bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Benign metastasising leiomyoma with endometrial carcinoma, with a differential diagnosis of metastatic lung cancer
Authors: Yoshida Tsukasa , Nagao Takeshi , Ozawa Risako , Hida Kazuhide
Published: April 2021

Benign metastasising leiomyoma (BML) is a rare disease in which histologically benign uterine fibroids spread throughout the body. It is thought to originate from the hematogenous metastasis of myoma cells following myomectomy. To date, BML has been noted in patients with respiratory symptoms, even during regular checkups. There are few case reports of co-occurrence with gynaecological cancer. We report the case of a suspected stage IVb carcinoma based on preoperative examination for endometrial cancer, that indicated lung metastasis. However, postoperative pathology revealed a grade 1, pT1a pN0 tumour. We suspected BML based on the discrepant findings and history of myomectomy, and this was confirmed by lung biopsy. In metastatic lesions of a carcinoma patient with a history of myomectomy, the co-occurrence of BML should be considered when there is discrepancy between the preoperative suspected stage and postoperative pathology.
Tongue: the unusual site in malignant pleural mesothelioma
Authors: Mohamed Iskandar Zulqarnain bin , Idle Matthew , Bates Timothy , Yahya Sundus
Published: April 2021

Malignant mesotheliomas (MMs) are malignancies of the mesothelium, with primary deposits originating in the pleura, peritoneum, pericardium and the tunica vaginalis (ie, testicular). Metastatic spread is commonly reported to affect the liver, adrenal glands, kidney and contralateral lung (in cases of malignant pleural mesothelioma). Metastases to distant sites are uncommon. Spread to the oral cavity in particular is very rare. A total of 23 cases of metastatic spread to the oral cavity have been reported in the literature to date; of those, 9 cases have been to the tongue. Given the rarity of the site of metastasis, the management remains challenging. This case highlights a rare site of metastasis in MM, discusses treatment options available and briefly talks about technical limitations in treating a mobile structure such as the tongue. Good palliative and supportive care is crucial in managing cases where no curative treatment is possible.
Extradigital glomangiomyoma of the forearm mimicking peripheral nerve sheath tumour and thrombosed varicose vein
Authors: Li Lily , Bardsley Victoria , Grainger Andrew , Johnston Phillip
Published: April 2021

Extradigital glomus tumour is uncommon, little-known outside of its subungual location, and may present without its classic triad of tenderness, cold sensitivity and paroxysmal pain. Imaging is non-specific and diagnosis is often delayed, sometimes for years, leading to unnecessary morbidity. Surgical excision is the treatment of choice, although technique depends on case specifics. Histological subtypes depend on the relative prominence of glomus cells, vascular structures and smooth muscle. The vast majority of glomus tumours are benign. We highlight the importance of considering extradigital glomus tumours when generating differential diagnoses of an atypical painful lesion in a variety of clinical specialties.
Towards ‘automated gonioscopy’: a deep learning algorithm for 360° angle assessment by swept-source optical coherence tomography
Authors: Porporato Natalia , Tun Tin A , Baskaran Mani , Wong Damon W K , Husain Rahat , Fu Huazhu , Sultana Rehena , Perera Shamira , Schmetterer Leopold , Aung Tin
Published: April 2021

Aims

To validate a deep learning (DL) algorithm (DLA) for 360° angle assessment on swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT) (CASIA SS-1000, Tomey Corporation, Nagoya, Japan).

Methods

This was a reliability analysis from a cross-sectional study. An independent test set of 39 936 SS-OCT scans from 312 phakic subjects (128 SS-OCT meridional scans per eye) was analysed. Participants above 50 years with no previous history of intraocular surgery were consecutively recruited from glaucoma clinics. Indentation gonioscopy and dark room SS-OCT were performed. Gonioscopic angle closure was defined as non-visibility of the posterior trabecular meshwork in ≥180° of the angle. For each subject, all images were analysed by a DL-based network based on the VGG-16 architecture, for gonioscopic angle-closure detection. Area under receiver operating characteristic curves (AUCs) and other diagnostic performance indicators were calculated for the DLA (index test) against gonioscopy (reference standard).

Results

Approximately 80% of the participants were Chinese, and more than half were women (57.4%). The prevalence of gonioscopic angle closure in this hospital-based sample was 20.2%. After analysing a total of 39 936 SS-OCT scans, the AUC of the DLA was 0.85 (95% CI:0.80 to 0.90, with sensitivity of 83% and a specificity of 87%) to classify gonioscopic angle closure with the optimal cut-off value of >35% of circumferential angle closure.

