bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Technical Report Column
Authors: Kelley Dean
Published: July 2022

Welcome to the Technical Reports Column. If your institution publishes technical reports that you'd like to have included here, please contact me at the email address above.
Distributed Computing Column 85 Elastic Consistency
Authors: Alistarh Dan
Published: July 2022

Overview. In this column, we attempt to cover a new and exciting area in distributed computing, that is, distributed and parallel machine learning. Together with my students Giorgi Nadiradze and Ilia Markov, I share an expository version of a recent conference paper [30] which attempts to provide a "consistency condition" for optimization problems which appear in distributed computing and machine learning applications.
Elastic Consistency
Authors: Alistarh Dan , Markov Ilia , Nadiradze Giorgi
Published: July 2022

Machine learning models can match or surpass humans on specialized tasks such as image classification [20, 14], speech recognition [37], or complex games [39]. One key tool behind this progress has been a family of optimization methods which fall under the umbrella term of stochastic gradient descent (SGD) [35], which are by and large the method of choice for training large-scale machine learning models.
Designing Robots for Aging: Wisdom as a Critical Lens
Authors: Lee Hee Rin , Riek Laurel
Published: July 2022

Although the concept of wisdom is ancient, empirical research on it has only recently received attention in gerontology. This coincides with a critical turn away from a deficit model of aging, viewing aging as a series of losses, toward a more supportive and developmental model. This article draws on this recent work to consider how wisdom can be a critical lens for human-robot interaction (HRI) researchers and other technology design researchers to pay more attention to the coping strategies that older adults accumulated throughout their lives. We engaged in a 6-month collaborative design process with community-dwelling older adults. The contributions of this article are twofold. First, we found that wisdom as a design concept helps researchers to critically examine how they define knowledge. Wisdom as an accumulation of experiential knowledge of older adults helps researchers rethink the definition of knowledge—valuing computational and technological knowledge—in the field of HRI. Second, wisdom leads researchers to the past experiences of older adults. Although past experiences are as important as current experiences, they are not actively considered in robot design studies for older adults. We hope wisdom as a critical lens could allow researchers to integrate the invisible aspects of older adults’ aging experiences into the existing practices of designing robots for aging users.
Deep Saliency Mapping for 3D Meshes and Applications
Authors: Nousias Stavros , Arvanitis Gerasimos , Lalos Aris , Moustakas Konstantinos
Published: July 2022

Nowadays, three-dimensional (3D) meshes are widely used in various applications in different areas (e.g., industry, education, entertainment and safety). The 3D models are captured with multiple RGB-D sensors, and the sampled geometric manifolds are processed, compressed, simplified, stored, and transmitted to be reconstructed in a virtual space. These low-level processing applications require the accurate representation of the 3D models that can be achieved through saliency estimation mechanisms that identify specific areas of the 3D model representing surface patches of importance. Therefore, saliency maps guide the selection of feature locations facilitating the prioritization of 3D manifold segments and attributing to vertices more bits during compression or lower decimation probability during simplification, since compression and simplification are counterparts of the same process. In this work, we present a novel deep saliency mapping approach applied to 3D meshes, emphasizing decreasing the execution time of the saliency map estimation, especially when compared with the corresponding time by other relevant approaches. Our method utilizes baseline 3D importance maps to train convolutional neural networks. Furthermore, we present applications that utilize the extracted saliency, namely feature-aware multiscale compression and simplification frameworks.
Disappointment
Authors: Greenberg Jessica , Muir Sarah
Published: July 2022

In recent years, disappointment has emerged as a prominent topic of anthropological inquiry and theorization. We explore this disciplinary interest in order to probe the conditions that have made it possible, the lines of inquiry it opens up, and the self-reflexive critiques it underscores. Running throughout the anthropological literature on disappointment is a pressing concern with the messy, unpredictable, and friction-laden dimensions of social life, dimensions that eschew easy categorization in terms of the heroic/abject, agentive/passive, macro/micro, righteous/wrong-headed, or progressive/reactionary. After exploring the conditions that underlie disappointment, we discuss comparison, poetics, and slog as three domains of its anthropological analysis, highlighting key methodological innovations, ethnographic genres, and research questions within each area. We close with reflections on disappointment within the discipline, focusing on the experience of field research, the moral optimism of the discipline, and the institutional conditions that shape knowledge production and professional life.
Religious Orthodoxies: Provocations from the Jewish and Christian Margins
Authors: Fader Ayala , Naumescu Vlad
Published: July 2022

This review represents a dialogic experiment developing the comparative analytical category of religious orthodoxies. To explore the category, we profile scholarship on Jewish and Christian orthodoxies, neither of which fits into the Protestant ideas of religion, secularism, and modernity that still implicitly undergird the anthropology of religion. For religious orthodoxies, the heart of religious experience is correctness and continuity, rather than personal transformation and reform. Furthermore, the imbrication of the political with the theological that is definitive of religious orthodoxies holds promise for new understandings of politics and religion's potential for social action. By including different relationships of scale in a range of social formations and institutional dynamics, religious orthodoxies provide insight into the mutually constitutive relationship between practice and belief; the taken-for-grantedness of material mediation of presence in orthodox traditions; the ethical dimension of practice; and the entanglements of orthodoxies, heterodoxies, and heresies.
Intimacy and the Politics of Love
Authors: Mody Perveez
Published: July 2022

