bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Determination of Zn2+ and Cd2+ by glassy carbon electrode modified with Perilla frutescens activated carbon
Authors: Zheng Lihui , Chen Jinguo , Wan Lingli , Zheng Xinyu , Ke Zongzhi
Published: March 2020

A Perilla frutescens (L.) Britton activated carbon that had high specific surface area (HSAPFAC) was modified on the surface of the glassy carbon electrode (GCE) for preparing a HSAPFAC/GCE, and on this basis, a differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) method for the simultaneous determination of zinc and cadmium ions (Zn2+ and Cd2+) was developed by using HSAPFAC/GCE. The determination conditions such as the film thickness, deposition potential, deposition time, and electrolyte acidity were investigated. The amperometric determination was carried out in a NaAc–HAc buffer solution (0.1 mol L−1, pH 5.5) after enriching for 550 s at –1.3 V. The oxidation peaks appear at –1.160 V and –0.845 V for Zn2+ and Cd2+, respectively. The oxidation peak currents of Zn2+ and Cd2+ are proportional to their concentrations in the ranges of 0.5 ∼ 20 μg L−1 and 0.25 ∼ 10 μg L−1, with the detection limits of 0.15 μg L−1 and 0.01 μg L−1 (signal/noise (S/N) = 3). The proposed method was applied to the determination of Zn2+ and Cd2+ in tap water samples. The recoveries were 101.6%∼103.0% and 84.0%∼88.8%, respectively.
Study on microstructure influence mechanism to mechanical behavior of OGFC asphalt mixture
Authors: Yu Lize , Liu Zuoqiang , Zhang Haitao , Sun Quansheng
Published: March 2020

Microstructure characteristics of OGFC (open graded friction course) asphalt mixture are closely related to the mechanical behavior. To study the microstructure influence mechanism to mechanical behavior of OGFC asphalt mixture, the digital image processing technology is used to process the specimen’s fault images and obtain the microstructure parameters of the OGFC asphalt mixture with different gradation. At the same time, the microstructure influence on mechanical behavior of OGFC asphalt mixture is explored by using the Grey correlation theory based on the experimental results of mechanical performance and the microstructure parameters. The influence of four key sieve passing percentage (1.18, 2.36, 4.75, and 9.5 mm) on the microstructure was discussed by using the Grey correlation theory, and the influence mechanism to mechanical behavior of OGFC asphalt mixture was further revealed. The results show that with the increase of air void content, the total void area, the equivalent pore diameter, and the number of big voids (here, “big” means voids with an area greater than 10 mm2) increase, the length of void and corresponding void area increase synchronously, the drainage performance is enhanced, and the mechanical performance is decreased. With the increase of nominal maximum particle size, the average area of single void, the percentage of number of big voids, and the equivalent diameter increase, and the drainage performance, anti-skidding performance, and mechanical performance of pavement are enhanced. It is considered that the key sieve passing percentage affects the mechanical behavior by influencing the microstructure of asphalt mixtures. The influence degree of microstructure parameters on mechanical behavior and the influence degree of the key sieve passing percentage on microstructure parameters were obtained. The research results have a certain reference value for the optimization of mechanical behavior of OGFC asphalt mixture.
Thermal and thermoelectric conductivity of Einstein-DBI system
Authors: Pal Shesansu Sekhar
Published: March 2020

We calculate the thermoelectric and thermal conductivity of Einstein-DBI system without the translational symmetry. We show that strictly, the longitudinal component of the thermal conductivity in the vanishing dissipation limit, $$k^2\rightarrow 0$$k2→0, is determined only by the metric components evaluated at the horizon of the black hole in the same limit. The temperature dependence of the transport quantities are obtained for $$AdS_4$$AdS4 and $$AdS_2\times R^2$$AdS2×R2 solutions. The Lorentz ratio and Hall–Lorentz ratio are found to be independent of temperature for $$AdS_4$$AdS4 solution in the low temperature limit, whereas the above mentioned quantities are independent of temperature for $$AdS_2\times R^2$$AdS2×R2 solution.
Power Efficient and High-Accuracy Approximate Multiplier with Error Correction
Authors: Yang Zhixi , Li Xianbin , Yang Jun
Published: March 2020

Approximate arithmetic circuits have been considered as an innovative circuit paradigm with improved performance for error-resilient applications which could tolerant certain loss of accuracy. In this paper, a novel approximate multiplier with a different scheme of partial product reduction is proposed. An analysis of accuracy (measured by error distance, pass rate and accuracy of amplitude) as well as circuit-based design metrics (power, delay and area, etc.) is utilized to assess the performance of the proposed approximate multiplier. Extensive simulation results show that the proposed design achieves a higher accuracy than the other approximate multipliers from the previous works. Moreover, the proposed design has a better performance under comprehensive comparisons taking both accuracy and circuit-related metrics into considerations. In addition, an error detection and correction (EDC) circuit is used to correct the approximate results to accurate results. Compared with the exact Wallace tree multiplier, the proposed approximate multiplier design with the error detection and correction circuit still has up to 15% and 10% saving for power and delay, respectively.
Dynamic Stabilization of NAO Humanoid Robot Based on Whole-Body Control with Simulated Annealing
Authors: Kashyap Abhishek Kumar , Parhi Dayal R , Kumar Saroj
Published: March 2020

