bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Association of women leaders in the C-suite with hospital performance
Authors: Christopher Adrienne N , Nembhard Ingrid M , Wu Liza , Yee Stephanie , Sebastian Albertina , Charan Nidhi , Betchen Simone
Published: December 2021

Background

Women comprise 50% of the healthcare workforce, but only about 25% of senior leadership positions in the USA. No studies to our knowledge have investigated the performance of hospitals led by women versus those led by men to evaluate the potential explanation that the inequity reflects appropriate selection due to skill or performance differences.

Methods

We conducted a descriptive analysis of the gender composition of hospital senior leadership (C-suite) teams and cross-sectional, regression-based analyses of the relationship between gender composition, hospital characteristics (eg, location, size, ownership), and financial, clinical, safety, patient experience and innovation performance metrics using 2018 data for US adult medical/surgical hospitals with >200 beds. C-suite positions examined included chief executive officer (CEO), chief financial officer (CFO) and chief operating officer (COO). Gender was obtained from hospital web pages and LinkedIn. Hospital characteristics and performance were obtained from American Hospital Directory, American Hospital Association Annual Hospital Survey, Healthcare Cost Report Information System and Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems surveys.

Results

Of the 526 hospitals studied, 22% had a woman CEO, 26% a woman CFO and 36% a woman COO. While 55% had at least one woman in the C-suite, only 15.6% had more than one. Of the 1362 individuals who held one of the three C-suite positions, 378 were women (27%). Hospital performance on 27 of 28 measures (p>0.05) was similar between women and men-led hospitals. Hospitals with a woman CEO performed significantly better than men-led hospitals on one financial metric, days in accounts receivable (p=0.04).

Conclusion

Hospitals with women in the C-suite have comparable performance to those without, yet inequity in the gender distribution of leaders remains. Barriers to women’s advancement should be recognised and efforts made to rectify this inequity, rather than underusing an equally skilled pool of potential women leaders.
Effect of early Sanguinate (PEGylated carboxyhemoglobin bovine) infusion on cerebral blood flow to the ischemic core in experimental middle cerebral artery occlusion
Authors: Christoforidis Gregory A , Saadat Niloufar , Liu Mira , Jeong Yong Ik , Roth Steven , Niekrasz Marek , Carroll Timothy
Published: December 2021

Background

Sanguinate, a bovine PEGylated carboxyhemoglobin-based oxygen carrier with vasodilatory, oncotic and anti-inflammatory properties designed to release oxygen in hypoxic tissue, was tested to determine if it improves infarct volume, collateral recruitment and blood flow to the ischemic core in hyperacute middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO).

Methods

Under an IACUC approved protocol, 14 mongrel dogs underwent endovascular permanent MCAO. Seven received Sanguinate (8 mL/kg) intravenously over 10 min starting 30 min following MCAO and seven received a similar volume of normal saline. Relative cerebral blood flow (rCBF) was assessed using neutron-activated microspheres prior to MCAO, 30 min following MCAO and 30 min following intervention. Pial collateral recruitment was scored and measured by arterial arrival time (AAT) immediately prior to post-MCAO microsphere injection. Diffusion-weighted 3T MRI was used to assess infarct volume approximately 2 hours after MCAO.

Results

Mean infarct volumes for control and Sanguinate-treated subjects were 4739 mm3and 2585 mm3(p=0.0443; r2=0.687), respectively. Following intervention, rCBF values were 0.340 for controls and 0.715 in the Sanguinate group (r2=0.536; p=0.0064). Pial collateral scores improved only in Sanguinate-treated subjects and AAT decreased by a mean of 0.314 s in treated subjects and increased by a mean of 0.438 s in controls (p<0.0276).

Conclusion

Preliminary results indicate that topload bolus administration of Sanguinate in hyperacute ischemic stroke significantly improves infarct volume, pial collateral recruitment and CBF in experimental MCAO immediately following its administration.
Post-traumatic amnesia
Authors: Parker Thomas D , Rees Richard , Rajagopal Sangeerthana , Griffin Colette , Goodliffe Luke , Dilley Michael , Jenkins Peter Owen
Published: December 2021

Post-traumatic amnesia is the transient state of altered brain function that may follow a traumatic brain injury. At a practical level, an individual has emerged from post-traumatic amnesia when he or she is fully orientated and with return of continuous memory. However, the clinical manifestations are often more complex, with numerous cognitive domains commonly affected, as well as behaviour. In the acute setting, post-traumatic amnesia may easily go unrecognised; this is problematic as it has important implications for both immediate management and for longer-term prognosis. We therefore recommend its careful clinical assessment and prospective evaluation using validated tools. Patients in post-traumatic amnesia who have behavioural disturbance can be particularly challenging to manage. Behavioural and environmental measures form the mainstay of its treatment while avoiding pharmacological interventions where possible, as they may worsen agitation. Patients need assessing regularly to determine their need for further rehabilitation and to facilitate safe discharge planning.
Cheaper tobacco product prices at US Air Force Bases compared with surrounding community areas, 2019
Authors: Kong Amanda Y , Golden Shelley D , Ribisl Kurt M , Krukowski Rebecca A , Vandegrift Sara M , Little Melissa A
Published: December 2021

Introduction

In March 2017, the US Department of Defense (DoD) implemented a policy requiring all military stores to set tobacco prices equal to ‘prevailing prices’ in the ‘local community’ adjusted for state and local taxes. We compared tobacco product prices in a sample of retailers located on five Air Force Bases (AFBs) in Texas and Mississippi with those sold in nearby off-base stores.

