Functional Limit Research Articles

64. Buccally positioned and misaligned bilateral maxillary third molars impinging on coronoid process- a rare finding and unreported cause for long term Trismus

Trismus refers to the restriction of the range of motion of the jaw and functionally limiting and posed significant challenge in patient’s day-to-day function and quality of life. Extra-articular and intra-articular causes of trismus have been described in literature. We present a rare and unusual and previously unreported case of bilateral maxillary third molars causing limitation of mouth opening and jaw function.

The integrated copula spectrum

Frequency domain methods form a ubiquitous part of the statistical toolbox for time-series analysis. In recent years, considerable interest has been given to the development of new spectral methodology and tools capturing dynamics in the entire joint distributions, and thus avoiding the limitations of classical, L2-based spectral methods. Most of the spectral concepts proposed in that literature suffer from one major drawback, though: their estimation requires the choice of a smoothing parameter, which has a considerable impact on estimation quality and poses challenges for statistical inference. In this paper, associated with the concept of a copula-based spectrum, we introduce the notion of a copula spectral distribution function or integrated copula spectrum. This integrated copula spectrum retains the advantages of copula-based spectra but can be estimated without the need for smoothing parameters. We provide such estimators, along with a thorough theoretical analysis, based on a functional central limit theorem, of their asymptotic properties. We leverage these results to test various hypotheses that cannot be addressed by classical spectral methods, such as the lack of time reversibility or asymmetry in tail dynamics.

Chung’s functional law of the iterated logarithm for the Brownian sheet

In this paper, we investigate functional limit problem for path of a Brownian sheet, Chung’s functional law of the iterated logarithm for a Brownian sheet is obtained. The main tool in the proof is large deviation and small deviation for a Brownian sheet.

Augmenting the residue theorem with boundary terms in finite-density calculations

At zero temperature and finite chemical potential, $d$-dimensional loop integrals with complex-valued integrands in the imaginary-time formalism yield results dependent on the integration order. We observe this even with the simplest one-loop dimensionally regularized integrals. Computing such integrals by evaluating the spatial $\mathrm{d}^{d} p$ integral before the temporal $\mathrm{d} p_0$ integral yields results consistent with those obtained at small but nonvanishing temperatures. Computing the temporal integral first by applying the residue theorem to the integrand yields a different answer. The same holds for general complexified propagators. In this work we aim to understand the theoretical background behind this difference, in order to fully enable the powerful techniques of residue calculus in applications. We cast the difference into the form of a derivative term related to Dirac deltas, and further demonstrate how the difference originates from the zero-temperature limit of the Fermi-Dirac occupation functions treated as complex-valued functions. We also discuss a generalization to propagators raised to non-integer powers.

The Numerical Evaluation Methods for Beta Function

In this study, the beta function that is encountered in computational mathematics and physics is analyzed. The correct evaluation of this function also affects the accuracy of other mathematical functions in quantum mechanical calculations. Especially in recent years, there is an interest in studies related to the beta function for zero and negative p and q integers. This study, considering the neutrix limits of the beta function, presents new relations for the numerical computation of the beta function, especially for negative integers p and q. In addition, taking into account the definition of the beta function for positive p and q integer values, an algorithm is created to calculate the function for all integer values. Finally, numerical results obtained with the help of our new recurrence relations and algorithm are presented.

