bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Reference values of interrupter respiratory resistance in healthy preschool white children
Authors: Lombardi E , Sly P D , Concutelli G , Novembre E , Veneruso G , Frongia G , Bernardini R , Vierucci A
Published: July 2021

BACKGROUND

Interrupter respiratory resistance (Rint) is reported to be useful in evaluating lung function in poorly collaborating patients. However, no reference values are available from large samples of preschool children using the standard interrupter method. The aim of this study was to define reference Rint values in a population of healthy preschool children.

METHODS

Rint was assessed without supporting the cheeks in children with no history of wheeze from six kindergartens. To evaluate the effects of upper airway compliance on Rint in healthy children, an additional group of preschool children with either no history of wheeze or no respiratory symptoms at the time of testing underwent Rint measurements in our lung function laboratory with and without supporting the cheeks. Short term (about 1 minute apart) and long term (mean 2.5 months apart) repeatability of Rint measurements (2 SDs of the mean paired difference between measurements) was also assessed in children referred for cough or wheeze.

RESULTS

A total of 284 healthy white children (age range 3.0–6.4 years) were evaluated. Mean inspiratory and expiratory Rint (Rintiand Rinte) did not differ significantly in boys and girls. Age, height, and weight showed a significant inverse correlation with both Rintiand Rintein the univariate analysis with linear regression. Multiple regression with age, height, and weight as the independent variables showed that all three variables were significantly and independently correlated with Rinti, whereas only height was significantly and independently correlated with Rinte. Supporting the cheeks had no significant effect on Rinti(n=29, median 0.673v0.660 kPa/l.s, p=0.098) or Rinte(n=39, median 0.702v0.713 kPa/l.s, p=0.126). Short term repeatability was 0.202 kPa/l.s for Rinti(n=50) and 0.242 kPa/l.s for Rinte(n=69). Long term repeatability was 0.208 kPa/l.s for Rinte(n=26).

CONCLUSIONS

We have reported reference Rint values in preschool white children and have demonstrated the usefulness of this technique in assessing lung function in this age group.
Continuous positive airway pressure for sleep apnoea/hypopnoea syndrome: usefulness of a 2 week trial to identify factors associated with long term use
Authors: Popescu G , Latham M , Allgar V , Elliott M W
Published: July 2021

BACKGROUND

The sleep apnoea/hypopnoea syndrome (SAHS) is common and treatment with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is effective. However, not all patients can cope with the demands of using mask positive pressure. Compliance can be improved with an intensive educational programme and patient support, but this is not practical in most centres given the large numbers of patients coming forward for treatment. Several studies have evaluated correlations between various parameters at diagnosis in order to anticipate patients' behaviour and to avoid the social and health implications of undertreated SAHS. We have evaluated the use of additional data derived during a 2 week home CPAP trial to identify factors associated with longer term use of CPAP and compliance.

METHODS

Following a diagnostic study, 209 patients were offered a CPAP machine for a 2 week home trial. After completing the trial, patients were reassessed and scored their overall satisfaction with CPAP treatment on a five point scale ranging from “much worse” to “much better” and an Epworth score relating to the loan period. Machine run time was recorded from the integral clock. These data were added to those available at diagnosis to construct models indicative of continuing CPAP and average nightly use at 1 year.

RESULTS

209 patients were offered the 2 week loan at least a year before June 1999 (90.9% men, mean (SD) age 51.0 (10.6) years, body mass index (BMI) 34.6 (7.7) kg/m2, Epworth score 15 (IQR 11–18), apnoea/hypopnoea index (AHI) 38.1 (22.9) events/h). 153 patients (73.2%) opted to continue CPAP and 56 declined. One year later data were available for 187 patients; 128 (68.5% on an intention to treat analysis) continued to use the machine with a mean use of 5.0 (2.4) hours/night. A logistic regression model indicated that mean CPAP use during the loan period and the overall satisfaction score accurately defined continuing CPAP and “satisfactory” CPAP use at 1 year. For patients with low machine use and no symptomatic improvement during the loan period, the addition of baseline AHI, baseline Epworth score, and the Epworth score at the end of the loan to the equation identifying factors associated with “satisfactory” CPAP use (mean >2 hours/night) improved the value of the model.