This review provides an overview of the anthropology of love and some of the main bodies of ethnographic work and theoretical debates around studies of love. It surveys specific studies that make the politics of intimacy and love central to their analysis and that seek to make theoretical sense of its meaning and broader significance. This discussion is followed by work that draws together an example of the politicization of love in the shape of a claim around “love jihad,” which has dominated recent discussions of love in India and has begun to receive anthropological attention. In conclusion, the review argues that the politics of love will need to account for the meanings, constraints, and everyday vulnerabilities through which intimate lives become entangled with and illuminate political projects of every scale.
Multifunctional CeO2 Nanomaterials: Wet Chemical Synthesis, Characterization, and NIR Pigmentation Applications
Authors: Priyanka A. , Balamurugan S. , Ashika S. A.
Published: July 2022

Herein, we report the methods adopted for the syntheses of nano-scale CeO2 materials by wet chemical routes (solution combustion, hydrothermal, and precipitation by NH4OH and mixture of NH4HCO3 and NH4OH) and their experimental results supported by TG-DTA, XRD, FESEM-EDX, FT-IR, and NIR characterization techniques. The nano-scale CeO2 materials were obtained through wet chemical and simple calcination methods in a single-step process. The thermal (TG) profile of precursor salt ((NH4)2Ce(NO3)6) reveals ∼72% of weight loss in the temperature ranges from 30 °C to 800 °C, whereas the different as-obtained CeO2 materials showed ∼3%–13% of weight loss indicating the formation of cubic nanostructured CeO2 materials, as evidenced from XRD patterns. All the pure materials obtained in a single step crystallized in cubic nanostructured CeO2 phase with the average crystalline sizes in the range of 3–28 nm. The morphology of the combustion obtained CeO2 materials exhibits spherical-shaped fine particles with moderate agglomeration. The as-obtained CeO2 materials can be used in the solar reflective and color pigment applications as it shows remarkably high NIR reflectance in the NIR region, 750–2500 nm compared to other binary oxides. The visual appearance of the as-obtained CeO2 powder was pale yellow color and varied with the preparation conditions. The FT-IR band observed at ∼490–534 cm−1 for all the as-obtained CeO2 materials confirming the metal oxide network, Ce–O.
Improving self-motion perception and balance through roll tilt perceptual training
Authors: Wagner Andrew R. , Kobel Megan J. , Tajino Junichi , Merfeld Daniel M.
Published: July 2022

Roll tilt vestibular perceptual thresholds, an assay of vestibular noise, were recently found to correlate with postural sway. We therefore hypothesized that roll tilt perceptual training would yield improvements in both perceptual precision and balance. Our data show that roll tilt perceptual thresholds and quiet stance postural sway can be significantly improved after less than 5 h of roll tilt perceptual training, supporting the hypothesis that vestibular noise contributes to increased postural sway.
Spinal electrical stimulation to improve sympathetic autonomic functions needed for movement and exercise after spinal cord injury: a scoping clinical review
Authors: Flett Sarah , Garcia Juanita , Cowley Kristine C.
Published: July 2022

Spinal cord injury (SCI) results in sensory, motor, and autonomic dysfunction. Obesity, cardiovascular disease, and metabolic disease are highly prevalent after SCI. Although inadequate voluntary activation of skeletal muscle contributes, it is absent or inadequate activation of thoracic spinal sympathetic neural circuitry and suboptimal activation of homeostatic (cardiovascular and temperature) and metabolic support systems that truly limits exercise capacity, particularly for those with cervical SCI. Thus, when electrical spinal cord stimulation (SCS) studies aimed at improving motor functions began mentioning effects on exercise-related autonomic functions, a potential new area of clinical application appeared. To survey this new area of potential benefit, we performed a systematic scoping review of clinical SCS studies involving these spinally mediated autonomic functions. Nineteen studies were included, 8 used transcutaneous and 11 used epidural SCS. Improvements in blood pressure regulation at rest or in response to orthostatic challenge were investigated most systematically, whereas reports of improved temperature regulation, whole body metabolism, and peak exercise performance were mainly anecdotal. Effective stimulation locations and parameters varied between studies, suggesting multiple stimulation parameters and rostrocaudal spinal locations may influence the same sympathetic function. Brainstem and spinal neural mechanisms providing excitatory drive to sympathetic neurons that activate homeostatic and metabolic tissues that provide support for movement and exercise and their integration with locomotor neural circuitry are discussed. A unifying conceptual framework for the integrated neural control of locomotor and sympathetic function is presented which may inform future research needed to take full advantage of SCS for improving these spinally mediated autonomic functions.
COVID-19 and olfactory dysfunction: a looming wave of dementia?
Authors: Kay Leslie M.
Published: July 2022

More than 15 million people worldwide experience persistent COVID-19 olfactory dysfunction, possibly caused by olfactory bulb damage. SARS-CoV-2 can cause inflammation and viral invasion of the olfactory bulb, initiating a cascade of degeneration similar to Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body disease. People who have had even mild cases of COVID-19 show signs of degeneration in cortical areas connected with the olfactory system. These data suggest a wave of post-COVID dementia in the coming decades.
Inconsistent attentional contexts impair relearning following gradual visuomotor adaptation
Authors: Im Hee Yeon , Liddy Joshua J. , Song Joo-Hyun
Published: July 2022

