bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Diethylamino‐fluorographene: A 2D material with broadband and efficient optical limiting performance (from 500 to 1800 nm) with very large nonlinear optical response
Authors: Papadakis Ioannis , Stathis Aristeidis , Bourlinos Athanasios B. , Couris Stelios 
Published: August 2020

AbstractThe present work reports on the broadband optical limiting performance and the enhancement of the nonlinear optical (NLO) response of a diethylamino‐modified fluorographene compared to pristine fluorographene and other modified fluorographenes. The present modified fluorographene was found exhibiting very efficient and broadband optical limiting action, for optical radiations extended from the visible (i.e., 500 nm) and up to near infrared (i.e., 1.8 μm). Its optical limiting threshold was found to be better that 0.045 J cm−2 making it a very promising material for optical limiting applications. In addition, the functionalization of fluorographene by the diethylamino ligand resulted in switching on the NLO response of fluorographene, attaining a third‐order nonlinear susceptibility χ(3) of the order of 10−9 esu under ns, visible and infrared laser excitation. The present work demonstrates the efficiency and the new horizons opened by suitable chemical functionalization of fluorographene, towards the tailoring of its nonlinear optical response and optical power limiting action, towards several applications in photonics and optoelectronics and for the preparation of materials with custom made properties.
Type of levator ani muscle avulsion as predictor for the disappearance of avulsion
Authors: García‐Mejido José Antonio , Sainz José Antonio 
Published: August 2020

AbstractObjectivesThe objective of our study was to establish whether the type of levator ani muscle (LAM) avulsion diagnosed 6 months after delivery influences the integrity of the LAM at 1 year after delivery and determine its influence on the levator hiatus area.Study DesignThis observational prospective cohort study included 192 primiparous women with vaginal delivery. Transperineal ultrasound examinations were performed at 6 months and 1 year postpartum. Levator hiatus measurements (anteroposterior diameter, transverse diameter, and area) were performed in the plane of minimal dimensions. Complete avulsion was defined based on maximum contraction in multislice mode. Type I LAM avulsion was present when most lateral fibers of the pubovisceral muscle were observed at its insertion at the pubic level (the arch of the elevator remained intact). Type II LAM avulsion was defined as a complete detachment of the pubovisceral muscle from its insertion at the pubic level.ResultsIn total, 192 patients were recruited after delivery; 48 patients were diagnosed with complete LAM avulsion, and 13 patients with avulsion did not attend the second ultrasound follow‐up at 1 year after delivery. Thirty‐five patients with complete LAM avulsion were included in the study. At 6 months after delivery, 51 LAM avulsions were observed in 35 patients (including bilateral LAM avulsion in 16 cases), of which 54.9% were right avulsions and 45.1% left avulsions. Furthermore, 11 (five right and six left) were type I LAM avulsions at the 6‐month assessment, and all of these had disappeared 1 year after delivery. However, none of the type II LAM avulsions (23 right and 17 left) observed at 6 months had disappeared at the second ultrasound examination. There were no differences between the LAM areas detected at the first and second ultrasound examinations (10.2 ± 3.3 vs 9.3 ± 1.8; P = .404).ConclusionsThe type of LAM avulsion observed at 6 months after childbirth predicts LAM persistence at 1 year postpartum.
The firebreak problem
Authors: Barnetson Kathleen D. , Burgess Andrea C. , Enright Jessica , Howell Jared , Pike David A. , Ryan Brady 
Published: August 2020

AbstractSuppose we have a network that is represented by a graph G. Potentially a fire (or other type of contagion) might erupt at some vertex of G. We are able to respond to this outbreak by establishing a firebreak at k other vertices of G, so that the fire cannot pass through these fortified vertices. The question that now arises is which k vertices will result in the greatest number of vertices being saved from the fire, assuming that the fire will spread to every vertex that is not fully behind the k vertices of the firebreak. This is the essence of the Firebreak decision problem, which is the focus of this paper. We establish that the problem is intractable on the class of split graphs as well as on the class of bipartite graphs, but can be solved in linear time when restricted to graphs having constant‐bounded treewidth, or in polynomial time when restricted to intersection graphs. We also consider some closely related problems.
Tangle bases: Revisited
Authors: Hicks Illya V. , Brimkov Boris 
Published: August 2020

