Automatic categorization of chloride migration into concrete modified with CFBC ash

Maria Marks,Daria Józwiak-Niedzwiedzka,Micha A. Glinicki 사단법인 한국계산역학회 2012 Computers and Concrete, An International Journal Vol.9 No.5

The objective of this investigation was to develop rules for automatic categorization of concrete quality using selected artificial intelligence methods based on machine learning. The range of tested materials included concrete containing a new waste material - solid residue from coal combustion in fluidized bed boilers (CFBC fly ash) used as additive. The rapid chloride permeability test - Nordtest Method BUILD 492 method was used for determining chloride ions penetration in concrete. Performed experimental tests on obtained chloride migration provided data for learning and testing of rules discovered by machine learning techniques. It has been found that machine learning is a tool which can be applied to determine concrete durability. The rules generated by computer programs AQ21 and WEKA using J48 algorithm provided means for adequate categorization of plain concrete and concrete modified with CFBC fly ash as materials of good and acceptable resistance to chloride penetration.

Low HDL cholesterol is associated with increased atherogenic lipoproteins and insulin resistance in women classified with metabolic syndrome

Maria Luz Fernandez,Jennifer J Jones,Daniela Ackerman,Jacqueline Barona,Mariana Calle,Michael V Comperatore,Jung-Eun Kim,Catherine Andersen,Jose O Leite,Jeff S Volek,Mark McIntosh,Colleen Kalynych,Wad 한국영양학회 2010 Nutrition Research and Practice Vol.4 No.6

Both metabolic syndrome (MetS) and elevated LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) increase the risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD). We hypothesized that low HDL cholesterol (HDL-C) would further increase CVD risk in women having both conditions. To assess this, we recruited 89 women with MetS (25-72 y) and LDL-C ≥ 2.6 mmol/L. To determine whether plasma HDL-C concentrations were associated with dietary components, circulating atherogenic particles, and other risk factors for CVD, we divided the subjects into two groups: high HDL-C (H-HDL) (≥ 1.3 mmol/L, n = 32) and low HDL-C (L-HDL) (< 1.3 mmol/L, n = 57). Plasma lipids, insulin, adiponectin, apolipoproteins, oxidized LDL, Lipoprotein(a), and lipoprotein size and subfractions were measured, and 3-d dietary records were used to assess macronutrient intake. Women with L-HDL had higher sugar intake and glycemic load (P < 0.05), higher plasma insulin (P < 0.01), lower adiponectin (P < 0.05), and higher numbers of atherogenic lipoproteins such as large VLDL (P < 0.01) and small LDL (P < 0.001) than the H-HDL group. Women with L-HDL also had larger VLDL and both smaller LDL and HDL particle diameters (P < 0.001). HDL-C was positively correlated with LDL size (r = 0.691, P < 0.0001) and HDL size (r = 0.606, P < 0.001), and inversely correlated with VLDL size (r = -0.327, P < 0.01). We concluded that L-HDL could be used as a marker for increased numbers of circulating atherogenic lipoproteins as well as increased insulin resistance in women who are already at risk for CVD.

Flaxseed-Derived Enterolactone Is Inversely Associated with Tumor Cell Proliferation in Men with Localized Prostate Cancer

Maria Azrad,Robin T. Vollmer,John Madden,Mark Dewhirst,Thomas J. Polascik,Denise C. Snyder,Mack T. Ruffin,Judd W. Moul,Dean E. Brenner,Wendy Demark-Wahnefried 한국식품영양과학회 2013 Journal of medicinal food Vol.16 No.4