Adaptation acquired under single- or dual-task setting, which created an undivided or divided attentional context, respectively, was impaired when relearning occurred under different conditions (i.e., shifting from a dual to single task). Changes to the attentional context impaired relearning when the initial adaptation was to a gradual perturbation. Explicit awareness of the perturbation was not necessary for this effect to be robust, nor was the effect attributable to changes in the secondary task requirements.
Processing of embedded response plans is modulated by an interplay of frontoparietal theta and beta activity
Authors: Wendiggensen Paul , Adelhöfer Nico , Jamous Roula , Mückschel Moritz , Takacs Adam , Frings Christian , Münchau Alexander , Beste Christian
Published: July 2022

Even simple actions like opening a door require integration/binding and flexible reactivation of different motor elements. Yet, the neural mechanisms underlying the processing of such “embedded response plans” are largely elusive. The study shows that there are multiple roles of beta and theta oscillations associated with different functional neuroanatomical structures during the integration and reactivation of motor elements during actions.
[Retracted] Unani Formulation Habb‐e‐Suranjan: A Treasure of Biological Activities
Authors: Ahemad Ansari Imtiyaz Ahmed Tufail , Aejazuddin Qazi Majaz Ahamad , Khan G. J. , Alsayari Abdulrhman , Wahab Shadma , Khan Sharuk L. , Akter Noor Jahan , Islam Md. Rezaul , Roy Arpita , Islam Fahadul
Published: July 2022

Habb‐e‐Suranjan (HES), an Unani formulation, has been studied for its anti‐inflammatory properties in both in vitro and in vivo experiments. HES is recommended for arthritis, gout, and joint pain. The current endeavor is an attempt to put it to the test and verify its efficacy scientifically. It was tested for DPPH, hydroxyl, and nitric oxide scavenging activities. It was shown that HES had the greatest TAC and FRAC values when compared to catechin and ascorbic acid. HES exhibited DPPH and hydroxyl radical scavenging activity that was dose‐dependent. Incubation of sodium nitroprusside solutions in PBS at 25°C for 150 min resulted in the production of nitric oxide. Nitric oxide production was effectively decreased by HES. Anti‐inflammatory medications boosted the migration of PMN cells toward the chemoattractant FMLP in an agarose experiment of PMN chemotaxis. In carrageenan‐induced rat paw edema, in the HES‐treated group, paw thickness was 3.021 ± 0.084 at t = 0, but it showed an increase in paw inflammation after one hour, i.e., 3.195 ± 0.082 cm which again showed a decrease in paw thickness up to 4th hour, i.e., 3.018 ± 0.078, 2.98 ± 0.032, and 2.684 ± 0.061 at t = 2, 3, and 4, respectively. It showed again getting back to the normal thickness of paw at t = 24 hrs, i.e., 3.029 ± 0.118 cm. It is concluded that the formulation is potent enough and can be used effectively for the treatment of inflammation and associated health issues. Moreover, there is much scope to evaluate its effectiveness using different in vitro and in vivo models.
Evaluation of the Effect of Integrated Care on Preoperative Anxiety in Day Surgery Patients Based on the MVPA Framework
Authors: Chen Jinhui , Cai Hua , Chen Jia , Peng Lin , Zuo Xiaolan , Li Runa , Tang Lijun
Published: July 2022

Objective. To investigate the effect of receiving comprehensive care on preoperative anxiety in patients admitted to the operating room at different times. Methods. A generative model was applied to a patient’s preoperative anxiety aid diagnostic model and used to address preoperative anxiety due to the patient. Group ICA first constructed a whole-brain dynamic functional connectivity network, and an initial dataset was constructed by Kendall’s ranking correlation coefficient method; then, an expanded dataset was constructed by a conditional deep convolutional generative adversarial network (CDCGAN), and finally, a dynamic classification study of patients with preoperative anxiety and healthy subjects was conducted by feature selection and discriminant models in turn. Seventy patients who entered the operating theatre at different times were retrospectively analyzed. Children who entered the operating theatre after 14:00 were included in the control group (

n
=
35

), and those who entered between 12:00 were included in the observation group (

n
=
35

). Patients in both groups were given comprehensive care, and preoperative anxiety was compared between the two groups. Results. The earlier the patients entered the operating room, the lower the preoperative anxiety. Conclusion. Comprehensive care could reduce the patients’ preoperative anxiety, keep their emotions stable, and improve their compliance with treatment.
HEIH Promotes Malignant Progression of Gastric Cancer by Regulating STAT3-Mediated Autophagy and Glycolysis
Authors: Zhang Huiqing , Shen Xiaohua , Xiong Shuping , Peng Lixiang , Mai Wenli , Xin Longxiang
Published: July 2022

To study the clinical value of HEIH hyperexpression in gastric cancer and the molecular mechanism of promoting malignant proliferation of gastric cancer cells, qRT-PCR was used to detect the expression of HEIH in gastric cancer and nontumor gastric tissues. HEIH interference sequence was constructed to downregulate HEIH expression in MGC-803 and BGC-823 cell lines. CCK8, clonogenesis, and Transwell assay were used to detect the effects of HEIH on proliferation and invasion of tumor cells. The protein levels of STAT3, p-STAT3, P62, and LC3 were detected by Western blotting. The results showed that HEIH was highly expressed in gastric cancer (

