bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
INNOVATIVE USE OF MUSIC IN SOCIAL WORK: LYRICS REWRITING IN FIELDWORK PLACEMENT WORKSHOPS
Authors: WONG LAWRENCE TAK HONG
Published: March 2021

Cultivating the creativity of social work students is becoming essential in contemporary social work education due to the variability and cultural diversity of human services in Hong Kong. Music, as a form of creative arts, can foster students' creativity. Lyrics rewriting can be an initiative in integrating music into social work education in practice so as to nurture students' creativity. Experiences of facilitating two different fieldwork placement workshops in a social work sub-degree programme using individual and collective lyrics rewriting activities are described. The students, most of whom had no formal musical training, rewrote the lyrics of Cantopop songs; various themes, scenarios and messages were expressed as a result. The practice wisdom of encouraging the creativity of students in the classroom is discussed.
Evaluation of applicability of expanded shale to produce lightweight aggregate as a replacement for commercial LECA in constructions
Authors: Torabi-Kaveh Mehdi , Moshrefyfar Mohammadreza , Zarezadeh Jafar , Moosavizadeh Seyed Mohammad Ali
Published: March 2021

This study examined the potential of some shales obtained from different formations in Yazd province to produce Lightweight aggregates (LWAs) as natural materials and without the application of additives. Before heating the samples, the materials’ usefulness for producing lightweight aggregates was examined by detecting the elemental and mineralogical composition of the shale samples. The presence of aluminosilicates and flux content confirmed and met the required conditions discussed by Riley's theory for the bloating process. Among the studied shale samples, Kharanagh shale samples of Kh1 and Kh2 were found to be the most suitable materials to produce highly porous, light and mechanically durable aggregates after heating at the optimum temperature of 1200°C for a heating duration of 10 min. The produced LWAs showed low density (for sample Kh1 equal to 0.7 gr/cm
3
which is close to the density of the commercial LECA), low water absorption (quick water absorption indices of 5.35% and 5.48% for samples Kh1 and Kh2, respectively, which are less than one-third of LECA water absorption), porous microstructure (porous like LECA but with smaller pore size), and good mechanical properties (with aggregate impact and aggregate crushing values less than that of LECA and in the range of values suggested for construction aims). It is concluded that the produced LWAs have suitable microstructure, physical and mechanical properties, comparable with the commercial ones, which approve their potential for use as construction materials in lightweight concrete and road surface constructions.
OSPREY
Authors: Prabhakara Akarsh , Singh Vaibhav , Kumar Swarun , Rowe Anthony G.
Published: March 2021

Tire wear is a leading cause of accidents. Tire wear is measured either manually, or by embedding sensors in tires, or using off-tire sensors. Manual sensing is extremely tedious. Sensors embedded in tire treads are challenging to design and expensive to embed. Off-tire sensors like laser range finders are prone to debris that may settle in grooves. To overcome these shortcomings, we propose a mmWave radar based tire wear sensor, which is easy to install, and continuously provides accurate and robust tire wear measurements even in the presence of debris.
ICER 2021 preview
Authors: Ko Amy , McCauley Renée , Vahrenhold Jan , Hauswirth Matthias
Published: March 2021

You are warmly invited to the 17th Annual ACM International Computing Education Research (ICER) conference (https://icer2021.acm.org), held online the week of 16 August 2021.
The CS-Ed podcast season 2
Authors: Stephens-Martinez Kristin
Published: March 2021

The CS-Ed Podcast is a podcast about computer science education created and hosted by Kristin Stephens-Martinez from Duke University. Season 2's theme is, "Where should we go from here?" The year 2020 has caused so much disruption and calls for change. But what should those changes be? This season aims to provide some food for thought as our host and guests discuss a major topic and then get concrete on what can be done now, within a year, and within the next five years.
Member spotlight
Authors: Davis Karen
Published: March 2021

In this feature of the Bulletin, we highlight members of the SIGCSE community. In this issue, Bulletin co-editor Karen Davis interviewed Dr. Dennis J. Bouvier.
Review of Algorithmic Aspects of Machine Learning By Ankur Moitra
Authors: Upadhyay Sarvagya
Published: March 2021

Over the past two decades, machine learning has seen tremendous development in practice. Technological advancement and increased computational resources have enabled several learning algorithms to become quite useful in practice. Although many families of learning algorithms are heuristic in nature, their usefulness cannot be understated. Empirical observations coupled with abundance of new datasets have led to development of novel algorithmic techniques that aim to accomplish a variety of learning tasks efficiently on real-world problems.

But what makes these algorithms work on such real-world problems? Clearly, producing correct solutions is one aspect of it. The other aspect is efficiency. While many of these algorithms solve hard problems and cannot be theoretically efficient (under plausible complexity-theoretic assumptions), they seemingly do work on real-world problems. It begets the question: are there conditions under which these algorithms become tractable? Having an answer to this fundamental question sheds light on the power and limitations of these algorithmic techniques.

