bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Bioinformatics Analysis Reveals Diagnostic Markers and Vital Pathways Involved in Acute Coronary Syndrome
Authors: Li Mingshuang , Ren Conglin , Wu Chenxia , Li Xinyao , Li Xinyi , Mao Wei
Published: November 2020

Background. Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) has a high incidence and mortality rate. Early detection and intervention would provide clinical benefits. This study aimed to reveal hub genes, transcription factors (TFs), and microRNAs (miRNAs) that affect plaque stability and provide the possibility for the early diagnosis and treatment of ACS. Methods. We obtained gene expression matrix GSE19339 for ACS patients and healthy subjects from public database. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened using Limma package in R software. The biological functions of DEGs were shown by Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA). Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was mapped in Cytoscape, followed by screening of hub genes based on the Molecular Complex Detection (MCODE) plug-in. Functional Enrichment analysis tool (FunRich) and Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery (DAVID) were used to predict miRNAs and TFs, respectively. Finally, GSE60993 expression matrix was chosen to plot receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves with the aim of further assessing the reliability of our findings. Results. We obtained 176 DEGs and further identified 16 hub genes by MCODE. The results of functional enrichment analysis showed that DEGs mediated inflammatory response and immune-related pathways. Among the predicted miRNAs, hsa-miR-4770, hsa-miR-5195, and hsa-miR-6088 all possessed two target genes, which might be closely related to the development of ACS. Moreover, we identified 11 TFs regulating hub gene transcriptional processes. Finally, ROC curves confirmed three genes with high confidence (area under the curve > 0.9), including VEGFA, SPP1, and VCAM1. Conclusion. This study suggests that three genes (VEGFA, SPP1, and VCAM1) were involved in the molecular mechanisms of ACS pathogenesis and could serve as biomarkers of disease progression.
Research on Chinese Question-Answering for Gaokao Based on Graph
Authors: Yang Zhizhuo , Li Chunzhuan , Hu Zhang , Yili Qian , Li Ru
Published: November 2020

Reading comprehension Question-Answering (QA) for College Entrance Examination (Gaokao in Chinese) is a challenging AI task because it requires effective representation to capture complicated semantic relations between the question and answers. In this paper, a novel method of Chinese Automatic Question-Answering based on a graph is proposed. The method first uses the Chinese FrameNet and discourse topic (paragraph topic sentence and author’s opinion sentence) to construct the affinity matrix between the question and candidate sentences and then employs the algorithm based on the graph to iteratively calculate the importance of each sentence. At last, the top 6 candidate answer sentences are selected based on the ranking scores. The recall on Beijing College Entrance Examination in the recent twelve years is 67.86%, which verifies the effectiveness of the method.
Optimizing the Procurement of IaaS Reservation Contracts via Workload Predicting and Integer Programming
Authors: Zhu Huamin , Luo Jun , Deng Hongyao
Published: November 2020

Cloud-based web applications are proliferating fast. Owing to the elastic capacity and diverse pricing schemes, cloud Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) offers great opportunity for web application providers to optimize resource cost. However, such optimization activities are confronting the challenges posed by the uncertainty of future demand and the increasing reservation contracts. This work investigates the problem of how to minimize IaaS rental cost associated with hosting web applications, while meeting the demand in the future business cycle. First, an integer liner program model is developed to optimize reservation-contract procurement, in which reserved and on-demand resources are planned for multiple provisioning stages as well as a long-term plan, e.g., twelve stages in an annual plan. Then, a Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) based algorithm is designed to predict the workload in the future business cycle. In addition, the approaches for determining virtual instance capacity and the baseline workload of planning time slot are also presented. Finally, the experimental prediction results show the LSTM-based algorithm gains an advantage over several popular models, such as the Holter–Winters, the Seasonal Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (SARIMA), and the Support Vector Regression (SVR). The simulations of resource planning show that the provisioning scheme based on our reservation-optimization model obtains significant cost savings than other typical provisioning schemes, while satisfying the demands.
Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, Its Impact on Selected Cardiovascular Risk Factors, and Correlation with Duration of Illness: A Pilot Study
Authors: Przywara-Chowaniec Brygida , Blachut Dominika , Harpula Jan , Bereś Marcin , Nowak Agnieszka , Nowalany-Kozielska Ewa
Published: November 2020