Enterolactone and enterodiol, mammalian lignans derived from dietary sources such as flaxseed, sesame seeds, kale, broccoli, and apricots, may impede tumor proliferation by inhibiting activation of nuclear factor kappa B (NFκB) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). We examined the associations between urinary enterolactone and enterodiol with prostatic tumor expression of NFκB, VEGF, and Ki67 among 147 patients with prostate cancer who participated in a presurgical trial of flaxseed supplementation (30 g/day) for 30 days. Urinary enterolignans and tissue biomarkers were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography and immunohistochemistry, respectively. After supplementation, we observed significant correlations between intakes of plant lignan and urinary concentrations of total enterolignans (ρ=0.677, P<.0001), enterolactone (ρ=0.676, P<.0001), and enterodiol (ρ=0.628, P<.0001). Importantly, we observed that total urinary enterolignans and enterolactone were significantly and inversely correlated with Ki67 in the tumor tissue (ρ=−0.217, P=.011, and ρ=−0.230, P=.007, respectively), and a near-significant inverse association was observed for enterodiol (ρ=−0.159, P=.064). An inverse association was observed between enterolactone and VEGF (ρ=−0.143, P=.141), although this did not reach statistical significance. We did not observe an association between enterolignans and NFκB. In conclusion, flaxseed-derived enterolignans may hinder cancer cell proliferation via VEGF-associated pathways.

Image to Text Conversion Technique for Anti-Plagiarism System

Mark B. Batomalaque,Chella May R. Camacho,Maria Jewella P. Dalida,Jen Aldwayne B. Delmo ASCONS 2019 IJASC Vol.1 No.2

Background/Objectives: The IMAGE TO TEXT CONVERSION TECHNIQUE FOR ANTI-PLAGIARISM SYSTEM is a design project on how the Optical Character Recognition will be utilized in order to extract text from images that can be used to increase the accuracy rate of an anti-plagiarism checker. It also highlights the integration of Convolutional Neural Network and its effect in the result of the conversion. Methods/Statistical analysis: Optical Character Recognition is a technology that recognizes text within an image. It is commonly used to recognize text in scanned documents, but it serves many other purposes as well. While Convolutional Neural network is a category of neural networks that have been proven very effective in performing image recognition and classification. The main objective of the study is to design a software that will convert images of text into plain editable text. The study aims to use a specific algorithm to extract useful information from the images. Findings: It will integrate the two algorithm, convolutional neural network and optical character recognition technology in order to develop a software. The input of the software is a document in .docx format and will generate an output in the same format. Improvements/Applications: This software will be an aid to the existing anti-plagiarism checkers to generate a more thorough and better plagiarism

Incidence of Dengue Virus Infection in Adults and Children in a Prospective Longitudinal Cohort in the Philippines

Alera, Maria Theresa,Srikiatkhachorn, Anon,Velasco, John Mark,Tac-An, Ilya A.,Lago, Catherine B.,Clapham, Hannah E.,Fernandez, Stefan,Levy, Jens W.,Thaisomboonsuk, Butsaya,Klungthong, Chonticha,Macare Public Library of Science 2016 PLoS neglected tropical diseases Vol.10 No.2

