bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Long-term impact of baseline anaemia on clinical outcomes following percutaneous coronary intervention in stable angina
Authors: Davidsen Line , Kragholm Kristian Hay , Aldahl Mette , Polcwiartek Christoffer , Torp-Pedersen Christian , Soegaard Peter , Freeman Phillip
Published: October 2020

Background

In patients with stable angina (SA), the clinical benefits of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) reside almost exclusively within the realm of symptomatic improvement rather than improvement in hard clinical endpoints. The benefits of PCI should always be balanced against its potential short-term and long-term risks. Common among these risks is the presence of anaemia and its interaction with poor clinical outcomes and increased morbidity; this study aims to elucidate the impact of anaemia on long-term clinical outcomes of this patient group.

Methods

From Danish national registries, we identified patients with SA treated with PCI who had a haemoglobin measurement maximum of 90 days prior to PCI procedure. Anaemia was defined as haemoglobin <130 and <120 g/L in men and women, respectively. Follow-up was up to 3 years after PCI, and Cox regression was used to estimate HRs with 95% CIs of hospitalisation due to bleeding, acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and all-cause mortality in patients with anaemia compared with patients without anaemia.

Results

Of 2837 included patients, 14.6% had anaemia prior to PCI. During follow-up, 93 patients (3.3%) had a bleeding episode, which was higher in patients with anaemia (5.8%) compared with patients without anaemia (2.8%). A total of 213 patients (7.5%) developed ACS, which was higher in patients with anaemia (10.6%) compared with patients without anaemia (7.0%). Furthermore, 185 patients (6.5%) died, with a mortality rate of 18.1% in patients with anaemia compared with 4.5% in patients without anaemia. In multivariable analyses, anaemia was associated with a significantly increased risk of bleeding (HR 1.69; 95% CI 1.04 to 2.73; P 0.033), ACS (HR 1.47; 95% CI 1.04 to 2.10; P 0.031) and all-cause mortality (HR 2.41; 95% CI 1.73 to 3.30; P <0.001).

Conclusion

Anaemia in patients with SA was significantly associated with bleeding, ACS and all-cause mortality following PCI.
Cardiac natriuretic peptides for diagnosis of covert atrial fibrillation after acute ischaemic stroke: a meta-analysis of diagnostic accuracy studies
Authors: Zhang Kejia , Kamtchum-Tatuene Joseph , Li Mingxi , Jickling Glen C.
Published: October 2020

Background and purpose

Detection of atrial fibrillation (AF) after acute ischaemic stroke is pivotal for the timely initiation of anticoagulation to prevent recurrence. Besides heart rhythm monitoring, various blood biomarkers have been suggested as complimentary diagnostic tools for AF. We aimed to summarise data on the performance of cardiac natriuretic peptides for the diagnosis of covert AF after acute ischaemic stroke and to assess their potential clinical utility.

Methods

We searched PubMed and Embase for prospective studies reporting the performance of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) or N-terminal pro-BNP (NT-proBNP) for the diagnosis of covert AF after acute ischaemic stroke. Summary diagnostic performance measures were pooled using bivariate meta-analysis with a random-effect model.

Results

We included six studies focusing on BNP (n=1930) and three studies focusing on NT-proBNP (n=623). BNP had a sensitivity of 0.83 (95% CI 0.64 to 0.93), a specificity of 0.74 (0.67 to 0.81), a positive likelihood ratio of 3.2 (2.6 to 4.0) and a negative likelihood ratio of 0.23 (0.11 to 0.49). NT-proBNP had a sensitivity of 0.91 (0.65 to 0.98), a specificity of 0.77 (0.52 to 0.91), a positive likelihood ratio of 3.9 (1.8 to 8.7) and a negative likelihood ratio of 0.12 (0.03 to 0.48). Considering a pretest probability of 20%, BNP and NT-proBNP had post-test probabilities of 45% and 50%.

Conclusions

NT-proBNP has a better performance than BNP for the diagnosis of covert AF after acute ischaemic stroke. Both biomarkers have low post-test probabilities and may not be used as a stand-alone decision-making tool for the diagnosis of covert AF in patients with acute ischaemic stroke. However, they may be useful for a screening strategy aiming to select patients for long-term monitoring of the heart rhythm.
A framework for hadronic rescattering in pp collisions
Authors: Sjöstrand Torbjörn , Utheim Marius
Published: October 2020

In this article, a framework for hadronic rescattering in the general-purpose Pythia event generator is introduced. The starting point is the recently presented space–time picture of the hadronization process. It is now extended with a tracing of the subsequent motion of the primary hadrons, including both subsequent scattering processes among them and decays of them. The major new component is cross-section parameterizations for a range of possible hadron–hadron combinations, applicable from threshold energies upwards. The production dynamics in these collisions has also been extended to cope with different kinds of low-energy processes. The properties of the model are studied, and some first comparisons with LHC $$\mathrm {p}\mathrm {p}$$

p
p

data are presented. Whereas it turns out that approximately half of all final particles participated in rescatterings, the net effects in $$\mathrm {p}\mathrm {p}$$

p
p

events are still rather limited, and only striking in a few distributions. The new code opens up for several future studies, however, such as effects in $$\mathrm {p}$$
p
A and AA collisions.
An incentive mechanism model based on the correlation between neighbor behavior and distance
Authors: Nian Fuzhong , Liu Rendong , Cong Anhui
Published: October 2020

