bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Targeted delivery of antisense oligonucleotides to pancreatic β-cells
Authors: Ämmälä C. , Drury W. J. , Knerr L. , Ahlstedt I. , Stillemark-Billton P. , Wennberg-Huldt C. , Andersson E.-M. , Valeur E. , Jansson-Löfmark R. , Janzén D. , Sundström L. , Meuller J. , Claesson J. , Andersson P. , Johansson C. , Lee R. G. , Prakash T. P. , Seth P. P. , Monia B. P. , Andersson S.
Published: October 2018

Receptor-dependent productive uptake of GLP1-conjugated antisense oligonucleotides occurs selectively in pancreatic β-cells.
New generation of U.S. satellite microwave sounder achieves high radiometric stability performance for reliable climate change detection
Authors: Zou Cheng-Zhi , Goldberg Mitchell D. , Hao Xianjun
Published: October 2018

How accurate can satellite measure the climate trends in atmospheric temperatures?
Mixed-effects association of single cells identifies an expanded effector CD4+T cell subset in rheumatoid arthritis
Authors: Fonseka Chamith Y. , Rao Deepak A. , Teslovich Nikola C. , Korsunsky Ilya , Hannes Susan K. , Slowikowski Kamil , Gurish Michael F. , Donlin Laura T. , Lederer James A. , Weinblatt Michael E. , Massarotti Elena M. , Coblyn Jonathan S. , Helfgott Simon M. , Todd Derrick J. , Bykerk Vivian P. , Karlson Elizabeth W. , Ermann Joerg , Lee Yvonne C. , Brenner Michael B. , Raychaudhuri Soumya
Published: October 2018

Mixed-effects regression of single-cell data accounts for confounding variation and reveals an expanded CD4+T cell population in rheumatoid arthritis.
High-Quality Draft Genome Sequence of
Xanthomonas
sp. Strain CPBF 424, a Walnut-Pathogenic Strain with Atypical Features
Authors: Fernandes Camila , Blom Jochen , Pothier Joël F. , Tavares Fernando
Published: October 2018

We report here the draft genome sequence of
Xanthomonas
sp. strain CPBF 424, isolated from a diseased walnut tree.
Draft Whole-Genome Sequence of the Purple Nonsulfur Photosynthetic Bacterium
Rhodopseudomonas rutila
R1
Authors: Robertson Sydney , Rayyan Amiera , Meyer Terry , Kyndt John
Published: October 2018

Rhodopseudomonas
species are purple nonsulfur bacteria found in many environments and known for their diverse metabolic capabilities. Here, we report the genome sequence of
Rhodopseudomonas rutila
type strain R1 and a whole-genome nucleotide comparison of related
Rhodopseudomonas palustris
species, suggesting the necessity for future reevaluation of the
Rhodopseudomonas
species differentiation.
Complex regional pain syndrome type II arising from a gunshot wound (GSW) associated with infective endocarditis and aortic valve replacement
Authors: Tieppo Francio Vinicius , Barndt Brandon , Towery Chris , Allen Travis , Davani Saeid
Published: October 2018

A 34-year-old man with a history of gunshot wound (GSW) to the right upper chest developed secondary aortic valve endocarditis (AVE) and was treated with an artificial valve placement (AVP). Three months after, he presented to an outpatient pain management clinic right arm pain and was diagnosed with complex regional pain syndrome type II (CRPS II). The patient underwent a diagnostic sympathetic ganglion block, before undergoing endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy surgery. Successful outcomes revealed decreased pain, opioid utilisation and improved tolerance to therapy and activities of daily living. To our knowledge, this is the first case reporting CRPS II arising from a GSW complicated by AVE followed by AVP, which emphasises how unforeseen syndromes can arise from the management of seemingly unrelated pathology. This case demonstrates the importance of timely and proper diagnosis of uncharacterised residual pain status post-trauma and differential diagnosis and management of chronic pain syndromes.
Management of giant fornix syndrome with irrigation with povidone-iodine
Authors: Karim Rushmia , Mandal Niraj , Tuft Steve
Published: October 2018

Giant fornix syndrome (GFS) was first described as a cause for a relapsing mucopurulent conjunctivitis. Predominantly elderly patients have enlarged superior fornices from superior aponeurosis dehiscence that permits the accumulation of protein coagulum that is colonised by bacteria. Established treatment includes the use of intensive topical antibiotic and corticosteroid. We describe a case of a 98-year-old woman with GFS who did not respond to several weeks of intensive (two hourly) treatment with topical prednisolone 1% drops and chloramphenicol. Subsequent additional regular sweeping of the fornices with cotton buds and topical medication did not improve her symptoms but which resolved with manual coagulum debridement and application of 10% povidone-iodine. This treatment offers an effective treatment option of GFS cases, which do not respond to intensive topical corticosteroids and chloramphenicol.
Breakthrough cancer pain tailored treatment: which factors influence the medication choice? An observational, prospective and cross-sectional study in patients with terminal cancer
Authors: Magnani Caterina , Giannarelli Diana , Calvieri Alice , Dardeli Ana , Eusepi Giovanni , Restuccia Maria Rosa , Mastroianni Chiara , Casale Giuseppe
Published: October 2018

Background

Various options for the pharmacological treatment of breakthrough cancer pain (BTcP) are available. International guidelines on BTcP treatment are not univocal. A tailored treatment should be based on the assessment of different variables such as BTcP characteristics, oral mucositis, chronic rhinitis and a patient’s ability to take medication.

