bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Liquid Sloshing in a Cylindrical Tank with Multiple Baffles Under Horizontal and Pitching Motions
Authors: Sun Ying , Zhou Ding , Wang Jiadong , Han Huixuan
Published: August 2020

The sloshing response of fluid in a rigid circular cylindrical tank with multiple rigid annular baffles and subjected to horizontal and pitching excitations is investigated. The subdomain method for fluid sloshing is utilized to obtain exact solutions to the convective velocity potential of liquid. By substituting the velocity potential of liquid into free surface sloshing equation, the response equation under the horizontal excitation is constructed. According to producing the similar lateral force and moment as analytical solutions undergoing horizontal motion, an equivalent mass-spring model is developed to replace continuous liquid. Based on the model, dynamic response of liquid sloshing in the tank under the horizontal and pitching excitations is obtained. Compared with the reported results, the lateral force is in excellent agreement with literature solutions and the overturning moment shows good agreement with available solutions under the excitation with low frequency. The proposed model can be employed to simplify dynamics of complicated liquid-structure systems undergoing pitching motion without tedious derivation and great amount of calculation. The effects of the liquid height, the positions and sizes of the baffles on the influence coefficient factor of pitching motion and the steady-state response are revealed in detail.
New Types of Derivations in BL-Algebras
Authors: Motamed Somayeh , Ehterami Samira
Published: August 2020

In this paper, we defined the concepts of [Formula: see text]-derivation and [Formula: see text]-derivation for [Formula: see text]-algebras and discuss some related results. We study the connection between these derivations on an [Formula: see text]-algebra [Formula: see text]. Also we study these derivations on Boolean center [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] center, Godel center of a [Formula: see text]-algebra [Formula: see text].
Adaptive-atom whale optimization algorithm using autonomous mobile ad hoc network for energy-efficient multipath routing
Authors: Halhalli Suresh R. , Jagdale B. N. , Sugave Shounak Rushikesh
Published: August 2020

Mobile ad hoc network (MANET) consists of a group of self-operated mobile nodes that form a network without considering predefined infrastructure. In the network, each node poses less energy due to battery-operated sensor nodes. Numerous methods are devised for routing, but each method suffered from the energy constraint. This paper proposes an energy-efficient multipath routing protocol for exploiting different routes between source and destination to mitigate energy constraints. The key idea is to determine the optimal path from a set of paths available between the source and the target node. To improve the security in routing protocol, the factors, like energy, trust, and mobility are considered as major components. Here, the trust is modeled by considering trust factors, like average encounter rate (AER), successful cooperation frequency (SCF), direct trust, integrity factor, and forwarding rate factor. Moreover, secure routing is performed between the nodes using the proposed Adaptive-Atom Whale Optimization algorithm (Adaptive-AWOA). The proposed Adaptive-AWOA) is designed by incorporating the Adaptive concept in the Atom Whale Optimization algorithm (AWOA). The fitness function is newly modeled considering mobility, energy, and trust factors. The proposed Adaptive-AWOA outperformed the other methods with a minimal end-to-end delay of 0.009, maximal throughput of 85.802% and maximal packet delivery ratio (PDR) of 97.391%, respectively.
Cashless Payment Policy and Its Effects on Economic Growth of India
Authors: Sreenu Nenavath
Published: August 2020

The present world has moved from cash transactions to cashless transactions. This article examines the impact of implementation of a cashless payment policy on economic development and gradual transition to a cashless economy in India. For this study, the focus is on the time period from 2010 to 2018. The data used for this study are tele transfer, through credit or debit card payment, check payment, and E-money on Indian economic growth. The study has employed the panel vector error correction model, Padroni residual cointegration, and the hypothetical prototypical method. The results show that customers and sellers accept a cashless system policy. In the short period, we have a causality model running from a card system to a check payment and telegraphic transfer system, and a causality model running from a telegraphic payment system to a card payment system. In the long period, there is a positive outcome in using a cashless policy on Indian economic growth. However, the use of a cashless policy on Indian economic development in the short term will be negative, whereas in the long term it will impact positively. Hence, any kind of economic strategy that endorses a cashless payment system cannot have positive impact on the economic development directly.
Supporting the Analysis of Safety Critical User Interfaces
Authors: Campos José Creissac , Fayollas Camille , Harrison Michael D. , Martinie Célia , Masci Paolo , Palanque Philippe
Published: August 2020

Use error due to user interface design defects is a major concern in many safety critical domains, for example avionics and health care. Early detection of latent user interface problems can be facilitated by user-centered design methods that integrate formal verification technologies. This article considers the role that formal verification technologies can play in the context of user-centered design by considering the following three existing tools: CIRCUS, PVSio-web, and IVY. These tools have been developed to support the model based analysis of critical user interfaces. They have their foundations in existing formal verification technologies, but each of them is focused towards particular issues relating to user interface design. The article explores the different phases of the user-centered design process and the extent to which each of these tools supports these phases. Criteria are developed for assessing their role at each stage of the design process. The results of the evaluation provide guidance to developers to help choose the most appropriate tool based on their analysis needs while at the same time setting challenges for future developments.
Achieving high-performance the functional way: a functional pearl on expressing high-performance optimizations as rewrite strategies
Authors: Hagedorn Bastian , Lenfers Johannes , Kœhler Thomas , Qin Xueying , Gorlatch Sergei , Steuwer Michel
Published: August 2020

Optimizing programs to run efficiently on modern parallel hardware is hard but crucial for many applications. The predominantly used imperative languages - like C or OpenCL - force the programmer to intertwine the code describing functionality and optimizations. This results in a portability nightmare that is particularly problematic given the accelerating trend towards specialized hardware devices to further increase efficiency.

