bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Predicting Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis among Chinese Children and Adolescents
Authors: Yan Bin , Lu Xinhai , Qiu Qihua , Nie Guohui , Huang Yeen
Published: July 2020

Objective. Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) affects 1%‐4% of adolescents in the early stages of puberty, but there is still no effective prediction method. This study aimed to establish a prediction model and validated the accuracy and efficacy of this model in predicting the occurrence of AIS. Methods. Data was collected from a population‐based school scoliosis screening program for AIS in China. A sample of 884 children and adolescents with the radiological lateral Cobb angle ≥ 10° was classified as an AIS case, and 895 non‐AIS subjects with a Cobb angle < 10° were randomly selected from the screening system. All selected subjects were screened by visual inspection of clinical signs, the Adam’s forward‐bending test (FBT), and the measurement of angle of trunk rotation (ATR). LR and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to preliminarily screen the influential factors, and LR models with different adjusted weights were established to predict the occurrence of AIS. Results. Multivariate LR and ROC curves indicated that angle of thoracic rotation (adjusted odds ratios (AOR) = 5.18 − 10.06), angle of thoracolumbar rotation (AOR = 4.67 − 7.22), angle of lumbar rotation (AOR = 6.97 − 8.09), scapular tilt (area under the curve (AUC) = 0.77, 95% CI: 0.75‐0.80), shoulder‐height difference, lumbar concave, and pelvic tilt were the risk predictors for AIS. LR models with different adjusted weights (by AOR, AUC, and AOR+AUC) performed similarly in predicting the occurrence of AIS compared with multivariate LR. The sensitivity (82.55%‐83.27%), specificity (82.59%‐83.33%), Youden’s index (0.65‐0.67), positive predictive value (82.85%‐83.58%), negative predictive value (82.29%‐83.03%), and total accuracy (82.57%‐83.30%) manifested that LR could accurately identify patients with AIS. Conclusions. LR model is a relatively high accurate and feasible method for predicting AIS. Increased performance of LR models using clinically relevant variables offers the potential to early identify high‐risk groups of AIS.
Impact of COVID-19 on Forecasting Stock Prices: An Integration of Stationary Wavelet Transform and Bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory
Authors: Štifanić Daniel , Musulin Jelena , Miočević Adrijana , Baressi Šegota Sandi , Šubić Roman , Car Zlatan
Published: July 2020

COVID-19 is an infectious disease that mostly affects the respiratory system. At the time of this research being performed, there were more than 1.4 million cases of COVID-19, and one of the biggest anxieties is not just our health, but our livelihoods, too. In this research, authors investigate the impact of COVID-19 on the global economy, more specifically, the impact of COVID-19 on the financial movement of Crude Oil price and three US stock indexes: DJI, S&P 500, and NASDAQ Composite. The proposed system for predicting commodity and stock prices integrates the stationary wavelet transform (SWT) and bidirectional long short-term memory (BDLSTM) networks. Firstly, SWT is used to decompose the data into approximation and detail coefficients. After decomposition, data of Crude Oil price and stock market indexes along with COVID-19 confirmed cases were used as input variables for future price movement forecasting. As a result, the proposed system BDLSTM + WT-ADA achieved satisfactory results in terms of five-day Crude Oil price forecast.
Clinical Orodental Anomalies in Taiwanese Children under Age Six: a Study Based on the 1995‐1997 National Dental Survey
Authors: Chang Po-Sen , Yen Tzung-Hai , Huang Chun-Jui , Yen Amy Ming-Fang , Chen Sam Li-Sheng , Tsai Aileen I.
Published: July 2020

There are few published studies that report the prevalence of intraoral anomalies for young children. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence and distribution of several congenital oral and paraoral anomalies in Taiwanese children under age six. Twenty‐five cities and townships were randomly sampled in different areas of Taiwan using the stratified method. These cities and townships represent cross‐sectional samples of geographic locations and socioeconomic levels. A total of 981 Taiwanese children under age six were examined with dental mirrors and explorers as part of the national dental survey. The results of this survey indicated an 11.31% prevalence of geographic tongue. This number is higher than that reported in studies previously performed in different countries. The occurrence of double teeth in primary dentition was found to be 2.14%. Ankyloglossia had a frequency of 1.22%, and primary talon cusp a frequency of 0.61%. Seven (0.71%) children exhibited fissured tongues. Thirteen (1.33%) cases of hypodontia were found. These values were different from those reported in several other countries, which may be attributed to differences in the ethnic and racial composition of the population studied.
No Race-Ethnicity Adjustment in CKD-EPI Equations Is Required for Estimating Glomerular Filtration Rate in the Brazilian Population
Authors: Rocha Amanda D. , Garcia Suzane , Santos Andressa B. , Eduardo José C. C. , Mesquita Claudio T. , Lugon Jocemir R. , Strogoff-de-Matos Jorge P.
Published: July 2020