CONCLUSION

Data derived from a 2 week CPAP trial are useful in identifying patients who will comply with CPAP treatment to 1 year. It can be used to identify patients with significant symptomatic disease who will struggle with CPAP and may benefit from additional education and support. High mean hourly use and a high degree of overall satisfaction during the loan period identified patients likely to use CPAP and be compliant with it at 1 year.
ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter proteins, multidrug resistance, and novel flavonoid dimers as potent, nontoxic, and selective inhibitors
Authors: Chow Larry M.C. , Chan Tak Hang
Published: July 2021

Multidrug resistance (MDR) is often a major impediment to successful chemotherapy in the treatment of cancer. A common mechanism for MDR is the overexpression of an active ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter protein, P-glycoprotein (P-gp/ABCB1, also known as MDR1), multidrug resistance protein 1 (MRP1/ABCC1), or breast cancer resistant protein (BCRP/ABCG2), on the plasma membrane of cancer cells. These transporters can pump many structurally diverse anticancer drugs out of the cancer cells and render these drugs ineffective at a therapeutic dosage, i.e., multidrug resistance. Coadministration of a potent ABC transporter inhibitor with an anticancer drug has been evaluated in several clinical trials to overcome MDR but has led to a disappointing outcome. By taking advantage of the pseudo-dimeric structure of ABC transporters, we demonstrated that some flavonoid dimers, using polyvalent interactions, can be potent inhibitors of ABC transporters. Selective inhibition of the three different transporters with flavonoid dimers can be achieved by placing the two flavonoid moieties at an optimal distance apart specific for each transporter. In addition to being potent and selective inhibitors of the transporters, flavonoid dimers are found to be nontoxic to normal cells at their corresponding effective concentrations. The in vivo efficacy of flavonoid dimers was demonstrated. Further investigation of these flavonoid dimers as clinical candidates to overcome MDR in cancer chemotherapy is warranted.
Controlling solid-state structure and film morphology in non-fullerene organic photovoltaic devices
Authors: Radford Chase L. , Kelly Timothy L.
Published: July 2021

Organic solar cells (OSCs) have long promised to provide renewable energy in a scalable, cost-effective way; however, for years, their relatively low efficiency has been a significant barrier to commercialization. Recent progress on cell efficiency means that OSCs are now much more competitive with other established technologies. These key advancements have come from better understanding and controlling the molecular structure, solid-state packing, and film morphology of the light absorbing layer. This focused review will explore the different ways that the solid-state structure and film morphology of the light absorbing layer can be controlled. It will examine the key features of an efficient light absorbing layer and present guiding principles for creating efficient OSCs. The future directions and remaining research questions of this field will be briefly discussed.
Comparison of time-based versus state–space stand growth models for tropical hybrid Eucalyptus clonal plantations in Sumatera, Indonesia
Authors: Waldy Joni , Kershaw John A. , Weiskittel Aaron , Ducey Mark J.
Published: July 2021

The pulp and paper industry in Indonesia is the tenth largest producer in the world, with Acacia and Eucalyptus as the main genera used for production; however, limited publications exist related to Eucalyptus growth models in Indonesia compared with other regions. Time-based models have been developed in which height, stand density, and basal area are predicted based on initial conditions and age. In contrast, a state–space approach utilizes the rate of change of these three state variables. Previous direct comparisons of these two approaches are generally limited. Consequently, the objective of this study was to compare two stand-level growth modeling approaches for Eucalyptus hybrid species on Sumatera (Sumatra) Island using both time-based and state–space methods. Our results indicate that dynamic models using either time-based or state–space approaches are adequate for predicting stand parameters to rotation age. A modified Bazukis matrix indicated that the behavior of both methods produced reliable predictions that were biologically reasonable in terms of stand development; however, the time-based approach provided better performance than the state–space approach on a variety of equivalence tests and goodness-of-fit statistics. Overall, the analysis highlights the advantages and disadvantages of these two commonly used, yet highly contrasting, stand-level growth modeling approaches, which need further consideration and evaluation.
Quark flavor physics and lattice QCD
Authors: Wingate Matthew
Published: July 2021

For a long time, investigation into the weak interactions of quarks has guided us toward understanding the Standard Model we know today. Now in the era of high precision, these studies are still one of the most promising avenues for peering beyond the Standard Model. This is a large-scale endeavour with many tales and many protagonists. In these pages I follow a few threads of a complex story, those passing through the realm of lattice gauge theory.
Matter production effects and interacting scenario within a reconstructed mimetic cosmology for late times
Authors: Cárdenas Víctor H. , Cruz Miguel , Lepe Samuel
Published: July 2021

In this work we explore two possible scenarios that can be considered to extend a recent proposed model by the authors known as reconstructed mimetic cosmology. This study is complemented with an statistical analysis for each case. The first scenario considers the inclusion of matter production as a possible source of cosmic expansion in the reconstructed mimetic model, at effective level was found that this construction can cross the phantom divide, the model evolves from quintessence to phantom dark energy. The second scenario corresponds to a construction of an interacting scheme for the dark sector which is described by the unified mimetic model. The resulting interaction term (not imposed by an Ansatz), Q, exhibits changes of sign leading to the violation of the second law along the cosmic evolution and non adiabaticity; the temperatures for the components of the dark sector are computed and such components are shown to be out of thermal equilibrium.
Review on the gelation of wax and pour point depressant in crude oil multiphase system
Authors: Xu Hongmei , Wang Yanpu , Wang Kun
Published: July 2021

