bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Superconvergent Isogeometric Method with Refined Quadrature for Buckling Analysis of Thin Beams and Plates
Authors: Xu Xiaolan , Wang Dongdong , Li Xiwei , Hou Songyang , Zhang Jianguo
Published: July 2021

A superconvergent isogeometric method is developed for the buckling analysis of thin beams and plates, in which the quadratic basis functions are particularly considered. This method is formulated through refining the quadrature rules used for the numerical integration of geometric and material stiffness matrices. The criterion for the quadrature refinement is the optimization of the buckling load accuracy under the assumption of harmonic buckling modes for thin beams and plates. The method development starts with the thin beam buckling analysis, where the material stiffness matrix with quadratic basis functions does not involve numerical integration and thus the refined quadrature rule for geometric stiffness matrix can be obtained in a relatively easy way. Subsequently, this refined quadrature rule for thin beam geometric stiffness matrix is conveniently generalized to the thin plate geometric stiffness matrix via the tensor product operation. Meanwhile, the refined quadrature rule for the thin plate material stiffness matrix is derived by minimizing the buckling load error. It turns out that the refined quadrature rule for the thin plate material stiffness matrix generally depends on the wave numbers of buckling modes. A theoretical error analysis for the buckling loads evinces that the isogeometric method with refined quadrature rules offers a fourth-order accurate superconvergent algorithm for buckling load computation, which is two orders higher than the standard isogeometric analysis approach. Numerical results well demonstrate the superconvergence of the proposed method for the buckling loads corresponding to harmonic buckling modes, and for those related with non-harmonic modes, the buckling loads given by the proposed method are also much more accurate than their counterparts produced by the conventional isogeometric analysis.
Dynamic Analysis of Two Parallel Rectangular Plates Coupled with Mechanical Links
Authors: Zhang Yufei , Du Jingtao
Published: July 2021

The plate-type structures are classical configurations in many engineering applications. A comprehensive understanding of the structural dynamic mechanisms is of great significance. An analytical modeling approach is established and applied to investigate the dynamic characteristics of a plate system. The model encompasses two parallel elastically restrained rectangular plates coupled through mechanical links. The linear stiffness parameters are used to simulate various structural boundary conditions and mechanical links. The wave propagation of the plate structure is considered based on the improved Fourier series method. And the theoretical formulations for the dynamic performance of the plate system are obtained by employing the energy principle and Rayleigh–Ritz method. The stability and efficiency of the proposed model are firstly validated for the plate system with classical boundary conditions by comparing the results obtained from FEM software. Subsequently, the boundary restraining parameters are analyzed to figure out their effects on the modal characteristics of the plate system. In addition, the influence of mechanical link distributions on the forced response properties of the plate system is presented and discussed. Numerical results show that the importance of both the boundary conditions and the mechanical link distributions on the dynamic behavior of the plate system. The obtained results of the dynamic investigation and parametric analysis of the plate system can be useful for the further work of vibration and noise control technology of engineering applications.
New Set of Invariant Quaternion Krawtchouk Moments for Color Image Representation and Recognition
Authors: Hassan Gaber , Hosny Khalid M. , Farouk R. M. , Alzohairy Ahmed M.
Published: July 2021

One of the most often used techniques to represent color images is quaternion algebra. This study introduces the quaternion Krawtchouk moments, QKrMs, as a new set of moments to represent color images. Krawtchouk moments (KrMs) represent one type of discrete moments. QKrMs use traditional Krawtchouk moments of each color channel to describe color images. This new set of moments is defined by using orthogonal polynomials called the Krawtchouk polynomials. The stability against the translation, rotation, and scaling transformations for QKrMs is discussed. The performance of the proposed QKrMs is evaluated against other discrete quaternion moments for image reconstruction capability, toughness against various types of noise, invariance to similarity transformations, color face image recognition, and CPU elapsed times.
ANALYSIS OF HYDROLOGICAL DROUGHT TRENDS IN AUSTRALIA WATERSHED
Authors: SHAHRAKI ABDOL AZIZ
Published: July 2021

This paper is about the problem of drought and its future. The research methods are both theoretical and field studies. This paper presents a mathematical model for drought analysis in Australia that can predict its future trend. It analyses three meteorological indicators, including annual rainfall, increases in temperature, and water consumption volume. Surveys about the mentioned indicators are from the past to the present and now to the future intervals. This paper suggests practical solutions to change the conditions of drought-affected regions. The research method, simulated exemplary, and outcomes of this paper are applicable everywhere in the world affected by the hydro-drought crisis.
Reactivation mechanisms and related-porosity enhancement of shear zones in the context of basement-hosted uranium mineralization: case of the Spitfire discovery in the Patterson Lake corridor, Canada
Authors: Abdelrazek Maher , Benedicto Antonio , Gerbeaud Olivier , Ledru Patrick
Published: July 2021