Many emerging DSLs used in performance demanding domains such as deep learning or high-performance image processing attempt to simplify or even fully automate the optimization process. Using a high-level - often functional - language, programmers focus on describing functionality in a declarative way. In some systems such as Halide or TVM, a separate schedule specifies how the program should be optimized. Unfortunately, these schedules are not written in well-defined programming languages. Instead, they are implemented as a set of ad-hoc predefined APIs that the compiler writers have exposed.

In this functional pearl, we show how to employ functional programming techniques to solve this challenge with elegance. We present two functional languages that work together - each addressing a separate concern. RISE is a functional language for expressing computations using well known functional data-parallel patterns. ELEVATE is a functional language for describing optimization strategies. A high-level RISE program is transformed into a low-level form using optimization strategies written in ELEVATE . From the rewritten low-level program high-performance parallel code is automatically generated. In contrast to existing high-performance domain-specific systems with scheduling APIs, in our approach programmers are not restricted to a set of built-in operations and optimizations but freely define their own computational patterns in RISE and optimization strategies in ELEVATE in a composable and reusable way. We show how our holistic functional approach achieves competitive performance with the state-of-the-art imperative systems Halide and TVM.
Cosmo: a concurrent separation logic for multicore OCaml
Authors: Mével Glen , Jourdan Jacques-Henri , Pottier François
Published: August 2020

Multicore OCaml extends OCaml with support for shared-memory concurrency. It is equipped with a weak memory model, for which an operational semantics has been published. This begs the question: what reasoning rules can one rely upon while writing or verifying Multicore OCaml code? To answer it, we instantiate Iris, a modern descendant of Concurrent Separation Logic, for Multicore OCaml. This yields a low-level program logic whose reasoning rules expose the details of the memory model. On top of it, we build a higher-level logic, Cosmo, which trades off some expressive power in return for a simple set of reasoning rules that allow accessing nonatomic locations in a data-race-free manner, exploiting the sequentially-consistent behavior of atomic locations, and exploiting the release/acquire behavior of atomic locations. Cosmo allows both low-level reasoning, where the details of the Multicore OCaml memory model are apparent, and high-level reasoning, which is independent of this memory model. We illustrate this claim via a number of case studies: we verify several implementations of locks with respect to a classic, memory-model-independent specification. Thus, a coarse-grained application that uses locks as the sole means of synchronization can be verified in the Concurrent-Separation-Logic fragment of Cosmo, without any knowledge of the weak memory model.
Liquid resource types
Authors: Knoth Tristan , Wang Di , Reynolds Adam , Hoffmann Jan , Polikarpova Nadia
Published: August 2020

This article presents liquid resource types, a technique for automatically verifying the resource consumption of functional programs. Existing resource analysis techniques trade automation for flexibility – automated techniques are restricted to relatively constrained families of resource bounds, while more expressive proof techniques admitting value-dependent bounds rely on handwritten proofs. Liquid resource types combine the best of these approaches, using logical refinements to automatically prove precise bounds on a program’s resource consumption. The type system augments refinement types with potential annotations to conduct an amortized resource analysis. Importantly, users can annotate data structure declarations to indicate how potential is allocated within the type, allowing the system to express bounds with polynomials and exponentials, as well as more precise expressions depending on program values. We prove the soundness of the type system, provide a library of flexible and reusable data structures for conducting resource analysis, and use our prototype implementation to automatically verify resource bounds that previously required a manual proof.
Recovering purity with comonads and capabilities
Authors: Choudhury Vikraman , Krishnaswami Neel
Published: August 2020

In this paper, we take a pervasively effectful (in the style of ML) typed lambda calculus, and show how to
extend
it to permit capturing pure expressions with types. Our key observation is that, just as the pure simply-typed lambda calculus can be extended to support effects with a monadic type discipline, an impure typed lambda calculus can be extended to support purity with a
comonadic
type discipline.

We establish the correctness of our type system via a simple denotational model, which we call the
capability space
model. Our model formalises the intuition common to systems programmers that the ability to perform effects should be controlled via access to a permission or capability, and that a program is
capability-safe
if it performs no effects that it does not have a runtime capability for. We then identify the axiomatic categorical structure that the capability space model validates, and use these axioms to give a categorical semantics for our comonadic type system. We then give an equational theory (substitution and the call-by-value β and η laws) for the imperative lambda calculus, and show its soundness relative to this semantics.

