bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
How GPs adapted their practices and organisations at the beginning of COVID-19 outbreak: a French national observational survey
Authors: Saint-Lary Olivier , Gautier Sylvain , Le Breton Julien , Gilberg Serge , Frappé Paul , Schuers Matthieu , Bourgueil Yann , Renard Vincent
Published: December 2020

Objectives

To describe how general practitioners (GPs) adapted their practices to secure and maintain access to care in the epidemic phase. A secondary objective was to explore if GPs’ individual characteristics and type of practice determined their adaptation.

Design

Observational study using an online questionnaire. Organisational changes were measured by a main question and detailed in two specific outcomes. To identify which GPs’ characteristics impacted organisational changes, successive multivariate logistic modelling was performed. First, we identified the GPs’ characteristics related to organisational changes with a univariate analysis. Then, we tested the adjusted associations between this variable and the following GPs’ characteristics: age, gender and type of practice.

Setting

The questionnaire was administered online between 14 March and 21 March 2020. Practitioners were recruited by email using the contact lists of different French scientific GP societies.

Participants

The target population was GPs currently practising in France (n=46 056). We obtained a total of 7481 responses.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

Primary outcome: Proportion of GPs who adapted their practice. Secondary outcome: GPs’ characteristics related to organisational changes.

Results

Among the 7481 responses, 5425 were complete and were analysed. 3849 GPs (70.9%) changed their activity, 3605 GPs (66.5%) increased remote consultations and 2315 GPs (42.7%) created a specific pathway for probable patients with COVID-19. Among the 3849 GPs (70.9%) who changed their practice, 3306 (91.7%) gave more answers by phone, 996 (27.6%) by email and 1105 (30.7%) increased the use of video consultations. GPs working in multi-professional group practices were more likely to have changed their activity since the beginning of the epidemic wave than GPs working in mono-professional group or single medical practices (adjusted OR: 1.32, 95% CI 1.12 to 1.56, p=0.001).

Conclusions

French GPs adapted their practices regarding access to care for patients in the context of the COVID-19 epidemic. This adaptation was higher in multi-professional group practices.
Endotypes identified by cluster analysis in asthmatics and non-asthmatics and their clinical characteristics at follow-up: the case-control EGEA study
Authors: Nadif Rachel , Febrissy Mickael , Andrianjafimasy Miora Valérie , Le Moual Nicole , Gormand Frederic , Just Jocelyne , Pin Isabelle , Siroux Valerie , Matran Régis , Dumas Orianne , Nadif Mohamed
Published: December 2020

Background

Identifying relevant asthma endotypes may be the first step towards improving asthma management. We aimed identifying respiratory endotypes in adults using a cluster analysis and to compare their clinical characteristics at follow-up.

Methods

The analysis was performed separately among current asthmatics (CA, n=402) and never asthmatics (NA, n=666) from the first follow-up of the French EGEA study (EGEA2). Cluster analysis jointly considered 4 demographic, 22 clinical/functional (respiratory symptoms, asthma treatments, lung function) and four blood biological (allergy-related, inflammation-related and oxidative stress-related biomarkers) characteristics at EGEA2. The clinical characteristics at follow-up (EGEA3) were compared according to the endotype identified at EGEA2.

Results

We identified five respiratory endotypes, three among CA and two among NA: CA1 (n=53) with active treated adult-onset asthma, poor lung function, chronic cough and phlegm and dyspnoea, high body mass index, and high blood neutrophil count and fluorescent oxidation products level; CA2 (n=219) with mild asthma and rhinitis; CA3 (n=130) with inactive/mild untreated allergic childhood-onset asthma, high frequency of current smokers and low frequency of attacks of breathlessness at rest, and high IgE level; NA1 (n=489) asymptomatic, and NA2 (n=177) with respiratory symptoms, high blood neutrophil and eosinophil counts. CA1 had poor asthma control and high leptin level, CA2 had hyper-responsiveness and high interleukin (IL)-1Ra, IL-5, IL-7, IL-8, IL-10, IL-13 and TNF-α levels, and NA2 had high leptin and C reactive protein levels. Ten years later, asthmatics in CA1 had worse clinical characteristics whereas those in CA3 had better respiratory outcomes than CA2; NA in NA2 had more respiratory symptoms and higher rate of incident asthma than those in NA1.

Conclusion

These results highlight the interest to jointly consider clinical and biological characteristics in cluster analyses to identify endotypes among adults with or without asthma.
The effect of tiotropium/olodaterol versus fluticasone propionate/salmeterol on left ventricular filling and lung hyperinflation in patients with COPD
Authors: Herth Felix , Hohlfeld Jens M , Haas Johannes , de la Hoz Alberto , Jin Xidong , Kreitner Karl-Friedrich , Vogelmeier Claus , Vogel-Claussen Jens , Watz Henrik
Published: December 2020

This exploratory, randomised, double-blind, double-dummy, multicentre, cross-over study explored the effect of 6 weeks of treatment with tiotropium/olodaterol (T/O) versus fluticasone propionate/salmeterol (F/S) on left ventricular filling in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with functional residual capacity (FRC) >120% predicted and postbronchodilator improvement of FRC ≥7.5%. Overall, 76 patients were randomised across nine sites. Treatment with T/O or F/S increased left ventricular end-diastolic volume index from baseline (adjusted mean change: T/O: 2.317 mL/m2, F/S: 2.855 mL/m2), with no statistically significant difference between treatments. However, T/O resulted in a significantly greater reduction in lung hyperinflation versus F/S (FRC plethysmography absolute change from baseline: F/S: –0.329 L, T/O: –0.581 L).
Designing a clinical trial of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for cancer pain: a survey of UK palliative care physicians
Authors: Page Andrew J , Mulvey Matthew R , Bennett Michael I
Published: December 2020

Objectives

Insufficient quality evidence exists to support or refute the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in the management of cancer pain. We aimed to determine the most clinically pragmatic design of a future randominsed controlled trial (RCT), based on how NSAIDs are currently used and perceived efficacy.

