smoothing parameters in traditional optical flow are replaced by variables. The new smoothing parameter is related to the local gradient value. Compared with the traditional optical flow method, it can reflect the status of moving objects more clearly, reduce noise and ensure real-time performance, solving the problem of tracking state oscillation caused by the skeleton node drifts when the target is occluded. The experiment on the wheeled robot confirms that the system can accomplish the tracking task in a preferable way.
Fine-grained Geolocation of Tweets in Temporal Proximity
Authors: Chong Wen-Haw , Lim Ee-Peng
Published: January 2019

In fine-grained tweet geolocation, tweets are linked to the specific venues (e.g., restaurants, shops) from which they were posted. This explicitly recovers the venue context that is essential for applications such as location-based advertising or user profiling. For this geolocation task, we focus on geolocating tweets that are contained in tweet sequences. In a tweet sequence, tweets are posted from some latent venue(s) by the same user and within a short time interval. This scenario arises from two observations: (1) It is quite common that users post multiple tweets in a short time and (2) most tweets are not geocoded. To more accurately geolocate a tweet, we propose a model that performs query expansion on the tweet (query) using two novel approaches. The first approach
temporal query expansion
considers users’ staying behavior around venues. The second approach
visitation query expansion
leverages on user revisiting the same or similar venues in the past. We combine both query expansion approaches via a novel fusion framework and overlay them on a Hidden Markov Model to account for sequential information. In our comprehensive experiments across multiple datasets and metrics, we show our proposed model to be more robust and accurate than other baselines.
Lysine-Targeted Inhibitors and Chemoproteomic Probes
Authors: Cuesta Adolfo , Taunton Jack
Published: January 2019

Covalent inhibitors are widely used in drug discovery and chemical biology. Although covalent inhibitors are frequently designed to react with noncatalytic cysteines, many ligand binding sites lack an accessible cysteine. Here, we review recent advances in the chemical biology of lysine-targeted covalent inhibitors and chemoproteomic probes. By analyzing crystal structures of proteins bound to common metabolites and enzyme cofactors, we identify a large set of mostly unexplored lysines that are potentially targetable with covalent inhibitors. In addition, we describe mass spectrometry–based approaches for determining proteome-wide lysine ligandability and lysine-reactive chemoproteomic probes for assessing drug–target engagement. Finally, we discuss the design of amine-reactive inhibitors that form reversible covalent bonds with their protein targets.
Cyber-Physical Manufacturing Systems
Authors: Tilbury Dawn M.
Published: January 2019

Cyber-physical systems, in which computation and networking technologies interact with physical systems, have made great strides into manufacturing systems. From the early days, when electromechanical relays were used to automate conveyors and machines, through the introduction of programmable logic controllers and computer numerical control, computing and networking have become pervasive in manufacturing systems. By increasing the amount of automation at multiple levels within a factory and across the enterprise, cyber-physical manufacturing systems enable higher productivity and higher quality as well as lower costs.
Effect of Food Structure and Processing on (Poly)phenol–Gut Microbiota Interactions and the Effects on Human Health
Authors: Tomás-Barberán Francisco A. , Espín Juan C.
Published: January 2019

The two-way interaction of food (poly)phenols with the human gut microbiota has been studied throughout the past ten years. Research has shown that this interaction can be relevant to explain the health effects of these phytochemicals. The effect of the food matrix and food processing on this interaction has only been partially studied. In this article, the studies within this field have been critically reviewed, with a special focus on the following groups of phenolic metabolites: citrus flavanones, pomegranate ellagitannins, and cocoa proanthocyanidins. The available research shows that both the food matrix and food processing can be relevant factors for gut microbiota reshaping to reach a healthier microbial ecology and for the conversion of polyphenols to bioactive and bioavailable metabolites. There are, however, some research gaps that indicate a more comprehensive research approach is needed to reach valid conclusions regarding the gut microbiota–mediated effects of polyphenols on human health.
Earth Observation: Investigating Noncommunicable Diseases from Space
Authors: Jia Peng , Stein Alfred , James Peter , Brownson Ross C. , Wu Tong , Xiao Qian , Wang Limin , Sabel Clive E. , Wang Youfa
Published: January 2019

The United Nations has called on all nations to take immediate actions to fight noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), which have become an increasingly significant burden to public health systems around the world. NCDs tend to be more common in developed countries but are also becoming of growing concern in low- and middle-income countries. Earth observation (EO) technologies have been used in many infectious disease studies but have been less commonly employed in NCD studies. This review discusses the roles that EO data and technologies can play in NCD research, including ( a) integrating natural and built environment factors into NCD research, ( b) explaining individual–environment interactions, ( c) scaling up local studies and interventions, ( d) providing repeated measurements for longitudinal studies including cohorts, and ( e) advancing methodologies in NCD research. Such extensions hold great potential for overcoming the challenges of inaccurate and infrequent measurements of environmental exposure at the level of both the individual and the population, which is of great importance to NCD research, practice, and policy.
Television News Coverage of Public Health Issues and Implications for Public Health Policy and Practice
Authors: Gollust Sarah E. , Fowler Erika Franklin , Niederdeppe Jeff
Published: January 2019

Television (TV) news, and especially local TV news, remains an important vehicle through which Americans obtain information about health-related topics. In this review, we synthesize theory and evidence on four main functions of TV news in shaping public health policy and practice: reporting events and information to the public (surveillance); providing the context for and meaning surrounding health issues (interpretation); cultivating community values, beliefs, and norms (socialization); and attracting and maintaining public attention for advertisers (attention merchant). We also identify challenges for TV news as a vehicle for improving public health, including declining audiences, industry changes such as station consolidation, increasingly politicized content, potential spread of misinformation, and lack of attention to inequity. We offer recommendations for public health practitioners and researchers to leverage TV news to improve public health and advance health equity.
Modulatory influence of sex hormones on vascular aging
Authors: Moreau Kerrie L.
Published: January 2019

This review summarizes a presentation given during the “Countermeasures to Cardiovascular Aging Symposium” that was part of the American Physiological Society Conference on Cardiovascular Aging: New Frontiers and Old Friends held in Westminster, CO, in August 2017. Endothelial dysfunction, a characteristic of vascular aging, is a major risk factor for age-associated cardiovascular diseases. In women, the decline in endothelial function is attenuated until menopause, whereafter the rate of decline accelerates to match that seen in men. Sex differences in the decline in endothelial function have been attributed to changes in sex hormones with aging. Women have a progressive impairment in endothelial function across the stages of the menopause transition, related in part to declining estradiol levels. In contrast to women, little is known about the impact of declining testosterone levels on endothelial function in men. Some evidence suggests greater endothelial dysfunction in men with low testosterone compared with men with higher testosterone. The underlying causes of endothelial dysfunction with sex hormone deficiency are unknown but may be related to endothelial nitric oxide synthase dysfunction and oxidative stress. Lifestyle behaviors, including habitual endurance exercise, attenuates and reverses the age-associated decline in endothelial function in older men. However, in older women, these exercise adaptations are diminished or absent, possibly related to estrogen deficiency. Understanding how declines in sex hormones contribute to the vascular aging process in both women and men will inform effective sex-specific intervention strategies to preserve vascular health and prevent cardiovascular diseases.