bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Interfacial Reactions and Smooth Etching Strategy of n-type Gallium Nitride Photoanodes
Authors: Hu Huiqing , Guo Sai , Wang Yahui , Shi Kang
Published: December 2020

While photoelectrochemical etching is the only efficient wet-etching method for manufacturing n-type gallium nitride (GaN)-based devices, the current technology cannot simultaneously achieve nanoscale surface roughness (Ra) and flatness. We proposed a smooth etching strategy through the depth study of the interfacial reactions of GaN photoanodes in organic deep eutectic solvents (DESs) and aqueous electrolytes. The results show that with the increase of GaN photoanode potential, first hydroxyl anions and then H2O molecules capture ultraviolet (UV)-photogenerated holes (h

+
) at the GaN surface/interface, initiating GaN oxidation by generating hydroxyl radical (OH·) surface intermediates. The etching results from the synergic effects of interfacial reactions, including GaN oxidation, oxide film formation and dissolution, and side reactions. Only the synergic effects in weak acidic electrolytes (e.g., pH = 2.3) can minimize roughening influences without bending the oxide film. Such etching can prepare the most typical groove structure of GaN-based devices (e.g., insulated gate bipolar transistor) with a nanoscale surface flatness. The Ra reaches 3.28 nm, and the etching rate attains 10.78 nm·min−1.
A Compact Triple Band EBG Using Interdigital Coplanar Waveguide Structure for Antenna Gain Enhancement
Authors: Jirasakulporn Prapoch , Chomtong Pongsathorn , Bandudej Kamorn , Akkaraekthalin Prayoot
Published: December 2020

A new triple band EBG unit cell with compact size has been designed, fabricated, and tested. The proposed EBG unit cell is based on a square mushroom-like EBG (M-EBG) structure with an interdigital coplanar waveguide (ICPW). With this technique, the size of the proposed ICPW-EBG structure has been reduced from λ/2 to λ/4 compared with the conventional M-EBG unit cell dimension, which is 18 × 18 mm2. The proposed unit cell was designed in order to respond for three frequency bands at 1.8 GHz, 2.45 GHz, and 3.7 GHz. An array of 10 × 10 unit cell was also designed as a reflector with an overall dimension of 181.8 × 181.8 mm2. The dipole antennas were implemented over the designed reflector with a short distance of λ/8 to radiate electromagnetic wave. The simulation results showed that the ICPW-EBG reflector can improve directivity of the dipole antenna to be 9.12 dB at 1.8 GHz, 9.02 dB at 2.45 GHz, and 8.40 dB at 3.7 GHz. The measurement directivities agreed well with simulation results including 8.72 dB at 1.8 GHz, 8.56 dB at 2.4 GHz, and 8.1 dB at 3.7 GHz. This is the first design of triple band EBG unit cell with 50% size reduction compared with the conventional structure at the same frequency. The designed ICPW-EBG reflector with dipole antenna results in the triple band operation, low-profile and high gain suitable for modern wireless communication systems.
Comprehensive Analysis of lncRNAs Related to the Prognosis of Esophageal Cancer Based on ceRNA Network and Cox Regression Model
Authors: Li Chao , Yao Wu , Zhao Congcong , Yang Guo , Wei Jingjing , Qi Yuanmeng , Huang Ruoxuan , Zhao Qiuyan , Hao Changfu
Published: December 2020

Background. Esophageal cancer is one of the most deadly malignant tumors. Among the common malignant tumors in the world, esophageal cancer is ranked seventh, which has a high mortality rate. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play an important role in the occurrence and development of various tumors. lncRNAs can competitively bind microRNAs (miRNAs) with mRNA, which can regulate the expression level of the encoded gene at the posttranscriptional level. This regulatory mechanism is called the competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) hypothesis, and ceRNA has important research value in tumor‐related research. However, the regulation of lncRNAs is less studied in the study of esophageal cancer. Methods. The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database was used to download transcriptome profiling data of esophageal cancer. Gene expression quantification data contains 160 cancer samples and 11 normal samples. These data were used to identify differentially expressed lncRNAs and mRNAs. miRNA expression data includes 185 cancer samples and 13 normal samples. The differentially expressed RNAs were identified using the edgeR package in R software. Then, the miRcode database was used to predict miRNAs that bind to lncRNAs. MiRTarBase, miRDB, and TargetScan databases were used to predict the target genes of miRNAs. Cytoscape software was used to draw ceRNA network. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses were performed using DAVID 6.8. Finally, multifactor cox regression was used to screen lncRNAs related to prognosis. Results. We have screened 1331 DElncRNAs, 3193 DEmRNAs, and 162 DEmiRNAs. Among them, the ceRNA network contains 111 lncRNAs, 11 miRNAs, and 63 DEmRNAs. Finally, we established a prediction model containing three lncRNAs through multifactor Cox regression analysis. Conclusions. Our research screened out three independent prognostic lncRNAs from the ceRNA network and constructed a risk assessment model. This is helpful to understand the regulatory role of lncRNAs in esophageal cancer.
Traditional Chinese Medicine Treatment Associated with Female Infertility in Taiwan: A Population‐Based Case‐Control Study
Authors: Liao Yueh-Hsiang , Lin Jaung-Geng , Lin Cheng-Chieh , Tsai Chin-Chuan , Lai Hui-Lien , Li Tsai-Chung
Published: December 2020

