bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Characterising the long-term clinical outcomes of 1190 hospitalised patients with COVID-19 in New York City: a retrospective case series
Authors: Shoucri Sherif M , Purpura Lawrence , DeLaurentis Clare , Adan Matthew A , Theodore Deborah A , Irace Alexandria Lauren , Robbins-Juarez Shelief Y , Khedagi Apurva M , Letchford Daniel , Harb Amro A , Zerihun Lillian M , Lee Kate E , Gambina Karen , Lauring Max C , Chen Noah , Sperring Colin P , Mehta Sanket S , Myers Ellen L , Shih Hueyjong , Argenziano Michael G , Bruce Samuel L , Slater Cody L , Tiao Jonathan R , Natarajan Karthik , Hripcsak George , Chen Ruijun , Yin Michael T , Sobieszczyk Magdalena E , Castor Delivette , Zucker Jason E
Published: June 2021

Objective

To characterise the long-term outcomes of patients with COVID-19 admitted to a large New York City medical centre at 3 and 6 months after hospitalisation and describe their healthcare usage, symptoms, morbidity and mortality.

Design

Retrospective cohort through manual chart review of the electronic medical record.

Setting

NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center, a quaternary care academic medical centre in New York City.

Participants

The first 1190 consecutive patients with symptoms of COVID-19 who presented to the hospital for care between 1 March and 8 April 2020 and tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 on reverse transcriptase PCR assay.

Main outcome measures

Type and frequency of follow-up encounters, self-reported symptoms, morbidity and mortality at 3 and 6 months after presentation, respectively; patient disposition information prior to admission, at discharge, and at 3 and 6 months after hospital presentation.

Results

Of the 1190 reviewed patients, 929 survived their initial hospitalisation and 261 died. Among survivors, 570 had follow-up encounters (488 at 3 months and 364 at 6 months). An additional 33 patients died in the follow-up period. In the first 3 months after admission, most encounters were telehealth visits (59%). Cardiopulmonary symptoms (35.7% and 28%), especially dyspnoea (22.1% and 15.9%), were the most common reported symptoms at 3-month and 6-month encounters, respectively. Additionally, a large number of patients reported generalised (26.4%) or neuropsychiatric (24.2%) symptoms 6 months after hospitalisation. Patients with severe COVID-19 were more likely to have reduced mobility, reduced independence or a new dialysis requirement in the 6 months after hospitalisation.

Conclusions

Patients hospitalised with SARS-CoV-2 infection reported persistent symptoms up to 6 months after diagnosis. These results highlight the long-term morbidity of COVID-19 and its burden on patients and healthcare resources.
In situ simulation improves perceived self-efficacy of OR nurses and anaesthesiologists during COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Lois Fernande , Hallet Claude , Samalea Suarez Nicolas , Ghuysen Alexandre , Brichant Jean François
Published: June 2021

Introduction

Self-efficacy is defined as people’s internal beliefs about their ability to have an impact on events that affect their lives. As part of the COVID-19 pandemic, we carried out in situ simulation for anaesthesiologists and operating room (OR) nurses. Simulation was focused on the recommendations on the use of specific personal protective equipment (PPE) as well as on airway management and intubation. We hypothesised that in situ procedural simulation should increase their perceived self-efficacy.

Methods

Between 16 March and 20 March 2020, 208 healthcare workers took part in in situ procedural simulation. A questionnaire was sent to participants on 21 April 2020. Six self-efficacy items related to PPE and airway manoeuvres were assessed before and after training on a Numeric Rating Scale from 0 to 10.

Results

Sixty-seven participants (32%) replied to the questionnaire. The before–after comparison of the six items revealed an increase in perceived self-efficacy for each of them. A before training difference was observed between nurses, board-certified anaesthetists and trainees in anaesthesia in perceived self-efficacy for putting on (6 (3–8) vs 4.5 (2.25–6) vs 2 (0–6), p=0.007) and remove PPE (8 (5–8) vs 4.5 (3.25–6) vs 4 (1–6), p=0.009). No difference in perceived self-efficacy after training was observed between nurses, board-certified anaesthetists and trainees in anaesthesia.

Conclusions

In situ simulation improves the perceived self-efficacy of OR nurses and anaesthesiologists on specific skills related to the care of patients with COVID-19.
Low-dose thrombolysis for submassive pulmonary embolism
Authors: Yilmaz Emine Serap , Uzun Oğuz
Published: June 2021

