bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Design of a Configurable Third-Order Gm-C Filter Using QFG and BD-QFG MOS-Based OTA for Fast Locking Speed PLL
Authors: Gupta Priti , Jana Sanjay Kumar
Published: August 2022

High-speed PLL is highly demanding with the advancement in the VLSI market. PLL performance gets affected due to bandwidth limitation. This paper presents third-order configurable transconductance capacitance ([Formula: see text]-[Formula: see text])-based loop filter for high-speed PLL. Operational transconductance amplifier (OTA) serves as a basic cell of the [Formula: see text]-[Formula: see text] filter. Quasi-floating gate (QFG) and Bulk-driven qausi-floating gate (BD-QFG) MOS-based differential input folded cascode (FC) OTAs are proposed for low-voltage operation. Here, DC gain of the BD-QFG FC OTA enhanced 5.18% than QFG FC OTA. The proposed OTAs enhanced DC gain, CMRR, UGB and FOM along with reduction in the power consumption in comparison to the state-of-art work. Further, third-order [Formula: see text]-[Formula: see text] filters are designed using both QFG and BD-QFG MOS-based OTAs and achieved [Formula: see text]3[Formula: see text]dB cut-off frequency of 16.51[Formula: see text]MHz and 17.22[Formula: see text]MHz, respectively. The proposed QFG and BD-QFG MOS-based filters achieved 22.42% and 21.53% reduction in power than the reported result, respectively. The locking time of integer-N PLL is calculated as 0.33[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]s and 0.32[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]s, respectively, through an analytical approach. The transistor-level simulation has been done in 0.18[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]m CMOS process.
The Blue–Green Fluorescent Carbon Quantum Dots Synthesized by Chaff for Curcumin Detection
Authors: Lv Junjie , Wang Xinxu , Li Qingfang , Li Jiarui , Zong Ximei
Published: August 2022

The blue–green fluorescent carbon quantum dots (BG-CQDs) were successfully synthesized by one-step hydrothermal method using chaff as the only precursor. It is found that the BG-CQDs showed excellent photostability and emitted strong blue–green fluorescence under the excitation wavelength of 330[Formula: see text]nm. And this fluorescence could be effectively quenched by curcumin (CM) based on the static quenching mechanism and inner filter effects with a wider linear range of 2.50–40[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]M and a lower detection limit of 3.53[Formula: see text]nM. Consequently, a sensitive fluorescence probe of BG-CQDs was designed to detect trace CM in blood and urine samples of healthy adults with satisfactory recoveries in the range of 92.07–111.85%. The research extended the applications of biomass waste, especially in the fields of sensor and biomedical monitoring.
Ozone Modification Nanoarchitectonics of BiOBr Photocatalysts for Enhanced Nitrogen Fixation Performance
Authors: Li Jia , Ge Jianhua , Xiao Baiqing , Wei Zhou , Zhang Wang , Ding Xiulong
Published: August 2022

BiOBr-based photocatalysts have received extensive interest for photocatalytic nitrogen fixation due to their layered structure recently. In this study, BiOBr with enhanced photocatalytic nitrogen fixation performance was synthesized via a facile ozone modification method. Characterization results demonstrated that the ozone treated BiOBr photocatalysts have identical crystal structures, morphologies, and enhanced photocatalytic nitrogen fixation performance. In addition, due to the strong oxidation of ozone, more oxygen vacancies and active sites form on the BiOBr surface, which could improve the nitrogen fixation efficiency. Furthermore, a supposed photocatalytic nitrogen fixation mechanism of the ozone treated BiOBr is proposed.
Discrete time dynamics of a SIRD reinfection model
Authors: Eshmatov F. F. , Jamilov U. U. , Khudoyberdiev Kh. O.
Published: August 2022

This paper deals with a discrete-time dynamical system generated by a modified susceptible–infected–recovered–dead model (SIRD model; nonlinear operator) in three-dimensional simplex. We introduce a novel approach that incorporates the SIRD model with the quadratic stochastic operator (QSO) that allows for real-time forecasting. The basic reproductive number [Formula: see text] is obtained. We describe the set of fixed points of the operator and demonstrate that all fixed points are non-hyperbolic. Further, we study the asymptotical behavior of the trajectories of this system and show that SIRD operators have a regularity property.
Global exponential p-norm stability of BAM neural networks with unbounded time-varying delays: A method based on the representation of solutions
Authors: Chen Xi , Yu Tingting , Zhang Xian
Published: August 2022

This paper studies the global exponential [Formula: see text]-norm stability of bidirectional associative memory (BAM) neural networks with unbounded time-varying delays. A novel method based on the representation of solutions is put forward to deduce a global exponential [Formula: see text]-norm stability criterion. This method does not need to set up any Lyapunov–Krasovskii functionals (LKF), which can greatly reduce a large amount of computations and is simpler than the existing methods. In the end, representative numerical examples are given to illustrate the availability of the method.
A novel BODIPY-based nano-photosensitizer with aggregation-induced emission for cancer photodynamic therapy
Authors: Zhang Yuting , Li Guojing , Li Jiong , Wu Ming , Liu Xiaolong , Liu Jingfeng
Published: August 2022

