bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Q-values Sharing Framework for Multi-agent Reinforcement Learning under Budget Constraint
Authors: Zhu Changxi , Leung Ho-Fung , Hu Shuyue , Cai Yi
Published: April 2021

In a teacher-student framework, a more experienced agent (teacher) helps accelerate the learning of another agent (student) by suggesting actions to take in certain states. In cooperative multi-agent reinforcement learning (MARL), where agents must cooperate with one another, a student could fail to cooperate effectively with others even by following a teacher’s suggested actions, as the policies of all agents can change before convergence. When the number of times that agents communicate with one another is limited (i.e., there are budget constraints), an advising strategy that uses actions as advice could be less effective. We propose a partaker-sharer advising framework (PSAF) for cooperative MARL agents learning with budget constraints. In PSAF, each Q-learner can decide when to ask for and share its Q-values. We perform experiments in three typical multi-agent learning problems. The evaluation results indicate that the proposed PSAF approach outperforms existing advising methods under both constrained and unconstrained budgets. Moreover, we analyse the influence of advising actions and sharing Q-values on agent learning.
Modeling Immunity In Vitro: Slices, Chips, and Engineered Tissues
Authors: Hammel Jennifer H. , Cook Sophie R. , Belanger Maura C. , Munson Jennifer M. , Pompano Rebecca R.
Published: April 2021

Modeling immunity in vitro has the potential to be a powerful tool for investigating fundamental biological questions, informing therapeutics and vaccines, and providing new insight into disease progression. There are two major elements to immunity that are necessary to model: primary immune tissues and peripheral tissues with immune components. Here, we systematically review progress made along three strategies to modeling immunity: ex vivo cultures, which preserve native tissue structure; microfluidic devices, which constitute a versatile approach to providing physiologically relevant fluid flow and environmental control; and engineered tissues, which provide precise control of the 3D microenvironment and biophysical cues. While many models focus on disease modeling, more primary immune tissue models are necessary to advance the field. Moving forward, we anticipate that the expansion of patient-specific models may inform why immunity varies from patient to patient and allow for the rapid comprehension and treatment of emerging diseases, such as coronavirus disease 2019.
Storage of Carbon Dioxide in Saline Aquifers: Physicochemical Processes, Key Constraints, and Scale-Up Potential
Authors: Ringrose Philip S. , Furre Anne-Kari , Gilfillan Stuart M.V. , Krevor Samuel , Landrø Martin , Leslie Rory , Meckel Tip , Nazarian Bamshad , Zahid Adeel
Published: April 2021

CO2 storage in saline aquifers offers a realistic means of achieving globally significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions at the scale of billions of tonnes per year. We review insights into the processes involved using well-documented industrial-scale projects, supported by a range of laboratory analyses, field studies, and flow simulations. The main topics we address are ( a) the significant physicochemical processes, ( b) the factors limiting CO2 storage capacity, and ( c) the requirements for global scale-up.Although CO2 capture and storage (CCS) technology can be considered mature and proven, it requires significant and rapid scale-up to meet the objectives of the Paris Climate Agreement. The projected growth in the number of CO2 injection wells required is significantly lower than the historic petroleum industry drill rates, indicating that decarbonization via CCS is a highly credible and affordable ambition for modern human society. Several technology developments are needed to reduce deployment costs and to stimulate widespread adoption of this technology, and these should focus on demonstration of long-term retention and safety of CO2 storage and development of smart ways of handling injection wells and pressure, cost-effective monitoring solutions, and deployment of CCS hubs with associated infrastructure.
The Impact and Stability Analysis of Commercial Banks’ Risk Preference on SMEs’ Credit Financing Based on DSGE Model
Authors: Gao Di , Hao Zhaohui , Ma Jiangming , He Huanyu , Li Meng
Published: April 2021

As an important driving force for China’s economic transformation and upgrading, the problems of financing difficulties and expensive financing for SMEs have become increasingly prominent. The main objective of this paper was to analyze the impact of financial intermediary departments’ risk preference on corporate finance. Under the revised DSGE framework, this paper discusses the impact and stability analysis of commercial banks’ risk preferences on SMEs’ financing. The results show that positive interest rate shocks inhibit commercial banks’ credit to SMEs, and with the increasing weight of commercial banks’ risk preference for default rate, the trend of credit repression will be intensified.
Graphical Analysis of Covering and Paired Domination in the Environment of Neutrosophic Information
Authors: Khan Sami Ullah , Nasir Abdul , Jan Naeem , Ma Zhen-Hua
Published: April 2021

