bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impact of Three Kinds of Early Interventions on Developmental Profile in Toddlers with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Authors: Cucinotta Francesca , Vetri Luigi , Ruta Liliana , Turriziani Laura , Benedetto Loredana , Ingrassia Massimo , Maggio Roberta , Germanò Eva , Alquino Ausilia , Siracusano Rosamaria , Roccella Michele , Gagliano Antonella
Published: September 2022

Autism spectrum disorder is a neurodevelopmental disorder with a rising prevalence disorder. This high-cost/high-burden condition needs evidence-based behavioral treatments that are able to reduce the impact of symptoms on children’s functioning. This retrospective chart review study compared the impact of different types of early interventions on toddlers diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder developmental profile. Analyses were conducted on 90 subjects (mean = 27.76 months, range 18–44 months; M:F = 4.29:1), of which 36 children underwent the usual treatment, 13 children underwent an intervention based on early intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI) and 41 children received the Early Start Denver Model, for one year, with the same weekly frequency of about 6 h a week. A significant decrease in the severity of autism symptoms was observed for all children when looking at the Ados-2 severity score (average difference = 3.05, SD = 0.71, p = < 0.001) and the Ados-2 social subscale (average difference = 2.87, SD = 0.59, p < 0.001). Otherwise, for most of the Griffiths subscales, we found a significant improvement only for those children who underwent the Early Start Denver Model intervention (General Quotient average difference = 14.47, SD = 3.22, corrected p < 0.001). Analyzing the influence of age on the investigated scores, we found a significant association with the Eye–hand Coordination Quotient (p = 0.003), Performance Quotient (p = 0.042) and General Quotient (p = 0.006). In all these domains, a mild negative correlation with age was observed, as measured by the Pearson’s correlation coefficient (r = −0.32, p = 0.002; r = −0.21, p = 0.044; r = −0.25, p = 0.019, respectively), suggesting less severe developmental skills at the start of treatment for older children. Our results are consistent with the literature that underlines the importance of early intervention, since prompt diagnosis can reduce the severity of autism symptoms; nevertheless, in toddlers, our study demonstrated that an intervention model based on naturalistic developmental behavioral principles such as the Early Start Denver Model is more effective on children’s developmental profile. Further studies are required to assess the extent of effectiveness of different early intervention models in community settings.
The Current Quality of Web-Based Information on the Treatment of Bipolar Disorder: A Systematic Search
Authors: Piras Martina , Perra Alessandra , Gureje Oye , Preti Antonio , Carta Mauro Giovanni
Published: September 2022

Background: An important aspect of managing chronic disorders like bipolar disorder is to have access to relevant health information. This study investigates and compares the quality of information on the treatments of bipolar disorder that is available on English websites, as an international language, and on Italian websites, as a popular local language. Methods: A systematic review search was obtained from four search engines. We excluded unrelated materials, scientific papers, and duplicates. We analyzed popularity with PageRank; technological quality with Nibbler; readability with the Flesh Reading Ease test and Gulpease index; quality of information with the DISCERN scale, the JAMA benchmark criteria, and on the extent of adherence to the HONCode. Results: 35 English and 31 Italian websites were included. The English websites were found to have a higher level of quality information and technological quality than the Italian ones. Overall, the websites were found to be difficult to read, requiring a high level of education. Conclusions: These results can be important to inform guidelines for the improvement of health information and help users to reach a higher level of evidence on the websites. Users should find the benefits of treatment, support for shared decision-making, the sources used, the medical editor’s supervision, and the risk of postponing treatment.
Assessment of Myocardial Diastolic Dysfunction as a Result of Myocardial Infarction and Extracellular Matrix Regulation Disorders in the Context of Mesenchymal Stem Cell Therapy
Authors: Piątek-Matuszak Patrycja , Pasławski Robert , Pasławska Urszula , Kiczak Liliana , Płóciennik Michał , Janiszewski Adrian , Michałek Marcin , Gwizdała Adrian , Kaźmierczak Jarosław , Gorący Jarosław
Published: September 2022

The decline in cardiac contractility due to damage or loss of cardiomyocytes is intensified by changes in the extracellular matrix leading to heart remodeling. An excessive matrix response in the ischemic cardiomyopathy may contribute to the elevated fibrotic compartment and diastolic dysfunction. Fibroproliferation is a defense response aimed at quickly closing the damaged area and maintaining tissue integrity. Balance in this process is of paramount importance, as the reduced post-infarction response causes scar thinning and more pronounced left ventricular remodeling, while excessive fibrosis leads to impairment of heart function. Under normal conditions, migration of progenitor cells to the lesion site occurs. These cells have the potential to differentiate into myocytes in vitro, but the changed micro-environment in the heart after infarction does not allow such differentiation. Stem cell transplantation affects the extracellular matrix remodeling and thus may facilitate the improvement of left ventricular function. Studies show that mesenchymal stem cell therapy after infarct reduces fibrosis. However, the authors did not specify whether they meant the reduction of scarring as a result of regeneration or changes in the matrix. Research is also necessary to rule out long-term negative effects of post-acute infarct stem cell therapy.
Bone Abrasive Machining: Influence of Tool Geometry and Cortical Bone Anisotropic Structure on Crack Propagation
Authors: Zawadzki Paweł , Talar Rafał
Published: September 2022

