bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Novel Investigation of Multivariable Conformable Calculus for Modeling Scientific Phenomena
Authors: Kaabar Mohammed K. A. , Martínez Francisco , Martínez Inmaculada , Siri Zailan , Paredes Silvestre
Published: November 2021

New investigation on the conformable version (CoV) of multivariable calculus is proposed. The conformable derivative (CoD) of a real-valued function (RVF) of several variables (SVs) and all related properties are investigated. An extension to vector-valued functions (VVFs) of several real variables (SRVs) is studied in this work. The CoV of chain rule (CR) for functions of SVs is also introduced. At the end, the CoV of implicit function theorem (IFThm) for SVs is established. All results in this work can be potentially applied in studying various modeling scenarios in physical oceanography such as Stommel’s box model of thermohaline circulation and other related models where all our results can provide a new analysis and computational tool to investigate these models or their modified formulations.
Dance/Movement Therapy as an Intervention in Breast Cancer Patients: A Systematic Review
Authors: Fatkulina Natalja , Hendrixson Vaiva , Rauckiene-Michealsson Alona , Kievisiene Justina , Razbadauskas Arturas , Agostinis Sobrinho Cesar
Published: November 2021

Aim. In this paper, we systematically review the evidence looking at the effect of dance/movement therapy (DMT) and mental health outcomes and quality of life in breast cancer patients. Method. The literature search was done with the databases PubMed (MEDLINE), EBSCO, and Cochrane Central by using the following search words: “dancing/dance/movement therapy,” “breast cancer/neoplasms/carcinoma/tumour” or “mammary cancer,” “mental health,” and “quality of life.” Ninety-four articles were found. Only empirical interventional studies (N = 6) were selected for the review: randomised controlled trials (RCT) (n = 5) and non-RCT (n = 1). PRISMA guidelines were used. Results. Data from 6 studies including 385 participants who had been diagnosed with breast cancer, were of an average age of 55.7 years, and had participated in DMT programmes for 3–24 weeks were analysed. In each study, the main outcomes that were measured were quality of life, physical activity, stress, and emotional and social well-being. Different questionnaires were used for the evaluation of outcomes. The mental health of the participants who received DMT intervention improved: they reported a better quality of life and decreased stress, symptoms, and fatigue. Conclusion. We found only six studies for review, and some had a small number of participants. However, our findings indicate that DMT could be successfully used as a complimentary therapy in addition to standard cancer treatment for improving the quality of life and mental health of women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer. More research is needed to evaluate the complexity of the impact of complimentary therapies. It is possible that DMT could be more effective if used with other therapies.
[Retracted] Analyzing the Effect of Masking Length Distribution of MLM: An Evaluation Framework and Case Study on Chinese MRC Datasets
Authors: Zeng Changchang , Li Shaobo
Published: November 2021

Machine reading comprehension (MRC) is a challenging natural language processing (NLP) task. It has a wide application potential in the fields of question answering robots, human‐computer interactions in mobile virtual reality systems, etc. Recently, the emergence of pretrained models (PTMs) has brought this research field into a new era, in which the training objective plays a key role. The masked language model (MLM) is a self‐supervised training objective widely used in various PTMs. With the development of training objectives, many variants of MLM have been proposed, such as whole word masking, entity masking, phrase masking, and span masking. In different MLMs, the length of the masked tokens is different. Similarly, in different machine reading comprehension tasks, the length of the answer is also different, and the answer is often a word, phrase, or sentence. Thus, in MRC tasks with different answer lengths, whether the length of MLM is related to performance is a question worth studying. If this hypothesis is true, it can guide us on how to pretrain the MLM with a relatively suitable mask length distribution for MRC tasks. In this paper, we try to uncover how much of MLM’s success in the machine reading comprehension tasks comes from the correlation between masking length distribution and answer length in the MRC dataset. In order to address this issue, herein, (1) we propose four MRC tasks with different answer length distributions, namely, the short span extraction task, long span extraction task, short multiple‐choice cloze task, and long multiple‐choice cloze task; (2) four Chinese MRC datasets are created for these tasks; (3) we also have pretrained four masked language models according to the answer length distributions of these datasets; and (4) ablation experiments are conducted on the datasets to verify our hypothesis. The experimental results demonstrate that our hypothesis is true. On four different machine reading comprehension datasets, the performance of the model with correlation length distribution surpasses the model without correlation.
IMPSO and Linear Programming-Based Energy-Efficient Cell Association Algorithm for Backhaul-Constrained Ultra-Dense Small-Cell Networks
Authors: Jiang Huilin , Zhu Wenxiang , Song Xiang , Wu Guilu
Published: November 2021

This paper studies the energy efficiency optimization problem for coordinated multipoint (CoMP)-enabled and backhaul-constrained ultra-dense small-cell networks (UDNs). Energy efficiency is an eternal topic for future wireless communication networks; however, taking actual bottleneck of the backhaul link and the coordinated network architecture into consideration, it is difficult to find an effective way to improve the energy efficiency of the network. Aiming at this problem, we propose to combine cell association, subchannel allocation, backhaul resource allocation, and sleep/on of the cells together to develop an optimization algorithm for energy efficiency in UDN and then solve the formulated energy efficiency optimization problem by means of improved modified particle swarm optimization (IMPSO) and linear programming in mathematics. Simulation results indicate that nearly 13

