bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Assuring the safety of AI-based clinical decision support systems: a case study of the AI Clinician for sepsis treatment
Authors: Festor Paul , Jia Yan , Gordon Anthony C , Faisal A Aldo , Habli Ibrahim , Komorowski Matthieu
Published: September 2022

Objectives

Establishing confidence in the safety of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based clinical decision support systems is important prior to clinical deployment and regulatory approval for systems with increasing autonomy. Here, we undertook safety assurance of the AI Clinician, a previously published reinforcement learning-based treatment recommendation system for sepsis.

Methods

As part of the safety assurance, we defined four clinical hazards in sepsis resuscitation based on clinical expert opinion and the existing literature. We then identified a set of unsafe scenarios, intended to limit the action space of the AI agent with the goal of reducing the likelihood of hazardous decisions.

Results

Using a subset of the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care (MIMIC-III) database, we demonstrated that our previously published ‘AI clinician’ recommended fewer hazardous decisions than human clinicians in three out of our four predefined clinical scenarios, while the difference was not statistically significant in the fourth scenario. Then, we modified the reward function to satisfy our safety constraints and trained a new AI Clinician agent. The retrained model shows enhanced safety, without negatively impacting model performance.

Discussion

While some contextual patient information absent from the data may have pushed human clinicians to take hazardous actions, the data were curated to limit the impact of this confounder.

Conclusion

These advances provide a use case for the systematic safety assurance of AI-based clinical systems towards the generation of explicit safety evidence, which could be replicated for other AI applications or other clinical contexts, and inform medical device regulatory bodies.
Innovative technology to eliminate the racial bias in non-invasive, point-of-care (POC) haemoglobin and pulse oximetry measurements
Authors: Gokhale Sanjay G , Daggubati Vinoop , Alexandrakis Georgios
Published: September 2022

There is a significant unmet clinical need for a reliable point-of-care (POC) estimation of the blood haemoglobin (Hb) method. Current available methods, notably pulse oximetry, have certain limitations related to design and methodology of devices. These have low sensitivity for detecting serial change in the Hb values, especially at the lower range and are inaccurate in people with darker skin.

Objective

This study aimed at developing a novel, non-invasive technology for the measurement of Hb and oxygen saturation.

Design

This was an observational study.

Recruitment

This was approved by the Institutional Review Board at the University of Texas at Arlington and 16 healthy adult volunteers (age 20–40 years) were recruited in this study.

The investigational device (Shani) probe (United States Patent 11191460B1) consists of light emitting diodes with wavelengths ranging 520–580 nm, and a photosensor component. The probe is gently placed on the back of the subject’s wrist and reflected light is measured as an electrical signal, with digital recordings. Skin tone (or skin colour) was assessed by Von Luschan Chromatic Scale (VLS). Using a specific algorithm accounting for melanin (as determined from VLS Scale) and employing a software, the results can be displayed on screen as Hb values and ratio of tissue oxygen saturation.

Results

The results of the investigational non-invasive (Shani) device were comparable with the invasive, point of care (POC) method (iSTAT, Abbott Inc.).
Effect of speed humps on injury consequences on trunk roads traversing towns in Ghana: A quasi-experimental study
Authors: Gyaase Daniel , Newton Sam , Adams Charles Anum , Enuameh Yeetey , Adjei Benjamin Noble , Nakua Emmanuel Kweku
Published: September 2022

Background

Speed calming interventions have been employed globally as a road safety measure to curb outcomes of RTCs such as injuries and deaths. In Ghana, few studies have reported on the effect of speed calming measures on the severity of road traffic injuries. This study examined the effect of speed humps on the severity of injuries during RTCs on trunk roads passing through towns in Ghana from 2011 to 2020.

Methods

The study employed a quasi-experimental before-and-after study with controls design to answer the research questions. The study used both primary and secondary sources of data. Univariable and multivariable ordered logistic regression was used to examine the effect of speed humps on the severity of injuries during RTCs.

Results

The mean height, length and spacing of the speed humps were 10.9 cm, 7.67 m and 207.17 m, respectively. Fatal/serious/minor injuries were 35% higher at the intervention than the control settlements prior to installation of speed humps though not significant (adjusted OR (aOR)=1.35, 95% CI 0.85 to 2.14). A significant change in injury severity occurred after the installation of the speed hump devices. There was a reduction of 77% in fatal/serious/minor injuries at the intervention towns compared with the control towns (aOR=0.23, 95% CI 0.11 to 0.47).

