bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of the effectiveness of delirium prevention care protocol for the patients with hip fracture: A randomised controlled study
Authors: Unal Nursemin , Guvenc Gulten , Naharci Mehmet
Published: July 2021

Aims and objectives

This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of a delirium prevention care protocol on pain, functional status, sleep quality and delirium prevention in patients with hip fractures.

Background

The development of delirium following hip fracture is common among older patients. According to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, 30% of delirium cases are preventable. The prevention of delirium, a multifactorial syndrome, can be achieved through a multicomponent care protocol that targets specific risk factors for delirium.

Design

A randomised controlled study was conducted according to the CONSORT 2010 guidelines. The Clinical Trial Registry number is NCT04188795.

Methods

A total of 84 patients were assigned to two groups by block randomisation. The intervention group (n = 41) received nursing care according to a protocol and the control group (n = 43) received standard nursing care. Study data were collected using the demographic information form, the Confusion Assessment Method‐Intensive Care Unit (CAM‐ICU), the Barthel Index, the Mini Nutritional Assessment–short form and the Richards–Campbell Sleep Questionnaire (RCSQ). The pain of the patients was assessed by using a Visual Analog Scale (VAS).

Results

The mean age of the patients was 80.6 years (standard deviation 8.0; range 65.0– 97.5 years), and the percentage of the male patients were 36.3%. No statistically significant differences were found between the groups in terms of pain and functional status in the preoperative period, on the first postoperative day, or in the predischarge period (p > 0.05 for each). The sleep quality of patients in the intervention group was significantly better than in the control group for all three time measurements (p < 0.05 for each). While 15% of patients in the control group developed delirium, no patient in the intervention group developed delirium (x2=6.486, p = 0.026).

Conclusion

This study demonstrated that a delirium prevention care protocol may reduce the incidence of delirium and improve sleep quality.

Relevance to practice

The study highlighted that nurses can contribute to preventing patients’ delirium using nonpharmacologic and independent nursing interventions.
Economic integration among mainland Chinese immigrants during and after the period of Hong Kong's handover: The disparity between higher‐educated and lower‐educated groups
Authors: Tong Yuying , Chen Dan , Su Wenyang , Jiang Niantao
Published: July 2021

We examined mainland Chinese immigrants’ economic integration by looking at the earnings gap between locals and immigrants (both permanent and newly arrived) during and after the period of the Hong Kong handover from 1991 to 2016. During this period, Hong Kong experienced a further process of deindustrialization and an increased connection with mainland China. Using 5% Hong Kong population census/by‐census data (1991‐2016), we found that although mainland Chinese immigrants with college or above education still earned less than their local counterparts throughout the years, the income gap rapidly narrowed and their income levels converged in the more recent period. Meanwhile, the gap for those with high school degrees or below only slightly narrowed over time. Moreover, for those with high school degrees or below, the income gap between the permanent immigrants and the newly arrived ones remained constant over time, while a converging trend was observed among those with college or above degrees. Our findings suggest that immigrant economic integration may be accelerated when the socioeconomic linkage is closer between the origins and destination of migration, although some groups may benefit more than others.
The effects of mushroom powder and vitamin D2‐enriched mushroom powder supplementation on the growth performance and health of newly weaned pigs
Authors: Conway Eadaoin , Sweeney Torres , Dowley Alison , Maher Shane , Rajauria Gaurav , Yadav Supriya , Wilson Jude , Gabrielli William , O’Doherty John V.
Published: July 2021

A complete randomised block design experiment was conducted to examine the effects of mushroom powder (MP) and vitamin D2‐enriched mushroom powder (MPD2) on growth performance, faecal scores, coefficient of apparent total tract digestibility (CATTD) of nutrients and selected microflora in weaned pigs up to day 35 post‐weaning. One hundred and ninety‐two weaned pigs (7.8kg [SD 1.08kg]) were blocked according to live weight, sex and litter of origin and randomly assigned to the following: (T1) control diet; (T2) control diet +MP; (T3) control diet + MPD2; and (T4) control diet +zinc oxide (ZnO) (n = 12 replicates/treatment). Mushroom powders were included at 2 g/kg of feed achieving a β‐glucan content of 200ppm. ZnO was included at 3100 mg/kg feed and halved to 1550 mg/kg after 21 days. Vitamin D content was enhanced in MPD2 using synthetic UVB exposure to obtain a vitamin D2 level of 100 µg/kg of feed. Faecal samples were collected on day 14 for microbial and nutrient digestibility analysis. There was no difference (p > 0.05) in ADG, G:F, faecal scores, microbial populations and CATTD of nutrients in pigs supplemented with MP or MPD2 compared with the control diet. The supplementation of MP and MPD2 caused a reduction (p < 0.05) in feed intake compared with the control and ZnO diet throughout the 35‐day experimental period. ZnO supplementation increased ADG and ADFI (p < 0.05) during the first period (D0‐21) compared with pigs offered MP and MPD2. In conclusion, MP and MPD2 supplementation resulted in similar ADG, G:F, faecal scores compared with the control but were not comparable to ZnO, mainly due to a reduction in feed intake.
Gender‐Based Perspectives on Professional Healthcare Chaplaincy Board Certification
Authors: White Kelsey B. , Combs Ryan M. , Decker Hallie R. , Schmidt Brandon M.
Published: July 2021

