bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The eccentric version of atom-bond connectivity index of tetra sheet networks
Authors: Imran Muhammad , Baig Abdul Qudair , Azhar Muhammad Razwan
Published: August 2018

Among topological descriptor of graphs, the connectivity indices are very important and they have a prominent role in theoretical chemistry. The atom-bond connectivity index of a connected graph [Formula: see text] is represented as [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] represents the degree of a vertex [Formula: see text] of [Formula: see text] and the eccentric connectivity index of the molecular graph [Formula: see text] is represented as [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] is the maximum distance between the vertex [Formula: see text] and any other vertex [Formula: see text] of the graph [Formula: see text].

The new eccentric atom-bond connectivity index of any connected graph [Formula: see text] is defined as [Formula: see text].

In this paper, we compute the new eccentric atom-bond connectivity index for infinite families of tetra sheets equilateral triangular and rectangular networks.
The Effects of Fiscal and Monetary Policies in Japan: What Combination of Policies Should Be Used?
Authors: Otsubo Kansho Piotr
Published: August 2018

In this paper, we compare and analyze the differences in the effects of fiscal and monetary policy using time-varying parameter structural vector auto-regression (TVP-VAR). Specifically, we estimate a 5-variable TVP-VAR model using monthly data from March 2001 to August 2017. The estimation results indicated the following four points. First, expansionary fiscal policy can impact GDP faster than an expansionary monetary policy. Second, expansionary fiscal policy has lowered prices. Third, an expansionary monetary policy can increase GDP more persistently than an expansionary fiscal policy during unconventional monetary policy periods. Finally, expansionary monetary policy has raised prices. These estimation results reveal that if the Japanese government wants to strongly boost GDP alone, it should use fiscal policy alongside monetary policy because fiscal policy can immediately raise GDP. If the Japanese government seeks moderate increases in both GDP and prices, it is more effective to use monetary policy alone without increasing fiscal expenditure.
Short-Term Return Reversals and Intraday Transactions
Authors: Miwa Kotaro
Published: August 2018

I examine whether a short-term reversal is attributed to past intraday or overnight price movements. The results show that intraday returns significantly reverse in the following week, while overnight returns do not, indicating that the short-term reversal is attributed to past intraday price movements. In addition, the reversal of intraday returns is stronger for more illiquid stocks and during more volatile market conditions, while the reversal is unaffected by fundamental news. This result supports the view that short-term reversals are attributable mainly to price concessions for liquidity providers to absorb intraday uninformed transactions, rather than intraday price reactions to fundamental information.
Evolution of a cratonic basin: insights from the stratal architecture and provenance history of the Parnaíba Basin
Authors: Menzies L. A. , Carter A. , MacDonald David I. M.
Published: August 2018

The processes that govern formation and development of cratonic basins are poorly understood, both individually and as a class. The cratonic Silurian–Jurassic Parnaíba Basin in NE Brazil is less well-studied than North American examples such as Williston, Illinois and Michigan but offers an opportunity to study stratal architecture both in outcrop and the subsurface. Published stratigraphic compilations emphasize basin-wide unconformities separating layer-cake, basin-wide packages; analysis of geological maps indicates this interpretation is over-simplified, with at least 12 local unconformities, concentrated along the SW basin margin. Comparison of basin-margin and intrabasinal well-correlation panels shows that unconformities are more common in marginal areas, so the current exposure margins may have some validity as near-original margins. Palaeocurrents suggest a consistent SW–NE transport direction for the Serra Grande and lower Canindé groups. Supporting heavy mineral analysis from Silurian–Carboniferous strata on the SW and NE basin margins show that assemblages are dominated by ultra-stable zircon, tourmaline and rutile with minor amounts of staurolite, especially in the SW and older units. Tourmaline varietal results are remarkably consistent across the basin. U–Pb age spectra from detrital zircons are dominated by Neoproterozoic grains, with subsidiary Meso-Paleoproterozoic provenance. We infer that the source terrane was a medium-grade regionally metamorphosed mica schist, probably the Araguaia Fold Belt. These results are indicative of a large sediment routing system feeding material across an evolving crustal sag, analogous to observations from North American cratonic basins; this suggests that cratonic basins may not have strongly shaped or controlled the routing system.
Algorithm and Architecture Optimization for 2D Discrete Fourier Transforms with Simultaneous Edge Artifact Removal
Authors: Mahmood Faisal , Toots Märt , Öfverstedt Lars-Göran , Skoglund Ulf
Published: August 2018

