bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Relationship between Intellectual Property Risk and Stability of Asymmetric Research and Development Alliance
Authors: Zhen Jie , Guo Zhuopin , Qu Yiying , Ren Hao
Published: September 2021

Small‐ and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) establish asymmetric research and development (R&D) alliance with core enterprises to improve innovation efficiency. Unfortunately, the gap in the status and bargaining power between enterprises in such partnerships makes the intellectual property risk situation complicated. While gaining support and assistance from core enterprises, SMEs face the risk of exposing their core knowledge and key resources, which seriously affects the stability of R&D alliance and the sustainability of cooperative innovation. How to protect the intellectual property rights of SMEs in the asymmetric R&D alliance and improve the alliance’s stability is an urgent problem to be solved. Based on the theory of resource dependence and transaction cost, this study uses 260 high‐tech companies participating in the asymmetric R&D alliance as a sample to conduct empirical research from the perspective of SMEs in a weak position. The purpose of this study is to sort out the types of intellectual property risks in the alliance and clarify the relationship between them and the stability of asymmetric R&D alliance. Furthermore, this study examines the moderating effects of contract governance mechanisms and relational contracts to explore effective governance mechanisms at the alliance level. Empirical results show that the intellectual property investment risk and the intellectual property loss risk have a significant negative impact on the stability of asymmetric R&D alliance. The contract governance mechanism negatively moderates the impact of intellectual property investment risk on the stability of the asymmetric R&D alliance. The relationship governance mechanism negatively moderates the impact of intellectual property loss risk on the stability of the asymmetric R&D alliance. The contract and relationship governance mechanism jointly negatively moderate the impact of intellectual property investment risk and loss risk on the stability of the asymmetric R&D alliance.
Recognition Technology of Athlete’s Limb Movement Combined Based on the Integrated Learning Algorithm
Authors: Tan Fei , Xie Xiaoqing
Published: September 2021

Human motion recognition based on inertial sensor is a new research direction in the field of pattern recognition. It carries out preprocessing, feature selection, and feature selection by placing inertial sensors on the surface of the human body. Finally, it mainly classifies and recognizes the extracted features of human action. There are many kinds of swing movements in table tennis. Accurately identifying these movement modes is of great significance for swing movement analysis. With the development of artificial intelligence technology, human movement recognition has made many breakthroughs in recent years, from machine learning to deep learning, from wearable sensors to visual sensors. However, there is not much work on movement recognition for table tennis, and the methods are still mainly integrated into the traditional field of machine learning. Therefore, this paper uses an acceleration sensor as a motion recording device for a table tennis disc and explores the three‐axis acceleration data of four common swing motions. Traditional machine learning algorithms (decision tree, random forest tree, and support vector) are used to classify the swing motion, and a classification algorithm based on the idea of integration is designed. Experimental results show that the ensemble learning algorithm developed in this paper is better than the traditional machine learning algorithm, and the average recognition accuracy is 91%.
Chemical Components and Biological Effects of Genus Origanum
Authors: Zhou Li , Al-Zahra Kamal Kamel Attia Fatma , Meng Lijun , Chen Sitan , Liu Zhenhua , Ma Changyang , Liu Lijun , Kang Wenyi
Published: September 2021

The plants from genus Origanum are common folk Chinese herbs used to treat a variety of diseases. They are also used as a spice, a seasoning, and an ornament. Origanum plants are rich in essential oils and also have other compounds including terpenoids, flavonoids, organic acids, and sterols. They have a variety of biological activities such as antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory, growth-promoting, antibacterial, antioxidant, and anticancer properties. The chemical components and biological effects of genus Origanum were summarized by different scientific databases such as Web of Science, SciFinder, Baidu Scholar, PubMed, ScienceDirect, and SpringerLink. In conclusion, recent studies were mainly focused on the activities of their essential oils. The research studies for nonvolatile constituents and their pharmacological activities are few. Therefore, research on compounds in genus Origanum plants can be strengthened and their application prospect can be explored so as to make better use of the resources of these plants.
Nutrient Management for Soybean Crops
Authors: Bagale Suman
Published: September 2021

Soybean is one of the most important pulse crops in the world which supplies most of the protein and oil requirements. The efficient production of soybean crops is a constraint, with several biotic factors, abiotic factors, and crop management practices. Nutrient management is one of the important aspects for achieving higher production of crops. Effective nutrient management helps to assure the required nutrients needed for the plant without causing a significant decrease in the yield of crops. In addition to this, managing the nutrient efficiently helps the crop to cope with several types of biotic and abiotic stress. For soybean crop, altogether fifteen nutrients are needed, which comprises six macronutrients, namely, nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and sulfur, which are required relatively in large amounts, and nine micronutrients which include iron, boron, zinc, cobalt, copper, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, and chlorine. These nutrients can be supplied to the plants through soil incorporation or foliar spray of commercially available fertilizers. Nutrient requirements for soybean crops vary in concentration, and deviations can cause nutrient deficiency or toxicity in soybean crops. Nutrient availability to soybean crops depends on the available nutrients in the soil solution, the form of available soil nutrients, mode of uptake of nutrients, its interaction with other soil nutrients, soil chemistry, and method of fertilizer application. This review article explores essential nutrients for sustainable soybean production in relation to the role and functions of nutrients, required concentration, and visual syndrome shown during deficiency, including findings from several researches. The review article is aimed to guide soybean farmers for effective nutrient management and academicians in reviewing the literature in soybean nutrient management.
ECG Signal Classification Based on Fusion of Hybrid CNN and Wavelet Features by D-S Evidence Theory
Authors: Zhang Jixiang , Wu Chengqin , Ruan Chenzhao , Zhang Rongxia , Zhao Zengshun , Cheng Xiangqian
Published: September 2021

