bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analgesic Impact of a Popliteal Plexus Block to Standard Adductor Canal Block in Arthroscopic Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: A Randomized Blind Clinical Trial
Authors: Mahmoud Atef , Boules Maged , Botros Joseph , Mostafa Mohamed , Ragab Safaa , Alsaeid Mohammed
Published: December 2021

Background. Damage to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is crippling and often requires an arthroscopic outpatient surgery. Nevertheless, many patients experience severe pain during the first day after ACL reconstruction (ACLR). The adductor canal block (ACB) has yielded conflicting results for post-ACLR pain relief. This research investigated the effect of a supplemental popliteal plexus block on postoperative pain outcomes compared to a sole ACB. Methods. Following a randomized design, 60 cases scheduled for knee arthroscopy with ACLR using an ipsilateral hamstring graft were separated into two categories. Subjects in group A (n = 30) received an ACB only, while subjects in group B (n = 30) received combined ACB and popliteal plexus block (PPB). Results. We found significant differences between the two groups. The time of the first analgesic request (TFR) was later for the combined ACB and PPB (median 8 h) compared to the ACB only group (median 0.5 h). Morphine consumption was lower for patients who received combined ACB and PPB (median 12 mg) compared to ACB only (median 30 mg). The number of the requested doses was lower for the combined ACB and PPB group (median 3 doses) compared to the ACB only group (median 7 doses). Conclusions. The addition of PPB to ACB was associated with improved analgesia and a reduced need for opioid-based sedatives following ACLR with an ipsilateral hamstring graft (https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04020133).
[Retracted] Comparative Analysis of Deepfake Image Detection Method Using Convolutional Neural Network
Authors: Shad Hasin Shahed , Rizvee Md. Mashfiq , Roza Nishat Tasnim , Hoq S. M. Ahsanul , Monirujjaman Khan Mohammad , Singh Arjun , Zaguia Atef , Bourouis Sami
Published: December 2021

Generation Z is a data‐driven generation. Everyone has the entirety of humanity’s knowledge in their hands. The technological possibilities are endless. However, we use and misuse this blessing to face swap using deepfake. Deepfake is an emerging subdomain of artificial intelligence technology in which one person’s face is overlaid over another person’s face, which is very prominent across social media. Machine learning is the main element of deepfakes, and it has allowed deepfake images and videos to be generated considerably faster and at a lower cost. Despite the negative connotations associated with the phrase “deepfakes,” the technology is being more widely employed commercially and individually. Although it is relatively new, the latest technological advances make it more and more challenging to detect deepfakes and synthesized images from real ones. An increasing sense of unease has developed around the emergence of deepfake technologies. Our main objective is to detect deepfake images from real ones accurately. In this research, we implemented several methods to detect deepfake images and make a comparative analysis. Our model was trained by datasets from Kaggle, which had 70,000 images from the Flickr dataset and 70,000 images produced by styleGAN. For this comparative study of the use of convolutional neural networks (CNN) to identify genuine and deepfake pictures, we trained eight different CNN models. Three of these models were trained using the DenseNet architecture (DenseNet121, DenseNet169, and DenseNet201); two were trained using the VGGNet architecture (VGG16, VGG19); one was with the ResNet50 architecture, one with the VGGFace, and one with a bespoke CNN architecture. We have also implemented a custom model that incorporates methods like dropout and padding that aid in determining whether or not the other models reflect their objectives. The results were categorized by five evaluation metrics: accuracy, precision, recall, F1‐score, and area under the ROC (receiver operating characteristic) curve. Amongst all the models, VGGFace performed the best, with 99% accuracy. Besides, we obtained 97% from the ResNet50, 96% from the DenseNet201, 95% from the DenseNet169, 94% from the VGG19, 92% from the VGG16, 97% from the DenseNet121 model, and 90% from the custom model.
Endoscopic Delivery Method Using a Retrieval Net for Patients with Small-Bowel Capsule Endoscopy Stagnation in the Stomach
Authors: Sumioka Akihiko , Oka Shiro , Tsuboi Akiyoshi , Hirata Issei , Iio Sumio , Tanaka Hidenori , Yamashita Ken , Kotachi Takahiro , Yuge Ryo , Urabe Yuji , Tanaka Shinji
Published: December 2021

With the increasing use of capsule endoscopy (CE), screening tests for the small bowel can be performed with minimal invasiveness. However, occasionally, the entire small bowel cannot be observed because of decreased peristalsis of the stomach. For such cases, we perform delivery of CE by an endoscope. We retrospectively examined the usefulness of the endoscopic delivery method using a retrieval net for patients with CE stagnation in the stomach. From 2,270 patients who underwent small-bowel CE at Hiroshima University Hospital from January 2013 to January 2020, 29 consecutive patients (1.3% of the total number) in whom the small bowel could not be observed due to CE stagnation in the stomach at the time of the initial CE underwent the endoscopic delivery method using a retrieval net for secondary small-bowel CE. This study included 16 male (55%) and 13 female (45%) patients with a mean age of

