bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Logistic Regression Model Using Scheimpflug-Placido Cornea Topographer Parameters to Diagnose Keratoconus
Authors: Altinkurt Emre , Avci Ozkan , Muftuoglu Orkun , Ugurlu Adem , Cebeci Zafer , Ozbilen Kemal Turgay
Published: May 2021

Purpose. Diagnose keratoconus by establishing an effective logistic regression model from the data obtained with a Scheimpflug-Placido cornea topographer. Methods. Topographical parameters of 125 eyes of 70 patients diagnosed with keratoconus by clinical or topographical findings were compared with 120 eyes of 63 patients who were defined as keratorefractive surgery candidates. The receiver operating character (ROC) curve analysis was performed to determine the diagnostic ability of the topographic parameters. The data set of parameters with an AUROC (area under the ROC curve) value greater than 0.9 was analyzed with logistic regression analysis (LRA) to determine the most predictive model that could diagnose keratoconus. A logit formula of the model was built, and the logit values of every eye in the study were calculated according to this formula. Then, an ROC analysis of the logit values was done. Results. Baiocchi Calossi Versaci front index (BCVf) had the highest AUROC value (0.976) in the study. The LRA model, which had the highest prediction ability, had 97.5% accuracy, 96.8% sensitivity, and 99.2% specificity. The most significant parameters were found to be BCVf (

p
=
0.001

), BCVb (Baiocchi Calossi Versaci back) (

p
=
0.002

), posterior rf (apical radius of the flattest meridian of the aspherotoric surface in 4.5 mm diameter of the cornea) (

p
=
0.005

), central corneal thickness (

p
=
0.072

), and minimum corneal thickness (

p
=
0.494

). Conclusions. The LRA model can distinguish keratoconus corneas from normal ones with high accuracy without the need for complex computer algorithms.
Effectiveness of Nanohydroxyapatite on Demineralization of Enamel and Cementum Surrounding Margin of Yttria-Stabilized Zirconia Polycrystalline Ceramic Restoration
Authors: Juntavee Niwut , Juntavee Apa , Plongniras Preeyarat
Published: May 2021

Introduction. Prosthetic dentistry has shifted toward prevention of caries occurrence surrounding restorative margin through the anti-demineralization process. This study examines the ability of nanohydroxyapatite (NHA) gel and Clinpro (CP) on enhancing resistance to demineralization of enamel and cementum at margin of restoration. Materials and Methods. Thirty extracted mandibular third molars were segregated at 1 mm above and below cementoenamel junction (CEJ) to separate CEJ portions and substituted with zirconia disks by bonding to crown and root portions with resin adhesive. The enamel and cementum area of 4 × 4 mm2 neighboring zirconia was applied with either NHA or CP, while one group was left no treatment (NT) before demineralized with carbopal. Vickers hardness (VHN) of enamel and cementum was evaluated before material application (BM), after material application (AM), and after demineralization (AD). Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and post hoc multiple comparisons were used to justify for the significant difference (α = 0.05). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were determined for surface evaluations. Results. The mean ± SD of VHN for BM, AM, and AD for enamel and cementum was 393.24 ± 26.27, 392.89 ± 17.22, 155.00 ± 5.68 and 69.89 ± 4.59, 66.28 ± 3.61, 18.13 ± 0.54 for NT groups, respectively, 390.10 ± 17.69, 406.77 ± 12.86, 181.55 ± 7.99 and 56.01 ± 9.26, 62.71 ± 6.15, 19.09 ± 1.16 for NHA groups, respectively, and 387.90 ± 18.07, 405.91 ± 9.83, 188.95 ± 7.43 and 54.68 ± 7.30, 61.81 ± 4.30, 19.22 ± 1.25 for CP groups, respectively. ANOVA indicated a significant increase in anti-demineralization of enamel and cementum upon application of NHA or CP (

p
<
0.05

). Multiple comparisons indicated the capability in inducing surface strengthening to resist demineralization for enamel and cementum of NHA which was comparable to CP (

p
>
0.05

) as evidenced by SEM and XRD data indicating NHA and CP deposition and crystallinity accumulation. Conclusion. NHA and CP were capable of enhancing anti-demineralization for enamel and cementum. The capability in resisting the demineralization process of NHA was comparable with CP. NHA was highly recommended for anti-demineralization for enamel and cementum surrounding restorative margin.
Nursing Students’ and Preceptors’ Experiences with Using an Assessment Tool for Feedback and Reflection in Supervision of Clinical Skills: A Qualitative Pilot Study
Authors: Plathe Hilde , Solheim Elisabeth , Eide Hilde
Published: May 2021

