bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Graves’ disease presenting with hypomania and paranoia to the acute psychiatry service
Authors: Bennett Benjamin , Mansingh Ajay , Fenton Cormac , Katz Jonathan
Published: February 2021

This manuscript describes the case of a young woman, with no prior psychiatric history, who developed hypomania and paranoia as the principal presenting features of Graves’ disease. After starting treatment with carbimazole and propranolol, symptoms resolved without the use of antipsychotic drugs. Close liaison between psychiatry and endocrinology services was essential. This demonstrates that treating underlying thyrotoxicosis in patients presenting with psychiatric symptoms may lead to recovery without the use of antipsychotic medication. While agitation, irritability and mood lability are well-recognised thyrotoxic symptoms, psychosis is a rare presenting feature of Graves’ disease. All patients with agitation, delirium or psychiatric symptoms should have thyroid function checked as part of initial tests screening for organic disease. In new or relapsing psychiatric conditions, it is important to ask patients, their carers or relatives about symptoms of hypothyroidism or thyrotoxicosis.
Cardiac sarcoidosis masquerading as ventricular tachycardia storm: a challenging diagnosis
Authors: Aitken William , Tsang Darren , Chaparro Sandra , Kir Devika
Published: February 2021

A 67-year-old African-American woman with remote history of complete heart block (s/p pacemaker 3 years ago) and recent onset of ventricular tachycardia (VT) (s/p VT ablation and cardiac resynchronisation therapy defibrillator upgrade 3 months ago) presented to the hospital with VT storm. Workup showed newly reduced left ventricular ejection fraction with global hypokinesis (20%) and restrictive physiology. Positive technetium pyrophosphate scan was suspicious for TTR amyloid while serological workup revealed a monoclonal gammopathy. Cardiac MRI was contraindicated given remote brain aneurysm clip. Given clinical suspicion for cardiac sarcoidosis and divergent non-invasive workup, endomyocardial biopsy was performed which showed non-necrotising granulomas consistent with cardiac sarcoidosis. She was started on steroids with clinical improvement. Cardiac sarcoidosis is a challenging clinical diagnosis, particularly in patients without extracardiac manifestations. This case highlights the importance of a detailed and thorough workup of non-ischaemic cardiomyopathy and being cognizant of infiltrative disease as it can change patient management and outcomes.
Multiorgan thromboembolic shower and its ethical implications
Authors: Basgaran Amedra , Khara Sayani , Sivagnanaratnam Aravinth
Published: February 2021

A 54 year-old man was admitted after being found on the floor of his home, thought to have been there for approximately 5 days. He was diagnosed with a non-ST elevation myocardial infarction and bilateral cerebral ischaemic infarcts, as well as an acute kidney injury driven by rhabdomyolysis. The following day, bilateral lower limb ischaemia was observed. A full body CT angiogram revealed a complete thromboembolic shower with bilateral arterial occlusion in the lower limbs, bilateral pulmonary emboli, a splenic infarct and mesenteric ischaemia. An echocardiogram revealed a large thrombus in the left ventricle as the likely thromboembolic source. Bilateral lower limb amputations were recommended, commencing a complex discussion regarding the best course of management for this patient. The discussion was multifaceted, owing to the patient’s lack of capacity, and input from multiple teams and the patient’s relatives was required. Both ethical and clinical challenges arise from this case of a thromboembolic shower.
Contralateral axillary metastasis: a diagnostic and therapeutic clinical dilemma
Authors: Abdulla Hussain Adnan , AlQaseer Asma , Bukamal Zain , Alrayes Amal
Published: February 2021

We report a 61-year-old woman with primary right breast cancer and metastatic lymphadenopathy in the contralateral axilla. This case represents a clinical dilemma because primary breast cancer, occult contralateral breast cancer and extra-mammary primary lesion can all be the source of the contralateral axillary metastasis. The patient underwent bilateral modified radical mastectomy. Immunohistochemistry revealed that the right breast was positive for estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR), but negative for human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2). In contrast, the right and left axillary lymph nodes were positive for ER, but negative for PR and HER2. There was no evidence of occult primary cancers or extra-mammary tumours.
When snakebites complicate: a paediatric case with shock and compartment syndrome
Authors: Carvalho Joana , Moinho Rita , Macao Patricia , Oliveira Guiomar
Published: February 2021

We report the case of an 11-year-old boy brought to our emergency department 2 hours after a viper bite to his right hand. He suffered severe pain and rapidly progressive swelling with signs of haemodynamic compromise in keeping with distributive shock. The oedema progressed from his right wrist upwards to his forearm and upper arm with compartment syndrome ultimately resulting. He underwent fasciotomy of the right upper limb and antivenom serum was given. The patient required vasopressors for 48 hours and a total of nine surgical interventions were necessary. In the event of a snakebite, it is essential to promptly recognise the signs of severity, complications and indications for the administration of antivenom serum. We intend to highlight this rare shock aetiology and the need for emergency management if severe clinical signs are present. Early administration of antivenom serum is essential and it should be available in all emergency departments.
Outcomes of Descemet stripping endothelial keratoplasty combined with near total iridectomy in iridocorneal endothelial syndrome
Authors: Chaurasia Sunita , Senthil Sirisha , Choudhari Nikhil
Published: February 2021

