bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Saksenaea dorisiaesp. nov., a New Opportunistic Pathogenic Fungus from Europe
Authors: Labuda Roman , Bernreiter Andreas , Hochenauer Doris , Schüller Christoph , Kubátová Alena , Strauss Joseph , Wagner Martin
Published: September 2019

A new species,Saksenaea dorisiae(Mucoromycotina, Mucorales), isolated from a water sample originating from a private well in Manastirica, Petrovac, in the Republic of Serbia (Europe), is described and illustrated. The new taxon is well supported by multilocus phylogenetic analysis that included the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, domains D1 and D2 of the 28S rRNA gene (LSU), and translation elongation factor-1αgene (tef-1α), and it is resolved in a clade withS. oblongisporaandS. trapezispora. This fungus is characterized by its moderately slow growth at 15 and 37°C, sparse rhizoids, conical-shaped sporangia, and short-cylindrical sporangiospores.Saksenaea dorisiaeis a member of the opportunistic pathogenic genus often involved in severe human and animal mucormycoses encountered in tropical and subtropical regions. Despite its sensitivity to several conventional antifungals (terbinafine and ciclopirox), the fungus can potentially evoke clinically challenging infections. This is the first novel taxon of the genusSaksenaeadescribed from the moderately continental climate area of Europe.
A Novel Engagement‐Pixel Tracking Method for Meshing Clearance Layout of Twin‐Screw Rotors
Authors: Lu Jie , Cai Zhiqin , Cai Sijie , Yao Bin , Chen Binqiang
Published: September 2019

The performance of dry twin‐screw compressors is primarily affected by the meshing clearance between a pair of meshing rotors. In this paper, a novel method for meshing clearance layout (MCL) is presented. The presented method is based on the engagement‐pixel tracking (EPT) technique, which utilizes discrete‐pixel curves generated by the two rotors. An algorithm for the proposed method is put forward. Firstly, when the profile of one rotor is known, the discrete point coordinates of the two rotor profiles and their thermal expansion profiles can be obtained. Secondly, the instantaneous contact models of the two rotors at special meshing positions are acquired under pixel coordinate system. Thirdly, through inspecting the pixels on the profile of a rotor and establishing the corresponding normal vector, the meshing clearance of the two rotors is extracted. Then, the meshing clearances can be generated by extracting the boundary pixels on the other rotor profile. Finally, the meshing clearance layout method is proposed. To verify the effectiveness of the presented method, a case study was conducted on a pair of meshing rotors to extract its meshing clearance. It was shown that the proposed method can be used as a tool for evaluating the clearance distribution of actual machined profiles.
One-Time Roll-Forming Technology for High-Strength Steel Profiles with “日” Section
Authors: Liang Jicai , Chen Chuandong , Liang Ce , Li Yi , Chen Guangyi , Li Xiaoming , Wang Aicheng
Published: September 2019

Roll forming is an important processing method for the production of commercial vehicle anticollision beams, and edge buckling is one of the common defects in roll-forming process. In this paper, the “日” shape section of roll forming is studied, and first the b-shaped section is formed by roll forming, and the internal weld line is automatically welded while forming; then the long side of the b-shaped section is bent into the “U” shape, and the external weld line is welded while forming. The profile is cut off and then bent at both ends to form a commercial vehicle anticollision beam. The ABAQUS finite element software is used to model and analyze the factors affecting the “edge buckling” defect of roll-formed products. This paper uses three factors and three levels of orthogonal simulation experiments to study the problem. The results show that the effect of the factors of flange height, sheet thickness, and forming speed on the formation of edge buckling is in the order of sheet thickness > flange height > forming speed. The edge buckling size of the vertical edge of b-shaped tube decreases with the increase of sheet thickness and increases with the increase of flange height.
Magnitude and Contributing Factors of Low Back Pain among Long Distance Truck Drivers at Modjo Dry Port, Ethiopia: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Yosef Tewodros , Belachew Ayele , Tefera Yifokire
Published: September 2019

Background. Low back pain (LBP) is well known as the most common musculoskeletal disorder with the lifetime prevalence of eighty percent. Worldwide, 37% of low back pain was attributable to occupational risk factors. Truck driving is one among the jobs causing occupational LBP. Even though these drivers in Ethiopia run the high risk of occupational injuries and illnesses like drivers elsewhere, the evidence that shows the magnitude and factors that contribute to LBP is a significant shortcoming. Objective. To assess the magnitude and contributing factors of low back pain among long-distance truck drivers at Modjo Dry Port, Ethiopia, 2018. Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted among systematically selected 422 long-distance truck drivers at Modjo Dry Port, Ethiopia, from February to March 2018. Data were collected through face-to-face individual interview using a structured questionnaire adapted from the standardized Nordic questionnaire for the analysis of musculoskeletal symptoms. The data were entered using EPI-DATA version 4.2.0.0 and cleaned and analyzed using SPSS version 20 statistical software for windows. Binary logistic regression was computed to determine the association using crude and adjusted odds ratios at 95% confidence intervals. Independent variables with a P value less than 0.05 in the multivariable logistic regression model were considered as significant. Results. Of 400 truck drivers interviewed, the prevalence of LBP was found to be 65%. The study also found smoking cigarette (AOR = 2.24, 95% CI (1.25–4.01), and P=0.007), physical inactivity (AOR = 2.12, 95% CI (1.28–3.51), and P=0.003), chronic diseases other than LBP (AOR = 2.18, 95% CI (1.32–3.61), and P=0.002), frequent lifting or carrying heavy objects (AOR = 3.02, 95% CI (1.75–5.22), and P≤0.001), perceived improper sitting posture while driving (AOR = 2.20, 95% CI (1.35–3.60), and P=0.002), and perceived job stress (AOR = 2.07, 95% CI (1.20–3.57), and P=0.009) were contributing factors of low back pain. Conclusion. This finding shows the public health importance of low back pain among long-distance truck drivers in Ethiopia. Individual factors largely accounted for the development of low back pain; hence, orientation on these modifiable risk factors and regular follow-up on safety procedures should be considered to mitigate the problem.
Audit on Current Practice of Rapid Sequence Induction and Intubation of Anesthesia in the University of Gondar Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia, 2018
Authors: Mollalign Mamaru , Gebreegzi Amare Hailekiros , Getinet Habtamu , Adem Seid
Published: September 2019

