bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Interaction Effects of Innovation, Business Relations, and the Country Context with Firm Age on Entrepreneurial Internationalization
Authors: Qadir Sikandar Abdul , Olcay Gokcen Arkali , Kunday Ozlem
Published: August 2021

The accelerating rate of technological progress and the increasing number of people having international experiences resulted in the emergence of entrepreneurial internationalization. Internationalization is challenging for entrepreneurs as they have limited resources to compete with large multinationals. We explore how entrepreneurs benefit from the unique individual-level resources and the country’s innovation at a macro level on internationalization pursued by exports. We develop a research model to test the direct effects of innovation, business relations, and the contextual framework conditions of country innovativeness as well as their interactions with firm age on export performance. We construct a data-set covering 72 economies over the globe drawn from GEM data and test our research model using multiple and hierarchical linear regressions. We find that innovation and country innovativeness interact with firm age on export performance when controlled for various entrepreneurial and business level characteristics. Our research contributes to the literature offering important implications for entrepreneurs and policymakers. At the entrepreneurial level, innovation is a unique resource that an entrepreneur can get the most benefit out from it in the early stages of foundation. At the country level, developing policies supporting a favorable innovative environment is crucial, particularly in low innovative countries, to boost entrepreneurial internationalization in their early stages.
Factors Influencing Tech-Focused Government Agency in Funding Tech Start-ups: The Evidence from Thailand
Authors: Taweesangrungroj Amnard , Ratanabanchuen Roongkiat , Sinthupinyo Sukree
Published: August 2021

This study aims to analyze factors that influence tech-focused government agencies’ decision-making process to evaluate tech start-ups for supporting funds. The conceptual framework was based on qualitative research principles from in-depth interviews with seven tech-focused government agencies and confirmed the factors used in their decision-making processes. It was confirmed that the main factors consist of entrepreneurship characteristics, product/service characteristics, market characteristics, financial consideration, and capability of the management team. Furthermore, our findings revealed additional factors that influence tech-focused government agencies’ decision-making process, namely technology and innovation, business potential, and personnel and team.
Proof by experimentation?
Authors: Fuhr Norbert
Published: August 2021

Most IR experiments lack both internal and external validity. Top performance is mostly an illusion, given the lack of solid statistical evidence. Thus, reviewers should ignore performance numbers in their judgement, and pay more attention to proper methodology. Researchers need to focus more on performance analysis and prediction.
4

th

KidRec - what does good look like
Authors: Landoni Monica , Pera Maria Soledad , Fails Jerry Alan , Murgia Emiliana , Kucirkova Natalia , Huibers Theo
Published: August 2021

We summarize outcomes from KidRec 2020, the 4

th

edition of the workshop on International and Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Children & Recommender and Information Retrieval Systems; which this year was co-located with the ACM Interaction Design and Children conference. In addition to lessons learned from the keynote address by Professor Marcia C. Linn, accepted contributions, and collaborative work during the workshop, we offer insights related to hosting KidRec as a virtual meeting during the COVID-19 pandemic.
ITiCSE 2021 recap
Authors: Schulte Carsten , Becker Brett
Published: August 2021

ITiCSE 2021 was held virtually, in Paderborn, Germany from June 26th to the 1st of July. In addition to a record 275 paper submissions, we were thrilled to have 380 registrants with a peak attendance in one room of 139 for the working group presentation, and a peak parallel attendance of 156 across four parallel sessions.
Making the Sentencing Case: Psychological and Neuroscientific Evidence for Expanding the Age of Youthful Offenders
Authors: Casey B.J. , Simmons C. , Somerville L.H. , Baskin-Sommers A.
Published: August 2021

Youthful offenders convicted of serious crimes continue to be sentenced to death and life without parole in the United States based on legal arguments that cast them as incorrigible and permanent dangers to society. Yet psychological and neuroscientific evidence contradicts these arguments and unequivocally demonstrates significant changes in brain, behavior, and personality throughout the life course, especially during adolescence as it extends into the early twenties. This article ( a) clarifies the current state of the science on typical behavioral and brain development showing robust changes into the twenties; ( b) demonstrates that behavior, personality, and psychopathic traits are dynamic and change over time; and ( c) underscores that reliance on prior criminal behavior only to predict later recidivism is tenuous at best. Together, these scientific insights make a case for extending juvenile protections to youthful offenders sentenced for crimes committed in their teens and early twenties.
Stranded Assets: Environmental Drivers, Societal Challenges, and Supervisory Responses
Authors: Caldecott Ben , Clark Alex , Koskelo Krister , Mulholland Ellie , Hickey Conor
Published: August 2021

Environmental factors, particularly those related to climate change, are stranding or could strand assets across different sectors and geographies with significant implications for economies, companies, financial institutions, communities, and workers. In this review, we focus on physical climate change, biodiversity loss, and litigation related to environmental factors as causes of stranded assets. We also review the emerging literature on the consequences of asset stranding for society before turning to some of the key supervisory responses that are emerging to ensure that stranded assets are measured and managed, particularly by financial institutions. These are among the areas of the stranded assets literature that have been growing most rapidly since 2015, and we focus on the literature produced since then.
Earth, Wind, Fire, and Pollution: Aerosol Nutrient Sources and Impacts on Ocean Biogeochemistry
Authors: Hamilton Douglas S. , Perron Morgane M.G. , Bond Tami C. , Bowie Andrew R. , Buchholz Rebecca R. , Guieu Cecile , Ito Akinori , Maenhaut Willy , Myriokefalitakis Stelios , Olgun Nazlı , Rathod Sagar D. , Schepanski Kerstin , Tagliabue Alessandro , Wagner Robert , Mahowald Natalie M.
Published: August 2021