Methods

An online survey was distributed to members of the Association for Palliative Medicine of Great Britain and Ireland examining NSAID use, indications and perceived efficacy, as well as duration of respondents’ experience in palliative medicine.

Results

23% of 968 members responded. A placebo-controlled trial of NSAIDs as a strong opioid adjunct in cancer-related bone pain was considered the most clinically pragmatic design. Concerning current practice, oral administration was the preferential route (79.4%), dosed regularly (79.5%). Selective cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitors and non-selective COX-2 inhibitors were considered similarly effective by 45% in cancer pain; ibuprofen being the first line oral NSAID of choice (42.6%). Treatment efficacy is generally determined within 1 week (94.3%). On a Likert scale, most physicians consider NSAIDs improve cancer pain either ‘sometimes’ (57.7%) or ‘often’ (40%). Years of specialist palliative care experience did not affect perception of efficacy (p=0.353).

Conclusions

A randomised controlled trial of NSAIDs as opioid adjuncts for cancer-related bone pain would be the most pragmatic design supported by palliative care clinicians to benefit clinical practice.
Understanding the relationship between cognitive performance and function in daily life after traumatic brain injury
Authors: Wilson Lindsay , Horton Lindsay , Kunzmann Kevin , Sahakian Barbara J , Newcombe Virginia FJ , Stamatakis Emmanuel A , von Steinbuechel Nicole , Cunitz Katrin , Covic Amra , Maas Andrew , Van Praag Dominique , Menon David
Published: December 2020

Objective

Cognitive impairment is a key cause of disability after traumatic brain injury (TBI) but relationships with overall functioning in daily life are often modest. The aim is to examine cognition at different levels of function and identify domains associated with disability.

Methods

1554 patients with mild-to-severe TBI were assessed at 6 months post injury on the Glasgow Outcome Scale—Extended (GOSE), the Short Form-12v2 and a battery of cognitive tests. Outcomes across GOSE categories were compared using analysis of covariance adjusting for age, sex and education.

Results

Overall effect sizes were small to medium, and greatest for tests involving processing speed (ηp20.057–0.067) and learning and memory (ηp20.048–0.052). Deficits in cognitive performance were particularly evident in patients who were dependent (GOSE 3 or 4) or who were unable to participate in one or more major life activities (GOSE 5). At higher levels of function (GOSE 6–8), cognitive performance was surprisingly similar across categories. There were decreases in performance even in patients reporting complete recovery without significant symptoms. Medium to large effect sizes were present for summary measures of cognition (ηp20.111), mental health (ηp20.131) and physical health (ηp20.252).

Conclusions

This large-scale study provides novel insights into cognitive performance at different levels of disability and highlights the importance of processing speed in function in daily life. At upper levels of outcome, any influence of cognition on overall function is markedly attenuated and differences in mental health are salient.
Newly diagnosed disease and job loss: a nationwide longitudinal study among middle-aged Japanese
Authors: Takada Midori , Tabuchi Takahiro , Iso Hiroyasu
Published: December 2020

Objectives

Since previous studies have only used past or current medical history of disease, there is no information on newly diagnosed disease in relation to job loss. Our objective was therefore to investigate whether newly diagnosed chronic disease increased job loss among middle-aged Japanese.

Methods

We analysed data on 31 403 Japanese workers aged 50–59 years from a nationally representative longitudinal study. We defined two types of job loss; later job loss (within 1 year of disease diagnosis) and concurrent/later job loss (at around the time of diagnosis and within 1 year of diagnosis). Generalised estimating equation models were used to calculate ORs for job loss among current workers after a new-diagnosis of chronic disease (diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidaemia, heart disease, stroke and cancer), using a discrete-time design and adjusting for demographic, socioeconomic and health behavioural factors. We used inverse probability weighting to account for non-response at follow-up.

Results

ORs for concurrent/later job loss were 1.17 (95% CI 1.03–1.31) for diabetes, 1.01 (95% CI 0.93–1.09) for hypertension, 1.01 (95% CI 0.94–1.09) for hyperlipidaemia, 1.21 (95% CI 1.06–1.40) for heart disease, 1.48 (95% CI 1.21–1.81) for stroke and 1.38 (95% CI 1.17–1.62) for cancer diagnosed patients. The corresponding ORs for later job loss were 1.14 (95% CI 0.96–1.35), 1.00 (95% CI 0.90–1.12), 0.98 (95% CI 0.88–1.08), 1.24 (95% CI 1.02–1.49), 1.16 (95% CI 0.86–1.55) and 1.39 (95% CI 1.11–1.73).

