bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Matt Cornish, Performing Unification: History and Nation in German Theater after 1989
Authors: Wood Michael
Published: August 2018

Matt Cornish’s Performing Unification makes a valuable contribution not just to scholarship on recent German theatre, but also to research on the relationships among theatre, history, historiography, and questions of nationhood and belonging.
Lisa Jackson-Schebetta, Traveler, There Is No Road: Theatre, the Spanish Civil War, and the Decolonial Imagination in the Americas
Authors: Marino Angela
Published: August 2018

Lisa Jackson-Schebetta’s book considers Spain as an idea and an imaginary that circulated through theatre, radio, and images of war in the 1930s in ways that scrambled the codes of coloniality/modernity in the Americas. Traveller, There Is No Road will be of interest for those teaching US theatre from transatlantic and hemispheric perspectives.
New Dramaturgies in Contemporary Vienna: Wiener Wortstaetten, Elfriede Jelinek’s Die Schutzbefohlenen, and Die schweigende Mehrheit
Authors: Arteel Inge , Deutsch-Schreiner Evelyn
Published: August 2018

This article presents three distinct examples of Viennese theatre’s engagement with recent waves of migration and refuge-seeking: the collective Wiener Wortstaetten offers migrants and refugees a platform on which to present themselves as the authors of their own stories; Elfriede Jelinek’s Die Schutzbefohlenen, a rewriting of Aeschylus’s The Suppliants, was inspired by the eviction of refugees from the Votivkirche in Vienna; and the artistic collective Die schweigende Mehrheit opened up the stage to refugees as co-creators and actors in their production of Jelinek’s text. While these three cases represent different positions in the contemporary theatre scene and display distinct views on dramatic authorship, each demonstrates a firm belief in the theatre as a site of intercultural speech agency, particularly suited to reflect on the lived experiences of mobility, migration, and refuge. Moreover, all three cases interrogate the status of German as a stage language and its adoption by non-German speakers.
STRATEGIC PERSONNEL REQUIREMENTS PLANNING IN THE TRANSPORT INDUSTRY
Authors: Chernova N.S. , Surmylo D.S.
Published: August 2018

The paper examines methods for measuring labour productivity in transport as a basis for implementing an effective strategic planning system of the transport sector personnel requirements. The author conducted the research of existing methods of planning and recording labour productivity and proposed the method of integrated measurement of labour productivity in uniform (labour) indicators for all PJSC "UZ", as well as for separate production groups and service jobs. This method allowed revealing the main productivity growth reserves and giving recommendations for their use. The author developed approximate standards of labour, as well as methods for calculating the economic efficiency of the internal reserves resulted from the introduction of new technology, best practices, etc. Reserves and methods of increasing labour productivity are considered in relation to the specific conditions and peculiarities of the work of transport, its branch facilities, enterprises and linear organizations.The area of labour notions is very complicated, and herewith the most general concepts of labour terms are used in different ways. Therefore, when studying the issues of labour productivity, it is necessary, above all, to define its concept. It also needed to identify the main labour terms (labour activity, work, difficulties, difficulty of work, labour productivity, production, productivity of individual, social labour, means, subject of labour, qualification, specialty, profession, etc.). The work considers the issues raised taking into account the specific features of the organization of production and labour activities in the transport industry, specifies the employment terms and reveals their definitions.The author concluded that the more acceptable indicator for measuring labour productivity at the transport, economy, enterprise and unit labour level is the indicator of labour costs per unit of output, and the measurement method is the complex one. The application of this method does not require the expansion of forms of transport statistics. On the contrary, the complex method simplifies and improves their management by reducing a number of employee output indicators by type of work and categories of workers.
Multimodal management of arteriovenous malformations of the basal ganglia and thalamus: factors affecting obliteration and outcome
Authors: Madhugiri Venkatesh S. , Teo Mario K. C. , Westbroek Erick M. , Chang Steven D. , Marks Michael P. , Do Huy M. , Levy Richard P. , Steinberg Gary K.
Published: August 2018

OBJECTIVE

Arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) of the basal ganglia and thalamus are particularly difficult lesions to treat, accounting for 3%–13% of all AVMs in surgical series and 23%–44% of malformations in radiosurgery series. The goal of this study was to report the results of multimodal management of basal ganglia and thalamic AVMs and investigate the factors that influence radiographic cure and good clinical outcomes.

METHODS

This study was a retrospective analysis of a prospectively maintained database of all patients treated at the authors’ institution. Clinical, radiological, follow-up, and outcome data were analyzed. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to explore the influence of various factors on outcome.

RESULTS

The results and data analysis pertaining to 123 patients treated over 32 years are presented. In this cohort, radiographic cure was achieved in 50.9% of the patients. Seventy-five percent of patients had good clinical outcomes (stable or improved performance scores), whereas 25% worsened after treatment. Inclusion of surgery and radiosurgery independently predicted obliteration, whereas nidus diameter and volume predicted clinical outcomes. Nidus volume/diameter and inclusion of surgery predicted the optimal outcome, i.e., good clinical outcomes with lesion obliteration.

