bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impact of workplace smoke-free policy on secondhand smoke exposure from cigarettes and exposure to secondhand heated tobacco product aerosol during COVID-19 pandemic in Japan: the JACSIS 2020 study
Authors: Takenobu Koichiro , Yoshida Satomi , Katanoda Kota , Kawakami Koji , Tabuchi Takahiro
Published: March 2022

Objectives

Promoting smoke-free policies is a key intervention for reducing secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure. During the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan, many indoor smoking spaces in workplaces were closed. This study aimed to reveal the association between a workplace smoke-free policy and SHS exposure among non-smoking employees, distinguishing between SHS exposure from cigarettes and exposure to secondhand heated tobacco product (HTP) aerosol, which have recently become popular in Japan.

Design and setting

We used data from the Japan COVID-19 and Society Internet Survey conducted in August–September 2020.

Participants

Among the 25 482 eligible respondents, 8196 non-smoking employees were analysed.

Primary outcome measure

Multivariable logistic regression models were used to examine the impact of smoke-free policies in the workplace.

Results

Compared with complete smoking bans, the ORs and 95% CIs for workplace SHS exposure at least once a week from cigarettes were 2.06 (95% CI: 1.60 to 2.65) for partial bans with no longer available smoking spaces, 1.92 (95% CI: 1.63 to 2.25) for partial smoking bans with still available smoking spaces and 5.33 (95% CI: 4.10 to 6.93) for no smoking bans. The corresponding ORs and 95% CIs for exposure to secondhand HTP aerosol were 4.15 (95% CI: 3.22 to 5.34), 2.24 (95% CI: 1.86 to 2.71) and 3.88 (95% CI: 2.86 to 5.26), respectively.

Conclusions

The effect of partial bans was limited, and temporary closure of smoking spaces might contribute to increased exposure to secondhand HTP aerosol. Complete smoking bans in the workplace were reaffirmed to be the best way to reduce SHS exposure from cigarettes and exposure to secondhand HTP aerosol.
Associations of statin use with 30-day adverse outcomes among 4 801 406 US Veterans with and without SARS-CoV-2: an observational cohort study
Authors: Wander Pandora L , Lowy Elliott , Beste Lauren A , Tulloch-Palomino Luis , Korpak Anna , Peterson Alexander C , Kahn Steven E , Danaei Goodarz , Boyko Edward J
Published: March 2022

Objective

To estimate associations of statin use with hospitalisation, intensive care unit (ICU) admission and mortality at 30 days among individuals with and without a positive test for SARS-CoV-2.

Design

Retrospective cohort study.

Setting

US Veterans Health Administration (VHA).

Participants

All veterans receiving VHA healthcare with ≥1 positive nasal swab for SARS-CoV-2 between 1 March 2020 and 10 March 2021 (cases; n=231 154) and a comparator group of controls comprising all veterans who did not have a positive nasal swab for SARS-CoV-2 but who did have ≥1 clinical lab test performed during the same time period (n=4 570 252).

Main outcomes

Associations of: (1) any statin use, (2) use of specific statins or (3) low-intensity/moderate-intensity versus high-intensity statin use at the time of positive nasal swab for SARS-CoV-2 (cases) or result of clinical lab test (controls) assessed from pharmacy records with hospitalisation, ICU admission and death at 30 days. We also examined whether associations differed between individuals with and without a positive test for SARS-CoV-2.

Results

Among individuals who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, statin use was associated with lower odds of death at 30 days (OR 0.81 (95% CI 0.77 to 0.85)) but not with hospitalisation or ICU admission. Associations were similar comparing use of each specific statin to no statin. Compared with low-/moderate intensity statin use, high-intensity statin use was not associated with lower odds of ICU admission or death. Over the same period, associations of statin use with 30-day outcomes were significantly stronger among individuals without a positive test for SARS-CoV-2: hospitalisation OR 0.79 (95% CI 0.77 to 0.80), ICU admission OR 0.86 (95% CI 0.81 to 0.90) and death 0.60 (95% CI 0.58 to 0.62; p for interaction all <0.001).

Conclusions

Associations of statin use with lower adverse 30-day outcomes are weaker among individuals who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 compared with individuals without a positive test, indicating that statins do not exert SARS-CoV-2 specific effects.
Do private providers give patients what they demand, even if it is inappropriate? A randomised study using unannounced standardised patients in Kenya
Authors: Kwan Ada , Boone Claire E , Sulis Giorgia , Gertler Paul J
Published: March 2022

Introduction

Low and varied quality of care has been demonstrated for childhood illnesses in low-income and middle-income countries. Some quality improvement strategies focus on increasing patient engagement; however, evidence suggests that patients demanding medicines can favour the selection of resistant microbial strains in the individual and the community if drugs are inappropriately used. This study examines the effects on quality of care when patients demand different types of inappropriate medicines.

Methods

We conducted an experiment where unannounced standardised patients (SPs), locally recruited individuals trained to simulate a standardised case, present at private clinics. Between 8 March and 28 May 2019, 10 SPs portraying caretakers of a watery diarrhoea childhood case scenario (in absentia) conducted N=200 visits at 200 private, primary care clinics in Kenya. Half of the clinics were randomly assigned to receive an SP demanding amoxicillin (an antibiotic); the other half, an SP demanding albendazole (an antiparasitic drug often used for deworming), with other presenting characteristics the same. We used logistic and linear regression models to assess the effects of demanding these inappropriate medicines on correct and unnecessary case management outcomes.

