bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Study on Band Gap and Sound Insulation Characteristics of an Adjustable Helmholtz Resonator
Authors: Han Donghai , Zhang Guangjun , Zhao Jingbo , Yao Hong , Liu Hong
Published: April 2022

To solve the problem of low-frequency noise in the environment, a Helmholtz-type phononic crystal with adjustable cavity structure and labyrinth tubes was designed. The unique design of the labyrinth tube greatly increases the length of the tube, improving low-frequency sound insulation performance, and the design of adjustable cavity structure realizes active regulation of the band structure. The band gap structure and sound insulation characteristics were analyzed by finite element method (FEM) and electro-mechanical-acoustic analogy method. The result shows that, firstly, the structure can generate two complete band gaps in the low-frequency range of 0–500 Hz, and there is a low-frequency band gap with lower limit of 40 Hz. Meanwhile, the structure has excellent sound insulation performance in the range of 0–500 Hz. Secondly, multiple resonant band gaps can be connected by adjusting the structural layout of the cavity through the telescopic screw, so as to achieve the purpose of widening the band gap and active control of environmental noise. Finally, in the periodic arrangement design of the structure, reducing the spacing between cells can effectively increase the bandwidth of band gaps. This design broadens the design idea of phononic crystal and provides a new method to solve the problem of low-frequency noise control.
Heat Transfer Analysis of the Flat Plate Solar Thermal Collectors with Elliptical and Circular Serpentine Tubes
Authors: Rostami Shirin , Abd Hamid Ag Sufiyan , Sopian Kamaruzzaman , Jarimi Hasila , Bassim Anwor , Ibrahim Adnan
Published: April 2022

In this study, the heat transfer characteristics of the flat plate collectors with circular and elliptical serpentine tubes are theoretically analyzed and compared in terms of m˙, Re, Nu, hfi, FR, Qu, and μTh under various water flow rates and the standard test conditions. The results reveal that the maximum μTh correspondence to the elliptical serpentine design with 56% under turbulent flow, and the minimum μTh of 47% for the circular cross-section under laminar flow. In addition, it was found that the highest useful energy gain per unit time (493.8 W) through the system is possible when FR, hfi, Nu, and m˙ are maximum and vice versa. It was concluded that, at the same area, the larger contact area in the elliptical cross-section compared to the circular would improve FR and Qu by an average of 2%. Overall, it is crucial to evaluate the thermal parameters of the thermal collector during the preliminary design stage to fabricate a highly efficient system and save time as well as initial cost.
Applications of Confluent Hypergeometric Function in Strong Superordination Theory
Authors: Oros Georgia Irina , Oros Gheorghe , Rus Ancuța Maria
Published: April 2022

In the research presented in this paper, confluent hypergeometric function is embedded in the theory of strong differential superordinations. In order to proceed with the study, the form of the confluent hypergeometric function is adapted taking into consideration certain classes of analytic functions depending on an extra parameter previously introduced related to the theory of strong differential subordination and superordination. Operators previously defined using confluent hypergeometric function, namely Kummer–Bernardi and Kummer–Libera integral operators, are also adapted to those classes and strong differential superordinations are obtained for which they are the best subordinants. Similar results are obtained regarding the derivatives of the operators. The examples presented at the end of the study are proof of the applicability of the original results.
A New Ontology-Based Method for Arabic Sentiment Analysis
Authors: Khabour Safaa M. , Al-Radaideh Qasem A. , Mustafa Dheya
Published: April 2022

Arabic sentiment analysis is a process that aims to extract the subjective opinions of different users about different subjects since these opinions and sentiments are used to recognize their perspectives and judgments in a particular domain. Few research studies addressed semantic-oriented approaches for Arabic sentiment analysis based on domain ontologies and features’ importance. In this paper, we built a semantic orientation approach for calculating overall polarity from the Arabic subjective texts based on built domain ontology and the available sentiment lexicon. We used the ontology concepts to extract and weight the semantic domain features by considering their levels in the ontology tree and their frequencies in the dataset to compute the overall polarity of a given textual review based on the importance of each domain feature. For evaluation, an Arabic dataset from the hotels’ domain was selected to build the domain ontology and to test the proposed approach. The overall accuracy and f-measure reach 79.20% and 78.75%, respectively. Results showed that the approach outperformed the other semantic orientation approaches, and it is an appealing approach to be used for Arabic sentiment analysis.
G-Quadruplex-Binding Proteins: Promising Targets for Drug Design
Authors: Shu Huiling , Zhang Rongxin , Xiao Ke , Yang Jing , Sun Xiao
Published: April 2022

