bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Impact of Scaphoid Malunion on Carpal Motion: An In-Vitro Analysis
Authors: Chambers Spencer B. , Padmore Clare E. , Fan Stacy , Grewal Ruby , Johnson James , Suh Nina
Published: May 2021

Background: The clinical significance of scaphoid malunion is debated and its effect on wrist kinematics is poorly understood. Alterations to scaphoid morphology in other pathologies result in significant sequelae and arthrosis. By understanding the impact of scaphoid malunion on carpal kinematics, better insight can be garnered to inform models of wrist motion and clinical treatment of this injury.

Methods: Seven cadaveric upper extremities underwent active wrist flexion and extension in a custom motion wrist simulator with scaphoid kinematics being captured with respect to the distal radius. A three-stage protocol of progressive simulated malunion severity was performed [intact, 10° malunion (Mal 10°), 20° malunion (Mal 20°)] with data analyzed from 45° wrist extension to 45° wrist flexion. Scaphoid malunions were modelled by creating successive volar wedge osteotomies and reducing the resultant scaphoid fragments with two 0.062” Kirshner wires. Motion of the scaphoid, lunate, trapezium-trapezoid was recorded using optical trackers.

Results: Increasing scaphoid malunion severity did not significantly affect scaphoid or trapezium-trapezoid motion (p > 0.05); however, it did significantly alter lunate motion (p < 0.001). Increasing malunion severity resulted in progressive lunate extension across wrist motion (Intact – Mal 10°: mean difference (mean dif.) = 7.1° ± 1.6, p < 0.05; Intact – Mal 20°: mean dif. = 10.2° ± 2.0, p < 0.05).

Conclusions: In this in-vitro model, increasing scaphoid malunion severity was associated with progressive extension of the lunate in all wrist positions. The clinical significance of this motion change is yet to be elucidated, but this model serves as a basis for understanding the kinematic consequences of scaphoid malunion deformities.
Does the Radius Contain Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells?-A Comparison between Cells of the Iliac Crest and Radius in Kienböck’s Disease
Authors: Ogawa Takeshi , Sugaya Hisashi , Hara Yuki , Yoshii Yuichi , Ochiai Naoyuki , Yamazaki Masashi
Published: May 2021

Background: Numerous studies have indicated the presence of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in the bone marrow aspirated from the vertebral body, distal femur, proximal tibia, humeral head, sternum, and iliac crest. However, their presence has not been reported in the radius thus far. In this study, we aimed to compare the number of MSCs in bone marrow aspirated from radius and iliac crest in patients with Kienböck’s disease. Furthermore, we examined the association between the number of MSCs in the bone marrow and patient age.

Methods: A total of 17 patients were recruited. Owing to difficulties in obtaining samples for 5 cases, only 12 cases were included. Hematological analyses and fibroblastic colony-forming unit (CFU-F) assay were performed using bone marrow samples aspirated from the radius (group R), the first sample aspirated from the iliac crest (group I-1), and the second sample aspirated from the iliac crest (group I-2). The CFU-F numbers among the three groups were compared using Mann–Whitney U-test. Pearson’s correlation coefficient was calculated to evaluate the association between the CFU-F numbers and patient age.

Results: The average numbers of CFU-Fs/ml in the bone marrow samples from the R, I-1, and I-2 groups were 3.4, 57.3, and 13.7, respectively. The CFU-F number in Group I-1 was significantly higher than that in the other two groups; the CFU-F number was lower in group R than in group I-2. The correlation coefficients were -0.168, 0.166, and 0.036 for samples from groups R, I-1, and I-2, respectively. No significant association between the CFU-F numbers and patient age was observed.

Conclusions: The presence of MSCs in the radius was indicated by CFU-Fs in patients with Kienböck’s disease. The number of CFU-Fs was lower in the radius than in the iliac crest; the CFU-F number was not associated with patient age.
Pericyte-specific deletion of ninjurin-1 induces fragile vasa vasorum formation and enhances intimal hyperplasia of injured vasculature
Authors: Horiuchi Kiwamu , Kano Kohei , Minoshima Akiho , Hayasaka Taiki , Yamauchi Atsushi , Tatsukawa Takamitsu , Matsuo Risa , Yoshida Yuri , Tomita Yui , Kabara Maki , Nakagawa Naoki , Takehara Naofumi , Hasebe Naoyuki , Kawabe Jun-Ichi
Published: May 2021

Although abnormalities of adventitial vasa vasorum are associated with vascular remodeling such as atherosclerosis, the mechanisms of vasa vasorum malformation and its role in vascular remodeling have not been fully clarified. The present study provides a line of novel evidence that ninjurin-1 contributes to adventitial microvascular maturation during vascular injury and regulates vascular remodeling.
Race-specific changes in endothelial inflammation and microRNA in response to an acute inflammatory stimulus
Authors: Sapp Ryan M. , Chesney Catalina A. , Springer Catherine B. , Laskowski Matthew R. , Singer Daniel B. , Eagan Lauren E. , Mascone Sara E. , Evans William S. , Prior Steven J. , Hagberg James M. , Ranadive Sushant M.
Published: May 2021

