bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of gonadotropin inducible ovarian transcription factor 1 in the paraventricular nucleus on fluid intake after dehydration of ovariectomized female rats
Authors: Terra dos Santos Ana Luiza Romero , Reis Wagner Luis , Quirós‐Cognuck Susana , Lima Juliana Bezerra , Domingues Juliana Tonietto , de Araújo Leonardo Domingues , Greenwood Michael Paul , Greenwood Mingkwan , Elias Lucila Leico Kagohara , Murphy David , Antunes‐Rodrigues José
Published: October 2021

New Findings

What is the central question of this study?

Giot1, the gene for gonadotropin inducible ovarian transcription factor 1 (GIOT1), is upregulated in osmotically challenged rats: does Giot1 gene expression in the paraventricular nucleus have a role in controlling fluid intake following dehydration and what is the role of ovarian hormones in the modulation of GIOT1 actions?

What is the main finding and its importance?

GIOT1 acts to regulate water and salt intake as well as hormone secretion after dehydration. The identification of genes that participate in the hormone and behavioural responses involved with hydromineral homeostasis is essential for future exploration of novel drug targets for the treatment of metabolic disease.

In order to maintain body fluid balance after dehydration, hypothalamic neurons of the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) are activated to promote secretion of vasopressin (AVP) and oxytocin (OXT) from the neurohypophysis, and to modulate the behavioural allostatic responses of thirst and salt appetite. Gonadotropin inducible transcription factor (GIOT1) is a Krüppel‐type zinc finger protein induced by gonadotropins and oestradiol (E2). This transcription factor is expressed in the hypothalamus, specifically in the PVN where expression of Giot1 mRNA increases following hydromineral challenges such as water deprivation or salt loading, although its physiological role is not clear. We hypothesize that GIOT1 has a central role in the integrated homeostatic and allostatic responses to disturbances in hydromineral balance, especially in the presence of female gonadal hormones. Female rats with intact ovaries or ovariectomized rats were subjected to specific microinjection of a lentiviral vector mediating Giot1 knockdown in the PVN. Three weeks after injection, rats were subjected to 48 h water deprivation, and thereafter water and salt intake were evaluated. Giot1 knockdown in PVN reduced water and saline intake as well as AVP and OXT secretion. Furthermore, Giot1 knockdown had profound effects on gene expression in the PVN, reducing the abundance of transcripts encoded by the Avp, Oxt, Nr4a1 and Crh genes. In conclusion, the present study shows for the first time that GIOT1 in the PVN regulates both transcription and fluid intake, although any connection to ovarian hormones remains to be established.
T1ρ imaging as a non‐invasive assessment of collagen remodelling and organization in human skeletal muscle after ligamentous injury
Authors: Noehren Brian , Hardy Peter A. , Andersen Anders , Brightwell Camille R. , Fry Jean L. , Vandsburger Moriel H. , Thompson Katherine L. , Fry Christopher S.
Published: October 2021

Dysregulation and fibrosis of the extracellular matrix (ECM) in skeletal muscle is a consequence of injury. Current ECM assessment necessitates muscle biopsies to evaluate alterations to the muscle ECM, which is often not practical in humans. The goal of this study was to evaluate the potential of a magnetic resonance imaging sequence that quantifies T1ρ relaxation time to predict ECM collagen composition and organization. T1ρ imaging was performed and muscle biopsies obtained from the involved and non‐involved vastus lateralis muscle on 27 subjects who had an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear. T1ρ times were quantified via monoexponential decay curve fitted to a series of T1ρ‐weighted images. Several ECM indices, including collagen content and organization, were obtained using immunohistochemistry and histochemistry in addition to hydroxyproline. Model selection with multiple linear regression was used to evaluate the relationships between T1ρ times and ECM composition. Additionally, the ACL‐deficient and healthy limb were compared to determine sensitivity of T1ρ to detect early adaptations in the muscle ECM following injury. We show that T1ρ relaxation time was strongly associated with collagen unfolding (t = 4.093, P = 0.0007) in the ACL‐deficient limb, and collagen 1 abundance in the healthy limb (t = 2.75, P = 0.014). In addition, we show that T1ρ relaxation time is significantly longer in the injured limb, coinciding with significant differences in several indices of collagen content and remodelling in the ACL‐deficient limb. These results support the use of T1ρ to evaluate ECM composition in skeletal muscle in a non‐invasive manner.

image

Key points

Dysregulation and fibrotic transformation of the skeletal muscle extracellular matrix (ECM) is a common pathology associated with injury and ageing.

Studies of the muscle ECM in humans have necessitated the use of biopsies, which are impractical in many settings.

Non‐invasive MRI T1ρ relaxation time was validated to predict ECM collagen composition and organization with aligned T1ρ imaging and biopsies of the vastus lateralis in the healthy limb and anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)‐deficient limb of 27 subjects.

T1ρ relaxation time was strongly associated with collagen abundance and unfolding in the ACL‐deficient limb, and T1ρ relaxation time was strongly associated with total collagen abundance in the healthy limb.