<▼1><P><B>Background</B></P><P>The mean age of dengue has been increasing in some but not all countries. We sought to determine the incidence of dengue virus (DENV) infection in adults and children in a prospective cohort study in the Philippines where dengue is hyperendemic.</P><P><B>Methodology/Principal Findings</B></P><P>A prospective cohort of subjects ≥6 months old in Cebu City, Philippines, underwent active community-based surveillance for acute febrile illnesses by weekly contact. Fever history within the prior seven days was evaluated with an acute illness visit followed by 2, 5, and 8-day, and 3-week convalescent visits. Blood was collected at the acute and 3-week visits. Scheduled visits took place at enrolment and 12 months that included blood collections. Acute samples were tested by DENV PCR and acute/convalescent samples by DENV IgM/IgG ELISA to identify symptomatic infections. Enrolment and 12-month samples were tested by DENV hemagglutination inhibition (HAI) assay to identify subclinical infections. Of 1,008 enrolled subjects, 854 completed all study activities at 12 months per-protocol undergoing 868 person-years of surveillance. The incidence of symptomatic and subclinical infections was 1.62 and 7.03 per 100 person-years, respectively. However, in subjects >15 years old, only one symptomatic infection occurred whereas 27 subclinical infections were identified. DENV HAI seroprevalence increased sharply with age with baseline multitypic HAIs associated with fewer symptomatic infections. Using a catalytic model, the historical infection rate among dengue naïve individuals was estimated to be high at 11–22%/year.</P><P><B>Conclusions/Significance</B></P><P>In this hyperendemic area with high seroprevalence of multitypic DENV HAIs in adults, symptomatic dengue rarely occurred in individuals older than 15 years. Our findings demonstrate that dengue is primarily a pediatric disease in areas with high force of infection. However, the average age of dengue could increase if force of infection decreases over time, as is occurring in some hyperendemic countries such as Thailand.</P></▼1><▼2><P><B>Author Summary</B></P><P>The average age of dengue has been increasing in some but not all dengue endemic countries. To investigate the age pattern of dengue in people of all ages ≥6 months old, a prospective community-based cohort study was undertaken in Cebu City, Philippines where dengue virus has been circulating for many decades. Active surveillance for acute fevers was performed, and acute/convalescent blood samples were tested for evidence of symptomatic dengue. Blood was also collected at enrolment and one year later, and tested serologically to identify subclinical infections. Overall, 1.62 symptomatic and 7.03 subclinical infections per 100 person-years of surveillance were detected. Among people older than 15 years, only one symptomatic dengue case occurred while 27 subclinical infections were identified. By analyzing age-specific dengue serology data, the historical infection rate among people with no prior dengue virus infection was found to be high at around 11–22% per year. Our results show that dengue is primarily a childhood disease in endemic settings where the historical infection rate has been high. However, the average age of dengue could increase if the infection rate decreases over time as is happening in some endemic countries like Thailand.</P></▼2>

Low HDL cholesterol is associated with increased atherogenic lipoproteins and insulin resistance in women classified with metabolic syndrome

Fernandez, Maria Luz,Jones, Jennifer J.,Ackerman, Daniela,Barona, Jacqueline,Calle, Mariana,Comperatore, Michael V.,Kim, Jung-Eun,Andersen, Catherine,Leite, Jose O.,Volek, Jeff S.,McIntosh, Mark,Kalyn The Korean Nutrition Society 2010 Nutrition Research and Practice Vol. No.

Both metabolic syndrome (MetS) and elevated LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) increase the risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD). We hypothesized that low HDL cholesterol (HDL-C) would further increase CVD risk in women having both conditions. To assess this, we recruited 89 women with MetS (25-72 y) and LDL-C ${\geq}$ 2.6 mmol/L. To determine whether plasma HDL-C concentrations were associated with dietary components, circulating atherogenic particles, and other risk factors for CVD, we divided the subjects into two groups: high HDL-C (H-HDL) (${\geq}$ 1.3 mmol/L, n=32) and low HDL-C (L-HDL) (< 1.3 mmol/L, n=57). Plasma lipids, insulin, adiponectin, apolipoproteins, oxidized LDL, Lipoprotein(a), and lipoprotein size and subfractions were measured, and 3-d dietary records were used to assess macronutrient intake. Women with L-HDL had higher sugar intake and glycemic load (P< 0.05), higher plasma insulin (P< 0.01), lower adiponectin (P< 0.05), and higher numbers of atherogenic lipoproteins such as large VLDL (P < 0.01) and small LDL (P<0.001) than the H-HDL group. Women with L-HDL also had larger VLDL and both smaller LDL and HDL particle diameters (P<0.001). HDL-C was positively correlated with LDL size (r=0.691, P<0.0001) and HDL size (r=0.606, P<0.001), and inversely correlated with VLDL size (r=-0.327, P<0.01). We concluded that L-HDL could be used as a marker for increased numbers of circulating atherogenic lipoproteins as well as increased insulin resistance in women who are already at risk for CVD.