In this study, the incentive is defined based on feedback mechanism promoting propagation, and a novel model of behavior propagation is proposed based on feedback mechanism to investigate behavior propagation. In this model, the incentive includes the distance among individuals and the set of state and the influence of node is decided by the incentive and node degree, which explore the propagation effect under different network. The experimental results show the incentive and the propagation have positive correlation, and the propagating effect is determined by the network attribute. At the same time, the greater the degree of the node, the more obvious the incentive effect. Incentive results of nodes will continuously decline until they suffer second incentive.
Performance of reconstruction factors for a class of new complex continuous wavelets
Authors: Rayeezuddin Mohammed , Krishna Reddy B. , Sudheer Reddy D.
Published: October 2020

In this paper, we determine the factors necessary for the reconstruction of the signal from its continuous wavelet transform performed using the new complex continuous wavelet family by making use of admissible conditions and studied some of its properties. We also make a comparative assessment of its performance with the existing complex continuous wavelets, such as Morlet, Paul and DOG, in terms of reconstruction capability. The reconstruction was performed on three data sets, namely, a signal with a mixture of low and high frequencies, a non-stationary signal (synthetic) and an ECG signal. The results show that the proposed family of wavelets reconstruction capability is comparable with Morlet, Paul and DOG wavelets. Further, we investigate an alternate reconstruction formula without making use of admissibility condition and compare its efficiency of reconstruction with the standard (restricted) Morlet wavelet.
Magnetic trajectories corresponding to Killing magnetic fields in a three-dimensional warped product
Authors: Iqbal Zafar , Sengupta Joydeep , Chakraborty Subenoy
Published: October 2020

The aim of this paper is to investigate Killing magnetic trajectories of varying electrically charged particles in a three-dimensional warped product [Formula: see text] with positive warping function [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] is an open interval in [Formula: see text] equipped with an induced semi-Euclidean metric on [Formula: see text]. First, Killing vector fields on [Formula: see text] are characterized and it is observed that lifts to [Formula: see text] of Killing vector fields tangent to [Formula: see text] are also Killing on [Formula: see text]. Now, any Killing vector field on [Formula: see text] corresponds to a Killing magnetic field on [Formula: see text]. Magnetic trajectories (also known as magnetic curves) of charged particles which move under the influence of Lorentz force generated by Killing magnetic fields on [Formula: see text] are obtained in both Riemannian and Lorentzian cases. Moreover, some examples are exhibited with pictures determining Killing magnetic trajectories in hyperbolic [Formula: see text]-space [Formula: see text] modeled by the Riemannian warped product [Formula: see text]. Furthermore, some examples of spacelike, timelike and lightlike Killing magnetic trajectories are given with their possible graphs in the Lorentzian warped product [Formula: see text].
Stochastic epidemic dynamics based on the association between susceptible and recovered individuals
Authors: Xin Luyao , Guo Yingxin , Zhu Quanxin
Published: October 2020

In this paper, we propose a new mathematical model based on the association between susceptible and recovered individual. Then, we study the stability of this model with the deterministic case and obtain the conditions for the extinction of diseases. Moreover, in view of the association between susceptible and recovered individual perturbed by white noise, we also give sufficient conditions for the extinction and the permanence in mean of disease with the white noise. Finally, we have numerical simulations to demonstrate the correctness of obtained theoretical results.
Thermoelectric and Half-Metallic Behavior of the Novel Heusler Alloy RbCrC: Ab initio DFT Study
Authors: Hammou M. , Bendahma F. , Mana M. , Terkhi S. , Benderdouche N. , Aziz Z. , Bouhafs B.
Published: October 2020

Research Highlights

• Electronic, magnetic, elastic and thermoelectric properties of RbCrC alloy are investigated. • Material is half-metallic, ductile and anisotropic in nature. • The total magnetic moment (3[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]B) obeys the Slater–Pauling rule. • The HM RbCrC compound is identified as potential candidate for spintronic applications. • ZT calculated values of 0.89 and 0.94 make RbCrC a promising thermoelectric material candidate for use in future devices.

The aim of this work is to investigate the half-metallicity behavior, elastic, thermodynamic and thermoelectric (TE) properties of the Heusler compound RbCrC using the generalized gradient approximation (GGA-PBE96) and the modified Becke–Johnson (mBJ) approach. The electronic band structures and density of states reveal that RbCrC is a half-metallic ferromagnet (HMF). The calculated total magnetic moment of 3[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]B follows the Slater–Pauling rule ([Formula: see text]). The half-metallicity character can be maintained in the 5.4–7.4 Å lattice constants range and the 0.8–1.2 [Formula: see text]/[Formula: see text] ratio range. Existence of half-metallic ferromagnetism in RbCrC makes it a promising material for practical applications in the spintronic field. Also, the RbCrC exhibits a ductile and anisotropic behavior. The quasi-harmonic Debye model (QHDM) is used to calculate the thermodynamic properties. The BoltzTraP code which is based on semi-classical Boltzmann theory (SCBT) is applied for calculating TE properties. According to the obtained figure of merit values (ZT between 0.89 and 0.94 from 50 K to 800 K), the RbCrC alloy remains a good candidate for thermoelectric applications.
Boolean cumulants and subordination in free probability
Authors: Lehner Franz , Szpojankowski Kamil
Published: October 2020

