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Low protein intake (LPI) has been suggested as a treatment for chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, protein intake is essential for bone health. We studied the database of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2005–2010. Basic variables, metabolic diseases, and bone density of different femoral areas were stratified into four subgroups according to different protein intake (DPI) (that is, <0.8, 0.8–1.0, 1.0–1.2, and >1.2 g/kg/day). Significant differences were found among all lumbar area bone mineral density (BMD) and T-scores (p < 0.0001). There was an apparent trend between a decreasing BMD in the CKD groups with increasing DPI in all single lumbar spines (L1, L2, L3, and L4) and all L spines (L1-L4). Compared with DPI (0.8–1.0 g/day/kg), higher risks of osteoporosis were noticed in the subgroup of >1.2 g/day/kg over L2 (relative risk (RR)=1.326, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.062–1.656), subgroup >1.2 g/day/kg over L3 (RR = 1.31, 95%CI = 1.057–1.622), subgroup <0.8 g/day/kg over L4 (RR = 1.276, 95%CI = 1.015–1.605), subgroup <0.8 g/day/kg over all L spines (RR = 11.275, 95%CI = 1.051–1.548), and subgroup >1.2 g/day/kg over all L spines (RR = 0.333, 95%CI = 1.098–1.618). However, a higher risk of osteoporosis was observed only in the non-CKD group. There was an apparent trend of higher DPI coexisting with lower BMD and T scores in patients with CKD. For osteoporosis (reference:0.8–1.0 g/day/kg), lower (<0.8 g/day/kg) or higher DPI (>1.2 g/day/kg) was associated with higher risks in the non-CKD group, but not in the CKD group. In the CKD group, LPI for renal protection was safe without threatening L spine bone density and without causing a higher risk of osteoporosis. A low-protein diet should be encouraged in patients with CKD, but protein is essential for bone health. In this study, we showed that a low-protein diet did not affect lumbar bone density. Therefore, in the care of CKD, a low-protein diet is beneficial for renal function and without harm to lumbar bone health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ionic polymer metal composite (IPMC) is an intelligent material that can bend rapidly to produce large deformation and large strain when subjected to external electrical stimulation. And it is widely used in the actuation of underwater bionic robots. In this paper, two sets of IPMCs were fabricated by chemical reduction on the surface of commercial Nafion films. An experimental platform was built, the maximum displacement of IPMCs was 13.07 mm and the maximum output force was 12.14 mN, and it is found that IPMCs with high driving performance could generate displacements of 3.47 mm∼0.26 mm under high frequency voltage. The piezoelectric bicrystal model of IPMC was constructed and validated by Pearson correlation, proving that the model can effectively predict the experimental values and providing theoretical support for the subsequent research on the tail fin drive of IPMC miniature robot fish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new state observer-based vibration control strategy for the suspension system equipped with magnetorheological (MR) damper is proposed in this paper. Firstly, the Bouc-Wen model is implemented to fit the hysteresis phenomenon of the MR damper. A new dynamic model is successfully formulated including the Bouc-Wen model and electrical equation. According to the energy conservation law, an adjustable current is designed as the control object to adjust the characteristics of the MR damper to absorb the external input energy. Then, the current is assumed as an unavailable state for the suspension system, a supplemental state observer (SSOB) including the correction function and adaptation law is proposed to estimate it. Finally, a supplemental state observer-based sliding mode control (SSOBSMC) integrated with SSOB and sliding mode control (SMC) is proposed to estimate the unavailable current and perform robust vibration control, simultaneously. From the simulation results, the proposed SSOB shows outstanding state estimation ability for the suspension system. The SSOBSMC also performs outstanding state estimation ability and robust vibration control performance, simultaneously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, an optical depth-sensing system whose focus distance was equal to its object distance was constructed by using a lens with a shortened depth of field. In addition to a mechanical control lens that captured two-dimensional images, a set of negative microlens array films used to shorten the depth of field was installed in this system. The developed system can scan a region and obtain the relationship curve between the focus distance and the motor step. Depth information is acquired by discerning the sharpness of the object's outline and determining whether the captured object is in focus. The motor step is initialized when the object is in focus. The optical path of the developed system is simple, and its volume is minimal; thus, the developed system is suitable for being combined with cell phone lenses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coarse-grained molecular dynamic simulations are adopted to study the interaction of octamer (C60 fullerenes and their various derivatives – fullerenols) with DPPC lipid membranes. It is found that the translocation process of the octamer depends on the forms and proportion of functionalised modification. Our research suggests that the octamer was difficult to move into the core of lipid membrane, with the increase in patchy-modified hydroxyl groups. In addition, PMF calculations show that the functionalised fullerene polymers inserted into or adsorbed onto the bilayer are strongly energetically favourable. Our study provides reference information about the reduced toxicity of functionalised fullerene polymer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, an interferometric method was proposed for the simultaneous measurement of phase retardation and fast-axis azimuth angle of a wave plate by using a Mach–Zehnder interferometer. The wave plate to be tested is placed in one of the light passages in the interferometer, and two analyzers with transmission axes at horizontal and vertical orientations are arranged at the two output regions. When a linearly polarized laser light beam is passed through the interferometer, two interference light beams are simultaneously generated. Through an analysis of the intensities of the two light beams, the phase retardation and fast-axis azimuth angle of the tested wave plate can be simultaneously determined using specially derived equations. The feasibility of the proposed method was demonstrated using measurements of zero-order half-wave and zero-order quarter-wave plates. The proposed method is easy to operate, enables rapid measurement, and has high stability and accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Moments and cumulants are involved in statistical analysis for a wide range of fields. A natural and popular approach to moment and cumulant estimation is based on the sample average. However, it is well known that these sample estimates usually perform poorly. In this paper, we derive uniformly minimum-variance unbiased estimator for raw moment, centred moment, and cumulant of any order for a number of common distributions. Extensive simulation studies demonstrate that the proposed estimators can perform much better than the corresponding sample average estimators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Run Zao Zhi Yang capsule (RZZYC) has been widely applied for eczema treatment as a traditional Chinese medicine, while its efficacy has not been