bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Risk of dyslipidaemia with antipsychotic drug treatment in Chinese inpatients with mental illness: a hospital-based cohort study
Authors: Ma Qiuyue , Yang Fude , Ma Botao , Jing Wenzhan , Liu Jue , Guo Moning , Li Juan , Wang Zhiren , Liu Min
Published: January 2021

Objectives

To determine the association of long-term use of antipsychotics with the risk of dyslipidaemia.

Design

A hospital-based cohort study.

Setting

Electronic health record data of adult mental health inpatients in all 19 specialised psychiatric hospitals in Beijing from 1 January 2005 to 31 December 2018 was obtained.

Participants

Participants were inpatients aged 18 years or older with at least two admissions, excluding those with diagnosed dyslipidaemia and fatty liver at the first admission. We included 22 329 adult inpatients with no dyslipidaemia and fatty liver at baseline. The exposure was antipsychotics use, defined as antipsychotics prescription in the treatment procedures of medical record preceding dyslipidaemia diagnosis during the follow-up period. 15 930 (71.34%) had antipsychotics use, and 6399 (28.66%) never had antipsychotics use. We used the length of follow-up as proxy for the duration of antipsychotics exposure.

Primary outcome measures

The primary outcome was newly recorded dyslipidaemia defined by International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision codes.

Results

4069 inpatients had newly recorded dyslipidaemia during 73 418.07 person-years, the incidence rate was 5.54 per 100 person-years. The incidence rate was 7.22 per 100 person-years in the exposed group and 3.43 per 100 person-years in the unexposed group. Results of multivariate analysis showed that antipsychotics use was associated with higher risk of dyslipidaemia (adjusted HR, aHR 2.41, 95% CI 2.24 to 2.59, p<0.001), regardless of the duration of antipsychotics use. Inpatients aged 18–29 years had higher risk of dyslipidaemia (aHR 3.38, 95% CI 2.77 to 4.12, p=0.004) than those in other age groups. Inpatients without hypertension had substantially higher risk of dyslipidaemia after antipsychotic exposure.

Conclusions

Both short-term and long-term antipsychotics use was associated with higher risk of dyslipidaemia among Chinese inpatients with mental illness. Dyslipidaemia was especially prominent in young patients and those without hypertension.
Pandemic ICU triage challenge and medical ethics
Authors: Netters Sabine , Dekker Nick , van de Wetering Koos , Hasker Annie , Paasman Dian , de Groot Jan Willem , Vissers Kris C P
Published: February 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has made unprecedented global demands on healthcare in general and especially the intensive care unit (ICU). the virus is spreading out of control. To this day, there is no clear, published directive for doctors regarding the allocation of ICU beds in times of scarcity. This means that many doctors do not feel supported by their government and are afraid of the medicolegal consequences of the choices they have to make. Consequently, there has been no transparent discussion among professionals and the public. The thought of being at the mercy of absolute arbitrariness leads to fear among the population, especially the vulnerable groups.
Collapse of an axion scalar field
Authors: Chakrabarti Soumya
Published: February 2021

The manuscript deals with an interacting scalar field that mimics the evolution of the so-called axion scalar dark matter or axion like particles with ultra-light masses. It is discussed that such a scalar along with an ordinary fluid description can collapse under strong gravity. The end state of the collapse depends on how the axion interacts with geometry and ordinary matter. For a self-interacting axion and an axion interacting with geometry the collapse may lead to a zero proper volume singularity or a bounce and total dispersal of the axion. However, for an axion interacting with the ordinary fluid description, there is no formation of singularity and the axion field exhibits periodic behavior before radiating away to zero value. Usually this collapse and dispersal is accompanied by a violation of the null energy condition for the ordinary fluid description.
The Oslo Cyclotron Laboratory
Authors: Görgen A. , Guttormsen M. , Larsen A. C. , Siem S. , Adli E. , Edin N. F. J. , Gjersdal H. , Henriksen G. , Malinen E. , Modamio V. , Schoultz B. , Sobas P. A. , Theodossiou T. A. , Wikne J. C.
Published: February 2021

Research at the Oslo Cyclotron Laboratory at the University of Oslo is focused on spectroscopy experiments for nuclear structure and nuclear astrophysics using the Oslo Scintillator Array OSCAR. Light-ion beams from the$$K=35$$K=35cyclotron are furthermore used for studies in radiation biology and medical physics, for research and development related to medical isotope production, and for irradiation of materials and electronics components. Here we present an overview of the laboratory and its research infrastructure, give a brief discussion of the respective research programs and methods, and present recent highlights.
Generalized uncertainty principle and its implications on geometric phases in quantum mechanics
Authors: Luciano Giuseppe Gaetano , Petruzziello Luciano
Published: February 2021

We study the implications of the generalized uncertainty principle (GUP) with a minimal measurable length on some quantum mechanical interferometry phenomena, such as the Aharonov–Bohm, Aharonov–Casher, COW and Sagnac effects. By resorting to a modified Schrödinger equation, we evaluate the lowest-order correction to the phase shift of the interference pattern within two different GUP frameworks: the first one is characterized by the redefinition of the physical momentum only, and the other is a Lorentz covariant GUP which also predicts non-commutativity of spacetime. The obtained results allow us to fix upper bounds on the GUP deformation parameters which may be tested through future high-precision interferometry experiments.
Subharmonic variation of Azukawa pseudometrics for balanced domains
Authors: Hosono Genki
Published: February 2021

