bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
National cross-sectional cohort study of the relationship between quality of mental healthcare and death by suicide
Authors: Shiner Brian , Gottlieb Daniel J , Levis Maxwell , Peltzman Talya , Riblet Natalie B , Cornelius Sarah L , Russ Carey J , Watts Bradley V
Published: June 2021

Background

Patient safety-based interventions aimed at lethal means restriction are effective at reducing death by suicide in inpatient mental health settings but are more challenging in the outpatient arena. As an alternative approach, we examined the association between quality of mental healthcare and suicide in a national healthcare system.

Methods

We calculated regional suicide rates for Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Healthcare users from 2013 to 2017. To control for underlying variation in suicide risk in each of our 115 mental health referral regions (MHRRs), we calculated standardised rate ratios (SRRs) for VA users compared with the general population. We calculated quality metrics for outpatient mental healthcare in each MHRR using individual metrics as well as an Overall Quality Index. We assessed the correlation between quality metrics and suicide rates.

Results

Among the 115 VA MHRRs, the age-adjusted, sex-adjusted and race-adjusted annual suicide rates varied from 6.8 to 92.9 per 100 000 VA users, and the SRRs varied between 0.7 and 5.7. Mean regional-level adherence to each of our quality metrics ranged from a low of 7.7% for subspecialty care access to a high of 58.9% for care transitions. While there was substantial regional variation in quality, there was no correlation between an overall index of mental healthcare quality and SRR.

Conclusion

There was no correlation between overall quality of outpatient mental healthcare and rates of suicide in a national healthcare system. Although it is possible that quality was not high enough anywhere to prevent suicide at the population level or that we were unable to adequately measure quality, this examination of core mental health services in a well-resourced system raises doubts that a quality-based approach alone can lower population-level suicide rates.
Prognostic significance of competition ratios in surgical specialty training selection
Authors: Mellor Katie , Robinson David B , Luton Oliver , James Osian P , Powell Arfon G M T , Hopkins Luke , Hemington-Gorse Sarah , Egan Richard J , Lewis Wyn G
Published: June 2021

Background

A competition ratio (CR) indicates the ratio of total applications for a training post when compared with numbers of specialty posts available. This study aimed to evaluate CRs’ influence on National Training Number (NTN) selection in a single UK Statutory Education Body.

Methods

Consecutive core surgical trainees numbering 154 (105 men, 49 women; median years since graduation: four) were studied over a 6-year period. Annual specialty specific CRs were obtained from Health Education England's website, and primary outcome measure was UK NTN appointment.

Results

Overall NTN appointment was 45.5%. Median CR was 2.36; range Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery 0.70 (2020) to Neurosurgery 22.0 (2020). Multivariable analysis revealed that NTN success was associated with: CR (OR 0.46, p=0.003), a single scientific publication (OR 6.25, p=0.001), cohort year (2019, OR 12.65, p=0.003) and Universal Annual Review of Competence Progression Outcome 1 (OR 45.24, p<0.001). CRs predicted NTN appointment with a Youden index defined critical ratio of 4.42; 28.6% (n=8) versus 49.2% (n=62), p=0.018.

Conclusion

CRs displayed 30-fold variation, with CRs below 4.42 associated with twofold better NTN promotion, but strong clinical competence and academic reach again emerged as the principal drivers of career advancement.
Study of nitrazepam interaction with alcohol: an ultrasonic and physiochemical investigation
Authors: Bhardwaj Chandra Kant , Prakash Suraj , Bhardwaj Anjana Kumari
Published: June 2021

The intermolecular interaction between the constituent components of liquid mixtures can be revealed by ultrasonic analysis. In the present study, interaction of nitrazepam with methyl alcohol has been studied and presented using ultrasonic tools. The investigation involves calculation of ultrasonic velocity (υ), density (ρ), viscosity (η), and the associated derived parameters. The specific acoustic impedance (Z), isentropic compressibility (β), relaxation time (τ), intermolecular free length (Lf), and solvation number (Sn) are calculated to reveal the interaction information. The solvent–solvent and solute–solvent interaction between nitrazepam and alcohol molecules is considered. To see the impact of nitrazepam with alcohol in an ordinary day to day scenario, the investigation was carried out under normal temperature (303–313 K) and pressure conditions. The results indicate increased molecule association of nitrazepam in the presence of alcohol. This study suggests the presence of a synergistic depressants effect when nitrazepam is used with alcohol.
Law, Order and Social Control in Xi’s China
Authors: HILLMAN BEN
Published: June 2021

In his first term (2012–2017), Xi Jinping’s signature domestic policy was an anti-corruption campaign that targeted political enemies and venality in public office. The anti-corruption work has continued in his second term while being superseded in domestic political importance by a campaign to “Sweep Away Black and Eliminate Evil (2018–2020).” On the surface, the campaign to Sweep Away Black and Eliminate Evil is an anti-crime campaign that focuses on the “black and evil forces” of organized crime and their official protectors, but its scope extends well beyond the ganglands to target a wide range of social and political threats to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Drawing on interviews with government officials, police and citizens as well as analysis of policy documents, this paper argues that the campaign is a populist initiative designed to bolster CCP legitimacy and serve as a mechanism of social control. Like the Chongqing prototype that inspired it, however, the campaign harbors a dark side that could undermine the contemporary Chinese social contract in which people are willing to sacrifice personal freedoms in exchange for security and material benefits.
Waiting for Tactile: Robotic and Virtual Experiences in the Fog
Authors: Cascone Lucia , Castiglione Aniello , Nappi Michele , Narducci Fabio , Passero Ignazio
Published: June 2021

