bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Barrow holographic phantom
Authors: Sharma Umesh Kumar , Kumar Mukesh
Published: February 2022

In the present work, we consider the recently proposed non-interacting Barrow holographic dark energy (Int. J. Geom. Methods Mod. Phys. 18(01) (2021) 2150014, doi:10.1142/S0219887821500146) with Hubble horizon as IR cutoff in a flat FLRW universe. We examine the evolutionary behavior of deceleration parameter and equation of state parameter for the different Barrow exponent [Formula: see text], and observe suitable behavior in the model. We choose [Formula: see text] in the non-interacting Barrow holographic dark energy which is explained by a phantom scalar field, then we exhibit the phantomic narration of the Barrow holographic dark energy with [Formula: see text] and reconstruct the potential of the phantom scalar field.
Coding with Minecraft: The Development of Middle School Students’ Computational Thinking
Authors: Kutay Emine , Oner Diler
Published: February 2022

The purpose of this study is to examine the role of Minecraft-based coding activities on computational thinking (CT) of middle school students. In the study, CT was conceptualized so that it encapsulates not only the knowledge of computational concepts (e.g., loops and conditionals) but also the use of CT practices (e.g., testing and debugging). Data were collected using a combination of knowledge of computational concepts tests, the Minecraft-based coding artifacts, and one-on-one student interviews focusing on the processes of developing computational artifacts. The participants were 20 fifth-grade middle school students from a low-income public school with very limited (if none) formal computer programming experiences before the study. The Minecraft-based coding activities were designed and implemented as an instructional program to last 6 weeks. The results of the study showed a statistically significant increase in students’ knowledge of computational concepts. Based on the analysis of the students’ final coding artifacts, we identified that students mostly used the concepts of sequences, events, loops, and parallelism correctly, whereas variables, operators, and conditionals appeared to be the least successfully used concepts. The qualitative analysis of the artifact-based interviews showed that students employed the CT practices of testing and debugging most of the time while developing an artifact through coding. In contrast, the least resorted CT practice appeared to be reusing and remixing.
Sherlock: A Multi-Objective Design Space Exploration Framework
Authors: Gautier Quentin , Althoff Alric , Crutchfield Christopher L. , Kastner Ryan
Published: February 2022

Design space exploration (DSE) provides intelligent methods to tune the large number of optimization parameters present in modern FPGA high-level synthesis tools. High-level synthesis parameter tuning is a time-consuming process due to lengthy hardware compilation times—synthesizing an FPGA design can take tens of hours. DSE helps find an optimal solution faster than brute-force methods without relying on designer intuition to achieve high-quality results. Sherlock is a DSE framework that can handle multiple conflicting optimization objectives and aggressively focuses on finding Pareto-optimal solutions. Sherlock integrates a model selection process to choose the regression model that helps reach the optimal solution faster. Sherlock designs a strategy based around the multi-armed bandit problem, opting to balance exploration and exploitation based on the learned and expected results. Sherlock can decrease the importance of models that do not provide correct estimates, reaching the optimal design faster. Sherlock is capable of tailoring its choice of regression models to the problem at hand, leading to a model that best reflects the application design space. We have tested the framework on a large dataset of FPGA design problems and found that Sherlock converges toward the set of optimal designs faster than similar frameworks.
Demystifying the Soft and Hardened Memory Systems of Modern FPGAs for Software Programmers through Microbenchmarking
Authors: Lu Alec , Fang Zhenman , Shannon Lesley
Published: February 2022

Both modern datacenter and embedded Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) provide great opportunities for high-performance and high-energy-efficiency computing. With the growing public availability of FPGAs from major cloud service providers such as AWS, Alibaba, and Nimbix, as well as uniform hardware accelerator development tools (such as Xilinx Vitis and Intel oneAPI) for software programmers, hardware and software developers can now easily access FPGA platforms. However, it is nontrivial to develop efficient FPGA accelerators, especially for software programmers who use high-level synthesis (HLS).

The major goal of this article is to figure out how to efficiently access the memory system of modern datacenter and embedded FPGAs in HLS-based accelerator designs. This is especially important for memory-bound applications; for example, a naive accelerator design only utilizes less than 5% of the available off-chip memory bandwidth. To achieve our goal, we first identify a comprehensive set of factors that affect the memory bandwidth, including (1) the clock frequency of the accelerator design, (2) the number of concurrent memory access ports, (3) the data width of each port, (4) the maximum burst access length for each port, and (5) the size of consecutive data accesses. Then, we carefully design a set of HLS-based microbenchmarks to quantitatively evaluate the performance of the memory systems of datacenter FPGAs (Xilinx Alveo U200 and U280) and embedded FPGA (Xilinx ZCU104) when changing those affecting factors, and we provide insights into efficient memory access in HLS-based accelerator designs. Comparing between the typically used soft and hardened memory systems, respectively, found on datacenter and embedded FPGAs, we further summarize their unique features and discuss the effective approaches to leverage these systems. To demonstrate the usefulness of our insights, we also conduct two case studies to accelerate the widely used K-nearest neighbors (KNN) and sparse matrix-vector multiplication (SpMV) algorithms on datacenter FPGAs with a soft (and thus more flexible) memory system. Compared to the baseline designs, optimized designs leveraging our insights achieve about\( 3.5\times \)and\( 8.5\times \)speedups for the KNN and SpMV accelerators. Our final optimized KNN and SpMV designs on a Xilinx Alveo U200 FPGA fully utilize its off-chip memory bandwidth, and achieve about\( 5.6\times \)and\( 3.4\times \)speedups over the 24-core CPU implementations.
Plant Proteome Dynamics
Authors: Mergner Julia , Kuster Bernhard
Published: February 2022