Background. Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is usually estimated from equations using serum creatinine (sCr), with adjustment for gender, age, and race (black or nonblack). The Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) is the preferred equation for adults, but it was validated for the United States population. We intended to evaluate if the race-ethnicity adjustment proposed for the sCr-based CKD-EPI equations is appropriate for the Brazilian population. Methods. CKD outpatients had blood samples collected for determination of sCr and serum cystatin C (sCys) levels. GFR was measured (mGFR) by plasma clearance of 51Cr-EDTA and used as the reference. We compared values of mGFR and estimated GFR (eGFR) by CKD-EPI equations based on sCr (eGFRCr) and on the combination of sCr and sCys (eGFRCr-Cys). For African Brazilian patients, eGFR was calculated either without or with race adjustment. Accuracy was considered acceptable if the difference between the values of eGFR and mGFR was ≤30% (P30). Results. 100 patients were enrolled (58 ± 14 years, 46% male, 39% white and 61% African Brazilian). Mean mGFR was 46.7 ± 29.2 ml/min/1.73 m2. Mean eGFRCr and eGFRCr-Cys without race adjustment were 47.8 ± 30.1 ml/min/1.73 m2 and 46.4 ± 30.3 ml/min/1.73 m2, respectively. The corresponding P30 accuracy values were 79.0% and 83.0%. In the African Brazilian subgroup, values for mean mGFR and eGFRCr either without or with race adjustment were 49.8 ± 32.2 ml/min/1.73 m2, 50.4 ± 32.7 ml/min/1.73 m2, and 58.4 ± 37.9 ml/min/1.73 m2 (P<0.001 vs. mGFR), respectively. P30 accuracy values for eGFRCr either without or with race adjustment were 75.4% and 67.2%, respectively. Conclusions. The use of CKD-EPI equations without race-ethnicity adjustment seems more appropriate for the Brazilian population.
Assessment of the Quality and Evaluation of the Antioxidant Potential of a Novel Sri Lankan Ayurvedic Polyherbal Formulation
Authors: Wakkumbura H. P. , Wickramaarachchi W. M. D. , Arawwawala L. D. A. M. , Liyanage J. A. , Rajapakse R. P. V. J.
Published: July 2020

Background. In Sri Lanka, a Polyherbal Ayurvedic Formulation (PHAF), which consists of powders of seven medicinal plants, is being trialed for use as an anti‐inflammatory drug. In general, anti‐inflammatory drugs have good antioxidant properties. Therefore, in the present study, an attempt was made to assess the quality and evaluate the antioxidant potential of PHAF. Methods. Physicochemical parameters such as ash content, extractable matter, phytochemical screening for secondary metabolites, levels of heavy metals, and microbes were determined according to standard protocols. Antioxidant activity was evaluated using five in vitro assays: total polyphenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), ORAC (oxygen radical absorbance capacity), DPPH (1,1‐diphenyl‐2‐picryl‐hydrazyl), and ABTS (2,2‐azino‐bis(3‐ethylbenzothiazoline‐6‐sulfonic acid) diammonium salt. Results. PHAF contained 5.6 ± 0.2% of moisture, 6.5 ± 0.1% of total ash, 1.4 ± 0.1% of water soluble ash, 0.9 ± 0.0% of acid insoluble ash, 7.7 ± 0.2% of hot water extractable matter, 3.9 ± 0.1% of cold water extractable matter, 10.5 ± 4.1% of hot‐ethanol extractable matter, and 8.4 ± 0.2% of cold‐ethanol extractable matter. Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of phenolic compounds, tannins, flavonoids, coumarins, and saponins in both aqueous and ethanolic extracts of the drug. TPC, TFC, ORAC, DPPH, and ABTS of aqueous and ethanol extracts of PHAF were 103.65 ± 4.94 and 327.07 ± 9.65 mg gallic acid equivalents/g extract, 76.6 ± 5.83 and 224.6 ± 8.42 mg quercetin equivalents/g of extract, 481.11 ± 17.30 and 1481.44 ± 30.20 mg trolox equivalents/g of extract, 79.50 ± 4.42 and 227.17 ± 6.16 mg trolox equivalents/g of extract, and 198.20 ± 4.55 and 577.08 ± 5.48 mg trolox equivalents/g of extract, respectively. Conclusion. Ethanolic extract of PHAF is better than aqueous extract in terms of antioxidant properties.
Recurrent Neoantigens in Colorectal Cancer as Potential Immunotherapy Targets
Authors: Chen Chao , Liu Songming , Qu Ruokai , Li Bo
Published: July 2020

This study was aimed at investigating the mutations in colorectal cancer (CRC) for recurrent neoantigen identification. A total of 1779 samples with whole exome sequencing (WES) data were obtained from 7 published CRC cohorts. Common HLA genotypes were used to predict the probability of neoantigens at high‐frequency mutants in the dataset. Based on the WES data, we not only obtained the most comprehensive CRC mutation landscape so far but also found 1550 mutations which could be identified in at least 5 patients, including KRAS G12D (8%), KRAS G12V (5.8%), PIK3CA E545K (3.5%), PIK3CA H1047R (2.5%), and BMPR2 N583Tfs∗44 (2.8%). These mutations can also be recognized by multiple common HLA molecules in Chinese and TCGA cohort as potential “public” neoantigens. Many of these mutations also have high mutation rates in metastatic pan‐cancers, suggesting their value as therapeutic targets in different cancer types. Overall, our analysis provides recurrent neoantigens as potential cancer immunotherapy targets.
Low Utilization of Partograph and Its Associated Factors among Obstetric Care Providers in Governmental Health Facilities at West Shoa Zone, Central Ethiopia
Authors: Bedada Kefena Etita , Huluka Tufa Kolola , Bulto Gizachew Abdissa , EphremYohannesRoga
Published: July 2020