Social robots adopt an emotional touch to interact with users inducing and transmitting humanlike emotions. Natural interaction with humans needs to be in real time and well grounded on the full availability of information on the environment. These robots base their way of communicating on direct interaction (touch, listening, view), supported by a range of sensors on the surrounding environment that provide a radially central and partial knowledge on it. Over the past few years, social robots have been demonstrated to implement different features, going from biometric applications to the fusion of machine learning environmental information collected on the edge. This article aims at describing the experiences performed and still ongoing and characterizes a simulation environment developed for the social robot Pepper that aims to foresee the new scenarios and benefits that tactile connectivity will enable.
Sustainable Security for the Internet of Things Using Artificial Intelligence Architectures
Authors: Iwendi Celestine , Rehman Saif Ur , Javed Abdul Rehman , Khan Suleman , Srivastava Gautam
Published: June 2021

In this digital age, human dependency on technology in various fields has been increasing tremendously. Torrential amounts of different electronic products are being manufactured daily for everyday use. With this advancement in the world of Internet technology, cybersecurity of software and hardware systems are now prerequisites for major business’ operations. Every technology on the market has multiple vulnerabilities that are exploited by hackers and cyber-criminals daily to manipulate data sometimes for malicious purposes. In any system, the Intrusion Detection System (IDS) is a fundamental component for ensuring the security of devices from digital attacks. Recognition of new developing digital threats is getting harder for existing IDS. Furthermore, advanced frameworks are required for IDS to function both efficiently and effectively. The commonly observed cyber-attacks in the business domain include minor attacks used for stealing private data. This article presents a deep learning methodology for detecting cyber-attacks on the Internet of Things using a Long Short Term Networks classifier. Our extensive experimental testing show an Accuracy of 99.09%, F1-score of 99.46%, and Recall of 99.51%, respectively. A detailed metric representing our results in tabular form was used to compare how our model was better than other state-of-the-art models in detecting cyber-attacks with proficiency.
Multimodal Brain Tumor Segmentation Based on an Intelligent UNET-LSTM Algorithm in Smart Hospitals
Authors: Hu He-Xuan , Mao Wen-Jie , Lin Zhen-Zhou , Hu Qiang , Zhang Ye
Published: June 2021

Smart hospitals are important components of smart cities. An intelligent medical system for brain tumor segmentation is required to construct smart hospitals. To achieve intelligent brain tumor segmentation, morphological variety and serious category imbalance must be managed effectively. Conventional deep neural networks have difficulty in predicting high-accuracy segmentation images due to these issues. To solve these problems, we propose using multimodal brain tumor images combined with the UNET and LSTM models to construct a new network structure with a mixed loss function to solve sample imbalance and describe an intelligent segmentation process to identify brain tumors. To verify the practicability of this algorithm, we used the open source Brain Tumor Segmentation Challenge dataset to train and verify the proposed network. We obtained DSCs of 0.91, 0.82, and 0.80; sensitivities of 0.93, 0.85, and 0.82; and specificities of 0.99, 0.99, and 0.98 in three tumor regions, including the
whole tumor
(
WT
),
tumor core
(
TC
), and
enhanced
tumor
(
ET
). We also compared the results of the proposed network with those of other brain tumor segmentation methods, and the results showed that the proposed algorithm could segment different tumor lesions more accurately, highlighting its potential application value in the clinical diagnosis of brain tumors.
Riso-Tree: An Efficient and Scalable Index for Spatial Entities in Graph Database Management Systems
Authors: Sun Yuhan , Sarwat Mohamed
Published: June 2021

With the ubiquity of spatial data, vertexes or edges in graphs can possess spatial location attributes side by side with other non-spatial attributes. For instance, as of June 2018, the Wikidata knowledge graph contains 48,547,142 data items (i.e., vertexes) and

13% of them have spatial location attributes. The article proposes Riso-Tree, a generic efficient and scalable indexing framework for spatial entities in graph database management systems. Riso-Tree enables the fast execution of graph queries that involve different types of spatial predicates (GraSp queries). The proposed framework augments the classic R-Tree structure with pre-materialized sub-graph entries. The pruning power of R-Tree is enhanced with the sub-graph information. Riso-Tree partitions the graph into sub-graphs based on their connectivity to the spatial sub-regions. The proposed index allows for the fast execution of GraSp queries by efficiently pruning the traversed vertexes/edges based upon the materialized sub-graph information. The experiments show that the proposed Riso-Tree achieves up to two orders of magnitude faster execution time than its counterparts when executing GraSp queries on real graphs (e.g., Wikidata). The strategy of limiting the size of each sub-graph entry (
PN

max

) is proposed to reduce the storage overhead of Riso-Tree. The strategy can save up to around 70% storage without harming the query performance according to the experiments. Another strategy is proposed to ensure the performance of the index maintenance (Irrelevant Vertexes Skipping). The experiments show that the strategy can improve performance, especially for slow updates. It proves that Riso-Tree is useful for applications that need to support frequent updates.
A Model for Investigating Sources of Li-Ion Battery Electrode Heterogeneity: Part I. Electrode Drying and Calendering Processes
Authors: Nikpour M. , Barrett N. , Hillman Z. , Thompson A. I. , Mazzeo B. A. , Wheeler D. R.
Published: June 2021

