bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Family of Modified Spectral Projection Methods for Nonlinear Monotone Equations with Convex Constraint
Authors: Yu Zhensheng , Li Lin , Li Peixin
Published: October 2020

In this paper, we propose a family of modified spectral projection methods for nonlinear monotone equations with convex constraints, where the spectral parameter is mainly determined by a convex combination of the modified long Barzilai–Borwein stepsize and the modified short Barzilai–Borwein stepsize. We obtain a trial point by the spectral method and then get the iteration point by the projection technique. The algorithm can generate a bounded iterative sequence automatically, and we obtain the global convergence of the proposed method in the sense that every limit point is a solution of the nonlinear equation. The proposed method can be used to resolve the large-scale nonlinear monotone equations with convex constraints including smooth and nonsmooth equations. Numerical results for nonlinear equation problems and the

ℓ

1

-norm regularization problem in compressive sensing demonstrate the efficiency and efficacy of our method.
Acacetin Suppresses IL‐1β‐Induced Expression of Matrix Metalloproteinases in Chondrocytes and Protects against Osteoarthritis in a Mouse Model by Inhibiting NF‐κB Signaling Pathways
Authors: Chen Jian , Wang Chen , Huang Kangmao , Chen Shuai , Ma Yan
Published: October 2020

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a very common chronic joint dysfunction, and there is currently a poor understanding of its etiology and pathogenesis. Therefore, there are no active disease‐modifying drugs currently available for clinical treatment. Several natural compounds have been shown to play a role in inhibiting OA progression. The present study is aimed at investigating the curative effects of acacetin, a natural flavonoid compound, against OA. Our results demonstrated that MMP‐1, MMP‐3, and MMP‐13 were highly expressed in OA specimens. Acacetin inhibited the interleukin‐1β‐ (IL‐1β‐) induced expression of MMP‐1, MMP‐3, and MMP‐13in chondrocytes by blocking nuclear factor‐κB (NF‐κB) signaling pathways. Furthermore, we found that acacetin suppressed OA progression and inhibited the expression of MMP‐1, MMP‐3, and MMP‐13 in ACLT‐induced OA mice. Taken together, our study revealed that acacetin may serve as a potential drug for treating OA.
On the Use of an Improved Artificial Fish Swarm Algorithm-Backpropagation Neural Network for Predicting Dam Deformation Behavior
Authors: Dai Bo , Gu Hao , Zhu Yantao , Chen Siyu , Rodriguez E. Fernandez
Published: October 2020

Dam behavior is difficult to predict due to its complexity. At the same time, dam deformation behavior is vital to dam systems. Developing a precise prediction model of dam deformation from prototype data is still challenging but determinant in the structural safety assessment. In this paper, an artificial neural network (ANN), trained by the improved artificial fish swarm algorithm (IAFSA) and backpropagation algorithm (BP), is proposed for predicting the dam deformation. Initially, crossover operator is embedded into AFSA, which aims to enhance the performance. In light of the influence mechanism of many factors on dam deformation behavior, the hybrid (IAFSA and BP) model uses statistical input to obtain the optimal connection weights and threshold values of the neural network. The hybrid model integrates IAFSA’s strong global searching ability and BP’s strong local search ability. To avoid overfitting the training set data, a validation set is adopted to check the generalization capability. Subsequently, the obtained optimal parameters are applied to predict the dam deformation behavior. The hybrid model’s preciseness is verified against the radial displacements of a pendulum in a concrete arch dam and simulations of four models: statistical model, BP-ANN optimized by genetic algorithm (GA), particle swarm optimization (PSO), and AFSA. Results demonstrate that the proposed model outperforms other models and may provide alarms for safety control.
Sex‐Specific Genetically Predicted Iron Status in relation to 12 Vascular Diseases: A Mendelian Randomization Study in the UK Biobank
Authors: Yang Fangkun , Bao Qinyi , Wang Zhuo , Ma Menghuai , Shen Jinlian , Ye Feiming , Xie Xiaojie
Published: October 2020

Background. Iron overload has been implicated in the pathogenesis of varicose veins (VVs). However, the association of serum iron status with other vascular diseases (VDs) is not well understood, which might be a potential target for VD prevention. This study was aimed at investigating the causal associations between iron status and VDs using the Mendelian randomization (MR) method. Methods. A two‐sample MR was designed to investigate whether iron status was associated with VDs, based on iron data from a published genome‐wide association study meta‐analysis of 48,972 subjects of European descent and VD data obtained from the UK Biobank, including 361,194 British subjects (167,020 males and 194,174 females). We further explored whether there was sex difference in the associations between genetically predicted iron status and VDs. Results. The results demonstrated that iron status had a significant causal effect on VVs of lower extremities (P < 0.001) and a potential effect on coronary atherosclerosis (P < 0.05 for serum iron, ferritin, and transferrin saturation, respectively), but not on other VDs. Furthermore, higher iron status exerted a detrimental effect on VVs of lower extremities in both genders (P < 0.05) and a protective effect on male patients with coronary atherosclerosis (P < 0.05 for serum iron, ferritin, and transferrin saturation, respectively). Conclusions. This MR study provides robust evidence that higher iron status increases the risk of VVs of lower extremities, whereas it reduces the incidence of coronary atherosclerosis in the male population, which indicates that iron has divergent effects on vascular pathology.
EMI Technique for Monitoring the Damage Evolution of Initial Damaged Tunnel Invert Concrete Subjected to High Traffic Cyclic Loading
Authors: Ye Yichao , Peng Limin , Lin Yuexiang , Liu Jianwen , Lei Mingfeng , Fei Ruizhen
Published: October 2020