The abrasive machining of cortical tissue is used in many arthroplasties and craniofacial surgery procedures. However, this method requires further research due to the processes’ complexity and the tissue’s composite structure. Therefore, studies were carried out to assess the impact of grid geometry and the anisotropic structure of bone tissue on the cutting process and crack propagation. The analysis was performed based on an orthogonal cutting in three directions. The grain shape has been simplified, and the cutting forces, crack path and surface quality were monitored. The results indicate that a depth of cut at 100–25 µm allows the most accurate cutting control. A transverse cutting direction results in the greatest surface irregularity: Iz = 17.7%, Vvc = 3.29 mL/m2 and df = 5.22 µm and generates the most uncontrolled cracks. Maximum fracture force values of FF > 80 N were generated for d = 175 µm. For d < 5 µm, no cracks or only slight penetration occurs. A positive γ provides greater repeatability and crack control. Negative γ generates penetrating cracks and uncontrolled material damage. The individual types of cracks have a characteristic course of changes in Fx. The clearance angle did not affect the crack propagation.
Power Tracking Control of Marine Boiler-Turbine System Based on Fractional Order Model Predictive Control Algorithm
Authors: Zhao Shiquan , Wang Sizhe , Cajo Ricardo , Ren Weijie , Li Bing
Published: September 2022

The marine boiler-turbine system is the core part for the steam-powered ships with complicated dynamics. To improve the power tracking performance and fulfill the requirement of high utilization rate of fossil energy, the control performance of the system should be improved. In this paper, a nonlinear model predictive control method is proposed for the boiler-turbine system with fractional order cost functions. Firstly, a nonlinear model of the boiler-turbine system is introduced. Secondly, a nonlinear extended predictive self adaptive control(EPSAC) method is designed to the system. Then, integer order cost function is replaced with a fractional order cost function to improve the control performance, and also the configuration of the cost function is simplified. Finally, the superiority of the proposed method is proved accordring to the comparison experiments between the fractional order model predictive control and the traditional model predictive control.
Direct-Acting Antivirals for HCV Treatment in Decompensated Liver Cirrhosis Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: An JiHyun , Park Dong Ah , Ko Min Jung , Ahn Sang Bong , Yoo Jeong-Ju , Jun Dae Won , Yim Sun Young
Published: September 2022

DAA therapy is known to clear hepatitis C virus infection in patients with decompensated cirrhosis (DC). However, the safety and benefits of DAA in DC remain unclear, especially with the use of protease inhibitors (PI). Therefore, we evaluated the efficacy and clinical safety of DAA in DC patients and observed whether there was a discrepancy between PI-based and non-PI-based treatment. We searched Ovid-Medline, Ovid-EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and three local medical databases through October 2021 to identify relevant studies on the clinical safety and effectiveness of DAA in DC patients. The outcomes were sustained virologic response (SVR), overall mortality, the incidence rate of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), adverse events, improvement or deterioration of liver function, and delisting from liver transplantation (LT). Two independent reviewers extracted the data from each study using a standardized form. The pooled event rate in DC patients and relative effect (odds ratio (OR)) of PI-treated versus non-PI-based DAA in DC patients were calculated using a random-effects model. In patients with DC, the SVR rate was 86% (95% CI 83–88%), the development of HCC 7% (95% CI 5–9%), and mortality 6% (95% CI 4–8%). Improvement in liver function was observed in 51% (95% CI 44–58%) of patients, and 16% (95% CI 5–40%) were delisted from LT. PI-based treatment showed a similar rate of serious adverse events (23% vs. 18%), HCC occurrence (5% vs. 7%), and mortality (5% vs. 6%) to that of non-PI-based DAA treatment in DC patients. HCC occurrence and mortality rates were low in patients with DC following DAA treatment. PI-based treatment in DC patients was relatively safe when compared to non-PI-based treatment. Overall, DAA improved liver function, which may have allowed for delisting from LT.
Service Decisions in a Two-Echelon Retailing System with Customer Returns
Authors: Radhi Mohannad
Published: September 2022

Many manufacturers and retailers have already opened online stores to sell their products. Thus, manufacturers are competing as sellers, and retailers are transforming into dual-channel retailers (DCRs). Such an expansion in business scope and the wide spread of lenient return policies trigger tremendous return volume that requires great deal of logistical efforts. The service levels offered within online stores greatly affect channels’ demand. However, they also influence the channel choice of return for online customers, if applicable, when their purchases are unsatisfactory. Therefore, this paper studies the optimal service level for a centralized DCR. In addition, it examines the optimal levels for a decentralized two-echelon system through the implementation of Nash and Stackelberg theoretical frameworks. Important properties of optimal solutions and vital managerial insights have been devised through analytical and sensitivity analysis. It is found that a DCR may have the following tradeoff: decrease service level to increase the reward from the physical store or increase service level to enhance competitiveness of the online store. The optimal decision depends greatly on how sensitive the customers’ return behavior is to service level. In addition, as the exogenous price increases, the change in the retailer’s offered level depends significantly on the different rates of return.
Carbon Sequestration by Native Tree Species around the Industrial Areas of Southern Punjab, Pakistan
Authors: Zubair Muhammad , Yasin Ghulam , Qazlbash Sehrish Khan , Ul Haq Ahsan , Jamil Akash , Yaseen Muhammad , Rahman Shafeeq Ur , Guo Wei
Published: September 2022