Heterogeneity of porous electrodes can cause battery failure and performance deficiencies. On the other hand, some types of heterogeneity can improve performance. This study uses a multi-phase smoothed particle (MPSP) model, derived from smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) and which is parameterized and validated by comparison with experimental viscosity, density, electronic conductivity, MacMullin number, and Young’s modulus of electrode films. The MPSP model simulates all major aspects of electrode production: mixing, coating, drying, and calendering, though the focus in this paper (Part 1) is on drying and calendering. Four types of electrodes are included in this study: a graphite anode and three traditional metal oxide cathodes. The model suggests how some types of heterogeneity can form during cathode and anode fabrication. The anode is more susceptible to mesoscale heterogeneities than the cathode due to differences in active particle shape and stiffness. The model and experiments show that regardless of the active material type, calendering increases the variability in electronic and ionic conductivity due to carbon and binder redistribution. This can be explained by means of the proposed multi-phase packing theory. On the other hand, calendering increases mechanical uniformity as also shown by model and experiment.
Leptin-resistant Zucker rats with trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid colitis present a reduced inflammatory response but enhanced epithelial damage
Authors: Rivero-Gutiérrez Belén , Arredondo-Amador María , Gámez-Belmonte Reyes , Sánchez de Medina Fermín , Martínez-Augustin Olga
Published: June 2021

Obese Zucker rats, which are resistant to leptin, exhibit a diminished inflammatory response in the trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (TNBS) model of colitis, suggesting leptin role is proinflammatory. At the same time, obese Zucker rats present a debilitated intestinal barrier function, with increased translocation of LPS. Zucker rats present a dual response in the TNBS model of rat colitis.
The common ABCA3E292V variant disrupts AT2 cell quality control and increases susceptibility to lung injury and aberrant remodeling
Authors: Tomer Yaniv , Wambach Jennifer , Knudsen Lars , Zhao Ming , Rodriguez Luis R. , Murthy Aditi , White Frances V. , Venosa Alessandro , Katzen Jeremy , Ochs Matthias , Hamvas Aaron , Beers Michael F. , Mulugeta Surafel
Published: June 2021

ATP-binding cassette class A3 (ABCA3) is a lipid transporter that plays a critical role in pulmonary surfactant function. The substitution of valine for glutamic acid at codon 292 (E292V) produces a hypomorphic variant that accounts for a significant portion of ABCA3 mutations associated with lung disorders spanning from neonatal respiratory distress syndrome and childhood interstitial lung disease to diffuse parenchymal lung disease (DPLD) in adults including pulmonary fibrosis. The mechanisms by which this and similar ABCA3 mutations disrupt alveolar type 2 (AT2) cell homeostasis and cause DPLD are largely unclear. The present study, informed by a patient homozygous for the E292V variant, used an in vitro and a preclinical murine model to evaluate the mechanisms by which E292V expression promotes aberrant lung injury and parenchymal remodeling. Cell lines stably expressing enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP)-tagged ABCA3 isoforms show a functional deficiency of the ABCA3E292V variant as a lipid transporter. AT2 cells isolated from mice constitutively homozygous for ABCA3E292V demonstrate the presence of small electron-dense lamellar bodies, time-dependent alterations in macroautophagy, and induction of apoptosis. These changes in AT2 cell homeostasis are accompanied by a spontaneous lung phenotype consisting of both age-dependent inflammation and fibrillary collagen deposition in alveolar septa. Older ABCA3E292V mice exhibit increased vulnerability to exogenous lung injury by bleomycin. Collectively, these findings support the hypothesis that the ABCA3E292V variant is a susceptibility factor for lung injury through effects on surfactant deficiency and impaired AT2 cell autophagy.
Cross-species integration of single-cell RNA-seq resolved alveolar-epithelial transitional states in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
Authors: Huang Kevin Y. , Petretto Enrico
Published: June 2021