Background. In patients who are liable to the risk of pulmonary aspiration, airway control is the primary and first concern for the anesthetists both in emergency and elective surgical procedures. Rapid sequence induction is universally required in any occasion of emergent endotracheal intubation needed for unfasted patients or patients’ fasting status is unknown. Methods. institutional-based prospective observational study was conducted from December 2017 to January 2018 in all elective and emergency adult or pediatric patients with a risk of pulmonary aspiration who were operated under general anesthesia with rapid sequence induction and intubation during the audit period. Result. A total of 35 patients were operated during the study period. Of these, 31 (88.57%) patients were adults and 4 (11.43%) patients were pediatrics. Most of the patients were emergency (29 (82.857%)), and the rest were elective (6 (17.142%)). Conclusion. Most anesthetists were good at preparing all available monitoring and drugs, making sure that IV line is well-functioning, preparing suction with a suction machine, preoxygenation, application of cricoid pressure, and checking the position of the ETT after intubation was performed. Preparing difficult airway equipment during planning of rapid sequence induction and intubation, giving roles and told to proceed their assigned role for the team, attempt to ventilate with a small tidal volume, and routine use of bougie or stylet to increase the chance of success of intubation needed improvement.
Spectrum-Effect Relationship between UPLC Fingerprints and Antilung Cancer Effect of Si Jun Zi Tang
Authors: Zhou Xiaowei , Li Ying , Zhang Mingyu , Hao Junjie , Gu Qiong , Liu Haiyang , Chen Wei , Shi Yafei , Dong Bin , Zhang Yuanyuan , Li Chunyu , Li Guohui
Published: September 2019

Nowadays, an increasing number of patients are seriously affected by lung cancer. Si Jun Zi Tang (SJZ), a four-herb Chinese medicine formula first described approximately one thousand years ago, is often prescribed for cancer patients as a complementary therapy. But the research on the effective materials for treating cancer using SJZ was rarely reported. To solve this problem, we evaluate the inhibitory effect of 10 samples of SJZ from different origins on PC9 cells. Ultraperformance liquid chromatography (UPLC) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) along with canonical correlation analysis (CCA) and bioactivity validation were used to investigate the underlying correlation between the chemical ingredients and the antiproliferative effect of SJZ on PC9 cells. The evaluation indicated that 10 batches of SJZ could inhibit proliferation of PC9 cells and there was a notable difference in pharmacological activity between the different SJZ samples. The results of CCA and multivariate statistical analysis indicated that ginsenoside Ro and ginsenoside Rg1 might be active constituents of the antiproliferative effect as determined by spectrum-effect relationships. The results showed that bioassay and spectrum-effect relationships are suitable to associate sample quality with the active ingredient associated with clinical efficacy. And our finding would provide foundation and further understanding of the quality evaluation of traditional Chinese medicine decoction.
Comparison of the Effectiveness of High-Intensity Interval Training in Hypoxia and Normoxia in Healthy Male Volunteers: A Pilot Study
Authors: Żebrowska Aleksandra , Jastrzębski Dariusz , Sadowska-Krępa Ewa , Sikora Marcin , Di Giulio Camillo
Published: September 2019

Aims. The study investigated the effect of high-intensity interval training in hypoxia and normoxia on serum concentrations of proangiogenic factors, nitric oxide, and inflammatory responses in healthy male volunteers. Methods. Twelve physically active male subjects completed a high-intensity interval training (HIIT) in normoxia (NorTr) and in normobaric hypoxia (HypTr) (FiO2 = 15.2%). The effects of HIIT in hypoxia and normoxia on maximal oxygen uptake, hypoxia-inducible factor-1-alpha, vascular endothelial growth factor, nitric oxide, and cytokines were analyzed. Results. HIIT in hypoxia significantly increases maximal oxygen uptake (p=0.01) levels compared to pretraining levels. Serum hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (p=0.01) and nitric oxide levels (p=0.05), vascular endothelial growth factor (p=0.04), and transforming growth factor-β (p=0.01) levels were increased in response to exercise test after hypoxic training. There was no effect of training conditions for serum baseline angiogenic factors and cytokines (p>0.05) with higher HIF-1α and NO levels after hypoxic training compared to normoxic training (F = 9.1; p<0.01 and F = 5.7; p<0.05, respectively). Conclusions. High-intensity interval training in hypoxia seems to induce beneficial adaptations to exercise mediated via a significant increase in the serum concentrations of proangiogenic factors and serum nitric oxide levels compared to the same training regimen in normoxia.
T2∗ Relaxation Time Obtained from Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Liver Is a Useful Parameter for Use in the Construction of a Murine Model of Iron Overload
Authors: Matsuo-Tezuka Yukari , Sasaki Yusuke , Iwai Toshiki , Kurasawa Mitsue , Yorozu Keigo , Tashiro Yoshihito , Hirata Michinori
Published: September 2019

