bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Improved inequalities for the numerical radius
Authors: Timroi Badria , Omidvar Mohsen Erfanian
Published: May 2022

New numerical radius inequalities for Hilbert space operators are given. We give an improvement of the inequality presented by Kittaneh for numerical radius, in fact we show that if [Formula: see text] then [Formula: see text] where [Formula: see text] A refinement of the triangle inequality is also shown.
Experimental search for high-performance ferroelectric tunnel junctions guided by machine learning
Authors: Rao Jingjing , Fan Zhen , Huang Qicheng , Luo Yongjian , Zhang Xingmin , Guo Haizhong , Yan Xiaobing , Tian Guo , Chen Deyang , Hou Zhipeng , Qin Minghui , Zeng Min , Lu Xubing , Zhou Guofu , Gao Xingsen , Liu Jun-Ming
Published: May 2022

Ferroelectric tunnel junction (FTJ) has attracted considerable attention for its potential applications in nonvolatile memory and neuromorphic computing. However, the experimental exploration of FTJs with high ON/OFF ratios is a challenging task due to the vast search space comprising of ferroelectric and electrode materials, fabrication methods and conditions and so on. Here, machine learning (ML) is demonstrated to be an effective tool to guide the experimental search of FTJs with high ON/OFF ratios. A dataset consisting of 152 FTJ samples with nine features and one target attribute (i.e., ON/OFF ratio) is established for ML modeling. Among various ML models, the gradient boosting classification model achieves the highest prediction accuracy. Combining the feature importance analysis based on this model with the association rule mining, it is extracted that the utilizations of {graphene/graphite (Gra) (top), LaNiO3 (LNO) (bottom)} and {Gra (top), Ca[Formula: see text]Ce[Formula: see text]MnO3 (CCMO) (bottom)} electrode pairs are likely to result in high ON/OFF ratios in FTJs. Moreover, two previously unexplored FTJs: Gra/BaTiO3 (BTO)/LNO and Gra/BTO/CCMO, are predicted to achieve ON/OFF ratios higher than 1000. Guided by the ML predictions, the Gra/BTO/LNO and Gra/BTO/CCMO FTJs are experimentally fabricated, which unsurprisingly exhibit [Formula: see text]1000 ON/OFF ratios ([Formula: see text]8540 and [Formula: see text]7890, respectively). This study demonstrates a new paradigm of developing high-performance FTJs by using ML.
The Implication of the Rise of China to the US-Led Liberal International Order: The Case of One Belt and One Road Initiatives
Authors: Endaylalu Gashaw Ayferam
Published: May 2022

The rise of the “Middle Kingdom”, China, has been a source of intense academic debate amongst the Western scholars. On the one hand, the pessimists epitomized the “rise of China” as a threat to the US-led liberal international order. They provided a one-sided and biased analysis. On the other hand, the “rise of China” is portrayed as that of a peaceful rising power which is neither a threat nor a changer of the existing international order. Apart from these opposing perspectives, the US-led liberal international order has been facing an internal crisis within the liberal states. This shows that history has never been going as the liberal prophets predicated. The manifesto of “liberalism is the only governing ideology of post-Cold War period” is now falsified by the rise of populism and nationalism in the countries who drafted the manifesto of “end of history”. Alongside this, the inherently unjust system of the US-led liberal international order has also been facing increasing challenge from the emerging powers of the rest, notably China. This paper thus examines the implication of the rise of China to the US-led liberal international order by taking the “One Belt and One Road Initiative” (BRI) as a case. I argue that through the BRI, China envisioned a new equitable international order that can replace the prevailing exploitative order being established by the “Western powers” during colonialism. On the one hand, BRI foreshadows that China is a dissatisfied actor of the existing order and it is a revisionist power. On the other hand, BRI itself is a liberal project. Thus, BRI is not at odds with liberalism. It is functioning under the liberal order, but envisioned a new international order. Thus, it can be argued that BRI seems to be a liberal project challenging the US-led unipolar world order intended toward a more inclusive and transformative world order.
AVD proper edge-coloring of some families of graphs
Authors: Naveen J.
Published: May 2022

Adjacent vertex-distinguishing proper edge-coloring is the minimum number of colors required for the proper edge-coloring of [Formula: see text] in which no two adjacent vertices are incident to edges colored with the same set of colors. The minimum number of colors required for an adjacent vertex-distinguishing proper edge-coloring of [Formula: see text] is called the adjacent vertex-distinguishing proper edge-chromatic index. Adjacent vertex-distinguishing proper edge-chromatic indices of the middle graph, splitting graph and shadow graph of path and cycle are determined. Adjacent vertex-distinguishing proper edge-chromatic indices of the triangular grid [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text]-graph and generalized [Formula: see text]-graph are also determined.
Federated Learning for Healthcare Domain - Pipeline, Applications and Challenges
Authors: Joshi Madhura , Pal Ankit , Sankarasubbu Malaikannan
Published: May 2022