T1ρ relaxation time was significantly longer in the ACL‐deficient limb, coinciding with significant increases in several indices of muscle collagen content and remodelling supporting the use of T1ρ to non‐invasively evaluate ECM composition and pathology in skeletal muscle.
Adaptation Strategy to Climate Change Among White Pepper Smallholder Farmers in Bangka-Belitung, Indonesia
Authors: Irawan Andi
Published: October 2021

This study aimed to determine the effect of the socio-economic factors on climate change adaptation strategy of white pepper farmers in Bangka-Belitung Province, Indonesia. West Bangka Regency was chosen as a research site because this area is  one of the main producer areas of white pepper. Then, 70 samples of white pepper farmers were randomly selected. The cross-section primary data were collected through interviewed directly with farmers in the research location using a list of questions in the questionnaire which had been served by the researcher. The logit regression model was used to analyze factors influencing farmers' adaptation to climate change. This research suggested as follows: 1) government programmes related to accelerating the implementation of climate change adaptation should be prioritized to female farmers 2) knowledge and technical skill of extension agent at local level relate to implementing adapted strategies of climate change must be increased, as well as materials regarding the implementation of climate change adaptation should be part of the agricultural extension syllabus for white pepper farmers.
Flow and Heat Transfer of Supercritical CO2 in a Vertical Tube Under Ocean Rolling Motion
Authors: Liu Dechao , Li Shulei , Xie Gongnan , Chen Youqian
Published: October 2021

This paper explores the fluid flow and heat transfer behaviors of supercritical carbon dioxide (SCO2) in a tube. The application is utilization of waste heat from a marine gas turbine. The effects of ocean rolling motion on the thermofluid characteristics of SCO2 in a circular tube are numerically investigated based on a verified turbulence model. It is found that the time-averaged heat transfer capacity over a rolling period is improved over static conditions by 7.9%. However, the onset of heat transfer recovery is postponed, and the range of heat transfer deterioration is extended. Under the action of inertial forces due to the rolling motion, heat exchange between cooler/denser and warmer/lighter fluids is enhanced. Secondary circulation is formed when t/tc = 0.325, and the section-averaged heat transfer coefficient is improved by a maximum of 71%. For various periods, a parabolic can be distinctly found in terms of the variation trend of time-averaged heat transfer coefficient, which behaves differently from conventional fluids. Regarding the instantaneous thermal performance, a polarization phenomenon can be observed under severe rolling. With the rise of the layout height, the time-averaged heat transfer performance of the tube increases monotonously, and the maximum increment is 10.64% in studied range.
Design as a Marked Point Process
Authors: Quigley John , Vasantha Gokula , Corney Jonathan , Purves David , Sherlock Andrew
Published: October 2021

Although artificial intelligence (AI) systems which support composition using predictive text are well established, there are no analogous technologies for mechanical design. Motivated by the vision of a predictive system that learns from previous designs and can interactively provide a list of established feature alternatives to the designer as design progresses, this paper describes the theory, implementation, and assessment of an intelligent system that learns from a family of previous designs and generates inferences using a form of spatial statistics. The formalism presented models 3D design activity as a “marked point process” that enables the probability of specific features being added at particular locations to be calculated. Because the resulting probabilities are updated every time a new feature is added, the predictions will become more accurate as a design develops. This approach allows the cursor position on a CAD model to implicitly define a spatial focus for every query made to the statistical model. The authors describe the mathematics underlying a statistical model that amalgamates the frequency of occurrence of the features in the existing designs of a product family. Having established the theoretical foundations of the work, a generic six-step implementation process is described. This process is then illustrated for circular hole features using a statistical model generated from a dataset of hydraulic valves. The paper describes how the positions of each design’s extracted hole features can be homogenized through rotation and scaling. Results suggest that within generic part families (i.e., designs with common structure), a marked point process can be effective at predicting incremental steps in the development of new designs.
Rolling Contact Fatigue Damage of High-Speed Railway Wheels With Upper Bainite
Authors: Zhang Guan-Zhen , Liu Chun-Peng , Wu Si , Zhao Sa , Zhang Bin
Published: October 2021

This work investigates the effect of abnormal microstructure on rolling contact fatigue (RCF) damage of high-speed railway wheels under service and the formation mechanism of abnormal microstructure by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, nano indentation and laser-induced break down spectroscopy. Results show that there are large amounts of upper bainite in the wheel tread, which destroyed the uniformity of the microstructures of the wheel matrix. The bainite is composed of ferrite with high density of dislocations and short bar-shaped cementite. The bainite exhibited higher hardness and elasticity but lower plasticity than the matrix microstructure. The incongruity of plastic deformation between upper bainite and matrix microstructures will lead to stress concentration at boundary of the microstructures, thus accelerating the RCF crack initiation and propagation. The formation of upper bainite is caused by carbon segregation. Segregation of carbon element will make the continuous cooling transformation (CCT) curve shift to the right significantly, thus increasing the probability of bainite transformation in segregation zone at higher cooling rate. Therefore, large amounts of upper bainite were formed at wheel tread.
Late accretionary history of Earth and Moon preserved in lunar impactites
Authors: Worsham Emily A. , Kleine Thorsten
Published: October 2021

Late accretion and Late Heavy Bombardment impactors were from the same inner solar system population.
Epitope-imprinted polymers: Design principles of synthetic binding partners for natural biomacromolecules
Authors: Teixeira Simão P. B. , Reis Rui L. , Peppas Nicholas A. , Gomes Manuela E. , Domingues Rui M. A.
Published: October 2021