At present, cardiovascular disease is regarded as one of the dangerous diseases that threaten human life. The morbidity and lethality caused by cardiovascular disease are constantly increasing every year. In this paper, we propose a two-stream style operation to handle the electrocardiogram (ECG) classification: one for time-domain features and another for frequency-domain features. For the time-domain features, convolutional neural networks (CNN) are constructed for feature learning and classification of ECG signals. For the frequency-domain features, support vector regression (SVR) machines are designed to perform the regression prediction on each signal. Finally, the D-S evidence theory is adopted to perform the decision fusion strategy on the time-domain and frequency-domain classification results. We confirm a recognition performance of 99.64% from the experiment result for the D-S evidence theory recognition system upon the MIT-BIH arrhythmia database. The analysis of various methods of ECG classification shows that the model delivers superior performance promotion across all these scenarios.
Study on the Prediction of the Height of Two Zones in the Overlying Strata under a Strong Shock
Authors: Lai Xingping , Liu Bowei , Shan Pengfei , Cui Feng , Zhang Yun , Zhang Xudong , Bai Rui , Wu Xuan
Published: September 2021

A development of overlying strata fractures and an unknown distribution of the two zones, which results from a strong shock tendency roof short-distance coal seam group mining, are the main problems faced by Xiashijie Coal Mine. Consequently, an experiment has been conducted; here are the steps: designing an underlying strata development law and the two-zone distribution physical similarity simulation test under the short-distance coal seam group combined mining, using the BT-AE to comonitor the fracture development law and the distribution characteristics of the caving zone and the water-conducting fractured zone, and combining with 3DEC comparative analysis. The results show that after the coal seam mining is over, the number of overlying fractures increases with depth, controlled by the mining stress field in the direction of 115° west from north to west. The direction of overlying fracture is mainly concentrated in the area of 300° ~30°; the overlying fracture angles eventually develop to 81° and 74°, increasing by 15.7% and 8.8%, and the caving ratio and cracking ratio are 4.87 and 17.75. After comparing with the numerical calculation results, the reliability of the two zones obtained by the physical similarity simulation test is verified. The AE analysis results show that the “release-accumulate-release” energy evolution process of overlying rock fracture under mining conditions has a phased relationship with fracture expansion. The energy positioning results are consistent with the distribution of BT observation cracks, and the large energy events are mostly concentrated in the collapse zone, indicating that AE has the practicality of disaster warning. The results of this study provide scientific guidance for water-preserving mining under the combined mining of coal seams with a strong impact tendency roof in Xiashijie Coal Mine.
Cross-Border E-Commerce Supply Chain Risk Evaluation with FUZZY-ISM Model
Authors: Fang Zhiqi , Wang Qifeng
Published: September 2021

As a main new business model of Internet plus foreign trade, cross-border e-commerce has become an important way and breakthrough for China creating new foreign trade requirements in Internet economy. Cross-border supply chain management is one of the most important supports for cross-border e-commerce. Compared with domestic e-commerce, the supply chain of cross-border e-commerce faces more risks. In order to effectively identify and avoid the operational risks in the cross-border e-commerce supply chain, this article firstly analyzes the cross-border e-commerce supply chain risks from the operation process of the cross-border e-commerce supply chain. The risks include product selection management risks, cross-border transaction risks, and customs clearance risks that exist in the operation of cross-border e-commerce. Secondly, the cross-border e-commerce supply chain risk evaluation index system is established based on the risk elements. Finally, the risk evaluation is carried out through the FUZZY-ISM evaluation method, and the internal connection of each risk factor and the risk generation mechanism are revealed through structural model analysis, which provides a theoretical reference for cross-border e-commerce enterprise supply chain risk management.
Lycopene-Loaded Microemulsion Regulates Neurogenesis in Rats with Aβ-Induced Alzheimer’s Disease Rats Based on the Wnt/β-catenin Pathway
Authors: Ning Wen-jing , Lv Ren-jun , Xu Ning , Hou Xun-yao , Shen Chao , Guo Yun-liang , Fan Zhong-yu , Cao Na , Liu Xue-Ping
Published: September 2021

