bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Surface and Dimensional Quality of Thermoplastics Manufactured by Additive Manufacturing-based Hybrid Manufacturing
Authors: Mertkan İsmail Ata , Tezel Tugce , Kovan Volkan
Published: November 2022

The additive manufacturing method is one in which the desired models are created by adding layers on top of each other, and the usage areas are increasing daily. Features such as production flexibility, rapid prototyping, and ease of use that traditional production methods cannot reach play an important role in the widespread use of this technique. However, additive manufacturing also has several shortcomings. Inadequate surface quality and dimensional accuracy are examples of these deficiencies. The hybrid manufacturing method, on the other hand, is a method that emerged as a result of combining different ways to strengthen the weaknesses of production methods. In the study, the deficiencies caused by the fused deposition technique (FDM) were eliminated by integrating the machining method. A hybrid manufacturing machine was produced by adding a cutting edge and a DC motor to the 3D printer. Thus, the sample was printed in each layer, and the surface was smoothed by machining. Based on this basis, polylactic acid (PLA) and carbon fiber-reinforced PLA were produced. The effects of production temperature and layer thickness on surface quality and dimensional accuracy were investigated. As a result of the study, the production parameters that hybrid manufacturing contributes to these features are emphasized. The positive effect of the hybrid approach on size and surface quality has been demonstrated.
An ensemble learning framework based on comprehensive gray matter features for identification of mild cognitive impairment in leukoaraiosis
Authors: Yang Yifeng , Hu Ying , Chen Yang , Gu Weidong , Nie Shengdong
Published: November 2022

White matter hyperintensities (WMH), also known as leukoaraiosis (LA), is strongly associated with cognitive impairment and lead to an increased risk of dementia. The purpose of this study is to develop a model to effectively and objectively identify WMH patients with cognitive impairment (WMH-MCI). Firstly, the comprehensive multiple cortical morphological measurements were extracted from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to enrich the disease characterization information. Then, based on the general eXtreme Gradient Boosting classifier (XGBoost), we designed a data-level fusion resampling method (Fusion + XGBoost) and an algorithm-level focal loss improved XGBoost model (FL-XGBoost), respectively, to solve the imbalance learning problem of classifying WMH-MCI (minority class of 27 samples) and the WMH population without cognitive impairment (WMH-nCI, majority class of 70 samples). Moreover, an ensemble framework based on weighted soft-voting was developed to combine the two models to further improve the overall classification performance and stability of the model. Compared with the baseline XGBoost model trained on the original imbalance dataset (Bacc: 78.20%), both the Fusion + XGBoost model (Bacc: 80.53%) and the FL-XGBoost model (Bacc: 81.25%) could improve the identification accuracy of WMH-MCI, the improvements were 2.33% and 3.05%, respectively. The overall model accuracy with weighted ensemble learning achieved 84.80%, with high sensitivity (85.50%) and specificity (84.14%) at the same time, which was better than that of the single model and significantly improved than the baseline model. The developed model could accurately identify the cognitive impairment in the WMH population, which could assist early clinical diagnosis and timely decision-making.
Exploring professionalism through interdisciplinary group creativity and diversity: A case study
Authors: Cham Kwang Meng , Polster Anu , Morrow Guy
Published: November 2022

Background: This article examines group creativity and diversity across healthcare and non-healthcare disciplines and how they can assist students in constructing their own understandings and knowledge of professionalism.
Methods: A total of 30 students from different tertiary levels and across disciplines participated in the study. They explored either a gallery or museum and examined an artefact relating to professionalism. We evaluated whether and how students experienced this activity as enhancing their creativity and learnings of professionalism via survey results and thematic analyses of their reflective essays and semi-structured interviews.
Results: Our findings showed that the group work increased students’ understandings of professionalism and their appreciation of the perspectives and skills of one another. The creative aspect of the task was fun and engaging, and group diversity enabled different opinions and perspectives to be heard and shared. This is analogous to a professional working environment. Themes generated from the essays were: (a) intrinsic motivation, (b) diversity, (c) learnings of professionalism, and (d) challenge encountered.
Conclusions: The results of this research will make a meaningful contribution to existing literature by empirically demonstrating that students from different disciplines could better construct their own understandings of professionalism when their learning activities were performed in an authentically creative and diverse setting. This educational concept is underpinned by different types of creativities that are not mutually exclusive. It is hoped that this first piece of evidence will stimulate more studies on utilizing group creativity and diversity in healthcare education.
Trial registration: Not applicable.
Community ecology and functional potential of bacteria, archaea, eukarya and viruses in Guerrero Negro microbial mat
Authors: Maza-Márquez Paula , Lee Michael D. , Bebout Brad M.
Published: November 2022