Industries have been a major culprit in increasing carbonaceous emissions and major contributors to global warming over the past decades. Factories in the urban periphery tend to warm cities more as compared with rural surroundings. Recently, nature-based solutions have been promoted to provide solutions related to climate adaptations and mitigation issues and challenges. Among these solutions, urban trees have proven to be an effective solution to remove air pollutants and mitigate air pollution specifically caused by carbon emissions. This work was designed to assess the role of tree species in mitigating air emissions of carbon around the vicinity of various industrial sites. For this purpose, three different industrial sites (weaving, brick kiln, and cosmetic) were selected to collect data. Selected industrial sites were divided into two areas, i.e., (a) area inside the industry and (b) area outside the industry. The samples were collected from 100 square meters inside the industries and 100 square meters outside the industries. Five different trees species comprised of four replications were selected for sampling. About twenty trees species from inside and outside of the industries were measured, making it 120 trees from all three selected industries for estimating aboveground and belowground biomass, showing their carbon estimation. The results showed that Moringa oleifera depicted overall higher total biomass from both inside (2.58, 0.56, and 4.57 Mg ha−1) and outside sites from all three selected industries. In terms of total carbon stock and carbon sequestration inside the industry sites, Syzygium cumini had the most dominant values in the weaving industry (2.82 and 10.32 Mg ha−1) and brick kiln (3.78 and 13.5 Mg ha−1), while in the cosmetic industry sites, Eucalyptus camaldulensis depicted higher carbon, stock, and sequestration values (7.83 and 28.70 Mg ha−1). In comparison, the sites outside the industries’ vicinity depicted overall lower carbon, stock, and sequestration values. The most dominant tree inside came out to be Dalbergia sisso (0.97 and 3.54 Mg ha−1) in the weaving industry sites, having higher values of carbon stock and carbon sequestration. Moringa oliefra (1.26 and 4.63) depicted dominant values in brick kiln sites, while in the cosmetic industry, Vachellia nilotica (2.51 and 9.19 Mg ha−1) displayed maximum values as compared with other species. The findings regarding belowground biomass and carbon storage indicate that the amount of soil carbon decreased with the increase in depth; higher soil carbon stock values were depicted at a 0–20 cm depth inside and outside the industries. The study concludes that forest tree species present inside and outside the vicinity of various industries have strong potential in mitigating air emissions.
Global Research on Contaminated Soil Remediation: A Bibliometric Network Analysis
Authors: Gao Jun , Faheem Muhammad , Yu Xiang
Published: September 2022

Soil is an important aspect of the ecosystem that plays a crucial role in human population sustainability. Due to natural and anthropogenic activity, soil pollution has become a major environmental issue around the world. Since 1985, researchers have been studying the prevention and treatment of polluted soils. This study used bibliometric approaches to evaluate the soil remediation dataset in the Web of Science database during 2001–2020 to show current research trends and hot themes in quantitative analysis and soil remediation around the world. The findings suggest that the area of soil remediation has entered a period of rapid advancement. China excelled over all other countries in terms of the number of independent and collaborative articles published across soil pollution research worldwide. The findings revealed that the leading journals in the field of soil remediation include Science of the Total Environment, Microchemical Journal, and Journal of Hazardous Materials. Following closely behind the Chinese Academy of Sciences (428) and Zhejiang University (106) was the Russian Academy of Sciences (87). Furthermore, keyword frequency and co-word analyses showed the most important research subjects. Among them, the hot themes were recognized as “heavy metals”, “PAHs”, “bioremediation”, “phytoremediation”, and “electrokinetic remediation”. Understanding the current situation in soil remediation as well as providing directions for future research are the goals of this study.
Research on the Game Mechanism of Cultivated Land Ecological Compensation Standards Determination: Based on the Empirical Analysis of the Yangtze River Economic Belt, China
Authors: Liu Mengba , Zhang Anlu , Zhang Xiong , Xiong Yanfei
Published: September 2022

