bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Classification of Body Position During Muslim Prayer Using the Convolutional Neural Network
Authors: Sobhani Vahid , Izadi Koorosh , Mokari Ehsan Manshadi , Hatef Boshra
Published: August 2021

Background: Muslim prayer (Namaz) is the most important obligatory religious duty in Islam that is regularly performed five times per day at specific prescribed times by Muslims. Due to the fact that change of body position affects brain activity, Namaz can be considered as a suitable model to assess the effect of quick changes of the body position on brain activity measured by electroencephalography (EEG). Methods: Forty Muslim participants performed a four-cycle Namaz while their brain activity was being recorded using a 14-channel EEG recorder. The brain connectivity (as defined by a mutual correlation between EEG channels in this study) in different frequency bands (delta, theta, alpha, beta, and gamma) was measured in various positions of Namaz including standing, bowing, prostration, and sitting. Results: The results indicated that the delta band demonstrates the most changes in cross-correlation between the recorded channels, and finally, the accuracy of 73.8% was obtained in the data classification.
COMPLEXITY-BASED EVALUATION OF THE CORRELATION BETWEEN HEART AND BRAIN RESPONSES TO MUSIC
Authors: KUMARASINGHE TISARA , KREJCAR ONDREJ , SELAMAT ALI , DAWI NORAZRYANA MAT , HERRERA-VIEDMA ENRIQUE , FRISCHER ROBERT , NAMAZI HAMIDREZA
Published: August 2021

The evaluation of the correlation between the activations of various organs has great importance. This work investigated the synchronization of the brain and heart responses to different auditory stimuli using complexity-based analysis. We selected three pieces of music based on the difference in the complexity of embedded noise (including white noise, brown noise, and pink noise) in them. We played these pieces of music for 11 subjects (7 M and 4 F) and computed the fractal dimension and sample entropy of EEG signals and R–R time series [as heart rate variability (HRV)]. We found strong correlations ([Formula: see text] in the case of fractal dimension and [Formula: see text] in the case of sample entropy) among the complexities of EEG signals and HRV. This finding demonstrates the synchronization of the brain and heart responses and auditory stimuli from the complexity perspective.
The exponential behavior and stabilizability of quasilinear parabolic stochastic partial differential equation
Authors: Yin Xiuwei , Shen Guangjun , Wu Jiang-Lun
Published: August 2021

In this paper, we study the stability of quasilinear parabolic stochastic partial differential equations with multiplicative noise, which are neither monotone nor locally monotone. The exponential mean square stability and pathwise exponential stability of the solutions are established. Moreover, under certain hypothesis on the stochastic perturbations, pathwise exponential stability can be derived, without utilizing the mean square stability.
A Systematic and Comparative Analysis of Four Major Classes of DFT Functionals to Compute Linear and Nonlinear Optical Properties of Benchmark Molecules
Authors: Waheed Alina , Muhammad Shabbir , Gilani Mazhar Amjad , Adnan Muhammad , Aloui Zouhaier
Published: August 2021

This study spotlights the fundamental insights about the systematic and comparative analysis of four famous hybrid classes of density functional theory (DFT) methods and their efficacy to calculate the linear and nonlinear optical (NLO) polarizabilities. For this study, urea and para-nitroaniline ([Formula: see text]-NA) molecular geometries are used as prototypes to calculate their linear and NLO properties. For comparative purposes, these molecules are often used as reference organic molecules for determination of NLO response properties and there is a dire need for such a benchmark database to be utilized by the researchers. We report systematically a range of functionals including hybrid (B3LYP, PBE1PBE, BH and HLYP), meta-hybrid (M06, M06-2X, M06-HF, M06-L), long-range corrected (CAM-B3LYP, LC-BLYP, LC-B97D, LC-B97D3) and functional with dispersion correction ([Formula: see text]B97, [Formula: see text]B97X, [Formula: see text]B97XD, HSEH1PBE). These groups are evaluated and their efficiency to calculate linear and NLO properties is graphically compared with each other. Overall, there are less deviations among different functionals for calculating dipole moments of [Formula: see text]-NA and urea while these deviations enhance as one moves from dipole moment to linear polarizability and nonlinear hyperpolarizabilities. In general, if we look at the trends, the polarizability values of B3LYP, M06-L, CAM-B3LYP and HSEH1PBE are relatively large and can be compared with each other. The dispersion corrected and long-range corrected functionals show more systematic deviations. For instance, among dispersion corrected functionals, the amplitudes of dipole moments, linear polarizability and NLO polarizabilities show an increasing trend as [Formula: see text]. It is also important to note that LC-B97D and LC-B97D3 of long-range corrected functional have observed exactly the same values of all the calculated parameters. A good agreement is being observed in static first and second hyperpolarizabilities of urea (B3LYP, M06-L, M06 and HSEH1PBE) and [Formula: see text]-NA (B3LYP, M06, M06-L, CAM-B3LYP and HSEH1PBE). Thus, we believe that the current investigation will provide the benchmark data of reference NLO molecules at different methods for theoretical community and molecular level insights for experimental community to design better NLO materials for hi-tech NLO applications.
Simulative Analysis of a Family of DNA Tetrahedrons Produced by Changing the Twisting Number of Each Double Helix
Authors: Bai Hui , Li Jia , Zhang Heng , Liu Shuya
Published: August 2021