Conclusions

New diagnosis of diabetes, heart disease, cancer and stroke increased the risk of job loss; loss was concurrent for diabetes mellitus and stroke, and concurrent/later for cancer and heart disease. Our results provide fundamental information for employment support for patients with chronic disease.
Sleep quality and military training injury during basic combat training: a prospective cohort study of Chinese male recruits
Authors: Ruan Yi , Yu Xin , Wang Huan , Zou Bin , Song Wen-juan , Gu Wei , Ling Chang-quan
Published: December 2020

Objective

To examine the association between sleep quality and military training injury (MTI) in recruits during basic combat training (BCT).

Methods

Participants were new recruits undergoing 12-week military BCT in China. Sleep quality was measured by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) . Participants were classified into two groups based on their sleep quality (group 1, good sleep, PSQI score <7; group 2, poor sleep, PSQI score ≥7) at the start of BCT. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to test whether baseline PSQI score was associated with MTI incidence during BCT.

Results

A total of 563 participants were included. The incidence of MTI was significantly lower in group 1 (48/203, 23.6%) than in group 2 (150/360, 41.7%) (p<0.001). Logistic regression analysis showed that the odds of MTI were 2.307 times higher in group 2 than in group 1 without adjusting for confounders: OR=2.307, p<0.001. When the model was adjusted for age, ethnicity, educational level and family income (OR=2.285) or for the previous confounders plus body mass index (OR=2.377), the results were similar (both p<0.001). Analysis of the types of initial MTI showed that group 2 had about 2.1 times higher odds of soft tissue injury than group 1 (p<0.001 in all the three models).

Conclusion

Sleep quality before BCT influences the incidence of MTI, especially of soft tissue injury.
Long noncoding RNA GAS5 ameliorates chronic constriction injury induced neuropathic pain in rats by modulation of the miR-452-5p/CELF2 axis
Authors: Tian Yingjie , Sun Li , Qi Tao
Published: December 2020

Neuropathic pain is a type of spontaneous pain that causes damage to the central nervous system. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) participate in the progression of various nervous system diseases, including neuropathic pain. However, the biological function of GAS5 in neuropathic pain remains unclear. Our findings revealed that GAS5 was downregulated in chronic constriction injury (CCI) rats. Besides, ELISA showed that the concentration of IL‐6, TNF-α, and IL‐1β were reduced by overexpressed GAS5 in spinal cord homogenates of CCI rats. Moreover, mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia in CCI rats were inhibited by GAS5 overexpression, suggesting that GAS5 overexpression attenuated neuropathic pain. Subsequently, we found that GAS5 served as a sponge for miR-452-5p in CCI rats and CELF2 was the downstream target of miR-452-5p. Finally, through a rescue assay, we found that GAS5 ameliorated neuropathic pain in CCI rats by sponging miR-452-5p to regulate CELF2 expression. Our study confirmed that GAS5 ameliorated neuropathic pain in rats by modulation of the miR-452-5p/CELF2 axis, which may provide some clues for neuropathic pain treatment.
Effects of longitudinal short-distance constraints on the hadronic light-by-light contribution to the muon $$\mathbf {g-2}$$
Authors: Lüdtke Jan , Procura Massimiliano
Published: December 2020

We present a model-independent method to estimate the effects of short-distance constraints (SDCs) on the hadronic light-by-light contribution to the muon anomalous magnetic moment $$a_\mu ^\text {HLbL}$$

a
μ
HLbL

. The relevant loop integral is evaluated using multi-parameter families of interpolation functions, which satisfy by construction all constraints derived from general principles and smoothly connect the low-energy region with those where either two or all three independent photon virtualities become large. In agreement with other recent model-based analyses, we find that the SDCs and thus the infinite towers of heavy intermediate states that are responsible for saturating them have a rather small effect on $$a_\mu ^\text {HLbL}$$

a
μ
HLbL

. Taking as input the known ground-state pseudoscalar pole contributions, we obtain that the longitudinal SDCs increase $$a_\mu ^\text {HLbL}$$

a
μ
HLbL

by $$(9.1\pm 5.0) \times 10^{-11}$$

(
9.1
±
5.0
)

×

10

-
11

, where the isovector channel is responsible for $$(2.6\pm 1.5) \times 10^{-11}$$

(
2.6
±
1.5
)

×

10

-
11

. More precise estimates can be obtained with our method as soon as further accurate, model-independent information about important low-energy contributions from hadronic states with masses up to 1–2 GeV become available.
THE CALCULUS OF BIVARIATE FRACTAL INTERPOLATION SURFACES
Authors: CHANDRA SUBHASH , ABBAS SYED
Published: December 2020

In this paper, we investigate partial integrals and partial derivatives of bivariate fractal interpolation functions (FIFs). We also prove that the mixed Riemann–Liouville fractional integral and derivative of order [Formula: see text], of bivariate FIFs are again bivariate interpolation functions corresponding to some iterated function system (IFS). Furthermore, we discuss the integral transforms and fractional order integral transforms of the bivariate FIFs.
THE POWER FUNCTION HIDDEN IN THE VULNERABILITY OF FRACTAL COMPLEX NETWORKS
Authors: LI DONG-YAN , HUANG PENG-HE , WANG XING-YUAN , LIU HAO-DONG
Published: December 2020