Results

Compared with 3% among those who did not demand albendazole, the dispensing rate increased significantly to 34% for those who did (adjusted OR 0.06, 95% CI 0.02 to 0.22, p<0.0001). Providers did not give different levels of amoxicillin between those demanding it and those not demanding it (adjusted OR 1.73, 95% CI 0.51 to 5.82). Neither significantly changed any correct management outcomes, such as treatment or referral elsewhere.

Conclusion

Private providers appear to account for both business-driven benefits and individual health impacts when making prescribing decisions. Additional research is needed on provider knowledge and perceptions of profit and individual and community health trade-offs when making prescription decisions after patients demand different types of inappropriate medicines.

Trial registration numbers

American Economic Association Registry (#AEARCTR-0000217) and Pan African Clinical Trial Registry (#PACTR201502000770329).
Cumulative incidence of SARS-CoV-2 and associated risk factors among healthcare workers: a cross-sectional study in the Eastern Cape, South Africa
Authors: Stead David , Adeniyi Oladele Vincent , Singata-Madliki Mandisa , Abrahams Shareef , Batting Joanne , Jelliman Eloise , Parrish Andrew
Published: March 2022

Objectives

This study assesses the cumulative incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection among healthcare workers (HCWs) during South Africa’s first wave and examines the associated demographic, health-related and occupational risk factors for infection.

Methods

Multistage cluster sampling was used in a cross-sectional study to recruit 1309 HCWs from two academic hospitals in the Eastern Cape, South Africa over 6 weeks in November and December 2020. Prior test results for SARS-CoV-2 PCR and participants’ characteristics were recorded while a blood sample was drawn for detection of IgG antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein. The primary outcome measure was the SARS-CoV-2 cumulative incidence rate, defined as the combined total of positive results for either PCR or IgG antibodies, divided by the total sample. The secondary outcome was significant risk factors associated with infection.

Results

Of the total participants included in the analysis (n=1295), the majority were women (81.5%), of black race (78.7%) and nurses (44.8%). A total of 390 (30.1%) HCWs had a positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR result and SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were detected in 488 (37.7%), yielding a cumulative incidence of 47.2% (n=611). In the adjusted logistic regression model, being overweight (adjusted OR (aOR)=2.15, 95% CI 1.44 to 3.20), obese (aOR=1.37, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.85) and living with HIV (aOR=1.78, 95% CI 1.38 to 2.08) were independently associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection. There was no significant difference in infection rates between high, medium and low COVID-19 exposure working environments.

Conclusions

The high SARS-CoV-2 cumulative incidence in the cohort was surprising this early in the epidemic and probably related to exposure both in and outside the hospitals. To mitigate the impact of SARS-CoV-2 among HCWs, infection prevention and control strategies should target community transmission in addition to screening for HIV and metabolic conditions.
Next-to SV resummed Drell–Yan cross section beyond leading-logarithm
Authors: Ajjath A. H. , Mukherjee Pooja , Ravindran V. , Sankar Aparna , Tiwari Surabhi
Published: March 2022

We present the resummed predictions for inclusive cross section for Drell–Yan (DY) production up to next-to-next-to leading logarithmic ($${{\overline{\mathrm{NNLL}}}}$$

NNLL
¯

) accuracy taking into account both soft virtual (SV) and next-to SV (NSV) threshold logarithms. We restrict ourselves to resummed contributions only from quark anti-quark ($$q {{\bar{q}}}$$

q

q

¯

) initiated channels. The resummation is performed in Mellin-N-space. We derive the N-dependent coefficients and the N-independent constants to desired accuracy for our study. The resummed results are matched through the minimal prescription procedure with the fixed-order results. We find that the resummation, taking into account the NSV terms, appreciably increases the cross section while decreasing the sensitivity to renormalisation scale. We observe that, at 13 TeV LHC energies, the SV + NSV resummation at $${\overline{\mathrm{NLL}}} ({{\overline{\mathrm{NNLL}}}})$$

NLL
¯

(

NNLL
¯

)

gives about 8% (2%) corrections respectively to the NLO (NNLO) results for the considered Q range: 150–3500 GeV. In addition, the absence of quark gluon initiated contributions to NSV part in the resummed terms leaves large factorisation scale dependence indicating their importance at NSV level. We also study the numerical impact of N-independent constants and explore the ambiguity involved in exponentiating them. Finally we present our predictions for the neutral Drell–Yan process at various center of mass of energies.
Combined-function optics for circular high-energy hadron colliders
Authors: Giovannozzi M. , Todesco E.
Published: March 2022

The design of future circular high-energy hadron colliders is based on the achievement of challenging magnetic fields, needed to keep the hadron beams orbiting along the ring circumference. The strength of the dipolar magnetic field is a function of the machine radius, beam energy, and of the fraction of the ring circumference that can be filled with dipoles. In this paper, we propose to use a combined-function periodic cell to maximise the filling factor of the dipole magnets. The optical properties of the proposed periodic structure are discussed in detail together with the design of the superconducting magnets needed to implement the proposed approach.
Sales per employee of the world’s top combined publicly traded and state-owned companies
Authors: Liprandi-Cortes N. , Soriano-Hernández P. G. , del Castillo-Mussot M.
Published: March 2022

