bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Validation of DIGIROP models and decision support tool for prediction of treatment for retinopathy of prematurity on a contemporary Swedish cohort
Authors: Pivodic Aldina , E.H. Smith Lois , Hård Anna-Lena , Löfqvist Chatarina , Almeida Ana Catarina , Al-Hawasi Abbas , Larsson Eva , Lundgren Pia , Sunnqvist Birgitta , Tornqvist Kristina , Wallin Agneta , Holmstrom Gerd , Gränse Lotta
Published: March 2022

Background/Aims

Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is currently diagnosed through repeated eye examinations to find the low percentage of infants that fulfil treatment criteria to reduce vision loss. A prediction model for severe ROP requiring treatment that might sensitively and specifically identify infants that develop severe ROP, DIGIROP-Birth, was developed using birth characteristics. DIGIROP-Screen additionally incorporates first signs of ROP in different models over time. The aim was to validate DIGIROP-Birth, DIGIROP-Screen and their decision support tool on a contemporary Swedish cohort.

Methods

Data were retrieved from the Swedish national registry for ROP (2018–2019) and two Swedish regions (2020), including 1082 infants born at gestational age (GA) 24 to <31 weeks. The predictors were GA at birth, sex, standardised birth weight and age at the first sign of ROP. The outcome was ROP treatment. Sensitivity, specificity and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) with 95% CI were described.

Results

For DIGIROP-Birth, the AUC was 0.93 (95% CI 0.90 to 0.95); for DIGIROP-Screen, it ranged between 0.93 and 0.97. The specificity was 49.9% (95% CI 46.7 to 53.0) and the sensitivity was 96.5% (95% CI 87.9 to 99.6) for the tool applied at birth. For DIGIROP-Screen, the cumulative specificity ranged between 50.0% and 78.7%. One infant with Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome who fulfilled criteria for ROP treatment and had no missed/incomplete examinations was incorrectly flagged as not needing screening.

Conclusions

DIGIROP-Birth and DIGIROP-Screen showed high predictive ability in a contemporary Swedish cohort. At birth, 50% of the infants born at 24 to <31 weeks of gestation were predicted to have low risk of severe ROP and could potentially be released from ROP screening examinations. All routinely screened treated infants, excluding those screened for clinical indications of severe illness, were correctly flagged as needing ROP screening.
Histopathological profile of cervical biopsies in northern Malawi: a retrospective cross-sectional study
Authors: Kaseka Paul Uchizi , Kayira Alfred , Chimbatata Chikondi Sharon , Chisale Master R O , Kamudumuli Pocha , Wu Tsung-Shu Joseph , Mbakaya Balwani Chingatichifwe , Sinyiza Frank Watson
Published: March 2022

Objectives

According to the WHO (2014), cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in women globally. More than 85% of the global cervical cancer morbidity and mortality occur in low-income and middle-income countries and the highest risk region is in Eastern and Southern Africa. Malawi has the highest age-standardised rate of cervical cancer in the world. This study was carried out to determine the histopathological profile of cervical biopsies in a public tertiary hospital in Mzuzu, northern region of Malawi.

Setting

A public tertiary hospital in Mzuzu, northern region of Malawi.

Participants

This was a retrospective study of all cervical biopsy specimen reports received in a public tertiary hospital in northern Malawi over a period of 5 years from July 2013 to June 2018. Demographic, clinical and diagnostic data were obtained from original histopathology reports.

Results

A total of 500 cervical biopsy reports were reviewed during the study period. The mean age of the patients was 41.99±12.5. Age ranged from 15 to 80 years. Cervicitis accounted for 46.0% (n=162) of the total non-malignant lesions seen, followed by cervical intraepithelial neoplasm, at 24.4% (n=86) and endocervical polyp, at 20.5% (n=72). Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) accounted for 15.6% (n=78) of the total cervical biopsies studied and 85.7% of all total malignant lesions. Adenocarcinoma and undifferentiated carcinoma were 8.8% and 4.4%, respectively of the total malignant diagnosis. All patients with malignant lesions had HIV.

Conclusion

Our study shows that cervicitis and SCC were most common among non-malignant and malignant cervical biopsies, respectively. Since the frequency of cervical cancer is high, there is a need to have well detailed national policies to be put in place to increase detection of preinvasive lesions in order to reduce the prevalence of cervical cancer.
Pilot study to investigate the feasibility of conducting a randomised controlled trial that compares Immediate versus Optional Delayed surgical repair for treatment of acute Anterior cruciate ligament injury: IODA pilot trial
Authors: Smeets Annemie , Ghafelzadeh Ahwaz Feryal , Bogaerts Stijn , De Groef An , Berger Pieter , Kaux Jean-François , Daniel Christophe , Croisier Jean-Louis , Delvaux François , Laenen Annouschka , Staes Filip , Peers Koen
Published: March 2022

Introduction

Standard care for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries includes surgical reconstruction of the ACL. However, two randomised controlled trials (RCTs) concluded that conservative treatment does not result in inferior clinical outcomes compared with immediate ACL reconstruction. More research is needed to in the first place verify these results, and second to assess whether patient-specific parameters determine whether a patient would benefit from one treatment option over the other. However, before running a full RCT, it seems necessary to perform a pilot study that assesses the feasibility of recruiting patients with ACL for such a RCT. This is because recruitment may be challenging as many patients have strong treatment beliefs. Therefore, this pilot study will assess whether a large RCT is feasible with regard to participant recruitment, adherence to the allocated treatment arm and protocol feasibility. These pilot findings will help deciding about progressing to a future full RCT.

