bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Modeling and Analysis of Ecological Urban Landscape Pattern Evolution Based on Multisource Remote Sensing Data
Authors: Min Zhang , Xuejie Wang , Yun Liu
Published: May 2021

Considering that the development of urbanization cannot be separated from the application of landscape pattern evolution, in order to improve the development level of ecocity, a modeling analysis of ecological urban landscape pattern evolution based on multisource remote sensing data is proposed. Taking ecotype city as the research object, the remote sensing images of ecological urban landscape pattern are screened by using multisource remote sensing data and nonremote sensing data as the basic data. CA‐Markov model is constructed and the evolution of ecological urban landscape pattern is analyzed. The experimental results show that, from 2005 to 2020, the development level of urbanization process is higher and higher and the area of building land patches is increasing, which reduces the fragmentation of building land patches. However, the landscape of cultivated land and green space is less and less, and the distribution of the patches also causes uneven phenomenon, which leads to the gradual decline of ecological urban landscape diversity. In the ecological urban landscape pattern, the degree of fragmentation and diversity of urban landscape is reduced due to the high connection and coverage of the construction land.
A Note on Certain Laplace Transforms of Convolution-Type Integrals Involving Product of Two Generalized Hypergeometric Functions
Authors: Rathie Arjun Kumar , Geum Young Hee , Kim Hwajoon
Published: May 2021

The aim of this research paper is to provide as many as forty-five attractive Laplace transforms of convolution type related to the product of generalized hypergeometric functions. These are achieved by employing summation theorems for the series pFp−1 (for

p
=
2,3,4

, and 5) available in the literature. The obtained research result is to provide an easier method than the existing method.
T0901317, an Agonist of Liver X Receptors, Attenuates Neuronal Apoptosis in Early Brain Injury after Subarachnoid Hemorrhage in Rats via Liver X Receptors/Interferon Regulatory Factor/P53 Upregulated Modulator of Apoptosis/Dynamin‐1‐Like Protein Pathway
Authors: Dai Jiaxing , Xu Shancai , Okada Takeshi , Liu Yu , Zuo Gang , Tang Jiping , Zhang John H. , Shi Huaizhang
Published: May 2021

Background and Purpose. T0901317, a liver X receptor (LXR) agonist, is widely used to explore the functions of LXRs. T0901317 exerts antiapoptotic effects in many central nervous system disease models. Our aim was to detect the role of T0901317 in neuronal apoptosis in early brain injury after subarachnoid hemorrhage. Methods. Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) models of Sprague‐Dawley rats were established with perforation method. T0901317 was injected intraperitoneally 1‐hour post‐SAH. GSK2033, an inhibitor of LXRs, and interferon regulatory factor (IRF‐1) CRISPR activation were injected intracerebroventricularly to evaluate potential signaling pathway. The severity of SAH, neurobehavior test in both short‐ and long‐term and apoptosis was measured with Western blot and immunofluorescence staining. Results. Expression of LXR‐α and IRF‐1 increased and peaked at 24 h post‐SAH, while LXR‐β remained unaffected in SAH+vehicle group compared with Sham group. Post‐SAH T0901317 treatment attenuated neuronal impairments in both short‐ and long‐term and decreased neuronal apoptosis, the expression of IRF‐1, P53 upregulated modulator of apoptosis (PUMA), dynamin‐1‐like protein (Drp1), Bcl‐2‐associated X protein (Bax) and cleaved caspase‐3, and increasing B‐cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl‐2) at 24 h from modeling. GSK2033 inhibited LXRs and reversed T0901317’s neuroprotective effects. IRF‐1 CRISPR activation upregulated the expression of IRF‐1 and abolished the treatment effects of T0901317. Conclusion. T0901317 attenuated neuronal apoptosis via LXRs/IRF‐1/PUMA/Drp1 pathway in SAH rats.
P Wave Duration/P Wave Voltage Ratio Plays a Promising Role in the Prediction of Atrial Fibrillation: A New Player in the Game
Authors: Karacop E. , Enhos A. , Bakhshaliyev N. , Ozdemir R.
Published: May 2021

Background. Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained arrhythmia in clinical practice. Identification of patients at risk for developing AF and the opportunity for early targeted intervention might have a significant impact on morbidity and mortality. Prolonged P wave duration and decreased P wave voltage have been shown to be independent predictors of AF. The present study aimed to investigate the role of P wave duration/P wave voltage in predicting new-onset AF. Methods. We screened a total of 640 consecutive patients who admitted to cardiology outpatient clinic with a complaint of palpitation between 2012 and 2014. 24-h Holter monitoring, echocardiography, and electrocardiography (ECG) recordings were reviewed to identify new-onset AF. Patients were assigned into two groups based on presence (n = 150) and absence (n = 490) of new-onset AF. Previous ECGs with sinus rhythm were analyzed. P wave duration was measured in inferior leads, and P wave voltage was measured in lead one. P wave duration/P wave voltage was also calculated for each patient. Results. One hundred fifty subjects (23.4%) had new-onset AF among 640 patients. P wave duration (123.27 ± 12.87 vs. 119.33 ± 17.39 ms,

