bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Facile approach to thin polypyrrole encapsulation of lamellar iron (II) selenide with much improved performance for lithium-ion storage
Authors: Wang Yue , Li Jiangcun , Wang Xusheng , Wang Chao , Chen Jitao
Published: October 2020

A facile approach is developed to fabricate polypyrrole-encapsulated lamellar iron (II) selenide (FeSe/PPy) by directly exposing FeSe to pyrrole atmosphere at room temperature. A high FeSe loading of 97 wt.% is achieved for the FeSe/PPy composite, which is designed as an anode for lithium-ion battery (LIB) with much enhanced electrochemical performance than that of the FeSe sample. The FeSe/PPy electrodes demonstrate a reversible discharge capacity of 274 mAh g[Formula: see text] after 50 cycles at a high current density of 0.5 A g[Formula: see text], whereas the lower discharge capacity of 124 mAh g[Formula: see text] for the FeSe electrodes. The FeSe/PPy electrodes also deliver greater rate capability compared to the FeSe electrodes. The improved electrochemical performance should be assigned to the contributions of fast charge transfer and structural defense from the encapsulated PPy. Hence, the FeSe/PPy composite could serve the purpose for constructing reliable anode for LIB, and the simple method of PPy coating can also be used to build high-performance electrodes for other battery systems.
Assessment of a Simpler Friction Factor in an Algebraic Solution for Adiabatic Coiled Capillary Tubes
Authors: Rocha Thiago Torres Martins , Resende Sara Isabel De Melo , Diniz Hélio Augusto Goulart , Filho Fernando Antônio Rodrigues , De Oliveira Raphael Nunes
Published: October 2020

In this work, the performance of an existing algebraic solution for adiabatic coiled capillary tubes, in subcritical cycles, is investigated. However, the C-M&N friction factor, commonly used, was replaced by Schmidt friction factor, which is less complex. Two existing dimensionless correlations were also evaluated for comparison. To assess the effect of altering the friction factor, experimental data collected in the literature were used as reference. Analyzing the present results and that with C-M&N friction factor, it was observed that adopting the Schmidt friction factor does not cause a relevant impact on the solution. The deviations of the predicted versus experimental mass flow rates were comprised in a range between –8% and 12%, with average deviation (AD), absolute average deviation (AAD) and root mean square (RMS) error of –0.1%, 2.7% and 3.4%, respectively. The empirical correlations presented unsatisfactory results, with maximum deviation around 40%. Therefore, it was concluded that using the Schmidt friction factor is adequate to reduce the complexity of the algebraic solution and to maintain the accuracy.
Sestrins in Physiological Stress Responses
Authors: Kim Myungjin , Kowalsky Allison H. , Lee Jun Hee
Published: October 2020

Sestrins are a family of proteins that respond to a variety of environmental stresses, including genotoxic, oxidative, and nutritional stresses. Sestrins affect multiple signaling pathways: AMP-activated protein kinase, mammalian target of rapamycin complexes, insulin-AKT, and redox signaling pathways. By regulating these pathways, Sestrins are thought to help adapt to stressful environments and subsequently restore cell and tissue homeostasis. In this review, we describe how Sestrins mediate physiological stress responses in the context of nutritional and chemical stresses (liver), physical movement and exercise (skeletal muscle), and chemical, physical, and inflammatory injuries (heart). These findings also support the idea that Sestrins are a molecular mediator of hormesis, a paradoxical beneficial effect of low- or moderate-level stresses in living organisms.
Isoflurane anesthesia disrupts the cortical metabolome
Authors: Baer Aaron G. , Bourdon Allen K. , Price Joshua M. , Campagna Shawn R. , Jacobson Daniel A. , Baghdoyan Helen A. , Lydic Ralph
Published: October 2020

The loss of wakefulness caused by a single concentration of isoflurane significantly altered levels of interrelated metabolites in the prefrontal cortex. The results support the interpretation that states of consciousness reflect dynamic interactions between cortical neuronal networks involving a humbling number of molecules that comprise the brain metabolome.
High Body Mass Index and Triglycerides Help Protect against Osteoporosis in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Zhao Hang , Zheng Chong , Gan Kexin , Qi Cuijuan , Ren Luping , Song Guangyao
Published: October 2020

Purpose. This study was conducted to investigate whether high body mass index (BMI) and triglycerides (TGs) were protective factors for reducing osteoporosis (OP) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Participants and Methods. Seventy-nine patients (aged 20 to 81) with T2DM were included in the study. Basic information and blood indicators were collected. Bone mineral density was used to diagnose OP. Participants were grouped according to BMI (normal weight vs. overweight/obese participants), TG (normal TG vs. hypertriglyceridemia), and OP (non-OP vs. OP), and differences were compared between groups. Regression analysis was used to explore whether BMI or TG were independent factors affecting OP. Results. The proportions of OP in the overweight/obese and hypertriglyceridemic groups were significantly lower than those in the normal weight (30.0% vs. 69.0%;

P
=
0.001

) and normal TG (27.3% vs. 56.5%;

P
=
0.010

) groups. In the OP group, the BMI (

24.8
±
3.4

vs.