Methods and analysis

This is a pragmatic, multicentre, randomised controlled pilot trial with two parallel groups. Patients with an acute ACL injury will be recruited from two Belgian hospitals. Patients will be randomised to either conservative treatment or surgical treatment. Patients will be followed-up at 3, 6 and 12 months postrandomisation. Recruitment feasibility will be evaluated by calculating the recruitment rate 4 months after the two sites have been initiated. Clear criteria for progression to a full trial are defined. Adherence to the protocol will be assessed by calculating the proportion of patients who complete the assessments. Furthermore the proportion of patients who cross-over between treatment arms during the follow-up period will be assessed.

Ethics and dissemination

The study was approved by the ethical committees: Ethische Commissie Onderzoek UZ/KU Leuven (S62004) and Comité d’Ethique Hospitalo-Facultaire Universitaire de Liège (2020212). Results will be made available to caregivers, researchers and funder.

Trial registration number

This trial is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04408690) on 29 May 2020.
Brief, manualised and semistructured individual psychotherapy programme for patients with advanced cancer in Japan: study protocol for Managing Cancer and Living Meaningfully (CALM) phase 2 trial
Authors: Miyamoto Seraki , Yamazaki Tadahiro , Shimizu Ken , Matsubara Toshio , Kage Hidenori , Watanabe Kousuke , Kobo Hiroshi , Matsuyama Yutaka , Rodin Gary , Yoshiuchi Kazuhiro
Published: March 2022

Introduction

Managing Cancer and Living Meaningfully (CALM) is a novel, brief and manualised psychotherapeutic intervention intended to treat and prevent depression and end-of-life distress in patients with advanced cancer. This phase 2 trial aims to assess the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of CALM in Japanese patients with cancer.

Methods and analysis

This study is a single-arm clinical trial. All patients involved in the study are ≥18 years of age, have been diagnosed with advanced or metastatic solid-tumour cancer, and their expected survival is at least 6 months. CALM comprises three to six individual therapy sessions, each lasting approximately 45–60 min, provided over 3– 6 months. The participants will be asked to complete questionnaires at baseline (t0), 3 months (t1) and 6 months (t2). The primary outcomes are rates of completion of the intervention and of the outcome measures and improvement of depressive symptoms measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 between t0 and t2. The criteria for the successful rate of completion is that at least 70% participants who participate in at least three sessions will complete measures at t2. The secondary outcomes are the improvement in scores on: (1) the Quality of Life at the End of Life-Cancer Scale, (2) the Experiences in Close Relationships scale, (3) the Death and Dying Distress Scale and (4) the Clinical Evaluation Questionnaire.

Ethics and dissemination

This study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of The University of Tokyo, Cancer Institute Hospital of Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research and Yamaguchi University. We will conduct the study in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and the Ethical Guidelines for Medical and Health Research Involving Human Subjects. The results of this study will be submitted for peer-reviewed publication and presentation at local, national and international scientific meetings and conferences.

Trail registration number

UMIN000040032; Pre-results.
Pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions for adults with ADHD: protocol for a systematic review and network meta-analysis
Authors: Cortese Samuele , Del Giovane Cinzia , Chamberlain Samuel , Philipsen Alexandra , Young Susan , Bilbow Andrea , Cipriani Andrea
Published: March 2022

Introduction

It is unclear how pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions compare with each other in terms of efficacy and tolerability for core symptoms and additional problems in adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). We aim to conduct the first network meta-analysis (NMA) comparing pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions (or their combinations) in adults with ADHD.

Methods and analysis

We will follow the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement for NMAs. We will search a broad set of electronic databases/registries and contact drug companies and experts in the field to retrieve published and unpublished randomised controlled trials (RCTs) (parallel or cross-over) of medications (either licensed or unlicensed) and any non-pharmacological intervention in adults (≥18 years) with ADHD. Primary outcomes will be: (1) change in severity of ADHD core symptoms, and (2) acceptability (all-cause discontinuation). Secondary outcomes will include tolerability (drop-out due to side effects) and change in the severity of emotional dysregulation, executive dysfunctions and quality of life. The risk of bias in each individual RCT included in the NMA will be assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool-version 2. We will evaluate the transitivity assumption comparing the distribution of possible effect modifiers across treatment comparisons. We will perform Bayesian NMA for each outcome with random-effects model in OpenBUGS. Pooled estimates of NMA will be obtained using the Markov Chains Monte Carlo method. We will judge the credibility in the evidence derived from the NMA using the CINeMA tool (which includes assessment of publication bias). We will conduct a series of sensitivity analyses to assess the robustness of the findings.

