bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hydrothermally Synthesized Anode Material with High Activity and Stability for Direct Methanol Solid Oxide Fuel Cells
Authors: Yao Xueli , Zhao Yicheng , Li Yongdan
Published: January 2022

A solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) is a highly efficient energy converting device which can convert chemical energy in fuels directly into electrical energy with little emission[1]. In order to lower the temperature of SOFC, ceramic-molten salt composite electrolyte materials with efﬁcient ionic conductivity has been widely investigated. However, the corresponding NiO anode could not be sintered efficiently in the SOFC, leading to a low conductivity and activity. In this work, we synthesize NiO-Sm0.2Ce0.8O1.9 (NiO-SDC) composite anode powders with nano-sized particles through a hydrothermal technique for the first time[2]. The anode sintered at 700 ˚C exhibits an electrical conductivity of above 100 S×cm-1, three orders of magnitude higher than that of a similar solid-mixed composite anode. The SDC-carbonate composite electrolyte supported single cell with the composite anode exhibits a maximum power density (P
max) of 738 mW×cm-2 at 700 ˚C with H2 as fuel, much higher than that of a similar cell with a solid-mixed anode. The nano-sized particles and uniform distribution of different phase increase the conductivity and the activity of the anode.

In order to improve the stability of the anode with hydrocarbon fuels, Nb is doped into the NiO-SDC anode. The cell with 5Nb-NiO-SDC (the molar ratio of Nb/Ni is 0.05:1) as the anode shows a higher P
max (687 mW×cm-2) and stability than that with the NiO-SDC as the anode with methanol as the fuel (Fig. 1). In Nb-NiO-SDC anode, Nb2O5 adsorbs water vapor produced from the electrochemical reaction and provides surface hydroxyl, which could oxidize the carbon deposited on the Ni surface.

Fig. 1. I-V and I-P curves of single cells with Nb-NiO-SDC anodes at 700 oC with methanol as the fuel

Keywords: SOFC; Nickel anode; Niobium; Methanol; Carbon deposition

References

[1] M. G. Bellino, J. G. Sacanell, D. G. Lamas, et al., Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2007, 129: 3066-3067.

[2] X. L. Yao, P. Li, B. L. Yu, et al., International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 2017, 42: 22192-22200.

Figure 1
The Effect of Different Additives in the in-Situ Stress of Thin Co Films
Authors: Graciano Vinicius Primo , Stafford Gery R. , Bertocci Ugo
Published: January 2022

Fe, Co and Ni (and their alloys) are widely used due to their interesting ferromagnetic, chemical, and physical properties. Electrodeposited thin films tend to develop sizable mechanical stresses as a result of the nucleation and growth process. Often, these stresses can approach or exceed the yield stress of the bulk material and can lead to loss of adhesion and the generation of bulk and surface defects. Models have been developed that treat steady-state stress as a dynamic competition between tensile and compressive stress generation mechanisms that are largely governed by atomic mobility, microstructure, and deposition rate. Although additives are often used to mitigate residual stress during thin film growth, the exact mechanisms by which these additives influence residual stress is an active area of research.

In this talk, we examine the growth stress associated with electrodeposition of Co thin films onto (111)-textured Au cantilever electrodes from 0.5 M Na2SO4 containing 0.1 M CoSO4 and 0.5 M H3BO3. The stress was measured with an optical cantilever curvature technique that can be used during deposition to determine the real-time stress evolution. Deposition was also examined using an electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance (EQCM) in order to determine the current efficiency as a function of both overpotential and deposition time. We have measured the average biaxial film stress as a function of overpotential and observe a significant increase in tensile stress as the deposition potential is made more negative. These results are discussed in the context of stress generating models that appear in the literature. The growth stress was also examined from 0.5 M Na2SO4 + 0.1 M CoSO4 electrolyte with controlled additions of glycine and boric acid. Each additive was studied under a specific potential window, as determined by the observed influence the additives have on Co deposition. Glycine acts as a buffer, maintaining a stable H+ concentration. The buffering product glycinate (Gly-) complexes with Co2+, thereby shifting the deposition window. Baths with boric acid have an average current efficiency between 40 and 90%, produce deposits with high tensile stress which undergo little postdeposition relaxation. Current efficiency from glycine baths range between 20 and 70%. Deposits generally have lower tensile stress and exhibit additional post-deposition stress relaxation.
(Invited) Detection of Traumatic Brain Injury Protein Biomarkers with a Paper-Based Point-of-Care Device
Authors: Wu Nianqiang , Gao Xuefei , Curtin Kathrine
Published: January 2022

Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are currently two major techniques for diagnosis of traumatic brain injury (TBI). However, b it is impossible to have all TBI patients to be screened by CT or MRI when patients visit the emergency department. There is a critical need to develop point-of-care tools for screening TBI rapidly in the emergency department or in the pre-hospital settings. This presentation demonstrates a paper-based test strip as a point-care tool for detecting protein biomarkers in blood plasma samples.
Corneal Endothelial Cell Loss in Glaucoma and Glaucoma Surgery and the Utility of Management with Descemet Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty (DMEK)
Authors: Vallabh Neeru A , Kennedy Stephnie , Vinciguerra Riccardo , McLean Keri , Levis Hannah , Borroni Davide , Romano Vito , Willoughby Colin E
Published: January 2022

