bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Reducing the viral load of SARS‐CoV‐2 in the saliva of patients with COVID‐19
Authors: Guimarães Taísa Coelho , Marques Barbara Bruno Fagundes , Castro Marcelle Viana de , Secco Daniele Angst , Porto Luís Cristóvão Moraes Sobrino , Tinoco Justine Monteiro Monnerat , Tinoco Eduardo Muniz Barretto , Fletcher Paul , Fischer Ricardo Guimarães
Published: December 2021

Objective

To evaluate the reduction in the salivary viral load using oral antiseptic mouthwashes in patients testing positive for COVID‐19.

Methods

Sixty‐three individuals were recruited after testing positive for COVID‐19 by real‐time RT‐PCR assay and divided into 5 groups. Group 1 received sterile water, group 2 received 1.5% hydrogen peroxide solution (HP), group 3 received 0.12% chlorhexidine (CHX), group 4 received 0.1% sodium hypochlorite solution (NaClO), and group 5 received sequential rinses using CHX and HP. After collecting the initial saliva sample, individuals were asked to use the designated mouthwash for 1 min. Additional saliva samples were collected immediately after rinsing, 15, and 30 min after rinsing. Real‐time RT‐PCR assays for RNA detection of SARS‐CoV‐2 were performed on the saliva samples.

Results

There were no significant differences among the experimental groups and the control group in any period. Compared to the baseline values, there was a significant reduction in the number of copies of SARS‐CoV‐2 after 30 min in group 2 and immediately after the initial mouthwash in group 4.

Conclusions

No experimental group demonstrated a significant reduction in the viral load compared to the control group.
Relationship between body composition and pulmonary function in healthy adolescents
Authors: Kapuš Ondřej , Fellnerová Ivana , Chaloupková Pavla , Martišová Karolína
Published: December 2021

Background

It has been long established that body composition affects pulmonary function but little attention has been given to assessing lung function in healthy adolescents and determining the influence of body composition on these variables.

Methods

We measured 399 boys (mean age 16.7 ± 1.2 years) and 46 girls (mean age 17.1 ± 1.2 years). We used multi‐frequency segmental bioimpedance analyzer Tanita MC 980‐MA Plus for body composition parameters and Micro Direct MicroGP Spirometer MS07 for spirometry parameters.

Results

Mean body height was 179.5 cm and mean body mass index was 22.5 kg/m2 in boys. In girls, mean body height was 166.9 cm and body mass index was 22.5 kg/m2. After adjusting for age, body height, bodyweight, and smoking status, we found a significant (P = 0.01) association (β = 0.35–0.43) between forced vital capacity and fat‐free mass (FFM) or trunk fat‐free mass only in boys. Similarly, body fat mass (BFM) showed significant (P = 0.01) negative association (β = −0.29 to −0.20) with spirometry parameters only in boys. In girls, the results showed a similar trend but it was not significant.

Conclusions

In conclusion, FFM or trunk FFM is more closely related to lung capacity than BFM or trunk BFM after adjustment for confounding variables in healthy adolescent boys. Body height explained up to 23% variability of forced vital capacity and fat‐free mass explained up to 27% in a linear regression model.
Carbapenemase‐producing Enterobacterales in solid organ transplantation: Tip of the iceberg?
Authors: Molina Kyle C. , Bajrovic Valida , Bonomo Robert A.
Published: December 2021

A liver transplant recipient developed a urinary tract infection with Citrobacter freundii complex and Klebsiella aerogenes, both producing dual carbapenemases (KPC‐3/NDM‐1). Whole‐genome sequencing suggested plasmid transfer between organisms. Silent plasmid transmission highlights emergent threats to infection prevention, with implications for screening and antimicrobial stewardship.
Priming‐induced alterations in histone modifications modulate transcriptional responses in soybean under salt stress
Authors: Yung Wai‐Shing , Wang Qianwen , Huang Mingkun , Wong Fuk‐Ling , Liu Ailin , Ng Ming‐Sin , Li Kwan‐Pok , Sze Ching‐Ching , Li Man‐Wah , Lam Hon‐Ming
Published: December 2021

Plants that have experienced certain abiotic stress may gain tolerance to a similar stress in subsequent exposure. This phenomenon, called priming, was observed here in soybean (Glycine max) seedlings exposed to salt stress. Time‐course transcriptomic profiles revealed distinctively different transcriptional responses in the primed seedlings from those in the non‐primed seedlings under high salinity stress, indicating a stress response strategy of repressing unhelpful biotic stress responses and focusing on the promotion of those responses important for salt tolerance. To identify histone marks altered by the priming salinity treatment, a genome‐wide profiling of histone 3 lysine 4 dimethylation (H3K4me2), H3K4me3, and histone 3 lysine 9 acetylation (H3K9ac) was performed. Our integrative analyses revealed that priming induced drastic alterations in these histone marks, which coordinately modified the stress response, ion homeostasis, and cell wall modification. Furthermore, transcriptional network analyses unveiled epigenetically modified networks which mediate the strategic downregulation of defense responses. Altering the histone acetylation status using a chemical inhibitor could elicit the priming‐like transcriptional responses in non‐primed seedlings, confirming the importance of histone marks in forming the priming response.
Evaluation of solvent/detergent‐treated plasma safety and efficacy in orthotopic liver transplant and thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura patients: A single center experience
Authors: McRae Hannah L. , Milito Chelsea , Klapheke Catherine A. , Refaai Majed A.
Published: December 2021

Background

Solvent/detergent‐treated, pooled plasma (SDP) is approved for use in orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) and thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) patients; however, studies evaluating safety and effectiveness of SDP in these populations are limited.