G-quadruplexes (G4s) are non-canonical secondary nucleic acid structures. Sequences with the potential to form G4s are abundant in regulatory regions of the genome including telomeres, promoters and 5′ non-coding regions, indicating they fulfill important genome regulatory functions. Generally, G4s perform various biological functions by interacting with proteins. In recent years, an increasing number of G-quadruplex-binding proteins have been identified with biochemical experiments. G4-binding proteins are involved in vital cellular processes such as telomere maintenance, DNA replication, gene transcription, mRNA processing. Therefore, G4-binding proteins are also associated with various human diseases. An intensive study of G4-protein interactions provides an attractive approach for potential therapeutics and these proteins can be considered as drug targets for novel medical treatment. In this review, we present biological functions and structural properties of G4-binding proteins, and discuss how to exploit G4-protein interactions to develop new therapeutic targets.
Sex Plays a Multifaceted Role in Asthma Pathogenesis
Authors: Miyasaka Tomomitsu , Dobashi-Okuyama Kaori , Kawakami Kaori , Masuda-Suzuki Chiaki , Takayanagi Motoaki , Ohno Isao
Published: April 2022

Sex is considered an important risk factor for asthma onset and exacerbation. The prevalence of asthma is higher in boys than in girls during childhood, which shows a reverse trend after puberty—it becomes higher in adult females than in adult males. In addition, asthma severity, characterized by the rate of hospitalization and relapse after discharge from the emergency department, is higher in female patients. Basic research indicates that female sex hormones enhance type 2 adaptive immune responses, and male sex hormones negatively regulate type 2 innate immune responses. However, whether hormone replacement therapy in postmenopausal women increases the risk of current asthma and asthma onset remains controversial in clinical settings. Recently, sex has also been shown to influence the pathophysiology of asthma in its relationship with genetic or other environmental factors, which modulate asthmatic immune responses in the airway mucosa. In this narrative review, we highlight the role of sex in the continuity of the asthmatic immune response from sensing allergens to Th2 cell activation based on our own data. In addition, we elucidate the interactive role of sex with genetic or environmental factors in asthma exacerbation in women.
Morbid Obesity in Women Is Associated with an Altered Intestinal Expression of Genes Related to Cancer Risk and Immune, Defensive, and Antimicrobial Response
Authors: Ho-Plágaro Ailec , Rodríguez-Díaz Cristina , Santiago-Fernández Concepción , López-Gómez Carlos , García-Serrano Sara , Martín-Reyes Flores , Rodríguez-Pacheco Francisca , Rodríguez-Cañete Alberto , Alcaín-Martínez Guillermo , Vázquez-Pedreño Luis , Valdés Sergio , Garrido-Sánchez Lourdes , García-Fuentes Eduardo
Published: April 2022

Background: Little is known about the relation between morbid obesity and duodenal transcriptomic changes. We aimed to identify intestinal genes that may be associated with the development of obesity regardless of the degree of insulin resistance (IR) of patients. Material and Methods: Duodenal samples were assessed by microarray in three groups of women: non-obese women and women with morbid obesity with low and high IR. Results: We identified differentially expressed genes (DEGs) associated with morbid obesity, regardless of IR degree, related to digestion and lipid metabolism, defense response and inflammatory processes, maintenance of the gastrointestinal epithelium, wound healing and homeostasis, and the development of gastrointestinal cancer. However, other DEGs depended on the IR degree. We mainly found an upregulation of genes involved in the response to external organisms, hypoxia, and wound healing functions in women with morbid obesity and low IR. Conclusions: Regardless of the degree of IR, morbid obesity is associated with an altered expression of genes related to intestinal defenses, antimicrobial and immune responses, and gastrointestinal cancer. Our data also suggest a deficient duodenal immune and antimicrobial response in women with high IR.
Role of Chitinase-3-like Protein 1 in Cardioprotection and Angiogenesis by Post-Infarction Exercise Training
Authors: Li Zhuo , Wu Fangnan , Xi Lei , Tian Zhenjun
Published: April 2022

Chitinase-3-like protein 1 (CHI3L1) is a myokine involving tissue remodeling and inflammatory processes. CHI3L1 and its receptor protease-activated receptor 2 (PAR2) are induced by exercise in skeletal muscles. However, it remains unknown if CHI3L1/PAR2 signaling also mediates exercise-induced cardioprotection after myocardial infarction. Twenty-four adult male rats were divided into three groups (n = 8/group), receiving: (1) a sham operation; (2) permanent ligation of left anterior descending coronary artery; and (3) post-MI exercise training with one-week adaptive treadmill exercise for seven days followed by four weeks of aerobic exercise. Left ventricular systolic and end-diastolic pressure indices were measured and cardiac fibrosis, and angiogenesis were examined. Furthermore, HUVEC cells were treated in vitro with AMPK agonist—AICAR (a putative pharmacological memetic of exercise), recombinant human CHI3L1, PAR2 receptor blocker (AZ3451), and PI3K inhibitor (LY294002), respectively. We found that post-MI exercise significantly upregulated CHI3L1, PAR2, pPI3K/PI3K, pAKT/AKT, pERK/ERK, improved cardiac function, and diminished fibrosis. AICAR increased HUVEC tubules formation and upregulated CHI3L1 and PAR2 and these changes were attenuated by PAR2 blocker. In conclusion, post-MI exercise training can effectively activate CHI3L1/PAR2 signaling, which led to the improved myocardial function and enhanced cardiac angiogenesis in the infarcted heart.
HbA1c and Glucose Management Indicator Discordance Associated with Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes in Intermittent Scanning Glucose Monitoring System
Authors: Fellinger Paul , Rodewald Karin , Ferch Moritz , Itariu Bianca , Kautzky-Willer Alexandra , Winhofer Yvonne
Published: April 2022

