bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Enemy release from beech bark disease coincides with upslope shift of American beech
Authors: Cleavitt Natalie L. , Montague Madeline S. , Battles John J. , Box Olivia F. , Matthes Jaclyn Hatala , Fahey Timothy J.
Published: July 2022

Upslope shifts in plant distributions are often attributed to warming climate and lengthening of the growing season; however, biotic interactions may also contribute. The impacts of pests and pathogens are often sensitive to climate change and can vary along the climatic gradient associated with elevation. American beech ( Fagus grandifolia) has moved upslope throughout the northeastern United States. Meanwhile, beech growth and longevity have decreased as a result of beech bark disease (BBD), a decline disease caused by the introduced European felted beech scale insect ( Cryptococcus fagisuga) and native fungi from the genus Neonectria. Within a forested landscape spanning 250–1150 m elevation, we examined the relationships between elevation, beech demography and BBD to explore whether release from BBD at higher elevation may contribute to the upslope expansion of beech. Beech has shifted upslope at a rate of 1 m⋅year−1coincident with lower mortality, higher recruitment, faster growth, lower BBD severity, and higher sapling densities at higher elevations. We suggest that climatic constraints on the beech scale insect at high elevations has led to a lower impact of BBD, which contributed to higher rates of beech growth, survival, and recruitment and in turn facilitated the regional upslope shift of beech.
Opioid receptor μ, not δ and κ, modulate food intake induced by ghrelin in laying chickens
Authors: Baghaeikia Shilan , Fallah Hamed , Khodadadi Mina , Yousefvand Shiba , Mahdavi Kimia , Zendehdel Morteza , Rahmani Behrouz
Published: July 2022

Evidence from animal studies suggests that the opioidergic system and ghrelin have a regulatory role in food intake, but their interaction(s) have not been studied in laying chickens. So in this study, four experiments (each included four groups) were designed. The first experiment was performed to evaluate the effect of ghrelin on the cumulative food intake. Experiments 2–4 were designed to investigate the possibility of μ, δ, or κ opioid receptors mediating ghrelin-induced hypophagia. All drugs were injected intracerebroventricularly (ICV) at 5 days of age. The results of this study showed that the ICV injection of 1.5 nmol ghrelin did not affect cumulative food intake. However, ICV injection of ghrelin with doses of 3 and 6 nmol significantly reduced the cumulative food intake ( p < 0.05). However, co-injection of ghrelin with naltrindole and norbinaltorphimine did not show a significant change in decreased food intake compared with ghrelin. Also, opioid μ receptor gene expression significantly increased ( p < 0.05), but δ and κ opioid receptors’ gene expression did not significantly change. These results indicated that the opioidergic system is involved in developing ghrelin-induced hypophagic effects in laying chickens. Accordingly, this effect of ghrelin to modify the nutritional behavior is possibly mediated by opioid μ receptor.
Phenotypic evaluation of Canadian × Chinese elite germplasm in a diversity panel for seed yield and seed quality traits
Authors: Priyanatha Chanditha , Rajcan Istvan
Published: July 2022

Despite mounting concerns regarding the narrowness of the genetic base of soybean (( Glycine max (L.) Merr.) in North America and the challenges that it may pose in the changing global environment and climate, exotic germplasm remains seldom used by breeders owing to various concerns. The objective of this study was to evaluate a Genome-Wide Association Study (GWAS) genomic diversity panel of 200 soybean genotypes for seed yield, seed quality, and agronomic trait performance. The GWAS panel consisted of lines derived from several generations of bi-parental crosses between elite Canadian and elite Chinese cultivars (CD–CH), elite Canadian cultivars (CD), and exotic elite Chinese cultivars (CH) evaluated at Elora and Woodstock, ON, in 2019 and 2020. In the combined analysis of variance, the CD–CH group showed a significant increase in seed yield, although the performance of this group was otherwise comparable or inferior to the adapted elite Canadian cultivars. Canadian cultivars were superior to both CD–CH and elite, exotic Chinese cultivars in seed oil and seed protein concentration. The yield potential of the exotic-derived soybean lines observed in this study provide a great source of novel genetics for soybean breeders interested in introgressing novel alleles from exotic sources to improve yield to help combat climate change.
Design of an enhanced mechanism for a new Kibble balance directly traceable to the quantum SI
Authors: Keck Lorenz , Seifert Frank , Newell David , Schlamminger Stephan , Theska René , Haddad Darine
Published: July 2022

The “Quantum Electro-Mechanical Metrology Suite” (QEMMS) is being designed and built at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. It includes a Kibble balance, a graphene quantum Hall resistance array and a Josephson voltage system, so that it is a new primary standard for the unit of mass, the kilogram, directly traceable to the International System of Units (SI) based on quantum constants. We are targeting a measurement range of 10 g to 200 g and optimize the design for a relative combined uncertainty of $2\times 10^{-8}$
2
×

10

−
8

for masses of 100 g. QEMMS will be developed as an open hardware and software design. In this article, we focus on the design of an enhanced moving and weighing mechanism for the QEMMS based on flexure pivots.
Asymmetric cyclic controlled quantum teleportation by using a quantum channel composed of six G states
Authors: Yang Benchao
Published: July 2022

