bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Senescence: An Identity Crisis Originating from Deep Within the Nucleus
Authors: Olan Ioana , Narita Masashi
Published: July 2022

Cellular senescence is implicated in a wide range of physiological and pathological conditions throughout an organism's entire lifetime. In particular, it has become evident that senescence plays a causative role in aging and age-associated disorders. This is not due simply to the loss of function of senescent cells. Instead, the substantial alterations of the cellular activities of senescent cells, especially the array of secretory factors, impact the surrounding tissues or even entire organisms. Such non-cell-autonomous functionality is largely coordinated by tissue-specific genes, constituting a cell fate–determining state. Senescence can be viewed as a gain-of-function phenotype or a process of cell identity shift. Cellular functionality or lineage-specific gene expression is tightly linked to the cell type–specific epigenetic landscape, reinforcing the heterogeneity of senescence across cell types. Here, we aim to define the senescence cellular functionality and epigenetic features that may contribute to the gain-of-function phenotype.
Mitochondria as Cellular and Organismal Signaling Hubs
Authors: Shen Koning , Pender Corinne L. , Bar-Ziv Raz , Zhang Hanlin , Wickham Kevin , Willey Elizabeth , Durieux Jenni , Ahmad Qazi , Dillin Andrew
Published: July 2022

Mitochondria are traditionally known as the powerhouse of the cell, but their functions extend far beyond energy production. They are vital in cellular and organismal pathways that direct metabolism, stress responses, immunity, and cellular fate. To accomplish these tasks, mitochondria have established networks of both intra- and extracellular communication. Intracellularly, these communication routes comprise direct contacts between mitochondria and other subcellular components as well as indirect vesicle transport of ions, metabolites, and other intracellular messengers. Extracellularly, mitochondria can induce stress responses or other cellular changes that secrete mitochondrial cytokine (mitokine) factors that can travel between tissues as well as respond to immune challenges from extracellular sources. Here we provide a current perspective on the major routes of communication for mitochondrial signaling, including their mechanisms and physiological impact. We also review the major diseases and age-related disorders associated with defects in these signaling pathways. An understanding of how mitochondrial signaling controls cellular homeostasis will bring greater insight into how dysfunctional mitochondria affect health in disease and aging.
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: New Diagnostic and Therapeutic Approaches
Authors: Lazar Stephanie , Kahlenberg J. Michelle
Published: July 2022

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a devastating autoimmune disease that can result in substantial morbidity and mortality. Diagnosis and treatment of SLE are clinical challenges. Patient presentation and response to therapy are heterogeneous because of the complex immune dysregulation that results in SLE disease pathogenesis. An intricate interplay between genetic risk and skewing of adaptive and innate immune system responses leads to overproduction of type I interferons and other cytokines, complement activation, immune-complex deposition, and ultimately inflammation and tissue damage. Here, we review the classification criteria as well as standard and emerging diagnostic tools available to identify patients with SLE. We then focus on medical management, including novel therapeutics, nonpharmacologic interventions, and comorbidity management.
Status of Lattice QCD Determination of Nucleon Form Factors and Their Relevance for the Few-GeV Neutrino Program
Authors: Meyer Aaron S. , Walker-Loud André , Wilkinson Callum
Published: July 2022

Calculations of neutrino–nucleus cross sections begin with the neutrino–nucleon interaction, making the latter critically important to flagship neutrino oscillation experiments despite limited measurements with poor statistics. Alternatively, lattice quantum chromodynamics (LQCD) can be used to determine these interactions from the Standard Model with quantifiable theoretical uncertainties. Recent LQCD results of gAare in excellent agreement with data, and results for the (quasi-)elastic nucleon form factors with full uncertainty budgets are expected within a few years. We review the status of the field and LQCD results for the nucleon axial form factor, FA( Q2), a major source of uncertainty in modeling sub-GeV neutrino–nucleon interactions. Results from different LQCD calculations are consistent but collectively disagree with existing models, with potential implications for current and future neutrino oscillation experiments. We describe a road map to solidify confidence in the LQCD results and discuss future calculations of more complicated processes, which are important to few-GeV neutrino oscillation experiments.
Precision QCD Physics at the LHC
Authors: Gehrmann Thomas , Malaescu Bogdan
Published: July 2022

This review describes the current status of precision quantum chromodynamics (QCD) studies at the LHC. We introduce the main experimental and theoretical methods, and we discuss their cross-stimulated developments and recent advances. The different types of QCD observables that are measured at the LHC, including cross sections and event- and jet-level properties, for various final states, are summarized. Their relation to fundamental QCD dynamics and their impact on Standard Model parameter determinations are discussed using specific examples. The impact of QCD-related observables on direct and indirect searches for rare processes within and New Physics beyond the Standard Model is outlined.
Sensory Perception in Autism: What Can We Learn?
Authors: Hadad Bat-Sheva , Yashar Amit
Published: July 2022

Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder of unknown etiology. Recently, there has been a growing interest in sensory processing in autism as a core phenotype. However, basic questions remain unanswered. Here, we review the major findings and models of perception in autism and point to methodological issues that have led to conflicting results. We show that popular models of perception in autism, such as the reduced prior hypothesis, cannot explain the many and varied findings. To resolve these issues, we point to the benefits of using rigorous psychophysical methods to study perception in autism. We advocate for perceptual models that provide a detailed explanation of behavior while also taking into account factors such as context, learning, and attention. Furthermore, we demonstrate the importance of tracking changes over the course of development to reveal the causal pathways and compensatory mechanisms. We finally propose a developmental perceptual narrowing account of the condition.
Conversion of LiFePO4 to FePO4 via Selective Lithium Bicarbonation: A Direct Pathway Towards Battery Recycling
Authors: Larouche François , Amouzegar Kamyab , Houlachi Georges , Bouchard Patrick , Demopoulos George P.
Published: July 2022

Recycling of spent LiFePO4 batteries represents a challenge due to their relatively low economic value. This paper proposes a novel direct recycling route that extracts selectively lithium while keeping the delithiated solid product electrochemically active. The innovative use of CO2, as a mild solubilization agent for lithium, in conjunction with an oxidizing agent such as H2O2 allows to selectively extract from 85% to 95% of the lithium content from pristine active material at room temperature and 2 atm CO2 partial pressure, while keeping intact the orthorhombic heterosite structure of the delithiated iron phosphate (FePO4). Extensive characterization studies revealed the FePO4 product to remain highly pure with its carbon coating electronically active. In fact, the delithiated product showed similar electrochemical performance as the pristine material with an initial capacity at around 154 mAh.g−1 for a 12 h discharge rate (C/12) and a capacity retention of 98% after 100 cycles. When applied to spent LiFePO4 batteries, the new direct process provided high de-lithiation efficiency exceeding 90% lithium extraction despite somewhat slower kinetics.
The Correlation between the Use of the Proton Pump Inhibitor and the Clinical Efficacy of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Hu Da-Hai , Wong Wan-Ching , Zhou Jia-Xin , Luo Ji , Cai Song-Wang , Zhou Hong , Tang Hui
Published: July 2022

Background. To determine if the use of the Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPI) impacts the clinical efficacy of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors (ICIs) in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC), a meta-analysis was conducted. Method. Eleven studies from PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and other databases up to May 2022, were selected. The pertinent clinical outcomes were assessed by applying the Progression-free survival (PFS), Overall Survival (OS), Hazard Ratio (HR), and 95% Confidence Interval (CI). Result. This study included eleven articles containing 7,893 NSCLC patients. The result indicated that PPI use was dramatically related to poor OS (HR: 1.30 [1.10–1.54]), and poor PFS (HR: 1.25 [1.09–1.42]) in case of patients treated with ICIs. With regard to the subgroup analysis, PPI use was dramatically associated with poor OS (Europe: HR = 1.48 [1.26, 1.74], Worldwide: HR = 1.54 [1.24, 1.91]), and poor PFS (Europe: HR = 1.36 [1.18, 1.57], Worldwide: HR = 1.34 [1.16, 1.55]) in patients from Europe and multi-center studies across the world, poor OS in patients with age less than or equal to 65 (HR = 1.56 [1.14, 2.15]), poor PFS in patients aged more than 65 (HR = 1.36 [1.18, 1.57]), poor OS for patients receiving with PD-1 (HR = 1.37 [1.04, 1.79]), poor PFS for patients receiving with PD-L1 (HR = 1.33 [1.19, 1.49]), and poor OS (−30: HR = 1.89 [1.29, 2.78], ±30: HR = 1.44 [1.27, 1.64]) and poor PFS (−30: HR = 1.51 [1.11, 2.05], ±30: HR = 1.32 [1.20, 1.45]) for patients who received PPI at 30 days before and/or after starting the ICIs treatment. Conclusion. Our meta-analysis indicated that PPI combined with ICIs in the treatment of NSCLC patients could result in poor OS and PFS. PPI use should be extremely cautious in clinical practices to avoid the impact on the efficacy of the ICIs.
Posttreatment Recurrence and Death Patterns in Patients with Advanced Esophageal Cancer
Authors: Zhang Xiangmei , Wang Hui , He Dongwei , He Ming , Chen Xin , Zhao Jidong
Published: July 2022

Objective. To investigate into the clinical factors associated with posttreatment recurrence and death patterns in patients with advanced esophageal cancer. Methods. Clinical information of patients with recurrence/metastasis and death after radical resection of esophageal cancer at our hospital between January 1, 2005, and December 31, 2015, were retrospectively collected and followed up. Postoperative recurrence-free survival time, postrelapse survival time, and overall survival time were compared among the metabolic-associated, organ failure-associated, and anastomotic recurrence-associated mortality groups. Results. Five hundred and ninety-five qualified patients were retrieved, including 456 males and 139 females, with an average age of58±7.56years. There were 57 cases of TNM-1 stage, 131 cases of TNM-2 stage, 365 cases of TNM-3 stage, and 42 cases of TNM-4 stage. There were 547 cases of squamous cell cancer and 48 cases of nonsquamous cell cancer. There were significant differences in age (p<0.01), tumor location (p<0.01), and lymph node metastasis (p=0.04), recurrence type (p<0.01) by one-way ANOVA, and recurrence-free survival (p=0.02) and postrecurrence survival (p<0.01) by Kaplan-Meier survival curve analysis among the three main death causes. Conclusions. Age, tumor location, and lymph node metastasis were significantly different among metabolic-associated, organ failure-associated, and anastomotic recurrence-associated mortality of recurrent EC patients.
Participant Observation to Apply an Empirical Method of Codesign with Children
Authors: Romero-Ternero M. C. , García-Robles R. , Cagigas-Muñiz D. , Rivera-Romero O. , Romero-Ternero M. J.
Published: July 2022

