bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Different fast excitations on the improvement of stochastic resonance in bounded noise excited system
Authors: Liu Huayu , Yang Jianhua , Liu Houguang , Shi Shuai
Published: October 2020

Stochastic resonance is significant for signal detection. In this paper, a method to improve the stochastic resonance performance in a bistable system excited by bounded noise is studied. Specifically, we add a high-frequency signal to the system as an auxiliary excitation to induce vibrational resonance and focus on the influence of the auxiliary excitation waveform on the improvement effect. We investigate the stochastic resonance performance improved by a fast excitation in different waveforms through numerical simulations. The results show that, the improvement effect of the stochastic resonance depends on the waveform of the fast excitation closely. The symmetry property and constant component of the fast excitation are two key factors. Further, we accomplish the circuit simulation by constructing a circuit to generate bounded noise and the circuit of the bistable system.
Mathematical analysis of information propagation model in complex networks
Authors: Zhu Linhe , Guan Gui , Zhang Zhengdi
Published: October 2020

In virtue of identifying the influence of nodes, the spatial distance of rumor propagation is defined with the partition and clustering in the network. Considering the temporal and spatial propagation characteristics of rumors in online social networks, we establish a delayed rumor propagation model based on the graph theory and partial functional differential equations. Firstly, the unique existence and uniform boundedness of the nonnegative solution are explored. Secondly, we discuss the existence of positive equilibrium points sufficiently. Thirdly, stabilities of the rumor-free and rumor-spreading equilibrium points are investigated according to the linearization approach and Lyapunov function. Finally, we perform several numerical simulations to validate theoretical results and show the influence of time delay on rumor propagation. Experimental results further illustrate that taking forceful actions such as increasing the time delay in the rumor-spreading process can control rumor propagation due to the timely effectiveness of the information.
Electron-impact excitation of W40+–W43+ ions: Cross-section and polarization
Authors: Shukla Neelam , Srivastava Rajesh
Published: October 2020

Electron-impact excitation of tungsten ions [Formula: see text] has been studied using the fully relativistic distorted wave (RDW) theory. The excitation cross-sections of selected electric dipole allowed transitions of these ions to be determined for the incident electron energies from the excitation threshold to 20 keV. Further, the calculated cross-section results are fitted with an analytical expression for direct applications in plasma modeling. In addition, using the density matrix theory, the linear polarization of the photons emitted from the excited tungsten ions when decay to their respective ground states is presented.
Optimization of Si-doped HfO2 ferroelectric material-based negative capacitance junctionless TFET: Impact of temperature on RF/linearity performance
Authors: Singh Shradhya , Singh Sangeeta , Naugarhiya Alok
Published: October 2020

This paper addresses the effect of temperature variation on the performance of a novel device structure Si-doped Hf[Formula: see text] negative capacitance junctionless tunnel field effect transistor (Si:Hf[Formula: see text] NC-JLTFET). Here, Si:Hf[Formula: see text] ferroelectric material is deployed as gate stack along with high-K gate dielectric Hf[Formula: see text]. Si:Hf[Formula: see text] ferroelectric material generates NC effect during the device operation. This phenomenon is an effective technique for intrinsic voltage amplification, reduction in power supply, as well as minimization of power dissipation. The proposed device structure has two variants, symmetric and asymmetric with respect to the oxide thickness between electrode and Si body at both drain and source sides. As band-to-band tunneling in TFET is temperature dependent, it is very crucial to analyze the impact of temperature variation on the device performance. This work is mainly focused on investigating the device dc performance parameters, analog/RF performance parameters and linearity performance parameters by observing the impact of temperature variation. The device characteristics reveal that for dc and RF performance parameters, asymmetric structure shows better result. Highest [Formula: see text] ratio and minimum SS are reported as [Formula: see text] and 20.038 mV/dec, respectively, at 300K for asymmetric structure. At elevated temperatures higher cutoff frequency and reduced intrinsic delay project the device as a strong candidate for ultra low-power and high switching speed applications. Further, the reported device shows better linearity performance at higher temperatures.
Dynamical behavior of the optical traveling pulses for the resonant nonlinear Schrödinger equation with external periodic force
Authors: Das Amiya , Saha Asit , Ghosh Niladri
Published: October 2020

Dynamical behavior of the optical traveling pulses for the resonant nonlinear Schrödinger (RNS) equation with external periodic force is studied. Using a complex transformation we obtain an unperturbed dynamical system for the RNS equation. Existence of periodic optical pulses, solitary optical pulses of dark and bright types, breaking optical pulses is dispensed using phase plane analysis of the unperturbed dynamical system. Introducing an external perturbation to the unperturbed dynamical system, quasiperiodicity and chaotic features of the nonlinear optical pulses for the perturbed dynamical system are studied by varying the resonance parameter (c) with special values of other system parameters through different computational tools, like time series plot, phase plot, sensitivity plot, Lyapunov exponent, and Poincare section. The resonance parameter (c) acts as a control parameter on qualitative transition of the nonlinear optical pulses for the perturbed dynamical system from quasiperiodic motion to chaotic motion.
Painlevé approach and its applications to get new exact solutions of three biological models instead of its numerical solutions
Authors: Bekir Ahmet , Zahran Emad H. M.
Published: October 2020