In the existing research on cyclic teleportation protocols, it is generally discussed that the teleportation of single particle, two particle unknown quantum states with symmetrical structure or asymmetric special unknown quantum states (such as GHZ state) with three or four participants. In contrast, the scheme proposed in this paper has universality and stronger practicability. In this paper, we propose a novel scheme of asymmetric cyclic controlled teleportation. In our scheme, Alice can teleport an arbitrary single-qubit entangled state to Charlie, Charlie can teleport an arbitrary three-qubit entangled state to Bob and at the same time Bob can teleport an arbitrary two-qubit entangled state to Alice under the control of a controller David. It only needs Bell measurement and local unitary operation, and can realize three-party cyclic transmission with probability 1 by using a quantum channel composed of any six of the 16 G states.
First-principles calculations of the optical properties of Phagraphene
Authors: Xie Yue , Qin Xue-Fang , Shao Zhi-Gang , Hu Liang-Bin , Wang Cang-Long , Yang Lei
Published: July 2022

Optical properties of a new two-dimensional (2D) Dirac carbon material Phagraphene have been investigated by first-principles calculations based on density functional theory (DFT). We have studied the complex dielectric function, absorption spectrum and reflection spectrum of Phagraphene under different polarizations. Our results show that optical properties of this 2D Dirac carbon material show strong anisotropy under different polarized light. Phagraphene has a high real part of static dielectric function, which indicates that the material has considerable carrier mobility and conductivity and is expected to have a wide application in the next generation new nanoelectronic devices. In addition, Phagraphene has a wide-frequency optical response in the range from zero frequency to ultraviolet, showing its promising prospect of being applied in optoelectronic devices.
OVERCOMING THE LIABILITY OF POORNESS: SOCIAL CAPITAL RESOURCES OF FEMALE ENTREPRENEURS IN INDIA
Authors: TRIVEDI SMITA K. , SHARIF MONICA M.
Published: July 2022

This paper seeks to use social capital theory to explain how impoverished women may find success and lift themselves out of poverty. The research addresses three unique, significant areas of study. First, by reviewing relevant theory and research on livelihood creation and social networks, a new lens for examining social capital in the context of poverty is provided. Second, a model is tested examining the role of an entrepreneur’s social capital resources on the development of their own livelihood creation and the consequential changes in the entrepreneur’s lifestyle. The research finds that weak social network ties are positively related to livelihood creation, with counter-intuitive results regarding lifestyle changes in response to the changes in livelihood creation. Third, the above model is applied to female entrepreneurs, utilizing a sample of women associated with SEWA (Self-Employed Women’s Association), a network broker and business incubator trade union working in impoverished communities in and around Ahmedabad, Gujarat, in India.
Fracture Simulation of Ni–YSZ Anode Microstructures of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells Using Phase Field Method
Authors: Li Qiangqiang , Xue Dingxi , Feng Chongyang , Zhang Xiongwen , Li Guojun
Published: July 2022

The performance degradation of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) is directly related to the damage and fracture of electrode microstructures. In this study, the phase field fracture method is used to simulate the fracture of anode microstructures, and the effects of boundary constraints, thermal load, and Ni phase on the fracture of Ni–YSZ anode microstructures are investigated. Results show that tensile stresses occur in the Ni and YSZ phases whether above or below the reference temperature. The cracks propagate along the direction perpendicular to the first principal stress, showing a brittle fracture characteristic. When the microstructure is cooled, all cracks appear in YSZ phase, and almost all cracks initiate at the lowest point of YSZ–pore concave interface. When the microstructure is heated, the tensile first principal stress induces few cracks at local positions but will not make the cracks propagate continuously. The thermal mismatch between Ni and YSZ is not enough to induce cracks, and the fracture of electrode microstructure is more likely to be caused by external tensile load or the thermal mismatch between anode and electrolyte layers. The presence of Ni increases the stiffness of the microstructure, and solid phase’s disconnection reduces the strength of the microstructure.
Promoting Nerve Regeneration: Electrical Stimulation, Gene Therapy, and Beyond
Authors: O’Brien Andrew L. , West Julie M. , Saffari Tiam M. , Nguyen Minh , Moore Amy M.
Published: July 2022

Peripheral nerve injuries often result in life-altering functional deficits even with optimal management. Unlike the central nervous system, peripheral nerves have the ability to regenerate lost axons after injury; however, axonal regeneration does not equate to full restoration of function. To overcome this physiological shortcoming, advances in nerve regeneration and repair are paramount, including electrical stimulation, gene therapy, and surgical technique advancements.
Crosstalk of Eight Types of RNA Modification Regulators Defines Tumor Microenvironments, Cancer Hallmarks, and Prognosis of Lung Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Mao Shuangshuang , Chen Zuhua , Wu Yingying , Xiong Huihua , Yuan Xianglin
Published: July 2022