Background. There is a need to improve students’ learning in clinical practice. Undergraduate students need guidance when it comes to transferring knowledge from the classroom to clinical practice in community health services. Competence Development of Practical Procedures (COPPs), a simulation assessment tool, was used to explore students’ and preceptors’ experiences with feedback and reflection during the supervision of clinical skills in real practice. Method. This was a pilot study with a qualitative exploratory and descriptive research design. Four students in their first year of a bachelor’s programme in nursing and four preceptors participated. Data were collected from eight clinical skills performance assessments, audio recordings of supervision, and open-ended questionnaires. Data were systematized, categorized, and analysed using qualitative content analysis. Findings. Participants’ experiences were divided into five categories: “learning environment, an atmosphere of respect, acceptance, and encouragement,” “students’ reflections on their own personal learning,” “students’ reflections on various care situations,” and “students’ and preceptors’ assessment and feedback.” Participants found COPPs easy to use and providing structure for assessment, feedback, and reflection during supervision. Concepts related to learning clinical skills became visible for both students and preceptors and helped students assess their performance of clinical skills. Through verbalization and reflection in supervision, participants established a consensus around what students knew and what they needed to learn. Conclusions. The students and preceptors experienced the tool as a supportive structure to enhance feedback and reflection for the learning of clinical skills in municipal healthcare services. COPPs filled a gap in practice by providing a language for students and preceptors to articulate their knowledge and increasing students’ awareness of what constitutes a good performance. The tool supported the coherence of concepts, enhanced clinical reasoning, and promoted deeper thinking and reflection, and the students gained insight into their own needs related to learning clinical skills.
Designing an Efficient and Secure Message Exchange Protocol for Internet of Vehicles
Authors: Chaudhry Shehzad Ashraf
Published: May 2021

In the advancements in computation and communication technologies and increasing number of vehicles, the concept of Internet of Vehicles (IoV) has emerged as an integral part of daily life, and it can be used to acquire vehicle related information including road congestion, road description, vehicle location, and speed. Such information is very vital and can benefit in a variety of ways, including route selection. However, without proper security measures, the information transmission among entities of IoV can be exposed and used for wicked intentions. Recently, many authentication schemes were proposed, but most of those authentication schemes are prone to insecurities or suffer from heavy communication and computation costs. Therefore, a secure message authentication protocol is proposed in this study for information exchange among entities of IoV (SMEP-IoV). Based on secure symmetric lightweight hash functions and encryption operations, the proposed SMEP-IoV meets IoV security and performance requirements. For formal security analysis of the proposed SMEP-IoV, BAN logic is used. The performance comparisons show that the SMEP-IoV is lightweight and completes the authentication process in just

0.198
 ms

.
Experimental Study on Impermeability Law of Aquiclude Reconstructed by Mudstone of External Dump in Arid Zone
Authors: Ma Li , Liu Chendong , Bi Yinli , Peng Suping , Jiang Kaisheng , Zhang Hui , Luo Qiang , Xue Fei , Xu Tianxin , Li Tianxiang , Wu Jing , Tian Jiahao , Zhang Dongxu
Published: May 2021

In order to achieve the goal of ecological restoration, plant irrigation, and water retention in the external dump of open‐pit coal mine in the arid desert area, it is proposed to use the mudstone in the stripped material to reconstruct the surface aquiclude and improve the water holding capacity of the topsoil. By taking the Hongshaquan Open‐Pit Coal Mine as the study object, the red mudstone of mining level +650 was selected as the topsoil aquiclude material through the geological survey. XRD diffraction experiments are used to determine the composition of red mudstone including kaolinite mineral, quartz, potash feldspar, albite, and illite. The moisture content of the red mudstone is 4.16% as measured by the indoor drying experiment. And the particle size of 0.5 mm, 1 mm, and 2 mm and the thickness of 5 cm, 10 cm, and 20 cm rock samples were selected to conduct the indoor soil column experiment. Three indicators of initial infiltration rate, stable infiltration rate, and average infiltration rate were obtained according to the analysis and calculation of the water column drop rate, wet peak drop rate, and cumulative infiltration rate so that the permeability law and coefficient of each group of tests can be known. The finite element transient analysis theory and numerical simulation method were adopted to verify the results of physical experiments. The research results show that +650 level red mudstone has a strong antiseepage ability, and the smaller the particle size, the better the antiseepage performance. For 0.5 mm and 2 mm particle sizes, as the paving height increases, the water‐proof effect is better. The laying height of 1 mm particle size has no obvious influence on the water barrier effect. The physical simulation was confirmed to have the same result trend as the numerical simulation, both of which are quadratic functions with the error within a reasonable range.
Bayesian Analysis of Inverted Kumaraswamy Mixture Model with Application to Burning Velocity of Chemicals
Authors: Noor Farzana , Masood Saadia , Zaman Mehwish , Siddiqa Maryam , Wagan Raja Asif , Khan Imran Ullah , Sajid Ahthasham
Published: May 2021

Burning velocity of different chemicals is estimated using a model from mixed population considering inverted Kumaraswamy (IKum) distribution for component parts. Two estimation techniques maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) and Bayesian analysis are applied for estimation purposes. BEs of a mixture model are obtained using gamma, inverse beta prior, and uniform prior distribution with two loss functions. Hyperparameters are determined through the empirical Bayesian method. An extensive simulation study is also a part of the study which is used to foresee the characteristics of the presented model. Application of the IKum mixture model is presented through a real dataset. We observed from the results that Linex loss performed better than squared error loss as it resulted in lower risks. And similarly gamma prior is preferred over other priors.
Application of a Simple Microfluidic Chip Analysis Technology to Evaluate the Inhibitory Role of Protocatechuic Acid on Shear-Induced Platelet Aggregation
Authors: He Cui , Yu Lihua , Dan Wenran , Deng Surong , Ma Haidong , Liu Beizhong , Li Yuan
Published: May 2021