The gelation of waxy crude oil multiphase system can result in the formation of network cementitious structure, which seriously impacts the safe and economic production of crude oil. This paper reviews current experimental, theoretical and numerical results on the gelation of wax in crude oil. For the experimental side, the most important problems are in situ measurement and measurement accuracy. On the theoretical side, the present methods own defects of low accuracy and limited application scope. Numerically, the models are of oversimplification, which are hardly applied to the real production. Besides, as a promising solution, the research progress of crude oil pour point depressant is also reviewed. The molecular design is a powerful approach to develop the optimized pour point depressant. The goals of this paper are to bridge the microscale atomic interactions and the macroscale physicochemical properties of waxy crude oil and pour point depressant, so as to lay a solid theoretical basis for preventing and controlling wax deposition in crude oil. These are beneficial to the future efficient, clean and safe energy production system.
Effect of rotational slip on the physical parameter in a micropolar fluid flow past a stretching sheet
Authors: Khan Raja Mehmood , Ashraf Waqas , El-Zahar Essam R. , Sohail Muhammad , Algelany A. M. , Thounthong Phatiphat
Published: July 2021

Micropolar fluid flow studied in this paper is influenced by microstructural slip. The flow is directed by a scheme of Partial Differential Equalities. These Partial Differential Equalities are then converted to nonlinear set of Ordinary Differential Equalities via boundary layer conversions. MATLAB bvp4c built in code is taken into account to resolve the leading set of ODEs, along with the initial-boundary settings. Hydro dynamical and thermal boundary layer outlines are considered and deliberated and the results are confirmed by linking with available literature in the classical case. Microstructural slip effects are shown on the Nusselt number and skin-friction coefficient. This model can better predict the effects and characteristics of rotational slip. Specifically, it is predicted from the tabular and graphical results that the rotational slip affects the boundary layer thickness when second-order translational slip disappears. It is important to mention that augmenting the standards of Prandtl number and radiation constraint declines the fluid temperature in the nonappearance and existence of microstructural slip. Moreover, increasing the values of magnetic parameter enhances the fluid temperature in presence as well as in absence of microstructural slip.
Abundant interaction between lump and k-kink, periodic and other analytical solutions for the (3+1)-D Burger system by bilinear analysis
Authors: Zhao Na , Manafian Jalil , Ilhan Onur Alp , Singh Gurpreet , Zulfugarova Rana
Published: July 2021

In this paper, we study the (3+1)-dimensional Burger system which is considered in soliton theory and generated by considering the Hirota bilinear operators. The bilinear frame to the Burger system by using the multi-dimensional Bell polynomials is constructed. Also, based on the binary Bäcklund transformations, the generalized Bell polynomials are written. We retrieve some novel exact analytical solutions, containing interaction between lump and two kink wave solutions, interaction between lump and periodic wave solutions, interaction between stripe and periodic solutions, breather wave solutions, cross-kink wave solutions, interaction between kink and periodic wave solutions, multi-wave solutions, and finally solitary wave solutions for the (3+1)-dimensional Burger system by Maple symbolic computations. The required conditions of the analyticity and positivity of the solutions can be easily achieved by taking special choices of the involved parameters. The main ingredients for this scheme are to recover the Hirota trilinear forms and their generalized equivalences.
Renewable Green Energy Resources for Next-Generation Smart Cities Using Big Data Analytics
Authors: Zhu Lingling , Shi Jie Fangi , Shi Yi Hai , Xu Hai Peng , Shanthini A. , Seetharam Tamizharasi G
Published: July 2021

Energy is now seen as a significant resource that develops abundant on the world economy, with short supply and development. A study found that renewable energy systems are needed to prevent shortages. Hence, all the focus in this study to decrease electricity consumption and reduce the overall completion times for a regular console in green technology networks was an efficient and scalable production genomic solution. A Renewable green energy resources smart city (RGER-SC) framework is proposed that used a multi-target evolutionary algorithm was hybridized to be effective and calculated arithmetically in this study. This work deals with fostering renewable energy incorporation by adjusting federal charges to increase the energy accounting practitioners. Besides, this report analyses the timely generation of delay-tolerant demands and the maintenance of district heating at network infrastructure. In comparison, capacity differentials between consumers and information centres are considered and evaluated using the Renewable green energy resources smart city (RGER-SC) framework for energy conservation and controlled task management at an industrial level.
Non-Rigid Image Registration based on Parameterized Surfaces: Application to 3D Cardiac Motion Image Analysis
Authors: Shah Said Khalid
Published: July 2021