This paper focuses on realizing the exact solutions of three distinct important biological models using the Painlevé approach. These three models are the nonlinear dynamics of microtubules — a new model, the Kundu–Eckhaus model and the double chain model of DNA. Furthermore, the numerical solutions of these three equations have been achieved using the variational iteration method.
Supervoxel-Based Region Growing Segmentation for Point Cloud Data
Authors: Luo Nan , Jiang Yuanyuan , Wang Quan
Published: October 2020

Point cloud segmentation is a crucial fundamental step in 3D reconstruction, object recognition and scene understanding. This paper proposes a supervoxel-based point cloud segmentation algorithm in region growing principle to solve the issues of inaccurate boundaries and nonsmooth segments in the existing methods. To begin with, the input point cloud is voxelized and then pre-segmented into sparse supervoxels by flow constrained clustering, considering the spatial distance and local geometry between voxels. Afterwards, plane fitting is applied to the over-segmented supervoxels and seeds for region growing are selected with respect to the fitting residuals. Starting from pruned seed patches, adjacent supervoxels are merged in region growing style to form the final segments, according to the normalized similarity measure that integrates the smoothness and shape constraints of supervoxels. We determine the values of parameters via experimental tests, and the final results show that, by voxelizing and pre-segmenting the point clouds, the proposed algorithm is robust to noises and can obtain smooth segmentation regions with accurate boundaries in high efficiency.
On fertility of knot shadows
Authors: Hanaki Ryo
Published: October 2020

A knot [Formula: see text] is a parent of a knot [Formula: see text] if there exists a minimal crossing diagram [Formula: see text] of [Formula: see text] such that a subset of the crossings of [Formula: see text] can be changed to produce a diagram of [Formula: see text]. A knot [Formula: see text] with crossing number [Formula: see text] is fertile if for any prime knot [Formula: see text] with crossing number less than [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] is a parent of [Formula: see text]. It is known that only [Formula: see text] are fertile for knots up to 10 crossings. However it is unknown whether there exist other fertile knots. A knot shadow is a diagram without over/under information at all crossings. In this paper, we introduce a definition of fertility for knot shadows. We show that if an alternating knot [Formula: see text] is fertile then the crossing number of [Formula: see text] is less than eight.
Axial gravitational waves in Bianchi I universe
Authors: Guha Sarbari , Datta Sucheta
Published: October 2020

In this paper, we have studied the propagation of axial gravitational waves in Bianchi I universe using the Regge–Wheeler gauge. In this gauge, there are only two nonzero components of [Formula: see text] in the case of axial waves: [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]. The field equations in absence of matter have been derived both for the unperturbed as well as axially perturbed metric. These field equations are solved simultaneously by assuming the expansion scalar [Formula: see text] to be proportional to the shear scalar [Formula: see text] (so that [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] are the metric coefficients and [Formula: see text] is an arbitrary constant), and the wave equation for the perturbation parameter [Formula: see text] has been derived. We used the method of separation of variables to solve for this parameter, and have subsequently determined [Formula: see text]. We then discuss a few special cases to interpret the results. We find that the anisotropy of the background spacetime is responsible for the damping of the gravitational waves as they propagate through this spacetime. The perturbations depend on the values of the angular momentum [Formula: see text]. The field equations in the presence of matter reveal that the axially perturbed spacetime leads to perturbations only in the azimuthal velocity of the fluid leaving the matter field undisturbed.
Reliability Optimization of Wind Farm Power Systems Using Bat Algorithm with Generalized Flight
Authors: Guerraiche Khaled , Chatelet Eric , Dekhici Latifa , Zeblah Abdelkader
Published: October 2020

In this paper, two metaheuristics, namely the Bat algorithm (BAT) and a recent hybridization of bat algorithm with generalized walk evolutionary algorithm are presented. The bat algorithm and the Bat algorithm with generalized flight (BAG) are used to solve the problem of optimal redundancy design of series-parallel electrical systems. In order to assess the reliability of the heterogeneous system of multi-state series-parallel, the Ushakov method a universal moment generating function (UMGF) is used to allow fast estimation. The design objective is to maximize the reliability of the bulk power generation system from wind farm. The components of each electrical subsystem are characterized by their performance (capacity), cost and reliability. Reliability is defined as the ability to satisfy consumer demand that is given by a cumulative load curve. By comparing three algorithms cited in this study, the results show that the hybridization of Bat and Generalized Evolutionary Walk Algorithm (BAG) are effective in solving the reliability redundancy optimization problem (RROP). Two illustrative examples are presented.
Second eigenvalue of the CR Yamabe operator
Authors: Lemos Flávio Almeida , Barbosa Ezequiel
Published: October 2020

Let [Formula: see text] be a compact, connected, strictly pseudo-convex CR manifold. In this paper, we give some properties of the CR Yamabe Operator [Formula: see text]. We present an upper bound for the Second CR Yamabe Invariant, when the First CR Yamabe Invariant is negative, and the existence of a minimizer for the Second CR Yamabe Invariant, under some conditions.
Equivariant decomposition of polynomial vector fields
Authors: Mokhtari Fahimeh , Sanders Jan A.
Published: October 2020

