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The current analysis uses the non-static plane symmetric space-time to dynamically examine the holographic dark energy model as candidates of IR cut-offs (specifically Hubble's and Granda–Oliveros cut-off). Any other cut-off is just a specific example of the Nojiri–Odintsov cut-off, which is the most universal [S. Nojiri and S. D. Odintsov, Gen. Relativity Gravitation 38 (2006) 1285]. Using the Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method, we estimate the best fit values for the model parameters imposed from the combined datasets of CC+SC+BAO. Now, it has been found that the characteristics of space-time that have been addressed and formulated using both models are flat universe and observed that the model appears to be in good agreement with the observations. In addition, we investigate the behavior of equation of state (EoS) parameters along with the energy conditions. Finally, we found that in both the cut-offs the models predict that the present and late universe are accelerating and the EoS parameter behaves like the quintessence model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pore modulation via hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) needs investigation due to its crucial effect on surface that influences its multirole utilization of such ultraporous sorbents in applications of energy storage- hydrogen and capacitive- as well as for pollutant abatement- carbon capture and dye removal. Hence, loblolly pine was hydrothermally carbonized followed by KOH activation to synthesize superactivated hydrochars (SAH). The resulting SAHs had specific surface area (SSA) 1462–1703 m2/g, total pore (TPV) and micropore volume (MPV) of 0.62–0.78 cm3/g and 0.33–0.49 cm3/g, respectively. The SAHs exhibit excellent multifunctional performance with remarkably high atmospheric CO2 capture of 145.2 mg/g and high pressure cryogenic H2 storage of 54.9 mg/g. The fabricated supercapacitor displayed substantial specific capacitance value of maximum 47.2 Fg−1 at 1 A g−1 in 6 M KOH and highest MB dye removal of 719.4 mg/g. Higher HTC temperature resulted in increased surface porosity as higher SSA, TPV benefitted H2 storage and MB dye removal while superior MPV favored CO2 capture. Moderate HTC temperature ensured higher mesopore-to-macropore volume ratio favoring electrochemical performance. Isotherm modelling of the adsorbates was compared using models: Langmuir, Freundlich, Langmuir- Freundlich and Temkin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) remains a global public health problem despite the availability of effective vaccine and antiviral therapy. Cytomegalovirus (CMV), another hepatotropic virus, is also very prevalent in the general population worldwide. Both HBV and CMV can persist in the host and have potential to reactivate especially with weakened host cellular immunity. Superimposed CMV infection can lead to severe HBV reactivation. The pathogenesis of the co-infection of HBV and CMV remains poorly understood. Studies reported conflicting results regarding the inhibitory effect of CMV on HBV replication. There is an unmet need on the management of co-infection of HBV and CMV; research initiatives dedicated to understanding their interactions are urgently needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

aimoona Khan,2 Hamid Ehsan,3 Ahsan Wahab,4 Abdul Rafae,5 Ali Y Khan,6 Abdur Jamil,7 Muhammad Khawar Sana,8 Abdullah Jamal,1 Taimoor Jaffar Ali,1 Iqraa Ansar,2 Muzammil M Khan,9 Jack Khouri,10 Faiz Anwer101Department of Internal Medicine, King Edward Medical University, Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan; 2Department of Medicine, Shifa College of Medicine, Islamabad, Pakistan; 3Department of Hematology/Oncology, Levine Cancer Institute, Atrium Health, Charlotte, NC, USA; 4Hospital Medicine/Internal Medicine, Baptist Medical Center South, Montgomery, AL, USA; 5Department of Internal Medicine, McLaren Regional Medical Center, Flint, MI, USA; 6Department of Internal Medicine, St. Joseph Mercy Oakland Hospital, Pontiac, MI, USA; 7Department of Internal Medicine, Central Michigan University, Saginaw, MI, USA; 8Department of Internal Medicine, John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County, Chicago, IL, USA; 9Department of Gastroenterology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA; 10Hematology, Oncology, Stem Cell Transplantation, Multiple Myeloma Program, Taussig Cancer Center, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, 44195, USACorrespondence: Muhammad Khawar SanaDepartment of Internal Medicine, John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County, Chicago, IL, USAEmail [email protected] Carfilzomib (CFZ) is a proteasome inhibitor currently approved for the treatment of relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM). Multiple trials are ongoing to evaluate its efficacy and safety in newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (NDMM). The use of CFZ-based two- or three-drug combination regimens as induction for the management of NDMM is an emerging approach. CFZ-based regimens include combinations of immunomodulators, alkylating agents, and monoclonal antibodies along with dexamethasone. In this review, we assess the efficacy and toxicity of CFZ-based regimens in NDMM. We reviewed a total of 27 studies (n=4538 patients) with overall response rates (ORR) ranging between 80% and 100%. Studies evaluating the combination of CFZ with daratumumab reported an ORR of approximately 100%. Achievement of minimal residual disease (MRD) negativity, measured by multi-parameter flow cytometry (MPFC), ranged between 60% and 95% in 4 (n=251) out of 6 studies that measured MRD-negativity. The interim results of the ENDURANCE trial