bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Organic Geochemical Characteristics of Mudstone and Marl from Western Hoh Xil Basin of Tibet
Authors: Mi Wentian , Qi Xueyuan , Shang Yan , Kong Xu , Hu Zifu
Published: October 2021

The mudstone and marl from western Hoh Xil basin, located in Tibet of the west of China, were deposited in Tertiary lacustrine environment. Investigation of organic geochemistry, sedimentary characteristics, and 13C in kerogen was conducted to analyze the sedimentary environment, biomarkers, paleoclimate, and source of organic matter during deposition. The Cenozoic sedimentary facies of the basin included upper lacustrine facies and lower alluvial fan facies, which belong to Miocene Wudaoliang Formation and Oligocene Yaxicuo Group, respectively. The Miocene marl-sandstone-mudstone from Wudaoliang Formation was analyzed. Maceral composition was dominated by amorphous organic matter.

T

max

values indicated that the mudstones were thermally immature-low maturity with mainly type II and III organic matter, while organic matter in marlite belongs mainly to type I-II1 with low maturity-maturity stage. The biomarkers showed the characteristics of odd-over-even predominance of long-chain n-alkanes, higher proportion of C27 sterane in most of the samples, heavy δ13Corg composition, low Pr/Ph ratios (0.11-0.36), and so on. Organic geochemistry indicated that the organic matter originated from bacteria, algae, and higher plants. The rocks were formed in reducing environments with stratified water column and high productivity. The paleoclimate became more humid during depositional stage in the western Hoh Xil basin.
Hilbert–Schmidt Independence Criterion Regularization Kernel Framework on Symmetric Positive Definite Manifolds
Authors: Liu Xi , Zhan Zengrong , Niu Guo
Published: October 2021

Image recognition tasks involve an increasingly high amount of symmetric positive definite (SPD) matrices data. SPD manifolds exhibit nonlinear geometry, and Euclidean machine learning methods cannot be directly applied to SPD manifolds. The kernel trick of SPD manifolds is based on the concept of projecting data onto a reproducing kernel Hilbert space. Unfortunately, existing kernel methods do not consider the connection of SPD matrices and linear projections. Thus, a framework that uses the correlation between SPD matrices and projections to model the kernel map is proposed herein. To realize this, this paper formulates a Hilbert–Schmidt independence criterion (HSIC) regularization framework based on the kernel trick, where HSIC is usually used to express the interconnectedness of two datasets. The proposed framework allows us to extend the existing kernel methods to new HSIC regularization kernel methods. Additionally, this paper proposes an algorithm called HSIC regularized graph discriminant analysis (HRGDA) for SPD manifolds based on the HSIC regularization framework. The proposed HSIC regularization framework and HRGDA are highly accurate and valid based on experimental results on several classification tasks.
The Factors Affecting Students’ Online Learning Outcomes during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Bayesian Exploratory Factor Analysis
Authors: Pham Thi Tinh Thuong , Le Hoang Anh , Do Doan Trang
Published: October 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic, a public health crisis of worldwide importance, announced by the World Health Organization (WHO) in January 2020 as an outbreak, has made distance education through the E-learning system an urgent and irreplaceable requirement. The study assessed factors affecting students’ online learning outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic through interviews with 404 students who were subjects of the survey using the convenience sampling method via questionnaires. The study utilized the reliability analysis through Cronbach’s Alpha and the Bayesian Exploratory Factor Analysis (BEFA). The evaluation results of the research scales showed that 28 observed variables were used to measure 7 research concepts. Test results of the hypotheses showed that students’ online learning outcomes are affected by 6 factors in the descending order, respectively, learner characteristics, perceived usefulness, course content, course design, ease of use, and faculty capacity.
Controllability of Differential Systems with the General Conformable Derivative
Authors: Azouz Ferrag , Boucenna Djalal , Ben Makhlouf Abdellatif , Mchiri Lassaad , Benchaabane Abbes
Published: October 2021

In this paper, the controllability of differential systems with the general conformable derivative is studied. By elaborating the rank criterion and the conformable Gram criterion, sufficient and necessary conditions to investigate that a linear general conformable system is null completely controllable are given. We obtain a full generalization to the general conformable fractional‐order system case. In addition, Krasnoselskii’s fixed point theorem to obtain a complete controllability result for a semilinear general conformable system is applied.
The Multifaceted Therapeutic Mechanisms of Curcumin in Osteosarcoma: State-of-the-Art
Authors: Zahedipour Fatemeh , Bolourinezhad Monireh , Teng Yong , Sahebkar Amirhossein
Published: October 2021

Osteosarcoma is a major form of malignant bone tumor that typically occurs in young adults and children. The combination of aggressive surgical strategies and chemotherapy has led to improvements in survival time, although individuals with recurrent or metastatic conditions still have an extremely poor prognosis. This disappointing situation strongly indicates that testing novel, targeted therapeutic agents is imperative to prevent the progression of osteosarcoma and enhance patient survival time. Curcumin, a naturally occurring phenolic compound found in Curcuma longa, has been shown to have a wide variety of anti-tumor, anti-oxidant, and anti-inflammatory activities in many types of cancers including osteosarcoma. Curcumin is a highly pleiotropic molecule that can modulate intracellular signaling pathways to regulate cell proliferation, inflammation, and apoptosis. These signaling pathways include RANK/RANKL, Notch, Wnt/β-catenin, apoptosis, autophagy, JAK/STAT, and HIF-1 pathways. Additionally, curcumin can regulate the expression of various types of microRNAs that are involved in osteosarcoma. Therefore, curcumin may be a potential candidate for the prevention and treatment of osteosarcoma. This comprehensive review not only covers the use of curcumin in the treatment of osteosarcoma and its anti-cancer molecular mechanisms but also reveals the novel delivery strategies and combination therapies with the aim to improve the therapeutic effect of curcumin.
Research and Implementation of the Text Matching Algorithm in the Field of Housing Law and Policy Based on Deep Learning
Authors: Xu Yin , Ma Hong
Published: October 2021

