bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Responses to pictorial versus text-only cigarillo warnings among a nationally representative sample of US young adults
Authors: Cornacchione Ross Jennifer , Lazard Allison J , King Jessica L , Noar Seth M , Reboussin Beth A , Jenson Desmond , Sutfin Erin L
Published: July 2021

Background

The US Food and Drug Administration requires six text-only warnings for cigar products, including cigarillos. Research has demonstrated the superiority of pictorial over text-only cigarette warnings, yet the relative effectiveness of pictorial warnings for cigarillos has not been examined. We examined the impact of pictorial cigarillo warnings compared with text-only warnings.

Methods

Data were collected from a nationally representative sample of US young adult (18–29) cigarillo users and susceptible non-users. Participants were randomised to one of three experimental conditions: text-only or one of two pictorial conditions (combined for analyses). For each warning, we assessed negative emotional reactions, cognitive elaboration (ie, thinking about cigarillo risks) and perceived message effectiveness (PME).

Results

Participants (N=661) were 46.5% female, 64.7% white and 21.9% Hispanic; 34.1% reported past 30-day cigarillo use; 41.4% were lifetime users (excluding past 30-day use); and 24.4% were susceptible non-users. Pictorial warnings elicited more negative emotional reactions and higher PME than text-only warnings (p values<0.01), with interactions showing the largest effects for past 30-day users (emotional reactions: d=0.99, PME: d=0.63). For cognitive elaboration, there was no main effect of warning type, but an interaction revealed effects for past 30-day users (p<0.05, d=0.46).

Conclusions

Pictorial cigarillo warnings elicited greater negative emotional reactions and PME compared with text-only warnings. These effects and the effects on cognitive elaboration were strongest for past 30-day users. Our findings extend research on cigarette warnings to cigarillos, demonstrating that pictorial warnings are superior to text-only warnings for cigarillos in eliciting beneficial responses.
Experimental and numerical investigation of the effect of vertical loading on the lateral behaviour of monopiles in sand
Authors: Li Q. , Gavin K.G. , Askarinejad A. , Prendergast L.J.
Published: July 2021

The influence of combined loading on the response of monopiles used to support offshore wind turbines (OWTs) is investigated in this paper. In current practice, resistance of monopiles to vertical and lateral loading is considered separately. As OWT size has increased, the slenderness ratio (pile length, L, normalised by diameter, D) has decreased and foundations are tending towards intermediate footings with geometries between those of piles and shallow foundations. Whilst load interaction effects are not significant for slender piles, they are critical for shallow footings. Previous research on pile load interaction has resulted in conflicting findings, potentially arising from variations in boundary conditions and pile slenderness. In this study, monotonic lateral load tests were conducted in a geotechnical centrifuge on vertically loaded monopiles in dense sand. Results indicate that for piles with L/D = 5, increasing vertical loading improved pile initial stiffness and lateral capacity. A similar trend was observed for piles with L/D = 3, when vertical loading was below ≈45% of the pile’s ultimate vertical capacity. For higher vertical loads considered, results tended towards the behaviour observed for shallow footings. Numerical analyses conducted show that changes in mean effective stress are potentially responsible for the observed behaviour.
Blockchain for Effective Renewable Energy Management in the Intelligent Transportation System
Authors: Zhao Jianghua , He Chuan , Peng Changrong , Zhang Xiaodong
Published: July 2021

In intelligent transportation systems (ITS), electric vehicles (EVs) play an essential role in reducing environmental pollution and minimizing high fuel costs. The EVs are three times efficient than conventional gasoline-powered vehicles, whereas it depends on the mix of source generation on the grid utilized for charging. However, in most cases, the EVs are resultant in emitting the more substantial greenhouse gas that extends fossil fuels’ lives. Therefore, the ITS contributing to developing the renewable energy management process is incorporated with electric vehicles to reduce greenhouse gas. The EVs are mostly designed to reduce the cost and improve efficiency during the charging infrastructure. Hence, renewable energies are saved exclusively and eliminating wasteful usage. In this work, a blockchain-based effective renewable energy management process should be created to achieve this goal. The blockchain process validates each EV before permitting them to charge their vehicle. The blockchain principle analyzes the energy demand of any EV and validates its demand through vehicle data. The validation process enables the same and original energy use vessel to be identified to remove threats associated activities efficiently. The validating process considering the vehicle information and energy utilization level to verify the EV. The block-based validation process monitoring each vehicle entered into the grid environment, and the ITS process minimizes the fuel wastage and enhances the system’s overall efficiency.
Extracting Time-Varying Mean Component of Non-Stationary Winds Utilizing Vondrak Filter and Genetic Algorithm: A Wind Engineering Perspective
Authors: Cai Kang , Li Xiao , Zhi Lun Hai
Published: July 2021

The time-varying mean (TVM) component plays a vital role in the characterization of non-stationary winds, whereas it is difficult to extract the TVM accurately or to validate it quantitively. To deal with this problem, this paper first develops two additional conditions for the TVM extraction from the perspective of structural wind-induced vibration response, then presents an approach, based on the combination of Vondrak filter and genetic algorithm (Vondrak-G), to derive the optimal TVM from non-stationary wind speed records as well as its turbulence characteristics (i.e. gust factor, turbulence intensity, and turbulence integral length scale). Furthermore, the wind characteristics obtained by the Vondrak-G approach are compared with those by a conventional approach derived for stationary winds, demonstrating that the results by the Vondrak-G approach are evidently more accurate. This paper aims to provide an effective method for accurately extracting the TVM and then evaluating wind characteristics of the non-stationary wind.
Dynamic Analysis of Planar Multibody Systems Considering Contact Characteristics of Ball Bearing Joint
Authors: Chen Yu , Liu Kailei , Qiu Rui , Yu Chengtao , Xia Xianfei , Sun Yu
Published: July 2021