Dental anxiety in children is a well-documented problem in the scientific literature. Tools mediated by Information Technology have been shown to positively influence children’s mood based on distraction as well as relaxing activities. We propose an empirical method of codesign with children to generate app content for reducing dental anxiety. The results are embedded in text through a thick description as an ethnographic technique. The method was applied to 163 children (6–8 years old) from a summer school and a primary school, obtaining multimedia products that were integrated into an app prototype. Finally, although this use case of the presented method is applied to the health field, it can be transferred to any other field of application of codesign to children by using material that is specific to new scenarios.
Study on the Management of the Health Status of Patients with Stable Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Treated with Double Bronchodilator
Authors: Wang Wei , Yang Qing , Xun Qiufen , Ye Xiaoqun
Published: July 2022

Objective. To investigate the patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) to understand the use of double bronchodilator therapy and influencing factors. Methods. The patients with stable COPD who used double bronchodilators were continuously enrolled in our hospital. The information of demographic characteristics, medical history, physical examination, drug use, and correct treatment methods after using inhaled drugs were collected by standardized questionnaire. Measurement data between groups were compared by using the independent sample t-test, and counting data between groups were compared by using the chi-square test. Results. A total of 102 patients were included in the analysis. The proportion of patients with stable COPD who correctly used dual bronchodilators was 59.8% (61 patients). In the GOLD classification, the correct use rate of C-level patients was 69.8%, which was significantly higher than the used correct rate of D-level patients (49.0%) (

P
=
0.032

). In the age group, the correct use rate of patients <65 years old was 72.1%, which was significantly higher than that of patients ≥65 years old (50.8%) (

P
=
0.031

). In addition, education level, duration of drug use, and drug type may also affect the correct use of drugs, but no significant statistical significance was found between the groups of these three factors (

P
>
0.05

). Conclusion. There is still a gap between the treatment of dual bronchodilators in patients with stable COPD and the guidelines, so the management of COPD should be strengthened. Besides, the correct use rate could be affected by the GOLD classification and age.
Two-Dimensional Transceiver Beamforming for Mainlobe Jamming Suppression with FDA-MIMO Radar
Authors: Wan Pengfei , Liao Guisheng , Xu Jingwei , Zheng Guimei
Published: July 2022

With the rapid development of electronic warfare technology, the airborne electronic counter measures (ECM) system can generate mainlobe jamming using range gate pull-off (RGPO) strategy, which brings serious performance degradation of target tracking for the tracking and guidance radar. In this study, a two-dimensional transceiver beamforming approach is proposed to suppress the mainlobe jamming with frequency diverse array using multiple-input multiple-output (FDA-MIMO) radar. The mainlobe jamming signal differs from the real target echo in the joint transmit and receive domain due to the range dependence of FDA beampattern. The amplitude of RGPO signal is greater than the amplitude of real target echo. Thus, the transceiver beampattern can be designed to null out the jamming while maintaining the real target. The jamming suppression performance is studied in consideration of practical range constraint of RGPO. Simulation results are provided to verify the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Network Pharmacology and Molecular Docking Study of Yupingfeng Powder in the Treatment of Allergic Diseases
Authors: Qu Minye , Tao Wenhua , Ma Jian
Published: July 2022

Objective. To explore the potential mechanisms of Yupingfeng Powder (YPFP) in the treatment of allergic diseases by using network pharmacology and molecular docking technology. Methods. The active components and targets of YPFP were screened by the TCMSP database. The targets associated with atopic dermatitis, asthma, allergic rhinitis, and food allergy were obtained from GeneCards and OMIM databases, respectively. The intersection of the above disease-related targets was identified as allergy-related targets. Then, allergy-related targets and YPFP-related targets were crossed to obtain the potential targets of YPFP for allergy treatment. A protein-protein-interaction (PPI) network and a drug-target-disease topology network were constructed to screen hub targets and key ingredients. Next, GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses were performed separately on the potential targets and hub targets to identify the biological processes and signaling pathways involved. Finally, molecular docking was conducted to verify the binding affinity between key ingredients and hub targets. Results. In this study, 45 active ingredients were identified from YPFP, and 48 allergy-related targets were predicted by network pharmacology. IL6, TNF, IL1B, PTGS2, CXCL8, JUN, CCL2, IL10, IFNG, and IL4 were screened as hub targets by the PPI network. However, quercetin, kaempferol, wogonin, formononetin, and 7-O-methylisomucronulatol were identified as key ingredients by the drug-target-disease topological network. GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis indicated that the therapeutic effect of YPFP on allergy involved multiple biological processes and signaling pathways, including positive regulation of fever generation, positive regulation of neuroinflammatory response, vascular endothelial growth factor production, negative regulation of cytokine production involved in immune response, positive regulation of mononuclear cell migration, type 2 immune response, and negative regulation of lipid storage. Molecular docking verified that all the key ingredients had good binding affinity with hub targets. Conclusion. This study revealed the key ingredients, hub targets, and potential mechanisms of YPFP antiallergy, and these data can provide some theoretical basis for subsequent allergy treatment and drug development.
Design of Remote Monitoring Iot System Based on 5G and New Optical Fiber Intelligent Structure
Authors: Hu Lei
Published: July 2022