Machine learning enables machines to learn rules from a large amount of data input from the outside world through algorithms, so as to identify and judge. It is the main task of the government to further emphasize the importance of improving the housing security mechanism, expand the proportion of affordable housing, increase financial investment, improve the construction quality of affordable housing, and ensure fair distribution. It can be seen that the legal system of housing security is essentially a system to solve the social problems brought by housing marketization, and it is an important part of the whole national housing system. More and more attention has been paid to solving the housing difficulties of low‐ and middle‐income people and establishing a housing security legal system suitable for China’s national conditions and development stage. Aiming at the deep learning problem, a text matching algorithm suitable for the field of housing law and policy is proposed. Classifier based on matching algorithm is a promising classification technology. The research on the legal system of housing security is in the exploratory stage, involving various theoretical and practical research studies. Compare the improved depth learning algorithm with the general algorithm, so as to clearly understand the advantages and disadvantages of the improved depth learning algorithm and depth learning algorithm. This paper introduces the practical application of the deep learning model and fast learning algorithm in detail. Creatively put forward to transform it into an independent public law basis or into an independent savings system.
Chen-Ricci Inequalities with a Quarter Symmetric Connection in Generalized Space Forms
Authors: Al-Khaldi Ali H. , Aquib Mohd. , Aslam Mohd , Khan Meraj Ali
Published: October 2021

In this article, we obtain improved Chen-Ricci inequalities for submanifolds of generalized space forms with quarter-symmetric metric connection, with the help of which we completely characterized the Lagrangian submanifold in generalized complex space form and a Legendrian submanifold in a generalized Sasakian space form. We also discuss some geometric applications of the obtained results.
Shock and Vibration of Rainfall on Rotational Landslide and Analysis of Its Deformation Characteristics
Authors: Weiguo Li , Yali Liu , Yanhong Chen , Libing Yang
Published: October 2021

Earthquake, flood, human activity, and rainfall are some of the trigger factors leading to landslides. Landslide monitoring data analysis indicates the deformation characteristics of landslides and helps to reduce the threat of landslide disasters. There are monitoring methods that enable efficient acquisition of real-time data to facilitate comprehensive research on landslides. However, it is challenging to analyze large amounts of monitoring data with problems like missing data and outlier data during data collection and transfer. These problems also hinder practical analysis and determination concerning the uncertain monitoring data. This work analyzes and processes the deformation characteristics of a rainfall-induced rotational landslide based on exploratory data analysis techniques. First, we found that the moving average denoising method is better than the polynomial fitting method for the repair and fitting of monitoring data. Besides, the exploratory data analysis of the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) monitoring data reveals that the distribution of GNSS monitoring points has a positive correlation with the deformational characteristics of a rotational landslide. Our findings in the subsequent case study indicate that rainfalls are the primary trigger of the Zhutoushan landslide, Jiangsu Province, China. Therefore, this method provides support for the analysis of rotational landslides and more useful landslide monitoring information.
Seismic Fragility and Life Cycle Cost Analysis of Reinforced Concrete Structures with a Hybrid Damper
Authors: Reddy Chukka Naga Dheeraj Kumar , Natrayan L. , Mammo Wubishet Degife
Published: October 2021

The main objective of this research is to develop a hybrid damper by combining the friction damper (FD) and the X‐shaped metallic damper (XMD) to enhance the performance of a building under seismic excitations with different peak ground accelerations (PGA). Four‐ and twelve‐storey‐reinforced concrete buildings were retrofitted with the hybrid damper, and seismic fragility, nonlinear dynamic, and life cycle cost analyses were executed on both structures to evaluate the performance of the hybrid damper and are compared with the FD and XMD of same yield load. According to the nonlinear dynamic analysis results, when a four‐storey structure is installed with the XMD, FD, and hybrid dampers, the percentage of deduction of the average of the maximum interstorey drifts is 63, 67, and 74, respectively. When a twelve‐storey structure is installed with the XMD, FD, and hybrid dampers, the percentage of deduction of the average of the maximum interstorey drifts is 59, 64, and 71, respectively. So the performance of the hybrid damper is superior to the XMD and FD in reducing interstorey drift of both structures. Results also show that the hybrid damper has enhanced the energy dissipation capacity compared to the XMD and FD under earthquakes with both low and high PGA values. According to fragility analysis results, the performance of the hybrid damper is superior to the XMD and FD in reducing the probability of attaining the collapse state. Life cycle cost analysis results show that structures with the hybrid damper acquired the shortest repair time and lowest repair cost.
Evaluation of Human Leukocyte Antigen Class I and Class II in End-Stage Renal Disease Occurrence in Indonesian Transplantation Patients
Authors: Susianti Hani , Djatmiko Dwi Priyadi , Adi Widana I Komang , Tandio Deasy Ayuningtyas , Sutrisnani Catur Suci , Wahono Singgih Pudjo , Puspitawati Ira
Published: October 2021