Aim. Iron overload is a life-threatening disorder that can increase the risks of cancer, cardiovascular disease, and liver cirrhosis. There is also a risk of iron overload in patients with chronic kidney disease. In patients with renal failure, iron storage is increased due to inadequate iron utilization associated with decreased erythropoiesis and also to the inflammatory status. To evade the risk of iron overload, an accurate and versatile indicator of body iron storage in patients with iron overload is needed. In this study, we aimed to find useful iron-related parameters that could accurately reflect body iron storage in mice in order to construct a murine model of iron overload. Methods. To select an appropriate indicator of body iron status, a variety of parameters involved in iron metabolism were evaluated. Noninvasively measured parameters were R1, R2, and R2∗ derived from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Invasively measured parameters included serum hepcidin levels, serum ferritin levels, and liver iron contents. Histopathological analysis was also conducted. Results/Conclusion. Among the several parameters evaluated, the MRI T2∗ relaxation time was able to detect iron storage in the liver as sensitively as serum ferritin levels. Moreover, it is expected that using an MRI parameter will allow accurate evaluation of body iron storage in mice over time.
Sevoflurane Alleviates Reperfusion Arrhythmia by Ameliorating TDR and MAPD90 in Isolated Rat Hearts after Ischemia-Reperfusion
Authors: Wang Guilong , Dai Dongjun , Gao Hong , Liu Yanqiu , Wang Zijun , Li Huayu , Fu Xiaokui
Published: September 2019

Objective. To investigate the effect of sevoflurane on the monophasic action potentials (MAPs) in isolated rat hearts after ischemia-reperfusion. Methods. Twenty-four healthy SD male rats, weighing 280–320 g, were randomly divided into three groups after successful preparation of a Langendorff isolated heart perfusion model with a stabilization period perfusion of 15 min with Krebs–Henseleit (K–H) fluid (n = 8): the control group (group A, continuously perfused with K–H fluid for 105 min), the ischemia-reperfusion group (group B, continuously perfused with K–H fluid for 15 min, and then exposed to 60 min of global ischemia induced by Thomas solution followed by 30 min of reperfusion), and the sevoflurane group (group C, K–H fluid contained 1.0 MAC sevoflurane, and other procedures were same as in group B). Heart rate (HR) and MAPs including time course (MAPD50 or MAPD90) of the epicardium (Epi) and endocardium (Endo) were recorded at the time of balance perfusion for 15 min (T0), continuous perfusion for 15 min (T1), reperfusion for 15 min/continuous perfusion for 105 min (T2), and reperfusion for 30 min/continuous perfusion for 120 min (T3), and the transmural dispersion of repolarization (TDR) was calculated. The incidence of arrhythmia, time for restoration of spontaneous heart beat, and duration of arrhythmia were recorded during the period of reperfusion. Results. HR in group B and group C was lower at T2 and T3 than that in group A, while that in group B was significantly lower than that in group A at T2 and T3, and HR in group C was higher than that in group B at T2 and T3 (P<0.05). There was no difference of TDR in each group at T0 and T1 (P>0.05), while TDR in group B was increased at T2 and T3 compared with that in group C and group A (P<0.05). TDR in group C was decreased compared with that in group B at T2 and T3 (P<0.05), while there was no such difference between group C and group A (P>0.05). The time for restoration of spontaneous heart beat and duration of arrhythmia in group C were shorter than those in group B (P<0.05), while cardiac arrhythmia scores in group B were higher than those in group C (P<0.05). There was no difference of MAPD50 in each group (P>0.05). The MAPD90 in group B was much longer than that in other groups at T2 and T3 (P<0.05), while there was no such difference between group C and group A (P>0.05). The prolonged MAPD90 at T2 and T3 in group B strikingly differed from that at T0 and T1 (P<0.05). Nevertheless, there was no such difference in other groups at different time points (P>0.05). Conclusion. Sevoflurane alleviates reperfusion arrhythmia induced by myocardial ischemia-reperfusion through the shortening of MPAD90 in isolated rat hearts.
Shear Lag Effects in Angles Welded at Both Legs
Authors: Abedin Mohammad , Maleki Shervin , Kiani Nafiseh , Shahrokhinasab Esmail
Published: September 2019

