bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Tumor mutational burden assessment in non-small-cell lung cancer samples: results from the TMB2 harmonization project comparing three NGS panels
Authors: Ramos-Paradas Javier , Hernández-Prieto Susana , Lora David , Sanchez Elena , Rosado Aranzazu , Caniego-Casas Tamara , Carrizo Nuria , Enguita Ana Belén , Muñoz-Jimenez María Teresa , Rodriguez Borja , Perez-Gonzalez Urbicio , Gómez-Sánchez David , Ferrer Irene , Ponce Aix Santiago , Nuñez Buiza Ángel , Garrido Pilar , Palacios José , Lopez-Rios Fernando , Garrido-Martin Eva M , Paz-Ares Luis
Published: May 2021

Background

Tumor mutational burden (TMB) is a recently proposed predictive biomarker for immunotherapy in solid tumors, including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Available assays for TMB determination differ in horizontal coverage, gene content and algorithms, leading to discrepancies in results, impacting patient selection. A harmonization study of TMB assessment with available assays in a cohort of patients with NSCLC is urgently needed.

Methods

We evaluated the TMB assessment obtained with two marketed next generation sequencing panels: TruSight Oncology 500 (TSO500) and Oncomine Tumor Mutation Load (OTML) versus a reference assay (Foundation One, FO) in 96 NSCLC samples. Additionally, we studied the level of agreement among the three methods with respect to PD-L1 expression in tumors, checked the level of different immune infiltrates versus TMB, and performed an inter-laboratory reproducibility study. Finally, adjusted cut-off values were determined.

Results

Both panels showed strong agreement with FO, with concordance correlation coefficients (CCC) of 0.933 (95% CI 0.908 to 0.959) for TSO500 and 0.881 (95% CI 0.840 to 0.922) for OTML. The corresponding CCCs were 0.951 (TSO500-FO) and 0.919 (OTML-FO) in tumors with <1% of cells expressing PD-L1 (PD-L1<1%; N=55), and 0.861 (TSO500-FO) and 0.722 (OTML-FO) in tumors with PD-L1≥1% (N=41). Inter-laboratory reproducibility analyses showed higher reproducibility with TSO500. No significant differences were found in terms of immune infiltration versus TMB. Adjusted cut-off values corresponding to 10 muts/Mb with FO needed to be lowered to 7.847 muts/Mb (TSO500) and 8.380 muts/Mb (OTML) to ensure a sensitivity >88%. With these cut-offs, the positive predictive value was 78.57% (95% CI 67.82 to 89.32) and the negative predictive value was 87.50% (95% CI 77.25 to 97.75) for TSO500, while for OTML they were 73.33% (95% CI 62.14 to 84.52) and 86.11% (95% CI 74.81 to 97.41), respectively.

Conclusions

Both panels exhibited robust analytical performances for TMB assessment, with stronger concordances in patients with negative PD-L1 expression. TSO500 showed a higher inter-laboratory reproducibility. The cut-offs for each assay were lowered to optimal overlap with FO.
Incremental prognostic value of visually estimated coronary artery calcium in patients undergoing positron emission tomography imaging
Authors: Selvaraj Senthil , Khan Muhammad Shoaib , Vidula Mahesh K , Wiener Philip C , de Feria Alejandro E , Rojulpote Chaitanya , Krishnan Sheela , Tamrat Ruth , Julien Howard , Jacoby Douglas , Litt Harold , Pryma Daniel , Dubroff Jacob , Guerraty Marie A , Bravo Paco
Published: May 2021

Objective

Visually estimated coronary artery calcium (VECAC) from chest CT or attenuation correction (AC)/CT obtained during positron emission tomography (PET)–myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) is feasible. Our aim was to determine the prognostic value of VECAC beyond conventional risk factors and PET imaging parameters, including coronary flow reserve (CFR).

Methods

We analysed 608 patients without known coronary artery disease who underwent PET–MPI between 2012 and 2016 and had AC/CT and/or chest CT images. We used Cox regression to estimate the association of VECAC categories (≤10, 11–400, >400 Agatston units (AU)) with the primary outcome of all-cause death, acute coronary syndrome or stroke (mean follow-up 4.3±1.8 years). C-statistics assessed the relationship between PET parameters and VECAC with the primary outcome.

Results

Mean age was 58±11 years, 65% were women and 67% were black. VECAC ≤10, 11–400 and >400 AU was observed in 68%, 12% and 20% of subjects, respectively. Compared with VECAC ≤10, VECAC categories 11–400 (HR 2.25, 95% CI 1.24 to 4.08) and >400 AU (HR 3.05, 95% CI 1.87 to 4.98) were associated with the primary outcome after adjusting for traditional risk factors, MPI findings and CFR. Adding VECAC to a model that included PET–MPI, CFR and clinical risk factors improved the prognostic value for the primary outcomes (c-statistic 0.71 to 0.75 with VECAC, p=0.01).