This book focuses on different learning models and problems, and sets out to capture the assumptions that make certain algorithms tractable. The emphasis is on models and algorithmic techniques that make learning an efficient endeavor.
Populism Studies: The Case for Theoretical and Comparative Reconstruction
Authors: Tuğal Cihan
Published: March 2021

Studies of populism have shifted from substantive to discursive/performative and institutional perspectives in recent decades. This shift resolved some long-standing problems but insulated the analysis of populism from theoretical and methodological debates in the social sciences. Theoretical restrictions have gone hand in hand with geographical neglect: The near-exclusive focus on the United States, Europe, and Latin America reinforces the blind spots of these existing approaches. An integration of overlooked regions holds the potential for theoretical reconstruction, even though such comparative broadening could as well simply reproduce the persistent impasses. Moreover, post-2016 developments have induced a return to substantive issues, throwing into sharp relief what populism studies have been missing during the past decades. The main challenge today is synthesizing socioeconomic analyses with institutionalist and discourse-theoretical advances without falling into eclecticism. Breaking away from the entrenched regional orientations to embrace a more global-historical methodology could help such an endeavor.
Superior Electrochemical Properties of Ni-Rich LiNi0.85Co0.05Mn0.10O2 Cathode with the Stable Polypyrrole Coating and Boron Doping for Li-Ion Batteries
Authors: Zhu Min , Zhang Meng , Gu Haidong , Zhu Xinqi , Dai Weilong , Yao Congcong , Chen Feng
Published: March 2021

Ni-rich cathode materials have attracted much attention due to the high energy density and low cost. However, the poor cycling performance and low rate capacity have produced a serious impact on the practical commercial application. In this work, the B3+ incorporation and polypyrrole coating were both applied to enhance the electrochemical properties of LiNi0.85Co0.05Mn0.10O2 by using the co-precipitation process followed by a chemical vapor phase polymerization way. Herein, the B3+ incorporation into crystal structure could enlarge the lattice spacing, contributing to accelerating the Li+ insertion/extraction speed and enhancing the structural stability during cycling. The polypyrrole surface coating played a great effect on preventing cathode surface from the electrolyte erosion owing to a shield of polypyrrole. As a result, a maximum discharge capacity of 129.8 mAh g−1 at 5 C high rate and prominently enhanced cycling performance with capacity retention of 90.1% after 300 cycles were acquired for the Polypyrrole coated LiNi0.835Co0.05Mn0.10B0.015O2. By comparison, the pristine LNCMO cathode demonstrated a fast decaying capacity and delivered a capacity retention of only 81.9%.
Enhanced Reliability of Ni-Fe Alloys Supported SOFCs with Ex-Situ Sintered La0.8Sr0.2MnO3−δ
Coated Ba0.5Sr0.5Co0.8Fe0.2O3–δ
Cathode
Authors: Li Kai , Jin Yafeng , Gao Wenming , Xue Shoucai , Zhang Ming
Published: March 2021

A critical issue for massive production of metal-supported solid oxide fuel cell is cathode processing due to the contradicting of the metal support and the cathode with regard to the sintering atmosphere. Herein, LSM-BSCF (La0.8Sr0.2MnO3-δ
coated Ba0.5Sr0.5Co0.8Fe0.2O3-δ
) cathodes on Ni-Fe alloys supported SOFCs (NF-SOFCs) are fabricated by an ex situ sintering approach and electrochemical evaluation in humidified H2 fuel. The ex situ sintering of cathodes on NF-SOFCs are performed at 1050 °C in air with metal oxide support consisted of NiO and 10 at% Fe2O3, and then the oxide support is reduced in situ into Ni-Fe alloys during testing. Cross-section microstructure analysis shows clear evidence that each layer is well adhered to each other after reduction and the suitable microstructure of ex situ sintered cathode is observed after sintering at 1050 °C. In the single-cell test, a higher peak power density is achieved for NF-SOFC with ex situ sintered LSM-BSCF in comparison with in situ sintered cells, revealing a beneficial effect of ex situ sintered cathode on cell performance. The durability measurement and post-test analysis confirm the sufficient adherence and mechanical stability between ex situ sintered LSM-BSCF cathode and GDC (Ce0.9Gd0.1O1.95) electrolyte. The successful electrochemical characterizations of NF-SOFCs with ex situ sintered LSM-BSCF cathode confirm the applicability of the novel sintering procedure.
Oxygen Evolution on Iron Oxide Nanoparticles: The Impact of Crystallinity and Size on the Overpotential
Authors: Zhuang Zhongbin , Giles Stephen A. , Jenness Glen R. , Abbasi Reza , Chen Xi , Wang Bo , Vlachos Dionisios G. , Yan Yushan
Published: March 2021

The oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is a critical reaction in electrolysis and photoelectrolysis of water to generate and store clean energy. Therefore, the development of low-cost and efficient electrocatalysts for the OER is of great scientific and technological importance. Although promising iron oxide-based electrocatalysts have been recently developed for the OER, an in-depth experimental and theoretical analysis of the OER mechanism on iron oxide-based electrocatalysts is still needed to provide guidelines to optimize the performance of iron oxide-based electrocatalysts further. To address this need, we synthesized a series of monodisperse iron oxide nanoparticles to analyze their intrinsic OER activities. Using nanoparticles of the same size but different crystallinity, we show that amorphous iron oxide nanoparticles have better OER activity than crystalline ones. The size effect studies further revealed that the edge/defect sites are the active sites for the OER. Density functional theory calculations demonstrated that the edge/defect sites provide bridge sites to adsorb OER intermediates, resulting in low OER overpotential. These calculations confirm that the high OER activity of amorphous nanoparticles results from a high concentration of defect sites on their surface. These results provide novel strategies to increase the performance of iron oxide-based and likely other oxide-based OER electrocatalysts.
Communication—Fabrication of Li Nanohole Array by Replication Process Using Anodic Porous Alumina Template
Authors: Kondo Toshiaki , Yoshida Masahiro , Yanagishita Takashi , Masuda Hideki
Published: March 2021