The electromechanical impedance (EMI) technique based on the PZT transducer, in the past twenty years of research progress, has demonstrated its potential for cost‐effective and high damage‐sensitive structural health monitoring. This paper presents an application of EMI technique for damage evolution investigation of initial damaged tunnel invert concrete under high traffic cyclic loading. In the tests, six different levels of initial damage inside the specimens, as the influencing factor, were firstly created by applying a certain number of impacts with a free‐falling iron ball. Then, these specimens were applied typical mechanical boundaries similar to that of tunnel invert concrete by an installation specially designed. Finally, the traffic cyclic loading carefully determined was exerted by the MTS815 hydraulic zero‐control testing system, to investigate the evolution characteristic of piezoelectric signature of the PZT sensor. The experimental result shows that the conductance signature follows a consistent rightward shifting with the number of cycles increasing, and the larger the initial damage of the specimen, the more obvious the rightward shifting. It indicates that, in general, the traffic cyclic loading is not large enough to make the microcracks propagate to fatigue failure in tunnel invert concrete even if there is a large initial damage. On the contrary, with special mechanical boundaries, the local nominal stiffness of tunnel invert concrete will gradually increase. This phenomenon may be interpreted as an effect of generalized damage recovery. A new damage index, with values between 0 and 1, was then defined to quantify the damage level for quantitative analysis. It was found that the damage recovery behaviors for different initial damaged specimens can be well and uniformly described by an empirical expression, which may be helpful for the damage assessment of tunnel invert concrete under high traffic cyclic loading in the future.
Toxin Production and Resistance of Staphylococcus Species Isolated from Fermented Artisanal Dairy Products in Benin
Authors: Tohoyessou Majoie Géroxie , Mousse Wassiyath , Sina Haziz , Kona Fernique , Azanghadji Tania , Guessennd Nathalie , Baba-Moussa Farid , Dadie Thomas , Adjanohoun Adolphe , Baba-Moussa Lamine
Published: October 2020

Staphylococcus species are considered as one of the major pathogens causing outbreaks of food poisoning. The aim of this work was to assess the toxinogenic and antibiotic susceptibility profiles of the strains of Staphylococcus spp isolated from three types of fermented dairy products (yoghourt, millet dêguê, and couscous dêguê). The isolation of the Staphylococcus strains was performed on selective media, and their identification was done using biochemical and molecular methods. The susceptibility at 15 antibiotics tested was assessed using the disc diffusion method. The immunodiffusion method was used to evaluate the toxin (luk-E/D, luk-S/F, ETA, and ETB) production. Biofilm formation was qualitatively researched on microplates. Less than half (42.77%) of the collected samples were contaminated with Staphylococcus spp. The yoghourt and millet dêguê samples collected in the afternoon were more contaminated than those collected in the morning. The S. aureus, S. capitis, and S. xylosus strains, respectively, were the most present. S. aureus was the only coagulase-positive species identified in our samples. The highest resistance to antibiotics was observed with penicillin (100%) irrespective of the nature of the sample. S. aureus strains were highly (71.4%) resistant to methicillin. The S. aureus strains were the most biofilm-forming (27.6%), followed by S. capitis strains. Panton and Valentine’s leukocidin (luk-S/F) was produced by only S. aureus strains at a rate of 8.33%. Only coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (CNS) produced Luk-E/D. The high rates of Staphylococci contamination indicate bad hygiene quality during the production and distribution of dairy products. It is, therefore, necessary to improve the quality of fermented milk products.
An Adaptive Large Neighborhood Search for the Larger-Scale Instances of Green Vehicle Routing Problem with Time Windows
Authors: Yu Zixuan , Zhang Ping , Yu Yang , Sun Wei , Huang Min
Published: October 2020

Due to huge amount of greenhouse gases emission (such as CO2), freight has been adversely affecting the global environment in facilitating the global economy. Therefore, green vehicle routing problem (GVRP), aiming to minimize the total carbon emissions in the transportation, has become a hot issue. In this paper, an adaptive large neighborhood search (ALNS) algorithm is proposed to solve large-scale instances of GVRP. The core of ALNS algorithm is destroy operators and repair operators. In the destroy operators, a new removal heuristic applying to the characteristics of GVRP is proposed. The heuristic can quickly remove customers who bring a large amount of carbon emissions with pertinence, and these customers may be arranged more properly in future repair operators. In the repair operators, a fast insertion method is developed. In the fast insertion method, the feasibility of a new route is judged by checking the constraints of partial customers after the inserted customer, instead of checking the constraints of all customers. Thus, the computational time of the ALNS algorithm is greatly saved. Computational experiments were performed on Solomon benchmark with 100 customers and Homberger benchmark instances with up to 1000 customers. Given the same computational time, the proposed ALNS improves the average accuracy by 8.49% compared with the classic ALNS. In the optimal situation, the improvement can achieve 33.61%.
Duodenal Perforation: Outcomes after Surgical Management at a Tertiary Care Centre—A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Bojanapu Srinivas , Malani Ronak Atulbhai , Ray Samrat , Mangla Vivek , Mehta Naimish , Nundy Samiran
Published: October 2020