This article explores the ways in which gendered processes play out through the professionalization of chaplains in healthcare settings. It describes how gender manifests within organizations, how literature addresses the role of gender in professionalization, and considerations for professional chaplaincy. Fifty interviews with U.S. chaplains were analyzed to explore the relationship between the professionalization of chaplaincy and male and female positionality. Although gender theory moves beyond binary conceptualizations of gender, all participants in this study self‐identified as male or female and our data were analyzed accordingly. The language and professionalization efforts used by male and female chaplains mirror the gendered cultural expectations associated with these groups. This article notes how the patriarchal structures of both religious and healthcare institutions are inextricably embedded in the chaplaincy profession; thus, female chaplains have found it necessary to challenge these systems from the beginning.
Measuring Educational Neuromyths: Lessons for Future Research
Authors: Sullivan Karen A. , Hughes Brenda , Gilmore Linda
Published: July 2021

Educational neuromyths are incorrect ideas about the brain and learning. These ideas pose a risk if they impact learner outcomes. The concern about neuromyths has spurred global research, including teacher surveys about their identification. If such research leads to corrective strategies, the potential beneficiaries are teachers, students, and the field of educational neuroscience itself. This research relies on accurate neuromyth measures, and yet the topic of measurement has been largely ignored. In this review, we focus on key measurement issues surrounding the assessment of neuromyths, and we consider measurement improvements. We show that the framing of items, both the fact and neuromyth, must be improved in future research. These changes are vital to realize the potential benefit of educational neuromyth research.
Coping with chronic cardiovascular disease in Iran: A qualitative study
Authors: Kalantarzadeh Mozhgan , Alavi Mousa , Yousefi Hojatollah , Maghsoudi Jahangir , Hungerford Catherine , Cleary Michelle
Published: July 2021

The effects of chronic cardiovascular disease can challenge the achievement of treatment goals and recovery outcomes. This study explores the ways in which patients cope with the effects of chronic cardiovascular disease, from the perspectives of patients, family caregivers, and health professionals. The qualitative study was conducted from May 2019 to September 2020 in Isfahan, Iran. Thirteen people with chronic cardiovascular disease, 6 family caregivers, and 16 healthcare professionals participated in semi‐structured individual interviews. Transcripts were analysed thematically. Findings suggest that people with chronic cardiovascular disease use a range of coping strategies, both positive and negative, to adjust to their conditions. The positive strategies include managing their health‐related symptoms, drawing on religious or spiritual beliefs, and accessing social and relational supports. Negative strategies can include over‐reliance on family members for support, leading to reduced activity and loss of independence. Understanding the nature of the strategies used by patients provides an important means by which health service providers can support patients to further develop positive coping strategies. This, in turn, will enable patients to achieve higher levels of wellbeing.
Successful allogeneic stem cell transplantation with fludarabine‐based reduced intensity conditioning in bone marrow failure syndrome 4
Authors: Barhoom Dima , Mohseni Rashin , Behfar Maryam , Hamidieh Amir Ali
Published: July 2021

Background

Myb‐like, SWIRM, and MPN domains 1 (MYSM1) is a histone H2A deubiquitinase, has been discovered as one of the transcriptional regulators, and regulates the expression of specific transcription factors, which are essential for immunohematology development. Mutation in MYSM1 in humans leads to a rare autosomal recessive disease that has recently been known as inherited bone marrow failure syndrome 4 (BMFS4) associated with congenital bone marrow failure, immunodeficiency, and developmental aberrations. Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is the only curative option for immunohematology defects.

Methods

In this paper, we report a pediatric patient with BMFS4 who suffered from pancytopenia and immunodeficiency affecting B cells and was successfully treated with HSCT from an HLA‐identical father at 6 years old of age. Fludarabine‐based reduced intensity conditioning was used and resulted in full donor chimerism.

Results

Acute graft versus host disease (GVHD) grade II involving skin and gastrointestinal tract was observed, which was controlled with prednisolone.

Conclusion

She achieved B‐cell recovery, and no blood or platelet transfusion was reported 1 year after HSCT.
Loneliness may mediate the relationship between depression and the quality of life among elderly with mild cognitive impairment
Authors: Zafar Jawairia , Malik Najma Iqbal , Atta Mohsin , Makhdoom Irsa Fatima , Ullah Irfan , Manzar Md. Dilshad
Published: July 2021

Background

Depression and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) are often comorbid mental health issues in older adults. The current study explored the prospective mediating role of loneliness in the relationship between depression and the quality of life in elderly with MCI. A second aim was to examine differences in depression, loneliness, and the quality of life in the elderly with MCI among gender groups, and type of residence groups.

Methods

A cross‐sectional survey with purposive sampling was used. Older adults with MCI (N = 170) from old age homes in Lahore and Rawalpindi (n = 82) and family residences in Sargodha (n = 88) in Pakistan completed UCLA Loneliness Scale, Depression Anxiety Stress Scale, and Mild Cognitive Impairment Scale.