Uranium mineralization in the Patterson Lake corridor (southwestern Churchill province, Canada) is hosted in the metamorphosed Paleoproterozoic basement covered to the north by the flat-lying sandstone formations of the Athabasca Basin. The mineralization is exclusively contained within inherited ductile structures that were reactivated under a brittle regime. Petrographic and micro-structural studies of drill core samples from the Spitfire discovery (Hook Lake project) reveal the linkages between structural evolution of the basement, alteration and mineralization. During basement exhumation, localization of non-coaxial deformation led to the formation of a large anastomosing shear zone system made of mylonitic rocks. Strain localization associated with fluid circulation induced strong mineralogical and rheological changes, forming discontinuities in mechanical anisotropy. During and post-deposition of the Athabasca Basin after 1.80 Ga, these zones of anisotropy localized brittle reactivation, expressed by a network of micro-fractures later amplified by dissolution processes which enhanced porosity later filled with phyllosilicates and uranium oxides. Cross-cutting relationships between alteration minerals and structures indicate that fluid circulation was active after the basement exhumation. Uranium-bearing fluids moved through the network of micro-fractures. As shown for the Spitfire prospect, fertile structures in the basement below the Athabasca Basin have a combined poly-phase structural and alteration history during which development of ductile shear zones followed by brittle reactivation and dissolution processes led to the formation of superimposed shear and damaged zones in which uranium orebodies are located.

Thematic collection:
This article is part of the Uranium Fluid Pathways collection available at:
https://www.lyellcollection.org/cc/uranium-fluid-pathways
Hybrid Inception v3 XGBoost Model for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Classification
Authors: Ramaneswaran S. , Srinivasan Kathiravan , Vincent P. M. Durai Raj , Chang Chuan-Yu
Published: July 2021

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common type of pediatric malignancy which accounts for 25% of all pediatric cancers. It is a life-threatening disease which if left untreated can cause death within a few weeks. Many computerized methods have been proposed for the detection of ALL from microscopic cell images. In this paper, we propose a hybrid Inception v3 XGBoost model for the classification of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) from microscopic white blood cell images. In the proposed model, Inception v3 acts as the image feature extractor and the XGBoost model acts as the classification head. Experiments indicate that the proposed model performs better than the other methods identified in literature. The proposed hybrid model achieves a weighted F1 score of 0.986. Through experiments, we demonstrate that using an XGBoost classification head instead of a softmax classification head improves classification performance for this dataset for several different CNN backbones (feature extractors). We also visualize the attention map of the features extracted by Inception v3 to interpret the features learnt by the proposed model.
Pre-Evaluation of Industrialization Project of Local Science and Technology Achievements Based on FAHP
Authors: Chang Yongzhi , Hang Yu , Liang Tong
Published: July 2021

In order to build a scientific pre-evaluation system for the industrialization of local science and technology (sci-tech) achievements, based on the analysis of the characteristics and laws of the industrialization projects of sci-tech achievements, the pre-evaluation of the industrialization projects of sci-tech achievements at home and abroad, the importance of the pre-evaluation of the industrialization projects of local sci-tech achievements and the research methods, the pre-evaluation index system of industrialization projects of local sci-tech achievements has been established from six aspects: policy environment, technical performance, economic benefits, resource guarantee, organizational guarantee, and social benefits. The research took the smart manufacturing project in Xiqing District of Tianjin as the object of empirical analysis and applied the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) to comprehensively evaluate the project. The overall score of the smart manufacturing project was 87.639, and the evaluation result was good and in accordance with the actual situation. The feasibility and validity of the evaluation index system and the evaluation model are verified, the risks of economy and policy in the industrialization of sci-tech achievements are reduced, and the optimization rate of the industrialization project is improved, which provide a reliable basis for local governments to realize the industrialization of sci-tech achievements.
Systems Evaluation for Operational Risks of International Transport Corridors: A Case Study of China-Pakistan-Iran-Turkey International Transport Corridor
Authors: Xiaoxiang Zhou , Chengfeng Huang
Published: July 2021

Ensuring international transport corridors’ safety is essential for countries along the routes. For the sustainable development of international transport channels, this paper discusses how to evaluate the operational risks and how to alleviate the adverse effects caused by emergencies. First, an indicator system of international transport corridors’ operational risks was constructed, which consists of 30 indicators from five dimensions of politics, economy, society, safety, and technology. Secondly, a comprehensive scoring approach combined with a network analysis method was applied to examine the effects caused by operational hazards. On this basis, the quantitative method and rigorous statistical analysis were used to evaluate the China-Pakistan-Iran-Turkey International Transport Corridor in the south line of the Silk Road Economic Belt, whose operational risks from 2010 to 2019 were analyzed. Finally, the operational risk index was discussed in detail. Results demonstrate the following. (1) During the China-Pakistan-Iran-Turkey International Transport Corridor, the Pakistan section has the highest operational risk index, and the next culprit is Turkey, followed by Iran. The Chinese section has the lowest operational risk index. (2) Pakistan has been trapped in severe political risks and security risks in recent years. Turkey suffers from severe security risks due to the Kurdish problem. Iran ranks first in terms of economic risk and social risk. Special attention should be paid to the natural risks for China. (3) Pakistan’s operational risks will exhibit consistently high in the future, while China appears downwards in long-term trend. The operational risk index in Iran is on the rise. Turkey shows a flattening of and then a slight decline in the foreseeable future.
Stability of a Rock Tunnel Passing through Talus‐Like Formations: A Case Study in Southwestern China
Authors: Zhang Shaoqiang , Li Wenqiang , Tan Jiashan , Li Bokuan , Li Xiaochang , Wang Shuaifeng , Zhang Zixin
Published: July 2021