Geometrically controlled Li nanohole arrays with high aspect features were fabricated by a two-step replication process using ordered anodic porous alumina as a template. The use of an appropriate electrolyte for Li electrodeposition and organic solvent for the removal of the polymer (PMMA) template allowed the preparation of Li nanohole arrays with precisely replicated nanostructures. The application of a template with the structures for the electrodeposition of Li contributed to the suppression of the formation of Li dendrites, contributing to the precise replication.
Effect of Cataract Surgery on Frequency of Falls among Older Persons: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Gutiérrez-Robledo Luis Miguel , Villasís-Keever Miguel Angel , Avila-Avila Arturo , Medina-Campos Raúl Hernán , Castrejón-Pérez Roberto Carlos , García-Peña Carmen
Published: March 2021

Background. Falls are a significant public health problem among older people worldwide. The aim was to perform a new systematic review and meta-analysis to assess whether cataract surgery is effective in reducing the rate of falls in older persons. Methods. The systematic review was performed following the recommendations by the Cochrane Collaboration. Original papers were included with RCT or quasi-experimental design, which described the effect on uni- or bilateral cataract surgery on the rate of falls among people aged 60 or older. Titles and abstracts were reviewed, full-text versions were retrieved, and two independent examiners reviewed them to assess inclusion criteria. All relevant variables were synthesised in an evidence table. Random-effects meta-analyses were performed pooling the trials, and results were expressed as relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence intervals. Results. The initial search reported 99 potential abstracts, and 41 full-text versions were examined. In the end, eight studies were included. Five included patients 65 years of age and older, two patients 55 years and older, and one included patients 50 years or older. Phacoemulsification and intraocular lens implant were performed in all studies. Two were RCT, and six were quasi-experimental. Falls was the main outcome. The six quasi-experimental studies reported that a reduction in the frequency of falls was observed (RR 0.68, 95% CI 0.48–0.96), although heterogeneity was significant (I2 = 74%). Only one RCT reported risk reduction of 34% (RR 0.66, 95% CI 0.45–0.96). Conclusions. This meta-analysis provides evidence that the first cataract surgery reduces the frequency of falls in older people with bilateral cataracts, but a second surgery does not have significant impact.
LncRNA RBM5‐AS1 Promotes Osteosarcoma Cell Proliferation, Migration, and Invasion
Authors: Deng Biyong , Pan Runsang , Ou Xin , Wang Taizhe , Wang Weiguo , Nie Yingjie , Chen Houping
Published: March 2021

Purpose. Osteosarcoma (Os) is the most frequent malignant tumor of the bone in the pediatric age group, and accumulating evidences show that lncRNAs play a key role in the development of Os. Thus, we investigated the role of RBM5‐AS1 and its molecular mechanism. Methods. The expression of RBM5‐AS1 in Os tissues and cell lines was detected by real‐time polymerase chain reaction (QPCR). The effect of RBM5‐AS1 on the proliferation of Os cells was detected using CCK8 assays and flow cytometry. The effect of RBM5‐AS1 on the migration and invasion of Os cells was detected by transwell assays. And we performed QPCR and western blotting assays to investigate the relationship between RBM5‐AS1 and RBM5. Finally, western blotting assays were performed to explore the mechanism of RBM5. Results. LncRNA RBM5‐AS1 was overexpressed in the Os tissues and cell lines. And lncRNA RBM5‐AS1 promoted Os cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in vitro and tumor growth in vivo. LncRNA RBM5‐AS1 targets RBM5 in Os cells. Conclusion. To sum up, the results showed that lncRNA RBM5‐AS1 promotes cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in Os.
Transitory Fetal Skin Edema in a Pregnant Patient with a Mild SARS-CoV-2 Infection
Authors: Martínez-Varea Alicia , Desco-Blay Julia , Monfort Sagrario , Hueso-Villanueva María , Perales-Marín Alfredo , Diago-Almela Vicente José
Published: March 2021

Background. Vertical transmission of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is still controversial. Additionally, the consequences of the infection during pregnancy in the offspring also are unknown. Case. A transitory fetal skin edema and polyhydramnios have been demonstrated by ultrasound in a pregnant patient with COVID-19 after a negative RT-PCR for SARS-CoV-2. The fetal findings presented a spontaneous resolution in utero, and abnormal findings were not found in the newborn. Conclusion. Women who have undergone SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy should receive a subsequent appropriate follow-up in order to clarify the fetal consequences of the novel coronavirus, if any.
Spatial and Temporal Pattern Analysis of Land Use in Yangtze River Delta Based on Remote Sensing and GIS in Intelligent Environment
Authors: Hu Hongbing , Wu Linyuan , Zhan Yulan , Zhang Shuhui
Published: March 2021