To report the outcomes of endothelial keratoplasty (EK) combined with near total iridectomy in the management of iridocorneal endothelial (ICE) syndrome with severely disorganised anterior segment. Three patients with ICE syndrome, who had a severely disorganised anterior segment underwent near total iridectomy, with/without cataract surgery, followed by EK at the same time. Mean age was 35 years. Prior to EK, the intraocular pressure (IOP) was in the range of 12–15 mm Hg. One patient (patient 2) had advanced disc damage prior to EK. Two eyes (patients 1 and 2) had a glaucoma drainage device, and in one, the IOP was controlled with two antiglaucoma medications. All grafts were clear, and IOP was well controlled till the last mean follow-up of 53 (range 30–72) months. The outcomes of EK with this surgical approach are favourable and should be considered in selective cases of ICE syndrome.
LFchimera: a synthetic mimic of the two antimicrobial domains of bovine lactoferrin
Authors: Ligtenberg A.J.M. , Bikker F.J. , Bolscher J.G.M.
Published: February 2021

Saliva is essential for the maintenance of oral health. When salivary flow is impaired, the risk of various oral diseases such as caries and candidiasis increases drastically. Under healthy conditions, saliva provides effective protection against microbial colonization by the collaborative action of numerous host-defense molecules. This review describes how saliva has been the guideline for the design and characterization of a heterodimeric antimicrobial construct called LFchimera. This construct mimics the helical parts of two antimicrobial domains in the crystal structure of bovine lactoferrin. It shows high antimicrobial activity against a broad spectrum of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, fungi, and parasites including biowarfare agents such as Bacillus anthracis, Burkholderia pseudomallei, and Yersinia pestis. Further, sublethal concentrations of LFchimera inhibited biofilm formation, the invasiveness of HeLa cells by Yersinia spp., and prevented haemolysis of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli, demonstrating the versatility of these peptides.
Effect of mixed live yeast and lactic acid bacteria on in vitro fermentation with varying media pH using a high-grain or high-forage diet
Authors: Jiao P.X. , Ma F.C. , Beauchemin K.A. , AlZahal O. , Xie X.L. , Yang W.Z.
Published: February 2021

Two experiments were conducted to assess the effects of media pH and mixtures (SCEF) of live yeast [Saccharomyces cerevisiae (SC)] and lactic acid bacteria [Enterococcus faecium (EF)] on gas production (GP), dry matter disappearance (DMD), and volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentrations in batch culture using either high-forage (HF) or high-grain (HG) diets. Diets were evaluated in separate experiments, each as a complete randomized design with 2 (media pH 5.8 and 6.5) × 5 (control, three SCEF, monensin) factorial arrangement of treatments. The SCEF had varying ratios of SC:EF: 0:0 (control), 1.18:1 (SCEF1), 1.25:1 (SCEF2), and 1.32:1 (SCEF3), added on a log10 basis. For the HF diet, supplementation of SCEF had greater GP (P = 0.03) at pH 6.5 and greater DMD (P = 0.03) and VFA concentration (P < 0.01) at pH 5.8 and 6.5 than control. For the HG diet, acetate:propionate (A:P) ratio at pH 6.5 was greater (P = 0.05) for SCEF than control. Increasing ratio of SC to EF in SCEF linearly (P < 0.01) decreased GP and DMD and linearly increased acetate percentage at pH 6.5. These results suggest that optimizing the SC:EF ratio in a mixture of SCEF can help improve rumen fermentation.
Vinylidene, allenylidene, cyclic oxycarbene, and η2-alkyne complexes from reactions of (η5-C5Me5)OsCl(PPh3)2 with alkynes and alkynols
Authors: Tse Sunny Kai San , Sung Herman Ho-Yung , Williams Ian Duncan , Jia Guochen
Published: February 2021

Reactions of Cp*OsCl(PPh3)2 (Cp* = pentamethylcyclopentadienyl) with alkynes and alkynols are described. Treatment of Cp*OsCl(PPh3)2 with phenylacetylene and trimethylsilylacetylene gave the vinylidene complexes Cp*OsCl(=C=CHPh)(PPh3) and Cp*OsCl(=C=CH2)(PPh3), respectively. Treatment of Cp*OsCl(PPh3)2 with the internal alkyne dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate produced the η2-alkyne complex Cp*OsCl(η2-MeO2C≡CCO2Me)(PPh3). Treatment of Cp*OsCl(PPh3)2 with the propargylic alcohol HC≡CC(OH)Ph2 gave the osmium allenylidene complex Cp*OsCl(=C = C=CPh2)(PPh3). The outcomes of the reactions of Cp*OsCl(PPh3)2 with ω-alkynols HC≡C(CH2)nOH are dependent on the length of the -(CH2)n- linker. The reaction with 3-butyn-1-ol produced the cyclic oxycarbene complex Cp*OsCl{=C(CH2)3O}(PPh3) exclusively. The reactions with 4-pentyn-1-ol produced a mixture of the hydroxyalkyl vinylidene complex Cp*OsCl{=C=CH(CH2)3OH}(PPh3) and the cyclic oxycarbene complex Cp*OsCl{=C(CH2)4O}(PPh3) in about 10:1 molar ratio. The reaction with 5-hexyn-1-ol gave exclusively the hydroxyalkyl vinylidene complex Cp*OsCl{=C=CH(CH2)4OH}(PPh3).
Hydrosilyation of CO2 using a silatrane hydride: structural characterization of a silyl formate compound
Authors: Ruccolo Serge , Amemiya Erika , Shlian Daniel G. , Parkin Gerard
Published: February 2021