p
=
0.024

) and P wave duration/P wave voltage (1284.70 ± 508.03 vs. 924.14 ± 462.06 ms/mV,

p
<
0.001

) were higher, and P wave voltage (0.12 ± 0.04 vs. 0.13 ± 0.04 mV,

p
<
0.001

) was significantly lower in the new-onset AF group compared with non-AFs. P wave duration/P wave voltage, with a cut off of 854.5 ms/mV, had 83.3% sensitivity and 62.0% specificity in a receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC 0.728, 95% CI 0.687–0.769;

p
<
0.001

). Their negative and positive predictive values were 78.7% and 68.6%, respectively. In a univariate regression analysis, age, smoking, C-reactive protein, brain natriuretic peptide, left atrial diameter, left atrial volume index, P wave duration, P wave voltage, and P wave duration/P wave voltage were significantly associated with the development of new-onset AF. Moreover, smoking (OR 4.008, 95% CI 1.707–9.409;

p
=
0.001

), left atrial volume index (OR 7.108, 95% CI 4.400–11.483;

p
<
0.001

), and P wave duration/P wave voltage (OR 1.002, 95% CI 1.000–1.003;

p
=
0.044

) were found to be significant independent predictors of new-onset AF in a multivariate analysis, after adjusting for other risk parameters. Conclusion. The P wave duration/P wave voltage ratio is a practical, easy-to-use, cheap, and reliable electrocardiographic parameter, which can play a promising role for both in predicting and elucidating a mechanism of new-onset AF.
Evaluation of the Effects of Different Bacteroides vulgatus Strains against DSS-Induced Colitis
Authors: Li Sijia , Wang Chen , Zhang Chengcheng , Luo Yanhong , Cheng Qianqian , Yu Leilei , Sun Zhen
Published: May 2021

Although the strain-dependent effects of Bacteroides vulgatus on alleviating intestinal inflammatory diseases have been demonstrated, the literature has rarely focused on the underlying causes of this effect. In this study, we selected four B. vulgatus strains (FTJS5K1, FTJS7K1, FSDTA11B14, and FSDLZ51K1) with different genomic characteristics and evaluated their protective roles against dextran sulfate sodium- (DSS-) induced colitis. Compared to the other three tested strains, B. vulgatus 7K1 more strongly ameliorated the DSS-induced weight loss, shortening of the colon length, increased disease activity index scores, colonic tissue injury, and immunomodulatory disorder. In contrast, B. vulgatus 51K1 significantly worsened the DSS-induced alterations in the tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) concentration and colonic histopathology. A comparative genomic analysis of B. vulgatus 7K1 and 51K1 showed that the beneficial effects of B. vulgatus 7K1 may be associated with some of its specific genes involved in the production of short-chain fatty acids or capsular polysaccharides and enhancement of its survivability in the gut. In conclusion, these findings indicate that the supplementation of B. vulgatus 7K1 is a potentially efficacious intervention for alleviating colitis and provides scientific support for the screening of probiotics with anticolitis effect.
Prevalence and Morphology of C-Shaped Canals: A CBCT Analysis in a Korean Population
Authors: Yang Sung Eun , Lee Tae Yeon , Kim Kyung Jae
Published: May 2021

This retrospective study of roots with C-shaped canals investigated their prevalence, configuration type, and lingual wall thickness, as well as the panoramic radiographic features of roots in permanent mandibular second molars confirmed to have C-shaped canals on cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) in a Korean population. In total, 1884 CBCT images of mandibular second molars were examined by two endodontists to analyze the presence of C-shaped canals according to age and sex. The bilateral occurrence of C-shaped roots and their morphology on panoramic radiography were assessed and statistically analyzed using the chi-square test. The classification of Fan et al. was applied to categorize the configurations of C-shaped canals. The lingual wall thickness was calculated in the mesial, middle, and distal areas at the orifice and at 5 mm from the apex. The Mann–Whitney

U

test was used to analyze the mean difference of lingual wall thickness between the apex and orifice level. A

P

value of 0.05 was considered to indicate statistical significance in the statistical analyses. Of 2508 mandibular second molars, 924 (36.8%) had C-shaped root canals. The prevalence was significantly lower in the over 61 age group (24.08%) than in the 21–30-year age group (40.02%) and was higher in women (42.32%). Most cases were bilateral (85.9%). The C1 type was the most common (35.3%). The prevalence of C1 type canals decreased, while that of C3b type canals increased with age. In 75.2% of teeth having C-shaped root canals on CBCT, fused roots were observed on panoramic views. The difference in the lingual wall thickness at the orifice and 5 mm from the apex was significant in the middle area in all configurations of C-shaped root canals. When performing nonsurgical or surgical endodontic procedures of the mandibular second molars, clinicians should consider age, sex, ethnicity, and anatomical variations.
Analysis of Visualization Technology of 3D Spatial Geographic Information System
Authors: Yang Jiudong , Wu Fenghua , Lai Erlong , Liu Mingyue , Liu Bo , Zhao Yingchao
Published: May 2021

