bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Deterministic Random Number Generator Attack Against the Kirchhoff-Law-Johnson-Noise Secure Key Exchange Protocol
Authors: Chamon Christiana , Ferdous Shahriar , Kish Laszlo B.
Published: April 2021

This paper demonstrates the vulnerability of the Kirchhoff-Law-Johnson-Noise (KLJN) secure key exchanger to compromised random number generator(s) even if these random numbers are used solely to generate the noises emulating the Johnson noise of Alice’s and Bob’s resistors. The attacks shown are deterministic in the sense that Eve’s knowledge of Alice’s and/or Bob’s random numbers is basically deterministic. Moreover, no statistical evaluation is needed, except for rarely occurring events of negligible, random waiting time and verification time. We explore two situations. In the first case, Eve knows both Alice’s and Bob’s random noises. We show that, in this situation, Eve can quickly crack the secure key bit by using Ohm’s Law. In the other situation, Eve knows only Bob’s random noise. Then Eve first can learn Bob’s resistance value by using Ohm’s Law. Therefore, she will have the same knowledge as Bob, thus at the end of the bit exchange period, she will know Alice’s bit.
Charged gravastar model in f(T) gravity admitting conformal motion
Authors: Bhar Piyali , Rej Pramit
Published: April 2021

In this paper, model of charged gravastar under [Formula: see text] modified gravity is obtained. The model has been explored by taking the diagonal tetrad field of static spacetime together with electric charge. To solve the Einstein–Maxwell field equations, along with [Formula: see text] gravity, we assume the existence of a conformal Killing vector which relates between geometry and matter through the Einstein–Maxwell field equations by an inheritance symmetry. We study several cases of interest to explore physically valid features of the solutions. Some physical properties of the model are discussed and we match our interior spacetime to the exterior Reissner–Nordström spacetime in presence of thin shell.
A Review on Lexicon-Based and Machine Learning Political Sentiment Analysis Using Tweets
Authors: Britzolakis Alexandros , Kondylakis Haridimos , Papadakis Nikolaos
Published: April 2021

Sentiment analysis over social media platforms has been an active case of study for more than a decade. This occurs due to the constant rising of Internet users over these platforms, as well as to the increasing interest of companies for monitoring the opinion of customers over commercial products. Most of these platforms provide free, online services such as the creation of interactive web communities, multimedia content uploading, etc. This new way of communication has affected human societies as it shaped the way by which an opinion can be expressed, sparking the era of digital revolution. One of the most profound examples of social networking platforms for opinion mining is Twitter as it is a great source for extracting news and a platform which politicians tend to use frequently. In addition to that, the character limitation per posted tweet (maximum of 280 characters) makes it easier for automated tools to extract its underlying sentiment. In this review paper, we present a variety of lexicon-based tools as well as machine learning algorithms used for sentiment extraction. Furthermore, we present additional implementations used for political sentiment analysis over Twitter as well as additional open topics. We hope the review will help readers to understand this scientifically rich area, identify best options for their work and work on open topics.
Asymptotic expansion in measure and strong ergodicity
Authors: Li Kang , Vigolo Federico , Zhang Jiawen
Published: April 2021

In this paper, we introduce and study a notion of asymptotic expansion in measure for measurable actions. This generalizes expansion in measure and provides a new perspective on the classical notion of strong ergodicity. Moreover, we obtain structure theorems for asymptotically expanding actions, showing that they admit exhaustions by domains of expansion. As an application, we recover a recent result of Marrakchi, characterizing strong ergodicity in terms of local spectral gaps. We also show that homogeneous strongly ergodic actions are always expanding in measure and establish a connection between asymptotic expansion in measure and asymptotic expanders by means of approximating spaces.
ASSET INVESTMENT DIVERSIFICATION, BANKRUPTCY RISK AND THE MEDIATING ROLE OF BUSINESS DIVERSIFICATION
Authors: THANH VU HUU , HA NGUYEN MINH , MCALEER MICHAEL
Published: April 2021

This paper explores the structural relationship among asset investment diversification, business diversification and the bankruptcy risk of firms. Asset investment diversification is divided into two components, namely related and unrelated asset investment diversification, while business diversification includes related and unrelated business diversification. In the hypothetical relationship, business diversification is proposed to play a mediating role to explain the effect of asset investment diversification on bankruptcy risk. Specifically, related and unrelated asset investment diversification affect bankruptcy risk through two mediators, namely related and unrelated business diversification. Hence, it is vital to employ the general linear structural model (GSEM) with panel data on 470 businesses publicly listed in Vietnam from 2008 to 2017. Surprisingly, the empirical results show that both related and unrelated asset diversification have positive impacts on bankruptcy risk. Nevertheless, only related business diversification plays a mediating role between related asset diversification and bankruptcy risk, while unrelated business diversification has an insignificant mediating effect on the relationship between unrelated asset diversification and bankruptcy risk.
TAT delivery of a PTEN peptide inhibitor has direct cardioprotective effects and improves outcomes in rodent models of cardiac arrest
Authors: Zhu Xiangdong , Li Jing , Wang Huashan , Gasior Filip M. , Lee Chunpei , Lin Shaoxia , Zhu Zhiyi , Wang Youhua , Justice Cody N. , O'Donnell J. Michael , Vanden Hoek Terry L.
Published: April 2021