Objective

The goal of this study is to assess the relationship between these variables and the medication treatment for BTcP in a sample of patients with terminal cancer.

Methods

A prospective, cross-sectional study was carried out among 1180 patients who were receiving palliative care programmes. Patients were recruited if they had a diagnosis of BTcP and had been prescribed rescue opioids. Variables that might influence the BTcP treatment were assessed.

Results

One hundred and forty-nine eligible patients were enrolled; 59.1% of patients received short-acting oral morphine (OM), 27.5% transmucosal immediate-release fentanyl (TIRF) and 13.4% parenteral morphine for BTcP treatment. Short-acting OM prescription was related to background pain treatment with OM <60  mg daily (p<0.0001) and to home-care setting of assistance (p=0.004). Continuous intravenous morphine infusion and the presence of a vascular access were the main factors related to intravenous morphine prescription for BTcP. TIRF use was mainly related to background opioid dosage and the patient’s self-sufficiency in taking medication.

Conclusion

In clinical practice, the factors that most influenced the pharmacological treatment for BTcP were baseline opioid dosage, setting of assistance and self-ability to take medication. Further research is needed to improve the knowledge on tailored BTcP treatment.
Diagnostic efficacy of long non-coding RNA in lung cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Dai Shui-Ping , Jin Jing , Li Wei-Min
Published: October 2018

The detection of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) is a novel method for lung cancer diagnosis. However, the diagnostic efficacy of lncRNA in different studies is inconsistent. Therefore, we conducted this meta-analysis to elucidate the diagnostic efficacy of lncRNA in identification of lung cancer including small cell lung cancer. The online PubMed, Medline, EMBASE, CNKI and Wanfang literature databases were searched to identify all related articles about the diagnostic efficacy of lncRNA for lung cancer. 28 articles including 3044 patients with lung cancer and 2598 controls were enrolled in our meta-analysis. lncRNA sustained a high diagnostic efficacy, pooled sensitivity of 0.82 (95% CI 0.79 to 0.84), specificity of 0.82 (95% CI 0.78 to 0.84) and area under the curve (AUC) of 0.88 (95% CI 0.85 to 0.91) in identification of patients with lung cancer from controls. Furthermore, the diagnostic efficacy of paralleled lncRNA was better than single lncRNA (sensitivity: 0.86 vs 0.80; specificity: 0.88 vs 0.78; AUC: 0.93 vs 0.86). MALAT1 had a better diagnostic efficacy than GAS5 (AUC: 0.90 vs 0.81; sensitivity: 0.83 vs 0.70; specificity: 0.83 vs 0.78). lncRNA in tissues was observed to achieve lower diagnostic efficacy than that in plasma or serum (AUC: 0.87 vs 0.90 vs 0.90) when stratified by sample types. In summary, our meta-analysis suggests that lncRNA might be a promising biomarker(s) for identifying lung cancer and the combination of lncRNA or with other biomarkers had a better diagnostic efficacy.
The structure of the second 2-class group of some special Dirichlet fields
Authors: Azizi Abdelmalek , Zekhnini Abdelkader
Published: October 2018

Let [Formula: see text] be a number field and [Formula: see text] (respectively, [Formula: see text]) its first (respectively, second) Hilbert [Formula: see text]-class field. Let [Formula: see text] be the Galois group of [Formula: see text]. The purpose of this note is to determine the structure of [Formula: see text] for some special Dirichlet fields [Formula: see text].
Grouping Peers Based on Complementary Degree and Social Relationship using Genetic Algorithm
Authors: Shih Timothy K. , Gunarathne W. K. T. M. , Ochirbat Ankhtuya , Su Huang-Ming
Published: October 2018

The aim of this article is to propose a new innovative grouping approach using the genetic algorithm (GA) to enhance the interaction and collaboration among peers by considering the complementary degree of students’ learning status and their social relationships. In order to validate our approach, experiments were designed with a group of students and the outcomes were tested with an e-Learning system. The auto-grouping mechanism is developed using GA for better learning results, which is justified based on the performance of students tested on the e-Learning system. The outcomes clearly indicate that the proposed approach can generate a high degree of heterogeneous grouping and encourage students to learn better. The technical contribution of this article can be implemented in any massive open online course platforms with thousands of students, with regard to identifying peers for collaborative works.
Trading Off Power Consumption and Prediction Performance in Wearable Motion Sensors
Authors: Fallahzadeh Ramin , Ghasemzadeh Hassan
Published: October 2018

Power consumption is identified as one of the main complications in designing practical wearable systems, mainly due to their stringent resource limitations. When designing wearable technologies, several system-level design choices, which directly contribute to the energy consumption of these systems, must be considered. In this article, we propose a computationally lightweight system optimization framework that trades off power consumption and performance in connected wearable motion sensors. While existing approaches exclusively focus on one or a few hand-picked design variables, our framework holistically finds the optimal power-performance solution with respect to the specified application need. Our design tackles a multi-variant non-convex optimization problem that is theoretically hard to solve. To decrease the complexity, we propose a smoothing function that reduces this optimization to a convex problem. The reduced optimization is then solved in linear time using a devised derivative-free optimization approach, namely cyclic coordinate search. We evaluate our framework against several holistic optimization baselines using a real-world wearable activity recognition dataset. We minimize the energy consumption for various activity-recognition performance thresholds ranging from 40% to 80% and demonstrate up to 64% energy savings.
Vestibular cerebellar evoked potentials in humans and their modulation during optokinetic stimulation
Authors: Todd Neil P. M. , Govender Sendhil , Colebatch James G.
Published: October 2018

