bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prevalence of S. mansoni Infection and Associated Risk Factors among School Children in Guangua District, Northwest Ethiopia
Authors: Tazebew Belaynesh , Temesgen Denekew , Alehegn Mastewal , Salew Desalew , Tarekegn Molalign
Published: April 2022

Back ground. Schistosomiasis is one of the neglected tropical diseases and is prevalent in tropics. It causes morbidity and mortality in developing countries including Ethiopia. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of S. mansoni infection and associated risk factors among two schools of Guangua district, northwest Ethiopia. Methods. A cross-sectional study design was employed. Four hundred twenty-two participants were selected. Data was collected through observation and interview with structured questionnaire. Stool specimens were collected and examined using two-slide Kato-Katz method. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 23. Logistic regression was fitted for analysis. Variables with

p

value <0.25 in the univariate logistic regression analysis were entered into the multivariable logistic regression model. Those with <0.05 were identified as significantly associated risk factors. To assure the quality of the data, training was given for data collectors and supervisors, and the tools were pretested on 5% of the sample size. Results. 404 (95.7%) school children were enrolled in the study. The overall prevalence of S. mansoni was 12.6%. School children in the age group 5-9 years old (AOR (95% CI): 22.27 (3.70-134.01),

p
=
0.001

), age group 10-14 years old (AOR (95% CI): 4.58 (1.14-18.42),

p
=
0.032

), grade levels 5-8 (AOR (95% CL): 14.95 (4.297-52.03),

p
=
0.001

),who swim frequently (AOR (95% CI): 11.35 (2.33-55.33),

p
=
0.003

), and those who cultivate near the irrigation area (AOR (95% CI): 7.10 (2.31-21.80),

p
=
0.001

) were significantly associated with high risk of S. mansoni infection. Conclusion and Recommendation. From the finding of the current study, it can be concluded that the prevalence of Schistosoma mansoni in the study area is relatively high. Age of fourteen and younger years old, swimming in the river, and irrigation practice were the main risk factors of S. mansoni infection. Thus, therapeutic interventions as well as health education are desirable.
[Retracted] Latest Lessons from the Bankruptcy of State‐Owned Enterprises (SOEs) in China: An Interpretative Structural Model (ISM) Approach
Authors: Lin Qin , Feng Lin , Khiewngamdee Chatchai , Li Pingping , Ye Xiaofei
Published: April 2022

State‐owned enterprises (SOEs) play an important role in China. During the transformation from a planned to a market economy, plenty of Chinese SOEs fell into trouble. Dalian machine tool group (DMTG) who was once a leading enterprise in the Chinese machine tool industry bankrupted in 2017. To explore the causes of its collapse, we employ the interpretative structural model (ISM) to investigate the reasons for its failures from multi‐aspect and at different levels. The results indicate that the root cause of this bankruptcy is the top manager’s mismanagement; the lack of a reasonable strategic positioning and long‐term product planning are also important factors of DMTG’s failure, and the problems of human resource management accelerated the bankruptcy. Findings provide lessons to be learned from the bankruptcy for SOEs and offer managerial insight into SOEs.
Modeling and Dynamic Performance Analysis of Hydraulic Top Drive Main Transmission System with Long Hydraulic Pipelines
Authors: Shi Yuanling , Zhang Pingsong
Published: April 2022

Hydraulic top drive is the main power component used to drive drilling tools rotating to drill a hole for drilling rigs. Its main transmission system was built with hydraulic power source and hydraulic actuators. During the drilling procession, the hydraulic top drive is mounted on a derrick, and moving along its vertical guide rails. The hydraulic power station is usually placed on the drilling platform or the ground. In that way, long pipelines are needed to connect the hydraulic pumps and hydraulic motors. Thus, the effects on the performance of hydraulic top drive should not be neglected. A mathematical model of hydraulic top drive main transmission with differential equation of hydraulic units and state space equation of hydraulic long pipelines was deduced in this research. A simulation model was built using the AMESim software. And field drilling test of the hydraulic top drive was carried out in Songliao Basin Drilling Project (SK-II) well site. To verify and modify the virtual model, a comparison analysis was performed by setting the parameters and load of the three methods at the same values. The result of comparison shows that the simulation results are very close to the theoretical results and field drilling test data. Thus, the dynamic characteristics could be analyzed by this simulation model. Dynamic characteristics of the hydraulic top drive with different length and various diameters of pipelines were studied. The simulation results demonstrate that pipeline lengths and pipeline diameters affect the system in different laws, and it needs to comprehensively consider the system response speed, overshoot, and steady-state characteristics when choosing the size of pipelines for hydraulic top drive.
Donor and Recipient Sex Matching and Corneal Graft Failure in High-Risk and Non-High-Risk Patients
Authors: Achiron Asaf , Yahalomi Tal , Hecht Idan , Stanescu Nir , Achiron Noy Romi , Burgansky-Eliash Zvia , Avizemer Haggai , Tuuminen Raimo , Spierer Oriel
Published: April 2022

