bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Stitching of sensor-navigated 3D ultrasound datasets for the determination of large thyroid volumes – a phantom study
Authors: Freesmeyer Martin , Knichel Leonard , Kuehnel Christian , Winkens Thomas
Published: November 2018

Aims: Thyroid volume has to be measured in goiters prior to radioiodine treatment to calculate the needed amount of radioactivity. Modern clinical equipment for ultrasonography shows the trend to smaller probes, so that larger goiters do not fit any longer into the probe’s field of view. This study evaluated the feasibility and accuracy of stitching procedures applied to thyroid volumetric analysis performed using three-dimensional ultrasound (3D-US).Material and methods: Ad hoc thyroid phantoms of different shapes (regular, nodular, thickened isthmus) and volumes (ranging between 50 and 400 mL) were developed. In 15 such phantoms the left and right lobes were separately scanned, and the 3D-US datasets were then assembled (stitched) using predefined landmarks and dedicated software. Volumetric analysis was then assessed via a conventional ellipsoid model (em) and manual tracing (mt). The correlation of measured and reference volumes was determined using Pearson’s correlation coefficients and Bland and Altman limits of agreement.Results: The results showed a high level of agreement (with correlation coefficients ranging from 0.974 to 0.999) for all shapes and volumes tested, including the largest volume of 400 mL. The mt method, although more time consuming, proved superior to the em.Conclusions: Stitching-mediated thyroid volumetric analysis is accurate, and its clinical performance should be investigated in future studies
Swifter, higher, stronger: What’s on the menu?
Authors: Burke Louise M. , Hawley John A.
Published: November 2018

The exploits of elite athletes delight, frustrate, and confound us as they strive to reach their physiological, psychological, and biomechanical limits. We dissect nutritional approaches to optimal performance, showcasing the contribution of modern sports science to gold medals and world titles. Despite an enduring belief in a single, superior “athletic diet,” diversity in sports nutrition practices among successful athletes arises from the specificity of the metabolic demands of different sports and the periodization of training and competition goals. Pragmatic implementation of nutrition strategies in real-world scenarios and the prioritization of important strategies when nutrition themes are in conflict add to this variation. Lastly, differences in athlete practices both promote and reflect areas of controversy and disagreement among sports nutrition experts.
Wafer-scale single-crystal hexagonal boron nitride film via self-collimated grain formation
Authors: Lee Joo Song , Choi Soo Ho , Yun Seok Joon , Kim Yong In , Boandoh Stephen , Park Ji-Hoon , Shin Bong Gyu , Ko Hayoung , Lee Seung Hee , Kim Young-Min , Lee Young Hee , Kim Ki Kang , Kim Soo Min
Published: November 2018

Wafer-scale hBN crystalline films

Although wafer-scale polycrystalline films of insulating hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) can be grown, the grain boundaries can cause both scattering or pinning of charge carriers in adjacent conducting layers that impair device performance. Lee
et al.
grew wafer-scale single-crystal films of hBN by feeding the precursors into molten gold films on tungsten substrates. The low solubility of boron and nitrogen in gold caused micrometer-scale grains of hBN to form that coalesced into single crystals. These films in turn supported the growth of epitaxial wafer-scale films of graphene and tungsten disulfide.

Science
, this issue p.
817
Lighting up the nighttime
Authors: Gaston Kevin J.
Published: November 2018

Artificial light at night needs to be reduced to limit negative environmental impacts
A target to suppress inflammation
Authors: Samson Leona D.
Published: November 2018

A small-molecule inhibitor of the OGG1 DNA glycosylase has anti-inflammatory effects
APX001 and Other Gwt1 Inhibitor Prodrugs Are Effective in Experimental
Coccidioides immitis
Pneumonia
Authors: Viriyakosol Suganya , Kapoor Mili , Okamoto Sharon , Covel Jonathan , Soltow Quinlyn A. , Trzoss Michael , Shaw Karen Joy , Fierer Joshua
Published: November 2018

Coccidioidomycosis is a systemic fungal infection caused by the inhalation of the arthroconidia of either of two closely related dimorphic fungi,
Coccidioides immitis
and
C. posadasii
, that are endemic in the southwestern United States and other areas in the Western Hemisphere. Chronic cavitary pulmonary infections and extrapulmonary sites of infection are very difficult to treat and often require lifelong azole therapy.
Iron Homeostasis in Bacillus subtilis Requires Siderophore Production and Biofilm Formation
Authors: Rizzi Adrien , Roy Sébastien , Bellenger Jean-Philippe , Beauregard Pascale B.
Published: November 2018

Iron acquisition is of fundamental importance for microorganisms, since this metal is generally poorly bioavailable under natural conditions. In the environment, most bacteria are found tightly packed within multicellular communities named biofilms. Here, using the soil Gram-positive bacterium
Bacillus subtilis
, we show that biofilm formation and the production of siderophores, i.e., small molecules specifically binding metals, are both essential to ensure Fe uptake from the medium and maintain cellular Fe homeostasis. The biofilm matrix appears to play an important role favoring the efficient usage of siderophores. Taken together, our results demonstrate a close link between biofilm formation and iron acquisition in
B. subtilis
, allowing a better comprehension of how bacteria can cope with metal limitation under environmental conditions.
Brans–Dicke cosmology mimicking running vacuum
Authors: de Cruz Pérez Javier , Solà Peracaula Joan
Published: November 2018