failed to show superior efficacy and progression-free survival (PFS) of carfilzomib-lenalidomide when compared to bortezomib–lenalidomide combination, albeit with a lower incidence of neuropathy. Hematological toxicity was the most common adverse event observed with these regimens, and the most common non-hematological adverse events were related to cardiovascular and electrolyte disturbances. We need to further evaluate the role of CFZ in NDMM by conducting more Phase III trials with different combinations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Despite extensive industrial use, no major modifications to the bench drilling machine, with respect to ease of operation, have been undertaken. OBJECTIVE: The objectives of the study were to design a new feed handle (NFH) to perform the drilling task on a bench drilling machine and evaluate the existing (EFH) and new feed handles on the basis of performance measures like drilling productivity in terms of metal removal rate (MRR) and worker performance in terms of perceived discomfort score (PDS). METHODS: Participants performed the drilling task on a steel block for three different working durations at two drilling speeds. RESULTS: ANOVA analysis carried out for the MRR data showed that drilling speed had a statistically significant effect on the task performance of the operator for both handles. However, the task duration was found to be statistically significant only for the EFH. The ANOVA results obtained on the PDS data showed that the task duration and drilling speed had a statistically significant effect on the task performance of the operator for both systems. CONCLUSIONS: The MRR obtained was higher when the drilling task was carried out using NFH. An appreciable decrease in PDS was also observed using the proposed system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Big data technologies have been adopted by both the public and private sectors to develop and expand surveillance capacities. This article traces the institutional processes and political‐economic interests of the public and private stakeholders involved in the construction of China's Social Credit System (SCS), which is currently on track for full deployment on 1.4 billion citizens by 2020. The SCS aims to centralize data platforms into a big data–enabled surveillance infrastructure to manage, monitor, and predict the trustworthiness of citizens, firms, organizations, and governments in China. A punishment/reward system based on credit scores will determine whether citizens and organizations are able to access things like education, markets, and tax deductions. While the SCS is widely described by the Western news media as a means of "big brother" or political control, we find that it is a complicated system that focuses primarily on financial and commercial activities rather than political ones. This article presents a framework for understanding state surveillance infrastructures by exploring how various government agencies are cooperating to establish this centralized data infrastructure with the aim of scoring credit, and discussing the distinct but interconnected processes of data collection, data aggregation, and data analytics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The structural parameters, elastic constants, electronic and optical properties of the bi-alkali antimonides (NaKSb, NaRbSb, NaCsSb, KRbSb, KCsSb and RbCsSb) were calculated using state-of-the-art density functional theory. Different exchange-correlation potentials were adopted to predict the physical properties of these compounds. The calculated structural parameters are found in good agreement with the available experimental and theoretical results. All the compounds are mechanically stable. The compounds NaKSb, KRbSb, KCsSb and RbCsSb have direct bandgaps, in which chemical bonding among the cations and anions is mainly ionic. Furthermore, the optical properties of these compounds are described in detail in terms of the dielectric function, refractive index, reflectivity, optical conductivity and absorption coefficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electronic and optical properties of cubic antiperovskites CaMN (M = Ge, Sn, Pb, P, As, Sb and Bi) were investigated by applying the full potential linearized augmented plane wave plus local orbitals (FP-LAPW + lo) scheme based on density functional theory. Different exchange correlation potentials were adopted for the calculations. The results of band structure and density of states show that, by changing the central anion of CaMN, the nature of the materials change from metallic (CaGeN, CaSnN, CaPbN) to semiconducting with small band gaps (CaSbN and CaBiN) to insulating (CaPN and CaAsN). The optical properties such as dielectric function, absorption coefficient, optical conductivity, reflectivity and refractive indices have also been calculated. The results reveal that all the studied compounds are optically active in the visible and ultraviolet energy regions, and therefore can be effectively utilized for optoelectronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The physical properties, such as the electronic band structure, elasticity, chemical bonding, and optical properties of XYZ ( X = Li, Na and K; Y = Mg and Z = N, S, P, Sb and Bi) compounds are investigated using the Tran-Blaha modified Becke-Johnson's potential. The lattice parameters for these materials increase from N to Bi and vary inversely to the bulk moduli. NaMgBi, NaMgSb, KMgP and KMgBi exhibit ductile behavior, while the remaining materials are brittle in nature. The compounds other than LiMgP, LiMgAs, LiMgSb, NaMgP and NaMgSb exhibit a direct band gap. Hybridization is found between the p-states of N, P, As, Sb and Bi and the p-states of Li, Na and