26.6
±
2.5
 
kg
/

m

2

;

P
=
0.009

) was significantly lower than that in the non-OP group, and TG showed the same trend (1.30 (0.81) vs. 1.71 (1.1) mmol/L;

P
=
0.020

). Logistic regression in the crude model showed that the odds ratios (ORs) of OP in the overweight/obese and hypertriglyceridemic groups were 0.193 (95% CI: 0.071, 0.520) and 0.315 (95% CI: 0.119, 0.830) compared with those of the normal weight and normal TG groups. After adjusting for sex and smoking, the ORs were 0.204 (95% CI: 0.074, 0.567) and 0.242 (95% CI: 0.082, 0.709) for the overweight/obese and hypertriglyceridemic groups, respectively. After adjusting for all confounding factors, the ORs for these groups were 0.248 (95% CI: 0.083, 0.746) and 0.299 (95% CI: 0.091, 0.989), respectively. Conclusion. BMI and TG are independent protective factors against OP in patients with T2DM.
Short-Term Efficacy and Safety of Secukinumab for Ankylosing Spondylitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of RCTs
Authors: Zhou Yu , Ma Jinhui , Ge Juncheng , Wang Bailiang , Yue Debo , Wang Weiguo
Published: October 2020

Secukinumab is a novel IL-17A inhibitor that has been confirmed to be effective for treating PsA and RA. Several studies have demonstrated that secukinumab also provides benefits for AS patients. Thus, we performed a meta-analysis of RCTs to evaluate the short-term efficacy and safety of secukinumab for the management of AS. The PubMed, Medline, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases were searched for RCTs published prior to March 2020 on the treatment of AS with secukinumab. The primary outcome was the ASAS20 response, and the secondary outcomes included the ASAS40 response, ASAS5/6 response, SF-36 PCS score, ASQoL score, and AEs. Dichotomous data were expressed as pooled RRs with 95% CIs, while continuous data were expressed as pooled MDs with 95% CIs. Subgroup analysis was conducted based on whether the AS patients previously underwent treatment with TNFi. A total of 4 RCTs with 1166 patients were included in our meta-analysis. At week 16, secukinumab 150 mg yielded significant improvements in the clinical response and patient-reported outcomes for AS patients. There was no increased risk of AEs. Consistent results were detected in the meta-analysis of secukinumab 75 mg versus a placebo. Furthermore, no significant difference was detected between the secukinumab 75 mg group and secukinumab 150 mg group. We concluded that secukinumab is effective for treating AS and generally well tolerated by AS patients in the short term, regardless of whether they previously underwent TNFi treatment. The superiority of secukinumab 150 mg over secukinumab 75 mg seems to be limited, since no significant difference in any endpoint was detected between the two groups.
An Electronic Component Recognition Algorithm Based on Deep Learning with a Faster SqueezeNet
Authors: Xu Yuanyuan , Yang Genke , Luo Jiliang , He Jianan
Published: October 2020

Electronic component recognition plays an important role in industrial production, electronic manufacturing, and testing. In order to address the problem of the low recognition recall and accuracy of traditional image recognition technologies (such as principal component analysis (PCA) and support vector machine (SVM)), this paper selects multiple deep learning networks for testing and optimizes the SqueezeNet network. The paper then presents an electronic component recognition algorithm based on the Faster SqueezeNet network. This structure can reduce the size of network parameters and computational complexity without deteriorating the performance of the network. The results show that the proposed algorithm performs well, where the Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve (ROC) and Area Under the Curve (AUC), capacitor and inductor, reach 1.0. When the FPR is less than or equal

10

−
6
 

level, the TPR is greater than or equal to 0.99; its reasoning time is about 2.67 ms, achieving the industrial application level in terms of time consumption and performance.
Collision Avoidance of 3D Rectangular Planes by Multiple Cooperating Autonomous Agents
Authors: Raj Jai , Raghuwaiya Krishna , Vanualailai Jito
Published: October 2020

We develop a set of novel autonomous controllers for multiple point-mass robots or agents in the presence of wall-like rectangular planes in three-dimensional space. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first time that such a set of controllers for the avoidance of rectangular planes has been derived from a single attractive and repulsive potential function that satisfies the conditions of the Direct Method of Lyapunov. The potential or Lyapunov function also proves the stability of the system of the first-order ordinary differential equations governing the motion of the multiple agents as they traverse the three-dimensional space from an initial position to a target that is the equilibrium point of the system. The avoidance of the walls is via an approach called the Minimum Distance Technique that enables a point-mass agent to avoid the wall from the shortest distance away at every unit time. Computer simulations of the proposed Lyapunov-based controllers for the multiple point-mass agents navigating in a common workspace are presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the controllers. Simulations include towers and walls of tunnels as obstacles. In the simulations, the point-mass agents also show typical swarming behaviors such as split-and-rejoin maneuvers when confronted with multiple tower-like structures. The successful illustration of the effectiveness of the controllers opens a fertile area of research in the development and implementation of such controllers for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles such as quadrotors.
Driver Preference and Level of Trust Related to Real-Time Road Freezing Risk Information
Authors: Ben Khedher Moataz Bellah , Yang Choong Heon , Kim Jin Guk , Yun Duk Geun , Shin Sung Pil
Published: October 2020

