bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analysis on Treatment Effect of Mine Tunnel Construction Spring in Karst Area
Authors: Liu Bocheng , Ye Wenlong , Zhu Chunming , Chen Ran , Huang Songxian , Ni Xiaodong
Published: April 2021

The investigation of ultrashallow buried mining method in an interval revealed the existence of the karst fracture zone. The flow rate of 9 springs exposed in the initial excavation was relatively large, and the total water output per hour was nearly 300 m3. The filling materials in karst channels or fissures had the risk of bursting during excavation. Moreover, the ultrashallow buried tunnel undercrossed a special railway line, and the construction required higher surface deformation control. In view of the abovementioned risk problems, based on the grouting ideas of “assessment of influence,” “determination of surrounding rock,” “zone positioning,” and “dynamic grouting,” the grouting design scheme is dynamically optimized, and the grouting construction of surrounding water is cut off. Combined with the tunnel inspection, monitoring data, and numerical analysis, it is verified that the construction technology adopted in the project can ensure the stability of the project, which can provide a reference for similar projects.
One’s Interoception Affects the Representation of Seeing Others’ Pain: A Randomized Controlled qEEG Study
Authors: Balconi Michela , Angioletti Laura
Published: April 2021

Objective. This research demonstrates that interoceptive attentiveness (IA) can modulate cortical oscillations related to the emotional and cognitive representations of observing pain in others. Methods. Twenty participants were required to observe painful/nonpainful stimuli in an individual versus the interactive condition during the recording of the electroencephalogram. The sample was divided into experimental (EXP) and control (CTR) groups, and the EXP group was explicitly required to direct the attention on its interoceptive correlates while observing the stimuli. Results. Mixed repeated measures, analyses of variance, were applied to each EEG frequency band. Significant findings were obtained mainly for theta and beta bands for the two groups. A hemispheric lateralisation effect was found, with right lateralisation of the theta band for the EXP group when observing painful stimuli and enhanced left activation of theta and beta bands for the CTR group when observing nonpainful stimuli. For both groups, frontal cortical regions were significantly sensitive to social scenarios, while posterior parietal activation was found for stimuli depicting the individual condition. Conclusions. The results suggest that IA might enhance the emotional representation of painful stimuli, highlighting their negative and unpleasant features in the EXP group, while the attention of the CTR group was mainly drawn to nonpainful stimuli in social and individual conditions, with a positive valence. The role of frontal regions in the processing of social stimuli through social cognition, inducing emotional mirroring and requiring deeper analysis of the social context, was underlined. We propose that IA could be trained for promoting emotion regulation and empathic response.
Improved Tomlinson–Harashima Precoding for Ultra Reliable Communication in Intelligent Transportation Systems
Authors: He Shibiao , Yang Xinyi , Liao Yong
Published: April 2021

Cyber‐physical systems (CPSs) are characterized by integrating computation and physical processes. To cope with the challenges of the application of the CPSs in all kinds of environments, especially the cellular vehicle‐to‐everything (C‐V2X) which needs high quality end‐to‐end communication, the robustness and reliability for CPSs are very crucial. Aiming at the technical challenges of information transmission caused by the fading effect and the fast time‐varying characteristics of the channel for C‐V2X communication, an improved Tomlinson–Harashima precoding (THP) algorithm for multiple input multiple output (MIMO) systems is proposed. Channel state information (CSI) and correlation are exploited to compensate instantaneous CSI, which could reflect current real‐time channel status exactly. Further, the iterative water filling power allocation algorithm and the multiuser scheduling algorithm based on the greedy algorithm are jointly optimized and applied to the THP, which could improve the system performance. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm can be efficiently applied to high‐speed mobility scenarios and improve bit error ratio (BER) performance as well as spectrum utilization.
Pulmonary Lymphangitic Spread of Multiple Myeloma as Early Relapse after Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation
Authors: Thapa Bicky , Ahmed Gulrayz , Mohan Meera , Shponka Volodymyr , Hari Parameswaran
Published: April 2021

Clinical relapses early after autologous stem cell transplantation portrays an inferior clinical outcome. Early relapse in this setting with extramedullary disease (EMD) of lung involvement in multiple myeloma is rare. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of lymphangitic spread of myeloma with pulmonary parenchymal and pleural involvement occurring at first relapse.
Remarkable Conversion of 2-Thioxo-2,3-dihydroquinazolin-4(1H)-ones into the Corresponding Quinazoline-2,4(1H,3H)-diones: Spectroscopic Analysis and X-Ray Crystallography
Authors: El-Azab Adel S. , Khalil Nasr Y. , Abdel-Aziz Alaa A.-M.
Published: April 2021