Methods

We constructed a list of on-base and off-base tobacco retailers. Off-base retailers included stores that were located within a 1.5-mile road network service area from main AFB gates. Between July and September 2019, a trained auditor visited 23 on-base and 50 off-base retailers to confirm tobacco product sales, and documented the price of cigarettes and Copenhagen smokeless tobacco. For each area, the median price for each product, as well as the difference in median prices by on-base versus off-base status, was calculated.

Results

The median price of cigarettes and smokeless products was cheaper at on-base retailers. All products were cheaper at on-base stores in Fort Sam Houston and Lackland AFB. Similarly, all products were cheaper in on-base stores at Keesler AFB, with the exception of Marlboro Red packs ($0.22 more), and at Sheppard AFB with the exception of cheapest cigarette cartons ($6.26 more).

Conclusion

Despite the implementation of the new DoD policy, tobacco products are cheaper in on-base retailers compared with off-base retailers. Refining of the definitions used and improved compliance with the new DoD policy are needed.
Epidemic on a changing network: College outbreaks and vaccination
Authors: Iyengar Madhavan , Nimmagadda Varun , Khain Evgeniy
Published: December 2021

In this paper, we consider the spread of an epidemic on a changing network, specifically focusing on two phenomena. The first part of the paper investigates a possible mechanism of disease outbreaks on college campuses. We present a toy model, dividing students into extroverts (high-degree nodes with a large number of contacts) and introverts (low-degree nodes with a small number of contacts). In our model, the average degree of extroverts is evolving with time, and its dynamics is coupled with the current epidemic situation: extroverts tend to increase their number of contacts for low level of epidemic, but as more and more students get infected, they start decreasing their average degree. Another phenomenon analyzed in the paper is vaccination: how should the vaccine be allocated to best benefit the population? We consider two possible vaccination strategies: (1) vaccinating people starting from high risk groups (older people with a higher risk of mortality) or (2) prioritizing vaccination of people with a higher number of contacts (such as college students) to decrease the epidemic outbreak. Both phenomena show the importance of diversity in the number of contacts.
Majorized iPADMM for Nonseparable Convex Minimization Models with Quadratic Coupling Terms
Authors: Ma Yumin , Li Ting , Song Yongzhong , Cai Xingju
Published: December 2021

In this paper, we consider nonseparable convex minimization models with quadratic coupling terms arised in many practical applications. We use a majorized indefinite proximal alternating direction method of multipliers (iPADMM) to solve this model. The indefiniteness of proximal matrices allows the function we actually solved to be no longer the majorization of the original function in each subproblem. While the convergence still can be guaranteed and larger stepsize is permitted which can speed up convergence. For this model, we analyze the global convergence of majorized iPADMM with two different techniques and the sublinear convergence rate in the nonergodic sense. Numerical experiments illustrate the advantages of the indefinite proximal matrices over the positive definite or the semi-definite proximal matrices.
Tachyons with any spin
Authors: Schwartz Charles
Published: December 2021

In earlier work, we showed how to handle the Group Theoretical issue of the Little Group for spin 1/2 tachyons by introducing a special metric in the vector space of one-particle states. Here that technique is extended to tachyons of any spin. Examining the bi-linear algebra of the generating matrices for spin 5/2, we find a complete basis for the Gell-Mann matrices that form the Lie algebra for SU(3). A Dirac-like equation is developed for tachyons of any integer-plus-one-half spin; and it shows multiple distinct mass eigenvalues. The primary model shows a mass spectrum (in the case of [Formula: see text]) that roughly mimics the known data on masses of the three neutrinos; the model can be tweaked to fit that experimental data precisely.
Particles multiplicity based on rapidity in Landau and artificial neural network (ANN) models
Authors: Habashy D. M. , El-Bakry Mahmoud Y. , Tawfik Abdel Nasser , Abdel Rahman R. M. , Hanafy Mahmoud
Published: December 2021

In this paper, artificial neural network (ANN) model is used to estimate the multiplicity per rapidity for charged pions and kaons observed in various high-energy experiments from central [Formula: see text] heavy-ion collisions with energies ranging from 2–200 GeV, and then compared to available experimental data, including RHIC-BRAHMS experiment, and covering the energy range of the future accelerator facilities at NICA and FAIR. We also used Landau hydrodynamical approach, which has a better description for the evolution of hot and dense matter produced in ultra-relativistic heavy-ion collisions. The approach is fitted to both results estimated from experiment and ANN simulation. We noted that the Landau model accurately reproduces the entire range of multiplicity per rapidity for all created particles at all energies. Also ANN model can reproduce the multiplicity per rapidity very well for all the considered particles. This encourages us to use ANN model to predict the multiplicity per rapidity for [Formula: see text] particles at energies [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] GeV.
Research on Identification of Corn Disease Occurrence Degree Based on Improved ResNeXt Network
Authors: Wang Guowei , Wang Jiaxin , Yu Haiye , Sui Yuanyuan
Published: December 2021