Neutrosophic graph (NG) is a powerful tool in graph theory, which is capable of modeling many real-life problems with uncertainty due to unclear, varying, and indeterminate information. Meanwhile, the fuzzy graphs (FGs) and intuitionistic fuzzy graphs (IFGs) may not handle these problems as efficiently as NGs. It is difficult to model uncertainty due to imprecise information and vagueness in real-world scenarios. Many real-life optimization problems are modeled and solved using the well-known fuzzy graph theory. The concepts of covering, matching, and paired domination play a major role in theoretical and applied neutrosophic environments of graph theory. Henceforth, the current study covers this void by introducing the notions of covering, matching, and paired domination in single-valued neutrosophic graph (SVNG) using the strong edges. Also, many attention-grabbing properties of these concepts are studied. Moreover, the strong covering number, strong matching number, and the strong paired domination number of complete SVNG, complete single-valued neutrosophic cycle (SVNC), and complete bipartite SVNG are worked out along with their fascinating properties.
Spleen Stiffness Performance in the Noninvasive Assessment of Gastroesophageal Varices after Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunts
Authors: Zhou Huihui , Zhang Zhilin , Zhang Jun , Sang Lin , Liu Lina , Lv Yong , Gong Xue , Yin Zhanxin , Sun Yuanyuan , Han Guohong , Yu Ming
Published: April 2021

Objectives. To investigate the performance of spleen stiffness (SS) by using two‐dimensional shear‐wave elastography (2D‐SWE) for assessing the severity of gastroesophageal varices (GEVs) after transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS). Methods. 102 eligible patients were categorized as in the post‐TIPS short‐term (n = 69) and long‐term (n = 38) follow‐up groups. The performance of SS by using 2D‐SWE for evaluating the severity of GEVs was compared with liver stiffness (LS), spleen stiffness‐to‐liver stiffness ratio (SS/LS), liver stiffness spleen‐diameter‐to‐platelet‐ratio score (LSPS), portal hypertension (PH) risk score, platelet count‐to‐spleen diameter ratio (PSR), and varices risk score by using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and DeLong test. Results. In the post‐TIPS short‐term follow‐up group, area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUCs) of SS were 0.585 for mild (cutoff value = 30.3 kPa), 0.655 for moderate (cutoff value = 30.6 kPa), and 0.739 for severe (cutoff value = 31.9 kPa) GEVs, which were higher than other parameters for severe GEVs. AUCs of SS were lower than other parameters for mild and moderate GEVs, but no difference was found (p > 0.05). In the post‐TIPS long‐term follow‐up group, AUCs of SS were 0.778 for mild (cutoff value = 28.9 kPa), 0.82 for moderate (cutoff value = 29.9 kPa), and 0.824 for severe (cutoff value = 37.7 kPa) GEVs, which were higher than other parameters except for severe GEVs. AUC of SS was lower than other parameters for severe GEVs, but no significant difference was found (p > 0.05). Conclusion. SS is an effective noninvasive tool to predict GEV severity during the post‐TIPS follow‐up.
Microwave Vitrification of Uranium Tailings: Microstructure and Mechanical Property
Authors: Wei Wei , Shi Keyou , Xie Yupeng , Yu Shoufu , Li Jiawei , Chen Min , Tang Zengming , Zhu Ailian , Zhang Qiucai , Liu Yong
Published: April 2021

In this work, the dense glass matrix of uranium tailings was successfully fabricated via microwave sintering process with Na2CO3 as a sintering aid. The effects of Na2CO3 additive and sintering temperature on the microstructure and mechanical properties of as-prepared solids were systematically investigated. XRD results confirmed the vitrified forms can be achieved at 1200°C within 30 min with 20 wt.% Na2CO3 addition. Importantly, the Na2CO3 additive significantly reduced the firing temperature from 1500°C to 1200°C and promoted densification. FT-IR analysis demonstrated that the main characteristic peaks of the sintered samples were attributed to the vibration of Si-O-Si. Microstructural studies presented the homogeneous distribution of glass phases. The results of mechanical properties of the sintered forms show that bulk density and Vickers hardness increased with increasing Na2CO3 content as well as sintering temperature, and the highest bulk density (2.45 ± 0.01 g/cm3) and Vickers hardness (823 ± 25 HV) were obtained at the temperature of 1300°C with 20 wt.% Na2CO3 addition, the heating rate of 20°C/min, and the soaking time of 30 min. It implied that the combination of microwave sintering with the appropriate addition of Na2CO3 would provide an efficient method for the immobilization of radionuclides in uranium tailings.
Design and Simulation of Lightweight Identity Authentication Mechanism in Body Area Network
Authors: Yang Jianglong , Yang Wanlin , Liu Huwei , Zhou Li
Published: April 2021

Wearable medical devices rely on the human body to form a small LAN around the human body, called body area network (BAN). Users can use these devices to monitor the changes of various body indicators in real time. The physiological data involved in this process belongs to personal privacy. Therefore, the security requirements of BAN are relatively high, and its current research focus is on authentication mechanisms. To meet the requirements of security and resource consumption of BAN, this paper proposes a lightweight identity authentication mechanism that meets the characteristics of BAN resource constraints. Based on the characteristics of BAN, a simple and mature star topology structure is applied to establish the network model of BAN. For the human body in normal situations and emergencies, the corresponding authentication mechanism and encryption and decryption method of physiological data are designed by using the physical unclonable function (PUF) and cloud database, physiological data, and cross-correlation algorithm. Furthermore, the formal and informal security analysis of the designed authentication mechanism proves that the authentication mechanism designed in this paper has certain security, and the lightweight authentication mechanism is simulated and evaluated. The experimental results show that compared with the benchmarking mechanism, the authentication mechanism designed in this paper solves more security problems and has certain advantages in terms of calculation cost, communication cost, and energy cost.
Deformation and Failure Mechanism of Surrounding Rock in Mining‐Influenced Roadway and the Control Technology
Authors: Feng Jicheng , Yin Shuaifeng , Cheng Zhiheng , Shi Jianjun , Shi Haoyu , Xu Haitao , Guo Shuying
Published: April 2021