AbstractThe concept of branch decomposition was first introduced by Robertson and Seymour in their proof of the Graph Minors Theorem, and can be seen as a measure of the global connectivity of a graph. Since then, branch decomposition and branchwidth have been used for computationally solving combinatorial optimization problems modeled on graphs and matroids. General branchwidth is the extension of branchwidth to any symmetric submodular function defined over a finite set. General branchwidth encompasses graphic branchwidth, matroidal branchwidth, and rankwidth. A tangle basis is related to a tangle, a notion also introduced by Robertson and Seymour; however, a tangle basis is more constructive in nature. It was shown in [I. V. Hicks. Graphs, branchwidth, and tangles! Oh my! Networks, 45:55‐60, 2005] that a tangle basis of order k is coextensive to a tangle of order k. In this paper, we revisit the construction of tangle bases computationally for other branchwidth parameters and show that the tangle basis approach is still competitive for computing optimal branch decompositions for general branchwidth.
On Romanovski–Jacobi polynomials and their related approximation results
Authors: Abo‐Gabal Howayda , Zaky Mahmoud A. , Hafez Ramy M. , Doha Eid H. 
Published: August 2020

AbstractThe aim of this article is to present the essential properties of a finite class of orthogonal polynomials related to the probability density function of the F‐distribution over the positive real line. We introduce some basic properties of the Romanovski–Jacobi polynomials, the Romanovski–Jacobi–Gauss type quadrature formulae and the associated interpolation, discrete transforms, spectral differentiation and integration techniques in the physical and frequency spaces, and basic approximation results for the weighted projection operator in the nonuniformly weighted Sobolev space. We discuss the relationship between such kinds of finite orthogonal polynomials and other classes of infinite orthogonal polynomials. Moreover, we derive spectral Galerkin schemes based on a Romanovski–Jacobi expansion in space and time to solve the Cauchy problem for a scalar linear hyperbolic equation in one and two space dimensions posed in the positive real line. Two numerical examples demonstrate the robustness and accuracy of the schemes.
c‐Jun acts downstream of PI3K/AKT signaling to mediate the effect of leptin on methionine adenosyltransferase 2B in hepatic stellate cells in vitro and in vivo
Authors: Zhu Xiaofei , Jia Xin , Cheng Fangyun , Tian Haimeng , Zhou Yajun 
Published: August 2020

AbstractObese patients, often accompanied by hyperleptinemia, are prone to develop liver fibrosis. A large body of data including the results from human studies suggested the promotion role of leptin, an adipocyte‐derived hormone, in liver fibrosis. Hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation, a crucial step in liver fibrogenesis, requires global reprogramming of gene expression which is regulated by multiple mechanisms including epigenetic regulation such as methylation of DNA. S‐Adenosylmethionine is a principal biological methyl donor and its biosynthesis is catalyzed by a methionine adenosyltransferase (MAT) such as MATII. MATII consists of the catalytic subunit MAT2A and regulatory subunit MAT2B which are essential for HSC activation. The present research investigated the effect of leptin on the expression of Mat2b in HSCs in vitro and in a leptin‐deficient mouse model. Results demonstrated that leptin significantly increased Mat2b expression. Leptin‐induced Mat2b expression required the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. c‐Jun, a component of activator protein (AP1), was phosphorylated by leptin‐induced PI3K/AKT signaling and thus potentiated its binding to the element around −964 bp in the Mat2b promoter. MAT2B was involved in leptin‐induced HSC activation and liver fibrosis in a leptin‐deficient mouse model. These results might broaden understanding of the mechanisms underlying the liver fibrogenesis in obese patients with hyperleptinemia. © 2020 The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Fabrication and properties of rigid polyurethane nanocomposite foams with functional isocyanate modified graphene oxide
Authors: Li Ying , Tian Huafeng , Zhang Jing , Zou Wei , Wang Hong , Du Zhongjie , Zhang Chen 
Published: August 2020

