bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Walk a Mile in Their Shoes
Authors: Butler Jenna , Yeh Catherine
Published: May 2022

Covid has changed how people work in many ways, but many of the outcomes have been paradoxical in nature. What works for one person may not work for the next (or even the same person the next day), and we have yet to figure out how to predict exactly what will work for everyone. As you saw in the composite personas described here, some people struggle with isolation and loneliness, have a hard time connecting socially with their teams, or find the time pressures of hybrid work with remote teams to be overwhelming. Others relish this newfound way of working, enjoying more time with family, greater flexibility to exercise during the day, a better work/life balance, and a stronger desire to contribute to the world. How can we build work environments, tools, and processes to support the full range of experiences people are going through?
PMU-Events-Driven DVFS Techniques for Improving Energy Efficiency of Modern Processors
Authors: Hebbar Ranjan , Milenković Aleksandar
Published: May 2022

This paper describes the results of our measurement-based study, conducted on an Intel Core i7 processor running the SPEC CPU2017 benchmark suites, that evaluates the impact of
dynamic voltage frequency scaling (DVFS)
on
performance (P), energy efficiency (EE)
, and their
product (PxEE)
. The results indicate that the default DVFS-based power management techniques heavily favor performance, resulting in poor energy efficiency. To remedy this problem, we introduce, implement, and evaluate four DVFS-based power management techniques driven by the following metrics derived from the processor's performance monitoring unit: (i) the total pipeline slot stall ratio (FS-PS), (ii) the total cycle stall ratio (FS-TS), (iii) the total memory-related cycle stall ratio (FS-MS), and (iv) the number of last level cache misses per kilo instructions (FS-LLCM). The proposed techniques linearly map these metrics onto the available processor clock frequencies. The experimental evaluation results show that the proposed techniques significantly improve EE and PxEE metrics compared to the existing approaches. Specifically, EE improves from 44% to 92%, and PxEE improves from 31% to 48% when all the benchmarks are considered together. Furthermore, we find that the proposed techniques are particularly effective for a class of memory-intensive benchmarks – they improve EE from 121% to 183% and PxEE from 100% to 141%. Finally, we elucidate the advantages and disadvantages of each of the proposed techniques and offer recommendations on using them.
Electrostatic Tuning of Ionic Charge in SiO2 Dielectric Thin Films
Authors: Al-Dhahir Isabel , Kealy Rachel , Kelly Samira , Yu Mingzhe , McNab Shona , Collett Katherine , Liu Junliang , Grovenor Chris , Wilshaw Peter R. , Bonilla Ruy Sebastian
Published: May 2022

Dielectric thin films are a fundamental part of solid-state devices providing the means for advanced structures and enhanced operation. Charged dielectrics are a particular kind in which embedded charge is used to create a static electric field which can add functionality and improve the performance of adjacent electronic materials. To date, the charge concentration has been limited to intrinsic defects present after dielectric synthesis, unstable corona charging, or complex implantation processes. While such charging mechanisms have been exploited in silicon surface passivation and energy harvesters, an alternative is presented here. Solid-state cations are migrated into SiO2 thin films using a gateless and implantation-free ion injecting method, which can provide greater long-term durability and enable fine charge tailoring. We demonstrate the migration kinetics and the stability of potassium, rubidium, and caesium cations inside of SiO2 thin films, showing that the ion concentration within the film can be tuned, leading to charge densities between 0.1–10 × 1012 q cm−2. A comprehensive model of ion injection and transport is presented along a detailed investigation of the kinetics of alkali cations. Integrating ionic charge into dielectrics to produce controlled electric fields can enable new architectures where field effect is exploited for improved electron devices.
Computed Tomography Texture Features and Risk Factor Analysis of Postoperative Recurrence of Patients with Advanced Gastric Cancer after Radical Treatment under Artificial Intelligence Algorithm
Authors: Zhou Zhiwu , Zhang Mei , Liao Chuanwen , Zhang Hong , Yang Qing , Yang Yu
Published: May 2022

Computer tomography texture analysis (CTTA) based on the V-Net convolutional neural network (CNN) algorithm was used to analyze the recurrence of advanced gastric cancer after radical treatment. Meanwhile, the clinical characteristics of patients were analyzed to explore the recurrence factors. 86 patients who underwent the advanced radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer were retrospectively selected as the research objects. Patients were divided into the no-recurrence group (30 cases) and the recurrence group (56 cases) according to whether there was recurrence after radical treatment. CTTA was performed before and after surgery in both groups to analyze the risk factors for recurrence. The results showed that the dice coefficient (0.9209) and the intersection over union (IOU) value (0.8392) of the V–CNN segmentation effect were signally higher than those of CNN, V-Net, and context encoder network (CE-Net) (

P

 < 0.05). The mean value of arterial phase and portal phase (65.29 ± 9.23)/(79.89 ± 10.83), kurtosis (3.22)/(3.13), entropy (9.99 ± 0.53)/(9.97 ± 0.83), and correlation (4.12 × 10−5/4.21 × 10−5) of the recurrence group was higher than the no-recurrence group, while the skewness (0.01)/(−0.06) of the recurrence group was lower than that of the no-recurrence group (

