bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of Minocycline on Cognitive Impairment, Hippocampal Inflammatory Response, and Hippocampal Alzheimer’s Related Proteins in Aged Rats after Propofol Anesthesia
Authors: Liang Xuemei , Zhang Rong
Published: April 2022

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of minocycline preadministration on cognitive dysfunction, hippocampal inflammatory response, and hippocampal senile dementia-related proteins induced by propofol anesthesia in aged rats. Sixty male SD rats, aged 20 months and weighing 340-410 g, were randomly divided into three groups: normal saline (NC) group, propofol group (prop), and minocycline (M) group. Prop group rats were injected intraperitoneally with 100 mg/kg propofol. The rats in group M were injected intraperitoneally with 50 mg/kg minocycline 30 minutes before injection of 100 mg/kg propofol, and the rest were the same as prop group. The rats in NC group were received intraperitoneal injection of the same amount of normal saline. The results indicated that compared with group C, the expressions of GSK-3β, acetyl-NF-κB (Lys310), Tau, and Amlyoid-beta were upregulated, the levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 were increased, the escape incubation period was prolonged, and the exploration time was shortened in prop group, while the expression of GSK-3β, acetyl-NF-κB (Lys310), Tau, and Amlyoid-beta in minocycline group was downregulated, the levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 were decreased, the escape incubation period was shortened, and the exploration time was shortened. In conclusion, preadministration of minocycline can improve cognitive impairment induced by propofol anesthesia in aged rats, and its mechanism of action may be related to minocycline inhibiting hippocampal inflammatory reaction and downregulating the expression of GSK-3β, acetyl-NF-κB (Lys310), Tau, and Amlyoid-beta proteins in hippocampus.
National Costume Art Design Optimization under the Background of Artificial Intelligence Decision Making and Internet of Things
Authors: Peng Yu , Krutasaen Watanapun
Published: April 2022

As the most external symbolic representation of the nation, national costumes are an integral part of the wonderful culture of the Chinese nation. Our country has many ethnic minorities and has a unique national costume culture, which provides rich resources for the art design of ethnic costumes. This paper uses artificial intelligence technology and Internet of Things technology to design a national costume element library system. In this system, users can match national costume suits according to their own preferences, and they can also transmit national culture to people through this system. After the system is designed, the system performance is optimized by interactive algorithms, and the availability of the system is verified by testing system security, stress resistance, concurrency, etc. Through the verification of the system designed in this paper, the national costumes designed by innovative technology can be copied in batches, which enhances the innovation of national costume design in our country and has high production efficiency. It is finally proved that the design results of this paper meet the design requirements.
BioWSN: A Bio-Inspired Method for Optimization of Routing in Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Ahmadi Ramin , Ekbatanifard Gholamhossein , Bayat Peyman
Published: April 2022

Wireless sensor networks (WSN) have been recently gaining traction for many applications in monitoring and surveillance systems in the physical world specifically in agriculture, healthcare, and smart cities. Many clustering and routing approaches have been introduced to reduce the consumption of energy in WSNs to increase the lifetime of the network. In this study, we propose an improved version of grey wolf optimizer (GWO), a nature-inspired metaheuristic optimization algorithm, to perform cluster head selection and routing in WSN while maximizing the lifetime of WSN. GWO has a propensity to converge to local optima. To overcome this drawback of the conventional GWO, we introduce a balancing factor between the exploration and exploitation phases of the algorithm in addition to a mapping scheme. Comparative simulation and analysis of the proposed algorithm show significant improvement compared to frequently used and well-known approaches namely LEACH and PSO.
A Comprehensive Analysis of Teacher’s Professional Identity in Physical Education Undergraduates Based on Artificial Intelligence
Authors: Xu Jiahui , Luo Jiangbo
Published: April 2022

Physical education (PE) teachers are instrumental in advancing China’s curriculum reform and promoting the wellness of adolescents, and the professional identity of these instructors represents the jumping-off point and drive of the occupation. This paper employed the implicit association test (IAT) based on the neural network model and the questionnaire survey method to compare the implicit and explicit stereotypes of teachers’ occupational commitment from the perspectives of college students majoring in PE. Moreover, the deep-learning-based intelligent methods of BERT and BiLSTM were used to capture and analyze the comments on open-source social media platforms to present the explicit main concerns that PE majors have about their professional identity. The findings showed the following: (1) the overall explicit and implicit career identity of PE majors turned out to be positive; (2) the implicit professional identity trended upward as the grade grew, whereas the explicit one went down among senior students; (3) specialized social practices were conducive to the increase in teacher professional identity among PE undergraduates; (4) urban students recognized PE teachers as a committed occupation more than their rural counterparts do; (5) training time was correlated to positive teacher professional identity; (6) male students were more likely to see PE teachers as a capability-centered occupation, while female students had a stronger affective commitment; (7) state PE policies helped elevate teacher professional identity; (8) the low social status of PE teachers and insufficient on-campus professional training were of major concern to develop PE majors’ teacher professional identity; and (9) most PE students pursued their prospective professional career for material gain.
Group Decision Analysis Based on Complex m-Polar Fuzzy N-Soft Environment
Authors: Akram Muhammad , Sultan Maheen , Al-Kenani Ahmad N.
Published: April 2022

