bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Challenges and recommendations for COVID-19 public health messaging: a Canada-wide qualitative study using virtual focus groups
Authors: Fullerton Madison M , Benham Jamie , Graves Addy , Fazel Sajjad , Doucette Emily J , Oxoby Robert J , Mourali Mehdi , Boucher Jean-Christophe , Constantinescu Cora , Parsons Leigh Jeanna , Tang Theresa , Marshall Deborah A , Hu Jia , Lang Raynell
Published: April 2022

Objectives

To understand Canadian’s attitudes and current behaviours towards COVID-19 public health measures (PHM), vaccination and current public health messaging, to provide recommendations for a public health intervention.

Design

Ten focus groups were conducted with 2–7 participants/group in December 2020. Focus groups were transcribed verbatim and analysed using content and inductive thematic analysis. The capability opportunity motivation behaviour Model was used as our conceptual framework.

Setting

Focus groups were conducted virtually across Canada.

Participants

Participants were recruited from a pool of individuals who previously completed a Canada-wide survey conducted by our research team.

Main outcome measure

Key barriers and facilitators towards COVID-19 PHM and vaccination, and recommendations for public health messaging.

Results

Several themes were identified (1) participants’ desire to protect family and friends was the main facilitator for adhering to PHM, while the main barrier was inconsistent PHM messaging and (2) participants were optimistic that the vaccine offers a return to normal, however, worries of vaccine efficacy and effectiveness were the main concerns. Participants felt that current public health messaging is inconsistent, lacks transparency and suggested that messaging should include scientific data presented by a trustworthy source.

Conclusions

We suggest six public health messaging recommendations to increase adherence to PHM and vaccination (1) use an unbiased scientist as a spokesperson, (2) openly address any unknowns, (3) more is better when sharing data, (4) use personalised stories to reinforce PHM and vaccinations, (5) humanise the message by calling out contradictions and (6) focus on the data and keep politics out.
Azithromycin and high-dose vitamin D for treatment and prevention of asthma-like episodes in hospitalised preschool children: study protocol for a combined double-blind randomised controlled trial
Authors: Kyvsgaard Julie Nyholm , Ralfkiaer Ulrik , Følsgaard Nilofar , Jensen Trine Mølbæk , Hesselberg Laura Marie , Schoos Ann-Marie M , Bønnelykke Klaus , Bisgaard Hans , Stokholm Jakob , Chawes Bo
Published: April 2022

Introduction

Previous randomised controlled trials (RCTs) suggest antibiotics for treating episodes of asthma-like symptoms in preschool children. Further, high-dose vitamin D supplementation has been shown to reduce the rate of asthma exacerbations among adults with asthma, while RCTs in preschool children are lacking. The aims of this combined RCT are to evaluate treatment effect of azithromycin on episode duration and the preventive effect of high-dose vitamin D supplementation on subsequent episodes of asthma-like symptoms among hospitalised preschoolers.

Methods and analysis

Eligible participants, 1–5 years old children with a history of recurrent asthma-like symptoms hospitalised due to an acute episode, will be randomly allocated 1:1 to azithromycin (10 mg/kg/day) or placebo for 3 days (n=250). Further, independent of the azithromycin intervention participants will be randomly allocated 1:1 to high-dose vitamin D (2000 IU/day+ standard dose 400 IU/day) or standard dose (400 IU/day) for 1 year (n=320). Participants are monitored with electronic diaries for asthma-like symptoms, asthma medication, adverse events and sick-leave. The primary outcome for the azithromycin intervention is duration of asthma-like symptoms after treatment. Secondary outcomes include duration of hospitalisation and antiasthmatic treatment. The primary outcome for the vitamin D intervention is the number of exacerbations during the treatment period. Secondary outcomes include time to first exacerbation, symptom burden, asthma medication and safety.

Ethics and dissemination

The RCTs are approved by the Danish local ethical committee and conducted in accordance with the guiding principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. The Danish Medicines Agency has approved the azithromycin RCT, which is monitored by the local Unit for Good Clinical Practice. The vitamin D RCT has been reviewed and is not considered a medical intervention. Results will be published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at international conferences.

Trial registration numbers

NCT05028153,NCT05043116.
Effectiveness of therapeutic ultrasound for the treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome (the USTINCTS trial): study protocol for a three-arm, prospective, multicentre, randomised controlled trial
Authors: Chen Shuai , Qian Yun , Sun Ziyang , Liu Weixuan , Sun Guixin , Liu Junjian , Wang Jian , Wang Wei , Zheng Yuanyi , Fan Cunyi
Published: April 2022

Introduction

There has no consensus on optimal management of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), the most common compression neuropathy. Conservative therapy is generally accepted as first-line intervention. Therapeutic ultrasound has been widely reported to be treatment beneficial in nerve regeneration and conduction, and further accelerate compression recovery. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of therapeutic ultrasound for CTS treatment.