In recent years, with the progress and development of social science and technology, remote monitoring of Internet of Things systems has attracted more and more attention. The remote monitoring system is mainly a network system with convenient layout, simple maintenance, and high security performance built on the basis of the wireless network, which can realize real-time monitoring, and collects transmit information. It is mostly used in remote monitoring of room temperature, remote monitoring of intelligent furniture, engineering construction, and teaching. Communication technology dominates the operation of remote monitoring systems. With the introduction of 5G technology, mobile Internet technology has been pushed to the top of technology again. Using 5G mobile communication technology in the monitoring system, people can observe or operate the monitored things at any time. The sensor is an indispensable component of the remote monitoring system, and a new type of optical fiber is added to the sensor to make the system function more complete. However, the related technology is not very mature, and the research on remote monitoring system is relatively backward in China. Relevant studies have found that when the remaining energy of the information node in the remote monitoring system reaches 10%, the information node will die and the speed of information transmission will decrease. Therefore, adding new technologies is conducive to improving the performance of remote monitoring systems.
Comparison of Intracranial and Extracranial Carotid Artery Calcifications between Obstructive Sleep Apnea Patients and Healthy Individuals: A Combined Cone-Beam Computed Tomography and Polysomnographic Study
Authors: Firincioglulari Mujgan , Aksoy Secil , Orhan Kaan , Rasmussen Finn
Published: July 2022

Purpose. This study aimed to compare the presence and grades of intra- and extracranial carotid artery calcifications between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and non-OSA patients. Methods. CBCT records of 190 patients (95 OSA patients and 95 non-OSA patients) were retrospectively collected and analyzed. Patient demographic data, including age and gender for both study groups and body mass index (BMI), and apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) for OSA patients were recorded. The presence of intra- and extracranial carotid artery calcifications and the number of calcifications were noted according to the grading scale. Results. There was a significant difference in carotid artery calcifications between OSA patients and healthy individuals. A total of 56.8% of the OSA patients showed at least one carotid artery calcification, whereas 13.8% of healthy individuals showed at least one carotid artery calcification (

p
<
0.05

). For intracranial calcifications, OSA patients showed a significantly higher prevalence than healthy individuals (

p
<
0.05

). The results showed that as the apnea-hypopnea index increases in OSA patients, the incidence of carotid artery calcification increases simultaneously. AHI > 30 patients showed the highest percentage of calcifications. Conclusion. In conclusion, OSA patients showed a higher prevalence of calcified carotid artery calcifications than healthy individuals. The results can be interpreted as the higher AHI, the more carotid artery calcification occurs. As these lesions can be a precursor of future strokes, 3D MDCT/CBCT images should evaluate meticulously not only extracranial but also intracranially, especially in OSA patients.
Changes in Corneal Morphology and Biomechanics in Cases of Small Incision Lenticule Extraction with Prophylactic Accelerated Collagen Cross-Linking
Authors: Mo Fei , Di Yu , Li Ying
Published: July 2022

Purpose. To study the corneal morphology and biomechanics in cases of small incision lenticule extraction with prophylactic accelerated collagen cross-linking (SMILE Xtra). Methods. This study was a retrospective study. 28 eyes of 14 patients with moderate-high risk of postoperative ectasia according to the Randleman scoring system underwent SMILE Xtra procedure. Outcome data were recorded including uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA), manifest refraction spherical equivalent (MRSE), surface regularity index (SRI), surface asymmetry index (SAI), simulated keratometry (SimK), posterior axial curvature (PAC), anterior and posterior corneal elevations (ACE and PCE), central corneal thickness (CCT), corneal resistance factor (CRF), corneal hysteresis (CH), and cornea-compensated intraocular pressure (IOPcc). The follow-up period was 12 months. Results. There were 28, 26, 22, 12, and 10 eyes enrolled at postoperative 1st day and 1st, 3rd, 6th, and 12th months, respectively. The UDVA improved from 1.27 ± 0.18 logMAR preoperatively to -0.06 ± 0.04 logMAR postoperatively (

P
<
0.05

). The MRSE improved from -5.05 ± 1.15 D preoperatively to -0.14 ± 0.30 D postoperatively (

P
<
0.05

). SAI, SimK, PAC, PCE, and CCT all changed significantly at 1st month postoperatively (