Background. Globally, prolonged and obstructed labors were among the common causes of maternal morbidity and mortality in low- and middle-income countries including Ethiopia. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends the routine use of partograph as a key intervention to avoid prolonged and obstructed labor. Despite the recommendation, studies indicated that the partograph utilization among obstetric care providers (OCPs) is still low. Therefore, this study is aimed at assessing the level of utilization of partograph and associated factors among obstetric care providers working at health facilities in the West Shoa Zone, Central Ethiopia 2019. Methods. Facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted from February 1st to 22nd March 2019. A computer-generated simple random sampling technique was used to select 325 study subjects. Data were collected using a self-administered structured questionnaire and using an observational checklist. Additionally, 200 partograph charts were reviewed. Both bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to determine the association. Results. A total of 322 obstetric care providers were included in the study, giving a response rate of 99.1%. The level of partograph utilization in the study area was revealed to be 31.1% (95% CI: 25.97-36.13). Only 3% of the reviewed partograph was recorded according to the recommended standard. In this study attending training (AOR=3.94, 95% CI: 1.99-7.78), availability of partograph (AOR=5.23, 95% CI: 1.69-16.22), perceived as not time-consuming task (AOR=3.61, 95% CI: 1.19-10.96), adequate number of OCPs available (AOR=2.92, 95% CI: 1.16-7.33), presence of supervision (AOR=4.35, 95% CI: 2.11-8.97), having a positive attitude (AOR=2.48, 95% CI: 1.23-5.02), availability of standard protocol in a health facility (AOR=4.71, 95% CI: 2.31-9.60), and lack of commitment (AOR=0.32, 95% CI: 0.16-0.63) were factors significantly associated with partograph utilization. Conclusion and Recommendation. Partograph utilization in the study area was found to be low. Almost all reviewed partograph charts were not recorded as to the recommended standard. Attending training, availability of partograph, perceived as it is not time-consuming, the available number of OCPs, presence of supervision, having a positive attitude, available standard protocol, and commitment were factors associated with partograph utilization. Therefore, all concerned stakeholders should emphatically consider those identified factors for intervention.
An Overview of Lipid Metabolism and Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
Authors: Pei Ke , Gui Ting , Kan Dongfang , Feng Huichao , Jin Yanqiang , Yang Ying , Zhang Qian , Du Ziwei , Gai Zhibo , Wu Jibiao , Li Yunlun
Published: July 2020

The occurrence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is associated with major abnormalities of hepatic lipid metabolism. We propose that lipid abnormalities directly or indirectly contribute to NAFLD, especially fatty acid accumulation, arachidonic acid metabolic disturbance, and ceramide overload. The effects of lipid intake and accumulation on NAFLD and NAFLD treatment are explained with theoretical and experimental details. Overall, these findings provide further understanding of lipid metabolism in NAFLD and may lead to novel therapies.
The Exposure to Osteoarthritic Synovial Fluid Enhances the Immunomodulatory Profile of Adipose Mesenchymal Stem Cell Secretome
Authors: Cifù Adriana , Domenis Rossana , Pozzi-Mucelli Massimo , Di Benedetto Paolo , Causero Araldo , Moretti Massimo , Stevanato Marta , Pistis Cinzia , Parodi Pier Camillo , Fabris Martina , Curcio Francesco
Published: July 2020

Objective. Several clinical studies have proposed the infusion of adipose mesenchymal stem cells (AMSCs) as an alternative therapy for joint diseases with inflammatory components, such as osteoarthritis. Indeed, AMSCs are able to stimulate tissue repair through a paracrine activity and the interaction with the inflammatory microenvironment seems to have a critical role. Design. To reproduce the inflammatory microenvironment, AMSCs were exposed to osteoarthritic synovial fluid (SF) for 48 h and the effect of their secretome on differentiation of monocytes (M0) into macrophages M1-like and mature dendritic cells (mDCs) was evaluated. Furthermore, the effect of the secretome of AMSCs exposed to SF was evaluated on the T cell population in terms of T cell proliferation and expansion of T regulatory cells (T reg). Results. Our data show that the exposure of AMSCs to SF activates cells and promotes the release of immunosuppressive factors, which induce macrophage polarization of M0 into the M2-like phenotype and inhibit differentiation of monocytes into mature dendritic cells (mDCs). Only the secretome of exposed AMSCs was able to inhibit T cell proliferation and promote T reg expansion. Conclusions. Our results suggest that the microenvironment plays a fundamental role for the development of anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties of AMSCs.
Computational Ghost Imaging with Multiplexed Time-Varying Signals
Authors: Qiu Panghe , Ye Zhiyuan , Bai Zhichen , Liu Xin , Bo Su
Published: July 2020

This study proposes two methods of optical watermarking based on multiplexed time-varying signals for computational ghost imaging using the Hadamard matrices. The proposed methods can realize image fusion and dual optical encryption. The time-varying signal is encoded into a specific Hadamard coefficient in advance and hidden in the light source of the transmitting end as a multiplicative factor or loaded at the receiving end as an additive factor. Theory and experiments confirm the feasibility of this scheme. Moreover, the scheme is highly scalable and has potential applications in multispectral single-pixel imaging.
Analysis of Dynamic Cournot Game in a Coopetition Supply Chain
Authors: Mai Fengxia , Zhang Jianxiong , Sun Xiaojie
Published: July 2020

