bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Electronic Guidance Cane for Users Having Partial Vision Loss Disability
Authors: Khan Asad , Ashraf Muhammad Awais , Javeed Muhammad Awais , Sarfraz Muhammad Shahzad , Ullah Asad , Khan Muhammad Mehran Arshad
Published: October 2021

Vision is, no doubt, one of the most important and precious gifts to humans; however, there exists a fraction of visually impaired ones who cannot see properly. These visually impaired disabled people face many challenges in their lives—like performing routine activities, e.g., shopping and walking. Additionally, they also need to travel to known and unknown places for different necessities, and hence, they require an attendant. Most of the time, affording an attendant is not easier and inexpensive, especially when almost 2.5% of the population of Pakistan is visually impaired. There exist some ways of helping these physically impaired people, for example, devices with a navigation system with speech output; however, these are either less accurate, costly, or heavier. Additionally, none of them have shown perfect results in both indoor and outdoor activities. Additionally, the problems become even more severe when the subject/the people are partially deaf as well. In this paper, we present a proof of concept of an embedded prototype which not only navigates but also detects the hurdles and gives alerts—using speech alarm output and/or vibration for the partially deaf—along the way. The designed embedded system includes a cane, a microcontroller, Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM), Global Positioning System (GPS) module, Arduino, a speech output module speaker, Light‐Dependent Resistor (LDR), and ultrasonic sensors for hurdle detection with voice and vibrational feedback. Using our developed system, physically impaired people can reach their destination safely and independently.
Predictive Value of Gut Microbiome for Cognitive Impairment in Patients with Hypertension
Authors: Lu Shourong , Shao Lin , Zhang Yunyun , Yang Ying , Wang Zhuo , Zhang Bingshan , Yu Jie , Xu Qiao , Wang Shuqiang , Chen Xiaorong , Yu Zhiming , Ren Yilin , Hong Kan
Published: October 2021

A connection exists between hypertension (HTN) and cognitive impairment (CI) or gut microbiota (GM) and neuropsychiatric disease. However, the link between GM and HTNCI has not been illustrated. This study endeavoured to profile the landscape of GM in HTNCI patients and evaluate the value of GM as HTNCI biomarkers. We recruited 128 patients with hypertension and assigned them to two groups of different MoCA scores. Clinical and biological data were recorded. GM composition was illustrated with 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing, and the dominant species were identified by linear discriminant analysis Effect Size (LEfSe). It showed higher abundance of TM7 and lower abundances of Veillonella and Peptoniphilus in the HTNCI group than in the HTN without cognitive impairment (HTNnCI) group. We next clarified the link between GM and MoCA scores or HTNCI factors. KEGG analysis revealed the involvement of decreased bile secretion. An evident correlation showed up between HTNCI and Veillonella abundance (

P
=
0.0340

). We concluded that some representative GM species, especially Veillonella, could predict cognitive impairment in hypertension patients, making them potential benchmarks of HTNCI.
A Systematic Review on the Performance Characteristics of Sustainable, Unfired Admixed Soil Blocks for Agricultural and Industrial Waste Management
Authors: Sharma Tarun , Singh Sandeep , Singh Thind Parteek , Singh Chohan Jasgurpreet , Kumar Raman , Sharma Shubham , Kaplonek Wojciech , Khalilpoor Nima , Issakhov Alibek
Published: October 2021

Unfired admixed soil blocks are composed of standard soil and a stabilizer or reinforcement material in the form of binder and fiber. This literature review systematically examines the performance characteristics of unfired admixed soil blocks made by using binders such as cement, lime, and other agricultural and industrial wastes available in the form of fibers and ash. A systematic search was carried out on Web of Science and SCOPUS using different keywords, and 313 records were found. After the screening and eligibility process as per PRISMA guidelines, 36 papers were eligible and hence selected to be reviewed and analyzed. This paper examines the performance characteristics of the blocks in terms of physical properties, mechanical properties, durability, microstructural evaluation, statistical analysis, cost analysis, energy consumption, and carbon dioxide emission. It was found that of the total 9 parameters considered for discussion, most of the studies using different admixtures (binder and fibers) in soil blocks were focused on compressive strength testing of blocks, water absorption, and durability by wetting drying cycles. However, other parameters like bulk density, maximum dry density and optimum water content, thermal conductivity, tensile strength, and flexural strength examined in recent studies are also reported in this paper. This systematic review proposes some research problems to be worked on various additional parameters like linear shrinkage, pull out test, erosion test, sorptivity test, porosity, efflorescence, water permeability, freeze/thaw test, and analysis of energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions during the manufacturing of unfired admixed soil blocks using various binders and fibers for further study which the current literature lacks.
Complex Urban Systems: Challenges and Integrated Solutions for the Sustainability and Resilience of Cities
Authors: Gallotti Riccardo , Sacco Pierluigi , De Domenico Manlio
Published: October 2021

