bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Efficient Steady and Unsteady Flow Modeling for Arbitrarily Mis-Staggered Bladerow Under Influence of Inlet Distortion
Authors: Phan H. M. , He L.
Published: March 2021

Accurate and efficient predictions of the steady and unsteady flow responses due to the blade-to-blade variation as well as due to the nonaxisymmetric inlet distortion have been continually pursued. Computation of two problems concurrently has been rarely done in the past partly because of the need to perform whole annulus bladerow simulations, despite the advances in the current state-of-the-art methods with the phase-shift single passage simulations. The current work attempts to deal with this challenge by developing a new computational approach based on the principle of the multiscale method in the framework of a commercial solver (CFX). The methodology formulation relies on summation of the constituent source terms, each of which corresponds to a particular flow perturbation. The source term element corresponding to the blade-to-blade variation effect is linearly superimposed as in the classical Influence Coefficient Method. The unsteady flow field around a blade at any time instant depends only on its relative position to all its neighboring blades, so that the influences of an arbitrarily mis-staggered bladerow can be computed efficiently. In addition, the source term arisen due to the inlet distortion is calculated based on the spatial Fourier transform. A key enabler is that the source terms can be precomputed using a small set of identical blade passages. The source term is then propagated to different spatial and temporal locations depending on the combination of the mis-staggering pattern and the inlet distortion. The multiscale treatment makes it possible to predict a high-resolution flow field effects on the base coarse mesh as if a fine mesh were locally solved, while achieving a considerable computational efficiency gain. The proposed influence-coefficient and source term based method has been validated for test cases with a uniformly staggered bladerow, and for an arbitrarily mis-staggered bladerow, under a clean inflow condition as well as that subject to an inlet distortion.
Extending and validating the Baveno VI criteria for the exclusion of high-risk varices
Authors: Barbulescu Andreea , Ratiu Iulia , Sporea Ioan , Lungeanu Diana , Lupusoru Raluca , Miutescu Bogdan , Danila Mirela , Popescu Alina , Sirli Roxana
Published: March 2021

Aim: The updated Baveno VI guidelines recommend that screening for high-risk varices (HRV) by esophago-gastro-duodenoscopy (EGD) can be avoided in patients with compensated advanced chronic liver disease (cACLD) who have liver stiffness LSM<20 kPa and platelet count PLT>150,000/L. The aims of this study were to validate extended Baveno VI criteria in patients with chronic liver disease and to establish cut-off values for our cohort. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study included 839 patients with liver cirrhosis evaluated by Transient Elastography (TE), biological tests, and upper endos-copy, all within one year. The Baveno VI criteria were validated on a sub-group of 728 patients (Cohort 1, randomly selected from the study sample) and tailored cut-off points were determined. The remaining 111 patients comprised the validating set (Cohort 2) for these specific cut-off values. Results: In Cohort 1, Baveno VI criteria had 86.2% accuracy. The calculated cut-offs to rule-in HRV were PLT<150,000/mm3 and LSM >35.3 kPa; while to rule-out HRV they were PLT >150.000/mm3 and LSM <19.6 kPa. In patients in the “grey-zone”, by multivariate analysis, albumin was independently associated with HRV at a cut-off of ˂3.4 g/dl. In the validation cohort, the calculated rule out cut-offs had 100% accuracy. Conclusions: The Baveno VI criteria had a good accuracy for exclusion of HRV in this large cohort of cirrhotic patients. Adding an albumin-related threshold increased performance and broadened applicability. Using the calculated rule-out criteria for HRV, all unnecessary EGD could be excluded.
Cerebellar 5HT-2A receptor mediates stress-induced onset of dystonia
Authors: Kim Jung Eun , Chae Sujin , Kim Sungsoo , Jung Yeon-Joo , Kang Myoung-Goo , Do Heo Won , Kim Daesoo
Published: March 2021

Serotonin increased by stress mediates onset of dystonia through activation of 5HT-2A receptors in the deep cerebellar nuclei.
Modulation of intercolumnar synchronization by endogenous electric fields in cerebral cortex
Authors: Rebollo Beatriz , Telenczuk Bartosz , Navarro-Guzman Alvaro , Destexhe Alain , Sanchez-Vives Maria V.
Published: March 2021