Methods and analysis

This study protocol entails a three-arm, prospective, multicentre, randomised controlled trial. 162 eligible adult participants diagnosed with mild to moderate CTS by using criteria developed from a consensus survey by the UK Primary Care Rheumatology Society will be assigned to either (1) therapeutic ultrasound, (2) night splint or (3) therapeutic ultrasound +night splint (combined) group. Primary outcome will be difference in Symptom Severity Scale of Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire (BCTQ-SSS) at 6-week between night splint and therapeutic ultrasound +night splint groups. Secondary outcomes include Functional Status Scale of BCTQ, sleep questionnaire for interrupted sleep, EuroQol-5D for general health, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale for mental status, Work Limitations Questionnaire-25 for functional limitations at work, Global Rating of Change for treatment success and recurrence rate, physical examination, electrophysiological and ultrasound parameters. Intention-to-treat analyses will be used.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethics committees of all clinical centres have approved this study. The leading centre is Shanghai Sixth People’s Hospital, whose approval number is 2021-152. New versions with appropriate amendments will be submitted to the committee for further approval. Final results will be published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at local, national and international conferences.

Trial registration number

ChiCTR2100050701.
Association between serum vitamin D levels and Helicobacter pylori cytotoxic-associated gene A seropositivity: a cross-sectional study in US adults from NHANES III
Authors: Kuang Wei-ming , Ren Yu-jie , Chen Xu , Luo Qi , Chen Weijing , Pan Huai-geng , Li Ru-liu , Hu Ling
Published: April 2022

Objective

To assess the association of serum vitamin D (VD) levels and Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) cytotoxic-associated gene A (CagA) seropositivity, and further explore potential effect modifiers in this association.

Design

Cross-sectional study.

Setting

Data from phase I of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III, 1988–1991) led by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

Participants

A total of 3512 US adults (≥20 years) with both serum VD levels and H. pylori CagA antibody data from NHANES III were included in the analysis.

Methods

VD deficiency was defined as serum 25(OH)D concentrations<20 ng/mL. Logistic regression models were used to assess the association of serum VD levels and H. pylori CagA seropositivity (VD–Hp CagA+), and stratification analyses were used to explore potential effect modifiers.

Results

There was no significant association of VD–Hp CagA+ in the general population. But serum 25(OH)D concentrations were associated with H. pylori CagA+ in non-Hispanic whites (adjusted OR=1.02, 95% CI: 1.00 to 1.03), other races/ethnicities (adjusted OR=1.08, 95% CI: 1.01 to 1.06), populations born in other countries (adjusted OR=1.09, 95% CI: 1.04 to 1.15) or occasional drinkers (adjusted OR=0.93, 95% CI: 0.88 to 0.99). VD deficiency was associated with H. pylori CagA+ in non-Hispanic whites (adjusted OR=0.69, 95% CI: 0.53 to 0.92), populations born in other countries (adjusted OR=0.47, 95% CI: 0.25 to 0.89), non-drinkers (adjusted OR=0.80, 95% CI: 0.65 to 0.99), occasional drinkers (adjusted OR=2.53, 95% CI: 1.06 to 6.05), population with first quartile level of serum ferritin (adjusted OR=0.70, 95% CI: 0.51 to 0.96) or fourth quartile level of serum folate (adjusted OR=0.63, 95% CI: 0.46 to 0.87).

Conclusions

Racial/ethnic differences and different serum ferritin or serum folate levels may be effect modifiers for the association of VD–Hp CagA+.
Factors influencing hesitancy towards adult and child COVID-19 vaccines in rural and urban West Africa: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Faye Sylvain Landry B. , Krumkamp Ralf , Doumbia Seydou , Tounkara Moctar , Strauss Ricardo , Ouedraogo Henri Gautier , Sagna Tani , Barry Alpha Mahmoud , Mbawah Abdul Karim , Doumbia Cheick Oumar , Diouf Souleymane , Cisse Kadari , Harding Mohamed , Donven Paule , May Jürgen , Puradiredja Dewi Ismajani , Fusco Daniela
Published: April 2022

Objectives

This study aims: (1) to identify and describe similarities and differences in both adult and child COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy, and (2) to examine sociodemographic, perception-related and behavioural factors influencing vaccine hesitancy across five West African countries.

Design

Cross-sectional survey carried out between 5 May and 5 June 2021.

Participants and setting

4198 individuals from urban and rural settings in Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali, Senegal and Sierra Leone participated in the survey.

Study registration

The general protocol is registered on clinicaltrial.gov.

Results

Findings show that in West Africa at the time only 53% of all study participants reported to be aware of COVID-19 vaccines, and television (60%, n=1345), radio (56%; n=1258), social media (34%; n=764) and family/friends/neighbours (28%; n=634) being the most important sources of information about COVID-19 vaccines. Adult COVID-19 vaccine acceptance ranges from 60% in Guinea and 50% in Sierra Leone to 11% in Senegal. This is largely congruent with acceptance levels of COVID-19 vaccinations for children. Multivariable regression analysis shows that perceived effectiveness and safety of COVID-19 vaccines increased the willingness to get vaccinated. However, sociodemographic factors, such as sex, rural/urban residence, educational attainment and household composition (living with children and/or elderly), and the other perception parameters were not associated with the willingness to get vaccinated in the multivariable regression model.