We consider the subharmonicity property of the logarithm of Azukawa pseudometrics of pseudoconvex domains under pseudoconvex variations. We prove that such a property holds for the variation of balanced domains. We also give a non-balanced example. The relation of the volume of Azukawa indicatrix and the estimate in the Ohsawa–Takegoshi [Formula: see text]-extension theorem is also discussed.
The analysis of evolutionary prisoner’s dilemma game based on weighting effect
Authors: Hu Xinting , Wu Mengyun
Published: January 2021

In this paper, an improved evolutionary prisoner’s dilemma (PD) game model is proposed by considering the weighting effect. Taking into account individual’s perceived payoff (benefits), the evolutionary tendency of the cooperators and three equilibrium points of the proposed model are obtained. We then numerically investigate how different exterior and interior factors influence on individuals’ cooperative behavior and their payoff both in the ER random network and the BA scale-free network. Our results reveal that the heterogeneous network structure is conducive to cooperation. In addition, the existence of leader nodes is an important driving force for promoting individuals’ cooperation. By further analyzing the rationality coefficient which appears in the weighting function, we obtain that a greater of irrationality could lead more people to take cooperative strategies. Finally, two indicators which are used to measure the real average payoff and perceived average payoff are defined. The results show that the real average payoff and perceived average payoff are larger in the heterogeneity network than that in homogeneous network.
Network dynamics on the Chinese air transportation multilayer network
Authors: Yang Yong , Xu Kai-Jun , Hong Chen
Published: February 2021

Air transportation networks play important roles in human mobility. In this paper, from the perspective of multilayer network mechanism, the dynamics of the Chinese air transportation network are extensively investigated. A multilayer-based passengers re-scheduling model is introduced, and a multilayer cooperation (MC) approach is proposed to improve the efficiency of network traffic under random failures. We use two metrics: the success rate and the extra transfer number, to evaluate the efficiency of re-scheduling. It is found that a higher success rate of passengers re-scheduling can be obtained by MC, and MC is stronger for resisting the instability of the capacity of links. Furthermore, the explosion of the number of extra transfer can be well restrained by MC. Our work will highlight a better understanding of the dynamics and robustness of the Chinese air transportation network.
OPTIMIZATION OF RABBIT VENTRICULAR ELECTROPHYSIOLOGICAL MODEL AND SIMULATION OF SYNTHETIC ELECTROCARDIOGRAM
Authors: ZHU HONGLEI , JIN LIAN , ZHANG JIAYU , WU XIAOMEI
Published: January 2021

This study aimed to use computer simulation method to study the mechanism of cardiac electrical activities. We optimized an electrophysiological rabbit ventricular model, including myocardial segmentation, heterogeneity and a realistic His-Purkinje network. Simulations of normal state, several types of ventricular premature contractions (VPC), conduction system pacing and right ventricular apical pacing were performed and the detailed cardiac electrical activities were studied from cell level to electrocardiogram (ECG) level. A detailed multiscale optimized ventricular model was obtained. The model effectively simulated various types of electrical activities. The synthetic ECG results were very similar to the real clinical ECG. The duration of QRS of typical VPC is 58[Formula: see text]ms, 71% longer than that of a normal-state synthetic QRS and the amplitude of the QRS is 35% larger, while the QRS duration and amplitude of the real clinical ECG of typical VPC are 69% longer and 36% larger than those of the real normal QRS. The duration of QRS of ventricular fusion beat is 31[Formula: see text]ms, 91% of that of a normal-state synthetic QRS and the amplitude of the QRS is 36% larger, while the QRS duration of the real clinical ECG of a ventricular fusion beat is 92% of the real normal QRS and the amplitude is 37% larger. Therefore, the results indicate that this model is effective and reliable in studying the detailed process of cardiac excitation and pacing.
Ontology-Based Modelling of IoT Design Patterns
Authors: Dwivedi Ashish Kumar , Satapathy Shashank Mouli
Published: January 2021

Due to the large and complex nature of the Internet of Things (IoT), various analysis and design methodologies are proposed. Design pattern is one of them to provide the solution for a design problem, which is recurring in nature. In this approach, we have presented design patterns for the IoT use cases such as service integration and IoT security. But the semi-formal nature of software patterns may lead to bugs in the proposed pattern. Hence, an ontology-based approach is considered for modelling of the IoT design patterns. Further, we have presented an ontology-based framework for the specification and refinement of IoT design patterns. In this approach, an analysis of meta-models and ontologies has also been performed for reducing the gap between high-level design abstraction of Unified Modeling Language (UML)-based IoT patterns and formal ontology.
Cloud-Based Remote RFID Authentication for Security of Smart Internet of Things Applications
Authors: Ahmed Mohammed Imtyaz , Kannan G.
Published: January 2021