Ethics and dissemination

As this is the protocol for an aggregate-data level NMA, ethical approval will not be required. Results will be disseminated at national/international conferences and in peer-reviewed journals.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42021265576.
Prevalence and factors associated with preoperative anxiety among patients undergoing surgery in low-income and middle-income countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Bedaso Asres , Mekonnen Nibretie , Duko Bereket
Published: March 2022

Objectives

This review aimed to determine the pooled prevalence of preoperative anxiety and its associated factors among patients undergoing surgery in low/middle-income countries (LMICs).

Methods

We searched PubMed, SCOPUS, CINAHL, Embase and PsychINFO to identify peer-reviewed studies on the prevalence and factors associated with preoperative anxiety among patients undergoing surgery using predefined eligibility criteria. Studies were pooled to estimate the prevalence of preoperative anxiety using a random-effect meta-analysis model. Heterogeneity was assessed using I² statistics. Funnel plot asymmetry and Egger’s regression tests were used to check for publication bias.

Result

Our search identified 2110 studies, of which 27 studies from 12 countries with 5575 participants were included in the final meta-analysis. Of the total 27 studies, 11 used the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory to screen anxiety, followed by the Amsterdam Preoperative Anxiety and Information scale, used by four studies. The pooled prevalence of preoperative anxiety among patients undergoing surgery in LMICs was 55.7% (95% CI 48.60 to 62.93). Our subgroup analysis found that a higher pooled prevalence of preoperative anxiety was found among female surgical patients (59.36%, 95% CI 48.16 to 70.52, I2=95.43, p<0.001) and studies conducted in Asia (62.59%, 95% CI 48.65 to 76.53, I2=97.48, p<0.001).

Conclusion

Our meta-analysis indicated that around one in two patients undergoing surgery in LMICs suffer from preoperative anxiety, which needs due attention. Routine screening of preoperative anxiety symptoms among patients scheduled for surgery is vital.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42020161934.
Patients’ acceptance of obesity as a chronic disease: a qualitative study in Lebanon
Authors: AlArab Natally , Antoun Jumana
Published: March 2022

Objective

This study explores patients’ acceptance of obesity as a chronic disease.

Design

Cross-sectional, qualitative study using semistructured phone interviews.

Setting

The study was conducted in specialty and primary care clinics from a single central tertiary hospital in Lebanon. Recruitment took place between February and March 2021.

Participants and methods

25 adult patients with overweight or obesity were interviewed and the interviews were analysed thematically.

Results

Four themes emerged: (1) patients’ knowledge and awareness of obesity are based on their own experience; (2) there is ambivalence or conditional acceptance of obesity as a chronic disease; and patients with overweight or obesity perceived (3) that the role of physicians in obesity management is related to complications and (4) that obesity management is as simple as eating less and exercising more.

Conclusions

The study shows the studied population’s ambivalence in accepting obesity as a chronic disease. Individuals with overweight or obesity considered the role of the healthcare professional in obesity conditional on morbid obesity and the presence of medical complications of obesity. Findings of this study advocate for educational campaigns about the nature of obesity as a chronic disease and the role of healthcare professionals in obesity management.
The China Alzheimer Report 2022
Authors: Ren Rujing , Qi Jinlei , Lin Shaohui , Liu Xinya , Yin Peng , Wang Zhihui , Tang Ran , Wang Jintao , Huang Qiang , Li Jianping , Xie Xinyi , Hu Yongbo , Cui Shishuang , Zhu Yuan , Yu Xiaoping , Wang Pengfei , Zhu Yikang , Wang Yiran , Huang Yanyan , Hu Yisong , Wang Ying , Li Chunbo , Zhou Maigeng , Wang Gang
Published: March 2022

China’s population has rapidly aged over the recent decades of social and economic development as neurodegenerative disorders have proliferated, especially Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and related dementias (ADRD). AD’s incidence rate, morbidity, and mortality have steadily increased to make it presently the fifth leading cause of death among urban and rural residents in China and magnify the resulting financial burdens on individuals, families and society. The ‘Healthy China Action’ plan of2019–2030promotes the transition from disease treatment to health maintenance for this expanding population with ADRD. This report describes related epidemiological trends, evaluates the economic burden of the disease, outlines current clinical diagnosis and treatment status and delineates existing available public health resources. More specifically, it examines the public health impact of ADRD, including prevalence, mortality, costs, usage of care, and the overall effect on caregivers and society. In addition, this special report presents technical guidance and supports for the prevention and treatment of AD, provides expertise to guide relevant governmental healthcare policy development and suggests an information platform for international exchange and cooperation.
Neoadjuvant in situ vaccination with cowpea mosaic virus as a novel therapy against canine inflammatory mammary cancer
Authors: Alonso-Miguel Daniel , Valdivia Guillermo , Guerrera Diego , Perez-Alenza Maria Dolores , Pantelyushin Stanislav , Alonso-Diez Angela , Beiss Veronique , Fiering Steven , Steinmetz Nicole F , Suarez-Redondo Maria , vom Berg Johannes , Peña Laura , Arias-Pulido Hugo
Published: March 2022

Background

Inflammatory mammary cancer (IMC), the counterpart of human inflammatory breast cancer (IBC), is the deadliest form of canine mammary tumors. IMC patients lack specific therapy and have poor outcomes. This proof-of-principle preclinical study evaluated the efficacy, safety, and effect on survival of neoadjuvant intratumoral (in situ) empty cowpea mosaic virus (eCPMV) immunotherapy in companion dogs diagnosed with IMC.