%

energy cost saving and 21

%

energy efficiency improvement can be obtained by combining IMPSO with linear programming, and the backhaul link data rate can be improved by 30

%

as the number of small cells increases. From the results, it can be found that by combining IMPSO with linear programming, the proposed algorithm can improve the network energy efficiency effectively at the expense of limited complexity.
Research on Bridge Structure Reliability Evaluation due to Vessels Collison Based on a Statistical Moment Method
Authors: Fu Tao , Liu Yang , Zhu Zhixin
Published: November 2021

Damage to bridge structures caused by vessel collision is a risk for bridges crossing water traffic routes. Therefore, safety around vessel collision of existing and planned bridges is one of the key technical problems that must be solved by engineering technicians and bridge managers. In the evaluation of the reliability of the bridge structure, the two aspects of vessel‐bridge collision force and structural resistance need to be considered. As there are many influencing parameters, the performance function is difficult to express by explicit function. This paper combines the moment method theory of structural reliability with finite element analysis and proposes a statistical moment method based on finite element analysis for the calculation of vessel‐bridge collision reliability, which solves the structural reliability problem with a nonlinear implicit performance function. According to the probability model based on current velocity, vessel velocity, and vessel collision tonnage, the estimate points in the standard normal space are converted into estimate points in the original state space through the Rosenblatt reverse transform. According to the estimate points in the original state space and the simplified dynamic load model of vessel‐bridge collision, the sample time‐history curve of random vessel‐bridge collision force is generated, the dynamic response of the bridge structure and the structural resistance of the bridge are calculated by establishing a finite element model, and the failure probability and reliability index of the bridge structure is calculated according to the fourth‐moment method. The statistical moment based on the finite element analysis is based on the finite element analysis and the moment method theory of structural reliability. The statistical moment of the limited performance function is calculated through a quite small amount of confirmatory finite element analysis, and the structural reliability index and failure probability are obtained. The method can be widely used in existing finite element analysis programs, greatly reducing the number of finite element analyses needed and improving the efficiency of structural reliability analysis.
Research on Application of the Feature Transfer Method Based on Fast R-CNN in Smoke Image Recognition
Authors: Cheng Xi
Published: November 2021

Most of the existing smoke detection methods are based on manual operation, which is difficult to meet the needs of fire monitoring. To further improve the accuracy of smoke detection, an automatic feature extraction and classification method based on fast regional convolution neural network (fast R–CNN) was introduced in the study. This method uses a selective search algorithm to obtain the candidate images of the sample images. The preselected area coordinates and the sample image of visual task are used as network learning. During the training process, we use the feature migration method to avoid the lack of smoke data or limited data sources. Finally, a target detection model is obtained, which is strongly related to a specified visual task, and it has well-trained weight parameters. Experimental results show that this method not only improves the detection accuracy but also effectively reduces the false alarm rate. It can not only meet the real time and accuracy of fire detection but also realize effective fire detection. Compared with similar fire detection algorithms, the improved algorithm proposed in this paper has better robustness to fire detection and has better performance in accuracy and speed.
Bearing Faulty Prognostic Approach Based on Multiscale Feature Extraction and Attention Learning Mechanism
Authors: Zhou Yiqing , Wang Jian , Wang Zeru
Published: November 2021

Recently, researches on data‐driven faulty identification have been achieving increasing attention due to the fast development of the modern conditional monitoring technology and the availability of the massive historical storage data. However, most industrial equipment is working under variable industrial operating conditions which can be a great challenge to the generalization ability of the normal data‐driven model trained by the historical storage operating data whose distribution might be different from the current operating datasets. Moreover, the traditional data‐driven faulty prognostic model trained on massive historical data can hardly meet the real‐time requirement of the practical industry. Since the hierarchical feature extraction can enhance the model generalization ability and the attention learning mechanism can promote the prediction efficiency, this paper proposes a novel bearing faulty prognostic approach combining the U‐net‐based multiscale feature extraction network and the CBAM‐ (convolutional block attention module‐) based attention learning network. First, time domain conditional monitoring signals are converted into the two‐dimensional gray‐scale image which can be applicable for the input of the CNN. Second, a CNN model based on the U‐net structure is adopted as the feature extractor to hierarchically extract the multilevel features which can be very sensitive to the faulty information contained in the converted image. Finally, the extracted multilevel features containing different representations of the raw signals are sent to the designed CBAM‐based attention learning network for high efficiency faulty classification with its unique emphasize discrimination characteristic. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is validated by two case studies offered by the CWRU (Case Western Reserved University) and the Paderborn University. The experimental result indicates that the proposed faulty prognostic approach outperforms other comparison models in terms of the generalization ability and the speed‐up properties.
Research on Radiosensitivity of the Protein Kinase B Signaling Pathway in Cervical Cancer
Authors: Zhu Yingping , Xu Leilai , Ma Weirong , Chen Zeliang
Published: November 2021