Radio frequency is the technology which enables smart labels to things. Thus, even physical things can participate in computing process. It is becoming popular due to its technological innovation and ability to overcome line of sight problem. With Internet of Things (IoT) technology, RFID usage became ubiquitous in smart applications or IoT use the cases like smart education, smart homes, smart healthcare and smart cities to mention a few. Integration of digital and physical worlds is made possible with IoT, RFID and host of other technologies and standards. When connected devices and things are uniquely identified using RFID technology, it is essential to know its utility in authentication process and security challenges thrown as well. RFID tag and RFID reader are involved in wireless communication and identification. RFID tags may carry sensitive information and its vulnerabilities if any are exploited by adversaries. Moreover, heavy computation is involved in RFID-based authentication. To overcome issues like privacy, security and overhead improvements have been proposed as found in the literature. Researchers used cryptographic tools, hash functions and symmetric key encryption for secure RFID communications. However, the level of security is still inadequate. In this paper, we proposed a cloud-based remote RFID authentication scheme with smart home as the case study. The proposed scheme has features like forward secrecy, anonymity and untraceability besides being light weight. It can withstand various security attacks. Our simulation study revealed that the proposed system model and the cloud-based remote RFID authentication scheme are effective in providing privacy and security as part of access control system in smart home IoT use case.
Crop Yield Estimation Using the Internet of Things
Authors: Mishachandar B. , Vairamuthu S.
Published: January 2021

Internet of Things (IoT) in the current era is liable for its drastic transforming impact on human life, especially in the agricultural sector. IoT has transformed conventional agriculture into smart agriculture making agriculture more feasible in recent days. In this paper, it is proposed to develop a smart agricultural solution for using technologies like Arduino, IoT and Wireless Sensor Network. The developed system prototype uses IoT to perform three main functions namely, self/smart irrigation, crop productivity estimation and alerts cattle grazing. It also provides easy accessibility of the sensed information using an Android-based application and Bluetooth for short-range communication. The features of this paper include monitoring temperature, moisture level, detecting presence of inflammable gases and an emergency alert notification to alert any decline in crop health and cattle grazing directly to the farmer’s smartphone using Android app and Bluetooth. The desirable yielding conditions of a crop are programmed in the android app and compared with the sensed information. With the difference in levels the crop yield is estimated beforehand. A complete health monitoring system is developed using Arduino to perform a periodic check on the growth of the crop and its yielding conditions. Because of its feasibility, energy efficiency and cost-effectiveness, the system can be used in water-deficient agricultural lands with less human intervention.
Land Cover Change Detection from Remotely Sensed IoT Data for Assessment of Land Degradation: A Survey
Authors: Selvaraj Rohini , Nagarajan Suresh Kumar
Published: January 2021

As the contamination over the surface of the earth is increasing exponentially, the land cover and land use detection techniques are considered as important elements in mapping and monitoring the land degradation. Remote sensing plays a vital role in identifying the land changes over the period of time. As land degradation occurs, resource demand will increase and reliable service to achieve land neutrality will increase. Connected device (IoT) could be used to achieve this neutrality in an intelligent and effective manner. Innumerable change detection methods have been developed for as far back as five decades. These studies deal in detail about the different satellite imagery data, image preprocessing techniques and the discussion of pixel-based and object-based change detection techniques. In addition, the dataset, preprocessing and change detection technique are interrelated with each other and their connection between the techniques are clarified dependent on the element of image analysis. The merits and limitation of different methods are also explained in detail.
Note on dark energy and cosmic transit in a scale-invariance cosmology
Authors: Ahmed Nasr , Kamel Tarek M.
Published: February 2021

In general, the laws of physics are not invariant under a change of scale. To find out whether the “scale-invariance hypothesis” corresponds to nature or not, a careful examination to its implications is required. As a consequence, the scale-invariance cosmological models need to be carefully checked with many tests in order to confirm or disconfirm them. In this paper, three different toy models have been introduced in the framework of a scale-invariance cosmology to examine dark energy and cosmic transit. Although cosmic transit exists in the three models, the pressure stays always negative during cosmic evolution. In addition, there is always a singularity in the evolution of the equation of state parameter which is not suitable for a complete investigation of dark energy evolution. The undesirable features of the parameters have been discussed, and a comparison with other cosmological contexts has been done.
Metal complexes of 5,10,15-tris(pentafluorophenyl)-20-pyrrolyl N-confused porphyrin and its meso-pyrrolyl-bridged dimers: Synthesis and optical properties
Authors: Yamasumi Kazuhisa , Mori Shigeki , Tanaka Takayuki , Ishida Masatoshi , Furuta Hiroyuki
Published: February 2021

Inner- and peripheral-metal complexation behaviors of 5,10,15-tris(pentafluorophenyl)-20-pyrrolyl N-confused porphyrin (5) and its meso-pyrrolyl-bridged dimers (6-Ni and 7-Ni) were studied in this work. The resulting inner-Ag and peripheral-BF2 complex (5-AgBF[Formula: see text] exhibited the bathochromically shifted absorption feature ([Formula: see text]772 nm), which was attributed to the BF2 complexation. Furthermore, the bis-Ag/Ni complexes of dimer (6-Ag[Formula: see text]Ni and 7-Ag[Formula: see text]Ni) revealed remarkably lower energy bands in the deeper near-infrared ([Formula: see text] NIR-II) region ([Formula: see text] = 1226 and 1042 nm, respectively) through strong interchromophore interactions.
Fluorinated aluminum(III) porphyrins: Synthesis, spectroscopy, electrochemistry and photochemistry
Authors: Zarrabi Niloofar , Holzer Noah , Bayard Brandon J. , Seetharaman Sairaman , Boe Benjamin G. , D’Souza Francis , Poddutoori Prashanth K.
Published: February 2021