Methods

Ten IMC-bearing dogs were enrolled in the study. Five dogs received medical therapy, and five received weekly neoadjuvant in situ eCPMV immunotherapy (0.2–0.4 mg per injection) and medical therapy after the second eCPMV injection. Efficacy was evaluated by reduction of tumor growth; safety by hematological and biochemistry changes in blood and plasma; and patient outcome by survival analysis. eCPMV-induced immune changes in blood cells were analyzed by flow cytometry; changes in the tumor microenvironment were evaluated by CD3 (T lymphocytes), CD20 (B lymphocytes), FoxP3 (Treg lymphocytes), myeloperoxidase (MPO; neutrophils), Ki-67 (proliferation index, PI; tumor cell proliferation), and Cleaved Caspase-3 (CC-3; apoptosis) immunohistochemistry.

Results

Two neoadjuvant in situ eCPMV injections resulted in tumor shrinkage in all patients by day 14 without systemic adverse events. Although surgery for IMC is generally not an option, reduction in tumor size allowed surgery in two IMC patients. In peripheral blood, in situ eCPMV immunotherapy was associated with a significant decrease of Treg+/CD8+ratio and changes in CD8+Granzyme B+T cells, which behave as a lagging predictive biomarker. In the TME, higher neutrophilic infiltration and MPO expression, lower tumor Ki-67 PI, increase in CD3+lymphocytes, decrease in FoxP3+/CD3+ratio (p<0.04 for all comparisons), and no changes in CC-3+immunostainings were observed in post-treatment tumor tissues when compared with pretreatment tumor samples. eCPMV-treated IMC patients had a statistically significant (p=0.033) improved overall survival than patients treated with medical therapy.

Conclusions

Neoadjuvant in situ eCPMV immunotherapy demonstrated anti-tumor efficacy and improved survival in IMC patients without systemic adverse effects. eCPMV-induced changes in immune cells point to neutrophils as a driver of immune response. Neoadjuvant in situ eCPMV immunotherapy could be a groundbreaking immunotherapy for canine IMC and a potential future immunotherapy for human IBC patients.
MER4 endogenous retrovirus correlated with better efficacy of anti-PD1/PD-L1 therapy in non-small cell lung cancer
Authors: Lecuelle Julie , Favier Laure , Fraisse Cléa , Lagrange Aurélie , Kaderbhai Coureche , Boidot Romain , Chevrier Sandy , Joubert Philippe , Routy Bertrand , Truntzer Caroline , Ghiringhelli Francois
Published: March 2022

Background

Endogenous retroviruses (ERVs) are highly expressed in various cancer types and are associated with increased innate immune response and better efficacy of antiprogrammed death-1/ligand-1 (anti-PD1/PD-L1)-directed immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) in preclinical models. However, their role in human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains unknown.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective study of patients receiving ICI for advanced NSCLC in two independent cohorts. ERV expression was determined by RNA sequencing. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS) under ICI. The secondary endpoint was overall survival (OS) from ICI initiation. We studied expression of 6205 ERVs. Multivariate Cox regression model with lasso penalty was estimated on the training set to select ERVs significantly associated with survival. The predictive power of these ERVs was compared with that of previously described transcriptomic signatures.

Results

We studied two independent cohorts of 89 and 70 patients, used as training and validation sets. Clinicopathological characteristics included 75% of patients with non-squamous NSCLC. We selected four ERVs significantly associated with PFS. Only high MER4 ERV was associated with better PFS and OS in both cohorts. From a biological point of view, high MER4 expression is associated with higher infiltration of eosinophils and inflammatory gene signatures, while low MER4 expression is associated with enrichment in metabolism and proliferation signatures. Adding MER4 to previously described transcriptomic signatures of response to ICI improved their predictive power.

Conclusions

MER4 ERV expression is useful to stratify risk and predict PFS and OS in patients treated with ICI for NSCLC. It also improves the predictive power of other known transcriptomic signatures.
Assisted gestative technologies
Authors: Romanis Elizabeth Chloe
Published: March 2022

A large body of literature considers the ethico-legal and regulatory issues surrounding assisted conception. Surrogacy, however, within this body of literature is an odd-fit. It involves a unique demand of another person—a form of reproductive labour—that many other aspects of assisted conception, such as gamete donation do not involve. Surrogacy is a form of assisted gestation. The potential alternatives for individuals who want a genetically related child but who do not have the capacity to gestate are ever increasing: with the advent of uterus transplantation (UTx), and the anticipated development of artificial placentas.