This research article presents a novel multicriteria group decision-making (MCGDM) technique, namely, complex m-polar fuzzy N-soft TOPSIS (CmPFNS-TOPSIS), that incorporates the remarkable features of manipulating the complex two-dimensional data and the multipolarity of the modern era with the help of CmPFNSS and the multicriteria group decision making potential of the TOPSIS technique. This newly proposed technique shares a very general parametric structure of the CmPFMSS and enables us to make the suitable decisions in this multipolar complex two-dimensional domain. The incredible CmPFNS-TOPSIS technique works on the principle of finding the optimal solution nearest to the positive ideal solution (PSS) and farthest from the negative ideal solution (NIS) by evaluating the Euclidean distance between the alternatives and the optimal solutions. The support of complex m-polar fuzzy N-soft weighted averaging operator (CmPFNSWA), Euclidean distance, score function, and the revised closeness index is utilized for uncovering our optimal solutions. The alternatives, with respect to the revised closeness index, are arranged in the descending order and the alternative with the least closeness index is preferred. The methodology of the CmPFNS-TOPSIS technique is illustrated with the help of the flow chart. The proficiency of this technique is proved by considering a case study of selection of the suitable surgical equipment in the oncology department of Shaukat Khanum Hospital, Lahore (Pakistan). To prove its validity and credibility, a comparative analysis between CmPFNS-TOPSIS and m-polar fuzzy N-soft TOPSIS (mFNS-TOPSIS) is pictured with the help of a bar chart displaying the same end results of the CmPFNS-TOPSIS and mFNS-TOPSIS.
Integrating Temporal and Spatial Attention for Video Action Recognition
Authors: Zhou Yuanding , Li Baopu , Wang Zhihui , Li Haojie
Published: April 2022

In recent years, deep convolutional neural networks (DCNN) have been widely used in the field of video action recognition. Attention mechanisms are also increasingly utilized in action recognition tasks. In this paper, we want to combine temporal and spatial attention for better video action recognition. Specifically, we learn a set of sparse attention by computing class response maps for finding the most informative region in a video frame. Each video frame is resampled with this information to form two new frames, one focusing on the most discriminative regions of the image and the other on the complementary regions of the image. After computing sparse attention all the newly generated video frames are rearranged in the order of the original video to form two new videos. These two videos are then fed into a CNN as new inputs to reinforce the learning of discriminative regions in the images (spatial attention). And the CNN we used is a network with a frame selection strategy that allows the network to focus on only some of the frames to complete the classification task (temporal attention). Finally, we combine the three video (original, discriminative, and complementary) classification results to get the final result together. Our experiments on the datasets UCF101 and HMDB51 show that our approach outperforms the best available methods.
Prediction Algorithm of Labor Employment Capacity and Structure Based on Improved Genetic Algorithm
Authors: Shen Chen
Published: April 2022

As a general economic resource or capital, labor plays a vital role in the development of a country. The improvement of people’s living standards is the fundamental purpose of economic development. The economic development of a country is impossible from the support of the labor force. The supply and support of the labor force will directly affect the normal operation of a country’s economy. Since the reforms are opening up, China has made remarkable achievements in rapid economic development, but some new problems have gradually emerged in the labor market. On the one hand, important changes have taken place in the supply and demand situation of the labor market. The labor shortage crisis has started to spread across the country. With the increase of labor costs of enterprises and the adjustment of industrial structure, the problems of employment in the labor market such as large-scale layoffs and reduction of labor have become more prominent. On the other hand, the population’s age structure is gradually changing. China is about to enter an aging society in the future. This means that the proportion of old people towards youngsters will increase. At that time, China’s huge population size will likely evolve from a booster of economic growth to a burden on the economy. Therefore, the labor structure needs to be optimized urgently. Deepening the reforms requires China to transform its growth model and develop knowledge-intensive industries. It requires optimizing the capacity and structure of the labor market and improving the quality of the labor force. Measuring the total workforce in the future is an important prerequisite for addressing various challenges in the new situation. A genetic algorithm is a computational model of the biological evolution process that simulates the natural selection and genetic mechanism of Darwin’s theory of biological evolution. This is a technique of modeling the natural evolution process to get the best solution. In data mining, genetic algorithm has been widely used around the world. It is an important development direction to use them to effectively mine and predict data. Based on the changes in the age structure of the population, this paper will use an improved genetic algorithm. This algorithm will calculate the total labor supply and structural changes in China in the next few years. This study will provide a reference for the formulation of China’s macroeconomic and population policies.
Estimation of CO2 Emissions of Fossil-Fueled Power Plants in Ghana: Message Analytical Model
Authors: Nyasapoh Mark Amoah , Debrah Seth Kofi , Anku Nerissa E. L. , Yamoah Stephen
Published: April 2022