Sales per capita (per number of employees) of the 2000 Forbes Magazine top publicly-traded companies (G-2000) and some of the world’s leading state-owned enterprises (SOE) are statistically analyzed. This hybrid or combined cumulative probability sales distribution per capita exhibits a two-class structure: a Pareto power law in the higher part and exponential in the lower part resembling a Boltzmann–Gibbs distribution, where money is conserved in economic trade like energy is conserved in elastic collisions. This global per capita sales two-class distribution is qualitatively similar to income and wealth distributions in many countries around the world.
Study of double J∕ψ production mechanisms at COMPASS
Authors: Andrei Gridin
Published: March 2022

During the past 40 years, the production of pairs of [Formula: see text] mesons in high-energy hadron collisions has been studied by several experiments. Despite the experimental and theoretical efforts, the origin of the process and the relative weight of different production mechanisms remain unknown. Depending on the energy scale, the double [Formula: see text] production can be described by single- and/or double-parton scattering sub-processes and gluon–gluon fusion or quark–antiquark annihilation mechanisms. The process can also be related to the hypothesis of the intrinsic charm of hadrons and the existence of exotic tetraquark states which were predicted by various theoretical models and have recently been observed by the LHCb experiment.

To study dimuon pair production, the COMPASS experiment at CERN uses a 190[Formula: see text]GeV/[Formula: see text] negative pion beam impinging on different nuclear targets. First preliminary COMPASS results on [Formula: see text] pair production will be presented. The search for possible signals from exotic resonances and the study of double [Formula: see text] production mechanisms will be discussed.
A Low-Power and High-Stability 8T SRAM Cell with Diode-Connected Transistors
Authors: Elangovan M. , Muthukrishnan M.
Published: March 2022

This research paper proposes a low-power, high-stability 8T static random access memory (SRAM) cell. The proposed SRAM cell is a modified structure of the conventional 6T SRAM cell. The introduction of two diode-connected transistors in the pull-down network of the conventional 6T SRAM cell gives the proposed 8T SRAM cell structure. The presence of diode-connected transistors improves the power and noise performances of the proposed cell as compared to those of the conventional bit cells. The power consumption and static noise margin (SNM) of the suggested SRAM cell are calculated for write, hold and read operations. Also, the write and read delays of the proposed and conventional bit cells are observed. The power, speed, noise margin and area of the proposed 8T SRAM cell are compared with those of some of the existing SRAM cells. In comparison to conventional SRAM cells, the proposed cell consumes less power and has higher stability, according to the study. A novel dual-supply ([Formula: see text][Formula: see text]V and [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]V or 200[Formula: see text]mV) concept is applied for the existing and proposed SRAM cells. The noise and power performances of SRAM cells are well improved under the condition of dual supply as compared to the conventional supply voltage ([Formula: see text][Formula: see text]V and [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]V). A [Formula: see text] memory array of the proposed 8T SRAM cell is formed and the performance of the array structure is compared with that of [Formula: see text] array of the conventional 6T SRAM cell. The layouts of existing and proposed SRAM cells are illustrated. The simulation is carried out using the Cadence Virtuoso simulation EDA tool in 90-nm CMOS technology.
Seismic Collapse Safety of 3D Steel Moment Frames Supported on Two Ground Levels
Authors: Chen Xiyue , Wu Yuntian , Zhong Mingsong , Yang Yeong-bin , Wang Zhilu
Published: March 2022

Steel moment frames supported on two different ground levels have been widely constructed in the mountainous high-seismicity regions of China. To investigate the seismic collapse behavior of such frames, 3D numerical analysis models were established in Perform-3D and verified to simulate the collapse process. Different structural configurations were considered, including the number of stories below upper ground and the number of spans supported on two different ground levels. Two limit states were defined according to the different structural parts that reach their limitations. Incremental dynamic analyses were performed in both the lateral and longitudinal directions. Seismic collapse fragility curves, collapse margin ratios, and collapse patterns corresponding to eight cases were exhibited. Seismic fragility curves corresponding to four performance levels were used to assess structural vulnerability. Analytical results indicated that two different collapse patterns would exist in the lateral and longitudinal directions. Therefore, two limit states should be considered in the analyses of such steel moment frames.
EFFECTS OF A PROPHYLACTIC KNEE SLEEVE ON THE ANTERIOR CRUCIATE LIGAMENT AND LOWER EXTREMITY BIOMECHANICS: AN EXAMINATION USING MUSCULOSKELETAL SIMULATION
Authors: SINCLAIR JONATHAN , GRIMSHAW NIAMH , LATHAM OWEN , TAYLOR PAUL JOHN , CHOCKALINGAM NACHIAPPAN
Published: March 2022