Introduction. Duodenal perforation is a common surgical emergency and carries mortality ranging from 4% to 30% reported in Western countries, but there is a paucity of reports from India. We aimed to determine the factors which influence the surgical outcomes in patients with duodenal perforation. Methods. We retrospectively analyzed prospectively collected data from January 2010 to December 2018. Results. A total of 55 patients were included in the study of which 69% (38) were males and 31% (17) were females (M : F = 4.5 : 2). The mean age was 52.3 years. The cause for duodenal perforation was duodenal ulcer (n = 25, 45.5%), followed by post-ERCP complications (n = 15, 27.3%), surgery (n = 11, 20%), and blunt trauma (n = 4, 7.2%) with perforations localized at D2 (n = 28, 51%) and at D1 (n = 27, 49%). Patients underwent primary repair with an additional diversion procedure (n = 28, 51%) and repair only in 18 (32.8%). There were 21 (38%) deaths. Patients with ERCP-associated duodenal perforation had longer hospital stay (P≤0.001), ICU stay (P=0.049), duration of drainage (P≤0.001), and higher leak rate (P=0.001) and re-exploration rate (P=0.037). A high mortality rate was seen in patients with preoperative organ failure (n  = 18, 78% versus 9.4%,P=0.001), postoperative leak (n = 7, 64% versus 32%,P=0.05), and longer duration from onset of symptoms to surgery (≥4 days) (P=0.045). Conclusion. Perforation of the duodenum is associated with high morbidity and mortality regardless of its cause and is higher in those who have a longer interval to surgery, preoperative organ failure, and a postoperative leak.
Clinical Characteristics, Management, and Outcomes of 19 Nonpediatric Patients with Desmoplastic Small Round Cell Tumor: A Cohort of Brazilian Patients
Authors: Campos Fernando , Coutinho Daniel L. , Silva Maria Letícia G. , Lopes Ademar , Nascimento Antônio , Aguiar Júnior Samuel , Nicolau Ulisses R. , Formiga Maria Nirvana , D’Almeida Costa Felipe , Mello Celso
Published: October 2020

Desmoplastic small round cell tumor (DSRCT) is a rare and aggressive mesenchymal malignancy, usually affecting young males. There is no consensus on the best therapeutic approach. We seek to characterize a cohort of nonpediatric patients with DSRCT treated at a large Brazilian cancer center. We performed a retrospective analysis of patients with histologically confirmed DSRCT referred to our institution (2007–2020). Clinical and imaging data were extracted and summarized with descriptive statistics. Survival analyses were conducted by the Kaplan–Meier method and compared with the log-rank test. We included 19 patients with DSRCT, the median age at diagnosis was 26 years (range: 15–41 years), and 68% were male. Ninety percent presented with abdominopelvic masses, and 32% had extra-abdominal metastasis at diagnosis. Eleven patients (58%) underwent surgery, four patients (21%) received whole abdominal adjuvant radiotherapy, and five patients (26%) had hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy. Median OS was 27 months (interquartile range: 18–51 m). The five-year OS rate was 12%. Our data confirm the aggressiveness of DSRCT despite intense multimodality treatment. Outcomes of patients treated in a reference cancer center in a developing country are similar to cancer centers in developed nations. Multicenter cooperation is urgent to the development of clinical trials and to improve diagnosis and treatment efficacy.
Enhancement of Tainan 9 Peanut Seed Storability and Germination under Low Temperature
Authors: Jeammuangpuk Parinee , Promchote Parichart , Duangpatra Juangjun , Chaisan Tanapon , Onwimol Damrongvudhi , Kvien Craig K.
Published: October 2020

Low temperature condition during December to January can limit seed emergence and seedling establishment for peanut production in Thailand. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of peanut seed priming on seed germination and vigor under optimal and low temperature conditions before and after 9 months of storage. Tainan 9 peanut seeds were primed with salicylic acid (SA), ascorbate (ASA), CaCl2, or chitosan and tested for germination at 25°C (optimal temperature) and 15°C (low temperature) before and after a 9-month storage period. Seed priming with 50 mg·L−1 SA and 50 mg·L−1 ASA for 12 hours before germinating improved germination at 15°C when compared to untreated seeds both before and after 9-month storage. The high seed quality, illustrated by high germination percentage, high seed vigor, and low mean germination time related to the low autoxidation substrates: lipoxygenase (LOX), malondialdehyde (MDA), and high antioxidants: superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT). It suggests that peanut seed priming with salicylic acid and/or ascorbate can improve seedling emergence and growth under low temperature conditions.
Simulation and Optimization of Acoustic Package of Dash Panel Based on SEA
Authors: Su Jintao , Zheng Ling , Lou Jianping
Published: October 2020

