bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
FAST-TWITCH MUSCLE FIBERS HYPERTROPHY IS HAMPERED BY ANTIOXIDANT SUPPLEMENTATION DURING ATROPHY REHABILITATION IN RATS
Authors: Dutra Maurilio T. , Girgis Beshoy , Bovolini Antonio , Duarte José Alberto R.
Published: March 2022

The role of antioxidant supplementation on muscle recovery after disuse is unknown. The aim was to investigate the effect of Vitamin C and E supplementation on muscle recovery after hindlimb suspension. Twenty-two Wistar rats were allocated into 4 groups: exercise with supplementation (VIT, [Formula: see text]); exercise with placebo (PLA, [Formula: see text]); hindlimb suspension (SUSP, [Formula: see text]), and control (CON, [Formula: see text]). All groups, except for CON, were submitted to a hindlimb suspension protocol for 10 days. Then, VIT and PLA underwent 10 days of a rehabilitation protocol consisting of exercise on a treadmill. VIT received vitamin C (250 mg/kg/day) and E (360 mg/kg) during rehabilitation. Samples of soleus and tibialis anterior were prepared for cross-sectional area (CSA) and biochemical analysis. Both VIT (1265.6[Formula: see text]m[Formula: see text]2, 95% CI: 1234.6–1290.3) and PLA (1280.9[Formula: see text]m[Formula: see text]2, 95% CI: 1296.4–1354.9) presented higher CSA of the soleus in relation to CON (816.66[Formula: see text]m[Formula: see text]2, 95% CI: 866.3–904.0, [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text] 0.05) with no difference between them. Both VIT (1276.9[Formula: see text]m[Formula: see text]2, 95% CI: 1378.7–1484.6) and PLA (1573.3[Formula: see text]m[Formula: see text]2, 95% CI: 1553.9–1651.5) presented higher tibialis anterior CSA in relation to CON (1041.56[Formula: see text]m[Formula: see text]2, 95% CI: 1119.1–1185.2, [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text] 0.05). In this muscle, CSA of PLA was higher than VIT ([Formula: see text] [Formula: see text] 0.05). Vitamin’s supplementation attenuated tibialis anterior hypertrophy following the rehabilitation protocol.
Executive Compensation and Firm Performance Relationship
Authors: Kayani Umar Nawaz , Gan Christopher
Published: March 2022

The relationship between executive compensation and firm performance is well documented in the existing literature. However, in the case of Asia Pacific firms, the least attention is paid while investigating this relationship. This study examines the relationship between executive compensation and firm performance in the Asia Pacific firms throughout 2007–2019. We use the total salary paid to chief executive officers and equivalent, the total compensation paid to the CEO, and the equivalent and total salaries and bonuses paid to the CEO and equivalent as a measure of executive compensation. For the firm performance, both accounting measure (ROA) and market measure Tobin’s [Formula: see text] (TQ), and various control variables were used. We found that a firm performance has a positive relationship with total compensation paid to CEO and total salaries and bonuses paid to the CEO. Our results support the agency theory by confirming that higher CEO compensation will lead towards higher firm performance by motivating executives to maximize shareholder benefits. However, the total salary does not have any significant relationship. The overall result of the study indicates that the results of the Asia Pacific regions complement the results obtained in another part of the developed world. The results are supported by the social comparison theory. The study has a practical implication for policymakers, business owners, shareholders, and executives by suggesting aligning their business strategies based on compensation parameters for achieving the best firm performance.
METHODS FOR INVESTIGATING CONTRACTION CHARACTERISTICS OF A PART OF MUSCLES FOR IMPLANTABLE POWER GENERATION SYSTEMS
Authors: SAHARA GENTA , HIJIKATA WATARU , INOUE YUSUKE , YAMADA AKIHIRO , SHIRAISHI YASUYUKI , FUKAYA AOI , KARUBE MASATO , GENDA TATSUYA , IWAMOTO NAOKI , TACHIZAKI YUMA , MORITA RYOSUKE , YAMBE TOMOYUKI
Published: March 2022

To develop a power generation system as a solution to the power supply problems of small active implantable medical devices, we proposed a new method to examine muscles using skeletal muscle contraction through electrical stimulation. Realization of the system requires data on the contraction characteristics of a part of the muscles through which blood flows; thus, a dedicated setup was built and verified using a goat. The connecting parts were attached to two points in the large muscle of the goat’s trunk; one was fixed and the other slid along the guide. The distance and force between the two points, approaching each other, were measured by contracting the muscle between the points using electrical stimulation and pulling the measurement cart. The contraction distance and force were measured simultaneously, and the dynamic work of the contraction was calculated. The muscle work occurred with almost the same time delay regardless of the load, and the work tended to be greater when the contraction force, and not the contraction distance, of the muscle was large. The setup is physiological, simple, and versatile. Our setup can potentially be used in the development of implantable power generation systems and in other related fields.
ENTROPIC ANALYSIS OF PUBLIC TRANSPORT SYSTEM STRIKES
Authors: GAUDIANO MARCOS E. , LUCCA CARLOS M. , REVELLI JORGE A.
Published: March 2022