Purpose. It is controversial whether donor-recipient sex mismatch is a risk factor associated with corneal graft failure. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of sex mismatch on corneal graft failure in high-risk and non-high-risk patients. Design. A retrospective study. Methods. The medical charts of patients who underwent corneal transplantations by one surgeon between 2012 and 2017 were reviewed. Patients were defined as high-risk for failure if they had glaucoma, ocular surface disease, or corneal vascularization. Graft failure rates were compared using the Kaplan–Meier survival curves between sex matched and mismatched subjects and between male-to-female grafting and other patients. Results. One hundred and thirteen patients with a minimum follow-up of 18 months were included. In 62 non-high-risk patients, graft failure rates were similar between the sex mismatched and the sex matched recipients (

p
=
0.645

, log-rank) and in male donor to female recipient transplantations and in the other transplantations (

p
=
0.496

, log-rank). Analysis of fifty-one eyes of 51 high-risk graft recipients (mean age of 73.4 ± 12.7 years, N = 26 females) showed that graft failure rates were significantly higher in the sex mismatched than sex matched recipients (

p
=
0.022

, log-rank) and in male donor to female recipient transplantations than in the other transplantations (

p
=
0.002

, log-rank). Conclusions. Sex matching for every patient bares logistic difficulties; however, in patients who are at high-risk for graft failure, it may be a simple way to improve outcomes and better utilize corneal grafts.
A Direct Ghost Fluid Method for Modeling Explosive Gas and Water Flows
Authors: Si Nan , Park Jinwon , Brown Alan J.
Published: April 2022

This work presents a Direct Ghost Fluid Method (DGFM) as part of a two-fluid numerical framework suitable to model explosive gas and water flows resulting from underwater explosion (UNDEX). Due to the presence of explosive gas and water with shock waves in the modeling domain, classic Eulerian methods with inherent diffusion may not be effective. Numerical diffusion occurs due to nonphysical diffused density at material interfaces, which creates spurious pressure oscillations and significantly degrades the quality of the numerical results. To eliminate or minimize numerical diffusion, sharp interface methods having no mixed elements may be used in multifluid flow computations. The Direct Ghost Fluid Method (DGFM) described in this paper uses direct extrapolation of density (vice pressure) and tangential velocity from real to ghost fluid. The spurious pressure oscillations near the material interface are therefore minimized. One-, two-, and three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) solvers that have DGFM as an essential part in their framework to model UNDEX interface conditions are developed, explored, and applied to the simulation of a series of benchmark problems. Excellent agreement is obtained among the simulations, the analytical solutions, and the experiments.
Intermedia Agenda Setting amid the Pandemic: A Computational Analysis of China’s Online News
Authors: Wang Hanxiao , Shi Jian
Published: April 2022

Based on Intermedia Agenda Setting (IAS), the current study examines how official media and semi-privatized commercial media on the Weibo platform covered the COVID-19 pandemic in China. Both supervised machine learning and time series analysis were employed to analyze 350,059 Weibo posts released by 3,883 news sources between December 2019 and April 2020. Our results indicated that, in this nonwestern state-regulated China media environment, official and semi-privatized commercial media had a significant reciprocal relationship in news coverage. Both of them focused on “treatment on patients,” “work resumption,” and “propaganda and mobilization.” Importantly, this paper sheds light on the value of the fine-grained level of agenda in IAS research. Using a fine-grained analysis, we separately investigated the effects of official and semi-privatized commercial media on predicting the pandemic prevalence, referring to the number of confirmed cases reported in real time. Implications and future directions were further discussed.
Government Subsidy Decision‐Making for Waste Tire Recycling under the Coexistence of the Retailer and the Internet Recycling Platform
Authors: Qi Fangmei , Fan Yuqi , Guan Gaofeng , Zheng Jin’e
Published: April 2022

The low efficiency of the closed‐loop supply chain in waste tire recycling has hindered the green development of China’s automobile industry. Additionally, the government subsidy decision has a huge influence on green development. This study focuses on a closed‐loop supply chain system that consists of five members, namely, manufacturer, retailer, Internet recycling platform, and government. It aims to investigate the effect of the government’s subsidy mechanism on the decision‐making process of recycling units, as well as to reveal the optimal strategies under different conditions. Under the coexistence of the retailer and the Internet recycling platform recycling programs implemented simultaneously by themselves, a two‐stage Stackelberg game model is developed to explore the optimal government subsidy decision and the optimal pricing decision of manufacturer, retailer, and network platform in the closed‐loop supply chain. At the same time, this paper investigates the effects of government subsidies on social welfare and the profits of supply chain members under different scenarios and then verifies the optimal government subsidy decision with MATLAB software through numerical examples and sensitivity analysis. The results show that the government subsidy coefficient is positively correlated with social welfare under four subsidy scenarios. To maximize the economic profit and social welfare of the members of the closed‐loop supply chain, the government should appropriately select different subsidy objects within the range of different subsidy coefficients. When the subsidy coefficient γ ∈ [0, 15] and the government chooses consumer as the subsidy object, the social welfare will be maximized when γ > 15 and the government chooses Internet recycling platform as the subsidy object. It is recommended that the government directly subsidizes the Internet recycling platform. However, in order to maintain the manufacturer’s core position in the closed‐loop supply chain, the subsidy coefficient for the Internet recycling platform should not exceed the critical value of 18. These results provide managerial insights for the government, manufacturer, and the third party to make decisions in the field of waste tire recycling. This paper presents the different subsidy conditions under which the government should appropriately select different subsidy objects. It also provides a theoretical and practical basis for improving the recycling efficiency of waste tires.
A New Approach to Study h-Hemiregular Hemirings in terms of Bipolar Fuzzy h-Ideals
Authors: Bashir Shahida , Al-Kenani Ahmad N. , Mazhar Rabia , Pervaiz Zunaira
Published: April 2022

