bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
US hospices’ approach to racial/ethnic minority inclusion: a qualitative study
Authors: Hughes M Courtney , Vernon Erin , Kowalczyk Monica , Basco-Rodillas Marlon
Published: February 2021

Objective

To examine hospices’ approaches to improving the current racial/ethnic hospice utilisation disparity.

Methods

During June and July 2020, we conducted in-depth, semistructured interviews with 22 hospice leaders from across the USA. The interviews focused on inclusive strategy approaches. We analysed the data using qualitative methods.

Results

Multiple themes emerged about racial/ethnic minority inclusion strategies: (1) hospices tailor strategies to the local communities they serve; (2) improvement involves addressing social determinants of health that extend beyond end-of-life care; (3) costs of strategies are not a primary concern and the benefits are worth the costs; and (4) hospices want to do more to improve their efforts.

Conclusions

Hospices want to improve racial/ethnic minority inclusion and can take specific action steps to educate community members about hospice and provide an environment within hospice care that is welcoming to all. Hospice-targeted programmes and policies that facilitate language translation, diversity in staffing, enhanced community outreach, and leadership and staff collaboration regarding inclusion may help hospices achieve success in their efforts toward racial/ethnic minority inclusion.
m6A modification patterns and tumor immune landscape in clear cell renal carcinoma
Authors: Zhong Jiehui , Liu Zezhen , Cai Chao , Duan Xiaolu , Deng Tuo , Zeng Guohua
Published: February 2021

Background

Recent studies have focused on the correlation between N6-methyladenosine (m6A) modification and specific tumor-infiltrating immune cells. However, the potential roles of m6A modification in the tumor immune landscape remain elusive.

Methods

We comprehensively evaluated the m6A modification patterns and tumor immune landscape of 513 clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) patients, and correlated the m6A modification patterns with the immune landscape. The m6Ascore was established using principal component analysis. Multivariate Cox regression analysis was performed to evaluate the prognostic value of the m6Ascore.

Results

We identified three m6Aclusters—characterized by differences in Th17 signature, extent of intratumor heterogeneity, overall cell proliferation, aneuploidy, expression of immunomodulatory genes, overall somatic copy number alterations, and prognosis. The m6Ascore was established to quantify the m6A modification pattern of individual ccRCC patients. Further analyses revealed that the m6Ascore was an independent prognostic factor of ccRCC. Finally, we verified the prognostic value of the m6Ascore in the programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) blockade therapy of patients with advanced ccRCC.

Conclusions

This study demonstrated the correlation between m6A modification and the tumor immune landscape in ccRCC. The comprehensive evaluation of m6A modification patterns in individual ccRCC patients enhances our understanding of the tumor immune landscape and provides a new approach toward new and improved immunotherapeutic strategies for ccRCC patients.
First-phase ejection fraction: association with remodelling and outcome in aortic valve stenosis
Authors: Carter-Storch Rasmus , Mogensen Nils Sofus Borg , Christensen Nicolaj Lyhne , Ali Mulham , Laursen Kristian Bach , Pellikka Patricia A , Moller Jacob Eifer , Dahl Jordi S
Published: February 2021

Background

First-phase ejection fraction (EF1), the left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (EF) until the time of peak transaortic velocity, is a novel marker of subclinical LV dysfunction able to predict adverse events in aortic stenosis (AS). This study investigated the association between end-systolic wall stress (ESWS) and EF1 in severe AS, as well as the prognostic value of EF1 in severe asymptomatic AS.

Methods

Two prospectively gathered cohorts of 94 asymptomatic patients and 108 symptomatic patients scheduled for aortic valve replacement (AVR), all with severe AS (aortic valve area <1 cm2) were stratified according to the median value of EF1 (33%). EF1 was defined as the EF at peak transaortic velocity. Asymptomatic patients were followed up for 3 years for the combined end-point of death, AVR or admission with heart failure.

Results

EF1 correlated with EF and was inversely associated with ESWS. In multivariate regression analysis, ESWS (p<0.001) and replacement fibrosis measured by MRI (p=0.02) were associated with EF1. Among asymptomatic patients, EF1 above the median was associated with the combined primary endpoint (HR=0.53 (95% CI 0.33 to 0.87)), while global longitudinal strain and EF were not. Among 42 patients with discordant AS (mean gradient <40 mm Hg), EF1 above median was associated with the primary endpoint (HR 0.28 (95% CI 0.12 to 0.61)).

Conclusion

EF1 is an afterload-dependent measure that is associated with events in patients with asymptomatic severe AS. The afterload dependency of EF1 may be useful in timing of risk stratification in patients with discordant AS.

Trial registration numbers

NCT02395107andNCT02316587.
Pathophysiology of acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection: a systematic literature review to inform EULAR points to consider
Authors: Najm Aurélie , Alunno Alessia , Mariette Xavier , Terrier Benjamin , De Marco Gabriele , Emmel Jenny , Mason Laura , McGonagle Dennis G , Machado Pedro M
Published: February 2021

Background

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic is a global health problem. Beside the specific pathogenic effect of SARS-CoV-2, incompletely understood deleterious and aberrant host immune responses play critical roles in severe disease. Our objective was to summarise the available information on the pathophysiology of COVID-19.