In this paper, three tetrahedral nanocages, composed of six DNA double helix edges with all having the twist number 1, 2 or 3, have been characterized using classical molecular dynamics simulation to measure the specific structural and conformational features produced by only changing the twisting number of each double helix. The simulation result indicates that three tetrahedral cages are relatively stable and are maintained along the entire trajectory. Each double helix is more inclined to behave as a whole in the 2TD and 3TD cages than in the 1TD cage according to the cross-correlation maps for three nanocages, and also their local motions are more easily induced by the conformational variability of the thymidine linkers due to the increased flexibility of each helix. Hence, the double helices become the important factors on the structural stability of total cages with the DNA twisting number, and also give the signification contributions to the sizes of these cages conferring the larger spaces of the 2TD and 3TD cages than the 1TD cage. Our result provides an insight into which roles the double helix edges play in assembling DNA polyhedron, and also contribute to improving the loading capacity of DNA tetrahedron in drug delivery.
Correlation between the mineral composition and strength properties of sulfate rocks
Authors: Rahimi Mohammad Reza , Mohammadi Seyed Davoud , Beydokhti Alireza Taleb
Published: August 2021

A literature review confirms that the effect of mineral composition on the strength properties of rocks has rarely been studied. One of the most problematic sedimentary rock types is sulfate rocks, which cause engineering problems in infrastructure sites such as reservoir dams. In this paper, for the first time, the effect of mineral composition on the strength properties of sulfate rocks was investigated. Rock blocks were collected from Gachsaran Formation outcrops at four reservoir dam sites under construction in Iran. After preparation, drying and saturation of the rock core samples (329 samples), uniaxial compressive strength tests were performed in accordance with ASTM and ISRM standards. The results of this study confirmed the following: (1) there is a correlation between the mineral composition and the strength properties of the sulfate rocks but the obtained relationships do not have the necessary certainty to be used as predictive equations; (2) by increasing the amount of anhydrite or microcrystalline carbonates in a gypsum rock, its strength properties are improved; (3) in a dry condition the dominant failure mode in gypsum and anhydrite rocks is a shear and dilatation mode, respectively, but after saturation, the failure mode tends to be a shear mode.
Evaluation of measures to improve the performance of an open loop ground source heat pump system in the chalk aquifer: a case study
Authors: Birks D. , Adamson C. , Woods M. G. , Holmes G.
Published: August 2021

A case study documenting the development of a groundwater-fed district heat network in Colchester, UK, is presented. The performance of an open loop groundwater heating and cooling system (also known as a ground source heat pump (GSHP)) is a function of the performance of individual boreholes
and
interactions between the boreholes. When performance does not meet its design capacity or decreases with time, various measures can be undertaken to improve either the performance of individual wells or the performance of the system as a whole.

Output from the first exploration borehole was less than expected, placing the business case for the development in jeopardy. Consequently, refinements to the remainder of the drilling programme were implemented including three to improve the performance of individual wells and two to improve performance of the system in its entirety. Results of these refinements are presented and may be used to inform the design of new open loop groundwater heat pump systems (GSHPs) and/or the rehabilitation of existing systems that have experienced diminished performance.

Yields from three wells drilled using the reverse circulation method were more than double those drilled with the direct water flush method. A significant improvement in the performance of abstraction wells due to reinjection was observed. Specific capacity in abstraction wells increased by
c.
40% due to reinjection, where the distance between abstraction and reinjection locations was 535–717 m. Allowing an excess pressure of up to 0.2 MPa in the reinjection boreholes meant that reinjection could be achieved with fewer wells.

Outputs from abstraction wells were not increased by extending the depth of boreholes from 135 to 200 m or implementing additional acid treatments.
The Toarcian Oceanic Anoxic Event: where do we stand?
Authors: Reolid Matías , Mattioli Emanuela , Duarte Luís V. , Ruebsam Wolfgang
Published: August 2021

The study of past climate changes is pivotal for understanding the complex biogeochemical interactions through time between the geosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere, which are critical for predicting future global changes. The Toarcian Oceanic Anoxic Event, also known as the Jenkyns Event, was a hyperthermal episode that occurred during the early Toarcian (
c.
183 Ma; Early Jurassic) and resulted in numerous collateral effects including global warming, enhanced weathering, sea-level change, carbonate crisis, marine anoxia–dysoxia and biotic crisis. The IGCP-655 project of the IUGS–UNESCO has constituted an international network of researchers with different disciplinary skills who have collaborated and shared conceptual advances on uncovering drivers of the environmental changes and ecosystem responses. This volume,
Carbon Cycle and Ecosystem Response to the Jenkyns Event in the Early Toarcian (Jurassic)
, presents 16 works that investigate the early Toarcian environmental changes related to the global warming, sea-level rise, carbon cycle perturbation and second-order mass extinction through biostratigraphy, micropalaeontology, palaeontology, ichnology, palaeoecology, sedimentology, integrated stratigraphy, inorganic, organic and isotopic geochemistry, and cyclostratigraphy.
An internet of things service roadmap
Authors: Bouguettaya Athman , Sheng Quan Z. , Benatallah Boualem , Neiat Azadeh Ghari , Mistry Sajib , Ghose Aditya , Nepal Surya , Yao Lina
Published: August 2021