The corneal endothelium has a crucial role in maintaining a clear and healthy cornea. Corneal endothelial cell loss occurs naturally with age; however, a diagnosis of glaucoma and surgical intervention for glaucoma can exacerbate a decline in cell number and impairment in morphology. In glaucoma, the mechanisms for this are not well understood and this accelerated cell loss can result in corneal decompensation. Given the high prevalence of glaucoma worldwide, this review aims to explore the abnormalities observed in the corneal endothelium in differing glaucoma phenotypes and glaucoma therapies (medical or surgical including with new generation microinvasive glaucoma surgeries). Descemet membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK) is increasingly being used to manage corneal endothelial failure for glaucoma patients and we aim to review the recent literature evaluating the use of this technique in this clinical scenario.
Anatomic Subsites and Prognosis of Gastric Signet Ring Cell Carcinoma: A SEER Population‐Based 1 : 1 Propensity‐Matched Study
Authors: Xie Yangyang , Song Xue , Dong Wenge , Jin Haimin , Ni Zhongkai , Li Xiaowen , Huang Hai
Published: January 2022

Background. The dismal prognosis of gastric signet ring cell carcinoma (GSRC) is a global problem. The current study is conducted to comprehensively evaluate clinicopathological features and survival outcomes in GSRC patients stratified by anatomic subsites. Then, predictive nomograms are constructed and validated to improve the effectiveness of personalized management. Method. The patients diagnosed with GSRC were recruited from the online SEER database. The influence of anatomic subsites on overall survival (OS) and cancer‐specific survival (CSS) was evaluated using multivariate Cox regression and Kaplan‐Meier analysis. Then, we employed propensity score matching (PSM) technique to decrease selection bias and balance patients’ epidemiological factors. Predictive nomograms were constructed and validated. Sensitivity analysis was performed to validate the conclusion. Results. Multivariate Cox regression demonstrated that the patients with overlapping gastric cancer (OGC) suffered the highest mortality risk for OS (HR, 1.29; 95% CI, 1.23‐1.36; P < 0.001) and CSS (HR, 1.33; 95% CI, 1.28‐1.37; P < 0.001). Age, TNM stage, tumor localization, tumor size, surgery, and chemotherapy presented a highly significant relationship with OS and CSS. Following subgroup and PSM analysis, OGC patients were confirmed to have the worst OS and CSS. Then, nomograms predicting 6‐month, 12‐month, and 36‐month survival were constructed. The area under the curve (AUC) value in ROC was 0.775 (95% CI, 0.761‐0.793) for 6‐month survival, 0.789 (95% CI, 0.776‐0.801) for 12‐month survival, and 0.780 (95% CI, 0.765‐0.793) for 36‐month survival in the OS group, while in the CSS group, it was 0.771 (95% CI, 0.758‐0.790) for 6‐month survival, 0.781 (95% CI, 0.770‐0.799) for 12‐month survival, and 0.773 (95% CI, 0.762‐0.790) for 36‐month survival. Conclusion. We identified anatomic subsites as a predictor of survival in those with GSRC. Patients with OGC suffered the highest mortality risk. The proposed nomograms allowed a relatively accurate survival prediction for GSRC patients.
Robustness of Propofol and Sevoflurane on the Perioperative Immune Function of Patients Undergoing Laparoscopic Radical Nephrectomy
Authors: Wang Jiming , Cui Shaomin , Kong Liang , Ma Bin , Gu Jianhua
Published: January 2022

Objective. This study aimed to evaluate the robustness of propofol combined with sevoflurane in patients undergoing laparoscopic radical nephrectomy and its influence on immune function during perioperative period. A total of 140 patients who underwent laparoscopic nephrectomy in the Department of Oncology of our hospital from January 2018 to January 2020 were divided into the control group and the study group by the random number table method, with 70 cases in each group, who were given sevoflurane anesthesia and sevoflurane combined with propofol anesthesia, respectively. The anesthesia effect and perioperative immune function of the two groups of patients were compared. No remarkable difference was observed in the extubation time, breathing recovery time, and awakening time between the two groups; the extubation coughing score and postextubation restlessness score of the study group were significantly lower than those of the control group; the postoperative renal function indexes of the two groups of patients were not considerably different; after treatment, the CD3+ (%), CD4+ (%), and CD4+/CD8+ of the two groups of patients decreased significantly, with a higher level in the study group. For patients undergoing laparoscopic radical nephrectomy, the combination of propofol and sevoflurane yields a promising outcome in enhancing the anesthesia results and improving the perioperative immune function.
Quinoline-Based Materials: Spectroscopic Investigations as well as DFT and TD-DFT Calculations
Authors: Sakr Mahmoud A. S. , El-Daly Samy A. , Ebeid El-Zeiny M. , Al-Hazmy Sadeq M. , Hassan Mohammed
Published: January 2022