Subordination is the basis of the analytic approach to free additive and multiplicative convolution. We extend this approach to a more general setting and prove that the conditional expectation [Formula: see text] for free random variables [Formula: see text] and a Borel function [Formula: see text] is a resolvent again. This result allows the explicit calculation of the distribution of noncommutative polynomials of the form [Formula: see text]. The main tool is a new combinatorial formula for conditional expectations in terms of Boolean cumulants and a corresponding analytic formula for conditional expectations of resolvents, generalizing subordination formulas for both additive and multiplicative free convolutions. In the final section, we illustrate the results with step by step explicit computations and an exposition of all necessary ingredients.
Medical 4.0 and Its Role in Healthcare During COVID-19 Pandemic: A Review
Authors: Haleem Abid , Javaid Mohd
Published: October 2020

Medical 4.0 is now emerging as the fourth medical revolution. It represents the applications of electronically supported Information Technology, microsystem, high level of automation, personalized therapy, and Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enabled intelligent devices enabled through the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT). In the current scenario, the COVID-19 pandemic has a significant effect on global healthcare, and this impact is also observed in associated fields. There is a requirement for proper telehealth management and remote monitoring systems in healthcare. Medical 4.0, if implemented, can adequately handle the ongoing situation in the medical field as it will provide applications of advanced technologies to take care of the challenges of the COVID-19 outbreak. This paper studies Medical 4.0 exclusively and also in the context of COVID-19. The paper provides a brief of the significant medical revolution that has happened so far and identifies the significant supporting technologies of Medical 4.0. It also discusses the primary capabilities of Medical 4.0 for healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. The roles of Medical 4.0 in healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic are studied, and finally, this paper identifies 10 significant applications of Medical 4.0 in healthcare during COVID-19-type pandemics. We observe that the contemporary phase of development and mass-level production of intelligent medical devices has not happened in the same way as it has happened for smart electronic devices and application devices. Engineers will have a prominent role in taking up the healthcare challenges that can reach the common man.
Telemedicine Technologies for Confronting COVID-19 Pandemic: A Review
Authors: Bahl Shashi , Singh Ravi Pratap , Javaid Mohd , Khan Ibrahim Haleem , Vaishya Raju , Suman Rajiv
Published: October 2020

Telemedicine (TM) is used to treat patients in a remote location by using telecommunication technology. It exchanges the medical information and data from one location to another through advanced technological innovation. During this COVID-19 pandemic, there is a lockdown in almost all countries. TM is beneficial to healthcare to minimize social distance. This review paper briefs about TM and discusses how this technology works for the COVID-19 pandemic and its significant benefits. An extensive search is made on the known research engines of PubMed, SCOPUS, Google Scholar, and ResearchGate using the appropriate keywords to extract meaningful and relevant articles. Ten major applications of TM for COVID-19 are identified and discussed with a brief description of each provided. The major technological processes involved in TM, which create advancement in the medical field, are also discussed. This technology helps avoid visits to the doctor and hospital during the lockdown and provides a suitable treatment option. It collects the medical information and data, which can be helpful for better treatment of the patient. Telemedicine adopts virtualized treatment approaches for the patient. Now patients can receive better quality treatment without leaving their homes during COVID-19 lockdown.
Stress fields of ancient seismicity recorded in the dynamic geometry of pseudotachylyte in the Outer Hebrides Fault Zone, UK
Authors: Campbell L.R. , Lloyd G.E. , Phillips R.J. , Walcott R.C. , Holdsworth R.E.
Published: October 2020

Heterogeneous sequences of exhumed fault rocks preserve a record of the long-term evolution of fault strength and deformation behaviour during prolonged tectonic activity. Along the Outer Hebrides Fault Zone (OHFZ) in NW Scotland, numerous pseudotachylytes record palaeoseismic slip events within sequences of mylonites, cataclasites and phyllonites. To date, the kinematics and controls on seismicity within the long active history of the OHFZ have been poorly constrained. Additional uncertainties over the relative location of a meteorite impact and possible pre-OHFZ brittle faulting also complicate interpretation of the diffuse seismic record. We present kinematic analyses of seismicity in the OHFZ, combining observations of offset markers, en echelon injection veins and injection vein geometry to reconstruct slip directions and stress fields. This new dataset indicates that a range of fault orientations, slip directions and slip senses hosted seismicity in the OHFZ. Such complexity requires several stress field orientations, in contrast with the NW–SE Caledonian compression traditionally attributed to frictional melting along the OHFZ, indicating that seismicity had a long-term presence across the fault zone. Persistence of strong frictional failure alongside the simultaneous development of weak fault rocks and phyllonitic shear zones in parts of the OHFZ has significant implications for understanding seismic hazard along mature continental faults.