In this work, we study the hierarchical properties observed in temporal patterns of public transport strike records of Córdoba city, Argentina. We show how a previously developed entropy-based methodology can be applied here to unveil different strike regimes, to which particular political uncontrollability degrees can be naturally associated. From data analysis, a successive increment in the uncontrollability of the public transport system can be quantitatively inferred. The proposed analysis turns out to be easily generalizable to other contexts, providing a theoretical framework for contrasting the intensity of the strikes, independently of its nature, city and/or historical time.
MEASURING THE IMPACT OF ECONOMIC POLICIES ON CO2 EMISSIONS: WAYS TO ACHIEVE GREEN ECONOMIC RECOVERY IN THE POST-COVID-19 ERA
Authors: HUANG WENJI , SAYDALIEV HAYOT BERK , IQBAL WASIM , IRFAN MUHAMMAD
Published: March 2022

Regional attempts to reduce pollution levels emerging from the European Union (EU) relative to 2010 are contrasted with unique policies of individual member countries’ aims to achieve a 10% reduction per country. Given this scenario, this research expands on the topic by developing a novel framework that links macroeconomic policies, total national expenditure per person, traditional energy use, renewable energy use, and CO2 emissions levels in EU countries from 1990 to 2016. The study utilizes the second generation cross-sectional-autoregressive-distributed lag (CS-ARDL) panel data method. According to the study’s findings, the monetary instruments of growth exacerbated the adverse effects of CO2 emissions, and by tightening monetary policy, the harmful effects of CO2 emissions levels have been reduced. Further, the Granger causality test indicates a bidirectional causality between monetary policy and CO2 emissions levels, and unidirectional causality from the policy assessment for energy use. The finding confirms that the assessment policy recommendations on energy consumption have future effects on ecological value.
Graph Sequence Neural Network with an Attention Mechanism for Traffic Speed Prediction
Authors: Lu Zhilong , Lv Weifeng , Xie Zhipu , Du Bowen , Xiong Guixi , Sun Leilei , Wang Haiquan
Published: March 2022

Recent years have witnessed the emerging success of Graph Neural Networks (GNNs) for modeling graphical data. A GNN can model the spatial dependencies of nodes in a graph based on message passing through node aggregation. However, in many application scenarios, these spatial dependencies can change over time, and a basic GNN model cannot capture these changes. In this article, we propose a

G

raph

S
eq

uence neural network with an

A
tt

ention mechanism (GSeqAtt) for processing graph sequences. More specifically, two attention mechanisms are combined: a horizontal mechanism and a vertical mechanism. GTransformer, which is a horizontal attention mechanism for handling time series, is used to capture the correlations between graphs in the input time sequence. The vertical attention mechanism, a Graph Network (GN) block structure with an attention mechanism (GNAtt), acts within the graph structure in each frame of the time series. Experiments show that our proposed model is able to handle information propagation for graph sequences accurately and efficiently. Moreover, results on real-world data from three road intersections show that our GSeqAtt outperforms state-of-the-art baselines on the traffic speed prediction task.
SmartShots: An Optimization Approach for Generating Videos with Data Visualizations Embedded
Authors: Tang Tan , Tang Junxiu , Lai Jiewen , Ying Lu , Wu Yingcai , Yu Lingyun , Ren Peiran
Published: March 2022

Videos are well-received methods for storytellers to communicate various narratives. To further engage viewers, we introduce a novel visual medium where data visualizations are embedded into videos to present data insights. However, creating such data-driven videos requires professional video editing skills, data visualization knowledge, and even design talents. To ease the difficulty, we propose an optimization method and develop SmartShots, which facilitates the automatic integration of in-video visualizations. For its development, we first collaborated with experts from different backgrounds, including information visualization, design, and video production. Our discussions led to a design space that summarizes crucial design considerations along three dimensions: visualization, embedded layout, and rhythm. Based on that, we formulated an optimization problem that aims to address two challenges: (1) embedding visualizations while considering both contextual relevance and aesthetic principles and (2) generating videos by assembling multi-media materials. We show how SmartShots solves this optimization problem and demonstrate its usage in three cases. Finally, we report the results of semi-structured interviews with experts and amateur users on the usability of SmartShots.
Finding AI’s Faults with AAR/AI: An Empirical Study
Authors: Khanna Roli , Dodge Jonathan , Anderson Andrew , Dikkala Rupika , Irvine Jed , Shureih Zeyad , Lam Kin-Ho , Matthews Caleb R. , Lin Zhengxian , Kahng Minsuk , Fern Alan , Burnett Margaret
Published: March 2022

Would you allow an AI agent to make decisions on your behalf? If the answer is “not always,” the next question becomes “in what circumstances”? Answering this question requires human users to be able to assess an AI agent—and not just with overall pass/fail assessments or statistics. Here users need to be able to
localize
an agent’s bugs so that they can determine when they are willing to rely on the agent and when they are not. After-Action Review for AI (AAR/AI), a new AI assessment process for integration with Explainable AI systems, aims to support human users in this endeavor, and in this article we empirically investigate AAR/AI’s effectiveness with domain-knowledgeable users. Our results show that AAR/AI participants not only located significantly
more
bugs than non-AAR/AI participants did (i.e., showed greater recall) but also located them more
precisely
(i.e., with greater precision). In fact, AAR/AI participants outperformed non-AAR/AI participants on every bug and were, on average, almost six times as likely as non-AAR/AI participants to find any particular bug. Finally, evidence suggests that incorporating labeling into the AAR/AI process may encourage domain-knowledgeable users to abstract above individual instances of bugs; we hypothesize that doing so may have contributed further to AAR/AI participants’ effectiveness.
MOTION – A Framework for Mixed-Protocol Multi-Party Computation
Authors: Braun Lennart , Demmler Daniel , Schneider Thomas , Tkachenko Oleksandr
Published: March 2022