A key Earth system science question is the role of atmospheric deposition in supplying vital nutrients to the phytoplankton that form the base of marine food webs. Industrial and vehicular pollution, wildfires, volcanoes, biogenic debris, and desert dust all carry nutrients within their plumes throughout the globe. In remote ocean ecosystems, aerosol deposition represents an essential new source of nutrients for primary production. The large spatiotemporal variability in aerosols from myriad sources combined with the differential responses of marine biota to changing fluxes makes it crucially important to understand where, when, and how much nutrients from the atmosphere enter marine ecosystems. This review brings together existing literature, experimental evidence of impacts, and new atmospheric nutrient observations that can be compared with atmospheric and ocean biogeochemistry modeling. We evaluate the contribution and spatiotemporal variability of nutrient-bearing aerosols from desert dust, wildfire, volcanic, and anthropogenic sources, including the organic component, deposition fluxes, and oceanic impacts.
The Biological Effects of Pharmaceuticals in the Marine Environment
Authors: Mezzelani Marica , Regoli Francesco
Published: August 2021

Environmental pharmaceuticals represent a threat of emerging concern for marine ecosystems. Widely distributed and bioaccumulated, these contaminants could provoke adverse effects on aquatic organisms through modes of action like those reported for target species. In contrast to pharmacological uses, organisms in field conditions are exposed to complex mixtures of compounds with similar, different, or even opposing therapeutic effects. This review summarizes current knowledge of the main cellular pathways modulated by the most common classes of environmental pharmaceuticals occurring in marine ecosystems and accumulated by nontarget species—including nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, psychiatric drugs, cardiovascular and lipid regulator agents, steroidal hormones, and antibiotics—and describes an intricate network of possible interactions with both synergistic and antagonistic effects on the same cellular targets and metabolic pathways. This complexity reveals the intrinsic limits of the single-chemical approach to predict the long-term consequences and future impact of pharmaceuticals at organismal, population, and community levels.
c-Myc overexpression increases ribosome biogenesis and protein synthesis independent of mTORC1 activation in mouse skeletal muscle
Authors: Mori Takahiro , Ato Satoru , Knudsen Jonas R. , Henriquez-Olguin Carlos , Li Zhencheng , Wakabayashi Koki , Suginohara Takeshi , Higashida Kazuhiko , Tamura Yuki , Nakazato Koichi , Jensen Thomas E. , Ogasawara Riki
Published: August 2021

Resistance exercise is known to increase c-Myc expression, which is known to stimulate ribosome biogenesis and protein synthesis in a variety of cells. However, whether the increase in c-Myc stimulates ribosome biogenesis and protein synthesis in skeletal muscles remains unknown. We found that c-Myc overexpression is sufficient to stimulate skeletal muscle ribosome biogenesis and protein synthesis without activation of mTORC1.
Exponential Stability of Impulsive Stochastic Delay System Based on Razumikhin Method and Its Application to Chaos Control
Authors: Huang Shiguo , Niu Yujun , Xu Yajing
Published: August 2021

In this paper, the exponential stability of a stochastic delay system with impulsive signal is considered, and stability theorem of this system is proposed based on the Lyapunov–Razumikhin method; the convergence rate is also given, which gives theoretical foundation to chaos control and synchronization using the impulsive method. Finally, the classic delay chaos system with white noise and impulsive signal is employed to verify the feasibility and effectiveness of our theorem.
Neuroplasticity of Acupuncture for Stroke: An Evidence-Based Review of MRI
Authors: Zhang Jinhuan , Lu Chunjian , Wu Xiaoxiong , Nie Dehui , Yu Haibo
Published: August 2021

Acupuncture is widely recognized as a potentially effective treatment for stroke rehabilitation. Researchers in this area are actively investigating its therapeutic mechanisms. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), as a noninvasive, high anatomical resolution technique, has been employed to investigate neuroplasticity on acupuncture in stroke patients from a system level. However, there is no review on the mechanism of acupuncture treatment for stroke based on MRI. Therefore, we aim to summarize the current evidence about this aspect and provide useful information for future research. After searching PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase databases, 24 human and five animal studies were identified. This review focuses on the evidence on the possible mechanisms underlying mechanisms of acupuncture therapy in treating stroke by regulating brain plasticity. We found that acupuncture reorganizes not only motor-related network, including primary motor cortex (M1), premotor cortex, supplementary motor area (SMA), frontoparietal network (LFPN and RFPN), and sensorimotor network (SMN), as well as default mode network (aDMN and pDMN), but also language-related brain areas including inferior frontal gyrus frontal, temporal, parietal, and occipital lobes, as well as cognition-related brain regions. In addition, acupuncture therapy can modulate the function and structural plasticity of post-stroke, which may be linked to the mechanism effect of acupuncture.
Intelligent Recognition Method of Vehicle Path with Time Window Based on Genetic Algorithm
Authors: Huo Lina
Published: August 2021