AbstractThe modified graphene oxide (GO) with different specific functional groups were prepared and introduced into rigid polyurethane foam (PUF). It was proved that NCO groups were bonded on the surface of GO, which could participate into the polyurethane foaming reaction and dramatically improve the interactions between the filler and matrix. It was found that the cell morphology and the mechanical properties of the PUFs could be effectively improved by adding an appropriate amount of modified GO. The isocyanate‐modified GO could form a stable chemical bond with the matrix, which was more beneficial to improve the mechanical properties. The thermal conductivity slightly increased with the increase of modified GO, however the values were still low enough for thermal insulation applications. Thus, these nanocomposite foams with improved structure and properties would find wide applications in the thermal insulation areas.
Fire behavior of flame retarded sandwich structures containing PET foam cores and epoxy face sheets
Authors: Bethke Christian , Weber Lais , Goedderz Daniela , Standau Tobias , Döring Manfred , Altstädt Volker 
Published: August 2020

AbstractWithin this work, the investigation on interactions of a phosphorus‐containing flame retardant (FR) DEPAl in epoxy face sheets and five different FRs in the PET‐foam core of a sandwich laminate on the fire behavior is focused. Fourteen different combinations of resin face sheets and PET foam cores are produced by vacuum assisted resin infusion (VARI). The combustion behavior of the sandwich laminates is tested by cone calorimetry. The time to ignition is lowered when a FR resin is used while the subsequent burning behavior is mainly influenced by the PET foam core. In order to evaluate the interactions of the flame retardants in the core and face sheet, a total improvement value (TIV) was set up which compares the performance related to the specific FR combinations. The highest TIV value (76%) indicating positive interactions with DEPAl was observed with a 2‐PSMP‐PET core, the lowest value (−2%) with a DEPZn‐PET core.
The comparative performance of wavelet‐based outbreak detector, exponential weighted moving average, and Poisson regression‐based methods in detection of pertussis outbreaks in Iranian infants: A simulation‐based study
Authors: Alimohamadi Yousef , Zahraei Seyed Mohsen , Karami Manoochehr , Yaseri Mehdi , Lotfizad Mojtaba , Holakouie‐Naieni Kourosh 
Published: August 2020

AbstractBackgroundEarly detection of outbreaks of transmissible diseases is essential for public health. This study aimed to determine the performance of the wavelet‐based outbreak detection method (WOD) in detecting outbreaks and to compare its performance with the Poisson regression‐based model and exponentially weighted moving average (EWMA) using data of simulated pertussis outbreaks in Iran.MethodThe data on suspected cases of pertussis from 25th February 2012 to 23rd March 2018 in Iran was used. The performance of the WOD (Daubechies 10 [db10] and Haar wavelets), Poisson regression‐based method, and EWMA Compared in terms of timeliness and detection of outbreak days using the simulation of different outbreaks. In the current study, two simulations were used, one based on retrospectively collected data (literature‐based) on pertussis cases and another one on a synthetic dataset created by the researchers. The sensitivity, specificity, false alarm, and false‐negative rate, positive and negative likelihood ratios, under receiver operating characteristics areas, and median timeliness were used to assess the performance of the methods.ResultsIn a literature‐based outbreak simulation, the highest and lowest sensitivity, false negative in the detection of injected outbreaks were seen in db10, with sensitivity 0.59 (0.56‐0.62), and Haar wavelets with 0.57 (0.54‐0.60). In the researcher simulated data, the EWMA (K = 0.5) with sensitivity 0.92 (0.90‐0.94) had the best performance. About timeliness, the WOD methods showed the best performance in the early warning of the outbreak in both simulation approaches.ConclusionPerformance of the WOD in the early alarming outbreaks was appropriate. However, this method would be best used along with other methods of public health surveillance.
Area under the curve achievement of once daily tobramycin in children with cystic fibrosis during clinical care
Authors: Brockmeyer Jake M. , Wise Russell T. , Burgener Elizabeth B. , Milla Carlos , Frymoyer Adam 
Published: August 2020