We have designed a cell-permeable peptide, TAT-PTEN9c, to improve cardiac arrest survival. It blocked endogenous PTEN binding to its adaptor and enhanced Akt signaling in mouse cardiomyocytes. It improved mouse survival after cardiac arrest, which is related to improved glucose metabolism and reduced glucose shunting to sorbitol in critical organs.
On the Relation between Strength and Stiffness of Cable Tray
Authors: Ma Yongqi , Ding Weidong , Ding Chao , Ma Hang
Published: April 2021

In order to realize the optimal design of the cable supporting system for the purpose of material saving and energy saving and green manufacturing, the strength-stiffness ratio is proposed in the paper in nondimensional form, which defines quantitatively the relation between the static load strength and stiffness of the cable tray. On the premise of ensuring service safety, the correlation between the strength and stiffness of the cable tray under static load is discussed extensively through the theoretical analysis of the mechanical model. The weakest link in the carrying capacity of the cable tray as well as the issue that needs to pay attention is proposed in the process of design and the test of the cable tray. A reasonable strength-stiffness ratio will help to make full use of the potential of material strengths. The value of the strength-stiffness ratio is obtainable by means of the finite element method or by the loading test of the cable tray. It is shown through the analysis that the value of the strength-stiffness ratio being setting in the range close to but less than 1 will make comparatively reasonable material utilization and will help the deflection test going smoothly to obtain a relatively safer allowable working load for the cable tray.
Combining Minimally Invasive Techniques in Managing a Frail Patient with Postpneumonectomy Bronchopleural Fistula
Authors: Kostopanagiotou Kostas , Filippiadis Dimitrios , Bakas Efthimios , Thomas Costas , Kostroglou Andreas , Elias Santaitidis , Sidiropoulou Tatiana , Tsiodras Sotirios , Tomos Periklis
Published: April 2021

A postpneumonectomy bronchopleural fistula is a life-threatening complication requiring aggressive treatment and early repair. Reoperations are common due to initial treatment failure. Advanced bronchoscopic techniques are rapidly evolving, but permanent results are questionable. We report the minimally invasive management of a frail 79-year-old patient with postpneumonectomy fistula in respiratory failure due to repeated infections. Previous bronchoscopic closure attempts with fibrin failed. The multistep interdisciplinary management included airway surveillance by virtual bronchoscopy, percutaneous fibrin glue instillation under computed tomography, and awake thoracoscopic surgery to achieve temporary closure. This provided an acceptable long period of symptomatic and physical improvement. The bronchial stump failed again four months later, and the patient succumbed to pneumonia. Pneumonectomy has to be avoided unless strongly indicated. Complications are best managed with surgery for definite treatment. We emphasize our approach only when a patient declines surgery or is medically unfit as a temporary time-buying strategy in view of definite surgery in a high-volume center.
Effects of Physical Stimulation in the Field of Oral Health
Authors: Qi Yanxin , Zhang ShuXin , Zhang Mi , Zhou Zili , Zhang Xinyi , Li Wenhui , Cai HongXin , Zhao Bing Cheng , Lee Eui-Seok , Jiang Heng Bo
Published: April 2021

Physical stimulation has been widely used in clinical medicine and healthcare due to its noninvasiveness. The main applications of physical stimulation in the oral cavity include laser, ultrasound, magnetic field, and vibration, which have photothermal, cavitation, magnetocaloric, and mechanical effects, respectively. In addition, the above four stimulations with their unique biological effects, which can play a role at the gene, protein, and cell levels, can provide new methods for the treatment and prevention of common oral diseases. These four physical stimulations have been used as important auxiliary treatment methods in the field of orthodontics, implants, periodontal, dental pulp, maxillofacial surgery, and oral mucosa. This paper systematically describes the application of physical stimulation as a therapeutic method in the field of stomatology to provide guidance for clinicians. In addition, some applications of physical stimulation in specific directions are still at the research stage, and the specific mechanism has not been fully elucidated. To encourage further research on the oral applications of physical stimulation, we elaborate the research results and development history of various physical stimuli in the field of oral health.
Chloride Ion Corrosion Pattern and Mathematical Model for C60 High‐Strength Concrete after Freeze‐Thawing Cycles
Authors: Li Yan , Li Bing , Zhang Lian-ying , Ma Chao , Zhu Jiong , Li Ming , Pu Hai
Published: April 2021

In this study, the porosities of C60 high‐strength concrete after 0, 30, 60, and 90 freeze‐thaw cycles determined via the water retention method are 1.30%, 3.65%, 5.14%, and 7.34%, respectively. Furthermore, a mathematical model of porosity varying with the number of freeze‐thaw cycles is established. Using an artificial environment simulation experimental system and the natural diffusion method, the chloride diffusion law of C60 high‐strength concrete after 0, 30, 60, and 90 freeze‐thaw cycles is obtained. The corresponding diffusion coefficients are calculated based on the experimental results and Fick’s law, where 0.3431 × 10−12, 0.5288 × 10−12, and 0.6712 × 10−12, and 0.8930 × 10−12 m2/s are obtained, respectively, and a mathematical model of diffusion coefficient with freeze‐thawing is established. Transport control equations comprising solution flow and solute migration control equations are established for chloride ions in concrete after freeze‐thawing cycles. The equations consider the effects of freeze‐thawing, solution pressure, solution concentration, solution density, convection, mechanical dispersion, and chemisorption on chloride ion transport in concrete. Using COMSOL numerical software, the transport control equations for chloride ions are solved using a real concrete numerical model, and the chloride ion corrosion process in concrete after freeze‐thaw cycles is simulated. The simulation results are consistent with the experimental values.
Severe Sepsis with Multiorgan Failure due to Melioidosis: A Lesson to Learn
Authors: Warapitiya Dinuka S , Subasinghe Shyama , Silva Rukshanie Frances de , Piyarisi Dadallage Lalitha , Jayatilleke Kushlani
Published: April 2021