This paper provides a generalized form of ideals, that is, h-ideals of hemirings with the combination of a bipolar fuzzy set (BFS). The BFS is an extension of the fuzzy set (FS), which deals with complex and vague problems in both positive and negative aspects. The basic purpose of this paper is to introduce the idea ofα,β−bipolar fuzzy h-subhemirings (h-BFSHs),α,β−bipolar fuzzy h-ideals (h-BFIs), andα,β−bipolar fuzzy h-bi-ideals (h-BFbIs) in hemirings by applying the definitions of belongingness∈and quasicoincidenceqof the bipolar fuzzy point. We will also focus on upper and lower parts of the h-product of bipolar fuzzy subsets (BFSSs) of hemirings. In the end, we have characterized the h-hemiregular and h-intrahemiregular hemirings in terms of the∈,∈∨q−h-BFIs and∈,∈∨q−h-BFbIs.
Oridonin Attenuates Cisplatin‐Induced Acute Kidney Injury via Inhibiting Oxidative Stress, Apoptosis, and Inflammation in Mice
Authors: Gu Hyemin , Gwon Mi-Gyeong , Kim Jong Hyun , Leem Jaechan , Lee Sun-Jae
Published: April 2022

The use of cisplatin, a chemotherapy drug, is often limited due to its renal side effects such as acute kidney injury (AKI). However, there are no validated medications to prevent or treat cisplatin‐induced AKI. Oridonin is the major bioactive component of Isodon rubescens (Rabdosia rubescens) and exhibits anticancer, antioxidative, and anti‐inflammatory effects. Recent studies have shown that oridonin alleviated a variety of inflammatory diseases, including renal diseases, in rodents. This study was aimed at investigating the potential renoprotective effect of oridonin on cisplatin‐induced AKI. Male C57BL/6 mice were administered with cisplatin (20 mg/kg) with or without oridonin (15 mg/kg). Oridonin administration to mice after cisplatin injection attenuated renal dysfunction and histopathological changes. Upregulation of tubular injury markers was also suppressed by oridonin. Mechanistically, oridonin suppressed lipid peroxidation and reversed the decreased ratio of reduced to oxidized glutathione in cisplatin‐injected mice. The increase in cisplatin‐induced apoptosis was also alleviated by the compound. Moreover, oridonin inhibited cytokine overproduction and attenuated immune cell infiltration in cisplatin‐injected mice. Altogether, these data demonstrated that oridonin alleviates cisplatin‐induced kidney injury via inhibiting oxidative stress, apoptosis, and inflammation.
Roadway Deformation and Control under Multidisturbed Secondary High Stress
Authors: Sun Xiaoguang , Wang Haibin , Wo Xiaofang , Sun Zhimeng , Sun Wenliang , Li Chunge
Published: April 2022

Aiming at the serious deformation and failure of mining roadway under the condition of high secondary stress in Xuchang Coal Mine, Shandong Province, the deformation law of surrounding rock under the influence of high secondary stress in the original support belt transport roadway was analyzed by the method of field measurement and numerical simulation, and the control scheme of surrounding rock was put forward. According to the actual site conditions of 3318 working face belt transport drift in Xuchang Coal Mine, this paper proposed a new bolt-net support technology scheme with high strength, high stiffness, and asymmetric characteristics and obtained through numerical simulation analysis: (1) when the 3318 working face begins to mining, the distribution of the maximum principal stress in the surrounding rock of the roadway changes from weak symmetry to strong asymmetry, especially the maximum principal stress in the surrounding rock of the two sides; (2) the superposition effect of leading abutment pressure, lateral abutment pressure, and fault structure has a strong influence on the distribution of the maximum principal stress of roadway surrounding rock. The field industrial test shows that the deformation of the surrounding rock at different parts of the belt transport roadway is significantly reduced after the implementation of the double-height asymmetric bolting support. Among them, the deformation of the roof decreases from 630 mm to 185 mm, the deformation of the left wall decreases from 550~620 mm to 150~170 mm, and the deformation of the right wall decreases from 600 mm to less than 180 mm. The nonuniform deformation degree of the top side is within 1~1.13, indicating that the anchor mesh composite bearing structure is uniformly deformed as a whole, and the overall bearing capacity of the structure is realized.
Bioprospecting of an Endolichenic Fungus Phanerochaete sordida Isolated from Mangrove-Associated Lichen Bactrospora myriadea
Authors: Weerasinghe Ramani H. , Shevkar Chaitrali D. , Maduranga Kasun , Pandey Komal H. , Attanayake Renuka N. , Kate Abhijeet S. , Weerakoon Gothamie , Behera Santosh K. , Kalia Kiran S. , Paranagama Priyani A.
Published: April 2022