For decades, from design theory to urban planning and management, from social sciences to urban environmental science, cities have been probed and analyzed from the partial perspective of single disciplines. The digital era, with its unprecedented data availability, is allowing for testing old theories and developing new ones, ultimately challenging relatively partial models. Our community has been in the last years providing more and more compelling evidence that cities are complex systems with emergent phenomena characterized by the collective behavior of their citizens who are themselves complex systems. However, more recently, it has also been shown that such multiscale complexity alone is not enough to describe some salient features of urban systems. Multilayer network modeling, accounting for both multiplexity of relationships and interdependencies among the city’s subsystems, is indeed providing a novel integrated framework to study urban backbones, their resilience to unexpected perturbations due to internal or external factors, and their human flows. In this paper, we first offer an overview of the transdisciplinary efforts made to cope with the three dimensions of complexity of the city: the complexity of the urban environment, the complexity of human cognition about the city, and the complexity of city planning. In particular, we discuss how the most recent findings, for example, relating the health and wellbeing of communities to urban structure and function, from traffic congestion to distinct types of pollution, can be better understood considering a city as a multiscale and multilayer complex system. The new challenges posed by the postpandemic scenario give to this perspective an unprecedented relevance, with the necessity to address issues of reconstruction of the social fabric, recovery from prolonged psychological, social and economic stress with the ensuing mental health and wellbeing issues, and repurposing of urban organization as a consequence of new emerging practices such as massive remote working. By rethinking cities as large‐scale active matter systems far from equilibrium which consume energy, process information, and adapt to the environment, we argue that enhancing social engagement, for example, involving citizens in codesigning the city and its changes in this critical postpandemic phase, can trigger widespread adoption of good practices leading to emergent effects with collective benefits which can be directly measured.
Unpredictable Outcomes of a Regenerative Endodontic Treatment
Authors: Mohammadi Zahra , Assadian Hadi , Bolhari Behnam , Sharifian Mohammadreza , Khoshkhounejad Mehrfam , Chitsaz Nazanin
Published: October 2021

Regenerative endodontic treatment (RET) is a valuable treatment for necrotic immature teeth with many advantages such as increasing root length and thickness of root wall. The success of RETs is based on healthy stem cells, suitable scaffolds, and growth factors and takes place when bacterial contamination is well controlled. The aim of this article is to address controversy in a case with multiple success criteria. This paper reports a 9-year-old boy with a complicated crown fracture of the maxillary left central incisor about three years prior to referral with a diagnosis of intrusive luxation with spontaneous reeruption. The tooth had an underdeveloped root and a well-defined periapical radiolucent lesion around the root apex. RET was considered according to the stage of root development. Upon the three-week recall session, the clinical examination indicated that the patient was asymptomatic in the affected site. However, the patient returned two weeks later with a sinus tract pertaining to the apex of tooth #9. Therefore, debridement of the root canal space was repeated and the RET redone. On the second trial, the patient was symptom-free, but no more evidence of root maturation was observed on 18-month follow-up. The tooth was asymptomatic (without swelling, drainage, and pain) during this time, and esthetics was provided for the patient.
Traditional Chinese Medicine Yang-Gan-Wan Alleviated Experimental Hepatic Damage by Inhibiting Oxidation, Inflammation, and Apoptosis in Cell and Mouse Models
Authors: Yeh Chia-Wen , Wu Wan-Jhen , Lu Chen-Wen , Wang Sheue-Er , Chuang Wu-Chang , Lee Ming-Chung , Wu Chung-Hsin
Published: October 2021

A hepatoprotective medicine, Yang-Gan-Wan (YGW), was used to treat hepatic damage in cell and mouse models. We performed a 1,1-diphenyl-2- picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay and found that YGW exhibited a significantly high free radical scavenging ability. Furthermore, the results of the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay revealed that YGW treatment could alleviate lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced damage in Kupffer cells (liver macrophages). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay results demonstrated that YGW treatment could alleviate LPS-induced inflammation in Kupffer cells by inhibiting the expression of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-1β. By quantifying the serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST), we found that YGW treatment could alleviate hepatic damage and improve immunity in acetaminophen- (APAP-) treated mice by inhibiting the expression of ALT and AST. The findings of hematoxylin and eosin and Masson’s trichrome staining indicated that YGW treatment could alleviate hepatic damage and reduce collagen fiber formation in the liver tissue of APAP-treated mice. Furthermore, immunohistochemistry staining and Western blot results showed that YGW treatment could alleviate oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis in the liver tissue of APAP-treated mice by enhancing superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2) expression but inhibiting TNF-α and caspase 3 expression. Our results suggest that YGW treatment exerted hepatoprotective effects on LPS-treated Kupffer cells and APAP-treated mice by inhibiting oxidation, inflammation, and apoptosis.
Research on Night Tourism Recommendation Based on Intelligent Image Processing Technology
Authors: Li Meng , Fan Ning
Published: October 2021

The rapid development of the tourism industry and the Internet era has led to an increasingly severe problem of travel information overload, and travel recommendation methods are essential to solving the information overload problem. Traditional recommendation algorithms only target common travel scenarios during the daytime, combining the ratings and necessary attributes between users and items to calculate similarity for a recommendation. Still, the research on night travel recommendations is one of the few scenarios that needs to be explored urgently. This paper, based on histogram equalization, achieves better experimental results on image enhancement, combines convolutional neural network technology with night image and text comment feature extraction technology, and evaluates the resulting error with mean absolute error (MAE). This paper presents the first night travel recommendation system. It compares it with the traditional collaborative filtering method, and the model proposed in this paper can effectively reduce the prediction error.
Iris-Occlusion of XEN Gel Stent following Ab Externo Transconjunctival Implantation Technique
Authors: Ruparelia Sunil , Shoham-Hazon Nir
Published: October 2021