This study aimed to develop a simple microfluidic chip analysis technology to study the inhibitory effect of protocatechuic acid on shear-induced platelet aggregation. The microfluidic chip designed in this study simulates 80% fixed narrow microchannels. This microchannel narrow model uses the finite element analysis module of the three-dimensional modeling software solidwork to analyze fluid dynamic behavior. Blood treated with protocatechuic acid at 1, 2, 4, 8, or 16 µg/mL was passed through the microchannel stenosis model at a shear rate of 10,000 s−1. The platelet adhesion and aggregation behaviors were then measured using fluorescence microscopy and observed in real time. Simultaneously, the antiplatelet aggregation effect of protocatechuic acid was analyzed using thromboelastography and photoelectric turbidimetry. The designed stenosis model of the microfluidic chip can produce a gradient of fluid shear rate, and the gradient of fluid shear rate can induce platelet aggregation. Under this model, the degree of platelet adhesion and aggregation increased as the shear rate increased. In the experimental concentration range of 0–8 µmol/mL, protocatechuic acid exerted a concentration-dependent inhibition of platelet aggregation. In contrast, thromboelastography and photoelectric turbidimetry failed to demonstrate an inhibitory effect. The microfluidic chip analysis technology developed in this study can be used to study the effect of protocatechin in inhibiting platelet aggregation induced by shear rate in vitro. This technology is simple to operate and can be used as a new type of antiplatelet aggregation analysis technology for screening studies of novel potential antiplatelet aggregation drugs.
Application of Research and Development of Intelligent Wall Insulation Materials Based on Recycling of Waste Textiles in Civil Engineering Health Monitoring
Authors: Li Zhen
Published: May 2021

In recent years, with the continuous acceleration of the country′s economic construction, the demand for civil engineering construction is also deepening, and the accidents in construction are also rising. In order to reduce the occurrence of accidents, smart wall insulation materials were born. In order to achieve the best results of smart wall insulation materials, we have investigated many smart wall materials, such as waste and old, through literature research and data investigation, control products, coagulation, steel, etc. and by establishing relevant experimental models, investigating experiments to obtain experimental data, and researching the role of different materials in health monitoring. The results of the study found that, among the several materials tested, the smart wall insulation material made of the experimental waste prevention products performed the best in the health inspection, which was about 12% higher than other materials, and the waste textiles were resistant to damage. The ability is the strongest, about 10% higher than other materials, which shows that the research and development of intelligent wall insulation materials based on waste textiles can play a key role in civil engineering health monitoring.
The Role of Mitophagy in Regulating Cell Death
Authors: Li Sunao , Zhang Jiaxin , Liu Chao , Wang Qianliang , Yan Jun , Hui Li , Jia Qiufang , Shan Haiyan , Tao Luyang , Zhang Mingyang
Published: May 2021

Mitochondria are multifaceted organelles that serve to power critical cellular functions, including act as power generators of the cell, buffer cytosolic calcium overload, production of reactive oxygen species, and modulating cell survival. The structure and the cellular location of mitochondria are critical for their function and depend on highly regulated activities such as mitochondrial quality control (MQC) mechanisms. The MQC is regulated by several sets of processes: mitochondrial biogenesis, mitochondrial fusion and fission, mitophagy, and other mitochondrial proteostasis mechanisms such as mitochondrial unfolded protein response (mtUPR) or mitochondrial‐derived vesicles (MDVs). These processes are important for the maintenance of mitochondrial homeostasis, and alterations in the mitochondrial function and signaling are known to contribute to the dysregulation of cell death pathways. Recent studies have uncovered regulatory mechanisms that control the activity of the key components for mitophagy. In this review, we discuss how mitophagy is controlled and how mitophagy impinges on health and disease through regulating cell death.
Oil Content, Fatty Acid Composition, Physicochemical Properties, and Antioxidant Activity of Seed Oils of Ten Moroccan Pomegranate Cultivars
Authors: Loukhmas Sarah , Kerak Ebrahim , Elgadi Sara , Ettalibi Fatima , El Antari Abderraouf , Harrak Hasnaâ
Published: May 2021