Objective. To investigate the effects of lycopene-loaded microemulsion (LME) on the cognitive function and neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus (DG) of the hippocampus and subventricular (SVZ) region of rats with amyloid β- (Aβ-) induced Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and its mechanism based on the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. Methods. Healthy Wistar rats were divided into four groups: the blank control (CON), AD control, traditional lycopene (LOO), and LME groups. The CON and AD groups were fed with normal saline, while the LOO group was fed with traditional lycopene, and the LME group was fed with lycopene-loaded microemulsion. Behavioral tests were performed after three weeks of gastric administration. Immunofluorescence-labeled cells were used to observe the differentiation and maturation of new nerve cells in the DG of the hippocampus and SVZ region. qRT-PCR and Western blotting detected the expression of neurogenesis genes and Wnt/β-catenin pathway-related proteins, respectively. Results. On the Morris water maze test, LME rats had significantly shortened movement trajectory on the searching platform, reduced escape latency time, and increased residence time on the original platform quadrant. In addition, more LME rats crossed the platform when it was removed. Thus, LME can improve the spatial learning and memory of Aβ-induced AD rats. On qRT-PCR, LME significantly increased Reelin, Nestin, and Pax6 gene expressions, which regulate neurogenesis. Immunofluorescence showed that LME could significantly increase BrdU+, Dcx+, BrdU+/Neun+, BrdU+/Dcx+ cells in the DG and SVZ regions, thus promoting neurogenesis. LME also reduced the number of Iba1+ and Iba1+/BrdU+ cells, thus reducing the neuroinflammatory response. On Western blot, LME upregulated the Wnt/β-catenin pathway by upregulating Wnt3a, β-catenin, Disheveled (Dvl), and p-GSK3β and downregulating p-β-catenin and GSK3β. Conclusion. LME attenuates cognitive impairment in Aβ-induced AD rats by promoting neurogenesis in the hippocampus and SVZ region through upregulating the Wnt/β-catenin pathway.
Genetic Association in the Maintenance of the Mitochondrial Microenvironment and Sperm Capacity
Authors: Thomas Hwang I. S. , Chen Ying-Shiuan , Hung Ching-Han , Sreerangaraja Urs Dilip Bhargava , Liao Tien-Ling , Lai Yen-Chun , Komrskova Katerina , Postlerová Pavla , Lin Yung-Feng , Kao Shu-Huei
Published: September 2021

Sperm motility is one of the major determinants of male fertility. Since sperm need a great deal of energy to support their fast movement by active metabolism, they are thus extremely vulnerable to oxidative damage by the reactive oxygen species (ROS) and other free radicals generated as byproducts in the electron transport chain. The present study is aimed at understanding the impact of a mitochondrial oxidizing/reducing microenvironment in the etiopathology of male infertility. We detected the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) 4,977 bp deletion in human sperm. We examined the gene mutation of ATP synthase 6 (ATPase6 m.T8993G) in ATP generation, the gene polymorphisms of uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2, G‐866A) in the uncoupling of oxidative phosphorylation, the role of genes such as manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD, C47T) and catalase (CAT, C‐262T) in the scavenging system in neutralizing reactive oxygen species, and the role of human 8‐oxoguanine DNA glycosylase (hOGG1, C1245G) in 8‐hydroxy‐2 ′‐deoxyguanosine (8‐OHdG) repair. We found that the sperm with higher motility were found to have a higher mitochondrial membrane potential and mitochondrial bioenergetics. The genotype frequencies of UCP2 G‐866A, MnSOD C47T, and CAT C‐262T were found to be significantly different among the fertile subjects, the infertile subjects with more than 50% motility, and the infertile subjects with less than 50% motility. A higher prevalence of the mtDNA 4,977 bp deletion was found in the subjects with impaired sperm motility and fertility. Furthermore, we found that there were significant differences between the occurrences of the mtDNA 4,977 bp deletion and MnSOD (C47T) and hOGG1 (C1245G). In conclusion, the maintenance of the mitochondrial redox microenvironment and genome integrity is an important issue in sperm motility and fertility.
Numerical Analysis of the Influence of Foundation Pit Blasting on a Nearby Metro Tunnel
Authors: Wang Haibo , Wang Yaoyao , Wang Mengxiang , Zong Qi
Published: September 2021

It is important to guarantee the safety of adjacent underground structures during the foundation pit blasting excavation of modern city construction. The blasting excavation construction of a large, deep foundation pit near an existing metro station of Guangzhou Metro Line 3 is used as the example in this study. Based on blasting vibration field test results, the influence of blasting dynamic load on the lining of an adjacent metro tunnel is numerically analyzed in simulation using Fast Lagrangian Analysis of Continua 3D (FLAC3D), and the relationships between the blasting vibration velocity and stress and the displacement of the metro tunnel lining are obtained. The results show that the stress of lining structure is within the allowable range under the experimental blasting conditions, the lining displacement increases linearly with the applied dynamic vibration velocity, and the vertical displacement of the lining is more obviously affected than the horizontal displacement by the dynamic load. This study can be used as a basis for the control of blasting vibration in a complex urban environment. Its practical application shows that the proposed blasting plan and parameters are reasonable and effective.
Application of Reinforcement Learning Algorithm in Delivery Order System under Supply Chain Environment
Authors: Huang Haozhe , Tan Xin
Published: September 2021

