bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Using unmanned aerial vehicles to record behavioral and physiological indicators of heat stress in cattle on feedlot and pasture
Authors: Mufford J.T. , Reudink M.W. , Rakobowchuk M. , Carlyle C.N. , Church J.S.
Published: June 2021

Physiological and behavioral indicators of heat stress in cattle are time- and labor-intensive to measure, and difficult to observe in extensive feedlot and pasture settings. We proposed to record respiration rate and standing behavior using unmanned aerial vehicles. Videos were recorded above steers on feedlot in the morning (0830–1130) and afternoon (1400–1700) over 10 d between 25 July and 10 August and cows on pasture over 9 d between 19 and 29 August In the feedlot, video recordings on 925 individuals (264 black coated, 413 red, and 248 white) were obtained, varying in breed which included Black Angus, Hereford, Charolais, Canadian Speckle Park, and Simmental. On pasture, video recordings on 267 individuals (116 Black Angus and 151 Hereford) were obtained. Observer software was used to analyze videos. Respiration rate in feedlot cattle was the highest in black cattle, followed by red cattle, then white cattle. Coat color did not affect respiration rate in cows on pasture; temperatures on pasture were lower than in feedlots and the effect of coat color may not manifest until a certain heat load threshold. The probability that cattle would be standing increased with heat load index in feedlot and pasture settings.
Impact of combined xylanase and β-glucanase enzymes on digesta transit time, short-chain fatty acids, and caecal thermal profile of broilers fed corn–soy-based diets
Authors: Pasquali Guilherme A.M. , dos Santos Tatiane S. , Zanetti Leonardo H. , Dornelas Livia C. , Cruvinel Jéssica M. , Muro Everton M. , Araujo Robert G.A.C. , Netto Raimundo G.F. , Denadai Juliana C. , Pezzato Antonio C. , Sartori José R.
Published: June 2021

A study was conducted to evaluate the effects of including a xylanase + β-glucanase enzyme product in corn–soy-based diets on performance, caecal short-chain fatty acids and thermal profile, ileal digestibility, and intestinal kinetics of broiler chickens. A total of 744 male day-old chicks were randomly allotted to 24 floor pens and distributed in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement with low or standard energy level × without or with 100 g of the enzyme per ton of feed. Enzyme supplementation improved bodyweight gain from 1 to 21 d (P < 0.05). An increased caecal concentration of acetic acid was observed when the enzyme was added to the low-energy diet (P < 0.05). The pH of the caecal content was reduced (P < 0.01), and the caecal temperature was increased by low-energy diets (P < 0.05). The apparent ileal digestibility of energy was improved by the enzyme (P < 0.01). The addition of the enzyme increased the mean retention time in the distal ileum (P < 0.05). In summary, the addition of a xylanase + β-glucanase enzyme product in corn-based diets increases the retention time of digesta in the distal ileum and the caecal acetic acid concentration, improves ileal digestibility of energy and performance from 1 to 21 d in broiler chickens fed corn–soy-based diets.
Geographic patterns of genetic diversity in North American trees: a continent-wide analysis
Authors: Gougherty Andrew V.
Published: June 2021

In the Northern Hemisphere, many species have been reported to have greater genetic diversity in southern populations than northern populations — ostensibly due to migration northward following the last glacial maximum. The generality of this pattern, while well-established for some taxa, remains unclear for North American trees. To address this issue, I collected published population genetics data for 73 North American tree species and tested whether genetic diversity was associated with latitude or longitude and whether geographic trends were associated with dispersal traits, range, or study characteristics. I found there were no general geographic patterns in genetic diversity and the strength of the geographic gradients was not associated with any species or study characteristics. The northern and western regions of North America tended to have more species with genetic diversity that declined with latitude, but most species had no significant trend. This work shows that North American trees have complex and individualistic patterns of genetic diversity that may negate explanation by any particular dispersal trait or range characteristic.
Tree establishment on post-mining waste soils: species, density, and mixture effects
Authors: Asmara Degi Harja , Allaire Suzanne , van Noordwijk Meine , Khasa Damase P.
Published: June 2021

Tree establishment to restore degraded boreal post-mining lands is challenged by low soil productivity, a harsh microclimate, and potentially high contaminant levels. The use of mixed vegetation can facilitate the microclimate but increase competition for soil resources. A statistical accounting of plant–plant interactions and adaptation to multispecies conditions is hard to achieve in field experiments; trials under controlled conditions can distinguish effects of planting density and species interactions in the early stages of plant establishment. A greenhouse trial was established in containers (“mesocosms”) with waste rock or fine tailings from gold mines. Pregerminated (1-week-old) seedlings (Alnus viridis subsp. crispa, Picea glauca, Populus tremuloides, Salix arbusculoides) were planted using a Nelder density gradient design, modified for species combinations. A relative competition effect was estimated as a competitiveness index for each species combination, calculated as a ratio of α coefficients in the Holliday growth equation. The specific leaf area (SLA) was measured to indicate plant water stress adaptation. All species grew better in monoculture on fine tailings, while only P. tremuloides grew better in all mixtures on waste rock. Although net positive effects of density on SLA increment during early growth suggested microclimate improvement on fine tailings, no mixture provided advantages for both species in paired combinations.
Dengue virus: epidemiology, biology, and disease aetiology
Authors: Roy Sudipta Kumar , Bhattacharjee Soumen
Published: June 2021