The instrument panel assembly is an important structure to shield powertrain noise and front wheel noise, and the instrument panel sound insulation system plays a key role in it. Therefore, the sound insulation characteristics of the instrument panel sound insulation components appear particularly important. In the existing technology, the acoustic design of instrument panel mostly adopts the reverse design method and pays little attention to the forward design of acoustic system, which tends to lead to the shortcomings such as inaccurate acoustic design and poor acoustic design quality. The reverse design also restricts the development cycle, so the control and design of acoustic performance cannot be realized in the initial stage of design. Based on the above problems, the statistical energy model of the dashboard model was established by combining the statistical energy flow method and the proxy model method, and the influences of different acoustic cladding layers, different thickness, leakage, and new material microfibers on the sound insulation parameters of the front coaming were simulated. The general rules that affect the sound insulation performance of the structure are obtained. On this basis, multiobjective genetic algorithm and proxy model method are used to optimize the insertion loss of the front panel acoustic pack and the weight of the dashboard by introducing multiobjective variable and experimental design method, so as to obtain the best solution to meet the requirements of insertion loss and lightweight acoustic pack of the dashboard. It is of great engineering significance for the development of acoustic components for forward design instrument panel.
Focal Infection and Periodontitis: A Narrative Report and New Possible Approaches
Authors: Rocca Jean-Paul , Fornaini Carlo , Wang Zuomin , Tan Lixin , Merigo Elisabetta
Published: October 2020

The “focal infection theory” is a historical concept based on the assumption that some infections may cause chronic and acute diseases in different districts of the body. Its great popularity spanned from 1930 to 1950 when, with the aim to remove all the foci of infection, drastic surgical interventions were performed. Periodontitis, a common oral pathology mainly of bacterial origin, is the most evident example of this phenomenon today: in fact, bacteria are able to migrate, develop and cause health problems such as cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, diabetes, and osteoporosis. The aim of this narrative report is to verify the hypothesis of the association between oral infections and systemic diseases by different ways of approach and, at the same time, to propose new kinds of treatment today made possible by technological progress. The analysis of the literature demonstrated a strong relationship between these conditions, which might be explained on the basis of the recent studies on microbiota movement inside the body. Prevention of the oral infections, as well as of the possible systemic implications, may be successfully performed with the help of new technologies, such as probiotics and laser.
Formation of Intermetallic Phases in Ion Implantation
Authors: Wang Fuzhang , Khan Asfandyar , Ayaz Muhammad , Ahmad Imtiaz , Nawaz Rashid , Gul Nisar
Published: October 2020

This paper presents a model for the formation of intermetallic phases in the modified nickel ions in the surface layer of aluminum. It is shown that the absorption of ions in the bulk of the qualitative difference between the models with and without the relaxation of the mass flux is reduced to a difference in the characteristic scales. It was shown that the concentration distribution depends on the relation between time scales of various physical processes. We have extended the existing model to a unique simple model describing the formation of a new phase at the initial stage of ion implantation. The parameters containing in the model were evaluated using literature data. The known problem is a special case for our model.
Acuphagia on the Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum in an Adolescent Male
Authors: Butler William , Allen Luis
Published: October 2020

Background. Pica is a condition that is commonly missed in childhood. This condition occurs worldwide and is considered normal in children from ages 18- to- 36 months. It is also commonly seen in pregnant women due to associated nutritional deficiencies. Acuphagia is a subtype of pica which has been briefly described in the literature. Its classification has been speculated to belong on a spectrum of obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCD). This case involves Mr. C, a 16-year-old male with a history of depression, anxiety, and ten previous intentional foreign body ingestions involving sharp objects such as needles, forks, and thumbtacks. He states that he recently ate a nail and denies any current obsessions. He was admitted from a local involuntary receiving facility due to decreased bowel movements in the last week. Learning points and recommendations for practitioners are described.
Application of Generative Adversarial Nets (GANs) in Active Sound Production System of Electric Automobiles
Authors: Liang Kai , Zhao Haijun
Published: October 2020

To improve the diversity and quality of sound mimicry of electric automobile engines, a generative adversarial network (GAN) model was used to construct an active sound production model for electric automobiles. The structure of each layer in the network in this model and the size of its convolution kernel were designed. The gradient descent in network training was optimized using the adaptive moment estimation (Adam) algorithm. To demonstrate the quality difference of the generated samples from different input signals, two GAN models with different inputs were constructed. The experimental results indicate that the model can accurately learn the characteristic distributions of raw audio signals. Results from a human ear auditory test show that the generated audio samples mimicked the real samples well, and a leave-one-out (LOO) test show that the diversity of the samples generated from the raw audio signals was higher than that of samples generated from a two-dimensional spectrogram.
Predicting the Clinical Outcome of Lung Adenocarcinoma Using a Novel Gene Pair Signature Related to RNA‐Binding Protein
Authors: Meng Liangliang , He Xiaoxi , Zhang Xiao , Zhang Xiaobo , Wei Yingtian , Wu Bin , Li Jing , Xiao Yueyong
Published: October 2020