A simple and efficient new synthetic method to obtain 3-substituted quinazolin-2,4-diones 9–16 by the reaction of 3-substituted 2-thioxo-quinazolin-4-ones 1–8 with sodamide under mild conditions was presented. The structure of the newly synthesized compounds was determined by infrared spectroscopy, UV-visible spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance, and single-crystal X-ray crystallographic analysis. The crystal structure of 6-methyl-3-phenylquinazoline-2,4(1H,3H)-dione (11) [C15H12N2O2: MF = 252.27, triclinic, P-1, a = 7.8495 (13) Å, b = 12.456 (2) Å, c = 13.350 (2) Å, α = 103.322 (3)°, β = 90.002 (3)°, γ = 102.671 (4)°, V = 1237.5 (3) Å3, Z = 4, R = 0.0592, wR = 0.1699, S = 1.039] was determined. In the crystal cell, two identical conformers of compound 11 were found connected by intramolecular hydrogen bonds, responsible for the favourable occurrence of these two independent molecules.
Risk Factors for Severe Hypocalcemia in Patients with Secondary Hyperparathyroidism after Total Parathyroidectomy
Authors: Wen Ping , Xu Lingling , Zhao Shasha , Gan Wei , Hou Dawei , Zhang Liang , Cao Jinlong , Xiong Mingxia , Jiang Lei , Yang Junwei
Published: April 2021

Background. Hypocalcemia is the most common complication of total parathyroidectomy in secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) and is associated with adverse consequences such as spasms, epilepsy, and arrhythmia and even death if the serum calcium level decreases rapidly. Previous studies have identified several risk factors for postoperative severe hypocalcemia (SH) in patients with SHPT, but the sample sizes were small and thus the results may not be reliable. Objectives. This study was performed to investigate the risk factors for SH after total parathyroidectomy without autotransplantation (tPTX) in a large sample of patients with uremic hyperparathyroidism. Methods. We retrospectively investigated the records of 1,095 patients with SHPT treated with tPTX between January 2008 and December 2018. Based on the postoperative serum calcium concentration, the patients were grouped into SH and non-SH groups. The clinical characteristics and biochemical results were analyzed, and binary logistic regression analysis was used to identify the risk factors for SH. Results. After surgery, 25.9% of the patients developed SH. Age, diastolic blood pressure (DBP), heart rate, frequency of bone pain, weight of resected glands, preoperative serum calcium, intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and hemoglobin levels differed between the two groups. Binary logistic regression analyses identified preoperative serum calcium, iPTH, and ALP levels as independent predictors of SH after surgery. Conclusions. The preoperative serum calcium, iPTH, and ALP levels can be used to assess the risk of postoperative SH in patients with SHPT. Such patients should thus be monitored closely in order to initiate prompt interventions to avoid SH.
A Challenge for a Unique Dengue Vector Control Programme: Assessment of the Spatial Variation of Insecticide Resistance Status amongst Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus Populations in Gampaha District, Sri Lanka
Authors: Dalpadado Rasika , Gunathilaka Nayana , Amarasinghe Deepika , Udayanaga Lahiru
Published: April 2021

Background. To date, dengue is considered an important public health problem in Sri Lanka. Irrational use of insecticides without evidence‐based applications has primed the development of resistance in mosquito vectors. Method. The present study investigated the resistance status of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus to commonly used insecticides in three selected Medical Officer of Health (MOH) areas (i.e., Attanagalla, Dompe, and Negombo) in Gampaha District, Western Province of Sri Lanka. Entomological surveys were performed using ovitraps and larval collections. Larval bioassays were carried out to determine the LC50, LC90, and LC95 and susceptibility status for organophosphate temephos, whereas adult bioassays were performed to test the 0.03% deltamethrin and 0.8% malathion susceptibility. Results. The study revealed that the temephos concentrations required to control Ae. aegypti (13.7‐17.7 times) and Ae. albopictus (4.6‐7.6 times) are higher than the diagnostic concentration (0.012 mg/L) proposed by the World Health Organization. The highest resistance levels were observed for both Ae. aegypti (14 ± 1.87) and Ae. albopictus (36 ± 1.87) collected from the Negombo MOH area. Therefore, the WHO recommended diagnostic concentration is no longer effective in controlling Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus larvae in these areas. Both the dengue vectors have evolved a high level of insecticide resistance to malathion and deltamethrin in the Gampaha District except Ae. albopictus mosquitoes in rural areas. Further, vectors in rural areas are indicated susceptible (>98%) to pyrethroids and emergence of resistance (<97%) for organophosphate insecticides. Conclusion. The results of this study warrant the vector management authorities on the proper application of insecticides and rational use in vector control. The susceptibility status of vector mosquitoes should be continuously monitored especially in dengue‐endemic areas parallel to the routine surveillance programme. Further molecular studies are strongly recommended to determine the Knockdown Resistance (kdr) mutations among Aedes populations.
Information Fusion of Infrared Images and Vibration Signals for Coupling Fault Diagnosis of Rotating Machinery
Authors: Bai Tangbo , Yang Jianwei , Yao Dechen , Wang Ying
Published: April 2021