The role of thrombolysis in submassive pulmonary embolism (PE) is controversial due to the high risk of hemorrhage. This study aimed to evaluate the role of half-dose tissue-type plasminogen activator (rt-PA) in preventing death/hemodynamic decompensation in submassive (intermediate-risk) PE without increasing the risk of bleeding. In a prospective, non-randomized, open-label, single-center trial, we compared 50 mg rt-PA plus low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) with LMWH in submassive (intermediate-risk) PE. Eligible cases had confirmed pulmonary hypertension on echocardiography, and/or right ventricular cavity expansion and/or interventricular septal deviation on echocardiography, and/or right to left ventricular ratio equal to or greater than 0.9 mm on CT angiography. The primary outcome was death or hemodynamic decompensation within 7 and 30 days after treatment was given. The primary safety outcome was major extracranial bleeding or hemorrhagic stroke within 7 days. Seventy-six patients were included in the study. Total death/hemodynamic decompensation in the first 7 and 30 days was significantly less in the half-dose rt-PA group than in the LMWH group (p=0.028 and p=0.009, respectively). No significant differences were found between the two groups in terms of recurrent embolism and pulmonary hypertension at 6-month follow-up (p=1.000 and p=0.778). There was no intracranial hemorrhage in any of the patients. There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in terms of major or minor bleeding complications. This trial showed half-dose rt-PA treatment in submassive (intermediate-risk) PE prevented death/hemodynamic decompensation in the first 7-day and 30-day period compared with LMWH treatment without increasing the risk of bleeding.
Do coronavirus vaccine challenge trials have a distinctive generalisability problem?
Authors: Eyal Nir , Gerhard Tobias
Published: June 2021

Notwithstanding the success of conventional field trials for vaccines against COVID-19, human challenge trials (HCTs) that could obtain more information about these and about other vaccines and further strategies against it are about to start in the UK. One critique of COVID-19 HCTs is their distinct paucity of information on crucial population groups. For safety reasons, these HCTs will exclude candidate participants of advanced age or with comorbidities that worsen COVID-19, yet a vaccine should (perhaps especially) protect such populations. We turn this cliché on its head. The truth is that either an HCT or a field trial has intrinsic generalisability limitations, that an HCT can expedite protection of high-risk participants even without challenging them with the virus, and that an important route to obtaining results generalisable to high-risk groups under either strategy is facilitated by HCTs.
Chemistry as if students matter: from student to student’s learning outcomes
Authors: Martin-Visscher Leah A. , Ooms Kristopher , Mahaffy Peter
Published: June 2021

As a tribute to the legacy of Dr. Margaret-Ann Armour, we report on an initiative that involves university undergraduate students directly and meaningfully in the articulation and implementation of student learning outcomes for their chemistry programs. Student learning outcomes describe what a student should know, do, and value at the end of a learning experience. The initiative was carried out over several years at the King’s University in Edmonton, a small undergraduate liberal arts and science institution with a Chemical Institute of Canada accredited B.Sc. chemistry program. Senior students were involved in articulating their own learning outcomes for their chemistry program and mapping them onto the courses in the program. The resultant heat map provided an interesting visual tool to help the learning community assess strengths and gaps in coverage, as perceived by students. The authors then led a workshop at the Chemistry Education program of a Canadian Society for Chemistry national chemistry meeting to share experiences among Canadian chemistry programs on the diverse ways faculty and programs articulate, implement, and assess student learning outcomes. We conclude with suggestions for steps that departments and programs can take to meaningfully implement student learning outcomes in the design, review, and modification of chemistry programs, including benchmarking those learning outcomes with international outcomes published as a result of an IUPAC project.
Realization of rapid synthesis of H-ZSM-5 zeolite by seed-assisted method for aromatization reactions of methanol or methane
Authors: Tian HaiFeng , Yang Xing , Tian HaiZhou , Zha Fei , Guo XiaoJun , Tang XiaoHua
Published: June 2021

H-ZSM-5 zeolites are successfully synthesized within 1 h with an organic template free system by the seed-assisted method. The synthetic method not only reduces the production cost of H-ZSM-5 zeolite, but also decreases the environmental pollution produced compared with that of the conventional synthesis process. Characterization by SEM, XRD, N2 adsorption–desorption, NH3-TPD, and Py-IR confirms that the H-ZSM-5 product has a high crystallinity and reveals that the rapid synthesis process is in accordance with the seed surface crystallization mechanism. To improve the aromatic selectivity on the H-ZSM-5 zeolite, different concentrations of Mo and Zn catalysts were prepared by incipient wetness impregnation and the ion-exchange method. Mo-Zn/H-ZSM-5-SAS-1 h have similar catalytic lifetimes and higher selectivity of paraxylene in aromatic products compared with Mo-Zn/H-ZSM-5-seed in the reaction of methanol to aromatic. However, the catalytic lifetime of 6%Mo/H-ZSM-5-SAS-1 h is shorter than that of the 6%Mo/H-ZSM-5-seed catalyst in methane to benzene reaction under the same reaction conditions.
Predicting warming-induced hypoxic stress for fish in a fragmented river channel using ecosystem metabolism models
Authors: Ziegler Jacob P. , Roy James W. , Bogard Matthew J. , Drake D. Andrew R.
Published: June 2021

Aquatic biota often face multiple anthropogenic threats such as river fragmentation and climate change that can contribute to high rates of aquatic species imperilment world-wide. Temperature-induced hypoxia is one under-explored mechanism that can threaten aquatic species in fragmented rivers with reduced flows. We applied ecosystem metabolism models to define the effect of water temperature on net ecosystem production (NEP) of oxygen at 12 sites of a fragmented river channel that supports three fish species at risk and experiences hypoxia. We found that water temperature and precipitation events at 75% of our sites were significantly and negatively correlated to NEP estimates and explained 28% of the variation in NEP within sites. Temperature-induced reductions in NEP at these sites likely contributed to hypoxic conditions threatening the three species at risk as NEP explained 41% of the variation in dissolved oxygen near all sites. Our results have applications for understanding drivers of hypoxic stress in fragmented watercourses, integrating water temperature–NEP effects with oxygen demands of sensitive fish species, and modeling future effects of climate change on aquatic species.
xPPN: an implementation of the parametrized post-Newtonian formalism using xAct for Mathematica
Authors: Hohmann Manuel
Published: June 2021