Brans–Dicke (BD) cosmology is reconsidered from an approach in which the model can be formulated in [Formula: see text]CDM form, but at the expense of replacing the rigid cosmological constant [Formula: see text] with a dynamical quasivacuum component which depends on a small parameter [Formula: see text]. The product of [Formula: see text] times the BD-parameter [Formula: see text] becomes exactly determined in terms of the ordinary cosmological parameters. The GR-limit is recovered for [Formula: see text] when [Formula: see text]. We solve the background cosmology of the model as well as the perturbations equations. When fitted to the cosmological data, we find that the BD-cosmology, transcribed in such an effective GR-form, appears to be competitive with the [Formula: see text]CDM and emulates the running vacuum model.
Form Factors of Modeling Language Under Different Color Schemes with Grey Relational Analysis Based on Entropy Method
Authors: Wei Yunyun
Published: November 2018

This paper proposed an innovative method based on the semantic differential of Kansei Engineering and the correlation analysis of machine learning in the case of small-size samples, which could achieve the evaluation of users’ subjective feelings to form factors of modeling language and color schemes in the process of product design. It used grey relational analysis and the entropy method to analyze and study the design of modeling and color of guide signs in a public space, and converted the subjective assessment process of designer and user in art design into numeric operation that quantifies and treats data. This research faced two problems: one was to analyze the form correlation between the modeling and color of designed guide signs and the architecture and environment of a public space where the signs are placed, and the other was to convert the subjective assessment of designed guide signs into objective quantified data. The paper took vertical guide boards in a guide sign system as a research object, analyzed and resolved it according to the primitive type of form factors of modeling language, and converted them into numbered sequences of the form factor type. Then, guide boards using different color schemes were utilized to conduct group tests on users; the uniformity of guide boards and architectural style was evaluated through a semantic differential method of Kansei engineering; the test data was analyzed and treated using the grey relational degree, Pearson correlation coefficient and the entropy method; the user’s qualitative assessment on the correlation degree of the modeling form and architectural style of guide boards using different color schemes was converted into quantitative numerical parameters; and finally, we obtained the assessment results of the correlation degree and significance of integrated color and modeling language form factors.

Specific to the users’ assessment discrepancies on the style design of guide signs using different colors, this paper proposed a color scheme evaluation approach with uniform color space based on the grey correlation degree, used Pearson correlation coefficient to make a numerical analysis on users’ subjective assessment, presented a modified entropy method based on standardization, and made a comprehensive assessment on the uniformity of style design in different colors and architectural style. Thus, the numerical analysis results of the uniformity between the guide signs in different color schemes and modeling forms and the architectural style of public spaces were obtained. This research method can provide a new research means and numerical computation method to the study of color and form correlation in product design and style design. Meanwhile, it also provides a theoretical foundation and application method for artistic design by virtue of high-performance computing platforms.
A Low Arithmetic-Degree Algorithm for Computing Proximity Graphs
Authors: d’Amore Fabrizio , Franciosa Paolo G.
Published: November 2018

In this paper, we study the problem of designing robust algorithms for computing the minimum spanning tree, the nearest neighbor graph, and the relative neighborhood graph of a set of points in the plane, under the Euclidean metric. We use the term “robust” to denote an algorithm that can properly handle degenerate configurations of the input (such as co-circularities and collinearities) and that is not affected by errors in the flow of control due to round-off approximations. Existing asymptotically optimal algorithms that compute such graphs are either suboptimal in terms of the arithmetic precision required for the implementation, or cannot handle degeneracies, or are based on complex data structures.

We present a unified approach to the robust computation of the above graphs. The approach is a variant of the general region approach for the computation of proximity graphs based on Yao graphs, first introduced in Ref. 43 (A. C.-C. Yao, On constructing minimum spanning trees in [Formula: see text]-dimensional spaces and related problems, SIAM J. Comput. 11(4) (1982) 721–736). We show that a sparse supergraph of these geometric graphs can be computed in asymptotically optimal time and space, and requiring only double precision arithmetic, which is proved to be optimal. The arithmetic complexity of the approach is measured by using the notion of degree, introduced in Ref. 31 (G. Liotta, F. P. Preparata and R. Tamassia, Robust proximity queries: An illustration of degree-driven algorithm design, SIAM J. Comput. 28(3) (1998) 864–889) and Ref. 3 (J. D. Boissonnat and F. P. Preparata, Robust plane sweep for intersecting segments, SIAM J. Comput. 29(5) (2000) 1401–1421).