Rotating machinery has a complicated structure and interaction of multiple components, which usually results in coupling faults with complex dynamic characteristics. Fault diagnosis methods based on vibration signals have been widely used, however, these methods are intricate when identifying coupling faults, especially in the situation where coupling faults share similar patterns. As a noncontact and nonintrusive temperature‐measuring technique, methods by infrared images can recognize multiple faults through temperature variations; however, it is not effective if the faults are temperature‐insensitive. In this paper, an improved machinery fault diagnosis technique based on information fusion of infrared images and vibration signals is studied, to have better utilization of multisource sensors and to solve the problems when one single type of data is separately used. Firstly, data enhancement for infrared images and data visualization for vibration are performed on the dataset by using the principle of graphics and Short‐Term Fourier Transform, which increases the diversity of the dataset and enhances the generalization ability of the model. Then, a multichannel convolution neural network‐based method is constructed to achieve data‐level information fusion and improve the fault diagnosis accuracy. The effectiveness of the presented method is validated by the experimental studies on a rotor test stand, the results illustrate that the coupling faults can be effectively identified by the information fusion method, and the fault diagnosis accuracy is higher in comparison with the method by a signal from single‐source sensors.
Circulating Prokineticin 2 Levels Are Increased in Children with Obesity and Correlated with Insulin Resistance
Authors: Wang Han , Jia Yanjun , Yu Xiaoyan , Peng Li , Mou Chunfeng , Song Zhixin , Chen Dapeng , Li Xiaoqiang
Published: April 2021

Objective. Prokineticin 2 (PK2) has been shown to regulate food intake, fat production, and the inflammation process, which play vital roles in the pathogenesis of obesity. The first aim of this study was to investigate serum PK2 levels in children with obesity and normal-weight children. The second aim was to compare the levels of PK2 between children with obesity, with and without nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Methods. Seventy normal-weight children and 91 children with obesity (22 with NAFLD) were recruited. Circulating PK2, IL-6, and TNF-α were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Anthropometric and biochemical measurements related to adiposity, lipid profile, and insulin resistance were examined for all participants. Results. Serum PK2 was significantly higher in children with obesity than in the normal-weight controls. Circulating PK2 levels were not different between the patients with and without NAFLD. Circulating PK2 was positively correlated with BMI, BMI z-score, insulin, glucose, HOMA-IR, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, alanine aminotransferase, and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase. Binary logistic regression revealed that the odds ratios for obesity were significantly elevated with increasing PK2. Conclusions. PK2 was strongly associated with obesity, and it may also be related to metabolic disorders and insulin resistance. This trial is registered with ChiCTR2000038838.
E-Government Effect on Participatory Democracy in the Maghreb: Indirect Effect and Government-Led Participation
Authors: Esselimani Sami , Sagsan Mustafa , Kiralp Sevki
Published: April 2021

The evolution of the concept of democracy throughout decades of theory and practice has led to the firm understanding that democracy is progressive in terms of thought and practice. An important feature of democracy is the ability of individuals to discuss and participate in matters of public interest. E-government offers an opportunity for governments and citizens to engage in more deliberate practices of democracy. This paper focuses on the Maghreb region (Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia) and discusses the direct effect of e-government on participatory democracy and also the indirect effect, which is referred to as the “indirect government-led relationship” between e-government and participatory democracy. A quantitative approach was adopted, and a questionnaire was distributed using a nonprobability, judgement sampling method, which focuses on a population with specific knowledge and expertise. A total of 702 answers were collected. The results show that e-government positively affects participatory democracy directly and also indirectly through increasing corruption control, transparency, and accountability.
Extending of Edge Even Graceful Labeling of Graphs to Strong
r
-Edge Even Graceful Labeling
Authors: Zeen El Deen Mohamed R. , Omar Nora A.
Published: April 2021

Edge even graceful labeling of a graph

G

with

p

vertices and

q

edges is a bijective

f

from the set of edge

E

G

to the set of positive integers

2,4
,
…
,
2
q

such that all the vertex labels

f

∗

V

G

, given by

f

∗

u

=

∑

u
v
∈
E

G

f

u
v

mod

2
k

, where

k
=
max

p
,
q

, are pairwise distinct. There are many graphs that do not have edge even graceful labeling, so in this paper, we have extended the definition of edge even graceful labeling to

r

-edge even graceful labeling and strong

r

-edge even graceful labeling. We have obtained the necessary conditions for more path-related graphs and cycle-related graphs to be an

r

-edge even graceful graph. Furthermore, the minimum number

r

for which the graphs: tortoise graph, double star graph, ladder and diagonal ladder graphs, helm graph, crown graph, sunflower graph, and sunflower planar graph, have an

r

-edge even graceful labeling was found. Finally, we proved that the even cycle

C

2

n

has a strong

2

-edge even graceful labeling when

n

is even.
Loop Selection for Multilevel Nested Loops Using a Genetic Algorithm
Authors: Nie Kai , Zhou Qinglei , Qian Hong , Pang Jianmin , Xu Jinlong , Li Xiyan
Published: April 2021

