bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dynamic Contract Incentives Mechanism for Traffic Offloading in Multi-UAV Networks
Authors: Zhao Nan , Fan Pengfei , Cheng Yiqiang
Published: May 2020

Traffic offloading is considered to be a promising technology in the Unmanned Aerial Vehicles- (UAVs-) assisted cellular networks. Due to their selfishness property, UAVs may be reluctant to take part in traffic offloading without any incentive. Moreover, considering the dynamic position of UAVs and the dynamic condition of the transmission channel, it is challenging to design a long-term effective incentive mechanism for multi-UAV networks. In this work, the dynamic contract incentive approach is studied to attract UAVs to participate in traffic offloading effectively. The two-stage contract incentive method is introduced under the information symmetric scenario and the information asymmetric scenario. Considering the sufficient conditions and necessary conditions in the contract design, a sequence optimization algorithm is investigated to acquire the maximum expected utility of the base station. The simulation experiment shows that the designed two-stage dynamic contract improves the performance of traffic offloading effectively.
A New Flexible Bathtub-Shaped Modification of the Weibull Model: Properties and Applications
Authors: Liao Qinghu , Ahmad Zubair , Mahmoudi Eisa , Hamedani G. G.
Published: May 2020

Many studies have suggested the modifications and generalizations of the Weibull distribution to model the nonmonotone hazards. In this paper, we combine the logarithms of two cumulative hazard rate functions and propose a new modified form of the Weibull distribution. The newly proposed distribution may be called a new flexible extended Weibull distribution. Corresponding hazard rate function of the proposed distribution shows flexible (monotone and nonmonotone) shapes. Three different characterizations along with some mathematical properties are provided. We also consider the maximum likelihood estimation procedure to estimate the model parameters. For the illustrative purposes, two real applications from reliability engineering with bathtub-shaped hazard functions are analyzed. The practical applications show that the proposed model provides better fits than the other nonnested models.
Effects of Albumin Infusion on Serum Levels of Albumin, Proinflammatory Cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1, and IL-6), CRP, and MMP-8; Tissue Expression of EGRF, ERK1, ERK2, TGF-β, Collagen, and MMP-8; and Wound Healing in Sprague Dawley Rats
Authors: Utariani Arie , Rahardjo Eddy , Perdanakusuma David S.
Published: May 2020

In this study, we sought to determine the roles of albumin in wound healing, which is infused both pre- and postoperatively in malnourished patients presenting with hypoalbuminemia. For the purposes of the study, we used 25 male Sprague Dawley rats of predetermined weight and age, which were initially maintained in a standard environment and fed the same diet for 7 days prior to being segregated into one of the following five groups: A, control, normal protein feed (20% casein); B, hypoalbuminemia, 25% rat albumin infusion prior to surgery; C, hypoalbuminemia, normal protein feed (20% casein); D, hypoalbuminemia, 25% rat albumin infusion after surgery; and E, hypoalbuminemia, low-protein feed (casein 2%). The animals in all five groups were subjected to four deep incisions in their dorsal muscle fascia. On days 1, 3, 5, and 7 after surgery, ELISA was used to determine serum levels of TNF-α, IL-1, IL-6, CRP, and MMP-8, whereas immunohistochemistry was used to determine the tissue expression of EGFR, ERK1, ERK2, TGF-β, collagen, and MMP-8. Significant reductions in serum levels of TNF-α, IL-1, and CRP were detected in the groups receiving albumin infusion and the high-casein diet (P<0.05). The administration of albumin and a high-casein diet also increased the tissue expression of EGFR, ERK1, ERK2, TGF-β, and collagen and decreased that of MMP-8 relative to the hypoalbuminemia control (P<0.05). We propose that the administration of albumin promoted NF-κB signaling which, in turn, induced the transduction and transcription of factors involved in wound healing. Albumin infusion and dietary proteins play vital roles in accelerating the wound healing process, as they can contribute to correcting the hypoalbuminemic state. These findings provide insights that will contribute to our understanding of wound healing, particularly in malnourished patients.
Engineering Classification of Jointed Rock Mass Based on Connectional Expectation: A Case Study for Songta Dam Site, China
Authors: Song Shengyuan , Xu Qiang , Chen Jianping , Zhang Wen , Cao Chen , Li Yongchao
Published: May 2020

Engineering classification of complex jointed rock mass is influenced and controlled by many factors with random, nonlinear, and unascertained characteristics, which is an extremely complicated problem. This paper introduces a comprehensive method to classify the rock mass with complex joints. Firstly, evaluation indexes are described by the interval number theory. Secondly, the weight values of the evaluation indexes are determined by the analytic hierarchy process (AHP). Thirdly, the connectional expectation between interval numbers is analyzed and the classification grade of jointed rock mass quality is identified by the set pair analysis theory. The new method can not only describe the dynamic evolution trend of various influencing factors, but also simplify the analysis process of the relationship between interval numbers. The Songta dam abutment rock mass is selected as a study case to verify the rationality of the new method. The classification results of rock mass quality obtained by the new method are in accordance with the actual situation and are consistent with the results provided by the RMR classification.
Linear Correction and Matching Method for 3D Line Structure Reconstruction
Authors: Jia Di , Li Yuxiu , Wu Si , Liu Ying
Published: May 2020