The current study aimed using a two-experiment musculoskeletal simulation-based approach, measuring anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) biomechanics, knee joint kinematics, and lower extremity joint loading to examine the effects of both a prophylactic knee sleeve on (1) a sport-specific change of direction movement in female footballers and (2) a single leg landing in male footballers. Experiment 1 examined 12 female university first team level footballers (age [Formula: see text] years, height [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]m, body mass [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]kg) undertaking a [Formula: see text] cutting movement in sleeve and no-sleeve conditions. Experiment 2 examined 10 male university first team level footballers (age [Formula: see text] years, height [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]m, body mass [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]kg) undertaking a single leg drop jump landing in sleeve and no-sleeve conditions. In each experiment, data was collected in a biomechanics laboratory and three-dimensional (3D) motion capture and ground reaction force (GRF) information was collected. 3D kinematics, 3D knee kinetics, and ACL ligament forces/strains were measured using musculoskeletal simulation, and participants were also asked to subjectively rate the knee sleeve in terms of both comfort and stability. Experiment 1 showed that the sleeve condition was associated with greater ACL strain ([Formula: see text]% and no-[Formula: see text]%) and forces ([Formula: see text] BW and no-[Formula: see text] BW). In addition, the brace condition also enhanced lateral compressive tibiofemoral ([Formula: see text] BW and no-[Formula: see text] BW) and total compressive tibiofemoral force ([Formula: see text] BW and no-[Formula: see text] BW). Finally, for the subjective ratings, participants indicated that the knee sleeve significantly improved perceived comfort and stability. Experiment 2 did not reveal any statistical differences between knee sleeve and no-sleeve conditions nor any effects of the knee sleeve on subjective ratings of comfort or stability. Therefore, the findings from the current investigation suggest that the prophylactic knee sleeve examined in the current investigation does not appear to reduce the biomechanical parameters linked to the aetiology of knee pathologies in male/female footballers.
Construction geological logging of the Thames Tideway Tunnel beneath central London: unearthing the ground truth
Authors: Newman T. G.
Published: March 2022

Large-scale underground structures excavated during the construction of the Thames Tideway Tunnel have facilitated observations of the
in situ
geology and revealed sedimentary characteristics that were not fully evident in disturbed samples from ground investigation boreholes or laboratory tests. These have led to significant improvements in the understanding of groundmass behaviour of several strata within the London Basin geological sequence that are not easily studied by intrusive ground investigations, especially those involving sand channels and the ‘Pebble Bed’ within the Lambeth Group deposits. Further validation of the ground model and geology projected over the scheme during the preconstruction design has been gained from logging the geology within deep shafts, open-face connection tunnels and the main 8.8 m-outer-diameter tunnel from behind the tunnel-boring machine cutterhead. It is recommended that an archive of field logs, as obtained during construction, be established to augment archives of borehole logs.

Thematic collection:
This article is part of the Geology of London and its implications for ground engineering collection available at:
https://www.lyellcollection.org/cc/london-basin
Design and Evaluation of an Augmented Reality Head-mounted Display Interface for Human Robot Teams Collaborating in Physically Shared Manufacturing Tasks
Authors: Chan Wesley P. , Hanks Geoffrey , Sakr Maram , Zhang Haomiao , Zuo Tiger , van der Loos H. F. Machiel , Croft Elizabeth
Published: March 2022

We provide an experimental evaluation of a wearable augmented reality (AR) system we have developed for human-robot teams working on tasks requiring collaboration in shared physical workspace. Recent advances in AR technology have facilitated the development of more intuitive user interfaces for many human-robot interaction applications. While it has been anticipated that AR can provide a more intuitive interface to robot assistants helping human workers in various manufacturing scenarios, existing studies in robotics have been largely limited to teleoperation and programming. Industry 5.0 envisions cooperation between human and robot working in teams. Indeed, there exist many industrial tasks that can benefit from human-robot collaboration. A prime example is high-value composite manufacturing. Working with our industry partner towards this example application, we evaluated our AR interface design for shared physical workspace collaboration in human-robot teams. We conducted a multi-dimensional analysis of our interface using established metrics. Results from our user study (n = 26) show that, subjectively, the AR interface feels more novel and a standard joystick interface feels more dependable to users. However, the AR interface was found to reduce physical demand and task completion time, while increasing robot utilization. Furthermore, user’s freedom of choice to collaborate with the robot may also affect the perceived usability of the system.
Analytical Chemistry Throughout This Solar System
Authors: Seaton Kenneth Marshall , Cable Morgan Leigh , Stockton Amanda Michelle
Published: March 2022

One of the greatest and most long-lived scientific pursuits of humankind has been to discover and study the planetary objects comprising our solar system. Information gained from solar system observations, via both remote sensing and in situ measurements, is inherently constrained by the analytical (often chemical) techniques we employ in these endeavors. The past 50 years of planetary science missions have resulted in immense discoveries within and beyond our solar system, enabled by state-of-the-art analytical chemical instrument suites on board these missions. In this review, we highlight and discuss some of the most impactful analytical chemical instruments flown on planetary science missions within the last 20 years, including analytical techniques ranging from remote spectroscopy to in situ chemical separations. We first highlight mission-based remote and in situ spectroscopic techniques, followed by in situ separation and mass spectrometry analyses. The results of these investigations are discussed, and their implications examined, from worlds as close as Venus and familiar as Mars to as far away and exotic as Titan. Instruments currently in development for planetary science missions in the near future are also discussed, as are the promises their capabilities bring. Analytical chemistry is critical to understanding what lies beyond Earth in our solar system, and this review seeks to highlight how questions, analytical tools, and answers have intersected over the past 20 years and their implications for the near future.
English News Text Recommendation Method Based on Hypergraph Random Walk Label Expansion
Authors: Wang Zhehao
Published: March 2022