scientifically investigated. Objective: We conducted this multiple-centers, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study to investigate the effectiveness and safety of RZZYC on the treatment of patients with mild to moderate chronic eczema. Methods: 240 patients were randomly assigned into the experimental group and the placebo group. The primary efficacy indicator was the Eczama Area and Severity Index (EASI) score at week 4. The patient with an EASI score that decreases more than 95% from baseline (EASI 95) was judged as cured. The cured patients were followed up for another 8 weeks. The differences on EASI, Visual Analogue Score (VAS), and Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) score were compared. Results: The proportions of EASI 95 and EASI 60 in the experimental group were significantly higher than those of the control group at week4 (p =.002 and p <.001, respectively), the VAS score decreased more significantly in the experimental group at week 4. After 8 weeks follow-up, no difference on recurrence rate and adverse event rate between the two groups was observed. Conclusion: RZZYC provides a good effect on the treatment of mild-to-moderate chronic eczema with a low recurrence and tolerable adverse events, and is a potential treatment that may be implemented in clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Predicting asset prices is a critical issue in statistics and finance. In this article, by incorporating the recent advances in nonparametric approaches, we propose the empirical likelihood test for the predictability for the direction of price changes. Under some regularity conditions, the test statistic has an asymptotic χ2 distribution under the null hypothesis that the direction of price change cannot be predicted. This test procedure is easy to implement and presents better finite sample performances than other popular causality tests, as reported in some Monte Carlo experiments. We propose a non parametric likelihood test for predictability. The test involves no user-chosen parameter or estimation of covariance matrix. The test is simple to implement and has standard asymptotics. The test has significantly better sizes than several popular tests with satisfactory power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modern Morocco's heavy dependence on foreign energy imports, combined with a rapidly growing population and an increasing demand for a better quality of life, makes the country's future uncertain. Possessing rich and diversified renewable energy resources within its territory encouraged the Moroccan government to make ambitious plans to integrate renewable energy resources into its national grid on a big scale, 42% of its energy generating capacity from renewables by 2020, and 52% by 2030. This paper provides a first assessment of the offshore energy potential available near the coastline of Morocco. After a brief description of operations of offshore wind, tidal and wave power, a first order assessment of their potential is presented and discussed. This study shows that important offshore wind resources are available throughout the Mediterranean and the Atlantic coast of Morocco. This resource peaks between the regions of Al Jadida and Agadir, reaching a speed of 9_m/s. The bulk of the offshore resources are located at the Atlantic coastline of the country. Tidal stream resources are concentrated at the region of Tangier, where tidal speed is up to 1.9_m/s potentially producing 1.58_kW/m2. Oualidia lagoon was studied and found to be capable of producing more than 0.5_MW of electricity if a tidal barrage exploits 10% of its surface. Finally, ocean wave energy is available all over the Atlantic coastline and peaks between the regions of Essaouira and Agadir where the wave heights are between 1.9 and 2.13_m. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A dry reforming (DR) catalyst based on bimetallic Pd-Pt supported on carbon nanotubes is presented. The catalyst was prepared using a microwave-induced synthesis. It showed enhanced DR activity in the 773-923 K temperature range at 3 atm. Observed carbon balances between the reactant and product gases imply minimal carbon deposition. A global three-reaction (reversible) kinetic model—consisting of DR, reverse water gas shift, and CH4 decomposition (MD)—adequately simulates the observed concentrations, product H2/CO ratios, and reactant conversions. Analysis shows that, under the conditions of this study, the DR and MD reactions are net forward and far from equilibrium, while the RWGS is near equilibrium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Necrotic enteritis (NE) is a serious disease of poultry caused by the bacterium C. perfringens. To identify proteins of C. perfringens that confer virulence with respect to NE, the protein secretions of four NE disease-producing strains and one baseline nondisease-producing strain of C. perfringens were examined. The problem then becomes a clustering task, for the identification of two extreme groups of proteins that were produced at either concordantly higher or concordantly lower levels across all four disease-producing strains compared to the baseline, when most of the proteins do not exhibit significant change across all strains. However, the existence of some nuisance proteins of discordant change may severely distort any biologically meaningful cluster pattern. We develop a tailored multivariate clustering approach to robustly identify the proteins of concordant change. Using a three-component normal mixture model as the skeleton, our approach incorporates several constraints to account for biological expectations and data characteristics. More importantly, we adopt a sparse mean-shift parameterization in the reference distribution, coupled with a regularized estimation approach, to flexibly accommodate proteins of discordant change. We explore the connections and differences between our approach and other robust clustering methods, and resolve the issue of unbounded likelihood under an eigenvalue-ratio condition. Simulation studies demonstrate the superior performance of our method compared with a number of alternative approaches. Our protein analysis along with further biological investigations may shed light on the discovery of the complete set of virulence factors in NE. Supplementary materials for this article are available online. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previously, we showed that oral application of the environmental pollutant dibenzo[a,l]pyrene (DB[a,l]P) induces oral tumors in mice. Thus, in the present investigation we examined the effect of alcohol on DB[a,l]P-induced DNA damage and immune regulation; we showed that alcohol (6.4% v/v in the diet, 35% of Calories) significantly enhanced the levels of (−)-anti-trans-DB[a,l]P-dA while decreased the levels of GSH in the mouse oral tissues. Analysis of RNA expression revealed that DB[a,l]P alone upregulates inflammatory genes while alcohol suppresses several markers of immune surveillance. Collectively, these results suggest that alcohol may enhance oral carcinogenesis induced by DB[a,l]P. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Linear mixed models are widely used when multiple correlated measurements are made on each unit of interest. In many applications, the units may form several distinct clusters, and such heterogeneity can be more appropriately modelled by afinite mixture linear mixed model. The classical estimation approach, in which both the random effects and the error parts are assumed to follow normal distribution, is sensitive to outliers, and failure to accommodate outliers may greatly jeopardize the model estimation and inference. We propose a new mixture linear mixed model using multivariatetdistribution. For each mixture component, we assume the response and the random effects jointly follow a multivariatetdistribution, to conveniently robustify the estimation procedure. An efficient expectation conditional maximization algorithm is developed for conducting maximum likelihood estimation. The degrees of freedom parameters of thetdistributions are chosen data adaptively, for achieving flexible trade-off between estimation robustness and efficiency. Simulation studies and an application on analysing lung growth longitudinal data showcase the efficacy of the proposed approach. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Median filter is a robust technique for signal restoration when outliers occurred within observations. Moreover, smoothing splines is also an alternative method for recovering the underlying signals. Interestingly, we found that neither median filter nor smoothing splines dominates each other. To obtain a more robust signal estimate, a two-stage procedure for signal denoising is considered, in which the smoothing spline method is applied again to capture possible information within the differences of median filter and smoothing spline estimates. Then, according to an approximate estimator of-risk, a modified median filter method is proposed to estimate the underlying signals. Various comparisons are made via simulation studies to illustrate the superiority of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The problem of reconstructing the source-sink dynamics arises in many biological systems. Our research is motivated by marine applications where newborns are passively dispersed by ocean currents from several potential spawning sources to settle in various nursery regions that collectively constitute the sink. The reconstruction of the sparse source-sink linkage pattern, that is, to identify which sources contribute to which regions in the sink, is a challenging task in marine ecology. We derive a constrained nonlinear multicomponent regression model for source-sink reconstruction, which is capable of simultaneously selecting important linkages from the sources to the sink regions and making inference about the unobserved spawning activities at the sources. A sparsity-inducing and nonnegativity-constrained regularization approach is developed for model estimation, and theoretically we show that our estimator enjoys the oracle properties. The empirical performance of the method is investigated via simulation studies mimicking real ecological applications. We examine the transport hypothesis that Atlantic cod larvae were transported by sea currents from the North Sea to a few exposed coastal fjords along the Norwegian Skagerrak. Our findings of the spawning date distribution is consistent with results from previous studies, and the proposed approach for the first time provides valid statistical support for the larval drift conjecture. Supplementary materials for this article are available online. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prevailing complex geological and ecological conditions of Taiwan have drawn considerable attention from various geo-ecological communities because of their vulnerability to produce various natural hazards at different scales. Located in the tropical/subtropical zone of the Pacific Rim, its ecological and rugged mountainous properties are environmentally sensitive making monitoring and observation especially difficult because of the high population density. In this article, we have investigated the land deformation in two adjacent industrial parks, Jhong-Li and Guei-Shan, in northern Taiwan using radar interferometry. The Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar technique for processing a series of data sets was first validated by comparison with ground levelling measurements over a test site. Excellent agreement was obtained in both deformation pattern and magnitude of subsidence rate. The period of observation dated from 1993 to 2000 with Synthetic Aperture Radar images from ERS-1 and ERS-2. The results, after least-squares adjustment, revealed that the maximum subsidence reached 10 cm and the subsidence rates were about 1.8 cm year−1 (at epicentres) since 1993 at both parks. It was also found that the subsidence rate slowed down after 1998 at Jhong-Li park while continuing at Guei-Shan park. This was strongly associated with local groundwater extraction activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taiwan has started to liberalize its exchange rate and foreign investment policies since the mid 1980s. The subsequent considerable appreciation of its currency and increasing labor cost has stimulated many Taiwanese firms to actively undertake outward foreign direct investment (FDI). The possibility of the industrial hollowing-out induced by the FDI has been a great concern in Taiwan. The purpose of this paper is to establish a computable general equilibrium (CGE) model to investigate the impact of outward FDI by Taiwanese firms on its domestic economy. The efficiency wage theory is incorporated into the analytical framework. This paper first employs regression analysis to show that there exists severe wage rigidity in the labor market of Taiwan. Its simulation analysis then indicates that the outward FDI from Taiwan might reduce its income and employment to some extent. These results reveal that the outward FDI might hurt a distortion-ridden economy, which is consistent with the theoretical findings of Brecher and Choudhri (1987) and Basu (1998). However, it seems that the outward FDI could account for only a very small part of the recent increase in Taiwan's unemployment level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A randomized cluster trial was conducted to assess the impact of individualized health intervention guided by the transtheoretical model (TTM) theory on behavior change and quality of life (QoL) among the older rural population of China. A total of 2441 persons aged 60 years and over participated in the study. After a nine-month intervention, brined vegetable intake, salt intake, and smoking decreased (p < .001) while fresh vegetable and fresh fruit intake increased within the intervention group (p < .01) after adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics. The intervention group improved significantly in role-physical, role-emotional, mental health, and mental component summary scale scores (p < .05) after adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics, health behavior, and chronic disease status. The study shows that individualized health interventions are a feasible method of changing the health behaviors and improving the QoL in the older rural population of China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The empirical likelihood ratio method is a general nonparametric inference procedure that has many desirable properties. Recently, the procedure has been generalized to several settings including testing of weighted means with right-censored data. However, the computation of the empirical likelihood ratio with censored data and other complex settings is often nontrivial. We propose to use a sequential quadratic programming (SQP) method to solve the computational problem. We introduce several auxiliary variables so that the computation of SQP is greatly simplified. Examples of the computation with null hypothesis concerning the weighted mean are presented for right- and interval-censored data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The atomic force microscope (AFM) utilizes a micromachined cantilevered probe with a sharp sensor tip to measure surface topography information and material properties such as Young's modulus. The quality of the measured