Federated learning is the process of developing machine learning models over datasets distributed across data centers such as hospitals, clinical research labs, and mobile devices while preventing data leakage. This survey examines previous research and studies on federated learning in the healthcare sector across a range of use cases and applications. Our survey shows what challenges, methods, and applications a practitioner should be aware of in the topic of federated learning. This paper aims to lay out existing research and list the possibilities of federated learning for healthcare industries.
Using RF Signals to Generate Indoor Maps
Authors: Khan Usman Mahmood , Venkatnarayan Raghav H. , Shahzad Muhammd
Published: May 2022

Generating maps of indoor environments beyond the line-of-sight finds applications in several areas such as planning, navigation, and security. While researchers have previously explored the use of RF signals to generate maps, prior work has two important limitations: (i) it requires moving the mapping setup along the entire lengths of the sides of the building, and (ii) it generates maps that are not fully connected, rather are scatter plots of locations from where some obstacles reflected the signals. Thus, prior approaches require human interpretation to locate the walls and determine how they merge. In this article, we address these limitations and propose RFMap, which generates fully connected maps, and does not require the measurement setup to be moved along the sides of the buildings. To generate the map, RFMap first transmits RF signals in many different directions and then measures the distances of different reflectors inside the building. Next, it identifies these reflectors and classifies them into various types based on the properties of the reflections. A key challenge is that RFMap does not receive reflections from all the directions due to the specular nature of the reflectors. Due to this, it only gets sparse data about the objects in the environment. To address this challenge, RFMap trains a deep generative adversarial network (GAN) to intelligently predict the missing information. At runtime, it feeds the locations and types of the detected reflectors to the trained GAN and generates complete and accurate map. We implemented RFMap using software defined radios and extensively evaluated it in several real-world environments. Our results show that RFMap generated the maps of all the buildings that we tested it on with high accuracy.
Modified 2D-Ghost-Free Stereoscopic Display with Depth-of-Field Effects
Authors: Liu Jiazhi , Liu Feng
Published: May 2022

Backward-compatible stereoscopic display, a novel display technique that can simultaneously present satisfying 3D effects to viewers with stereo glasses and clear 2D contents to viewers without, aims at helping the people who are unsuitable for watching 3D movies for a long time. In this article, we introduce two versions of backward-compatible stereoscopic display: the simpler version is far simpler than Hidden Stereo (the state-of-the-art method) while preserving competitive 2D–3D effects; the advanced version, which we call 2D-Ghost-Free Stereoscopic Display, overcomes the limitation that Hidden Stereo and the simpler version are both confined to small absolute disparity. 2D-Ghost-Free Stereoscopic Display improves tolerable disparity range by adding depth-of-field in the regions with large disparity, so that it can be applied to more scenes of 3D movies. User experiments and theoretical analysis both demonstrate the superiority of the 2D-Ghost-Free Stereoscopic Display over the state-of-the-art method and our simpler version. In addition, to make the user experiments double-blind and automatic, we developed a user study system that can automatically present 3D images and videos in NVIDIA 3D Vision 2 and collect corresponding votes of subjects on stimuli, whereas the previous researchers did not state that their user experiments were double-blind.
Cross-VM Covert- and Side-Channel Attacks in Cloud FPGAs
Authors: Giechaskiel Ilias , Tian Shanquan , Szefer Jakub
Published: May 2022

The availability of FPGAs in cloud data centers offers rapid, on-demand access to reconfigurable hardware compute resources that users can adapt to their own needs. However, the low-level access to the FPGA hardware and associated resources such as the PCIe bus, SSD drives, or DRAM modules also opens up threats of malicious attackers uploading designs that are able to infer information about other users or about the cloud infrastructure itself. In particular, this work presents a new, fast PCIe-contention-based channel that is able to transmit data between FPGA-accelerated virtual machines (VMs) by modulating the PCIe bus usage. This channel further works with different operating systems and achieves bandwidths reaching 20 kbps with 99% accuracy. This is the first cross-FPGA covert channel demonstrated on commercial clouds and has a bandwidth which is over 2000× larger than prior voltage- or temperature-based cross-board attacks. This article further demonstrates that the PCIe receivers are able to not just receive covert transmissions, but can also perform fine-grained monitoring of the PCIe bus, including detecting when co-located VMs are initialized, even prior to their associated FPGAs being used. Moreover, the proposed mechanism can be used to infer the activities of other users, or even slow down the programming of the co-located FPGAs as well as other data transfers between the host and the FPGA. Beyond leaking information across different virtual machines, the ability to monitor the PCIe bandwidth over hours or days can be used to estimate the data center utilization and map the behavior of the other users. The article also introduces further novel threats in FPGA-accelerated instances, including contention due to network traffic, contention due to shared NVMe SSDs, as well as thermal monitoring to identify FPGA co-location using the DRAM modules attached to the FPGA boards. This is the first work to demonstrate that it is possible to break the separation of privilege in FPGA-accelerated cloud environments, and highlights that defenses for public clouds using FPGAs need to consider PCIe, SSD, and DRAM resources as part of the attack surface that should be protected.
Semantics column
Authors: Mislove Michael
Published: May 2022