The 3D reconstruction technique using the straight-line segments as features has high precision and low computational cost. The method is especially suitable for large-scale urban datasets. However, the line matching step in the existing method has a mismatching problem. The two main reasons for this problem are the line detection result is not located at the true edge of the image and there is no consistency check of the matching pair. In order to solve this problem, a linear correction and matching method for 3D reconstruction of target line structure is proposed in this paper. Firstly, the edge features of the image are extracted to obtain a binarized edge map. Then, the extended gradient map is calculated using the edge map and the gradient to establish the gradient gravitational map. Secondly, the straight-line detection method is used to extract all the linear features used for the 3D reconstruction image, and the linear position is corrected by the gradient gravitational map. Finally, the point feature matching result is used to calculate the polar line, and the line matching results of the adjacent three images are used to determine the final partial check feature area. Then, random sampling is used to obtain the feature similarity check line matching result in the small neighborhood. The aforementioned steps can eliminate the mismatched lines. The experimental results demonstrate that the 3D model obtained using the proposed method has higher integrity and accuracy than the existing methods.
Short-Term Traffic Speed Prediction Method for Urban Road Sections Based on Wavelet Transform and Gated Recurrent Unit
Authors: Fu Xin , Luo Wei , Xu Chengyao , Zhao Xiaoxuan
Published: May 2020

As a core component of the urban intelligent transportation system, traffic prediction is significant for urban traffic control and guidance. However, it is challenging to achieve accurate traffic prediction due to the complex spatiotemporal correlation of traffic data. A road section speed prediction model based on wavelet transform and neural network is, therefore, proposed in this article to improve traffic prediction methods. The wavelet transform is used to decompose the original traffic speed data, and then the coefficients obtained after the decomposition are used to reconstruct the high-frequency random sequences and the low-frequency trend sequence. Secondly, a GRU neural network is constructed to learn the trend of low-frequency sequence. The spatiotemporal correlation between input data is extracted by adjusting the input of the model. Meanwhile, an ARMA model is used to fit unstable random fluctuations of high-frequency sequences. Last of all, the prediction results of the two models are added together to obtain the final prediction result. The proposed prediction model is validated by using road section speed data based on the floating car data collected in Ningbo. The results show that the proposed model has high accuracy and robustness.
Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Modulate Fibrosis and Inflammation in the Peritoneal Fibrosis Model Developed in Uremic Rats
Authors: Costalonga Elerson C. , Fanelli Camilla , Garnica Margoth R. , Noronha Irene L.
Published: May 2020

Peritoneal fibrosis (PF) represents a long-term complication of peritoneal dialysis (PD), affecting the peritoneal membrane (PM) function. Adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ASC) display immunomodulatory effects and may represent a strategy to block PF. The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of ASC in an experimental PF model developed in uremic rats. To mimic the clinical situation of patients on long-term PD, a combo model, characterized by the combination of PF and chronic kidney disease (CKD), was developed in Wistar rats. Rats were fed with a 0.75% adenine-containing diet, for 30 days, to induce CKD with uremia. PF was induced with intraperitoneal injections of chlorhexidine gluconate (CG) from day 15 to 30. 1×106 ASC were intravenously injected at days 15 and 21. Rats were divided into 5 groups: control, normal rats; CKD, rats receiving adenine diet; PF, rats receiving CG; CKD+PF, CKD rats with PF; CKD+PF+ASC, uremic rats with PF treated with ASC. PF was assessed by Masson trichrome staining. Inflammation- and fibrosis-associated factors were assessed by immunohistochemistry, multiplex analysis, and qPCR. When compared with the control and CKD groups, GC administration induced a striking increase in PM thickness and inflammation in the PF and CKD+PF groups. The development of PF was blocked by ASC treatment. Further, the upregulation of profibrotic factors (TGF-β, fibronectin, and collagen) and the increased myofibroblast expression observed in the CKD+PF group were significantly ameliorated by ASC. Beyond the antifibrotic effect, ASC showed an anti-inflammatory effect avoiding leucocyte infiltration and the overexpression of inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-6) in the PM induced by GC. ASC were effective in preventing the development of PF in the experimental model of CKD+PF, probably due to their immunomodulatory properties. These results suggest that ASC may represent a potential strategy for treating long-term PD-associated fibrosis.
Higher Levels of High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein Is Positively Associated with the Incidence of Hyperuricemia in Chinese Population: A Report from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study
Authors: Dai Hui-Xu , Zhao Zhi-Ying , Xia Yang , Wu Qi-Jun , Zhao Yu-Hong
Published: May 2020