Loop selection for multilevel nested loops is a very difficult problem, for which solutions through the underlying hardware-based loop selection techniques and the traditional software-based static compilation techniques are ineffective. A genetic algorithm- (GA-) based method is proposed in this study to solve this problem. First, the formal specification and mathematical model of the loop selection problem are presented; then, the overall framework for the GA to solve the problem is designed based on the mathematical model; finally, we provide the chromosome representation method and fitness function calculation method, the initial population generation algorithm and chromosome improvement methods, the specific implementation methods of genetic operators (crossover, mutation, and selection), the offspring population generation method, and the GA stopping criterion during the GA operation process. Experimental tests with the SPEC2006 and NPB3.3.1 standard test sets were performed on the Sunway TaihuLight supercomputer. The test results indicated that the proposed method can achieve a speedup improvement that is superior to that by the current mainstream methods, which confirm the effectiveness of the proposed method. Solving the loop selection problem of multilevel nested loops is of great practical significance for exploiting the parallelism of general scientific computing programs and for giving full play to the performance of multicore processors.
circRNA circFAT1(e2) Elevates the Development of Non‐Small‐Cell Lung Cancer by Regulating miR‐30e‐5p and USP22
Authors: Dong Wenmin , Zhang Huiqian , Dai YanCheng , Zhou Yi , Luo Yun , Zhao Cheng , Cao Yiyuan , Du Yuping , Chen Ying
Published: April 2021

Background. As a newly discovered regulatory RNA, circular RNA (circRNA) has become a hot spot in many tumor pieces of research. In recent years, it has been discovered that circRNAs have multiple biological effects in different stages of cancer. However, the expression pattern and mechanism of circFAT1(e2) in non‐small‐cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are still unclear. Methods. The expressions of circFAT1(e2) in NSCLC tissues and cell lines were studied. Functionally, CCK‐8 and transwell experiments were performed in A549 and H1299. In addition, we also performed a dual‐luciferase report analysis to clarify the mechanism of action of circFAT1(e2). Results. circFAT1(e2) was significantly upregulated in NSCLC tissues and cell lines. circFAT1(e2) gene knockdown could significantly inhibit the proliferation, migration, and invasion of NSCLC cells. Loss of function testing found that circFAT1(e2) functioned as an oncogene in NSCLC cells. In addition, circFAT1(e2) acted as a ceRNA to spongy miR‐30e‐5p, which led to the increase in USP22 and promoted cell growth. Conclusions. The circFAT1(e2)‐miR‐30e‐5p‐USP22 axis is a crucial part of the progression of NSCLC. This study suggests that circFAT1(e2) may be an important potential of prognostic prediction and treatment targets for NSCLC patients.
Governance: A Source to Increase Tax Revenue in Pakistan
Authors: Hassan Muhammad Shahid , Mahmood Haider , Tahir Muhammad Naveed , Yousef Alkhateeb Tarek Tawfik , Wajid Ayesha
Published: April 2021

Improved governance in any economy indicates government stability, secured law and order, and minimum internal and external conflicts. A higher level of governance may demonstrate the healthy performance of economic activities and tax revenue collection. Hence, it is vital to investigate the relationship between governance and tax revenue collection in any developing country. Therefore, we aim to investigate the impact of governance on tax revenue in Pakistan using control variables inflation and industrial value‐added. The Autoregressive Distributive Lag (ARDL) cointegration technique is utilized to find the long‐ and short‐run effects of hypothesized variables on the tax revenue using a period 1976–2019. After employing a cointegration on the hypothesized model, the results expose that government stability, law and order, and internal and external conflicts leave a positive and significant impact on tax revenue in the long and short run. Hence, it is concluded that governance is an essential source in expanding tax revenue in Pakistan. Moreover, industrial value‐added and inflation also show positive effects on the tax revenue. On the grounds of these results, it is proposed that the government should make serious efforts to improve governance and industrial activities for better tax revenue collection.
Off-Label Use of Intravenous Immunoglobulin with Methylprednisolone to Treat Parsonage–Turner Syndrome in a United States Marine
Authors: Sedlacek Carissa M. , Leone Michael , Foster Adam D. , Hinkelman Amy
Published: April 2021

Neuralgic amyotrophy (NA) also known as Parsonage–Turner syndrome is an inflammatory disorder of the brachial plexus characterized by sudden, acute onset of severe pain of the arm and/or shoulder followed by muscle weakness and sensory abnormalities. Although management may involve physical therapy, immunomodulatory drugs, and analgesics, there is nothing specific for the treatment of NA. Full functional recovery can take months to years, but recurrence and/or persistence of symptoms and disability are frequent. This case reports a 22-year-old male who recovered from NA within 3 months following treatment with 1000 mg of methylprednisolone and off-label use of 0.5 g/kg of intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIG) for four consecutive days. Three years later, the patient experienced soreness and paresthesia of the shoulder following a military shooting exercise, and 0.75 g/kg of IVIG and 1000 mg of MP were prescribed for 2 consecutive days resulting in complete recovery and no recurrences to date. EMG findings, 3.5-year postinitial treatment, revealed improvement in the brachial plexopathy. This provides support for the combined use of IVIG and glucocorticoids in the treatment of NA and highlights the need for further studies investigating whether this combined treatment regimen may accelerate recovery and improve long-term outcomes for patients diagnosed with NA.
A Combined Convection Carreau–Yasuda Nanofluid Model over a Convective Heated Surface near a Stagnation Point: A Numerical Study
Authors: Hussain Azad , Rehman Aysha , Nadeem Sohail , Malik M. Y. , Issakhov Alibek , Sarwar Lubna , Hussain Shafiq
Published: April 2021