Glucose management indicator (GMI) is frequently used as a substitute for HbA1c, especially when using telemedicine. Discordances between GMI and HbA1c were previously mostly reported in populations with type 1 diabetes (T1DM) using real-time CGM. Our aim was to investigate the accordance between GMI and HbA1c in patients with diabetes using intermittent scanning CGM (isCGM). In this retrospective cross-sectional study, patients with diabetes who used isCGM >70% of the time of the investigated time periods were included. GMI of four different time spans (between 14 and 30 days), covering a period of 3 months, reflected by the HbA1c, were investigated. The influence of clinical- and isCGM-derived parameters on the discordance was assessed. We included 278 patients (55% T1DM; 33% type 2 diabetes (T2DM)) with a mean HbA1c of 7.63%. The mean GMI of the four time periods was between 7.19% and 7.25%. On average, the absolute deviation between the four calculated GMIs and HbA1c ranged from 0.6% to 0.65%. The discordance was greater with increased BMI, a diagnosis of T2DM, and a greater difference between the most recent GMI and GMI assessed 8 to 10 weeks prior to HbA1c assessment. Our data shows that, especially in patients with increased BMI and T2DM, this difference is more pronounced and should therefore be considered when making therapeutic decisions.
Investigation of Thermal Bridges of a New High-Performance Window Installation Using 2-D and 3-D Methodology
Authors: Šadauskienė Jolanta , Ramanauskas Juozas , Krawczyk Dorota Anna , Klumbytė Eglė , Fokaides Paris A.
Published: April 2022

The investigation of building elements regarding energy saving is a paramount issue, with EU Directives driving achievement goals, focusing on buildings’ energy performance and energy efficiency. This work focuses on investigating thermal bridges in a new high-performance window installation. This work aims to investigate the thermal properties of windows installed in the thermal insulation layer and to compare different installation methods and thermal bridge evaluation methodologies from the point of view of thermal physics. The results show that comparing the obtained values of the thermal bridge according to two- and three-dimensional domain (2-D and 3-D) calculation methods, the values show a difference of 68%. After examining the method of installing a new high-performance window in the thermal insulation layer, the effect of installing a window on the wall of a building is highlighted in this work. Given that windows are the most thermally conductive elements in a building, this paper provides guidance for both the scientific community and practitioners regarding trends in thermal bridges that change completely when using different assessment methods.
DEMSA Protocol: Deterioration Effect Modelling for Structural Assessment of RC Buildings
Authors: Casprini Elena , Passoni Chiara , Marini Alessandra , Bartoli Gianni
Published: April 2022

The effects of deterioration strongly impact the expected future service life and the structural performances of existing reinforced concrete structures. Currently, straightforward methodologies are required to include such effects in the assessment and renovation of the RC buildings’ heritage. A simplified protocol enabling the detection, evaluation, and modelling of corrosion effects is presented in this paper. The protocol provides the guidance for the design and management of the on-site diagnostic campaign, aimed at identifying a possible corrosion risk scenario. Then, equivalent damage parameters describing corrosion effects in the structural models can be calibrated. Structural performances over time can be assessed to predict the structural residual life, maintenance management criteria and timing, and major indications on the feasibility of the retrofit intervention, or the unavoidable need of demolition. The application of the proposed protocol to some case studies emphasises the effectiveness of the procedure for detecting possible activated corrosion processes and for supporting engineers in their decision-making process and choice of renovation strategy.
Low-Cost Thermohygrometers to Assess Thermal Comfort in the Built Environment: A Laboratory Evaluation of Their Measurement Performance
Authors: Salamone Francesco , Chinazzo Giorgia , Danza Ludovico , Miller Clayton , Sibilio Sergio , Masullo Massimiliano
Published: April 2022

A thermohygrometer is an instrument that is able to measure relative humidity and air temperature, which are two of the fundamental parameters to estimate human thermal comfort. To date, the market offers small and low-cost solutions for this instrument, providing the opportunity to bring electronics closer to the end-user and contributing to the proliferation of a variety of applications and open-source projects. One of the most critical aspects of using low-cost instruments is their measurement reliability. This study aims to determine the measurement performance of seven low-cost thermohygrometers throughout a 10-fold repeatability test in a climatic chamber with air temperatures ranging from about −10 to +40 °C and relative humidity from approximately 0 to 90%. Compared with reference sensors, their measurements show good linear behavior with some exceptions. A sub-dataset of the data collected is then used to calculate two of the most used indoor (PMV) and outdoor (UTCI) comfort indexes to define discrepancies between the indexes calculated with the data from the reference sensors and the low-cost sensors. The results suggest that although six of the seven low-cost sensors have accuracy that meets the requirements of ISO 7726, in some cases, they do not provide acceptable comfort indicators if the values are taken as they are. The linear regression analysis suggests that it is possible to correct the output to reduce the difference between reference and low-cost sensors, enabling the use of low-cost sensors to assess indoor thermal comfort in terms of PMV and outdoor thermal stress in UTCI and encouraging a more conscious use for environmental and human-centric research.
Breath Biomarkers as Disease Indicators: Sensing Techniques Approach for Detecting Breath Gas and COVID-19
Authors: Török Zoltan-Mihály , Blaser Arthur Frederic , Kavianynejad Kiana , de Torrella Carlos Gonzalo Moya Gual , Nsubuga Lawrence , Mishra Yogendra Kumar , Rubahn Horst-Günter , de Oliveira Hansen Roana
Published: April 2022