Bioassay-guided fractionation of the ethyl acetate extract of Phanerochaete sordida, an endolichenic fungus (ELF) isolated from the host lichen Bactrospora myriadea, collected from Negombo lagoon, Sri Lanka, led to the isolation of a bioactive compound. Following the identification of the fungus using morphological and DNA barcoding techniques, the pure compound was isolated using column chromatography, preparative TLC, and semipreparative HPLC. The structure elucidation was carried out using IR, HR-ESI-MS and 1H, 13C & 2D NMR spectroscopic methods. The in vitro bioassays conducted revealed that compound 1 has a high antioxidant activity with ABTS•+ (IC50

58.91
±
1.35
 
μ
M

), moderate anti-inflammatory activity (IC50

254.79
±
1.41
 
μ
M

), comparable antibacterial activity against the oral-bacterial strain Streptococcus mutans (MIC 898.79 μM and MLC 1797.58 μM), moderate tyrosinase inhibition (IC50

1713.69
±
8.65
 
μ
M

), and moderate cytotoxicity against oral cancer (IC50

13.65
±
0.02
 
μ
M

), in comparison with respective positive controls. The in silico experiments conducted for tyrosinase inhibition and cytotoxicity using Schrödinger revealed results in line with the in vitro results, thus confirming the bioactivities. The molecule also satisfies the key features of drug likeliness according to pharmacokinetic studies.
Vascular Protective Effect and Its Possible Mechanism of Action on Selected Active Phytocompounds: A Review
Authors: Kamaruddin Nur Aqilah , Hakim Abdullah Muhammad Nazrul , Tan Jun Jie , Lim Vuanghao , Fong Lai Yen , Abd Ghafar Siti Aisyah , Yong Yoke Keong
Published: April 2022

Vascular endothelial dysfunction is characterized by an imbalance of vasodilation and vasoconstriction, deficiency of nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability and elevated reactive oxygen species (ROS), and proinflammatory factors. This dysfunction is a key to the early pathological development of major cardiovascular diseases including hypertension, atherosclerosis, and diabetes. Therefore, modulation of the vascular endothelium is considered an important therapeutic strategy to maintain the health of the cardiovascular system. Epidemiological studies have shown that regular consumption of medicinal plants, fruits, and vegetables promotes vascular health, lowering the risk of cardiovascular diseases. This is mainly attributed to the phytochemical compounds contained in these resources. Various databases, including Google Scholar, MEDLINE, PubMed, and the Directory of Open Access Journals, were searched to identify studies demonstrating the vascular protective effects of phytochemical compounds. The literature had revealed abundant data on phytochemical compounds protecting and improving the vascular system. Of the numerous compounds reported, curcumin, resveratrol, cyanidin-3-glucoside, berberine, epigallocatechin-3-gallate, and quercetin are discussed in this review to provide recent information on their vascular protective mechanisms in vivo and in vitro. Phytochemical compounds are promising therapeutic agents for vascular dysfunction due to their antioxidative mechanisms. However, future human studies will be necessary to confirm the clinical effects of these vascular protective mechanisms.
Exercise and Rehabilitation of Chronically Ill Patients Assisted by Small Digital Bio-Pulse Sensors
Authors: Zhang Fan , Wang Feng
Published: April 2022

With the continuous increase of the ageing population, the number of patients with chronic diseases has increased dramatically. The limited medical resources and the strong demand for high-quality medical services are in stark contradiction. Active rehabilitation training is one of the most effective rehabilitation methods, but it is difficult to achieve through traditional medical equipment. In this paper, aiming at effective clinical rehabilitation, an in-depth study was carried out on the exercise intention recognition experiment of patients, hoping to provide an effective rehabilitation treatment method for the recovery of patients with lower extremity motor function injury. This paper introduces the detection principle of the photoelectric pulse sensor and the design scheme that is used in physical education. In the experiment, through the hardware connection, programming, and the development of the host computer software, the pulse signal of the human body can be presented stably on the computer. The monitoring of the pulse of the students can help the physical education teacher to understand the situation of the students and prevent accidents. In addition, we believe that the acquisition of students’ pulse signals in physical education to build a database is of great significance for research and tracking of students’ health status and the research results will certainly promote the development of pulse diagnosis. In order to make the lower extremity exoskeleton rehabilitation system that can be applied in clinical rehabilitation, according to the Brunnstrom staging of patients with central nervous system injury, the needs of patients in different stages in the rehabilitation process were analysed and active and passive lower extremity rehabilitation strategies were formulated. Aiming at the problem of real-time and accurate identification of human motion intention, and to alleviate the mechanism motion delay caused by the delay of mechanical and control systems in the human-machine integrated system, a differential sEMG real-time feature extraction algorithm is proposed. The results show that the sensor and monitoring system have excellent stability, and the auxiliary system can accurately reflect the changing trend of the human biological pulse, achieve the expected effect, and effectively assist in the monitoring of exercise data for patients with chronic diseases. After treatment, the joint range of motion and muscle strength basically returned to normal levels, and the patient was able to walk independently. Compared with traditional treatment methods, the recovery time is shorter, the recovery of muscle strength is more effective, and the medical staff is more relaxed.
Deep Transfer Learning for Automatic Prediction of Hemorrhagic Stroke on CT Images
Authors: Rao B. Nageswara , Mohanty Sudhansu , Sen Kamal , Acharya U. Rajendra , Cheong Kang Hao , Sabut Sukanta
Published: April 2022

Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is the most common type of hemorrhagic stroke which occurs due to ruptures of weakened blood vessel in brain tissue. It is a serious medical emergency issues that needs immediate treatment. Large numbers of noncontrast-computed tomography (NCCT) brain images are analyzed manually by radiologists to diagnose the hemorrhagic stroke, which is a difficult and time-consuming process. In this study, we propose an automated transfer deep learning method that combines ResNet-50 and dense layer for accurate prediction of intracranial hemorrhage on NCCT brain images. A total of 1164 NCCT brain images were collected from 62 patients with hemorrhagic stroke from Kalinga Institute of Medical Science, Bhubaneswar and used for evaluating the model. The proposed model takes individual CT images as input and classifies them as hemorrhagic or normal. This deep transfer learning approach reached 99.6% accuracy, 99.7% specificity, and 99.4% sensitivity which are better results than that of ResNet-50 only. It is evident that the deep transfer learning model has advantages for automatic diagnosis of hemorrhagic stroke and has the potential to be used as a clinical decision support tool to assist radiologists in stroke diagnosis.
Updates on Prevalence and Trend Status of Visceral Leishmaniasis at Two Health Facilities in Amhara Regional State, Northwest Ethiopia: A Retrospective Study
Authors: Yimer Mulat , Nibret Endalkachew , Yismaw Gizachew
Published: April 2022

Ethiopia is one of the countries accounted for over 90% of annual visceral leishmaniasis incidence. Despite this, yet there are no active and passive surveillance activities in the Amhara Region that will give up-to-date information about the disease status at the health facility levels. Therefore, this study aimed to report up-to-date information about visceral leishmaniasis and its trend status at two health facilities and the surrounding areas. A retrospective study from October 2017 to May 2021 was conducted by reviewing patient records at Metema and Addis Zemen Hospitals. Data on Sex, age, occupation, residence, month, year, and rK39 test results were collected using a questionnaire and were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20. The chi-square test was used to see the association between variables. p < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Of the 2,703 visceral leishmaniasis suspected cases diagnosed with the rK39 test, 877 (32.4%) were confirmed (positive) cases. Monthly and yearly trends depicted that the largest number of suspected cases was reported in October and 2018, respectively. Daily laborers were the most affected individuals in Metema areas.
Cultural Familiarity, Foreign Language Speaking Skill, and Foreign Language Anxiety: The Case of Indonesian EFL Learners
Authors: Diep Le Thi Ngoc , Zainal Anna Gustina , Hassan Isyaku , Sunarti  , Al-Sudani Ahmed Qassem Ali Sharhan , Assefa Yalalem
Published: April 2022

Since cultural aspects of language learning are not incorporated in some EFL materials and textbooks, this study can be important to investigate the impacts of using cultural-based instruction on developing the speaking skill of Indonesian EFL learners. In addition, this research tried to examine the effects of using cultural-based instruction on foreign language anxiety of Indonesian EFL learners. To reach these aims, the Oxford Quick Placement Test (OQPT) was given to 83 EFL learners, and 50 of them were selected for the target sample of the current investigation. The selected respondents were then randomly divided into two equal experimental and control groups. Afterward, the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS) questionnaire was given to both groups. After providing the stated questionnaire, both groups were pretested by a speaking test. After that, the experimental group was instructed by applying a cultural-based instruction, while the control group received a noncultural-based education. After the instruction ended, the FLCAS questionnaire and the posttest of speaking were given to the respondents to determine the effects of the cultural-based instruction on their speaking skills and foreign language anxiety. The collected data were analyzed by using independent samples and paired sample

t

-tests. The results revealed that the experimental group had better performances than the control group on the speaking and anxiety posttests. Finally, based on the results, some conclusions and implications were suggested.
U-Net-Based Medical Image Segmentation
Authors: Yin Xiao-Xia , Sun Le , Fu Yuhan , Lu Ruiliang , Zhang Yanchun
Published: April 2022

Deep learning has been extensively applied to segmentation in medical imaging. U-Net proposed in 2015 shows the advantages of accurate segmentation of small targets and its scalable network architecture. With the increasing requirements for the performance of segmentation in medical imaging in recent years, U-Net has been cited academically more than 2500 times. Many scholars have been constantly developing the U-Net architecture. This paper summarizes the medical image segmentation technologies based on the U-Net structure variants concerning their structure, innovation, efficiency, etc.; reviews and categorizes the related methodology; and introduces the loss functions, evaluation parameters, and modules commonly applied to segmentation in medical imaging, which will provide a good reference for the future research.
Stereotactic Aspiration Acts as an Effective Treatment for Malignant Middle Cerebral Artery Infarction
Authors: Wang Zhiyu , Chen Maogang , Wang Chong , Luo Jinbiao , Sun Shujie , Lu Xiangui
Published: April 2022