Results

Most of the participants had severe to extreme depression (98.2%), and moderate to moderately high levels of loneliness (85.3%). Depression was significantly associated with loneliness (b = 0.29, P < 0.05) and poor quality of life in MCI (b = 0.49, P < 0.001). The indirect effect of depression on the quality of life in MCI through loneliness was significant (95% confidence interval (CI) [0.002, 0.156]). However, the indirect effect of quality of life in MCI on depression through loneliness was not significant (95% CI [−0.001, 0.043]). The elderly with MCI living in old age homes had higher depression, loneliness, and poor quality of life. Elderly women had higher levels of depression and poor quality of life, whereas older men were lonelier.

Conclusion

The relationship between depression and quality of life in the elderly with MCI may be bidirectional, and loneliness partially mediates only one of these relationships.
Linear integral equations and two‐dimensional Toda systems
Authors: Yin Yue , Fu Wei
Published: July 2021

The direct linearization framework is presented for the two‐dimensional (2D) Toda equations associated with the infinite‐dimensional Lie algebras , , and , as well as the Kac–Moody algebras , , , and for arbitrary integers , from the aspect of a set of linear integral equations in a certain form. Such a scheme not only provides a unified perspective to understand the underlying integrability structure, but also induces the direct linearizing type solution potentially leading to the universal solution space, for each class of the 2D Toda system. As particular applications of this framework to the 2D Toda lattices, we rediscover the Lax pairs and the adjoint Lax pairs and simultaneously construct the generalized Cauchy matrix solutions.
Exploring the Role of Pain as an Early Indicator for Individuals at Risk of Pressure Ulcer Development: A Systematic Review
Authors: Wilson Hannah , Moore Zena , Avsar Pinar , Moda Vitoriano Budri Aglecia , O’Connor Tom , Nugent Linda , Patton Declan
Published: July 2021

Background

Pressure ulcer (PU) development begins with an inflammatory response, arising due to pressure and shear forces causing changes to the cytoskeletal structure of cells. Thus, pain, synonymous with inflammation, may be an indicator of PU development.

Aim

To explore the role of pain as an indicator of PU development and to determine how this pain was measured.

Method

We searched PUBMED, CINAHL, SCOPUS, Cochrane, and EMBASE databases. A total of 879 records were returned, with eight satisfying the inclusion criteria. Narrative data synthesis was undertaken. The quality of studies was assessed using the evidence‐based librarianship (EBL) checklist.

Results

The studies were conducted between 2000 and 2019, and 75% (n = 6) employed a cross‐sectional design. The mean sample size was 760 participants (SD = 703). Of the included studies, 87.5% (n = 7) identified that pain was associated with PU development. The most frequent pain assessment tool was the numeric rating scale (37.5%; n = 3). Using the EBL checklist, 62.5% (n = 5) of the studies scored ≥75%, reflecting validity.

Linking Evidence to Action

Pain is associated with PU development; however, further research is required to validate these findings and assess the characteristics associated with pain as a symptom preceding PU development.
Mind affects matter: Hindbrain GLP1 neurons link stress, physiology and behaviour
Authors: Holt Marie K.
Published: July 2021

New Findings

What is the topic of this review?

This Lecture covers the role of caudal brainstem GLP1 neurons in acute and chronic stress responses.

What advances does it highlight?

This Lecture focuses on the recent advances in our understanding of GLP1 neurons and their physiological role in many aspects of stress. Particular focus is given to the recent elucidation, in part, of the anatomical basis for recruitment of GLP1 neurons in response to acute stress. Finally, the potential, but at this time somewhat speculative, role of GLP1 neurons in chronic stress is discussed.

The brain responds rapidly to stressful stimuli by increasing sympathetic outflow, activating the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis and eliciting avoidance behaviours to limit risks to safety. Stress responses are adaptive and essential but can become maladaptive when the stress is chronic, causing autonomic imbalance, hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis hyper‐reactivity and a state of hypervigilance. Ultimately, this contributes to the development of cardiovascular disease and affective disorders, including major depression and anxiety. Stress responses are often thought to be driven mainly by forebrain areas; however, the brainstem nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS) is ideally located to control both autonomic outflow and behaviour in response to stress. Here, I review the preclinical evidence that the NTS and its resident glucagon‐like peptide‐1 (GLP1)‐expressing neurons are prominent mediators of stress responses. This Lecture introduces the reader to the idea of good and bad stress and outlines the types of stress that engage the NTS and GLP1 neurons. I describe in particular detail the recent studies by myself and others aimed at mapping sources of synaptic inputs to GLP1 neurons and consider the implications for our understanding of the role of GLP1 neurons in stress. This is followed by a discussion of the contribution of brain GLP1 and GLP1 neurons to behavioural and physiological stress responses. The evidence reviewed highlights a potentially prominent role for GLP1 neurons in the response of the brain to acute stress and reveals important unanswered questions regarding their role in chronic stress.
Elastic Solution of a Polyhedral Particle With a Polynomial Eigenstrain and Particle Discretization
Authors: Wu Chunlin , Zhang Liangliang , Yin Huiming
Published: July 2021