Dengue is a vector-borne viral disease caused by the flavivirus dengue virus (DENV). Approximately 400 million cases and 22 000 deaths occur due to dengue worldwide each year. It has been reported in more than 100 countries in tropical and subtropical regions. A positive-stranded enveloped RNA virus (DENV) is principally transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes. It has four antigenically distinct serotypes, DENV-1 to DENV-4, with different genotypes and three structural proteins and seven non-structural proteins. Clinical symptoms of dengue range from mild fever to severe dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) or dengue shock syndrome (DSS), with thrombocytopenia, leucopenia, and increased vascular permeability. Although primary infection causes activation of immune responses against DENV serotypes, the severity of the disease is enhanced via heterotypic infection by various serotypes as well as antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE). The first licensed DENV vaccine was tetravalent CYD Denvaxia, but it has not been approved in all countries. The lack of a suitable animal model, a proper mechanistic study in pathogenesis, and ADE are the main hindrances in vaccine development. This review summarizes the current knowledge on DENV epidemiology, biology, and disease aetiology in the context of prevention and protection from dengue virus disease.
Brief lectures on duality, integrability and deformations
Authors: Klimčík Ctirad
Published: June 2021

We provide a pedagogical introduction to some aspects of integrability, dualities and deformations of physical systems in [Formula: see text] and in [Formula: see text] dimensions. In particular, we concentrate on the T-duality of point particles and strings as well as on the Ruijsenaars duality of finite many-body integrable models, we review the concept of the integrability and, in particular, of the Lax integrability and we analyze the basic examples of the Yang–Baxter deformations of nonlinear [Formula: see text]-models. The central mathematical structure which we describe in detail is the [Formula: see text]-model which is the dynamical system exhibiting all those three phenomena simultaneously. The last part of the paper contains original results, in particular, a formulation of sufficient conditions for strong integrability of non-degenerate [Formula: see text]-models.
Decision-Feedback Stages Revealed by Hidden Markov Modeling of EEG
Authors: Tao Qin , Si Yajing , Li Fali , Li Peiyang , Li Yuqin , Zhang Shu , Wan Feng , Yao Dezhong , Xu Peng
Published: June 2021

Decision response and feedback in gambling are interrelated. Different decisions lead to different ranges of feedback, which in turn influences subsequent decisions. However, the mechanism underlying the continuous decision-feedback process is still left unveiled. To fulfill this gap, we applied the hidden Markov model (HMM) to the gambling electroencephalogram (EEG) data to characterize the dynamics of this process. Furthermore, we explored the differences between distinct decision responses (i.e. choose large or small bets) or distinct feedback (i.e. win or loss outcomes) in corresponding phases. We demonstrated that the processing stages in decision-feedback process including strategy adjustment and visual information processing can be characterized by distinct brain networks. Moreover, time-varying networks showed, after decision response, large bet recruited more resources from right frontal and right center cortices while small bet was more related to the activation of the left frontal lobe. Concerning feedback, networks of win feedback showed a strong right frontal and right center pattern, while an information flow originating from the left frontal lobe to the middle frontal lobe was observed in loss feedback. Taken together, these findings shed light on general principles of natural decision-feedback and may contribute to the design of biologically inspired, participant-independent decision-feedback systems.
Stability of certain relations of three unitaries in C∗-algebras
Authors: Hua Jiajie
Published: June 2021

We show that if [Formula: see text] is an irrational number in [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] are in [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text] is a matrix of infinite order in SL[Formula: see text], either tr[Formula: see text] or tr[Formula: see text] and the greatest common divisor of the entries in [Formula: see text] is one, then for any [Formula: see text] there exists [Formula: see text] satisfying the following: For any unital simple separable [Formula: see text]-algebra [Formula: see text] with tracial rank at most one, any three unitaries [Formula: see text] in [Formula: see text], if [Formula: see text] satisfy certain trace conditions and [Formula: see text] then there exists a triple of unitaries [Formula: see text] in [Formula: see text] such that [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text]
Smooth digraphs modulo primitive positive constructability and cyclic loop conditions
Authors: Bodirsky Manuel , Starke Florian , Vucaj Albert
Published: June 2021

Finite smooth digraphs, that is, finite directed graphs without sources and sinks, can be partially ordered via pp-constructability. We give a complete description of this poset and, in particular, we prove that it is a distributive lattice. Moreover, we show that in order to separate two smooth digraphs in our poset it suffices to show that the polymorphism clone of one of the digraphs satisfies a prime cyclic loop condition that is not satisfied by the polymorphism clone of the other. Furthermore, we prove that the poset of cyclic loop conditions ordered by their strength for clones is a distributive lattice, too.
A COMBINATION OF POINT DEFECTS AND NANOSIZED GRAINS TO MINIMIZE LATTICE THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY OF Sn AND Se CO-DOPED CoSb3 VIA MIXED BALL MILLING AND SPARK PLASMA SINTERING
Authors: KAPANYA THAMMANOON , JIANG BINBIN , HE JIAQING , QIU YANG , THANACHAYANONT CHANCHANA , SARAKONSRI THAPANEE
Published: June 2021