The human-following strategy for mobile robots in mixed environments

The robot behavior strategy is considered as a crucial part in the human-following task to help the robot maintain an appropriate distance and orientation to the selected target person (STP) with a smooth and safe manner. As usual, the robot is uniquely considered to follow the STP in a specific class of environments, such as unknown environments (non-mapped environments) or known environments (mapped environments). However, in real-life applications, the robot is sometimes requested to follow the STP in various types of environments, both in known and unknown ones. This observation raises the need to propose an alternative method to challenge the mentioned issue, as well as to break the current limit of the human-following function. In this paper, a new approach for the human-following strategy is proposed in which the mobile robot is enabled to follow the STP in mixed environments (non-mapped and mapped). In non-mapped environments, only the STP and the obstacle information with respect to the robot local coordinates are considered, whose purpose is to make the robot work without any prior understandings about its working environment. However, after the robot entered mapped environments, its prior knowledge of the working environment is leveraged to fulfill some additional requirements during the cooperation, such as the mobile robot in factories is not allowed to enter some specific areas even when the STP is executing technical tasks inside. Additionally, in this paper, a human-like inference mechanism is also introduced for the human-following strategy by using an extended hedge algebras. The proposed method is experimentally verified both in factories and laboratories.Demo Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGrWU6ldKuwSince real videos in the factory are not allowed to publish, only visualization (in Rviz) is presented for demos in such kinds of environments. The visualization is synchronous with the real executions of the human–robot interactions. The robot used in the factory is an autonomous mobile robot (dimension 0.5 (m) ×1.0 (m), weight 120 (kg), carrying a tool cabinet around 300(kg))). The mobile robot is following the worker to support them during the technical processes in the car production line. In the video, the robot is represented by a green rectangular, and the STP is represented by a cylinder (with a sphere on its head) The events in the demo video are described more clearly inAppendix A.

Collective computational intelligence in biology – Emergence of memory in somatic tissues

Role of memory in the function of biological tissues, organs and organisms remains unexplored with many unanswered questions. In this study, the emergence of associative memory in somatic (non-neural) tissues and its potential relation to tissue function was explored using a number of biologically plausible network topologies in in silico tissues with computing cells. These topologies were local cooperation; complete system-wide cooperation or inhibition; and local cooperation and short- or long-range inhibition. These were tested with and without self-feedback on two-dimensional (2D) three-dimensional (3D) cell networks, resulting in various forms of fully and partially connected networks. Further, both binary inputs with threshold processing and real-valued inputs with nonlinear processing were considered. Results revealed the emergence of diverse forms of tissue memory. In full cooperation, networks produced one fixed attractor indicating the propensity towards a stable memory pattern which in a real tissue could correspond to an invariable physiological state, such as bioelectric homeostasis. The local neighbourhood cooperation produced both a fixed and a limit cycle attractor that could be beneficial for a tissue to hold few associative memories including circadian rhythms. Most interesting results were found for the local cooperation with short- or long-range inhibition topologies that produced a cluster of fixed and limit cycle attractors offering diverse memories. Fixed attractors could correspond to inactive tissue states and active nonrhythmic functional states and limit cycles could correspond to circadian rhythms such as pumping in heart, kidney or liver in various oscillatory regimes. In all topologies, self-feedback abolished or drastically reduced the limit cycles in favour of fixed stable state. These attractor patterns were found to be largely invariant to scale (2D or 3D) and type of inputs and processing. We also explored the self-optimising ability of the ‘local cooperation with global (short- or long-range) inhibition’ 2D topologies with Hebbian learning with fixed and flexible topologies. The fixed topology learned to self-model to consolidate memory towards fewer more stable attractors. The flexible topology even formed new connections to bring the system to a single fixed state. Thus local cooperation with global inhibition topology can offer greater freedom to create diverse memory pattens that can be tempered by learning, self-feedback, and to some extent continuous processing to simplify and consolidate memory towards manageable forms.

Limits of Some Fractional Power Exponential Functions

Limits of Some Fractional Power Exponential Functions

Pattern-Multiplicative Average of Nonnegative Matrices: When a Constrained Minimization Problem Requires Versatile Optimization Tools

Given several nonnegative matrices with a single pattern of allocation among their zero/nonzero elements, the average matrix should have the same pattern as well. This is the first tenet of the pattern-multiplicative average (PMA) concept, while the second one suggests the multiplicative nature of averaging. The concept of PMA was motivated in a number of application fields, of which we consider the matrix population models and illustrate solving the PMA problem with several sets of model matrices calibrated in particular botanic case studies. The patterns of those matrices are typically nontrivial (they contain both zero and nonzero elements), the PMA problem thus having no exact solution for a fundamental reason (an overdetermined system of algebraic equations). Therefore, searching for the approximate solution reduces to a constrained minimization problem for the approximation error, the loss function in optimization terms. We consider two alternative types of the loss function and present a general algorithm of searching the optimal solution: basin-hopping global search, then local descents by the method of conjugate gradients or that of penalty functions. Theoretical disadvantages and practical limitations of both loss functions are discussed and illustrated with a number of practical examples.