The paper extends the recent work (Wu, C., and Yin, H., 2021, “Elastic Solution of a Polygon-Shaped Inclusion With a Polynomial Eigenstrain,” ASME J. Appl. Mech., 88(6), p. 061002) of Eshelby’s tensors for polynomial eigenstrains from a two-dimensional (2D) to three-dimensional (3D) domain, which provides the solution to the elastic field with continuously distributed eigenstrain on a polyhedral inclusion approximated by the Taylor series of polynomials. Similarly, the polynomial eigenstrain is expanded at the centroid of the polyhedral inclusion with uniform, linear, and quadratic order terms, which provides tailorable accuracy of the elastic solutions of polyhedral inhomogeneity using Eshelby’s equivalent inclusion method. However, for both 2D and 3D cases, the stress distribution in the inhomogeneity exhibits a certain discrepancy from the finite element results at the neighborhood of the vertices due to the singularity of Eshelby’s tensors, which makes it inaccurate to use the Taylor series of polynomials at the centroid to catch the eigenstrain at the vertices. This paper formulates the domain discretization with tetrahedral elements to accurately solve for eigenstrain distribution and predict the stress field. With the eigenstrain determined at each node, the elastic field can be predicted with the closed-form domain integral of Green’s function. The parametric analysis shows the performance difference between the polynomial eigenstrain by the Taylor expansion at the centroid and the C0 continuous eigenstrain by particle discretization. Because the stress singularity is evaluated by the analytical form of Eshelby’s tensor, the elastic analysis is robust, stable, and efficient.
Toward a Theory of Systems Engineering
Authors: Hazelrigg George A. , Saari Donald G.
Published: July 2021

The derivation of a theory of systems engineering has long been complicated by the fact that there is little consensus within the systems engineering community regarding precisely what systems engineering is, what systems engineers do, and what might constitute reasonable systems engineering practices. To date, attempts at theories fail to accommodate even a sizable fraction of the current systems engineering community, and they fail to present a test of validity of systems theories, analytical methods, procedures, or practices. This article presents a more theoretical and more abstract approach to the derivation of a theory of systems engineering that has the potential to accommodate a broad segment of the systems engineering community and present a validity test. It is based on a simple preference statement: “I want the best system I can get.” From this statement, it is argued that a very rich theory can be obtained. However, most engineering disciplines are framed around a core set of widely accepted physical laws; to the authors’ knowledge, this is the first attempt to frame an engineering discipline around a preference.
The Higgs-portal for dark matter: effective field theories versus concrete realizations
Authors: Arcadi Giorgio , Djouadi Abdelhak , Kado Marumi
Published: July 2021

Higgs-portal effective field theories are widely used as benchmarks in order to interpret collider and astroparticle searches for dark matter (DM) particles. To assess the validity of these effective models, it is important to confront them to concrete realizations that are complete in the ultraviolet regime. In this paper, we compare effective Higgs-portal models with scalar, fermionic and vector DM with a series of increasingly complex realistic models, taking into account all existing constraints from collider and astroparticle physics. These complete realizations include the inert doublet with scalar DM, the singlet-doublet model for fermionic DM and models based on spontaneously broken dark SU(2) and SU(3) gauge symmetries for vector boson DM. We also discuss the simpler scenarios in which a new scalar singlet field that mixes with the standard Higgs field is introduced with minimal couplings to isosinglet spin-$$0, \frac{1}{2}$$

0
,

1
2

and 1 DM states. We show that in large regions of the parameter space of these models, the effective Higgs-portal approach provides a consistent limit and thus, can be safely adopted, in particular for the interpretation of searches for invisible Higgs boson decays at the LHC. The phenomenological implications of assuming or not that the DM states generate the correct cosmological relic density are also discussed.
Beer mats make bad frisbees
Authors: Ostmeyer Johann , Schürmann Christoph , Urbach Carsten
Published: July 2021

In this article we show why flying and rotating beer mats, CDs, or other flat disks will eventually flip in the air and end up flying with backspin, thus, making them unusable as frisbees. The crucial effect responsible for the flipping is found to be the lift attacking not in the center of mass but slightly offset to the forward edge. This induces a torque leading to a precession towards backspin orientation. An effective theory is developed providing an approximate solution for the disk’s trajectory with a minimal set of parameters. Our theoretical results are confronted with experimental results obtained using a beer mat shooting apparatus and a high speed camera. Very good agreement is found.
Cost-based recurrence analysis of conductance time series for gas–liquid two-phase flow system
Authors: Zhai Lusheng , Wang Yuqing , Yang Jie , Wu Yinglin
Published: July 2021