As a side effect of our results, we solve a question left open by Katajainen27 (J. Katajainen, The region approach for computing relative neighborhood graphs in the [Formula: see text] metric, Computing 40 (1987) 147–161) about the existence of a subquadratic algorithm, based on the region approach, that computes the relative neighborhood graph of a set of points [Formula: see text] in the plane under the [Formula: see text] metric.
COMPLEXITY-BASED ANALYSIS OF THE RELATION BETWEEN MOVING VISUAL STIMULI AND HUMAN EYE MOVEMENT
Authors: ALIPOUR HEDIEH , NAMAZI HAMIDREZA , AZARNOUSH HAMED , JAFARI SAJAD
Published: November 2018

Investigating human eye movement is one of the major research topics in vision science. It is known that human eye movement is related to external stimuli. In this way, the analysis of human eye movement due to different types of external stimuli is very important in vision science. Beside all reported analysis, no one has discovered any relation between the complex structure of moving visual stimuli and the complex structure of human eye movement. This study reveals the relationship between the complexity of human eye movement signal and the applied visual stimuli. For this purpose, we employ fractal theory. We demonstrated that the fractal dynamics of human eye movement in both horizontal and vertical directions shifts toward the fractal dynamics of moving visual target as stimulus. The capability observed in this research opens new doors to scientists to study the relation between the human eye movement and the applied stimuli.
TRAPPING PROBLEM OF THE WEIGHTED SCALE-FREE TRIANGULATION NETWORKS FOR BIASED WALKS
Authors: DAI MEIFENG , JU TINGTING , ZONG YUE , HE JIAOJIAO , SHEN CHUNYU , SU WEIYI
Published: November 2018

In this paper, we study the trapping problem in the weighted scale-free triangulation networks with the growth factor [Formula: see text] and the weight factor [Formula: see text]. We propose two biased walks, one is standard weight-dependent walk only including the nearest-neighbor jumps, the other is mixed weight-dependent walk including both the nearest-neighbor and the next-nearest-neighbor jumps. For the weighted scale-free triangulation networks, we derive the exact analytic formulas of the average trapping time (ATT), the average of node-to-trap mean first-passage time over the whole networks, which measures the efficiency of the trapping process. The obtained results display that for two biased walks, in the large network, the ATT grows as a power-law function of the network size [Formula: see text] with the exponent, represented by [Formula: see text] when [Formula: see text]. Especially when the case of [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], the ATT grows linear with the network size [Formula: see text]. That is the smaller the value of [Formula: see text], the more efficient the trapping process is. Furthermore, comparing the standard weight-dependent walk with mixed weight-dependent walk, the obtained results show that although the next-nearest-neighbor jumps have no main effect on the trapping process, they can modify the coefficient of the dominant term for the ATT. The smaller the value of probability parameter [Formula: see text], the more efficient the trapping process for the mixed weight-dependent walk is.
An Innovative Structural Health Monitoring System for Large Transmission Towers Based on GPS
Authors: Cheng X. X. , Ge Y. J.
Published: November 2018

In this paper, we propose an innovative structural health monitoring (SHM) system for large transmission towers that are frequently subjected to strong winds. The system is based on the strategy of using a static force equilibrium equation to calculate the whole structure’s real-time stress distribution according to its real-time behavior, as captured by the global positioning system (GPS). The reason for adopting this approach is that large transmission towers are fundamentally quasi-static structures and they are not prone to resonance under wind excitations. A case study is used to present the SHM system, then its effectiveness is validated by comparing the simulated SHM results with the exact solution obtained by a realistic time-history dynamic analysis. Additionally, we discuss the use of a new reliability analysis method based on the Ditlevsen’s bounds to assess the real-time structural conditions.
Deep, Broad Null Formation for Canceling Moving RFI in Radio Astronomical Arrays
Authors: Black Richard A. , Jeffs Brian D. , Warnick Karl F.
Published: November 2018

Radio frequency interference (RFI) is rapidly becoming a major issue for many applications. It is especially problematic for radio astronomy, where signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) are less than unity. Antenna array systems such as phased array feeds (PAFs) and interferometric imaging arrays are able to cancel RFI through adaptive projection-based spatial notch filtering techniques. Current methods for formulating these projection operators suffer from an unfortunate trade-off. They must sacrifice integration time when calculating the sample spatial correlation matrix in order to track RFI motion, but this consequently increases sample estimation error and reduces null depth. In this work, we propose a new way to process spatial correlation matrices to form a broad null that reliably cancels moving RFI without increasing sample estimation error due to insufficient integration. Additionally, when assisted by an RFI-tracking auxiliary antenna, this approach also reduces the total data rate coming out of a spatial correlator, thus making broad-null-based RFI cancelation more computationally efficient and practical for real-time active array-based RFI mitigation systems.
Surgical Strategy for Scaphoid Nonunion Treatment
Authors: Yeo Ji Hyun , Kim Jin Young
Published: November 2018

Scaphoid fracture is the most common carpal fracture. Nonunion rate has been reported around 10 to 15% of scaphoid fractures. Risk factors for scaphoid nonunion are known as location, displacement, poor vascularity, time to treatment etc. The goals of surgical treatment for scaphoid nonunion are to achieve bony union, to correct carpal deformities and also to prevent progressive carpal instability and arthritis. Scaphoid nonunion can cause scaphoid nonunion advanced collapse (SNAC) which is a pattern of progressive degenerative radiocarpal and midcarpal arthritis secondary to posttraumatic pathomechanics of the scapholunate joint. Achieving bony union is essential to prevent carpal collapse or arthritis. To improve bony union, many surgical procedures including various forms of bone grafting have been developed and attempted. However, there is a controversy about which procedure is the most effective. In this review, we provide an overview of surgical treatment methods for scaphoid nonunion and discuss proper surgical strategies for scaphoid nonunion which requires surgical management.
Trends and Demographics in the Utilization of Total Wrist Arthroplasty
Authors: Elbuluk Ameer M. , Milone Michael T. , Capo John T. , Bosco Joseph A. , Klifto Christopher S.
Published: November 2018

Background: Health disparities exist among many patient populations, with race, payer status, hospital size and access to teaching versus non-teaching hospitals potentially affecting whether certain patients have access to the benefits of total wrist arthroplasty (TWA).