Purpose. The aim of the present cohort study was to explore the longitudinal association between high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP) and hyperuricemia in Chinese population. Furthermore, we conducted subgroup analyses to explore this association according to age, sex, and body mass index. Methods. A total of 5,419 healthy participants were enrolled in the final cohort analysis. The high-sensitivity CRP level was measured by immunoturbidimetric assay. Hyperuricemia was defined as serum uric acid ≥7.0 mg/dL (416 μmol/L) in men and ≥6.0 mg/dL (357 μmol/L) in women. Multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze the association. Results. During the 4 years follow-up, 474 participants developed hyperuricemia. Compared with participants in the lowest tertile of high-sensitivity CRP, the multivariate-adjusted odds ratio (OR) (95% confidence interval [CI]) for incident hyperuricemia in the highest tertile was 1.36 (1.02, 1.82). In the subgroup analyses, high-sensitivity CRP was positively associated with the incidence of hyperuricemia after multivariate adjustments (P for trend=0.04) in women. Compared with the women in the lowest tertile of high-sensitivity CRP, the multivariate-adjusted OR (95% CI) in the highest tertile was 1.69 (1.10, 2.66). No statistically significant association was found in other subgroups. Conclusions. The findings of this prospective cohort study suggest that higher level of high-sensitivity CRP is an independent risk factor for hyperuricemia in Chinese, especially in women.
Explaining the Effects of Socioeconomic and Housing Characteristics on the Choice of Toilet Facilities among Ghanaian Households
Authors: Adzawla William , Alhassan Hamdiyah , Jongare Adams Imoru
Published: May 2020

Open defecation remains a major environmental sanitation challenge facing all areas of Ghana. This notwithstanding, the socioeconomic drivers of this phenomenon are overlooked. This study, therefore, analysed the factors that influence the choice of toilet facilities over the practice of open defecation in the country. Ghana Living Standard Survey round 7 (GLSS7) data were analysed using multinomial logit regression. From the data, a majority of households used improved toilet facilities (WC, KVIP, and pit latrines with slab) in Ghana and over one-fourth of households engaged in open defecation. The regression result revealed that the choice of toilet facilities over the practice of open defecation was significantly influenced by the sex of the household head, age, household size, education, marital status, locating in urban areas, regional locations, ownership of dwelling, type of dwelling, expenditure on rent, expenditure quintile, and per capita consumption expenditure of the household. Specifically, male, younger, less educated, and first income-quintile household heads have higher probability of practicing open defecation in Ghana. These variables point to specific policy directions that should be corrected or targeted to minimize, if not eliminate, the practice of open defecation in the country. The Media Coalition Campaign against Open Defecation should be intensified and directed towards the males, youths, and the less educated populace. This study also justified that calls for Ghanaians to change their attitudes or behavior towards open defecation are mere rhetoric if such calls are not defined within the socioeconomic conditions of the people of the area.
Modeling Hypertension as a Contributor to Retinal Hemorrhaging from Abusive Head Trauma
Authors: Umstead Christopher , Barhorst Alan , Kasemsri Thivakorn , Mitchell Kelly
Published: May 2020

Retinal hemorrhaging (RH) is indicative and prevalent in abusive head trauma (AHT)—yet the direct cause of the RH from AHT is unknown. Our hypothesis is that RH in AHT is the combination of shaking forces and hypertension. This combination of effects explains why RH is not normally observed in common childhood accidents but is nearly exclusively observed in AHT. An experimental model using porcine eyes was designed to ascertain the required pressure change for sudden RH and, via a computer model, the subsequent stress increase in blood vessels. The porcine eyes were cannulated via the maxillary artery and pressurized until perfusion and RH were observed. Fluid was injected into the head with a computer-controlled continuous flow syringe pump; video of the fundus was recorded during perfusion; and the pressure of the fluid entering the eye was recorded as well. A computer model was created in COMSOL to simulate loading from hypertension, shaking, and the combination of the forces. This model was validated via experimental data collected from the porcine model. It was found that hypertension or shaking alone did not cause an increase in stress required to cause RH. But when the loading of shaking and hypertension was combined, as would occur in AHT, the stress increases were greater than those extrapolated from the porcine model and would cause RH.
Fuzzy Terminal Sliding Mode Control with Compound Reaching Law and Time Delay Estimation for HDU of Legged Robot
Authors: Ba Kaixian , Yu Bin , Liu Yaliang , Jin Zhengguo , Gao Zhengjie , Zhang Junxiao , Kong Xiangdong
Published: May 2020

Hydraulic drive mode enables legged robots to have excellent characteristics, such as greater power-to-weight ratios, higher load capacities, and faster response speeds than other robots. Nowadays, highly integrated valve-controlled cylinder, called the hydraulic drive unit (HDU), is employed to drive the joints of these robots. However, there are some common problems in the HDU resulted from hydraulic systems, such as strong nonlinearity, asymmetry dynamic characteristics between positive and negative moving directions of the piston rod, and time-varying parameters. It is difficult to obtain the desired control performance by just using classical control methods such as the traditional PID control. In this paper, a position controller that combines fuzzy terminal sliding mode control (FTSMC) and time delay estimation (TDE) is proposed, in which FTSMC adopts a compound reaching law which combines the tangent function and the exponential reaching law. Moreover, the fuzzy control is introduced to adjust the parameters of the reaching law in real time to improve the adaptability of FTSMC. Based on FTSMC, the external uncertain disturbance of the HDU position control system is estimated by TDE, which ensures the simplicity of system modeling and the normal application of FTSMC. Finally, the control effects of the controller combining FTSMC and TDE are verified on the HDU performance test platform and the load simulation experiment platform. The experimental results show that the proposed controller greatly improves the system position control performance and has a strong disturbance rejection ability and a good adaptability under different working conditions. The above research results can provide an important reference and experimental basis for the inner loop of compliance control of legged robots.
Effects of Orem’s Self-Care Model on the Life Quality of Elderly Patients with Hip Fractures
Authors: Xu Xiaodong , Han Jun , Li Yajia , Sun Xichun , Lin Peng , Chen Ying , Gao Fuqiang , Li Zirong , Zhang Shuai , Sun Wei
Published: May 2020