The silatrane hydride compound, [N(CH2CH2O)3]SiH, reacts with CO2 in the presence of the [tris(2-pyridylthio)methyl]zinc hydride complex, [Tptm]ZnH, to afford the silyl formate and methoxide derivatives, [N(CH2CH2O)3]SiO2CH and [N(CH2CH2O)3]SiOCH3. The molecular structure of [N(CH2CH2O)3]SiO2CH has been determined by X-ray diffraction, thereby demonstrating that the formate ligand adopts a distal conformation in which the uncoordinated oxygen atom resides with a trans-like disposition relative to silicon. Density functional theory calculations indicate that the atrane motif of [N(CH2CH2O)3]SiO2CH is flexible, such that the energy of the molecule changes relatively little as the Si···N distance varies over the range 2.0–3.0 Å.
Seeds of change? Seed transfer governance in British Columbia: insights from history
Authors: Pelai Ricardo , Hagerman Shannon M. , Kozak Robert
Published: February 2021

Tree seed transfer is critical to effective reforestation programs, and exploring its policy roots provides insights to understand future, and potentially controversial, actions like assisted migration. We offer a historical overview of seed transfer governance in British Columbia, Canada, by applying analytics from the policy change and knowledge co-production literatures. Based on document analysis and semi-structured interviews with key informants, we trace governance attributes to examine how and why policies have changed (or not) over time. We reveal a paradigmatic shift in seed transfer governance, culminating in a climate-based seed transfer system — informed largely by genetic knowledge — that emerged through a policy window opening. In contrast, governance processes remained relatively unchanged in practice, including the disproportionately influential role of the forest industry in policy-making. These insights shed light on the legacies of a government–industry policy coalition that influence underlying seed transfer objectives (i.e., forest productivity), and help to explain the ongoing dominance of particular knowledge forms used to inform policy. We highlight the need for increased contributions from a wider range of expertise, stakeholders, and rights holders in developing seed transfer policies for future forests.
Role of prostaglandin E2 in allogeneic mesenchymal stem cell therapy for cardiac repair
Authors: Sareen Niketa , Srivastava Abhay , Dhingra Sanjiv
Published: February 2021

Ischemic heart disease is among the primary causes of cardiovascular-related deaths worldwide. Conventional treatments including surgical interventions and medical therapies aid in preventing further damage to heart muscle but are unable to provide a permanent solution. In recent years, stem cell therapy has emerged as an attractive alternative to restore damaged myocardium after myocardial injury. Allogeneic (donor-derived) mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have shown great promise in preclinical and clinical studies, making them the most widely accepted candidates for cardiac cell therapy. MSCs promote cardiac repair by modulating host immune system and secreting various soluble factors, of which prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) is an important one. PGE2 plays a significant role in regulating cardiac remodeling following myocardial injury. In this review, we provide an overview of allogeneic MSCs as candidates for myocardial regeneration with a focus on the role of the PGE2/cyclooxygenase-2 (COX2) pathway in mediating these effects.
Unavoidable shear from quantum fluctuations in contracting cosmologies
Authors: Grain Julien , Vennin Vincent
Published: February 2021

Contracting cosmologies are known to be flawed with a shear instability, where the contribution from the anisotropic stress to the overall energy density grows as $$a^{-6}$$

a

-
6

, with a the scale factor. Classically, whether or not this contribution becomes important before the bounce depends on its initial value, which can always be sufficiently fine tuned to make it irrelevant. However, vacuum quantum fluctuations inevitably provide a non-vanishing source of anisotropic stress. In this work, we compute the minimum amount of shear that is obtained if one assumes that it vanishes initially, but lets quantum fluctuations build it up. In practice, we consider a massless test scalar field, and describe its quantum fluctuations by means of the stochastic “inflation” (though here applied to a contracting phase) formalism. We find that, if the equation-of-state parameter of the contraction satisfies $$w>-1/9$$

w
>
-
1
/
9

, regardless of when the contracting phase is initiated, the time at which the shear becomes sizeable is always when the Hubble scale approaches the Planck mass (which is also where the bounce is expected to take place). However, if $$w<-1/9$$

w
<
-
1
/
9

, the shear backreaction becomes important much earlier, at a point that depends on the overall amount of contraction.
Analyticity properties of scattering amplitude in theories with compactified space dimensions: The proof of dispersion relations
Authors: Maharana Jnanadeva
Published: February 2021

