bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Population Genomics Reveals Distinct Temporal Association with the Emergence of ST1 Serotype V Group B Streptococcus and Macrolide Resistance in North America
Authors: Cubria M. Belén , Vega Luis Alberto , Shropshire William C. , Sanson Misu A. , Shah Brittany J. , Regmi Shrijana , Rench Marcia , Baker Carol J. , Flores Anthony R.
Published: October 2021

Identified in the 1970s as the leading cause of invasive bacterial disease in neonates and young infants, Group B
Streptococcus
(GBS) is now also recognized as a significant cause of morbidity and mortality among adults with underlying medical conditions and the elderly. Concomitant with the increasing incidence of GBS invasive disease in adults is the rise of resistance among GBS isolates to second line antibiotics.
Pharmacokinetics of Oral Formulations of Gepotidacin (GSK2140944), a Triazaacenaphthylene Bacterial Type II Topoisomerase Inhibitor, in Healthy Adult and Adolescent Participants
Authors: Barth Aline , Hossain Mohammad , Brimhall Darin B. , Perry Caroline R. , Tiffany Courtney A. , Xu Sherry , Dumont Etienne F.
Published: October 2021

Gepotidacin is a novel, first-in-class triazaacenaphthylene antibiotic that may provide a new treatment option for antibiotic-resistant pathogens. Two pharmacokinetic evaluations of oral gepotidacin are presented: a relative bioavailability study that guided formulation development, followed by an adult and adolescent study of the final formulation.
Quality of life in elderly ICU survivors before the COVID-19 pandemic: a systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies
Authors: Ariyo Kevin , Canestrini Sergio , David Anthony S , Ruck Keene Alex , Wolfrum Sebastian , Owen Gareth
Published: October 2021

Objectives

The influence of age on intensive care unit (ICU) decision-making is complex, and it is unclear if it is based on expected subjective or objective patient outcomes. To address recent concerns over age-based ICU decision-making, we explored patient-assessed quality of life (QoL) in ICU survivors before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Design

A systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies published between January 2000 and April 2020, of elderly patients admitted to ICUs.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

We extracted data on self-reported QoL (EQ-5D composite score), demographic and clinical variables. Using a random-effect meta-analysis, we then compared QoL scores at follow-up to scores either before admission, age-matched population controls or younger ICU survivors. We conducted sensitivity analyses to study heterogeneity and bias and a qualitative synthesis of subscores.

Results

We identified 2536 studies and included 22 for qualitative synthesis and 18 for meta-analysis (n=2326 elderly survivors). Elderly survivors’ QoL was significantly worse than younger ICU survivors, with a small-to-medium effect size (d=0.35 (−0.53 and −0.16)). Elderly survivors’ QoL was also significantly greater when measured slightly before ICU, compared with follow-up, with a small effect size (d=0.26 (−0.44 and −0.08)). Finally, their QoL was also marginally significantly worse than age-matched community controls, also with a small effect size (d=0.21 (−0.43 and 0.00)). Mortality rates and length of follow-up partly explained heterogeneity. Reductions in QoL seemed primarily due to physical health, rather than mental health items.

Conclusions

The results suggest that the proportionality of age as a determinant of ICU resource allocation should be kept under close review and that subjective QoL outcomes should inform person-centred decision -aking in elderly ICU patients.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42020181181.
FullFix: a randomised controlled trial of a telephone delivered transdiagnostic intervention for comorbid substance and mental health problems in young people
Authors: Walter Zoe , Quinn Catherine A , Dingle Genevieve , Pocuca Nina , Baker Amanda L , Beck Alison , De Andrade Dominique , Toombs Maree , Hides Leanne
Published: October 2021

Introduction

Transdiagnostic cognitive–behavioural therapy (CBT) targets common psychological factors that underlie multiple disorders. While transdiagnostic interventions are a promising new approach, limited research has evaluated these treatments within the alcohol and other drug (AOD) sector for young people with comorbid mental health symptoms. This project will examine the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of FullFix—a new risk-targeted transdiagnostic CBT telehealth programme for comorbid AOD and depression/anxiety disorders in young people. Secondary aims are to identify moderators and mediators of treatment outcomes, to determine how and why treatment is effective and who is most likely to benefit.

Methods/design

Participants will be 130 young people (aged 16–35) accessing AOD services in Queensland, Australia, with comorbid mental health symptoms. They will be randomised to receive either the FullFix intervention plus standard AOD care or standard AOD care alone. Primary outcomes on AOD use and mental health symptoms will be reassessed at 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months and 12 months, along with secondary outcomes of emotion regulation, social connectedness, perceived self-efficacy, coping skills and quality of life. The trial commenced on October 2018 and expected completion date is September 2021.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethical approval for this trial was provided by the University of Queensland (#2018001185). The results of the trial will be disseminated through publication in a peer-reviewed scientific journal, scientific presentations at conferences and distributed via a report and presentations to the partner organisation.