This paper describes the Fast Radial Basis Function (RBF) method for cardiac motion tracking in 3D CT using non-rigid medical image registration based on parameterized (regular) surfaces. The technique is a point-based registration evaluation algorithm which does register 3D MR or CT images in real time. We first extract the surface of the whole heart 3D CT and its contrast enhanced part (left ventricle (LV) blood cavity) of each dataset with a semiautomatic contouring and a fully-automatic triangulation method followed by a global surface parameterization and optimization algorithm. In second step, a set of registration experiments are run to calculate the deformation field at various phases of cardiac motion or cycle from CT images, which results into significant deformation during each phase of a cycle. The surface points of the whole heart and LV are used to register the source systole image to various diastole target images taken at different phases during a heart beat. Our registration accuracy improves with the increase in number of salient feature points (i.e. optimized parameterized surfaces) and it has no effect on the speed of the algorithm (i.e. still less than a second). The results show that the target registration error is less than 3[Formula: see text]mm (2.53) and the performance of the Fast RBF algorithm is less than a second using a whole heart CT dataset of a single patient taken over the course of the entire cardiac cycle. At the end, the results for recovery (or analysis) of bigger deformation in heart CT images using the Fast RBF algorithm is compared to the state-of-the-art Free Form Deformation (FFD) registration technique. It is proved that the Fast RBF method is performing better in speed and slightly less accurate than the FFD (when measured in terms of NMI) due to iterative nature of the latter.
Explicit upper bound on the least primitive root modulo p2
Authors: Chen Bo
Published: July 2021

In this paper, we give an explicit upper bound on [Formula: see text], the least primitive root modulo [Formula: see text]. Since a primitive root modulo [Formula: see text] is not primitive modulo [Formula: see text] if and only if it belongs to the set of integers less than [Formula: see text] which are [Formula: see text]th power residues modulo [Formula: see text], we seek the bounds for [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] to find [Formula: see text] which satisfies [Formula: see text], where, [Formula: see text] denotes the number of primitive roots modulo [Formula: see text] not exceeding [Formula: see text], and [Formula: see text] denotes the number of [Formula: see text]th powers modulo [Formula: see text] not exceeding [Formula: see text]. The method we mainly use is to estimate the character sums contained in the expressions of the [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] above. Finally, we show that [Formula: see text] for all primes [Formula: see text]. This improves the recent result of Kerr et al.
On characterizing the complex Wishart distribution
Authors: Boutouria Imen
Published: July 2021

In this research paper, we generalized the results of Ignacy in the multivariate case in order to characterize the complex Wishart distribution.
Quantitative seismic interpretation of the Lower Cretaceous reservoirs in the Valdemar Field, Danish North Sea
Authors: Bredesen Kenneth , Lorentzen Mads , Nielsen Lars , Mosegaard Klaus
Published: July 2021

A quantitative seismic interpretation study is presented for the Lower Cretaceous Tuxen reservoir in the Valdemar Field, which is associated with heterogeneous and complex geology. Our objective is to better outline the reservoir quality variations of the Tuxen reservoir across the Valdemar Field. Seismic pre-stack data and well logs from two appraisal wells form the basis of this study. The workflow used includes seismic and rock physics forward modelling, attribute analysis, a coloured inversion, and a Bayesian pre-stack inversion for litho-fluid classification. Based on log data, the rock physics properties of the Tuxen interval reveal that the seismic signal is more governed by porosity than water-saturation changes at near-offset (or small angle). The coloured and Bayesian inversion results were generally consistent with well-log observations at the reservoir level and conformed to interpreted horizons. Although the available data have some limitations and the geological setting is complex, the results implied more promising reservoir quality in some areas than others. Hence, the results may offer useful information for delineating the best reservoir zones for further field development and selecting appropriate production strategies.
The onset of the Early Toarcian flooding of the Pliensbachian carbonate platform of central Tunisia (north–south axis) as inferred from trace fossils and geochemistry
Authors: Reolid Matías , Soussi Mohamed , Reolid Jesús , Ruebsam Wolfgang , Taher Ilef Belhaj , Mattioli Emanuela , Saidi Moncef , Schwark Lorenz
Published: July 2021

The flooding of the Lower Jurassic shelf in the North Gondwana Palaeomargin during the early Toarcian occurred on a fragmented and irregular topography affected by differential subsidence – owing to the activity of listric faults along the North–South Axis of Tunisia – that favoured lateral changes in facies and thickness at a kilometric scale. The onset of Toarcian sedimentation (Polymorphum ammonite Zone, NJT5c nannofossil Subzone) in two adjacent sections was characterized by the deposition of limestones under high-energy conditions. The Châabet El Attaris section was located in a depressed sub-basin, and recorded restricted environmental conditions owing to water stagnation and an oxygen-depleted sea bottom. Therefore, dark mudstones developed, with increased total organic carbon contents and enhanced accumulation of redox-sensitive elements. The sedimentation of limestones bearing gutter cast structures is related to gravity flows probably linked to storm activities. These processes favoured the remobilization of sediments at the seafloor, as well as oxygen input to bottom waters, as shown by the record of trace fossils including
Zoophycos
,
Ophiomorpha
, and secondarily,
Chondrites
and
Diplocraterion
. The thinly interbedded dark mudstones are locally rich in thin-shelled bivalves that re-colonized the sea bottom after the sedimentation of these high-energy deposits, and subsequently underwent mass mortality related to the return of oxygen-depleted conditions. The Kef El Hassine section is located in the upper part of a tilted, less subsident block, as indicated by its reduced thickness compared with the Châabet El Attaris section; the absence of dark mudstones implies oxic conditions. The Polymorphum Zone consists of limestones showing evidence of sedimentation under high-energy conditions, along with hardgrounds. The occurrence of
Zoophycos
(deep-tiers) in the upper part of some limestone beds of the Polymorphum Zone is linked to minor erosive processes. The top of the high-energy sequence – below the deposits of a marly interval corresponding to the Levisoni Zone – is interpreted as a hardground given the high content of belemnites and
Arenicolites
, some of them boring on the eroded
Zoophycos
and
Thalassinoides
. This study shows that the sedimentary expression of the Jenkyns Event is not uniform across Tunisia, supporting the importance of local conditions in determining the development of anoxic conditions.
Identification of Words and Phrases Through a Phonemic-Based Haptic Display
Authors: Reed Charlotte M. , Tan Hong Z. , Jiao Yang , Perez Zachary D. , Wilson E. Courtenay
Published: July 2021