After an extended hiatus, theSemanticscolumn is returning with this issue of theNewsletter.The subject of this quarter's column isCall-By-Push-Value, written by Paul B. Levy. CBPV is Paul's invention, and it's an interesting and powerful calculus that incorporates both theCall-By-ValueandCall-By-Namecalculi. Moreover, it's also simpler to describe, as Paul's column demonstrates. After a short introduction to set the stage, and an outline of relevant components of the pure functional programming -- i.e., the simply-typed lambda calculus, Paul describes CBPV and how it incorporates a wide range of computational effects. He then indicates how CBN and CBV each can be translated into CBPV.
Drastic Effect of Salt Concentration in Ionic Liquid on Performance of Lithium Sulfur Battery
Authors: Peng Yueying , Badam Rajashekar , Jayakumar Tejkiran Pindi , Wannapakdee Wannaruedee , Changtong Chuchawin , Matsumi Noriyoshi
Published: May 2022

Lithium sulfur (Li–S) battery is an appealing energy storage system due to its high theoretical specific capacity and specific energy. However, two main challenges, lithium polysulfides (LPS) dissolution from the sulfur cathode and the unstable Li anode, impede the practical application of Li–S battery. Developing advanced electrolyte is an effective strategy to tune the stability of both sulfur cathode and Li anode. Here, a concentrated imidazolium-based ionic liquids (IL) electrolyte was explored for Li–S battery with the synergistic advantages of both IL and high concentrated electrolyte. A systematic study was conducted to reveal the effect of salt concentration on the properties of the IL electrolyte and the electrochemical performances of Li–S battery. It is found that an effective suppression of LPS dissolution and improved stability of Li anode can be obtained with increase of salt concentration. As a result, a good cycling stability of the Li–S battery is achieved in the concentrated IL electrolyte, with high capacity retention of 92% after 100 cycles at current density of 0.1 C. The concentrated electrolyte based on IL solvent exhibits good compatibility with both cathode and anode, offering a new opportunity for designing electrolyte to achieve stable electrochemical system.
Erratum—ZnO and Simonkolleite Nanocomposite Synthesis via Green Chemistry Using Hibiscus Flower Extract [ECS J. Solid State Sci. Technol., 10, 123016 (2021)]
Authors: Aida Mohamed Salah
Published: May 2022

This paper was withdrawn by IOP Publishing on 3 June 2024. The funding information in the Acknowledgments was corrected as a post-publication change direct to the published article rather than as this erratum.
Protective Effects of Vitamin C against Neomycin-Induced Apoptosis in HEI-OC1 Auditory Cell
Authors: Gong Liang , Chen Biao , Chen Jingyuan , Li Yongxin
Published: May 2022

Ototoxic hearing loss results from hair cell death via reactive oxygen species (ROS) overproduction and consequent apoptosis. We investigated the effects of vitamin C (VC) on neomycin-induced HEI-OC1 cell damage, as well as the mechanism of inhibition. HEI-OC1 cells were treated with neomycin or with vitamin C (VC). The results indicated that VC had a protective effect on neomycin-induced HEI-OC1 cell death. Mechanistically, VC decreased neomycin-induced ROS generation, suppressed cell death, and increased cell viability. VC inhibited neomycin-induced apoptosis, ameliorated neomycin reduced antiapoptotic Bcl-2 expression, and suppressed neomycin increased expression of proapoptotic Bax, caspase-3 cleavage and caspase-8. TUNEL labeling demonstrated that VC blocked neomycin-induced apoptosis. Further study revealed that the effect of VC on neomycin-induced hair cell death was through interference with JNK activation and p38 phosphorylation. These results indicate that VC via suppressed ROS generation, which inhibited cell death by counteracting apoptotic signaling induced by neomycin in cells. Hence, VC is a potential candidate for protection agent against neomycin-induced HEI-OC1 cell ototoxicity.
Research on the Intelligent Development of Rural Financial Supply Chain under the Background of Internet of Things
Authors: Sui Xiang
Published: May 2022

China is a large agricultural country, but the family-based business model restricts agricultural production, resulting in the relatively backward intellectualization of agriculture. With the development of new science and technology, the application of Internet of Things technology in agricultural production can intelligently manage and monitor the production, processing, transportation, and sales of agricultural products at any time, improve product quality, safety, and production efficiency, increase economic income, and guide the support of agricultural supply chain financial services to agricultural production. In order to explore the role of agricultural supply chain financial services in agricultural development and the application of Internet of Things technology in agricultural production, this paper constructs a model and finds that the effective use of agricultural supply chain financial services is conducive to the development of agriculture and provides convenience for the realization of agricultural diversification and intelligent construction.
An Economic Decision-Making Model for Drugs Using Big Data and Convolution Neural Network in Healthcare
Authors: Yuan Jinqiao
Published: May 2022