Quinoline derivatives such as 15,15-difluoro-[1,3,2] diaazaborininodiquinoline (DDP) and 15,15-difluoro-[1,3,2] diaazaborininodiquinoline acetonitrile (DDPA) have a range of biological and medical activities. So, it is vital to shed light on these compounds in terms of their optical properties supported by quantum calculations. The absorption and emission spectra of studied compounds were measured within the laboratory, whereas the quantum calculations were performed utilizing the density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Additionally, the time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) was applied for the comparison of some sensible results with the theoretical ones. The molecular structures of these compounds were presented via applying chemical analysis techniques. The electronic absorption spectra of DDP and DDPA molecular structures were monitored through an experiment in hosts such as carbon tetrachloride (CCl4), chloroform (CHCl3), methylene dichloride (CH2Cl2), acetone, and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). Also, the influence of pH on the absorption spectra of the DDP molecule was studied. The molecular structures of these quinoline derivatives have been optimized via utilizing the B3LYP/6-31G (d) level of theory. The electronic absorption and emission spectra of the DDP compound in gas, THF, and DMSO have been calculated utilizing TD-DFT at the CAM-B3LYP/6-31G ++(d, p) level.
Discussion on the Teaching Method of Using Cloud Computing Technology to Improve the Stability Training of the Trunk Pillar in College Physical Education Curriculum
Authors: Wang Yongan , Feng Yun
Published: January 2022

This work is to develop an effective trunk support stability training program, thereby improving the quality of college physical education. First, the advantages and characteristics of trunk support stability training are analyzed under the physiological basis and biomechanical basis of trunk support stability training. Then, the trunk support stability training program is developed to train the stability, strength, and balance of the sprint athletes’ shoulder, trunk, and buttocks musculature, as well as the control ability of the limbs. Twenty undergraduates in the track and field sprint special class of Xi’an Physical Education University are recruited and rolled into experimental group and control group, each with 10 students, and trained for 8 weeks. Finally, functional movement screen (FMS), postshot throw, level-ten stepping tests, and sprint tests (30 m, 60 m, and 100 m) are performed. The results show that before the start of the experiment, there is no considerable difference in the score comparison between experimental group and control group in different test items (

P

 > 0.05). After the experiment, the test scores of level-ten stepping, postshot throw, and 30 m, 60 m, and 100 m sprint of experimental group are remarkably different within the group (

P

 < 0.05). In addition, the level-ten stepping and 60 m and 100 m sprint scores of experimental group and control group have great differences between the groups, indicating that the trunk support stability training program formulated in this work has a notable effect on college physically educated students.
Pulmonary Alveolar Proteinosis Refractory to Plasmapheresis and Rituximab despite GM-CSF Antibody Reduction
Authors: Keske Aysenur , Destrampe Eric M. , Barksdale Byron , Rose William N.
Published: January 2022

We share our experience of a patient with pulmonary alveolar proteinosis who was refractory to plasmapheresis and rituximab despite a significant reduction in the offending antibody. He presented with shortness of breath, fevers, chills, and sweats for 4 months. He was diagnosed with autoimmune PAP based on typical radiology findings, bronchoalveolar fluid analysis, and elevated anti-GM-CSF levels. Given his limited improvement with whole lung lavage and inhaled GM-CSF therapy, he underwent two series of plasmapheresis. Series one was 5 procedures in 6 days, and series two was 5 procedures in 9 days followed by rituximab. These did not appear to provide any lasting clinical benefit in the year after plasmapheresis despite a marked decrease in serum anti-GM-CSF levels. However, about a year after plasmapheresis, he went into remission and has not required any treatment.
Percutaneous Patent Foramen Ovale Closure in Patients with Cryptogenic Stroke or Transient Ischemic Attack: A Retrospective Study
Authors: Liu Yuan , He Yongming , Hui Pinjing , Li Tan , Zhu Juehua , Zhao Caiming , Zhang Quanquan , Fang Qi
Published: January 2022

Background. Patent foramen ovale (PFO) is associated with cryptogenic stroke (CS). Transcatheter closure of PFO is superior to pharmacotherapy for patients with CS or transient ischemic attack (TIA). More evidence is needed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of PFO closure in Chinese patients. Methods. This study enrolled ten CS patients and two TIA patients (mean age of 40.8 ± 9.7 y), including seven males (58%) and five females (42%) who underwent PFO closure in our center from January 2017 to July 2019. Baseline data, imaging data, and RoPE (Risk of Paradoxical Embolism) score were collected retrospectively. The preprocedural assessment and percutaneous transcatheter PFO closure were described in detail. The perioperative complications and follow‐ups were recorded from all patients. Results. Among ten patients with CS, eight patients had a RoPE score of >6 and two patients had a RoPE score of 6. MRI confirmed multiple infarcts in seven cases, and infarct involving the cortex in nine cases. Abnormal ECG was found in three patients and abnormal Echo in four patients. Right‐to‐left shunt (RLS) was detected in all the patients by cTCD or cTTE. To be specific, RLS was observed in nine of the ten TEE‐detected patients. No case had PFO complicated with atrial septal aneurysm (ASA). The success rate of PFO closure was 91.6%. No serious perioperative complications were observed. During a mean time of 26.5 ± 8 months (15‐41 months) of follow‐up, no recurrent cerebral infarction, TIA, or thromboembolism were detected in postoperative patients. Conclusions. PFO closure is safe and effective in the treatment of Chinese patients with CS or TIA.
An Improved Image Steganography Framework Based on Y Channel Information for Neural Style Transfer
Authors: Lin Wenjie , Zhu Xueke , Ye Wujian , Chang Chin-Chen , Liu Yijun , Liu Chengmin
Published: January 2022