The analyticity properties of the scattering amplitude for a massive scalar field are reviewed in this paper where the space–time geometry is [Formula: see text], i.e. one spatial dimension is compact. Khuri investigated the analyticity of scattering amplitude in a nonrelativistic potential model in three dimensions with an additional compact dimension. He showed that under certain circumstances, the forward amplitude is nonanalytic. He argued that in high energy scattering if such a behavior persists it would be in conflicts with the established results of quantum field theory and LHC might observe such behaviors. We envisage a real scalar massive field in flat Minkowski space–time in five dimensions. The Kaluza–Klein (KK) compactification is implemented on a circle. The resulting four-dimensional manifold is [Formula: see text]. The LSZ formalism is adopted to study the analyticity of the scattering amplitude. The nonforward dispersion relation is proved. In addition the Jin–Martin bound and an analog of the Froissart–Martin bound are proved. A novel proposal is presented to look for evidence of the large-radius-compactification scenario. A seemingly violation of Froissart–Martin bound at LHC energy might hint that an extra dimension might be decompactified. However, we find no evidence for violation of the bound in our analysis.
Mesoproterozoic
40
Ar–
39
Ar ages of some lamproites from the Cuddapah Basin and Eastern Dharwar Craton, southern India: implications for diamond provenance of the Banganapalle Conglomerates, age of the Kurnool Group and Columbia tectonics
Authors: Kumar Alok , Talukdar Debojit , Rao N. V. Chalapathi , Burgess R. , Lehmann B.
Published: February 2021

We report Mesoproterozoic
40
Ar–
39
Ar (whole-rock) ages of lamproites from (i) the Ramadugu field (R4 dyke : 1434 ± 19 Ma and R5 dyke: 1334 ± 12 Ma) and the Krishna field (Pochampalle dyke: 1439 ± 3 Ma and Tirumalgiri dyke: 1256 ± 12 Ma) from the Eastern Dharwar Craton (EDC) and (ii) the Garledinne (1433 ± 8 Ma) and the Chelima (1373 ± 6 Ma) dykes from within the Paleo-Mesoproterozoic Cuddapah Basin, southern India. The ages reported for the Ramadugu and Tirumalgiri lamproites constitute their first radiometric dates. Ages of the Pochampalle and the Chelima lamproites from this study are broadly comparable to their previously reported
40
Ar–
39
Ar (phlogopite) ages of
c.
1500 Ma and 1418 ± 8 Ma, respectively. The ages of all these lamproites are much older than those of the (i)
c.
1.1 Ga kimberlites from the Wajrakarur and Narayanpet fields of the EDC and (ii)
c.
1.09 Ga lamproitic dykes at Zangamarajupalle which intrude the Cumbum Formation of the Cuddapah Basin. However, the age of the Tirumalgiri lamproite (
c.
1256 Ma) is similar to that of the Ramannapeta lamproite (
c.
1224 Ma) within the Krishna field. Our study provides evidence for protracted ultrapotassic (lamproitic) magmatism from
c.
1.43 to 1.1 Ga over a widespread area (
c.
2500 km
2
) in and around the Cuddapah Basin and the EDC. Implications of the obtained new ages for the diamond provenance of the Banganapalle Conglomerates, the age of the Kurnool Group and for the timing of break-up of the Paleo-Mesoproterozoic supercontinent of Columbia/Nuna are explored.
Ketamine and the Future of Rapid-Acting Antidepressants
Authors: Riggs Lace M. , Gould Todd D.
Published: February 2021

The therapeutic onset of traditional antidepressants is delayed by several weeks and many depressed patients fail to respond to treatment altogether. In contrast, subanesthetic ketamine can rapidly alleviate symptoms of depression within hours of a single administration, even in patients who are considered treatment-resistant. Ketamine is thought to exert these effects by restoring the integrity of neural circuits that are compromised in depression. This hypothesis stems in part from preclinical observations that ketamine can strengthen synaptic connections by increasing glutamate-mediated neurotransmission and promoting rapid neurotrophic factor release. An improved understanding of how ketamine, and other novel rapid-acting antidepressants, give rise to these processes will help foster future therapeutic innovation. Here, we review the history of antidepressant treatment advances that preceded the ketamine discovery, critically examine mechanistic hypotheses for how ketamine may exert its antidepressant effects, and discuss the impact this knowledge has had on ongoing drug discovery efforts.
Developmental Perspectives on the Study of Persons with Intellectual Disability
Authors: Burack Jacob A. , Evans David W. , Russo Natalie , Napoleon Jenilee-Sarah , Goldman Karen J. , Iarocci Grace
Published: February 2021

Developmental approaches provide inclusive, universal, and methodologically rigorous frameworks for studying persons with intellectual disability (ID). This is an exceptionally heterogeneous group with regard to etiology, genotype, and phenotype that simply shares the traditional diagnostic criteria, typically a score of two standard deviations below the population mean of 100 on standardized IQ tests and deficits in adaptive behavior. We trace the foundational, conceptual, and methodological roots of developmental approaches and highlight ways that these and more recent iterations continue to be central to advances in the increasingly nuanced study of persons with ID. This work is premised on the consideration of specific etiological groupings and subgroupings across and between different domains of functioning within the context of familial and complex environments throughout the life span. We highlight the potential contributions of advances in behavioral methodologies, genomics, and neuroscience when considered within universal and hierarchic frameworks based on development.
Integrated Patterning Programs During Drosophila Development Generate the Diversity of Neurons and Control Their Mature Properties
Authors: Rossi Anthony M. , Jafari Shadi , Desplan Claude
Published: February 2021

