bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cell Structure Changes in the Hyperthermophilic Crenarchaeon Sulfolobus islandicus Lacking the S-Layer
Authors: Zhang Changyi , Wipfler Rebecca L. , Li Yuan , Wang Zhiyu , Hallett Emily N. , Whitaker Rachel J.
Published: August 2019

The S-layer is considered to be the sole component of the cell wall in
Sulfolobales
, a taxonomic group within the
Crenarchaeota
whose cellular features have been suggested to have a close relationship to the last archaea-eukaryote common ancestor. In this study, we genetically dissect how the two previously characterized S-layer genes as well as a newly identified S-layer-associated protein-encoding gene contribute to the S-layer architecture in
Sulfolobus
. We provide genetic evidence for the first time showing that the
slaA
gene is a key cell morphology determinant and may play a role in
Sulfolobus
cell division or/and cell fusion.
A Novel Role of Fungal Type I Myosin in Regulating Membrane Properties and Its Association with
d
-Amino Acid Utilization in Cryptococcus gattii
Authors: Khanal Lamichhane Ami , Garraffo H. Martin , Cai Hongyi , Walter Peter J. , Kwon-Chung Kyung J. , Chang Yun C.
Published: August 2019

Cryptococcus gattii
, one of the etiological agents of cryptococcosis, can be distinguished from its sister species
Cryptococcus neoformans
by growth on
d
-amino acids.
C. gattii
MYO5
affected the growth of
C. gattii
on
d
-amino acids. The
myo5Δ
cells accumulated high levels of various substrates from outside the cells, and excessively accumulated
d
-amino acids appeared to have caused toxicity in the
myo5Δ
cells. We provide evidence on the alteration of membrane properties in the
myo5Δ
mutants. Additionally, alteration in the
myo5Δ
membrane permeability causing higher substrate accumulation is associated with the changes in the sterol distribution. Furthermore, myosin-I in three other yeasts also manifested a similar role in substrate accumulation. Thus, while fungal myosin-I may function as a classical myosin-I, it has hitherto unknown additional roles in regulating membrane permeability. Since deletion of fungal myosin-I causes significantly elevated susceptibility to multiple antifungal drugs, it could serve as an effective target for augmentation of fungal therapy.
Panicum Mosaic Virus
and Its Satellites Acquire RNA Modifications Associated with Host-Mediated Antiviral Degradation
Authors: Pyle Jesse D. , Mandadi Kranthi K. , Scholthof Karen-Beth G.
Published: August 2019

The genomes of positive-sense RNA viruses have an intrinsic capacity to serve directly as mRNAs upon viral entry into a host cell. These RNAs often lack a 5′ cap structure and 3′ polyadenylation sequence, requiring unconventional strategies for cap-independent translation and subversion of the cellular RNA degradation machinery. For tombusviruses, critical translational regulatory elements are encoded within the 3′ untranslated region of the viral genomes. Here we describe RNA modifications occurring within the genomes of
Panicum mosaic virus
(PMV), a prototypical tombusvirus, and its satellite agents (i.e., satellite virus and noncoding satellite RNAs), all of which depend on the PMV-encoded RNA polymerase for replication. The atypical RNAs are defined by terminal polyadenylation and truncation events within the 3′ untranslated region of the PMV genome. These modifications are reminiscent of host-mediated RNA degradation strategies and likely represent a previously underappreciated defense mechanism against invasive nucleic acids.
Extensive Thioautotrophic Gill Endosymbiont Diversity within a Single
Ctena orbiculata
(Bivalvia: Lucinidae) Population and Implications for Defining Host-Symbiont Specificity and Species Recognition
Authors: Lim Shen Jean , Alexander Louie , Engel Annette Summers , Paterson Audrey T. , Anderson Laurie C. , Campbell Barbara J.
Published: August 2019

Symbiont diversity and host/symbiont functions have been comprehensively profiled for only a few lucinid species. In this work, unprecedented thioautotrophic gill endosymbiont taxonomic diversity was characterized within a
Ctena orbiculata
population associated with both seagrass- and alga-covered sediments. Endosymbiont metabolisms included known chemosynthetic functions and an additional conserved, previously uncharacterized C
1
oxidation pathway. Lucinid-symbiont associations were not species specific because this
C. orbiculata
population hosted multiple endosymbiont strains and species, and other sympatric lucinid species shared overlapping symbiont 16S rRNA gene diversity profiles with
C. orbiculata
. Our results suggest that lucinid-symbiont association patterns within some host species could be more taxonomically diverse than previously thought. As such, this study highlights the importance of holistic analyses, at the population, community, and even ecosystem levels, in understanding host-microbe association patterns.
A Metabolome- and Metagenome-Wide Association Network Reveals Microbial Natural Products and Microbial Biotransformation Products from the Human Microbiota
Authors: Cao Liu , Shcherbin Egor , Mohimani Hosein
Published: August 2019