Background. Hip fractures of elderly patients are a public health problem worldwide, mostly lying in bed for a long time; therefore, the importance of life quality in such patients is an issue beyond question. Orem’s self-care model is a nursing pattern which is introduced with the purpose of improving the self-care ability of individuals, especially the patients suffering from diseases with limits on activity. Objective. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of Orem’s self-care program on life quality of senile patients with hip fractures. Methods. A randomized clinical trial study was conducted on 130 eligible old patients suffering from hip fractures who were selected using easy sampling methods and allocated randomly into two groups of experiment and control. The data were collected through validated questionnaires including visual analogue scale (VAS) and Barthel index for them. The experiment group was treated according to Orem’s self-care model, and the control group was treated on the basis of the traditional care model. The data of complications including pneumonia, deep venous thrombosis, urinary infection, wound problem, and bedsore were also gathered. Results. As revealed, mean scores of VAS and Barthel index one week after operation in the experiment group were significantly different from the control one (P<0.05, P≤0.001). The changes of VAS and Barthel index six weeks postoperatively of the two groups were also statistically significant (P<0.05, P≤0.001). Compared with the control group, the difference of complications reduced significantly in the experiment group (P<0.05). Accordingly, educational intervention according to Orem’s self-care model seemed to be effective in promoting self-care ability for these senile patients. Conclusions. According to the obtained results, a self-care program based on Orem’s model for elderly patients with hip fractures can improve life quality and reduce perioperative complications significantly. Therefore, it is recommended that this nursing program should be taken into account as a part of treatment measures for these patients.
Route Optimization of Electric Vehicle considering Soft Time Windows and Two Ways of Power Replenishment
Authors: Meng Ming , Ma Yun
Published: May 2020

Under the background of severe air pollution and energy shortage, electric vehicles (EVs) are promising vehicles to support green supply chain and clean production. In the world, the renewal of EVs has become a general trend. Therefore, the concern about EVs is a hot issue at present, but EVs have the characteristics of limited driving distance and long charging time. When the EVs are used in logistics transportation, these characteristics have a significant impact on the vehicle routing problems. Therefore, based on the research experience of traditional vehicle routing optimization, combining with the characteristics of EVs, this paper presents an optimal problem of electric vehicle routes with time windows based on two charging methods and it also designs a mathematical model which was caused by early and late arrival as the objective function to minimize the transportation cost, vehicle use cost, power supply cost, and penalty cost. The model is solved using an ant colony algorithm. Finally, the ant colony algorithm is tested and analysed with an example.
Numerical Simulation Research on Crack Bifurcation Mechanism of Bidirectional Cumulative Tensile Blasting
Authors: Guo Pengfei , Ye Kengkeng , Zhang Xiaohu
Published: May 2020

Shaped energy blasting has been widely used in the field of geotechnical engineering because of its good orientation and high energy utilization. However, the bifurcation of cracks in the direction of energy accumulation seriously affects the precracking effect in the direction of energy accumulation. In order to study the influence of the shaped energy angle on the crack propagation and bifurcation in the direction of energy accumulation, this paper used theoretical analysis and numerical simulation to study the influence of the energy angle on the crack propagation law in the energy‐concentration direction. It was found that the energy release rate in the direction of energy accumulation after blasting was the main determinant of crack propagation and bifurcation in the direction of energy accumulation, and it decreased with the increase of the shaped energy angle. When the energy release rate in the direction of energy absorption exceeded a certain critical value, the stress intensity factor K at the crack tip would be affected by the impact load more than the bifurcation toughness KB, resulting in bifurcation of the crack in the direction of the energy. The SPH method was used to simulate and analyze the energy blasting of four different shaped energy angles. The results show that as the shaped energy angle increases when the shaped energy angle is greater than or equal to 35°, the cracks in the direction of energy accumulation after blasting are bifurcated, two cracks at the crack tip. When the shaped energy angle is less than 24°, only one horizontal crack is generated in the direction of shaped energy, which is in good agreement with the theoretical analysis. The research in this paper will provide a certain research basis for the design of the blasting device and the optimization of the blasting effect.
Effect of Hirsutella sinensis Fungus on the Hypothalamic‐Pituitary‐Adrenal Axis in Lewis Rats with Kidney‐Yang Deficiency Syndrome
Authors: Zhang Lizong , Lang Jiali , Jin Lu , Jin Lushuai , Cao Beibei , Shao Xia , Fang Mingsun , Cai Yueqin , Liu Xia , Fu Huiying , Shou Qiyang
Published: May 2020

