bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Node Location Privacy Protection in Unattended Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Zhou ZhiGang , Wang Yu , Li PanPan , Chang XinGong , Luo JiWei
Published: June 2021

Node location protection is critical to the wireless sensor networks (WSN), especially for unattended environment. However, due to most of the static deployment and the limitations in energy, storage, and communication capabilities of the sensors, WSNs are vulnerable to various location (and derivative) attacks. In this work, we study the node location privacy protection issue from both aspects of attacks and defenses. First, we present a new two-phase location attack for two important types of nodes (including base station and source node). It can locate a base station node within few amounts of local wireless transmission monitoring and then reversely trace the location of the source node. Different from existing methods, the proposed attack determines the node location based on the transmission direction, which can break through existing defenses. Then, to defend against such attacks, we design a pseudospiral-based routing protocol for WSN. We analyze the performance of parameters such as routing probability, maximum detectable angle, hop count, and number of loops based on PU SBRF, MoRF, and PLAUDIT methods. The theory analysis and confrontation experiment of attack and defense show that the proposed scheme can protect the location privacy of the target node with moderate communication and computation overhead.
ADES: A New Ensemble Diversity-Based Approach for Handling Concept Drift
Authors: Museba Tinofirei , Nelwamondo Fulufhelo , Ouahada Khmaies
Published: June 2021

Beyond applying machine learning predictive models to static tasks, a significant corpus of research exists that applies machine learning predictive models to streaming environments that incur concept drift. With the prevalence of streaming real-world applications that are associated with changes in the underlying data distribution, the need for applications that are capable of adapting to evolving and time-varying dynamic environments can be hardly overstated. Dynamic environments are nonstationary and change with time and the target variables to be predicted by the learning algorithm and often evolve with time, a phenomenon known as concept drift. Most work in handling concept drift focuses on updating the prediction model so that it can recover from concept drift while little effort has been dedicated to the formulation of a learning system that is capable of learning different types of drifting concepts at any time with minimum overheads. This work proposes a novel and evolving data stream classifier called Adaptive Diversified Ensemble Selection Classifier (ADES) that significantly optimizes adaptation to different types of concept drifts at any time and improves convergence to new concepts by exploiting different amounts of ensemble diversity. The ADES algorithm generates diverse base classifiers, thereby optimizing the margin distribution to exploit ensemble diversity to formulate an ensemble classifier that generalizes well to unseen instances and provides fast recovery from different types of concept drift. Empirical experiments conducted on both artificial and real-world data streams demonstrate that ADES can adapt to different types of drifts at any given time. The prediction performance of ADES is compared to three other ensemble classifiers designed to handle concept drift using both artificial and real-world data streams. The comparative evaluation performed demonstrated the ability of ADES to handle different types of concept drifts. The experimental results, including statistical test results, indicate comparable performances with other algorithms designed to handle concept drift and prove their significance and effectiveness.
Petrographic Characterization and Maceral Controls on Porosity in Overmature Marine Shales: Examples from Ordovician-Silurian Shales in China and the U.S.
Authors: Wei Lin , Sun Shasha , Dong Dazhong , Shi Zhensheng , Yin Jia , Zhang Shudi , Mastalerz Maria , Cheng Xiong
Published: June 2021

The pore structure characterization and its controlling factors in overmature shales are keys to understand the shale gas accumulation mechanism. Organic matter in source rocks is a mixture of various macerals that have their own specific evolutionary pathways during thermal maturation. Pores within macerals also evolve following their own path. This study focused on petrographic characterization and maceral controls on porosity in overmature marine shales in China and the United States. Shale from Ordos Basin in China was also selected as an example of overmature transitional shale for maceral comparison. Organic petrology techniques were used to identify maceral types and describe morphological features in detail; scanning electron microscopy techniques were then used to document the abundance and development of pores within macerals. Helium measurement, mercury intrusion capillary pressure, and CO2 adsorption were especially applied to quantify the pore structure of Wufeng-Longmaxi shale from Sichuan Basin in China. The vitrinite reflectance equivalent of the studied overmature samples is ~2.4%. The macerals within the studied marine shales are composed mainly of pyrobitumen and zooclasts. At this maturity, pyrobitumen develops abundant gas-related pores, and their volume positively correlates to gas content. Three types of pyrobitumen and its related pore structure are characterized in Wufeng-Longmaxi shales. Zooclasts contribute to total organic carbon (TOC) content but little to porosity. When the TOC content is above 1.51% in Wufeng-Longmaxi samples, the TOC content positively correlates to quartz content. Organic matter strongly controls micropore development. Pores of

diameter
~
0.5
 
nm

provide a significant amount of micropore volume. Clay mineral and quartz contents control micro- and macropore increments in organic-lean shales. MICP results indicate that pores within 3-12 nm and 900-2500 nm account for a major contribution to pore volume obtained. Determining the proportions of pyrobitumen to zooclasts within the total organic matter in pre-Devonian organic-rich marine shales is important in predicting porosity and gas storage capacity in high-maturity shales.
Revisiting Impossible Differential Distinguishers of Two Generalized Feistel Structures
Authors: Shen Xuan , Cheng Lei , Sun Bing , He Jun
Published: June 2021

Impossible differential attack is one of the most effective cryptanalytic methods for block ciphers. Its key step is to construct impossible differential distinguishers as long as possible. In this paper, we mainly focus on constructing longer impossible differential distinguishers for two kinds of generalized Feistel structures which are

m

-dataline CAST256-like and MARS-like structures. When their round function takes Substitution Permutation

