bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Concentrated Solar Power and Photovoltaic Systems: A New Approach to Boost Sustainable Energy for All (Se4all) in Rwanda
Authors: Hagumimana Noel , Zheng Jishi , Asemota Godwin Norense Osarumwense , Niyonteze Jean De Dieu , Nsengiyumva Walter , Nduwamungu Aphrodis , Bimenyimana Samuel
Published: June 2021

The energy sector of today’s Rwanda has made a remarkable growth to some extent in recent years. Although Rwanda has natural energy resources (e.g., hydro, solar, and methane gas, etc.), the country currently has an installed electricity generation capacity of only 226.7 MW from its 45 power plants for a population of about 13 million in 2021. The current national rate of electrification in Rwanda is estimated to 54.5% (i.e.; 39.7% grid-connected and 14.8% off-grid connected systems). This clearly demonstrates that having access to electricity is still a challenge to numerous people not to mention some blackout-related problems. With the ambition of having electricity for all, concentrated solar power (CSP) and photovoltaic (PV) systems are regarded as solutions to the lack of electricity. The production of CSP has still not been seriously considered in Rwanda, even though the technology has attracted significant global attention. Heavy usage of conventional power has led to the depletion of fossil fuels. At the same time, it has highlighted its unfriendly relationship with the environment because of carbon dioxide (CO2) emission, which is a major cause of global warming. Solar power is another source of electricity that has the potential to generate electricity in Rwanda. Firstly, this paper summarizes the present status of CSP and PV systems in Rwanda. Secondly, we conducted a technoeconomic analysis for CSP and PV systems by considering their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT). The input data of the SWOT analysis were obtained from relevant shareholders from the government, power producers, minigrid, off-grid, and private companies in Rwanda. Lastly, the technical and economical feasibilities of CSP and PV microgrid systems in off-grid areas of Rwanda were conducted using the system advisor model (SAM). The simulation results indicate that the off-grid PV microgrid system for the rural community is the most cost-effective because of its low net present cost (NPC). According to the past literature, the outcomes of this paper through the SWOT analyses and the results obtained from the SAM model, both the CSP and PV systems could undoubtedly play a vital role in Rwanda’s rural electrification. In fact, PV systems are strongly recommended in Rwanda because they are rapid and cost-effective ways to provide utility-scale electricity for off-grid modern energy services to the millions of people who lack electricity access.
Antibacterial, Antibiofilm, and Antioxidant Activity of Polysaccharides Obtained from Fresh Sarcotesta of Ginkgo biloba: Bioactive Polysaccharide that Can Be Exploited as a Novel Biocontrol Agent
Authors: Jiang Hong , Luan Zuxiang , Fan Zhaobing , Wu Xinliang , Xu Ziheng , Zhou Tiezhong , Wang Hongjun
Published: June 2021

Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) biofilm plays an important role in the persistence of chronic infection due to its resistance to antibiotics. Because of their functional diversity, active polysaccharide is increasingly being applied as a biocontrol agent to inhibit the formation of biofilm by pathogens. In this study, a new polysaccharide, GBSPII-1, isolated from the fresh sarcotesta of Ginkgo biloba L. (G. biloba) was characterized and its effect on antibiofilm formation of S. aureus was examined in vitro. High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) analysis showed that GBSPII-1 is an acidic heteropolysaccharide composed of mannose, rhamnose, glucose, glucuronic acid, and galacturonic acid. GBSPII-1 demonstrated a molecular weight of 34 kDa and may affect the accumulation of polysaccharide intercellular adhesion (PIA) by inhibiting icaA, icaB, icaC, and icaD gene expression at subinhibitory concentrations. Under 10 g/L, GBSPII-1 showed an antioxidant effect on the inhibition rate of H2O2-induced erythrocyte hemolysis and the scavenging rate of DPPH radicals was 76.5 ± 0.5% and 89.2 ± 0.26%, respectively. The findings obtained in this study indicate that GBSPII-1 has antibacterial effect, is a possible source of natural antioxidants, and may be a potential biocontrol agent for the design of new therapeutic strategies for biofilm-related S. aureus infections.
Study on Deformation and Stability of Rock‐Like Materials Retaining Structure during Collaborative Construction of Super‐Adjacent Underground Project
Authors: Qu Hongfu , Wang Lihua , Feng Chunlei , Wang Hualao , Zhang Xuan
Published: June 2021

The collaborative construction of undercrossing tunneling of Gongchang Road and the adjacent Metro Line 6 extension station section in Shenzhen is difficult and of high risk. In view of these characteristics, this paper studied the deformation and stability of rock‐like material retaining structures in the process of underground engineering collaboration by combining the measured deformation data and the circular slide theory based on the limit equilibrium method. The results show that due to the difference between the supporting systems of rock‐like materials on both sides and other reasons, the upper part of the retaining structure and the limited soil in the adjacent area tilt greatly to one side at the same time, and the surface settlement in the limited soil area also increases with the increase of the excavation depth of the foundation pit. On the basis of measured deformation data analysis, the mechanical model for calculating the stability concerning the relationship between the adjacent distance L of the deep foundation pit and the vertical distance D′ between the lowest support of the foundation pit and the bottom of retaining structures was established. Then, the calculation formula for the against basal heave stability covering different adjacent degrees was established. Besides, the applicability of the calculation method was verified by combining it with the actual engineering and related prediction theories, which further proves that the research results have certain theoretical value and engineering significance, and can provide a reference for the rock‐like material retaining structures design and stability analysis of similar projects.
An Automatic Source Code Vulnerability Detection Approach Based on KELM
Authors: Tang Gaigai , Yang Lin , Ren Shuangyin , Meng Lianxiao , Yang Feng , Wang Huiqiang
Published: June 2021

