bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Association of occupation with the daily physical activity and sedentary behaviour of middle-aged workers in Korea: a cross-sectional study based on data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey
Authors: Sung Joo Hye , Son Se Rhim , Baek Seol-Hee , Kim Byung-Jo
Published: November 2021

Objectives

The WHO recommends that adults engage in regular moderate-to-vigorous physical activities (MVPAs) and muscle-strengthening activities (MSA), and minimise sedentary behaviour. This study aimed to determine the association of occupation with MVPA, MSA and sedentary behaviour in middle-aged Korean workers.

Design and setting

A cross-sectional study using data from the seventh Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2016–2018).

Participants

Workers aged between 40 and 69 years in Korea (n=6359).

Outcome measures

Population-weighted proportions not meeting the MVPA (＜150 min/week) and MSA (＜2 days/week) guidelines, and with high sedentary behaviour (＞7 hours/day) were calculated, and their associations with sociodemographic and work-related variables were assessed using multiple logistic regression analyses. Additionally, the estimated time spent on MVPA, MSA and sedentary behaviour according to the occupation categories (white-collar, pink-collar and blue-collar) was calculated using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA).

Results

The MVPA level did not show a significant difference across the occupation categories. Blue-collar workers showed significantly lower MSA participation than white-collar and pink-collar workers (male, p=0.006; female, p=0.004; by ANCOVA). High sedentary behaviour was significantly associated with white-collar occupations (p<0.001 by ANCOVA). Longer working hours were negatively associated with MVPA (OR=1.01, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.02) and MSA (OR=1.01, 95% CI 1.00 to 1.02). Workers with higher stress were less likely to participate in MSA (male: OR=1.43, 95% CI 1.10 to 1.86; female: OR=1.39, 95% CI 1.08 to 1.80). Self-employed workers showed lower MVPA levels than employees (male: OR=1.26, 95% CI 1.09 to 1.47; female: OR=1.36, 95% CI 1.13 to 1.64). Daily workers compared with full-time workers (OR=0.38, 95% CI 0.24 to 0.59) and temporary workers compared with regular workers (OR=0.75, 95% CI 0.59 to 0.95) were associated with less sedentary behaviour in men.

Conclusion

A number of work-related factors were associated with PA levels and sedentary behaviour in middle-aged workers. The workplace is one of the critical elements to intervene in health promotion strategies.
Surgical safety checklist audits may be misleading! Improving the implementation and adherence of the surgical safety checklist: a quality improvement project
Authors: Brown Brigid , Bermingham Sophia , Vermeulen Marthinus , Jennings Beth , Adamek Kirsty , Markou Mark , Bassham Jane E , Hibbert Peter
Published: November 2021

Despite good quality evidence for benefits with its use, challenges have been encountered in the correct and consistent implementation of the surgical safety checklist (SSC). Previous studies of the SSC have reported a discrepancy between what is documented and what is observed in real time. A baseline observational audit at our institution demonstrated compliance of only 3.5% despite a documented compliance of 100%. This project used quality improvement principles of identifying the problem and designing strategies to improve staff compliance with the SSC. These included changing the SSC from paper-based to a reusable laminated form, a broad multidisciplinary education and marketing campaign, targeted coaching and modifying the implementation in response to ongoing staff feedback. Five direct observational audits were undertaken over four Plan–Do–Study–Act cycles to capture real-time information on staff compliance. Two staff surveys were also undertaken. Compliance with the SSC improved from 3.5% to 63% during this study. Staff reported they felt the new process improved patient safety and that the new SSC was easily incorporated into their workflow. Improving compliance with the SSC requires deep engagement with and cooperation of surgical, anaesthesia and nursing teams and understanding of their work practices and culture. The prospective observational audit highlighted an initial 3.5% compliance rate compared with 100% based on an audit of the patient notes. Relying solely on a retrospective paper-based model can lead to hospitals being unaware of significant safety and quality issues. While in-person prospective observations are more time-consuming and resource-consuming than retrospective audits, this study highlights their potential utility to gain a clear picture of actual events. The significant variation between documented and observed data may have considerable implications for other retrospective studies which rely on human-entered data for their results.
Patient symptoms and experience following COVID-19: results from a UK-wide survey
Authors: Buttery Sara , Philip Keir E J , Williams Parris , Fallas Andrea , West Brigitte , Cumella Andrew , Cheung Cheryl , Walker Samantha , Quint Jennifer K , Polkey Michael I , Hopkinson Nicholas S
Published: November 2021

Objectives

To investigate the experience of people who continue to be unwell after acute COVID-19, often referred to as ‘long COVID’, both in terms of their symptoms and their interactions with healthcare.

Design

We conducted a mixed-methods analysis of responses to a survey accessed through a UK online post-COVID-19 support and information hub, between April and December 2020, about people’s experiences after having acute COVID-19.

Participants

3290 respondents, 78% female, 92.1% white ethnicity and median age range 45–54 years; 12.7% had been hospitalised. 494(16.5%) completed the survey between 4 and 8 weeks of the onset of their symptoms, 641(21.4%) between 8 and 12 weeks and 1865 (62.1%) >12 weeks after.