SP

and Substitution Permutation Substitution

SPS

types, they are called

CAST

256

SP

/

CAST

256

SPS

and

MARS

SP

/

MARS

SPS

, respectively. For

CAST

256

SP

/

CAST

256

SPS

, the best known result for the length of the impossible differential distinguisher was

m

2

+
m

/

m

2

+
m
−
1

rounds, respectively. With the help of the linear layer

P

, we can construct

m

2

+
m
+

Λ

0

/

m

2

+
m
+

Λ

1

-round impossible differential distinguishers, where

Λ

0

and

Λ

1

are non-negative numbers if

P

satisfies some restricted conditions. For

MARS

SPS

, the best known result for the length of the impossible differential distinguisher was

3
m
−
1

rounds. We can construct

3
m

-round impossible differential distinguishers which are 1 round longer than before. To our knowledge, the results in this paper are the best for the two kinds of generalized Feistel structures.
A Novel Real-Time Center of Gravity Estimation Method for Wheel Loaders with Front/Rear-Axle-Independent Electric Driving
Authors: Yang Zhiyu , Wang Jixin , Han Yunwu
Published: June 2021

Estimation of the center of gravity (CG) is the basis for intelligent control of the front-and-rear-axis-independent electric driving wheel loaders (FREWLs). This paper presents a novel real-time method for estimating the CG of FREWLs, which is suitable for driving and spading conditions on bumpy roads. A FREWL dynamical model is proposed to set up the state-space model. The CG estimator is used to estimate the longitudinal tire force using the state-space model and the improved square-root unscented Kalman filter (ISR-UKF) algorithm. The simulation and experimental results indicate that this method is suitable for FREWL dynamics and operational characteristics, and the estimated value of CG basically converges to the reference value. Finally, the probable reasons for error occurring in two experiments and the practical challenges of this method are discussed. The research in this paper establishes a partial theoretical basis for intelligent control of construction machinery.
Computational Fluid Dynamics Analysis of Flow Patterns, Pressure Drop, and Heat Transfer Coefficient in Staggered and Inline Shell-Tube Heat Exchangers
Authors: Sharma Shubham , Sharma Shalab , Singh Mandeep , Singh Parampreet , Singh Rasmeet , Maharana Sthitapragyan , Khalilpoor Nima , Issakhov Alibek
Published: June 2021

In this numerical study, the heat transfer performance of shell-and-tube heat exchangers (STHXs) has been compared for two different tube arrangements. STHX having 21 and 24 tubes arranged in the inline and staggered grid has been considered for heat transfer analysis. Shell-and-tube heat exchanger with staggered grid arrangement has been observed to provide lesser thermal stratification as compared to the inline arrangement. Further, the study of variation in the mass flow rate of shell-side fluid having constant tube-side flow rate has been conducted for staggered grid structure STHX. The mass flow rate for the shell side has been varied from 0.1 kg/s to 0.5 kg/s, respectively, keeping the tube-side mass flow rate as constant at 0.25 kg/s. The influence of bulk mass-influx transfer rate on heat transfer efficiency, effectiveness, and pressure drop of shell-tube heat exchangers has been analyzed. CFD results were compared with analytical solutions, and it shows a good agreement between them. It has been observed that pressure drop is minimum for the flow rate of 0.1 kg/s, and outlet temperatures at the shell side and tube side have been predicted to be 40.94°C and 63.63°C, respectively.
Silicon Improves Yield Performance by Enhancement in Physiological Responses, Crop Imagery, and Leaf and Culm Sheath Morphology in New Rice Line, PadiU Putra
Authors: Berahim Zulkarami , Omar Mohamad Husni , Zakaria Nurul-Idayu , Ismail Mohd Razi , Rosle Rhushalshafira , Roslin Nor Athirah , Che’Ya Nik Norasma
Published: June 2021

The PadiU Putra rice line is a blast‐resistant and high‐yield rice line with high potential. The application of topdressing and the foliar applied method of silicon (Si) treatments could strengthen the culm to resist breakage and ultimately increase yield production. Treatments which consisted of a control, a Si topdressing, and a Si foliar applied were arranged in a randomised complete block design. At 55 days after transplanting (DAT), the foliar applied Si treatments had 59% higher dry matter partitioning to the roots. Meanwhile, at 75 DAT, both Si foliar applied and topdressing method showed increased assimilate partitioning into the culm sheath by 29% and 49%, respectively. Dark green and light yellowish colours were obtained in both Si treatments using UAV, indicating similar results to physiological responses. Remarkably, Si foliar applied treatments enhanced the diameter and width of the outer and inner layers of the diameter of vascular bundles at 75 DAT by 58, 181, and 80%, respectively. The yield production of rice increased by 53% in the Si foliar applied, compared to the control, and produced a 1.63 benefit‐cost ratio.
Feature Selection Based on BP Neural Network and Adaptive Particle Swarm Algorithm
Authors: Chen Bingsheng , Chen Huijie , Li Mengshan
Published: June 2021