In the original manufacturing industry, upstream encroachment has become a universal commercial phenomenon. This paper considers a coopetition supply chain consisting of an upstream original design manufacturer (ODM) and a downstream original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and proposes a dynamic Cournot game under bounded rationality. To cope with a dynamic repeated game in discrete time, a gradient adjustment mechanism is adopted. Furthermore, bifurcation diagram, largest Lyapunov exponent, basin of attraction, and critical curve are introduced to investigate the dynamic behavior of this game. The results obtained show that as the firms’ policy adjustment speeds increase, the stability region of the dynamic system gradually narrows, but one special finding is that the complex behavior of the dynamic system is alleviated as the OEM’s adjustment speed greatly increases. Moreover, when the difference between the two firms’ adjustment speeds is relatively small, the dynamic adjustment strategy is beneficial to the coopetition supply chain and both firms under certain adjustment speeds, as compared to a one-shot game. In addition, a higher product substitutability has a positive impact on the system stability, pushing the “cooperation” business alliance towards a more coordinated outcome.
Computation of Deflections for PC Box Girder Bridges with Corrugated Steel Webs considering the Effects of Shear Lag and Shear Deformation
Authors: Ji Wei , Luo Kui , Zhang Jingwei
Published: July 2020

Prestressed concrete (PC) girders with corrugated steel webs (CSWs) have received considerable attention in the past two decades due to their light self-weight and high prestressing efficiency. Most previous studies were focused on the static behavior of CSWs and simple beams with CSWs. The calculation of deflection is an important part in the static analysis of structures. However, very few studies have been conducted to investigate the deflection of full PC girders or bridges with CSWs and no simple formulas are available for estimating their deflection under static loads. In addition, experimental work on full-scale bridges or scale bridge models with CSWs is very limited. In this paper, a formula for calculating the deflection of PC box girders with CSWs is derived. The longitudinal displacement function of PC box girders with CSWs, which can consider the shear lag effect and shear deformation of CSWs, is first derived. Based on the longitudinal displacement function, the formula for predicting the deflection of PC box girders with CSWs is derived using the variational principle method. The accuracy of the derived formula is verified against experimental results from a scaled bridge model and the finite element analysis results. Parametric studies are also performed, and the influences of shear lag and shear deformation on the deflection of the box girder with CSWs are investigated by considering different width-to-span ratios and different girder heights. The present study provides an effective and efficient tool for determining the deflection of PC box girders with CSWs.
Graph Concatenations to Derive Weighted Fractal Networks
Authors: Zhang Zhanqi , Xiao Yingqing
Published: July 2020

Given an initial weighted graph G0, an integer m>1, and m scaling factors f1,…,fm∈0,1, we define a sequence of weighted graphs Gkk=0∞ iteratively. Provided that Gk−1 is given for k≥1, we let Gk−11,…,Gk−1m be m copies of Gk−1, whose weighted edges have been scaled by f1,…,fm, respectively. Then, Gk is constructed by concatenating G0 with all the m copies. The proposed framework shares several properties with fractal sets, and the similarity dimension dfract has a great impact on the topology of the graphs Gk (e.g., node strength distribution). Moreover, the average geodesic distance of Gk increases logarithmically with the system size; thus, this framework also generates the small-world property.
Impact of Modality and Intensity of Early Exercise Training on Ventricular Remodeling after Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Batista Diego Fernando , Polegato Bertha Furlan , da Silva Renata Candido , Claro Renan Turini , Azevedo Paula Shmidt , Fernandes Ana Angélica , Okoshi Katashi , de Paiva Sergio Alberto Rupp , Minicucci Marcos Ferreira , Zornorff Leonardo Antônio Mamede
Published: July 2020

The objective of this study was to analyze the impact of different modalities and intensities of exercise training on cardiac remodeling started early after experimental myocardial infarction (MI). Male Wistar rats, weighing 200–250 g, were subjected to experimental MI. After 5 days, the animals were allocated into three experimental groups and observed for three months: S (sedentary control animals), C (animals subjected to continuous low-intensity training), and HIT (animals subjected to high-intensity interval training). Low-intensity exercise training was performed at a treadmill speed corresponding to 40% VO2 max, which was kept unchanged throughout the entire session (i.e., continuous low-intensity training). High-intensity interval training was performed in such a way that rats run during 3 min at 60% VO2 max, followed by 4-minute intervals at 85% VO2 max (i.e., high-intensity interval training). After the follow-up period, we studied hypertrophy and ventricular geometry, functional alterations in vivo and in vitro, oxidative stress, apoptosis, and cardiac energetic metabolism. Our data showed that both high-intensity interval and continuous low-intensity modalities improved cardiac energetic metabolism variables in comparison with sedentary infarcted animals. In addition, high-intensity interval training decreased cardiac oxidative stress, associated with improved diastolic function. On the other hand, the continuous low-intensity group showed impairment of cardiac function. Therefore, altogether, our data suggest that high-intensity interval training could be the best modality for early physical exercise after MI and should be better studied in this clinical scenario.
NBPF9 Gene May Be Involved in Congenital Hypopituitarism: A Whole-Genome Study of a Boy with Pituitary Stalk Interruption Syndrome and His Family
Authors: Wang Cheng-Zhi , Guo Ling-Ling , Guo Qing-Hua , Mu Yi-Ming
Published: July 2020