In this paper, I highlight the pertinent conceptual differences between technologies assisting conception and those assisting gestation to demonstrate that distinct issues arise when assisted gestative technologies (AGTs) are used. I argue that there is utility in considering AGTs as a genus of technologies. These technologies perform the same function from the perspective of putative parents and might exist on a spectrum of alternatives when they become more available. Moreover, since many of the same or very similar ethical, social and legal issues are raised by surrogacy, UTx and ectogestation, analysis of these issues will be better contextualised by considering these technologies together. Many of the matters currently being highlighted for reform in the context of surrogacy will inevitably impact on how other forms of assisted gestation are governed. The conversation should be broadened; we should consider how far other emerging technologies might be accommodated in revised regulatory schemes.
Charged dust in higher curvature geometry
Authors: Hansraj Sudan
Published: March 2022

We analyze the configuration of charged dust in the context of the higher dimensional and higher curvature Einstein–Gauss–Bonnet–Maxwell theory. With the prescription of dust, there remains one more prescription to be made in order to close the system of equations of motion. The choice of one of the metric potentials appears to be the only viable way to proceed. Before establishing exact solutions, we examine conditions for the existence of physically reasonable charged dust fluids. It turns out that the branches of the Boulware–Deser metric representing the exterior gravitational field of a neutral spherically symmetric Einstein–Gauss–Bonnet distribution, serve as upper and lower bounds for the spatial potentials of physically reasonable charged dust in Einstein–Gauss–Bonnet–Maxwell gravity. Some exact solutions for 5 and 6 dimensional charged dust hyperspheres are exhibited in closed form. In particular the Einstein ansatz of a constant temporal potential while defective in 5 dimensions actually generates a model of a closed compact astrophysical object in 6 dimensions. A physically viable 5 dimensional charged dust model is also contrasted with its general relativity counterpart graphically.
EUROGRAV 1986–1989: the first attempts for a European Interferometric Gravitational Wave Observatory
Authors: La Rana Adele
Published: March 2022

At the turn of the 1980s and 1990s, on the eve of the great leap in scale from the resonant bars to the long-baseline interferometers LIGO and Virgo, the four European groups then engaged in the field of interferometric gravitational wave detection in Germany, UK, France and Italy tried to set up a common strategy, with the aim of establishing a network of three long-based antennas in Europe. The paper analyzes the main causes of the failure of those early plans. An attempt is made to outline the parallels and differences with the current times, on the eve of the new leap of scale toward the third generation of gravitational wave interferometers, while the negotiations for the European-born project Einstein Telescope are taking place.
Vacuum decay in quadratic gravity
Authors: Vicentini Silvia , Rinaldi Massimiliano
Published: March 2022

Metastable states decay at zero temperature through quantum tunnelling at an exponentially small rate, which depends on the Coleman–de Luccia instanton, also known as bounce. In some theories, the bounce may not exist or its on-shell action may be ill-defined or infinite, thus hindering the vacuum decay process. In this paper, we test this possibility in modified theories of gravity interacting with a real scalar field. We consider an Einstein–Hilbert term with a non-minimally coupled scalar field and a quadratic Ricci scalar contribution. To tackle the problem, we use a new analytic method, with which we prove that the scalar field on the bounce has a universal behaviour at large Euclidean radii, almost independently of the potential. Our main result is that the quadratic Ricci scalar prevents the decay, regardless of the other terms in the action.
Dynamical Analysis of a Fractional-Order Boost Converter with Fractional-Order Memristive Load
Authors: Wu Chaojun , Zhang Qi , Yang Ningning , Jia Rong , Liu Chongxin
Published: March 2022

In this paper, a boost converter emulator with a memristive load instead of a resistive load is proposed, and a fractional-order model of the memristive boost converter is created. Firstly, the fractional-order models of the memristor and the memristive boost converter are established respectively, and then based on different switching states, the circuit equations of the fractional-order memristive boost converter operating in continuous conduction mode are derived. Secondly, the dynamic characteristics of the fractional-order system are analyzed by numerical simulations and are compared with the integer-order memristive boost converter. Furthermore, the effects of the memristive load on the system is studied by comparing it to the traditional boost converter with resistive load. The results indicate that the fractional-order memristive boost converter can exhibit rich dynamic behavior by adjusting bifurcation parameters, and the fractional-order circuit system expands the stable working regions of the integer-order circuit system. Meanwhile, the addition of the memristive load significantly widens the normal working regions. Finally, simulations of the fractional-order system circuit based on PSIM further verify the correctness of the theoretical analysis.
A Note on the Insecurity of Cryptosystems Based on Chebyshev Polynomials
Authors: Cao Zhengjun , Liu Lihua
Published: March 2022

The security of cryptosystems based on Chebyshev recursive relation, [Formula: see text], relies on the difficulty to find the large degree [Formula: see text] of Chebyshev polynomial for given parameters. But this relation cannot be used to evaluate [Formula: see text], if [Formula: see text] is very large. We investigate three other methods: matrix-multiplication-based evaluation, halve-and-square evaluation, and root-extraction-based evaluation. We find they have the same complexity [Formula: see text] over finite field [Formula: see text]. The result shows that the hardness of some cryptosystems based on modular Chebyshev polynomials is almost equivalent to the general discrete logarithm. This partially answers the question why such chaos-based cryptosystems have rarely been put into practice.
Wind-Induced Interference of a Rectangular-Section Building on the Dome-Roof
Authors: Huo Linsheng , Qi Hao , Chen Chaohao , Pan Linjun
Published: March 2022

