SocioPedia+: a visual analytics system for social knowledge graph-based event exploration.

In the recent era of information explosion, exploring event from social networks has recently been a crucial task for many applications. To derive valuable comprehensive and thorough insights on social events, visual analytics (VA) system have been broadly used as a promising solution. However, due to the enormous social data volume with highly diversity and complexity, the number of event exploration tasks which can be enabled in a conventional real-time visual analytics systems has been limited. In this article, we introduce SocioPedia+, a real-time visual analytics system for social event exploration in time and space domains. By introducing the dimension of social knowledge graph analysis into the system multivariate analysis, the process of event explorations in SocioPedia+ can be significantly enhanced and thus enabling system capability on performing full required tasks of visual analytics and social event explorations. Furthermore, SocioPedia+ has been optimized for visualizing event analysis on different levels from macroscopic (events level) to microscopic (knowledge level). The system is then implemented and investigated with a detailed case study for evaluating its usefulness and visualization effectiveness for the application of event explorations.

Prospective classification of Alzheimer's disease conversion from mild cognitive impairment.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is emerging as a serious problem with the rapid aging of the population, but due to the unclear cause of the disease and the absence of therapy, appropriate preventive measures are the next best thing. For this reason, it is important to early detect whether the disease converts from mild cognitive impairment (MCI) which is a prodromal phase of AD. With the advance in brain imaging techniques, various machine learning algorithms have become able to predict the conversion from MCI to AD by learning brain atrophy patterns. However, at the time of diagnosis, it is difficult to distinguish between the conversion group and the non-conversion group of subjects because the difference between groups is small, but the within-group variability is large in brain images. After a certain period of time, the subjects of conversion group show significant brain atrophy, whereas subjects of non-conversion group show only subtle changes due to the normal aging effect. This difference on brain atrophy makes the brain images more discriminative for learning. Motivated by this, we propose a method to perform classification by projecting brain images into the future, namely prospective classification. The experiments on the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative dataset show that the prospective classification outperforms ordinary classification. Moreover, the features of prospective classification indicate the brain regions that significantly influence the conversion from MCI to AD.

Direct interspecies electron transfer via conductive materials: A perspective for anaerobic digestion applications.

Anaerobic digestion (AD) is a microbial process that produces renewable energy in the form of methane by treating organic waste and high-strength wastewater. Recent studies have demonstrated that conductive materials can promote direct interspecies electron transfer (DIET) between exoelectrogenic bacteria and methanogenic archaea. DIET via conductive materials is more effective for methane production than interspecies electron transfer using electron carriers such as hydrogen, a principal route of methane production in conventional AD. This critical review presents the current understanding of DIET via conductive materials for methane production, summarizes the relevant studies published to date, and analyzes these studies with regard to conductive materials, substrates, inocula, performance, and microorganisms. Based on this analysis, possible future directions are suggested for practical DIET applications via conductive materials in AD.

Inhibition of biofouling by modification of forward osmosis membrane using quaternary ammonium cation.

In the operation of the forward osmosis (FO) process, biofouling of the membrane is a potentially serious problem. Development of an FO membrane with antibacterial properties could contribute to a reduction in biofouling. In this study, quaternary ammonium cation (QAC), a widely used biocidal material, was conjugated with a silane coupling agent (3-(trimethoxysilyl)-propyldimethyloctadecyl ammonium chloride) and used to modify an FO membrane to confer antibacterial properties. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) demonstrated that the conjugated QAC was successfully immobilized on the FO membrane via covalent bonding. Bacterial viability on the QAC-modified membrane was confirmed via colony count method and visualized via bacterial viability assay. The QAC membrane decreased the viability of Escherichia coli to 62% and Staphylococcus aureus to 77% versus the control membrane. Inhibition of biofilm formation on the QAC modified membrane was confirmed via anti-biofilm tests using the drip-flow reactor and FO unit, resulting in 64% and 68% inhibition in the QAC-modified membrane against the control membrane, respectively. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of the modified membrane in reducing bacterial viability and inhibiting biofilm formation, indicating the potential of QAC-modified membranes to decrease operation costs incurred by biofouling.

Sesamoidectomy and volar plate repair using suture anchor for hyperextension injury of the metacarpophalangeal joint of the thumb.

A retrospective study for the combination of suture anchor and selective sesamoidectomy for treating volar instability of the metacarpophalangeal joint (MCPJ) of the thumb. Eleven patients with hyperextension of the MCPJ of the thumb underwent volar plate repair using a volar or voloradial approach. All the patients were reviewed radiologically and clinically using both objective and subjective criteria. The patients presented with sesamoid fractures (n = 2), sesamoid subluxation (n = 1), isolated volar plate laxity (n = 4), isolated sesamoid fracture (n = 4), and metacarpal condyle fracture (n = 2). The inner intersesamoid distance was 4.6 mm and the outer intersesamoid distance was 14.2 mm. The Disabilities of the Arm Shoulder and Hand and Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire scores showed improvement. Volar plate repair using a suture anchor and selective sesamoidectomy is effective with regard to pain relief and stabilisation of volar instability of the thumb.

Synthesis of new late transition metal P,P-, P,N-, and P,O- complexes using phosphonium dimers as convenient ligand precursors.

The phosphonium dimer [-Cy2PCH(OH)CH2-]2(X)2, X = Cl(-), Br(-) was used to synthesize and characterize a variety of late transition metal complexes containing chelating phosphino-enolate (PCy2CH═CHO(-)), imine (PCy2CH2CH═NR, R = Ph, (S)-CHMePh), and oxime (PCy2CH2CH═NOH) ligands. The phosphonium dimer, when deprotected with base, generates the phosphine aldehyde PCy2CH2CHO in situ, which, in the presence of [M(COD)Cl]2, M = Rh, Ir, and a PF6(-) salt, or [Ni(H2O)6][BF4]2, facilitates a condensation reaction with an amine or hydroxylamine to form phosphino-imine or phosphino-oxime metal complexes [M(COD)(P-N)][PF6] or [Ni(P-N)2][X]2, X = ClO4(-), BF4(-), respectively. In the absence of an amine, phosphino-enolate containing complexes are formed. A neutral Ni(II) complex Ni(PCy2CH═CHO)2 with trans-bis(phosphino-enolate) ligands which resemble ligands used on nickel for olefin oligomerization, as well as neutral Rh(I) and Ir(I) 1,5-cyclooctadiene complexes M(COD)(PCy2CH═CHO) are characterized. Both the rhodium and iridium complexes are active olefin hydrogenation catalysts. Reaction of the phosphino-aldehyde with Pt(COD)Cl2 results in the formation of trans-PtCl2(PCy2CH2CHO)2 with pendant aldehyde groups, and under certain conditions, they undergo an intraligand aldol condensation to form a disphosphine ligand.

Subluxation of the extensor carpi ulnaris tendon associated with the extensor digitorum tendon subluxation of the long finger.

A twenty-year-old male visited our clinic with wrist and long finger metacarpophalangeal (MP) joint pain. Dynamic ultrasonography revealed sagittal band (SB) ulnar subluxation and extensor carpi ulnaris (ECU) volar subluxation. Magnetic resonance imaging showed longitudinal splitting and dislocation of the volar half slip of the ECU tendon. The redundant radial SB was augmented and ECU sheath was advanced to the periosteum using suture anchors. He was able to perform his previous activities at the last follow-up. We encountered a case of "simulateous" ECU dislocation with extensor tendon subluxation of the long finger at the MP joint. Therefore, we report this case with a review of the relevant literature.