Used as an acute inflammatory stimulus, the influenza vaccine induced an inflammatory response and decreased eNOS gene expression in endothelial cells derived from African Americans, but not Caucasian Americans. Race-specific changes in intracellular expression and release of specific microRNAs also occurred and may contribute to an exaggerated inflammatory response in African Americans. In vivo, the vaccine caused similar systemic inflammation but had no effect on endothelial function or circulating microRNAs in individuals of either race.
An Approach of Linear Regression‐Based UAV GPS Spoofing Detection
Authors: Meng Lianxiao , Yang Lin , Ren Shuangyin , Tang Gaigai , Zhang Long , Yang Feng , Yang Wu
Published: May 2021

A prominent security threat to unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is to capture it by GPS spoofing, in which the attacker manipulates the GPS signal of the UAV to capture it. This paper introduces an anti‐spoofing model to mitigate the impact of GPS spoofing attack on UAV mission security. In this model, linear regression (LR) is used to predict and model the optimal route of UAV to its destination. On this basis, a countermeasure mechanism is proposed to reduce the impact of GPS spoofing attack. Confrontation is based on the progressive detection mechanism of the model. In order to better ensure the flight security of UAV, the model provides more than one detection scheme for spoofing signal to improve the sensitivity of UAV to deception signal detection. For better proving the proposed LR anti‐spoofing model, a dynamic Stackelberg game is formulated to simulate the interaction between GPS spoofer and UAV. In particular, for GPS spoofer, it is worth mentioning that for the scenario that the UAV is cheated by GPS spoofing signal in the mission environment of the designated route is simulated in the experiment. In particular, UAV with the LR anti‐spoofing model, as the leader in this game, dynamically adjusts its response strategy according to the deception’s attack strategy when upon detection of GPS spoofer’s attack. The simulation results show that the method can effectively enhance the ability of UAV to resist GPS spoofing without increasing the hardware cost of the UAV and is easy to implement. Furthermore, we also try to use long short‐term memory (LSTM) network in the trajectory prediction module of the model. The experimental results show that the LR anti‐spoofing model proposed is far better than that of LSTM in terms of prediction accuracy.
Signal Detection in Satellite‐Ground IoT Link Based on Blind Neural Network
Authors: Guan Qing-yang , Shuang Wu
Published: May 2021

At present, there are many problems in satellite‐ground IoT link signal detection. Due to the complex characteristics of the satellite‐ground IoT link, including Doppler and multipath effect, especially in scenarios related to military fields, it is difficult to use traditional method and traditional cooperative communication methods for link signal detection. Therefore, this paper proposes an efficient detection of satellite‐ground IoT link based on the blind neural network (BNN). The BNN includes two network structures, the data feature network and the error update network. Through multiple iterations of the error update network, the weight of BNN for blind detection is optimized and the optimal elimination solution is obtained. Through establishing a satellite‐to‐ground link model simulation of the low‐orbit satellite, the proposed BNN algorithm can obtain better bit error rate characteristics.
The Soliton Solutions and Long-Time Asymptotic Analysis for a General Coupled KdV Equation
Authors: Zhang Changhao , Chen Guiying
Published: May 2021

A general coupled KdV equation, which describes the interactions of two long waves with different dispersion relation, is considered. By employing the Hirota’s bilinear method, the bilinear form is obtained, and the one-soliton solution and two-soliton solution are constructed. Moreover, the elasticity of the collision between two solitons is proved by analyzing the asymptotic behavior of the two-soliton solution. Some figures are displayed to illustrate the process of elastic collision.
Optimal Correction of Adult Spinal Deformities Requires Restoration of Distal Lumbar Lordosis
Authors: Pesenti S. , Prost S. , McCausland A. Muñoz , Farah K. , Tropiano P. , Fuentes S. , Blondel B.
Published: May 2021

Purpose. The aim of this study is to analyze results according to postoperative pelvic incidence-lumbar lordosis (PI-LL) mismatch in the management of adult spine deformity (ASD) patients. Recently, it has been reported that in addition to lumbar lordosis amount, lordosis repartition between its proximal and distal parts was crucial. Methods. We enrolled 77 consecutive ASD patients who underwent posterior spinal fusion and deformity correction between 2015 and 2018. On preoperative and 1-year follow-up radiographs, we analyzed different parameters such as L1-S1 lumbar lordosis, L1-L4 proximal lordosis (PLL), L4-S1 distal lordosis (DLL), pelvic tilt (PT), sagittal vertical axis (SVA), and PI-LL mismatch. Comparisons were performed according to postoperative PI-LL mismatch (defined as “aligned” when PI-LL was <10°). The relationship between lordosis distribution and postoperative alignment status was investigated. Results. On the whole series, average lumbar lordosis, SVA, and PI-LL improved (28.2° vs.43.5°, 82 vs. 51 mm, and 26°vs. 14°, all

p
<
0.001

, respectively). On the other hand, PT remained unchanged (30° vs. 28°,

p
>
0.05

). 35 patients were classified as “aligned” and 42 as “not aligned.” Patients from the “aligned” group had a significantly lower PI than patients from the “not aligned” group (52° vs. 61°,