A comparative study of dynamic analysis for planar multibody systems with ball bearing joints is conducted in this study. The transmission mechanism is used as the exemplar case for illustrating the effect of ball bearing joints on the dynamic behavior of multibody systems. To reflect the energy loss, the models of continuous contact force and modified Coulomb’s friction are considered in the kinematic equations for the multibody system with ball bearing joint. With this, the dynamic characteristics of the mechanism are studied. Meanwhile, an experimental platform is built to generate the test data for demonstrating the effectiveness and correctness of the proposed method. Moreover, the effects of driving speed and clearance size on the dynamic behavior of the multibody system are investigated. The numerical results indicate that the dynamic behavior of the mechanical system is sensitive to the variation of the design parameters and the selection of parameters can affect greatly the accuracy of the mechanism with clearance joints.
A Novel Snake-Like Model to Simulate Infinite Track for Vehicle–Track Coupling Vibration
Authors: Xin Tao , Wang Pengsong , Cai Xiaopei , Wang Sen , Chen Peng
Published: July 2021

The dynamic interaction between the vehicle and track is one of the most critical issues for railways, as it is closely related to running safety. Previously, many vehicle–track coupling models have been developed to study the vibration response of the system. Even though the track is periodic and infinitely extended, only a finite length of the track has often been used in the simulation, so as to reduce the effort of computation. For some special issues, it is necessary to consider the influence of long-wavelength track irregularities on the vehicle responses, and the characteristic track length can reach up to the scale of kilometer. In practice, the computational effort of using a model to accommodate kilometer-long tracks is costly and even unacceptable. To overcome this problem, this paper proposes a novel snake-like model inspired by the famous game Snake to simulate infinite tracks. In the snake-like model, each vehicle can travel on the track repeatedly via the transfer nodes installed at the end of the track. Two examples were presented to verify the accuracy and efficiency of the model proposed. The results showed that the accuracy of snake-like model is consistent with that of existing methods, but the computational effort has been reduced significantly.
TEST–RETEST RELIABILITY OF STATIC POSTURAL BALANCE VARIABLES IN NATURAL AND FEET-TOGETHER STANCE CONDITIONS
Authors: KO JUNGHYUK , KWON DO-YOUNG , CHAE SU-UNG , KWON YU-RI , EOM GWANG-MOON , KIM JI-WON
Published: July 2021

It is important to confirm the reliability of postural balance variables because the results of balance tests would be different with different balance test protocols, i.e., stance conditions such as natural and feet-together stances. The aim of this study was to investigate the test–retest reliability of postural balance variables during the natural and feet-together stance conditions. Sixteen young healthy adults were instructed to sustain their center of body mass as stably as possible on the force plate. As balance standing conditions, natural (a comfortable self-selected stance width) and feet-together stances (placing the feet [Formula: see text] apart) were selected. The mean distance, mean velocity, mean frequency, and 95% confidence ellipse area were derived from the center of pressure (COP) time series in the overall, anteroposterior (AP), and mediolateral (ML) directions. To evaluate the test–retest reliability of the postural balance variables, Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was calculated in each stance condition. Mean velocity was the most reliable variable particularly in three repeated balances within both the natural and feet together stances ([Formula: see text]–0.921). The reliability of all variables of the three balance test was greater than that of the two balance tests, mainly in the natural stance. In contrast, the mean ML distance of the feet-together stance had poor reliability despite three balance tests ([Formula: see text]). These results suggest that the balance test protocol should consider the appropriate stance conditions as well as the number of balance trials to select the reliable postural balance variables.
DETECTION OF VENTRICULAR FIBRILLATION USING WAVELET TRANSFORM AND PHASE SPACE RECONSTRUCTION FROM ECG SIGNALS
Authors: JANG SEOK-WOO , LEE SANG-HONG
Published: July 2021

This study proposes the detection of ventricular fibrillation (VF) by wavelet transforms (WTs) and phase space reconstruction (PSR) from electrocardiogram (ECG) signals. A neural network with weighted fuzzy memberships (NEWFM) is used to detect VF as a classifier. In the first step, the WT was used to remove noise in ECG signals. In the second step, coordinates were mapped from the wavelet coefficients by the PSR. In the final step, NEWFM used the mapped coordinates-based features as inputs. The NEWFM has the bounded sum of weighted fuzzy memberships (BSWFM) that can easily appear the distinctness between the normal sinus rhythm (NSR) and VF in the graphical characteristics. The BSWFM can easily be set up in a portable automatic external defibrillator (AED) to detect VF in an emergency.
Impact of laser pulse repetition frequency on nucleation and growth of LiNbO3 thin films
Authors: Vakulov Z. , Khakhulin D. , Geldash A. , Tominov R. V. , Klimin V. S. , Smirnov V. A. , Ageev O. A.
Published: July 2021