Epitope-imprinted polymers are increasingly recognized as cost-effective artificial receptors for biomacromolecules.
Selective isomer emission via funneling of exciton polaritons
Authors: Satapathy Sitakanta , Khatoniar Mandeep , Parappuram Divya K. , Liu Bin , John George , Feist Johannes , Garcia-Vidal Francisco J. , Menon Vinod M.
Published: October 2021

We demonstrate brightening of dark molecular isomeric states via strong coupling in optical microcavities.
Honey bees increase social distancing when facing the ectoparasite
Varroa destructor
Authors: Pusceddu Michelina , Cini Alessandro , Alberti Simona , Salaris Emanuele , Theodorou Panagiotis , Floris Ignazio , Satta Alberto
Published: October 2021

Honey bees modify their social organization to hinder the spread of parasites within the colony.
Understanding Differences in Underrepresented Minorities and First-Generation Student Perceptions in the Introductory Biology Classroom
Authors: Jantzer Jacob , Kirkman Thomas , Furniss Katherine L.
Published: October 2021

We used quantitative methods to better understand the perceptions of students in an introductory biology course (Biology 101) at a small, liberal arts college (SLAC) that is also a primarily white institution (PWI). In pre/post surveys, we asked students questions related to their attitudes and beliefs about their professor, classmates, and Biology 101.
Sourcing Antibiotic-Resistant Escherichia coli in Aquatic Ecosystems: A Combined Laboratory and Field Module
Authors: Heard Matthew J. , Barton Christopher E. , Frost Victoria J. , Hongo Rachel
Published: October 2021

The emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria represents a growing threat in aquatic ecosystems. In this combined field and laboratory activity, students will determine whether
Escherichia coli
, an indicator bacteria species commonly found in aquatic ecosystems, shows signs of resistance to common antibiotics.
Microbiome and paediatric gut diseases
Authors: Gerasimidis Konstantinos , Gkikas Konstantinos , Stewart Christopher , Neelis Esther , Svolos Vaios
Published: October 2021

In the human gut resides a vast community of microorganisms which perform critical functions for the maintenance of whole body homeostasis. Changes in the composition and function of this community, termed microbiome, are believed to provoke disease onset, including non-communicable diseases. In this review, we debate the current evidence on the role of the gut microbiome in the pathogenesis, outcomes and management of paediatric gut disease. We conclude that even though the gut microbiome is altered in paediatric inflammatory bowel disease, coeliac disease, intestinal failure, necrotising enterocolitis and irritable bowel syndrome, there are currently very few implications for unravelling disease pathogenesis or guiding clinical practice. In the future, the gut microbiome may aid in disease differential diagnosis and prediction of clinical outcomes, and comprise a target for therapeutic interventions.
Selection of eligible participants for screening for lung cancer using primary care data
Authors: O'Dowd Emma L , ten Haaf Kevin , Kaur Jaspreet , Duffy Stephen W , Hamilton William , Hubbard Richard B , Field John K , Callister Matthew EJ , Janes Sam M , de Koning Harry J , Rawlinson Janette , Baldwin David R
Published: October 2021

Lung cancer screening is effective if offered to people at increased risk of the disease. Currently, direct contact with potential participants is required for evaluating risk. A way to reduce the number of ineligible people contacted might be to apply risk-prediction models directly to digital primary care data, but model performance in this setting is unknown.

Method

The Clinical Practice Research Datalink, a computerised, longitudinal primary care database, was used to evaluate the Liverpool Lung Project V.2 (LLPv2) and Prostate Lung Colorectal and Ovarian (modified 2012) (PLCOm2012) models. Lung cancer occurrence over 5–6 years was measured in ever-smokers aged 50–80 years and compared with 5-year (LLPv2) and 6-year (PLCOm2012) predicted risk.

Results

Over 5 and 6 years, 7123 and 7876 lung cancers occurred, respectively, from a cohort of 842 109 ever-smokers. After recalibration, LLPV2produced a c-statistic of 0.700 (0.694–0.710), but mean predicted risk was over-estimated (predicted: 4.61%, actual: 0.9%). PLCOm2012showed similar performance (c-statistic: 0.679 (0.673–0.685), predicted risk: 3.76%. Applying risk-thresholds of 1% (LLPv2) and 0.15% (PLCOm2012), would avoid contacting 42.7% and 27.4% of ever-smokers who did not develop lung cancer for screening eligibility assessment, at the cost of missing 15.6% and 11.4% of lung cancers.