The prime challenge in a humanoid robot is its stability on two feet due to the presence of an underactuated system. In this paper, the complete dynamics of the humanoid robot has been described in essence of torque calculation at the end effectors. Presence of various restraints in humanoid robot motion makes the task of stabilization an even humongous one. Therefore, to neutralize these constraints, whole-body control (WBC) has been proposed to consider the free-floating base and to ensure the stability of the humanoid robot. Dynamic modeling of the humanoid robot is performed based on the Langrage–Euler formalism to obtain the maximum torque at the joints. This approach is utilized to formulate the torque equation and solve the problem of stabilization. WBC deals with the limitation of attainment of well nimble dynamics behavior operated at high speeds. The simulated annealing approach is preferred to tune WBC to get efficient stabilization and eliminate the earlier limitation. In addition, the zero-moment point (ZMP) criterion is taken care of as it affects the stability of the humanoid robot aggressively. Simulations on V-REP are carried out to understand the torque behavior at each joint. To validate the simulation results, the experiments are carried out on the NAO humanoid robot in real experimental conditions. The experimental and simulation results are compared through torque versus time graphs, and they both show good agreement with deviation under 4% between them. The proposed technique is then compared with various previously implemented techniques which confirm the robustness and efficiency of the proposed methodology.
An Automated Unsupervised Discretization Method: A Novel Approach
Authors: Drias Habiba , Moulai Hadjer , Drias Yassine
Published: March 2020

In this paper, for the first time, a novel discretization scheme is proposed aiming at enabling scalability but also at least three other strong challenges. It is based on a Left-to-Right (LR) scanning process, which partitions the input stream into intervals. This task can be implemented by an algorithm or by using a generator that builds automatically the discretization program. We focus especially on unsupervised discretization and design a method called Usupervised Left to Right Discretization (ULR-Discr). Extensive experiments were conducted using various cut-point functions on small, large and medical public datasets. First, ULR-Discr variants under different statistics are compared between themselves with the aim at observing the impact of the cut-point functions on accuracy and runtime. Then the proposed method is compared to traditional and recent techniques for classification. The result is that the classification accuracy is highly improved when using our method for discretization.
Stratigraphic palynology of the Middle–Late Triassic successions of the Central North Sea
Authors: Burgess Roger , Jolley David , Hartley Adrian
Published: March 2020

Historically, the continental Triassic successions of the Central North Sea have proven difficult to correlate, in part due to the poor palynomorph recovery associated with these sedimentary rocks. The existing framework for correlation is lithostratigraphic and, whilst this has proven effective in United Kingdom Continental Shelf (UKCS) Quad 30 where the mudstone members are well defined, elsewhere in the basin it is more problematic with confident identification of stratigraphic units becoming more difficult. Samples from 32 wells within UKCS Quads 22, 29 and 30, and Norwegian Quads 7, 15 and 16 underwent palynological analysis in which a processing method was utilized that was designed to concentrate palynomorph recovery from Triassic strata.

The results of this analysis allowed the proposal of a new zonal scheme consisting of eight biozones. These biozones can then be used to correlate the Triassic successions of the Central North Sea (CNS), helping to provide both clarity and age constraint on previously disputed stratigraphic units, particularly the J-members of the Skagerrak Formation. Within the correlation framework outlined here, the Julius Mudstone Member is shown to be a productive horizon for palynomorph recovery, representing a widespread swamp environment. Here, its lateral extent is defined which is an important consideration when correlating the Triassic stratigraphy of the CNS given that this member can compartmentalize potential reservoirs contained within these successions. The stratigraphic palynology outlined here also allows clarity on the J-member equivalence of some of the informal units previously described within Triassic successions of the CNS, including the Marnock Shale and Heron Shale.
Acceleration of PageRank with Customized Precision Based on Mantissa Segmentation
Authors: Grützmacher Thomas , Cojean Terry , Flegar Goran , Anzt Hartwig , Quintana-Ortí Enrique S.
Published: March 2020

We describe the application of a communication-reduction technique for the PageRank algorithm that dynamically adapts the precision of the data access to the numerical requirements of the algorithm as the iteration converges. Our variable-precision strategy, using a customized precision format based on mantissa segmentation (CPMS), abandons the IEEE 754 single- and double-precision number representation formats employed in the standard implementation of PageRank, and instead handles the data in memory using a customized floating-point format. The customized format enables fast data access in different accuracy, prevents overflow/underflow by preserving the
IEEE
754 double-precision exponent, and efficiently avoids data duplication, since all bits of the original
IEEE
754 double-precision mantissa are preserved in memory, but re-organized for efficient reduced precision access. With this approach, the truncated values (omitting significand bits), as well as the original IEEE double-precision values, can be retrieved without duplicating the data in different formats.

Our numerical experiments on an NVIDIA V100 GPU (Volta architecture) and a server equipped with two Intel Xeon Platinum 8168 CPUs (48 cores in total) expose that, compared with a standard IEEE double-precision implementation, the CPMS-based PageRank completes about 10% faster if high-accuracy output is needed, and about 30% faster if reduced output accuracy is acceptable.
Testing Bounded Arboricity
Authors: Eden Talya , Levi Reut , Ron Dana
Published: March 2020

In this article, we consider the problem of testing whether a graph has bounded arboricity. The class of graphs with bounded arboricity includes many important graph families (e.g., planar graphs and randomly generated preferential attachment graphs). Graphs with bounded arboricity have been studied extensively in the past, particularly because for many problems, they allow for much more efficient algorithms and/or better approximation ratios.