Experimental advances have enabled the acquisition of tandem mass spectrometry and metagenomics sequencing data from tens of thousands of environmental/host-oriented microbial communities. Each of these communities contains hundreds of microbial features (corresponding to microbial species) and thousands of molecular features (corresponding to microbial natural products). However, with the current technology, it is very difficult to identify the microbial species responsible for the production/biotransformation of each molecular feature. Here, we develop association networks, a new approach for identifying the microbial producer/biotransformer of natural products through cooccurrence analysis of metagenomics and mass spectrometry data collected on multiple microbiomes.
Mouse Gut Microbiome-Encoded β-Glucuronidases Identified Using Metagenome Analysis Guided by Protein Structure
Authors: Creekmore Benjamin C. , Gray Josh H. , Walton William G. , Biernat Kristen A. , Little Michael S. , Xu Yongmei , Liu Jian , Gharaibeh Raad Z. , Redinbo Matthew R.
Published: August 2019

Mice are commonly employed as model organisms of mammalian disease; as such, our understanding of the compositions of their gut microbiomes is critical to appreciating how the mouse and human gastrointestinal tracts mirror one another. GUS enzymes, with importance in normal physiology and disease, are an attractive set of proteins to use for such analyses. Here we show that while the specific GUS enzymes differ at the sequence level, a core GUSome functionality appears conserved between mouse and human gastrointestinal bacteria. Mouse strain, provider, housing location, and diet exhibit distinct GUSomes and
gus
gene compositions, but sex seems not to affect the GUSome. These data provide a basis for understanding the gut microbial GUS enzymes present in commonly used laboratory mice. Further, they demonstrate the utility of metagenome analysis guided by protein structure to provide specific sets of functionally related proteins from whole-genome metagenome sequencing data.
Factor XIII deficiency with intracranial haemorrhage
Authors: Ejaz Muzamil , Saleem Ayesha , Ali Nimrah , Tariq Fizza
Published: August 2019

A 5-year-old girl presented to paediatric emergency with fever and seizures for a short duration. At first, meningitis was suspected and management was started empirically. There was no improvement in the clinical condition of the patient and investigations revealed spontaneous intracranial haemorrhage (ICH) secondary to factor XIII deficiency. The child was transfused cryoprecipitate and managed conservatively for ICH. She became asymptomatic and was kept on monthly cryoprecipitate transfusions. This case report summarises factor XIII deficiency in ICH which was not suspected initially, but diagnosed later on after CT scan head and factor XIII assay. This report also highlights events occurring during its management.
Measurement of cerebrospinal fluid ACE level in aseptic meningitis: diagnostic?
Authors: Saha Biplab Kumar , Saha Aditi , Beegle Scott
Published: August 2019

Neurosarcoidosis (NS) is a rare disease, affecting only 3%–10% of patients with sarcoidosis. The clinical presentation can be protean and often represents a diagnostic challenge. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) ACE level has poor sensitivity, but high specificity for establishing a diagnosis of NS. We present a case of NS in a middle-aged African American woman who presented with dysphagia and dysphonia. An extensive radiological workup was negative for structural brain disease. CSF studies demonstrated lymphocyte predominant pleocytosis with an elevated ACE level. A diagnosis of possible neurosarcoidosis was made. She responded to systemic steroid therapy with complete resolution of her symptoms over the next five months. In the appropriate clinical setting, an elevated CSF ACE level could be of paramount importance for making a diagnosis of NS.
Vasculitis on brain angiography is not always vasculitis: intravascular large B-cell lymphoma mimicking central nervous system vasculitis
Authors: Rayfield Corbin , Mertz Lester , Kelemen Katalin , Aslam Fawad
Published: August 2019

A 68-year-old man, with a history of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in remission, was admitted for homonymous hemianopsia, headaches and subacute progressive cognitive decline. Imaging revealed brain infarcts and angiography suggested vasculitis. A brain biopsy, however, revealed an intravascular large B-cell lymphoma (IVLBL). Central nervous system (CNS) vasculitis and IVLBL of the brain are extremely rare diseases that can have an almost identical clinical presentation. Angiographic findings are very similar but usually are reported as compatible with vasculitis. Brain biopsy or a random skin biopsy are crucial in diagnosing IVLBL as the accuracy of angiographic findings for CNS vasculitis is low.
Rhabdomyolysis: a rare adverse effect of levetiracetam
Authors: Thomas Liza , Mirza Madiha Muhammed Farooq , Shaikh Niaz Ahmed , Ahmed Nahla
Published: August 2019

A 62-year-old previously healthy male was admitted with new onset generalised tonic-clonic seizures. Treatment was initiated with the antiepileptic levetiracetam and he had no further episodes of seizures. Creatine kinase (CPK) level was 1812 IU/L 12-hour postadmission. Despite good hydration, his CPK levels continued to rise dramatically and reached a level of 19 000 IU/L on day 5. This rise was unexplained as he did not have any further seizures and had a normal renal function. In the absence of other risk factors, the rare possibility of levetiracetam being responsible for the disproportionately high CPK was considered. Within 12 hours of withdrawal of levetiracetam, there was a downward trend in the CPK levels, with a 10-fold decrease in CPK levels over the next 4 days. This is only the ninth case reported in literature regarding this rare and potentially serious adverse effect of levetiracetam.
Bilateral femoral neck stress fractures in a high-performance young female runner
Authors: Jasqui-Remba Salomon , Jasqui-Bucay Alan , Jasqui-Bucay Ariel , Fernández-De-Lara-Barrera Yeni
Published: August 2019