The ecological compensation of cultivated land could also be called paying for the ecological service of cultivated land. It means that based on comprehensive consideration of the cost of the protection of the cultivated land and the value of the ecological service, the benefited area would implement the ecological compensation to the damaged area to motivate the actors of the protection behavior to protect the cultivated land better. A fair and reasonable cultivated land ecological compensation mechanism is critical in motivating cultivated land protection subjects’ active participation in cultivated land protection. However, most of the currently measured cultivated land ecological compensation standards are only determined from the perspective of a single interest, ignoring the participation and negotiation of cultivated land protection stakeholders, resulting in insufficient pertinence, low compensation standards, and low compensation efficiency. Therefore, by introducing a market mechanism, this study constructs a non-cooperative bargaining model and solves three stages of the game equilibrium solution under the condition of comprehensive consideration of interests of farmland ecosystem service providers and consumers. In this study, the Yangtze River Economic Belt is taken as the research area to provide empirical analysis of a cultivated land ecological game compensation standard between the subject and object of cultivated land ecological compensation in the area. The study found that, under the ecological compensation standard for cultivated land determined by the bargaining game, the cultivated land ecological compensation subject and object in the area meets the “KaldorHicks” resource allocation criterion, and the standard can take into account the interests of both parties. Meanwhile, the river basin horizontal ecological compensation quota determined by the game standard will neither cause a financial dilemma in the payment area due to the excessive compensation quota, nor financial “windfall gain” in the compensated area due to ecological finance transfer of cultivated land. The cultivated land ecological compensation standard based on the game between the two parties is reasonable and accurate for the cultivated land ecological compensation object, which not only functions as an economic incentive, but maintains long-term effectiveness of policy. Therefore, it is necessary to actively promote the determination of ecological compensation standards based on negotiation means, and to establish a sustainable ecological protection compensation mechanism involving government predomination, social engagement, and market-oriented operations, to drive marketization of cultivated land ecological compensation.
Restorative Practice and Therapeutic Jurisprudence in Court: A Case Study of Teesside Community Court
Authors: Atherton Susie
Published: September 2022

This article examines the contribution of restorative practice and therapeutic jurisprudence in community courts, which have adopted a problem-solving approach. Through interviews with stakeholders, it explores the implementation of the community court model in Teesside. This work draws from a broader study in Middlesbrough, which adopted a case study design, to profile the local community and to present experiences of community justice, including the community court. For this article, there is a specific focus on the data collected from those working in the community court and in partnership with it. The findings demonstrate both the benefits and challenges of courts adopting problem-solving approaches. There was clear support among magistrates who recognised the value of doing justice differently, to more effectively dealing with re-offending. Among all participants, positive experiences and outcomes were reported, alongside acknowledgement of the logistical and political challenges associated with implementing innovations in criminal justice. This included negative media representations and a lack of investment to sustain the change in practice. Participants across the sample emphasised the importance of adopting a different ethos, aligning with restorative practice and therapeutic jurisprudence and shifting away from adversarial approaches to present a more effective response to the problem of crime.
Interference Phenomena and Stimulated Emission in ZnO Films on Sapphire
Authors: Muslimov Arsen E. , Tarasov Andrey P. , Kanevsky Vladimir M.
Published: September 2022

We studied the texturing, roughness, and morphology features of ZnO films grown on the R (11¯02)-, M (101¯0)-, A (112¯0)-, and C (0001)-planes of sapphire, as well as their optical and luminescent properties. We showed that the growth conditions, substrate orientation, and the presence of a buffer layer significantly affected the structure and morphology of the growing films, which was reflected in their optical and radiative properties. In particular, films grown on the A- and M- planes of sapphire showed the highest UV radiation brightness values and exhibited stimulated emissions upon pulsed photoexcitation. The dependence of the topography of the film surface on the substrate orientation allowed the formation of a smooth continuous film with pronounced interference properties using the R- and M- planes of sapphire. A change in the crystallographic orientation, as well as a significant enhancement in crystallinity and luminescence, were observed for ZnO films grown on R-plane sapphire substrates with a gold buffer layer as compared to films grown on bare substrates. At the same time, the use of gold facilitates a significant smoothing of the film’s surface, retaining its interference properties. The sensitivity of interference and laser properties to changes in the external environment, as well as the ease of fabrication of such structures, create prospects for their application as key elements of optical converters, chemical and biological sensors, and sources of coherent radiation.
Influence of Machining Parameters on Cutting and Chip-Formation Process during Cortical Bone Orthogonal Machining
Authors: Zawadzki Paweł , Talar Rafał , Patalas Adam , Legutko Stanisław
Published: September 2022

Cortical bone machining is commonly used in craniofacial surgery. The shaping of bone surfaces requires a precise determination of the process’s complexity due to the cutting tool’s defined or undefined geometry. Therefore, research was carried out to assess the impact of the rake angle (γ), clearance angle and depth of cut (d) on the cortical bone machining process. Analysis was carried out based on the orthogonal cutting in three directions. The cutting tool shape was simplified, and the cutting forces and the chip-formation process were monitored. The highest values of the resultant cutting force and shear force were recorded for γ < 0. The specific cutting force decreases with the increase of d. Cutting in the transverse direction is characterized by the highest values of resultant cutting force and shear force. The coefficient of friction depends primarily on the d and takes a constant value or increases with the increase of γ. The tests showed that the chips are formed in the entire range of d ≥ 0.5 µm and create regular shapes for d ≥ 10 µm. The research novelty confirms that even negative cutting angles guarantee controlled cutting and can find wider application in surgical procedures.
Experimental and Numerical Studies on Fixed Steel Sheets Subjected to Underwater Explosion
Authors: Chen Si , Qin Jian , Deng Shuo , Meng Xiangyao , Huang Ruiyuan , Yang Xiaoqiang
Published: September 2022