We recorded evoked potentials (EPs) from over the posterior fossa and in parallel ocular vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (OVEMPs) during visuo-vestibular stimulation in a sample of 7 male and 11 female human subjects. In 9 of the 18 subjects we were able to record EPs reliably in the form of an early biphasic positive-negative wave with latencies ~12 and 17 ms ipsilateral to head acceleration direction (P12-N17) and a slightly later, contralateral, biphasic positive-negative wave with latencies ~19 and 23 ms (P19-N23). The amplitudes of the responses varied widely between subjects. Both P12 and N23 EPs were modulated by the mode of visual stimulation, larger for vection (sense of movement) compared with optokinetic nystagmus and for congruent movement. We suggest that the EPs measured over the posterior fossa are a manifestation of climbing fiber responses of cerebellar cortical Purkinje cells, i.e., a form of vestibular cerebellar EP (VsCEP). The two subject groups with and without VsCEPs were distinguished by the magnitude of their OVEMPs and their subjective experience of vection. The modulation of VsCEPs by visual context may be a manifestation of cerebellar control of linear vestibular ocular reflex gain.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY We report likely vestibular cerebellar evoked potentials (VsCEPs) produced by lateral head impulses recorded in intact humans over the posterior fossa. VsCEPs occurred as short-latency P12-N17 waves ipsilateral to the direction of head motion and as P19-N23 contralaterally and were present in half our subjects. Their properties suggest that the VsCEPs may be of a climbing-fiber origin. VsCEPs are related to the perception of motion and, possibly, control of linear vestibular ocular reflex gain.
An Alternative Approach Obtaining a Normalization Factor in Normalized Min‐Sum Algorithm for Low‐Density Parity‐Check Code
Authors: Yun In-Woo , Lee Hee-ran , Kim Joon Tae
Published: October 2018

The min‐sum algorithm (MSA) for decoding Low‐Density Parity‐Check (LDPC) code is an approximation algorithm that can greatly reduce the computational complexity of the belief propagation algorithm (BPA). To reduce the error between MSA and BPA, an improved MSA such as normalized min‐sum algorithm (NMSA) that uses the normalization factor when updating the check node is used in many LDPC decoders. When obtaining an optimal normalization factor, density evolution (DE) is usually used. However, not only does the DE method require a large number of calculations, it may not be optimal for obtaining a normalization factor due to the theoretical assumptions that need to be satisfied. This paper proposes a new method obtaining a normalization factor for NMSA. We first examine the relationship between the minimum value of variable node messages’ magnitudes and the magnitudes of check node outputs of BPA using the check node message distribution (CMD) chart. And then, we find a normalization factor that minimizes the error between the magnitudes of check node output of NMSA and BPA. We use the least square method (LSM) to minimize the error. Simulation on ATSC 3.0 LDPC codes demonstrates that the normalization factor obtained by this proposed method shows better decoding performance than the normalization factor obtained by DE.
A New Mining Scheme for Hanging‐Wall Ore‐Body during the Transition from Open Pit to Underground Mining: A Numerical Study
Authors: Tan Baohui , Ren Fengyu , Ning Youjun , He Rongxing , Zhu Qiang
Published: October 2018

A new mining scheme by employing the induced caving mining method to exploit hanging‐wall ore‐body during the transition from open pit to underground mining is proposed. The basic idea is to use the mined‐out area generated by the planned mining of the hanging‐wall ore‐body to absorb the collapsed slope body, so as to avoid the influence of the inner‐slope mining to the normal open‐pit mining and guarantee mining efficiency during the transition stage. Numerical simulation study on the process of induced caving mining of hanging‐wall ore‐body is carried out based on the practical engineering setting of the Hainan iron mine, China, by employing the numerical method of discontinuous deformation analysis (DDA). The impact of rock mass structure on the mechanism of slope instability development and the mining hazard assessment in the new mining scheme is investigated. The influence of mining sequence on slope instability development and mining safety is also analyzed by taking the hanging‐wall ore‐body mining under the southern anti‐dip slope at the Hainan iron mine as an example, and eventually a reliable mining scheme via induced caving is obtained. The numerical study proves the feasibility of the proposed new mining scheme for hanging‐wall ore‐body and provides theoretical and technical support for its application in practical mining activities.
Failure Mechanism for Surrounding Rock of Deep Circular Roadway in Coal Mine Based on Mining‐Induced Plastic Zone
Authors: Yuan Yue , Wang Weijun , Li Shuqing , Zhu Yongjian
Published: October 2018

In order to reveal the failure mechanism of the deep roadway under mining‐induced pressure in coal mine, the boundary equations for the plastic zone around the deep roadway were deduced, and then the evolution laws for morphology of the plastic zone and the relationship between the morphological indexes and the stability of surrounding rock were discussed. The results show that, for the deep roadway, the effect of mining on the plastic zone is more sensitive than that on the shallow one. Even if the changes of mining influence are small, they may also cause extremely serious plastic failure of surrounding rock masses, leading to the sudden instability of the roadway. When the plastic wings of the plastic zone are approximately perpendicular to the roof, floor, or sidewall, the large deformation and failure of the deep roadway are very likely to occur. Compared with the index of the uniformity coefficient, the irregular shape coefficient can be used to better characterize the differences in the plastic zone morphology. Finally, a case study was provided to apply the principles for the formation and extension of a butterfly‐shaped plastic zone.
Effect of Surgical Installation of Dental Implants on Surface Topography and Its Influence on Osteoblast Proliferation
Authors: Menezes Helder H. M. , Naves Marina M. , Costa Henara L. , Barbosa Tarsis P. , Ferreira Jéssica A. , Magalhães Denildo , Martinez Elizabeth F.
Published: October 2018