Background. Genetic studies of end-stage renal disease (ESRD), including those of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genes, have been reported in several populations but have not yet been evaluated in Indonesia. Some studies have reported that these genes had a substantial role in ESRD. This study aims to analyze the association between HLA genes and ESRD within the Indonesian community. Method. A retrospective study to investigate HLA class I and II alleles to find out the distribution of HLA-A, -B, -C, -DPB1, -DQB1, and -DRB1 in renal transplant recipients and to ascertain their role in susceptibility to ESRD was performed on totally 149 subjects, consisting of 69 ESRD patients and 80 healthy controls. HLA typing was determined using Luminex techniques. The allele and haplotype frequencies were compared between ESRD patients and controls. Result. High-frequency alleles were HLA-A

∗

24 (43.6%), B

∗

15 (38.2%), C

∗

08 (30.8%), DRB1

∗

12 (47.3%), DQB1

∗

03 (50.6%), and DPB1

∗

13 (22.5%). HLA-A

∗

24

p
=
0.01

and HLA-B

∗

35

p
=
0.02

were associated with a protective effect, with OR 0.537 (95%CI 0.34–0.86) and 0.316 (95%CI 0.11–0.88), respectively. There were some two-locus haplotypes associated with susceptibility to ESRD, such as B

∗

15-DRB1

∗

12, B

∗

13-DRB1

∗

15, A

∗

02-B

∗

15, A

∗

02-C

∗

08, and B

∗

13-DQB1

∗

05. HLA-A

∗

02-B

∗

15-DRB1

∗

12 and A

∗

24-B

∗

13-DRB1

∗

15 appear to be associated with susceptibility to ESRD. Conclusion. The allele groups of HLA-A

∗

24 and HLA-B

∗

35 are associated with protection from ESRD. Meanwhile, HLA-B

∗

13-DRB1

∗

15 and A

∗

24-B

∗

13-DRB1

∗

15 are the most frequent HLAs associated with ESRD in two-locus and three-locus haplotype, respectively.
Stability Analysis of Surrounding Rock of Large Section Ultradeep Shaft Wall
Authors: Li Cheng , Chunlong Wang , Xi Wang , Kexu Chen
Published: October 2021

In order to study the stability of deep surrounding rock during the excavation of new main shaft in Xincheng gold mine, a construction method suitable for large section ultradeep shaft is proposed. A series of analyses were carried out in this study, including the in situ stress test, stress response of surrounding rock disturbance, deformation and failure characteristics, and numerical simulation. Based on the above analysis, the stability control method of surrounding rock in the process of deep excavation of the new main shaft is proposed. The results show that (1) the maximum principal stress of deep surrounding rock of new main shaft is horizontal stress, and the surrounding rock of the shaft has strong rock burst tendency after excavation; (2) the influence range of the deep shaft excavation disturbance is 6.4 times the shaft radius, in which the temporary support should be strengthened to avoid the influence of excavation disturbance on the stability of shaft wall rock; (3) the failure shape of surrounding rock of the deep shaft excavation was “ear” failure, and the failure depth was not more than 2.5 m; (4) after replacing the original “one‐excavation and one‐masonry” construction with “three‐excavation and one‐masonry” construction, the temporary support span of the main shaft was adjusted to 12 m, which can make the subsequent concrete shaft wall in the state of “no pressure bearing or slow low pressure bearing,” and the lining compressive safety coefficient was increased to 1.98, which meets the safety requirements.
Adenosine A1 Receptor Deficiency Aggravates Extracellular Matrix Accumulation in Diabetic Nephropathy through Disturbance of Peritubular Microenvironment
Authors: Tian Dongli , Li Jiaying , Zou Linfeng , Lin Min , Shi Xiaoxiao , Hu Yuting , Lang Jiaxin , Xu Lubin , Ye Wenling , Li Xuemei , Chen Limeng
Published: October 2021

Background. We previously observed that adenosine A1 receptor (A1AR) had a protective role in proximal tubular megalin loss associated with albuminuria in diabetic nephropathy (DN). In this study, we aimed to explore the role of A1AR in the fibrosis progression of DN. Methods. We collected DN patients’ samples and established a streptozotocin-induced diabetes model in wild-type (WT) and A1AR-deficient (A1AR-/-) mice. The location and expression of CD34, PDGFRβ, and A1AR were detected in kidney tissue samples from DN patients by immunofluorescent and immunohistochemical staining. We also analyzed the expression of TGFβ, collagen (I, III, and IV), α-SMA, and PDGFRβ using immunohistochemistry in WT and A1AR-/- mice. CD34 and podoplanin expression were analyzed by Western blotting and immunohistochemical staining in mice, respectively. Human renal proximal tubular epithelial cells (HK2) were cultured in medium containing high glucose and A1AR agonist as well as antagonist. Results. In DN patients, the expression of PDGFRβ was higher with the loss of CD34. The location of PDGFRβ and TGFβ was near to each other. The A1AR, which was colocalized with CD34 partly, was also upregulated in DN patients. In WT-DN mice, obvious albuminuria and renal pathological leisure were observed. In A1AR-/- DN mice, more severe renal tubular interstitial fibrosis and more extracellular matrix deposition were observed, with lower CD34 expression and pronounced increase of PDGFRβ. In HK2 cells, high glucose stimulated the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process, which was inhibited by A1AR agonist. Conclusion. A1AR played a critical role in protecting the tubulointerstitial fibrosis process in DN by regulation of the peritubular microenvironment.
Study of a Fractal-Fractional Smoking Models with Relapse and Harmonic Mean Type Incidence Rate
Authors: Khan Zareen A. , Rahman Mati ur , Shah Kamal
Published: October 2021