Incorporating health big data (HBD) and observational real-world patient-level genomic and clinical data in several subpopulations into drug economic analysis of precision medicine has the potential to be beneficial ion various ways. However, health economists encounter practical and operational difficulties when using HBD in this framework. On an individual patient level, the “big data” age represents an exciting opportunity to use strong new sources of information to reduce clinical and drug economic uncertainty. Health big data is a very important resource in the field of medicine. It is an irresistible trend to rationally utilize the advantages of health big data to serve medical care and clinical medicine. Health big data will play an irreplaceable role in pharmaceutical research and development, disease diagnosis and treatment, health risk factor analysis, public health emergency management, residents’ health management, and precision medicine. However, the application of health big data in the field of medicine also faces some challenges, such as irrational drug use in primary medical and health institutions. This paper builds a drug economic decision-making model based on health big data and uses a convolutional neural network to study the model. This research is conducted to realize the understanding of drug demand, which is conducive to the country’s understanding of drugs. It also allows people to better seek medical treatment. Artificial intelligence’s new advancements in the big data era have prepared the way for future rational drug modeling and evaluation that will have a huge influence on drug discovery methods which ultimately have better impact on public health.
Meta-Analysis of the Diagnostic Value of Tracer Staining Technology Based on Nanocarbon Suspension in Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy of Breast Cancer
Authors: Xia Luhua , Chong Le , Lu Zinan , Wang Xinhua , Dong Zhanfei , Zhao Yanping , Chang Cheng , Sun Gang
Published: May 2022

Objective. To evaluate the diagnostic value of the nanometer carbon suspension tracer staining technique in sentinel lymph node biopsy of breast cancer is the objective of this study. Methods. The PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library (Central), and Web of Science (SCI Expanded), and Chinese databases (CNKI, VIP, Wan Fang, and CBM) were systematically searched for studies on the diagnostic value of nanocarbon suspension in sentinel lymph node biopsy of breast cancer. Two reviewers independently assessed the methodological quality of each study using the QUADAS-2 tool. The extracted valid data were calculated using Meta-Disc1.4 software and tested for heterogeneity. STATA14.0 software was selected for sensitivity analysis of the included studies, and publication bias was assessed using Deeks’ forest plot asymmetry test. Results. A total of 10 studies were obtained. The pooled data were as follows: sensitivity, 0.92 (0.88~0.95); specificity, 0.99 (0.98~1.00); positive likelihood ratio, 69.24 (30.34~158.02); negative likelihood ratio, 0.09 (0.06~0.13); and the combined diagnostic odds ratio, 747.40 (285.77~1954.76),

AUC
=
0.9881

. Nanocarbon suspension tracers have an accuracy rate of 98.81% in the diagnosis of sentinel lymph nodes in breast cancer. Conclusion. Tracer staining technology based on nanocarbon suspension can accurately assess the status of lymph nodes in sentinel lymph node biopsy of breast cancer and has good stability and operability, which is worthy of clinical promotion.
Model for Selecting Optimal Dispatching Rules Based Real-time Optimize Job Shop Scheduling Problem
Authors: Zhao Anran , Liu Peng , Huang Guotai , Gao Xiyu , Yang Xiuguang , Li Yunfeng , Ma Yuan
Published: May 2022

Owing to the randomness of the job release time, it is not possible to obtain all job information in real time during the operation of a manufacturing system. Generating a suitable scheduling strategy at the correct moment is the focus of addressing this disturbance. In this study, the flow time of the job in the manufacturing system was used as a criterion for evaluating the performance of the scheduling strategy. Subsequently, a model was constructed for selecting the optimal dispatching rule (DR) to actively change the scheduling strategies during the production process. The constructed model for selecting the optimal DR included an initial model for selecting the optimal DR and an evaluation model. The initial model for selecting the optimal DR outputs a DR with better performance based on the attributes of the job to be scheduled in the manufacturing system. Meanwhile, the evaluation model is responsible for evaluating the DR output of the initial model for selecting the optimal DR and determining whether the DR needs to be updated; the update process is realized based on simulation technology. Following experimental verification, the constructed model could generate scheduling strategies with superior performance in real-time and realize the update of the historical database. The results of this study will be of reference significance for solving the disturbance problem encountered by the manufacturing system in real time.
Functional Analysis of Serum Long Noncoding RNAs in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: Zhang Qi , Wang Jun , Wang Ying , Yang Ji-Meng , Dong Hai-Cui , Xu Di
Published: May 2022

Objectives. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are closely related to diverse diseases. However, its role in atrial fibrillation (AF) pathogenesis needs further exploration. Design. We performed microarray analysis on the serum samples from 70 healthy volunteers and 70 AF patients. This study was aimed at detecting the levels of serum lncRNAs and mRNAs and bioinformatically analyze them to establish potential marker(s) for AF diagnosis. Receiver operating curve (ROC) and area under the curve (AUC) were employed to address the AF diagnostic power of lncRNAs. Results. In the AF serum samples, 753 lncRNAs and 802 mRNAs (

p
≤
0.05

;

fold
 
change
≥
2

) were upregulated, and 315 lncRNAs and 153 mRNAs were downregulated, as opposed to healthy serum samples. Using bioinformatic analysis, we analyzed the top 4 differentially expressed (DE) lncRNAs, namely, NR-001587, NR-015407, NR-038455, and NR-038894, and found that the PI3K-AKT cell proliferation signaling pathway was most affected. This was in accordance with our functional analysis of DE mRNAs and adjacent lncRNAs. Notably, the elevated serum NR-001587 levels were strongly associated with AF incidence. Conclusions. Our work highlights the role of lncRNAs in AF pathogenesis and provides a novel serum biomarker for AF diagnosis.
URB597 and Andrographolide Improve Brain Microvascular Endothelial Cell Permeability and Apoptosis by Reducing Oxidative Stress and Inflammation Associated with Activation of Nrf2 Signaling in Oxygen-Glucose Deprivation
Authors: Wang Da-Peng , Kang Kai , Sun Jun , Lin Qi , Lv Qiao-Li , Hai Jian
Published: May 2022