As a special kind of complex network, fractal complex networks have their unique characteristics such as fractal dimension, scale invariance, percolation threshold, etc. There have been some researches on the topology of fractal network, among which the calculation of fractal dimension, the construction of fractal model, the phase transition and the robustness of fractal network were the hotspots. But unlike the studies of the scale-free and small-world networks, there was little research on the relationship between the stability and the fractal feature, especially between the vulnerability and fractal dimension of the fractal networks. In this paper, the relationship between vulnerability and fractal dimension was discussed based on two kinds of fractal growth models and different vulnerability measurement methods. The same power functional relationships were obtained and a universal expression was proposed. Then, the effect of fractal feature on the vulnerability was exploring through the fitting error when fractal dimensions were calculated. Finally, the vulnerability of the real networks and their similarities to the fractal models in term of vulnerability showed the rationality of the fractal network models in establishing stable models. The results of this study have important reference for creating structurally stable artificial neural networks, transportation networks and information networks.
DYNAMICS OF A FRACTIONAL-ORDER BAM NEURAL NETWORK WITH LEAKAGE DELAY AND COMMUNICATION DELAY
Authors: HUANG CHENGDAI , LIU HENG , CHEN YUEFEN , CHEN XIAOPING , SONG FANG
Published: December 2020

This paper lucubrates the bifurcations of a fractional-order bidirectional associative memory neural network (FOBAMNN) with leakage and communication delays. Firstly, leakage delay is taken as a bifurcation parameter to detect the bifurcations of the proposed neural network (NN). Leakage delay-induced bifurcation results are commendably established. Then communication delay is regarded as a bifurcation parameter to investigate the bifurcations of the developed FOBAMNN, and the stability interval and bifurcation point are derived. It reveals that the devised FOBAMNN possesses outstanding stability performance if selecting a lesser value of them, while the bifurcation emerges of FOBAMNN and eventually leads to performance deterioration with an outsize one. Besides, the influence of fractional order on the bifurcation points is carefully studied. It perceives that a proper fractional order can heighten the stability performance of the developed FOBAMNN. Ultimately, numerical simulations are exploited to underpin the developed theory.
IMPACT OF SUBCARRIER ALLOCATION BY ROWS ON TOTAL SUM RATE FOR SCMA SYSTEMS
Authors: VIDAL-BELTRÁN S. , ACEVEDO-MOSQUEDA M. A.
Published: December 2020

Sparse code multiple access (SCMA) is a promising technique of non-orthogonal multiple access technology (NOMA). SCMA has the potential to increase the Total Sum Rate (TSR) in 5G systems. Previous works have considered the Fixed and Dynamic resource allocation based on columns (user) criterion. In this paper, we propose resource allocation based on rows (subcarriers). The numerical results show that our approach improves the TSR in an SCMA uplink channel.
Semantic Similarity for English and Arabic Texts: A Review
Authors: Alian Marwah , Awajan Arafat
Published: December 2020

Semantic similarity is the task of measuring relations between sentences or words to determine the degree of similarity or resemblance. Several applications of natural language processing require semantic similarity measurement to achieve good results; these applications include plagiarism detection, text entailment, text summarisation, paraphrasing identification, and information extraction. Many researchers have proposed new methods to measure the semantic similarity of Arabic and English texts. In this research, these methods are reviewed and compared. Results show that the precision of the corpus-based approach exceeds 0.70. The precision of the descriptive feature-based technique is between 0.670 and 0.86, with a Pearson correlation coefficient of over 0.70. Meanwhile, the word embedding technique has a correlation of 0.67, and its accuracy is in the range 0.76–0.80. The best results are achieved by the feature-based approach.
Core/Shell Structured Ni/Fe3O4 Composites with Enhanced Electromagnetic Absorption Performances
Authors: Zhu Yanyan , Wang Hongyan , Zhang Keying , Chen Chong , Cao Hongxia
Published: December 2020

Core/shell structured Ni/Fe3O4 composites with grain sizes of 200–800 nm were synthesized by using a hydrothermal method. The phase structure, morphology, magnetic and electromagnetic absorption properties of the as-prepared samples were characterized by various analysis techniques. Experimental results revealed that spinel Fe3O4 was in situ deposition on the surface of Ni spheres through electrostatic interactions. Moreover, the Ni/Fe3O4 mass ratios had a significant influence on the electromagnetic absorption performances. When the mass ratio of Ni/Fe3O4 was 1:1, the composites reached an outstanding reflection loss (RL) of [Formula: see text]48.06[Formula: see text]dB at 12.96[Formula: see text]GHz with a thin thickness of 1.8[Formula: see text]mm. Meanwhile, the effective absorption bandwidth was 5.36[Formula: see text]GHz (10.72–16.08[Formula: see text]GHz), covering the X and Ku bands. The enhanced electromagnetic absorption performance of core/shell structured Ni/Fe3O4 composites as compared to pure Ni, may be attributed to the multiple interfacial polarization, magnetic exchange coupling resonance and optimal impedance matching. Consequently, core/shell structured Ni/Fe3O4 composites would be promising candidates for a wider range of electromagnetic absorption applications.
L(3,2,1)-Labeling problems on trapezoid graphs
Authors: Amanathulla Sk , Pal Madhumangal
Published: December 2020

In graph theory, one of the most important problems is graph labeling. Labeling of graph has a very wide range of applications in [Formula: see text]-ray crystallography, missile guidance, coding theory, signal processing, radar, data base management, astronomy, communication network addressing, circuit design, etc. An extension of [Formula: see text]-labeling ([Formula: see text]-labeling) is [Formula: see text]-labeling ([Formula: see text]-labeling), which is now becoming a well-studied problem due to its application in real life situations. [Formula: see text]-labeling problem and the importance of [Formula: see text]-labeling problem motivates us to consider [Formula: see text]-labeling problem for trapezoid graph.