Based on particle filter and improved cuckoo genetic algorithm, an algorithm for intelligent vehicle path recognition with a time window is designed. Particle filter (PF) is an influential visual tracking tool; it relies on the Monte Carlo Chain framework and Bayesian probability, which are essential for intelligent monitoring systems. The algorithm first uses particle filters for visual tracking and then obtains the current operating environment of the vehicle, then performs cluster analysis on customer locations, and finally performs path recognition in each area. The algorithm not only introduces particle filters, which are advanced visual tracking, but also improves the cuckoo search algorithm; when the bird’s egg is found by the bird’s nest owner, it needs to randomly change the position of the entire bird’s nest, which speeds up the search speed of the optimal delivery route. Analyze and compare the hybrid intelligent algorithm and the cuckoo search algorithm. Finally, the international standard test set Benchmark Problems is used for testing. The experimental outcomes indicated that the new hybrid intelligent approach is an effective algorithm for handling vehicle routing tasks with time windows.
Disastrous Mechanism and Concentration Distribution of Gas Migration in Fully Mechanized Caving Stope in Wuyang Coal Mine
Authors: Chong Li , Sifeng He , Zhijun Xu
Published: August 2021

The overrunning disaster of harmful gas tends to occur in the working face in thick coal seam with high gas concentration, as the fully mechanized caving stope has the characteristics of high mining intensity, high remnant coal, and high gas content. Therefore, the disastrous mechanism and concentration distribution of gas migration in fully mechanized caving stope are the theoretical basis for gas control scheme. Based on the 7607 working face in Wuyang coal mine, the gas emission quantity in working face is comprehensively analyzed by field measurement in this paper. The gas leakage field, oxygen concentration field, and gas concentration field in 7607 working face are simulated by establishing the equal proportional numerical model. Due to the increase of air leakage in working face caused by the high alley pumping drainage, the risk of coal spontaneous combustion is also analyzed, when gas extraction in goaf is carried out. The research results show that the gas drainage technology in high drainage roadway has a remarkable effect on the gas overrunning phenomenon. The gas concentration near the upper corner of the working surface has been reduced from 0.7%-1% to 0.5%. At the same time, it is necessary to pay attention to the risk of coal spontaneous combustion in the goaf for gas drainage in the high drainage roadway. The width of the oxidation zone in the goaf is about 25 m deeper than that before the drainage. Research results provide the references for gas control technology and coal spontaneous combustion prevention in similar working faces.
The Impact of Arid Climate on the Indoor Thermal Comfort in the South-East of Morocco
Authors: Lairgi Lamya , Lagtayi Rachid , Daya Abdelmajid , Elotmani Rabie , Touzani Mohammed
Published: August 2021

The main objective of this work is to study the heat transfer through an administrative building’s envelope in Errachidia City in Morocco. A numerical simulation based on the finite element method was made to describe the effect of introducing several thermal insulators (air, hemp wool, glass wool, rock wool, and extruded polystyrene) of different thicknesses (5 cm, 10 cm, and 15 cm) on the heat transfer through the building’s envelope under different climatic conditions. For the stationary regime, the summer period was chosen on August 7th, 2019, at 17 h, while the winter period was opted on January 1st, 2020, at 7 h. Otherwise, for the transitional regime, the summer period was chosen from August 1st to 8th, 2019, and the winter period from January first to 8th, 2020. The physical model analyzes the temperature variation at the different layers of the wall. It depends on the indoor temperature, the instantaneous climatic conditions of the outdoor air, solar radiations, and the thermal properties of the building’s envelope. The results show that the air gap is a good thermal insulator; it acts as a damper of temperature and heat flux.
Proteomic Analysis Reveals Growth Inhibition of Coriolus versicolor by Methanol Extracts of Cinnamomum camphora Xylem
Authors: Li Quan , Li Xiangyang , Lin Hui
Published: August 2021

The extracts of decay-resistant tree species are important research objects for the future development of wood preservatives. To understand the antifungal mechanisms of Coriolus versicolor inhibition with methanol extracts of C. camphora xylem, the protein profiles of C. versicolor were analyzed using 2-DE followed by MALDI-TOF/MS and bioinformatic analyses. The results showed that 41 protein spots were obviously changed among the 366-385 protein spots of C. versicolor treated with methanol extracts of C. camphora xylem. Twenty-one protein spots were upregulated, and 20 protein spots were downregulated. Cellular localization was performed to identify these differential proteins, and biological process and functional analysis found that 9 of these proteins were in the cytoplasm, 6 were intracellular, and 5 were in the mitochondrion. A total of 18.8% were mapped to small-molecule metabolic processes, 12.5% to cellular amino acid metabolic processes, and 10.9% to cellular nitrogen compound metabolic processes. Twenty-five percent of the differential proteins were associated with ion bonding, 15% with oxidoreductase activity, and 15% with ATPase activity and transmembrane transport activity. Downregulated expression of aspartate aminotransferase, ATP synthase alpha chain, DEAD/DEAH-box helicase, and phosphoglycerate kinase showed that the methanol extracts of C. camphora xylem disrupted functional aspects such as nitrogen and carbon metabolism, energy metabolism, hormone signal response, and glucose metabolism, eventually leading to C. versicolor inhibition.
Osimertinib Improves Overall Survival in Patients with Leptomeningeal Metastases Associated with EGFR-Mutated Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer Regardless of Cerebrospinal Fluid T790M Mutational Status
Authors: Zhang Milan , Ma Weifeng , Liu Huiqin , Jiang Yushu , Qin Lingzhi , Li Wei , Zhang Jiewen
Published: August 2021