p
=
0.009

). Postoperative PLL was not different between groups (18° vs. 16°

p
>
0.05

), whereas DLL was significantly higher in the “aligned” group (31° vs. 22°,

p
=
0.003

). PI-LL was significantly correlated to DLL (rho = 0.407,

p
<
0.001

) but not with PLL (rho = 0.110,

p
=
0.342

). Conclusions. Our results revealed that in ASD patients, postoperative malalignment was associated with a lack of DLL restoration. “Not aligned” patients had also a significantly higher pelvic incidence. Specific attention must be paid to restore optimal distal lumbar lordosis in order to set the amount and the distribution of optimal postoperative lumbar lordosis.
Long-Term Evaluation of Visual Outcomes and Patient Satisfaction after Binocular Implantation of a Bioanalogic Lens
Authors: Wagner Sylwia , Wagner Grzegorz , Mrukwa-Kominek Ewa
Published: May 2021

Purpose. Long-term evaluation of the visual refractive outcomes and the quality of life after implantation of the WIOL-CF (Medicem, Czech Republic) in both eyes. Design. retrospective, nonrandomized noncomparative case series. Methods. 50 eyes of 25 patients, including 11 women (44%) and 14 men (56%). The age range of the patients was 38 to 77 years (mean age 55.48 ± 10.97 years). All patients underwent bilateral implantation of the WIOL-CF. Exclusion criteria were previous ocular surgeries except for cataract surgery and refractive lens exchange, irregular corneal astigmatism of >1.0 diopter, and ocular pathologies or corneal abnormalities. Postoperative examinations were performed at 14 days and 3, 6, 12 months of surgery; the last follow-up was between 24 and 36 months after the procedure. All exams included manifest refraction, monocular uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA) and distance-corrected visual acuity (DCVA) in 5 m (Snellen), monocular uncorrected visual acuity in 70 cm and 40 cm (Jeager) and binocular UCVA, DCVA in 5 m, 70 cm, and 40 cm, binocular contrast sensitivity (CS) under photopic conditions, binocular defocus curves, high-order aberrations, quality-of-vision VF-14 questionnaire, and spectacle independence. Results. Significant improvement in monocular visual acuity at all distances was demonstrated; the mean postoperative spherical equivalent was 0.32 ± 0.45D. The postoperative means of binocular distance UCVA and BCVA were also improved (

p

 < .001) and so were the mean uncorrected intermediate VA (2.053 ± 1.268) and near uncorrected VA (2.737 ± 1.447). There was a significant improvement in contrast sensitivity at all spatial frequencies and higher-order aberration, compared to preoperative results. Conclusions. The evaluation of a WIOL-CF showed good distance, intermediate, and near visual acuity. Contrast sensitivity increased after surgery in all spatial frequencies. Patient satisfaction was high despite some optical phenomena. The rate of postoperative spectacle independence also turned out high. Financial Disclosure. No author has a financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned.
Consumption of Deep-Fried Food and Its Association with Cardiovascular Risk Factors among First-Year Students in a Chilean University
Authors: Flores Marcos , Meyer Lucía , Jorquera Pablo , Castro Patricio , Saravia Carolina , Galdames Claudia , Orellana Sandra
Published: May 2021

The increase in the consumption of deep-fried foods (DFFs) from street vendors in Chile affects body weight and health. However, the actual consumption frequency of these types of foods by population and their relationship with cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs) is unknown. The consumption frequency of eight DFFs sold in street vendors was obtained through a questionnaire. CVRFs were determined through survey and anthropometric measurements. The prevalence of high values of CVRF was determined regarding gender and frequency of consumption of DFF monthly. 66% of the population consumed DFF more than 4 times monthly; each individual would consume about 4 (3.83) servings/week and with 81% of preference of products sold from street vendors. 89.2% of the population exhibited a family history of CVD. From the means comparison application, although the values obtained from CVRF were mostly within normal ranges at the population level, there were significant differences in CVRF according to gender in body mass index, waist circumference, systolic pressure, and sedentary. The prevalence of elevated values of CVRF according to gender was higher in men than in women in 7 of 12 of the parameters of CVF. The prevalence of elevated values of CVRF according to the frequency of consumption of DFF monthly was higher when students consume DFF more than 4 times monthly. The 12.7% of the population had between 3 or 4 CVRFs and consumed high quantities of DFF, preferably sold by street vendors near the university. This situation is worrying since the caloric and nutritional content is low and could generate a tendency to acquire cardiovascular pathologies in the medium term.
Applied Mechatronics: Designing a Sliding Mode Controller for Active Suspension System
Authors: Azizi Aydin , Mobki Hamed
Published: May 2021