CcaR: A package for assessing primary study overlap across systematic reviews in overviews.

An overview of reviews aims to collect, assess, and synthesize evidence from multiple systematic reviews (SRs) on a specific topic using rigorous and reproducible methods. An important methodological challenge in conducting an overview of reviews is the management of overlapping data due to the inclusion of the same primary studies in SRs. We present a free, open-source R package called ccaR (https://github.com/thdiakon/ccaR) that provides easy-to-use functions for assessing the degree of overlap of primary studies in an overview of reviews with the use of the corrected cover area (CCA) index. A worked example with and without consideration of chronological structural missingness is outlined, illustrating the steps involved in, calculating the CCA index and creating a publication-ready heatmap. We expect ccaR to be useful for overview authors, methodologists, and reviewers who are familiar with the basics of R and contribute to the discussion on different methodological approaches for implementing the CCA index. Future research and applications could further investigate the functionality or potential limitations of our package and other potential uses.

Effectiveness of an undergraduate course on the self-efficacy of Spanish sports sciences university students for the inclusion of individuals with disabilities

ABSTRACT This study assessed the self-efficacy (SE) gains of higher education students concerning the inclusion of people with disabilities throughout the delivery of a face-to-face training course with a duration of four months, comprising 28 sessions of two hours each. A sample of 158 sports sciences undergraduates (109 intervention group, 49 control group; 69.4% males, 31.6% female) from two Spanish universities took part in this study. The content of the course was based on three blocks: 1) concepts of adapted physical activity and disability awareness; 2) inclusion in physical education; and 3) para-sports, including teaching about the Paralympics and other para-sports for people with disabilities. Simulation was a main teaching strategy across the content blocks – i.e. limitations of body functions, simulating inclusive physical education settings, or practising different para-sports. Significant improvements were found in participants’ perception of SE when responding in a physical education scenario that requires the inclusion of an individual with an intellectual, physical, or visual disability (p < 0.01, moderate-to-large effect sizes). An undergraduate course that combines information, different types of contact with people with disabilities, and simulation seems effective to improve SE among pre-service physical educators in relation to the inclusion in their sessions of students with disabilities.

Validity of Interactive Learning Media Using Sparkol Videoscribe on Limits of Algebra Functions for Class XI IPS 1 SMAN 12 Padang

The development of IT in the 21st century has become the main complement in every learning activity such as using learning media. Learning media is a tool that can help the learning process so that learning objectives are conveyed. This study aims to produce interactive learning media using Sparkol Videoscribe on valid algebraic function limits. This research is a Research and Development (R&amp;D) research with a four-D (4-D) development model. The subjects in this study were students of class XI IPS 1 SMAN 12 Padang. The data collection technique used a validation sheet. The results of this study are: Validity of interactive learning media using Sparkol Videoscribe which is designed to be very valid with the percentage results obtained 95.99% with a very valid category. Based on the results of the study, it can be concluded that the validity of interactive learning media using Sparkol Videoscribe is valid and feasible to use on the material limit of algebraic functions for class XI IPS 1 SMAN 12 Padang.