Osimertinib has demonstrated promising efficacy against leptomeningeal metastasis (LM) associated with T790M-positive non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the effect of cerebrospinal fluid’s (CSF’s) epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) T790M mutation on osimertinib efficacy remains unclear.Seventy-eight patients were studied with EGFR-mutated NSCLC and LM. Case data were collected and EGFR mutation status of circulating cell-free DNA from paired CSF, and plasma of 23 patients with LM was detected using droplet digital PCR. The median overall survival (mOS) was 8.08 months (95% CI: 6.07–10.09) in the study. Forty-four osimertinib-treated patients had an improved mOS of 13.15 (95% CI: 5.74–20.57) and a median progression-free survival (PFS) of 9.50 months (95% CI: 6.77–12.23) when compared with patients treated with first- or second-generation EGFR-TKI (mOS = 3.00 months (95% CI: 1.32–4.68) and median PFS = 1.50 months (95% CI: 0.00–3.14)). In the osimertinib group, mOS values for CSF with and without T790M mutation were 22.15 months (95% CI: 9.44–34.87) and 13.39 months (95% CI: 7.01–19.76), respectively, with no statistical differences. Regardless of the CSF T790M mutation status, osimertinib demonstrated significant efficacy against LM associated with NSCLC.
Quantum Mechanistic Studies of the Oxidation of Ethylene by Rhenium Oxo Complexes
Authors: Fosu Emmanuel Adu , Obuah Collins , Hamenu Louis , Aniagyei Albert , Ainooson Michael Kojo , Govender Krishna K.
Published: August 2021

Transition-metal-mediated oxygen transfer reactions are of importance in both industry and academia; thus, a series of rhenium oxo complexes of the type ReO3L (L = O−, Cl−, F−, OH−, Br−, I−) and their effects as oxidation catalysts on ethylene have been studied. The activation and reaction energies for the addition pathways involving multiple spin states (singlet and triplet) have been computed. In all cases, structures on the singlet potential energy surfaces showed higher stability compared to their counterparts on the triplet potential energy surfaces (PESs). Frontier Molecular Orbital calculations show electrons flow from the HOMO of ethylene to the LUMO of rhenium for all complexes studied except ReO4− where the reverse case occurs. In the reaction between ReO3L (L = O−, Cl−, F−, OH−, Br−, and I−) and ethylene, the concerted [3 + 2] addition pathway on the singlet PES leading to the formation of dioxylate intermediate is favored over the [2 + 2] addition pathway leading to the formation of a metallaoxetane intermediate and subsequent rearrangement to the dioxylate. The activation and the reaction energies for the formation of the dioxylate on the singlet PES for the ligands studied followed the order O− > OH− > I− > F− > Br− > Cl− and O− > OH− > F− > I− > Br− > Cl−, respectively. Furthermore, the activation and the reaction energies for the formation of the metallaoxetane intermediate increase in the order O− > OH− > I− > Br− > Cl− > F− and O− > Br− > I− > Cl− > OH− > F−, respectively. The subsequent rearrangement of the metallaoxetane intermediate to the dioxylate is only feasible in the case of ReO4−. Of all the complexes studied, the best dioxylating catalyst is ReO3Cl (singlet surface) and the best epoxidation catalyst is ReO3F (singlet surface).
Main Active Components and Cell Cycle Regulation Mechanism of Astragali Radix and Angelicae Sinensis Radix in the Treatment of Ox-LDL-Induced HUVECs Injury and Inhibition of Their Cell Cycle
Authors: Liu Cai-Xia , Tan Ying-Zi , Deng Chang-Qing
Published: August 2021

To explore the main active components and effects of cell cycle regulation mechanism of Astragali radix (AR) and Angelicae sinensis radix (ASR) on oxidative damage in vascular endothelial cells, a model of oxidative damage in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) induced by oxidized low-density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) treatment was developed. Based on the “knock-out/knock-in” model of the target component, cell viability, intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) leakage were assessed by Cell Counting Kit-8 assay, fluorescent probe 2,7-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA), and colorimetric assay, respectively, to evaluate the protective effect of the active components of AR and ASR (astragaloside IV (AS IV), astragaloside I (AS I), formononetin (FRM), calycosin (CAL), calycosin-7-O-β-D glucoside (CLG), and ferulic acid (FRA)) against oxidative damage. The cell cycle and expression of genes encoding cyclins and cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) were observed using flow cytometry and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. The results showed that the combination of active components (ACC) significantly inhibited the decrease in cell viability as well as the increase in ROS and LDH release in HUVECs induced by ox-LDL treatment. AS IV and FRM promoted the proliferation of HUVECs but the proliferation index was decreased in the AS I and FRA groups; this inhibitory effect was counteracted by the ACC. The ACC reduced and increased the proportion of positive cells in G1 and S phases, respectively, followed by the upregulation of cyclin A (CCNA), cyclin E (CCNE), and CDK2 mRNA expression and downregulation of cyclin B (CCNB), cyclin D1 (CCND1), CDK1, CDK4, and CDK6 mRNA expression, which significantly mitigated inhibition of HUVECs proliferation induced by ox-LDL treatment. Taken together, AS IV, AS I, FRM, CAL, CLG, and FRA were the primary pharmacodynamic substances of AR and ASR that alleviated oxidative injury in HUVECs. ACC mitigated the upregulation of intracellular ROS levels and LDH release induced by ox-LDL treatment, which promoted the cell cycle procession of HUVECs by regulating the expression of genes encoding cyclins and CDKs and thus preventing oxidative damage in HUVECs.
Urban-Rural Dimension of Falls and Associated Risk Factors among Community-Dwelling Older Adults in West Java, Indonesia
Authors: Nugraha Susiana , Prasetyo Sabarinah , Susilowati Indri Hapsari , Rahardjo Tri Budi W.
Published: August 2021