To compute the unique formal normal form of families of vector fields with nilpotent linear part, we choose a basis of the Lie algebra consisting of orbits under the action of the nilpotent linear part. This creates a new problem: to find explicit formulas for the structure constants in this new basis. These are well known in the 2D case, and recently expressions were found for the 3D case by ad hoc methods. The goal of the this paper is to formulate a systematic approach to this calculation. We propose to do this using a rational method for the inversion of the Clebsch–Gordan coefficients. We illustrate the method on a family of 3D vector fields and compute the unique formal normal form for the Euler family both in the 2D and 3D cases, followed by an application to the computation of the unique normal form of the Rössler equation.
A Pyramidal Lattice Frame: Pathways to Inversion
Authors: Guan Yue , Virgin Lawrence N.
Published: October 2020

This paper considers the load–deflection behavior of a pyramid-like, shallow lattice structure. It consists of four beams that join at a central apex and when subject to a lateral load, it exhibits a propensity to snap-through: a classical buckling phenomenon. Whether this structural inversion occurs, and the routes by which it happens, depends sensitively on geometry. Given the often sudden nature of the instability, the behavior is also examined within a dynamics context. The outcome of numerical simulations are favorably compared with experimental data extracted from the testing of three-dimensional (3D)-printed specimens. The key contributions of this paper are that despite the continuous nature of the physical system, its behavior (transient and equilibria) can be adequately described using a discrete model, and the paper also illustrates the utility of 3D-printing in an accessible research context.
The Noether–Bessel-Hagen symmetry approach for dynamical systems
Authors: Urban Zbyněk , Bajardi Francesco , Capozziello Salvatore
Published: October 2020

The Noether–Bessel-Hagen theorem can be considered a natural extension of Noether Theorem to search for symmetries. Here, we develop the approach for dynamical systems introducing the basic foundations of the method. Specifically, we establish the Noether–Bessel-Hagen analysis of mechanical systems where external forces are present. In the second part of the paper, the approach is adopted to select symmetries for a given systems. In particular, we focus on the case of harmonic oscillator as a testbed for the theory, and on a cosmological system derived from scalar–tensor gravity with unknown scalar-field potential [Formula: see text]. We show that the shape of potential is selected by the presence of symmetries. The approach results particularly useful as soon as the Lagrangian of a given system is not immediately identifiable or it is not a Lagrangian system.
Classification of non-conformally flat static plane symmetric perfect fluid solutions via proper conformal vector fields in f(T) gravity
Authors: Ali Murtaza , Hussain Fiaz , Shabbir Ghulam , Hussain S. F. , Ramzan Muhammad
Published: October 2020

The aim of this paper is to classify non-conformally flat static plane symmetric (SPS) perfect fluid solutions via proper conformal vector fields (CVFs) in [Formula: see text] gravity. For this purpose, first we explore some SPS perfect fluid solutions of the Einstein field equations (EFEs) in [Formula: see text] gravity. Second, we utilize these solutions to find proper CVFs. In this study, we found 16 cases. A detailed study of each case reveals that in three of these cases, the space-times admit proper CVFs whereas in the rest of the cases, either the space-times become conformally flat or they admit proper homothetic vector fields (HVFs) or Killing vector fields (KVFs). The dimension of CVFs for non-conformally flat space-times in [Formula: see text] gravity is four, five or six.
Evolutes of the (n,m)-cusp mixed-type curves in the Lorentz–Minkowski plane
Authors: Zhao Xin , Liu Tongchang , Pei Donghe , Zhang Cuilian
Published: October 2020

The evolute of a regular curve in the Lorentz–Minkowski plane is given by the locus of centers of osculating pseudo-circle of the base curve. But the case when a curve has singularities is not very clear. In this paper, we use lightcone frame to define the [Formula: see text]-cusp mixed-type curves and their evolutes in Lorentz–Minkowski plane. In order to attain this goal, we define the [Formula: see text]-cusp non-lightlike curves and their evolutes in Lorentz–Minkowski plane first. Then we study the behaviors of the evolutes of the [Formula: see text]-cusp mixed-type curves at the [Formula: see text]-cusp.
Linear codes from vectorial Boolean functions in the context of algebraic attacks
Authors: Boumezbeur M. , Mesnager S. , Guenda K.
Published: October 2020

In this paper, we study the relationship between vectorial (Boolean) functions and cyclic codes in the context of algebraic attacks. We first derive a direct link between the annihilators of a vectorial function (in univariate form) and certain [Formula: see text]-ary cyclic codes (which we show that they are LCD codes). We also present some properties of those cyclic codes as well as their weight enumerator. In addition, we generalize the so-called algebraic complement and study its properties.
Near-optimal Sample Complexity Bounds for Robust Learning of Gaussian Mixtures via Compression Schemes
Authors: Ashtiani Hassan , Ben-David Shai , Harvey Nicholas J. A. , Liaw Christopher , Mehrabian Abbas , Plan Yaniv
Published: October 2020

We introduce a novel technique for distribution learning based on a notion of
sample compression
. Any class of distributions that allows such a compression scheme can be learned with few samples. Moreover, if a class of distributions has such a compression scheme, then so do the classes of
products
and
mixtures
of those distributions.