Traditional vulnerability detection mostly ran on rules or source code similarity with manually defined vulnerability features. In fact, these vulnerability rules or features are difficult to be defined accurately, which usually cost much expert labor and perform weakly in practical applications. To mitigate this issue, researchers introduced neural networks to automatically extract features to improve the intelligence of vulnerability detection. Bidirectional Long Short-term Memory (Bi-LSTM) network has proved a success for software vulnerability detection. However, due to complex context information processing and iterative training mechanism, training cost is heavy for Bi-LSTM. To effectively improve the training efficiency, we proposed to use Extreme Learning Machine (ELM). The training process of ELM is noniterative, so the network training can converge quickly. As ELM usually shows weak precision performance because of its simple network structure, we introduce the kernel method. In the preprocessing of this framework, we introduce doc2vec for vector representation and multilevel symbolization for program symbolization. Experimental results show that doc2vec vector representation brings faster training and better generalizing performance than word2vec. ELM converges much quickly than Bi-LSTM, and the kernel method can effectively improve the precision of ELM while ensuring training efficiency.
Identification of the HMMR Gene as a Diagnostic and Prognostic Biomarker in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Based on Integrated Bioinformatics Analysis
Authors: Guo Honglan , Fan Qinqiao
Published: June 2021

Background. We aimed to investigate the expression of the hyaluronan-mediated motility receptor (HMMR) gene in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and nonneoplastic tissues and to investigate the diagnostic and prognostic value of HMMR. Method. With the reuse of the publicly available The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data, 374 HCC patients and 50 nonneoplastic tissues were used to investigate the diagnostic and prognostic values of HMMR genes by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis and survival analysis. All patients were divided into low- and high-expression groups based on the median value of HMMR expression level. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis were used to identify prognostic factors. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was performed to explore the potential mechanism of the HMMR genes involved in HCC. The diagnostic and prognostic values were further validated in an external cohort from the International Cancer Genome Consortium (ICGC). Results. HMMR mRNA expression was significantly elevated in HCC tissues compared with that in normal tissues from both TCGA and the ICGC cohorts (all

P

values <0.001). Increased HMMR expression was significantly associated with histologic grade, pathological stage, and survival status (all

P

values <0.05). The area under the ROC curve for HMMR expression in HCC and normal tissues was 0.969 (95% CI: 0.948–0.983) in the TCGA cohort and 0.956 (95% CI: 0.932–0.973) in the ICGC cohort. Patients with high HMMR expression had a poor prognosis than patients with low expression group in both cohorts (all

P
<
0.001

). Univariate and multivariate analysis also showed that HMMR is an independent predictor factor associated with overall survival in both cohorts (all

P

values <0.001). GSEA showed that genes upregulated in the high-HMMR HCC subgroup were mainly significantly enriched in the cell cycle pathway, pathways in cancer, and P53 signaling pathway. Conclusion. HMMR is expressed at high levels in HCC. HMMR overexpression may be an unfavorable prognostic factor for HCC.
Efficacy of Ethanolic Extract of Syzygium aromaticum in the Treatment of Multidrug-Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa Clinical Isolates Associated with Urinary Tract Infections
Authors: Ahmed Osama , Mohamed Hassan , Salem Wesam , Afifi Magdy , Song Yuanda
Published: June 2021

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an organism commonly found in the environment and one of the most common causes of human urinary tract infections in developed and developing countries. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of five medicinal plant extracts on the isolated drug-resistant P. aeruginosa clinical isolates. A total of 100 urine samples were collected from Nagaa Hammadi and Qena General Hospitals and private medical analysis laboratories in Qena governorate, Upper Egypt. Samples were screened for the prevalence of UTI pathogens by biochemical tests, antibiotics sensitivity, detection of virulence, and antibiotic-resistant genes by using multiplex PCR. P. aeruginosa is by far the subdominant causative agent with a percentage of 14%. Clinical isolates were multidrug-resistant, containing blaTEM, blaSHV, toxA, lasB, pslA, and fliC resistant and virulence genes. Based on bioactivity, the ethanolic extract of clove (Syzygium aromaticum) was the most active extract among tested medicinal plants and had the maximum zone of inhibition sized 23 mm against tested bacteria. The results of the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) showed a high decrease of inhibition within a concentration range of (10 to 121.25 mg/mL and 20 to 30 mg/mL, respectively). Further, major compounds of oleic acid (27.22%), guanosine (8.91%), indole (6.83%), 1-eicosene (6.30%), and cis-10-nonadecenoic acid (5.37%) were determined among 12 bioactive compounds in the ethanolic extract of S. aromaticum using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). These results indicated that the ethanolic extract of S. aromaticum is a promising antibacterial agent for further studies aiming to control bacterial infections including MDR bacteria and develop novel therapeutic alternatives for the treatment of UTI.
A Real-World Single-Centre Study of Patients with Diabetic Macular Oedema Who Wore a Home-Use Sleep Mask (Noctura 400) for One Year
Authors: Meyer-Bothling Ulrich , Meyer-Bothling Oliver , Pinney Marika
Published: June 2021