Methods: The National Inpatient Sample Database (NIS) was queried from 2001 to 2013 for TWA using the ICD-9 code 81.73. Patient-level data included age, sex, race, payer status, and year of discharge. Hospital-level data included hospital bed size, location, teaching status, and region.

Results: There were 1,213 patients identified who underwent TWA between 2001 and 2013. Total number of procedures decreased from 88 TWAs in 2001 to 65 in 2013. The yearly volume ranged from 33 in 2005 to 128 in 2007. The male-female ratio was 2.5 to 1. The majority of TWA procedures were performed at urban teaching hospitals (60.8%).

Conclusions: The NIS database shows a downward trend of total wrist arthroplasty utilization. The majority of total wrist arthroplasties were performed at urban teaching hospitals indicating treatment occurs most often at academic centers of excellence.
Standard WCSPH for Free-Surface Multi-Phase Flows with a Large Density Ratio
Authors: Manenti Sauro
Published: November 2018

The standard weakly compressible Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (WCSPH) is successfully applied to multi-phase problems involving fluids with similar densities, but when density ratio increases at some order of magnitude, serious instability phenomena occur at the interface. Several remedies have been proposed based on numerical correctives that deviate from standard formulation, increasing the algorithm complexity and, sometimes, the computational cost. In this study, the standard SPH has been adapted to treat free-surface multi-phase flows with a large density ratio through a modified form of the governing equations which is based on the specific volume (i.e. the inverse of particle volume) instead of density: the former is continuous across the fluid interface while the latter is not and generates numerical instability. Interface sharpness is assured without cohesion forces; kernel truncation at the interface is avoided. The model, relatively simple to implement, is tested by simulating two-phase dam breaking for two configurations: kinematic and dynamic features are compared with reference data showing good agreement despite the reduced computational effort.
On a System of Volterra Type Hadamard Fractional Integral Equations in Fréchet Spaces
Authors: Abbas Saïd , Benchohra Mouffak , Zhou Yong
Published: November 2018

In this article we present some results concerning the existence of solutions for a system of Hadamard integral equations. Our investigation is conducted with an application of an extension of the fixed point theorem of Burton-Kirk in Fréchet spaces.
Risk Factors for Endothelial Decompensation after Penetrating Keratoplasty and Its Novel Therapeutic Strategies
Authors: Liu Mengyuan , Hong Jing
Published: November 2018

Purpose. To review the risk factors and pathogenesis of endothelial decompensation after penetrating keratoplasty (PKP) and its novel therapeutic strategies. Methods. Literature review. Results. As the major cause of graft failure in PKP, endothelial decompensation of corneal allograft is considered an irreversible decrease in endothelial cell density and endothelial dysfunction. Various risk factors, including donor status and operative and recipient factors, have been found to be associated with this pathological process. Operative factors like graft size and recipient factors such as indications, glaucoma, or glaucoma surgery history are highly associated with the occurrence of endothelial decompensation, while others are still under investigation. Although the mechanism of these risk factors remains unclear, pathogenesis can be summarized as an acute and chronic loss of endothelium, and cell exchange between donor and recipient is at the core of chronic cell loss. Endothelial keratoplasty has been a useful alternative to repeat standard PKP in eyes with failed grafts. Descemet stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (DSAEK) and Descemet’s membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK) following failed PKP provide more rapid visual recovery and achieve better rates of graft survival than those of a second PKP. Conclusions. Any direct or indirect damage to the endothelium could cause the loss, morphological changes, and dysfunction of endothelial cells. Graft size, indications, and recipient glaucoma or glaucoma surgery history are risk factors for endothelial decompensation. DSAEK and DMEK are novel therapeutic strategies for failed PKP grafts and have potential superiorities compared with repeat PKP.
Breast Tumor Microcalcification Induced by Bone Morphogenetic Protein-2: A New Murine Model for Human Breast Tumor Diagnosis
Authors: Hajibeigi Asghar , Nasr Khaled , Udayakumar Durga , Nham Kien , Lenkinski Robert E.
Published: November 2018