P

 < 0.05). Patients aged 60 years old and above, with a tumor diameter of 6 cm and above, and in the stage III/IV in the recurrence group were higher than those in the no-recurrence group, and patients with chemotherapy were lower (

P

 < 0.05). To sum up, age, tumor diameter, whether chemotherapy should be performed, and tumor staging were all the risk factors of postoperative recurrence among patients with gastric cancer. Besides, CT texture parameter could be used to predict and analyze the postoperative recurrence of gastric cancer with good clinical application values.
Synthesis, Structure, and Biologic Activity of Some Copper, Nickel, Cobalt, and Zinc Complexes with 2‐Formylpyridine N4‐Allylthiosemicarbazone
Authors: Graur Vasilii , Chumakov Yurii , Garbuz Olga , Hureau Christelle , Tsapkov Victor , Gulea Aurelian
Published: May 2022

A series of zinc(II) ([Zn(H2O)(L)Cl] (1)), copper (II) ([Cu(L)Cl] (2), [Cu(L)Br] (3), [Cu2(L)2(CH3COO)2]·4H2O (4)), nickel(II) ([Ni(HL)2]Cl2·H2O (5)), and cobalt(III) ([Co(L)2]Cl (6)) complexes were obtained with 2‐formylpyridine N4‐allylthiosemicarbazone (HL). In addition another two thiosemicarbazones (3‐formylpyridine N4‐allylthiosemicarbazone (HLa) and 4‐formylpyridine N4‐allylthiosemicarbazone (HLb)) have been obtained. The synthesized thiosemicarbazones have been studied using 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy, IR spectroscopy, and X‐ray diffraction analysis. The composition and structure of complexes were studied using elemental analysis, IR and UV‐Vis spectroscopies, molar conductivity, and magnetic susceptibility measurements. Single crystal X‐ray diffraction analysis elucidated the structure of thiosemicarbazones HL, HLa, and HLb, as well as complexes 4 and 5. The antiproliferative properties of these compounds toward a series of cancer cell lines (HL‐60, HeLa, BxPC‐3, RD) and a normal cell line (MDCK) have been investigated. The nickel complex shows high selectivity (SI > 1000) toward HL‐60 cell line and is the least toxic. The zinc complex shows the highest selectivity toward RD cell line (SI = 640). The copper complexes (2–4) are the most active molecular inhibitors of proliferation of cancer cells, but exhibit not such a high selectivity and are significantly more toxic. Zinc and copper complexes manifest high antibacterial activity. It was found that calculated at B3LYP level of theory different reactivity descriptors of studied compounds strongly correlate with their biological activity.
Evaluation Method of Municipal Road Construction Quality Based on Carbon Emissions using Genetic Algorithm
Authors: Hou Bing , Mao Chunyang , Xu Liang , Sun Botao , Zhang Jie
Published: May 2022

With the rapid development of the world economy, the infrastructure of the nations is improving day by day. The transportation system is a backbone of infrastructure of any country. Transportation plays a vital role in environmental issues as well. For a country like China, municipal road plays an important role in the transportation system but the construction should be environmental friendly. The municipal road construction should be free from carbon emissions and the road should be of good quality to increase the efficiency of road transportation. The construction quality of the road is affected by the temperature, type of material, eco-friendly material, and material quality which makes the construction quality uncertain. The environmental issues are alarming. The natural resources are exploited in order to strengthen the infrastructure of any country. There is a need to find the ways to use eco-friendly material for infrastructure in all the developing nations. The traditional quality evaluation methods do not preprocess the construction quality data to keep track of the composition of environmental friendly material in the overall material. The collected dynamic monitoring data of municipal road construction quality are sparse and the key data is not accurate to evaluate the material and its consequences on the environment. Now is the time to pay attention to the environmental issues before any economic and social progress. The evaluation method of municipal road construction quality based on an improved genetic algorithm (GA) is proposed in this paper by considering carbon emissions to keep the environment free from pollution. In the process of quality evaluation of load, a spanning tree constraint method is also introduced to form a related constraint relationship. The improved GA is used to calculate municipal road construction flow parameters to ensure the optimal evaluation results. Experimental results show that the evaluation method is accurate and reliable and meets the requirement of the current era where environment issues are at priority.
Advances and Pitfalls of Specialized Pain Care through Public and Private Health Care Providers in Catalonia and the Balearic Islands: A Physician’s Survey
Authors: Medel Javier , Serrano Ancor , Batet Carme , Lorente Lluis , Bella Susana , Ferrandiz Marta , Monerris María-del-Mar , Boada Sergi , Villoria Jesus , Ribera Maria-Victoria , Montes Antonio , Videla Sebastian
Published: May 2022