We present MOTION, an efficient and generic open-source framework for mixed-protocol secure
multi-party computation (MPC)
. MOTION is built in a user-friendly, modular, and extensible way, intended to be used as a tool in MPC research and to increase adoption of MPC protocols in practice. Our framework incorporates several important engineering decisions such as full communication serialization, which enables MPC over arbitrary messaging interfaces and removes the need of owning network sockets. MOTION also incorporates several performance optimizations that improve the communication complexity and latency, e.g.,

\( 2\times \)

 better online round complexity of precomputed correlated 
Oblivious Transfer (OT)
.

We instantiate our framework with protocols for
N
 parties and security against up to

\( N-1 \)

passive corruptions: the MPC protocols of
Goldreich-Micali-Wigderson (GMW)
in its arithmetic and Boolean version and OT-based BMR (Ben-Efraim et al., CCS’16), as well as novel and highly efficient conversions between them, including a non-interactive conversion from BMR to arithmetic GMW.

MOTION is highly efficient, which we demonstrate in our experiments. Compared to secure evaluation of AES-128 with

\( N=3 \)

parties in a high-latency network with OT-based BMR, we achieve a 16

\( \times \)

better throughput of 16 AES evaluations per second using BMR. With this, we show that BMR is much more competitive than previously assumed. For

\( N=3 \)

parties and full-threshold protocols in a LAN, MOTION is

\( 10\times \)

–

\( 18\times \)

faster than the previous best passively secure implementation from the MP-SPDZ framework, and

\( 190\times \)

–

\( 586\times \)

faster than the actively secure SCALE-MAMBA framework. Finally, we show that our framework is highly efficient for privacy-preserving neural network inference.
Constrained Proximity Attacks on Mobile Targets
Authors: Wang Xueou , Hou Xiaolu , Rios Ruben , Tippenhauer Nils Ole , Ochoa Martín
Published: March 2022

Proximity attacks allow an adversary to uncover the location of a victim by repeatedly issuing queries with fake location data. These attacks have been mostly studied in scenarios where victims remain static and there are no constraints that limit the actions of the attacker. In such a setting, it is not difficult for the attacker to locate a particular victim and quantifying the effort for doing so is straightforward. However, it is far more realistic to consider scenarios where potential victims present a particular mobility pattern. In this article, we consider abstract (constrained and unconstrained) attacks on services that provide location information on other users in the proximity. We derive strategies for constrained and unconstrained attackers, and show that when unconstrained they can practically achieve success with theoretically optimal effort. We then propose a simple yet effective constraint that may be employed by a proximity service (for example, running in the cloud or using a suitable two-party protocol) as a countermeasure to increase the effort for the attacker several orders of magnitude both in simulated and real-world cases.
Lowering the T-depth of Quantum Circuits via Logic Network Optimization
Authors: Häner Thomas , Soeken Mathias
Published: March 2022

The multiplicative depth of a logic network over the gate basis {∧ , ⊕ , ¬} is the largest number of ∧ gates on any path from a primary input to a primary output in the network. We describe a dynamic programming based logic synthesis algorithm to reduce the multiplicative depth of logic networks. It makes use of cut enumeration, tree balancing, and
exclusive sum-of-products (ESOP)
representations. Our algorithm has applications to cryptography and quantum computing, as a reduction in the multiplicative depth directly translates to a lower
T
-depth of the corresponding quantum circuit. Our experimental results show improvements in
T
-depth over state-of-the-art methods and over several hand-optimized quantum circuits, for instance, of AES, SHA, and floating-point arithmetic.
Loosening Control—A Hybrid Approach to Controlling Heterogeneous Swarms
Authors: Esterle Lukas , King David W.
Published: March 2022

Large pervasive systems, deployed in dynamic environments, require flexible control mechanisms to meet the demands of chaotic state changes while accomplishing system goals. As centralized control approaches may falter in environments where centralized communication and knowledge may be impossible to implement, researchers have proposed decentralized control methods that leverage agent-driven, self-organizing behaviors, to achieve reliable, flexible systems. This article presents and compares the performance of three decentralized control approaches in the online multi-object
k
-assignment problem. In this domain, a set of sensors is tasked to detect and track an unknown and changing set of targets. Results show that a proposed hybrid approach that incorporates supervisory devices within the population while allowing semi-autonomous operations in non-supervisory devices produces a flexible and reliable system capable of both high detection and coverage rates.
Do You Hear What I Hear: The Balancing Act of Designing an Electronic Hockey Puck for Playing Hockey Non-Visually
Authors: Cooper Triston , Lai Heather , Gorlewicz Jenna
Published: March 2022