Conclusions

The DLA exhibited good diagnostic performance for detection of gonioscopic angle closure on 360° SS-OCT scans in a glaucoma clinic setting. Such an algorithm, independent of the identification of the scleral spur, may be the foundation for a non-contact, fast and reproducible ‘automated gonioscopy’ in future.
Screening and management of atrial fibrillation in primary care
Authors: Ponamgi Shiva P , Siontis Konstantinos C , Rushlow David R , Graff-Radford Jonathan , Montori Victor , Noseworthy Peter A
Published: April 2021

Atrial fibrillation is a common chronic disease seen in primary care offices, emergency departments, inpatient hospital services, and many subspecialty practices. Atrial fibrillation care is complicated and multifaceted, and, at various points, clinicians may see it as a consequence and cause of multi-morbidity, as a silent driver of stroke risk, as a bellwether of an acute medical illness, or as a primary rhythm disturbance that requires targeted treatment. Primary care physicians in particular must navigate these priorities, perspectives, and resources to meet the needs of individual patients. This includes judicious use of diagnostic testing, thoughtful use of novel therapeutic agents and procedures, and providing access to subspecialty expertise. This review explores the epidemiology, screening, and risk assessment of atrial fibrillation, as well as management of its symptoms (rate and various rhythm control options) and stroke risk (anticoagulation and other treatments), and offers a model for the integration of the components of atrial fibrillation care.
UK Chiari 1 Study: protocol for a prospective, observational, multicentre study
Authors: Piper Rory J , Afshari Fardad T , Soon Wai Cheong , Kolias Angelos G , Dyson Edward W , Watkins Laurence , Laing Rodney , Lo William B , Jayamohan Jayaratnam
Published: April 2021

Introduction

Chiari 1 malformation (CM1) is a structural abnormality of the hindbrain characterised by the descent of the cerebellar tonsils through the foramen magnum. The management of patients with CM1 remains contentious since there are currently no UK or international guidelines for clinicians. We therefore propose a collaborative, prospective, multicentre study on the investigation, management and outcome of CM1 in the UK: theUK Chiari 1 Study(UKC1S). Our primary objective is to determine the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with a new diagnosis of CM1 managed either conservatively or surgically at 12 months of follow-up. We also aim to: (A) determine HRQoL 12 months following surgery; (B) measure complications 12 months following surgery; (C) determine the natural history of patients with CM1 treated conservatively without surgery; (D) determine the radiological correlates of presenting symptoms, signs and outcomes; and (E) determine the scope and variation within UK practice in referral patterns, patient pathways, investigations and surgical decisions.

Methods and analysis

The UKC1S will be a prospective, multicentre and observational study that will follow the British Neurosurgical Trainee Research Collaborative model of collaborative research. Patients will be recruited after attending their first neurosurgical outpatient clinic appointment. Follow-up data will be collected from all patients at 12 months from baseline regardless of whether they are treated surgically or not. A further 12-month postoperative follow-up timepoint will be added for patients treated with decompressive surgery. The study is expected to last three years.

Ethics and dissemination

The UKC1S received a favourable ethical opinion from the East Midlands Leicester South Research Ethics Committee (REC reference: 20/EM/0053; IRAS 269739) and the Health Research Authority. The results of the study will be published in peer-reviewed medical journals, presented at scientific conferences, shared with collaborating sites and shared with participant patients if they so wish.
Validation of breast cancer risk assessment tools on a French-Canadian population-based cohort
Authors: Jantzen Rodolphe , Payette Yves , de Malliard Thibault , Labbé Catherine , Noisel Nolwenn , Broët Philippe
Published: April 2021

Objectives

Evaluate the accuracy of the Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Tool (BCRAT), International Breast Cancer Intervention Study risk evaluation tool (IBIS), Polygenic Risk Scores (PRS) and combined scores (BCRAT+PRS and IBIS +PRS) to predict the occurrence of invasive breast cancers at 5 years in a French-Canadian population.

Design

Population-based cohort study.

Setting

We used the population-based cohort CARTaGENE, composed of 43 037 Quebec residents aged between 40 and 69 years and broadly representative of the population recorded on the Quebec administrative health insurance registries.

Participants

10 200 women recruited in 2009–2010 were included for validating BCRAT and IBIS and 4555 with genetic information for validating the PRS and combined scores.

Outcome measures

We computed the absolute risks of breast cancer at 5 years using BCRAT, IBIS, four published PRS and combined models. We reported the overall calibration performance, goodness-of-fit test and discriminatory accuracy.

Results

131 (1.28%) women developed a breast cancer at 5 years for validating BCRAT and IBIS and 58 (1.27%) for validating PRS and combined scores. Median follow-up was 5 years. BCRAT and IBIS had an overall expected-to-observed ratio of 1.01 (0.85–1.19) and 1.02 (0.86–1.21) but with significant differences when partitioning by risk groups (p<0.05). IBIS’ c-index was significantly higher than BCRAT (63.42 (59.35–67.49) vs 58.63 (54.05–63.21), p=0.013). PRS scores had a global calibration around 0.82, with a CI including one, and non-significant goodness-of-fit tests. PRS’ c-indexes were non-significantly higher than BCRAT and IBIS, the highest being 64.43 (58.23–70.63). Combined models did not improve the results.