This manuscript investigates fractal-fractional order smoking models with relapse and harmonic mean type incidence rate under the Caputo derivative. We derive the existence and unique results about the solution for the considered model via fixed point theory. For the stability of the considered system, Ulam-Hyers (UH) approach is used. We compute the numerical solution by using fractional Adams-Bashforth method. For the simulation of the model, we consider different values of fractional order

δ

and fractal dimension

θ

by using some real values of the parameters. The proposed scheme is used to simulate the available data for some smoking community including potential, light, and quit smokers. Various graphical presentations are given to understand the dynamics of the model at various fractional orders.
Experimental Film Cooling Effectiveness of Three-Hole-Branch Circular Holes
Authors: Yang Fan , Taslim Mohammad E.
Published: October 2021

A three-hole-branch geometry for film cooling is proposed. Each branch is made up of a streamwise 30°-angled circular hole with a circular hole of the same diameter on each side of it. These three holes share the same inlet area on the coolant supply side. Three side hole inclination angles of 30°, 37.5°, and 45° and three branch angles (the angle between the main and side holes) generated nine configurations that were tested for four blowing ratios of 0.5, 1, 1.5, and 2. To their benefits, these straight-through circular holes could easily be laser drilled on the airfoils or other gas turbine hot section surfaces. For comparative evaluation of these film hole geometries, the commonly used 7°-7°-7° diffusion hole geometry with the same inlet hole diameter was tested as a baseline under otherwise identical conditions. The pressure-sensitive paint (PSP) technique was utilized to test these geometries for their film cooling effectiveness. Depending on the branch geometry, for the same amount of coolant, some configurations were found to be superior to the baseline case for stream- or spanwise film cooling distributions while for the steeper side hole angles, these branched holes did not perform as well as the baseline case. The main conclusion is that the three holes with the same inclination angle of 30° exhibited the best film cooling effectiveness performance including the baseline geometry.
Study on the Deformation of Pavement Structure with Multiplex Organic Hydraulicity Mixture under Driving Load Based on Simulation and Experiment
Authors: Gu Hairong , Zhao Lingying , Ye Min , Li Zhiyong , Xu Xinxin , Zuo Xianbao
Published: October 2021

With the continuous growth of global warming and traffic volume, rutting deformation is common on road surfaces. A new type of pavement mixture, a semiflexible mixture, was proposed to solve the easy deformation and low riding quality of traditional pavement mixtures. It can be divided into pouring type and mixing type according to the construction method. However, there is little research on mixed semiflexible mixtures (i.e., multiplex organic hydraulicity (MOH) mixtures) in the current literature, so the deformation of pavement under driving loads was studied based on the MOH mixture in this paper. Four types of pavement composed of the traditional mixture and MOH mixture (i.e., AC13‐AC20, AC13‐MOH, MOH‐MOH, and MOH‐AC20) were selected to achieve the purpose of the research. Based on these four types of pavement, the deformation of the pavement was studied by simulations and experiments. The results show that the deformation of the upper layer is almost the same for these four types of pavement and that the deformation of the middle layer changes substantially for these four types of pavement. In regard to the deformation, the relationship is MOH‐MOH < AC13‐MOH < MOH‐AC20 < AC13‐AC20. In addition, the contribution rate of the deformation of the middle layer is much greater than that of the upper layer. The antideforming ability of the whole pavement can be improved by using the MOH mixture as the middle layer of the pavement, which means that the performance of the MOH mixture can achieve the best performance when it is applied to the middle layer.
A Two-Year Longitudinal Study of the Effectiveness of the CRT® Bacteria Test in Evaluating Caries Risk in Three-Year-Old Children
Authors: Liu Yun , Meng Yusheng , Wu Min , Zhang Qian
Published: October 2021