Kidney‐yang deficiency syndrome (KYDS) is a classic syndrome in traditional Chinese medicine, which is mainly caused by damage to the hypothalamic‐pituitary‐adrenal (HPA) axis. Hirsutella sinensis fungus (HSF), an artificial substitute of Cordyceps sinensis, has been widely used in TCM. However, the effects and the possible mechanism of HSF on the HPA axis and corresponding KYDS have not yet been investigated. In this study, Lewis rats were used as a spontaneous KYDS model. HSF was intragastrically administered to the Lewis rats at two doses: low dose (1 g/kg) and high dose (2 g/kg). Body weight, temperature, and behavioral tests including grip strength, open field, and Morris water maze (MWM) tests were used to evaluate the KYDS symptoms. Enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect the level of circulating adrenocortisol (ACTH), corticosterone (CORT), corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH), cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), and cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP). In addition, mRNA expression of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF‐α), interferon gamma (IFN‐γ), interleukin 10 (IL‐10), CRH, glucocorticoid receptor (GR), and mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) was detected by quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (Q‐PCR). The Lewis rats were indicated to have KYDS symptoms and HSF treatment ameliorated these symptoms via enhancement of the HPA axis function, which was evidenced by the increased levels of CRH, ACTH, and CORT in serum and 17‐OHCS in urine. HSF also significantly improved the expression of TNF‐α, IFN‐γ, and IL‐2, secreted by Th1 cells, which might accelerate the activation of the immune system related to the HPA axis function. Thus, we conclude that HSF can alleviate KYDS symptoms in Lewis rats by regulating the HPA axis through accelerated immune system activation.
Inhibitory Activity of Boesenbergia rotunda (L.) Mansf. Rhizome towards the Expression of Akt and NF‐KappaB p65 in Acetic Acid‐Induced Wistar Rats
Authors: Rosdianto Aziiz Mardanarian , Puspitasari Irma Melyani , Lesmana Ronny , Levita Jutti
Published: May 2020

Ethnopharmacological Relevance. Boesenbergia rotunda has been traditionally used to reduce stomach discomfort in Indonesia. The objective of the present study was to investigate the anti‐inflammatory mechanism and acute toxicity of the ethanol extract of B. rotunda rhizome (BREE) in Wistar rats. Materials and Methods. Forty‐eight male Wistar rats were divided into anti‐inflammatory mechanism study (n = 18) and acute toxicity study (n = 30). The anti‐inflammatory mechanism study employed six groups (n = 3), e.g., the normal control, negative control, positive control (quercetin 20 mg/kg BW), and three doses of BREE (250 mg/kg BW; 500 mg/kg BW; 1000 mg/kg BW). All groups (except the normal control) were inflammatory‐induced i.p. using 0.1 mL of 1% of acetic acid. The expression of Akt and NF‐kappaB p65 in the stomach and intestine of the rats was examined using Western blot analysis. The acute toxicity study (21 days) was conducted by following the Regulation of Indonesia National Agency of Drug and Food Control No. 7/2014 about In Vivo Nonclinical Toxicity Study using 5 doses of BREE (250 mg/kg BW; 500 mg/kg BW; 1000 mg/kg BW; 2000 mg/kg BW; 4000 mg/kg BW). Results. BREE reduces the infiltration of inflammatory cells in both the stomach and the intestine of acetic acid‐induced rats. BREE also alters the expression of Akt and NF‐kappaB p65 in the rat’s stomach and intestine (p = 0.005). The acute toxicity study reveals no lethal effects and behavioral signs of toxicity at all tested doses, which indicates that the LD50 is greater than 4000 mg/kg BW. Conclusion. Taken together, BREE could inhibit the expression of Akt and NF‐kappaB p65 in the stomach and intestine of acetic acid‐induced Wistar rats. This plant could be further explored for its potential as plant‐based antistomach ulceration.
Path Planning for Autonomous Articulated Vehicle Based on Improved Goal-Directed Rapid-Exploring Random Tree
Authors: Xu Tong , Xu Yang , Wang Dong , Chen Siwei , Zhang Weigong , Feng Lihang
Published: May 2020

The special steering characteristics and task complexity of autonomous articulated vehicle (AAV) make it often require multiple forward and backward movements during autonomous driving. In this paper, we present a simple yet effective method, named head correction with fixed wheel position (HC-FWP), for the demand of multiple forward and backward movements. The goal-directed rapid-exploring random tree (GDRRT) algorithm is first used to search for a feasible path in the obstacle map, and then, the farthest node search (FNS) algorithm is applied to obtain a series of key nodes, on which HC-FWP is used to correct AAV heading angles. Simulation experiments with Dynapac CC6200 articulated road roller parameters show that the proposed improved goal-directed rapid-exploring random tree (IGDRRT), consisting of GDRRT, FNS, and HC-FWP, can search a feasible path on maps that require the AAV to move back and forth.
Staphylococcus aureus Prostatic Abscess in the Setting of Prolonged S. aureus Bacteremia
Authors: Eichenberger Emily M. , Shoff Christopher J. , Rolfe Robert , Pappas Steven , Townsend Mary , Hostler Christopher J.
Published: May 2020