The [Formula: see text]-labeling of a graph [Formula: see text] is an assignment [Formula: see text] from [Formula: see text] to the set [Formula: see text] such that if [Formula: see text] then [Formula: see text], if [Formula: see text] then [Formula: see text] and if [Formula: see text] then [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] is the distance between the nodes [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]. The [Formula: see text]-labeling number of a graph is denoted by [Formula: see text], it is the highest label used to label the graph [Formula: see text].

In this paper, for trapezoid graph [Formula: see text], it is proved that [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] is the degree of the graph [Formula: see text]. This upper bound is the first upper bound for [Formula: see text]-labeling problem on trapezoid graph. Also, to label any trapezoid graph, we have designed an algorithm which maintains the upper bound of the label.
Monte Carlo forecasting of time series data using Polynomial-Fourier series model
Authors: Danbatta Salim Jibrin , Varol Asaf
Published: December 2020

The perishable nature of tourism products and services makes forecasting an important tool for tourism planning, especially in the current COVID-19 pandemic time. The forecast assists tourism organizations in decision-making regarding resource allocations to avoid shortcomings. This study is motivated by the need to model periodic time series with linear and nonlinear trends. A hybrid Polynomial-Fourier series model that uses the combination of polynomial and Fourier fittings to capture and forecast time series data was proposed. The proposed model is applied to monthly foreign visitors to Turkey from January 2014 to August 2020 dataset and diagnostic checks show that the proposed model produces a statistically good fit. To improve the model forecast, a Monte Carlo simulation scheme with 100 simulation paths is applied to the model residue. The mean of the 100 simulation paths within [Formula: see text] bounds from the model curve was taken and found to give statistically acceptable results.
Exploring the Social, Psychological, and Behavioral Mechanisms of Heat Vulnerability in the City of Phoenix, AZ
Authors: Chakalian Paul M. , Kurtz Liza , Harlan Sharon L. , White Dave , Gronlund Carina J. , Hondula David M.
Published: December 2020

We tested mediation models using structural equation modeling (SEM) to better understand the pathways that lead to negative heat-health outcomes for socially vulnerable households and individuals in Phoenix, AZ. Extreme heat presents a significant risk to public health, and current theories of social vulnerability cannot explain the mechanistic pathways that lead to negative health outcomes. A better understanding of these pathways can be used to target more effective public health interventions. We find that self-reported indoor thermal discomfort was a strong and significant predictor of indoor heat illness outcomes (Std [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text]), suggesting that heat risk messaging could encourage the public to trust their personal sense of being too warm. Thermal discomfort (Std [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text]) and self-reported indoor heat illness (Std [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text]) were only predicted by socioeconomic status (SES); age, gender, and racialized group did not relate to heat illness or thermal discomfort based on our sample. However, specified mediators did not fully explain the relationship between SES and thermal discomfort or heat illness, suggesting that we do not fully understand how social vulnerability manifests as negative heat-health outcomes. In addition, results show that passive cooling techniques, like taking a cold shower, did not have a protective effect on heat-health outcomes, and these passive cooling behaviors were used in greater proportion by socially vulnerable individuals. This study concludes with 11 evidence-based hypotheses about how social vulnerability may produce negative heat-health outcomes.
Modeling and analysis of media’s role in popularizing the blue whale game
Authors: Verma Harendra , Pandya Nidhi , Mishra Vishnu Narayan , Mathur Pankaj
Published: December 2020

Media plays a vital role in disseminating any crucial information to the society. This helps the unaware population of the society to gain awareness regarding a particular information. But many times it is seen that, even though an information is being transmitted through the print or electronic media for a very long period of time, many youngsters although aware about the negative aspects of the information, act as unaware and sometimes face a fatal result as in the case of the Blue Whale Game.

In this paper, we have proposed a mathematical model depicting the effect of transmitting an information by media, particularly “Blue Whale Game”. We have concluded with the help of some simple calculations and figures, that because of the prolonged repeated transmission by the media regarding the blue whale game, curiousness got generated among the young generation and they tried to know more and more about the game, which in turn made them follow the game as designed by the game developer and in many cases turned out to be lethal.
The Design of Temperature and pH-Responsive Drug Delivery System Based on Cellulose and Aminated Cellulose by Computational and Experimental Methods
Authors: Mohsenzadeh Enayat , Namazi Hassan , Ghadari Rahim
Published: December 2020

In this study, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were performed on cellulose and aminated cellulose. Obtained results show the presence of amine moieties and their protonation, positive charges and repulsive forces increase. As a result, the van der Waals and electrostatic interactions and hydrogen bonding number decrease. Then, paclitaxel was loaded through docking into the structures and was studied by MD simulations. The simulations were performed in several protonation states along with 25∘C, 37∘C, 42∘C and 50∘C temperatures. The carrier/ligand system behaviors were analyzed. The results indicate the increase of temperature and protonation decrease hydrogen bonding number between drug and carrier and increase binding free energy. At last, to compare the simulations results, paclitaxel was loaded in cellulose and aminated cellulose and investigated in the in vitro release at two conditions (37∘C, pH 7.4, and 42∘C, pH 5). Experimental results prove computational results as pH/temperature-responsive system.
Improved truthful mechanisms for combinatorial auctions with submodular bidders
Authors: Assadi Sepehr , Singla Sahil
Published: December 2020

A longstanding open problem in Algorithmic Mechanism Design is to design computationally-efficient truthful mechanisms for (approximately) maximizing welfare in combinatorial auctions with submodular bidders. The first such mechanism was obtained by Dobzinski, Nisan, and Schapira [STOC'06] who gave an
O
(log
2
m
)-approximation where
m
is the number of items. This problem has been studied extensively since, culminating in an
O
([EQUATION])-approximation mechanism by Dobzinski [STOC'16].