P
<
0.01

). Interference of HEIH expression in MGC-803 and BGC-823 cells reduced the proliferation and invasion of gastric cancer cells, and the results were statistically significant (

P
<
0.05

). HEIH acts as a miRNA sponge for miR-4500. HEIH promotes gastric cancer development by inhibiting miR-4500. STAT3 is a downstream target of miR-4500. HEIH inhibits autophagy and promotes glycolysis. In conclusion, HEIH is highly expressed in gastric cancers. HEIH promotes malignant proliferation and development of gastric cancer cells. HEIH may be a new candidate site for pathological diagnosis and molecular drug therapy for future clinical treatment of gastric cancer.
Comparison of Warming Needle Moxibustion and Drug Therapy for Treating Knee Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Authors: Li Juan , Yang Haizhou , Hu Tianyan
Published: July 2022

Objective. To compare the efficacy of warming needle moxibustion (WNM) with that of drug therapy for treating knee osteoarthritis (KOA), so as to provide evidence-based reference for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis. Methods. PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, VIP, WanFang, and CNKI were searched from inception to March 23, 2022. Literature selection was processed in strict accordance with inclusion and exclusion criteria. Cochrane Risk of Bias Assessment tool was applied for quality assessment of included studies. Data analysis and publication bias assessment were performed using Stata 15.0. Results. There were 30 RCTs included, with 1324 participants in the WNM group and 1293 in the control group. Meta-analysis showed that the WNM group yielded more excellent effect than the control group (

R
R
=
1.22

, 95% CI (1.17, 1.27),

p
=
0

), improvement in WOMAC scores was greater in the WNM group than in the control group (

WMD
=
−
8.48

, 95% CI (-13.13, -3.83),

p
=
0.002

), activity of daily living (ADL) score was higher in the WNM group than in the control group (

WMD
=
−
7.66

, 95% CI (-10.22, -5.09),

p
=
0.01

), improvement in joint stiffness scores was greater in the WNM group than in the control group (WMD = -1.72, 95% CI (-2.50, -0.93),

p
=
0.005

), and improvement in pain scores was greater in the WNM group than in the control group (

SMD
=
−
1.09

, 95% CI (-1.38, -0.79),

p
=
0.001

). Conclusions. WNM would be more effective in improving quality of life, decreasing WOMAC score, promoting knee function recovery, and alleviating the joint pain and stiffness, compared with orally taken drug therapies. Therefore, WNM could be given prior consideration for the treatment of KOA.
[Retracted] Effect of Recombinant Netrin‐1 Protein Combined with Peripheral Blood Mesenchymal Stem Cells on Angiogenesis in Rats with Arteriosclerosis Obliterans
Authors: Zeng Jie , Lu Cong , Huang Hui , Huang Jianxin
Published: July 2022

This work was aimed to explore the effect of recombinant netrin‐1 protein and peripheral blood mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) on the angiogenesis ability of atherosclerosis. 28 Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were taken as research models. The arterial occlusion models were created by surgery and then divided into the saline control group (n =7), netrin‐1 treatment group (n =7), MSCs treatment group (n =7), and netrin‐1 + MSCs combined treatment group (n =7). The peripheral blood MSCs were extracted from the peritoneal cavity of diseased SD rats and cultured alone or in combination with netrin‐1. The individually cultured MSCs and netrin‐1 were locally injected into the ischemic tissues of SD rats. The Tarlov scoring was performed at the first, second, and third week of treatment, respectively. The expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) was also measured by quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR), and the capillary density was measured by immunofluorescence staining. The mean maximum contractility of the gastrocnemius muscle in each group was determined in the third week after treatment. The Tarlov score of the netrin‐1 + MSCs group was significantly higher than that of the control group (P < 0.05) at the second week. To the 4th week of treatment, the Tarlov score of the netrin‐1 + MSCs group was highly increased compared to the netrin‐1 group and the MSCs group (P < 0.05). The expression of VEGF in the treatment groups was greatly increased each week compared to the control group (P < 0.05). Compared with the netrin‐1 and the MSCs groups, the VEGF was also notably increased in the netrin‐1 + MSCs group (P <0.05). The capillary densities of the treatment groups were observably greater than that of the control group in the second and third weeks (P <0.05), while the capillary density in the netrin‐1 + MSCs group was also significantly increased than those in the netrin‐1 group and the MSCs group (P < 0.05). The mean maximum contractility of the netrin‐1 + MSCs group was remarkably higher than that of the other groups (P < 0.05). The netrin‐1 + MSCs group achieved the higher Tarlov score, higher VEGF expression, higher capillary density, and better muscle recovery than netrin‐1 and MSCs treatments.
[Retracted] Image Processing and Machine Learning‐Based Classification and Detection of Liver Tumor
Authors: Jasti V. Durga Prasad , Prasad Enagandula , Sawale Manish , Mewada Shivlal , Bangare Manoj L. , Bangare Pushpa M. , Bangare Sunil L. , Sammy F.
Published: July 2022