The efficient strategies to minimize thermal conductivity in skutterudite materials are creating point defects along with nanosized grains. In this report, Sn and Se co-doped CoSb3 materials were synthesized through mixed-ball milling and spark plasma sintering techniques to utilize this strategy. Their phases, microstructure and thermoelectric properties were investigated under the content variation of Sn and Se in CoSb3 samples. The experimental results revealed that the Sn and Se were substituted at Sb sites in CoSb3 crystal structure and grain sizes were restricted to a hundred nanometer. The lattice thermal conductivity was reduced to 2.4[Formula: see text]W/mK at 298K. Interestingly, increasing Sn and Se doped content could further minimize the lattice thermal conductivity. The lowest value at room temperature is 1.79[Formula: see text]W/mK for CoSb[Formula: see text]Sn[Formula: see text]Se[Formula: see text] which was dramatically lower than pure CoSb3. Moreover, the increment of Sn and Se content also increased the electrical conductivity of doped samples, while the negative Seebeck coefficient sign tended to decrease. As expected, low electrical conductivity and substantial reduction in the Seebeck coefficient of doped samples at high measurement temperature, resulting in low power factor and low ZT values. It was clearly seen that the highest power factor of 880[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]W/mK2 was found at 516[Formula: see text]K in CoSb[Formula: see text]Sn[Formula: see text]Se[Formula: see text]. Furthermore, it also dominated the highest ZT value of 0.29 at 565 K, compared to the other Sn and Se co-doped samples. From these results, ball milling under dry conditions followed by wet conditions not only allowed a longer milling process but also generated a small fraction of pore which was a part of the reduction in thermal conductivity. Especially, the advantage of the existence of Sn and Se point defects and nanosized grains from this work will be escalated when it was applied to prepare materials that have high power factor values.
Exploit Prediction Scoring System (EPSS)
Authors: Jacobs Jay , Romanosky Sasha , Edwards Benjamin , Adjerid Idris , Roytman Michael
Published: June 2021

Despite the large investments in information security technologies and research over the past decades, the information security industry is still immature when it comes to vulnerability management. In particular, the prioritization of remediation efforts within vulnerability management programs predominantly relies on a mixture of subjective expert opinion and severity scores. Compounding the need for prioritization is the increase in the number of vulnerabilities the average enterprise has to remediate. This article describes the first open, data-driven framework for assessing vulnerability threat, that is, the probability that a vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the first 12 months after public disclosure. This scoring system has been designed to be simple enough to be implemented by practitioners without specialized tools or software yet provides accurate estimates (ROC AUC = 0.838) of exploitation. Moreover, the implementation is flexible enough that it can be updated as more, and better, data becomes available. We call this system the Exploit Prediction Scoring System (EPSS).
The Trojan Horse Method: A Nuclear Physics Tool for Astrophysics
Authors: Tumino Aurora , Bertulani Carlos A. , La Cognata Marco , Lamia Livio , Pizzone Rosario Gianluca , Romano Stefano , Typel Stefan
Published: June 2021

The Trojan Horse Method (THM) represents an indirect path to determine the bare nucleus astrophysical S-factor for reactions among charged particles at astrophysical energies. This is achieved by measuring the quasi-free cross section of a suitable three-body process. The method is also suited to study neutron-induced reactions, especially in the case of radioactive ion beams. A comprehensive review of the theoretical as well as experimental features behind the THM is presented here. An overview is given of some recent applications to demonstrate the method's practical use for reactions that have a great impact on selected astrophysical scenarios.
Agricultural Trade and Environmental Sustainability
Authors: Baylis Kathy , Heckelei Thomas , Hertel Thomas W.
Published: June 2021

Global agriculture consumes substantial resources and produces significant pollution. By shifting its production to new locations, and inducing changes in technology and input use, trade has a substantial impact on environmental sustainability of the world's food systems, but due to suboptimal environmental policy, the exact nature of these impacts is in dispute. We review the literature on agricultural trade and environmental sustainability, highlighting the different approaches taken in ecology versus economics. While useful in identifying environmental costs, much of the ecological literature does not compare these costs to a trade-free counterfactual and can therefore be misleading. Further, by moving production to places with more resources and increasing production efficiency, trade can reduce the environmental impact of food production. On the other hand, trade can also limit the effectiveness of domestic environmental policy because production can be shifted to countries with less stringent regulations. However, recently, consumers are leveraging trade policy to induce exporters to improve environmental sustainability. While such policies are gaining traction in wealthy countries, evidence suggests that such measures will not reach their potential without buy-in from decision makers in the countries where the environmental damages are occurring.
Urgent Decision Making: Resolving Visuomotor Interactions at High Temporal Resolution
Authors: Stanford Terrence R. , Salinas Emilio
Published: June 2021