Proteins are intimately involved in executing and controlling virtually all cellular processes. To understand the molecular mechanisms that underlie plant phenotypes, it is essential to investigate protein expression, interactions, and modifications, to name a few. The proteome is highly dynamic in time and space, and a plethora of protein modifications, protein interactions, and network constellations are at play under specific conditions and developmental stages. Analysis of proteomes aims to characterize the entire protein complement of a particular cell type, tissue, or organism—a challenging task, given the dynamic nature of the proteome. Modern mass spectrometry–based proteomics technology can be used to address this complexity at a system-wide scale by the global identification and quantification of thousands of proteins. In this review, we present current methods and technologies employed in mass spectrometry–based proteomics and provide examples of dynamic changes in the plant proteome elucidated by proteomic approaches.
Innate Sensors Trigger Regulated Cell Death to Combat Intracellular Infection
Authors: Nozaki Kengo , Li Lupeng , Miao Edward A.
Published: February 2022

Intracellular pathogens pose a significant threat to animals. In defense, innate immune sensors attempt to detect these pathogens using pattern recognition receptors that either directly detect microbial molecules or indirectly detect their pathogenic activity. These sensors trigger different forms of regulated cell death, including pyroptosis, apoptosis, and necroptosis, which eliminate the infected host cell niche while simultaneously promoting beneficial immune responses. These defenses force intracellular pathogens to evolve strategies to minimize or completely evade the sensors. In this review, we discuss recent advances in our understanding of the cytosolic pattern recognition receptors that drive cell death, including NLRP1, NLRP3, NLRP6, NLRP9, NLRC4, AIM2, IFI16, and ZBP1.
Distributed Sensors for Wildfire Early Warnings
Authors: Findlay M. , Peaslee D. , Stetter J. R. , Waller Scott , Smallridge Andrew
Published: February 2022

Wildfires cause immense damage and loss of life. They are exacerbated by climate change effects and will be getting worse each year for some time to come. One way to deal with them is to have better means of early detection. Fires produce significant changes in the physical and chemical makeup of the local atmosphere that, in practice, can be detected by air quality monitors. This paper describes a sensor array that measures trace levels of fire produced emissions that is coupled to computation and communication equipment that is low power and low cost. The emission arrays are calibrated and deployed in controlled fire detection situations. Evaluations illustrate some important characteristics of detecting fire emissions including: 1] sensing CO and Particulates together reduce ambiguity of signals; and 2] fire emission signatures for relatively close fires produce rapid spikes in concentrations of emissions. Most importantly, the details of this work indicate that an individual sensor node consisting of only a CO and particle detector can provide an early indication of a wildfire. Additionally, the low-cost CO and particle sensors used in this study show a correlation of greater than 0.9 R2 with FRM reference monitors. The results are encouraging that very low-cost arrays could substantially contribute to an early warning system for detection of wildland fires thereby improving response times for mitigation measures.
Operando Synchrotron Studies of Inhomogeneity during Anode-Free Plating of Li Metal in Pouch Cell Batteries
Authors: Cosby Monty R. , Carignan Gia M. , Li Zhuo , Efaw Corey M. , Dickerson Charles C. , Yin Liang , Ren Yang , Li Bin , Dufek Eric J. , Khalifah Peter G.
Published: February 2022

Operando synchrotron X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies have not previously been used to directly characterize Li metal in standard batteries due to the extremely weak scattering from Li atoms. In this work, it is demonstrated the stripping and plating of Li metal can be effectively quantified during battery cycling in appropriately designed synchrotron XRD experiments that utilize an anode-free battery configuration in which a Li-containing cathode material of LiNi0.6Mn0.2Co0.2O2 (NMC622) is paired with a bare anode current collector consisting of either Cu metal (Cu/NMC) or Mo metal (Mo/NMC). In this configuration, it is possible to probe local variations in the deposition and stripping of Li metal with sufficient spatial sensitivity to map the inhomogeneity in pouch cells and to follow these processes with sufficient time resolution to track state-of-charge-dependent variations in the rate of Li usage at a single point. For the Cu/NMC and Mo/NMC batteries, it was observed that the initial plating of Li occurred in a very homogeneous manner but that severe macroscopic inhomogeneity arose on a mm-scale during the subsequent stripping of Li, contrasting with the conventional wisdom that the greatest challenges in Li metal batteries are associated with Li deposition.
Fluorescent Lamp Phosphors
Authors: Srivastava Alok M. , Sommerer Timothy J.
Published: February 2022