Trial registration number

ACTRN12618001563257.
Relationship between environmental factors and responsive behaviours in long-term care homes: a secondary data analysis
Authors: Holt Kelsey , Hoben Matthias , Weeks Lori , Estabrooks Carole
Published: October 2021

Objective

Responsive behaviours (eg, wandering, resisting care and verbal abuse) are a continuing issue for staff and individuals living in long-term care (LTC) homes. The LTC environment can influence responsive behaviours and is a factor in determining the quality of life for those living there. The ways in which the quality of the environment might influence responsive behaviours has not been investigated yet. We hypothesised that better quality environments would be associated with reduced rates of responsive behaviours. We used a tool that simultaneously encompasses human and structural elements of the environment, a novel approach in this field of research.

Design

Cross-sectional study, using data collected from September 2014 to May 2015 as part of the Translating Research in Elder Care research programme.

Setting

A representative, stratified (size, owner-operator model and health region) random sample of 76 LTC homes in British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba.

Participants

13 224 individuals (67.3% females) living in participating LTC homes.

Outcome measures

Quality of care unit work environment was assessed using the observable indicators of quality (OIQ) tool. Responsive behaviours were assessed using routinely collected Resident Assessment Instrument-Minimum Data Set V.2.0 data.

Results

Adjusted regression coefficients of overall Aggressive Behaviour Scale score and interpersonal communication were 0.02 (95% CI −0.011 to 0.045), grooming 0.06 (95% CI −0.032 to 0.157), environment-basics 0.067 (95% CI 0.024 to 0.110), odour −0.066 (95% CI −0.137 to −0.004), care delivery −0.007 (95% CI −0.033 to 0.019), environment-access −0.027 (95% CI −0.062 to 0.007), environment-homelike −0.034 (95% CI −0.065 to −0.002) and total OIQ score 0.003 (95% CI −0.004 to 0.010).

Conclusions

We found small associations between the environmental quality and responsive behaviours in Western Canadian LTC homes. Higher scores on homelikeness were associated with decreased responsive behaviours. Higher scores on basic environmental quality were associated with increased responsive behaviours.
Measurement of visceral fat and abdominal obesity by single-frequency bioelectrical impedance and CT: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Xu Zhengyang , Liu Yandong , Yan Chengxi , Yang Ruopei , Xu Li , Guo Zhe , Yu Aihong , Cheng Xiaoguang , Ma Lin , Hu Chunhong , Guglielmi Giuseppe , Hind Karen
Published: October 2021

Objectives

The measurement of visceral fat (VF) is clinically important for the identification of individuals at high risk of visceral obesity-related health conditions. Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) is a widely available and frequently used body composition assessment method, but there have been few validation studies for the measurement of VF. This validation study investigated agreement between BIA and CT for the assessment of VF in adults.

Design

Cross-sectional study.

Setting

Between 2015 and 2016 in China.

Participants

A total of 414 adults (119 men and 295 women) aged 40–82 years.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

CT-visceral fat area (VFA) was derived at the L2-3 and umbilicus level and VFA cut-offs for visceral obesity applied. BIA measurements of visceral fat level were compared with CT VFA findings using scatter plots and receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves.

Results

Scatter plots showed poor agreement between BIA and CT-derived visceral fat measurements in both sexes (R=0.387–0.636). ROC curves gave optimum figures for sensitivity and specificity of 65% and 69% in women and 76% and 70% in men, respectively, for BIA to discriminate between adults with normal levels of VF and those with visceral obesity determined by CT.

Conclusion

BIA has limited accuracy for the assessment of VF in adults in practice when compared with the criterion method.
Which biopsychosocial factors are associated with the development of chronic musculoskeletal pain? Protocol for an umbrella review of systematic reviews
Authors: Dunn Michael , Rushton Alison B , Mistry Jai , Soundy Andrew , Heneghan Nicola R
Published: October 2021

Introduction

Recent systematic reviews have identified many biopsychosocial factors associated with the development of chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMP). Despite often being specific to a particular musculoskeletal condition, findings are similar across systematic reviews. Research is needed to aggregate these findings to identify consistent factors across musculoskeletal disorders that are associated with the development of CMP. The objective of this study is to provide a meta-level synthesis of all biopsychosocial factors associated with the development of CMP.

Methods and analysis

An umbrella review and meta-level narrative synthesis±meta-analysis has been designed informed by Joanna Briggs Institute and Cochrane guidance. This protocol is reported in line with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis-P. Sources will include Ovid Medline, Embase, Web of Science Core Collection, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects, PsycINFO, CINAHL, PEDro, PROSPERO, Google Scholar and grey literature. Inclusion criteria: any systematic review which investigates biopsychosocial factors which may be associated with the development of CMP through prospective longitudinal methods. The outcome is musculoskeletal pain lasting beyond 3 months. Two independent reviewers will be involved in all stages; screening, selection, data extraction and risk of bias evaluation using the Assessing the Methodological Quality of Systematic Reviews-2 guidelines. A meta-level narrative synthesis will be conducted based on (a) factors associated with development of CMP, (b) the range of musculoskeletal disorders for which the same/similar findings have been established and (c) the quality of studies informing these findings. Where possible, meta-analysis will be performed. The Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation guidelines will be followed to determine the level of evidence for each biopsychosocial factor.