AbstractBackgroundThe area under the concentration‐time curve over 24 hours (AUC24) is frequently utilized to monitor tobramycin exposure in children with cystic fibrosis (CF). An understanding of exposure target achievement during clinical implementation of an AUC24 based approach in children is limited.MethodsA retrospective chart review was performed in children with CF treated with once daily tobramycin and drug concentration monitoring at a pediatric CF center. During clinical care AUC24 was estimated using a traditional log‐linear regression approach (LLR). AUC24 was also estimated retrospectively using a pharmacokinetic model‐based Bayesian forecasting approach (BF). AUC24 achievement after both approaches were compared.ResultsIn 77 treatment courses (mean age, 12.7 ± 5.0 years), a target AUC24 100 to 125 mg h/L was achieved after starting dose in 21 (27%) and after initial dose adjustment in 35 (45%). In the first 7 days of treatment, 24 (32%) required ≥3 dose adjustments, and the mean number of drug concentrations measured was 7.1 ± 3.2. Examination of a BF approach demonstrated adequate prediction of measured tobramycin concentrations (median bias −2.1% [95% CI −3.1 to −1.4]; median precision 7.6% [95% CI, 7.1%‐8.2%]). AUC24 estimates utilizing the BF approach were higher than the LLR approach with a mean difference of 6.4 mg h/L (95% CI, 4.8 to 8.0 mg h/L).ConclusionsAchievement of a narrow AUC24 target is challenging during clinical care, and dose individualization is needed in most children with CF. Implementing a BF approach for estimating AUC24 in children with CF is supported.
Evaluation of Shewhart time‐between‐events‐and‐amplitude control charts for correlated data
Authors: Rahali Dorra , Castagliola Philippe , Taleb Hassen , Khoo Michael Boon Chong 
Published: August 2020

AbstractIn recent years, several techniques based on control charts have been developed for the simultaneous monitoring of the time interval T and the amplitude X of events, known as time‐between‐events‐and‐amplitude (TBEA) charts. However, the vast majority of the existing works have some limitations. First, they usually focus on statistics based on the ratio
, and second, they only investigate a reduced number of potential distributions, that is, the exponential distribution for T and the normal distribution for X. Moreover, until now, very few research papers have considered the potential dependence between T and X. In this paper, we investigate three different statistics, denoted as Z1, Z2, and Z3, for monitoring TBEA data in the case of three potential distributions (gamma, normal, and Weibull), for both T and X, using copulas as a mechanism to model the dependence. An illustrative example considering times between machine breakdowns and associated maintenance illustrates the use of TBEA control charts.
Successive and automated stable isotope analysis of CO2, CH4 and N2O paving the way for unmanned aerial vehicle‐based sampling
Authors: Leitner Simon , Hood‐Nowotny Rebecca , Watzinger Andrea 
Published: August 2020

RationaleMeasurement of greenhouse gas (GHG) concentrations and isotopic compositions in the atmosphere is a valuable tool for predicting their sources and sinks, and ultimately how they affect Earth's climate. Easy access to unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has opened up new opportunities for remote gas sampling and provides logistical and economic opportunities to improve GHG measurements.MethodsThis study presents synchronized gas chromatography/isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC/IRMS) methods for the analysis of atmospheric gas samples (20‐mL  glass vessels) to determine the stable isotope ratios and concentrations of CO2, CH4 and N2O. To our knowledge there is no comprehensive GC/IRMS setup for successive measurement of CO2, CH4 and N2O analysis meshed with a UAV‐based sampling system. The systems were built using off‐the‐shelf instruments augmented with minor modifications.ResultsThe precision of working gas standards achieved for δ13C and δ18O values of CO2 was 0.2‰ and 0.3‰, respectively. The mid‐term precision for δ13C and δ15N values of CH4 and N2O working gas standards was 0.4‰ and 0.3‰, respectively. Injection quantities of working gas standards indicated a relative standard deviation of 1%, 5% and 5% for CO2, CH4 and N2O, respectively. Measurements of atmospheric air samples demonstrated a standard deviation of 0.3‰ and 0.4‰ for the δ13C and δ18O values, respectively, of CO2, 0.5‰ for the δ13C value of CH4 and 0.3‰ for the δ15N value of N2O.ConclusionsResults from internal calibration and field sample analysis, as well as comparisons with similar measurement techniques, suggest that the method is applicable for the stable isotope analysis of these three important GHGs. In contrast to previously reported findings, the presented method enables successive analysis of all three GHGs from a single ambient atmospheric gas sample.
Sustainable regional energy planning: The case of hydro
Authors: Rabe Marcin , Streimikiene Dalia , Drożdż Wojciech , Bilan Yuriy , Kasperowicz Rafal 
Published: August 2020