Fluorescent lamp phosphors convert the ultraviolet emission of a rare-gas/mercury discharge plasma into visible (white) light. The phosphor is responsible for nearly all the visible light produced by the lamp with the visible mercury lines contributing only a few percent to the total lamp light output. This article reviews fluorescent lamp phosphors that are used in general purpose illumination.
Epithelial LIF signaling limits apoptosis and lung injury during bacterial pneumonia
Authors: Na Elim , Allen Eri , Baird Lillia A. , Odom Christine V. , Korkmaz Filiz T. , Shenoy Anukul T. , Matschulat Adeline M. , Jones Matthew R. , Kotton Darrell N. , Mizgerd Joseph P. , Varelas Xaralabos , Traber Katrina E. , Quinton Lee J.
Published: February 2022

During bacterial pneumonia, alveolar epithelial cells are critical for maintaining gas exchange and providing antimicrobial as well as pro-immune properties. We previously demonstrated that leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), an IL-6 family cytokine, is produced by type II alveolar epithelial cells (ATII) and is critical for tissue protection during bacterial pneumonia. However, the target cells and mechanisms of LIF-mediated protection remain unknown. Here, we demonstrate that antibody-induced LIF blockade remodels the lung epithelial transcriptome in association with increased apoptosis. Based on these data, we performed pneumonia studies using a novel mouse model in which LIFR (the unique receptor for LIF) is absent in lung epithelium. Although LIFR is expressed on the surface of epithelial cells, its absence only minimally contributed to tissue protection during pneumonia. Single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNAseq) was conducted to identify adult murine lung cell types most prominently expressing Lifr, revealing endothelial cells, mesenchymal cells, and ATIIs as major sources of Lifr. Sequencing data indicated that ATII cells were significantly impacted by pneumonia, with additional differences observed in response to LIF neutralization, including but not limited to gene programs related to cell death, injury, and inflammation. Overall, our data suggest that LIF signaling on epithelial cells alters responses in this cell type during pneumonia. However, our results also suggest separate and perhaps more prominent roles of LIFR in other cell types, such as endothelial cells or mesenchymal cells, which provide grounds for future investigation.
Are Antibiotics Appropriately Dosed in Critically Ill Patients with Augmented Renal Clearance? A Narrative Review
Authors: Sistanizad Mohammad , Hassanpour Rezvan , Pourheidar Elham
Published: February 2022

Aims. Augmented renal clearance (ARC), which is commonly defined as increased renal clearance above 130 ml/min/1.73 m2, is a common phenomenon among critically ill patients. The increased elimination rate of drugs through the kidneys in patients with ARC can increase the risk of treatment failure due to the exposure to subtherapeutic serum concentrations of medications and affect the optimal management of infections, length of hospital stay, and outcomes. The main goal of this review article is to summarize the recommendations for appropriate dosing of antibiotics in patients with ARC. Methods. This article is a narrative review of the articles that evaluated different dosing regimens of antibiotics in patients with ARC. The keywords “Augmented Renal Clearance,” “Critically ill patients,” “Drug dosing,” “Serum concentration,” “Beta-lactams,” “Meropenem,” “Imipenem,” “Glycopeptide,” “Vancomycin,” “Teicoplanin,” “Linezolid,” “Colistin,” “Aminoglycosides,” “Amikacin,” “Gentamycin,” “Fluoroquinolones,” “Ciprofloxacin,” and “Levofloxacin” were searched in Scopus, Medline, PubMed, and Google Scholar databases, and pediatric, nonhuman, and non-English studies were excluded. Results. PK properties of antibiotics including lipophilicity or hydrophilicity, protein binding, the volume of distribution, and elimination rate that affect drug concentration should be considered along with PD parameters for drug dosing in critically ill patients with ARC. Conclusion. This review recommends a dosing protocol for some antibiotics to help the appropriate dosing of antibiotics in ARC and decrease the risk of subtherapeutic exposure that may be observed while receiving conventional dosing regimens in critically ill patients with ARC.
Multi-Chatbot or Single-Chatbot? The Effects of M-Commerce Chatbot Interface on Source Credibility, Social Presence, Trust, and Purchase Intention
Authors: Tan Su-Mae , Liew Tze Wei
Published: February 2022

Most chatbot interfaces in contemporary m-commerce platforms feature a single chatbot that provides recommendations for all product categories. Nonetheless, there is an emerging research interest in multi-chatbot systems designating multiple chatbots as product/domain-specific advisers. Given the dearth of studies investigating the effects of multi-chatbot versus single-chatbot in the m-commerce context, we addressed this research gap by conducting an online between-subjects experiment to explore how the m-commerce chatbot interface types can differently influence source credibility, social presence, trusting beliefs, and purchase intention. Based on 154 valid responses, the single-chatbot interface led to higher social presence and trusting beliefs toward the m-commerce platform than the multi-chatbot interface. Males attributed the chatbot with higher competence and reported higher purchase intention through the m-commerce platform when engaging with the single-chatbot interface than the multi-chatbot interface. These findings suggest that designating chatbots as product-specific advisers in a multi-chatbot interface without labels to accentuate expertise could not evoke the users to categorize them as product specialists. Moreover, the multi-chatbot interface could have imposed user confusion and unfamiliarity cues, decreasing trust in the m-commerce platform. These findings’ theoretical, design, and managerial implications are discussed through the lens of the computers-are-social-actors paradigm, source credibility theory, source specialization, multiple source effect, and m-commerce behavioral research.
Fracture Resistance and Stress Distribution Pattern of Different Posts-Core Systems in Immature Teeth: An In Vitro Study and 3D Finite Element Analysis
Authors: Khadar Shahnaz , Sapkale Kishor , Patil Pravinkumar G. , Abrar Sayed , Ramugade Manoj , Huda Febel
Published: February 2022