A series of fluorinated free-base porphyrins (H2TPPF[Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] = 0, 8, 12, 20, 24) and the corresponding aluminum(III) porphyrin (AlTPPF[Formula: see text]-Ph, [Formula: see text] = 0, 8, 12, 20, 24) derivatives have been synthesized and their spectroscopic, redox and optical properties were investigated. The absorption studies show that the spectral shapes of investigated porphyrins are sensitive to the degree of fluorination on the meso-phenyl units. Analogously, the fluorescence quantum yields and singlet-state lifetimes depend on the number of fluorine atoms, and decrease by increasing the number of fluorine atoms. The H2TPPF[Formula: see text] and AlTPPF[Formula: see text]-Ph ([Formula: see text] = 8, 12, 20, 24) derivatives exhibited lower fluorescence intensities compared to the H2TPP and AlTPP, respectively. However, the AlTPPF[Formula: see text]-Ph ([Formula: see text] = 0, 8, 12, 20, 24) derivatives yield relatively a strong fluorescence compared to the well-known ZnTPP. As predicted, the redox potentials are shifted to the more positive side by increasing the fluorine atoms. The Lewis acidity of AlTPPF[Formula: see text]-Ph was quantified by using the absorption and fluorescence titrations with the Lewis base [Formula: see text]-methylimidazole (Me-Im). The titration data suggests that the Lewis acidity of the Al center rises when increasing the number of fluorine atoms on the porphyrin. Together, the high fluorescence quantum yields, high-potentials, unique optical and redox properties suggest that the investigated porphyrins could be potential sensitizers to mimic various components of artificial photosynthetic systems for the production of solar fuels.
The Mechanical Strength of Side-to-Side Tendon Repair Using a Modified Krackow Technique
Authors: Ueno Keisuke , Suzuki Takane , Matsuura Yusuke , Sukegawa Koji , Ohtori Seiji , Kuniyoshi Kazuki
Published: February 2021

Background: The purpose of the present study was to assess the biomechanical strength and properties of a modified Krackow technique for side-to-side tendon repair with a short overlap length.

Methods: The flexor digitorum superficialis, flexor digitorum profundus, and flexor pollicis longus muscles were harvested from 10 fresh frozen cadavers. Overall, 60 tendon repairs were divided into four groups based on the suture technique: modified Krackow technique repair (KT); weave suture repair (WS); mattress suture repair (MS); and composite technique repair (CT), a combination of the modified Krackow and weave suture techniques. Single loading mechanical tests were performed, and the results for each suture technique were compared.

Results: Ultimate loads for KT, WS, MS, and CT were 155 ± 45 N, 122 ± 18 N, 92 ± 31 N, and 163 ± 22 N, respectively. KT and CT had significantly higher ultimate loads than the other groups. However, the difference between the KT and CT groups in terms of ultimate load was not significant.

Conclusions: Based on the results from the single loading tests, the use of the modified Krackow and composite techniques appeared to provide stronger fixation than that with the use of the weave and mattress sutures with a short overlap length.
Effect of Biased Neighboring Wire on Polysilicon Wire Biosensors with Sensing Membrane of γ-APTES Mixed with Polydimethylsiloxane-Treated Silica Nanoparticles
Authors: Liao Su-Yu , Lin Jing-Jenn , Ching Congo Tak-Shing , Wu You-Lin
Published: February 2021

Voltages simultaneously applied to two adjacent nanoscale sensors in sensor array might cause false readings. In this work, we investigated the interference effect resultant from a biased neighboring wire on the pH sensing characteristics of the polysilicon wire (PSW) sensors array with sensing membranes of 3-aminopropyltrimethylsiloxane (γ-APTES) and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-treated silica nanoparticles (NPs) plus UV light exposure (γ-APTES + NPs + UV). The current-voltage (I–V) characteristics of the PSW sensors were used to measure the buffer solutions with different pH values under the influences of a neighboring PSW biased with a constant voltage. It is found that, under the influence of the biased neighboring PSW, the sensing channel currents of the PSW with γ-APTES sensing film are much lower than those of the PSW sensor with γ-APTES + NPs + UV sensing film, while the channel current deviation errors of the PSW with γ-APTES sensing film are much higher than those with γ-APTES + NPs + UV sensing film. These improvements are ascribed to the smaller surface leakage current and superior molecular structure of the γ-APTES + NPs + UV sensing film. Apparently, the γ-APTES + NPs + UV sensing film is a better choice for PSW array sensors.
High-Performance PANI-Based Ammonia Gas Sensor Promoted by Surface Nanostructuralization
Authors: Liu Jinmei , Cui Nuangyang , Xu Qi , Wang Zheng , Gu Long , Dou Wei
Published: February 2021