Ethics and dissemination

This umbrella review does not require ethical approval. Findings will be presented at conferences and published in a peer reviewed journal.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42020193081.
Reducing antibiotic prescribing by enhancing communication of general practitioners with their immigrant patients: protocol for a randomised controlled trial (PARCA study)
Authors: Lescure Dominique , van der Velden Janneke , Nieboer Daan , van Oorschot Wilbert , Brouwer Rob , Huijser van Reenen Natascha , Tjon-A-Tsien Aimée , Erdem Özcan , Vos Margreet , van der Velden Alike , Richardus Jan Hendrik , Voeten Hélène
Published: October 2021

Introduction

Although antibiotic use and antimicrobial resistance in the Netherlands is comparatively low, inappropriate prescription of antibiotics is substantial, mainly for respiratory tract infections (RTIs). General practitioners (GPs) experience pressure from patients with an immigration background to prescribe antibiotics and have difficulty communicating in a culturally sensitive way. Multifaceted interventions including communication skills training for GPs are shown to be most effective in reducing antibiotic prescription. The PARCA study aims to reduce the number of antibiotic prescriptions for RTIs through implementing a culturally sensitive communication intervention for GPs and evaluate it in a randomised controlled trial (RCT).

Methods and analysis

A non-blinded RCT including 58 GPs (29 for each arm). The intervention consists of: (1) An E-learning with 4 modules of 10–15 min each; (2) A face-to-face training session in (intercultural) communication skills including role plays with a training actor and (3) Availability of informative patient-facing materials that use simple words (A2/B1 level) in multiple languages. The primary outcome measure is the number of dispensed antibiotic courses qualifying for RTIs in primary care, per 1000 registered patients. The secondary outcome measure is the number of all dispensed antibiotic courses, per 1000 registered patients. The intervention arm will receive the training in Autumn 2021, followed by an observation period of 6 winter months for which numbers of antibiotics will be collected for both trial arms. The GPs/practices in the control arm can attend the training after the observation period.

Ethics and dissemination

The study protocol was approved by the Medical Ethics Review Committee of Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam (MEC-2020-0142). The results of the trial will be published in international peer-reviewed scientific journals and will be disseminated through national and international congresses. The project is funded by The Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development (ZonMw).

Trial registration number

NL9450.
Advance care planning in older dialysis patients: health care literacy qualitative study
Authors: O Riordan Julien , Kane P M , Noble Helen , Smyth Andrew
Published: October 2021

Objectives

Low health literacy among older adults is associated with limited engagement in end-of-life care plans, more hospitalisations and excess mortality. Frequently, older patients derive no survival benefit from dialysis and quality of life often deteriorates with dialysis. Older dialysis patients’ values and wishes are often unknown during key healthcare decision-making and many endure medically intensive end-of-life interventions . The objectives of this study were to examine older dialysis patients’ understanding of haemodialysis, their engagement in end-of-life care planning and their satisfaction with life on haemodialysis.

Methods

15 older dialysis patients participated in qualitative semi-structured interviews in two haemodialysis units . Thematic saturation was reached. Thematic analysis, applied inductively, distilled the data.

Results

Themes identified included disempowerment which reflected limited health literacy, poor advance care planning compromised well-being and haemodialysis compromised their core values.

Conclusion

Health literacy among older dialysis patients appeared poor, patient empowerment was limited and participation in shared decision-making and advance care planning suboptimal. Consequently, complex healthcare decision-making, including haemodialysis may jeopardise patients’ core values. These findings have significant implications for the validity of the informed consent process prior to dialysis initiation. Improved health literacy through enhanced patient education and better communication skills for clinicians are necessary to promote patient participation in shared decision-making. Clinician training to facilitate discussion of patients’ values and wishes will help guide clinicians and patients towards healthcare decisions most concordant with individual core values. This will optimise patient-centred care.
Sporadic facial angiofibroma and sporadic angiomyolipoma mimicking tuberous sclerosis complex
Authors: Klonowska Katarzyna , Thiele Elizabeth A , Grevelink Joannes M , Thorner Aaron R , Kwiatkowski David J
Published: October 2021

Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is a genetic syndrome due to mutations in either TSC1 or TSC2, leading to the development of hamartomatous tumours at multiple body sites, including facial skin (facial angiofibroma (FAF)), brain (cortical tubers) and kidney (angiomyolipoma (AML)). In this report, we describe an individual with minimal TSC clinical features, who had ‘no mutation identified’ (NMI) by prior genetic testing in a clinical laboratory. Our massively parallel sequencing (MPS) analysis of multiple samples from different body sites and tumours (including blood, saliva, normal skin, AML and FAF) revealed an extraordinary situation in which FAF and AML had completely independent inactivating biallelic variants in TSC2, not present in other matched samples. This suggests that the two different lesions (AML and FAF) are not due to the same underlying germline or mosaic mutation, rather both are likely sporadic events. This case demonstrates the relevance of thorough clinical examination, high-coverage MPS of multiple tumours and matched normal tissues, and appropriate genetic counselling for individuals with marginal TSC features and possible TSC1 or TSC2 mosaicism.
A Lightweight SE-YOLOv3 Network for Multi-Scale Object Detection in Remote Sensing Imagery
Authors: Zhou Lifang , Deng Guang , Li Weisheng , Mi Jianxun , Lei Bangjun
Published: October 2021