We present a tolerant tester in the general-graphs model. The general-graphs model allows access to degree and neighbor queries, and the distance is defined with respect to the actual number of edges. Namely, we say that a graph
G
is ϵ-close to having arboricity α if by removing at most an ϵ-fraction of its edges, we can obtain a graph
G
′ that has arboricity α, and otherwise we say that
G
is ϵ-far. Our algorithm distinguishes between graphs that are ϵ-close to having arboricity α and graphs that are
c
ṡ ϵ-far from having arboricity 3α, where
c
is an absolute small constant. The query complexity and running time of the algorithm are Õ (
n
/ ϵ√
m
) + (1 / ϵ)

O
(log(1/ϵ))

, where
n
denotes the number of vertices and
m
denotes the number of edges (we use the notation Õ to hide poly-logarithmic factors in
n
). In terms of the dependence on
n
and
m
, this bound is optimal up to poly-logarithmic factors since Ω(
n
/ √
m
) queries are necessary.
Engineering T Cells to Treat Cancer: The Convergence of Immuno-Oncology and Synthetic Biology
Authors: Choe Joseph H. , Williams Jasper Z. , Lim Wendell A.
Published: March 2020

T cells engineered to recognize and kill tumor cells have emerged as powerful agents for combating cancer. Nonetheless, our ability to engineer T cells remains relatively primitive. Aside from CAR T cells for treating B cell malignancies, most T cell therapies are risky, toxic, and often ineffective, especially those that target solid cancers. To fulfill the promise of cell-based therapies, we must transform cell engineering into a systematic and predictable science by applying the principles and tools of synthetic biology. Synthetic biology uses a hierarchical approach—assembling sets of modular molecular parts that can be combined into larger circuits and systems that perform defined target tasks. We outline the toolkit of synthetic modules that are needed to overcome the challenges of solid cancers, progress in building these components, and how these modules could be used to reliably engineer more effective and precise T cell therapies.
Carnosinase-1 overexpression, but not aerobic exercise training, affects the development of diabetic nephropathy in BTBR ob/ob mice
Authors: Everaert Inge , He Junling , Hanssens Maxime , Stautemas Jan , Bakker Kim , Albrecht Thomas , Zhang Shiqi , Van der Stede Thibaux , Vanhove Kenneth , Hoetker David , Howsam Michael , Tessier Frédéric J. , Yard Benito , Baba Shahid P. , Baelde Hans J. , Derave Wim
Published: March 2020

Manipulation of circulating histidine-containing dipeptides (HCD) has been shown to affect the development of diabetes and early-stage diabetic nephropathy (DN). The aim of the present study was to investigate whether such interventions, which potentially alter levels of circulating HCD, also affect the development of advanced-stage DN. Two interventions, aerobic exercise training and overexpression of the human carnosinase-1 (hCN1) enzyme, were tested. BTBR ob/ob mice were either subjected to aerobic exercise training (20 wk) or genetically manipulated to overexpress hCN1, and different diabetes- and DN-related markers were compared with control ob/ob and healthy (wild-type) mice. An acute exercise study was performed to elucidate the effect of obesity, acute running, and hCN1 overexpression on plasma HCD levels. Chronic aerobic exercise training did not affect the development of diabetes or DN, but hCN1 overexpression accelerated hyperlipidemia and aggravated the development of albuminuria, mesangial matrix expansion, and glomerular hypertrophy of ob/ob mice. In line, plasma, kidney, and muscle HCD were markedly lower in ob/ob versus wild-type mice, and plasma and kidney HCD in particular were lower in ob/ob hCN1 versus ob/ob mice but were unaffected by aerobic exercise. In conclusion, advanced glomerular damage is accelerated in mice overexpressing the hCN1 enzyme but not protected by chronic exercise training. Interestingly, we showed, for the first time, that the development of DN is closely linked to renal HCD availability. Further research will have to elucidate whether the stimulation of renal HCD levels can be a therapeutic strategy to reduce the risk for developing DN.
Canagliflozin reduces cisplatin uptake and activates Akt to protect against cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity
Authors: Song Zhixia , Zhu Jiefu , Wei Qingqing , Dong Guie , Dong Zheng
Published: March 2020