The pursuit of middle-income economic status by Ghana comes with an associated increase in electricity and energy demand. Meanwhile, an increase in either electricity or energy consumption is likely to result in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions as a result of increasing reliance on fossil fuel consumption. Presently, there is evidence of the impact of climate change on various aspects of Ghana’s socio-economic structures such as energy production, agriculture, and forestry. Therefore, it is imperative to develop and implement a long-term low-carbon sustainable energy supply strategy that will support the electricity demand of the major economic ambitions envisaged. This study applied a quantitative modelling and simulation methodology using the Model for Energy Supply Strategy and their General Environmental Impacts (MESSAGE) analytical tool to analyse the electricity generation system and the impact of fuel options on the environment. It was found that the inclusion of low-carbon emission energy conversion technologies such as renewables and nuclear energy is critical to curtailing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in Ghana’s energy sector. Therefore, the incorporation of climate-friendly energy sources into the electricity sector is necessary to achieve sustainable, resilient, and clean electricity generation. Ghana’s fulfilment of its international commitment to climate change depends on reducing its dependence on fossil fuels for electricity generation, thus, exploring the inclusion of zero-emitting sources into the country’s energy mix.
Performance Analysis and Optimization of Built-In Permanent Magnet and Salient-Pole Electromagnetic Hybrid Excitation Generators for Vehicles
Authors: Geng Huihui , Zhang Xue-Yi , Gao Yanhong , Yan Shilong , Zhang Yufeng , Han Yutong , Wang Lei , Hua Sizhan
Published: April 2022

To solve the problems of the low power density of pure electric excitation generator and nonadjustable magnetic field of pure permanent magnet (PM) generator, a salient-pole hybrid excitation generator (HEG) was proposed in this paper. The designed generator realized coexcitation of two magnetic fields by changing the shape of the pole shoes and embedding the combined-pole PM steels. Compared with other HEGs, it had the advantages of high power density, less excitation loss, and small volume. The paper deduced the analytical expressions of the main magnetic field and armature reaction magnetic field of the HEG and analyzed the armature reaction magnetic circuit, the main influencing parameters, and the influence law of each parameter on the generator output performance to complete the parameter matching of the whole machine. The prototype was trial manufactured and tested with the optimized parameters. The results show that the designed HEG has a low voltage regulation rate, good no-load characteristics, and regulation characteristics. It can ensure the regulated output voltage under rated load conditions and meet the application requirement.
Analysis of Immune and Inflammation Characteristics of Atherosclerosis from Different Sample Sources
Authors: NIE HAN , Yan Chen , Zhou Weimin , Li Tao-sheng
Published: April 2022

Background. Atherosclerosis is the predominant cause of cardiovascular diseases. Existing studies suggest that the development of atherosclerosis is closely related to inflammation and immunity, but whether there are differences and similarities between atherosclerosis occurring at different sites is still unknown. We elucidated the pathological characteristics of peripheral vascular diseases by using bioinformatic analyses on immune cells and inflammation-related gene expression in atherosclerotic arteries and plaques. Methods. Eight data sets regarding atherosclerosis were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. Human immune genes were obtained from the IMMPORT website. The samples were scored and divided into high- and low-immune groups. Then the samples were analysed using weighted gene co-expression network analysis, while the modules were analysed using functional enrichment. The protein–protein interaction network was constructed using the STRING and Cytoscape databases. The hub immune genes were screened, and the correlation between hub immune genes and immune cells was analysed. Results. Immune cells and their functions were significantly different during atherosclerosis development. The infiltration proportion of immune cells was approximately similar in samples from different sources of patients with carotid atherosclerosis. However, the sensitivity of lower extremity atherosclerosis samples to immune cells is lower than that of carotid atherosclerosis samples.The samples from the plaque and artery were mainly infiltrated by macrophages, T cells and mast cells. After immune cells were assessed, resting NK cells, activated mast cells and M0 macrophages were found to be key immune cells in atherosclerosis and plaque formation. In addition, CCL4, TLR2, IL1B and PTPRC were considered to be immune marker genes in atherosclerosis development. Conclusion. Bioinformatic data analysis confirms the essential role of immune cells in cardiovascular diseases, and also indicates some differences of immune and inflammation characteristics of atherosclerosis between carotid and lower extremity arteries.
Congenital Limb Deformities in a Neonatal Crossbred Pig
Authors: Rahe Michael C. , Evrard Laurence , Holmes Neil B.
Published: April 2022

Purpose. To describe the pathology and imaging findings in two neonatal piglets with congenital limb deformities. Methods. The litter from a second parity crossbred sow presented with four mummified fetuses, three stillborn piglets, and two live piglets with notable limb deformities that were unable to effectively ambulate. The piglets were euthanized and submitted for gross and histological evaluation. Results. Both pigs had bilateral secondary cleft palates, with hypoplasia of the nasal turbinates, and external rotation of the forelimbs. One pig displayed bilateral cryptorchidism, markedly thin and shortened hindlimbs, and syndactyly of both hind feet. Radiographs and gross dissection confirmed the presence of single ossified proximal to distal phalanges of both feet, bilaterally shortened tibias with fibular aplasia, and delayed ossification of tarsal as well as carpal bones. Conclusions. To the author’s knowledge, this is the first reported case of hindlimb meromelia with syndactyly in a pig.
Intraoperative Capnothorax during Robotic Diaphragmatic Endometriosis Excision
Authors: Dunn Tyler , Misra Lopa
Published: April 2022