data is strongly influenced by the modal sensitivity of the AFM probe, which is defined as the change in frequency due to a change in the contact stiffness. A two-stage procedure for the shape optimization of V-shaped AFM probes is proposed. In the first stage, an accurate finite-element (FE) model representing a practical AFM probe is obtained by incorporating experimental frequencies in FE model updating. In the second stage, the updated FE model is used as an initial design and shape optimization is performed to maximize the modal sensitivity for the probe. Examples solved using ANSYS™ finite-element and optimization software demonstrate the effectiveness of the approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plants of wheat growing in pots with silicon (Si) applied before sowing had greater plant height, leaf area, and dry materials compared to those without Si applied in well watering conditions. Drought stress was applied by withholding watering for 12 days from 26-day old seedlings. In the stress conditions, plants growing in Si-applied soil could maintain higher relative water content (RWC), water potential and leaf area compared to those without Si applied. Moreover, the Si applied plant dry materials were not significantly changed by drought while those of plants growing in pots without Si applied were significantly decreased, and this was mainly due to growth inhibition of the shoots. Drought stressed wheat growing in pots with Si applied had a significantly greater leaf weight ratio (LWR) and lower specific leaf area (SLA) compared to those of stressed plants in the absence of applied Si. This demonstrates that the leaves of stressed plants growing in pots with Si applied were thicker compared to those without Si applied. This may have a beneficial effect by reducing the transpirational loss of water and maintain high RWC and water potential. Therefore, application of Si may be one of the available pathways to improve growth of this crop and increase its production in arid or semi arid areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies on temperature and infectious diseases primarily focused on individual disease types, yielding inconsistent conclusions. This study collected monthly data on notifiable infectious disease cases and meteorological variables across 7 provinces in China from 2011 to 2019. A distributed lag nonlinear model was used to evaluate the association between ambient temperature and infectious diseases within each province, and random meta-analysis was applied to evaluate the pooled effect. Extreme hot temperature (the 97.5th percentile) was positively associated with the risk of respiratory infectious diseases with the relative risk (RR) of 1.45 (95%CI: 1.01–2.08). Conversely, extreme cold temperature (the 2.5th percentile) was negatively associated with intestinal infectious diseases and zoonotic diseases and vector-borne diseases, reporting RRs of 0.43 (95%CI: 0.30–0.60) and 0.46 (95%CI: 0.38–0.57), respectively. This study described the nonlinear association between ambient temperature and infectious diseases with different transmission routes, informing comprehensive prevention and control strategies for temperature-related infectious diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractInflammatory pain, is caused by lesions or diseases of the somatosensory tissue, is a prevalent chronic condition that profoundly impacts the quality of life. However, clinical treatment for this type of pain remains limited. Traditionally, the stimulation of microglia and subsequent inflammatory reactions are considered crucial elements to promote the worsening of inflammatory pain. Recent research has shown the crucial importance of the cGAS-STING pathway in promoting inflammation. It is still uncertain if the cGAS-STING pathway plays the role in the fundamental cause of inflammatory pain. This research showed that injecting CFA into the left hind paw of mice caused mechanical allodynia and increased inflammation in the spine. Our research results suggested that the cGAS-STING pathway had a function in the inflammation mediated by microglia in the spinal cord dorsal horn. Blocking the cGAS-STING pathway using STING antagonists (C-176) led to reduced release of inflammatory factors and prevented M1 polarization of BV2 microglia in a laboratory setting. Additionally, intrathecal administration of C-176 reduced the allodynia in CFA treated mice. Our results suggest that inhibiting microglial polarization through the cGAS-STING pathway represents a potential novel therapeutic strategy for inflammatory pain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractStatistical learning with a large number of rare binary features is commonly encountered in analyzing electronic health records (EHR) data, especially in the modeling of disease onset with prior medical diagnoses and procedures. Dealing with the resulting highly sparse and large-scale binary feature matrix is notoriously challenging as conventional methods may suffer from a lack of power in testing and inconsistency in model fitting, while machine learning methods may suffer from the inability of producing interpretable results or clinically-meaningful risk factors. To improve EHR-based modeling and use the natural hierarchical structure of disease classification, we propose a tree-guided feature selection and logic aggregation approach for large-scale regression with rare binary features, in which dimension reduction is achieved through not only a sparsity pursuit but also an aggregation promoter with the logic operator of “or”. We convert the combinatorial problem into a convex linearly-constrained regularized estimation, which enables scalable computation with theoretical guarantees. In a suicide risk study with EHR data, our approach is able to select and aggregate prior mental health diagnoses as guided by the diagnosis hierarchy of the International Classification of Diseases. By balancing the rarity and specificity of the EHR diagnosis records, our strategy improves both prediction and interpretation. We identify important higher-level categories and subcategories of mental health conditions and simultaneously determine the level of specificity needed for each of them in associating with suicide risk. Supplementary materials for this article are available online, including a standardized description of the materials available for reproducing the work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractQuantile regression is increasingly encountered in modern big data applications due to its robustness and flexibility. We consider the scenario of learning the conditional quantiles of a specific target population when the available data may go beyond the target and be supplemented from other sources that possibly share similarities with the target. A crucial question is how to properly distinguish and use useful information from other sources to improve the quantile estimation and inference at the target. We develop transfer learning methods for high-dimensional quantile regression by detecting informative sources whose models are similar to the target and using them to improve the target model. We show that under reasonable conditions, the detection of the informative sources based on sample splitting is consistent. Compared to the naive estimator with only the target data, the transfer learning estimator achieves a much lower error rate as a function of the sample sizes, the signal-to-noise ratios, and the similarity measures among the target and the source models. Extensive simulation studies demonstrate the superiority of our proposed approach. We apply our methods to tackle the problem of detecting hard-landing risk for flight safety and show the benefits and insights gained from transfer learning of three different types of airplanes: Boeing 737, Airbus A320, and Airbus A380. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a nested reduced-rank regression (NRRR) approach in fitting a regression model with multivariate functional responses and predictors to achieve tailored dimension reduction and facilitate model interpretation and visualization. Our approach is based on a two-level low-rank structure imposed on the functional regression surfaces. A global low-rank structure identifies a small set of latent principal functional responses and predictors that drives the underlying regression association. A local low-rank structure then controls the complexity and smoothness of the association between the principal functional responses and predictors. The functional problem boils down to an integrated matrix approximation task through basis expansion, where the blocks of an integrated low-rank matrix share some common row space and/or column space. This nested reduced-rank structure also finds potential applications in multivariate time series modeling and tensor regression. A blockwise coordinate descent algorithm is developed. We establish the consistency of NRRR and show through nonasymptotic analysis that it can achieve at least a comparable error rate to that of the reduced-rank regression. Simulation studies demonstrate the effectiveness of NRRR. We apply the proposed methods in an electricity demand problem to relate daily electricity consumption trajectories with daily temperatures. Supplementary files for this article are available online. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we propose a statistical modeling framework that contributes to advancing methods for modeling insurance policy premium in the actuarial literature. Specification of separate frequency and severity models, accounting for territorial risk and performing accurate inference, are some of the challenges an actuary faces while modeling policy premium. Policy premiums are characterized to follow a semi-continuous probability distribution, featuring a non-zero probability at zero along with a positive continuous support. Interpretability is a concern when quantifying unobserved risks premiums face from spatial variation. Commonly used strategies in the literature are known to successfully quantify this risk, but do not necessarily produce interpretable estimates. Resorting to frequency-severity models leaves the actuary indecisive about the specification of covariates and spatial effects. The novelty of our proposed approach lies in the development of a parsimonious and interpretable zero-adjusted modeling framework that allows for joint estimation of the effect of policy and individual characteristics on the mean premium and dispersion, while quantifying spatial variability in the mean model. The developed methods are applied to a database featuring premiums arising from the collision coverage in insurance policies for motor vehicles within the state of Connecticut, USA, for the year 2008. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complete mitochondrial genome of Zacco platypus (Cypriniformes, Cyprinidae), which has broader distribution range and diverse genetic structure than other species under the genus Zacco, was first determined in this study. The mitochondrial genome is 16,612 base pairs (bp) in length, encoding 13 protein-coding genes, 2 ribosomal RNAs, 22 transfer RNAs and 1 non-coding control region. Its gene arrangement and translation direction were identical to those of other typical vertebrate. Control region (D-Loop), of 929 bp lengths long, is located between tRNAPro and tRNAPhe. The overall base composition of the heavy strand shows T 27.02%, C 26.23%, A 28.94% and G 17.82%, with a slight AT bias of 55.95%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A literature survey indicated that high impedance fault (HIF) detection methods employ simulation techniques using very low voltage signals generated using software such as PSCAD, and MATLAB, among others. While software platforms are used to derive satisfactory results, small fault current signals cannot be accurately tapped from high transformation ratio current transformers owing to the dominant load currents in real power systems. Therefore, a sensitivity analysis based on a power system background is considered essential. A set of well-known power system equations are used to analyse and select a parameter to tune this sensitivity, from several available parameters, such as source, transformer, line, neutral, and earth impedance. The analysis reveals that when the detection of HIF in the field is challenging, then fault or neutral impedance emerges as an important parameter for tuning the system. To achieve this, certain rigorous mathematical steps are derived to develop a suitable formulation for sensitivity analysis using differential calculus. Based on the analysis, the sensitivity results and tuning parameters are tabulated, and sensitivity dependency curves are plotted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a stochastic inventory policy of periodic review with joint replacement for multi-products applicable to food service. The products to supply are grouped by multivariate cluster analysis by features of interest in this service. The associated inventory model that describes the random demand for each product considers forecast temporal dependence through a generalized linear autoregressive moving average (GLARMA) model. Optimization of the cost function related to the inventory model is obtained considering the expected value of the forecast of demand per unit time and stochastic programming. The proposed policy is exemplified with real-world data from a Chilean food service hospital. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Based on the study of human gait, the rehabilitation assessment indicators which can comprehensively reflect the motor function of lower limbs are summed up, including muscle force, range of motion, stride length and gait speed. Then the surface electromyography (sEMG) acquisition equipment and kinematics data acquisition equipment are used to collect the EMG data and kinematic data in real time during subjects’ walking process, and the statistical analysis method is used to verify the rationality of the selected assessment indicators. By using analytic hierarchy process, the weight of each evaluation index is determined, and finally a relatively scientific, accurate and objective rehabilitation evaluation model is formed. The model can be used to assess the lower limb motor function of subjects through the quantitative index, overcoming the high subjectivity and low sensitivity of the clinical rehabilitation physician assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A full bridge inverter with DC bypass (FB-DCBP) topology is not only capable of withstanding twice as much voltage stress as FB structure but also alleviates the leakage current that the FB registers. However, the improvement in leakage current of the FB-DCBP depends on the parameter consistency of the DCBP circuit such as the propagation time of the photocoupler and the turn-on and turn-off times of the power transistors. The parameter inconsistency of the DCBP circuit would incur asymmetric operation that causes two unequal clamping voltages and worsens the leakage current. In addition, because the clamping diodes of FB-DCBP are not controllable, a slight phase lead/lag in AC current with respect to grid voltage would result in PWM failure and deteriorate AC power quality and leakage current. To balance the clamping voltages on the DC capacitors, a duty ratio compensator (DRC) is presented