Aggregate depth residual network (ResNeXt) can not only improve the accuracy without increasing the parameter complexity, but also reduce the number of super parameters. It is one of the popular convolutional neural network models for image recognition. Maize diseases have a great impact on maize yield, quality and farmers’ income. Rapid and effective identification of the severity of maize diseases plays an important role in accurate control and accurate drug use. The general ResNeXt model has large spots in extracting image features, but the spots of corn diseases are small and the extracted features are not obvious, which affects the recognition accuracy. Therefore, an improved ResNeXt model is proposed to recognize the occurrence degree of corn diseases. First, the original data of maize disease degree are classified according to national standards. Second, the original data are extended through data enhancement. Third, the original ResNeXt101 model is improved. The first layer convolution kernel is changed to three 3 * 3 convolution kernels, and the cardinality is adjusted to 64. Finally, the improved model is verified. The recognition accuracy of corn disease degree is 89.667%, which is 0.98% higher than the original model. Through testing on 276 actually collected corn disease images, the recognition accuracy is 90.22%. Therefore, this method is feasible for the diagnosis of corn disease degree and can provide an important basis for accurate prevention and control.
Frequent Itemset Generation Using Association Rule Mining Based on Hybrid Neural Network Based Billiard Inspired Optimization
Authors: Lakshmi N. , Krishnamurthy M.
Published: December 2021

The concept based on data mining has drawn considerable attention from various database professionals and research scholars. The progression of computer-based advancements, namely database management and data storage has facilitated the storage of large data and the data mining approaches are employed to gain valuable information from huge databases. Recently, several techniques to association rule mining (ARM) and frequent itemset mining (FIM) have been established; yet the efficiency based on execution time and scalability continues to be seen as a significant limitation that results in poor solution quality. Therefore, it is necessary to enhance the consistency that signifies the total number of frequently discovered frequent itemsets. This paper proposes three different phases namely the pre-processing phase, FIM phase and ARM phase. In the first pre-processing phase, the Twitter databases are pre-processed and converted into a suitable format for FIM. Here, the tweets are converted into related feature sets and items. In the second FIM phase, an improved Apriori algorithm is 1utilized in mining and extracting the frequent Then in the final phase, an adaptive billiard inspired optimization (ABIO) algorithm which is the integration of neural network (NN) optimization algorithm and billiard inspired optimization (BIO) algorithm is proposed for the optimal generation of association rules with minimum support and confidence from the huge itemsets. Finally, the recent tweets based on covidvaccine, BTSlivestreaming, KFC, McDonald’s as well as lockdown achieved using the hashtag is evaluated for various performance measures, like precision, recall, [Formula: see text]-measure, execution time and memory utilization. Also, comparative analyses are performed to evaluate the efficiency of the proposed technique.
The first law of black hole thermodynamics for Taub–NUT spacetime
Authors: Durka Remigiusz
Published: December 2021

This paper focuses on the new approach to the nature of a nut parameter [Formula: see text], usually treated as a dual charge to the mass. Instead of thinking about it as a gravitational analog of the magnetic monopole, we will show that the Taub–NUT spacetime conceals a peculiar rotation coming from the Misner strings depending on the nut value. Besides reconciling several confusing results present in the literature, this allows us to establish more the less a consistent description of the black hole thermodynamics for the Lorentzian Taub–NUT spacetime with essential contribution from the Misner strings to the angular momentum and total entropy.
Global phenomenological optical model potential for 14N-nucleus elastic scattering
Authors: Sun Zhi-Hao , Xu Yong-Li , Sun Xiao-Jun , Han Yin-Lu , Cai Chong-Hai
Published: December 2021

In this paper, a set of global optical model potential parameters of [Formula: see text]N is obtained by fitting the experimental data of the elastic scattering angular distributions for the targets from [Formula: see text]Mg to [Formula: see text]Pb below 200 MeV. The global optical model potential parameters of [Formula: see text]N-nucleus reactions obtained are analyzed and used to describe the experimental data. It is found that the present form of the global optical model potential could reproduce the experimental data. Moreover, the elastic scattering angular distributions for the reactions of [Formula: see text]N inducing on some lighter targets and the elastic scattering observable quantity for the reactions involving [Formula: see text]N projectile are predicted using the obtained global optical model potential, and a reasonable description of the experimental data is obtained by comparing with the existing corresponding experimental data.
Determinant of Friedrichs Dirichlet Laplacians on 2-dimensional hyperbolic cones
Authors: Kalvin Victor
Published: December 2021

We explicitly express the spectral determinant of Friedrichs Dirichlet Laplacians on the 2-dimensional hyperbolic (Gaussian curvature -1) cones in terms of the cone angle and the geodesic radius of the boundary.
Fourier–Bessel series of compactly supported convolutions on disks
Authors: Ghaani Farashahi Arash , Chirikjian Gregory S.
Published: December 2021