Conclusion

The findings present evidence suggesting that speed hump is an effective road safety measure in reducing the severity of road traffic injuries on trunk roads.
Bioinformatic and experimental methods to identify and validate bacterial RNA-human RNA interactions
Authors: Krohmaly Kylie I , Freishtat Robert J , Hahn Andrea L
Published: September 2022

Ample evidence supports the importance of the microbiota on human health and disease. Recent studies suggest that extracellular vesicles are an important means of bacterial-host communication, in part via the transport of small RNAs (sRNAs). Bacterial sRNAs have been shown to co-precipitate with human and mouse RNA-induced silencing complex, hinting that some may regulate gene expression as eukaryotic microRNAs do. Bioinformatic tools, including those that can incorporate an sRNA’s secondary structure, can be used to predict interactions between bacterial sRNAs and human messenger RNAs (mRNAs). Validation of these potential interactions using reproducible experimental methods is essential to move the field forward. This review will cover the evidence of interspecies communication via sRNAs, bioinformatic tools currently available to identify potential bacterial sRNA-host (specifically, human) mRNA interactions, and experimental methods to identify and validate those interactions.
Generation and proof-of-concept for allogeneic CD123 CAR-Delta One T (DOT) cells in acute myeloid leukemia
Authors: Sánchez Martínez Diego , Tirado Néstor , Mensurado Sofia , Martínez-Moreno Alba , Romecín Paola , Gutiérrez Agüera Francisco , Correia Daniel V , Silva-Santos Bruno , Menéndez Pablo
Published: September 2022

Background

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells have emerged as a breakthrough treatment for relapse/refractory hematological tumors, showing impressive complete remission rates. However, around 50% of the patients relapse before 1-year post-treatment. T-cell ‘fitness’ is critical to prolong CAR-T persistence and activity. Allogeneic T cells from healthy donors are less dysfunctional or exhausted than autologous patient-derived T cells; in this context, Delta One T cells (DOTs), a recently described cellular product based on MHC/HLA-independent Vδ1+γδ T cells, represent a promising allogeneic platform.

Methods

Here we generated and preclinically validated, for the first time, 4-1BB-based CAR-DOTs directed against the interleukin-3α chain receptor (CD123), a target antigen widely expressed on acute myeloid leukemia (AML) blasts.

Results

CD123CAR-DOTs showed vigorous, superior to control DOTs, cytotoxicity against AML cell lines and primary samples bothin vitroandin vivo, even on tumor rechallenge.

Conclusions

Our results provide the proof-of-concept for a DOT-based next-generation allogeneic CAR-T therapy for AML.
Evaluation of an exercise and ergonomics intervention for the prevention of neck pain in office workers: exploratory analysis of a cluster randomised trial
Authors: Johnston Venerina , Jackson Katherine , Welch Alyssa , Sjøgaard Gisela , Comans Tracy Ann , Straker Leon , Melloh Markus , Gane Elise , Bowe Steve , O'Leary Shaun
Published: September 2022

Objectives

To determine the impact of a 12-week ergonomic/exercise programme compared with an ergonomic/health education programme on the development of neck pain in office workers over 12 months.

Methods

This cluster-randomised trial prospectively recruited office workers from public and private organisations. Only non-neck pain cases at baseline were included (n=484). All participants received an ergonomic workstation review then randomly allocated to receive a neck/shoulder progressive exercise programme (20 min, 3 ×/week; intervention group) or health education sessions (60 min, 1 ×/week; active control) for 12 weeks. Generalised estimating equations evaluated group differences in the point prevalence of neck pain cases (defined as those with a neck pain score of ≥3 on a 0 (no pain) to 9 (worst pain) scale) over time (3, 6, 9 and 12 months) with cumulative incidence of neck pain cases evaluated descriptively.

Results

While no significant group × time interaction was evident, the 12-month point prevalence of neck pain cases in the intervention group (10%) was half that of the active control group (20%) (adjusted OR 0.46, 95% CI 0.21 to 1.01, p=0.05). Lower cumulative incidence of neck pain cases was observed in the intervention (17%) compared with active control group (30%) over the 12 months.

Conclusions

A combined ergonomics and exercise intervention may have more benefits in preventing neck pain cases in office workers than an ergonomic and health education intervention. Group differences were modest and should be interpreted with caution when considering strategies for primary prevention of neck pain in the office worker population.

Trial registration

ACTRN12612001154897
On stability analysis of a mathematical model of a society confronting with internal extremism
Authors: Nazir Aqsa , Abbas Nadeem , Shatanawi W.
Published: September 2022

Politics is a crucial aspect of society. It has a very high impact on the development of a community and its population. Thinking and acts of a few political persons/parties affect the whole population. In our work, a dynamical mathematical model is being considered to investigate the ideological pressure and change in a region where a group is being violent to achieve the desired political results. The estimation of model parameters is made, and the results of general elections of a specific region (Basque country) are used to paint the future political scenario of the region by the derived model. Analytical investigation for the system of nonlinear differential equations governing the social phenomenon is also done. The worth of the considered model is shown by stability analysis.
STOCHASTIC OPTIMAL CONTROL ANALYSIS FOR THE COVID-19 EPIDEMIC MODEL UNDER REAL STATISTICS
Authors: LIU PEIJIANG , YUSUF ABDULLAHI , CUI TING , DIN ANWARUD
Published: September 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic started, a global effort to develop vaccines and make them available to the public, has prompted a turning point in the history of vaccine development. In this study, we formulate a stochastic COVID-19 epidemic mathematical model with a vaccination effect. First, we present the model equilibria and basic reproduction number. To indicate that our stochastic model is well-posed, we prove the existence and uniqueness of a positive solution at the beginning. The sufficient conditions of the extinction and the existence of a stationary probability measure for the disease are established. For controlling the transmission of the disease by the application of external sources, the theory of stochastic optimality is established. The nonlinear least-squares procedure is utilized to parametrize the model from actual cases reported in Pakistan. The numerical simulations are carried out to demonstrate the analytical results.
Geological mapping by thermal inertia derived from long-term maximum and minimum temperatures in ASTER data
Authors: Asano Yukie , Yamaguchi Yasushi , Kodama Shinsuke
Published: September 2022