Gas–liquid two-phase flows are frequently encountered in chemical and nuclear industries. The study of gas–liquid flow structures is of great significance for understanding the mechanisms of the flow pattern transition. In this paper, a direct-image multi-electrode conductance sensor (DMCS) was used to detect the structure information of vertical gas–liquid flows. Recurrence plot (RP) and cost-based recurrence plot (CBRP) are validated using typical nonlinear systems, i.e. Lorenz system and Hénon map, and used to analyze the signals collected by the DMCS. The results indicate that the determinism (DET) derived from the CBRP is sensitive to flow pattern evolution, and can also demonstrate the internal differences in the same flow patterns.
Modified Moore–Gibson–Thompson photo-thermoelastic model for a rotating semiconductor half-space subjected to a magnetic field
Authors: Abouelregal A. E. , Ahmad Hijaz , Elagan S. K. , Alshehri Nawal A.
Published: July 2021

This paper focuses on studying thermal, elastic and coupled plasma waves, in the sense of a photo-thermal process transport within an infinite semiconductor medium. In order to study photo-thermal interactions in two-dimensional semiconducting materials, a new mathematical model based on the Moore–Gibson–Thompson equation (MGTE) is implemented. The MGTE model involving the Green–Naghdi model of type III as well as the heat transport equation proposed by Lord and Shulman. We consider the semi-conductor half-space is rotated at a uniform angular speed and magnetized. The analysis of the distribution of thermophysical fields has been extracted by a normal mode method, represented graphically and discussed. The results predicted by the new and improved model have been compared with the generalized and classic ones. In addition, all field quantities have been examined for effects of rotation, a lifetime of the photo-generated, and the applied magnetic field.
Research on an Adaptive Neural Network K-Pixel Adversarial Example Generation Algorithm
Authors: Fan Chunlong , Li Cailong , Zhang Jici , Teng Yiping , Qiao Jianzhong
Published: July 2021

Neural network technology has achieved good results in many tasks, such as image classification. However, for some input examples of neural networks, after the addition of designed and imperceptible perturbations to the examples, these adversarial examples can change the output results of the original examples. For image classification problems, we derive low-dimensional attack perturbation solutions on multidimensional linear classifiers and extend them to multidimensional nonlinear neural networks. Based on this, a new adversarial example generation algorithm is designed to modify a specified number of pixels. The algorithm adopts a greedy iterative strategy, and gradually iteratively determines the importance and attack range of pixel points. Finally, experiments demonstrate that the algorithm-generated adversarial example is of good quality, and the effects of key parameters in the algorithm are also analyzed.
An Improved D-SMART Algorithm for Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Wang Jun , Xu Yanhui , Li Li , Du Yansui , Zhao Liang
Published: July 2021

In this paper, a secure and low energy dynamic slicing algorithm, namely, Improved D-SMART (IM-D-SMART) based on the Data Aggregation Protocol on Slice Mix Aggregate (D-SMART) is proposed to improve the security and confidentiality of wireless sensor networks and reduce the energy consumption of nodes in data collection and transmission in wireless sensor networks. According to the importance of data, the residual energy of nodes and the relative density of nodes, the data are dynamically partitioned to improve the D-SMART algorithm. Simultaneously, sending negative number splicing is used to compensate for the loss caused by the collision of data transmission between nodes. The simulation results show that IM-D-SMART outperforms D-SMART in terms of computation, privacy and communication cost.
Design a Hybrid FPGA Architecture for Visible Digital Image Watermarking in Spatial and Frequency Domain
Authors: Jayanthi VE. , Pitchai Senthil , Smitha M.
Published: July 2021

Hybrid field programmable gate array (FPGA) implementation is proposed to improve the performance of visible image watermarking systems. The visible watermarking process is implemented as pixel by pixel operation under a spatial domain or vector operation in the frequency domain. The proposed approach is mainly designed for watermarking the images taken from digital cameras of various sizes. The padding technique is used for unequal sizes of the watermark image and original host image. The architecture data path consists of eight and six stages of pipeline capable of watermarking on the pixel-based operation and vector-based operation, respectively. The dual image watermarking architecture data path consists of a 13-stage pipeline. Pipeline and parallelism mechanisms are used to improve throughput. To improve the performance in discrete cosine transform operations at the frequency domain, the shift-add technique replaces the conventional multipliers. The clock gating technique is employed to reduce the power by preventing unnecessary switching in a path. Hardware implementation of the algorithm is tested in Intel Cyclone FPGA with the device of EP4CGX22CF19C6, with which the throughput achieved is 1.27[Formula: see text]Gbits/s with a total area utilization of 35[Formula: see text]digital signal processing (DSP) blocks, 378 look-up tables (LUTs) and 486 registers.
A Simplified Numerical Model for the Assessment of Vibration in Subway Lines with Experimental Validation
Authors: dos Santos Danilo Pereira , Gidrão Gustavo de Miranda Saleme , Carrazedo Ricardo
Published: July 2021