P
<
0.05

) and stabilized during the remainder of the follow-up (

P
>
0.05

). There was no significant change in SRI or ACE before and after surgery (

P
>
0.05

). CRF, CH, and IOPcc all decreased significantly at 1st month postoperatively (

P
<
0.05

) and remained stable afterwards (

P
>
0.05

). Conclusions. The changes in the corneal morphology and biomechanics remained stable after SMILE Xtra, and there was no sign of postoperative ectasia or refractive regression. Combined with the improvement of visual and refractive results, SMILE Xtra may be a promising method for corneal refractive surgeries in patients at risk.
The Effects of Foot Reflexology for Smoking Cessation on Brain Activities with Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI): A Pilot Study
Authors: Wattanaruangkowit Pisit , Muengtaweepongsa Sombat , Kengganpanich Mondha , Kengganpanich Tharadol
Published: July 2022

Background. Foot reflexology is a treatment with the hypothesis that such massage stimulation on the feet may cause a therapeutic effect which should be helpful for smoking cessation. However, its mechanism of action in the brain of smoking people remains unknown. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is helpful for real-time brain activity detection. We aim to compare the brain activity effects of foot reflexology with fMRI between smoking and nonsmoking subjects. Materials and Methods. We divided participants into experimental (smokers) and control groups (nonsmokers). Both groups received similar foot reflexology under the fMRI examination. Then, we compared the mean response score in each brain area before and after foot stimulation among groups and between groups. Results. Five nonsmokers and fifteen smokers had completed the study. All participants were right-handed males, with a mean age of 38.6 years. The fMRI brain response in the areas correlated with foot stimulation, including the precentral gyrus of the frontal lobe and the postcentral gyrus of the parietal lobe, was present for all participants. The fMRI response outside the correlated area, including other parts of the frontal and parietal lobes, the temporal and occipital cortices, and the thalamus, was also found in all participants, but was not consistent. Conclusions. The fMRI of the brain is feasible and safe for demonstrating foot reflexology reactions. The response signal outside the correlated motor-sensory cortical area with foot reflexology may have clinical significance and may be helpful for smoking cessation. We suggest conducting a large-scale, randomized controlled trial to confirm these findings.
Combined Effect of Smoking and Fatty Liver Disease on the Progression of Type 2 Diabetes: Insights from a Population-Based Cohort Study
Authors: Zhang Tingting , Zhang Donghe , Zeng Jing , Yang Yan , Fang Yi , Wang Xuan
Published: July 2022

Objectives. Fatty liver disease (FLD) is strongly linked to the occurrence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Insulin resistance (IR) is linked to smoking. Our study’s purpose was to see how smoking and fatty liver accompanied affected the development of T2DM in the past. Materials and Methods. We collected data from 15,464 Japanese adults aged 18 to 79 years who took part in the NAGALA research, and our team utilized a Cox proportion risk model to look at the combination effect of FLD and smoking status on the incidence of T2DM. Participants were separated into three categories: nonsmokers, ex-smokers, and current smokers. An abdominal ultrasound was used to diagnose FLD. Results. 384 subjects had T2DM after a median follow-up of 5.4 years. In comparison to the other groups, current FLD smokers had a greater chance of developing T2DM. Ex-smokers and present FLD smokers, on the other hand, had no significant difference in their likelihood of acquiring T2DM. When compared to ex-smokers and nonsmokers without FLD, current smokers with FLD had a considerably greater chance of acquiring T2DM. Furthermore, the risk of T2DM among nonsmokers, ex-smokers with FLD, and current smokers without FLD was not statistically significant. Conclusions. In order to prevent the progression of T2DM, we should recognize that smoking status may vary in FLD.
Optimization on Wear Rate of AA2219/Nanographite/TiB2/Si3N4 Hybrid Composites Using Taguchi Process
Authors: Shekar A. Chandra , Pathinettampadian Gurusamy , Suthan R. , De Poures Melvin Victor , Althahban Sultan , Mousa S. , Qahtani Faez , Jazaa Yosef , Girma Belachew
Published: July 2022

The various following reinforcements like nanographite, titanium diboride (TiB2), silicon nitride (Si3N4), and aluminum 2219 have all been investigated in this study. Current research suggests that TiB2 and graphite may be a suitable reinforcement for Al2219 alloy. The stir casting process was used to make reinforced composites on unreinforced Al2219. Compared to the unreinforced Al2219, the TiB2 and nanographite‐reinforced hybrid composites showed the exceptional wear resistance (30%) at 175°C. Matrix strengthening kinetics is improved at 175°C when TiB2 and nano‐Gr reinforcement particles are present. To obtain a p value less than 1% and an absolute relative error of less than 1%, an artificial neural network was employed.
Design and Simulation of Logistics Network Model Based on Particle Swarm Optimization Algorithm
Authors: Tan Lin , Zhang Ailing , Li Sha , Ding Minghua , Liu Pengfei
Published: July 2022

With the continuous development of e-commerce, logistics and express services have penetrated into every aspect of people’s life. Research on the optimization of logistics network model is helpful to reduce the waste of routes, improve the utilization rate of transportation tools and hubs, and thus reduce the organizational cost of logistics. In this paper, the basic model of hub-and-spoke network (HSN) is constructed based on the principle of minimizing the connection distance and total cost between hubs. By discretizing the particles in the continuous motion space, the discrete particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm is designed and the Exchange () exchange function is used to improve its search strategy to update the individual optimal value and the global optimal value. Finally, the improved double-layer discrete PSO algorithm is obtained to solve the logistics network model. The results show that the optimized PSO algorithm has faster convergence speed and higher precision, and the application of the logistics network model is helpful to integrate logistics resources, reduce logistics costs, and improve logistics efficiency.
Sleep Staging Using Noncontact-Measured Vital Signs
Authors: Wang Zixia , Zha Shuai , Yu Baoxian , Chen Pengbin , Pang Zhiqiang , Zhang Han
Published: July 2022