Aiming at the problem of surrounding rock deformation and failure of mining roadway and its control, a mechanical model of the circular roadway under the mining environment is established, and the implicit equation of the plastic zone boundary is derived. By analyzing the morphologic evolution law of the surrounding rock plastic zone in the mining roadway, the key factors affecting the morphologic change of the plastic zone are obtained, that is, the magnitude and direction of principal stress. The influence law of the magnitude and direction of principal stress on the plastic zone of the mining roadway is analyzed by using numerical simulation software, and the deformation and failure mechanism of surrounding rock of the mining roadway is revealed. The results showed that the size and morphology of the plastic zone were closely related to the confining pressure ratio (η). Taking the boundary of η valuing 1, the larger or smaller η value was, the more serious the deformation and failure of surrounding rock would be; the morphology of the plastic zone changed with the deflection of the principal stress, with the location of the maximum plastic zone influenced by the principal stress direction. For the surrounding rock control in the mining‐influenced roadway, it is advised to take the following methods: firstly, it is necessary to consider how to reduce or remove the influence of mining on surrounding rock, improve the stress environment of surrounding rock, and reduce the failure depth of the plastic zone, so as to better maintain the roadway. Secondly, in view of the deformation and failure characteristics of the mining roadway, the fractional support method of “yielding first and then resisting” should be adopted, which applies the cable supplement support after mining instead of the one‐off high‐strength support during roadway excavation, so as to control the malignant expansion of the surrounding rock plastic zone and prevent roof falling accidents.
Oriented by Characteristic Roots Reduced Matrices in the Class of Semiscalarly Equivalent
Authors: Shavarovskii B. Z.
Published: April 2021

A set of polynomial

3
×
3

-matrices of simple structure has been singled out, for which a so-called oriented by certain characteristic roots reduced matrix is established in the class of semiscalarly equivalent. The invariants of such reduced matrices and the conditions of their semiscalar equivalence are indicated. The obtained results will also be applied to the problem of similarity of sets of numerical matrices.
Partial‐Information‐Based Synchronization of Complex Networks with Multiple and Event‐Triggered Couplings
Authors: Huang Chi , Xiong Yuning , Wang Wei
Published: April 2021

We study the synchronization of complex networks by using event‐sampling information. The nodes of the network are connected with event‐triggered communication via multiple couplings. The couplings are split into several channels. Not all the channels are connected. Only a part of the states of each node can be communicated by the channels. An event detector is designed for each channel to independently determine the sampling moments. The couplings of the network are partial and event‐triggered. Both features make that less information can be used for synchronization. The pinning controllers are also designed based on the sampled information. By establishing a time‐dependent Lyapunov functional and utilizing an efficient event condition, we derive less conservative criteria for the synchronization of complex networks. Finally, the effectiveness of our main results is verified by an illustrative example, and comparisons are also presented to show how much conservatism can be reduced.
Participant Recruitment Method Aiming at Service Quality in Mobile Crowd Sensing
Authors: Jiang Weijin , Chen Junpeng , Liu Xiaoliang , Liu Yuehua , Lv Sijian
Published: April 2021

With the rapid popularization and application of smart sensing devices, mobile crowd sensing (MCS) has made rapid development. MCS mobilizes personnel with various sensing devices to collect data. Task distribution as the key point and difficulty in the field of MCS has attracted wide attention from scholars. However, the current research on participant selection methods whose main goal is data quality is not deep enough. Different from most of these previous studies, this paper studies the participant selection scheme on the multitask condition in MCS. According to the tasks completed by the participants in the past, the accumulated reputation and willingness of participants are used to construct a quality of service model (QoS). On the basis of maximizing QoS, two heuristic greedy algorithms are used to solve participation; two options are proposed: task‐centric and user‐centric. The distance constraint factor, integrity constraint factor, and reputation constraint factor are introduced into our algorithms. The purpose is to select the most suitable set of participants on the premise of ensuring the QoS, as far as possible to improve the platform’s final revenue and the benefits of participants. We used a real data set and generated a simulation data set to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of the two algorithms. Detailedly compared our algorithms with the existing algorithms in terms of the number of participants selected, moving distance, and data quality. During the experiment, we established a step data pricing model to quantitatively compare the quality of data uploaded by participants. Experimental results show that two algorithms proposed in this paper have achieved better results in task quality than existing algorithms.
Expression of miR‐93‐5p as a Potential Predictor of the Severity of Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension
Authors: Gong Juanni , Yang Yuanhua , Wang Jianfeng , Li Yidan , Guo Xiaojuan , Huang Qiang , Kuang Tuguang , Yang Suqiao , Li Jifeng , Miao Ran
Published: April 2021