With the rapid development of multimedia and Internet technology, English news text summary technology has received widespread attention as a way to quickly obtain English news text content. The existing method of English news text summarization based on graph model usually takes English news text as the vertices of the graph, and the relationship between the two vertices is represented by the edge. Although it has achieved good results, it cannot quickly sort out the English Complex relationships between news texts. In order to solve this problem, this paper uses the hypergraph model to model the relationship between English news text, and conducts in-depth research on the application of the hypergraph model in the field of English news text summarization. The high popularity of the Internet has brought about earth-shaking changes to the news industry, which makes the news on the Internet a great way for netizens to get news. However, the public cannot pick out satisfactory events from a large amount of news. In order to solve this problem, news event discovery technology that can help users quickly discover and understand hot news is produced. In addition, user personalized recommendation technology will rely on customer operation habits to provide customers with hot events of interest. The personalized news recommendation method adopted in this article has the advantages of integrating discovery and personalized news recommendation, and provides users with a better experience. Compared with the traditional hierarchical clustering algorithm, the algorithm proposed in this paper significantly improves the accuracy.
Music Emotion Classification Method Using Improved Deep Belief Network
Authors: Tong Guiying
Published: March 2022

Aiming at the problems of difficult data feature selection and low classification accuracy in music emotion classification, this study proposes a music emotion classification algorithm based on deep belief network (DBN). The traditional DBN network is improved by adding fine-tuning nodes to enhance the adjustability of the model. Then, two music data features, pitch frequency and band energy distribution, are fused as the input of the model. Finally, the support vector machine (SVM) classification algorithm is used as a classifier to realize music emotion classification. The fusion algorithm is tested on real datasets. The results show that the fused feature data of pitch frequency and band energy distribution can effectively represent music emotion. The accuracy of the improved DBN network fused with the SVM classification algorithm for music emotion classification can reach 88.31%, which shows good classification accuracy compared with the existing classification methods.
circNBPF10/miR-224 Axis Regulates PBX3 to Promote the Malignant Progression of Lung Cancer
Authors: Zhao Xuguang , Song Xiao , Zhao Yanxia
Published: March 2022

This study aims to reveal the potential effect of circNBPF10 on the malignant progression of lung cancer. The expression levels of circNBPF10 in lung cancer tissues and cell lines were detected via real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). The relationship between circNBPF10 expression and lung cancer metastasis was further analyzed. Effects on lung cancer cells after the knockout or overexpression of circNBPF10 were detected. Subsequently, the regulatory relationship of circNBPF10 with miR-224 was detected by using the dual-luciferase reporter gene. In addition, the role of pre-B-cell homeo box 3 (PBX3) in the progression of lung cancer affected by circNBPF10 was evaluated through a rescue experiment. circNBPF10 was highly expressed in lung cancer tissues and lung cancer cell lines. The expression level of circNBPF10 was significantly higher in patients with lung cancer and lymphatic metastasis or distant metastasis than in patients with nonmetastatic lung cancer. The downregulation of circNBPF10 reduced the proliferation, migration, and invasion of lung cancer cells. In lung cancer cells, circNBPF10 negatively regulated the expression of miR-224, whereas miR-224 directly targeted the expression of PBX3. The results of the rescue experiment confirmed that PBX3 was the key gene for the promoting effect of circNBPF10 on the malignant progression of lung cancer. circNBPF10 was highly expressed in lung cancer tissues and was associated with distant metastasis and poor prognosis in patients with lung cancer. circNBPF10 upregulated PBX3 by targeting miR-224 and promoted the malignant progression of lung cancer.
Effect of Bioinductive Cavity Liners on Shear Bond Strength of Dental Composite to Dentin
Authors: Tohidkhah Saba , Ahmadi Elham , Abbasi Mahdi , Morvaridi Farimani Reza , Ranjbar Omrani Ladan
Published: March 2022

Background. The aim of the current study was to evaluate and compare the influence of Dycal, Lime‐Lite, TheraCal LC, Biodentine, resin‐modified glass ionomer cement (RMGIC), and Activa BioActive as the pulp capping material on the shear bond strength of resin composite to dentin. Methods. A total of 70 extracted caries‐free molars were randomly assigned to seven groups. Six test groups were covered with various protective liners: Dycal, TheraCal LC, Lime‐Lite, Activa BioActive, Biodentine, and RMGIC. The control group received no liner pretreatment. Each sample was bonded to resin composite using the total‐etch Tetric N bond adhesive. The samples were then tested for shear bond strength using the universal testing machine at a cross‐head speed of 1 mm/min until bond failure occurred. The data were analyzed using the one‐way ANOVA test followed by the Tamhane post hoc test for pairwise comparisons of the groups. Results. Independent of the type of the applied liner, all groups exhibited inferior SBS to dentin compared to the control group. TheraCal and RMGIC showed significantly higher shear bond strength than Biodentine and Dycal, which showed the lowest shear bond strength. Lime‐Lite and Activa also had significantly lower SBS results than TheraCal. The mode of fracture was predominantly cohesive in Dycal, Biodentine, and TheraCal and adhesive in Activa. Conclusion. This present study concludes that the bond strength of resin composite to dentin can be affected differently using various types of liners.
Correlation between Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio and Pretreatment Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Their Predictive Significance in Cervical Carcinoma Patients Referred for Radiotherapy
Authors: Liang Chunyu , Xu Zhiyuan , Shen Xinping , Wu Kusheng
Published: March 2022