We present a computationally-efficient truthful mechanism with approximation ratio that improves upon the state-of-the-art by almost an exponential factor. In particular, our mechanism achieves an
O
((log log
m
)
3
)-approximation in expectation, uses only
O
(
n
) demand queries, and has universal truthfulness guarantee.
Understanding the Impact of Convective Transport on Intercalation Batteries Through Dimensional Analysis
Authors: Gao Weiran , Orella Michael J. , Carney Thomas J. , Román-Leshkov Yuriy , Drake Javit , Brushett Fikile R.
Published: December 2020

Performance and cost requirements for emerging storage applications challenge existing battery technologies and call for substantial improvements in cell energy and rate capability. Convection batteries can reduce mass transport limitations commonly observed during high current operation or with thick electrodes. In prior proof-of-concept work, while convection was shown to improve cell performance, its effectiveness was limited in the select cases studied. To understand the feasibility of the convection battery more comprehensively, we develop a mathematical model to describe convection in a Li-ion cell and evaluate performance as a function of a broad range of cell dimensions, component properties, as well as electrochemical and flow operating conditions. Qualitatively, we find that electrolyte flow enhances accessible capacity for cells with large electrolyte diffusive transport resistance and low initial amounts of electrolyte salt by reducing spatial concentration gradients and, thus, allowing for efficient high current operation. Quantitatively, by leveraging dimensional analysis that lumps >10 physical and cell parameters into representative dimensionless groups, we describe the efficacy, trade-offs, and upper performance bounds of convection in an electrochemical cell. Our analyses suggest that this format has the potential to enable high-power energy-dense storage which, in turn, may offer new application spaces for existing and emerging intercalation chemistries.
Obesity and diabetes: similar respiratory mechanical but different gas exchange defects
Authors: Südy Roberta , Peták Ferenc , Kiss Liliána , Balogh Ádám L. , Fodor Gergely H. , Korsós Anita , Schranc Álmos , Babik Barna
Published: December 2020

Diabetes mellitus increases smooth muscle tone and causes tissue remodeling, affecting elastin and collagen. Although the lung is dominated by these elements, diabetes is expected to modify the airway function and respiratory tissue mechanics. Therefore, we characterized the respiratory function in patients with diabetes with and without associated obesity. Mechanically ventilated patients with normal body shapes were divided into the control nondiabetic ( n = 73) and diabetic ( n = 31) groups. The other two groups included obese patients without diabetes ( n = 43) or with diabetes ( n = 30). The mechanical properties of the respiratory system were determined by forced oscillation technique. Airway resistance (Raw), tissue damping (G), and tissue elastance (H) were assessed by forced oscillation. Capnography was applied to determine phase 3 slopes and dead space indices. The intrapulmonary shunt fraction (Qs/Qt) and the lung oxygenation index (PaO2/FIO2) were estimated from arterial and central venous blood samples. Compared with the corresponding control groups, diabetes alone increased the Raw (7.6 ± 6 cmH2O.s/l vs. 3.1 ± 1.9 cmH2O.s/l), G (11.7 ± 5.5 cmH2O/l vs. 6.5 ± 2.8 cmH2O/l), and H (31.5 ± 11.8 cmH2O/l vs. 24.2 ± 7.2 cmH2O/l ( P < 0.001 for all). Diabetes increased the capnographic phase 3 slope, whereas PaO2/FIO2 or Qs/Qt was not affected. Obesity alone caused similar detrimental changes in respiratory mechanics and alveolar heterogeneity, but these alterations also compromised gas exchange. We conclude that diabetes-induced intrinsic mechanical abnormalities are counterbalanced by hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction, which maintained intrapulmonary shunt fraction and oxygenation ability of the lungs.
Minimum Dietary Diversity and Associated Factors among Lactating Mothers in Ataye District, North Shoa Zone, Central Ethiopia: A Community-Based Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Getacher Lemma , Egata Gudina , Alemayehu Tadesse , Bante Agegnehu , Molla Abebaw
Published: December 2020