Introduction. Melioidosis is a bacterial infection caused by a Gram-negative bacillus Burkholderia pseudomallei, prevalent in Southeast Asia and Northern Australia. Sri Lanka is situated in the endemic belt of melioidosis. Melioidosis has a wide spectrum of clinical presentations and results in high mortality rates in severe infection. Case Report. We report a 54-year-old previously healthy Sri Lankan farmer who presented with septicemia following a cut injury to the right leg while working in a paddy field. Initially, he had mild wound sepsis, and later, his condition deteriorated rapidly. The patient required organ support later for cardiovascular instability, acute liver failure, acute kidney injury, acute respiratory distress syndrome, and coagulopathy. The patient’s blood culture was negative on the admission day, and the repeated blood culture taken at the ICU was contaminated with a commensal flora initially and later isolated Burkholderia pseudomallei. Although wound swab culture taken on the first day isolated an organism, it took six days to identify it as Burkholderia pseudomallei. The patient succumbed to severe melioidosis leading to a severe sepsis and multiorgan failure in spite of treatment with meropenem. Conclusion. This case report highlights the importance of considering melioidosis as a differential diagnosis when a patient comes with risk factors for melioidosis.
A Bibliometric Analysis of Edge Computing for Internet of Things
Authors: Wang Yiou , Zhang Fuquan , Wang Junfeng , Liu Laiyang , Wang Bo
Published: April 2021

In recent years, with the emergence of many Internet of Things applications such as smart homes, smart city, and connected vehicles, the amount of network edge data increases rapidly. Now, edge computing for Internet of Things has attracted the research interest of many researchers. Then, a thorough analysis of the current body of knowledge in edge computing for Internet of Things is conducive to a comprehensive understanding of the research status and future trends in this field. In this paper, a bibliometric analysis of edge computing for Internet of Things was performed using the Web of Science (WoS) Core Collection dataset. The relevant literature studies published in this field were quantitatively analyzed based on a bibliometric analysis method combined with VOSviewer software, and the development history, research hotspots, and future directions of this field were studied. The research results show that the number of literature studies published in the field of edge computing for Internet of Things is on the rise over time, especially after 2017, and the growth rate is accelerating. China and USA take the lead position in the number of literature studies published. Zhang is the most productive author, and Satyanarayanan is the most influential author. IEEE Access and IEEE Internet of Things Journal are the main journals in this field. Beijing University of Posts Telecommunications has published most literature studies. Research hotspots of edge computing for Internet of Things mainly include specific problem research such as resource management, architecture research, application research, and fusion research of this field with some other fields such as artificial intelligence and 5G.
The Protective Effect of Traditional Chinese Medicine on Liver Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury
Authors: Ma Wen , Tang Songling , Xie Dina , Gu Guoqiang , Gan Lu
Published: April 2021

Liver ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury occurs during transplantation and major hepatic surgery, which may lead to postoperative liver dysfunction. More and more traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) have been used to treat liver ischemia-reperfusion injury. The purpose of this review is to evaluate the different protective effects of TCMs in the treatment of liver ischemia-reperfusion injury and to summarize its possible mechanisms. The results indicate that TCMs attenuate liver I/R injury via multiple mechanisms, including antioxidation stress, anti-inflammatory response, antiapoptosis, and inhibiting endoplasmic reticulum stress. However, the in-depth mechanism of the protective effects of these traditional Chinese medicines still remains unknown.
Election Prediction on Twitter: A Systematic Mapping Study
Authors: Khan Asif , Zhang Huaping , Boudjellal Nada , Ahmad Arshad , Shang Jianyun , Dai Lin , Hayat Bashir
Published: April 2021

Context. Social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter carry a big load of people’s opinions about politics and leaders, which makes them a good source of information for researchers to exploit different tasks that include election predictions. Objective. Identify, categorize, and present a comprehensive overview of the approaches, techniques, and tools used in election predictions on Twitter. Method. Conducted a systematic mapping study (SMS) on election predictions on Twitter and provided empirical evidence for the work published between January 2010 and January 2021. Results. This research identified 787 studies related to election predictions on Twitter. 98 primary studies were selected after defining and implementing several inclusion/exclusion criteria. The results show that most of the studies implemented sentiment analysis (SA) followed by volume‐based and social network analysis (SNA) approaches. The majority of the studies employed supervised learning techniques, subsequently, lexicon‐based approach SA, volume‐based, and unsupervised learning. Besides this, 18 types of dictionaries were identified. Elections of 28 countries were analyzed, mainly USA (28%) and Indian (25%) elections. Furthermore, the results revealed that 50% of the primary studies used English tweets. The demographic data showed that academic organizations and conference venues are the most active. Conclusion. The evolution of the work published in the past 11 years shows that most of the studies employed SA. The implementation of SNA techniques is lower as compared to SA. Appropriate political labelled datasets are not available, especially in languages other than English. Deep learning needs to be employed in this domain to get better predictions.
A Deep Learning Approach for Table Tennis Forehand Stroke Evaluation System Using an IMU Sensor
Authors: Tabrizi Sahar S. , Pashazadeh Saeid , Javani Vajiheh
Published: April 2021