Pituitary stalk interruption syndrome (PSIS) is a rare congenital defect manifesting as various degrees of anterior pituitary hormone deficiency. Scattered familial cases have been found, revealing some genetic variants. However, most of the previous research studies involved an affected sibling, and the gene spectra of the patients’ entire family have rarely been reported. We conducted a study of a family consisting of a PSIS patient with his unaffected sibling and healthy parents of Han Chinese background using whole-genome sequencing. Bioinformatic analysis was carried out, and mutations related to PSIS, single-nucleotide variants (SNVs), insertion-deletion (InDELs), and structural variations (SVs) in all the four samples were filtered. After Sanger sequencing, we confirmed the variants obtained and selected three candidate genes for functional verification. The gene variations in this boy with PSIS and his lineal relatives are reported herein; de novo sequencing revealed that the NBPF9 gene may be involved in the pathogenesis of PSIS.
[Retracted] Minocycline Induces Autophagy and Inhibits Cell Proliferation in LPS‐Stimulated THP‐1 Cells
Authors: Sun Jian , Shigemi Hiroko , Cao Miaoyin , Qin E. , Tang Jixian , Shen Juxin , Iwasaki Hiromichi
Published: July 2020

Excessive activation and proliferation of inflammatory cell and uncontrolled release of cytokines and chemokines, also known as cytokine storm, is considered to be the main cause of sepsis. Accumulating evidence has indicated that autophagy may play an important role in regulating immune response and controlling excessive inflammation. Recent studies have showed that minocycline has immunomodulatory effects on cytokine and chemokine production. It has also been reported that minocycline can induce autophagy, suggesting that autophagy may be involved in the process of minocycline regulating inflammation and immune response. However, the precise mechanism is unclear. In the present study, we used enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) to measure the production of cytokines following minocycline treatment of lipopolysaccharide‐ (LPS‐) stimulated THP‐1 cells. Western blotting analysis was performed to confirm autophagy and the mTOR signal pathway. Cell proliferation was measured by WST‐1 cell proliferation assay. We demonstrated that LPS induced autophagy in a tumor necrosis factor‐ (TNF‐) α‐mediated manner, and simultaneously, LPS induced the release of TNF‐α to trigger inflammation and activated mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) to potentiate cell proliferation. Minocycline, which induces autophagy by inhibiting mTOR, suppresses cytokine production and cell proliferation and protects THP‐1 cells from LPS toxicity. Further study demonstrated that there might be an intimate crosstalk between the inhibitor kappa B kinase (IKK)/nuclear factor‐kappa B (NF‐κB) signaling pathway and autophagy flux in modification of inflammatory responses. In addition, rapamycin, the mTOR inhibitor, has cooperative effect with minocycline on suppression of TNF‐α release and induction of autophagy by repressing mTOR. Our data brought a novel clue to evaluate minocycline using as a potential therapeutic medicine for sepsis.
Passivity and Synchronization of Multiple Multi-Delayed Neural Networks via Impulsive Control
Authors: Wang Yong , Yang Zhichun , Liu Tonglai , Tang Hong-An
Published: July 2020

This paper is concerned with the passivity and synchronization for multiple multi-delayed neural networks (MMDNNs) under impulsive control. To ensure the passivity, input strict passivity, and output strict passivity in MMDNNs, a suitable impulsive controller is designed. Moreover, an impulsive time-dependent Lyapunov functional is exploited to obtain the synchronization criterion of MMDNNs, where the criterion is formulated by linear matrix inequalities. Numerical examples are given to verify the validity of the theoretical results.
Power Allocation for Reducing PAPR of Artificial-Noise-Aided Secure Communication System
Authors: Hong Tao , Zhang Geng-xin
Published: July 2020

The research of improving the secrecy capacity (SC) of wireless communication system using artificial noise (AN) is one of the classic models in the field of physical layer security communication. In this paper, we consider the peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) problem in this AN-aided model. A power allocation algorithm for AN subspaces is proposed to solve the nonconvex optimization problem of PAPR. This algorithm utilizes a series of convex optimization problems to relax the nonconvex optimization problem in a convex way based on fractional programming, difference of convex (DC) functions programming, and nonconvex quadratic equality constraint relaxation. Furthermore, we also derive the SC of the proposed signal under the condition of the AN-aided model with a finite alphabet and the nonlinear high-power amplifiers (HPAs). Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm reduces the PAPR value of transmit signal to improve the efficiency of HPA compared with benchmark AN-aided secure communication signals in the multiple-input single-output (MISO) model.
Biomineralization Performance of Bacillus sphaericus under the Action of Bacillus mucilaginosus
Authors: Hu Yingying , Liu Weitao , Wang Wenjing , Jia Xinlei , Xu Lanjuan , Cao Qing , Shen Jianjun , Hu Xiangming
Published: July 2020

Microbial Induced Calcite Precipitation (MICP) is a biochemical process widely found in nature, also known as microbial mineralization. This paper investigates whether this process can help promote the intelligent reinforcement and repair of underground projects such as mines and tunnels. We selected Bacillus sphaericus and Bacillus mucilaginosus as the research objects. The former has an outstanding urease production ability, and the latter can secrete carbonic anhydrase in vitro. Bacillus mucilaginosus was introduced into the culture solution of Bacillus sphaericus in the most suitable culture environment, and the changes of mineralization rate and mineralization yield of Bacillus sphaericus were observed and analyzed. The results revealed that, to maintain the highest growth rate of Bacillus sphaericus, the optimal pH value was between 7 and 8, the optimal urea concentration was 0.5 mol/L, the optimal Ca2+ concentration was 0.6 mol/L, and the optimal Luria‐Bertani (LB) culture concentration was 20 g/L. The amount of biomineralized calcium carbonate precipitated in the double bacteria solution can reach 1.89 times the amount of the precipitation in the Bacillus sphaericus solution under the same conditions. It concludes that the introduction of Bacillus mucilaginosus can effectively increase the mineralization yield of Bacillus sphaericus without affecting the mineralized products.
Convergence Results on the Boundary Conditions for 2D Large-Scale Primitive Equations in Oceanic Dynamics
Authors: Li Yuanfei
Published: July 2020