Laparoscopic surgery is performed quite commonly and is known to have numerous advantages over traditional open surgery. Albeit rare, there are life-threatening complications as a result of laparoscopic surgery including those associated with the cardiopulmonary system. In our case, we present hemodynamically unstable capnothorax that occurred during robotic diaphragmatic endometriosis excision which was treated conservatively. It is critical for anesthesia providers to recognize when capnothorax occurs and to understand the implications and treatment in order to minimize unnecessary procedures and morbidity associated with such.
Comparison of rhBMP‐2 in Combination with Different Biomaterials for Regeneration in Rat Calvaria Critical‐Size Defects
Authors: Uribe Francisca , Vásquez Bélgica , Alister Juan Pablo , Olate Sergio
Published: April 2022

Regeneration of critical bone defects requires the use of biomaterials. The incorporation of osteoinductive agents, such as bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs), improves bone formation. This study aimed to compare the efficacy of rhBMP‐2 in combination with different materials for bone regeneration in critical‐sized rat calvarial defects. This was an experimental animal study using 30 rats. In each rat, two 5‐mm critical‐size defects were made in the calvaria (60 bone defects in total) using a trephine. All rats were randomized to one of the six groups: control (C), autograft + rhBMP‐2 (A), absorbable collagen sponge + rhBMP‐2 (ACS), β‐tricalcium phosphate + rhBMP‐2 (B‐TCP), bovine xenograft + rhBMP‐2 (B), and hydroxyapatite + rhBMP‐2 (HA). The outcome was assessed after 4 and 8 weeks using histological description and the histological bone healing scale. Statistical analysis was performed using the Kruskal‐Wallis and Mann–Whitney U tests, with a p -value set at 0.05. The average bone healing scores per group were as follows: C group, 12.5; A group, 26.5; ACS group, 18.8; B‐TCP group, 26.2; HA group, 20.9; and B group, 20.9. The C group showed a significant difference between weeks 4 and 8 (p = 0.032). Among the 4‐week groups, the C group showed a significant difference compared to A (p = 0.001), ACS (p = 0.017), and B‐TCP (p = 0.005) groups. The 8‐week experimental group did not show any significant differences between the groups. The 5‐mm critical size defect in rat calvaria requires the use of bone biomaterials to heal at 4 and 8 weeks. rhBMP‐2, as applied in this study, showed no difference in new bone formation when combined with bovine, B‐TCP, or HA biomaterials.
Comprehensive Analysis of RAPGEF2 for Predicting Prognosis and Immunotherapy Response in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Wu Qing , Hu Yangzhi , Ma Qinghui , Yang Shanglin , Chen Junpeng , Wen Shunqian , Liao Guanqun
Published: April 2022

Background. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the sixth most common tumor worldwide. Additionally, deletion of RAPGEF2 plays a critical role in CNV and related to tumor immune microenvironment, whereas the prognostic potential of RAPGEF2 in HCC patient needs to be explored. Methods. We looked for prognostic potential genes in HCC using a variety of R programs. Then, using the LASSO Cox regression, we thoroughly evaluated and integrated the RAPGEF2-related genes from TCGA database. Meanwhile, utilizing TCGA and ICGA databases, the link between RAPGEF2 and immunotherapy response in HCC was studied. In vivo, the effect of RAPGEF2 on tumor development and the capacity of natural killer (NK) cells to recruit were confirmed. To ascertain the connection between RAPGEF2-related genes and the prognosis of HCC, a prognostic model was created and validated. Result. We demonstrated RAPGEF2 has a differential expression, and patients with deletion of RAPGEF2 gene get shorter survival in HCC. Additionally, the tissues without RAPGEF2 have a weaker ability to recruit the NK cells and response to immunotherapy. After that, we scoured the database for eight RAPGEF2-related genes linked with a better prognosis in HCC patients. Additionally, silencing RAPGEF2 accelerated tumor development in the HCC mouse model and decreased CD56+ NK cell recruitment in HCC tissues. TCGA database was used to classify patients into low- and high-risk categories based on the expression of related genes. Patients in the low-risk group had a significantly greater overall survival than those in the high-risk group (

P
<
0.001

). Meanwhile, the low-risk group demonstrated connections with the NK cell and immunotherapy response. Finally, the prognostic nomogram showed a high sensitivity and specificity for predicting the survival of HCC patients at 1, 2, and 3 years. Conclusion. The prognostic model based on RAPGEF2 and RAPGEF2-related genes showed an excellent predictive performance in terms of prognosis and immunotherapy response in HCC, therefore establishing a unique prognostic model for clinical assessment of HCC patients.
Research on the Impact of the Cancellation of State Subsidies on Stakeholders of Offshore Wind Power
Authors: Peng Daoxin , Wu Hongliang
Published: April 2022