The shear lag phenomenon is known to reduce the tensile capacity of tension members. There are various parameters affecting shear lag that have not been considered before. In addition, previous studies have been conducted mainly on single steel sections. Using numerical methods, the present study investigates the effects of relevant parameters on shear lag in single‐ and double‐angle sections welded at both legs. The studied parameters are connection eccentricity, connection length, gusset plate thickness, member‐free length, and connection‐free length. The results of the numerical analyses show that, in single‐angle connections, the effects of connection length, connection eccentricity, and gusset plate thickness are more pronounced, while in double‐angle connections the last parameter is not very critical. Comparing the results with the AISC‐LRFD predictions, it is concluded that the specification relations are conservative in most cases. In order to reduce the overconservatism, some new equations for shear lag estimate are introduced.
Detection of Free-Form Copy-Move Forgery on Digital Images
Authors: Gürbüz Emre , Ulutas Guzin , Ulutas Mustafa
Published: September 2019

Nowadays, production and distribution of digital images has become part of our life. Since digital images, which are important carriers of information, are considered as the concrete proofs of facts in many fields and they can be used as evidence in the courts of law, development of techniques to ensure image authenticity is an active research topic. Copy-move forgery is one of the most common manipulation techniques that are implemented on the digital images, and various techniques have been developed for detection of these kinds of forgeries. JPEG format, which presents the ability of making high rate compression without causing remarkable changes in the meaning of the image, is the most commonly used format on digital images. In this study, the topic of detecting free-form copy-move forgeries on digital images is covered. It has been observed that the developed technique is able to detect the professional forgeries in which the copied region is selected in free-form and which are almost impossible to be detected by human eye, with high success rate, and it is able to give successful results even if the image is exposed to postprocesses such as JPEG compression and Gaussian filtering, which make the detection of forgery harder.
Euclidean Distance-Based Weighted Prediction for Merge Mode in HEVC
Authors: Guo Hongwei , Fan Xiangsuo , Min Lei
Published: September 2019

Merge mode can achieve a considerable coding gain because of reducing the cost of coding motion information in video codecs. However, the simple adoption of the motion information from the neighbouring blocks may not achieve the optimal performance as the motion correlation between the pixels and the neighbouring block decreases with their distance increasing. To address this problem, the paper proposes a Euclidean distance-based weighted prediction algorithm as an additional candidate in the merge mode. First, several predicted blocks are generated by motion compensation prediction (MCP) with the motion information from available neighbouring blocks. Second, an additional predicted block is generated by a weighted average of the predicted blocks above, where the weighted coefficient is related to Euclidean distances from the neighbouring candidate to the pixel points in the current block. Finally, the best merge mode is selected by the rate distortion optimization (RDO) among the original merge candidates and the additional candidate. Experimental results show that, on the joint exploration test model 7.0 (JEM 7.0), the proposed algorithm achieves better coding performance than the original merge mode under all configurations including random access (RA), low delay B (LDB), and low delay P (LDP), with a slight coding complexity increase. Especially for the LDP configuration, the proposed method achieves 1.50% bitrate saving on average.
Dynamics Modeling and Analysis of a Novel Constraint Metamorphic Reversible Plough
Authors: Song Yanyan , Chang Boyan , Jin Guoguang , Wei Zhan , Li Bo
Published: September 2019

To meet the requirements of different farming objects, this paper presents a novel constraint metamorphic reversible plough (CMRP) which has four distinct working phases and the feature of underactuation, and its prototype has been manufactured for practical testing purposes. Firstly, the kinematics of the mechanism in each phase are studied systematically with the closed‐loop vector method, including displacement, velocity, and acceleration analysis. Considering the underactuated characteristics of the mechanism in the source phase, its dynamic models in the source phase are further established by the Lagrange equation. Based on the theory that velocity and acceleration are the same in an extremely brief period, the motion laws of the slider in the source phase can be obtained. To obtain the constraint force/torque acting on the crucial joints in each phase, the dynamic model of the CMRP is established by the Newton–Euler equation. Furthermore, the initial position of the CMRP with a flexible prismatic joint can be determined using the static balance equation. Finally, the obtained kinematic and dynamic models of the CMRP in each phase are verified, respectively, through comparing the simulation results in SolidWorks and Matlab software, and the experiment with the prototype is conducted. The CMRP proposed in this study provides a feasible technical scheme for improving the capability of reversible plough over unknown and complex terrains.
Aerial Nitrogen Fluxes and Soil Nitrate in response to Fall-Applied Manure and Fertilizer Applications in Eastern South Dakota
Authors: Mehata Mukesh , Cortus Erin , Niraula Suresh , Spiehs Mindy J. , Darrington Joseph , Chatterjee Amitava , Rahman Shafiqur , Parker David B.
Published: September 2019