The focus of this manuscript is on two-dimensional mixed convection non-Newtonian nanofluid flow near stagnation point over a stretched surface with convectively heated boundary conditions. The modeled equation representing nonlinear flow is transformed into a system of ordinary differential equations by implementing appropriate similarity transformations. The generated structure is numerically solved by applying the bvp4c method. Consequences of various involved parameters, e.g., stretching parameter, mixed convection parameter, thermophoresis parameter, Brownian movement parameter, Lewis number, Weissenberg number, Prandtl number, Biot number, buoyancy ratio parameter, mass and heat transport rates on temperature and velocity, the stretched surface, and nanoparticle concentration patterns are analyzed. Outcomes are shown graphically and displayed in tables. Velocity fluctuations are responded to by growing parameters of mixed convection and Weissenberg number. Concentration and thermal fields are also discovered for the Prandtl number. There are also flow line diagrams to analyze the behavior.
Accurate Multilevel Classification for Wildlife Images
Authors: Gomez-Donoso Francisco , Escalona Félix , Pérez-Esteve Ferran , Cazorla Miguel
Published: April 2021

The most common approaches for classification rely on the inference of a specific class. However, every category could be naturally organized within a taxonomic tree, from the most general concept to the specific element, and that is how human knowledge works. This representation avoids the necessity of learning roughly the same features for a range of very similar categories, and it is easier to understand and work with and provides a classification for each abstraction level. In this paper, we carry out an exhaustive study of different methods to perform multilevel classification applied to the task of classifying wild animals and plant species. Different convolutional backbones, data setups, and ensembling techniques are explored to find the model which provides the best performance. As our experimentation remarks, in order to achieve the best performance on the datasets that are arranged in a tree‐like structure, the classifier must feature an EfficientNetB5 backbone with an input size of 300 × 300 px, followed by a multilevel classifier. In addition, a Multiscale Crop data augmentation process must be carried out. Finally, the accuracy of this setup is a 62% top‐1 accuracy and 88% top‐5 accuracy. The architecture could benefit for an accuracy boost if it is involved in an ensemble of cascade classifiers, but the computational demand is unbearable for any real application.
A Typical Basalt Platform Landslide: Mechanism and Stability Prediction of Xiashan Landslide
Authors: Huang Yongliang , Sun Zhiwei , Bao Chunyan , Huang Man , Li Anyuan , Liu Minghao
Published: April 2021

The Xiashan landslide, which is classified as a typical basalt platform landslide, is the most massive landslide in Zhejiang Province, China. Once sliding occurs, it will pose a severe threat to the life and property of downstream residents and the nearby section of Hangzhou‐Taizhou Expressway. On the basis of the geological conditions, present situation, and latest monitoring data of the landslide, this study finds that rainfall is the main influencing factor, and the creep mode is the main prediction mode of its subsequent deformation. The rainfall statistics of the landslide area in the past 30 years show that the rainfall and rainfall frequency in the landslide area display an increasing trend. The probability of heavy rain with rainfall intensity of 100–250 mm/day in the landslide area is very high. On this basis, combined with the numerical analysis method, a finite element model of the slope considering rainfall and groundwater conditions is constructed to analyze the causes and failure mechanism of this landslide comprehensively. Results indicate that the maximum tensile stress at the top of the trailing edge under the natural state is 5.10 MPa, which is very close to the saturated tensile strength of rock mass. Thus, tensile cracks are easily generated and developed, thereby causing the failure mode to be the hydraulic driving type. Also, with the increase in rainfall intensity, the slope plastic strain increases and the slope plastic zone develops and extends until it is completely penetrated. When the rainfall intensity is more than 200 mm/day, the slope safety factor is close to unity, and the slope approaches a failure condition. Therefore, the landslide should be controlled through water treatment and integrated with engineering measures.
The Effects of Renal Nerve Denervation on Blood Pressure and Target Organs in Different Hypertensive Rat Models
Authors: Liu Demin , Wang Jing , Hu Haijuan , Gu Guoqiang , Ding Rui , Xie Ruiqin , Cui Wei
Published: April 2021

Background. Hypertension contributes to the progression of cardiac remodeling and renal damage. In turn, renal sympathetic hyperactivation showed elevated sympathetic nervous system activity and led to blood pressure increase in certain patients. The purpose of this study was to observe the effect of renal nerve denervation on blood pressure and target organ changes in two hypertensive rat models. Methods. Hypertensive rats were randomly divided into a renal denervation (RDN) group and sham operation group. Wistar–Kyoto (WKY) rats of the same age were set as the baseline control group. In the secondary hypertension model, SD rats were randomly divided into five groups. Blood pressure and bodyweight were measured every week until they were euthanized. Results. The two rat models underwent RDN at key timepoints. At these timepoints, the hearts and kidneys were collected for norepinephrine and angiotensin II measurements and histological analysis. Conclusion. RDN performed before development of hypertension showed a significant antihypertensive effect on the secondary hypertension model.
Improving the Quality of Life of Family Caregivers of People with Alzheimer’s Disease through Virtual Communities of Practice: A Quasiexperimental Study
Authors: Romero-Mas Montse , Ramon-Aribau Anna , Souza Dyego Leandro Bezerra de , Cox Andrew M. , Gómez-Zúñiga Beni
Published: April 2021