CONCLUSIONS

Good outcomes are possible with multimodal treatment in these complex patients. Increasing size and, by extension, higher Spetzler-Martin grade are associated with worse outcomes. Inclusion of multiple modalities of treatment as indicated could improve the chances of radiographic cure and good outcomes.
Upfront Gamma Knife radiosurgery for Cushing’s disease and acromegaly: a multicenter, international study
Authors: Gupta Amitabh , Xu Zhiyuan , Kano Hideyuki , Sisterson Nathaniel , Su Yan-Hua , Krsek Michal , Nabeel Ahmed M. , El-Shehaby Amr , Karim Khaled A. , Martínez-Moreno Nuria , Mathieu David , McShane Brendan J. , Martínez-Álvarez Roberto , Reda Wael A. , Liscak Roman , Lee Cheng-Chia , Lunsford L. Dade , Sheehan Jason P.
Published: August 2018

OBJECTIVE

Gamma Knife radiosurgery (GKS) is typically used after failed resection in patients with Cushing’s disease (CD) and acromegaly. Little is known about the upfront role of GKS for patients with CD and acromegaly. In this study, the authors examine the outcome of upfront GKS for patients with these functioning adenomas.

METHODS

An international group of 7 Gamma Knife centers sent pooled data from 46 patients (21 with CD and 25 with acromegaly) undergoing upfront GKS to the coordinating center of the study for analysis. Diagnosis was established on the basis of clinical, endocrine, and radiological studies. All patients were treated on a common radiosurgical platform and longitudinally followed for tumor control, endocrine remission, and hypopituitarism. Patients received a tumor median margin dose of 25 Gy (range 12–40.0 Gy) at a median isodose of 50%.

RESULTS

The median endocrine follow-up was 69.5 months (range 9–246 months). Endocrine remission was achieved in 51% of the entire cohort, with 28% remission in acromegaly and 81% remission for those with CD at the 5-year interval. Patients with CD achieved remission earlier as compared to those with acromegaly (p = 0.0005). In patients post-GKS, the pituitary adenoma remained stable (39%) or reduced (61%) in size. Hypopituitarism occurred in 9 patients (19.6%), and 1 (2.2%) developed third cranial nerve (CN III) palsy. Eight patients needed further intervention, including repeat GKS in 6 and transsphenoidal surgery in 2.

CONCLUSIONS

Upfront GKS resulted in good tumor control as well as a low rate of adverse radiation effects in the whole group. Patients with CD achieved a faster and far better remission rate after upfront GKS in comparison to patients with acromegaly. GKS can be considered as an upfront treatment in carefully selected patients with CD who are unwilling or unable to undergo resection, but it has a more limited role in acromegaly.
Implementation of an Enhanced Recovery After Spine Surgery program at a large cancer center: a preliminary analysis
Authors: Grasu Roxana M. , Cata Juan P. , Dang Anh Q. , Tatsui Claudio E. , Rhines Laurence D. , Hagan Katherine B. , Bhavsar Shreyas , Raty Sally R. , Arunkumar Radha , Potylchansky Yury , Lipski Ian , Arnold Benjamin A. , McHugh Thomas M. , Bird Justin E. , Rodriguez-Restrepo Andrea , Hernandez Mike , Popat Keyuri U.
Published: August 2018

OBJECTIVE

Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) programs follow a multimodal, multidisciplinary perioperative care approach that combines evidence-based perioperative strategies to accelerate the functional recovery process and improve surgical outcomes. Despite increasing evidence that supports the use of ERAS programs in gastrointestinal and pelvic surgery, data regarding the development of ERAS programs in spine surgery are scarce. To evaluate the impact of an Enhanced Recovery After Spine Surgery (ERSS) program in a US academic cancer center, the authors introduced such a program and hypothesized that ERSS would have a significant influence on meaningful clinical measures of postoperative recovery, such as pain management, postoperative length of stay (LOS), and complications.

METHODS

A multimodal, multidisciplinary, continuously evolving team approach was used to develop an ERAS program for all patients undergoing spine surgery for metastatic tumors at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center from April 2015 through September 2016. This study describes the introduction of that ERSS program and compares 41 patients who participated in ERSS with a retrospective cohort of 56 patients who underwent surgery before implementation of the program. The primary objectives were to assess the effect of an ERSS program on immediate postoperative pain scores and in-hospital opioid consumption. The secondary objectives included assessing the effect of ERSS on postoperative in-hospital LOS, 30-day readmission rates, and 30-day postoperative complications.

RESULTS

The ERSS group showed a trend toward better pain scores and decreased opioid consumption compared with the pre-ERSS group. There were no significant differences in LOS, 30-day readmission rate, or 30-day complication rate observed between the two groups.

RESULTS

An ERSS program is feasible and potentially effective on perioperative pain control and opioid consumption, and can expedite recovery in oncological spine surgery patients. Larger-scale research on well-defined postoperative recovery outcomes is needed.
Randomized trial of Cell Saver in 2- to 3-level lumbar instrumented posterior fusions
Authors: Djurasovic Mladen , McGraw Katlyn E. , Bratcher Kelly , Crawford Charles H. , Dimar John R. , Puno Rolando M. , Glassman Steven D. , Owens R. Kirk , Carreon Leah Y.
Published: August 2018

OBJECTIVE

The goal of this study was to determine efficacy and cost-effectiveness of Cell Saver in 2- and 3-level lumbar decompression and fusion.