With the intensification of market competition and the development of market globalization, the efficiency of supply chain management orders has become an important part of enterprise competition resources. The competition among enterprises is fierce. To achieve effective customer response quickly, the time for supply chain order management is minimized, and refine the order processing process. This article introduces the strategy research of supply chain management order based on a reinforcement learning algorithm. This article first combines the reinforcement learning algorithm and deep learning algorithm, using the optimal decision-making ability of reinforcement learning algorithm and deep learning algorithm. The combination of data perception and the optimal ability to analyze examine the data of the order process, order cycle, and order delivery process of the supply chain order management and give the optimal decision. The supply chain order management process conducts questionnaire surveys and seminars to understand the current process of supply chain order management and the problems derived from the analysis of data based on the deep learning algorithm. Finally, through the output of the optimal strategy of the reinforcement learning algorithm, the supply chain order management process was improved, and the satisfaction survey was conducted again. The survey showed that the satisfaction was improved, and the satisfaction reached more than 90%.
Shaking Table Test for Evaluating the Seismic Performance of Steel Frame Retrofitted by Buckling‐Restrained Braces
Authors: Wang Tingting , Shao Jianhua , Zhao Chao , Liu Wenjin , Wang Zhanguang
Published: September 2021

To investigate the seismic performance of buckling‐restrained braces under the earthquake action, the shaking table test with a two‐story 1/4 scale model is carried out for the ordinary pure steel frame and the buckling‐restrained bracing steel frame with low‐yield‐point steel as the core plate. The failure modes, dynamic characteristics, acceleration response, interstory drift ratio, strain, shear force, and other mechanical properties of those two comparative structures subjected to different levels of seismic waves are mainly evaluated by the experiment. The test results show that under the action of seismic waves with different intensities, the apparent observations of damage occur in the pure frame structure, while no obvious or serious damage in the steel members of BRB structure is observed. With the increase in loading peak acceleration for the earthquake waves, the natural frequency of both structures gradually decreases and the damping ratio gradually increases. At the end of the test, the stiffness degradation rate of the pure frame structure is 11.2%, while that of the buckling‐restrained bracing steel frame structure is only 5.4%. The acceleration response of the buckling‐restrained bracing steel frame is smaller than that of the pure steel frame, and the acceleration amplification factor at the second story is larger than that at the first story for both structures. The average interstory drift ratios are, respectively, 1/847 and 1/238 for the pure steel frame under the frequent earthquake and rare earthquake and are 1/3000 and 1/314 for the buckling‐restrained bracing steel frame, which reveals that the reduction rate of lateral displacement reaches a maximum of 71.71% after the installation of buckling‐restrained brace in the pure steel frame. The strain values at each measuring point of the structural beam and column gradually increase with the increase of the peak seismic acceleration, but the strain values of the pure steel frame are significantly larger than those of the buckling‐restrained bracing steel frame, which indicates that the buckling‐restrained brace as the first seismic line of defense in the structure can dramatically protect the significant structural members. The maximum shear force at each floor of the structure decreases with the increase in height, and the shear response of the pure frame is apparently higher than that of the buckling‐restrained bracing structure.
The Robust Ground Clutter Canceller Based on Inaccurate Prior Knowledge in Airborne Radar
Authors: Dang Bo , Zhou Yan
Published: September 2021

Two-dimensional pulse-to-pulse canceller (TDPC) of ground clutter can effectively suppress the clutter along the clutter trace, and therefore the moving target detectability of the following space-time adaptive processing (STAP) algorithm can be improved after TDPC as the clutter prefilter. However, TDPC may greatly impair the energy of moving target when inaccurate knowledge is exploited, which is detrimental to target detection. Aiming at this problem, a robust two-dimensional pulse-to-pulse canceller (RTDPC) of ground clutter is proposed. In order to enhance the TDPC’s robustness with inaccurate radar system parameters, which are mainly the platform velocity and crab angle, the errors of estimated platform velocity and crab angle are taken as the prior knowledge and added into the design of the clutter filter coefficient matrix. By exploiting RTDPC as the clutter prefilter, the moving target detectability of the following nonadaptive detection algorithm or STAP algorithm can also be enhanced. The simulated and MCARM data are utilized to verify the clutter suppression performance of RTDPC with inaccurate platform velocity and crab angle.
Astounding Fibro Lipoma of Spermatic Cord: A Diagnostic Dilemma
Authors: Rohit Gupta , Hariprasad Chinniahnapalaya Pandurangaiah , Bharti Shreekant , Kumar Anil , Paswan Shiv Shankar , Vikram Surya , Anand Atul , Anto Jijo
Published: September 2021

Background. Fibro lipoma of the spermatic cord is a very rare tumor with few cases reported in literature. Atypical presentation and site of swelling mystifies the diagnosis and creates bewildering situation intraoperatively. Case Summary. A 30-year-old farmer presented with an elastic firm nonreducible, nontender swelling at inguinoscrotal region with positive cough impulse and history of laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair 3 years ago. Ultrasonography of the swelling revealed a heteroechoic lesion of size

7
×
6

centimeter with probable features of lipoma or desmoid. Fine needle aspiration drawn in consideration of the diagnostic dilemma reported a benign lipomatous swelling which on final histopathology turned out to be a fibro lipoma of size