The discovery of aggregation-induced emission (AIE) effect provides opportunities for the rapid development of fluorescence imaging-guided photodynamic therapy (PDT). In this work, a boron dipyrromethene (BODIPY)-based photosensitizer (ET-BDP-O) with AIE characteristics was developed, in which the two linear arms of BODIPY group were linked with triphenylamine to form an electron Donor–Acceptor–Donor (D–A–D) architecture while side chain was equipped with triethylene glycol group. ET-BDP-O was able to directly self-assemble into nanoparticles (NPs) without supplement of any other matrices or stabilizers due to its amphiphilic property. The as-prepared ET-BDP-O NPs had an excellent colloid stability with the size of 125 nm. Benefiting from the AIE property, ET-BDP-O NPs could generate strong fluorescence and reactive oxygen species under light-emitting diode light irradiation (60[Formula: see text]mW/cm[Formula: see text]. After internalized in cancer cells, ET-BDP-O NPs were able to emit bright red fluorescence signal for bioimaging. In addition, the cell viability assay demonstrated that the ET-BDP-O NPs exhibited excellent photo-cytotoxicity against cancer cells, while negligible cytotoxicity under dark environment. Thus, ET-BDP-O NPs might be regarded as a promising photosensitizer for fluorescence imaging-guided PDT in future.
On the signless Laplacian spectrum of the comaximal graphs
Authors: Afkhami Mojgan , Barati Zahra , Khashyarmanesh Kazem
Published: August 2022

Assume that [Formula: see text] is a commutative ring with nonzero identity. The comaximal graph of [Formula: see text], denoted by [Formula: see text], is a simple graph whose vertex set consists of all elements of [Formula: see text], and two distinct vertices [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] are adjacent if and only if [Formula: see text]. In this paper, we investigate the signless Laplacian spectrum of the comaximal graph of the ring [Formula: see text].
Loxodromes on twisted surfaces in Lorentz–Minkowski 3-space
Authors: Kazan Ahmet , Altın Mustafa
Published: August 2022

In this paper, first, we give the general formulas according to first fundamental form of a surface for different types of loxodromes, meridians and surfaces in [Formula: see text]. After that, we obtain the differential equations of loxodromes on Type-I, Type-II and Type-III twisted surfaces in [Formula: see text] and also, we state a theorem which generalizes the differential equations of different types of loxodromes on the twisted surfaces for a special case. Finally, we provide several examples for visualizing our obtained results and draw our loxodromes and meridians on twisted surfaces with the aid of Mathematica.
The role of artificial intelligence in the modeling, analysis and inspection of ultrasonic welding processes — A review
Authors: Nath Keshav
Published: August 2022

Ultrasonic Welding is a popular welding procedure that uses high-frequency energy to heat joints. It is a complicated process involving a number of variable parameters that can each greatly modify the final weld product. A number of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies have thus been employed to regress and classify results such as weld parameters such as failure load, weld quality and joint strength on the basis of different parameters including power output, annealing temperature and vibration amplitude. Artificial neural network models are the most popular and adept at weld modeling on varying materials and composites. This paper reviews and compares the materials, feature extraction techniques and AI architectures and their performances on predicting a host of welding objectives.
Embodiment Matters in Social HRI Research: Effectiveness of Anthropomorphism on Subjective and Objective Outcomes
Authors: Roesler Eileen , Manzey Dietrich , Onnasch Linda
Published: August 2022

Anthropomorphism, as a design feature of robots, is widely applied to enhance human-robot interaction in the social domain. Current knowledge of how anthropomorphism influences perception, attitudes, and actual behavior is gained via research with depicted and embodied robots. However, it remains unclear how comparable gained insights of both approaches are. Results of a current meta-analysis suggest that anthropomorphism positively influences subjective and objective measures in case of embodied robots, whereas in case of depicted robots predominantly effects on subjective measures seem to emerge. This follow-up analysis aims to further investigate this difference by using a recoded dataset including data of 41 studies, involving over 3,000 participants. The results illustrate that anthropomorphism investigated via embodied robots indeed facilitates both subjective and objective outcomes. Remarkably, studies concerning effects of anthropomorphism using depicted robots showed positive effects on a subjective level but failed to show any effects on an objective level. In conclusion, the results show that the consequences of anthropomorphism in human-robot interaction depend on how robots are presented to participants. Moreover, they reveal that the transfer of results gained via depicted robots to embodied human-robot interaction might lead to both overestimation on a subjective level and underestimation on an objective level regarding the consequences of anthropomorphism.
Secure and Reliable Network Updates
Authors: Lembke James , Ravi Srivatsan , Roman Pierre-Louis , Eugster Patrick
Published: August 2022

Software-defined wide area networking (SD-WAN) enables dynamic network policy control over a large distributed network via
network updates
. To be practical, network updates must be consistent (i.e., free of transient errors caused by updates to multiple switches), secure (i.e., only be executed when sent from valid controllers), and reliable (i.e., function despite the presence of faulty or malicious members in the control plane), while imposing only minimal overhead on controllers and switches.