A “Real-World” single-centre observational study was carried out to analyse the effects of enhanced patient interaction with the use of the Noctura 400 sleep mask on a group of 26 diabetics displaying diabetic retinopathy (DR) and diabetic macular oedema (DMO), of which 24 completed the study. We hoped to find if patient compliance could be maintained and to determine the anatomical and functional consequences of consistent mask wear. While this study was ongoing, COVID-19 impacted on normal eye clinic practice, allowing an unexpected analysis of the effects of this disruption to the clinical system on mask wear and disease progress. Throughout the whole study, outcomes were positive, with a high level of consistent patient use of the mask, above 74% up to and beyond 1 year. Even during the COVID-19 1st lockdown in England, the patients maintained a 65% nightly light mask compliance. Statistically significant improvements in maculopathy, including cyst reduction (56.4% of eyes with cysts exhibited cyst shrinkage), and visual acuity (VA) improvement (42/48 eyes gained 5 letters or more) were observed and maintained to the end of the study. Anatomical improvement or stability was recorded in all but one study eye. This investigation shows that given that there is appropriate interaction with patients who are self-treating in home environment, a high level of patient compliance can be maintained, even while there are disruptions to the normal hospital clinic setup.
Derangement of Liver Enzymes, Hyperglycemia, Anemia, and Associated Factors among HIV‐Infected Patients Treated with Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate‐Based Regimen in Ethiopia: A Prospective Cohort Study
Authors: Yazie Taklo Simeneh
Published: June 2021

Hepatotoxicity was found in different case reports and studies in tenofovir disoproxil fumarate‐ (TDF‐) based regimen. However, there was no data regarding liver enzymes, glucose, and hemoglobin in Ethiopian patients receiving TDF‐based regimen. The aim of this study was to determine elevated liver enzymes and its associated factors as well as elevated fasting plasma glucose and anemia. A hospital‐based observational prospective cohort study was conducted on conveniently selected 63 patients in Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital (TASH) from January to September 2019. Laboratory values were determined at pre‐TDF‐based regimen baseline and six‐month follow‐up. The data was analyzed by using SPSS version 21.0, and multivariate logistic regression was used to determine associated factors with elevated liver enzymes. The overall elevated liver enzymes were found in 26 (41.3%) participants. From this, elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) comprise 3 (4.8%), 3 (4.8%), and 20 (31.8%), respectively. Elevated fasting plasma glucose (FPG) was found in 9 (14.3%) and 14 (22.2%) of participants at baseline and six‐month visit, respectively. At six‐month visit, 4 (6.4%) of participants experienced anemia. The mean value of ALP and FPG at six months was significantly higher than their respective baseline mean values (mean difference (MD) = +63.38, 95% CI (39.84, 86.92), p = 0.0001; MD = +6.64, 95% CI (2.63, 10.64), p = 0.002, respectively). The mean value of ALT, AST, and Hg at six months was slightly increased compared to their respective baseline mean values, but the difference was not significant. In multivariate analysis, only female sex was significantly associated with elevated ALP (AOR = 4.5, 95% CI (1.03, 19.6), p = 0.045). Overall mild and moderate hepatotoxicity was found to be high (26, 41.3%) in the present study, and from this, the majority was comprised by elevated ALP (20, 31.8%). The proportion of participants with hyperglycemia was increased at the end of follow‐up compared to its baseline value, but anemia was not. Female sex was significantly associated with elevated ALP. This study warrants monitoring of liver enzymes and glucose in TDF‐based regimen.
Research on 3D SIP Conjugate Gradient Inversion Algorithm with Parameter Range Constraints
Authors: Xi Jianjun , Liu Yongliang , Cui Dandan
Published: June 2021

3D SIP inversion algorithm involves multiple parameters, and the key is the calculating speed and memory. A whole set of quasi-linear (QL) theories has taken shape in recent years, including the QL approximation method proposed by Zhdanov, quasi-analytic approximation, and localized quasi-linear (LQL) approximation. They are characterized by high speed and accuracy in electromagnetic field numerical modeling. The above-based 3D QL inversion algorithm, boasting quicker calculating speed plus more stable and favorable inversion effect, has been adopted profoundly in electromagnetic prospecting, whereas its frequent source conversion requires recalculating the dyadic Green’s function and primary field each time, thus delaying the 3D SIP modeling speed. This study makes use of the spatial symmetry in the primary field and Green function to propose an effective and quicker QL forward modeling method, which has the hallmark of higher calculating speed owing to less calculating times, and makes feasible the 3D SIP conjugate gradient inversion algorithm with Cole–Cole parameter range constraints.
Optimal Reservoir of Small Reservoirs by Optimization Techniques on Reservoir Simulation Model
Authors: Sriworamas Krit , Kangrang Anongrit , Thongwan Teerawat , Prasanchum Haris
Published: June 2021