Systemic lupus erythematosus is a rare autoimmune disease. It leads to an increased production of proinflammatory molecules that accelerates atherogenesis and could cause an endothelium dysfunction. The aim of the study was to assess cardiovascular risk factors such as BMI and lipid profile as well as left ventricular ejection fraction among patients with SLE, and a correlation of these factors with duration of the disease. Materials and Methods. The researched group consisted of patients with SLE, being under control of the outpatient clinic of cardiology. This group included 38 patients among whom 34 were women (56.17 ± 11.05 years) and 4 were men (65.50 ± 9.22 years). The control group consisted of 19 healthy women (53.31 ± 11.94 years) and 2 healthy men (38.51 ± 7.53 years). Measurements were taken in the same conditions by trained medical staff. Results. Excessive body weight (BMI >25 kg/m2) was more frequent in the SLE group, but it was not statistically significant (55.26% vs. 52.38%,

p
=
0.6159

). LVEF values were lower in their searched group, and this factor showed statistical significance (53.92% ± 6.46 vs. 58.67% ± 4.69,

p
=
0.0044

). Thickness of the IMT was higher and statistically important among patients with SLE, both in left (1.22 ± 0.27 mm vs. 0.7 ± 0.21 mm,

p
=
0.0001

) and right common carotid artery (1.16 ± 0.26 mm vs. 0.59 ± 0.15 mm,

p
=
0.0001

), compared to the controls. Conclusions. Patients with SLE are at greater risk of developing cardiovascular diseases as the illness progresses. The activity of the disease according to the SLEDAI-2K scale may have an impact on the LVEF values which was significantly decreased in the group with active disease, but further thorough investigation is required to fully evaluate the impact of individual components of the disease and its treatment on the CVD development and mortality.
Railway Fastener Fault Diagnosis Based on Generative Adversarial Network and Residual Network Model
Authors: Yao Dechen , Sun Qiang , Yang Jianwei , Liu Hengchang , Zhang Jiao
Published: November 2020

The present work aimed at the problems of less negative samples and more positive samples in rail fastener fault diagnosis and low detection accuracy of heavy manual patrol inspection tasks. Exploiting the capacity of a Convolution Neural Network (CNN) to process unbalanced data to solve tedious and inefficient manual processing, a fault diagnosis method based on a Generative Adversarial Network (GAN) and a Residual Network (ResNet) was developed. First, GAN was used to track the distribution of rail fastener failure data. To study the noise distribution, the mapping relationship between image data was established. Additional real fault samples were then generated to balance and extend the existing data sets, and these data sets were used as input to ResNet for recognition and detection training. Finally, the average accuracy of multiple experiments was used as the evaluation index. The experimental results revealed that the fault diagnosis of rail fastener based on GAN and ResNet could improve the fault detection accuracy in the case of a serious shortage of fault data.
Recovering Walking Trajectories from Local Measurements and Inertia Data
Authors: Zhu Lifeng , Xu Chenghao , Shi Ke , Li Wei , Song Aiguo , Tang Xinhua
Published: November 2020

Capturing walking trajectories is useful for motion planning and various location-based services. Traditionally, it is a challenging task because it is expensive to install infrastructures, especially in an outdoor setting. As another choice, the reconstructed walking trajectories suffer from the drifting problem from captured inertia data. In this work, we study the biped walking motion and propose a method to recover walking trajectories by introducing local measurements between the feet to the system, in combination with the orientation from inertia data. We design a few local measurements which can be passively captured. After analyzing these measurements, the walking trajectory is progressively recovered by solving a set of small-scale optimization problems. By comparing with the trajectories extracted from optical motion capture systems, we tested our method on different subjects, and the quality of the recovered walking trajectory is evaluated.
Impact of Plant Root Morphology on Rooted‐Soil Shear Resistance Using Triaxial Testing
Authors: Meng Suyun , Zhao Guoqing , Yang Yuyou
Published: November 2020

Mechanical reinforcement by plant roots increases the soil shearing strength. The geometric and distribution characteristics of plant roots affect the soil shearing strength. Current research on the shear strength of rooted‐soil is mostly based on direct shear tests with a fixed shear surface and thus cannot reflect the actual failure state of the rooted‐soil. In this study, Golden Vicary Privet was used to create a rooted‐soil, and a triaxial test method was used for soil mechanical property analysis. The influence of the root geometry (root diameter and individual root length) and distribution characteristics (root density and root distribution angle) on the rooted‐soil shearing strength was studied by controlling the root morphology in the specimens. According to the results, both the root geometry and distribution characteristics affect the rooted‐soil shearing strength. For a fixed total length of the roots, the longer the individual root length is, the better the soil shearing strength is. In addition, the reinforcement effect of the root system increases as the angle between the root and the potential failure surface increases. The results also show that the root system significantly enhances the soil cohesion while only minimally affecting the internal friction angle. The maximum rooted‐soil cohesion is 2.39 times that of the plain soil cohesion, and the maximum internal friction angle of rooted‐soil is 1.24 times that of plain soil. This paper provides an approach for the determination of the rooted‐soil strength and a rationale for vegetation selection in ecological slope reinforcement applications.
On Integral Inequalities Involving Generalized Lipschitzian Functions
Authors: Jleli Mohaemd , Samet Bessem
Published: November 2020

A new class of mappings that includes the class of Lipschitzian mappings is introduced. For this kind of mappings, new integral inequalities of Hadamard’s type are obtained. Our results are extensions of many previous contributions related to integral inequalities for Lipschitzian mappings.
Power Flow Simulation for Two-Degree-of-Freedom Planetary Gear Transmissions with Experimental Validation
Authors: Hussen Hamed Ali , Esmail Essam Lauibi , Hussen Rahman A.
Published: November 2020