Adenocarcinoma is the most common type of lung cancer, and patients have varying prognoses. RNA‐binding proteins (RBP) are deemed to be closely associated with tumorigenesis and development, but the exact mechanism is currently unknown. This study was aimed at constructing a new robust prognostic model based on RNA‐binding protein‐related gene pair scores for better clinical guidance. The model for this study was constructed based on data of lung adenocarcinoma from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Prognosis‐related RBP gene pair models were created based on differentially expressed genes, and the accuracy of the models was verified in a different age, staging, and other subdatasets. A total of 379 RNA‐binding protein‐related genes were differentially expressed in tumor tissue. From these genes, we constructed a prognostic model consisting of 33 gene pairs, which were found to be significantly associated with survival in TCGA dataset (P < 0.0001, hazard ratio (HR) = 4.380 (3.139 to 6.111)) and different subdatasets. As expected, the results were verified in the GEO validation cohort (P = 7.8 × 10−3, HR = 1.597 (1.095 to 2.325)). We found that the signature exhibited an independent prognostic factor in both the univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses (P < 0.001). CIBERSORT was applied to estimate the fractions of infiltrated immune cells in bulk tumor tissues. CD8 T cells, activated dendritic cells, regulatory T cells (Tregs), and activated CD4 memory T cells presented a significantly lower fraction in the high‐risk group (P < 0.01). Patients in the high‐risk group had significantly higher tumor mutational burden (TMB) (P = 4.953e − 04) and lower levels of immune cells (P = 3.473e − 05) and stromal cells (P = 0.005) in the tumor microenvironment than those in the low‐risk group. Furthermore, the Protein‐protein interaction (PPI) network and various enrichment analyses have genuinely uncovered the interrelationships and potential functions of the RBP genes within the model. The results of the present study validated the importance of RNA‐binding proteins in tumorigenesis and progression and support the RBP gene‐related signature as a promising marker for prognosis prediction in lung adenocarcinoma.
Predicting Cognitive Decline in Parkinson’s Disease with Mild Cognitive Impairment: A One-Year Observational Study
Authors: Chen Pei-Hao , Cheng Fang-Yu , Cheng Shih-Jung , Shaw Jin-Siang
Published: October 2020

We conducted an observational study to investigate clinical predictors of cognitive decline in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), with a focus on patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The study was performed with detailed neuropsychological testing, a portable device for gait analysis, and a comprehensive geriatric assessment for patients with MCI. Cognitive decline was defined as subjective cognitive impairment with an objective decline in the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) ≥2 points at the one-year follow-up. Participants (n = 74) had a median age of 70 (interquartile range 60–79) years, and 45.9% of them were women. At the end of the study, 17.6% of the patients with MCI had a cognitive decline. Although no differences were observed between groups at the baseline cognitive study, patients with PD-MCI demonstrated more cognitive decline than patients with AD-MCI (28.6% vs. 7.7%

p

 = 0.03). Patients with PD-MCI had more physical disabilities, including scores of instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), Tinetti balance, and gait scores, and some Timed Up and Go components. Initial Clinical Dementia Rating—Sum of Boxes score was a better predictor of future cognitive decline than MMSE in PD-MCI. For predicting the occurrence of cognitive decline in PD-MCI, the prediction accuracy increased from the reduced model (AUC = 0.822,

p
<
0.001

) to the full model (a total of five independent variables, AUC = 0.974,

p
<
0.001

). Given the potentially modifiable predictor, our findings also highlight the importance of identifying sleep quality and the ability to perform IADL.
Experimental Study on the Variation Law of Excess Pore Water Pressure at the Bottom of the Foundation Pit for Excavation
Authors: Hu Qizhi , Zou Qiang , Ding Zhigang , Xu Zhaodong
Published: October 2020

The excavation unloading of deep foundation pits in soft soil areas often produces negative excess pore water pressure. The rebound deformation of soil on the excavation surface of the foundation pit can be predicted reliably through the accurate expression of relevant variation laws. In combination with the principle of effective stress and the general equation of unidirectional seepage consolidation, an equation for calculating the rebound deformation from the bottom in the process of foundation pit excavation unloading was obtained. Additionally, a triaxial unloading test was adopted to simulate the excavation unloading processes for actual foundation pit engineering. After studying the variation law of the excess pore water pressure generated by excavation unloading, it was found that the negative excess pore water pressure increased with increasing unloading rate, while the corresponding peak value decreased with increasing confining pressure. The equation for rebound calculation was verified through a comparison with relevant measured data from actual engineering. Therefore, it is considered that the equation can reliably describe the rebound deformation law of the base. This paper aims to guide the design and construction of deep foundation pits in soft soil areas.
Application of Empirical Orthogonal Function Interpolation to Reconstruct Hourly Fine Particulate Matter Concentration Data in Tianjin, China
Authors: Zhou Hongwu , Pan Haidong , Li Shuang , Lv Xianqing
Published: October 2020

Fine particulate matter with diameters less than 2.5 μm (PM2.5) concentration monitoring is closely related to public health, outdoor activities, environmental protection, and other fields. However, the incomplete PM2.5 observation records provided by ground-based PM2.5 concentration monitoring stations pose a challenge to the study of PM2.5 propagation and evolution model. Consequently, PM2.5 concentration data imputation has been widely studied. Based on empirical orthogonal function (EOF), a new spatiotemporal interpolation method, EOF interpolation (EOFI) is introduced in this paper, and then, EOFI is applied to reconstruct the hourly PM2.5 concentration records of two stations in the first half of the year. The main steps of EOFI here are to firstly decompose the spatiotemporal data matrix of the original observation site into mutually orthogonal temporal and spatial modes with EOF method. Secondly, the spatial mode of the missing data station is estimated by inverse distance weighting interpolation of the spatial mode of the observation sites. After that, the records of the missing data station can be reconstructed by multiplying the estimated spatial mode and the corresponding temporal mode. The optimal mode number for EOFI is determined by minimizing the root mean square error (RMSE) between reconstructed records and corresponding valid records. Finally, six evaluation indices (mean absolute error (MAE), RMSE, correlation coefficient (Corr), deviation rate bias, Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE), and index of agreement (IA)) are calculated. The results show that EOFI performs better than the other three interpolation methods, namely, inverse distance weight interpolation, thin plate spline, and surface spline interpolation. The EOFI has the advantages of less computation, less parameter selection, and ease of implementation, it is an alternative method when the number of observation stations is rare, and the proportion of missing value at some stations is large. Moreover, it can also be applied to other spatiotemporal variables interpolation and imputation.
Overexpression of MicroRNA‐122 Resists Oxidative Stress‐Induced Human Umbilical Vascular Endothelial Cell Injury by Inhibition of p53
Authors: Li Hua-qing , Pan Zhi-yu , Yang Zhen , Zhang Don-bing , Chen Qian
Published: October 2020