Current state-of-the-art detectors achieved impressive performance in detection accuracy with the use of deep learning. However, most of such detectors cannot detect objects in real time due to heavy computational cost, which limits their wide application. Although some one-stage detectors are designed to accelerate the detection speed, it is still not satisfied for task in high-resolution remote sensing images. To address this problem, a lightweight one-stage approach based on YOLOv3 is proposed in this paper, which is named Squeeze-and-Excitation YOLOv3 (SE-YOLOv3). The proposed algorithm maintains high efficiency and effectiveness simultaneously. With an aim to reduce the number of parameters and increase the ability of feature description, two customized modules, lightweight feature extraction and attention-aware feature augmentation, are embedded by utilizing global information and suppressing redundancy features, respectively. To meet the scale invariance, a spatial pyramid pooling method is used to aggregate local features. The evaluation experiments on two remote sensing image data sets, DOTA and NWPU VHR-10, reveal that the proposed approach achieves more competitive detection effect with less computational consumption.
A Scalable Fully-Digital Differential Analog Voltage Comparator
Authors: Gupta Ashima , Singh Anil , Agarwal Alpana
Published: October 2021

This paper presents a scalable Fully-digital differential analog voltage comparator designed in Semi-Conductor Laboratory (SCL) 180[Formula: see text]nm complementary metal-oxide semiconductor technology. The proposed design is based on a digital design approach and is easily configurable to lower technology nodes. This design methodology makes the circuit less sensitive to process variations and takes fewer design efforts suitable for Systems-on-a-Chips (SOCs) application. The proposed circuit is designed and simulated in Cadence Virtuoso Analog Design Environment at the supply voltage ranging from 1[Formula: see text]V to 1.8[Formula: see text]V. The fully-digital analog voltage comparator has been synthesized using Synopsys Design Vision and auto-placed & auto-routed using Synopsys IC Compiler. This proposed comparator has a resolution of up to 7-bit at a supply voltage of 1.8[Formula: see text]V and a worst-case operating frequency of about 750 MHz at the TT corner. The obtained value of the offset voltage and delay is 0.55[Formula: see text]mV and 0.72 ns, respectively. The simulated results have shown that the power dissipation of the proposed scalable analog voltage comparator is [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]V and [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]V supply voltage, respectively. Also, the RC extracted post-layout simulations have been implemented to verify the performance, which does not affect the results much.
Non-hyperbolic solutions to tangle equations involving composite links
Authors: Yang Jingling
Published: October 2021

Solving tangle equations is deeply connected with studying enzyme action on DNA. The main goal of this paper is to solve the system of tangle equations [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] are rational tangles, and [Formula: see text] is a 2-bridge link, for [Formula: see text], with [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] nontrivial. We solve this system of equations under the assumption [Formula: see text], the double branched cover of [Formula: see text], is not hyperbolic, i.e. [Formula: see text] is not [Formula: see text]-hyperbolic. Besides, we also deal with tangle equations involving 2-bridge links only under the assumption [Formula: see text] is an algebraic tangle.
Shaking Table Test and Numerical Simulation on a Mega-Sub Isolation System Under Near-Fault Ground Motions with Velocity Pulses
Authors: Li Xiangxiu , Tan Ping , Wang Yao , Zhang Ying , Li Xiaojun , He Qiumei , Zhou Fulin
Published: October 2021

Theoretical analyses show that the velocity pulse characteristics of ground motions adversely affect structural responses of mega-sub isolation systems. This study presents an extensive shaking table test conducted to investigate the seismic responses of a mega-sub isolation system under near-fault ground motions with velocity pulses. Two steel frames were used as test specimens, representing aseismic and seismic isolation models. Two representative groups of actual ground motion records with velocity pulse characteristics were selected as inputs, along with their corresponding synthetic counterparts with the same acceleration spectrum, but without velocity pulses. Test results showed that near-fault ground motions with velocity pulses had an adverse effect on the seismic responses of the mega-sub structure system, especially on the displacement of the isolation layer in the isolation structure. Compared with the mega-sub isolation system, more nonlinear behaviors were observed in the aseismic system. Finite element analysis of the mega-sub aseismic and isolation systems was conducted by using SAP2000. Satisfactory agreement was observed between the simulation and test results, and the differences between them were discussed in detail. The obtained conclusions can provide a scientific basis and valuable reference for the seismic design and safety evaluations of mega-sub isolation systems under near-fault ground motions with velocity pulses.
The inflationary era of the universe via Tsallis cosmology
Authors: Keskin A. I.
Published: October 2021