Bad weather conditions can affect normal driving by substantially hindering visibility. Among all adverse weather conditions, road freezing is probably the most dangerous to drivers because slippery roads reduce surface friction and can lead to loss of vehicle control. This paper evaluates driver preference of receiving real-time road freezing risk information and explores the factors that would most influence drivers’ trust in a future road freezing information service. A survey was conducted in the metropolitan areas of South Korea during January and February 2019. The survey was completed by 231 driver’s license holders of 18 years or older, and the results were used for statistical analysis. According to the survey results, the variable message sign (VMS) is a very important system from the perspective of public benefit. Car-navigation systems are preferred for age categories of 21∼30 and over 50. In addition, ordinal regression was used to analyze the causal relationship between the level of trust regarding road freezing risk information and its controlling factors. The ordered log odds of drivers with previous accident experience due to slippery roads exhibit a higher level of trust in road freezing risk information because the coefficient is positive. Moreover, drivers with a constant commute time show a lower level of trust in road freezing risk information. These findings provide a foundation for planning the scope of future road freezing risk information service, as well as the specific service targets and type of information, especially during the winter season.
HPLC Separation of Phenolic Acids on Silica Gels Layer-by-Layer Modified with 6,10-Ionene and Dextran Sulfate
Authors: Ioutsi A. N.
Published: October 2020

Using phenolic acids as an example, we continue to study the nature of the previously obtained multilayer sorbents for HPLC—silica gels modified up to two times with 6,10-ionene and dextran sulfate (DS). The chromatographic behavior of this class of compounds on the obtained sorbents was studied. A six-component mixture of sorbic, vanillic, sinapic,

p

-coumaric, caffeic, and ferulic acids was separated on the silica gel twice modified with 6,10-ionene and dextran sulfate in 15 min with a selectivity of up to 1.88 and a column efficiency of up to 26000 theoretical plates per meter. The possibility of separating the two classes of compounds—phenolic acids and basic nitrogen-containing pharmaceuticals—in a single mixture on silica gel, twice modified with 6,10-ionene and dextran sulfate, is shown.
Dynamical Analysis of a Beddington–DeAngelis Interacting Species System with Prey Harvesting
Authors: Guin Lakshmi Narayan , Murmu Reeta , Baek Hunki , Kim Kyoung-Hwan
Published: October 2020

A reaction–diffusion interacting species system with Beddington–DeAngelis functional response that has been proposed in the environment of mathematical ecology, which provides the rise to spatial pattern formation, is investigated and associated with the models of deterministic dynamics. The dynamical behaviour of a generalist predator–prey system with linear harvesting of each species and predator-dependent functional response is fully analyzed. Conditions of stability behaviour of the interior equilibrium point are established properly. Furthermore, we have recognized that the unique positive equilibrium point of the system is globally stable via appropriate Lyapunov function structure, which signifies that appropriate harvesting has no impact on the persistence property of the harvesting system. Also, we establish the conditions for the existence of bifurcation phenomena including a saddle-node bifurcation and a Hopf bifurcation. Subsequently, complete analysis regarding the impact of harvesting is carried out, and an interesting decision is that under some appropriate constraints, harvesting has immense impact on the final size of the interacting species. In addition, in accordance with Turing’s ideas on morphogenesis , our analysis shows that harvesting effort in a reaction–diffusion predator–prey system plays a vital function for geological conservation of interacting species. Finally, we discuss sufficient conditions for the existence of bionomic equilibrium point and the optimal harvesting policy attained by using the Pontryagin maximal principle.
Milling Dynamics and Propagation of Mechanically Activated Self‐Sustaining Reactions
Authors: Cincotti Alberto , Traversari Gabriele , Pia Giorgio , Delogu Francesco
Published: October 2020

This work focuses on the propagation of mechanically activated self‐sustaining reactions during the mechanical processing of powder in ball mills. We use a numerical model to reconstruct the dynamics of a single ball and powder particles inside the reactor of a SPEX Mixer/Mill 8000 under operational conditions. Taking advantage of the analytical description of the reactor swing, the equations of motion of ball and powder particles are solved numerically. The discrete element method is used to describe contacts. Reaction is ignited in an individual particle randomly selected among those compressed during an impact between ball and reactor. A simple kinetic law and a set of rules involving degree of chemical conversion and distance between particles are used to obtain a phenomenological description of the reaction propagation. We show that the propagation is significantly affected by reaction rate in individual particles, with other factors being less influential. We observe a strong coupling between the dynamics of powder particles and the reaction propagation.
Development of a Practical Method to Estimate the Eco-Level of Driver Performance
Authors: Zheng Jianbin , Wu Yiping
Published: October 2020