Methods

Two reviewers independently identified eligible studies according to the following PICO framework: P (population): patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection; I (intervention): any intervention/no intervention; C (comparator): any comparator; O (outcome) any clinical or serological outcome including but not limited to immune cell phenotype and function and serum cytokine concentration.

Results

Of the 55 496 records yielded, 84 articles were eligible for inclusion according to question-specific research criteria. Proinflammatory cytokine expression, including interleukin-6 (IL-6), was increased, especially in severe COVID-19, although not as high as other states with severe systemic inflammation. The myeloid and lymphoid compartments were differentially affected by SARS-CoV-2 infection depending on disease phenotype. Failure to maintain high interferon (IFN) levels was characteristic of severe forms of COVID-19 and could be related to loss-of-function mutations in the IFN pathway and/or the presence of anti-IFN antibodies. Antibody response to SARS-CoV-2 infection showed a high variability across individuals and disease spectrum. Multiparametric algorithms showed variable diagnostic performances in predicting survival, hospitalisation, disease progression or severity, and mortality.

Conclusions

SARS-CoV-2 infection affects both humoral and cellular immunity depending on both disease severity and individual parameters. This systematic literature review informed the EULAR ‘points to consider’ on COVID-19 pathophysiology and immunomodulatory therapies.
From coast to coast to coast: ecology and management of seagrass ecosystems across Canada
Authors: Murphy Grace E.P. , Dunic Jillian C. , Adamczyk Emily M. , Bittick Sarah J. , Côté Isabelle M. , Cristiani John , Geissinger Emilie A. , Gregory Robert S. , Lotze Heike K. , O’Connor Mary I. , Araújo Carlos A.S. , Rubidge Emily M. , Templeman Nadine D. , Wong Melisa C.
Published: February 2021

Seagrass meadows are among the most productive and diverse marine ecosystems, providing essential structure, functions, and services. They are also among the most impacted by human activities and in urgent need of better management and protection. In Canada, eelgrass ( Zostera marina) meadows are found along the Atlantic, Pacific, and Arctic coasts, and thus occur across a wide range of biogeographic conditions. Here, we synthesize knowledge of eelgrass ecosystems across Canada’s coasts, highlighting commonalities and differences in environmental conditions, plant, habitat, and community structure, as well as current trends and human impacts. Across regions, eelgrass life history, phenology, and general species assemblages are similar. However, distinct regional differences occur in environmental conditions, particularly with water temperature and nutrient availability. There is considerable variation in the types and strengths of human activities among regions. The impacts of coastal development are prevalent in all regions, while other impacts are of concern for specific regions, e.g., nutrient loading in the Atlantic and impacts from the logging industry in the Pacific. In addition, climate change represents a growing threat to eelgrass meadows. We review current management and conservation efforts and discuss the implications of observed differences from coast to coast to coast.
GETTING RECOMMENDATION IS NOT ALWAYS BETTER IN ITERATED PRISONER’S DILEMMA
Authors: CINAR ZEYNEP B. , BINGOL HALUK O.
Published: February 2021

We present an extended version of the Iterated Prisoner’s Dilemma game in which agents with limited memory receive recommendations about the unknown opponents to decide whether to play with. Since agents can receive more than one recommendation about the same opponent, they have to evaluate the recommendations according to their disposition such as optimist, pessimist, or realist. They keep their first hand experience in their memory. Since agents have limited memory, they have to use different forgetting strategies. Our results show that getting recommendations does not always perform better. With the support of recommendation, cooperators can beat defectors. We observe that realist performs the best and optimist the worse.
Decentralised Learning in Federated Deployment Environments
Authors: Bellavista Paolo , Foschini Luca , Mora Alessio
Published: February 2021

Decentralised learning is attracting more and more interest because it embodies the principles of data minimisation and focused data collection, while favouring the transparency of purpose specification (i.e., the objective for which a model is built). Cloud-centric-only processing and deep learning are no longer strict necessities to train high-fidelity models; edge devices can actively participate in the decentralised learning process by exchanging meta-level information in place of raw data, thus paving the way for better privacy guarantees. In addition, these new possibilities can relieve the network backbone from unnecessary data transfer and allow it to meet strict low-latency requirements by leveraging on-device model inference. This survey provides a detailed and up-to-date overview of the most recent contributions available in the state-of-the-art decentralised learning literature. In particular, it originally provides the reader audience with a clear presentation of the peculiarities of federated settings, with a novel taxonomy of decentralised learning approaches, and with a detailed description of the most relevant and specific system-level contributions of the surveyed solutions for privacy, communication efficiency, non-IIDness, device heterogeneity, and poisoning defense.
Exploring Decomposition for Solving Pattern Mining Problems
Authors: Djenouri Youcef , Lin Jerry Chun-Wei , Nørvåg Kjetil , Ramampiaro Heri , Yu Philip S.
Published: February 2021