Traditional urban planning is generally expressed in a two-dimensional geographic information system, but its performance is limited to the plane direction. It cannot give people more natural feelings and visionary experiences. The rapid development of three-dimensional geographic information systems brings people geographic information. The three-dimensional intuitive experience, but the traditional three-dimensional geographic information system has the disadvantages that the spatial properties are incompatible, the image rendering speed is slow, and the visualization effect is poor. In this paper, the traditional domain-oriented processing method is improved in spatial data processing and modeling. An optimized object-oriented optimization algorithm is proposed. The three-dimensional geographic information is optimized based on a dynamic multiresolution model and multilevel detail processing technology. The rendering of the system enhances the visualization. Based on the optimization algorithm of data processing and visualization technology proposed in this paper, the spatial data processing platform GISdata of 3D GIS is designed in this paper. At the same time, the 3D GIS is visualized based on OpenGL visualization software. It is shown that the optimization algorithm proposed in this paper has excellent preexperimental effects.
Artistic Style Conversion Based on 5G Virtual Reality and Virtual Reality Visual Space
Authors: Zeng Lijia , Dong Xiang
Published: May 2021

With the rapid development of digital information technology, virtual reality (VR) and VR visual space technology have become important branches in the field of computer 5G. Their application research has attracted more and more attention, and their practical value and application prospects are also very broad. This paper mainly studies the artistic style conversion based on 5G VR and VR visual space. This paper starts from the two concepts of VR technology and VR vision, analyzes the development process and characteristics of the two, discusses the possibility and inevitability of the fusion of the two, and leads to the space art produced by the fusion of VR technology and VR vision. This kind of art space gives people an “immersive” experience. This paper analyzes multiple immersive experience works, analyzes its multi-sensory and multi-technical spatial art style transformation form, and summarizes the advantages and disadvantages of the current art style transformation form based on 5G VR and VR visual space, with a view to the future development of VR immersion for reference. This paper analyzes the ease-of-use indicators. The experimental results show that, except for the sensory experience indicators, the average values of other indicators are less than 1. This is a project with better ease of use, and the use of 5G VR and VR vision technology can improve the transformation of space art style.
Toll-Like Receptors: General Molecular and Structural Biology
Authors: Behzadi Payam , García-Perdomo Herney Andrés , Karpiński Tomasz M.
Published: May 2021

Background/Aim. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are pivotal biomolecules in the immune system. Today, we are all aware of the importance of TLRs in bridging innate and adaptive immune system to each other. The TLRs are activated through binding to damage/danger-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), microbial/microbe-associated molecular patterns (MAMPs), pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs), and xenobiotic-associated molecular patterns (XAMPs). The immunogenetic molecules of TLRs have their own functions, structures, coreceptors, and ligands which make them unique. These properties of TLRs give us an opportunity to find out how we can employ this knowledge for ligand-drug discovery strategies to control TLRs functions and contribution, signaling pathways, and indirect activities. Hence, the authors of this paper have a deep observation on the molecular and structural biology of human TLRs (hTLRs). Methods and Materials. To prepare this paper and fulfill our goals, different search engines (e.g., GOOGLE SCHOLAR), Databases (e.g., MEDLINE), and websites (e.g., SCOPUS) were recruited to search and find effective papers and investigations. To reach this purpose, we tried with papers published in the English language with no limitation in time. The iCite bibliometrics was exploited to check the quality of the collected publications. Results. Each TLR molecule has its own molecular and structural biology, coreceptor(s), and abilities which make them unique or a complementary portion of the others. These immunogenetic molecules have remarkable roles and are much more important in different sections of immune and nonimmune systems rather than that we understand to date. Conclusion. TLRs are suitable targets for ligand-drug discovery strategies to establish new therapeutics in the fields of infectious and autoimmune diseases, cancers, and other inflammatory diseases and disorders.
The Promotion/Inhibition of the Seepage Transport of Copper Ions by Suspension-Colloidal Particles with Wide Size Gradation
Authors: Nie Qingke , Li Huawei , Yang Haipeng , Ni Tengfei , Jiang Sichen
Published: May 2021

Sand column tests were conducted to investigate the seepage transport of silicon powders (SPs) with two wide particle size ranges (30-2000 nm and 2-70 μm), including the cotransport of SPs and copper ions. The results show that the graded large-scale SP has an obvious inhibiting influence on the transport of copper ions. In contrast, in the presence of the graded small-scale SP, the concentration of copper ions in the effluent tends to increase; i.e., there appears to be a promoting effect. However, after a long transport distance, the presence of SPs, regardless of particle size, has an overall retarding effect on heavy metal pollutants (e.g., copper ions). The promoting effect of the increase in seepage velocity on the concentration of copper ions in the effluent is greater with the graded large-scale SPs than with the graded small-scale SPs. In terms of the microstructural characteristics by metallographic microscopy, the average particle size of the deposited graded small-scale SPs is almost constant at different transport distances, while that of the deposited graded large-scale SPs tend to decrease significantly with increasing transport distance; i.e., notable bed filtration is exhibited in the latter case. This physical mechanism also determines the sequence and rate of the retarding effect of SPs on heavy metal ions under seepage flow.
Tuberculosis Treatment Outcome in Patients with TB-HIV Coinfection in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Authors: Selimin Diana Safraa , Ismail Aniza , Ahmad Norfazilah , Ismail Rohani , Mohd Azman Nurul Farhana , Azman Amaleena
Published: May 2021