Measuring when exactly perceptual decisions are made is crucial for defining how the activation of specific neurons contributes to behavior. However, in traditional, nonurgent visuomotor tasks, the uncertainty of this temporal measurement is very large. This is a problem not only for delimiting the capacity of perception, but also for correctly interpreting the functional roles ascribed to choice-related neuronal responses. In this article, we review psychophysical, neurophysiological, and modeling work based on urgent visuomotor tasks in which this temporal uncertainty can be effectively overcome. The cornerstone of this work is a novel behavioral metric that describes the evolution of the subject's perceptual judgment moment by moment, allowing us to resolve numerous perceptual events that unfold within a few tens of milliseconds. In this framework, the neural distinction between perceptual evaluation and motor selection processes becomes particularly clear, as the conclusion of one is not contingent on that of the other.
Bulk Diffusion of Cl through O Vacancies in α-Cr2O3: A Density Functional Theory Study
Authors: Oware Sarfo Kofi , Isgor O.Burkan , Santala Melissa K. , Tucker Julie D. , Árnadóttir Líney
Published: June 2021

Many metals form passive oxides which are broken or weakened by anionic-induced degradation leading to material failure and anionic diffusion is an important step of this degradation process. The diffusion of anionic species through oxides involves a combination of diffusion along grain boundaries, cracks, and channels, as well as bulk diffusion via point defects which is the focus of this study. Using density functional theory, we study bulk diffusion of Cl through O vacancies in α-Cr2O3 as a model system for passive metal oxides. Little is known about Cl diffusion and bonding characteristics, so we benchmark our work through comparison to numerous studies on O diffusion in α-Cr2O3 to analyze similarities and differences between the O and Cl diffusion in the passivation and degradation process of α-Cr2O3 respectively. Unlike O diffusion, the lowest diffusion barrier for Cl is cross-plane diffusion between two (0001) planes through a vacant cation site but the much shorter in-plane diffusion path within the same coordination polyhedron has 35% higher barrier. This work provides the basis for considering the contributions of Cl bulk-diffusion in the overall diffusion kinetics of Cl through α-Cr2O3.
Clinical Manifestations of Ultrasonic Virtual Reality in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Cardiovascular Diseases
Authors: Chen Hairong , Zou Qiuguo , Wang Qi
Published: June 2021

On a global scale, cardiovascular disease has become one of the most serious diseases that endangers human health and causes death and seriously threatens human life and health. If we can make accurate, timely, and effective judgments on cardiovascular-related parameters and take corresponding effective measures, the incidence of cardiovascular diseases can be reduced to a large extent. Based on this, this paper proposes the clinical application research of ultrasound virtual reality technology in the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases. This article uses literature methods, experimental research methods, mathematical statistical analysis methods, and other research methods and in-depth study of virtual reality technology, cardiovascular disease, and other theoretical knowledge and briefly introduces ultrasound image denoising algorithms, such as bilateral filtering and PM model. And on this basis, it establishes clinical trials of ultrasound virtual reality technology in the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases. This article mainly analyzes the application of virtual reality technology, technology comparison, and the experimental results carried out in this article. From the survey results, the total prevalence of hypertension was 25.1%, and the prevalence of males and females was 25.9% and 24.4%, respectively; the diagnostic accuracy rate of the experimental group reached 85.39%, while the diagnostic accuracy rate of the control group was 76.8%. It shows that the use of ultrasound virtual reality technology for disease diagnosis can effectively improve the accuracy of cardiovascular disease diagnosis and reduce the proportion of misdiagnosis and missed detection.
Simplified Beam Element Model of Badminton Batting Process Based on Motion Differential Equation
Authors: Li Yingda
Published: June 2021

Badminton is not only a traditional sport in China, but also an advantage sport in China. It has good entertainment, appreciation, and exercise, as well as a very broad mass base in China. Badminton racket as the key equipment of badminton, its production and design has a very critical impact on the development of the sport; the current existing research lacks the analysis of badminton batting moment. In order to more intuitively and clearly understand the force and displacement relationship of the racket net at the moment of badminton hitting, this study is based on the differential equation of motion, combined with the finite element analysis method to build a simplified beam element model. In order to verify the reliability of the model, the displacement of the beam element and the rod element of the badminton racket under the same load is constructed. Through the research results, it can be seen that the beam element model is more reliable for the numerical calculation of badminton batting moment. The in‐depth analysis of badminton batting process has a certain reference significance for the production and design of badminton racket.
Institutional Risk Preference and Asymmetric Role of Institutional Distance: An Examination on the OFDI of China
Authors: Qi Yawei , Rao Guangping
Published: June 2021

With the implementation of the “Going Out” policy and the “Belt and Road” initiative, Chinese outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) in the countries along the “Belt and Road” increased substantially in the past decade. This paper analyzes the impact of institutional distance on Chinese OFDI and whether Chinese OFDI exhibits institutional risk preferences, using data on Chinese OFDI in 41 countries along the “Belt and Road” for the period from 2003 to 2018. We find that political institutional distance and economic institutional distance are both positively related to China’s OFDI scale, while cultural distance has a negative impact on the investment scale. We also find that institutional distance has an asymmetric effect on China’s OFDI. In particular, the worse the host country’s political environment, the larger the Chinese OFDI, indicating that Chinese OFDI exhibits the political institutional risk preference. On the other hand, Chinese multinational enterprises are more willing to invest in host countries with high economic freedom. Culture institution environment of the host country has a positive but insignificant impact on the Chinese OFDI scale, indicating that Chinese OFDI shows the characteristics of cultural distance proximity.
Rutting Prediction Model of Asphalt Mixture Based on the Triaxial Repeated Load Test
Authors: Ji Jie , Chen Meng , Suo Zhi , Wei Jianming , Wang Jiani , Chen Lei
Published: June 2021