Optimal diagnosis and treatment of pain require a multidisciplinary approach that demands considerable coordination and forethought. A cross-sectional physician survey based on an online questionnaire was carried out to assess the adoption of multidisciplinary working patterns, compare the public and private models, and provide an update on the resources and organization of specialized pain care in Catalonia and the Balearic Islands. Active pain practitioners identified through the Catalan Health Service and Pain Society databases were sent an invitation in December 2020. Of the 321 physicians contacted, 91 (28.3%) answered and 71 provided complete responses (commonly anesthesiologists, representing 92 different sites; some worked at public and private sites). Up to 78.7% reported working in pain management teams, but only 53.5% were regularly involved in teaching or research activities. Thus, the proportion of multidisciplinary sites lies somewhere in-between. Median wait times were significantly shorter and within the recommended standards in private practices (e.g., 15 vs. 90 days in public practices for noncancer patients). In turn, private practices were slightly less staffed and equipped, albeit the differences did not reach statistical significance. Respondents made a median of 530 regular and 30 emergency visits per year, of which 190 involved interventional procedures. They offered a wide range of pharmacological and interventional therapies, although psychotherapy and the most sophisticated procedures were only available in ≤50% of sites. Pain clinicians and facilities are reasonably available in Catalonia, but barely more than half are truly multidisciplinary. Public and private practices differ in some aspects; the latter seems to be more accessible, but it is restricted to patients who can afford it. Compared to previous reports, this update shows both advances and outstanding issues. Multidisciplinary care could be expanded by incorporating more psychologists and some interventional procedures. The public practices should reduce wait times.
Balance of Public Medical and Health Services and Reform of Medical Institutions Based on 5G Sensor Technology
Authors: Xu Feifei
Published: May 2022

Since its reform and opening in 1978, China’s economy has grown rapidly and human life and physical well-being have improved significantly. The public health care system is an imperative guarantee of people’s life and physical health. It is necessary to establish a reasonable planning, a reasonable division of labor, and an efficient medical service system to improve the overall efficiency of health care services and ensure the physical health of the people. The balance of public health care services plays a very important role. It plays a very important role in safeguarding people’s basic right to health, regulating social fairness and justice, promoting the sustainable development of medical and health services, and building a harmonious society. Based on 5G sensor technology, this paper combines relevant research on sensor technology at home and abroad and comprehensively uses related theories such as sensing principles and health care services to discuss the internal operation mechanism of China’s public health care service system. It conducts experiments to compare health care services with 5G sensor technology with existing health care service systems. It compares its bed occupancy rates, hospital admissions and discharges, outpatient and emergency department volumes, and average inpatient costs. It studies the impact of 5G sensor technology on public health care services. The experimental results show that after adopting 5G sensor technology, the average bed utilization rate in the H hospital is 88.71%. The total number of hospitalizations was 9.845 million, and the total number of discharges was 8.668 million. The total number of outpatient visits was 44.259 million, and the total emergency department was 7.694 million. The per capita cost of inpatients in H hospital is 15,840 yuan, and the per capita cost of inpatients in W center is 9,661.75 yuan.
Innovation of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Media in Environmental Art Design
Authors: Sui Xiaoying
Published: May 2022

With the current upsurge of innovation and entrepreneurship in China, this paper objectively analyzes the importance of designers’ professional quality and scientific awareness in response to the need for the integration and development of innovative skills and artistic spirit in environmental design. This paper emphasizes that the level of intelligent operation of science and technology should be improved in design, the rigor of intelligent utilization in creative expression should be improved, and the problem of evaluation criteria of artistic design value should be solved based on professional development. This paper gives the design scheme of intelligent monitoring module based on Lora technology and designs the hardware circuit of the intelligent monitoring module with MSP430F2272 as the core. It includes a microcontroller circuit, a Lora module interface circuit, an input signal detection module, a control output module, and the like. This paper focuses on the content, representation, and implementation of the associated configuration table, and compares four analog input signals with variable thresholds. The sensor detects 800Lux, and the error is 500Lux, which is higher than errmax, so it outputs -10 brightening every time to generate analog input logic. The 4 digital inputs are combined with the analog input logic to generate output control signals by associating operations.
[Retracted] Screening of Adverse Prognostic Factors and Construction of Prognostic Index in Previously Untreated Concurrent Follicular Lymphoma and Diffuse Large B‐Cell Lymphoma
Authors: Qu Zhenjie , Zhang Tingting , Gao Fenghua , Gong Wenchen , Cui Yaoli , Qiu Lihua , Qian Zhengzi , Zhou Shiyong , Meng Bin , Ren Xiubao , Li Lanfang , Wang Xianhuo , Zhang Huilai
Published: May 2022