Conclusions

Primary sources of information about COVID-19 vaccines include television, radio and social media. Communication strategies addressed at the adult population using mass and social media, which emphasise COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness and safety, could encourage greater acceptance also of COVID-19 child vaccinations in sub-Saharan countries.

Trial registration number

NCT04912284.
Changes in caesarean section rates in China during the period of transition from the one-child to two-child policy era: cross-sectional National Household Health Services Surveys
Authors: Long Qian , Zhang Yaoguang , Zhang Jing , Tang Xiaojun , Kingdon Carol
Published: April 2022

Objectives

Since 2009, China has introduced policies, principally targeting health professionals, to reduce caesarean section (CS) overuse. In 2016, China endorsed a universal two-child policy. Advanced maternal age and previous CS may indicate changes in obstetric risks, which raise concerns on the need for and safety of CS. This study investigated changes in CS rates in 2008–2018, and factors associated with CS use during the period of transition from the one-child to two-child policy era.

Design

We used births data from the cross-sectional National Household Health Services Surveys in 2013 and 2018.

Setting

Population-based national survey.

Participants

Women who had the last live birth within 5 years before the survey.

Primary outcome measure

CS rate.

Results

Overall CS use increased from 40.9% in 2008 to 47.2% in 2014 with significant increase in rural areas and the western region, and slightly decreased to 45.2% in 2018 with the greatest decrease among nulliparous women. Maternal request for CS by urban nulliparous women decreased from 36.8% in 2008–2009 to 22.2% in 2016–2018, but this change was not statistically significant in rural areas. Maternal age over 35 years old (OR 2.40, 95% CI 1.72 to 3.35) and births that occurred at a private hospital (OR 1.52, 95% CI 1.25 to 1.86) were associated with CS use among nulliparous women in 2016–2018. The CS rate among multiparous women increased over time. Individual socioeconomic factors associated with CS use among multiparous women.

Conclusions

The CS rate rise in China in 2008–2018 is attributable to increased use in rural areas and the less developed western region. The population policy shift, alongside facility policies for unnecessary CS reduction, are likely factors in CS reduction in urban areas. The challenge remains to reduce unnecessary CS, at the same time as providing safe, universal access to CS for women in need.
Immune correlates of clinical parameters in patients with HPV-associated malignancies treated with bintrafusp alfa
Authors: Tsai Yo-Ting , Strauss Julius , Toney Nicole J , Jochems Caroline , Venzon David J , Gulley James L , Schlom Jeffrey , Donahue Renee N
Published: April 2022

Purpose

Bintrafusp alfa is a bifunctional agent consisting of an anti-human PD-L1 antibody linked to two TGFβRII. It is designed to act both as a checkpoint inhibitor and to ‘trap’ TGFβ in the tumor microenvironment. Phase I and II clinical studies demonstrated clinical activity in patients with a range of human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated cancers. The purpose of the studies reported here was the interrogation of various aspects of the peripheral immunome in patients with HPV-associated cancers, both prior to and early in the treatment regimen of bintrafusp alfa to better understand the mode of action of the agent and to help define which patients are more likely to benefit from bintrafusp alfa treatment.

Patients and methods

The peripheral immunome of patients (n=65) with HPV+malignancies was analyzed both prior to treatment with bintrafusp alfa and day 14 post-treatment for levels and changes in (1) 158 different immune cell subsets, (2) multiple plasma soluble factors including analytes reflecting immune stimulatory and inhibitory status, (3) complete blood counts, and in a subset of patients (4) TCR diversity and (5) HPV-specific T-cell responses.

Results

Interrogation of the peripheral immunome prior to bintrafusp alfa treatment revealed several factors that associated with clinical response, including (1) higher levels of sCD27:sCD40L ratios, (2) lower levels of TGFβ1 and 12 additional factors associated with tumor mesenchymalization, and (3) higher CD8+T cell:MDSC ratios. Analysis at 2 weeks post bintrafusp alfa revealed that eventual clinical responders had fewer increases in IL-8 levels and the neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio, and higher levels of HPV-16 specific CD8+T cells. This study also provided information concerning differences in the peripheral immunome for patients who were naïve versus refractory to prior checkpoint inhibition therapy. While preliminary, two multivariate models developed predicted clinical benefit with 76%–91% accuracy.