Methods

This prospective study included two cohorts: OLT patients (n = 40) who received either SDP (n = 20) or FFP (control group) (n = 20), and TTP patients (n = 20) who received either SDP (n = 10) or FFP (control group) (n = 10) throughout hospitalization. Medical, laboratory, and blood bank records were retroactively assessed for both cohorts for differences in clinical outcomes, laboratory values, and transfusion data from admission to discharge.

Results

In the OLT cohort, significant changes in AST and ALP were observed in the control group as compared to SDP (p < .05 each), and creatinine levels improved significantly in the SDP group as compared to the control group (p < .05) from admission to discharge. In the TTP cohort, platelet counts were significantly improved within the control and SDP groups from admission to discharge, but there were no significant differences between groups (p = .31). LDH levels improved between admission and discharge for both groups (70% decrease in the control group, p < .001, and 80% decrease in the SDP group, p = .001). There were no significant differences detected in clinical outcomes in either cohort.

Conclusions

As evidenced by the lack of adverse events in either cohort and similar clinical outcomes, we conclude that SDP is comparable in safety and effectiveness to FFP in OLT and TTP patients. Further studies are needed to evaluate the potential for improved safety with SDP.
Epitaxial growth of metastable La0.67Sr0.33MnO3−δ films by using Sr3Al2O6 as multifunctional buffer layers
Authors: Fang Yanhan , Sun Wenjie , Han Lu , Li Zeya , Sun Haoying , Yuan Hongtao , Gu Zhengbin , Nie Yuefeng
Published: December 2021

In doped manganites, a substantial tuning of the magnetic and electrical transport properties can be realized by engineering the concentration of oxygen vacancies. To date, most oxygen-deficient La1−xSrxMnO3−δ (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) films are synthesized by after-growth treatments. However, the direct growth of La1−xSrxMnO3−δ films remains challenging due to the metastability of this material. Here, we report the epitaxial growth of high quality single crystalline La0.67Sr0.33MnO3−δ films with an extremely large out-of-plane lattice parameter of 4.26 Å by reactive oxide molecular beam epitaxy. To stabilize this metastable phase, Sr3Al2O6 buffer layers are used to block the oxygen diffusion from the SrTiO3 substrate to the film during the growth process. This work provides an efficient way to obtain metastable La0.67Sr0.33MnO3−δ films.
A numerical study of the coupling between Rayleigh streaming and heat transfer at high acoustic level
Authors: Daru Virginie , Weisman Catherine , Baltean-Carlès Diana , Bailliet Hélène
Published: December 2021

Complex coupling between thermal effects and Rayleigh streaming in a standing wave guide at high acoustic levels is analyzed numerically. The approach is guided by the recent analytical study, showing that reverse streaming cells can form if the nonlinear Reynolds number exceeds a value depending on the wave frequency and thermophysical properties of the fluid and solid wall. A numerical configuration is introduced to investigate the evolution of the streaming flow structure and the average temperature field at high acoustic levels. Special attention is given to inhibit the development of shock waves. The heat conduction is accounted for in the wall. As the acoustic level is increased, the average temperature field becomes stratified transversely. The simulations show the relevance of the criterion for characterizing the appearance of additional contrarotating streaming cells near the acoustic velocity antinodes. For higher acoustic levels, these additional cells evolve into increasingly large stagnant zones, where the streaming flow is of very small amplitude and the contours of temperature are stratified longitudinally. The overall outer streaming flow decreases. These results are consistent with previous experimental observations, showing that the intrinsic coupling between the thermal effects and acoustic streaming at high levels is very well described.
Discrete constriction locations describe a comprehensive range of vocal tract shapes in the Maeda model
Authors: Gaines Jessica L. , Kim Kwang S. , Parrell Benjamin , Ramanarayanan Vikram , Nagarajan Srikantan S. , Houde John F.
Published: December 2021

The Maeda model was used to generate a large set of vocoid-producing vocal tract configurations. The resulting dataset (a) produced a comprehensive range of formant frequencies and (b) displayed discrete tongue body constriction locations (palatal, velar/uvular, and lower pharyngeal). The discrete parameterization of constriction location across the vowel space suggests this is likely a fundamental characteristic of the human vocal tract, and not limited to any specific set of vowel contrasts. These findings suggest that in addition to established articulatory-acoustic constraints, fundamental biomechanical constraints of the vocal tract may also explain such discreteness.
Psychoacoustic optimization of a robust feedback active noise controller for headphones
Authors: Schlieper Roman , Li Song , Preihs Stephan , Peissig Jürgen
Published: December 2021

Broadband time-invariant feedback (FB) controllers can be designed to cancel unwanted noise components with a single error microphone on each side of a headphone. This paper presents an optimization routine based on the genetic algorithm (GA) approach to set the boundaries for a mixed-sensitivity H∞ controller. The FB controllers are designed with the different target functions, sound pressure level (SPL), perceived loudness and perceived sharpness based on test signals with different spectral characteristics. The optimization for loudness and SPL shows proper results, while the optimization for sharpness can only be recommended to a limited extent.
Data driven source localization using a library of nearby shipping sources of opportunity
Authors: Durofchalk Nicholas C. , Jin Jihui , Vazquez Heriberto J. , Gemba Kay L. , Romberg Justin , Sabra Karim G.
Published: December 2021