Introduction. Restoration of immature teeth with open apices and thin dentinal walls with conventional post systems remains a challenge. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the fracture resistance of simulated immature teeth restored with different intraradicular posts and assess their stress distribution pattern using 3D Finite Element Analysis (FEA). Methods. Fracture strength testing using universal testing machine was carried out in simulated immature teeth restored with different intraradicular posts grouped as follows: Group A: teeth not restored with posts served as control group; Group B: Cast metal post (CMP); Group C: Customized Composite Post (CCP); Group D: Fiber post (FP). Four 3D FEA models of the above groups were created using CATIATM software and analyzed for stress distribution using ANSYSTM. The results of fracture strength testing and FEA were correlated. Multiple group comparisons were analyzed by one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey HSD post hoc test. Results. The CMP exhibited highest fracture resistance (336.43 N) but resulted in root fractures. The CCP exhibited lower fracture resistance (240.90 N) and favorable stress distribution as compared to CMP. The FP and control group exhibited lower fracture resistance values of 182.69 N and 130.46 N, respectively. The results of 3D FEA demonstrated higher stress concentration in model comprising metallic post and core. Conclusions. Teeth restored with cast metal posts and cores exhibited maximum fracture resistance followed by the customized composite posts, the fiber posts, and the control group. The cast metal posts indicated higher von Mises stresses concentrated in the radicular region; however, the customized composite posts, the fiber posts, and the control group demonstrated stress concentration in the coronal region.
Use of Telehealth Services for Prenatal Care in Mississippi: Comparison of Pre-COVID-19 Pandemic and Pandemic Obstetric Management
Authors: Reneker Jennifer C. , Zhang Yunxi , Young Dorthy K. , Liu Xiaojian , Lutz Elizabeth A.
Published: February 2022

Background. The SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic resulted in major shifts in service delivery for patient care not involving COVID-19 illness. The preexisting telehealth infrastructure in Mississippi allowed the state to rapidly expand the scope of telehealth programs. Little research has been done to examine the use of telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the delivery of care during pregnancy and outcomes associated with pregnancy. The objectives of this study are to (1) describe prenatal care practices during the height of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, compared to the immediate prepandemic time period, and (2) explore maternal and birth outcomes during these time periods. Methods. This study was conducted as a retrospective historical cohort study from medical records at one Maternal Care Level IV (Regional Perinatal Health Care Center) in Mississippi and its affiliated centers. The participant cohort was inclusive of women who received prenatal care prior to a single birth delivery between May 1, 2020, and January 31, 2021. The pandemic cohort was defined through the timeframe of the included participants’ end-term prenatal care, with reference to the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The prepandemic cohort received a majority of their prenatal care prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Results. There were 1,894 women included. Among them, 620 (32.77%) completed the majority of their end-term pregnancy in the pre-COVID-19 time period and 1,272 (67.23%) completed the end-term pregnancy during the pandemic. The odds ratio for patients from the pandemic cohort of scheduling telehealth visits compared to not scheduling telehealth visits is 8.19 (95% CI: 3.98, 16.86) times the odds ratio for patients from the prepandemic cohort. The pandemic exposure as well as infant’s gestational age and very low birth weight (VLBW) show significant effects on the infant’s living status in the univariate logistic regression. However, after controlling for the infant’s gestational age and VLBW, we did not detect a significant effect of pandemic exposure. Conclusion. This study demonstrated a very small reliance of telehealth for the medical supervision of pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is likely because of the essential physical examinations that occur in women who are considered to be at high risk for poor maternal and birth outcomes. Additional studies on the impact of COVID-19 infection on maternal and infant outcomes are also needed as there may be important risk factors not yet identified for poor maternal or birth outcomes.
Data Modelling in Human Resource Management: Influencing Factors of Employees’ Job Satisfaction
Authors: Zhuang Mei-Er , Pan Wen-Tsao
Published: February 2022

In the digital era, data mining and statistical analysis have been widely used to solve problems, especially in the field of management and engineering. Therefore, we aim to make a new insight of human resource management based on multiple regression modelling and quantile regression modelling. Specifically, the systematic framework of job satisfaction in this research is constructed by three dimensions from the perspective of psychology, namely, the perception of interpersonal relationship, financial compensation, and work conditions. Each dimension consists of two measures which reflect the employees’ view towards them. The empirical estimation results show the following. (1) Perceived relationship with managers, perceived rationality of compensation, perceived match degree of job, and perceived autonomy degree of work are all significantly positively correlated with job satisfaction. (2) The effect of perceived rationality of compensation is significantly different between the high quantile and the low quantile. For those with lower perceived rationality of compensation, their job satisfaction is more likely to be affected due to the perceived compensation than those with higher perception. This research enriches the existing theory by constructing a comprehensive framework of the influencing factors of job satisfaction, which provides useful implications of human resource management optimization for enterprises.
Regenerative Braking in Electric Vehicle Using Quadratic Gain Bidirectional Converter
Authors: Kumar Mukesh , Singh Kumar Abhishek , Chaudhary Kalpana , Saket R. K. , Khan Baseem
Published: February 2022