This paper reports the impact of the laser pulse repetition frequency on growth processes, morphological and electro-physical parameters of nanocrystalline LiNbO3 thin films obtained by the pulsed laser deposition technique. It was found that the nucleation process in LiNbO3 films could controllably change by increasing the laser pulse repetition frequency. The film obtained at the repetition frequency of 4 Hz consists of local islands and clusters with a diameter of 118.1 ± 5.9 nm. Nanocrystalline films, grown at the repetition frequency of 10 Hz, possess a continuous granular structure with a grain diameter of 235 ± 11.75 nm. Achieved results can be used for the development of promising “green” energy devices based on lead-free piezoelectric energy harvesters.
Belt and Road Initiative alias Chinese Dream: How Are the Cards Dealt for This Game?
Authors: Staníčková Michaela , Fojtíková Lenka
Published: July 2021

An old Chinese proverb says, “if you want to be rich, build a path”. The People’s Republic of China (from now on, China) has already verified this proverb’s validity in the old Silk Road. The oldest and most famous trade route in history has managed to help China and the surrounding region reach an imaginary peak in its time. Today, after centuries of unrest, wars, economic decline, and international isolation, China is once again building a path to help it return to the world’s most developed nations, the New Silk Road, respectively the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The BRI has been defined as “the most eye-catching and possibly the one with the longest-term significance” (Ferdinand, 2017) [“Westward Ho — The China Dream and ‘One Belt, One Road’: Chinese Foreign Policy under Xi Jinping,” in Weiqing Song, ed., China’s Relations with Central and Eastern Europe: From “Old Comrades” to New Partners (London: Routledge, 2017), pp. 1–18]. The Silk Road project was introduced in 2013 by the Chinese President Xi Jinping in response to the economic crisis and the subsequent effort to find new markets and trading partners. The BRI restores the idea of the ancient Silk Road. The BRI is thus the result of a changed approach to foreign policy and the idea of opening up China. However, this policy cannot be perceived only as economic cooperation, but a well-thought-out Chinese foreign policy to expand its influence not only in Asia. The Sinocentric view of the world is thus one of the fundamental aspects of Chinese foreign policy formation. What will the country have to deal with in the future and, above all, what can we expect from China? This paper aims to provide insights into the visions proposed by the BRI, i.e. to capture the main milestones in the current development of the BRI, detailed analysis of its nature, and its current situation and implementation.
Childhood psychosocial stress is linked with impaired vascular endothelial function, lower SIRT1, and oxidative stress in young adulthood
Authors: Jenkins Nathaniel D. M. , Rogers Emily M. , Banks Nile F. , Tomko Patrick M. , Sciarrillo Christina M. , Emerson Sam R. , Taylor Ashlee , Teague T. Kent
Published: July 2021

Our study provides novel evidence that young adult women with moderate-to-severe adverse childhood experience (ACE) exposure present impaired endothelial function and lower circulating sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) concentrations than age-matched controls. However, an 8-wk exercise intervention was unable to augment endothelial function or SIRT1 concentrations in a subset of those with ACEs. Our data suggest that ACEs-related impairments in endothelial function may be secondary to decreased NO bioavailability via SIRT1 and/or oxidative stress-related mechanisms.
Novel ANN Method for Solving Ordinary and Time‐Fractional Black–Scholes Equation
Authors: Bajalan Saeed , Bajalan Nastaran
Published: July 2021

The main aim of this study is to introduce a 2‐layered artificial neural network (ANN) for solving the Black–Scholes partial differential equation (PDE) of either fractional or ordinary orders. Firstly, a discretization method is employed to change the model into a sequence of ordinary differential equations (ODE). Subsequently, each of these ODEs is solved with the aid of an ANN. Adam optimization is employed as the learning paradigm since it can add the foreknowledge of slowing down the process of optimization when getting close to the actual optimum solution. The model also takes advantage of fine‐tuning for speeding up the process and domain mapping to confront the infinite domain issue. Finally, the accuracy, speed, and convergence of the method for solving several types of the Black–Scholes model are reported.
Zeolite Socony Mobil‐Five Coating on Ti‐24 Nb‐4 Zr‐7.9 Sn Promotes Biocompatibility and Osteogenesis In Vitro and In Vivo
Authors: Hang Xiaodong , Liu Xiaohan , Hu Ying , Jiao Yilai , Wu Lin
Published: July 2021