Neural style transfer has effectively assisted artistic design in recent years, but it has also accelerated the tampering, synthesis, and dissemination of a large number of digital image resources without permission, resulting in a large number of copyright disputes. Image steganography can hide secret information in cover images to realize copyright protection, but the existing methods have poor robustness, which is hard to extract the original secret information from stylized steganographic (stego) images. To solve the above problem, we propose an improved image steganography framework for neural style transfer based on Y channel information and a novel structural loss, composed of an encoder, a style transfer network, and a decoder. By introducing a structural loss to restrain the process of network training, the encoder can embed the gray-scale secret image into Y channel of the cover image and then generate steganographic image, while the decoder can directly extract the above secret image from a stylized stego image output by the style transfer network. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method can effectively recover the original secret information from the stylized stego image, and the PSNR of the extracted secret image and the original secret image can reach 23.4 and 27.29 for the gray-scale secret image and binary image with the size of 256×256, respectively, maintaining most of the details and semantics. Therefore, the proposed method can not only preserve most of the secret information embedded in a stego image during the stylization process, but also help to further hide secret information and avoid steganographic attacks to a certain extent due to the stylization of a stego image, thus protecting secret information like copyright.
Assessing the Probability of Drought Severity in a Homogeneous Region
Authors: Niaz Rizwan , Almazah Mohammed M. A. , Hussain Ijaz , Filho Joao Dehon Pontes , Al-Ansari Nadhir , Sh Sammen Saad
Published: January 2022

The standardized precipitation index (SPI) is one of the most widely used indices for characterizing and monitoring drought in various regions. SPI's applicability has regional and time‐scale constraints when it observes in several homogeneous climatic regions with similar characteristics. It also does not provide sufficient knowledge about precipitation deficits and the spatiotemporal evolution of drought. Therefore, a new method, the regional spatially agglomerative continuous drought probability monitoring system (RSACDPMS), is proposed to obtain spatiotemporal information and monitor drought characteristics more expeditiously. The proposed framework uses spatially agglomerative precipitation (SAP) and copulas’ functions to continuously monitor the drought probability in the homogenous region. The RSACDPMS is validated in the region of the Northern area of Pakistan. The outcomes of the current study provide a better quantitative way to obtain appropriate information about precipitation deficits and the spatiotemporal evolution of drought.
Krüppel-Like Factor 6 Downregulation Is Connected with a Poor Prognosis and Tumor Growth in Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Zeng Binbin , Lin Jiaxin , Cai Xingdong , Che Li , Zeng Wei , Liu Shengming
Published: January 2022

Purpose. Research in this article was performed to explore the biological role and clinical significance of Krüppel-like transcription factor 6 (KLF6) in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods. KLF6 expression in NSCLC cell lines was analyzed using reverse transcription PCR and Western blot. The expressed KLF6 protein was examined in 50 surgical NSCLC tissues using immunohistochemistry. Statistical analyses were employed for clinical association examinations. CCK8 assay and Annexin V/PI analysis were used to execute cell proliferation and apoptosis in KLF6-overexpression cell lines and the control groups. Cleaved caspase-3 expression was also detected in KLF6-overexpression cells and NSCLC tissues. KLF6 expression correlation with cleaved caspase-3 was also examined. Results. It was discovered that downregulation of KLF6 was seen in human NSCLC cell lines. Low KLF6 expression in NSCLC tissues was correlated with poor patient prognosis (

P
<
0.005

); patients with less KLF6 expression possessed a lower cumulative 5-year survival rate. Multivariate analysis showed KLF6 expression as an independent prognostic indicator for NSCLC individuals. Expression levels of KLF6 were associated with NSCLC tumor size (

P
=
0.041

). Overexpression of KLF6 inhibited cell proliferation and stimulated A549 and H322 cell line apoptosis. Cleaved caspase-3 protein had higher expression levels in KLF6-overexpressed cells than in the control group. The KLF6 expression levels were positively related to the cleaved caspase-3 protein expression in NSCLC tissues (

r
=
0.689

,

P
=
0.001

). Conclusions. The results indicate that downregulation of KLF6 is a significant NSCLC progression marker. KLF6 prevents cell growth and promotes cell apoptosis, possibly caspase-3 activations.
Comparison and Optimization of Operational Parameters in Removal of Heavy Metal Ions from Aqueous Solutions by Low-Cost Adsorbents
Authors: Babapoor Aziz , Rafiei Omid , Mousavi Yousef , Azizi Mohammad Mehdi , Paar Meysam , Nuri Ayat
Published: January 2022