The suspension system is referred to as the set of springs, shock absorbers, and linkages that connect the car to the wheel system. The main purpose of the suspension system is to provide comfort for the passengers, which is created by reducing the effects of road bumpiness. It is worth noting that reducing the effects of such vibrations also diminishes the noise and undesirable sound as well as the effects of fatigue on mechanical parts of the vehicle. Due to the importance of the abovementioned issues, the objective of this article is to reduce such vibrations on the car by implementing an active control method on the suspension system. For this purpose, a conventional first‐order sliding mode controller has been designed for stochastic control of the quarter‐car model. It is noteworthy that this controller has a significant ability to overcome the stochastic effects, uncertainty, and deal with nonlinear factors. To design a controller, the governing dynamical equation of the quarter‐car system has been presented by considering the nonlinear terms in the springs and shock absorber, as well as taking into account the uncertainty factors in the system and the actuator. The design process of the sliding mode controller has been presented and its stability has been investigated in terms of the Lyapunov stability. In the current research, road surface variations are considered as Gaussian white noise. The dynamical system behavior for controlled and uncontrolled situations has been simulated and the extracted results have been presented. Besides, the effects of existing uncertainty in the suspension system and actuator have been evaluated and controller robustness has been checked. Also, the obtained quantitative and qualitative compressions have been presented. Moreover, the effect of controller parameters on the basin of attraction set and its extensiveness has been assessed. The achieved results have indicated the good performance and significant robustness of the designed controller to stabilize the suspension system and mitigate the effects of road bumpiness in the presence of uncertainty and noise factors.
Lie Algebra Classification, Conservation Laws, and Invariant Solutions for a Generalization of the Levinson–Smith Equation
Authors: Loaiza G. , Acevedo Y. , Duque O.M.L. , García Hernández Danilo A.
Published: May 2021

We obtain the optimal system’s generating operators associated with a generalized Levinson–Smith equation; this one is related to the Liénard equation which is important for physical, mathematical, and engineering points of view. The underlying equation has applications in mechanics and nonlinear dynamics as well. This equation has been widely studied in the qualitative scheme. Here, we treat the equation by using the Lie group method, and we obtain certain operators; using those operators, we characterized all invariants solutions associated with the generalized equation of Levinson Smith considered in this paper. Finally, we classify the Lie algebra associated with the given equation.
A Novel Review of Homocysteine and Pregnancy Complications
Authors: Dai Chuce , Fei Yiming , Li Jianming , Shi Yang , Yang Xiuhua
Published: May 2021

Homocysteine (Hct) is a substance produced in the metabolism of methionine. It is an essential type of amino acid gained from the daily diet. Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene mutation is related to elevated total homocysteine (tHct) expressions, in particular, among women with low folate intake. Hyperhomocysteinemia (HHct) is caused by numerous factors, such as genetic defects, lack of folic acid, vitamin B6 and B12 deficiency, hypothyroidism, drugs, aging, and renal dysfunction. Increased Hct in peripheral blood may lead to vascular illnesses, coronary artery dysfunction, atherosclerotic changes, and embolic diseases. Compared to nonpregnant women, the Hct level is lower in normal pregnancies. Recent studies have reported that HHct was associated with numerous pregnancy complications, including recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL), preeclampsia (PE), preterm delivery, placental abruption, fetal growth restriction (FGR), and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Besides, it was discovered that neonatal birth weight and maternal Hct levels were negatively correlated. However, a number of these findings lack consistency. In this review, we summarized the metabolic process of Hct in the human body, the levels of Hct in different stages of normal pregnancy reported in previous studies, and the relationship between Hct and pregnancy complications. The work done is helpful for obstetricians to improve the likelihood of a positive outcome during pregnancy complications. Reducing the Hct level with a high dosage of folic acid supplements during the next pregnancy could be helpful for females who have suffered pregnancy complications due to HHct.
Efficiency Evaluation of Green Technology Innovation of China’s Industrial Enterprises Based on SBM Model and EBM Model
Authors: Chen Wei , Pan Liying , Lin Chaoran , Zhao Mengqi , Li Tan , Wei Xuan
Published: May 2021

The industrial revolution has brought a leap in productivity; however, some severe ecological environment and resource problems are coming out with the development of industrialization. To achieve sustainable development of social economy, green technology innovation emerges in response to the proper time and conditions. In this context, the correct approach to measure the efficiency of green technology innovation in China’s industrial enterprises is an important research topic. Based on existing studies, this paper divides innovation activities into two stages based on the innovation value chain and constructs a two-stage evaluation index system including all kinds of undesirable outputs transferred from negative externalities of the ecological environment. To evaluate green technology innovation efficiency, SBM and EBM network DEA models are applied to conduct empirical analysis from the perspective of time and space. This paper also calculates the efficiency values based on the SBM model and the EBM model, respectively, and compares the differences between them. The results show that the efficiency value of the achievement transformation stage is significantly higher than that of technology development stage; there are noticeable gaps in the efficiency of green technology innovation between different regions of China. Besides, the eastern region has a better performance in green technology innovation than the western region and Qinghai has the best green technology innovation performance. Combining the empirical results, the corresponding policy recommendations are put forward.
Energy‐Efficient Distributed Packet Scheduling Optimization Strategy in Cooperative Vehicle Infrastructure Systems
Authors: Dai Liang , Chen Tianquan , Zhai Yiming , Wang Guiping
Published: May 2021