to cope with the overdischarged DC capacitor due to the inconsistency in DCBP circuit. To further avert malfunction in PWM voltage, an improved topology with two MOSFETs in place of the clamping diodes of FB-DCBP is presented. Experimental results validate the effectiveness of the proposed approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid growth of the industries and commercial space being more competitive attention to quality control and most importantly to produce zero defect products has become more important than ever. Retaining customers, attracting new customers, and making them loyal require many efforts among which producing competitive, high quality, and zero defects products enjoys the highest weight. Recognition of errors and defects in production lines which cause reduction in product quality is an effective lever to eliminate errors and improve the existing situation. In this paper, failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA) technique has been utilized to find errors and their causes in the production line of the Iranian Tobacco Company. With the completion of FMEA table and calculating Risk Priority Number (RPN) values, all errors were zoned and prioritized. The prioritization of the discovered errors based on FMEA technique indicated human error as the most important factor in the emergence of errors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of appropriate nitrogen (N) rates is important to optimize organic rice yield potential while minimizing environmental impact and input costs. A greenhouse experiment was conducted to identify the optimal N rate for organic and conventional rice and determine its effects on rice yield, soil properties, and greenhouse gas emissions. Six N rates (0, 50, 100, 150, 200, and 250 kg ha−1) and two cropping systems (organic, conventional) were included in this study. Plant dry biomass, panicle number, and yield of conventional rice linearly increased with increasing N rate from 0 to 250 kg ha−1, whereas those of organic rice increased significantly with increasing N rate until 200 kg ha−1. Conventional rice had a significantly taller plant, whereas organic rice had a significantly greater tiller number. At the optimal N rate, the panicle number and yield of organic rice were 77.3% and 92.7% of those of conventional rice, respectively. CO2 and CH4 emissions peaked at the reproductive stage, whereas N2O emissions peaked at the vegetative stage. Global warming potential (GWP) increased with increasing N rate and peaked at 200 and 250 kg N ha−1, respectively, in the organic and conventional system; however, greenhouse gas intensity (GHGI) was not affected by N rate in both systems. Of the measured soil parameters, total microbial biomass (TMB) was significantly correlated to plant growth, yield, and GWP. Our study indicated that the optimal N rate was 200 kg ha−1 for organic rice and 250 kg ha−1 or higher for conventional rice to approach yield potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microalgae have been considered as ideal feedstocks for biodiesel production but the potential application is still under investigations. Here, eight kinds of microalgae were identified from water samples based on the morphologic and phylogenetic analyses. Among these eight microalgae, two Mychonastes S4 and S15 exhibited relative faster growth rate in the early culture stage and the highest contents of lipids. The two Mychonastes also showed higher C18:1 contents than the two Chlorella which were traditionally considered to be potential species for biodiesel production. As one kind of less researched microalgae, this study suggests Mychonastes should be a potential feedstock for biodiesel production. The application of the microalgal biodiesel still have some limiting factors, however, it is promising based on better lipid extraction technology and more relevant studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In multivariate regression models, a sparse singular value decomposition of the regression component matrix is appealing for reducing dimensionality and facilitating interpretation. However, the recovery of such a decomposition remains very challenging, largely due to the simultaneous presence of orthogonality constraints and co-sparsity regularization. By delving into the underlying statistical data-generation mechanism, we reformulate the problem as a supervised co-sparse factor analysis, and develop an efficient computational procedure, named sequential factor extraction via co-sparse unit-rank estimation (SeCURE), that completely bypasses the orthogonality requirements. At each step, the problem reduces to a sparse multivariate regression with a unit-rank constraint. Nicely, each sequentially extracted sparse and unit-rank coefficient matrix automatically leads to co-sparsity in its pair of singular vectors. Each latent factor is thus a sparse linear combination of the predictors and may influence only a subset of responses. The proposed algorithm is guaranteed to converge, and it ensures efficient computation even with incomplete data and/or when enforcing exact orthogonality is desired. Our estimators enjoy the oracle properties asymptotically; a non-asymptotic error bound further reveals some interesting finite-sample behaviors of the estimators. The efficacy of SeCURE is demonstrated by simulation studies and two applications in genetics. Supplementary materials for this article are available online. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Rice ratooning could be a practical way to increase rice production per unit area and per unit time. The objectives of this study were to evaluate variety [two inbreds (Cocodrie and Presidio) and three hybrids (Clearfield XL729, Clearfield XL745, and XL723)] and planting date (early and normal) effects on rice ratoon production in a sandy loam and clay soil at Eagle Lake and Beaumont, Texas, USA, respectively. A randomized design with four replications was used at both sites in 2008 and 2009 with a total of 160 observations. A PROC MIXED model was used to analyze the data with year and site as random factors and planting date and variety as fixed factors, and main crop (MC) and ratoon crop (RC) were analyzed using Repeated Measures analysis of variance (ANOVA). The grain yield of MC was only affected by the variety with hybrids having greater yields than inbreds (p < 0.01). However, both RC and total (MC plus RC) grain yields were affected by both planting date and variety (p < 0.01). For both RC and TC crops, early planting had greater (10%) grain yields than the normal planting (p < 0.01). Hybrids had 12% greater rain yields than inbreds (p < 0.001), but only for RC. The rice milling quality of MC was also affected by planting date and variety with greater milling yields with inbreds under normal planting. The results from this study indicate that rice ratoon and total crop yields could be improved through a combination of selected management practices including optimal variety selection and an earlier planting date. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethylene plays important roles in the regulation of plant development and senescence, and largely acts through families of transcription factors. Some members of the plant-specific APETALA2/ethylene response factor (AP2/ERF) superfamily of transcription factors act downstream of the ethylene signaling pathway and are strongly conserved throughout the plant kingdom. Many members of this family of regulatory proteins are involved in the control of plant growth, defense, responses to the environment, and plant hormones. Recently, evidence showing that they are also key regulators of ripening fruit quality attributes, such as color, texture, and flavor, is accumulating, providing new targets for exploring biological function and action of ethylene in fruit. Here, we review the recent progress in functional characterization of members of theAP2/ERFfamily of transcription actors and their role in controlling multiple aspects of fruit quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate the frequency and clinical relevance of missense mutation at position 265 changing leucine to proline in the myeloid differentiation factor 88 gene (MYD88 L265P) in the vitreous of Chinese patients with vitreoretinal lymphoma (VRL) using droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR).Methods: Vitreous fluid (VF) from 29 eyes of 20 VRL patients at the North Huashan Hospital were included. MYD88 L265P analysis of VF was performed using ddPCR. Associations between clinicopathologic characteristics and MYD88 mutation were analyzed using t-test or Fisher's exact test.Results: MYD88 L265P mutations were detected in 22 of 29 samples from 14 patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphomas and one patient with lymphoplasmacytoid lymphoma. However, no significant associations were found between MYD88 L265P mutation status and age, sex, lymphoma subtype or location of the primary lesion.Conclusion: The high prevalence of MYD88 L265P identified by ddPCR suggests that this method of evaluating the frequency of MYD88 L265P is a promising tool for accurate diagnosis of VRL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For states estimation problem of continuous–discrete systems, the numerical approximation methods with high order of accuracy are commonly used to build the continuous–discrete filtering algorithms. However, there is a common contradiction between the computational efficiency and the accuracy. In order to improve the efficiency of state estimation in the continuous–discrete filtering method, continuous–discrete extended cubature Kalman filtering based on Adams–Bashforth–Moulton (ABM) numerical approximation is proposed. ABM is the linear multi-step numerical method, which can achieve the fourth-order accuracy for solving the differential state equation, and its 'predictor–corrector' mathematic structure is relatively simple. The performances of ABM method are theoretically analysed; the mixed-type filtering method for continuous–discrete nonlinear states estimation is proposed to integrate the best features of extended Kalman filtering and cubature Kalman filtering. More precisely, the time updates are deduced by extended Kalman filtering whereas the measurement updates are conducted by the third-degree spherical-radial cubature rule. The superior performances of proposed method are illustrated in the simulations under the conditions of different step-sizes and sampling periods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Selection of suitable reference genes is important for relative quantification in quantitative PCR (qPCR). We investigated the expression stability of candidate reference genes for qPCR in the raphidophyte Chattonella marina at different irradiance, temperature, and oxidative stress conditions, and in different growth phases. Nine candidate reference genes (18S rRNA, cytochrome c oxidase subunit 2, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, actin, alpha-tubulin, beta-tubulin, calmodulin, 60S ribosomal protein L18, and elongation factor) were selected and used for qPCR analysis. After qPCR analysis, gene expression stabilities were evaluated using four frequently used algorithms (geNorm, NormFinder, BestKeeper and ΔCt). A comprehensive evaluation, based on statistical analysis, revealed that calmodulin constantly ranked in the top three at all conditions and growth phases. The gene expression profile of peroxiredoxin, a known antioxidant enzyme, was analysed in C. marina grown at different temperatures (10, 20, and 30 °C) to confirm the applicability of the high-ranked reference genes to relative quantification. The 2-Cys peroxiredoxin gene expression profile using the top-three ranked genes (18S rRNA, alpha-tubulin, and calmodulin) and the second-lowest ranked gene (elongation factor) showed a temperature-dependent increase in expression levels. However, there was no significant difference in the lowest ranked gene, cytochrome c oxidase subunit 2, at the three temperatures. This result showed that evaluation of the candidate reference genes using the four algorithms was valid, and indicates the importance of reference gene selection for relative qPCR in C. marina. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulation has been used to investigate the new explosive 5,5ʹ-dinitramino-3,3ʹ-bi[1,2,4-triazolate] carbohydrazide salt (CBNT) and its polymer-bonded explosives (PBXs) with polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), polyisobutylene (PIB), cellulose acetate butyrate (CAB) and polyurethane (Estane 5703). The binding energy, isotropic mechanical properties (tensile modulus, bulk modulus, shear modulus, and Poisson's ratio) and moldability are reported for CBNT and its based PBXs. Moreover, the detonation parameters (detonation velocity, detonation pressure, detonation temperature, and detonation heat) of CBNT and CBNT-based PBXs are calculated using EXPLO5. The binding energy between each of the crystalline surfaces and each polymer is different, of which the descending order is CBNT/CAB > CBNT/Estane5703 > CBNT/PMMA > CBNT/PIB. The obtained mechanical properties results indicate that the mechanical properties of the CBNT can be effectively improved by adding a tiny amount of polymer binders and the ability of different polymer binders improving the plasticity and moldability of CBNT in the descending order of Estane 5703 > CAB > PMMA > PIB. The calculated detonation performances show that when 5% binders are added, the detonation velocity and detonation pressure of PBXs are lower than those of pure CBNT, of which the detonation velocity is higher than 8500 m/s and the detonation pressure is higher than 26 GPa. Due to the high enthalpy of formation, the detonation temperature and detonation heat of CBNT/CAB are larger than those of pure CBNT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adulteration of meat products with murine meat poses a huge threat to consumer health and leads to serious disruption in food markets. Species authentication of murine meat is still technically challenging. We, therefore, developed a species-specific PCR kit consisting of murine meat DNA extraction, PCR reaction and identifying systems. We designed novel universal primers targeting highly conserved region on mitochondrial cytochrome b gene (cyt b) from four murines (lab rats, lab mice, wild rat and wild mice), as well as specific primers for meat from four widely consumed animal species, cattle, sheep, duck and donkey. Simultaneously, pasmid inserted specific cyt b fragment was cloned and used as the internal positve control in the kit. The kit parameters of specificity, sensitivity, stability and validity were determined using mimic counterfeiting meatball. The specificity of the DNA detection kit was 100% in authentication of the four fraudulent meats of cattle, sheep, duck and donkey mixed murine meat. The minimum detection limit of the sample DNA was 0.1 μg. The kit, which had freeze-thawed up to 20 times and stored for 1 year, also was powerful in detecting an amount of 0.1 mg in artificial counterfeited cattle, sheep, duck and donkey meat products. The murine-species DNA detection kit proposed in this study has proved to be a simple, accurate and effective assay, and can be applied to the identification of murine meat traces in common edible meat, to ensure the realisable implementation of meat product market