Ischemic stroke, a cerebrovascular disease worldwide, triggers a cascade of pathophysiological events, including blood-brain barrier (BBB) breakdown. Brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs) play a vital role in maintaining BBB function. The injury of BMECs may worsen neurovascular dysfunction and patients’ prognosis. Therefore, uncover the principal molecular mechanisms involved in BBB disruption in stroke becomes pressing. The endocannabinoid system (ECS) has been implicated in increasingly physiological functions, both in neurometabolism and cerebrovascular regulation. Modulating its activities by the fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) shows anti-inflammatory characteristics. Andrographolide (AG), one Chinese herbal ingredient, has also attracted attention for its role in immunomodulatory and as a therapeutic target in BBB disorders. Recently, the FAAH inhibitor URB597 and AG have important regulatory effects on neuronal and vascular cells in ischemia. However, the effects of URB597 and AG on BMEC permeability and apoptosis in oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) and the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. To address these issues, cultured BMECs (bEnd.3 cells) were exposed to OGD. The cell viability, permeability, tube formation, and apoptosis were assessed following treatment with URB597, AG, and cotreatment. Mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), reactive oxygen species (ROS), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), malondialdehyde (MDA), proinflammatory factors, tight junction (TJ) proteins, and oxidative stress-mediated Nrf2 signaling were also investigated. Results revealed that OGD broke the endothelial barrier, cell viability, MMP, and tube formation, which was reversed by URB597 and AG. OGD-induced enhancement of ROS, MDA, and apoptosis was reduced after drug interventions. URB597 and AG exhibited antioxidant/anti-inflammatory and mitochondrial protective effects by activating Nrf2 signaling. These findings indicated that URB597 and AG protect BMECs against OGD-induced endothelial permeability impairment and apoptosis by reducing mitochondrial oxidative stress and inflammation associated with activation of Nrf2 signaling. URB597 and AG showing the vascular protection may have therapeutic potential for the BBB damage in ischemic cerebrovascular diseases.
An Empirical Study on the Influence of Consolidated Financial Statement’s Amplification Effect on Audit Fees
Authors: Zhan Ximing , Zhao Mengying , Yan Lijuan
Published: May 2022

As the investing enterprise brings the invested enterprise into the consolidation scope, the number of the items in the consolidated financial statements is enlarged relative to the parent company’s financial statements, which is called the amplification effect of the consolidated financial statements. Using a sample of A‐share listed companies in China from 2007 to 2019, this paper investigates the impact of consolidated financial statements’ amplification effect on audit fees. We find that the amplification effect of consolidated financial statements is positively related to audit fees, and the audit risk plays a mediating role. More specifically, the amplification effect of consolidated financial statements increases the audit risk and then increases the audit fees. Furthermore, the effect is more significant in state‐owned enterprises (SOEs). This study contributes to a comprehensive understanding of the economic consequences of accounting standards for consolidated financial statements.
Study on the Effect of Negative Temperature Change on the Fracture Morphology of Granite under Impact
Authors: Yang Yang , Zhang Niannian , Wang Jianguo
Published: May 2022

SHPB test system was used to conduct dynamic impact experiments on frozen granite under different negative temperatures. The fracture surface of granite under impact load was found via scanning electron microscope (SEM). The micromorphological characteristics of rock fracture under negative temperature are analyzed to explore the influence of negative temperature on the rock fracture morphology, and a practicable explanation is given for the mechanical property changes of rock under different temperatures. Research results showed that low temperatures (<-20°C) caused “frostbite” in granite, leading to a sharp decrease in the rock dynamic mechanical strength under a high strain. Fracture morphology analysis indicated that the lower negative temperatures resulted in the formation of cracks among the mineral particles in the granite. These cracks have poor plastic deformation ability and are easy to destabilize and expand under a high strain rate. Moreover, the coupling effect of impact and negative temperature will cause the cleavage of some crystalline minerals, eventually resulting in the low-stress brittle failure of granite. It is considered that the nucleation of cracks in negative temperature rock under impact load is mainly caused by crystal deformation, which can be divided into three types: the nucleation of cracks resulted from elastic incompatibility between the grains, the nucleation of cracks caused by interface slip, and the nucleation of cracks caused by plastic deformation in crystalline solid.
Antioxidant Activity of Aqueous Extract of Leaves and Seeds of Datura metel (Solanaceae) in Frog’s Heart Failure Model
Authors: Mbida H. , Tsala D. E. , Aboubakar S. , Habtemariam S. , Edmond J. J. , Bakwo E. F. , Minkande J. Z.
Published: May 2022