Objective. To study the correlation between the level of infection with Streptococcus mutans (SM) and lactobacilli (LB) in saliva with existing status and the development of primary dental caries in 3-year-old children and to evaluate the results of CRT® bacteria as a Caries Risk Test. Methods. A total of 140 3-year-old children were selected for the study. Oral examination was conducted and the levels of infection with SM and LB in saliva were measured using a CRT® bacteria test. Oral reexamination was conducted after two years. The prevalence rate of caries, the decayed-missing-filled tooth (dmft) and decayed-missing-filled surface (dmfs) indices, and Caries Severity Index (CSI) were calculated at the start and end of the two years. The indices were statistically analyzed. Results. The caries prevalence rate, dmft, dmfs, and CSI increased with increasing levels of CRT-SM and CRT-LB at the start and end of the two years; the increases in dmft, dmfs, and CSI over the period were consistent with the increases in CRT-SM and CRT-LB levels, with all differences being highly statistically significant. The increase in caries prevalence rate over the two years was not statistically different for different CRT-SM and CRT-LB levels. CRT-SM and CRT-LB levels were highly positively correlated with dmft, dmfs, CSI and their increases over the two years. Levels of infection with oral SM and LB were found to be independent risk factors for primary dental caries, respectively. For an SM concentration in saliva of ≥104 CFU/mL and an LB concentration of <104 CFU/mL, the risk of caries increased by approximately 2.8-fold. When the concentration of LB in saliva was ≥104 CFU/mL and that of SM <104 CFU/mL, the risk of caries increased by approximately 3.9-fold. When the concentration of both SM and LB was ≥104 CFU/mL, the risk increased by approximately 10.9-fold. Conclusions. Significant positive correlations were found between the level of infection with oral SM and LB and existing oral decay status and the trend in the development of primary dental caries. Infection with SM and LB significantly increased the risk of caries in primary teeth. The CRT® bacteria is a simple, convenient, reliable, and effective Caries Risk Test.
Enhanced Temporal Coupling between Thalamus and Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex Mediates Chronic Low Back Pain and Depression
Authors: Li Hong , Song Qiaoyan , Zhang Ruya , Zhou Youlong , Kong Yazhuo
Published: October 2021

Numerous neuroimaging studies have demonstrated that the brain plasticity is associated with chronic low back pain (cLBP). However, there is a lack of knowledge regarding the underlying mechanisms of thalamic pathways for chronic pain and psychological effects in cLBP caused by lumbar disc herniation (LDH). Combining psychophysics and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), we investigated the structural and functional brain plasticity in 36 patients with LDH compared with 38 age- and gender-matched healthy controls. We found that (1) LDH patients had increased psychophysical disturbs (i.e., depression and anxiety), and depression (Beck-Depression Inventory, BDI) was found to be an outstanding significant factor to predict chronic pain (short form of the McGill Pain Questionnaire, SF-MPQ); (2) the LDH group showed significantly smaller fractional anisotropy values in the region of posterior corona radiate while gray matter volumes were comparable in both groups; (3) resting state functional connectivity analysis revealed that LDH patients exhibited increased temporal coupling between the thalamus and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), which further mediate the relationship from chronic pain to depression. Our results emphasized that thalamic pathways underlying prefrontal cortex might play a key role in regulating chronic pain and depression of the pathophysiology of LDH.
Material Basis and Mechanism of Chansu Injection for COVID-19 Treatment Based on Network Pharmacology and Molecular Docking Technology
Authors: Xu Yong , Peng Wenpan , Han Di , Wang Zhichao , Feng Fanchao , Zhou Xianmei , Wu Qi
Published: October 2021

Purpose. The clinical efficacy of Chansu injection for COVID-19 treatment has been confirmed. Its mechanism of action remains unclear. We used network pharmacology and molecular docking technology to explore the potential material basis and mechanism of action of Chansu injection for COVID-19. Methods. The main components of Chansu injection were determined using HPLC. The PharmMapper, SwissTargetPrediction, SEA, and TCMID databases were used to screen for the active ingredients and therapeutic targets of Chansu injection, while the OMIM and GeneCards Suite databases were used to search for COVID-19-related targets. The STRING database was used for protein-protein interaction (PPI) network construction and topological analysis, while DAVID was used for Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses of the core targets. The main active compounds of Chansu injection were docked with 3CL protease, ACE2, RdRp, and spike protein. Results. The three Chansu injection compounds were identified using HPLC. A total of 236 drug-related targets and 16,611 disease-related targets were identified, and 77 common targets were determined through mapping. The PPI mapping results revealed that 16 core targets were obtained through topological analysis and screening. Furthermore, GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses revealed that the PI3K and JAK-STAT signaling pathways are the major pathways. The molecular docking results suggest that the three Chansu injection components have high binding energies to the S protein. Conclusions. The potential mechanism of Chansu injection for COVID-19 involves multiple targets and pathways, thereby providing a scientific basis for its clinical application and further research.
Rho/ROCK Inhibition Promotes TGF-β3-Induced Tenogenic Differentiation in Mesenchymal Stromal Cells
Authors: Melzer Michaela , Schubert Susanna , Müller Simon Franz , Geyer Joachim , Hagen Alina , Niebert Sabine , Burk Janina
Published: October 2021

Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) represent a promising therapeutic tool for tendon regeneration. Their tenogenic differentiation is crucial for tissue engineering approaches and may support their beneficial effects after cell transplantation in vivo. The transforming growth factor (TGF)-β, signalling via intracellular Smad molecules, is a potent paracrine mediator of tenogenic induction. Moreover, scaffold topography or tendon matrix components induced tenogenesis via activation of the Rho/ROCK cascade, which, however, is also involved in pathological adaptations in extracellular matrix pathologies. The aim of this study was to investigate the interplay of Rho/ROCK and TGF-β3/Smad signalling in tenogenic differentiation in both human and equine MSC. Primary equine and human MSC isolated from adipose tissue were cultured as monolayers or on tendon-derived decellularized scaffolds to evaluate the influence of the ROCK inhibitor Y-27632 on TGF-β3-induced tenogenic differentiation. The MSC were incubated with and without TGF-β3 (10 ng/ml), Y-27632 (10 μM), or both. On day 1 and day 3, the signalling pathway of TGF-β and the actin cytoskeleton were visualized by Smad 2/3 and phalloidin staining, and gene expression of signalling molecules and tendon markers was assessed. ROCK inhibition was confirmed by disruption of the actin cytoskeleton. Activation of Smad 2/3 with nuclear translocation was evident upon TGF-β3 stimulation. Interestingly, this effect was most pronounced with additional ROCK inhibition in both species (