The use of minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS) devices has become increasingly common for the management of elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) in the context of glaucoma. These technologies have traditionally been associated with fewer postoperative complications than conventional surgical techniques. However, we report on a rare case of transient XEN occlusion associated with pupil dilation following XEN gel stent implantation. This case highlights that in future XEN implantations, it may be preferable to position the XEN at a lesser angle to the iris to prevent such an occlusion. The use of different positionings of XEN is performed to optimize outcomes. However, it is highlighted that complications may arise in certain circumstances.
Various Soliton Solutions and Asymptotic State Analysis for the Discrete Modified Korteweg-de Vries Equation
Authors: Lin Zhe , Wen Xiao-Yong , Qin Meng-Li
Published: October 2021

Under investigation is the discrete modified Korteweg-de Vries (mKdV) equation, which is an integrable discretization of the continuous mKdV equation that can describe some physical phenomena such as dynamics of anharmonic lattices, solitary waves in dusty plasmas, and fluctuations in nonlinear optics. Through constructing the discrete generalized

m
,
N
−
m

-fold Darboux transformation for this discrete system, the various discrete soliton solutions such as the usual soliton, rational soliton, and their mixed soliton solutions are derived. The elastic interaction phenomena and physical characteristics are discussed and illustrated graphically. The limit states of diverse soliton solutions are analyzed via the asymptotic analysis technique. Numerical simulations are used to display the dynamical behaviors of some soliton solutions. The results given in this paper might be helpful for better understanding the physical phenomena in plasma and nonlinear optics.
Optimization and Simulation of Literature Aided Reading System Based on Wireless Sensor Network
Authors: Jiang Jingen , Xia Yongchun
Published: October 2021

This paper designs and implements an intelligent online reading platform based on wireless sensor network. The platform adopts SSM framework based on Spring architecture as the cornerstone and is oriented to ordinary users and teachers and students. Ordinary users can carry out normal online reading on the platform, and teachers and students can carry out auxiliary reading teaching on the platform. The online reading platform is an interactive reading platform system integrating online reading, EPub resource generation and management, and user reading data statistics. The whole platform is composed of registration and login module, online reading module, EPub e‐book generation module, and reading data report module. Spring, Spring MVC, and Mybatis framework are used to achieve hierarchical solution and improve development efficiency. For the problems that may occur in the process of EPub generation, an intelligent EPub generation mechanism is designed and implemented to achieve intelligent error correction and improve the stability of EPub generation. Platform design and implementation of a reading data report generation system can be in the background of the report generation and download. In addition, the random extraction problem in platform business is also analyzed, the problem model is established, and the database random extraction scheme commonly used in the industry is studied. The application of wireless sensor for reading aid is less and mostly stays in theory. Based on the traditional intelligent clustering system, the system is designed to improve the system scalability and provide a feasible literature assisted reading scheme while ensuring the accuracy and efficiency of the system.
The Application of Virtual Reality Technology on Intelligent Traffic Construction and Decision Support in Smart Cities
Authors: Yan Gongxing , Chen Yanping
Published: October 2021

The core of smart city is to build intelligent transportation system.. An intelligent transportation system can analyze the traffic data with time and space characteristics in the city and acquire rich and valuable knowledge, and it is of great significance to realize intelligent traffic scheduling and urban planning. This article specifically introduces the extensive application of urban transportation infrastructure data in the construction and development of smart cities. This article first explains the related concepts of big data and intelligent transportation systems and uses big data to illustrate the operation of intelligent transportation systems in the construction of smart cities. Based on the machine learning and deep learning method, this paper is aimed at the passenger flow and traffic flow in the smart city transportation system. This paper deeply excavates the time, space, and other hidden features. In this paper, the traffic volume of the random sections in the city is predicted by using the graph convolutional neural network (GCNN) model, and the data are compared with the other five models (VAR, FNN, GCGRU, STGCN, and DGCNN). The experimental results show that compared with the other 4 models, the GCNN model has an increase of 8% to 10% accuracy and 15% fault tolerance. In forecasting morning and evening peak traffic flow, the accuracy of the GCNN model is higher than that of other models, and its trend is basically consistent with the actual traffic volume, the predicted results can reflect the actual traffic flow data well. Aimed at the application of intelligent transportation in an intelligent city, this paper proposes a machine learning prediction model based on big data, and this is of great significance for studying the mechanical learning of such problems. Therefore, the research of this paper has a good implementation prospect and academic value.
Optimizing Energy Efficiency for Supporting Near‐Cloud Access Region of UAV‐Based NOMA Networks in IoT Systems
Authors: Tran Huu Q. , Phan Ca V. , Vien Quoc-Tuan
Published: October 2021