Tayi tunnel is one of the component tunnels in the Jian‐Ge‐Yuan Highway Project located in Yunnan Province, southeast of China. It mainly passes through talus‐like formations comprised of rock blocks of diverse sizes and weak interlayers with clayey soils with different fractions. Such a special composition leads to the loose and fractured structure of talus‐like formations, which is highly sensitive to the excavation perturbation. Therefore, Tayi tunnel has become the controlled pot of the whole highway project as the construction speed has to be slowed down to reduce the deformation of surrounding talus‐like rock mass. To better understand the tunnel‐induced ground response and the interaction between the surrounding rock mass and tunnel lining, a comprehensive in situ monitoring program was set up. The in situ monitoring contents included the surrounding rock pressure on the primary lining, the primary lining deformation, and the stress of steel arches. Based on the monitoring data, the temporal and the long‐term spatial characteristics of mechanical behavior of surrounding rock mass and lining structure due to the excavation process were analyzed and discussed. It is found that the excavation of lower benches released the surrounding rock pressure around upper benches, resulting in the decrease of the surrounding rock pressure on the primary lining and the stress of steel arches. In addition, the monitoring data revealed that the primary lining sustained bias pressure from the surrounding rock mass, which thereby caused unsymmetrical deformation of the primary lining, in accordance with the monitored displacement data. A dynamically adaptive support system was implemented to strengthen the bearing capacity of the lining system especially in the region of an extremely weak rock mass. After such treatment, the deformation of the primary lining has been well controlled and the construction speed has been considerably enhanced.
Automatic Construction and Extraction of Sports Moment Feature Variables Using Artificial Intelligence
Authors: Zhang Zhao , Li Wang , Zhang Yuyang
Published: July 2021

In this paper, we study the automatic construction and extraction of feature variables of sports moments and construct the extraction of the specific variables by artificial intelligence. In this paper, support vector machines, which have better performance in the case of small samples, are selected as classifiers, and multiclass classifiers are constructed in a one‐to‐one manner to achieve the classification and recognition of human sports postures. The classifier for a single decomposed action is constructed to transform the automatic description problem of free gymnastic movements into a multilabel classification problem. With the increase in the depth of the feature extraction network, the experimental effect is enhanced; however, the two‐dimensional convolutional neural network loses temporal information when extracting features, so the three‐dimensional convolutional network is used in this paper for spatial‐temporal feature extraction of the video. The extracted features are binary classified several times to achieve the goal of multilabel classification. To form a comparison experiment, the results of the classification are randomly combined into a sentence and compared with the results of the automatic description method to verify the effectiveness of the method. The multiclass classifier constructed in this paper is used for human motion pose classification and recognition tests, and the experimental results show that the human motion pose recognition algorithm based on multifeature fusion can effectively improve the recognition accuracy and perform well in practical applications.
Study on Micro Displacement Mechanism of Hydraulic Fracturing by Oil Displacement Agent at High Pressure
Authors: Wang Fengjiao , Wang Xu , Liu Yikun , Deng Qingjun , Hu Jianan , Lv Yingbo
Published: July 2021

The type-III oil formations in Daqing Oilfield are the representatives of medium-low permeability reservoirs in ultrahigh water cut oilfields of China, which is characterized by bad connectivity of pores and throats, dispersed residual oil distribution, and difficult to displace effectively. In order to produce the residual oil, we propose a new EOR (enhanced oil recovery) method which is hydraulic fracturing by an oil displacement agent at high pressure. In this paper, firstly, we have performed three sets of displacement experiments under different conditions to provide the basis for the analysis of changes in core pore structure and wettability. Next, overburden pressure porosity and permeability tests were used to analyze the effect of the injection of an oil displacement agent at high pressure on core physical properties. Correspondingly, the constant speed mercury injection tests were used to determine the radius distribution of pore throat and change of seepage resistance under different displacement conditions. Moreover, the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) tests of cores were carried out to observe and analyze changes in pore-throat size and connectivity, mineral particle accumulation, and cementation before and after hydraulic fracturing by an oil displacement agent at high pressure. Finally, core wettability tests were conducted to discuss and analyze the rule of core wettability change in hydraulic fracturing by an oil displacement agent at high pressure, and its mechanism of wettability changes. Research shows that increasing the formation energy is the most important mechanism of EOR by a fracturing-seepage-displacement method. Additionally, the type of an oil displacement agent has less effect. After an oil displacement agent at high pressure is injected to fracture the formation, it not only provides efficient flow channel and larger sweep volume for an oil displacement agent. Under the flushing action of high-pressure injection fluid, the original way of line or point contact between mineral particles gradually changes to free particles. Therefore, the pore throat size increases, some larger pores are formed, and the overall flow resistance decreases. After the injection of fluid at high pressure, the energy in formation has increased and the core wettability changes from oil-wet to weakly water-wet. This is not only because the residual oil on the pore surface is flushed by high pressure; in addition, the adsorption of an oil displacement agent on the rock surface reduces the liquid-solid interface energy and changes the wettability, thus improving the oil displacement efficiency.
SAVE-T: Safety Analysis Visualization and Evaluation Tool
Authors: Zhu Yuan , Demiroluk Sami , Ozbay Kaan , Xie Kun , Yang Hong , Sha Di
Published: July 2021