Conclusions

VECAC is a potent predictor of events beyond traditional risk factors and PET imaging markers, including CFR. These data further support the importance for routine VECAC implementation.
Physical activity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis - an agile lifelong behaviour: a qualitative meta-synthesis
Authors: Swärdh Emma , Opava Christina , Brodin Nina
Published: May 2021

Background

Physical activity (PA) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is considered a cornerstone in the treatment. To highlight aspects involved in supporting a positive PA behaviour, it is important to understand the patients’ perceptions of the phenomenon.

Objective

The aim of this qualitative meta-synthesis was to explore and synthesise patient perceptions of PA in RA.

Methods

A purposeful search was conducted across three online databases (PubMed, CINAHL and Web of Science). The methodological quality of the included studies was appraised, and data were extracted and analysed using an interpretive inductive thematic synthesis.

Results

Fifteen studies met the inclusion criteria and were included. PA was identified as an agile lifelong behaviour, with one main theme: The disease as a persistent catalyst for or against PA illustrating how the constant presence of the disease itself underlies the entire process of a life with or without regular PA. Seven subthemes: ‘considering aggravated symptoms’, ‘acknowledging the impact on health’, ‘becoming empowered and taking action’, ‘keeping informed to increase awareness’, ‘creating body awareness’, ‘dealing with social support’ and ‘feeling satisfied with circumstances and achievements’ were interpreted as facilitators and/or challenges.

Conclusion

This synthesis has identified PA as an agile lifelong behaviour in which the disease pervades all aspects of an individuals’ perception of PA. Placed in a theoretical context, our findings outline a model for tailoring PA support to the drivers and determinants of a certain individual, which will improve clinical practice for the benefit of both health professionals and patients with RA.
Evaluating structural edge importance in temporal networks
Authors: Seabrook Isobel E. , Barucca Paolo , Caccioli Fabio
Published: May 2021

To monitor risk in temporal financial networks, we need to understand how individual behaviours affect the global evolution of networks. Here we define a structural importance metric—which we denote as $l_{e}$

l
e

—for the edges of a network. The metric is based on perturbing the adjacency matrix and observing the resultant change in its largest eigenvalues. We then propose a model of network evolution where this metric controls the probabilities of subsequent edge changes. We show using synthetic data how the parameters of the model are related to the capability of predicting whether an edge will change from its value of $l_{e}$

l
e

. We then estimate the model parameters associated with five real financial and social networks, and we study their predictability. These methods have applications in financial regulation whereby it is important to understand how individual changes to financial networks will impact their global behaviour. It also provides fundamental insights into spectral predictability in networks, and it demonstrates how spectral perturbations can be a useful tool in understanding the interplay between micro and macro features of networks.
Interface-dominated mechanical behavior of CF/PEKK composites according to different heating rate during thermoforming process
Authors: Park Seong-Jae , Yu Tianyu , Park Soo-Jeong , Lee Kyo-Moon , Kim Yun-Hae
Published: May 2021

While thermoplastic polymers exhibit several desirable properties, their applicability is limited by their high viscosity and extreme processing conditions. To overcome these limitations, in this study, we used the thermoforming process to produce carbon fiber/polyetherketoneketone (CF/PEKK) laminates, which were pre-made through an oven-based consolidation process using prepregs. The laminates were produced at three different heating rates ([Formula: see text]C/min, [Formula: see text]C/min and [Formula: see text]C/min). The laminates produced at the heating rate of [Formula: see text]C/min showed improved interlaminar shear strength, [Formula: see text] tensile strength, and average interlaminar fracture toughness. On the other hand, heating at rates higher than [Formula: see text]C/min increased the initiation value of the interlaminar fracture toughness ([Formula: see text] but resulted in nonuniform composites of poor quality. This is because increasing the heating rate reduced the uniformity of the heat distribution with the laminates, resulting in the polymer molecules exhibiting different binding rates and thus nonuniform cross-linking. Thus, the proposed method is a suitable one for producing high-quality thermoplastic composites.
Web-based Exploration of Annotated Multi-Layered Relightable Image Models
Authors: Jaspe-Villanueva Alberto , Ahsan Moonisa , Pintus Ruggero , Giachetti Andrea , Marton Fabio , Gobbetti Enrico
Published: May 2021

We introduce a novel approach for exploring image-based shape and material models registered with structured descriptive information fused in multi-scale overlays. We represent the objects of interest as a series of registered layers of image-based shape and material data. These layers are represented at different scales and can come out of a variety of pipelines. These layers can include both Reflectance Transformation Imaging representations, and spatially varying normal and Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function fields, possibly as a result of fusing multi-spectral data. An overlay image pyramid associates visual annotations to the various scales. The overlay pyramid of each layer is created at data preparation time by either one of the three subsequent methods: (1) by importing it from other pipelines, (2) by creating it with the simple annotation drawing toolkit available within the viewer, and (3) with external image editing tools. This makes it easier for the user to seamlessly draw annotations over the region of interest. At runtime, clients can access an annotated multi-layered dataset by a standard web server. Users can explore these datasets on a variety of devices; they range from small mobile devices to large-scale displays used in museum installations. On all these aforementioned platforms, JavaScript/WebGL2 clients running in browsers are fully capable of performing layer selection, interactive relighting, enhanced visualization, and annotation display. We address the problem of clutter by embedding interactive lenses. This focus-and-context-aware (multiple-layer) exploration tool supports exploration of more than one representation in a single view. That allows mixing and matching of presentation modes and annotation display. The capabilities of our approach are demonstrated on a variety of cultural heritage use-cases. That involves different kinds of annotated surface and material models.
Community Detection in Multiplex Networks
Authors: Magnani Matteo , Hanteer Obaida , Interdonato Roberto , Rossi Luca , Tagarelli Andrea
Published: May 2021