METHODS

Patients seen at a tertiary care spine center who were undergoing a posterior 2- or 3-level lumbar decompression and fusion were randomized to have Cell Saver used during their surgery (CS group, n = 48) or not used (No Cell Saver [NCS] group, n = 47). Data regarding preoperative and postoperative hemoglobin and hematocrit, estimated blood loss, volume of Cell Saver blood reinfused, number of units and volume of allogeneic blood transfused intraoperatively and postoperatively, complications, and costs were collected. Costs associated with Cell Saver use were calculated based on units of allogeneic blood transfusions averted.

RESULTS

Demographics and surgical parameters were similar in both groups. The mean estimated blood loss was similar in both groups: 612 ml in the CS group and 742 ml in the NCS group. There were 53 U of allogeneic blood transfused in 29 patients in the NCS group at a total blood product cost of $67,688; and 38 U of allogeneic blood transfused in 16 patients in the CS group at a total blood cost of $113,162, resulting in a cost of $3031 per allogeneic blood transfusion averted using Cell Saver.

CONCLUSIONS

Cell Saver use produced lower rates of allogeneic transfusion but was found to be more expensive than using only allogeneic blood for 2- and 3-level lumbar degenerative fusions. This increased cost may be reasonable to patients who perceive that the risks associated with allogeneic transfusions are unacceptable.

■ CLASSIFICATION OF EVIDENCE Type of question: therapeutic; study design: randomized controlled trial; evidence: class III.
Application of Weighted Gene Co-Expression Network Analysis to Explore the Key Genes in Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Liang Jia-Wei , Fang Zheng-Yu , Huang Yong , Liuyang Zhen-yu , Zhang Xiao-Lin , Wang Jing-Lin , Wei Hui , Wang Jian-Zhi , Wang Xiao-Chuan , Zeng Ji , Liu Rong
Published: August 2018

Background:

Weighted co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) is a powerful systems biology method to describe the correlation of gene expression based on the microarray database, which can be used to facilitate the discovery of therapeutic targets or candidate biomarkers in diseases.

Objective:

To explore the key genes in the development of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) by using WGCNA.

Methods:

The whole gene expression data GSE1297 from AD and control human hippocampus was obtained from the GEO database in NCBI. Co-expressed genes were clustered into different modules. Modules of interest were identified through calculating the correlation coefficient between the module and phenotypic traits. GO and pathway enrichment analyses were conducted, and the central players (key hub genes) within the modules of interest were identified through network analysis. The expression of the identified key genes was confirmed in AD transgenic mice through using qRT-PCR.

Results:

Two modules were found to be associated with AD clinical severity, which functioning mainly in mineral absorption, NF- κB signaling, and cGMP-PKG signaling pathways. Through analysis of the two modules, we found that metallothionein (MT), Notch2, MSX1, ADD3, and RAB31 were highly correlated with AD phenotype. Increase in expression of these genes was confirmed in aged AD transgenic mice.

Conclusion:

WGCNA analysis can be used to analyze and predict the key genes in AD. MT1, MT2, MSX1, NOTCH2, ADD3, and RAB31 are identified to be the most relevant genes, which may be potential targets for AD therapy.
RFID positioning algorithm based on electronic tracking system (ETPS)
Authors: Ming Li
Published: August 2018

In view of the problem that the traditional LANDMARC location algorithm has low indoor location precision and needs to arrange a large number of reference tags, this paper proposes an RFID positioning algorithm based on the integration of the electronic tracking and positioning system (ETPS), which uses the Gauss filter to carry out the sampling data of the reference label. Using the electronic tracking and positioning algorithm to estimate the signal strength of other locations to expand the signal database. The experimental results show that the algorithm improves the accuracy of the indoor location and reduces the workload of the layout of the reference labels. The completeness and effectiveness of the proposed algorithm are verified.
Abundance, distribution and population dynamics of Bemisia tabaci on brinjal and tomato
Authors: Khan MMH , Hossain I
Published: August 2018

In order to study the abundance, distribution and population dynamics of whiteflies (Bemisia tabaci Genn) in the agriculture farm and homestead garden of Patuakhali Science and Technology University (PSTU) campus and farmer’s field, brinjal and tomato plants were selected as study materials. Results revealed that the highest number of whitefly/plant (3.43) was recorded in brinjal at farmer’s field followed by PSTU farm (1.13) while lowest was in homestaed gardem (1.00) than tomato. The highest percentage of plant attacked per plot by whitefly was recorded in brinjal (16.67%/plot) while the lowest percentage was in tomato (9.76%/plot). The highest mean percentage of B. tabaci adult was observed in the middle canopy (64%) while the lowest was in lower canopy. The highest percent plant attacked (56.25%/plot) was recorded on 2nd March while the lowest attacked (9.09%/plot) was recorded on 15th February. The similar trend was also found in case of tomato. The highest percent plant attacked (56.25%/plot) was recorded on 2nd March followed by 1st April (50%/plot) and 17 March (33.33%/plot) while the lowest attacked (9.09%/plot) was recorded on 15th February followed by 30th January (10.98%/plot).Jahangirnagar University J. Biol. Sci. 7(1): 65-71, 2018 (June)
Climate Change, Carbon Dioxide, and Pest Biology, Managing the Future: Coffee as a Case Study
Authors: Ziska Lewis H. , Bradley Bethany A. , Wallace Rebekah D. , Bargeron Charles T. , LaForest Joseph H. , Choudhury Robin A. , Garrett Karen A. , Vega Fernando E.
Published: August 2018