Traffic crashes are one of the biggest issues which constitute a threat to lives of the motorists and disrupt operations of the transportation system. To reduce the number of crashes and alleviate their impacts, it is necessary to scrutinize the factors contributing to the risk of traffic crashes. Lately, visual analytics tools become very popular for data exploration and obtaining insights from the data. In this paper, a new web-based data visualization tool called Safety Analysis Visualization and Evaluation Tool (SAVE-T) was introduced. This tool enables users to interactively create queries and visually explore the results. By utilizing an online crash database, it offers various innovative functionalities for analysis and visualization of the crash data such as custom query development module and a subway-like map for easily visualizing the accident on the roadway segments. This tool provides an effective and efficient way to transportation agencies and professionals for traffic safety analyses and visualizations.
Genetic Types and Main Control Factors of Microfractures in Tight Oil Reservoirs of Jimsar Sag
Authors: Kong Xiangye , Zeng Jianhui , Tan Xianfeng , Yuan Haowei , Liu Dan , Luo Qun , Wang Qianyou , Zuo Rusi
Published: July 2021

Microfractures are key for migrating and aggregating hydrocarbon source rocks and fracturing oil-gas exploitation in tight reservoirs. In this study, rock samples from the Lucaogou Formation tight reservoirs in Xinjiang, China, were studied using multidisciplinary techniques to investigate the genetic types and main control factors of microfractures. Results indicated that the Lucaogou Formation mainly developed diagenetic microfractures followed by tectonic microfractures, with slight formations of granular microfractures. These observations were used to clarify the relationship between the development of microfractures and the pore fluid content, lithology, mineral composition, and stratum thickness. A higher pore fluid content corresponded to a lower compressive strength of the rocks and a larger ring count, resulting in a higher probability of failure and microfracture formation. Tight reservoirs containing more quartz and carbonate minerals were found to develop more microfractures. Quartz grains showed fractures at the margins under stress, which increased the pore permeability of rocks. Carbonate minerals tended to form microfractures owing to corrosion. Microfracture formation mechanisms differed depending on lithology, and microfractures were found to develop most in dolomite and dolomitic siltstones and least in mudstone. Muddy rocks developed fewer tectonic fractures because they can easily absorb stress and undergo plastic deformation. Within a certain stratum thickness range, the average single-well fracture space and stratum thickness showed positive correlations. Moreover, the fracture space increased and the fracture density decreased as the stratum thickness increased. When the stratum thickness was less than 2.5 m, the fracture space increased linearly with the stratum thickness, and when the stratum thickness was greater than 2.5 m, the fracture space remained constant. This study will provide an essential scientific basis for enhancing tight oil recovery.
Adenoid (Acantholytic) Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Mandibular Gingiva
Authors: Raut T. , Keshwar S. , Jaisani M. R. , Shrestha A.
Published: July 2021

Introduction. Adenoid (acantholytic) squamous cell carcinoma (ASCC) is a histological variant of squamous cell carcinoma which occurs mainly in the sun-exposed areas of the head and neck region. It is commonly seen among males which mainly occurs in the sixth and seventh decade of life with lip being predominately affected. Limited scientific literature is documenting the intraoral presentation of ASCC in contrast to its usual extraoral lesions associated with the skin. Characteristic pseudo glandular alveolar space formation seen in ASCC often mimics carcinoma of salivary gland origin. In-depth knowledge of histopathological features of ASCC is important to diagnose this uncommon variant. Case Description. An 80-year-old female presented with the chief complaint of the nonhealing lesion in the right lower back region of the jaw for 2 months, associated with pain. A provisional diagnosis of oral cancer was considered, and an incisional biopsy was done. Histopathological presentation of the epithelial tumor island, pseudo glandular duct-like structures, and neoplastic cells showing features of dysplasia and keratin pearl formation confirmed the diagnosis as adenoid (acantholytic) squamous cell carcinoma. Conclusion. The histopathological presentation of adenoid (acantholytic) squamous cell carcinoma reflects the prognosis and metastatic behavior of the diseases. The knowledge of histopathological features of ASCC would be a guide to the untrained eye for the diagnosis and management of this uncommon variant to minimize the rate of metastasis or reoccurrence.
Genital and Intertriginous Rashes Refractory to Antimicrobial Treatments: Have You Thought about Crohn’s Disease?
Authors: O’Farrell Candelaria , Roberts Annette , Riera Canales Claudia , Firestone Baum Carrie , Felipez Lina Maria
Published: July 2021