Reservoir rule curves are essential rules for store activity. This investigation connected the Genetic Algorithm, Firefly Algorithm, Bat Algorithm, Flower Pollination Algorithm, and Tabu Search Algorithm associated with the store reproduction model to look through the ideal supply standard bends, utilizing the Huay Ling Jone and Huay Sabag supplies situated in Yasothorn Province, Thailand, as the contextual investigation. Memorable inflow information of the two repositories were utilized in this investigation, and 1,000 examples of engineered inflows of stores were utilized to recreate the repository activity framework for assessing the acquired principle bends as displayed as far as water circumstances. Circumstances of water lack and abundance water appeared as far as the recurrence extent and length. The outcomes demonstrated that GA, FA, BA, FPA, and TS associated with the reservoir simulation model could give the ideal principle bends which better moderate the drought and flood circumstances contrasted and current guideline bends.
Design of a String Encoder‐and‐IMU‐Based 6D Pose Measurement System for a Teaching Tool and Its Application in Teleoperation of a Robot Manipulator
Authors: Yavuz Ekrem , Şenol Yavuz , Özçelik Merih , Aydın Hüseyin
Published: June 2021

Potassium permanganate is mostly used for lightening denim in the textile industry. It is an inorganic chemical compound and an oxidizing agent. PP is sprayed to denim with a spray gun as microparticles. During the spraying process, these microparticles can be inhaled by workers causing lung diseases in the long term. PP spray is one of the most dangerous practices in the textile industry for the health and safety of workers. Robots can carry out PP spray instead of humans to protect workers’ health. Also, robots offer less labor cost, no labor mistake, fast production, and standardization in every product. The use of robots requires the teaching of tasks to robots. For this teaching procedure, it is necessary to record the teaching tool’s movements with high precision and accuracy. In this study, it is aimed at measuring the position and orientation, i.e. the pose, of the teaching tool in six dimensions using an inertial measurement unit (IMU) and six string encoders. In addition to this, the measured pose information is transferred to a robot manipulator for tracking the recorded trajectory. In that way, the operator’s movements can be copied and then used by robots to regenerate the best product while protecting the health of workers. The pose measurement system was designed and experimentally tested. The obtained results show that the system satisfies accuracy and precision expectations for the target application.
A Sustainable Economic System to Face the Fluctuation of Fruit Prices: Based on a Small-Region DSGE Model
Authors: Fu Hailing , Fang Yuantao , Qu Yi , Pan Yi
Published: June 2021

This paper builds a new small-scale and regionalization DSGE model that focuses on the sustainable economic system, which was estimated by the Bayesian estimation method using Chinese annual data from 2004 to 2017 to analyze the effect of the fluctuation of fruit prices in Hainan. We find the fluctuation of increasing prices has a negative effect on fruit output. This results in a preference to loosen monetary policy to reduce this influence and then results in price inflation, which will lead to the increase in output and prices simultaneously. Based on our findings, we provide suggestions for policy maker such as the optimization of industrial structures and increased investment in the fruit industry, extending the fruit industry chain and establishing a multifruit industry sustainable economic system.
[Retracted] Using an Improved PSO‐SVM Model to Recognize and Classify the Image Signals
Authors: Zhao Ying , Wei Guocheng
Published: June 2021

Image recognition is an important field of artificial intelligence. Its basic idea is to use computers to automatically classify different scenes in the acquired images, instead of traditional manual classification tasks. In this paper, through the analysis of rough set theory and artificial intelligence network, as well as the role of the two in image recognition, the rough set theory and artificial intelligence network are organically combined, and a network based on rough set theory and artificial intelligence network is proposed. Using BP artificial intelligence network model, improved BP artificial intelligence network model, and improved PSO‐SVM model to identify and classify the extracted characteristic signals and compare the results, all reached 85% correct rate. The PCA and SVM are combined and applied to the MNIST handwritten digit collection for recognition and classification. At the data level, dimensionality reduction is performed on high‐dimensional image data to compress the data. This greatly improves the performance of the algorithm, the recognition accuracy rate is as high as 98%, and the running time is shortened by about 90%. The model first preprocesses the original image data and then uses rough set theory to select features, which reduces the input dimension of the artificial intelligence network, improves the learning and recognition speed of the artificial intelligence network, and further improves the accuracy of recognition. The paper applies the model to handwritten digital image recognition, and the experimental results show that the model is effective and feasible. The system has the characteristics of easy deployment and easy maintenance and integration. Experiments show that the system has good time characteristics in the process of multialgorithm parallel image fusion processing.
Improved Cardiac Function and Attenuated Inflammatory Response by Additional Administration of Tirofiban during PCI for ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction Patients
Authors: Zhang Jing , Ding Guomin
Published: June 2021

ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is one of the acute coronary syndromes, and it is the main cause of cardiac death worldwide. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether tirofiban improves cardiac function and attenuates inflammatory response in STEMI patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). From May 2016 to May 2019, a total of 124 patients who admitted into our hospital due to STEMI fulfilled inclusion and exclusion criteria and were randomly assigned to PCI + tirofiban and PCI groups, 62 cases per groups. Intravenous administration of 10 μg kg−1 min−1 tirofiban was performed 30 min prior to PCI. During PCI, tirofiban infusion through a micropump with 0.15 μg kg−1 min−1 lasted for 48 h. It was found that the PCI + tirofiban group was significantly different from the PCI group in total corrected TIMI frame count (CTFC) after PCI (15.88 ± 5.11 vs. 22.47 ± 6.26,