69.2
±
13.2
 
years

. 11 patients (38%) had a history of gastrointestinal surgical resection. The entire small bowel could be observed in 19 patients (66%), and CE reached the terminal ileum in the remaining patients. A history of gastrointestinal surgical resection was significantly more frequent in the group where the entire small bowel could not be observed. The rate of small-bowel lesion detection was 55% (16/29). There were no adverse events associated with our endoscopic delivery method. Thus, the endoscopic delivery method using a retrieval net for patients with initial CE stagnation in the stomach may be safe and useful for the detection of small-bowel lesions.
A Rapid and Sensitive UHPLC-MS/MS Method for Determination of 2, 3, 8-Trimethylellagic, a Potent Active Compound from Sanguisorba officinalis L., and Its Application in the Pharmacokinetic Study within Thrombocytopenia Rats
Authors: Wang Yuqing , Wu Jianming , Li Yunxia , Yang Jing , Wang Long , Wu Anguo , Huang Feihong , Jiang Nan , Tang Can , Li Yan
Published: December 2021

To investigate the pharmacokinetics of 2, 3, 8-trimethylellagic (TMEA) in rats in vivo and determine the possible effects of the pathological conditions and compatibility, a rapid and sensitive ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) method for quantitative determination was developed. TMEA and Artemetin (internal standard, IS) were separated on an Acquity Shim-pack GIST column with a total running time of 7 min using gradient elution at a flow rate of 0.3 mL/min. The intraday and interday relative standard deviations were <9.50%, and the relative error of accuracy was between −5.70% and 2.96%. The calibration curve of TMEA demonstrated good linearity with r2 = 0.9996, with the average recovery changing from 94.77% to 102.47% and the matrix effect from 93.16% to 100.15%. Compared with the normal group, the area under the plasma concentration-time curve from time 0 to the last time of quantifiable concentration (AUC(0 − t)), area under the plasma concentration-time curve from time 0 extrapolated to infinite time (AUC(0 − ∞)), and the maximum concentration (Cmax) of TMEA increased, whereas the time of maximum concentration (Tmax) and apparent clearance (CL/F) remarkably decreased in the TMEA group. With significantly reduced CL/F, AUC(0 − t), AUC(0 − ∞), and Cmax for TMEA were increased approximately one time after combining with 3, 7-Di-O-methylducheside A (DOMA). AUC(0 − t) and Cmax for TMEA in the 2, 3, 8-trimethylellagic-3, 8-dimethoxyellagic acid-2-oxyglucoside (TMEA-DMAG) group were significantly lower than that in the TMEA group with clearly prolonged Tmax and increased CL/F. These findings indicate that the changes in the pharmacokinetic parameters of TMEA may be caused by pathological and combination conditions.
Edge Metric Dimension of Some Classes of Toeplitz Networks
Authors: Alrowaili Dalal , Zahid Zohaib , Ahsan Muhammad , Zafar Sohail , Siddique Imran
Published: December 2021

Toeplitz networks are used as interconnection networks due to their smaller diameter, symmetry, simpler routing, high connectivity, and reliability. The edge metric dimension of a network is recently introduced, and its applications can be seen in several areas including robot navigation, intelligent systems, network designing, and image processing. For a vertex

s

and an edge

g
=

s

1

s

2

of a connected graph

G

, the minimum number from distances of

s

with

s

1

and

s

2

is called the distance between

s

and

g

. If for every two distinct edges

s

1

,

s

2

∈
E

G

, there always exists

w

1

ɛ

W

E

⊆
V

G

, such that

d

s

1

,

w

1

≠
d

s

2

,

w

1

; then,

W

E

is named as an edge metric generator. The minimum number of vertices in

W

E

is known as the edge metric dimension of

G

. In this study, we consider four families of Toeplitz networks

T

n

1,2

,

T

n

1,3

,

T

n

1,4

, and

T

n

1,2,3

and studied their edge metric dimension. We prove that for all

n
≥
4

,

e
dim

T

n

1,2

=
4

, for

n
≥
5

,

e
dim

T

n

1,3

=
3

, and for

n
≥
6

,

e
dim

T

n

1,4

=
3

. We further prove that for all

n
≥
5

,

e
dim

T

n

1,2,3

≤
6

, and hence, it is bounded.
Cocrystallization of Febuxostat with Pyridine Coformers: Crystal Structural and Physicochemical Properties Analysis
Authors: Gao Lei , Zhang Xianrui
Published: December 2021

Drug cocrystals and salts have promising applications for modulating the physicochemical properties and solubility of pharmaceuticals. In this study, a cocrystal and two salts of febuxostat (FEB) with pyridine nitrogen coformers, including 4, 4′-bipyridine (BIP), 3-aminopyridine (3AP) and 4-hydroxypyridine (4HP), were designed to improve the solubility of FEB. The single-crystal structures were elucidated, and their physical and chemical properties were investigated by IR, PXRD, and DSC. In addition, drug-related properties, including the solubility and powder dissolution rate were assessed. The solubility and powder dissolution studies showed that the FEB-BIP cocrystal and FEB-3AP salt have superior dissolution compared to FEB.
High-Performance Biocomposite Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA) Films Modified with Cellulose Nanocrystals (CNCs), Tannic Acid (TA), and Chitosan (CS) for Food Packaging
Authors: Tan Ruowen , Li Feng , Zhang You , Yuan Zihui , Feng Xuefei , Zhang Wansong , Liang Ting , Cao Jiwen , De Hoop Cornelis F. , Peng Xiaopeng , Huang Xingyan
Published: December 2021

Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) has been widely applied in industries for its low cost, nontoxicity, biodegradability, and renewable advantages. However, its unstable structure may not meet some strong physical and mechanical needs. In order to enhance the performances of the PVA film, cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs), tannic acid (TA), and chitosan (CS), working as a reinforcer, a crosslinker, and an antimicrobial agent, respectively, were introduced into the PVA matrix. The results indicated that CNCs, TA, and CS were evenly distributed and cohesively incorporated within the PVA matrix, which contributed to the good mechanical properties and thermal stabilities of biocomposite PVA films. Besides, the addition of TA remarkably improved the antiultraviolet and antioxidant capabilities of PVA films, although the light transmittance declined slightly. It was also observed that the pure PVA film and PVA reinforced with CNCs were incapable of protecting against bacteria, while the ones with CS had prominent antibacterial properties to Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Overall, the resulting film presented a high potential utilization as a food packaging material for its outstanding physical and mechanical performances.
Predictors of Weight Loss and Weight Gain in Weight Management Patients during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Kuk Jennifer L. , Christensen Rebecca A. G. , Kamran Samani Elham , Wharton Sean
Published: December 2021

Objective. To examine the associations between patient struggles, health, and weight management changes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods. 585 patients attending a publicly funded clinical weight management program responded to an electronic survey. Results. Over half of the patients reported worsened overall health, mental health, physical activity, or diet during the pandemic. Approximately 30% of patients lost ≥3% of their body weight and 21% gained ≥3% of their body weight between March and July of the pandemic. Reports of social isolation was associated with increased odds for weight loss in women (OR = 2.0, 1.2–3.3), while low motivation (OR = 1.9, 1.0–3.7), depression (OR = 2.5, 1.0–6.3), and struggles with carbohydrate intake (OR = 2.1, 1.0–4.3) were associated with weight gain. Cooking more at home/eating less take out was associated with increased likelihood of weight loss (OR = 2.1, 1.1–3.9) and lower odds for weight gain (OR = 0.2, 0.1 to 0.97). Working from home was not associated with weight loss or weight gain (

P
>
0.6

). Conclusion. The COVID-19 pandemic is associated with certain factors that may facilitate weight loss and other factors that promote weight gain. Thus, depending on the patient experience during the pandemic, prevention of weight gain may be more appropriate than weight loss.
Detection of Pine Cones in Natural Environment Using Improved YOLOv4 Deep Learning Algorithm
Authors: Luo Ze , Zhang Yizhuo , Wang Keqi , Sun Liping
Published: December 2021

Achieving the rapid and accurate detection of pine cones in the natural environment is essential for yield estimation and automatic picking. However, the complex background and tiny target pose a significant challenge to pine cone detection. This paper proposes a pine cone detection method using the improved You Only Look Once (YOLO) version 4 algorithm to overcome these challenges. First, the original pine cone image data come from a natural pine forest. Crawler technology is utilized to collect more pine cone images from the Internet to expand the data set. Second, the densely connected convolution network (DenseNet) structure is introduced in YOLOv4 to improve feature reuse and network performance. In addition, the backbone network is pruned to reduce the computational complexity and keep the output dimension unchanged. Finally, for the problem of feature fusion at different scales, an improved neck network is designed using the scale‐equalizing pyramid convolution (SEPC). The experimental results show that the improved YOLOv4 model is better than the original YOLOv4 network; the average values of precision, recall, and AP reach 96.1%, 90.1%, and 95.8%; the calculation amount of the model is reduced by 21.2%; the detection speed is fast enough to meet the real‐time requirements. This research could serve as a technical reference for estimating yields and automating the picking of pine cones.
Analysis of the Impact of Magnetic Materials on Cogging Torque in Brushless DC Motor
Authors: Karthick K. , Ravivarman S. , Samikannu Ravi , Vinoth K. , Sasikumar Bashyam
Published: December 2021

The cogging torque is the most significant issue in permanent magnet applications, since it has a negative impact on machine performance. In this article, the impact of magnetic materials on cogging torque is analyzed on brushless DC motors (BLDC). The effect of neodymium magnets (NdFeB), compression molded magnet, and samarium cobalt (SmCo) magnet on the cogging torque is analyzed to the BLDC motor designed for hybrid electric vehicle traction that has the peak power rating of 50 kW motor with 48 stator slots and 8 rotor poles. With the presence of these three magnetic materials, the cogging torque is estimated independently using multiposition simulation. The multiposition is simulated using a transient application that runs at constant speed. The results of cogging torque, rotational speed, angular position of BLDC motor, and magnetic flux density distribution have been presented. Also, the maximal, mean, minimal, rectified mean, and rms values of cogging torque were provided.
Multitarget Detection of Transmission Lines Based on DANet and YOLOv4
Authors: Yang Zhen , Xu Xuefei , Wang Keke , Li Xin , Ma Chi
Published: December 2021