Background. Low dietary diversity superimposed with poor-quality monotonous diets is a major problem that often results in undernutrition, mainly micronutrient deficiencies. However, there is limited evidence on minimum dietary diversity and associated factors among lactating mothers in resource-poor settings, including the study area. Therefore, the objective of the study is to assess the prevalence of minimum dietary diversity and associated factors among lactating mothers in Ataye District, Ethiopia. Methods. A community-based cross-sectional study design was used among 652 lactating mothers aged 15–49 years from January 25 to April 30, 2018. Dietary diversity was measured by the minimum dietary diversity indicator for women (MDD-W) using the 24-hour dietary recall method. Data were entered into EpiData version 4.2.0.0 and exported to the statistical package for social science (SPSS) version 24 for analysis using the logistic regression model. Results. The prevalence of minimum dietary diversity among lactating mothers was 48.8% (95% CI: (44.7%, 52.9%). Having formal education ((AOR = 2.16, 95% CL: (1.14, 4.09)), a final say on household purchases ((AOR = 5.39, 95% CI: (2.34, 12.42)), home gardening practices ((AOR = 2.67, 95% CI: (1.49, 4.81)), a history of illness ((AOR = 0.47, 95% CI: (0.26, 0.85)), good knowledge of nutrition ((AOR = 5.11, 95% CI: (2.68, 9.78)), being from food-secure households ((AOR = 2.96, 95% CI: (1.45, 6.07)), and medium ((AOR = 5.94, 95% CI: (2.82, 12.87)) and rich wealth indices ((AOR = 3.55, 95% CI: (1.76, 7.13)) were significantly associated with minimum dietary diversity. Conclusion. The prevalence of minimum dietary diversity among lactating mothers was low in the study area. It was significantly associated with mothers having a formal education, final say on the household purchase, home garden, good knowledge of nutrition, history of illness, food-secure households, and belonging to medium and rich household wealth indices. Therefore, efforts should be made to improve the mother’s decision-making autonomy, nutrition knowledge, household food security, and wealth status.
Analysis of Deflection of Vertical Compensation for Inertial Navigation System
Authors: Hao Shiwen , Zhang Zhili , Zhou Zhaofa , Zhao Junyang , Chang Zhenjun , Xu Zhihao
Published: December 2020

With the development of high-precision inertial navigation systems, the deflection of vertical (DOV), gravity disturbance, is still one of the main error sources that restrict navigation accuracy. For the DOV compensation of the Strapdown Inertial Navigation System (SINS) problem, the influences of the calculation degree of the spherical harmonic coefficient and the calculation error of the DOV on the compensation effect were studied. Based on the SINS error model, the error propagation characteristics of the DOV in SINS were analyzed. In addition, the high-precision global gravity field spherical harmonic model EIGEN-6C4 was established and the influence comparative analysis of the calculation degree of the spherical harmonic coefficient on the DOV compensation of SINS in different regions was carried out. Besides, the influence of the calculation error of the DOV on the compensation was emphatically analyzed. Finally, the vehicle experiment verified the feasibility of compensation in SINS based on the gravity field spherical harmonic model. The simulation and experiment results show that it is necessary to consider the influence of the calculation degree and the calculation error of the DOV on the compensation for long-time high-precision SINS with the position accuracy of 0.3 nm/h, while the SINS with general requirements for position accuracy can ignore the impact.
Inconsistent LR Fuzzy Matrix Equation
Authors: Guo Xiaobin , Wu Lijuan
Published: December 2020

In this paper, the inconsistent LR fuzzy matrix equation

A

X
˜

=

B
˜

is proposed and discussed. Firstly, the LR fuzzy matrix equation is transformed into two crisp matrix equations in which one determines the mean value and the other determines the left and right extends of fuzzy approximate solution. Secondly, the approximate solution of the LR fuzzy matrix equation is obtained by solving two crisp matrix equations according to the generalized inverse of crisp matrix theory. Then, sufficient conditions for the existence of strong LR fuzzy approximate solution are given. Finally, some numerical examples are given to illustrate our proposed method.
Advances in Clinical Research on Traditional Chinese Medicine Treatment of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Authors: Zhang Xiaoyan , Wang Miao , Zhou Shigao
Published: December 2020

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is one of the most common chronic diseases in modern society and affects patients’ quality of life to a certain extent. To date, the etiology and pathogenesis of CFS are still not completely clear. Various therapies have been developed, but there is still a lack of specific drugs or treatments. As a kind of adjuvant therapy, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has aroused widespread concern about the improvement of CFS. Although a large number of clinical randomized controlled trials have confirmed the therapeutic effect of TCM on CFS, the exact efficacy is still controversial. This article summarizes the clinical research methods and efficacy of TCM in the treatment of CFS over the past five years from the perspectives of syndrome differentiation, external treatment, and combination therapy.
An Incentive Mechanism Model of Credit Behavior of SMEs Based on the Perspective of Credit Default Swaps
Authors: Wu Shenghong , Mu Pei , Shen Jiaxian , Wang Wenyi
Published: December 2020

The rapid development of credit default swap (CDS) market has changed the manner of credit risk management of banks to some extent and has had a new influence on the bank-enterprise credit model. In this study, the credit financing process of credit risk in small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) gathers within a bank, which makes it difficult for SMEs to raise funds. On the basis of the perspective of CDS, we construct an incentive game model of bank-enterprise credit behavior and analyze the influence mechanism of the credit financing of SMEs on CDS contract coupon rate, CDS payout ratio, bank-enterprise credit effort, and loan recovery rate when considering CDS. The result shows that the CDS contract leads to insufficient supervision after a bank loan, the moral hazard of the SMEs rises, and the probability of credit default events increases. In addition, in view of CDS, the SMEs can access more credit funds.
Decision Support Technique Based on Neutrosophic Yager Aggregation Operators: Application in Solar Power Plant Locations—Case Study of Bahawalpur, Pakistan
Authors: Khan Shabeer , Abdullah Saleem , Ashraf Shahzaib , Chinram Ronnason , Baupradist Samruam
Published: December 2020