The first studies on the dynamic behavior of railway lines go back to the 19th century, after the industrial revolution. Since then, numerous analytical solutions and numerical models have been developed toward understanding the dynamic response of moving loads. However, proposals that reproduce the vibrational behavior of subway lines remain challenging due to the complexity and number of variables involved. This paper presents two simplified numerical models built and validated with experimental data to simulate the subway dynamic behavior. The first simulated the vibration generation, whereas the other simulated the propagation throughout the soil. Analyses were conducted from 1/3 octave bands spectra, as in practice. The models showed the coefficient of friction of the wheel/rail contact does not impact the global level vibration significantly, and an estimation of this parameter (0.3) enabled an analysis of the attenuation conditions for the floating slab track (FST) system. The study of attenuations revealed FST stiffness changes are a more robust solution than changes in its mass. The wave soil propagation model has proved adequate in comparison to classic solutions, and a strategy for the estimate of error associated with two-dimensional (2D) simplifications is proposed. Despite the simplicity of the models, the numerical simulations fit the experimental data well, supporting simplified models that study subways, and promoting more vibration control evaluations at lower computational costs.
Compressed Sensing in Parallel MRI: A Review
Authors: Islam Rafiqul , Islam Md Shafiqul , Uddin Muhammad Shahin
Published: July 2021

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a dynamic and safe imaging technique in medical imaging. Recently, parallel MRI (pMRI) is widely used for accelerating conventional MRI. Both frequency and image domain-based reconstructions are the most attractive methods for generating the image from multi-channel k-space data. Compressed sensing (CS) is a recently used procedure to reduce the acquisition time of conventional MRI. This reduction is achieved by taking fewer measurements from the fully sampled k-space data. Therefore, applying the CS technique in pMRI is the most emerging way for further improving the acquisition time that is a tremendous research interest. However, as the phase encoding plane may be perpendicular or parallel to the coil elements plane, finding the exact domain for CS in pMRI reconstruction is a major challenging issue. In this work, the application of the CS technique in pMRI in both domains is investigated. Later some widely used methodologies are presented as the nonlinear reconstruction algorithm of CS in pMRI. Finally, a discussion is performed based on CS in pMRI to perceive the reality of different reconstruction algorithms at a glance for finding preferred methodologies.
DIMENSIONAL SYNTHESIS OF A GAIT REHABILITATION CABLE-SUSPENDED ROBOT ON MINIMUM 2-NORM TENSIONS
Authors: SHI PENGSHUAI , TANG LEWEI
Published: July 2021

A new design of gait rehabilitation robot with cable-suspended configuration is proposed. Due to the under-constrained nature, it enables reducing the constraint feeling of patients. Cables are attached to cuffs mounted on the leg. A detailed mechanical design is presented and a kinematics model is developed. Dimensional synthesis is performed in two steps. First, the cable disposition should be determined within a range to maintain cable-suspended configuration using the minimum 2-norm solution of tensions. Second, the optimal cable disposition is achieved with the Root Mean Square of tension solutions. Gait rehabilitation robots with three or four cables are discussed and compared to determine dimensional parameters in terms of the locations of pulleys. A simulation model with ADAMS software is presented and the cable module is utilized to imitate the cable-driven system in real. Tension distribution is obtained from the simulation model, which is employed in comparison with the calculated values. The simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the presented method.
Hemocompatibility and Hemolytic Effects of Functionalized Nanoparticles on Red Blood Cells: A Recent Review Study
Authors: Mehrizi Tahereh Zadeh
Published: July 2021

In this paper (from 2010 to 2020), the effects of polymeric, metallic and nonmetallic nanoparticles on red blood cells’ hemocompatibility were investigated for the first time. Here, we have considered the latest findings which can help to improve the hemocompatibility of RBCs. It is important to maintain the quality of red blood cells for improving the hemocompatibility because blood products directly affect the health of patients after blood transfusion. Although RBCs can be stored for up to 42 days at 2–6∘C, hypothermic storage lesions (HSLs) are very common in these products. This problem affects the quality of RBC products. Thus, it is necessary to modify the surface molecules of RBCs during storage time to reduce HSLs and alloimmunization complications. Therefore, we reviewed the reported effects of polymeric, metallic and carbon-based nanoparticles on RBCs between 2010 and 2020. The results of our study have shown that the use of negatively charged dendrimers, unsaturated/uncharged liposomes, and PEGylated forms of NPs and RBCs are the best approaches to improve the hemocompatibility conditions of red blood cells. However, large cationic dendrimers, liposomes composed of saturated lipid with long acyl chain, and cationic chitosan nanoparticles have less RBC compatibility. In addition, polymeric nanoparticles have more capacity for surface modification, which makes it possible to make more hemocompatible derivatives. Among metallic nanoparticles, gold and iron nanoparticles were more RBC compatible. However, the smaller size, higher concentration and longer exposure time of these nanoparticles can induce hemolysis and morphological changes in RBCs. On the other side, nonmetallic nanoparticles mostly had poor RBC compatibility, but their effects on RBCs strongly depended on their concentration and physicochemical properties and could be controllable. As a result, the use of polyethylene glycol (PEG), gold, polymeric, and iron nanoparticles in the design of protocols to maintain the survival, structure and activity of red blood cells for improving hemocompatibility can be more effective.
Does local legal environment matter in the online credit market?
Authors: Wang Bo
Published: July 2021