Single-cell transcriptomics analyses of the fibrotic lung uncovered two cell states critical to lung injury recovery in the alveolar epithelium—a reparative transitional cell state in the mouse and a disease-specific cell state ( KRT5−/ KRT17+) in human idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The murine transitional cell state lies between the differentiation from type 2 (AT2) to type 1 pneumocyte (AT1), and the human KRT5−/ KRT17+ cell state may arise from the dysregulation of this differentiation process. We review major findings of single-cell transcriptomics analyses of the fibrotic lung and reanalyzed data from seven single-cell RNA sequencing studies of human and murine models of IPF, focusing on the alveolar epithelium. Our comparative and cross-species single-cell transcriptomics analyses allowed us to further delineate the differentiation trajectories from AT2 to AT1 and AT2 to the KRT5−/ KRT17+ cell state. We observed AT1 cells in human IPF retain the transcriptional signature of the murine transitional cell state. Using pseudotime analysis, we recapitulated the differentiation trajectories from AT2 to AT1 and from AT2 to KRT5−/ KRT17+ cell state in multiple human IPF studies. We further delineated transcriptional programs underlying cell-state transitions and determined the molecular phenotypes at terminal differentiation. We hypothesize that in addition to the reactivation of developmental programs ( SOX4, SOX9), senescence ( TP63, SOX4) and the Notch pathway ( HES1) are predicted to steer intermediate progenitors to the KRT5−/ KRT17+ cell state. Our analyses suggest that activation of SMAD3 later in the differentiation process may explain the fibrotic molecular phenotype typical of KRT5−/ KRT17+ cells.
An Improved Gesture Segmentation Method for Gesture Recognition Based on CNN and YCbCr
Authors: Luo Yan , Cui Gaoxiang , Li Deguang
Published: June 2021

With the continuous improvement of people’s requirements for interactive experience, gesture recognition is widely used as a basic human-computer interaction. However, due to the environment, light source, cover, and other factors, the diversity and complexity of gestures have a great impact on gesture recognition. In order to enhance the features of gesture recognition, firstly, the hand skin color is filtered through YCbCr color space to separate the gesture region to be recognized, and the Gaussian filter is used to process the noise of gesture edge; secondly, the morphological gray open operation is used to process the gesture data, the watershed algorithm based on marker is used to segment the gesture contour, and the eight-connected filling algorithm is used to enhance the gesture features; finally, the convolution neural network is used to recognize the gesture data set with fast convergence speed. The experimental results show that the proposed method can recognize all kinds of gestures quickly and accurately with an average recognition success rate of 96.46% and does not significantly increase the recognition time.
Application of Service Modular Design Based on a Fuzzy Design Structure Matrix: A Case Study from the Mining Industry
Authors: Wang Xin , Luo Bo
Published: June 2021

The development of customized service is an important way to transform and upgrade China’s mining industry. However, in practice, there remain problems, such as the slow market response speed of service providers and the contradiction between the large-scale development of service providers and the personalized service needs of service demanders. This paper uses the theory and method of service modular design to solve these problems and explores the process-based service modular design method. Service modular design depends largely on the determination of the relationship between service activities and the reasonable division of modules. However, previous research has rarely made use of modular design methods and modeling tools in the mining service context. At the same time, evaluations of the relationship between service activities relying on knowledge and those relying on experience have been inconclusive. Therefore, this paper proposes a service modularization design method based on the fuzzy relation analysis of a design structure matrix (DSM) that solves the optimal module partition scheme. Triangular fuzzy number and fuzzy evidence theory are used to evaluate and fuse the multidimensional and heterogeneous relationship between service activities, and the quantitative processing of the comprehensive relationship between service activities is carried out. On this basis, the service module structure is divided, followed by the construction of the mathematical programming model with the maximum sum of the average cohesion degree in the module and the average coupling degree between modules as the driving goal. The genetic algorithm is used to solve the problem, and the optimal module division result is obtained. Finally, taking the service modular design of SHD coal production enterprises in China as an example, the feasibility of the proposed method is verified.
Chemical Composition and Digestibility of Major Feed Resources in Tanqua-Abergelle District of Central Tigray, Northern Ethiopia
Authors: Gebremariam Tikabo , Belay Shumuye
Published: June 2021

Background. A detailed study on the feed quantity and quality is required to document the available feeds and their nutritional values. Aim. The study was aimed to investigate and document the chemical composition and in vitro dry matter digestibility of major feed resources available in Tanqua-Abergelle district of central Tigray, northern Ethiopia. Methods. Ten different feed resources were evaluated for their nutritive values. Representative feed samples were collected and prepared following appropriate procedures. The samples were subjected to analysis of chemical composition and in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) using proper scientific procedures. Results. Wide variations were observed in nutritive values of the investigated feeds. The highest crude protein (CP) was measured in Atella (15.90%) followed by green grass (13.20%), mill waste (10.90%), groundnut straw (9.18%), and cowpea straw (8.11%) in descending order. Mill waste (11.84 MJ/kg DM) and Atella (11.81 MJ/kg DM) had the highest metabolizable energy (ME) followed by green grass (9.83 MJ/kg DM), groundnut straw (9.28 MJ/kg DM), Teff straw (8.56 MJ/kg DM), and cowpea straw (8.39 MJ/kg DM) in that order. The highest NDF was recorded in groundnut null (79.80%) and the lowest NDF in mill waste (35.00%) and Atella (40.60%). The highest IVDMD was seen in mill waste (81.43%) and Atella (81.21%) and the lowest in groundnut hull (39.95%). Conclusion. The nonconventional feeds have moderate protein and reduced fiber contents, and thus, they can be utilized as supplement for poor-quality feeds. These feeds need further investigation using animals to substantiate the current study.
Weak Fault Detection for Rolling Bearings in Varying Working Conditions through the Second‐Order Stochastic Resonance Method with Barrier Height Optimization
Authors: Shi Huaitao , Li Yangyang , Zhou Peng , Tong Shenghao , Guo Liang , Li Baicheng
Published: June 2021