A blueprint for leveraging the tremendous opportunities the IoT has to offer.
Quantum-safe trust for vehicles
Authors: Gardiner Michael , Truskovsky Alexander , Neville-Neil George , Mashatan Atefeh
Published: August 2021

A discussion with Michael Gardiner, Alexander Truskovsky, George Neville-Neil, and Atefeh Mashatan.
Security done right can make smart cities wise
Authors: Blumenthal Marjory S.
Published: August 2021

Seeking security improvements for smart cities.
AI ethics
Authors: Nourbakhsh Illah Reza
Published: August 2021

Integrating ethics into artificial intelligence education and development.
The Slow Violence of Contemporary Policing
Authors: Kramer Rory , Remster Brianna
Published: August 2021

An estimated 61.5 million Americans encounter police annually and more than one million are threatened or subjected to police use of force during these encounters. Much research exists on the efficacy for crime control of the policing practices that produce those encounters, but outside of formal consequences such as incarceration, the criminology of police harms has been slower to emerge. In this review, we describe the slow violence that contemporary policing practices disproportionately inflict on people of color. These wide-ranging harms constitute cultural trauma and shape health, well-being, academic performance, government participation, community membership, and physical space. As a result, routine policing practices help create and maintain the racial and class status quo. We close by considering the limits of popular reforms given those harms and urge researchers to take a broader approach by studying nonpolicing alternatives to public safety alongside crime control efficacy and incorporating more critical perspectives to build a more comprehensive assessment of modern policing practices.
Phage Therapy for Antibiotic-Resistant Bacterial Infections
Authors: Hatfull Graham F. , Dedrick Rebekah M. , Schooley Robert T.
Published: August 2021

Antibiotic resistance in bacterial pathogens presents a substantial threat to the control of infectious diseases. Development of new classes of antibiotics has slowed in recent years due to pressures of cost and market profitability, and there is a strong need for new antimicrobial therapies. The therapeutic use of bacteriophages has long been considered, with numerous anecdotal reports of success. Interest in phage therapy has been renewed by recent clinical successes in case studies with personalized phage cocktails, and several clinical trials are in progress. We discuss recent progress in the therapeutic use of phages and contemplate the key factors influencing the opportunities and challenges. With strong safety profiles, the main challenges of phage therapeutics involve strain variation among clinical isolates of many pathogens, battling phage resistance, and the potential limitations of host immune responses. However, the opportunities are considerable, with the potential to enhance current antibiotic efficacy, protect newly developed antibiotics, and provide a last resort in response to complete antibiotic failure.
Thioredoxin Reductase Inhibition for Cancer Therapy
Authors: Gencheva Radosveta , Arnér Elias S.J.
Published: August 2021

The cytosolic selenoprotein thioredoxin reductase 1 (TrxR1, TXNRD1), and to some extent mitochondrial TrxR2 (TXNRD2), can be inhibited by a wide range of electrophilic compounds. Many such compounds also yield cytotoxicity toward cancer cells in culture or in mouse models, and most compounds are likely to irreversibly modify the easily accessible selenocysteine residue in TrxR1, thereby inhibiting its normal activity to reduce cytosolic thioredoxin (Trx1, TXN) and other substrates of the enzyme. This leads to an oxidative challenge. In some cases, the inhibited forms of TrxR1 are not catalytically inert and are instead converted to prooxidant NADPH oxidases, named SecTRAPs, thus further aggravating the oxidative stress, particularly in cells expressing higher levels of the enzyme. In this review, the possible molecular and cellular consequences of these effects are discussed in relation to cancer therapy, with a focus on outstanding questions that should be addressed if targeted TrxR1 inhibition is to be further developed for therapeutic use.
Machine Learning Tools Set for Natural Gas Fuel Cell System Design
Authors: Wang Dewei , Bao Jie , Xu Zhijie , Koeppel Brian , Marina Olga A , Noring Alexander , Zamarripa-Perez Miguel , Iyengar Arun , Eggleton Erica , Schwartz Daniel T. , Burgard Anthony , Miller David
Published: August 2021

This study is focusing on leveraging the system design tools set for next-generation solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) based natural gas fuel cell (NGFC) system. Conventionally, system design and optimization of NGFC systems rely heavily on traditional reduced order model (ROM) techniques and designers’ experience level. For overcoming the technical barriers of system design, multiple multi-physics models and machine learning (ML) tools have been utilized to automate the conceptual design process and enhance the reliability of solutions for the NGFC system. The proposed tools set includes a physics-informed ML tool for automated ROM construction that leverages advances in deep neural networks to significantly reduce ROM prediction error for the NGFC power island compared to traditional approaches. The constructed physics-informed ML ROM can be used in system design and optimization tools set Institute for the Design of Advanced Energy Systems (IDAES) Process Systems Engineering (PSE) framework. The tools set also provides user-friendly graphic user interface built within Jupyter Notebooks, and the whole tools set is open-source public available.
Fixed Point, Data Dependence, and Well-Posed Problems for Multivalued Nonlinear Contractions
Authors: Iqbal Iram , Hussain Nawab , Al-Sulami Hamed H. , Hassan Shanza
Published: August 2021