Blind hockey is a sport that is gaining popularity in the United States after having an international presence for years. In blind hockey, a modified puck is used that emits sounds via ball bearings that rattle inside the puck when it is moving. The modified puck’s lifetime is minimal due to its lack of durability, and it does not provide feedback when the puck stops moving. This article presents an evaluation of multiple prototypes that investigate the appropriate acoustic profiles for an electronic version of a puck that has the ability to overcome some of these challenges. Our approach leverages the use of alternative 3D printable materials and the implementation of four distinct sound profiles: the league-standard puck in blind hockey, a 3.5kHz piezo buzzer, an 800Hz sine tone, and simulated white noise. We present the design and prototype of the pucks, along with benchtop and user validation tests of the prototypes, comparing them to the league standard puck with a focus on acoustic performance. Participants rated the white noise sound profile highest in pleasantness and loudness and the LSP highest in localization. The white noise sound profile was associated with lower angle and distance errors. Of the prototypes produced, the white noise prototype puck appeared to demonstrate the most promise for playing hockey non-visually. We close with a discussion of recommendations for future electronic hockey puck designs to support blind hockey moving forward.
Energy-efficient and Reliable Inference in Nonvolatile Memory under Extreme Operating Conditions
Authors: Resch Salonik , Khatamifard S. Karen , Chowdhury Zamshed I. , Zabihi Masoud , Zhao Zhengyang , Cilasun Husrev , Wang Jian-Ping , Sapatnekar Sachin S. , Karpuzcu Ulya R.
Published: March 2022

Beyond-edge devices can operate outside the reach of the power grid and without batteries. Such devices can be deployed in large numbers in regions that are difficult to access. Using machine learning, these devices can solve complex problems and relay valuable information back to a host. Many such devices deployed in low Earth orbit can even be used as nanosatellites. Due to the harsh and unpredictable nature of the environment, these devices must be highly energy-efficient, be capable of operating intermittently over a wide temperature range, and be tolerant of radiation. Here, we propose a non-volatile processing-in-memory architecture that is extremely energy-efficient, supports minimal overhead checkpointing for intermittent computing, can operate in a wide range of temperatures, and has a natural resilience to radiation.
Experimental Confirmation of C-Rate Dependent Minima Shifts in Arrhenius Plots of Li-Ion Battery Aging
Authors: Bozorgchenani Maral , Kucinskis Gints , Wohlfahrt-Mehrens Margret , Waldmann Thomas
Published: March 2022

Li-ion batteries show a minimum of their aging rate at a certain temperature. This minimum in the corresponding Arrhenius plot expresses the longest cycle life at a certain C-rate. By characterizing aging of laboratory-made pouch cells and commercial 21700 cells as a function of C-rate and ambient temperature, we confirm that this minimum indeed shifts with the charging C-rate. Increasing C-rates lead to higher optimal ambient temperatures with respect to the aging rate. The differences between both cell types are discussed regarding the specific energy and anode coating thickness of the tested cells.
A Study of the Effect of Electrochemical Roughening of Platinum on the Sensitivity and Selectivity of Glutamate Biosensors
Authors: Tan Chao , Yin Haocheng , Brooks Victoria , Arumugam Prabhu U. , Siddiqui Shabnam
Published: March 2022

A systematic study of electrochemically roughened (ECR) thin film platinum (Pt) microelectrodes for glutamate, GLU (a major excitatory neurotransmitter) detection is presented. Scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, surface profilometry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and amperometry techniques were applied to investigate the effect of high-frequency electrical pulses on Pt microelectrode roughness, electroactive area, charge transfer resistance, and sensitivity and selectivity to hydrogen peroxide, a by-product of enzymatic biosensors and GLU. An increase in the mean surface roughness from 9.0 ± 0.5 to 116.3 ± 7.4 nm (n = 3) was observed which resulted in a 55 ± 2% (n = 3) increase in the electroactive area. An ECR microelectrode treated at +1.4 V and coated with a selective coating produced a GLU selectivity value of 342 ± 34 (n = 3) vs ascorbic acid and the highest GLU sensitivity of 642 ± 45 nAμM−1cm−2 (n = 3) when compared to other surface-treated Pt microelectrodes reported in the literature. An impedance model was created to elucidate the microstructural and electrochemical property changes to the ECR microelectrodes. The ECR surface comprises of uniformly distributed homogenous pores with very low impedance, which is ∼6-times lower when compared to a methanol cleaned electrode. The model could lay a foundation for the rational designing of biosensors for enhanced neurotransmitter detection.
Microstructure and Texture in Copper Filled Millimeter Scale Through Silicon Vias
Authors: Kim S.-H. , Braun T. M. , Lee H.-J. , Moffat T. P. , Josell D.
Published: March 2022