There are no specific regulations regarding the interference effects that an adjacent building can place on the wind load distribution of a dome roof structure. Furthermore, the influence between an adjacent rectangular-section building and the dome roof structure on the wind-induced interference is not well understood yet. Thus, in this paper, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is used to simulate the mean wind pressure of the dome roof structure after interference by a rectangular-section building facing the dome. The accuracy of numerical results is verified through a wind tunnel test. The effects of different building heights or widths as well as distances between the interference building and the dome on the interference are analyzed. Different wind directions in intervals of 15∘are examined in the analysis to identify the worst wind direction. The results reveal that the passage effect caused by the interference is the main reason for the increase of suction on the roof, and the height ratio has the greatest influence on the passage effect. The region of the roof nearest to the interference building experiences the greatest suction considering all wind directions, and the side regions of the roof are relatively safe in most cases. The results of this paper can provide a reference for engineers tasked with wind-resistant design of long-span dome structures.
Design of Neural Network-Based Adaptive Inverse Dynamics Controller for Motion Control of Stewart Platform
Authors: Jishnu A. K. , Chauhan Dev K. S. , Vundavilli Pandu R.
Published: March 2022

This research article attempts to design Inverse Dynamics Controller (IDC) to execute the motion tracking of Stewart Platform. In the presence of modeling uncertainties and external disturbances, the closed-loop dynamic equation of IDC with fixed gains becomes nonlinear and configuration-dependent, which compromises the motion tracking accuracy. Further, both modeling uncertainties and external disturbances are unavoidable in real life conditions. To tackle this issue, this article proposes a novel control algorithm by combining IDC with Feed-Forward Artificial Neural Network (FF-ANN) trained using PSO. The proposed modified control algorithm offers superior motion tracking accuracy in comparison with traditional IDC.
Ruled surfaces with constant breadth in 3-dimensional Lie group
Authors: Nazra Sahar H. , Abdel-Baky Rashad A.
Published: March 2022

In this paper, we define and study pairs of ruled surfaces in a 3-dimensional Lie group, which have the following properties: Their bases curves are constant breadth curves, and the corresponding rulings are parallels. Then, we find the condition of general helix as constant breadth curve and construct ruled surfaces with constant breadth.
Current Situation and Prospect of Technical Standard System of Trauma Treatment Under the Background of Disaster Emergency
Authors: Wang Xiaomin , Wang Tao
Published: March 2022

Trauma is a prominent social problem in the world. 5.8 million people die from trauma each year, accounting for 7% of the global mortality rate. In our country, the total number of deaths from all kinds of trauma has reached 700,000 each year, which is the fourth cause of death in the population and has been included in the National Disease Control Plan, and the death rate from trauma continues to rise. Therefore, how to improve the level of treatment of trauma is a huge challenge for all countries in the world. After nearly 40 years of efforts, China’s trauma rescue system has made great progress, but there are still problems such as the lack of a regional trauma system design and the lack of technical standards for trauma treatment, especially in the face of the new global epidemic and frequent natural disasters since 2019, and the corresponding lack of technical standards in the context of disaster response also brings the enormous difficulty for the traumatic patient’s treatment. In order to improve the overall level of emergency treatment of trauma, this paper summarized the experience of trauma treatment mode in our hospital and discussed the current situation of trauma treatment technology standard in China.
A “Whole Society” Approach to Controlling COVID-19 Transmission in Metropolitan Areas: A Case Study in Shanghai
Authors: Cui Yujie , Zhou Xin , Zeng Wu , Zhu Geliang , Shen Jie
Published: March 2022

Blocking the possible transmission pathways is critical for COVID-19 control in metropolitan cities. A “whole society” approach has been implemented in Shanghai, a metropolitan city in China since the initial stage, and the epidemic is under control till present. In this approach, comprehensive policies of transmission control were implemented by mobilizing the whole society, including sorts of organizations and communities, and adapted to the stage and location of the epidemic as well. Disease control serves as the backbone of the policies in responding to the COVID-19 outbreak and paves the way to economic revival in the metropolitan city of Shanghai. Given the severity of COVID-19, the comprehensive policies for blocking transmission should be advised, although the lack of sufficient evidences to distinguish the effects of various measures.
Searching for Fast Demosaicking Algorithms
Authors: Ma Karima , Gharbi Michael , Adams Andrew , Kamil Shoaib , Li Tzu-Mao , Barnes Connelly , Ragan-Kelley Jonathan
Published: March 2022