P
<
0.001

). At day 7 and day 30 post-PCI, a significant time-dependent decrease in the levels of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), cardiac troponin I (cTnI), and creatine kinase isoenzyme (CK-MB) in both groups was observed after PCI (

P
<
0.001

). More importantly, the patients in the PCI + tirofiban group had much lower levels of BNP, cTnI, and CK-MB compared with those in the PCI group at days 7 and 30 post-PCI (

P
<
0.001

). At day 7 following PCI, the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was statistically higher in the PCI + tirofiban group than in the PCI group (

P
<
0.05

). At day 30 post-PCI, increased LVEF concomitant with reduced left ventricular end diastolic diameter (LVEDD) and left ventricular end systolic diameter (LVESD) was observed in the PCI + tirofiban group compared with the PCI group. At day 7 and day 30 post-PCI, both groups displayed a time-dependent decline in the levels of C reactive protein (CRP), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and procalcitonin (PCT) after PCI (

P
<
0.05

). Additionally, the patients in the PCI + tirofiban group had lower levels of CRP, TNF-α, IL-6, and PCT compared with those in the PCI group at days 7 and 30 post-PCI (

P
<
0.05

). All patients in the PCI + tirofiban and PCI groups were followed up for 12 months by outpatient or telephone after discharge. There were fewer patients with LVEF < 50% in the PCI + tirofiban group than the PCI group (

P
=
0.044

). Furthermore, it was found that the incidence rate of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) in the PCI + tirofiban group was evidently lower than that in the PCI group (12.90% vs. 29.03%,

P
=
0.028

). Taken together, our data suggest that additional administration of tirofiban could improve cardiac function and attenuate inflammatory response in STEMI patients undergoing PCI, which is worthy of promotion in clinic.
The Study of Subsurface Land Drainage Optimal Design Model
Authors: Bakour Ahmad , Zhang Zhanyu , Zheng Chengxin , A. ALsakran Mohamed , Bakir Mohamad
Published: June 2021

This paper focused on choosing the best design of subsurface land drainage systems in semiarid areas. The study presented three different soil layers with different hydraulic conductivity and permeability, all layers are below the drain level, and the permeability is increasing with depth. A mathematical model was formulated for the horizontal and vertical drainage optimal design. The result was a nonlinear optimization problem with nonlinear constraints, which required numerical methods for its solution. The purpose of the mathematical model is to find the best values of pipes and tubewells spacing, groundwater table drawdown, and pumps operating hours which leads to a minimum total cost of the subsurface drainage design. A computer code was developed in MATLAB environment and applied to the case study. Results show that the vertical drainage was economically better for the case study drainage network design. And the main factor affecting the mathematical model for both pipe and well drainage was the distance between pipes and tubewells. In addition, considering the lifespan of vertical drainage project, the optimal design involves the minimum possible duration of pumping stations. It is hoped that the proposed optimal mathematical model will present a design methodology by which the costs of all alternative designs can be compared so that the least-cost design is selected.
LncRNA MALAT1 Accelerates Cervical Carcinoma Proliferation by Suppressing miR-124 Expression in Cervical Tumor Cells
Authors: Liang Tian , Wang Yuchen , Jiao Yu , Cong Shanshan , Jiang Xinyan , Dong Lina , Zhang Guangmei , Xiao Dan
Published: June 2021

Emerging studies have clarified the critical role of LncRNA MALAT1 in various pathological progressions. Here, we identified its positive relationship with cervical carcinoma proliferation. Cervical carcinoma has been considered as one of the most malignant tumors among female. Thus, our study was designed to investigate the underlying mechanism of LncRNA MALAT1 on cervical tumor cell proliferation. We observed that miR-124 was the potential target of LncRNA MALAT1 in cervical tumor cell lines (Hela, C-33A, Caski, and SiHa), the expression level of which is negatively correlated with LncRNA MALAT1 in cervical tumor cells, tissues of cervical patients, and mice. Gain- or loss-of-function analyses in cervical tumor cells have further verified the regulatory role of MALAT1 on miR-124. Additionally, the proliferation of cervical carcinoma was inhibited by miR-124 overexpression, whereas it was blocked by LV-MALAT1 transfection. In vivo assays, overexpression of miR-124, or knockdown of MALAT1 exhibited beneficial effects on tumor weight, size, and volume, together with elevating the survival rate, tightly related with the progression of cervical cancer. In conclusion, LncRNA MALAT1 disabled the effects of miR-124 as an inhibitory sponge, accelerating the progression of cervical carcinoma.
Health Analysis of Footballer Using Big Data and Deep Learning
Authors: Yang Tao , Yuan Guoliang , Yan Jing
Published: June 2021

With the development of information technology, health management and big data have risen and developed in recent years. Big data need proper analysis and shape in order to extract meaningful information from it. This paper analyzes the application status and prospects of big data in the field of health management. The results show that the most widely used big data in health management are intelligent wearable devices. Big data applications in football players’ mental health monitoring systems and chronic disease health management systems also have a good prospect. The intelligent wearable device is applied to several aspects of sports work: teaching and sports training, real-time monitoring of football players’ physical exercise process, collecting football players’ heart rate, calorie consumption, exercise steps, and track, blood pressure, blood oxygen, and other physical exercise data; through monitoring the heart rate, we can get the intensity and duration of football players’ physical exercise in school; through the calculation, we can also get the football players’ time energy consumption and understand the overall situation of football players’ physical exercise in school; through step counting and track monitoring, we can master the number of steps and track of football players; by monitoring the changes of blood oxygen and blood pressure of football players, we need to build a third-party residents’ health information storage and analysis system and further realize the marketization of residents’ health big data. The experimental results of the proposed study show the effectiveness of the proposed work.
Amended FRW Metric and Rényi Dark Energy Model
Authors: Ali Sarfraz , Iqbal Sabir , Khan Khuram Ali , Moradi Hamid Reza
Published: June 2021