In order to accurately identify targets such as insulators, shock hammers, bird nests, and spacers on high-voltage transmission lines, this paper proposes a multitarget detection model for transmission lines based on DANet and YOLOv4. First, the DANet and YOLOv4 are fused to solve the difficulty in understanding the scene and the discrimination of pixels caused by the complex and diverse scenes of UAV’ (unmanned aerial vehicle) aerial images (lighting, viewing angle, scale, occlusion, and so on) so as to improve the significance of the detection target. Gaussian function and KL (Kullback–Leibler) divergence are used to improve the nonmaximum suppression in YOLOv4 so as to improve the recognition rate of occluded targets; the focal loss function and the balanced cross entropy function are used to improve the loss function of YOLOv4 in order to reduce the impact of not only the imbalance between the background and the detection target but also the imbalance among the samples, which is aimed at improving the accuracy of the detection. Then, a data set is made for the experiment by using the UAV inspection image provided by a power grid company in Eastern Inner Mongolia. Finally, the algorithm proposed in this paper is compared with other target detection algorithms. Experimental results show that the average detection accuracy of the proposed algorithm can reach 94.7%, and the detection time of each image is 0.05 seconds. The method has good accuracy, real-time, and robustness.
On Certain Products of Complex Intuitionistic Fuzzy Graphs
Authors: Anwar Abida , Chaudhry Faryal
Published: December 2021

A complex intuitionistic fuzzy set (CIFS) can be used to model problems that have both intuitionistic uncertainty and periodicity. A diagram composed of nodes connected by lines and labeled with specific information may be used to depict a wide range of real-life and physical events. Complex intuitionistic fuzzy graphs (CIFGs) are a broader type of diagram that may be used to manipulate data. In this paper, we define the key operations direct, semistrong, strong, and modular products for complex intuitionistic fuzzy graphs and look at some interesting findings. Further, the strong complex intuitionistic fuzzy graph is defined, and several significant findings are developed. Furthermore, we study the behavior of the degree of a vertex in the modular product of two complex intuitionistic fuzzy graphs.
Analysis of the Distributed Immune Inspection Equipment Sensor Scheduling Model Based on Adaptive Dynamic Probabilistic Particle Swarm Optimization
Authors: Zhou Yi , Xia Weili , Peng Shengping
Published: December 2021

Based on the analysis of bacterial parasitic behavior and biological immune mechanism, this paper puts forward the basic idea and implementation method of an embedding adaptive dynamic probabilistic parasitic immune mechanism into a particle swarm optimization algorithm and constructs particle swarm optimization based on an adaptive dynamic probabilistic parasitic immune mechanism algorithm. The specific idea is to use the elite learning mechanism for the parasitic group with a strong parasitic ability to improve the ability of the algorithm to jump out of the local extreme value, and the host will generate acquired immunity against the parasitic behavior of the parasitic group to enhance the diversity of the host population’s particles. Parasitic behavior occurs when the number of times reaches a predetermined algebra. In this paper, an example simulation is carried out for the prescheduling and dynamic scheduling of immune inspection. The effectiveness of prescheduling for immune inspection is verified, and the rules constructed by the adaptive dynamic probability particle swarm algorithm and seven commonly used scheduling rules are tested on two common dynamic events of emergency task insertion and subdistributed immune inspection equipment failure. In contrast, the experimental data was analyzed. From the analysis of experimental results, under the indicator of minimum completion time, the overall performance of the adaptive dynamic probability particle swarm optimization algorithm in 20 emergency task insertion instances and 20 subdistributed immune inspection equipment failure instances is better than that of seven scheduling rules. Therefore, in the two dynamic events of emergency task insertion and subdistributed immune inspection equipment failure, the adaptive dynamic probabilistic particle swarm algorithm proposed in this paper can construct effective scheduling rules for the rescheduling of the system when dynamic events occur and the constructed scheduling. The performance of the rules is better than that of the commonly used scheduling rules. Among the commonly used scheduling rules, the performance of the FIFO scheduling rules is also better. In general, the immune inspection scheduling multiagent system in this paper can complete the prescheduling of immune inspection and process dynamic events of the inspection process and realize the prereactive scheduling of the immune inspection process.
Metabolomic Study of Zuojin Pill in Relieving 1-Methyl-3-nitro-1-nitrosoguanidine-Induced Chronic Atrophic Gastritis
Authors: Tong Yuling , Jing Manyi , Zhao Xu , Liu Honghong , Wei Shizhang , Li Ruisheng , Liu Xia , Wang Min , Song Hongtao , Zhao Yanling
Published: December 2021

The classic prescription Zuojin Pill (ZJP) shows a good therapeutic effect on chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG); it is of great significance to clarify its specific mechanism. Therefore, we explore the mechanism of ZJP on MNNG-induced CAG by integrating approaches. First of all, through the pathological changes of gastric tissue and the expression level of PGI and PGI/II in serum, the expression of inflammation-related factors was determined by RT-PCR to determine the efficacy. Then, UPLC-Q-TOF/MS was used for plasma and urine metabolomic analysis to screen the specific potential biomarkers and metabolic pathway of ZJP in ameliorating CAG and to explore its possible mechanism. ZJP significantly ameliorate the pathological injury of gastric tissue, increase levels of PGI and PGI/II, and reduce the expression level of proinflammatory factors. Through metabolomic analysis, 9 potential metabolic differences were identified and 6 related metabolic pathways were enriched. These findings indicate for the first time the potential mechanism of ZJP in improving CAG induced by MNNG and are of great significance to the clinical development and application of ZJP-related drugs.
RCMFRDE: Refined Composite Multiscale Fluctuation-Based Reverse Dispersion Entropy for Feature Extraction of Ship-Radiated Noise
Authors: Li Yuxing , Jiao Shangbin , Geng Bo , Jiang Xinru
Published: December 2021