We present a package for the computer algebra system Mathematica, which implements the parametrized post-Newtonian (PPN) formalism. This package, named xPPN, is built upon the widely used tensor algebra package suite xAct, and in particular the package xTensor therein. The main feature of xPPN is to provide functions to perform a proper $$3+1$$

3
+
1

decomposition of tensors, as well as a perturbative expansion in so-called velocity orders, which are central tasks in the PPN formalism. Further, xPPN implements various rules for quantities appearing in the PPN formalism, which aid in perturbatively solving the field equations of any metric theory of gravity. Besides Riemannian geometry, also teleparallel and symmetric teleparallel geometry are implemented.
Liver transcriptome response to periparturient hormonal and metabolic changes depends on the postpartum occurrence of subacute ruminal acidosis in Holstein cows
Authors: Tsuchiya Yoshiyuki , Chiba Ena , Sugino Toshihisa , Kawashima Kenji , Kushibiki Shiro , Kizaki Keiichiro , Kim Yo-Han , Sato Shigeru
Published: June 2021

We investigated changes in rumen fermentation, peripheral blood metabolites and hormones, and hepatic transcriptomic dynamics in Holstein cows with and those without subacute ruminal acidosis (SARA) during the periparturient period. Sixteen multiparous Holstein cows were categorized in the SARA ( n = 8) or non-SARA ( n = 8) groups depending on whether they developed SARA during the 2 wk after parturition. Reticulo-ruminal pH was measured continuously throughout the study. Rumen fluid, blood, and liver tissue samples were collected at 3 wk prepartum and 2 and 6 wk postpartum, with an additional blood sample collected at 0 and 4 wk postpartum. The 1-h mean pH was depressed postpartum in both groups, whereas depression was more severe in the SARA group simultaneously with significantly longer duration of time (for pH <5.6 and 5.8). Significant expression of differentially expressed genes in liver tissue (DEGs; false discovery rate corrected P < 0.1) were identified only in the non-SARA group and were further analyzed by Ingenuity Pathway Analysis software. Among the top expressed DEGs, the hepatic genes encoding lipid and cholesterol secretion (APOA1, APOA4, and G0S2) and gluconeogenesis (PC, G6PC, and PCK1) were upregulated postpartum. In silico analysis revealed the significant postpartum activation of upstream regulators, such as INSR, PPARG, and PPARGC1A. These results suggested that hepatic transcriptomic responsiveness to postpartum metabolic load and hormones were likely discouraged in cows with SARA when compared with the significant activation of genes and signaling pathways for adequate metabolic adaption to postpartum high-grain diet feeding in Holstein cows without SARA.
Association Analysis of Private Information in Distributed Social Networks Based on Big Data
Authors: Jia Dongning , Yin Bo , Huang Xianqing
Published: June 2021

As people’s awareness of the issue of privacy leakage continues to increase, and the demand for privacy protection continues to increase, there is an urgent need for some effective methods or means to achieve the purpose of protecting privacy. So far, there have been many achievements in the research of location‐based privacy services, and it can effectively protect the location privacy of users. However, there are few research results that require privacy protection, and the privacy protection system needs to be improved. Aiming at the shortcomings of traditional differential privacy protection, this paper designs a differential privacy protection mechanism based on interactive social networks. Under this mechanism, we have proved that it meets the protection conditions of differential privacy and prevents the leakage of private information with the greatest possibility. In this paper, we establish a network evolution game model, in which users only play games with connected users. Then, based on the game model, a dynamic equation is derived to express the trend of the proportion of users adopting privacy protection settings in the network over time, and the impact of the benefit‐cost ratio on the evolutionarily stable state is analyzed. A real data set is used to verify the feasibility of the model. Experimental results show that the model can effectively describe the dynamic evolution of social network users’ privacy protection behaviors. This model can help social platforms design effective security services and incentive mechanisms, encourage users to adopt privacy protection settings, and promote the deployment of privacy protection mechanisms in the network.
Meta-Analysis of the Effect of Kangfuxin Liquid on Diabetic Patients with Skin Ulcers
Authors: Wan Xiaoping , Gen Funeng , Sheng Yongmei , Ou Meng , Wang Fang , Peng Ting , Guo Jinlin
Published: June 2021

In this study, we used meta-analysis to comprehensively evaluate the clinical efficacy of Kangfuxin Liquid in the treatment of diabetic patients with skin ulcers. Literature search was performed through PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Wanfang Data. The retrieval was not limited by language, and the search period was from 2010 to October 12, 2020. Diabetic patients with skin ulcers were treated with Kangfuxin Liquid combined with basic treatment as the treatment group and only basic treatment as the control group. Stata16.0 software was used for system evaluation. A total of 11 studies and 874 patients were included. Meta-analysis showed that 11 studies compared the treatment efficacy between the two groups, and the results showed that the treatment efficacy in the treatment group was significantly higher than that in the control group [OR = 5.38, 95% CI (3.52, 8.24),