Background. Tuberculosis (TB) is a serious health threat to people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). This study aimed to identify the characteristics, unsuccessful TB treatment rate, and determinants of unsuccessful TB treatment outcome among patients with TB-HIV coinfection in Kuala Lumpur. Methods. This was a cross-sectional study. The data of all patients with TB-HIV in the federal territory of Kuala Lumpur from 2013 to 2017 were collected and reviewed. The data were retrieved from the national database (TB Information System) at the Kuala Lumpur Health Department from 1 March 2018 to 31 May 2018. Results. Out of 235 randomly selected patients with TB-HIV, TB treatment outcome was successful in 57.9% (cured and completed treatment) and unsuccessful in 42.1% (died, failed, or lost to follow-up). Patients who did not receive DOTS (directly observed treatment, short course) (adjusted odds ratio: 21.71; 95% confidence interval: 5.36–87.94) and those who received shorter treatment duration of <6 months (aOR: 34.54; 95% CI: 5.97–199.93) had higher odds for unsuccessful TB treatment outcome. Conclusions. Nearly half of the patients with TB-HIV had unsuccessful TB treatment outcome. Therefore, it is important to ensure that such patients receive DOTS and continuous TB treatment of >6 months. It is crucial to strengthen and widen the coverage of DOTS, especially among high-risk groups, in healthcare settings. Strict follow-up by healthcare providers is needed for patients with TB-HIV to gain treatment adherence and for better rates of successful TB treatment.
UM Shaper Command Inputs for CRONE Control: Application on a DC Motor Bench
Authors: Jallouli Khlif Rim , Abid Ahmed , Melchior Pierre , Derbel Nabil
Published: May 2021

This study proposes an approach to synthesize a three-impulse sequence input shaper with a negative impulse, known as Unity Magnitude (UM) shaper. The corresponding analytic model has been already achieved for undamped and low-damped systems. In this paper, the analytic design of UM shaper is demonstrated for the generalized case of damped systems for both types: integer and fractional orders. Hence, the UM shaper model has been designed for second-order systems with damped dynamics, associating a graphical fitting and an analytical procedure; then, it has been extended to explicit fractional derivative systems. Moreover, the feasibility and the effectiveness of the proposed on-off profile prefilter applied on a second-generation controller have been substantiated by experimental results on an instrumented DC motor bench.
Research on the Design of Government Affairs Platform in the Context of Big Data
Authors: Huang Qian , Li Xue Wen
Published: May 2021

Big data is a massive and diverse form of unstructured data, which needs proper analysis and management. It is another great technological revolution after the Internet, the Internet of Things, and cloud computing. This paper firstly studies the related concepts and basic theories as the origin of research. Secondly, it analyzes in depth the problems and challenges faced by Chinese government management under the impact of big data. Again, we explore the opportunities that big data brings to government management in terms of management efficiency, administrative capacity, and public services and believe that governments should seize opportunities to make changes. Brainlike computing attempts to simulate the structure and information processing process of biological neural network. This paper firstly analyzes the development status of e-government at home and abroad, studies the service-oriented architecture (SOA) and web services technology, deeply studies the e-government and SOA theory, and discusses this based on the development status of e-government in a certain region. Then, the deep learning algorithm is used to construct the monitoring platform to monitor the government behavior in real time, and the deep learning algorithm is used to conduct in-depth mining to analyze the government's intention behavior.
Machine Learning  Modelling of the Relationship between Weather and Paddy Yield in Sri Lanka
Authors: Ekanayake Piyal , Rankothge Windhya , Weliwatta Rukmal , Jayasinghe Jeevani W.
Published: May 2021

This paper presents the development of crop-weather models for the paddy yield in Sri Lanka based on nine weather indices, namely, rainfall, relative humidity (minimum and maximum), temperature (minimum and maximum), wind speed (morning and evening), evaporation, and sunshine hours. The statistics of seven geographical regions, which contribute to about two-thirds of the country’s total paddy production, were used for this study. The significance of the weather indices on the paddy yield was explored by employing Random Forest (RF) and the variable importance of each of them was determined. Pearson’s correlation and Spearman’s correlation were used to identify the behavior of correlation in a positive or negative direction. Further, the pairwise correlation among the weather indices was examined. The results indicate that the minimum relative humidity and the maximum temperature during the paddy cultivation period are the most influential weather indices. Moreover, RF was used to develop a paddy yield prediction model and four more techniques, namely, Power Regression (PR), Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) with stepwise selection, forward (step-up) selection, and backward (step-down) elimination, were used to benchmark the performance of the machine learning technique. Their performances were compared in terms of the Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE), Correlation Coefficient (R), Mean Absolute Error (MAE), and the Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE). As per the results, RF is a reliable and accurate model for the prediction of paddy yield in Sri Lanka, demonstrating a very high R of 0.99 and the least MAPE of 1.4%.
V-Lattice: A Lightweight Blockchain Architecture Based on DAG-Lattice Structure for Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks
Authors: Zhang Xiaodong , Li Ru , Hou Wenhan , Zhao Hui
Published: May 2021