This study presents underwater explosion tests with three different TNT charge weights to investigate the dynamic responses of a fixed steel sheet. A finite element model was established and benchmarked by comparing the bubble development and deformation distribution from the tests. The steel sheet shows a deformation process of hogging, sagging, and hogging again, due to the actions of shock waves, bubble expansion, bubble collapse, and bubble pulsation. The air may be sucked into the bubble during the hogging process, making the bubble collapse earlier and resulting in a relatively lower sagging deformation for large charge weights of TNT. The deformation caused by bubble pulsation is larger than that by the shock waves, owing to the large time duration of bubble pulsation. A parametric analysis was conducted to study the influence of steel grade, plate thickness, detonation distance, and the shape and position of charges on the dynamic behavior of steel plates subjected to underwater explosions. It shows that the damage to the steel plate gradually decreases, with the increase in steel strength, plate thickness, and detonation distance. The influence of the shape and position of charges is limited. The largest deformation is observed when the detonation distance increases to bubble radius.
Simultaneous Improvement of Strength and Ductility of Dual-Phase Steel Processed by Multi-Step Cyclic Rolling and Intercritical Annealing
Authors: Liu Litao , Fu Bin , Guo Yanhui , Wei Liqun
Published: September 2022

In the present study, a multi-step (MS) cyclic rolling and intercritcal annealing process was proposed and applied for dual-phase (DP) steel. The MS process performed three times with 27% deformations and intercritical annealing, while the single-step (SS) process performed an 81% rolling, along with intercritical annealing. A microstructure with an average grain size of 3 μm and a martensite content of ~40% was obtained after MS treatment, which is similar to results obtained from the SS treatment. However, the distribution exhibits significant differences between the two different routes. A more homogenous distribution of ferrite–martensite was achieved after the multi-step compared with the single-step treatment. The yield strength of MS is slightly smaller than that of SS, while the ultimate tensile strength is better, which results in a decrease in yield ratio. Furthermore, the ductility was greatly improved after MS, which is mainly attributed to the uniform chain-like distribution of martensite.
Which Number System Is “Best” for Describing Empirical Reality?
Authors: Visser Matt
Published: September 2022

Eugene Wigner’s much-discussed notion of the “unreasonable effectiveness of mathematics” as applied to describing the physics of empirical reality is simultaneously both trivial and profound. After all, the relevant mathematics was (in the first instance) originally developed in order to be useful in describing empirical reality. On the other hand, certain aspects of the mathematical superstructure have by now taken on a life of their own, with at least some features of the mathematical superstructure greatly exceeding anything that can be directly probed or verified, or even justified, by empirical experiment. Specifically, I wish to raise the possibility that the real number system (with its nevertheless pragmatically very useful tools of real analysis and mathematically rigorous notions of differentiation and integration) may nevertheless constitute a “wrong turn” (a “sub-optimal” choice) when it comes to modelling empirical reality. Without making any definitive recommendation, I shall discuss several reasonably well-developed alternatives.
Comparative Study on Rosseland’s Heat Flux on Three-Dimensional MHD Stagnation-Point Multiple Slip Flow of Ternary Hybrid Nanofluid over a Stretchable Rotating Disk
Authors: Gupta Gaurav , Rana Puneet
Published: September 2022

This article investigates the three-dimensional magneto stagnation-point flow of ternary hybrid nanofluid caused by a radially extended infinite gyrating disk with multiple slip effects. The main concern is to analyze the characteristics of heat transport when linear thermal radiation (LTR), quadratic thermal radiation (QTR), and full nonlinear thermal radiation (FNTR) are significant. Ternary fluid is a composition of water, spherical-shaped silver, cylindrical-shaped aluminum oxide, and platelet-shaped aluminum nanoparticles. Non-uniform heat source effects are taken into account. The governing equations are constructed using a single-phase nanofluid model using boundary layer theory and von Karman variables. The consequent nonlinear problem is solved with an efficient finite element method and the results are verified with the available data. The Nusselt number and friction factors are computed for both clean fluid and ternary nanofluid subjected to three different forms of Rosseland’s thermal radiation. Our results demonstrate that the rate of heat transport (Nusselt number) is higher in the FNTR case than in QTR and LTR, and it is even higher for ternary nanofluid compared to clean fluid. Further, the heat transport rate gets reduced for a higher heat source parameter. The rotation of the disk escalates the shear stress along both the radial and axial directions. The multiple slip boundary conditions lead to condensed boundary layers over a disk surface.
Public Key Protocols over Skew Dihedral Group Rings
Authors: de la Cruz Javier , Martínez-Moro Edgar , Villanueva-Polanco Ricardo
Published: September 2022