Pomegranate seeds (Punica granatum L.) are quantitatively and qualitatively a relevant agri-food by-product which is rich in molecules beneficial to human health. In order to valorize this resource, this study aims to evaluate and to compare, for the first time, the characteristics of fruit seeds and seed oils of ten pomegranate cultivars grown in the Center of Morocco. Physical and biometric parameters of seeds, fatty acid composition, physicochemical criteria, and antioxidant activity of seed oils were determined. The results showed significant differences between the ten studied cultivars. The seeds yielded oil contents ranging from 17.59% to 24.69% and presented high contents of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) exceeding 89%. The major fatty acid was punicic acid, which represented more than 80% of fatty acids, while other fatty acids such as linoleic acid, oleic acid, and palmitic acid could be considered a minority. Oils showed yellow colour due to the contents of chlorophyll (0.12–1.87 mg/kg) and pheophytin (0.39–3.87 mg/kg) and presented high antioxidant activity (IC50: 0.69–1.80 mg/mL). Therefore, the studied pomegranate seeds had a very good oil yield, and these oils have presented an optimal fatty acid composition and high levels of antioxidant activity. Thus, they could be useful in the formulation of novel foods or used as preservatives and functional components in food industry.
Turning the Cocopith Waste into Myceliated Biocomposite to Make an Insulator
Authors: Mardijanti Diana Susyari , Megantara Erri Noviar , Bahtiar Ayi , Sunardi Sunardi
Published: May 2021

Cocopith is the main waste of the coconut coir milling industry, which has not been handled properly until now. Burning cocopith as a response to land availability concerns for storing waste has an impact on pollution for the surrounding environment. Efforts to reduce, reuse, recycle, and remanufacture cocopith waste provide better economic value for waste. The method used in this research is one with quantitative and qualitative approaches. The AAS method is used to test the concentration of cocopith chemical elements, while lignin and cellulose levels were tested using data methods. The test results obtained that the highest chemical elements are sulfur and chlorine; the sulfur content in 1 kg of cocopith is 24,000 mg and chlorine content is 10,371 mg. Meanwhile, the other results showed that lignin levels in cocopith (22.7%) are higher than cellulose content (10.27%). The test results of cocopith characteristics from the methods mentioned above showed that the chemical content of sulfur and chlorine and lignin, more so than cellulose, causes cocopith to have the potential to insulate thermally. Based on this potential, cocopith is processed into mycelium-based biocomposite that serves as an insulator. Maximum stress and tensile stress of this biocomposite have been tested through flexural strength tests with the ASTM-D7264 method. The biocomposite feasibility of the material as an insulator was shown through a thermal conductivity test at temperatures of 13°C–40°C. This showed a thermal conductivity value of 0.0887241 

±

 0.002964 W/mK. This value is in the range of 0.01–1.00 W/mK, which is a recommended value for the thermal conductivity insulator.
Experimental and Numerical Simulation Study on the Shear Strength Characteristics of Magnolia multiflora Root‐Soil Composites
Authors: Sui ZiFan , Yi Wen , Lu YunGang , Deng Liang
Published: May 2021

The shear strength of the soil refers to the ultimate strength of the soil against shear failure, which is one of the important indicators used to measure slope stability. This paper presents a simulation of direct shear tests on root‐soil composites with different root embedding angles under different stress conditions. By comparing and analyzing the simulation results of ABAQUS software and the laboratory test results, the enhancement effect of plant roots on soil shear strength was explored. Conclusions can be drawn as follows: the excellent agreement between numerical models and laboratory shear tests suggested that the developed model can quickly and conveniently predict the shear strength of the root‐soil composites. The shear strength was related to the rooting arrangement. For a single root system, when the inclination angle of the root was about 64° to the shear direction, the shear resistance of soil was much improved, while the root reinforcement had less effect when the inclination angle was greater than 90°. In the case of multiple roots, the hybrid rooting method can more effectively improve the shear resistance of the root‐soil composite. Therefore, in the practical application of using the root to strengthen the soil, the angle of a single root and arrangement of multiple roots should be comprehensively considered.
The Influence of Pile‐Driving Vibration on the Soil Nailing Support of a Silty Soil Foundation Pit
Authors: Guo Yuancheng , Wu Hao , Li Chenglin
Published: May 2021

The ground vibration induced by pile driving affects the safety of the adjacent foundation pit. In this paper, the influence of pile‐driving vibration on the soil strength and the nail‐soil interface strength was studied, and the variation in the axial force and displacement of the soil nail under vibration was analyzed. The paper studied the effects under different vibration parameters on the soil strength and the nail‐soil interface strength by using a vibration exciter and a nail pull‐out model box. The results showed that the stronger the excitation force was and the higher the frequency was, the greater the attenuation of the soil strength and nail‐soil interface strength was. On the contrary, the change of the internal friction angle of the soil was not obvious under the vibration. The nail‐soil interface strength recovered when the vibration terminated. Decreases in c and τp led to an increase in the working length of the soil nail, a redistribution of the axial force, and an augmentation in the soil nail displacement.
Mathematical Modeling and Analysis of Transmission Dynamics and Control of Schistosomiasis
Authors: Kanyi Ebrima , Afolabi Ayodeji Sunday , Onyango Nelson Owuor
Published: May 2021

This paper presents a mathematical model that describes the transmission dynamics of schistosomiasis for humans, snails, and the free living miracidia and cercariae. The model incorporates the treated compartment and a preventive factor due to water sanitation and hygiene (WASH) for the human subpopulation. A qualitative analysis was performed to examine the invariant regions, positivity of solutions, and disease equilibrium points together with their stabilities. The basic reproduction number,