Land use change plays an important role in regional socio‐economic development and global environmental change. Whether the land is effectively and efficiently used is not only related to the income level of the people in the surrounding cities but also closely related to the local economy and national economy. Intelligent environment refers to the indoor environment with a variety of data acquisition equipment. Combined with related technologies, the reasoning and analysis of the data can be used to realize the functions of activity identification, data perception, and control. In addition, the Yangtze River Delta is an economically developed area in China, and its land use situation is related to the economic development in the next ten or even decades. Therefore, it is necessary to analyze the spatial and temporal pattern of land use in Yangtze River Delta region by remote sensing image technology and GIS in intelligent environment. Based on intelligent environment, this paper uses RS and GIS technology to interpret remote sensing image and map land use in multitemporal coastal zone. The land use dynamic degree model and spatial interpolation method were used to analyze and evaluate the spatial and temporal evolution characteristics of land use in the Yangtze River Delta region, and the landscape pattern changes in the Yangtze River Delta region were analyzed and evaluated. This study found that the land use types in the Yangtze River Delta have transformed each other, and the land use change speed is fast, which is inseparable from the rapid economic development. In the future, in addition to maintaining the rapid and stable development of industry, the rational use of limited land resources, the improvement of agricultural development short board, and the improvement of tourism economic benefits will make the economy of the Yangtze River Delta region to a new level.
Numerical Simulation on Mesoscale Mechanism of Seepage in Coal Fractures by Fluid-Sloid Coupling Method
Authors: Si Kai , Peng Ruidong , Zhao Leilei , Zhao Yan , Zhu Yaheng , Cui Zhendong , Zhang Jianyong
Published: March 2021

Trying to reveal the mechanism of gas seepage in coal is of significance to both safe mining and methane exploitation. A series of FEM numerical models were built up and studied so as to explore the mesoscale mechanism of seepage in coal fractures. The proposed mesoscale FEM model is a cube with micron fractures along three orthogonal directions. The distribution of velocity and pressure under fluid-solid coupling was obtained, and furthermore, the seepage flow flux and an equivalent permeability of the whole model were calculated. The influences of fracture width, outlet velocity, and in situ stress level on seepage were investigated. The numerical results show that nonlinear Darcy seepage occurs during low velocity zone. The permeability is increased linearly with the increasing of facture width and outlet velocity. A certain change of lateral coefficient of in situ stress also affects seepage. The permeability is increased sharply once deviating the isotropic spherical stress state, but it is no longer changed obviously after the lateral coefficient has been increased or decreased more than 20%. The mesoscale seepage mechanism in coal fractures has been preliminarily revealed by considering fluid-solid coupling effect, and the key factors influencing fluid seepage in coal fractures were demonstrated. The proposed methods and results will be helpful to the further study of seepage behaviour in coal with more complex structures.
Effect of Acupuncture on the Timeliness of Explosive Forces Generated by the Male Shoulder Joint
Authors: Wang I-Lin , Wang Jun , Chen Yi-Ming , Hu Rui , Su Yu , Yao Shun , Ho Chun-Sheng
Published: March 2021

Athletes aim to improve muscle strength to optimize sports performance and gain a competitive edge. Although modern sports medicine includes rehabilitation treatment methods for improving the explosive force of athletes, including acupuncture, a common alternative therapy, research on the effectiveness of acupuncture in improving the timeliness of explosive forces is limited. There is uncertainty regarding how long the effects of acupuncture treatment persist after treatment. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the effect of acupuncture on the timeliness of explosive forces generated by the male shoulder joint. Eighteen healthy men underwent tests of shoulder adduction/abduction (Add/Abd) and flexion/extension (Flex/Ext) through an isokinetic measurement system. Acupuncture was used to stimulate LU1 (Zhongfu), LU3 (Tianfu), LU4 (Xiabai), LI14 (Binao), SJ13 (Naohui), SJ14 (Jianliao), and SJ12 (Xiaoluo), and the isokinetic parameters were recorded before and after acupuncture. After acupuncture, isokinetic muscle force parameters including the maximum (Max) torque, the average power, the average peak power, the average work, and the total work increased significantly (

P
<
0.05

), whereas the average max torque Abd/Flex did not. Additionally, the preintervention values of the shoulder joints for Add/Abd and Flex/Ext were significantly greater than those at post 1 and post 2 (

P
<
0.05

). The isokinetic results suggest that acupuncture can increase the explosive force of the male shoulder joint Add/Abd and Flex/Ext. Muscle cannot be fully activated when calcium saturation is below the maximal level. In this case, the postactivation potentiation (PAP) may enhance voluntary muscle force production. The effect of acupuncture is time-dependent, that is, the effects of acupuncture gradually weaken and disappear by approximately 10 minutes after acupuncture. Therefore, we suggest that acupuncture is used as an alternative therapy in sports competitions to increase the explosive forces of the shoulder joint, thereby improving sports performance.
Exclusive Breastfeeding and Normative Belief among Rural Mothers in Ethiopia, 2019: A Cross-Sectional Survey Embedded with Qualitative Design
Authors: Melese Ayele Wolde
Published: March 2021