Conclusions

In this French-Canadian population-based cohort, BCRAT and IBIS have good mean calibration that could be improved for risk subgroups, and modest discriminatory accuracy. Despite this modest discriminatory power, these tools can be of interest for primary care physicians for delivering a personalised message to their high-risk patients, regarding screening and lifestyle counselling.
COVID-19-related disruptions to routine vaccination services in India: a survey of paediatric providers
Authors: Shet Anita , Dhaliwal Baldeep , Banerjee Preetika , Carr Kelly , DeLuca Andrea , Britto Carl , Seth Rajeev , Parekh Bakul , Basavaraj Gangasamudra V , Shastri Digant , Gupta Piyush
Published: April 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to disruptions in essential health services globally. We surveyed Indian paediatric providers on their perceptions of the impact of the pandemic on routine vaccination. Among 424 (survey 1) and 141 (survey 2) respondents representing 26 of 36 Indian states and union territories, complete suspension of vaccination services was reported by 33.4% and 7.8%, respectively. In April–June 2020, 83.1% perceived that vaccination services dropped by half, followed by 32.6% in September 2020, indicating slow resumption of services. Concerns that vaccine coverage gaps can lead to mortality were expressed by 76.6%. Concerted multipronged efforts are needed to sustain gains in vaccination coverage.
Clinical and prognostic significance of elevated ferritin levels in hospitalised adults
Authors: Israel Ariel , Bornstein Gil , Gilad Lee , Shechtman Liran , Furie Nadav , Ben-Zvi Ilan , Grossman Chagai
Published: April 2021

Purpose of the study

Elevated ferritin levels are associated with a variety of infectious, malignant and inflammatory diseases. We aimed to investigate the prognostic value of markedly elevated ferritin levels in hospitalised patients with various medical conditions.

Study design

Retrospective analysis of patients with a ferritin level higher than 2000 ng/mL hospitalised in Sheba Medical Center between 1 January 2007 and 31 December 2015. Medical conditions of these patients were recorded. In-hospital, 30-day and 1-year mortality rates were evaluated according to ferritin ranges and clinical categories.

Results

The study included 722 patients (63.4% men) with a mean age of 63.9±16.7 years. The most common clinical conditions associated with markedly elevated ferritin were infectious diseases and malignancies. The highest mean ferritin levels were associated with rheumatological/inflammatory conditions (16 241.3 ng/dL), particularly in patients with macrophage activation syndrome (MAS) (96 615.5 ng/dL). In-hospital, 30-day and 1-year mortality rates were 32.3%, 46.7% and 70.8%, respectively. The highest in-hospital, 30-day and 1-year mortality rates were observed among patients with solid malignancies (40.1%, 64.7% and 90.3%, respectively), whereas the lowest rates were found among patients with rheumatological/inflammatory conditions, including MAS (21.4%, 38.1% and 45.2%, respectively). Ferritin levels were not associated with mortality.

Conclusions

In hospitalised patients, ferritin levels higher than 2000 ng/mL are mainly associated with infectious and malignant diseases but do not predict mortality.
DEM modeling of one-dimensional compression of sands incorporating statistical particle fragmentation scheme
Authors: Wu Mengmeng , Wang Jianfeng , Zhao Budi
Published: April 2021

This paper presents a novel framework of modeling crushable granular materials under mechanical loadings based on the discrete element method (DEM). The framework is featured with the construction of the one-to-one model in which every particle in a physical experiment has its own numerical twin and allows the modeling of irregular shaped fragments during the continuous breakage process. First, image processing techniques and spherical harmonic (SH) analysis were adopted, respectively, to segment and label particles and to construct a one-to-one model mathematically in DEM. Then, a particle crushing criterion based on the maximum interparticle contact force was used to predict the crushing events, showing fitting results that agreed very well with a large number of single particle crushing tests. Next, a statistical approach for the generation of particle fragmentation modes of a given type of sand particles based on the principal component analysis (PCA) was proposed. The aim of the PCA was to analyze the statistical trends of the coefficient matrix, which was composed of the SH coefficients of all the particles involved in the analysis. Finally, a successful modeling of a particle crushing event was achieved by replacing the particle, which was judged by the crushing criterion to undergo crushing, with a few subparticles chosen randomly from a specific fragment template constructed using the microcomputed tomography (micro-CT) data.
Evaluation of a citizen science platform for collecting fisheries data from coastal sea trout anglers
Authors: Gundelund Casper , Venturelli Paul , Hartill Bruce W. , Hyder Kieran , Olesen Hans Jakob , Skov Christian
Published: April 2021

There are often limited data available to support the sustainable management of recreational fisheries. Electronic citizen science platforms (e.g., smartphone applications) offer a cost-effective alternative to traditional survey methods — but these data must be validated. We compared sea trout (Salmo trutta) data from a Danish citizen science platform with three independent traditional surveys: a roving creel survey, an aerial survey, and a recall survey. The comparisons include fisheries data (e.g., catch, release, effort, and fish size structure) and demographic descriptors (e.g., age) that were collected within the same spatial and temporal frame. We found general alignment between recreational sea trout catch and effort data that were provided by citizen scientists, or collected by more traditional survey methods. Our results demonstrate that citizen science data have the potential to supplement traditional surveys, or act as an alternative source of catch and effort data. However, results were from a highly specialized fishery within a limited spatial and temporal frame, so more research is needed to assess their relevance over time and to a broader set of fisheries.
Managing the bacterial contamination risk in an axenic mice animal facility
Authors: Lebeuf Maria , Turgeon Nathalie , Faubert Cynthia , Robillard Justin , Paradis Éric , Duchaine Caroline
Published: April 2021