Background. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for the treatment of female infertility remains ambiguous. The aim of the present case‐control study was to examine the association between TCM treatment and successful pregnancy among infertile women. Methods. This population‐based case‐control study included the data from 2,627 infertile women with successful pregnancy and 2,627 infertile women without successful pregnancy using datasets from the Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2000 of the National Health Insurance Research Database during 2000–2010. The odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the relationship between TCM use and successful pregnancy in infertility women were estimated using logistic regression. Results. Patients who received TCM treatment significantly increased in successful pregnancy (OR = 1.48; 95% CI = 1.31–1.66), compared with patients without TCM. Si‐Wu‐Tang (OR = 4.25; 95% CI = 2.18, 8.30), Gui‐Zhi‐Fu‐Ling‐Wan (OR = 3.27; 95% CI = 2.13, 5.02), and Jia‐Wei‐Xiao‐Yao‐San (OR = 3.17; 95% CI = 2.35, 4.28) were the TCM agents that were most strongly associated with successful pregnancy among infertile women. Conclusions. Our study findings indicate that TCM is associated with higher likelihood of successful pregnancy in infertile women, which is worthy of further investigation by randomized control trial.
The Chinese Version of Rochester Participatory Decision‐Making Scale (RPAD): Reliability and Validity
Authors: Guo Xufang , Liu Huan , Shih Yian , Wang Cheng , Gao Chuan , He Zhong
Published: December 2020

Aim. This study aims to translate the Rochester Participatory Decision‐Making Scale (RPAD) into the Chinese language and to test the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the scale in the gynecological clinic. Methods. After obtaining the permission of the original author, the Brislin translation model was used to forward‐translation and back‐translation. Then, an expert group was set up to discuss this scale and result in cross‐cultural adaptation. A convenient sampling method was used to select ten doctors working in the gynecological clinic of two top‐three hospitals and 20 patients of each doctor. The Rochester Decision Participation Scale was used by the Chinese version for investigation. Results. The Chinese version of the Rochester Participatory Decision‐Making Scale has a Cronbach’s α coefficient of 0.604 for the total content reliability, the Spearman–Brown coefficient of half‐reliability is 0.646, and the Guttman coefficient of half‐reliability is 0.612. The retest reliability is 0.922. By exploratory factor analysis, the scale extracted three common factors, and the standard factor load corresponding to each entry is higher than 0.4. Conclusion. The reliability and validity of the Chinese version in the Rochester Participatory Decision‐Making Scale are acceptable, which can be used to evaluate doctors “promotion of patients” participation in decision‐making.
L
-Simulation Functions over
b
-Metric-Like Spaces and Fractional Hybrid Differential Equations
Authors: Moustafa Shimaa I. , Shehata Ayman
Published: December 2020

In this paper, we establish some fixed point results for

α

q
s

p

-admissible mappings embedded in

L

-simulation functions in the context of

b

-metric-like spaces. As an application, we discuss the existence of a unique solution for fractional hybrid differential equation with multipoint boundary conditions via Caputo fractional derivative of order

1
<
α
≤
2

. Some examples and corollaries are also considered to illustrate the obtained results.
Improved Survival Outcome and Access to Cancer Screening from Hemorrhoid in Patients with Rectal Cancer
Authors: Zou Qi , Ren Donglin , Wang Xiaolin , Bai Liangliang , Tang Guannan , Huang Meijin , Luo Yanxin , Yu Huichuan
Published: December 2020

Background. The interventions for hemorrhoid increase access to rectal cancer screening and thus might reduce cancer death. We aimed to examine the impact of hemorrhoid on survival outcomes in rectal cancer. Methods. We identified 510 patients with stage I to III rectal cancer from a prospectively collected database. Patients were divided into hemorrhoid and non-hemorrhoid group. The primary endpoints were disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). Results. Hemorrhoid group had significantly more stage I-II diseases in comparison to nonhemorrhoid group (71.1% vs. 55.9%,

P
=
0.049

). The hemorrhoid group had significantly better DFS and OS compared to nonhemorrhoid group, the hazard ratios (HRs) of which were 0.39 (95% CI 0.17-0.88,

P
=
0.018

) and 0.33 (95% CI 0.12-0.92,

P
=
0.034

), respectively. Multivariate analysis revealed that hemorrhoid was independently associated with DFS [adjusted HR 0.43 (95% CI 0.17-0.95,

P
=
0.045

)]. A nomogram for predicting DFS outcome was generated based on hemorrhoid history, with a concordance index of 0.71 (95% CI 0.66-0.75,

P
<
0.001

). Conclusions. There may exist a screening effect and survival benefit from hemorrhoid in rectal cancer, which supports the significance of rectal cancer screening in lowering its mortality.
Evaluation of Antibacterial Activity of Three Quaternary Ammonium Disinfectants on Different Germs Isolated from the Hospital Environment
Authors: Ramzi Amal , Oumokhtar Bouchra , Ez zoubi Yassine , Filali Mouatassem Touria , Benboubker Moussa , El Ouali Lalami Abdelhakim
Published: December 2020