Cisplatin is a widely used chemotherapy drug with notorious nephrotoxicity. Na+-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors are a class of novel antidiabetic agents that may have other effects in the kidneys besides blood glucose control. In the present study, we demonstrated that canagliflozin significantly attenuates cisplatin-induced nephropathy in C57BL/6 mice and suppresses cisplatin induced renal proximal tubular cell apoptosis in vitro. The protective effect of canagliflozin was associated with inhibition of p53, p38 and JNK activation. Mechanistically, canagliflozin partially reduced cisplatin uptake by kidney tissues in mice and renal tubular cells in culture. In addition, canagliflozin enhanced the activation of Akt and inhibited the mitochondrial pathway of apoptosis during cisplatin treatment. The protective effect of canagliflozin was diminished by the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt inhibitor LY294002. Notably, canagliflozin did not affect the chemotherapeutic efficacy of cisplatin in A549 and HCT116 cancer cell lines. These results suggest a new application of canagliflozin for renoprotection in cisplatin chemotherapy. Canagliflozin may protect kidneys by reducing cisplatin uptake and activating cell survival pathways.
Bioreactor Scale-Up and Kinetic Modeling of Lactic Acid and Biomass Production by Enterococcus faecalis SLT13 during Batch Culture on Hydrolyzed Cheese Whey
Authors: Ziadi Manel , M’Hir Sana , Aydi Abdelkarim , Hamdi Moktar
Published: March 2020

Kinetic modeling of biomass and lactic acid production by Enterococcus faecalis SLT13 have been developed during batch culture in M17 and Hydrolyzed Cheese Whey (HCW) in 2 L and 20 L bioreactors. The specific growth rate μmax was higher in 20 L bioreactor (1.09 h−1); however, the maximum specific lactic acid production rate qpmax and maximum specific sugar utilization rate qsmax were higher in 2 L bioreactor. Biomass and sugar utilization were affected by lactic acid inhibition in HCW. No effects of substrate inhibition have been observed. Substrate limitation of biomass has been observed on HCW in 20 L bioreactor; the substrate limitation constant for biomass Ksx was 4.229 g/L. Substrate limitation of sugar consumption has been observed on M17 in 2 L bioreactor; the substrate limitation constant for sugar consumption Kss was 2.73 g/L. Compared to experimental data, the model provided good predictions for biomass, sugar consumption, and lactic acid production.
An Adrenocortical Carcinoma Associated with Non-Islet Cell Tumor Hypoglycemia and Aberrant ACTH Production
Authors: Dilrukshi M. D. S. A. , Wickramarachchi A. W. , Abeyaratne D. D. K. , Shine Brian , Jafar-Mohammadi Bahram , Somasundaram N. P.
Published: March 2020

Introduction. Adrenocortical carcinomas (ACCs) are infrequently reported to present with severe hypoglycemia syndrome resulting from the secretion of insulin-like growth factor II (IGF-II) by tumor cells. Adrenocorticotropic hormone- (ACTH) independent hypercortisolism is the norm of hormonally active ACCs, but aberrant ACTH production by tumor cells can theoretically cause ACTH-dependent hypercortisolism. The purpose of this report was to present a case of an ACC manifested with the co-occurrence of two extremely rare presentations. Case Description. We present a rare case of a 43-year-old male patient admitted with recurrent episodes of severe non-ketotic and non-insulin-mediated hypoglycemia due to IGF-II mediated disease and ACTH-dependent Cushing’s syndrome. He was diagnosed with a diffusely disseminated adrenocortical carcinoma with immunohistochemistry of tumor cells showing focal ACTH immunostain positivity. Conclusion. Non-islet cell tumor hypoglycemia and ACTH-dependent Cushing’s syndrome are extremely rare presentations of an ACC, and co-occurrence of these entities in a single patient is never reported in the literature.
Implication of Radon Monitoring for Earthquake Surveillance Using Statistical Techniques: A Case Study of Wenchuan Earthquake
Authors: Alam Aftab , Wang Nanping , Zhao Guofeng , Barkat Adnan
Published: March 2020

The seismotectonically induced changes in groundwater radon (Rn) are considered to be strong imputes for the surveillance of imminent major earthquakes. Groundwater facilitates the migration of soil gases as a result of tectonic stresses. In this regard, a radon time series is statistically analysed to identify the radon anomalies possibly induced by Wenchuan earthquake. The statistical analysis mainly involves the deterministic analysis of the Rn data and residual Rn analysis using a criterion x¯±2σ of anomaly selection having a confidence interval of 95%. The deterministic analysis reveals that the Rn time series follows a persistent trend 0.5≤H≤1 which confirms the absence of a chaotic regime. On the other hand, the residual Rn shows a notable upsurge straddling the time of the Wenchuan earthquake in the form of pre- and post earthquake changes at monitoring stations having RE/RD≤0.3. The residual Rn level passes the anomaly selection criterion x¯±2σ and is declared as a tectonically induced Rn anomaly. Contrary to this, the response of distant monitoring stations (RE/RD>0.3) to this particular earthquake further validates the link between Rn and earthquake activity. In a nutshell, the present study highlights the potential implications of earthquake-induced radon anomalies for earthquake prediction research.
The Essential Oil from Acori Tatarinowii Rhizome (the Dried Rhizome of Acorus tatarinowii Schott) Prevents Hydrogen Peroxide‐Induced Cell Injury in PC12 Cells: A Signaling Triggered by CREB/PGC‐1α Activation
Authors: Yan Lu , Mahady Gail , Qian Yiyun , Song Pingping , Jian Tunyu , Ding Xiaoqin , Guan Fuqin , Shan Yu , Wei Min
Published: March 2020