Results

The ongoing symptoms most frequently reported were: breathing problems (92.1%), fatigue (83.3%), muscle weakness or joint stiffness (50.6%), sleep disturbances (46.2%), problems with mental abilities (45.9%), changes in mood, including anxiety and depression (43.1%) and cough (42.3%). Symptoms did not appear to be related to the severity of the acute illness or to the presence of pre-existing medical conditions. Analysis of free-text responses revealed three main themes: (1) experience of living with COVID-19: physical and psychological symptoms that fluctuate unpredictably; (2) interactions with healthcare that were unsatisfactory; (3) implications for the future: their own condition, society and the healthcare system, and the need for research

Conclusion

Consideration of patient perspectives and experiences will assist in the planning of services to address problems persisting in people who remain symptomatic after the acute phase of COVID-19.
Endovascular treatment beyond 24 hours from the onset of acute ischemic stroke: the Italian Registry of Endovascular Thrombectomy in Acute Stroke (IRETAS)
Authors: Casetta Ilaria , Fainardi Enrico , Pracucci Giovanni , Saia Valentina , Vallone Stefano , Zini Andrea , Bergui Mauro , Cerrato Paolo , Nappini Sergio , Nencini Patrizia , Gasparotti Roberto , Saletti Andrea , Causin Francesco , Romano Daniele , Burdi Nicola , Giorgianni Andrea , Mangiafico Salvatore , Toni Danilo
Published: November 2021

Background

Clinical trials and observational studies have demonstrated the benefit of thrombectomy up to 16 or 24 hours after the patient was last known to be well. This study aimed to evaluate the outcome of stroke patients treated beyond 24 hours from onset.

Methods

We analyzed the outcome of 34 stroke patients (mean age 70.7±12.3 years; median National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score 13) treated with endovascular thrombectomy beyond 24 hours from onset who were recruited in the Italian Registry of Endovascular Thrombectomy in Acute Stroke. Selection criteria for patients were: pre-stroke modified Rankin scale (mRS) score of ≤2, non-contrast CT Alberta Stroke Program Early CT score of ≥6, good collaterals on single phase CT angiography (CTA) or multiphase CTA, and CT perfusion mismatch with an infarct core size ≤50% of the total hypoperfusion extent or involving less than one-third of the extent of the middle cerebral artery territory evaluated by visual inspection. The primary outcome measure was functional independence assessed by the mRS at 90 days after onset. Safety outcomes were 90 day mortality and the occurrence of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH).

Results

Successful recanalization (Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction score of 2b or 3) was present in 76.5% of patients. Three month functional independence (mRS score 0–2) was observed in 41.1% of patients. The case fatality rate was 26.5%. and the incidence of sICH was 8.8%.

Conclusions

These findings suggest that, in a real world setting, very late endovascular therapy is feasible in appropriately selected patients.
Constraining electroweak and strongly charged long-lived particles with CheckMATE
Authors: Desai Nishita , Domingo Florian , Kim Jong Soo , Bazan Roberto Ruiz de Austri , Rolbiecki Krzysztof , Sonawane Mangesh , Wang Zeren Simon
Published: November 2021

Long-lived particles have become a new frontier in the exploration of physics beyond the Standard Model. In this paper, we present the implementation of four types of long-lived particle searches, viz. displaced leptons, disappearing track, displaced vertex with either muons or with missing transverse energy, and heavy charged tracks. These four categories cover the signatures of a large range of physics models. We illustrate their potential for exclusion and discuss their mutual overlaps in mass-lifetime space for two simple phenomenological models involving either a U(1)-charged or a coloured scalar.
Ensemble Learning Using Matrices of Classifier Interactions and Decision Profiles on Riemannian and Grassmann Manifolds
Authors: Tayanov Vitaliy , Krzyżak Adam , Suen Ching Y.
Published: November 2021

This paper introduces a new topic and research of geometric classifier ensemble learning using two types of objects: classifier prediction pairwise matrix (CPPM) and decision profiles (DPs). Learning from CPPM requires using Riemannian manifolds (R-manifolds) of symmetric positive definite (SPD) matrices. DPs can be used to build a Grassmann manifold (G-manifold). Experimental results show that classifier ensembles and their cascades built using R-manifolds are less dependent on some properties of individual classifiers (e.g. depth of decision trees in random forests (RFs) or extra trees (ETs)) in comparison to G-manifolds and Euclidean geometry. More independent individual classifiers allow obtaining R-manifolds with better properties for classification. Generally, the accuracy of classification in nonlinear geometry is higher than in Euclidean one. For multi-class problems, G-manifolds perform similarly to stacking-based classifiers built on R-manifolds of SPD matrices in terms of classification accuracy.
Effects of Selection at Linked Sites on Patterns of Genetic Variability
Authors: Charlesworth Brian , Jensen Jeffrey D.
Published: November 2021

Patterns of variation and evolution at a given site in a genome can be strongly influenced by the effects of selection at genetically linked sites. In particular, the recombination rates of genomic regions correlate with their amount of within-population genetic variability, the degree to which the frequency distributions of DNA sequence variants differ from their neutral expectations, and the levels of adaptation of their functional components. We review the major population genetic processes that are thought to lead to these patterns, focusing on their effects on patterns of variability: selective sweeps, background selection, associative overdominance, and Hill–Robertson interference among deleterious mutations. We emphasize the difficulties in distinguishing among the footprints of these processes and disentangling them from the effects of purely demographic factors such as population size changes. We also discuss how interactions between selective and demographic processes can significantly affect patterns of variability within genomes.
Tranexamic Acid versus Epsilon-Aminocaproic Acid in Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Li Zhihui , Sun Xiaotong , Li Weihua , Zhang Minghui
Published: November 2021