The manuscript proposes a quadratic gain bidirectional converter (QGBC). The proposed converter is operated in two different stages—step-up (motoring) and step-down (regenerative braking)—which can be employed in electric vehicle (EV) applications. The converter is operated in the continuous inductor current mode (CICM). For regenerative braking (RB) of permanent magnet brushless DC (PMBLDC) motor, the self-inductance of the motor is exploiting to step up the back electromagnetic force (EMF) of the motor to extract the energy even at low rotor speed. The design parameters of the converter are selected as battery voltage

V

s

=
48
 
V

, output voltage

V

o

=
200
 
V

, output power

P

o

=
1
 
kW

, and switching frequency

f

s

=
20
 
kHz

. The design system is simulated using MATLAB/Simulink. Finally, a 1 kW prototype is developed for validation and performance analysis of the converter. The converter operates at maximum efficiency of 95% during step-up operation of the converter. A DSP microcontroller TMS320F28335 is used to control the switches of the converter in the experimental setup.
Antiphospholipid Antibodies Increase the Risk of Fetal Growth Restriction: A Systematic Meta-Analysis
Authors: Xu Jinfeng , Chen Daijuan , Tian Yuan , Wang Xiaodong , Peng Bing
Published: February 2022

Objective. Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is a chronic autoimmune disease with a high prevalence in females. Published data have identified pregnant women with APS may suffer from recurrent miscarriage, fetal death. However, the association between antiphospholipid antibody (aPL) and fetal growth restriction (FGR) remains controversial. This study aims to systematically review the literature on population-based studies investigating an association between aPL and FGR. Methods. The literature was searched on 1 November, 2021, using Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), following the MOOSE checklist. Study inclusion criteria focused on peer-reviewed published articles that reported an association between aPL and FGR. Quality assessment was performed based on the Newcastle-Ottawa scale. The between-study heterogeneity was assessed by the Q test. Publication bias was assessed by funnel plots. Results. Twenty-two studies (with 11745 pregnant women) were included in the final analysis. Pooled odds ratio for association of aPL, anticardiolipin antibodies (ACA), anti-beta2 glycoprotein 1 antibodies (β2GP1), and FGR was 1.26 (95%CI 1.12, 1.40), 2.25 (95%CI 1.55, 2.94), and 1.31 (95% CI 1.12, 1.49), respectively. Lupus anticoagulant (LA) did not increase the chance of FGR (OR 0.82, 95%CI 0.54, 1.10). Conclusions. Our meta-analysis showed that aPL increased the risk of FGR. The risk of FGR varies with the aPL types. ACA and β2GP1 are strongly associated with FGR. There are currently insufficient data to support a significant relationship between LA and FGR.
Zeolite Application in Wastewater Treatment
Authors: de Magalhães Luciano Fernandes , da Silva Gilberto Rodrigues , Peres Antônio Eduardo Clark
Published: February 2022

As a scarce natural resource, the preservation of water quality is of fundamental importance to guarantee its availability for future generations. Due to the increasing industrial activity, effluents are generated with a series of chemical compounds, such as nitrogenous, phosphoric, and organic compounds, heavy metals, and dyes which, if improperly disposed of, contribute to contamination, followed by significant environmental impacts, in addition to the damage to human health. The adsorption technique is an effective approach for removing contaminants from effluents, showing high versatility, due to the use of various materials as adsorbents. Belonging to a wide variety of materials, zeolites reveal to be a promising adsorbent. Zeolites are minerals found in nature or which can be synthesized from industrial residues, standing out in the treatment of contaminated effluents. Zeolite removal efficiency depends on the contaminant to be removed and can reach up to 96% for heavy metals, 90% for phosphoric compounds, 96% for dyes, 80% for nitrogen compounds, and 89% for organics. Aiming at the identification of the more relevant findings and research gaps to advance the use of zeolites in the large-scale treatment of industrial effluents, a review on the recent application of zeolites is needed. This paper presents a global view of zeolites, and a review is conducted on several recent studies using zeolites as adsorbents for the contaminants considered, indicating the main characteristics of the various adsorption systems, demonstrating the particularities of each process, and aiming to reveal useful information to provide future research, in addition to identifying points that need further investigation.
Investigation on Psychological Status and Job Burnout of Managers in Petroleum Enterprises
Authors: Liu Bin , Zhang Jijun
Published: February 2022

Primarily in this paper, we have thoroughly investigated the psychological status and job burnout of managers in petroleum enterprises. For this purpose, we have assumed managers in petroleum enterprises as the research objects, whereas the overall sampling method was adopted from January 2019 to June 2020. A total of 240 questionnaires were sent out and 236 valid questionnaires were received with a recovery rate of 98.33%. The research objects’ general information, psychological health status, and job burnout level were investigated. Among the 236 management personnel in petroleum enterprises, 212 (89.83%) were male and 24 (10.17%) were female. The average age was (40.28 ± 7.07) years old, and the number of people aged 40–49 was the largest, accounting for 52.12%; 84.32% were in marriage; regular college or above accounted for 81.78%; no smoking or occasional smoking in the last one year was 52.97%; not drinking in the last year was 34.75%; and 60.17% of managers in petroleum enterprises never or occasionally exercise. 121 (51.27%) suffered from high burnout due to emotional exhaustion, 125 (52.97%) suffered from high burnout due to emotional alienation, and 139 (58.90%) suffered from high burnout due to reduced sense of achievement. The scores of somatization, obsessive symptoms, depression, anxiety, and terror of the respondents were significantly higher than the normal levels of domestic adults. The differences were statistically significant (