A multiplex network models different modes of interaction among same-type entities. In this article, we provide a taxonomy of community detection algorithms in multiplex networks. We characterize the different algorithms based on various properties and we discuss the type of communities detected by each method. We then provide an extensive experimental evaluation of the reviewed methods to answer three main questions: to what extent the evaluated methods are able to detect ground-truth communities, to what extent different methods produce similar community structures, and to what extent the evaluated methods are scalable. One goal of this survey is to help scholars and practitioners to choose the right methods for the data and the task at hand, while also emphasizing when such choice is problematic.
User Response Prediction in Online Advertising
Authors: Gharibshah Zhabiz , Zhu Xingquan
Published: May 2021

Online advertising, as a vast market, has gained significant attention in various platforms ranging from search engines, third-party websites, social media, and mobile apps. The prosperity of online campaigns is a challenge in online marketing and is usually evaluated by user response through different metrics, such as clicks on advertisement (ad) creatives, subscriptions to products, purchases of items, or explicit user feedback through online surveys. Recent years have witnessed a significant increase in the number of studies using computational approaches, including machine learning methods, for user response prediction. However, existing literature mainly focuses on algorithmic-driven designs to solve specific challenges, and no comprehensive review exists to answer many important questions. What are the parties involved in the online digital advertising eco-systems? What type of data are available for user response prediction? How do we predict user response in a reliable and/or transparent way? In this survey, we provide a comprehensive review of user response prediction in online advertising and related recommender applications. Our essential goal is to provide a thorough understanding of online advertising platforms, stakeholders, data availability, and typical ways of user response prediction. We propose a taxonomy to categorize state-of-the-art user response prediction methods, primarily focusing on the current progress of machine learning methods used in different online platforms. In addition, we also review applications of user response prediction, benchmark datasets, and open source codes in the field.
Designing Evidence-Based Preventive Interventions That Reach More People, Faster, and with More Impact in Global Contexts
Authors: Rotheram-Borus Mary Jane
Published: May 2021

This article demonstrates the substantial similarities globally among preventive, evidence-based interventions (EBIs) designed to address HIV by providing four examples: an HIV family-focused intervention, the Community Popular Opinion Leader intervention, a South African maternal/child health program, and an EBI for sex workers in India. Each identified the key problems in the target population, utilized well-established social cognitive theories, created processes for engaging the target population, set standards for staff accountability, and included routine data collection to facilitate iterative program improvements over time. Building EBIs based on these common, robust features is an alternative design strategy to replication with fidelity. These components provide a road map for researchers, especially those using new technologies, and for local providers seeking to deliver EBIs that match their clients’ and communities’ needs. Technology platforms and community organizations may serve as resources for designers of the next generation of EBIs, offering an alternative to repeatedly validating the same interventions and replicating them with fidelity.
Boosting Electrocatalytic Performance of Co(OH)2/NC for Oxygen Reduction Reaction by a Secondary-N-Doping Strategy
Authors: Zhang Hui-Juan , Cai Chunlei , Ma Zi-Feng , Xue Yuhua , Zhang Jiujun
Published: May 2021

Improving the electrocatalysts’ performance for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is crucial. In this work, a secondary-N-doping strategy is developed for enhancing the ORR electrocatalytic performance of Co(OH)2/NC, where NC is prepared from pyrolysis of carbon with melamine at 900 °C, then Co(OH)2/NC is obtained from depositing Co(OH)2 nanosheets on NC. The secondary-N-doping strategy is carried out by pyrolyzing Co(OH)2/NC with melamine at 600 °C to form the sample named as Co/NC-N. Based on the beneficial microstructure of the increased defect degree, N content and abundant N-containing active moieties, such as pyridinic N, Co-Nx and pyrrolic-N, the obtained Co/NC-N exhibits an improved ORR peak potential (Ep) of 0.865 V and half-wave potential (E1/2) of 0.820 V, higher than those of Co(OH)2/NC (0.825 V and 0.805 V), NC (0.770 V and 0.705 V), NC-N (0.779 V and 0.731 V) as well as Co/NC-N-N (0.818 V and 0.781 V). Its enhanced ORR kinetics with a Tafel value of 68 mV dec−1 is also observed, which is lower than those of 72 mV dec−1 for Co(OH)2/NC, 81 mV dec−1 for Co/NC-N-N, 91 mV dec−1 for NC-N and 107 mV dec−1 for NC. This work provides a general strategy for enhancing electrocatalysts’ ORR performance.
The concept-sharing approach: a teaching strategy to promote objective-oriented learning and academic performance in medical students
Authors: Thanprasertsuk Sekh , Jumrustanasan Tanoo , Somboonkusolsil Laksanaree , Khwanjaipanich Sirawit , Sukkee Jirawin , Watanatada Pasakorn , Qureshi Shaun Peter , Bongsebandhu-phubhakdi Saknan
Published: May 2021