The basic relationships among gear ratios, velocity succession, torque directions, power ratios, energy losses, and efficiency are derived from first principles. The techniques presented here can be applied to ordinary, planetary, or mixed gear trains. Also, these techniques provide more insight into how power is flowing through the different parts of the mechanism. Power flow relationships are a helpful tool to study power amplification and power circulation in multipath transmissions. They also provide more insight into how the gear pair entities (GPEs) or gear train entities (GTEs) affect total power losses and allow immediate derivation of the overall efficiency. A representative two-input mechanism is analyzed to demonstrate the effectiveness of improved techniques. The theoretical results are compared with experimental data of previous work. The theoretical and experimental curves exhibit identical trends with a distinct jump in friction loss. The jump is explained by a change in the way of the power flow through the mechanism. The conditions under which power circulation occurs are determined. The results have important implications for understanding how to improve the efficiency of multipath power flow systems.
Influence of the Reynolds Number on Transonic Tip Flow
Authors: Feng Wuheng , Zhao Yuxin , Wang Qiancheng , Wang Chenglong
Published: November 2020

The tip flows in modern gas turbines are primarily transonic under realistic conditions and significantly impact the overall thrust performance and safety of the turbines. This study is aimed at providing a deeper understanding of the mechanisms underlying and controlling the tip flow characteristics. Particle image velocimetry (PIV) and Schlieren and oil flow visualizations were performed to reveal the basic structure of the tip flow fields. A computational fluid dynamics model was developed, and the experimental results validated its accuracy. FLUENT 18.0 was employed to apply the Spalart-Allmaras turbulence model and perform two-dimensional calculations that furthered the investigation. The PIV and Schlieren visualization results indicated that the tip flow accelerated rapidly to the transonic level at the gap inlet separation when the gap pressure ratio exceeded 2.0. Furthermore, an oblique shock wave was generated when the transonic tip flow reattached and then reflected within the gap. The oil flow visualization provided the corresponding boundary layer behavior on the bottom wall. Additionally, the computation of the transonic tip flow with respect to various sizes and pressure values demonstrated that the Reynolds number is the key parameter that controls the gap flow field. The flow similarity existed as long as the Reynolds number remained constant. An in-depth analysis of the simulation improved the model performance at predicting the inlet separation size, discharge coefficient, and friction coefficient based on the Reynolds number. The study results provide a reference for the design and testing of engine blade gaps in real-world conditions.
Postpartum-Isolated Native Pulmonic Valve Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Infective Endocarditis Complicated by Pelvic Abscess, Clavicle Osteomyelitis, and Polyarticular Septic Arthritis
Authors: Navarrete Daniela , Hannibal David , Patil Sachin M. , Patel Tarang Pankaj , Roland William
Published: November 2020

Isolated native pulmonic valve infective endocarditis (IE) is a rare occurrence. The most commonly involved valves in injection drug users are the tricuspid valve followed by mitral and then aortic valves. Most reported cases of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) IE involve multiple valves. Isolated involvement of the pulmonic valve in IE is infrequent, especially in intravenous drug users or patients with indwelling catheters, prosthetic valves, or implantable cardiac devices. Here, we report a young postpartum female patient with isolated native pulmonic valve MRSA IE with MRSA bacteremia and history of active injection drug use. A PubMed literature review revealed a single described prior case report in a postpartum female. The patient’s clinical course was complicated by a large native pulmonic valve vegetation, septic pulmonary emboli, pelvic abscess, polyarticular septic arthritis, and clavicular osteomyelitis. The patient underwent bioprosthetic pulmonic valve replacement and finished six weeks of intravenous vancomycin for complete recovery.
Enrichment Mechanism of the Upper Carboniferous-Lower Permian Transitional Shale in the East Margin of the Ordos Basin, China: Evidence from Geochemical Proxies
Authors: Wei Zhifu , Wang Yongli , Wang Gen , Zhang Ting , He Wei , Ma Xueyun , Yu Xiaoli
Published: November 2020

The organic-rich shale of the Upper Carboniferous-Lower Permian transition period in the eastern margin of the Ordos Basin, China, was formed in a marine-continental facies sedimentary environment. With a high content of total organic carbon (TOC) and a large cumulative thickness, it is considered a good source rock for shale gas development. The sedimentary environment of marine-continental transitional shale is obviously different from that of marine shale, which leads to different enrichment characteristics of organic matter. In this paper, shale samples were collected from XX# well of the Taiyuan and Shanxi Formations across the Upper Carboniferous-Lower Permian, which is typical marine-continental transitional shale. The TOC, major elements, and trace elements were measured, and the formation and preservation conditions were investigated using multiple geochemical proxies, including paleoclimate, redox parameters, paleoproductivity, and controls on the accumulation of organic matter. The TOC of Shanxi Formation is higher than that of Taiyuan Formation. In the Taiyuan Formation, TOC is positively related to the redox index (V, U, and V/Cr), indicating that the dysoxic bottom water environment is the key factor controlling organic matter accumulation. For Shanxi Formation, there is a positive correlation between TOC and paleoclimate, which indicates that the enrichment of organic matter is affected by warm and humid paleoclimate and oxic environment. In addition, the paleoproductivity is lower with a positive correlation with TOC for the marine-continental transitional organic-rich shale, suggesting that it was inferior to the gathering of organic matter.
Dynamic Characteristics of Metro Trains under Rescue Conditions
Authors: Zou Ruiming , Luo Shihui , Ma Weihua , Wu Qing
Published: November 2020