In this paper, using the first law of thermodynamics (FLT), we derive a modification of the Friedmann equation from the nonadditive Tsallis entropy associated with the apparent horizon of the Friedmann–Robertson–Walker (FRW) Universe, where matter inside the apparent horizon is represented by a scalar field with a potential. We suggest that the inflationary era of the universe may phenomenologically consist of the two phases. We determined that the first phase is an inflate under the slow-roll condition known as exponential accelerated expansion, and the second one is an expansion phase containing the kinetic term of the scalar field, leading to a quintessential era. After expressing the observable inflation indices for both phases in terms of e-foldings number with choosing power-law scalar potential, we have compared the results with the latest Planck observation data. With some restrictions on the nonadditive Tsallis parameter and power-term of the potential, we observe that inflation can occur with the two phases. It is determined that while the nonadditive Tsallis parameter is positive in the slow-roll phase, it takes negative values in the kinetic energy dominating phase. Nonetheless, for the apparent horizon of the universe, an increasing entropy exists in the first phase, while a decrease in entropy is observed for the second phase, which indicates that the universe is ready for the creation of matter. In addition, a correlation between slow-roll and kinetic inflation is shown by determining the kinetic energy-potential relationship via the exponential term of the potential.
A Restricted Multi-Objective Solid Transportation Problem with Budget Constraint Involving Stochastic Variable and Interval Type-2 Fuzzy Number
Authors: Baidya Abhijit , Bera Uttam Kumar , Maiti Manoranjan
Published: October 2021

This paper proposes a new concept in transportation problem in which if the negligible amount quantity is transported through a distribution center, then the decision maker (DM) cannot deliver that negligible amount quantity through the particular distribution center and the DM puts some restriction on transportation problem. Here, we develop six transportation models with budget at each destination, of which three models are without restriction and another three models are with restriction. Also, apart from source, demand and capacity constraints, an extra constraint on the total budget at each destination is also imposed. Here, all the parameters in Models 1 and 2 are crisp in nature and are solved in crisp environment, whereas all the parameters in Models 3–6 are interval type-2 fuzzy and random in nature, respectively, and are solved in uncertain environment. To reduce Models 3–6 into its crisp equivalent, we use the expected value of fuzzy number and chance constraint programming technique, respectively. Weighted sum method is also used to give the preference of the objective function and a gradient-based optimization technique-generalized reduced gradient (GRG) method are applied and using LINGO-13 software to get the optimal solutions. A numerical example is provided to illustrate the models and programming. Finally, a sensitivity analysis is presented for Models 1 and 2 with respect to the weight function.
Hydrothermal Synthesis of Co Nanoparticles: Structure, Morphology and Magnetic Properties
Authors: Bouelkreb I. , Guittoum A. , Hemmous M. , Martínez-Blanco D. , Gorria P. , Blanco J. A. , Boukherroub N.
Published: October 2021

We have investigated the crystal structure, the microstructural and morphological characteristics, as well as the magnetic properties of Co nanoparticles (NPs) synthesized by a hydrothermal method. A series of samples has been elaborated for different concentrations of sodium hydroxide. The analysis of X-ray diffraction patterns, using two different wavelengths, has evidenced the coexistence of both [Formula: see text]-Co and [Formula: see text]-Co phases in the samples. The lattice parameter for both phases is in good agreement with those values expected for their bulk Co counterparts; the grain sizes of NPs were found to be dependent on the NaOH concentration. The scanning electron microscope micrographs show that Co NPs are agglomerated forming micrometer-sized entities whose shape evolves, indicating that the synthesis process affects the morphology of the powdered samples. Magnetic measurements indicate that the coercivity is slightly larger, [Formula: see text] Oe, for Co NPs with dendritic-like shape, probably due to an increase in the magnetocrystalline anisotropy.
An ideal-based graph of a bounded lattice
Authors: Atani Shabaddin Ebrahimi , Khoramdel Mehdi , Rostam Alipour Mahsa Nikmard
Published: October 2021

Let [Formula: see text] be a lattice, [Formula: see text] an ideal of [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] the set of all elements of [Formula: see text] which are not prime to [Formula: see text]. In this paper, we investigate some interesting properties of [Formula: see text] and introduce the total graph of a lattice [Formula: see text] with respect to an ideal [Formula: see text]. It is the graph with all elements of [Formula: see text] as vertices and for distinct [Formula: see text], the vertices [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] are adjacent if and only if [Formula: see text]. We investigated the basic properties of this graph and its induced subgraphs as diameter, girth, clique number, cut vertex and independence number.
Effect of Gas Blockage on the Theoretical Performance of Thermoacoustic Refrigerators
Authors: Prashantha B. G. , Narasimham G. S. V. L. , Seetharamu S. , Manjunatha K.
Published: October 2021