The aim of this study was to evaluate the biocompatibility and osteogenic potential of a Zeolite Socony Mobil‐5 (ZSM‐5) coating on a Ti‐24 Nb‐4 Zr‐7.9 Sn (Ti‐2448) surface. ZSM‐5‐modified Ti‐2448 (ZSM‐5/Ti‐2448) and Ti‐2448 (control) groups were employed. The physical and chemical properties of the two types of samples were evaluated by scanning electron microscopy, Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy, nitrogen adsorption/desorption, and contact angle methods. The surface of the ZSM‐5/Ti‐2448 was rougher than that of the original Ti‐2448, while the contact angle of the ZSM‐5/Ti‐2448 was smaller than that of Ti‐2448. In addition, the ZSM‐5/Ti‐2448 largely increased the specific surface area and introduced silanol groups. A bone‐like apatite layer could be formed on the surface of ZSM‐5/Ti‐2448 after 14 days of incubation in a simulated body fluid. ZSM‐5/Ti‐2448 was not cytotoxic. The number and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity of osteoblasts on ZSM‐5/Ti‐2448 were significantly higher than those on Ti‐2448 surfaces, obtained in vitro using 3‐(4,5‐dimethylthiazole‐2‐yl)‐2,5‐diphenyltetrazolium bromide and ALP activity assays. Few inflammatory cells were observed around ZSM‐5/Ti‐2448 after insertion into the femurs of Japanese white rabbits after 4, 12, and 26 weeks through hematoxylin–eosin staining. The average gray scale of transforming growth factor‐β1 (TGF‐β1) on ZSM‐5/Ti‐2448 peaked earlier than that on Ti‐2448, according to immunohistochemical staining. These results indicate that ZSM‐5/Ti‐2448 has a good biocompatibility and improved early osteogenic potential compared to a noncoated Ti‐2448.
On Pythagorean Triples and the Primitive Roots Modulo a Prime
Authors: Wang Jingzhe
Published: July 2021

In this paper, we use the elementary methods and the estimates for character sums to study a problem related to primitive roots and the Pythagorean triples and prove the following result: let

p

be an odd prime large enough. Then, there must exist three primitive roots

x
,
 
y

, and

z

modulo

p

such that

x

2

+

y

2

=

z

2

.
Research on an Intelligent Lightweight-Assisted Pterygium Diagnosis Model Based on Anterior Segment Images
Authors: Zheng Bo , Liu Yunfang , He Kai , Wu Maonian , Jin Ling , Jiang Qin , Zhu Shaojun , Hao Xiulan , Wang Chenghu , Yang Weihua
Published: July 2021

Aims. The lack of primary ophthalmologists in China results in the inability of basic-level hospitals to diagnose pterygium patients. To solve this problem, an intelligent-assisted lightweight pterygium diagnosis model based on anterior segment images is proposed in this study. Methods. Pterygium is a common and frequently occurring disease in ophthalmology, and fibrous tissue hyperplasia is both a diagnostic biomarker and a surgical biomarker. The model diagnosed pterygium based on biomarkers of pterygium. First, a total of 436 anterior segment images were collected; then, two intelligent-assisted lightweight pterygium diagnosis models (MobileNet 1 and MobileNet 2) based on raw data and augmented data were trained via transfer learning. The results of the lightweight models were compared with the clinical results. The classic models (AlexNet, VGG16 and ResNet18) were also used for training and testing, and their results were compared with the lightweight models. A total of 188 anterior segment images were used for testing. Sensitivity, specificity, F1-score, accuracy, kappa, area under the concentration-time curve (AUC), 95% CI, size, and parameters are the evaluation indicators in this study. Results. There are 188 anterior segment images that were used for testing the five intelligent-assisted pterygium diagnosis models. The overall evaluation index for the MobileNet2 model was the best. The sensitivity, specificity, F1-score, and AUC of the MobileNet2 model for the normal anterior segment image diagnosis were 96.72%, 98.43%, 96.72%, and 0976, respectively; for the pterygium observation period anterior segment image diagnosis, the sensitivity, specificity, F1-score, and AUC were 83.7%, 90.48%, 82.54%, and 0.872, respectively; for the surgery period anterior segment image diagnosis, the sensitivity, specificity, F1-score, and AUC were 84.62%, 93.50%, 85.94%, and 0.891, respectively. The kappa value of the MobileNet2 model was 77.64%, the accuracy was 85.11%, the model size was 13.5 M, and the parameter size was 4.2 M. Conclusion. This study used deep learning methods to propose a three-category intelligent lightweight-assisted pterygium diagnosis model. The developed model can be used to screen patients for pterygium problems initially, provide reasonable suggestions, and provide timely referrals. It can help primary doctors improve pterygium diagnoses, confer social benefits, and lay the foundation for future models to be embedded in mobile devices.
COVID-19 Pandemic Forecasting Using CNN-LSTM: A Hybrid Approach
Authors: Zain Zuhaira M. , Alturki Nazik M.
Published: July 2021

COVID-19 has sparked a worldwide pandemic, with the number of infected cases and deaths rising on a regular basis. Along with recent advances in soft computing technology, researchers are now actively developing and enhancing different mathematical and machine-learning algorithms to forecast the future trend of this pandemic. Thus, if we can accurately forecast the trend of cases globally, the spread of the pandemic can be controlled. In this study, a hybrid CNN-LSTM model was developed on a time-series dataset to forecast the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19. The proposed model was evaluated and compared with 17 baseline models on test and forecast data. The primary finding of this research is that the proposed CNN-LSTM model outperformed them all, with the lowest average MAPE, RMSE, and RRMSE values on both test and forecast data. Conclusively, our experimental results show that, while standalone CNN and LSTM models provide acceptable and efficient forecasting performance for the confirmed COVID-19 cases time series, combining both models in the proposed CNN-LSTM encoder-decoder structure provides a significant boost in forecasting performance. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the suggested model produced satisfactory predicting results even with a small amount of data.
Evaluation of Chemical, Functional, Spectral, and Thermal Characteristics of Sargassum wightii and Ulva rigida from Indian Coast
Authors: Kumar Yogesh , Tarafdar Ayon , Kumar Deepak , Verma Kiran , Aggarwal Manjeet , Badgujar Prarabdh C.
Published: July 2021