A library of broadband (100–1000 Hz) channel impulse responses (CIRs) estimated between a short bottom-mounted vertical line array (VLA) in the Santa Barbara channel and selected locations along the tracks of 27 isolated transiting ships, cumulated over nine days, is constructed using the ray-based blind deconvolution algorithm. Treating this CIR library either as data-derived replica for broadband matched-field processing (MFP) or training data for machine learning yields comparable ranging accuracy (∼50 m) for nearby vessels up to 3.2 km for both methods. Using model-based replica of the direct path only computed for an average sound-speed profile comparatively yields∼110 m ranging accuracy.
Using Metabolomics in Diabetes Management with Traditional Chinese Medicine: A Review
Authors: He Yanling , Zhang Hefang , Yang Yufei , Yu Xianghui , Zhang Xiao , Xing Qiaolin , Zhang Gengliang
Published: December 2021

The incidence of diabetes worldwide continues to rise, placing a huge economic and medical burden on human society. More than 90% of diabetic cases are type 2 diabetes (T2D). At present, the pathogenesis of T2D is not yet fully understood. Metabolomics uses high-resolution analytical techniques (typically NMR and MS) to help identify biomarkers associated with the risk of T2D and reveal potential pathogenesis. Many metabolites such as branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), aromatic amino acids, glycine, 2-hydroxybutyric acid (2-HB), lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) (18:2), and trehalose have proven to be biomarkers of T2D. Insulin resistance (IR) induced by BCAA in T2D mice is related to the activation of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS1). Incomplete LCFA [Formula: see text]-oxidation promote acylcarnitine byproduct accumulation and stimulates proinflammatory NF[Formula: see text]B-related pathways to inhibit insulin action. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) presents unique advantages in the treatment of T2D. Multiple metabolites and metabolic pathways have been identified in the treatment of TCM, providing valuable biomarkers and novel targets for drug therapy and pharmacological mechanism. Therefore, this paper reviews the modern achievements of metabolomics in T2D research and the progress of TCM management in recent years, in order to provide valuable information for related research.
Effects of Berberine on Gut Microbiota in Patients with Mild Metabolic Disorders Induced by Olanzapine
Authors: Pu Zhengping , Sun Yunying , Jiang Hongxia , Hou Qingmei , Yan Hui , Wen Hui , Li Guorong
Published: December 2021

Secondary metabolic disturbances in patients with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder may be attributed to olanzapine. It is important to prevent mild metabolic disorders progressing to metabolic syndrome. This study aims to investigate the effects of berberine on intestinal flora in patients with mild metabolic disorders induced by olanzapine. A total of 132 patients with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or schizoaffective psychosis that had been treated with olanzapine for at least 9 months were randomly assigned ([Formula: see text] = 66 each) to receive berberine or placebo tablets for 12 weeks. Metabolic assessments and intestinal flora were quantified at baseline and after 4, 8, and 12 weeks of treatment. Incidence rates of adverse reactions were recorded. FPG, FPI, HOMA-IR, HbA1, TG, BMI, and WC were significantly lower in patients who received berberine compared to placebo after 12 weeks of treatment ([Formula: see text]< 0.05). The abundance of firmicutes and coliform were significantly lower and the abundance of bacteroides significantly higher in patients who received berberine compared to placebo after 12 weeks of treatment ([Formula: see text]< 0.05). In patients who received berberine, the abundance of firmicutes was significantly decreased, and the abundance of bacteroides was significantly increased, and in patients who received placebo, the abundance of firmicutes was significantly increased post-treatment, compared to baseline (both [Formula: see text]< 0.05). In conclusions, berberine may regulate intestinal flora and metabolism in patients with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder and mild metabolic disturbances induced by olanzapine.
FOREIGN FINANCING, EXCHANGE RATE EXPOSURES AND CORPORATE INVESTMENT IN SINGAPORE
Authors: CHAROENWONG BEN , ZAMAWI ANISAH BTE ABDUL RAHMAH
Published: December 2021

We study the effect of exchange rate fluctuations on foreign corporate investment flows to Singaporean firms using a linear reduced-form empirical specification on data from the past decade. Overall, we find that the cost of debt capital falls on average when the Singapore dollar depreciates. Isolating the effect of exchange rates on US-denominated debt vis-a-vis interest rates and yield curve variables shows that an increase in the cost of foreign debt capital through exchange rate changes leads to lower investment, albeit only slightly and an order of magnitude less important than short-term government bond yields.
Research on the performance of two different porphin graphene nanoribbons coupled thermoelectric devices
Authors: Bao Ben Gang , Zhang Xianran , Tangsen Huang
Published: December 2021

The effect of bonding position on the energy conversion efficiency of porphin graphene nanoribbons coupled thermoelectric devices was studied by the first-principles. The results show that the change of bonding position can greatly adjust the lattice thermal conductivity of the coupled thermoelectric devices; although the change of bonding position has no obvious effect on the transport properties of holes in the coupled structure, it can obviously adjust the transport properties of electrons, resulting in the different Seebeck coefficients and quality merit values of different coupled thermoelectric devices The results illustrate the different thermoelectric energy conversion effects in different porphin graphene nanoribbons coupled thermoelectric devices with different bonding positions, which provides an effective theoretical basis for the design of thermoelectric quantum devices based on graphene nanoribbons.
Multimodal Image Fusion Method Based on Guided Filter
Authors: Zhang Hui , Han Xinning , Zhang Rui
Published: December 2021