This article introduces a highly efficient pattern mining technique called Clustering-based Pattern Mining (CBPM). This technique discovers relevant patterns by studying the correlation between transactions in the transaction database based on clustering techniques. The set of transactions is first clustered, such that highly correlated transactions are grouped together. Next, we derive the relevant patterns by applying a pattern mining algorithm to each cluster. We present two different pattern mining algorithms, one applying an approximation-based strategy and another based on an exact strategy. The approximation-based strategy takes into account only the clusters, whereas the exact strategy takes into account both clusters and shared items between clusters. To boost the performance of the CBPM, a GPU-based implementation is investigated. To evaluate the CBPM framework, we perform extensive experiments on several pattern mining problems. The results from the experimental evaluation show that the CBPM provides a reduction in both the runtime and memory usage. Also, CBPM based on the approximate strategy provides good accuracy, demonstrating its effectiveness and feasibility. Our GPU implementation achieves significant speedup of up to 552× on a single GPU using big transaction databases.
Effect of Cd2+Molar Concentration in CdxZn(1−x)S Thin Film by Chemical Bath Deposition Technique Using Alternative Sulfur Precursor
Authors: Nurhafiza K. , Chelvanathan P. , Sobayel K. , Munna F. T. , Abdullah Huda , Ibrahim Mohd Adib , Techato Kuaanan , Sopian K. , Amin N. , Akhtaruzzaman Md.
Published: February 2021

Ternary semiconductor CdxZn(1−x)S thin films are prepared by chemical bath deposition (CBD) using N-methyl thiourea as an alternative sulfur precursor. Molar concentration of CdSO4has been varied from 0.01 M to 0.09 M during the fabrication process of CdxZn(1−x)S thin film. Effect of variation in Cd2+molar concentration on morphological, structural and opto-electrical properties of CdxZn(1−x)S thin film has been investigated. As grown films are found less crystalline and structural analysis suggests that CdxZn(1−x)S phase changes with the increase of Cd2+molar concentration. SEM images reveals that all the films exhibit granules-like morphology. Raman peak indicates that higher concentration of CdSO4precursor forms more CdS in the CdxZn(1−x)S. Bandgaps of CdxZn(1−x)S thin films are found to be ranged from 2.44 eV to 2.95 eV for different Cd2+molar concentrations in the CdxZn(1−x)S thin films. Resistivity and carrier mobility of as grown CdxZn(1−x)S films ranged from 14.2 × 103ohm-cm to 2.25 × 103ohm-cm and 4.31 cm2(V s)−1to 9.42 cm2(V s)−1, respectively. As all these findings affirms the credibility of using N-methyl thiourea as an alternative sulfur precursor for the development of CdxZn(1−x)S thin film by CBD process.
A New Result for a Blow-up of Solutions to a Logarithmic Flexible Structure with Second Sound
Authors: Merah Ahlem , Mesloub Fatiha , Boulaaras Salah Mahmoud , Cherif Bahri-Belkacem
Published: February 2021

This paper is concerned with a problem of a logarithmic nonuniform flexible structure with time delay, where the heat flux is given by Cattaneo’s law. We show that the energy of any weak solution blows up infinite time if the initial energy is negative.
Potential Mechanism of Immune Evasion Associated with the Master Regulator ASCL2 in Microsatellite Stability in Colorectal Cancer
Authors: Yang Qian , Huang Guowei , Li Liyan , Li Enmin , Xu Liyan
Published: February 2021

Colorectal cancer (CRC) has two major subtypes, microsatellite instability (MSI) and microsatellite stability (MSS) based on the genomic instability. In this study, using computational programs, we identified 9 master transcription factors (TFs) based on epigenomic profiling in MSS CRC samples. Notably, unbiased gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) showed that several master TFs were strongly associated with immune-related functions in TCGA MSS CRC tissues, such as interferon gamma (IFN-γ) and interferon alpha (IFN-α) responses. Focusing to the top candidate, ASCL2, we found that CD8+ T cell infiltration was low in ASCL2 overexpressed MSS CRC samples. Compared with other gastrointestinal (GI) cancers (gastric cancer, MSI CRC, and esophageal cancer), ASCL2 is specifically upregulated in MSS CRC. Moreover, we identified 28 candidate genes in IFN-γ and IFN-α response pathways which were negatively correlated with ASCL2. Together, these results link transcriptional dysregulation with the immune evasion in MSS CRC, which may advance the understanding of immune resistance and contribute to developing novel treatments of MSS CRC.
[Retracted] A Systematic Review of Lymphangioleiomyomatosis on Diagnosis and Molecular Mechanism
Authors: Dong Xiaotong , Jin Lvcheng , Wang Ailan , Wu Liping , Fan Xintong , Hou Qian , Li Tianbao , Zhao Ruilian , Zhang Yunxiang
Published: February 2021

Objective. Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) is a rare low‐grade metastatic tumor; however, LAM patients were always found in young age with difficulty for diagnosis. Our study is aimed at observing the clinical characteristics of patients with lymphangiomatosis, including the clinical manifestations, imaging findings, histopathological features, and immunophenotype. Methods. We did a systematic review on LAM/PLAM cases, especially on male cases, and collected the clinical features and molecular mechanisms of PLAM based on previous findings. Results. Diagnosis criteria were summarized by combining CT scans, MRI, immunohistochemistry results, and gene sequencing results for effectively distinguishing between PLAM and similar diseases. Moreover, our study illustrated the molecular mechanism of PLAM as well as the signaling pathway involved in the disease initials. In addition, a male case was reported with differential diagnosis on the clinical manifestations, microscopic features, immunophenotypes, and genotypes. Conclusion. Our review will definitely improve the understanding of diagnosis and treatment in PLAM cases.
The Mechanical Criterion of Activation and Instability of Normal Fault Induced by the Movement of Key Stratum and Its Disaster‐Causing Mechanism of Rockburst in the Hanging Wall Mining
Authors: Pengfei Lyu , Jiabin Lu , Eryu Wang , Xuehua Chen
Published: February 2021