The physical distance and fragile relationship between online debtors and online creditors make legal enforcement less intimidating; therefore, the role of the legal environment in the online credit market is a topic worth investigating. This paper employs an online lending platform and uses loan-level data to investigate the local legal environment’s effect in the online credit market. We find that a favorable legal environment can motivate online debtors’ integrity, improve online debtors’ credit availability and reduce online debtors’ loan costs, implying the positive externalities of the legal environment’s progress. Finally, we confirm that online debtors with lower income and large loan amounts benefit more from the legal environment’s progress. Our finding indicates that even though fintech has profoundly changed the organizational form and transaction mode of financial institutions, the legal environment still plays an essential role in promoting inclusive finance.
Modeling of supersonic crowdion clusters in FCC lattice: Effect of the interatomic potential
Authors: Shelepev Igor A. , Bayazitov Ayrat M. , Korznikova Elena A.
Published: July 2021

Among a wide variety of point defects, crowdions can be distinguished by their high energy of formation and relatively low migration barriers, which makes them an important agent of mass transfer in lattices subjected to severe plastic deformation, irradiation, etc. It was previously shown that complexes and clusters of crowdions are even more mobile than single interstitials, which opened new mechanisms for the transfer of energy and mass in materials under intense external impacts. One of the most popular and convenient methods for analyzing crowdions is molecular dynamics, where the results can strongly depend on the interatomic potential used in the study. In this work, we compare the characteristics of a crowdion in an fcc lattice obtained using two different interatomic potentials — the pairwise Morse potential and the many-body potential for Al developed by the embedded atom method. It was found that the use of the many-body potential significantly affects the dynamics of crowdion propagation, including the features of atomic collisions, the evolution of energy localization and the propagation path.
Interface Bonding Properties between Nonwater Reaction Polyurethane Polymer Materials and Concrete
Authors: Zhang Xijun , Wang Chaojie , Tian Han , Shi Mingsheng
Published: July 2021

The concentric pushing method was used to study the bonding properties between polymer and concrete. This paper studied the influence of polymer density, environmental temperature, and moisture content of concrete between polymer and concrete on the bond strength. The results indicated that the bond failure of specimens occurred mainly when the polymer was pushed out. Furthermore, increasing the polymer density increases the bond strength at the polymer‐concrete interface but decreases as the moisture content of the concrete increases. The environmental temperature affects the curing time, and the bond strength increases with increasing temperature. Under the same condition, the bond strength was influenced by the roughness of the interface. This study provides references for the construction design and enhances polymer materials and matrix application for repairing cracks in concrete dams.
Construction of an Intelligent Processing Platform for Equestrian Event Information Based on Data Fusion and Data Mining
Authors: Wu Zhong , Zhou Chuan
Published: July 2021

In the past two years, equestrian sports have become more and more popular with the public. Due to the comprehensive development of equestrian preparations for the 2020 Olympic Games in China, the equestrian sports industry presents an unprecedented favorable development environment in China. This article is aimed at studying the construction of an equestrian event information intelligent processing platform based on data fusion and data mining. This article introduces the relevant theoretical knowledge of data mining and data fusion, including the description of the concept of data mining, the common analysis methods and algorithms of data mining, the basic concepts of data fusion, and the functional structure of data fusion. It discusses various algorithms in cluster analysis and focuses on the analysis of distance measurement and similarity coefficient in cluster analysis. In the experimental part, in order to intelligently process and acquire information, an information intelligent processing platform is constructed based on data fusion and data mining technology. The experimental results of this paper show that the precision rate, recall rate, and F‐score of the platform under closed test are much higher than those under open test, and the precision rate is increased by about 7.26%.
Three Cases of Severe Placental Abruption as a First Symptom of Preeclampsia
Authors: Mikuscheva Anastasia , Strassding Finn , MacKenzie Elliot
Published: July 2021

Placental abruption is often referred to in the literature as a complication of preeclampsia. We report 3 recent cases where the first symptom of preeclampsia was placental abruption. All women were previously healthy and in their first ongoing pregnancy. All had been seen by obstetricians for regular pregnancy checkups. None of the patients had a preexisting diagnosis of preeclampsia. Only one of the patients had risk factors for preeclampsia and occasional hypertension. In all cases, laboratory signs of preeclampsia were abnormal intra- or immediately postpartum. One fetus died in utero, and the other two pregnancies fortunately showed a favourable outcome.
Type 2 Diabetic Sepsis Patients Have a Lower Mortality Rate in Pioglitazone Use: A Nationwide 15-Year Propensity Score Matching Observational Study in Taiwan
Authors: Hsieh Ming-Shun , Hu Sung-Yuan , Liao Shu-Hui , Chang Chia-Ming , Hsieh Vivian Chia-Rong , How Chorng-Kuang
Published: July 2021