Caring for a person with dementia burdens family caregivers, and there is a close negative relationship between this burden and their quality of life (QoL). Research suggests that caregivers’ main needs are information and training about the disease and support from others experiencing the same situation, and Internet interventions hold considerable promise for meeting these needs. Virtual communities of practice (VCoPs) are Internet frameworks to share knowledge where members collaborate and achieve a sense of trust in the community. This paper seeks to evaluate the impact of participating in a VCoP (developed through an App) on the QoL of caregivers to people with Alzheimer’s. Results show QoL before and after the intervention changed significantly. The impact of VCoP on caregivers’ overall QoL is moderated by age and relation with the person with Alzheimer’s, specifically those over 65, and spouses. VCoPs allow interaction and knowledge sharing among caregivers which provide them mainly with information and support from peers helping them to meet their needs. Furthermore, caregivers’ QoL did not decrease when their relative deteriorated functionally, which could be due to the participation in VCoP. Although we found significant pre- and post differences in caregivers’ health literacy, we must report the ambiguous result that this variable only impacts on QoL’s physical domain. Participants also reported that they had a positive experience because the App was perceived to be a useful tool, because they could manage their own participation and they met peers and felt less lonely. Results suggest that participation in a VCoP impacts positively on caregivers’ QoL.
Research Studies on the Thrust of Special‐Shaped Full‐Sectional Cutterheads of Quasirectangular Shield
Authors: Zhu Yaohong , Wang Jiawei , Zhang Bayang , Zhang Xuqing , Zhu Jue
Published: April 2021

Thrust of shield cutters is the major parameter of tunnel construction and an important index for shield machine design. The thrust bearing resistance of a shield machine has a significant impact on its construction efficiency and safe operation. The use of quasirectangular shield not only can increase the space utilization rate but also avoid the deformation of the back soil when compared with a conventional circular or rectangular shield. In this paper, structural analysis of quasirectangular shield cutterhead is carried out and a corresponding mathematical thrust model is developed. Both the stress and displacement distributions of cutterhead are calculated. It is found that the stress value in most regions of the cutterhead is between 5 MPa and 45 MPa. The maximum stress is 208.44 MPa, which is at the middle part of the rib and is below the yield limit. The maximum deformation is found in the center area of the chest plate, the value of which is also within the design requirement. In addition, a monitoring method suitable for quasirectangular shield is proposed. The appropriateness and reliability of the proposed monitoring method are demonstrated by the comparison between the numerical simulation and monitoring method.
An Approach to Gravity Anomaly Solution in Airborne Scalar Gravimetry
Authors: Zheng Wei , Chen Xuefeng
Published: April 2021

Airborne scalar gravimetry, a kinematic survey technology, is one of the most efficient techniques to acquire the gravity data in the areas where it is neither practical nor possible to make terrestrial measurement. Recently, studies have shown that the precision reaches sub-mGal. Besides the improvement of the instruments, the data processing and gravity anomaly solution algorithms are evolving consistently. This paper investigates an approach based on developing a state space model and using Kalman filtering and smoothing to determine gravity anomaly. The state space model is developed based on the gravimeter measurement equations and measurement errors equations for the specific airborne gravimetry system. The proposed method is implemented to the airborne data collected in southeast China from GT-1A with a stabilized physical platform. The solution results based on the presented model using Kalman filtering and smoothing confirm that the approach was able to implement the solution and acquire the gravity anomaly information, and the comparison between the proposed method and the traditional method indicates that a remarkable improvement in the solution precision is achieved when the proposed method is used.
Leisure and Productivity in Older Adults with Cancer: A Systematic Review
Authors: Engels Cynthia , Bairet Robin , Canoui-Poitrine Florence , Laurent Marie
Published: April 2021

Introduction. Self-care, leisure, and productivity are important occupational domains for older adults’ quality of life, which might be affected by cancer and its treatment. A great number of publications about older adults focus on function or self-care, so we aimed to analyse how cancer and its treatments affect leisure and productivity. Secondary objectives were to identify whether particular clinical and/or sociodemographic factors were associated with occupational disruptions and to assess the impact of rehabilitation approaches on leisure and productivity in this population. Methods. A systematic review of the 2009-2019 literature performed on Medline, Embase, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. Results. 1471 publications were retrieved: 48 full texts were assessed; seven of these (four cross-sectional studies, two cohort studies, and a case report) were reviewed, including data on 16668 people (12649 healthy controls, 3918 cancer survivors, and 101 ill patients). Older adults with comorbidities and a low level of activity before cancer diagnosis may be more at risk of occupational disruptions. However, studies focused more on physical activity than leisure and productivity. Two studies mentioned occupational therapy. Discussion. As cancer can become a chronic disease, it appears important to also offer occupation-centred assessments and follow-up. Conclusion. An occupation-centred approach could be developed; its effectiveness must be assessed.
Resumption of School amid the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Rapid Assessment of Knowledge, Attitudes, and Preventive Practices among Final-Year Senior High Students at a Technical Institute in Ghana
Authors: Dubik Stephen Dajaan , Amegah Kingsley E. , Adam Alhassan S.
Published: April 2021