With the development of wireless communication technology and the automobile industry, the Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks bring many conveniences to humans in terms of safety and entertainment. In the process of communication between the nodes, security problems are the main concerns. Blockchain is a decentralized distributed technology used in nonsecure environments. Using blockchain technology in the VANETs can solve the security problems. However, the characteristics of highly dynamic and resource-constrained VANETs make the traditional chain blockchain system not suitable for actual VANETs scenarios. Therefore, this paper proposes a lightweight blockchain architecture using DAG-lattice structure for VANETs, called V-Lattice. In V-Lattice, each node (vehicle or roadside unit) has its own account chain. The transactions they generated can be added to the blockchain asynchronously and parallelly, and resource-constrained vehicles can store the pruned blockchain and execute blockchain related operations normally. At the same time, in order to encourage more nodes to participate in the blockchain, a reputation-based incentive mechanism is introduced in V-Lattice. This paper uses Colored Petri Nets to verify the security of the architecture and verifies the feasibility of PoW anti-spam through experiment. The validation results show that the architecture proposed in this paper is security, and it is feasible to prevent nodes from generating malicious behaviors by using PoW anti-spam.
Supply-Side Practices and Constraints of the Kola Nut (Cola nitida (Vent) Schott. and Endl.) Value Chain in Ghana: A Descriptive Evidence
Authors: Amon-Armah Frederick , Oduro Solomon Sefa , Doe Eric Kofi , Asani Moses , Nyadanu Daniel , Konlan Sampson
Published: May 2021

The use of kola nut, including natural or alternative medicinal sources, has inevitably created an increased global market demand in excess of its production and provides great prospects for the growth of the kola nut industry in producing countries like Ghana. Nonetheless, there is a great dearth of information on Ghana’s kola nut supply-side practices and constraints that can provide a basis for the development of the industry. This study fills the research gap by describing the practices and constraints of farmers, processors, and marketers of kola nut in Ghana. Using a survey methodology, results showed that nearly all (99.5%) farmers interviewed had not received any extension training on agronomic practices. Low market price of nuts (61.5%) and pests and diseases (60.4%) were the most reported constraints to kola nut production. Chiefs among motivating factors for cultivating kola nut were alternative livelihood support (58%). Some processors (28.6%) who rinsed nuts after depulping used a solution of Akate Master (bifenthrin) and others (51.0%) used fumigation tablets (aluminium phosphide) (91.0%) for storing the nuts. However, these chemicals may be dangerous to the health of consumers in the long run. The low selling price of kola nuts was perceived to be the most (74.8%) constraint to kola nut processing and marketing. Respondents noted that the red nuts were preferred for their durability during transportation and longer shelf life, while the white nuts were preferred for their taste. The results suggest the need for further agronomic, postharvest handling, preservation, and storage, as well as breeding research to provide recommendations to farmers and processors. To overcome some marketing challenges, there is a need for policy support to standardize pricing and grading systems for the mutual benefit of all the stakeholders.
Construction and Validation of an Autophagy-Related Prognostic Model for Osteosarcoma Patients
Authors: Qian Hu , Lei Ting , Lei Pengfei , Hu Yihe
Published: May 2021

While the prognostic value of autophagy-related genes (ARGs) in OS patients remains scarcely known, increasing evidence is indicating that autophagy is closely associated with the development and progression of osteosarcoma (OS). Therefore, we explored the prognostic value of ARGs in OS patients and illuminate associated mechanisms in this study. When the OS patients in the training/validation cohort were stratified into high- and low-risk groups according to the risk model established using least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression analysis, we observed that patients in the low-risk group possessed better prognosis (

P
<
0.0001

). Univariate/Multivariate COX regression and subgroup analysis demonstrated that the ARGs-based risk model was an independent survival indicator for OS patients. The nomogram incorporating the risk model and clinical features exhibited excellent prognostic accuracy. GO, KEGG, and GSVA analyses collectively indicated that bone development-associated pathway mediated the contribution of ARGs to the malignance of OS. Immune infiltration analysis suggested the potential pivotal role of macrophage in OS. In summary, the risk model based on 12 ARGs possessed potent capacity in predicting the prognosis of OS patients. Our work may assist clinicians to map out more reasonable treatment strategies and facilitate individual-targeted therapy in osteosarcoma.
Interpatient ECG Heartbeat Classification with an Adversarial Convolutional Neural Network
Authors: Zhang Jing , Liu Aiping , Liang Deng , Chen Xun , Gao Min
Published: May 2021