Objective. At present, the effect of tranexamic acid (TXA) and epsilon-aminocaproic acid (EACA) on total knee arthroplasty (TKA) remains controversial. Therefore, the aim of this meta-analysis is to compare the differences between the effects of TXA and EACA in TKA. Methods. We used electronic databases, including PubMed, Embase, MEDLINE, Ovid, ScienceDirect, Cochran Library, Google Scholar, clinical trial, and Chinese related databases, for literature search to find any effect of TXA and EACA in TKA. The differences between groups were compared by odds ratio (OR), weighted mean difference (WMD), and 95% confidence interval (CI). A total of four studies, including 3 randomized controlled trials (RCT) and 1 cohort study, were involved in this meta-analysis, involving 1836 participants. Among these participants, 816 belonged to the TXA group and 1020 belonged to the EACA group. Results. Meta-analysis indicated no difference in surgery time (WMD = 0.01, 95% CI −0.35 to 0.36), total amount of blood loss (WMD = 0.14, 95% CI −0.09 to 0.37), transfusion rate (OR = 0.74, 95% CI 0.20 to 2.78), transfusion units per patient (SMD = −0.15, 95% CI −0.54 to 0.25), complications (OR = 0.75, 95% CI 0.37 to 1.55), and length of stay (SMD = −0.01, 95% CI −0.11 to 0.08). Conclusions. Our results suggest that the effect of TXA is not superior to EACA in TKA. However, this conclusion still needs to be further confirmed by multicenter and large-sample clinical trials.
Simulation Analysis and Experiment Research on Hydro‐Pneumatic ISD Suspension
Authors: Zhang Xiao-Liang , Liu Juchao , Nie Jiamei , Wei Hao , Chen Long
Published: November 2021

To address the problems of mechanical two‐stage inerter‐spring‐damper (ISD) suspension such as excessive suspension elements, complex structure, and problematic engineering implementation, a hydro‐pneumatic two‐stage ISD suspension, which integrates hydro‐pneumatic spring and inerter, is proposed. The full vehicle model of hydro‐pneumatic ISD suspension is established based on the AMESim. Simulation analysis is performed to demonstrate the effectiveness and performances of the proposed suspension. The hydro‐pneumatic ISD suspension prototype is developed and tested on four‐poster tire‐coupled road simulator. The results suggest that, compared with single‐chamber hydro‐pneumatic suspension, the hydro‐pneumatic ISD one can significantly reduce the vibrations of the vehicle body and wheels, but at the expense of an excessive increase of suspension working space (SWS). In contrast, although proposed suspension is also a type of dual‐chamber hydro‐pneumatic one, it can not only reduce these vibrations but also downsize the SWS, which means it is the best choice for a more comfortable and safer ride.
Sustainable Development of the Innovation Ecosystem from the Perspective of T‐O‐V
Authors: Yan Ruixue , Lv Jianlin , Meng Qingshi
Published: November 2021

The innovation ecosystem is a dynamic network system of competition and cooperation between entities and enterprises as the core in order to achieve value cocreation. Technology provides growth power for the innovation ecosystem, organization provides management support for the innovation ecosystem, and value has a guiding effect on the innovation ecosystem. From the perspective of technology‐organization‐value to study the sustainable development of the innovation ecosystem, build a system dynamics model, take the automotive industry innovation ecosystem as a research case, and find that technological elements have the most significant role in promoting innovation performance and organizational elements have a role in promoting economic benefits. Most notably, the coordinated adjustment of technological elements, organizational elements, and value elements is conducive to improving the innovation performance and economic benefits of the innovation ecosystem, and corresponding management measures are proposed from the dimensions of technology, organization, and value, which further promotes the sustainable development of the innovation ecosystem.
ECG Signal-Enabled Automatic Diagnosis Technology of Heart Failure
Authors: Chen Lian , Yu Huiping , Huang Yupeng , Jin Hongyan
Published: November 2021

Usually, heart failure occurs when heart-related diseases are developed and continue to deteriorate veins and arteries. Heart failure is the final stage of heart disease, and it has become an important medical problem, particularly among the aging population. In medical diagnosis and treatment, the examination of heart failure contains various indicators such as electrocardiogram. It is one of the relatively common ways to collect heart failure or attack related information and is also used as a reference indicator for doctors. Electrocardiogram indicates the potential activity of patient’s heart and directly reflects the changes in it. In this paper, a deep learning-based diagnosis system is presented for the early detection of heart failure particularly in elderly patients. For this purpose, we have used two datasets, Physio-Bank and MIMIC-III, which are publicly available, to extract ECG signals and thoroughly examine heart failure. Initially, a heart failure diagnosis model which is based on attention convolutional neural network (CBAM-CNN) is proposed to automatically extract features. Additionally, attention module adaptively learns the characteristics of local features and efficiently extracts the complex features of the ECG signal to perform classification diagnosis. To verify the exceptional performance of the proposed network model, various experiments were carried out in the realistic environment of hospitals. Influence of signal preprocessing on the performance of model is also discussed. These results show that the proposed CBAM-CNN model performance is better for both classifications of ECG signals. Likewise, the CBAM-CNN model is sensitive to noise, and its accuracy is effectively improved as soon as signal is refined.
PM2.5 Concentration Forecasting in Industrial Parks Based on Attention Mechanism Spatiotemporal Graph Convolutional Networks
Authors: Zeng Qingtian , Wang Chao , Chen Geng , Duan Hua
Published: November 2021