A 16-year-old female patient showed up at the orthopaedics unit complaining of intolerable pain on her left hip. While being questioned and her clinical history written down, she shared that as part of her daily exercise routine, she ran 10 miles (16 km) daily at a speed of 9.5–10.5 mph (15–17 km/hour). MRI was consequently ordered, confirming the presence of a stress fracture. Therefore, immediate suspension of physical activity was indicated, followed by the prescription of crutches as well as restricted weight bearing. Gradually, she recovered complete functionality and approximately a month after she had entirely healed. While on a skiing trip, again she abruptly developed an acute pain on her right hip. Another MRI was ordered; its result confirmed a new stress fracture. Her previous treatment has proved so successful, a conservative approach was once again prescribed for her, showing optimum results 6 months later.
Higher baseline fat oxidation promotes gynoid fat mobilization in response to a 12-week exercise intervention in sedentary, obese black South African women
Authors: Clamp Louise D. , Mendham Amy E. , Kroff Jacolene , Goedecke Julia H.
Published: August 2019

This 12-week exercise intervention study assessed changes in cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), energy expenditure (EE), and substrate utilisation at rest and during exercise in obese, black South African (SA) women and explored associations with changes in body composition. Black SA women (body mass index: 30–40 kg·m−2, age: 20–35 years) were randomised into control (CTL; n = 15, maintaining usual activity) or exercise (EXE; n = 20; 12 weeks, 4 days·week−1, 40–60 min·day−1 at >70% peak heart rate) groups. Pre- and post-intervention testing included peak oxygen consumption, resting and steady state (50% peak oxygen consumption) EE, respiratory exchange, and body composition (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry). Dietary intake (4-day) and daily step-count (ActivPAL, activPAL3c; PAL Technologies Ltd, Glasgow, UK) was collected at pre-testing and at 4, 8, and 12 weeks. EXE increased peak oxygen consumption (24.9 ± 2.4 to 27.6 ± 3.4 mL·min−1·kg−1; p < 0.001) and steady state fat oxidation rates (7.5 ± 2.5 to 9.0 ± 2.7 mg·min−1·kg−1 fat-free soft tissue mass; p = 0.003) (same relative exercise intensity). CTL remained unchanged (p > 0.05). EXE reduced proportional gynoid fat mass (percentage total fat mass, p = 0.002). Baseline resting carbohydrate oxidation rates (p = 0.036) and steady state fat oxidation rates (p = 0.021) explained 60.6% of the variability in Δgynoid fat mass (p < 0.001) in EXE. This 12-week exercise intervention improved CRF and steady state fat oxidation rates. Greater reliance on fat oxidation at baseline promoted proportional reductions in gynoid, not visceral, fat mass in response to exercise training.

Novelty Combined exercise training in obese black South African women increased cardiorespiratory fitness and rates of fat oxidation during steady state exercise. Exercise training reduced proportional gynoid, not visceral, fat, potentially representing an ethnic/sex-specific response. Baseline substrate utilisation (resting and steady state exercise (50% peak oxygen uptake)) predicted changes in gynoid fat mass.
Northward migration of trembling aspen will increase growth but reduce resistance to drought-induced xylem cavitation
Authors: Inoue Sahari , Dang Qing-Lai , Man Rongzhou , Tedla Binyam
Published: August 2019

Tree migration to higher latitudes may occur in response to future changes in climate, exposing the trees to higher concentrations of carbon dioxide ([CO2]), new photoperiods, different levels of soil moisture, and other new conditions. These new conditions can influence the physiology, survival, and growth of trees. This study examined the interactive effects of [CO2], photoperiod, and soil moisture on the morphology and resistance to xylem cavitation in trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.). One-year-old seedlings, in greenhouses, were exposed to two [CO2] (ambient [CO2] 400 μmol·mol−1 or an elevated [CO2] 1000 μmol·mol−1), four photoperiod regimes corresponding to latitudes 48°N (seed origin), 52°N, 55°N, and 58°N, and two levels of soil moisture (60%–75% and 13%–20% of field capacity) for one growing season. Seedling growth, leaf size, specific leaf area, biomass allocation, and xylem resistance to cavitation (water potentials for 20%, 50%, and 80% loss of hydraulic conductivity) were assessed. The seedlings under the longest photoperiod regime (58°N latitude) had greatest height and biomass but smallest specific leaf area. Under the elevated [CO2], however, the longest photoperiod regime significantly reduced xylem resistance to drought-induced cavitation compared with the photoperiod corresponding to 48°N. These results suggest that when migrating to higher latitudes, trembling aspen may grow faster but could become less resistant to drought and more prone to hydraulic failure during a drought spell.
Reconstructing the statefinder hierarchy for an interacting cosmology
Authors: Cueva Solano Freddy
Published: August 2019