Discovering shared, invariant feature representations across subjects in electrocardiogram (ECG) classification tasks is crucial for improving the generalization of models to unknown patients. Although deep neural networks have recently been emerging in extracting generalizable ECG features, they usually rely on labeled samples from a large number of subjects to guarantee generalization. Extracting invariant representations to intersubject variabilities from a small number of subjects is still a challenge today due to individual physical differences. To address this problem, we propose an adversarial deep neural network framework for interpatient heartbeat classification by integrating adversarial learning into a convolutional neural network to learn subject-invariant, class-discriminative features. The proposed method was evaluated on the MIT-BIH arrhythmia database which is a publicly available ECG dataset collected from 47 patients. Compared with the state-of-the-art methods, the proposed method achieves the highest performance for detecting supraventricular ectopic beats (SVEBs), which are very challenging to identify, and also gains comparable performance on the detection of ventricular ectopic beats (VEBs). The sensitivities of SVEBs and VEBs are 78.8% and 92.5%, respectively. The precisions of SVEBs and VEBs are 90.8% and 94.3%, respectively. With high performance in the detection of pathological classes (i.e., SVEBs and VEBs), this work provides a promising method for ECG classification tasks when the number of patients is limited.
Controlling Conical Beam Carrying Orbital Angular Momentum with Transmissive Metasurface
Authors: Sun Jun , Chen Ke , Qu Kai , Zhao Junming , Jiang Tian , Feng Yijun
Published: May 2021

Conical beams have potential uses in wireless and satellite-based communication. In this study, we propose a method using a transmissive metasurface to achieve full control of the diverging effect of orbital angular momentum (OAM) modes to form the desired conical beam. A patch antenna functioning as the feed source is combined with the transmissive metasurface to enable the integration of the source and metasurface. For full control of conical radiation, including the cone angle and OAM mode, we introduce both radial and circumferential phase gradients to the proposed metasurface. Experiments are conducted in the microwave region to validate the design method, which shows good agreement with the simulation results. The proposed metasurface provides a means of flexibly generating conical beams with the designed OAM mode to assist potential applications in high-speed wireless communication.
Preference and Practice of Traditional Medicine and Associated Factors in Jimma Town, Southwest Ethiopia
Authors: Chali Belachew Umeta , Hasho Abush , Koricha Nimona Berhanu
Published: May 2021

Background. Traditional medicine is the sum total of knowledge, talents, and practices that are used to uphold health, as well as to avert, identify, improve, or treat illnesses. Sociodemographic/economic characteristics, culture, and environment can influence the preference and practice of traditional medicine. Objective. To assess the preference and practices of traditional medicine and associated factors. Methods. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 271 residents of Jimma town. The data were collected by interviewing selected households. The households were selected by a simple random sampling technique. The data were analysed using SPSS version 20. Descriptive statistics were used for organizing, describing, and summarizing the data. Chi-square (X2) test was used to identify factors associated with the preference and practice of traditional medicine. Results. More than half (221(81.5%)) of the participants practiced traditional medicine. Religion (X2 = 17.18;p=0.001), marital status (X2 = 15.42;p=0.001), occupation (X2 = 19.74;p=0.001), and educational level (X2 = 28.39;p≤0.001) were the sociodemographic factors determining the use of traditional medicine. However, 25 (9.2%) of the participants preferred to use traditional medicine. Affordability (25 (100%)), religious affiliation (21 (84%)), and distance from home (20 (80%)) were some reasons for preference. Educational level (X2 = 15.56;p=0.04), marital status (X2 = 12.39;p=0.04), and occupation (X2 = 15.61;p=0.003) were the factors affecting their preference for traditional medicine. Conclusion. A majority of the participants practiced traditional medicine use. Religion, marital status, occupation, and educational level were factors affecting the practice of the participants. More than half of the participants did not prefer to use traditional medicine. Affordability, religious affiliation, and distance from home were some reasons for preferring traditional medicine.
Application of Mobile App in English Teaching in an Intelligent Environment
Authors: Tu Haihua
Published: May 2021

With the rapid development of social economy and technology, the application of technology in the field of education has also been further developed. The past paper information carriers can no longer fully meet the development needs of the modern society. In this context, this thesis explores a learning model that combines mobile learning based on mobile apps with English teaching. The school’s hardware facilities have been continuously updated with the development of social information technology, and intelligent voice systems have been continuously introduced into classrooms. This article focuses on exploring the application of mobile app in English teaching in a smart environment, using the implementation of the mobile learning English model, and dividing two identical classes into an experimental class and control class through questionnaires and comparisons. The experimental design finally concluded that the use of mobile app to assist English teaching in all aspects of the relative improvement of the English performance of the class, the teaching effect is obvious, effectively improves students' interest in learning English and, at the same time, realizes students’ mobile learning, changes the scope of teaching activities from classroom changes to a wider range, and plays a role in consolidating and supplementing classroom English.
Effect of Opuntia ficus-indica Mucilage Edible Coating in Combination with Ascorbic Acid, on Strawberry Fruit Quality during Cold Storage
Authors: Liguori Giorgia , Gaglio Raimondo , Settanni Luca , Inglese Paolo , D’Anna Fabio , Miceli Alessandro
Published: May 2021