Psychological and behavioral evidence suggests that home sports activity reduces negative moods and anxiety during lockdown days of COVID‐19. Low‐cost, nonintrusive, and privacy‐preserving smart virtual‐coach Table Tennis training assistance could help to stay active and healthy at home. In this paper, a study was performed to develop a Forehand stroke’ performance evaluation system as the second principal component of the virtual‐coach Table Tennis shadow‐play training system. This study was conducted to show the effectiveness of the proposed LSTM model, compared with 2DCNN and RBF‐SVR time‐series analysis and machine learning methods, in evaluating the Table Tennis Forehand shadow‐play sensory data provided by the authors. The data was generated, comprising 16 players’ Forehand strokes racket’s movement and orientation measurements; besides, the strokes’ evaluation scores were assigned by the three coaches. The authors investigated the ML models’ behaviors changed by the hyperparameters values. The experimental results of the weighted average of RMSE revealed that the modified LSTM models achieved 33.79% and 4.24% estimation error lower than 2DCNN and RBF‐SVR, respectively. However, the results show that all nonlinear regression models are fit enough on the observed data. The modified LSTM is the most powerful regression method among all the three Forehand types in the current study.
B12 Deficiency and Clinical Presentation in the Setting of Nitric Oxide Use
Authors: Robert Harker Donald Mario , Martinez Bridget , Tabaac Burton J.
Published: April 2021

B12 deficiency can arise symptomatically from an array of varying pathologies including frank deficiency from strict vegan diets. Other high-risk contributing pathological conditions include chronic alcoholism, autoimmune disease, and chronic gastrointestinal inflammatory disorders, and it is also seen in those with a history of gastric surgery. Additionally, the elderly are at an increased risk as are patients prescribed certain medications. Uncommonly suspected causes of B12 deficiency include the abuse of recreational nitrous oxide (NO) given its interference with cobalt oxidation. Here, we report two cases of hypovitaminosis B12 in association with NO abuse in an effort to highlight an increasingly dangerous trend with recreational use. Importantly, we aim to increase visibility of this malady given that improperly diagnosed neurologic deterioration following NO anesthesia has been shown to become irreversible and may even result in death.
Microcytic and Malarial Anaemia Prevalence in Urban Children ≤15 Years in the Mount Cameroon Area: A Cross-Sectional Study on Risk Factors
Authors: Sama Sharon Odmia , Chiamo Seraphine Njuontsop , Taiwe Germain Sotoing , Njume Gwendolyne Elobe , Ngole Sumbele Irene Ule
Published: April 2021

Background. Anaemia, a common nutritional deficiency, is a public health problem in the Mount Cameroon area. This study determined the prevalence and possible risk factors of microcytic and malarial anaemia in children less than ≤15 years residing in the Buea and Limbe municipalities in the Mount Cameroon area. Methods. A total of 566 children were clinically examined in a cross-sectional study from December 2018 to August 2019 for anaemia and malaria parasites. Blood samples collected were used in evaluating full blood count with the aid of an automated haemoanalyser, and malaria parasite was confirmed by microscopy. Anaemia was defined based on WHO standards while microcytic anaemia and malarial anaemia were defined as microcytosis + anaemia and malaria + anaemia, respectively. Factors that showed significance in the bivariate analysis were entered into a multinomial logistic regression to determine risk factors for microcytic and malarial anaemia. Results. The overall prevalence for anaemia, microcytosis, microcytic anaemia, and malarial anaemia was, respectively, 68.7%, 48.9%, 36.9%, and 19.6% with microcytic anaemia representing 53.7% of all anaemic cases. Risk factors for microcytic anaemia included child age of 1–5 years

P
=
0.007

, forest ethnicity

P
=
0.019

, parents being farmers

P
=
0.038

or jobless

P
=
0.009

, and having moderate malaria parasitaemia

P
=
0.048

while those for malarial anaemia were child age of 6–10 years

P
=
0.008

, parents’ age of 26–35 years

P
=
0.049

, parents being jobless

P
=
0.023

, and consuming plantains 3-4 times

P
=
0.024

a week. Conclusion. Microcytic anaemia is getting to be a severe public health concern while malarial anaemia is a mild public health issue in children residing in urban areas of Mount Cameroon. Parents’ occupation was directly linked to all anaemia forms; hence, any intervention to curb anaemia should consider aspects that will raise the socioeconomic status of the population.
Assessment of Human-Wildlife Conflict and the Attitude of Local Communities to Wild Animal Conservation around Borena Sayint National Park, Ethiopia
Authors: Merkebu Salahadin , Yazezew Dereje
Published: April 2021