We present SERENE: a protocol for
se
cure and
re
liable
ne
twork updates for SD-WAN environments. In short: Consistency is provided through the combination of an update scheduler and a distributed transactional protocol. Security is preserved by authenticating network events and updates, the latter with an adaptive threshold cryptographic scheme. Reliability is provided by replicating the control plane and making it resilient to a dynamic adversary by using a distributed ledger as a controller failure detector. We ensure practicality by providing a mechanism for scalability through the definition of independent network domains and exploiting the parallelism of network updates both within and across domains. We formally define SERENE’s protocol and prove its safety with regards to event-linearizability. Extensive experiments show that SERENE imposes minimal switch burden and scales to large networks running multiple network applications all requiring concurrent network updates, imposing at worst a 16% overhead on short-lived flow completion and negligible overhead on anticipated normal workloads.
The Marginal Propensity to Consume in Heterogeneous Agent Models
Authors: Kaplan Greg , Violante Giovanni L.
Published: August 2022

What model features and calibration strategies yield a large average marginal propensity to consume (MPC) in heterogeneous agent models? Through a systematic investigation of models with different preferences, dimensions of ex-ante heterogeneity, income processes, and asset structures, we show that the most important factor is the share and type of hand-to-mouth households. One-asset models either feature a trade-off between a high average MPC and a realistic level of aggregate wealth or generate an excessively polarized wealth distribution that vastly understates the wealth held by households in the middle of the distribution. Two-asset models that include both liquid and illiquid assets can resolve this tension with a large enough gap between liquid and illiquid returns. We discuss how such return differential can be justified from the perspective of theory and data.
Corporate Debt and Taxes
Authors: Hanlon Michelle , Heitzman Shane
Published: August 2022

We provide updates to and perspectives on the enduring topic of debt and taxes. The recent decade brought us new empirical strategies, accounting rules, and tax laws. We discuss how these and other developments change our understanding of leverage and taxes. Overall, tax incentives still do not seem to have a consistent, first-order effect on corporate capital structure. This presents a puzzle as governments increasingly limit interest deductibility, citing its contribution to overleverage and distress. We discuss critical empirical challenges such as measurement, highlight issues surrounding assumptions about tax rates and real-world financing decisions, and offer insights and direction for future research. We conclude that rather than asking if taxes are a first-order driver of corporate capital structure, a more productive goal is a greater understanding of when tax incentives yield material effects on corporate capital structure.
The Psychology of Athletic Endeavor
Authors: Beauchamp Mark R. , Kingstone Alan , Ntoumanis Nikos
Published: August 2022

A considerable amount of human behavior occurs within the context of sports. In recent years there have been notable advances in psychological science research applied to understanding athletic endeavor. This work has utilized a number of novel theoretical, methodological, and data analytic approaches. We review the current evidence related to developmental considerations, intrapersonal athlete factors, group processes, and the role of the coach in explaining how athletes function within the sport domain. This body of work sheds light on the diverse ways in which psychological processes contribute to athletic strivings. It also has the potential to spark interest in domains of psychology concerned with achievement as well as to encourage cross-domain fertilization of ideas.
NormalAttack: Curvature-Aware Shape Deformation along Normals for Imperceptible Point Cloud Attack
Authors: Tang Keke , Shi Yawen , Wu Jianpeng , Peng Weilong , Khan Asad , Zhu Peican , Gu Zhaoquan
Published: August 2022

Many efforts have been made on developing adversarial attack methods on point clouds. However, without fully considering the geometric property of point clouds, existing methods tend to produce clearly visible outliers. In this paper, we propose a novel NormalAttack framework towards imperceptible adversarial attacks on point clouds. First, we enforce the perturbation to be concentrated along normals to deform the underlying surface of 3D point clouds, such that tiny perturbation can make the shape deformed for better attack performance. Second, we guide the perturbation to be located more on regions with larger curvature, such that better imperceptibility is achieved. Extensive experiments on three representative networks, e.g., PointNet++, DGCNN, and PointConv, validate the effectiveness of NormalAttack and its superiority to state-of-the-art methods.
Downregulation of Inflammatory Response via Nrf2/Trx1/TXNIP Axis in Oxidative Stress-Induced ARPE-19 Cells and Mouse Model of AMD
Authors: Yang Qian , Cai Wenting , Jin Huizi , Shen Tianyi , Yu Jing
Published: August 2022

Aim. Chronic inflammation is crucial for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) pathogenesis. However, the mechanism involved in activating inflammation remains unclear. This study is aimed at investigating whether nuclear factor erythrocyte-associated factor 2 (Nrf2) negatively regulated the Nod-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasomes through the thioredoxin 1 (Trx1)/thioredoxin interaction protein (TXNIP) complex. Methods. We determined the optimal hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) concentration, time, and changes in reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels. We also constructed animal models using blue LED irradiation. Then, the expression of Nrf2, TXNIP, Trx1, NLRP3, and inflammation-related factors and proteins, along with the changes in retinal thickness and functional status, was analyzed. Results. The oxidative stress model was established after 1 h intervention with 100 μM H2O2. Nrf2 reduced ROS production, protected the ultrastructure of mitochondria, increased the thickness of the ONL layer, and increased the amplitude of a- and b-wave amplitudes in ERG. Trx1 knockdown increased the production of ROS, damaged the ultrastructure of mitochondria, reduced the thickness of the other ONL layer, and reduced the amplitudes of a- and b-waves in the electroretinogram (ERG). Thus, TXNIP in the cytoplasm activated the inflammasomes. Conclusions. Nrf2 showed antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity in the H2O2-induced cell stress model and blue LED-induced retinal light damage model. TXNIP transferred from the nucleus to the cytoplasm, activated NLRP3, and aggravated the retinal injury in both the cell stress model and the animal blue LED model. In contrast, Trx1 knockout promoted this process. This study revealed the possible role of the thioredoxin system in developing AMD while also providing newer insights for the future treatment of AMD.
Diagnostic and Prognostic Nomograms for Lung Metastasis in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
Authors: Wang Jianguo , Zhao Hongjun , Ye Lifen , Li Jingyong , Zhang Huaixiao , Zhang Chao , Rao Qishuo , Cai Yurong , Xu Yiping , Deng Youyuan
Published: August 2022