The aim of the paper is to discuss data dependence, existence of fixed points, strict fixed points, and well posedness of some multivalued generalized contractions in the setting of complete metric spaces. Using auxiliary functions, we introduce Wardowski type multivalued nonlinear operators that satisfy a novel class of contractive requirements. Furthermore, the existence and data dependence findings for these multivalued operators are obtained. A nontrivial example is also provided to support the results. The results generalize, improve, and extend existing results in the literature.
Exploring and Researching Ideological and Political Education of College Students’ Psychological Quality for the Development of Artificial Intelligence
Authors: Zhong Jiehua
Published: August 2021

Students must integrate into the development of ethnic education and accept applicable norms and policies, values, and processes so that academics can continue to develop in a good direction for exploring and researching intellectual Ideological and Political Learning (IPL). The creation of a data system for the administration of IPL for university students can boost knowledge and the quality of maintenance of IPL. Therefore, this paper suggests artificial intelligence-based Ideological and Political Learning (AI-IPL) of college students depending on the psychological quality measurements. The AI-IPL method is used for the ideological and political development of the college students to encourage the students both mentally and physically. The AI-IPL method creates the differences in opinion between some of the students, which define the IPL of the eventual tendency towards creative strategy and psychological education method. The thought created by students’ experience must be evaluated for the requirements of learning and the experience of developing high-quality talent by the measure of political growth through innovating intellectual and political learning.
Intelligent Algorithm-Based Computed Tomography Image Features in Diagnosis of the Effect of Radiofrequency Ablation in Liver Cancer
Authors: Cha Yufeng , Wei Zhili , Ma Chi , Zhang Lei
Published: August 2021

To provide a reference for finding a reasonable evaluation method for treatment effect of radiofrequency ablation (RFA), computed tomography (CT) image optimized by the intelligent segmentation algorithm was utilized to evaluate the liver condition of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients after RFA and to estimate the patient’s prognosis. Eighty-eight patients with HCC who needed RFA surgery after diagnosis in our hospital were selected. The CT images before optimization were set as the control group; the CT images after optimization were set as the observation group. Comprehensive diagnosis was taken as the gold standard to compare the ablation range and residual lesions under CT scans before and after surgery. The results showed that the consistency of the two sets of CT images was compared with comprehensive diagnosis under different diameters of the lesion. The difference between the two groups was not statistically considerable when the diameter of the lesion was less than 50 mm (

P
>
0.05

). For lesions larger than 50 mm in diameter, the consistency of the observation group (83%) was remarkably higher than that of the control group (40%), and the difference was substantial (

P
<
0.05

). The kappa value of the observation group was 0.84 and that of the control group was 0.78. The kappa value of observation group was better than the control group, with considerable difference (

P
<
0.05

). In conclusion, the diagnostic effect of CT image based on intelligent segmentation algorithm was superior to conventional diagnosis when the diameter of the lesion was larger than 50 mm. Moreover, the overall improvement rate of patients after RFA treatment was far greater than the recurrence rate, indicating that the clinical adoption of RFA was very meaningful.
The Current Strategies in Controlling Oral Diseases by Herbal and Chemical Materials
Authors: Motallaei Mohammad Nima , Yazdanian Mohsen , Tebyanian Hamid , Tahmasebi Elahe , Alam Mostafa , Abbasi Kamyar , Seifalian Alexander , Ranjbar Reza , Yazdanian Alireza
Published: August 2021

Dental plaque is a biofilm composed of complex microbial communities. It is the main cause of major dental diseases such as caries and periodontal diseases. In a healthy state, there is a delicate balance between the dental biofilm and host tissues. Nevertheless, due to the oral cavity changes, this biofilm can become pathogenic. The pathogenic biofilm shifts the balance from demineralization-remineralization to demineralization and results in dental caries. Dentists should consider caries as a result of biological processes of dental plaque and seek treatments for the etiologic factors, not merely look for the treatment of the outcome caused by biofilm, i.e., dental caries. Caries prevention strategies can be classified into three groups based on the role and responsibility of the individuals doing them: (1) community-based strategy, (2) dental professionals-based strategy, and (3) individual-based strategy. The community-based methods include fluoridation of water, salt, and milk. The dental professionals-based methods include professional tooth cleaning and use of varnish, fluoride gel and foam, fissure sealant, and antimicrobial agents. The individual-based (self-care) methods include the use of fluoride toothpaste, fluoride supplements, fluoride mouthwashes, fluoride gels, chlorhexidine gels and mouthwashes, slow-release fluoride devices, oral hygiene, diet control, and noncariogenic sweeteners such as xylitol. This study aimed to study the research in the recent five years (2015–2020) to identify the characteristics of dental biofilm and its role in dental caries and explore the employed approaches to prevent the related infections.
Dynamic Routing and Coordination of Cluster for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Swarms
Authors: Abbas Ali , Shankar Chowdhry Bhawani , Saqib Muhammad , Dattana Vishal
Published: August 2021