Dispersion entropy (DE), as a newly proposed entropy, has achieved remarkable results in its application. In this paper, on the basis of DE, combined with coarse-grained processing, we introduce the fluctuation and distance information of signal and propose the refined composite multiscale fluctuation-based reverse dispersion entropy (RCMFRDE). As an emerging complexity analysis mode, RCMFRDE has been used for the first time for the feature extraction of ship-radiated noise signals to mitigate the loss caused by the misclassification of ships on the ocean. Meanwhile, a classification and recognition method combined with K-nearest neighbor (KNN) came into being, namely, RCMFRDE-KNN. The experimental results indicated that RCMFRDE has the highest recognition rate in the single feature case and up to 100% in the double feature case, far better than multiscale DE (MDE), multiscale fluctuation-based DE (MFDE), multiscale permutation entropy (MPE), and multiscale reverse dispersion entropy (MRDE), and all the experimental results show that the RCMFRDE proposed in this paper improves the separability of the commonly used entropy in the hydroacoustic domain.
Deep Learning-Based Cervical Spine Posterior Percutaneous Endoscopic Disc Nucleus Resection for the Treatment of Cervical Spondylotic Radiculopathy
Authors: Zhang Yang , Zhu Hengjie , Zhou Zheng , Sun Yinming , Shen Xiang , Wu Jixiang , Li Chengcun
Published: December 2021

In the past 10 years, the technology of percutaneous spine endoscopy has been continuously developed. The indications have expanded from simple lumbar disc herniation to various degenerative diseases of the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine. Traditional surgery for the treatment of cervical radiculopathy includes anterior cervical decompression surgery, anterior cervical decompression plus fusion surgery, and posterior limited fenestration surgery. This article mainly studies the treatment of cervical spondylosis caused by radiculopathy caused by the nucleus resection of the posterior cervical spine percutaneous spinal endoscopy based on deep learning. In the PPECD group, the height of the intervertebral cavity was measured before the operation and during the final follow-up, and the height change of the intervertebral cavity was evaluated. The relative angle and relative displacement of the sagittal plane of the operation segment in the PPECD group were measured, and the stability was evaluated. Using the cervical spine X-ray Kelvin degeneration evaluation criteria, before and during the final follow-up operation, the degeneration of the adjacent segments of the two groups was evaluated. A retrospective analysis of 26 cases of cervical radiculopathy that met the criteria for diagnosis, inclusion, and exclusion was reviewed. Among them, 11 cases were treated with PPECD surgery; 15 cases were treated with ACDF surgery. According to the evaluation method of Odom, the excellent rate and the good rate of the two groups were compared. According to the location of the lesion, the nerve detection or dull tip device is exposed under the armpit or shoulder of the nerve root, and the protruding nucleus pulposus tissue is explored and removed, and annulus fibrosus is performed as needed. After hemostasis was detected, the surgical instruments were removed and the surgical incision was completely sutured. Before the operation and 3 months after the operation, the final follow-up made no significant difference in the overall average height of the intervertebral cavity (F = 2.586,

P
>
0.05

). The results show that posterior foramen expansion is an effective surgical method for the treatment of cervical spondylotic radiculopathy, but surgical adaptation requires strict management. In order to achieve satisfactory results, appropriate cases must be selected.
Upregulated GSDMB in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma Is Associated with Immune Infiltrates and Poor Prognosis
Authors: Cui Yuanshan , Zhou Zhongbao , Chai Yumeng , Zhang Yong
Published: December 2021

Gasdermin B (GSDMB) is part of the gasdermin (GSDM) family, and they use varying means of domain interactions in molecules to adjust their pore-forming and lipid-binding actions. The GSDM family has roles in the regulation of cell differentiation and proliferation, particularly in the process of pyroptosis. Nonetheless, the correlation of GSDMB with immune infiltrates and its prognostic values in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) are still undefined. Therefore, we assessed the correlation of GSDMB with immune infiltrates and its prognostic role in ccRCC. The transcriptional expression profiles of GSDMB in ccRCC tissues in addition to normal tissues were retrieved from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and additionally verified in a different independent cohort, which was obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. The Human Protein Atlas and the Clinical Proteomic Tumor Analysis Consortium (CPTAC) were used to assess the protein expression of GSDMB. To assess the effectiveness of GSDMB in distinguishing ccRCC from normal samples, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed. Relationships between GSDMB expression, clinicopathological variables, and overall survival (OS) were evaluated with multivariate methods as well as Kaplan-Meier survival curves. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks were created with STRING. Functional enrichment analyses were conducted by utilizing the “ClusterProfiler” package. The Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER) and tumor-immune system interaction database (TISIDB) were utilized to determine the association between the mRNA expression of GSDMB and immune infiltrates. GSDMB expression was significantly more upregulated in ccRCC tissues compared to surrounding normal tissues. An increase in the mRNA expression of GSDMB was related to the high pathologic stage and advanced TNM stage. The analysis of the ROC curve indicated that GSDMB had an AUC value of 0.820 to distinguish between ccRCC tissues and adjacent normal controls. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis indicated that ccRCC patients with high GSDMB had a poorer prognosis compared to those with low GSDMB (