Removal of heavy metal ions such as cadmium, lead, chromium, and iron from industrial wastewater is one of the most critical environmental problems. In this research, natural and low-cost adsorbents like the tangerine peel, bovine gut, tea waste, and sunflower seed hull were used for adsorption of heavy metals, such as chromium and iron, from contaminated solutions. The effects of environmental factors such as contact time, pH, the amount of adsorbent dose, and the initial concentration of metal ions in synthetic solution were investigated to obtain optimal conditions for the adsorption of heavy metal ions. For separation of chromium metal ion from aqueous solution, tea waste, tangerine peel, bovine gut, and sunflower seeds hull showed adsorption capacity of 85%, 51%, 46%, and 34%, respectively, while for the adsorption of iron (III), the adsorption capacities of tea waste, bovine gut, tangerine peel, and sunflower seeds hull were 96%, 96%, and 87%, respectively. The adsorption isotherms were in decent correlation with the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models. The adsorption kinetics of iron and chromium has a proper validation with the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The BET and FTIR analyses were also reported to investigate the adsorption properties. This study suggests these adsorbents as low-cost and economical materials for the adsorption of chromium and iron ions with a high adsorption rate.
Pentazocine Misuse among Sickle Cell Disease Patients and The Role of Lack of Enforcement of Opioid Dispensing Regulations by Community Pharmacies: A Descriptive Observational Study
Authors: Nnachi Oluomachi Charity , Akpa Chinedu Obasi , Nwani Favour Ogonna , Edenya Oghenevwogaga Obukohwo
Published: January 2022

Introduction. Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a chronic disease characterized by debilitating bone pains which commonly necessitate the use of analgesic drugs including opioids and psychotropic substances such as pentazocine which are controlled medicines in Nigeria. Opioid misuse including dependence and addiction is an increasing trend among SCD patients, and it has serious adverse implications on their social, economic, and physical well-being. The role of lack of implementation of existent regulation on the dispensing of opioids by pharmacies has not been adequately investigated. Objective. The primary objective of this study is to define the sociodemographic and clinical implications of pentazocine misuse among patients with SCD and to describe the contributions of lack of enforcement of opioid dispensing regulations to this menace. Materials and Methods. The study was a descriptive observational study. A 29-item pretested and prevalidated questionnaire was administered to 21 SCD patients with an established history of pentazocine misuse and addiction to establish their demographics, details of opioid use, and their clinical effects. Nine community pharmacies were interviewed to ascertain their knowledge of controlled medicines and their compliance to existent regulations on the dispensation of opioids. Results. The median (interquartile range) age of the SCD subjects was 24 years. The majority of subjects (14, 66.7%) had tertiary education. Fifteen (71.4%) of them had a history of pentazocine misuse for over two years. All subjects source pentazocine injection from local pharmacies and patent medicine shops without prescription, while 19.0% get home deliveries. Seventeen (80.9%) of the SCD subjects desired to discontinue the habit; however, inadequate medical support was reported to contribute to their inability to overcome this practice in 14 (54.3%) patients. Most of the local pharmacies/drug shop proprietors are aware of drug laws guiding controlled medicines in Nigeria. However, about 77.9% of pharmacies interviewed retail pentazocine without prescription. A lack of enforcement by the state and federal taskforce was reported to contribute to this practice. Conclusion. Pentazocine misuse is a serious problem in patients with SCD. Inadequate medical support and lack of enforcement of regulations on dispensing opioids by community pharmacies are contributors to this menace.
A Blockchain Based Privacy-Preserving Incentive Mechanism for Internet of Vehicles in Satellite-Terrestrial Crowdsensing
Authors: Ma Zhuojia , Wang Yingqing , Li Jiawei , Liu Yang
Published: February 2022

Crowdsensing has been a popular technology recently and has broad application prospects. The Internet of Vehicles (IoV) refers to the effective utilization of static and dynamic information on the network platform through electronic equipment loaded on vehicles and wireless technology, which means there are many devices generating a huge amount of worthy data. However, preserving the privacy of workers and incentivizing them should be concerned. To this end, we apply the satellite-terrestrial system to solve the communication limitation among vehicles. We propose to use blockchain to act as the channel that requesters and vehicles communicate in. Smart contracts are the main designable parts to do the interactions among the participants. Blockchain is tightly related to payment, so that we implement a total payment minimized auction algorithm on it. We carry out extensive simulations and run an experiment on blockchain to find the auction can be implemented as a smart contract and achieve privacy protection.
Study on the Spatial Structure and City Form Construction of River Valley-Type Cities in the Context of Artificial Intelligence—A Case Study of Northwest China
Authors: Liu Xu , Luo Yuyan , Huang Minghua
Published: February 2022

This paper uses Northwest China as an example to present an in-depth study and analysis of river valley cities’ spatial structure and city form in the context of artificial intelligence. The paper focuses on alleviating the “core-edge” spatial structure locking effect, achieving the “industry-space” scale effect and cooperation, solving the problem of endogenous dynamics to promote regional and urban development, and promoting various main functional areas based on the derivation discussion and spatial growth model selection. The study focuses on the exploration of paths to alleviate the “core-edge” spatial structure’s locking effect, realize the scale effect and cooperation ability of “industry-space,” solve the problem of endogenous power to promote regional and urban development, and promote the new urbanization path of different main functional areas based on the discussion and spatial growth mode selection. We measure the evolution characteristics of industrial and spatial elements and the level of intersystem synergistic development to address the spatial growth and industrial transformation of the northwest region urban agglomeration in the special development period, discover the defects of the northwest China urban agglomeration’s spatial growth, and select the appropriate spatial growth model in the foreseeable spatial and temporal scope. The new city spatial form in the northwest region, which strengthens regional characteristics, is the spatial form combined with the new city plan form in two dimensions. This paper investigates the relationship between regional characteristics and urban spatial carriers by developing spatial planning design ideas and methods that reflect the regional characteristics of new cities in the northwest region, in order to improve the spatial quality of new cities in the northwest region and their sense of belonging to the city, provide a new spatial expansion idea for small cities in river valleys in the Qinling Mountains of southern Shaanxi, and enrich the spatial quality of new cities in the northwest region.
AI-DRIVEN Novel Approach for Liver Cancer Screening and Prediction Using Cascaded Fully Convolutional Neural Network
Authors: Shukla Piyush Kumar , Zakariah Mohammed , Hatamleh Wesam Atef , Tarazi Hussam , Tiwari Basant
Published: February 2022