Crohn’s disease is an inflammatory bowel disease that can have multiple extraintestinal manifestations and can develop prior to, following, or simultaneously with gastrointestinal tract involvement (Aberumand et al. (2017), Georgious et al. (2006), Larsen et al. (2010), Levine and Burakoff (2011), Louis et al. (2018)). This report examines the case of a 16-year-old male with a rash of the genital, intergluteal, and inguinal regions refractory to antimicrobial treatments suspicious for an extraintestinal manifestation of Crohn’s disease. The patient was diagnosed with inflammatory, nonfistulizing colonic Crohn’s disease following presentation with gastrointestinal symptoms including abdominal pain and bloody stools 6 months after the onset of the rash. The genital lesions resolved after starting treatment for Crohn’s disease with adalimumab.
Correlation Analysis between Gut Microbiota and Metabolites in Children with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Authors: Wen Min , Liu Taohua , Zhao Mingyi , Dang Xiqiang , Feng Shipin , Ding Xuewei , Xu Zhiquan , Huang Xiaoyan , Lin Qiuyu , Xiang Wei , Li Xiaoyan , He Xiaojie , He Qingnan
Published: July 2021

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune-mediated diffuse connective tissue disease characterized by immune inflammation with an unclear aetiology and pathogenesis. This work profiled the intestinal flora and faecal metabolome of patients with SLE using 16S RNA sequencing and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). We identified unchanged alpha diversity and partially altered beta diversity of the intestinal flora. Another important finding was the increase in Proteobacteria and Enterobacteriales and the decrease in Ruminococcaceae among SLE patients. For metabolites, amino acids and short-chain fatty acids were enriched when long-chain fatty acids were downregulated in SLE faecal samples. KEGG analysis showed the significance of the protein digestion and absorption pathway, and association analysis revealed the key role of 3-phenylpropanoic acid and Sphingomonas. Sphingomonas were reported to be less abundant in healthy periodontal sites of SLE patients than in those of HCs, indicating transmission of oral species to the gut. This study contributes to the understanding of the pathogenesis of SLE disease from the perspective of intestinal microorganisms, explains the pathogenesis of SLE, and serves as a basis for exploring potential treatments for the disease.
Acceleration and Deceleration Parameter Calibration of Tunnel Entrance Based on the Naturalistic Driving Test of Passenger Car
Authors: He Shijian , Fu Xinsha , Tan Zhihua , Wang Jijing , Ge Ting
Published: July 2021

The precise calibration of acceleration and deceleration parameters is crucial for improving the accuracy of operating speed prediction and analysis tools at tunnel entrances. Therefore, acceleration and deceleration data of passenger car captured from 20 drivers at 30 tunnel entrances were collected from 200 m outside to 200 m inside the tunnel portal and averaged across four study zones. The results show that, first, the distribution of deceleration rates based on speed differs from that of acceleration rates based on speed in all zones. Second, significant differences in the probability density distribution of deceleration were found between each zone (p < 0.001), but differences in acceleration could not be found between any zones (p > 0.05). Third, the feature values (breakpoints) of the acceleration/deceleration cumulative frequency curves were located near the 95th percentile, differing from the traditional 85th percentile found with the extant model. The feature values of acceleration in the four zones coincided at 0.5 m/s2 and those of deceleration were 0.93, 0.85, 0.70, and 0.47 m/s2 under zones 1–4, respectively. This study provides accurate feature values of acceleration and deceleration for modelling an updated tunnel entrance operating speed prediction model.
Security Analysis and Bypass User Authentication Bound to Device of Windows Hello in the Wild
Authors: Kim Ejin , Choi Hyoung-Kee
Published: July 2021

Windows Hello is a Fast IDentity Online- (FIDO-) based new login system for Windows 10, which provides a single sign-on (SSO) service to diverse online applications. Hardware protection is essential for Window Hello’s security. This paper aims to examine the security of Windows Hello on a device where hardware protection is unavailable. We present the first detailed analysis of Windows Hello’s security. The results show that, on a hardware-unsupported device, the authentication data for Windows Hello is not properly protected. We propose a migration attack to compromise Windows Hello’s security. In the proposed attack, an attacker extracts authentication data from a device to impersonate a victim in his or her Microsoft online account. We consider the possibility of such an attack to be serious and harmful to our society and demand immediate attention for remediation.
Effect of Morphology Parameter Determination on Contact Behavior of Rock Joints under Compressive Loading
Authors: Tang Feng Tian , Tang Zhi Cheng
Published: July 2021