A gap exists between good laboratory practices with axenic animals and the procedures applied. This work examined the efficacy of sodium dichloroisocyanurate (MB-10) and potassium peroxymonosulfate (Virkon™) disinfectants, as well as the appropriate soaking time for materials used with the ISOcage Biosafety Station™. We also compared the microbial load in cage systems hosting mice over 2 weeks in axenic rooms (ARs) and in typical specific-pathogen-free (SPF) non-axenic rooms (NARs) to identify resistant microorganisms, targeted for longer soaking disinfection, and evaluated the necessary procedures for reducing the microbial load in AR. Staphylococcus was the most frequently isolated genus (in both ARs and NARs). An average of three spore-forming microorganisms per cage were counted from AR. The disinfection time to reach 1 log reduction for Bacillus atrophaeus spores varied from 138 s (100 ppm MB-10) to 290 (Virkon™) to <20 s for S. epidermidis (100 ppm MB-10). AR management protocols lead to a microbial load that is 1000 times lower than that found in NARs. Data comparing the microbial load in SPF and axenic facilities can be used to improve the effectiveness of their microbial control procedures.
Constraining theories of gravity by GINGER experiment
Authors: Capozziello Salvatore , Altucci Carlo , Bajardi Francesco , Basti Andrea , Beverini Nicolò , Carelli Giorgio , Ciampini Donatella , Di Virgilio Angela D. V. , Fuso Francesco , Giacomelli Umberto , Maccioni Enrico , Marsili Paolo , Ortolan Antonello , Porzio Alberto , Simonelli Andrea , Terreni Giuseppe , Velotta Raffaele
Published: April 2021

The debate on gravity theories to extend or modify general relativity is very active today because of the issues related to ultraviolet and infrared behavior of Einstein’s theory. In the first case, we have to address the quantum gravity problem. In the latter, dark matter and dark energy, governing the large-scale structure and the cosmological evolution, seem to escape from any final fundamental theory and detection. The state of the art is that, up to now, no final theory, capable of explaining gravitational interaction at any scale, has been formulated. In this perspective, many research efforts are devoted to test theories of gravity by space-based experiments. Here, we propose straightforward tests by the GINGER experiment, which, being Earth based, requires little modeling of external perturbation, allowing a thorough analysis of the systematics, crucial for experiments where sensitivity breakthrough is required. Specifically, we want to show that it is possible to constrain parameters of gravity theories, like scalar–tensor or Horava–Lifshitz gravity, by considering their post-Newtonian limits matched with experimental data. In particular, we use the Lense–Thirring measurements provided by GINGER to find out relations among the parameters of theories and finally compare the results with those provided by LARES and Gravity Probe B satellites.
The compost bomb instability in the continuum limit
Authors: Clarke Joseph , Huntingford Chris , Ritchie Paul , Cox Peter
Published: April 2021

The ‘Compost Bomb’ instability refers to a proposed uncontrolled increase in soil temperature. This instability is caused when sufficiently rapid atmospheric warming increases soil heterotrophic respiration which, in turn, heats the soil further. This generates a runaway effect in which soil temperatures rise rapidly. We investigate this process, neglected in Earth system models, but which has thus far been analysed with a conceptual model using ordinary differential equations. That model is deliberately idealised without any representation of the spatial structure of soils. We confirm using a partial differential equation framework, this runaway effect still occurs when accounting for soil depth. Using this newer representation we investigate the forcing parameters that make soils vulnerable to this instability. In particular, we discover that the effect of dangerously large seasonal cycle variations in air temperature can create plausible conditions for a ‘compost bomb’ thermal instability.
An application of a C2-estimate for a complex Monge–Ampère equation
Authors: Li Chang , Ni Lei , Zhu Xiaohua
Published: April 2021

By studying a complex Monge–Ampère equation, we present an alternate proof to a recent result of Chu-Lee-Tam concerning the projectivity of a compact Kähler manifold [Formula: see text] with [Formula: see text] for some integer [Formula: see text] with [Formula: see text], and the ampleness of the canonical line bundle [Formula: see text].
The impact of neutralizer-free ignition of a radio frequency ion thruster on the lifetime of the ion optics system
Authors: Ma Long-Fei , Duan Li , He Jian-Wu , Kang Qi ,   On behalf of The Taiji Scientific Collaboration
Published: April 2021