Acori Tatarinowii Rhizome (ATR, the dried rhizome of Acorus tatarinowii Schott), a well‐recognized traditional Chinese herbal medicine, is prescribed to treat neurological disorders. The essential oil is considered as the active fraction of ATR, and the neuroprotection of ATR essential oil (ATEO) is proven, including the protection against oxidative stress. However, the cellular mechanism of ATEO against oxidative stress has not been fully illustrated. In this study, to investigate the cellular mechanism of ATEO, the cytoprotective effect of ATEO against H2O2‐induced injury was revealed in PC12 cells. ATEO treatment increased the viability of cells affected by H2O2‐mediated injury, inhibited reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, and induced the expression of several antioxidant proteins (SODs, GPx, and UCPs). The cytoprotective effect of ATEO was related to upregulation of peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor gamma coactivator 1‐alpha (PGC‐1α) expression, which was counteracted by PGC‐1α specific knockdown. Using inhibitor of protein kinase A (PKA), we found that cAMP‐response element binding protein (CREB) activation was involved in ATEO‐induced PGC‐1α expression. Taken together, we suggest that ATEO effectively prevents H2O2‐induced cell injury possibly through the activation of CREB/PGC‐1α signaling in PC12 cells. The results provide a molecular insight into the effect of ATEO on cytoprotection against oxidative stress.
Modeling of Interelectrode Gap in Electric Discharge Machining and Minimum Variance Self-Tuning Control of Interelectrode Gap
Authors: Xin Bin , Gao Ming , Li Shujuan , Feng Bin
Published: March 2020

In the electric discharge machining system, the determination of the gap between the anode and the cathode is a difficult point of this kind of machining approach. An accurate mathematical model of interelectrode gap is obtained, and the precise control of the gap is achieved on this basis. In this paper, based on the example of discharge machining of P-type single crystal Si, the theoretical analysis proved that the discharge channel can be equivalent to pure resistance, and the physical model of the interelectrode gap and voltage and current was established. The order and parameters of the EDM system model were determined by adopting the system identification theory. We designed the minimum variance self-correcting controller to accurately control the interelectrode gap in combination with the actual machining process. Experimental results show that the interelectrode gap model can correctly reflect the interelectrode gap in the actual machining process; the minimum variance self-correcting controller eliminates the short circuit phenomenon during processing and can stably track different desired gaps; the material removal rate and the surface roughness decrease with the increase of the interelectrode gap.
Visualization Techniques of Differentially Heated Lid-Driven Square Cavity
Authors: Narayana Vekamulla
Published: March 2020

In the present study, an attempt is made to explore the flow field inside the differentially heated lid-driven square cavity. The governing equations along with boundary conditions are solved numerically. The simulated results (100 ≤ Re ≤ 1000 and 0.001 ≤ Ri ≤ 10) are validated with previous results in the literature. The convection differencing schemes, namely, UPWIND, QUICK, SUPERBEE, and SFCD, are discussed and are used to simulate the flow using the MPI code. It is observed that the computational cost for all the differencing schemes get reduced tremendously when the MPI code is implemented. Plots demonstrate the influences of Re and Ri in terms of the contours of the fluid streamlines, isotherms, energy streamlines, and field synergy principle.
Optimal Integrated Model for Feeder Transit Route Design and Frequency-Setting Problem with Stop Selection
Authors: Wei Ming , Liu Tao , Sun Bo , Jing Binbin
Published: March 2020

This study proposed a mathematical model for designing a feeder transit service for improving the service quality and accessibility of transportation hubs (such as airport and rail station). The proposed model featured an integrated framework, which simultaneously guided passengers to reach their nearest stops to get on and off the bus, designed routes to transport passengers from these selected pick-up stops to the transportation hubs, and calculated their departure frequencies. In particular, the maximum walking distance, the upper and lower limits of route frequencies, and the load factor rate of each route were fully accounted for in this study. The main objective of the proposed model was to simultaneously minimize the total walking, riding time, and waiting time of all passengers. As this study explored an NP-hard problem, a two-stage genetic algorithm combining the Dijkstra search method was further developed to yield metaoptimal solutions to the model within an acceptable time. Finally, a test instance in Chongqing City, China, demonstrated that the proposed model was an effective tool to generate a pedestrian, route, and operation plan; it reduced the total travel time, compared with the traditional model.
Risk Factors for Brain Metastases in Patients with Renal Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Ke Zhi-Bin , Chen Shao-Hao , Chen Ye-Hui , Wu Yu-Peng , Lin Fei , Xue Xue-Yi , Zheng Qing-Shui , Xu Ning , Wei Yong
Published: March 2020