Thermal inertia is a geophysical quantity used to characterize geological features. Apparent thermal inertia (ATI) is an alternative quantity that can be derived from remotely sensed data. Calculation of the conventional ATI requires acquisition of a pair of daytime and night-time images taken within a short time interval, which can often be difficult to fulfil by satellite remote sensing due to orbit constraints. In this study, we proposed long-term ATI (LATI) as a new alternative ATI, taking advantage of the large ASTER data archive.

Using the Cuprite area in Nevada, USA as a test site, ATI was calculated using an ASTER data pair that was obtained within 2 days. LATI was also calculated using a much more separated ASTER data pair: daytime on 5 August 2000 and night-time on 12 January 2012. These dates were chosen to represent the maximum and minimum yearly surface temperatures. There was a strong positive correlation between ATI and LATI. We can conclude that LATI is useful and superior to conventional ATI because the maximum and minimum land-surface temperatures tend to converge on certain values and can be used to characterize surface geological features with minimal effects from temporal atmospheric and environmental conditions.

Thematic collection:
This article is part of the Remote sensing for site investigations on Earth and other planets collection available at:
https://www.lyellcollection.org/topic/collections/remote-sensing-for-site-investigations-on-earth-and-other-planets
Exploring Time-aware Multi-pattern Group Venue Recommendation in LBSNs
Authors: Liang Bi , Meng Xiangwu , Zhang Yujie
Published: September 2022

Location-based social networks (LBSNs) have become a popular platform for users to share their activities with friends and families, which provide abundant information for us to study issues of group venue recommendation by utilizing the characteristics of check-in data. Although there are some studies on group recommendation for venues, few studies consider the group’s venue preference in different temporal patterns. In this article, we discover that the group’s activity venue has a temporal effect, that is, the group’s preference for the activity venue is different at different times. For example, a couple of lovers prefer to travel to tropical regions in winter and relax in bars in the evening. Based on this discovery, we present a Time-aware Multi-pattern (TaMp) topic model to capture the group’s interest in the activity venue in multiple temporal patterns (including the daily pattern, the weekly pattern, the monthly pattern, and the quarterly pattern). The TaMp model takes into account the topic, members, temporality, and venue information of group activities and the latent relations among them, especially the strong correlation between the activity time and the corresponding activity venue. Then, we propose a group venue recommendation method based on the TaMp model. In addition, an improved grouping algorithm (iGA) in LBSNs is put forward to enhance the rationality of grouping and the accuracy of group venue recommendation. We conduct comprehensive experiments to evaluate the performance of TaMp on two real-world datasets. The results show that our proposed method outperforms the state-of-the-art group venue recommendation and demonstrates the significance of temporal effects in explaining group activities.
CNN-Cap: Effective Convolutional Neural Network-based Capacitance Models for Interconnect Capacitance Extraction
Authors: Yang Dingcheng , Li Haoyuan , Yu Wenjian , Guo Yuanbo , Liang Wenjie
Published: September 2022

Accurate capacitance extraction is becoming more important for designing integrated circuits under advanced process technology. The pattern matching-based full-chip extraction methodology delivers fast computational speed but suffers from large error and tedious efforts on building capacitance models of the increasing structure patterns. In this work, we propose an effective method for building convolutional neural network (CNN)-based capacitance models (called CNN-Cap) for two-dimensional (2-D) and
three
-dimensional (3-D) interconnect structures. With a novel grid-based data representation, the proposed method is able to model 2-D pattern structure and 3-D window structure with a variable number of conductors to largely reduce the number of patterns or increase the accuracy. Based on the ability of ResNet architecture on capturing spatial information and the proposed training skills, the obtained CNN-Cap exhibits much better performance over the multilayer perception neural network-based capacitance model while being more versatile. Extensive experiments on a 55 nm and a 15 nm process technologies have demonstrated that the error of total capacitance produced with 2-D CNN-Cap is always within 1.3%, and the error of produced coupling capacitance is less than 10% in over 99.5% probability. For 3-D structures, CNN-Cap predicts the total capacitance with less than 5% error in 99% probability and with a maximum error of 7.7%. For the tested 2-D and 3-D structures, the CNN-Cap run on a GPU server is more than 4,000× and 12,000×, respectively, faster than the conventional field solver Raphael, while consuming negligible memory.
BFlavor Anomalies: 2021 Theoretical Status Report
Authors: London David , Matias Joaquim
Published: September 2022