The main characteristics of cervical cancer are abnormal and uncontrolled cell proliferation, and it regulates cell growth, differentiation, and cell death through genetic and epigenetic changes. This paper mainly discusses the radiosensitivity of the cervical cancer protein kinase B signaling pathway and discusses the specific mechanisms that affect the occurrence and development of cervical cancer. In addition, this paper studies the effect of transient transfection knocking down the expression of TRIP4 in cervical cancer cells on the expression of key proteins in related signaling pathways and explores the mechanism of its specific effects and finds the mechanism of TRIP4’s effect on cervical cancer radiosensitivity. The findings of this study show for the first time that knocking down TRIP4 inhibits cell viability by inhibiting the P13K/AKT and MAPK/ERK pathways, and this corresponds to the first part of the experimental results, which show that knocking down TRIP4 inhibits colony formation and increases apoptosis in HeLa and SiHa cells. Moreover, simultaneous inhibition of TRIP4 and hTERT proteins can increase the radiosensitivity of cervical cancer cells. These findings indicate that the inhibition of TRIP4 may be a new type of treatment that selectively targets the P13K/AKT and MAPK/ERK pathways and hTERT pathways in cervical cancer cells and provides a therapeutic option for the treatment of cervical cancer.
The Cytotoxicity and Nephroprotective Activity of the Ethanol Extracts of Angelica keiskei Koidzumi Stems and Leaves against the NAPQI-Induced Human Embryonic Kidney (HEK293) Cell Line
Authors: Amalia Riezki , Aulifa Diah Lia , Zain Dichy Nuryadin , Pebiansyah Anisa , Levita Jutti
Published: November 2021

Ethnopharmacological Relevance. In Indonesia, Angelica keiskei Koidzumi (ashitaba or Japanese celery) has been traditionally used to maintain health and to achieve longevity. Previously, the chlorophyll-rich extract of A. keiskei planted in Korea exhibited a strong antioxidant activity. The objective of the present study was to investigate the cytotoxicity and nephroprotective activity of the ethanol extract of A. keiskei Koidzumi on the N-acetyl-p-benzoquinone imine (NAPQI) induced human embryonic kidney (HEK293) cell line. Materials and Methods. A. keiskei Koidzumi plant was collected from Mount Rinjani, Lombok, Indonesia, and was identified at the School of Biology Sciences and Technology, Bandung Institute of Technology, Indonesia. Extraction of the stems (ASE) and leaves (ALE) was performed by employing ethanol 70% for 3 × 24 h at 26°C. The cytotoxicity study of the extracts was assessed using the water-soluble tetrazolium salt-8 (WST-8) reagent on the HEK293 cell line, while the nephroprotective activity assay was determined on the NAPQI-induced HEK293 cell line. Results. The WST-8 assay showed that the cytotoxicity IC50 of ASE = 2322 μg/mL and IC50 of ALE = 2283 μg/mL. The nephroprotective activity assay revealed that ASE possesses nephroprotective activity against the NAPQI-induced HEK293 cell line at 1161 μg/mL, while ALE does not show the nephroprotective activity. Conclusion. Taken together, lower concentrations of ASE and ALE (<2000 μg/mL) are not toxic to the HEK293 cell line, and only ASE indicates the activity to protect the HEK293 cell line against NAPQI damage. This Japanese celery could be further explored for its potential as a plant-based nephroprotective drug.
Research on the Construction of Cold Chain Logistics Intelligent System Based on 5G Ubiquitous Internet of Things
Authors: Han Qi Hao
Published: November 2021

In the research on the construction of cold chain logistics intelligent system based on 5G ubiquitous Internet of Things as an emerging technology, the Internet of Things is penetrating into the logistics field with its technical advantages and changing the original industry form. According to the development status of cold chain logistics, this paper constructs a set of cold chain logistics intelligent system by using RFID technology, sensing equipment, GPS system, fuzzy PID hierarchical control, and other Internet of Things technologies and analyzes the impact of the cost sharing ratio of Internet of Things on the income of wholesalers, retailers, and supply chain. The example analysis shows that when retailers share all the adoption costs of the Internet of Things, the benefit of the whole fresh agricultural product cold chain logistics is the largest. This study provides a scientific basis for logistics decision‐making for wholesalers and retailers and has important application value for improving the logistics efficiency of the whole fresh agricultural product cold chain.
Multistep Experimental Calibration of Mechanical Parameters for Modelling Multilayer Antishatter Safety Films in Structural Glass Protection
Authors: Bedon Chiara , Mattei Silvana
Published: November 2021

Glass material is largely used in buildings and facilities due to various motivations. Besides, glass still represents a vulnerable component for building occupants. Careful attention is required especially for glass elements that may be subjected to extreme design loads, such as impact, vibrations, etc. Among various approaches and techniques to prevent danger for people in case of glass breakage, multilayer antishatter safety films (ASFs) are commercially available for the retrofit of existing monolithic glass members. In the present research study, a multistep experimental program is presented to obtain the characterization of key input mechanical parameters that are required for the numerical analysis of glass elements protected by ASFs. Relevant characteristics are derived for the definition of an equivalent material and monolithic tape able to reproduce the ASF experimental outcomes. On the side of experiments, artificially aged specimens (healing process) are investigated. A major advantage is taken from small-scale peel and tensile tests on ASF samples, as well as Operational Modal Analysis (OMA) techniques for nondestructive vibration measurements on preliminary fractured specimens of ASF-bonded glass elements. Efficient Finite Element (FE) numerical models calibrated with the support of experimental data and Cohesive Zone Modelling (CZM) techniques are presented for discussion of comparative results, giving evidence of rather good estimates and possible extension of the multistep experimental procedure.
Analysis of the Impact of High-Speed Railway on County Economic Development Based on the Synthetic Control Method: The Hubei Province in China
Authors: Yu Jibo , Zhou Yuanhang , Huang Qian , Li Xuemei , Hou Yiwen , Wang Xu
Published: November 2021