Objective. The aim of this work was to evaluate the antioxidant potential of Datura metel. Materials and Methods. Heart failure was induced in the frog’s heart by continuous perfusion of hydrogen peroxide. Survival time and some heart tissue parameters of oxidative stress were recorded in the presence of aqueous extracts of the leaves and seeds of Datura metel. Ascorbic acid was used as a reference drug. Results. H2O2-enriched Ringer’s solution inhibited the negative inotropic and chronotropic effects of acetylcholine, indicating the desensibilization of muscarinic receptors due to H2O2-induced oxidative stress. These hearts had a relatively short survival time (14 minutes). In the presence of the aqueous extract of the leaves and seeds of Datura metel (1.5 and 2.5 mg/mL), the time necessary to cause the cardiac arrest was extended to 35 and 37 minutes, respectively, versus 29 minutes for ascorbic acid and 14 minutes for H2O2. Furthermore, antioxidant parameters (MDA, SOD, and CAT) were significantly improved in plant extract-treated hearts, compared to peroxidized hearts. Conclusion. Aqueous extract of the leaves and seeds of D. metel can extend heart survival time through antioxidant mechanisms.
Simulation of Quantity and Quality of Saq Aquifer Using Artificial Intelligence and Hydraulic Models
Authors: Ghumman Abdul Razzaq , Pasha Ghufran Ahmed , Shafiquzzaman Md. , Ahmad Afaq , Ahmed Afzal , Khan Riaz Akhtar , Farooq Rashid
Published: May 2022

Scarcity of water resources is becoming a threatening issue in arid regions like Gulf. Accurate prediction of quantities and quality of groundwater is the first step towards better management of water resources where groundwater is the major source of water supply. Groundwater modelling with respect to its quantity and quality has been performed in this paper using Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs), Adaptive Neurofuzzy Inference System (ANFIS), and hydraulic model MODFLOW. Five types of ANN models with various training functions have been investigated to find the most efficient training function for the prediction of quantity and quality of groundwater, which is an original contribution useful for engineering sector. The results of the hydraulic model, ANFIS, and ANN have been compared. Nash‐Sutcliffe Model Efficiency and Mean Square Error have been used for assessing the performance of models. Taylor’s Diagram has also been used to compare various models. The part of Saq Aquifer lying in the Qassim Region has been investigated as the study area. Modern tools, including Geographical Information System (GIS) and Digital Elevation Model (DEM) are applied to process the required data for modelling. Climatic, geographical, and quality of groundwater (contaminants) data are obtained from the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture, Jeddah/Riyadh. ANFIS model is found to be the most efficient for modelling both the quality and quantity of the aquifer. Sensitivity analysis was performed, and then various future scenarios were investigated for sustainable groundwater pumping. The results of the research will be useful for the community and experts working in the field of water resources engineering, planning, and management in arid regions.
Protective Effect of Schisandrin on CORT-Induced PC12 Depression Cell Model by Inhibiting Cell Apoptosis In Vitro
Authors: Yang Liu , Wang Yeqiu , An Lifeng , Zhang Xinya , Wang Jing , Wang Yi , Cheng Ruyang , Li Chenxiang , Ma Wei
Published: May 2022

Background. In recent years, the incidence of depression is on the rise. Our paper proposed to study the protective effects of Schisandrin on CORT-induced PC12 depressive cell model and the underlying mechanisms. Methods. The in vitro models of PC12 were established using corticosterone (CORT). 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) method was used to screen the effective concentration of Schisandrin, and the models of PC12 were treated with low, medium, and high concentrations of Schisandrin. The cell activity of each group was detected by MTT assay. The LDH activity in each group of cells was detected by lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) kit. Apoptosis rate of each group was detected by Annexin V-FITC apoptosis assay kit. Mitochondrial membrane potential of each group of cells was detected by mitochondrial membrane potential kit. The protein expression levels of Caspase-3, Bax, and Bcl-2 in each group of cells were detected by western blot. Results. The treatment of Schisandrin significantly increased the cell viability in models of PC12. In addition, the results of LDH activity suggested that Schisandrin significantly reduced LDH content in models of PC12. Consistently, Schisandrin reduced the mitochondrial membrane potential of CORT-induced PC12 depressive cell model. Furthermore, Schisandrin effectively reduced the number of apoptotic cells and inhibited the expression of proapoptotic-related proteins (cleaved Caspase-3 and Bax) but increased the antiapoptotic-related protein (Bcl-2) in the models of PC12. Conclusions. Protective effects of Schisandrin on CORT-induced PC12 depressive cell model by inhibiting cells apoptosis in vitro.
The Construction of College Sports Culture Based on Intelligent Information Management Technology
Authors: Luo Baihua
Published: May 2022

In order to improve the effect of sports culture construction in colleges and universities, this study combines intelligent information management technology to analyze the path of sports culture construction in colleges and universities and builds an intelligent system to assist the construction of sports culture in colleges and universities. Moreover, this study describes the oversampling SMOTE algorithm for imbalanced datasets, proposes specific problems that need to be solved to optimize the SMOTE algorithm, and provides a unified classification model for the classification of imbalanced datasets. In addition, this study constructs a college sports culture construction platform based on intelligent information management technology. According to the simulation research results, it can be seen that the college sports culture construction platform based on intelligent information management technology proposed in this study has a good sports culture construction effect.
A Metaheuristic Algorithm for Coverage Enhancement of Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Wang Zhigang , Tian Liqin , Wu Wenxing , Lin Lianhai , Li Zongjin , Tong Yinghua
Published: May 2022