During the approximately 5 days of Drosophila neurogenesis (late embryogenesis to the beginning of pupation), a limited number of neural stem cells produce approximately 200,000 neurons comprising hundreds of cell types. To build a functional nervous system, neuronal types need to be produced in the proper places, appropriate numbers, and correct times. We discuss how neural stem cells (neuroblasts) obtain so-called area codes for their positions in the nervous system (spatial patterning) and how they keep time to sequentially produce neurons with unique fates (temporal patterning). We focus on specific examples that demonstrate how a relatively simple patterning system (Notch) can be used reiteratively to generate different neuronal types. We also speculate on how different modes of temporal patterning that operate over short versus long time periods might be linked. We end by discussing how specification programs are integrated and lead to the terminal features of different neuronal types.
Analysis of the Synthetic Electric Field of an UHVDC Transmission Tower in a High-Altitude Area
Authors: Qu Hui , Chen Hechong
Published: February 2021

The synthetic electric field of an ultrahigh voltage direct current (UHVDC) transmission tower in a high-altitude area is complex, which makes it difficult to protect the tower operators. Therefore, it is necessary to study the synthetic electric field. Firstly, this study establishes a mathematical model of the ion flow field and determines the solution process. Secondly, the relationship between the synthesis field of the transmission line and the ion mobility, wind speed, and the number of wire splits is analyzed using finite element simulations. Five typical operation positions are then selected for the simulation calculation of the composite field. Finally, the field measurement of the composite field is carried out, and the measurement results are compared with the simulation results. The accuracy of the simulation and theoretical analysis is verified by comparative analysis.
The Effect of Cannabis on the Clinical and Cytokine Profiles in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis
Authors: Mustafa Wessam , Elgendy Nadia , Salama Samer , Jawad Mohamed , Eltoukhy Khaled
Published: February 2021

Background. Multiple studies have reported that cannabis administration in multiple sclerosis patients is associated with decreased symptom severity. This study was conducted to evaluate the prevalence of cannabis abuse in multiple sclerosis cases and to evaluate the effect of cannabis on serum cytokines in such cases. Patients and Methods. A total of 150 multiple sclerosis cases along with 150 healthy controls were included during the study period. All cases were subjected to history taking, neurological examination, and routine investigations. Cases were asked about cannabis intake which was confirmed by a urine test. Serum cytokines including IL-1, IL-2, IL-4, IL-10, IL-12, IL-17, IL-22, IFN-γ, IFN-β1, and TNF-α were ordered for all cases and controls. Results. Twenty-eight cases were cannabis abusers (MS/cannabis group, 18.67%). The remaining 122 cases represented the MS group. There was no significant difference between the three groups regarding age, disease duration, or MS type. Male gender was more predominant in the MS/cannabis group, and the number of relapses was significantly lower in the same group. Fifteen cases (53.6%) reported that their symptoms were improved by cannabis. Proinflammatory cytokines were significantly elevated in the MS group compared to the MS/cannabis and control groups. Additionally, anti-inflammatory cytokines had significantly lower values in the MS group compared to the MS/cannabis and control groups. Most clinical symptoms were significantly improved in the MS/cannabis group compared to the MS group apart from sexual dysfunction, bladder symptoms, and visual disturbances. Mild side effects of cannabis were also reported. Conclusion. Cannabis may have a positive impact on the cytokine and clinical profiles in cases with multiple sclerosis.
Cannabinoid Hyperemesis Syndrome: A Case Study in a Tunisian Young Man
Authors: Yacoub Haythem , Hassine Hajer , Kchir Héla , Maamouri Nadia
Published: February 2021

The increasing prevalence of cannabis use in the world requires awareness of cannabis-related disorders such as cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome. This syndrome includes cyclic episodes of nausea, vomiting, and the learned behavior of hot bathing in individuals with chronic cannabis use. We present the case of a suspected cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome that required a review of the literature to retain the diagnosis. The following case illustrates how cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome awareness may lead to the diagnosis.
Modeling the Failure Pattern of Prenotched Recycled Aggregate Concrete Using FEM on Complementary Energy Principle
Authors: Wang Yao , Zong Gang , Liu Juan , Wu Chunyang , Xu Minyao , Zhao Jing
Published: February 2021

The reuse of recycled aggregate concrete (RAC) is being researched all over the world and lots of works are focused on the notched specimen to study the crack path of RAC. A mathematical algorithm of RAC meshing was presented to explore the failure pattern in RAC. According to this algorithm, the interfacial transition zone can be defined to be an actual thickness at the micron level. Further, a new finite element method (FEM) on the complementary energy principle was introduced to simulate the mechanical behavior of RAC’s mesostructure. The compliance matrix of the element with any shape can be calculated and expressed to be a uniform and explicit expression. Several numerical models of RAC were established, in which the effecting factors of the prenotch size, thickness of ITZ, and the distance from the prenotch to the aggregate were taken into account. Hereafter, these RAC models were subjected to uniaxial tension. The effect of the aforementioned factors on the crack path was simulated. The simulated data manifest that both the mesh mode of RAC and the FEM on complementary energy principle are effective approaches to explore the failure pattern of RAC. The size of the prenotch, thickness of ITZ, and distance from the prenotch to the recycled aggregate have a powerful influence on the path and distribution of the isolated crack, width and length of the crack path, and the shape and path of continuous cracks, respectively.
Option Pricing under Double Heston Model with Approximative Fractional Stochastic Volatility
Authors: Chang Ying , Wang Yiming , Zhang Sumei
Published: February 2021