Background. The lungs are one of the common sites of metastasis of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). Patients with lung metastases (LM) have a shorter duration of survival. This study is aimed at determining the prognostic factors of patients with TNBC with LM and constructing two nomograms to assess the risk of LM and the prognosis of patients with TNBC with LM. Methods. Clinicopathological and follow-up data of patients with TNBC between 2010 and 2015 were retrieved from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to screen for independent predictors of LM in patients with TNBC and identify the independent prognostic factors of patients with TNBC with LM. The two nomograms were appraised using calibration curves, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, and decision curve analysis (DCA). Results. A total of 27,048 patients with TNBC were included in this study. Age, tumour size, T stage, and N stage were identified as independent risk factors for LM in patients with TNBC. Histological type, marital status, prior surgery, chemotherapy, bone metastases, brain metastases, and LM were confirmed as independent prognostic factors for patients with TNBC with LM. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) of the diagnostic nomogram was 0.838 (95% confidence interval 0.817-0.860) in the training cohort and 0.894 (95% confidence interval 0.875-0.917) in the verification cohort. The AUC values of the 6-, 12-, and 18-month prognostic nomograms in the training cohort were 0.809 (95% confidence interval 0.771-0.868), 0.779 (95% confidence interval 0.737-0.834), and 0.735 (95% confidence interval 0.699-0.811), respectively, and the corresponding AUC values in the validation cohort were 0.735(95% confidence interval 0.642-0.820), 0.672 (95% confidence interval 0.575-0.758), and 0.705 (95% confidence interval 0.598-0.782), respectively. According to the calibration curves and data analysis, both nomograms exhibited good performance. Conclusion. We successfully constructed and verified two valuable nomograms for predicting the incidence of LM and prognosis of patients TNBC with LM.
A Technology Survey on IoT Applications Serving Umrah and Hajj
Authors: Binsawad Muhammad , Albahar Marwan
Published: August 2022

Emerging technologies provide a highly compatible platform for analyzing substantial data volumes relating to crowd management. These technologies are not only effective in providing remedial solutions but they are also cutting-edge, saving both time and money, and user-friendly. About twenty percent of the world’s Muslims are granted the ability to take part in religious observances on an annual basis. An in-depth analysis of the technologies and applications used in the Hajj and Umrah systems is required given the importance of utilizing and adapting technology to assist pilgrims performing the Hajj and Umrah. Both of these pilgrimages are considered acts of worship by Muslims. As a result, the services provided during Umrah and Hajj will be significantly enhanced if the numerous technological advancements that are evaluated in this paper are implemented. The majority of previous research is shown to revolve around artificial intelligence and embedded Internet of Things technologies in the paper, highlighting a gap in the research that should be filled by investigating the necessity of discussing and introducing immersive technologies. During the annual pilgrimage to Makkah, Saudi Arabia, several different technologies are utilized with the goal of enhancing the quality of services provided to pilgrims performing the Umrah and Hajj. This paper provides an analysis of these technologies. The findings of this paper point to new research directions as well as a more realistic and practical approach to improving services during Umrah and Hajj.
Peitu Shengjin Recipe Attenuates Airway Inflammation via the TLR4/NF-kB Signaling Pathway on Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Authors: Hu Xuzhen , Hong Bo , Sun Minghuan
Published: August 2022

Background. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common respiratory disease, but there is no specific medicine for COPD. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effects of Peitu Shengjin Recipe (PSR) and Biostime Probiotic Powder on COPD rats. Methods. UPLC-Q/TOF-MS was used to detect the chemical constituents in PSR. The COPD rat model was established by cigarette smoke combined with tracheal injection of lipopolysaccharide. We assessed lung function by calculating FEV0.3/FVC%, dynamic lung compliance (Cdyn), and resistance of inspiration (RI). Histological analysis was performed by HE staining. The levels of TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-1β, IL-4, and IL-10 were detected by the ELISA. The mRNA and protein expressions of the TLR4/NF-kB signaling pathway were detected by the qRT-PCR and western blotting, respectively. Results. There were 53 ESI+ and 50 ESI− components in PSR. After high-dose PSR treatment, FEV0.3/FVC% and Cdyn increased significantly, while RI decreased. Compared with the COPD model, the RI of the Biostime Probiotic Powder group was significantly lower. HE staining showed that the inflammatory cell infiltration was reduced to varying degrees, the bronchial tube wall was not thickened, and the alveoli were relatively intact after treatment with PSR and Biostime Probiotic Powder. Compared with the model group, the levels of TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-1β, IL-4, and IL-10 in the PSR group and the Biostime Probiotic Powder group were reversed. The mRNA and protein expressions of TLR4 and NF-kB were significantly decreased after PSR and Biostime Probiotic Powder treatment. Conclusion. Our findings suggest that PSR and Biostime Probiotic Powder have protective effects on COPD rats, which may be achieved by modulating the TLR4/NF-kB signaling pathway.
Chemico-Biological Profiling of Blumea lacera (Burm.f.) DC. (Family: Asteraceae) Provides New Insights as a Potential Source of Antioxidant, Cytotoxic, Antimicrobial, and Antidiarrheal Agents
Authors: Ashrafi Sania , Alam Safaet , Islam Ariful , Emon Nazim Uddin , Islam Quazi Sufia , Ahsan Monira
Published: August 2022