Widespread use of screening mammography has recently increased the detection of breast microcalcifications. These nonpalpable microcalcifications with specific features in breast tissues are clinically considered an early indicator of breast carcinoma. Our goal in this study was to develop a murine breast microcalcification model for optimizingin vivoimaging. Recombinant human BMP-2 was expressed inE. coli, and the purified bioactive protein was used as inducing factor for the production of breast microcalcifications in a murine animal model. Syngeneic breast tumors were obtained by injection of MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells with Matrigel into the mammary fat pad of female nude mice. Different doses of bioactive rhBMP-2 were administered either as single or multiple intraperitoneal injections or directly into tumor on a weekly basis. Three weeks after the first injection of rhBMP-2, the microcalcification of breast tumor was detected by microcomputed tomography followed by intravenous injection of radiotracer [18F] Sodium fluoride for positron emission tomography imaging. Our findings indicate that rhBMP-2 induced microcalcifications of breast tumor by both systemic and direct injection of rhBMP-2 into tumors in a dose-dependent manner. Although little is known about the molecular mechanism of microcalcification, here we report a new murine model of human breast tumor induced microcalcification by rhBMP-2 to optimize in vivo imaging methods and to study the role of BMP-2 as a mediator of pathological mineralization and bone-like microcalcification formation in breast tumor. This BMP-2-induced microcalcification model may allow us to discriminate the type of microcalcification in tumors and to perform quantitative analysis on the calcification as a new detection strategy for early identification of pathological mineralization of breast tissues in women.
Refined Finite Element Analysis of Crack Causes in SRC Arch Rib Bridges considering Multiple Factors
Authors: Yu Mengsheng , Deng Nianchun , Chen Qifeng , Hao Tianzhi
Published: November 2018

The SRC (steel‐frame reinforced concrete) arch bridge is an important part of the development of arch bridges. Scholars worldwide have studied it from various aspects because of its stronger stiffness and stability than other types of bridges especially when crossing the canyon. The steel frame is a stress bracket during construction. Concrete becomes the main axial‐pressure bearing structure when it fills the inner pipe and the encased frame. This article mainly focuses on the crack problems of SRC arch bridging during the postconstruction operation, local model of the midspan arch rib, and the equivalent relationship between the coefficient of expansion and the temperature of concrete. This study uses a cooling method to simulate the shrinkage process with detailed analysis of three properties including concrete shrinkage, temperature gradients, and concentrated hanger rod force. It is concluded that the SRC arch bridge will have large tensile stress on both inner and outer surfaces of slab and web when the temperature changes, and it is the main cause of cracks. The results agree well with measured data. At last, we come up with some reference suggestions in the design and construction of similar bridges in the future.
Occipital Condyle Fracture: A Case Report of a Typically Stable Fracture That Required Surgical Treatment
Authors: Suzuki Takeshi , Maki Satoshi , Aramomi Masaaki , Yamauchi Tomonori , Horii Manato , Kawamura Koui , Sugiyama Hiroshi , Ohtori Seiji
Published: November 2018

An occipital condyle fracture (OCF) is a relatively rare trauma that is now increasingly diagnosed because of the wide availability of computed tomography. For nondisplaced OCFs, conservative treatment is generally recommended, and there is no previous report of a nondisplaced OCF requiring surgery. We report a patient who had a nondisplaced OCF with craniocervical misalignment (a condyle-C1 interval > 2.0 mm) and C1-C2 translation treated with a halo vest and occipitocervical fusion surgery. An 87-year-old Asian woman fell from a 4-meter height and hit her head. She was transferred to our emergency room. Computed tomography revealed a nondisplaced impaction OCF with a 2.5 mm occipital condyle-C1 interval and a 5 mm C1-C2 translation. The fracture pattern was considered stable. However, since craniocervical misalignment and C1-C2 translation were present, the patient was placed in a halo device, and we reduced the occipitoatlantoaxial joint, adjusting the halo ring position preoperatively. Confirming reduction of the atlantooccipital facet joint and the atlantoaxial joint by computed tomography, we performed an occipitocervical fusion. This is the first report of a nondisplaced OCF with craniocervical misalignment and C1-C2 translation that required surgical treatment. Clinicians should be aware of craniocervical misalignment and atlantoaxial instability even in Tuli type 1 OCFs.
A 1.25–12.5 Gbps Adaptive CTLE with Asynchronous Statistic Eye-Opening Monitor
Authors: Cai Chen , Zhao Jian-zhong , Zhou Yu-mei
Published: November 2018

The equalization of a large attenuation signal and multirate communication in high-speed serial interface is hard to balance. To overcome this difficulty, an adaptive equalization system with optimized eye-opening monitor is proposed. The designed eye-opening monitor is based on the asynchronous statistic eye diagram tracking algorithm, and the eye diagram is obtained by undersampling with the low-speed asynchronous clock. With the eye-opening monitor into the adaptive loop, an adaptive equalization system combined with continuous-time linear equalization (CTLE) is completed. And the inductor peaking technology is used to improve the capacity of compensation. With SMIC 28 nm CMOS process to achieve the overall design, the power consumption and core chip area are 12 mW @ 12.5 Gbps and 0.12 mm2, respectively. And postsimulation results show that it can offer compensation from 6 to 21 dB for 1.25–12.5 Gbps range of receiving data, which achieves a large range of data rate and channel loss, and its power efficiency is 0.046 pJ/bit/dB for the worst case, which is better than most previous works.
Uplift Test and Design Method for Bearing Capacity of Isolated Spread Concrete Foundation Slab with Large Width‐to‐Height Ratio
Authors: Li Yuanqi , Qin Xiaoliang , Luo Jinhui , Xiao Meng , Hua Cong
Published: November 2018