Conclusions

These studies add insight into the mechanism of action of bintrafusp alfa and provide evidence that the interrogation of both cellular and soluble components of the peripheral immunome of patients with HPV-associated malignancies, either prior to or early in the therapeutic regimen, can provide information as to which patients are more likely to benefit with bintrafusp alfa therapy.
Lessons from the video-EEG telemetry unit
Authors: Attard Navarro Giulia , Hamandi Khalid
Published: April 2022

Epilepsy is a clinical diagnosis, based primarily on patient and witness histories. Where there is diagnostic uncertainty or when epilepsy surgery is being considered, long-term video-EEG monitoring in a telemetry unit remains the gold standard investigation for diagnostic clarification or presurgical localisation. We present six illustrative cases, highlighting important points that emerged during video-EEG review including potential pitfalls in video-EEG interpretation, and how the investigation helped with diagnosis and subsequent management. The diagnostic process strongly emphasises seizure semiology, more so than EEG.
A dark leptophilic scalar with the updated muon $$g-2$$ anomaly
Authors: Jia Lian-Bao
Published: April 2022

The muon $$g-2$$

g
-
2

anomaly was strengthened by recent experimental results at Fermilab, which may be signatures of new physics. A scenario of leptophilic scalar $$\phi _L$$

ϕ
L

accounting for the muon $$g-2$$

g
-
2

anomaly is investigated in this paper. Although a light $$\phi _L$$

ϕ
L

mainly decaying into standard model (SM) particles has been excluded by experiments, a dark leptophilic scalar $$\phi _L$$

ϕ
L

predominantly decaying into invisible fermionic dark matter (DM) $$\chi {\bar{\chi }}$$

χ

χ

¯

is still allowed. Considering the decay mode $$\phi _L \rightarrow \chi {\bar{\chi }}$$

ϕ
L

→
χ

χ

¯

opened (here $$m_{\phi _L} = 3 m_\chi $$

m

ϕ
L

=
3

m
χ

), the coupling preferred by the muon $$g-2$$

g
-
2

and the $$\phi _L-\chi $$

ϕ
L

-
χ

coupling are derived. The light/heavy $$\phi _L$$

ϕ
L

(roughly 1 GeV as a benchmark value) can be tested by future experiments via DM/SM decay modes, and the contribution of $$\phi _L$$

ϕ
L

to the anomalous magnetic moment of the tau lepton could be investigated at lepton colliders. The search for $$\chi $$
χ
via $$\chi $$
χ
-electron scattering in direct detection of DM is not sensitive due to a tiny $$\phi _L$$

ϕ
L

-electron coupling, especially for $$m_\chi > rsim m_\mu $$

m
χ

≳

m
μ

.
Systemic and Structural Challenges to Sustainable Water Management in South Africa
Authors: Adom Richard Kwame , Simatele Mulala Danny
Published: April 2022

South Africa is a water-scarce country, a challenge which has been exacerbated by reduced precipitation and high levels of evaporation. Despite this state of affairs, water use and consumption has increased three folds in the past 25 years and this is projected to continue increasing in the next 50 years. As a response to the current and projected water crisis, South Africa, has developed and started implementing progressive water resource policies and strategies to optimise its water resources. Post-independence in 1994, the government introduced the National Environmental Management Act of 1998, Water Service Act 108 of 1997, National Water Act (NWA) 36 of 1998 and National Water Resource Strategy 2004 (1), 2013 (2), 2020 (3), and numerous other strategies to improve the management of water resource. While some of these policies and strategies have achieved significant successes, a majority of them have failed to address the structural and systemic challenges of sustainably managing water resources in the country. This paper, using data obtained through an empirical investigation, presents and discusses systemic and structural processes and mechanism which hamper the sustainable management of water resources for socio-economic and national development. A key point of discussion for this paper revolves around the silo approach used in the management of water resources in South Africa which give rise to massive fragmentations in the policy framework. It is, thus, recommended that for South Africa, to achieve some of the sustainable development targets, there is an urgent need for the country to adopt and implement principles of water resource management embedded in the integrated water resource management (IWRM) framework.
The local complement metric dimension of graphs
Authors: Susilowati Liliek , Istikhomah Siti , Utoyo Moh. Imam , Slamin S.
Published: April 2022

The metric dimension of graphs has been extended in some types and variations such as local metric dimension and complement metric dimension of graphs. Merging two concepts is one way of developing the concept of graph theory as a branch of mathematics. These two variations motivated us to construct a new concept of metric dimension so called local complement metric dimension. We apply this new concept to some particular classes of graphs and the corona product of two graphs. We also characterize the local complement metric dimension of graphs with certain properties, namely, bipartite graphs and odd cycle graphs. Furthermore, we discover the local complement metric dimension of the corona product of two particular graphs as well as the corona product of two general graphs.
A Quantitative Comparative Study of Data-oriented Trust Management Schemes in Internet of Things
Authors: Ebrahimi Maryam , Tadayon Mohammad Hesam , Haghighi Mohammad Sayad , Jolfaei Alireza
Published: April 2022

In the Internet of Things (IoT) paradigm, all entities in the IoT network, whether home users or industrial things, receive data from other things to make decisions. However, in the decentralized, heterogeneous, and rapidly changing IoT network with billions of devices, deciding about where to get the services or information from is critical, especially because malicious entities can exist in such an unmanaged network. Security provisioning alone cannot solve the issue of service quality or reliability. One way to elevate security and reliability in the IoT network is to bridge the gap of trust between objects, and also between humans and objects, while taking into account the IoT network characteristics. Therefore, a proper trust management system must be established on top of the IoT network service architecture. Trust is related to the manner expected from objects in providing services and recommendations. Recommendations are the basis of decision making in every trust management system. Since trust management ideas in the IoT are still immature, the purpose of this article is to survey, analyze, and compare the approaches that have been taken in building trust management systems for the IoT. We break down the features of such systems by analysis and also do quantitative comparisons by simulation. This article is organized into two main parts. First, studies and approaches in this field are compared from four perspectives: (1) trust computation method, (2) resistance to attacks (3) adherence to the limitations of IoT networks and devices, and (4) performance of the trust management scheme. The second part is quantitative and simulates four major methods in this field and measures their performance. We also make extensive analytical comparisons to demonstrate the similarities and discrepancies of current IoT trust management schemes and extract the essence of a resilient trust management framework.
Plasmodium Egress Across the Parasite Life Cycle
Authors: Dvorin Jeffrey D. , Goldberg Daniel E.
Published: April 2022