Background. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about significant challenges to Ghana’s education system, leading to the closure of schools for months. On 31 May 2020, the government of Ghana took a bold decision based on expert advice to reopen schools for final-year students amid the COVID-19 pandemic. However, data for students’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices towards COVID-19 are limited. We sought to investigate students’ level of knowledge, attitudes, and practices towards COVID-19 at Tamale Technical Institute, Ghana. Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 175 final-year students from June to August 2020. A validated questionnaire adapted from previous studies was distributed to the students in their various classes by the researchers. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, analysis of variance, and multivariate logistic regression. All analyses were significant at a

p

value of less than 0.05. Results. The mean age of the study participants was 21.1 years (SD = 2.67), with more males (72.0%) than females participating in the study. The majority (69.7%) of the students trust traditional media sources, i.e., television and radio to receive COVID-19-related information. Awareness about COVID-19 was high (98.3%), and in total, 62.9% (n = 110) had good knowledge, 58.3% (n = 102) had positive attitudes, and 54.9% (n = 96) had good practices towards COVID-19. Factors associated with knowledge were receiving education on COVID-19 (AOR = 0.23; 95% CI: 0.01, 0.55) and mother level of education (AOR = 0.13; 95% CI: 0.02, 0.66). Positive attitudes towards COVID-19 were 63% less likely among students who did not receive education on COVID-19 (AOR = 0.37; 95% CI: 0.15, 0.90). Students who received education on COVID-19 exhibited good practice towards COVID-19 than students who did not receive education on COVID-19 (p = 0.014). Conclusion. Final-year students of Tamale Technical Institute possess good knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward COVID-19. Our findings demonstrate the significant role of health education in improving students’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices towards COVID-19. We recommend continuous and targeted health education to mitigate the widespread misconceptions about COVID-19 through the use of traditional media such as television and radio.
Financial and Employment Impacts of Cancer and COVID-19 Among African American Cancer Survivors
Authors: Hastert TA , Ruterbusch JJ , Best AL , Harper FWK , Thompson H , Beebe-Dimmer JL , Schwartz AG
Published: April 2021

Purpose: Financial hardship due to cancer is more common among African American than White survivors. The COVID-19 pandemic and its economic fallout have also disproportionately affected African Americans. The purpose of this study is to describe the financial and employment impacts of COVID-19 in a population of African American cancer survivors and to compare those impacts with those experienced after a cancer diagnosis. Methods: Results include survey data from 593 participants in the population-based Detroit Research on Cancer Survivors (ROCS) cohort who completed the ROCS enrollment survey and a supplemental questionnaire related to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their financial wellbeing and employment. Most participants (96%) were not diagnosed with COVID-19 by the time they completed the supplement and reflect the societal impact of the pandemic rather than a personal COVID-19 diagnosis. Analyses compare reports of financial hardship (using assets, borrowing money, experiencing debt, decreases in income) and employment impacts (changes to work schedules, duties, hours, employment status) due to cancer and due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: A similar proportion of ROCS participants reported financial hardship (41% vs. 42%) and borrowing money (5% vs. 6%) related to the COVID pandemic and their cancer diagnosis, respectively. Fewer survivors reported borrowing money (9% vs. 17%; p<0.001) or experiencing a decrease in income due to COVID than cancer (20% vs. 28%; p = 0.001); however; more reported debt associated with COVID (30% vs. 17%; p<0.001). Changes to work schedules (44% vs. 36%) and hours worked (44% vs. 28%) related to the COVID pandemic and cancer were common, and not statistically different from one another. More survivors changed their work duties due to the COVID pandemic (20%) than cancer (12%; p = 0.048). Prevalence of changes to employment status were similar for cancer (6%) and COVID (11%). Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic was associated with similar levels of overall financial hardship, and higher prevalence of debt and some work changes, than individual cancer experiences. These additional burdens on a financially vulnerable population could exacerbate existing cancer-related inequities.
Hair Product Use and Ovarian Cancer Risk
Authors: White AJ , Sandler DP , O'Brien KM
Published: April 2021