In the process of multimodal image fusion, how to improve the visual effect after the image fused, while taking into account the protection of energy and the extraction of details, has attracted more and more attention in recent years. Based on the research of visual saliency and the final action-level measurement of the base layer, a multimodal image fusion method based on a guided filter is proposed in this paper. Firstly, multi-scale decomposition of a guided filter is used to decompose the two source images into a small-scale layer, large-scale layer and base layer. The fusion rule of the maximum absolute value is adopted in the small-scale layer, the weight fusion rule based on regular visual parameters is adopted in the large-scale layer and the fusion rule based on activity-level measurement is adopted in the base layer. Finally, the fused three scales are laminated into the final fused image. The experimental results show that the proposed method can improve the image edge processing and visual effect in multimodal image fusion.
Performance Comparison Study of Several Interpolation Methods on Streak Metal Artifacts Reduction of CT Images
Authors: Wang Dianhua , Li Yuanjin , Zhang Yudong , Wang Tao
Published: December 2021

In the course of generating the CT images, the streak metal artifacts emerge from the reconstructed images, often degraded the quality of the images and blur the fringe information around the metal implant. Although a number of attempts had been reported, among them, our proposed interpolation-based method is the simplest and most efficient approaches. In this paper, three interpolation approaches are compared with subjective and objective criterion based on both simulation and clinical cases. Our results have shown an improvement from the original images. As for the comparison with NRMSD and MAD. For the execution time, the L-MAR possesses the shortest time with S-MAR time being the slowest among the interpolation-based methods. For NRMSD and MAD, the digits from small to large are P-MAR, S-MAR, L-MAR and original. This shows that among interpolation-based methods the image corrected by P-MAR approach is the closest to the ideal image, followed by S-MAR correction, L-MAR correction, and the gap between the original image and the ideal image is the largest.
Psychological Perceptual Analysis Based on Dance Therapy Using Artificial Intelligence Techniques
Authors: Li Xia , Karuppiah Marimuthu , Shanmugam Balamurugan
Published: December 2021

Dance is an embodied activity when applied therapeutically, and it can have numerous specific and unspecific health assistances. Dance Movement Therapy (DMT) is a psychotherapeutic process used for the individual’s emotional, cognitive, and physical integration. To automatically synthesize dance movements according to the music, it needs to solve some computational challenges. This paper proposes the Artificial Intelligence assisted Dance Movement Therapy (AIDMT) to predict an individual’s psychological condition. The complete aim of this paper is to analyze the effects of recreational/general dance and dance movement therapy (DMT) on well-being, anxiety, and depression by a convolution neural network (CNN). The research results support the potential usefulness of DMT as a multi-faceted intervention for enhancing different facets of functioning in adolescence with diminishing cognitive abilities. The absence of advantageous effects for our long-term DMT and exercise intervention effects discover the requirement to preserve persistent activity levels with sufficient duration and intensity. Conclusion — The experimental result suggests that AIDMT achieves the highest classification accuracy of 98.03%.
A NOVEL PERMEABILITY MODEL IN DAMAGED TREE-LIKE BIFURCATING NETWORKS CONSIDERING THE INFLUENCE OF ROUGHNESS
Authors: LIU ZHENJIE , GAO JUN , XIAO BOQI , CAO JIYIN , FANG JING , LIANG MINGCHAO , LONG GONGBO
Published: December 2021

The seepage in tree-like bifurcating networks is a very common phenomenon in nature. The research on the transport characteristics of tree-like bifurcating networks has always been a hot topic. In this paper, a novel permeability model for fluid flow in damaged tree-like bifurcating networks is proposed. In the proposed model, the influence of roughness on permeability is considered by means of the fractal method. It is found that the permeability is not only related to the structural parameters of the network but also related to the damaged position and the number of damaged tubes at the damaged position. The effects of these parameters and damaged structure on permeability are discussed separately. The results show that the permeability reduces along with an increase in the roughness level, the length ratio, the number of damaged tubes, and the number of total bifurcating levels. Another major finding is that the permeability increases with an increase in the diameter ratio. Besides, we found that the damaged position and the number of damaged tubes at the damaged position have an important effect on the permeability. Increasing the number of damaged tubes and bringing the damaged position close to the front end of the network will reduce the permeability. Compared with the undamaged network, the permeability of damaged network has a significant decline. The proposed model may provide potential applications for the analysis of fluid flow in damaged tree-like bifurcating network.
BEYOND THE CHALLENGES: NEW INSIGHTS AND INNOVATIONS IN FIELD EDUCATION
Authors: DROLET JULIE , ALEMI MOHAMMAD IDRIS , COLLINS TARA
Published: December 2021