7
×
6
×
5

 cm. Conclusion. Considering the age and presentation of the patient, it was astonishing. It provided an insight to the occurrence of fibro lipoma even in younger age group which in fact is the first case of its kind as per best of our knowledge. Malignancy should be ruled out in such cases, and complete excision is the treatment of choice.
Impact of Check-In Data on Urban Vitality in the Macao Peninsula
Authors: Pan Chen , Zhou Junling , Huang Xiaohua
Published: September 2021

High activity is an important manifestation of the stable development of urban social economy. Quantitative research on urban development based on the geographical label perception of urban vitality is a new technical means and way to study urban vitality. In this paper, points of interest and Weibo check-in geographic markers are used to analyze urban vitality indicators and urban vitality distribution patterns. Through the application of different indexes, the ordinary linear regression and spatial autoregressive models between urban vitality and built environment are established to explore the factors that affect urban vitality. Results of the research show that interest points and social media check-in data can better indicate urban vitality. The urban vitality of the Macao Special Administrative Region is mainly affected by the density of land use, buildings, and public transportation.
Substrate Temperature-Dependent Structural, Optical, and Electrical Properties of Thermochromic VO2(M) Nanostructured Films Grown by a One-Step Pulsed Laser Deposition Process on Smooth Quartz Substrates
Authors: Hendaoui Ali
Published: September 2021

Thermochromic M-phase vanadium dioxide VO2(M) films with different morphologies have been grown directly on smooth fused quartz substrates using low deposition rate pulsed laser deposition without posttreatment. When the substrate temperature was increased in the range 450°C–750°C, better (011) texturization of VO2(M) films was observed along with an enhancement of their crystallinity. Morphology evolved from small-grained and densely packed VO2(M) grains at 450°C to less packed micro/nanowires at 750°C. Mechanisms behind the crystallinity/morphology evolution were discussed and correlated with the effect of the temperature on the diffusion of the adatoms as well as on the V5+ valence states content in VO2(M) films. Resistivity measurements as a function of temperature revealed that the insulator-to-metal transition features of VO2(M) films (i.e., transition temperature (TIMT), resistivity variation (ΔR), hysteresis width (ΔH), and transition sharpness (ΔT)) are strongly dependent on the processing temperature. In terms of optical properties, it was found that the open (i.e., porous) structure of the films achieved at high temperature induced an improvement of their luminous transmittance. Simultaneously, the enhancement of the films crystallinity with the temperature resulted in better IR modulation ability. The present contribution provides a one-step process to control the morphology of VO2(M) films grown on smooth quartz substrates for applications as switches, memory devices, and smart windows.
Prognostic Significance of a Scoring System Combining p16, Smoking, and Drinking Status in a Series of 131 Patients with Oropharyngeal Cancers
Authors: Bouland Cyril , Dequanter Didier , Lechien Jérôme R. , Hanssens Charlotte , De Saint Aubain Nicolas , Digonnet Antoine , Javadian Rokneddine , Yanni Antoine , Rodriguez Alexandra , Loeb Isabelle , Journe Fabrice , Saussez Sven
Published: September 2021

Background. Tobacco and alcohol are two main risk factors associated with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Studies showed that human papillomavirus (HPV) plays a role in the etiology of this cancer. HPV-positive oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) patients present in general a better response to conventional therapy and better overall survival (OS). However, OSCC is a heterogeneous disease regarding treatment. This study aimed to identify more effective prognostic factors associated with a poor clinical outcome for OSCC patients to improve treatment selection. Materials and Methods. OSCC patients diagnosed between 2007 and 2017, in two Belgian hospitals, were included. Demographic and clinicopathologic data were extracted from medical records. HPV status was determined through p16 immunohistochemistry. Univariable and multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression analyses allowed to identify variables prognostic for OS and recurrence-free survival (RFS). Kaplan–Meier survival curves have been assessed for survival. Results. The study included 131 patients. Statistics showed that monotherapies were significantly associated with a shorter OS; p16 overexpression was significantly associated with a weak consumption of tobacco or alcohol, and a high p16 expression was significantly associated with both longer RFS and OS. The study validated that tobacco and alcohol consumption were significantly correlated with poorer RFS and poorer OS. Only p16 expression trended to be significant for RFS when compared to smoking and drinking habits, while p16 upregulation and alcohol use were both vital for OS indicating that p16 is an independent and significant prognostic factor in OSCC patients. Finally, a scoring system combining p16, tobacco, and alcohol status was defined and was significantly associated with longer RFS and longer OS for nonsmoker and nondrinker p16-positive OSCC patients. Conclusions. This study confirmed that the overexpression of the p16 protein could be viewed as a factor of good prognosis for RFS and OS of OSCC patients. The prognostic significance of a scoring system combining p16 expression, smoking, and drinking status was evaluated and concluded to be a more effective tool to determine therapeutic orientations based on the risk factors for better treatment relevance and survival.
Design and Mechanical Properties of Steel‐UHPC Lightweight Composite Decks
Authors: Liu Yong , Zhang Xin , Liu Rong , Chen Guorong
Published: September 2021