Feature selection can classify the data with irrelevant features and improve the accuracy of data classification in pattern classification. At present, back propagation (BP) neural network and particle swarm optimization algorithm can be well combined with feature selection. On this basis, this paper adds interference factors to BP neural network and particle swarm optimization algorithm to improve the accuracy and practicability of feature selection. This paper summarizes the basic methods and requirements for feature selection and combines the benefits of global optimization with the feedback mechanism of BP neural networks to feature based on backpropagation and particle swarm optimization (BP-PSO). Firstly, a chaotic model is introduced to increase the diversity of particles in the initial process of particle swarm optimization, and an adaptive factor is introduced to enhance the global search ability of the algorithm. Then, the number of features is optimized to reduce the number of features on the basis of ensuring the accuracy of feature selection. Finally, different data sets are introduced to test the accuracy of feature selection, and the evaluation mechanisms of encapsulation mode and filtering mode are used to verify the practicability of the model. The results show that the average accuracy of BP-PSO is 8.65% higher than the suboptimal NDFs model in different data sets, and the performance of BP-PSO is 2.31% to 18.62% higher than the benchmark method in all data sets. It shows that BP-PSO can select more distinguishing feature subsets, which verifies the accuracy and practicability of this model.
Effects of Alcoholic Extracts of Bangladeshi Mangrove Acanthus ilicifolius Linn. (Acanthaceae) Leaf and Stem on Atherogenic Model of Wistar Albino Rats
Authors: Karim Rubaba , Begum Mst Marium , Alim Md. Abdul , Uddin Md. Sahab , Kabir Md. Tanvir , Khan Ashfia Fatima , Islam Tanjina , Khan Shafiul Islam , Rahman Md. Sohanur
Published: June 2021

Acanthus ilicifolius Linn. (Acanthaceae) is a popular mangrove ethnomedicinal plant that cures several ailments, including asthma, diabetes, cancer, and many others. Our experiment was aimed at evaluating the anti-atherogenic effect of A. ilicifolius (leaf and stem) on a high-fat diet-induced atherogenic rat model. Atherosclerosis was developed in 12 weeks. Treatment with the standard drug (3 mg/kg b.w./day, p.o. of Simvastatin), separate doses of methanolic and ethanolic extracts of A. ilicifolius leaf (250 and 500 mg/kg b.w./day, p.o.), and stem (200 and 400 mg/kg b.w./day, p.o.) was subsequently conducted for additional 15 days. The anti-atherogenic effect was evaluated by estimating the change in body weight, systolic blood pressure, and lipid profile. Histopathology of aorta, liver, and kidney of atherogenic models was done for further evaluation. The antioxidant effect of different extracts was performed via DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) assay using ascorbic acid as standard. The anticoagulant effect was determined after 15 days of treatment with the same doses of the plant extracts and the standard Warfarin (2 mg/kg b.w./day, p.o.). When compared with atherogenic control, treatment with A. ilicifolius significantly reduced (

p

 < 0.01) body weight, systolic blood pressure, and serum lipid levels while it elevated HDL (high-density lipoprotein) level in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, bleeding and clotting time was significantly decreased (

p

 < 0.01) under the treatment of plant extracts. The histopathological data showed considerable improvement in tissue morphology after treatment. Our study evidenced that the alcoholic extracts of A. ilicifolius leaf and stem have anti-atherogenic properties and may be recommended as a potential herbal remedy for preventing cardiovascular diseases.
CBP22, a Novel Bacteriocin Isolated from Clostridium butyricum ZJU-F1, Protects against LPS-Induced Intestinal Injury through Maintaining the Tight Junction Complex
Authors: Wang Tenghao , Fu Jie , Xiao Xiao , Lu Zeqing , Wang Fengqin , Jin Mingliang , Wang Yizhen , Zong Xin
Published: June 2021

A novel bacteriocin secreted by Clostridium butyricum ZJU-F1 was isolated using ammonium sulfate fractionation, cation exchange chromatography, affinity chromatography, and reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC). The bacteriocin, named CBP22, contained 22 amino acids with the sequence PSAWQITKCAGSIAWALGSGIF. Analysis of its structure and physicochemical properties indicated that CBP22 had a molecular weight of 2264.63 Da and a +1 net charge. CBP22 showed activity against E. col K88, E. coli ATCC25922, and S. aureus ATCC26923. The effects and potential mechanisms of bacteriocin CBP22 on the innate immune response were investigated with a lipopolysaccharide- (LPS-) induced mouse model. The results showed that pretreatment with CBP22 prevented LPS-induced impairment in epithelial tissues and significantly reduced serum levels of IgG, IgA, IgM, TNF-α, and sIgA. Moreover, CBP22 treatment increased the expression of the zonula occludens and reduced permeability as well as apoptosis in the jejunum in LPS-treated mice. In summary, CBP22 inhibits the intestinal injury and prevents the gut barrier dysfunction induced by LPS, suggesting the potential use of CBP22 for treating intestinal damage.
Seismic Fragility of Chinese Light‐Gauge Steel Keel Gypsum Board Partition Walls
Authors: Wang Duozhi , Zhi Xudong , Zhu Fangxu , Wang Yixing
Published: June 2021

A quasi‐static experimental program of light‐gauge steel keel gypsum board partition walls (LSKGBPW) was carried out to evaluate the seismic damage phenomena, failure mechanisms, and fragility. The 15 specimens in five groups were designed per current Chinese codes and engineering practice. Then, three damage states were defined based on the damage and repair measures, and the fragility data of each group were presented, providing basic data for the estimation of seismic damage and consequential loss of nonstructural components.
Seismic Behavior of RC Bridge Piers Locally Replaced with SFRC‐FA Subjected to Torsion Combined with Axial Compression
Authors: Wang Jiyang , Wang Yongjun , Wan Chenglin , Chen Rongda , Liu Chengbin , Hu Zhihua
Published: June 2021