The closure behavior of rock joints is of critical importance to the study of hydromechanical behaviors and geophysical properties of jointed rock masses. Theoretical contact models, used to predict the relations of normal stress versus closure deformation, rely on morphology parameters of rock joint as the input parameters. The relevance of the contact models depends on the inherent assumptions and the accuracy with which the input parameters are determined. In the present study, morphology parameters of three rock joints are determined by the spectral moment approach and peak identification method, respectively. The differences are found to vary significantly depending on the selected method. The phenomenon would be related to the definition of an asperity peak on joint profile. The spectral method only considers the so‐called asperity peaks, while the deterministic approach further accounts for the asperity shoulders. Finally, the morphology parameters determined by the two methods are treated as the input parameters of a validated theoretical model. The comparisons between the theoretical curves and the experimental results indicate that parameters determined by the deterministic method would be more reliable.
An Atypical Presentation of Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) Secondary to Occult Hodgkin Lymphoma
Authors: Komisarof Justin , McGann Kevin , Huston Alissa , Katerji Hani , Morgan Mary Anne
Published: July 2021

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a rare and life-threatening syndrome of immune system dysregulation characterized by the phagocytosis of various cells by histiocytes in the bone marrow. HLH can present in one of the two ways: primary HLH, which is caused by mutations in genes essential to T and NK-cell function, and secondary HLH, typically caused by Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) infection or malignancy. Because of the rapid progression and high mortality of this disease, prompt diagnosis is essential to good outcomes. Here, we report the 2-month clinical course of a patient who presented with altered mental status and recurrent fever of unknown origin. Initially, he did not meet diagnostic criteria for HLH and had a negative bone marrow biopsy; however, he eventually progressed to full-blown HLH secondary to occult Hodgkin lymphoma. This case is unusual for the slow and smoldering course of the patient’s disease and highlights the importance of aggressively searching for potential malignancies to ensure the initiation of definitive therapy as soon as possible.
Internet of Things-Based Smart Farming Monitoring System for Bolting Reduction in Onion Farms
Authors: Khan Zahid , Zahid Khan Muhammad , Ali Sikandar , Abbasi Irshad Ahmed , Ur Rahman Haseeb , Zeb Umar , Khattak Hizbullah , Huang Jiwei
Published: July 2021

According to the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, Pakistan is amongst the top ten onion-producing countries in the world. Though in Pakistan, most of the districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa produce onions, Malakand division lonely contributes 60% of the total onion production of the country. In onion farming, bolting is an insidious phenomenon that occurs in onion plants due to fluctuations in environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, and light intensity. Due to bolting, the flowering stem of an onion plant is produced before the crop is harvested, resulting in a poor-quality harvest and yield. Therefore, from a farmer’s perspective, it is highly desirable to monitor and control the environmental factors to avoid bolting. In this paper, we propose and design a new prototype, namely, a smart farming monitoring system (SFMS) for bolting reduction, which is based on the generic three-layered IoT architecture. By using IoT (Internet of things) technology and careful remote monitoring, a more favorable environment can be provided to reduce and avoid onion bolting. To analyze the efficacy and performance of the proposed SFMS, a real test-bed implementation was carried out. The SFMS prototype was installed both in the open and in a greenhouse environment to monitor onion crops. Based on the data received via sensors, the percentage of onion bolting was recorded as 16.7% in the open environment while 3% in the closed environment. In the closed environment, optimal temperature, humidity, and light intensity were provided to the onion crops using the SFMS. For this reason, the percentage of onion bolting was reduced from 16.7% to 3%, consequently yielding better onion production. Moreover, the SFMS is a low-cost, easy-to-install solution that is developed with locally available hardware and resources, and we believe that this new solution can transform conventional onion farming into a more productive and convenient smart farming in the region.
Phytochemistry and Pharmacological Activities of Dracaena cinnabari Resin
Authors: Al-Awthan Yahya S. , Bahattab Omar Salem
Published: July 2021

Dracaena cinnabari (D. cinnabari) is an endemic plant located in Socotra Island, Yemen. Deep red resin attained from different plant species including D. cinnabari is commonly known as dragon’s blood. In folk medicine, it is prescribed for the treatment of traumatic dermal, dental, and eye injuries as well as blood stasis, pain, and gastrointestinal diseases in humans. Numerous studies have investigated that this resinous medicine has antidiarrheal, antiulcer, antimicrobial, antiviral, antitumor, anti‐inflammatory, analgesic, wound healing, and antioxidant activity. Several phytochemicals have been isolated from D. cinnabari, including the biflavonoid cinnabarone, triflavonoids, metacyclophanes, chalcones, chalcanes, dihydrochalcones, sterols, and terpenoids. The present review highlights the structures and bioactivities of main phytochemicals isolated from D. cinnabari regarding the botany and pharmacological effects of the resin derived from this plant.
A Novel Security Authentication Protocol Based on Physical Unclonable Function for RFID Healthcare Systems
Authors: Xu He , Chen Xin , Zhu Feng , Li Peng
Published: July 2021

The Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology has been integrated into healthcare systems for the purpose of improving healthcare management. However, people have concerns about the security and privacy of this kind of RFID systems. In order to solve the security problems faced by RFID‐based healthcare systems, a novel security authentication protocol based on Physical Unclonable Function (PUF) and Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) encryption algorithm is designed. The protocol uses PUF technology to output unique and random responses to different excitation inputs, encrypts the authentication information sent by the tag, and uses the AES encryption algorithm to encrypt the authentication information between the cloud database and the reader. At the same time, in the authentication process, once the communicating entity completes the identity authentication of the other two entities, it immediately starts to update the key. The security analysis and formal analysis of BAN (proposed by Burrows et al.) logic prove the security and correctness of the protocol. Analysis results show that the computation cost and security performance of the proposed protocol are better than the compared protocols. Our findings will contribute to further enhancing the security for RFID healthcare systems.
Evaluation of the Extent of Primary Buccal Mucosal Graft Contracture in Augmentation Urethroplasty for Stricture Urethra: A Prospective Observational Study at a Tertiary Healthcare Centre
Authors: BhalaguruIyyan A. , Murugan P. Puvai , Alakhananda Chandranaath C. , Hameed B. M. Zeeshan
Published: July 2021

Introduction. Buccal mucosal graft (BMG) urethroplasty is considered as gold standard in the treatment of urethral stricture disease. The successful outcome after BMG urethroplasty varies between 66 and 99%. One of the possible causes for failure is BMG contracture. Primary BMG contracture rate is poorly understood and unreported. The present study aimed to evaluate the extent of contracture of buccal mucosa immediately after harvesting. Materials and Methods. This was a prospective observational study conducted in the Department of Urology at our institute between January 2016 and December 2019. All patients with urethral stricture disease undergoing BMG urethroplasty for the first time were enrolled in the study after obtaining informed consent. Demographic and patient clinical profile was noted. Based on the intraoperative urethral stricture size, the preharvest graft was marked on the buccal mucosa and the size was calculated. Postharvest unstretched size of the graft was measured immediately after graft removal from the oral cavity. Alteration in BMG size was analysed using paired t-test. Results. Forty-four patients were included in the study. Mean age of the patient was 53.6 years. Mean stricture length was 7.45 cm (range 4–12 cm). Mean pre- and postharvest BMG size was 8.3 × 1.5 cm and 7.6 × 1.3 cm, respectively. There was a 8.4% decrease in length and 9.5% decrease in width of the buccal mucosal graft. Conclusion. Primary buccal mucosal graft contracture is around 8.4% in length and 9.5% in width. It would be better to mark wider than necessary while harvesting buccal mucosa so that tension-free anastomosis is performed.
Influence of Utility Tunnel on the Lower Part of the Existing Double‐Track Shield Tunnel in Loess Soil
Authors: Yang Min , Li Hongru , Li Ning , Yang Shun
Published: July 2021

The interaction between the double‐track shield tunnel and the integrated pipe gallery is complex, and there is still a lack of systematic research. Based on the numerical simulation of the Xi’an case, this paper studies the influence of the construction of the integrated pipe gallery on the deformation characteristics of the existing double‐line subway tunnels with different buried depths and clear distances and finds the safe buried depth and clear distance of the tunnel. The results indicated that, in the loess area, the maximum deformation of the existing subway has a linear and inverse relationship with the buried depth and spacing, respectively. Increasing the buried depth can reduce the impact of the upper construction disturbance more than increasing the clear distance ratio. Moreove, under the design conditions of constructing a utility tunnel by the open‐cut method, when the buried depth of the tunnel is 4.5 D and the spacing is greater than 4.5 D, or the buried depth is 5.0 D and the spacing is greater than 2.5 D, the combination of subway tunnels can meet the deformation control standards.
Global Optimization of Redescending Robust Estimators
Authors: Baselga Sergio , Klein Ivandro , Suraci Stefano Sampaio , Oliveira Leonardo Castro de , Matsuoka Marcelo Tomio , Rofatto Vinicius Francisco
Published: July 2021

Robust estimation has proved to be a valuable alternative to the least squares estimator for the cases where the dataset is contaminated with outliers. Many robust estimators have been designed to be minimally affected by the outlying observations and produce a good fit for the majority of the data. Among them, the redescending estimators have demonstrated the best estimation capabilities. It is little known, however, that the success of a robust estimation method depends not only on the robust estimator used but also on the way the estimator is computed. In the present paper, we show that for complicated cases, the predominant method of computing the robust estimator by means of an iteratively reweighted least squares scheme may result in a local optimum of significantly lower quality than the global optimum attainable by means of a global optimization method. Further, the sequential use of the proposed global robust estimation proves to successfully solve the problem of M-split estimation, that is, the determination of parameters of different functional models implicit in the data.
Double Endoprosthesis in the Management of Refractory Metastatic Primary Bone Tumors in Children and Young Adults
Authors: Raciborska Anna , Malesza Iwona , Bilska Katarzyna , Koziński Tomasz , Pachuta Bartosz
Published: July 2021