Motor vehicle’s fuel consumption is one of the main sources of energy consumption in road transportation and is highly influenced by driver performance in the process of driving. Eco-driving behavior has been proved to be an effective way to improve the fuel efficiency of vehicles. Essential to the efforts towards saving vehicle fuel is the need to estimate the eco-level of driver performance accurately and practically. Depending on on-board diagnostics and Global Position devices, individual vehicle’s instantaneous fuel consumption, engine revolution and torque, speed, acceleration, and dynamic location were collected. Back-propagation network was adopted to explore the relationship between vehicle fuel consumption and the parameters of driver performance. Taking 700 data samples in basic segments of urban expressways as our training set and 100 data samples as validation test, we found the optimal model structure and parameters through repeated simulation experiments. In addition to the average and standard deviation value, the fluctuation frequency of driver performance data was also viewed as influence factors in eco-level estimation model. The average estimation accuracy of our developed model has been tested to be 96.37%, which is quite higher than that of linear regression model. The study results provide a practical way to evaluate drivers’ performance from the perspective of fuel consumption and thus give basis for rewarding best drivers within eco-driving programs.
Mechanisms of Core Chinese Herbs against Colorectal Cancer: A Study Based on Data Mining and Network Pharmacology
Authors: Lin Tong , Liang Caijun , Peng Wenya , Qiu Yuqin , Peng Lisheng
Published: October 2020

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is now the second most deadly cancer globally. Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) plays an indispensable role in CRC treatment in China. However, the core herbs (the CHs) in the treatment of CRC and their underlying therapeutic mechanisms remain unclear. This study aims to uncovering the CHs and their mechanisms of action of CRC treatment, applying data mining and network pharmacology approach. First, CHM prescriptions treating CRC were collected from clinical studies from the Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and MEDLINE databases, and the CHs were identified through data mining. Then, the bioactive compounds and the corresponding putative targets of the CHs were obtained from three traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) databases. CRC related targets were acquired from three disease databases; the overlapping targets between the CHs and CRC were identified as the therapeutic targets. Subsequently, functional enrichment analysis was performed to elucidate the mechanisms of the CHs on CRC. Moreover, networks were constructed to screen the major bioactive compounds and therapeutic targets. Finally, prognostic values of the major target genes were evaluated by survival analysis, and molecular docking simulation was performed to assess the binding affinity of key targets and major bioactive compounds. It came out that 10 the CHs from 113 prescriptions and 190 bioactive compounds with 118 therapeutic targets were identified. The therapeutic targets were mainly enriched in the biological progress of transcription, apoptosis, and response to cytokine. Various cancer‐associated signaling pathways, including microRNAs, TNF, apoptosis, PI3K‐Akt, and p53, were involved. Furthermore, 15 major bioactive compounds and five key target genes (VEGFA, CASP3, MYC, CYP1Y1, and NFKB1) with prognostic significance were identified. Additionally, most major bioactive compounds might bind firmly to the key target proteins. This study provided an overview of the anti‐CRC mechanisms of the CHs, which might refer to the regulation of apoptosis, transcription, and inflammation.
The Comparison of Teen Clubs vs. Standard Care on Treatment Outcomes for Adolescents on Antiretroviral Therapy in Windhoek, Namibia
Authors: Munyayi Farai K. , van Wyk Brian E.
Published: October 2020

Background. Adolescents living with HIV (ALHIV) are challenged to adhere to antiretroviral therapy (ART) and achieve and maintain virologic suppression. Group-based adherence support interventions, such as adherence clubs, have been shown to improve long-term adherence in ART patients. The teen club intervention was introduced in 2010 in Namibia to improve treatment outcomes for ALHIV by providing adherence support in a peer-group environment. Adolescents who have completed the full HIV disclosure process can voluntarily join the teen clubs. The current study compared treatment outcomes of ALHIV receiving ART at a specialized paediatric HIV clinic between 1 July 2015 and 30 June 2017 in Windhoek, Namibia. Methods. A retrospective cohort analysis was conducted on routine patient data extracted from the electronic Patient Monitoring System, individual Patient Care Booklets, and teen club attendance registers. A sample of 385 adolescents were analysed: 78 in teen clubs and 307 in standard care. Virologic suppression was determined at 6, 12, and 18 months from study start date, and compared by model of care, age, sex, disclosure status, and ART regimen. Comparisons between adolescents in teen clubs and those receiving standard care were performed using the chi-square test, and risk ratios were calculated to analyze differences in ART adherence and virologic suppression. Results. The average clinician-measured ART adherence was 89% good, 6% fair, and 5% poor amongst all adolescents, with no difference between teen club members and adolescents in standard care (

p

 = 0.277) at 3 months. Virologic suppression over the 2-year observation period was 87% (68% fully suppressed <40 copies/ml and 19% suppressed between 40–999 copies/ml), with no difference between teen club members and those in standard care. However, there were statistically significant differences in virologic suppression levels between the younger (10–14 years) adolescents and older (15–19 years) adolescents at 6 months (

p

 = 0.015) and at 12 months (

p

 = 0.021) and between adolescents on first-line and second-line ART regimen at 6 months (

p

 = 0.012), 12 months (

p

 = 0.004), and 18 months (

p

 = 0.005). Conclusion. The teen club model delivering psychosocial support only did not improve adherence and virologic suppression levels for adolescents in a specialized paediatric ART clinic, neither were they inferior to standard care. Considering the limitations of this study, teen clubs may still hold potential for improving adherence and virologic suppression levels for older adolescents, and more robust research on adherence interventions for adolescents with higher methodological quality is required.
Exploring the Root Cause for Chronic Kidney Disease of Unknown Etiology (CKDu) via Analysis of Metal Ion and Counterion Contaminants in Drinking Water: A Study in Sri Lanka
Authors: Perera W. P. R. T. , Dayananda M. D. N. R. , Liyanage J. A.
Published: October 2020