Staphylococcus aureus rarely causes prostatic abscess. We report five cases of S. aureus prostatic abscess in the setting of bacteremia at our institution that occurred between 12/2018 and 05/2019. Three of the cases were caused by MRSA, and four of the patients underwent drainage of the prostatic abscess. All five patients received a minimum of six weeks of antibiotic therapy. One of the five patients died during the course of their infection. S. aureus prostatic abscess with bacteremia is an uncommon but serious disease. Treatment should consist of a combination of prolonged antibiotic therapy and surgical drainage when feasible.
The Impact of Psoriasis and Metabolic Syndrome on the Systemic Inflammation and Oxidative Damage to Nucleic Acids
Authors: Holmannova Drahomira , Borska Lenka , Andrys Ctirad , Borsky Pavel , Kremlacek Jan , Hamakova Kvetoslava , Rehacek Vit , Malkova Andrea , Svadlakova Tereza , Palicka Vladimir , Krejsek Jan , Fiala Zdenek
Published: May 2020

Background. Psoriasis is a chronic systemic inflammatory disease associated with a wide range of comorbidities, including metabolic syndrome (MetS). Serum calprotectin, ANGPTL8, and oxidative damage to nucleic acids might be associated with both diseases. The presented study describes the influence of psoriasis and MetS on the serum levels of markers of systemic inflammation (calprotectin and ANGPTL8) and markers of oxidative damage to nucleic acids. The applicability of serum levels of calprotectin and ANGPTL8 for monitoring of the activity of psoriasis (diagnostic markers) is also evaluated.Methods. Clinical examination (PASI score, MetS), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and Enzyme Immunoassay (EIA). Serum calprotectin, ANGPTL8, 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine, 8-hydroxyguanosine, and 8-hydroxyguanine.Results and Conclusions. The psoriasis significantly increased the serum level of calprotectin and the serum level of oxidative damage to nucleic acids, however not the serum level of ANGPTL8. The presence of MetS did not significantly affect the serum levels of calprotectin, ANGPTL8, and oxidative damage to nucleic acids in either psoriasis patients or controls. It seems that the serum level of calprotectin (but not the serum level of ANGPTL8) could be used as a biomarker for monitoring the activity of psoriasis.
A Chebyshev Spectral Method for Normal Mode and Parabolic Equation Models in Underwater Acoustics
Authors: Tu Houwang , Wang Yongxian , Liu Wei , Ma Xian , Xiao Wenbin , Lan Qiang
Published: May 2020

In this paper, the Chebyshev spectral method is used to solve the normal mode and parabolic equation models of underwater acoustic propagation, and the results of the Chebyshev spectral method and the traditional finite difference method are compared for an ideal fluid waveguide with a constant sound velocity and an ideal fluid waveguide with a deep-sea Munk speed profile. The research shows that, compared with the finite difference method, the Chebyshev spectral method has the advantages of a high computational accuracy and short computational time in underwater acoustic propagation.
Integrated Analyses Identify Immune-Related Signature Associated with Qingyihuaji Formula for Treatment of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma Using Network Pharmacology and Weighted Gene Co-Expression Network
Authors: Qian Xiang , Chen Zhuo , Chen Sha Sha , Liu Lu Ming , Zhang Ai Qin
Published: May 2020

The study aimed to clarify the potential immune-related targets and mechanisms of Qingyihuaji Formula (QYHJ) against pancreatic cancer (PC) through network pharmacology and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). Active ingredients of herbs in QYHJ were identified by the TCMSP database. Then, the putative targets of active ingredients were predicted with SwissTargetPrediction and the STITCH databases. The expression profiles of GSE32676 were downloaded from the GEO database. WGCNA was used to identify the co-expression modules. Besides, the putative targets, immune-related targets, and the critical module genes were mapped with the specific disease to select the overlapped genes (OGEs). Functional enrichment analysis of putative targets and OGEs was conducted. The overall survival (OS) analysis of OGEs was investigated using the Kaplan-Meier plotter. The relative expression and methylation levels of OGEs were detected in UALCAN, human protein atlas (HPA), Oncomine, DiseaseMeth version 2.0 and, MEXPRESS database, respectively. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was conducted to elucidate the key pathways of highly-expressed OGEs further. OS analyses found that 12 up-regulated OGEs, including CDK1, PLD1, MET, F2RL1, XDH, NEK2, TOP2A, NQO1, CCND1, PTK6, CTSE, and ERBB2 that could be utilized as potential diagnostic indicators for PC. Further, methylation analyses suggested that the abnormal up-regulation of these OGEs probably resulted from hypomethylation, and GSEA revealed the genes markedly related to cell cycle and proliferation of PC. This study identified CDK1, PLD1, MET, F2RL1, XDH, NEK2, TOP2A, NQO1, CCND1, PTK6, CTSE, and ERBB2 might be used as reliable immune-related biomarkers for prognosis of PC, which may be essential immunotherapies targets of QYHJ.
Modeling Financial Intraday Jump Tail Contagion with High Frequency Data Using Mutually Exciting Hawkes Process
Authors: Yu Chao , Bi Jianxin , Zhao Xujie
Published: May 2020

Financial extreme jumps in asset price may propagate across stock markets and lead to the market-wide crashes, which severely threatens the stability of the financial system. In order to analyzing the contagion features of jump tail risk, this paper proposes a mutually exciting contagion model based on Hawkes process with intraday high frequency data. We use a simple two-stage method that first extracts the jump component nonparametrically from the high frequency data and then models the intraday jump tail using mutually exciting Hawkes process. Moreover, we take both the occurrence time and magnitude of jump into account in modeling the conditional intensity of Hawkes process. The proposed method is applied to the five-minute high frequency data of the Chinese stock market. The empirical results show that, for the two main Chinese stock markets, only background intensity is significant in the Shanghai stock market, while mutually exciting effect is significant in the Shenzhen stock market. Both the location and size of jump in the Shanghai stock market have significant stimulation to the next occurrences of jump in the Shenzhen stock market. Furthermore, the proposed model performs very well in predicting the future jump tail events.
Analysis of a Diffusive Heroin Epidemic Model in a Heterogeneous Environment
Authors: Wang Jinliang , Sun Hongquan
Published: May 2020