The challenge of maintaining sufficient food, feed, fiber, and forests, for a projected end of century population of between 9–10 billion in the context of a climate averaging 2–4 °C warmer, is a global imperative. However, climate change is likely to alter the geographic ranges and impacts for a variety of insect pests, plant pathogens, and weeds, and the consequences for managed systems, particularly agriculture, remain uncertain. That uncertainty is related, in part, to whether pest management practices (e.g., biological, chemical, cultural, etc.) can adapt to climate/CO2 induced changes in pest biology to minimize potential loss. The ongoing and projected changes in CO2, environment, managed plant systems, and pest interactions, necessitates an assessment of current management practices and, if warranted, development of viable alternative strategies to counter damage from invasive alien species and evolving native pest populations. We provide an overview of the interactions regarding pest biology and climate/CO2; assess these interactions currently using coffee as a case study; identify the potential vulnerabilities regarding future pest impacts; and discuss possible adaptive strategies, including early detection and rapid response via EDDMapS (Early Detection & Distribution Mapping System), and integrated pest management (IPM), as adaptive means to improve monitoring pest movements and minimizing biotic losses while improving the efficacy of pest control.
Applicability of Traditional In Vitro Toxicity Tests for Assessing Adverse Effects of Monoclonal Antibodies: A Case Study of Rituximab and Trastuzumab
Authors: Kizhedath Arathi , Wilkinson Simon , Glassey Jarka
Published: August 2018

Monoclonal antibody (mAb) therapeutics have a promising outlook within the pharmaceutical industry having made positive strides in both research and development as well as commercialisation, however this development has been hampered by manufacturing failures and attrition. This study explores the applicability of traditional in vitro toxicity tests for detecting any off-target adverse effect elicited by mAbs on specific organ systems using hepatocarcinoma cell line (HepG2) and human dermal fibroblasts neonatal (HDFn), respectively. The mechanism of antibody dependent cytotoxicity (ADCC), complement dependent cytotoxicity (CDC) via complement activation, and complement dependent cellular cytotoxicity (CDCC) were assessed. Major results: no apparent ADCC, CDCC, or CDC mediated decrease in cell viability was measured for HepG2 cells. For HDFn cells, though ADCC or CDCC mediated decreases in cell viability wasn’t detected, a CDC mediated decrease in cell viability was observed. Several considerations have been elucidated for development of in vitro assays better suited to detect off target toxicity of mAbs.
Polyadic Cantor Fractal Ultrasonic Lenses: Design and Characterization
Authors: Castiñeira-Ibáñez Sergio , Tarrazó-Serrano Daniel , Fuster Jose Miguel , Candelas Pilar , Rubio Constanza
Published: August 2018

Traditional acoustic lenses modulate the ultrasonic beam due to their curved surfaces and the refractive material of which they are made. In this work, a different type of acoustic lens, based on Polyadic Cantor Fractals (PCF), is presented and thoroughly analyzed. These new Polyadic Cantor Fractal Lenses (PCFLs) are completely flat and easy to build, and they present interesting modulation capabilities over the acoustic profile. The dependence of the focusing profile on the PCFL design parameters is fully characterized, and it is shown that certain design parameters provide a dynamic control, which is critical in many medical applications such as thermal ablation of tumors.
Low-Field NMR and MRI to Analyze the Effect of Edible Coating Incorporated with MAP on Qualities of Half-Smooth Tongue Sole (Cynoglossus Semilaevis Günther) Fillets during Refrigerated Storage
Authors: Li Na , Shen Yong , Liu Wenru , Mei Jun , Xie Jing
Published: August 2018

Nondestructive and fast measurement and characterization of fish is highly desired during various processing treatments. This research investigated the effectiveness of low field LF-NMR and MRI as fast monitoring techniques to estimate the qualities of half-smooth tongue sole fillets treated with edible coating combined with modified atmosphere packaging during refrigeration. T2 relaxation spectra showed three peaks representing bound water (T21), immobile water (T22), and free water (T23), respectively. pT22 accounted for the largest proportion of three types of water, followed by pT23. The weighted MRI provided the internal structure information associated with different samples, indicting the combination of edible coating and MAP (70% CO2 + 30% N2) is the best performance in the maintenance of qualities and freshness of HTS fillets. All results demonstrated that the combination of LF-NMR and MRI as fast and nondestructive methods have great potential to monitor qualities deterioration and predict shelf life in of HTS fillets during refrigerated storage.
Olivine Positive Electrodes for Li-Ion Batteries: Status and Perspectives
Authors: Mauger Alain , Julien Christian M.
Published: August 2018