Industrial parks are one of the main sources of air pollution; the ability to forecast PM2.5, the main pollutant in the industrial park, is of great significance to the health of the workers in the industrial park and environmental governance, which can improve the decision‐making ability of environmental management. Most of the existing PM2.5 concentration forecast methods lack the ability to model the dynamic temporal and spatial correlations of PM2.5 concentration. In an industrial park environment, in order to improve the accuracy of PM2.5 concentration forecast, based on deep learning technology, this paper proposes a spatiotemporal graph convolutional network based on the attention mechanism (STAM‐STGCN) to solve the PM2.5 concentration forecast problem. When constructing the adjacency matrix, we not only use the Euclidean distance between sites but also consider the impact of wind fields and the impact of pollution sources near the nodes. In the process of model construction, we first use the spatiotemporal attention mechanism to capture the dynamic spatiotemporal correlations in PM2.5 data. In the spatiotemporal convolution module, we use graph convolutional neural networks to capture spatial features and standard convolution to describe temporal features. Finally, the output module adjusts the output shape of the data to produce the final forecast result. In this paper, the mean absolute error (MAE), root mean squared error (RMSE), and mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) are used as the performance evaluation metrics of the model, and the Dongmingnan Industrial Park atmospheric dataset is used to verify the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm. The experimental results show that our STAM‐STGCN model can more fully capture the spatial‐temporal characteristics of PM2.5 concentration data; compared with the most advanced model in the comparison model, the RMSE can be improved about 24.2%, the MAE is improved about 35.8%, and the MAPE is improved about 34.6%.
Development of an IoT-Based Sleep Apnea Monitoring System for Healthcare Applications
Authors: Dhruba Abdur Rab , Alam Kazi Nabiul , Khan Md Shakib , Bourouis Sami , Khan Mohammad Monirujjaman
Published: November 2021

Sleep is an essential and vital element of a person’s life and health that helps to refresh and recharge the mind and body of a person. The quality of sleep is very important in every person’s lifestyle, removing various diseases. Bad sleep is a big problem for a lot of people for a very long time. People suffering from various diseases are dealing with various sleeping disorders, commonly known as sleep apnea. A lot of people die during sleep because of uneven body changes in the body during sleep. On that note, a system to monitor sleep is very important. Most of the previous systems to monitor sleeping problems cannot deal with the real time sleeping problem, generating data after a certain period of sleep. Real-time monitoring of sleep is the key to detecting sleep apnea. To solve this problem, an Internet of Things- (IoT-) based real-time sleep apnea monitoring system has been developed. It will allow the user to measure different indexes of sleep and will notify them through a mobile application when anything odd occurs. The system contains various sensors to measure the electrocardiogram (ECG), heart rate, pulse rate, skin response, and SpO2 of any person during the entire sleeping period. This research is very useful as it can measure the indexes of sleep without disturbing the person and can also show it in the mobile application simultaneously with the help of a Bluetooth module. The system has been developed in such a way that it can be used by every kind of person. Multiple analog sensors are used with the Arduino UNO to measure different parameters of the sleep factor. The system was examined and tested on different people’s bodies. To analyze and detect sleep apnea in real-time, the system monitors several people during the sleeping period. The results are displayed on the monitor of the Arduino boards and in the mobile application. The analysis of the achieved data can detect sleep apnea in some of the people that the system monitored, and it can also display the reason why sleep apnea happens. This research also analyzes the people who are not in the danger of sleeping problems by the achieved data. This paper will help everyone learn about sleep apnea and will help people detect it and take the necessary steps to prevent it.
DRG2 Accelerates Senescence via Negative Regulation of SIRT1 in Human Diploid Fibroblasts
Authors: Li Bing Si , Jin Ai Lin , Zhou ZiQi , Seo Jae Ho , Choi Byung-Min
Published: November 2021

Accumulating evidence suggests that developmentally regulated GTP‐binding protein 2 (DRG2), an evolutionarily conserved GTP‐binding protein, plays an important role in regulating cell growth, inflammation, and mitochondria dynamics. However, the effect of DRG2 in aging remains unclear. In this study, we found that endogenous DRG2 protein expression is upregulated in oxidative stress‐induced premature senescence models and tissues of aged mice. Ectopic expression of DRG2 significantly promoted senescence‐associated β‐galactosidase (SA‐β‐gal) activity and inhibited cell growth, concomitant with increase in levels of acetyl (ac)‐p53 (Lys382), ac‐nuclear factor‐kB (NF‐κB) p65 (Lys310), p21Waf1/Cip1, and p16Ink4a and a decrease in cyclin D1. In this process, reactive oxygen species (ROS) and phosphorylation of H2A histone family member X (H2A.X), forming γ‐H2A.X, were enhanced. Mechanistically, ectopic expression of DRG2 downregulated Sirtuin‐1 (SIRT1), resulting in augmented acetylation of p53 and NF‐κB p65. Additionally, DRG2 knockdown significantly abolished oxidative stress‐induced premature senescence. Our results provide a possible molecular mechanism for investigation of cellular senescence and aging regulated by DRG2.
NRXN2 Possesses a Tumor Suppressor Potential via Inhibiting the Growth of Thyroid Cancer Cells
Authors: Ma Cui , Zhang Youyou
Published: November 2021