RNA modification has become an exciting underexplored field in recent years. In lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), m6A was the best characterized and most studied RNA modification, while knowledge about other kinds of RNA modifications in LUAD is limited. In our study, we included a total of 100 RNA modification regulators of eight types of cancer-related RNA modifications (m6A, m1A, m5C, Nm, m7G, Ψ, A-to-I, and mcm5s2U) to systematically profile their specific roles in LUAD. By gene mutation and expression analysis, we identified extensive dysregulations and complicated interactions of 100 RNA modification regulators in LUAD. Based on unsupervised clustering analysis, gene set variation analysis (GSVA), and single-sample gene-set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA), two RNA modification patterns in LUAD were defined to show distinct biological characteristics. The favorable prognostic pattern was enriched with infiltrated immune cells, including activated B cells, CD8 T cells, eosinophil cells, dendritic cells, and natural killer cells, while the unfavorable prognostic pattern was enriched with cancer hallmarks, including hypoxia, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), angiogenesis, PI3K-AKT-mTOR pathway, MYC pathway, and glycolysis pathway. We also constructed an RNA modification score (RMScore) based on five critical genes (CYP17A1, NTSR1, PITX3, KRT6A, and ANLN) to evaluate the RNA modification status of individual LUAD patients. RMScore was revealed to be related to the infiltrated immune cells and cancer hallmarks and was an independent prognostic factor in the TCGA-LUAD cohort and two external GEO-LUAD cohorts. Our study was the first to comprehensively investigate the dysregulations, crosstalk, and potential prognostic value of eight types of RNA modifications in LUAD. Our results highlighted the significance of eight types of RNA modifications in tumor microenvironments and cancer hallmarks and provided novel prognostic biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets in the management of LUAD patients in the future.
A Risk Analysis Method of Cable Fire in Utility Tunnel Based on a Bayesian Network
Authors: Mi Hongfu , Zhang Xiaomei , Wang Wenhe , Yang Wenjing , Jiang Xinsheng
Published: July 2022

Recently, the fire safety of tunnels is attracting more and more attention with the utility tunnel springing up in major cities of China. Faced with challenges from fires in utility tunnels, fire risk analysis is critical and essential to discover the weaknesses of risk. It serves as the foundation of regulatory decision-making on whether to take appropriate measures to reduce risk. This study combines a Bayesian network (BN) model and a bow-tie (BT) method to propose a fire risk analysis method to predict the probability of cable ﬁre in utility tunnels. First, cable ﬁre risk factors and five potential accident scenarios are analyzed by BT method; Second, to avoid the influence of uncertain factors in BT, the optimized BN model is applied to the prediction analysis of cable fire probability, which can consider the actual development of cable fire in utility tunnel. This novel approach can better reveal the causal relationship between events and determine the critical basic events by sensitivity analysis. Finally, the probability of cable fire ignition occurrence and scenarios probabilities are periodically updated using the cumulative information collected during a time interval. The results show that this approach can assist in dealing with the uncertainty problem in utility tunnel and the optimized model is more in line with the reality by comparing the results before model optimization.
CCL3 Promotes Proliferation of Colorectal Cancer Related with TRAF6/NF‐κB Molecular Pathway
Authors: Ma Xiaoqiang , Su Jinda , Zhao Shaohui , He Yaqin , Li Shuzhen , Yang Xiaoliang , Zhai Sifan , Rong Shikuo , Zhang Xin , Xu Guangxian , Xie Xiaoliang
Published: July 2022

Chemokine C‐C motif chemokine ligand 3 (CCL3) plays an important role in the invasion and metastasis of malignant tumors. For developing new therapeutic targets and antitumor drugs, the effect of chemokine CCL3 and the related cytokine network on colorectal cancer should be investigated. This study used cell, tissue, and animal experiments to prove that CCL3 is highly expressed in colorectal cancer and confirmed that CCL3 can promote the proliferation of cancer cells, and its expression is closely related to TRAF6/NF‐κB molecular pathway. In addition, protein chip technology was used to examine colorectal cancer tissue samples and identify the key factors of chemokine CCL3 and the toll‐like receptors/nuclear factor‐κB (TLR/NF‐κB) pathway in cancer and metastatic lymph nodes. Furthermore, the lentiviral vector technology was employed for transfection to construct interference and overexpression cell lines. The experimental results reveal the mechanism of CCL3 and TNF receptor‐associated factor 6 (TRAF6)/NF‐κB pathway‐related factors and their effects on the proliferation of colon cancer cells. Finally, the expression and significance of CCL3 in colorectal cancer tissues and its correlation with clinical pathology were studied by immunohistochemistry. Also, the results confirmed that CCL3 and C‐C motif chemokine receptor 5 (CCR5) were expressed in adjacent tissues, colorectal cancer tissues, and metastatic cancer. The expression level was correlated with the clinical stage and nerve invasion. The expression of chemokine CCL3 and receptor CCR5 was positively correlated with the expression of TRAF6 and NF‐κB and could promote the proliferation, invasion, and migration of colorectal cancer cells through TRAF6 and NF‐κB.
Mechanism of Lower Airway Hyperresponsiveness Induced by Allergic Rhinitis
Authors: Liu Yiting , Sha Jichao , Meng Cuida , Zhu Dongdong
Published: July 2022