As an application of this technique, we prove that ˜Θ(
kd
2
/ε
2
) samples are necessary and sufficient for learning a mixture of
k
Gaussians in R

d

, up to error ε in total variation distance. This improves both the known upper bounds and lower bounds for this problem. For mixtures of axis-aligned Gaussians, we show that Õ(
kd
/ε
2
) samples suffice, matching a known lower bound. Moreover, these results hold in an agnostic learning (or robust estimation) setting, in which the target distribution is only approximately a mixture of Gaussians. Our main upper bound is proven by showing that the class of Gaussians in R

d

admits a small compression scheme.
Descriptions from the Customers
Authors: Novgorodov Slava , Guy Ido , Elad Guy , Radinsky Kira
Published: October 2020

Product descriptions play an important role in the e-commerce ecosystem. Yet, on leading e-commerce websites product descriptions are often lacking or missing. In this work, we suggest to overcome these issues by generating product descriptions from user reviews. We identify the set of candidates using a supervised approach that extracts review sentences in their original form, diversifies them, and selects the top candidates. We present extensive analyses of the generated descriptions, including a comparison to the original descriptions and examination of review coverage. We also perform an A/B test that demonstrates the impact of presenting our descriptions on user traffic.
B Cell Immunosenescence
Authors: Frasca Daniela , Diaz Alain , Romero Maria , Garcia Denisse , Blomberg Bonnie B.
Published: October 2020

Innate and adaptive immune responses decline with age, leading to greater susceptibility to infectious diseases and reduced responses to vaccines. Diseases are more severe in old than in young individuals and have a greater impact on health outcomes such as morbidity, disability, and mortality. Aging is characterized by increased low-grade chronic inflammation, so-called inflammaging, that represents a link between changes in immune cells and a number of diseases and syndromes typical of old age. In this review we summarize current knowledge on age-associated changes in immune cells with special emphasis on B cells, which are more inflammatory and less responsive to infections and vaccines in the elderly. We highlight recent findings on factors and pathways contributing to inflammaging and how these lead to dysfunctional immune responses. We summarize recent published studies showing that adipose tissue, which increases in size with aging, contributes to inflammaging and dysregulated B cell function.
F-Actin Cytoskeleton Network Self-Organization Through Competition and Cooperation
Authors: Kadzik Rachel S. , Homa Kaitlin E. , Kovar David R.
Published: October 2020

Many fundamental cellular processes such as division, polarization, endocytosis, and motility require the assembly, maintenance, and disassembly of filamentous actin (F-actin) networks at specific locations and times within the cell. The particular function of each network is governed by F-actin organization, size, and density as well as by its dynamics. The distinct characteristics of different F-actin networks are determined through the coordinated actions of specific sets of actin-binding proteins (ABPs). Furthermore, a cell typically assembles and uses multiple F-actin networks simultaneously within a common cytoplasm, so these networks must self-organize from a common pool of shared globular actin (G-actin) monomers and overlapping sets of ABPs. Recent advances in multicolor imaging and analysis of ABPs and their associated F-actin networks in cells, as well as the development of sophisticated in vitro reconstitutions of networks with ensembles of ABPs, have allowed the field to start uncovering the underlying principles by which cells self-organize diverse F-actin networks to execute basic cellular functions.
Prediction of North Atlantic Oscillation Index Associated with the Sea Level Pressure Using DWT-LSTM and DWT-ConvLSTM Networks
Authors: Mu Bin , Li Jing , Yuan Shijin , Luo Xiaodan
Published: October 2020

The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), which manifests as an irregular atmospheric fluctuation, has a profound effect on the global climate change. The NAO index (NAOI) is the quantitative indicator that can reflect the intensity of the NAO events, and its traditional definition is the normalized sea level pressure (SLP) difference between Azores and Iceland. From the variation tendency of the NAOI, we found that it is difficult to predict the NAO with the characteristics of variability and complexity. As a data-driven approach, the deep neural network presents great potential in learning the mechanisms of climate forecasting. In this paper, we adopt long short-term memory (LSTM) and ConvLSTM to predict the NAO from two aspects, NAOI and SLP, respectively. In previous studies, LSTM has been regarded as a resultful method for time series prediction. ConvLSTM can capture both the temporal and spatial interdependencies of the SLP field; then, the NAOI can be calculated from the SLP output. In order to improve the prediction reliability, we utilize the discrete wavelet transform (DWT) as a preprocessing technique to decompose original data into different frequencies, considering the local time dependency. It can effectively preserve the features of high-frequency data and forecast extreme events more accurately. The proposed DWT-LSTM and DWT-ConvLSTM models are compared against multiple advanced models, such as LSTM, Holt-Winters, support vector regression (SVR), and gated recurrent unit (GRU). The results indicate that both DWT-LSTM and DWT-ConvLSTM perform better, particularly at peak values. As for the 31 NAO events from 2006 to 2015, our models achieve the lowest prediction error and the best stability. Compared with the forecast products of CPC named Global Forecast System (GFS) and the ensemble forecasts (ENSM), our models are much closer to observation in multistep forecasting.
Research Trends and Hotspot Analysis of Conjunctival Bacteria Based on CiteSpace Software
Authors: Wang Zhenyu , Huang Chen , Li Xuemin
Published: October 2020