Background. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play an important role in the pathogenesis of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH). However, the potential correlation between miRNA expression and the severity of CTEPH remains unclear. Our previous study indicated that miRNAs hsa‐let‐7b‐3p, hsa‐miR‐17‐5p, hsa‐miR‐106b‐5p, hsa‐miR‐3202, hsa‐miR‐665, and hsa‐miR‐93‐5p are closely involved in CTEPH. This study assessed the associations between the expression levels of these miRNAs and clinical parameters in CTEPH patients. Methods. A total of eight CTEPH patients and eight healthy adults as a reference group were included, and clinical data including total protein (TP), albumin (Alb), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase (HBDH), uric acid (UA), and N‐terminal pro‐B‐type natriuretic peptide (NT‐proBNP) levels were collected. Right heart catheterization was conducted to obtain hemodynamic data including cardiac index (CI). The expression levels of let‐7b‐3p, miR‐17‐5p, miR‐106b‐5p, miR‐3202, miR‐665, and miR‐93‐5p were measured by quantitative real‐time PCR (qPCR). Correlation analysis was applied to estimate the associations between miRNA expression levels and clinical parameters in CTEPH patients. Results. Serum TP and Alb levels were decreased, while LDH, HBDH, and UA levels were increased in CTEPH patients compared with the reference group (P < 0.05). miR‐3202 and miR‐665 were upregulated, whereas let‐7b‐3p, miR‐17‐5p, miR‐106b‐5p, and miR‐93‐5p were downregulated in CTEPH patients relative to the reference group (P < 0.05). miR‐93‐5p expression was positively correlated with NT‐proBNP level and negatively correlated with CI (P < 0.05). Moreover, let‐7b‐3p tended to be positively correlated with mean pulmonary arterial pressure. Conclusions. miR‐93‐5p expression was associated with the severity of CTEPH and could act as a potential predictor of high‐risk CTEPH.
Genes That Predict Poor Prognosis in Breast Cancer via Bioinformatical Analysis
Authors: Zhou Qian , Liu Xiaofeng , Lv Mingming , Sun Erhu , Lu Xun , Lu Cheng
Published: April 2021

Background. Breast cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers all over the world, and it is now the leading cause of cancer death among females. The aim of this study was to find DEGs (differentially expressed genes) which can predict poor prognosis in breast cancer and be effective targets for breast cancer patients via bioinformatical analysis. Methods. GSE86374, GSE5364, and GSE70947 were chosen from the GEO database. DEGs between breast cancer tissues and normal breast tissues were picked out by GEO2R and Venn diagram software. Then, DAVID (Database for Annotation, Visualization, and Integrated Discovery) was used to analyze these DEGs in gene ontology (GO) including molecular function (MF), cellular component (CC), and biological process (BP) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Gene and Genome (KEGG) pathway. Next, STRING (Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes) was used to investigate potential protein‐protein interaction (PPI) relationships among DEGs and these DEGs were analyzed by Molecular Complex Detection (MCODE) in Cytoscape. After that, UALCAN, GEPIA (gene expression profiling interactive analysis), and KM (Kaplan–Meier plotter) were used for the prognostic information and core genes were qualified. Results. There were 96 upregulated genes and 98 downregulated genes in this study. 55 upregulated genes were selected as hub genes in the PPI network. For validation in UALCAN, GEPIA, and KM, 5 core genes (KIF4A, RACGAP1, CKS2, SHCBP1, and HMMR) were found to highly expressed in breast cancer tissues with poor prognosis. They differentially expressed between different subclasses of breast cancer. Conclusion. These five genes (KIF4A, RACGAP1, CKS2, SHCBP1, and HMMR) could be potential targets for therapy in breast cancer and prediction of prognosis on the basis of bioinformatical analysis.
Depressive and Anxiety Symptom Assessment in Adults with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome
Authors: Almeshari Wadha K. , Alsubaie Alanoud K. , Alanazi Reham I. , Almalki Yara A. , Masud Nazish , Mahmoud Sami H.
Published: April 2021

Background. Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is an endocrinopathic disorder commonly affecting women in the reproductive age. These women have a possibility of developing depression and anxiety due to biochemical changes, concerns regarding physical appearance, and social pressure from infertility. Thus, the connection between PCOS, anxiety, and depression has a possible impact on patients’ quality of life. This study is aimed at assessing depression and anxiety symptoms among PCOS patients and their association with different socioeconomic aspects. Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess depression and anxiety symptoms on 250 PCOS patients which were selected through consecutive sampling technique. Arabic versions of the HAM-A and HAM-D questionnaires were used alongside a demographic sheet to determine the socioeconomic and fertility status. Results. Prevalence of anxiety symptoms was reported among 100 (40%) of women and was found to be significantly higher in single women with a prevalence of 59 (48%) (

χ
2
=
5.8

,

p

value <0.01). Also, lower-income status and unemployment were associated with a significantly higher prevalence of anxiety 18 (67%) (