We present a method to automatically synthesize efficient, high-quality demosaicking algorithms, across a range of computational budgets, given a loss function and training data. It performs a multi-objective, discrete-continuous optimization which simultaneously solves for the program structure and parameters that best tradeoff computational cost and image quality. We design the method to exploit domain-specific structure for search efficiency. We apply it to several tasks, including demosaicking both Bayer and Fuji X-Trans color filter patterns, as well as joint demosaicking and super-resolution. In a few days on 8 GPUs, it produces a family of algorithms that significantly improves image quality relative to the prior state-of-the-art across a range of computational budgets from 10 s to 1000 s of operations per pixel (1 dB–3 dB higher quality at the same cost, or 8.5–200× higher throughput at same or better quality). The resulting programs combine features of both classical and deep learning-based demosaicking algorithms into more efficient hybrid combinations, which are bandwidth-efficient and vectorizable by construction. Finally, our method automatically schedules and compiles all generated programs into optimized SIMD code for modern processors.
Electro- and Electroless Deposition of Rhenium from Reline Deep Eutectic Solvent
Authors: Jayakumar Mani , Murugesan Chandran , Andrew Chrysanthus , Natarajan Keerthi , Sekar Ramachandran
Published: March 2022

Rhenium exhibits exclusive properties among refractory metals suitable for extreme applications, many of which require rhenium coatings rather than bulk metal. Recently, there is a renewed interest in using electrodeposition as a potential tool to achieve traditional and tailor-designed coatings. In this context, we report electrodeposition and electroless deposition of rhenium coatings using choline chloride: urea (Reline) deep eutectic solvent and evaluated the corrosion performance of the coatings. Voltammetric response of perrhenate ion in Reline DES indicates an irreversible charge transfer process and the diffusion coefficient was estimated to be in the order 10−6 cm2 s−1. Chronoamperometry analysis revealed rhenium deposition on glassy carbon electrode proceeds via instantaneous 3-D nucleation. Rhenium coatings achieved on copper and mild steel substrates under different galvanostatic and potentiostatic conditions exhibited superior corrosion resistance of ≤0.03 mmpy. FE-SEM and AFM microscopy analysis evidenced smoother deposits under galvanostatic conditions. XPS data confirms metallic nature of rhenium in the deposit with surface covered with oxides. Sub-micron electroless rhenium coatings were achieved on copper/nickel/mild steel substrates via galvanic exchange using spent rhenium electrolytes devoid of additional agents.
D-dimer in Marfan syndrome: effect of obstructive sleep apnea induced blood pressure surges
Authors: Sowho Mudiaga , Schneider Hartmut , Jun Jonathan , MacCarrick Gretchen , Schwartz Alan , Pham Luu , Sgambati Francis , Lima Joao , Smith Philip , Polotsky Vsevolod , Neptune Enid
Published: March 2022

What is New? Surges in blood pressure caused by obstructive sleep apnea during sleep increase vascular stress and D-dimer levels in Marfan syndrome. Elevations in D-dimer can be lowered with CPAP. What is Noteworthy? D-dimer levels might serve as a marker for determining the significance of obstructive sleep apnea in persons with Marfan syndrome. D-dimer or obstructive sleep apnea screening is a potential method to identify persons with Marfan at a risk for adverse cardiovascular events.
Anxiety and Depression among Hypertensive Adults in Tertiary Care Hospitals of Nepal
Authors: Shah Sangam , Adhikari Sangit , Aryal Shova , Adhikari Tara Ballav , Sah Sanjit Kumar , Paudel Basanta Sharma , Pradhan Pranil Man Singh
Published: March 2022

Introduction. Cooccurrence of hypertension and depression/anxiety increases the chance of cardiovascular mortality and morbidity. Therefore, this study is aimed at assessing the prevalence of anxiety and depression and their association with hypertension among hypertensive adults in a tertiary care hospital in Kathmandu, Nepal. Methods. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted using a semistructured self-administered questionnaire based on Hamilton Anxiety and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. The data was entered in EPI Data and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics in SPSS version 22.

P

value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results. A total of 260 individuals participated in the study, with a mean age of 42.6 years. About 46% of patients did not have any symptoms of depressed mood, and 73 (28.1%) of the participants experienced feelings of depressed mood only on questioning. Similarly, (151) 58.1% did not have feelings of guilt, and 48 (18.5%) participants who had the feeling of guilt had let people down. Among 260 respondents, most participants ((102) 39.2%) had mild symptoms of anxious mood, followed by (86) 33.1% participants with moderate symptoms. Only (4) 1.5% of participants had severe symptoms. Similarly, the majority of participants ((114) 43.8%) had a mild form of mental and emotional strain, followed by (72) 27.7% with moderate mental and emotional strain while (43) 16.5% had no mental and emotional strain. The occupation and marital status of the hypertensive individual was associated with anxiety and depression (

P
=
≤
0.01

). Conclusion. In conclusion, anxiety and depression were common among patients with hypertension. Anxiety and depression were linked to some of the patients’ sociodemographic and clinical features. This study demonstrates that treating hypertension alone is not enough to improve patients’ quality of life; mental illness screening among chronically ill individuals is also required.
A New MINLP Continuous Time Formulation for Scheduling Optimization of Oil Refinery with Unreliable CDUs
Authors: Al-Ahmari Abdulrahman , Kaid Husam , Li Zhiwu , Wu NaiQi , El-Tamimi Abdul-Aziz , Qiao Yan
Published: March 2022