Endogenous electric fields modulate synchronization across cerebral cortex columns compatible with electric-dipole interactions.
Anti-EGFR VHH-armed death receptor ligand–engineered allogeneic stem cells have therapeutic efficacy in diverse brain metastatic breast cancers
Authors: Kitamura Yohei , Kanaya Nobuhiko , Moleirinho Susana , Du Wanlu , Reinshagen Clemens , Attia Nada , Bronisz Agnieszka , Revai Lechtich Esther , Sasaki Hikaru , Mora Joana Liliana , Brastianos Priscilla Kaliopi , Falcone Jefferey L. , Hofer Aldebaran M. , Franco Arnaldo , Shah Khalid
Published: March 2021

This study presents a mechanism-based receptor-targeted cellular therapy approach to treat breast to brain metastasis.
Hallmarks of
Alpha-
and
Betacoronavirus
non-structural protein 7+8 complexes
Authors: Krichel Boris , Bylapudi Ganesh , Schmidt Christina , Blanchet Clement , Schubert Robin , Brings Lea , Koehler Martin , Zenobi Renato , Svergun Dmitri , Lorenzen Kristina , Madhugiri Ramakanth , Ziebuhr John , Uetrecht Charlotte
Published: March 2021

Coronaviral nsp7+8 complexes follow species- and stoichiometry-specific assembly pathways determined by few amino acid changes.
Cryo-EM structures of excitatory amino acid transporter 3 visualize coupled substrate, sodium, and proton binding and transport
Authors: Qiu Biao , Matthies Doreen , Fortea Eva , Yu Zhiheng , Boudker Olga
Published: March 2021

We report structures of hEAAT3 in several states, revealing the structural basis of coupled substrate and ion binding.
Identification of a SARS-CoV-2 Lineage B1.1.7 Virus in New York following Return Travel from the United Kingdom
Authors: C. Caserta Leonardo , Mitchell Patrick K. , Plocharczyk Elizabeth , Diel Diego G.
Published: March 2021

Here, we report the identification and coding-complete genome sequence of a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) strain (NYI.B1-7.01-21) obtained from a patient with symptoms of COVID-19 who had a recent travel history to the United Kingdom. The sample was tested by the Cayuga Health Systems laboratory as part of New York State’s travel testing guidance and was sequenced at Cornell University after testing positive.
Addressing recruitment and retention in paediatrics: a pipeline to a brighter future
Authors: Mallett Peter , Thompson Andrew , Bourke Thomas
Published: March 2021

Background

In the UK, the number of junior doctors completing foundation programme, and the number of trainees applying to paediatrics has been in decline in recent years. The NHS is at ‘breaking point’, exacerbated by workforce shortages, chronic underfunding, increasing service demand and poor job satisfaction within healthcare workers. Issues in recruitment and retention of paediatricians ‘threaten the safety of our children’s health’, according to the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health.

Aim

To explore what strategies have been described in the literature to enhance recruitment and retention in paediatrics.

Methods

A scoping review methodology was conducted, employing a qualitative approach to review the literature. The studies included were English-language studies. 16 full-text articles were reviewed and analysed.

Study findings

There is a paucity of data in the literature that describes evidence-based approaches to enhancing retention and recruitment in paediatrics. The most important strategies employed to help are identified and grouped into six main themes. These include professional advocacy, workforce diversity, mentorship, improving working conditions, career flexibility and enhancing educational opportunities. The authors have created a ‘paediatric pipeline’ paradigm of ‘identify, engage, recruit, retain and champion’, which allow us to present these themes in a pragmatic way for paediatricians and policymakers.

Conclusions

While some issues share similarities with other specialties in difficulty, much of the context and potential remedies within paediatrics are distinct. A strategic, multi-agency collaborative approach is required urgently to address the significant issues that face both paediatrics and the healthcare system.
Can other coronavirus infections cause a cryptogenic stroke in a young patient?
Authors: Itsekson Hayosh Ze'ev , Schwammenthal Yvonne , Orion David
Published: March 2021

We present a challenging case of a young patient who presented with focal neurological signs following a course of OC-43 coronavirus-related pneumonia almost 8 months before the COVID-19 outbreak.
Aspirin to prevent pre-eclampsia
Authors: Tong Stephen , Walker Susan , Cluver Catherine , Hastie Roxanne
Published: March 2021