Thyroid cancer (THCA) is a common endocrine malignant tumor, and its global incidence of THCA has increased significantly. Neurexin 2 (NRXN2) is involved in the progression of some diseases. Nevertheless, it is still elusive towards the clinical implication and function of NRXN2 in THCA. As The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data demonstrated, we conducted a study to explore the links between NRXN2 expression and clinical features. Additionally, our data exhibited that, compared to normal thyroid tissues, NRXN2 showed low expression in THCA tissues. 20 important genes associated with NRXN2 were screened and identified. KEGG analysis data displayed that NRXN2 exhibited a link to the neuronal system, insulin secretion modulation, energy metabolism integration, muscle contraction, cardiac conduction, and neural adhesion molecule 1 (NCAM1) interactions. Our results in depth affirmed that NRXN2 was decreased in the tissues and cell lines of THCA patients. Functionally, we proved that overexpressing NRXN2 resulted in an inhibition of THCA cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro. Collectively, our study demonstrated that, for the first time, NRXN2 behaved as an inhibitor of neoplasm and a promising biomarker in THCA.
Cloud-Based Fault Prediction Using IoT in Office Automation for Improvisation of Health of Employees
Authors: Uppal Mudita , Gupta Deepali , Juneja Sapna , Dhiman Gaurav , Kautish Sandeep
Published: November 2021

The novel paradigm of Internet of Things (IoT) is gaining recognition in the numerous scenarios promoting the pervasive presence of smart things around us through its application in various areas of society, which includes transportation, healthcare, industries, and agriculture. One more such application is in the smart office to monitor the health of devices via machine learning (ML) that makes the equipment more efficient by allowing real-time monitoring of their health. It guarantees indoor comfort as per the user’s satisfaction as it emphasizes on fault prediction in real-life devices. Early identification of various types of faults in IoT devices is the key requirement in smart offices. IoT devices are becoming ubiquitous and provide an assistant to supervise an office that is regulated by ML and data received from sensors is stored in cloud. A recommender system facilitates the selection of an appropriate solution for faults in IoT-enabled devices to mitigate faults. The architecture proposed in this paper is used to monitor each and every office appliance connected via IoT technology using ML technique, and recommender system is used to recommend solutions for fault patterns without much human intervention. The ultrasonic motion sensor is used to fetch the information of employee availability in cubicles and data is sent to the cloud through the WiFi module. ATmega8 is used to control electrical appliances in the office environment. The significance of this work is to forecast the faults in IoT appliances which will have an impact on life and reliability of IoT appliances. The main objective is to design a prototype of a smart office using IoT that can control and automate workplace devices and forecast whether the device needs repairing or replacing, thus reducing the overall burden on the employee and helping out in increasing physical as well as mental health of the person.
The Impact of Automated Vehicles on Traffic Flow and Road Capacity on Urban Road Networks
Authors: Park Ji Eun , Byun Wanhee , Kim Youngchan , Ahn Hyeonjun , Shin Doh Kyoum
Published: November 2021

Automated vehicles (AVs) are believed to have great potential to improve the traffic capacity and efficiency of the current transport systems. Despite positive findings of the impact of AVs on traffic flow and potential road capacity increase for highways, few studies have been performed regarding the impact of AVs on urban roads. Moreover, studies considering traffic volume increase with a mixture of AVs and human-driven vehicles (HDVs) have rarely been conducted. Therefore, this study investigated the impact of gradual increments of AV penetration and traffic volume on urban roads. The study adopted a microsimulation approach using VISSIM with a Wiedmann 74 model for car-following behavior. Parameters for AVs were set at the SAE level 4 of automation. A real road network was chosen for the simulation having 13 intersections in a total distance of 4.5 km. The road network had various numbers of lanes from a single lane to five lanes in one direction. The network consists of a main arterial road and a parallel road serving nearby commercial and residential blocks. In total, 36 scenarios were investigated by a combination of AV penetrations and an increase in traffic volumes. The study found that, as AV penetration increased, traffic flow also improved, with a reduction of the average delay time of up to 31%. Also, as expected, links with three or four lanes had a more significant impact on the delay. In terms of road capacity increase, when the penetration of AVs was saturated at 100%, the road network could accommodate 40% more traffic.
The Optimization Analysis of Sports Industry Experience Consumption Ability under the Theory of Aesthetic Economy
Authors: Wang Rongrong
Published: November 2021