Under complex seismic forces, the failure characteristics of the plastic hinge region at the bottom of the pier column and the methods improving the ductility have attracted extensive attention. In this study, steel fiber‐reinforced concrete with fine aggregate (SFRC‐FA) was applied to locally replace the conventional concrete in the potential plastic hinge region at the bottom of the pier column. Five SFRC‐FA pier column specimens with different stirrup ratios and different replacement lengths and one conventional reinforced concrete pier column specimen were produced. Using the seismic behavior tests under the combined bending‐shear‐torsion‐axial force, the failure mode, torsional bearing capacity, energy dissipation, and the torsional plastic hinges of the pier columns were investigated. In addition, an equation for calculating the torsional bearing capacity of the new composite pier columns was proposed. The results showed that (1) compared with the reinforced concrete pier column, the plastic hinge was shifted from the bottom of the pier column to the middle of the height of the pier column due to the application of SFRC‐FA at the bottom of the pier column, which improved the torsional bearing capacity; (2) the effect of reducing the stirrup ratio of the SFRC‐FA replacement region on the torsional bearing capacity, cracking mode, energy dissipation, and ductility was not obvious; (3) the accuracy of the new equation based on the space truss model proposed in this article was verified by comparison with the experiments of this study and other researches.
Structure Design and Analysis of Canted‐Cosine‐Theta (CCT) Superconducting Quadrupole Magnet
Authors: Zhou Luncai , Zhao Rongzhen , Chen Yuquan , Yu Liang , Wu Wei , Ma Lizhen
Published: June 2021

A superconducting quadrupole magnet based on the Canted‐Cosine‐Theta (CCT) type coil with a gradient field of 40 T/m and a bore diameter of 60 mm has been designed for the preresearch of two projects of high intensity accelerator facility (HIAF) and accelerator driven subcritical system (ADS). The magnet is comprised of two‐layer coils embedded in the formers and the end plates for locating. The coil formers made of aluminum alloy are machined with grooves according to the drive equations of CCT for placing the wires. The existence of ribs between two adjacent wires can avoid accumulation of the electromagnetic force. It is important to take the mechanical design for the complex structure to avoid tensile stresses on the conductor and confine the stresses within a reasonable value. The stress analysis for the quadrupole magnet has been carried out considering the thermal shrinking due to cool down as well as the electromagnetic force on the coil. This paper reports the detailed stress analysis for the CCT quadrupole magnet structure, discusses the calculating results, and gives a reasonable mechanical design.
Multisource Fault Signal Separation of Rotating Machinery Based on Wavelet Packet and Fast Independent Component Analysis
Authors: Miao Feng , Zhao Rongzhen , Jia Leilei , Wang Xianli
Published: June 2021

The vibration signal of rotating machinery compound faults acquired in actual fields has the characteristics of complex noise sources, the strong background noise, and the nonlinearity, causing the traditional blind source separation algorithm not be suitable for the blind separation of rotating machinery coupling fault. According to these problems, an extraction method of multisource fault signals based on wavelet packet analysis (WPA) and fast independent component analysis (FastICA) was proposed. Firstly, according to the characteristic of the vibration signal of rotating machinery, an effective denoising method of wavelet packet based on average threshold is presented and described to reduce the vibration signal noise. In the method, the thresholds of every node of the best wavelet packet basis are acquired and averaged, and then the average value is used as a global threshold to quantize the decomposition coefficient of every node. Secondly, the mixed signals were separated by using the improved FastICA algorithm. Finally, the results of simulations and real rotating machinery vibration signals analysis show that the method can extract the rotating machinery fault characteristics, verifying the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.
Alterations in Mucin-Associated Gene Expression on the Ocular Surface in Active and Stable Stages of Atopic and Vernal Keratoconjunctivitis
Authors: Horinaka Mariko , Shoji Jun , Tomioka Akiko , Tonozuka Yukiko , Inada Noriko , Yamagami Satoru
Published: June 2021

Purpose. To evaluate the presence of ocular surface mucin in patients with atopic and vernal keratoconjunctivitis (AKC/VKC), we investigated the mRNA expression levels of SAM-pointed domain-containing ETS-like factor (SPDEF) and mucin-related genes on the ocular surface. Methods. Nineteen patients with AKC or VKC were divided into two groups based on the severity of the disease as determined by their clinical scores for AKC/VKC: the stable group and the active group. Impression cytology was performed in all patients using filter paper, and the expression levels of SPDEF, MUC1, MUC4, MUC5AC, MUC16, and eotaxin-2 mRNA were determined by real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction. Results. The results showed that the expression levels of SPDEF and MUC5AC mRNA in the active group were significantly decreased compared with those in the stable group. Furthermore, clinical scores were significantly negatively correlated with the expression levels of SPDEF mRNA and significantly positively correlated with the expression levels of eotaxin-2, which is a biomarker for eosinophilic inflammation on the ocular surface. Cluster analysis classified the patients with AKC/VKC into three clusters, and the stable group was divided into two clusters according to the condition of ocular surface mucin. Conclusions. Ocular surface mucin in patients with AKC/VKC is altered in accordance with the clinical severity of the disease.
Differences in Clinicopathological Characteristics of Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma between Symptomatic and Asymptomatic Patients with Primary Hyperparathyroidism
Authors: Liu Yuan , Guo Siyi , Sang Shaowei , Liu Jinbo , Qi Lin , Lv Bin , Zhang Xiaoli
Published: June 2021