The flying networks provide an efficient solution for a wide range of military and commercial purposes. The demand for portable and flexible communication is directed towards a quick growth in interaction among unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Due to the frequent change in topology and high mobility of vehicles, routing and coordination becomes a challenging task. To maximize the throughput of the network, this study addresses the UAV swarm’s problems related to the coordination and routing and defines the proposed solution to solve these issues. For this, a network is assumed which contains an equal number of dynamic vehicles. It also presents the communication graph concept of UAVs and designs a fixed-wing UAV model to improve the efficiency of the network in terms of throughput. Furthermore, the proposed algorithm based on Cauchy particle swarm optimization (CPSO) aims towards the better performance of UAV swarms and aims to solve the combinatorial problem. The simulation results show and confirm the performance of the proposed algorithm.
The Efficacy of Long-Term Chinese Herbal Medicine Use on Lung Cancer Survival Time: A Retrospective Two-Center Cohort Study with Propensity Score Matching
Authors: Xu Li-Li , Zhang Su-Fang , Wang Yu-Li , Luo Ying-Bin , Fang Zhi-Hong , Fang Yuan , Xu Rong-Zhong , Guo Peng , Wu Jian-Chun , Li Yan
Published: August 2021

Objective. To explore the efficacy of long-term use of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) on survival time of lung cancer. Methods. We conducted a retrospective cohort study on lung cancer patients. A propensity score matching (PSM) was performed to balance the covariates. Progression-free survival (PFS) was the primary endpoint and overall survival (OS) was the secondary endpoint. Patients who received CHM therapy from the initial date of diagnosis of lung cancer were included in the CHM group. Patients who were not treated with CHM during the same interval were categorized in the control group. A Cox regression model was used to explore the prognostic factors related to lung cancer. Hazard ratios of different subgroups were also analyzed. Results. A total of 1134 patients were included in our study: 761 patients were in the CHM group and 373 patients were in the control group. After PSM, the mPFS and mOS in the CHM group were 70.4 months and 129.1 months, respectively, while the mPFS and mOS in the control group were 23.8 months and 99.7 months, respectively. The results of survival analysis on each stage demonstrated that patients may benefit from the long-term CHM treatment especially for patients with early stage. One-year to ten-year progression-free survival rates in the CHM group were higher than those in the control group (

p
<
0.001

). COX multivariate regression analysis indicated that CHM treatment, female, low age at diagnosis, early tumor stage, and surgery were independent protective factors against recurrence and metastasis of lung cancer. Subgroup analysis showed that CHM treatment could reduce the risk of recurrence and metastasis in each subgroup (

p
<
0.01

). Conclusion. Long-term CHM treatment with the Fuzheng Quxie Formula, which can be flexibly applied in the course of lung cancer treatment, not only has a positive influence on the progression-free survival time of lung cancer patients, but also reduces the risk of recurrence and metastasis of lung cancer.
Random-Parameters Behavioral Models to Investigate Determinants of Perceived Safety in Railway Stations
Authors: Coppola Pierluigi , dell’Olio Luigi , Silvestri Fulvio
Published: August 2021

Recent studies have highlighted the existence of a gap between actual and perceived safety and have shown that feelings of insecurity can affect individuals’ travel behavior before and during the journey. In this paper, a methodology is proposed for assessing determinants of travelers’ perception of safety and security in railway stations. The methodological approach includes focus groups, stated preference (SP) surveys, and the estimation of behavioral models with fixed parameters (Binomial Logit) and random parameters (Mixed Logit). The estimation results for a medium-sized railway station (Frosinone, Italy) confirmed that safety and security measures are not equally perceived by individuals and the use of random-parameters models leads to more robust estimates. The proposed modeling approach allows the identification of the interventions that should be prioritized to increase travelers’ perceived levels of safety, highlighting those factors, such as, for the considered case study, the presence of security personnel and the level of decorum and maintenance, which are perceived by users as more important than others (e.g., surveillance cameras).
HS-MOEA/D: An Oriented Algorithm for Delay and Reliability VNF-SC Deployment
Authors: Xuan Hejun , You Lei , Liu Zhenghui , Li Yanling , Yang Xiaokai
Published: August 2021

Network function virtualization (NFV) technology can realize on-demand distribution of network resources and improve network flexibility. It has become one of the key technologies for next-generation communications. Virtual network function service chain (VNF-SC) deployment is an important problem faced by network function virtualization technology. In this paper, the problem, VNF deployment for VNF-SC, is investigated. First, a two-objective mathematical model, which maximizes balancing and reliability of SFC, is established. In this model, VNFs are divided into two classes, i.e., part of required VNFs in each VNF-SC is dependent, others are independent. Second, harmony search-based MOEA/D (HS-MOEA/D) is proposed to solve the model effectively. In HS-MOEA/D, Chebyshev decomposition mechanism is used to transform multiobjective optimization problem into a series of single-objective optimization subproblems. A new evolutionary strategy is deeply studied in order to propose a new harmony search (HS) algorithm. Finally, to show high performance of the proposed algorithm, a large number of experiments are conducted. The simulation results show that the proposed algorithm enhances the reliability of SFC and reduces the end-to-end delay.
Quantitative Prediction of Natural Fractures in Shale Oil Reservoirs
Authors: Gong Lei , Gao Shuai , Liu Bo , Yang Jianguo , Fu Xiaofei , Xiao Fei , Su Xiaocen , Fu Rongzhi , Lu Qi
Published: August 2021