Objective. Concurrent follicular lymphoma (FL) and diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma (DLBCL) (defined as FL/DLBCL) have been considered an important pathological feature in cell lymphoma. However, clinicopathological information and prognostic factors in these cases are scarce. The aim of this study was to construct a prediction index to compare with traditional prognostic models. Methods. Retrospectively enrolled, previously untreated FL/DLBCL (n = 121) patients, as well as those with pure FL 1–3a (n = 471), were assessed. De novo DLBCL (n = 529) were used as controls. Kaplan–Meier curves were plotted to compare the outcomes among the three groups. Multivariate analysis identified risk factors associated with overall survival (OS) in FL/DLBCL patients. A clinicopathological prognosis index (CPPI) was developed to predict OS based on the Cox proportional hazards model. Results. The outcomes of FL/DLBCL patients were intermediate between pure FL 1–3a and de novo DLBCL patients, with a 5‐year PFS of 70%, 59%, and 48% (P < 0.05) and 5‐year OS of 80%, 70% and 60% (P < 0.05), respectively. Cox regression analysis showed that the prognostic factors of OS for FL/DLBCL patients included FL grade, cell of origin, and Ann Arbor stage. A nomogram and clinicopathological prognostic index (CPPI) were developed to predict the OS for FL/DLBCL patients based on these factors. The area under the curve (AUC) of the CPPI for 3‐ and 5‐year OS prediction was 0.782 and 0.860, respectively. This was superior to that of the International Prognostic Index (IPI), Follicular Lymphoma International Prognostic Index (FLIPI), and FLIPI2 in the 0.540–0.819 (P < 0.01) range. Conclusions. A valid OS estimation in FL/DLBCL patients, using the recommended CPPI, may be useful in routine clinical practice.
Correlation of CT Perfusion Parameters and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) and Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor (BFGF) in Patients with Primary Liver Cancer
Authors: Li Xiao-min , Chen Wei-bin , Zhang Jing , Ma Li-fang , Li Qiang , Feng Chao , Yuan Xian-hua , Kang Li-qing
Published: May 2022

Objective. To investigate the correlation of CT perfusion-related parameters with serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (BFGF) in patients with primary liver cancer. Methods. A total of 100 patients with primary liver cancer who were treated in our hospital from June 2019 to June 2021 were selected as the observation group, and 90 patients with benign liver lesions during the same period were selected as the control group. The CT perfusion-related parameters (perfusion volume and perfusion index) and serum VEGF and BFGF levels were compared between the two groups. Pearson correlation was used to analyze the correlation between CT perfusion-related parameters and serum VEGF and BFGF levels. Results. Compared to the control group, significantly higher HAP and lower HPP and TLP were observed in the observation group. The perfusion volume indexes of patients with different stages of liver cancer in the observation group were statistically different (

P
<
0.05

). Compared to the control group, the observation group witnessed significantly higher HAPI and lower HPPI. There were statistically significant differences in the perfusion index of patients with different stages of primary liver cancer in the observation group (

P
<
0.05

). The serum VEGF and BFGF levels in the observation group were significantly higher than those in the control group, and the serum VEGF and BFGF levels in patients with different stages of primary liver cancer in the observation group were statistically different (

P
<
0.05

). Pearson correlation analysis showed that HAP and HAPI were positively correlated with VEGF and BFGF (r = 0.986,

P
≤
0.001

; r = 0.983,

P
≤
0.001

), and HPP, TLP, and HPPI were negatively correlated with VEGF and BFGF (r = −0.992,

P
≤
0.001

; r = -0.993,

P
≤
0.001

; r = −0.995,

P
≤
0.001

). Conclusion. CT perfusion-related parameters and serum VEGF and BFGF levels in patients with primary liver cancer are abnormally expressed, and there is a strong correlation between the two, which might aid clinical diagnosis and treatment.
New Insights into the Taxonomy of Bacteria in the Genomic Era and a Case Study with Rhizobia
Authors: Ferraz Helene Luisa Caroline , Klepa Milena Serenato , Hungria Mariangela
Published: May 2022

Since early studies, the history of prokaryotes taxonomy has dealt with many changes driven by the development of new and more robust technologies. As a result, the number of new taxa descriptions is exponentially increasing, while an increasing number of others has been subject of reclassification, demanding from the taxonomists more effort to maintain an organized hierarchical system. However, expectations are that the taxonomy of prokaryotes will acquire a more stable status with the genomic era. Other analyses may continue to be necessary to determine microbial features, but the use of genomic data might be sufficient to provide reliable taxa delineation, helping taxonomy to reach the goal of correct classification and identification. Here we describe the evolution of prokaryotes’ taxonomy until the genomic era, emphasizing bacteria and taking as an example the history of rhizobia taxonomy. This example was chosen because of the importance of the symbiotic nitrogen fixation of legumes with rhizobia to the nitrogen input to both natural ecosystems and agricultural crops. This case study reports the technological advances and the methodologies used to classify and identify bacterial species and indicates the actual rules required for an accurate description of new taxa.
[Retracted] In Vivo Growth Inhibition of Human Caucasian Prostate Adenocarcinoma in Nude Mice Induced by Amygdalin with Metabolic Enzyme Combinations
Authors: Alwan Ahmed Mohammed , Afshari Jalil Tavakol
Published: May 2022