We establish double Heston model with approximative fractional stochastic volatility in this article. Since approximative fractional Brownian motion is a better choice compared with Brownian motion in financial studies, we introduce it to double Heston model by modeling the dynamics of the stock price and one factor of the variance with approximative fractional process and it is our contribution to the article. We use the technique of Radon–Nikodym derivative to obtain the semianalytical pricing formula for the call options and derive the characteristic functions. We do the calibration to estimate the parameters. The calibration demonstrates that the model provides the best performance among the three models. The numerical result demonstrates that the model has better performance than the double Heston model in fitting with the market implied volatilities for different maturities. The model has a better fit to the market implied volatilities for long-term options than for short-term options. We also examine the impact of the positive approximation factor and the long-memory parameter on the call option prices.
Investigation of Mechanical Properties of Concrete Containing Liquid Silicone Rubber Under Axial Loads
Authors: Khaloo Alireza , Parvin darabad Yaser
Published: February 2021

As the experts who have taken for granted the merits of utilizing the concrete as the most common material in the structural industry, there is a need to take affirmative steps to enhance the concrete’s weaknesses such as the low ductility and energy absorption capacity. One possible way to improve the mechanical properties of concrete is to add liquid silicone rubber to the concrete. Silicone rubber is an elastomer (rubber‐like material) composed of liquid rubber polymer and its hardener which is widely used in voltage line insulators, automotive applications, and medical devices. In order to increase the ductility and energy absorption of concrete, the liquid silicone rubber replaced a portion of mineral aggregates in concrete. HSRC (hybrid silicone rubber concrete) is a mixture of liquid silicone rubber with fresh concrete that liquid silicone rubber after 24 hours becomes a flexible solid rubber with low strength. In this paper, liquid silicone rubber was used to replace 0%, 2%, 4%, 8%, 12.5%, 25%, and 50% of the total mineral aggregate’s volume in concrete. Standard specimens were fabricated and tested. The fresh HSRC exhibited acceptable workability and lower unit weight compared to ordinary plain concrete. The uniaxial compressive strain‐control test was conducted on the hardened HSRC specimens to obtain the complete stress‐strain curve. The results showed that, with the increase of liquid silicone rubber in concrete, the amount of compressive strength, splitting tensile stress, and elastic modulus decreased. It was also observed that the percentage of reduction in compressive strength was greater than the percentage of reduction in tensile strength. Increasing silicone rubber concentration in HSRC changes the brittle mode of failure to ductile that demonstrated using nonlinearity indices. Unlike plain concrete, the failure state in HSRC occurs gently and uniformly and does not cause so much separation in the specimens. Larger deformation and higher toughness indices were obtained, when the silicone rubber concentration was increased.
New Exact Solutions of the Fractional Complex Ginzburg–Landau Equation
Authors: Huang Chun , Li Zhao
Published: February 2021

In this paper, we apply the complete discrimination system method to establish the exact solutions of the fractional complex Ginzburg–Landau equation in the sense of the conformable fractional derivative. Firstly, by the fractional traveling wave transformation, time-space fractional complex Ginzburg–Landau equation is reduced to an ordinary differential equation. Secondly, some new exact solutions are obtained by the complete discrimination system method of the three-order polynomial; these solutions include solitary wave solutions, rational function solutions, triangle function solutions, and Jacobian elliptic function solutions. Finally, two numerical simulations are imitated to explain the propagation of optical pulses in optic fibers. At the same time, the comparison between the previous results and our results are also given.
Building Vibration Prediction Induced by Moving Train with Random Forest
Authors: Yao Jinbao , Fang Lei
Published: February 2021

This paper adopts a combination of numerical simulation, field test, and Random Forest to predict the building vibration induced by moving train. First, a three-dimensional finite element model based on train-track-site soil-building system is established, and the track dynamic reaction force calculated by the train-track model is applied as an excitation to the site. On the soil-building model, this paper analyzes the influence of train speed, axle load, site soil characteristics, and distance from the building on the vibration of the building caused by the train. With the Random Forest, these different influencing factors are used as inputs, and the building vibration is the output. Thus, the prediction model of the building vibration caused by moving train is established. The prediction accuracy can be tested with the measured data. The results show that this prediction method can provide a higher prediction accuracy with the maximum error (less than 6.41%) and the average error (less than 2.29%). This method overcomes the shortcomings of traditional prediction methods and improves the accuracy of vibration prediction.
Bacteriological and Physicochemical Quality of Drinking Water in Wegeda Town, Northwest Ethiopia
Authors: Sitotaw Baye , Melkie Eshetie , Temesgen Denekew
Published: February 2021