The stochastic resonance (SR) method is widely applied to fault feature extraction of rotary machines, which is capable of improving the weak fault detection performance by energy transformation through the potential well function. The potential well functions are mostly set fixed to reduce computational complexity, and the SR methods with fixed potential well parameters have better performances in stable working conditions. When the fault frequency changes in variable working conditions, the signal processing effect becomes different with fixed parameters, leading to errors in fault detection. In this paper, an underdamped second‐order adaptive general variable‐scale stochastic resonance (USAGVSR) method with potential well parameters’ optimization is put forward. For input signals with different fault frequencies, the potential well parameters related to the barrier height are figured out and optimized through the ant colony algorithm. On this basis, further optimization is carried out on undamped factor and step size for better fault detection performance. Cases with diverse fault types and in different working conditions are studied, and the performance of the proposed method is validated through experiments. The results testify that this method has better performances of weak fault feature extraction and can accurately identify different fault types in the input signals. The method proves to be effective in the weak fault extraction and classification and has a good application prospect in rolling bearings’ fault feature recognition.
Influence of Crack on Concrete Damage in Salt‐Freezing Environment
Authors: Liu Guangyan , Mu Song , Cai Jingshun , Xie Deqing , Zhou Ying , Zhou Xiaocheng
Published: June 2021

The damage development trend of concrete with cracks in salt‐freezing environment is systematically studied. The cracks are also tested in intact concrete for comparison, and crack characterization is introduced. The mass loss, the relative dynamic elastic modulus, and the change of crack width are analyzed. Results show that the crack width increases as the salt‐freezing cycle progresses. Following the development trend of the cracks, concrete cracks can be divided into three categories: 0–40, 40–100, and 100–150 μm. The mass loss increases significantly, and the change of relative dynamic elastic modulus decreases in concrete with an initial crack compared with the intact concrete. When the crack width is 80 μm, a maximum mass loss rate of 0.19% and a minimum relative dynamic elastic modulus of 75.81% can be obtained. These test results prove that crack and freeze‐thaw coupling can influence each other and accelerate the failure of concrete. Overall, this study can serve as a basis for the durability design and life improvement of concrete structures.
Characterizing Network Anomaly Traffic with Euclidean Distance-Based Multiscale Fuzzy Entropy
Authors: Zhou Renjie , Wang Xiao , Yang Jingjing , Zhang Wei , Zhang Sanyuan
Published: June 2021

The prosperity of mobile networks and social networks brings revolutionary conveniences to our daily lives. However, due to the complexity and fragility of the network environment, network attacks are becoming more and more serious. Characterization of network traffic is commonly used to model and detect network anomalies and finally to raise the cybersecurity awareness capability of network administrators. As a tool to characterize system running status, entropy-based time-series complexity measurement methods such as Multiscale Entropy (MSE), Composite Multiscale Entropy (CMSE), and Fuzzy Approximate Entropy (FuzzyEn) have been widely used in anomaly detection. However, the existing methods calculate the distance between vectors solely using the two most different elements of the two vectors. Furthermore, the similarity of vectors is calculated using the Heaviside function, which has a problem of bouncing between 0 and 1. The Euclidean Distance-Based Multiscale Fuzzy Entropy (EDM-Fuzzy) algorithm was proposed to avoid the two disadvantages and to measure entropy values of system signals more precisely, accurately, and stably. In this paper, the EDM-Fuzzy is applied to analyze the characteristics of abnormal network traffic such as botnet network traffic and Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack traffic. The experimental analysis shows that the EDM-Fuzzy entropy technology is able to characterize the differences between normal traffic and abnormal traffic. The EDM-Fuzzy entropy characteristics of ARP traffic discovered in this paper can be used to detect various types of network traffic anomalies including botnet and DDoS attacks.
A Novel “回” Pane Structure Multiband Microstrip Antenna for 2G/3G/4G/5G/WLAN/Navigation Applications
Authors: Yu Zhen , Lin Ziheng , Ran Xiaoying , Li Yao , Liang Bing , Wang Xiaoyan
Published: June 2021

This work proposes a novel multiband slotted planar antenna with a “回” structure, which is similar to an ancient Chinese window grille structure. The antenna is suitable for wireless applications, including the second-generation (2G), third-generation (3G), fourth-generation (4G), and fifth-generation (5G) technologies, as well as WLAN and navigation applications. The proposed antenna is based on the structural characteristics of a conventional monopole antenna, which combines the advantages of a slit structure and microstrip line structure for feeding. It adopts a circular patch with a slit structure placed in it, which is similar to the Chinese classical pane structure. This structure enables an effective reduction of the size of the antenna. The four-sided “回” gaps change the path of current flow and are coupled to each other, improving the impedance matching and radiation characteristics of the entire target frequency band. The antenna covers the frequency ranges of 1.58–1.77 GHz (12%), 2.1–2.50 GHz (17%), 3.61–4.09 GHz (12%), and 4.75–6.5 GHz (36%), permitting more than 10 wireless applications in these 4 frequency bands. This antenna uses an FR-4 dielectric material; the relative dielectric constant of the dielectric plate is 4.4, and the actual dimensions of the antenna are 85 × 70 × 1.6 mm³. The test and simulation results are in good agreement with each other, thus confirming that the proposed design method meets the requirements of various wireless applications.
Comparison of the Effect of Alpha and Hydrocortisone Ointments on Prevention of Acute Skin Complications Due to Radiotherapy in Breast Cancer Patients
Authors: Rezaei Mansour , Khoshay Ahmad , Amirifard Nasrin , Goli Ali , Abdi Alireza
Published: June 2021