Objective. This study seeks to explore the efficacy and prognosis of stereotactic aspiration for malignant middle cerebral artery infarction (mMCAI). Methods. A total of 50 mMCAI patients who were diagnosed and treated in our hospital from January 2018 to June 2020 were collected and then randomly divided into control group (decompressive craniectomy, n = 24) and study group (stereotactic aspiration, n = 26). After 1 and 6 months of treatment, the scores of the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), Barthel Index, and modified Rankin Scale (mRS) were used to evaluate the therapeutic effect. Additionally, the mortality and survival rates after treatment were recorded to compare the prognostic effect between the two groups. Results. One month after treatment, the GCS scores and Barthel Index score increased in both the control and study groups and were significantly higher in the study group. The follow-up results at 1 and 6 months after treatment showed that in comparison with the control group, stereotactic aspiration led to a higher survival rate and lower mortality rate; the latter had superior NIHSS score and mRS score and better prognosis. Conclusion. In comparison with decompressive craniectomy, stereotactic aspiration shows outstanding clinical efficacy and more advantages in the treatment of mMCAI. Therefore, stereotactic aspiration is more worthy of clinical application.
Fractional-Order Chelyshkov Collocation Method for Solving Systems of Fractional Differential Equations
Authors: Ahmed A. I. , Al-Ahmary T. A.
Published: April 2022

This paper presents an efficient method for solving systems of fractional differential equations by using the fractional-order Chelyshkov functions (FCHFs). The fractional derivative and the fractional integral are considered in the Caputo sense and the Riemann–Liouville sense, respectively. The proposed method is based on using the operational matrix of fractional integration for FCHFs, together with the spectral collocation method to transform the system of fractional differential equations into a system of algebraic equations. The convergence of the presented method is demonstrated. The performance of the presented method is tested through various examples of systems of fractional differential equations. A comparison with some existing methods shows that the presented method can be successfully used to solve systems of fractional differential equations with accuracy and efficiency.
Surgical Treatment of Upward Fixation of the Patella in a Multiparous Borana Breed Cow
Authors: Telila Cheru , Dugassa Jiregna
Published: April 2022

A 6-year-old multiparous Borana breed cow, which has been suffering from difficulty walking for 6 months, was presented to veterinary teaching hospital. As her previous history indicated, the lameness started during the second gestation, especially in the early morning, and subsides after a few hours of sunrise. She was completely cured after giving her second birth and a similar condition reappeared from the 5th month of the third gestation until she gave birth. However, unexpectedly the disease aggravated after 2 days of parturition, and she was unable to walk and forced to stay indoors due to complete extension of the stifle joint. As a result, she was unable to lay down and maintained a permanent standing position for 2 months of aggravation. Clinical findings showed difficult mobilization of the right hind leg, which was locked in extension at the stifle joint, and the hoof was dragging on the floor. Based on history and clinical findings, upper fixation of the patella was diagnosed, and it was treated with median patellar desmotomy under local anesthetic infiltration. Finally, after the complete severing of the medial ligament and skin closure, the animal was able to walk normally, and the wound was healed uneventfully.
Assessing the Effect of Nonresponse and Measurement Error Using a Novel Class of Efficient Estimators
Authors: Tiwari Kuldeep Kumar , Bhougal Sandeep , Kumar Sunil , Onyango Ronald
Published: April 2022

The purpose of any statistical analysis is to uncover the trend using real situations and provide an accurate model for future policies. In order to fulfill this aim, it is important to collect and use the data carefully and minimize the possibility of various types of errors. Nonresponse (NR) and measurement error (ME) are the two major types of nonsampling error that occur in almost every survey. We propose an estimator of the population mean and study its efficacy in the combined and separate effects of NR and ME. Some existing estimators are also considered for comparison. A simulation study was performed to see its efficiency numerically.
Mathematical Modeling and Optimal Control of Underground Ventilation and Air Conditioning in Station
Authors: Zheng Lei , Li Gang , An Junfeng , Lou Feipeng
Published: April 2022

The underground ventilation and air-conditioning system of the station accounts for about 40% of the total energy consumption of the subway. One of the important reasons is the cooling load of the station. The related control process has typical nonlinear, time-varying, and large inertia characteristics, and the traditional PID control algorithm is difficult to achieve the ideal control effect. Therefore, it is of great significance to study the application of the intelligent algorithm in subway ventilation and air-conditioning control systems to improve the control effect. Based on the analysis of the coupling characteristics of temperature and humidity control in subway air-conditioning systems, this paper designs the feedforward decoupling link according to the identification model and analyzes the control curves with and without the decoupling link when using conventional PID control, which shows the effectiveness of the method proposed in this paper.
Weighting Factor-Less Sequential Predictive Control of LC-Filtered Voltage Source Inverters
Authors: Zheng Changming , Gong Zheng , Zhu Rongwu
Published: April 2022

To eliminate the weighting factor tuning effort of typical finite-set model predictive control (FS-MPC), this paper proposes a weighting factor-less sequential model predictive control (SMPC) scheme for LC-filtered voltage source inverters. Two independent cost functions for minimizing capacitor-voltage and inductor-current tracking errors are deployed in a cascaded structure, eliminating the weighting factor. First, the optimal cascade order of the cost function is selected by the internal relationship of two control variables. Then, a graphical method is proposed to determine the optimal number of candidate voltage vectors selected from the first cost function. Moreover, to realize the strict current limitation, the current-constraint term is proved to be included in the voltage-related cost function. Another attractive feature of the proposed SMPC is that a smoother inductor-current starting response can be obtained compared to typical FS-MPC. Simulation and experimental results verify the feasibility of the presented approach.
A Novel Optimization Algorithm for Modifying the Parameter Unit of Solar PV Cell
Authors: Nayagam V. Senthil , Kumar S. Sanal , Thiyagarajan V. , Kamal Neel , Nisha N. , Isaac J. Samson , Kassa Adane
Published: April 2022