The International Conference on Social Work and Fieldwork Education in Hong Kong was organized to discuss the need for change and innovation in social work education with a particular focus on field education. There is a need for social work field educators to identify innovative, promising, and wise practices in field education. In many contexts, field education is challenged to procure sufficient placements each year. This growing demand for placements has created numerous challenges in field education programs. In response to the challenges facing social work field education, and the need to develop sustainable models of field education, the Transforming the Field Education Landscape (TFEL) project was formed. The TFEL project is a partnership designed to integrate research and practice through the development of partnered research training initiatives aimed at enhancing student research practice knowledge and applied skill development. In Canada, many field education challenges were amplified due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which required social work programs to adapt in order to navigate unprecedented circumstances. This article discusses the challenges facing field education programs and provides an overview of the TFEL project, with a focus on how the partnership is addressing these concerns. It defines what is meant by innovative, promising, and wise practices in field education, and how these innovations can assist in preparing the next generation of social workers to become highly qualified personnel.
On the regularity of product of irreducible monomial ideals
Authors: Gao Yubin
Published: December 2021

Let [Formula: see text] be a polynomial ring in [Formula: see text] variables over a field [Formula: see text]. When [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] are monomial ideals of [Formula: see text] generated by powers of the variables [Formula: see text], it is proved that [Formula: see text]. If [Formula: see text], the same result for the product of a finite number of ideals as above is proved.
A Novel Second-Order Adaptive Grid Method for Singularly Perturbed Convection–Diffusion Equations
Authors: Luo Xuqiong , Yang Na , Tong Qingshan
Published: December 2021

In this paper, a singularly perturbed convection–diffusion equation is studied. At first, the original problem is transformed into a parameterized singularly perturbed Volterra integro-differential equation by using an integral transform. Then, a second-order finite difference method on an arbitrary mesh is given. The stability and local truncation error estimates of the discrete schemes are analyzed. Based on the mesh equidistribution principle and local truncation error estimation, an adaptive grid algorithm is given. In addition, in order to calculate the parameters of the transformation equation, a nonlinear unconstrained optimization problem is constructed. Numerical experiments are given to illustrate the effectiveness of our presented adaptive grid algorithm.
Inter-Element Crack Propagation with High-Order Stress Equilibrium Element
Authors: Parrinello Francesco , Benedetti Ivano
Published: December 2021

The present contribution proposes a formulation based on the use of hybrid equilibrium elements (HEEs), for the analysis of inter-element delamination and fracture propagation problems. HEEs are defined in terms of quadratic stress fields, which strongly verify both the homogeneous and inter-element equilibrium equations and they are employed with interfaces, initially exhibiting rigid behavior, embedded at the elements’ sides. The interface model is formulated in terms of the same degrees of freedom of the HEE, without any additional burden. The cohesive zone model (CZM) of the extrinsic interface is rigorously developed in the damage mechanics framework, with perfect adhesion at the pre-failure condition and with linear softening at the post-failure regime. After a brief review, the formulation is computationally tested by simulating the behavior of a double-cantilever-beam with diagonal loads; the obtained numerical results confirm the accuracy and potential of the method.
Some q-supercongruences related to Swisher’s (H.3) conjecture
Authors: Fang Jian-Ping , Guo Victor J. W.
Published: December 2021

We first give a [Formula: see text]-analogue of a supercongruence of Sun, which is a generalization of Van Hamme’s (H.2) supercongruence for any prime [Formula: see text]. We also give a further generalization of this [Formula: see text]-supercongruence, which may also be considered as a generalization of a [Formula: see text]-supercongruence recently conjectured by the second author and Zudilin. Then, by combining these two [Formula: see text]-supercongruences, we obtain [Formula: see text]-analogues of the following two results: for any integer [Formula: see text] and prime [Formula: see text] with [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text] which are generalizations of Swisher’s (H.3) conjecture modulo [Formula: see text] for [Formula: see text]. The key ingredients in our proof are the ‘creative microscoping’ method, the [Formula: see text]-Dixon sum, Watson’s terminating [Formula: see text] transformation, and properties of the [Formula: see text]-adic Gamma function.
STRATEGIC INTERACTIONS AND NEGATIVE OIL PRICES
Authors: MA CHENGHU , WANG XIANZHEN
Published: December 2021

This paper argues on theoretical grounds that the negative oil prices event on April 20, 2020, was mainly due to the strategic interactions among some active traders on both sides of the futures contract. We present a three-player game of futures trading in which a continuum range of negative price can be supported as (strong) Nash equilibrium, yet none of those constitutes an [Formula: see text]-equilibrium originally developed by Ma (2009). We further propose the notion of coalition-with-side-payment as a solution concept for the environment where strategic interactions and transfer payments among players are allowed. Our model captures the mechanism underlying futures price manipulation, and its predictions largely agree with the observations on that day, which are beyond the scope of demand–supply and physical delivery narratives.
Identification of Chemical Components of Qi-Fu-Yin and Its Prototype Components and Metabolites in Rat Plasma and Cerebrospinal Fluid via UPLC-Q-TOF-MS
Authors: Li Hengyu , Zhao Hongwei , Yang Yong , Qi Dongmei , Cheng Xiaorui , Wang Jiafeng
Published: December 2021