At the present time (2022), there are discrepancies with the predictions of the Standard Model in several observables involving b → sℓ+ℓ−and [Formula: see text] decays. These are the B flavor anomalies. In this review, we summarize the data as of Moriond 2021 and present theoretical new physics explanations from both a model-independent effective field theory point of view and through the building of explicit models. Throughout, we stress the complementarity of these two approaches. In addition, we discuss combined explanations of both B anomalies and present models that also explain other problems, such as dark matter, ( g − 2)μ, neutrino properties, and hadronic anomalies.
The convergence of tumor suppressors on the type I interferon pathway in clear cell renal cell carcinoma and its therapeutic implications
Authors: Langbein Lauren E. , El Hajjar Rayan , Kim William Y. , Yang Haifeng
Published: September 2022

In clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), the von Hippel–Lindau tumor suppressor gene/hypoxia inducible factor (VHL/HIF) axis lays the groundwork for tumorigenesis and is the target of many therapeutic agents. HIF activation alone, however, is largely insufficient for kidney tumor development, and secondary mutations in PBRM1, BAP1, SETD2, KDM5C, or other tumor suppressor genes are strong enablers of tumorigenesis. Interestingly, it has been discovered that VHL loss and subsequent HIF activation results in upregulation of a negative feedback loop mediated by ISGF3, a transcription factor activated by type I interferon (IFN). Secondary mutations in the aforementioned tumor suppressor genes all partially disable this negative feedback loop to facilitate tumor growth. The convergence of several cancer genes on this pathway suggests that it plays an important role in ccRCC development and maintenance. Tumors with secondary mutations that dampen the negative feedback loop may be exquisitely sensitive to its reactivation, and pharmacological activation of ISGF3 either alone or in combination with other therapies could be an effective method to treat patients with ccRCC. In this review, we examine the relevance of the type I IFN pathway to ccRCC, synthesize our current knowledge of the ccRCC tumor suppressors in its regulation, and explore how this may impact the future treatment of patients with ccRCC.
[Retracted] Influence of Heat‐Treated and Vibratory‐Assisted Weld Joints on the Mechanical Properties of 304L SS Material
Authors: Naidu Muvvala Chinnam , Padal K. T. Balaram , Eshete Girma
Published: September 2022

Tensile and impact strengths of 304L SS stainless steel weldment prepared at different levels of heat treatments and with vibratory assistance were studied and compared with the conventional process of welding. The results reveal that the microstructures of weld joints after heat treatment and vibratory welded joints attained a fine grain structure, compared with the joints prepared with the conventional process of welding. By increasing the temperature of quenching and vibrations during welding, the grain size is gradually improving. Improvement in the tensile and impact is observed in the heat‐treated and vibration‐welded specimens. Similarity, in the weld joint properties of post weld heat treatment (PWHT) and vibratory‐assisted welding (VAW) are observed. With the VAW technique, high quality weldments are produced and are more suitable than PWHT due to its less cost and time.
Application of Meditation Relaxation Training and Rosenthal Effect in Patients with Adenoidectomy
Authors: Jun Wei , Tian Yue
Published: September 2022

Objective. This study aims to explore the application effect of meditation relaxation training and the Rosenthal effect in patients with adenoidectomy. Methods. This study included 94 children who underwent adenoidectomy in our hospital from April 2020 to May 2022 and were divided into a study group and a control group. The control group was given routine care, and the study group was given meditation relaxation training and the Rosenthal effect on the basis of the control group. The negative emotions, treatment compliance, complication rates, and nursing satisfaction of children’s family members before and after the intervention were compared between the two groups. Results. The results of this study showed that after the intervention, the CDI and SCARED scores of the children in the study group were significantly lower than those in the control group. The treatment compliance in the study group was significantly higher than that in the control group, and the incidence of complications was significantly lower than that in the control group. Conclusion. The intervention of meditation relaxation training and the Rosenthal effect on children with adenoidectomy can relieve their negative emotions, improve treatment compliance, reduce the incidence of complications, and the children’s family members are more satisfied.
Efficacy of Ginkgo biloba Extract Combined with Hormones in the Treatment of Sudden Deafness and Its Effect on the Reactivity of Peripheral Blood T Cell Subsets
Authors: Zhu Zhenhua , Wu Qi , Hu Ge , Wang Xianwen , Chang Wei , Bin Ji , Yang Weili
Published: September 2022

This work was aimed at exploring the efficacy of Ginkgo biloba extract combined with hormones in the treatment of sudden deafness and the influence on the reactivity of peripheral blood T cell subsets (PBTCSs). In this work, 64 patients with sudden deafness who were treated in The First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine from August 2019 to August 2022 were selected as the research objects. The patients were randomly divided into a hormone group (treatment with prednisone acetate,

n
=
34

) and a combination group (treatment with Ginkgo-Damole combined with prednisone acetate,

n
=
30

). After the two groups of patients were treated in different ways, their efficacy, symptom improvement, changes in blood rheology, and PBTCSs were compared. The total effective rates (TERs) of the hormone group and the combination group were 76.32% and 95.73%, respectively (

P
<
0.05

). The fibrinogen contents of the patients in the combination group were obviously lower than those in the hormone group after 5 d, 7 d, and 10 d of treatment (

P
<
0.05

). The high blood viscosity (HBV) values of patients in the combination group at 5 d, 7 d, and 10 d after treatment were greatly lower than those in the hormone group (