This paper is concerned with a reaction-diffusion heroin model in a bound domain. The objective of this paper is to explore the threshold dynamics based on threshold parameter and basic reproduction number (BRN) ℜ0, and it is proved that if ℜ0<1, heroin spread will be extinct, while if ℜ0>1, heroin spread is uniformly persistent and there exists a positive heroin-spread steady state. We also obtain that the explicit formula of ℜ0 and global attractiveness of constant positive steady state (PSS) when all parameters are positive constants. Our simulation results reveal that compared to the homogeneous setting, the spatial heterogeneity has essential impacts on increasing the risk of heroin spread.
Face Detection and Recognition Based on Visual Attention Mechanism Guidance Model in Unrestricted Posture
Authors: Yuan Zhenguo
Published: May 2020

Performance of face detection and recognition is affected and damaged because occlusion often leads to missed detection. To reduce the recognition accuracy caused by facial occlusion and enhance the accuracy of face detection, a visual attention mechanism guidance model is proposed in this paper, which uses the visual attention mechanism to guide the model highlight the visible area of the occluded face; the face detection problem is simplified into the high-level semantic feature detection problem through the improved analytical network, and the location and scale of the face are predicted by the activation map to avoid additional parameter settings. A large number of simulation experiment results show that our proposed method is superior to other comparison algorithms for the accuracy of occlusion face detection and recognition on the face database. In addition, our proposed method achieves a better balance between detection accuracy and speed, which can be used in the field of security surveillance.
Addressing the Bike Repositioning Problem in Bike Sharing System: A Two-Stage Stochastic Programming Model
Authors: Tang Qiong , Fu Zhuo , Zhang Dezhi , Guo Hao , Li Minyi
Published: May 2020

In this paper, a bike repositioning problem with stochastic demand is studied. The problem is formulated as a two-stage stochastic programming model to optimize the routing and loading/unloading decisions of the repositioning truck at each station and depot under stochastic demands. The goal of the model is to minimize the expected total sum of the transportation costs, the expected penalty costs at all stations, and the holding cost of the depot. A simulated annealing algorithm is developed to solve the model. Numerical experiments are conducted on a set of instances from 20 to 90 stations to demonstrate the effectiveness of the solution algorithm and the accuracy of the proposed two-stage stochastic model.
Study on One-Dimensional Large Deformation Consolidation of Soil considering Liquid Phase Inertia
Authors: Xie Xin-Yu , Xu Chun-Tai , Li Jin-Zhu , Wang Zhong-Jin , Wang Wen-Jun
Published: May 2020

Classical consolidation theory ignores the influence of soil liquid phase acceleration. This paper considers the influence of liquid phase acceleration on the stress balance equation during the consolidation of soil, obtains the one-dimensional equation governing quasi-hydrostatic consolidation under large deformation with the consideration of the inertia of the liquid phase, and solves the governing equations by finite element method. The calculation results show that the liquid phase inertia effect of the soil will cause excess pore pressure in the soil, obviously increasing in the initial stage of consolidation, and the self-weight of soil exerts an influence on the excess pore pressure at the later stages of consolidation. The liquid phase inertia effect parameter Dc determines the strength of the liquid phase inertia effect. A larger Dc value results in a larger increase in the excess pore pressure, and the later the liquid phase inertial effect occurs, the longer the duration is. In the large strain consolidation analysis, especially at the initial stage of consolidation, it is necessary to consider the liquid phase inertia effect of the soil.
Current Panorama and Challenges for Neoadjuvant Cancer Immunotherapy
Authors: Benitez Jose Carlos , Remon Jordi , Besse Benjamin
Published: May 2020

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) may overcome cancer cells' ability to evade the immune system and proliferate. The long-term benefit of ICI in the metastatic setting led to evaluate neoadjuvant ICI approaches in several tumor types such as melanoma, non–small cell lung cancer, and breast and bladder cancer. We summarize the current evidence for the efficacy of neoadjuvant ICI in cancer and discuss several unresolved challenges, including the role of adjuvant treatment after neoadjuvant ICI, the efficacy in oncogenic addicted tumors, and standardizing pathologic assessment.
Sorafenib Inhibits Proliferation, Migration and Invasion of Breast Cancer Cells
Authors: Dattachoudhury Sreeja , Sharma Renu , Kumar Atul , Jaganathan Bithiah Grace
Published: May 2020