P
<
0.05

); there was no statistical significance in the scores of the other four factors compared with the national norm (

P
>
0.05

). The phenomenon of job burnout and some psychological health problems existed in the managers in petroleum enterprises. The incidence of psychological evaluation was higher than that of the national norm, and the level of psychological health could predict the job burnout of petroleum enterprise managers.
Effect of Vitamin D on Paraxonase-1, Total Antioxidant Capacity, and 8-Isoprostan in Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Authors: Mohammadzadeh Honarvar Niyaz , Samadi Mahsa , Seyedi Chimeh Marzieh , Gholami Fatemeh , Bahrampour Niki , Jalali Mahmoud , Effatpanah Mohammad , Yekaninejad Mir Saeid , Abdolahi Mina , Chamari Maryam
Published: February 2022

Background and Objective. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common neurobehavioral disorders in children. Increased oxidative stress and decreased vitamin D may be associated with neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders, such as ADHD. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of vitamin D supplementation on oxidative stress in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Method. In this double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial, 75 children (aged 6–12) diagnosed with ADHD were randomly assigned into two groups. The supplementation group received vitamin D3 (2000 IU), and the control group received a placebo for 3 months. Blood samples were collected at baseline and after intervention to analyze the 25(OH)D, paraxonase-1 activity (PON-1), Total Antioxidant Capacity (TAC), and 8-isoprostan levels. Results. A significant rise in circulating 25(OH)D was observed in the vitamin D group versus the placebo group at the end of the study. There was no reduction in 8-isoprostan levels in the vitamin D group compared to the placebo group. Serum paraxonase-1 and TAC concentration decreased in both groups, but these alterations were not statistically significant in the treatment group versus the placebo group at the end of the intervention. Conclusion. Vitamin D supplementation for 3 months did not have beneficial effects on biomarkers of oxidative stress status. To confirm these findings, further studies on children are suggested.
Sarcopenia and Mortality Risk of Patients with Sepsis: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Liu Wei , Hu Chenghuan , Zhao Shuangping
Published: February 2022

Background. The association between sarcopenia at admission and mortality in patients with sepsis has not been comprehensively evaluated. We performed a meta-analysis to systematically evaluate the above association. Methods. This meta-analysis included relevant observational studies from Medline, Embase, and Web of Science databases. A random-effect model after incorporation of the intrastudy heterogeneity was selected to pool the results. Subgroup analyses were applied to evaluate the influences of study characteristics on relationship. Results. Ten cohort studies including 2396 patients with sepsis were included, and 1496 (62.4%) of them had sarcopenia at presentation. Pooled results showed that compared to those without sarcopenia, septic patients with sarcopenia had a significantly increased early (in-hospital or 1-month) mortality risk (risk ration (RR): 2.14, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.60–2.87,

P

 < 0.001; I2 = 46%). Subgroup analyses showed consistent association between sarcopenia and increased acute mortality risk in septic patients which were not affected by study characteristics such as study design, country of the study, clinical settings, diagnostic criteria for sepsis, age, gender of the patients, and methods for diagnosis of sarcopenia (

P

for all subgroup analyses >0.05). Further meta-analyses showed that sarcopenia was also associated with increased mortality risk in septic patients at 3–6 months (RR: 2.13, 95% CI: 1.58–2.89,

P

 < 0.001; I2 = 0%) and at 1 year (RR: 1.57, 95% CI: 1.09–2.24,

P

 = 0.01; I2 = 29%). Conclusions. Current evidence suggests that sarcopenia may be a predictor of mortality in patients with sepsis.
Efficacy of Acupuncture for Parkinson’s Disease Anxiety: Two-Stage Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial
Authors: Fan Jing-Qi , Xu Zi-Qiao , Chen Yuan-Yuan , Lu Wei-Jing , Xie Xiao-Yan , Wang Yu-Ting , Zhuang Li-Xing
Published: February 2022

Parkinson’s disease anxiety (PDA) is a nonmotor symptom of Parkinson’s disease (PD) that is often neglected. PDA poses a far-reaching challenge to the treatment of PD. Acupuncture could be successful in the treatment of PDA. However, the evidence for this is still limited. We propose a two-stage clinical trial. In stage 1, a total of 70 volunteers with PDA will be randomly assigned to either acupuncture (manual acupuncture) or control group (sham acupuncture) in a 1 : 1 ratio. Treatments will be performed for four weeks. The change in the Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety (HAMA) score from baseline to week 4 and week 12 will be the primary outcome. The levels of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), cortisol (CORT), serotonin (5-HT), and corticotropin-releasing factor (CRH) in the patients’ serum and the scores on the Hoehn–Yahr Rating Scale and the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) will all be considered among the secondary outcomes. Participants will be followed up until week 12. In stage 2, a total of 82 volunteers with PDA will be randomly assigned to either an acupuncture (manual acupuncture) or a control group (anti-Parkinson drugs only) in a 1 : 1 ratio. HAMA score will be the primary outcome. Universality, feasibility and cost effectiveness, Hoehn–Yahr Rating Scale, UPDRS, and serological indicators will be secondary outcomes. Participants will be followed up until week 4. The statistical analysis will include all the allocated individuals. The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Traditional Chinese Medicine’s Research Ethical Committee authorized this procedure, and the trial is registered with ChiCTR2100047253.
An Adaptive Learning Image Denoising Algorithm Based on Eigenvalue Extraction and the GAN Model
Authors: Wang Feng , Xu Zhiming , Ni Weichuan , Chen Jinhuang , Pan Zhihong
Published: February 2022