Background. Patients with brain metastases (BM) from renal cell carcinoma (RCC) were considered to experience a poor prognosis. However, there is little knowledge on the risk factors for BM from RCC at diagnosis. This study was aimed at exploring the risk factors for patients with BM from RCC and the interaction among these risk factors. Methods. A total of 38759 cases of RCC were identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Risk factors for BM from RCC were evaluated by univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. Interaction effect between age and tumor size was tested. Results. There was a significant difference in univariate analysis, including T stage, tumor size, grades III and IV, lymph node metastasis, bone metastasis, liver metastasis, lung metastasis, and surgery. There was a significant difference in multivariate analysis, including age, T stage, tumor size < 10 cm, grade IV, lymph node metastasis, bone metastasis, lung metastasis, and surgery. Patients older than 70 had 0.653‐fold lower risk of developing BM compared with those younger than 70. Patients with tumor size ≥ 4 cm and <10 cm had higher risk of developing BM compared with those < 4 cm. The larger the tumor size, the higher the incidence of BM from RCC in those whose tumor size was less than 10 cm. An interaction test between the tumor size and age on brain metastasis was statistically significant in the crude analysis (P = 0.0114) and model II analysis (P = 0.0248) but not in model I analysis (P = 0.1136). Although age significantly affected the risk of BM from RCC, impact of age on the risk of developing BM from RCC was limited to patients with tumor size ≥ 7 cm. Conclusion. Both tumor size and age were independent risk factors for brain metastases in patients with RCC. The impact of age on the risk of developing BM from RCC was limited to patients with tumor size ≥ 7 cm. Patients with a larger tumor size and younger age might have the higher risk of developing BM at diagnosis of RCC.
Coordination of Closed-Loop Supply Chain with Dual-Source Supply and Low-Carbon Concern
Authors: Li Jing , Gong Shuying
Published: March 2020

Considering the impact of dual-source supply and low-carbon manufacturing on a closed-loop supply chain (CLSC) system, this article constructs a CLSC model with two competitive dominant upstream suppliers and one following a downstream (re-)manufacturer, then coordinates supply chain through cost-sharing contract. Based on the industrial case in the area of power battery, we analyze the optimal strategies under competition, cooperation, and coordination structures separately and then investigate the influences of emission reduction effort and collection efficiency on supply chain performance. The results reveal that collection of used products can positively affect the (re-)manufacturer’s profit but has opposite impact on the new component supplier. Besides, recycling is beneficial to both low-carbon consumers’ utility and social welfare, but hurts the total profit of CLSC because of the high investment cost of collection. Therefore, the paper designs a cost-sharing contract, which is of applicability and efficiency for both economic and environmental development. Furthermore, it can also increase the profit of CLSC up to cooperation case and improve each member’s profit, eliminating double marginal effect and achieving supply chain coordination.
Towards a Growth Mindset Culture in the Classroom: Implementation of a Lesson-Integrated Mindset Training
Authors: Zeeb Helene , Ostertag Julia , Renkl Alexander
Published: March 2020

A mindset training aims to strengthen the belief that abilities are malleable (growth mindset), which has proven to be beneficial for learning. Teachers can support the effects of such a training by establishing a classroom culture in line with the growth mindset idea. Yet, previous training programs have mostly been detached from regular lessons. In this study, a physics teacher implemented a mindset training that consisted of explicit training sessions and implicit training phases. In these implicit phases, the teacher enriched ordinary lessons with growth mindset feedback. We investigated the overall effect of this lesson-integrated training on students’ beliefs and motivation. Students from two seventh-grade courses participated in the quasi-experimental study (N = 59). One course received the mindset training; the other course served as control. We measured growth mindsets about physics abilities, self-beliefs, and motivation before and after the training and six months later. The results indicate that there was a positive and stable training effect on growth mindsets, but no effect on self-beliefs. Regarding motivation, the training buffered the demotivation that occurred without training. We conclude that a mindset training is important when introducing a new and difficult school subject. Furthermore, we consider teachers’ involvement as a promising approach to optimize mindset interventions and to encourage a sustained change of instructional practices.
Influence of Hysteresis on the Vibration Control of a Smart Beam with a Piezoelectric Actuator by the Bouc–Wen Model
Authors: Zhang Ting
Published: March 2020

The hysteresis property in a smart structure has attracted much attention from researchers for several decades. Hysteresis not only affects the response precision of the smart structure but also threatens the stability of the system. This paper focuses on how the hysteresis property influences the control effect of vibration suppression for a smart beam. Furthermore, the Bouc–Wen model is adopted to describe the hysteresis property of a smart beam and the hysteresis parameters of the hysteresis model are identified with a genetic algorithm. Based on the identification results, the hysteresis model is validated to represent the hysteresis property of the smart beam. Based on the hysteresis model, model reference adaptive control is designed to explore the influence of hysteresis on the vibration control of the smart beam. With some simulations and experiments, it is found that the vibration control effect is influenced when the hysteresis item changes. The vibration control effect will be improved when the hysteresis coefficient in the Bouc–Wen model, as the expected objective model of the adaptive reference model, is within a proper numerical range where the control system is stable. Furthermore, when the time delay is considered in the closed-loop control system, the principle of the hysteresis influence is different. The results indicate that the hysteresis property affects not only the control effect but also the stability of the control system for a smart cantilever beam.
Leukocyte Telomere Length Independently Predicts 3-Year Diabetes Risk in a Longitudinal Study of Chinese Population
Authors: Liu Yiwen , Ma Chifa , Li Pingping , Ma Chunxiao , He Shuli , Ping Fan , Zhang Huabing , Li Wei , Xu Lingling , Li Yuxiu
Published: March 2020