Nonorthogonal multiple access (NOMA) and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) are two promising technologies for the wireless fifth generation (5G) networks and beyond. On the one hand, UAVs can be deployed as flying base stations to build line‐of‐sight (LoS) communication links to two ground users (GUs) and to improve the performance of conventional terrestrial cellular networks. On the other hand, NOMA enables the share of an orthogonal resource to multiple users simultaneously, thus improving the spectral efficiency and supporting massive connectivities. This paper presents two protocols, namely, cloud‐based central station‐ (CCS‐) based power‐splitting protocol (PSR) and time‐switching protocol (TSR), for simultaneous wireless information and power transmission (SWIPT) at UAV employed in power domain NOMA‐based multitier heterogeneous cloud radio access network (H‐CRAN) of Internet of Things (IoT) system. The system model with k types of UAVs and two users in which the CCS manages the entire H‐CRAN and operates as a central unit in the cloud is proposed in our work. Closed‐form expressions of throughput and energy efficiency (EE) for UAVs are derived. In particular, the EE is determined for the impacts of power allocation at CCS, various UAV types, and channel environment. The simulation results show that the performance for CCS‐based PSR outperforms that for CCS‐based TSR for the impacts of power allocation at the CCS. On the contrary, the TSR protocol has a higher EE than the PSR in the cases of the impact of various UAV types and channel environment. The analytic results match Monte Carlo simulations.
Antiviral Effect of Hyunggaeyungyo-Tang on A549 Cells Infected with Human Coronavirus
Authors: Won Seo-Young , Seol In-Chan , Yoo Ho-Ryong , Kim Yoon-Sik
Published: October 2021

Background. Herbal medicine is widely recommended to treat viral infectious diseases. Over 123,000,000 individuals have been infected with the coronavirus since a worldwide pandemic was declared in March 2020. We conducted this research to confirm the potential of herbal medicine as a treatment for coronavirus. Methods. We infected the A549 cell line with betacoronavirus OC43 and then treated it with 100 μg/mL Hyunggaeyungyo-tang (HGYGT) or distilled water with a control of HGYGT. We measured the mRNA expression levels of proinflammatory cytokines and interferon stimulated genes (ISGs) to confirm the effectiveness of HGYGT upon coronavirus infection. Results. We found that the effects of HYGYT decrease the expression level of pPKR, peIF2α, IFI6, IFI44, IFI44L, IFI27, IRF7, OASL, and ISG15 when administered to cells with coronavirus infection. The expressions of IL-1, TNF-α, COX-2, NF-κB, iNOS, and IKK mRNA were also significantly decreased in the HGYGT group than in the control group. Conclusion. Through the reduction of the amount of coronavirus RNA, our research indicates that HGYGT has antiviral effects. The reduction of IKK and iNOS mRNA levels indicate that HGYGT reduces coronavirus RNA expression and may inhibit the replication of coronavirus by acting on NF-kB/Rel pathways to protect oxidative injury. In addition, decreases in mRNA expression levels of proinflammatory cytokines indicate that the HGYGT may relieve the symptoms of coronavirus infections.
Effects of Hydrated Lime on High‐Temperature Rheological Properties of High‐Viscosity Modified Asphalt
Authors: Zhou Wenjing , Sun Yihan , Chi Fengxia , Cheng Qinling , Han Bo
Published: October 2021

High‐viscosity modified asphalt (HVA) is widely used as the binder for permeable asphalt pavement, and hydrated lime (HL) attracts a strong technical interest as an effective moisture additive in asphalt for a long time. However, the application of HL in HVA has been rarely studied. The present study evaluates the influence of HL on the high‐temperature rheological properties of HVA and selects the optimum HL content and fineness. The asphalt mortars of HVA and HL of different contents and fineness were prepared. Temperature scanning (DSR‐TS), multiple stress creep recovery (MSCR) by using a dynamic shear rheometer, and scanning electron microscope (SEM) tests were carried out to evaluate the high‐temperature rheological properties and microstructure morphology characteristics of the asphalt mortars. Based on the DSR‐TS and MSCR tests, the results showed that high‐temperature performance together with the ability to deformation resistance of HVA was improved apparently with the increase of the HL content. When the HL content is above 1.2, the stress sensitivity of HVA is lower. The SEM results clearly showed that the uniformity of asphalt mortars could be effectively guaranteed when the HL content was 1.2 and the fineness was 800 mesh. The HL fineness has little effect on the high‐temperature performance of HVA. In summary, taking into account the high‐temperature performance and microstructure of HVA with HL, the optimum HL content and fineness could be finally determined.
Analysis on Quantified Self‐Behavior of Customers in Food Consumption under the Perspective of Social Networks
Authors: Lei Lei , Zhu Yaling , Liu Qiang
Published: October 2021