Human malaria, caused by infection with Plasmodium parasites, remains one of the most important global public health problems, with the World Health Organization reporting more than 240 million cases and 600,000 deaths annually as of 2020 ( World malaria report 2021). Our understanding of the biology of these parasites is critical for development of effective therapeutics and prophylactics, including both antimalarials and vaccines. Plasmodium is a protozoan organism that is intracellular for most of its life cycle. However, to complete its complex life cycle and to allow for both amplification and transmission, the parasite must egress out of the host cell in a highly regulated manner. This review discusses the major pathways and proteins involved in the egress events during the Plasmodium life cycle—merozoite and gametocyte egress out of red blood cells, sporozoite egress out of the oocyst, and merozoite egress out of the hepatocyte. The similarities, as well as the differences, between the various egress pathways of the parasite highlight both novel cell biology and potential therapeutic targets to arrest its life cycle.
Electrochemical Oxidation and Speciation of Lanthanides in Potassium Carbonate Solution
Authors: Tse Poki , Bessen Nathan P. , Galley Shane S. , Bryan Samuel A. , Lines Amanda M. , Shafer Jenifer
Published: April 2022

Increasing lanthanide demand to support clean energy goals drives the need to develop more efficient approaches to separate adjacent lanthanides. Most approaches for lanthanide separations are not very selective and are based on small differences in lanthanide ionic radii. Concentrated potassium carbonate media has shown some potential to enable oxidation of praseodymium (Pr) and terbium (Tb) to their tetravalent states, which could ultimately enable a separation based on differences in oxidation states, but very little is known regarding the system’s chemistry. This work completes a detailed examination of cerium (Ce) redox chemistry in concentrated carbonate media to support the development of Pr and Tb oxidation studies. The half-wave potential (E1/2) of the Ce(III)/(IV) redox couple is evaluated under various solution conditions and computational modeling of carbonate coordination environments is discussed. Cyclic voltammetry shows higher carbonate concentrations and temperatures can lower the potential required to oxidize Ce(III) by 54 mV (3.5 to 5.5 M) and 39 mV (from 10 °C to 70 °C). Chronoabsorptometry shows Ce(III) and Ce(IV) carbonate complexes are chemically stable and reversible. Computational modelling suggests the most likely coordination environment for the Ce(IV) complex is Ce(CO3)4(OH)5− which is less entropically favorable than the lowest energy Ce(III) complex, Ce(CO3)4
5−.
Redox Chemistry of tris(β-diketonate)cobalt(III) Complexes: A Molecular View
Authors: Conradie Jeanet
Published: April 2022

Reduction of low spin S = 0 tris(β-diketonate)cobalt(III) complexes leads to an intermediate spin S = 3/2 anion. This electron rearrangement upon reduction could be the reason why a large peak potential difference between the reduction and re-oxidation peaks was observed during electrochemical analysis, using cyclic voltammetry. It is shown that experimental redox potentials obtained from the following methods, namely (i) polarography, (ii) cyclic voltammetry on a hanging Hg electrode, as well as (iii) cyclic voltammetry on a carbon fibre surface, related linearly to various empirical (Gordy scale group electronegativities, Hammett meta-substituent constants, pK
a and the Lever electronic parameters) and density functional theory (DFT) calculated (LUMO energy, adiabatic electron affinity, chemical potential, global electrophilicity index and molecular electrostatic potential on Co) reactivity parameters. Deviations from these linear trends were due to a resonance effect of aromatic substituent groups. The linear relationships obtained for complexes containing aliphatic substituent groups can be used to predict redox potential and the electrophilic reactivity of related tris(β-diketonate)cobalt(III) complexes.
The Media Public Opinion Analysis on the Implementation of “Double Reduction” Policy in Education Based on Big Data
Authors: Li Jiling , Yan Songru , Zhang Xiaheng , Li Xiang
Published: April 2022