The consumption ability of the sports industry is an indicative index of sports economic development, and aesthetic economic theory plays a guiding role in this content. At present, the evaluation method of sports industry consumption ability is too single, lack of the comprehensive evaluation model, and cannot carry out accurate evaluation. This study proposes a comprehensive improved algorithm based on K-mean preprocessing, which can evaluate and judge the consumption capacity of the sports industry with the help of aesthetic economic theory, and provides support for the later formulation of experience consumption strategy. MATLAB simulation results show that the accuracy of the calculation results of the improved algorithm proposed in this study is more than 95%, and the fit between consumption ability evaluation indexes is more than 98%, which is better than the traditional algorithm as a whole. Therefore, the comprehensive improved algorithm can optimize the consumption capacity of the sports industry.
miR‐4454 Promotes Hepatic Carcinoma Progression by Targeting Vps4A and Rab27A
Authors: Lin Haoming , Zhang Rui , Wu Wenrui , Lei Liming
Published: November 2021

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has high morbidity and mortality. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), which could be regulated by cancer‐derived exosomes, play critical regulatory roles in the initiation and development of cancer. However, the expressions, effects, and mechanisms of abundant miRNAs regulated by HCC cancer‐derived exosomes in HCC remain largely unclear. Exosomes of HepG2 cells under heat shock, TGF‐β1, doxorubicin, acid and hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) conditions, and exosomes were successfully identified by transmission electron microscopy and Western blot analysis. The identified exosomes were then applied to evaluate the miRNA expression profiles by RNA sequencing. Mechanically, we discovered that doxorubicin was upregulated, TGF‐β1 downregulated the expressions of Vps4A, Rab27A, Alix, and Hrs in HepG2 cells and exosomes, and Vps4A and Rab27A, as target genes for miR‐4454, could also be downregulated by miR‐4454. Functionally, we revealed that miR‐4454 inhibitor and miR‐4454 inhibitor‐mediated exosomes could markedly suppress proliferation, migration, invasion, and vascularization and accelerate cycle arrest, apoptosis, and ROS of HepG2 cells. This study provided many potential HCC cancer‐derived exosome‐mediated miRNAs in HCC under 5 different stimulus conditions. Meanwhile, we certified that miR‐4454 in exosomes could provide a novel and effective mechanism for HCC function.
Synthesis and Characterization of ZnO-Nanocomposites by Utilizing Aloe Vera Leaf Gel and Extract of Terminalia arjuna Nuts and Exploring Their Antibacterial Potency
Authors: Dar Amara , Rehman Rabia , Zaheer Warda , Shafique Umer , Anwar Jamil
Published: November 2021

Nanotechnology has found vast applications in everyday life. Use of plant extract in the synthesis of nanocomposites produces relatively less toxic and environment-friendly materials. The present study deals with the synthesis of zinc oxide nanocomposite using gel from leaves of Aloe vera (black Aloe vera (BAV) and white Aloe vera (WAV)) and extract from powder of nuts of Terminalia arjuna. Synthesized nanocomposites were then characterized by using SEM, FTIR, and UV-Vis techniques. Disc diffusion method was opted to inquire the antimicrobial ability of nanocomposites against different bacterial strains such as Escherichia coli (−) and Burkholderia stabilis (+). ZnO-BAV possessed good antimicrobial potential against both selected strains as proved from zone of inhibitions. However, ZnO-WAV and ZnO-N showed potential against E. coli and no response for B. stabilis.
Image Enhancement of Cross-Border E-Commerce Logistics Video Surveillance Based on Partial Differential Equations
Authors: Yu Xiaosheng , Wu Peili
Published: November 2021

Although the development time of cross-border e-commerce in China is very short, the scale of its transactions and the speed of development are amazing, and as a supporting foundation for promoting economic and trade globalization, cross-border e-commerce has an extremely important strategy for this guiding role. This not only brings new opportunities to cross-border e-commerce companies but also excavates a huge potential market for the logistics industry. Cross-border e-commerce not only breaks through the trade barriers between countries; it makes trade move towards borderlessness and at the same time triggers major changes in international trade. This paper introduces partial differential equations into the video surveillance image enhancement system of cross-border e-commerce logistics. Aiming at the shortcomings of the contrast enhancement method based on gradient field equalization, this paper proposes a partial differential enhancement method based on histogram equalization. By proposing a gradient transformation function, the edges and textures with relatively small gradient values are enhanced to make the original weaker texture details clearer. In order to better adjust the brightness and contrast of the image, combined with histogram equalization, we propose an inverse equalization transformation. When the histogram equalization and the inverse equalization transform are combined reasonably, the brightness and contrast of the image can be adjusted very well. In this paper, the finite difference method is used for discretization when solving partial differential equations, and Euler’s equation is obtained by applying the principle of least squares. By introducing the heat equation, the direct solution of Euler’s equation is converted into an iterative form, which greatly reduces the amount of calculation. This article uses statistical methods to obtain the empirical formula of the fractional differential order. This empirical formula makes the calculation of the order of the fractional derivative easy and can be extended to other fractional image enhancement models and overcomes the shortcomings of the traditional fractional derivative order obtained through experience or a large number of experiments. Experiments show that the proposed algorithm not only enhances detailed texture information but also improves image clarity, overall brightness, and contrast without color distortion. The objective evaluation indicators also show the superiority of the algorithm.
The Use of Etoposide, Ara-Cytarabine, and Melphalan (EAM) Conditioning Chemotherapy in Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation (ASCT) for a Patient with Relapsed Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
Authors: Pangarsa Eko A. , Naibaho Ridho M. , Yunarvika Vina , Setiawan Budi , Santosa Damai , Suharti Catharina
Published: November 2021