This paper is focused on the experimental study and numerical simulation of isolated spread concrete foundation slab with a large width‐to‐height ratio (in short ISCFS‐LWR) to investigate the failure modes and uplift bearing capacity, as well as the design method of uplift capacity. First, a total of 16 isolated spread concrete foundation slabs with the width‐to‐height ratio varied from 1.5 to 4 and the hypotenuse slope varied from 10° to 30° were tested under uplift load. Based on the test results, effects of the width‐to‐height ratio and the hypotenuse slope on uplift bearing capacity of ISCFS‐LWR were analyzed and discussed. Then, several numerical models were built using the finite element software ABAQUS and the results of numerical analysis agreed well with the test results. Furthermore, the cross‐sectional performance of ISCFS‐LWR was studied, and the coefficients of internal force arm were also evaluated further using previous validated numerical models. To obtain the suggested design method of uplift capacity for the foundation slab, effective width correction coefficient k and slope correction coefficient j were introduced to propose a design formula. Finally, the proposed design method was applied to a practical engineering, and the economic indicators obtained from the suggested design method were compared with that from the original design method. The results of this paper showed that the correction coefficient jsks based on numerical analysis agreed well with the recommended correction coefficient jk, and the error was between 1% and 3.4%, by which the reasonability of the proposed design method of uplift capacity for ISCFS‐LWR has been proved. It can also be found that the economic benefits of the practical engineering in this paper were obvious due to the suggested design method, and this paper can provide a reference for other engineering practices and the further research work on ISCFS‐LWR.
An Iterative Information‐Theoretic Approach to the Detection of Structures in Complex Systems
Authors: Villani Marco , Sani Laura , Pecori Riccardo , Amoretti Michele , Roli Andrea , Mordonini Monica , Serra Roberto , Cagnoni Stefano
Published: November 2018

Systems that exhibit complex behaviours often contain inherent dynamical structures which evolve over time in a coordinated way. In this paper, we present a methodology based on the Relevance Index method aimed at revealing the dynamical structures hidden in complex systems. The method iterates two basic steps: detection of relevant variable sets based on the computation of the Relevance Index, and application of a sieving algorithm, which refines the results. This approach is able to highlight the organization of a complex system into sets of variables, which interact with one another at different hierarchical levels, detected, in turn, in the different iterations of the sieve. The method can be applied directly to systems composed of a small number of variables, whereas it requires the help of a custom metaheuristic in case of systems with larger dimensions. We have evaluated the potential of the method by applying it to three case studies: synthetic data generated by a nonlinear stochastic dynamical system, a small‐sized and well‐known system modelling a catalytic reaction, and a larger one, which describes the interactions within a social community, that requires the use of the metaheuristic. The experiments we made to validate the method produced interesting results, effectively uncovering hidden details of the systems to which it was applied.
Evolutionary Model and Simulation Research of Collaborative Innovation Network: A Case Study of Artificial Intelligence Industry
Authors: Wei Fang , Sheng Dai , Lili Wang
Published: November 2018

Based on integrating the fundamental attribute and the unique property of the collaborative innovation network, this paper establishes a collaborative innovation network model of Artificial Intelligence industry through depicting external stimulus conversion progresses and behaviors of network heterogeneous agents. Heterogeneous agents are the network elements of the model which regards the stimulus response as the evolutionary mechanism. Tencent is one of the largest Internet integrated service providers and one of the Internet companies with the largest number of service users in China, which has also set its sights on the development of the AI industry. Taking Tencent’s patent cooperation network in the field of Artificial Intelligence as an example and using system simulation method, we analyze the evolutionary law of the collaborative innovation network topology structure, the coupling evolution phenomenon of the knowledge and the network topology structure, distinct roles that agents play in the network, and relationship between the agents’ openness and the knowledge flow efficiency. We find the phenomenon of small world emergence more than once through the evolution of collaborative innovation network, whose degrees and reasons are also distinctive. There exists coupling evolution between the technological knowledge and the network structure. The collaborative innovation network is always oriented towards competitive industries. The agents’ openness has an essential influence on the lifting range of the technological knowledge. Strengthening the main position of enterprises in AI technological innovation and enhancing the degree of openness among heterogeneous agents are a powerful guarantee for improving the performance of collaborative innovation.
Methane‐Rich Saline Ameliorates Sepsis‐Induced Acute Kidney Injury through Anti‐Inflammation, Antioxidative, and Antiapoptosis Effects by Regulating Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress
Authors: Jia Yifan , Li Zeyu , Feng Yang , Cui Ruixia , Dong Yanyan , Zhang Xing , Xiang Xiaohong , Qu Kai , Liu Chang , Zhang Jingyao
Published: November 2018