This paper considers fundamental properties for Fourier–Bessel coefficients of convolution of functions supported on disks. We then develop aspects of the method in the cases of different boundary conditions including zero-value boundary condition and also derivative boundary condition.
Transient Response of a Hollow Functionally Graded Piezoelectric Cylinder Subjected to Coupled Hygrothermal Loading
Authors: Saadatfar Mahdi
Published: December 2021

In this paper, transient response of a simply supported finite length hollow cylinder made of functionally graded piezoelectric material (FGPM) subjected to coupled hygrothermal loading was investigated. The coupled equations of heat conduction and moisture diffusion as well as motion equations and the electrostatic equation of FGPM were solved employing the Fourier series expansion method through the longitudinal direction, the differential quadrature method (DQM) along the radius and Newmark method for time domain. Finally, the distribution of temperature, humidity, electric potential, stresses and displacements was achieved. The effect of coupled and uncoupled hygrothermal loading, grading index and hygrothermal loading was illustrated in the numerical examples. The results show that using the coupled model is vital for analysis of transient response of the cylinder subjected to hygrothermal loading.
Synthesis of core–shell Fe3O4@C@SiO2-SO3H/CH3 particles for the photothermally actuated esterification reaction in biofuel upgrade
Authors: Zhang Shengdi , Zhou Yingyu , Chen Hongling
Published: December 2021

The synthesis of biodiesel is attracting tremendous attention both in academic and industrial fields in recent years. The use of acid heterogeneous catalyst for the production of biodiesel from low-cost raw materials with high free fatty acid is one of the research hotspots. This work reports the synthesis of Fe3O4@C@SiO2-SO3H/CH3 (SFCS) via layer-by-layer coating of carbonated polydopamine (PDA) and thiol-SiO2 on the Fe3O4 core, followed by the oxidation and acidification of thiol groups into sulfonic acid groups. TEM-EDX, BET, XRD, FTIR, and TGA were employed to characterize the structure and composition of SFCS. The esterification of oleic acid and methanol was photothermally actuated by near infrared light and the sulfonic acid groups on SFCS surface catalyzed the esterification with highest conversion of 93.2% of oleic acid. The SFCS can be recycled by magnet and reused.
Building Cultural Heritage Reference Collections from Social Media through Pooling Strategies: The Case of 2020’s Tensions Over Race and Heritage
Authors: Otero David , Martin-Rodilla Patricia , Parapar Javier
Published: December 2021

Social networks constitute a valuable source for documenting heritage constitution processes or obtaining a real-time snapshot of a cultural heritage research topic. Many heritage researchers use social networks as a social thermometer to study these processes, creating, for this purpose, collections that constitute born-digital archives potentially reusable, searchable, and of interest to other researchers or citizens. However, retrieval and archiving techniques used in social networks within heritage studies are still semi-manual, being a time-consuming task and hindering the reproducibility, evaluation, and open-up of the collections created. By combining Information Retrieval strategies with emerging archival techniques, some of these weaknesses can be left behind. Specifically, pooling is a well-known Information Retrieval method to extract a sample of documents from an entire document set (posts in case of social network’s information), obtaining the most complete and unbiased set of relevant documents on a given topic. Using this approach, researchers could create a reference collection while avoiding annotating the entire corpus of documents or posts retrieved. This is especially useful in social media due to the large number of topics treated by the same user or in the same thread or post. We present a platform for applying pooling strategies combined with expert judgment to create cultural heritage reference collections from social networks in a customisable, reproducible, documented, and shareable way. The platform is validated by building a reference collection from a social network about the recent attacks on patrimonial entities motivated by anti-racist protests. This reference collection and the results obtained from its preliminary study are available for use. This real application has allowed us to validate the platform and the pooling strategies for creating reference collections in heritage studies from social networks.
Structural, Functional, and Processing Perspectives on Linguistic Island Effects
Authors: Liu Yingtong , Winckel Elodie , Abeillé Anne , Hemforth Barbara , Gibson Edward
Published: December 2021

Ross (1967) observed that “island” structures like “Who do you think [NPthe gift from__] prompted the rumor?” or “Who did you hear [NPthe statement [Sthat the CEO promoted__]]?” are not acceptable, despite having what seem to be plausible meanings in some contexts. Ross (1967) and Chomsky (1973) hypothesized that the source of the unacceptability is in the syntax. Here, we summarize how theories of discourse, frequency, and memory from the literature might account for such effects. We suggest that there is only one island structure—a class of coordination islands—that is best explained by a syntactic/semantic constraint. We speculate that all other island structures are likely to be explained in terms of discourse, frequency, and memory.
Analysis of Risk Factors of Hospital Emergency Nursing Based on Comprehensive Nursing Methods
Authors: Chen Fujuan , Xiao Xueying , Ni Youshan , Zhu Yanan , Li Xiao
Published: December 2021