Manure and inorganic fertilizer help to meet crop nitrogen demand by supplementing soil nitrogen (N). However, excessive N losses reduce soil fertility and crop yield and can impair water and air quality. The objectives of the research were to compare different forms of fall-applied N for (1) the change in soil nitrate (NO3-N) over the growing season and (2) the aerial ammonia (NH3) and nitrous oxide (N2O) fluxes during the fall and early growing season. Treatments included solid beef cattle manure with bedding (BM), solid beef cattle manure only (SM), urea (UO), and no fertilizer (NF). The two-year plot-scale study took place in Brookings County, South Dakota, under rain-fed conditions in a silty clay loam. Manure and urea were applied at equal plant-available N rates of 130 and 184 kg·N·ha−1in Y1 and Y2, respectively, according to the South Dakota nutrient management planning process. The average total (i.e., 0–0.60 m soil depth) soil NO3-N for Y1 (83 kg·ha−1) was significantly higher than Y2 (67 kg·ha−1), whereas surface (i.e., 0–0.15 m soil depth) soil NO3-N was not significantly different between years. The average surface soil NO3-N (33.5 kg·ha−1) and total soil NO3-N (105.0 kg·ha−1) for UO were significantly higher than the remaining treatments (P<0.05). Soil water NO3-N concentrations, leaf-N, corn-grain-N, and yield measurements did not indicate any significant differences between treatments. Based on the two-year average, the highest NH3-N flux occurred from the BM (3.4 g·ha−1·h−1); however, this flux was only significantly higher than NF (1.4 g·ha−1·h−1). The NH3-N fluxes from UO (2.2 g·ha−1·h−1) and SM (1.7 g·ha−1·h−1) were similar to both BM and NF. The N2O-N flux from UO (0.79 g·ha−1·h−1) was significantly greater than NF (0.25 g·ha−1·h−1), while BM- (0.49 g·ha−1·h−1) and SM-produced (0.33 g·ha−1·h−1) N2O-N fluxes were not significantly different than neither UO nor NF. The three fall-applied N sources had similar aerial-N fluxes even though urea application resulted in significantly higher soil nitrate.
Assessment of the Association between In Vivo Corneal Morphogeometrical Changes and Keratoconus Eyes with Severe Visual Limitation
Authors: Velázquez J. S. , Cavas F. , Alió del Barrio J. , Fernández-Pacheco D. G. , Alió J.
Published: September 2019

Assessing changes suffered by the cornea as keratoconus progresses has proven to be vital for this disease diagnosis and treatment. This study determines the corneal biometric profile in eyes considered as affected by keratoconus (KC) showing severe visual limitation, by means of in vivo 3D modelling techniques. This observational case series study evaluated new objective indices in 50 healthy and 30 KC corneas, following a validated protocol created by our research group, which has been previously used for diagnosis and characterization of KC in asymptomatic (preclinical) and mild visually impaired eyes. Results show a statistically significant reduction of corneal volume and an increase of total corneal area in the severe KC group, being anterior and posterior corneal surfaces minimum thickness points the best correlated parameters, although with no discrimination between groups. Receiving operator curves were used to determine sensitivity and specificity of selected indices, being anterior and posterior apex deviations the ones which reached the highest area under the curve, both with very high sensitivity (96.7% and 90%, respectively) and specificity (94.0% and 99.9%, respectively). The results suggest that once severe visual loss appears, anterior corneal topography should be considered for a more accurate diagnosis of clinical KC, being anterior apex deviation the key metric discriminant. This study can be a useful tool for KC classification, helping doctors in diagnosing severe cases of the disease, and can help to characterize corneal changes that appear when severe KC is developed and how they relate with vision deterioration.
Preclinical Molecular Imaging for Precision Medicine in Breast Cancer Mouse Models
Authors: Fiordelisi M. F. , Auletta L. , Meomartino L. , Basso L. , Fatone G. , Salvatore M. , Mancini M. , Greco A.
Published: September 2019

Precision and personalized medicine is gaining importance in modern clinical medicine, as it aims to improve diagnostic precision and to reduce consequent therapeutic failures. In this regard, prior to use in human trials, animal models can help evaluate novel imaging approaches and therapeutic strategies and can help discover new biomarkers. Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in women worldwide, accounting for 25% of cases of all cancers and is responsible for approximately 500,000 deaths per year. Thus, it is important to identify accurate biomarkers for precise stratification of affected patients and for early detection of responsiveness to the selected therapeutic protocol. This review aims to summarize the latest advancements in preclinical molecular imaging in breast cancer mouse models. Positron emission tomography (PET) imaging remains one of the most common preclinical techniques used to evaluate biomarker expressionin vivo, whereas magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), particularly diffusion-weighted (DW) sequences, has been demonstrated as capable of distinguishing responders from nonresponders for both conventional and innovative chemo- and immune-therapies with high sensitivity and in a noninvasive manner. The ability to customize therapies is desirable, as this will enable early detection of diseases and tailoring of treatments to individual patient profiles. Animal models remain irreplaceable in the effort to understand the molecular mechanisms and patterns of oncologic diseases.
Compound Autoregressive Network for Prediction of Multivariate Time Series
Authors: Bai Yuting , Jin Xuebo , Wang Xiaoyi , Su Tingli , Kong Jianlei , Lu Yutian
Published: September 2019

The prediction information has effects on the emergency prevention and advanced control in various complex systems. There are obvious nonlinear, nonstationary, and complicated characteristics in the time series. Moreover, multiple variables in the time‐series impact on each other to make the prediction more difficult. Then, a solution of time‐series prediction for the multivariate was explored in this paper. Firstly, a compound neural network framework was designed with the primary and auxiliary networks. The framework attempted to extract the change features of the time series as well as the interactive relation of multiple related variables. Secondly, the structures of the primary and auxiliary networks were studied based on the nonlinear autoregressive model. The learning method was also introduced to obtain the available models. Thirdly, the prediction algorithm was concluded for the time series with multiple variables. Finally, the experiments on environment‐monitoring data were conducted to verify the methods. The results prove that the proposed method can obtain the accurate prediction value in the short term.
A Real-Time Patient Monitoring Framework for Fall Detection
Authors: Ajerla Dharmitha , Mahfuz Sazia , Zulkernine Farhana
Published: September 2019