The liver is in charge of a plethora of tasks that are critical to healthy health. One of these roles is the conversion of food into protein and bile, which are both needed for digestion. Inhaled and possibly harmful chemicals are flushed from the body. It destroys numerous nutrients acquired through the gastrointestinal system and limits the release of cholesterol by utilizing vitamins, carbohydrates, and minerals stored in the liver. The body’s tissues are made up of tiny structures known as cells. Cells proliferate and divide in order to create new ones in the normal sequence of events. When an old or damaged cell has to be replaced, a new cell must be synthesized. In other circumstances, the procedure is a total and utter failure. If the tissues of dead or damaged cells that have been cleared from the body are not removed, they may give birth to nodules and tumors. The liver can produce two types of tumors: benign and malignant. Malignant tumors are more dangerous to one’s health than benign tumors. This article presents a technique for the classification and identification of liver cancers that is based on image processing and machine learning. The approach may be found here. During the preprocessing stage of picture creation, the fuzzy histogram equalization method is applied in order to bring about a reduction in image noise. After that, the photographs are divided into many parts in order to zero down on the area of interest. For this particular classification task, the RBF‐SVM approach, the ANN method, and the random forest method are all applied.
Alteration in the Immune Microenvironment Based on APC Status in MSS/pMMR Colon Cancer
Authors: Lin Haishan , Cao Bangwei
Published: July 2022

Introduction. Immunotherapy is currently the most promising antitumor treatment approach. However, the colon cancer immunotherapy indication dMMR/MSI-H do not cover all colon cancer patients suitable for immunotherapy. We performed transcriptome-wide expression profile analyses of pMMR/MSS colon adenocarcinoma (COAD) specimens from TCGA database to identify a genetype signature associated with tumor immune microenvironment types (TIMTs). Methods. TCGA database was used to identify tumor genotypes suitable for antitumor immunotherapy. We analyzed RNA-sequencing profiles of 338 COAD targeted to the pMMR/MSS group from TCGA public dataset. The ESTIMATE and the CIBERSORT were used to analyze the pMMR/MSS COAD immune microenvironment between APC wild and APC mutation. Furthermore, we further verified the relationship between APC genotype and TIMTs and the efficacy of immunotherapy in 42 colon cancer specimens. Results. We identified that in APC-wt/MSS colon cancer, the expressions of PD-1, PD-L1, CTLA4, and CYT (GZMA and PRF1) were increased. The TMB, Immunoscore, and the proportion of CT8+ T cell infiltration also were identified increasing in these patients. And pathway enrichment analysis for differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between APC-wt and APC-mt MSS COAD was done to further explore their biological function. Similarly, the significant pathways for DEGs were mainly enriched in the immune response, extracellular matrix, and cell adhesion which involved in immune response. Specimens from 42 colon cancer patients, including 22 APC-mt/MSS and 20 APC-wt/MSS, were immunohistochemically evaluated for expression of CD8 and PD-L1. And APC-wt/MSS tumors showed significantly higher expression of CD8 and PD-L1 than APC-mt/MSS tumor. Moreover, APC-wt was compared with APC-mt MSS/pMMR colon cancer (DOR, 45% and 26.7%, respectively;

P
<
0.05

). Conclusion. Based on the results, we found that more colon cancers of APC-wt/MSS are classified by TMIT I. And APC-wt/MSS colon cancer patients are more likely to benefit from antitumor immunotherapy.
[Retracted] Assessment of Bacterial Isolates from the Urine Specimens of Urinary Tract Infected Patient
Authors: Prasada Rao Chennu M. M. , Vennila T. , Kosanam Sreya , Ponsudha P. , Suriyakrishnaan K. , Alarfaj Abdullah A. , Hirad Abdurahman Hajinur , Sundaram S. R. , Surendhar P. A. , Selvam Nagarajan
Published: July 2022

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) maintained a serious public health concern, as did the growth in antibiotic resistance both between uropathogenic microorganisms. A regular assessment of the microbiological agents that cause UTIs, as well as their antimicrobial resistance, is essential for a tailored empirical antibiotic response. Knowing the variables that cause UTIs can help you intervene quickly and simply to get the condition under control. The most common infecting species in acute infection is Escherichia coli (E. coli). To strengthen infection control strategies, it is necessary to know the prevalence and location of UTI. The goal of this research is to measure the frequency of microorganisms isolated from patients with UTIs as well as the antimicrobial sensitivity characteristics of Gram‐negative bacteria. The purpose of this research has been to evaluate the frequency of UTIs by extracting and characterizing the various bacterial etiological organisms, as well as to assess the factors linked to UTIs. The goal of this research is to identify, characterize, and establish the antibiotic susceptibility patterns of bacteria linked to urinary tract infections. Fresh collected urine specimen was taken from inpatients or outpatients in UTI cases and bacteriologically tested using conventional microbiological methods. The Kirby‐Bauer disc diffusion method was used to create the antibiogram. Staphylococcus saprophyticus, Staphylococcus aureus (28%), and Escherichia coli (24.6%) were the most common isolates (20%). The evaluated agents’ antibacterial activity was all in the following order: cefixime, ciprofloxacin, augmentin, gentamicin, ceftazidime, nitrofurantoin, ofloxacin, and cefuroxime. It was discovered that each and every one of the microbes exhibited varied degrees of resistance to the antibiotics nitrofurantoin, ciprofloxacin, and ofloxacin. Every type of bacteria, with the exception of those belonging to the genus Streptococcus, has a Multiple Antibiotic Resistance Index (MARI) that is more than 0.2. The first‐line therapies for urinary tract infections (UTIs) in the region would consist of ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, and nitrofurantoin. Lower urinary tract infections almost never result in problems if they are diagnosed and treated as soon as possible and in the correct manner. However, if treatment is not sought, a urinary tract infection can lead to serious complications.
WKYMVm/FPR2 Alleviates Spinal Cord Injury by Attenuating the Inflammatory Response of Microglia
Authors: Zhang Wenwu , Chen Jiewen , Guo Weimin , Kong Ganggang , Wang Le , Cheng Xing , Zeng Xiaolin , Wan Yong , Li Xiang
Published: July 2022