Short-term scheduling of oil refinery operations is a complicated optimization problem that requires a high level of detail and needs efficient approaches and software tools. Oil refineries are naturally categorized as continuous process industries due to their production processes, which have essentially different characteristics and constraints from discrete manufacturing processes. It is a significant problem to design effective approaches for oil refinery scheduling optimization. Therefore, this paper aims to provide solutions to the above very challenging problem by proposing a novel methodology. The problem is how to optimize crude oil unloading to charging tanks and charging schedules for different types of crude oils to distillation units (CDUs). Several realistic operational features are considered, such as different arrival times for crude oils, continuous operation of CDUs, no rework of crude oils, and the ability to perform preventative maintenance on CDUs. To solve this problem effectively, a new mixed-integer nonlinear programming (MINLP) model is developed. Industrial case studies are used to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed formulation. The computational results show that the case studies are effectively solved with the proposed solution approach.
Research on NTP Nonlinear Reflection Attack Identification Based on AHP Multidimensional Matrix in Global COVID-19 Environment
Authors: Wang Xian , Xie Xiaoyao
Published: March 2022

Under the influence of the global epidemic, various businesses have moved online one after another. With the rise of emerging industries such as online medical treatment, online education, and online conference, the proportion of attacks in the network service industry has increased year by year. UDP-FLOOD is still the primary scenario of DDoS attacks. Among them, with a large number of attack resources and most of them are high configuration servers, NTP (Network Time Protocol) reflection has become the most common UDP reflection attack method, accounting for 59% of the overall distribution. Therefore, establishing an efficient NTP attack detection system is a very important content to prevent network malicious attacks. At present, NTP-attacking based defensed methods mainly include IP filtering, hop mapping, and response packet detection, but they all have obvious weaknesses. Among them, the IP detection scheme can only detect historical attack IP, the implementation of hop mapping scheme is complex, and the resource overhead of response packet detection scheme is too large. Therefore, this paper proposes a nonlinear detection algorithm based on AHP multidimensional matrix quad information entropy. Through simulation experiments, the change of quad information entropy of attack intensity from 10% to 100% is counted. The detection rate based on the traditional target IP and target port algorithm is only 50% and 60%, which is significantly lower than this algorithm. Experiments show that the detection rate of this algorithm is higher.
Research on Community Risk Prediction Model and Management Based on Deep Learning
Authors: Yin Weida
Published: March 2022

The influencing factors of community risk are complex. For the low accuracy of traditional prediction model, a multichannel convolutional neural network community risk prediction model is proposed by improving convolutional neural network of deep learning. First of all, in the community risk prediction model, the structure of multichannel input convolutional neural network is selected. Then, add it into the full connection layer. Subsequently, the DenseNet layer is added to establish connections between different network layers. Finally, the receptive field is improved, and the gradient disappearance is solved. Thus, the prediction accuracy of model is improved. Compared with the traditional model, the proposed multichannel convolutional neural network model has better prediction accuracy. In addition, it performs better on the three indicators, namely, correlation coefficient

R

, coefficient of determination

R

2

, and mean square root error RMSE. Compared with the commonly used LSTM model and logic regression model, the proposed model also has certain advantages, which is more suitable for community risk prediction.
A Feedback Control Method with Connected Vehicles in a Lattice Hydrodynamic Model at Highway On-Ramps
Authors: Zhang Yicai , Zhao Min , Sun Dihua , Zhao Hang , Liu Zhongcheng , Chen Dong
Published: March 2022

This paper presents a traffic flow control scheme of connected vehicles to stabilize a traffic system with on-ramps from a macromodel point of view. Firstly, this paper establishes a lattice hydrodynamic model with on-ramps, and an output feedback controller is designed based on the characteristics of connected vehicles. Then, by using the Lyapunov–Krasovskill functional analysis method, this paper studies the delay-dependent convergence conditions of the control method. String stability is defined as the nonamplification of the downstream disturbance of a traffic flow when it propagates upstream. The influence of the on-ramps is regarded as a stochastic disturbance in this paper. Through a theoretical analysis, the control conditions that can ensure the string stability of the traffic system under the influence of on-ramp are obtained. Finally, numerical experiments are carried out to compare the traffic states of the traffic system with and without control. The results show that the proposed control can effectively suppress the instability of the traffic system.
E-Commerce Logistics Inspection System Based on Artificial Intelligence Technology in the Context of Big Data
Authors: Chen Xianhui
Published: March 2022

With the development of science and technology, the logistics industry has generally introduced information technology, and the construction of intelligent warehouse management is the development trend of the logistics industry. In order to improve the operation efficiency of intelligent warehouse and make full use of freight resources, this paper proposes an intelligent logistics inspection system based on big data. The system takes the platform data of unmanned monitoring points with multiple data sources as the research object and also uses a deep learning-based method for parcel detection and tracking in order to overcome the defects of traditional parcel detection and tracking technology. The role of the system is to obtain the parcel flow data of each unmanned monitoring point and then upload these important data to the scheduling system of the warehouse to realize the intelligent management of the warehouse.