Public subsidies for offshore wind power will be eliminated in 2022. At present, offshore wind power still depends on subsidies. In this new situation, it is necessary to study the influence on the stakeholders and how the offshore wind power industry achieves healthy and sustainable development. Firstly, this paper qualitatively analyzes the impact of the cancellation of state subsidies on offshore wind turbine manufacturers and developers and finds that if there is no subsidy to relay offshore wind power, the development of offshore wind power will stagnate, and the wind turbine manufacturers will face great challenges. Then, by constructing the subsidy demand calculation model and the transmission and distribution price cross subsidy calculation model according to China’s electricity price-related policies, the results show that the local subsidy is basically feasible to continue the national subsidy, and the burden is decreasing year by year, so the relay subsidy should be continued. Based on the cloud model, an evaluation model for the development of offshore wind power benefits from the cancellation of national subsidies is constructed to quantify the impact of the cancellation of overseas subsidies on local governments and power grid enterprises. According to the example analysis, under the background of the cancellation of national subsidies, Guangdong has the best development of offshore wind power benefits, which verifies the feasibility of the proposed model.
Daily Dose Standardization Based on Essential and Nonessential Trace Element Presence in Berberis baluchistanica Ahrendt Bark, Leaf, and Root
Authors: Gul Zareen , Akbar Ali , Leghari Saadullah Khan , Kakar Attiq Ur Rehman , Khan Naqeebullah , Muhammad Javed , Khan Nazir Ahmad , Rehman Zia Ur , Kamal Rehana , Ali Imran
Published: April 2022

Medicinal plants have great importance to the consumer health, as beside beneficial compounds, plants can accumulate essential and nonessential metals from soil and surrounding environments, leading to consumer health risks. Assuming this, the present study is aimed at evaluating the elemental composition and daily dose standardization based on essential and nonessential trace element presence in of bark, leaves, and roots of Berberis baluchistanica Ahrendt, a common medicinal plant used as a folk medicine in the region. Atomic absorption and flame emission spectroscopy were performed to analyze the presence of essential and nonessential elements manganese (Mn), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), nickel (Ni), iron (Fe), sodium (Na), and potassium (K). Among the essential elements, K was present at high concentrations in the bark (8926.98 ± 0.32 μg/g), leaves (7922.77 ± 0.42 μg/g), and roots (6668.5 ± 0.96 μg/g) of the plant. The estimated concentration of Na was higher in leaves (1782.56 ± 0.13 μg/g), followed by roots (1089.5 ± 0.71 μg/g) and bark (572.8 ± 0.62 μg/g). The Fe concentration varied in the range of 394.7 ± 0.3 μg/g in bark, 1298.3 ± 0.54 μg/g in leaves, and 1208.9 ± 0.7 μg/g in roots. The trace transition element Mn was highest in leaves (42.7 ± 0.99 μg/g), followed by roots (33.5 ± 0.94 μg/g) and bark (22 ± 1 μg/g). The Cu concentration was low, ranging from 20.1 ± 0.63 to 22.67 ± 0.7 μg/g in leaves, bark, and roots. The obtained concentration of nonessential element Pb was relatively lower than the permissible range (10 mgL–1) established by the World Health Organization. The elemental concentrations in all parts were within the set limits for provisional tolerable daily maximum intake (PTDMI) and provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI), and the hazard quotient index (HQ) was below 1 for all toxic metals. The micro and macroelemental distribution and the overall medicinal potential of any medicinal plant can be correlated for dose risk estimation, which will be useful in providing knowledge regarding the contraindication associated with folk medicines. In the present study, based on the elemental composition, it was calculated that the daily safe dose for Berberis baluchistanica is approximately 2‐5 g/day of raw powder for an adult, which must not be exceeded to this safe range.
Road Performance and Ice‐Melting Characteristics of Steel Wool Asphalt Mixture
Authors: Xia Yifeng , Jia Jie , Chen Qian
Published: April 2022

Elastic pavements, low‐freezing point pavements, and energy exchange pavements meet the function of road ice and snow melting but may damage the pavement performance. To solve the above problems, this study intends to develop a noncontact snow‐melting pavement by using induction heating technology. The steel wool asphalt mixture was prepared, and the effects of steel wool on road performances including the high‐temperature performance, low‐temperature performance, water stability, and fatigue performance were studied. The influence of the asphalt mixture’s factors, environmental factors, and human factors on the ice‐melting characteristics of steel wool asphalt mixture was analyzed. A prediction model of the ice‐melting rate of steel wool asphalt mixture based on a double‐hidden layer backpropagation (BP) neural network was established. The results show that the road performance of the asphalt mixture mixed with steel wool mostly meets the requirements of the specification. The increase in steel wool content and length can improve the road performance to a certain extent. In terms of ice‐melting performance, the content and length of steel wool have a beneficial effect on the ice‐melting rate. The lower the ambient temperature or the thicker the ice layer, the slower the ice‐melting rate. The greater the heating intensity, the faster the ice‐melting rate. The average absolute error of the melting ice prediction model is 0.016, so the melting ice effect can be well predicted by this model.
A Self-Adaptive Technique for Solving Variational Inequalities: A New Approach to the Problem
Authors: Bux Muhammad , Ullah Saleem , Arif Muhammad Shoaib , Abodayeh Kamaleldin
Published: April 2022

Variational inequalities are considered the most significant field in applied mathematics and optimization because of their massive and vast applications. The current study proposed a novel iterative scheme developed through a fixed-point scheme and formulation for solving variational inequalities. Modification is done by using the self-adaptive technique that provides the basis for predicting a new predictor-corrector self-adaptive for solving nonlinear variational inequalities. The motivation of the presented study is to provide a meaningful extension to existing knowledge through convergence at mild conditions. The numerical interpretation provided a significant boost to the results.
Farmers’ Perception on the Welfare of Broiler Chickens in Smallholder Production Systems in Kiambu County, Kenya
Authors: Yensuk Achikule A. , Maina Joyce G. , Mbugua Paul N.
Published: April 2022