Blumea lacera (Burm.f.) DC., popular for its traditional use in different diseases, was employed in phytochemical and biological investigations. The chemical studies led to the isolation of acyclic diterpene-phytol (1) along with two fatty acids-linolenic acid (2) and oleic acid (3). All the structures were determined by 1H NMR spectroscopic analysis and first time reported from this plant. Different fractions of crude methanol extract were subjected to antioxidant, cytotoxicity, antimicrobial, and antidiarrheal assays. The molecular docking studies have been implemented using PyRx, UCSF Chimera, Discovery Studio, and online tools. In addition, The ADME/T analysis and PASS prediction were implemented by using PASS online tools. In the molecular docking study of antioxidant, cytotoxicity, antimicrobial, and antidiarrheal activity, the compounds showed strong binding affinity ranging from −4.5 to −6.2 kcal/mol. Again, all three isolated compounds met the preconditions of Lipinski’s five rules for drug discovery. In DPPH free radical scavenging assay, the pet-ether and chloroform soluble fraction showed noteworthy antioxidant activity sowing promising IC50 values (10.76 μg/ml and 11.77 μg/ml, respectively), compared to the standard (6.05 μg/ml) with a total phenolic content range of 7.33–40.33 mg of GAE/gm. The pet-ether soluble fraction revealed substantial cytotoxicity showing an LC50 value of 1.03 μg/ml, compared to the standard (0.93 μg/ml). Besides, ethyl acetate soluble fraction showed moderate activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, while both ethyl acetate and pet-ether soluble fraction showed excellent dose-dependent antidiarrheal activity.
The Impact of Climate-Smart Agriculture Technology on Productivity: Does Row Planting Matter? Evidence from Southern Ethiopia
Authors: Mossie Workineh Ayenew
Published: August 2022

The impact of climate-friendly agricultural practices on rural household productivity is not well understood, and the available evidence is mainly qualitative. Therefore, this study investigated the impact of the introduction of Climate-Smart Agriculture Practices (CSA, i.e., row planting) on the productivity of improved wheat producers of rural farmer households in Misha Woreda, the southern region of Ethiopia. For this study, we used the data collected from 202 randomly selected wheat producers through a structured questionnaire. The data were analyzed using propensity score matching (PSM) and the generalized Roy model of the semiparametric local instrument variable (LIV) method. The results of the PSM estimation showed that wheat row planting has a positive and significant impact on productivity. The study found that farmers who sowed wheat in a row produced 1368 kg of wheat per hectare compared to the counterfactual scenario. To further validate whether this result is a pure effect of the row planting technique, we performed a covariate balance test that confirmed the insensitivity of the treatment effect estimates to unobserved selection bias. In addition, the Marginal Treatment Effect (MTE) model also showed that the marginal utility of row planting adoption increases the propensity of farmers to adapt climate-smart agriculture technologies. Therefore, by increasing the productivity of farm households, the expansion of technology will significantly contribute to farmers’ resilience to the harmful effects of climate change and welfare.
Severe Thrombocytopenia Associated with Dengue Fever: An Evidence-Based Approach to Management of Thrombocytopenia
Authors: Das Sulagna , Abreu Charles , Harris Micah , Shrader John , Sarvepalli Satish
Published: August 2022

Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral illness common in tropical and subtropical countries but very rare in the United States. Patients infected with dengue often present with thrombocytopenia. In the setting of dengue, platelet transfusions as a treatment for thrombocytopenia have no clear benefits in reduction of severe bleeding or improvement of the platelet count. Here, we present a case of a traveler infected with dengue virus and discuss the approach to treat thrombocytopenia.
North by Southwest: Screening the Naturally Isolated Microalgal Strains from Different Habitats of Iran for Various Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology Applications
Authors: Dinpazhooh Zahra , Niknezhad Seyyed Vahid , Fadaei Fardin , Shaker Saeedeh , Najafpour Ghasem , Ghasemi Younes , Mousavi Pegah , Morowvat Mohammad Hossein
Published: August 2022