Coal mine rockburst is closely related to the complex geological structure. Understanding the criterion of the fault activation instability and the disaster‐causing mechanism of rockburst under the influence of mining is the theoretical premise and important guarantee of safe and efficient coal mining. In this paper, based on the theory of key stratum, the mechanical model of fault slip instability in the normal fault during the hanging wall mining was established, and the instability criterion was derived. It is concluded that the fault slip instability of the hanging wall is mainly controlled by two factors: (1) the distance between coal seams and key stratum and (2) the distance between working face and fault. Moreover, these two factors have an inverse relation to the occurrence of rockburst. Subsequently, three conceptual models of rockburst induced by the fault stress transfer, stress concentration of coal pillars, and fault structural instability were proposed. Based on the rock mechanics theory, the rockburst carrier system model of “roof‐coal seam‐floor” near the fault was established. The mechanical essence of fault rockburst was obtained as follows: under the action of fault, the static load of fault coal pillar was increased and superimposed with the fault activation dynamic load, leading to high‐strength rockburst disaster. Based on the occurrence mechanism of fault rockburst, the monitoring and prevention concept and technical measures were proposed in three aspects, including the monitoring and control of fault activation dynamic loads, the monitoring of high static load in fault coal pillar and stress release, and the strengthening roadway support. These prevention and control measures were verified in the panel 103down02 of the Baodian Coal Mine in engineering, and the effectiveness of these measures was proved.
A Fatal Case of Diffuse Alveolar Hemorrhage in the Setting of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: A Case Report and Review of Noninfectious Causes of Acute Pulmonary Hemorrhage in Adults
Authors: Lundgren Mia C. , Molitor Jerry A. , Spilseth Benjamin , Adeyi Oyedele
Published: February 2021

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune connective tissue disease, characterized by autoantibody production and immune complex formation, that has the potential to affect virtually any organ. Pleuropulmonary involvement occurs in 50–70% and commonly manifests as pleuritis and pleural effusion. Diffuse alveolar hemorrhage (DAH) is a rare manifestation of SLE. Most cases of DAH occur in young adults with an underlying autoimmune disease such as systemic vasculitis or Goodpasture syndrome. SLE is typically lower on the list of initial differential diagnoses of DAH due to its rarity compared to other etiologies. We present a case of a patient with dyspnea on exertion, dry coughs, lower extremity edema, and intermittent periorbital edema who ultimately succumbed to respiratory failure secondary to DAH in the setting of SLE. The diagnosis of SLE was suspected clinically and confirmed at autopsy due to her rapid clinical deterioration. DAH requires prompt intervention, and management is guided by the underlying disease process. SLE is a potentially treatable disease; therefore, timely diagnosis is important in order to exclude other noninfectious causes of DAH (reviewed in this report) and to initiate appropriate therapy.
Association between Serum Adiponectin and Atrial Fibrillation: A Case-Control Study Stratified by Age and Gender
Authors: Zhu Tongjian , Wang Zhuo , Wang Songyun , Hu Wei , Chen Hui , Xie Jing , Wang Meng , Ma Kezhong , Jiang Hong
Published: February 2021

Background. Circulating adiponectin has been suggested to be associated with atrial fibrillation (AF). However, whether the association differs by age and gender remains unknown. We performed a case-control study to evaluate the above association. Methods. AF patients who underwent 24-hour long-range 12-channel electrocardiogram examination at our center were included in this study, and people with normal sinus rhythm (NSR) were included as controls. All participants underwent echocardiography and heart rate variability tests. Biochemical parameters and adiponectin levels were also evaluated. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses were used to determine the predictive efficacy of adiponectin for AF, and multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the potential independent predictors of AF. Results. Overall, 84 patients with AF and 84 people with NSR were included. Serum adiponectin was significantly higher in AF patients compared to that in controls (

P
<
0.001

). ROC analysis showed that higher serum adiponectin (>6.098 μg/mL) had predictive efficacy for AF, with an area under the curve of 0.660 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 577–0.742). The results of multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that higher adiponectin was an independent predictor of AF in the overall participants (odds ratio [OR] 1.224, 95% CI 1.018–1.471,

P
=
0.032

). Subgroup analysis showed that higher adiponectin was independently associated with AF in women (OR 1.893, 95% CI 1.160–3.089,

P
=
0.011

) and in patients aged < 65 years (OR 1.453, 95% CI 1.023–2.064,

P
=
0.037

), but not in men or those aged ≥ 65 years. Conclusions. Higher serum adiponectin level was independently associated with higher odds for AF in women and in participants <65 years old, but not in men or those aged ≥65 years.
CO2 Laser-Assisted Deep Sclerectomy Surgery Compared with Trabeculectomy in Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma: Two-Year Results
Authors: Zhang Hengli , Tang Yizhen , Yan Xiaowei , Ma Lihua , Geng Yulei , Li Fan , Tang Guangxian
Published: February 2021