Up to 20–40% of patients with Hodgkin’s lymphoma will eventually relapse after treatment, among which early relapse confers a poor outcome. With salvage chemotherapy followed by autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT), the long-term remission rate is 30%. We report our experience of using a modified-BEAM conditioning regimen without BCNU consisting of etoposide, cytarabine, and melphalan (EAM) in a patient with relapsed Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Before transplantation, the patient achieved second complete remission (CR2) using brentuximab vedotin and ESHAP (BR-ESHAP) chemotherapy. The ASCT went well without significant complications. This case demonstrated the considerable efficacy of EAM protocol as a conditioning regimen in terms of sufficient ablative capabilities, and the patient showed a successful hematopoietic engraftment. Although durability of the disease-free survival needs further observation, it had nearly 18 months of complete remission and the patient was in good performance status at the time of writing this manuscript.
The Prevalence of Hypertension in the Population without Awareness of the Disease: Data from a Rural Town of Shandong Province, China
Authors: Wei Maoti , Dong Li , Wang Fenghua , Cui Kai , Yu Jiamin , Ma Delong , Yang Ning , Li Yuming
Published: November 2021

Objective. To understand the prevalence of hypertension in the population without awareness of hypertension in a rural area, a cross-sectional study was carried out. Methods. Blood pressures were measured in residents over 60 years during the National Basic Public Health Service project carrying on in a rural town of Shandong province. Combined with detail information of the hypertension disease history, the status of prevalence of hypertension was calculated. Basic information and clinical laboratory examinations were analyzed with Student’ t or t’ or chi-square test for univariate analysis. Multinomial logistic analysis was used in exploring multiple variables. Results. According to the individual history and blood pressure levels, the awareness rate of hypertension in the population over 60 years old was 50.3% (1285/2554, 95% CI: 48.3–52.3%). The prevalence of hypertension was 55.1% (1270/2304, 95% CI: 53.1–57.2%) in the population without awareness of hypertension, in which the proportion of stage 1 hypertension was 58.8% (747/1270), stage 2 hypertension was 28.9% (367/1270), and stage 3 hypertension was 12.3% (156/1270). The prevalence of hypertension in men was 54.4% (611/1124, 95% CI: 51.4–57.3%), which was almost the same as that in women (55.8%, 659/1180, 95% CI: 53.0–58.7%) (X2 = 0.515,

P
=
0.473

). The prevalence of hypertension increased with age (X2trend = 11.848,

P
=
0.001

). Age, BMI, total cholesterol, triglyceride, and drinking rate were positively correlated with the prevalence of hypertension, that is, the higher the level of these factors, the higher the prevalence of hypertension; on the contrary, LDL and smoking rate might be negatively correlated with the prevalence of hypertension, which means, the higher the prevalence of hypertension, the lower the level of these two indicators. Binary and multinominal logistic results showed that age, BMI, and drinking had stronger effects on the higher blood pressure level. Conclusions. The awareness rate of hypertension among the elderly in a rural area needs to be further improved. In the prevention and control of hypertension, close attention should be paid to the group of elder, high BMI index, high levels of total cholesterol and triglyceride, and drinking habits.
Early Changes in Alpha-Fetoprotein Are a Useful Predictor of Efficacy of Atezolizumab plus Bevacizumab Treatment in Patients with Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Kuzuya Teiji , Kawabe Naoto , Hashimoto Senju , Miyahara Ryoji , Sawaki Akira , Nakano Takuji , Nakaoka Kazunori , Tanaka Hiroyuki , Miyachi Yohei , Mii Arisa , Kamejima Sayaka , Takahara Takeshi , Kato Yutaro , Sugioka Atsushi , Hirooka Yoshiki
Published: November 2021

Introduction: The aim of this study was to investigate the early changes in alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and des-γ-carboxy prothrombin (DCP) levels in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treated with atezolizumab plus bevacizumab and to evaluate the relationship between changes in these tumor markers and treatment efficacy. Methods: Of 58 consecutive patients who started atezolizumab plus bevacizumab at our institution, 50 patients with information on antitumor response obtained at 6 weeks after therapy were enrolled in this study and their treatment outcomes were retrospectively evaluated. Results: According to the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors at 6 weeks, the objective response (OR) rate was 22.0% and the disease control (DC) rate was 78.0%. In patients who achieved OR at 6 weeks, median AFP and DCP ratios at weeks 1, 2, 3, and 6 were significantly lower than those in patients who did not achieve OR. AFP ratios in patients who did not achieve DC at 6 weeks (Non-6W-DC group) were significantly higher than in those who achieved DC at week 6 (6W-DC group). Median overall survival in the Non-6W-DC group was significantly shorter than in the 6W-DC group (156 days vs. not reached, p = 0.0008). An AFP ratio of 1.4 or higher at 3 weeks had a specificity of 88.0% and a sensitivity of 88.9% for predicting Non-6W-DC. Median progression-free survival was significantly shorter in patients with an AFP ratio of 1.4 or higher at 3 weeks than in those with an AFP ratio of <1.4 (42 days vs. 210 days, p = 0.0003). Conclusion: Early changes in AFP might be useful for predicting the antitumor efficacy of atezolizumab plus bevacizumab in patients with advanced HCC. An AFP ratio of 1.4 or higher at 3 weeks might be an early predictor of refractoriness to atezolizumab plus bevacizumab therapy.
The Association between Serum Bilirubin and Kernicterus Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Lai Nai Ming , Gerard Joanna Priya , Ngim Chin Fang , Kamar Azanna Ahmad , Chen Kee-Hsin
Published: November 2021