Conclusion

Risk-prediction models showed only moderate discrimination when applied to routinely collected primary care data, which may be explained by quality and completeness of data. However, they may substantially reduce the number of people for initial evaluation of screening eligibility, at the cost of missing some lung cancers. Further work is needed to establish whether newer models have improved performance in primary care data.
Probing the interaction of semi-hard quarks and gluons with the underlying event in light- and heavy-flavor triggered proton-proton collisions
Authors: Vértesi Róbert , Bencédi Gyula , Misák Anett , Ortiz Antonio
Published: October 2021

We study underlying-event observables in inelastic proton-proton (pp) collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of $$\sqrt{s} = 13$$

s

=
13

 TeV with identified light and heavy-flavor triggers using the PYTHIA  8 event generator. The study is performed as a function of the transverse momentum of the leading particle ($$p_\mathrm {T}^\mathrm{trigger}$$

p

T

trigger

). While at high $$p_\mathrm {T}^\mathrm{trigger}$$

p

T

trigger

($$>10$$

>
10

 GeV/c) the underlying-event activity is independent of the leading particle species, at intermediate $$p_\mathrm {T}^\mathrm{trigger}$$

p

T

trigger

($$2<p_\mathrm {T}^\mathrm{trigger} <8$$

2
<

p

T

trigger

<
8

 GeV/c) it is larger in pion-triggered events than in events triggered with B mesons. Moreover, the underlying event in pion-triggered events, the majority of which are initiated by gluons, shows a stronger effect of color reconnection than events triggered with B-hadrons, that are mostly initiated by quark jets. The effect is observed at both hadronic and partonic level. Given that color reconnection affects the interaction among final partons before the hadronization, and that in the string model quarks (gluons) are connected to one (two) string piece(s), we conclude that the observed effect can be attributed to differences in the interactions of gluon and quark jets with the underlying event.
Inverse Seesaw, dark matter and the Hubble tension
Authors: Fernandez-Martinez E. , Pierre M. , Pinsard E. , Rosauro-Alcaraz S.
Published: October 2021

We consider the inverse Seesaw scenario for neutrino masses with the approximate Lepton number symmetry broken dynamically by a scalar with Lepton number two. We show that the Majoron associated to the spontaneous symmetry breaking can alleviate the Hubble tension through its contribution to $$\Delta N_\text {eff}$$

Δ

N
eff

and late decays to neutrinos. Among the additional fermionic states required for realizing the inverse Seesaw mechanism, sterile neutrinos at the keV-MeV scale can account for all the dark matter component of the Universe if produced via freeze-in from the decays of heavier degrees of freedom.
KNOWLEDGE CHANGES FATE: CAN FINANCIAL LITERACY ADVANCE POVERTY REDUCTION IN RURAL HOUSEHOLDS?
Authors: XU SHULIN , YANG ZHEN , TONG ZEFENG , LI YUNFENG
Published: October 2021

Poverty reduction and inclusive growth in poor rural areas attracted the increasing attention of governments and scholars around the world. We investigate financial literacy by conceptualizing its impacts on rural households’ poverty reduction, considering current and long-term economic income dynamics. Using a database from 2015 to 2017 China Household Finance Survey, we find that financial literacy has current and long-term effects on promoting rural households’ status by eliminating and effectively improving poverty (dynamic effects). Second, this study reveals that financial literacy and education have a significant complementary effect on rural households’ poverty reduction. The study distinguishes financial literacy from knowledge obtained through general education. Third, financial education is shown to significantly improve rural households’ financial literacy on and enhance poverty reduction. The policy implications of our findings include that the governments and financial institutions are also required to rigorously measure, understand and improve financial literacy. Reform of financial regulatory systems must include a national strategy for education projects and improvement in the quality and supervision of financial products and services.
Bound state solutions of the Dirac equation for the generalized Cornell potential model
Authors: Abu-Shady M. , Khokha E. M.
Published: October 2021

In this study, the bound state solutions of the Dirac equation (DE) have been determined with the generalized Cornell potential model (GCPM) under the condition of spin symmetry. The GCPM includes the Cornell potential plus a combination of the harmonic and inversely quadratic potentials. In the framework of the Nikiforov–Uvarov (NU) method, the relativistic and nonrelativistic energy eigenvalues for the GCPM have been obtained. The energies spectra of the Kratzer potential (KP) and the modified Kratzer potential (MKP) have been derived as particular cases of the GCPM. The present results have been applied to some diatomic molecules (DMs) as well as heavy and heavy-light mesons. The energy eigenvalues of the KP and MKP have been computed for several DMs, and they are fully consistent with the results found in the literature. In addition, the energy eigenvalues of the GCPM have been employed for predicting the spin-averaged mass spectra of heavy and heavy-light mesons. One can note that our predictions are in close agreement with the experimental data as well as enhanced compared to the recent studies.
Continuous cosmic evolution with diffusive barotropic fluid: First-order thermodynamic phase transition
Authors: Maity Subhayan , Chakraborty Subenoy
Published: October 2021

In the background of homogeneous and isotropic flat FLRW model, a complete cosmic scenario from nonsingular emergent scenario to the present late time acceleration through inflationary era and matter-dominated epoch has been presented in this work with cosmic matter in the form of diffusive barotropic fluid. By proper choices of the diffusion parameter and using Friedmann equations, it is possible to show the transitions: Emergent scenario[Formula: see text]Inflationary era[Formula: see text]matter-dominated phase[Formula: see text]Late time acceleration epoch. In analogy with analytic continuation, it is found that the above evolution will be continuous for suitable values of the parameters involved. Finally, possible first-order thermodynamic phase transition has been analyzed for such cosmic evolution.
Répartition jointe dans les classes de résidus de la somme des chiffres pour deux représentations d’Ostrowski
Authors: Amri Myriam , Spiegelhofer Lukas , Thuswaldner Jörg
Published: October 2021