Traditionally teachers display the learning outline at the beginning and conclusions at the end of didactic teaching sessions, and students may find it difficult to understand how teaching activities relate to learning objectives and what they should study for assessments. We introduced the “concept-sharing approach” in our neurophysiology course. This approach explicates how the content relates with learning objectives throughout the entirety of each teaching session to help the students assimilate the learning material and direct their learning in an objective-orientated way. In this study, we aimed to examine satisfaction of the concept-sharing approach in medical students and to investigate the relationship between student perception of this teaching strategy and academic performance. The results demonstrated that most participants (74.1%) had a positive impression of this teaching strategy at the end of the course, which was significantly >50.7% at the beginning of the course ( P < 0.001). The participants who agreed the concept-sharing approach was useful had significantly higher final assessment ( P = 0.014) and end-of-course formative assessment scores ( P = 0.001). The findings indicate that after experiencing this new teaching approach, medical students appreciate its utility and that students who engage with this approach are more likely to perform well in assessments. In summary, the concept-sharing approach is a simple teaching strategy which was favored by students and may promote academic performance.
Lessons from the impact of COVID-19 on medical educational continuity and practices
Authors: Vatier Camille , Carrié Alain , Renaud Marie-Christine , Simon-Tillaux Noémie , Hertig Alexandre , Jéru Isabelle
Published: May 2021

The COVID-19 crisis necessitated abrupt transition to remote learning in medical schools. We aimed to assess the impact of COVID-19 on French undergraduate students and teachers, to identify practice changes, and to evaluate successes and areas for improvement of this remote learning experience. Data from 2 online questionnaires were analyzed with 509 participants among students and 189 among teachers from Sorbonne University. Responses to multiple choice, Likert response scale, and open-ended questions were evaluated. COVID-19 had negative impact on teaching continuity. Sixty-seven percent of students were in a dropout situation, and many suffered from psychological stress, leading to set up of a psychological support unit. Although most teachers (81%) and students (72%) had limited knowledge of digital resources, distance learning was quickly implemented, with a predominant use of Zoom. The analysis of several parameters revealed that students were significantly more satisfied than teachers by remote learning. Nevertheless, both students and teachers agreed to replace classical lectures by digital media and to promote in-person teaching in small interactive groups. This paper shares tips for faculty rapidly establishing remote learning. This comparative study of the students’ and teachers’ points of view underlines that new medical curricula should include more digital contents. We make recommendations regarding general university organization, equipment, and curricular development for long-term implementation of digital resources with reinforced relationships between faculty and students.
Flipped teaching eased the transition from face-to-face teaching to online instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Beason-Abmayr Beth , Caprette David R. , Gopalan Chaya
Published: May 2021

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Rice University canceled classes for the week of March 9–13, 2020 and shifted all instruction to online only following spring break. For the second half of the semester, animal physiology was taught exclusively over Zoom. Here we describe how a flipped teaching format that was used before the pandemic eased the transition from face-to-face teaching to online instruction. The preclass preparation resources and the active learning materials that were already in place for flipped teaching were helpful in the transition to solely online teaching. Therefore, the focus during the transition was to reconfigure active learning and examinations from the face-to-face format to the online platform. Instead of small group discussions in the classroom, teams interacted in Zoom Breakout Rooms. Rather than taking exams in-person during scheduled class time, students submitted exams online. Additionally, students prerecorded their project presentations instead of presenting them “live” during the last week of classes. Overall, students felt that the class smoothly transitioned to a remote only format. These and other changes to the instructional methods will be implemented during the Spring 2021 semester when the course is taught fully online.
Amidation-Modified Apelin-13 Regulates PPARγ and Perilipin to Inhibit Adipogenic Differentiation and Promote Lipolysis
Authors: Wang Sha , Gao Guoying , He Yiwei , Li Qiong , Li Zhan , Tong Guoxiang
Published: May 2021

With the adjustment of human diet and lifestyle changes, the prevalence of obesity is increasing year by year. Obesity is closely related to the excessive accumulation of white adipose tissue (WAT), which can synthesize and secrete a variety of adipokines. Apelin is a biologically active peptide in the adipokines family. Past studies have shown that apelin plays an important regulatory role in the pathogenesis and pathophysiology of diseases such as the cardiovascular system, respiratory system, digestive system, nervous system, and endocrine system. Apelin is also closely related to diabetes and obesity. Therefore, we anticipate that apelin-13 has an effect on lipometabolism and intend to explore the effect of apelin-13 on lipometabolism at the cellular and animal levels. In in vitro experiments, amidation-modified apelin-13 can significantly reduce the lipid content; TG content; and the expression of PPARγ, perilipin mRNA, and protein in adipocytes. Animal experiments also show that amidation modification apelin-13 can improve the abnormal biochemical indicators of diet-induced obesity (DOI) rats and can reduce the average diameter of adipocytes in adipose tissue, the concentration of glycerol, and the expression of PPARγ and perilipin mRNA and protein. Our results show that apelin-13 can affect the metabolism of adipose tissue, inhibit adipogenic differentiation of adipocytes, promote lipolysis, and thereby improve obesity. The mechanism may be regulating the expression of PPARγ to inhibit adipogenic differentiation and regulating the expression of perilipin to promote lipolysis. This study helps us understand the role of apelin-13 in adipose tissue and provide a basis for the elucidation of the regulation mechanism of lipometabolism and the development of antiobesity drugs.
The Relationships between Leptin, Genotype, and Chinese Medicine Body Constitution for Obesity
Authors: Hou Hsiang-I. , Chen Hsing-Yu , Lu Jang-Jih , Chang Shih-Cheng , Li Hsueh-Yu , Jiang Kun-Hao , Chen Jiun-Liang
Published: May 2021