Fall detection is a major problem in the healthcare department. Elderly people are more prone to fall than others. There are more than 50% of injury-related hospitalizations in people aged over 65. Commercial fall detection devices are expensive and charge a monthly fee for their services. A more affordable and adaptable system is necessary for retirement homes and clinics to build a smart city powered by IoT and artificial intelligence. An effective fall detection system would detect a fall and send an alarm to the appropriate authorities. We propose a framework that uses edge computing where instead of sending data to the cloud, wearable devices send data to a nearby edge device like a laptop or mobile device for real-time analysis. We use cheap wearable sensor devices from MbientLab, an open source streaming engine called Apache Flink for streaming data analytics, and a long short-term memory (LSTM) network model for fall classification. The model is trained using a published dataset called “MobiAct.” Using the trained model, we analyse optimal sampling rates, sensor placement, and multistream data correction. Our edge computing framework can perform real-time streaming data analytics to detect falls with an accuracy of 95.8%.
Effects of Systemic or Local Administration of Zoledronate on Implant Osseointegration: A Preclinical Meta-Analysis
Authors: He Yao , Bao Wei , Wu Xiang-Dong , Huang Wei , Chen Hong , Li Zhengyun
Published: September 2019

Objective. This study aims to investigate the effect of systemically administrated zoledronate on bone-implant fixation in animal models. Methods. We searched MEDLINE, Embase, and EBSCO for studies that explore the role of systemic or local zoledronate delivery in implant osseointegration in animal models. The Review Manager software was used to analyze selected studies by using the weighted mean difference random-effects model. Analytical data are mainly about bone ingrowth, such as bone-to-implant contact (BIC), bone volume/total volume (BV/TV), and bone area. Results. Twenty studies were selected from 182 publications. The mean quality score was 18/20 for all of the 20 studies (κ = 0.9). Despite differences in protocols, these studies showed consistent improvement of implant osseointegration with zoledronate administration. In addition, the osteoporotic animal model, systemic or local administration, sufficient drug dosage, and sample follow-up time were correlated with improved outcomes. Conclusion. Systematic administration of zoledronate could improve the osseointegration of orthopedic implant in animal models. Results of this meta-analysis should be interpreted cautiously because of the inherent differences between preclinical and clinical subjects. For the local administration, there is a similar trend as well, but the results need to be confirmed and complemented with further analyses.
Rapid Identification and Quality Evaluation of Medicinal Centipedes in China Using Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Integrated with Support Vector Machine Algorithm
Authors: Kang Sihe , Deng Haiying , Chen Long , Zeng Xiaoxuan , Liu Yimei , Chen Keli
Published: September 2019

To investigate the feasibility of rapid identification and quality evaluation of Chinese medicinal centipedes using NIR spectroscopy, the qualitative and quantitative analysis models were explored. A PCA-SVC model was optimized to differentiate five species of the genus Scolopendra. When the model was validated with the calibration and prediction sets, the prediction accuracy was 100% and 81.82%, respectively; it can meet the requirement for rapid and preliminary identification. Based on nitrogen content detected by the chemical method, and the dimensionality of spectral data reduced with PLS, the quantitative analysis models were successfully built by PLSR and SVR algorithms. After spectra were pretreated and parameters were optimized, the performance, rationality, and prediction ability of the models were validated and evaluated with RMSECV, RMSEP, RMSEE, R2, and RPD. Compared with the features and advantages of these two models, the PLS-SVR model had better performance and stronger prediction capacity, and it was finally regarded as the optimal quantitative analysis model to predict nitrogen content. The relative deviation between the predictive value and the reference was 2.69%, and the average recovery was 99.02%, which indicated it has potential for rapid prediction and evaluation of the quality of medicinal centipedes. This research suggested that NIR spectroscopy can be used as a rapid detection method to identify species and evaluate the quality of medicinal centipedes in China.
Nonlinear Dynamic Analysis and Chaos Prediction of Grinding Motorized Spindle System
Authors: Jia Weitao , Gao Feng , Li Yan , Wu Wenwu , Li Zhongwei
Published: September 2019

The paper determines the impact factors of dynamics of a motorized spindle rotor system due to high speed: centrifugal force and bearing stiffness softening. A nonlinear dynamic model of the grinding motorized spindle system considering the above impact factors is constructed. Through system simulation including phase portraits and Poincaré map, the periodic behavior and chaotic behavior of the nonlinear grinding motorized spindle system are revealed. The threshold curve of chaos motion is obtained through the Melnikov method. The conclusion can provide a theoretical basis for researching deeply the dynamic behaviors of the grinding motorized spindle system.
Low Overhead Localized Routing in Mobile Ad Hoc Networks
Authors: Prabhavat Sumet , Narongkhachavana Worrawat , Thongthavorn Thananop , Phankaew Chanakan
Published: September 2019