Human-wildlife conflict (HWC) has increased globally because of an increase in the human population, particularly in developing countries. This study was conducted to investigate the status of HWC and the attitude of local communities to wildlife conservation around Borena Sayint National Park, Northeastern Ethiopia. Data were collected between September 2017 and May 2018 using a face-to-face questionnaire survey (230), focus group discussions (7), and direct observation on the crop foraging. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and the responses were compared using a nonparametric Pearson chi-square test. The majority of respondents (70%) reported the existence of HWC manifested because of the damage received to their assets (both crop and livestock). Canis aureus, Panthera pardus, Crocuta crocuta, and Papio hamadryas were stated as livestock depredators. Gelada, rabbit, porcupine, klipspringer, bushbuck, and duiker were considered as the major crop raiders. Over half (57.83%) of the respondents had a positive attitude, while others (36.09%) had a negative attitude towards the conservation of wildlife due to frequently faced problems. Respondents in different villages differed significantly (χ2 = 27.385, DF = 12,

P
<
0.05

) in their attitude towards wildlife. Possible mitigation actions need to be undertaken to reduce the wildlife damage such that wildlife can sustainably be managed in the park.
Role and Risk Factors of Glycosylated Hemoglobin Levels in Early Disease Screening
Authors: Chao Guanqun , Zhu Yue , Chen Liying
Published: April 2021

Objective. To clarify the correlation among glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), gender, age, fatty liver, and biochemical indicators through the analysis of big database, and to further investigate the risk factors affecting HbA1c, so as to lay a foundation for the study of HbA1c-related diseases and disease management. Methods. People who have been examined in Health Promotion Center from July 2018 to June 2019 were selected as the research objects. All data were analyzed using the Windows R software (version 3.5.1). Detailed medical history inquiry, laboratory examination, and B-ultrasound examination were carried out for the selected sample population. We determined the sample population according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria and, then, further grouped and analyzed the data.

T

-test or Mann–Whitney

U

test was used for continuous variable comparison, and chi-square test was used to compare categorical variables. Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the risk factors of HbA1c. Results. A total of 23,933 subjects were included in this study. The HbA1c level of men was significantly higher than that of women, the HbA1c level of the group with diabetes was higher than that of the group with no diabetes, and the HbA1c level of the group with fatty liver was higher than that of the group with no fatty liver. In the group with no diabetes, the HbA1c level increased with weight gain. Age, gender (male), fatty liver, waist circumference, systolic blood pressure (SBP), triglyceride (TG), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), free thyroxine (FT4), and red blood cell (RBC) were the risk factors for elevated HbA1c level, while high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), uric acid (UA), creatinine (Cr), free triiodothyronine (FT3), and hemoglobin were protective factors. Conclusion. Blood glucose, age, weight, gender, fatty liver, blood lipids, and UA are related to the increase of HbA1c level. HbA1c is related to many metabolic indexes and may be used as a marker for early detection of chronic diseases.
Root Resorption of Teeth Adjacent to Untreated Impacted Maxillary Canines: A CBCT Study
Authors: Ali Israa Hussein , Al-Turaihi Bassam Ali , Mohammed Lamis Khidher , Alam Mohammad Khursheed
Published: April 2021

Objectives. The aim of this retrospective study was to determine the position of the impacted maxillary canine (IMC) and then to inspect the frequency, location, and extent of the consequent root resorption (RR) of the adjacent teeth by using CBCT. Materials and Methods. Forty‐one patients aged 12‐68 who have 56 IMC detected on CBCT images were retrospectively examined in 3D. The canine position was determined by assessing the side of impaction, buccopalatal location, the distance of the canine cusp tip to the midline and to the occlusal plane, and canine angulation to the midline. RR of adjacent teeth was analyzed by investigating the nearest location of ectopic canine to adjacent teeth in horizontal and vertical dimensions in addition to measuring the degree of RR. Results. Twenty‐seven (48.2%) impacted canines were on the right side, and 29 (51.8%) were on the left. Most of these teeth 31 (55.4%) were located palatally, while buccal impaction was seen in only 13 (23.2%) canines and 12 (21.4%) were located centrally. The mean distance of the ectopic canine cusp tip to the occlusal plane was significantly higher in males (14.4 mm) than in females (10.7 mm). RR was seen in 9 central incisors (31.03%) and 21 lateral incisors (41.17%) as well as one case in the first and second premolar. This RR was slight for all the adjacent central incisors and premolars. Conclusions. IMC is more frequent in females, palatally and apically. When left untreated, it may cause RR of some of the adjacent teeth with various degrees, however, with no gender preference.
An Operational Safety Evaluation Method for Manned Transport Aircraft and Large UAV in Mixed Airspace
Authors: Ma Xin , Zhang Xiaoqiang , Wang Huawei , Ding Songbin , Li Xia
Published: April 2021