Two-dimensional discrete Fourier transform (DFT) is an extensively used and computationally intensive algorithm, with a plethora of applications. 2D images are, in general, nonperiodic but are assumed to be periodic while calculating their DFTs. This leads to cross-shaped artifacts in the frequency domain due to spectral leakage. These artifacts can have critical consequences if the DFTs are being used for further processing, specifically for biomedical applications. In this paper we present a novel FPGA-based solution to calculate 2D DFTs with simultaneous edge artifact removal for high-performance applications. Standard approaches for removing these artifacts, using apodization functions or mirroring, either involve removing critical frequencies or necessitate a surge in computation by significantly increasing the image size. We use a periodic plus smooth decomposition-based approach that was optimized to reduce DRAM access and to decrease 1D FFT invocations. 2D FFTs on FPGAs also suffer from the so-called “intermediate storage” or “memory wall” problem, which is due to limited on-chip memory, increasingly large image sizes, and strided column-wise external memory access. We propose a “tile-hopping” memory mapping scheme that significantly improves the bandwidth of the external memory for column-wise reads and can reduce the energy consumption up to 53%. We tested our proposed optimizations on a PXIe-based Xilinx Kintex 7 FPGA system communicating with a host PC, which gives us the advantage of further expanding the design for biomedical applications such as electron microscopy and tomography. We demonstrate that our proposed optimizations can lead to 2.8× reduced FPGA and DRAM energy consumption when calculating high-throughput 4096×4096 2D FFTs with simultaneous edge artifact removal. We also used our high-performance 2D FFT implementation to accelerate filtered back-projection for reconstructing tomographic data.
The Role of a Low Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, and Polyol Diet in Nonceliac Gluten Sensitivity
Authors: Priyanka P. , Gayam S. , Kupec J. T.
Published: August 2018

Background. Nonceliac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) is a recently defined clinical entity characterized by intestinal and extraintestinal symptoms associated with gluten ingestion in individuals in whom celiac disease (CD) or wheat allergy (WA) has been excluded. Despite its name and definition, gluten has been shown to precipitate symptoms in only 16–30% of these patients. In addition to gluten, other components of wheat, including fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols (FODMAPs), alpha-amylase trypsin inhibitors (ATIs) and wheat germ agglutinin have been implicated in the causation of the symptoms of NCGS, with FODMAPs garnering the most attention. We present a review of the existing literature evaluating the role of FODMAPs in NCGS symptomatology. Methods. A systematic review of PubMed, Cochrane, EMBASE, and Google Scholar for keywords fructans, non-celiac gluten sensitivity, NCGS, FODMAPs, and gluten-free diet (GFD) was conducted through a series of advanced searches. Articles related to the use of fructans or FODMAPs were analyzed. Results. FODMAPs were found to be associated with gastrointestinal and extraintestinal symptoms in NCGS. Conclusions. A low FODMAP diet has potential for improvement of clinical symptoms in NCGS. In addition, some evidence suggests an additional benefit to simultaneous adherence to both low FODMAP diet and GFD.
On Robust Synchronization of Drive-Response Boolean Control Networks with Disturbances
Authors: Li Yuanyuan , Zhong Jie , Lu Jianquan , Wang Zhen , Alssadi Fuad E.
Published: August 2018

This paper investigates the robust synchronization of drive-response Boolean control networks (BCNs) with disturbances via semi-tensor product of matrices. Firstly, the definition of robust synchronization is presented for the drive-response BCNs with disturbances. Then, based on the algebraic state space representation of drive-response BCNs, the robustly reachable states/sets are presented to investigate robust synchronization of disturbed BCNs. According to the set of robustly reachable states, some necessary and sufficient criteria are obtained for robust synchronization of drive-response BCNs with disturbances under a given state feedback controller. Finally, an illustrative example is presented to demonstrate the obtained theoretical results.
Macular Thickness, Foveal Volume, and Choroidal Thickness in Amblyopic Eyes and Their Relationships to the Treatment Outcome
Authors: Liu Chun-Hsiu , Ong Sherine Jue , Huang Chung-Ying , Wu Wei-Chi , Kao Ling-Yuh , Yang Meng-Ling
Published: August 2018

Purpose. To assess the correlations between the retinal/choroidal structure and the treatment outcomes of amblyopic children.Methods. This study enrolled eyes with amblyopia resulting from strabismus, anisometropia, or ametropia. All patients underwent detailed eye examinations, including spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) scan. All of the subjects received amblyopic treatment and were divided into 2 groups after 6 months of follow-up: the recovered amblyopic group with a best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) ≥0.8 and the persistent amblyopic group with a BCVA <0.8 on the Landolt C chart.Results. Forty-four amblyopic children were included, of which 26 were in the recovered amblyopic group after 6 months of follow-up. The patients with strabismic anisometropic amblyopia and severe amblyopia (initial VA ≤ 0.3) were significantly predisposed to developing persistent amblyopia (P=0.049andP<0.001, respectively). After correcting with Littmann’s formula, the thickness and volume of the parafoveal and perifoveal retinal regions in the persistent amblyopia group did not show significant differences with the recovered amblyopia group.Conclusions. The initial severity of amblyopia and the type of amblyopia were the risk factors related to the poor outcome of amblyopic treatment. The foveal thickness, foveal volume, and choroidal thickness were not associated with the treatment outcome.
Reliable Flying IoT Networks for UAV Disaster Rescue Operations
Authors: Ahn Taemin , Seok Jihoon , Lee Inbok , Han Junghee
Published: August 2018