Extensive research shows that there is a close correlation between a disease diagnostic and the patient’s exhale breath gas composition. It has been demonstrated, for example, that patients with a diabetes diagnosis have a certain level of acetone fume in their exhale breath. Actually, symptoms from many other diseases could be easily diagnosed if appropriate and reliable gas sensing technologies are available. The COVID-19 pandemic has created demand for a cheap and quick screening tool for the disease, where breath biomarker screening could be a very promising approach. It has been shown that COVID-19 patients potentially present a simultaneous increase in ethanal (acetaldehyde) and acetone in their exhale breath. In this paper, we explore two different sensing approaches to detect ethanal/acetone, namely by colorimetric markers, which could for example be integrated into facemasks, and by a breathalyzer containing a functionalized quartz crystal microbalance. Both approaches can successfully detect the presence of a biomarker gas on a person’s breath and this could potentially revolutionize the future of healthcare in terms of non-invasive and early-stage detection of various diseases.
Endoscope-Assisted Extreme Lateral Supracerebellar Infratentorial Approach for Resection of Superior Cerebellar Peduncle Pilocytic Astrocytoma: Technical Note
Authors: Papadimitriou Kyriakos , Cossu Giulia , Hewer Ekkehard , Diezi Manuel , Daniel Roy Thomas , Messerer Mahmoud
Published: April 2022

(1) Background: Superior cerebellar peduncle (SCP) lesions are sparsely reported in the literature. The surgical approaches to the cerebello-mesencephalic region remain challenging. In this article, we present the extreme lateral supracerebellar infratentorial (ELSI) approach to treat a large hemorrhagic pilocytic astrocytoma of the SCP. (2) Methods: An 11-year-old boy, known for neurofibromatosis Type I, presented to the emergency department of our institution with symptoms and signs of intracranial hypertension. The cerebral magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed a large hemorrhagic lesion centered on the SCP provoking obstructive hydrocephalus. Following an emergency endoscopic third ventriculocisternostomy (ETV), he underwent a tumor resection via an endoscope-assisted ELSI approach. (3) Results: ELSI approach allows for a wide exposure with direct access to lesions of the SCP. The post-operative course was uneventful, and the patient was discharged home on post-operative day 5. Post-operative MRI revealed a near total resection with a small residual tumor within the mesencephalon. (4) Conclusion: ELSI approach offers an excellent exposure with the surgical angles necessary for median and paramedian lesions. The park-bench position with appropriate head flexion and rotation offers a gravity-assisted relaxation of the tentorial and petrosal cerebellar surfaces. The endoscope can be an adjunct to illuminate the blind areas of the surgical corridor for an improved tumor resection without significant cerebellar retraction.
Knowledge, Attitude and Practices regarding Contraceptive Pill and Its Side Effects among Women in Jazan Region, Saudi Arabia
Authors: Alameer Mohammed I. , Muqri Khalid Y. , Awlaqi Abdulaziz A. , Azyabi Fahad Y. , Yaqoub Abdulrahman M. , Suhail Hussam M. , Shabaan Shahad , Moafa Majd H. , Alhazmi Mohammed A. , Alhazmi Abdulaziz
Published: April 2022

Contraception is one of the common methods of family planning. The oral contraceptive pill (OCP) is among the most effective methods of contraception. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice of oral contraception use and its side effects among women in the Jazan region, Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional study was carried out among adult women 18 years and older in the Jazan region. A pre-tested questionnaire was used to assess their demographic characteristics, knowledge, attitudes, previous experience, and pattern of OCP usage. Descriptive analysis and a logistic regression model were used to analyse data. About 570 questionnaires were distributed and achieved a 98.3% response rate. The majority of women participants were between 18 and 25 years old, and 51.4% of the respondents reported that they had previously used or were using OCP. We found that women had good knowledge and a positive attitude towards OCP, with more than half of the users preferring them over other contraceptive methods. This study indicates that attitude, knowledge, and prior experience of OCP have no significant effect on the usage pattern of OCP among women with relatively high socioeconomic status in the Jazan region, Saudi Arabia.
Antioxidant Quercetin 3-O-Glycosylated Plant Flavonols Contribute to Transthyretin Stabilization
Authors: Ciccone Lidia , Tonali Nicolò , Fruchart-Gaillard Carole , Barlettani Lucia , Rossello Armando , Braca Alessandra , Orlandini Elisabetta , Nencetti Susanna
Published: April 2022