χ
2
=
10.3

,

p

value =0.03) and 71 (45%) (

χ
2
=
4.5

,

p

value =0.03) women, respectively. Depressive symptoms were reported among 122 (49%) participants. Conclusion. Single marital status, low income, and unemployment were predictors of anxiety. Tension was noted to be the most common anxiety symptom among participants while depressed mood and psychological anxiety were the most reported depressive symptoms. It is important to note the link between anxiety, PCOS, and depression when deciding treatment plans for affected women.
Construction of Trusted Routing Based on Trust Computation
Authors: Gong Bei , Zhu Jingxuan , Wang Yubo
Published: April 2021

In the field of applied IoT, a large number of wireless sensor devices are tasked with data production and collection, providing IoT subjects with a large amount of basic data to support top‐level IoT applications. However, there is a considerable risk of being attacked on such sensor networks that are organized in a wireless form. These relatively independent network devices have extremely limited performance and lifetime, a problem that can be supplemented in a centralized network with base stations by relying on the performance of the core nodes of the network, but in a decentralized self‐organizing network, they can have a serious adverse impact on the implementation of security solutions. Considering the fundamental nature of the data generated by such end devices in IoT application services, the protection of their security is also directly related to the quality of upper layer services provided. The main research result of this paper is the design of a trust routing scheme for self‐organizing networks. The scheme is based on a comprehensive evaluation of data transmission rate, transmission delay, and other factors related to the operation status of the self‐organized network and improves the efficiency of the overall work of the self‐organized network by reducing the performance consumption of individual nodes of the self‐organized network and balancing the network load.
Fenofibrate Exerts Antitumor Effects in Colon Cancer via Regulation of DNMT1 and CDKN2A
Authors: Kong Rui , Wang Nan , Han Wei , Bao Wen , Lu Jie
Published: April 2021

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARA) is the molecular target of fibrates commonly used to treat dyslipidemia and diabetes. Recently, the potential role of PPARA in other pathological conditions, such as cancers, has been recognized. Here, using bioinformatics analysis, we found that PPARA was expressed at relatively low levels in pancancers, and Kaplan-Meier analyses revealed that high PPARA protein expression was correlated with better survival of patients with colon cancer. In vitro experiments showed that fenofibrate regulated cell cycle distribution, promoted apoptosis, and suppressed cell proliferation and epithelial mesenchymal transition by activating PPARA. PPARA activation inhibited DNMT1 activity and abolished methylation-mediated CDKN2A repression. Downregulation of cyclin-CDK complexes led to the restoration of CDKN2A, which caused cell cycle arrest in the G1 phase via regulation of the CDKN2A/RB/E2F pathway. Finally, we demonstrated that fenofibrate administration inhibited tumor growth and DNMT1 activity in vivo. The PPARA agonist, fenofibrate, might serve as an applicable agent for epigenetic therapy of colon cancer patients.
Two Synchronous Neonatal Tumors: An Extremely Rare Case
Authors: Rodríguez-Zubieta M. , Albarenque K. , Lagues C. , San Roman A. , Varela M. , Russo D. , Podesta G. , Steinberg D. , Schauvinhold C. , Etchegaray A. , de Dávila M. T. G.
Published: April 2021

We report a case of a newborn with two synchronous tumors—sialoblastoma and hepatoblastoma—diagnosed at 20 weeks of gestation by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ultrasonography (US). The aim of this study was to describe the management of this case together with a review of the literature. Our patient had a large facial tumor associated with extremely high alpha-fetoprotein levels. Diagnosis of the tumors was made by surgical biopsy, showing typical features in both. Sialoblastoma is a potentially aggressive tumor. In our case, the Ki67 index in the sialoblastoma was between 20 and 30%, indicating a possibly unfavorable behavior. The infant underwent surgery and chemotherapy in different steps. Complete surgical resection with clean margins is considered to be the best treatment option for sialoblastoma. Only four similar cases were previously reported. Timely management by a multidisciplinary team is essential in these difficult cases. In our patient, outcome was good at the time of this report.
4D Mapping of the Fracture Evolution in a Printed Gypsum‐Like Core by Using X‐Ray CT Scanning
Authors: Liu Huabo , Meng Fanjing , Hua Shaozhen
Published: April 2021

The paper presents the use of micro‐X‐ray computed tomography (CT) system and associated automatic loading device in visualizing and analyzing the propagation of penny‐shaped flaw in gypsum‐like 3D printing specimen. During the loading process, a micro‐X‐ray computed tomography (CT) system was used to scan the specimen with a resolution of 30 × 30 μm2. The volumetric images of specimen were reconstructed based on two‐dimensional images. Thus, the propagation of penny‐shaped flaw in gypsum‐like 3D printing specimen in spatial was observed. The device can record the evolution of the internal penny‐shaped flaw by X‐ray CT scanning and the evolution of the surface crack by digital radiography at the same time. Fractal analysis was employed to quantify the cracking process. Two‐ and three‐dimensional box‐counting methods were applied to analyze slice images and volumetric images, respectively. Comparison between fractal dimensions calculated from two‐ and three‐dimensional box‐counting method was carried out. The results show that the fractal dimension increases with the propagation of cracks. Moreover, the common approach to obtain the 3D fractal dimension of a self‐similar fractal object by adding one to its corresponding 2D fractal dimension is found to be inappropriate.
Bilobalide Enhances AMPK Activity to Improve Liver Injury and Metabolic Disorders in STZ‐Induced Diabetes in Immature Rats via Regulating HMGB1/TLR4/NF‐κB Signaling Pathway
Authors: Zhao Meng , Qin Jianpin , Shen Wenting , Wu Aiping
Published: April 2021