Recently, UAVs (unmanned air vehicles) have been developed with high performance, and hence, the range of system utilizing UAVs has also been widening. UAVs are even considered as connected mobile sensors and are claimed to be the future of IoT (Internet of Things). UAVs’ mission fulfillment is relying on the efficiency and performance of communication in a FANET (Flying Ad hoc NETwork) environment where UAVs communicate with each other through an ad hoc network without infrastructure. Especially, for mission-critical applications such as disaster rescue operations, reliable and on-time transmission of rescue information is very critical. To develop the reliable FANETs, a realistic network simulation platform for UAV communication has become an important role. Motivated by this observation, this paper first presents a study on realistic FANET environment simulation platform. On top of the proposed platform, we also design a stable UAV communication protocol with high packet delivery and bounded end-to-end communication delay.
An Optimal Cooperative Control Design for State Consensus of Periodic Multiagent Systems
Authors: Ayatollahi Mehrasa , Majd Vahid Johari , Nasrabadi Mohammad Mehdi
Published: August 2018

The problem of cooperative optimal control of multiagent systems with linear periodic continuous-time dynamics is considered. The state consensus problem is formulated as an optimal control problem in which the consensus requirement is reflected in the cost. The cost optimization of each subsystem is considered over finite horizon while the states of the agents converge to a common value, with a control signal that depends on the interactions of the neighboring subsystems. The proposed control law consists of a local and regional terms to capture local measurements and measurements due to interactions with the neighboring agents, respectively. These two terms are obtained by solving a Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman partial differential equation. A numerical example is presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Estimation of Reservoir Bio-Optical Water Quality Parameters Using Smartphone Sensor Apps and Landsat ETM+: Review and Comparative Experimental Results
Authors: Ouma Yashon O. , Waga J. , Okech M. , Lavisa O. , Mbuthia D.
Published: August 2018

This study presents a comparative evaluation of three real-time imaging-based approaches for the prediction of optically active water constituents as chlorophyll-a (Chl-a), turbidity, suspended particulate matter (SPM), and reservoir water colour. The imaging models comprise of Landsat ETM+-visible and NIR (VNIR) data and EyeOnWater and HydroColor Smartphone sensor apps. To estimate the selected water quality parameters (WQP) from Landsat ETM+-VNIR, predictive models based on empirical relationships were developed. From the in situ measurements and the Landsat regression models, the results from the remote reflectances of ETM+ green, blue, and NIR independently yielded the best fits for the respective predictions of Chl-a, turbidity, and SPM. The concentration of Chl-a was derived from the Landsat ETM+ and HydroColor with respective Pearson correlation coefficients r of 0.8977 and 0.8310. The degree of turbidity was determined from Landsat, EyeOnWater, and HydroColor with respective r values of 0.9628, 0.819, and 0.8405. From the same models, the retrieved SPM was regressed with the laboratory measurements with r value results of 0.6808, 0.7315, and 0.8637, respectively, from Landsat ETM+, EyeOnWater, and HydroColor. The empirical study results showed that the imaging models can be effectively applied in the estimation of the physical WQP.
Neutrino Mass, Coupling Unification, Verifiable Proton Decay, Vacuum Stability, and WIMP Dark Matter in SU(5)
Authors: Sahoo Biswonath , Chakraborty Mainak , Parida M. K.
Published: August 2018

Nonsupersymmetric minimal SU(5) with Higgs representations 24H and 5H and standard fermions in 5¯F⊕10F is well known for its failure in unification of gauge couplings and lack of predicting neutrino masses. Like standard model, it is also affected by the instability of the Higgs scalar potential. We note that extending the Higgs sector by 75H and 15H not only leads to the popular type-II seesaw ansatz for neutrino masses with a lower bound on the triplet mass MΔ>2×109 GeV, but also achieves precision unification of gauge couplings without proliferation of nonstandard light Higgs scalars or fermions near the TeV scale. Consistent with recent LUX-2016 lower bound, the model easily accommodates a singlet scalar WIMP dark matter near the TeV scale which resolves the vacuum stability issue even after inclusion of heavy triplet threshold effect. We estimate proton lifetime predictions for p→e+π0 including uncertainties due to input parameters and threshold effects due to superheavy Higgs scalars and superheavy X±4/3,Y±1/3 gauge bosons. The predicted lifetime is noted to be verifiable at Super Kamiokande and Hyper Kamiokande experiments.
A VQ-Based Joint Fingerprinting and Decryption Scheme for Secure and Efficient Image Distribution
Authors: Li Ming , Ren Hua , Zhang En , Wang Wei , Sun Lin , Xiao Di
Published: August 2018

The first joint fingerprinting and decryption (JFD) for vector quantization (VQ) images addressed the problem that the decrypted multimedia data may be redistributed from authorized customers to unauthorized customers. The scheme also caused conventional JFD methods to be equipped with a special ability to resist noise interference. Till now, some existing schemes related have been proposed to protect the multimedia content and distribution, but these schemes failed to tackle several problems existing in the original JFD scheme based on VQ image, including high transmission cost and severe fingerprinted image distortion. In this paper, we propose a novel JFD method by combining a weight-sum function with fingerprinting embedding and extraction for VQ images. Under the combination, the visual quality of the fingerprinted image is further improved; also the fingerprint extraction implements a blind extraction process. Experiments and analyses demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed method.
A Simulation-Based Dynamic Programming Method for Interchange Scheduling of Port Collecting and Distributing Network
Authors: Peng Yun , Wang Wenyuan , Xu Xinglu , Chen Modi , Song Xiangqun , Li Xiangda
Published: August 2018