Background and Purpose. Obesity is a widespread and increasingly severe problem worldwide. Several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with obesity have been identified, reflecting metabolic disorders between the environment, diet, and body constitution. Traditional Chinese medicine body constitution (TCMBC) plays a central role in the classification of human body constitution from the viewpoint of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). This study aims at exploring the relations between TCMBC and obesity-related biochemistry profiles and SNPs. Methods. The adults with body mass index (BMI) more than 27 kg/m2 were enrolled in the study. General personal information, physical condition, TCMBC, biochemical, and SNPs were collected for eligible subjects. The body constitution questionnaire (BCQ) was used to evaluate the relationships between TCMBC tendency, biochemical values, and obesity-related SNPs. Results. Obesity patients tended to have a yin deficiency constitution (YinDC) (n = 33, 66.0%); however, TCMBC in combination is not uncommon (30 subjects with more than two TCMBC in combination). For biochemical profiles, leptin was higher among patients with yang deficiency constitution (YangDC) (YangDC versus non-YangDC: 29.7 ± 24.8 versus 15.9 ± 9.9,

P
=
0.020

) and YinDC (YinDC versus non-YinDC: 28.8 ± 23.5 versus 14.4 ± 9.6,

P
=
0.020

). The leptin level was highest among YangDC subjects. Higher leptin was found among subjects with three-combined TCMBC than balanced TCMBC subjects who were not inclined to any of three TCMBC. For obesity-related SNPs, the adrenergic receptor beta-3 (ADRB3) gene tended to be high expression among YangDC (YangDC versus non-YangDC: 89.7% versus 71.4%,

P
=
0.091

) and uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) tended to be high expression among phlegm-stasis constitution (PSC) (PSC versus non-PSC: 37.9% versus 9.5%,

P
=
0.052

). Conclusions. The relationships between TCMBC, leptin, and SNPs present alternative viewpoints about TCMBC and could be used as a guide to treat obese patients.
UCA1 Overexpression Promotes Hypoxic Breast Cancer Cell Proliferation and Inhibits Apoptosis via HIF-1α Activation
Authors: Choudhry Hani
Published: May 2021

The noncoding RNA termed urothelial carcinoma-associated 1 (UCA1) is an oncogenic lncRNA involved in promoting the growth of several tumors through various pathways. The aim of this study was to explore the expression of UCA1 in hypoxic breast cancer and its impact on tumorigenesis in low levels of oxygen. Here, we show that UCA1 is upregulated in a number of hypoxic (1% O2) breast cancer cells. In addition, UCA1 expression is significantly overexpressed in breast cancer tissues compared to matched normal cells. UCA1 knockdown in hypoxia inhibits breast cancer proliferation and induces apoptosis. The knockdown of hypoxia-inducible transcription factor 1α (HIF-1α) but not HIF-2α significantly decreases the expression of UCA1 in hypoxia. Overall, these findings indicate that UCA1 is a hallmark of hypoxic breast cancer and its expression is positively regulated by HIF-1α.
Deformation Detection Model of High-Rise Building Foundation Pit Support Structure Based on Neural Network and Wireless Communication
Authors: Ding Diandian
Published: May 2021

The reasonable selection and optimized design of the deep foundation pit support scheme is directly related to the safety, construction period, and cost of the entire project. Here, based on a large number of theoretical results in many related fields, relevant influencing factors are systematically analyzed, and advanced mathematical algorithms such as neural networks are introduced according to the relevant characteristics of building deep foundation pit support construction. First of all, this paper designs and implements deep foundation pit construction safety risk technology based on wireless communication and BIM technology and analyzes and describes the framework and function of the foundation pit construction safety risk identification system. Secondly, we use neural network algorithms to study the deformation prediction of the foundation pit supporting structure, which can describe the expression method of the above safety knowledge. Finally, the differences and benefits of this method and traditional methods are compared through experiments, which show that this technology can pave the way for the construction of deep foundation pit construction safety risk knowledge.
The Role of Motivation and Desire in Explaining Students’ VR Games Addiction: A Cognitive-Behavioral Perspective
Authors: Zhai Xuesong , Asmi Fahad , Yuan Jing , Anwar Muhammad Azfar , Siddiquei Nabia Luqman , Ahmad Intikhab , Zhou Rongting
Published: May 2021