Résumé. Pour deux entiers [Formula: see text], nous posons [Formula: see text] et [Formula: see text] (où [Formula: see text]) et nous notons respectivement [Formula: see text] et [Formula: see text] les fonctions sommes des chiffres dans les [Formula: see text] et [Formula: see text]-représentations d’Ostrowski de [Formula: see text]. Soient [Formula: see text] des entiers positifs tels que [Formula: see text] et [Formula: see text], nous obtenons une estimation en [Formula: see text] avec un terme d’erreur [Formula: see text] pour le cardinal de l’ensemble suivant [Formula: see text] pour tous les entiers [Formula: see text] et [Formula: see text]

Notre résultat peut être comparé à celui de Bésineau et Kim qui ont traité le cas des [Formula: see text]-représentations dans différentes bases (qui sont premières entre elles).
DADC: A Novel Duty-cycling Scheme for IEEE 802.15.4 Cluster-tree-based IoT Applications
Authors: Choudhury Nikumani , Matam Rakesh , Mukherjee Mithun , Lloret Jaime
Published: October 2021

The IEEE 802.15.4 standard is one of the widely adopted specifications for realizing different applications of the Internet of Things. It defines several physical layer options and Medium Access Control (MAC) sub-layer for devices with low-power operating at low data rates. As devices implementing this standard are primarily battery-powered, minimizing their power consumption is a significant concern. Duty-cycling is one such power conserving mechanism that allows a device to schedule its active and inactive radio periods effectively, thus preventing energy drain due to idle listening. The standard specifies two parameters, beacon order and superframe order, which define the active and inactive period of a device. However, it does not specify a duty-cycling scheme to adapt these parameters for varying network conditions. Existing works in this direction are either based on superframe occupation ratio or buffer/queue length of devices. In this article, the particular limitations of both the approaches mentioned above are presented. Later, a novel duty-cycling mechanism based on MAC parameters is proposed. Also, we analyze the role of synchronization schemes in achieving efficient duty-cycles in synchronized cluster-tree network topologies. A Markov model has also been developed for the MAC protocol to estimate the delay and energy consumption during frame transmission.
SenseLens: An Efficient Social Signal Conditioning System for True Event Detection
Authors: Cui Hang , Abdelzaher Tarek
Published: October 2021

This article narrows the gap between physical sensing systems that measure
physical signals
and social sensing systems that measure
information signals
by (i) defining a novel algorithm for extracting information signals (building on results from text embedding) and (ii) showing that it increases the accuracy of truth discovery—the separation of true information from false/manipulated one. The work is applied in the context of separating true and false facts on social media, such as Twitter and Reddit, where users post predominantly short microblogs. The new algorithm decides how to
aggregate
the signal across words in the microblog for purposes of clustering the miscroblogs in the latent information signal space, where it is easier to separate true and false posts. Although previous literature extensively studied the problem of short text embedding/representation, this article improves previous work in three important respects: (1) Our work constitutes
unsupervised
truth discovery, requiring no labeled input or prior training. (2) We propose a new distance metric for efficient short text similarity estimation, we call
Semantic Subset Matching
, that improves our ability to meaningfully cluster microblog posts in the latent information signal space. (3) We introduce an iterative framework that jointly improves miscroblog clustering and truth discovery. The evaluation shows that the approach improves the accuracy of truth-discovery by 6.3%, 2.5%, and 3.8% (constituting a 38.9%, 14.2%, and 18.7% reduction in error, respectively) in three real Twitter data traces.
Scrybe: A Secure Audit Trail for Clinical Trial Data Fusion
Authors: Oakley Jonathan , Worley Carl , Yu Lu , Brooks Richard R. , Özçelik İlker , Skjellum Anthony , Obeid Jihad S.
Published: October 2021

Clinical trials are a multi-billion-dollar industry. One of the biggest challenges facing the clinical trial research community is satisfying Part 11 of Title 21 of the Code of Federal Regulations [
7
] and ISO 27789 [
40
]. These controls provide audit requirements that guarantee the reliability of the data contained in the electronic records. Context-aware smart devices and wearable IoT devices have become increasingly common in clinical trials. Electronic Data Capture (EDC) and Clinical Data Management Systems (CDMS) do not currently address the new challenges introduced using these devices. The healthcare digital threat landscape is continually evolving, and the prevalence of sensor fusion and wearable devices compounds the growing attack surface. We propose Scrybe, a permissioned blockchain, to store proof of clinical trial data provenance. We illustrate how Scrybe addresses each control and the limitations of the Ethereum-based blockchains. Finally, we provide a proof-of-concept integration with REDCap to show tamper resistance.
Water Richness Zoning and Evaluation of the Coal Seam Roof Aquifer Based on AHP and Multisource Geological Information Fusion
Authors: Zhou Ke
Published: October 2021

Roof water disaster is one of the most serious disasters in the process of coal mine safety mining in China. The thickness of modern comprehensive mechanized coal mining is large, which has a great impact on the roof aquifer, and the threat degree of water disaster is also increasing. Therefore, the evaluation of the water richness of the roof aquifer is an important work for coal mine water prevention and control. In order to systematically evaluate the water-rich property of an aquifer in a coal seam roof, this paper couples multisource geological information based on an analytic hierarchy process (AHP). The characteristics of the roof aquifer, hydrogeology, and structure are determined to be the main control factors of K2 limestone water richness evaluation. Under the main control factors, seven independent water richness evaluation indexes, including aquifer depth, aquifer thickness, borehole water level, borehole water consumption, faults, folds, and collapse columns, are divided, and a normalized water richness coupling evaluation model is constructed, which realizes the zoning and evaluation of a water-rich aquifer in a coal seam roof.
Study on Damage Constitutive Model of High-Concentration Cemented Backfill in Coal Mine
Authors: Yang Baogui , Yang Haigang
Published: October 2021