China is still facing the double challenges of over nutrition and malnutrition. One of the main reasons is the lack of residents’ understanding of the nutritional value of food. Quantified self, as a measure of consumer self‐activity, has been used to analyze food consumption behavior recently. Although the research results are increasing, the conclusions are not consistent. What’s more, previous literatures did not consider food consumption behavior based on the theory of information perception and the risk perception theory. In addition to obtaining information through their own human capital for quantitative activities, consumers will also obtain information through social networks. In view of the above understanding, this study uses experimental design and field survey to obtain data, uses Heckman two‐step method and PLS path modeling method to analyze the impact of consumers’ quantified self‐behavior on their health food consumption, and discusses the moderating role of social networks based on the perspective of complex network. The results show that (1) consumers’ health awareness can promote their choice of quantified self‐behavior, (2) consumers’ quantified self‐behavior is helpful to promote their purchase intention and purchase scale of healthy food, and (3) social networks play a positive moderating role in consumers’ quantified self‐influence on their healthy food consumption. Both emotional networks and instrumental networks have significant moderating effect, but the formal is stronger. This article not only considers the relationship between food consumption behavior and social network but also the enhances literature based on the theory of information perception and the risk perception theory.
Simple and Rapid Synthesis of Calcium Acetate from Scallop Shells to Reduce Environmental Issues
Authors: Thongkam Montree , Saelim Jinnaput , Boonchom Banjong , Seesanong Somkiat , Chaiseeda Kittichai , Laohavisuti Nongnuch , Bunya-atichart Kanokpon , Boonmee Wimonmat , Taemchuay Duangkamol
Published: October 2021

The search for sustainable resources remains a subject of global interest. Calcium acetate used in many fields was prepared using waste scallop shell as a raw material, and its physicochemical properties were investigated. The waste scallop shells were transformed to calcium acetate compounds by reactions with four acetic acid concentrations at ambient temperature until the completely dried powder is obtained. The maximum yield of 87% with short reaction time at a low temperature was observed in the reaction of 60%w/w acetic acid with scallop shells. Thermal transformation reactions of all prepared calcium acetate samples revealed temperature conditions for heating to produce other advanced materials. FTIR and XRD results confirmed the purity and solid phase of all prepared calcium acetate samples, and they were compared with those of literatures and found to be well consistent. The obtained timber-like particles have different sizes depending on the acetic acid concentration. This work reports an easy and low-cost method with no environmental effect to produce cheap calcium products to be used in the industry.
Oxalate Activates Autophagy to Induce Ferroptosis of Renal Tubular Epithelial Cells and Participates in the Formation of Kidney Stones
Authors: Song Qianlin , Liao Wenbiao , Chen Xin , He Ziqi , Li De , Li Bin , Liu Junwei , Liu Lang , Xiong Yunhe , Song Chao , Yang Sixing
Published: October 2021

Renal tubular epithelial cell damage is the basis for the formation of kidney stones. Oxalate can induce human proximal tubular (HK‐2) cells to undergo autophagy and ferroptosis. The present study was aimed at investigating whether the ferroptosis of HK‐2 cells induced by oxalate is caused by the excessive activation of autophagy. We treated HK‐2 cells with 2 mmol/L of oxalate to establish a kidney stone model. First, we tested the degree of oxidative damage and the level of autophagy and ferroptosis in the control group and the oxalate intervention group. We then knocked down and overexpressed the BECN1 gene and knocked down the NCOA4 gene in HK‐2 cells, followed by redetection of the above indicators. We confirmed that oxalate could induce autophagy and ferroptosis in HK‐2 cells. Moreover, after oxalate treatment, overexpression of the BENC1 gene increased cell oxidative damage and ferroptosis. In addition, knockdown of NCOA4 reversed the effect of oxalate‐induced ferroptosis in HK‐2 cells. Our results show that the effects of oxalate on the ferroptosis of HK‐2 cells are caused by the activation of autophagy, and knockdown of the NCOA4 could ameliorate this effect.
Evaluation of the Antidiarrheal and Antioxidant Effects of Some Chewing Sticks Commonly Used for Oral Hygiene in Ghana
Authors: Essuman Edward Ken , Boakye Adjoa Agyemang , Tettey Clement Okraku , Hunkpe Gaston , Kortei Nii Korley , Kwansa-Bentum Henrietta , Waikhom Sayanika Davi , Aninagyei Enoch
Published: October 2021

Microbial etiology of diarrhea is a significant cause of death, especially in children in developing countries. The presence of microbes that are resistant to current treatment options for diarrhea suggests the need to find newer antimicrobial agents for treatment. Therefore, this study focused on investigating the antimicrobial effect of some Ghanaian chewing sticks commonly used for oral hygiene, Azadirachta indica, Garcinia afzelii, and Garcinia kola, against selected diarrhea-causing organisms. From the stem and bark of each plant, 70% methanolic extract was experimented on Salmonella and Shigella species, namely, Shigella sonnei, Shigella flexeneri, Salmonella typhinirium enterica, Salmonella typhi attenuated, and Klebsiella oxytoca for microbial susceptibility using the agar well diffusion method. Additionally, the antioxidant profile of the methanolic extracts were investigated using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical, 2,2’-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic) acid (ABTS) scavenging activities, and ferric-reducing antioxidant potential (FRAP) assays, while the total polyphenolic content was determined using the Folin–Ciocalteau reagent. G. afzelii and A. indica stem demonstrated the highest antimicrobial effect, inhibiting the growth of all test organisms. Additionally, the extracts demonstrated high antioxidant potential and were found to possess significant amounts of phenolic compounds. Therefore, methanolic extracts of G. afzelii and A. indica stem are promising candidates for the identification of safe novel compounds to mitigate diarrheal diseases.
Vertical Channel Conflict Coordination Strategy of e-Commerce Supply Chain under Platform Brand Empowerment
Authors: Xiao Di , Yang Qianqian , Sun Qi , Fang Huimin
Published: October 2021