In Kenya, commercial broiler production is growing rapidly due to increasing demand for poultry meat resulting in higher incomes for farmers. Due to this increase in demand, broiler chicken production is increasingly becoming intensive where chickens are overstocked in deep litter systems subjecting the birds to suffering perpetuated through burns on their shanks and breasts with constant footpad lesions, thus compromising their welfare. This study was conducted to determine the farmers’ attitudes towards the welfare of broiler chickens in smallholder production systems in Kiambu County, Kenya. A total of 120 farmers were randomly chosen for the study consisting of 42 and 78 respondents from Kikuyu and Kabete subcounties, respectively. A semistructured questionnaire was used to interview the farmers on their knowledge, attitudes, and practices in regard to broiler welfare. The results of this study indicated that most farmers (74%) in Kikuyu and Kabete subcounties had knowledge about broiler welfare. Media, hatcheries, agrovet centres, and extension agents were the main sources of information on broiler welfare to farmers at 61%, 40%, 38.8%, and 31.5% respectively. Farmers perceived that good feeding (88%), good health (83%), suitable housing (82%), and appropriate behaviour (48%) were very important indicators of broiler chicken welfare. Gumboro (infectious bursal disease) and new castle disease (NCD) were prevented through vaccination by most farmers (91%), while coccidiosis was controlled through cleaning and disinfection of broiler sheds and equipment as well as treatment of sick birds with coccidiostat. In conclusion, farmers’ perception on broiler welfare has a bearing on the performance of broiler chickens.
JPHYD Inhibits miR-21-5p/Smad7-Mediated Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition of Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells
Authors: Liu Li-Hua , Fang Chong-Kai , Ge Fu-Cheng , Wang Ji-Nan , Zhang Xiu-Bing , Luo Rui , Zhang Ying , Feng Kun-Liang , Qiu Zhen-Wen , Zhong Chong
Published: April 2022

Background. Studies have shown that Jianpi Huayu Decoction (JPHYD) can inhibit the growth of hepatocellular carcinoma cells, but the mechanism of its effect was not clear at present. Methods. We assessed the effect of JPHYD using liver cancer cells as in vitro cell model and xenograft tumor as in vivo model. CCK8, EdU, wound-healing, and transwell assays were performed to assess the cell growth, migration, and invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell lines HepG2 and MHCC97H. Western blot assay was performed to observe the protein level of E-cadherin, Smad7, N-cadherin, Snail, Smad3, Vimentin, and Zeb1. qRT-PCR assay was used to observe the expression of miR-21-5p in clinical liver cancer tissue samples and in HepG2 and MHCC97H cells. Animal tumorigenesis experiments and in vivo imaging experiments were performed to assess the results of in vitro experiments. Results. We found that JPHYD could inhibit the proliferation, invasion, and migration of hepatocellular carcinoma cells and JPHYD decreased the level of N-cadherin, Snail, Vimentin, Smad3, and Zeb1 and increased E-cadherin and Smad7 proteins. The expression of miR-21-5p was increased while that protein of Smad7 was decreased in HCC tissues. The vivo experiments also showed that miR-21-5p could promote the migration of HCC cells. JPHYD decreased miR-21-5p expression. The same results have been found in animal studies. Conclusion. Our results indicated that JPHYD inhibited epithelial-mesenchymal transition by increasing Smad7 expression and inhibiting miR-21-5p. Therefore, blocking the occurrence and development of EMT may be a new mechanism of JPHYD’s anti-liver cancer effect.
Can Previous Levels of Physical Activity Affect Risk Factors for Cardiorespiratory Diseases and Functional Capacity after COVID‐19 Hospitalization? A Prospective Cohort Study
Authors: Viana Ariane Aparecida , Heubel Alessandro Domingues , do Amaral Vanessa Teixeira , Linares Stephanie Nogueira , de Oliveira Gustavo Yudi Orikassa , Martinelli Bruno , Borghi Silva Audrey , Mendes Renata Gonçalves , Ciolac Emmanuel Gomes
Published: April 2022

Purpose. To evaluate the influence of previous levels of physical activity on hemodynamic, vascular, ventilatory, and functional outcomes after coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) hospitalization. Methods. Sixty‐three individuals with COVID‐19 had their clinical status and previous levels (12 month) of physical activity (Baecke Questionnaire of Habitual Physical Activity) assessed at hospital admission. Individuals were then allocated to lower levels of physical activity (ACTLOWER; N = 22), intermediate levels of physical activity (ACTINTERMEDIATE; N = 22), or higher levels of physical activity (ACTHIGHER; N = 19) groups, according to tertiles of physical activity. Resting hemodynamic (heart rate and brachial/central blood pressures) and vascular (carotid‐femoral pulse wave velocity, augmentation index, and brachial artery flow‐mediated dilation) variables, pulmonary function (spirometry), respiratory muscle strength (maximal respiratory pressures), and functional capacity (handgrip strength, five‐time sit‐to‐stand, timed‐up and go, and six‐minute walking tests) were measured at 30 to 45 days after hospital discharge. Results. ACTLOWER showed lower levels (P < 0.05) of forced vital capacity, forced expiratory volume in the first second, maximal voluntary ventilation, and maximal expiratory pressure than ACTHIGHER. ACTLOWER also had lower (P = 0.023) walking distance (~21%,) and lower percentage of predicted walking distance (~20%) at six‐minute walking test during follow‐up than ACTINTERMEDIATE. However, hemodynamic and vascular variables, handgrip strength, five‐time sit‐to‐stand, and timed‐up and go were not different among groups. Conclusion. ACTLOWER showed impaired ventilatory parameters and walking performance when compared with ACTHIGHER and ACTINTERMEDIATE, respectively. These results suggest that previous levels of physical activity may impact ventilatory and exercise capacity outcomes 30 to 45 days after COVID‐19 hospitalization discharge.
The Temporal and Spatial Changes of Th17, Tregs, and Related Cytokines in Epilepsy Lesions
Authors: Wei Jingbo , Liu Hui , Liu Ziqi , Jiang Xiaohua , Wang Weiping
Published: April 2022