Virtual Reality games create an interactive platform for gaming and education for young people. While some longitudinal study has studied the beneficial effects of VR games on learning, the problematic use of VR games by a significant number of learners has become increasingly serious. The current study investigated the mediating effect of behavioral desire and moderation of cyber aggression on consumers’ VAD, which contributes to behavioral and psychological urge to use VR games. Data are from 367 VR games users collected. Findings suggest that behavioral desire influences addictive behavior in the presence of a positive flow experience. Furthermore, theoretical and practical implications in the context of VR-based games are also discussed in this current research.
The Advancement of Neutron Shielding Materials for the Storage of Spent Nuclear Fuel
Authors: Fu Xuelong , Ji Zhengbo , Lin Wei , Yu Yunfeng , Wu Tao
Published: May 2021

With the development of nuclear industry, spent nuclear fuel (SNF) generated from nuclear power plants arouses people’s attention as a result of its high radioactivity, and how to guarantee the reliable operation of nuclear facilities and the staff’s safety occupies a crucial position. To avoid the lethal irradiation, a lot of functional neutron shielding composites have been developed to transform fast neutrons into thermal neutrons which can be absorbed with high macroscopic cross-sectional elements. Irradiation characteristics of nuclear industry have promoted the advancement of neutron shielding materials. Here, we review the latest neutron shielding materials for the storage of spent nuclear fuel containing additives such as boron carbide (B4C), boron nitride (BN), boric acid (H3BO3), and colemanite. Different types of neutron shielding materials, including metal matrix alloys, polymer composites, high density concrete, heavy metals, paraffin, and other neutron shielding composites with high macroscopic cross-sectional elements, arediscussed. The elemental composition, density, and thermal and mechanical properties of neutron shielding materials are also summarized and compared.
A Novel LT Scheme without Feedback Messages for IoT of Smart City Scenarios
Authors: Wu Shuang , Guan Qingyang , Li Shanshan
Published: May 2021

For IoTs of smart city scenarios always with the low cost, low power consumption, and high transmission delay properties, the traditional protocols based on feedback messages, e.g., the Automatic Repeat reQuest (ARQ) schemes, would dramatically affect the transmission efficiency. Therefore, the LT codes with only one feedback message in each entire coding process can be used to substitute the traditional protocols. As in many IoTs of smart city scenarios, the data must have both high transmission efficiency and timeliness requirements; thus, the negative effect of only the feedback message in each entire coding process cannot be neglected in such transmission environments. To enhance the transmission efficiency of such ensembles, a novel LT scheme without feedback messages is proposed in this paper. By presenting the definitions of optimal decoding overhead and recovery ratio per symbol, the optimal decoding overhead of LT codes can be found directly, then the encoding overhead of the encoder can be predesigned also. For this reason, the feedback messages in LT schemes can be removed. By using the proposed LT scheme, the transmission efficiency of IoT of smart city scenarios can be enhanced.
New Efficient and Secured Authentication Protocol for Remote Healthcare Systems in Cloud-IoT
Authors: Azrour Mourade , Mabrouki Jamal , Chaganti Rajasekhar
Published: May 2021

Recently, Internet of Things and cloud computing are known to be emerged technologies in digital evolution. The first one is a large network used to interconnect embedded devices, while the second one refers to the possibility of offering infrastructure that can be used from anywhere and anytime. Due to their ability to provide remote services, IoT and cloud computing are actually integrated in various areas especially in the healthcare domain. However, the user private data such as health data must be secured by enhancing the authentication methods. Recently, Sharma and Kalra projected an authentication scheme for distant healthcare service-based cloud-IoT. Then, authors demonstrated that the proposed scheme is secure against various attacks. However, we prove in this paper that Sharma and Kalra’s protocol is prone to password guessing and smart card stolen attacks. Besides, we show that it has some security issues. For that reason, we propose an efficient and secured authentication scheme for remote healthcare systems in cloud-IoT. Then, we prove informally that our projected authentication scheme is secure against multiple attacks. Furthermore, the experimental tests done using Scyther tool show that our proposed scheme can withstand against known attacks as it ensures security requirements.
Enamel Surface Damage following Debonding of Ceramic Brackets: A Hospital-Based Study
Authors: Bora Neelutpal , Mahanta Putul , Kalita Deepjyoti , Deka Sangeeta , Konwar Ranjumoni , Phukan Chiranjita
Published: May 2021