In the initial stage of a radio frequency ion thruster (RIT) ignition, an influx of electrons is required from an external source into the discharge chamber and ionization of the neutral gas propellant. A neutralizer-free method for Townsend breakdown discharge ignition based on Paschen’s law was developed in this study. The feasibility of the ignition method was confirmed by performing thousands of ignition experiments. Metallic Molybdenum (Mo), pyrolytic graphite (PG) and Zr[Formula: see text]Ti[Formula: see text]Cu[Formula: see text]Ni[Formula: see text]Be[Formula: see text]alloy acceleration grids were prepared, and ignition-induced damage on the grids was investigated. A field-emission scanning electron microscope was used to inspect surface damage on the grids after multiple ignitions and to analyze the influence of the ignition method on the lifetime of the ion optical system. Grid materials for space missions that require multiple RIT ignitions (10[Formula: see text] should be high-strength blocks that are resistant to sputtering corrosion and high temperature.
Temperature stability of the Taiji-1 satellite in operational orbit
Authors: Zhang Xiaofeng , Liang Hong , Tan Heping , Feng Jinchao , Li Huawang ,   On behalf of The Taiji Scientific Collaboration
Published: April 2021

The Taiji-1 satellite is a pioneering space technology mission designed by the Chinese Academy of Science (CAS) to test key technologies required for gravitational wave detection in space. Temperature stability is a critical element because it can couple with the gravitational wave measurement. A dedicated thermal control with a three-level control method was used on the Taiji-1 satellite science module. The simulation analysis shows that the temperature stability control level of its scientific instrument temperature stability can reach ± 1.7 mK. Combined with the in-orbit temperature results, the temperature stability obtained by using the linear smoothing filter and the Kalman filter reached ± 1.1 and ± 0.5 mK, respectively, which were in good concerted with the simulation data, indicating that the thermal control level of Taiji-1satellite science module reached a high precision.
Holonomic modules for rings of invariant differential operators
Authors: Futorny Vyacheslav , Schwarz João
Published: April 2021

We study holonomic modules for the rings of invariant differential operators on affine commutative domains with finite Krull dimension with respect to arbitrary actions of finite groups. We prove the Bernstein inequality for these rings. Our main tool is the filter dimension introduced by Bavula. We extend the results for the invariants of the Weyl algebra with respect to the symplectic action of a finite group, for the rings of invariant differential operators on quotient varieties, and invariants of certain generalized Weyl algebras under the linear actions. We show that the filter dimension of all above mentioned algebras equals 1.
Disease contagion models coupled to crowd motion and mesh-free simulation
Authors: Abdul Salam Parveena Shamim , Bock Wolfgang , Klar Axel , Tiwari Sudarshan
Published: April 2021

Modeling and simulation of disease spreading in pedestrian crowds have recently become a topic of increasing relevance. In this paper, we consider the influence of the crowd motion in a complex dynamical environment on the course of infection of the pedestrians. To model the pedestrian dynamics, we consider a kinetic equation for multi-group pedestrian flow based on a social force model coupled with an Eikonal equation. This model is coupled with a non-local SEIS contagion model for disease spread, where besides the description of local contacts, the influence of contact times has also been modeled. Hydrodynamic approximations of the coupled system are derived. Finally, simulations of the hydrodynamic model are carried out using a mesh-free particle method. Different numerical test cases are investigated, including uni- and bi-directional flow in a passage with and without obstacles.
Transmission dynamics and quarantine control of COVID-19 in cluster community: A new transmission-quarantine model with case study for diamond princess
Authors: Gao Qingwu , Zhuang Jun , Wu Ting , Shen Houcai
Published: April 2021

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a zoonotic illness which has spread rapidly and widely since December, 2019, and is identified as a global pandemic by the World Health Organization. The pandemic to date has been characterized by ongoing cluster community transmission. Quarantine intervention to prevent and control the transmission are expected to have a substantial impact on delaying the growth and mitigating the size of the epidemic. To our best knowledge, our study is among the initial efforts to analyze the interplay between transmission dynamics and quarantine intervention of the COVID-19 outbreak in a cluster community. In the paper, we propose a novel Transmission-Quarantine epidemiological model by nonlinear ordinary differential equations system. With the use of detailed epidemiologic data from the Cruise ship “Diamond Princess”, we design a Transmission-Quarantine work-flow to determine the optimal case-specific parameters, and validate the proposed model by comparing the simulated curve with the real data. First, we apply a general SEIR-type epidemic model to study the transmission dynamics of COVID-19 without quarantine intervention, and present the analytic and simulation results for the epidemiological parameters such as the basic reproduction number, the maximal scale of infectious cases, the instant number of recovered cases, the popularity level and the final scope of the epidemic of COVID-19. Second, we adopt the proposed Transmission-Quarantine interplay model to predict the varying trend of COVID-19 with quarantine intervention, and compare the transmission dynamics with and without quarantine to illustrate the effectiveness of the quarantine measure, which indicates that with quarantine intervention, the number of infectious cases in 7 days decrease by about 60%, compared with the scenario of no intervention. Finally, we conduct sensitivity analysis to simulate the impacts of different parameters and different quarantine measures, and identify the optimal quarantine strategy that will be used by the decision makers to achieve the maximal protection of population with the minimal interruption of economic and social development.
Bound state solution of the Schrodinger equation for the Woods–Saxon potential plus coulomb interaction by Nikiforov–Uvarov and supersymmetric quantum mechanics methods
Authors: Yazdankish Enayatolah
Published: April 2021