Studying the impact of the high-speed railway (HSR) on economic growth has important practical significance and can provide a theoretical basis for government investment in infrastructure. In this study, the adoption of HSR was used for natural and rigorous exploration. Based on the panel data on counties in Hubei Province of China from 2001 to 2017, a synthetic control method was used to analyse the impact of HSR on the economic growth of county-level areas with different economic bases. The results showed that HSR had different influences on the economic development of county-level cities with different economic bases in the short term. The Wuhan-Guangzhou HSR had significantly promoted the gross domestic product (GDP) growth of Chibi City with a good economic foundation. The robustness test results revealed that the promoting effect was significant at a level of 3.7%. The Hefei-Wuhan section of the Shanghai-Wuhan-Chengdu HSR had significantly inhibited the GDP growth of Hong’an County by developing on a weak economic foundation. The robustness test results revealed that the inhibitory effect was significant at the level of 2.8%. However, the Hefei-Wuhan section had a stable and promoting effect on Macheng City. Based on the abovementioned conclusions, each county-level city should focus on long-term economic development, invest in HSR construction based on local conditions instead of blind expansion, make use of HSR to vigorously develop characteristic industries, and implement talent retention and introduction policies.
Blow‐Up of Solutions for a Coupled Nonlinear Viscoelastic Equation with Degenerate Damping Terms: Without Kirchhoff Term
Authors: Boulaaras Salah Mahmoud , Choucha Abdelbaki , Abdalla Mohamed , Rajagopal Karthikeyan , Idris Sahar Ahmed
Published: November 2021

In this work, we consider a quasilinear system of viscoelastic equations with degenerate damping and source terms without the Kirchhoff term. Under suitable hypothesis, we study the blow‐up of solutions.
Ataxin-10 Inhibits TNF-α-Induced Endothelial Inflammation via Suppressing Interferon Regulatory Factor-1
Authors: Li Yong , Zhang Qi , Li Na , Ding Liting , Yi Jinping , Xiao Yue , Chen Shibiao , Huang Xuan
Published: November 2021

Endothelial inflammation is a crucial event in the initiation of atherosclerosis. Here, we identify Ataxin-10 protein as a novel negative modulator of endothelial activation by suppressing IRF-1 transcription activity. The protein level of Ataxin-10 is relatively higher in human vascular endothelial cells, which can be significantly suppressed by TNF-α in both HUVECs and HLMECs. Overexpression of Ataxin-10 markedly inhibited the mRNA expressions of VCAM-1 and several cytokines including MCP-1, CXCL-1, CCL-5, and TNF-α; thus, it can also suppress monocyte adhesion to endothelial cells. Accordingly, Ataxin-10 silencing promoted endothelial inflammation. However, Ataxin-10 did not affect the MAPK/NF-κB signaling pathway stimulated by TNF-α in HUVECs. Using the yeast two-hybrid assay, we found that Ataxin-10 can directly bind to interferon regulatory factor-1 (IRF-1). Upon TNF-α stimulation, Ataxin-10 promoted the cytoplasmic localization of IRF-1, which inhibited the transcription of VCAM-1. Moreover, knockdown of IRF-1 can eliminate the effect of Ataxin-10 on the expression of VCAM-1 in HUVECs induced by TNF-α. Taken together, these results indicate that Ataxin-10 inhibits endothelial cell activation and may serve as a promising therapeutic target for some vascular inflammatory-related diseases such as atherosclerosis.
The Use of Different Image Recognition Techniques in Food Safety: A Study
Authors: Khan Rijwan , Kumar Santosh , Dhingra Niharika , Bhati Neha
Published: November 2021

Food safety refers to preparing, transporting, and storing food to avoid foodborne sickness and harm. From farm to factory and factory to fork, food items may meet various health dangers. Therefore, food safety is crucial both monetarily and morally. The implications of failing to comply with food safety requirements are varied. The requirement for accurate, quick, and nonpartisan quality assessments of these features in food products continues to rise with increased demands for dietary materials and high-quality requirements. Computer vision provides an automatic, nondestructive, and economic approach to achieving these aims. A substantial research has demonstrated its effectiveness for fruit and vegetable assessment and classification. It stresses the critical components of image processing technology and a survey of the most current advances across the food sector. This article outlines the essential parts of a computer vision system. In order to avoid foodborne disease and ensure food security, fast and effective detection of pathogenic microorganisms is crucial for public safety biomonitoring. Over the years, microorganism detection techniques have evolved.
Efficacy and Safety of Lianhuaqingwen Capsules for the Prevention of Coronavirus Disease 2019: A Prospective Open-Label Controlled Trial
Authors: Gong Xiaowei , Yuan Boyun , Yuan Yadong , Li Fengju
Published: November 2021