Background. Popularization of cervical ultrasound led to higher detection of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT), as well as increasing percentage of asymptomatic PHPT in China. Although the coexistence of PTC and PHPT has been reported, it is unknown whether the clinicopathological features of PTC differ between asymptomatic and symptomatic PHPT patients. Methods. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 304 PHPT patients treated in our hospital between January 2009 and July 2020, including 217 females and 87 males with the average age of 53.27 ± 13.54 years. Of the 304 patients, 181 were symptomatic PHPT patients and 123 were asymptomatic PHPT patients. We analyzed the laboratory results, postoperative pathology, and the TNM stage of PTC between asymptomatic and symptomatic PHPT patients. Results. Concurrent thyroid nodules were found in 61.51% of PHPT patients, and the prevalence of PTC in thyroidectomized PHPT patients was 29.89% in our cohort. Lower serum parathyroid hormone (PTH) (

p
<
0.05

) and calcium (

p
<
0.05

) were found in PHPT patients with PTC compared to patients with benign thyroid lesion. Compared with the symptomatic PHPT patients, the asymptomatic PHPT patients showed lower serum calcium (

p
<
0.05

), serum chlorine (

p
<
0.05

), alkaline phosphatase (

p
<
0.05

), PTH (

p
<
0.05

), and bone turnover markers (

p
<
0.05

) but higher prevalence of thyroid nodules (70.73% versus 55.24%,

p
<
0.05

) and PTC (15.44% versus 3.87%,

p
<
0.05

). All the PTC in symptomatic PHPT patients were papillary microcarcinoma limited to the thyroid, while 68.42% and 15.78% of the PTC in asymptomatic PHPT patients showed microscopic extrathyroidal extension and lymph node metastases, respectively. Moreover, 36.84% (7/19) of the PTC patients in asymptomatic group showed multifocality, which was much higher than 14.29% (1/7) in the symptomatic group; however, no statistical significance was found (

p
=
0.24

). Conclusions. The concomitant PTC in asymptomatic PHPT patients showed a higher rate of microscopic extrathyroidal invasion when compared to symptomatic PHPT patients. So the FNA is essential to the asymptomatic PHPT patients with suspicious thyroid nodules and once the PTC is confirmed, concurrent parathyroidectomy should be performed with thyroidectomy in asymptomatic PHPT patients.
Numerical Investigation of Relationship between Bursting Proneness and Mechanical Parameters of Coal
Authors: Wang Hongwei , Song Jiaqi , Wang Zeliang , Zhang Yue , Zhang Shaozhen , Jiang Yaodong
Published: June 2021

As one of the most catastrophic dynamic hazards in underground coal mines, coal bursts have been a major safety concern around the world for many years. Although the coal bursts can occur in all cases of hard to soft coal if the right stress environment is created, the occurrence of coal bursts is closely related to the intrinsic mechanical properties of coal, such as the bursting proneness. In this study, a total of 27 coal specimens are selected in the open literature studies to obtain a group of fundament data, such as the mechanical parameters, four bursting proneness indices, stress‐strain curves, and their geological conditions where the specimens were taken. The relationship between bursting proneness indices and the cohesion of the coal specimens is established by numerically fitting the stress‐strain curves and theoretically deduction. By taking into account the coal heterogeneity, eight probability distribution functions are employed to assignment nonuniform cohesion to the numerical model and to study the influence of heterogeneity on bursting proneness. The results reveal that the coal cohesion, which combines the common advantages of the four proneness indices, can be used as bursting proneness index. In the research of heterogeneity, the coal bursting proneness will decrease with the increasing of cohesion scatter degree. The larger the cohesion scatter degree increase is, the lower the bursting proneness will be. The failure of coal specimen is more and more severe with the decrease of cohesion scatter degree. In addition, this paper provides two methods for assigning heterogeneous parameters to the numerical model. The contours of shear strain rate and plastic state between homogeneous and heterogeneous coal specimens are compared to study the failure types of coal specimens and to reveal the mechanism of violent failure in coal bursts.
Geochemical Characteristics and Oil Source Correlation of Minfeng Area, Dongying Depression, China
Authors: Bo Dongmei , Jiang Lin , Zhao Wen , Jiang Youlu , Liu Hua , Ou Haowen
Published: June 2021

The identification of the oil-source correlation plays a significant role in petroleum exploration and development. In this study, we identify the oil-source correlation by a hierarchical cluster analysis method combined with traditional methods. The results shed light on the oil-source correlation in Minfeng area and revealed the oil migration and accumulation process. The crude oil in different structural belts and different horizons has different geochemical characteristics. According to the four types of crude oil and their planner distribution, it was considered that the crude oil mainly migrates along with favorable sand bodies and unconformity surfaces in the lateral direction and then charged and accumulated in the glutenite of Sha3 and Sha4 members since the area from sag to Yan Jia Oil and the gas field was lacking of oil source faults. Further analysis shows that the traps of fault blocks in Yong’anzhen are formed in the same phase, while the crude oil generated in the early stage is charged and accumulated in the fault block of the near source. Along with increasing of the buried depth of source rocks, the overlying source rocks gradually entered into the hydrocarbon generation phase, when crude oil started to charge in the fault blocks farther away.
An Effective Method for Detecting and Classifying Diabetic Retinopathy Lesions Based on Deep Learning
Authors: Erciyas Abdüssamed , Barışçı Necaattin
Published: June 2021