P
<
0.05

). The low blood viscosity (LBV) values after 3 d, 7 d, and 10 d of treatment in the combined group were much lower in contrast to those in the hormone group (

P
<
0.05

). The CD3+, CD4+, and CD4+/CD8+ in peripheral blood in the combination group were sharply higher while the CD8+ in the combined group was lower in contrast to the hormone group (

P
<
0.05

). There was no visible difference in the incidence of adverse reactions between the two groups of patients after treatment (

P
>
0.05

). In conclusion, the combined application of Ginkgo biloba extract and hormones could effectively improve the abnormal hemorheological indexes of patients with sudden deafness and effectively relieve the imbalance of PBTCSs, which was safe.
A Guide to Integrating Expert Opinion and Fuzzy AHP When Generating Weights for Composite Indices
Authors: Al Fozaie Mohammad Tariq , Wahid Hairunnizam
Published: September 2022

Composite indices are a great tool for researchers and policymakers alike as they provide a simplification of reality of complex phenomena, as well as their enabling ability for cross-country comparisons. A troublesome issue with constructing composite indices is the selection of the weighting system as it can greatly influence the results of the index developed. One of the most reliable weighting systems is the expert weighting system, where experts on the topic being studied are delegated the weight selection process, and the average of their responses are then transformed into weights. The limitation of this method, however, is the high subjectivity, uncertainty, and inconsistency of the expert responses. This paper seeks to address this limitation by providing a guide to researchers on how to improve the expert weights by subjecting them to the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) method for multicriteria decision making (MCDM) to compute the fuzzy weights, a more objective and reliable weights relative to expert weights. That said, and despite the benefits of the FAHP method, it can produce weights that can skew the composite index results. To address this limitation, the study introduces the interval weights, which are calculated by finding the midpoint between the expert weights and the fuzzy weights. The resulting interval weights exhibit the benefits of both principal component analysis (PCA) and the FAHP process, the difference being that PCA cannot be applied for noncompensatory indices.
A Case of a Patient with Adhesive Small Bowel Obstruction in Pregnancy after Extensive Myomectomy for Diffuse Uterine Leiomyomatosis
Authors: Suminaga Yuri , Taki Mana , Okamoto Haruko , Kawamura Yosuke , Sagae Yusuke , Sunada Masumi , Chigusa Yoshitsugu , Horie Akihito , Mandai Masaki , Mogami Haruta
Published: September 2022

Background. Diffuse uterine leiomyomatosis is a rare disease in which countless, poorly defined, and small nodules are present in most parts of the uterine myometrium. It frequently occurs in fertile women and causes infertility. A deep, median, longitudinal incision of the uterine corpus with the opening of the endometrial cavity, “extensive myomectomy,” is required to restore fertility. However, myomectomy may also be a risk factor for perinatal complications. We present a rare case of adhesive small bowel obstruction after extensive myomectomy for diffuse uterine leiomyomatosis. Case. A 37-year-old primigravida presented with sharp epigastric pain and vomiting at 21-week gestation. The patient had a history of extensive myomectomy for diffuse uterine leiomyomatosis. Abdominal radiography revealed moderate air fluid levels in the small intestine, and the patient was diagnosed with adhesive small bowel obstruction. The patient was also diagnosed with placenta previa. Bowel rest with intestinal tube was continued until delivery. Cesarean section was performed at 32-week gestation due to (i) prolonged fasting and total parenteral nutrition for conservative treatment and (ii) fear of sudden massive bleeding from placenta previa. Because the ileum was strongly adherent to the uterine scar from the previous myomectomy, adhesiolysis and enterectomy were performed. The placenta was uncomplicatedly delivered and the hemorrhage was well-controlled. Conclusions. Pregnancy with a history with extensive myomectomy for diffuse uterine leiomyomatosis should be carefully monitored because of the occasional occurrence of adhesive small intestine obstruction during pregnancy.
Probabilistic Operation of the Microgrids Including Active Loads and Distributed Generation Constrained to Flexibility and Reliability Indices
Authors: Hasan Shahi Hosein , Nafar Mehdi , Simab Mohsen
Published: September 2022

This paper presents a flexible-reliable operation strategy for clean microgrids (MGs) consisting of power sources, energy storage systems (ESSs), and responsive loads. The proposed strategy attempts to provide the minimum expected operating cost for the MG, power sources, predicted pollutant emission, and expected energy not-supplied (EENS) because of an N − 1 event considering different applications. The objective function of the problem is subject to several constraints including AC optimal power flow equations, flexibility and reliability boundaries, and model of power sources and active loads. The Pareto optimization based on the weighted sum method is then incorporated to obtain a single-objective model. Probabilistic programming is also used to model the uncertainties of load, renewable energy, electrical energy price, and MG equipment accessibility. The ant-lion and crow search algorithms are merged to solve the problem and find a reliable optimal solution. A standard MG is employed to test the proposed strategy and indicate its capability in enhancing technical and economic indicators of the MG while ensuring that the MG is clean.
Interactive Teaching Based on Artificial Intelligence and Its Application in Improving National Music Appreciation Ability
Authors: Zhang Zhuo
Published: September 2022