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a common traumatic disease of the nervous system. The pathophysiological process of SCI includes primary injury and secondary injuries. An excessive inflammatory response leads to secondary tissue damage, which in turn exacerbates cellular and organ dysfunction. Due to the irreversibility of primary injury, current research on SCI mainly focuses on secondary injury, and the inflammatory response is considered the primary target. Thus, modulating the inflammatory response has been suggested as a new strategy for the treatment of SCI. In this study, microglial cell lines, primary microglia, and a rat SCI model were used, and we found that WKYMVm/FPR2 plays an anti-inflammatory role and reduces tissue damage after SCI by suppressing the extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2) and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signaling pathways. FPR2 was activated by WKYMVm, suppressing the secretion of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) by inhibiting M1 microglial polarization. Moreover, FPR2 activation by WKYMVm could reduce structural disorders and neuronal loss in SCI rats. Overall, this study illustrated that the activation of FPR2 by WKYMVm repressed M1 microglial polarization by suppressing the ERK1/2 and NF-κB signaling pathways to alleviate tissue damage and locomotor decline after SCI. These findings provide further insight into SCI and help identify novel treatment strategies.
[Retracted] Clinical Value of sTREM‐1, PCT, and 1,3‐β‐D Glucan in Diagnosis of Immune‐Associated Pulmonary Interstitial Disease with Fungal Infection
Authors: Yan Lei , Li Yuan , Wu Chunye , Shi Yuquan , Kong Chunyu
Published: July 2022

Background. Fungal infection in the lungs can cause fungal infectious diseases. This disease develops rapidly and involves a wide range. Pathogenic fungi are also more serious types of pathogenic bacteria. If it invades deep organs and tissues, it will endanger life, so it needs timely diagnosis. Aim. To investigate the diagnostic value of serum soluble myeloid cell triggering receptor‐1 (sTREM‐1), procalcitonin (PCT), and 1,3‐β‐D glucan detection in immune related lung disease complicated with fungal infection. Methods. In this study, a case‐control study was conducted. 50 patients with immune‐related pulmonary disease complicated with fungal infection (infection group) diagnosed by sputum culture in our hospital from January 2017 to December 2021 were selected as the control group, and 50 patients with immune‐related pulmonary disease without fungal infection were selected as the control group. The levels of sTREM‐1, PCT, and 1,3‐β‐D glucan were compared in the two groups. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) was used to analyze the value of the three indicators in the diagnosis of immune‐related pulmonary disease complicated with fungal infection, and the changes of the three indicators before and after treatment were compared. Results. The levels of sTREM‐1, PCT, and 1,3‐β‐D glucan in the infection group were higher than those in the control group (P < 0.05). The levels of sTREM‐1, PCT, and 1,3‐β‐D glucan in the infection group after treatment were significantly lower than those before treatment (P < 0.05). The AUC value of sTREM‐1 in the diagnosis of immune‐related pulmonary diseases complicated with fungal infection was 0.980, the sensitivity was 97.11%, and the specificity was 83.06%. The AUC value of PCT in the diagnosis of immune‐related pulmonary diseases complicated with fungal infection was 0.860, the sensitivity was 80.00%, and the specificity was 72.41%. The AUC value of 1,3‐β‐D glucan in the diagnosis of immune‐related pulmonary diseases complicated with fungal infection was 0.993, the sensitivity was 98.74%, and the specificity was 99.16%. The levels of sTREM‐1, PCT, and 1,3‐β‐D glucan in the infection group after treatment were considerably lower than those before treatment, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Conclusion. The detection of sTREM‐1, PCT, and 1,3‐β‐D glucan levels has high clinical value for the diagnosis of immune‐related pulmonary diseases complicated with fungal infection.
Characterization of Acoustic Emission Parameters during Fracture Process of Siltstone with Prefabricated Void
Authors: Liu Xiaorong , Zheng Lulin , He Hengyi , Qiu Qing , Liu Ziqi , Li Xuefeng , Yan Lin , Huang Gang
Published: July 2022