Cancer of the prostate is an indicated type that is often recorded as a kind of cancer in men and the second critical cause of mortality through cancer cases. Many pharmacological investigations have shown that numerous herbal substances possess anticancer action. Amygdalin (AMD) has antitumour capabilities and works as an antioxidant, antibacterial, anti‐inflammatory, and immune‐regulating characteristics. The anticancer effects of amygdalin and its metabolizing enzymes, rhodanese (RHD) and betaglucosidase (BGD), were examined in vivo, as well as their antitumour processes. Novel, effective combination agents are necessary to increase existing cancer treatment rates. This research was aimed at determining the anticarcinogenic impact of amygdalin (AMD) in vivo. This research was aimed at determining the RHD and BGD on the anticarcinogenic impact of AMD in vivo. Subcutaneously, PC3 prostate cancer cell lines were implanted into nude mice. Mice were treated every day with 0.5 ml of 50 mg/ml (AMD), AMD+ (RHD 0.1 mg/ml), AMD+(BGD 0.1 mg/ml), and doxorubicin (DOX 50 mg/ml). Mice were normalized for negative control with untreated mice. In in vivo, morphopathological alterations in the tumour tissue were analyzed by histopathological staining methods. After 35 days of therapy, tumour growth and size inhibition were evident, indicating a function for the metabolic enzymes BGD and RHD in regulating AMD’s anticancer effect in vivo. We concluded the critical role of metabolic enzymes BGD and RHD in elevating the antigrowth of PC3 cancer cell lines in Balb/c nude mice treated with AMD.
A New Blind IoT-Based MP3 Audio Watermarking Scheme for Content Integrity Checking and Copyright Protection
Authors: Masmoudi Salma , Charfeddine Maha , Alsharif Sameer , Ben Amar Chokri
Published: May 2022

Rapid development in the area of information and embedded technology, mobile communication networks, IoT multimedia applications, compression, and distribution over Internet has led to a significant need to answer the question: “How to protect, secure, and authenticate multimedia documents?” One of the proposed responses to this challenge is digital watermarking, which hides an inaudible watermark in digital multimedia content. Despite the large number of proposed competent watermarking algorithms in the literature, few are suitable for the compression domain, mainly the authentication application. In this context, this paper depicts a new MP3 audio watermarking scheme for copyright protection and content integrity checking operating directly in the compression domain using Huffman data and side information features. This scheme overcomes the problem of computational time as it operates directly on the compressed bitstream. In addition, it provides enough embedding space by using Huffman data features. A strong advantage of our scheme is that it has been used successfully for both authentication and copyright protection applications. Experimental results have revealed that the proposed watermarking schema has achieved very competitive results compared to others from the literature in terms of inaudibility, robustness, and especially capacity ratio. Our approach offers also good values of ODG and NC even after double recompression-StirMark attacks.
The lncRNA Punisher Regulates Apoptosis and Mitochondrial Homeostasis of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells via Targeting miR-664a-5p and OPA1
Authors: Yang Yanyan , Li Min , Liu Yan , Wang Zhibin , Fu Xiuxiu , He Xingqiang , Wang Qi , Li Xiao-xin , Ma Huibo , Wang Kun , Zou Lu , Wang Jian-xun , Yu Tao
Published: May 2022

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are important regulators of various cellular functions. Recent studies have shown that a novel lncRNA termed Punisher is highly expressed in cardiovascular progenitors and has potential role in cardiovascular diseases. However, its role, especially in molecular mechanism, is unclear. In our present study, we observed that Punisher was obviously downregulated in atherosclerotic plaques. Further research proved that it can suppress the apoptosis of VSMCs potentially contributing to the progression of atherosclerosis. Intriguingly, Punisher revealed to regulate mitochondria fission as well as mitochondrial functions induced by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in VSMCs. Mechanistically, Punisher was further proved to serve as a ceRNA which directly binds to miR-664a-5p and consequently regulates its target OPA1, and finally contributes to the biological function of VSMCs. Particularly, Punisher overexpression distinctly suppressed neointima formation and VSMC apoptosis in vivo. Encouragingly, these results were in accordance with findings obtained with the clinical evaluation of patients with atherosclerosis. Our data provides the significant relationship among OPA1, mitochondrial homeostasis, VSMC apoptosis, and atherosclerosis. And lncRNA Punisher and miR-664a-5p could serve as the novel and potential targets in the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases.
Design and Implementation of a Machine Learning-Based English Intelligent Test System
Authors: Guo Jing
Published: May 2022

Examination is a particularly important part of the students’ whole learning process. Therefore, this paper designs and develops an online examination system. This paper studies an examination recommendation algorithm based on a machine learning neural network model. The algorithm can recommend problems for students according to students’ error history, error prone, and knowledge poor problems. Experiments also show that the recommendation algorithm studied in this paper improves the recommendation effect compared with several other similar algorithms.
Ficus exasperata Attenuates Acetaminophen‐Induced Hepatic Damage via NF‐κB Signaling Mechanism in Experimental Rat Model
Authors: Adetuyi Babatunde Oluwafemi , Adebisi Oluwaseun Abraham , Adetuyi Oluwatosin Adefunke , Ogunlana Olubanke Olujoke , Toloyai Pere-Ebi , Egbuna Chukwuebuka , Uche Chukwuemelie Zedech , Khan Johra , Adumanya Obinna Chukwuemeka Uchenna , Patrick-Iwuanyanwu Kingsley C.
Published: May 2022