Qi-Fu-Yin, a traditional Chinese medicine formula, has been used to treat Alzheimer’s disease (AD, a neurodegenerative disorder) in clinical setting. In this study, the chemical components of Qi-Fu-Yin and its prototype components and metabolites in rat plasma and cerebrospinal fluid, after oral administration, were preliminarily characterized via ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS). A total of 180 compounds, including saponins, flavonoids, organic acids, sucrose esters, oligosaccharide esters, phthalides, phenylethanoid glycosides, alkaloids, xanthones, terpene lactones, ionones, and iridoid glycoside, were tentatively characterized. For the first time, 51 prototypical components and 26 metabolites, including saponins, phthalides, flavonoids, sucrose esters, organic acids, alkaloids, ionones, terpene lactones, iridoid glycoside, and their derivatives, have been tentatively identified in the plasma. Furthermore, 10 prototypical components (including butylidenephthalide, butylphthalide, 20(S)-ginsenoside Rh1, 20(R)-ginsenoside Rh1, and zingibroside R1) and 6 metabolites were preliminarily characterized in cerebrospinal fluid. These results were beneficial to the discovery of the active components of Qi-Fu-Yin anti-AD.
SIRT1 Attenuates Apoptosis of Nucleus Pulposus Cells by Targeting Interactions between LC3B and Fas under High‐Magnitude Compression
Authors: Zhuo Yunyun , Wang Haoming , Zou Luetao , Wang Yiyang , Hu Yanzhu , Li Pei , Zhou Qiang
Published: December 2021

Mechanical overloading‐induced nucleus pulposus cell (NPC) apoptosis plays a core role in the pathogenesis of intervertebral disc degeneration. In this study, we investigated the involvement of mammalian silent information regulator 2 homolog (SIRT1) in NPC apoptosis under high‐magnitude compression. Our results showed that high‐magnitude compression aggravated cellular apoptosis and attenuated the expression levels of SIRT1 and microtubule‐associated protein‐1 light chain‐3B (LC3B) in rat NPCs in a three‐dimensional (3D) cell culture model and an in vivo rat tail compression model, whereas SIRT1 overexpression in NPCs partially reversed these indicators. Moreover, SIRT1 overexpression increased the formation of the LC3B/Fas complex, alleviated activation of the NF‐κB pathway, and reduced NPC apoptosis. Finally, downregulation of LC3B partially activated the NF‐κB pathway and aggravated NPC apoptosis. Overall, upregulation of SIRT1 increases formation of the LC3B/Fas complex, which contributes to suppression of NPC apoptosis by inhibiting the NF‐κB pathway under high compressive stress.
Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR) Predicts PD-1 Inhibitor Survival in Patients with Metastatic Gastric Cancer
Authors: Gou Miaomiao , Qu Tongtong , Wang Zhikuan , Yan Huan , Si Yanhai , Zhang Yong , Dai Guanghai
Published: December 2021

Background and Aims. Biomarkers for systemic inflammation have been introduced into clinical practice for risk-rating in cancer patients’ treatment. This study is aimed at confirming the prognostic role of the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) as an effective biomarker for patients with metastatic gastric cancer (MGC) receiving anti-PD-1 agents. Method. Patients with MGC who received anti-PD-1 treatment at the Chinese PLA General Hospital between January 2016 and November 2020 were reviewed. The study analyzed the association of NLR and overall survival (OS) or progression-free survival (PFS) and antitumor response rate with PD-1 inhibitors. Results. 137 patients were included in the final analysis. The area under the curve value of NLR for 6-month OS was 0.71. The best cut-off value for NLR was 3.23.

NLR
<
3.23

was associated with longer OS (

HR
=
0.38

, 95% CI, 0.26-0.57,

p
<
0.001

) and PFS (

HR
=
0.42

, 95% CI, 0.29-0.62,

p
<
0.001

) in patients with MGC. No significant difference was observed in the objective response rate (ORR) (35.8% vs. 28.6%,

p
=
0.377

) and disease control rate (DCR) (86.4% vs. 78.6%,

p
=
0.229

) in the

NLR
<
3.23

group and in the

NLR
≥
3.23

group, respectively. Univariate analysis and multivariate analysis found that NLR was an independent prognosis biomarker for PFS and OS. Conclusions. Pretreatment elevated NLR was significantly associated with inferior PFS and OS in patients with MGC who received anti-PD-1 inhibitors. Clinicians need to consider patients with elevated NLR for decisions on immunotherapy strategy.
Data Homogeneity Effect in Deep Learning-Based Prediction of Type 1 Diabetic Retinopathy
Authors: Lo Jui-En , Kang Eugene Yu-Chuan , Chen Yun-Nung , Hsieh Yi-Ting , Wang Nan-Kai , Chen Ta-Ching , Chen Kuan-Jen , Wu Wei-Chi , Hwang Yih-Shiou , Lo Fu-Sung , Lai Chi-Chun
Published: December 2021

This study is aimed at evaluating a deep transfer learning-based model for identifying diabetic retinopathy (DR) that was trained using a dataset with high variability and predominant type 2 diabetes (T2D) and comparing model performance with that in patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D). The Kaggle dataset, which is a publicly available dataset, was divided into training and testing Kaggle datasets. In the comparison dataset, we collected retinal fundus images of T1D patients at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Taiwan from 2013 to 2020, and the images were divided into training and testing T1D datasets. The model was developed using 4 different convolutional neural networks (Inception-V3, DenseNet-121, VGG1, and Xception). The model performance in predicting DR was evaluated using testing images from each dataset, and area under the curve (AUC), sensitivity, and specificity were calculated. The model trained using the Kaggle dataset had an average (range) AUC of 0.74 (0.03) and 0.87 (0.01) in the testing Kaggle and T1D datasets, respectively. The model trained using the T1D dataset had an AUC of 0.88 (0.03), which decreased to 0.57 (0.02) in the testing Kaggle dataset. Heatmaps showed that the model focused on retinal hemorrhage, vessels, and exudation to predict DR. In wrong prediction images, artifacts and low-image quality affected model performance. The model developed with the high variability and T2D predominant dataset could be applied to T1D patients. Dataset homogeneity could affect the performance, trainability, and generalization of the model.
Application of Accelerated Rehabilitation Surgery in Gastrointestinal Surgery
Authors: Liu Ke , Wang Yonghong , Wang Jun , Luo Na , Gong Juan , Wang Jian , Chen Bing
Published: December 2021