Usage of seaweeds as a functional food/food ingredient is very limited due to paucity of scientific information about variations in the nutritional composition of seaweeds under diverse climatic conditions. Sargassum wightii and Ulva rigida seaweeds are found abundantly on the Southern Indian coastline and were thoroughly evaluated in this work. Crude fiber and lipid of S. wightii were higher (24.93 ± 0.23% and 3.09 ± 0.41%, respectively) as compared to U. rigida; however, U. rigida had higher crude protein content (27.11 ± 0.62%). Evaluation of mineral and CHNS content indicated that the concentration of potassium, magnesium, and calcium was 1.36 ± 0.08 mg/g, 8.39 ± 0.80 mg/g, and 14.03 ± 3.46 mg/g, respectively, that was higher in the S. wightii, whereas U. rigida contained higher value of iron, carbon, and sulphur (0.70 ± 0.13 mg/g, 37.72 ± 4.63%, and 2.61 ± 0.16%, respectively). Swelling capacity (19.42 ± 0.00 mL/g DW to 22.66 ± 00 mL/g DW), water-holding capacity (6.15 ± 0.08 g/g DW to 6.38 ± 0.14 g/g DW), and oil-holding capacity (2.96 ± 0.13 g/g DW) of U. rigida were significantly (

p
<
0.05

) higher as compared to S. wightii. It was observed from DSC thermograms that S. wightii can be safely processed for food formulations even at a temperature of 134°C. The thermograms also revealed changes in the sulphated polysaccharide (fucoidan) profile due to the presence of hydroxyl and carboxyl groups with denaturation of proteins. TGA of S. wightii and U. rigida showed degradation temperature within the range of 200–300°C due to divergent polysaccharide compositions. FTIR spectroscopy suggested the presence of phenolic groups in both seaweeds (at 1219 cm−1). Results of the study suggested that the manufacturing of functional food products from seaweeds could be beneficial and may aid in social upliftment of cultivators/fishermen.
Optimal Setting Method of Inverse Time Overcurrent Protection for the Distribution Networks Based on the Improved Grey Wolf Optimization
Authors: Yang Bo , Tang Jun , Feng Changsen , Yang Chen , Dong Xiaofeng
Published: July 2021

The setting of protection parameters is vital to the large‐scale application of reverse time overcurrent protection in the distribution networks. A fixed value optimization method of inverse time overcurrent protection for the distribution networks with distributed generation based on the improved Grey Wolf algorithm is proposed, which takes the protection action equation and the sensitivity, speed, and selectivity into consideration. Subsequently, four strategies, including good point set initialization, convergence factor exponential decay strategy, mutation strategy, and heuristic parameter determination strategy, are introduced to improve the Grey Wolf algorithm on the premise of retaining fewer adjustable parameters. Simulation results verify the feasibility and superiority of the proposed model in case of the two‐phase and three‐phase faults and discuss the influence of time differential on parameters setting and the research direction of algorithm optimization and engineering application.
Deep Learning-Based Denoised MRI Images for Correlation Analysis between Lumbar Facet Joint and Lumbar Disc Herniation in Spine Surgery
Authors: Gao Feng , Wu Mingcan
Published: July 2021

This work aimed to explore the relationship between spine surgery lumbar facet joint (LFJ) and lumbar disc herniation (LDH) via compressed sensing algorithm-based MRI images to analyze the clinical symptoms of patients with residual neurological symptoms after LDH. Under weighted BM3D denoising, Epigraph method was introduced to establish the novel CSMRI reconstruction algorithm (BEMRI). 127 patients with LDH were taken as the research objects. The BEMRI algorithm was compared with others regarding peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) and structural similarity index (SSIM). Patients’ bilateral LFJ angles were compared. The relationships between LFJ angles, lumbar disc degeneration, and LFJ degeneration were analyzed. It turned out that the PSNR and SSIM of BEMRI algorithm were evidently superior to those of other algorithms. The proportion of patients with grade IV degeneration was at most 31.76%. Lumbar disc grading was positively correlated with change grading of LFJ degeneration (

P
<
0.001

). LFJ asymmetry was positively correlated with LFJ degeneration grade and LDH (

P
<
0.001

). Incidence of residual neurological symptoms in patients aged 61–70 years was as high as 63.77%. The proportion of patients with severe urinary excretion disorders was 71.96%. Therefore, the BEMRI algorithm improved the quality of MRI images. Degeneration of LDH was positively correlated with degeneration of LFJ. Asymmetry of LFJ was notably positively correlated with the degeneration of LFJ and LDH. Patients aged 61–70 years had a high incidence of residual neurological symptoms after surgery, most of which were manifested as urinary excretion disorders.
A Vulnerability Detection System Based on Fusion of Assembly Code and Source Code
Authors: Li Xingzheng , Feng Bingwen , Li Guofeng , Li Tong , He Mingjin
Published: July 2021

Software vulnerabilities are one of the important reasons for network intrusion. It is vital to detect and fix vulnerabilities in a timely manner. Existing vulnerability detection methods usually rely on single code models, which may miss some vulnerabilities. This paper implements a vulnerability detection system by combining source code and assembly code models. First, code slices are extracted from the source code and assembly code. Second, these slices are aligned by the proposed code alignment algorithm. Third, aligned code slices are converted into vector and input into a hyper fusion-based deep learning model. Experiments are carried out to verify the system. The results show that the system presents a stable and convergent detection performance.
Small Choroidal Melanoma: Correlation of Growth Rate with Pathology
Authors: Raval Vishal , Luo Shiming , Zabor Emily C. , Singh Arun D.
Published: July 2021