When wireless sensors are randomly deployed in natural environments such as ecological monitoring, military monitoring, and disaster monitoring, the initial position of sensors is generally formed through deployment methods such as air-drop, and then, the second deployment is carried out through the existing optimization methods, but these methods will still lead to serious coverage holes. In order to solve this problem, this paper proposes an algorithm to improve the coverage rate for wireless sensor networks based on an improved metaheuristic algorithm. The sensor deployment coverage model was firstly established, and the sensor network coverage problem was transformed into a high-dimensional multimodal function optimization problem. Secondly, the global searching ability and searching range of the algorithm are enhanced by the reverse expansion of the initial populations. Finally, the firefly principle is introduced to reduce the local binding force of sparrows and avoid the local optimization problem of the population in the search process. The experimental results showed that compared with ALO, GWO, BES, RK, and SSA algorithms, the EFSSA algorithm is better than other algorithms in benchmark function tests, especially in the test of high-dimensional multimodal function. In the tests of different monitoring ranges and number of nodes, the coverage of EFSSA algorithm is higher than other algorithms. The result can tell that EFSSA algorithm can effectively enhance the coverage of sensor deployment.
Collaborative Filtering-Based Music Recommendation in Spark Architecture
Authors: Niu Yizhen
Published: May 2022

The use of recommendation algorithms to recommend music MOOC resources is a method that is gradually gaining ground in people’s lives along with the development of the Internet. The often used ALS collaborative filtering algorithm has an irreplaceable role in personalised recommender systems via the Spark MLlib platform. In the study, it is investigated how Spark can be used to implement efficient music system recommendations. The collaborative filtering algorithm based on the ALS model in the Spark architecture is currently the most widely used technique in recommendation algorithms, allowing for the analysis and optimisation of computational techniques. The project-based collaborative filtering algorithm used in the article enables the recommendation of music by avoiding personal information about the user. More accurate user recommendations are achieved by predicting the user’s preferences and focusing on the top ranked and highly preferred music recommendations. The method improves the performance of the recommendation algorithm, which is optimised by Spark shuffle on top of resource optimisation, and its performance improved by 54.8% after optimisation compared to when there is no optimisation.
[Retracted] Organizational Silence among Hospital Nurses in China: A Cross‐Sectional Study
Authors: Yang Jing , Yang Hui , Wang Binquan
Published: May 2022

Objective. To analyze the factors that contribute to organizational silence among Chinese nurses. Methods. A descriptive, comparative, and cross‐sectional study was performed with the participation of 866 nurses from public hospitals in China. The data were collected using an online questionnaire that included sociodemographic information and a silence scale. Results. The overall level of organizational silence among nurses was moderate (51.35 ± 14.99). Nurses indicated that they remained silent about administrative (2.97 ± 1.10) and organizational topics (2.94 ± 1.11) yet were more vocal about matters related to responsibility (1.68 ± 0.86), honor (1.87 ± 0.95), and enthusiasm (2.07 ± 0.99). Moreover, data analysis demonstrated that department, educational status, professional title, years of employment, and employment status had effects on nurses’ organizational silence (p < .05). Conclusion. This study provides information that could facilitate an understanding of organizational silence for both nurses and nursing managers. The results helped to identify the urgent need to adopt effective strategies to address the problem of nurses’ organizational silence. Changes in management practices and organizational culture should be implemented to remove communication and other barriers that impede nurses’ contributions to their organizations.
Analysis of Intrusion Detection Approaches for Network Traffic Anomalies with Comparative Analysis on Botnets (2008–2020)
Authors: Ahmad Sultan , Jha Sudan , Alam Afroj , Alharbi Meshal , Nazeer Jabeen
Published: May 2022

Botnets are conglomerations of traded PCs (bots) that are remotely controlled by its originator (botmaster) under a command-and-control (C&C) foundation. Botnets are the making dangers against cutting edge security. They are the key vehicles for several Internet assaults, for example, spam, distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack, rebate distortion, malware spreading, and phishing. This review paper depicts the botnet examined in three domains: preview of botnets, observation, and analysis of botnets, apart from keeping track of them and protecting against them too. We have also attempted to the various ways to indicate differing countermeasures to the botnet dangers and propose future heading for botnet affirmation look into a consolidated report on the energy investigation and future headings for botnet break down are also been presented in this paper.
Suicidal Ideation in Long-Term Adult Cancer Survivors: Findings of a Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Hwang In Cheol , Ahn Hong Yup , Suh Heuy Sun
Published: May 2022

Background:

Cancer survivors suffer substantial psychologic distress, but little is known about their vulnerabilities to suicidal ideation more than 5 years after diagnosis.

Methods:

We compared suicidal ideation among 1,033 adult cancer survivors, who had received a diagnosis of cancer more than 5 years previously, with that among individuals without a cancer history using nationwide survey data. Logistic regression models were used to evaluate suicidal ideation in cancer survivors.

Results:

Cancer survivors did not have a significantly higher suicidal ideation rate than those without a cancer history, regardless of depressive mood.

Conclusions:

A cancer history of 5 years or greater is not associated with suicidal ideation.