Background and Objective. The primary responsibility of an orthodontist is to preserve the dental enamel structure during debonding ceramic brackets. The enamel injury caused at the time of bracket removal causes inconvenience to the patient and disturbs the treating orthodontist. This paper aims for an effective evidence-based debonding protocol to keep the enamel surface intact. Methods. The current study includes 80 extracted premolars of human from the patient visiting for orthodontic treatment of Coorg Institute of Dental Sciences, Karnataka, India. The brackets were debonded using four different methods. The enamel surface damage after the procedure was assessed with the Enamel Surface Index (ESI); similarly, the Adhesive Remnant Index (ARI) score was used to determine the adhesive residual deposit. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to visualize better microporosities and micromechanical retention of adhesive remnants on the enamel surface. The normality of the data was tested using the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test. Depending upon the normality test result, the one-way ANOVA test or Kruskal–Wallis test was used to test the mean ESI and mean ARI differences among different debonding methods along with the appropriate post hoc tests. The necessary ethical clearance was obtained from the Ethics Committee of the institute. Results. The ultrasonic scaler (US) technique led to more significant enamel surface damage, with 13 (65%) samples in the ESI scores III and IV against the satisfactory surface in 2 (10%) samples with the ligature cutter (LC) technique (ESI-I) reflecting LC as a better technique. The ESI scores (III and IV) for debonding plier (DP) and thermal method (TM) reflected a higher value in 12 (60%) and 10 (50%) samples and caused more damage to the enamel surface as compared to the LC technique. The ARI score was highest (ARI-1 = 40%) with the LC technique, followed by the US (ARI-1 = 20%), TM (ARI-1 = 15%), and DP (ARI-1 = 5%) methods. We have observed a significant association (

p

value <0.05) of the ARI score among four different debonding ways in terms of each tooth’s residual adhesive after the bracket removal. Conclusion. The result establishes the LC technique as a more acceptable one as it causes minimal harm to the debonded surface. The adhesive left on the debonded area is also minimum as compared to the other three methods tested. Therefore, it can be suggested as an ideal method.
Cost-Effectiveness Analysis Based on Intelligent Electronic Medical Arthroscopy for the Treatment of Varus Knee Osteoarthritis
Authors: Liu Chunfeng , Wang Zhen , Liu Jinlian , Xu Yaozeng
Published: May 2021

The incidence of inverted knee osteoarthritis is slowly increasing, there are technical limitations in the treatment, and the operation is difficult. In this article, we will study the benefits and costs of arthroscopic cleaning treatments based on intelligent electronic medicine. This article focuses on knee osteoarthritis patients in the EL database. There are 12 male patients, accounting for 66.67%, and 6 female patients, accounting for 33.33%. The average body mass index (BMI) of the patients was 28.08, the average time from first knee discomfort to surgery was 28.44 months, and the average time of arthroscopic debridement treatment for patients with VKOH knee osteoarthritis was 143.11 minutes. One case of perioperative complication occurred within 35 days after operation, which was a soleus muscle intermuscular venous thrombosis. After immobilization and enhanced anticoagulation for 1 week, it was stable without risk of shedding. The average postoperative study time was 20.00 months. The electronic medical arthroscopy cleaning treatment plan in this article can greatly improve the quality of life of patients and can check the pathological state in time, with low cost. In the course of treatment, comprehensive treatment costs can be saved by 45%. Arthroscopic clean-up treatment can not only reduce knee pain and other uncomfortable symptoms, restore normal knee joint function, and improve the quality of life of patients, but also correct the unequal length of the lower limbs, thereby avoiding spinal degeneration caused by knee instability. Therefore, it is the first choice for the treatment of advanced knee osteoarthritis in patients with VKOH.
Efficient Single Image Dehazing Model Using Metaheuristics-Based Brightness Channel Prior
Authors: Kehar Vinay , Chopra Vinay , Singh Bhupesh Kumar , Tiwari Shailendra
Published: May 2021

Haze degrades the spatial and spectral information of outdoor images. It may reduce the performance of the existing imaging models. Therefore, various visibility restoration models approaches have been designed to restore haze from still images. But restoring the haze is an open area of research. Although the existing approaches perform significantly better, they are not so effective against a large haze gradient. Also, the effect of hyperparameters tuning issue is also ignored. Therefore, a brightness channel prior (BCP) based dehazing model is proposed. The gradient filter is utilized to improve the transmission map computed using the gradient filter. Nondominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm is also used to optimize the initial parameters of the BCP approach. The comparative analysis shows that BCP performs effectively across a wide range of haze degradation levels without causing any visible artifacts.
Experimental Study of a Novel Ultrasonic Vibration‐Assisted Structure for Radial Milling
Authors: He Yu , Ren Lidong , Zou Ping , Wang Shuyan
Published: May 2021

A novel ultrasonic vibration‐assisted structure for radial milling is proposed, and the ultrasonic vibration‐assisted radial milling (UVARM) is further studied in terms of theoretical model and milling experiment. The motion and feed characteristics of UVARM are also analyzed. A special fixture is designed to construct the experimental platform of UVARM, in which the vibration is applied to the workpiece along the radial direction. The preliminary results show that with the increase of spindle speed, the milling force in both conventional cutting (CC) and UVARM experiments tends to increase. In addition, when the feed per tooth increased, the milling force increased. With the involvement of ultrasonic vibration, the milling force is significantly reduced, with the maximum reduction reaching 20%. The comprehensive analysis showed that there was a decrease of about 10% to 25% in the ultrasonic case compared with the conventional method. It is also found that UVARM can inhibit the production of a built‐up edge. With the ultrasonic vibration, the burrs on the processed surface are also reduced, and the grooves left by tool traces are shallower. Compared with conventional milling, the roughness value of the machined surface obtained by UVARM is reduced by 10% to 32%. The experimental results also show that UVARM can effectively improve the dimensional accuracy of the workpiece.
Deep Learning Approach for Medical Image Analysis
Authors: Adegun Adekanmi Adeyinka , Viriri Serestina , Ogundokun Roseline Oluwaseun
Published: May 2021