Allergic rhinitis is a global illness that puzzles many researchers. Most patients with allergic rhinitis also have lower airway hyperresponsiveness, and an allergic rhinitis attack can increase lower airway hyperresponsiveness. However, the mechanism of the effect of allergic rhinitis on the lower airways is still unclear. In this paper, the effects of allergic rhinitis on the lower airways are studied in terms of epidemiology, anatomy, pathophysiology, nasal function loss, inflammation drainage, nasobronchial reflex, and whole-body circulatory flow to determine the mechanism involved and provide ideas for future diagnosis, treatment, and experiments.
Teachers’ Teaching Ability Promotion Strategies Based on Lightweight Deep Learning Combined with Target Detection Algorithm
Authors: Jin Yuqian
Published: July 2022

With the popularization of standardized classrooms in colleges and universities, it is possible to collect video data of students’ class status through the camera device in the classroom. With abundant video data sources, it is easy to obtain big data of students’ class status images. Unstructured video big data is a topic worthy of research in improving teaching quality. First, the current teaching ability of teachers in colleges and universities is investigated, and its problems are found. Then, the You Only Look Once (YOLO) network in the object detection network is mainly studied. The deficiencies in the network structure are further explored and optimized. It is used in real classroom scenarios as well as on student expression detection problems. Finally, the proposed scheme is tested. The test results show that at present, 20% and 38% of teachers in higher vocational colleges think that they are “dissatisfied” with their classroom teaching and practical guidance ability. And 38% of teachers wanted to improve the bad situation. The accuracy of the proposed model for student expression detection is higher than that of faster-region convolutional neural network and mask-region convolutional neural network by more than 8%, higher than the YOLO v3 model by more than 4%, and higher than YOLO v3 Tiny model above 6%. The proposed model provides some ideas for the application of deep learning technology in the improvement of teachers’ teaching ability.
Reliability Assessment Model and Simulation of Journal Bearing of Railway Freight Cars Based on Bayesian Method under Small Sample Sizes
Authors: Yang Juping , Len Haijun , Wang Junguo , Zhao Yongxiang
Published: July 2022

Generally, the box bearing of railway freight cars has no bearing sample failure data at the end of the time-terminated reliability test. However, it is expensive and has high service reliability requirements. Given a small sample size and zero-failure data, the traditional failure probability calculation formula based on a large sample size and the reliability modeling technique cannot easily assess the reliability of rolling bearings accurately. Considering the applicability of the bearing of railway freight cars, this study integrated the prior information of samples and the simulation test information according to Bayes statistical theory, deduced the mathematical model of cumulative failure probability under failure-free data, calculated the distribution parameters using the least square method, and established the reliability estimation model of rolling bearings on the basis of Weibull distribution. The failure-free simulation data of rolling bearings were produced according to the Monte Carlo simulation, and the reliability of the journal bearing of railway freight cars was simulated and assessed by three methods. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed reliable Bayes multilayer estimation method could not only meet the design requirements of the ISO 281 rolling bearing standards on that basis of the failure-free data and small sample size of the time-terminated simulation, but also assess the reliability of the rolling bearing of railway freight cars.
Efficacy of DC-CIK Immunotherapy Combined with Chemotherapy on Locally Advanced Gastric Cancer
Authors: Liu Guiyuan , Chen Dehu , Zhao Xiaojun , You Xiaolan , Huang Chuanjiang , Cheng Zhiyi , Mao Xunan , Zhou Haihua
Published: July 2022

The aim of the study is to explore the efficacy and safety of dendritic cell-cytokine-induced killer cell (DC-CIK) immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy in the treatment of locally advanced gastric cancer (LAGC). Among 106 patients with LAGC, 53 received the treatment of oxaliplatin-5-fluorouracil chemotherapy (control group), while the remaining 53 received DC-CIK immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy (DC-CIK group). The short-term efficacy and the changes in immune function indexes (cluster of differentiation (CD)3+, CD4+, CD8+, CD4+/CD8+, and natural killer (NK) cells) were analyzed. The overall response rate (ORR) was 47.2% (25/53) and 41.5% (22/53), and the disease control rate (DCR) was 69.8% (37/53) and 50.9% (27/53), respectively, in the DC-CIK group and the control group. It could be seen that the ORR had no statistically significant difference between the two groups, while the DCR in the DC-CIK group was significantly better than that in the control group. After treatment, the proportions of CD3+ T lymphocytes, CD4+ T lymphocytes, CD4+/CD8+ cells, and NK cells obviously rose, while the proportion of CD8+ T lymphocytes obviously declined in the DC-CIK group compared with those in the control group. After treatment, the scores in the function module of the QLQ-C30 scale were greatly higher in the DC-CIK group than those in the control group, while the scores of loss of appetite, constipation, dyspnea, fatigue, pain, and sleep disorders in the symptom module were significantly lower in the DC-CIK group than those in the control group. The median survival time was 23.4 months and 18.6 months, respectively, in the DC-CIK group and the control group. The results of the log-rank test showed that the OS in the DC-CIK group was remarkably superior to that in the control group. DC-CIK immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy can improve the immune cell function, ameliorate the quality of life, and prolong the survival time of LAGC patients, with fewer adverse reactions.
Segmentation and Classification of White Blood Cells Using the UNet
Authors: Alharbi Amal H. , Aravinda C. V. , Lin Meng , Venugopala P. S. , Reddicherla Phalgunendra , Shah Mohd Asif
Published: July 2022