Mobile Opportunistic Networks (OppNets) are infrastructure-less networks consisting of wireless mobile nodes and have been a focus of research for years. OppNets can be scaled up to support rapid growth of wireless devices and technologies, especially smartphones and tablets. Mobile Ad Hoc Networks (MANETs), one of OppNets technologies, have a high potential to be used for facilitating an extension for the Internet and a backup communication platform in disaster situation. However, a connection disruption due to node mobility and unreliable wireless links is possible to trigger a flooding operation of route repair process. This results in transmission delay and packet loss. The flooding of routing packets is an expensive operation cost in MANETs which affects network reliability and wastes limited resources such as network bandwidth and node energy. These are obstacles to practical implementation of MANETs in real-world environment. In this paper, we propose Low Overhead Localized Flooding (LOLF), an efficient overhead reduction routing extension based on Query Localization (QL) routing protocol. The purpose of this work is to control the propagation of routing packets in the route discovery and route repair mechanisms while incurring only a small increase in the size of control information in the packet. Simulation results from extensive experiments show that our proposed method can reduce overall routing overhead, energy consumption, and end-to-end delay without sacrificing the packet delivery ratio compared to existing protocols.
Tea Stem as a Sorbent for Removal of Methylene Blue from Aqueous Phase
Authors: Lee Tzan-Chain , Wang Shumao , Huang Zonggui , Mo Zhongxing , Wang Gangxing , Wu Zhuanrong , Liu Chengshun , Han Hua , Ko Tzu-Hsing
Published: September 2019

The potentiality of tea stem for the adsorption of methylene blue (MB) from aqueous phase was investigated. A series of operating factors, including the initial MB concentration, contact time, pH of solution, dose of tea stem, and ionic strength of solution, were conducted to understand the effect of adsorption of MB onto tea stem. Adsorption isotherm, kinetic models, thermodynamic investigation, and regenerability of tea stem were systematically investigated in this study. The experiment results revealed that the removal efficiency decreased with MB concentration and the equilibrium time of adsorption at different initial MB concentrations was approximately at 60 min. The appropriate dose of tea stem powder was found to be 4 g/L. The pHzpc of tea stem was evaluated and was observed to be 6.0 ± 0.2. The removal efficiency increased with pH ranging from 3.0 to 5.0 and remained constantly at the pH range of 5.0–11.0. The pH affected the adsorption because of the repellent power between H+ and dye cation. The ionic strength was found to have a negligible effect on the adsorption. The Langmuir and Temkin isotherm models were found to be the best isotherm models to elucidate the adsorption mechanism between MB and tea stem powder. The maximum adsorption capacity of 103.09 mg/g derived from the Langmuir model was much close to the experimental result. From the kinetic analysis, the pseudo-second-order model was found to be the suitable model to describe the adsorption behavior. The calculated adsorption capacities at different temperatures derived from the pseudo-second-order model ranging from 68.91 to 69.8 mg/g were well close to the experimental data. The intraparticle diffusion of MB molecules into pore structures of tea stem powder is the rate-limiting step for the adsorption process in this study. Evaluation of thermodynamic parameters including changes in enthalpy, entropy, and Gibb’s free energy indicated the adsorption mechanism between MB and tea stem powder was a spontaneous and exothermic process. The regeneration/adsorption experiments indicated that the tea stem powder efficiently remained more than 97% after five cycles using NaOH as a desorbing agent and thus be used for many times. On the basis of experimental results obtained, it is concluded that the tea stem has a considerable potential as a low-cost sorbent for removing MB from the aqueous phase.
Urban house finches (Haemorhous mexicanus) are less averse to novel noises, but not other novel environmental stimuli, than rural birds
Authors: Weaver Melinda , Hutton Pierce , McGraw Kevin J.
Published: September 2019

Human-inhabited or -disturbed areas pose many unique challenges for wildlife, including reacting to novel environmental stimuli like car traffic, buildings and anthropogenic noise. Animals inhabiting these environments must adapt to such changes by overcoming such novelty (i.e., neotolerance, neophilia), and either exploiting new resources or avoiding danger. Although many studies have tested animal responses to individual forms of novelty (e.g., human objects, food, urban noise), to our knowledge no study has comprehensively assessed behavioural reactions of urban and rural populations to numerous novel environmental stimuli, including noise. We tested exploratory behaviour of urban, suburban, and rural house finches (Haemorhous mexicanus) in response to four different types of novelty (novel structural environment, novel object, novel noise, and novel food) in separate captive experiments, while also recording each bird for 30 min before exposure to determine baseline activity level. Although we found few population-level differences in behavioural responses to novel objects, environment, and food, we found significant differences in how finches from different sites responded to novel noises. When played a novel sound (whale call or ship horn), urban and suburban house finches approached their food source more quickly and spent more time on it than rural birds, and urban and suburban birds were more active during the ship-noise presentation. These results indicate that, in comparison with other types of novel stimuli, anthropogenic noise may be a key driver of urban adaptation in birds and its influence may vary depending on the type of sound.
Binding with a Perfect Sufi Master: Naqshbandī Defenses of rābiṭa from the Late Ottoman Empire to the Turkish Republic
Authors: Wilson M. Brett
Published: September 2019