Objective. To sort out the literature related to conjunctival bacteria and summarize research hotspots and trends of this field. Materials and Methods. The relevant literature data from 1900 to 2019 was retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection database. After manual selection, each document record includes title, author, keywords, abstract, year, organization, and citation. We imported the downloaded data into CiteSpace V (version 5.5R2) to draw the knowledge map and conduct cooperative network analysis, discipline and journal analysis, cluster analysis, and burst keyword analysis. Results. After manual screening, there were 285 relevant papers published in the last 28 years (from 1991 to 2019), and the number is increasing year by year. The publications of conjunctival bacteria were dedicated by 1381 authors of 451 institutions in 56 countries/regions. The United States dominates this field (82 literatures), followed by Germany (23 literatures) and Japan (23 literatures). Overall, most cited papers were published with a focus on molecular biology, genetics, nursing, and toxicology. Most papers fall into the category of ophthalmology, veterinary sciences, and pharmacology and pharmacy. The only organized cluster is the “postantibiotic effect,” and the top 5 keywords with the strongest citation bursts include “postoperative endophthalmiti(s),” “infectious keratoconjunctiviti(s),” “conjunctiviti(s),” “resistance,” and “diversity”. Conclusion. The global field of conjunctival bacteria has expanded in the last 28 years. The United States contributes most. However, there are little cooperation among authors and institutions. Overall, this bibliometric study organized one cluster, “postantibiotic effect”, and identified the top 5 hotspots in conjunctival bacteria research: “postoperative endophthalmiti(s),” “infectious keratoconjunctiviti(s),” “conjunctiviti(s),” “resistance,” and “diversity”. Thus, further research focuses on these topics that may be more helpful to prevent ocular infection and improve prophylaxis strategies to bring a benefit to patients in the near future.
Active Disturbance Rejection Attitude Control for Hypersonic Vehicle Based on Intelligent Stochastic Robust Optimization Method
Authors: Wang Bo , Liu Wei , Cheng Zhongtao , Liu Lei , Wang Yongji
Published: October 2020

This paper designs a double-loop cascade active disturbance rejection control (ADRC) to overcome the external disturbances and parameter uncertainty during hypersonic vehicle flight. The vehicle attitude angle and attitude angular velocity are regulated in outer loop and inner loop, respectively. A stochastic robust approach is employed to further tune the ADRC parameters for better control performances. The Monte Carlo sampling of uncertain parameter is adopted to evaluate the stochastic robust performance. An improved differential evolution algorithm that combines neighborhood field optimization and triangular mutation is employed as the numerical solver. Simulation results show that the ADRC controller with optimized parameters manifests improved robustness as well as good control performances.
Carotid Thrombosis in a Crack Cocaine Smoker Woman
Authors: Cosenza Mattia , Panza Luigi , Califano Anna Paola , Defendini Carolina , D’Andria Maria , Romiti Roberto , Vainieri Antonio Fabio Massimo , Morelli Sergio
Published: October 2020

Introduction. We report a case of stroke in a crack smoker with occlusion of the middle cerebral artery and a large thrombus in the carotid artery. Case Presentation. A 34-year-old female presented with left upper arm weakness, associated with paresthesia with onset of symptoms more than 24 hours before. Angio-RM sequences showed an area of ischemia, with occlusion of the M2 segment of the middle cerebral artery. Carotid ultrasound showed a soft plaque with distal end floating. Anticoagulant treatment was started, and seriated ultrasound evaluations showed its gradual dissolution. Conclusions. In atherothromboembolic stroke from carotid thrombosis, repeated ultrasound studies may be useful for either diagnosis and monitoring the efficacy of anticoagulant therapy.
BuShen HuoXue Decoction Promotes Decidual Stromal Cell Proliferation via the PI3K/AKT Pathway in Unexplained Recurrent Spontaneous Abortion
Authors: Feng Xiaoling , Jiang Sha , Leung WingTing , Wang Ling , Gober Hans Jürgen , Chen Lu , Zhang Yang , Wang Ling
Published: October 2020