Objective. The aim of this study was to determine the correlation between neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and various tumor parameters assessed by pretreatment magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and to evaluate their prognostic significance for cervical carcinoma treated with radiotherapy (RT). Methods. The study enrolled 78 patients with biopsy-proven squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of primary cervical cancer (clinically staged IB2 to IVA) who were treated in the Department of Clinical Oncology of the University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital between August 2015 and May 2019. A retrospective analysis of patients with SCC was performed. Firstly, we investigated the correlations between NLR and MRI parameters. Then, univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify the prognostic factors for overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Kaplan–Meier curves were constructed for OS and PFS. Results. Higher NLR showed significant association with larger tumor diameter and parametrial invasion assessed by pretreatment MRI. Univariate analysis indicated that uterine body invasion, parametrial invasion, and NLR were associated with prognosis of cervical cancer. Multivariable analyses demonstrated that parametrial invasion and NLR higher than the cutoff were independently associated with shorter OS and PFS, whereas uterine body invasion showed a significantly unfavorable influence on OS but showed no significant effect on PFS. Using the three risk factors of NLR above cutoff, parametrial invasion, and uterine body invasion, patients were divided into three subgroups. The three-year OS rates of patients with zero risk factors, one risk factor, and two or three of these factors were 96%, 91%, and 42%, respectively (

P
<
0.001

), showing a downward trend. Conclusions. Uterine body invasion, parametrial invasion, and NLR were significant prognostic factors for patients with cervical carcinoma treated with RT. These results may supplement FIGO staging to improve prognostic assessment of patients.
Effects of Vertical Transmission and Human Contact on Zika Dynamics
Authors: Sow Abdoulaye , Diallo Cherif , Cherifi Hocine
Published: March 2022

The main objective of Zika transmission studies is to work out the simplest approach to scale back human mortality and morbidity caused by the disease. Therefore, it is essential to spot the relative importance of the various factors contributing to the transmission and prevalence of the disease. Many mathematical models have been formulated incorporating vector‐to‐human transmission or human‐to‐human transmission. However, they do not take into consideration the mixture of both sorts of transmission. It raises the question of the impact of both sorts of transmission on the disease dynamics. We develop a mathematical model of Zika with the vertical transmission in the vector population and human‐to‐human transmission to answer this question. It includes the immature phase of mosquitoes (eggs), adult mosquitoes (susceptible, exposed, and infectious), and human hosts (susceptible, exposed, infectious, and recovered). Results show that neglecting sexual transmission results in an understatement of the proportion of the infected population. Furthermore, it reduces the speed of disease spreading. On the other hand, vertical transmission in mosquitoes has a negligible effect on the dynamics of disease spread. We perform a sensitivity analysis of the reproductive number R0 to raise to understand the parameters driving the dynamics of the disease. It appears that the most sensitive parameters in decreasing order are as follows: the adult mosquito death rate, the sting rate, the transmission probability of mosquito to human, and, therefore, the transmission probability of human to mosquito. Furthermore, the proportion at the equilibrium of infected humans is extremely sensitive to the transition rate from the immature vector stage to the adult stage, the human‐to‐human transmission rate, and, therefore, the human recovery rate. These results confirm that control policies targeting the vector population and, therefore, the recovery rate of people are pretty effective solutions. To validate the model and estimate the important parameters of the model and the prediction of the disease, we consider the real cases in Colombia from 2016. In a series of graphic maps, we presented the comparative study to estimate the disease scenarios and to predict the time limit of the epidemic control measure.
Analysis of an Economic Coupling Relationship Model of the Coastal Ecological Fragile Zone Based on a Machine Learning Model
Authors: Wang Pei , Sun Xiaotao
Published: March 2022

This study is based on a decision tree learning model and integrated system. In order to improve the classification accuracy of the base learner, the diversity of the results is analyzed. Accuracy and diversity are the focus of decision tree classifier research. The balance between decision tree classifiers is a key issue in creating a good ensemble classifier. By reducing the redundant features and training the model with the optimal feature subset, the accuracy of the model can be improved and the running time can be reduced. Normal distribution and generalized error distribution are better. The clustering algorithm based on the

K

-means partition is a number of compact and independent classification clusters based on the

K

-means partition algorithm. In order to objectively and accurately treat the machine learning model, an analysis model and economic coupling relationship model were used to evaluate the coastal ecological fragile zone. The error of the result of the classifier after training is smaller.
Early and Delayed Rebound Intracranial Hypertension following Epidural Blood Patch in a Case of Spontaneous Intracranial Hypotension
Authors: Jafari Elham , Karaminia Maryam , Togha Mansoureh
Published: March 2022