The microstructure and crystallographic texture of copper electrodeposits in millimeter scale through silicon vias are characterized using electron backscatter diffraction. The deposits obtained from additive-containing CuSO4-H2SO4 electrolytes are characteristic of the superconformal deposition process, with growth textures and columnar grains consistent with previous findings in smaller TSV. The microstructure, like the filling evolution it records, changes substantially with chloride concentration for the concentrations of polymer suppressor used. With chloride concentrations of 80 μmol·l−1 and less, columnar grains of Cu capture the linear motion of the local growth front during filling with a strong 〈110〉 orientation along the elongated grain axes typical of deposition in chloride-containing Cu electrolytes. In the mid- and upper- via locations these columnar grains are angled upward from the sidewalls toward the center of the v-shaped growth front. In a limited region adjacent to the via bottom they extend vertically from the bottom surface. With millimolar chloride concentration, deposition also exhibits columnar grains with preferred 〈110〉 growth orientation in the lower region of the via and adjacent to the sidewalls. However, separation of the central deposit from the sidewalls results in a convex geometry of the growth front and spatially varying texture in most of the deposit.
An Analysis of English Schooling at College Quality Based on Modern Information Technology
Authors: Wang Wenhui , Zhang Hua
Published: March 2022

The importance of learning English is increasing as China’s foreign exchanges become more frequent. China’s independent colleges have been steadily growing in recent years, with the main school’s main characteristic of cultivating applied talents, and teaching quality gradually improving. College English teaching is a practical application of college English education and instruction. The “sum of beliefs, recognized values, and technologies commonly accepted by the members of a specific community” is the world outlook and mode of behavior that a group of researchers engaged in a particular science adopts. Modern information technology has pervaded people’s work and lives since the dawn of the information age, and it is now widely used in a variety of fields. Teachers’ primary roles have shifted from disseminator of information, presenter of knowledge, transmitter of culture, and provider of correct answers in today’s learning environment supported by modern information technology to promoter of learning, organizer of activities, student helper, and interactive collaborator. This paper obtains some information useful to the development of teaching work based on the data mining algorithm used in the mining practice of the educational administration information management system. This information is useful for improving teaching quality, implementing the talent development program more effectively, mastering student skill development, and teachers’ teaching situations.
Defining Equity Criteria for Determining Fare Zones in Integrated Passenger Transport
Authors: Šipuš Denis , Abramović Borna , Jakovčić Martina
Published: March 2022

Fare system models in public transport are researched based on the fact that they represent a direct and flexible instrument of influencing passenger behavior and covering public transport costs, which contributes to the sustainability of public passenger transport. Integrated passenger transport, as a concept of public transport management that uses a zonal fare system, defines transport service prices within a fare zone. An analysis of existing fare systems reveals that current systems do not offer equitable access for passengers and that the transport service is not available to everyone. To resolve the issue of the transport disadvantage of potential passengers, society and space, fare system models must be changed to provide equity for disadvantaged participants of the system. This would do away with transport and social disadvantage in the analyzed region. The aim of this research is to define equity criteria in determining fare zones in integrated passenger transport. This is a precondition for an equitable fare model which would ensure an impartial and fair charge of transport services within zones.
Agricultural Product Sales Prediction of ICM Neural Network Improvement by Sparse Autoencoder
Authors: Li YingHui
Published: March 2022

With the rapid development of agricultural product sales data, the traditional prediction model cannot meet the processing needs. Based on deep learning theory, an improved ICM agricultural product sales prediction model using the softmax classifier is proposed. Introducing the sparse autoencoder in ICM can reduce feature loss. The features also can be extracted. In addition, using the pretreatment mode based on fuzzy membership theory, we can obtain the fuzzy correspondence of considerations and grades of agricultural product sales. At the same time, the precision of prediction for the model is further optimized. It can be seen that the agricultural product sales prediction model based on improved ICM can realize the real-time prediction of agricultural product sales. The maximum classification accuracy of the model can reach 80.98%, which means that it has certain practical application value.
Interleukin-19 Aggravates Pulmonary Fibrosis via Activating Fibroblast through TGF-β/Smad Pathway
Authors: Wang Yu , Sun Sibo , Wang Kai , Zhang Mingjiong , Li Min , Zan Yumin , Huang Qiqing , Wu Shuangshuang , Zhao Weihong , Xu Wei , Wu Jianqing
Published: March 2022

Background. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive and fatal interstitial pneumonia disease with no cure. Communication between injured cells is triggered and maintained by a complicated network of cytokines and their receptors. IL-19 is supported by increasing evidences for a deleterious role in respiratory diseases. However, its potential role in lung fibrosis has never been explored. Methods. Bioinformatic, immunohistochemistry and western blot analysis were used to assess the expression of IL-19 in human and mouse fibrosis lung tissues. CCK-8, transwell and flow cytometry assay were utilized to analyze the effect of IL-19 on biological behaviors of lung fibroblasts. Histopathology was used to elucidate profibrotic effect of IL-19 in vivo. Results. IL-19 was upregulated in fibrosis lung tissues. IL-19 promoted lung fibroblasts proliferation and invasion, inhibited cell apoptosis, and induced differentiation of fibroblasts to the myofibroblast phenotype, which could be revised by LY2109761, a TGF-β/Smad signaling pathway inhibitor. Furthermore, we found that IL-19 aggravated lung fibrosis in murine bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis. Conclusions. Our results imply the profibrotic role for IL-19 through direct effects on lung fibroblasts and the potential of targeting IL-19 for therapeutic intervention in pulmonary fibrosis.
Design and Application of Financial Market Option Pricing System Based on High-Performance Computing and Deep Reinforcement Learning
Authors: Song Chenchen
Published: March 2022