This article is devoted to exploring the Rényi holographic dark energy model in the theory of Chern-Simons modified gravity. We studied the deceleration parameter, equation of state, and cosmological plane considering the Amended FRW modal. Modified field equations of -gravity theory gave two independent solutions. In the first case, this model provided the transitional change from deceleration to acceleration compatible with collected observational data. However, it supported a decelerating phase of expansion only in the second case. It was noted that the Equation of State advocated the dominance era under the influence of dark energy in the first case and the second predicted the influence of

Λ

CDM. In both cases,

ω
<
0
,

ω

′

<
0

voted that the universe is in a freezing region and its cosmic expansion is more rapidly accelerated in the background of Chern-Simons modified gravity.
K2CO3-Activated Pomelo Peels as a High-Performance Adsorbent for Removal of Cu(II): Preparation, Characterization, and Adsorption Studies
Authors: Liu Zheng , Wei Yuling
Published: June 2021

Activated carbons (ACs) were prepared from pomelo peels by K2CO3 activation and used as an adsorbent (PAC) for the removal of Cu(II) from aqueous solutions. BET, SEM, and FT-IR were employed for the characterization of the obtained ACs. The optimum ACs were reported at activation temperature of 850°C, activation time of 60 min, and impregnation ratio of 3, which had a high surface area (1213 m2/g) and total pore volume (0.57 cm3/g). The resulting ACs were used for the adsorption of Cu(II) from aqueous solutions in the batch mode and yielded a superior adsorption capacity of 139.08 mg/g. The pH of optimum adsorption was determined as 5. Pseudo first-order model, pseudo second-order model, and intraparticle diffusion model were applied to describe the adsorption processes. The adsorption kinetic data were found to follow the pseudo second-order model. The adsorption isotherms data were analyzed using Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin, and Dubinin–Radushkevich models. The Langmuir model was found to provide the best fit, and the calculated adsorption capacity was 151.35 mg/g.
Influence of Language Anxiety and Prior Knowledge on ESL Students’ Achievement in Expository Essay in Ibadan North LGA, Nigeria
Authors: Olagbaju Oladotun Opeoluwa
Published: June 2021

Recent research efforts in teacher education in Nigeria have largely focused on innovative instructional delivery with little attention to learner-related variables such as language anxiety and prior knowledge that can influence learning outcomes in English composition in ESL classrooms. Notwithstanding these interventions, the problems of mass failure and poor quality of essays still persist in Nigerian schools. Studies have confirmed that language-related anxiety and prior knowledge in ESL classroom can influence students’ achievement irrespective of the quality of instruction received by learners in a second/foreign language classroom. Therefore, this study examined the relationship between language anxiety and prior knowledge on achievement in expository essay. Three null hypotheses were tested at a 0.05 level of significance, and 350 participants were randomly selected from four senior secondary schools. Data were collected using two research instruments and the results showed that there was no significant relationship between the independent variables and students’ achievement in expository essay. Also, there were no composite and relative contributions of language anxiety and prior knowledge on students’ achievement in expository essay. The study was concluded by making recommendations to ESL teachers and students on how to improve achievement in expository writing.
Phase I Study of Entinostat and Nivolumab with or without Ipilimumab in Advanced Solid Tumors (ETCTN-9844)
Authors: Roussos Torres Evanthia T. , Rafie Christine , Wang Chenguang , Lim David , Brufsky Adam , LoRusso Patricia , Eder Joseph Paul , Chung Vincent , Downs Melinda , Geare Molly , Piekarz Richard , Streicher Howard , Anforth Leslie , Rudek Michelle A. , Zhu Qingfeng , Besharati Sepideh , Cimino-Mathews Ashley , Anders Robert A. , Stearns Vered , Jaffee Elizabeth M. , Connolly Roisin M.
Published: June 2021

Purpose:

Epigenetic modulators improve immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) efficacy and increase CD8+ effector:FoxP3+ regulatory T cell ratios in preclinical models. We conducted a multicenter phase I clinical trial combining the histone deacetylase inhibitor entinostat with nivolumab ± ipilimumab in advanced solid tumors.

Patients and Methods:

Patients received an entinostat run-in (5 mg, weekly × 2) prior to the addition of ICIs. Dose escalation followed a modified 3+3 design [dose level (DL)1/2: entinostat + nivolumab; DL 3/4: entinostat + nivolumab + ipilimumab]. Blood and tissue samples were collected at baseline, after entinostat run-in, and after 8 weeks of combination therapy. Primary endpoints included safety and tolerability, and the recommended phase II dose (RP2D). Secondary endpoints included antitumor activity and change in tumor CD8/FoxP3 ratio pre- and post-therapy.