Among the compounds of the olivine family, LiMPO4 with M = Fe, Mn, Ni, or Co, only LiFePO4 is currently used as the active element of positive electrodes in lithium-ion batteries. However, intensive research devoted to other elements of the family has recently been successful in significantly improving their electrochemical performance, so that some of them are now promising for application in the battery industry and outperform LiFePO4 in terms of energy density, a key parameter for use in electric vehicles in particular. The purpose of this review is to acknowledge the current state of the art and the progress that has been made recently on all the elements of the family and their solid solutions. We also discuss the results from the perspective of their potential application in the industry of Li-ion batteries.
Multi-Fault Diagnosis of Gearbox Based on Improved Multipoint Optimal Minimum Entropy Deconvolution
Authors: Yang Fuhe , Shen Xingquan , Wang Zhijian
Published: August 2018

Under complicated conditions, the extraction of a multi-fault in gearboxes is difficult to achieve. Due to improper selection of methods, leakage diagnosis or misdiagnosis will usually occur. Ensemble Empirical Mode Decomposition (EEMD) often causes energy leakage due to improper selection of white noise during signal decomposition. Considering that only a single fault cycle can be extracted when MOMED (Multipoint Optimal Minimum Entropy Deconvolution) is used, it is necessary to perform the sub-band processing of the compound fault signal. This paper presents an adaptive gearbox multi-fault-feature extraction method based on Improved MOMED (IMOMED). Firstly, EEMD decomposes the signal adaptively and selects the intrinsic mode functions with strong correlation with the original signal to perform FFT (Fast Fourier transform); considering the mode-mixing phenomenon of EEMD, reconstruct the intrinsic mode functions with the same timescale, and obtain several intrinsic mode functions of the same scale to improve the entropy of fault features. There is a lot of white noise in the original signal, and EEMD can improve the signal-to-noise ratio of the original signal. Finally, through the setting of different noise-reduction intervals to extract fault features through MOMED. The proposed method is compared with EEMD and VMD (Variational Mode Decomposition) to verify its feasibility.
Time-Dependent Probability Density Functions and Attractor Structure in Self-Organised Shear Flows
Authors: Jacquet Quentin , Kim Eun-jin , Hollerbach Rainer
Published: August 2018

We report the time-evolution of Probability Density Functions (PDFs) in a toy model of self-organised shear flows, where the formation of shear flows is induced by a finite memory time of a stochastic forcing, manifested by the emergence of a bimodal PDF with the two peaks representing non-zero mean values of a shear flow. Using theoretical analyses of limiting cases, as well as numerical solutions of the full Fokker–Planck equation, we present a thorough parameter study of PDFs for different values of the correlation time and amplitude of stochastic forcing. From time-dependent PDFs, we calculate the information length ( L ), which is the total number of statistically different states that a system passes through in time and utilise it to understand the information geometry associated with the formation of bimodal or unimodal PDFs. We identify the difference between the relaxation and build-up of the shear gradient in view of information change and discuss the total information length ( L ∞ = L ( t → ∞ ) ) which maps out the underlying attractor structures, highlighting a unique property of L ∞ which depends on the trajectory/history of a PDF’s evolution.
Flow Simulation of Artificially Induced Microfractures Using Digital Rock and Lattice Boltzmann Methods
Authors: Yang Yongfei , Liu Zhihui , Yao Jun , Zhang Lei , Ma Jingsheng , Hejazi S. Hossein , Luquot Linda , Ngarta Toussaint Dono
Published: August 2018

Microfractures have great significance in the study of reservoir development because they are an effective reserving space and main contributor to permeability in a large amount of reservoirs. Usually, microfractures are divided into natural microfractures and induced microfractures. Artificially induced rough microfractures are our research objects, the existence of which will affect the fluid-flow system (expand the production radius of production wells), and act as a flow path for the leakage of fluids injected to the wells, and even facilitate depletion in tight reservoirs. Therefore, the characteristic of the flow in artificially induced fractures is of great significance. The Lattice Boltzmann Method (LBM) was used to calculate the equivalent permeability of artificially induced three-dimensional (3D) fractures. The 3D box fractal dimensions and porosity of artificially induced fractures in Berea sandstone were calculated based on the fractal theory and image-segmentation method, respectively. The geometrical parameters (surface roughness, minimum fracture aperture, and mean fracture aperture), were also calculated on the base of digital cores of fractures. According to the results, the permeability lies between 0.071–3.759 (dimensionless LB units) in artificially induced fractures. The wide range of permeability indicates that artificially induced fractures have complex structures and connectivity. It was also found that 3D fractal dimensions of artificially induced fractures in Berea sandstone are between 2.247 and 2.367, which shows that the artificially induced fractures have the characteristics of self-similarity. Finally, the following relations were studied: (a) exponentially increasing permeability with increasing 3D box fractal dimension, (b) linearly increasing permeability with increasing square of mean fracture aperture, (c) indistinct relationship between permeability and surface roughness, and (d) linearly increasing 3D box fractal dimension with increasing porosity.
Fault Detection for Gas Turbine Hot Components Based on a Convolutional Neural Network
Authors: Liu Jiao , Liu Jinfu , Yu Daren , Kang Myeongsu , Yan Weizhong , Wang Zhongqi , Pecht Michael G.
Published: August 2018