Adding timely rehabilitation surgery is an optimized perioperative measure that can reduce physical stress, reduce surgical risks, and postoperative complications and promote the recovery of organ function. Therefore, it is of great value to study its application in gastrointestinal surgery (GS). To this end, this article applies retrospective analysis and statistical methods to conduct targeted investigations and studies on GS patients. The results of the survey showed that 26.7% of patients were effective in ARS and 40% were effective in treatment. Compared with traditional treatment methods, its effective treatment rate is 13.4% higher.
The Connected P‐Median Problem on Cactus Graphs
Authors: Bai Chunsong , Zhou Jianjie , Liang Zuosong
Published: December 2021

This study deals with the facility location problem of locating a set Vp of p facilities on a graph such that the subgraph induced by Vp is connected. We consider the connected p‐median problem on a cactus graph G whose vertices and edges have nonnegative weights. The aim of a connected p‐median problem is to minimize the sum of weighted distances from every vertex of a graph to the nearest vertex in Vp. We provide an O(n2p2) time algorithm for the connected p‐median problem, where n is the number of vertices.
A Novel Method to Solve Real Time Security Issues in Software Industry Using Advanced Cryptographic Techniques
Authors: Gobinathan B. , Mukunthan M. A. , Surendran S. , Somasundaram K. , Moeed Syed Abdul , Niranjan P. , Gouthami V. , Ashmitha G. , Mohammad Gouse Baig , Shanmuganathan V. K. , Natarajan Yuvaraj , Srihari K. , Sundramurthy Venkatesa Prabhu
Published: December 2021

In recent times, the utility and privacy are trade-off factors with the performance of one factor tends to sacrifice the other. Therefore, the dataset cannot be published without privacy. It is henceforth crucial to maintain an equilibrium between the utility and privacy of data. In this paper, a novel technique on trade-off between the utility and privacy is developed, where the former is developed with a metaheuristic algorithm and the latter is developed using a cryptographic model. The utility is carried out with the process of clustering, and the privacy model encrypts and decrypts the model. At first, the input datasets are clustered, and after clustering, the privacy of data is maintained. The simulation is conducted on the manufacturing datasets over various existing models. The results show that the proposed model shows improved clustering accuracy and data privacy than the existing models. The evaluation with the proposed model shows a trade-off privacy preservation and utility clustering in smart manufacturing datasets.
Identifying and Validating an Acidosis-Related Signature Associated with Prognosis and Tumor Immune Infiltration Characteristics in Pancreatic Carcinoma
Authors: Tang Pingfei , Qu Weiming , Wu Dajun , Chen Shihua , Liu Minji , Chen Weishun , Ai Qiongjia , Tang Haijuan , Zhou Hongbing
Published: December 2021

Background. Acidosis in the tumor microenvironment (TME) is involved in tumor immune dysfunction and tumor progression. We attempted to develop an acidosis-related index (ARI) signature to improve the prognostic prediction of pancreatic carcinoma (PC). Methods. Differential gene expression analyses of two public datasets (GSE152345 and GSE62452) from the Gene Expression Omnibus database were performed to identify the acidosis-related genes. The Cancer Genome Atlas–pancreatic carcinoma (TCGA-PAAD) cohort in the TCGA database was set as the discovery dataset. Univariate Cox regression and the Kaplan–Meier method were applied to screen for prognostic genes. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) Cox regression was used to establish the optimal model. The tumor immune infiltrating pattern was characterized by the single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) method, and the prediction of immunotherapy responsiveness was conducted using the tumor immune dysfunction and exclusion (TIDE) algorithm. Results. We identified 133 acidosis-related genes, of which 37 were identified as prognostic genes by univariate Cox analysis in combination with the Kaplan–Meier method (

p

values of both methods < 0.05). An acidosis-related signature involving seven genes (ARNTL2, DKK1, CEP55, CTSV, MYEOV, DSG2, and GBP2) was developed in TCGA-PAAD and further validated in GSE62452. Patients in the acidosis-related high-risk group consistently showed poorer survival outcomes than those in the low-risk group. The 5-year AUCs (areas under the curve) for survival prediction were 0.738 for TCGA-PAAD and 0.889 for GSE62452, suggesting excellent performance. The low-risk group in TCGA-PAAD showed a higher abundance of CD8+ T cells and activated natural killer cells and was predicted to possess an elevated proportion of immunotherapeutic responders compared with the high-risk counterpart. Conclusions. We developed a reliable acidosis-related signature that showed excellent performance in prognostic prediction and correlated with tumor immune infiltration, providing a new direction for prognostic evaluation and immunotherapy management in PC.
The Absorption, Distribution, and Excretion of 18 Elements of Tibetan Medicine Qishiwei Zhenzhu Pills in Rats with Cerebral Ischemia
Authors: Song Yinglian , Fu Ke , Zhang Dewei , Xu Min , Wu Ruixia , Xiong Xueqing , Liu Xianwu , Wu Lei , Guo Ya , Zhou You , Li Xiaoli , Wang Zhang
Published: December 2021