P
<
0.001

). Correlation analysis showed that the mRNA expression of GSDMB was associated with immune infiltrates and the purity of the tumor. Upregulation of GSDMB is significantly related to immune infiltrates and poor survival in ccRCC. The results of this study indicate that GSDMB could be regarded as a biomarker for the detection of poor prognosis and potential target of immune treatment in ccRCC.
Optimization of Hybrid Multimedia Art and Design Teaching Mode in the Era of Big Data
Authors: Tian Hua
Published: December 2021

In this paper, a 9-layer convolutional neural network with 4 convolutional layers, 4 pooling layers, and 1 fully connected layer is designed to recognize the emotions of digital learning images in the era of big data. The convolutional neural network is trained using digital learning images that have been labeled with emotions, and the final test shows that the network has good recognition results. This in turn causes the information overload problem to arise. And combined with the questionnaire results and interviews, it was found that there are problems of technology for technology’s sake, teaching for teaching’s sake, and in multimedia teaching, and these will add to the psychological and visual sensory burden of students and easily cause the information overload problem. The types of information overload problems in multimedia-assisted teaching are summarized as follows: unreasonable presentation of information, which causes audiovisual redundancy; too much teaching irrelevant information, which increases the external cognitive load; and an uncoordinated audiovisual environment, which increases the external cognitive load. Starting from the perspective of the integration of preservice to in-service art teachers’ new media art curriculum design and teaching ability development, three representative teacher education cases were studied using a combination of teaching practice and case tracking methods to summarize the successful experiences and effective ways of art teachers’ new media art curriculum development and teaching ability development, which will provide future art teacher training and in-service teachers’ professional development. Both are below 5%. The types of funny emotions are mainly distributed in animation teaching methods. Animation resources are generally well designed in color and layout and can convey good visual emotional characteristics. In other types of images, the emotional distribution level of funny is less than 10%. It is worthwhile to learn from this experience.
Stability Analysis of Multistage One-Step Multiderivative Methods for Nonlinear Impulsive Differential Equations in Banach Spaces
Authors: Long Tao , Yu Yuexin
Published: December 2021

In this paper, we first introduce the problem class

K

p

μ
,
λ
,
ζ

with respect to the initial value problems of nonlinear impulsive differential equations in Banach spaces. The stability and asymptotic stability results of the analytic solution of the problem class

K

p

μ
,
λ
,
ζ

are obtained. Then, the numerical stability and asymptotic stability conditions of multistage one-step multiderivative methods are also given. Two numerical experiments are given to confirm the theoretical results in the end.
The Effect of Whole-Body Vibration on Proprioception and Motor Function for Individuals with Moderate Parkinson Disease: A Single-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Li Kuan-yi , Cho Yu-ju , Chen Rou-shayn
Published: December 2021

Introduction. Previous studies have shown that whole-body vibration (WBV) may have a potential impact on gait and balance in individuals with Parkinson’s disease (PD). However, this body of work has proven inconclusive due to the diverse disease progression and broad age range associated with PD. The effects of WBV on proprioception, a sense frequently affected by PD, has rarely been studied. Objective. To investigate the short-term effect of WBV on proprioception and motor function for individual with moderate PD. Design. A single-blind randomized controlled trial. Setting. A hospital and a laboratory. Participants. 32 participants with moderate PD were recruited and randomly assigned into either the WBV or conventional therapy groups. Interventions. For the WBV group, each treatment session included five, one-minute bouts of whole-body vibration paired with one-minute rest (frequency: 6 Hz; amplitude: 3 mm). Each conventional therapy participant received balance and mobility training for 10 minutes. Main Outcome Measures. Outcome measures included proprioceptive sensitivity of the upper limb, position sense of the knee joint, Unified Parkinson’s disease rating scale : motor section (UPDRS-motor), functional reach test (FRT), and the timed up and go test (TUG). Results. No statistically significant difference was found between groups. However, both groups showed a significant improvement in motor function after treatment, including UPDRS-motor (

P
=
0.04

), less affected side of FRT (

P
=
0.019

), and TUG (

P
=
0.006

). Conclusions. Although the effect of WBV was not superior to the conventional therapy, it provided a passive and safe clinical intervention as an alternative treatment, especially for individuals with motor impairment or poor balance function.
Multimedia Detection and Processing of Remote-Sensing Image of Small Target Combined with Variable Neighborhood Search Algorithm
Authors: Wang Yaqin , Qiu Maolong
Published: December 2021

The development of scientific satellites has made it a reality for people to view the Earth from the sky. However, due to the resolution of the image obtained, the effective and accurate interpretation of remote-sensing images has always been one of the goals pursued by the industry. In this paper, we merge the variable neighborhood search algorithm, reduce the accuracy of remote-sensing images, clean the invalid information of the data, use unsupervised classification methods to quickly locate small targets, use it as verification information, compare and select the image data through sample information, distinguish the background and target results, and get stable detection results. Practice shows that this method can effectively detect small targets in remote-sensing images.
In Silico Screening of Marine Compounds as an Emerging and Promising Approach against Estrogen Receptor Alpha‐Positive Breast Cancer
Authors: Alamri Abdulwahab , Rauf Abdur , Khalil Anees Ahmed , Alghamdi Adel , Alafnan Ahmed , Alshammari Abdulrahman , Alshammari Farhan , Malik Jonaid Ahmed , Anwar Sirajudheen
Published: December 2021