Orthotropic steel decks (OSDs) have been widely used in long‐span bridges due to their advantages of being lightweight, having high capacity, and allowing rapid construction. However, due to the insufficiency of local stiffness of OSD, fatigue cracking and pavement damage have been common problems of OSDs worldwide. It seriously affects the safety and durability of long‐span bridges. Therefore, to solve this problem, this paper introduces an innovative steel ultrahigh‐performance concrete (steel‐UHPC) lightweight composite deck (LWCD). LWCD can reduce the fatigue stress of the conventional OSD by up to 80% and extend the fatigue life to twice the design requirements. Furthermore, engineering practices in China have proven that LWCD can effectively reduce manufacturing costs and maintenance costs throughout the whole life cycle of the structures. Thus, to provide references for design and maintenance of long‐span bridges, this paper introduces the structural design, construction techniques, joint construction design, repair methods, and economic benefits of LWCD in detail. Furthermore, numerical simulations and laboratory tests are introduced in this paper to validate the superiority of LWCD.
Hydraulic Erosion Rate of Reinforced Tailings: Laboratory Investigation and Prediction Model
Authors: Chen Xuanyi , Jing Xiaofei , Cai Hai , Wang Yijun , Ye Luhua
Published: September 2021

Tailings dams are high‐potential‐energy dams built to store various ore tailings, and the overtopping failure caused by hydraulic erosion is one of the most common failure modes. The characteristics of hydraulic erosion of the reinforced tailings were studied by using the self‐made erosion apparatus with four kinds of reinforcement spacing 2.5, 1.7, 1.3, and 1.0 cm, respectively. The test results show a positive correlation between the reinforcement spacing and erosion rate of tailings. Based on the sediment scouring theory, the scouring constant in the erosion rate formula is determined to be 0.056 mm/s; a prediction model for the hydraulic erosion rate of reinforced tailings is established by introducing the collapse coefficient into the results of the overflow test of reinforced tailings. This model can provide a reference for the prediction of overtopping‐induced erosion failure of the reinforced tailings dam.
Design, Construction, and Evaluation of the Performance of Dual-Axis Sun Trucker Parabolic Solar Cooker and Comparison of Cooker
Authors: Tibebu Solomon , Hailu Arkbom
Published: September 2021

Energy demand is increasing due to population increment and industrialization. To meet this energy demand, technologies that use renewable energy such as solar energy are being developed. A parabolic solar cooker is one of the main solar cookers, which can cook food and boil water at a high temperature within a short period. This study aimed to design, construct, and evaluate the performance of the constructed parabolic solar cookers. Moreover, this study aimed to compare the constructed cooker with firewood, charcoal, kerosene, and electricity in terms of cooking time and energy cost. The cooker was constructed using different materials such as old satellite dishes, tyres, steel, and aluminum foil. The aperture diameter, aperture area, receiver diameter, receiver area, depth of the parabola, focal length, rim angle, circumference of the circle, surface area, length of the circumference, and concentration of the cooker were 1.8 m, 2.54 m2, 0.16 m, 0.02 m2, 0.3 m, 0.67 m, 67.38°, 5.76 m, 2.81 m2, 5.76 m, and 123.46, respectively. The cooker can track the sun from north to south and from east to west. The performance of the cooker was evaluated by calculating the efficiency and power. The output energy, input energy, and average upcoming solar radiation of the constructed parabolic solar cooker were 0.182 kW/m2, 1.691 kW/m2, and 0.665 kW/m2, respectively. The efficiency and power of the cooker were 10.75% and 0.3 kW/hr, respectively. The constructed parabolic solar cooker relatively showed better performance in cooking different foods. A family, which has five members, was considered to compare the constructed cooker with other fuels in terms of energy cost of cooking. Since the parabolic solar cooker does not have any energy cost, it can save the energy cost of cooking foods. Therefore, parabolic solar cookers have a great advantage for developing countries including Ethiopia.
Attribution Classification Method of APT Malware in IoT Using Machine Learning Techniques
Authors: Li Shudong , Zhang Qianqing , Wu Xiaobo , Han Weihong , Tian Zhihong
Published: September 2021

In recent years, the popularity of IoT (Internet of Things) applications and services has brought great convenience to people's lives, but ubiquitous IoT has also brought many security problems. Among them, advanced persistent threat (APT) is one of the most representative attacks, and its continuous outbreak has brought unprecedented security challenges for the large-scale deployment of the IoT. However, important research on analyzing the attribution of APT malware samples is still relatively few. Therefore, we propose a classification method for attribution organizations with APT malware in IoT using machine learning. It aims to mark the real attacking organization entities to better identify APT attack activity and protect the security of IoT. This method performs feature representation and feature selection based on APT behavior data obtained from devices in the Internet of Things and selects the features with a high degree of differentiation among organizations. Then, it trains a multiclass model named SMOTE-RF that can better deal with imbalance and multiclassification problems. Our experiments on real dynamic behavior data are combined to verify the effectiveness of the method proposed in this paper for attribution analysis of APT malware samples and achieve good performance. Our method could identify the organization behind complex APT attacks in IoT devices and services.
Productivity Influence Factors of Tight Sandstone Gas Reservoir with Water Produced
Authors: Xue Yongchao , Jin Qingshuang , Tian Hua
Published: September 2021