The limitations of the traditional interactive teaching model are gradually becoming apparent in the current music teaching process. Based on the interactive teaching theory of artificial intelligence, this paper constructs an evaluation model of ethnic music appreciation ability and conducts research by using a novel method of fusion of long- and short-term audio features. The model proposes the classical features describing the sound quality and the beat histogram as the feature of the long-term rhythm of the music to form a mixed feature; secondly, the representation method of the song style vector is proposed, and the quantitative problem of music teaching is solved. During the simulation process, the model adopts the popular Model-View-Controller (MVC) design pattern and Unified Modeling Language (UML) and is developed with the Java 2 Platform Enterprise Edition (J2EE) architecture. It realized the user login function of three identities of students, teachers, and system administrators, and the subsystem can complete the management of students’ personal information, browse related courseware information and other resource information, and download courseware and tutorials. The experimental results show that the average value of the students’ evaluation is 0.606; the average value of case is 0.5852; it also reduces the workload of later maintenance of the system.
Privacy-Preserving Task Distribution Mechanism with Cloud-Edge IoT for the Mobile Crowdsensing
Authors: Jiang Liquan , Qin Zhiguang
Published: September 2022

Mobile crowdsensing under big data provides an efficient, win-win, and low-budget data collection solution for IoT applications such as the smart city. However, its open and all access scenarios raise the threat of data security and user privacy during task distribution of mobile crowdsensing. To eliminate the above threat, this paper first designs a privacy-preserving task distribution scheme (Scheme 1), which realizes fine-grained access control and the practical keyword search, as well as protects the access policy. But it incurs expensive computational and communication consumptions for the task performer side. In this regard, we construct Scheme 2 to attain a lightweight trapdoor generation and keyword search mechanism, and it enables the crowdsensing platform to predecrypt a ciphertext without revealing any information about the task and the performer’s privacy. Then, the resource-constrained device on the task performer side can recover the task with a few computational and communication overheads. The security of the scheme has been detailedly proved and analyzed, and theoretical comparisons and experiment demonstrate their practicability.
The Effect of Microwave Ablation Combined with Anti-PD-1 Monoclonal Antibody on T Cell Subsets and Long-Term Prognosis in Patients Suffering from Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Yu Wenbo , Sun Jiewei , Wang Tao , Du Yanan
Published: September 2022

Objective. This research is aimed at studying the effect of microwave ablation combined with the antiprogrammed death- (PD-) 1 monoclonal antibody on T cell subsets and long-term prognosis in patients suffering from non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods. Employing the random number table technique, a total of 122 NSCLC patients who received treatment at our hospital between May 2015 and June 2019 were selected and assigned to the observation group and the control group, and each group comprised 61 patients (

n
=
61

). While the control group received only anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody treatment, the observation group received microwave ablation in combination with anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody. The clinical efficacy was observed for both groups. The levels of T cell subsets (CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+), serum tumor markers (squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCCA), cytokeratin Ig fragment (CYFRA21-1), and serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA)), nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), protease C (PKC), and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) mRNA expression between the two groups were compared. The frequency of adverse reactions was observed in both groups. The survival time of both the groups was recorded over the course of three years of follow-up. The Kaplan-Meier method was employed for analyzing the survival of both the control and the observation group. Results. The response rate (RR) of the observation group (80.33%) was considerably greater in comparison to that of the control group (62.30%) (

P
<
0.05

). Following treatment, the observation group’s levels of CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, SCCA, CyFRA21-1, and CEA and the mRNA expressions of NF-κB, PKC, and MAPK were superior to those of the control group, with statistical significances (all

P
<
0.05

). Between the two groups, there was no significant difference in the occurrence of adverse reactions (

P
>
0.05

). The observation group had greater 1-, 2-, and 3-year survival rates (57.38%, 39.34%, and 29.51%) than the control group (32.79%, 18.03%, and 8.20%), with statistically significant differences (all

P
<
0.05

). Conclusion. Microwave ablation in combination with an anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody could effectively improve the level of T cell subsets and serum tumor markers in NSCLC patients, resulting in a long-term prognosis of patients with good therapeutic effect and safety.
Impact of Small Incision Reduction and Suture Linked with Functional Appliance of Sufferers with Irrecoverable TMJ Anterior Disc Displacement
Authors: Wei Xiaotong , Yan Wei , Sun Anjun , Wang Hao , Wang Wei
Published: September 2022