Falls are one of the common problems among older adults; it is estimated that 684,000 fatal cases of falls occur every year. Furthermore, falls constitute one of the leading causes of mortality due to accidental injury. This study aims to identify the risk factors for falls in the older adults who live in the community, according to the dimensions of the living area: in urban and rural. The proportional sampling method was used to identify the rural and urban areas in West Java Prefecture; meanwhile, the incidence of fall in the last 12 months was selected as the outcome variable. Furthermore, sociodemographic background, chronic medical condition, fear of falling, visual and hearing impairments, Activity of Daily Living (ADL), Barthel index, physical performance (Short Performance Physical Battery (SPPB)), and living environment were analyzed to identify the risk factors that contribute to the incidence of falls. A total of 611 older adults participated in this study: 62% of them are living in rural area and 38% of them are living urban areas. More than 70% of study participants were aged 60–69 years, while 73% were females. There is no significant difference in fall prevalence in rural (16.5%) and urban (10.7%) areas (pvalue = 0.228). Furthermore, the multiple logistic regression analysis showed that the male gender (OR = 0.29, 95%CI [0.09–0.88]), chronic illness (OR = 3.25, 95%CI [1.24–8.53]), and visual impairment (OR = 3.6, 95%CI [1.52–8.54]) were associated with fall among older adults in urban areas. Meanwhile, visual impairment (OR = 1.81, 95%CI [1.03–3.18]) and living environment (OR = 3.36, 95% CI [1.14–9.93]) were significantly associated with falls in rural areas. Based on the associated risk factors identified in this study, a different approach is needed to reduce the falling risk among older adults in urban and rural areas in Indonesia.
Does Weight-Cycling Influence Illness Beliefs in Obesity? A Gender-Sensitive Approach
Authors: Prill Svenja , Henning Carmen , Schroeder Stefanie , Steins-Loeber Sabine , Wolstein Jörg
Published: August 2021

Obesity is classified as a chronic disease. Women and men seem to face different obstacles in their attempts to overcome one of the most challenging tasks in the treatment of this disease, namely, weight reduction maintenance. The Common-Sense-Model (CSM) is mainly used to improve the understanding of self-regulation and health behaviour in chronic diseases but has yet to be explored for obesity. This paper applies the CSM to obesity, focussing on the construct of illness representations, which is the basis of health behaviour according to the CSM. A sample of n = 356 women and n = 77 men with obesity was investigated to assess the extent that illness representations in obesity are shaped by experiences of weight-cycling and the extent that gender influences their quality. Our results show that the representations of timeline and consequences as well as the emotional representation are particularly influenced by weight-cycling, especially in men. On average, women showed more maladaptive illness representations than men. These findings not only contribute to a better applicability of the CSM in obesity, but also emphasize the importance of gender in obesity research and interventions.
Relationship between Hyponatremia and Peripheral Neuropathy in Patients with Diabetes
Authors: Zhang Yongze , Li Chuanchuan , Huang Lingning , Shen Ximei , Zhao Fengying , Wu Cailin , Yan Sunjie
Published: August 2021

Objectives. Hyponatremia is a common complication of diabetes. However, the relationship between serum sodium level and diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is unknown. This study was aimed at investigating the relationship between low serum sodium level and DPN in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Methods. A retrospective study was performed on 1928 patients with type 2 diabetes between 2010 and 2018. The multivariate test was used to analyze the relationship between the serum sodium level and the nerve conduction function. A restricted cubic spline was used to flexibly model and visualize the relationship between the serum sodium level and DPN, followed by logistic regression with adjustment. Results. As the serum sodium level increased, the prevalence of DPN had a reverse J-curve distribution with the serum sodium levels (69.6%, 53.7%, 49.6%, 43.9%, and 49.7%;

P
=
0.001

). Significant differences existed between the serum sodium level and the motor nerve conduction velocity, sensory nerve conduction velocity, part of compound muscle action potential, and sensory nerve action potential of the participants. Compared with hyponatremia, the higher serum sodium level was a relative lower risk factor for DPN after adjusting for several potential confounders (

OR
=
0.430

,

95
%
CI
=
0.220
–
0.841

;

OR
=
0.386

,

95
%
CI
=
0.198
–
0.755

;

OR
=
0.297

,

95
%
CI
=
0.152
–
0.580

;