In this paper, the initial boundary value problem for the two-dimensional large-scale primitive equations of large-scale oceanic motion in geophysics is considered, which are fundamental models for weather prediction. By establishing rigorous a priori bounds with coefficients and deriving some useful inequalities, the convergence result for the boundary conditions is obtained.
Prognostic Value of Admission Mean Corpuscular Volume for Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events following Stent Implantation in Nondiabetic and Diabetic Patients with Acute Coronary Syndrome
Authors: Cheng Lele , Zhang Lisha , Liu Junhui , Li Wenyuan , Bai Xiaofang , Li Ruifeng , Li Bolin , Wang Lijun , Zhou Juan , Wu Yue , Yuan Zuyi
Published: July 2020

Background. One of the key concerns of the clinician is to identify and manage risk factors for major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) in nondiabetic and diabetic patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) undergoing stent implantation. Mean corpuscular volume (MCV) is a marker of erythrocyte size and activity and is associated with prognosis of cardiovascular disease. However, the role of admission MCV in predicting MACEs following stent implantation in diabetes mellitus (DM), non-DM, or whole patients with ACS remains largely unknown. Methods and Results. A total of 437 ACS patients undergoing stent implantation, including 294 non-DM (59.08±10.24 years) and 143 DM (63.02±9.92 years), were analyzed. Admission MCV was higher in non-DM than DM patients. During a median of 31.93 months follow-up, Kaplan-Meier curve demonstrated that higher admission MCV level was significantly associated with increased MACEs in whole and non-DM, but not in DM patients. In Cox regression analysis, the highest MCV tertile was associated with higher MACEs in whole ([HR] 1.870, 95% CI 1.113-3.144, P=0.018), especially those non-DM ([HR] 2.089, 95% CI 1.077-4.501, P=0.029) patients after adjustment of several cardiovascular risk factors. MCV did not predict MACEs in DM patients. During landmark analysis, admission MCV showed better predictive value for MACEs in the first 32 months of follow-up than in the subsequent period. Finally, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was conducted to confirmed the value of admission MCV within 32 months. Conclusion. In patients with ACS, elevated admission MCV is an important and independent predictor for MACEs following stent implantation, especially amongst those without DM even after adjusting for lifestyle and clinical risk factors. However, as the follow-up period increased, the admission MCV lost its ability to predict MACEs.
Vector Rayleigh Diffraction of High-Power Laser Diode Beam in Optical Communication
Authors: Xu Qiang , Li Renxian , Zhang Yuanyuan , Han Yiping , Wu Zhensen
Published: July 2020

Laser diodes (LDs) are widely used in optical wireless communication (OWC) and optical networks, and proper theoretical models are needed to precisely describe the complicated beam field of LDs. A novel mathematical model is proposed to describe the vectorial field of nonparaxial LD beams. Laser beam propagation is studied using the vector Rayleigh diffraction integrals, and the stationary phase method is used to find the asymptotic expansion of diffraction integral. The far-field distribution of the LD beam in the plane parallel and perpendicular to the junction is considered in detail, and the computed intensity distributions of the theory are compared with the corresponding measurements. This model is precise for single transverse model beam of LDs and can be applied to describe the LD beams in OWC and optical networks.
Pulmonary Recruitment Maneuver for Reducing Shoulder Pain after Laparoscopic Gynecologic Surgery: A Network Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
Authors: Kietpeerakool Chumnan , Rattanakanokchai Siwanon , Yantapant Aranya , Roekyindee Ratchadaporn , Puttasiri Songphol , Yanaranop Marut , Srisomboon Jatupol
Published: July 2020

Background. Shoulder pain is a common symptom following laparoscopic surgery. This systematic review was undertaken to assess updated evidence regarding the effectiveness and complications of the pulmonary recruitment maneuver (PRM) for reducing shoulder pain after laparoscopic gynecologic surgery.Methods. A number of databases for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating PRM for reducing shoulder pain were searched up to June 2019. Two authors independently selected potentially relevant RCTs, extracted data, assessed risk of bias, and compared results. Network meta-analyses were employed to simultaneously compare multiple interventions. Effect measures were presented as pooled mean difference (MD) or risk ratio (RR) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI).Results. Of the 44 records that we identified as a result of the search (excluding duplicates), eleven RCTs involving 1111 participants were included. Three studies had an unclear risk of selection bias. PRM with a maximum pressure of 40 cm H2O was most likely to result in the lowest shoulder pain intensity at 24 hours (MD −1.91; 95% CI −2.06 to −1.76) while PRM with a maximum pressure of 40 cm H2O plus intraperitoneal saline (IPS) appeared to be the most efficient at 48 hours (MD −2.09; 95% CI −2.97 to −1.21). The estimated RRs for analgesia requirement, nausea/vomiting, and cardiopulmonary events were similar across the competing interventions.Conclusion. PRM with 40 cm H2O performed either alone or accompanied by IPS is a promising intervention for alleviating shoulder pain within 48 hours following gynecologic laparoscopy.
Notch Effect on Plastic Deformation of Metallic Glass: A Numerical Study by Revised Free‐Volume Theory
Authors: Yan J. F. , Meng W. J. , Chen Z. , Guo H. , Yan X. G.
Published: July 2020