Diabetic retinopathy occurs as a result of the harmful effects of diabetes on the eyes. Diabetic retinopathy is also a disease that should be diagnosed early. If not treated early, vision loss may occur. It is estimated that one third of more than half a million diabetic patients will have diabetic retinopathy by the 22nd century. Many effective methods have been proposed for disease detection with deep learning. In this study, unlike other studies, a deep learning-based method has been proposed in which diabetic retinopathy lesions are detected automatically and independently of datasets, and the detected lesions are classified. In the first stage of the proposed method, a data pool is created by collecting diabetic retinopathy data from different datasets. With Faster RCNN, lesions are detected, and the region of interests are marked. The images obtained in the second stage are classified using the transfer learning and attention mechanism. The method tested in Kaggle and MESSIDOR datasets reached 99.1% and 100% ACC and 99.9% and 100% AUC, respectively. When the obtained results are compared with other results in the literature, it is seen that more successful results are obtained.
Quantitative Profiling of Oxylipin Reveals the Mechanism of Pien-Tze-Huang on Alcoholic Liver Disease
Authors: Zhu Ziye , Zhou Wenjun , Yang Yang , Wang Kai , Li Fenghua , Dang Yanqi
Published: June 2021

Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) is a liver disease caused by long-term alcohol consumption. ROS-mediated oxidative stress is the leading cause of ALD. Pien-Tze-Huang (PZH), a traditional formula, is famous in China. This study was designed to evaluate the effects and explore the potential mechanisms of PZH in ALD. Forty mice were randomly divided into five groups: control group (normal diet + vehicle), model group (ethanol diet + vehicle), PZH-L group (ethanol diet + PZH (0.125 g/kg)), PZH-M group (ethanol diet + PZH (0.25 g/kg)), and PZH-H group (ethanol diet + PZH (0.5 g/kg)). The mice were sacrificed, and their liver and blood samples were preserved. Liver steatosis, triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol, serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels were assayed. Malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX), and total superoxide dismutase were identified using commercial kits. Oxylipins were profiled, and the data were analyzed. The AMPK/ACC/CPT1A pathway was identified using real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blotting. The PZH-H intervention significantly alleviated hepatic steatosis and injury and reduced the levels of liver TG and serum ALT and AST. In addition, MDA levels were markedly reduced, and GSH-PX activity significantly increased after PZH-H intervention. Finally, PZH-H increased the levels of 17-HETE, 15-HEPE, 9-HOTrE, 13-HOTrE, and 5,6-dihydroxy-8Z,11Z,14Z,17Z-eicosatetraenoic acid, and reduced PGE2 levels. PZH-H intervention also promoted the phosphorylation of AMPK and ACC, and the expression of CPT1A. In conclusion, PZH reduced oxidative stress and alleviated hepatic steatosis and injury. The mechanism was correlated with the oxylipin metabolites/AMPK/ACC/CPT1A axis.
Local Stability of Trench for Diaphragm Walls Passing through Deep Weak Interlayer
Authors: An Chen-Liang , Feng Wei-Xing , Zhao Qiang-Hu , Ji Luo-Luo , He De-liang , He Ben-Guo
Published: June 2021

When trench construction of the diaphragm wall passes through an ultradeep and weak interlayer, local instability of the trench wall occurs easily. To study the mechanism of the local instability in the trench and by considering the effect of soil arching based on the length of the trench and the angle of internal friction in the weak interlayer, the disturbed area of the trench is defined to be a semiellipse and the local failure stability model of the semiellipse is established. The local stability safety factor of the trench wall is obtained by the limit equilibrium analysis of the model. By conducting parameter sensitivity studies, the results show that the thickness of the overlying strata, the unit weight of the slurry, the angle of internal friction, and the cohesion of the weak interlayer have a great influence on the stability of the trench wall. The semiellipsoid model is used to analyze the stability of the trench wall of the diaphragm wall of a subway station. The calculated results are basically consistent with the field monitoring results. All the work of the paper shows that the model is practical to some extent.
Investigation of Immediate Postoperative Pain following Orthognathic Surgery
Authors: Hsu Han-Jen , Hsu Kun-Jung
Published: June 2021

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to compare postintervention pain related to orthodontic treatment and orthognathic surgery. Material and Methods. One hundred patients who received only orthodontic treatment are the nonsurgical group. One hundred other patients were separated equally into the following four orthognathic surgical subgroups. The visual analog scale (VAS) score was used to measure postoperative pain. Patient‐ and operation‐related factors were compared among the four surgical subgroups. The null hypothesis was that there was no difference between orthodontic treatment and orthognathic surgery in terms of posttreatment pain. Results. There were no significant differences between the nonsurgical and surgical groups for gender (P = 0.780) or age (P = 0.473). The VAS scores of the nonsurgical group (mean: 3.59) were significantly (P = 0.007) higher than those of the surgical group (mean: 3.06). The null hypothesis was rejected. Within the surgical subgroups, no significant differences were observed between the men and women for age, operation time, blood loss volume, or blood laboratory values. Conclusions. The VAS scores of the orthodontic (nonsurgical) group were significantly higher than those of the surgical group. No significant differences in VAS scores were found between the four surgical subgroups.
Human Activities Increase the Nitrogen in Surface Water on the Eastern Loess Plateau
Authors: Hu Yuxian , Zhang Ke , Li Yuan , Sun Yanan , Li Hongyan , Yang Gaiqiang
Published: June 2021