This paper proposes a self-adjusting generative confrontation network image denoising algorithm. The algorithm combines noise reduction and the adaptive learning GAN model. First, the algorithm uses image features to preprocess the image and extract the effective information of the image. Then, the edge signal is classified according to the threshold value to suppress the problem of “excessive strangulation,” and then the edge signal of the image is extracted to enhance the effective signal in the high-frequency signal. Finally, the algorithm uses an adaptive learning GAN model to further train the image. Each iteration of the generator network is composed of three stages. And then, we get the best value. Through experiments, it can be seen from the data that the article algorithm is compared with the traditional algorithm and the literature algorithm. Under the same conditions, the algorithm can ensure the operating efficiency while having better fidelity, and it can still denoise at the same time. The edge signal of the image is preserved and has a better visual effect.
Polyphenol Extracts from Grape Seeds and Apple Can Reactivate Latent HIV-1 Transcription through Promoting P-TEFb Release from 7SK snRNP
Authors: Wang Cong , Wang Huiru , Pan Zhenrui , Wu Jun , Guo Yafei , Zhang Jing , Xiang Zixun , Lu Wei , Xue Yuhua
Published: February 2022

The principal barrier for the eradication of HIV/AIDS is the virus latency. One of the effective strategies so called “shock and kill” is to use latency-reversing agents (LRAs) to activate the latent HIV reservoirs and then combine them with the highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) to eradicate the virus. However, most of the current LRAs are too toxic; therefore, they have not been used clinically. Our preliminary data indicated that polyphenols from grape seeds can activate HIV in latently infected Jurkat T cells. Owing to a lot of food containing polyphenols and based on a reasoning whether all of these kinds of polyphenols contain the latency-reversing function, in this study, we screened 22 fruits/vegetables to see whether polyphenols from these can reactivate latent HIV-1 transcription. We finally proved that the polyphenols from grape seeds, apple, pomegranate, and bilberry can reactivate latent HIV-1 transcription. The activation of which can be detected on the level of protein and mRNA. The activation of which is in a dose- and time-dependent manner, while the activated polyphenol extracts have the effects to stimulate Tat-independent HIV-1 transcription. The mechanism shows that polyphenol extracts from grape seeds and apple can stimulate P-TEFb’s release from 7SK snRNP to induce HIV gene transcription. These results indicate that using a few food of high-content polyphenols as latent activators and combining HARRT may be of great use for the treatment of HIV/AIDS in the future.
Offloading in Mobile Edge Computing Based on Federated Reinforcement Learning
Authors: Dai Yu , Xue Qing , Gao Zhen , Zhang Qiuhong , Yang Lei
Published: February 2022

Mobile edge computing (MEC) has become a more and more popular technology, which plays a very important role in various fields. In view of the task of offloading of multiple users, most of the existing studies do not take into account data sharing and cooperation among users, which can easily lead to less generalization of the model trained by a single user, and some data sharing may also cause privacy leakage. Then, this paper uses the method of federated reinforcement learning to solve this problem in order to insure privacy. Besides, considering the poor quality of local models, which leads to the poor versatility of the overall parameters, this paper proposes a federated reinforcement learning method based on Attention mechanism to aggregate the parameter weights, which makes the new model more generalized. The experimental results show that the federated reinforcement learning task offloading model with Attention mechanism can reduce the processing delay of the task.
Multistage Multiobjective Optimization for Optimal Energy Management of the Connected Cophase Traction Power System
Authors: Akbari Saeed , Fazel Seyed Saeed
Published: February 2022

This study presents a multiobjective energy management model for the connected cophase traction power system (CCTPS). Each traction substation (TSS) includes a power flow controller (PFC), energy storage systems (ESS), wind turbine, and PV modules beside a single-phase traction power transformer. Also, in order to exchange the power between the adjacent TSSs, power transfer controllers (PTCs) are used. The proposed energy management model is formulated as a multistage multiobjective optimization problem with a lexicography approach. In the first stage, the cost of purchased energy is minimized. In the second stage, the independence of the CCTPS from the external grid improved. Finally, minimizing the voltage unbalanced ratio (VUR) of CCTPS is considered as the third stage goal. According to the simulation results, utilizing GAMS optimization software, the proposed model will decrease remarkably VUR and dependency of CCTPS without any increase in operation cost.
The Medial Prefrontal Cortex, Nucleus Accumbens, Basolateral Amygdala, and Hippocampus Regulate the Amelioration of Environmental Enrichment and Cue in Fear Behavior in the Animal Model of PTSD
Authors: Yu Ying Hao , Lim Yeou San , Ou Chen Yin , Chang Kai Chieh , Tsai Arthur C. , Chang Fang Chih , Huang Andrew Chih Wei
Published: February 2022