Finally, we give a translation of the pure simply-typed lambda calculus into our comonadic imperative calculus, and show that any two terms which are βη-equal in the STLC are equal in the equational theory of the comonadic calculus, establishing that pure programs can be mapped in an equation-preserving way into our imperative calculus.
Retrofitting parallelism onto OCaml
Authors: Sivaramakrishnan KC , Dolan Stephen , White Leo , Jaffer Sadiq , Kelly Tom , Sahoo Anmol , Parimala Sudha , Dhiman Atul , Madhavapeddy Anil
Published: August 2020

OCaml is an industrial-strength, multi-paradigm programming language, widely used in industry and academia. OCaml is also one of the few modern managed system programming languages to lack support for shared memory parallel programming. This paper describes the design, a full-fledged implementation and evaluation of a mostly-concurrent garbage collector (GC) for the multicore extension of the OCaml programming language. Given that we propose to add parallelism to a widely used programming language with millions of lines of existing code, we face the challenge of maintaining backwards compatibility--not just in terms of the language features but also the performance of single-threaded code running with the new GC. To this end, the paper presents a series of novel techniques and demonstrates that the new GC strikes a balance between performance and feature backwards compatibility for sequential programs and scales admirably on modern multicore processors.
Signature restriction for polymorphic algebraic effects
Authors: Sekiyama Taro , Tsukada Takeshi , Igarashi Atsushi
Published: August 2020

The naive combination of polymorphic effects and polymorphic type assignment has been well known to break type safety. Existing approaches to this problem are classified into two groups: one for restricting how effects are triggered and the other for restricting how they are implemented. This work explores a new approach to ensuring the safety of polymorphic effects in polymorphic type assignment. A novelty of our work lies in finding a restriction on effect interfaces. To formalize our idea, we employ algebraic effects and handlers, where an effect interface is given by a set of operations coupled with type signatures. We propose signature restriction, a new notion to restrict the type signatures of operations, and show that signature restriction is sufficient to ensure type safety of an effectful language equipped with unrestricted polymorphic type assignment. We also develop a type-and-effect system to enable the use of both operations that satisfy and do not satisfy the signature restriction in a single program.
Role for endocannabinoids in early pregnancy: recent advances and the effects of cannabis use
Authors: Ezechukwu Henry C. , Diya Cornelius A. , Shrestha Nirajan , Hryciw Deanne H.
Published: August 2020

The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is associated with several physiological processes, including reproduction. This system consists of the cannabinoid receptors, endocannabinoid ligands, and enzymes that metabolize and degrade these fatty acids. Recent evidence shows that cannabinoid receptors are expressed in cells of the reproductive system, including endometrial stromal cells, ovaries, and sperm cells. Emerging and recent research suggests that the ECS may play a significant role in reproduction. The endocannabinoid ligands anandamide and 2-arachidonoylglycerol are crucial for successful endometrium decidualization, placental development, and embryo implantation. Alteration in cannabinoid receptor expression or in endocannabinoid homeostasis by excessive intake of cannabis during pregnancy is associated with negative pregnancy outcomes, including preterm birth. The use of medicinal cannabis is becoming more widespread in Western countries, especially in people of reproductive age. Cannabis contains phytocannabinoids, which modulate the ECS, and emerging evidence suggests that phytocannabinoids, through their action on cannabinoid receptors, may have a negative impact on fertility, pregnancy outcome, and fetal health. In this mini-review, we highlight the recent advances in the field, which explore the role of endocannabinoids in early pregnancy and the effects of excessive intake of phytocannabinoids in pregnancy outcomes.
Fixed-Time Synchronization of the New Single-Parameter Chaotic System
Authors: Wei Yifeng , Qing Xia , Chengrong Xie , Xu Yuhua
Published: August 2020

This paper advances a new single-parameter chaotic system with a simple structure, and some basic dynamic behavior of the new single-parameter system is discussed, such as equilibria, dissipativity, the existence of an attractor, Lyapunov exponent, Poincaré map, spectrum map, and bifurcation diagram. Moreover, a new fixed-time convergence theorem is proposed for general chaotic systems based on finite-time control theory, and a fixed-time controller is also put to achieve synchronization of the new chaotic system. Simulation results are presented to show the effectiveness of the theoretical results. The conclusion of the paper is useful for the nonlinear economics and engineering application.
Predictive Factors for Failure of Noninvasive Ventilation in Adult Intensive Care Unit: A Retrospective Clinical Study
Authors: Chen Qimin , Liu Ming , Liu Bo , Li Wei , Gao Daixiu , Xie Lulu , Wu Yu , Li Liang , Liu Ying , Wang Ying , Yan Tang , Liu Yuanyi , Cheng Yumei , Liu Xu , Shen Feng
Published: August 2020