As one of the effective methods to reduce congestion, grade intersection has already been changed to interchange in port collecting and distributing network (PCDN) of many Chinese ports, since the first interchange was built in the PCDN of Dalian port in 1924. Due to the growing demand for port freight transportation, congestion in PCDN is becoming one of the inevitable problems that need to be solved. This paper addresses the best interchange scheduling multistage decision problem in PCDN at a network level. The main challenges are how to estimate the delay time and cope with high uncertainties in port network and PCDN. Therefore, a simulation-based dynamic programming (DP) model is proposed with the purpose of minimizing total cost in lifetime period by combining a DP model and two nested simulation models together. Two simulation models are built to figure out the delay cost in the optimization model, which cannot be calculated by mathematical analysis due to complex vehicle travel patterns and irregular traffic volume caused by random events, such as the arrival pattern of ships’, natural conditions, and storage period of cargos. Finally, a real project in northern China is presented as a case study. The proposed method can be applied in similar cases and can help solve analogous complicated multistage problems.
A Model Based on Convolutional Neural Network for Online Transaction Fraud Detection
Authors: Zhang Zhaohui , Zhou Xinxin , Zhang Xiaobo , Wang Lizhi , Wang Pengwei
Published: August 2018

Using wireless mobile terminals has become the mainstream of Internet transactions, which can verify the identity of users by passwords, fingerprints, sounds, and images. However, once these identity data are stolen, traditional information security methods will not avoid online transaction fraud. The existing convolutional neural network model for fraud detection needs to generate many derivative features. This paper proposes a fraud detection model based on the convolutional neural network in the field of online transactions, which constructs an input feature sequencing layer that implements the reorganization of raw transaction features to form different convolutional patterns. Its significance is that different feature combinations entering the convolution kernel will produce different derivative features. The advantage of this model lies in taking low dimensional and nonderivative online transaction data as the input. The whole network consists of a feature sequencing layer, four convolutional layers and pooling layers, and a fully connected layer. Verifying with online transaction data from a commercial bank, the experimental results show that the model achieves excellent fraud detection performance without derivative features. And its precision can be stabilized at around 91% and recall can be stabilized at around 94%, which increased by 26% and 2%, respectively, comparing with the existing CNN for fraud detection.
Acceptable Postvoid Residual Urine Volume after Vaginal Delivery and Its Association with Various Obstetric Parameters
Authors: Choe Wen Sze , Kwang Ng Beng , Atan Ixora Kamisan , Lim Pei Shan
Published: August 2018

Background. Urinary retention and voiding dysfunction is a distressing event and relatively common in immediate postpartum period. This study aims at investigating the range of postvoid residual urine volume after vaginal delivery and its association with various obstetric parameters. Methods. This was a prospective observational study of women who delivered vaginally in Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre from March 2017 to September 2017. Those who were able to void within 6 hours after delivery, the voided volume measurements were taken at their second void followed by measurement of residual urine using a transabdominal ultrasound scan. For those unable to void at 6 hours postpartum, the bladder volume was measured. If the bladder volume was 500 ml or more, an indwelling catheter would be inserted and kept for 24 hours. Results. A total of 155 patients who fulfilled the inclusion were recruited. There were 143 (92.3%) patients who had residual urine volume of less than 150 ml at second void. Out of these 143 patients, 138 (96.5%) had residual urine volume of less than 100 ml, and among the 138 patients, 119 (86.2%) had residual urine volume of less than 50 ml. The median residual urine volume was 10 ml (2, 42). The overall rate of postpartum urinary retention (PPUR) was 7.7%; 6 (3.85%) had overt retention and 6 (3.85%) had covert retention. Primiparity, duration of active phase of labour, duration of second stage of labour, epidural analgesia, episiotomy, instrumental delivery, and perineal pain score were independent risk factors associated with postpartum urinary retention. Conclusion. Postpartum urinary retention complicates approximately 7.7% of vaginal deliveries. Majority (86.2%) of them had residual urine volume less than 50 ml. Obstetrics factors independently associated with PPUR include primiparity, duration of active phase of labour, duration of second stage of labour, epidural analgesia, episiotomy, instrumental delivery, and degree of perineal pain.
The MentalPlus® Digital Game Might Be an Accessible Open Source Tool to Evaluate Cognitive Dysfunction in Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction in Hypertensive Patients: A Pilot Exploratory Study
Authors: Pereira Valeria Fontenelle Angelim , Valentin Livia Stocco Sanches
Published: August 2018