Monitoring the internet media opinion information quickly triggered by the implementation of the “double reduction” policy, and identifying the hot spots, tendencies, communication trends, and characteristics of media opinion are of great significance to government departments to grasp the dynamics of media opinion in time and assist them in decision-making. This paper uses the web crawler to dynamically collect the internet media opinion big data related to the “double reduction” of main media and utilizes text analysis and data mining technologies to dynamically monitor the hot spots, topic tendencies, and communication characteristics of media opinion. Taking the internet media opinion data on the implementation of the “double reduction” policy from January 1, 2021 to November 15, 2021 as the sample, the paper analyzes the media opinion of the implementation of the “double reduction” policy. The high incidence period of media opinion is consistent with the opening of primary and secondary schools, holidays, and the introduction of relevant policies. The topics of internet media opinion are highly targeted and cover a wide range. The media focuses on the implementation measures, new problems, new phenomena, effects, and evaluation of the “double reduction” policy in education. Strong provinces of education, large provinces of education, and difficult provinces of education are the main areas for media public opinion monitoring. The media opinion is in the fermentation stage, and there is no sign of heat reduction. The propagation of media opinion is in line with the theoretical characteristics of information propagation life cycle. This paper only takes the internet media opinion of the main network media as the monitoring object. Whether it is suitable for the media opinion of the whole network media needs to be further tested.
Detecting Anomalous LAN Activities under Differential Privacy
Authors: Rattanavipanon Norrathep , Ponnoprat Donlapark , Ochiai Hideya , Tantayakul Kuljaree , Angchuan Touchai , Kamolphiwong Sinchai
Published: April 2022

Anomaly detection has emerged as a popular technique for detecting malicious activities in local area networks (LANs). Various aspects of LAN anomaly detection have been widely studied. Nonetheless, the privacy concern about individual users or their relationship in LAN has not been thoroughly explored in the prior work. In some realistic cases, the anomaly detection analysis needs to be carried out by an external party, located outside the LAN. Thus, it is important for the LAN admin to release LAN data to this party in a private way in order to protect privacy of LAN users; at the same time, the released data must also preserve the utility of being able to detect anomalies. This paper investigates the possibility of privately releasing ARP data that can later be used to identify anomalies in LAN. We present four approaches, namely, naïve, histogram-based, naïve-

δ

, and histogram-based-

δ

and show that they satisfy different levels of differential privacy—a rigorous and provable notion for quantifying privacy loss in a system. Our real-world experimental results confirm practical feasibility of our approaches. With a proper privacy budget, all of our approaches preserve more than 75% utility of detecting anomalies in the released data.
Eclipse Attack Detection for Blockchain Network Layer Based on Deep Feature Extraction
Authors: Dai Qianyi , Zhang Bin , Dong Shuqin
Published: April 2022

An eclipse attack is a common method used to attack the blockchain network layer; however, detecting eclipse attacks is challenging, and the performance of existing methods is inadequate due to uneven sample distribution, incomplete definition of discriminating features, and weak feature perception. Thus, this paper proposes an eclipse attack traffic detection method based in a custom combination of features and deep learning. To describe the behavior characteristics of attack traffic more accurately, traffic attribute features in there levels are defined in combination with the eclipse attack method. Here, the downstream traffic behavior feature of the eclipse attack is described from the conventional traffic feature, and the frequency distribution characteristics of eclipse attack traffic is by introducing the φ-entropy divergence algorithm. In addition, the structural characteristics of eclipse attack traffic are mapped from the rate of changes in traffic communication and load features. Then, the improved synthetic minority oversampling technique (ISMOTE) up-sampling algorithm is employed to eliminate interference caused by the uneven distribution of eclipse attack traffic samples on the detection results. In addition, the ISMOTE algorithm adjusts the sampling weight of minority class samples, supports automatic clustering and efficient up-sampling of samples, and improves the detection accuracy performance of eclipse attack samples by calculating the local cluster density. Then, deep feature mining is performed on the eclipse attack traffic from the distribution characteristics of space and time series using a CNN and Bi-LSTM. Simultaneously, mining features are fully integrated into mixed feature using the multihead attention mechanism such that the relevance and complementarity of the two feature distributions can be utilized to enhance the model’s ability to perceive the spatiotemporal relationship of the eclipse attack traffic. Finally, the generated multihead attention items are detected for binary classification, and the results are output. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method can comprehensively enhance detection performance and sufficiently detect and classify eclipse attack traffic in the blockchain network layer.
Response Surface Methodology for Optimization of L-Arabinose/Glycine Maillard Reaction through Microwave Heating
Authors: Xiang Qingru , Feng Tao , Su Qiang , Yao Lingyun
Published: April 2022

L-Arabinose is a low-calorie sweetener that inhibits sucrose absorption by inhibiting sucrase activity in the human intestinal tract. Response surface methodology (RSM) was applied to optimize the processing parameters of the L-arabinose/glycine Maillard reaction to improve the browning degree and antioxidant activity of Maillard reaction products (MRPs) through microwave heating. The effect of heating time, volume ratio of propylene glycol to double distilled water (ddH2O), and pH on MRPs was evaluated. A change in the volume ratio of propylene glycol to ddH2O, heating time, and pH was associated with a largely changed browning degree and reducing power of the MRPs. RSM predicated optimum conditions that under substrates of L-arabinose/glycine at a ratio of 2 : 1 (w/w) and concentration of 10% (w/v), a heating time of 7.44 min, volume ratio of propylene glycol to ddH2O 0.93, and pH 10.44 were optimum conditions for the Maillard reaction. The predicted data from the optimum reaction conditions coincided well with the experiment results. The main flavor of MRPs is roasted aroma, and the emulsifying ability of MRPs was 0.367 at 500 nm by microwave heating under the optimal Maillard reaction conditions. MRPs derived from L-arabinose and D-glucose had similar activities. However, a slightly greater activity was found with MRP derived from L-arabinose-glycine with a more volume. This study provided a new direction for the development of sweeteners in the future.
Research on the Synergy Measurement for Wetland Ecological‐Economic‐Social Composite System Based on Fractional Order Dynamic System
Authors: Jin Zhanyong , Cao Huanhuan , Xia Shuang , Liu Qingyue , Jia Menglin , Wang Rui
Published: April 2022