Co-Stimulation of CD28/CD40 Signaling Molecule Potentiates CD19CAR-T Cell Functions and Stemness

Introduction: Adoptive T-cell therapy of gene-modified to express CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CD19CAR) has achieved promising clinical outcomes in B-cell malignancies. However, the recurrences after therapies still occur due to the poor CAR-T persistence. Various approaches have been studied including signaling domain modification to improve T-cell efficacy. The nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) which interestingly exists in both T- and B-cells is a crucial signaling pathway for T-cell persistence. Furthermore, CAR-T memory signatures drive robust T-cell proliferation. Consequently, we developed the third generation CD19CAR incorporated dual T- and B-cell costimulatory molecules; CD28 and CD40 (CD19.28.40z), to enhance CAR-T cell proliferation and tumoricidal activity. Methods: The anti-CD19CAR incorporated CD28/CD40 co-stimulatory domain; CD19scFv-CD28TM-CD28/CD40-CD3z-tEGFR, was generated. The CAR gene was subsequently cloned into retroviral packaging cells and transduced into primary CD3 cells. The CAR+-T cells were enriched using biotinylated anti-EGFR mAb and further expanded with anti-CD3/CD28 beads or gamma-irradiated EBV-LCL cells. These expanded cells were then used for downstream experiments compared with control CD19CARs including CD19.28z, CD19.BBz, and CD19.40z CAR-T cells. Results: All CD19CAR genes were successfully transduced into primary CD3cells. We first determined the downstream T-cell signaling and found the higher baseline pNF-kB and pRelB of CD19.28.40z CAR-T cells compared to others. We then investigated the ability of CD19 CAR T-cell proliferation by coculturing with gamma-irradiated CD19-expressing K562 cells. Surprisingly, the novel CD19.28.40z exhibited robust T-cell proliferation and persistence throughout 2 weeks of the culture regardless of IL-2 supplementation. The long-term co-culture assay unveiled that CD19.28.40z CAR-T cells could effectively eradicate tumor cell growth until the end of the experiment at an effector to target cell ratio of 1:16, compared to control CAR T-cells. In term of cytokine secretion assays, the similar level of IL-2, TNF-a, and IFN-g concentrations were observed among CAR constructs after being stimulated with target cells. To mimic persistent antigen stimulation in vivo, we performed three consecutive weekly antigen stimulation that exhibited the greater CD19.28.40z CAR-T cell expansion without influencing T-cell fate and exhaustion. We interrogated the intrinsic genes underlying CD19.28.40z CAR-T cell responses compared to conventional CAR-T cells following CD19 antigen exposures using RNA-sequencing. The results confirmed the significant up-regulated genes associated with T-cell proliferation and differentiation, NF-κB pathway, WNT pathway, and CD4+ phenotypes as well as down-regulated genes related to apoptosis, exhaustion, and glycolysis pathway (Figure 1). Regarding T-cell memory phenotypes, we observed the enrichment of genes toward T-cell stemness particularly SELL, IL-7r, TCF7, and KLF2 compared to conventional CAR-T cells. To evaluate the potential anti-tumor efficiency in vivo, we studied NALM-6- and Raji-bearing NSG mice treated with a low CD19CAR-T cell dosage to assess the functional limits of different CAR structures. The CD19.28.40z CAR-T cells demonstrated potent tumoricidal activity as well as prolonged overall survival in both NSG mice models compared to control CAR-T cells (Figure 2). Conclusions: The CD28/CD40 costimulatory molecule potentiates NF-κB signaling and memory signatures enhancing CD19CAR-T cell proliferation and persistence which translates into greater anti-tumor efficacy in both in vitro and xenograft models. The simplified structural modification of dual T-/B-cell signaling molecule could be advantageous to maximize the CAR-T cell functions and stemness. Figure 1View largeDownload PPTFigure 1View largeDownload PPT Close modal

Intraoperative picture of hip joint lesion in ankylosing spondylitis: data from a retrospective analysis