Stand-alone devices for tactile speech reception serve a need as communication aids for persons with profound sensory impairments as well as in applications such as human-computer interfaces and remote communication when the normal auditory and visual channels are compromised or overloaded. The current research is concerned with perceptual evaluations of a phoneme-based tactile speech communication device in which a unique tactile code was assigned to each of the 24 consonants and 15 vowels of English. The tactile phonemic display was conveyed through an array of 24 tactors that stimulated the dorsal and ventral surfaces of the forearm. Experiments examined the recognition of individual words as a function of the inter-phoneme interval (Study 1) and two-word phrases as a function of the inter-word interval (Study 2). Following an average training period of 4.3 hrs on phoneme and word recognition tasks, mean scores for the recognition of individual words in Study 1 ranged from 87.7% correct to 74.3% correct as the inter-phoneme interval decreased from 300 to 0 ms. In Study 2, following an average of 2.5 hours of training on the two-word phrase task, both words in the phrase were identified with an accuracy of 75% correct using an inter-word interval of 1 sec and an inter-phoneme interval of 150 ms. Effective transmission rates achieved on this task were estimated to be on the order of 30 to 35 words/min.
Computational Model for Global Contour Precedence Based on Primary Visual Cortex Mechanisms
Authors: Wei Hui , Li Jingmeng
Published: July 2021

The edges of an image contains rich visual cognitive cues. However, the edge information of a natural scene usually is only a set of disorganized unorganized pixels for a computer. In psychology, the phenomenon of quickly perceiving global information from a complex pattern is called the global precedence effect (GPE). For example, when one observes the edge map of an image, some contours seem to automatically “pop out” from the complex background. This is a manifestation of GPE on edge information and is called global contour precedence (GCP). The primary visual cortex (V1) is closely related to the processing of edges. In this article, a neural computational model to simulate GCP based on the mechanisms of V1 is presented. There are three layers in the proposed model: the representation of line segments, organization of edges, and perception of global contours. In experiments, the ability to group edges is tested on the public dataset BSDS500. The results show that the grouping performance, robustness, and time cost of the proposed model are superior to those of other methods. In addition, the outputs of the proposed model can also be applied to the generation of object proposals, which indicates that the proposed model can contribute significantly to high-level visual tasks.
Diversity Training Goals, Limitations, and Promise: A Review of the Multidisciplinary Literature
Authors: Devine Patricia G. , Ash Tory L.
Published: July 2021

In this review, we utilize a narrative approach to synthesize the multidisciplinary literature on diversity training. In examining hundreds of articles on the topic, we discovered that the literature is amorphous and complex and does not allow us to reach decisive conclusions regarding best practices in diversity training. We note that scholars of diversity training, when testing the efficacy of their approaches, too often use proxy measures for success that are far removed from the types of consequential outcomes that reflect the purported goals of such trainings. We suggest that the enthusiasm for, and monetary investment in, diversity training has outpaced the available evidence that such programs are effective in achieving their goals. We recommend that researchers and practitioners work together for future investigations to propel the science of diversity training forward. We conclude with a roadmap for how to create a more rigorous and relevant science of diversity training.
An exploratory study of freshman attrition from an Appalachian physiology program
Authors: Leary Miriam , Bryner Randy
Published: July 2021