Deep venous thrombosis (DVT) constitutes a great threat to health worldwide. Endothelial cell injury and dysfunction comprise the critical contributor for the development of DVT. However, the mechanism behind it remains poorly elucidated. The study is aimed at investigating the role of microRNA‐122 (miR‐122) and oxidative stress on DVT. The results showed that miR‐122 overexpression dampened H2O2‐evoked cytotoxic injury in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) by increasing cell viability, suppressing cell apoptosis and oxidative stress injury. Notably, miR‐122 overexpression attenuated provasoconstriction factor endothelin‐1 (ET‐1) expression in HUVECs exposed to H2O2 but enhanced the productions of vasodilatation factor Prostaglandin F1α (PGF1α). Moreover, inhibition of miR‐122 had the opposite results. miR‐122 could inhibit the expression of p53. Low expression of p53 could enhance the protection of miR‐122 on HUVEC injury. This study highlights that miR‐122 overexpression may restore H2O2‐induced HUVEC injury by regulating the expression of p53.
Crecimiento económico en Chile y la política necesaria
Authors: Rodríguez Grossi Jorge
Published: October 2020

El violento ataque y saqueo que recibieron el Metro y diversas propiedades privadas y públicas en las principales ciudades de Chile hace un año, más la pandemia que nos afecta desde marzo, son los factores que tienen a la economía con fuerte retroceso del PIB, del empleo y de los ingresos de personas y empresas. Continuar leyendo...
Chile en busca de justicia tributaria
Authors: Borges Quintanilla Humberto
Published: October 2020

Estamos ad portas de un plebiscito que comenzará un proceso de restructuración de la política de Chile y, tal vez, uno de modernización en busca de un país más justo. Además, paralelamente ha comenzado la discusión tributaria, con la idea de solventar el retiro del 10% de las AFPs y otros gastos de la pandemia. Pero, nuevamente, surgen ideas de obtención de recursos mediante el IVA, el impuesto más regresivo y que dañaría más a las clases medias y a las más empobrecidas por la pandemia. Continuar leyendo...
Mercado Laboral
Authors: Tejada Mauricio
Published: October 2020

La emergencia sanitaria generada por la pandemia del COVID 19 y las medidas de confinamiento adoptadas por el gobierno para contenerla, han llevado a una crisis económica sin precedentes. En efecto, el crecimiento de la actividad económica se derrumbó de 0.8% en doce meses en diciembre del año pasado a -11.3% en agosto 2020 (siendo mayo el peor registro con -15.2%). Continuar leyendo...
Reimaginando futuros
Authors: Mandiola Marcela
Published: October 2020

Se habla de ‘recesión rosa’ (Edwards, 2019), el nuevo nombre que la discusión pública le ha puesto al problema de siempre: el mayor impacto que ha tenido la crisis sanitaria y social sobre una parte de la población. La histórica doble carga de las mujeres ha redundado en una mayor dificultad para conservar trabajos y, al mismo tiempo, cumplir con las demandas del hogar durante la actual crisis. Esta vez la recesión está siendo leída en clave de género. En nuestro país esta realidad se viene a instalar sobre una desigualdad de género que en los últimos años ha sido ampliamente denunciada y documentada. Continuar leyendo...
Utility and Results from a Patient-Reported Online Survey in Myotonic Dystrophies Types 1 and 2
Authors: Wenninger Stephan , Stahl Kristina , Montagnese Federica , Schoser Benedikt
Published: October 2020