Background. Radiotherapy in breast cancer patients is associated with acute and delayed side effects. This study aimed to compare the effect of alpha and hydrocortisone 1% (H1%) ointments on prevention of acute skin complications due to radiotherapy in breast cancer patients. Methods. This clinical trial was conducted on 86 patients with breast cancer in the radiotherapy center of Imam Reza Hospital of Kermanshah, Iran. Using the records, the patients were selected and randomly divided into alpha and H1% groups after obtaining informed consent. The severity of dermatitis, complications, and patient complaints during treatment were evaluated weekly for up to 6 weeks by RTOG criteria. Data were analyzed using SPSS-16 software. Results. At the end of the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth weeks, 10 (11.7%), 25 (29.1%), 53 (61.6%), and 28 (32.6%) patients had skin complications, respectively. In weeks 5 and 6 in the H1 group, the incidence of complications was higher (

P

 = 0.001). The frequency of pain and burning complaints at the end of the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth weeks was 15 (17.4%), 37 (43.0%), 52 (60.5%), and 1(1.2%), respectively. Pain and burning intensity in the fourth and fifth weeks in the H1 group was lower than alpha (

P

 = 0010). Complaints of skin itching at the end of the third, fourth, and fifth weeks were 16 (18.6%), 25 (29.1%), and 28 (32.6), respectively. This complication was lower in the H1% group during these weeks (

P

 < 0.05). Conclusion. Alpha ointment is more effective than H1% in relieving pain and burning, preventing complications except itching. It seems using an alpha ointment or combining it with H1% is an appropriate strategy to reduce the rate of injuries and skin complications of radiotherapy.
Cache Pollution Detection Method Based on GBDT in Information-Centric Network
Authors: Man Dapeng , Mu Yongjia , Guo Jiafei , Yang Wu , Lv Jiguang , Wang Wei
Published: June 2021

There is a new cache pollution attack in the information-centric network (ICN), which fills the router cache by sending a large number of requests for nonpopular content. This attack will severely reduce the router cache hit rate. Therefore, the detection of cache pollution attacks is also an urgent problem in the current information center network. In the existing research on the problem of cache pollution detection, most of the methods of manually setting the threshold are used for cache pollution detection. The accuracy of the detection result depends on the threshold setting, and the adaptability to different network environments is weak. In order to improve the accuracy of cache pollution detection and adaptability to different network environments, this paper proposes a detection algorithm based on gradient boost decision tree (GBDT), which can obtain cache pollution detection through model learning. Method. In feature selection, the algorithm uses two features based on node status and path information as model input, which improves the accuracy of the method. This paper proves the improvement of the detection accuracy of this method through comparative experiments.
Hydrodynamics and Tidal Turbine Generator Stability Analysis in Several Wave Variations
Authors: Ikhwan Muhammad , Rizal Syamsul , Ramli Marwan , Muchlisin Zainal A. , Munzir Said
Published: June 2021

The development of tidal turbines continues to be carried out by many researchers, including the incorporation of a control system for optimization purposes. This paper attempts to assess the stability of two mechanical systems in a tidal turbine: a propeller harvesting kinetic energy and a d-q diagram system on a permanent-magnet synchronous generator (PMSG). The method employed is the representation of a phase plane profile with a stable eigenvalue. The critical value of the turbine’s rotations per minute provides some points of equilibrium. The effect of the angular velocity singular on the modified system was also investigated. There is no cutoff control for the generator rotational speed in the case of weak currents, according to the results. The combination of the three tidal turbine components results in a shift in the equilibrium point. Although PMSG has an infinite equilibrium point along the line Id = 0, the effect of the rotor angular velocity prevents all of these points from being in equilibrium. Finally, in this study, the rotor angular velocity caused by the speed and type of ocean currents are only the upper and lower limits. The stability of the various wave variations is within this range.
A Dynamic Just‐in‐Time Component Delivery Framework for Off‐Site Construction
Authors: Si Tongguang , Li Hong Xian , Lei Zhen , Liu Hexu , Han SangHyeok
Published: June 2021