Background. Noninvasive ventilation (NIV) has been reported to be beneficial for patients with acute respiratory failure in intensive care unit (ICU); however, factors that influence the clinical outcome of NIV were unclarified. We aim to determine the factors that predict the failure of NIV in critically ill patients with acute respiratory failure (ARF). Setting. Adult mixed ICU in a medical university affiliated hospital. Patients and Methods. A retrospective clinical study using data from critical adult patients with initial NIV admitted to ICU in the period August 2016 to November 2017. Failure of NIV was regarded as patients needing invasive ventilation. Logistic regression was employed to determine the risk factor(s) for NIV, and a predictive model for NIV outcome was set up using risk factors. Results. Of 101 included patients, 50 were unsuccessful. Although more than 20 variables were associated with NIV failure, multivariate logistic regression demonstrated that only ideal body weight (IBW) (OR 1.110 (95%1.027–1.201), P=0.009), the maximal heart rate during NIV period (HR-MAX) (OR 1.024 (1.004–1.046), P=0.021), the minimal respiratory rate during NIV period (RR-MIN) (OR 1.198(1.051–1.365), P=0.007), and the highest body temperature during NIV period (T-MAX) (OR 1.838(1.038–3.252), P=0.037) were independent risk factors for NIV failure. We set up a predictive model based on these independent risk factors, whose area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) was 0.783 (95% CI: 0.676–0.899, P<0.001), and the sensitivity and specificity of model were 68.75% and 71.43%, respectively, with the optimal cut-off value of 0.4863. Conclusion. IBW, HR-MAX, RR-MIN, and T-MAX were associated with NIV failure in patients with ARF. A predictive model based on the risk factors could help to discriminate patients who are vulnerable to NIV failure.
Atherogenic Index of Plasma (AIP) a Tool to Assess Changes in Cardiovascular Disease Risk Post Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy
Authors: Al Shawaf Eman , Al-Ozairi Ebaa , Al-Asfar Fahad , Mohammad Anwar , Al-Beloushi Shaima , Devarajan Sriraman , Al-Mulla Fahd , Abubaker Jehad , Arefanian Hossein
Published: August 2020

Predictive indices like the atherogenic index of plasma (AIP) have been developed to estimate the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Metabolic surgery is the most effective treatment for a rapid improvement of morbid obesity and its comorbidities such as type 2 diabetes (T2D) and CVD. A decreased reoccurrence of CVD after metabolic surgery has been reported by several studies. However, studies utilizing predictive indices for CVD risk in CVD-free morbid-obese patients who undertook laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) are lacking. Here, we use AIP as a tool to evaluate the improvement in CVD risk post-LSG in morbid-obese people who had no history of CVD. Method. We compared baseline, 6- and 12-month post-LSG score of AIP, vascular age, circulating biochemical markers related to CVD in two groups of BMI and age-matched morbid-obese participants with and without T2D. Results. At baseline, people with T2D had significantly higher AIP both, with morbid obesity (0.23±0.06, p<0.001) and normal weight (0.022±0.05, p<0.001) compared to their BMI-matched without T2D group. People with morbid obesity had low AIP (−0.083±0.06). Vascular age was significantly higher in people with morbid obesity and T2D (65.8±3.7year, p<0.0001) compared to morbid obesity (37.9±2.6 year). After one year, AIP was significantly reduced compared to baseline score in people with morbid obesity with/without T2D, respectively (−0.135±0.07, p=0.003; and −0.36±0.04, p=0.0002). Conclusion. Our data illuminates AIP as a reliable predictive index for CVD risk in morbid-obese people who had no history of CVD. Moreover, AIP accurately distinguishes between morbid obesity with T2D and morbid obesity and showed a rapid and significant reduction in CVD risk after LSG in people who had no history of CVD. This is a ClinicalTrials.gov registered trial (Reference NCT03038373).
Intravenous Fluid of Choice in Major Abdominal Surgery: A Systematic Review
Authors: Noonpradej Seechad , Akaraborworn Osaree
Published: August 2020

Background. Intravenous fluid therapy plays a role in maintaining the hemodynamic status for tissue perfusion and electrolyte hemostasis during surgery. Recent trials in critically ill patients reported serious side effects of some types of fluids. Since the most suitable type of fluid is debatable, a consensus in perioperative patients has not been reached. Method. We performed a systematic review of randomized control trials (RCTs) that compared two or more types of fluids in major abdominal surgery. The outcomes were related to bleeding, hemodynamic status, length of hospital stay, and complications, such as kidney injury, electrolyte abnormality, major cardiac adverse event, nausea, vomiting, and mortality. A literature search was performed using Medline and EMBASE up to December 2019. The data were pooled to investigate the effect of fluid on macrocirculation and intravascular volume effect. Results. Forty-three RCTs were included. Eighteen fluids were compared: nine were crystalloids and nine were colloids. The results were categorized into macrocirculation and intravascular volume effect, microcirculation, anti-inflammatory parameters, vascular permeability, renal function (colloids), renal function and electrolytes (crystalloids), coagulation and bleeding, return of bowel function, and postoperative nausea vomiting (PONV). We found that no specific type of fluid led to mortality and every type of colloid was equivalent in volume expansion and did not cause kidney injury. However, hydroxyethyl starch and dextran may lead to increased bleeding. Normal saline can cause kidney injury which can lead to renal replacement therapy, and dextrose fluid can decrease PONV. Conclusion. In our opinion, it is safe to give a balanced crystalloid as the maintenance fluid and give a colloid, such as HES130/0.4, 4% gelatin, or human albumin, as a volume expander.
Laryngeal Papillomatosis in Adults: Assessment for Ten Years at the ENT Department of the National University Hospital of Fann (Dakar, Senegal)
Authors: Ndour N. , Maiga S. , Houra A. , Deguenonvo R. E. A. , Ndiaye C. , Pilor N. , Mbaye A. , Sall A. C. , Diouf M. S. , Ndiaye I. C.
Published: August 2020