In the cooperative vehicle infrastructure system (CVIS), due to the limitation of deployment conditions, some roadside units (RSUs) need to use renewable energy to supply power and transmit the fused sensor network’s data to the backbone network through the passing vehicles. Aiming at the problem of energy consumption and time delay guarantee of multiple self‐powered RSUs in the CVIS, a distributed packet scheduling optimization strategy for energy‐delay trade‐off in self‐powered RSUs is proposed. The strategy can minimize the system energy consumption by constraining the packet queue length of the self‐powered RSUs. A dynamic optimization model of distributed packet adaptive scheduling for multiple self‐powered RSUs is established based on the Lyapunov optimization theory. Based on the knapsack algorithm, the analytical algorithm of the optimization model is proposed. The simulation results show that the packet scheduling strategy can reduce the energy consumption and delay of the system by satisfying the upper limit of the packet queue length.
Layout Methods for Integrated Energy Supply Service Stations from the Perspective of Combination Optimization
Authors: Zhu Zhenjun , Sun Chaoxu , He Yudong , Shen Jiayan , Sun Jingrui
Published: May 2021

Integrated energy supply service stations (IES) are a new type of transportation energy infrastructure offering the advantages of comprehensive functions and intensive land use while providing more convenient and efficient energy supply services. Through the analysis of service station characteristics, this study regards the IES as a spatially superimposed combination of various energy supply services, proposes a layout method from the perspective of combination optimization, and establishes a station optimization model for energy supply stations. This method aims to further coordinate and optimize the combination of various energy supply stations to achieve global optimization of the energy supply service system. Finally, this study uses a hypothetical situation for example analysis to verify the validity and rationality of the method. The layout plan proposed in this study has important theoretical and practical significance for how to achieve the optimal layout of an IES.
Analysis of Prevalence and Risk Factors of Contact Sensitization with respect to the Occupational Profiles in a Greek Patient Cohort: A Retrospective Analysis of a Greek Referral Centre and Future Perspectives
Authors: Tagka Anna , Lambrou George I. , Matsopoulos George K. , Fytili Despoina , Mirkopoulou Daphne , Katsarou Alexandra , Chatziioannou Argyro , Stratigos Alexandros
Published: May 2021

Contact dermatitis is a frequent skin disorder related to environmental and occupational etiological factors, which could potentially affect all age groups, as well as both genders. The current study is aimed at exploring the patterns of contact sensitization with respect to the population’s occupational patterns in Greece. A retrospective analysis was performed in a cohort of 1978 patients from 2014 to 2016. Patients were divided into two categories; blue collars (BlC) and white collars (WhC), as well as detailed occupation was considered. Separation was performed on the basis of their profession, i.e., labor workers and handicraftsmen were sorted to the BlC group, while office employees were sorted to the WhC group. The common allergen in all occupational subgroups was nickel sulphate. The three most prevalent allergens in both BlC and WhC were nickel sulphate 5%, fragrance mix (I) 8%, and Balsam of Peru 25%. WhC males were uniquely sensitized to colophony 20% and formaldehyde 2%, and WhC females were uniquely sensitized to 5‐chloro‐2‐methyl‐4‐isothiazolin‐3‐one (CMIT) and neomycin sulphate 20%. Sensitization to allergens manifested occupation‐specific patterns. Allergic contact dermatitis surveillance is of great importance towards the clinical and systematic understanding of the disease, especially with respect to the patient’s occupational profile.
trans-Acting Factors and cis Elements Involved in the Human Inactive X Chromosome Organization and Compaction
Authors: Sun Zhuo , Fan Jinbo , Zhao Yufeng
Published: May 2021

During X chromosome inactivation, many chromatin changes occur on the future inactive X chromosome, including acquisition of a variety of repressive covalent histone modifications, heterochromatin protein associations, and DNA methylation of promoters. Here, we summarize trans-acting factors and cis elements that have been shown to be involved in the human inactive X chromosome organization and compaction.
DDGS: A Network Coding Scheme for Dynamic Adaptation to Heterogeneous Vehicular Networks
Authors: Wang Zongzheng , Dong Ping , Zheng Tao , Zhang Hongke
Published: May 2021

The rapid development of the transportation industry has brought about the demand for massive data transmission. In order to make use of a large number of heterogeneous network resources in vehicular network, the research of applying network coding to multipath transmission has become a hot topic. Network coding can better solve the problems of packet reordering and low aggregation efficiency. The determination of coding scale is the key to network coding scheme. However, the existing research cannot adapt to the different characteristics of network resources in vehicular network, leading to larger decoding time cost and lower bandwidth aggregation efficiency. In this paper, we propose a network coding scheme called Delay Determined Group Size (DDGS), which could adaptively adjust the coding group according to the heterogeneous wireless networks state. The mathematical analysis and process design of the DDGS scheme are discussed in detail. Through a large number of simulations, we proved that the DDGS scheme is significantly superior to other coding group determination schemes in terms of decoding time cost and bandwidth aggregation efficiency.
Simulation of J-Solution Solving Process of Navier–Stokes Equation
Authors: Wang Wenjie , Ayana Melkamu Teshome
Published: May 2021