Topics for DTB review articles are selected by DTB’s editorial board to provide concise overviews of medicines and other treatments to help patients get the best care. Articles include a summary of key points and a brief overview for patients. Articles may also have a series of multiple choice CME questions.
Species delimitation in Noccaea densiflora species complex (Brassicaceae) based on morphological and molecular data
Authors: Özgişi Kurtuluş , Tarıkahya-Hacıoğlu Burcu , Ocak Atilla
Published: March 2021

The accurate identification of an organism is the basis of all biological disciplines. Although there have been many different species concepts and methods proposed, researchers generally choose the most appropriate concept according to their interests. However, each species concept has both advantages and disadvantages. In such cases, an integrated concept based on evidence obtained from different species concepts and methods is suitable for the accurate delimitation of a species. The biggest dilemma of integrated species delimitation methods is the inconsistency between species concepts and methods. Herein, the congruency of the different concepts and methods was tested to reveal the relationship of the Noccaea densiflora species complex. Nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer, chloroplast trnL-F, and trnQ-5′rps16 regions were used for species delimitation using the multispecies coalescent model as implemented in two developed Bayesian methods. Internal transcribed spacer and trnL-F regions were also used for Templeton, Crandall, and Singh haplotype network analyses. In addition to morphological measurements from different populations and vouchers, specific bioclimatic data values were also used for the principal component analysis. Based on the analyses, it was determined that only one population of N. densiflora (Boiss. & Kotschy) F.K. Mey. and one of Noccaea microstyla (Boiss.) F.K. Mey. were clearly distinct, whereas the rest of the specimens remain taxonomically uncertain.
Evaluation of disease, yield and economics associated with fungicide timing in Canadian Western Red Spring wheat
Authors: Asif M. , Strydhorst S. , Strelkov S.E. , Terry A. , Harding M.W. , Feng J. , Yang R.C.
Published: March 2021

Protection from fungal plant pathogens is key for optimizing the yield and quality of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). However, current grower practices and historical research do not always align with respect to optimum fungicide timing to maximize disease control, yield, quality, and profitability of Canadian Western Red Spring (CWRS) wheat. Six fungicide treatments were evaluated at eight site–years across Alberta in 2018 and 2019 to determine the optimum time for fungicide application. The treatments included early fungicide applications at BBCH 22–23 (herbicide timing), early- to mid-season application at BBCH 30–32 (plant growth regulator timing), ‘traditional’ timing at BBCH 39–45 (flag leaf), and head timing at BBCH 61–63 (Fusarium head blight timing) and were compared with a non-treated control. Yield responses to fungicide treatments occurred at 50% of the site–years when disease pressure was 32% higher than in non-responsive site–years. Responsive site–years were characterized by higher relative humidity (65.4%–74.0%) and an average 273 mm of precipitation. At responsive site–years, McFadden leaf spot disease severity ratings were 50% greater in early August when fungicides were applied at BBCH 22–23 and 30–32 versus at BBCH 39–45. At responsive sites, yield and thousand-kernel weight were 9.3% and 5.2%, higher, respectively, for fungicide applications at BBCH 39–45 and BBCH 61–63 compared with fungicide applications at BBCH 22–23 and BBCH 30–32. The most economically beneficial practices were applications of propiconazole, benzovindiflupyr and azoxystrobin (Trivapro A+B) at BBCH 39–45 or prothioconazole and tebuconazole (Prosaro XTR) at BBCH 61–63 when environmental conditions were conducive for disease development.
A data-driven approach for assessing biking safety in cities
Authors: Daraei Sara , Pelechrinis Konstantinos , Quercia Daniele
Published: March 2021

With the focus that cities around the world have put on sustainable transportation during the past few years, biking has become one of the foci for local governments globally. Cities all over the world invest in biking infrastructure, including bike lanes, bike parking racks, shared (dockless) bike systems etc. However, one of the critical factors in converting city-dwellers to (regular) bike users/commuters is safety. In this work, we utilize bike accident data from different cities to model the biking safety based on street-level (geographical and infrastructural) features. Our evaluations indicate that our model provides well-calibrated probabilities that accurately capture the risk of a biking accident. We further perform cross-city comparisons in order to explore whether there are universal features that relate to cycling safety. Finally, we discuss and showcase how our model can be utilized to explore “what-if” scenarios and facilitate policy decision making.
People, Ideas, Milestones: A Scientometric Study of Computational Thinking
Authors: Saqr Mohammed , Ng Kwok , Oyelere Solomon sunday , Tedre Matti
Published: March 2021