Due to the transfer of Lannigou gold mining from shallow to deep, a series of stability problems of surrounding rock have been caused. The drilling pressure relief technology has unique advantages in the control of mine pressure in high-stress roadways. In order to explore the damage effect of borehole pressure relief technology on rock, uniaxial compression and acoustic emission tests were carried out on siltstone specimens with borehole diameters of 8 mm, 12 mm, and 16 mm, respectively, and the acoustic emission signals of the whole process were collected simultaneously to explore the uniaxial compression of siltstone specimens with prefabricated holes in this paper. According to the statistical characteristics of acoustic emission, the damage law of siltstone specimens with prefabricated holes was explored from the microscopic point of view and the damage effect of drilling on siltstone specimens reflected by the acoustic emission phenomenon was revealed. The research results show that there are multiple stress drops before the deformation and failure of the rock sample with prefabricated drill holes; there is a positive correlation between the diameter of the drill hole and the power law index of the stress drop distribution; the acoustic emission activity of the rock during the deformation and failure process can be indirectly reflected the evolution of microfractures; the energy probability density function under different borehole diameters conforms to the power law distribution; the critical exponent obtained by the maximum likelihood estimation has an optimal plateau value, which can accurately characterize the power exponent of the energy distribution; the launch waiting time and aftershock sequence have a good power-law distribution in logarithmic coordinates. The research results provide a certain theoretical basis for the application of drilling pressure relief technology in southwestern Guizhou.
Hemodynamic and Geometric Risk Factors for In-Stent Restenosis in Patients with Intracranial Atherosclerotic Stenosis
Authors: Song Xiaowen , Qiu Hancheng , Wang Shuo , Cao Yong , Zhao Jizong
Published: July 2022

Problem. Investigating the importance of vessel geometry and hemodynamics in intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis (ICAS) might provide a more profound understanding about the underlying mechanisms of in-stent restenosis (ISR). Methods. Severe ICAS patients managed with percutaneous transluminal angioplasty and stenting (PTAS) were included in the retrospective cohort study and were divided into two groups according to whether ISR occurred at follow-up (ISR group and no-ISR group). Computational fluid dynamics models were built based on digital subtraction angiography before and after PTAS to simulate blood flow and quantify hemodynamic parameters. The associations between vessel geometry, hemodynamics, and ISR in ICAS patients were investigated. Results. Among 39 patients, ISR occurred in seven patients (17.95%) after a mean follow-up period of

6.69
±
3.24

months. Stenting decreased vessel angulation (51.11° [40.07°–67.27°] vs. 15.97° [0.00°–36.16°],

P
=
0.000

) and vessel tortuosity (0.09 [0.06–0.13] vs. 0.01 [0.00–0.03],

P
=
0.000

). Meanwhile, the translational pressure ratio (PR) dramatically increased (0.07 [0.00–0.31] vs. 0.62 [0.41–0.82],

P
=
0.000

) with the wall shear stress ratio decreased (13.93 [8.37–40.30] vs. 2.90 [1.69–4.48],

P
=
0.000

). In the multivariate analysis, smaller

Δ

tortuosity (

P
=
0.038

) was independently associated with the occurrence of ISR, and smaller post-PTAS translesional PR was also a predictive factor of marginal significance (

P
=
0.059

). Conclusion. PTAS decreased vessel angulation, vessel tortuosity, and translesional wall shear stress ratio while it increased translesional pressure ratio (PR) dramatically in ICAS patients. Smaller

Δ

tortuosity was found to be a risk factor for ISR, and smaller post-PTAS translesional PR was also a predictive factor of marginal significance, indicating that both geometric and hemodynamic parameters played important roles in the occurrence of ISR after PTAS.
A Meta-analysis of Xiaoyin Granules Combined with Acitretin Capsule in the Treatment of Psoriasis Vulgaris
Authors: Geng Aiai , Pei Tianli , Zhao Xueyi , Jia Bo
Published: July 2022

Background. Psoriasis is a chronic noncommunicable dermatological condition, and psoriasis vulgaris is the most common phenotype. Acitretin is the most widely used systemic retinoid in the treatment of psoriasis. This review evaluates the clinical therapeutic effects of Xiaoyin granule, a Chinese herbal medicine, combined with acitretin capsule in the treatment of psoriasis vulgaris. Methods. Six databases including PubMed, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wan Fang, and China Biology Medicine disc (CBM) were searched for published studies on Xiaoyin granule and/or acitretin capsule in psoriasis vulgaris. The Cochrane Collaboration risk-of-bias instrument was used to assess the quality of the included RCTs. STATA 14.0 was used to conduct the statistical analysis. Results. Twenty-eight trials with 3281 patients were included in this meta-analysis. The results of this study show that the combined treatment of Xiaoyin granule and acitretin capsule could improve the total effective rate (TER) and cure rate (CR) when compared with acitretin capsule (TER:

RR
=
1.15

, 95% CI (1.10, 1.21); CR:

RR
=
1.8

, 95% CI (1.62, 2.00)) or Xiaoyin granule (TER:

RR
=
1.24

, 95% CI (1.11, 1.39); CR:

RR
=
1.75

, 95% CI (1.54, 1.98)) alone. The combined therapy could decrease the PASI score (mean

difference
=
−
1.45

, 95% CI (-2.09, -0.80)) and inhibit inflammation (IL-10: mean

difference
=
1.16

, 95% CI (0.94, 1.38); IL-17: mean

difference
=
−
2.06

, 95% CI (-2.60, -1.51)) in psoriasis vulgaris patients. Conclusions. The combination of Xiaoyin granule and acitretin capsules could be a novel therapeutic strategy in the treatment of psoriasis vulgaris. However, the quality of trials in this study limited the conclusion, and more high-quality RCTs are needed for further evaluation.
The Use of Infrared Thermography in Determining Timing for Early Pedicle Division of the Preexpanded Bipedicled Visor Flap after Ischemic Preconditioning
Authors: Xiao Wentian , Zhang Shunuo , Li Hua , Feng Shaoqing , Nicoli Fabio , Huynh Richard , Lu Jiajing , Zhang Yixin , Min Peiru
Published: July 2022

Background. The preexpanded bipedicled visor flap, supported by the bilateral superficial temporal vessels, stands as an ideal choice for upper and lower lip reconstruction in males. However, the bilateral tissue bridges after flap transfer caused patients significant cosmetic deformity and psychological burden. Early division of bilateral pedicles reduced the length of hospitalization and expenses. In this study, infrared thermography (IRT) was used to guide the early pedicle division after ischemic preconditioning. Methods. This study retrospectively analyzed patients who underwent preexpanded bipedicled visor flap surgery from April 2018 to October 2021. Pedicle division was scheduled at two weeks postflap transfer. Ischemic preconditioning was initiated 3-5 days in advance by repeatedly clamping both pedicles. The temperature alteration of the flap and the temperature difference compared to the normal adjacent tissue were evaluated by IRT. The division surgery was not scheduled until the perfusion assessment indicated adequate. This comprised of subjective examination and indocyanine green angiography. The threshold of temperature difference to determine the pedicle division was analyzed based on the temperature changes between the clamps. Results. A total of 8 male patients successfully conducted the pedicle division without any complications. The delay period after ischemic preconditioning ranged from 14 to 19 days (average 16 days). Through ischemic preconditioning training, the average temperature of the flap gradually increased from

31.85
±
0.36

°C to

33.89
±
0.50

°C, and the temperature difference with the normal surrounding tissues decreased from

2.89
±
0.30

°C to

1.15
±
0
.

46

°

C

(95% confidence interval (1.5, 0.8)). The temperature difference stayed unchanged after pedicle division. Conclusion. Ischemic preconditioning shortens the perioperative period to pedicle division. Monitoring the temperature change reflects the revascularization between the flap and the recipient site, thus guiding the pedicle division. The temperature difference less than 1.5°C after clamping both pedicles can be set as the safe threshold for pedicle division.
[Retracted] Adropin Inhibits Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Osteogenic Differentiation to Alleviate Vascular Calcification via the JAK2/STAT3 Signaling Pathway
Authors: Wang Li , Jin Fulu , Wang Peiyu , Hou Shiqiang , Jin Tao , Chang Xiansong , Zhao Liangping
Published: July 2022

Vascular calcification is characterized as the deposition of hydroxyapatite mineral in the form of calcium‐phosphate complexes in the vasculature. Transdifferentiation between vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) and osteoblast‐like cells is considered essential in the progression of vascular calcification. The pathophysiological mechanisms underlying vascular calcification and VSMC osteogenic differentiation remain to be fully elucidated, and the development of novel therapies is required. In the present study, PCR and western blot analysis were conducted to quantify the mRNA and protein expression levels of calcification‐associated markers (bone morphogenetic protein 2, alkaline phosphatase, osteoprotegerin, osteocalcin, and runt‐related transcription factor 2) and adropin in VSMCs and rat vascular tissues. The calcification of VSMCs was assessed using alizarin red staining. Moreover, adropin expression levels in VSMCs were analyzed using immunofluorescence. Lentiviral transfection and small interfering RNA were used for overexpression and knockdown of adropin in VSMCs, respectively. The results demonstrated that adropin alleviated vascular calcification in vivo. Moreover, adropin also inhibited osteogenic differentiation and the calcification of VSMCs in vitro. Notably, results of the present study revealed that the tyrosine protein kinase JAK2 (JAK2)/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) signaling pathway played a key role in the aforementioned inhibition. In conclusion, the results of the present study demonstrated that adropin inhibited VSMC osteogenic differentiation to alleviate vascular calcification via the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway.
NTM-Based Skill-Aware Knowledge Tracing for Conjunctive Skills
Authors: Huang Qiang , Su Wei , Sun Yuantao , Huang Tianyuan , Shi Juntai
Published: July 2022

Knowledge tracing (KT) is the task of modelling students’ knowledge state based on their historical interactions on intelligent tutoring systems. Existing KT models ignore the relevance among the multiple knowledge concepts of a question and characteristics of online tutoring systems. This paper proposes a neural Turing machine-based skill-aware knowledge tracing (NSKT) for conjunctive skills, which can capture the relevance among the knowledge concepts of a question to model students’ knowledge state more accurately and to discover more latent relevance among knowledge concepts effectively. We analyze the characteristics of the three real-world KT datasets in depth. Experiments on real-world datasets show that NSKT outperforms the state-of-the-art deep KT models on the AUC of prediction. This paper explores details of the prediction process of NSKT in modelling students’ knowledge state, as well as the relevance of knowledge concepts and conditional influences between exercises.