The generalized Woods–Saxon potential plus repulsive Coulomb interaction is considered in this work. The supersymmetry quantum mechanics method is used to get the energy spectrum of Schrodinger equation and also the Nikiforov–Uvarov approach is employed to solve analytically the Schrodinger equation in the framework of quantum mechanics. The potentials with centrifugal term include both exponential and radial terms, hence, the Pekeris approximation is considered to approximate the radial terms. By using the step-by-step Nikiforov–Uvarov method, the energy eigenvalue and wave function are obtained analytically. After that, the spectrum of energy is obtained by the supersymmetry quantum mechanics method. The energy eigenvalues obtained from each method are the same. Then in special cases, the results are compared with former result and a full agreement is observed. In the [Formula: see text]-state, the standard Woods–Saxon potential has no bound state, but with Coulomb repulsive interaction, it may have bound state for zero angular momentum.
Breast Tumor Detection in MR Images Based on Density
Authors: Shrivastava Neeraj , Bharti Jyoti
Published: April 2021

Breast cancer is dangerous in women. It is generally found after the symptoms appear. Detecting the breast cancer at an early stage and understanding the treatment are the most important strategies to prevent death from cancer. Generally, for detection of breast cancer, breast Magnetic Resonance Image (MRI) takes place. It is one of the best approaches to detect tumor in women. In this research paper, a combination of selection methods for seed region growing image segmentation is suggested to detect breast tumor. The suggested method has been divided into following parts: First, the pre-processing of breast image is performed. Second, the automatic threshold for binarization process is calculated. Third, the number of seed points and its position in the breast image are determined automatically using density of pixels value. Fourth, a method for calculation of threshold value is proposed for the purpose of region creation in seed region growing. For the evaluation purpose, the proposed method was applied and tested on the RIDER MRI breast dataset from National Biomedical Imaging Archive (NBIA). After the test was performed, it was observed that proposed algorithm gives 90% accuracy, 88% True Negative Fraction, 91% True Positive Fraction, 10% Misclassification Rate, 94% Precision and 86% Relative Overlap which is better than other existing methods. It not only gives better evaluation measure but also provides segmentation method for multiple tumor detection.
Kumaraswamy Distribution Based Bi-histogram Equalization for Enhancement of Microscopic Images
Authors: Suresha M. , Raghukumar D. S. , Kuppa S.
Published: April 2021

Among all image enhancement techniques, histogram equalization is the most used technique. However, preserving brightness is the main issue, and it creates a weird look by destroying its originality. This paper proposes a new method that has command on the brightness issue of histogram equalization to enhance the quality of microscopic images. The method splits the histogram of each color channel into two sub-histograms based on their mean as the threshold and supplanting their cumulative distribution with Kumaraswamy distribution. The proposed method is tested with color microscopic images of cancer-affected lymph nodes gathered from Biological Image Repository IICBU, and objective and subjective assessments confirm that the proposed approach performs more efficiently compared to other state-of-the-art methods.
Generating Spectrum Images from Different Types — Visible, Thermal, and Infrared Based on Autoencoder Architecture (GVTI-AE)
Authors: Jameel Samer Kais , Majidpour Jafar
Published: April 2021

Recently, numerous challenging problems have existed for transforming different image types (thermal infrared (TIR), visible spectrum, and near-infrared (NIR)). Other types of cameras may lack the ability and features of certain types of frequently-used cameras that produce different types of images. Based on camera features, different applications might emerge from observing a scenario under specific conditions (darkness, fog, night, day, and artificial light). We need to jump from one field to another to understand the scenario better. This paper proposes a fully automatic model (GVTI-AE) to manipulate the transformation into different types of vibrant, realistic images using the AutoEncoder method, which requires neither pre-nor post-processing or any user input. The experiments carried out using the GVTI-AE model showed that the perceptually realistic results produced in the widely available datasets (Tecnocampus Hand Image Database, Carl dataset, and IRIS Thermal/Visible Face Database).
Feature Extraction and Selection in Archaeological Images for Automatic Annotation
Authors: Salah Marwa Ben , Yengui Ameni , Neji Mahmoud
Published: April 2021

In this paper, we present two steps in the process of automatic annotation in archeological images. These steps are feature extraction and feature selection. We focus our research on archeological images which are very much studied in our days. It presents the most important steps in the process of automatic annotation in an image. Feature extraction techniques are applied to get the feature that will be used in classifying and recognizing the images. Also, the selection of characteristics reduces the number of unattractive characteristics. However, we reviewed various images of feature extraction techniques to analyze the archaeological images. Each feature represents one or more feature descriptors in the archeological images. We focus on the descriptor shape of the archaeological objects extraction in the images using contour method-based shape recognition of the monuments. So, the feature selection stage serves to acquire the most interesting characteristics to improve the accuracy of the classification. In the feature selection section, we present a comparative study between feature selection techniques. Then we give our proposal of application of methods of selection of the characteristics of the archaeological images. Finally, we calculate the performance of two steps already mentioned: the extraction of characteristics and the selection of characteristics.
Sublimation Anisotropic Etching of Silicon Carbide in Aluminum Nitride Vapors
Authors: Argunova T. S. , Kazarova O. P. , Gutkin M. Yu. , Mokhov E. N.
Published: April 2021