Objectives. The aim of this study was to describe the epidemiological, diagnostic, and therapeutic aspects of adult laryngeal papillomatosis in Senegal. Patients and Methods. This is a retrospective descriptive study of patients aged above 18 years with laryngeal papillomatosis and followed at the ENT department of the NUH of Fann between 01 January 2009 and 31 December 2018. Results. The mean age at diagnosis was 37.74 years and a sex ratio of 0.93. The 20–29 age group was the most represented (45.2%). The average consultation delay was 8.34 years. All patients had dysphonia at the moment of the diagnostic and in 35.5% of cases, and it was associated with laryngeal dyspnea. Glottis localization was present in all our patients, i.e., 100% of the cases. A tracheotomy was performed in 9.67% of cases. All of our patients have had their papilloma peeled per endoscopic with tweezers. No cases of malignant degeneration were found in our study. Conclusion. Laryngeal papillomatosis is the most common benign tumor of the larynx in both children and adults. Despite the progress of endoscopy and antiviral treatments, its treatment poses many problems in our undermedicalized countries.
Numerical Analysis of Dynamic Responses of Rock Containing Parallel Cracks under Combined Dynamic and Static Loading
Authors: Zhou Zihan , Chen Zhonghui
Published: August 2020

Open-pit slopes contain numerous nonpenetrating, intermittent joints which maintain stability under blasting operations. The tip dynamic response coefficient (DRC) of parallel cracks in a typical rock mass under combined dynamic and static loading conditions was calculated in this study based on the superposition principle. The dynamic response law of the intermittent joint in the slope under blasting was determined accordingly. The influence of many factors (the disturbance amplitude of dynamic load, the lateral confining pressure, the length of rock bridge, the length between cracks, the staggered distance between cracks, and the crack inclination angle) on the dynamic response was theoretically analyzed as well. The ABAQUS numerical assessments were conducted on simulation models with parallel cracks under combined dynamic and static loading conditions. The results show that a larger dynamic load amplitude and smaller crack inclination angle/confining pressure result in greater Type II dynamic strengthening effect on the crack tip. When the length of the rock bridge between cracks (s) is smaller than the half length of the crack (a), the dynamic strengthening effect at the crack tip weakens gradually with increase ins; whens/a≥1, the strengthening effect is almost unchanged. With the increase in the staggered distance between cracks (h), the dynamic strengthening effect of the crack tip weakens at first and then strengthens; the strengthening effect is weakest whenh/a=0.4; the crack propagation under combined dynamic and static loading is the most sensitive to the lateral confining pressure (σ3) and is the least sensitive to the inclination angle of the cracks (α). Theoretical results are validated by comparison with numerical simulation results. Such information regarding the dynamic response law of the parallel cracks in rock masses under dynamic and static loading conditions is conducive to further research on the mesofailure mechanism of open-pit mine jointed rock slopes under blasting operations.
Diabetic Cataract in Spontaneously Diabetic Torii Fatty Rats
Authors: Kikuchi Kasumi , Murata Miyuki , Noda Kousuke , Kase Satoru , Tagawa Yoshiaki , Kageyama Yasushi , Shinohara Masami , Sasase Tomohiko , Ishida Susumu
Published: August 2020

Spontaneously Diabetic Torii (SDT) fatty rat is a novel animal model of type 2 diabetes with obesity. SDT fatty rats develop hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, and other diabetic complications including ocular disorders; however, diabetic cataract formation in SDT fatty rats has not been fully investigated. The aim of the current study was to investigate the characteristics of cataract in the SDT fatty rats. The mean body weight of SDT fatty rats is larger than that of age-matched Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats and control animals until 8 weeks of age, and thereafter the growing speed decreased until the end of observation at 16 weeks of age. Blood glucose levels in SDT fatty rats were significantly higher than those in SD rats throughout the observational period. Slit-lamp examination revealed that no rats showed cataract formation at 5 weeks of age; however, SDT fatty rats gradually developed cortical cataract and posterior subcapsular cataract, both of which are the common types of cataract in patients with type 2 diabetes. The levels of glucose, sorbitol, and fructose were higher in the lens tissues of SDT fatty rats in comparison with that of SD rats. Furthermore, the level of 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE) was higher in the lens of SDT fatty rats than in that of SD rats. By contrast, total glutathione (GSH) concentration was lower in the lens of SDT fatty rats than in that of SD rats. The present study demonstrated that the cataractogenesis in SDT fatty rats resembled human diabetic cataract formation, indicating that SDT fatty rats serve as a potential animal model in researches on human cataract associated with type 2 diabetes and obesity.
Amarogentin from Gentiana rigescens Franch Exhibits Antiaging and Neuroprotective Effects through Antioxidative Stress
Authors: Disasa Dejene , Cheng Lihong , Manzoor Majid , Liu Qian , Wang Ying , Xiang Lan , Qi Jianhua
Published: August 2020