In order to construct the damage constitutive model (DCM) of high-concentration cemented backfill (HCCB) in coal mine, the generalized Hoek-Brown strength criterion was used as the failure criterion. For the difference of theoretical derivation of constitutive relation, a new DCM based on residual strength was proposed. Combined with the conventional triaxial compression test, the correctness and rationality of the DCM were verified. The damage evolution characteristics of HCCB were analyzed, and the physical meaning of model parameters was clarified. The results show that (a) the theoretical curves of stress-strain relation are in good agreement with its experimental curves, which means DCM can simulate the deformation and failure process of HCCB. (b) The damage evolution curve of HCCB is

S

-shaped. To some extent, the confining pressure can inhibit the development of damage. (c) The parameter

F

0

reflects the position of the peak point of the DCM, and parameter

n

is the slope of the straight line segment in the postpeak strain softening stage, which are, respectively, used to characterize the strength level and brittleness of HCCB. The establishment of DCM of HCCB is helpful to reveal its deformation and failure mechanism and provides theoretical basis for its strength design.
Optimization Method of Sports Service Network Node Layout Based on Network Communication
Authors: Yin Guang , Qi Ruiming , Zhao Jinixiang , Zhao Xiaodong , Xu Jingchao
Published: October 2021

Aiming at the problems of traditional sports service network node layout optimization methods, which have low node coverage, node moving distance, and long distance, a sports service network node layout optimization method based on network communication is proposed. The approximate algorithm is used to calculate the probability that the wireless communication network covers the sports service network node. According to the energy consumption generated by the sports service network node in the communication process and the energy generated by the node transmission data, the energy consumption model is constructed to obtain all the communication nodes of the sports service network. Taking the maximum coverage of the rectangular area of the sports service network communication node and the minimum energy consumption of the node as the optimization goal, the accelerated genetic algorithm is used to construct the objective function to optimize the layout of the sports service network node. The simulation experiment results show that the sports service network node coverage of the proposed method has a wide coverage and a shorter node moving distance, which can effectively extend the life of the sports service network.
Effect of Passive Ultrasonic Irrigation over Organic Tissue of Simulated Internal Root Resorption
Authors: Abu Hasna Amjad , Monteiro Jaiane Bandoli , Abreu Ricardo Toledo , Camillo Wanessa , Nogueira Matuda Amanda Guedes , de Oliveira Luciane Dias , Pucci Cesar Rogério , Carvalho Cláudio Antonio Talge
Published: October 2021

This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of passive ultrasonic irrigation (PUI) on dissolving the organic tissue inside simulated internal root resorption (IRR) using sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) or chlorhexidine (CHX). A total of 40 human lower premolars were collected based on dimensional and morphological similarities. The roots were embedded in cylinders (3 cm diameter; 2.5 cm height) of self-cured acrylic resin, and then an IRR was simulated. The specimens were divided into 4 groups (n = 10) according to irrigation protocols: group 1: CHX + PUI; group 2: CHX; group 3: NaOCl + PUI; group 4: NaOCl. The total irrigation time was 150 s at a flow rate of 5 mL/min. A tissue mass of porcine palatine mucosa was used to simulate the organic tissue, it was weighed before and after the irrigation using an analytic balance, and the difference between both readings was calculated and transferred to percentage values. Data were submitted to statistical analysis using two-way ANOVA (factors: irrigant type and with/without PUI) and Tukey’s test for multiple comparisons among the experimental groups (α = 0.05). There was a significant difference in both factors (irrigant:

p
=
0.04

; PUI:

p
≤
0.001

). The groups that used PUI were more effective in dissolving the organic tissue of the IRR simulation than the groups without PUI. PUI is more effective than the syringe and needle irrigation in organic tissue dissolution.
Recurrent Episodes of Fluid Retention in a Patient with Heart Failure and Chronic Kidney Disease: The Additional Value of Implantable Monitoring Systems
Authors: Vanderheyden Marc , Verstreken Sofie , Houben Richard
Published: October 2021

The additional role of continuous monitoring of filling pressures and impedance in heart failure patients with chronic kidney disease remains undetermined. In this case report, the effects of diuretic therapy and renal replacement therapy by hemodialysis upon right ventricular filling pressures and impedance are described in a patient with end-stage heart failure and end-stage chronic kidney disease (grade 5). We demonstrated that unloading of the heart by hemodialysis partly restored the blunted Frank-Starling relationship.
Altered Thyroid Function Tests Observed in Hypophosphatasia Patients Treated with Asfotase Alfa
Authors: Kato Hajime , Hidaka Naoko , Koga Minae , Kinoshita Yuka , Nangaku Masaomi , Makita Noriko , Ito Nobuaki
Published: October 2021