p
<
0.05

in equine MSC). In line with that, the tendon marker scleraxis showed the strongest upregulation when TGF-β3 and ROCK inhibition were combined (

p
<
0.05

in human MSC). The regulation pattern of tendon extracellular matrix components and the signalling molecules TGF-β3 and Smad 8 showed differences between human and equine MSC. The obtained results showed that ROCK inhibition promotes the TGF-β3/Smad 2/3 axis, with possible implications for future MSC priming regimes in tendon therapy.
Evaluation of Angiogenesis and Pathological Classification of Extrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma by Dynamic MR Imaging for E-Healthcare
Authors: Tan Jinyun , Sun Xijun , Wang Shaoyu , Ma Baoqin , Chen Zhaohui , Shi Yaowei , Zhang Li , Shah Mohd Asif
Published: October 2021

For staging cholangiocarcinoma and determining respectability, MR is an accurate noninvasive method which provides size of tumor and vascular patency information. Dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) is a noninvasive inspection method for evaluating the vascular structure and functional characteristics of tumor tissue. However, some limitations should be noted about the technology. At present, the technology cannot be used alone, which is just an assisted method during the conventional MRI examination. 50 ECC patients, admitted to Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital between 2016 and 2019, were selected as research subjects. They were classified pathologically according to the Steiner classification system. After image processing, regions of interest (ROIs) were selected from the image to measure the rate constant (Kep), extravascular space volume fraction (Ve), and tissue volume transfer constant (Ktrans). There were 15 cases with highly differentiated carcinoma, 23 cases with moderately differentiated carcinoma, and 12 cases with lowly differentiated carcinoma. Non-VEGF expression was noted in 21 cases, with low expression noted in 15 cases, moderate expression noted in 14 cases, and no high expression case noted. The relevant parameters in the dynamic MRI image can quantitatively reflect the angiogenesis and pathological classification of ECC, which is suggested in the clinical treatment of ECC. The Ktrans, Kep, and Ve values of the ECC patients were all not associated with the pathological classification, with no significant difference (

P
<
0.05

). Besides, due to the fact that the patient cannot completely hold his breath, the air leak reduces the image quality.
Rotated Black Hole: A New Heuristic Optimization for Reducing Localization Error of WSN in 3D Terrain
Authors: Chai Qing-Wei , Zheng Jerry Wangtao
Published: October 2021

Wireless sensor network (WSN) attracts the attention of more and more researchers, and it is applied in more and more environment. The localization information is one of the most important information in WSN. This paper proposed a novel algorithm called the rotated black hole (RBH) algorithm, which introduces a rotated optimal path and greatly improves the global search ability of the original black hole (BH) algorithm. Then, the novel algorithm is applied in reducing the localization error of WSN in 3D terrain. CEC 2013 test suit is used to verify the performance of the novel algorithm, and the simulation results show that the novel algorithm has better search performance than other famous intelligence computing algorithms. The localization simulation experiment results reveal that the novel algorithm also has an excellent performance in solving practical problems. WSN localization 3D terrain intelligence computing rotated the black hole algorithm.
Influence of Particle Shape on the Macroscopic and Mesolevel Mechanical Properties of Slip Zone Soil Based on 3D Scanning and 3D DEM
Authors: Li Zechuang , Liu Zhibin
Published: October 2021

The macroscopic and mesolevel mechanical mechanisms of slip zone soil are a crucial subject for the research of landslide deformation evolution and slope control, but the effects of the shape and psephicity of coarse particles in a slip zone soil on the mechanical properties of the slip soil zone still need to be explored. Discrete element method (DEM) can effectively monitor and track the mesolevel mechanical parameters of geotechnical materials, such as displacement vector field, contact force chain, and particle coordination number. The rock blocks in the medium‐sized shear test undergo a sophisticated process by 3D scanning technology, and a database of the blocks is established and accurately modeled by combining 3D DEM to simulate the indoor medium‐sized shear test for numerical investigation in line with the test conditions. The numerical simulation results demonstrate that the psephicity and particle shape of the rock blocks significantly affect the dilatancy and mesolevel mechanical parameters of the slip zone soil specimens. In addition, the numerical models featured by poorer psephicity and more irregular particle shape display more evident dilatancy, larger particle coordination numbers, as well as better contact density inside the model. Some references for the study of the macroscopic and mesolevel mechanical mechanisms of slip zone soil are provided.
Fixed Point of Rational Contractions and Its Application for Secure Dynamic Routing in Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Asif Awais , Savas Ekrem , AlSalman Hussain , Arshad Muahammad , Gumaei Abdu , Rehman Abdul
Published: October 2021