In order to improve the comprehensive nursing effect of the hospital emergency treatment, this paper analyzes the process of the hospital emergency treatment. In addition, this paper combines the possible risks to analyze the risk factors of the comprehensive nursing in the hospital emergency treatment and builds an intelligent analysis model based on the actual situation of the hospital emergency treatment. At the same time, this paper conducts a systematic survey of emergency services and gives the composition and structure of the system. In addition, this paper divides the business required by the system into modules, including registration module, doctor workstation, nurse workstation, query statistics module, decision-making module, and maintenance module. Finally, this paper suggests that in the process of the clinical triage, more ideas for improving the existing evaluation model should be proposed, and experience should be transformed into advantages, so as to improve emergency triage skills; establish an objective, quantitative, and scientific concept of emergency classification and triage; and fully realize scientific triage and precise triage.
CNN‐Based Personal Identification System Using Resting State Electroencephalography
Authors: Fan Yongdong , Shi Xiaoyu , Li Qiong
Published: December 2021

As a biometric characteristic, electroencephalography (EEG) signals have the advantages of being hard to steal and easy to detect liveness, which attract researchers to study EEG‐based personal identification technique. Among different EEG protocols, resting state signals are the most practical option since it is more convenient to operate than the other protocols. In this paper, a personal identification system based on resting state EEG is proposed, in which data augmentation and convolutional neural network are combined. The cross‐validation is performed on a public database of 109 subjects. The experimental results show that when only 14 EEG channels and 0.5 seconds data are employed, the average accuracy and average equal error rate of the system can reach 99.32% and 0.18%, respectively. Compared with some existing representative works, the proposed system has the advantages of short acquisition time, low computational complexity, and rapid deployment using market available low‐cost EEG sensors, which further advances the implementation of practical EEG‐based identification systems.
A Novel Four-Gene Signature as a Potential Prognostic Biomarker for Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Wang Guangfeng , Zou Hao , Feng Yujie , Zhao Wei , Li Kun , Liu Kui , Zhang Bingyuan , Zhu Chengzhan
Published: December 2021

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common malignant tumor with high incidence and mortality rates. However, a reliable prognostic signature has not yet been confirmed. Thus, the purpose of the present study was to develop a biomarker with high specificity and sensitivity for the diagnosis and prognosis of patients with HCC. The mRNA expression profiles of HCC were obtained from the GSE19665, GSE41804, and TCGA databases. Subsequently, 193 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified from the intersection of the data from the three datasets. Bioinformatics analysis showed that the identified DEGs are related to the cell cycle, oocyte meiosis, and p53 signaling pathway, among other factors, in cancers. A protein-protein interaction (PPI) and a functional analysis were performed to investigate the biological function of the DEGs and obtain the candidate genes using the MCODE of Cytoscape. The candidate genes were introduced into the TCGA database for survival analysis, and the four candidate genes that were hub genes and meaningful for survival were retained for further verification. We validated the gene and protein expression and determined the prognosis of our patient cohort. In addition, we evaluated the biological functions regulating tumor cell proliferation and metastasis in vitro. According to the ROC curve analysis of gene expression in clinical samples, it was found that the four genes can be used to predict the diagnosis. A survival analysis based on data from the TCGA database and clinical samples showed that the four genes may be used as biomarkers for providing prognoses for patients. The cell functional experiments revealed that these four genes were related to tumor proliferation, migration, and invasion. In conclusion, the genes identified in the present study could be used as markers to diagnose and predict the prognosis of patients with HCC and guide targeted therapy.
Development of NLP-Integrated Intelligent Web System for E-Mental Health
Authors: Hassan Abid , Ali M. D. Iftekhar , Ahammed Rifat , Bourouis Sami , Khan Mohammad Monirujjaman
Published: December 2021

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, the need for a better health care facility is highlighted more than ever. Besides physical health, mental health conditions have become a significant concern. Unfortunately, there are few opportunities for people to receive mental health care. There are inadequate facilities for seeking mental health support even in big cities, let alone remote areas. This paper presents the structure and implementation procedures for a mental health support system combining technology and professionals. The system is a web platform where mental health seekers can register and use functionalities like NLP-based chatbot for personality assessment, chatting with like-minded people, and one-to-one video conferencing with a mental health professional. The video calling feature of the system has emotion detection capabilities using computer vision. The system also includes downloadable prescription facilities and a payment gateway for secure transactions. From a technological aspect, the conversational NLP-based chatbot and computer vision-powered video calling are the system’s most important features. The system has a documentation facility to analyze the mental health condition over time. The web platform is built using React.js for the frontend and Express.js for the backend. MongoDB is used as the database of the platform. The NLP chatbot is built on a three-layered deep neural network model that is programmed in the Python language and uses the NLTK, TensorFlow, and Keras sequential API. Video conference is one of the most important features of the platform. To create the video calling feature, Express.js, Socket.io, and Socket.io-client have been used. The emotion detection feature is implemented on video conferences using computer vision, Haar Cascade, and TensorFlow. All the implemented features are tested and work fine. The targeted users for the platform are teenagers, youth, and the middle-aged population. Mental health-seeking is still considered taboo in some societies today. Apart from basic established facilities, this social dilemma of undergoing treatment for mental health is causing severe damage to individuals. A solution to this problem can be a remote platform for mental health support. With this goal in mind, this system is designed to provide mental health support to people remotely from anywhere worldwide.
[Retracted] Art Design of the Real‐Time Image Interactive Interface of the Advertising Screen Based on Augmented Reality and Visual Communication
Authors: Chen Yu
Published: December 2021