Background. Asfotase alfa is the only approved treatment that can normalize mineralization in patients with hypophosphatasia (HPP). Its interference in alkaline phosphatase (ALP) dependent immunoassays has been reported. Objective. To describe thyroid function tests interfered with by asfotase alfa and elucidate the underlying mechanism. Patients and Methods. Three patients with HPP treated with asfotase alfa were included. Thyroid hormone levels measured using five different immunoassays with or without ALP as a labeling enzyme during asfotase alfa treatment were evaluated. Results. After the initiation of asfotase alfa, three HPP patients showed low free triiodothyronine (FT3) and free thyroxine (FT4) measured with AIA-2000 (Tosoh, Tokyo, Japan), an enzyme immunoassay system that uses ALP as a labeling enzyme, but their thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels were within the normal range. The other CLEIA system using ALP as a label, AIA-CL2400 (Tosoh, Tokyo, Japan), and ALP-independent immunoassay systems demonstrated normal FT3 and FT4 levels. These data suggested that although the thyroid function of these three patients was normal, asfotase alfa interfered with the thyroid hormone measurements made with AIA-2000. AIA-2000 and AIA-CL2400 adopted one-step and delayed one-step measurements, respectively, and the same antibody was used for both immunoassays. However, asfotase alfa may be absorbed on the magnetic beads used in the AIA reagent with the AIA-2000 system but not absorbed on the microparticles used in AIA-CL2400. Conclusion. Clinicians should be aware of the possible interference in thyroid function measurements by adopting specific types of immunoassays in asfotase alfa-treated HPP patients.
VEILND (Video Endoscopic Inguinal Lymph Node Dissection) with Florescence Indocyanine Green (ICG): A Novel Technique to Identify the Sentinel Lymph Node in Men with ≥pT1G2 and cN0 Penile Cancer
Authors: Hora Milan , Trávníček Ivan , Nykodýmová Štěpánka , Ferda Jiří , Kacerovská Denisa , Michalová Květoslava , Hes Ondřej , Minhas Suks
Published: October 2021

Introduction. In men with ≥pT1G2 cN0, penile cancer lymph node sampling is recommended with either (1) scintigraphically labelled Dynamic sentinel lymph node biopsy (DSLNB) or (2) modified inguinal lymph node dissection (MILND). Although DSLNB is a minimally invasive technique, the false negative rate can be about 10%, and a further operative procedure is required if positive. Open MILND is a diagnostic and therapeutic option but has a much higher morbidity. A potential compromise is the technique of LND-VEILND (video endoscopic inguinal LND) that can be combined with ICG florescence marking of sentinel lymph node (SLN). We present a pilot study of ICG-VEILND. The aim was to validate the applicability of a combination ICG marking of SLN in VEILND (to increase probability to excise SLN) and determine the optimal timing and dosage of ICG. Materials and Methods. 15 patients with VEILND (24 groins) underwent ICG application with fluorescence near-infrared (NIR 803⟶830 nm) detection. ICG is applied subcutaneously adjacent to the penile cancer or residual stump of penis or suprapubic region (in a history of total penectomy: 5 cases). The dose of 1.25 mg (ICG) was applied in one case with invisible SLN, the dose of 2.5 mg in 1 mL in 8 cases, and 5 mg in the remaining 6 patients (10 groins). Results. Failure of marking SLN with ICG occurred in 25.0% of cases (6/24): due to application of 1.25 mg ICG, extensive metastasis to SLN, in 4 cases, the cause was unknown (16.7%, 4/24). In the short follow-up period, no local recurrence was seen in the pN0 ICG group. Conclusion. Fluorescence infrared image with ICG dye increases the probability of removal of the SLN during VEILND. The dose of ICG is 2.5 (5) mg diluted in 1 ml and can be applied preoperatively even in the suprapubic region in men with a history of total penectomy, with an unexplainable failure of ICG marking in 16.7%.
Characteristics of Invasive Pulmonary Fungal Diseases Diagnosed by Pathological Examination
Authors: Zhang Dong , Li Xin , Zhang Junquan , Wu Junping , Sun Xin
Published: October 2021

Objective. To explore the characteristics of invasive pulmonary fungal disease and the spectrum of pathogens causing invasive pulmonary fungal disease diagnosed by pathological examination using fungal stains. Methods. Patients with an invasive pulmonary fungal disease diagnosed by histopathological analysis through the use of fungal stains (including Grocott’s methenamine silver and periodic acid-Schiff stains) were included in this study. The clinical records, radiological reports, pathology, and fungal culture results were reviewed. Results. Forty-eight invasive pulmonary fungal disease patients diagnosed by histopathological analysis in the Tianjin Haihe Hospital (including 8 cases obtained by pulmonary resection, 35 cases by fiberoptic bronchoscopic biopsy, and 5 cases by percutaneous lung biopsy) were included. There were 24 male and 24 female patients, aged 21–80 years (53 ± 13 years). There were 37 cases of pulmonary aspergillosis, 4 cases of pulmonary cryptococcosis, 2 cases of pulmonary mucormycosis, and 5 in which pathogens were not determined due to limited tissue availability. Among 48 cases, 32 specimens were submitted to fungal culture. No fungus was detected in culture, although 26 cases of fungus infections were diagnosed by histopathological analysis. Only 3 cases were consistent between histopathological and culture results. In 3 cases, the pathogen was identified as Aspergillus spp. by the histopathological analysis, while the contrasting fungal culture results identified Candida albicans. Conclusion. Candida albicans pneumonia was rare, while aspergillosis was common in invasive pulmonary fungal disease diagnosed by histopathological analysis. The majority of patients with an invasive pulmonary fungal disease were culture-negative. Although culture can clarify the fungal pathogen species, it has low sensitivity. Pathological examination with fungal stains has its advantages in diagnosing fungal disease; therefore, more attention should be paid to the role of pathological examination in the diagnosis of fungal disease.
Research on Multiperson Motion Capture System Combining Target Positioning and Inertial Attitude Sensing Technology
Authors: Wang Yifei , Wang Yongsheng
Published: October 2021