Surface treatment alone does not determine the final microtopography of a dental implant, which can be influenced by implant design and the surgical procedure. This study investigated the effect of surgical placement of dental implants with same surface treatments on surface roughness. Three implants (SIN) of each group with different macrogeometries (Strong, Stylus, and Tryon) were analyzed using laser interferometry and scanning electron microscopy to evaluate surface topography. All threaded regions of the implants, namely, top, flank, and valley, were analyzed individually. Relevant surface parameters (Sa,Ssk,Sku,Str, andSdq) were calculated for the different regions on each implant before (B) (n= 9) and after (A) (n= 9) placement into porcine rib bones. The behavior and proliferation of a preosteoblastic cell line MC3T3-E1 on titanium surface, cell viability, and osteopontin secretion were evaluated after 24 h, 48 h, and 96 h, also before (n= 18) and after (n= 18) implant placement into porcine ribs bone. As results, the valleys of all implants had an increase inSavalues after implant placement. By contrast, the tops of the Stylus A implant and the flanks of the Tryon A implant showed a significant decrease in mean height of the irregularities (Sa), 0.16 µm and 1.25 µm, respectively. The Stylus implant presented significantly (p<0.05) higher asymmetry values on the distribution curve for irregularity heights (Sku) in all regions after insertion into bone (6.99 for tops, 9.54 for flanks, and 17.64 for valleys), indicating a greater preponderance of peaks over valleys. An increase in roughness gradients (Sdq) was observed for all macrogeometries after insertion into bone. The cell culture results showed no significant difference (p>0.05) for all macrogeometries after bone placement. In conclusion, a subtle change in implant surface roughness was detected after insertion into bone for all the macrogeometries, without significantly affecting the cellular parameters studied.
Anti-ICOSL New Antigen Receptor Domains Inhibit T Cell Proliferation and Reduce the Development of Inflammation in the Collagen-Induced Mouse Model of Rheumatoid Arthritis
Authors: O’Dwyer Ronan , Kovaleva Marina , Zhang Jiquan , Steven John , Cummins Emma , Luxenberg Deborah , Darmanin-Sheehan Alfredo , Carvalho Miguel F. , Whitters Matthew , Saunders Kenneth , Barelle Caroline J.
Published: October 2018

Lymphocyte costimulation plays a central role in immunology, inflammation, and immunotherapy. The inducible T cell costimulator (ICOS) is expressed on T cells following peptide: MHC engagement with CD28 costimulation. The interaction of ICOS with its sole ligand, the inducible T cell costimulatory ligand (ICOSL; also known as B7-related protein-1), triggers a number of key activities of T cells including differentiation and cytokine production. Suppression of T cell activation can be achieved by blocking this interaction and has been shown to be an effective means of ameliorating disease in models of autoimmunity. In this study, we isolated specific anti-ICOSL new antigen receptor domains from a synthetic phage display library and demonstrated their ability to block the ICOS/ICOSL interaction and inhibit T cell proliferation. Anti-mouse ICOSL domains, considered here as surrogates for the use of anti-human ICOSL domains in patient therapy, were tested for efficacy in a collagen-induced mouse model of rheumatoid arthritis where they significantly decreased the inflammation of joints and delayed and reduced overall disease progression and severity.
Mechanical Properties Improvement Mechanism of Silica Fume‐Modified Ultrafine Cement Used to Repair Pavement Microcracks
Authors: Wang Xiaofei , Yao Jiangbei , Li Xinwei , Guo Yinchuan , Shen Aiqin , Pu HuaQiao
Published: October 2018

With heavy modern traffic and natural factors, cement concrete pavement cracks have become increasingly serious. However, most existing inorganic repair materials for cement concrete pavement cracks have low interfacial bonding strength. Ultrafine cement, silica fume (SF), and other admixtures, which are superfine and used to repair fine early cracks, are prepared as the mending material in our research. Compression strength, bending strength, and interfacial bonding strength are studied, and modification mechanisms are discovered by using a powder X‐ray diffraction test, thermal analysis, and micromorphology observation. The result shows that mechanical strength of the stable period is improved with the right amount of mixing of SF, which leads to secondary pozzolanic reaction and makes the microstructure of the paste denser. Meanwhile, a large amount of Ca(OH)2 and water in the interface area are consumed by the secondary pozzolanic reaction, which brings out good interfacial effects with no water film between the new paste and existing concrete. Our experiments show that the pastes with 3–5% SF have better bending strength (15%∼17% improvement) and compressive strength (7%∼9% improvement). Interfacial bonding strength is also increased with a certain amount of SF. Tensile shear bonding strength has been improved more than 4 times when SF dosage is more than 3%. Thus, we recommend a paste with 5% SF as the best mixture to be used to repair cracks.
A Rare Case of Pembrolizumab-Induced Reactivation of Hepatitis B
Authors: Pandey Anita , Ezemenari Susan , Liaukovich Maksim , Richard Ivan , Boris Avezbakiyev
Published: October 2018