In the area of conductive polymer-based sensors, polyaniline (PANI) has been widely studied for NH3 gas detection and a lot of effort has been devoted to improving its sensing performance. In this work, PANI thin film was prepared by chemical oxidation polymerization and spinning coating approach. By further etching via reactive ion etching (RIE), a nanostructuralized PANI thin film was obtained. All of the morphology characterization, current-voltage (I–V) characteristics curves, and XPS analysis suggest that etching via RIE with O2 gas could not only effectively increase the sensitive area and chemical diffusion pathway but also introduce extra oxygen-containing functional groups to adsorb more NH3 molecules by hydrogen bond. The gas sensing performance of the PANI thin film sensor to NH3 was examined. When the concentration of NH3 gas increased from 3 ppm to 990 ppm, the response of pristine film-based PANI sensor increased from 1.07 to 1.48, while, the response of nanostructuralized film-based PANI sensor increased from 1.16 to 3.19. All the response, reproducibility, and selectivity to NH3 results showed that the PANI sensor of nanostructuralized thin film to NH3 was superior to the PANI sensor of pristine film. This work demonstrates a convenient and effective way that can be beneficially utilized for improving the gas sensing performance.
Numerical Analysis and Experimental Verification of Optimum Heat Input in Additive Manufacturing of Aero Ultrathin Blade
Authors: Dai Shijie , Gong Miao , Wang Liwen , Wang Tao
Published: January 2021

Heat input is a crucial factor affecting the quality in blade additive manufacturing repairing. First, a moving heat source model was established, and through numerical analysis and experimental comparison, the optimal geometric parameters of the heat source model for ultrathin blade repair were obtained. Second, a heat transfer model is established based on the optimal heat source model. By analyzing the thermophysical properties of different alloys, the heat input range of the blade was calculated. By heat transfer calculation under different heat inputs, the heat transfer model of blade repair was optimized. Then, a mathematical model of additive height is established. The optimized heat transfer model is used to solve the temperature distribution of the additive section with time under different wire feeding speeds through numerical analysis, which further reduced the heat input range. Third, the experiments are carried out based on the results of numerical analysis. The evolution law of the microstructure and heat input rate of the additive manufacturing zone was revealed, and the optimal heat input parameters were obtained. Under the optimal parameters, the segregation zone disappeared; hence, the test data were close to the base metal, and the additive manufacturing zone achieved better quality. The results and methods are of great guiding significance for the optimization design in additive manufacturing repair of the aero blades. The study also contributes to carrying out a series of research on heat transfer of ultrathin nickel-based alloy welding.
A New Optimal Guidance Law with Impact Time and Angle Constraints Based on Sequential Convex Programming
Authors: Pei Pei , Wang Jiang
Published: January 2021

This paper proposed an optimal time-varying proportional navigation guidance law based on sequential convex programming. The guidance law can achieve the desired impact angle and impact time with look angle and lateral acceleration constraints. By treating the multiconstraints’ guidance problem as an optimization problem and changing the independent variable to linearize the problem and constraints, the original nonlinear and nonconvex problem is transformed into a series of convex optimization problem so that it can be quickly solved by sequential convex programming. Numerical simulations compared to nonlinear programming and traditional analytical guidance law demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed algorithm. Finally, the proposed guidance law is verified to satisfy different impact time periods and impact angle constraints.
Compressive Strength of Fly‐Ash‐Based Geopolymer Concrete by Gene Expression Programming and Random Forest
Authors: Khan Mohsin Ali , Memon Shazim Ali , Farooq Furqan , Javed Muhammad Faisal , Aslam Fahid , Alyousef Rayed
Published: January 2021

Fly ash (FA) is a residual from thermal industries that has been effectively utilized in the production of FA‐based geopolymer concrete (FGPC). To avoid time‐consuming and costly experimental procedures, soft computing techniques, namely, random forest regression (RFR) and gene expression programming (GEP), are used in this study to develop an empirical model for the prediction of compressive strength of FGPC. A widespread, reliable, and consistent database of compressive strength of FGPC is set up via a comprehensive literature review. The database consists of 298 compressive strength data points. The influential parameters that are considered as input variables for modelling are curing temperature (T), curing time (t), age of the specimen (A), the molarity of NaOH solution (M), percent SiO2 solids to water ratio (% S/W) in sodium silicate (Na2SiO3) solution, percent volume of total aggregate ( % AG), fine aggregate to the total aggregate ratio (F/AG), sodium oxide (Na2O) to water ratio (N/W) in Na2SiO3 solution, alkali or activator to the FA ratio (AL/FA), Na2SiO3 to NaOH ratio (Ns/No), percent plasticizer (% P), and extra water added as percent FA (EW%). RFR is an ensemble algorithm and gives outburst performance as compared to GEP. However, GEP proposed an empirical expression that can be used to estimate the compressive strength of FGPC. The accuracy and performance of both models are evaluated via statistical error checks, and external validation is considered. The proposed GEP equation is used for sensitivity analysis and parametric study and then compared with nonlinear and linear regression expressions.
Polyphenol Content and Antioxidant Activity of Stevia and Peppermint as a Result of Organic and Conventional Fertilization
Authors: Garcia-Mier Lina , Meneses-Reyes Adriana E. , Jimenez-Garcia Sandra N. , Mercado Luna Adan , García Trejo Juan Fernando , Contreras-Medina Luis M. , Feregrino-Perez Ana A.
Published: January 2021

Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni and Mentha piperita are plants that generate interest mainly due to the presence of bioactive compounds in their leaves, such as phenolics. Studies indicate that phenolics have pharmacological and therapeutic properties, including antioxidant activity. Phenolic compounds may be affected by the type of fertilization. For this reason, organic and chemical fertilization were evaluated along with antioxidant activity. Results showed significant differences for total phenols in organic peppermint (62% higher content). Also, DPPH test displayed differences for peppermint and stevia (572% and 16% greater in organic). Organic fertilization may be alternative for producing high added agricultural and commercial products.
On Semi-c-Periodic Functions
Authors: Khalladi M. T. , Kostić M. , Pinto M. , Rahmani A. , Velinov D.
Published: January 2021

The main aim of this paper is to indicate that the notion of semi-c-periodicity is equivalent with the notion ofc-periodicity, provided thatcis a nonzero complex number whose absolute value is not equal to 1.
Structure Strengthening Method for Enhancing Seismic Behavior of Soft Tunnel Portal Section
Authors: Cui Guangyao , Ma Jianfei
Published: January 2021

Tunnel portal sections always suffer serious damage under strong earthquakes. This paper aims to study the seismic performance of lining strengthening method in soft rock portal section by employing the model test. Firstly, the shaking table test considering the test cases, the modified input motions, the boundary condition, and monitoring equipment are conducted to simulate the seismic response of the soft tunnel portal section. Then, the lining strengthening method of increasing concrete grade is applied to the tunnel structure to study the aseismic performance of the soft rock tunnel portal section, and the seismic effects of the tunnel linings with different concrete grades are compared and analyzed. The result shows that the proportion of soft rock to total surrounding rock is the key factor affecting the seismic response of soft rock tunnel portal section; the larger the proportion of soft rock in surrounding rock, the more vulnerable the structure to earthquake damage; the seismic performance of the lining strengthening in hard rock portal is remarkable while limited in soft rock portal section. The stiffness and strength of the lining are larger than those of surrounding rock; the seismic performance of the soft portal section could hardly be improved only by the lining strengthening method. It is suggested to adopt both the structure strengthening and isolation method in the seismic design of soft portal section.
Core Prescribing Indicators and the Most Commonly Prescribed Medicines in a Tertiary Health Care Setting in a Developing Country
Authors: Galappatthy Priyadarshani , Ranasinghe Priyanga , Liyanage Chiranthi K. , Wijayabandara Maheshi , Warapitiya Dinuka S. , Jayasekara Dilini , Jayakody Raveendra L.
Published: January 2021

Irrational prescribing is common, especially in developing countries. It is important to identify the magnitude of irrational use, to take necessary steps to promote rational prescribing. We identified core prescribing indicators and commonly prescribed medicines at ward settings (IW) and outpatients’ clinics (OPC) in a tertiary care hospital in Sri Lanka. A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out at IW and OPC settings. Prescriptions were obtained from 5 major specialties (Clinical Medicine (CM), Gynaecology and Obstetrics (GO), Paediatrics, Psychiatry, and Surgery). The WHO core prescribing indicators were used to describe the pattern of prescribing, and the most commonly prescribed medicines were identified. A total of 1,318 prescriptions were analyzed. The five most commonly prescribed medicines were paracetamol (31.0%), omeprazole (20.6%), folic acid (18.3%), atorvastatin (16.2%), and salbutamol (15.3%). The average number of medicines per encounter was 4.8 ± 3.6 (IW: 5.7 ± 4; OPC: 3.8 ± 2.8;p<0.001), with the highest IW (7.8 ± 4.2) and OPC (7.8 ± 2.7) values were from CM, being significantly higher than all other disciplines (p<0.05). Percentage encounters with an antibiotic or an injection was 26.4% and 30.1%, respectively, with IW being significantly higher than OPC (p<0.001). Percentage of medicines prescribed by generic name and from the essential medicine list (EML) was 90.1% and 91.1%, respectively, with no significant IW and OPC difference. In conclusion, a high degree of polypharmacy was noted. The use of injectable medicines, prescribing from the EML, and generic name prescribing was satisfactory; however, overall rational prescribing needs further improvement. Further investigation into the degree of rational prescribing associating it with clinical information will be important.
Survey on Tunisian Dentists’ Anti-Inflammatory Drugs’ Prescription in Dental Practice
Authors: Berhouma Line , Besbes Amira , Chokri Abdellatif , Selmi Jamil
Published: January 2021