To avoid grid degradation, the numerical analysis of the j-solution of the Navier–Stokes equation has been studied. The Navier–Stokes equations describe the motion of viscous fluid substances. On the basis of the advantages and disadvantages of the Navier–Stokes equations, the incompressible terms and the nonlinear terms are separated, and the original boundary conditions satisfying the j-solution of the Navier–Stokes equation are analyzed. Secondly, the development of a computational grid has been introduced; the turbulence model has also been described. The fluid form and the initial value of the j-solution of the Navier–Stokes equation are combined. The original boundary conditions are solved by a computer, and the nonlinear turbulence equations are derived, which control the fluid flow. The simulation of the fine grid is comprehended to analyze the research outcome. Simulation analysis is carried out to generate multiblock-structured grids with high quality. The j-solution on the grid points is the j-solution that can be used with a fewer number of meshes under the same conditions. The proposed work is easy to implement, and it consumes lesser memory. The results obtained are able to avoid mesh degradation skillfully, and the generated mesh exhibits the characteristics of smoothness, orthogonality, and controllability, which eventually improves the calculation accuracy.
Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Origanum majorana L. Methanolic Extract on Bile Duct Ligation in Male Rats
Authors: Gheitasi Izadpanah , Motaghi Nikta , Sadeghi Hossein , Sadeghi Heibatollah , Moslemi Zahra , Eftekhari Mahdieh , Shakerinasab Nasrin , Doustimotlagh Amir Hossein
Published: May 2021

Introduction. Cholestasis is caused by malfunction of the hepatobiliary system. This disorder is the result of the accumulation of bile fatty acids and other toxins in the liver. The aim of the current study was to investigate the antioxidative and hepatoprotective effects of methanolic extract of Origanum majorana L. (OM) on hepatic disorder and tissue damage induced by bile duct ligation (BDL) in rats. Materials and methods. Twenty-eight male Wistar rats were randomly divided into 4 groups including sham control group received vehicle (SC-V), bile duct ligation received vehicle (BDL-V), bile duct ligation group received OM extract (BDL + OM), and sham control group received OM extract (SC + OM). One day after surgery, the animals received vehicle or methanolic extract of OM 300 mg/kg/day for 7 consecutive days by oral gavage. Finally, the animals were anesthetized and the blood samples were collected from each animal. After sacrificing of animals, liver tissue from each rat was removed and divided into three parts: one part was used for preparing of homogenized tissue, one part was fixed in 10% neutral formalin for histopathology examination, and the third part was kept in liquid nitrogen for gene expression analysis. Biomarkers of oxidative stress in the liver tissue and serum, as well as histopathological changes of the liver, were assessed. Also, the gene expression of IL-1, TNF-α, TGF-β, and α-SMA has been measured. Results. The results showed that BDL-V significantly increased the activity of ALT, AST, ALP, and total bilirubin compared to the SC-V group. The oxidative stress markers such as MDA and FRAP significantly increased due to BDL, while the CAT activity reduced in the BDL-V group compared to SC-V group. Oral treatment with OM reduced ALT and AST activity, although it was not statistically significant. OM treatment considerably increased the activity of CAT compared to BDL group. BDL-V induced a significant histological change in the liver, while treatment with OM at a dose of 300 mg/kg showed a minor effect on histopathological changes. In addition, the mRNA of IL-1, TNF-α, TGF-β, and α-SMA significantly increased in the BDL-V group, while treatment with OM only significantly reduced TGF-β in comparison with BDL-V rats. Conclusions. The results of the present study showed that oral administration of OM extract had a moderate protective effect on cholestasis due to BDL. Indeed, more studies with different doses of extract are needed to confirm this finding.
Based on Network Pharmacology and Molecular Docking to Explore the Underlying Mechanism of Huangqi Gegen Decoction for Treating Diabetic Nephropathy
Authors: Ding Shanshan , Wang Weihao , Song Xujiao , Ma Hao
Published: May 2021

Background. Huangqi Gegen decoction (HGD), a Chinese herb formula, has been widely used to treat diabetic nephropathy in China, while the pharmacological mechanisms are still unclear. Therefore, the present study aims to explore the underlying mechanism of HGD for treating diabetic nephropathy (DN). Materials and Methods. Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database (TCMSP), UniProt, and SwissTargetPrediction databases were used to search the active ingredients and potential targets of HGD. In addition, multiple disease-related databases were used to collect DN-related targets. Common targets of the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network were established using the STRING database. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses were performed using the DAVID database. At last, AutoDockVina was used to conduct molecular docking verification for the core components and targets. Results. A total of 27 active ingredients and 354 putative identified target genes were screened from HGD, of which 99 overlapped with the targets of DN and were considered potential therapeutic targets. Further analysis showed that the HGD activity of quercetin, formononetin, kaempferol, isorhamnetin, and beta-sitosterol ingredients is possible through VEGFA, IL6, TNF, AKT1, and TP53 targets involved in TNF, toll-like receptors, and MAPK-related pathways, which have anti-inflammatory, antiapoptosis, antioxidation, and autophagy effects, relieve renal fibrosis and renal cortex injury, and improve renal function, thus delaying the development of DN. The molecular docking results showed that quercetin, formononetin, kaempferol, isorhamnetin, beta-sitosterol had a good binding activity with VEGFA, IL6, TNF, AKT1, and TP53. Conclusion. This study demonstrated that HGD might take part in the treatment of DN through multicomponent, multitarget, and multichannel combined action.
[Retracted] Optimization of an Intelligent Music‐Playing System Based on Network Communication
Authors: Zhang Liaoyan
Published: May 2021