Background: Guerrero Negro microbial mat is one of the best studied microbial mat ecosystems; however, the vertical functional organization has been less well studied.
In this study, the microbial ecology, environmentally relevant adaptations and the potential evolutionary interlinking of the responsible genes between bacterial, archaeal and viral lineages in Guerrero Negro (GN) microbial mat were investigated using metagenomic sequencing across a vertical transect at millimeter scale. Through metagenomics, the current study provides a taxonomic description of the vertical taxonomic organization as well as a functional organization delineated between bacteria, archaea, eukarya and viruses in a GN microbial mat – revealing new insights into the ecology of these communities.
Results: The community composition based on the number of unique genes recovered (n) and coverages (c) comprised bacteria (98.06 / 98.71 % n/c), archaea (1.82 / 1.19 % n/c), eukarya (0.07 / 0.07 % n/c) and viruses (0.05 / 0.03 % n/c). The greatest coverages of genes of bacteria and eukarya were detected in first layers, while the highest coverages of genes of archaea and viruses were found in deeper layers. Many genes potentially related to adaptation to the local environment (e.g., UV radiation, multidrug resistance, oxidative stress, and heavy metals) were detected. Those genes were found in bacterial, archaeal and viral lineages totalling 3255, 44, and 1 genes, respectively. We employed phylogenetics in order to investigate the evolutionary histories of genes with similar functional annotations that were taxonomically classified as coming from bacteria, archaea and viruses.
Conclusions: A gene-focused analysis of bacteria, archaea, eukarya, and viruses showed a vertical partitioning of the community, both in taxonomic affinity and function. The presence of genes potentially involved in adaptation to environmental conditions may have implications and resilience to stress conditions. Phylogenetic analyses showed an interlinking between domains, where genes taxonomically classified as archaea and viruses formed clades suggesting they were phylogenetically relatively closely related to genes present in bacteria lineages – potentially indicating horizontal gene transfer in GN mat.
Edaravone alleviates hypoxia-induced injury by inhibiting PI3K/AKT signaling pathway in HTR-8/SVneo cells
Authors: Liu Xin , Wan Jun , Wang Jingming , Xiao Diming , Wei Ming
Published: November 2022

Objective
This study aims to discuss the possible therapeutic effect of EDA against hypoxia-induced injury in preeclampsia.
Materials and methods
Placenta tissues were isolated from pregnant women with or without preeclampsia (PE), and the levels of hypoxia inducible factor (HIF-1α), P-AKT, AKT and PI3K proteins were analyzed by western blotting. The human trophoblast cell line HTR-8/SVneo was treated with cobalt chloride (CoCl2) to establish an in vitro anoxia model. The proliferation, apoptosis and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production rates in the anoxic cells with/out EDA treatment were measured by standard techniques.
Results
HIF-1α, P-AKT, AKT and PI3K protein levels were significantly higher in the placenta of the PE revlative to the control group. EDA alleviated the CoCl2-induced decrease in the viability of HTR-8/SVneo cells, along with apoptosis and ROS production. EDA also reversed the activation of PI3K/AKT pathway in the CoCl2-treated trophoblasts.
Conclusion
EDA protected trophoblasts against hypoxic injury by blocking the PI3K/AKT pathway and is a promising therapeutic option for PE.
Utilising electrodermal activity sensor signals to quantify nociceptive response during movement activities.
Authors: Hamilton Rebecca I. , Garcia Ashly Alava , Bowd Jake , Hamilton David , Mason Deborah , Elliott Mark , Holt Cathy
Published: November 2022

Objective

With an increasingly ageing population and osteoarthritis prevalence, the quantification of nociceptive signals responsible for painful movements and individual responses could lead to better treatment and monitoring solutions. Changes in electrodermal activity (EDA) can be detected via changes in skin conductance (SC) and measured using finger electrodes on a wearable sensor, providing objective information for increased physiological stress response.

Results

To provide EDA response preliminary data, this was recorded with healthy volunteers on an array of activities while receiving a noxious stimulus. This provides a defined scenario that can be utilised as protocol feasibility testing. Raw signal extraction, processing and statistical analysis was performed using mean SC values on all participant data. Extra exploratory analysis on a case study was incorporated using various decomposition tools. The application of the stimuli resulted in a 35% average increase in mean SC with considerable gender differences in SC and self-reported pain scores. Though EDA parameters are a promising tool for nociceptive response indicators, limitations including motion artifact sensitivities and lack of previous movement-based EDA published data result in restricted analysis understanding. Refined processing pipelines with signal decomposition tools will be necessary to incorporate into a protocol that quantifies nociceptive response clinically meaningfully.
Machine Learning in Failure Prediction in Breathalyzers
Authors: Santos Ana Gleice , Carmo Luiz F. R. da C. , Prado Charles B.
Published: November 2022

To reduce accidents and deaths on roads, several countries have established laws that consider driving under the influence as a traffic violation [1, 2]. In Brazil, the instruments have to be in accordance with the OIML (R126) [3]. Errors in readings can result in unfair punishment if shows values above or below the real concentration. This study focused on identifying the probability of instrument failure before it ocurrs. This study addresses the use of classification models to predict failures that may occur between periodic checks performed every 12 months. The results showed the extra tree classifier model exhibited the best result, with an accuracy and precision of 75 and 77%, respectively. Machine learning models in metrological control is an alternative to add measurement reliability, providing legal certainty for the imposed infractions, and more accurately identifying drivers under the influence of alcohol and removing them from the roads.
First report of the prevalence and molecular identification of Cryptosporidium spp. in mithun (Bos frontalis) in Yunnan Province, southwestern China
Authors: Zhuang Erjun , Yue Feng-jiao , Chen Yuan-teng , Li Hai-long
Published: November 2022