This article explores debates surrounding the controversial spiritual exercise of rābiṭa – the binding of the disciple with a Sufi master by envisioning the image of the master in different parts of the body. Despite being criticized as a non-Qurʾanic practice and as a form of idolatry, rābiṭa was made a ritual of prominence among the Khālidī-Naqshbandī suborder which took shape in early nineteenth-century Syria and spread throughout the late Ottoman Empire. Tracing defenses of the practice from Arabic sources in the early nineteenth century to Turkish language treatises in the twentieth century, I argue that the Sufi ādāb manual al-Bahja al-saniyya composed by Muḥammad b. ʿAbdallāh al-Khānī (1798-1862) established a repertoire of arguments that have been adopted and reused in Turkish language treatises until the present with little variation, revealing a remarkable continuity of apologetics over nearly two centuries. Additionally, the article considers the role of this ritual in defining the nature of master-disciple relationships and establishing hierarchies of Sufi devotion and obedience.
Syria and Iraq as Proxy Colonies before Colonization: The Ottoman Vali versus the Western Consul in the Era of Capitulations
Authors: Haddad Mahmoud
Published: September 2019

This study tries to show that European policies influenced not only the Ottoman center at Istanbul in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, but also the workings of the provincial adminstrations as well. Ottoman Syria and Iraq were, according to this assessment, proxy colonies before the direct colonization of post World War I.
The Impact of the Best Interests and the Respect for the Views of the Child Principles in Child Custody Cases
Authors: Fokala Elvis
Published: September 2019

The best interests of the child and the respect for the views of the child are pillars designed and recognised in international children’s law as principles on which children’s rights in general evolve. Both principles operate across a wide range of issues relating to and related to children. A combination of both principles in an attempt to claim particular children’s rights is also possible and together accentuate the fact that children’s rights are interrelated and stronger when combined. This article attempts a combination of both principles in interpreting the intricacy and the impact both principles have had in aiding the court make decisions in favour of a child in child custody cases – the focus will be on the decisions in the Finnish case of Merkelback v. Illges-Merkelback and the Irish case of Nk v. Sk.
Local Issues and Perspectives: The Role of Federal Government’s Intervention in the Minority Fulani Herdsmen and Majority Local Farmers’ Crisis in Nigeria
Authors: Bamidele Seun
Published: September 2019

The public’s grievances with long-drawn incessant bloody clashes between the Fulani herdsmen and local farmers in all parts of Nigeria, together with economic recession or national economic slowdown, climatic change, anti-grazing laws, the religious crisis, and the strains of electoral campaign politics in the country – thus, convoluting efforts for the country’s long-term stabilisation. High poverty levels and dwindling financial assistance have added to the Nigerian states’ anxieties of being discarded once again. This article illuminates the contradictory perceptions among the main stakeholders in Nigeria and global world on the trajectory of the Fulani herdsmen insurgency stage. The article contends that the farmers’ and herdsmen’s clashes are substantially a war of perceptions on the progress made thus far. This broadening divergence in perception will result in making a long-term stabilisation strategy difficult.
Evaluating the Benefits of State-Led Language Preservation Efforts
Authors: Watson Matt
Published: September 2019

Advocates of government-led efforts to preserve endangered languages point to a range of benefits that are, allegedly, thereby fostered. In this article, I analyse six such arguments for preserving endangered languages, with the aim of ascertaining whether language preservation can be expected to help secure the various putative benefits. I evaluate, in turn, the claims that governments should strive to preserve languages because doing so will help to: maintain the unique worldviews of endangered linguistic groups; save scientific or cultural knowledge from being lost; preserve the aesthetic value that a diversity of languages represents; ensure minority language speakers are secure in their ability to connect emotionally with members of subsequent generations; secure for all citizens the cultural preconditions of autonomy; or resolve collective action problems. I conclude that the benefits of preserving endangered languages are considerably more modest, and more speculative, than is alleged by proponents of these preservationist arguments.
De-coding Hermeneutics
Authors: Adam A. K. M.
Published: September 2019

A significant body of literature rests on the premise that the most propitious way of characterizing the way we interpret linguistic signs corresponds to the practices of encoding and decoding. A sender conceives a message, encodes it in linguistic signs, transmits the message (by voice, or in handwriting, or print, or digital media) and the recipient of the message decodes it. This model itself impedes progress in textual interpretation. An approach to hermeneutics that takes its cue from broader phenomena of perception, apprehension, and inference can provide a more illuminating theoretical discourse for evaluating contested interpretations, with the additional benefit that by changing the way that we view linguistic hermeneutics, we stand to integrate our endeavors more fully with the interpretation of art, music, ethics, and gestural action.
The Earliest Footprint of a Messianic Queen: Sarah the Ashkenazi in Amsterdam
Authors: van der Haven Alexander
Published: September 2019

A record from 1 November 1655 of a donation to a certain Sarah from Poland is probably the first documented historical appearance of Sarah the Ashkenazi, future wife of messiah Shabbetai Tzevi. Individually recorded donations by the Sephardic community to Polish refugees were quite unusual in these years, but, according to later biographical sources, the future messianic bride Sarah displayed a great talent for persuading others, and this explains why Amsterdam’s Portuguese Mahamad would give her money. Arriving as a Polish refugee around the time of this record, Sarah the Ashkenazi told a fantastic autobiographical tale that made her stand out among the other refugees and forged a bond of kinship with an earlier refugee. Moreover, she might have claimed clairvoyant abilities.