This study was aimed at examining the effect and underlying mechanisms of bilobalide (BB) on hepatic injury in streptozotocin‐ (STZ‐) induced diabetes mellitus (DM) in immature rats. Immature rats (one day old) were randomly divided into five groups: group I, control nondiabetic rats; group II, STZ‐induced, untreated diabetic rats; groups III/IV/V, STZ‐induced and BB‐treated diabetic rats, which were intraperitoneally injected with BB (2.5 mg/kg, 5 mg/kg, or 10 mg/kg) after 3 days followed by STZ treatment. We observed that BB improved the histopathological changes and maintained normal glucose metabolism, blood lipid, and liver function indicators, such as fasting blood glucose, obesity index, HbA1c, HOMA‐IR, fast serum insulin, adiponectin, total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high‐density lipoprotein (HDL), low‐density lipoprotein (LDL), aspartate transaminase (AST), and alanine transaminase (ALT) in STZ‐induced DM in immature rats by a biochemical analyzer or ELISA. Meanwhile, Western blot analysis showed that in STZ‐induced DM immature rats, BB decreased the expression of apoptosis‐related proteins Bax, cleaved caspase‐3, and cleaved caspase‐9 while enhancing the Bcl‐2 expression; BB downregulated the expression of ACC related to fat anabolism, while upregulating the expression of CPT‐1 related to fat catabolism. Strikingly, treatment with BB significantly increased the expression of AMPKα1 as well as inhibited HMGB1, TLR4, and p‐P65 expression in hepatic tissues of immature DM rats. AMPK inhibitor (compound C, CC) cotreated with BB undermined the protective effect of BB on the liver injury. The results of the present study suggested BB may have a significant role in alleviating liver damage in the STZ‐induced immature DM rats.
Deformation Monitoring in an Alpine Mining Area in the Tianshan Mountains Based on SBAS‐InSAR Technology
Authors: Du Qingsong , Li Guoyu , Zhou Yu , Chai Mingtang , Chen Dun , Qi Shunshun , Wu Gang
Published: April 2021

The fragile habitat of alpine mining areas can be greatly affected by surface disturbances caused by mining activities, particularly open‐pit mining activities, which greatly affect the periglacial environment. SBAS‐InSAR technology enables the processing of SAR images to obtain highly accurate surface deformation information. This paper applied SBAS‐InSAR technology to obtain three years of surface subsidence information based on the 89‐scene Sentinel‐1A SLC products, covering a mining area (tailings and active areas) in the Tianshan Mountains and its surroundings from 25th December 2017 to 2nd January 2021. The data were adopted to analyze the characteristics of deformation in the study region and the mining areas, and the subsidence accumulation was compared with field GNSS observation results to verify its accuracy. The results showed that the study area settled significantly, with a maximum settlement rate of −44.80 mm/a and a maximum uplift rate of 28.04 mm/a. The maximum settlement and accumulation of the whole study area over the three‐year period were −129.39 mm and 60.49 mm, respectively. The mining area had a settlement value of over 80 mm over the three years. Significantly, the settlement rates of the tailings and active areas were −35 mm/a and −40 mm/a, respectively. Debris accumulation in the eastern portion of the tailings and active areas near the mountain was serious, with accumulation rates of 25 mm/a and 20 mm/a, respectively, and both had accumulation amounts of around 70 mm. For mine tailing pile areas with river flows, the pile locations and environmental restoration should be appropriately adjusted at a later stage. For gravel pile areas, regular cleaning should be carried out, especially around the mining site and at the tunnel entrances and exits, and long‐term deformation monitoring of these areas should be carried out to ensure safe operation of the mining site. The SBAS‐InSAR measurements were able to yield deformations with high accuracies over a wide area and cost less human and financial resources than the GNSS measurement method. Furthermore, the measurement results were more macroscopic, with great application value for surface subsidence monitoring in alpine areas.
miR-598 Represses Cell Migration and Invasion of Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer by Inhibiting MSI2
Authors: Guo Junbin , Liu Tairan , Su Meiyun , Yan Qingxian
Published: April 2021

Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is one of the most frequent solid tumors and regarded as a significant threat to individual health around the world. MicroRNAs (miRs) are recognized as critical governors of gene expression during carcinogenesis, while their clinical significance and mechanism in NSCLC occurrence and development are required for further investigation. In this report, we characterized the functional role of miR-598 and its regulation mechanism in NSCLC. The expression level of miR-598 in NSCLC tissues and cell lines was detected by qRT-PCR. A549 cells were transiently transfected with miR-598 mimics or miR-598 inhibitors. Scratch assay and Transwell assay were used to detect cell transfection, migration, and invasion. Possible binding sites of miR-598 in MSI2 mRNA were predicted by bioinformatics and validated by dual-luciferase reporter gene system. The ability of migration and invasion was examined on cells transfected with MSI2 alone or cotransfected A549 cells with miR-598. The expression of miR-598 in NSCLC tissues was significantly lower than that in adjacent tissues, and the expression of miR-598 in NSCLC cell lines (A549, H1650, and H1299) was also significantly lower than that of normal lung epithelial cell line BEAS-2B. A549 cells were significantly inhibited in migration and invasion after transfection with miR-598 mimics, while miR-598 inhibitors were significantly enhanced in migration and invasion. MSI2 was a direct target gene of miR-598. MSI2 can promote the migration and invasion of A549 cells, but the ability to promote cell migration and invasion was reversed when miR-598 was introduced. In conclusion, miR-598 inhibits the migration and invasion of NSCLC by downregulating the target gene MSI2.
Research on the Application of User Recommendation Based on the Fusion Method of Spatially Complex Location Similarity
Authors: Wang Lili , Shi Ting , Li Shijin
Published: April 2021

Since the user recommendation complex matrix is characterized by strong sparsity, it is difficult to correctly recommend relevant services for users by using the recommendation method based on location and collaborative filtering. The similarity measure between users is low. This paper proposes a fusion method based on KL divergence and cosine similarity. KL divergence and cosine similarity have advantages by comparing three similar metrics at different K values. Using the fusion method of the two, the user’s similarity with the preference is reused. By comparing the location‐based collaborative filtering (LCF) algorithm, user‐based collaborative filtering (UCF) algorithm, and user recommendation algorithm (F2F), the proposed method has the preparation rate, recall rate, and experimental effect advantage. In different median values, the proposed method also has an advantage in experimental results.
Reproducibility of Lung and Liver Volume Measurements on Fetal Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Left-Sided Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia
Authors: Kolbe Amy B. , Ibirogba Eniola R. , Thomas Kristen B. , Hull Nathan C. , Thacker Paul G. , Hathcock Matthew , Sangi-Haghpeykar Haleh , Ruano Rodrigo
Published: April 2021

Introduction: Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) affects 1 in 3,000 live births and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Methods: A review of fetal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examinations was performed for fetuses with left CDH and normal lung controls. Image review and manual tracings were performed by 4 pediatric radiologists; right and left lung volumes in the coronal and axial planes as well as liver volume above and below the diaphragm in the coronal plane were measured. Intra- and interreviewer reproducibility was assessed using intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and Bland-Altman analysis. Results: Excellent intra- and interreviewer reproducibility of the right and left lung volume measurements was observed in both axial planes (interreviewer ICC: right lung: 0.97, 95% CI: 0.95–0.99; left lung: 0.97, 95% CI: 0.95–0.98) and coronal planes (interreviewer ICC: right lung: 0.97, 95% CI: 0.95–0.98; left lung: 0.96, 95% CI: 0.93–0.98). Moderate-to-good interreviewer reproducibility was observed for liver volume above the diaphragm (ICC 0.7, 95% CI: 0.59–0.81). Liver volume below the diaphragm had a good-to-excellent interreviewer reproducibility (ICC 0.88, 95% CI: 9.82–0.93). Conclusions: The present study demonstrated an excellent intra- and interreviewer reproducibility of MRI lung volume measurements and good-to-moderate inter- and intrareviewer reproducibility of liver volume measurements after standardization of the methods at our fetal center.
The Prevalence of Mild Cognitive Impairment among Chinese People: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Deng Yan , Zhao Siqi , Cheng Guangwen , Yang Jiajia , Li Benchao , Xu Kai , Xiao Pei , Li Wenfang , Rong Shuang
Published: April 2021

Background: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) induced the majority number of dementia patients. The prevalence of MCI in China varied across studies with different screening tools and diagnostic criteria. Objective: A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to estimate the pooled MCI prevalence among the population aged 55 years and older in China. Methods: PubMed, EMBASE, CNKI, Wanfang, CQVIP, and CBMdisc were searched for studies on prevalence of MCI among Chinese elderly between January 1, 1980, and February 10, 2020. The quality assessment was conducted via external validity, internal validity, and informativity, the pooled prevalence was calculated through the random-effect model, and the homogeneity was evaluated by Cochran’s Q test and I2. Results: Fifty-three studies with 123,766 subjects were included. The pooled prevalence of MCI among Chinese elderly was 15.4% (95% CI: 13.5–17.4%). Subgroup analyses indicated that the prevalence calculated with different screening tools was 20.2% (95% CI: 15.1–25.9%) for Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and 13.0% (95% CI: 10.7–15.5%) for Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). According to different diagnostic criteria, the prevalence was 14.8% (95% CI: 12.2–17.6%) for Petersen criteria, 15.0% (95% CI: 12.7–17.5%) for DSM-IV, and 21.2% (95% CI: 17.5–25.2%) for Chinese Expert Consensus on Cognitive Impairment (CECCI). Besides, women, older adults, illiterate people, rural residents, and those who lived with unhealthy lifestyles and morbidity showed higher prevalence. Conclusions: The prevalence of MCI in China was 15.4%, which varied by demographics, lifestyles, morbidity, screening tools, and diagnostic criteria. In further studies, screening tools and diagnosis criteria should be considered when estimating MCI prevalence.
R-Ras Deficiency in Pericytes Causes Frequent Microphthalmia and Perturbs Retinal Vascular Development
Authors: Herrera Jose Luis , Komatsu Masanobu
Published: April 2021