A growing body of evidence showed that environmental enrichment (EE) ameliorated footshock-induced fear behavior of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, no research comprehensively tested the effect of EE, cue, and the combination of EE and cue in footshock-induced fear behavior of PTSD symptoms. The present study addressed this issue and examined whether the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC, including the cingulate cortex 1 (Cg1), prelimbic cortex (PrL), and infralimbic cortex (IL)), the nucleus accumbens (NAc), the basolateral amygdala (BLA), and the hippocampus (e.g., CA1, CA3, and dentate gyrus (DG)) regulated the amelioration of the EE, cue, or the combination of EE and cue. The results showed that EE or cue could reduce fear behavior. The combination of EE and cue revealed a stronger decrease in fear behavior. The cue stimulus may play an occasion setting or a conditioned stimulus to modulate the reduction in fear behavior induced by footshock. Regarding the reduction of the EE in fear behavior, the Cg1 and IL of the mPFC and the NAc upregulated the c-Fos expression; however, the BLA downregulated the c-Fos expression. The mPFC (i.e., the Cg1, PrL, and IL) and the hippocampus (i.e., the CA1, CA3, and DG) downregulated the c-Fos expression in the suppression of the cue in fear behavior. The interaction of EE and cue in reduction of fear behavior occurred in the Cg1 and NAc for the c-Fos expression. The data of c-Fos mRNA were similar to the findings of the c-Fos protein expression. These findings related to the EE and cue modulations in fear behavior may develop a novel nonpharmacological treatment in PTSD.
The Role of Thrombocyte Parameters in Retinopathy of Prematurity Development
Authors: Özkaya Dilek
Published: February 2022

Purpose. To investigate the role of thrombocyte parameters in retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) development. Materials and Methods. This retrospective study included 120 preterm infants in total. Group 1 was formed by infants who developed type-1 ROP and received treatment. Group 2 was formed by infants who developed ROP and were not treated for ROP. Infants who did not develop ROP and whose retinal vascularization was completed in their follow-up formed Group 3. Gestational age, birth weight, and genders of groups were recorded. Platelet (PLT) count, mean platelet volume (MPV), and platelet distribution width (PDW) values were obtained from complete blood count. Platelet mass index (PMI) was calculated by multiplying the PLT count by MPV value. Thrombocytopenia was defined as PLT count <150 × 1000/μL. All parameters were compared between the groups. Results. There were 40 preterm infants in each group. The mean PLT count was 272.43 ± 122.67 in Group 1, 333.32 ± 133.06 in Group 2, and 310.03 ± 119.41 in Group 3. The difference in PLT count between the groups was not significant

p
=
0.094

. Thrombocytopenia was observed in 25% of Group 1, 10% of Group 2, and 10% of Group 3

p
=
0.095

. No statistically significant difference was found in terms of MPV, PDW, and PMI values between the groups (

p
=
0.102

,

p
=
0.097

, and

p
=
0.298

, respectively). Conclusions. Although PLT count was lower and thrombocytopenia rate was higher in the type-1 ROP group, the differences were not found to be significant. Further prospective studies are required to evaluate the role of thrombocytes in ROP pathogenesis.
The Impact of Lesion Complexity and the CHA2DS2-VASc Score on Spontaneous Reperfusion in Patients with ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Alıcı Gökhan , Barman Hasan Ali , Atıcı Adem , Tuğrul Sevil , Genç Ömer , Şahin İrfan
Published: February 2022

Background. In patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), a patent infarct-related artery (IRA) on initial angiography is defined as spontaneous reperfusion (SR). Objective. The present study aimed to determine the impact of lesion complexity and the CHA2DS2-VASc score on SR in patients with STEMI. Methods. A total number of 1,641 consecutive patients with STEMI undergoing primary PCI were assessed for this study. Patients were divided into 2 groups, those with SR, SR(+) (n = 239), and those without SR, SR(−) (n = 1402), according to their initial angiography and SR status. CHA2DS2-VASc scores were calculated for all patients. The lesion complexity of coronary artery disease was assessed with the SYNTAX score. Results. The CHA2DS2-VASc and SYNTAX scores were significantly lower in the SR(+) group compared to the SR(−) (mean CHA2DS2-VASc, 1.36 ± 0.64 vs. 2.01 ± 0.80,

p
<
0.001

; mean SYNTAX score, 15.51 ± 5.94 vs. 17.08 ± 8.29,

p
<
0.001

). After the multivariate regression analysis, a lower CHA2DS2-VASc (OR = 0.288,

p
<
0.001

), SYNTAX score (OR = 0.920,

p
=
0.007

), uric acid (OR = 0.868,

p
=
0.005

), CRP (OR = 0.939,

p
=
0.001

), BNP (OR = 0.998,

p
=
0.004

), and troponin (OR = 0.991,

p
=
0.001

) were independent predictors of SR. In-hospital mortality rates were significantly lower in the SR(+) group compared to the SR(−) (0% vs. 6.7%,

p
<
0.001

). Conclusion. Our study demonstrated that lesion complexity and the CHA2DS2-VASc score are independently associated with spontaneous reperfusion.