Plants are rich in secondary metabolites, which are often useful as a relevant source of nutraceuticals. Quercetin (QUE) is a flavonol aglycone able to bind Transthyretin (TTR), a plasma protein that under pathological conditions can lose its native structure leading to fibrils formation and amyloid diseases onset. Here, the dual nature of five quercetin 3-O-glycosylated flavonol derivatives, isolated from different plant species, such as possible binders of TTR and antioxidants, was investigated. The crystal structure of 3-O-β-D-galactopyranoside in complex with TTR was solved, suggesting that not only quercetin but also its metabolites can contribute to stabilizing the TTR tetramer.
Gemology, Mineralogy, and Coloration Mechanism of Pinkish-Purple Cobaltoan Dolomite from the Democratic Republic of Congo
Authors: Yan Ying , Yu Xiao-Yan
Published: April 2022

A pinkish-purple cobaltoan dolomite from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has appeared on the Chinese gemstone market recently. In this study, Raman analysis spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, electron probe micro-analysis (EPMA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF), and fiber optic spectrometry were used to explore the gemology, mineralogy, and coloration mechanism of cobaltoan dolomite. Results indicate that cobaltoan dolomite is a mineral aggregate with a granular texture. The degree of fineness and luster differs due to mineral (quartz) impurities in the texture. The cobaltoan dolomites are typically associated with carbonates, such as azurite, malachite, spherocobaltite, and the rare species kolwezite, which were documented in this study. The natural presence of magnesite-spherocobaltite solid solution with distinct chemical zoning occurs as crystals in the country rock. The pinkish-purple dolomites are mainly colored by CoO, whose concentrations ranged from 0.966 to 6.111 wt.%. Based on UV-Vis spectroscopy, cobaltoan dolomite showed broad characteristic absorption bands at 531.5 nm, which varied as the concentrations of CoO increased. The origin of the color is related to the electronic transition of Co2+ and charge transfer between the ions.
Phase Transformation and Zinc Extraction from Zinc Ferrite by Calcium Roasting and Ammonia Leaching Process
Authors: Xie Zeqiang , Jiang Tao , Chen Feng , Guo Yufeng , Wang Shuai , Yang Lingzhi
Published: April 2022

Zinc ferrite (ZnFe2O4), one of the major forms of zinc in electric arc furnace dust and zinc leaching residue, is very difficult to chemically dissolve in either acidic or alkaline solutions. It is therefore necessary to study the extraction of zinc from zinc ferrite to achieve the full recovery of the zinc resources. In this paper, CaO was used to degrade the structure of zinc ferrite and then the ammonia leaching method was applied to recover zinc. The thermodynamic analysis indicated that the zinc ferrite could react with CaO to form zinc oxide and dicalcium ferrite. The CaO–Fe2O3–ZnO phase diagram shows that Ca2Fe2O5 can be in equilibrium with ZnO rather than ZnFe2O4 at a higher CaO area. The experimental results indicated that the phase transformation of zinc ferrite, reacted with CaO, to zinc oxide and dicalcium ferrite could be completely achieved with a CaO addition of 2.4:1 (mole ratio). The peaks of zinc ferrite in the X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns cannot be clearly observed after calcium roasting at 1220 °C for 2 h. The ammonia leaching tests showed that the zinc leaching rate was about 90% under optimal roasting conditions.
Impact of Salvage Surgery following Colonic Endoscopic Polypectomy for Patients with Invasive Neoplasia
Authors: Tan Xiangzhou , Quante Markus , Chen Zihua , Chen Zhikang , Königsrainer Alfred , Wichmann Dörte
Published: April 2022

Background: Invasive neoplasia (Tis-T1) are increasingly being encountered in the daily routine of endoscopic polypectomy. However, the need for salvage surgery following endoscopic therapy for invasive neoplasia is controversially discussed. Patients and Methods: Patients with endoscopic removal of invasive neoplasia were identified from the national Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) Database 2005 to 2015. Survival analysis and Cox proportional hazard regression analysis in cancer-specific mortality and overall survival rate was used, which were stratified by T stage and polyp size. Results: A total of 5805 patients with endoscopic removal of invasive neoplasia were included in the analysis, of whom 1214 (20.9%) underwent endoscopic treatment alone and 4591 (79.1%) underwent endoscopic resection plus surgery. The survival analysis revealed that patients undergoing salvage surgery had a significantly better cancer-specific survival (97.4% vs. 95.8%, p-value = 0.017). In patients with T1 stage, additional salvage surgery led to a significantly higher cancer-specific survival (92.1% vs. 95.0%, p value = 0.047). Conclusion: Salvage surgery following endoscopic polypectomy may improve the oncological survival of patients with invasive neoplasia, especially in patients with T1 stage. Furthermore, the T stage, size, and localization of polyps, as well as the level of CEA, could be identified as significant predictors for lymphonodal and distant metastases.
Random RotBoost: An Ensemble Classification Method Based on Rotation Forest and AdaBoost in Random Subsets and Its Application to Clinical Decision Support
Authors: Lee Shin-Jye , Tseng Ching-Hsun , Yang Hui-Yu , Jin Xin , Jiang Qian , Pu Bin , Hu Wei-Huan , Liu Duen-Ren , Huang Yang , Zhao Na
Published: April 2022