As a physiological phenomenon, sleep takes up approximately 30% of human life and significantly affects people’s quality of life. To assess the quality of night sleep, polysomnography (PSG) has been recognized as the gold standard for sleep staging. The drawbacks of such a clinical device, however, are obvious, since PSG limits the patient’s mobility during the night, which is inconvenient for in-home monitoring. In this paper, a noncontact vital signs monitoring system using the piezoelectric sensors is deployed. Using the so-designed noncontact sensing system, heartbeat interval (HI), respiratory interval (RI), and body movements (BM) are separated and recorded, from which a new dimension of vital signs, referred to as the coordination of heartbeat interval and respiratory interval (CHR), is obtained. By extracting both the independent features of HI, RI, and BM and the coordinated features of CHR in different timescales, Wake-REM-NREM sleep staging is performed, and a postprocessing of staging fusion algorithm is proposed to refine the accuracy of classification. A total of 17 all-night recordings of noncontact measurement simultaneous with PSG from 10 healthy subjects were examined, and the leave-one-out cross-validation was adopted to assess the performance of Wake-REM-NREM sleep staging. Taking the gold standard of PSG as reference, numerical results show that the proposed sleep staging achieves an averaged accuracy and Cohen’s Kappa index of 82.42% and 0.63, respectively, and performs robust to subjects suffering from sleep-disordered breathing.
Flexible Ureteroscopy and Nephroscopy for Stone Removal in Patients with Multiple Renal Calculi
Authors: Zhu Bin , Zhang Suibing
Published: July 2022

Objective. Renal calculi are a common type of urological calculi and are associated with morbidity. This study was aimed at exploring the effect of flexible ureteroscopy and nephroscopy on stone removal in patients with multiple renal calculi. Method. This randomized controlled trial included a total of 78 cases with multiple renal calculi in our hospital. The patients were randomly divided into the study and control groups and treated with flexible ureteroscopy and percutaneous nephrolithotomy with pneumatic ballistics, respectively. The surgery condition, levels of prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), keratocyte growth factor (KGF), renal function indices, and the incidence of complications were analyzed before and after surgery in the two groups. Result. The operation time, the postoperative analgesia pump application time, one-time stone removal rate, the intraoperative blood loss, and hospital stay of the study group were significantly lower than those of the control group. Postsurgery, the levels of PGE2, PGF2α, and KGF in the study group were significantly lower than those in the control group. The serum levels of SCR, BUN, and NGAL in the study group were significantly lower than those in the control group. In addition, the incidence complications in the study group were significantly lower. Conclusion. Flexible ureteroscopy and laser lithotripsy under nephroscopy were equally effective against multiple renal calculi. Flexible ureteroscopy reduced surgical trauma without affecting renal function and had a low incidence of complications.
Redefining the Mode of HIV Transmission through Analysis of Risk Attribution among the Reported HIV Cases from 1993 to 2021 in Bhutan
Authors: Khandu Lekey , Choida Ngawang , Drukpa Jurmi , Tsehring Dolley , Wangdi Sonam
Published: July 2022

Introduction. The detailed risk assessment of the diagnosed HIV cases in Bhutan is an opportunity to carry out the risk analysis to generate evidence of wherein, under what context, and in which population groups most new infections are occurring. The evidence collected will help to test the current assumption of Bhutan experiencing diffused and generalized HIV epidemic. Methods. This is a cross-sectional study using a quantitative method to assess the risk behavior of the diagnosed HIV cases from 1993 to 2019. The study also included secondary data analysis of those cases already captured by the routine case-based surveillance from 2020 to 2021. The data collection was done from 1 to 30 January 2022 in all the twenty districts of Bhutan. Descriptive statistical analysis was used to analyze the characteristics of the study population, and relationships were established using the Chi-square Test. We have sought ethics approval and obtained participants’ informed consent. Results. The risk attribution analysis showed that 81.94% of HIV infection among the reported HIV cases in Bhutan has occurred through high-risk heterosexuals and 8.88% through mother-to-child transmission, and parenteral transmission accounts for 1.58% and then 1.35% through homosexual. Of the 81.94% high-risk heterosexuals, 41.08% acquired through sex workers and clients of sex workers, 27.99% from HIV-infected persons, 12.64% from sex work, and 0.23% from injecting drug use. Conclusions. This study has shed some light on a gradual epidemic shift from the current perceived diffused and generalized to the concentrated epidemic among subpopulation groups like female sex workers and their clients.
Efficacy and Safety of Tripterygium Wilfordii Glycoside Tablets Combined with Acitretin Capsules in the Treatment of Moderate to Severe Plaque Psoriasis: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Fu Qinghui , Zhu Yunjie , Fang Yiqi , Dai Changbo
Published: July 2022