Waterborne diseases continue to challenge communities in low-income countries like Ethiopia. Clinical information in Wegeda town showed that the prevalence of waterborne diseases was 58%. This study aimed to evaluate bacteriological and physicochemical drinking water quality in Wegeda town. This study will add valuable scientific data for future intervention. Water samples from protected and unprotected springs, hand-dug well, taps, and households’ containers were collected from November 2018 to June 2019 for bacteriological and physicochemical analyses. Besides, information about the potential risk factors was collected using a structured questionnaire. A total of 120 water samples were collected and analyzed for total and fecal coliform counts using the multiple tube fermentation method (MPN). The presence of Escherichia coli was also checked from fecal coliform positive samples collected from households’ containers. Selected physicochemical parameters were also determined using the standard methods. In all cases, the median values of total and fecal coliform counts ranged from 5 to 27 and 2 to 13 MPN/100 ml, respectively. Accordingly, all of the drinking water samples did not comply with the standards. Coliforms were significantly higher in the households’ containers than in the sources (

p
<
0.05

) and also significantly varied by water sources. The highest and lowest coliform counts were recorded in unprotected spring and taps, respectively. Besides, 18.33% of water samples collected from households’ containers were tested positive for E. coli. Regarding physicochemical parameters, most values were within the acceptable limit values recommended by the WHO. However, water samples from unprotected spring and hand-dug well did not satisfy the turbidity limit value set by the WHO. Drinking water systems in Wegeda town were likely contaminated with pathogenic bacteria likely due to poor protection and sanitation practices. Providing the community with potable water, toilets, domestic and animal waste disposal systems, and intensive health education and sanitation practices for the community are highly recommended.
Near‐Fault Ground Motion Influence on the Seismic Responses of a Structure with Viscous Dampers considering SSI Effect
Authors: Yang Jinping , Li Peizhen , Jing Hang , Gao Meng
Published: February 2021

This paper studies the influence of the characteristics of the near‐fault ground motion on the seismic responses of the structure with energy dissipation devices including soil‐structure interaction (SSI). A ten‐story reinforced concrete frame rested on soft site is introduced, and the viscous dampers added in the frame are designed. The numerical analysis method of the soil‐structure system with viscous dampers is established through ANSYS program. In addition, the response spectra of the main characteristics of the near‐fault ground motion, like hanging wall effect, velocity pulse‐like effect, and forward‐directivity effect, are investigated carefully to learn the features of spectra energy distribution. And then, the dynamic time‐history analysis is performed on the SSI system with and without viscous dampers subjected to the selected near‐fault ground motion. The study reveals that the seismic responses of the structure subjected to near‐fault ground motion with hanging wall effect are obviously larger than those of the footwall effect, indicating the distinct hanging wall effects on the structural dynamic responses. In addition, the performance of the structure with viscous dampers is more influenced by the ground motion containing fling‐step effect than that with forward‐directivity effect. Moreover, the influence of the horizontal component of forward‐directivity ground motion on the seismic responses of the structure is more obvious than that of parallel component ground motion. Consequently, the hanging wall effect, velocity pulse, and horizontal component in forward‐directivity effect of the near‐fault ground motion have distinct influence on the seismic responses of the structure with energy dissipation devices considering SSI effect, providing insight towards the performance‐based seismic design of buildings rested at the near‐fault sites considering the seismic SSI effect.
Outer Synchronization of Drive‐Response Complex‐Valued Complex Networks via Intermittent Pinning Control
Authors: Wu Xuefei , Feng Jianwen , Nie Zhe
Published: February 2021

This paper is concerned with the outer exponential synchronization of the drive‐response complex dynamical networks subject to time‐varying delays. The dynamics of nodes is complex valued, the interactions among of the nodes are directed, and the two coupling matrices in the drive system and the response system are also different. The intermittent pinning control is proposed to achieve outer exponential synchronization in the aperiodical way. Some novel sufficient conditions are derived to guarantee outer exponential synchronization of the considered complex‐valued complex networks by using the Lyapunov functional method. Finally, two numerical examples are presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed control protocols.
Experimental and Numerical Study on Fracture Characteristics of Interface between In Situ Engineered Cementitious Composites and Steel Deck
Authors: Han Weiwei , Wu Shuyin , Gao Xue , Zong Xinyao , Shan Jingsong
Published: February 2021

In this study, engineered cementitious composite (ECC) is used as the pavement of orthotropic steel deck bridge and an epoxy adhesive is used to achieve wet‐bonding between the steel deck and cast‐in‐place ECC. To investigate the fracture properties of bimaterial interface, the double cantilever beam (DCB) and 4‐point end notched flexure (4ENF) specimens were used to obtain the fracture toughness, and virtual crack closure technology (VCCT) was used to calculate the energy release rates. A mixed fracture criterion was also established based on the blister test in this study. In addition, for the phenomena of water accumulation in the interface cracks, the hydrodynamic pressure under load was evaluated with a two‐way fluid‐solid coupling model and the propagation mechanism of cracks at the water‐bearing interface was explored. The results showed that the energy release rates at the crack front showed obvious nonuniform distribution characteristics. The blister test indicated that a mixed fracture was in good agreement with the linear fracture criterion. The fracture effect produced by the hydrodynamic pressure of the interfacial water‐bearing crack was far less than the fracture toughness of the interface, which indicated that the hydrodynamic pressure could hardly destroy the interface at one time but might cause the erosion fatigue damage of the interface.
Vibration Suppression for Beam-Like Repeating Lattice Structure Based on Equivalent Model by a Nonlinear Energy Sink
Authors: Liu Gen , Chen Gongfa , Cui Fangsen
Published: February 2021