Mithun (Bos frontalis) is a rare bovine species that is distributed in Yunnan Province, southwestern China. However, the prevalence of that species in mithun is still poorly understood. The prevalence and species of Cryptosporidium spp. in the fecal matters in mithun were examined at 5 locations in Yunnan province, southwestern China. On the basis of the analysis of the 18S rRNA gene by nested PCR (nPCR), followed by DNA sequencing, 39 (6.24%) of 625 fecal specimens collected from 5 locations were positive for Cryptosporidium spp. In different locations, the Cryptosporidium spp. has prevalence rates ranging from 1.27–10.04%, with statistical differences between the five locations (P < 0.05). In four seasons, the Cryptosporidium spp. has prevalence rates ranging from 0 to 15.60%, with obvious differences between the four seasons (P < 0.001). Four Cryptosporidium species were found, known as Cryptosporidium struthionis (n = 18), Cryptosporidium andersoni (n = 10), Cryptosporidium ryanae (n = 1), and Cryptosporidium sp. (n = 10). Until now this is the only report to examine the prevalence and molecular identification of Cryptosporidium spp. in mithun in Yunnan province, southwestern China, which affects public health safety and should be prevented by appropriate measures.
Lysosomal dysfunction in Schwann cells is involved in bortezomib-induced peripheral neuropathy
Authors: Wu Zhanxun , Yan Wenping , Wang Ke , Xu Genghua , Zhu Danyan , Li Xuyun , Wang Huafeng , Yang Min , Zhang Xiangnan , Wu Jiaying
Published: November 2022

Bortezomib (BTZ) is a proteasome inhibitor serves as a first-line drug for multiple myeloma treatment. BTZ-induced peripheral neuropathy (BIPN) is the most common adverse effect of BTZ with an incidence as high as 40%-60%. However, the pathological mechanisms underlying BIPN remain largely unclear. BTZ leads to dramatic Schwann cell demyelination in sciatic nerves. Previous studies implied that myelin debris was predominantly degraded via autophagy-lysosome pathway in Schwann cells. However, the association of autophagy with BIPN has not been made. Mice were treated with BTZ (2 mg/kg, i.v.) on Day1 and Day4 each week for continuous 4 weeks. BTZ-treated mice showed enhanced mechanical hyperalgesia, decreased tail nerve conduction and sciatic nerve demyelination. Unexpectedly, BTZ led to the accumulation of autophagic vesicles, LC3-II and p62 in the sciatic nerve. Moreover, BTZ blocked autophagic flux in RSC96 Schwann cells as determined by mcherry-GFP-LC3 assay, suggesting BTZ may impair lysosomal function rather than inducing autophagy in Schwann cells. BTZ significantly reduced the lysosomal activity in Schwann cells as determined by reduced LysoTracker Red and DQ-Red-BSA staining and increased the level of immature Cathepsin B (CTSB). Remarkably, lysosomal activators PP242 and Torin1, significantly reversed the blockage of autophagic flux by BTZ. We further verified that Torin1 rescued the demyelination, nerve conduction and reduced the mechanical hyperalgesia in BIPN mice. Additionally, Torin1 did not compromise the efficacy of BTZ in suppressing multiple myeloma RPMI8226 cell. Taken together, we identified that lysosomal dysfunction in Schwann cells caused by BTZ is involved in the BIPN pathology. Improved lysosomal function in Schwann cells can be a promising strategy for BIPN treatment.
Study of the Distribution of Glycyrrhiza uralensis Production Areas as well as the Factors Affecting Yield and Quality
Authors: Cui Xinping , Lou Lin , Zhang Yan , Yan Binbin
Published: November 2022

Wild licorice in China is mainly distributed in northern China, such as Gansu, Ningxia, and Inner Mongolia Provinces. The origin of wild licorice has varied among historical periods. The origin of cultivated licorice in 59.26% of the cities that possess it was the same as that of wild licorice. The distribution of cultivated licorice was shifted to the northwest relative to that of wild licorice. Substantial variation was observed in the yield and quality of cultivated licorice in different production areas in China, and geographic variation was observed from west to east. The same batch of licorice seedlings was planted at 8 sites overlapping the main licorice production areas in China. The yield and quality of licorice in Baicheng experimental plot were low. The yield of licorice in the Jingtai and Altay experimental plots was high, but the quality was poor. The quality of licorice in Chifeng and Yuzhong experimental sites was high, but the yield was low. The HPLC fingerprint similarity of licorice samples from Baicheng, Jilin, and Suide, Shaanxi was low. Principal component analysis of environmental and soil factors generated five characteristic roots with a cumulative contribution rate of 80%, three of which were related to soil and referred to as the soil charge factor, soil water factor, and soil nutrient factor. The load coefficients of the water and nutrient factor were the largest, indicating that soil conditions had a substantial effect on the yield and quality of cultivated licorice. Soil conditions, especially water and nutrients, might have a substantial effect on the observed changes in the licorice production area. Generally, the regulation of water and nutrients merits special attention when selecting areas for the production and cultivation of licorice.
Automated Cornea Diagnosis using Deep Convolutional Neural Networks based on Cornea Topography Maps
Authors: Fassbind Benjamin , Langenbucher Achim , Streich Andreas
Published: November 2022