Objective. To probe into the clinical efficacy of tripterygium wilfordii glycoside (TWGs) tablets combined with acitretin capsules in the treatment of patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis (MSPP). Methods. Thirty-six patients with MSPP were collected and divided into three groups, namely, group A (n=12, TWG tablets + acitretin capsules), group B (n=12, compound glycyrrhizin capsules + acitretin capsules), and group C (n=12, acitretin capsules). The general data of the patients was recorded. In addition, a comparison was made before treatment, 4 weeks and 8 weeks after treatment in terms of the clinical efficacy, liver function indicators (alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), and creatinine), psoriasis area, and severity index (PASI) scores. The incidence of adverse reactions after treatment and the recurrence rate during two months of follow-up was statistically analyzed. Results. The therapeutic effect of group A was superior to the other two groups, with obviously more satisfactory results of serum parameters, clinical efficacy and PASI score, and incidence of adverse reactions. Conclusions. TWGs combined with acitretin had better therapeutic effects and higher safety in the treatment of MSPP.
[Retracted] Silver Trimolybdate (Ag2Mo3O10.2H2O) Nanorods: Synthesis, Characterization, and Photo‐Induced Antibacterial Activity under Visible‐Light Irradiation
Authors: do Nascimento Silva Leandro Maria Karollyna , Barbosa Moura João Victor , Justino de Araújo Ana Carolina , Freitas Priscilla Ramos , Roque Paulo Cicera Laura , de Sousa Amanda Karine , Rocha Janaina Esmeraldo , Garcia Leandro Lívia Maria , Macedo da Silva Rakel Olinda , Costa dos Santos Clenilton , Ribeiro-Filho Jaime , da Luz Lima Cleânio , Siyadatpanah Abolghasem , Seifi Zahra , Kim Bonglee , Coutinho Henrique Douglas Melo
Published: July 2022

The present study reports the synthesis, characterization, and antibacterial properties of silver trimolybdate (Ag2Mo3O10.2H2O) nanorods. The synthesis was performed using a conventional hydrothermal method. The sample was characterised by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, UV–Vis–NIR diffuse reflectance, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and differential scanning calorimeter (DSC). The direct antibacterial activity was evaluated using the microdilution method to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). To assess the ability of Ag2Mo3O10.2H2O nanorods to modulate antibacterial resistance, the MIC of aminoglycosides was established in the presence of a subinhibitory concentration of this substance alone and associated with LED light exposure. The characterization of the sample indicated that the synthesis of silver trimolybdate generated nanometric crystals with rod‐like morphology, without secondary phases. The treatment with Ag2Mo3O10.2H2O nanorods alone or combined with visible LED lights exhibited clinically relevant antibacterial activity against both Gram‐negative and Gram‐positive bacteria. This nanostructure presented a variable antibiotic‐modulating action, which was not improved by visible LED light exposure. Nevertheless, LED lights showed promising antibiotic‐enhancing activities in the absence of Ag2Mo3O10.2H2O nanorods. In conclusion, silver trimolybdate dihydrate nanorods have antibacterial properties that can be photocatalysed by visible‐light exposure. While showing the potential use to combat antibacterial resistance, the simultaneous combination of silver trimolybdate, visible LED lights, and antibacterial drugs should be carefully analysed to avoid antagonist effects that could impair the effectiveness of antibiotic therapy.
[Retracted] An Investigation of Electrospun Clerodendrum phlomidis Leaves Extract Infused Polycaprolactone Nanofiber for In Vitro Biological Application
Authors: Ravichandran Siranjeevi , Jegathaprathaban Rajesh , Radhakrishnan Jeyalakshmi , Usha R. , Vijayan V. , Teklemariam Aklilu
Published: July 2022

The in vitro antibacterial, anticancer, and antioxidant activities of a few plant extracts were widely known for decades, and they were used for application in the conventional way. Specifically, electrospun nanofibrous mats have recently exhibited great antibacterial, anticancer, and antioxidant activities. The herbal extracts infused into these formations are expected to have a more efficient and integrated effect on in vitro biological applications. The purpose of this study is to develop polycaprolactone‐ (PCL‐) based nanofiber mats that are infused with a traditional plant extract using Clerodendrum phlomidis leaves to improve the synthesized nanofibers’ antibacterial, anticancer, and antioxidant efficacy. This study examined the morphology, thermal properties, mechanical properties, structure, and in vitro drug release studies of electrospun nanofibers. Antibacterial, anticancer, and antioxidant activities of the electrospun nanofibrous mats were also studied. The HRTEM and FESEM pictures of PCL and PCL‐CPM nanofibers provide that smooth, defect‐free, and homogeneous nanofibers were found to be 602.08 ± 75 nm and 414.15 ± 82 nm for PCL and PCL‐CPM nanofibers, respectively. The presence of Clerodendrum phlomidis extract in the electrospun nanofibers was approved by UV‐visible and FTIR spectroscopy. The incorporation of Clerodendrum phlomidis extract to nanofiber mats resulted in substantial antibacterial activity against bacterial cells. PCL‐CPM mats exposed to oral cancer (HSC‐3) and renal cell carcinoma (ACHN) cell lines displayed promising anticancer activity with less than 50% survival rate after 24 h of incubation. 2,2‐Diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay performed on PCL‐CPM nanofibers revealed the antioxidant scavenging activity with maximum inhibition of 34% suggesting the role of the secondary metabolites release from scaffold. As a result, the findings of this study revealed that Clerodendrum phlomidis extract encapsulating PCL electrospun nanofibers has a high potential for usage as a biobased antibacterial, anticancer, and antioxidant agent.
Users’ Rating Predictions Using Collaborating Filtering Based on Users and Items Similarity Measures
Authors: Nudrat Sofia , Khan Hikmat Ullah , Iqbal Saqib , Talha Mian Muhammad , Alarfaj Fawaz Khaled , Almusallam Naif
Published: July 2022