This paper studies an interacting cosmology in a spatially flat universe. Here, we have reconstructed the interaction term, Q, between a cold dark matter (DM) fluid and a dark energy (DE) fluid, as well as a time-varying equation of state (EoS) parameter ωDE, and have explored its evolutionary trajectories in the second members of the statefinder hierarchy, allowing us to establish differences when they are compared with those obtained in other non-interacting models. Likewise, both Q and ωDE have been modeled in terms of the Chebyshev polynomials. Then, via a Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method, we have constrained the model parameter space by using a combined analysis of geometric data. Our results show that an interacting model can be distinguished well from the standard concordance model at the present time by using any combination of the second members of the statefinder hierarchy. In this way, different DE scenarios could be compared and distinguished between them.
Convolutional Neural Network for Sparse Reconstruction of MR Images Interposed with Gaussian Noise
Authors: Manimala M. V. R. , Naidu C. Dhanunjaya , Prasad M. N. Giri
Published: August 2019

Compressive Sensing (CS) reconstructs high-quality images from very few measurements, which are far below Nyquist rate. CS proves to be very useful for acquiring high dimensional image sets like Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). However, the efficiency of MR image reconstruction is affected due to slow acquisition of voluminous k-space data. To improve the quality of reconstructed image and increase the speed of the reconstruction, a novel algorithm namely Adaptive Sparse Reconstruction using Convolution Neural Network AsrCNN has been, proposed for MR Images. AsrCNN employs a CNN, which consists of four convolutional layers and one fully connected layer. The proposed algorithm reconstructs MR images with immense quality, as it is trained over a large dataset with adaptive gradient optimization. The training set consists of [Formula: see text] image patches, which is used to create the dictionary by adaptively updating the weights. Subsequently, the dictionary is employed for recovery of sparse MR images corrupted with Gaussian noise. Patch-based approach in AsrCNN enables MR images of varied sizes to be processed without resizing. Experimental results for AsrCNN show an improvement of 1–5 dB in PSNR over previous state-of-art algorithms. Training has been done on GPU using Convolutional Architecture for Fast Feature Embedding (CAFFE) framework as it reduces significant amount of time in reconstructing images.
Detection and Classification of High Impedance Fault in Power Distribution System using Hybrid Technique
Authors: Narasimhulu N. , Ashok Kumar D. V. , Vijaya Kumar M.
Published: August 2019

In this paper, a hybrid strategy is introduced for detecting and classifying the High Impedance Fault in Power Distribution System. For hybridization, Gravitational Search Algorithm is combined with Artificial Neural Network to crease the classification performance. The ANN is utilized to characterize the blame signal from the reference signal and the execution is enhanced in view of the GSA calculation. The yield of the proposed method is recognized and arranged whether it is HIF fault or no-fault. At first, the ordinary practices of the appropriation framework are assessed. After that, the deficiencies are connected and the signals are measured. At that point, these are given to the contribution of the enhanced ANN procedure, which gives the dataset to breaking down the framework exhibitions. Finally, the proposed strategy is implemented in the MATLAB/Simulink model and its execution is assessed and compared with other conventional techniques like DWT-ANFIS, DWT-RBFFN, MWT-ANFIS, and MWT-FLC based GA. From the experimental results, it shows that the proposed method achieved better performance than existing methods.
Ignatyuk damping factor: A semiclassical formula
Authors: Dwivedi Nishchal R. , Monga Saniya , Kaur Harjeet , Jain Sudhir R.
Published: August 2019

Data on nuclear-level densities extracted from transmission data or gamma energy spectrum store the basic statistical information about nuclei at various temperatures. Generally, this extracted data goes through model fitting using computer codes like CASCADE. However, recently established semiclassical methods involving no adjustable parameters to determine the level density parameter for magic and semi-magic nuclei give a good agreement with the experimental values. One of the popular ways to paramaterize the level density parameter which includes the shell effects and its damping was given by Ignatyuk. This damping factor is usually fitted from the experimental data on nuclear-level density and it comes around 0.05 [Formula: see text]. In this work, we calculate the Ignatyuk damping factor for various nuclei using semiclassical methods.
An Interval Based Score Method for Multiple Criteria Decision Making Problems
Authors: Saffarzadeh S. , Hadi-Vencheh A. , Jamshidi A.
Published: August 2019

In this paper, a linear optimization approach to solve multiple criteria decision making (MCDM) problems is presented. For this purpose, two linear programming problems are proposed in the most favorable and least favorable senses. Then, an overall score as an interval number for each alternative is obtained. The lower bound is the score in the most favorable sense and its upper bound is the performance in the least favorable sense. The order of all alternatives is ranked in descending order in accordance with these interval numbers using the concept of degree of possibility. This study makes three major contributions. First, the proposed method employs linear programming (LP) technique to solve MCDM problems. Second, the common set of weights are utilized to solve the proposed LP models. Finally, the presented approach incorporates the decision maker preferences in decision making process.
Partial Opposition-Based Particle Swarm Optimizer in Artificial Neural Network Training for Medical Data Classification
Authors: Si Tapas , Dutta Ramkinkar
Published: August 2019