Cornea topography maps allow ophthalmologists to screen and diagnose cornea pathologies. We aimto automatically identify any cornea abnormalitiesbased on such cornea topography maps, with focus on diagnosing keratoconus. A set of 1946 consecutive screening scans from the Saarland University Hospital Clinic for Ophthalmology was annotated and used for model training and validation. All scans were recorded witha CASIA2 anterior segment Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) scanner.We propose to represent the OCT scans as images and apply Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) for the automatic analysis. The developed model is based on a state-of-the-art ConvNeXt CNN architecture with weights fine-tuned for the given specific application using the cornea scans dataset. On a new dataset, our model achieves a sensitivity of 97% and a specificity of 97% when distinguishing between Healthy and Pathological corneas. While a comparison to previous work is intricate due tosignificant variations in the experimental setup, our model outperforms other published studies, either in terms of detection performance, and/or in terms of number of potential cornea abnormalities the model can identify. Furthermore, the proposed approach is independent of the topography scanner and allows to visually represent scan regions that drive the models' decision.
Association between high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and bleeding in non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome: A multicentre cohort of Chinese population
Authors: Wen-fei He , Zi-jing Lin , Peng-yuan Chen , Yuan-hui Liu , Chong-yang Duan , Li-huan Zeng , Ze-huo Lin , Zhi-qiang Guo , Jian-fang Luo
Published: November 2022

Background
The association between high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and bleeding risk in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients remains unclear. This study aimed to examine the association between bleeding events and different hs-CRP levels in patients with non-ST elevation ACS (NSTE-ACS).
Methods
This study retrospectively included 2583 adults with NSTE-ACS between January 1, 2010, and December 31, 2014, at 5 medical centres in China. The primary outcome was major bleeding, defined by the Bleeding Academic Research Consortium definition (grades 3–5).
Results
Fifty-three (2.1%) patients experienced major bleeding in the hospital. Patients with hs-CRP levels greater than 8.20 mg/L had the highest incidence of in-hospital major bleeding (25 (3.9%), P < 0.001) compared with the other groups. Multivariable analysis indicated that hs-CRP was an independent factor associated with in-hospital major bleeding (continuous: adjusted OR = 1.01, 95% CI: 1.01–1.02, P < 0.001; quartiles: adjusted OR for quartile 4 (referring to quartile 1) = 3.71, 95% CI: 1.35 ~ 10.23, P = 0.011), which was further confirmed by subgroup analysis and receiver operating characteristic curves. The restricted cubic spline analysis demonstrated an S-shaped association between hs-CRP and major bleeding. During the 5-year follow-up, there was a significantly high risk of bleeding in patients with higher hs-CRP levels.
Conclusion
Higher hs-CRP level at admission in NSTE-ACS patients is associated with high risk of in-hospital major bleeding. An S-shaped association was found between hs-CRP and bleeding events. Further studies are warranted to optimize antithrombotic drug therapy in high-bleeding risk patients during follow-up.
Multi-attribute fire safety evaluation of subway station based on FANP – FGRA – Cloud model
Authors: Chai Naijie , Zhou Wenliang
Published: November 2022

With the development of subway network, the fire safety of station is affected by many factors in the operation process. But there seem to be few studies developing quantitative models to evaluate fire safety of subway station. The aim of this study is to develop a multi-attribute hybrid method by combining Fuzzy Analytic Network Process (FANP), Fuzzy Grey Relational Analysis (FGRA) with Cloud model. This research sorts out and identifies high-frequency hazard factors associated with fire accidents of station from personal, equipment, environmental and management aspects comprehensively, and explores dependences and interactions among them simultaneously. Seven typical transfer stations of Changsha subway network in China are studied by using the proposed approach, and the results show that: (1) the fire safety order from the best to the worst determined is FBH (A2), SWGY (A7), CSRS (A6), YWZ (A1), HTL (A5), HJT (A4) and WYGC (A3); (2) through comparing the results obtained by the proposed method with that determined fuzzy TOPSIS and fuzzy sum weighted method, it is proved that the method developed in this study is reliable and effective; and (3) sensitivity analysis indicates that the ranking order of stations is influenced by fluctuation of criterion and sub-criterion weights. These findings concentrate on providing a new sight for identification of hazard factors and quantitative evaluation regarding the fire safety of stations, so as to prevent this type of security accidents and minimize damages caused by this.
Impact of cardiac biomarkers on severity and outcome of acute pulmonary embolism: A prospective observational study
Authors: Sagcan Gulseren , Cuhadaroglu Caglar , Okumus Gulfer , Uzun Hafize , Arseven Orhan
Published: November 2022

Background

Acute pulmonary embolism (APE) is a common clinical condition. Its severity ranges from asymptomatic radiological findings to fatal obstructive shock. Cardiac biomarkers have been studied to predict APE outcomes. This study aimed to explore their predictive power on prognosis in APE.

Material and Method

It was a prospective observational study between March 2008 and April 2010. All consecutive patients diagnosed with APE were categorized as massive/high-risk, submassive/moderate-risk, and non-massive/low-risk. Cardiac troponin T (cTnT), myoglobin, N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), heart-type fatty acid-binding protein (H-FABP), growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15), and D-dimer levels were measured.