R

0

, is computed and used as a threshold value to determine the existence and stability of the equilibrium points. It is established that, under a specific condition, the disease-free equilibrium exists and there is a unique endemic equilibrium when

R

0

>
1

. It is shown that the disease-free equilibrium point is both locally and globally asymptotically stable provided

R

0

<
1

, and the unique endemic equilibrium point is locally asymptotically stable whenever

R

0

>
1

using the concept of the Center Manifold Theory. A numerical simulation carried out showed that at

R

0

=
1

, the model exhibits a forward bifurcation which, thus, validates the analytic results. Numerical analyses of the control strategies were performed and discussed. Further, a sensitivity analysis of

R

0

was carried out to determine the contribution of the main parameters towards the die out of the disease. Finally, the effects that these parameters have on the infected humans were numerically examined, and the results indicated that combined application of treatment and WASH will be effective in eradicating schistosomiasis.
Investigating Fracture Network Deformation Using Noble Gas Release
Authors: Gardner W. Payton , Bauer Stephen J. , Broome Scott
Published: May 2021

We investigate deformation mechanics of fracture networks in unsaturated fractured rocks from subsurface conventional detonation using dynamic noble gas measurements and changes in air permeability. We dynamically measured the noble gas isotopic composition and helium exhalation of downhole gas before and after a large subsurface conventional detonation. These noble gas measurements were combined with measurements of the subsurface permeability field from 64 discrete sampling intervals before and after the detonation and subsurface mapping of fractures in borehole walls before well completion. We saw no observable increase in radiogenic noble gas release from either an isotopic composition or a helium exhalation point of view. Large increases in permeability were observed in 13 of 64 discrete sampling intervals. Of the sampling intervals which saw large increases in flow, only two locations did not have preexisting fractures mapped at the site. Given the lack of noble gas release and a clear increase in permeability, we infer that most of the strain accommodation of the fractured media occurred along previously existing fractures, rather than the creation of new fractures, even for a high strain rate event. These results have significant implications for how we conceptualize the deformation of rocks with fracture networks above the percolation threshold, with application to a variety of geologic and geological engineering problems.
Swarm Robot Exploration Strategy for Path Formation Tasks Inspired by Physarum polycephalum
Authors: Luo Yandong , Guo Jianwen , Lao Zhenpeng , Zhang Shaohui , Yan Xiaohui
Published: May 2021

Physarum polycephalum, a unicellular and multiheaded slime mould, can form highly efficient networks connecting separated food sources during the process of foraging. These adaptive networks exhibit a unique characteristic in that they are optimized without the control of a central consciousness. Inspired by this phenomenon, we present an efficient exploration and navigation strategy for a swarm of robots, which exploits cooperation and self‐organisation to overcome the limited abilities of the individual robots. The task faced by the robots consists in the exploration of an unknown environment in order to find a path between two distant target areas. For the proposed algorithm (EAIPP), we experimentally present robustness tests and obstacle tests conducted to analyse the performance of our algorithm and compare the proposed algorithm with other swarm robot foraging algorithms that also focus on the path formation task. This work has certain significance for the research of swarm robots and Physarum polycephalum. For the research of swarm robotics, our algorithm not only can lead multirobot as a whole to overcome the limitations of very simple individual agents but also can offer better performance in terms of search efficiency and success rate. For the research of Physarum polycephalum, this work is the first one combining swarm robots and Physarum polycephalum. It also reveals the potential of the Physarum polycephalum foraging principle in multirobot systems.
Research on the Reasonable Coal Pillar Width and Surrounding Rock Supporting Optimization of Gob‐Side Entry under Inclined Seam Condition
Authors: Jiang Li-li , Yang Zeng-qiang , Li Gang-wei
Published: May 2021

In order to study the optimal coal pillar width and surrounding rock control mechanism of gob‐side entry under inclined seam condition, the 130205 return air entry adjacent to 130203 gob in Yangchangwan No. 1 well is taken as a typical engineering background. By means of engineering background analysis, theoretical analysis based on inside and outside stress field, numerical simulation by FLAC3D software, and in situ industrial test and relevant monitoring methods, the optimal coal pillar width and surrounding rock control technology are obtained. The results show that the influence range of inside stress field is about 12.2∼12.8 m based on theoretical calculation result; under the influence of 10 m coal column, the overall deformation of the roadway is relatively small and within the reasonable range of engineering construction, so the width of the coal pillar along the return air roadway is set to 10 m which is more reasonable; the cross‐section characteristics of special‐shaped roadway lead to asymmetric stress distribution and fragmentation of surrounding rock, and then the asymmetric surrounding rock control technology under the coupling effect of roof prestressed anchor + high‐strength single anchor cable + truss anchor cable support is proposed. The monitoring results of this support method are effective for the maintenance of gob‐side entry, and the study conclusions provide new guidance for the surrounding rock control mechanism of gob‐side entry under inclined seam conditions.
Rolling Bearing Fault Diagnosis Method Based on Multisynchrosqueezing S Transform and Faster Dictionary Learning
Authors: Sun Guodong , Hu Ye , Wu Bo , Zhou Hongyu
Published: May 2021