Introduction. Cognitive dysfunction with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) is well studied. However, there are few comparative studies with heart failure and preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Cognitive dysfunction diagnosis usually demands a long neuropsychological battery. We developed MentalPlus® digital game to overwhelm that issue. Methods. As a pilot study, we evaluated 60 patients with systemic hypertension and HFpEF. They were submitted to TICS (Telephone Interview Cognitive Status) to evaluate the general cognitive function and 25 minutes of MentalPlus® digital game evaluation. Results. The results disclosed 60 hypertensive patients. All of them presented with HFpEF. Patients presented a mean age of 56±10 years; 46% male; LVMi (g/m2) mean of 110±20; educational attainment of 9 years or more; mean income of 8 Brazilian minimum wages. The TICS results disclosed 28 ±3.7. MentalPlus® digital game evaluation disclosed preserved values for the phases I, III, IV, V, VI, and VII. Phase II, short-term memory related, was below the normals values that were assigned. This group of patients presented a normal general cognition by both evaluations, except for specific functions displayed above, disclosed by MentalPlus®. The MentalPlus® was designed to possibly evaluate specific cognitive functions separately, like attention, memory, executive function, and language, because each phase evaluates specific functions shortly. Conclusion. Hypertensive HFpEF patients presented in general a normal cognition, except for some aspects related to short-term memory. The MentalPlus® digital game, compared with TICS, presented similar general results. It is an advantage that MentalPlus® software could be used to assess cognitive function, in general and individually, and be an open tool shortly.
The Visual and Quantitative Study of the Microoccurrence of Irreducible Water at the Pore and Throat System in a Low-Permeability Sandstone Reservoir by Using Microcomputerized Tomography
Authors: Gu Xiaoyu , Pu Chunsheng , Huang Hai , Khan Nasir , Liu Jing , He Yanlong , Jing Cheng , Huang Feifei , Qi Aojiang
Published: August 2018

The microflow equipment monitored with micro X-ray computerized tomography (CT) is employed to investigate the microoccurrence of the irreducible water in a low-permeability sandstone core. By means of image segmentation and the three-dimensional (3D) image reconstruction technique, the visual microdistribution characteristics of irreducible water in two-dimensional (2D) slices and the 3D pore-throat system are quantitatively evaluated. Some interesting findings are list as below. Firstly, due to the variant micro geometric structures of the pore-throat systems, specific core slices showed significantly different irreducible water saturation even though these slices had same areal porosity. Secondly, due to the influence of capillary trapping and the existence of oil-wetting clay (main chlorite), the irreducible water saturation in the throat system (64%) is much larger than that in the pore system (36%). Furthermore, the wetting phase (irreducible water) did not spread all over the surface of the pore-throat network which caused a much more complicated oil-water two-phase interface. Thirdly, in micro scale, the main irreducible water occurrence mode in the pore system is much different from that in the throat system. In the pore system, the irreducible water principally existed in the corner of the pores which are linked through a water film. While in the throat system, the irreducible water occurrence is dominated by the water film. However, 25.5% of the throats are blocked by the irreducible water which cut off the crude oil drainage channels.
Well‐Dispersed Silica Fume by Surface Modification and the Control of Cement Hydration
Authors: Ma Rui , Guo Liping , Sun Wei , Rong Zhidan
Published: August 2018

Silica fume (SF) is a valuable nanoscaled industrial by‐product used in cementitious materials owing to its filling and pozzolanic effect. However, the heavy agglomeration of SF is a severe and common problem. In this study, surface modification with polyacrylic acid (PAA) was applied on SF to achieve a better dispersion and to optimize the hydration process of cement at early age. The particle size distribution and surface properties of SF, as well as the cement hydration with modified SF, were investigated. The results demonstrated that the agglomeration of SF particles was efficiently mitigated by the surface treatment with PAA, and the acceleration effect of SF was delayed by the resistance of the surface layer at early age. However, the grafted PAA layer eventually dropped in alkali solution after 6 hours, and the hydration rate was increased again and continued for long time. This work indicated that surface‐modified SF was well dispersed and was able to regulate the hydration rate of cement.
Strong Identity‐Based Proxy Signature Schemes, Revisited
Authors: Liu Weiwei , Mu Yi , Yang Guomin , Tian Yangguang
Published: August 2018

Proxy signature is a useful cryptographic primitive that has been widely used in many applications. It has attracted a lot of attention since it was introduced. There have been lots of works in constructing efficient and secure proxy signature schemes. In this paper, we identify a new attack that has been neglected by many existing proven secure proxy signature schemes. We demonstrate this attack by launching it against an identity‐based proxy signature scheme which is proven secure. We then propose one method that can effectively prevent this attack. The weakness in some other proxy signature schemes can also be fixed by applying the same method.
Constrained Adaptive Neural Control for Air-Breathing Hypersonic Vehicles without Backstepping
Authors: Tan Shili , Lei Humin , Wang Pengfei
Published: August 2018

An adaptive neural control scheme without backstepping is proposed for the air-breathing hypersonic vehicle subject to input constraints. To estimate the unknown nonlinearity of velocity subsystem and altitude subsystem, two radial basis function neural networks (RBFNNs) are constructed. Since the complex backstepping design steps are not needed, the proposed control structure is quite concise and the problem of “explosion of terms” is avoided. Moreover, a novel nonlinear auxiliary system is constructed to solve the problem of input constraints. The advantage of the proposed auxiliary system is that its high-order form has good performance and the parameter tuning is relatively easy. Simulation results show that the designed controllers achieve stable tracking of reference commands with good performance.
Event-Triggered Bipartite Consensus of Single-Integrator Multi-Agent Systems with Measurement Noise
Authors: Ma Cui-Qin , Zhao Yun-Bo , Sun Wei-Guo
Published: August 2018