Introduction: Metastatic breast cancer has poor prognosis due to limited therapeutic options. Protein kinase dysregulations have a major role in breast cancer progression and metastasis. In this study, we investigated the anti-cancer activity of sorafenib, a multikinase inhibitor, which targets receptor tyrosine kinases in breast cancer. Although treatment with sorafenib has increased the patient survival and inhibited metastatic migration in hepatocellular carcinoma, its role in breast cancer migration, metastasis, and intracellular signaling modulation is unknown. Methods: Breast cancer cell lines MCF7 and MDA-MB-231 were treated with sorafenib and its effect on proliferation, migration, invasion and gene expression was analyzed. Results: We found that sorafenib has an anti-proliferative and cytotoxic effect on breast cancer cells. Importantly, sorafenib inhibited the migration and invasion of breast cancer cells in vitro. Mechanistically, sorafenib increased mitochondrial superoxide production, suppressed breast cancer stem cell self-renewal, inhibited epithelial mesenchymal transition and ERK signaling. Conclusion: Thus, sorafenib has anti-cancer activity against breast cancer cells and could improve the survival of breast cancer patients by inhibiting their invasive and metastatic properties.
Efficacy of Three-Drug Induction Chemotherapy Followed by Preoperative Chemoradiation in Patients with Localized Gastric Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Mizrak Kaya Dilsa , Nogueras González Graciela M. , Harada Kazuto , Blum Murphy Mariela A. , Lee Jeffrey H. , Bhutani Manoop S. , Weston Brian , Thomas Irene , Rogers Jane E. , Das Prajnan , Badgwell Brian D. , Ajani Jaffer A.
Published: May 2020

Background: Preoperative induction chemotherapy followed by chemoradiation yields better R0 resection rates, pathologic complete response (pCR) rates and improved survival for localized gastric adenocarcinoma (GAC). We report the effect of three-drug induction chemotherapy on a large cohort of localized GAC patients. Methods: We identified 97 patients with localized GAC who received three-drug induction chemotherapy followed by preoperative chemoradiation therapy. We assessed various endpoints (overall survival [OS], recurrence-free survival [RFS], R0 resection and pCR rate). Results: The median follow-up time was 3.5 years (range; 0.4–16.7). The induction chemotherapy regimen was a fluoropyrimidine and a platinum compound (cisplatin or oxaliplatin) with a taxane (docetaxel or paclitaxel) for 95% of patients. Seventy-three (75.3%) out of 97 patients underwent planned surgery. R0 resection and pCR rae were 93.2 and 20.6%, respectively. Pathologic partial response (<50% residual carcinoma) rate was 50.7%. The median OS was 6.4 years (95% Cl 3.3–12.4) for the entire cohort and 11.1 years (95% Cl 7.1-not estimable) for patients that underwent surgery. The estimated 2- and 5-year OS rates were 72.4% (95% CI 62.1–80.3) and 54.3% (95% CI 43.2–64.1) for the entire cohort and 83.2% (95% CI 72.3–-90.1) and 66% (95% CI 52.3–75.8) for patients that underwent surgery. Pathologic lesser stage (stage I/II vs. stage III/IV) (p = 0.001) and R0 resection (p = 0.02) were independently associated with longer RFS in the multivariate analysis. Conclusion: Our data shows that three-drug combination is feasible without providing substantial advantage compared with two-drug combination in this setting of preoperative induction chemotherapy followed by chemoradiation and surgery.
Efficacy and Safety of Sorafenib in Unresectable Hepatocellular Carcinoma with Bile Duct Invasion
Authors: Tanaka Taku , Kuzuya Teiji , Ishigami Masatoshi , Ito Takanori , Ishizu Yoji , Honda Takashi , Ishikawa Tetsuya , Fujishiro Mitsuhiro
Published: May 2020

Introduction: Because the frequency of bile duct invasion in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients is very rare, there is limited clinical evidence to demonstrate the outcomes of systemic therapy in HCC with bile duct invasion. Objective: Our aim was to clarify the efficacy and safety of sorafenib treatment in patients with unresectable advanced HCC with bile duct invasion. Methods: One hundred and seventy-five patients with advanced HCC were enrolled in this study. We retrospectively compared the outcomes of sorafenib between patients without bile duct invasion [B (−) group, n = 165] and those with bile duct invasion [B (+) group, n = 10]. Results: There were no significant differences in the confirmed objective response rate (ORR) and the confirmed disease control (DC) rate between the B (−) and the B (+) groups (13.9 vs. 20.0%, p = 0.637 for ORR; 47.2 vs. 70.0%, p = 0.202 for DC rate, respectively). There were no significant differences in median overall survival (OS) and time to progression (TTP) between the B (−) group and the B (+) group (14.8 vs. 14.1 months, p = 0.780 for OS; 3.4 vs. 5.7 months, p = 0.277 for TTP, respectively). Post-treatment factors associated with good OS were changes in albumin-bilirubin score (0–6 weeks) of <0.25, and antitumor response at 6 weeks of DC. Though 5 of 10 patients (50%) in the B (+) group had bile duct complications, such as obstructive jaundice and biliary bleeding, these 5 patients were able to recover from biliary troubles by careful and vigorous management with biliary endoscopic intervention, and were able to continue sorafenib therapy safely. Conclusions: Our present results suggest that sorafenib might have potential therapeutic efficacy and safety in advanced HCC patients with bile duct invasion. In case of biliary tract troubles before and during sorafenib treatment, early biliary management may be important to continue sorafenib therapy safely. Further studies are needed to confirm the outcomes of sorafenib in advanced HCC patients with bile duct invasion.