Localization of region of interest (ROI) is paramount to the analysis of medical images to assist in the identification and detection of diseases. In this research, we explore the application of a deep learning approach in the analysis of some medical images. Traditional methods have been restricted due to the coarse and granulated appearance of most of these images. Recently, deep learning techniques have produced promising results in the segmentation of medical images for the diagnosis of diseases. This research experiments on medical images using a robust deep learning architecture based on the Fully Convolutional Network‐ (FCN‐) UNET method for the segmentation of three samples of medical images such as skin lesion, retinal images, and brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) images. The proposed method can efficiently identify the ROI on these images to assist in the diagnosis of diseases such as skin cancer, eye defects and diabetes, and brain tumor. This system was evaluated on publicly available databases such as the International Symposium on Biomedical Imaging (ISBI) skin lesion images, retina images, and brain tumor datasets with over 90% accuracy and dice coefficient.
The Mediating Role of Employee Innovativeness on the Nexus between Internet Banking and Employee Performance: Evidence from the Republic of Congo
Authors: Pea-Assounga Jean Baptiste Bernard , Yao Hongxing
Published: May 2021

In recent years, banks have begun to realize the importance of Internet banking services and their connection with the banking sector. The main purpose of this article was to find the mediating role of employee innovativeness in the relationship between Internet banking and employee performance of certain banks in the Republic of Congo. A 350-sample size was considered, and a partial least square and structural model equation was used for data analysis. The research results suggested that Internet banking positively affects employee performance and employee innovativeness. They also confirmed that employee innovativeness partially mediates the relationship between Internet banking and employee performance. The theoretical model was built based on Diffusion of Innovation (DOI) Theory, Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) Model, Absorptive Capacity Theory (ACT), and Resource-Based View Theory. This work makes a more accurate contribution to the literature on Internet banking and employee performance. The study further provided recommendations and suggests directions for future studies.
Gene Expression of PSORI-CM01 and Yinxieling in the Treatment of Psoriasis Vulgaris
Authors: Lu Yue , Qi Yao , Li Li , Yan Yuhong , Yao Danni , Deng Jingwen , Deng Hao , Chen Qubo , Gao Hengjun , Han Ling , Lu Chuanjian
Published: May 2021

Background. This study aimed to explore the mechanisms of action of the PSORI-CM01 and Yinxieling formulas in the treatment of patients with psoriasis vulgaris by analyzing gene expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Methods. PBMC samples were collected from 21 patients before and after treatment. The study included nine patients in the PSORI-CM01 treatment group, 12 patients in the Yinxieling treatment group, and nine patients in the healthy control group. Gene expression levels in PBMCs were determined using the Affymetrix gene chip technology. Results. In the PSORI-CM01 group before and after treatment, a total of 668 differentially expressed genes were found, of which 445 were upregulated and 223 were downregulated. Before and after Yinxieling treatment, 657 differentially expressed genes were found, of which 168 were upregulated and 489 were downregulated. Venn analysis showed that 78 genes were not differentially expressed in the PSORI-CM01 group and 74 were not differentially expressed in the Yinxieling group compared with those in the controls. Among these genes, 72 genes were common to both groups, which were the genes on which the two drugs acted jointly. The results of KEGG analysis and Venn analysis on the signalling pathways of drug action in treatment groups showed that haemostasis and pathways involving Rho GTPases were common signalling pathways of drug action in the two groups. Conclusions. By a comparative analysis of the treatment groups, we found that both drugs have a positive effect on patients with psoriasis vulgaris, primarily by regulating the pathways related to platelet activation, aggregation, and blood coagulation. Trial registration: ChiCTR, ChiCTR-TRC-14005185, Registered 8 August 2014, http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=4390
Adaptive Fast Nonsingular Fixed‐Time Tracking Control for Robot Manipulators
Authors: Pan Huihui , Zhang Guangming
Published: May 2021

This paper studies the fixed‐time trajectory tracking control problem of robot manipulators in the presence of uncertain dynamics and external disturbances. First, a novel nonsingular fixed‐time sliding mode surface is presented, which can ensure that the convergence time of the suggested surface is bounded regardless of the initial states. Subsequently, a novel fast nonsingular fixed‐time sliding mode control (NFNFSMC) is developed so that the closed‐loop system is fixed‐time convergent to the equilibrium. By applying the proposed NFNFSMC method and the adaptive technique, a novel adaptive nonsingular fixed‐time control scheme is proposed, which can guarantee fast fixed‐time convergence of the tracking errors to small regions around the origin. With the proposed control method, the lumped disturbance is compensated by the adaptive technique, whose prior information about the upper bound is not needed. The fixed‐time stability of the trajectory tracking control under the proposed controller is proved by the Lyapunov stability theory. Finally, corresponding simulations are given to illustrate the validity and superiority of the proposed control approach.