The cellular and molecular mechanisms in pathogenesis and development of epilepsy are still unclear. Specific inflammatory mediators and immune cells may play an important role. The aim of the present study was to investigate the temporal and spatial changes of Th17, Tregs, and related cytokines in epilepsy lesions. LiCl-pilocarpine-induced temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) rat models were established, sensorimotor function was examined using modified neurological severity score (mNSS), cognitive function was evaluated by Morris water maze (MWM) test, pathological damages were detected by H&E staining and Nissl staining, helper T cells 17 (Th17), regulatory CD4+ T cells (Tregs), and their related cytokines were detected by Western blotting and immune staining. Results showed that Th17 and its related cytokines in epilepsy lesions played a role mainly at acute phase of epilepsy, and they were positively correlated with the pathological changes in the hippocampus and neurological and cognitive dysfunction caused by epilepsy. Conversely, Tregs and their related cytokines mainly played a role at progressive phase and had the opposite effect. Th17 and Tregs restricted each other during the recovery phase to achieve functional balance. Our results suggested that Th17, Tregs, and related cytokines in epilepsy lesions played an important role in the pathogenesis and development of epilepsy and balancing Th17 and Tregs may be efficacious therapeutics for patients with epilepsy.
Comprehensive Analysis of lncRNA Expression Profile and the Potential Role of ENST00000604491 in Graves’ Disease
Authors: Liu Yingzhao , Zou Junli , Xu Juan , Wang Xuehua , Xing Jie , Wang Li , Peng Huiyong
Published: April 2022

Background. Graves’ disease (GD) is one of the most common autoimmune diseases worldwide and develops in 20 to 50 cases per 100,000 persons annually. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are widely expressed in multiple human diseases and have pivotal functions in gene regulation. This study is aimed at determining the lncRNA profile in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from GD patients and investigating the role of ENST00000604491 in GD. Methods. A total of 31 GD patients and 32 normal controls were enrolled in the study. Next-generation sequencing was performed to identify the dysregulated lncRNAs in the PBMCs from the 5 GD patients and 5 normal controls, and 26 GD patients and 27 controls were used to verify the selected lncRNAs. The relative expression of verified lncRNAs, forkhead box P1 (FOXP1), and IKAROS family zinc finger 3 (IKZF3) from these samples was detected by quantitative real-time PCR. The potential biomarker value was assessed by using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Results. A total of 37,683 dysregulated expressed lncRNAs were indicated, of which 5 lncRNAs were significantly upregulated and 83 lncRNAs were remarkably downregulated in the GD patients compared with healthy subjects. Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analyses showed that abnormally expressed lncRNAs were mainly enriched in immune system-related signalling pathways. Among the selected lncRNAs, the relative expression of ENST00000604491 was significantly downregulated and negatively correlated with the serum levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor antibodies (TRAb) in GD patients. Further studies confirmed that decreased FOXP1 expression was inversely correlated with serum TRAb levels in GD patients. Moreover, there was a notably positive correlation between ENST00000604491 expression and FOXP1 transcript levels in GD. The area under the ROC curve of ENST00000604491 was up to 0.74 (95% confidence interval: 0.60-0.87,

p
<
0.01

), and the sensitivity and specificity were 53.85% and 88.89%, respectively. Conclusion. The present study identifies ENST00000604491 as a significantly attenuated lncRNA in GD patients, which may contribute to the pathogenesis of GD by regulating FOXP1 and represent a potential biomarker for GD.
Interleukin 10 Attenuates Angiotensin II-Induced Aortic Remodelling by Inhibiting Oxidative Stress-Induced Activation of the Vascular p38 and NF-κB Pathways
Authors: Qiu Ming , Shu Huanyu , Li Lu , Shen Yejiao , Tian Yunfan , Ji Yue , Sun Wei , Lu Yan , Kong Xiangqing
Published: April 2022