In order to study the dynamic characteristics of metro train under rescue conditions, a detailed dynamic model with different train formations is established, taking into account the characteristics of wheel-rail contact, nonlinear characteristics of suspension components, and nonlinear hysteresis characteristics of the draft gear systems. To verify the accuracy of the simulation results, field tests are carried out and comparison is made between simulation and test results. Then, simulation analyses are conducted under the condition of AW0 rescues AW0, AW0 rescues AW3, and AW3 rescues AW3. Based on the simulation results, the longitudinal dynamic characteristics of the train under different rescue conditions are compared, and the influence of the longitudinal impulse on the dynamic performance of coupler and vehicle is analyzed. Finally, some suggestions are put forward to improve the draft gear as well as the rescue method.
Water Reservoir Multiobjective Optimal Operation Using Grey Wolf Optimizer
Authors: Donyaii Alireza , Sarraf Amirpouya , Ahmadi Hassan
Published: November 2020

This study develops the Multiobjective Grey Wolf Optimization (MOGWO) algorithm to obtain the optimum rules on the operation of the Golestan Dam in Golestan Province, Iran, under the climate change conditions. The tow objective functions defined in the optimization process include minimizing the vulnerability and maximizing the reliability indices of the model under baseline and climate change conditions periods. Results showed that the river flow would decline by 0.17 percent of the baseline period under climate change conditions in addition to increasing the temperature by 20%, as well as decreasing the rainfall by 21.1%. Moreover, the extent of vulnerability index variations in baseline and climate change conditions was 16–45% and 10–43%, respectively. The range of reliability index variations in baseline and climate change conditions was 47–90% and 27–93%. On the other hand, the vulnerability index has also been measured at 29% and 27% for baseline and climate change conditions, respectively, with 75 percent of reliability. Comparison of the reservoir release rate and water demands for all of the Pareto points indicates a rise in release rates for climate change conditions relative to the baseline one; as the result, the higher adjustment in the reservoir release rates to its demand volumes will be highlighted as the higher dam efficiency in climate change conditions.
Prevalence and Intensity of Intestinal Helminth Infections in Preschool Pupils in Lugari Subcounty, Kakamega County, Kenya
Authors: Werunga Daniel Kevin , Omukunda Elizabeth Nanjala , Korir Jackson Cheruiyot
Published: November 2020

Intestinal helminths cause anaemia, malnutrition, indigestion disorders, retarded growth, and low mental abilities in pupils. About 1.5 billion are infected globally. Intestinal helminth infections are caused by Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura, Strongyloides stercoralis, Enterobius vermicularis, Ancylostoma duodenale, and Necator americanus. Lugari Subcounty has poor sanitation and inadequate clean water. This study determined the prevalence of intestinal helminth infections in preschool pupils in Lugari Subcounty. A stratified multistage cluster experimental design was used. Sampling was carried out in four wards: Lumakanda, Lugari, Luandeti, and Chekalini. Preschool pupils of either gender were selected randomly. Written consents and verbal assent were obtained from parents or guardians and preschool pupils, respectively. Questionnaires were administered in order to collect sociodemographic data. Stool samples were collected and tested for the presence of eggs using the standard Kato-Katz technique. Prevalence rate and prevalence ratio were calculated as the percentage of infected preschool pupils among the total number of preschool pupils examined. Preschool pupils positive with helminths were treated freely, and a follow-up screening was conducted three months after treatment. Approval of the study was sought from the Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology Institutional Ethical Review Board (MMUST IRB). The overall prevalence of intestinal helminths was 12.3%. Only one species, Ascaris lumbricoides, was identified. Statistical tests were carried out at a 5% significance level (

p
<
0.05

, confidence interval (CI) 95%). There was a statistically significant association for prevalence and intensity of intestinal helminths versus factors like school location, knowledge of washing hands before eating, and awareness of washing hands after visiting a toilet. Although this study revealed a low prevalence and light intensity, some factors had significant effects on intestinal helminth infections among the preschool children. Therefore, there is a need to intensify efforts for their intestinal helminth control.
Metabolomics Approach for Discrimination and Quality Control of Natural and Commercial Fallopia multiﬂora Products in Vietnam
Authors: Thoa Nguyen Thi , Dang Nguyen Hai , Giang Do Hoang , Thu Minh Nguyen Thi , Dat Nguyen Tien
Published: November 2020