Purpose. To compare the effectiveness and safety of carbon dioxide (CO2) laser-assisted deep sclerectomy surgery (CLASS) and trabeculectomy (Trab) for treatment of primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG). Methods. In this retrospective and comparative study, 77 eyes of 62 patients with POAG were studied and divided into the CLASS and Trab groups. The best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), intraocular pressure (IOP), number of medications, surgical success rate, and complications were analyzed. Results. The mean follow-up periods were 27.89 ± 2.94 months and 26.11 ± 2.06 months in the CLASS and Trab groups, respectively. 30 eyes (24 patients) underwent CLASS and 47 eyes (38 patients) underwent Trab. The BCVA in the CLASS and Trab groups was recovered to baseline at postoperative 1 week and 1 month, respectively. At last follow-up visits, a remarkable reduction in the IOP and number of medications was observed in both groups, and no significant difference was found in those between the two groups. The complete success rates were 51.7% and 47.7% in postoperative 24 months in the CLASS and Trab groups, respectively (

P
>
0.05

). There were higher rates of delayed anterior chamber formation (21.3%) and thin-wall filtrating blebs (10.6%) in the Trab group. Meanwhile, the peripheral anterior synechiae were only observed in the CLASS group, and the ratio was 30%. Conclusions. CLASS is an effective and safe treatment modality for POAG, with fewer filtering bleb-related complications and quicker visual recovery in the early postoperative stage than trabeculectomy. The efficacy of lowering intraocular pressure was similar for both procedures.
Preshooting Electroencephalographic Activity of Professional Shooters in a Competitive State
Authors: Zhang Jie , Shi Yunxu , Wang Chienkai , Cao Chunmei , Zhang Changshui , Ji Linhong , Cheng Jia , Wu Fangfang
Published: February 2021

This study investigated the influence of competitive state on cerebral cortex activity of professional shooters with 10 m air rifle before shooting. Generally, professional athletes have higher neural efficiency compared with ordinary people. We recruited 11 national shooters to complete 60 shots under both noncompetitive and competitive shooting conditions, and simultaneously collected their electroencephalogram (EEG) and electrocardiogram (ECG) information. Theta, alpha, and beta power were computed in the last three seconds preceding each shot from average‐reference 29‐channel EEG, while EEG characteristics under two conditions were analyzed. The results showed a significant linear correlation between shooting accuracy and EEG power of anterior frontal, central, temporal, and occipital regions in beta and theta bands. In addition, the theta power in occipital regions, alpha power in frontal‐central and left occipital regions, and beta power in frontal and mid‐occipital regions were higher than those in noncompetitive state. However, heart rate (HR) and shooting accuracy did not change significantly under the two conditions. These findings reveal the changes of cortical activity underlying competition shooting as well as providing further understanding of the neural mechanisms of the shooting process and lay a foundation for the subsequent neuromodulation research.
Investigation of Influencing Factors on the Deformation of Sheet Pile Wall with a Relieving Platform
Authors: Zhang Ming , Wang Wei , Hu Ronghua , Wang Ziyi
Published: February 2021

Owing to the complexity of the sheet pile wall with a relieving platform, there are a large number of factors that affect the mechanical and deformation characteristics of the wall structure. Moreover, studying the influencing factors on the deformation of the retaining wall is beneficial in the selection of design parameters and deformation control. 28 groups of test models of the retaining wall structure are designed to analyze the effect on the deformation of rib pillars and determine the reasonable width and buried depth of the unloading board in this paper. The tests are conducted with and without the unloading board, and different widths and buried depths of the unloading board are also considered. The findings show that, without the external load, the reasonable board width and buried depth are 0.70 times and 0.53 times the wall height. With the external load, the reasonable board width is 0.35 times the wall height, and the large board width cannot effectively reduce the deformation of rib pillars, and the reasonable board width is 0.60 times the wall height. When both the external load and board width are relatively small, the reasonable buried depth is 0.53 times the wall height. However, when the external load is large, the reasonable buried depth is 0.70 times the wall height. The results also show that the setting of the unloading board effectively suppresses the deformation of rib pillars and controls the maximum deformation within an allowable range of the specification.
A New Recognition Method for the Auditory Evoked Magnetic Fields
Authors: Feng Yulong , Xiao Wei , Wu Teng , Zhang Jianwei , Xiang Jing , Guo Hong
Published: February 2021

Magnetoencephalography (MEG) is a persuasive tool to study the human brain in physiology and psychology. It can be employed to obtain the inference of change between the external environment and the internal psychology, which requires us to recognize different single trial event‐related magnetic fields (ERFs) originated from different functional areas of the brain. Current recognition methods for the single trial data are mainly used for event‐related potentials (ERPs) in the electroencephalography (EEG). Although the MEG shares the same signal sources with the EEG, much less interference from the other brain tissues may give the MEG an edge in recognition of the ERFs. In this work, we propose a new recognition method for the single trial auditory evoked magnetic fields (AEFs) through enhancing the signal. We find that the signal strength of the single trial AEFs is concentrated in the primary auditory cortex of the temporal lobe, which can be clearly displayed in the 2D images. These 2D images are then recognized by an artificial neural network (ANN) with 100% accuracy, which realizes the automatic recognition for the single trial AEFs. The method not only may be combined with the source estimation algorithm to improve its accuracy but also paves the way for the implementation of the brain‐computer interface (BCI) with the MEG.
A New Algorithm for Privacy-Preserving Horizontally Partitioned Linear Programs
Authors: Zhang Chengxue , Kong Debin , Pan Peng , Zhou Mingyuan
Published: February 2021