Finding ways to accelerate the effective development of tight sandstone gas reservoirs holds great strategic importance in regard to the improvement of consumption pattern of world energy. The pores and throats of the tight sandstone gas reservoir are small with abundant interstitial materials. Moreover, the mechanism of gas flow is highly complex. This paper is based on the research of a typical tight sandstone gas reservoir in Changqing Oilfield. A strong stress sensitivity in tight sandstone gas reservoir is indicated by the results, and it would be strengthened with the water production; at the same time, a rise to start-up pressure gradient would be given by the water producing process. With the increase in driving pressure gradient, the relative permeability of water also increases gradually, while that of gas decreases instead. Following these results, a model of gas-water two-phase flow has been built, keeping stress sensitivity, start-up pressure gradient, and the change of relative permeability in consideration. It is illustrated by the results of calculations that there is a reduction in the duration of plateau production period and the gas recovery factor during this period if the stress sensitivity and start-up pressure gradient are considered. In contrast to the start-up pressure gradient, stress sensitivity holds a greater influence on gas well productivity.
Regulatory Network of PD1 Signaling Is Associated with Prognosis in Glioblastoma Multiforme
Authors: Lopes-Ramos Camila M. , Belova Tatiana , Brunner Tess H. , Ben Guebila Marouen , Osorio Daniel , Quackenbush John , Kuijjer Marieke L.
Published: September 2021

Glioblastoma is an aggressive cancer of the brain and spine. While analysis of glioblastoma ‘omics data has somewhat improved our understanding of the disease, it has not led to direct improvement in patient survival. Cancer survival is often characterized by differences in gene expression, but the mechanisms that drive these differences are generally unknown. We therefore set out to model the regulatory mechanisms associated with glioblastoma survival. We inferred individual patient gene regulatory networks using data from two different expression platforms from The Cancer Genome Atlas. We performed comparative network analysis between patients with long- and short-term survival. Seven pathways were identified as associated with survival, all of them involved in immune signaling; differential regulation of PD1 signaling was validated to correspond with outcome in an independent dataset from the German Glioma Network. In this pathway, transcriptional repression of genes for which treatment options are available was lost in short-term survivors; this was independent of mutational burden and only weakly associated with T-cell infiltration. Collectively, these results provide a new way to stratify patients with glioblastoma that uses network features as biomarkers to predict survival. They also identify new potential therapeutic interventions, underscoring the value of analyzing gene regulatory networks in individual patients with cancer.

Significance:

Genome-wide network modeling of individual glioblastomas identifies dysregulation of PD1 signaling in patients with poor prognosis, indicating this approach can be used to understand how gene regulation influences cancer progression.
The Risk of Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma Among Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Receiving Hydrochlorothiazide: A Cohort Study
Authors: de Haan-Du Jing , Landman Gijs W.D. , Groenier Klaas H. , Vissers Pauline A.J. , Louwman Marieke W.J. , Kleefstra Nanne , de Bock Geertruida H.
Published: September 2021

Background:

Because of continuous hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia and the use of photosensitizing drug, hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ), the risk of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) might be increased among patients with diabetes. This study aimed to estimate the risk of cSCC among HCTZ users with type 2 diabetes, and to determine whether thiazide-like diuretics, another drug in the same class with HCTZ, would be safer.

Methods:

We linked the benchmarking database in Dutch primary care, the Netherlands Cancer Registry, and the Dutch Personal Records Database (1998–2019). All 71,648 patients were included, except for those who had a history of skin cancer prior to cohort entry. We used Cox modeling to estimate the HRs and 95% confidence intervals for cSCC. The model was adjusted by cumulative exposure to each antihypertensive, age, sex, smoking, body mass index, blood pressure, serum creatinine, other confounding drug use at cohort entry, and cohort entry year.

Results:

There were 1,409 cSCC events (23 among thiazide-like diuretics users), during a follow-up of 679,789 person-years. Compared with no HCTZ use, the adjusted HRs for HCTZ use were 1.18 (1.00–1.40) for ≤2 years, 1.57 (1.32–1.88) for 2 to 4 years, and 2.09 (1.73–2.52) for >4 years. The HR was 0.90 (0.79–1.03) for an additional year of thiazide-like diuretic use.

Conclusions:

In patients with diabetes, exposure to HCTZ for >2 years is associated with an increased risk of cSCC, whereas no increased risk associated with thiazide-like diuretics was observed.

Impact:

The potential increased risk of cSCC should be a consideration when prescribing HCTZ, with thiazide-like diuretics offering a safer alternative.
Hallmarks of RET and Co-occuring Genomic Alterations inRET-aberrant Cancers
Authors: Adashek Jacob J. , Desai Aakash P. , Andreev-Drakhlin Alexander Y. , Roszik Jason , Cote Gilbert J. , Subbiah Vivek
Published: September 2021