A precise HPLC-DAD-based quantification together with the metabolomics statistical method was developed to distinguish and control the quality of Fallopia multiflora, a popular medicinal material in Vietnam. Multivariate statistical methods such as hierarchical clustering analysis and principal component analysis were utilized to compare and discriminate six natural and twelve commercial samples. 2,3,4′,5-Tetrahydroxystilbene 2-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (THSG) (1), emodin (4), and the new compound 6-hydroxymusizin 8-O-α-D-apiofuranosyl-(1⟶6)-β-D-glucopyranoside (5) could be considered as important markers for classification of F. multiﬂora. Furthermore, seven phenolics were quantified that the variation in the contents of selected metabolites revealed the differences in the quality of natural and commercial samples. Recovery of the compounds from the analytes was more than 98%, while the limits of detection (LOD) and the limits of quantitation (LOQ) ranged from 0.5 to 6.6 μg/ml and 1.5 to 19.8 μg/ml, respectively. The linearity, LOD, LOQ, precision, and accuracy satisfied the criteria FDA guidance on bioanalytical methods. Overall, this method is a promising tool for discrimination and quality assurance of F. multiflora products.
A Rare Case of Fungal Necrotising Otitis Externa Centred on the Left Temporomandibular Joint
Authors: Khan A. , Omakobia E. , Hasnie S. , Barton R. , Gopalan P. , Oktseloglou V. , Smith I.
Published: November 2020

Introduction. Necrotising otitis externa (NOE) is a rare life-threatening complication of simple otitis externa which can be difficult to diagnose and manage. It is very rarely centred on the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). Fungi cause NOE in approximately 5–20% of patients, and a high index of suspicion is required for diagnosis, particularly when there is no improvement with prolonged topical and intravenous antibiotic therapy. Objective. To report a novel case of fungal NOE centred on the left TMJ in an immunocompromised adult male with a focus on investigations and optimal management. Case Report. A 67-year-old male with comorbid chronic renal impairment presented to our otolaryngology department with prolonged left otalgia and otorrhoea. Subsequent cross-sectional imaging demonstrated left NOE centred on the TMJ. Poor resolution with prolonged courses of systemic and topical anti-pseudomonal antibiotics prompted maxillofacial surgical input for left TMJ exploration, washout, and biopsy from the joint capsule. The causative organism was identified as Aspergillus flavus on PCR analysis. The patient was successfully treated with oral posaconazole and repeated topical insertions of amphotericin B-soaked ribbon gauze to the left ear. Discussion. A combination of various imaging modalities including CT, MRI, Tc-99, and gallium-67 are utilised in clinical practice both to diagnose NOE and subsequently monitor disease progression or resolution. Immunocompromised patients with confirmed fungal NOE may require a combination of treatments including surgical debridement and prolonged antifungal therapy for a number of months, if not lifelong, treatment. Initiating empirical antifungal therapy may be justified in some patients. However, this should be judged on a case-by-case basis and guided by discussion with the local microbiology and infectious diseases departments. However, there is no national guideline or consensus regarding treatment of these patients, especially in cases of fungal NOE.
A New Approach of Disaster Forecasting Based on Least Square Optimized Neural Network
Authors: Meng Fanbao , Jing Suolin , Sun Xizhen , Wang Changxiang , Liang Yanbo , Pang Da
Published: November 2020

The evaluation of the risk is the prerequisite for the implementation of countermeasures in the prevention and control of rock burst, and the research on the fast forecast at scene of the rock burst is more important for the safety production of coal mine. Aiming at the problem that dynamic disasters caused by many factors and heterogeneity of coal and rock are difficult to predict in the process of coal mining, in this paper, the general law and the risk control factors of the rock burst are studied, a mathematical model based on the BP neural network was built according to the different actual mining conditions in the mining area, and the output layer has obtained the prediction result. Then, the results of the output samples after training were fitted by using SPSS software, and the fitting function was obtained by multiple least square fitting. Finally, the fitting results are checked by the data of actual coal mine dynamic disaster parameters. The prediction results show that the simulation results of BP neural network prediction model and the fitting function of the least square method can reduce the impact of subjective judgment on the prediction results, and the application of the fitting function can obtain the prediction results in the first time to ensure the construction safety. The method of on-site hazard assessment and inspection by using fitting function is simple and feasible and has high accuracy, which provides a new idea for the field prediction of rock burst.
The Association of Fecal Microbiota in Ankylosing Spondylitis Cases with C-Reactive Protein and Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate
Authors: Liu Gang , Hao Yonghong , Yang Qiang , Deng Shucai
Published: November 2020

The purpose of this work was to identify the features of the gut microbiome in cases of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) testing positive for human leukocyte antigen- (HLA-) B27 and healthy controls (HCs) as well as to determine how bacterial populations were correlated with C-reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). Fecal DNA extracted from fecal samples from 10 AS cases and 12 HCs was subjected to 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The two research groups did not differ significantly regarding alpha diversity. By comparison to HCs, AS cases displayed a lower relative level of Bacteroidetes (