Cellular aging markers, including telomere length and mitochondrial function, as well as oxidative stress and inflammation markers influence each other and form a complex network, which is affected in diabetes. However, it remains unknown whether these markers could independently predict future diabetes after adjustment for their mutual effects. We conducted a 3-year longitudinal study in a Chinese cohort that comprised 108 nondiabetic individuals at baseline. The 2-hour 75 g oral glucose tolerance tests were performed at baseline and at 3-year follow-up. At baseline, leukocyte telomere length (LTL) and mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNAcn) in leukocytes were determined using the polymerase chain reaction method. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α), interleukin-6, 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine levels, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity were measured by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Participants who developed diabetes at the 3-year follow-up (n=28) had shorter LTL and higher levels of TNF-α and SOD activity at baseline. Baseline LTL was found to be independently associated with the development of diabetes at the 3-year follow-up after the adjustment for mtDNAcn, markers of oxidative stress and inflammation, and conventional diabetes risk factors. Our findings suggest that LTL is an independent predictor for 3-year diabetes risk, which might inform timely prevention and treatment of diabetes. Telomere shortening might be involved in the pathogenesis of diabetes independently of conventional diabetes risk factors, mtDNAcn, or oxidative stress and inflammation pathways.
A Case of Perilymphatic Fistula with Inner Ear Anomaly Diagnosed Preoperatively by the Cochlin-Tomoprotein Detection Test
Authors: Lee Kana , Ochi Naoki , Yamahara Kohei , Makino Kunihiko , Ikezono Tetsuo
Published: March 2020

We present a case of perilymphatic fistula (PLF) with inner ear anomalies having sudden, progressive sensorineural hearing loss and describe the fistula repair surgeries. We focus on the diagnosis methods of PLF and clinical course of PLF with inner ear anomaly. The cochlin-tomoprotein (CTP) detection test is very useful for the surgeons to encourage the earlier operation to sudden hearing loss cases. It is also helpful to define the diagnosis of PLF after operation. We could not get the good result as to hearing from the fistula repair surgery mainly because surgery was held 1 month after the onset. The results of the case, as well as recommendations of other reports, suggest that patients with sudden sensorineural hearing loss and PLF may need repair surgery within at most 2 weeks from the onset. We describe how to diagnose PLF more accurately using CTP detection combined with intraoperative findings.
One Size Does Not Fit All: Marked Heterogeneity in Incidence of and Survival from Gastric Cancer among Asian American Subgroups
Authors: Huang Robert J. , Sharp Nora , Talamoa Ruth O. , Ji Hanlee P. , Hwang Joo Ha , Palaniappan Latha P.
Published: March 2020

Background:

Asian Americans are at higher risk for noncardia gastric cancers (NCGC) relative to non-Hispanic Whites (NHW). Asian Americans are genetically, linguistically, and culturally heterogeneous, yet have mostly been treated as a single population in prior studies. This aggregation may obscure important subgroup-specific cancer patterns.

Methods:

We utilized data from 13 regional United States cancer registries from 1990 to 2014 to determine secular trends in incidence and survivorship from NCGC. Data were analyzed for NHWs and the six largest Asian American subgroups: Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, Korean, Vietnamese, and South Asian (Indian/Pakistani).

Results:

There exists substantial heterogeneity in NCGC incidence between Asian subgroups, with Koreans (48.6 per 100,000 person-years) having seven-fold higher age-adjusted incidence than South Asians (7.4 per 100,000 person-years). Asians had generally earlier stages of diagnosis and higher rates of surgical resection compared with NHWs. All Asian subgroups also demonstrated higher 5-year observed survival compared with NHWs, with Koreans (41.3%) and South Asians (42.8%) having survival double that of NHWs (20.1%, P < 0.001). In multivariable regression, differences in stage of diagnosis and rates of resection partially explained the difference in survivorship between Asian subgroups.

Conclusions:

We find substantial differences in incidence, staging, histology, treatment, and survivorship from NCGC between Asian subgroups, data which challenge our traditional perceptions about gastric cancer in Asians. Both biological heterogeneity and cultural/environmental differences may underlie these findings.

Impact:

These data are relevant to the national discourse regarding the appropriate role of gastric cancer screening, and identifies high-risk racial/ethnic subgroups who many benefit from customized risk attenuation programs.
A Simple Equation to Estimate Urinary Flow Rate Using Urine Creatinine
Authors: Webster Luke , Larive Brett , Gassman Jennifer , Bullen Alexander , Weisbord Steven D. , Palevsky Paul M. , Fried Linda F. , Raphael Kalani , Isakova Tamara , Ix Joachim H.
Published: March 2020

Background: Accurate assessment of urine flow remains challenging in both inpatient and outpatient settings. We hypothesized we could derive an equation that would accurately estimate urine flow rate (eV) through derivation from other existing equations commonly used in nephrology clinical practice. Methods: The eV equation was derived using the Cockcroft-Gault and the measured creatinine clearance (CrCl = UCrV/PCr) equations. Within the African American Study of Kidney Disease and Hypertension (AASK; n = 570) and COMBINE (n = 133) clinical trials, we identified participants with concordant estimated and measured creatinine excretion rates to define a subset with highly accurate 24-h urine collections, to assure a reliable gold standard. We then compared eV to measured 24-h urine flow rates in these trials. Results: In AASK, we found a high correlation between eV and measured urine flow rate (V; r = 0.91, p < 0.001); however, Bland-Altman plots showed that eV was 9.5 mL/h lower than V, on average. Thus, we added a correction factor to the eV equation and externally validated the new equation in COMBINE. eV and V were again highly correlated (r = 0.91, p < 0.001), and bias was improved (mean difference 5.3 mL/h). Overall, 80% of individuals had eV that was within 20% of V. Conclusions: A simple equation using urine creatinine, demographics, and body weight can accurately predict urine flow rate and may have clinical utility in situations where it is difficult to accurately measure the urine flow rate.
Towards machine learning-based self-tuning of Hadoop-Spark system
Authors: Armanur Rahman Md. , Hossen Abid , Hossen J. , C Venkataseshaiah , Bhuvaneswari Thangavel , Sultana Aziza
Published: March 2020