Results

Of these patients, 14 (29.8%), 16 (34.0%), and 17 (36.2%) patients were categorized as low-risk, moderate-risk, and high risk-patients, respectively. There was no significant difference between the patient groups categorized based on the risk stratification in terms of demographic and clinical characteristics. The cTnT, myoglobin, HFABP, and D-dimer levels have also not differed significantly between the groups. There was a significant difference between the groups in respect of NT-proBNP and GDF-15 levels (p = 0.009 and p = 0.037, respectively). Nine (19.1%) patients had died by the 3rd-month follow-up. Adverse events were seen in 26 (55.3%) patients. GDF-15 had the highest area under the curve (AUC) value for predicting any adverse event (cut-off value = 9.3 ng/mL, AUC = 0.796, CI (confidence interval) 95%: 0.653–0.899). NT-ProBNP was determined as the best predictor for mortality (cut-off value = 229.2 pg/mL, AUC = 0.889, CI 95%: 0.756–0.964).

Conclusion

Higher levels of NT-proBNP and GDF-15 were found to be associated with more severe APE, worse outcomes, and mortality.
Development of Fournier gangrene after chemotherapy despite the absence of anorectal lesions originally: A case report
Authors: Nonaka Kenichi , Kawase Kota , Takagi Kimiaki , Takatsu Yuta , Maniwa Koji , Takao Chika , Komura Minoru , Mushika Yoshinori , Takeuchi Noriyuki , Kato Toshio , Kusakabe Mitsuhiko , Kondo Mitsutaka
Published: November 2022

Background

Fournier’s gangrene is a life-threatening disease because the infected region expands very quickly, the patient easily suffers septic shock, and the mortality rate is high. Usually, Fournier’s gangrene will occur when there is a wound or tumor, from which a specific bacteria intrudes into soft tissue. We encountered a patient with Fournier’s gangrene due to severe myelosuppression after chemotherapy, although there was no initial lesion on the anus and rectum.

Case presentation

A 54-year-old man with a recurrence of left testicular cancer had been administered chemotherapy. Twelve days later, the patient complained of severe pain around the anus. The following day, the patient went into septic shock. Upon visual inspection, there was dark purple skin discoloration on the left side of the anus. Laboratory data revealed severe neutropenia. Computed tomography revealed a high density of soft tissue on the left side of the anus and gas bubbles in the left femoral ring. We diagnosed the patient with Fournier’s gangrene due to a severe immune suppressive state after chemotherapy. We emergently removed necrotic tissue as much as possible. However, because the patient was in severe sepsis status, he needed careful management in the intensive care unit for 32 days. After the first emergency operation, we performed additive removals several times. Finally, 391 days after the initial surgery, the patient was discharged from our hospital. The tumor has not recurred, and the patient is under outpatient observation in the urology department.

Conclusion

Despite having no anorectal lesions initially, if patients who receive chemotherapy and are in a severe myelosuppressive state complain of severe pain in the perianal area and have a dark purple discoloration of the skin around the anus, the possibility of Fournier's gangrene should be considered.
A point crowdedness based evolutionary algorithm for many-objective optimization
Authors: Dai Cai , peng cheng , Lei Xiujuan
Published: November 2022

It is well known that many-objective optimization problems (MaOPs) are difficultly to be balanced diversity and convergence in the search process due to the high dimension of the objective spaces. The method of evaluating the diversity of the solution set can directly affect the final performances of the algorithms. In this article, we propose a point crowding-degree (PC) strategy to evaluate the diversity of solution sets in view of the characteristics of high dimension and fewer sampling points of MaOPs in the high-dimensional objective space, which propose a point crowding-degree based evolutionary algorithm (PCEA) for many-objective optimization problems. Specifically, the proposed PC strategy not only considers the distance between any two points as large as possible, but also considers the gap between each dimension component as large as possible, and ponders the influence of surrounding neighbor points on the diversity of this point, which obtain a better diversity solution set. At the same time, the selection of evolutionary operators balance convergence and diversity, and further points the search to the feasible region. The PCEA is compared experimentally with several state-of-the-art algorithms on the CEC2018 many-objective benchmark functions with up to 15 objectives and the experimental results show that the proposed PCEA algorithm has strong competitiveness and better overall performance. In addition, the proposed PC strategy is integrated into other advanced MaOPs methods. The results show that it is beneficial to improve the performance of other MaOEAs algorithms.
A mixed finite element method for solving the Time-Fractional-Darcy equation
Authors: Lin Zeng
Published: November 2022

Darcy flow is an important mathematical model to describe a fluid through a porous media. Many research reveal fractional model is an alternative approach to simulate the porous medium flow. To seek more accurate mathematical model for this type of flow, a novel Time-Fractional-Darcy equation is investigated and numerically solved in this paper. The finite difference method is utilized to discrete the temporal fractional derivative. For pursuing higher calculate accuracy and better numerical stability, the fully coupled mixed finite element methods with stabilized terms are proposed in space. The effectiveness and accuracy of the presented methodology is consistently demonstrated by 2D and 3D numerical examples.
An Immunogenic Cell Death-Based Risk model Predicts Prognosis and Indicates Immune Infiltration Landscape in Acute Myeloid Leukemia
Authors: Ma Guangxin , Wang Nana , Bai Xiaoran , Wang Dongmei , Ye Jingjing , Lu Fei , Ji Chunyan
Published: November 2022