K. Analysis of the charge density plots reveals a mixed covalent and ionic bonding nature. These materials have high optical conductivity and reflectivity in visible and infrared regions of the electromagnetic spectrum, which make them good candidates in many potential applications such as thermoelectrics, spintronics and solar cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Structural, elastic, electronic and magnetic properties of the cubic perovskites SmMO ( M = V, Fe and Co) are investigated by using the density functional theory. The exchange correlation potential of GGA+ U is employed in the present calculations to treat the f-state electrons of Sm atom properly. The structural parameters of these compounds are also evaluated by analytical techniques. The computed structural parameters by both GGA and analytical model are in good agreement with the experimental results. Furthermore, the calculated tolerance factors confirm the theoretically observed cubic structure for all the three compounds. The evaluated critical radii of the compounds provide information about the oxygen migration energy and ion conductivity. The compounds are elastically stable and ductile in nature. The spin-polarized band structures show that the compounds are metallic. The total and partial densities of states show that the compounds are ferromagnetic metals. The calculated magnetic moments of these compounds also reveal that they are ferromagnets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been 15 years since the last wave of democratization. But as a region, North Africa and the Middle East were noticeably devoid of popular democracy movements-until the early months of 2011. Democratization movements had existed long before technologies like mobile phones and the Internet came to these countries. But with these technologies, people sharing an interest in democracy built extensive networks and activated collective action movements for political change. What might have made regimes more susceptible than others to these uprisings, and what might explain the relative successes of some movements over others? What role does information technology have in the modern recipe for democratization? Weighing multiple political, economic, demographic, and cultural conditions, we find that information infrastructure-especially mobile phone use-consistently appears as one of the key ingredients in parsimonious models for the conjoined combinations of causes behind regime fragility and social movement success. To understand the successes and failures of contemporary political protests, we must also assess how civil society leaders and authoritarian security forces treat communication technologies as democratically consequential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is much concern about the long-tail of online political information that now competes with standard news content. Yet we know little about how successfully it does so, and why. From the 2008 US presidential campaign, I develop a rich, original meta-database to map the relationships between the top viral election videos (278 million views) and the known-universe of blogs that linked to them (13,000 links). Through a mixed-method analysis of both content and web metrics, I find that news videos compete with political, entertainment and citizen videos; journalism blogs also compete with political, entertainment, and lifestyle blogs to propagate these new genres of political information. By further analyzing the gatekeeping mechanisms between video and blog categories, I find that online audiences’ civic information preferences help explain the rise of these new participatory political information genres, as well as the ways in which legacy media are struggling to adapt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motion Estimation (ME) is a critical part of video compression. This paper describes in-depth performance analysis of three most recent motion estimation algorithms based on motion activity in video sequences. Latest H.264/AVC video compression standard has been used for the performance analysis of three types of ME algorithms, which are: Enhances Predictive Zonal Search (EPZS), Unsymmetric-cross Multi Hexagon-grid search (UMHex) and Simplified Unsymmetric-cross Multi Hexagon-grid search (SUMHex). Performance of these algorithms is evaluated based on ME time and Mean Square Error (MSE). Results show that SUMHex has taken minimum ME time for low activity video sequences while EPZS took lowest time for the video sequences having high and moderate motion activities, whereas MSE is approximately same for all the algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been shown that vibration level, push force, exposure duration and working posture cause unfavorable effects on the work performance when hand held vibrating tools are used by operators. The present study analyzed the effects of these variables on the heart rate and systolic blood pressure of the operators carrying out a manual-grinding task. Four levels of vibration (12.5, 13.6, 14.8 and 18 m/s^{2}), three levels of push force (5, 10, 15 N), three levels of working posture (180°, 150° and 120° elbow flexion) and three exposure durations of 3, 5 and 7 min were selected for the study. Thirty male subjects with no prior experience in the field of grinding participated in the study. Results indicated that in the kind of task undertaken, the main effect of equivalent level of vibration, exposure duration, push force and working posture were all statistically significant. Also an increase in the change in blood pressure and heart rate values were observed with the increase in exposure duration and push force. When the task was performed with flexion angle of 120°, change in heart rate