P
<
0.001

]. Among them, 9 studies compared the healing time of wounds. The healing time of the treatment group was significantly longer than that of the control group [SMD = −2.13, 95% CI (−2.85, −1.41),

P
<
0.001

]. Five studies compared the length of stay, and the length of stay in the treatment group was shorter than that in the control group [SMD = −3.68, 95% CI (−5.38, −1.97),

P
<
0.001

]. Compared with basic treatment, Kangfuxin Liquid combined with basic treatment has an ideal effect in the treatment of diabetic skin ulcers, which can improve the overall treatment efficiency and shorten the wound rehabilitation time and the length of stay.
Expression of the CLCA4 Gene in Esophageal Carcinoma and Its Impact on the Biologic Function of Esophageal Carcinoma Cells
Authors: Song Xin , Zhang Shuai , Li Shouchuan , Wang Ye , Zhang Xinming , Xue Feng
Published: June 2021

Background. Esophageal carcinoma (ESCA) is one of the malignant tumors with a high mortality rate worldwide, which seriously affects people’s health. Calcium-activated chloride channel 4 (CLCA4) was reported to be a tumor inhibitor in hepatocellular carcinoma. Nevertheless, the role of CLCA4 in ESCA is still unclear. Methods. RT-qPCR and western blot assay were used to test the expression pattern of CLCA4 in ESCA tissues and cells. CCK-8 assay was performed to detect the effect of CLCA4 overexpression on cell proliferation in ESCA cells. Transwell assay was used to measure the effect of CLCA4 upregulation on migration and invasion abilities of ESCA cells. Animal experiments were conducted to investigate the role of CLCA4 upregulation in tumor growth in vivo. Results. CLCA4 was significantly reduced in ESCA tissues and correlated with T stage, differentiation, and lymph node metastasis. CLCA4 overexpression was found to inhibit cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and EMT progression in ESCA cells. Moreover, CLCA4 overexpression suppressed tumor growth in vivo. Conclusion. CLCA4 was suggested to act as a tumor inhibitor in ESCA and might be a therapeutic target gene for the treatment of patients with ESCA.
A Resilience Enhancement Model for Complex Distribution Network Coupling with Human Resources and Traffic Network
Authors: Chen Biyun , Shi Yumo , Chen Yanni
Published: June 2021

Resilience is the ability of a system to withstand and recover from deliberate accidents; as to distribution systems, it means the ability to withstand and recover from natural disasters or other serious accidents and ensure electricity supply. Generally, promotion strategies of distribution network resilience mostly focus on electrical topology planning and reinforcement. The operation strategies in emergency repair stage are frequently ignored, especially the complex coupling relationship between distribution network, traffic network, and maintenance teams. A model of resilience improvement for a complicated distribution‐traffic‐human coupling system under hurricane disasters considering is presented. Firstly, based on the influence spreading mechanism of a hurricane acting on the distribution and traffic part of the system, a fault analysis model of rush repair is constructed. Secondly, according to the function of human resources in shortening the repair time and improving system resilience, an optimization model of emergency repair strategy is proposed. Taking into account the repair demand, traffic cost, and personnel operating and executing ability, the optimized strategy can minimize the social loss in the whole repair and recovery process after hurricane disaster. Furthermore, three indices, including system adaptability, repair rate, and economic loss rate, are proposed to quantify the resilience of distribution network. Finally, case studies on the IEEE33 bus system are implemented to verify the effectiveness of the proposed model.
Designing a Teaching Assistant System for Physical Education Using Web Technology
Authors: Qi Shiyuan , Li Shoubang , Zhang Jing
Published: June 2021

An efficient and effective management is mandatory for the success of every organization, especially educational institutes. Following the course curriculum and completing it in time are beneficial for the students and the colleges’ reputation in educational institutes. In this paper, intelligent management of physical education curriculum is designed using a Web-based teaching assistant system. The multilayer designed system provides convenience for teachers and students of health and physical education. The data layer collects input data from users and transmits it to the storage layer after being compiled by the decoder. The layer uses memory to save the transmitted data and integrate the saved data into the expansion chip and transmit it to the transmission layer. The Web server at this layer outputs the transmitted data in the form of an HTML structure file through a CGI program and feeds back the output to the browser of the application layer. The man-machine interaction interface of the application layer uses a large-scale hierarchical information visualization method to show data on the browser to users. The experimental results show that the system has comprehensive functions, fast processing speed, and low energy consumption. It has a good page display effect, which is in line with the user’s visual cognition; the recall rate of curriculum scheduling data and curriculum selection data is always higher than 96%, and the data analysis ability is excellent.
Tourist Demand Prediction Model Based on Improved Fruit Fly Algorithm
Authors: Guo Chuangle , Shang Wei
Published: June 2021