For researching the internal structure characteristics and its three subsystems’ evolution of the wetland ecological‐economic‐social composite system and getting the point that makes wetland ecology, production, and living synergistically develop, in this paper, the coevolution model of wetland complex system based on fractional order dynamic system was established, the genetic algorithm was used to solve the model parameters, and the equilibrium stability of the model was tested by using asymmetric fractional order equilibrium condition. The data of 29 provinces, cities, and districts in China were selected for empirical research, and suggestions for improvement were put forward. The results show that there is a significant nonlinear relationship among the three subsystems, and the stability points exist and change dynamically. This shows that, in practice, only when the local government issues relevant policies, can we achieve the benign coupling and coordinated development of the wetland ecological‐economic‐social system and achieve the harmonious development of human and nature.
Development Trend Prediction of Chengdu Plain Economic Zone Based on Multiple Linear Regression Grey Correlation Degree
Authors: Hu Shiwei , Wang Dongliang , Feng Lei , Lu Yiyi
Published: April 2022

Urban agglomeration is the mainstream trend of urban development in the world. It is also the main form of new urbanization in China and an important platform to participate in international competition and cooperation. The pattern of industrial division of labor has basically taken shape in Chengdu Plain Economic Zone, and the industrial cooperation system has been gradually established. However, the phenomenon of industrial isomorphism is still prominent. In the process of promoting coordinated industrial development, there are still some problems such as disunity of understanding, imperfect mechanism, and imperfect environment. The regional economic potential is influenced by too many entities and the dynamic changes of economic structure, and the change ratio is highly nonlinear. In this paper, a MLR-GCD (Multiple Linear Regression Grey Correlation Degree) prediction model for the development trend of Chengdu Plain Economic Zone is proposed. In the decision-making process, MLR (multiple linear regression) method is introduced to construct the GCD (Grey Correlation Degree) of training economic-related data set, and then the GCD is pruned to transform it into standard decision-making data. The experimental results show that compared with other prediction models, the improved model has higher accuracy of regional economic prediction, can quickly and accurately predict the development potential trend of Chengdu Plain Economic Zone, and has important application value.
Two New Weak Convergence Algorithms for Solving Bilevel Pseudomonotone Equilibrium Problem in Hilbert Space
Authors: Li Gaobo
Published: April 2022

In this paper, we introduce two new subgradient extragradient algorithms to find the solution of a bilevel equilibrium problem in which the pseudomonotone and Lipschitz‐type continuous bifunctions are involved in a real Hilbert space. The first method needs the prior knowledge of the Lipschitz constants of the bifunctions while the second method uses a self‐adaptive process to deal with the unknown knowledge of the Lipschitz constant of the bifunctions. The weak convergence of the proposed algorithms is proved under some simple conditions on the input parameters. Our algorithms are very different from the existing related results in the literature. Finally, some numerical experiments are presented to illustrate the performance of the proposed algorithms and to compare them with other related methods.
COVID-19 in Princess Marina Hospital, Botswana: An Outbreak Investigation
Authors: Siamisang Keatlaretse , Kebadiretse Dineo , Smith-Lawrence Pamela
Published: April 2022

The Princess Marina Hospital in Gaborone, Botswana, had an outbreak of COVID-19 from early August 2020. The aim of this paper was to describe the outbreak investigation. The investigation’s specific objectives were to describe the COVID-19 cases in terms of person, place, and time (PPT) and to determine measures to prevent further transmission of the infection. The data reported herein were collected over a 3-month period from beginning of August to end of October 2020. The investigation included all COVID-19 cases i.e. both patients and healthcare workers. It followed the steps of an outbreak investigation. These included assembling an investigation team comprising both the hospital and DHMT staff. All the wards reported their confirmed cases to the infection control team who in turn prepared line lists and case reports. Epicurves were produced from date of positive result. A total of 193 cases were reported, of which 110 (57.0%) were patients and 83 (43.0%) were healthcare workers. The median age was 35 years. Females accounted for 154 (79.8%) participants. Most of the wards were affected. The wards with the highest numbers of cases were female medical ward (39), emergency department (24), gynecology ward (17), and pediatric medical ward (10). Control measures included restricting movement into the hospital as well as clinical screening at all entry points. Furthermore, all patients were tested before admission into the wards. Surveillance of COVID-19 cases was continued beyond the 3 months reported in this paper. COVID-19 can spread rapidly in hospital settings affecting both patients and healthcare workers. Outbreak investigations including describing cases in terms of person, place, and time are critical if the most effective and efficient control measures are to be implemented.
Construction and Application of International Commercial Dispute Resolution Mechanism Model
Authors: Gao Yuanfei , Liu Yuan
Published: April 2022