This study establishes a more reasonable and effective rutting prediction model called the quadratic modified Burgers rheological model by considering dynamic loads. Use ABAQUS to simulate the rutting depths through the existing Burgers model and the quadratic modified model and compare with the measured values of the multitemperature and load rutting tests and triaxial repeated load tests. The real tests were conducted on four asphalt mixtures, including SK‐90 asphalt mixture, styrene‐butadiene‐styrene (SBS) modified asphalt mixture, direct coal liquefaction residue (DCLR) modified asphalt mixture, and compound DCLR modified asphalt mixture. The results showed that the range of error ratio and residual sum of squares between simulated and measured rutting depth based on the two different models are 5–35%/5.0–8.74% and 3–15%/0.9–3.1%, respectively, which show that the quadratic modified Burgers rheological model has a more accurate prediction.
Combination of Terrestrial and Satellite Gravity Data for the Characterization of the Southwestern Coastal Region of Cameroon: Appraisal for Hydrocarbon Exploration
Authors: Kamto Paul Gautier , Lemotio Willy , Tokam Alain-Pierre Kamga , Yap Loudi
Published: June 2021

The southwestern coastal region of Cameroon is an area of interest because of its hydrocarbon potential (gas and oil). Terrestrial and satellite gravity data were combined and analyzed to provide a better precision in determining the structure of the study area. Firstly, the two gravity databases (in situ and satellite) have been coupled and validated using the least square collocation technique. Then, spectral analysis was applied to the combined Bouguer anomaly map to evaluate the thickness of sediments in some localities. We found that the sedimentary cover of the southwestern coastal region of Cameroon has a thickness that varies laterally from

1.68
±
0.08

to

2.95
±
0.15
 
km

, especially in the western part. This result confirms that our target area is a potential site for hydrocarbon exploration. The horizontal gradient method coupled with the upward continuation at variable heights has been used to highlight several lineaments and their directions (N-S, E-W, SW-NE, and SSW-NNE). Lineaments trending in an N-S orientation are predominant. The Euler deconvolution method was also applied to the Bouguer anomaly map to determine the position, orientation, and depth of the different superficial faults of the study area. It appears that the majority of superficial faults have an N-S and SSW-NNE orientation. These directions are correlated with those previously highlighted by the maxima of horizontal gradient. The structural map could be used for a better identification of the direction of fluid flow within the subsurface or to update the geological map of our study area.
Weak‐Light Image Enhancement Method Based on Adaptive Local Gamma Transform and Color Compensation
Authors: Wang Wencheng , Yuan Xiaohui , Chen Zhenxue , Wu XiaoJin , Gao Zairui
Published: June 2021

In weak‐light environments, images suffer from low contrast and the loss of details. Traditional image enhancement models are usually failure to avoid the issue of overenhancement. In this paper, a simple and novel correction method is proposed based on an adaptive local gamma transformation and color compensation, which is inspired by the illumination reflection model. Our proposed method converts the source image into YUV color space, and the Y component is estimated with a fast guided filter. The local gamma transform function is used to improve the brightness of the image by adaptively adjusting the parameters. Finally, the dynamic range of the image is optimized by a color compensation mechanism and a linear stretching strategy. By comparing with the state‐of‐the‐art algorithms, it is demonstrated that the proposed method adaptively reduces the influence of uneven illumination to avoid overenhancement and improve the visual effect of low‐light images.
Autologous Minimally Invasive Cell-Based Therapy for Meniscal and Anterior Cruciate Ligament Regeneration
Authors: Mahajan Pradeep V. , Subramanian Swetha , Parab Siddhesh C. , Mahajan Sanskruti
Published: June 2021

The meniscus is a fibrocartilaginous tissue that acts as a “shock absorber,” along with performing functions such as stabilization and lubrication of the joint, proprioception, and load distribution. Sudden twisting movements during weight bearing or trauma can cause injury to the menisci, which leads to symptoms such as pain, swelling, and difficulty in performing movements, among others. Conventional pharmacological and surgical treatments are effective in treating the condition; however, do not result in regeneration of healthy tissues. In this report, we highlight the role of cell-based therapy in the management of medial and lateral meniscal and anterior cruciate ligament tears in a patient who was unwilling to undergo surgical treatment. We injected autologous mesenchymal stem cells obtained from the bone marrow and adipose tissue and platelet-rich plasma into the joint of the patient at the area of injury, as well as intravenously. The results of our study corroborate with those previously reported in the literature regarding the improvement in clinical parameters and regeneration of meniscal tissue and ligament. Thus, based on previous literature and improvements noticed in our patient, cell-based therapy can be considered a safe and effective therapeutic modality in the treatment of meniscal tears and cruciate ligament injury.
Mechanical Modification of Resin Capsules by Adding Steel Particles
Authors: Feng Xiaowei , Xue Fei , Zhao Tongyang , Jiang Wenjie
Published: June 2021