Appalachia has low rates of college attendance and graduation, but relevant data investigating student attrition from physiology majors in this region are lacking. This exploratory study examined freshman attrition from an undergraduate exercise physiology program in Appalachia with the goal of identifying potential strategies for improving retention across similar programs in this underserved region. Questionnaires were administered at the beginning and end of the fall semester to freshman ( n = 247) and students transferring out of the major [Transferred group (T); n = 50] by the end of their first semester were compared against those that remained [Retained group (R); n = 190]. The Transferred group was invited to participate in qualitative interviews. Fewer Transferred students reported feeling underprepared in academic preparedness skills, but more reported feeling underprepared in math. At the end of the semester, more in the Transferred group reported doing worse than expected in math and in getting good grades and had a lower grade point average (R: 3.27 ± 0.05; T: 2.62 ± 0.15; P < 0.01). More in the Transferred group were first-generation (FG) college students (R: 17%; T: 30%). Transferred FG had lower academic preparation and performance and more financial need than Retained FG. In interviews ( n = 35), most students expressed a change in career goals and many noted the academic rigor of the program, while academic advising, faculty, and the major received generally positive praise. This study identified several factors that would allow for early identification of incoming freshmen at risk for attrition and proposes strategies for improving retention within Appalachian physiology programs.
Calcium-release channels: structure and function of IP3 receptors and ryanodine receptors
Authors: Woll Kellie A. , Van Petegem Filip
Published: July 2021

Ca2+-release channels are giant membrane proteins that control the release of Ca2+ from the endoplasmic and sarcoplasmic reticulum. The two members, ryanodine receptors (RyRs) and inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate receptors (IP3Rs), are evolutionarily related and are both activated by cytosolic Ca2+. They share a common architecture, but RyRs have evolved additional modules in the cytosolic region. Their massive size allows for the regulation by tens of proteins and small molecules, which can affect the opening and closing of the channels. In addition to Ca2+, other major triggers include IP3 for the IP3Rs and depolarization of the plasma membrane for a particular RyR subtype expressed in skeletal muscle. Their size has made them popular targets for study via electron microscopic methods, with current structures culminating near 3 Å. The available structures have provided many new mechanistic insights into the binding of auxiliary proteins and small molecules, how these can regulate channel opening, and the mechanisms of disease-associated mutations. They also help scrutinize previously proposed binding sites, as some of these are now incompatible with the structures. Many questions remain around the structural effects of posttranslational modifications, additional binding partners, and the higher order complexes these channels can make in situ. This review summarizes our current knowledge about the structures of Ca2+-release channels and how this informs on their function.
Multiparameter Inversion Early Warning System of Tunnel Stress‐Seepage Coupling Based on IA‐BP Algorithm
Authors: Wang Junxiang , Sun Jie , Kou Haijun , Lin Yaxian
Published: July 2021

Under construction disturbance, the surrounding rock of a soft rock tunnel shows obvious aging characteristics. The creep characteristics of a rock mass under stress‐seepage coupling greatly influence the long‐term stability of a project. How to simply, quickly, and accurately determine the creep parameters of a rock mass under coupling conditions is significant to engineering structure design and construction. The optimal weights and thresholds of the BP neural network are sought through the immune algorithm to avoid the problem of slow convergence speed of the BP neural network and easy to fall into local optimum. Therefore, an intelligent back analysis method based on the IA‐BP algorithm is established, which leads to the development of the corresponding intelligent back analysis program. The creep effect of the rock mass was simulated herein using the Drucker–Prager yield criterion and the time hardening creep law as the forward optimization method constitutive model. In addition, a sensitivity analysis of the parameters was performed to determine the optimal number of inversion parameters. By comparing and analyzing the residual between the inversion results of the IA‐BP algorithm, PSO‐BP algorithm, and the test values, the high precision of the IA‐BP algorithm is proved. Taking the Lan Zhou‐Hai Kou national expressway tunnel as an engineering example, a multiparameter creep inversion of the tunnel surrounding rock under the stress‐seepage coupling condition was conducted using the inverse analysis method of the IA‐BP algorithm. The results showed that the proposed IA‐BP algorithm can effectively prevent the BP neural network from falling into a local minimum. Also, the algorithm is fast and accurate. The intelligent back analysis method based on the IA‐BP algorithm is applied to the multifield coupling parameter back analysis, provides the basis and help for the structural design and construction of soft rock tunnel in water‐rich stratum.
DIIA: Blockchain-Based Decentralized Infrastructure for Internet Accountability
Authors: Li Pengkun , Su Jinshu , Wang Xiaofeng , Xing Qianqian
Published: July 2021

The Internet lacking accountability suffers from IP address spoofing, prefix hijacking, and DDoS attacks. Global PKI-based accountable network involves harmful centralized authority abuse and complex certificate management. The inherently accountable network with self-certifying addresses is incompatible with the current Internet and faces the difficulty of revoking and updating keys. This study presents DIIA, a blockchain-based decentralized infrastructure to provide accountability for the current Internet. Specifically, DIIA designs a public-permissioned blockchain called TIPchain to act as a decentralized trust anchor, allowing cryptographic authentication of IP addresses without any global trusted authority. DIIA also proposes the revocable trustworthy IP address bound to the cryptographic key, which supports automatic key renewal and efficient key revocation and eliminates complexity certificate management. We present several security mechanisms based on DIIA to show how DIIA can help to enhance network layer security. We also implement a prototype system and experiment with real-world data. The results demonstrate the feasibility and suitability of our work in practice.
Semisupervised Learning-Based Sensor Ontology Matching
Authors: Zhu Hai , Zhang Jie , Xue Xingsi
Published: July 2021