BuShen HuoXue decoction (BSHXD) has been used to treat patients with unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion (URSA). However, the chemical compounds and mechanism by which BSHXD exerts its therapeutic and systemic effects to promote the proliferation of decidual stromal cells (DSCs) has not been elucidated. This work sought to elucidate the cellular and molecular mechanism of BSHXD in terms of inflammatory factors IL‐17A in DSCs in vitro because of the critical roles of inflammation, apoptosis, and immunity in the development and progression of pregnancy loss. Twelve migratory chemical compounds from BSHXD extract were qualitatively analyzed by high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). DSCs were collected from normal early pregnancy (NEP) and URSA to determine whether BSHXD affects IL‐17A/IL17RA via the PI3K/AKT pathway. Abnormal apoptosis and activated p‐AKT were observed in URSA DSCs. RhIL‐17 A, LY294002 (a PI3K pathway inhibitor), and BSHXD were individually or simultaneously administered in NEP DSCs, suggesting that BSHXD restored cell proliferation without excessive stimulation and IL‐17A promotes proliferation via the PI3K/AKT pathway. Using the same intervention in URSA DSCs, qRT‐PCR measured the upregulated mRNA levels of IL‐17 A/IL‐17RA, PI3K, AKT, p‐AKT, PTEN, Bcl‐2, and Bcl‐xL and downregulated mRNA levels of BAD and ACT1 after treatment with BSHXD. We demonstrated that BSHXD affected IL‐17A/IL‐17R via PI3K/AKT pathway to promote the proliferative activity of DSCs in URSA. These results provide a new insight to further clarify the relationship between inflammation and apoptosis and the mechanism of imbalance in the dynamic equilibrium between Th17/Treg immune cells at the maternal‐fetal interface.
Effectiveness of Hydrogalvanic Bath on Improving Pain, Disability, and Quality of Life in Individuals with Chronic Nonspecific Neck Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Alshahrani Mastour Saeed , Tedla Jaya Shanker , Reddy Ravi Shankar , Asiri Faisal
Published: October 2020

Background. Neck pain is one of the world’s leading factors in years lived with disability. Ambiguity in the effect of electrotherapy modalities for the treatment of chronic nonspecific neck pains (CNSNP) needs to be examined further. This study sought to elucidate the effectiveness of hydrogalvanic bath on improving pain, disability, and quality of life among individuals with CNSNP. Methods. Thirty‐four individuals with a diagnosis of CNSNP were selected through convenient sampling and randomly divided into two groups by block randomization. The control group treatment underwent low Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) and exercise, and the experimental group was subjected to hydrogalvanic bath therapy (HGBT) and exercise. Individuals were evaluated for pain using a visual analog scale (VAS), disability with the Neck Disability Index (NDI), and quality of life with Short Form‐36 (SF‐36). These measures were applied at baseline and after 12 weeks of treatment. Results. The pretreatment and posttreatment results for VAS, NDI, and SF‐36 were compared for both control and experimental groups. We found that all the three variables showed significant differences between the two time points with p < 0.05 in both the groups but the experimental group improvements were more significant than the control group with p < 0.05. Conclusion. Twelve weeks of low TENS or HGBT along with exercises can decrease pain and neck disability and increase the quality of life in individuals with CNSNP. However, HGBT along with exercise has superior effects relative to low TENS along with exercise. This randomized controlled trial was registered in the International Standard Randomized Controlled Trials Number‐ISRCTN29695190 and registered on 05/02/2020. This study is a retrospective registration.
SNORA71A Promotes Colorectal Cancer Cell Proliferation, Migration, and Invasion
Authors: Zhang Zhengxiang , Tao Yunxiang , Hua Qingling , Cai Juan , Ye Xiaobing , Li Hao
Published: October 2020

Small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) play a crucial role during colorectal cancer (CRC) development. The study of SNORA71A is few, and its role in CRC is unknown. This study focused on screening abnormal snoRNAs in CRC and exploring the role of key snoRNA in CRC. The expression pattern of snoRNAs in 3 CRC and 3 normal colon tissues was detected via small RNA sequencing. The six candidate snoRNAs were identified by quantitative PCR (qPCR). Subsequently, the expression level of SNORA71A was further verified through the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data analysis and qPCR. The CCK8 and transwell assays were used to detect the functional role of SNORA71A in CRC cells. The integrated analysis of snoRNA expression profile indicated that a total 107 snoRNAs were significantly differentially expressed (DE) in CRC tissues compared with normal tissues, including 45 upregulated and 62 downregulated snoRNAs. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that the DE snoRNAs were mainly implicated in “detection of chemical stimulus involved in sensory perception of smell” and “sensory perception of smell” in the biological process. The DE snoRNAs were preferentially enriched in “olfactory transduction” and “glycosphingolipid biosynthesis‐ganglio series pathway.” The expression of SNORA71A was upregulated in CRC tissues and cells. SNORA71A expression showed statistically significant correlations with TNM stage (P = 0.0196) and lymph node metastasis (P = 0.0189) and can serve as biomarkers for CRC. Importantly, SNORA71A significantly facilitated the CRC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. Our findings indicate that SNORA71A screened by sequencing acted as an oncogene and promoted proliferation, migration, and invasion ability of CRC cells.
Rail Fastener Positioning Based on Double Template Matching
Authors: Qiu Yijin , Chen Xingjie , Lv Zhaomin
Published: October 2020