To improve the predictive ability in trajectory of large unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and the calculation performance in complicated circumstances with mixed airspace, multiple aircraft types, and joint operations, the concept of phased trajectory deviation (PTD) is introduced and a corresponding minimal interval algorithm (PTD-MI) is set up. This algorithm is capable of deriving the minimal interval between various aircraft types according to the crosswind impacts and the UAV characteristics at different flight phases and thus achieves the effective safety evaluation in airspace operation. To demonstrate the rationality and generality of the proposed algorithm, several simulation experiments are conducted. Based on the experimental results, flight procedure protection area is plotted by PTD-MI algorithm and compared with that generated by Ground-Based Augmentation System (GBAS). Results indicate that the proposed algorithm is capable of deriving a more scientific basis for airspace assignment and outperform GBAS in dealing with wide-area space problems. And, compared with GBAS, PTD-MI algorithm shows a more stable calculation performance and is easier to output the results. PTD-MI algorithm is proposed under the flight safety regulation designed by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and designed to provide effective technical supports for the safe and normal operations of aircrafts.
A Review on Cutting Edge Technologies of Silicon-Based Supercapacitors
Authors: Wu Zhong , Zhang Xianfeng , Jin Xiaoqi , Li Tong , Ge Jinlong , Li Zongqun
Published: April 2021

Despite Si-based materials and their derivatives have recently emerged as potential electrode materials in advanced energy conversion and storage applications, a review article has not been reported hitherto for Si-based supercapacitors. In this review, the representative progresses of Si-based materials have been illustrated including synthesis, properties, surface modification, and electrochemical properties. A variety of nanomaterials are presented regarding the electrode material design and booming device constructions. Effective strategies for the preparation of Si-based materials and their derivatives are summarized especially including silicon/silicon carbide nanowires, silicon substrates, silicon particles, three-dimensional silicon structures, and silicon-based doping materials. Meanwhile, the overall behaviors in supercapacitor application have been illustrated in terms of specific capacitance, rate capability, cycling life, and energy density. Furthermore, large-voltage microsupercapacitors are outlined for next-generation integration devices.
Quality Checks Logit Human Reliability (LHR): A New Model to Evaluate Human Error Probability (HEP)
Authors: Di Bona Gianpaolo , Falcone Domenico , Forcina Antonio , De Carlo Filippo , Silvestri Luca
Published: April 2021

In the years, several approaches for human reliability analysis (HRA) have been developed. The aim of the present research is to propose a hybrid model to evaluate Human Error Probability (HEP). The new approach is based on logit-normal distribution, Nuclear Action Reliability Assessment (NARA), and Performance Shaping Factors (PSFs) relationship. In the research, shortcomings related to literature approaches are analyzed, especially the limitations of the working time. For this reason, PSFs after 8 hours (work standard) during emergency conditions were estimated. Therefore, the correlation between the advantages of these three methodologies allows proposing a HEP analysis during accident scenarios and emergencies; a fundamental issue to ensure the safety and reliability in industrial plants is emergency Mmnagement (EM). Applying EM methodology, two main aspects are analyzed: system reliability and human reliability. System reliability is strongly related to the reliability of its weakest component. During incidental situations, the weakest parts of the whole system are workers (human reliability) and accidental scenarios influence the operator’s ability to make decisions. This article proposes a new approach called Logit Human Reliability (LHR) that considers internal and external factors to estimate human reliability during emergencies. LHR has been applied in a pharmaceutical accident scenario, considering 24 hours of working time (more than 8 working hours). The results highlighted that the LHR method gives output data more in conformity with data banks than the conventional methods during the stress phase in an accident scenario.
Effects of Sulcus Vocalis Depth on Phonation in Three-Dimensional Fluid-Structure Interaction Laryngeal Models
Authors: Zhou Changwei , Zhang Lili , Wu Yuanbo , Zhang Xiaojun , Wu Di , Tao Zhi
Published: April 2021

Sulcus vocalis is an indentation parallel to the edge of vocal fold, which may extend into the cover and ligament layer of the vocal fold or deeper. The effects of sulcus vocalis depth

d

on phonation and the vocal cord vibrations are investigated in this study. The three-dimensional laryngeal models were established for healthy vocal folds (0 mm) and different types of sulcus vocalis with the typical depth of 1 mm, 2 mm, and 3 mm. These models with fluid-structure interaction (FSI) are computed numerically by sequential coupling method, which includes an immersed boundary method (IBM) for modelling the glottal airflow, a finite-element method (FEM) for modelling vocal fold tissue. The results show that a deeper sulcus vocalis in the cover layer decreases the vibrating frequency of vocal folds and expands the prephonatory glottal half-width which increases the phonation threshold pressure. The larger sulcus vocalis depth makes vocal folds difficult to vibrate and phonate. The effects of sulcus vocalis depth suggest that the feature such as phonation threshold pressure could assist in the detection of healthy vocal folds and different types of sulcus vocalis.
Demand Prediction of Railway Emergency Resources Based on Case-Based Reasoning
Authors: Sun Jianping , Cao Hantao , Geng Biao , Tang Zhaoping , Li Xiaopeng
Published: April 2021

The demand prediction of emergency resources is helpful for rational allocation and optimization of emergency resources for railway rescue when emergency incident occurs. In this paper, a case base containing China railway traffic accident that has occurred since 1978 is established, and the case-based reasoning (CBR) method is applied in railway emergency resource demand predicting research. The core case attributes of railway emergencies are described. In view of the attribute types of railway emergency cases, five types of attributes, including enumeration, numerical, interval, character and fuzzy type, are considered, and the local similarity calculation models of different attributes are given. In order to avoid the problem of missing attribute in the traditional nearest neighbor algorithm, a global case similarity calculation method based on structural similarity and attribute similarity is designed. The empirical results show that case 3 is the most similar to the target case, and the calculating quantities of the proposed model are closer to the actual usage quantity and more accurate in the demand prediction of railway emergency resources, compared with the traditional empirical method. The relative errors of demand forecasts for the 9 resources have been, respectively, reduced by 15.9884%, 15.1471%, 6.4286%, 17.1429%, 66.6667%, 38.8889%, 27.5%, 0%, and 17.7778%. Therefore, the proposed model is both reasonable and applicable. The research results are of great significance to effectively deal with railway emergencies.
Homogeneity Test of Many‐to‐One Risk Differences for Correlated Binary Data under Optimal Algorithms
Authors: Mou Keyi , Li Zhiming
Published: April 2021