Based on the fully deployed space beam-like truss, the vibration reduction of the lattice structure is studied by using the local NES (nonlinear energy sink) attachment in this paper. The beam-like lattice structure is modeled as an equivalent linear continuous system (a finite length beam) by the equivalent method and validated with the finite element results. The dynamic vibration equations for the equivalent cantilever beam are established and the governing equations for the equivalent beam with NES are approximated by the Galerkin method. The displacement responses of the beam with and without NES attached under shock excitation are obtained. With NES at different positions, the amplitude responses of the coupled system under the external excitation at different positions are calculated to evaluate the suppression effect of the NES attachment to the structure. And with different masses of the NES, the amplitude responses of the coupled structure subject to the external excitation at different positions are also investigated to get the influence of the mass of the NES attachment to the vibration reduction. It can be seen from the results that the NES attachment can attenuate the response of the beam-like truss under transient excitation efficiently. And with the mass of NES attachment increasing, the vibration amplitude of the coupled system declines more rapidly, and the energy consumption efficiency of the NES attachment is higher. Moreover, the attenuation effect of the NES with different masses is experimentally analyzed. The experimental results are in good accord with the theoretical calculation.
An Anomaly Detection Algorithm Selection Service for IoT Stream Data Based on Tsfresh Tool and Genetic Algorithm
Authors: Yang Zhongguo , Abbasi Irshad Ahmed , Mustafa Elfatih Elmubarak , Ali Sikandar , Zhang Mingzhu
Published: February 2021

Anomaly detection algorithms (ADA) have been widely used as services in many maintenance monitoring platforms. However, there are numerous algorithms that could be applied to these fast changing stream data. Furthermore, in IoT stream data due to its dynamic nature, the phenomena of conception drift happened. Therefore, it is a challenging task to choose a suitable anomaly detection service (ADS) in real time. For accurate online anomalous data detection, this paper developed a service selection method to select and configure ADS at run-time. Initially, a time-series feature extractor (Tsfresh) and a genetic algorithm-based feature selection method are applied to swiftly extract dominant features which act as representation for the stream data patterns. Additionally, stream data and various efficient algorithms are collected as our historical data. A fast classification model based on XGBoost is trained to record stream data features to detect appropriate ADS dynamically at run-time. These methods help to choose suitable service and their respective configuration based on the patterns of stream data. The features used to describe and reflect time-series data’s intrinsic characteristics are the main success factor in our framework. Consequently, experiments are conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of features closed by genetic algorithm. Experimentations on both artificial and real datasets demonstrate that the accuracy of our proposed method outperforms various advanced approaches and can choose appropriate service in different scenarios efficiently.
Effects of Skin Friction on Tactile P300 Brain‐Computer Interface Performance
Authors: Mao Ying , Jin Jing , Li Shurui , Miao Yangyang , Cichocki Andrzej
Published: February 2021

Tactile perception, the primary sensing channel of the tactile brain‐computer interface (BCI), is a complicated process. Skin friction plays a vital role in tactile perception. This study aimed to examine the effects of skin friction on tactile P300 BCI performance. Two kinds of oddball paradigms were designed, silk‐stim paradigm (SSP) and linen‐stim paradigm (LSP), in which silk and linen were wrapped on target vibration motors, respectively. In both paradigms, the disturbance vibrators were wrapped in cotton. The experimental results showed that LSP could induce stronger event‐related potentials (ERPs) and achieved a higher classification accuracy and information transfer rate (ITR) compared with SSP. The findings indicate that high skin friction can achieve high performance in tactile BCI. This work provides a novel research direction and constitutes a viable basis for the future tactile P300 BCI, which may benefit patients with visual impairments.
Organization Evolution of Fuzzy System Based on Financial Risk Degree of Commercial Banks
Authors: Liu Chao
Published: February 2021

After the market-oriented reform of China’s financial industry, there have been some problems in financial risk assessment. In recent years, commercial bank finance has made rapid development, but on the whole, the financial risk assessment of commercial banks is still the weakest link in the Chinese financial system. This experiment selects data from state-owned commercial banks and foreign-funded commercial banks. Through the analysis and deconstruction of the macroenvironment, participants, and business models, this paper systematically combines the factors influencing the financial risk of commercial banks, which can identify the main sources of financial risk in this complex way of financing and clarify the effects of the transfer of financial risk between different participants. Based on this, the paper studies the differences between the assets and liabilities between banks on the risk-taking of banks and the reform of the organizational evolution of fuzzy system. According to the application scenarios and actual needs of commercial banks’ financial risks, the entropy weight analysis method is used to reflect the weight of indicators by the difference degree of observed index values. The information quantity of indicators is measured to ensure that the established indicators can reflect most of the initial information. The experimental results show that, compared with state-owned banks, the proportion of foreign banks’ assets in 2018 is very small. The highest value of public debt assets is 9.2 billion yuan, followed by financial institutions with 2.58 billion yuan, and deposit institutions with 280 million yuan. The central bank has no debt amount.