Because of the rise in solar electricity, photovoltaic research has increased. A precise model of the PV-based cell/unit is ideal for conceptually examining the capabilities of alternative control approaches. Extraction of precise values for relevant unknown elements of solar photovoltaic models is crucial for modeling PV systems. Optimization strategies for this topic have been increasingly important and dynamic in recent history due to their efficiency in dealing with extremely nonlinear multidimensional optimization challenges. The strategy avoids stalling by deleting the best solution; this keeps the engine diverse and increases global search capacity. Pattern searching, on either side, is a multiobjective approach that has a high convergence speed as well as good stability, which can increase the whale optimization algorithm’s traditional optimization ability. As a result, combining these two mechanisms can considerably improve the whale optimization algorithm capacity to find the optimal answer. The modified whale optimization algorithm may also be used to evaluate parameters in single-diode models, double-diode models, and photovoltaic panels, as well as to find independent variables in two distinct methods of PV modules under various light temperature and pressure circumstances. The analytical results show that the modified whale optimization algorithm is both valid and practical for predicting solar cell and photovoltaic unit characteristics. The study goes into great depth on a new optimization approach for changing the parameter unit of solar PV cells.
Research on English Hybrid Assisted Teaching System Using Contextual Support of R-CNN
Authors: Yuan Likun
Published: April 2022

The developing countries and developed countries are depending on major as well as single language, i.e., English. The software tool level English teaching assistance models are available but those are not that user-friendly and also unable to support current technology. The earlier English teaching assistance techniques like RFO (Random Forest Optimization) machine learning, Xboosting machine learning, and SVM (Support Vector Machine) cannot support background provision. English teachers must find a way to coordinate the relationships between students, teachers, the learning environment, and learning strategies. A modern user-friendly building technique and an advanced ecobalancing of education are suggested and executed, which may increase the hybrid education characteristics and request skills of English. Therefore, an advanced ANN-(artificial neural network-) based hybrid English teaching assistance model is inevitability necessary. In this research work, R-CNN-based ANN model is imported to make applications for hybrid English teaching assistants. The performance measures like accuracy 97.89%, sensitivity 98.34%, recall 94.83%, and throughput 92.89% had attained. The implemented design is competing with present technology and outstrips the methodology. The process is outstripped by the realized design, which competes with current technology.
Bone Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Derived Extracellular Vesicles Containing Long Noncoding RNA NEAT1 Relieve Osteoarthritis
Authors: Zhang Shuai , Jin Zhe
Published: April 2022

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) derived from bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) possess potentials in modulation of the biological process in various diseases. However, an extensive investigation of the mechanism of BMSC-derived EVs (BMSC-EVs) in osteoarthritis (OA) remains unknown. Thus, we focused on the mechanism behind BMSC-EVs in OA. Cartilage tissues were harvested from OA patients, in which the microRNA (miR)-122-5p and Sesn2 expression were determined. BMSCs and their EVs were extracted. Chondrocytes were cocultured with BMSC-EVs overexpressing NEAT1, followed by gain- or loss-of-function assays for studying their effect on cell proliferation, apoptosis, and autophagy. Relationship among NEAT1, miR-122-5p, and Sesn2 was assessed. OA mouse model was established by the destabilization of medial meniscus method to elucidate the effect of NEAT1 in vivo. NEAT1 could be transferred from BMSC-EVs into the chondrocytes. miR-122-5p was highly expressed but Sesn2 was poorly expressed in cartilage tissues of OA patients. Mechanically, NEAT1 bound to miR-122-5p to limit miR-122-5p expression which targeted Sesn2, thus activating the Nrf2 pathway. In chondrocytes, NEAT1 delivered by BMSC-EVs, miR-122-5p downregulation, or Sesn2 overexpression induced the proliferation and autophagy of chondrocytes but inhibited their apoptosis. Meanwhile, NEAT1 delivered by BMSC-EVs relieved OA by regulating the miR-122-5p/Sesn2/Nrf2 axis in vivo. Taken altogether, BMSC-EVs containing NEAT1 activated the Sesn2/Nrf2 axis via binding to miR-122-5p for protection against OA.
Chemical Modification of Teff Straw Biomass for Adsorptive Removal of Cr (VI) from Aqueous Solution: Characterization, Optimization, Kinetics, and Thermodynamic Aspects
Authors: Ayele Ashagrie Liyew , Tizazu Belachew Zegale , Wassie Abrham Bayeh
Published: April 2022