The momentum around computational thinking (CT) has kindled a rising wave of research initiatives and scholarly contributions seeking to capitalize on the opportunities that CT could bring. A number of literature reviews have showed a vibrant community of practitioners and a growing number of publications. However, the history and evolution of the emerging research topic, the milestone publications that have shaped its directions, and the timeline of the important developments may be better told through a quantitative, scientometric narrative. This article presents a bibliometric analysis of the drivers of the CT topic, as well as its main themes of research, international collaborations, influential authors, and seminal publications, and how authors and publications have influenced one another. The metadata of 1,874 documents were retrieved from the Scopus database using the keyword “computational thinking.” The results show that CT research has been US-centric from the start, and continues to be dominated by US researchers both in volume and impact. International collaboration is relatively low, but clusters of joint research are found between, for example, a number of Nordic countries, lusophone- and hispanophone countries, and central European countries. The results show that CT features the computing’s traditional tripartite disciplinary structure (design, modeling, and theory), a distinct emphasis on programming, and a strong pedagogical and educational backdrop including constructionism, self-efficacy, motivation, and teacher training.
Primate extrastriate cortical area MST: a gateway between sensation and cognition
Authors: Wild Benedict , Treue Stefan
Published: March 2021

Primate visual cortex consists of dozens of distinct brain areas, each providing a highly specialized component to the sophisticated task of encoding the incoming sensory information and creating a representation of our visual environment that underlies our perception and action. One such area is the medial superior temporal cortex (MST), a motion-sensitive, direction-selective part of the primate visual cortex. It receives most of its input from the middle temporal (MT) area, but MST cells have larger receptive fields and respond to more complex motion patterns. The finding that MST cells are tuned for optic flow patterns has led to the suggestion that the area plays an important role in the perception of self-motion. This hypothesis has received further support from studies showing that some MST cells also respond selectively to vestibular cues. Furthermore, the area is part of a network that controls the planning and execution of smooth pursuit eye movements and its activity is modulated by cognitive factors, such as attention and working memory. This review of more than 90 studies focuses on providing clarity of the heterogeneous findings on MST in the macaque cortex and its putative homolog in the human cortex. From this analysis of the unique anatomical and functional position in the hierarchy of areas and processing steps in primate visual cortex, MST emerges as a gateway between perception, cognition, and action planning. Given this pivotal role, this area represents an ideal model system for the transition from sensation to cognition.
Individual differences in proprioception predict the extent of implicit sensorimotor adaptation
Authors: Tsay Jonathan S. , Kim Hyosub E. , Parvin Darius E. , Stover Alissa R. , Ivry Richard B.
Published: March 2021

Although the sensorimotor system uses sensory feedback to remain calibrated, this learning process is constrained, limited by the maximum degree of plasticity. The factors determining this limit remain elusive. Guided by two hypotheses, we show that individual differences in the upper bound of adaptation in response to a visual perturbation can be predicted by the bias and variability in proprioception. These results underscore the critical, but often neglected role of proprioception in human motor learning.
Computing Unloading Strategy of Massive Internet of Things Devices Based on Game Theory in Mobile Edge Computing
Authors: Ding Xinhui , Zhang Wenjuan
Published: March 2021

Due to the limited computing resources of the mobile edge computing (MEC) server, a massive Internet of things device computing unloading strategy using game theory in mobile edge computing is proposed. First of all, in order to make full use of the massive local Internet of things equipment resources, a new MEC system computing an unloading system model based on device-to-device (D2D) communication is designed and modeled, including communication model, task model, and computing model. Then, by using the utility function, the parameters are substituted into it, and the optimization problem with the goal of maximizing the number of CPU cycles and minimizing the energy consumption is constructed with the unloading strategy and power as constraints. Finally, the game theory is used to solve the problem of computing offload. Based on the proposed beneficial task offload theory, combined with the mobile user device computing offload task amount, transmission rate, idle device performance, and other factors, the computing offload scheme suitable for their own situation is selected. The simulation results show that the proposed scheme has better convergence characteristics, and, compared with other schemes, the proposed scheme significantly improves the amount of data transmission and reduces the energy consumption of the task.
Mechanisms of Trx2/ASK1‐Mediated Mitochondrial Injury in Pemphigus Vulgaris
Authors: Wei Bin , Li Fenghe
Published: March 2021