Background. The microbiological risk of the hospital environment, including inert surfaces, medical devices, and equipment, represents a real problem. Objective. This study is aimed at demonstrating and assessing the antibacterial activity of three synthetic disinfectants classified as quaternary ammoniums on different bacterial strains (Gram‐negative and Gram‐positive like Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterobacter cloacae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Staphylococcus aureus) isolated from the hospital environment. The reference strains included Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29213, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853 used as negative control strains. Method. Three quaternary ammonium disinfectants were tested: DDN9® (0.5%) which contains didecylmethylpolyoxyethylammonium propionate as an active substance, spray (0.4%) containing quaternary ammonium compounds, and Phagosurf ND® (0.4%) with didecyldimethylammonium chloride. Their effect was evaluated using the disk diffusion technique and the broth dilution methods, allowing the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) and then the Minimum Bactericidal Concentration (MBC). Result. Only the growth of Gram‐positive bacteria and some strains of Gram‐negative bacteria were inhibited by the three synthetic disinfectants. NDD9® demonstrated an antibacterial effect only against the Gram‐positive strains (S. aureus and S. aureus ATCC 29213) with a MIC of 0.25 mg/ml. The disinfectant spray showed effect against all four strains including E. coli (9), S. aureus, E. coli ATCC 25922, and P. aeruginosa ATCC 27853 with an inhibitory concentration of 4 mg/ml, while the growth of S. aureus ATCC 29213 was inhibited at 2 mg/ml. The third disinfectant, Phagosurf ND®, inhibited only the growth of S. aureus ATCC 29213 at a MIC of 4 mg/ml. Conclusion. This study is the first here in Morocco to evaluate the bacterial activity of products intended for the control of the healthcare environment. The results obtained on the three disinfectants tested reveal an ineffectiveness against some isolated strains from the hospital environment.
On Certain Class of Bazilevič Functions Associated with the Lemniscate of Bernoulli
Authors: Seoudy Tamer M. , Shammaky Amnah E.
Published: December 2020

Making use of the principle of subordination, we introduce a certain class of multivalently Bazilevi

c
˘

functions involving the Lemniscate of Bernoulli. Also, we obtain subordination properties, inclusion relationship, convolution result, coefficients estimate, and Fekete–Szegö problem for this class.
Association between Serum IL‐37 and Spinal Cord Injury: A Prospective Observational Study
Authors: Chen Yuanzhen , Wang Dandan , Cao Shengnan , Hou Guangjian , Ma Hong , Shi Bin
Published: December 2020

Objective. Interleukin‐37 (IL‐37) is a new cytokine that naturally inhibits inflammation. Inflammation plays an important role in acute spinal cord injury (SCI). The purpose of this study is to check whether serum IL‐37 can be used as a clinical predictor of SCI. Methods. All subjects underwent venipuncture within 24 hours of enrollment to obtain peripheral blood and then centrifuged to obtain serum. The concentration of serum IL‐37 was determined by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). One month after the injury, the American Spinal Cord Injury Association (ASIA) impairment scale was used for neurological examination. Results. A total of 148 people were included in the study, including 52 normal controls (NC) and 96 patients with acute SCI within 24 hours of onset. The comparison of clinical baseline data (age, gender, BMI: body mass index, smoking, alcohol drinking, CHD: coronary heart disease, HBP: high blood pressure, and DM: diabetes mellitus) between the two groups was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). However, the serum IL‐37 concentration of SCI patients was significantly higher than that of the NC group, and the difference was statistically significant (p < 0.001). And with the aggravation of SCI grade, the level of IL‐37 increased significantly (p < 0.05). Pearson correlation analysis further showed that serum IL‐37 concentration is negatively correlated with AISA motor score (r = −0.327, p < 0.05). Conclusion. The serum IL‐37 concentration of SCI patients is significantly increased, and it is closely related to the recovery of motor function. We proved for the first time that serum IL‐37 has prognostic value in patients with SCI. In addition, serum IL‐37 may be used as a prognostic biomarker for SCI.
SiFSO: Fish Swarm Optimization-Based Technique for Efficient Community Detection in Complex Networks
Authors: Ahmad Yasir , Ullah Mohib , Khan Rafiullah , Shafi Bushra , Khan Atif , Zareei Mahdi , Aldosary Abdallah , Mohamed Ehab Mahmoud
Published: December 2020

Efficient community detection in a complex network is considered an interesting issue due to its vast applications in many prevailing areas such as biology, chemistry, linguistics, social sciences, and others. There are several algorithms available for network community detection. This study proposed the Sigmoid Fish Swarm Optimization (SiFSO) algorithm to discover efficient network communities. Our proposed algorithm uses the sigmoid function for various fish moves in a swarm, including Prey, Follow, Swarm, and Free Move, for better movement and community detection. The proposed SiFSO algorithm’s performance is tested against state-of-the-art particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithms in Q-modularity and normalized mutual information (NMI). The results showed that the proposed SiFSO algorithm is 0.0014% better in terms of Q-modularity and 0.1187% better in terms of NMI than the other selected algorithms.
Experimental Study on the Temperature Field of Cold Region Tunnel under Various Groundwater Seepage Velocities
Authors: Cao Shiding , Lu Taishan , Zheng Bo , Zhang Guozhu
Published: December 2020