Sepsis‐induced acute kidney injury (AKI) is a severe complication of sepsis and an important cause of mortality in septic patients. Previous investigations showed that methane had protective properties against different diseases in animal models. This study is aimed at investigating whether methane‐rich saline (MRS) has a protective effect against sepsis‐induced AKI. Sepsis was induced in wild‐type C57BL/6 mice by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP), and the mice were divided into three groups: a sham control group (sham), a surgery group with saline intraperitoneal injection (i.p.) treatment (CLP + NS), and a surgery group with MRS i.p. treatment (CLP + MRS). 24 h after the establishment of the sepsis, the blood and kidney tissues of mice in all groups were collected. According to the serum levels of blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine (CRE) and a histologic analysis, which included hematoxylin‐eosin (H&E) staining and periodic acid‐Schiff (PAS) staining, MRS treatment protected renal function and tissues from acute injury. Additionally, MRS treatment significantly ameliorated apoptosis, based on the levels of apoptosis‐related protein makers, including cleaved caspase‐3 and cleaved PARP, and the levels of Bcl‐2/Bax expression and TUNEL staining. In addition, the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress‐related glucose‐regulated protein 78 (GRP78)/activating transcription factor 4 (ATF4)/C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP)/caspase‐12 apoptosis signaling pathway was significantly suppressed in the CLP + MRS group. The levels of inflammation and oxidative stress were also reduced after MRS treatment. These results showed that MRS has the potential to ameliorate sepsis‐induced acute kidney injury through its anti‐inflammatory, antioxidative, and antiapoptosis properties.
Mid-Left Ventricular Ballooning Variant Takotsubo Syndrome Induced by Treadmill Exercise Stress Testing
Authors: Cantor Gregg , Teressa Getu
Published: November 2018

Stress-induced cardiomyopathy, also known as takotsubo cardiomyopathy, presents similar to a myocardial infarction after a physical or emotional stressor but without any evidence of obstructive coronary artery disease. Different patterns of myocardial involvement and several triggering events have been reported, but classically this condition is characterized by a stress-induced transient left ventricular apical systolic dysfunction. We describe a case of treadmill exercise stress testing-triggered variant of takotsubo cardiomyopathy with mid-left ventricular hypokinesis.
Preparation of Ampicillin Surface Molecularly Imprinted Polymers for Its Selective Recognition of Ampicillin in Eggs Samples
Authors: Tian Yang , Wang Yue , Wu Shanshan , Sun Zhian , Gong Bolin
Published: November 2018

Surface-imprinted polymers (MIPs) microspheres with the ability to specifically recognize water-soluble molecules were prepared using self-made monodisperse porous poly(chloromethylstyrene-co-divinylbenzene) beads as the solid-phase matrix and ampicillin (AMP) as the template molecule. MIPs were synthesized using different template molecule: monomer: crosslinker ratios and the optimum preparation ratio were obtained by measuring adsorption. The maximum equilibrium amount of adsorption by the MIPs reached 115.62 mg/g. Scatchard analysis indicated that the MIPs contained two types of recognition sites: specific and nonspecific. Based on the adsorption kinetics, adsorption equilibrium was reached after 30 minutes. Penicillin G, amoxicillin, and sulbactam acid were used as competitive molecules to research the selective adsorption capacity of the MIPs. The imprinted material was found to have good selectivity with selectivity coefficients for penicillin G, amoxicillin, and sulbactam acid of 5.74, 6.83, and 7.25, respectively. The MIPs were used as solid-phase extraction filler, resulting in successful enrichment and separation of ampicillin residue from egg samples. Standard addition recovery experiments revealed that recovery was good with recoveries from the spiked samples ranging from 91.5 to 94.9% and relative standard deviations from 3.6 to 4.2%. The solid-phase extraction MIPs microcolumn was reused 10 times, where it maintained a recovery rate of over 80%. This work presents a sensitive, fast, and convenient method for the determination of trace ampicillin in food samples.
Nonlinear Analysis Method for Serviceability Investigation of Bridge Deck Ends with a Concrete Slab Track
Authors: Sung Deokyong
Published: November 2018

In this study, a nonlinear analysis method was proposed to evaluate the serviceability review of a rail fastening system on concrete slab track at railway bridge ends. The serviceability review of the end deck is time‐consuming in that it is necessary to calculate the force of fasteners; also, the design is complex because of the many girders, fasteners, and loads. In addition, there is also a case in which a special, expensive fastening device is installed because the stiffness of the rail fastening device is assumed to be linear, and excessive design results are produced by the linear analysis method. In this study, a clamping force test of the fastening system was performed to confirm the real stiffness and the force versus displacement relationship. The test results were applied in the conventional linear analysis method and the proposed nonlinear analysis method to a railway bridge model specimen with concrete slab tracks. The results of the nonlinear analysis method considering the nonlinear stiffness of the rail fastening system through the clamping force test confirmed that the uplift force acting on the rail fastener was considerably reduced compared with that in the linear analysis method.
Data-Driven Recovery Potential Analysis and Modeling for Batteries Recovery Operations in Electric Bicycle Industry
Authors: Zhang Ping , Liu Guangfu
Published: November 2018