Purpose: The aim of the study was to evaluate equivalence of growth rate and pathologic confirmation in small choroidal melanoma (SCM). Design: This study is a case series. Subjects, Participants, and Controls: A total of 61 patients with a choroidal melanocytic tumor of size 5.0–16.0 mm in the largest basal diameter and 1.0–2.5 mm in thickness were classified into the pathology-confirmed group (n = 19), growth-confirmed group (n = 30), and with combined observations (n = 12). Methods: Distribution of clinical variables (age, gender, laterality, tumor dimensions, tumor location, and presence of orange pigment, subretinal fluid, drusen, and retinal pigment epithelial [RPE] atrophy) between the groups was analyzed. Patient and disease characteristics were summarized as the median and interquartile range for continuous variables and the frequency and percentage for categorical variables. Comparisons were made using the Wilcoxon rank sum test for continuous variables and either Fisher’s exact test or the χ2 test for categorical variables with a p value threshold of 0.05 for statistical significance. Growth rate (change in basal dimension/12 months) diagnostic of SCM was quantified. Main Outcome Measures: The primary aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that “growth” was diagnostic of SCM with the secondary aim of quantifying the malignant “growth rate” (growth rate of SCM). Results: The clinical characteristics among all 3 groups were similar except more patients with symptoms (68 vs. 20 vs. 42%, p = 0.004) and juxtapapillary location (p = 0.03) were in the pathology group than in the growth-confirmed group. Those in the combined and growth-confirmed groups had more patients with drusen (11 vs. 60 vs. 50%, p = 0.003) and RPE atrophy (11 vs. 23 vs. 67%, p = 0.003), respectively, than in the pathology group. The median time to detect growth was 9 months (range 3–26 months). The mean growth rate in basal dimension was 1.8 mm/12 months (range, 0.0–7.4 mm; [95% CI: 1.32–2.28]). Conclusions and Relevance: Choroidal melanocytic lesions exhibiting a defined growth rate can be clinically diagnosed as SCM without a need for biopsy.
The Effect of Clear Speech on Cantonese Alaryngeal Speakers’ Intelligibility
Authors: Hui Tak Fai , Cox Steven Randall , Huang Ting , Chen Wei-Rong , Ng Manwa Lawrence
Published: July 2021

Background/Aim: The purpose of this study was to provide preliminary data concerning the effect of clear speech (CS) on Cantonese alaryngeal speakers’ intelligibility. Methods: Voice recordings of 11 sentences randomly selected from the Cantonese Sentence Intelligibility Test (CSIT) were obtained from 31 alaryngeal speakers (9 electrolarynx [EL] users, 10 esophageal speakers and 12 tracheoesophageal [TE] speakers) in habitual speech (HS) and CS. Two naïve listeners orthographically transcribed a total of 1,364 sentences. Results: Significant effects of speaking condition on speaking rate and CSIT scores were observed, but no significant effect of alaryngeal communication methods was noted. CS was significantly slower than HS by 0.78 syllables/s. Esophageal speakers demonstrated the slowest speech rate when using CS, while EL users demonstrated the largest decrease in speaking rate when using CS compared to HS. TE speakers had the highest CSIT scores in HS (listener 1 = 81.4%; listener 2 = 81.3%), and esophageal speakers had the highest CSIT scores in CS (listener 1 = 87.5%; listener 2 = 89.7%). EL users experienced the largest increase in intelligibility while using CS compared to HS (9.1%) followed by esophageal speakers (8.9%) and TE speakers (1.4%). Conclusion: Preliminary data indicate that CS may significantly affect Cantonese alaryngeal speakers’ speaking rate and intelligibility. However, intelligibility appeared to vary considerably across speakers. Further research involving larger, heterogeneous groups of speakers and listeners alongside longer and more refined CS training protocols should be conducted to confirm that CS can improve Cantonese alaryngeal speakers’ intelligibility.
Association between Stroke Quality Assessments and Mortality within 30 Days among Patients Who Underwent Hemorrhagic Stroke Surgeries in South Korea
Authors: Lee Mi-Na , Jeong Wonjeong , Jang Sung-In , Park Sohee , Park Eun-Cheol
Published: July 2021