To accurately predict the development and change trend of the future, tourism market can effectively improve the planning and purpose of tourism development. In order to improve the accuracy of tourist demand prediction, this paper studies the tourist demand prediction model based on improved fruit fly algorithm. Aiming at the optimization defects of the traditional fruit fly optimization algorithm (FOA), the model introduces two concepts of sensitivity and pheromone, improves the optimization strategy and position replacement of fruit fly, improves the diversity of fruit fly population, modifies the global optimization characteristics of the algorithm, and improves the local search ability and search efficiency of the algorithm. By combining the improved AFOA with echo state network (ESN), a two-stage combined prediction model (AAFOA-ESN) is constructed. The experimental results show that the minimum prediction error accuracy of the model is only 0.55%, which has more robust prediction effect, faster convergence speed, and higher prediction accuracy.
An Overview of Deep Learning Techniques on Chest X-Ray and CT Scan Identification of COVID-19
Authors: Serena Low Woan Ching , Chuah Joon Huang , Tee Clarence Augustine T. H. , Anis Shazia , Shoaib Muhammad Ali , Faisal Amir , Khalil Azira , Lai Khin Wee
Published: June 2021

Pneumonia is an infamous life-threatening lung bacterial or viral infection. The latest viral infection endangering the lives of many people worldwide is the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which causes COVID-19. This paper is aimed at detecting and differentiating viral pneumonia and COVID-19 disease using digital X-ray images. The current practices include tedious conventional processes that solely rely on the radiologist or medical consultant’s technical expertise that are limited, time-consuming, inefficient, and outdated. The implementation is easily prone to human errors of being misdiagnosed. The development of deep learning and technology improvement allows medical scientists and researchers to venture into various neural networks and algorithms to develop applications, tools, and instruments that can further support medical radiologists. This paper presents an overview of deep learning techniques made in the chest radiography on COVID-19 and pneumonia cases.
Sodium Lactate Accelerates M2 Macrophage Polarization and Improves Cardiac Function after Myocardial Infarction in Mice
Authors: Zhang Jialiang , Huang Fangyang , Chen Li , Li Guoyong , Lei Wenhua , Zhao Jiahao , Liao Yanbiao , Li Yijian , Li Changming , Chen Mao
Published: June 2021

Background. After myocardial infarction, anti-inflammatory macrophages perform key homeostatic functions that facilitate cardiac recovery and remodeling. Several studies have shown that lactate may serve as a modifier that influences phenotype of macrophage. However, the therapeutic role of sodium lactate in myocardial infarction (MI) is unclear. Methods. MI was established by permanent ligation of the left anterior descending coronary artery followed by injection of saline or sodium lactate. Cardiac function was assessed by echocardiography. The cardiac fibrosis area was assessed by Masson trichrome staining. Macrophage phenotype was detected via qPCR, flow cytometry, and immunofluorescence. Signaling proteins were measured by Western blotting. Results. Sodium lactate treatment following MI improved cardiac performance, enhanced anti-inflammatory macrophage proportion, reduced cardiac myocytes apoptosis, and increased neovascularization. Flow-cytometric analysis results reported that sodium lactate repressed the number of the IL-6+, IL-12+, and TNF-α+ macrophages among LPS-stimulated bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) and increased the mRNA levels of Arg-1, YM1, TGF-β, and IL-10. Mechanistic studies revealed that sodium lactate enhanced the expression of P-STAT3. Furthermore, a STAT3 inhibitor eliminated sodium lactate-mediated promotion macrophage polarization. Conclusion. Sodium lactate facilitates anti-inflammatory M2 macrophage polarization and protects against MI by regulating P-STAT3.
The Function and Prognostic Value of RNA-Binding Proteins in Colorectal Adenocarcinoma Were Analyzed Based on Bioinformatics of Smart Medical Big Data
Authors: Zhao Haoran , Wang Peng , Liu Haishi , Li Yueyang , Luo Qian , Li Man , Zhang Yubao , Song Zengfu
Published: June 2021

Colon cancer is the third most frequent cancer in the world and is mainly adenocarcinoma in terms of pathological type. It has been confirmed that the dysregulation of RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) significantly participates in the occurrence and development of numerous malignant tumors. Therefore, we analyzed the RBPs associated with colon adenocarcinoma (COAD) to assess their possible biological effects and prognostic value. A total of 398 COAD tissue datasets and 39 normal tissue datasets were retrieved from the TCGA data resource and screened out the RBPs, which are differentially expressed between tumor tissues and nontumor tissues. Then, bioinformatics analyses based on smart medical big data were conducted on these RBPs. Overall, 181 differentially expressed RBPs were uncovered, consisting of 121 upregulated RBPs and 60 downregulated RBPs. Finally, we selected 7 prognostic-related RBPs with research prospects and constructed a prognostic model according to the median risk score. There were remarkable differences in OS between the high-risk and low-risk groups. In addition, the performance of the prognostic model was evaluated and verified with other COAD patient data in the TCGA database. The results showed that the area under the ROC curve (AUC) for the train group was 0.744 and the one for the test group was 0.661, confirming that the model assesses patients’ prognosis to some extent. And based on 7 hub RBPs, we constructed a nomogram as a reference for evaluating the survival rate of COAD patients.
Cognitive Abilities Predict Safety Performance: A Study Examining High-Speed Railway Dispatchers
Authors: Lei Shi , Guo Zizheng , Tan Xi , Chen Xi , Li Chengen , Zou Jiaming , Cao Shi , Feng Guo
Published: June 2021