Human activities have greatly accelerated the input of nitrogen into waters, resulting in water quality degradation. Facing the water crisis of nitrogen pollution, the state of surface water in arid areas needs close attention. Although numerous studies have indicated that waters’ nitrogen is often impacted by land use covers, the correlation between the two remains obscure. This paper explored the spatial relationship between anthropogenic activity and waters’ nitrogen on the eastern Loess Plateau, based on the Geographic Information System (GIS) spatial analysis using land use covers. There were 3 human land use types and 2 nitrogen indices used to assess the rivers’ state at the watershed scale. The results showed that rivers’ nitrogen was closely associated with human land use covers. Nitrogen pollution was most serious in urban areas. This study provided new evidence for the relationship between anthropogenic activities and river ecology. The findings may be helpful for policymakers to make strategic decisions of water resource management and land use planning in arid areas.
A Real-Time Image Semantic Segmentation Method Based on Multilabel Classification
Authors: Jin Ran , Han Xiaozhen , Yu Tongrui
Published: June 2021

Image semantic segmentation as a kind of technology has been playing a crucial part in intelligent driving, medical image analysis, video surveillance, and AR. However, since the scene needs to infer more semantics from video and audio clips and the request for real-time performance becomes stricter, whetherthe single-label classification method that was usually used before or the regular manual labeling cannot meet this end. Given the excellent performance of deep learning algorithms in extensive applications, the image semantic segmentation algorithm based on deep learning framework has been brought under the spotlight of development. This paper attempts to improve the ESPNet (Efficient Spatial Pyramid of Dilated Convolutions for Semantic Segmentation) based on the multilabel classification method by the following steps. First, the standard convolution is replaced by applying Receptive Field in Deep Convolutional Neural Network in the convolution layer, to the extent that every pixel in the covered area would facilitate the ultimate feature response. Second, the ASPP (Atrous Spatial Pyramid Pooling) module is improved based on the atrous convolution, and the DB-ASPP (Delate Batch Normalization-ASPP) is proposed as a way to reducing gridding artifacts due to the multilayer atrous convolution, acquiring multiscale information, and integrating the feature information in relation to the image set. Finally, the proposed model and regular models are subject to extensive tests and comparisons on a plurality of multiple data sets. Results show that the proposed model demonstrates a good accuracy of segmentation, the smallest network parameter at 0.3 M and the fastest speed of segmentation at 25 FPS.
Heliotropium indicum L.: From Farm to a Source of Bioactive Compounds with Therapeutic Activity
Authors: Sarkar Chandan , Mondal Milon , Khanom Bilkis , Hossain Md. Monir , Hossain Md. Solayman , Sureda Antoni , Islam Muhammad Torequl , Martorell Miquel , Kumar Manoj , Sharifi-Rad Javad , Al-Harrasi Ahmed , Al-Rawahi Ahmed
Published: June 2021

This study aimed to summarize the available data on the ethnomedicinal and phytopharmacological activities of Heliotropium indicum L. based on database reports. For this purpose, an up-to-date literature search was carried out in the Google Scholar, Scopus, Springer Link, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, ResearchGate, PubMed, Chem Spider, Elsevier, BioMed Central, and patent offices (e.g., USPTO, CIPO, NPI, Google patents, and Espacenet) for the published materials. The findings suggest that the plant contains many important phytochemicals, including pyrrolizidine alkaloids, indicine, echinitine, supinine, heleurine, heliotrine, lasiocarpine, acetyl indicine, indicinine, indicine N-oxide, cynoglossine, europine N-oxide, heleurine N-oxide, heliotridine N-oxide, heliotrine N-oxide, heliotrine, volatile oils, triterpenes, amines, and sterols. Scientific reports revealed that the herb showed antioxidant, analgesic, antimicrobial, anticancer, antituberculosis, antiplasmodial, anticataract, antifertility, wound healing, antiinflammatory, antinociceptive, antihyperglycemic, anthelmintic, diuretic, antitussive, antiglaucoma, antiallergic, and larvicidal activity. In conclusion, in vitro studies with animal models seem to show the potential beneficial effects of H. indicum against a wide variety of disorders and as a source of phytotherapeutic compounds. However, clinical studies are necessary to confirm the effects observed in animal models, determine the toxicity of the therapeutic dose and isolate the truly bioactive components.
Government Low‐Carbon Regulations Based on Supply Chain Members’ Behavior and Consumers’ Channel Preference in a Dual‐Channel Supply Chain
Authors: Liu Bingquan , Chang Xuran , Nie Boyang , Wang Yue , Meng Lingqi
Published: June 2021