Supplementary material:
Tables listing analysed orientation measurements plus further information and sensitivity testing of palaeostress analysis parameters are available at
https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.5134797
Long-Term Dual Cathodic Protection for Q235 Carbon Steel by Co(OH)2/Graphene/TiO2 Photocatalytic Material and Traditional Sacrificial Anode
Authors: Lu Xiayu , Liu Li , Xie Xuan , Cui Yu , Wang Fuhui
Published: October 2020

A novel Co(OH)2/graphene/TiO2-Al-Zn-In-Mg-Ti photoanode composite (Al-TGC photoanode) was proposed and fabricated by combining the photocatalytic material with traditional sacrificial anode, aiming to not only prolong the lifetime of traditional sacrificial anode but also make photocatalytic material really applicable in practice. The cathodic protection performance of Al-TGC photoanode and traditional sacrificial anode for Q235 carbon steel (Q235CS) was evaluated by long-term electrochemical experiments and macro corrosion surface morphologies of Q235CS. Results indicated that the new Al-TGC photoanode can provide more effective cathodic protection for Q235CS at least for 30 d in 3.5 wt% NaCl solution, which is obviously better than that of a traditional sacrificial anode and an older Al photoanode composite. In this new material system, graphene plays a very important role in increasing the long-term stability and lifetime of the Al-TGC photoanode.
Never-smokers with occupational COPD have better exercise capacities and ventilatory efficiency than matched smokers with COPD
Authors: Soumagne Thibaud , Guillien Alicia , Roche Nicolas , Dalphin Jean-Charles , Degano Bruno
Published: October 2020

It is unknown whether or not never-smokers with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) behave like their smoking counterparts during exercise. This is the first study showing that never-smokers with mild to moderate COPD [defined by a postbronchodilator forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1)/forced vital capacity (FVC) < lower limit of normal] have preserved exercise capacities. They also have lower exertional dyspnea than patients with smoking-related COPD. This suggests that the two COPD groups should not be managed in the same way.
RNA-binding proteins balance brain function in health and disease
Authors: Schieweck Rico , Ninkovic Jovica , Kiebler Michael A.
Published: October 2020

Posttranscriptional gene expression including splicing, RNA transport, translation, and RNA decay provides an important regulatory layer in many if not all molecular pathways. Research in the last decades has positioned RNA‐binding proteins (RBPs) right in the center of posttranscriptional gene regulation. Here, we propose interdependent networks of RBPs to regulate complex pathways within the central nervous system (CNS). These are involved in multiple aspects of neuronal development and functioning, including higher cognition. Therefore, it is not sufficient to unravel the individual contribution of a single RBP and its consequences but rather to study and understand the tight interplay between different RBPs. In this review, we summarize recent findings in the field of RBP biology and discuss the complex interplay between different RBPs. Second, we emphasize the underlying dynamics within an RBP network and how this might regulate key processes such as neurogenesis, synaptic transmission, and synaptic plasticity. Importantly, we envision that dysfunction of specific RBPs could lead to perturbation within the RBP network. This would have direct and indirect (compensatory) effects in mRNA binding and translational control leading to global changes in cellular expression programs in general and in synaptic plasticity in particular. Therefore, we focus on RBP dysfunction and how this might cause neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders. Based on recent findings, we propose that alterations in the entire regulatory RBP network might account for phenotypic dysfunctions observed in complex diseases including neurodegeneration, epilepsy, and autism spectrum disorders.
Establish a Scoring Model for High-Risk Population of Gastric Cancer and Study on the Pattern of Opportunistic Screening
Authors: Tao Wei , Wang Hai-Xia , Guo Yu-Feng , Yang Li , Li Peng
Published: October 2020

Objective. To investigate and study the related risk factors of gastric cancer (GC) patients, to establish a high-risk scoring model of GC by multiple logistic regression analysis, and to explore the establishment of a GC screening mode with clinical opportunistic screening as the main method, and by using the pattern of opportunistic screening to establish the screening of high-risk GC patients and the choice of screening methods in the clinical outpatient work. Methods. Collected the epidemiological questionnaire of 99 GC cases and 284 non-GC patients (other chronic gastric diseases and normal) diagnosed by the General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University from October 2017 to March 2019. Serum pepsinogen (PG) levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and confirmed Helicobacter pylori (Hp) infection in gastric mucosa tissues by Giemsa staining. Determined the high-risk factors and established a scoring model through unconditional logistic regression model analysis, and the ROC curve determined the cut-off value. Then, we followed up 26 patients of nongastric cancer patients constituted a validation group, which validated the model. Results. The high-risk factors of GC included age≥55, male, drinking cellar or well water, family history of GC, Hp infection, PGI≤43.6 μg/L, and PGI/PGII≤2.1. Established the high-risk model: Y=A×age+30×gender+30×drinking water+30×Hp infection+50×family history of GC+B×PG level. The ROC curve determined that the cut-off value for high-risk GC population was ≥155, and the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.875, the sensitivity and specificity were 87.9% and 71.5%. Conclusions. According to the risk factors of GC, using statistical methods can establish a high-risk scoring model of GC, and the score≥155 is divided into the screening cut-off value for high-risk GC population. Using this model for clinical outpatient GC screening is cost-effective and has high sensitivity and specificity.
Safety and Efficacy of Long-Term Zoledronic Acid in Advanced Breast Cancer with Bone Metastasis in South China
Authors: Wang Qianyu , Guo Guifang , Ruan Zhaohui , Cao Huijiao , Guo Ying , Bai Long , Jiang Chang , Liu Shousheng , He Wenzhuo , Huang Jinsheng , Rong Yuming , Chen Xuxian , Xia Liangping , Zhang Bei , Peng Roujun
Published: October 2020