In the era of bathing in big data, it is common to see enormous amounts of data generated daily. As for the medical industry, not only could we collect a large amount of data, but also see each data set with a great number of features. When the number of features is ramping up, a common dilemma is adding computational cost during inferring. To address this concern, the data rotational method by PCA in tree-based methods shows a path. This work tries to enhance this path by proposing an ensemble classification method with an AdaBoost mechanism in random, automatically generating rotation subsets termed Random RotBoost. The random rotation process has replaced the manual pre-defined number of subset features (free pre-defined process). Therefore, with the ensemble of the multiple AdaBoost-based classifier, overfitting problems can be avoided, thus reinforcing the robustness. In our experiments with real-world medical data sets, Random RotBoost reaches better classification performance when compared with existing methods. Thus, with the help from our proposed method, the quality of clinical decisions can potentially be enhanced and supported in medical tasks.
Vibrational Entropy of Crystalline Solids from Covariance of Atomic Displacements
Authors: Huang Yang , Widom Michael
Published: April 2022

The vibrational entropy of a solid at finite temperature is investigated from the perspective of information theory. Ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations generate ensembles of atomic configurations at finite temperature from which we obtain the N-body distribution of atomic displacements, ρN. We calculate the information-theoretic entropy from the expectation value of lnρN. At a first level of approximation, treating individual atomic displacements independently, our method may be applied using Debye–Waller B-factors, allowing diffraction experiments to obtain an upper bound on the thermodynamic entropy. At the next level of approximation we correct the overestimation through inclusion of displacement covariances. We apply this approach to elemental body-centered cubic sodium and face-centered cubic aluminum, showing good agreement with experimental values above the Debye temperatures of the metals. Below the Debye temperatures, we extract an effective vibrational density of states from eigenvalues of the covariance matrix, and then evaluate the entropy quantum mechanically, again yielding good agreement with experiment down to low temperatures. Our method readily generalizes to complex solids, as we demonstrate for a high entropy alloy. Further, our method applies in cases where the quasiharmonic approximation fails, as we demonstrate by calculating the HCP/BCC transition in Ti.
Multicomponent Stress–Strength Model Based on Generalized Progressive Hybrid Censoring Scheme: A Statistical Analysis
Authors: Ma Haijing , Yan Zaizai , Jia Junmei
Published: April 2022

The statistical inference of the reliability and parameters of the stress–strength model has received great attention in the field of reliability analysis. When following the generalized progressive hybrid censoring (GPHC) scheme, it is important to discuss the point estimate and interval estimate of the reliability of the multicomponent stress–strength (MSS) model, in which the stress and the strength variables are derived from different distributions by assuming that stress follows the Chen distribution and that strength follows the Gompertz distribution. In the present study, the Newton–Raphson method was adopted to derive the maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) of the model parameters, and the corresponding asymptotic distribution was adopted to construct the asymptotic confidence interval (ACI). Subsequently, the exact confidence interval (ECI) of the parameters was calculated. A hybrid Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method was adopted to determine the approximate Bayesian estimation (BE) of the unknown parameters and the high posterior density credible interval (HPDCI). A simulation study with the actual dataset was conducted for the BEs with squared error loss function (SELF) and the MLEs of the model parameters and reliability, comparing the bias and mean squares errors (MSE). In addition, the three interval estimates were compared in terms of the average interval length (AIL) and coverage probability (CP).
Quantum-Inspired Complex-Valued Language Models for Aspect-Based Sentiment Classification
Authors: Zhao Qin , Hou Chenguang , Xu Ruifeng
Published: April 2022

Aiming at classifying the polarities over aspects, aspect-based sentiment analysis (ABSA) is a fine-grained task of sentiment analysis. The vector representations of current models are generally constrained to real values. Based on mathematical formulations of quantum theory, quantum language models have drawn increasing attention. Words in such models can be projected as physical particles in quantum systems, and naturally represented by representation-rich complex-valued vectors in a Hilbert Space, rather than real-valued ones. In this paper, the Hilbert Space representation for ABSA models is investigated and the complexification of three strong real-valued baselines are constructed. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of complexification and the outperformance of our complex-valued models, illustrating that the complex-valued embedding can carry additional information beyond the real embedding. Especially, a complex-valued RoBERTa model outperforms or approaches the previous state-of-the-art on three standard benchmarking datasets.
Emergence of Integrated Information at Macro Timescales in Real Neural Recordings
Authors: Leung Angus , Tsuchiya Naotsugu
Published: April 2022