Interleukin 10 (IL-10) is a probable anti-inflammatory factor that can attenuate hypertrophic remodelling caused by overloaded pressure and improve cardiac function. In this study, IL-10 was decreased in both the plasma of hypertensive patients and the aortic vessels of angiotensin II (Ang II)-induced hypertensive mice. IL-10 was unable to alter blood pressure in the case of Ang II-induced hypertension. The aortic thickness, collagen deposition, and the levels of fibrosis-associated markers, including collagen type I α 1 (Col1α1), connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), and matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP2), were significantly reduced in the IL-10 treatment group compared with the vehicle group after Ang II treatment. Moreover, IL-10 treatment significantly inhibited the number of CD45+ positive cells and the mRNA expression levels of proinflammatory cytokines in the vascular tissue of Ang II-infused mice. Furthermore, dihydroethidium (DHE) and 4hydroxynonenal (4-HNE) staining showed that IL-10 decreased Ang II-induced vascular oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation. Furthermore, IL-10 suppressed Ang II-induced proliferation, fibrosis, and inflammation of mouse vascular adventitial fibroblasts (mVAFs). Mechanistically, IL-10 suppressed the phosphorylation of p38 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) in Ang II-induced vascular fibrosis. In summary, our data indicated that IL-10, as a potential therapeutic target treatment, could limit the progression of Ang II-induced aortic remodelling.
The Influence Mechanism of Knowledge Network Allocation Mechanism on Knowledge Distillation of High-Tech Enterprises
Authors: Yuan Jianlin , Jiang Qilei , Pan Yue
Published: April 2022

Increasing global development competition highlights the value of knowledge innovation ability of high-tech enterprises. In order to acquire innovative knowledge, the mediating variables of knowledge field activity and knowledge stock ranking are selected; the moderating variables of knowledge resource pooling and knowledge evolution are adopted to construct the conceptual model and theoretical analysis framework of the influence mechanism of knowledge network arrangement mechanism on knowledge distillation; the moderating mediating effect model is derived; and the influence mechanism of knowledge network allocation mechanism on knowledge distillation of high-tech enterprises is clarified. 531 valid questionnaires were obtained online and offline, and non-percentile bootstrap based on deviation correction was used to empirically investigate the influence mechanism and transmission path of knowledge network allocation mechanism on knowledge distillation of high-tech enterprises. The empirical results show that the main effect of knowledge network pairing on knowledge distillation of high-tech enterprises is significant. The results show that knowledge field activity and knowledge stock ranking play a differential intermediary role in knowledge network allocation and knowledge distillation, knowledge field activity plays a partial intermediary role in knowledge network allocation and knowledge distillation, and knowledge stock ranking plays a partial intermediary role in knowledge network allocation and knowledge distillation. Pooling knowledge resources positively moderates the positive effect of knowledge network allocation mechanism on knowledge distillation and significantly positively moderates the mediating effect of knowledge field activity, and there is a moderated mediating effect derived from it. However, there is no significant moderating effect on knowledge stock ranking between knowledge network allocation mechanism and knowledge distillation. Knowledge evolution positively moderates the positive effect of knowledge network allocation mechanism on knowledge distillation, significantly positively moderates the mediating effect of knowledge field activity, and derives the moderated mediating effect. However, there is no significant moderating effect on knowledge stock ranking between knowledge network allocation mechanism and knowledge distillation. This paper makes an empirical study on the effect of knowledge allocation mechanism on knowledge distillation, enriches the connotation and application scope of knowledge distillation, defines the driving factors and formation mechanism of knowledge distillation, and further promotes the knowledge value and knowledge appreciation of high-tech enterprises. It has guiding and reference significance in the acquisition of innovation knowledge and the promotion of competitiveness of high-tech enterprises.
Yttrium Oxide Nanoparticles Moderate the Abnormal Cognitive Behaviors in Male Mice Induced by Silver Nanoparticles
Authors: Abu-Taweel Gasem Mohammad , Al-Mutary Mohsen Ghaleb , Albetran Hani Manssor
Published: April 2022

Silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) have been used in medical, agricultural, and industrial purposes. Furthermore, NPs can cross the blood-brain barrier and encourage some effects on spatial learning and memory in organism. Here, we investigate the possible neurotoxicity of Ag-NPs with special emphasis on the neuroprotective impacts of yttrium-oxide nanoparticles (YO-NPs) in male mice. Male mice (

n
=
24

) were weekly intraperitoneally injected for 35 days as the following; groups I, II, III, and IV received tap water (control), Ag-NPs (40 mg/kg), YO-NPs (40 mg/kg), and Ag-NPs/YO-NPs (40 mg/kg each), respectively. After that, animals were tested in shuttle box, Morris water-maze, and T-maze devices to evaluate the spatial learning and memory competence. Neurotransmitters and oxidative indices in the forebrain were estimated. According to behavioral studies, the male animals from the Ag-NP group presented worse memory than those in the control group. The biochemical changes after Ag-NP exposure were observed through increasing TBARS levels and decline in oxidative biomarkers (SOD, CAT, GST, and GSH) and neurotransmitters (DOP, SER, and AChE) in the forebrain of male mice compared to untreated animals. Interestingly, the animals treated with mixed doses of Ag-NPs and YO-NPs displayed improvements in behavioral tests, oxidative parameters, and neurotransmitters compared to males treated with Ag-NPs alone. In conclusion, the abnormal behavior related to learning and memory in male mice induced by Ag-NPs was significantly alleviated by YO-NPs. Specifically, the coinjection of YO-NPs with Ag-NPs moderates the disruption in neurotransmitters, oxidative indices of mice brains, which reflects on their cognitive behaviors.