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a global pandemic. Community and close contact exposures continue to drive the COVID-19 pandemic. There is no confirmed effective treatment for suspected cases and close contacts. Lianhuaqingwen (LH) capsules, a repurposed Chinese herbal product that is currently on the market, have proven effective for influenza and COVID-19. To determine the safety and efficacy of LH capsules for the prevention of COVID-19, we conducted a prospective open-label controlled trial of LH capsules on subjects who had close contact with people infected with COVID-19. Subjects received LH capsules (4 capsules, three times daily) or the usual medical observation for 14 days. The primary endpoint was the rate of positive nucleic acid tests of nasal and pharyngeal swabs during the quarantine medical observation period. We included 1976 patients, including 1101 in the treatment group and 875 in the control group. The rate of positive nucleic acid tests in the treatment group was significantly lower than that in the control group (0.27% vs. 1.14%, respectively; mean difference: −0.87%; 95% CI: −1.83 to −0.13;

p
=
0.0174

) during the quarantine medical observation period (14 days). Among subjects with different close contact states, there was no significant difference in the rate of positive nucleic acid test results among close contacts in the treatment group and the control group (6.45% vs. 11.43%, respectively;

p
=
0.6762

). Among secondary close contacts, the rate of positive nucleic acid tests in the treatment group was significantly lower than that in the control group (0.09% vs. 0.71%, respectively;

p
=
0.0485

). No serious adverse events were reported. Taken together, and in light of the safety and effectiveness profiles, these results show that LH capsules can be considered to prevent the progression of COVID-19 after close contact with an infected person. This trial is registered with ChiCTR2100043012.
Review of the Hydrogeological Controls on Coalbed Methane (CBM) and Development Trends
Authors: Wang Bo , Wang Dangliang , Cao Wenjie , Li Guofu , Hou Wei , Cui Xinrui , Hou Tao , Shi Mingjian
Published: November 2021

Hydrogeological conditions can control the generation, preservation, enrichment, and production of coalbed methane (CBM) in the field; however, research on these impacts is insufficient, resulting in the limitation of the development of coalbed methane. This paper summarizes the current research status and development trends of the effect of hydrogeology on CBM using methods such as mathematical statistics, literature analysis, well logging, and hydrochemical analysis. The results indicate that it is beneficial for the generation of secondary biogenic gases in low-rank coal seams under the situations like active hydrodynamic conditions with a salinity less than 1000 mg/L, a pH range from 5.9 to 8.8, or a range of oxidation-reduction potential from -540 mV to -590 mV. The abnormally high temperature due to the magmatic-hydrothermal fluids accelerates the metamorphism of coal rocks, leading to the promotion of the generation of thermogenic gases. When the coalbed structural conditions of one area are similar to the depositional conditions in that area, the CBM is accumulated if the conditions of that area meet the following criteria: the water type is NaHCO3, the salinity is greater than 1500 mg/L, the desulfurization coefficient is less than 1, and the sodium-chloride coefficient is less than 10. The stable isotope analysis of CBM well-produced water shows that the δD values in the groundwater shift to the left of the global meteoric water line, indicating that the produced water comes from atmospheric precipitation. In the CBM enrichment zone, the area with a relatively high salinity and a low sodium-chloride coefficient is the high-production area. Based on our study, three high CBM-production patterns are summarized: coalbed structure-hydraulic trapping, fold limb-fracture development, and syncline core-water stagnation. Additionally, four development trends of the control of hydrogeology on CBM are proposed: transformation from qualitative evaluation to quantitative evaluation, from a singular evaluation standard to multiple evaluation standards, from static evaluation to dynamic evaluation, and from pure theoretical research to theoretical guidance on production practices.
Joint Load Balancing and Offloading Optimization in Multiple Parked Vehicle‐Assisted Edge Computing
Authors: Hu Xinyue , Tang Xiaoke , Yu Yantao , Qiu Sihai , Chen Shiyong
Published: November 2021

The introduction of mobile edge computing (MEC) in vehicular network has been a promising paradigm to improve vehicular services by offloading computation‐intensive tasks to the MEC server. To avoid the overload phenomenon in MEC server, the vast idle resources of parked vehicles can be utilized to effectively relieve the computational burden on the server. Furthermore, unbalanced load allocation may cause larger latency and energy consumption. To solve the problem, the reported works preferred to allocate workload between MEC server and single parked vehicle. In this paper, a multiple parked vehicle‐assisted edge computing (MPVEC) paradigm is first introduced. A joint load balancing and offloading optimization problem is formulated to minimize the system cost under delay constraint. In order to accomplish the offloading tasks, a multiple offloading node selection algorithm is proposed to select several appropriate PVs to collaborate with the MEC server in computing tasks. Furthermore, a workload allocation strategy based on dynamic game is presented to optimize the system performance with jointly considering the workload balance among computing nodes. Numerical results indicate that the offloading strategy in MPVEC scheme can significantly reduce the system cost and load balancing of the system can be achieved.
Incremental Value of Genotype Bins over the HAS-BLED Score for the Prediction of Bleeding Risk in Warfarin-Treated Patients with Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: Liu Jia , Wang Guanyun , Qin Liu’an , Wu Yangxun , Zou Yuting , Wang Xuyun , Wang Ziqian , Wang Yuyan , Zhang Shizhao , Zhang Yuxiao , Yin Tong
Published: November 2021