By means of a revised free‐volume theory, the notch effect on metallic glass was systematically investigated by the numerical method. Simulations on specimens without notches demonstrated that the parameters being determined in this work could reasonably describe the strength asymmetry of tension and compression. Moreover, four samples with different notches were used to numerically investigate the notch effect on global strength and plasticity. A better agreement could also be achieved between current simulations with existing experimental results, compared with another free‐volume model. Combined with the free‐volume distribution during deformation process, it was proven that the intersection of two major shear bands is the cause for the strength and plasticity enhancement found in sample with two symmetric notches. Besides, strength asymmetry between tension and compression was also found for notched samples. Compressive strengths are accordingly higher than tensile ones. Moreover, with the augment of the aspect ratio, the plasticity for specimens with two symmetric notches was found to increase firstly and then decrease afterwards.
Influence of Accessibility on Land Use and Landscape Pattern Based on Mapping Knowledge Domains: Review and Implications
Authors: Liu Yongwei , Cao Xiaoshu , Li Tao
Published: July 2020

Research on the influence of accessibility on land use and landscape patterns is one of the most important subfields in landscape ecology and transportation geography. In this review article, we use CiteSpace and VOSviewer to analyze relevant information, including the number of published papers, highly cited literature, high-frequency keywords, periodicals, and the leading countries conducting research on this particular field. Based on the mapping knowledge domain theory and summarizing method, this research, using an extensive review of the existing literature to analyze the influence of accessibility on land use and landscape patterns, the following conclusions have been reached: first, most of the relevant studies are conducted by applying theories on landscape ecology rather than on transportation geography, and the measure index of accessibility is relatively simple. Second, while accessibility has played a key role in analyzing the interactions between transportation, land use, and landscape patterns, studies on the long-term effect of transportation on land use and land patterns are extremely important. Also, different road types have been found to impose different effects. Third, research on the functional landscape in inner cities has become a significant research focus, particularly with the progress in big data. And fourth, improvements in data acquisition and processing have greatly benefited the field, specifically with recent advancements in GIS and RS technology. However, studies on landscape patterns with regional perspectives have largely been insufficient, especially those conducted over long time scales.
Comparison of Sleep Quality before and after Chemotherapy in Locally Advanced Nonsmall Cell Lung Cancer Patients: A Prospective Study
Authors: Belloumi N. , Maalej Bellaj S. , Bachouche I. , Chermiti Ben Abdallah F. , Fenniche S.
Published: July 2020

Background. Preservation of sleep quality is a modifiable and treatable factor, which may enhance the patient’s adherence to other supportive and palliative care procedures. The outcome of sleep disturbances in lung cancer patients before and after treatment aren’t reported. The aim of this study was to investigate changes in sleep quality before and after chemotherapy in locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC patients.Methods. It was a prospective study including 64 patients with stage III or IV nonsmall-cell lung cancer. Patients answered the Tunisian dialectal version of the following questionnaires: PSQI and QLQ-C30 in order to evaluate, respectively, the sleep quality and the quality of life. The assessments took place before chemotherapy and then repeated after the chemotherapy course was over.Results. The mean age was 62.9 years. All patients were active smokers. Before chemotherapy, there were 10 patients (15%) with poor sleep quality. The most frequent complaints were daytime sleepiness (70%) and nocturnal arousals (100%). After chemotherapy, the mean PSQI score increased from 2.9 to 5.4, and 45% of all patients had poor sleep quality. Most frequent complaints were the extension of sleep latency (69%), daytime sleepiness (98%), and nocturnal arousals (100%). Predicting factors of sleep disturbance according to statistical univariate analysis were delayed diagnosis confirmation (p=0.05), delayed treatment onset (p<10−3), depressive mood (p=0.001), and anxious mood (p=0.001). Multivariate analysis had shown a significant and independent correlation between sleep quality and shortened diagnosis and treatment delays. Sociodemographic parameters, clinical parameters, and factors related to treatment procedure had no correlation with sleep quality.Conclusions. Our study demonstrates the persistence and potential intensity worsening of sleep disturbances in advanced stage nonsmall-cell lung cancer patients. We, hereby, reported a statistical correlation between sleep quality and quality of life in our patients.
Expression of NANOG and Its Regulation in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Grubelnik Gašper , Boštjančič Emanuela , Grošelj Aleš , Zidar Nina
Published: July 2020