Introduction: Myotonic dystrophies (DMs) are the most frequent autosomal dominant neuromuscular disorders in adults. Our objective was to evaluate the utility of an online survey in a rare disease as well as to assess and compare the onset and the progression of clinical symptoms in patients with myotonic dystrophy types 1 (DM1) and 2 (DM2). Methods: We conducted a patient’s reported online survey assessing demographics, disease-related symptoms (age of onset, first symptom, time of diagnosis, current symptoms, inheritance, and family history) combined with capturing current symptoms by validated questionnaires. The questionnaire consisted of open, closed, single- and multiple-choice questions. Multiple answers were possible in some cases. Patients with genetically confirmed DM1 or DM2 who were registered in the German DM registry or the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Muskelkranke e.V. – Diagnostic Group for DMs were invited to participate in this online survey. We calculated descriptive and exploratory analysis, where applicable. Results: Out of 677 data sets from respondents, 394 were suitable for final analysis, containing completed questionnaires from 207 DM1 (56% female) and 187 DM2 patients (71% female). The median age of onset was 28 years for DM1 and 35 years for DM2. Muscular symptoms were most frequently reported as the first symptom. The onset of myotonia was earlier than the onset of muscle weakness in both DM1 and DM2. Forty-four percent of patients with DM1 and one-third of patients with DM2 indicated muscle weakness as the first symptom. Patients with DM1 were significantly younger when experiencing muscle weakness as first symptom. Fatigue was only mentioned by a small fraction of patients as a first symptom but increased significantly in the course of the disease. There was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of cataracts, cardiac symptoms, and gastrointestinal symptoms between DM1 and DM2. Falls were reported almost equally in both groups, and most of the patients reported 2–3 falls within the past year. Discussion: Overall, as our results are consistent with the results of clinical studies and online registries, it can be assumed that this type of systematic gathering of data from patients with rare diseases is useful and provides realistic and appropriate results. Due to the nature of online surveys and the absence of an assessor, some uncertainty remains. Furthermore, survey frauds cannot be completely excluded. An additional clinical assessment could confirm the given information and will improve the utility and validity of reported symptoms participants provide in online surveys. Therefore, we recommend a combination of data collecting by online surveys and clinical assessments.
Are There Differences in Arteriovenous Fistulae Created for Hemodialysis between Nephrologists and Vascular Surgeons?
Authors: Stolić Radojica V. , Bukumiric Zoran , Mitrovic Vekoslav , Sipic Maja , Krdzic Biljana , Relic Goran , Nikolic Gordana , Sovtic Sasa , Suljkovic Naja E.
Published: October 2020

Objective: Many studies have reported insufficient support from surgical services, resulting in nephrologists creating arteriovenous fistulas in many centers. The aim of this study was to compare risk factors of arteriovenous fistula dysfunction in patients whose fistulas were created by nephrologists versus vascular surgeons. Methods: This was a retrospective, analytical study of interventions by nephrologists and vascular surgeons during a period of 15 years. Out of a total of 1,048 fistulas, 764 (72.9%) were created by nephrologists patients, while vascular surgeons were responsible for 284 (27.1%) fistulae. Laboratory, demographic, and clinical parameters which might affect functioning of these arteriovenous fistulae were analyzed. Results: Patients whose arteriovenous fistula was formed by nephrologists differed significantly from those created by vascular surgeons in relation to the preventive character of the arteriovenous fistula (p = 0.011), lumen of the vein (p < 0.001) and systolic blood pressure (p = 0.047). Multivariate logistic regression of arteriovenous fistula dysfunction showed that risk factors were female gender (odds ratio [OR] = 1.56, 95% CI 1.16–2.07), whether the fistulae were created by vascular surgeons or nephrologists (OR = 1.38; 95% CI 1.01–1.89) and the site of the arteriovenous fistula (OR = 0.64; 95% CI 0.48–0.85). Conclusions: Arteriovenous fistulae created by vascular surgeons, female gender, and the location are risk factors of dysfunction.
Screening for Diabetic Retinopathy Using an Automated Diagnostic System Based on Deep Learning: Diagnostic Accuracy Assessment
Authors: Rêgo Sílvia , Dutra-Medeiros Marco , Soares Filipe , Monteiro-Soares Matilde
Published: October 2020

Purpose: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of a diagnostic system software for the automated screening of diabetic retinopathy (DR) on digital colour fundus photographs, the 2019 Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) model with Inception-V3. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 295 fundus images were analysed by the CNN model and compared to a panel of ophthalmologists. Images were obtained from a dataset acquired within a screening programme. Diagnostic accuracy measures and respective 95% CI were calculated. Results: The sensitivity and specificity of the CNN model in diagnosing referable DR was 81% (95% CI 66–90%) and 97% (95% CI 95–99%), respectively. Positive predictive value was 86% (95% CI 72–94%) and negative predictive value 96% (95% CI 93–98%). The positive likelihood ratio was 33 (95% CI 15–75) and the negative was 0.20 (95% CI 0.11–0.35). Its clinical impact is demonstrated by the change observed in the pre-test probability of referable DR (assuming a prevalence of 16%) to a post-test probability for a positive test result of 86% and for a negative test result of 4%. Conclusion: A CNN model negative test result safely excludes DR, and its use may significantly reduce the burden of ophthalmologists at reading centres.
Lp(a) (Lipoprotein[a]) Concentrations and Incident Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease
Authors: Patel Aniruddh P. , Wang Minxian , Pirruccello James P. , Ellinor Patrick T. , Ng Kenney , Kathiresan Sekar , Khera Amit V.
Published: October 2020

Objective:

Lp(a) (lipoprotein[a]) concentrations are associated with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), and new therapies that enable potent and specific reduction are in development. In the largest study conducted to date, we address 3 areas of uncertainty: (1) the magnitude and shape of ASCVD risk conferred across the distribution of lipoprotein(a) concentrations; (2) variation of risk across racial and clinical subgroups; (3) clinical importance of a high lipoprotein(a) threshold to guide therapy.