Streaming media server is the core system of audio and video application in the Internet; it has a wide range of applications in music recommendation. As song libraries and users of music websites and APPs continue to increase, user interaction data are generated at an increasingly fast rate, making the shortcomings of the original offline recommendation system and the advantages of the real‐time streaming recommendation system more and more obvious. This paper describes in detail the working methods and contents of each stage of the real‐time streaming music recommendation system, including requirement analysis, overall design, implementation of each module of the system, and system testing and analysis, from a practical scenario. Moreover, this paper analyzes the current research status and deficiencies in the field of music recommendation by analyzing the user interaction data of real music websites. From the actual requirements of the system, the functional and performance goals of the system are proposed to address these deficiencies, and then the functional structure, general architecture, and database model of the system are designed, and how to interact with the server side and the client side is investigated. For the implementation of data collection and statistics module, this paper adopts Flume and Kafka to collect user behavior data and uses Spark Streaming and Redis to count music popularity trends and support efficient query. The recommendation engine module in this paper is designed and optimized using Spark to implement incremental matrix decomposition on data streams, online collaborative topic model, and improved item‐based collaborative filtering algorithm. In the system testing section, the functionality and performance of the system are tested, and the recommendation engine is tested with real datasets to show the discovered music themes and analyze the test results in detail.
Pharmaceutical Values of Calycosin: One Type of Flavonoid Isolated from Astragalus
Authors: Gong Guowei , Zheng Yuzhong , Yang Yang , Sui Yixuan , Wen Zhen
Published: May 2021

Astragalus is a popular Materia Medica in China, and it could be applied in the treatment of various diseases. It contains a variety of chemically active ingredients, such as saponins, flavonoids, and polysaccharides. Plant-derived bioactive chemicals are considered natural, safe, and beneficial. Among the infinite plant-identified and isolated molecules, flavonoids have been reported to have positive effects on human health. Calycosin is the most important active flavonoid substance identified predominantly within this medicinal plant. In recent years, calycosin has been reported to have anticancer, antioxidative, immune-modulatory, and estrogenic-like properties. This review collected recent relevant literatures on calycosin and summarized its potential pharmaceutical properties and working mechanism involved, which provided solid basis for future clinical research.
Cross-Cultural Communication of Regional Images Based on Multimodal Discourse Analysis and Network Security
Authors: Xu Qing , Wang Guangming
Published: May 2021

Numerous evaluation methods are used as effective indicators for the cross-cultural communication of a regional image. However, because these indicators are primarily in a foreign cultural situation, it is challenging to measure their attitudes and cognitions across geographic distances and cultural differences. This challenge motivated us to combine cultural communication methods and modern location service technology to carry out regional image communication research. First, this article examines the basic process of cross-cultural communication and the generation of regional images from an information transmission and network security perspective. It combines multimodal discourse to analyze influencing factors and establishes a hierarchical model of the cross-cultural communication indicator system. Secondly, based on the location-based service (LBS), this article adds scene information to develop a user tendency model. This model effectively handles the conversion between two-dimensional scoring space and three-dimensional tendency space and can adapt to the short-term changes of users' tendency. The experimental results verify that the location-based e-commerce recommendation algorithm proposed in this paper can better solve information overload and obtain a significant recommendation effect.
EERP-DPM: Energy Efficient Routing Protocol Using Dual Prediction Model for Healthcare Using IoT
Authors: Almalki Faris A. , Ben Othman Soufiene , A. Almalki Fahad , Sakli Hedi
Published: May 2021

Healthcare is one of the most promising domains for the application of Internet of Things- (IoT-) based technologies, where patients can use wearable or implanted medical sensors to measure medical parameters anywhere and anytime. The information collected by IoT devices can then be sent to the health care professionals, and physicians allow having a real-time access to patients’ data. However, besides limited batteries lifetime and computational power, there is spatio-temporal correlation, where unnecessary transmission of these redundant data has a significant impact on reducing energy consumption and reducing battery lifetime. Thus, this paper aims to propose a routing protocol to enhance energy-efficiency, which in turn prolongs the sensor lifetime. The proposed work is based on Energy Efficient Routing Protocol using Dual Prediction Model (EERP-DPM) for Healthcare using IoT, where Dual-Prediction Mechanism is used to reduce data transmission between sensor nodes and medical server if predictions match the readings or if the data are considered critical if it goes beyond the upper/lower limits of defined thresholds. The proposed system was developed and tested using MATLAB software and a hardware platform called “MySignals HW V2.” Both simulation and experimental results confirm that the proposed EERP-DPM protocol has been observed to be extremely successful compared to other existing routing protocols not only in terms of energy consumption and network lifetime but also in terms of guaranteeing reliability, throughput, and end-to-end delay.
Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Multi-Hit TP53 Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Treated with Ibrutinib
Authors: Brieghel Christian , Aarup Kathrine , Torp Mathias H. , Andersen Michael A. , Yde Christina W. , Tian Xin , Wiestner Adrian , Ahn Inhye E. , Niemann Carsten U.
Published: May 2021