Natural fractures are the key factors controlling the enrichment of shale oil. It is of great significance to clarify the distribution of natural fractures to guide the selection of sweet spots for shale oil. Taking the Qing-1 Member shale oil reservoir in the northern Songliao Basin, China as an example, a new method considering the factors affecting fracture distribution was proposed to quantitatively predict the structural fractures. And the effect of natural fractures on shale oil enrichment was discussed. Firstly, the types and characteristics of fractures in shale oil reservoirs are characterized by using core and outcrop data. Combined with the experimental analysis, the influences of fault, mechanical stratigraphy, mineral composition and content, TOC, and overpressure on fracture intensity were clarified. Then, the number and density of fractures are quantitatively predicted according to the power-law distribution of fault length. Next, geomechanical simulation and fracture prediction were carried out on the model which was established with comprehensive consideration of the influencing factors of fracture distribution. Finally, the fracture distribution is evaluated comprehensively based on above prediction. The prediction results in this work are consistent with the core measurements.
Seismic Behavior of a Novel Buckling‐Restrained Steel Plate Shear Wall
Authors: Li Yang , Zhao Xiaofeng , Tan Ping , Zhou Fulin , Jiang Jin
Published: August 2021

In this study, in a novel buckling‐restrained steel plate shear wall (BRSPSW) with out‐of‐plane deformation spaces, angle steel stiffeners have been installed so as to create gaps between the steel plate and the covering concrete slabs. A finite element model has been developed to analyse the effect of the gap. According to the finite element results, seismic performance of this novel BRSPSW has been tested under cyclic loading at the scale ratio of 1/3. The failure pattern, hysteretic characteristics, skeleton curve, equivalent stiffness, ductility, and energy dissipation have all been systematically analysed. A stiffened steel plate shear wall (SPSW) has also been tested in order to determine the differences between these two steel shear walls in load‐carrying capability and the function and significance of the gap. The test results show that the novel BRSPSW does not only significantly enhance the ultimate bearing capacity, stiffness, ductility, and accumulated energy dissipation of the SPSW but also keep the steel plate basically intact at the end of the test. This can be attributed to the existence of the gaps between the infilled steel plate and the covering concrete slabs. The hysteretic characteristics and the strength and deformation characteristics of this novel BRSPSW have been simulated by using the finite element model, and the test results are in good agreement with the finite element results. Hence, the BRSPSW is an excellent steel plate shear wall to be used in high rise structure to resist horizontal loadings.
Impact of Facebook and Newspaper Advertising on Sales: A Comparative Study of Online and Print Media
Authors: Lin Yushan , Ahmad Zubair , Shafik Wasswa , Khosa Saima K. , Almaspoor Zahra , Alsuhabi Hassan , Abbas Faheem
Published: August 2021

Marketing means the strategies and tactics an organization undertakes for attracting consumers to promote the buying or selling of a product or service. Active marketing is about receiving messages from potential buyers to create ways to influence their purchasing decisions. Advertising is one of the most prominent marketing strategies to promote products to consumers. It is well known that advertisement has a significant impact on the sale of certain goods or services. In this paper, we consider two mediums of advertisement, such as Facebook (which is an online medium) and Newspaper (which is a printed medium). We consider a dataset representing the advertising budget (in hundreds of US dollars) of an electronic company and the sales of that company. We apply the quantitative research approach, and the data which are used in this research are secondary data. For analysis purposes, we consider a statistical tool called simple linear regression modeling. To check the significance of the advertising on sale, definite statistical tests are applied. Based on the findings of this research, it is observed that advertising has a significant impact on sales. It is also showed that spending money on advertising through Facebook has better sales than newspapers. The finding of this research shows that the use of computer‐based technologies and online mediums has a brighter future for advertising. Furthermore, a new statistical model is introduced using the Z family approach. The proposed model is very interesting and possesses heavy‐tailed properties. Finally, the applicability of the proposed model is illustrated by considering the financial dataset.
Natural Coumarins: Exploring the Pharmacological Complexity and Underlying Molecular Mechanisms
Authors: Sharifi-Rad Javad , Cruz-Martins Natália , López-Jornet Pía , Lopez Eduardo Pons-Fuster , Harun Nidaa , Yeskaliyeva Balakyz , Beyatli Ahmet , Sytar Oksana , Shaheen Shabnum , Sharopov Farukh , Taheri Yasaman , Docea Anca Oana , Calina Daniela , Cho William C.
Published: August 2021