P
<
0.05

), but a higher level of Firmicutes and Verrucomicrobia (

P
<
0.05

). Furthermore, the correlation between the specific gut bacteria and ESR or CRP was investigated. At the phylum level, Firmicutes and Verrucomicrobia had a positive association with ESR and CRP, while Bacteroidetes exhibited an inverse correlation with ESR and CRP. Meanwhile, in terms of genus, Bacteroides had a positive association with ESR and CRP, whereas Ruminococcus and Parasutterella had an inverse correlation with ESR and CRP, and Helicobacter also displayed an inverse correlation with CRP. Such findings indicated dissimilarities between AS cases and HCs regarding the gut microbiome, as well as the existence of correlations between bacterial populations and both ESR and CRP.
Laparoscopic Ovariectomy in a Domestic Yak
Authors: Koch Drew W. , Simpson Katharine M. , Easley Jeremiah T. , Hackett Eileen S.
Published: November 2020

Owners of a juvenile domestic yak elected bilateral ovariectomy to prevent future reproduction. The yak was noted to be healthy at presentation. Both ovaries were removed using a laparoscopic approach as follows: after induction and maintenance of general inhalant anesthesia, 15 degrees Trendelenburg positioning was required to view the ovaries. Ovariectomy was conducted within a surgical time of 50 minutes. Due to the small ovarian size, portal enlargement was not necessary for removal. Mild hemorrhage from the left ovarian pedicle was controlled with application of a vessel-sealing device. Postoperative complications were not encountered during hospitalization. At 12 months following surgery, the yak was healthy, and the owner was highly satisfied with the procedure. The described approach was successful for performing laparoscopic ovariectomy in a juvenile yak. Positioning for surgery was similar to other small ruminant species. Further case enrollment is needed to optimize the surgical approach and better describe clinical outcomes.
Vehicle Trajectory Prediction by Knowledge-Driven LSTM Network in Urban Environments
Authors: Wang Shaobo , Zhao Pan , Yu Biao , Huang Weixin , Liang Huawei
Published: November 2020

An accurate prediction of future trajectories of surrounding vehicles can ensure safe and reasonable interaction between intelligent vehicles and other types of vehicles. Vehicle trajectories are not only constrained by a priori knowledge about road structure, traffic signs, and traffic rules but also affected by posterior knowledge about different driving styles of drivers. The existing prediction models cannot fully combine the prior and posterior knowledge in the driving scene and perform well only in a specific traffic scenario. This paper presents a long short-term memory (LSTM) neural network driven by knowledge. First, a driving knowledge base is constructed to describe the prior knowledge about a driving scenario. Then, the prediction reference baseline (PRB) based on driving knowledge base is determined by using the rule-based online reasoning system. Finally, the future trajectory of the target vehicle is predicted by an LSTM neural network based on the prediction reference baseline, while the predicted trajectory considers both posterior and prior knowledge without increasing the computation complexity. The experimental results show that the proposed trajectory prediction model can adapt to different driving scenarios and predict trajectories with high accuracy due to the unique combination of the prior and posterior knowledge in the driving scene.
HPM: A Hybrid Model for User’s Behavior Prediction Based on N-Gram Parsing and Access Logs
Authors: Setia Sonia , Jyoti Verma , Duhan Neelam
Published: November 2020

The continuous growth of the World Wide Web has led to the problem of long access delays. To reduce this delay, prefetching techniques have been used to predict the users’ browsing behavior to fetch the web pages before the user explicitly demands that web page. To make near accurate predictions for users’ search behavior is a complex task faced by researchers for many years. For this, various web mining techniques have been used. However, it is observed that either of the methods has its own set of drawbacks. In this paper, a novel approach has been proposed to make a hybrid prediction model that integrates usage mining and content mining techniques to tackle the individual challenges of both these approaches. The proposed method uses N-gram parsing along with the click count of the queries to capture more contextual information as an effort to improve the prediction of web pages. Evaluation of the proposed hybrid approach has been done by using AOL search logs, which shows a 26% increase in precision of prediction and a 10% increase in hit ratio on average as compared to other mining techniques.
Renoprotective Effects of Origanum majorana Methanolic L and Carvacrol on Ischemia/Reperfusion‐Induced Kidney Injury in Male Rats
Authors: Gheitasi Izadpanah , Azizi Arsalan , Omidifar Navid , Doustimotlagh Amir Hossein
Published: November 2020