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is common across the world, especially in Asia, Africa, Southern Europe, and Latin America. The association of HBV infection in patients suffering from different oncological conditions is well established. Many cases of HBV reactivation have been reported in patients on immunosuppressive chemotherapy and in patients undergoing hematopoietic bone marrow transplantations. Only one case has been reported so far of HBV reactivation in a patient treated with programmed cell death receptor 1 (PD-1) checkpoint inhibitors in the setting of HIV status. We report a case of a 51-year-old male, former smoker, diagnosed with stage IV poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma of the lung, and started on pembrolizumab, who developed reactivation of chronic hepatitis requiring antiviral therapy.
Effect of Colluvial Soil Slope Fracture’s Anisotropy Characteristics on Rainwater Infiltration Process
Authors: Zeng Ling , Liu Jie , Zhang Jun-hui , Bian Han-bing , Lu Wei-hua
Published: October 2018

The SEEP/W module of finite element software GEO‐slope is used to analyze the effects of fracture depth, permeability coefficient ratio, fracture angle, and fracture number on the rainwater infiltration process. Moreover, the effect of fracture seepage anisotropy on slope stability is discussed combining with unsaturated seepage theory. The results show that the pore water pressure in the fracture increases rapidly with the rainfall until it changes from negative pressure to positive pressure. The greater the fracture depth is, the greater the pore water pressure in the fracture is, and the greater the infiltration depth at the time of rainfall stopping is. When the permeability coefficient is greater than the rainfall intensity, the permeability coefficient ratio has a great influence on the infiltration process of rainwater. The smaller the fracture angle is, the greater the maximum pore water pressure is in the fracture depth range, and the greater the depth of the positive pore water pressure is. However, with the increase of fracture angle, the infiltration depth decreases, and the range of the surface saturation area of slope increases obviously. With the increase of fracture density, the saturated positive pressure region is connected to each other in the slope. The influence range and the degree of the rainwater on the seepage field are larger and larger. There is a power relation between the saturation area and the fracture number, and also the concentration distribution of long fractures directly forms the large‐connected saturated zone and raises groundwater. The range of the saturated zone and variation law of the pore water pressure under fracture seepage are obtained, which provide a reference for the parameter partition assignment of slope stability analysis under fracture seepage.
Pilot Study on Gait Classification Using fNIRS Signals
Authors: Jin Hedian , Li Chunguang , Xu Jiacheng
Published: October 2018

Rehabilitation training is essential for motor dysfunction patients, and the training through their subjective motion intention, comparing to passive training, is more conducive to rehabilitation. This study proposes a method to identify motion intention of different walking states under the normal environment, by using the functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) technology. Twenty-two healthy subjects were recruited to walk with three different gaits (including small-step with low-speed, small-step with midspeed, midstep with low-speed). The wavelet packet decomposition was used to find out the main characteristic channels in different motion states, and these channels with links in frequency and space were combined to define as feature vectors. According to different permutations and combinations of all feature vectors, a library for support vector machines (libSVM) was used to achieve the best recognition model. Finally, the accuracy rate of these three walking states was 78.79%. This study implemented the classification of different states’ motion intention by using the fNIRS technology. It laid a foundation to apply the classified motion intention of different states timely, to help severe motor dysfunction patients control a walking-assistive device for rehabilitation training, so as to help them restore independent walking abilities and reduce the economic burdens on society.
Extracorporeal Shock Wave‐Supported Adipose‐Derived Fresh Stromal Vascular Fraction Preserved Left Ventricular (LV) Function and Inhibited LV Remodeling in Acute Myocardial Infarction in Rat
Authors: Sung Pei-Hsun , Yin Tsung-Cheng , Wallace Christopher Glenn , Chen Kuan-Hung , Shao Pei-Lin , Lee Fan-Yen , Sun Cheuk-Kwan , Sheu Jiunn-Jye , Chen Yung-Lung , Omran Mostafa Mohammad , Chung Sheng-Ying , Wang Ching-Jen , Lee Mel S. , Yip Hon-Kan
Published: October 2018

This study tested the hypothesis that extracorporeal shock wave‐ (ECSW‐) assisted adipose‐derived stromal vascular fraction (SVF) therapy could preserve left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and inhibit LV remodeling in a rat after acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Adult male SD rats were categorized into group 1 (sham control), group 2 (AMI induced by left coronary artery ligation), group 3 [AMI + ECSW (280 impulses at 0.1 mJ/mm2, applied to the chest wall at 3 h, days 3 and 7 after AMI), group 4 [AMI + SVF (1.2 × 106) implanted into the infarct area at 3 h after AMI], and group 5 (AMI + ECSW‐SVF). In vitro, SVF protected H9C2 cells against menadione‐induced mitochondrial damage and increased fluorescent intensity of mitochondria in nuclei (p < 0.01). By day 42 after AMI, LVEF was highest in group 1, lowest in group 2, significantly higher in group 5 than in groups 3 and 4, and similar between the latter two groups (all p < 0.0001). LV remodeling and infarcted, fibrotic, and collagen deposition areas as well as apoptotic nuclei exhibited an opposite pattern to LVEF among the groups (all p < 0.0001). Protein expressions of CD31/vWF/eNOS/PGC‐1α/α‐MHC/mitochondrial cytochrome C exhibited an identical pattern, whilst protein expressions of MMP‐9/TNF‐α/IL‐1β/NF‐κB/caspase‐3/PARP/Samd3/TGF‐β/NOX‐1/NOX‐2/oxidized protein/β‐MHC/BNP exhibited an opposite pattern to LVEF among five groups (all p < 0.0001). Cellular expressions of CXCR4/SDF‐1α/Sca‐1/c‐Kit significantly and progressively increased from groups 1 to 5 (all p < 0.0001). Cellular expression of γ‐H2AX/CD68 displayed an opposite pattern to LVEF among the five groups (all p < 0.0001). In conclusion, ECSW‐SVF therapy effectively preserved LVEF and inhibited LV remodeling in rat AMI.
Accurate Adaptive Compensation Method for Mechanical Structure Error of the Blade Measuring System
Authors: Shao Wei , Peng Peng , Zhou Awei , Zhu Quanquan , Zhao Di
Published: October 2018