Groundwater seepage significantly affects the temperature field of a cold region tunnel. Laboratory model tests are carried out to evaluate its effects, yielding four main results. First, groundwater seepage can increase tunnel air temperature and decrease the thickness and length of the tunnel insulation layer. Second, groundwater seepage and tunnel ventilation exert a coupling effect on the surrounding rock temperature. This effect is related to the surrounding rock depth. Third, the influence of the groundwater seepage velocity on the temperature of the interface between the lining and surrounding rock demonstrates a spatial difference, and the groundwater seepage leads to an uneven temperature distribution at the interface between the lining and surrounding rock. Furthermore, under groundwater seepage, the shape and size of the tunnel cross section have significant effects on the interface temperature. Fourth, the cold region tunnel has an antifreezing capability that is mainly related to the frost heaving of the surrounding rock and the groundwater seepage velocity. This capability should be fully utilized in the design of cold region tunnels. The experimental data presented can be used to verify the reliability of the theoretical calculation model for tunnel temperatures in cold regions.
A Hybrid Unsupervised Approach for Retinal Vessel Segmentation
Authors: Khan Khan Bahadar , Siddique Muhammad Shahbaz , Ahmad Muhammad , Mazzara Manuel
Published: December 2020

Retinal vessel segmentation (RVS) is a significant source of useful information for monitoring, identification, initial medication, and surgical development of ophthalmic disorders. Most common disorders, i.e., stroke, diabetic retinopathy (DR), and cardiac diseases, often change the normal structure of the retinal vascular network. A lot of research has been committed to building an automatic RVS system. But, it is still an open issue. In this article, a framework is recommended for RVS with fast execution and competing outcomes. An initial binary image is obtained by the application of the MISODATA on the preprocessed image. For vessel structure enhancement, B‐COSFIRE filters are utilized along with thresholding to obtain another binary image. These two binary images are combined by logical AND‐type operation. Then, it is fused with the enhanced image of B‐COSFIRE filters followed by thresholding to obtain the vessel location map (VLM). The methodology is verified on four different datasets: DRIVE, STARE, HRF, and CHASE_DB1, which are publicly accessible for benchmarking and validation. The obtained results are compared with the existing competing methods.
Sport‐Specific Functional Tests and Related Sport Injury Risk and Occurrences in Junior Basketball and Soccer Athletes
Authors: Chang Wen-Dien , Lu Chi-Cheng
Published: December 2020

Objectives. Sport‐specific functional tests were used to assess the power, speed, and agility of the lower extremity for a specific sport, but comparison of the differences and association with sport injury was rare. The aim of this study was to investigate the differences in sport‐specific functional tests between junior basketball and soccer athletes and analyze the sport injury risk and occurrences. Methods. All participants were evaluated using the sprint test, vertical jump (VJ) test, agility T test, and functional movement screen (FMS). There were significant intergroup differences in the sprint test, VJ test, agility T test, and FMS. Specific functional tests were compared against FMS score, either FMS ≤ 14 or FMS > 14. The FMS subtests, namely, in‐line lunge, trunk stability push‐up (TSPU), and quadruped rotary stability, were also performed. In one‐year follow‐up, the sport injury incidence was also recorded. Results. Significant differences in sprint, agility, and FMS performance were found between the junior basketball and soccer athletes. Individual FMS scores of the in‐line lunge, TSPU, and quadruped rotary stability were evaluated. No significant differences in sprint, VJ, and agility scores were found between FMS ≤ 14 and FMS > 14. FMS total score ≤ 14 was significantly associated with high sport injury occurrence. Conclusions. The scores of sprint, agility, and FMS performance were differed between basketball and soccer athletes. The scores of sprint, VJ, and agility tests did not have differences with sport injury risks and occurrences, but the FMS score was associated with sport injury occurrence.
EEG Correlates of Central Origin of Cancer-Related Fatigue
Authors: Allexandre Didier , Seyidova-Khoshknabi Dilara , Davis Mellar P. , Ranganathan Vinoth K. , Siemionow Vlodek , Walsh Declan , Yue Guang H.
Published: December 2020

The neurophysiological mechanism of cancer-related fatigue (CRF) remains poorly understood. EEG was examined during a sustained submaximal contraction (SC) task to further understand our prior research findings of greater central contribution to early fatigue during SC in CRF. Advanced cancer patients and matched healthy controls performed an elbow flexor SC until task failure while undergoing neuromuscular testing and EEG recording. EEG power changes over left and right sensorimotor cortices were analyzed and correlated with brief fatigue inventory (BFI) score and evoked muscle force, a measure of central fatigue. Brain electrical activity changes during the SC differed in CRF from healthy subjects mainly in the theta (4-8 Hz) and beta (12-30 Hz) bands in the contralateral (to the fatigued limb) hemisphere; changes were correlated with the evoked force. Also, the gamma band (30-50 Hz) power decrease during the SC did not return to baseline after 2 min of rest in CRF, an effect correlated with BFI score. In conclusion, altered brain electrical activity during a fatigue task in patients is associated with central fatigue during SC or fatigue symptoms, suggesting its potential contribution to CRF during motor performance. This information should guide the development and use of rehabilitative interventions that target the central nervous system to maximize function recovery.
Ship Accident Prediction Based on Improved Quantum-Behaved PSO-LSSVM
Authors: Chai Tian , Xue Han , Sun Kaibiao , Weng Jinxian
Published: December 2020