Apache Spark is an open source distributed platform which uses the concept of distributed memory for processing big data. Spark has more than 180 predominant configuration parameter. Configuration settings directly control the efficiency of Apache spark while processing big data, to get the best outcome yet a challenging task as it has many configuration parameters.  Currently, these predominant parameters are tuned manually by trial and error. To overcome this manual tuning problem in this paper proposed and developed a self-tuning approach using machine learning. This approach can tune the parameter value when it’s required. The approach was implemented on Dell server and experiment was done on five different sizes of the dataset and parameter. A comparison is provided to highlight the experimented result of the proposed approach with default Spark configuration system. The results demonstrate that the execution is speeded-up by about 33% (on an average) compared to the default configuration.
Dynamic model development for lead acid storage battery
Authors: V. Rajanna B. , Kiran Kumar Malligunta
Published: March 2020

It is widely accepted that electrochemical batteries ensure superior energy storage and reliability of power supply. This paper proposes to discuss the dynamic performance of the Lead Acid Storage battery and to develop an Electrical Equivalent circuit and study its response to sudden changes in the output. A detailed explanation of the discharging process for lead-acid storage batteries and the factors affecting the rate of chemical reactions is provided. The objective of the study is to find the reduction in terminal voltage due to the change in reaction rate and to evolve a simple dynamic model for discharge of the battery.
A novel three tier internet of things health monitoring system
Authors: N, Deepika , Anand M. , Jerald F.
Published: March 2020

Internet of things is a technology where day to day devices, processing, and communication become smarter, intelligent and informative respectively. Health monitoring system is one the most important applications enabled by IOT. IOT health monitoring system comprises of sensors, network and a remote server (cloud). It provides multi-dimensional health monitoring and also suggests treatments. In this paper we have proposed a novel three tier health monitoring system , which stores and process the huge amount of sensor data outside the device using a  technology called  cloud computing. When the observed clinical sensor value exceeds the threshold clinical value, the system sends alert message to the doctor and caretakers. The history of data and observed data is stored in the cloud for a longer time and it can be viewed by logging into the website.
Development of advanced automated test equipment for digital system by using FPGA
Authors: Muttaqin Adharul , Abidin Zainul , Arief Setyawan Raden , Az Zahra Itsna
Published: March 2020

One of the fundamental devices in electronics, Integrated Circuit (IC), is usually applied in more complex devices. Before the IC is used, it has to pass some tests to guarantee that its function is in accordance with the specifications. Automated Test Equipment (ATE) is used to test many electronics devices, including ICs. Nowadays, with the rapid advance in electronics technology, the industry will need more advanced ATE to fulfill customers demand. One of the applicative solutions is improvement and integration of a standalone module in commercial ATE owned by the company. ASL 1000 Test System is one of the ATE that is still widely used in industry. ASL 1000 has one limitation in one of its module, Digital Driver and Detector (DDD). The limitation is how much vector pattern that can be saved in the memory. Based on the observation in DDD instrument, a standalone module that has similar specifications as DDD can be designed using Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) as its base component. In the standalone module plan, supporting circuits are used, these are interface circuit between FPGA and PC using RS-232 and ASIC as ATE drivers or comparators to connect FPGA and device under test (DUT). The result of the study shows that the designed module can receive and send 8-bit data at 19.200 baud rate. It can write and read 16-bit data from and to SDR SDRAM within 90 ns and 80 ns for one cycle. It can control DAC type AD5308 in standalone operation and DAC type AD5676 in daisy chain operation to generate specific voltage in specific channel. In behavioral simulation, main controller module has already worked in accordance with the desired specifications.
Factors that affects the dielectric properties of natural fibre reinforced hybrid biocomposite
Authors: Sunthrasakaran Nishanthi , Mohd Jamail Nor Akmal , Abd. Rahman Rahisham , Ramdon Bin Baharom Md Nor , Ezani Kamarudin Qamarul , Farid Sies Mohamad , W. N. Azrina W. Muhammad
Published: March 2020

Almost all research on natural fibre reinforced composite has focused on the mechanical properties of the composite. Drawing on the important factors that effect the end product of composite, this paper reviews electrical properties of hybrid biocomposite when fibre content and surface treatment is varied. The compilation of dielectric constant, dissipation factor, loss factor and moisture absorption reported by researchers has been presented in this paper. The intrinsic characteristic of natural fibre which is hydrophilic is the main drawback that affects the electrical properties of the composite. Alkaline treatment on natural fibre has proven to overcome the hydrophilic characteristic and improves the adhesion between matrix and fibre. Besides that, the percentage of fibre content plays an important role in producing a good natural fibre reinforced hybrid composite. The moisture uptake, dielectric constant, dissipation factor and loss factor of the composite decreases with decreased fibre content.