Approach and Results:

Relationship of lipoprotein(a) to incident ASCVD was studied in 460 506 middle-aged UK Biobank participants. Over a median follow-up of 11.2 years, incident ASCVD occurred in 22 401 (4.9%) participants. Median lipoprotein(a) concentration was 19.6 nmol/L (25th–75th percentile 7.6–74.8). The relationship between lipoprotein(a) and ASCVD appeared linear across the distribution, with a hazard ratio of 1.11 (95% CI, 1.10–1.12) per 50 nmol/L increment. Substantial differences in concentrations were noted according to race—median values for white, South Asian, black, and Chinese individuals were 19, 31, 75, and 16 nmol/L, respectively. However, risk per 50 nmol/L appeared similar—hazard ratios of 1.11, 1.10, and 1.07 for white, South Asian, and black individuals, respectively. A high lipoprotein(a) concentration defined as ≥150 nmol/L was present in 12.2% of those without and 20.3% of those with preexisting ASCVD and associated with hazard ratios of 1.50 (95% CI, 1.44–1.56) and 1.16 (95% CI, 1.05–1.27), respectively.

Conclusions:

Lipoprotein(a) concentrations predict incident ASCVD among middle-aged adults within primary and secondary prevention contexts, with a linear risk gradient across the distribution. Concentrations are variable across racial subgroups, but the associated risk appears similar.
Painted Eroticism: Sex and Death in Cain and Abel’s Story
Authors: González Holguín Julián Andrés
Published: October 2020

Using George Bataille’s concepts of continuity/discontinuity, eroticism, and death, I read the stories of Genesis 3–4 to demonstrate how these notions provide a hermeneutical framework to understand the myths of creation. I present a unique perspective around the idea of continuity/discontinuity, the role of work, and the possibility of killing latent in all humanity. I demonstrate how eroticism is part of the semantical potential of the stories and how the artistic renderings of Cain and Abel’s tale by Albrecht Dürer, Jan Harmensz, Daniele Crespi, and Alexandre Falguière actualize it. I analyze how in the paintings the experience of pleasure in eroticism is tightly bound together with states of fear and pain. I demonstrate how the visual representations can contribute to decentering closed models of subjectivity and spirituality that emerge within the history of interpretation. Finally, I offer an alternative reading of Cain’s mark using Bataille’s notions.
Jesus-Disciple Relationship and Guru-Devotee Union: An Intercultural Reading of the Gospel of John and Tiruvācakam
Authors: Basker Gregory Thomas
Published: October 2020

This paper attempts an intercultural reading of the Jesus-Disciple relationship present in the Gospel of John taking the Tamil Śaiva perspective as a distinct hermeneutical approach. The paper presents select principles of ‘union’ represented in the master-disciple relationships of both John and Tiruvācakam and juxtaposes their implications to their respective contexts.
Materializing German Old Testament Exegesis: The Social Historical Method in the Work of Willy Schottroff (1931–1997)
Authors: Scholz Susanne
Published: October 2020

The progressive German-speaking scholarship produced by Old Testament exegete Willy Schottroff (1931–1997) is often neglected in historical reviews of biblical studies. Schottroff adhered to a marginalized intellectual tradition in German Protestant late twentieth-century Hebrew Bible scholarship that preserved and nurtured exegetical integrity and theological ethics in resistance to imperial intellectual and political ambitions and practices. This essay traces Schottroff’s exegetical efforts to read the Hebrew Bible with a method, called social historical criticism, not much known outside German-speaking contexts. Three sections depict Schottroff as standing in this liberationist-materialist view of historical criticism. A first section surveys my personal encounter with Schottroff’s work in the West German Post-Holocaust, Post Civil-Rights, and Peace Movement era of the late 1980s. A second section connects Schottroff’s reliance on social historical criticism to Gerhard von Rad’s insistence of historical criticism during the Nazi and Post-Holocaust German era. A third section analyzes the materialist German Hebrew Bible exegesis as it appears in the work of Willy Schottroff. A conclusion reflects on the politics of biblical historiography in German Post-Holocaust Old Testament exegesis.
Grace Aguilar, the Jealous Man, and Imperialism’s ‘Pleasure’
Authors: Lee Bernon
Published: October 2020

Reading Grace Aguilar on the law of the jealous man (Num. 5:11–31) against Edward Said’s putative anatomy of psychological satisfaction respecting nineteenth-century (Western) depictions of non-European faces and spaces (in Culture and Imperialism) is the interest of this article. Aguilar’s interpretation fits, largely, Said’s paradigm of sclerosed racial differences, cultural interpenetration within contested spaces, and a recovery of a Western perspective in the last. But her conformity to the pattern in the work is troubled by her commitment to a marginal Anglo-Jewish apologetic grounded in the religious ruminations of an ancient Eastern people and literature. Charting a course for her brand of Jewish piety to the center of Victorian religious culture with its moorings in Euro-supremacy, Aguilar remains tethered to her Near Eastern patrimony. She is, in the end, a reluctant imperialist.
Legislated Out of Existence: Mass Arbitrary Deprivation of Nationality Resulting in Statelessness as an International Crime
Authors: Kenny Cóman
Published: October 2020

A state’s prerogative to legislate for nationality remains subject to international law, with the arbitrary deprivation of nationality prohibited. The human rights implications of statelessness are profound, permeating all aspects of life and resulting in the marginalisation and oppression of those affected. Nonetheless, states have implemented laws depriving particular groups of legal status and making them stateless. In addition to the severe impact on the individual, such targeted discrimination creates a permissive atmosphere of dehumanisation that threatens a group’s existence and has been the precursor to mass atrocity. This article assesses, for the first time, whether individual criminal responsibility could be established for the creation or maintenance of a state policy to arbitrarily deprive a group of its nationality, rendering its members stateless. Based on post-World War ii precedent, it argues that such conduct could constitute a crime under the Rome Statute.