Objective. Apoptotic events mediated by mitochondrial injury play an important role on the onset of Pemphigus vulgaris (PV). The thioredoxin‐2 (Trx2)/apoptosis signal‐regulating kinase 1 (ASK1) signaling pathway is considered a key cascade involved on the regulation of mitochondrial injury. Hence, we have investigated the regulatory mechanism of the Trx2/ASK1 signaling in PV‐induced mitochondrial injury. Methods. Serum and tissue samples were collected from clinical PV patients to detect the oxidative stress factors, cell apoptosis, and expression of members from Trx2/ASK1 signaling. HaCaT cells were cultured with the serum of PV patients and transfected with Trx2 overexpression or silencing vector. Changes in the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), mitochondrial membrane potential (△ψm), and apoptosis were further evaluated. A PV mouse model was established and administered with Trx2‐overexpressing plasmid. The effect of ectopic Trx2 expression towards acantholysis in PV mice was observed. Results. A series of cellular and molecular effects, including (i) increased levels of oxidative stress products, (ii) destruction of epithelial cells in the skin tissues, (iii) induction of apoptosis in keratinocytes, (iv) reduction of Trx2 protein levels, and (v) enhanced phosphorylation of ASK1, were detected in PV patients. In vitro experiments confirmed that Trx2 can inhibit ASK1 phosphorylation, alleviate ROS release, decrease △ψm, and lower the apoptotic rate. Injection of Trx2‐overexpressing vectors in vivo could also relieve acantholysis and blister formation in PV mice. Conclusion. The Trx2/ASK1 signaling pathway regulates the incidence of PV mediated by mitochondrial injury.
Existence Results for Fractional Semilinear Integrodifferential Equations of Mixed Type with Delay
Authors: Wang Xue , Zhu Bo
Published: March 2021

In this paper, we discuss a class of fractional semilinear integrodifferential equations of mixed type with delay. Based on the theories of resolvent operators, the measure of noncompactness, and the fixed point theorems, we establish the existence and uniqueness of global mild solutions for the equations. An example is provided to illustrate the application of our main results.
Slope Collapse Detection Based on Image Processing
Authors: An Xin-Dai , Xie Xiang-Wen , Wu Di , Song Ke-Feng
Published: March 2021

In this paper, we study a task of slope collapse detection (SCD) for river embankment and formulate it as the tasks of motion detection and image recognition. Specifically, we introduce an SCD method based on motion detection and image recognition technologies to help inspector attendants detect the slope collapse. In this method, we use the foreground motion detection algorithm to identify the slope collapse of the scene of the river embankment. Since the moving targets in the foreground may not only be the slope collapse but also maybe some biology, we further use the image feature extraction and image recognition technology to recognize the foreground motion area, thus eliminating the influence of the biology on the detection results. Experimental results on the relevant scene data show that the proposed method can identify the slope collapse in real-time, and can effectively eliminate the motion interference of the biology, which has a high practical value.
Herbal Medicine for Adult Patients with Cough Variant Asthma: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Chen Yuan-Bin , Shergis Johannah L , Wu Zhen-Hu , Guo Xin-Feng , Zhang Anthony L , Wu Lei , Fan Fei-Ting , Xu Yin-Ji , Xue Charlie C , Lin Lin
Published: March 2021