In the bone marrow, plasma cells are made up of B lymphocytes and are a type of WBC. These plasma cells produce antibodies that help to keep bacteria and viruses at bay, thus preventing inflammation. This presents a major challenge for segmenting blood cells, since numerous image processing methods are used before segmentation to enhance image quality. White blood cells can be analyzed by a pathologist with the aid of computer software to identify blood diseases accurately and early. This study proposes a novel model that uses the ResNet and UNet networks to extract features and then segments leukocytes from blood samples. Based on the experimental results, this model appears to perform well, which suggests it is an appropriate tool for the analysis of hematology data. By evaluating the model using three datasets consisting of three different types of WBC, a cross‐validation technique was applied to assess it based on the publicly available dataset. The overall segmentation accuracy of the proposed model was around 96%, which proved that the model was better than previous approaches, such as DeepLabV3+ and ResNet‐50.
Clinical Efficacy of Acupuncture on Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy with Capecitabine plus Paclitaxel and Radiotherapy in Progressive Gastric Cancer
Authors: Miao Xiaomei , Wu Hongying , Liu Yan , Zhang Shu , Li Chaohui , Hao Jie
Published: July 2022

Objective. To assess the clinical efficacy of acupuncture on neoadjuvant chemotherapy with capecitabine plus paclitaxel and radiotherapy in progressive gastric cancer. Methods. In this randomized, double-blind, controlled clinical trial, 70 patients with advanced gastric cancer receiving radio-chemotherapy between May 2018 and June 2020 were assessed for eligibility in our institution and recruited. They were assigned via the random number table method at a ratio of 1 : 1 to receive either neoadjuvant chemotherapy with capecitabine plus paclitaxel and radiotherapy (control group) or acupuncture on neoadjuvant chemotherapy with capecitabine plus paclitaxel and radiotherapy (intervention group). The outcome measures included symptom mitigation, quality of life, and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) symptom scores. Results. The two groups showed similar results in abdominal circumference, intraabdominal pressure, and bowel sounds before treatment (

P
>
0.05

). Acupuncture plus conventional treatment was associated with better mitigation on intraabdominal pressure (11.08 ± 1.37 vs. 12.17 ± 2.68) and bowel sounds (4 [3, 4] vs. 3 [3, 4]) versus conventional treatment alone (

P
<
0.05

). No statistically significant difference in TCM symptom scores was observed between the two groups before treatment (

P
>
0.05

). Acupuncture plus conventional treatment resulted in a lower TCM symptom score (24.63 ± 4.56 points) versus conventional treatment (31.17 ± 4.91 points) (

P
<
0.05

). The eligible patients given acupuncture showed significantly higher scores of physical function, role function, emotional function, cognitive function, and social function (81.52 ± 5.37, 88.17 ± 5.17, 85.15 ± 6.71, 78.45 ± 5.85, and 80.98 ± 7.14) versus those without acupuncture (52.98 ± 8.23, 69.87 ± 5.54, 68.24 ± 9.22, 61.34 ± 6.27, and 64.79 ± 6.89) (

P
<
0.05

). Conclusion. Acupuncture is effective in the recovery of acute toxicity after radio-chemotherapy for patients with advanced gastric cancer, which provides a certain reference for clinical treatment and is worthy of application and promotion.
Analysis of the Vibro-Acoustic Behavior of a Stiffened Double Panel-Cavity System
Authors: Wang Na , Chen Mingfei , Zhang Yantao , Shi Shuangxia , Jin Guoyong , Liu Zhigang
Published: July 2022

An analytical solution for the vibro-acoustic behavior analysis of a stiffened double panel-cavity coupled system is presented. Unlike existing methods, this method is flexible with parameter analysis and can simulate the elastic boundary conditions of a stiffened double panel structure. The displacements of the stiffened double panel structures and the sound pressure of two inner acoustic cavities are expressed by two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) improved Fourier series methods, respectively. Then, the unknown coefficients of the vibro-acoustic control equation are solved by the Rayleigh–Ritz method based on the virtual works principle applied to the coupled system. In numerical results, the accuracy and effectiveness of the proposed method are validated by several comparison examples. Finally, the influence of some parameters on the vibro-acoustic behavior of the coupled system is investigated. Numerical results show that the external acoustic excitation at a certain angle can stimulate more resonant responses of the panel-cavity coupled system. This work can predict quickly the vibro-acoustic behavior of the stiffened double panel-cavity coupled system with a small truncation number. Some new results can be used as reference data for future work.
Central Aortic Pressure and Arterial Stiffness in Parkinson’s Disease: A Comparative Study
Authors: Balal Mehmet , Demirkiran Meltem , Paydas Saime
Published: July 2022