Water transportation plays an important role in the comprehensive transportation system and regional logistics. The number of vessel accidents is an important indicator for evaluating vessel traffic safety and the efficiency of the maritime management strategy. The aim of this work is to provide an efficient way to predict the number of vessel accidents in China. Firstly, to weaken the randomness of the vessel accident number time series, the gray processing operation is adopted to generate a new sequence with exponential and approximate exponential rules. In addition, an extended least-squares support vector machine (LSSVM) model is applied in the forecasting of the new sequence, in which the parameters of the LSSVM are optimized by an improved quantum-behaved particle swarm (IQPSO). The proposed method is applied in the forecasting of the number of vessel accidents in China, and the efficiency is shown by comparing the prediction results with GM (1, 1), PSO-LSSVM, and QPSO-LSSVM.
Effect Analysis on the Performance Enhancement and Emission Reduction of Diesel Engine Fueled with Biodiesel Fuel Based on an Improved Model
Authors: Yu Weigang , Zhang Zhiqing , Liu Bo
Published: December 2020

To increase the efficiency and accuracy of computing, an improved combined weight coefficient is used to develop an improved heat transfer model in AVL-BOOST environment. Similarly, a five-component biodiesel skeletal mechanism is employed to investigate the combustion process of biodiesel fuel. Then, the AVL-BOOST model is validated by the experimental results under different conditions. Finally, the improved heat transfer model is employed to investigate the propulsion and load characteristics of diesel engine fueled with biodiesel fuel in terms of power, BSFC, soot, and NOx emission. The result shows that the errors between experiment and simulation are less than 2% and the simulation model can predict the propulsion and load characteristics of the diesel engine. In addition, the comprehensive characteristic of case 5 is the best. Moreover, the big inject orifice is not beneficial to the fuel atomization and more soot is produced. Thus, it is very important to choose the appropriate injection rate reasonably.
LEO Satellite Channel Allocation Scheme Based on Reinforcement Learning
Authors: Zheng Fei , Pi Zhao , Zhou Zou , Wang Kaixuan
Published: December 2020

Delay, cost, and loss are low in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite networks, which play a pivotal role in channel allocation in global mobile communication system. Due to nonuniform distribution of users, the existing channel allocation schemes cannot adapt to load differences between beams. On the basis of the satellite resource pool, this paper proposes a network architecture of LEO satellite that utilizes a centralized resource pool and designs a combination allocation of fixed channel preallocation and dynamic channel scheduling. The dynamic channel scheduling can allocate or recycle free channels according to service requirements. The Q-Learning algorithm in reinforcement learning meets channel requirements between beams. Furthermore, the exponential gradient descent and information intensity updating accelerate the convergence speed of the Q-Learning algorithm. The simulation results show that the proposed scheme improves the system supply-demand ratio by 14%, compared with the fixed channel allocation (FCA) scheme and by 18%, compared with the Lagrange algorithm channel allocation (LACA) scheme. The results also demonstrate that our allocation scheme can exploit channel resources effectively.
Mesenchymal Stem Cells as Therapeutic Agents and Novel Carriers for the Delivery of Candidate Genes in Acute Kidney Injury
Authors: Liu Yuxiang , Fang Jingai
Published: December 2020

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a heterogeneous syndrome characterized by a dramatic increase in serum creatinine. Mild AKI may merely be confined to kidney damage and resolve within days; however, severe AKI commonly involves extrarenal organ dysfunction and is associated with high mortality. There is no specific pharmaceutical treatment currently available that can reverse the course of this disease. Notably, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) show great promise for the management of AKI by targeting multiple pathophysiological pathways to facilitate tubular epithelial cell repair. It has been well established that the unique characteristics of MSCs make them ideal vectors for gene therapy. Thus, genetic modification has been attempted to achieve improved therapeutic outcomes in the management of AKI by overexpressing trophic cytokines or facilitating MSC delivery to renal tissues. The present article provides a comprehensive review of genetic modification strategies targeted at optimizing the therapeutic potential of MSCs in AKI.
Subjective Proximity to Green Spaces and Blood Pressure in Children and Adolescents: The CASPIAN-V Study
Authors: Abbasi Behzad , Pourmirzaei Mohammadali , Hariri Sanam , Heshmat Ramin , Qorbani Mostafa , Dadvand Payam , Kelishadi Roya
Published: December 2020

Evidence favoring a beneficial association between greenness and blood pressure (BP) in adults is accumulating. However, children and adolescents have been understudied accordingly. Methodologically, the data on “exposure” to residential green spaces are commonly satellite-derived, including rare existing studies on the relationship between proximity to green spaces and BP in children. Despite perfectly obliterating subjective biases, remote sensing methods of greenness data collection fail to address pragmatic interaction with such settings. This study aimed to assess the relationship between subjective proximity to green spaces and average/elevated BP in children. Through our study, systolic and diastolic BPs of 12,340 schoolchildren living in CASPIAN-V study areas were examined and recorded. We performed surveys to obtain the data on their proximity to green spaces, defined as having access to such spaces within a 15-minute walk from their homes. Linear mixed-effects models with BP as the outcome variable and the measure of exposure to green spaces as fixed-effect predictor were applied. The analysis was adjusted for several covariates. We found that perceived residential proximity to green spaces was associated with −0.08 mmHg (95% confidence intervals (CIs): −0.58, 0.41;

p

value = 0.72) reduction in systolic BP and −0.09 (95% CIs: −0.49, 0.31;

p

value = 0.66) reduction in diastolic BP. We also observed statistically nonsignificant odds ratio of 1.03 (95% CIs: 0.76, 1.39), 0.96 (95% CIs: 0.80, 1.16), and 0.98 (95% CIs: 0.82, 1.16) for isolated systolic/diastolic hypertension and hypertension, respectively. Our observations remained consistent after adjustment for height, parental employment, low birth weight, parental obesity, single parent, and breastfeeding. In conclusion, subjective proximity to green spaces might not be associated with a lower mean BP in children. Well-designed studies applying both subjective and objective data should be performed to elaborate on the relationship further.
A Parallelized Variable Fixing Process for Solving Multistage Stochastic Programs with Progressive Hedging
Authors: Bagaram Martin B. , Tóth Sándor F. , Jaross Weikko S. , Weintraub Andrés
Published: December 2020