supervision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) represent an important class of commercially applied materials. Recently, adverse effects of ZnO NPs were found in humans and animals following ingestion, although the effects on endocrine system disease remain unclear. In this study, ZnO NPs were orally administered to mice, and at doses of 25 mg/kg bw (body weight) ZnO NPs and above, plasma glucose increased significantly. The genome-wide effects of ZnO NPs were then investigated using RNA-sequencing technology. In the cluster analysis, the most significantly enriched Gene Ontology (GO) terms and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways concerned membranes and their close association with endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. Biochemical and gene and protein expression analyses revealed that ZnO NPs activated a xenobiotic biodegradation response and increased the expression of cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes in mice livers, leading to ER stress. The ER stress increased ROS generation. The high levels of ROS activated the MAPK and NF-κB pathways and induced an inflammation response, resulting in the phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate 1. Thus, the insulin resistance that developed was the primary mechanism for the increase in the plasma glucose of mice treated orally with ZnO NPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For modern munitions, high energy explosives are expected to reduce vulnerability and improve safety. In this study, based on the formulation of PAX-11 (94 wt% HNIW, 2.4 wt% CAB, 3.6 wt% BDNPA/F), FOX-7 is used as a portion replacement for HNIW to decrease vulnerability. To further decrease mechanical sensitivities and prevent static electricity, 0.5 wt% graphite is added to the surface of PBXs. A series of HNIW/FOX-7 based polymer bonded explosives (PBXs) with different formulations are prepared and mechanical sensitivities, thermal stabilities, detonation velocities, and slow cook-offs are studied to evaluate the energy and hazard of these PBXs. Additionally, finite element numerical simulations are utilized to study the transient temperature distributions, ignition time and ignition locations of the PBX cylinders during slow cook-off. Based on the results of this study, we obtain a high energetic low vulnerable PBX formulation (54 wt% HNIW, 40 wt% FOX-7, 2.4 wt% CAB, 3.6 wt% BDNPA/F, 0.5 wt% additional graphite) that balances energy and vulnerability. This formulation passes the slow cook-off test and detonation velocity reaches 8776 m·s−1, which can be used in the warhead of the high explosive anti-tank cartridge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

2,4,6,8,10,12-Hexanitro-2,4,6,8,10,12-hexaazaisowurtzitane (HNIW)-based polymer-bonded explosives (PBXs) were prepared through an aqueous suspension method using cellulose acetate butyrate (CAB) or fluorine rubber F2311 as a binder. Then the variation rules of mass, surface micro-topography, mechanical properties, thermal decomposition performance, detonation velocity and mechanical sensitivity of the samples before and after accelerated aging tests for different durations were measured. Then the variables of the samples that before and after accelerated aging tests for different durations, will be measured, these variables including the variation rules of mass, surface micro-topography, mechanical properties, thermal decomposition performance, detonation velocity, and mechanical sensitivity. The PBX columns showed an acceptable mass loss of less than 1%, after accelerated aging tests. The surface of the PBX samples became more and more uneven as the aging duration prolonged, which was in a good agreement with the order of mass loss. Moreover, the tensile strength, the thermal stability, the detonation velocity and the mechanical sensitivity of the samples were not significantly affected by the aging process, suggesting that the PBXs remained valid after an accelerated aging test at 60°C for 60 days. A further estimation using the modified Arrhenius equation revealed that the storage life at ambient temperature (20°C) of the HNIW-based PBXs was over 10 years, which satisfies the application demands for explosives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antioxidant enzymes are essential proteins that maintain cell proliferation potential by protecting against oxidative stress. They are present in many organisms including harmful algal bloom (HAB) species. We previously identified the antioxidant enzyme 2-Cys peroxiredoxin (PRX) in the raphidophyte Chattonella marina. This enzyme specifically decomposes a hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). PRX is the only antioxidant enzyme so far identified in C. marina. This study used mRNA-seq, using Trinity assemble and blastx for annotation, to identify a further five antioxidant enzymes from C. marina: Cu Zn superoxide dismutase (Cu/Zn-SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and thioredoxin (TRX). In the gene expression analysis of six enzymes (Cu/Zn-SOD, GPX, CAT, APX, TRX and PRX) using light-acclimated (100 μmol photons m−2 s−1) C. marina cells, only PRX gene expression levels were significantly increased by strong light irradiation (1000 μmol photons m−2 s−1). H2O2 concentration and scavenging activity were also increased and significantly positively correlated with PRX gene expression levels. In dark-acclimated cells, expression levels of all antioxidant enzymes except APX were significantly increased by light irradiation (100 μmol photons m−2 s−1). Expression decreased the following day, with the exception of PRX expression. With the exception of CAT, gene expression of antioxidant enzymes was not significantly induced by artificial H2O2 treatment, although average gene expression levels were slightly increased in some enzymes. Thus, we suggest that light is the main trigger of gene expression, but the resultant oxidative stress is also a possible factor affecting the gene expression of antioxidant enzymes in C. marina. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Acral vitiligo often responses poorly to treatments. Objective: To observe whether pretreatment with ablative fractional CO2 laser aiding penetration of compound betamethasone solution plus NB-UVB could improve the response of refractory acral vitiligo. Methods: Subjects with symmetrical and stable acral vitiligo were enrolled in this study. The symmetrical lesions were randomly allocated to experimental and control sides in a subject. The experimental side underwent five sessions, one month apart, of ablative fractional CO2 laser followed by once of a topical painting of compound betamethasone solution, the control side applied topical betamethasone cream once a day; both sides underwent NB-UVB three times per week. The assessment was performed one month following each of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 5th treatment sessions. Results: Two hundred eighty-nine subjects entered the clinical trial and 126 subjects completed the study. The experiment side showed better improvement in repigmentation. Overall response rate (repigmentation percentage ≥10%) of experiment sides was 51.6%, in contrast, that of control side was 35.8%. There were no severe adverse events in all subjects during the trial. Conclusions: A triple method of ablative fractional CO2 laser, topical compound betamethasone solution plus NB-UVB provided an alternative choice for acral vitiligo with remarkable safety profile. Cinical trial registration: This clinical trial has been registered at Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (Registration number: ChiCTR-TRC-12002593) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]