Augmented reality refers to the use of new display technology, multimedia technology, and human‐computer interaction technology to superimpose computer‐generated virtual objects, virtual scenes, or various system prompts into the real scene, so as to achieve integration with the surrounding environment of the user. The user can visually feel that the superimposed virtual information is a part of the real environment around him. Under the technology of augmented reality and visual communication, this article achieves the art design of the real‐time image interactive interface of the advertising screen, digitally enhances the real situation, enriches the visual sense of the advertising audience, and turns the advertisement into an interactive form. This article analyzes the specific content of the composition, graphics, color, proportion, brightness, and design principles in the advertisement. We conduct a questionnaire survey and combine them according to the above 6 indicators. Query a large number of documents for analysis, and conduct a theoretical analysis of the real‐time interactive image interface design of the advertising screen based on augmented reality technology. According to the experimental results obtained in this study, the data shows the P value of the scores of the six age groups on the text in the advertisement is less than 0.05. There is a significant difference; at the same time, the P value of each index in the advertisement is also less than 0.05. The significant difference indicates that the legibility of the text is an important factor in the text interaction in the interactive interface.
Yield and Growth Response of Maize (Zea mays L.) to Varietal and Nitrogen Application in the Guinea Savanna Agro-Ecology of Ghana
Authors: Bawa Alhassan
Published: December 2021

Background and Objective. Maize is one of the oldest cultivated crops. It is the third most important cereal after wheat and rice globally. Compared to all other cereals, maize has the highest average yield per unit area. The objective of the research was to evaluate maize varietal response to different nitrogen fertilizer rates. Materials and Methods. The treatment consisted of two factors, namely six varieties of maize and four levels of nitrogen application rates. These were arranged in 6 × 4 factorial combinations and laid out using randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. The data collected were subjected to combined analysis for variation in factorial experiments in RCBD using Genstat statistical package edition 18. The means were separated using Duncan’s multiple range test at a 5% probability level. Results. The study revealed that varieties, such as IWD-C3-SYN-F2 and OBATAMPA, produced the highest grain yield and growth parameters (agronomic traits) relative to other varieties. The maximum grain yield and biomass production also occurred at the nitrogen application rates of 90 and 120 kg N/ha. Conclusion. Varieties, such as IWD-C3-SYN-F2 and OBATAMPA, and N rate of 90 kg N/ha are, therefore, recommended to be used for maize production by the resource-poor farmers in the Guinea Savanna Agro-Ecology of Ghana.
A New Algorithm for Extracting Winter Wheat Planting Area Based on Ownership Parcel Vector Data and Medium-Resolution Remote Sensing Images
Authors: Xie Huaming , Wu Qianjiao , Zhang Ting , Teng Zhende , Huang Hao , Shu Ying , Feng Shaoru , Lou Jing
Published: December 2021

In the complex planting area with scattered parcels, combining the parcel vector data with remote sensing images to extract the winter wheat planting information can make up for the deficiency of the classification from remote sensing images simply. It is a feasible direction for precision agricultural subsidies, but it is difficult to collect large-scale parcel data and obtain high spatial resolution or time-series remote sensing images in mass production. It is a beneficial exploration of making use of existing parcel data generated by the ground survey and medium-resolution remote sensing images with suitable time and spatial resolution to extract winter wheat planting areas for large-scale precision agricultural subsidies. Therefore, this paper proposes a new algorithm to extract winter wheat planting areas based on ownership parcel data and medium-resolution remote sensing images for improving classification accuracy. Initially, the segmentation of the image is carried out. To this end, the parcel data is used to generate the region of interest (ROI) of each parcel. Second, the homogeneity of each ROI is detected by its statistical indices (mean value and standard deviation). Third, the parallelepiped classifier and rule-based feature extraction classification methods are utilized to conduct the homogeneous and nonhomogeneous ROIs. Finally, two classification results are combined as the final classification result. The new algorithm was applied to a complex planting area of 103.60 km2 in central China based on the ownership parcel data and Gaofen-1 PMS and WFV remote sensing images in this paper. The experimental results show that the new algorithm can effectively extract winter wheat planting area, eliminate the problem of salt-and-pepper noise, and obtain high-precision classification results (kappa = 0.9279, overall accuracy = 96.41%, user’s accuracy = 99.16%, producer’s accuracy = 93.39%, commission errors = 0.84%, and omission errors = 6.61%) when the size of ownership parcels matches the spatial resolution of remote sensing images.
circFAT1(e2) Inhibits Cell Apoptosis and Facilitates Progression in Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells through miR-298/MYB Axis
Authors: Shi Zhenhua , Ye Shiyong , Xiang Yijia , Wu Daying , Xu Jian , Yu Jianqiang , Zeng Chunlai , Jiang Jun , Hu Wuming
Published: December 2021