In clinical studies, it is important to investigate the effectiveness of different therapeutic designs, especially, multiple treatment groups to one control group. The paper mainly studies homogeneity test of many‐to‐one risk differences from correlated binary data under optimal algorithms. Under Donner’s model, several algorithms are compared in order to obtain global and constrained MLEs in terms of accuracy and efficiency. Further, likelihood ratio, score, and Wald‐type statistics are proposed to test whether many‐to‐one risk differences are equal based on optimal algorithms. Monte Carlo simulations show the performance of these algorithms through the total averaged estimation error, SD, MSE, and convergence rate. Score statistic is more robust and has satisfactory power. Two real examples are given to illustrate our proposed methods.
Computer-Aided Drug Discovery Identifies Alkaloid Inhibitors of Parkinson’s Disease Associated Protein, Prolyl Oligopeptidase
Authors: Kulkarni Apoorva M. , Rampogu Shailima , Lee Keun Woo
Published: April 2021

Parkinson’s disease is a common neurodegenerative disorder marked by the accumulation of the protein alpha synuclein. Studies have indicated the role of prolyl oligopeptidase (POP), a serine protease, in alpha synuclein accumulation. Therefore, POP emerges as an attractive medicinal target. Traditionally, most of the early medicines have been plant-based owing to their ready availability and negligible side effects. Alkaloids owing to their neurotransmitter modulatory, anti-amyloid, anti-oxidant, and anti-inflammatory activities have shown potential in neurodegenerative disease. In this work, we computationally evaluated alkaloid class of phytochemicals for their therapeutic efficacy against POP. Alkaloids were retrieved from the publically available database, Chemical Entities of Biological Interest (ChEBI), and screened for their drug likeness (Lipinski’s rule of 5) and absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion, and toxicity (ADMET) in Discovery Studio by ensuring parameters suitable for a central nervous system disease such as blood-brain barrier (BBB) level set to ≤2, absorption level set to 0 and solubility level permitted set to 2, 3, or 4. Next, molecular docking was performed to learn about the affinity of the filtered alkaloids with the POP. Subsequently, molecular dynamic simulations were conducted to assess the reliability and stability of the alkaloid-protein complex. Our study identified metergoline, pipercallosine, celacinnine, lobeline, cystodytin G, lycoperine A, hookerianamide J, and martefragin A as putative lead compounds against POP. Among these, metergoline, pipercallosine, hookerianamide J, and lobeline showed the most promising results. These compounds demonstrated better or equivalent molecular docking scores in comparison to three POP inhibitors that had reached clinical trials, i.e., Z-321, S-17092, and JTP-4819. MD simulations indicated that these compounds remained intact at the active site while adhering to the binding mode and interaction patterns as that of the reported inhibitors. The research conducted here, therefore, provides evidence for conducting in vitro POP inhibitory studies of these newly identified plant-based POP inhibitors.
Research on the Influence of the Key Stratum Position on the Support Working Resistance during Large Mining Height Top‐Coal Caving Mining
Authors: Zhang Baisheng , Yang Zhiping , Ji Chunxu , Guo Zefeng , Li Haoyang
Published: April 2021

In recent years, in order to increase the coal recovery rate, the large mining height fully mechanized top‐coal caving mining has been widely used because it has the advantages of both fully mechanized mining method and large mining height mining method. When this mining technology is used to exploit thick coal seam under upper goaf, the movement characteristics of the overlying strata and the bearing structure formed by the broken rock are complicated, which results in the abnormal pressure during mining, such as severe coal slabs and hydraulic supports being crushed. The key to solve these problems is to study the movement law and the structural evolution characteristics of the overlying strata during large mining height fully mechanized top‐coal caving mining, and the movement characteristics of the overlying strata are all determined by the layer‐position of the key stratum. UDEC models with different layer‐position of the key stratum are established to investigate the influence of the key stratum position on the support working resistance during large mining height top‐coal caving mining. Through comprehensive research, the source of support resistance comes from under different geological conditions was analyzed, and the formula for estimating the maximum support working resistance was deduced. In addition, in order to release the severe pressure during large mining height fully mechanized top‐coal caving mining, it is recommended to use hydraulic fracturing method to weaken the key stratum in situ.
Coupling Effects of Yaw Damper and Wheel‐Rail Contact on Ride Quality of Railway Vehicle
Authors: Zhang Hai , Ran Xiangrui , Wang Xiugang , Lin Fengtao , Jiang Qi
Published: April 2021