Security is one of the major concerns for data communication over wireless sensor networks (WSNs). Dynamic routing algorithms can provide small similarity paths of data delivery between two consecutive transmitted packets, improving data security without adding extra information or control messages. This article illustrates the iteration of the fixed point (FP) of rational contractions and generalized Banach contractions (BC) in the setting of F-metric space (F-MS). It also describes an FP of the said mappings, while restricting the imposition of the contraction only to a subset of the F-MS, the closed ball, rather than executing it on the entire F-MS. The results have been verified and supported by concise examples. Further, the application of the functional equation proved results with randomization is given to find a solution for secure dynamic routing of data transmission in WSNs. The application is a tool to analyze and model a network structure in which sensors can be deployed with high security and low risk in a greater region (sensor field), thus boosting the accuracy.
Full-State-Constrained Adaptive Control for a Class of UAVs Suffering from Coupled Uncertainties Using the HOBLF
Authors: Chang Xiaofei , Wang Kexuan , Chen Kang , Fu Wenxing
Published: October 2021

Nowadays, the practical tasks of UAVs are becoming more and more complicated and diversified. In the practical flight process, the large-scale changes of the flight environment, the modeling errors, and the external disturbances may induce the instability of the UAV flight system. Meanwhile, the constraints of the UAV attitudes also have to be guaranteed during the flight process. However, most existing control methods still have limitations in handling the constraints and the multisource disturbances simultaneously. To address this problem, in this paper, we focus on the actual output tracking control for the UAV systems with full-state constraints and multisource disturbances. Firstly, a high-order tan-type barrier Lyapunov function (HOBLF) has been constructed for the UAV to maintain the full-state constraints. Secondly, by combining the adaptive backstepping technique and the fuzzy logic systems, the modeling errors and the unknown nonlinearities of the UAV attitude control system can be handled. Moreover, by properly constructing several adaptive laws, the time-varying disturbances existing in the UAV attitude control system can be suppressed. Finally, the full-state-constrained antidisturbance controller is formed, ensuring that the tracking error approaches arbitrarily to small neighborhood and does not violate the given constraints. The simulation results illustrate the feasibility and the advantages of the proposed method.
Conditional PD-1/PD-L1 Probody Therapeutics Induce Comparable Antitumor Immunity but Reduced Systemic Toxicity Compared with Traditional Anti–PD-1/PD-L1 Agents
Authors: Assi Hikmat H. , Wong Chihunt , Tipton Kimberly A. , Mei Li , Wong Ken , Razo Jennifer , Chan Chanty , Howng Bruce , Sagert Jason , Krimm Michael , Diep Linnea , Jang Andrew , Nguyen Margaret T. , Lapuyade Nicole , Singson Victoria , Villanueva Ruth , Paidhungat Madan , Liu Shouchun , Rangan Vangipuram , Vasiljeva Olga , West James W. , Richardson Jennifer H. , Irving Bryan , Daniel Dylan , Belvin Marcia , Kavanaugh W. Michael
Published: October 2021

Immune-checkpoint blockade has revolutionized cancer treatment. However, most patients do not respond to single-agent therapy. Combining checkpoint inhibitors with other immune-stimulating agents increases both efficacy and toxicity due to systemic T-cell activation. Protease-activatable antibody prodrugs, known as Probody therapeutics (Pb-Tx), localize antibody activity by attenuating capacity to bind antigen until protease activation in the tumor microenvironment. Herein, we show that systemic administration of anti–programmed cell death ligand 1 (anti–PD-L1) and anti–programmed cell death protein 1 (anti–PD-1) Pb-Tx to tumor-bearing mice elicited antitumor activity similar to that of traditional PD-1/PD-L1–targeted antibodies. Pb-Tx exhibited reduced systemic activity and an improved nonclinical safety profile, with markedly reduced target occupancy on peripheral T cells and reduced incidence of early-onset autoimmune diabetes in nonobese diabetic mice. Our results confirm that localized PD-1/PD-L1 inhibition by Pb-Tx can elicit robust antitumor immunity and minimize systemic immune-mediated toxicity. These data provide further preclinical rationale to support the ongoing development of the anti–PD-L1 Pb-Tx CX-072, which is currently in clinical trials.
Monitoring PD-1 Phosphorylation to Evaluate PD-1 Signaling during Antitumor Immune Responses
Authors: Bu Xia , Juneja Vikram R. , Reynolds Carol G. , Mahoney Kathleen M. , Bu Melissa T. , McGuire Kathleen A. , Maleri Seth , Hua Ping , Zhu Baogong , Klein Sarah R. , Greenfield Edward A. , Armand Philippe , Ritz Jerome , Sharpe Arlene H. , Freeman Gordon J.
Published: October 2021

PD-1 expression marks activated T cells susceptible to PD-1–mediated inhibition but not whether a PD-1–mediated signal is being delivered. Molecular predictors of response to PD-1 immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) are needed. We describe a monoclonal antibody (mAb) that detects PD-1 signaling through the detection of phosphorylation of the immunotyrosine switch motif (ITSM) in the intracellular tail of mouse and human PD-1 (phospho–PD-1). We showed PD-1+ tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in MC38 murine tumors had high phosphorylated PD-1, particularly in PD-1+TIM-3+ TILs. Upon PD-1 blockade, PD-1 phosphorylation was decreased in CD8+ TILs. Phospho–PD-1 increased in T cells from healthy human donors after PD-1 engagement and decreased in patients with Hodgkin lymphoma following ICB. These data demonstrate that phosphorylation of the ITSM motif of PD-1 marks dysfunctional T cells that may be rescued with PD-1 blockade. Detection of phospho–PD-1 in TILs is a potential biomarker for PD-1 immunotherapy responses.
Evaluation of the Association of CGM Metrics with Antihyperglycemic Drugs in Insulin-Treated Diabetics
Authors: Horiuchi Toshiyuki , Adachi Junichiro , Sekiguchi Yoshihiro , Kanamaru Akiko
Published: October 2021