Specific features of sublimation etching of crystalline silicon carbide (SiC) in the presence of aluminum nitride (AlN) vapors have been reported. The etching is shown to be essentially anisotropic. Abnormally high speed of sublimation in a lateral direction, which weakly depends on surface orientation and polarity, is revealed through increasing artificial holes and flattening out surface elevations prepared in the shape of rectangular mesa structures. A high-rate etching is observed at outcrops of micropipes and closed-core screw dislocations, which leads to the formation of pits on (

000

1

¯

) C-terminated faces. During annealing, the pits evolve into holes that might provoke the formation of pores inside free-standing AlN layers grown in one process with the sublimation of SiC substrates. The sublimation kinetics of a Si-terminated face is evidently different from that of a C-terminated face. It is found that a liquid phase is formed on the etched surfaces and it plays a key role in interpreting the etching anisotropy on SiC crystal faces of different orientations. It is shown that the sublimation of mesa-shaped SiC substrates can be used with the aim of optimizing the fabrication of thick freestanding AlN layers.
Reliability and Failure Mode in Solid Tantalum Capacitors
Authors: Freeman Y. , Lessner P. , Luzinov I.
Published: April 2021

The reliability and failure modes in surface mount Solid Electrolytic and Polymer Tantalum capacitors were investigated using the parts manufactured with conventional technology and flawless technology (F-Tech) that suppresses typical defects such as crystalline inclusions in the amorphous matrix of the tantalum oxide dielectric. The accelerated tests were performed; failure rates were calculated based on the cumulative percent of failed parts vs time and acceleration factor. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy and thermo-gravimetric/deferential scanning calorimetry analysis (TGA/DSC) were included in the investigation to analyze chemical and structural transformations in the capacitors failed in the accelerated tests. Results show strong impact of technology on reliability and failure mode including the lowest failure rate and no wear-out failure mode in Polymer Tantalum capacitors manufactured with F-Tech. No ignition and burning tantalum were found in the Solid Electrolytic Tantalum capacitors that failed short. Limiting temperatures and protecting the encapsulating epoxy compound from ignition and burning at normal conditions of the accelerated testing take place via ablation process—heat consuming irreversible structural and chemical transformations in the material such as carbonization process.
NMR-based serum and urine metabolomic profile reveals suppression of mitochondrial pathways in experimental sepsis-associated acute kidney injury
Authors: Standage Stephen W. , Xu Shenyuan , Brown Lauren , Ma Qing , Koterba Adeleine , Lahni Patrick , Devarajan Prasad , Kennedy Michael A.
Published: April 2021

NMR-based metabolomics revealed disruptions in branched-chain amino acid metabolism, fatty acid oxidation, and NAD+ synthesis in sepsis-associated acute kidney injury. These pathways represent essential processes for energy provision in renal tubular epithelial cells and may represent targetable mechanisms for therapeutic intervention.
Study on Nonlinear Damage Creep Model for Rocks under Cyclic Loading and Unloading
Authors: Zhang Liangliang , Wang Xiaojian
Published: April 2021

To determine the nonlinear creep characteristics of rocks under cyclic loading and unloading conditions, a nonlinear Kelvin model and damage viscoplastic model are proposed. The models are connected in series with a linear elastic body to establish a nonlinear damage creep model. The differential damage constitutive equations of the proposed creep model under one‐dimensional and three‐dimensional stress states are derived based on the creep mechanics and elasticity theory. The damage and unloading creep equations are then obtained based on the superposition principle, and a simple and feasible method for determining the model parameters is determined. Finally, the step cyclic loading and unloading creep test data for lherzolite and limestone are used to verify the rationality and feasibility of the nonlinear damage creep model. The results show that the theoretical creep curves of the nonlinear damage creep model are consistent with the experimental curves which indicates that the proposed model can not only determine the creep properties of lherzolite and limestone under cyclic loading and unloading but also determine the nonlinear characteristics of rocks in the transient and steady‐state creep stages and particularly within the accelerating creep stage.
Long Noncoding RNA UCA1 in Gastrointestinal Cancers: Molecular Regulatory Roles and Patterns, Mechanisms, and Interactions
Authors: Ramli Suaidah , Sim Maw Shin , Guad Rhanye M. , Gopinath Subash C. B , Subramaniyan Vetriselvan , Fuloria Shivkanya , Fuloria Neeraj K. , Choy Ker Woon , Rana Sohel , Wu Yuan Seng
Published: April 2021