OR
=
0.376

,

95
%
CI
=
0.190
–
0.743

; all

P
<
0.05

). Compared with low-normal serum sodium groups, the high-normal serum sodium level was also a risk factor for DPN (

OR
=
0.690

,

95
%
CI
=
0.526
–
0.905

,

P
=
0.007

). This relationship was particularly apparent in male participants, those aged <65 years, those with a duration of diabetes of <10 years, and those with a

urinary
 
albumin
−
to
−
creatinine
 
ratio
 

UACR

<
30
 
mg
/
g

. Conclusions. Low serum sodium levels were independently associated with DPN, even within the normal range of the serum sodium. We should pay more attention to avoid the low serum sodium level in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Efficient Secret Image Sharing Scheme with Authentication and Cheating Prevention
Authors: Zhang Lina , Dang Xuan , Feng Li , Yang Junhan
Published: August 2021

Due to the widespread adoption and popularity of digital images in distributed storage, Secret Image Sharing (SIS) has attracted much attention. However, preventing the cheating of shares is an important problem that needs to be solved in the traditional SIS scheme. An adversary without image shares may participate in the restoration phase as a share owner. In this phase, the adversary can obtain real shares or prevent recovering real images by submitting fake shadows. Our schemes are based on the original Thien-Lin’s scheme. In the scheme I, we use some XOR operations to get two authentication codes through all secret pixel values to achieve a lightweight and fast-calculated authentication scheme for cheating prevention. This scheme is suitable for small devices with limited resources. In scheme II, we use a hash algorithm to generate the authentication code. This scheme is suitable for environments with larger storage space and higher security levels. Since all pixel values are involved in the authentication in our proposed schemes, it can prevent fake shadow images from cheating. Meanwhile, the shadow size is almost the same as the original Thien-Lin’s scheme. Experimental results and theoretical analysis show that the proposed schemes are feasible and effective.
Real-Time Facial Expression Recognition System for Video Big Sensor Data Security Application
Authors: Yao Zhi , Sun Hailing , Zhou Guofu
Published: August 2021

Facial video big sensor data (BSD) is the core data of wireless sensor network industry application and technology research. It plays an important role in many industries, such as urban safety management, unmanned driving, senseless attendance, and venue management. The construction of video big sensor data security application and intelligent algorithm model has become a hot and difficult topic in related fields based on facial expression recognition. This paper focused on the experimental analysis of Cohn–Kanade dataset plus (CK+) dataset with frontal pose and great clarity. Firstly, face alignment and the selection of peak image were utilized to preprocess the expression sequence. Then, the output vector from convolution network 1 and β-VAE were connected proportionally and input to support vector machine (SVM) classifier to complete facial expression recognition. The testing accuracy of the proposed model in CK + dataset can reach 99.615%. The number of expression sequences involved in training was 2417, and the number of expression sequences in testing was 519.
The Role of T Follicular Helper Cells and Interleukin-21 in the Pathogenesis of Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Authors: Sun Lulu , Kong Ruixue , Li Hua , Wang Dashan
Published: August 2021

T follicular helper (Tfh) cells represent a novel subset of CD4+ T cells which can provide critical help for germinal center (GC) formation and antibody production. The Tfh cells are characterized by the expression of CXC chemokine receptor 5 (CXCR5), programmed death 1 (PD-1), inducible costimulatory molecule (ICOS), B cell lymphoma 6 (BCL-6), and the secretion of interleukin-21 (IL-21). Given the important role of Tfh cells in B cell activation and high-affinity antibody production, Tfh cells are involved in the pathogenesis of many human diseases. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a group of chronic inflammatory diseases characterized by symptoms such as diarrhea, abdominal pain, and weight loss. Ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn’s disease (CD) are the most studied types of IBD. Dysregulated mucosal immune response plays an important role in the pathogenesis of IBD. In recent years, many studies have identified the critical role of Tfh cells and IL-21 in the pathogenic process IBD. In this paper, we will discuss the role of Tfh cells and IL-21 in IBD pathogenesis.
Rutin: A Flavonoid as an Effective Sensitizer for Anticancer Therapy; Insights into Multifaceted Mechanisms and Applicability for Combination Therapy
Authors: Satari Atefeh , Ghasemi Sorayya , Habtemariam Solomon , Asgharian Shirin , Lorigooini Zahra
Published: August 2021

Rutin is a unique antioxidant flavonoid that is mainly found in fruit, vegetables, cereals, and many other plant-based human diets. This review aims to highlight the in vitro anticancer properties of rutin including combination therapeutic strategies. Literature resources were gathered through PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases that cover the period of 1995–2021. Rutin is demonstrated to inhibit the proliferation of breast, colon, lung, and prostate cancers and other tumors. Furthermore, rutin alone or in combination with other therapeutic agents has been shown to regulate several signalling pathways involving the Ras/Raf and PI3K/Akt, MAPK, and TGF-β2/Smad2/3Akt/PTEN, etc., which are related to the processes of carcinogenesis and induction of apoptosis. The combination of rutin with other chemotherapy drugs may benefit on prevention of tumor cells by decreasing drug resistance and chemotherapy side effects. Moreover, rutin induces apoptosis synergistically with the therapeutic agent. More in vivo and clinical data are however needed to evaluate the true potential of rutin as an anticancer agent as an adjuvant. The present review highlights the effects of rutin which can be a promising candidate in combination with other antitumor drugs or alone for cancer treatment in vitro. Also, rutin can lead to decrease in drug resistance and chemotherapeutic side effects.
A Higher-Order Finite Difference Scheme for Singularly Perturbed Parabolic Problem
Authors: Tian Shifang , Liu Xiaowei , An Ran
Published: August 2021