Long time horizons, typical of forest management, make planning more difficult due to added exposure to climate uncertainty. Current methods for stochastic programming limit the incorporation of climate uncertainty in forest management planning. To account for climate uncertainty in forest harvest scheduling, we discretize the potential distribution of forest growth under different climate scenarios and solve the resulting stochastic mixed integer program. Increasing the number of scenarios allows for a better approximation of the entire probability space of future forest growth but at a computational expense. To address this shortcoming, we propose a new heuristic algorithm designed to work well with multistage stochastic harvest-scheduling problems. Starting from the root-node of the scenario tree that represents the discretized probability space, our progressive hedging algorithm sequentially fixes the values of decision variables associated with scenarios that share the same path up to a given node. Once all variables from a node are fixed, the problem can be decomposed into subproblems that can be solved independently. We tested the algorithm performance on six forests considering different numbers of scenarios. The results showed that our algorithm performed well when the number of scenarios was large.
Solving Power Economic Dispatch Problem with a Novel Quantum-Behaved Particle Swarm Optimization Algorithm
Authors: Ping Li , Sun Jun , Chen Qidong
Published: December 2020

This paper proposes the shrink Gaussian distribution quantum-behaved optimization (SG-QPSO) algorithm to solve economic dispatch (ED) problems from the power systems area. By shrinking the Gaussian probability distribution near the learning inclination point of each particle iteratively, SG-QPSO maintains a strong global search capability at the beginning and strengthen its local search capability gradually. In this way, SG-QPSO improves the weak local search ability of QPSO and meets the needs of solving the ED optimization problem at different stages. The performance of the SG-QPSO algorithm was obtained by evaluating three different power systems containing many nonlinear features such as the ramp rate limits, prohibited operating zones, and nonsmooth cost functions and compared with other existing optimization algorithms in terms of solution quality, convergence, and robustness. Experimental results show that the SG-QPSO algorithm outperforms any other evaluated optimization algorithms in solving ED problems.
Caracterización psicosocial y criminológica de adolescentes chilenos con prácticas abusivas sexuales
Authors: Salazar-Muñoz Miguel Omar , Álvarez-Vivar Luis , Bustamante-Cárcamo Yonatan , Pérez-Luco Arenas Ricardo
Published: December 2020

Resumen (analítico)
El objetivo de este estudio fue caracterizar las variables psicosociales y criminológicas asociadas a los adolescentes que desarrollan prácticas abusivas sexuales (PAS), en función de la edad de las víctimas. Mediante un diseño no experimental y transversal, con características descriptivas y correlacionales, se analizan antecedentes psicosociales y criminológicos de 232 adolescentes varones que han realizado PAS. Los resultados indican diferencias estadísticas significativas entre los adolescentes que cometen PAS contra víctimas menores, en contraste con quienes abusan de víctimas pares, tanto en las variables psicosociales (trayectoria escolar e historial de victimizaciones) como en las variables criminológicas (contexto de la práctica abusiva sexual y relación adolescente-víctima). Finalmente, se discuten los resultados en relación con la evidencia internacional y las implicaciones de la generación de conocimientos sobre la temática.
Palabras clave: Ofensa sexual, víctima, adolescencia, comportamiento social, violencia
The Use of Gamma in Place of Digamma in Ancient Greek
Authors: Camagni Francesco
Published: December 2020

Originally, Ancient Greek employed the letter digamma ( ϝ) to represent the /w/ sound. Over time, this sound disappeared, alongside the digamma that denoted it. However, to transcribe those archaic, dialectal, or foreign words that still retained this sound, lexicographers employed other letters, whose sound was close enough to /w/. Among these, there is the letter gamma (γ), attested mostly but not only in the Lexicon of Hesychius. Given what we know about the sound of gamma, it is difficult to explain this use. The most straightforward hypothesis suggests that the scribes who copied these words misread the capital digamma (Ϝ) as gamma (Γ). Presenting new and old evidence of gamma used to denote digamma in Ancient Greek literary and documentary papyri, lexicography, and medieval manuscripts, this paper refutes this hypothesis, and demonstrates that a peculiar evolution in the pronunciation of gamma in Post-Classical Greek triggered a systematic use of this letter to denote the sound once represented by the digamma.
The εὐνοµώτατος ἔρανος in Pindar O. 1.25-27 and the Myth of Pelops
Authors: Acerbo Stefano
Published: December 2020