Background. This retrospective study aimed to characterize the long-term (>24 months) safety profile of zoledronic acid (ZA). We aimed to investigate whether long-term ZA treatment had greater benefits than short-term treatment in patients from southern China with advanced breast cancer (ABC) with bone metastasis. Patients and Methods. A total of 566 metastatic breast cancer cases were included and divided into two groups according to the duration of ZA treatment. The included patients had at least one lytic bone lesion and had no skeletal-related events (SREs) prior to ZA therapy. The primary endpoint was to analyze the safety and long-term adverse effects, which covered osteonecrosis of jaws (ONJ), renal impairment, and hearing impairment. The second objective was to determine the efficacy of long-term ZA treatment by the incidence of SREs. Results. Fifteen patients were diagnosed with ONJ (2.7%): nine in the short-term group (3.1%) and six in the long-term group (2.2%, P = 0.606). Five cases (0.9%) had renal function impairment: two in the short-term group (0.7%) and four in the long-term group (1.1%, P = 0.676). One patient (0.2%) in the long-term group had hearing impairment after 23 months of ZA treatment (0.4%, P = 0.482). In total, 103 cases in the short-term group (35.2%) and 138 cases in long-term group (50.5%) developed SREs (P < 0.001). The mean annual SRE rate was 0.3 in the short-term group (range, 0–3.1) versus 0.2 in the long-term group (0–1.0, P = 0.269). Subgroup analysis suggested that cases with non-load-bearing bone involvement and those who received systematic anticancer therapy without chemotherapy might benefit from long-term ZA treatment. Cox regression analysis indicated poor performance status, and nonvisceral organ involvement predicted high risk for SRE. Conclusions. The extension of ZA treatment did not increase the long-term adverse events and reduced the annual incidence of SREs beyond 24 months. Although longer treatment of ZA over 24 months appeared to be safe, further prospective investigation is required.
Machine Learning‐Based Differentiation of Nontuberculous Mycobacteria Lung Disease and Pulmonary Tuberculosis Using CT Images
Authors: Xing Zhiheng , Ding Wenlong , Zhang Shuo , Zhong Lingshan , Wang Li , Wang Jigang , Wang Kai , Xie Yi , Zhao Xinqian , Li Nan , Ye Zhaoxiang
Published: October 2020

An increasing number of patients infected with nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are observed worldwide. However, it is challenging to identify NTM lung diseases from pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) due to considerable overlap in classic manifestations and clinical and radiographic characteristics. This study quantifies both cavitary and bronchiectasis regions in CT images and explores a machine learning approach for the differentiation of NTM lung diseases and PTB. It involves 116 patients and 103 quantitative features. After the selection of informative features, a linear support vector machine performs disease classification, and simultaneously, discriminative features are recognized. Experimental results indicate that bronchiectasis is relatively more informative, and two features are figured out due to promising prediction performance (area under the curve, 0.84 ± 0.06; accuracy, 0.85 ± 0.06; sensitivity, 0.88 ± 0.07; and specificity, 0.80 ± 0.12). This study provides insight into machine learning‐based identification of NTM lung diseases from PTB, and more importantly, it makes early and quick diagnosis of NTM lung diseases possible that can facilitate lung disease management and treatment planning.
Dimensional Evolution of Intelligent Cars Human-Machine Interface considering Take-Over Performance and Drivers’ Perception on Urban Roads
Authors: Yang Hao , Wang Yueran , Jia Ruoyu
Published: October 2020

The study analyzed the drivers’ take-over behaviors in intelligent cars when driving on urban roads and tried to find reasonable dimensions of the human-machine interface. Firstly, the main driving assistance functions in the process of take-over were analyzed based on the entropy theory, and the weight values of each function for the consumer’s purchase intention were calculated. Secondly, we explored the perceived comfortable dimensions of the interactive components under typical interaction modes. By means of experiments using a within-subjects design, the initial population of the evolutionary computation was obtained. The evolutionary mechanism of dimensions driven by users’ perception was constructed with a genetic algorithm. After debugging the parameters of the model, we verified the rationality of the model and evolved appropriate dimensions. Finally, the validity of the evolved dimensions was proved by a controlled experiment and paired-sample t-test. The results indicated that the completion time of most take-over tasks under the HMI with the evolved dimensions was significantly shorter, which ensured the HMI could be more conducive to the take-over quality and traffic efficiency.
Why Is Collaborative Agglomeration of Innovation so Important for Improving Regional Innovation Capabilities? A Perspective Based on Collaborative Agglomeration of Industry-University-Research Institution
Authors: Li Jing , Xing Jialong
Published: October 2020