Background. Spontaneous intracranial hypotension (SIH) is a secondary headache that has been attributed to a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak. It may resolve spontaneously or require conservative treatment. An epidural blood patch (EBP) with autologous blood is performed in cases exhibiting an inadequate response to conservative methods. Rebound intracranial hypertension (RIH) can develop following an EBP in up to 27% of patients. It is characterized by a change in the headache features and is often accompanied by nausea, blurred vision, and diplopia. Symptoms commonly begin within the first 36 hours, but could develop over days to weeks. It is important to differentiate this rebound phenomenon from unimproved SIH, as the treatment options differ. Case Presentation. Here, we present an interesting case of a patient with SIH who was treated with EBP and developed both immediate RIH after 24 hours and delayed RIH 3 weeks following EBP. Conclusions. Following EBP for treatment of SIH, new onset of headache having a different pattern and location should always be monitored for the occurrence of RIH. A lumbar puncture should be done if the symptoms of elevated CSF pressure become intolerable or if the diagnosis is uncertain. Lack of early diagnosis and treatment and differentiation from SIH can cause complications and could affect the optic nerves.
SDN Control Strategy and QoS Optimization Simulation Performance Based on Improved Algorithm
Authors: Zhang Bin , Liu Xin
Published: March 2022

In the past few years, the Internet has become more and more popular, and more and more people use the Internet. A lot of new software has been developed on the Internet, so the network traffic has increased rapidly. A company once clearly stated that, in the future, the network volume in our country will reach nearly 5 zb. In addition, the network is comprehensively unified, and the learning of the Internet is strengthened by the way of suggesting errors. It is also necessary to learn from the external environment to make the finite value of the network as good as possible. Reinforcement learning is about solving many difficult problems. Use reinforcement learning to promote and change this state, so that the advantages of the network can be fully developed. Regarding the environment and actions at the time as the basic mapping requirements, and the network technology strategy can be best developed. In order to solve the QoS optimization scheme of the current mainstream heuristic algorithm in the software-defined network scene, the software-defined network QoS optimization algorithm is proposed. First, the network resources and status information are unified into the network model, and then, the long- and short-term memory network is used to improve the algorithm's flow perception ability. Finally, based on the deep reinforcement learning algorithm, a dynamic traffic scheduling strategy that satisfies the QoS objective is constructed. Among them, QoS refers to the main functions of the entire network system, especially for some new users, but for many old users, this system can represent a certain application, for example, whether a certain software can get timely, whether it can work smoothly when processing videos, and whether it can be interrupted when making a voice call for improvement.
Identifying the Dynamic Influence of Economic Policy Uncertainty on Enterprise Investment Using Functional Data Analysis
Authors: Wang Deqing , Liu Tianqi , Li Xuemei , Huang Yi , Zhou Yuanhang
Published: March 2022

Economic policy uncertainty (EPU) is one of the important influencing factors for enterprise investment. By its nature, enterprise investment is dynamically affected by uncertainty. We examine the time-varying impact of EPU on the level of corporate investment by introducing functional data analysis (FDA). Based on smoothing the discrete data of 106 China Securities Index (CSI) 300 firms into the continuous curve, we examine the dynamic relationship between EPU on corporate investment level and investment efficiency. In addition, we explore the effect of EPU on the level of corporate investment and investment efficiency after grouping regressions in a functional model. The findings show the following: Firstly, there is a suppressive effect of rising EPU on the level of corporate investment. However, when the EPU is low, it has a significant promoting effect on the level of corporate investment and gradually decreases with the increase of uncertainty level. Secondly, elevated EPU has a promoting effect on the efficiency of corporate investment. The inhibitory effect on firm investment efficiency is observed at low EPU and changes to a promotional effect at high EPU. Thirdly, increasing EPU has a greater inhibitory role in the investment level of nonstate firms and a greater promotional role in the investment efficiency of state firms. We seek to expand the research on the impact of macrouncertainty on microfirm investment and introduce FDA to provide a meaningful reference to solve the current controversial issue.
Characteristics and Research Direction of Triassic in the South Yellow Sea Basin, China
Authors: Weijun Kong , Shuzhen Su , Jianning Zhang , Guoji Shi , Yao Huang , Kui Zhu , Qinghua Chen
Published: March 2022