In population of Russian patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS), the frequency of clinical manifestations (pain and limitation of functions) of coxitis reaches 56%. Total hip arthroplasty (THA) can be considered as the only alternative that can relieve the suffering of the patient. Radiography and magnetic resonance imaging are widely used methods for assessing structural damage to the hip joint in AS. However, at the moment these methods can’t allow us to fully describe the lifetime changes of these joints. The aim of the study: to analyze the external changes of the femoral heads (HF) and acetabulums during the THA in patients with AS. Materials and methods. The retrospective study included 170 patients with a reliable diagnosis of AS, who met the modified New York criteria of 1984, who were treated in the traumatological and orthopedic department of the V.A. Nasonova Research Institute of Rheumatology in the period from 1998 to 2020, all patients underwent THA as planned. Most of them were male (80.6%). The average age of patients was 38.1±11.3 years and the average duration of the disease since the onset of the first symptoms was 17.0±8.5 years. The duration of pain in hip joints before performing THA is 7.4±4.8 years. The assessment of macroscopic changes in the FH and acetabulum was performed intraoperatively. Results and discussion. Acetabulum protrusion was detected in 108 (63.5%) patients, bone cysts – in 65 (38.2%). Filling of acetabulum with granulation tissue was recorded in 155 (91.2%) patients, presence of osteophytes on its edges – in 153 (90%). Cartilage in the acetabulum was completely absent in 122 (71.8%) patients. FH deformation was detected in 98.2% of cases, erosion in 46.4%. Cartilage on FH was completely absent in 130 (76.5%) patients. In 119 (70%) patients, macroscopic signs of osteonecrosis of FH were found. 79 (46.4%) patients had ankylosis of the hip joint, including fibrous ankylosis – in 77.2% of patients and bone ankylosis – in 22.8%. Conclusion. In patients with AS, the necessity for THA occurs on average after 7.4±4.8 years from the moment of the appearance of first clinical signs of coxitis. In 70% of cases, the macroscopic picture of hip joint lesion was characterized by the development of Avascular necrosis of the femur head (AVNFH), in most patients there was no cartilage in the most loaded segments of acetabulum and FH, in almost half of cases – ankylosis of hip joint and mainly fibrous (77.2%).

Invariance Principles and Log-Distance of F-KPP Fronts in a Random Medium

We study the front of the solution to the F-KPP equation with randomized non-linearity. Under suitable assumptions on the randomness including spatial mixing behavior and boundedness, we show that the front of the solution lags at most logarithmically in time behind the front of the solution of the corresponding linearized equation, i.e. the parabolic Anderson model. This can be interpreted as a partial generalization of Bramson’s findings (Bramson in Commun Pure Appl Math 31(5):531–581, 1978) for the homogeneous setting. Partially building on this result and its derivation, we establish functional central limit theorems for the fronts of the solutions to both equations.

Tissue imaging reveals disruption of epithelial mitochondrial networks and loss of mitochondria-associated cytochrome-C in inflamed human and murine colon

Mitochondrial dysfunction as defined by transcriptomic and proteomic analysis of biopsies or ultra-structure in transmission electron microscopy occurs in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD); however, mitochondrial dynamics in IBD have received minimal attention, with most investigations relying on cell-based in vitro models. We build on these studies by adapting the epithelial cell immunofluorescence workflow to imaging mitochondrial networks in normal and inflamed colonic tissue (i.e., murine di-nitrobenzene sulphonic acid (DNBS)-induced colitis, human ulcerative colitis). Using antibodies directed to TOMM20 (translocase of outer mitochondrial membrane 20) and cytochrome-C, we have translated the cell-based protocol for high-fidelity imaging to examine epithelial mitochondria networks in intact intestine. In epithelia of non-inflamed small or large intestinal tissue, the mitochondrial networks were dense and compact. This pattern was more pronounced in the basal region of the cell compared to that between the nucleus and apical surface facing the gut lumen. In comparison, mitochondrial networks in inflamed tissue displayed substantial loss of TOMM20+ staining. The remaining networks were less dense and fragmented, and contained isolated spherical mitochondrial fragments. The degree of mitochondrial network fragmentation mirrored the severity of inflammation, as assessed by blinded semi-quantitative scoring. As an indication of poor cell ‘health’ or viability, cytosolic cytochrome-C was observed in enterocytes with highly fragmented mitochondria. Thus, high-resolution and detailed visualization of mitochondrial networks in tissue is a feasible and valuable approach to assess disease, suited to characterizing mitochondrial abnormalities in tissue. We speculate that drugs that maintain a functional remodelling mitochondrial network and limit excess fragmentation could be a valuable addition to current therapies for IBD.