Activating receptor-tyrosine kinase rearranged during transfection (RET) mutations and fusions are potent drivers of oncogenesis. The recent FDA approvals of highly potent and selective RET inhibitors, selpercatinib and pralsetinib, has altered the therapeutic management of RET aberrant tumors. There is ample evidence of the role of RET signaling in certain cancers. RET aberrations as fusions or mutations occur in multiple cancers, however, there is considerable phenotypic diversity. There is emerging data on the lack of responsiveness of immunotherapy in RET-altered cancers. Herein, we review the registrational data from the selective RET-inhibitor trials, and comprehensively explore RET alterations in pan-cancer adult malignancies and their co-alterations. These co-occuring alterations may define the future of RET inhibition from specific selective targeting to customized combination therapies as data are rapidly emerging on both on-target and off-target acquired resistance mechanisms. Fascinatingly, oncogenic RET fusions have been reported to mediate resistance to EGFR inhibition and KRASG12C inhibition.
Shame Coping Strategies Amplify Certain Psychopathologies
Authors: Martin Franziska , Scheel Corinna , Legenbauer Tanja
Published: September 2021

Introduction: Recent research has focused on the relationship between shame and psychopathology. It has been shown that shame predicts depressive and anxious symptoms, as well as substance abuse, non-suicidal self-injury, and aggression. However, it remains unclear, how one emotion can influence psychiatric symptoms of such a broad spectrum. It is assumed that as shame is such an intense and painful emotion, it needs to be coped with and that the coping-strategies influence the effect shame has on psychopathologies. The Compass of Shame Scale (CoSS) is a questionnaire measuring 4 shame coping-strategies (withdrawal, avoidance, attacking others, and attacking the self) and the ability to adapt to shame. Methods: In this article, a German version of the CoSS (CoSS-d) is validated in a community sample and is used to predict psychopathology in a clinical and non-clinical sample. Results: The CoSS-d shows a 4-factorial structure, good reliability, and validity and is stable over time. The 4 poles of shame-coping show an impact on depressive symptoms, aggression, and self-injury. Conclusion: The CoSS serves as a reliable and unique measurement of trait shame-coping. Shame-coping styles are associated with psychopathology.
Prognostic Analysis of Diagnostic Ureteroscopic Biopsy for Intravesical Recurrence of Upper Urinary Tract Urothelial Carcinoma
Authors: Chen Han , Wang Ming , Weng Tonghui , Wei Yu , Yang Lei , Ren Ke , Tang Zhaobing , Gou Xin
Published: September 2021

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate whether diagnostic ureteroscopy (URS) biopsy is unfavourable for bladder tumour recurrence in upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC). Materials and Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of 195 patients diagnosed with UTUC, who were divided into a diagnostic URS group (URS+) and a nondiagnostic URS group (URS–) according to whether diagnostic ureteroscopic biopsy was performed. A Cox regression model was used to analyse the risk factors for intravesical recurrence (IVR)-free survival (IRFS) and overall survival (OS) in UTUC after radical nephroureterectomy (RNU). Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to estimate the influence of factors on the incidence of IVR and the cumulative survival rate of UTUC. Results: Patients with a maximum tumour diameter of less than 3.1 cm, low-stage tumours, and ureteral tumours were more likely to undergo diagnostic URS before radical surgery. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that tumour pathological stage and diagnostic ureteroscopic biopsy can be used as predictors of IVR after RNU (p = 0.019, 0.033). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis found that diagnostic ureteroscopic biopsy was a high-risk factor for IRFS (p = 0.034). Subcomponent analysis showed that pTa/Tis/T1, pT2, pT3/pT4 stage, and diagnostic ureteroscopic biopsy with pTa/Tis/T1 stage were unfavourable for IVR (p = 0.047). Conclusion: Diagnostic ureteroscopic biopsy before RNU should be carefully selected for patients with atypical preoperative UTUC. We believe that intravesical chemotherapy drug perfusion can be used after surgery to prevent IVR if biopsy is unavoidable, but this still requires further prospective studies.
Pregnancy in Women with Atypical Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome
Authors: Rondeau Eric , Ardissino Gianluigi , Caby-Tosi Marie-Pierre , Al-Dakkak Imad , Fakhouri Fadi , Miller Benjamin , Scully Marie ,   on behalf of the Global aHUS Registry
Published: September 2021

Background: Pregnancy outcomes in patients with atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS) are not well-documented. Here, we present characteristics of and outcomes for patients with aHUS who became pregnant while enrolled in the Global aHUS Registry. Methods: The observational Global aHUS Registry (NCT01522183), initiated in April 2012, collects demographics, disease history, treatment, and outcomes data for patients with aHUS, regardless of treatment approach. This descriptive analysis includes patients from the Registry with evaluable pregnancy data supplemented with pharmacovigilance information; the number of pregnancies, outcomes, and exposure to eculizumab were evaluated. Results: As of April 1, 2019, 44 pregnancies were recorded in 41 patients, with 24 pregnancies exposed to eculizumab. Pathogenic variants were identified in 48.8% of patients. Three patients were on dialysis and 6 patients had a kidney graft at the time of pregnancy. Excluding elective terminations, 85.3% of pregnancies resulted in live births. Elective terminations were recorded in 22.7% of pregnancies, miscarriages occurred in 9.1% of pregnancies, and late fetal death in 2.3% of pregnancies. No malformations or anomalies were reported. Conclusions: Our results show that in women with aHUS, even on dialysis or with a kidney graft, pregnancy is possible with careful monitoring for aHUS flares and prematurity. Prophylactic or therapeutic eculizumab offers disease control with low-risk of fetal abnormalities.