Background. Cardiovascular autonomic dysfunction, which leads to hemodynamic disorders, is commonly observed in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Central aortic pressure (CAP) is the systolic blood pressure (SBP) at the root of the aorta. In young people, CAP is lower than peripheral arterial blood pressure. In older people, the difference between CAP and peripheral arterial blood pressure decreases depending on the extent of arterial stiffness (AS). In patients with AS, CAP increases. CAP is thus regarded as an indicator of AS. Objective. To compare CAP and other hemodynamic parameters for AS between patients with Parkinson’s disease and control group. We also aimed to evaluate changes in these hemodynamic parameters after the levodopa (LD) intake. Methods. We included 82 patients with PD and 76 healthy controls. Age, sex, disease duration, disease subtype, Hoehn–Yahr stage (H&Y), and nonmotor symptoms (NMS) were documented. TensioMed Software v.3.0.0.1 was used to measure CAP, peripheral arterial blood pressure, pulse pressure (PP), heart rate (HR), mean arterial pressure (MAP), augmentation index (AI), pulse wave velocity, and ejection time. All patients were being treated with LD, and measurements were performed 1 h before and 1 h after LD intake. Results. Baseline peripheral arterial blood pressure and CAP values were significantly higher in the PD group than in the control group (

p
<
0.001

and

p
=
0.02

, respectively). Most cardiac hemodynamic parameters, including peripheral arterial blood pressure and CAP, decreased significantly (

p
<
0.02

and

p
<
0.001

, respectively) after LD intake in the PD group. Disease subtype, duration, and severity did not affect any of the hemodynamic parameters. When NMS were evaluated, patients with psychosis and dementia showed higher baseline parameters. Conclusion. Loss of postganglionic noradrenergic innervation is well-known with PD. Several cardiac hemodynamic parameters were affected, suggesting cardiac autonomic dysfunction in these patients. The data obtained were independent of disease severity, duration, and subtype. After LD intake, most of these parameters decreased, which might have a positive effect on the vascular burden.
Motion Gesture Delimiters for Smartwatch Interaction
Authors: Zhao Yiming , Zhao Yanchao , Tu Huawei , Huang Qihan , Zhao Wenlai , Jiang Wenhao
Published: July 2022

Smartwatches are increasingly popular in our daily lives. Motion gestures are a common way of interacting with smartwatches, e.g., users can make a movement in the air with their arm wearing the watch to trigger a specific command of the smartwatch. Motion gesture interaction can compensate for the small screen size of the smartwatch to some extent and enrich smartwatch-based interactions. An important aspect of motion gesture interaction lies in how to determine the start and end of a motion gesture. This paper is aimed at selecting gestures as suitable delimiters for motion gesture interaction with the smartwatch. We designed six gestures (“shaking wrist left and right,” “shaking wrist up and down,” “holding fist and opening,” “turning wrist clockwise,” “turning wrist anticlockwise,” and “shaking wrist up”) and conducted two experiments to compare the performance of these six gestures. Firstly, we used dynamic time warping (DTW) and feature extraction with KNN (

K

-nearest neighbors) to recognize these six gestures. The average recognition rate of the latter algorithm for the six gestures was higher than that of the former. And with the latter algorithm, the recognition rate for the first three of the six gestures was greater than 98%. According to experiment one, gesture 1 (shaking wrist left and right), gesture 2 (shaking wrist up and down), and gesture 3 (holding fist and opening) were selected as the candidate delimiters. In addition, we conducted a questionnaire data analysis and obtained the same conclusion. Then, we conducted the second experiment to investigate the performance of these three candidate gestures in daily scenes to obtain their misoperation rates. The misoperation rates of two candidate gestures (“shaking wrist left and right” and “shaking wrist up and down”) were approximately 0, which were significantly lower than that of the third candidate gesture. Based on the above experimental results, gestures “shaking wrist left and right” and “shaking wrist up and down” are suitable as motion gesture delimiters for smartwatch interaction.
Seismic Hazard Evaluation of the North and Northwest Iranian Plate Considering the Bayesian Perspective
Authors: Maleki Mehdi , Riazi Rad Zohreh Sadat
Published: July 2022

In the last hundred years alone, there have occurred more than 2000 earthquakes larger than 4 in the northern and northwestern parts of Iran. Because Iran is placed in the heart of the Alpine-Himalayan collision zone, which is one of the world’s greatest seismic locations, massive earthquakes have regularly struck the country. Seismic hazard assessment is a realistic and helpful method for engineering seismology to prevent motions in a location in order to forecast the occurrence of earthquakes. For parameter estimation in seismic hazard assessments, the Bayesian probability theory provides a practical and accurate technique. As a result, Bayesian techniques for analysis are based on an older method. Furthermore, they have the unique capacity to account for the variability of characteristics in probabilistic relationships. In this assessment, we used the Bayesian earthquake risk estimation program developed by Lyubushin. Our research is in the sequence of applications of this program to assess the risk of earthquakes in various parts of the universe. In this method, the basic assumption is that earthquakes follow the characteristic of being Poisson. Its zoning map is drawn in the north and northwest regions of Iran. The highest value was obtained for the city of Tabriz with 0.29 galls, and the lowest value was obtained for the city of Zanjan with the value of 0.06 galls.
Quantitative Crotonylome Analysis Reveals the Mechanism of Shenkang Injection on Diabetic Nephropathy
Authors: Wang Min , Zhang Bin , Zhang Chenyang , Zhang Xuelian , Tang Shuang , Sun Guibo , Sun Xiaobo
Published: July 2022