The option pricing estimation of financial market can be transformed into the calculation of high-dimensional integrals. In order to obtain the actual price, option pricing system can only rely on modern numerical methods; on the other hand, the improvement of calculation methods and technologies has also shifted the focus of design and application of option pricing system from a strict closed model to a less advanced but computationally intensive calculation. High-performance computing can establish a reasonable analysis model, realistically simulate the effects of various designed performance and parameters, and provide technical support for a large number of fast numerical calculations and simulations. Deep reinforcement learning can obtain a description of empirical knowledge through the learning of historical information and use the acquired experience to deal with future problems, which can well solve classification problems, regression problems, and optimization problems. Therefore, based on summarizing and analyzing previous research results, this paper expounds the current research status and significance of the design and application of financial market option pricing systems, elaborates the development background, current status, and future challenges of high-performance computing and deep reinforcement learning, introduces the methods and principles of high-performance computing platform and deep reinforcement learning algorithm, conducts no-arbitrage pricing model design, performs risk-neutral pricing model design, discusses the design of finance market option pricing system based on high-performance computing and deep reinforcement learning, analyzes the financial market option pricing considering random interest rates, implements financial market option pricing considering transaction costs, explores the application of financial market option pricing system based on high-performance computing and deep reinforcement learning, and finally carries out empirical experiment and its result analysis. The study results show that the financial market option pricing system based on high-performance computing and deep reinforcement learning records the basic information of high-performance computer system users and option pricing information in the form of relational data in a relational database. The financial market option pricing system describes the state of the controller and the upcoming option pricing situation. The system’s initialization uses multiple arrays from a stochastic strategy to initialize option pricing and evaluation buffers, which uniformly selects an option pricing from the initial option pricing set in each cycle. The study results of this paper provide a reference for further researches on the design and application of financial market option pricing system based on high-performance computing and deep reinforcement learning.
Towards Sustainability: An Experimental and Analytical Investigation of an Agricultural Waste as a Pozzolanic Material in Concrete Mixtures
Authors: Belay Solomon Melaku , Woldesenbet Asregedew
Published: March 2022

The aim of the current study was to explore the potential use of Ethiopian rice husk ash in concrete properties using various replacement levels. A detailed laboratory investigation was conducted to evaluate the chemical, physical, and mechanical properties of normal grade concrete specimens with the addition of finely grounded rice husk ash collected from Fogera Area, Ethiopia. Consequently, a total of 96 concrete cube specimens were molded in varying degrees of proportions of ground risk husk ash including 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% replacement levels and 12 cube specimens with the addition of superplasticizing admixture. All concrete specimens were cured in a laboratory setting, and compressive strength results were recorded at 3, 7, 28, and 56 curing days. The findings reveal that the Ethiopian rice husk ash is suitable for 5% to 15% replacement levels. However, the slump flow and density of specimens’ tests show that the results have decreased with an increase in rice husk ash level of replacement. Further, the laboratory test results were then validated using a two‐way factorial analysis of variance (ANOVA) and post hoc tests.
A Case of Anti-SAE1 Dermatomyositis
Authors: de Vries Max , Schreurs Marco W. J. , Ahsmann Els J. M. , Spee-Dropkova Marcela , Karim Faiz
Published: March 2022

Introduction. Anti-SAE1 antibodies have a low prevalence in dermatomyositis patients. Case Description. A 61-year-old woman presented with progressive shortness of breath, arthralgia, heliotrope rash, Gottron’s papules, and erythematous rash. She had an interstitial lung disease (ILD) with a significant decrease in lung function. There was no muscle involvement. Immunological laboratory test results showed strongly positive anti-SAE1 antibodies. Glucocorticoid treatment resulted in remission of dermatomyositis. Conclusion. Anti-SAE antibodies in dermatomyositis patients are closely linked to unique clinical features.
Biomechanical Analysis of the Human Knee Joint
Authors: Wang Sheng
Published: March 2022

Exercise is an indispensable part of human daily life. The knee joint is inseparable from human movement. The knee is relatively fragile and easy to get injuries. Therefore, the biomechanical properties of knee joints were studied. The VICON T40S 3D motion acquisition and analysis system and the AMTI 3D force measurement platform were used to collect the lower limb kinematics and dynamics data of five male volunteers. Then the knee angle and moment of the human body are analyzed, the foot pressure was obtained by force plate, and the ground reaction force was obtained. The results show that: (1) in terms of knee flexion and extension torques, the peak stretching torques occurred in about 25% and 65% of the gait cycles. At the beginning of the gait, which is the flexion moment, the knee joint produces a moment of −24.65 Nmm, 25% of gait cycles reached the maximum peak value of 896.89 Nmm, 65% of gait cycles reached the second peak value of 315.81 Nmm; (2) The change of reaction force in a gait cycle is: when the ground starts to react, the ground reaction reaches 600 N. At normal times, the ground reaction force rapidly rises to the maximum value of 890 N; when the gait is in the middle of a single support phase, the ground reaction force is 462 N; when the ankle joint moves in plantar flexion, the ground reaction force increases to 830 N again; finally, when the toe is lifted off the ground, the ground reaction force quickly drops to zero; (3) in the course of a gait cycle, the spatial and temporal parameter curve distribution of the subjects was consistent, and the difference was not significant