Exploring the impact of collaborative agglomeration of industry-university-research institution innovation on regional innovation capabilities is of great significance for promoting China's high-quality economic development. This paper introduces the level of innovation collaborative agglomeration into the C-H production density model to theoretically explain the mechanism of the influence of innovation collaborative agglomeration on regional innovation capacity. On this basis, using the 2011–2017 Chinese subprovincial panel data to measure the level of regional innovation collaborative agglomeration and establishing a spatial model, the impact of innovation collaborative agglomeration on regional innovation capacity is empirically examined in two stages: knowledge innovation and outcome transformation. The study finds that the innovation collaborative agglomeration and the regional innovation capacity present a typical inverted U-shape relationship, while the human capital and the regional innovation capacity present an inverted N-shape relationship in the stage of knowledge innovation. There is a U-shaped relationship between the innovation collaborative agglomeration and the regional innovation capacity in the outcome transformation stage, while the impact of human capital on regional innovation capacity is not obvious. This result is still robust after replacing the core explanatory variables and the spatial weight matrix. In terms of three regions, the innovation collaborative agglomeration and the human capital in the middle and eastern regions have a stronger impact on regional innovation capacity than in the western region. The findings of this paper provide policy insights for the innovation collaborative agglomeration of industry, university, and research institution to promote regional innovation capacity.
Clinical Efficacy and Safety of Eight Traditional Chinese Medicine Combined with Entecavir in the Treatment of Chronic Hepatitis B Liver Fibrosis in Adults: A Network Meta‐Analysis
Authors: Wang Tao , Jin Wei , Huang Qianqian , Li Haotian , Zhu Yun , Liu Honghong , Cai Huadan , Wang Jiabo , Wang Ruilin , Xiao Xiaohe , Zhao Yanling , Zou Wenjun
Published: October 2020

Background. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is used as an adjuvant drug for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B liver fibrosis and is used frequently. We still do not know which TCM has the best curative effect as an adjuvant drug. Therefore, we decided to use network meta‐analysis to solve this problem. Methods. We used the RevMan software (5.3) and Stata software (13.0) to achieve this network meta‐analysis (NMA). The primary outcomes of this study were HA, LN, PCIII, and IV‐C; the secondary outcomes of this study were AST, ALT, and HBV‐DNA negative conversion rate, and the Cochrane risk‐of‐bias tool was used to assess the quality of the included studies. For all outcomes, the scissors funnel plot, Egger test, and Begg test were used to detect publication bias, and sensitivity analysis was used to investigate the stability of the results. And the meta‐regression was used to explore the source of heterogeneity. Results. A total of 34 articles were included in this study. The study involved a total of 3199 patients, of which 1578 were assigned to the control group and 1621 patients were assigned to the experimental group. The number of men and women is roughly equal, and the average age is about 43 years old. In addition, nine treatment strategies were involved in this study. The combination of TCM and entecavir can significantly improve the patients’ HA, LN, PCIII, IV‐C, AST, ALT, and HBV‐DNA negative conversion rates. The comprehensive evaluation results showed that FHC combined with entecavir has more advantages than other treatment strategies. Conclusion. For improving the HBV‐DNA negative conversion rates, adding TCM to the therapeutic strategies does not seem to show absolute superiority. Finally, FHC combined with entecavir is the best therapeutic strategy.
Aescin Protects Neuron from Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury via Regulating the PRAS40/mTOR Signaling Pathway
Authors: Gao Xinjie , Yang Heng , Su Jiabin , Xiao Weiping , Ni Wei , Gu Yuxiang
Published: October 2020

Ischemic stroke is one of the major causes of disability; widely use of endovascular thrombectomy or intravenous thrombolysis leads to more attention on ischemia-reperfusion injury (I/R injury). Aescin, a natural compound isolated from the seed of the horse chestnut, has been demonstrated anti-inflammatory and antiedematous effects previously. This study was aimed at determining whether aescin could induce protective effects against ischemia-reperfusion injury and exploring the underlying mechanisms in vitro. Primary cultured neurons were subjected to 2 hours of oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) followed by 24 hours of simulated reperfusion. Aescin, which worked in a dose-dependent manner, could significantly attenuate neuronal death and reduce lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release after OGD and simulated reperfusion. Aescin treatment at a concentration of 50 μg/ml provided protection with fewer side effects. Results showed that aescin upregulated the phosphorylation level of PRAS40 and proteins in the mTOR signaling pathway, including S6K and 4E-BP1. However, PRAS40 knockdown or rapamycin treatment was able to undermine and even abolish the protective effects of aescin; meanwhile, the levels of phosphorylation PRAS40 and proteins in the mTOR signaling pathway were obviously decreased. Hence, our study demonstrated that aescin provided neuronal protective effects against I/R injury through the PRAS40/mTOR signaling pathway in vitro. These results might contribute to the potential clinical application of aescin and provide a therapeutic target on subsequent cerebral I/R injury.
Solutions for a Singular Hadamard-Type Fractional Differential Equation by the Spectral Construct Analysis
Authors: Zhang Xinguang , Yu Lixin , Jiang Jiqiang , Wu Yonghong , Cui Yujun
Published: October 2020

In this paper, we consider the existence of positive solutions for a Hadamard-type fractional differential equation with singular nonlinearity. By using the spectral construct analysis for the corresponding linear operator and calculating the fixed point index of the nonlinear operator, the criteria of the existence of positive solutions for equation considered are established. The interesting point is that the nonlinear term possesses singularity at the time and space variables.
Green Supplier Selection Using Fuzzy Multiple-Criteria Decision-Making Methods and Artificial Neural Networks
Authors: Gegovska Tina , Koker Rasit , Cakar Tarik
Published: October 2020