To help the government manage waste lead-acid batteries in a more targeted and sustainable way, accurately forecasting the number of waste lead-acid batteries and analyzing their recovery potential play a key role. In China, electric bicycles are one of the most common means of transportation. As of the end of 2017, the social holding quantity of electric bicycles in China was over 250 million and that of electric tricycles was over 50 million. The quantity is equal to the total number of electric bicycles manufactured between 2011 and 2017. Currently, 90% of electric bicycles adopt lead-acid batteries as their power batteries. However, there are a few studies on the lead-acid batteries used in electric bicycles as power batteries. In this paper, we have selected lead-acid batteries used in electric bicycles as the subject of research as such kind of batteries enjoys the widest user base, the most single-battery consumption volume, and the strongest mobility. Based on the output and sales of electric bicycles, we have obtained the quantity of power lead-acid batteries. We have then estimated the annual waste quantity of lead-acid batteries used in electric bicycles in 2000-2022 using the “market supply A model” and the “Stanford Model”, respectively, and based on the proportion of raw materials contained in lead-acid batteries and the proportion between reclaimed and discarded lead-acid batteries, we have estimated the recovery potential of discarded lead-acid batteries in 2000-2022. We estimate that the lead-acid batteries used in electric bicycles only have great recovery potential and there are abundant potential resources for recovery. The research data and results can help decision-makers make more effective and more accurate management measures and policies.
Separated Boundary Value Problems of Sequential Caputo and Hadamard Fractional Differential Equations
Authors: Tariboon Jessada , Cuntavepanit Asawathep , Ntouyas Sotiris K. , Nithiarayaphaks Woraphak
Published: November 2018

In this paper, we discuss the existence and uniqueness of solutions for new classes of separated boundary value problems of Caputo-Hadamard and Hadamard-Caputo sequential fractional differential equations by using standard fixed point theorems. We demonstrate the application of the obtained results with the aid of examples.
A Phenolic Fraction from Catharanthus roseus L. Stems Decreases Glycemia and Stimulates Insulin Secretion
Authors: Espejel-Nava Janet Alejandra , Vega-Avila Elisa , Alarcon-Aguilar Francisco , Contreras-Ramos Alejandra , Díaz-Rosas Guadalupe , Trejo-Aguilar Gloria , Ortega-Camarillo Clara
Published: November 2018

Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. (C. roseus) is a medicinal plant used traditionally for diabetes mellitus control. Several compounds of an alkaloidal nature have been proposed as hypoglycemic principles. However, little attention has been paid to other compounds in this plant that could also participate in this hypoglycemic activity. This study aimed to analyze the hypoglycemic effect of a polyphenolic fraction from C. roseus, as well as its action on insulin secretion and expression in RINm5F cells. Methods. An alkaloid‐free aqueous extract was obtained from C. roseus stems. The hypoglycemic effect of different doses of this extract was evaluated in normal and streptozotocin‐induced diabetic mice. This extract was fractionated by bipartition, and the resultant fractions were assessed by their hypoglycemic effects. Subsequently, the fraction with the greater hypoglycemic activity was added to the RINm5F cells, and the expression and secretion of insulin were analyzed. The antioxidant activity was determined by the DPPH method and through chromatographic analysis of the most active fraction by HPLC, using an Econosphere C18 column. Results. The aqueous alkaloid‐free extract of C. roseus stems significantly reduced blood glucose in normal and diabetic mice. The fractionation of this extract provided three fractions, one of which (a precipitate) showed significant reductions in glycemia at 6 h (48.1 and 64.5% in normal and diabetic mice, respectively). This precipitate contained phenolic compounds and saponins. Its chromatographic analysis showed that it is formed by several phenolic compounds; gallic acid (0.053%) and chlorogenic acid (0.216%) were identified and quantified. Conclusion. The phenolic fraction of C. roseus containing gallic acid and chlorogenic acid had a hypoglycemic effect that may be explained by an increase in insulin secretion.
New Strategies and In Vivo Monitoring Methods for Stem Cell-Based Anticancer Therapies
Authors: Wang Ping , Aguirre Aitor
Published: November 2018

Cancer is a devastating disease and the second cause of death in the developed world. Despite significant advances in recent years, such as the introduction of targeted therapies such as receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors and immunotherapy, current approaches are insufficient to stop the advance of the disease and many cancer types remain largely intractable. In this review, we describe the latest and most revolutionary stem cell-based approaches for the treatment of cancer. We also summarize the emerging imaging modalities being applied for monitoring anticancer stem cell therapy success and discuss the implications of these novel technologies for precision medicine.
Multiresolution Face Recognition through Virtual Faces Generation Using a Single Image for One Person
Authors: Moon Hae-Min , Kim Min-Gu , Shin Ju-Hyun , Pan Sung Bum
Published: November 2018

In recent years, various studies have been conducted to provide a real‐time service based on face recognition in Internet of things environments such as in a smart home environment. In particular, face recognition in a network‐based surveillance camera environment can significantly change the performance or utilization of face recognition technology because the size of image information to be transmitted varies depending on the communication capabilities. In this paper, we propose a multiresolution face recognition method that uses virtual facial images by distance as learning to solve the problem of low recognition rate caused by communication, camera, and distance change. Face images for each virtual distance are generated through clarity and image degradation for each resolution, using a single high‐resolution face image. The proposed method achieved a performance that was 5.9% more accurate than methods using MPCA and SVM, when LDA and the Euclidean distance were employed for a DB that was configured using faces that were acquired from the real environments of five different streets.