Background. The most important cause of acute renal failure in normal kidneys is ischemia‐reperfusion (I/R) injury. The aim of the current study was to investigate the protective effects of Origanum majorana (OM) methanolic extract, carvacrol, and vitamin E on I/R‐induced kidney injury in male rats. Material and Method. Thirty Wistar male rats were randomly allocated into 5 groups; sham, I/R, I/R + OM (300 mg/kg), I/R + carvacrol (75 mg/kg), and I/R + vitamin E (100 mg/kg). Renal function markers, oxidant‐antioxidant parameters, and histopathological examination were evaluated. Results. It was exhibited that the urea, creatinine, protein carbonyl, glomerular filtration rate, total thiol, ferric reducing antioxidant power, and histopathological changes markedly reversed in the treatment groups with OM or carvacrol in comparison to the I/R merely group. Conclusion. We conclude that OM extract or its ingredient, carvacrol, exerts renoprotective impacts in I/R‐induced kidney injury possibly by scavenging free radicals and increasing antioxidant power.
Psychiatric and Psychological Interventions for Depression in Patients With Heart Disease: A Scoping Review
Authors: Zambrano Juliana , Celano Christopher M. , Januzzi James L. , Massey Christina N. , Chung Wei‐Jean , Millstein Rachel A. , Huffman Jeff C.
Published: November 2020

Depression in patients with cardiovascular disease is independently associated with progression of heart disease, major adverse cardiac events, and mortality. A wide variety of depression treatment strategies have been studied in randomized controlled trials as the field works to identify optimal depression treatments in this population. A contemporary scoping review of the literature can help to consolidate and synthesize the growing and disparate literature on depression treatment trials in people with cardiovascular disease. We conducted a scoping review utilizing a systematic search of the literature via 4 databases (PubMed, PsycINFO, EMBASE, and Google Scholar) from database inception to March 2020. We identified 42 relevant randomized controlled trials of depression treatment interventions in patients with cardiac disease (n=9181 patients with coronary artery disease, n=1981 patients with heart failure). Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors appear to be safe in patients with cardiac disease and to have beneficial effects on depression (and some suggestion of cardiac benefit) in patients with coronary artery disease, with less evidence of their efficacy in heart failure. In contrast, psychotherapy appears to be effective for depression in coronary artery disease and heart failure, but with less evidence of cardiac benefit. Newer multimodal depression care management approaches that utilize flexible approaches to patients' care have been less studied but appear promising across cardiac patient groups. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors may be preferred in the treatment of patients with coronary artery disease, psychotherapy may be preferred in heart failure, and more flexible depression care management approaches have shown promise by potentially using both approaches based on patient needs.
Effective Palliative Care in the Trauma Setting
Authors: Schultz Kristen L. , Brasel Karen J. , Zonies David H. , Cook Mackenzie R.
Published: November 2020

A 55-year-old man undergoes emergent exploratory laparotomy and splenectomy following a motorcycle collision. Following surgery, he is found to have a traumatic brain injury requiring decompressive craniectomy and intracranial pressure monitoring. The patient then continues to have complications throughout his hospital course. Using the American College of Surgeons Trauma Quality Improvement Program guidelines, the surgical team has early and ongoing primary palliative care discussions to foster communication and determine goals of care for the patient. As the patient deteriorates, the surgical team continues meeting with the patient’s surrogate decision makers to discuss the best case and worst case scenarios regarding the patient’s prognosis and expected quality of life.
The Meaning of “Doing Everything”
Authors: Semer Nadine B.
Published: November 2020

Evaluating a high-risk patient for a high-risk operation is complicated. Discussing the benefits and burdens with your patient is only a part of the process. Should the decision be not to operate, explaining and planning the nonoperative path forward with all of its inherent challenges is crucial. Because the inevitable is likely to happen, the patient as well as their family must be prepared. If they are not, then the result may be exactly what the patient was hoping to avoid in the first place by declining the operation. Critical to this conversation is understanding the nuances of “doing everything” when dealing with a patient facing a life-limiting condition.
Shaping positive and negative ties to improve team effectiveness: The roles of leader humility and team helping norms
Authors: Chiu Chia-Yen (Chad) , Balkundi Prasad , Owens Bradley P , Tesluk Paul E
Published: November 2020

Managing and harmonizing intragroup relationships are critical for effective team leadership. Though previous studies have confirmed how team leaders promote positive ties in work teams, it remains unclear whether or how they can benefit the team by helping to reduce negative ties. How can team leaders simultaneously encourage positive ties and prevent negative ties to elevate team effectiveness? Drawing on social ledger theory and leader humility, we propose that humble leaders can improve team performance and viability through first influencing intragroup positive and negative tie density and thereby promoting team-helping norms. In Study 1 (70 professional work teams), we find that leader humility is associated with elevated team-helping norms and team effectiveness through lower levels of hindrance density rather than promoting friendship density. In Study 2 (50 retail teams), we replicate Study 1 but additionally control for transformational leadership. The results suggest that the positive association between leader humility and friendship density becomes insignificant after transformational leadership is considered, whereas the association between leader humility and hindrance density remains significant. This research contributes to the literature by illuminating how leadership is associated with team social networks and highlights practical implications for managing professional teams and developing team leadership.
Measuring impurity content in pipelines by positron annihilation
Authors: Yu Yahan , Zhao Min , Xu Jun , Yao Min , Guo Ruipeng , Yu Weiyi , Liu Chang
Published: November 2020