The ride quality of the railway vehicle is not only affected by the wheel‐rail contact geometry but also by the yaw damper. In order to explore this variation law, an equivalent parameter model of the yaw damper was established based on the internal characteristics of the yaw damper, which is both accurate and efficient. Then, considering the influence of wheel wear and wheel‐rail contact geometry, ride quality of the railway vehicle under different parameters of yaw damper and wheel‐rail contact parameters was analysed. The results show that the wheel‐rail contact points are scattered on the wheel profile after the wheel wears out, and the equivalent conicity also tends to increase with the increasing operating mileage. The distribution of ride quality space is sensitive to the change of equivalent conicity. In the low equivalent conicity area, the expansion rate of excellent ride quality space is faster. In the high equivalent conicity area, the expansion rate of qualified ride quality space is faster. Appropriate additional stiffness which is oil stiffness in parallel with structural damping in the equivalent parameter model of the yaw damper can improve the vehicle ride quality. The lateral ride quality is influenced obviously with the condition of the damping of the yaw damper being less than 440 kN·s·m−1. Properly reducing the joint stiffness of the yaw damper could reduce the influence of characteristic parameters of the yaw damper and equivalent conicity of the wheel‐rail contact on vehicle lateral ride quality. The optimized characteristic parameters of the yaw damper are used in the actual vehicle test, and the ride quality is effectively improved.
Efficacy and Safety of Xinyue Capsule for Coronary Artery Disease after Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials
Authors: Jiang Zhonghui , Qu Hua , Zhang Ying , Zhang Fan , Xiao Wenli , Shi Dazhuo , Gao Zhuye , Chen Keji
Published: April 2021

To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Xinyue capsule (XYC) in the treatment of coronary artery disease (CAD) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), databases including MEDLINE, EMBASE (Ovid), PubMed, Google Scholar, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), China National Knowledge Infrastructure database (CNKI), Wanfang, and VIP were searched to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on XYC in CAD after PCI published before October 2020. Data extraction, methodological quality assessment, and data analysis were performed according to the Cochrane standard. Dichotomous data were shown as risk ratios (RRs) with a 95% confidence interval (CI). All analyses were done with Review Manager, version 5.3. The quality of evidence was assessed by the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. A total of 9 related studies from 166 related articles were identified, which included 2979 patients. Compared with conventional treatment alone (or placebo plus), XYC decreased cardiovascular events [RR = 0.37, 95% CI (0.27, 0.51), I2 = 0%] (nonfatal myocardial infarction [RR = 0.26, 95% CI (0.10, 0.70), I2 = 0%], revascularization [RR = 0.38, 95% CI (0.24, 0.61), I2 = 0%], and rehospitalization due to ACS [RR = 0.48, 95% CI (0.33, 0.68), I2 = 0%]) and improved cardiac function (LVEF [RR = 6.93, 95% CI (4.99, 8.87), I2 = 81%], LVEDV [RR = −4.07, 95% CI (−5.61, −2.54), I2 = 7%], and LVESV [RR = −4.32, 95% CI (−5.90, −2.74), I2 = 50%]) in patients after PCI. In addition, XYC reduced serum NT-pro-BNP [RR = −126.91, 95% CI (−231.51, −22.31), I2 = 69%]. However, XYC had little effect on cardiovascular death [RR = 0.47, 95% CI (0.13, 1.68), I2 = 0%], stroke [RR = 0.52, 95% CI (0.23, 1.20), I2 = 0%], heart failure [RR = 0.53, 95% CI (0.24, 1.20), I2 = 0%], and quality of life [RR = −1.37, 95% CI (−4.97, 2.22), I2 = 93%]. Thus, this meta-analysis suggests that XYC has potential advantages in reducing the occurrence of cardiovascular events after PCI, improving cardiac function, and reducing serum NT-pro-BNP. This potential benefit requires a high-quality RCT to assess.
Ion Transport Modulators Differentially Modulate Inflammatory Responses in THP-1-Derived Macrophages
Authors: Mitini-Nkhoma Steven C. , Fernando Narmada , Ishaka G. K. D. , Handunnetti Shiroma M. , Pathirana Sisira L.
Published: April 2021

Ion transport modulators are most commonly used to treat various noncommunicable diseases including diabetes and hypertension. They are also known to bind to receptors on various immune cells, but the immunomodulatory properties of most ion transport modulators have not been fully elucidated. We assessed the effects of thirteen FDA-approved ion transport modulators, namely, ambroxol HCl, amiloride HCl, diazoxide, digoxin, furosemide, hydrochlorothiazide, metformin, omeprazole, pantoprazole, phenytoin, verapamil, drug X, and drug Y on superoxide production, nitric oxide production, and cytokine expression by THP-1-derived macrophages that had been stimulated with ethanol-inactivated Mycobacterium bovis BCG. Ambroxol HCl, diazoxide, digoxin, furosemide, hydrochlorothiazide, metformin, pantoprazole, phenytoin, verapamil, and drug Y had an inhibitory effect on nitric oxide production, while all the test drugs had an inhibitory effect on superoxide production. Amiloride HCl, diazoxide, digoxin, furosemide, phenytoin, verapamil, drug X, and drug Y enhanced the expression of IL-1β and TNF-α. Unlike most immunomodulatory compounds currently in clinical use, most of the test drugs inhibited some inflammatory processes while promoting others. Ion pumps and ion channels could therefore serve as targets for more selective immunomodulatory agents which do not cause overt immunosuppression.