In specific judicial practice, the ODR mechanism has played an important role in the settlement of e-commerce disputes and network disputes. However, ODR is still in the exploratory stage in many aspects, and it is inevitable that there will be some problems. This article focuses on the A priori algorithm and frequent pattern growth algorithm in association with rule mining learning. The shortcomings of A priori algorithm and frequent pattern growth algorithm are described and researched accordingly, and an improved algorithm for learning A priori association rules based on matrix is proposed. By analyzing the international commercial dispute resolution mechanism in the Internet era, this article constructs an international commercial dispute resolution mechanism platform. By analyzing the process of disputes in foreign trade e-commerce transactions, this article proposes a method to automatically capture gateway dispute information through automated management system tools to improve the efficiency of the gateway. The algorithm in this paper scans the transaction database only once, and according to the matrix structure, it performs the logical AND operation of the row vector representing the data item in the matrix, and it learns frequent item sets quickly and accurately. The entire process effectively reduces the time consumption and space occupation required for frequent item set learning. According to the effective measurement method of the association rules, the effective association rules are extracted from the frequent item set. Through the realization of functions such as allocation, viewing, dispute handling, and statistics in the management tool, the progress and processing efficiency of the gateway dispute handling can be effectively managed. In addition, this article gives the dispute handling process of the website itself, adds the process of automatic completion of disputes by buyers and sellers through agreements, and improves the tools of the CS manual handling management system. The data results show that the method in this paper greatly improves the efficiency of handling disputes in foreign trade e-commerce transactions.
miR-135a Targets SMAD2 to Promote Osteosarcoma Proliferation and Migration
Authors: Chen Yuanyuan , Cai Bin , Lian Xiaofeng , Xu Jianguang , Zhang Tao
Published: April 2022

Osteosarcoma (OS) is an aggressive malignant neoplasm that commonly occurs in adults and adolescents. The objectives of this work were to verify the role of microRNA- (miR-) 135a in OS and determine whether it can regulate the growth and cellular migration of OS by targeting mothers against decapentaplegic homolog 2 (SMAD2). miR-135a and SMAD2 mRNA expression levels were measured using reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). Proliferation and migration of cells were studied using the Cell Counting Kit-8, EdU staining, and transwell invasion experiment. Additionally, a dual-luciferase reporter experiment was used to investigate the possible relationship between miR-135a and SMAD2’s 3

′

-UTR. Immunohistochemistry was utilized to examine the expressions of SMAD2 and Ki67 in mouse tumor tissues to determine the influence of miR-135a on cancer progression in vivo. miR-135a was shown to be elevated in OS tissue samples as well as five cell lines. High expression levels of miR-135a were correlated with poor prognosis of OS patients. Cellular proliferation and migration were promoted by the upregulation of miR-135a with miR mimics; however, this effect was inhibited by SMAD2 overexpression. miR-135a was also shown to directly target the 3

′

-UTR of SMAD2. Animal experiments also demonstrated that miR-135a downregulation had an inhibitory effect on tumor growth in vivo. High expression levels of miR-135a promoted transplanted tumor development in vivo and the proliferation and migration of OS cells by targeting SMAD2. In summary, miR-135a may be a prospective therapeutic target for OS in the future.
Study on Rheological Mechanism of Cement-Coal Gangue Cementitious Material (CGCM) Slurry
Authors: Shi Xuyang , Cai Qingxiang , Zhang Linglei , Chen Yanlong , Li Ming
Published: April 2022

To explore the rheological mechanism of cement-coal gangue cementitious material (CGCM) slurry, the effects of the activation temperature (500°C-900°C) of coal gangue on the initial fluidity, plastic viscosity (η0), and yield stress (τ0) of CGCM slurry were considered, the variation laws of rheological parameters of CGCM slurry at different hydration ages were compared, and the rheological equations of CGCM slurry were established in this study. The results show that the rheological law of the CGCM slurry conforms to the modified Bingham model, and the significant shear thinning occurs in the CGCM slurry at low-shear speed, and relatively weak shear thickening occurs in the CGCM slurry at high-shear speed; under the thermal activation temperature of 800°C, the pozzolanic activity of coal gangue reaches the highest, the hydration reaction is the fastest, and the initial fluidity of CGCM slurry at 800°C is the lowest; the plastic viscosity of CGCM slurry increases gradually with the increase of thermal activation temperature of coal gangue, and the yield stress of the CGCM slurry reaches the maximum at 800°C; the flow law of CGCM slurry has significant time-varying characteristics, and the plastic viscosity and yield stress of CGCM slurry increase gradually with the extension of hydration time. This study shows that the fluidity of coal gangue cement slurry has significant time-varying characteristics, which can provide effective theoretical support for the accurate application of coal gangue cement in grouting engineering.