This paper presents an improved opposition-based Particle Swarm Optimizer (PSO) with partial opposition-based learning. The partial opposition-based learning scheme is a new form of opposition-based learning and it is employed to improve the performance. Nowadays, the artificial neural network (ANN), an important machine learning tool, is used in medicine especially in medical disease diagnosis. ANN training is a complex task and a training algorithm has a significant role in ANN’s performance. Therefore, the proposed algorithm is applied in training of Multi-Layer Feed-Forward Neural Network (FFNN) for classification task in medical data mining. The classification task is carried out on 15 well-known medical data sets. A comparative study has been made with Levenberg–Marquardt algorithm, Artificial Bee Colony, Trigonometric Mutation Differential Evolution, basic PSO and other nine opposition-based PSO algorithms. The experimental results with statistical analysis demonstrate that the proposed algorithm performs better than all other algorithms in classification.
Standard pairs and existence of symmetric multiscaling functions
Authors: Mithun A. T. , Lineesh M. C.
Published: August 2019

Construction of multiwavelets begins with finding a solution to the multiscaling equation. The solution is known as multiscaling function. Then, a multiwavelet basis is constructed from the multiscaling function. Symmetric multiscaling functions make the wavelet basis symmetric. The existence and properties of the multiscaling function depend on the symbol function. Symbol functions are trigonometric matrix polynomials. A trigonometric matrix polynomial can be constructed from a pair of matrices known as the standard pair. The square matrix in the pair and the matrix polynomial have the same spectrum. Our objective is to find necessary and sufficient conditions on standard pairs for the existence of compactly supported, symmetric multiscaling functions. First, necessary as well as sufficient conditions on the standard pairs for the existence of symbol functions corresponding to compactly supported multiscaling functions are found. Then, the necessary and sufficient conditions on the class of standard pairs, which make the multiscaling function symmetric, are derived. A method to construct symbol function corresponding to a compactly supported, symmetric multiscaling function from an appropriate standard pair is developed.
Multiple kernel learning by empirical target kernel
Authors: Wang Peiyan , Cai Dongfeng
Published: August 2019

Multiple kernel learning (MKL) aims at learning an optimal combination of base kernels with which an appropriate hypothesis is determined on the training data. MKL has its flexibility featured by automated kernel learning, and also reflects the fact that typical learning problems often involve multiple and heterogeneous data sources. Target kernel is one of the most important parts of many MKL methods. These methods find the kernel weights by maximizing the similarity or alignment between weighted kernel and target kernel. The existing target kernels implement a global manner, which (1) defines the same target value for closer and farther sample pairs, and inappropriately neglects the variation of samples; (2) is independent of training data, and is hardly approximated by base kernels. As a result, maximizing the similarity to the global target kernel could make these pre-specified kernels less effectively utilized, further reducing the classification performance. In this paper, instead of defining a global target kernel, a localized target kernel is calculated for each sample pair from the training data, which is flexible and able to well handle the sample variations. A new target kernel named empirical target kernel is proposed in this research to implement this idea, and three corresponding algorithms are designed to efficiently utilize the proposed empirical target kernel. Experiments are conducted on four challenging MKL problems. The results show that our algorithms outperform other methods, verifying the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed methods.
Memory Response in a Magneto-Thermoelastic Rod with Moving Heat Source Based on Eringen’s Nonlocal Theory Under Dual-Phase Lag Heat Conduction
Authors: Mondal Sudip
Published: August 2019

Enlightened by the Caputo fractional derivative, this study deals with a novel mathematical model of generalized thermoelasticity to investigate the transient phenomena due to the influence of magnetic field and moving heat source in a rod in the context of dual-phase lag (DPL) theory of thermoelasticity based on Eringen’s nonlocal elasticity. Both ends of the rod are fixed and heat insulated. Employing Laplace transform as a tool, the problem has been transformed into the space domain and solved analytically. Finally, solutions in the real-time domain are obtained by applying the inverse Laplace transform. Numerical calculation for temperature, displacement and stress within the rod is carried out and displayed graphically. The effect of moving heat source speed, time instance, memory-dependent derivative, magnetic-field and nonlocality on temperature, displacement and stress are studied.
Convolution sums of a divisor function for prime levels
Authors: Cho Bumkyu
Published: August 2019

Recently, many identities for the convolution sum [Formula: see text] of the divisor function [Formula: see text] have been obtained since Royer obtained by the theory of quasimodular forms. We also present new identities for [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] by using quasimodular forms.
Analytic continuation for multiple zeta values using symbolic representations
Authors: Jiu Lin , Vignat Christophe , Wakhare Tanay
Published: August 2019

We introduce a symbolic representation of [Formula: see text]-fold harmonic sums at negative indices. This representation allows us to recover and extend some recent results by Duchamp et al., such as recurrence relations and generating functions for these sums. This approach is also applied to the study of the family of extended Bernoulli polynomials, which appear in the computation of harmonic sums at negative indices. It also allows us to reinterpret the Raabe analytic continuation of the multiple zeta function as both a constant term extension of Faulhaber’s formula, and as the result of a natural renormalization procedure for Faulhaber’s formula.
Universal mixed sums of generalized 4- and 8-gonal numbers
Authors: Ju Jangwon , Oh Byeong-Kweon
Published: August 2019