Background: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is the most common acute leukemia in adults with a high mortality rate. Immunogenic cell death (ICD) plays a crucial role in activation of adaptive immune response and may contribute to the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy. However, the relationship between ICD and AML prognosis is unveiled.
Methods and materials: A Pearson correlation analysis was utilized to identified ICD-related lncRNAs. Univariate cox regression analysis and subsequent LASSO analysis were performed to construct an ICD-associated lncRNAs signature. Survival analysis, ROC analysis, univariate and multivariate cox regression were applied to assess the predictive capacity and evaluate prognostic value for AML patients. ESTIMATE, CIBERSOT, and single sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) algorithms were performed to estimate the immune infiltration landscape. Enrichment analysis was used to investigate the biological processes and pathways of the ICD-associated lncRNAs.
Results: A predictive risk signature was constructed based on seven ICD-associated lncRNAs (AFF2−IT1, AL5924292, LINC00987, MIR133A1HG, AC022182.2, NORAD and AC244502.1). High risk score was verified as an independent prognostic predictor for poor clinical outcomes in AML patients. Notably, we observed a remarkable difference in immune infiltration landscape, immunotherapy response and drug susceptibility related to risk stratification. In addition, functional enrichment analysis established that immune-related signaling pathways might mediate the role of ICD-related lncRNAs in AML.
Conclusions: The signature based on ICD-related lncRNAs can provide guidance to the accurate prediction of AML prognosis and also offer a novel perspective for individualized and precise treatment strategies for AML patients.
Synergistic Inhibition of Candida albicans Growth by Plant Extract Combinations
Authors: Yoon Jeemin , Kim Tae-Jong
Published: November 2022

Many skin diseases are caused by microbial infections. Representative pathogenic fungus and bacterium that cause skin diseases are Candida albicans and Staphylococcus aureus, respectively. In this study, among methanol extracts of 240 edible plants, C. albicans, S. aureus, and Malassezia pachydermatis, a fungus that causes animal skin diseases, were killed by extracts of 10 plants: Acori Gramineri Rhizoma, Angelicae Tenuissimae Radix, Cinnamomi Cortex, Cinnamomi Ramulus, Impatientis Semen, Magnoliae Cortex, Moutan Cortex Radicis, Phellodendri Cortex, Scutellariae Radix, and Syzygii Flos. By evaluating the synergistic antifungal activities against C. albicans using all 45 possible combinations of these 10 extracts, five new synergistic antifungal combinations were identified. By utilizing the selected extracts and five combinations with synergistic antifungal effects, this work provides materials and methods to develop new and safe methods for treating candidiasis using natural products.
Comparison of unipedicular and bipedicular kyphoplasty for the treatment of osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures in the lower lumbar spine
Authors: Qian Yunfan , Li Yimin , Shen Guangjie , Tang Chengxuan , Zhong Xiqiang , He Shaoqi
Published: November 2022

BackgroundBoth unipedicular and bipedicular approaches for percutaneous kyphoplasty are reportedly effective for the treatment of osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (OVCFs). However, most of the literature has reported on thoracolumbar fractures, with few reports describing the treatment of the lower lumbar spine.This study compared the clinical and radiological results between the unipedicular versus bipedicular approachesfor percutaneous kyphoplasty for the treatment of osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures.MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed the records of 160 patients who underwent percutaneous kyphoplasty for lower lumbar (L3­–L5) osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures between January 2016 and January 2020. Patient characteristics, surgical outcomes, operation time, blood lose, clinical and radiological features, and complications were compared between the two groups. Cement leakage, height restoration, and cement distribution were calculated from the radiographs. Visual pain analog scale (VAS), the Oswestry disability index (ODI), were calculated before surgery and immediately and 2 years after surgery.ResultsThe results showed significantly improved the visual analog scale (VAS) score, Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) score, and vertebral height restoration in each group (p<0.05), with no significant differences between the two groups (p>0.05). The mean operation time and blood lose in the unipedicular group was less than that in the bipedicular group(p<0.05). Different types of bone cement leakage were observed in both groups. The leakage rate was higher in the bipedicular group than in the unipedicular group. Patients in the bipedicular group showed greater improvement in bone cement distribution compared to that in patients in the unipedicular group (p<0.05).ConclusionsDespite the relatively worse cement distribution, unipedicular approach PKP is a safe and minimally invasive surgical method that has the advantages of short operation time, less blood loss and radiation exposure compared to bipedicular approach PKP for OVCFs.
Microstructure and mechanical properties of LaB6/Ti-6Al-4V composites fabricated by selective laser melting
Authors: He Dongdong , Wang Hui , Chen Xinxi , Huang Weidong , Qin Shuaishuai , Wang Yu
Published: November 2022