The social media has made the world a global world and we, in addition to, as part of physical society, are now part of the virtual society as well. There has been the generation of a large amount of information over the social web. By way of increasing online information, new opportunities emerged, and diverse issues have been raised, which have attracted researchers to address these research problems. In this current age, where online business and e-commerce are part of our daily lives, recommender systems (RSs) are very effective for information filtering. RSs play a significant role in our lives by assisting users in recommending items and services what they may be interesting in to purchase or avail. In this research work, our goal is to predict the users’ ratings for various items, which are an active research area in collaborative filtering (CF). In this work, we have explored various similarity measures based on user-user and item-item rating predictions on different datasets by applying collaborative filtering approaches. The comparison of item-item and user-user CF algorithms such as user K-Nearest Neighbour using cosine; similarity, Pearson correlation as well as item-based K-NN using these measures with baseline approaches and matrix-based methods such as Matrix factorization (MF), biased MF, and factor wise MF has been carried out. For empirical-based comparison analysis, diverse approaches have been selected such as slope one, random, and global average, and it revealed that item-item K-NN using Pearson correlation has outperformed all other applied approaches. For the experiments, three real world and widely used datasets of MovieLens 1M, CiaoDVD, and MovieLens 100k have been used. The empirical-based results have been evaluated by using standard performance evaluation measures of RMSE and MAE.
Maternal Smoking and the Risk of Placenta Accreta Spectrum: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis
Authors: Jenabi Ensiyeh , Salehi Amir Mohammad , Masoumi Seyedeh Zahra , Maleki Azam
Published: July 2022

Background. This is the first meta‐analysis that assessed the association between maternal smoking and the risk of placenta accreta spectrum (PAS), so this study was aimed at investigating the association between maternal smoking and PAS based on observational studies. PAS is defined as a severe obstetric complication due to the abnormal invasion of the chorionic villi into the myometrium and uterine serosa. Methods. We searched electronic bibliographic databases including PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Science Direct, and Google Scholar until January 2022. The results were reported using a random effect model. The chi‐square test and the I2 statistic were used to assess heterogeneity. Egger’s and Begg’s tests were used to examine the probability of publication bias. All statistical analyses were performed at a significance level of 0.05 using Stata software, version 11. Results. Based on the random effect model, the estimated OR of the risk of PAS associated with smoking was 1.21 (95% CI: 1.02, 1.41; I2 = 4.7%). Subgroup analysis was conducted based on study design, and the result showed that the association between smoking and PAS among cohort studies was significant 1.35 (95% CI: 1.15, 1.55; I2 = 0.0%). Conclusion. Our results suggested that maternal smoking is a risk factor for the PAS. There was no heterogeneity among studies that reported an association between smoking and the PAS. The Newcastle‐Ottawa Scale (NOS) was used to measure study quality.
Modern Clothing Design Based on Human 3D Somatosensory Technology
Authors: Liu Zhe , Luo Min
Published: July 2022

In the era of e-commerce, online clothing sales have grown rapidly, but the differences in clothing size and style details have brought serious problems to consumers’ purchase. At present, as far as online clothing sales are concerned, the most prominent problem is that consumers cannot try on clothes online as they do in the real environment, let alone touch and feel the texture of clothing fabrics. This has seriously affected and restricted the development of online clothing sales. The after-sales service cannot keep up, which is mainly reflected in the consumer return and replacement which is not convenient, and the purchased clothing cannot be received in time and other aspects. 3D garment customization is a hot area of research at present, and there is a wide range of needs to implement a software that can be customized for users. As a depth sensing technology, it strengthens the ability of video sensors for target recognition and brings new advances in sensing and processing deep vision tasks. Aiming at this problem, this paper proposes a modern clothing design scheme based on human 3D somatosensory technology. The designed scheme focuses on the acquisition of human size data and the personalized combination process of clothing components in the process of clothing design. In the scene where the human body changes greatly or the human body moves rapidly, the real-time limb coverage of the clothing fabric is higher, and the posture matching degree is higher. Applicable clothing types and human body pose types are more abundant, with a higher sense of reality. The clothing perception model fused with profile and girth features can match the dimensional changes of key parts of the human body. Through personalized clothing design, the combination of clothing parts is used to provide more choices of clothing styles, colors, and sizes. Using this solution, the time of clothing design can be greatly shortened, and the user’s satisfaction with the clothing design can be improved.