Addressing the problem that it is difficult to extract the features of vibration signal and diagnose the fault of rolling bearing, we propose a novel diagnosis method combining multisynchrosqueezing S transform and faster dictionary learning (MSSST‐FDL). Firstly, MSSST is adopted to transform vibration signals into high‐resolution time‐frequency images. Then, the local binary pattern (LBP) operator is introduced to extract the low‐dimensional texture features of time‐frequency images, which improves the speed of fault recognition. Finally, nonnegative matrix factorization (NMF) with only one hyperparameter and nonnegative linear equation are used to solve the dictionary learning and feature coding, respectively. The feature coding is input into the classifier for training and recognition. Experiments show that our method performs well on the rolling bearing dataset of Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) and the Society for Machinery Failure Prevention Technology (MFPT). Further, the proposed method is applied to the loudspeaker pure‐tone detection dataset, and the loudspeaker anomaly diagnosis is achieved. The diagnosis results verify that our method can meet the needs of practical engineering.
Establishment of a Shear Strength Prediction Model for Asphalt Mixtures with Raw Materials Properties and Design Parameters
Authors: Wu Bangwei , Wu Xing , Liu Liping , Xiao Peng
Published: May 2021

Shear strength is one of the important mechanical properties of asphalt mixtures, which is affected by a combination of various parameters such as asphalt property, gradation, and asphalt content, so it often requires a large number of tests to obtain a satisfactory asphalt mix design result. Thus, a shear strength prediction model considering the effects of various factors is proposed to guide the design of asphalt mixes. Firstly, on the foundation of analyzing the factors affecting the shear strength of asphalt mixtures, composed bulk specific gravity of mineral materials, aggregate surface energy, nonrecoverable creep compliance Jnr3.2, gradation index, aggregate specific surface area, asphalt content, and gyratory compaction number were selected as the input parameters for modeling. Secondly, the effects of modeling parameters on shear strength were analyzed, and an appropriate model was established using the software Origin with 101 sets of test results. In the end, the prediction model was verified using extra 18 sets of test data. The result showed that the correlation coefficient between the predicted and measured value reached 0.8 or more, indicating that the model has satisfactory prediction accuracy. This prediction model proposed in this article can be used to reduce the workload for designing asphalt mixtures and promote the establishment of the performance‐based design method of asphalt mixtures.
Patients with Hepatitis C Infection and Normal Liver Function: A Neuropsychological and Neurophysiological Assessment of Cognitive Functions
Authors: Abrantes Jefferson , Torres Daniel Simplicio , Brandão-Mello Carlos Eduardo
Published: May 2021

Several studies have proposed a link between chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and the development of cognitive disorders. However, the inclusion of confounding factors in their samples significantly limits the interpretation of the results. Therefore, here, we aimed to compare the neurophysiological and cognitive performance between patients with HCV infection and a control group after excluding other factors that may cause cognitive impairment. This cross-sectional, group-control, observational study was performed from September 12, 2014, to October 20, 2017. HCV-infected patients and healthy individuals between 18 and 77 years were considered eligible. The exclusion criteria included well-established causes of cognitive impairment, such as depression and cirrhosis. The participants were submitted to neuropsychological testing to evaluate global cognitive function (minimental), sustained attention, divided attention, selective attention, working memory, psychomotor speed, and executive function and to a neurophysiological evaluation using quantitative electroencephalograms and P300 cognitive evoked potentials. Among the 309 patients considered eligible for the study, we excluded 259 patients who had one or more characteristics from the preestablished exclusion criteria, 18 who did not undergo neuropsychological and neurophysiological testing, and five who exhibited depression. The final sample consisted of 27 patients each in the HCV and control groups. The groups did not differ in age, schooling, and sex. The patients in the HCV group exhibited poorer performances in the cognitive areas involving attention (

p
=
0.01

), memory (

p
=
0.02

), and psychomotor velocity (

p
=
0.04

) apart from exhibiting prolonged latency in the P3b component (

p
=
0.03

) and

Z

score (

p
=
0.02

) of the P300 evoked cognitive potential. In this study performed with strict selection criteria, on conducting neuropsychological and neurophysiological evaluations, we detected the presence of cognitive impairment characterized by the involvement of attention, working memory, psychomotor processing speed, and memory in the HCV group.
Fuzzy Adaptive Control of Uncertain MIMO Chaotic Systems with Unknown Control Direction
Authors: Zhang Hua
Published: May 2021

This paper presents an adaptive controller for MIMO chaotic systems with system uncertainties and unknown control direction. In the controller design, the matrix decomposition theory is used, and we decompose the control gain matrix into a positive matrix, a diagonal matrix whose diagonal entries are +1 or −1, and a unity upper triangular matrix. To handle the unknown control direction (i.e., the unknown sign of the control gain matrix), we use the Nussbaum‐type function. In addition, we propose an adaptation law named proportional integral (PI) law to update the parameters of the fuzzy system. The stability of the controlled system is proven strictly. Finally, simulation results are presented.
An Action Recognition Algorithm for Sprinters Using Machine Learning
Authors: Jiang Fengqing , Chen Xiao
Published: May 2021