Results:

Thirty-three patients were treated across four dose levels. Treatment-related adverse events (AE) included fatigue (65%), nausea (41%), anemia (38%), diarrhea (26%), and anorexia (26%). Grade 3/4 AEs included fatigue (n = 7, 21%), anemia (n = 9, 27%), and neutropenia (n = 4, 12%). The RP2D was 3 mg entinostat weekly, 3 mg/kg every 2 weeks nivolumab, and 1 mg/kg every 6 weeks ipilimumab (max four doses). The objective response rate by RECIST 1.1 was 16%, including a complete response in triple-negative breast cancer. A statistically significant increase in CD8/FoxP3 ratio was seen following the addition of ICIs to entinostat, but not post-entinostat alone.

Conclusions:

The combination of entinostat with nivolumab ± ipilimumab was safe and tolerable with expected rates of immune-related AEs. Preliminary evidence of both clinical efficacy and immune modulation supports further investigation.
Irrigated Needle Ablation Compared With Other Advanced Ablation Techniques for Failed Endocardial Ventricular Arrhythmia Ablation
Authors: Narui Ryohsuke , Tanigawa Shinichi , Nakajima Ikutaro , Tokutake Kenichi , Nakamura Tomofumi , Richardson Travis , Salloum Joseph , Sapp John , Kanagasundram Arvindh , Tedrow Usha , Stevenson William
Published: June 2021

Background:

Options when endocardial ventricular arrhythmia ablation fails include epicardial, simultaneous 2-site unipolar radiofrequency (SURF), and transcoronary ethanol ablation. Recently, investigational needle ablation has also been used, but how it compares to other advanced methods is not clear. This study sought to compare outcomes and complications for needle ablation versus other advanced ablation techniques in patients with structural heart disease, ventricular arrhythmia, and failed endocardial ablation.

Methods:

We retrospectively reviewed 136 procedures in 119 consecutive patients with structural heart disease (excluding arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy) who failed endocardial ablation and underwent ablation with either an investigational needle catheter (27 gauge, single end hole) or with other advanced techniques including epicardial, SURF or transcoronary ethanol ablation.

Results:

Of 136 procedures, needle ablation was performed in 58 procedures. In the remaining 78 procedures, 65 were epicardial ablation, including 10 with SURF ablation from endocardial and epicardial sites, 7 with SURF from both sides of the septum, one SURF and transcoronary ethanol ablation, and 5 transcoronary ethanol ablation procedures. Acute outcomes, 6-month ventricular arrhythmia recurrence, and mortality rates were not different between the 2 groups (49% versus 55%,
P
=0.54, 45% versus 46%,
P
=1.00, and 4% versus 3%,
P
=1.00, respectively). There were 22 major complications observed in 22 procedures with pericardial bleeding occurring less frequently with needle ablation (1.7% versus 12.8%,
P
=0.02).

Conclusions:

Ablation with an irrigated needle catheter compares favorably to other advanced ablation techniques.
Inactivation of Interleukin‐4 Receptor α Signaling in Myeloid Cells Protects Mice From Angiotensin II/High Salt–Induced Cardiovascular Dysfunction Through Suppression of Fibrotic Remodeling
Authors: Song Jianrui , Frieler Ryan A. , Vigil Thomas M. , Ma Jun , Brombacher Frank , Goonewardena Sascha N. , Goldstein Daniel R. , Mortensen Richard M.
Published: June 2021

Background

Hypertension‐induced cardiovascular remodeling is characterized by chronic low‐grade inflammation. Interleukin‐4 receptor α (IL‐4Rα) signaling is importantly involved in cardiovascular remodeling, however, the target cell type(s) is unclear. Here, we investigated the role of myeloid‐specific IL‐4Rα signaling in cardiovascular remodeling induced by angiotensin II and high salt.

Methods and Results

Myeloid IL‐4Rα deficiency suppressed both the in vitro and in vivo expression of alternatively activated macrophage markers including Arg1 (arginase 1), Ym1 (chitinase 3‐like 3), and Relmα/Fizz1 (resistin‐like molecule α). After angiotensin II and high salt treatment, myeloid‐specific IL‐4Rα deficiency did not change hypertrophic remodeling within the heart and aorta. However, myeloid IL‐4Rα deficiency resulted in a substantial reduction in fibrosis through the suppression of profibrotic pathways and the enhancement of antifibrotic signaling. Decreased fibrosis was associated with significant preservation of myocardial function in MyIL4RαKO mice and was mediated by attenuated alternative macrophage activation.

Conclusions

Myeloid IL‐4Rα signaling is substantially involved in fibrotic cardiovascular remodeling by controlling alternative macrophage activation and regulating fibrosis‐related signaling. Inhibiting myeloid IL‐4Rα signaling may be a potential strategy to prevent hypertensive cardiovascular diseases.
Coronary Microvascular Dysfunction in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Authors: Weber Brittany N. , Stevens Emma , Barrett Leanne , Bay Camden , Sinnette Corine , Brown Jenifer M. , Divakaran Sanjay , Bibbo Courtney , Hainer Jon , Dorbala Sharmila , Blankstein Ron , Liao Katherine , Massarotti Elena , Costenbader Karen , Di Carli Marcelo F.
Published: June 2021

Background

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a systemic autoimmune inflammatory disorder associated with premature atherosclerosis and increased cardiovascular risk. Systemic inflammation is an emerging risk factor for coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD). We aimed to test whether CMD, defined as abnormal myocardial flow reserve (MFR) by positron emission tomography‐computed tomography, would be independently associated with SLE after adjusting for nonobstructive atherosclerotic burden and common cardiovascular risk factors.