Introduction: In South Korea, to improve the quality of medical services provided to stroke patients, stroke quality assessments have been implemented since 2006. To further promote improvement of care, financial incentives were introduced since 2012. This study aims to examine the association between stroke quality assessments and mortality within 30 days among South Korean adults who underwent hemorrhagic stroke surgeries to provide evidence of the importance of such assessments. Methods: Data from 45,741 patients from 374 healthcare organizations, derived from the 2013–2016 claims data of the Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service, were examined. To ensure homogeneity, only patients who underwent hemorrhagic stroke surgeries were selected. Healthcare organizations were classified based on whether stroke quality assessments were conducted. The dependent variable of this study was death within 30 days of hospitalization. A generalized linear mixed model was constructed to analyze the association between variables. Results: Healthcare organizations without stroke quality assessments exhibited a higher risk of mortality than those that did (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 1.53, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.16–2.01). Among healthcare organizations with the lowest volume, those without stroke quality assessments had a higher risk of mortality than those that did (tertile 1 [low], adjusted OR = 1.38, 95% CI = 1.04–1.84). Among rural healthcare organizations, those without assessments had a higher risk of mortality than did those that did (adjusted OR = 1.61, 95% CI = 1.06–2.43). Conclusions: The study identified a significant relationship between stroke quality assessments and 30-day mortality. Healthcare organizations without stroke quality assessments may exhibit a comparatively higher risk of mortality. Future interventions to minimize mortality and provide evidence for policymakers and healthcare leaders could involve expanding the scope of stroke quality assessment.
Standardization of Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography Imaging Biomarkers in Diabetic Retinal Disease
Authors: Vujosevic Stela , Cunha-Vaz José , Figueira João , Löwenstein Anat , Midena Edoardo , Parravano Mariacristina , Scanlon Peter Henry , Simó Rafael , Hernández Cristina , Madeira Maria H. , Marques Inês P. , C.-V. Martinho António , Santos Ana R. , Simó-Servat Olga , Salongcay Recivall P. , Zur Dinah , Peto Tunde
Published: July 2021

Optical coherence tomography Angiography (OCT-A) represents a revolution in the noninvasive evaluation of retinal and choroidal circulation especially in detecting early clinical signs of diabetic retinal disease (DRD). With appropriate use, OCT-A characteristics and measurements have the potential to become new imaging biomarkers in managing and treating DRD. Major challenges include (a) provision of standardized outputs from different OCT-A instruments providing standardized terminology to correctly interpret data; (b) the presence of artifacts; (c) the absence of standardized grading or interpretation method in the evaluation of DRD, similar to that already established in fundus photography; and (d) establishing how OCT-A might be able to provide surrogate markers to demonstrate blood retinal barrier breakdown and vascular leakage, commonly associated with DRD. In fact, OCT-A guidelines for DRD are still evolving. The outputs of quantitative OCT-A data offer a unique opportunity to develop tools based on artificial intelligence to assist the clinicians in diagnosing, monitoring, and managing patients with diabetes. In addition, OCT-A has the potential to become a useful tool for the evaluation of cardiovascular diseases and different neurological diseases including cognitive impairment. This article written by the members of Diabetic Retinopathy expert committee of the European Vision Clinical Research network will review the available evidence on the use of OCT-A as an imaging biomarker in DRD and discuss the limits and the current application as well as future developments for its use in both clinical practice and research trials of DRD.
Nada é certo, mas escreva: três poemas de Franco Fortini em tradução
Authors: Alves Cláudia Tavares
Published: July 2021

Serão apresentadas, neste artigo, traduções de três poemas de Franco Fortini, acompanhadas de uma breve introdução e análise. Os textos selecionados – “Forse il tempo del sangue ritornerà...”, “Traducendo Brecht” e “La gioia avvenire” – remetem a um contexto de intensa atividade intelectual e cultural na Itália, do qual Fortini fez parte enquanto um importante pensador dos rumos do país após o fim do fascismo.
A Escola de Tradutores de Toledo: a oralidade da escrita
Authors: Monteiro Francisco César Manhães
Published: July 2021

Este artigo se volta para a análise da chamada Escola de Tradutores de Toledo, surgida na época da Primeira Cruzada, e se propõe a questionar e reformular o que se sabe sobre os seus métodos, personagens, tradutores e época, sobretudo a questão do papel da oralidade na criação, controle e eventual censura das traduções produzidas por intérpretes e tradutores hebreus, muçulmanos, convertidos e cristãos, hispânicos e francos; também, o que isso ainda afeta e pode contribuir para a prática, história e teoria da tradução
Samuel Beckett, o poeta entre as ruínas
Authors: Silva Alan Cardoso da
Published: July 2021

Com este trabalho apresento a minha tradução para três poemas do escritor irlandês Samuel Beckett, ainda inéditos no português do Brasil (“Dieppe”, “Saint-Lô” e “Antipepsis”), os quais serão analisados como “poemas de guerra”, visto que o autor os escreveu enquanto resistia ao progresso do nazismo na França. A relevância desse trabalho se dá como contribuição aos estudos acerca da poesia de Beckett (autor mais notadamente lembrado como dramaturgo e romancista do que como poeta). Esses três poemas foram escolhidos como uma proposta de rememoração de um “Beckett antifascista”. A leitora e o leitor encontrarão minhas traduções ao lado dos poemas originais, seguidos de comentários que explicam as decisões tradutórias, além de fornecer interpretações para os poemas originais.
Association Between Hospital Volumes and Clinical Outcomes for Patients With Nontraumatic Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
Authors: Leifer Dana , Fonarow Gregg C. , Hellkamp Anne , Baker David , Hoh Brian L. , Prabhakaran Shyam , Schoeberl Mark , Suter Robert , Washington Chad , Williams Scott , Xian Ying , Schwamm Lee H.
Published: July 2021

Background

Previous studies of patients with nontraumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) suggest better outcomes at hospitals with higher case and procedural volumes, but the shape of the volume‐outcome curve has not been defined. We sought to establish minimum volume criteria for SAH and aneurysm obliteration procedures that could be used for comprehensive stroke center certification.