How a system generates conscious experience remains an elusive question. One approach towards answering this is to consider the information available in the system from the perspective of the system itself. Integrated information theory (IIT) proposes a measure to capture this integrated information (Φ). While Φ can be computed at any spatiotemporal scale, IIT posits that it be applied at the scale at which the measure is maximised. Importantly, Φ in conscious systems should emerge to be maximal not at the smallest spatiotemporal scale, but at some macro scale where system elements or timesteps are grouped into larger elements or timesteps. Emergence in this sense has been demonstrated in simple example systems composed of logic gates, but it remains unclear whether it occurs in real neural recordings which are generally continuous and noisy. Here we first utilise a computational model to confirm that Φ becomes maximal at the temporal scales underlying its generative mechanisms. Second, we search for emergence in local field potentials from the fly brain recorded during wakefulness and anaesthesia, finding that normalised Φ (wake/anaesthesia), but not raw Φ values, peaks at 5 ms. Lastly, we extend our model to investigate why raw Φ values themselves did not peak. This work extends the application of Φ to simple artificial systems consisting of logic gates towards searching for emergence of a macro spatiotemporal scale in real neural systems.
Community Partitioning over Feature-Rich Networks Using an Extended K-Means Method
Authors: Shalileh Soroosh , Mirkin Boris
Published: April 2022

This paper proposes a meaningful and effective extension of the celebrated K-means algorithm to detect communities in feature-rich networks, due to our assumption of non-summability mode. We least-squares approximate given matrices of inter-node links and feature values, leading to a straightforward extension of the conventional K-means clustering method as an alternating minimization strategy for the criterion. This works in a two-fold space, embracing both the network nodes and features. The metric used is a weighted sum of the squared Euclidean distances in the feature and network spaces. To tackle the so-called curse of dimensionality, we extend this to a version that uses the cosine distances between entities and centers. One more version of our method is based on the Manhattan distance metric. We conduct computational experiments to test our method and compare its performances with those by competing popular algorithms at synthetic and real-world datasets. The cosine-based version of the extended K-means typically wins at the high-dimension real-world datasets. In contrast, the Manhattan-based version wins at most synthetic datasets.
Numerical Analysis and Comparison of Three Iterative Methods Based on Finite Element for the 2D/3D Stationary Micropolar Fluid Equations
Authors: Xing Xin , Liu Demin
Published: April 2022

In this paper, three iterative methods (Stokes, Newton and Oseen iterative methods) based on finite element discretization for the stationary micropolar fluid equations are proposed, analyzed and compared. The stability and error estimation for the Stokes and Newton iterative methods are obtained under the strong uniqueness conditions. In addition, the stability and error estimation for the Oseen iterative method are derived under the uniqueness condition of the weak solution. Finally, numerical examples test the applicability and the effectiveness of the three iterative methods.
Optimal Energy-Storage Configuration for Microgrids Based on SOH Estimation and Deep Q-Network
Authors: Chen Shuai , Li Jinglin , Jiang Chengpeng , Xiao Wendong
Published: April 2022

Energy storage is an important adjustment method to improve the economy and reliability of a power system. Due to the complexity of the coupling relationship of elements such as the power source, load, and energy storage in the microgrid, there are problems of insufficient performance in terms of economic operation and efficient dispatching. In view of this, this paper proposes an energy storage configuration optimization model based on reinforcement learning and battery state of health assessment. Firstly, a quantitative assessment of battery health life loss based on deep learning was performed. Secondly, on the basis of considering comprehensive energy complementarity, a two-layer optimal configuration model was designed to optimize the capacity configuration and dispatch operation. Finally, the feasibility of the proposed method in microgrid energy storage planning and operation was verified by experimentation. By integrating reinforcement learning and traditional optimization methods, the proposed method did not rely on the accurate prediction of the power supply and load and can make decisions based only on the real-time information of the microgrid. In this paper, the advantages and disadvantages of the proposed method and existing methods were analyzed, and the results show that the proposed method can effectively improve the performance of dynamic planning for energy storage in microgrids.
Multivariate Gaussian Copula Mutual Information to Estimate Functional Connectivity with Less Random Architecture
Authors: Ashrafi Mahnaz , Soltanian-Zadeh Hamid
Published: April 2022

Recognition of a brain region’s interaction is an important field in neuroscience. Most studies use the Pearson correlation to find the interaction between the regions. According to the experimental evidence, there is a nonlinear dependence between the activities of different brain regions that is ignored by Pearson correlation as a linear measure. Typically, the average activity of each region is used as input because it is a univariate measure. This dimensional reduction, i.e., averaging, leads to a loss of spatial information across voxels within the region. In this study, we propose using an information-theoretic measure, multivariate mutual information (mvMI), as a nonlinear dependence to find the interaction between regions. This measure, which has been recently proposed, simplifies the mutual information calculation complexity using the Gaussian copula. Using simulated data, we show that the using this measure overcomes the mentioned limitations. Additionally using the real resting-state fMRI data, we compare the level of significance and randomness of graphs constructed using different methods. Our results indicate that the proposed method estimates the functional connectivity more significantly and leads to a smaller number of random connections than the common measure, Pearson correlation. Moreover, we find that the similarity of the estimated functional networks of the individuals is higher when the proposed method is used.
How Do the Remittance Outflows React to Economic Development in Saudi Arabia? Evidence from NARDL
Authors: Alharbi Farea Mohammed
Published: April 2022