Gas turbine hot component failures often cause catastrophic consequences. Fault detection can improve the availability and economy of hot components. The exhaust gas temperature (EGT) profile is usually used to monitor the performance of the hot components. The EGT profile is uniform when the hot component is healthy, whereas hot component faults lead to large temperature differences between different EGT values. The EGT profile swirl under different operating and ambient conditions also cause temperature differences. Therefore, the influence of EGT profile swirl on EGT values must be eliminated. To improve the detection sensitivity, this paper develops a fault detection method for hot components based on a convolutional neural network (CNN). This paper demonstrates that a CNN can extract the information between adjacent EGT values and consider the impact of the EGT profile swirl. This paper reveals, in principle, that a CNN is a viable solution for dealing with fault detection for hot components. Based on the distribution characteristics of EGT thermocouples, the circular padding method is developed in the CNN. The sensitivity of the developed method is verified by real-world data. Moreover, the developed method is visualized in detail. The visualization results reveal that the CNN effectively considers the influence of the EGT profile swirl.
An Improved Multi-Timescale Coordinated Control Strategy for Stand-Alone Microgrid with Hybrid Energy Storage System
Authors: Chen Jingfeng , Yang Ping , Peng Jiajun , Huang Yuqi , Chen Yaosheng , Zeng Zhiji
Published: August 2018

A scientific and effective coordinated control strategy is crucial to the safe and economic operation of a microgrid (MG). With the continuous improvement of the renewable energy source (RES) penetration rate in MG, the randomness and intermittency of its output lead to the increasing regulation pressure of the conventional controllable units, the increase of the operating risk of MG and the difficulty in improving the operational economy. To solve the mentioned problems and take advantage of hybrid energy storage system (HESS), this study proposes a multi-time scale coordinated control scheme of “day-ahead optimization (DAO) + intraday rolling (IDR) + quasi-real-time correction (QRTC) + real-time coordinated control (RTCC).” Considering the shortcomings of existing low prediction accuracy of distributed RES and loads, the soft constraints such as unit commitment scheduling errors and load switching scheduling errors are introduced in the intraday rolling model, allowing the correction of day-ahead unit commitment and load switching schedule. In the quasi-real-time coordinated control, an integrated criterion is introduced to decide the adjustment priority of the distributed generations. In the real-time coordinated control, the HESS adopts an improved first order low pass filtering algorithm to adaptively compensate the second-level unbalanced power. Compared with the traditional coordinated control strategy, the proposed improved model has the advantages of good robustness and fast solving speed and provides some guidance for the intelligent solution for stable and economic operation of stand-alone MG with HESS.
On the Accuracy of Three-Dimensional Actuator Disc Approach in Modelling a Large-Scale Tidal Turbine in a Simple Channel
Authors: Rahman Anas , Venugopal Vengatesan , Thiebot Jerome
Published: August 2018

To date, only a few studies have examined the execution of the actuator disc approximation for a full-size turbine. Small-scale models have fewer constraints than large-scale models because the range of time-scale and length-scale is narrower. Hence, this article presents the methodology in implementing the actuator disc approach via the Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) momentum source term for a 20-m diameter turbine in an idealised channel. A structured grid, which varied from 0.5 m to 4 m across rotor diameter and width was used at the turbine location to allow for better representation of the disc. The model was tuned to match known coefficient of thrust and operational profiles for a set of validation cases based on published experimental data. Predictions of velocity deficit and turbulent intensity became almost independent of the grid density beyond 11 diameters downstream of the disc. However, in several instances the finer meshes showed larger errors than coarser meshes when compared to the measurements data. This observation was attributed to the way nodes were distributed across the disc swept area. The results demonstrate that the accuracy of the actuator disc was highly influenced by the vertical resolutions, as well as the grid density of the disc enclosure.
Impact of Demand-Side Management on the Reliability of Generation Systems
Authors: Jabir Hussein Jumma , Teh Jiashen , Ishak Dahaman , Abunima Hamza
Published: August 2018

The load shifting strategy is a form of demand side management program suitable for increasing the reliability of power supply in an electrical network. It functions by clipping the load demand that is above an operator-defined level, at which time is known as peak period, and replaces it at off-peak periods. The load shifting strategy is conventionally performed using the preventive load shifting (PLS) program. In this paper, the corrective load shifting (CLS) program is proven as the better alternative. PLS is implemented when power systems experience contingencies that jeopardise the reliability of the power supply, whereas CLS is implemented only when the inadequacy of the power supply is encountered. The disadvantages of the PLS approach are twofold. First, the clipped energy cannot be totally recovered when it is more than the unused capacity of the off-peak period. The unused capacity is the maximum amount of extra load that can be filled before exceeding the operator-defined level. Second, the PLS approach performs load curtailment without discrimination. This means that load clipping is performed as long as the load is above the operator-defined level even if the power supply is adequate. The CLS program has none of these disadvantages because it is implemented only when there is power supply inadequacy, during which the amount of load clipping is mostly much smaller than the unused capacity of the off-peak period. The performance of the CLS was compared with the PLS by considering chronological load model, duty cycle and the probability of start-up failure for peaking and cycling generators, planned maintenance of the generators and load forecast uncertainty. A newly proposed expected-energy-not-recovered (EENR) index and the well-known expected-energy-not-supplied (EENS) were used to evaluate the performance of proposed CLS. Due to the chronological factor and huge combinations of power system states, the sequential Monte Carlo was employed in this study. The results from this paper show that the proposed CLS yields lower EENS and EENR than PLS and is, therefore, a more robust strategy to be implemented.
Analysis and Design of a Compound-Structure Permanent-Magnet Motor for Hybrid Electric Vehicles
Authors: Xu Qiwei , Sun Jing , Tian Dewen , Wang Wenjuan , Huang Jianshu , Cui Shumei
Published: August 2018