Purpose: The retinal vasculature is heavily invested by pericytes. Small GTPase R-Ras is highly expressed in endothelial cells and pericytes, suggesting importance of this Ras homolog for the regulation of the blood vessel wall. We investigated the specific contribution of pericyte-expressed R-Ras to the development of the retinal vasculature. Methods: The effect of R-Ras deficiency in pericytes was analyzed in pericyte-targeted conditional Rras knockout mice at birth and during the capillary plexus formation in the neonatal retina. Results: The offspring of these mice frequently exhibited unilateral microphthalmia. Analyses of the developing retinal vasculature in the eyes without microphthalmia revealed excessive endothelial cell proliferation, sprouting, and branching of the capillary plexus in these animals. These vessels were structurally defective with diminished pericyte coverage and basement membrane formation. Furthermore, these vessels showed reduced VE-cadherin staining and significantly elevated plasma leakage indicating the breakdown of the blood-retinal barrier. This defect was associated with considerable macrophage infiltration in the retina. Conclusions: The normal retinal vascular development is dependent on R-Ras expression in pericytes, and the absence of it leads to unattenuated angiogenesis and significantly weakens the blood-retinal barrier. Our findings underscore the importance of R-Ras for pericyte function during the normal eye development.
Two-Year Follow Up of the LATERAL Clinical Trial
Authors: Wieselthaler Georg M. , Klein Liviu , Cheung Anson W. , Danter Matthew R. , Strueber Martin , Mahr Claudius , Mokadam Nahush A. , Maltais Simon , McGee Edwin C.
Published: April 2021

Background:

The LATERAL trial validated the safety and efficacy of the thoracotomy approach for implantation of the HeartWare HVAD System, leading to Food and Drug Administration approval. We sought to analyze 24-month adverse event (AE) rates, including a temporal analysis of the risk profile, associated with the thoracotomy approach for the HVAD system.

Methods:

AEs from the LATERAL trial were evaluated over 2 years postimplant. Data was obtained from the Interagency Registry for Mechanically Assisted Circulatory Support database for 144 enrolled United States and Canadian patients. Temporal AE profiles were expressed as events per patient year.

Results:

During 162.5 patient years of support, there were 25 driveline infections (0.15 events per patient year), 50 gastrointestinal bleeds (0.31 events per patient year), and 21 strokes (0.13 events per patient year). Longitudinal AE analysis at follow-up intervals of <30 and 30 to 180 days, and 6 to 12 and 12 to 24 months revealed the highest AE rate at <30 days, with a decrease in total AEs within the first 6 months. After 6 months, most AE rates either stabilized or decreased through 2 years, including a 95% overall freedom from disabling stroke.

Conclusions:

Two-year follow-up of the LATERAL trial revealed a favorable morbidity profile in patients supported with the HVAD system, as AE rates were more likely to occur in the first 30 days postimplant, and overall AE rates were significantly reduced after 6 months. Importantly, 2-year freedom from disabling stroke was 95%. These data further support the improving AE profile of patients on long-term HVAD support.

Registration:

URL:
https://www.clinicaltrials.gov
; Unique identifier: NCT02268942.
Increased Risk of Congestive Heart Failure Following Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
Authors: Huang Chien-Cheng , Chen Tzu-Hao , Ho Chung-Han , Chen Yi-Chen , Hsu Chien-Chin , Lin Hung-Jung , Wang Jhi-Joung , Chang Ching-Ping , Guo How-Ran
Published: April 2021

Background:

Carbon monoxide poisoning (COP) is an important public health issue around the world. It may increase the risk of myocardial injury, but the association between COP and congestive heart failure (CHF) remains unclear. We conducted a study incorporating data from epidemiological and animal studies to clarify this issue.

Methods:

Using the National Health Insurance Database of Taiwan, we identified patients with COP diagnosed between 1999 and 2012 and compared them with patients without COP (non-COP cohort) matched by age and the index date at a 1:3 ratio. The comparison for the risk of CHF between the COP and non-COP cohorts was made using Cox proportional hazards regression. We also established a rat model to evaluate cardiac function using echocardiography and studied the pathological changes following COP.

Results:

The 20 942 patients in the COP cohort had a higher risk for CHF than the 62 826 members in the non-COP cohort after adjusting for sex and underlying comorbidities (adjusted hazard ratio, 2.01 [95% CI, 1.74–2.32]). The increased risk of CHF persisted even after 2 years of follow-up (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.85 [95% CI, 1.55–2.21]). In the animal model, COP led to a decreased left ventricular ejection fraction on echocardiography and damage to cardiac cells with remarkable fibrotic changes.

Conclusions:

Our epidemiological data showed an increased risk of CHF was associated with COP, which was supported by the animal study. We suggest close follow-up of cardiac function for patients with COP to facilitate early intervention and further studies to identify other long-term effects that have not been reported in the literature.