The advancements in modern science and technology have greatly promoted the progress of sports science. Advanced technological methods have been widely used in sports training, which have not only improved the scientific level of training but also promoted the continuous growth of sports technology and competition results. With the development of sports science and the gradual deepening of sport practices, the use of scientific training methods and monitoring approaches has improved the effect of sports training and athletes’ performance. This paper takes sprint as the research problem and constructs the image of sprinter’s action recognition based on machine learning. In view of the shortcomings of traditional dual-stream convolutional neural network for processing long-term video information, the time-segmented dual-stream network, based on sparse sampling, is used to better express the characteristics of long-term motion. First, the continuous video frame data is divided into multiple segments, and a short sequence of data containing user actions is formed by randomly sampling each segment of the video frame sequence. Next, it is applied to the dual-stream network for feature extraction. The optical flow image extraction involved in the dual-stream network is implemented by the system using the Lucas–Kanade algorithm. The system in this paper has been tested in actual scenarios, and the results show that the system design meets the expected requirements of the sprinters.
Deep Learning Approaches for Detecting Pneumonia in COVID-19 Patients by Analyzing Chest X-Ray Images
Authors: Hasan M. D. Kamrul , Ahmed Sakil , Abdullah Z. M. Ekram , Monirujjaman Khan Mohammad , Anand Divya , Singh Aman , AlZain Mohammad , Masud Mehedi
Published: May 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc in the daily life of human beings and devastated many economies worldwide, claiming millions of lives so far. Studies on COVID-19 have shown that older adults and people with a history of various medical issues, specifically prior cases of pneumonia, are at a higher risk of developing severe complications from COVID-19. As pneumonia is a common type of infection that spreads in the lungs, doctors usually perform chest X-ray to identify the infected regions of the lungs. In this study, machine learning tools such as LabelBinarizer are used to perform one-hot encoding on the labeled chest X-ray images and transform them into categorical form using Python’s to_categorical tool. Subsequently, various deep learning features such as convolutional neural network (CNN), VGG16, AveragePooling2D, dropout, flatten, dense, and input are used to build a detection model. Adam is used as an optimizer, which can be further applied to predict pneumonia in COVID-19 patients. The model predicted pneumonia with an average accuracy of 91.69%, sensitivity of 95.92%, and specificity of 100%. The model also efficiently reduces training loss and increases accuracy.
Research on Simplified Calculation Method of Coupled Vibration of Vehicle‐Bridge System
Authors: Cheng Zenong , Zhang Nan , Sun Qikai , Shen Zeguo , Liu Xiao
Published: May 2021

A modified moving loads’ model is proposed for the vehicle‐bridge coupling vibration simulation. Taking the vehicle‐bridge interaction model (VBI) as the reference, the accuracy and applicability of the three calculation models, namely, moving loads’ model, moving mass model, and spring‐damper‐mass model, are compared using the frequently‐used railway simply‐supported beam with a span of 32 meters as the research object. Influencing factors such as vehicle speed, mass ratio of vehicle and beam, and primary spring stiffness on the dynamic response of the vehicle‐bridge system are discussed in detail. The results show that the moving load model has the best performance on the stability of the deviation rate, but its calculation results are smaller than the other two methods as well as the VBI. The values of the deviation rate for the moving mass model and the spring‐damper‐mass model are large, and the stability of those are insufficient in the range of 80%∼120% of the first resonance velocity. Except for that, the results of the two models are in good agreement with the VBI model. According to above analysis, a modified moving loads’ model with two amplification coefficients, namely, 1.10 for the range of 90%∼105% of the first resonance velocity and 1.05 for other velocities, are proposed, which has higher calculation efficiency and accuracy.
Lightweight Cryptography for Network-on-Chip Data Encryption
Authors: Ayachi Riadh , Mhaouch Ayoub , Ben Abdelali Abdessalem
Published: May 2021

System-on-chip (SoC) is the main processor for most recent applications such as the Internet of things (IoT). SoCs are composed of multiple blocks that communicate with each other through an integrated router. Data routing from a block to another poses many challenges. The network-on-chip (NoC) was used for the transmission of data from a source to a destination with high reliability, high speed, low power consumption, and low hardware occupation. An NoC is composed of a router, network links (NL), and network interface (NI). The main component of the NoC, the NI, is composed of an input/output FIFO, a finite state machine (FSM), pack, and depack modules. Data transmission from a block to another poses a security problem such as secret information extraction. In this paper, we proposed a data encryption framework for NoC based on a light encryption device (LED) algorithm. The main advantages of the proposed algorithm are to reduce the implementation area and to achieve high speed while reducing the power consumption. The proposed encryption framework was simulated Verilog/VHDL on the Xilinx ISE and implemented on the Xilinx Virtex 5 XC5VFX200T. The obtained results have shown that the proposed framework has a smaller area and higher speed compared to existing works. The proposed algorithm has reduced the NI implementation area and enhanced the network performance in terms of speed and security.
Prevalence of the Use of Herbal Medicines among Patients with Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Asiimwe John Baptist , Nagendrappa Prakash B. , Atukunda Esther C. , Kamatenesi Mauda M. , Nambozi Grace , Tolo Casim U. , Ogwang Patrick E. , Sarki Ahmed M.
Published: May 2021