Introduction: Intermittent flash glucose monitoring (FGM) and real-time continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) are used to monitor glycemic excursions for 14 days and can demonstrate time in range (TIR), time above range (TAR), and time below range (TBR). The utility of CGM metrics, such as TIR, TBR, and TAR, in diabetics treated with insulin combined with antihyperglycemic drugs is uncertain. Methods: In a cross-sectional and retrospective study, we investigated the relationship between target metrics from CGM/FGM and HbA1c or glucose variabilities in 80 type 1 and 2 diabetic patients receiving insulin treatment with ≥1 injections per day. The proportions of TIR, TAR, and TBR from FGM in relation to HbA1c and coefficient of variation (CV)% in types 1 and 2 diabetics were analyzed. Multivariable analyses were performed regarding the associations of TIR with biochemical factors and glycemic variabilities. TBR was also examined in relation to antidiabetic agents and diabetic type in multiple regression analyses. Finally, the association of retinopathy with FGM-CGM metrics was examined using a logistic analysis. Results: When patients were grouped by sex and diabetic type, significant differences in age, TIR, TBR, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLC), and insulin dose were detected using Kruskal-Wallis analyses. HbA1c significantly correlated with TIR (p < 0.001) and TAR (p < 0.001) using Pearson’s correlation analysis. TBR significantly correlated with CV% (p < 0.001). Multivariable analysis of TIR showed a significant negative association with HbA1c (p = 0.02). Incretin combined with insulin therapy reduced the TBR proportion significantly according to the multivariate analysis. Retinopathy tended to be related to HbA1c (p = 0.059) and duration (p = 0.078) but not TIR (p = 0.891), according to the logistic analysis. Conclusions: These results demonstrate that CGM metrics reflect glucose control for 2 weeks using TIR. In addition, combined therapy with incretin and insulin therapy is superior for reducing hypoglycemia, based on TBR. Thus, TBR is also useful for monitoring hypoglycemia. However, FGM/CGM metrics do not predict retinopathy accurately.
Malignes Melanom ohne Primärtumor, das als solitärer pulmonaler Rundherd imponiert: ein Fallbericht
Authors: Tsaknis George , Naeem Muhammad , Singh Advitya , Vijayakumar Siddharth
Published: October 2021

Hintergrund: Solitäre pulmonale Rundherde sind der häufigste Zufallsbefund in der Thoraxbildgebung. Ihre Behandlung ist in verschiedenen Leitlinien klar definiert, wobei Risikokalkulatoren für Lungenkrebs der Goldstandard sind. Eine solitäre intramuskuläre Metastase eines malignen Melanoms in Verbindung mit einem solitären pulmonalen Rundherd ohne Primärtumor ist selten. Fallbericht: Ein 57-jähriger weißer Mann wurde mit einem solitären pulmonalen Rundherd in unser Lungenkrebszentrum überwiesen. Wir führten zunächst eine Positronen-Emissions-Tomographie durch, gefolgt von einer ultraschallgestützten Stanzbiopsie einer intramuskulären solitären Läsion, die auf der Computertomographie-Aufnahme nicht zu erkennen gewesen war, und diagnostizierten ein metastasiertes malignes Melanom. Es erfolgte eine Resektion des solitären pulmonalen Rundherds, die das metastasierte Melanom ebenfalls bestätigte. Eine primäre Hautläsion fand sich nicht. Der Patient erhielt eine orale zielgerichtete Therapie und ist 5 Jahre später krankheitsfrei. Schlussfolgerungen: Kliniker, die mit solitären pulmonalen Rundherden zu tun haben, sollten an mögliche andere extrathorakale Malignome denken, auch wenn keine offensichtliche Vorgeschichte vorliegt. Eine Resektion der Lungenmetastase kann bei einem metastasierten malignen Melanom mit unbekanntem Primärtumor von Nutzen sein.
Active tremor control in human-like hand tremor using fuzzy logic
Authors: Jamaludin Hafiz Bin , As'arry Azizan , Musab R. , Rezali Khairil Anas Md , Ahmad Raja Mohd Kamil Bin Raja , Zain Mohd Zarhamdy Bin Md.
Published: October 2021

Tremoris the vibration in sinusoidal orientation that is experienced regularly by a person with Parkinson’s disease (PD), which disturbs their daily activities. One solution that may be used to counter this tremor effect is by developing an active tremor control system in LabVIEW for linear voice coil actuator (LVCA), where the system uses proportional (P) controller and various types of fuzzy logic controller (FLC) as a hybrid controller to reduce tremor vibration. From this research, it can be concluded that the best controller for tremor reduction is the P+FLC 1st set of rules, compared to P+FLC 2nd set of rules, and P controller only, with the highest percentage of 88.39% of tremor reduction with the actual tremor vibration of PD patients as the reference result. The P+FLC 2nd set of rules has the highest percentage of tremor reduction with a value of 86.81%, whereas P controller only has the highest tremor reduction percentage of 67.10%. This percentage of tremor reduction is based on the power spectral density (PSD) values, in which it represents the intensity of the tremor vibration. This experimental study can be used as an initial step for researchers and engineers to design and develop an anti-tremor device in the future.