In a linear programming for horizontally partitioned data, the equality constraint matrix is divided into groups of rows. Each group of the matrix rows and the corresponding right-hand side vector are owned by different entities, and these entities are reluctant to disclose their own groups of rows or right-hand side vectors. To calculate the optimal solution for the linear programming in this case, Mangasarian used a random matrix of full rank with probability 1, but an event with probability 1 is not a certain event, so a random matrix of full rank with probability 1 does not certainly happen. In this way, the solution of the original linear programming is not equal to the solution of the secure linear programming. We used an invertible random matrix for this shortcoming. The invertible random matrix converted the original linear programming problem to a secure linear program problem. This secure linear programming will not reveal any of the privately held data.
Music Intelligent Push Play and Data Analysis System Based on 5G Internet of Things
Authors: Chen Cheng , Huang Tien-Shou , Huang Jui-Chan , Shih Chi-Hung , Du Yun
Published: February 2021

With the rapid development of information science today, multifunctional and intelligent applications have gradually become the focus of attention. In the data management system, the first consideration is the reliability of the data source, followed by the intelligent processing after the data are collected. Due to the upgrade of the Internet to the Internet of Things, the way of network information transmission has also become a problem that people need to think about. The transmission mode of network information services will be converted from the passive transmission of information by traditional servers to the form of actively pushing information. The application of intelligent push technology in the field of the Internet of Things is a prominent and important direction in the development of the Internet of Things. This article mainly introduces the research on the intelligent music push and data analysis system based on the 5G Internet of Things, with the intention of providing some ideas and directions for the research of the music intelligent push and play and data analysis system. This paper proposes a research method for music intelligent push playback and data analysis system based on 5G Internet of Things, including current intelligent push related technologies, music evaluation matrix, user dissimilarity matrix, and music feature similarity calculation. The experimental results in this paper show that with the increase in the number of users, the accuracy of the recommended results of the system under the Hadoop framework gradually stabilizes, eventually reaching 91.2%.
V2X-Based Mobile Localization in 3D Wireless Sensor Network
Authors: Javed Iram , Tang Xianlun , Shaukat Kamran , Sarwar Muhammed Umer , Alam Talha Mahboob , Hameed Ibrahim A. , Saleem Muhammad Asim
Published: February 2021

In a wireless sensor network (WSN), node localization is a key requirement for many applications. The concept of mobile anchor-based localization is not a new concept; however, the localization of mobile anchor nodes gains much attention with the advancement in the Internet of Things (IoT) and electronic industry. In this paper, we present a range-free localization algorithm for sensors in a three-dimensional (3D) wireless sensor networks based on flying anchors. The nature of the algorithm is also suitable for vehicle localization as we are using the setup much similar to vehicle-to-infrastructure- (V2I-) based positioning algorithm. A multilayer C-shaped trajectory is chosen for the random walk of mobile anchor nodes equipped with a Global Positioning System (GPS) and broadcasts its location information over the sensing space. The mobile anchor nodes keep transmitting the beacon along with their position information to unknown nodes and select three further anchor nodes to form a triangle. The distance is then computed by the link quality induction against each anchor node that uses the centroid-based formula to compute the localization error. The simulation shows that the average localization error of our proposed system is 1.4 m with a standard deviation of 1.21 m. The geometrical computation of localization eliminated the use of extra hardware that avoids any direct communication between the sensors and is applicable for all types of network topologies.
The Dynamic Impacts of the Global Shipping Market under the Background of Oil Price Fluctuations and Emergencies
Authors: Chen Zihan , Zhang Xiaokong , Chai Jian
Published: February 2021

With growing uncertainty about the evolution of the global landscape, it is of great practical significance to explore the nonlinear dynamic adjustment relationship among the world oil market, the global bulk shipping market, the stock market, and economic growth in China. This paper applied the TVP‐SV‐VAR model and selected quarterly data from 1998 to 2020 to explore the dynamics. The results indicated that the impact intensity of BDI on China’s economy had a “positive” to “negative” change in different lag periods. This was mainly due to the fact that the negative impact of higher freight prices on China’s economy outweighed the positive impact of higher trade volumes on China’s economy. The impact intensity of BDI on GDP had a distinct medium‐ to long‐term effect. A positive BDI shock had a dampening effect on stock prices in the short and medium term, while a positive BDI shock could promote stock market prosperity in the long‐term perspective. The impulse responses of SSE and GDP to BDI showed that the external shipping market shocks to China’s stock market and economic growth gradually became smaller over time. For impulse response at three different time points, the impact intensity of the BDI to GDP varied at different time points, with the largest shock during the financial crisis in 2008, followed by the shock during the oil price crash in 2014, and the smallest during the COVID‐19 epidemic. This demonstrated that the external shipping market’s influence on Chinese economic growth and stock market has gradually weakened over time, illustrating the enhancement of Chinese risk‐resilience capacity.
Autophagy Paradox of Cancer: Role, Regulation, and Duality
Authors: Verma Amit Kumar , Bharti Prahalad Singh , Rafat Sahar , Bhatt Deepti , Goyal Yamini , Pandey Kamlesh Kumar , Ranjan Sanjeev , Almatroodi Saleh A. , Alsahli Mohammed A. , Rahmani Arshad Husain , Almatroudi Ahmad , Dev Kapil
Published: February 2021