This research aims to examine the effects of remittance outflows on Saudi’s non-oil economic growth (NOGDP). While few studies have examined the effects of remittance outflows on remitting countries’ economic development, none have looked into the asymmetric impact on Saudi Arabia’s non-oil economic growth. This research fills the gaps by looking at the uneven effects of remittance outflows on Saudi NOGDP from 1990 to 2020. The empirical estimation is based on the NARDL (Nonlinear Autoregressive Distributed Lags) method. The results show that remittance outflows have a considerable positive effect on Saudi NOGDP, indicating its economic benefit. We found that the government’s current and capital expenditures have statistically significant positive impacts on NOGDP in the long and short runs. Consequently, several policy insights could be considered to maximize the effectiveness of government fiscal policy in supporting non-oil sector development. The positive effect of remittance outflows on Saudi economic growth could be the vital role of the imported high-skilled and productive labour force in developing the non-oil private sector. The positive influence of remittances on Saudi economic growth is essential for policymakers who have to undertake a unique Saudi policy to diversify the labour market and encourage local consumption and investment spending by international workers.
Elementary School Children’s Home Learning Environments: Mathematics, Reading, Science, and Written Language
Authors: Sonnenschein Susan , Gursoy Hatice , Stites Michele
Published: April 2022

It is well accepted that the home learning environment impacts school performance; however, much of the previous research has focused on preschool children. This exploratory study used an online, Qualtrics survey to ask parents (n = 177) of elementary students about the home learning environment. Our research questions addressed (1) the amount of time children spend on mathematics, reading, written language, and science at home, and differences by subject and/or grade; (2) parental beliefs about the importance of engaging in home learning activities in each of the four subjects; (3) parental confidence in supporting each of the four academic subjects; (4) parental and child enjoyment of the four academic subjects; and (5) who (parents, child, or teacher) initiated home learning activities in the different subject areas. The results indicated that elementary school-age children were engaged in reading, mathematics, science, and written language activities at home; however, the most time was spent on reading activities. Parents reported viewing engagement and assistance with academically related activities at home as important; however, they were more confident assisting with reading and written language than mathematics or science. Strong associations were noted between parental enjoyment of a subject and their confidence in assisting their child. Overall, teachers initiated more activities for older children and were more likely to initiate mathematics activities. When children initiated an activity, it was typically reading related.
Predicting Math Performance of Middle Eastern Students: The Role of Dispositions
Authors: Pilotti Maura A. E. , Abdelsalam Hanadi M. , Anjum Farheen , Daqqa Ibtisam , Muhi Imad , Latif Raja M. , Nasir Sumiya , Al-Ameen Talal A.
Published: April 2022

The present research examines the contribution of individual differences in chronotype and self-efficacy to the math performance of male and female students in STEM and no-STEM majors. Questionnaires assessing the selected individual differences were distributed to students of Middle Eastern descent enrolled in math courses of the general education curriculum. Summative assessment indices were used to measure performance comprehensively across the entire semester (course grades) and as a one-time occurrence (final test grades). The contribution of morningness and self-efficacy to both course and test performance of STEM students was sensitive to the interaction of gender and major. Instead, neither factor contributed to no-STEM students’ course and test performance. These findings were used to plan improvements in the instruction and advising of students in STEM majors, thereby complying with a key tenet of action research.
Robust Design Optimization of Electrical Machines and Devices
Authors: Orosz Tamás , Pánek David , Rassõlkin Anton , Kuczmann Miklós
Published: April 2022

This article introduces a Special Issue (SI) that contains fourteen chosen articles from robust design optimization of electrical machines and devices [...]
Study on Static Characteristics of Ultra-Precision Aerostatic Motorized Spindle under Gas–Magnetic Field Coupling
Authors: Wang Wenbo , Song Pengyun , Yu Hechun , Zhang Guoqing
Published: April 2022

In the working process of ultra-precision aerostatic motorized spindles, the journal and the rotor must have a certain eccentricity to have a certain bearing capacity and stiffness, which will induce the unbalanced magnetic pull (UMP). The intercoupling of the UMP and the gas film force will affect the motion state of the rotor and the accuracy of spindles. In order to deeply study the influence of the UMP caused by the rotor eccentricity on the equilibrium position of aerostatic spindles, a physical model of an aerostatic spindle based on slit throttling gas bearing is established and the coupling effect between the rotor and the motor rotor is studied and analyzed as a whole. The equilibrium position of the rotor under the combined action of gravity, the gas film force and the UMP is deduced, and a gas–magnetic field coupling calculation program based on the finite difference method is proposed. The calculation results show that with the increase in rotational speed, the equilibrium position of the rotor will move to the center of the journal in the micron scale, and the moving amplitude will gradually slow down. The UMP caused by rotor eccentricity can offset the rotor equilibrium position in nanometer scale, and the influence degree decreases sharply as the rotor moves to the journal center. With the increase in rotational speed, the direct stiffness and the cross stiffness will increase, and the amplitude of the cross stiffness is greater than the direct stiffness. This study is of great significance for further studying the influence of the rotor eccentricity on the equilibrium position and the accuracy of the rotor.