Coumarins belong to the benzopyrone family commonly found in many medicinal plants. Natural coumarins demonstrated a wide spectrum of pharmacological activities, including anti‐inflammatory, anticoagulant, anticancer, antibacterial, antimalarial, casein kinase‐2 (CK2) inhibitory, antifungal, antiviral, Alzheimer’s disease inhibition, neuroprotective, anticonvulsant, phytoalexins, ulcerogenic, and antihypertensive. There are very few studies on the bioavailability of coumarins; therefore, further investigations are necessitated to study the bioavailability of different coumarins which already showed good biological activities in previous studies. On the evidence of varied pharmacological properties, the present work presents an overall review of the derivation, availability, and biological capacities of coumarins with further consideration of the essential mode of their therapeutic actions. In conclusion, a wide variety of coumarins are available, and their pharmacological activities are of current interest thanks to their synthetic accessibility and riches in medicinal plants. Coumarins perform the valuable function as therapeutic agents in a range of medical fields.
A Study Protocol for a Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Study on the Effect of Qishen Yiqi Dripping Pills on Exercise Endurance and Quality of Life in Patients with Coronary Heart Disease after Percutaneous Coronary Intervention
Authors: Yu Linghua , Lu Xiaoyan , Li Xianlun , Jiang Hong , Sun Ruihua , Chen Gang , Xiao Cheng
Published: August 2021

Background. Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is widely used in China, but it does not fundamentally improve exercise endurance or reduce mortality associated with cardiovascular disease. Standardized cardiac rehabilitation (CR) can reduce the mortality associated with coronary heart disease and reduce the need for repeated PCI procedures. Currently, research on CR after PCI is mainly based on traditional exercise prescription, while research on TCM is limited. Often, the combination of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and exercise rehabilitation is adopted, from which it is difficult to determine the unique advantages of TCM. Qishen Yiqi dripping pills (QSYQ) can improve myocardial energy metabolism and alleviate myocardial reperfusion injury after PCI. This paper describes the protocol for the clinical assessment of QSYQ on CR. Methods. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial will be used to evaluate the efficacy and safety of QSYQ on improving exercise endurance and quality of life. We plan to recruit 66 patients with stable angina pectoris with Qi deficiency and blood stasis syndrome differentiation after PCI from the China-Japan Friendship Hospital. On the basis of conventional drug treatment, QSYQ or placebo will be used for 12 weeks. PeakVO2 will be the main efficacy evaluation index, while Seattle scale and quality of life scale will be the secondary efficacy evaluation indexes. Discussion. CR therapy with integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine has been developed as a treatment modality in China and has been included in the expert consensus of TCM diagnosis and treatment. A rigorous trial design will ensure objective and scientific evaluation of the efficacy and safety of QSYQ in improving exercise endurance and quality of life in patients with PCI. Trial Registration. This trial is registered with Clinical trial registration in China: ChiCTR2000040838 (registration date: December 11, 2020).
A Study on Nash-Collative Differential Game of
N
-Players for Counterterrorism
Authors: Kassem Mohamed Abd El-Hady , Megahed Abd El-Monem A. , Arafat Hebatallah K.
Published: August 2021

In this work, by using the Nash-collative approach for a differential game problem between

N

-governments and terrorist organizations, we study governments’ cooperation and the role of each government for counterterrorism. Furthermore, we discuss the intertemporal strategic interaction of governments and terrorist organizations, where all world governments have to cooperate to fight terrorism. Also, we study the necessary conditions for finding the optimal strategies for each government to fight terrorism; we discuss the existence of the solution of the formulated problem and the stability set of the first kind of the optimal strategies.
Graph of Fuzzy Topographic Topological Mapping in relation to k-Fibonacci Sequence
Authors: Shukor Noorsufia Abd , Ahmad Tahir , Idris Amidora , Awang Siti Rahmah , Ahmad Fuad Amirul Aizad
Published: August 2021

A generated n-sequence of fuzzy topographic topological mapping,

FTTM

n

, is a combination of n number of FTTM’s graphs. An assembly graph is a graph whereby its vertices have valency of one or four. A Hamiltonian path is a path that visits every vertex of the graph exactly once. In this paper, we prove that assembly graphs exist in

FTTM

n

and establish their relations to the Hamiltonian polygonal paths. Finally, the relation between the Hamiltonian polygonal paths induced from

FTTM

n

to the k-Fibonacci sequence is established and their upper and lower bounds’ number of paths is determined.
Effect of Polymerization Time on Residual Monomer Release in Dental Composite: In Vitro Study
Authors: Sonkaya Ezgi , Kürklü Zeliha Gonca Bek , Bakır Şeyhmus
Published: August 2021

Light activated resin-based composites are the most accepted and used materials among clinicians. The aim of this study is to determine the amount of residual monomer released from nanofiller composite resins for different polymerization times and storage periods in vitro. To this purpose, Tetric Ceram (Ivoclar, Liechtenstein), Clearfil Majesty Posterior (Kuraray, Japan), Grandio (VOCO, Germany), and Filtek Ultimate Universal (3M, USA) were used as nanofiller resin composites samples. Four groups (