This paper introduces skew dihedral group rings and their applications for public-key cryptography. We present a specific skew group ring that is the underlying algebraic platform for our cryptographic constructions. We then build a two-party key exchange protocol and present an analysis of its security. We then exploit it to derive a group key agreement protocol, a probabilistic public-key scheme, and a key encapsulation mechanism. In addition to the security analysis of our cryptographic constructions, we present a proof-of-concept implementation.
Positive-Unlabeled Learning for Network Link Prediction
Authors: Gan Shengfeng , Alshahrani Mohammed , Liu Shichao
Published: September 2022

Link prediction is an important problem in network data mining, which is dedicated to predicting the potential relationship between nodes in the network. Normally, network link prediction based on supervised classification will be trained on a dataset consisting of a set of positive samples and a set of negative samples. However, well-labeled training datasets with positive and negative annotations are always inadequate in real-world scenarios, and the datasets contain a large number of unlabeled samples that may hinder the performance of the model. To address this problem, we propose a positive-unlabeled learning framework with network representation for network link prediction only using positive samples and unlabeled samples. We first learn representation vectors of nodes using a network representation method. Next, we concatenate representation vectors of node pairs and then feed them into different classifiers to predict whether the link exists or not. To alleviate data imbalance and enhance the prediction precision, we adopt three types of positive-unlabeled (PU) learning strategies to improve the prediction performance using traditional classifier estimation, bagging strategy and reliable negative sampling. We conduct experiments on three datasets to compare different PU learning methods and discuss their influence on the prediction results. The experimental results demonstrate that PU learning has a positive impact on predictive performances and the promotion effects vary with different network structures.
Multi-Level Cross-Modal Semantic Alignment Network for Video–Text Retrieval
Authors: Nian Fudong , Ding Ling , Hu Yuxia , Gu Yanhong
Published: September 2022

This paper strives to improve the performance of video–text retrieval. To date, many algorithms have been proposed to facilitate the similarity measure of video–text retrieval from the single global semantic to multi-level semantics. However, these methods may suffer from the following limitations: (1) largely ignore the relationship semantic which results in semantic levels are insufficient; (2) it is incomplete to constrain the real-valued features of different modalities to be in the same space only through the feature distance measurement; (3) fail to handle the problem that the distributions of attribute labels in different semantic levels are heavily imbalanced. To overcome the above limitations, this paper proposes a novel multi-level cross-modal semantic alignment network (MCSAN) for video–text retrieval by jointly modeling video–text similarity on global, entity, action and relationship semantic levels in a unified deep model. Specifically, both video and text are first decomposed into global, entity, action and relationship semantic levels by carefully designing spatial–temporal semantic learning structures. Then, we utilize KLDivLoss and a cross-modal parameter-share attribute projection layer as statistical constraints to ensure that representations from different modalities in different semantic levels are projected into a common semantic space. In addition, a novel focal binary cross-entropy (FBCE) loss function is presented, which is the first effort to model the unbalanced attribute distribution problem for video–text retrieval. MCSAN is practically effective to take the advantage of the complementary information among four semantic levels. Extensive experiments on two challenging video–text retrieval datasets, namely, MSR-VTT and VATEX, show the viability of our method.
Construction of Fuzzy Numbers via Cumulative Distribution Function
Authors: Souliotis Georgios , Alanazi Yousif , Papadopoulos Basil
Published: September 2022

The first person to introduce possibility theory was Lotfi A. Zadeh, in 1977. It was, of course, of no coincidence that he directly combined it with the theory of fuzzy sets. Later, several researchers dealt with the mathematical foundations of the theory of possibilities. They introduced possibility distribution as a concept, and they directly combined it with fuzzy numbers. A fuzzy number corresponds to a possibility distribution and vice versa. This correspondence gave a key advantage to possibility theory over probability theory. This advantage is the facility of operations. However, there is also a basic: problem how is a possibility distribution generated? In this paper, we introduce a method of constructing a possibility distribution via a cumulative probability function. The advantage of this method is the simplicity of construction, which is nothing more than the construction of a fuzzy triangular or trapezoidal number via a cumulative probability function. This construction introduces a way to determine a fuzzy number without relying on the experience or intuition of the researcher. We should, of course, emphasize that this specific construction is within the framework of a theoretical model. We do not apply it to specific data. We also considered that the theoretical construction model should be presented through the theory of possibilities, thus avoiding the theory of probabilities.
Multiphase Electric Motor Drive with Improved and Reliable Performance: Combined Star-Pentagon Synchronous Reluctance Motor Fed from Matrix Converter
Authors: Tawfiq Kotb B. , Ibrahim Mohamed N. , Sergeant Peter
Published: September 2022