Novel Off-Design Operation Maps Showing Functionality Limitations of Organic Rankine Cycle Validated by Experiments

In this study, we developed a new methodology to analyze the off-design performance of the organic Rankine cycle. The methodology enabled us to predict the performance based on four-dimensional decision variables and a set of constraints. A corresponding formulation and algorithm with general applicability were constructed. The reliability and feasibility of this methodology were validated by a test rig of the cycle with R245fa as the working fluid and three experimental schemes. Under specific working conditions, the theoretical results illustrated the operation maps, functionality limitations, and their variation laws, considering the interactive characteristics among the variables. The functionality limitations predicted a maximum thermal efficiency of 9.42%, corresponding to a net power output of 697.1 W, whereas the maximum net power output was 2251.5 W, corresponding to a thermal efficiency of 8.04%. The experimental results indicated that when the R245fa mass flow rate was 0.120 kg/s, the experimental efficiency and power output were 6.94% and 1873.4 W, respectively; when the R245fa mass flow rate was 0.049 kg/s, they were 3.54% and 274.1 W, respectively. These findings were in good agreement with the theoretical results, with relative errors below 7.64%. This work is expected to be applied in future dynamic control systems to update the setting points and manipulated variables in real time.

Laminated indium-oxide/molybdenum-oxide nanocomposites for high-work-function electrodes in organic photovoltaics and capacitor devices

Research on the development of transparent conductive oxides (TCOs) has been rapidly progressing. However, the limitations of the work function (WF), charge mobility, and surface roughness of TCOs hinder their widespread use in optoelectronic devices. In this study, we fabricated an atomic layer deposited (ALD)-transparent conductive electrode based on In2O3:MoOX nanolaminates with low resistivity (240 μΩ·cm) and high near-infrared region transmittance (∼90 %). The performance of In2O3:MoOX nanolaminates with high mobility (92.6 cm2/V·s) and WF (5.03 eV) was examined in organic photovoltaics (OPVs) and metal–insulator-metal (MIM) capacitors. In OPVs, the high WF of the proposed In2O3:MoOX nanolaminates simplifies the process by eradicating the requirement of the hole-transport layer (HTL). In this study, the In2O3:MoOX nanolaminates replaced PEDOT:PSS, a widely used HTL, thereby maintaining an efficiency greater than 90 % from its initial value after 500 h in a 1-sun environment. Further, in the MIM capacitor, the In2O3:MoOX nanolaminate-based capacitor demonstrated a high capacitance at high frequencies (1 MHz) and substantially low leakage current owing to its higher WF than those of conventional TiN-based capacitors. Thus, the diverse functionality of the proposed In2O3:MoOX nanolaminates demonstrated their excellent suitability for other optoelectronic devices.

Observer-Based Adaptive Fuzzy Control for Nonlinear State-Constrained Systems Without Involving Feasibility Conditions.

For nonlinear full-state-constrained systems with unmeasured states, an adaptive output feedback control strategy is developed. The main challenge of this article is how to avoid that the unmeasured states exceed the constrained spaces. To achieve a good tracking performance for the considered systems, a stable state observer is structured to estimate unmeasured states which are not available in the control design. In addition, the constraints existing in most practical engineering are the source of reducing control performance and causing the system instability. The main limitation of current barrier Lyapunov functions is the feasibility conditions for intermediate controllers. The nonlinear mappings are used to achieve the satisfaction of full-state constraints directly and avoid feasibility conditions for intermediate controllers. By the Lyapunov theorem, the closed-loop system stability is proven. Simulation results are given to confirm the validity of the developed strategy.

Current Limiting Hybrid High Voltage DC Circuit Breaker With Reclosing Function Limiting

Current Limiting Hybrid High Voltage DC Circuit Breaker With Reclosing Function Limiting