In view of the high precision requirement for mechanical structure of aeronautical blade measuring system, this paper proposes a laser interferometer to measure the error of the spatial nodes of the measuring system based on a comprehensive analysis of domestic and foreign error compensation methods for the measuring system. The optimized algorithm backpropagation (BP) neural network (OA-BPNN) compensation method is utilized to adaptively compensate for the systematic error of the mechanical system. Compared with the traditional polynomial fitting and genetic algorithm BP neural network (GA-BPNN) algorithm, the results show that the OA-BPNN algorithm is characterized by the best adaptability, precision, and efficiency for the adaptive error compensation. The spatial errors in the XYZ directions are reduced from 10.9, 60.1, and 84.2 μm to 1.3, 4.0, and 2.4 μm, respectively. The method is of great theoretical significance and practical value.
Nash Equilibrium Strategy for a DC Pension Plan with State-Dependent Risk Aversion: A Multiperiod Mean-Variance Framework
Authors: Wang Liyuan , Chen Zhiping
Published: October 2018

This paper investigates a defined contribution (DC) pension plan investment problem during the accumulation phase under the multiperiod mean-variance criterion. Different from most studies in the literature, where the investor’s risk aversion attitude is state-independent, we choose a state-dependent risk aversion parameter, which is a fractional function of the current wealth level. Moreover, we incorporate the wage income factor into our model, which leads to a more complicated problem than the portfolio selection problems that appeared in relevant papers. Due to the time inconsistency of the resulting problem, we derive the explicit expressions for the equilibrium strategy and the corresponding equilibrium value function by adopting the game theoretic framework and using the extended Bellman equation. Further, two special cases are discussed. Finally, based on real data from the American market, some prominent features of the equilibrium strategy established in our theoretical derivations are provided by comparing them with the results in the existing literature.
Identifying Critical Bankability Criteria for PPP Projects: The Case of China
Authors: Zhu Lei , Chua David Kim Huat
Published: October 2018

Public‐private partnership (PPP) projects employ a high leverage in terms of debt finance needed by the private consortium. Debt finance providers need to know the bankability‐related issues of PPP projects to make the timely arrangement of debt financing and avoid funding problems. However, there is still a lack of a systematic research on the bankability of PPP projects despite the worsening debt arrangement situation for PPP projects after the credit crisis and economic recession from 2008. To bridge this knowledge gap and enhance the practical debt arrangement of PPP projects, this study aims to identify and prioritize the critical bankability criteria of PPP projects. To achieve the objectives, 41 bankability‐related criteria were first identified from a comprehensive literature. A structured questionnaire survey was then conducted with 31 industry experts in China who worked in financial institutes and had experienced PPP projects to investigate the relative importance of each criterion. To handle the uncertainty and vagueness of the subjective evaluation from surveys, this study analyzed the relative importance weight of each criterion using a proposed fuzzy analytical hierarchy process‐based approach. The results showed that political environment, economic environment, shareholders’ credibility, financial market, legal system, public sector’s reliability, financial structure, and regulatory framework were ranked as the top eight critical bankability criteria. The findings of this study first contributed to the project finance body of knowledge for the bankability of PPP projects. Moreover, the outputs of this study would provide valuable information to the private and public sectors for formulating strategies on improving the bankability of PPP projects.
Fault Detection Modelling and Analysis in a Wireless Sensor Network
Authors: Jia Shuang , Ma Lin , Qin Danyang
Published: October 2018

For the serious impacts of network failure caused by the unbalanced energy consumption of sensor nodes, hardware failure, and attacker intrusion on data transmission, a low-energy-consumption distributed fault detection mechanism in a wireless sensor network (LEFD) is proposed in this paper. The time correlation information of nodes is used to detect fault nodes in LEFD firstly, and then the spatial correlation information is adopted to detect the remaining fault nodes, so as to check the states of nodes comprehensively and improve the efficiency of data transmission. In addition, the nodes do not need to exchange information with their neighbor nodes in the detection process since LEFD uses the data sensed by the node itself to detect some types of faults, thus reducing the energy consumption of nodes effectively. Performance analysis and simulation results show that the proposed detection mechanism can improve the transmission performance and reduce the energy consumption of the network effectively.
Low Performance of a Clinical-Genetic Model in the Estimation of Time in Therapeutic Range in Acenocoumarol-Adherent Patients with Nonvalvular Atrial Fibrillation: The Quality of Anticoagulation Challenge
Authors: Wasniewski Samantha , Consuegra-Sánchez Luciano , Conesa-Zamora Pablo , García de Guadiana-Romualdo Luis , Ramos-Ruiz Pablo , Merelo-Nicolás Marta , Clavel-Ruipérez F. Guillermo , Alburquerque-González Begoña , Soria-Arcos Federico , Castillo-Moreno Juan A.
Published: October 2018