P
>
0.05

.
Evaluation of the Effects of Folic Acid Combined with Atorvastatin on the Poststroke Cognitive Impairment by Low‐Rank Matrix Denoising Algorithm‐Based MRI Imaging
Authors: Li Yancui , Fang Zhou , Li Jianghua , Wang Jing , Wang Xi , Li Xiang , Fang Fang
Published: March 2022

This research aimed to study the optimization effects of the low‐rank matrix denoising (LRMD) algorithm based on the Gaussian mixture model (GMM) on MRI images of stroke patients, aiming to evaluate the effects of atorvastatin combined with folic acid on poststroke cognitive impairment (PSCI) in patients with ischemic stroke. First, the GMM‐based low‐rank matrix denoising (LRMD) algorithm was constructed and applied to process MRI images of 64 patients with ischemic stroke. Then, the MRI images before and after processing were compared for the denoising degree and quality. An image with 5% noise was not as clear as an MRI image with 1% noise, and the effects of atorvastatin combined with folic acid on PSCI in patients with ischemic stroke were discussed. It was found that the denoising degree of MRI images processed by the GMM‐based LRMD algorithm was significantly improved, the image quality was significantly enhanced (P < 0.05), and the diagnosis accuracy and efficiency of stroke patients were heightened. Atorvastatin combined with folic acid reduce the homocysteine (HCY) and total cholesterol (TC) levels, as well as Montreal Cognitive Scale (MOCA) scores of PSCI patients (P < 0.05). In conclusion, the MRI images processed by the LRMD algorithm have good quality. Folic acid combined with atorvastatin can effectively reduce HCY and TC levels, thereby alleviating PSCI of stroke patients.
Probe into the Role of Music Therapy in Workplace Health Management
Authors: Li Gang
Published: March 2022

With the rapid development of modern society, the rhythm of people’s life and work is also forced to speed up. Stress from various fields makes people’s health worse and worse. There are all kinds of pressures, and everyone in the torrent of the times has to face them. All kinds of pressures include life pressure, study pressure, and work pressure. Work pressure mainly comes from the pressure source, the individual’s cognition of the pressure source, and the state of tension. Once too much work pressure is generated, it will bring unnecessary trouble to employees’ lives and work and will also affect the company’s interests. How to effectively alleviate work pressure is a problem that we urgently need to solve now. Specific problems are analyzed in detail. First, analyze the causes of work pressure. First, the pressure source is identified, and the pressure source generally exists objectively. It generally includes heavy work tasks, long working hours, and frequent job transfers. It is not easy to go through the employees themselves. Second is change, so this requires changing the individual’s perception of the source of stress and the state of tension. In the continuous practice and research process of predecessors, some effective methods have been found, and music therapy is one of many methods, and music therapy has a wider range of effects and longer-lasting effects. This article mainly introduces how to effectively use music therapy in the work environment. It also includes a specific analysis of specific problems. The employees are mainly divided into mental workers and manual workers, and they are provided with different music therapy programs. The role of music therapy in workplace health management is such that it can effectively alleviate the work pressure of employees, enhance the feelings between employees, and improve the work efficiency of employees. Finally, the paper is summarized.
Case Series of Lens Dislocation due to Family Violence
Authors: Shimmura-Tomita Machiko , Takano Hiroko , Tanaka Yoshiaki , Takagi Rina , Kaburaki Toshikatsu , Kakehashi Akihiro
Published: March 2022

Differential diagnosis of lens dislocation includes various ocular and systemic diseases, as well as a history of trauma. The purpose of this study is to report cases of lens dislocation caused by family violence, a social problem that is increasing worldwide. Case 1: a 70-year-old female with narrow anterior chamber and high intraocular pressure in her left eye due to lens dislocation was referred to our hospital after her husband had beaten her with a fist. She explained to the previous doctor that she had hit her eye by herself. Case 2: a 99-year-old female with in-the-bag intraocular lens (IOL) dislocation in her left eye 10 years after receiving cataract surgery was referred to our hospital. The following year, she was referred to our hospital because the same incident occurred in her right eye. She explained to the previous doctor that she had fallen but was found to be due to family violence. Case 3: a 62-year-old female suffered dislocation of an IOL inserted in her left eye 10 years previously. While her explanation to the referring doctor was that she tumbled and fell, further inquiry revealed family violence to be the cause. In conclusion, lens dislocation may be caused by family violence despite a conflicting initial clinical history.
Benign Recurrent Intrahepatic Cholestasis Type 1 with Novel Nonsense Mutations in the ATP8B1 Gene
Authors: Miura Ryoichi , Kawaoka Tomokazu , Imamura Michio , Kosaka Masanari , Johira Yusuke , Shirane Yuki , Murakami Serami , Yano Shigeki , Amioka Kei , Naruto Kensuke , Ando Yuwa , Kosaka Yumi , Kodama Kenichiro , Uchikawa Shinsuke , Fujino Hatsue , Ono Atsushi , Nakahara Takashi , Murakami Eisuke , Yamauchi Masami , Hinoi Takao , Aikata Hiroshi
Published: March 2022