Purpose:

TP53 aberration (TP53 mutation and/or 17p deletion) is the most important predictive marker in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Although each TP53 aberration is considered an equal prognosticator, the prognostic value of carrying isolated (single-hit) or multiple (multi-hit) TP53 aberrations remains unclear, particularly in the context of targeted agents.

Patients and Methods:

We performed deep sequencing of TP53 using baseline samples collected from 51 TP53 aberrant patients treated with ibrutinib in a phase II study (NCT01500733).

Results:

We identified TP53 mutations in 43 patients (84%) and del(17p) in 47 (92%); 9 and 42 patients carried single-hit and multi-hit TP53, respectively. The multi-hit TP53 subgroup was enriched with younger patients who had prior treatments and unmutated immunoglobulin heavy-chain variable region gene status. We observed significantly shorter overall survival, progression-free survival (PFS), and time-to-progression (TTP) in patients with multi-hit TP53 compared with those with single-hit TP53. Clinical outcomes were similar in patient subgroups stratified by 2 or >2 TP53 aberrations. In multivariable analyses, multi-hit TP53 CLL was independently associated with inferior PFS and TTP. In sensitivity analyses, excluding mutations below 1% VAF demonstrated similar outcome. Results were validated in an independent population-based cohort of 112 patients with CLL treated with ibrutinib.

Conclusions:

In this study, single-hit TP53 defines a distinct subgroup of patients with an excellent long-term response to single-agent ibrutinib, whereas multi-hit TP53 is independently associated with shorter PFS. These results warrant further investigations on prognostication and management of multi-hit TP53 CLL.

See related commentary by Bomben et al., p. 4462
Goldberg-Shprintzen Syndrome Associated with a Novel Variant in the KIFBPGene
Authors: Ozyavuz Cubuk Pelin
Published: May 2021

Goldberg-Shprintzen syndrome (GOSHS) is characterized by microcephaly, developmental delay, dysmorphic features, Hirschsprung disease (HSCR), and brain anomalies. The kinesin family binding protein (KIFBP; MIM 60937) gene has been identified as the responsible gene of the syndrome. To date, 16 different biallelic KIFBP mutations have been identified in 34 patients with GOSHS. Even though most of these mutations are nonsense and frameshift, 3 missense mutations have also been described. Here, we report an 18-month-old patient with microcephaly, developmental delay, dysmorphic features and HSCR. Exome analysis was performed to clarify the etiology of the clinical features. A previously unreported homozygous c.1723delC (p.H575Ifs*19) variant was detected in the last exon 7 of KIFBP which led to GOSHS. According to our findings, we suggest that this mutation expands mutational databases and contributes to the understanding of the phenotypic features of the syndrome.
Motivational Interviewing for Cannabis Use Disorders: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Calomarde-Gómez Cristina , Jiménez-Fernández Bel , Balcells-Oliveró Mercedes , Gual Antoni , López-Pelayo Hugo
Published: May 2021

Background: Cannabis is one of the most used drugs worldwide. There is no gold standard treatment for cannabis use disorder (CUD). Motivational interviewing (MI) has shown efficacy in some substance use disorders. Therefore, a systematic review was conducted to assess the effectiveness of MI in CUD. Methods: Randomized controlled trials or open-label studies published until September 2019 from 3 different databases (Pubmed, Scopus, and PsycINFO) were included, following the PRISMA guidelines and a predetermined set of criteria for article selection. Meta-analyses were conducted. The end point was determined as month 3, and 4 outcomes were analysed (abstinence rates, reduction in frequency of use, reduction in quantity of use, and reduction in cannabis use disorder symptoms) in 2 populations (adolescents and adults). Results: Forty studies were identified, of which 24 were performed in adults and 16 in adolescents. MI showed efficacy in achieving abstinence in both adults (odds ratio [OR] = 3.84, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.40–6.16, p < 0.0001) and adolescents (OR = 2.02, 95% CI 1.42–2.89, p < 0.0001). MI showed efficacy in reducing frequency and quantity of use in adults but not in adolescents. Those adults who were in the MI group consumed less joints per day than those in the control group (mean difference = −0.69 joints per day, 95% CI −0.84 to −0.53, p < 0.001), and they consumed on less days per month (mean difference = −3.9 days per month, 95% CI −7.47 to −0.34, p = 0.0317) than those in the control group. Conclusions: MI is an effective intervention to reduce cannabis use and achieve abstinence, especially among adults and patients with no prior history of psychotic disorder. Further investigation is needed to assess the effect on CUD symptoms. MI should be included in guidelines for treating cannabis use disorder as one of the essential psychological interventions.