On the basis of the excellent driving force demand of hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), this paper studies the torque property of the compound-structure permanent-magnet motor (CSPM motor) used for HEVs, which is influenced by magnetic field oversaturation and variable nonlinear parameters. Firstly, the system configuration of HEVs based on CSPM motor and its working mode are introduced. Next, the state equation of CSPM motor in three-phase stationary coordinate system is proposed in order to investigate its torque performance; then, the factors affecting the output torque are gained. Finite element method (FEM)-based electromagnetic parameters analysis and design is carried out, to raise the output torque and reduce the torque ripple of CSPM motor. Besides, optimized design parameters are used to establish the FEM model, and the simulation results of electromagnetic performances for the CSPM motor before and after optimization are given to verify the rationality of optimization.
Enhanced Production and in situ Product Recovery of Fusicocca-2,10(14)-Diene from Yeast
Authors: Halka Lisa , Wichmann Rolf
Published: August 2018

Fusicocca-2,10(14)-diene (FCdiene) is a tricyclic diterpene which has many pharmaceutical applications, for example, it is a precursor for different anticancer drugs, including fusicoccin A. Chemical synthesis of this diterpene is not economical as it requires 14 steps with several stereospecific reactions. FCdiene is naturally produced at low titers in phytopathogenic filamentous fungi. However, production of FCdiene can be achieved via expression of fusicoccadiene synthase in yeast. The objective of this study is to increase FCdiene production by optimizing the yeast fermentation process. Our preliminary fermentations showed influences of carbon sources, buffer agents, and oxygen supply on FCdiene production. Buffer agents as well as oxygen supply were investigated in detail at 0.2 and 1.8 L cultivation volumes. Using glucose as the carbon source, FCdiene concentrations were increased to 240 mgFCdiene/L by optimizing pH and oxygen conditions. In situ extraction and adsorption techniques were examined at the 0.2 L scale to determine if these techniques could improve FCdiene yields. Different adsorbents and solvents were tested with in situ product recovery and 4-fold increases in FCdiene productivity could be shown. The results generated in this work provide a proof-of-concept for the fermentative production of FCdiene from S. cerevisiae as a practical alternative to chemical synthesis.
Maneuvers on PCNA Rings during DNA Replication and Repair
Authors: Slade Dea
Published: August 2018

DNA replication and repair are essential cellular processes that ensure genome duplication and safeguard the genome from deleterious mutations. Both processes utilize an abundance of enzymatic functions that need to be tightly regulated to ensure dynamic exchange of DNA replication and repair factors. Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) is the major coordinator of faithful and processive replication and DNA repair at replication forks. Post-translational modifications of PCNA, ubiquitination and acetylation in particular, regulate the dynamics of PCNA-protein interactions. Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) monoubiquitination elicits ‘polymerase switching’, whereby stalled replicative polymerase is replaced with a specialized polymerase, while PCNA acetylation may reduce the processivity of replicative polymerases to promote homologous recombination-dependent repair. While regulatory functions of PCNA ubiquitination and acetylation have been well established, the regulation of PCNA-binding proteins remains underexplored. Considering the vast number of PCNA-binding proteins, many of which have similar PCNA binding affinities, the question arises as to the regulation of the strength and sequence of their binding to PCNA. Here I provide an overview of post-translational modifications on both PCNA and PCNA-interacting proteins and discuss their relevance for the regulation of the dynamic processes of DNA replication and repair.
Does Medical Students’ Personality Traits Influence Their Attitudes toward Medical Errors?
Authors: Lo Chia-Lun , Tseng Hsiao-Ting , Chen Chi-Hua
Published: August 2018

This study examined medical students’ perceptions towards medical errors and the policy of the hospital within the internship curriculum, and explored how aspects of personality traits of medical students relate to their attitude toward medical errors. Based on the theory of the Five-Factor-Model (FFM) and related literature review, this study adopted a self-devised structured questionnaire to distribute to 493 medical students in years five to seven in the top three medical schools, representing a 56.7% valid questionnaire response rate. Results showed that agreeableness is more important than other personality traits, and medical students with high agreeableness are good communicators and have a more positive attitude to avoid errors in the future. On the contrary, students with low neuroticism tended to be more relaxed and gentle. If medical educators can recruit new students with high agreeableness, these students will be more likely to effectively improve the quality of medical care and enhance patient safety. This study anticipates that this method could be easily translated to nearly every medical department entry examination, particularly with regards to a consciousness-based education of future physicians.
A Segmented Processing Approach of Eigenvector Spatial Filtering Regression for Normalized Difference Vegetation Index in Central China
Authors: Yang Jiaxin , Chen Yumin , Chen Meijie , Yang Fan , Yao Ming
Published: August 2018