Mechanically controlled binary conductance switching of a single-molecule junction

Quek, Su Ying,Kamenetska, Maria,Steigerwald, Michael L.,Choi, Hyoung Joon,Louie, Steven G.,Hybertsen, Mark S.,Neaton, J. B.,Venkataraman, Latha Springer Science and Business Media LLC 2009 Nature nanotechnology Vol.4 No.4

<P>Molecular-scale components are expected to be central to the realization of nanoscale electronic devices. Although molecular-scale switching has been reported in atomic quantum point contacts, single-molecule junctions provide the additional flexibility of tuning the on/off conductance states through molecular design. To date, switching in single-molecule junctions has been attributed to changes in the conformation or charge state of the molecule. Here, we demonstrate reversible binary switching in a single-molecule junction by mechanical control of the metal-molecule contact geometry. We show that 4,4'-bipyridine-gold single-molecule junctions can be reversibly switched between two conductance states through repeated junction elongation and compression. Using first-principles calculations, we attribute the different measured conductance states to distinct contact geometries at the flexible but stable nitrogen-gold bond: conductance is low when the N-Au bond is perpendicular to the conducting pi-system, and high otherwise. This switching mechanism, inherent to the pyridine-gold link, could form the basis of a new class of mechanically activated single-molecule switches.</P>

Slenderness effects on the simulated response of longitudinal reinforcement in monotonic compression

Gil-Martin, Luisa Maria,Hernandez-Montes, Enrique,Aschheim, Mark,Pantazopoulou, Stavroula J. Techno-Press 2006 Structural Engineering and Mechanics, An Int'l Jou Vol.23 No.4

The influence of reinforcement buckling on the flexural response of reinforced concrete members is studied. The stress-strain response of compression reinforcement is determined computationally using a large-strain finite element model for bars of varied diameter, length, and initial eccentricity, and a mathematical expression is fitted to the simulation results. This relationship is used to represent the response of bars in compression in a moment-curvature analysis of a reinforced concrete cross section. The compression bar may carry more or less force than a tension bar at a corresponding strain, depending on the relative influence of Poisson effects and bar slenderness. Several cross-section analyses indicate that, for the distances between stirrups prescribed in modern concrete codes, the influence of inelastic buckling of the longitudinal reinforcement on the monotonic moment capacity is very small and can be neglected in many circumstances.

Sleep Pattern and Night-Time Muscle Activity in Children With Cerebral Palsy Compared to Typically Developing Peers

Anina Ritterband-Rosenbaum,Mark Schram Christensen,Mai Choe Lund,Mia Dyhr Thomsen,Maria Joy Normann Haverberg,Jens Bo Nielsen,Troels Wesenberg Kjær 대한수면연구학회 2021 Journal of sleep medicine Vol.18 No.2

Objectives: To compare night-time muscle activity in children with cerebral palsy (CP) with that in typical developing peers. Methods: Polysomnography with electroencephalography (EEG), electrocardiogram, electromyography (EMG), respiration, and electrooculography movements recorded during one night were used to characterize sleep stages in a group of children with CP (Gross Motor Function Classification Scale I–III) and a group of typically developing (TD) children (aged 3–13 years). Periods of EMG activity for the tibialis anterior and soleus (SOL) muscles were identified, and the coherence between EEG and EMG was measured to assess corticomuscular drive during sleep. Results: There were no significant differences between the groups in total sleep time, average time spent awake, or rapid eye movement, N1, and N3 sleep. Children with CP spent significantly less time in N2 than their healthy peers (43% vs. 51%, p=0.03). There was only a significant difference between TD and CP in SOL muscle activity during the wake stage. Otherwise, there were no differences between groups in coherence in EEG and EMG signals for any sleep stage. Conclusion: Mildly affected children with CP do not show altered night sleep or muscle activity patterns as compared to TD peers. Abnormal muscle activity is unlikely to contribute to sleep disturbance, development of contractures, joint deformation, pain, or general discomfort in this group of children with CP.

Resolution of a Chikungunya Outbreak in a Prospective Cohort, Cebu, Philippines, 2012–2014

Srikiatkhachorn, Anon,Alera, Maria Theresa,Lago, Catherine B.,Tac-An, Ilya A.,Villa, Daisy,Fernandez, Stefan,Thaisomboonsuk, Butsaya,Klungthong, Chonticha,Levy, Jens W.,Velasco, John Mark,Roque Jr., V U.S. Department of Health and Human Services * Cen 2016 Emerging Infectious Diseases Vol.22 No.10