Background and Aims. Microalgae are known as a promising source for food, pharmaceutical, and biofuel production while providing environmental advantages. The present study evaluates some newly isolated microalgal strains from north and southwest of Iran as a potential source for high-value products. Methods. Primitive screening was carried out regarding growth parameters. The molecular and morphological identifications of the selected strains were performed using 18S rRNA gene sequencing. After phylogenic and evolutionary studies, the selected microalgal strains were characterized in terms of protein and pigment content, in addition to the fatty acid profile content. Besides, the CO2 fixation rate was determined to assess capability for various environmental applications. Results. All of the selected strains were predominantly belonging to Scenedesmus sp. and Desmodesmus sp. The isolated Scenedesmus sp. VN 009 possessed the highest productivity content and CO2 fixation rate of 0.054 g·L−1d−1 and 0.1 g·L−1d−1, respectively. Moreover, data from GC/MS analysis demonstrated the high robustness of this strain to produce several valuable fatty acids including α-linolenic acid and linoleic acid in 45% and 20% of total fatty acids. Conclusions. The identified strains have a great but different potential for SCP, β-carotene, and ω-3 production, as well as CO2 fixation for environmental purposes. In this study, considering the wide range of microalgal strains in different habitats of Iran, the potential applications of native microalgae for various pharmaceutical, food, and biotechnology purposes were investigated.
An Improved Power-Only Measurement Strategy for Calibrating Phased Array Antennas
Authors: Li Shuaizhao , Yu Zhongjun , Zhang Qiang , Luo Yunhua
Published: August 2022

An improved power-only measurement method is proposed to calibrate phased arrays, which is aimed at solving two remaining problems: little contribution of one antenna element’s phase shifting to the whole array’s power and the ambiguity of solutions. The method includes four steps. Firstly, the random distributed phase of each element is adjusted to guarantee that it is −90° to +90° relative to the reference element. Secondly, the proper number of the elements shifting their phases together is approximately determined. Then, an invertible matrix is formed from the standard Hadamard matrix to split the array into different groups, which applies to an arbitrary number of elements; Finally, the array gets calibrated with an existing method. Numerical simulations and experiments are conducted to validate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Characterization and Proteomic Analyses of Proinflammatory Cytokines in a Mouse Model of Liver Transplant Rejection
Authors: Li Shi-Peng , Li Xin-Qiang , Chen Xiao-Jie , Zhang Jin-Ming , Zhou Guang-Peng , Zhou Liu-Xin , Zhang Hai-Ming , Sun Li-Ying , Zhu Zhi-Jun
Published: August 2022

Liver transplantation (LT) is an effective strategy for the treatment of end-stage liver disease, but immune rejection remains a significant detriment to the survival and prognosis of these LT patients. While immune rejection is closely related to cytokines, the cytokines investigated within previous studies have been limited and have not included a systematic analysis of proinflammatory cytokines. In the present study, we used a protein chip system and proteomics to detect and analyze serum proinflammatory cytokines and differentially expressed proteins in liver tissue in a mouse model of liver transplantation. In addition, bioinformatics analysis was employed to analyze the proinflammatory cytokines and differential changes in proteins in response to this procedure. With these analyses, we found that serum contents of GC-CSF, CXCL-1, MCP-5, and CXCL-2 were significantly increased after liver transplantation, while IL-5, IL-10, and IL-17 were significantly decreased. Results from Gene Ontology (GO) and KEGG pathway analyses revealed that the cytokine-cytokine receptor, Th1/Th2 cell differentiation, and JAK-STAT signaling pathway were enriched in a network associated with the activation of immune response. Results from our proteomic analysis of liver tissue samples revealed that 470 proteins are increased and 50 decreased, including Anxa1, Anxa2, Acsl4, Sirpa, S100a8, and S100a9. KEGG pathway analysis indicated that the neutrophil extracellular trap formation, NOD-like receptor signaling pathway, and leukocyte transendothelial migration were all associated with liver transplant rejection in these mice. Bioinformatics analysis results demonstrated that CXCL-1/CXCL-2 and S100a8/S100a9 were the genes most closely related to the functions of neutrophils and the mononuclear phagocyte system. These findings provide new insights into some of the critical factors associated with liver transplant rejection and thus offer new targets for the treatment and prevention of this condition.
A Novel Benchmark Dataset for COVID-19 Detection during Third Wave in Pakistan
Authors: Jalil Zunera , Abbasi Ahmed , Javed Abdul Rehman , Khan Muhammad Badruddin , Abul Hasanat Mozaherul Hoque , AlTameem Abdullah , AlKhathami Mohammed , Jilani Saudagar Abdul Khader
Published: August 2022

Coronavirus (COVID-19) is a highly severe infection caused by the severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test is essential to confirm the COVID-19 infection, but it has certain limitations, including paucity of reagents, is computationally time-consuming, and requires expert clinicians. Clinicians suggest that the PCR test is not a reliable automated COVID-19 patient detection system. This study proposed a machine learning-based approach to evaluate the PCR role in COVID-19 detection. We collect real data containing 603 COVID-19 samples from the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) Hospital in Islamabad, Pakistan, during the third COVID-19 wave. The experiments are separated into two sets. The first set comprises 24 features, including PCR test results, whereas the second comprises 24 features without PCR test. The findings demonstrate that the decision tree achieves the best detection rate for positive and negative COVID-19 patients in both scenarios. The findings reveal that PCR does not contribute to detecting COVID-19 patients. The findings also aid in the early detection of COVID-19, mainly when PCR test results are insufficient for diagnosing COVID-19 and help developing countries with a paucity of PCR tests and specialist facilities.
Design and Analysis of Hospital Throughput Maximization Algorithm under COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Zou Haochen , Jiang Geer , Cheng Bowen , Wang Dejian
Published: August 2022