Background. This study aimed to analyse the role of the HAS-BLED score with the addition of genotype bins for bleeding risk prediction in warfarin-treated patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Methods and Results. Consecutive patients with AF on initial warfarin treatment were recruited. For each patient, CYP2C9

∗

3 and VKORC1-1639 A/G genotyping was performed to create 3 genotype functional bins. The predictive values of the HAS-BLED score with or without the addition of genotype bins were compared. According to the carrier status of the genotype bins, the numbers of normal, sensitive, and highly sensitive responders among 526 patients were 64 (12.17%), 422 (80.23%), and 40 (7.60%), respectively. A highly sensitive response was independently associated with clinically relevant bleeding (HR: 3.85, 95% CI: 1.88–7.91,

P
=
0.001

) and major bleeding (HR:3.75, 95% CI: 1.17–11.97,

P
=
0.03

). With the addition of genotype bins, the performance of the HAS-BLED score for bleeding risk prediction was significantly improved (c-statistic from 0.60 to 0.64 for clinically relevant bleeding and from 0.64 to 0.70 for major bleeding,

P
<
0.01

). Using the integrated discriminatory, net reclassification improvement, and decision curve analysis, the HAS-BLED score plus genotype bins could perform better in predicting any clinically relevant bleeding than the HAS-BLED score alone. Conclusions. Genotypes have an incremental predictive value when combined with the HAS-BLED score for the prediction of clinically relevant bleeding in warfarin-treated patients with AF.
Design of Miniaturized and Polarization-Insensitive Double-Layer Frequency Selective Surface Based on Meander Lines
Authors: Huo Feifei , Liu Fei , Zhu Min , Bao Jianhui
Published: November 2021

The work presented in this paper concerns a method for the miniaturized frequency selective surface (FSS) based on the meander lines. A miniaturized dual-bandstop FSS structure based on meander lines with spiral-shape is proposed and simulated. The equivalent circuit and current distributions are introduced to explain the FSS performance. The size of the unit cell is 10 mm, which is about 0.037 wavelength at the first resonant frequency. Simulation results indicate that the proposed FSS has a frequency shift smaller than 1% for different polarizations with an oblique incident angle of 60°. A prototype of the FSS is fabricated and measured. The measurement results show that the FSS is polarization-insensitive and angle-insensitive.
Analytical Solution of Fractional Oldroyd‐B Fluid via Fluctuating Duct
Authors: Song Ying Qing , Farooq Aamir , Kamran Muhammad , Rehman Sadique , Tamoor Muhammad , Khan Rewayat , Fahad Asfand , Qureshi Muhammad Imran
Published: November 2021

This investigation focuses on the mixed initial boundary value problem with Caputo fractional derivatives. The studied pour an incompressible fractionalized Oldroyd‐B fluid prompted by fluctuating rectangular tube. The explicit expression of the velocity field and shear stresses for the fractional model are obtained by utilizing the integral transforms, i.e., double finite Fourier sine transform and Laplace transform. Furthermore, the confirmation of the analytical solutions is also analyzed by utilizing the Tzou’s and Stehfest’s algorithms in the tabular form. In limited cases, ordinary Oldroyd‐B fluid similar solutions and classical Maxwell and fractional Maxwell fluid are derived. The flow field’s graphs with the influences of relevant parameters are also mentioned.
Utilization of Obstetric Analgesia for Labor Pain Management and Associated Factors among Obstetric Care Providers in Public Hospitals of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Gido Rediet , Yadeta Tesfaye Assebe , Tura Abera Kenay
Published: November 2021

Background. In low-income countries, pain-free labor initiative is an emerging concept and still parturient undergoes through painful labor; this is not different in Ethiopia; despite the national direction to use analgesia for labor pain and strong demand from the women, evidence on utilization of obstetric analgesia for labor pain management in Ethiopia is scarce. The objective of this study was to assess level of obstetric analgesia utilization and associated factors among obstetric care providers in public hospitals in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Methods. An institution-based cross-sectional study was used. All obstetric care providers working in labor and delivery units in public hospitals in Addis Ababa were included. The data were collected using a self-administered structured questionnaire. After checking for completeness, data were entered into Epi-data 3.1 and analyzed using SPSS 20. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regressions were used to identify factors associated with utilization of obstetric analgesia. Result. Of 391 obstetric care providers included in the study, 143 (36.6%; 95% CI: 31.5–40.9%) reported providing labor analgesia. Having adequate knowledge (AOR 2.7; 95% CI: 1.37–5.23), ten and more years of work experience (AOR 4.3; 95% CI: 1.81–10.13), and availability of analgesics (AOR 3.3; 95% CI: 1.99–5.53) were significantly associated with providing labor analgesia. Conclusion. Slightly more than 3 in 10 obstetric care providers reported providing labor analgesics to women. Training of providers and ensuring adequate supply of analgesics is required to make sure that women in labor would not suffer from labor pain.
Current and Future Clinical Applications of ctDNA in Immuno-Oncology
Authors: Stadler Julia-Christina , Belloum Yassine , Deitert Benjamin , Sementsov Mark , Heidrich Isabel , Gebhardt Christoffer , Keller Laura , Pantel Klaus
Published: November 2021