In the present study, the replicative lifespan assay of yeast was used to guide the isolation of antiaging substance from Gentiana rigescens Franch, a traditional Chinese medicine. A compound with antiaging effect was isolated, and the chemical structure of this molecule as amarogentin was identified by spectral analysis and compared with the reported data. It significantly extended the replicative lifespan of K6001 yeast at doses of 1, 3, and 10 μM. Furthermore, amarogentin improved the survival rate of yeast under oxidative stress by increasing the activities of catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and these enzymes’ gene expression. In addition, this compound did not extend the replicative lifespan of sod1, sod2, uth1, and skn7 mutants with K6001 background. These results suggested that amarogentin exhibited antiaging effect on yeast via increase of SOD2, CAT, GPx gene expression, enzyme activity, and antioxidative stress. Moreover, we evaluated antioxidant activity of this natural products using PC12 cell system, a useful model for studying the nervous system at the cellular level. Amarogentin significantly improved the survival rate of PC12 cells under H2O2-induced oxidative stress and increased the activities of SOD and SOD2, and gene expression of SOD2, CAT, GPx, Nrf2, and Bcl-x1. Meanwhile, the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdehyde (MDA) of PC12 cells were significantly reduced after treatment of the amarogentin. These results indicated that antioxidative stress play an important role for antiaging and neuroprotection of amarogentin. Interestingly, amarogentin exhibited neuritogenic activity in PC12 cells. Therefore, the natural products, amarogentin from G. rigescens with antioxidant activity could be a good candidate molecule to develop drug for treating neurodegenerative diseases.
Investigation of the Mechanism of Shengmai Injection on Sepsis by Network Pharmacology Approaches
Authors: Lu Juan , Lyu Xinkai , Chai Ruiping , Yu Yue , Deng Minghui , Zhan Xia , Dong Zhengqi , Chen Xi
Published: August 2020

Shengmai injection (SMI) contains Ginsen Radix et Rhizoma Rubra, Ophiopogon japonicus, and Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus. It is used as a supportive herbal medicine in the management of sepsis, systemic inflammatory response syndrome, and septic or hemorrhagic shock. An UPLC method was established to identify and evaluate SMI fingerprints. Fingerprint similarities of 9 batches of SMI were compared. The network platform, “TCM‐components‐core targets‐key pathways,” was established, and the mechanism of SMI in the treatment of sepsis was investigated. The similarity of 9 batches of SMI fingerprints was greater than 0.91. 44 peaks were selected as the common peaks, of which 11 peaks were identified. KEGG functional pathway analysis showed SMI was mainly involved in the pathways of cancer, cell cycle, and p53 signaling, suggesting SMI protects multiple organs via regulating immunity, inflammation, apoptosis, and energy metabolism. GO enrichment analysis showed active SMI components regulated various biological processes and altered the pathophysiology of sepsis. The interplays between SMI and multiple energy metabolism signaling cascades confer protection from life‐threatening multiple organ failure in sepsis.
Increased Serum Levels of IFN-γ, IL-1β, and IL-6 in Patients with Alopecia Areata and Nonsegmental Vitiligo
Authors: Tomaszewska Katarzyna , Kozłowska Magdalena , Kaszuba Andrzej , Lesiak Aleksandra , Narbutt Joanna , Zalewska-Janowska Anna
Published: August 2020

Alopecia areata (AA) and vitiligo are both common skin diseases of autoimmune origin. Both alopecia areata and vitiligo have shown to be affected by oxidative stress. The present work is aimed at evaluating and comparing the serum proinflammatory cytokine levels in AA and nonsegmental vitiligo (NSV). A cross-sectional study was conducted of 33 patients with AA, 30 patients with NSV, and 30 healthy controls. Serum levels of interferon γ (IFN-γ), interleukin- (IL-) 1β, and IL-6 were determined quantitatively by ELISA method. Our analysis identified a signature of oxidative stress associated with AA and NSV, characterized by elevated levels of IFN-γ (AA: p=0.007283; NSV: p=0.038467), IL-1β (AA; NSV: p≤0.001), and IL-6 (AA; NSV: p≤0.001). IL-6 was also significantly increased in NSV patients in comparison with AA patients (p=0.004485). Our results supported the hypothesis that oxidative stress may play a significant role in promoting and amplifying the inflammatory process both in AA and vitiligo. The complex understanding of both disease etiopathogenesis involves interrelationships between oxidative stress and autoimmunity. The clinical study registration number is RNN/266/16/KE.
Total Bilirubin Predicts Severe Progression of Diabetic Retinopathy and the Possible Causal Mechanism
Authors: Ding Yu , Zhao Junmin , Liu Gangsheng , Li Yinglong , Jiang Jiang , Meng Yun , Xu Tingting , Wu Kaifeng
Published: August 2020