In this paper, we deal with a singularly perturbed parabolic convection-diffusion problem. Shishkin mesh and a hybrid third-order finite difference scheme are adopted for the spatial discretization. Uniform mesh and the backward Euler scheme are used for the temporal discretization. Furthermore, a preconditioning approach is also used to ensure uniform convergence. Numerical experiments show that the method is first-order accuracy in time and almost third-order accuracy in space.
Assessment of Acoustic Features and Machine Learning for Parkinson’s Detection
Authors: Pramanik Moumita , Pradhan Ratika , Nandy Parvati , Qaisar Saeed Mian , Bhoi Akash Kumar
Published: August 2021

This article presents a machine learning approach for Parkinson’s disease detection. Potential multiple acoustic signal features of Parkinson’s and control subjects are ascertained. A collaborated feature bank is created through correlated feature selection, Fisher score feature selection, and mutual information-based feature selection schemes. A detection model on top of the feature bank has been developed using the traditional Naïve Bayes, which proved state of the art. The Naïve Bayes detector on collaborative acoustic features can detect the presence of Parkinson’s magnificently with a detection accuracy of 78.97% and precision of 0.926, under the hold-out cross validation. The collaborative feature bank on Naïve Bayes revealed distinguishable results as compared to many other recently proposed approaches. The simplicity of Naïve Bayes makes the system robust and effective throughout the detection process.
A Novel Pythagorean Group Decision‐Making Method Based on Evidence Theory and Interactive Power Averaging Operator
Authors: Wan Zhaohe , Shi Minghua , Yang Feng , Zhu Guang
Published: August 2021

Since Pythagorean fuzzy sets can better reflect the cognition of the decision objects for experts, researchers have begun to pay increasingly more attention to them in recent years. The majority of the research on Pythagorean fuzzy environment assumes that the decision maker is completely rational and does not consider the correlation among the attribute variables. In view of the above, this paper proposes a method to solve the multiple attribute group decision‐making problem based on D‐S theory and interactive power averaging operator. First, the new Pythagorean fuzzy interactive weighted power average operator is designed to aggregate the attribute evaluation information given by experts one by one, and the comprehensive evaluation information of each expert is obtained. Then, the expert comprehensive evaluation information is aggregated by the rule of evidence combination to obtain the comprehensive evidence information and confidence interval of each candidate. Then, the decision‐making method for candidate alternatives is performed by the possibility discriminant rule. The design method considers not only the decision makers’ bounded rationality but also the correlation among the attribute variables. Finally, the selection of the energy exploitation plan illustrates the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed group decision method.
Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacological Activities of Berberine in Diabetes Mellitus Treatment
Authors: Han Yunfeng , Xiang Yunan , Shi Yi , Tang Xi , Pan Lin , Gao Jie , Bi Ruohong , Lai Xianrong
Published: August 2021

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has good clinical application prospects in diabetes treatment. In addition, TCM is less toxic and/or has fewer side effects and provides various therapeutic effects. Berberine (BBR) is isolated as the main component in many TCM kinds (e.g., Rhizoma Coptidis and Berberidis Cortex). Furthermore, BBR can reduce blood sugar and blood fat, alleviate inflammation, and improve the state of patients. Based on the recent study results of BBR in diabetes treatment, the BBR pharmacokinetics and mechanism on diabetes are mainly studied, and the specific molecular mechanism of related experimental BBR is systematically summarized and analyzed. Clinical studies have proved that BBR has a good therapeutic effect on diabetes, suggesting that BBR may be a promising drug candidate for diabetes. More detailed BBR mechanisms and pathways of BBR need to be studied further in depth, which will help understand the BBR pharmacology in diabetes treatment.
The Evolving Genomic Landscape of Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Under Chemoradiotherapy
Authors: Hirata Hidenari , Niida Atsushi , Kakiuchi Nobuyuki , Uchi Ryutaro , Sugimachi Keishi , Masuda Takaaki , Saito Tomoko , Kageyama Shun-Ichiro , Motomura Yushi , Ito Shuhei , Yoshitake Tadamasa , Tsurumaru Daisuke , Nishimuta Yusuke , Yokoyama Akira , Hasegawa Takanori , Chiba Kenichi , Shiraishi Yuichi , Du Junyan , Miura Fumihito , Morita Masaru , Toh Yasushi , Hirakawa Masakazu , Shioyama Yoshiyuki , Ito Takashi , Akimoto Tetsuo , Miyano Satoru , Shibata Tatsuhiro , Mori Masaki , Suzuki Yutaka , Ogawa Seishi , Ishigami Kousei , Mimori Koshi
Published: August 2021