Off‐site construction entails various advantages compared with the traditional construction method; however, the fragmentation of the prefabrication and assembly results in a complex supply chain. Both general contractors and factories often encounter production deviation, making the original component delivery plan nonoptimal. Traditionally, both parties tend to rely on internal resources or third‐party resources to manage schedule changes, paying little attention to the optimisation of the component delivery process. The static compensation mechanisms reported in existing literature require factories to manage demand fluctuations but fail to encourage general contractors to control schedule deviations. Therefore, a dynamic compensation mechanism is proposed to achieve just‐in‐time component delivery, with which a factory shares possible changes for each component’s delivery date to its clients on an inverse Kanban system. First, unfavourable changes for the factory schedule are allocated with surcharges, and the general contractor should compensate the factory if it accepts the date changes; secondly, schedule changes that are beneficial for the factory are assigned as incentives, and the general contractor receives the factory’s incentive upon agreeing to the changes. Based on these two scenarios, genetic algorithm‐based optimisation models are developed to achieve optimal delivery planning solutions. General contractors can obtain an optimal component delivery date to reduce the additional cost when they have changed the assembly schedule. General contractors can also optimise their component delivery schedule to trade their duration flexibility for incentives offered by factories. The models can help both parties to reduce component delivery waste when either side has the motivation to change the original component delivery schedules.
Levels of C‐Reactive Protein and Sodium May Differentiate a Perforated Appendix from a Nonperforated Appendix in Children
Authors: Nissen M. , Tröbs R.-B.
Published: June 2021

Background. Acute appendicitis (AA) might be amenable to conservative antibiotic treatment, whereas a perforated appendix (PA) necessitates surgery. We investigated the value of clinical–laboratory markers in distinguishing AA from a PA. Methods. Retrospectively obtained preoperative parameters for 306 consecutive patients (<18 years) with histologically confirmed appendicitis (AA (n = 237) vs. PA (n = 69)), treated at our institution between January 2014 and December 2017. Results. A PA was associated with male preponderance, younger age, decreased sodium level and increased white blood cell count, Tzanakis score, C‐reactive protein (CRP) level, and CRP‐to‐lymphocyte ratio (CLR). Upon discrimination analysis, CLR and CRP displayed the highest accuracy in differentiating a PA from AA. Regression analysis identified levels of CRP, sodium, and the Tzanakis score as independent predictors for a PA. Conclusion. Levels of CLR, CRP, sodium, and Tzanakis score might support decision‐making regarding treatment options for pediatric appendicitis.
Turbulent Flow Characteristics in a Model of a Solid Rocket Motor Chamber with Sidewall Mass Injection and End-Wall Disturbance
Authors: Albatati F. A. , Hegab A. M. , Rady M. A. , Abuhabaya A. A. , El-Behery S. M.
Published: June 2021

The present analytical, numerical, and experimental investigations are performed to study the flow field in acoustically simulated solid rocket motor (SRM) chamber geometry. The computational solution is carried out for a high Reynolds number and low Mach number internal flows driven by sidewall mass addition in a long chamber with end-wall disturbances. This kind of flow (transient, weakly viscous, and contains vorticity) have several features in common with a turbulent flow field. The numerical study is performed by solving the unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes equations along with the energy equation using the control volume approach based on a staggered grid system. The v2-f turbulence model has been implemented in the current study. A comparison of the SIMPLE and PISO algorithms showed that both algorithms provide identical results, and the computational time using the PISO algorithm is higher by about 6% than the corresponding value of the SIMPLE algorithm. A fair agreement has been obtained between the numerical, analytical, and experimental results. Moreover, the results showed that the complex turbulent internal flow patterns are induced inside the chamber due to the strong interaction of the sidewall injection with the traveling acoustic waves. Such a complex internal structure is shown to be dependent on the piston frequency and sidewall mass flux. The current study, for the first time, emphasizes the acoustic-fluid dynamics interaction mechanism and the accompanying unsteady rotational fields along with the effect of the generated turbulence on the unsteady vorticity and its impact on the real burning rate.
An AIB1 Isoform Alters Enhancer Access and Enables Progression of Early-Stage Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
Authors: Sharif Ghada M. , Campbell Moray J. , Nasir Apsra , Sengupta Surojeet , Graham Garrett T. , Kushner Max H. , Kietzman William B. , Schmidt Marcel O. , Pearson Gray W. , Loudig Olivier , Fineberg Susan , Wellstein Anton , Riegel Anna T.
Published: June 2021

AIB1Δ4 is an N-terminally truncated isoform of the oncogene amplified in breast cancer 1 (AIB1) with increased expression in high-grade human ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). However, the role of AIB1Δ4 in DCIS malignant progression has not been defined. Here we CRISPR-engineered RNA splice junctions to produce normal and early-stage DCIS breast epithelial cells that expressed only AIB1Δ4. These cells showed enhanced motility and invasion in 3D cell culture. In zebrafish, AIB1Δ4-expressing cells enabled invasion of parental cells when present in a mixed population. In mouse xenografts, a subpopulation of AIB1Δ4 cells mixed with parental cells enhanced tumor growth, recurrence, and lung metastasis. AIB1Δ4 chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing revealed enhanced binding to regions including peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) and glucocorticoid receptor (GR) genomic recognition sites. H3K27ac and H3K4me1 genomic engagement patterns revealed selective activation of breast cancer-specific enhancer sites by AIB1Δ4. AIB1Δ4 cells displayed upregulated inflammatory response genes and downregulated PPAR signaling gene expression patterns. In the presence of AIB1Δ4 enabler cells, parental cells increased NF-κB and WNT signaling. Cellular cross-talk was inhibited by the PPARγ agonist efatutazone but was enhanced by treatment with the GR agonist dexamethasone. In conclusion, expression of the AIB1Δ4-selective cistrome in a small subpopulation of cells triggers an “enabler” phenotype hallmarked by an invasive transcriptional program and collective malignant progression in a heterogeneous tumor population.