Background. Although not all children can be cured yet, much more emphasis is placed on the quality of life during and after cancer treatment. In the case of recurrence, mutilating treatment is still the prevalent option. In our study, we explored the role of limb salvage surgery for young patients with metastatic malignant bone tumors after endoprosthesis reconstruction during the first line of treatment and evaluated the impact of the local control modality in disease control and functional outcomes. Materials and Methods. Eleven patients with bone tumor treated between 2007 and 2018 were included in this study. Both during primary treatment and during recurrence, limb salvage surgery was performed using a modular or expandable custom-made replacement system. Peri- and postoperative care for both surgeries were similar. All patients were given chemotherapy before and after both surgeries, according to the oncological guidelines. Results. Seven patients (63.6%) are alive with a median follow-up of 6.5 years from diagnosis. None had local recurrence. Five-year estimates of event-free survival and overall survival were 36.27% and 79.55%, respectively. Median time between the first and second surgery was 2.7 years. Three patients presented with postoperative complications following both surgeries and required resurgical intervention. Three months following the second surgery, the Musculoskeletal Tumor Society Scale (MSTS) scores were 15–27 points (21 points on average—60%). Conclusions. Limb salvage surgery is feasible and offers good chance of cure with a reasonable rate of complications and good function in patients with recurrent bone sarcoma after endoprosthesis reconstruction during the first line of treatment.
Fast DOA Estimation Based on the Transform Domain Weighted Noise Subspace Fitting Algorithm for Generalized Sparse Array
Authors: Liu Chunxi , Chen Zhikun , Peng Dongliang
Published: July 2021

Compared with uniform arrays, a generalized sparse array (GSA) can obtain larger array aperture because of its larger element spacing, which improves the accuracy of DOA estimation. At present, most DOA estimation algorithms are only suitable for the uniform arrays, while a few DOA estimate algorithms that can be applied to the GSA are unsatisfactory in terms of computational speed and accuracy. To compensate this deficiency, an improved DOA estimation algorithm which can be applied to the GSA is proposed in this paper. First, the received signal model of the GSA is established. Then, a fast DOA estimation method is derived by combining the weighted noise subspace algorithm (WNSF) with the concept of “transform domain” (TD). Theoretical analysis and simulation results show that compared with the traditional multiple signal classification (MUSIC) algorithm and the traditional WNSF algorithm, the proposed algorithm has higher accuracy and lower computational complexity.
Hybrid Time Series Method for Long-Time Temperature Series Analysis
Authors: Huang Guangdong , Li Jiahong
Published: July 2021

This paper combines discrete wavelet transform (DWT), autoregressive moving average (ARMA), and XGBoost algorithm to propose a weighted hybrid algorithm named DWTs-ARMA-XGBoost (DAX) on long-time temperature series analysis. Firstly, this paper chooses the temperature data of February 1 to 20 from 1967 to 2016 of northern mountainous area in North China as the observed data. Then, we use 10 different discrete wavelet functions to decompose and reconstruct the observed data. Next, we build ARMA models on all the reconstructed data. In the end, we regard the calculations of 10 DWT-ARMA (DA) algorithms and the observed data as the labels and target of the XGBoost algorithm, respectively. Through the data training and testing of the XGBoost algorithm, the optimal weights and the corresponding output of the hybrid DAX model can be calculated. Root mean squared error (RMSE) was followed as the criteria for judging the precision. This paper compared DAX with an equal-weighted average (EWA) algorithm and 10 DA algorithms. The result shows that the RMSE of the two hybrid algorithms is much lower than that of the DA algorithms. Moreover, the bigger decrease in RMSE of the DAX model than the EWA model represents that the proposed DAX model has significant superiority in combining models which proves that DAX has significant improvement in prediction as well.
The Icarus Effect Rephrased: Range of Semantic Gravity and Forms of Knowledge in New Norwegian Teacher Education
Authors: Bratland Erik , El Ghami Mohamed
Published: July 2021

In the 2000s, several major education reforms have been implemented in Norway. The reform in the teacher education is heavily inspired by the Finnish model, with introduction of a new research-based content, with the aim of developing a new type of professional knowledge, as a basis for teachers’ professional practice. Drawing on Maton’s Legitimation Code Theory, this paper explores the tensions in the new Norwegian teacher education, between knowledge and ways of knowing, by examining students’ practices, expressed in students’ research and development papers in the new teacher education. The paper refutes a one-dimensional concept of experience-based practical knowledge in the teacher education and argues that professional knowledge is based on practices that are informed by specialized and theoretical knowledge.