Teff straw, a by-product of Teff, mainly available in Ethiopia, has not been studied much for biosorbent production. The present study has investigated the effects of modification and optimization of process parameters (viz., concentration of modifying agent (H3PO4 and KOH), modifying temperature, and modifying time) on the Cr (VI) removal efficiency of using chemically activated Teff straw biosorbent by RSM followed by BBD. The maximum Cr (VI) removal was obtained using an H3PO4-modified Teff straw biosorbent of 92.5% with 2 M concentration of the modifying agent, 110°C, and 4 h. Similarly, maximum Cr (VI) removal using KOH-modified Teff straw biosorbent of 95.2% was obtained with 1.5 M activating agent concentration, 105°C activation temperature, and 3.5 h activation time. In addition, the effects of adsorption parameters (viz., biosorbent dosage, temperature, initial concentration of Cr (VI), and contact time) were investigated. The maximum removal efficiency was attained at 2 g of biosorbent dosage, 4 h contact, 75 mg/L of initial Cr (VI) concentration, and 25°C sorption temperature. In addition, isotherm, kinetic, and thermodynamic studies for Cr (VI) biosorption were studied. The experimental adsorption data were well fitted with the Langmuir isotherm and pseudo-second-order kinetic model with higher correlation coefficient in both untreated and chemically modified Teff straw biosorbent. The investigated thermodynamic parameters ([Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], and [Formula: see text]) confirmed that Cr (VI) metal ions’ adsorption process onto Teff straw biosorbent was spontaneous and endothermic.
Arbutin Alleviates LPS Induced Sepsis Pneumonia in Mice
Authors: Bian Xiang-Xiang , Zhao Xuan , Ma Chun-Hua , Shen Chuan-Pu
Published: April 2022

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of arbutin (AR) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced sepsis pneumonia. LPS-induced mice and A549 cells were used to establish septic pneumonia model. AR significantly decreased lung wet-to-dry weight (W/D) ratio, lung myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity and ameliorated lung histopathological changes. In addition, AR increased super oxide dismutase (SOD) activity, decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) content and levels of cytokines including tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-β) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) in mice. Furthermore, the results demonstrated that AR inhibited the JAK2/STAT3/NF-κB pathway in LPS-induced A549 cells which was further confirmed by siRNA JAK2 experiment. The experimental results indicated that the protective mechanism of AR on sepsis pneumonia might be attributed partly to the inhibition of cytokine production and JAK2/STAT3/NF-κB pathway.
Longitudinal Trajectories of Memory Performance in Patients with Early-Stage Breast Cancer
Authors: Apple Alexandra C. , Lindbergh Cutter A. , Landau Susan M. , DeLuca Amy , Eberling Jamie L. , Jagust William J. , Kramer Joel H. , Rugo Hope S. , Heflin Lara H.
Published: April 2022

Background. While breast cancer and its treatments may affect cognition, the longitudinal trajectories of cognition among those receiving differing cancer treatment types remain poorly understood. Prior research suggests hippocampal-prefrontal cortex network integrity may influence cognition, although how this network predicts performance over time remains unclear. Methods. We conducted a prospective trial including 69 patients with early-stage breast cancer receiving adjuvant therapy and 12 controls. Longitudinal cognitive testing was conducted at four visits: pretreatment-baseline, 6-7 months, 14-15 months, and 23-24 months. Cognitive composite scores of episodic memory, executive functioning, and processing speed were assessed at each timepoint. Baseline structural MRI was obtained in a subset of these participants, and hippocampal and prefrontal cortex regional volumes were extracted. Results. Longitudinal linear mixed modeling revealed significant group by time interactions on memory performance, controlling for age and education. Post hoc analyses revealed this effect was driven by patients treated with chemotherapy or chemotherapy plus hormone therapy, who demonstrated the least improvement in memory scores over time. Treatment group did not significantly influence the relationship between time and processing speed or executive functioning. Neither pretreatment hippocampal nor prefrontal volume differed between groups, and there were no significant group by time by baseline regional volume effects on cognition. Conclusion. Patients with early-stage breast cancer treated with chemotherapy or chemotherapy plus hormone therapy benefit less from practice effects seen in healthy controls on memory tests. Loss of longitudinal practice effect may be a new and clinically relevant measure for capturing patients’ experience of cognitive difficulties after treatment.
An English Pronunciation Error Detection System Based on Improved Random Forest
Authors: Cao Haiyang , Dong Chengmei
Published: April 2022

The existing English pronunciation error detection methods are more oriented to the detection of wrong pronunciation, and lack of targeted improvement suggestions for pronunciation errors. With the aim of solving this problem, the paper proposes an English pronunciation error detection system based on improved random forest. Firstly, a speech corpus is constructed along with the evaluation of the acoustic features. Then an improved random forest detection algorithm is designed. The algorithm inputs rare mispronunciation data into a GAN neural network to generate new class samples and improve the uneven distribution of mispronunciation data in the sample set. The distribution rules of the pronunciation data are extracted layer by layer by stacking deep SDAEs, and the coefficient penalties and reconstruction errors of each coding layer are combined to identify the features associated with the wrong pronunciation in the high-dimensional data. Furthermore, a forest decision tree is constructed using the reduced-dimensional feature-based data to improve the pronunciation detection accuracy. Finally, the extracted 39 Mel Frequency Cepstral Coefficient (MFCC) acoustic features are used as the input of the improved random forest classifier to construct a classification error detection model. The experimental results indicate that the designed system achieves a high accuracy of English pronunciation detection.