Five kinds of steel particles with sizes ranging from 0.6 mm to 2.2 mm with increments of 0.4 mm were mixed with mining resin materials, and the mixing ratio of the particles was also varied. By using this approach, the film gloving problem of coal mine bolting should be effectively solved due to the shredding effects of the particles during bolt rotation. The premise is that the mechanical behavior should not be weakened under such conditions. A total of 47 standard cylindrical specimens were manually prepared, which included pure resin specimens and specimens containing particles with different sizes and weights. First, the homogeneity of a prepared standard specimen was verified by computed tomography (CT) scanning technology. Second, the mechanical improvements provided by each type of particle were evaluated. Thirdly, the effectiveness of both the particle weight and particle size was comprehensively discussed, and the eventual recommendation was to set for the particle size and weight as 1.4 mm and 40 g, respectively, and the particles weight percentage was 7.27%. Finally, the failure patterns for all specimens were collected and comprehensively compared. Additionally, pullout tests were carried out to vindicate the recommended particle size and weight.
Investigation of Magnetic Properties of Magnetic Poly (glycidyl methacrylate) Microspheres: Experimental and Theoretical
Authors: Thanh Nguyen Hoang , Manh Nguyen Tuan
Published: June 2021

Biocompatible magnetic poly (glycidyl methacrylate) microsphere is a novel nanocomposite with a myriad of promising bioapplications. Investigation of their characteristics by experimental analysis methods has also been carried out in the past. However, a survey of the magnetic anisotropy constant has not been mentioned and the influence of the poly (glycidyl methacrylate) polymer matrix on the Fe3O4 magnetite nanoparticles embedded inside has also not been discussed. Moreover, the accurate characterization of the magnetite nanoparticle size distribution remains challenging. In this paper, we present an effective approach was used to solve these problems. First of all, we combine both experiment and theory to estimate the effective magnetic anisotropy constant. Besides that, we implement an accurate method to determine magnetite nanoparticle size distribution in the magnetic poly (glycidyl methacrylate) microspheres composite nanomaterial.
Transplacental Transfer of Primaquine and Neurobehavioral Development of Prenatally Exposed Rats
Authors: Becker Klaus M. , Rosa Lorenna , Fernandes Manoella S. B. , de Carvalho Rosangela R. , De-Oliveira Ana Cecilia X. , Moreira Davyson L. , Paumgartten Francisco J. R.
Published: June 2021

Primaquine (PQ) not only eliminates P. falciparum gametocytes but also kills liver dormant forms of P. vivax and P. ovale. Owing to these unique therapeutic properties, it is an essential drug. Although PQ has been used for over 70 years, its toxicological database has gaps such as the absence of studies on its reproductive and developmental toxicity and kinetics in pregnancy. This study investigated the transplacental transfer of PQ and the effects of intrauterine exposure on the postnatal growth, survival, and neurobehavioral development of the offspring. PQ kinetics and transplacental transfer were investigated in rats treated orally (40 mg.kg·bw−1) on gestation day (GD) 21. PQ was analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array ultraviolet detection. To evaluate effects of intrauterine exposure on postnatal development, dams were treated orally with PQ (20 mg.kg·bw−1·d−1) or water (controls) on GD 0–21. Postnatal survival, body weight gain, somatic maturation, and reflex acquisition were evaluated. The open field test (OF) was conducted on PND 25. PQ concentration in the fetal plasma was nearly half that in maternal plasma. Except for increase in pregnancy loss, no effects of PQ were noted at term pregnancy and first days of life. Prenatal PQ did not affect postnatal weight gain nor did it impair somatic and neurologic development of the offspring. Pups born to PQ-treated dams showed reduced exploration and enhanced emotionality in the OF. PQ given in pregnancy, at doses greater than those recommended for malaria therapy, may affect pup postnatal survival and emotional behavior.
Robust Graph Structure Learning for Multimedia Data Analysis
Authors: Zhou Wei , Gong Zhaoxuan , Guo Wei , Han Nan , Qiao Shaojie
Published: June 2021

With the rapid development of computer network technology, we can acquire a large amount of multimedia data, and it becomes a very important task to analyze these data. Since graph construction or graph learning is a powerful tool for multimedia data analysis, many graph‐based subspace learning and clustering approaches have been proposed. Among the existing graph learning algorithms, the sample reconstruction‐based approaches have gone the mainstream. Nevertheless, these approaches not only ignore the local and global structure information but also are sensitive to noise. To address these limitations, this paper proposes a graph learning framework, termed Robust Graph Structure Learning (RGSL). Different from the existing graph learning approaches, our approach adopts the self‐expressiveness of samples to capture the global structure, meanwhile utilizing data locality to depict the local structure. Specially, in order to improve the robustness of our approach against noise, we introduce l2,1‐norm regularization criterion and nonnegative constraint into the graph construction process. Furthermore, an iterative updating optimization algorithm is designed to solve the objective function. A large number of subspace learning and clustering experiments are carried out to verify the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Autophagy Regulation on Pyroptosis: Mechanism and Medical Implication in Sepsis
Authors: Guo Ran , Wang Hao , Cui Na
Published: June 2021