Background. Although herbal medicines are used by patients with cancer in multiple oncology care settings, the magnitude of herbal medicine use in this context remains unclear. The purpose of this review was to establish the prevalence of herbal medicine use among patients with cancer, across various geographical settings and patient characteristics (age and gender categories). Methods. Electronic databases that were searched for data published, from January 2000 to January 2020, were Medline (PubMed), Google Scholar, Embase, and African Index Medicus. Eligible studies reporting prevalence estimates of herbal medicine use amongst cancer patients were pooled using random-effects meta-analyses. Studies were grouped by World Bank region and income groups. Subgroup and meta-regression analyses were performed to explore source of heterogeneity. Results. In total, 155 studies with data for 809,065 participants (53.95% female) met the inclusion criteria. Overall, the pooled prevalence of the use of herbal medicine among patients with cancer was 22% (95% confidence interval (CI): 18%–25%), with the highest prevalence estimates for Africa (40%, 95% CI: 23%–58%) and Asia (28%, 95% CI: 21%–35%). The pooled prevalence estimate was higher across low- and middle-income countries (32%, 95% CI: 23%–42%) and lower across high-income countries (17%, 95% CI: 14%–21%). Higher pooled prevalence estimates were found for adult patients with cancer (22%, 95% CI: 19%–26%) compared with children with cancer (18%, 95% CI: 11%–27%) and for female patients (27%, 95% CI: 19%–35%) compared with males (17%, 95% CI: 1%–47%). Conclusion. Herbal medicine is used by a large percentage of patients with cancer use. The findings of this review highlight the need for herbal medicine to be integrated in cancer care.
Selecting the Strategic Port of “the Belt and Road” Based on the Global Network
Authors: Yang Zihui , Meng Qingchun , Li Chanjuan
Published: May 2021

Under “the Belt and Road” initiative, China promoted cooperation between domestic enterprises and international ports vigorously, which brought back fruitful results, while the rational selection of strategic pivots ports and the optimization of the layout of the port network are important guarantees to a further promotion to the economic development of “the Belt and Road” ports and give full play to the driving and radiation role of strategic pivots ports. On the basis of constructing a network of 155 ports in the world, according to the number of ports crossed by the shortest path and betweenness centrality in the network, this paper uses K‐Medoids clustering algorithm to train the strategic importance of ports and verifies the reliability of the analysis results. On this basis, the joint coverage analysis of strategically important ports is carried out, 17 ports are identified as strategic pivots ports of the global port network, and, finally, based on the two attributes of “the Belt and Road” and “Chinese enterprise participation” of strategic pivots ports, the leading role of strategic pivots ports in geographical location, path coverage, development potential, cooperation stability, and control is analyzed, and instructive suggestions are put forward.
An Online Arrangement Method of Difficult Actions in Competitive Aerobics Based on Multimedia Technology
Authors: Li Li
Published: May 2021

In accordance with the development trend of competitive aerobics’ arrangement structure, this paper studies the online arrangement method of difficult actions in competitive aerobics based on multimedia technology to improve the arrangement effect. RGB image, optical flow image, and corrected optical flow image are taken as the input modes of difficult action recognition network in competitive aerobics video based on top-down feature fusion. The key frames of input modes in competitive aerobics video are extracted by using the key frame extraction method based on subshot segmentation of a double-threshold sliding window and fully connected graph. Through forward propagation, the score vector of video relative to all categories is obtained, and the probability score of probability distribution is obtained after normalization. The human action recognition in competitive aerobics video is completed, and the online arrangement of difficult action in competitive aerobics is realized based on this. The experimental results show that this method has a high accuracy in identifying difficult actions in competitive aerobics video; the online arrangement of difficult actions in competitive aerobics has obvious advantages, meets the needs of users, and has strong practicability.
Multi‐Features‐Based Automated Breast Tumor Diagnosis Using Ultrasound Image and Support Vector Machine
Authors: Zhuang Zhemin , Yang Zengbiao , Zhuang Shuxin , Joseph Raj Alex Noel , Yuan Ye , Nersisson Ruban
Published: May 2021

Breast ultrasound examination is a routine, fast, and safe method for clinical diagnosis of breast tumors. In this paper, a classification method based on multi‐features and support vector machines was proposed for breast tumor diagnosis. Multi‐features are composed of characteristic features and deep learning features of breast tumor images. Initially, an improved level set algorithm was used to segment the lesion in breast ultrasound images, which provided an accurate calculation of characteristic features, such as orientation, edge indistinctness, characteristics of posterior shadowing region, and shape complexity. Simultaneously, we used transfer learning to construct a pretrained model as a feature extractor to extract the deep learning features of breast ultrasound images. Finally, the multi‐features were fused and fed to support vector machine for the further classification of breast ultrasound images. The proposed model, when tested on unknown samples, provided a classification accuracy of 92.5% for cancerous and noncancerous tumors.