This paper investigated and demonstrated an electric drive topology with inherently high reliability and improved performance. The topology combines a five-phase combined star-pentagon synchronous reluctance machine (SynRM) and a power electronic “matrix” converter without vulnerable electrolytic capacitors, which are often a point of failure of conventional drives. This drive is suitable for harsh environments, with possibly high ambient temperatures and limited maintenance. In this paper, an accurate model of the five-phase combined star-pentagon SynRM was introduced considering the effect of magnetic saturation and cross saturation on dq-flux-linkages. The five-phase combined star-pentagon SynRM will be connected to a three-to-five-phase indirect matrix converter (IMC) and the indirect field-oriented control based on a space vector pulse width modulation was applied. The introduced SVM commutates the bidirectional switches of the IMC at zero current which enhance and minimize the switching losses. The performance of the proposed drive system was studied and experimentally validated at different loading conditions. Finally, the reliability, cost, and performance of the proposed drive system were compared with the conventional drive system (three-phase star-connected SynRM fed from rectifier-inverter).
Pancytopenia in a Case of Aplastic Anaemia/Paroxysmal Nocturnal Haemoglobinuria Unmasked by SARS-CoV-2 Infection: A Case Report
Authors: Iannuzzi Arcangelo , Parrella Antonio , De Ritis Francesca , Cammarota Anna , Berloco Lucia , Paudice Francesca , D’Angelo Giovanni , Aliberti Emilio , Iannuzzo Gabriella
Published: September 2022

During an acute SARS-CoV-2 infection, a diagnosis of Aplastic Anaemia associated with Paroxysmal Nocturnal Haemoglobinuria (AA/PNH) was made in a 78-year-old woman who had presented to the emergency department with severe pancytopenia. It is possible that she had subclinical AA/PNH that was unmasked during the acute COVID-19 infection, but we can also suspect a direct role of the virus in the pathogenesis of the disease, or we can hypothesize that COVID-19 infection changed the phosphatidylinositol glycan class A (PIGA) gene pathway.
Reflections from a Psychologist Working with Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia Patients during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Osakonor Dede-Kossi , Tsitsikas Dimitris A.
Published: September 2022

Sickle cell disease and thalassaemia are life-long haematological diseases that can impact the quality of life of patients. This impact on quality of life can require intermittent psychological input throughout the lifespan for management. Managing everyday life during the COVID-19 pandemic could be challenging for people with these health conditions, which could impact their health, their mood and anxiety, their perception of control, and their engagement with their regular healthcare services. This report describes the characteristics of these health conditions and discusses reflections, from a specialist psychology service working with this clinical population, about the impact of COVID-19 on patient engagement with the service. The main aim of this report is to highlight the relevance and usefulness of videoconferencing as a therapy format, suggest implications for further service development and suggest alternate ways of working therapeutically with clients.
Metallic Porphyrazine Networks: Synthesis, as Well as Thermal and Optical Properties for Accelerating the Oxidation of Thiols to Their Disulfides
Authors: Al-Warhi Tarfah , Abualnaja Matokah , Abu Ali Ola A. , Abdel-Razik Hamada H. , Albogami Sarah M. , Fayad Eman
Published: September 2022

A condensation reaction of 2,3,5,6-tetraamino-1,4-benzoquinone 1 with 4,5-Dichloro-3,6-dihydroxy-phthalonitrile 2 produced p-benzoquinone [2,3-b:2,3-b]bis[(5,8-dihydroxybenzopyrazine)-6,7-dinitrile] 3. Utilizing acetic acid with lithium/pentanol, the tetra-nitrile monomer was cyclo-tetramerized, yielding the matching network polymer, tetra p-benzoquinone[2,3-b:2,3-b]. bis[(5,8-dihydroxybenzopyrazino) porphyrazine (2H-Pz) 4a. The equivalent tetra p-benzoquinone[2,3-b:2,3-b]bis[(5,8-dihydroxybenzopyrazino) metallic porphyrazine networks (M-Pz) M = Zn 4b or Ni 4c, were obtained by cyclo-tetramerizing the tetra-nitril monomer 3 using metal salt and quinoline. The synthesized molecules’ elemental analytical results, as well as their IR and NMR spectral data, are consistent with their assigned structures. The prepared compounds have large molecular weights and metal content, indicating that reactions of tetramerization, polymerization, and chelation were all productive. The synthesized porphyrazines were proved to be excellent substrates for oxidizing thiophenol and benzyl thiol to their respective disulfides in atmospheric oxygen. The maximal production of the corresponding disulfides after 15 min was 96 percent for thiophenol and 93 percent for benzyl thiol, respectively.
On the Transferability of Fatigue and Cyclic Deformation Data to 100 µm Thin Structures
Authors: Himmelbauer Florian , Winter Gerhard , Grün Florian , Kiesling Constantin
Published: September 2022

The fatigue properties and cyclic deformation behaviour of materials are usually determined using cylindrical specimens (e.g., Ø7.5 mm). Since the transferability to very small dimensions has not been comprehensively considered so far, this study investigates the transferability of specimen data from high-strength steel X5CrNiCuNb16-4 to real structures characterised by a wall thickness of 100 µm. Regarding fatigue, extensive calculations demonstrate that for notched specimens and thin structures, both the material-mechanical support factor concept according to the FKM guideline and the point method of the Theory of Critical Distance (TCD) make correct predictions of the local fatigue strength, with a maximum deviation from experimental values of less than 5%. However, the study points out that the TCD is only conditionally applicable for thin-walled structures, as the material parameter a0 must be significantly smaller than the wall thickness. Regarding the deformation behaviour, the material reveals special flow characteristics in the first hysteresis. Nevertheless, a combined hardening approach is suitable for modelling. The validation of the model by a plastic deformation of the structure seems plausible, although geometric influences prove to be dominant. In conclusion, even 100 µm thin structures can be evaluated using conventional specimen tests and established assessment or modelling methods.
Structural Evolution of Bulk Silver during Cold Rolling and Annealing
Authors: Ning Zheda , Wang Qunshou , Zhao Dong , Pei Wenli , Wen Ming
Published: September 2022