The rising trend of gastrointestinal (GI) cancer has become a global burden due to its aggressive nature and poor prognosis. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have recently been reported to be overexpressed in different GI cancers and may contribute to cancer progression and chemoresistance. They are featured with more than 200 nucleotides, commonly polyadenylated, and lacking an open reading frame. LncRNAs, particularly urothelial carcinoma-associated 1 (UCA1), are oncogenes involved in regulating cancer progression, such as cell proliferation, invasion, migration, and chemoresistance, particularly in GI cancer. This review was aimed to present an updated focus on the molecular regulatory roles and patterns of lncRNA UCA1 in progression and chemoresistance of different GI cancers, as well as deciphering the underlying mechanisms and its interactions with key molecules involved, together with a brief presentation on its diagnostic and prognostic values. The regulatory roles of lncRNA UCA1 are implicated in esophageal cancer, gastric cancer, pancreatic cancer, hepatobiliary cancer, and colorectal cancer, where they shared similar molecular mechanisms in regulating cancer phenotypes and chemoresistance. Comparatively, gastric cancer is the most intensively studied type in GI cancer. LncRNA UCA1 is implicated in biological roles of different GI cancers via interactions with various molecules, particularly microRNAs, and signaling pathways. In conclusion, lncRNA UCA1 is a potential molecular target for GI cancer, which may lead to the development of a novel chemotherapeutic agent. Hence, it also acts as a potential diagnostic and prognostic marker for GI cancer patients.
Multiobjective Topology Optimization of Spatial‐Structure Joints
Authors: Zhu Nanhai , Liu Jinlei
Published: April 2021

To realize the static and dynamic multiobjective topology optimization of joints in spatial structures, structural topology optimization is carried out to maximize the stiffness under static multiload conditions and maximize the first third‐order dynamic natural frequencies. According to the single‐objective optimization results, the objective function of the multiobjective topology optimization of joints is established by using the compromise programming method, and the weight coefficient of each static load condition is determined by using the analytic hierarchy process. Subsequently, under the constraint of the volume fraction, the multiobjective topology optimization of joints is realized by minimizing the multiobjective function. Finally, the optimized structure is smoothed to obtain a smoother joint, and its mechanical properties are compared with those of the hollow ball joint. The results indicate that the multiobjective topology optimization that considers the static stiffness and dynamic frequency can effectively improve the mechanical properties of the structure. Through the research on multiobjective topology optimization, a new type of spatial joint with reasonable stress, a novel form, and aesthetic shape can be obtained, which mitigates the shortcomings of single‐objective topology optimization. In comparison to hollow spherical joints with the same weight, topology‐optimized joints have a superior ability to resist deformation and improve low‐order frequency, which verifies the feasibility of applying multiobjective topology optimization to the lightweight design of joints.
Facile Controlling of the Physical Properties of Zinc Oxide and Its Application to Enhanced Photocatalysis
Authors: Vu Anh Tuan , Pham Thi Anh Tuyet , Mac Van Hung , Nguyen Thanh Hung
Published: April 2021

In this study, the physical properties of ZnO were facile controlled by the synthesis method with the addition of capping and precipitation agents. As-prepared ZnO samples had different morphologies such as carnation flower-like ZnO (CF-ZnO), rose-flower-like ZnO (RF-ZnO), rod-like ZnO (R-ZnO), and nanoparticle ZnO (N-ZnO) and were characterized by SEM, XRD, N2 adsorption/desorption isotherms, FT-IR, and DR/UV-vis. All samples had a crystallite structure of hexagonal wurtzite type. The CF-ZnO and RF-ZnO samples had the hierarchical structure like a carnation flower and a beautiful rose, respectively. R-ZnO was composed of many hexagonal rods and few spherical particles, while N-ZnO microstructures were made up of nanoparticles with approximately 20–30 nm, exhibiting the largest surface area, pore volume, and pore width among as-prepared samples, and their crystal size and bandgap energy were 17.8 nm and 3.207 eV, respectively. The catalytic performances of ZnO samples were evaluated by degradation of Tartrazine (TA) and Caffeine (CAF) under low UV irradiation (15 W). N-ZnO showed a high photocatalytic activity compared to other samples. Besides, the reaction kinetics was investigated by the first-order kinetic model, and the catalytic performance of ZnO was evaluated through several organic pollutants.
Market Premium and Macroeconomic Factors as Determinants of Industry Premium: Evidence from Emerging Economies
Authors: Imran Muhammad , Wu Mengyun , Zhang Linrong , Zhao Yun , Jehan Noor , Moon Hee Cheol
Published: April 2021

In this study, we examine the equity (industry) premium of seventeen nonfinancial sectors covering sample 306 firms using monthly data from January 2002 to December 2018. Two‐stage least square (2SLS) method is applied to estimate the macro‐based multifactor model. It is found that the market premium and the interest rate factors are significantly affecting the industry equity premium of all the nonfinancial sectors. However, there exists a positive effect of other macroeconomic variables such as money supply, foreign direct investment, and industrial production which is different for the different sectors based on its nature of product and services they offered. The industries based on their product development which are linked to particular macroeconomic variables have more effect than others such as increase in money supply which cannot increase the sale of pharmaceutical products until needed. Similarly, an interesting insight reveals that industries producing seasonal goods, e.g., food producing, are not very much affected by macroeconomic variables but the change in seasons and similar results also revealed for tobacco industry.