In this study, TiB+La2O3/Ti-6Al-4V composites were successfully prepared by in-situ reaction using selective laser melting technology. The effect of LaB6 content on the fabrication quality, microstructure evolution and mechanical properties of the composite samples was investigated. The results show that the relative density of the sample gradually decreases from 98.56% to 96.57% as the LaB6 content increases. ​During the printing process, the microstructure of the sample gradually aggregates due to the influence of the Marangoni flow and grows from a discrete needle-like structure to a dendritic structure with increasing LaB6 content, eventually developing into a cell-like structure. ​After adding LaB6 to titanium alloys, the hardness, wear resistance, and tensile strength of the composite are enhanced due to grain refinement strengthening, dispersion strengthening, and solid solution strengthening, while the plasticity of the material is lost. The 3wt% LaB6 sample has the most significant strengthening effect. Compared to the 0wt% LaB6 sample, the hardness is increased by 35.71%, the wear volume is reduced by 47.5%, the tensile strength is increased by 14.5%, and the elongation after fracture is reduced by 37.2%. The 0.5wt% LaB6 sample has the best formability and is most suitable for production practice.
Various Expressions over novel k-µ/Inverse Gamma LOS Shadowed Fading
Authors: Gadi Shilpi , Singh S Pratap , Kumar Sanjay , Singh Ghanshyam , Baghel Anurag Singh
Published: November 2022

This manuscript proposes novel and a very general shadowed k-μ fading model for charaterizing the realistic Line of Sight (LOS) propagation scenarios of 5G and beyond. In this model, the received signal is assumed to be composed of the clustering of multipath components. In each of these clusters, shadowing of the dominant component is represented by the inverse Gamma distribution. First of all, mathematically-tractable expressions of probability density function (PDF) and moment-generating function (MGF) of the k-μ/inverse Gamma LOS-shadowed fading model are obtained. The proposed channel model is validated by reproducing the well-established fading distributions such as Rayleigh, Rice and Nakagami-m under light shadowing conditions and LOS-shadowed fading distributions such as the k-µ/Gamma and Abdi’s Rice/Gamma model under heavy shadowing conditions numerically. The proposed PDF is further utilized to derive the expressions for channel capacity under four adaptation policies named as optimal rate adaptation with constant transmit power (C ora ), optimal power and rate adaptation (C opra ), channel inversion with fixed rate (C cifr ) and truncated channel inversion with fixed rate (C tifr ). Furthermore, analytical expressions for outage probability (OP) and error probabilities under different modulation schemes are derived. The analytical expressions are investigated under light, moderate, and heavy shadowing environments used extensively in literature.
Minimal Correlated Pilot aided Channel Estimation for MIMO STC-GFDM System
Authors: VINAYAKAMOORTHI NIVETHA , VAIYAMALAI SUDHA
Published: November 2022

Generalized Frequency Division Multiplexing (GFDM) is a nonorthogonal flexible multi-carrier modulation. The non-orthogonal nature leads to inter-symbol interference and inter-carrier interference. These interferences degrade the bit error rate (BER) performance, it can be improved by deploying linear detector and maximal ratio combining based space time coded (STC) GFDM. These interferences also lead to pilot contamination. The minimal correlated pilot selection method is proposed to enhance the channel estimation performance for MIMO STC-GFDM. The BER performance is compared with different pilot arrangements. The LMMSE based channel estimation performance is compared with LS based channel estimation. In addition to that, the BER performance of ZF based GFDM detector is compared with LMMSE based GFDM detector and the computational complexity is also analysed.
A Novel Key Hole Shaped Slot Millimetre-wave Antenna Array for 5G Mobile Applications
Authors: Khan Muhammad Irshad , Khan Muhammad Kabir , Rahman Saeed UR , Khattak Muhammad Irfan
Published: November 2022

This work presents a novel microstrip patch antenna for future 5G mobile applications having resonant frequencies of 38, 47.7, 54.4 and 72GHz having bandwidth of 3, 3, 2 and 2GHz respectively. The main target frequency of over research was 38 GHz. This design is achieved using Rogers RT5880 (Lossy) substrate having standard thickness of 0.508mm with 2.2 dielectric constant and loss tangent of 0.0013. Substrate of dimensions 6 × 6mm2 and patch of dimensions 2 × 2mm2 are used in the proposed antenna design. The excitation method to energize the antenna system i.e. 1×4 and 2×2 linear array is tapered line feed with spacing of 4mm to the adjacent unit cells respectively to achieve 12dB gain for mobile applications. 3D modelling tool, the CST is used for the simulation purpose. A reasonable bandwidth, directivity and efficiency have also been achieved for the proposed design making a strong contender for competition in the market at these mm-waves frequencies. At the end SAR analysis have been performed to evaluate the antenna for possible wearable applications in the field biomedical sensors, implants and hand-held systems. The SAR values were found to be complying to the standards of FFC and CENELEC, making the design suitable for the wearable applications.
Structures and transport properties of supercritical SiO2-H2O and NaAlSi3O8-H2O fluids
Authors: Sun Yicheng , Liu Xiandong , Lu Xiancai
Published: November 2022