Presently, as one of the three types of muscles in the human body, smooth muscle carries out many biological activities. Meanwhile, its abnormal development also leads to many diseases. Circular RNA, belonging to the noncoding RNA family, is demonstrated to function importantly in various diseases including smooth muscle. Here, we assumed circFAT1(e2) probably exhibited a primary role in vascular smooth muscle. Therefore, we conducted cell viability and cell apoptosis assay to validate the effects of circFAT1(e2) on vascular smooth muscle progression. Then, we supposed miR-298 was one target of circFAT1(e2) and executed corresponding experiments to test this hypothesis. Dual-luciferase reporter assay indicated miR-298 could bind to circFAT1(e2) and then modulated MYB level, thus regulating smooth muscle progression. Subsequently, based on the GSE41177 dataset, we identified 1982 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in atrial fibrillation, and all DEGs were upregulated, including MYB. Finally, enrichment analysis of upregulated genes indicated that they were related to endodermal cell differentiation. The protein-protein interaction network revealed that EGFR, GNG2, and FPR2 were related to atrial fibrillation. In conclusion, our data find that circFAT1(e2) sponges miR-298 and then regulates MYB expression, thus affecting atrial fibrillation progression. Our findings provide a newly produced indicator and target for vascular smooth muscle diagnosis and treatment.
Effect of Metformin on Locomotor Function Recovery in Rat Spinal Cord Injury Model: A Meta‐analysis
Authors: Chen Qing , Xie Dong , Yao Qiuju , Yang Lili
Published: December 2021

Background. Disorder of locomotor function is universal in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) and has a severe impairment on their quality of life. Metformin, the first‐line antidiabetic drug, has been used to improve locomotor function in SCI rats through antioxidative mechanisms recently. Methods. A search strategy was conducted from databases, including PubMed, Web of Science, MEDLINE, and Scopus database until April 2021. The methodological quality of the animal experimental studies was assessed according to the Systematic Review Centre for Laboratory animal Experimentation’s Risk of Bias tool. The weighted mean difference was calculated with the random‐effects model. Results. Seven eligible studies on SCI and metformin were reviewed. The meta‐analysis indicated that SCI rats receiving metformin therapy showed a significant locomotor function recovery. Limitations and no obvious publication bias were presented in the studies. Conclusion. Metformin can promote the recovery of the locomotor function of SCI rats. However, the use of this meta‐analysis was influenced due to the not high quality of studies. Consequently, more high‐quality studies are necessary for preclinical studies of SCI in the future.
Comparative Transcriptomic Analysis of Root Cadmium Responses in Two Chinese Rice Cultivars Yuzhenxiang and Xiangwanxian 12
Authors: Zhang Shangdu , Luo Zhenliang , Wu Xiang , Shi Bangzhi , Jiang Huidan , Zhou Leliang , Bai Lianyang
Published: December 2021

Cadmium (Cd) pollution in paddy soil is an increasingly serious issue in rice production. It has been reported that there is a higher or lower grain Cd accumulation in the rice cultivars Yuzhenxiang (YZX) or Xiangwanxian 12 (XWX), respectively. To better manage the Cd pollution problem, the genes that might play vital roles in governing the difference in root Cd responses between these two rice cultivars were examined. In this study, the results of RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) showed that there were 341 and 161 differentially expressed genes in the roots of YZX and XWX after Cd exposure, respectively. Among these genes, 7 genes, such as Os06g0196300 (OsJ_019618), Os07g0570700 (OsJ_24808), ADI1, GDCSH, HSFB2C, PEX11-4, and CLPB1, possessed higher degree nodes with each other, through interaction analysis by the STRING (search tool for the retrieval of interacting genes/proteins) software, suggesting that they might play vital roles in Cd response. Based on GO enrichment analysis, 41 differently expressed genes after Cd treatment in YZX or XWX were identified to be related to Cd response. Through comparative transcriptomic analysis, 257 genes might be associated with the root Cd response difference between YZX and XWX. Furthermore, we supposed that ADI1, CFBP1, PEX11-4, OsJ_019618, OsJ_24808, GDCSH, CLPB1, LAC6, and WNK3 might be implicated in Cd response based on the combined analysis of RT-qPCR, interaction, and GO annotation analysis. In conclusion, the numerous genes that might be related to Cd stress response and root Cd response difference between YZX and XWX at the booting stage may be of benefit for the development of rice varieties with low Cd consumption.
Prevalence of Vitamin D Deficiency and Its Association with Insulin Resistance in Obese Women with Normal Fasting Glucose
Authors: Saleem Nazish , Rizvi Nayab Batool , Elahi Shan
Published: December 2021