Methods and Results

Consecutive patients with SLE who underwent symptom‐prompted stress cardiac positron emission tomography‐computed tomography were included (n=42). Obstructive coronary artery disease and systolic dysfunction were excluded. MFR was quantified by positron emission tomography‐computed tomography, and CMD was defined as MFR <2. We frequency matched patients who did not have SLE and had symptom‐prompted positron emission tomography studies on age, sex, and key cardiovascular risk factors (n=69). The attenuation correction computed tomography scans were reviewed for qualitative assessment of coronary artery calcium. Patients with SLE had a more severe reduction in global MFR compared with controls and a higher prevalence of CMD, despite a similar degree of nonobstructive atherosclerotic burden (1.91±0.5 versus 2.4±0.7, respectively,
P
<0.0001; CMD, 57.1% versus 33.3%, respectively,
P
=0.017).

Conclusions

We demonstrated that patients with SLE with cardiac symptoms without obstructive coronary artery disease have a high prevalence of coronary vasomotor abnormalities. In comparison with symptomatic matched controls, patients with SLE have a more severe reduction in MFR that is not accounted for by common cardiovascular factors or atherosclerotic burden.
The Shift from a Traditional to an Improved Fish Smoking Oven in Ghana
Authors: Bomfeh Kennedy
Published: June 2021

Smoked fish products are an important source of animal protein in Ghana. They are processed on traditional ovens (namely, the Chorkor smoker and the metal drum), which results in elevated product contamination with carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (pah s). The main regulatory marker for pah s is benzo(a)pyrene (BaP). An improved oven called the fao-Thiaroye Processing Technique (ftt) has been proposed as an intervention. This study evaluated the efficacy of that intervention and evaluated consumer response to its products. Sardinella sp. was smoked separately on the ftt and the traditional ovens and their BaP levels determined. Whereas the mean BaP in the ftt product was 0.2 µg/kg (ten times lower than the EU limit of 2 µg/kg), the levels in the Chorkor smoker and metal drum products were 60 µg/kg and 26 µg/kg, respectively (up to 30 times the EU limit). Consumer acceptance did not differ between ftt and traditional oven products. This suggests that ftt is an efficacious intervention whose products are acceptable to consumers.
Innovative Uses of Visual Technologies in Initial Teacher Education: Changing Policy to Support Practice during covid-19
Authors: Adams Megan , Brooks Tim , Fitzgerald Angela , George Sindu , Cooper Rebecca
Published: June 2021

In Australia, schools and faculties of education are mandated to abide by a policy requiring preservice teachers (pst s), to complete supervised professional placement (pe) in schools. The pe are drawn upon to meet the assessment criteria for degree completion. Two strategies are reported that supported individuals and education institutions to meet policy requirements while in lockdown. First, technology was used to overcome the challenge of providing pe for hundreds of pst s by supporting online learning experiences. In the second, visual technologies were used to support pst s to meet the needs of an assessment criterion. Findings indicate that innovative solutions to challenges with pe and related assessments at the university can be mobilized in a short time frame using visual technologies. Further findings indicate that, in unprecedented times, policies developed for use in different contexts can be met with innovative collaborative efforts with a focused goal that transcend seemingly insurmountable challenges.
Modulation of Atmospheric Rivers by Mesoscale Frontal Waves and Latent Heating: Comparison of Two U.S. West Coast Events
Authors: Michaelis Allison C. , Martin Andrew C. , Fish Meredith A. , Hecht Chad W. , Ralph F. Martin
Published: June 2021

A complex and underexplored relationship exists between atmospheric rivers (ARs) and mesoscale frontal waves (MFWs). The present study further explores and quantifies the importance of diabatic processes to MFW development and the AR–MFW interaction by simulating two ARs impacting Northern California’s flood-vulnerable Russian River watershed using the Model for Prediction Across Scales-Atmosphere (MPAS-A) with and without the effects of latent heating. Despite the storms’ contrasting characteristics, diabatic processes within the system were critical to the development of MFWs, the timing and magnitude of integrated vapor transport (IVT), and precipitation impacts over the Russian River watershed in both cases. Low-altitude circulations and lower-tropospheric moisture content in and around the MFWs are considerably reduced without latent heating, contributing to a decrease in moisture transport, moisture convergence, and IVT. Differences in IVT are not consistently dynamic (i.e., wind-driven) or thermodynamic (i.e., moisture-driven), but instead vary by case and by time throughout each event. For one event, AR conditions over the watershed persisted for 6 h less and the peak IVT occurred 6 h earlier and was reduced by ~17%; weaker orographic and dynamic precipitation forcings reduced precipitation totals by ~64%. Similarly, turning off latent heating shortened the second event by 24 h and reduced precipitation totals by ~49%; the maximum IVT over the watershed was weakened by ~42% and delayed by 18 h. Thus, sufficient representation of diabatic processes, and by inference, water vapor initial conditions, is critical for resolving MFWs, their feedbacks on AR evolution, and associated precipitation forecasts on watershed scales.