In recent years, environmental awareness has increased considerably, and in order to decrease endangerments such as air and water pollution, and also global warming, green procurement should be employed. Therefore, in the assessment of suppliers, their environmental performance should be taken into consideration along with other criteria for supplier selection. Raising awareness of sustainability in production and conservation and protection of the environment is very important both for the whole environment and for the company itself by increasing its competitive advantage. And, one of the steps to achieve this is for the companies to try to select green suppliers. So, the purpose of this study is to raise awareness and tackle the need for green supplier selection and, using multiple-criteria decision-making models, to elaborate a case study regarding this. A survey was conducted in a manufacturing firm. The data were analysed, and fuzzy MCDM (multicriteria decision-making) methods and artificial neural networks were implemented. Fuzzy methods are the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (fuzzy AHP), fuzzy TOPSIS, and fuzzy ELECTRE. ANN supports the result of fuzzy MCDM models from the profit side. ANN can make the best estimate of the current year based on historical data. Fuzzy MCDM methods will also find good solutions using the available data but will produce different solutions as there are different decision-making methods. It is aimed to produce a synergy from the solutions obtained here and to produce a better solution. Instead of a single method, it would be more accurate to produce a better solution than the solution provided by all of them. The dominant result has been obtained using the committee fuzzy MCDM and ANN to select the best green supplier.
Orbital Infection by Saksenaea vasiformis in an Immunocompetent Host
Authors: Lumyongsatien Mingkwan , Jaru-ampornpan Pimkwan , Uiprasertkul Mongkol , Selva Dinesh
Published: October 2020

Orbital mucormycosis caused by Saksenaea vasiformis is extremely rare. Herein, we report an immunocompetent 22-year-old Thai female who presented with two months of progressive right upper eyelid mass, associated with swelling, redness, and ptosis. She failed to improve despite multiple courses of antibiotic and steroid treatment. Computed tomography (CT) scan showed infiltration involving the upper eyelid and lacrimal gland. Fungal hyphae were revealed by histopathological study. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was positive for Saksenaea vasiformis (GenBank: accession number FR687327.1). The patient was successfully treated with surgical debridement, amphotericin B, and oral posaconazole.
Application of Feature Fusion Using Coaxial Vibration Signal for Diagnosis of Rolling Element Bearings
Authors: Jiao Jing , Yue Jianhai , Pei Di , Hu Zhunqing
Published: October 2020

The research of rolling element bearings (REBs) fault diagnosis based on single sensor vibration signal analysis is very common. However, the information provided by an individual sensor is very limited, and the robustness of the system is poor. In this paper, a novel fault diagnosis method based on coaxial vibration signal feature fusion (CVSFF) is proposed to fully analyze the multisensor information of the system and build a more reliable diagnostic system. An ensemble empirical mode decomposition (EEMD) method is used to decompose the original vibration signal into a number of intrinsic mode functions (IMFs). Then the autocorrelation analysis is introduced to reduce the random noise remaining in IMFs. After that, the Rényi entropy is calculated as the feature of bearings. Finally, the features of coaxial vibration signal are fused by a multiple-kernel learning support vector machine (MKL-SVM) to classify bearing conditions. In order to verify the effectiveness of the CVSFF method in REB diagnosis, eight data sets from the Case Western Reserve University Bearing Data Center are selected. The fault classification results demonstrate that the proposed approach is a valuable tool for bearing faults detection, and the fused feature from coaxial sensors improves fault classification accuracy for REBs.
Research and Application of Support Resistant Limiting Dampers in the Deep‐Buried Large‐Section Loess Tunnel
Authors: Deng Yong , Xie Jiangsheng , Li Shuguang
Published: October 2020

The paper aims to solve the problem that the primary support of the deep‐buried large‐section loess tunnel of the Haolebaoji‐Ji’an Railway was damaged due to excessive force. Based on indoor tests, on‐site construction feedback, and monitoring measurement data, the surrounding rock deformation and structural forces with different support schemes were compared and analyzed. The engineering application methods and mechanism of the support resistant limiting damper (SRLD) technology were studied. The results show that for the deep‐buried large‐section loess tunnels, under the premise of ensuring the self‐supporting capacity of the surrounding rock is not significantly reduced, and the loose pressure is not significantly increased, the resistance‐limiting and high‐ductility support concept that can control the deformation and the energy release of the surrounding rock is reasonable and feasible. The support resistant limiting damper (SRLD) is a reasonable and practical resistance‐limiting and high‐ductility support method, which successfully solved the failure of the primary support of the deep‐buried large‐section loess tunnel. The SRLD’s integrity and safety are guaranteed, the materials are easy to obtain, the processing is convenient, and the construction is simple and easy to operate. The SRLD is a safe and economic support structure.
Transmission Rate Sampling and Selection for Reliable Wireless Multicast
Authors: Geithner Thomas , Sivrikaya Fikret
Published: October 2020