Background. Anticoagulation with vitamin K antagonists continues to be a challenging task given the difficulty of achieving a correct time in therapeutic range (TTR). The SAMeTT2R2 score has been proposed to identify patients that will be good responders. In this study we aimed to analyse clinical and genetic factors involved in a correct level of anticoagulation in patients with atrial fibrillation and thereby potentially improve the diagnostic performance of SAMeTT2R2 score. Methods. We prospectively included 212 consecutive patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation under treatment with acenocoumarol for at least 6 months that were attended in a cardiology outpatient clinic and were categorized as adherent to medication. We carried out a multivariate regression analysis to detect the independent predictive factors of good control. In all patients VKORC1, CYP2C9⁎2, CYP2C9⁎3, and MIR133A2 genotyping was performed. Results. A total of 128 (60.4%) patients presented TTR <70% (average TTR = 63.2). We identified body mass index (OR 0.94, 95%CI 0.89-0.99, p=0.032) and regular vitamin K intake (OR 0.53, 95%CI 0.28-0.99, p= 0.046) as independent predictors of poor anticoagulation control. The discriminatory power of a clinical-genetic model derived from our cohort was significantly better compared to the SAMeTT2R2 score (C-statistic 0.658 versus 0.524, p<0.001). Conclusions. In our study the SAMeTT2R2 score revealed a poor ability in the prediction of TTR. Besides SAMeTT2R2, body mass index and possibly vitamin K intake should be taken into account when deciding the optimal anticoagulation strategy. The information provided by the identified genotypes was marginal.
Perturbation Methods for the Eigencharacteristics of Symmetric and Asymmetric Systems
Authors: Cha Philip D. , Shin Austin
Published: October 2018

Dynamic analysis for a vibratory system typically begins with an evaluation of its eigencharacteristics. However, when design changes are introduced, the eigensolutions of the system change and thus must be recomputed. In this paper, three different methods based on the eigenvalue perturbation theory are introduced to analyze the effects of modifications without performing a potentially time‐consuming and costly reanalysis. They will be referred to as the straightforward perturbation method, the incremental perturbation method, and the triple product method. In the straightforward perturbation method, the eigenvalue perturbation theory is used to formulate a first‐order and a second‐order approximation of the eigensolutions of symmetric and asymmetric systems. In the incremental perturbation method, the straightforward approach is extended to analyze systems with large perturbations using an iterative scheme. Finally, in the triple product method, the accuracy of the approximate eigenvalues is significantly improved by exploiting the orthogonality conditions of the perturbed eigenvectors. All three methods require only the eigensolutions of the nominal or unperturbed system, and in application, they involve simple matrix multiplications. Numerical experiments show that the proposed methods achieve accurate results for systems with and without damping and for systems with symmetric and asymmetric system matrices.
Differential Intestinal Mucosa Transcriptomic Biomarkers for Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis
Authors: Dobre Maria , Milanesi Elena , Mănuc Teodora Ecaterina , Arsene Dorel Eugen , Ţieranu Cristian George , Maj Carlo , Becheanu Gabriel , Mănuc Mircea
Published: October 2018

Genetic research has shaped the inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) landscape identifying nearly two hundred risk loci. Nonetheless, the identified variants rendered only a partial success in providing criteria for the differential diagnosis between ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn’s disease (CD). Transcript levels from affected intestinal mucosa may serve as tentative biomarkers for improving classification and diagnosis of IBD. The aim of our study was to identify gene expression profiles specific for UC and CD, in endoscopically affected and normal intestinal colonic mucosa from IBD patients. We evaluated a panel of 84 genes related to the IBD-inflammatory pathway on 21 UC and 22 CD paired inflamed and not inflamed mucosa and on age-matched normal mucosa from 21 non-IBD controls. Two genes in UC (CCL11 and MMP10) and two in CD (C4BPB and IL1RN) showed an upregulation trend in both noninflamed and inflamed mucosa compared to controls. Our results suggest that the transcript levels of CCL11, MMP10, C4BPB, and IL1RN are candidate biomarkers that could help in clinical practice for the differential diagnosis between UC and CD and could guide new research on future therapeutic targets.
Enhanced Oil Recovery for ASP Flooding Based on Biorthogonal Spatial‐Temporal Wiener Modeling and Iterative Dynamic Programming
Authors: Li Shurong , Ge Yulei , Shi Yuhuan
Published: October 2018

Because of the mechanism complexity, coupling, and time‐space characteristic of alkali‐surfactant‐polymer (ASP) flooding, common methods are very hard to be implemented directly. In this paper, an iterative dynamic programming (IDP) based on a biorthogonal spatial‐temporal Wiener modeling method is developed to solve the enhanced oil recovery for ASP flooding. At first, a comprehensive mechanism model for the enhanced oil recovery of ASP flooding is introduced. Then the biorthogonal spatial‐temporal Wiener model is presented to build the relation between inputs and states, in which the Wiener model is expanded on a set of spatial basis functions and temporal basis functions. After inferring the necessary condition of solutions, these basis functions are determined by the snapshot method. Furthermore, a theorem is proved to identify parameters in the Wiener model. Combined with the least square estimation (LSE), all unknown parameters are determined. In addition, the ARMA model is applied to build the model between states and outputs, whose parameters are identified by recursive least squares (RLS). Thus, the whole modeling process for ASP flooding is finished. At last, the IDP algorithm is applied to solve the enhanced oil recovery problem for ASP flooding based on the identification model to obtain the optimal injection strategy. Simulations on the ASP flooding with four injection wells and nine production wells show the accuracy and effectiveness of the proposed method.
Profile-Based Ad Hoc Social Networking Using Wi-Fi Direct on the Top of Android
Authors: Aneja Nagender , Gambhir Sapna
Published: October 2018