Shenkang injection (SKI) has been widely used in the clinical treatment of chronic kidney diseases in China because of its efficacy and safety. However, the underlying mechanism of SKI in diabetic nephropathy (DN) remains unclear. The present study aimed to investigate the renoprotective effects and possible mechanisms of SKI in diabetic db/db mice. We showed that SKI ameliorated hyperglycemia and abnormal renal biochemical parameters in db/db mice. Crotonylome and subsequent bioinformatics analyses indicated that the molecular functions of the significantly different crotonylated proteins regulated by SKI were closely related to oxidoreductase activity and oxidative phosphorylation might be one of the main pathways through which SKI functions in DN. Subsequent PRM validation of the selected crotonylated proteins confirmed these findings. In addition, we determined that SKI could regulate the expression of specific proteins in oxidative phosphorylation complexes and enhance antioxidant capacity. Taken together, our data suggest that SKI exerted the protective effect against DN potentially through reversing the abnormal crotonylation expression of oxidoreductase-related proteins.
Exploration of Practical Strategies of School Labor Education under the Information Environment
Authors: Liu Jianhai , Zhao Weidong , Gao Guanqi
Published: July 2022

In order to improve the practical effect of modern school labor education, this paper applies information technology to the analysis of school labor education practice strategy and proposes a load equivalent model to measure the load distribution of parallel crawler system nodes. According to the load distribution of system nodes, this paper uses the hypergraph repartitioning model to model the dynamic load scheduling problem and introduces a hierarchical strategy to solve the hypergraph repartitioning problem. In addition, this paper uses distributed crawlers to utilize network resources to effectively reduce the operating cost of the crawler system. Finally, this paper constructs a system based on the current situation of school labor education. The experimental research results show that the practical strategies of labor education in the information environment proposed in this paper have certain effects.
HAUS Augmin-Like Complex Subunit 1 Influences Tumour Microenvironment and Prognostic Outcomes in Glioma
Authors: Yao Qi , Ge Xinqi , Lu Zhichao , Shi Jinlong , Shen Jianhong , Chen Jian
Published: July 2022

Background. The expression of HAUS Augmin-like complex subunit 1 (HAUS1), a protein-coding gene, is low in normal samples among various cancers with pan-cancer analysis. The depletion of HAUS1 in cells decreases the G2/M cell compartment and induces apoptosis. However, the detailed expression pattern of HAUS1 and its correlation with immune infiltration in glioma (LGG and GBM) (LGG: low-grade glioma; GBM: glioblastoma) remain unknown. Therefore, in this study, we examined the role and prognostic value of HAUS1 in glioma. Methods. Transcriptional expression data of HAUS1 were collected from the CGGA and TCGA databases. The Kaplan–Meier analysis, univariate and multivariate Cox analyses, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to analyse the clinical significance of HAUS1 in glioma. The STRING database was used to analyse protein-protein interactions (PPI), and the “ClusterProfiler” package was used for functional enrichment analysis to examine the possible biological roles of HAUS1. In addition, the HAUS1 promoter methylation modification was analysed using MEXPRESS, and the association between HAUS1 expression and tumour-infiltrating immune cells was investigated using CIBERSORT. Results. Based on the data retrieved from TCGA (703 samples) and CGGA (1018 samples), an elevated expression of HAUS1 was observed in glioma samples, which was associated with poorer survival of patients, unfavourable clinical characteristics, 1p/19q codeletion status, WHO grade, and IDH mutation status. Furthermore, multivariate and univariate Cox analyses revealed that HAUS1 was an independent predictor of glioma. HAUS1 expression level was associated with several tumour-infiltrating immune cells, such as Th2 cells, macrophages, and activated dendritic cells. The outcomes of ROC curve analysis showed that HAUS1 was good to prognosticate immune infiltrating levels in glioma with a higher area under the curve (AUC) value (AUC = 0.974). Conclusions. HAUS1 was upregulated and served as a biomarker for poor prognosis in patients with glioma. High HAUS1 expression was associated with several tumour-infiltrating immune cells such as Th2 cells, macrophages, and activated dendritic cells, which had high infiltration levels. Therefore, these findings suggest that HAUS1 is a potential biomarker for predicting the prognosis of patients with glioma and plays a pivotal role in immune infiltration in glioma.
Study on the Response of Staggered Floor Isolated Structures in Mountainous Areas under Three-Dimensional Earthquakes
Authors: Cheng Shishan , Yang Jie , Liu Dewen , Chen Lihao , Wan Feng , Yang Fan , Liu Yang
Published: July 2022

As coal mines are susceptible to safety accidents due to earthquakes, the requirements for structures in coal mining areas such as fire control centers and hospitals are higher, so base isolated structures, including staggered isolated structures, adapted to mountainous terrain are used in mining areas. The staggered floor isolated structure is a kind of isolated structure in mountainous areas which developed from the base-isolated structure. The theoretical research on staggered isolated structures is relatively few, and the theoretical research lags behind the practical application of engineering. In this paper, three staggered floor isolated structures with different heights of staggered floors are established. The responses of structures under one-dimensional, two-dimensional, and three-dimensional earthquakes are analyzed by the finite element dynamic time-history analysis method. The structural torsion, interstory shear force, maximum axial force, and floor displacement of the structure are compared. Due to the asymmetric characteristics of the staggered floor isolated structure, the center of stiffness of the staggered floor isolated structure deviates from the center of mass, which produces not only horizontal vibration but also obvious torsional vibration. The input of earthquakes in different dimensions also makes a difference in the response of the structure. The location between the upper isolated layer and the first floor above the upper isolated layer is a weak point of the structure. The results obtained in this study are distinguished from traditional basic isolated structures, which supplements the theoretical research of the staggered isolated structure.
Carboxymethyl Dextran‐Based Nanomicelle Coatings on Microarc Oxidized Titanium Surface for Percutaneous Implants: Drug Release, Antibacterial Properties, and Biocompatibility
Authors: Ye Weiliang , Zhou Minghao , Zhang Luxuan , Yu Jingwei , Fan Junjun , Wei Hongbo
Published: July 2022