Background and Objective. Association of vitamin D (25‐hydroxyvitamin‐D; 25(OH)D), with glucose metabolism is ethnic dependent. We study the relation of vitamin D and its metabolites with the glycemic profile of obese women. Patients and Methods. Informed consent and demographic information was collected from obese (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2) and nonobese women. A blood sample in fasting was obtained and analyzed for fasting glucose, fasting insulin, serum 25(OH)D, serum parathyroid hormone (PTH), and calcium levels. Insulin resistance (IR), detected by Matthews’ method (1985), was considered in women with HOMA − IR ≥ 2.5. Vitamin D concentrations < 12 ng/ml were considered vitamin D deficiency. Results. A total of 264 obese and 133 normal BMI women (controls) of age range 20‐50 years were selected. Obese women had significantly lower vitamin D compared to control women (P < 0.05). Among euglycemic (fasting glucose < 100 mg/dl) obese women (n = 221), 90 (40.7%) were vitamin D deficient. Serum PTH and calcium levels were negatively correlated, though nonsignificantly with vitamin D (r = −0.172, P = 0.090, and r = −0.051, P = 0.557, respectively). The mean age, BMI, waist circumference (WC), hip circumference (HC), waist‐to‐hip ratio (WHR), fasting glucose, fasting insulin, PTH, and calcium were not significantly different in vitamin D‐deficient as compared to nondeficient obese women. IR was detected in 109 (49.3%) obese women. Mean HOMA‐IR in vitamin D‐deficient women was significantly higher than that in the nondeficient obese women (3.03 ± 1.64 vs. 2.40 ± 1.02; P = 0.041), but the percentage of women with IR was comparable in both groups (51.1% vs. 45.8%; P = 0.745). Univariate analysis revealed that HOMA‐IR was negatively correlated with vitamin D and positively with BMI and PTH. A multivariate regression analysis, stepwise method revealed that BMI and PTH were independent determinants of HOMA‐IR instead of vitamin D. Conclusion. More than 40% of obese women were vitamin D deficient. Among euglycemic obese women, 49% were insulin resistant. Prevalence of insulin resistance, though negatively correlated with vitamin D, could be better explained by BMI and PTH levels.
Analysis of Coronary Artery Lesion Degree and Related Risk Factors in Patients with Coronary Heart Disease Based on Computer-Aided Diagnosis of Coronary Angiography
Authors: Wang Xuan , Yu Dehao , Wang Junrui , Huang Junjie , Li Wenqing
Published: December 2021

A combination of various risk factors results in the development of coronary heart disease. The earlier that one identifies and deals with reversible risk factors for coronary heart disease, the greater the chance of recovery. The main goal of this research is to learn whether risk variables are associated with greater extent of coronary artery disease in people with coronary heart disease. This article selects 290 patients who had had coronary angiography in our hospital from September 2018 to March 2019 using a retrospective research and analytic methodology. Coronary angiography split the patients into two groups: those with coronary heart disease and those without. To determine the correlation between risk factors and a score related to heart disease, computer-aided statistical analysis of data about the differences in those risk factors was performed. The results were analyzed using the Spearman correlation and partial correlation, and the relationship between risk factors and Gensini score was analyzed by multiple linear regression. For the analysis, binary logistic regression was used to calculate the correlation between the risk factors of coronary heart disease and the probability of developing coronary heart disease. The findings concluded that increased age, smoking, elevated hs-CRP, HbA1c, hypertension, diabetes, and hyperuricemia are all contributors to coronary heart disease. Coronary heart disease is an independent risk factor for this condition. Many of the factors that play a role in the long-term development of the severity of coronary artery disease, such as hypertension, diabetes, smoking, elevated hs-CRP, decreased HDL-C, raised LDL-C, and TG, are commonly found in men. hs-CRP is the primary risk factor for the degree of coronary artery stenosis and could contribute to the progression of the condition by playing a major role in creating more stenosis.
Experience Study on Long‐Life Microsurfacing with High Water Resistance Performance
Authors: Lv Jianbing , Huang Juan , Wu Hao , Zhang Yang , Qiu Jingyu , Sun Xiaolong , Yin Yingmei , Sun Xiaoli
Published: December 2021

Microsurfacing is a standard preventive maintenance technology developed on the basis of slurry sealing technology. However, the high temperature and rainy season in Guangdong Province affect its expanded application because of its low water resistance and short service life. So, high‐performance microsurfacing, a new microsurfacing technology, has been developed. The key to this technique is an appropriate proportion of water‐based epoxy resin and waterborne epoxy curing agent, which could generate a chemical reaction to form a high‐performance bonding network structure of space. And indoor wet‐wheel wear test shows that its antiwear ability and resistance to water damage are evidently increased (to over 50%) compared with the conventional microsurfacing. Furthermore, from the long‐term road performance results, the antisliding and water resistance performance of high‐performance microsurfacing is much higher than the conventional technique.
Vehicular Channel Characterization in Urban Environment at 30 GHz considering Overtaking and Traffic Flow
Authors: Chen Yanzi , Ma Lei , Ou Xinjian , Liao Jingjing
Published: December 2021

To realize reliable and stable millimeter‐wave (mmWave) vehicular wireless communication, the research of vehicular channel characteristics in the dense urban environment is becoming increasingly important. A comprehensive research on the channel characteristics for 30 GHz vehicular communication in the Beijing Central Business District (CBD) scenario is conducted in this paper. The self‐developed high‐performance ray‐tracing (RT) simulator is employed to support intensive simulations. Based on simulation results, the effects of multiantenna and beam switching on the key channel parameters are analyzed, as well as the impact of different traffic flows. The results can provide theoretical and data support for the evaluation of vehicular channel characteristics and will help for the design of the vehicular communication system enabling future intelligent transportation.