Background. Exclusive breastfeeding has an irrepressible benefit to a child. However, the practice is still low with salient factors in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study aimed to assess exclusive breastfeeding practice and normative beliefs among mothers who have children less than two years of age in Ethiopia, 2019. Methods. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted with a sample size of 423 in Ethiopia from March 12 to December 18, 2019. An interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect the data. Gender-matched six Focus Group Discussions were conducted. Semistructured guiding questions were used to carry out the discussion. The binary logistic regression model was used to determine the association between dependent and independent variables of the quantitative part. Results. The prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding practice was 77.5% (95% CI: 73.5, 81.5%). Married mothers (AOR = 2.57; 95% CI: 1.68, 5.65), mothers with antenatal care follow-up (AOR = 4.11; 95% CI: 2.66, 11.17), mothers who delivered at a health institution (AOR = 4.07; 95% CI: 2.99, 10.72), and mothers counseled during antenatal care (AOR = 1.96; 95% CI: 1.12, 4.73) had a positive association, whereas mothers who were unable to read and write (AOR = 0.11; 95% CI: 0.06, 0.99) and employed mothers (AOR = 0.22; 95% CI: 0.16, 0.56) were the variables that had a negative association with exclusive breastfeeding practice. Conclusions. Although the prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding was good when compared with other studies, rigorous interventions are needed to achieve the WHO recommendation of all infants should exclusively be breastfed. Marital status, educational status, occupation, antenatal care service, place of birth, and counseling of mothers during ANC were factors associated with the exclusive breastfeeding practice.
Transcriptional Profiling Reveals Kidney Neutrophil Heterogeneity in Both Healthy People and ccRCC Patients
Authors: Meng Yiliang , Cai Kai , Zhao Jingjie , Huang Keyu , Ma Xiumei , Song Jian , Liu Yunguang
Published: March 2021

Neutrophil is known to critically impact the development of renal diseases (e.g., the clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC)), whereas the heterogeneity of neutrophils in ccRCC remains unclear. In the present study, kidney biopsies from healthy donors and ccRCC tissues were collected for single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq). In addition, the subpopulations of neutrophils in a healthy kidney and in the tumor microenvironment (TME) of ccRCC were expressed and then analyzed. The genes reported previously were mapped to all subpopulations identified here. On that basis, biological theme comparison and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) were employed to reveal and compare relevant biological functions. In a healthy kidney, neutrophils exhibit two subpopulations: one is more associated with renal autoimmunity, probably acting as therapeutic target; the other is suggested to resist infectious microorganisms. It is noteworthy that six subpopulations were identified in ccRCC biopsy, and two were more relevant to autoimmunity, while the other four are more relevant to the tumor pathology. Besides, ccRCC neutrophil could resist anticancer immune therapies of ipilimumab and pembrolizumab for their low/no expressions of CTLA-4, PD-1, and PD-L1. Thus, this study can help understand the heterogeneity and pathological significance of neutrophils in renal diseases.
Determination of Shape Coefficient in Elastic Modulus Estimation with Penetration Test
Authors: Zhao Tongbin , Mao Rui , Fang Kai , Zhang Biwen , Yu Fenghai
Published: March 2021

Elastic modulus is a significant parameter in design and construction for rock engineering. Rock penetration test as a convenient method to evaluate the modulus of rocks has a great potential to be used. Based on the elastic theory, the relationship between rock penetration behavior and elastic modulus was established. In order to evaluate the elastic modulus, the shape coefficient is an important parameter to be determined. However, due to many factors, the value of this parameter is still uncertain. To provide a better insight into the shape coefficient and its factors, a series of penetration tests which used several types of rock samples with different sizes were conducted to study the determination of shape coefficient under different conditions. The test results show that sample size influences the shape coefficient, and with the increase in size, the shape coefficient decreases gradually to a stable value. In contrast, confining pressure has less effect on shape coefficient, and in the moderate and low stresses region, a fixed value can be selected for the test. Different types of rocks correspond to different shape coefficients. The shape coefficient of hard rock is higher than that of soft rock. Shape coefficient should be selected reasonably according to the penetration depth in practical application, and the reason, furthermore, why back‐calculated shape coefficient deviates from the theoretical value is also discussed.
Inequalities for a Unified Integral Operator for Strongly

α
,
m

-Convex Function and Related Results in Fractional Calculus
Authors: Jung Chahn Yong , Farid Ghulam , Mahreen Kahkashan , Shim Soo Hak
Published: March 2021

In this paper, we study integral inequalities which will provide refinements of bounds of unified integral operators established for convex and

α
,
m

-convex functions. A new definition of function, namely, strongly

α
,
m

-convex function is applied in different forms and an extended Mittag-Leffler function is utilized to get the required results. Moreover, the obtained results in special cases give refinements of fractional integral inequalities published in this decade.
Double Vessel Coronary Angioplasty in a Patient with Anomalous Single Coronary Artery Arising from the Right Cusp and Premature Atherosclerotic Coronary Artery Disease: A Case Report and Review of the Literature
Authors: Kumar Varun , Gupta Shalini , Prasad Krishna
Published: March 2021