Strawberry fruit is a nonclimacteric fruit and is one of the most consumed berries in the world. It is characterized by high levels of vitamin C, folate, vitamin E, β-carotene, and phenolic constituents as well asanthocyanins that are strictly related to health benefits. Strawberries are highly perishable fruit with a very short postharvest life due to their susceptibility to mechanical injury, rapid texture softening, physiological disorders, and infection caused by several pathogens (yeast and mold) that can rapidly reduce fruit quality. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of the application of Opuntia ficus-indica mucilage in combination with ascorbic acid, as edible coating, on quality, sensorial parameters, and microbiological characteristics of strawberry fruit during cold storage at 4 ± 0.5°C and 85% RH. Strawberries were characterized by a linear increase of weight loss during the storage at 4°C that was significantly higher (+11.3% on average) in the uncoated strawberries. The coating affected the ascorbic acid content of the strawberries that increased by 36.0% in coated strawberries; total soluble solid content and color of the strawberries were only affected by storage. Visual quality and sensorial analysis recorded higher scores in the coated samples at the end of the cold storage period. Furthermore, the mucilage coating did not negatively affect the natural taste of strawberries. The application of O. ficus-indica gel-based edible coating in combination with ascorbic acid, although not able to inhibit the microbial growth, limited significantly their development in coated strawberry fruits. Our results suggest that Opuntia mucilage plus 5% ascorbic acid could be a useful biochemical way of maintaining strawberry fruit quality and extending their postharvest life.
A Dynamic Strain-Rate-Dependent Contact Model and Its Application in Hongshiyan Landslide
Authors: Shi Chong , Li Wangyang , Meng Qingxiang
Published: May 2021

An earthquake-induced landslide, mainly affected by seismic movement, is a frequent large-scale geological hazard in hydraulic engineering. This paper proposed a rate-dependent strain-softened micromechanical contact model and implemented it in discrete element method code, namely, PFC. Using the PFC-FLAC coupling scheme, the Hongshiyan earthquake landslide is analyzed as a case study. The influence of the strain rate, damping, and topographic effect is discussed. The results indicate that the rate-dependent micromechanical model can give a reasonable seismic-induced failure process compared with the in situ situation and provide a numerical technique for earthquake-induced landslide analysis and rockfall hazard prediction.
Historical Titles v. Effective Occupation: Spanish Jurists on the Caroline Islands Affair (1885)
Authors: Lorente Marta
Published: June 2021

This article analyses the arguments posed by Spanish jurists regarding the character and value in international nineteenth-century order of the titles to territories that the Spanish State inherited from the Catholic Monarchs. Focused on defending colonial interests in the Pacific, Spanish jurists insisted upon reproducing the legitimising arguments of the Conquest throughout the nineteenth century, until the German occupation of the Caroline Islands, expressly supported by the agreements reached at the Berlin Conference, forced them to rethink the foundations of their argument. The conflict surrounding the Caroline Islands was the first example of confrontation between articles 33 and 34 of the Act of Berlin and historical titles.
What is Ailing Purāṇic Studies?
Authors: Bisschop Peter C.
Published: May 2021

Commencing from a critical reading of two recent publications on the Mārkaṇḍeyapurāṇa and the Devīmāhātmya, this article argues that, contrary to what is maintained by the author of the two books under review, what is ailing Purāṇic studies is not a reliance on traditional modes of textual criticism, but a misunderstanding about its utility for accessing the dynamic history of Purāṇic text corpora.
Pragmatic Saintliness: Toward a Criticism and Celebration of Community
Authors: Davis Benjamin P.
Published: May 2021

This essay responds to John McDermott’s diagnosis of politics and religious life in the U.S.: “[B]oth traditional political and religious institutions are no longer an adequate let alone rich resource for a celebratory language.” I present a new celebratory language by reading William James’s description of saintliness in Varieties of Religious Experience. James gives me the resources to naturalize and democratize saintliness. Distinguished not by her transcendent miracles but by her this-worldly energies and experiments, the pragmatic saint remakes the experience of her community through celebration, a form of appreciation and criticism exemplified in engaged art. My ethical and aesthetic description of the saint thus builds on E. Paul Colella’s recent political description of the saint as the “strenuous citizen.”
John Dewey’s Ethics, Pragmatist Bioethics, and the Case of Gestational Surrogacy
Authors: Taye Belayneh
Published: May 2021

John Dewey relates ethics in general with the mode of inquiry. Against the mainstream ethics and moral theories, Dewey reconstructed morality in light of empirical science, providing the necessary steps of pragmatic ethical investigations. In this study, I have revisited Dewey’s ethical inquiry and recent developments of the methods of pragmatist bioethics. Using this approach in ethics, I have examined the development of reproductive technologies and genetics, precisely the moral dilemma of gestational surrogacy at the level of a public issue that needs social policy. In the final part, I have suggested the significance of Dewey’s emphasis on education, deliberative democracy, and institutions and agents’ role as the basis to solve bioethical issues arising in different societal contexts.
Relations as Potential
Authors: Fjeld Heidi E.
Published: May 2021

Across the Tibetan ethnographic region, not only marriage but kinship more broadly is formed, maintained and explained in heterogeneous and sometimes contradictory ways. Following studies of marriage, this article takes these myriad ways as forming a continuum of kinship principles and practices that can be foregrounded and backgrounded in different localities and at different times, in ways that both respond to and shape external and internal factors, concerns and forces. The aim of the article is to suggest a more nuanced model of Tibetan kinship and relatedness, in which houses, lineages and lateral kin, as well as assistance and trade networks, are understood in terms of flexibility, pragmatism and potentiality. The inherent flexibility of Tibetan marriage and kinship could be seen as the core organisational principle, forming what I call a kinship of potentiality.
Producing Authenticity: Ethnic Costumes in Contemporary Inner Mongolia
Authors: Baioud Gegentuul
Published: May 2021