In experimental analysis and computer-aided design sustain scheme, segmentation of cell liver and hepatic lesions by an automated method is a significant step for studying the biomarkers characteristics in experimental analysis and computer-aided design sustain scheme. Patient to patient, the change in lesion type is dependent on the size, imaging equipment (such as the setting dissimilarity approach), and timing of the lesion, all of which are different. With practical approaches, it is difficult to determine the stages of liver cancer based on the segmentation of lesion patterns. Based on the training accuracy rate, the present algorithm confronts a number of obstacles in some domains. The suggested work proposes a system for automatically detecting liver tumours and lesions in magnetic resonance imaging of the abdomen pictures by using 3D affine invariant and shape parameterization approaches, as well as the results of this study. This point-to-point parameterization addresses the frequent issues associated with concave surfaces by establishing a standard model level for the organ’s surface throughout the modelling process. Initially, the geodesic active contour analysis approach is used to separate the liver area from the rest of the body. The proposal is as follows: It is possible to minimise the error rate during the training operations, which are carried out using Cascaded Fully Convolutional Neural Networks (CFCNs) using the input of the segmented tumour area. Liver segmentation may help to reduce the error rate during the training procedures. The stage analysis of the data sets, which are comprised of training and testing pictures, is used to get the findings and validate their validity. The accuracy attained by the Cascaded Fully Convolutional Neural Network (CFCN) for the liver tumour analysis is 94.21 percent, with a calculation time of less than 90 seconds per volume for the liver tumour analysis. The results of the trials show that the total accuracy rate of the training and testing procedure is 93.85 percent in the various volumes of 3DIRCAD datasets tested.
Experimental Investigations on Mechanical Properties of AZ31/Eggshell Particle-Based Magnesium Composites
Authors: Ramanujam N. , Muthukumaran S. , Nagesawara Rao B. , Ramarao M. , Mangrulkar Amol L. , Ashraff Ali K. S. , Pugazhendhi L. , Markos Mebratu
Published: January 2022

Magnesium (AZ31) is an excellent choice for a bionic implant. To enhance biocompatibility, the hardest graphene nanoparticles were reinforced with biocompatible materials. In this paper, biocompatibility composite material is produced by stir-casting nanoshell particles reinforced with various weight percentages (0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 wt. percent) of AZ31 magnesium alloy. To understand the mechanical properties of the composite material, results of which are compared to the base alloy (AZ31) are used. The study mentioned how AZ31 magnesium alloy, reinforced with reinforcing particles, may be used to create implant-related human bone materials. Magnesium alloy reinforced with reinforcing particles is described in the study.
The Design of Adolescents’ Physical Health Prediction System Based on Deep Reinforcement Learning
Authors: Sun Hailiang , Yang Dan
Published: January 2022

According to the general recognition in the first half of the last century, hypertension was not considered a kind of disease, but was regarded as a compensatory response commonly seen in the elderly, and it would not occur to younger people. Because of this erroneous cognition, many young patients fail to pay attention to their own hypertension, fail to take correct and standardized treatment, and suffer from a series of complications caused by hypertension. This article summarizes the relevant factors that affect the patient’s future blood pressure from three directions: the basic characteristics of adolescent patients, the way they lower blood pressure, and the impact of the external environment. In order to make the model better fit the continuous data in the feature set of adolescents with hypertension, the structure of the internal components of the deep confidence network is optimized. Gaussian noise is introduced into the visible and hidden layers of the internal components of the network so that the stored information of the network changes from discrete to continuous during operation and improves the prediction accuracy of the blood pressure prediction model for adolescents with hypertension.
Statistical Analysis of Treated Flow-Back Water Measurements: An Industrial Insight for a Shale Reservoir
Authors: Li Wei , Khayatnezhad Majid , Davarpanah Afshin
Published: January 2022