We report a rare case of a 39-year-old male who presented with acute inferior wall myocardial infarction (IWMI). Coronary angiography revealed an anomalous single coronary artery arising from the right coronary cusp. Premature atherosclerotic coronary artery disease (CAD) with critical stenosis in the mid right coronary artery (RCA), proximal posterior left ventricular (PLV) artery, and distal left circumflex (LCX) artery was detected during angiography. The patient managed successfully by percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) with drug-eluting stents (DESs) by radial approach.
Does Medication Sampling Improve Compliance with Brief Advice? Results from a Pragmatic Randomized Clinical Trial
Authors: Silvestri Nathaniel J. , Dahne Jennifer , Wahlquist Amy E. , Toll Benjamin , Carpenter Matthew J. , Ossip Deborah
Published: March 2021

Introduction. The 5As model is a standard component of most guidelines for tobacco treatment. Unfortunately, provider adherence to this model is modest. Aims. Providing physicians with adjunctive tools to adhere to 5As guidelines may serve as a catalyst for brief advice delivery. Methods. This was a secondary data analysis of a cluster randomized clinical trial assessing the uptake and impact of free nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) sampling versus standard care in primary care. Patients reported receipt of separate elements of the 5As model, assessed one month following a baseline visit. Analyses compared patients who recalled receipt of brief advice among those who received NRT vs. standard care. Additional analyses examined demographic predictors of receiving brief advice. Results/Findings. Medication sampling did not improve compliance with ask, advise, or assess. Receipt of “assistance” was significantly higher among NRT recipients (70%) (p ≤ 0.0001). The NRT sampling group was more likely to have received all components (p = 0.004). As age increased, being asked (p = 0.006), advised (p = 0.05), and assessed (p = 0.003) decreased. Non-Whites reported higher rates of assessment (p = 0.02). Conclusions. Provision of NRT sampling increased provider compliance with some elements of the brief advice model, thus enhancing the impact of cessation advice within primary care. Trial Registration. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02096029.
Output-Feedback Sliding Mode Control for Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor Servo System Subject to Unmatched Disturbances
Authors: Jiang Wei , Zhang Lu
Published: March 2021

This paper aims to investigate the speed regulation problem for permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) servo systems subject to unknown load torque disturbances. The proposed method utilizes sliding mode control (SMC), invariant manifold theory, and disturbance observation technique. In the PMSM servo systems, the unknown load torques will affect the control performance to a large extent, which is unmatched. In addition, compared with full-state measurement, the output-feedback framework is easy to implement and reduces the sensor costs. However, it is difficult to handle unmatched disturbance and unmeasured states simultaneously. To this end, this paper specifically combines the sliding mode control theory with the invariant manifold theory and puts forward an output-feedback disturbance rejection control method. The key idea is that the unmatched disturbance in the PMSM servo systems is transformed into matched one by taking advantage of the invariant manifold, which is different from existing results. The transformation maintains most of dynamics of the PMSM system for control design, which improves the accuracy. In addition, an extended state observer is designed to estimate the current and lumped disturbance simultaneously; then, the output-feedback SMC method is proposed by introducing the estimations. Besides, the switching gain in the proposed sliding mode controller can change with estimation errors adaptively, and the chattering reduces. Simulation results on a PMSM system validate the effectiveness of the proposed control strategy.
Towards Face Presentation Attack Detection Based on Residual Color Texture Representation
Authors: Du Yuting , Qiao Tong , Xu Ming , Zheng Ning
Published: March 2021

Most existing face authentication systems have limitations when facing the challenge raised by presentation attacks, which probably leads to some dangerous activities when using facial unlocking for smart device, facial access to control system, and face scan payment. Accordingly, as a security guarantee to prevent the face authentication from being attacked, the study of face presentation attack detection is developed in this community. In this work, a face presentation attack detector is designed based on residual color texture representation (RCTR). Existing methods lack of effective data preprocessing, and we propose to adopt DW-filter for obtaining residual image, which can effectively improve the detection efficiency. Subsequently, powerful CM texture descriptor is introduced, which performs better than widely used descriptors such as LBP or LPQ. Additionally, representative texture features are extracted from not only RGB space but also more discriminative color spaces such as HSV, YCbCr, and CIE 1976 L∗a∗b (LAB). Meanwhile, the RCTR is fed into the well-designed classifier. Specifically, we compare and analyze the performance of advanced classifiers, among which an ensemble classifier based on a probabilistic voting decision is our optimal choice. Extensive experimental results empirically verify the proposed face presentation attack detector’s superior performance both in the cases of intradataset and interdataset (mismatched training-testing samples) evaluation.
An Adaptive Heterogeneous Online Learning Ensemble Classifier for Nonstationary Environments
Authors: Museba Tinofirei , Nelwamondo Fulufhelo , Ouahada Khmaies
Published: March 2021