Bacterial contamination and biofilm formation onpercutaneous implants can lead to device failure and be life‐threatening. To solve this issue, we constructed a carboxymethyl dextran‐ (CMD‐) based nanomicelle antibacterial coating on the microarc‐oxidized titanium (MAO‐Ti) surface (described in the supplementary file). The self‐assembled CMD‐based nanomicelles and octadecylamine (ODA) were developed as a drug carrier and loaded with minocycline (MC). The characterization and stability of the MC‐loaded nanomicelles were determined. The surface roughness, hydrophilicity, and drug release property of the coatings were also investigated. Our findings showed that the cross‐linked MC‐loaded nanomicelles (MC@(ODA‐CMD)CL) were more stable than the uncross‐linked nanomicelles. Moreover, MC@(ODA‐CMD)CL was successfully incorporated into the pores of MAO‐Ti, which significantly increased the surface hydrophilicity of the coatings without influencing their surface roughness. In addition, the coatings demonstrated a sustained release time of 360 h, with a cumulative release rate reaching 86.6%. Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) was used to determine the antibacterial properties of the coatings, and human skin fibroblasts were seeded on them to investigate their biocompatibility. The results showed that the coatings significantly reduced the number of adhesive S. aureus and promoted the viability, adhesion, and morphology of the human skin fibroblasts compared to smooth titanium (S‐Ti) sheets. In conclusion, MC‐loaded CMD‐based nanomicelles coated on MAO‐Ti surface (MC@(ODA‐CMD)CL‐Ti) demonstrated sustained‐release properties, excellent antibacterial properties and biocompatibility, and promising potential as coatings for percutaneous implants.
Integrated Design of Cellular Production System Using Branch and Bound Algorithm
Authors: Ranjbar Roohallah , Shayannia Seyed Ahmad , Amir Miandargh Mehdi , Lotfi Mohammad Reza
Published: July 2022

Most research done on the design of cellular production systems also has examined one of the main areas of design including cell formation, cellular layout, and material handling. Some research studies also have been done by considering the lack of independence of these areas, two areas simultaneously, and three areas sequentially. The main goal of this research is to present a mathematical framework for designing and also providing the efficient methods for solving the desired problem. Therefore, the main contribution of this paper is to determine the same component according to the characteristics of designs and production requirements. For this purpose, an overall design of a cellular production system or material handling system with cellular layout is examined. Then, the mathematical formulation is presented for the problem and then an efficient solution is presented for the problem. In the provided model, the interaction effects between designs fields are provided. A branch and bound algorithm is also provided to solve this problem. The performance of the provided algorithm and the performance of the provided approach are investigated by using different numerical samples. The results show the performance of the provided algorithm and approach in the design of cellular production systems.
Intratumoral Heterogeneity and Immune Modulation in Lung Adenocarcinoma in Female Smokers and Never Smokers
Authors: Trefzer Timo B. , Schneider Marc A. , Jechow Katharina , Chua Robert Lorenz , Muley Thomas , Winter Hauke , Kriegsmann Mark , Meister Michael , Eils Roland , Conrad Christian
Published: July 2022

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide, despite declining smoking prevalence in industrialized countries. Although lung cancer is highly associated with smoking status, a significant proportion of lung cancer cases develop in patients who have never smoked, with an observable bias toward female never smokers. A better understanding of lung cancer heterogeneity and immune system involvement during tumor evolution and progression in never smokers is therefore highly needed. Here, we used single-nucleus transcriptomics of surgical lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and normal lung tissue samples from patients with or without a history of smoking. Immune cells as well as fibroblasts and endothelial cells responded to tobacco smoke exposure by inducing a highly inflammatory state in normal lung tissue. In LUAD, characterization of differentially expressed transcriptional programs in macrophages and cancer-associated fibroblasts provided insight into how the niche favors tumor progression. Within tumors, eight subpopulations of neoplastic cells were identified in female smokers and never smokers. Pseudotemporal ordering inferred a trajectory toward two differentiated tumor cell states implicated in cancer progression and invasiveness. A proliferating cell population sustaining tumor growth exhibited differential immune modulating signatures in both patient groups. Collectively, these results resolve cellular heterogeneity and immune interactions in LUAD, with a special emphasis on female never smokers.

Significance:

Single-cell analysis of healthy lung tissue and lung cancer reveals distinct tumor cell populations, including cells with differential immune modulating capacity between smokers and never smokers, which could guide future therapeutic strategies.