We develop a game model for a supply chain consisting of one e-commerce platform, one supplier from other channels, and one retailer. The platform has a well-known brand that can influence consumers’ purchase decisions, and it provides good-quality products with high prices, while supplier from other channels provides cheaper products but possibly with low quality, and there may even be some serious quality problems, sometimes leading to serious problems such as “free-riding” behavior by the retailer and reducing the profits of the supply chain members. First, we study the decisions of platform and retailer under centralized decision (CD) scenario, decentralized decision (DD) scenario, cost sharing contract (CS) scenario, and minimum order quantity contract (QC) scenario. Second, we found that channel conflicts have a negative impact on supply chain members under DD scenario; however, CS and QC scenarios can make the optimal empowerment level of platform the same as CD scenario and encourage retailer to order more products from platform. Finally, the improvement effect in QC and CS scenarios is affected by the substitutability of the two products, the coefficient of empowerment cost, and the reaction coefficient of product price on goodwill. Furthermore, we found that under QC scenario, only within an appropriate range can the platform and the retailer achieve a win-win situation.
Deep Reinforcement Learning-Based Algorithm for VNF-SC Deployment
Authors: Xuan Junlei , Yang Huifang , Zhao Xuelin , Ma Xingpo , Yang Xiaokai
Published: October 2021

Network function virtualization (NFV) has the potential to lead to significant reductions in capital expenditure and can improve the flexibility of the network. Virtual network function (VNF) deployment problem will be one of key problems that need to be addressed in NFV. To solve the problem of routing and VNF deployment, an optimization model, which minimizes the maximum index of used frequency slots, the number of used frequency slots, and the number of initialized VNF, is established. In this optimization model, the dependency among the different VNFs is considered. In order to solve the service chain mapping problem of high dynamic virtual network, a new virtual network function service chain mapping algorithm PDQN-VNFSC was proposed by combining prediction algorithm and DQN (Deep Q-Network). Firstly, the real-time mapping of virtual network service chains is modeled into a partial observable Markov decision process. Then, the real-time mapping process of virtual network service chain is optimized by using global and long-term benefits. Finally, the service chain of virtual network function is mapped through the learning decision framework of offline learning and online deployment. The simulation results show that, compared with the existing algorithms, the proposed algorithm has a lower the maximum index of used frequency slots, the number of used frequency slots, and the number of initialized VNF.
A Linear‐Time Algorithm for 4‐Coloring Some Classes of Planar Graphs
Authors: Liang Zuosong , Wei Huandi
Published: October 2021

Every graph G = (V, E) considered in this paper consists of a finite set V of vertices and a finite set E of edges, together with an incidence function that associates each edge e ∈ E of G with an unordered pair of vertices of G which are called the ends of the edge e. A graph is said to be a planar graph if it can be drawn in the plane so that its edges intersect only at their ends. A proper k‐vertex‐coloring of a graph G = (V, E) is a mapping c : V⟶S (S is a set of k colors) such that no two adjacent vertices are assigned the same colors. The famous Four Color Theorem states that a planar graph has a proper vertex‐coloring with four colors. However, the current known proof for the Four Color Theorem is computer assisted. In addition, the correctness of the proof is still lengthy and complicated. In 2010, a simple O(n2) time algorithm was provided to 4‐color a 3‐colorable planar graph. In this paper, we give an improved linear‐time algorithm to either output a proper 4‐coloring of G or conclude that G is not 3‐colorable when an arbitrary planar graph G is given. Using this algorithm, we can get the proper 4‐colorings of 3‐colorable planar graphs, planar graphs with maximum degree at most five, and claw‐free planar graphs.
Tibetan Medicines for the Treatment of Diabetic Nephropathy
Authors: Pu Lili , Yang Chunhong , Yu Liqiong , Li Shiling , Liu Yaqin , Liu Xinan , Lai Xianrong
Published: October 2021

As an important part of the traditional Chinese medicine system, Tibetan medicine has its unique treatment methods for diabetes mellitus and its complications. Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is one of the most serious diabetic microvascular diseases. Tibetan medicine believes that the occurrence of DN is closely related to renal function changes, and it can be effectively prevented and treated by improving renal lesions. In this paper, we consult ancient books of Tibetan medicine and summarize the medicines that treat kidney disease in the Tibetan medicine system. The Chinese name, English name, and Latin name of these drugs were searched as keywords in the online database. Thirty-four drugs were found for the treatment of DN. The most commonly used were Amomum kravanh, Terminalia chebula, and Tribulus terrestris, and we introduced the traditional uses and modern pharmacological activities of these drugs. The results indicate that Tibetan medicines for kidney disease could be used as potential candidate drugs for DN; they would expand the range of medications for DN and provide a new idea for the treatment of DN.
Comparison Analysis of Different Time‐Scale Heart Rate Variability Signals for Mental Workload Assessment in Human‐Robot Interaction
Authors: Shao Shiliang , Wang Ting , Li Yawei , Song Chunhe , Jiang Yihan , Yao Chen
Published: October 2021