Early detection and treatment are key to delaying the progression of diabetic retinopathy (DR), avoiding loss of vision, and reducing the burden of advanced disease. Our study is aimed at determining if total bilirubin has a predictive value for DR progression and exploring the potential mechanism involved in this pathogenesis. A total of 540 patients with nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR) were enrolled between July 2014 and September 2016 and assigned into a progression group (N=67) or a stable group (N=473) based on the occurrence of diabetic macular edema (DME), vitreous hemorrhage, retinal detachment, or other conditions that may cause severe loss of vision following a telephonic interview in August 2019. After further communication, 108 patients consented to an outpatient consultation between September and November 2019. Our findings suggest the following: (1) TBIL were significant independent predictors of DR progression (HR: 0.70, 95% CI: 0.54–0.89, p=0.006). (2) Examination of outpatients indicated that compared to stable group patients, progression group patients had more components of urobilinogen and LPS but a lower concentration of TBIL. The relationship between bilirubin and severe DR was statistically significant after adjusting for sex, age, diabetes duration, type of diabetes, FPG, and HbA1c (OR: 0.70, 95% CI: 0.912–0.986, p=0.016). The addition of serum LPS and/or urobilinogen attenuated this association. This study concludes that total bilirubin predicts an increased risk of severe DR progression. Decreasing bilirubin might be attributed to the increased levels of LPS and urobilinogen, which may indicate that the change of bilirubin levels is secondary to intestinal flora disorder and/or intestinal barrier destruction. Further prospective investigations are necessary to explore the causal associations for flora disorder, intestinal barrier destruction, and DR.
A Review of the Botany, Traditional Use, Phytochemistry, Analytical Methods, Pharmacological Effects, and Toxicity of Angelicae Pubescentis Radix
Authors: Yang Liu , Hou Ajiao , Wang Song , Zhang Jiaxu , Man Wenjing , Guo Xinyue , Yang Bingyou , Jiang Hai , Kuang Haixue , Wang Qiuhong
Published: August 2020

Angelicae Pubescentis Radix (AP), as a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), has been used for thousands of years in China. In this paper, the botany, traditional use, phytochemistry, analytical methods, quality control, pharmacological effects, and toxicity of AP were reviewed. It can provide a reference for the further research and lay a foundation for the rational clinical application of AP. The relevant information on AP was collected from scientific databases (such as Baidu Scholar, CNKI, Google Scholar, PubMed, Science Direct, Web of Science, and SciFinder Scholar), Chinese herbal classics, Chinese Pharmacopoeia, PhD and MSc dissertations, and so on. The components which have been isolated and identified in AP include coumarins, volatile oils, organic acids, terpenes, polysaccharides, flavonoids, sterols, and trace elements. Most of them were analyzed by HPLC and GC. A pharmacological study shows that the AP has extensive pharmacological effects, including anti‐inflammatory, antirheumatism, sedative and hypnotic, neuroprotection, antioxidation, antitumor, and allergy, and it is widely used in the treatment of the rheumatoid arthritis, knee osteoarthritis, lumbar disc, ankylosing spondylitis, headaches, stroke hemiplegia, Alzheimer’s, and arrhythmia. AP is a valuable natural medicinal plant. So far, significant advances have been made in phytochemistry and pharmacology. Some traditional uses have been demonstrated by modern pharmacology. However, the chemical components and pharmacological effects of AP are complex and varied, and there are different standards for the evaluation of its quality and efficacy. The mechanism of action, the structure‐activity relationship among the components, and the potential synergistic and antagonistic effects remain to be studied. At the same time, there are few studies on the specific compounds related to its pharmacodynamics. In order to better develop and utilize AP, we should establish a more reasonable, reliable, and accurate quality control standard and focus on the study of bioactive constituents and the demonstration of their mechanism of action.
Effect of Preoperative Zoledronic Acid Administration on Pain Intensity after Percutaneous Vertebroplasty for Osteoporotic Vertebral Compression Fractures
Authors: Hu Weiran , Wang Hongqiang , Shi Xinge , Song Yuepeng , Zhang Guangquan , Xing Shuai , Zhang Kai , Gao Yanzheng
Published: August 2020