Ad hoc social networks have become popular to support novel applications related to location-based mobile services that are of great importance to users and businesses. Unlike traditional social services using a centralized server to fetch location, ad hoc social network services support infrastructure-less real-time social networking. It allows users to collaborate and share views anytime anywhere. However, current ad hoc social network applications either are not available without rooting the mobile phones or do not filter the nearby users based on common interests without a centralized server. This paper presents an architecture and implementation of social networks on commercially available mobile devices that allow broadcasting name and a limited number of keywords representing users’ interests without any connection in a nearby region to facilitate matching of interests. The broadcasting region creates a digital aura and is limited by the Wi-Fi region that is around 200 meters. The application connects users to form a group based on their profile or interests using the peer-to-peer communication mode without using any centralized networking or profile-matching infrastructure. The peer-to-peer group can be used for private communication when the network is not available.
Ultrasensitive Detection of 2,4-Dinitrophenol Using Nanowire Biosensor
Authors: Ivanov Yuri D. , Malsagova Kristina A. , Pleshakova Tatyana O. , Galiullin Rafael A. , Kozlov Andrey F. , Shumov Ivan D. , Ivanova Irina A. , Archakov Alexander I. , Popov Vladimir P. , Latyshev Alexander V. , Rudenko Konstantin V. , Glukhov Alexander V.
Published: October 2018

The method for the detection of 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP) in solution is proposed. This method employs the sensors based on silicon nanowire field-effect transistors with protective layers of high-k dielectrics, whose surface is functionalized with an amino silane. Direct highly sensitive detection of DNP has been demonstrated, and the lowest detectable concentration of DNP was determined to be 10−14 M. Silicon-on-insulator nanowire (SOI-NW) sensors can well be employed for the rapid detection of a wide range of toxic and explosive compounds by selection of sensor surface modification techniques.
Analysis and Application on Controlling Thick Hard Roof Caving with Deep‐Hole Position Presplitting Blasting
Authors: Chen Baobao , Liu Changyou
Published: October 2018

For the thick hard roof (THR) in Datong mining area, mining operations often led to large‐scale hanging‐roof and frequent and strong strata behavior, threatening mining safety seriously. Based on the instability mechanism, the fracture model for THR was established, including rock blocks articulation and combined cantilever beam, and the limit initial and periodic intervals of THR were determined to be 36.0 m and 8.0 m, respectively. The study proposed the deep‐hole presplitting blasting (DPB) for weakening THR for mitigating strong strata behaviors. Blasting‐induced fracture characteristics were calculated, determining the charging coefficient and holes spacing. LS‐DYNA was employed for establishing a DPB model to analyze crack evolution under the synergistic action of blasting stress wave and detonation gas and the attenuation characteristics for rock peak particle velocity, verifying the rationality of blasting parameters. Field measurement analysis indicated that the immediate roof induced a timely collapse to fill the goaf and the THR was effectively cut off near the presplitting line. Meanwhile, the working resistance was utilized with safety allowance. The field application showed the DPB on controlled THR caving achieved the significant effect.
Adult Physical Activity and Breast Cancer Risk in Women with a Family History of Breast Cancer
Authors: Niehoff Nicole M. , Nichols Hazel B. , Zhao Shanshan , White Alexandra J. , Sandler Dale P.
Published: October 2018

Background:

Recreational physical activity has been consistently associated with reduced breast cancer risk. Less is known about how family history of breast cancer affects the association and whether it varies by menopausal status.

Methods:

The Sister Study is a cohort of 50,884 women who had a sister with breast cancer but no prior breast cancer themselves at enrollment. Women reported all recreational sport/exercise activities they participated in over the past 12 months. Hours/week and MET-hours/week of physical activity were considered in association with breast cancer risk. Hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated with Cox regression. Extent of family history, examined as a modifier, was characterized by a Bayesian score incorporating characteristics of the family structure.

Results:

During follow-up (average 8.4 years), 3,023 cases were diagnosed. Higher hours/week (HR≥7vs<1 = 0.77; 95% CI, 0.66–0.90) and MET-hours/week (HRquartile4vs1 = 0.75; 95% CI, 0.67–0.85) of physical activity were associated with reduced postmenopausal breast cancer risk. Hours/week and MET-hours/week were associated with suggestively increased premenopausal breast cancer risk (MET-hours/week HRquartile4vs1 = 1.25; 95% CI, 0.98–1.60). Associations did not vary with extent of family history. However, the increased risk in premenopausal women may be limited to those with stronger family history.

Conclusions:

In women with a family history of breast cancer, physical activity was associated with reduced postmenopausal, but not premenopausal, breast cancer risk and was not modified by extent of family history.

Impact:

This was the first study to examine the association between physical activity and breast cancer risk in a large population with a family history of breast cancer.