An integer of the form [Formula: see text] for an integer [Formula: see text] is called a generalized [Formula: see text]-gonal number. For positive integers [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], a mixed sum [Formula: see text] of generalized [Formula: see text]- and [Formula: see text]-gonal numbers is called universal if [Formula: see text] has an integer solution for every nonnegative integer [Formula: see text]. In this paper, we prove that there are exactly 1271 proper universal mixed sums of generalized [Formula: see text]- and [Formula: see text]-gonal numbers. Furthermore, the “[Formula: see text]-theorem” is proved, which states that an arbitrary mixed sum of generalized [Formula: see text]- and [Formula: see text]-gonal numbers is universal if and only if it represents the integers [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], and [Formula: see text].
Exact values of Γ∗(10,p)
Authors: Veras Daiane S. , Rodrigues Paulo H. A.
Published: August 2019

For [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] a prime number, define [Formula: see text] to be the smallest positive integer [Formula: see text] such that any diagonal form [Formula: see text], with integer coefficients, has nontrivial zero over [Formula: see text] whenever [Formula: see text]. A special case of a conjecture attributed to Artin states that [Formula: see text]. It is well known that the equality occurs when [Formula: see text]. In this paper, we obtain the exact values of [Formula: see text] for all primes [Formula: see text] and, except for [Formula: see text], these values are much lower than those established in the conjecture, as might be expected.
Experimental and Mechanism Investigation on Boiling Heat Transfer Characteristics of Alumina/Water Nanofluid on a Cylindrical Tube
Authors: Zhang Hao , Li Zeng-en , Qing Shan , Jia Zhuangzhuang , Xu Jiarui , Ma Lin , Wang Sixian , Zhang Aimin , Luo Zhumei
Published: August 2019

Nucleate pool boiling heat transfer experiments have been conducted to nanofluids on a horizontal cylinder tube under atmospheric pressure. The nanofluids are prepared by dispersing Al2O3 nanoparticles into distilled water at concentrations of 0.001, 0.01, 0.1, 1 and 2[Formula: see text]wt.% with or without sodium, 4-dodecylbenzenesulfonate (SDBS). The experimental results showed that: nanofluids at lower concentrations (0.001[Formula: see text]wt.% to 1[Formula: see text]wt.%) can obviously enhance the pool boiling heat transfer performance, but signs of deterioration can be observed at higher concentration (2[Formula: see text]wt.%). The presence of SDBS can obviously enhance the pool boiling heat transfer performance, and with the presence of SDBS, a maximum enhancement ratio of BHTC of 69.88%, and a maximum decrease ratio of super heat of 41.12% can be found in Group NS5 and NS4, respectively. The tube diameter and wall thickness of heating surface are the influential factors for boiling heat transfer coefficient. Besides, we find that Rohsenow formula failed to predict the characteristics of nanofluids. The mechanism study shows that: the decrease of surface tension, which leads to the decrease of bubble departure diameter, and the presence of agglomerates in nanofluids are the reasons for the enhanced pool boiling heat transfer performance. At higher concentration, particle deposition will lead to the decrease of distribution density of the vaporization core, and as a result of that, the boiling heat transfer performance will deteriorate.
Short Text Analysis Based on Dual Semantic Extension and Deep Hashing in Microblog
Authors: Cui Wanqiu , Du Junping , Wang Dawei , Yuan Xunpu , Kou Feifei , Zhou Liyan , Zhou Nan
Published: August 2019

Short text analysis is a challenging task as far as the sparsity and limitation of semantics. The semantic extension approach learns the meaning of a short text by introducing external knowledge. However, for the randomness of short text descriptions in microblogs, traditional extension methods cannot accurately mine the semantics suitable for the microblog theme. Therefore, we use the prominent and refined hashtag information in microblogs as well as complex social relationships to provide implicit guidance for semantic extension of short text. Specifically, we design a deep hash model based on social and conceptual semantic extension, which consists of dual semantic extension and deep hashing representation. In the extension method, the short text is first conceptualized to achieve the construction of hashtag graph under conceptual space. Then, the associated hashtags are generated by correlation calculation based on the integration of social relationships and concepts to extend the short text. In the deep hash model, we use the semantic hashing model to encode the abundant semantic features and form a compact and meaningful binary encoding. Finally, extensive experiments demonstrate that our method can learn and represent the short texts well by using more meaningful semantic signal. It can effectively enhance and guide the semantic analysis and understanding of short text in microblogs.
Alanine Aminotransferase and Body Composition in Obese Men and Women
Authors: Bekkelund Svein Ivar , Jorde Rolf
Published: August 2019