Background. Results of previous studies suggest that NANOG may be an important prognostic biomarker in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), but there are contradictory results regarding NANOG expression patterns on mRNA and protein levels, and the mechanisms of its regulation are poorly understood. Our aim was to analyze the expression and diagnostic significance of NANOG in OSCC, and the possible mechanisms of its regulation, i.e., protein regulators on mRNA level (OCT4, SOX2, KLF4, AGR2, and NOTCH1), methylation status, copy number variation, and regulatory miRNAs, miR-145, miR-335, miR-150, miR-34a, miR-128, and miR-27a. Methods. Our study included 120 patients with OSCC. Expression of NANOG protein and mRNA was analyzed using immunohistochemistry and qPCR. Expression of regulatory factors, miRNAs, and copy number variation was performed using qPCR. Methylation status of NANOG promoter was determined using PCR and Sanger sequencing. Results. We detected upregulation of NANOG and OCT4 and downregulation of NOTCH1 and AGR2 mRNA in OSCC with lymph node metastases compared to OSCC without lymph node metastases. We observed a strong positive correlation between mRNAs of NANOG and those of its protein regulators OCT4, SOX2, NOTCH1, AGR2, and KLF4. The expression of NANOG was in positive correlation with the expression of miR-34a. There was also a correlation between T status of OSCC and the expression of miR-335 and miR-150 and a correlation of miR-150 with the N status of T2 OSCC. NANOG promoter methylation and copy number variation were only observed in a small proportion of samples. Conclusions. Our findings confirm the diagnostic significance of NANOG in OSCC and provide information on NANOG expression patterns on both mRNA and protein levels. They also suggest that protein regulators and microRNAs might play a crucial role, whereas methylation of its promoter and copy number variation probably have a minor role in the regulation of NANOG expression in OSCC.
Factors Influencing Administration, Recognition, and Compliance of Medicine among Community Residents from Jilin Province, China: A Questionnaire Study
Authors: Song Yan-Qing , Zhang Wen-Rui , Zhang Si-Xi , Wang Ting-Hong , Jiang Zhe , Meng Chun-Feng , Zhang Tian-Zhen , Xin Qi-Zhong , Cao Ke-Jun , Zhang Yue , Sun Ying
Published: July 2020

Introduction. To identify and analyze factors that influence administration, recognition, and compliance of medicine among community residents in Jilin Province, China. Methods. A survey was carried out among 2417 community residents in Jilin Province, China, to study their administration (CRA), recognition (CRR), and compliance (CRC) of medicine. Multivariate logistic regression analyses and chi‐squared tests were performed to assess factors influencing CRA, CRR, and CRC. Results. Logistic analyses showed that gender, educational level, and occupation were influencing factors on CRA; age, educational level, smoking status, and health condition were influencing factors on CRR; and gender, age, occupation, and health condition were influencing factors on CRC. Conclusions. CRA, CRR, and CRC are associated with specific lifestyles and social economic statuses of community residents. Attention should be paid to influencing factors in order to facilitate community pharmaceutical care, promote the rational use of drugs, and ensure the safe use of medications. This study explores the type and extent of professional services provided through community pharmacies in Jilin Province, China, and provides evidence for optimizing the quality of community pharmacy services.
Microstructure Optimization of Mos2/Sepiolite Nanocomposites via a Surfactant-Assisted Hydrothermal Strategy for High Efficiency Photocatalysis
Authors: Cui Li , Hao Ming , Wang Fei , Fang Baizeng , Liang Jinsheng , Zhu Maomao , Xie Xinlei
Published: July 2020

The unique structure of two-dimensional molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) with rich active sites makes it a promising catalyst, whereas it also brings structural instability. Surfactant-assisted synthesis of MoS2 can be regarded as a simple way to regulate the microstructure. In this work, the surfactant additives were adopted to optimize the microstructure of MoS2/sepiolite nanocomposite, and the effects of surfactants type and concentration were investigated. For the sample prepared with 1 mol/L sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (SDBS), it exhibits the highest intensity for the peak of MoS2 at 14.2°, highly dispersed MoS2 nanosheet on the sepiolite, the lowest absorption intensity of Rhodamine B (RhB) at 553 nm of the wavelength, and the highest photocatalytic activity which is 2.5 times and 4.2 times higher than those prepared with 1 mol/L hexadecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) and 1 mol/L polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) after a 150-minute irradiation, respectively. The above results suggest SDBS is the optimal surfactant to optimize the microstructure of MoS2/sepiolite nanocomposite. This work could provide new insights into the fabrication of high-quality MoS2-based nanocomposite.
Galectin-3 Secreted by Human Umbilical Cord Blood-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Reduces Aberrant Tau Phosphorylation in an Alzheimer Disease Model
Authors: Lim Hoon , Lee Dahm , Choi Wan Kyu , Choi Soo Jin , Oh Wonil , Kim Dong Hyun
Published: July 2020

The formation of neurofibrillary tangles has been implicated as an important pathological marker for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Studies have revealed that the inhibition of abnormal hyperphosphorylation and aggregation of tau in the AD brain might serve as an important drug target. Using in vitro and in vivo experimental models, such as the AD mouse model (5xFAD mice), we investigated the inhibition of hyperphosphorylation of tau using the human umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hUCB-MSCs). Administration of hUCB-MSCs not only ameliorated the spatial learning and memory impairments but also mitigated the hyperphosphorylation of tau in 5xFAD mice. Furthermore, in vivo experiments in mice and in vitro ThT fluorescence assay validated galectin-3 (GAL-3) as an essential factor of hUCB-MSC. Moreover, GAL-3 was observed to be involved in the removal of aberrant forms of tau, by reducing hyperphosphorylation through decrements in the glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta (GSK-3β). Our results confirm that GAL-3, secreted by hUCB-MSC, regulates the abnormal accumulation of tau by protein-protein interactions. This study suggests that hUCB-MSCs mitigate hyperphosphorylation of tau through GAL-3 secretion. These findings highlight the potential role of hUCB-MSCs as a therapeutic agent for aberrant tau in AD.