Autophagy, a catabolic process, degrades damaged and defective cellular materials through lysosomes, thus working as a recycling mechanism of the cell. It is an evolutionarily conserved and highly regulated process that plays an important role in maintaining cellular homeostasis. Autophagy is constitutively active at the basal level; however, it gets enhanced to meet cellular needs in various stress conditions. The process involves various autophagy‐related genes that ultimately lead to the degradation of targeted cytosolic substrates. Many factors modulate both upstream and downstream autophagy pathways like nutritional status, energy level, growth factors, hypoxic conditions, and localization of p53. Any problem in executing autophagy can lead to various pathological conditions including neurodegeneration, aging, and cancer. In cancer, autophagy plays a contradictory role; it inhibits the formation of tumors, whereas, during advanced stages, autophagy promotes tumor progression. Besides, autophagy protects the tumor from various therapies by providing recycled nutrition and energy to the tumor cells. Autophagy is stimulated by tumor suppressor proteins, whereas it gets inhibited by oncogenes. Due to its dynamic and dual role in the pathogenesis of cancer, autophagy provides promising opportunities in developing novel and effective cancer therapies along with managing chemoresistant cancers. In this article, we summarize different strategies that can modulate autophagy in cancer to overcome the major obstacle, i.e., resistance developed in cancer to anticancer therapies.
Production and Financing Strategies of a Distribution Channel under Random Yield and Random Demand
Authors: Shen Li , Li Liying , Li Xiaobing
Published: February 2021

This study considers a distribution channel consisting of a manufacturer with capital constraint and uncertain yield and a retailer that faces random demand. To maintain production, the manufacturer can either (1) avail bank credit financing from a perfectly competitive market or (2) request advance payment from the retailer. First, we establish two Stackelberg game models under bank credit financing (BCF) and advance payment mechanism (APM). By comparing the equilibrium strategies of the two financing models and the optimal profits of channel members, we conclude that APM is more advantageous than BCF in terms of improving channel performance. Second, we design a revenue sharing (RS) contract based on APM to achieve channel coordination. Finally, numerical analysis is presented to verify the conclusions obtained in this study.
Low‐Cost, Low‐Energy, Wireless Hydrological Monitoring Platform: Design, Deployment, and Evaluation
Authors: Abdelal Qasem , Al-Hmoud Ahmad
Published: February 2021

Climate change has increasingly been considered responsible for irregular weather patterns leading to many environmental hazards and catastrophes. Coping with these conditions and providing effective solutions require monitoring and collecting data of various hydrological parameters and events in high spatial and temporal resolutions, which is generally limited by the cost and energy requirements of the monitoring devices. In this work, we push the limit of the current low‐cost data acquisition capabilities by developing the HydroMon3: a hydrological monitoring platform that collects, stores, and transmits high temporal resolution data reliably and accurately, and capable of interfacing different types of sensors. The modular design is driven by utilizing the recent burst in commercially available IoT‐related electronics modules to minimize the cost and maximize flexibility, while applying various hardware and software techniques to ensure reliability and energy performance. Stream stage and tipping bucket monitoring units based on the HydroMon3 platform were deployed to more than 20 locations in two different watersheds, and their performance over a 6‐month season was evaluated. Collected data for a number of storms provided important insights for linking hydrological events and showed substantial variability in the monitored parameters both spatially and temporally, which were compared with local data records and confirmed that conventional hydrological data acquisition methods are under representative of the actual events. Field‐proven results demonstrate the units’ ability to maintain autonomous operation from several months for the stream stage monitors to years for the rainfall gauges using of‐the‐shelf AA batteries.
Acoustic Emission Characteristics and Energy Evolution of Red Sandstone Samples under Cyclic Loading and Unloading
Authors: Wang Tianzuo , Wang Chunli , Xue Fei , Wang Linxiang , Teshome Beyene Hana , Xue Mengya
Published: February 2021

To explore the characteristics of rock deformation and failure under cyclic loading and unloading, the MTS815 rock mechanics test system and acoustic emission (AE) signal acquisition system were used to perform cyclic loading and unloading tests on red sandstone samples. The results showed that, compared with the uniaxial compression test, cyclic loading and unloading had a certain strengthening effect on the strength of the samples. The plastic deformation of the rock samples increased as the number of cycles increased. Based on AE signals, the cracking mode classification was analyzed on the basis of the average frequency and the rise angle of the waveforms. It was observed that the Felicity ratio gradually decreased with the increase in the stress level, which showed a cumulative damage effect. From the perspective of energy, the obvious increase of AE energy rate was mainly concentrated in the early and late stages of uniaxial compression, while the significant increase of dissipated energy rate occurred in the late stage of uniaxial compression. During the cyclic loading and unloading, most of the work done by external forces in the compaction stage and the elastic stage was converted into elastic strain energy, and dissipated energy began to gradually increase in the stage of stable fracture development. In addition, it was found that the damage evolution of the rock samples changed from slow to fast, and the dissipated energy ratio increased when failure was approaching.
Novel Prescribed Performance Control Scheme for Flexible Hypersonic Flight Vehicles with Nonaffine Dynamics and Neural Approximation
Authors: Liu Yong , Li Gang , Li Yuchen , Wu Yahui
Published: February 2021