The aim of this study is to determine 18 elements in Tibetan medicine Qishiwei Zhenzhu pills (QSW) and their absorption, distribution, and excretion in rats with cerebral ischemia. Microwave digestion and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) were used to determine 18 elements of QSW in simulated gastrointestinal (GI) juice. Rats were given QSW (66.68 mg/kg) followed by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Sham rats received saline and were not subjected to MCAO. ICP-MS was applied to determine the content of 18 elements in hepatic venous blood, abdominal aortic blood, brain, liver, kidney, hair, urine, and feces 24 h after MCAO. In vitro results showed that the extraction rate of Mn, Cu, Sr, Pb, Au, and Hg of QSW in gastric juice (1 h) was higher than that in water, and the contents of Cu, Au, Sr, and As were higher in intestinal juice (4 h) than in water. In vivo results showed that the contents of elements in the blood were quite low, and QSW increased Ni, Cr, Sr, Co, and V in artery blood and decreased V in venous blood. Elements in the tissues were also low, and QSW increased brain Li but decreased Cr and Cd; QSW increased kidney Ag and Cs and liver Mn but decreased liver Ni. QSW increased urinary excretion of Li, Sr, Hg, Cs, and V; QSW increased Hg content in hair but decreased Ni. Stool is the main excretion pathway of the elements in QSW, with Ba, Mn, Sr, Cd, V, Cu, Cs, Li, Pb, Ag, Hg, Cr, As, and Co the highest. In summary, this study examined the distribution of 18 elements in QSW-treated MCAO rats. The accumulation of these elements in blood and tissues was extremely low, and the majority was excreted in feces within 24 h, highlighting the importance of the gut-microbiota-brain axis in QSW-mediated brain protection.
Analysis of the Efficacy and Pharmacological Mechanisms of Action of Zhenren Yangzang Decoction on Ulcerative Colitis Using Meta-Analysis and Network Pharmacology
Authors: Xing Guosheng , Zhang Yufeng , Wu Xinlin , Wang Hua , Liu Yan , Zhang Zhen , Hou Mingxing , Hua Haibing
Published: December 2021

Objective. We analyzed the efficacy and pharmacological mechanisms of action of Zhen Ren Yang Zang decoction (ZRYZD) on ulcerative colitis (UC) using meta-analysis and network pharmacology. Methods. The major databases were searched for randomized controlled trials of ZRYZD for the treatment of UC. Meta-analysis of the efficacy of ZRYZD on UC was conducted using RevMan software. Active compounds and target genes were acquired using the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform. UC-related genes were searched using the GeneCards database. Gene Ontology (GO) functional enrichment and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses were performed using RGUI. A compound-target network was constructed using Cytoscape software, and a protein-protein interaction network was constructed using the STRING database. Molecular docking simulations of the macromolecular protein targets and their corresponding ligand compounds were performed using the AutoDock tool and AutoDock Vina software. Results. Meta-analysis revealed that the total effective rate and recovery rate of clinical efficacy were significantly higher in the experimental group than those of the control group. The screening identified 169 active compounds and 277 active target genes for ZRYZD. The 277 active target genes were compared with the 4,798 UC-related genes. This identified 187 active target genes of ZRYZD for UC that correlated with 138 active compounds. GO functional enrichment and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses were performed, and compound-target and protein-protein interaction networks were constructed. The key compounds and key target proteins were then selected. Finally, target protein binding with the corresponding compound was analyzed using molecular docking. Conclusion. Our findings demonstrate the effectiveness and safety of ZRYZD for the treatment of UC and provide insight into the underlying pharmacological mechanisms of action. Furthermore, key compounds were identified, laying the foundation for future studies on ZRYZD for the treatment of UC.
Crystallization Behavior of Ammonium Chloride in High-Pressure Heat Exchanger of Hydrotreating Unit
Authors: Zhang Jianwen , Zhang Fan , Li Yan , Zhao Yahui , Sheng Gang
Published: December 2021

In view of the corrosion failure of a high-pressure heat exchanger in a diesel hydrogenation unit, the formation mechanism of ammonium chloride in a multiphase flow system is investigated in this article. Numerical simulation is carried out by user defined function (UDF) on the process of adding source of mass transfer in computational fluid dynamics (CFD) solvers. The distribution characteristics of ammonium chloride are illustrated by the parameters including crystallization temperature of ammonium chloride, volume fraction of ammonium chloride, and mass transfer rates of NH3 and HCl, and the causes of corrosion cracking in the U-shaped bend of the heat exchanger are discussed. The results show that there is a great risk of ammonium chloride deposition in the heat exchanger from 4.5 m away from the outlet of the second pass. The crystallization area in the tube gradually expands from the wall to the center along the flow direction, and the crystallization rate is higher near the tube wall. The field sampling test results show that the corrosion cracking is hydrogen-induced cracking, which is due to the existence of large amount of hydrogen, high impacting force, excessive flow rate, and the risk of ammonium chloride particle erosion at the U-bend. In order to alleviate the corrosion of ammonium chloride deposition, some improvement measures are put forward, such as raising the inlet temperature of the tube side to 215 °C and increasing the water injection by 30%, which play an important role in decreasing the formation of ammonium chloride in the heat exchange system.