Introduction. This study aimed to compare and analyze the effect of preoperative zoledronic acid (ZOL) administration on pain intensity after percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) for osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture (OVCF). Methods. The study included 242 patients with OVCFs who underwent PVP in our hospital between January 2015 and June 2018. The patients were randomly assigned to either a ZOL group (n = 121) or a control group (n = 121). The patients in the ZOL group were treated preoperatively with intravenous infusion of 5 mg ZOL. Those in the control group were treated without ZOL. All the patients were followed up for 1 year. Results. No statistically significant differences in age, sex, weight, and body mass index (BMI) were found between the two groups. During the follow-up period, the visual analog scale score and Oswestry dysfunction index score in the ZOL group were lower than those in the control group. The bone mineral density at 6 or 12 months after treatment was significantly higher and the levels of the bone metabolism markers were significantly lower in the ZOL group than in the control group (P<0.05 for both). Two patients in the treatment group had new vertebral fractures, whereas 13 patients in the control group had new vertebral fractures, which translate to recompression vertebral fracture incidence rates of 1.7% and 10.7%, respectively. The incidence rate of mild adverse reactions was significantly higher in the ZOL group than in the control group, but all the cases were endurable. Conclusion. Intravenous infusion of ZOL before PVP can effectively reduce postoperative pain intensity, reduce bone loss, increase bone density, reduce the risk of refracture, and improve patient quality of life.
Acceptance of Leadership Empowerment Efforts for Female Employees in Three Dental Hospitals
Authors: Jasrin Tadeus Arufan , Suwargiani Anne Agustina , Wardani Riana , Aripin Dudi , Oscar Franky , Supriatna Andi , Sasmita Inne S.
Published: August 2020

Introduction. Empowerment is an organisational effort in increasing the willingness and ability of employees to be more independent in performing their duties. Employee leadership empowerment substantially increases motivation, performance, and commitment to the organisation. Leadership empowerment includes self-determination, competence, meaning, and impact. The purpose of this study was to determine the acceptance of leadership empowerment efforts for female employees in three dental hospitals in Bandung. Methods. A descriptive survey was conducted and the study population was dental hospitals in Bandung. The exclusion criteria were dental hospitals which unwillingly followed the research. The inclusion criteria were dental hospitals that have empowered female employees. The data collection technique was performed with total sampling. The research sample amounted to 102 people from three dental hospitals—all data were collected using a validated questionnaire. Data analysis was performed using relative frequency distribution. Results. Leadership empowerment for female employees in three dental hospitals in Bandung has been given by each. The highest acceptance of empowerment efforts for female employees was shown by employees of Dental Hospital of Jenderal Achmad Yani University, followed by Dental Hospital of Universitas Padjadjaran, and subsequently Dental Hospital of Maranatha Christian University. The level of acceptance of empowerment efforts that need to be improved in three Dental Hospitals in Bandung was self-determination or autonomy at work. Employees must be given more freedom on performing their duties, developing their careers, and acting more independently. Conclusion. Acceptance of leadership empowerment for female employees in three dental hospitals in Bandung has been demonstrated in each. Acceptance of leadership empowerment efforts in all subdimensions of empowerment needs to be improved, primarily related to self-determination.
A Tripartite Evolutionary Game Analysis of Enterprises’ Behaviour in the Platform Ecosystem
Authors: Han Ying
Published: August 2020

With the rapid progress of digital technology and new business models’ development, the platform ecosystem has not only penetrated every sector in society but also revealed various problems. Platform governance researchers have highlighted its significance, but failed to adequately consider ecosystem participants’ behaviour. This paper aims to explore platform governance’s effects on enterprises’ behaviour in a multiorganisational platform ecosystem context. The tripartite evolutionary game is chosen to construct a mathematical model that integrates the government, platform organisation, and internal enterprises to analyse formal and informal governance’s influence on enterprises’ behaviour in the platform ecosystem. It was discovered that both formal and informal governance can decrease internal enterprises’ opportunistic behaviours. Furthermore, formal governance has stronger effects than informal governance, although informal governance’s effects are more stable. Additionally, self-organisation in the platform ecosystem is another important area of focus. This paper enriches an understanding of platform ecosystems while formulating insights relevant in using platform governance to develop small and medium-sized enterprises.
An EEG Database and Its Initial Benchmark Emotion Classification Performance
Authors: Seal Ayan , Reddy Puthi Prem Nivesh , Chaithanya Pingali , Meghana Arramada , Jahnavi Kamireddy , Krejcar Ondrej , Hudak Radovan
Published: August 2020

Human emotion recognition has been a major field of research in the last decades owing to its noteworthy academic and industrial applications. However, most of the state-of-the-art methods identified emotions after analyzing facial images. Emotion recognition using electroencephalogram (EEG) signals has got less attention. However, the advantage of using EEG signals is that it can capture real emotion. However, very few EEG signals databases are publicly available for affective computing. In this work, we present a database consisting of EEG signals of 44 volunteers. Twenty-three out of forty-four are females. A 32 channels CLARITY EEG traveler sensor is used to record four emotional states namely, happy, fear, sad, and neutral of subjects by showing 12 videos. So, 3 video files are devoted to each emotion. Participants are mapped with the emotion that they had felt after watching each video. The recorded EEG signals are considered further to classify four types of emotions based on discrete wavelet transform and extreme learning machine (ELM) for reporting the initial benchmark classification performance. The ELM algorithm is used for channel selection followed by subband selection. The proposed method performs the best when features are captured from the gamma subband of the FP1-F7 channel with 94.72% accuracy. The presented database would be available to the researchers for affective recognition applications.