The purpose of this study is to solve the problems of multiple targets, poor accuracy, and inability to obtain displacement information in motion capture. Based on fusion target positioning and inertial attitude sensing technology, Unity3D is employed to create 3D scenes and 3D human body models to read real-time raw data from inertial sensors. Furthermore, a gesture fusion algorithm is used to process the raw data in real time to generate a quaternion, and a human motion capture system is designed based on inertial sensors for the complete movement information recording of the capture target. Results demonstrate that the developed system can accurately capture multiple moving targets and provide a higher recognition rate, reaching 75%∼100%. The maximum error of the system adopting the fusion target positioning algorithm is 10 cm, a reduction of 71.24% compared with that not using the fusion algorithm. The movements of different body parts are analyzed through example data. The recognition efficiency of “wave,” “crossover,” “pick things up,” “walk,” and “squat down” is as high as 100%. Hence, the proposed multiperson motion capture system that combines target positioning and inertial attitude sensing technology can provide better performance. The results are of great significance to promote the development of industries such as animation, medical care, games, and sports training.
Design of Medical Image Detail Enhancement Algorithm for Ankle Joint Talar Osteochondral Injury
Authors: Liu Yundong , He Xufeng
Published: October 2021

Medical imaging modalities, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computerized tomography (CT), have allowed medical researchers and clinicians to examine the structural and functional features of the human body, thereby assisting the clinical diagnosis. However, due to the highly controlled imaging environment, the imaging process often creates noise, which seriously affects the analysis of the medical images. In this study, a medical imaging enhancement algorithm is presented for ankle joint talar osteochondral injury. The gradient operator is used to transform the image into the gradient domain, and fuzzy entropy is employed to replace the gradient to determine the diffusion coefficient of the gradient field. The differential operator is used to discretize the image, and a partial differential enhancement model is constructed to achieve image detail enhancement. Three objective evaluation indexes, namely, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), information entropy (IE), and edge protection index (EPI), were employed to evaluate the image enhancement capability of the proposed algorithm. Experimental results show that the algorithm can better suppress noise while enhancing image details. Compared with the original image, the histogram of the transformed image is more uniform and flat and the gray level is clearer.
A Case Study on the Deformation of Metro Foundation Pit in Silt Stratum in North China
Authors: Zhang Yonggang , Wang Yonghong , Zhao Yuanyuan
Published: October 2021

Geological conditions of urban subway foundation pits are controllable factors in determining the deformation of pits. In this paper, the monitoring data and statistical data of a subway deep foundation pit in North China are presented and compared with those of Tianjin subway. The deformation characteristics of the proposed pit, open excavated with triple‐layer steel supports, are introduced in detail. Based on the aforementioned information, the energy conservation equation of the mobilized strength design (MSD) method in which the compression deformation energy of internal support is considered is applied to predict the maximum lateral movement. The maximum lateral movement turns out to be 22.2 mm according to the improved MSD method, which is very close to the measured value.
Development and Validation of an Autophagy‐Related Gene Signature for Predicting the Prognosis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Zhang Jianlin , Zhang Min , Huang Jin , Zhang Gaosong , Li Chong , Wang Xingyu , Kong Weihao
Published: October 2021

Purpose. Autophagy is a lysosomal degradation pathway that is essential for maintaining the homeostasis of the intracellular environment. Mounting evidence indicates that autophagy plays an essential role in the occurrence and development of hepatocellular cancer (HCC). This research is aimed at exploring the prognostic value of autophagy‐related genes (ARGs) in HCC patients. Methods. The Wilcoxon test was used to identify differentially expressed ARGs in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) HCC cohort. Then, the TCGA cohort was randomly divided into training and testing groups. Cox and LASSO regression models were used to screen for autophagy‐related genes that affect overall survival (OS) in the TCGA training group. Based on the coefficient of risk genes, we constructed an autophagy‐related gene signature for predicting the prognosis of HCC patients. Finally, we validated the prognostic significance of autophagy‐related gene signature using the TCGA testing group and three external datasets. Results. ATG10, BIRC5, GAPDH, and TMEM74 are risk genes for OS. According to the optimal cutoff value of risk score in each HCC dataset, HCC patients can divide into high‐ and low‐risk groups. ARG risk score can significantly distinguish HCC patients with different survival outcomes. Meanwhile, the ARG risk score is independently correlated with OS in multiple HCC cohorts. Conclusions. The autophagy‐related risk score can effectively screen high‐risk HCC patients and provide guidance for clinical prevention and treatment of HCC.