To advance oil and gas exploration in the South Yellow Sea Basin, characteristics of Triassic, including its correlation with regional strata, distribution, lithology characteristics, and karst development characteristics, are studied by geological mapping. Results show that there exist Zhouchongcun Formation and Qinglong Formation in the Triassic. Zhouchongcun Formation corresponds to Dongma Formation in the lower Yangtze Region, Badong Formation in the middle Yangtze Region, and Lekoupo Formation in the upper Yangtze region. The upper Qinglong Formation corresponds to the Nanlinghu Formation and Longshan Formation in Xiyanzi district, and Jialingjiang Formation in the middle and upper Yangtze region. Its lithology is limestone, intercalated with marl, mudstone, and argillaceous siltstone. The lower Qinglong Formation corresponds to the Yinkeng Formation at the lower Yangtze group. The lower Qinglong group has the complex lithologic characteristics, which can be divided into six categories from top to bottom, including limestone weathering crust layer, limestone, marl with mudstone, mudstone with limestone, marl with limestone, and mudstone interbedding limestone and mudstone. Karst phenomenon is well developed in the lower Qinglong Formation, and the thickness of weathering crust, revealed by cz35-2-1 well, reaches 60.5 m. Triassic in the South Yellow Sea Basin is mainly distributed in the central uplift and southern depression, showing the regional differences in distribution. Karstification is probably the main reason for this significant difference. Identification of karst phenomenon and stratigraphic division method towards Triassic drilling coring are two important directions of Triassic study in the South Yellow Sea Basin.
Laminarin Alleviates the Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury in PC12 Cells via Regulation of PTEN/PI3K/AKT Pathway
Authors: Sun Zhishan , Wang Honghai , Zhao Wenwen , Wang Dehui
Published: March 2022

Objective. To investigate the protective effect of laminarin on PC12 cells damaged by oxygen glucose deprivation/reoxygenation (OGD/R) and its molecular mechanism. Methods. PC12 cells in the logarithmic phase were randomly divided into the control group, OGD/R group, and OGD/R+laminarin (0.5, 2.5, and 5 μg/ml) group. CCK-8 activity assay kit was used to detect cell viability. ELISA kit was performed to examine the levels of proinflammatory factors (TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6) and oxidative stress markers (ROS, LDH, and MPO). In addition, flow cytometry was employed to determine cell cycle and apoptosis. The expression of cell proliferation-related proteins (PCNA and Ki67), apoptosis-related proteins (Bcl-2, Bax, and Caspase-3), and PTEN/PI3K/AKT pathway-related proteins was evaluated by Western blot. Results. Compared with the control group, the cell viability was decreased significantly in the OGD/R group. CCK-8 results showed that laminarin could attenuate the damage of PC12 cell viability induced by OGD/R in a concentration-dependent manner. Meanwhile, the highest concentration of 5 μg/ml laminarin could significantly promote the viability of PC12 cells and the expression of PCNA and Ki67 than the OGD/R group. Additionally, ELISA assays showed that laminarin significantly inhibited the expression of proinflammatory factors (TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6) and the levels of oxidative stress markers (ROS, LDH, and MPO). Flow cytometry results demonstrated that laminarin promoted the cell cycle. And laminin upregulated the expression of apoptotic protein Bcl-2, while downregulated the expression of apoptotic proteins Bax and Caspase-3. Finally, laminarin significantly suppressed the expression of PTEN and facilitated the expression of PI3K and p-AKT compared to the OGD/R group. Conclusion. Laminarin could alleviate the OGD/R-induced PC12 cell neuronal injury via promoting cell activity and cycle and inhibiting inflammation, oxidative stress, and apoptosis. The mechanism may be related to the downregulation of PTEN protein and the activation of the PI3K/AKT pathway.
Cabozantinib Enhances Anti-PD1 Activity and Elicits a Neutrophil-Based Immune Response in Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Esteban-Fabró Roger , Willoughby Catherine E. , Piqué-Gili Marta , Montironi Carla , Abril-Fornaguera Jordi , Peix Judit , Torrens Laura , Mesropian Agavni , Balaseviciute Ugne , Miró-Mur Francesc , Mazzaferro Vincenzo , Pinyol Roser , Llovet Josep M.
Published: March 2022

Purpose:

Immune checkpoint inhibitors combined with antiangiogenic agents produce benefits in the treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We investigated the efficacy and immunomodulatory activity of cabozantinib alone and combined with anti-PD1 in experimental models of HCC, and explored the potential target population that might benefit from this combination.

Experimental Design:

C57BL/6J mice bearing subcutaneous Hepa1-6 or Hep53.4 tumors received cabozantinib, anti-PD1, their combination, or placebo. Tumor and blood samples were analyzed by flow cytometry, IHC, transcriptome, and cytokine profiling. Cabozantinib-related effects were validated in a colorectal cancer patient-derived xenograft model. Transcriptomic data from three human HCC cohorts (cohort 1: n = 167, cohort 2: n = 57, The Cancer Genome Atlas: n = 319) were used to cluster patients according to neutrophil features, and assess their impact on survival.

Results:

The combination of cabozantinib and anti-PD1 showed increased antitumor efficacy compared with monotherapy and placebo (P < 0.05). Cabozantinib alone significantly increased neutrophil infiltration and reduced intratumor CD8+PD1+ T-cell proportions, while the combination with anti-PD1 further stimulated both effects and significantly decreased regulatory T cell (Treg) infiltration (all P < 0.05). In blood, cabozantinib and especially combination increased the proportions of overall T cells (P < 0.01) and memory/effector T cells (P < 0.05), while lowering the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (P < 0.001 for combination). Unsupervised clustering of human HCCs revealed that high tumor enrichment in neutrophil features observed with the treatment combination was linked to less aggressive tumors with more differentiated and less proliferative phenotypes.

Conclusions:

Cabozantinib in combination with anti-PD1 enhanced antitumor immunity by bringing together innate neutrophil-driven and adaptive immune responses, a mechanism of action which favors this approach for HCC treatment.