The introduction of elevated amounts of foreign ions into the blood may lead to impairment of the filtration membrane of kidneys and chronic kidney damage. In order to assess the risk of consumption of drinking water (dug well water) in chronic kidney disease of unknown etiology (CKDu), affected areas in Sri Lanka, trace metals, and other counterions in water samples obtained from dug wells were analyzed and compared with a reference area. Drinking water could be the major source that is responsible for entering nephrotoxic ion contaminants into the human body. To achieve the objective, drinking water samples were collected from dug wells in two CKDu endemic areas and a reference area where no CKDu patients were found in a dry season. In the Wewelketiya area (one of the endemic areas), Cd concentrations in 60% of water samples and Pb concentrations in 40% of water samples have exceeded the maximum limit given by Sri Lanka water quality standards. Fluoride concentrations also have exceeded the permissible limits of more than 80% of collected water samples in both CKDu endemic areas. However, none of the water samples in reference areas has reported that Cd, Pb, and fluoride are beyond their maximum permissible limits. Hence, people in the particular CKDu endemic areas are at risk of kidney tissue damage due to long-term exposure to drinking water with elevated levels of some metal ions and counterions.
Inflammation, HIV, and Immune Quiescence: Leveraging on Immunomodulatory Products to Reduce HIV Susceptibility
Authors: Cromarty Ross , Archary Derseree
Published: October 2020

The relationship between inflammation and HIV has been a focus of research over the last decade. In HIV-infected individuals, increased HIV-associated immune activation significantly correlated to disease progression. While genital inflammation (GI) has been shown to significantly increase the risk of HIV acquisition and transmission, immune correlates for reduced risk remain limited. In certain HIV-exposed seronegative individuals, an immune quiescent phenotype characterized reduced risk. Immune quiescence is defined by specific, targeted, highly regulated immune responses that hinder overt inflammation or immune activation. Targeted management of inflammation, therefore, is a plausible strategy to mitigate HIV risk and slow disease progression. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as hydroxychloroquine and aspirin have shown encouraging preliminary results in low-risk women by reducing systemic and genital immune activation. A topical NSAID, containing ibuprofen, is effective in treating vulvovaginal inflammation. Additionally, the glucocorticoids (GCs), prednisolone, and dexamethasone are used to treat HIV-associated immune activation. Collectively, these data inform on immune-modulating drugs to reduce HIV risk. However, the prolonged use of these pharmaceutical drugs is associated with adverse effects, both systemically and to a lesser extent topically. Natural products with their reduced side effects coupled with anti-inflammatory properties render them viable options. Lactic acid (LA) has immunomodulatory properties. LA regulates the genital microbiome by facilitating the growth of Lactobacillus species, while simultaneously limiting bacterial species that cause microbial dysbiosis and GI. Glycerol monolaurate, besides being anti-inflammatory, also inhibited SIV infections in rhesus macaques. The proposed pharmaceutical and natural products could be used in combination with either antiretrovirals for treatment or preexposure prophylaxis for HIV prevention. This review provides a summary on the associations between inflammation, HIV risk, and disease progression. Furthermore, we use the knowledge from immune quiescence to exploit the use of pharmaceutical and natural products as strategic interventions to manage inflammation, toward mitigating HIV infections.
Nonexistence Results for Some Classes of Nonlinear Fractional Differential Inequalities
Authors: Jleli Mohamed , Samet Bessem
Published: October 2020

We study the nonexistence of global solutions for new classes of nonlinear fractional differential inequalities. Namely, sufficient conditions are provided so that the considered problems admit no global solutions. The proofs of our results are based on the test function method and some integral estimates.
Existence of Solutions to Elliptic Problem with Convection Term and Lower-Order Term
Authors: He Xiaohua , Huang Shuibo , Tian Qiaoyu , Xu Yonglin
Published: October 2020

In this paper, we establish the existence of solutions to the following noncoercivity Dirichlet problem

−
div

M

x

∇
u

+

u

p
−
1

u
=

−

div

u
E

x

+
f

x

,

x
∈
Ω
,

u

x

=
0
,

x
∈
∂
Ω
,

where

Ω
⊂

ℝ

N

N
>
2

is a bounded smooth domain with

0
∈
Ω

,

f

belongs to the Lebesgue space

L

m

Ω

with

m
≥
1
,
p
>
0
.

The main innovation point of this paper is the combined effects of the convection terms and lower-order terms in elliptic equations.
Clinical and Radiological Characterization of an Infant with Caudal Regression Syndrome Type III
Authors: Dayasiri Kavinda , Thadchanamoorthy V. , Thudugala Kaushika , Ranaweera Aruni , Parthipan N.
Published: October 2020