For global template matching (GTM), which is commonly used in the positioning of rail fasteners, only the fastener template is used to search the global image in both two dimensions, which will result in errors in two dimensions, and the lower positioning accuracy will be caused. A positioning method for rail fasteners based on double template matching (DTM) is proposed in this paper, in which the double template contains the rail template and the fastener template. First, the rail template is used to scan the original image in horizontal dimension, and the squared Euclidean distance (SED) is used to obtain the rail positioning in the original image. Combining with the prior knowledge of the fastener template image, the image composed of the rail and the fastener can be obtained, which is called the Rail Area Map (RAM) in this paper. Then, after preprocessing the RAM and the fastener template image, the fastener template image is used to scan the RAM in vertical dimension, and the normalized correlation coefficient (NCC) is used to calculate the similarity between the template and the subgraph of the RAM to achieve precise positioning of the fastener. The proposed DTM method adopts a positioning strategy from coarse to fine, and two templates are used to complete different positioning tasks in their own dimension, respectively. Due to the rail can be precise positioned in horizontal dimension, the error of the fastener positioning in the horizontal dimension can be avoided, and thus, the positioning accuracy can be improved. Experiments on the on-site line fastener images prove that the proposed method can effectively achieve the precise positioning of fasteners.
Oral Health of Children with Autism: The Influence of Parental Attitudes and Willingness in Providing Care
Authors: AlHumaid Jehan , Gaffar Balgis , AlYousef Yousef , Faris Alshuraim , Alhareky Muhanad , El Tantawi Maha
Published: October 2020

Objectives. Parents play a crucial role in health-related practices of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study assessed the association between oral health status and oral health practices of children with ASD in relation to their parental attitudes and comfort in providing oral care. Methods. This cross-sectional study included 75 children with ASD attending the special needs schools in Eastern Saudi Arabia from 2015–2018. Parents responded to a self-administered questionnaire assessing their attitudes toward oral health and comfort in providing oral care for children. The clinical examination assessed dental caries (decayed, extracted, and filled: (DMF and def)), gingival disease, and plaque accumulation. The Pearson correlation coefficient was used to assess the relationship between the study variables, while ANOVA followed by post hoc was used to assess the differences. Results. Prevalence of dental caries in primary teeth was 76% and 68% in the permanent dentition with a mean of 0.85 ± 1.9 and 1.03 ± 2.9, respectively. Thirty-one participants had gingival problems, mean gingival index was 1.03 ± 0.88, and mean plaque index was 0.95 ± 0.43. Half of the parents supervised their children’s brushing, which was significantly associated with plaque accumulation (p = 0.004), gingival disease (p < 0.0001), and def (p = 0.02). Parental attitudes and comfort in providing oral health care were not associated with oral health status of ASD children; however, positive parental attitudes were associated with lower sugar consumption (p = 0.043). An inverse correlation was observed between comfort in providing oral health care with gingival and plaque scores r = −0.18 and −0.23, respectively. Conclusions. The data are indicative of poor oral health practices and status among ASD children. Parents’ oral health care practices seem to be reactive rather than proactive. Positive parental attitudes were associated with lower sugar consumption. Greater comfort in providing care was negatively correlated with plaque accumulation and gingival problems.
Comprehensive Evaluation of the Accelerated Aging Law of NEPE Propellants
Authors: Liang Yulong , Zhang Mi , Ren Hui , Jiao Qingjie
Published: October 2020

In order to study the accelerated aging law of nitrate ester plasticized polyether (NEPE) propellants, the mechanical properties, weight loss, adhesive network structure fracture, and stability of NEPE propellants during storage were analyzed. The results show that the maximum tensile strength σm shows good change law with the increase of storage time, and the failure of NEPE propellants is mainly strength failure. The content of the stabilizer decreased with the increase of storage time. With the prolongation of storage time, the weight loss ratio increases gradually with good regularity. The decomposition of the components in the propellant leads to the degradation of the polyethylene glycol (PEG) network structure. The thermal decomposition of the nitrate plasticizer in NEPE propellants will occur, and the products will cause the adhesive network structure to decompose and break the chain, leading to the destruction of the matrix structure. The thermal decomposition of the propellant has temperature-increasing rate dependency.
Frequency Response Function-Based Finite Element Model Updating Using Extreme Learning Machine Model
Authors: Zhao Yu , Peng Zhenrui
Published: October 2020

A frequency response function- (FRF-) based surrogate model for finite element model updating (FEMU) is presented in this paper. Extreme learning machine (ELM) is introduced as the surrogate model of the finite element model (FEM) to construct the relationship between updating parameters and structural responses. To further improve the generalization ability, the input weights and biases of ELM are optimized by Lévy flight trajectory-based whale optimization algorithm (LWOA). Then, LWOA is also applied to obtain the best updating results, where the objective function is defined by the difference between analytical FRF data and experimental data. Finally, a plane truss is used to demonstrate the performance of the proposed method. The results show that, compared with second-order response surface (RS), radial basis function (RBF), traditional ELM, and other optimized ELM, a LWOA-ELM model has higher prediction accuracy. After updating, the FRF data and frequencies have a significant match to the experimental model. The proposed FEMU method is feasible.
Dynamic Stiffness and Damping Characteristics of a Shaft Damping Ring: A Combined Hyperelastic and Viscoelastic Constitutive Model
Authors: Li Miaomiao , Chen Jian , Zhu Rupeng , Duan Cheng , Wang Shuai , Lu Xiong
Published: October 2020