Dentists prescribe several types of drugs such as anti-inflammatory medicines in their practice in order to manage pain. An adequate knowledge of anti-inflammatory drugs’ characteristics is mandatory for a reasonable prescription to ensure patients safety. The study aimed to describe dentists’ anti-inflammatory drugs prescription in dental practice. Materials and Methods. This study was conducted on independent practice dentists working in the region of Tunis. A questionnaire was made on “Google forms” and sent to all of them via personal emails. The questionnaire included demographic data and 13 questions about anti-inflammatory medicines: indications and contraindications, the side effects, and their prescription in dental practice. Data analysis was performed on SPSS software version 20.0 (trial version), using the χ2 test for statistical analysis. Results. Two hundred dentists participated to the survey. The female gender was predominant (70%). More than half of the responders were recently graduated and working in their own dental offices. The present study showed that 60% of dentists rarely prescribe anti-inflammatory drugs. Ibuprofen was prescribed by 82% of the dentists. Next came dexamethasone acetate (68.2%). The most frequent indication was postoperative pain (65%). Gastric problem was found to be the most mentioned adverse effect (69%). Thus, 72% of the dentists prescribed proton pump inhibitors with AI. Conclusion. According to this study, dentists have a lack of knowledge and awareness about some contraindications, side effects, and drugs interactions. Thus, knowledge updating, practices assessment, and continuous education are always required to avoid drug iatrogenesis.
Improved Auxiliary Particle Filter for SINS/SAR Navigation
Authors: Xue Li , Na Chunning , Han Yulan
Published: January 2021

In order to obtain the relatively appropriate importance density function and alleviate the problem of particle degradation, a new improved auxiliary particle filter algorithm is proposed. After calculating the auxiliary variable, the adaptive regulator is employed to obtain the state estimation. So, the latest measurement information is efficiently utilized to establish a better importance density function in the importance sampling process. Then, the process of particle weights’ adaptive adjustment and random-weighted calculation can keep the diversity of particles and improve the filter precision; thus, it can better solve the filter problem of nonlinear system model error and noise interference. The simulation and analysis result show that the proposed algorithm can optimize the filter performance and improve the calculation precision in the positioning of the SINS/SAR integrated navigation system, compared with the other two existing filters.
Seismic Optimization of High Cantilever Multianchor Pile Strengthening Soil Slopes against Earthquakes
Authors: Wu Honggang , Pai Lifang , Lei Hao
Published: January 2021

To explore the optimal seismic performance of multianchor pile, we carried out a series of shaking table tests. Based on the special form of multianchor piles’ reinforcement, we put forward the optimal design scheme of using EPS foam as damping layers and energy‐dissipation springs for improving the self‐coordinating devices of anchor head. By measuring acceleration and dynamic soil‐pressure response under different intensities of vibration, we analyzed the correlation between acceleration caused by seismic wave action and damage characterized by time‐domain and spectral characteristics of dynamic soil‐pressure. We discuss in detail the relationship between frequency and specific period of dynamic soil‐pressure and acceleration. We then used the SPECTR program to calculate the energy spectrum. Under the reciprocating action of seismic waves of different intensities, our slope model showed the continuous effect of spatial coupling deformation leading to regional damage and failure. Furthermore, the spatial distribution for amplitude of acceleration and dynamic soil‐pressure showed the outstanding response of lateral amplitude of pile structures without optimization. The energy‐spectrum distribution of acceleration seismic input was orderly, while the dynamic soil‐pressure distribution of piles was disordered. Low‐frequency (≤10 Hz) seismic waves have a great influence on these structures. The difference of acceleration hysteresis along the elevations was mainly caused by the propagation stage after the main earthquake. The correlation between dynamic soil‐pressure and acceleration response in each group before the pile occurred in the same earthquake area was very weak, showing a low correlation. The optimization effect of optimized structures is related to the position of the shock‐absorbing layer. Under high acceleration, multianchor piles easily cause bulge failures or shear failures at the positions of sliding surfaces. These results are helpful for improvements to reliably optimize designs in pile structure dynamic parameters.
A Historical Review of Medical Robotic Platforms
Authors: Ginoya Tirth , Maddahi Yaser , Zareinia Kourosh
Published: January 2021

This paper provides a brief history of medical robotic systems. Since the first use of robots in medical procedures, there have been countless companies competing to developed robotic systems in hopes to dominate a field. Many companies have succeeded, and many have failed. This review paper shows the timeline history of some of the old and most successful medical robots and new robotic systems. As the patents of the most successful system, i.e., Da Vinci® Surgical System, have expired or are expiring soon, this paper can provide some insights for new designers and manufacturers to explore new opportunities in this field.
Identification and Analysis of Three Hub Prognostic Genes Related to Osteosarcoma Metastasis
Authors: Tan Jianye , Liang Haofeng , Yang Bingsheng , Zhu Shuang , Wu Guofeng , Li Lutao , Liu Zhengwei , Li Lin , Qi Weizhong , Li Sijing , Lin Lijun
Published: January 2021