Caudal regression syndrome is a rare disorder of developmental failure of lumbosacral vertebra and corresponding spinal cord during notochord formation. The severity varies from absent coccyx to complete absence of lumbosacral vertebra and caudal spinal cord. Both genetic and environmental factors are believed to play roles in aetiopathogenesis of caudal regression. The authors report a two-month-old child born to a diabetic mother, in whom the diagnosis of caudal regression syndrome type III was confirmed based on clinical and radiological characteristics. The child was managed by the multidisciplinary team to continue supportive care and screen and monitor for long-term complications. The long-term prognosis for mobility was less favourable given the presence of bilateral hip dysplasia and involvement of lumbar vertebra in addition to sacral agenesis.
Collaboration-Based BIM Model Development Management System for General Contractors in Infrastructure Projects
Authors: Lin Yu-Cheng , Lo Nan-Hai , Hu Hsin-Tzu , Hsu Ya-Ting
Published: October 2020

For mass rapid transit (MRT) projects, the characteristics of MRT engineering include large scopes, long durations, complex interfaces, significant requirements for management, and complicated coordination and cooperation. Owing to the complexity of these projects, the use of building information modeling (BIM) technology will be necessary and helpful to improve construction management. The increasing application of BIM in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industries has strengthened the need for effective construction management for general contractors (GC) for BIM implementation during the construction phase. Collaboration-based BIM model development for GCs typically involves relevant participants from different fields during the construction phase of MRT projects. However, collaboration-based BIM model development tasks often create numerous practical problems (e.g., reworks and errors regarding BIM model development). As the BIM manager and engineers for the general contractor who handle BIM model development are located in different departments and different office locations in MRT construction projects, a centralized platform is needed to share the latest real-time BIM model developments for related participants. Effective collaboration-based BIM model development management (CBMDM) is therefore essential for GCs to obtain accurate BIM models before the implementation of BIM-related applications. While the latest information for collaboration-based BIM model development should be updated and tracked effectively for CBMDM for related participants during the development process, in practice, GCs lack systematic approaches and information management platforms for use in CBMDM tasks. Thus, this study proposes a novel approach and develops an information system to manage and track all CBMDM tasks for GCs during the BIM development process. The purpose of this study is to develop a CBMDM system to improve the efficiency of sharing and tracking information for CBMDM activities. The research scope of this study is to propose an approach and system for CBMDM work in large-scale construction and infrastructure projects. The CBMDM system assists users by providing workflow management of CBMDM tasks for BIM engineers and managers so users can manage all BIM model development tasks effectively. The proposed system can also be utilized for other types of large-scale construction projects for CBMDM tasks. Furthermore, to understand its effectiveness, the proposed CBMDM system is applied to a case study of an MRT project in Taiwan. Finally, the major practical advantages, disadvantages, and limitations of the system are identified for infrastructure projects.
Recurrent Empyema Thoracic Secondary to Pulmonary Nocardiosis in Immunocompetent Patients
Authors: Sukahri Samshol , Zainudin Lily Diana , Hadi Mohd Firdaus , Firdaus Mohd Al-Baqlish Mohd , Hafidz Muhammad Imran Abdul
Published: October 2020

Pulmonary nocardiosis is a rare disorder that mainly affects immune-compromised patients. We report a 37-year-old male who presented with persistent fever associated with productive cough. During this course of therapy, he had recurrent admissions for empyema thoracic. Clinically, his vital signs were normal. Blood investigations show leukocytosis with a significantly raised erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP). Sputum acid-fast bacilli (AFB) was scanty 1+ and sputum mycobacterium culture was negative. Chest X-ray (CXR) showed consolidative changes with mild to moderate pleural effusion on the right side. Skin biopsy was taken and showed Paecilomyces species. A computed tomography scan (CT thorax) was performed and revealed a multiloculated collection within the right hemithorax with a split pleura sign. Decortications were performed and tissue culture and sensitivity (C+S) growth of Nocardia species. And it is sensitive to sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim and completed treatment for 4 months. This case highlights that pulmonary nocardiosis should be kept in mind in also immune-competent patients, especially in suspected cases of tuberculosis not responding to antitubercular therapy.
Study on Stress Relief of Hard Roof Based on Presplitting and Deep Hole Blasting
Authors: Gong Peng , Chen Yongheng , Ma Zhanguo , Cheng Shixing
Published: October 2020

For the problem that the hard roof causes wider end‐mining coal pillar, and the roadway is greatly affected by mining, this paper took Shanxi Luning Coal Mine as the engineering background; based on the stress distribution characteristics of the coal pillar, the calculation method of the limit end‐mining coal pillar size was given; considering the formation conditions and transmission forms of the advanced abutment stress, a method combining presplitting and deep hole blasting was proposed to weaken the advanced abutment stress. The numerical simulation was used to analyze the stress distribution of coal pillars, which was verified by on‐site industrial tests. The results showed that the presplitting can achieve the blocking of stress. The closer it is to the peak of the abutment stress, the better the blocking effect. Deep hole blasting can weaken the source of the advanced abutment stress and reduce the peak of abutment stress. With the combination of the two blasting methods, the end‐mining coal pillar size of Luning Coal Mine can be reduced to 60 m. The method combining presplitting and deep hole blasting can effectively reduce the end‐mining coal pillar size and reduce the impact of mining on the deformation of the dip roadway.
Adaptive State Observer Design for Dynamic Links in Complex Dynamical Networks
Authors: Gao Zilin , Xiong Jiang , Zhong Jing , Liu Fuming , Liu Qingshan
Published: October 2020