Presently, the majority of breast tumors are estrogen receptor (ER) positive. Breast cancer (BC) is defined by uncontrolled cell proliferation (CP) in breast tissue. BCs are caused by the overexpression of genes that promote CP in breast cells. The discovery of effective inhibitors is an excellent chemopreventive method. Our in silico approach analysis offers a pharmacoinformatics methodology for identifying lead molecules targeting cochaperone HSP90 and the epidermal growth factor receptors (EGFR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)/neu receptor. BC has been associated with the high expression of these targets. The use of drug‐likeness filters aided in determining the therapeutic properties of possible lead compounds. In this study, docking‐based virtual screening (VS) was performed. Database of about 450 cancer marine compounds was used. The X‐ray‐assisted structure of ERα with 4‐OHT (PDB code: 3ERT) was chosen for 4‐OHT. A docking‐based virtual screening was performed on the dataset supplied using the molecular operating environment (MOE) dock application. The binding energy (BE) and explanation of the protein inhibitor interaction (PII) are crucial findings for future both in terms of dry or wet lab research. The GBVI/WAS binding‐free energy assessment (in kcal/mol) scores were used to grade the compounds. Compounds with a BE of less than ‐9.500 kcal/mol were deemed to be the most effective inhibitors. For further analysis, the top seven structurally diverse scaffolds were selected. Seven marine compounds exhibited the best docking score, which validates them to be potent anti‐BC compounds. These compounds’ bioactive potential and prospective drug‐likeness profile make them promising leads for further experimental research.
Terminalia catappa Extract Palliates Redox Imbalance and Inflammation in Diabetic Rats by Upregulating Nrf-2 Gene
Authors: Iheagwam Franklyn Nonso , Batiha Gaber El-Saber , Ogunlana Olubanke Olujoke , Chinedu Shalom Nwodo
Published: December 2021

This study aims at evaluating the ameliorative role of Terminalia catappa aqueous leaf extract (TCA) on hyperglycaemia-induced oxidative stress and inflammation in a high-fat, low dose streptozotocin-induced type 2 diabetic rat model. Experimental rats were treated orally with 400 and 800 mg/kg bw TCA daily for four weeks. Antioxidant enzyme activities, plasma glucose concentration, protein concentration, oxidative stress, and inflammation biomarkers were assayed using standard methods. Hepatic relative expressions of tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-six (IL-6), and nuclear factor-erythroid 2 related factor 2 (Nrf-2) were also assessed. Molecular docking and prediction of major TCA phytoconstituents’ biological activity related to T2DM-induced oxidative stress were evaluated in silico. Induction of diabetes significantly (

p
<
0.05

) reduced superoxide dismutase, glutathione-S-transferase, and peroxidase activities. Glutathione and protein stores were significantly (

p
<
0.05

) depleted, while glucose, MDA, interleukin-six (IL-6), and tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) concentrations were significantly (

p
<
0.05

) increased. A significant (

p
<
0.05

) upregulation of hepatic TNF-α and IL-6 expression and downregulation (

p
<
0.05

) of Nrf-2 expression were observed during diabetes onset. TCA treatment significantly (

p
<
0.05

) modulated systemic diabetic-induced oxidative stress and inflammation, mRNA expression dysregulation, and dysregulated macromolecule metabolism. However, only 800 mg/kg TCA treatment significantly (

p
<
0.05

) downregulated hepatic TNF-α expression. 9-Oxabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane-2,6-diol and 1,2,3-Benzenetriol bound comparably to glibenclamide in Nrf-2, IL-6, and TNF-α binding pockets. They were predicted to be GST A and M substrate, JAK2 expression, ribulose-phosphate 3-epimerase, NADPH peroxidase, and glucose oxidase inhibitors. These results suggest that TCA ameliorates hyperglycaemia-induced oxidative stress and inflammation by activating Nrf-2 gene.
End‐to‐End Autonomous Exploration with Deep Reinforcement Learning and Intrinsic Motivation
Authors: Ruan Xiaogang , Li Peng , Zhu Xiaoqing , Yu Hejie , Yu Naigong
Published: December 2021

Developing artificial intelligence (AI) agents is challenging for efficient exploration in visually rich and complex environments. In this study, we formulate the exploration question as a reinforcement learning problem and rely on intrinsic motivation to guide exploration behavior. Such intrinsic motivation is driven by curiosity and is calculated based on episode memory. To distribute the intrinsic motivation, we use a count‐based method and temporal distance to generate it synchronously. We tested our approach in 3D maze‐like environments and validated its performance in exploration tasks through extensive experiments. The experimental results show that our agent can learn exploration ability from raw sensory input and accomplish autonomous exploration across different mazes. In addition, the learned policy is not biased by stochastic objects. We also analyze the effects of different training methods and driving forces on exploration policy.
Activation of PI3K/AKT Pathway Is a Potential Mechanism of Treatment Resistance in Small Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Jin Ying , Chen Yamei , Tang Huarong , Hu Xiao , Hubert Shawna M. , Li Qian , Su Dan , Xu Haimiao , Fan Yun , Yu Xinmin , Chen Qixun , Liu Jinshi , Hong Wei , Xu Yujin , Deng Huan , Zhu Dapeng , Li Pansong , Gong Yuhua , Xia Xuefeng , Gay Carl M. , Zhang Jianjun , Chen Ming
Published: December 2021

Purpose:

Here, we have investigated treatment resistance mechanisms in small cell lung cancer (SCLC) by focusing on comparing the genotype and phenotype in tumor samples of treatment-resistant and treatment-sensitive SCLC.