The reference to Pelops emerging from the cauldron in verses 25-27 of Pindar O. 1 is one of the most enigmatic passages in the ode. Scholars have regarded it as an allusion to the tale of a cannibalistic banquet or as a new story invented by Pindar himself, but both of these interpretations fail to satisfy. Many of the problems caused by this passage derive from the evidence used to reconstruct pre-Pindaric traditions. A second boiling to restore Pelops, preserved only in a scholium to O. 1, is an ad hoc interpretation of the annotator. Based on evidence provided by Apollodorus the mythographer, a different version of this episode may be inferred, whereby the cauldron evokes mythical representations, involving rejuvenation and immortality, which can fully account for the enigmatic passage of O. 1.
The influence of operational sex ratio on reproductive success in male sheepshead minnow (Cyprinodon variegatus)
Authors: Paciorek Timothy , McQuillan Michael , Al-Shaer Layla , Bloch Andrew , Carroll Zachary , Moyer Rachel , Vaze Jai , Leiser John , Kuchka Michael , Itzkowitz Murray
Published: December 2020

Operational sex ratio (OSR) is predicted to influence the direction and intensity of sexual selection. Thus, as the relative numbers of reproductively active males vs females change, the behavioural competition among males and their differences in reproductive success are also predicted to change. While these outcomes seem intuitively obvious, there have been few experimental tests that examine these predictions. Here, we experimentally tested the relationship between OSR and reproductive behaviour in sheepshead minnows (Cyprinodon variegatus) competing in laboratory-based pools. Males and females were assigned to one of three OSRs (female-biased, equal, or male-biased). We monitored aggression, territory size, and number of eggs acquired by the most aggressive male, termed the “focal male,” in the pool. We used microsatellite analyses to determine the parentage of the eggs within the focal males’ territories. Focal males, by definition, were the most aggressive individual in their pools, but the degree of their aggressiveness and number of spawning sites they controlled were not influenced by OSR. Compared to focal males in the equal and male-biased OSRs, focal males in the female-biased OSR did receive more eggs but the OSR did not appear to influence the percentage of eggs they fathered on their own spawning sites. We speculate that a focal male’s competitive ability is more important to reproductive success than the number of other males and females present.
Religiosity and Wage Earnings in Post-Soviet Russia
Authors: Tovar-García Edgar Demetrio
Published: December 2020

This article empirically studies the relationship between religiosity, to be a believer or not and to what extent, and wage earnings in post-Soviet Russia. Mincer equations are estimated adding religious affiliation and religiosity as explanatory variables and using dynamic specifications, controlling for endogeneity and time-invariant independent variables. The empirical strategy includes working age individuals (eighteen to sixty) and uses longitudinal data (2000–2017). The results suggest that male believers suffer a wage penalty, about 7%. Moreover, on average, Muslims obtain lower earnings than do individuals from other religious affiliations, roughly 21% less income; for female Muslims this figure is even higher, about 38%. Nonetheless, analysing younger individuals (eighteen to forty-two), the findings are slightly different. In this case, female believers suffer a wage penalty, about 5%. The findings are robust under different specifications, controlling for education, work experience, civil status, migration background, ethnicity, city size, occupation, and macroeconomic conditions.
Enhancing Oral Bioavailability by Paclitaxel Polymeric Micelles: Role of Transmembrane Pathways in the Oral Absorption
Authors: Liu Qiaoming , Cheng Meng , Liang Jianqin , Jin Yi , Feng Jianfang , Tu Liangxing
Published: December 2020

The oral administration of paclitaxel suffering obstacles like poorly solubility and low permeability, causing extremely low oral bioavailability. In this study, we aim to study the role of transmembrane pathway on the absorption mechanisms of PTX-Micelles. In addition, we will further
study the permeability of PTX-Micelles by employing in situ perfusion model. The results showed the PTX-Micelles could be up taken by caco-2 intact. In addition, we found that the endocytosis pathway and M cells pathway attended, while paracellular pathway absented in the transport
process of PTX-Micelles. The study on in situ perfusion showed the absorption rate constant (Ka) of PTX was enhanced from 6.3, 6.1, 10.6 and 13.6 × 10–2/min to 15.1, 18.4, 45.6 and 42.9 × 10–2/min by micelles in duodenum, jejunum, ileum
and colon, respectively, indicating the PTX-Micelles could enhance the permeability of PTX in intestinal membrane. This study indicating that transmembrane pathway-mediated transport is an important part in the transport process of polymeric micelles, and designing formulation based on transmembrane
pathways may be a promising route for oral bioavailability enhancement of poor-soluble drugs.
Body-Mind Dissociation, Altered States, and Alter Worlds
Authors: Goldberg Peter
Published: December 2020

A psychosomatic model of dissociation is proposed that addresses the ever adjusting mind-body relation—the constant titration of the quality and degree of the psyche’s embeddedness in the sensorial and temporal life of the body. The model highlights the function of hypnoid mechanisms (autohypnosis, distraction, somatic autostimulation) and of altered states of consciousness in facilitating and masking the work of mind-body dissociation. Transient altered states, which enable new and creative forms of mind-body experience in everyday life and in the therapy situation, are contrasted with pathological forms of retreat into alter worlds—rigidly organized, timeless, often inescapable trancelike states of mind-body dislocation. These pathological dissociative structures reshape the life of the mind and of the body, requiring new clinical approaches to these phenomena.
Embodied Attunement and Participation
Authors: Markman Henry C.
Published: December 2020