Thermoacoustic refrigeration is an emerging green, novel and promising alternate technology compared to vapor compression refrigerator systems for domestic cooling. It uses environmentally benign gases like air or helium or the mixture of inert gases as working substances and has no moving parts, no lubrication and no vibration. The cooler is designed and optimized with helium and air as refrigerants operating at 10[Formula: see text]bar with 3% drive ratio for the temperature difference of 28[Formula: see text]K and stack diameter of 200[Formula: see text]mm using linear thermoacoustic theory. In this paper, the effect of gas blockage (porosity) of the spiral-stack heat exchanger system ranging from 45% to 85% on the theoretical performance of the cooler is discussed. The one-third and one-fourth wavelength convergent–divergent resonator designs are optimized with air and helium as working substances, respectively, to improve performance and power density. The optimized coolers show best performance with 85% porosity. The theoretical results are validated with DeltaEC software simulation results. The simulation results show the coefficient of performance and cooling capacity of 0.93 and 219[Formula: see text]W for helium and of 0.50 and 139[Formula: see text]W for air, respectively, at the cold heat exchanger temperature of 0∘C.
Saturated fat ingestion stimulates proatherogenic inflammation in polycystic ovary syndrome
Authors: González Frank , Considine Robert V. , Abdelhadi Ola A. , Xue Jiaping , Acton Anthony J.
Published: October 2021

This paper demonstrates that in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), ingestion of saturated fat triggers a molecular pathway of inflammation known to drive atherogenesis. This effect is independent of obesity as it occurs in lean women with PCOS and not in lean ovulatory control subjects. Furthermore, the combined effects of PCOS and obesity are greater compared with obesity alone.
Physiological Impact of Hypothermia: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Authors: Tveita Torkjel , Sieck Gary C.
Published: October 2021

Hypothermia is defined as a core body temperature of <35°C, and as body temperature is reduced the impact on physiological processes can be beneficial or detrimental. The beneficial effect of hypothermia enables circulation of cooled experimental animals to be interrupted for 1–2 h without creating harmful effects, while tolerance of circulation arrest in normothermia is between 4 and 5 min. This striking difference has attracted so many investigators, experimental as well as clinical, to this field, and this discovery was fundamental for introducing therapeutic hypothermia in modern clinical medicine in the 1950s. Together with the introduction of cardiopulmonary bypass, therapeutic hypothermia has been the cornerstone in the development of modern cardiac surgery. Therapeutic hypothermia also has an undisputed role as a protective agent in organ transplantation and as a therapeutic adjuvant for cerebral protection in neonatal encephalopathy. However, the introduction of therapeutic hypothermia for organ protection during neurosurgical procedures or as a scavenger after brain and spinal trauma has been less successful. In general, the best neuroprotection seems to be obtained by avoiding hyperthermia in injured patients. Accidental hypothermia occurs when endogenous temperature control mechanisms are incapable of maintaining core body temperature within physiologic limits and core temperature becomes dependent on ambient temperature. During hypothermia spontaneous circulation is considerably reduced and with deep and/or prolonged cooling, circulatory failure may occur, which may limit safe survival of the cooled patient. Challenges that limit safe rewarming of accidental hypothermia patients include cardiac arrhythmias, uncontrolled bleeding, and “rewarming shock.”
GCNRDM: A Social Network Rumor Detection Method Based on Graph Convolutional Network in Mobile Computing
Authors: Xu Dawei , Liu Qing , Zhu Liehuang , Tan Zhonghua , Gao Feng , Zhao Jian
Published: October 2021

Mobile computing is a new technology emerging with the development of mobile communication, Internet, database, distributed computing, and other technologies. Mobile computing technology will enable computers or other information intelligent terminal devices to realize data transmission and resource sharing in the wireless environment. Its role is to bring useful, accurate, and timely information to any customer at anytime, anywhere, and to change the way people live and work. In mobile computing environment, a lot of Internet rumors hidden among the huge amounts of information communication network can cause harm to society and people’s life; this paper proposes a model of social network rumor detection based on convolution networks, the use of adjacency matrix between the nodes represent user and the relationship between the constructions of social network topology. We use a high‐order graph neural network (K‐GNN) to extract the rumor posting features. At the same time, the graph attention network (GAT) is used to extract the association features of other nodes of the network topology. The experimental results show that the method of the detection model in this paper improves the accuracy of prediction classification compared with deep learning methods such as RNN, GRU, and attention mechanism. The innovation of the paper proposes a rumor detection model based on the graph convolutional network, which lies in considering the propagation structure among users. It has a strong practical value.
miR-141-3p is Poorly Expressed in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and Correlates with Glucose and Lipid Metabolism
Authors: Fan Lingye , Wang Chunyan , Zhan Ping , Liu Yaofang
Published: October 2021