Background. Pioglitazone use via the PPARγ agonist in sepsis patients is inconclusive. It was based on a great number of animal studies. However, except for information from animal studies, there are merely any data of human studies for reference. Methods. This study was conducted by a unique database including 1.6 million diabetic patients. From 1999 to 2013, a total of 145,327 type 2 diabetic patients, first admitted for sepsis, were enrolled. Propensity score matching was conducted in a 1 : 5 ratio between pioglitazone users and nonusers. Multivariate logistic regression was conducted to evaluate the adjusted odds ratios (aORs) of hospital mortality in pioglitazone users. Further stratification analysis was done and Kaplan–Meier plot was used. Results. A total of 9,310 sepsis pioglitazone users (defined as “ever” use of pioglitazone in any dose within 3 months prior to the first admission for sepsis) and 46,550 matched nonusers were retrieved, respectively. In the multivariate logistic regression model, the cohort of pioglitazone users (9,310) had a decreased aOR of 0.95 (95% CI, 0.89–1.02) of sepsis mortality. Further stratification analysis demonstrated that “chronic pioglitazone users” (defined as “at least” 4-week drug use within 3 months) (3,399) were more associated with significant aOR of 0.80 (95% CI, 0.72–0.89) in reducing sepsis mortality. Conclusions. This first human cohort study demonstrated the potential protective effect of chronic pioglitazone use in type 2 diabetic sepsis patients.
Apoptosis Induced by Ziziphora tenuior Essential Oil in Human Colorectal Cancer Cells
Authors: Azimi Mohammadreza , Mehrzad Jalil , Ahmadi Armita , Ahmadi Elnaz , Ghorbani Ranjbary Ali
Published: July 2021

Ziziphora (Cacotti in Persian) belongs to the Lamiaceae family (mint group) and is vastly found in Iran and Asia. This traditional medicinal plant is normally used as analgesic and for treatment of particular gastrointestinal diseases. Since colorectal cancer is one of the most common causes of death in the world and the second leading cause of cancer death among adults, there is a pressing need to inhibit this malignancy by using methods with minimal side effects. One of these methods is the use of natural resources such as medical plants. This study is aimed at investigating the expression of apoptosis‐related genes in the adjacent culture of colorectal cancer epithelial cells (HT‐29) with Ziziphora essential oil (ZEO). The essential oil was extracted from Ziziphora leaves, and its compounds were determined and then added to the HT‐29 culture medium at different concentrations. After 24 hours, the HT‐29 cells were harvested from the medium and cytotoxicity was analyzed by MTT assay. After MTT assay and determination of the percentage of apoptosis by flow cytometry, RNA extraction was performed and the expression levels of Bax, Bcl‐2, caspase 3 (C3), and caspase 9 (C9) were analyzed using newly designed primers by reverse transcription (RT) qPCR method and GeniX6 software. Also, specific antibodies were used for western blot analyses of those molecules. GC analysis revealed 42 different compounds in the ZEO, including pulegone (26.65%), menthone (5.74%), thymol (5.51%), and menthol (1.02%). MTT assay showed that the concentration of 200 μg/ml of ZEO had the highest HT‐29 cell death during 24 hours. After incubation with the concentration of 50 μg/ml of ZEO for 24 and 48 hours, caspase 3 and 9 gene expressions in the treated group increased compared to those in the control group (P < 0.001), while the Bcl‐2 expression decreased. The results showed that having anticancer compounds, ZEO can increase C3 and C9 and decrease Bcl‐2 expressions, causing apoptosis in HT‐29 cells in vitro. This can lead to the use of ZEO as a factor for colorectal cancer treatment.
The Synergistic Effects of Celastrol in combination with Tamoxifen on Apoptosis and Autophagy in MCF-7 Cells
Authors: Wang Lijun , Tang Luqun , Yao Chengyun , Liu Chunyan , Shu Yongqian
Published: July 2021

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers among females and is associated with high mortality and morbidity rates. Several studies have demonstrated that combination treatments with natural products and tamoxifen can improve the sensitivity and cytotoxicity of oestrogen-positive breast cancer cells in response to tamoxifen. Celastrol, a triterpene from traditional Chinese medicine, has been proven to exert significant anticancer effects on various cancers. Our study is aimed at exploring the interactive antitumour effects of celastrol combined with tamoxifen and the potential underlying anticancer mechanisms in MCF-7 cells. The results from MTT assays, isobolographic analyses, and clonogenic cell survival assays revealed that a combination of celastrol and tamoxifen exerted synergistic cytotoxic effects in MCF-7 cells. The results from Annexin V/PI staining and flow cytometry analysis suggested that celastrol enhanced tamoxifen-mediated apoptosis. In addition, exposure to a combination of celastrol and tamoxifen inhibited cell proliferation by causing G1 phase cell cycle arrest. Moreover, the distribution of LC3 was monitored by immunofluorescence, and the changes in the LC3II and P62 levels detected by western blot analysis suggested that celastrol in combination with tamoxifen triggered autophagy. Furthermore, the decrease in p-Akt and p-mTOR in MCF-7 cells, along with the increase in the autophagy marker proteins LC3II and P62, suggested that the Akt/mTOR pathway might be involved in the triggering of cell autophagy by the combination treatment. However, in an MCF-7-implanted nude mouse model, it was possible to detect significantly decreased tumour volumes and tumour weights and decreased p-Akt and p-mTOR protein expression in the celastrol+tamoxifen group. Therefore, our study provides the first evidence that celastrol combined with tamoxifen exerts synergistic anticancer effects by inducing apoptosis and autophagy in MCF-7 cells. Considering the urgent need for novel therapeutic strategies in anticancer therapy, this combinatorial approach is worthy of further investigation.