Testing peripheral blood for circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) offers a minimally invasive opportunity to diagnose, characterize, and monitor the disease in individual cancer patients. ctDNA can reflect the actual tumor burden and specific genomic state of disease and thus might serve as a prognostic and predictive biomarker for immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy. Recent studies in various cancer entities (e.g., melanoma, non–small cell lung cancer, colon cancer, and urothelial cancer) have shown that sequential ctDNA analyses allow for the identification of responders to ICI therapy, with a significant lead time to imaging. ctDNA assessment may also help distinguish pseudoprogression under ICI therapy from real progression. Developing dynamic changes in ctDNA concentrations as a potential surrogate endpoint of clinical efficacy in patients undergoing adjuvant immunotherapy is ongoing. Besides overall ctDNA burden, further ctDNA characterization can help uncover tumor-specific determinants (e.g., tumor mutational burden and microsatellite instability) of responses or resistance to immunotherapy. In future studies, standardized ctDNA assessments need to be included in interventional clinical trials across cancer entities to demonstrate the clinical utility of ctDNA as a biomarker for personalized cancer immunotherapy.
Association of B Vitamins and Methionine Intake with the Risk of Gastric Cancer: The Japan Public Health Center–based Prospective Study
Authors: Khairan Paramita , Sobue Tomotaka , Eshak Ehab Salah , Zha Ling , Kitamura Tetsuhisa , Sawada Norie , Iwasaki Motoki , Inoue Manami , Yamaji Taiki , Iso Hiroyasu , Tsugane Shoichiro
Published: November 2021

Dietary intake of B vitamins and methionine might associate with carcinogenesis due to their role in DNA synthesis and methylation. Owing to the previous inconsistent findings on gastric cancer risk, we aimed to examine the associations between dietary intakes of B vitamins and methionine and the risk of gastric cancer, according to sodium intake.

We included 86,820 Japanese individuals who completed a validated food frequency questionnaire with 138 food items in the Japan Public Health Center–based Prospective Study. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to obtain HRs and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of gastric cancer according to separate intakes of folate, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, and methionine after adjusting for confounding factors, including Helicobacter pylori and atrophic gastritis in the subgroup analysis.

We identified 2,269 gastric cancer cases within a median of 15.4 years of follow-up. We found no association between any of the dietary intakes of folate, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, or methionine with the risk of gastric cancer. In the stratified analysis by sodium intake, we observed a positive association between folate intake and risk of gastric cancer among participants with a high sodium intake (≥4.5 g/day) [HR = 1.28 (95% CI, 1.06–1.56), Ptrend = 0.001; Pinteraction = 0.02]. Meanwhile, there was no association between folate intake and risk of gastric cancer among participants with low sodium intake (<4.5 g/day) [HR = 0.94 (95% CI, 0.73–1.21), Ptrend = 0.49].

In conclusion, we found no association between any dietary intakes of folate, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, and methionine with the risk of gastric cancer.

Prevention Relevance:

The increased intake of B vitamins and methionine in populations with adequate dietary intake of these nutrients showed no association with the risk of gastric cancer.
Increased Monocyte/Lymphocyte Ratio as Risk Marker for Cardiovascular Events and Infectious Disease Hospitalization in Dialysis Patients
Authors: Muto Reiko , Kato Sawako , Lindholm Bengt , Qureshi Abdul Rashid , Ishimoto Takuji , Kosugi Tomoki , Maruyama Shoichi
Published: November 2021

Introduction: In dialysis patients, cardiovascular disease (CVD) and infectious disease contribute to poor clinical outcomes. We investigated if a higher monocyte/lymphocyte ratio (MLR) is associated with an increased risk of CVD events and infectious disease hospitalizations in incident dialysis patients. Methods: In an ongoing observational prospective cohort study, 132 Japanese dialysis patients (age 58.7 ± 11.7 years; 70% men) starting dialysis therapy were enrolled and followed up for a median of 48.7 months. Laboratory biomarkers, including white blood cell count and its differential count, were determined at baseline. Event-free time and relative risks (RRs) were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox models, respectively. Results: When divided into 2 groups according to median MLR (0.35 [range, 0.27–0.46]), the periods without CVD events were significantly shorter in the high MLR group than in the low MLR group (log-rank test = 5.60, p = 0.018). The RR of CVD events, after adjusting for age, sex, and diabetes, was 2.43 (1.22–4.84) in the high MLR group compared to the low MLR group. The periods without infections requiring hospitalization were also shorter (log-rank test = 4.16, p = 0.041). The RR of infections requiring hospitalization was 1.98 (1.02–3.83) after the same adjustments. The number of CVD events was higher in the high MLR group (18.6 events per 100 person-years at risk [pyr]) than the low MLR group (11.1 events per 100 pyr). The duration of infectious disease hospitalization was longer in the high MLR group (6.3 days per pyr) than in the low MLR group (2.8 days per pyr). Conclusion: A higher MLR is associated with increased risks of both CVD events and infectious disease hospitalization in dialysis patients.
Utilizing Synergism between the Transverse Abdominal and Pelvic Floor Muscles at Different Postures in Nulliparous Women: A Randomized Case-Control Study
Authors: Molnár Tímea , Domján Andrea , Szűcs Mónika , Surányi Andrea , Bódis József
Published: November 2021