Introduction. Herbal medicine is commonly used by patients with chronic cough, but the role of herbal medicine for cough variant asthma (CVA) has not yet been clearly defined. For the first time, we performed a meta-analysis to integrate the current evidence of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on this topic and assess the efficacy of herbal medicine in adults with CVA. Methods. A comprehensive search was conducted in electronic databases to identify RCTs of herbal medicine for adult CVA. Cochrane systematic review methods were followed, and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation was performed to evaluate the quality of evidence. Results. Twenty-eight RCTs were included. Compared with placebo, moderate-quality evidence from two studies showed that herbal medicine was associated with reduced cough symptom score (CSS) (MD −1.15 points; 95% CI, −1.67 to −0.63) and visual analogue scale (VAS) (MD −1.76 points; 95% CI, −2.66 to −0.86). Compared with montelukast, low- to moderate-quality evidence from 11 studies indicated that herbal medicine was associated with improved Leicester Cough Questionnaire (LCQ) (MD 2.38 points; 95% CI, 1.32 to 3.44), reduced CSS (SMD −0.81 points; 95% CI, −1.09 to −0.53), and VAS (MD −1.34 points; 95% CI, −1.82 to −0.86). There were no significant differences between herbal medicine and ICS plus bronchodilator. Conclusions. In adults with CVA, herbal medicine may result in improved quality of life and reduced cough frequency and severity scores compared with placebo or montelukast. Herbal medicine was not better than ICS plus a bronchodilator but the evidence is very uncertain.
DUOX2 As a Potential Prognostic Marker which Promotes Cell Motility and Proliferation in Pancreatic Cancer
Authors: Cao Meng , Zhang Peng-Bo , Wu Peng-Fei , Chen Qun , Ge Wan-Li , Shi Guo-Dong , Yin Jie , Cai Bao-Bao , Cao Shou-Ji , Miao Yi , Jiang Kui-Rong
Published: March 2021

DUOX2 has been reported to highly express in several types of cancers. However, the prognostic significance and the biological function of DUOX2 expression with pancreatic cancer (PC) still remain unclear. The present study is aimed at investigating whether DUOX2 could act as a novel biomarker of prognosis and evaluating its effect on PC cell progression. The mRNA and protein expression of DUOX2 in PC cells and tissues were assessed by quantitative real‐time PCR (RT‐qPCR) and immunohistochemistry. The effect of DUOX2 expression on PC cell motility and proliferation was evaluated in vitro. The correlation between DUOX2 mRNA expression and clinicopathological features and its prognostic significance were analyzed according to the Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) website based on The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the GTEx databases combined with our clinical information. According to bioinformatics analysis, we forecasted the upstream transcription factors (TFs) and microRNA (miRNA) regulatory mechanism of DUOX2 in PC. The expression of DUOX2 at transcriptional and protein level was dramatically increased in PC specimens when compared to adjacent nontumor specimens. Functionally, DUOX2 knockdown inhibited cell motility and proliferation activities. Our clinical data revealed that the patients had better postoperative overall survival (OS) with lower expression of DUOX2, which is consistent with GEPIA data. Multivariate analysis revealed that high DUOX2 expression was considered as an independent prognostic indicator for OS (P = 0.031). Based on Cistrome database, the top 5 TFs of each positively and negatively association with DUOX2 were predicted. hsa‐miR‐5193 and hsa‐miR‐1343‐3p targeting DUOX2 were forecasted from TargetScan, miRDB, and DIANA‐TarBase databases, which were negatively correlated with OS (P = 0.043 and P = 0.0088, respectively) and DUOX2 expression (P = 0.0093 and P = 0.0032, respectively) in PC from TCGA data. These findings suggest that DUOX2 acts as a promising predictive biomarker and an oncogene in PC, which could be a therapeutic target for PC.
FOXA3, a Negative Regulator of Nur77 Expression and Activity in Testicular Steroidogenesis
Authors: Kim Hansle , Kumar Sudeep , Lee Keesook
Published: March 2021

Biosynthesis of testosterone occurs mainly in the testicular Leydig cells. Nur77, an orphan nuclear receptor that is expressed in response to the luteinizing hormone/cyclic adenosine monophosphate (LH/cAMP) signaling pathway, is one of the key factors that regulate steroidogenesis in Leydig cells. The function of Nur77 is modulated through interaction with other proteins. FOXA3, a transcription factor that is crucial for male fertility, is also expressed in Leydig cells. Here, we sought to elucidate the role of FOXA3 in testicular steroidogenesis by focusing on its interaction with Nur77. LH/cAMP signaling induces the onset of steroidogenesis in Leydig cells but has a repressive effect on the expression of FOXA3. Overexpression of FOXA3 in MA-10 Leydig cells repressed cAMP-induced expression of Nur77 and its target steroidogenic genes (StAR, P450c17, and Hsd3β). Furthermore, FOXA3 suppressed Nur77 transactivation of the promoter of steroidogenic genes. In mouse primary Leydig cells, adenovirus-mediated overexpression of FOXA3 had similar effects and resulted in decreased production of testosterone. Taken together, these results suggest the role of FOXA3 in the regulation of steroidogenic genes in Leydig cells and fine-tuning steroidogenesis in the testis.
Failure Analysis of a Highway Cut Slope with Anti-Slide Piles
Authors: Chen Hongjie , Zhang Guangcheng , Chang Zheng , Wen Lian , Gao Wentao
Published: March 2021