Water production from unconventional reservoirs especially shale reservoirs has always been considered as the major challenges for petroleum industries that needs special requirements and facilities to treat the flow-back water and reinject to the reservoirs. The objective of this paper is to statistically measure the provided freshwater from treated water that is produced from reused water. The treated water is provided from different processes such as hydraulic fracturing, chemical enhanced oil recovery methods (such as polymer, surfactant, and foam flooding that are the main important techniques in recovery processes) from eight wells in Bangestan field in South of Iran. Moreover, photofenton-flotation separation methods are used in this field to treat the produced water from different processes. As a result, saving water percentage in the studied field for hydraulic fracturing processes is about 82% and therefore, the required fresh water is about 18%. Moreover, saving water percentage in the studied field for chemical recovery techniques is about 70% and therefore, the required fresh water is about 29%. The findings of this study can help for better understanding of the required fresh water for 1000 inhabitants can be saved through this system.
Bi-GRCN: A Spatio-Temporal Traffic Flow Prediction Model Based on Graph Neural Network
Authors: Jiang Wenhao , Xiao Yunpeng , Liu Yanbing , Liu Qilie , Li Zheng
Published: February 2022

Because traffic flow data has complex spatial dependence and temporal correlation, it is a challenging problem for researchers in the field of Intelligent Transportation to accurately predict traffic flow by analyzing spatio-temporal traffic data. Based on the idea of spatio-temporal data fusion, fully considering the correlation of traffic flow data in the time dimension and the dependence of spatial structure, this paper proposes a new spatio-temporal traffic flow prediction model based on Graph Neural Network (GNN), which is called Bidirectional-Graph Recurrent Convolutional Network (Bi-GRCN). First, aiming at the spatial dependence between traffic flow data and traffic roads, Graph Convolution Network (GCN) which can directly analyze complex non-Euclidean space data is selected for spatial dependence modeling, to extract the spatial dependence characteristics. Second, considering the temporal dependence of traffic flow data on historical data and future data in its time-series period, Bidirectional-Gate Recurrent Unit (Bi-GRU) is used to process historical data and future data at the same time, to learn the temporal correlation characteristics of data in the bidirectional time dimension from the input data. Finally, the full connection layer is used to fuse the extracted spatial features and the learned temporal features to optimize the prediction results so that the Bi-GRCN model can better extract the spatial dependence and temporal correlation of traffic flow data. The experimental results show that the model can not only effectively predict the short-term traffic flow but also get a good prediction effect in the medium- and long-term traffic flow prediction.
Anterior Lens Curvature Matters in the Course of Primary Angle Closure: An Analysis Based on Ultrasound Biomicroscopic Imaging
Authors: Liu Tingting , Li Mengwei , Chen Xiaoxiao , Jiang Zhenying , Li Xiangmei , Sun Xinghuai , Wang Jiajian , Chen Yuhong
Published: January 2022

Purpose. To evaluate the effect of anterior lens curvature in primary angle closure (PAC) and find additional anatomical features of crystalline lens that may predispose primary angle closure to the acute course. Methods. 435 eyes (263 subjects) were enrolled in this study. Four groups of eyes were included based on angle configurations and clinical features: (i) acute primary angle closure (APAC, 140 eyes); (ii) chronic primary angle closure (CPAC, 116 eyes); (iii) primary angle closure suspect (PACS, 84 eyes); and (iv) normal controls (95 eyes). All patients underwent thorough ophthalmic exams including applanation tonometry, gonioscopy, low-coherence interferometry, and ultrasound biomicroscopic imaging. Based on the panoramic anterior segment images from ultrasound biomicroscopic imaging measurements, the radius of anterior lens curvature (ALR) was calculated using the least-squares curve fitting technique. ALR, in addition to axial length (AL), anterior chamber depth (ACD), and lens thickness (LT), was compared among different groups using univariate and multivariate analysis with mixed effects linear model. Results. APAC, CPAC, and PACS groups all had steeper ALR, shorter AL, shallower ACD, and thicker LT than normal control group. ACD and LT further differ between APAC and CPAC or PACS eyes. Moreover, a steeper ALR was also found in the APAC group as compared to CPAC, PACS, and normal control groups. Conclusions. A steeper ALR may predispose the acute attack of PAC. In addition to the relative lens position and size, lens curvature is another variable that contributes to the pathophysiological mechanisms of primary angle closure.
Applying ANFIS and LSSVM Models for the Estimation of Biochar Aromaticity
Authors: Pan Ganggang , Dong Haoyan , Nouroddin Maryam Karimi
Published: January 2022

The main aim of this work is the determination of aromaticity in biochar from easier accessible parameters (e.g., elemental composition). To this end, two machine learning models, including adaptive neurofuzzy inference system (ANFIS) and least-squares support vector machine (LSSVM), were used to predict this constant form 98 dataset gathered from earlier reported sources. The outputs of the statistical parameters showed that the LSSVM model has the ability to estimate the target parameter with R-squared values of 0.986 and a mean relative error of 3.821 for the overall dataset. Also, by analyzing the sensitivity on the input parameters, it was shown that the carbon percentage has the greatest effect on the target values, and a high focus should be placed on this parameter. Finally, by comparing the methods proposed in this paper with other models published in previous studies, our model has shown higher accuracy in predicting the target parameter.
[Retracted] Energy Evolution Characteristics and Performance Parameter Degradation of Rubber‐Mixed Concrete in Sulfate Attack Environment
Authors: Chen Xiu-ling
Published: January 2022