Introduction: The aim of the study was to determine the effects of the pelvic floor muscle (PFM) training (PFM-T) in combination with transverse abdominal (TRA) muscle activation (cPFM-T) in female urinary incontinence. Methods: We enrolled nulliparous women in supine (SUG) (n = 22), sitting (SIG) (n = 19), and control (COG) (n = 14) groups. We conducted an 8-week cPFM-T programme. We examined the effect of training on the parameters with the Kruskal-Wallis test, the pairwise comparisons with the Mann-Whitney U test, and the Wilcoxon rank test with the Bonferroni correction. Results: Before training, 15 participants reported occasional urinary leakage. After cPFM-T, 7 participants reported that urinary leakage had disappeared. Maximal isometric contraction of the PFMs until fatigue improved significantly in the SUG (p < 0.001) and SIG (p = 0.015) groups but not significantly in the COG group (p = 0.499). Holding time increased in the SUG (p = 0.972) and the SIG (p = 0.717) groups and decreased in the COG group (p = 0.132). The dynamic endurance of the PFM improved significantly in the SUG group (p < 0.001) but not in the SIG (p = 0.798) and the COG (p = 0.153) groups. The number of maximal fast contractions within 1 min increased in both the SUG (p < 0.001) and SIG (p = 0.813) groups and decreased in the COG group (p = 0.257). Relaxation improved significantly in the SIG group (p = 0.011). TRA mucle thickness increased in both training groups. Conclusion: Slow-twitch fibres of the PFM can be trained effectively with PFM-T in both the body positions.
One Hundred Years of Gene Balance: How Stoichiometric Issues Affect Gene Expression, Genome Evolution, and Quantitative Traits
Authors: Birchler James A. , Veitia Reiner A.
Published: November 2021

A century ago experiments with the flowering plant Datura stramonium and the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster revealed that adding an extra chromosome to a karyotype was much more detrimental than adding a whole set of chromosomes. This phenomenon was referred to as gene balance and has been recapitulated across eukaryotic species. Here, we retrace some developments in this field. Molecular studies suggest that the basis of balance involves stoichiometric relationships of multi-component interactions. This concept has implication for the mechanisms controlling gene expression, genome evolution, sex chromosome evolution/dosage compensation, speciation mechanisms, and the underlying genetics of quantitative traits.
Written Discourse Task Helps to Identify Progression from Mild Cognitive Impairment to Dementia
Authors: Kim Hana , Walker Alex , Shea Jennifer , Hillis Argye E.
Published: November 2021

Purpose: We aimed to investigate: (1) the clinical, diagnostic value of a written discourse task, and (2) the relationship between executive functions and written discourse within the spectrum of individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Method: To determine whether written discourse performance predicts clinical course among individuals with MCI, we retrospectively classified individuals with MCI as converters (N = 26) who were later diagnosed with dementia or as a stable MCI group (N = 45). We quantified core word measures from written discourse samples obtained from the Cookie Theft picture description task. Result: Written discourse measures differentiated converters from the stable MCI group. Converters produced a fewer number of core words than the stable MCI group. A measure of executive function significantly predicted performance on the production of core words in written discourse for the converters. In a multivariable regression, production of core words remained the only explanatory variable closely associated with the progression to dementia in MCI. Conclusion: Written discourse tasks can predict the likelihood of MCI progressing to dementia, independently of recall and an executive function measure. Correlational results suggest that written discourse performance was associated with executive function as measured by the Trail Making Test. Our findings emphasize the usefulness of including written discourse tasks in language assessment batteries targeting preclinical dementia populations.
Microsatellite Instability Is Rare in the Admixed Brazilian Population of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Cohort of 526 Cases
Authors: De Marchi Pedro , Berardinelli Gustavo Noriz , Cavagna Rodrigo de Oliveira , Pinto Icaro Alves , da Silva Flavio Augusto Ferreira , Duval da Silva Vinicius , Santana Iara Viana Vidigal , da Silva Eduardo Caetano Albino , Ferro Leal Leticia , Reis Rui Manuel
Published: November 2021

Background: Microsatellite instability (MSI) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is uncommon; however, most studies refer to European and Asian populations. There are currently no data on MSI frequency in highly admixed populations, such as the one represented by Brazilian NSCLC patients. Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the frequency of MSI in Brazilian NSCLC patients. Methods: We evaluated 526 patients diagnosed with NSCLC at the Barretos Cancer Hospital (Brazil). The molecular MSI evaluation was performed using a hexa-plex marker panel by polymerase chain reaction followed by fragment analysis. The mutation profile of MSI-positive cases was performed using next-generation sequencing. Results: Only 1 patient was MSI positive (0.19%). This patient was a female, white, and active smoker, and she was diagnosed with clinical stage IV lung adenocarcinoma at 75 years old. The molecular profile exhibited 4 Tumor Protein p53 (TP53) mutations and the absence of actionable mutations in the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR), Kirsten Rat Sarcoma Viral Oncogene Homolog (KRAS), or V-Raf Murine Sarcoma Viral Oncogene Homolog B1 (BRAF) genes. Conclusions: The frequency of MSI in Brazilian NSCLC patients is equally rare, a finding that is consistent with the current literature based on other populations such as Europeans, North Americans, and Asians.