Background and Aim. Irrecoverable anterior disc displacement (ADD) of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) seriously affects the quality of life of patients. This research was aimed to explore the recovery effect of small incision reduction and suture on patients. Methods. 90 patients with irreducible ADD of TMJ treated from August 2020 to August 2021 were acquired in our hospital. They were randomly divided into control group and trial group randomly. There were 45 patients in each group. The sufferers in the control group were treated with oral drug therapy and small incision reduction and suture, while those in the trial group were treated with small incision reduction and suture linked with functional appliance. The pain score, dysfunction, joint function recovery, facial improvement, and clinical impacts of the two groups were contrasted. Results. Compared with that in the control group at 1 week, 4 weeks, and 6 months after therapy, the pain score in the trial group was markedly higher. After therapy, in the two groups, maximum vertical opening (MVO), left lateral excursion (LLE), and right lateral excursion (RLE) levels were markedly higher than those in the control group. The MRI score of the trial group was markedly higher than that of the control group at 1 week, 4 weeks, and 6 months after therapy, and the total effective rate of the trial group was markedly higher than that of the control group. Conclusion. The use of small incision reduction and suture linked with functional appliance in the therapy of sufferers with irreducible ADD of TMJ is beneficial to relieve pain, promote the recovery of body function, and contribute to the recovery of joint function.
Study on the Properties of Waste Oil-Activated Crumb Rubber-Modified Asphalt Based on Molecular Dynamics Simulation and Rheology
Authors: Liu Qi , Liu Jinzhou , Yu Bin , Zhang Jiupeng , Wang Yuchen , Xiao Chuanyu
Published: September 2022

To investigate the effect of activated crumb rubber content on the molecular interactions and the properties of crumb rubber-modified asphalt (CRMA) with waste oil, six models of asphalt with various rubber dosages were developed using Materials Studio software, and the molecular dynamics performance of the system was further examined. Then, the fatigue and high- and low-temperature performances of the CRMA binders were characterized by dynamic mechanical experiments in the laboratory. The mean square displacement and diffusion coefficient were used to quantify the migration of molecules. The aggregation state of the components was evaluated using a radial distribution function. The bulk modulus of the CRMA models was calculated to study the mechanical properties. Dynamic shear and bending beam rheometer tests were implemented to evaluate the road performances of the CRMA binders. The results show that increasing the amount of powder could improve the mechanical properties of the asphalt, that is, the modulus of 70% of the asphalt was improved by 57.5%. The rubber and waste oil were evenly dispersed in the system, and the distribution of asphalt components was in accordance with the colloid theory. The temperature-sensitive properties of the rubber led to the improvement of road properties of the CRMA binders with the increase of the admixture. Combined with the distribution of molecules in the asphalt model, the results of rheological indexes show that the waste oil could improve the rheology and stability of binders. This will provide theoretical support for upgrading the content of crumb rubber in CRMA binders.
The Transcription Factor Otc4A Stimulates the Proliferation, Invasion, and Stemness of Colorectal Cancer Cells by Inhibiting the Regulation of miR-7-5p on TLR4
Authors: He Jinsong , Duan Liang , Xie Yu , Wei Shoujiang
Published: September 2022

Background. To investigate the effects and mechanism of octamer-binding transcription factor 4 (Otc4A) on proliferation, invasion, and stemness of colorectal cancer (CRC) cells. Methods. Firstly, normal fetal human cells (FHC, colon epithelial cells) and HT29 cells (CRC cells) were cultured. The expression levels of Otc4A, miR-7-5p, and TLR4 in cells were then detected by qRT-PCR. CCK-8 was adopted to measure cell proliferation rate after Otc4A, miR-7-5p, and TLR4, respectively, were either knocked out or overexpressed in HT29 cells. Later, the cell viability was detected by cell cloning assay; cell invasion by transwell; cell sphere-forming ability by sphere-formation assay; protein expression level of Otc4A, p65, p-p65, and TLR4 by western blot; and the targeting relationships between miR-7-5p and Otc4A as well as miR-7-5p and TLR4 by dual-luciferase reporter assay. Finally, chromatin immunoprecipitation was applied to verify the interaction between Otc4A and miR-7-5p. Results. In HT29 cells, Otc4A expression was significantly increased. Additionally, the knockdown of Otc4A prevented HT29 cells from proliferating, migrating, forming spheres, and activating NF–B signaling. Otc4A could negatively regulate miR-7-5p, and miR-7-5p could target TLR4 expression. Besides, a negative correlation was found between Otc4A and miR-7-5p. Finally, the knockdown of miR-7-5p or overexpression of TLR4 could significantly reverse the effect of the knockdown of Otc4A on HT29 cells. Conclusion. The transcription factor Otc4A can regulate the level of TLR4 by inhibiting the expression of miR-7-5p and then promote the proliferation and invasion of CRC cell HT29 as well as enhance cell stemness.
Construction and Coping Strategies of Ideological and Political Education Evaluation System under the Background of Intelligent Internet of Things
Authors: Zeng Meng , Liu Ying , Zhou Geng
Published: September 2022

The intelligent Internet of Things is a kind of communication between various sensing systems through the sensor network and the Internet, so that everything in it can communicate. According to the agreed protocol, information is transmitted and processed and exchanged through the sensor network, and the identification and control between objects are finally realized. In the context of the intelligent Internet of Things, the ideological and political education of students will also be affected to a certain extent, so the construction of the ideological and political education evaluation system and the research on coping strategies are very important. This article is mainly to study the current situation of ideological and political education, and to construct an evaluation system, and then to give countermeasures through analysis. In this paper, the data are obtained by the method of questionnaire. The experimental results show that more than 63% of college students agree with the content of ideological and political education, and 64% believe that the methods of ideological and political education in the questionnaire are very feasible.
Vuelta a la realidad económica después del Plebiscito
Authors: García Carlos
Published: September 2022