Excessive mental workload affects human health and may lead to accidents. This study is motivated by the need to assess mental workload in the process of human‐robot interaction, in particular, when the robot performs a dangerous task. In this study, the use of heart rate variability (HRV) signals with different time scales in mental workload assessment was analyzed. A humanoid dual‐arm robot that can perform dangerous work was used as a human‐robot interaction object. Electrocardiogram (ECG) signals of six subjects were collected in two states: during the task and in a relaxed state. Multiple time‐scale (1, 3, and 5 min) HRV signals were extracted from ECG signals. Then, we extracted the same linear and nonlinear features from the HRV signals at different time scales. The performance of machine learning algorithms using the different time‐scale HRV signals obtained during the human‐robot interaction was evaluated. The results show that for the per‐subject case with a 3 min HRV signal length, the K‐nearest neighbor classifier achieved the best mental workload classification performance. For the cross‐subject case with a 5 min time‐scale signal length, the gentle boost classifier achieved the best mental workload classification accuracy. This study provides a novel research idea for using HRV signals to measure mental workload during human‐robot interaction.
Thoracodorsal Artery Perforator Flap for Chronic Radiation-Induced Ulcer of the Axilla in Vietnam
Authors: Le Hong Quang , Hoang Anh Dung
Published: October 2021

Breast cancer is the leading cause of death in females worldwide. Radiotherapy plays an important role for locoregional control in the comprehensive management of breast cancer. Chronic radiation-induced ulcer of the axilla can occur, and it is complicated to treat for these lesions. The application of a thoracodorsal artery perforator flap offers many advantages to be one of the most efficient treatments for radiation-induced ulcers of the axillary region. We introduce a series of 5 patients with radiation-induced ulcers of the axilla treated by using a thoracodorsal artery perforator flap. The mean operative time was 190 minutes. During at least a two-year follow-up, no complication has been found, and the patient has achieved good cosmetic result without movement limitation of the upper limb.
The Relation among Teeth and Maxillary Dental Arch Dimensions with Anterior Teeth Angulation and Inclination
Authors: Al-Mashhadany Sara M. , Saloom Jinan Eliewy , Nahidh Mohammed
Published: October 2021

Objectives. This study aimed at finding out whether anterior teeth angulation and inclination have a relationship with the maxillary teeth and dental arch dimensions. Methods. Fifty study models with normal occlusion were selected from the archive of the Department of Orthodontics at Baghdad Dental Faculty. Maxillary dental arch width and length at different points were determined in addition to measuring anterior teeth angulation, inclination, crown thickness, overjet, overbite, and Bolton’s ratios. The unpaired t-test and Pearson’s correlation coefficient test were used for data analysis. Results. No statistical gender differences were reported in all measurements except the dental arch widths and length where males had significantly higher mean values. Only the maxillary incisor’s inclination showed a direct weak significant correlation with the total arch length. Conclusions. The inclination of upper incisors had a minimal effect on increasing dental arch length.
Futuristic Cyber-Twin Architecture for 6G Technology to Support Internet of Everything
Authors: Juneja Sapna , Gahlan Mamta , Dhiman Gaurav , Kautish Sandeep
Published: October 2021

With the rapid growth of Internet of Everything, there is a huge rise in the transportable Internet traffic due to which its associated resources have exceptional obstacles which include reliability, security, expandability, security, and portability which the current available network architectures are unable to deal with. In this paper, an IoT centric cyber-physical twin architecture has been proposed for 6G Technology. The cyber-twin technology helps out in serving stronger communication and also contains several features that help out in assisting communication like maintaining a log record of network data and managing all digital assets like images, audio, video, and so forth. These features of the cyber-twin technology enable the proposed network to deal with those exceptional obstacles and make the system more reliable, safe, workable, and adaptable.
Hybrid Deep Eutectic Solvent of LiTFSI-Ethylene Glycol Organic Electrolyte for Activated Carbon-Based Supercapacitors
Authors: Tran Kieu T. , Truong Tuyen T. T. , Nguyen Hoang V. , Nguyen Quan D. , Phung Quan , Le Phung M. L. , Tran Man V.
Published: October 2021

This research work demonstrates a novel hybrid electrolyte based on a deep eutectic solvent (DES) combined with organic solvents for high-performance supercapacitors. DES was formed between ethylene glycol (EG) and lithium bis((trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl) imide (LiTFSI) and diluted by ethylene carbonate (EC) or acetonitrile (AN) with different amounts (10–50% wt.). Such a combination gives superior properties for hybrid electrolytes compared to pure DESs and reduces the volatility of mixed organic solvents. Regarding the electrochemical properties, DES-AN mixtures exhibited a better performance under high applied voltage and more reversible behavior than DES-EC ones, which suffered from the increasing distance in the electrical double layer. DES 1 : 4 + 20% wt. AN exhibited favorable electrolyte properties such as high ionic conductivity (3.1 mS·cm−1 at 30oC), relatively lower viscosity (14.28 mPa s at 30oC, approximately 2 times lower thanDES pure), and quite large electrochemical stability window up to 3.4 V (at 20–30% wt. AN) compared to the baseline electrolyte (LiTFSI/TBABF4 in AN). With these interesting properties, selected hybrid electrolyte (DES 1 : 4 + 20% wt. AN) tested in the symmetric capacitor using the activated carbon offered decent capacitance (15 F·g−1 at 3.4 V with a scanning rate of 1 A·g−1 and remains around 95% after 100 cycles) and good charge-discharge durability (>80% retention after 2000 cycles), especially the EDLC with DES 1 : 4 + 20% wt. AN shows good rate capacity (13.2 F·g−1 at 2 A·g−1, remaining 6 F·g−1 at 10 A·g−1).
Research on Aircraft Surface Taxi Path Planning and Conflict Detection and Resolution
Authors: Zhao Ningning , Li Nan , Sun Yu , Zhang Lei
Published: October 2021