AbstractThe study is dedicated to analysis of sustainable regional energy planning challenge's in order to reach carbon‐free economy in 2050. The case study of hydropower development in selected region of Poland provides good example how to deal practically with identified sustainable regional energy planning problems to address restrictions of environmental requirements and natural conditions on the least costs hydropower generation planning in a given region. The aim of the article is to develop a model for optimizing hydropower production and to apply this model for selected region. The West Pomeranian region was selected for this case study, and the time range for planning is from 2019 to 2030. The selected region is particularly predestined for the production of renewable energy sources. Constructed model and obtained results for optimization of hydropower development in selected region is useful for fostering usage of renewable energy sources in Poland and moving forward towards carbon‐free economy target set by European Union for 2050.
Ensuring safe and consistent coengineering of cyber‐physical production systems: A case study
Authors: Tröls Michael , Mashkoor Atif , Demuth Andreas , Egyed Alexander 
Published: August 2020

AbstractIn today's engineering projects, companies continuously have to adapt their systems to changing customers or dynamic market requirements. This requires a flexible, iterative development process in which different parts of the system under construction are built and updated concurrently. However, concurrent engineering becomes quite challenging in domains where different engineering artifacts from different disciplines come into play, such as safety‐critical cyber‐physical systems, where the involved engineering artifacts are quite heterogeneous in nature. In such systems, it is of utmost importance that different artifacts remain consistent in order to guarantee a correctly functioning end product. In this article, we discuss our experiences (with a leading company working in the areas of production automation and product processing) in maintaining the consistency between electrical models and the corresponding software controller, when both are subject to continuous changes. The article discusses how we let engineers describe the relationships between electrical models and the corresponding software controller code in the form of links and consistency rules. Additionally, we demonstrate that how our approach, through a process of continuous consistency checking, notifies engineers about the erroneous impact of their changes in various engineering artifacts.
Dual factor third‐party biometric‐based authentication scheme using quantum one time passwords†
Authors: Sharma Mohit Kumar , Nene Manisha J. 
Published: August 2020

AbstractOne Time Passwords (OTP) are being widely used for authentication of user to access a number of services offered online. The security vulnerabilities in classical execution of OTP schemes are addressed using Quantum OTP (QOTP) scheme with user biometrics. This scheme requires sharing of user biometric data with every service provider. The chances of leakage of user biometrics increase with increase in number of entities holding the data. Further, loss of data by any entity compromises user identity for all other services. The work carried out in this article addresses the above‐mentioned challenges by incorporating a trusted third party which holds user biometric data and carries out authentication on its behalf. The proposed model continues leveraging upon inherent security benefits provided by Quantum Entanglement and Quantum Communication and utilizing user biometrics as authentication data. It modifies the QOTP scheme by carrying out mutual authentication for user and server against a particular transaction. The proposed model brings in the advantages of Single Sign On facility in terms of hardware to reduce infrastructure cost and No Secret Sharing of user biometric data with the servers to protect against rogue servers. The security analysis demonstrates the merit of the inherent procedures of the proposed work which leverage on the no‐cloning and quantum cryptography principles.