Cognitive abilities are good predictors of safety performance in many occupations. However, this correlation has not been studied from the perspective of high-speed railway (HSR) dispatchers who play a vital role in ensuring the safety and punctuality of HSR transportation system. Therefore, studying factors affecting HSR dispatchers’ safety performance is not only of great importance in filling the theoretical gap, but also conducive to the selection and training of dispatchers, contributing to the reduction of human errors and the prevention of railway accidents. In this study, a total of 118 HSR dispatchers from a branch of China Railway were recruited to complete the tests that examined their cognitive abilities related to the dispatching job, including logical reasoning, visual multiobject tracking, working memory, task switching, and cognitive flexibility. Safety performance, including both the safety evaluation score obtained from the dispatchers’ monthly safety performance record of the Railway Bureau and the emergency disposal performance indicated by train delay time, was evaluated with a dispatch simulator. The results suggested that better abilities in visual multiobject tracking, working memory, task switching, and cognitive flexibility were correlated with higher safety evaluation score (reflecting daily safety performance) and shorter train delay time (reflecting safety and efficiency in emergency disposal). No significant correlation was found in logical reasoning. These findings support the recommendation that cognitive abilities investigated as predictors of safety performance could be useful for the selection and training of HSR dispatchers.
Influence of Structural Parameters of Shape Memory Alloy Corrugated Gaskets on the Contact Pressure of Bolted Flange Joints
Authors: He Liang , Lu Xiaofeng , Zhu Xiaolei , Chen Qing
Published: June 2021

Shape memory alloy corrugated gaskets (SMA‐CGs) can adapt to fluctuating working conditions due to their pseudoelasticity (PE) and shape memory effect (SME), which make them excellent sealing components. In this study, the deformation mechanism of SMA‐CGs was examined according to their structural properties under installation and operating conditions to establish an SMA‐CG thermal‐mechanical coupling model with the finite element analysis (FEA) method, which has been verified through experimentation. Based on this, a thermal‐mechanical coupling FEA model was built for a bolted flange joint with SMA‐CG. The influence of the SMA‐CG structure parameters on compression‐rebound mechanical properties was also studied under installation and operating conditions. The conclusions are as follows: a thermal‐mechanical coupling finite element analysis method was established for NiTi alloy corrugated structures. Through comparison with the experimental results, the maximum error of the maximum compression load was 5.78%, the maximum error of the rebound rate was 8.85%, and the maximum error of the maximum compaction force in the heat recovery stage was 12.2%, all of which were within the <15% acceptable error range of engineering fields. According to the related experiments and finite element results, the maximum compressive force of gasket thermal recovery after unloading was not less than 40% of the initial maximum compressive load. The application of shape memory alloy to corrugated gasket significantly improved its ability in coping with fluctuating load temperatures. The contact pressure of corrugation increased with the increase of sheet thickness (T) and corrugated gasket height (H) under installation and operating conditions, showing a decreasing trend with the increase of pitch (P), of which the order of factors influencing the average contact pressure of corrugated gasket was sheet T > H > P, and when structural parameters of SMA‐CG were T = 0.6 mm, H = 4 mm, and P = 2.5 mm, the contact pressure of corrugated gasket was the highest under operating conditions.
Neutrosophic Hypersoft Matrices with Application to Solve Multiattributive Decision‐Making Problems
Authors: Zulqarnain Rana Muhammad , Siddique Imran , Ali Rifaqat , Jarad Fahd , Samad Abdul , Abdeljawad Thabet
Published: June 2021

The concept of the neutrosophic hypersoft set (NHSS) is a parameterized family that deals with the subattributes of the parameters and is a proper extension of the neutrosophic soft set to accurately assess the deficiencies, anxiety, and uncertainty in decision‐making. Compared with existing research, NHSS can accommodate more uncertainty, which is the most significant technique for describing fuzzy information in the decision‐making process. The main objective of the follow‐up study is to develop the theory of neutrosophic hypersoft matrix (NHSM). The NHSM is the generalized form of a neutrosophic soft matrix (NSM). Some fundamental operations and score function for NHSMs have been introduced with their desirable properties. Furthermore, we introduce the logical operators such as OR‐operator and AND‐operator with their fundamental properties in the following research. The necessity and possibility operations for NHSMs have been established. Utilizing the developed score function, a decision‐making methodology has been developed to solve the multiattribute decision‐making (MADM) problem. To ensure the validity of the proposed approach, a numerical illustration has been described for the selection of competent faculty member. The practicality and effectiveness of the current approach are proved through comparative analysis with the assistance of some existing studies.
Association between High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol to Apolipoprotein A-I Ratio and Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Huang Hangkai , Wang Jinghua , Xu Lei , Miao Min , Xu Chengfu
Published: June 2021