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrinopathy with high prevalence. miR-141-3p downregulation was reported in PCOS rats. This study intended to investigate miR-141-3p expression in serum of PCOS patients and its correlation with glucose and lipid metabolism. A total of 100 PCOS patients and 100 healthy controls were enrolled in this study. Clinical parameters and glucose and lipid indexes were analyzed. A 3-month fat reduction intervention was conducted to PCOS-obese patients. Expressions of miR-141-3p and PTEN were detected. WHR and levels of TG, HDL-C, FBG, FINS, HOMA-β, and HOMA-IR showed significant differences in PCOS patients. miR-141-3p was downregulated in PCOS patients. Area under ROC curve of miR-141-3p diagnosing PCOS-obese patients was 0.985 with specificity 95.35% and flexibility 93.33%. Levels of glucose and lipid metabolism indexes were increased while HDL-C level was decreased in miR-141-3p low expression group. Indexes of PCOS-obese patients were improved and miR-141-3p was upregulated after fat reduction intervention. PTEN was upregulated in PCOS patients and negatively correlated with miR-141-3p. In conclusion, miR-141-3p was downregulated in PCOS patients and had higher diagnostic value on PCOS and associated with glucose and lipid metabolism. miR-141-3p might play a role in glucose and lipid metabolism in PCOS-obese patients by targeting PTEN.
Research Huawei’s Human Resource Management Model by Wireless Network Communication and Association Rule Algorithms
Authors: Li Ming , Zheng Min
Published: October 2021

The pros and cons of the human resource management model are related to the size of an enterprise’s future development space. In the current era of increasingly fierce competition among enterprises, it is becoming more and more important to study the latest types of human resource management models and apply them to themselves. As a great management enterprise, it is necessary for Huawei to study its human resource management model. This article is based on the wireless network communication method and association rule algorithm applied to the research of Huawei’s human resource management model. Through interviews with Huawei employees, we found that 18% of people are very satisfied with the company, 27% are relatively satisfied with the company, and 40% are satisfied with the company now. Therefore, most employees are satisfied with the company now. 85% of people are satisfied with the company’s current situation. The results show that Huawei’s excellent human resource management model has made employees more satisfied with the current company’s current situation. There are great opportunities for employees to continue to learn and progress in the company.
Research on BeiDou Satellite Positioning Algorithm Based on GPRS Technology
Authors: Yang Li , Zhang Yunhan , Ruan Haote
Published: October 2021

The BeiDou Satellite Navigation System of China can provide users with high precision, as well as all-weather and real-time positioning and navigation information. It can be widely used in many applications. However, new challenges appear with the expansion of the 5G communication system. To eradicate or weaken the influence of various errors in BeiDou positioning, a BeiDou satellite positioning algorithm based on GPRS technology is proposed. According to the principles of the BeiDou Satellite navigation system, the navigation and positioning data are obtained and useful information are extracted and sent to the communication network through the wireless module. The error is corrected by establishing a real-time kinematic (RTK) mathematical model, and the pseudorange is calculated by carrier phase to further eliminate the relativistic and multipath errors. Based on the results of error elimination, the BeiDou satellite positioning algorithm is improved and the positioning error is corrected. The experimental results show that the positioning accuracy and efficiency of the algorithm can meet the actual needs of real-time dynamic positioning systems.
Extended Fully Fuzzy Linear Regression to Analyze a Solid Cantilever Beam Moment
Authors: Seyedmonir Seyedehnegar , Bayrami Mostafa , Jafarzadeh Ghoushchi Saeid , Alipour Yengejeh Amir , Morabbi Heravi Hakimeh
Published: October 2021

There are several procedures such as possibilistic and least-square methods to estimate regression models. In this study, first, a fully fuzzy regression equation is converted into a fully fuzzy linear framework. By considering a least-square approach, a model is suggested based on matrix equations for solving fully fuzzy regression models. The main advantage of this method over existing ones is that this method considered values based on their specification, and all linear problems can be easily solved. Moreover, a case study for solid mechanics about the quantity of beam momentum is considered. In this example, the inner data are force values, and the output is momentum values.
Butea superba Roxb. Extract Ameliorates Scopolamine-Induced Cognitive and Memory Impairment in Aged Male Rats
Authors: Sirichaiwetchakoon Kittipot , Suksuphew Sarawut , Srisawat Rungrudee , Eumkeb Griangsak
Published: October 2021

Butea superba Roxb. (B. superba) is a herb that has been used for rejuvenation, to improve sexual performance, or to prevent erectile dysfunction function. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a chronic neurodegenerative disorder that is the main cause of progressive dementia. This study aimed to investigate the amelioration for cognitive and memory dysfunction of B. superba ethanolic extract (BSE), a possible mechanism of action, and its toxicity. The results from the Y-maze test, novel object recognition test, and passive avoidance test exhibited that the administration of BSE at 50 mg/kg (BSL) and 200 mg/kg (BSH) could ameliorate scopolamine-induced cognitive impairment in all behavior testing. Moreover, BSE could prevent the cognitive deficit in a dose-dependent manner in a passive avoidance test. Furthermore, BSE inhibited acetylcholinesterase’s (AChE) ex vivo activity in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus. Also, the in vitro and ex vivo antioxidative effects of BSE revealed that BSE had free radical scavenging activities in both DPPH and FRAP assay. Furthermore, male rats treated with BSE at 200 mg/kg/day for two weeks could significantly increase serum testosterone compared with control (P<0.05). The GC-MS analysis and previous studies revealed that BSE contained propanoic acid, 3,3′-thiobis-, didodecyl ester, oleic acid, gamma-sitosterol, and stigmasterol which may play an important role in cognitive and memory impairment prevention. The toxicity test of BSE in rats at 50 and 200 mg/kg/day for two weeks showed that relative organ weight, serum creatinine, ALT, ALP, and CBC levels of both treated groups were not significantly different compared to the CON (P>0.05). These results suggest that BSE may not be toxic to the vital organ and blood. In conclusion, BSE has the potential to be developed as a health supplement product or medicine for AD prevention and treatment.
Passive Sonar Multiple-Target Tracking with Nonlinear Doppler and Bearing Measurements Using Multiple Sensors
Authors: Li Xiaohua , Lu Bo , Ali Wasiq , Su Jun , Jin Haiyan
Published: October 2021