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) often recurs after chemoradiotherapy, and the prognosis of ESCC after chemoradiotherapy has not improved over the past few decades. The mutation process in chemoradiotherapy-resistant clones and the functional relevance of genetic alterations remain unclear. To address these problems, we performed whole-exome sequencing of 52 tumor samples from 33 patients with ESCC who received radiotherapy combined with 5-fluorouracil/platinum. In multiregion analyses of pretreatment and locally recurrent lesions from five cases, most driver gene-altered clones remained under chemoradiotherapy selection pressure, while few driver gene alterations were acquired at recurrence. The mutation signatures of recurrent ESCC, including increased deletion frequency and platinum dose-dependent base substitution signatures, were substantially different from those of primary ESCC and reflected the iatrogenic impacts of chemoradiotherapy. Single-region analysis of 28 pretreatment tumors indicated that focal copy-number gain at the MYC locus was significantly associated with poor progression-free survival and overall survival after chemoradiotherapy. MYC gain remained throughout the chemoradiotherapy course and potentially contributes to intrinsic resistance to chemoradiotherapy. Consistent with these findings, MYC copy number and mRNA and protein levels in ESCC cell lines correlated positively with resistance to radiotherapy, and MYC knockdown improved sensitivity to radiotherapy. Overall, these data characterize the clonal evolution process induced by chemoradiotherapy and clinically relevant associations for genetic alterations in ESCC. These findings increase our understanding of therapeutic resistance and support the rationale for precision chemoradiotherapy.

Significance:

Whole-exome sequencing reveals the genetic evolution of ESCC during chemoradiotherapy, highlighting MYC gain in pretreatment tumors as a potential marker of therapy resistance.
Seeing the Light: CAR T-cell Targeting of Lambda-restricted B-cell Lymphomas
Authors: Jain Michael D. , Locke Frederick L.
Published: August 2021

CD19-targeted chimeric antigen receptor T cells eliminate both malignant and normal B cells. Targeting immunoglobulin light chains instead of CD19 could preserve half of the normal B cells and provide an alternative target.

See related article by Ranganathan et al., p. 5951
Epigenetic Modification Drives Acute Kidney Injury-to-Chronic Kidney Disease Progression
Authors: Li Zhenzhen , Li Ningning
Published: August 2021

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common clinical critical disease. Due to its high morbidity, increasing risk of complications, high mortality rate, and high medical costs, it has become a global concern for human health problems. Initially, researchers believed that kidneys have a strong ability to regenerate and repair, but studies over the past 20 years have found that kidneys damaged by AKI are often incomplete or even unable to repair. Even when serum creatinine returns to baseline levels, renal structural damage persists for a long time, leading to the development of chronic kidney disease (CKD). The mechanism of AKI-to-CKD transition has not been fully elucidated. As an important regulator of gene expression, epigenetic modifications, such as histone modification, DNA methylation, and noncoding RNAs, may play an important role in this process. Alterations in epigenetic modification are induced by hypoxia, thus promoting the expression of inflammatory factor-related genes and collagen secretion. This review elaborated the role of epigenetic modifications in AKI-to-CKD progression, the diagnostic value of epigenetic modifications biomarkers in AKI chronic outcome, and the potential role of targeting epigenetic modifications in the prevention and treatment of AKI to CKD, in order to provide ideas for the subsequent establishment of targeted therapeutic strategies to prevent the progression of renal tubular-interstitial fibrosis.
The Boy:Girl Ratio of Children Diagnosed with Growth Hormone Deficiency-Induced Short Stature Is Associated with the Boy:Girl Ratio of Children Visiting Short Stature Clinics
Authors: Tanaka Toshiaki , Soneda Shun , Sato Naoko , Kishi Kentaro , Noda Masahiro , Ogasawara Atsuko , Nose Osamu , Nakano Yukiko , Kinoshita Eiichi , Mochizuki Takahiro , Konda Susumu , Murashita Mari , Tanizawa Takakuni , Nozue Hiroki , Tokuda Masakuni , Kubota Kazuoki , Araki Kumiko , Kitanaka Sachiko , Inomata Hiroaki , Miyagi Chuken , Ishizu Katsura , Miyagawa Shinichiro
Published: August 2021

Background: About twice as many boys as girls undergo growth hormone (GH) therapy in GH deficiency (GHD). However, this sex difference may not correctly reflect a real incidence. Objectives: We analyzed the evidence of a selection bias whereby more boys seek treatment at short stature clinics. Subjects and Methods: The present study included 3,902 children who visited 17 short stature clinics with a height SD score of −2 SD or less. The percentage of children who underwent the GH stimulation test was compared between boys and girls, as was the percentage of children ultimately diagnosed with GHD. Results: The children comprised 2,390 boys (61.3%) and 1,512 girls (38.7%), with a boy:girl ratio of 1.58:1. The percentage of children who underwent the GH stimulation test did not differ between boys (45.7%) and girls (49.8%). Among the children who underwent the GH stimulation test, the percentage diagnosed with GHD did not differ significantly between boys (22.0%) and girls (20.1%). The boy:girl ratio of children diagnosed with GHD was 1.59:1. Conclusions: The boy:girl ratio of children with short stature (1.58:1) did not differ significantly from that of children diagnosed with GHD (1.59:1). These results indicate that the predominance of boys in GHD does not reflect a real incidence, but rather a selection bias whereby a higher proportion of boys with short stature seek treatment at clinics. This difference arises because parents are more concerned about boys’ height, and because boys reach adult height at an older age.