Background. This study aimed to explore the association between high-density lipoprotein cholesterol to apolipoprotein A-I ratio (HDL-C/apo A-I) and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Methods. A total of 9025 Chinese adults were enrolled in this cross-sectional study, who presented their annual health checkups at Zhenhai Lianhua Hospital, Ningbo, during 2017. Results. The NAFLD prevalence was 33.7%, and HDL-C/apo A-I was significantly decreased in NAFLD patients, as well as in lean NAFLD and in patients with NAFLD-related advanced fibrosis (all

P
<
0.001

). The prevalence of NAFLD and components of metabolic syndrome are inversely associated with HDL-C/apo A-I (

P
<
0.001

). Multivariate logistic regression analysis show that HDL-C/apo A-I is inversely associated with the risk of NAFLD (odds ratio: 0.353, 95% confidence interval: 0.257–0.486;

P
<
0.001

). Conclusions. Our results suggested that increased HDL-C/apo A-I is significantly associated with a decreased risk of NAFLD.
Retrospective Study on Acute Kidney Injury among Cholera Patients in an Outbreak in Whitefield, Bengaluru
Authors: Vakrani Girish P , Nambakam Tanuja
Published: June 2021

Introduction. Cholera is gastroenteritis caused by Vibrio cholerae. It presents with vomiting, severe secretory diarrhoea, and dehydration. It can cause severe complications with severe electrolyte imbalances and oligoanuric acute kidney injury due to acute tubular necrosis secondary to dehydration or infection itself. However, cholera presenting with significant proteinuria and acute kidney injury has not been reported. Hence, this study was conducted. Aims and Objectives. This aim of this study was to assess clinical features, treatment, and prognosis of AKI in cholera patients; to correlate proteinuria with AKI in cholera patients; and to compare cholera patients with normal kidney function and those with AKI. Material and Methods. It was a retrospective observational study involving patients with cholera. Information regarding cholera patients with acute kidney injury, proteinuria, and prognosis were collected. Results. Most of the patients had significant vomiting, moderate-to-severe diarrhoea, dehydration, and hypovolaemic shock. Cholera caused severe complications such as severe electrolyte imbalances including hyponatraemia and hypokalaemia, acute kidney injury, and proteinuria secondary to dehydration or infection. A surprising finding noted was the lack of significant association between the onset of acute kidney injury and usual risk factors such as hypovolaemic shock and dehydration. It was found that proteinuria had influenced the onset of acute kidney injury, but it did not influence recovery. As there was complete recovery in kidney function, none of the cases required kidney biopsy. There was no mortality noted. Conclusions. This study points towards the rare occurrence of proteinuria and acute kidney injury in Vibrio cholerae infection with spontaneous remission of kidney disease with appropriate therapy.
Joint TOA and DOA Estimation for UWB Systems with Antenna Array via Doubled Frequency Sample Points and Extended Number of Clusters
Authors: Gong Liangliang , Hu Yang , Zhang Junyao , Zhao Gaofeng
Published: June 2021

The ultra-wideband (UWB) system, which transmits information using nanosecond or even sub-nanosecond pulses, has been widely applied in precise positioning. In this paper, we investigate the problem of the time of arrival (TOA) estimation and the direction of arrival (DOA) estimation in the UWB systems with antenna array and propose a joint TOA and DOA estimation algorithm with doubled frequency sample points and extended number of clusters. Specifically, the proposed algorithm uses two antennas to receive impinging signals and utilizes the conjugate symmetry characteristic of the delay matrices to extend the sample points as well as the number of clusters. Moreover, in order to obtain TOA estimates with low computational complexity, the proposed algorithm transforms the two-dimensional (2D) spectral search to one-dimensional (1D) searches. The DOA estimates can then be achieved by using the TOA estimation results and the geometric information. Simulation results are given to testify the performance of the proposed algorithm.
A GA-Based BP Artificial Neural Network for Estimating Monthly Surface Air Temperature of the Antarctic during 1960–2019
Authors: Fang Miao
Published: June 2021

The spatial sparsity and temporal discontinuity of station-based SAT data do not allow to fully understand Antarctic surface air temperature (SAT) variations over the last decades. Generating spatiotemporally continuous SAT fields using spatial interpolation represents an approach to address this problem. This study proposed a backpropagation artificial neural network (BPANN) optimized by a genetic algorithm (GA) to estimate the monthly SAT fields of the Antarctic continent for the period 1960–2019. Cross-validations demonstrate that the interpolation accuracy of GA-BPANN is higher than that of two benchmark methods, i.e., BPANN and multiple linear regression (MLR). The errors of the three interpolation methods feature month-dependent variations and tend to be lower (larger) in warm (cold) months. Moreover, the annual SAT had a significant cooling trend during 1960–1989 (trend = −0.07°C/year;

p
=
0.04

) and a significant warming trend during 1990–2019 (trend = 0.06°C/year;

p
=
0.05

). The monthly SAT did not show consistent cooling or warming trends in all months, e.g., SAT did not show a significant cooling trend in January and December during 1960–1989 and a significant warming trend in January, June, July, and December during 1990–2019. Furthermore, the Antarctic SAT decreases with latitude and the distance away from the coastline, but the eastern Antarctic is overall colder than the western Antarctic. Spatiotemporal inconsistencies on SAT trends are apparent over the Antarctic continent, e.g., most of the Antarctic continent showed a cooling trend during 1960–1989 (trend = −0.20∼0°C/year;

p
=
0.01
∼
0.27

) with a peak over the central part of the eastern Antarctic continent, while the entire Antarctic continent showed a warming trend during 1990–2019 (trend = 0∼0.10°C/year;

p
=
0.04
∼
0.42

) with a peak over the higher latitudes.
Physical Performance in Older Cohorts: A Comparison of 81-Year-Old Swedish Men and Women Born Twelve Years Apart—Results from the Swedish Study “Good Aging in Skåne”
Authors: Ekström Henrik , Elmståhl Sölve , Sandin Wranker Lena
Published: June 2021