Event-triggered bipartite consensus of single-integrator multi-agent systems is investigated in the presence of measurement noise. A time-varying gain function is proposed in the event-triggered bipartite consensus protocol to reduce the negative effects of the noise corrupted information processed by the agents. Using the state transition matrix, Ito^ formula, and the algebraic graph theory, necessary and sufficient conditions are given for the proposed protocol to yield mean square bipartite consensus. We find that the weakest communication requirement to ensure the mean square bipartite consensus under event-triggered protocol is that the signed digraph is structurally balanced and contains a spanning tree. Numerical examples validated the theoretical findings where the system shows no Zeno behavior.
Practices and Processes in BIM Projects: An Exploratory Case Study
Authors: Boton Conrad , Forgues Daniel
Published: August 2018

The results of an exploratory case study dedicated to a BIM project are presented and the perception that professionals have of their practices and the BIM collaboration processes is discussed in this study. It suggests that the roles of BIM specialists are not the same from one discipline to another and that they are not just technical roles. In addition, the information subprocess seems to crystallize around BIM managers, which tends to create two sources of leadership in a project: BIM managers and project managers. Finally, the study shows a gap between the planned processes and those actually used in the project. The use of a big room, to bring together the owner and the other disciplines, seems to be particularly useful. It serves as an integrator, and information is better shared.
Study on the Interaction between Soil and the Five-Claw Combination of a Mole Using the Discrete Element Method
Authors: Yang Yuwan , Li Mo , Tong Jin , Ma Yunhai
Published: August 2018

A mole is a born digger spending its entire existence digging tunnels. The five claws of a mole’s hand are combinative to cut soil powerfully and efficiently. However, little was known in detail about the interaction between the soil and the five-claw combination. In this study, we simulated the soil cutting process of the five-claw combination using the discrete element method (DEM) as an attempt for the potential design of soil-engaging tools to reduce soil resistance. The five-claw combination moved horizontally in the soil bin. Soil forces (draught and vertical forces) and soil failure (soil rupture distance ratio) were measured at different rake angles and speeds. Results showed that the draught and vertical forces varied nonlinearly as the rake angle increased from 10 to 90°, and both changed linearly with the speed increasing from 1 to 5 m/s. The curve of the soil rupture distance ratio with rake angles could be better described using a quadric function, but the speed had little effect on the soil rupture distance ratio. Notably, the soil rupture distance ratio of the five-claw combination in simulation was on average 19.6% lower than the predicted ratio of simple blades at different rake angles indicating that the five-claw combination could make less soil failure and thereby produce lower soil resistance. Given the draught and vertical forces, the performance of the five-claw combination was optimized at the rake angle of 30°.
A New PC-Based Text Entry System Based on EOG Coding
Authors: Yildiz Metin , Ülkütaş Hesna Özbek
Published: August 2018

Some disadvantages of optical eye tracking systems have increased the interest to EOG (Electrooculography) based Human Computer Interaction (HCI). However, text entry attempts using EOG have been slower than expected because the eyes should move several times for entering a character. In order to improve the writing speed and accuracy of EOG based text entry, a new method based on the coding of eye movements has been suggested in this study. In addition, a real time EOG based HCI system has developed to implement the method. In our method all characters have been encoded by single saccades in 8 directions and different dwell time. In order to standardize dwell times and facilitate the coding process, computer assisted voice guidance was used. A number of experiments have been conducted to examine the effectiveness of the proposed method and system. At the end of the fifth trials, an experienced user was able to write at average 13.2 wpm (5 letters = 1 word) with 100% accuracy using the developed system. The results of our experiments have shown that text entry with the eye can be done quickly and efficiently with the proposed method and system.
Development of Quantitative Real-Time PCR Assays for Rapid and Sensitive Detection of Two Badnavirus Species in Sugarcane
Authors: Sun Sheng-Ren , Ahmad Kashif , Wu Xiao-Bin , Chen Jian-Sheng , Fu Hua-Ying , Huang Mei-Ting , Gao San-Ji
Published: August 2018

Sugarcane-infecting badnaviruses (sugarcane bacilliform viruses, SCBVs) represent a genetically heterogeneous species complex, posing a serious threat to the yield and quality of sugarcane in all major producing regions. SCBVs are commonly transmitted across regions by the exchange of sugarcane germplasm. In this study, we develop two quick, sensitive, and reliable protocols for real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) of Sugarcane bacilliform MO virus (SCBMOV) and Sugarcane bacilliform IM virus (SCBIMV) using two sets of TaqMan probes and primers targeting the reverse transcriptase/ribonuclease H (RT/RNase H) region. The two assays had a detection limit of 100 copies of plasmid DNA and were 100 times more sensitive than conventional PCR. High specificity of the two assays was observed with respect to SCBIMV and SCBMOV. A total of 176 sugarcane leaf tissue samples from Fujian and Yunnan provinces were collected and analyzed in parallel by conventional PCR, SCBIMV-qPCR, and SCBMOV-qPCR. The SCBIMV-qPCR and SCBMOV-qPCR assays indicated that 50% (88/176) and 47% (83/176) samples tested positive, respectively, whereas only 29% (51/176) tested positive with conventional PCR with the primer pairs SCBV-F and SCBV-R. We demonstrate for the first time that SCBIMV and SCBMOV occur in China and reveal coinfection of both Badnavirus species in 29% (51/176) of tested leaf samples. Our findings supply sensitive and reliable qPCR assays for the detection and quantitation of SCBV in sugarcane quarantine programs.
Key Success Indicators for PPP Projects: Evidence from Hong Kong
Authors: Liang Yanhong , Jia Hongjun
Published: August 2018