Osteosarcoma (OS) often occurs in children and often undergoes metastasis, resulting in lower survival rates. Information on the complexity and pathogenic mechanism of OS is limited, and thus, the development of treatments involving alternative molecular and genetic targets is hampered. We categorized transcriptome data into metastasis and nonmetastasis groups, and 400 differential RNAs (230 messenger RNAs (mRNAs) and 170 long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs)) were obtained by the edgeR package. Prognostic genes were identified by performing univariate Cox regression analysis and the Kaplan–Meier (KM) survival analysis. We then examined the correlation between the expression level of prognostic lncRNAs and mRNAs. Furthermore, microRNAs (miRNAs) corresponding to the coexpression of lncRNA-mRNA was predicted, which was used to construct a competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) regulatory network. Finally, multivariate Cox proportional risk regression analysis was used to identify hub prognostic genes. Three hub prognostic genes (ABCG8, LOXL4, and PDE1B) were identified as potential prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets for OS. Furthermore, transcriptions factors (TFs) (DBP, ESX1, FOS, FOXI1, MEF2C, NFE2, and OTX2) and lncRNAs (RP11-357H14.16, RP11-284N8.3, and RP11-629G13.1) that were able to affect the expression levels of genes before and after transcription were found to regulate the prognostic hub genes. In addition, we identified drugs related to the prognostic hub genes, which may have potential clinical applications. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) confirmed that the expression levels of ABCG8, LOXL4, and PDE1B coincided with the results of bioinformatics analysis. Moreover, the relationship between the hub prognostic gene expression and patient prognosis was also validated. Our study elucidated the roles of three novel prognostic biomarkers in the pathogenesis of OS as well as presenting a potential clinical treatment for OS.
A Study of a Nonlinear Ordinary Differential Equation in Modular Function Spaces Endowed with a Graph
Authors: Jeddi Jaauad , Kabil Mustapha , Lazaiz Samih
Published: January 2021

In this paper, we prove by means of a fixed-point theorem an existence result of the Cauchy problem associated to an ordinary differential equation in modular function spaces endowed with a reflexive convex digraph.
Research on Transboundary Regulation of Plant-Derived Exogenous MiRNA Based on Biological Big Data
Authors: Li Zhi , Wei Xu , Li Shuyi , Zhao Jiashi , Li Xiang , Zhu Liwan
Published: January 2021

In recent years, researchers have discovered plant miRNA (plant xenomiR) in mammalian samples, but it is unclear whether it exists stably and participates in regulation. In this paper, a cross-border regulation model of plant miRNAs based on biological big data is constructed to study the possible cross-border regulation of plant miRNAs. Firstly, a variety of human edible plants were selected, and based on the miRNA data detected in human experimental studies, screening was performed to obtain the plant xenomiR that may stably exist in the human body. Then, we use plant and animal target gene prediction methods to obtain the mRNAs of animals and plants that may be regulated, respectively. Finally, we use GO (Gene Ontology) and the Multiple Dimensional Scaling (MDS) algorithm to analyze the biological processes regulated by plants and animals. We obtain the relationship between different biological processes and explore the regulatory commonality and individuality of plant xenomiR in plants and humans. Studies have shown that the development and metabolic functions of the human body are affected by daily eating habits. Soybeans, corn, and rice can not only affect the daily development and metabolism of the human body but also regulate biological processes such as protein modification and mitosis. This conclusion explains the reasons for the different physiological functions of the human body. This research is an important meaning for the design of small RNA drugs in Chinese herbal medicine and the treatment of human nutritional diseases.
Improved Authenticated Key Agreement Scheme for Fog-Driven IoT Healthcare System
Authors: Wu Tsu-Yang , Wang Tao , Lee Yu-Qi , Zheng Weimin , Kumari Saru , Kumar Sachin
Published: January 2021

The Internet of things (IoT) has been widely used for various applications including medical and transportation systems, among others. Smart medical systems have become the most effective and practical solutions to provide users with low-cost, noninvasive, and long-term continuous health monitoring. Recently, Jia et al. proposed an authentication and key agreement scheme for smart medical systems based on fog computing and indicated that it is safe and can withstand a variety of known attacks. Nevertheless, we found that it consists of several flaws, including known session-specific temporary information attacks and lack of per-verification. The opponent can readily recover the session key and user identity. In this paper, we propose a secure authentication and key agreement scheme, which compensates for the imperfections of the previously proposed. For a security evaluation of the proposed authentication scheme, informal security analysis and the Burrows–Abadi–Needham (BAN) logic analysis are implemented. In addition, the ProVerif tool is used to normalize the security verification of the scheme. Finally, the performance comparisons with the former schemes show that the proposed scheme is more applicable and secure.
Substantial Depletion of Vicine, Levodopa, and Tyramine in a Fava Bean Protein-Based Nutritional Product
Authors: Johns Paul W. , Hertzler Steven R.
Published: January 2021

A commercial fava bean protein isolate and a liquid nutritional product formulated with it were tested by validated HPLC methods for the favism-associated pyrimidine glycoside vicine, the dopamine precursor levodopa, and the biogenic amine tyramine. The vicine, levodopa, and tyramine concentrations in the protein isolate—306, 13.3, and <0.5 mg/kg, respectively—when expressed on a protein basis—34, 1.5, and <0.06 mg/100 g protein, respectively—were at least 96% lower than the vicine, levodopa, and tyramine (protein-based) concentrations reported for fava beans (≥900, ~200, and ~4 mg/100 g protein, respectively). This was also true for the vicine (13 mg/kg or 22 mg/100 g protein), levodopa (≤0.17 mg/kg or ≤0.3 mg/100 g protein), and tyramine (0.08 mg/kg or 0.14 mg/100 g protein) concentrations in the nutritional product. On the basis of these data, one serving (11 fl. oz.) of the nutritional product would deliver approximately 5 mg of vicine, <1 mg of levodopa, and <0.1 mg of tyramine.