The state observer for dynamic links in complex dynamical networks (CDNs) is investigated by using the adaptive method whether the networks are undirected or directed. In this paper, a complete network model is proposed, which is composed of two coupled subsystems called nodes subsystem and links subsystem, respectively. Especially, for the links subsystem, associated with some assumptions, the state observer with parameter adaptive law is designed. Compared to the existing results about the state observer design of CDNs, the advantage of this method is that a estimation problem of dynamic links is solved in directed networks for the first time. Finally, the results obtained in this paper are demonstrated by performing a numerical example.
Image Retrieval Using Low Level and Local Features Contents: A Comprehensive Review
Authors: Dewan Jaya H. , Thepade Sudeep D.
Published: October 2020

Billions of multimedia data files are getting created and shared on the web, mainly social media websites. The explosive increase in multimedia data, especially images and videos, has created an issue of searching and retrieving the relevant data from the archive collection. In the last few decades, the complexity of the image data has increased exponentially. Text-based image retrieval techniques do not meet the needs of the users due to the difference between image contents and text annotations associated with an image. Various methods have been proposed in recent years to tackle the problem of the semantic gap and retrieve images similar to the query specified by the user. Image retrieval based on image contents has attracted many researchers as it uses the visual content of the image such as color, texture, and shape feature. The low-level image features represent the image contents as feature vectors. The query image feature vector is compared with the dataset images feature vectors to retrieve similar images. The main aim of this article is to appraise the various image retrieval methods based on feature extraction, description, and matching content that has been presented in the last 10–15 years based on low-level feature contents and local features and proposes a promising future research direction for researchers.
Production of a Complementary Food: Influence of Cowpea Soaking Time on the Nutritional, Antinutritional, and Antioxidant Properties of the Cassava-Cowpea-Orange-Fleshed Potato Blends
Authors: Olaniran Abiola Folakemi , Okonkwo Clinton Emeka , Osemwegie Omorefosa Osarenkhoe , Iranloye Yetunde Mary , Afolabi Yemisi Tokunbo , Alejolowo Omokolade Oluwaseyi , Nwonuma Charles Obiora , Badejo Toluwanimi Esther
Published: October 2020

Soaking and incorporation of legumes for fortification are essential to a complementary food production process. Cassava, orange-fleshed potato, and cowpeas are sustainably cheap, locally available, and underutilized for food biofortification. This study investigated the effect of cowpea soaking time (3, 6, and 9 h) on different composition ratios of cassava, cowpea, and orange-fleshed sweet potato (CCP) blends (50 : 40 : 10 (EC), 50 : 30 : 20 (FC), 50 : 20 : 30 (GC), and 50 : 50 : 0 (HC)). Each blend was assayed for pH, antinutrient, antioxidant, and proximate contents. Results obtained showed that the CCP blends were significantly influenced by the length of cowpea soaking. Moisture and fiber content decreased significantly (P≤0.05) with increased steeping time (3 to 9 h) for the cassava-cowpea-OFSP blends. The blends were significantly different (P≤0.05) in terms of their protein, fiber, fat, ash, and carbohydrate contents. The moisture content of the EC blend was significantly different from only FC and HC blends, respectively. Six (6) hours of soaking showed no significant difference in the nutritional composition of the flour samples compared with 9 hours. The soaking length optimizes the health and nutrient-promoting factors in the various blend samples while also reaffirming cowpeas as a viable biofortification option for use in complementary food production.
The Modified Caldwell-Luc Approach with the Use of Collagen Material for Treatment of a Chronic Perforated Maxillary Sinusitis
Authors: Diachkova Ekaterina , Morozova Elena , Blagushina Natalia , Tarasenko Svetlana
Published: October 2020

Oroantral fistula (OAF) often develops after extraction of posterior maxillary teeth and requires surgical closure. If it persists, OAF may result in maxillary sinusitis. This paper reports a case of an oroantral fistula, associated with chronic maxillary sinusitis. A 46-year-old female patient presented with a history of traumatic tooth extraction, which led to OAF formation. Three unsuccessful attempts were made to close it elsewhere. With one operation, we performed Caldwell-Luc surgery and closed OAF with a collagen membrane and plug and a buccal flap. The patient was assessed at 1-, 3-, 6-, and 12-month and 8-year follow-up visits, with no signs of maxillary sinusitis or OAF recurrence being found with the efficient amount of bone and opportunity for further dental rehabilitation like sinus lifting and dental implantation. We believe that this approach may be a viable option in similar cases.
Complete Recovery from COVID-19 Bilateral Pneumonia in an Immunosuppressed Man with Immune-Mediated Necrotizing Myopathy
Authors: Bolig Thomas C. , Abdulaziz Nada , Schiopu Elena
Published: October 2020

Immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy (IMNM) is a rare form of idiopathic immune myopathy (IIM) that requires immunotherapies, including immunosuppressive medications, if severe. There is a paucity of data regarding outcomes of patients with immune-mediated polymyositis who continue immunosuppressive medications during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is the first reported case of COVID-19 in a patient with IMNM. Despite being on two immunotherapies, having risk factors, and having radiographic abnormalities on chest X-ray, the patient had an unremarkable COVID-19 course. He was discharged from the emergency department with a 7-day course of azithromycin and quickly resumed his immunotherapies, but he experienced a flare in his myositis. The 14-week follow-up computed tomography (CT) was negative for residual pneumonitis or fibrosis. More data are needed regarding management and prognosis of patients with connective tissue diseases who become infected with SARS-CoV-2.
Using Convolutional Neural Network with Cheat Sheet and Data Augmentation to Detect Breast Cancer in Mammograms
Authors: Ramadan Saleem Z.
Published: October 2020