This article examines multivocal Mongolian costumes to shed light on the performance and representation of Mongolian identities in China. In particular, it explores the promotion of Mongolian costumes in online media spaces, in commercial cultural studios, and at state-sponsored heritage events. The article argues that the discursive construction of authenticity and cultural hegemony overshadows and hierarchises heterogenous Mongolian cultures and identities. The article also finds that the meanings taken on by Mongolian costumes contest and go beyond those inscribed by the state. The study aims to improve our understanding of minority cultural transformation in post-Mao China and the agency of minority Mongols who reshape their evolving cultural forms.
Confucianism and Democracy: Four Models of Compatibility
Authors: Gao Sophia , Walayat Aaron J.
Published: May 2021

In recent years, Philosophy Departments at universities in China and worldwide have experienced a renaissance in discussion on Confucian thought. As the country draws from indigenous traditions, rather than leaning completely on the importation of Western liberalism and Marxism, Confucianism has critical implications for politics, ethics, and law in modern China. At the same time, democracy never left the conversation. Democratic concepts cannot be ignored and must be disposed of, acknowledged, or incorporated. The relationship between Confucianism and democracy has been described by various authors as one of conflict, critique, compatibility, and hybridity. In this article, we examine a compatibility model, in which compatibility between Confucianism and democracy can be divided into four types: soft, hard, coexistence, and integration. We examine compatibility by examining “what is compatible” and “how compatibility can be achieved” so as to design speculative models for what a contemporary Confucian government would look like. Our focus is mainly political philosophy in order to explain the effect of cross-pollination of Confucian and democratic thought on political society.
Supercapacitance Property Study of 3D Open-Framework Prussian Blue in Neutral Electrolyte
Authors: Pan Wei , Zhang Mu , Xue Dongfeng , Sun Xudong
Published: June 2021

Prussian blue is a kind compound with a consistent three-dimensional structure. Here we characterized a family of Prussian blue which could have reversible insertion of cations into materials. This study details comprehensive electrochemical property information about Prussian blue
electrode materials and provides a method to evaluate a series of supercapacitor materials. These hexacyanoferrates were synthesized by one step precipitation method which was low cost. They exhibited extremely different apparent morphology in the scanning electron microscope (SEM) image.
And then these Prussian blue electrode materials were evaluated on room temperature for their electrochemical properties. They show a different specific capacitance and redox voltage. The kinetic study reveals reasons that influence the electrochemical properties of these active materials.
First, the particle morphology has a great effect on it; Second, transition metal cations modify the C≡N bond connected with it and then influence the bond connected with the Fe atom.
Synthesis and Enhanced Electro-Magnetic Wave Absorbing Properties of Reduced Graphene Oxide-Fe3O4-Polyaniline Ternary Nano-Composites
Authors: Jin Yihan , Luo Xi , Zhang Jinglin , Zhao Dongliang , Gao Kewei
Published: June 2021

Micro-emulsion method is adopted to synthesis rGO-Fe3O4-PANI (reduced graphene oxide-Fe3O4-polyaniline) ternary nano-composites. With the different contents of aniline (0.1 g, 0.2 g, 0.3 g) added in production, the corresponding final products
are named as sample 1, sample 2, sample 3, respectively. The results of TEM indicate that the mean size of Fe3O4 nano-particles is 14 nm and they are anchored onto rGO slice. There are some PANI polymer wrinkles distributed on the rGO surface uniformly. The electro-magnetic
data demonstrate that sample 1 possess a great enhancement of the electro-magnetic wave absorption abilities and frequency bandwidth among the three samples. The RLmin (minimum reflection loss) value of sample 1 is -44.16 dB at 4.29 GHz with 5 mm coating thickness and 1.77 GHz (3.72-4.94
GHz, 13.33-13.88 GHz) frequency bandwidth (RL  -10 dB). We can believe that this kind of nano-composites will have a promising application in the future.
Chinese College Students’ Death Cognition and its Long-Term Changes After Wenchuan Earthquake
Authors: Qi Jiawei , FPRT
Published: May 2021

This study explores the cognitive structure of death and long-term changes of death cognition after catastrophes for Chinese college students. Two months before Wenchuan earthquake, a week after, a year after, and ten years after, a total of 1507 participants’ associated words of death were collected, after clustering high-frequency words’ similarity coefficients, results showed that death was represented by four advanced clusters: death contact, death anxiety and its reminders, deathafter, and defense mechanism; a week after earthquake, death anxiety and its reminders, defense mechanism were activated; a year after, death contact, afterdeath were appreciated, death anxiety and its reminders, defense mechanism were underappreciated, this phenomenon still existed even ten years later, which suggests that the earthquake permanently changed their death cognition, and this change stabilized one year later. In addition, this paper provides an effective method to uncover cognitive structure of one certain concept.