This study develops a novel neural-approximation-based prescribed performance controller for flexible hypersonic flight vehicles (HFVs). Firstly, a new prescribed performance mechanism is exploited, which develops new performance functions guaranteeing velocity and altitude tracking errors with small overshoots. Compared with the existing prescribed performance mechanism, it has better preselected transient and steady-state performance. Then, the nonaffine model of HFV is decomposed into a velocity subsystem and an altitude subsystem. A prescribed performance-based proportional-integral controller is designed in the velocity subsystem. In the altitude subsystem, the model is expressed as a nonaffine pure feedback form, and control inputs are derived from neural approximations. In order to reduce the amount of computation, only one neural network approximator is used to approximate the subsystem uncertainties, and an advanced regulation algorithm is applied to the devise adaptive law for neural estimation. At the same time, the complex design process of back-stepping can be avoided. Finally, numerical simulation results are presented to verify the efficiency of the design.
Effect of Negative Valve Overlap on Combustion and Emissions of CNG-Fueled HCCI Engine with Hydrogen Addition
Authors: Li Yuelin , Zhang Zihan , Liu Zhiqiang , Tong Peng , Yang Dezhi , Zhang Wulong
Published: February 2021

In order to study the effect of negative valve overlap on combustion and emission characteristics of a homogeneous charge compression ignition engine fueled with natural gas and hydrogen, the test and the simulation were conducted using an engine cycle model coupling the chemical kinetic reaction mechanism under different valve timing conditions. Results show that the internal EGR formed by using negative valve overlap could heat the inlet mixtures and improve the spontaneous ignition characteristic of the engine. The residual exhaust gas could slow down the heat release rate, decrease the pressure rise rate and the maximum combustion temperature, and reduce the NOx emission simultaneously. Among the three NVO schemes, the strategy of changing the intake valve opening timing individually can create the least power loss, and the symmetric NVO strategy which changes both the exhaust valve closing timing and the intake valve opening timing simultaneously can achieve the best heating effect of inlet mixtures and the satisfactory decrease of combustion temperature, as well as the largest reduction of NOx emission.
Geophilic Tinea Profunda after a Stay at a Swiss Lake: A Case Report
Authors: Walther Matthias , Leuthard Deborah
Published: February 2021

Cutaneous infections with Nannizzia gypsea in Switzerland are very rare (only about 0.2% of all dermatophyte infections). We present the case of an impressive tinea profunda on the upper arm of a 53-year-old woman. In our patient, the source of infection was probably the sand and soil at a Swiss lake. This case report shows the importance of a correct diagnostic workup, as the infection can mimic an inflammatory dermatosis like psoriasis or eczema and thus lead to a diagnostic and therapeutic delay.
Screening for Retinopathy of Prematurity in Very Preterm Children: The EPIPAGE-2 Cohort Study
Authors: Chapron Thibaut , Caputo Georges , Pierrat Vèronique , Kermorvant Elsa , Barjol Amandine , Durox Mélanie , Ancel Pierre-Yves , Torchin Héloïse
Published: February 2021

Introduction: Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a blinding disease that requires screening by retinal examination. Screening practices are rarely evaluated. We aimed to determine the prevalence of ROP screening in very preterm infants and individual- and center-related factors associated with ROP screening. Methods: Data were extracted from the EPIPAGE-2 cohort, a French prospective population-based study of premature births in 2011. Children born before 32 weeks’ gestation (WG) without severe malformation and alive at the recommended time for ROP screening were included. Outcome measures were achievement of ROP screening and compliance with recommended screening timeline. Individual- and center-related factors associated with both measures were studied using mixed models. Results: Among 3,077 eligible infants, 2,169 (70.5%) had a ROP screening, ranging from 96% at 24 WG to 50% at 31 WG. Large variability among units was observed. Individual characteristics associated with screening were low gestational age, low birth weight, severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia or neurological lesions, and transfer between neonatal units during the screening period. Odds of screening were higher in neonatal units using wide-angle imaging (odds ratio 2.65 [95% confidence interval 1.17–6.01]) but decreased in units without a local protocol for ROP screening (0.03 [0.01–0.09]). Among screened children, 1,641/2,169 (75.7%) were screened according to recommended timeline. Delayed screening was associated with low gestational age, severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia or necrotizing enterocolitis, and absence of local protocol for ROP screening. Discussion/Conclusions: In this large cohort study of infants born very preterm, almost one-third were not screened for ROP. Children most at risk for ROP were the best screened but often with delay. The higher compliance of neonatal units using wide-angle imaging systems supports its use.