En los últimos meses, hubo una tendencia a culpar a la opción Apruebo de todo tipo de males, entre ellos la situación de la economía y por ende la amenaza de fin de mundo, incluyendo fuga de capitales tanto humanos como financieros. Un resultado obvio del triunfo de la opción del Rechazo en el plebiscito de salida es que el panorama económico en los próximos meses ya no se podrá achacar al posible triunfo del apruebo. Despejada la supuesta “incertidumbre” política, más ficticia que real, ahora solo queda la realidad económica: una recesión por factores externos y algo más. Continuar leyendo...
Adenosine A2a Receptor Antagonism Restores Additive Cytotoxicity by Cytotoxic T Cells in Metabolically Perturbed Tumors
Authors: Slaats Jeroen , Wagena Esther , Smits Daan , Berends Annemarie A. , Peters Ella , Bakker Gert-Jan , van Erp Merijn , Weigelin Bettina , Adema Gosse J. , Friedl Peter
Published: September 2022

Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) are antigen-specific effector cells with the ability to eradicate cancer cells in a contact-dependent manner. Metabolic perturbation compromises the CTL effector response in tumor subregions, resulting in failed cancer cell elimination despite the infiltration of tumor-specific CTLs. Restoring the functionality of these tumor-infiltrating CTLs is key to improve immunotherapy. Extracellular adenosine is an immunosuppressive metabolite produced within the tumor microenvironment. Here, by applying single-cell reporter strategies in 3D collagen cocultures in vitro and progressing tumors in vivo, we show that adenosine weakens one-to-one pairing of activated effector CTLs with target cells, thereby dampening serial cytotoxic hit delivery and cumulative death induction. Adenosine also severely compromised CTL effector restimulation and expansion. Antagonization of adenosine A2a receptor (ADORA2a) signaling stabilized and prolonged CTL–target cell conjugation and accelerated lethal hit delivery by both individual contacts and CTL swarms. Because adenosine signaling is a near-constitutive confounding parameter in metabolically perturbed tumors, ADORA2a targeting represents an orthogonal adjuvant strategy to enhance immunotherapy efficacy.
A mulher desconhecida ou o começo do fim da busca
Authors: Oliveira Neto Pedro Fernandes de
Published: September 2022

De natureza limiar, o sujeito é itinerância. Neste ensaio, tal questão é examinada a partir da prática figurativa em Todos os nomes, de José Saramago. Isso porque verifica-se neste romance que a ideia de sujeito se estabelece em dupla dimensão centrada sempre no plano da personagem: ora pela relação de alteridade eu-outro, ora por uma posição alinhavada a partir do exercício das atitudes do Sr. José, protagonista da narrativa. O recorte desta leitura se concentra no seu envolvimento com a mulher desconhecida e no seu retorno à Conservatória Geral do Registo Civil a fim de verificar um reencontro simbólico com a figura das suas buscas. Trata-se, pois, de uma análise que considera a personagem enquanto símbolo acerca das movências do sujeito nos afluxos do contemporâneo. O que essas constatações assumem é a compreensão segundo a qual, nesse contexto, a ideia de sujeito é atravessada por uma revisão interessada em dirimir certa natureza problemática inerente ao seu próprio conceito, a retirada da sua posição de entidade submetida.
Aspectos da pós-modernidade em "A caverna", de José Saramago
Authors: Cabral Thaíla Moura
Published: September 2022

No artigo que se segue, apresentaremos uma reflexão sobre alguns aspectos da Pós-Modernidade no romance A caverna (2000), de José Saramago. Para tal, foi preciso ilustrar um esboço sobre a constituição da personagem principal do romance, o oleiro Cipriano Algor, como sujeito que sentiu o impacto da lógica do lucro e suas consequências na vida do indivíduo. Para a concretização do trabalho, utilizamos como aparato teórico apontamentos de Zygmunt Bauman (2001), Beatriz Sarlo (2006), Anthony Giddens (1991), Slavoj Žižek (2012), entre outros, no que concerne a teoria sobre o período pós-moderno e as profundas mudanças em diversos seguimentos da vida humana. Sobre a crítica literária específica do escritor português, empregamos os apontamentos de Ana Paula Arnaut (2008). O procedimento metodológico de construção do artigo se deu por meio da pesquisa no referencial teórico já aludido e no debruçar sobre a obra chave do presente estudo, A caverna. O que levou a refletir o quanto que José Saramago soube de forma maestra representar figuras e aspectos da memória e do viver coletivo.
New records of odonates from Trongsa and Zhemgang, central Bhutan with a checklist of Jigme Singye Wangchuck National Park
Authors: Gurung Mer Man , Dorji Cheten , Sinchuri Abir Man , Rai Sanjit K. , Dendup Karma C. , Kalkman Vincent J.
Published: September 2022

New records of 43 species of dragonflies and damselflies from Trongsa and Zhemgang districts in central Bhutan are provided. Two of these, Watanabeopetalia atkinsoni (Selys, 1878) and Tetrathemis platyptera (Selys, 1878), are new to Bhutan bringing the number of species known from Bhutan to 125. A checklist of the 60 species known from Trongsa district, Zhemgang district and the Jigme Singye Wangchuck National Park is provided.