γ photon pairs produced by positron annihilation can penetrate metals well; thus, they can be used for nondestructive detection of the inner state of metal pipelines. An experimental device is designed to simulate the working state of lube oil pipelines and inject nuclide into it. A symmetrical structure and a ratio algorithm are proposed considering the effects of various factors. Two sensors with good consistency are used to record the number of γ photon events in liquids with and without impurities. The ratio of the recorded events of reference and impurity sensors is taken as the test result of impurity content. The advantage of the method proposed in this paper is that it can eliminate the environmental error and inconsistency of the sensors by using ratio calculation and improve the measurement accuracy. Experimental results show that the proposed detection scheme and algorithm can well detect impurity content, including metal, in various pipelines. The detection accuracy of matched sensors can exceed 2%. Detected impurities are not limited to metal particles. Thus, the proposed method can be applied to in situ and online detection of impurities in oil piping systems equipped with engines.
Doing Boundary Work: Suburban Residents’ Associations in Johannesburg
Authors: Rubin Margot
Published: November 2020

Despite best hopes of social and urban transformation, Johannesburg’s middle-class suburbs have remained largely inaccessible to lower income and more marginalised communities. This article examines the everyday practices and repertoires of action by resident associations in Johannesburg, demonstrating their ability to moderate more progressive state impulses and other land use changes. It argues that resident associations have become the custodians of middle-class visions and aesthetics and carry out the boundary work and symbolic violence that maintains and defends suburban borders.
Exploring Politics of Social Safety Net in Bangladesh through Political Settlement: The Case of Rajakhali Union in Cox’s Bazar District
Authors: Rahman Rezvi Minhazur
Published: November 2020

The purpose of the study is to explore the politics of beneficiaries’ selection and resource distribution of social safety net (SSN) programs and how local elites and political groups establish political settlement by using it as a tool. In developing countries, formal systems are not strong enough and elites’ groups use their power to create informal institutions for securing their interests. As other studies have shown, informal politics influence the processes of selection and distribution of SSN programs in Bangladesh. The study is qualitative in nature and the selected research area is Rajakhali Union in Cox’s Bazar District. The study found that informal systems (e.g. clientelist politics, political affiliation, personal conflicts, and kinship) determine the selection and distribution of SSN programs. The Union Parishad (UP) members distribute the SSN programs to their ineligible clients (supporters, local elites, and political groups) by bypassing the formal systems for strengthening clientelist relations, increasing their legitimacy, stabling their power, and increasing their vote banks. They (UP members, political elites, and local elites) have allowed introducing more informal structures that better serve their interests. They have used the SSN programs as a tool for establishing the political settlement (distribution of power between UP members and local elites).
Human suffering and tragic contradictions in Amechi Akwanya’s Pilgrim Foot
Authors: Abba Abba A.
Published: November 2020

Nigerian poet Amechi Akwanya’s Pilgrim Foot: A Collection of Poems (2005) has not received much critical attention. This is despite the collection’s important poetic meditation on human suffering, a subject that has troubled the imagination since time immemorial. Although scholars have read the central theme of the first sequence of this collection as man’s dispossession by his creator, its illumination of man’s confrontation with the tragic contradiction evident in human suffering has largely been ignored. Florence Orabueze (2015), for instance, has argued that Akwanya deploys the symbolism of the cross to signify man’s endless suffering in the face of natural disasters, suggesting that the search for freedom from these sufferings always ends in futility. Seeking to extend this argument, and relying on theoretical strategies drawn from the study of tragedy, this article examines the first sequence of Akwanya’s Pilgrim Foot: A Collection of Poems. I argue that the sequence belongs to the realm of tragic poetry, which interrogates man’s confrontation with suffering and the tragic contradiction that surrounds the celebrated myth of divine love for humanity.
Jagadish Chandra Bose and the anticolonial politics of science fiction
Authors: Hoene Christin
Published: November 2020

In postcolonial studies there are two main strands of argument concerning the legacies and effects of cultural imperialism on science fiction as a literary genre. The first strand presents a critical reading of Western science fiction of the nineteenth and early twentieth century as a genre that is deeply embedded in the discourses and ideologies of colonialism and imperialism (Rieder, 2008; Kerslake, 2007). The second strand presents a critical reading of the writing back of postcolonial authors, stressing the subversive elements of both science and fiction and their power to undermine dominant narratives of cultural imperialism and (neo)colonialism (Chambers, 2003; Hoagland and Sarwal, 2010; Langer, 2011; Smith, 2012; Varughese, 2013 and 2017). In this article I focus on a piece of colonial-era science fiction from a non-Western writer: Jagadish Chandra Bose’s short story “Runaway Cyclone”. First published in 1896 and republished in an extended version by the author in 1921, I analyse how Bose’s story combines elements of science fiction and magical realism. I then argue that Bose turns the narrative tropes of Western science fiction on their head and thus undermines Western science as an epistemological tool of imperial control. Reading “Runaway Cyclone” alongside Bose’s non-fictional accounts on science in colonised India will then reveal a philosophy of science that embraces Western science and Indian philosophy, which in turn can be read as a politics of science that is in effect anticolonial.