Under the global pandemic of COVID-19, public health facilities, such as hospitals, are required to readjust, design, and plan a safe movement flow of people to meet the social distance rules and quarantine COVID-19 and the non-COVID-19 patients to prevent cross-infection. However, readjustments to separate patients have significantly reduced the maximum throughput of public health facilities, worsening already scarce public health resources. Therefore, this paper proposes throughput maximization algorithms based on the one-way street problem which meets the requirements of social distance rules. First, the floor plan of a hospital is transformed into a graph, each node is traversed by breadth-first search. Then, this paper considers patients’ node pair sets as different set unions, the direction of edges, and the color of links based on DFS-XOR algorithm are designed to distinguish the paths of COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients. Finally, this paper utilizes minimum shared link algorithms to determine the minimized sharing links between paths linking different set unions and components. The throughput is maximized by reducing the number of shared links and alternating links. The results indicate that compared with the brute force algorithms, the algorithms proposed in this paper significantly improve the maximum throughput.
Short-Term Motor Outcomes in Parkinson’s Disease after Subthalamic Nucleus Deep Brain Stimulation Combined with Post-Operative Rehabilitation: A Pre-Post Comparison Study
Authors: Sato Kazunori , Hokari Yoshihide , Kitahara Eriko , Izawa Nana , Hatori Kozo , Honaga Kaoru , Oyama Genko , Hatano Taku , Iwamuro Hirokazu , Umemura Atsushi , Shimo Yasushi , Hattori Nobutaka , Fujiwara Toshiyuki
Published: August 2022

Background. The effects of subthalamic nuclear deep brain stimulation therapy (STN-DBS) and combined postoperative rehabilitation for patients with Parkinson’s disease with postural instability have yet to be well reported. This study investigated the effects of short-term postoperative rehabilitation with STN-DBS on physical function in patients with Parkinson’s disease. Methods. Patients diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease who were admitted to our hospital for STN-DBS surgery were included in this study. Data were prospectively collected and retrospectively analyzed. Postoperative rehabilitation consisted of muscle-strengthening exercises, stretching, and balance exercises for 40–60 minutes per day for approximately 14 days. The Mini-Balance Evaluation Systems Test (Mini-BESTest), Timed Up and Go test (TUG) seconds and steps, Trunk Impairment Scale (TIS), seconds for 10 times toe-tapping, lower limb extension torque using StrengthErgo240, and center of pressure sway in the quiet standing posture were evaluated preoperatively, postoperatively, and at discharge. Mini-BESTest changes were also evaluated in the two groups classified by the presence or absence of postural instability. One-way and two-way repeated measures analyses of variance were performed for each of the three periods of change, and paired t-tests with the Bonferroni method were performed as multiple comparison tests. A stepwise multiple regression model was used to identify factors associated with balance improvement. Results. A total of 60 patients with Parkinson’s disease were included, and there were significant increases in Mini-BESTest, TIS, StrengthErgo240, and postural sway during closed-eye standing compared to pre- and postoperative conditions at discharge (

p
<
0.05

), and they decreased significantly compared to the postoperative period (

p
<
0.05

). On stepwise multiple regression analysis, decreased steps of TUG and improvement of TIS scores were related to improvement of the Mini-BESTest (

p
<
0.05

). In addition, Mini-BESTest scores in both groups with and without postural instability were significantly increased at discharge compared to preoperative and postoperative conditions (

p
<
0.01

). Conclusion. Postoperative rehabilitation combined with STN-DBS may provide short-term improvements in physical function compared with the preoperative medicated status. The improvements in gait step length and trunk function may be important factors for obtaining improvement of postoperative postural stability.
Gated Channel Attention Mechanism YOLOv3 Network for Small Target Detection
Authors: Yang Xi , Shi Jin , Zhang Juan
Published: August 2022

In order to solve the problem of low recognition rate and high missed rate in current target detection task, this paper proposes an improved YOLOv3 algorithm based on a gated channel attention mechanism (GCAM) and adaptive up-sampling module. Firstly, darknet-53 is used as the backbone network to extract image basic features. Secondly, an adaptive up-sampling module is introduced to expand the low-resolution convolutional feature images, which effectively enhances the fusion efficiency of the convolutional feature images at different scales. Finally, GCAM is added to improve the network’s feature expression and detection capability for small targets before the three-scale channels output the prediction results. The results show that the improved method can adapt to multiscale target detection tasks in complex scenes and reduce the missing rate of a small target.
Coupled Effect of Carbon Nanotubes and Crushing on Shear Strength and Compression of Calcareous Sand Seeped by Colloidal Silica
Authors: Jin Weifeng , Tao Ying , Cheng Rongzhong
Published: August 2022