In recent years, the prevalence of technological advances has led to an enormous and ever‐increasing amount of data that are now commonly available in a streaming fashion. In such nonstationary environments, the underlying process generating the data stream is characterized by an intrinsic nonstationary or evolving or drifting phenomenon known as concept drift. Given the increasingly common applications whose data generation mechanisms are susceptible to change, the need for effective and efficient algorithms for learning from and adapting to evolving or drifting environments can hardly be overstated. In dynamic environments associated with concept drift, learning models are frequently updated to adapt to changes in the underlying probability distribution of the data. A lot of work in the area of learning in nonstationary environments focuses on updating the learning predictive model to optimize recovery from concept drift and convergence to new concepts by adjusting parameters and discarding poorly performing models while little effort has been dedicated to investigate what type of learning model is suitable at any given time for different types of concept drift. In this paper, we investigate the impact of heterogeneous online ensemble learning based on online model selection for predictive modeling in dynamic environments. We propose a novel heterogeneous ensemble approach based on online dynamic ensemble selection that accurately interchanges between different types of base models in an ensemble to enhance its predictive performance in nonstationary environments. The approach is known as Heterogeneous Dynamic Ensemble Selection based on Accuracy and Diversity (HDES‐AD) and makes use of models generated by different base learners to increase diversity to circumvent problems associated with existing dynamic ensemble classifiers that may experience loss of diversity due to the exclusion of base learners generated by different base algorithms. The algorithm is evaluated on artificial and real‐world datasets with well‐known online homogeneous online ensemble approaches such as DDD, AFWE, and OAUE. The results show that HDES‐AD performed significantly better than the other three homogeneous online ensemble approaches in nonstationary environments.
Three-Dimensional Modelling of Desorbed Gas Volume and Comparison to Gas Production Rate in the Montney Plays, Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin
Authors: Song Gihun , Lee Hyun Suk , Shin Hyundon
Published: March 2021

Shale reservoir has been focused among unconventional resources since the first extraction of free and adsorbed gas from the low-permeable Barnett Shale via horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing. In the beginning of production, free gas was rapidly recovered through an artificial fracture system, and then, desorbed gas followed at the final stage due to a decrease of reservoir pressure. This desorbed gas volume commonly occupies 10 to 40% of total gas production in shale gas play although it shows wide variety in cumulative gas volume and production time. The largest gas production in Canada is recovered from either tight sandstone or shale reservoirs. The Montney play in Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin (WCSB) has produced up to 80% of Canadian natural gas production. The desorbed gas production from this play has been reported up to 10% of total produced gas. The distribution and productivity of the desorbed gas have not been fully studied. Therefore, we focus to understand the distribution of the desorbed gas volume of eastern, middle, and northwestern areas in the Montney play. The desorbed gas volume within these areas was estimated from the relationship among canister, illite, and shale volumes in core samples and well logs. The average shale volume fraction in eastern area is 0.38 

v
/
v

, the average illite mineral volume fraction is 0.25 

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, and the average desorbed gas volume refers to 8.52 scf/ton. In middle area, calculated volume represents 0.34 

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v

, 0.216 

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, and 8.15 scf/ton as listed above. The northwestern area also shows 0.65 

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, 0.4 

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, and 9.78 scf/ton, respectively. 3D models of each area indicated relatively rich and lack parts of desorbed gas volume. These estimated desorbed gas volume and gas production history were compared in order to understand when and how the desorbed gas would affect to gas production. It shows strong positive relationship, gradually increasing correlation to the later stage (from 24-44 months to 36-44 months) of gas production in the entire areas. This result implies that the estimation of later stage gas productivity is able from the estimated volume of desorbed gas, and also, the total gas production can be forecast in shale gas reservoir. Northwestern area in Montney play preserves relatively abundant desorbed gas volume, which will be dominant after 24 months of production.
Certificateless‐Based Anonymous Authentication and Aggregate Signature Scheme for Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks
Authors: Ye Xin , Xu Gencheng , Cheng Xueli , Li Yuedi , Qin Zhiguang
Published: March 2021

Development of Internet of Vehicles (IoV) has aroused extensive attention in recent years. The IoV requires an efficient communication mode when the application scenarios are complicated. To reduce the verifying time and cut the length of signature, certificateless aggregate signature (CL‐AS) is used to achieve improved performance in resource‐constrained environments like vehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs), which is able to make it effective in environments constrained by bandwidth and storage. However, in the real application scenarios, messages should be kept untamed, unleashed, and authentic. In addition, most of the proposed schemes tend to be easy to attack by signers or malicious entities which can be called coalition attack. In this paper, we present an improved certificateless‐based authentication and aggregate signature scheme, which can properly solve the coalition attack. Moreover, the proposed scheme not only uses pseudonyms in communications to prevent vehicles from revealing their identity but also achieves considerable efficiency compared with state‐of‐the‐art work, certificateless signature (CLS), and CL‐AS schemes. Furthermore, it demonstrates that when focused on the existential forgery on adaptive chosen message attack and coalition attack, the proposed schemes can be proved secure. Also, we show that our scheme exceeds existing certification schemes in both computing and communication costs.
Fabrication of Carbamazepine Cocrystals: Characterization, In Vitro and Comparative In Vivo Evaluation
Authors: Wasim Muhammad , Mannan Abdul , Asad Muhammad Hassham Hassan Bin , Amirzada Muhammad Imran , Shafique Muhammad , Hussain Izhar
Published: March 2021