n
=
40

, diameter: 5 mm, thickness: 2 mm) of each material were fabricated, and each group was exposed to three different polymerization time (10, 20 and 40 sec). High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to measure the amount of monomers released over 1, 15, and 30 days. The highest amount of monomer release was seen in Tetric EvoCream composite, while the least monomer release was seen in Clearfil Majesty composite. Regardless of the polymerization time, material, or storage period, the highest amount of eluted monomer was Bis-GMA. It is observed that there is no statistically significant difference between various polymerization times. Monomer release reached its highest level on the 15th day and decreased on the 30th day for all composites. Polymerization time did not affect the monomer release from the composites, but the type of the monomers and concentration of the filler used in the composites affected the amount of released monomers. The use of TEGDMA (co)monomer reduced the monomer release.
Distressed Communities Index in Patients Undergoing Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation in an Affluent County in New York
Authors: Bilfinger Thomas , Nemesure Allison , Pyo Robert , Weinstein Jonathan , Korlipara Giridhar , Montellese Daniel , Khan Shamim , Patel Neal , Tannous Henry , Wang Ting-Yu , Gracia Ely , Callahan Susan , Parikh Puja B.
Published: August 2021

Background. The clinical impact of the distressed communities index (DCI), a composite measure of economic well-being based on the U.S. zip code, is becoming increasingly recognized. Ranging from 0 (prosperous) to 100 (distressed), DCI’s association with cardiovascular outcomes remains unknown. We aimed to study the association of the DCI with presentation and outcomes in adults with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis (AS) undergoing transcatheter aortic valve intervention (TAVR) in an affluent county in New York. Methods. The study population included 286 patients with severe symptomatic AS or degeneration of a bioprosthetic valve who underwent TAVR with a newer generation transcatheter heart valve (THV) from December 2015 to June 2018 at an academic tertiary medical center. DCI for each patient was derived from their primary residence zip code. Patients were classified into DCI deciles and then categorized into 4 groups. The primary and secondary outcomes of interest were 30-day, 1-year, and 3-year mortality, respectively. Results. Among 286 patients studied, 26%, 28%, 28%, and 18% were categorized into DCI groups 1–4, respectively (DCI <10: n = 73; DCI 10–20: n = 81; DCI 20–30: n = 80; DCI >30: n = 52). Patients in group 4 were younger with worse kidney function compared to patients in groups 1 and 2. They also had smaller aortic annuli and were more likely to receive a smaller THV. No significant difference in hospital length of stay or distribution of in-hospital, 30-day, 1-year, and 3-year mortality was demonstrated. Conclusions. While the DCI was associated with differences in the clinical and anatomic profile, it was not associated with differences in clinical outcomes in this prospective observational study of adults undergoing TAVR suggesting that access to care is the likely discriminator.
Herd Behavior and Its Effects on Default in Chinese Microcredit
Authors: Bu Ya , Zhang Shouzhe , Huang Anzhong
Published: August 2021

Herd behavior means a mode of behavior will be infected among the individuals in a group, and its existence and influence in specific financial market are uncertain. The paper utilizes the logistic model to test the existence and influence of herd behavior of borrowers in Chinese microcredit market. We find that (1) herd behavior exists in Chinese microcredit market, (2) the two most important factors affecting the default of microcredit resulted from herd behavior are the nature of microcredit institutions and the education level of borrowers, and (3) herd behavior will increase the possibility of default, but it is relatively small.
Simple Ways to Estimate Meningioma Volume: Can ABC- and SH-Derived Methods Be Used in Clinical Practice Reliably?
Authors: Xiao Dongdong , Liu Jun , Hu Tingting , Shah Nayaz Burkutally Mohammad , Jiang Xiaobing , Zhang Fangcheng , Yan Pengfei
Published: August 2021

Background. There is a clinical demand for rapid estimation of meningioma volumes. Our objective was to assess the accuracy of three ABC-derived and three SH-derived formula methods on volume estimation of meningiomas. Methods. The study group comprised 678 patients treated at our department for histopathologically proven intracranial meningiomas. For each patient, tumor volumes were independently measured using six formula methods as well as planimetry. Maximum tumor diameter and ellipsoidity were also recorded. Volumes were compared using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and consistency analysis. Results. Among all methods assessed, 2/3SH and 1/2ABC outperformed the others. No significant differences were found between volumes obtained by the two methods and those of planimetry (

p
>
0.05

). Spearman rank-correlation coefficients (rs) were 0.99 for both methods (

p
<
0.01

), and ICC were 0.99 and 0.98, respectively. In Bland-Altman plot, most data points lay inside the limit of agreement. Overall, 2/3SH overestimated tumor volumes by 1.29%, and estimation errors in 93.66% cases were within 20%; 1/2ABC overestimated tumor volumes by 5.36%, and estimation errors in 93.51% cases were within 30%. The performance of 2/3SH and 1/2ABC in small-volume meningiomas was slightly worse, especially for 1/2ABC. Correlations between ellipsoidity and percentage errors of 2/3SH and 1/2ABC were weak (rs = −0.06 and −0.24, respectively). Despite a significant correlation between maximum tumor diameter and planimetric volume (rs = −0.96), volumes could vary significantly for a given diameter. Conclusions. Formula methods 2/3SH and 1/2ABC can estimate meningioma volumes with decent accuracy. Compared with the 1/2ABC method, the 2/3SH method showed slightly better performance, especially in small-volume meningiomas. Ellipsoidity is not a suitable parameter to predict estimation error, and maximum tumor diameter is not a reliable surrogate for actual meningioma volume.