The multicast communication concept offers a scalable and efficient method for many classes of applications; however, its potential remains largely unexploited when it comes to link-layer multicasting in wireless local area networks. The fundamental lacking feature for this is a transmission rate control mechanism that offers higher transmission performance and lower channel utilization, while ensuring the reliability of wireless multicast transmissions. This is much harder to achieve in a scalable manner for multicast when compared with unicast transmissions, which employs explicit acknowledgment mechanisms for rate control. This article introduces EWRiM, a reliable multicast transmission rate control protocol for IEEE 802.11 networks. It adapts the transmission rate sampling concept to multicast through an aggregated receiver feedback scheme and combines it with a sliding window forward error correction (FEC) mechanism for ensuring reliability at the link layer. An inherent novelty of EWRiM is the close interaction of its FEC and transmission rate selection components to address the performance-reliability tradeoff in multicast communications. The performance of EWRiM was tested in three scenarios with intrinsically different traffic patterns; namely, music streaming scenario, large data frame delivery scenario, and an IoT scenario with frequent distribution of small data packets. Evaluation results demonstrate that the proposed approach adapts well to all of these realistic multicast traffic scenarios and provides significant improvements over the legacy multicast- and unicast-based transmissions.
Validating a Phenomenological Mathematical Model for Public Health and Safety Interventions Influencing the Evolutionary Stages of Recent Outbreak for Long-Term and Short-Term Domains in Pakistan
Authors: Nawaz Ahsan , Su Xing , Iqbal Shahid , Zahoor Hafiz , Asad Ali , Asghar Sana , Basit Farwa , Barkat Muhammad Qasim , Souhail Amir , Raheel Shah Syyed Adnan
Published: October 2020

During the outbreak of an epidemic, it becomes significantly essential to monitor the effects of containment measures and forecast the outbreak, including the epidemic peak. Many countries have either implemented strict lockdown to counter the spread of coronavirus disease or taken necessary preventive measures across the world to reduce the outbreak of this epidemic war. Several epidemic models have been presented across the world to examine the effects of public health-related strategies on mitigating the spread of current infectious disease, yet no reputable model has been presented for Pakistan as well as other South-Asian developing countries as per the authors’ knowledge. In this research, an actual coronavirus prediction in Pakistan is presented, which may guide the decision-makers as to how this pandemic has spread across the country and how it can be controlled. Furthermore, in the absence of targeted medicines, the analysis helps to develop a precise plan for the eradication of the outbreak by adopting the calculated steps at the right time. The mathematical phenomenological models have been adopted in this study to predict, project, and simulate the overall affected cases reflected due to the recent outbreak in Pakistan. These models predict the expected growth, and the estimated results are almost well matched with the real cases. Through the calibration of parameters and analyzing the current situation, forecast for the appearance of new cases in Pakistan is reported till the end of this year. The constant level of number of patients and time to reach specific levels are also reported through the simulations. The drastic conditions are also discussed which may occur if all the preventive restraints are removed. This research quantitatively describes the significant characteristics of the spread of corona cases. It acknowledges and provides an understanding of a short-term and long-term transmission of coronavirus outbreak in the country as three evolutionary phases. Therefore, this research provides a pathway to cope with the emerging threat of a severe outbreak in developing and nondeveloping countries.
Total Pancreatectomy for Ampullary Adenocarcinoma in a 74-Year-Old Patient: Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Arroyo Murillo Gabriela A. , Choppin De Janvry Eleonore , Garofalo Manuela , Della Pietra Fatima
Published: October 2020

Primary ampullary neoplasms have origin in the ampulla of Vater, an anatomical structure where the common bile duct and the pancreatic duct join together as a common channel. It represents <0.5% of all gastrointestinal cancers and approximately 7% of all periampullary cancers. The adenocarcinomas arising in this region originate from different epithelial cellular constituents present at the site, the histopathological classification encompass: intestinal type, pancreaticobiliary type, and mixed type. Pancreaticoduodenectomy is the treatment of choice when there is an overt or highly suspicious malignant behaviour. We present here the case of a 74-year-old male patient who presented to our department for further investigation of obstructive jaundice and a pancreatic mass associated with a six-month history of significant weight loss and mild epigastric pain. Eventually, a total splenopancreatectomy was performed given the extension of structural anomalies of the organ secondary to an ampullary adenocarcinoma.
Role of Gas Viscosity for Shale Gas Percolation
Authors: Wang Xiaoming , Chen Junbin , Ren Dazhong , Shi Zhaolong
Published: October 2020

Viscosity is an important index to evaluate gas flowability. In this paper, a double-porosity model considering the effect of pressure on gas viscosity was established to study shale gas percolation through reservoir pressure, gas velocity, and bottom hole flowing pressure. The experimental results show that when pressure affects gas viscosity, shale gas viscosity decreases, which increases the percolation velocity and pressure drop velocity of the free state shale gas in matrix and fracture systems. And it is conducive to the desorption of adsorbed shale gas and effectively supplemented the bottom hole flowing pressure with the pressure wave propagation range and velocity increasing, so that the rate of pressure drop at the bottom of the well slows down, which makes the time that bottom hole flowing pressure reaches stability shortened. Therefore, the gas viscosity should be fully considered when studying the reservoir gas percolation.