A segmented processing approach of eigenvector spatial filtering (ESF) regression is proposed to detect the relationship between NDVI and its environmental factors like DEM, precipitation, relative humidity, precipitation days, soil organic carbon, and soil base saturation in central China. An optimum size of 32 × 32 is selected through experiments as the basic unit for image segmentation to resolve the large datasets to smaller ones that can be performed in parallel and processed more efficiently. The eigenvectors from the spatial weights matrix (SWM) of each segmented image block are selected as synthetic proxy variables accounting for the spatial effects and aggregated to construct a global ESF regression model. Results show precipitation and humidity are more influential than other factors and spatial autocorrelation plays a vital role in vegetation cover in central China. Despite the increase in model complexity; the parallel ESF regression model performs best across all performance criteria compared to the ordinary least squared linear regression (OLS) and spatial autoregressive (SAR) models. The proposed parallel ESF approach overcomes the computational barrier for large data sets and is very promising in applying spatial regression modeling to a wide range of real world problem solving and forecasting.
Repression of the Glucocorticoid Receptor Aggravates Acute Ischemic Brain Injuries in Adult Mice
Authors: Li Yong , Huang Lei , Ma Qingyi , Concepcion Katherine R. , Song Minwoo A. , Zhang Peng , Fu Yingjie , Xiao Daliao , Zhang Lubo
Published: August 2018

Strokes are one of the leading causes of mortality and chronic morbidity in the world, yet with only limited successful interventions available at present. Our previous studies revealed the potential role of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) in the pathogenesis of neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). In the present study, we investigate the effect of GR knockdown on acute ischemic brain injuries in a model of focal cerebral ischemia induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) in adult male CD1 mice. GR siRNAs and the negative control were administered via intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) injection 48 h prior to MCAO. The cerebral infarction volume and neurobehavioral deficits were determined 48 h after MCAO. RT-qPCR was employed to assess the inflammation-related gene expression profiles in the brain before and after MCAO. Western Blotting was used to evaluate the expression levels of GR, the mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) and the brain-derived neurotrophic factor/tropomyosin receptor kinase B (BDNF/TrkB) signaling. The siRNAs treatment decreased GR, but not MR, protein expression, and significantly enhanced expression levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α) in the brain. Of interest, GR knockdown suppressed BDNF/TrkB signaling in adult mice brains. Importantly, GR siRNA pretreatment significantly increased the infarction size and exacerbated the neurobehavioral deficits induced by MCAO in comparison to the control group. Thus, the present study demonstrates the important role of GR in the regulation of the inflammatory responses and neurotrophic BDNF/TrkB signaling pathway in acute ischemic brain injuries in adult mice, revealing a new insight into the pathogenesis and therapeutic potential in acute ischemic strokes.
Selected Molecular Mechanisms Involved in the Parasite–Host System Hymenolepis diminuta–Rattus norvegicus
Authors: Kapczuk Patrycja , Kosik-Bogacka Danuta , Łanocha-Arendarczyk Natalia , Gutowska Izabela , Kupnicka Patrycja , Chlubek Dariusz , Baranowska-Bosiacka Irena
Published: August 2018

The rat tapeworm Hymenolepis diminuta is a parasite of the small intestine of rodents (mainly mice and rats), and accidentally humans. It is classified as a non-invasive tapeworm due to the lack of hooks on the tapeworm’s scolex, which could cause mechanical damage to host tissues. However, many studies have shown that metabolites secreted by H. diminuta interfere with the functioning of the host’s gastrointestinal tract, causing an increase in salivary secretion, suppression of gastric acid secretion, and an increase in the trypsin activity in the duodenum chyme. Our work presents the biochemical and molecular mechanisms of a parasite-host interaction, including the influence on ion transport and host intestinal microflora, morphology and biochemical parameters of blood, secretion of antioxidant enzymes, expression of Toll-like receptors, mechanisms of immune response, as well as the expression and activity of cyclooxygenases. We emphasize the interrelations between the parasite and the host at the cellular level resulting from the direct impact of the parasite as well as host defense reactions that lead to changes in the host’s tissues and organs.
An Empirical Study on Importance of Modeling Parameters and Trading Volume-Based Features in Daily Stock Trading Using Neural Networks
Authors: Dinh Thuy-An , Kwon Yung-Keun
Published: August 2018

There have been many machine learning-based studies to forecast stock price trends. These studies attempted to extract input features mostly from the price information with little focus on the trading volume information. In addition, modeling parameters to specify a learning problem have not been intensively investigated. We herein develop an improved method by handling those limitations. Specifically, we generated input variables by considering both price and volume information with even weight. We also defined three modeling parameters: the input and the target window sizes and the profit threshold. These specify the input and target variables, between which the underlying functions are learned by multilayer perceptrons and support vector machines. We tested our approach over six stocks and 15 years and compared with the expected performance over all considered parameter specifications. Our approach dramatically improved the prediction accuracy over the expected performance. In addition, our approach was shown to be stably more profitable than both the expected performance and the buy-and-hold strategy. On the other hand, the performance was degraded when the input variables generated from the trading volume were excluded from learning. All these results validate the importance of the volume and the modeling parameters in stock trading prediction.