Ficus exasperata has been used to treat ulcer, diabetes, fever, and a variety of stress‐related disorders. Acetaminophen (APAP) overdose is the most common cause of drug‐induced acute liver injury. In this study, we evaluated the hepatoprotective effect and antioxidant capacity of ethanolic extract of F. exasperata (EFE) on acetaminophen‐induced hepatotoxicity in albino rats. Rats were pretreated with EFE (150, 250, 500 mg/kg) and thereafter received 250 mg/kg APA intraperitoneally (i.p.). The normal control group received distilled water, while the negative control group received 250 mg/kg APAP, respectively. Hepatotoxicity and oxidative stress‐antioxidant parameters were then assessed. Flavonoids, saponins, steroids, and glycosides, but not phenolics were detected by EFE phytochemical analysis. No mortality was recorded on acute exposure of rats to varying concentrations of APAP after 24 h; however, a dose‐dependent increase in severity of convulsion, urination, and hyperactivity was observed. APAP overdose induced high AST, ALT, ALP, and total bilirubin levels in the serum, invoked lipid peroxidation, depleted GSH, decreased CAT, SOD, and GST levels, respectively. Nitric oxide (NO) level, myeloperoxidase activity, TNF‐α, IL‐1β, NF‐κB, COX‐2, MCP‐1, and IL‐6 were also increased. Importantly, pretreatment of rats with EFE before acetaminophen ameliorated and restored cellular antioxidant status to levels comparable to the control group. Our results show and suggest the hepatoprotective effect of F. exasperata and its ability to modulate cellular antioxidant status supports its use in traditional medicine and renders it safe in treating an oxidative stress‐induced hepatic injury.
Road-Type Detection Based on Traffic Sign and Lane Data
Authors: Fazekas Zoltán , Balázs Gábor , Gyulai Csaba , Potyondi Péter , Gáspár Péter
Published: May 2022

Establishing the current road type constitutes a significant assistance to car drivers, as, by default, the road type determines the legal speed limit. Although there are GPS- and map-based navigation systems that can retrieve the actual road type and speed limit and some can even access and indicate current traffic volumes, it was our aim to develop and test a software prototype of a road-type detection (RTD) system that relies solely on video and sensor data collected on board. Such a system can still work during GPS signal outages. The study presents a heuristic approach to RTD that is based on type and distance data relating to traffic control devices (TCDs) installed along a road. The road is used by an ego vehicle with an on-board smart camera looking ahead and with a number of vehicular sensors. A complex processing step—not detailed in the study—detects TCDs with reasonable probability and error rate and locates them with respect to a 3D coordinate frame fixed to the ego vehicle. The prototype system takes data describing the detected TCDs as its input. This data are then evaluated in a multiscale manner by computing empirical statistics of occurrences over short, medium, and long patches of road. Such an evaluation is carried out in conjunction with each considered road type, and the resulting values are compared to respective reference values. Heuristics is then used in decision-making to resolve any interscale and interroad-type disaccords. The proposed decision rules take into account the possibility of TCDs having been missed and of faulty detections. Short preprocessed synchronised video and signal sequences recorded in different countries and road environments were used for testing the prototype system. These short sequences were carefully strung together into coherent chains. Distance-based recognition precisions 78.9% and 88.9% were gained for European (continental) and for UK roads, respectively.
Certain New Class of Harmonic Functions Involving Quantum Calculus
Authors: Khan Mohammad Faisal
Published: May 2022

Here in this paper, we are using the concepts of

q

-calculus operator theory associated with harmonic functions and define the

q

-Noor integral operator for harmonic functions

f
∈

H

0

.

We investigate a new class

S

H

0

m
,
q
,
α

of harmonic functions

f
∈

H

0

. In this class, we prove a necessary and sufficient convolution condition for the functions

f
∈

H

0

and also we proved that this sufficient coefficient condition is sense preserving and univalent in the class

S

H

0

m
,
q
,
α

. It is proved that this coefficient condition is necessary for the functions in its subclass

T

S

H

0

m
,
q
,
α

. By using this necessary and sufficient coefficient condition, we obtained results based on the convexity and compactness and results on the radii of

q

-starlikeness and

q

-convexity of order

α

in the class

T

S

H

0

m
,
q
,
α

. Also we obtained extreme points for the functions in the class

T

S

H

0

m
,
q
,
α

.
Experimental Study on Uniaxial Compression Fracture Process of Marble Specimens with Circular Holes with Different Diameters
Authors: Yan-yan Peng , Ming-hong Xing , Qun-chao Lin , Peng-fei Guo
Published: May 2022

After a long period of geological tectonic action, the rock mass develops defects such as pores and fissures of different sizes and scales. The mechanical properties of the rock are largely affected by these discontinuous structures, and there will be obvious stress concentration at the edge of the hole inside the rock. Under the action of concentrated stress, cracks initiate, expand, and penetrate from the edge of the hole to form the final fracture surface and cause instability and failure of the rock mass. In practical engineering, due to the limitation of various factors, it is impossible to conduct uniaxial compressive strength test for each geotechnical engineering. Therefore, the rock in the weak part of the project can be selected as the test specimen before the indoor physical tests. In this paper, the static uniaxial compression test of specimens with circular holes with different diameters is carried out. Digital Image Correlation (DIC) monitoring system is used to observe the test process in real time; then, the data from uniaxial compression test and DIC monitoring test are obtained. At the same time, the macroscopic failure characteristics and crack propagation law of rock specimens are obtained, and the evolution law of strain field during the failure process of rock specimens is also obtained. Meanwhile, Realistic Failure Process Analysis (RFPA) is carried out to verify the accuracy of static uniaxial compression physical tests numerically. Physical tests show that the uniaxial compressive strength of marble specimens with circular holes and the dispersion of measured peak stress data decrease with the increase of hole diameter. The main failure type of marble specimens with circular holes is tension shear failure; the macroscopic failure zone of the sample, the strain field localization zone, and the maximum shear stress field of the numerical test are distributed in a semi-“X” shape with the hole as the center. The localization zone of the strain field on the specimen is usually the region of crack initiation, propagation, and penetration on the surface of the marble specimens. It also shows that specimen breaks in the radial direction along the