In order to study the sulfate resistance of rubber concrete (RC), the compressive strength test of RC with different contents (0%, 5%, 10%, and 15%) was carried out, and the proportion of RC with standard curing for 28 days was optimized. Sulfate attack test was carried out on the selected RC and compared with normal concrete (NC). The degradation degree was measured from the effective porosity, relative dynamic elastic modulus, SO42− concentration, and SEM microstructure observation after different attack times. The energy analysis method is used to study the evolution law of total strain energy, elastic strain energy, and dissipated strain energy of NC and RC in the process of deformation and failure after different attack times, and the influence of sulfate attack on concrete is explored from the perspective of energy. The results show that with the progress of sulfate attack, the effective porosity of NC and RC both decreases first and then increases, and the relative dynamic elastic modulus increases first and then decreases. Rubber is beneficial to improve the sulfate resistance of concrete, delay the attack of SO42− on concrete, and improve the ductile deformation of concrete. This study can provide a theoretical reference for the application of RC in practical engineering.
Association between Cervical Lymph Node Metastasis and the Incidence of Radiation-Induced Hypothyroidism in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma
Authors: Zhou Ling , Chen Jia , Tao Chang-Juan , Zhao Qing-Feng , Chen Yu-Ming , Chen Xiao-Zhong , Chen Ming , Yu Zhong-Hua , Chen Yuan-Yuan
Published: February 2022

Background. It is controversial and unclear how N-stage would increase the risk of incidence of hypothyroidism (HT) for patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) after radiotherapy. Our study aimed to explore the correlation between cervical lymph node metastasis and the incidence of HT in NPC. Materials and Methods. A total of 206 patients with NPC treated at the Cancer Hospital of University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, and their clinical information were retrospectively collected. A series of univariate logistic regression models were performed to explore the association of clinical and lymph node indices with the development of HT. Significant features in univariate analysis were then used to construct three prediction models, for HT prediction using multivariate logistic regression based on Bayesian information criterion. Prediction performance of those models was measured by area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) using 10-fold cross-validation. Results. A total of 111 patients developed HT, and the incidence of HT in N2–3 and N0–1 patients was 58.82% and 44.29%, respectively. Compared to Model 1 (consisted of pretreatment TSH concentration, thyroid volume, and N-stage) whose AUCs were 0.801 and 0.766 in training and validation sets, with N-stage be replaced by shortest distance from thyroid, Model 2 achieved more stable AUCs of 0.824 and 0.801. While with numbers of positive lymph nodes in Level IIb additionally added, Model 3 improved its AUCs to 0.841 and 0.813. Conclusion. The shortest distance between the lymph nodes and thyroid gland and the number of lymph nodes in IIb are better predictors of radiation-induced HT than the N-stage.
Bioinformatic Analysis of the Effect of the Sirtuin Family on Differentiated Thyroid Carcinoma
Authors: Yao Lijun , Wang Yinhua
Published: January 2022

A growing body of experimental evidence suggests that sirtuins (SIRTs) are associated with tumorigenesis in differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC). Nevertheless, the involvement of SIRTs in the pathogenesis of DTC and their clinical value remain ill‐defined and should be thoroughly examined. We explored the transcription of SIRTs and survival data of patients with DTC by the systematic utilization of bioinformatics to analyze data of publicly accessible databases including Oncomine, cBioPortal, Kaplan‐Meier Plotter, Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA), Protein Atlas, LinkedOmics, and GSCALite. The examination of gene expression profiles showed that SIRT2, SIRT3, SIRT4, SIRT5, and SIRT6 were downregulated in DTC tissues compared with the normal thyroid tissues. The decreased expression levels of SIRT2, SIRT4, and SIRT5 were correlated with advanced tumor stages. The survival results showed that the increased SIRT4 mRNA expression level was associated with improved overall survival (OS) in the DTC patients. In addition, patients with DTC with high SIRT2, SIRT3, SIRT4, and SIRT5 mRNA levels had higher disease‐free survival (DFS). These results showed that SIRT2, SIRT3, SIRT4, SIRT5, and SIRT6 are potential targets for precise treatment of DTC patients and that SIRT2, SIRT3, SIRT4, and SIRT5 are novel potential biomarkers for the prognosis of DTC.
Antitampering Scheme of Evidence Transfer Information in Judicial System Based on Blockchain
Authors: Guo Jingjing , Wei Xuliang , Zhang Yuling , Ma Jianfeng , Gao Huamin , Wang Libo , Liu Zhiquan
Published: January 2022

In the process of handling criminal cases, it is crucial to avoid evidence tampering and ensure the integrity, consistency, and nonrepudiation of evidence transfer records, which is highly related to the fairness and credibility of the judiciary. To address this problem, we propose a consortium blockchain network to record evidence transfer events among different departments of China's judicial system. We design the format of a transaction and a block. In addition, the smart contracts for three types of transactions are also proposed. The Raft consensus algorithm is adopted to accomplish the consensus process. A security analysis shows that the proposed scheme can achieve the design goal (the integrity, consistency, and nonrepudiation of evidence transfer records stored in blockchain). Furthermore, a set of experiments were conducted to analyse the performance of the proposed scheme. The experiments results show that the throughput of the system is proportional to the send rate within a certain threshold. The latency decreases with increasing send rate if the send rate is within a certain threshold. Peer nodes in the system consume the most storage and communication cost. The values of block size and block generation interval time have a slight influence on the performance of the system.