Speciation and transport properties of supercritical fluids is critical for understanding their behavior in the Earth’s interior. Here, we report a systematic first principles molecular dynamics simulation study of the structure, speciation, self-diffusivity (D), and viscosity (η) of SiO2 melt, NaAlSi3O8 melt, SiO2-H2O and NaAlSi3O8-H2O fluids at 2000–3500 K with 0–70 wt% H2O. Our calculations show that as the water content increases, the proportion of Q0 species (Qn species, where n is the number of bridging oxygens in an individual Si/Al-O polyhedra) increases while Q4 decreases. The proportions of Q1, Q2, and Q3 species first increase and then decrease with increasing water content. The diffusivity sequence for the supercritical SiO2-H2O fluids is DH >DO >DSi, and for the supercritical NaAlSi3O8-H2O fluids, on the whole, is DNa ≈ DH >DO >DAl ≈ DSi. The viscosities of the two systems decrease drastically at the beginning of the increase in water content, and then decrease slowly. We demonstrate that the exponential decrease in the viscosity of polymerized silicate melt with increasing water content is due to a sharp decrease in the proportion of Q4 species and increase in Si-O-H. The typical structural feature of supercritical fluid is that it contains a large amount of easy-to-flow partially polymerized or depolymerized protonated silicate units, which leads to a low viscosity while being enriched in silicate. This feature provides supercritical fluids the potential to transport elements that are hard to migrate in aqueous fluids or hydrous silicate melts, such as high field strength elements.
Continuous intention to use e-wallets in Indonesia: The impact of e-wallets features
Authors: Prima Johan Arief , Lukviarman Niki , Eka Putra Rahmat
Published: November 2022

Increased use of e-wallets in Indonesia has resulted in high competition among providers. Hence, companies must act to retain customers and impose continuous utilization of their services. This study aimed to investigate the determinants of continuous intention to use the preferred e-wallet in Indonesia. The framework was drawn from the technology continuance theory (TCT) with modifications to fit the e-wallet settings. This study assessed the effect of e-wallet features on continuous intention to use, with attitudes and satisfaction as intervening factors. Data were collected from the general population in Indonesia who uses e-wallets and possesses at least two accounts on different platforms. A total of 948 samples were generated using a web-based self-administrated survey. The data were analyzed using AMOS-SEM by assessing construct validity and reliability, as well as measurement and structural models. The analysis confirms the effect of attitudes and satisfaction on continuous intention. The findings also highlighted the positive impact of service compatibility and merchant networks on attitudes and satisfaction and the positive impact of perceived security toward satisfaction. Unexpected results revealed a strong and direct impact of value of reward programs and merchant networks toward continuance intentions. This study concludes that the modifications of TCT into the e-wallet settings can predict users’ post-adoption behavior.
AcknowledgmentThis study is fully funded by the Directorate General of Higher Education of Indonesia with grant number 104/E4.1/AK.04.PT/2021; LPPM: T/37/UN.16.17/PT.01.03/PD UPT- Soshum/2021.
Topical antibiotic therapy for perforated otitis in the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Ryazantsev S. V. , Balatskaya K. A. , Tkachuk I. V. , Golovanov A. E. , Kireev P. V.
Published: November 2022

The developing resistance of microorganisms to the effects of antibacterial drugs creates difficulties in the treatment of purulent diseases. This is especially reasonable in the pandemic of a new coronavirus infection (COVID-19). The aggressive effect of new strains of the virus on the mucous membrane of the nasal cavity and nasopharynx contributes to the occurrence of complications such as acute purulent otitis media and exacerbation of chronic purulent otitis, both during coronavirusinfection and in the postcovid period. Even before the start of the pandemic, antibiotic resistance was already one of the big problems in most countries of the world, this was due to the frequent unjustified appointment of systemic antibacterial agents for viral infection, as well as uncontrolled self-medication of the population with all available drugs. Due to the fear of people getting sick with COVID-19 and disagreements among doctors in treatment tactics, the use of systemic antibiotics and hormonal drugs increased already in the first months of the pandemic. In the future, the unjustifiability of this tactic was proved, but many doctors continued to prescribe several systemic antibacterial drugs to patients with uncomplicated viral infection. Under the current conditions, when there is evidence of bacterial infection, it is rational to use local antibacterial drugs, which allows you to quickly reach high concentrations in the focus of inflammation and avoid side effects of systemic antibiotics. Among the existing means in the complex therapy of perforated otitis, a special place belongs to the preparations of the group of quinoxaline derivatives, which include hydroxymethylquinoxalindioxide (Dioxidine). The advantage of the drug is its effectiveness against resistant microorganisms, as well as stimulation of marginal tissue regeneration. This property is especially important in the treatment of perforated otitis media.
Evaluating water availability under changing climate scenarios in the Woybo catchment, Ethiopia
Authors: Ukumo Tigistu Yisihak , Edamo Muluneh Legesse , Abdi Dawit Midagsa , Derebe Melkamu Ateka
Published: November 2022

This study aims to evaluate water availability under changing climate scenarios in the Woybo catchment, Ethiopia. The bias-corrected outputs of multiple climate models’ ensemble mean were employed for the 2050 and 2080s against the reference period (1976–2005) under representative concentration pathways (RCPs) for both RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios. A semi-distributed physically based Hydrologic Engineering Center of Hydrologic Modeling System (HEC-HMS) was used to perform rainfall–runoff simulation. The projected rainfall and temperatures of the watershed will increase in the far future. The predictions from ensemble means of multiple climate models indicated that rainfall of the watershed will likely increase by 25% in the 2050s and 19% in the 2080s under RCP4.5 and RCP8.5, respectively. The discharge projection for the ensemble mean of all climate models shows an increment up to 20 and 19% under RCP 4.5 and RCP8.5, respectively, in the 2050s, whereas it will decline up to 15 and 28% in 2080s, under RCP4.5 and RCP8.5, respectively. This research plays a great role to reduce the impacts of changing climate for sustainable water resources management.