Introduction/Aim of the Study. One way of investigating health trends at the population level is to study the physical performance and functional ability in different birth cohorts. The information obtained can be used to predict illness, disability, and future needs for care. However, contradictory findings have been reported when comparing the physical performance of older adult birth cohorts. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the birth cohort is associated with the level of physical performance in 81-year-old men and women born twelve years apart. Materials and Methods. Birth cohorts of both sexes drawn from the Swedish study “Good Aging in Skåne” for the years 1920–22 and 1932–34 were compared. Walking, the step test, the chair stand test, and the handgrip strength test were used as proxies for the physical performance. The results were adjusted for lifestyle habits and common chronic geriatric diseases. Results. Both men and women in the later-born cohort walked more quickly and completed the chair stand test faster, and women were also quicker in the step test. No significant differences were found in the grip test, in either the male or female cohorts. Discussion. Normative reference values for physical tests of subjects of different ages can be misleading unless cohort effects are considered. Furthermore, age-related trajectories can also be misinterpreted if cohort effects are neglected which, in the longer perspective, could affect health care planning. Conclusion. Birth cohort effects should be considered when comparing walking speed, number of steps, chair stands, and the step test, in men and women of older age.
Comparison of Effectiveness and Safety between Intraoperative 3D-CT-Guided and C-Arm-Guided Percutaneous Balloon Compression for Idiopathic Trigeminal Neuralgia:  A  Multi-Center Retrospective Study
Authors: Xiao Xiong , Wei Zhengjun , Ren Hao , Sun Hongtao , Luo Fang
Published: June 2021

Objectives. To compare 3D-CT-guided and C-arm-guided percutaneous balloon compression (PBC) in terms of effectiveness and safety. Methods. The medical records and follow-up data of patients with idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia who underwent 3D-CT-guided or C-arm-guided PBCs in Beijing Tiantan Hospital and the Characteristic Medical Center of the Chinese People’s Armed Police Force between February 2018 and March 2020 were retrospectively reviewed and analysed. Results. A total of 291 patients were included. Among them, 212 patients underwent PBC treatment with 3D-CT and others with C-arm. One (0.5%) patient in 3D-CT group and 4 (5.1%) patients in C-arm group failed to receive PBC treatment because of failure of foramen ovale (FO) puncture (

P
=
0.020

). Among patients with successful attempts, 5 (2.4%) patients in the 3D-CT group and 11 (14.7%) patients in the C-arm group received more than one needle pass during the procedure (

P
<
0.001

). The 3D-CT group required less time than the C-arm group for puncture (

P
<
0.001

) and for the whole operation (

P
<
0.001

). The groups shared similar initial relief rates (

P
=
0.749

) and similar recurrence-free survival during follow-ups for a median of 22 months (

P
=
0.839

). No puncture-related complications occurred in either group and the two groups had similar incidences of compression-related complications. Conclusion. 3D-CT facilitated FO puncture and improved success rate of PBC. The overall time efficiency of PBC was also increased with 3D-CT. Thus, 3D-CT is a potentially useful image guidance technology for treating idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia by PBC.
Classification of Mental Stress Using CNN-LSTM Algorithms with Electrocardiogram Signals
Authors: Kang Mingu , Shin Siho , Jung Jaehyo , Kim Youn Tae
Published: June 2021

The mental stress faced by many people in modern society is a factor that causes various chronic diseases, such as depression, cancer, and cardiovascular disease, according to stress accumulation. Therefore, it is very important to regularly manage and monitor a person’s stress. In this study, we propose an ensemble algorithm that can accurately determine mental stress states using a modified convolutional neural network (CNN)- long short-term memory (LSTM) architecture. When a person is exposed to stress, a displacement occurs in the electrocardiogram (ECG) signal. It is possible to classify stress signals by analyzing ECG signals and extracting specific parameters. To maximize the performance of the proposed stress classification algorithm, fast Fourier transform (FFT) and spectrograms were applied to preprocess ECG signals and produce signals in both the time and frequency domains to aid the training process. As the performance evaluation benchmarks of the stress classification model, confusion matrices, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, and precision-recall (PR) curves were used, and the accuracy achieved by the proposed model was 98.3%, which is an improvement of 14.7% compared to previous research results. Therefore, our model can help manage the mental health of people exposed to stress. In addition, if combined with various biosignals such as electromyogram (EMG) and photoplethysmography (PPG), it may have the potential for development in various healthcare systems, such as home training, sleep state analysis, and cardiovascular monitoring.