Methods and Results

Data from 8512 discharges in the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) from 2010 to 2011 were analyzed using logistic regression models to evaluate the association between clinical outcomes (in‐hospital mortality and the NIS‐SAH Outcome Measure [NIS‐SOM]) and measures of hospital annual case volume (nontraumatic SAH discharges, coiling, and clipping procedures). Sensitivity and specificity analyses for the association of desirable outcomes with different volume thresholds were performed. During 8512 SAH hospitalizations, 28.7% of cases underwent clipping and 20.1% underwent coiling with rates of 21.2% for in‐hospital mortality and 38.6% for poor outcome on the NIS‐SOM. The mean (range) of SAH, coiling, and clipping annual case volumes were 30.9 (1–195), 8.7 (0–94), and 6.1 (0–69), respectively. Logistic regression demonstrated improved outcomes with increasing annual case volumes of SAH discharges and procedures for aneurysm obliteration, with attenuation of the benefit beyond 35 SAH cases/year. Analysis of sensitivity and specificity using different volume thresholds confirmed these results. Analysis of previously proposed volume thresholds, including those utilized as minimum standards for comprehensive stroke center certification, showed that hospitals with more than 35 SAH cases annually had consistently superior outcomes compared with hospitals with fewer cases, although some hospitals below this threshold had similar outcomes. The adjusted odds ratio demonstrating lower risk of poor outcomes with SAH annual case volume ≥35 compared with 20 to 34 was 0.82 for the NIS‐SOM (95% CI, 0.71–094;
P
=0.0054) and 0.80 (95% CI, 0.68–0.93;
P
=0.0055) for in‐hospital mortality.

Conclusions

Outcomes for patients with SAH improve with increasing hospital case volumes and procedure volumes, with consistently better outcomes for hospitals with more than 35 SAH cases per year.
Association Between Age‐Related Macular Degeneration and Risk of Heart Failure: A Population‐Based Nested Case‐Control Study
Authors: Chang Chao‐Chien , Huang Chi‐Hung , Chou Yu‐Ching , Chang Jin‐Yin , Sun Chien‐An
Published: July 2021

Background

Heart failure (HF) is a major health problem worldwide because of its high morbidity and mortality. Recently, the role of the microvasculature in HF has gained more attention. Age‐related macular degeneration (AMD) is manifested through geographic atrophy or the development of neovascularization. However, there are limited data on investigations about the association between AMD and HF. The purpose of this study was to examine the association of AMD with the risk of HF in a large population‐based cohort of men and women.

Methods and Results

A nested case‐control study using Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Research Database was conducted between 2000 and 2012. Newly diagnosed heart failure cases (n=13 721) and matched controls (n=54 884) in the database were recruited. Patients who had ≥2 clinical visits with a diagnosis of AMD at least 1 year before the diagnosis of HF were identified as patients with AMD. Conditional logistic regressions were performed to calculate odds ratios and 95% CIs to assess the association between AMD and risk of HF. AMD was associated with a 1.58‐fold increased risk of HF (95% CI, 1.16–1.87) (
P
<0.001) after adjustment for potential confounders. This significant association was evident in both nonexudative and exudative AMD subgroups.

Conclusions

Our study provides evidence that AMD was associated with an increased risk of HF. Further molecular and pathophysiological studies are needed to clarify the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms behind the association of AMD with HF.
Multiple Blood Biomarkers and Stroke Risk in Atrial Fibrillation: The REGARDS Study
Authors: Singleton Matthew J. , Yuan Ya , Dawood Farah Z. , Howard George , Judd Suzanne E. , Zakai Neil A. , Howard Virginia J. , Herrington David M. , Soliman Elsayed Z. , Cushman Mary
Published: July 2021

Background

Atrial fibrillation is associated with increased stroke risk; available risk prediction tools have modest accuracy. We hypothesized that circulating stroke risk biomarkers may improve stroke risk prediction in atrial fibrillation.

Methods and Results

The REGARDS (Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke) study is a prospective cohort study of 30 239 Black and White adults age ≥45 years. A nested study of stroke cases and a random sample of the cohort included 175 participants (63% women, 37% Black adults) with baseline atrial fibrillation and available blood biomarker data. There were 81 ischemic strokes over 5.2 years in these participants. Adjusted for demographics, stroke risk factors, and warfarin use, the following biomarkers were associated with stroke risk (hazard ratio [HR]; 95% CI for upper versus lower tertile): cystatin C (3.16; 1.04–9.58), factor VIII antigen (2.77; 1.03–7.48), interleukin‐6 (9.35; 1.95–44.78), and NT‐proBNP (N‐terminal B‐type natriuretic peptide) (4.21; 1.24–14.29). A multimarker risk score based on the number of blood biomarkers in the highest tertile was developed; adjusted HRs of stroke for 1, 2, and 3+ elevated blood biomarkers, compared with none, were 1.75 (0.57–5.40), 4.97 (1.20–20.5), and 9.51 (2.22–40.8), respectively. Incorporating the multimarker risk score to the CHA
2
DS
2
VASc score resulted in a net reclassification improvement of 0.34 (95% CI, 0.04–0.65).

Conclusions

Findings in this biracial cohort suggested the possibility of substantial improvement in stroke risk prediction in atrial fibrillation using blood biomarkers or a multimarker risk score.