Sputtering target is commonly used in semiconductor manufacturing for the preparation of thin films. Cold rolling and annealing treatment of bulk Ag is the routine process to prepare Ag sputtering target. In this paper, the microstructure evolution of Ag after cold rolling and annealing treatment was studied, and the results showed that annealing temperature affects the recrystallized structure of Ag and that 600 °C/1 h treatment can achieve complete recrystallization. At the same time, the texture evolution was also observed and discussed.
Experimental Investigation of the Tribological Contact between Ti6Al4V-EBM Pin and UHMWPE Rotating Sheet for Prosthetic Applications
Authors: Visco Annamaria , Giudice Fabio , Guglielmino Eugenio , Scolaro Cristina , Sili Andrea
Published: September 2022

This work is aimed at studying the tribological contact between a titanium–aluminum–vanadium alloy pin (Ti6Al4V), produced by Electron Beam Melting (EBM), and a sheet of ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), which are widely utilized materials for prosthetic applications. Using a “pin on disc” system, tribometric tests of different duration (up to 240 min) were carried out in order to trace the trend of the polymer mass loss as a function of test time. In this way it was possible to identify the stationary phase of adhesive friction, at which the specific wear rate, which characterizes the tribological system under different lubrication conditions, was obtained. As for the pin, no weight losses were measured, while the optical observations on the tip showed a compressive effect after the entire test campaign.
Effect of Nb Addition on the Phase Stability, Microstructure, and Mechanical Properties of Powder Metallurgy Ti-5Fe-xNb Alloys
Authors: Manogar Balakrishnan , Yang Fei , Bolzoni Leandro
Published: September 2022

Ti alloys contemplating the simultaneous addition of Fe and Nb are available in the literature as Fe enhances the strength and Nb improves the biological behaviour of Ti. Nevertheless, casting has been the main manufacturing process, the Nb content is normally ≥10 wt.%, and no tensile properties are available. In this study, Ti-5Fe-xNb alloys (x = 2, 6, and 9 wt.%) were produced via powder metallurgy, which is more energy efficient than casting, with the aim of understanding the relationship between the mechanical behaviour and the microstructural changes brought about by the progressive addition of a greater amount of Nb. This study shows that the increment of the Nb content reduces the densification of the alloys, as the relative density decreases from 98.2% to 95.0%, but remarkably increases the volume fraction of the stabilised β phase (14→36%). Accordingly, the Ti-5Fe-xNb alloys are characterised by Widmanstätten microstructures, which become finer for higher Nb contents, and progressively higher mechanical properties including yield stress (725–949 MPa), ultimate tensile strength (828–995 MPa), and hardness (66.5–67.6 HRA), but lower elongation to fracture (4.0–5.1%). It is found that the ductility is much more influenced by the presence of the residual pores, whereas the strength greatly depends on the microstructural changes brought about by the addition of the alloying elements.
Sulfation and Its Effect on the Bioactivity of Magnolol, the Main Active Ingredient of Magnolia Officinalis
Authors: Xie Cong , Hu Wanyu , Gan Lili , Fu Bingxuan , Zhao Xiaojie , Tang Dafu , Liao Rongxin , Ye Ling
Published: September 2022

Magnolol, the main active ingredient of Magnolia officinalis, has been reported to display anti-inflammatory activity. Sulfation plays an important role in the metabolism of magnolol. The magnolol sulfated metabolite was identified by the ultra-performance liquid chromatography to quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS) and a proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR). The magnolol sulfation activity of seven major recombinant sulfotransferases (SULTs) isoforms (SULT1A1*1, SULT1A1*2, SULT1A2, SULT1A3, SULT1B1, SULT1E1, and SULT2A1) was analyzed. The metabolic profile of magnolol was investigated in liver S9 fractions from human (HLS9), rat (RLS9), and mouse (MLS9). The anti-inflammatory effects of magnolol and its sulfated metabolite were evaluated in RAW264.7 cells stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Magnolol was metabolized into a mono-sulfated metabolite by SULTs. Of the seven recombinant SULT isoforms examined, SULT1B1 exhibited the highest magnolol sulfation activity. In liver S9 fractions from different species, the CLint value of magnolol sulfation in HLS9 (0.96 µL/min/mg) was similar to that in RLS9 (0.99 µL/min/mg) but significantly higher than that in MLS9 (0.30 µL/min/mg). Magnolol and its sulfated metabolite both significantly downregulated the production of inflammatory mediators (IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α) stimulated by LPS (p < 0.001). These results indicated that SULT1B1 was the major enzyme responsible for the sulfation of magnolol and that the magnolol sulfated metabolite exhibited potential anti-inflammatory effects.