The American Cancer Society expected to diagnose 276,480 new cases of invasive breast cancer in the USA and 48,530 new cases of noninvasive breast cancer among women in 2020. Early detection of breast cancer, followed by appropriate treatment, can reduce the risk of death from this disease. DL through CNN can assist imaging specialists in classifying the mammograms accurately. Accurate classification of mammograms using CNN needs a well-trained CNN by a large number of labeled mammograms. Unfortunately, a large number of labeled mammograms are not always available. In this study, a novel procedure to aid imaging specialists in detecting normal and abnormal mammograms has been proposed. The procedure supplied the designed CNN with a cheat sheet for some classical attributes extracted from the ROI and an extra number of labeled mammograms through data augmentation. The cheat sheet aided the CNN through encoding easy-to-recognize artificial patterns in the mammogram before passing it to the CNN, and the data augmentation supported the CNN with more labeled data points. Fifteen runs of 4 different modified datasets taken from the MIAS dataset were conducted and analyzed. The results showed that the cheat sheet, along with data augmentation, enhanced CNN’s accuracy by at least 12.2% and enhanced the precision of the CNN by at least 2.2. The mean accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity obtained using the proposed procedure were 92.1, 91.4, and 96.8, respectively, while the average area under the ROC curve was 94.9.
Chromatin Looping Shapes KLF5-Dependent Transcriptional Programs in Human Epithelial Cancers
Authors: Liu Yanli , Guo Bingqian , Aguilera-Jimenez Estrella , Chu Vivian S. , Zhou Jin , Wu Zhong , Francis Joshua M. , Yang Xiaojun , Choi Peter S. , Bailey Swneke D. , Zhang Xiaoyang
Published: October 2020

Activation of transcription factors is a key driver event in cancer. We and others have recently reported that the Krüppel-like transcription factor KLF5 is activated in multiple epithelial cancer types including squamous cancer and gastrointestinal adenocarcinoma, yet the functional consequences and the underlying mechanisms of this activation remain largely unknown. Here we demonstrate that activation of KLF5 results in strongly selective KLF5 dependency for these cancer types. KLF5 bound lineage-specific regulatory elements and activated gene expression programs essential to cancer cells. HiChIP analysis revealed that multiple distal KLF5 binding events cluster and synergize to activate individual target genes. Immunoprecipitation-mass spectrometry assays showed that KLF5 interacts with other transcription factors such as TP63 and YAP1, as well as the CBP/EP300 acetyltransferase complex. Furthermore, KLF5 guided the CBP/EP300 complex to increase acetylation of H3K27, which in turn enhanced recruitment of the bromodomain protein BRD4 to chromatin. The 3D chromatin architecture aggregated KLF5-dependent BRD4 binding to activate polymerase II elongation at KLF5 target genes, which conferred a transcriptional vulnerability to proteolysis-targeting chimera–induced degradation of BRD4. Our study demonstrates that KLF5 plays an essential role in multiple epithelial cancers by activating cancer-related genes through 3D chromatin loops, providing an evidence-based rationale for targeting the KLF5 pathway.

Significance:

An integrative 3D genomics methodology delineates mechanisms underlying the function of KLF5 in multiple epithelial cancers and suggests potential strategies to target cancers with aberrantly activated KLF5.
Targeting Subtype-Specific Metabolic Preferences in Nucleotide Biosynthesis Inhibits Tumor Growth in a Breast Cancer Model
Authors: Ogrodzinski Martin P. , Teoh Shao Thing , Lunt Sophia Y.
Published: October 2020

Investigating metabolic rewiring in cancer can lead to the discovery of new treatment strategies for breast cancer subtypes that currently lack targeted therapies. In this study, we used MMTV-Myc–driven tumors to model breast cancer heterogeneity, investigating the metabolic differences between two histologic subtypes, the epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) and the papillary subtypes. A combination of genomic and metabolomic techniques identified differences in nucleotide metabolism between EMT and papillary subtypes. EMT tumors preferentially used the nucleotide salvage pathway, whereas papillary tumors preferred de novo nucleotide biosynthesis. CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing and mass spectrometry–based methods revealed that targeting the preferred pathway in each subtype resulted in greater metabolic impact than targeting the nonpreferred pathway. Knocking out the preferred nucleotide pathway in each subtype has a deleterious effect on in vivo tumor growth, whereas knocking out the nonpreferred pathway has a lesser effect or may even result in increased tumor growth. Collectively, these data suggest that significant differences in metabolic pathway utilization distinguish EMT and papillary subtypes of breast cancer and identify said pathways as a means to enhance subtype-specific diagnoses and treatment strategies.

Significance:

These findings uncover differences in nucleotide salvage and de novo biosynthesis using a histologically heterogeneous breast cancer model, highlighting metabolic vulnerabilities in these pathways as promising targets for breast cancer subtypes.