Background: Total serum bilirubin (TSB) is used in managing neonates with jaundice, but clear evidence on its association with major outcomes is lacking. Objectives: We evaluated the association between TSB and kernicterus spectrum disorder (KSD). Methods: We searched PubMed, EMBASE, and CENTRAL till July 2021. Two authors independently selected relevant cohort studies, extracted data (CHARMS checklist), assessed risk of bias (RoB) (QUIPS tool), and rated certainty-of-evidence (Grades of Recommendation, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation). We pooled adjusted odds ratio (aOR) (random-effect) via generic inverse variance methods. Results: From 2,826 records retrieved, we included 37 studies (n = 648,979). Fifteen studies had low, 16 moderate, and 6 high RoB, with majority having concerns on confounder adjustment and statistical analysis. Twenty-two studies contributed meta-analysis data, and 15 were summarized narratively. TSB appears associated with KSD in infants with certain risk factors (aOR 1.10, 95% CI: 1.07–1.13; 5 studies [n = 4,484]). However, TSB (aOR 1.10, 95% CI: 0.98–1.23; 1 study [n = 34,533]) or hyperbilirubinemia (aOR 1.00, 95% CI: 0.51–1.95; 2 studies [n = 56,578]) have no clear association with kernicterus or neurological diagnosis in overall neonatal population (moderate-certainty-evidence). One study shows that infants with hyperbilirubinemia appear likelier to develop attention-deficit disorder (aOR 1.90, 95% CI: 1.10–3.28) and autistic spectrum disorder (aOR 1.60, 95% CI: 1.03–2.49, n = 56,019) (low-certainty-evidence). Certain clinical factors appear associated with KSD, although very few studies contributed to the analyses. Conclusions: Despite the importance of this question, there is insufficient high-quality evidence on the independent prognostic value of TSB for adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes in most neonatal populations. Future studies should incorporate all known risk factors alongside TSB in a multivariable analysis to improve certainty-of-evidence.
Impact of Acute Inflammation on the Survival Outcomes of Patients with Resected Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Saad Mohamed Rabie , Han Ho-Seong , Yoon Yoo-Seok , Cho Jai Young , Lee Jun Suh , Shehta Ahmed
Published: November 2021

Introduction: The impact of acute inflammation on cancer progression is still not well elucidated. Pancreatic head cancer is occasionally associated with acute cholangitis. C-reactive protein (CRP) is a biomarker that indicates presence of acute inflammation. Methods: We reviewed the patients’ data with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy between 2004 and 2018. Results: Two hundred ninety-one patients were included. Median preoperative CRP was 0.45 mg/dL (0–18.9). Median follow-up duration was 22 months (4–152). The 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall survival (OS) rates were 76.4%, 32.2%, and 22.9%, respectively. Recurrence occurred in 168 cases (57.7%). The 1-, 3-, and 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) rates were 53.9%, 27.1%, and 21.9%, respectively. The median OS was higher in normal CRP patients (27 months) than those with elevated CRP (18 months) (log-rank 0.038). The median DFS was higher in normal CRP patients (17 months) than those with elevated CRP (9 months) (log-rank < 0.001). Predictive factors for OS included BMI, CRP, adjuvant therapy, positive lymph nodes, and microvascular invasion. Predictive factors for DFS included CRP, positive lymph nodes, and microvascular invasion. Conclusion: Preoperative CRP was an independent poor prognostic factor for OS and DFS of patients with resected PDAC.
Educação para sustentabilidade: diálogos interdisciplinares
Authors:   Universidade de São Paulo. Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto
Published: November 2021

A fragmentação e descontextualização de currículos e atividades escolares mostram certa desarticulação com temas ambientais que são de urgente atenção para as sociedades atuais, o que compromete a educação de milhares de cidadãos a estarem preparados para lidar com as demandas de um desenvolvimento sustentável. Nesse sentido, a visão de uma educação cidadã interdisciplinar, na perspectiva da Agenda 2030 e dos Objetivos do Desenvolvimento Sustentável (ODS) propostos pela ONU, traz a ideia de processos formativos participativos. A Educação para a Sustentabilidade se torna pertinente nesse cenário por tratar de questões ambientais e humanas de forma integrada e de objetivar o desenvolvimento de uma consciência crítica que inter-relaciona aspectos sociais, ecológicos, econômicos, políticos, culturais, científicos, tecnológicos e éticos. Os objetivos específicos do projeto são: construir um “cardápio de atividades sustentáveis”, desenvolver seminários online de sensibilização sobre os Objetivos de Desenvolvimento Sustentável (ODS), articular diferentes áreas do conhecimento em espaços formais e não formais de ensino e criar um fórum de diálogo entre pesquisadores e comunidades escolares envolvidas com temas voltados à educação e sustentabilidade.