Sepsis is defined as a life-threatening disease involving multiple organ dysfunction caused by dysregulated host responses to infection. To date, sepsis remains a dominant cause of death among critically ill patients. Pyroptosis is a unique form of programmed cell death mediated by the gasdermin family of proteins and causes lytic cell death and release of proinflammatory cytokines. Although there might be some positive aspects to pyroptosis, it is regarded as harmful during sepsis and needs to be restricted. Autophagy was originally characterized as a homeostasis-maintaining mechanism in living cells. In the past decade, its function in negatively modulating pyroptosis and inflammation during sepsis has attracted increased attention. Here, we present a comprehensive review of the regulatory effect of autophagy on pyroptosis during sepsis, including the latest advances in our understanding of the mechanism and signaling pathways involved, as well as the potential therapeutic application in sepsis.
The Fault Diagnosis of Rolling Bearing Based on Improved Deep Forest
Authors: Qin Xiwen , Xu Dingxin , Dong Xiaogang , Cui Xueteng , Zhang Siqi
Published: June 2021

Rolling bearing fault diagnosis is a meaningful and challenging task. Most methods first extract statistical features and then carry out fault diagnosis. At present, the technology of intelligent identification of bearing mostly relies on deep neural network, which has high requirements for computer equipment and great effort in hyperparameter tuning. To address these issues, a rolling bearing fault diagnosis method based on the improved deep forest algorithm is proposed. Firstly, the fault feature information of rolling bearing is extracted through multigrained scanning, and then the fault diagnosis is carried out by cascade forest. Considering the fitting quality and diversity of the classifier, the classifier and the cascade strategy are updated. In order to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method, a comparison is made with the traditional machine learning method. The results suggest that the proposed method can identify different types of faults more accurately and robustly. At the same time, it has very few hyperparameters and very low requirements on computer hardware.
Short-Term Outcomes of Cataract Surgery in Patients with a History of Central Serous Chorioretinopathy
Authors: Joon Jeon Young , Kim Jae Hui , Kim Jong Woo , Kim Chul Gu
Published: June 2021

Purpose. This study aimed to evaluate the short-term outcomes of cataract surgery in patients with a history of idiopathic central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC). Methods. This retrospective study included 26 patients with a history of CSC who underwent uncomplicated phacoemulsification and intraocular lens implantation. The best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and central foveal thickness (CFT) measured before the surgery were compared with those obtained at mean 3.6 months after the surgery. BCVA outcome was also analyzed in eyes with and without subretinal fluid (SRF). Results. The mean logarithm of the minimal angle of resolution BCVA significantly improved from 0.52 ± 0.40 before the surgery to 0.21 ± 0.30 one month after the surgery and 0.20 ± 0.31 at 3.6 months after the surgery (

P
<
0.001

). The mean CFT was 281.2 ± 84.2 μm before the surgery, 301.5 ± 90.7 μm one month after the surgery, and 279.9 ± 83.6 μm at 3.6 months after the surgery. The CFT before surgery was not different from those measured at 3 months (

P
=
0.253

). Significant improvement in BCVA at 3.6 months was noted in the SRF group (N = 12,

P
=
0.003

) and the non-SRF group (N = 14,

P
=
0.001

). CSC recurrence was noted in 2 patients in the non-SRF group. Conclusions. Significant improvement in visual acuity was noted after cataract surgery in patients with a history of idiopathic CSC, without a risk of aggravation of CSC in most patients.
The Effects of Nonnutritive Sweeteners on the Cariogenic Potential of Oral Microbiome
Authors: Zhu Jianhui , Liu Jiaxin , Li Zhengyi , Xi Ranhui , Li Yuqing , Peng Xian , Xu Xin , Zheng Xin , Zhou Xuedong
Published: June 2021

Nonnutritive sweeteners (NNSs) are sugar substitutes widely used to reduce the negative health effects of excessive sugar consumption. Dental caries, one of the most prevalent chronic diseases globally, results from a pathogenic biofilm with microecological imbalance and frequent exposure to sugars. Some research has shown that certain NNSs possess less cariogenic potential than sucrose, indicating their putative effect on oral microbiome. To uncover the alterations of acidogenic pathogens and alkali‐generating commensals, as well as the biofilm cariogenic potential under the influence of NNSs, we selected four common NNSs (acesulfame‐K, aspartame, saccharin, and sucralose) and established single‐, dual‐, and multispecies in vitro culture model to assess their effects on Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) and/or Streptococcus sanguinis (S. sanguinis) compared to sucrose with the same sweetness. The results showed that NNSs significantly suppressed the planktonic growth, acid production, and biofilm formation of S. mutans or S. sanguinis compared with sucrose in single‐species cultures. Additionally, decreased S. mutans/S. sanguinis ratio, less EPS generation, and higher pH value were observed in dual‐species and saliva‐derived multispecies biofilms with supplementary NNSs. Collectively, this study demonstrates that NNSs inhibit the cariogenic potential of biofilms by maintaining microbial equilibrium, thus having a promising prospect as anticaries agents.
Recent Advances in Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence Integration: Feasibility Analysis, Research Issues, Applications, Challenges, and Future Work
Authors: Zhang Zhonghua , Song Xifei , Liu Lei , Yin Jie , Wang Yu , Lan Dapeng
Published: June 2021