Experimental Design:

We conducted whole-exome sequencing on paired tumor samples at diagnosis and relapse from 11 patients with limited-stage (LS)-SCLC and targeted sequencing of 1,021 cancer-related genes on cell-free DNA at baseline and paired relapsed samples from 9 additional patients with LS-SCLC. Furthermore, we performed label-free mass spectrometry–based proteomics on tumor samples from 28 chemo-resistant and 23 chemo-sensitive patients with extensive-stage (ES)-SCLC. The main findings were validated in vitro in chemo-sensitive versus chemo-resistant SCLC cell lines and analyses of transcriptomic data of SCLC cell lines from a public database.

Results:

Genomic analyses demonstrated that at relapse of LS-SCLC, genes in the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway were enriched for acquired somatic mutations or high-frequency acquired copy-number variants. Pathway analysis on differentially upregulated proteins from ES-SCLC cohort revealed enrichment in the HIF-1 signaling pathway. Importantly, 7 of 62 PI3K/AKT pathway genes containing acquired somatic copy-number amplifications were enriched in HIF-1 pathway. Analyses of transcriptomic data of SCLC cell lines from public databases confirmed upregulation of PI3K/AKT and HIF-1 pathways in chemo-resistant SCLC cell lines. Furthermore, chemotherapy-resistant cell lines could be sensitive to PI3K inhibitors in vitro.

Conclusions:

PI3K/AKT pathway activation may be one potential mechanism underlying therapeutic resistance of SCLC. This finding warrants further investigation and provides a possible approach to reverse resistance to chemo/radiotherapy.
Butane Toxicity: The Curse of Volatile Solvent Abuse
Authors: Tahir Awais , Pokorny Petr , Malek Naveed
Published: December 2021

We discuss the presentation and management of a young person who presented to the emergency department with butane toxicity. A delay in recognition of butane toxicity can have fatal consequences. On the contrary, prompt recognition of the clinical scenario by physicians can lead to early commencement of appropriate treatment with a potential for full recovery.
Oral Health Status, Oral Hygiene Practices, and Factors Affecting Dental Treatment Utilization among Pregnant Women in Dubai
Authors: John Sosham , AlMesmar Hamda Sultan
Published: December 2021

Objective: Oral health is an integral part of preventive healthcare for pregnant women. This study aimed to determine the oral health problems and oral hygiene practices and identify the factors affecting dental treatment utilization among a representative population of pregnant women in Dubai. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using data from anonymous structured questionnaires filled by 1,450 pregnant women attending primary health centers across different geographical locations in Dubai. Results: Of the 1,450 women, 97.8% brushed at least once a day. At least one dental problem during pregnancy was reported by 49.9%, but dental attendance during pregnancy was only 17.4%. Factors associated with dental visits were nationality, previous pregnancy, oral health problems, brushing habits, routine dental visits, and professional advice on oral care. The odds of dental attendance increase for UAE national women by 1.48, women who had other children before the current pregnancy by 1.35, those having oral health problems by 1.85, those who brush more than once a day by 1.51, those who visited the dentist routinely at least once a year by 1.92, and those who received oral health education by 2.82. The most cited reasons for not going to the dentist were no perceived dental problem (51.8%) and concerns regarding the safety of dental treatment during pregnancy (33.9%). Discussion/Conclusion: In spite of acceptable oral hygiene practices, a significant number of pregnant women (49.9%) experience dental problems. However, only a few women (17.4%) visit the dentist during their pregnancy. It is critical to design and implements strategic oral health programs for pregnant women in Dubai.
Chromosome Evolution in the Genus Partamona (Apidae: Meliponini), with Comments on B Chromosome Origin
Authors: Novaes Camila M. , Cunha Marina S. , Werneck Hugo A. , Fernandes Anderson , Campos Lucio A.O. , Lopes Denilce M.
Published: December 2021

The genus Partamona includes 33 species of stingless bees, of which 11 were studied cytogenetically. The main goal of this study was to propose a hypothesis about chromosomal evolution in Partamona by combining molecular and cytogenetic data. Cytogenetic analyses were performed on 3 Partamona species. In addition, the molecular phylogeny included mitochondrial sequences of 11 species. Although the diploid number was constant within the genus, 2n = 34, B chromosomes were reported in 7 species. Cytogenetic data showed karyotypic variations related to chromosome morphology and the amount and distribution of heterochromatin and repetitive DNA. The molecular phylogenetic reconstruction corroborated the monophyly of the genus and separated the 2 clades (A and B). This separation was also observed in the cytogenetic data, in which species within each clade shared most of the cytogenetic characteristics. Furthermore, our data suggested that the B chromosome in the genus Partamona likely originated from a common ancestor of the species that have it in clade B and, through interspecific hybridization, it appeared only in Partamona rustica from clade A. Based on the above, Partamona is an interesting genus for further investigations using molecular mapping of B chromosomes as well as for broadening phylogenetic data.