Benign recurrent intrahepatic cholestasis (BRIC) is a group of genetically heterogeneous autosomal recessive liver disorders characterized by recurrent episodes of jaundice and pruritus. BRIC is divided into two groups, BRIC type 1 (BRIC1) and BRIC type 2 (BRIC2), caused by mutations in the ATP8B1 and ABCB11 genes. We show that novel nonsense mutations in ATP8B1 (c.2989G>A, c.1547T>A) are the cause of BRIC1. A 16-year-old girl presented with severe jaundice. Acute and chronic liver diseases with infectious (hepatitis virus), metabolic, and autoimmune etiologies were excluded. Imaging revealed normal intra- and extra-hepatic bile ducts. Liver biopsy revealed severe intrahepatic bile stasis with bile plugs. She had similar symptoms at the age of 0 years. The BRIC criteria were satisfied, and ATP8B1 and ABCB11 gene analyses performed. Surprisingly, novel nonsense variants of the ATP8B1 gene (c.2989G>A and c.1547T>A) in heterozygosis were found, which were identified in each of her parents. Therefore, the compound heterozygote was thought to cause BRIC1 in these patients. Genetic mutations that differ from those already known may help diagnose patients with BRIC.
Geographic Distribution, Number, and Types of Papers Published in International Cytopathology Journals in the Last 5.5 Years: A Preliminary Study
Authors: Yaprak Bayrak Büşra , Paksoy Nadir
Published: March 2022

Objective: The aim of this study was to explore the geographic distribution and number of papers published in international and Science Citation Index (SCI)-indexed cytology journals based on their country of origin. Materials and Methods: A country-based geographic analysis of studies published over a 5.5-year period from January 2016 to June 2021 in 5 cytopathology journals indexed as SCI and SCI-E with an impact factor higher than 1 (Cancer Cytopathology, Cytopathology, Diagnostic Cytopathology, Acta Cytologica, and CytoJournal) and papers categorized as “original” and “other” was performed. Results: A total of 3,063 papers were found, with 1,466 (47.8%) categorized as “original” papers and 1,597 (52.1%) designated as “other” papers. These papers were submitted from 62 different countries. The five countries with the greatest number of papers were the USA (38.4%), India (16.8%), Japan (7.4%), Italy (5.5%), and Brazil (3.1%). A general subgroup analysis was also performed on the original studies without a country breakdown. Cytomorphological, cytomorphological-immunohistochemical, and molecular assessments compose 38.5%, 45.7%, and 15% of the subgroups, respectively. Conclusion: The number of academic papers originating from developing countries in the field of cytopathology has increased in recent years. Although most scientific papers are produced in developed countries, the rate in these countries is much lower than that in some developing countries as the rate of academic growth in developed countries has stabilized. Despite the widespread and sophisticated implementation of cytology in daily practice in Western European countries outside the UK, such as Germany and the Netherlands, and in Scandinavian countries and other developed countries, such as Australia and Canada, these countries rank in the middle to lower end of countries producing cytology papers. Meanwhile, there has been an increase in the number of cytology papers published by authors from Southern European countries, such as Italy (ranked 4th) and Spain (ranked 6th), and Turkey (ranked 8th). There is a remarkable increase in cytology papers originating from Asia, particularly India, Japan, and China. Summary: We aimed to present a basic survey of the geographic distribution of manuscript submissions to high-impact cytopathology journals and to point out emerging trends in cytology utilization and basic research. However, our results show that the landscape of cytology is changing and suggest geographic regions that are ripe for the production of novel “points of view” and new research findings.
Latest Insights on the Diagnostic Approaches and Treatment Strategies of COVID-19
Authors: Hassanein Sarah S. , Sharaby Muhammed R. , Tawfik Noran M. , Rashed Suzan A. , Adel Mohamed , Fayez Ayat , Mansour Heba , Amer Haitham M.
Published: March 2022

Background: COVID-19 has emerged as the most serious pandemic in the 21st century to date. COVID-19 patients may develop various disease symptoms that hinder the accurate clinical diagnosis. Summary: Routine diagnosis of COVID-19 requires complementary investigations, including computed tomography, immunological assays, and molecular assays like real-time RT-PCR, loop-mediated isothermal amplification, metagenomic next-generation sequencing, and clusters of regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats-based assays. Clinically approved antiviral drugs available for the COVID-19 treatment are very limited. The most common measurements that enhance health condition and patients’ viability are conservation fluid management, oxygen therapy, and antibiotics. Several therapeutic options have been developed or repurposed to prevent virus replication and/or modulate the immune response against virus infection. These options include various drugs that affect virus entry and membrane fusion, inhibit polymerase and protease activity, suppress the host pro-inflammatory cytokines, and utilize cell therapy approaches. Key Messages: In this review, we aimed to provide an up-to-date discussion on the current diagnostic options and therapeutic strategies used to control and manage COVID-19 in clinical and point-of-care settings.