Blockchain constructs a distributed point-to-point system, which is a secure and verifiable mechanism for decentralized transaction validation and is widely used in financial economy, Internet of Things, large data, cloud computing, and edge computing. On the other hand, artificial intelligence technology is gradually promoting the intelligent development of various industries. As two promising technologies today, there is a natural advantage in the convergence between blockchain and artificial intelligence technologies. Blockchain makes artificial intelligence more autonomous and credible, and artificial intelligence can prompt blockchain toward intelligence. In this paper, we analyze the combination of blockchain and artificial intelligence from a more comprehensive and three-dimensional point of view. We first introduce the background of artificial intelligence and the concept, characteristics, and key technologies of blockchain and subsequently analyze the feasibility of combining blockchain with artificial intelligence. Next, we summarize the research work on the convergence of blockchain and artificial intelligence in home and overseas within this category. After that, we list some related application scenarios about the convergence of both technologies and also point out existing problems and challenges. Finally, we discuss the future work.
Relationships among the Dosage of Erythropoiesis-Stimulating Agents, Erythropoietin Resistance Index, and Mortality in Maintenance Hemodialysis Patients
Authors: Pan Sai , Zhao De-Long , Li Ping , Sun Xue-Feng , Zhou Jian-Hui , Song Kang-Kang , Wang Yong , Miao Li-Ning , Ni Zhao-Hui , Lin Hong-Li , Liu Fu-You , Li Ying , He Ya Ni , Wang Nian-Song , Wang Cai-Li , Zhang Ai-Hua , Chen Meng-Hua , Yang Xiao-Ping , Deng Yue-Yi , Shao Feng-Min , Fu Shu-Xia , Fang Jing-Ai , Cai Guang-Yan , Chen Xiang-Mei
Published: June 2021

Background: Erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) constitute an important treatment option for anemia in hemodialysis (HD) patients. We investigated the relationships among the dosage of ESA, erythropoietin resistance index (ERI) scores, and mortality in Chinese MHD patients. Methods: This multicenter observational retrospective study included MHD patients from 16 blood purification centers (n = 824) who underwent HD in 2011–2015 and were followed up until December 31, 2016. We collected demographic variables, HD parameters, laboratory values, and ESA dosages. Patients were grouped into quartiles according to ESA dosage to study the effect of ESA dosage on all-cause mortality. The ERI was calculated as follows: ESA (IU/week)/weight (kg)/hemoglobin levels (g/dL). We also compared outcomes among the patients stratified into quartiles according to ERI scores. We used the Cox proportional hazards model to measure the relationships between the ESA dosage, ERI scores, and all-cause mortality. Using propensity score matching, we compared mortality between groups according to ERI scores, classified as either > or ≤12.80. Results: In total, 824 patients were enrolled in the study; 200 (24.3%) all-cause deaths occurred within the observation period. Kaplan-Meier analyses showed that patients administered high dosages of ESAs had significantly worse survival than those administered low dosages of ESAs. A multivariate Cox regression identified that high dosages of ESAs could significantly predict mortality (ESA dosage >10,000.0 IU/week, HR = 1.59, 95% confidence intervals (CIs) (1.04, 2.42), and p = 0.031). Our analysis also indicated a significant increase in the risk of mortality in patients with high ERI scores. Propensity score matching-analyses confirmed that ERI > 12.80 could significantly predict mortality (HR = 1.56, 95% CI [1.11, 2.18], and p = 0.010). Conclusions: Our data suggested that ESA dosages >10,000.0 IU/week in the first 3 months constitute an independent predictor of all-cause mortality among Chinese MHD patients. A higher degree of resistance to ESA was related to a higher risk of all-cause mortality.
Neuronal Dual Leucine Zipper Kinase Mediates Inflammatory and Nociceptive Responses in Cyclophosphamide-Induced Cystitis
Authors: Jiang Chen , Fang Weilin , Lv Tingting , Gu Yinjun , Lv Jianwei
Published: June 2021

Interstitial cystitis is associated with neurogenic inflammation and neuropathic bladder pain. Dual leucine zipper kinase (DLK) expressed in sensory neurons is implicated in neuropathic pain. We hypothesized that neuronal DLK is involved in the regulation of inflammation and nociceptive behavior in cystitis. Mice deficient in DLK in sensory neurons (cKO) were generated by crossing DLK floxed mice with mice expressing Cre recombinase under Advillin promoter. Cystitis was induced by cyclophosphamide (CYP) administration in mice. Nociceptive behavior, bladder inflammation, and pathology were assessed following cystitis induction in control and cKO mice. The role of DLK in CYP-induced cystitis was further determined by pharmacological inhibition of DLK with GNE-3511. Deletion of neuronal DLK attenuated CYP-induced pain-like nociceptive behavior and suppressed histamine release from mast cells, neuronal activation in the spinal cord, and bladder pathology. Mice deficient in neuronal DLK also showed reduced inflammation induced by CYP and reduced c-Jun activation in the dorsal root ganglia (DRG). Pharmacological inhibition of DLK with GNE-3511 recapitulated the effects of neuronal DLK depletion in CYP treatment mice. Our study suggests that DLK is a potential target for the treatment of neuropathic pain and bladder pathology associated with cystitis.