and blood pressure values was minimum when compared with the other two working postures. Relevance to industry: Workers using various hand held tools are prone to injuries. Present research may help greatly in reducing task related injuries and enhance performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was designed to investigate the effect of noise and heat stress on operators of various age groups performing die casting operation at varying exposure durations. The independent variables selected were age of operator (20-25, 25-30 and 30-35 years), equivalent levels of noise (90, 95 and 100 dB(A)), heat stress (35, 40 and 45°C wet bulb globe temperature) and exposure duration (5, 10 and 15 minutes) while the dependent variable was heart rate measured with the help of pulse-oximeter. The results of the study showed that the main effects of heat stress, equivalent noise level, age group and the interaction between levels of equivalent noise and exposure duration were all had a statistically significant effect on operators performing the task. The three way interaction of age group, subject and equivalent noise level was also observed to be statistically significant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research has been carried out to investigate the effect of left or right handedness on cognitive performance under the impact of vibration in a rural road-driving environment. Fourteen subjects (7 right handed and 7 left handed), all males, participated in the study. The independent variables selected were handedness, difficulty index and equivalent level of vibration. The reaction time was measured in ms. The data collected was analysed using 3 factors ANOVA. Results of the present research showed that handedness and the level of equivalent vibration were statistically non-significant while the difficulty index was found to have a significant effect in the driving environment undertaken in the study. The interaction between handedness and difficulty index was also observed to be statistically significant. However, the interaction between vibration level & difficulty index and handedness & vibration level were statistically nonsignificant. The second order interaction i.e. handedness × vibration level × difficulty index also emerged to be non-significant [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present research the feedforward method of Active Noise Control (ANC) using Phase Shift Network (PSN) has been proposed for reducing noise generated by a hydraulic Surface Grinder. The PSN was a simple network whose function was to change the phase of the input wave. A passive damping material was used to prepare a duct of 150 mm × 150 mm × 1960 mm for converting multidimensional random noise into a single dimension. The duct was also utilized for housing two speakers employed in the ANC system. The system when installed on the grinder resulted in a total noise reduction of 13.1 dB(A). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Distinguishing amoebic from pyogenic liver abscesses is crucial because their treatments and prognoses differ. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 577 adults with liver abscess in order to identify clinical, laboratory, and radiographic factors useful in differentiating these microbial aetiologies. Presumptive diagnoses of amoebic ( n = 471; 82%) vs. pyogenic ( n = 106; 18%) abscess were based upon amoebic serology, microbiological culture results, and response to therapy. Patients with amoebic abscess were more likely to be young males with a tender, solitary, right lobe abscess ( P = 0.012). Univariate analysis found patients with pyogenic abscess more likely to be over 50 years old, with a history of diabetes and jaundice, with pulmonary findings, multiple abscesses, amoebic serology titres <1:256 IU, and lower levels of serum albumin ( P < 0.04). Multivariate logistic regression analysis confirmed that age >50 years, pulmonary findings on examination, multiple abscesses, and amebic serology titres <1:256 IU were predictive of pyogenic infection. Several clinical and laboratory parameters can aid in the differentiation of amebic and pyogenic liver abscess. In our setting, amebic abscess is more prevalent and, in most circumstances, can be identified and managed without percutaneous aspiration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection remains a global public problem despite the availability of an effective vaccine. In the past decades, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has surpassed HBV as the most common cause of chronic liver disease worldwide. The prevalence of concomitant chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and NAFLD thus reaches endemic proportions in geographic regions where both conditions are common. Patients with CHB and NAFLD are at increased risk of liver disease progression to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Due to the complexity of the pathogenesis, accurate diagnosis of NAFLD in CHB patients can be challenging. Liver biopsy is considered the gold standard for diagnosing and determining disease severity, but it is an invasive procedure with potential complications. There is a growing body of literature on the application of novel noninvasive serum biomarkers and advanced radiological modalities to diagnose and evaluate NAFLD, but most have not been adequately validated, especially for patients with CHB. Currently, there is no approved therapy for NAFLD, although many new agents are in different phases of development. This review provides a summary of the epidemiology, clinical features, diagnosis, and management of the NAFLD and highlights the unmet needs in the areas of CHB and NAFLD coexistence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]