Because a consensus has yet to be reached on how to assess the success of a Public‐Private Partnership (PPP) project, it is meaningful to study the multidimensional indicators to assess PPP project success. It merits attention that PPP project success indicators are totally different from PPP critical success factors (CSFs), which have attracted a lot of attention from scholars. This study conducts a questionnaire survey to identify the crucial considerations of project success from the perspectives of different PPP stakeholders. In line with previous studies, five dimensions of PPP project success that were developed from different stakeholder viewpoints and time frameworks were tested based on the empirical data. The dimensions mapped in the study not only provide a benchmark for practitioners to diagnose the extent of PPP project success but also provide a solid foundation for scholars to conduct further studies regarding PPP project success.
Two-Step Root-MUSIC for Direction of Arrival Estimation without EVD/SVD Computation
Authors: Yan Feng-Gang , Liu Shuai , Wang Jun , Jin Ming
Published: August 2018

Most popular techniques for super-resolution direction of arrival (DOA) estimation rely on an eigen-decomposition (EVD) or a singular value decomposition (SVD) computation to determine the signal/noise subspace, which is computationally expensive for real-time applications. A two-step root multiple signal classification (TS-root-MUSIC) algorithm is proposed to avoid the complex EVD/SVD computation using a uniform linear array (ULA) based on a mild assumption that the number of signals is less than half that of sensors. The ULA is divided into two subarrays, and three noise-free cross-correlation matrices are constructed using data collected by the two subarrays. A low-complexity linear operation is derived to obtain a rough noise subspace for a first-step DOA estimate. The performance is further enhanced in the second step by using the first-step result to renew the previous estimated noise subspace with a slightly increased complexity. The new technique can provide close root mean square error (RMSE) performance to root-MUSIC with reduced computational burden, which are verified by numerical simulations.
A Visually Apparent and Quantifiable CT Imaging Feature Identifies Biophysical Subtypes of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Koay Eugene J. , Lee Yeonju , Cristini Vittorio , Lowengrub John S. , Kang Ya'an , Lucas F. Anthony San , Hobbs Brian P. , Ye Rong , Elganainy Dalia , Almahariq Muayad , Amer Ahmed M. , Chatterjee Deyali , Yan Huaming , Park Peter C. , Rios Perez Mayrim V. , Li Dali , Garg Naveen , Reiss Kim A. , Yu Shun , Chauhan Anil , Zaid Mohamed , Nikzad Newsha , Wolff Robert A. , Javle Milind , Varadhachary Gauri R. , Shroff Rachna T. , Das Prajnan , Lee Jeffrey E. , Ferrari Mauro , Maitra Anirban , Taniguchi Cullen M. , Kim Michael P. , Crane Christopher H. , Katz Matthew H. , Wang Huamin , Bhosale Priya , Tamm Eric P. , Fleming Jason B.
Published: August 2018

Purpose:

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a heterogeneous disease with variable presentations and natural histories of disease. We hypothesized that different morphologic characteristics of PDAC tumors on diagnostic computed tomography (CT) scans would reflect their underlying biology.

Experimental Design:

We developed a quantitative method to categorize the PDAC morphology on pretherapy CT scans from multiple datasets of patients with resectable and metastatic disease and correlated these patterns with clinical/pathologic measurements. We modeled macroscopic lesion growth computationally to test the effects of stroma on morphologic patterns, hypothesizing that the balance of proliferation and local migration rates of the cancer cells would determine tumor morphology.

Results:

In localized and metastatic PDAC, quantifying the change in enhancement on CT scans at the interface between tumor and parenchyma (delta) demonstrated that patients with conspicuous (high-delta) tumors had significantly less stroma, higher likelihood of multiple common pathway mutations, more mesenchymal features, higher likelihood of early distant metastasis, and shorter survival times compared with those with inconspicuous (low-delta) tumors. Pathologic measurements of stromal and mesenchymal features of the tumors supported the mathematical model's underlying theory for PDAC growth.

Conclusions:

At baseline diagnosis, a visually striking and quantifiable CT imaging feature reflects the molecular and pathological heterogeneity of PDAC, and may be used to stratify patients into distinct subtypes. Moreover, growth patterns of PDAC may be described using physical principles, enabling new insights into diagnosis and treatment of this deadly disease.
Abemaciclib in Combination with Single-Agent Options in Patients with Stage IV Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Phase Ib Study
Authors: Kim Edward S. , Kelly Karen , Paz-Ares Luis G. , Garrido Pilar , Jalal Shadia , Mahadevan Daruka , Gutierrez Martin , Provencio Mariano , Schaefer Eric , Shaheen Monte , Johnston Erica L. , Turner P. Kellie , Kambhampati Siva Rama Prasad , Beckmann Richard , Hossain Anwar , John William J. , Goldman Jonathan W.
Published: August 2018

Purpose: Abemaciclib, a dual inhibitor of cyclin-dependent kinases 4 and 6, has demonstrated preclinical activity in non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). A multicenter, nonrandomized, open-label phase Ib study was conducted to test safety, MTD, pharmacokinetics, and preliminary antitumor activity of abemaciclib in combination with other therapies for treatment in patients with metastatic NSCLC.