Purpose. We evaluated whether hair products, including many known to contain carcinogens and endocrine disrupting chemicals, are related to incident ovarian cancer in a large prospective cohort. Methods. After excluding women with a history of ovarian cancer or bilateral oophorectomy, 40,559 Sister Study participants were included. Participants were aged 35–74 and had a sister with breast cancer but no history of breast cancer themselves at enrollment in 2003–2009. Participants completed questionnaires on frequency of hair product use (including hair dyes, straighteners/relaxers and hair permanents/body waves) in the 12 months prior to enrollment. Cox regression models were used to estimate adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% Confidence Intervals (CIs) for the association between hair product type and frequency of use in relation to incident ovarian cancer. We also assessed models stratified by tumor type (serous, non-serous). Results. After a mean of 10 years of follow-up, 241 women had self-reported an incident ovarian cancer diagnosis. Ever use of hair products in the past year (including permanent, semi-permanent and temporary hair dyes, straighteners/relaxers, and hair permanents/body waves) was not associated with a higher risk of ovarian cancer. However, frequent use (>4 times) of straighteners/relaxers in the past year was positively associated with ovarian cancer (HR = 2.45, 95% CI: 1.27–4.73). This association was stronger for non-serous (HR = 4.25, 95% CI: 1.07–16.9) compared to serous (HR = 1.38, 95% CI:0.47–4.04) ovarian cancers. Ever use of permanent hair dye was positively associated with non-serous (HR = 1.91, 95% CI, 1.10–3.33), but inversely associated with serous (HR = 0.65, 95% CI: 0.43–0.98) ovarian cancer (p-for-heterogeneity = 0.002). Conclusion. These results suggest that frequent use of hair straighteners/relaxers and possibly permanent hair dye may be positively associated with the occurrence of non-serous ovarian cancers.
Long-term Patterns of Excess Mortality among Endometrial Cancer Survivors
Authors: Anderson C , Bae-Jump V , Broaddus RR , Olshan AF , Nichols HB
Published: April 2021

Purpose of the study: Examining long-term patterns of mortality among cancer survivors compared to the general population may inform planning for surveillance and follow-up care. We investigated excess mortality after endometrial cancer using conditional relative survival estimates and standardized mortality ratios (SMRs). Methods: Women diagnosed with endometrial cancer during 2000–2017 (N = 183,153) were identified in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. SMRs were calculated as observed deaths among endometrial cancer survivors over expected deaths among demographically similar women in the general U.S. population. Five-year relative survival was estimated at diagnosis and each additional year survived up to 12 years post-diagnosis, conditional on survival up to that year. Results: For the full cohort, 5-year relative survival was 87.7%, 96.2%, and 97.1% at 1, 5, and 10 years post- diagnosis. respectively. Conditional 5-year relative survival first exceeded 95%, reflecting minimal excess mortality compared to the general population, at 4 years post-diagnosis overall, but occurred later for Black women (8 years) compared to White (4 years), and also later for women with regional/distant stage, grade 3 disease, or non- endometrioid histology. The overall SMR for all-cause mortality decreased from 5.90 (95% CI: 5.81–5.99) in the first year after diagnosis to 1.16 (95% CI: 1.13–1.19) at 10+ years; SMRs were consistently higher for non-White women and those with higher stage or grade disease. Conclusions: Overall, endometrial cancer survivors had only a small survival deficit beyond 4 years post- diagnosis. However, excess mortality was greater in magnitude and persisted longer into survivorship for Black women and those with more advanced disease.
Patient Response to Receiving a Notification of Elevated Breast Cancer Risk after Regular Screening Mammogram
Authors: Figueroa WS , Swinehart-Hord PA , Kalister S , Sardesai S , Siddiqi B , Hawley J , Taylor C , Agnese D , Cassingham H , Sweet K , Huber N , Basinger H , Padamsee TJ
Published: April 2021

Background: Population-based screening for breast cancer risk can identify unaffected women at elevated risk and inform them of risk-management options. The James Cancer Hospital recently began assessing risk for women undergoing routine screening mammography. Women found to have ≥20% lifetime risk are notified – with their mammogram results via mail and electronic medical record – that they may be at elevated risk of breast cancer and should consider consulting a high-risk provider. This initial study examined findings from a subsample who participated 2–6 weeks post-notification. Purpose: We sought to determine whether women noticed and understood the notification, and to examine their reactions to the notification of elevated risk. Methods: Of 415 women recruited, 150 (36%) completed the survey, which included items to assess memory and comprehension of the notification, and whether participants had (a) seen a healthcare provider since the notification, and (b) discussed breast cancer risk and management options during that appointment. Results: Participants (aged 40–69; mean = 50.8 years) were mostly White (86%), well-educated (77%), and with above-average income (65%). Most remembered receiving the notification (73%), perceived the information not to be complex (73%), and were confident they understood the notification (93%). Somewhat fewer (64%) remembered that the notification indicated they may be at elevated risk for breast cancer, and 44% also recalled the suggestion to meet with a healthcare provider about this risk. Of the 28 participants who had already seen any healthcare provider in the few weeks since the notification, 50% discussed breast cancer risk during that appointment and 25% said they did so because of the notification. Discussions included family cancer history, actual risk of developing breast cancer, and options for additional imaging or testing. Conclusions: These findings indicate that population-based screening associated with routine mammography can motivate women at elevated breast cancer risk to discuss their risk and management options with a healthcare provider. For some proportion of women, however, complementary communication strategies may also be needed to ensure they gain awareness of their higher-risk status.