At higher velocities, the helicopter tail transmission system encounters notable difficulties due to excessive bending vibrations. The shaft damping ring installed on the shaft system was shown to effectively suppress the shaft system vibrations. In this paper, the dynamic stiffness and damping characteristics of polyurethane shaft damping rings were studied using hyperelastic and viscoelastic constitutive models. The constitutive model and the damping ring material parameters were determined using uniaxial tensile and double-shear frequency scanning tests. Based on the test results, the dynamic damping ring characteristics were simulated and verified by dynamic stiffness tests; the influence of structural parameters and operating conditions on the dynamic stiffness and damping characteristics of the damping ring were obtained. The results provide a theoretical basis for the design of shaft systems with reduced sensitivity to vibrations.
Large Cell Neuroendocrine Carcinoma of the Bladder with Adenocarcinomatous Component
Authors: Halabi Rami , Abdessater Maher , Boustany Johnny , Kanbar Anthony , Akl Halim , El Khoury Joey , El Hachem Charbel , El Khoury Raghid
Published: October 2020

Large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNC) is one of the rarest types of bladder cancer occurring in <1%. Either pure or mixed with another component, it remains one of the most aggressive types of bladder cancer. We report a case of LCNC of the bladder with an adenocarcinomatous component. The patient was a 64-year-old smoker male, who presented for the first time with dysuria and hematuria. A bladder tumor invading the anterior and right lateral bladder walls was discovered, without any secondary localizations. Tumor biopsy showed an LCNC with adenocarcinomatous components. The patient was treated by recurrent tumor resections, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. No improvement was noted despite close follow-up and adequate treatment. Neuroendocrine bladder tumor is known to have an aggressive, rapid, and disadvantageous evolution. Multiple case reports were published so far, and a recent review was conducted in March 2020 by Sanguedolce et al. (2020). More cases are needed to establish the best management plan for this type of tumor.
Microstructure of Whole Wheat versus White Flour and Wheat-Chickpea Flour Blends and Dough: Impact on the Glycemic Response of Pan Bread
Authors: Zafar Tasleem A. , Aldughpassi Ahmed , Al-Mussallam Abdulwahab , Al-Othman Amani
Published: October 2020

Whole foods are generally considered healthier choices compared to processed foods. For nutritional consideration, whole wheat bread is recommended over the white bread. However, it has a similarly high effect on glycemic response (GR) as the white bread. This study is aimed at assessing the microstructure of whole wheat flour (WWF), white flour (WF), chickpea flour (BF), their blends, and dough and the GR of the bread made thereof. Scanning electron microscope analysis showed clear distinctions in the microstructure of the three flours. WWF particle size distribution had the widest spread with a polydispersity index (PDI) of 1.0 (±0.0) and wider average diameter, with

z

value of 1679.5 (±156.3) compared with the particle size of 658.9 (±160.4) and PDI of 0.740 (±0.04) for WF followed by BF with the particle size of 394.1 (±54.9) and PDI of 0.388 (±0.07) (

p
<
0.05

). The falling number was significantly (

p
<
0.05

) lower for WWF compared to WF or BF, indicating higher alpha-amylase activity. Thus, bread made from WWF without BF substitution exhibited a higher glycemic response similar to the bread made from WF. When partly replaced with BF, the GR of the bread made with WWF or WF reduced significantly (

p
<
0.05

) in healthy individuals.
An Increased Presence of Male Personalities in Dissociative Identity Disorder after Initiating Testosterone Therapy
Authors: Mun Monique , Gautam Mohan , Maan Renee , Krayem Bassem
Published: October 2020

Patients with gender dysphoria (GD) report significant dissociative symptoms and are found to have a high prevalence of a dissociative disorder of any kind. When GD patients elect to undergo cross-sex hormone therapy, there is a significant reduction in dissociative symptoms. However, to the best of our knowledge, there are no known case reports that describe an alteration of personalities in dissociative identity disorder after initiating cross-sex hormone therapy. Thus, we present a case of a 20-year-old transgender male with GD, whom after initiating cross-sex hormone therapy with testosterone experienced an increased presence of his existing male personalities.
Evolutionary Game Simulation on Government Incentive Strategies of Prefabricated Construction: A System Dynamics Approach
Authors: Cheng Baoquan , Wei Yuhu , Zhang Wei , Zhou Xintao , Chen Huihua , Huang Lipeng , Huang Jianling , Kang Xiaofang
Published: October 2020

Prefabricated construction is a state-of-the-art construction technology of both socio-economic and environmental benefits, but sometimes, it is not welcome due to its high cost. Governments play an important role in deeply promoting prefabricated construction, but its effects are not clear. This paper developed a system dynamics model for investigating and simulating the impacts of government incentive strategies on prefabricated construction by considering the evolutionary game process between the government and contractors. Data of Shanghai, China, is collected for demonstration and validation of the developed simulation model. Results show that (1) the evolutionary stable strategy does not exist in static game process; (2) the rate of adopting prefabricated construction is affected by the level of penalties and subsidies; (3) dynamic incentive strategies can better improve the stability of the evolutionary game process; and (4) the rational range of incentive rate can be obtained. Findings of this study facilitate governments to formulate and improve the incentive strategies of prefabricated construction, thus boosting the development of construction industrialization.