There is a known relationship between serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and obesity in humans, but the mechanism(s) are not clarified. This study investigated the associations between serum ALT and body composition in an overweight and obese population. The results are based on data from a previous randomized controlled trial treating obesity with vitamin D3. A sample of 448 overweight and obese individuals underwent dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) and measured serum ALT along with supplementary blood samples at study baseline. Body fat mass and lean mass indexes were calculated by dividing total body fat/lean weight (kg) by body height squared (kg/m2). ALT correlated with body mass index (BMI) in men but not women (r=0.33,P<0.0001vs.r=0.06,P=0.29). In men, serum ALT correlated positively with fat mass index (r=0.23,P=0.004) and lean mass index (r=0.32,P<0.0001). In women, ALT correlated with lean mass index (r=0.13,P=0.031) but not fat mass index (r=0.003,P=0.96). In a multivariate model adjusted for age and fat mass index, a 1-unit increase in lean mass index associated with a 0.37 U/L higher ALT in the male subgroup (95% CI 0.024 to 0.040,P<0.0001). In conclusion, serum ALT was associated with body fat mass index in men and with lean mass index in men and women in an overweight and obese population. The findings also demonstrate a gender difference in the role of fat.
Analysis of Bearing Capacity and Seismic Performance of Circular RC Columns Strengthened with Externally Wrapped Steel Plates
Authors: Zhou Chunli , Li Xiaowei , Wang Dongbo , Xia Shunxiang
Published: August 2019

Based on a practical project, the construction method of circular reinforced concrete (RC) columns strengthened with externally wrapped steel plates was introduced in this paper. In order to study the bearing capacity and seismic performance of circular RC columns after strengthening, a formula for calculating the bearing capacity of circular RC columns strengthened with externally wrapped steel plates was derived, with reference to the Code for Design of Strengthening Concrete Structure. Through ABAQUS software, the vertical monotone static loading analysis and the horizontal low‐cyclic reversed loading analysis were carried out, respectively, before and after the strengthening of the full‐size RC columns in this project. The results showed that the bearing capacity of the normal section of the RC column after strengthening was about 80% higher than that before strengthening, and the results of FEM software were in accord with the calculation results of theoretical formula to some degree. Under horizontal low‐cyclic reversed loading, the columns after strengthening had both plumper hysteresis curves and higher ductility factors and equivalent viscous damping coefficient than those before strengthening, indicating the energy dissipation capacity, plastic deformation capacity, and seismic performance of the RC columns after strengthening were all obviously improved.
Dihydroartemisinin Promotes the Osteogenesis of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells via the ERK and Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling Pathways
Authors: Ni Licheng , Kuang Zhihui , Gong Zhe , Xue Deting , Zheng Qiang
Published: August 2019

Dihydroartemisinin (DHA), which is considered to be one of the active compounds within Artemisia annua, has extensively been used in recent years as the most effective drug against malaria, having many biological functions including anticancer, antifungal, and immunomodulatory activities. However, DHA plays a role in the regulation of the proliferation and human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) osteogenic differentiation that remains unknown. We explored DHA’s effect on hMSCs’ proliferation as well as the osteogenic differentiation, together with its underlying mechanisms of action. We showed that DHA enhanced osteogenic differentiation but had no significant effect on hMSCs’ proliferation. It probably exerted its functions through the signaling pathways of ERK1/2 as well as Wnt/β. Because DHA has low toxicity and costs, it might be regarded as an important drug for fracture treatment and tissue engineering.
Scheduling Emergency Physicians Based on a Multiobjective Programming Approach: A Case Study of West China Hospital of Sichuan University
Authors: Tan Mingying , Gan Junwei , Ren Qunrong
Published: August 2019

In China, emergency room residents (EMRs) generally face high working intensity. It is particularly important to arrange the working shifts of EMRs in a scientific way to balance their work and rest time. However, in existing studies, most of the scheduling models are based on the individual doctor or nurse as a unit, less considering the actuality of operation and management of emergency department (ED) in large public hospitals in China. Besides, the depiction of the hard and soft constraints of EMR scheduling in China is insufficient. So in order to obtain the scientific and reasonable scheduling shifts, this paper considers various management rules in a hospital, physicians’ personal preferences, and the time requirements of their personal learning and living and takes the minimum deviation variables from the soft constraints as the objective function to construct a mixed integer programming model with the doctor group as the scheduling unit. The analytic hierarchy process (AHP) is used to determine the weights of deviation variables. Then, IBM ILOG CPLEX 12.8 is used to solve the model. The feasibility and effectiveness of the scheduling method are verified by the actual case from West China Hospital of Sichuan University. The scheduling results can meet the EMRs’ flexible work plans and the preferences of the doctor teams for the shifts and rest days. Compared with the current manual scheduling, the proposed method can greatly improve the efficiency and rationality of shift scheduling. In addition, the proposed scheduling method also provides a reference for EMR scheduling in other China’s high-grade large public hospitals.
Infiltration of Blood-Derived Macrophages Contributes to the Development of Diabetic Neuropathy
Authors: Sun Jing-Jing , Tang Lin , Zhao Xiao-Pei , Xu Jun-Mei , Xiao Yang , Li Hui
Published: August 2019