As carbon emissions are increasing due to the development of economy, low‐carbon supply chain plays an important role in carbon emissions reduction and the dual‐channel supply chain has become a hit because online shopping is developing rapidly. Therefore, this paper builds a Stackelberg game model led by the manufacturer in a dual‐channel supply chain to examine the reaction of the government under centralized or decentralized decisions‐making structures with different low‐carbon strategies. The result shows that the government can achieve higher profits by taking incentive or punitive measures for centralized decision‐making supply chain no matter they invest in emissions reduction or not. Moreover, for decentralized decision‐making mode, increasing low‐carbon subsidies for retailers can achieve a win‐win result between the supply chain and the government; and, finally, channel competition is good for improving the supply chain and social benefits. Therefore, the government is responsible for taking reasonable subsidy policies, formulate industry’s low‐carbon standards, and properly guide competition between supply chain members to achieve higher profits.
Leishmanicidal Activity and Ultrastructural Changes of Maslinic Acid Isolated from Hyptidendron canum
Authors: Adriana Jesus Jéssica , Laurenti Márcia Dalastra , Lopes Silva Matheus , Ghilardi Lago João Henrique , Domingues Passero Luiz Felipe
Published: June 2021

The therapeutic arsenal for the treatment of leishmaniasis is limited and has serious obstacles, such as variable activity, high toxicity, and costs. To overcome such limitations, it becomes urgent to characterize new bioactive molecules. Plants produce and accumulate different classes of bioactive compounds, and these molecules can be studied as a strategy to combat leishmaniasis. The study presented herein evaluated the leishmanicidal effect of maslinic acid isolated from the leaves of Hyptidendron canum (Lamiaceae) and investigated the morphological that occurred on Leishmania (Leishmania) infantum upon treatment. Maslinic acid was active and selective against promastigote and amastigote forms in a dose-dependent manner. Additionally, it was not toxic to peritoneal macrophages isolated from golden hamsters, while miltefosine and amphotericin B showed mild toxicity for macrophages. Morphological changes in promastigotes of L. (L.) infantum treated with maslinic acid were related to cytoplasmic degeneration, intense exocytic activity, and blebbing in the kDNA; disruption of mitochondrial cristae was observed in some parasites. The nucleus of promastigote forms seems to be degraded and the chromatin fragmented, suggesting that maslinic acid triggers programmed cell death. These results indicate that maslinic acid may be an interesting molecule to develop new classes of drugs against leishmaniasis.
A Study on the Impact of Longwall‐Mining Operation on the Stability of a Slope‐Pillar Structure
Authors: Bai Wenyong , Zhang Jie , Wang Bin , Zhang Jianchen , Li Hongru , Yang Sen
Published: June 2021

The slope‐pillar structure is defined as an artificial construction shaped by a surface highwall mining and an underground longwall mining. In order to study the impact of stress variations (induced by the longwall‐mining operations) on the stability of a slope‐pillar structure, No. 30101‐1 working face of Nanliang Coal Mine was selected as the study subject. A series of analysis including physical similar simulation test and the theoretical analysis were conducted to study the movement pattern of the overlying strata in the working face of the slope and the loading and the stability of the pillar column revealing the mechanism of dynamic load instability of nonuniformly distributed load “slope pillar.” A “slope‐pillar” reverse sliding structural model was proposed along with a newly established “slope‐pillar” structural mechanical model and a formula to calculate the boundary width of the protection for the pillar under the extreme balance conditions. According to the study, the width of the protective pillar is designed at 20 m, and the roadway deformation during the working face and the stability of the pillar can satisfy the safety requirement concerning the working face, which further validates the theoretic deduction formula.
NLRP3 Deletion Attenuated Angiotensin II-Induced Renal Fibrosis by Improving Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress
Authors: Zhang Yumei , Liu Yuqing , Bi Xiao , Hu Chun , Ding Wei
Published: June 2021

Background: Increasing evidence suggests that angiotensin II (Ang II), the bioactive pro-oxidant in the renin-angiotensin system, aggravates fibrosis, and the NOD-like receptor family pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome is involved in multiple diseases, such as renal fibrosis. However, the role and underlying mechanism of Ang II in renal fibrosis remain unclear. Here, we investigated whether the NLRP3 inflammasome mediated Ang II-induced renal fibrosis, as well as the downstream pathways involved in this process. Methods: NLRP3−/− mice were used as a model to study Ang II-infused renal fibrosis. Mice were divided into 4 groups: sham wild type, Ang II-infused wild type, sham NLRP3−/−, and Ang II-infused NLRP3−/− groups. Ang II infusion-induced renal injury was confirmed by periodic acid-Schiff and Masson’s staining, immunohistochemistry, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Mitochondrial morphology was presented on TEM micrographs, and mitochondrial function was reflected by the protein levels of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1α (PGC-1α), mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM), dynamin-related protein 1 (DRP1), and mitofusin 2 (MFN2), as assessed by Western blotting. Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress was characterized by changes in the levels of ER chaperones, such as GRP94, BiP, CHOP, and caspase 12. Results: Ang II infusion increased cell proliferation, extracellular matrix overproduction, inflammatory cell infiltration, and glomerulosclerosis and induced obvious morphological abnormalities in podocytes. Ang II infusion promoted mitochondrial damage, as indicated by TEM, and induced mitochondrial dysfunction, as evidenced by downregulation of PGC-1α, TFAM, and increased mitochondrial ROS. In addition, DRP1 expression was upregulated, while MFN2 expression was markedly decreased. The levels of GRP94, BiP, CHOP, and caspase 12 were significantly increased. However, all these detrimental effects were attenuated by NLRP3 deletion. Conclusions: NLRP3 deletion may attenuate angiotensin II-induced renal fibrosis by improving mitochondrial dysfunction and ER stress.