Impact:

A large Korean study considering depressive mood affirm no association between long-term cancer survivorship and suicidal ideation.
Adverse Urinary System Diagnoses among Older Women with Endometrial Cancer
Authors: Anderson Chelsea , Olshan Andrew F. , Park Jihye , Bae-Jump Victoria L. , Brewster Wendy R. , Lund Jennifer L. , Nichols Hazel B.
Published: May 2022

Background:

Endometrial cancer and its treatment may impact urinary system function, but few large-scale studies have examined urinary diagnoses among endometrial cancer survivors. We investigated the risk of several urinary outcomes among older women with endometrial cancer compared with similar women without a cancer history.

Methods:

Women aged 66+ years with an endometrial cancer diagnosis during 2004–2017 (N = 44,386) and women without a cancer history (N = 221,219) matched 1:5 on exact age, race/ethnicity, and state were identified in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare linked data. ICD-9 and -10 diagnosis codes were used to define urinary outcomes in the Medicare claims. HRs for urinary outcomes were estimated using multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models.

Results:

Relative to women without cancer, endometrial cancer survivors were at an increased risk of several urinary system diagnoses, including lower urinary tract infection [HR, 2.36; 95% confidence interval (CI), 2.32–2.40], urinary calculus (HR, 2.22; 95% CI, 2.13–2.31), renal failure (HR, 2.28; 95% CI, 2.23–2.33), and chronic kidney disease (HR, 1.85; 95% CI, 1.81–1.90). Similar associations were observed in sensitivity analyses limited to 1+ and 5+ years after endometrial cancer diagnosis. Black race, higher comorbidity index, higher stage or grade cancer, non-endometrioid histology, and treatment with chemotherapy and/or radiation were often significant predictors of urinary outcomes among endometrial cancer survivors.

Conclusions:

Our results suggest that, among older women, the risk of urinary outcomes is elevated after endometrial cancer.

Impact:

Monitoring for urinary diseases may be a critical part of long-term survivorship care for older women with an endometrial cancer history.
The V5 Domain of Protein Kinase C Plays a Critical Role in Determining the Isoform-Specific Localization, Translocation, and Biological Function of Protein Kinase C-δ and -ε
Authors: Wang Qiming Jane , Lu Ganwei , Schlapkohl Walter A. , Goerke Axel , Larsson Christer , Mischak Harald , Blumberg Peter M. , Mushinski J. Frederic
Published: May 2022

The catalytic domain of overexpressed protein kinase C (PKC)-δ mediates phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA)-induced differentiation or apoptosis in appropriate model cell lines. To define the portions of the catalytic domain that are critical for these isozyme-specific functions, we constructed reciprocal chimeras, PKC-δ/εV5 and -ε/δV5, by swapping the V5 domains of PKC-δ and -ε. PKC-δ/εV5 failed to mediate PMA-induced differentiation of 32D cells, showing the essential nature of the V5 domain for PKC-δ's functionality. The other chimera, PKC-ε/δV5, endowed inactive PKC-ε with nearly all PKC-δ's apoptotic ability, confirming the importance of PKC-δ in this function. Green fluorescent protein (GFP)-tagged PKC-δV5 and -ε/δV5 in A7r5 cells showed substantial basal nuclear localization, while GFP-tagged PKC-ε and -δ/εV5 showed significantly less, indicating that the V5 region of PKC-δ contains determinants critical to its nuclear distribution. PKC-ε/δV5-GFP showed much slower kinetics of translocation to membranes in response to PMA than parental PKC-ε, implicating the PKC-εV5 domain in membrane targeting. Thus, the V5 domain is critical in several of the isozyme-specific functions of PKC-δ and -ε.
A Simple Epigenetic Method for the Diagnosis and Classification of Brain Tumors
Authors: Zukiel Ryszard , Nowak Stanislaw , Barciszewska Anna-Maria , Gawronska Iwona , Keith Gerard , Barciszewska Miroslawa Z.
Published: May 2022

The new, simple, and reliable method for the diagnosis of brain tumors is described. It is based on a TLC quantitative determination of 5-methylcytosine (m5C) in relation to its damage products of DNA from tumor tissue. Currently, there is evidence that oxidative stress through reactive oxygen species (ROS) plays an important role in the etiology and progression of several human diseases. Oxidative damage of DNA, lipids, and proteins is deleterious for the cell. m5C, along with other basic components of DNA, is the target for ROS, which results in the appearance of new modified nucleic acid bases. If so, m5C residue constitutes a mutational hotspot position, whether it occurs within a nucleotide sequence of a structural gene or a regulatory region. Here, we show the results of the analysis of 82 DNA samples taken from brain tumor tissues. DNA was isolated and hydrolyzed into nucleotides, which, after labeling with [γ-32P]ATP, were separated on TLC. Chromatograms were evaluated using PhosphorImager and the amounts of 5-methyldeoxycytosine (m5dC) were calculated as a ratio (R) of m5dC to m5dC + deoxycytosine + deoxythymidine spot intensities. The R value could not only be a good diagnostic marker for brain tumors but also a factor differentiating low-grade and high-grade gliomas. Therefore, DNA methylation pattern might be a useful tool to give a primary diagnosis of a brain tumor or as a marker for the early detection of the relapse of the disease. This method has several advantages over those existing nowadays.