Sensor ontology models the sensor information and knowledge in a machine-understandable way, which aims at addressing the data heterogeneity problem on the Internet of Things (IoT). However, the existing sensor ontologies are maintained independently for different requirements, which might define the same concept with different terms or context, yielding the heterogeneity issue. Since the complex semantic relationship between the sensor concepts and the large-scale entities is to be dealt with, finding the identical entity correspondences is an error-prone task. To effectively determine the sensor entity correspondences, this work proposes a semisupervised learning-based sensor ontology matching technique. First, we borrow the idea of “centrality” from the social network to construct the training examples; then, we present an evolutionary algorithm- (EA-) based metamatching technique to train the model of aggregating different similarity measures; finally, we use the trained model to match the rest entities. The experiment uses the benchmark as well as three real sensor ontologies to test our proposal’s performance. The experimental results show that our approach is able to determine high-quality sensor entity correspondences in all matching tasks.
Numerical Solutions of Certain New Models of the Time-Fractional Gray-Scott
Authors: Aljhani Sami , Noorani Mohd Salmi Md , Saad Khaled M. , Alomari A. K.
Published: July 2021

A reaction-diffusion system can be represented by the Gray-Scott model. In this study, we discuss a one-dimensional time-fractional Gray-Scott model with Liouville-Caputo, Caputo-Fabrizio-Caputo, and Atangana-Baleanu-Caputo fractional derivatives. We utilize the fractional homotopy analysis transformation method to obtain approximate solutions for the time-fractional Gray-Scott model. This method gives a more realistic series of solutions that converge rapidly to the exact solution. We can ensure convergence by solving the series resultant. We study the convergence analysis of fractional homotopy analysis transformation method by determining the interval of convergence employing the

ℏ

u
,
v

-curves and the average residual error. We also test the accuracy and the efficiency of this method by comparing our results numerically with the exact solution. Moreover, the effect of the fractionally obtained derivatives on the reaction-diffusion is analyzed. The fractional homotopy analysis transformation method algorithm can be easily applied for singular and nonsingular fractional derivative with partial differential equations, where a few terms of series solution are good enough to give an accurate solution.
Influence of Two Cooling Methods on Dynamic Mechanical Properties of High Temperature Sandstone
Authors: Ping Qi , Diao Qi , Qi Dezhi , Wang Chen , Zhang Chuanliang
Published: July 2021

To study the influence of different cooling methods on dynamic mechanical properties of high temperature rock, both natural cooling and water cooling were used to cool high temperature (100°C∼1000°C) coal mine sandstone to room temperature (20°C). Basic physical parameters of sandstone were measured, and impact compression tests were carried out by using the SHPB test device. Comparative analysis shows that the volume expansion rate, mass loss rate, density reduction rate, and P‐wave velocity reduction rate of sandstone specimens are positively correlated with the temperature in a quadratic function. The deteriorate rate of physical parameters of water cooling sandstone specimens is slightly larger than that of natural cooling. The variation of dynamic stress‐strain curves is basically consistent. Compaction stage of water cooling is slightly larger than that of natural cooling. With the increase in temperature, dynamic compressive strength of sandstone specimens first increases, then decreases, and reaches maximum at 300°C. Subsequently, dynamic compressive strength decreases in a quadratic function with the temperature, and dynamic compressive strength of water cooling sandstone specimens is significantly lower than that of natural cooling. The dynamic elastic modulus also first increases and then decreases with the temperature and reaches maximum at 300°C. The dynamic elastic modulus of water cooling sandstone specimens is lower than that of natural cooling, but they are roughly the same at 1000°C. Dynamic strain increases in a quadratic function with the temperature, and dynamic strain of water cooling sandstone specimens is greater than that of natural cooling. The impact failure of sandstone specimens is intensified with the temperature, and the failure degree of water cooling is greater than that of natural cooling.
Intangible Cultural Heritage High-Definition Digital Mobile Display Technology Based on VR Virtual Visualization
Authors: Xie Rongdong
Published: July 2021

With the continuous improvement of the public’s pursuit of information contact experience, in the era of the development of VR technology, digital mobile display technology has gradually changed the traditional display habits with its unique charm and strong competitive advantage. This article aims to improve the value of art research, meet the needs of the information age, and spread the spirit of intangible cultural heritage by improving the virtual visualization of intangible cultural heritage digital display technology. This article takes Dai ceramics intangible cultural heritage as an example to discuss the modern display technology of the ceramics, using virtual reality technology to enhance the sense of reality and interaction during the exhibition. This article uses visualization technology to digitally and artistically process Dai ceramics to achieve artistic effects while ensuring the authenticity of the ceramics, giving people a different visual experience. The article compares the application of several modern technologies in digital mobile display. Among them, the virtual reality technology has a good application in the system frame structure of the display, which exceeds 25%. In the future, virtual visualization technology will be further popularized and promoted, giving intangible cultural heritage high-definition digital display more opportunities and development space.
Chaos in a Financial System with Fractional Order and Its Control via Sliding Mode
Authors: Dousseh Paul Yaovi , Ainamon Cyrille , Miwadinou Clément Hodévèwan , Monwanou Adjimon Vincent , Chabi Orou Jean Bio
Published: July 2021