Aircraft surface taxiing conflict avoidance is mostly adopted by waiting and rerouting methods, but this method does not consider the difference in total taxiing time that may be caused by different strategies. In this study, the airport taxiing path optimization model and taxiing area division model are constructed first. Then, the taxiway use is controlled by subregion based on the analysis of the surface activity area connection relationship. Based on the results of aircraft surface taxiway preselection, the time window of the taxiing area is solved and conflict detection is performed. For aircraft with taxiing conflicts, waiting or changing paths is selected to deconflict taxiing by comparing priorities. An improved A∗ algorithm solution is applied to generate conflict-free glide paths and new glide trajectory occupancy time windows, while the glide paths of aircraft without glide conflicts are not affected. The results of the study show that the use of time windows for conflict detection and deconfliction can further reduce the total taxiing time of aircraft operating on the surface, resulting in a significant reduction in the number of aircraft conflicts, and thus, airport operational safety is ensured. This study has a high practical value and is expected to be applied in the real-time control decision of aircraft taxiing in the future.
Acupuncture-Induced Tension Pneumothorax Presenting as Acute Heart Failure
Authors: Hussain Alia Arif , Nygaard Jeppe , Pedersen Kasper Kofod , Schoenike Celi Anne , Kovacs Erik , Jørgensen Steen Hylgaard
Published: October 2021

Takotsubo syndrome (TSS) is a reversible, acute cardiomyopathy with transient heart failure, often secondary to other disorders. A 64-year-old woman, with no history of ischemic heart disease, was admitted to the emergency department after developing sudden-onset dyspnea after a planned acupuncture treatment for back pain. Acute echocardiography showed decreased left ventricular function with basal hypercontraction and apical akinesia and was interpreted, and treated, as acute heart failure. When the attending cardiologist arrived, the patient still had dyspnea with a declining blood pressure (97/65 mmHg) and tachycardia (111/minute). The cardiologist suspected a tension pneumothorax induced by the penetration of an acupuncture needle to the apex of the lung, as well as secondary TSS cardiomyopathy. An acute chest X-ray was performed, which showed a large left-sided rim pneumothorax. The attending surgeon placed a chest tube in the left 6th intercostal space in the midaxillary line, and the patient reported immediate pain relief and improvement in her dyspnea. The patient’s clinical condition improved, and a control X-ray showed that the lung was fully expanded. The chest tube was removed, but after a few minutes, the patient developed a massive subcutaneous emphysema in the upper chest and in the face and her clinical condition deteriorated rapidly. A new chest tube was inserted, and the patient’s tachycardia diminished, with her clinical condition improving immediately. The patient remained hospitalized for the next seven days. After three continuous days without any escaped air in the chest tube, the tube was removed, and the patient was observed for another 48 hours. This time, the removal was without any complications and within two days, the patient was ready for discharge. The follow-up echocardiography showed complete recovery of left ventricular function.
IQ Motif-Containing GTPase-Activating Protein 2 Inhibits Breast Cancer Angiogenesis by Suppressing VEGFR2–AKT Signaling
Authors: Kumar Dinesh , Patel Saket Awadhesbhai , Khan Rehan , Chawla Saurabh , Mohapatra Nachiketa , Dixit Manjusha
Published: October 2021

Antiangiogenesis cancer therapies are facing setbacks due to side effects and resistance. Parallel targeting of multiple pathways can help in the development of more effective therapies. This requires the discovery of new molecules that can regulate multiple cellular processes. Our study has recently established the association of reduced IQGAP2 expression in breast cancer with EMT and poor prognosis of the patient. Existing literature indirectly suggests the role of IQGAP2 in angiogenesis that is still unexplored. In this study, we searched the role of IQGAP2 in tumor angiogenesis in a comprehensive manner using cell culture, patients, and animal models. Depletion of IQGAP2 in breast cancer cells increased proliferation, migration, and tubulogenesis of HUVECs. Findings were validated in ex ovo CAM, Matrigel plug and skin wound-healing assays in mouse model, showing that the reduction of IQGAP2 significantly increased angiogenesis. As a confirmation, IHC analysis of the patient's tissues showed a negative correlation of IQGAP2 expression with the microvessel density. Mechanistically, loss of IQGAP2 appeared to activate VEGF-A via ERK activation in tumor cells, which activated the VEGFR2–AKT axis in HUVECs.

Implications:

The findings of this study suggest the antiangiogenic properties of IQGAP2 in breast cancer. The Dual effect of IQGAP2 on EMT and angiogenesis makes it a potential target for anticancer therapy.