Colloidal silica, which has a low viscosity, can seep quickly through sand and subsequently form silica gel to stabilize the sand. The addition of carbon nanotubes can improve the strength of the sand-gel composite. However, previous literature has not investigated the coupled effect of carbon nanotubes and sand crushing on the strength and compression of colloidal-silica-stabilized calcareous sand. So we prepared 86 specimens with 2 different concentrations of colloidal silica and 9 different contents of carbon nanotubes. Then, we performed triaxial shearing and isotropic compression tests based on the triaxial system. The test results show the following: (1) The same carbon nanotube content at the higher concentration of colloidal silica results in higher shear strength, but increasing crushing makes the shear strengths, respectively, caused by 10 wt% and 40 wt% colloidal silica dispersed with carbon nanotubes tend to be the same. (2) The optimal content of carbon nanotubes, which leads to the maximum shear strength, is distributed differently in different concentrations of colloidal silica; i.e., as crushing increases, the optimal carbon nanotube content drifts from 0.03 wt% to 0.10 wt% in 10 wt% colloidal silica, while 40 wt% colloidal silica stabilizes the optimal carbon nanotube content around 0.08 wt%. (3) Compared with carbon nanotubes in 10 wt % colloidal silica, carbon nanotubes in 40 wt% colloidal silica cause higher cohesion rather than internal friction angle, which is the mechanism of higher shear strength at higher colloidal silica concentration with the same carbon nanotube content. (4) For isotropic compression, minimal compression is caused by 40 wt% colloidal silica plus 0.1 wt% carbon nanotubes.
Research on an Oil Pipeline Anomaly Identification Method for Distinguishing True and False Anomalies
Authors: Chen Lirong , Wang Dingxiong , Wang Hui , Wu Xiaodong , Gu Landing , Ma Fen , Xie Fei , Feng Muqun , Yin Zhaofeng , Liu Chao , Jin Tiancheng
Published: August 2022

Anomaly identification is important to ensure the safe and stable operation of oil pipelines and prevent leaks. Leak identification is performed to divide abnormal samples from normal oil transfer samples in monitoring data, and it is a dichotomous problem. However, the traditional machine learning binary classification method is no longer suitable for identifying leak anomalies in complex production environments. The main problem is that leaks in production environments are very rare, and traditional methods cannot directly identify the leaking pattern with their generalizability. The recognized normal pattern lacks the ability to adapt to dynamic environmental changes and an artificial adjustment of the pump frequency, instrument calibration, and other monitoring data mutations. These are known as false anomalies, and they are difficult to distinguish from true anomalies. This results in a lower recall rate for leak anomaly identification and a higher rate of false positives. To solve this problem, this study proposes a leak anomaly recognition method based on the distinction between true and false anomalies. A one-class SVM is used to learn the normal working mode of oil pipelines, and the model is used to screen out suspected pipeline anomalies, namely, true and false anomalies. It increases the morphological difference between true and false anomaly curves by superimposing multisource data and uses similarity clustering to discover anomaly patterns that indicate leak events. The results show that the leakage anomaly recall rate is 100%, and the false anomaly exclusion rate is 83.49%. This method achieves real-time and efficient monitoring of pipeline leaking events in complex production environments, and it is practical for the application of machine learning methods in production environments.
Secure Data Deduplication System with Cyber Security Multikey Management in Cloud Storage
Authors: Kumar R. Nandha , Sathiya T. , Mohanta Harish Chandra , Ahmad Sayed Sayeed , Kumar Ankit , Alshammri Ghalib H. , Atiglah Henry Kwame
Published: August 2022

Object detection is essential in a video surveillance system. To recognize an item in a movie, we first examine each picture pixel by pixel. The Secure Data Deduplication system in segmentation is the process of separating distinct picture components into pixels in digital image processing. The performance of segmentation is influenced by irregular and/or poor lighting. These characteristics have a significant impact on the video surveillance system’s real-time object detection process. A multikey management system based on a modified ResNet model is presented in this research (M-ResNet). Cyber security is a suggested algorithm application that is used to improve images that are influenced by a lack of light. The experimental findings reveal a significant improvement in detecting objects in the video stream as compared to the present technique output and modification architecture of the ResNet model. The suggested model achieves superior results in measures like precision, recall, and pixel accuracy, as well as a decent increase in object recognition.
Teorija sestrinske skrbi usmjerene na onkološke pacijente
Authors: Pahanić Ana , Hodak Jelena
Published: August 2022

Uvod: Sestrinska skrb usmjerena prema pacijentu i željeni zdravstveni ishodi važni su za kvalitetu zdravstvene skrbi. Istraživači zdravstvenih usluga češće su usmjereni na karakterstike sustava i nepoželjne ishode sestrinske skrbi. Laurel E. Radvin u svojoj teoriji srednjeg opsega opisuje intervencije usmjerene na pacijenta i njihovu povezanost s poželjnim zdravstvenim ishodima.Metode: Teorija Laurel E. Radwin u literaturi predstavlja teoriju srednjeg opsega. Rezultati istraživanja potrebnih za razvoj teorije uglavnom su dobiveni iz Modela kvalitete zdravstvenih ishoda (eng. Quality Health Outcome Model).Rezultati: Teorija prikazuje pozitivnu povezanost između sestrinskih intervencija usmjerenih na pacijenta i željenih zdravstvenih ishoda.Rasprava: Ova teorija sestrinske skrbi usmjerena na onkološkog pacijenta potvrđena je istraživanjem i prikazuje usavršeni Model kvalitete zdravstvenih ishoda. Sve sestrinske intervencije usmjerene na pacijenta zahtijevaju individualiziranost. Pritom se povećavaju mogućnosti poželjnih ishoda sestrinske skrbi.Zaključak: Istraživanjem ove teorije usmjerava se pažnja na važnost planiranja i provođenja intervencija usmjerenih na pacijenta kod onkoloških pacijenata. S obzirom na ispitivane varijable, teoriju je moguće ispitati u različitim klinikama i na različitim odjelima da bi se utvrdila mogućnost primjene u praksi.