In this paper, the dynamical behaviors and chaos control of a fractional‐order financial system are discussed. The lowest fractional order found from which the system generates chaos is 2.49 for the commensurate order case and 2.13 for the incommensurate order case. Also, period‐doubling route to chaos was found in this system. The results of this study were validated by the existence of a positive Lyapunov exponent. Besides, in order to control chaos in this fractional‐order financial system with uncertain dynamics, a sliding mode controller is derived. The proposed controller stabilizes the commensurate and incommensurate fractional‐order systems. Numerical simulations are carried out to verify the analytical results.
Study of the Antimalarial Activity of the Leaf Extracts and Fractions of Persea americana and Dacryodes edulis and Their HPLC Analysis
Authors: Uzor Philip F. , Onyishi Chukwuebuka K. , Omaliko Adaeze P. , Nworgu Somtochukwu A. , Ugwu Onyemaechi H. , Nwodo Ngozi J.
Published: July 2021

In the present study, the antimalarial activity of the extracts and fractions of the leaves of Persea americana and Dacryodes edulis as well as their phytochemical compositions were examined. Each of the extracts of the plants was successively fractionated to obtain hexane, ethyl acetate, methanol, and water fractions. The extracts and fractions were tested against Plasmodium berghei in both curative and suppressive antimalarial mouse models. Their major phytochemical composition was studied by the standard chemical tests and HPLC analysis. The extracts and fractions of P. americana and D. edulis demonstrated significant (

p
<
0.05

) maximal plasmodial inhibition as 52.16 ± 2.77% and 57.10 ± 1.98%, respectively, and chemosuppression of parasitemia as 64.01 ± 0.08% and 71.99 ± 0.06%, respectively. The major secondary metabolites identified in the plants include alkaloids, flavonoids, and saponins. It was concluded that P. americana and D. edulis possess promising antimalarial activity and they are potential sources of new lead compounds against malaria.
Optimizing the Subsidy Calculation Model of Urban Public Transport
Authors: Shao Yunhong , Zhang Chunqin , Wang Daoyou , Zhou Jing , Hong Min
Published: July 2021

In recent years, to alleviate and resolve the traffic problems in China, the government introduced a series of policies to subsidize public transportation. Accordingly, to effectively implement these financial subsidies, the formulation of a scientific model of urban public transport subsidy calculation, strict control of the total amount of financial subsidies, and clear identification of subsidy targets are necessary. In this study, a linear dual model is developed based on the principle of resource allocation and the economic meaning of shadow prices. The public transportation system of a city in China is considered an example, and both public transport operators and public interest stakeholders are considered. The subsidy calculation for service quality improvement is established for public transportation operations and vehicle transformation. Based on the validation using the above example, the calculation result is found to approximate the actual value, indicating the feasibility of the proposed model. Finally, this article presents suggestions pertaining to subsidy mechanism, operating environment, and service quality as a reference for urban public transport subsidies.
Cervical Cancer Diagnosis Model Using Extreme Gradient Boosting and Bioinspired Firefly Optimization
Authors: Khan Irfan Ullah , Aslam Nida , Alshehri Rawan , Alzahrani Seham , Alghamdi Manal , Almalki Atheer , Balabeed Maryam
Published: July 2021

Cervical cancer is frequently a deadly disease, common in females. However, early diagnosis of cervical cancer can reduce the mortality rate and other associated complications. Cervical cancer risk factors can aid the early diagnosis. For better diagnosis accuracy, we proposed a study for early diagnosis of cervical cancer using reduced risk feature set and three ensemble-based classification techniques, i.e., extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), AdaBoost, and Random Forest (RF) along with Firefly algorithm for optimization. Synthetic Minority Oversampling Technique (SMOTE) data sampling technique was used to alleviate the data imbalance problem. Cervical cancer Risk Factors data set, containing 32 risks factor and four targets (Hinselmann, Schiller, Cytology, and Biopsy), is used in the study. The four targets are the widely used diagnosis test for cervical cancer. The effectiveness of the proposed study is evaluated in terms of accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive accuracy (PPA), and negative predictive accuracy (NPA). Moreover, Firefly features selection technique was used to achieve better results with the reduced number of features. Experimental results reveal the significance of the proposed model and achieved the highest outcome for Hinselmann test when compared with other three diagnostic tests. Furthermore, the reduction in the number of features has enhanced the outcomes. Additionally, the performance of the proposed models is noticeable in terms of accuracy when compared with other benchmark studies for cervical cancer diagnosis using reduced risk factors data set.