Patients and Methods: An initial dose escalation phase was used to determine the MTD of twice-daily oral abemaciclib (150, 200 mg) plus pemetrexed, gemcitabine, or ramucirumab, followed by an expansion phase for each drug combination. Pemetrexed and gemcitabine were administered according to label. The abemaciclib plus ramucirumab study examined two dosing schedules.

Results: The three study parts enrolled 86 patients; all received ≥1 dose of combination therapy. Across arms, the most common treatment-emergent adverse events were fatigue, diarrhea, neutropenia, decreased appetite, and nausea. The trial did not identify an abemaciclib MTD for the combination with pemetrexed or gemcitabine but did so for the combination of abemaciclib with days 1 and 8 ramucirumab (8 mg/kg). Plasma sample analysis showed that abemaciclib did not influence the pharmacokinetics of the combination agents and the combination agents did not affect abemaciclib exposure. The disease control rate was 57% for patients treated with abemaciclib–pemetrexed, 25% for abemaciclib–gemcitabine, and 54% for abemaciclib–ramucirumab. Median progression-free survival was 5.55, 1.58, and 4.83 months, respectively.

Conclusions: Abemaciclib demonstrated an acceptable safety profile when dosed on a continuous twice-daily schedule in combination with pemetrexed, gemcitabine, or ramucirumab. Abemaciclib exposures remained consistent with those observed in single-agent studies. Clin Cancer Res; 24(22); 5543–51. ©2018 AACR.
Development of a Tetravalent Anti-GPA33/Anti-CD3 Bispecific Antibody for Colorectal Cancers
Authors: Wu Zhihao , Guo Hong-Fen , Xu Hong , Cheung Nai-Kong V.
Published: August 2018

Despite progress in the treatment of colorectal cancer, curing metastatic colorectal cancer remains a major unmet medical need worldwide. Here, we describe a T-cell–engaging bispecific antibody (T-BsAb) to redirect polyclonal cytotoxic T cells to eradicate colorectal cancer. A33, a murine antibody specific for GPA33, was humanized to huA33 and reformatted to huA33-BsAb, based on a novel IgG(L)–scFv platform by linking the anti-CD3 huOKT3 scFv to the carboxyl end of the light chain. This T-BsAb was stably expressed in CHO cells and purified as a stable monomer by HPLC, retaining immunoreactivity by FACS through 30 days of incubation at 37°C. In vitro, it induced activation and expansion of unstimulated T cells and elicited potent T-cell–dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity against colon and gastric cancer cells in an antigen-specific manner. In vivo, huA33-BsAb inhibited the colon and gastric cancer xenografts, in both subcutaneous and intraperitoneal tumor models. More importantly, both microsatellite instable and microsatellite stable colorectal cancer were effectively eliminated by huA33-BsAb. These preclinical results provide further support for the use of IgG(L)–scFv platform to build BsAb, and especially one targeting GPA33 for colorectal cancer. These preclinical results also support further development of huA33-BsAb as a potential immunotherapeutic. Mol Cancer Ther; 17(10); 2164–75. ©2018 AACR.
Integrated Genomic Comparison of Mouse Models Reveals Their Clinical Resemblance to Human Liver Cancer
Authors: Yim Sun Young , Shim Jae-Jun , Shin Ji-Hyun , Jeong Yun Seong , Kang Sang-Hee , Kim Sang-Bae , Eun Young Gyu , Lee Dong Jin , Conner Elizabeth A. , Factor Valentina M. , Moore David D. , Johnson Randy L. , Thorgeirsson Snorri S. , Lee Ju-Seog
Published: August 2018

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a heterogeneous disease. Mouse models are commonly used as preclinical models to study hepatocarcinogenesis, but how well these models recapitulate molecular subtypes of human HCC is unclear. Here, integration of genomic signatures from molecularly and clinically defined human HCC (n = 11) and mouse models of HCC (n = 9) identified the mouse models that best resembled subtypes of human HCC and determined the clinical relevance of each model. Mst1/2 knockout (KO), Sav1 KO, and SV40 T antigen mouse models effectively recapitulated subtypes of human HCC with a poor prognosis, whereas the Myc transgenic model best resembled human HCCs with a more favorable prognosis. The Myc model was also associated with activation of β-catenin. E2f1, E2f1/Myc, E2f1/Tgfa, and diethylnitrosamine (DEN)-induced models were heterogeneous and were unequally split into poor and favorable prognoses. Mst1/2 KO and Sav1 KO models best resemble human HCC with hepatic stem cell characteristics. Applying a genomic predictor for immunotherapy, the six-gene IFNγ score, the Mst1/2 KO, Sav1 KO, SV40, and DEN models were predicted to be the least responsive to immunotherapy. Further analysis showed that elevated expression of immune-inhibitory genes (Cd276 and Nectin2/Pvrl2) in Mst1/2 KO, Sav1 KO, and SV40 models and decreased expression of immune stimulatory gene (Cd86) in the DEN model might be accountable for the lack of predictive response to immunotherapy.

Implication: The current genomic approach identified the most relevant mouse models to human liver cancer and suggests immunotherapeutic potential for the treatment of specific subtypes. Mol Cancer Res; 16(11); 1713–23. ©2018 AACR.