Background and Objective. Diabetic neuropathic pain (DNP) is a common complication associated with diabetes. Currently, its underlying pathomechanism remains unknown. Studies have revealed that the recruitment of blood monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs) to the spinal cord plays a pivotal role in different models of central nervous system injury. Therefore, the present study aimed at exploring the infiltration and function of MDMs in DNP using a mice model. Methods. Diabetes was induced using streptozotocin in male A/J mice. Mechanical withdrawal thresholds were measured weekly to characterize neuropathy phenotype. Quantitative analysis of CD11b was performed and visualized by immunofluorescence. Spinal cord cells were isolated from myelin and debris by Percoll gradient. Flow cytometry was used to label CD11b and CD45 antibodies to differentiate MDMs (CD45highCD11b+) from resident microglia (CD45lowCD11b+). Mice were injected with clodronate liposomes to investigate the role of MDMs in DNP. The successful depletion of monocytes was determined by flow cytometry. Results. The DNP mice model was successfully established. Compared with nondiabetic mice, diabetic mice displayed a markedly higher level of CD11b immunofluorescence in the spinal cord. The number of CD11b-positive microglia/macrophages gradually increased over the 28 days of testing after STZ injection, and a significant increase was observed on Day 14 (P<0.01) and 28 (P<0.01). Further analysis by flow cytometry showed that the infiltration of peripheral macrophages began to increase in 2 weeks (P<0.001) and reached a maximum at 4 weeks (P<0.001) post-STZ injection compared to the control. The depletion of MDMs by clodronate liposomes alleviated diabetes-induced tactile allodynia (P<0.05) and reduced the infiltration of MDMs (P<0.001) as well as the expression of IL-1β and TNF-α in the spinal cord (P<0.05). Conclusions. The infiltration of blood MDMs in the spinal cord may promote the development of painful neuropathy in diabetes.
Wavelet-Based Semblance Methods to Enhance the Single-Trial Detection of Event-Related Potentials for a BCI Spelling System
Authors: Saavedra Carolina , Salas Rodrigo , Bougrain Laurent
Published: August 2019

Based on similarity measures in the wavelet domain under a multichannel EEG setting, two new methods are developed for single-trial event-related potential (ERP) detection. The first method, named “multichannel EEG thresholding by similarity” (METS), simultaneously denoises all of the information recorded by the channels. The second approach, named “semblance-based ERP window selection” (SEWS), presents two versions to automatically localize the ERP in time for each subject to reduce the time window to be analysed by removing useless features. We empirically show that when these methods are used independently, they are suitable for ERP denoising and feature extraction. Meanwhile, the combination of both methods obtains better results compared to using them independently. The denoising algorithm was compared with classic thresholding methods based on wavelets and was found to obtain better results, which shows its suitability for ERP processing. The combination of the two algorithms for denoising the signals and selecting the time window has been compared to xDAWN, which is an efficient algorithm to enhance ERPs. We conclude that our wavelet-based semblance method performs better than xDAWN for single-trial detection in the presence of artifacts or noise.
Diagnostic Value and Safety of Emergency Single-Balloon Enteroscopy for Obscure Gastrointestinal Bleeding
Authors: Liu Yipin , Jiang Weiwei , Chen Guoxun , Li Yanqing
Published: August 2019

Background. This study assesses the diagnostic performance of emergency single-balloon enteroscopy (SBE) for obscure gastrointestinal bleeding (OGIB) under general anesthesia versus conscious sedation.Study. The data of 102 OGIB in-patients from June 2015 to June 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. The diagnosis and detection rates and adverse events were calculated overall and in relation to age, gender, type of operation and anesthesia, bleeding type, different times of examination, and SBE route. All statistical analyses were performed using SPSS 24.0, and the diagnosis and detection rates were compared using the Chi-square test.Results. Among the 102 patients, 66 patients had positive findings, while 11 patients had suspected positive findings, and the diagnosis and detection rates were 64.7% and 75.5%, respectively. Ulcers (19.6%) and tumors (16.7%) were the most common causes of OGIB. There were no statistical differences in diagnosis and detection rates between the ages of ≥60 and <60 and between different genders. Patients with emergency SBE had higher diagnosis and detection rates (68.6%vs.35.3%,P=0.023; 80.0%vs.47.1%,P=0.016, respectively), when compared with nonemergency SBE patients. The diagnosis rate at 24 hours was higher than that at 2-7 days and one week (88.0%vs.61.5%,P=0.030; 88.0%vs.53.8%,P=0.007). For overt bleeding, the difference in diagnosis rates at 24 hours, 2-7 days, and one week was statistically significant (100.0%vs.57.1%,P=0.006; 100.0%vs.57.1%,P=0.006). For occult bleeding, the pairwise comparison revealed no statistical difference. Patients with general anesthesia had a higher detection rate, when compared to patients with conscious sedation (87.9%vs.63.9%,P=0.004). In addition, adverse events under general anesthesia were lower, when compared to adverse events under conscious sedation (28.8%vs.69.4%,P=0.020). There was no significant difference in adverse events at the different time points (P>0.05).Conclusion. Emergency SBE under general anesthesia achieves higher diagnosis and detection rates, and fewer adverse events under conscious sedation, when compared to nonemergency SBE, regardless of the route. For patients with overt bleeding, it is easier to find lesions by emergency SBE within 24 hours.