y

-axis of the circular hole, and cracks connecting both ends of the circular hole and the specimen are generated on the specimen. It is of great theoretical value and practical significance to the influence of the cavities in the rock specimens on the stress and strain characteristics and the initiation, propagation, and penetration modes.
The Application of Pattern Recognition System in Design Field Based on Aesthetic Principles
Authors: Wang Chenzhen , Li Xinglin
Published: May 2022

The design system based on aesthetic principles is the most representative in the field of design and has a certain significance for the research and construction of design aesthetics and the development of design education. Therefore, this paper studies the application of pattern recognition system in the field of design based on aesthetic principles and designs a new type of aesthetic principle design system based on pattern recognition in computer vision. This paper proposes pattern similarity measurement and image preprocessing technology to improve the traditional aesthetic principle design system through pattern recognition and then further refine the research of the whole system through histogram equalization and gamma correction. Finally, the MNIST dataset experiment is used to verify the effect of multicolumn convolutional neural network pattern recognition on the aesthetic principle design system. The questionnaire survey experiment in this article and the traditional comparative experiment show that 76% of the public are very satisfied with this design system based on the aesthetic principles of pattern recognition in computer vision. Also, the improved aesthetic principle system scores as high as 90–95 points.
Salvadora persica’s Biological Properties and Applications in Different Dental Specialties: A Narrative Review
Authors: Aljarbou Fahd , Almobarak Abdulaziz , Binrayes Abdulaziz , Alamri Hadi M.
Published: May 2022

Salvadora persica is a tree that belongs to the salvadorecea family. It is also known as Miswak, which is a popular natural toothbrush that was used centuries ago in oral hygiene by Muslims in all parts of the world, especially in the Middle East. Numerous researchers highlighted the biological activity of this plant in medicine, dentistry, and pharmacology. The purpose of this article is to narratively review the biological properties of Salvadora persica. In addition, it expresses variant applications of this herb in different dental specialties. Materials and Methods. The search of the literature was based on PubMed, MEDLINE, and Google Scholar using keywords: Salvadora persica, S. persica, Miswak, Dentistry, and Dental. All relevant articles were reviewed to check if they would fit within the scope of this review, and then, the information was extracted. Results. Multiple biological effects of S. persica have been reported including antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, antibiofilm, antioxidant, and even antiulcer effects. Dental effects were discussed and presented. Conclusion. The wide biological range of Salvadora persica’s effects is promising for dental and nondental fields and allows for an expanded clinical application that has otherwise not been discussed in the literature.
Trusted Blockchain-Based Signcryption Protocol and Data Management for Authentication and Authorization in VANETs
Authors: Su Jinqi , Ren Runtao , Li Yinghao , Lau Raymond Y. K. , Shi Yikuan
Published: May 2022

Vehicular Ad hoc Networks (VANETs) are the industrial cornerstone of intelligent transportation system (ITS), which are widely used in traffic management, automatic driving, and road optimization. With the expansion of the scale of the mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs) and smart vehicles (SV), VANETs will produce a large amount of data. In the open access environment of VANETs, the security of information transmission and the authenticity of user identity need to be considered when different vehicles communicate. In order to solve the cybersecurity risks of large-scale deployment of VANET, this paper proposes a trusted blockchain-based signcryption protocol and data management (TB-SCDM) for authentication and authorization (A&A) in VANETs. In the existing attack model, TB-SCDM can ensure the confidentiality and undeniability of information, as well as can effectively resist 51% attacks, eclipse attacks and double-spending attacks, etc. Through benchmark analysis, this scheme has higher computing efficiency and lower storage cost compared with other existing schemes.
Reimagining Places, Reconstructing Histories: Augmented Reality Art and Heritage Apps as an Ultimate Display
Authors: Efrat Liron
Published: May 2022

This article employs Ivan Sutherland’s 1965 concept of the Ultimate Display to discuss the experience generated by augmented reality art and cultural heritage. Analyzing projects that reimagine or reconstruct reality, the author discusses the social impact and cultural workings of these apps. The article shows how such apps can facilitate kinesthetic performances that intervene in established cultural narratives and open a window to new social realities. In this context, the author also introduces her project CHAR, an online collection of AR art and cultural heritage apps, which illustrates how Sutherland’s vision has been materialized through the mapping of AR-reconstructed realities.
Metaphor’s Tender Sympathies
Authors: Genn Rachel
Published: May 2022