The major advantage of the passive multiple-target tracking is that the sonars do not emit signals and thus they can remain covert, which will reduce the risk of being attacked. However, the nonlinearity of the passive Doppler and bearing measurements, the range unobservability problem, and the measurement to target data association uncertainty make the passive multiple-target tracking problem challenging. To deal with the target to measurement data association uncertainty problem from multiple sensors, this paper proposed a batch recursive extended Rauch-Tung-Striebel smoother- (RTSS-) based probabilistic multiple hypothesis tracker (PMHT) algorithm, which can effectively handle a large number of passive measurements including clutters. The recursive extended RTSS which consists of a forward filter and a backward smoothing is used to deal with the nonlinear Doppler and bearing measurements. The target range unobservability problem is avoided due to using multiple passive sensors. The simulation results show that the proposed algorithm works well in a passive multiple-target tracking system under dense clutter environment, and its computing cost is low.
Statistical Study of the Entanglement for Qubit Interacting with an Electromagnetic Field
Authors: Sayed-Ahmed Neveen , Amein M. M. , Jawa Taghreed M. , Aloafi Tahani A. , Bayones F. S. , Elhag Azhari A. , Bouslimi J.
Published: October 2021

A statistical method is applied to predict the behaviour of a quantum model consisting of a qubit interacting with a single-mode cavity field. The qubit is prepared in excited state while the field starts from the binomial distribution state. The wave function of the proposed model is obtained. A von Neumann entropy is used to investigate the behaviour of the entanglement between the field and the qubits. Moreover, the atomic

Q

and Wigner functions are used to identify the behaviour of the distribution in a phase space. The simulation method is used to estimate the parameters of the proposed model to reach the best results. A numerical study is performed to estimate the specific dependency of the binomial distribution state. The results of entanglement were compared with the atomic

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and Wigner functions. The results showed that there are many maximum values of entanglement periodically. The results also confirmed a correlation between von Neumann entropy, the atomic

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, and Wigner functions.
PER2 Regulates Reactive Oxygen Species Production in the Circadian Susceptibility to Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury in the Heart
Authors: Weng Yaqian , Li Hui , Gao Lin , Guo Wenjing , Xu Shiyuan , Li Le
Published: October 2021

The main objective of this study was to investigate the diurnal differences in Period 2 (PER2) expression in myocardial ischemia‐reperfusion (I/R) injury. We investigated diurnal variations in oxidative stress and energy metabolism after myocardial I/R in vitro and in vivo. In addition, we also analyzed the effects of H2O2 treatment and serum shock in H9c2 cells transfected with silencing RNA against Per2 (siRNA‐Per2) in vitro. We used C57BL/6 male mice to construct a model of I/R injury at zeitgeber time (ZT) 2 and ZT14 by synchronizing the circadian rhythms. Our in vivo analysis demonstrated that there were diurnal differences in the severity of injury caused by myocardial infarctions, with more injury occurring in the daytime. PER2 was significantly reduced in heart tissue in the daytime and was higher at night. Our results also showed that more severe injury of mitochondrial function in daytime produced more reactive oxygen species (ROS) and less ATP, which increased myocardial injury. In vitro, our findings presented a similar trend showing that apoptosis of H9c2 cells was increased when PER2 expression was lower. Meanwhile, downregulation of PER2 disrupted the oxidative balance by increasing ROS and mitochondrial injury. The result was a reduction in ATP and failure to provide sufficient energy protection for cardiomyocytes.
A Privacy‐Preserving Attribute‐Based Encryption System for Data Sharing in Smart Cities
Authors: Shen Xieyang , Huang Chuanhe , Wang Danxin , Shi Jiaoli
Published: October 2021

Information leakage and efficiency are the two main concerns of data sharing in cloud‐aided IoT. The main problem is that smart devices cannot afford both energy and computation costs and tend to outsource data to a cloud server. Furthermore, most schemes focus on preserving the data stored in the cloud but omitting the access policy is typically stored in unencrypted form. In this paper, we proposed a fine‐grained data access control scheme based on CP‐ABE to implement access policies with a greater degree of expressiveness as well as hidden policies from curious cloud service providers. Moreover, to mitigate the extra computation cost generated by complex policies, an outsourcing service for decryption can be used by data users. Further experiments and extensive analysis show that we significantly decrease the communication and computation overhead while providing a high‐level security scheme compared with the existing schemes.