Significance:

A minor subset of early-stage breast cancer cells expressing AIB1Δ4 enables bulk tumor cells to become invasive, suggesting that selective eradication of this population could impair breast cancer metastasis.
Causes and Outcomes of Dental Malpractice Litigation in the Riyadh Region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Authors: Aldahmashi Amjad Sulaiman , Alqurashi Mohamed Abdulmohsen , Al-Hanawi Mohammed Khaled
Published: June 2021

Introduction: Every health organization aims to provide high-quality service and promote patient safety. However, achieving these goals can be challenging in many healthcare systems around the world. In dentistry, dentists can face medicolegal issues, which can be overcome by exploring the reasons for dental malpractice litigation. In this study, we aim to identify the most common causes and outcomes of dental malpractice litigation in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Methods: This is a retrospective study. We reviewed all closed cases in dentistry as decided by the Medico-Legal Committee of Saudi Arabia in the Riyadh region over a period of 5 years and 3 months, from January 1, 2014, to March 31, 2019. Descriptive analysis was used to examine the phenomenon of dental malpractice claims. Results: In total, 151 claims were analyzed. As per our findings, it was determined that the number of closed claims had increased, with the highest number of claims (35%) related to the prosthodontics specialty, followed by endodontics specialty (31%). The most common causes of litigation were failure to conduct the procedure properly (31.5%) and poor documentation (19.7%). With respect to litigation outcomes, 54% ended up with verdict in favor of the plaintiff. Conclusions: It was determined that there is a rising trend of malpractice litigation in the dentistry field; thus, measures should be taken to address these concerns.
Erectile Dysfunction in Men on the Rise: Is There a Link with Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals?
Authors: Cripps Samuel M. , Mattiske Deidre M. , Pask Andrew J.
Published: June 2021

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is one of the most prevalent chronic conditions affecting men. ED can arise from disruptions during development, affecting the patterning of erectile tissues in the penis and/or disruptions in adulthood that impact sexual stimuli, neural pathways, molecular changes, and endocrine signalling that are required to drive erection. Sexual stimulation activates the parasympathetic system which causes nerve terminals in the penis to release nitric oxide (NO). As a result, the penile blood vessels dilate, allowing the penis to engorge with blood. This expansion subsequently compresses the veins surrounding the erectile tissue, restricting venous outflow. As a result, the blood pressure localised in the penis increases dramatically to produce a rigid erection, a process known as tumescence. The sympathetic pathway releases noradrenaline (NA) which causes detumescence: the reversion of the penis to the flaccid state. Androgen signalling is critical for erectile function through its role in penis development and in regulating the physiological processes driving erection in the adult. Interestingly, estrogen signalling is also implicated in penis development and potentially in processes which regulate erectile function during adulthood. Given that endocrine signalling has a prominent role in erectile function, it is likely that exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) is a risk factor for ED, although this is an under-researched field. Thus, our review provides a detailed description of the underlying biology of erectile function with a focus on the role of endocrine signalling, exploring the potential link between EDCs and ED based on animal and human studies.
Carinicateres merkli gen. et sp. nov. from Thailand, with notes on identification of two lophocateride beetles used in recent molecular phylogenies (Cleroidea, Lophocateridae)
Authors: KOLIBÁČ JIŘÍ
Published: June 2021

Carinicateres merkli gen. et sp. nov. of Lophocateridae from eastern Thailand is described. The monotypic genus is distinct in its unique synapomorphies, namely the tarsal formula 4-4-4, elytron with 2 complete and 3 incomplete carinae, antenna 10-segmented with 2-segmented club. The emarginate frontoclypeal suture, mandible with mola, prementum divided into two parts, cranium dorsally with large impressions, each with seta in centre, crenulate lateral margins of pronotum, and distinct dorsal vestiture are shared with lophocateride genera Indopeltis Crowson and Trichocateres Kolibáč. Two specimens affiliated to Lophocateres Olliff and recently used in three molecular phylogenetic analyses are unambiguously identified as members of the clade Ancyrona + Neaspis and associated with Neaspis Pascoe.
Age-Related Differences in Acquisition of a Verbal Habit
Authors: Waugh Nancy C.
Published: June 2021

10 young (< 40 yr.) and 10 elderly (> 60 yr.) adults recalled previously memorized paired associates over a long series of trials. Practice was either massed or distributed. Reaction time decreased for both groups at the same rate. Spacing of trials did not affect the younger subjects’ pattern of learning. The elderly subjects’ learning curves showed the classical effects of warm-up, reminiscence, and work decrement. Distribution of practice was seen to affect momentary level of performance rather than actual degree of learning.
Machiavellianism and Anxiety among Italian Children
Authors: Poderico Carla
Published: June 2021

182 Italian children (86 boys and 96 girls) responded to the Italian version of Nachamie's Kiddie Mach Test and to the Children's Anxiety Scale. Significant positive but small correlations between the two variables were obtained for both sexes. These results indicate that moderate anxiety may be associated with high Machiavellianism. Further implications of the findings were discussed.