While investigating whether neuroscience or art best corroborates the experience of immersion or reverie, the author interviews herself about how her “artist self” inquires of her “scientist self” (and vice versa). She wonders how conceptual information refracted through these “selves”—via mechanisms such as metaphor—fosters collaboration between disciplines in an intrapersonal context. She asks how epistemic value derived from mistakes and indistinctness enrich this shared imaginative space, focusing on metaphor as a conduit between elements and disciplines. Using Kafka’s mole analogy, she follows intuition as an interdisciplinary heuristic to explore reverie and the creative act.
Latvian Tradition in International Law
Authors: Ziemele Ineta
Published: May 2022

Research on tradition can be approached from various perspectives. It can be a study of key personalities or important scholarly works, or influential positions or documents adopted by the State within the international normative process. Concepts such as statehood, territorial integrity, equal participation in international decision- making and, recently, the rule of law in international law, have been of relevance and interest both in practice and academic research in the field of international law in Latvia. The proposition is put forward that research in international law by the scholars of a particular State is closely linked to the interests and issues which that State is confronted with in practice.
Evolution of Procedural Rights and Legal Standing in Environmental Matters in Latvia
Authors: Mikosa Žaneta
Published: May 2022

In light of recent discussions on the need to broaden eligibility for legal standing in environmental disputes in order to fulfil the requirements of the Aarhus Convention, and thus to facilitate enforcement of environmental law, this Chapter is aimed at discussing the evolution of the most extended approach to legal standing (often referred as actio popularis or open standing) in Latvia since it regained independence.

The purpose of this Chapter is twofold. Firstly, it aims at contributing to the ongoing discussion on incentives for liberalizing standing to open the doors of national courts in environmental matters triggered by the Aarhus Convention and recent case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) in that respect. Secondly, to contribute to the understanding of ‘the why and the how’ of the most extended rules of legal standing developed in Latvia for environmental disputes and whether they have been applied in practice by administrative courts. Generally, the approach to legal standing signals ‘how much enforcement’ society wants. This Chapter is about the Latvian experience indicating how much enforcement of environmental law society has so far been ready to accept considering its international commitments as well.
Legal and Ethical Issues in Designing Online Courts
Authors: Saukuma Agnese
Published: May 2022

This research explores and analyses whether online courts perform a judicial function in accordance with the right to a fair trial and the right to fair and secure user’s personal data protection to all groups in society. By adopting a descriptive and critical approach, the author analyses the main operating principles of online courts and legal and ethical issues that may occur in designing and implementing online courts in conjunction with these rights.

The result of this research shows that online courts provide greater access to justice to society and they would satisfy the needs of modern society with technological knowledge. At the same time they do not provide access to the most vulnerable groups that may not have or have limited internet access, or have not enough technological and legal knowledge, as a result of not ensuring equal access to justice to all groups in society. Taking into account that online courts perform a judicial function in the traditional court sense, they are bound by Article 6 (1) of the European Convention on Human Rights and the principles of personal data of the General Data Protection Regulation, but at present they cannot ensure their observance in relation to an open, transparent and impartial trial, as a result of a partial violation of the rights enshrined in these norms.
Paratasmanicola inerma gen. et. sp. nov. from Tasmania (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Rhyparochromidae)
Authors: MALIPATIL M. B. , O’DONNELL J. E.
Published: May 2022

Paratasmanicola inerma gen. et. sp. nov. is described as the second genus of tribe Stygnocorini (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Rhyparochromidae: Rhyparochrominae) from Tasmania Australia, and compared with related genera to provide diagnoses, and notes on zoogeographic implications based on these genera as applying to the tribe Stygnocorini. Additionally, the new genus Paratasmanicola is compared with another Tasmanian rhyparochromid Getes Bergroth, 1916 to attempt to resolve the current uncertain tribal status of the latter genus.
Dawn of a New Normal: Resident and Faculty Attitudes in Adopting Virtual Conferences and Education
Authors: Frank Madelyn , Stopenski Stephen , Yamamoto Maki , Nahmias Jeffry , Nguyen Ninh T. , Smith Brian R. , Keshava Hari B.
Published: May 2022

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically changed education in medical residencies with the need to transition to a virtual format. The objective of this study is to assess the adoption of a virtual format for grand rounds, M&M, and education of the surgical department.

Method

A 25 question online survey was developed using Qualtrics and distributed to faculty and resident physicians in the Department of Surgery from March to April 2021.

Results

Fifty four out of 79 potential respondents (68%) completed the survey. Twenty-seven out of 54 (50%) respondents stated they were more likely to be participating in another activity most of the time or always. During to in-person conferences, 20/54 (37%) of participants reported being more distracted by other activities. Forty-two out of 54 (78%) participants strongly agree that virtual conferences are more flexible with their schedule and saves them travel time. All of the faculty want conferences to continue virtually (with or without an in-person component) citing virtual conferences are more flexible with their schedule and saves travel time. However, 4/26 (15%) of residents responded not wanting to continue virtual education citing work distractions and not truly having protected time.

Conclusion

As the Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is continuing with new variants, the virtual education and conference format is necessary. There is overwhelming support from both residents and faculty in favor of the virtual conference format due to flexibility, ease, and convenience. However, care must be taken to make sure that resident education time is truly protected.