The problem of energy crisis and environmental pollution has been mitigated by the generation and use of solar power; however, the choice of locations for solar power plants is a difficult task because the decision-making process includes political, socio-economic, and environmental aspects. Thus, several adverse consequences have been created by the choice of suboptimal locations. The objective of this paper is to address the integrated qualitative and quantitative multicriteria decision-making framework for the selection of solar power plant locations. Neutrosophic sets (NSs) are the latest extension of the ordinary fuzzy sets. The main characteristic of the neutrosophic sets is satisfying the condition that the sum of the truth, indeterminacy, and falsity grades must be at least zero and at most three. In this research, we establish novel operational laws based on the Yager t-norm and t-conorm under neutrosophic environments (NE). Furthermore, based on these Yager operational laws, we develop a list of novel aggregation operators under NE. In addition, we design an algorithm to tackle the uncertainty to investigating the best solar power plant selection in five potential locations in Pakistan. A numerical example of solar power plant location problem is considered to show the supremacy and effectiveness of the proposed study. Also, a detailed comparison is constructed to evaluate the performance and validity of the established technique.
CTLA-4 +49A/G Polymorphism Increases the Susceptibility to Bladder Cancer in Chinese Han Participants: A Case-Control Study
Authors: Mao Fei , Niu Xiao-Bing , Gu Shuo , Ji Lu , Wei Bing-Jian , Wang Heng-Bing
Published: December 2020

Cytotoxic T cell antigen-4 (CTLA-4) is reportedly involved in the development of bladder cancer (BC). This research was designed to address the potential link between the +49A/G polymorphism in CTLA-4 gene and BC susceptibility. In total, 355 BC cases and 435 match controls from Chinese Han individuals were included eventually. The PCR-RFLR method was utilized to screen for this polymorphism. The +49A/G polymorphism was shown to increase the risk of BC. Subgroup analyses showed that this polymorphism was linked to an increased susceptibility to BC among individuals aged < 60 years, smokers and drinkers. Additionally, this polymorphism significantly correlated with tumor node metastasis and tumor size (≥3 cm). To sum up, this study reveals that the CTLA-4 +49A/G polymorphism could increase the risk of BC in Chinese Han people. Further large cohort studies with enough sample sizes are urgently warranted to verify the findings of this present study.
Bionic Silk Fibroin Film Induces Morphological Changes and Differentiation of Tendon Stem/Progenitor Cells
Authors: Lu Kang , Chen Xiaodie , Tang Hong , Zhou Mei , He Gang , Liu Juan , Bian Xuting , Guo Yupeng , Lai Fan , Yang Mingyu , Lu Zhisong , Tang Kanglai
Published: December 2020

Purpose. Tendon injuries are common musculoskeletal system disorders, but the ability for tendon regeneration is limited. Silk fibroin (SF) film may be suitable for tendon regeneration due to its excellent biocompatibility and physical properties. This study is aimed at evaluating the application value of bionic SF film in tendon regeneration. Methods. Tendon stem/progenitor cells (TSPCs) were isolated from rat Achilles tendon and characterized based on their surface marker expression and multilineage differentiation potential. SF films with smooth or bionic microstructure surfaces (5, 10, 15, 20 μm) were prepared. The morphology and mechanical properties of natural tendons and SF films were characterized. TSPCs were used as the seed cells, and the cell viability and cell adhesion morphology were analyzed. The tendongenesis-related gene expression of TSPCs was also evaluated using quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Results. Compared to the native tendon, only the 10, 15, and 20 μm SF film groups had comparable maximum loading and ultimate stress, with the exception of the breaking elongation rate. The 10 μm SF film group had the highest percentage of oriented cells and the most significant changes in cell morphology. The most significant upregulations in the expression of COL1A1, TNC, TNMD, and SCX were also observed in the 10 μm SF film group. Conclusion. SF film with a bionic microstructure can serve as a tissue engineering scaffold and provide biophysical cues for the use of TSPCs to achieve proper cellular adherence arrangement and morphology as well as promote the tenogenic differentiation of TSPCs, making it a valuable customizable biomaterial for future applications in tendon repair.
Travel Time Reliability-Based Signal Timing Optimization for Urban Road Traffic Network Control
Authors: Ma Zhengfeng , Huang Darong , Li Changguang , Guo Jianhua
Published: December 2020

Due to increasing traffic demand, many metropolitan areas are experiencing extensive traffic congestion, which demands for efficient traffic signal timing and optimization. However, conventional efficiency measure-based signal optimization cannot handle the ubiquitous uncertainty in the road networks, demanding for the incorporation of reliability measures into signal optimization, which is still in its early stage. Therefore, targeting this issue, based on the recent studies on recognizing travel time reliability (TRR) as an important reliability measure of road networks, a travel time reliability-based urban road traffic network signal timing optimization model is proposed in this paper, with the objective function to optimize a TTR measure, i.e., buffer time index. The proposed optimization model is solved using the heuristic particle swarm optimization approach. A case study is conducted using microscopic traffic simulation for a road network in the City of Nanjing, China. Results demonstrate that the proposed optimization model can improve travel time reliability of the road traffic network and the efficiency of the road traffic network as well. Future studies are recommended to expand the integration of travel time reliability into traffic signal timing optimization.