The analyst’s embodied attunement and participation arises within an embodied analytic relationship. Understanding this “deep structure” of the interaction and attention to this level of interaction opens up new modes of engagement and therapeutic action. The importance of embodied attunement is supported by recent research and theories that the developing mind is shared and dialogical through bodily communication, by rhythms of cadence, tone, intensity, and movement. The analyst’s embodied awareness of two bodies together and their interpersonal rhythm is the “tool” used to gauge the pulse, vitality of connection, and particular rhythmic qualities of a uniquely shared world. This provides a read on the most elemental way the dyad shares emotional experience (or fails to). The analyst’s embodied participation is interpretation in another mode. Clinical examples illustrate how embodied attunement and intentional participation work in the session, and their therapeutic effect. Failures of attunement are also discussed in terms of how the analyst recognizes these failures and his internal process of reattunement.
Does Change in Binge Drinking Reduce Risk of Repeat Sexual Assault Victimization? Evidence From Three Cohorts of Freshman Undergraduate Women
Authors: Butler Leah C. , Fisher Bonnie S. , Reyns Bradford W.
Published: December 2020

Many college students who experience sexual assault experience subsequent (i.e., repeat) sexual assault incidents. There is also an established relationship between sexual assault and binge drinking. The “once bitten, twice shy” (OBTS) hypothesis suggests that those who experience alcohol- or drug-related (AOD) sexual assault would reduce how frequently they binge drink in an effort to avoid repeat victimization. We test this hypothesis by analyzing two years of survey data collected from a panel of three cohorts of freshmen women. Supportive of OBTS, our analyses reveal that students who experienced an AOD-related sexual assault at time 1 only reduced the number of days they binge drank from time 1 to time 2 and that this change significantly differed from repeat victims. Implications for efforts to reduce sexual victimization against college women are discussed.
Generalized Linear Factor Score Regression: A Comparison of Four Methods
Authors: Andersson Gustaf , Yang-Wallentin Fan
Published: December 2020

Factor score regression has recently received growing interest as an alternative for structural equation modeling. However, many applications are left without guidance because of the focus on normally distributed outcomes in the literature. We perform a simulation study to examine how a selection of factor scoring methods compare when estimating regression coefficients in generalized linear factor score regression. The current study evaluates the regression method and the correlation-preserving method as well as two sum score methods in ordinary, logistic, and Poisson factor score regression. Our results show that scoring method performance can differ notably across the considered regression models. In addition, the results indicate that the choice of scoring method can substantially influence research conclusions. The regression method generally performs the best in terms of coefficient and standard error bias, accuracy, and empirical Type I error rates. Moreover, the regression method and the correlation-preserving method mostly outperform the sum score methods.
The fragile authoritarians: China, Russia, and Canadian foreign policy
Authors: Sarty Leigh
Published: December 2020

This paper examines how China and Russia play into the opportunities and constraints that shape Canadian foreign policy. While both countries contribute significantly to the challenges of twenty-first-century world politics, neither is a juggernaut: both face serious internal difficulties and fear the West in ways that should temper our preoccupation with relative decline. The paper concludes that, by seeing these authoritarian powers as more fragile than frightening, Canada can worry less about how engagement might be seen to reward bad behaviour and more about beneficial outcomes in areas that serve Canadian interests.
Antisocial Personality Disorder as a Risk Factor for Opioid Use: The Dual Mediating Roles of Antisocial Attitudes and Self-Control
Authors: Wojciechowski Thomas
Published: December 2020

Antisocial personality disorder is a risk factor for opioid use. There is a dearth of research which examines self-control and moral disengagement as potential mediators of this relationship. This study utilized data from the Pathways to Desistance study in analyses. Generalized structural equation modeling was utilized to test for mediation of the relationship between antisocial personality disorder and opioid use. Bootstrapped standard errors were computed so that a Clogg Z test could be estimated to determine if identified mediation effects significantly differed. Results indicated that a likely diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder increased risk for opioid use. Inclusion of moral disengagement and self-control into the model resulted in attenuation of this effect to non-significance and reduced the magnitude of the effect by around 45%. The contribution of both constructs to the total indirect effect did not significantly differ and only the total indirect effect was significant.
The Role of Segmental Information in Syntactic Processing Through the Syntax–Prosody Interface
Authors: Mitterer Holger , Kim Sahyang , Cho Taehong
Published: December 2020

In two experiments, it was investigated whether potentially contrastive segmental information in the form of an epenthetic glottal stop in Maltese can influence syntactic parsing decisions. The glottal stop in Maltese serves a dual function as a phoneme used for lexical contrast and a non-contrastive phone that may mark a prosodic juncture. In both experiments, participants perceived a larger prosodic boundary before the word u (Engl. “and”) if the u was produced with an epenthetic glottal stop, showing the use of prosodically conditioned segmental information in syntactic parsing. Furthermore, listeners were generally unaware of the existence of the epenthetic glottal stop even though a glottal stop is used as a phoneme represented as a grapheme “q.” They also perceived a larger prosodic juncture when the preceding syllable was lengthened before the word u (“and”). These findings were consistent regardless of whether the glottal stop reinforced a late-closure decision (Experiment 1) or an early-closure decision (Experiment 2). The results indicate that both segmental and suprasegmental information influences syntactic parsing decisions, demonstrating that the syntax–prosody interface is reflected along both the segmental and suprasegmental (duration) dimensions, which are mediated by the phonetics–prosody interface.