Carbamazepine (CBZ) is an antiepileptic drug having low bioavailability due to its hydrophobic nature. In the current study, efforts are made to investigate the effect of dicarboxylic acid coformer spacer groups (aliphatic chain length) on physicochemical properties, relative humidity (RH) stability, and oral bioavailability of CBZ cocrystals. Slurry crystallization technique was employed for the preparation of CBZ cocrystals with the following coformers: adipic (AA), glutaric (GA), succinic (SA), and malonic acid (MA). Powder X‐ray diffractometry and Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy confirmed cocrystal preparation. Physicochemical properties, RH stability, and oral bioavailability of cocrystals were investigated. Among the prepared cocrystals, CBZ‐GA showed maximum solubility as well as improved dissolution profile (CBZ‐GA > CBZ‐MA > CBZ‐AA > pure CBZ > CBZ‐SA) in ethanol. Maximum RH stability was shown by CBZ‐AA, CBZ‐SA, and CBZ‐MA. In vivo studies confirmed boosted oral bioavailability of cocrystals compared to pure CBZ. Furthermore, in vivo studies depicted the oral bioavailability order of cocrystals as CBZ‐GA > CBZ‐MA > Tegral® > CBZ‐AA > CBZ‐SA > pure CBZ. Thus, pharmaceutical scientists can effectively employ cocrystallization technique for tuning physicochemical properties of hydrophobic drugs to achieve the desired oral bioavailability. Overall, results reflect no consistent effect of spacer group on physicochemical properties, RH stability, and oral bioavailability of cocrystals.
A Novel Pyramid Network with Feature Fusion and Disentanglement for Object Detection
Authors: Yu Guoyi , Wu You , Xiao Jing , Cao Yang
Published: March 2021

In order to alleviate the scale variation problem in object detection, many feature pyramid networks are developed. In this paper, we rethink the issues existing in current methods and design a more effective module for feature fusion, called multiflow feature fusion module (MF3M). We first construct gate modules and multiple information flows in MF3M to avoid information redundancy and enhance the completeness and accuracy of information transfer between feature maps. Furtherore, in order to reduce the discrepancy of classification and regression in object detection, a modified deformable convolution which is termed task adaptive convolution (TaConv) is proposed in this study. Different offsets and masks are predicted to achieve the disentanglement of features for classification and regression in TaConv. By integrating the above two designs, we build a novel feature pyramid network with feature fusion and disentanglement (FFAD) which can mitigate the scale misalignment and task misalignment simultaneously. Experimental results show that FFAD can boost the performance in most models.
Permeability Coefficient of Unsaturated Loess and Its Gaseous and Liquid Water Migration Modeling
Authors: Nan Ya-lin , Zhao Zai-kun , Jin Xin , Zhang Liang , Zhu Xiao-xuan , Liu Ze-jun
Published: March 2021

Water migration changes the water distribution of loess and significantly affects the engineering properties of loess. However, because of the characteristics of loess such as water sensitivity and special structure, it is still difficult to understand the water migration trend of loess. The objectives of this study are to investigate the water diffusion coefficient and soil‐water characteristic curve (SWCC) of loess, focusing on the effect of temperature and density, and establish a mixed migration equation for gaseous and liquid water to develop a new calculation method of loess water migration. The results show that the density of loess with larger liquid water content has a more significant effect on the diffusion coefficient than that of less liquid water content. Furthermore, the density significantly affects the matric suction of unsaturated loess, while the temperature change at normal temperature has slight effect. Based on the data obtained in this study, the soil water permeability coefficient was obtained. Moreover, considering the characteristics of mixed migration of gas and liquid water in unsaturated loess, an equation was derived for the gas‐liquid water transfer in unsaturated loess. The calculation results are consistent with the experimental results of water migration experiment. Based on the calculation results of water migration, the trend of water migration and proportion of gaseous water during migration were analyzed.
A Review of Flow Mechanism and Inversion Methods of Fracture Network in Shale Gas Reservoirs
Authors: Huang Luoyi , Sheng Guanglong , Li Su , Tong Gang , Wang Siyao , Peng Xiaoyin , Liu Deng , Chen JiaTing , Xin LiYuan , Hu Zhouxiang
Published: March 2021

The pore structure of shale gas reservoirs has strong heterogeneity, and the flow mechanism in multiscale media is complex. The fracture network of hydraulic fracturing is significantly affected by reservoir in situ stress, rock mechanical properties, and natural fracture distribution. At present, there is no efficient and accurate inversion method for fracture networks. Accurately describing fracture network morphology and flow capacity distribution of induced fracture is an important basis for production analysis, fracturing evaluation, and production plan. This article focuses on the hot issues of shale gas development, from three aspects: flow parameter characterization method of organic/inorganic matter, multiscale mass transfer simulation of shale gas reservoir, and inversion method of fracture network morphology and flow capacity, to introduce relevant research progress in detail. At the same time, the advantages and shortcomings of current related researches are compared and analyzed. Based on this, the key scientific problems existing on flow mechanisms and inversion method of fracture network in shale gas reservoirs are proposed, which can provide guidance for further research.