Landslides induced by engineering construction are very common in reality; it is necessary to clarify the causes of landslide failure to avoid similar accidents. A landslide induced by highway construction is taken as a case. Field observations, data collection, and analyses were used to investigate the deformation and causes of the landslide. The failed slope is mostly comprised of gravel soil, there were some shear cracks on both sides of the slope before sliding, and most tensile cracks were connected with shear cracks after sliding. The cut slope of this highway was designed to be protected by prestressed anchor sheet piles. However, in the construction process, the slope in front of the antipiles was removed when the piles were constructed without any anchor cables, which led to the shear damage of a row of anti-slide piles with a 15-meter-long cantilever. Moreover, continuous rainfall over several days aggravated the landslide damage because of increase of the self-weight and degradation of the mechanical parameters of the slope materials. The mechanical and simulation analyses both show that the resistance provided by the cantilever piles was not enough to prevent the force behind the piles. The irrational construction process and rainfall caused the slope failure.
Measuring the Smart Growth Spatial Performance in Developing City of Northwest China Plains Area
Authors: Li Jing , Zhou Hongwei , Cai Zhongyuan
Published: March 2021

“Smart growth” is an urban planning concept. In this paper, the overall urban-rural smart growth efficiency is explored, which serves as an indicator to effectively measure the allocation of urban-rural spatial resources and structural rationality of the urban-rural space. Taking a developing county city in northwest China plains area as an example, the urban-rural spatial efficiency system was established and the evaluation model constructed by using the data envelopment analysis (DEA)-slack-based measure (SBM) model. The model was used to empirically analyze the characteristics in 2000, 2010, and 2018. The results show that the urban-rural spatial efficiency of the urban-rural space degree of a county in northwest China plains area exhibits growth trend on the whole, and scale efficiency increases the most. The increase of technical efficiency promotes the growth of spatial performance, which is mainly manifested in the construction of industrial parks. Although urban and rural spatial performance has made great achievements, there are still problems. Results of the test for each city indicate that the method proposed in this study is, in fact, quite effective in evaluating the smart growth pattern for developing cities. Finally, the corresponding improvement social and economic policies’ strategy is proposed.
On New
χ
-Fixed Point Results for
λ
−

Υ
,
χ

-Contractions in Complete Metric Spaces with Applications
Authors: Mohammadi Babak , Sintunavarat Wutiphol , Parvaneh Vahid
Published: March 2021

The main aim of this work is to introduce the new concept of

λ
−

Υ
,
χ

-contraction self-mappings and prove the existence of

χ

-fixed points for such mappings in metric spaces. Our results generalize and improve some results in existing literature. Moreover, some fixed point results in partial metric spaces can be derived from our

χ

-fixed points results. Finally, the existence of solutions of nonlinear integral equations is investigated via the theoretical results in this work.
Numerical Analyses of Static Characteristics of Liquid Annular Seals Based on 2D LBM‐LES Model
Authors: Zhang Zhenjie , Zhai Lulu , Guo Jia , Zhu Zuchao , Chen Guoyou
Published: March 2021

Static characteristics and leakage flow rates of liquid annular seals have great influences on the hydraulic efficiency of turbomachinery. In this paper, a two‐dimensional (2D) mathematical model for predicting the leakage flow rates and static characteristics of liquid seal is established, based on the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) combined with the D2G9 velocity model for incompressible fluid and large eddy simulation (LES) turbulence model, in which the transformation equation of reference pressure is developed with the Bernoulli equation. Moreover, the proposed model is validated by comparing with the experimental results, calculation results based on the finite volume method (FVM), and the results based on the empirical method of three seals under different operating conditions. The comparisons show that the maximum deviation in leakage prediction of the calculating model based on 2D LBM is 4%, and this calculating model will effectively improve the leakage prediction accuracy of the seals compared with the FVM and theoretical method.
New Retail Marketing Strategy Combining Virtual Reality and 5G Mobile Communication
Authors: Zhang Xing
Published: March 2021

At present, Chinaʼs retail industry has been completely opened to the outside world, and it is exactly the same. The retail industry has become one of Chinaʼs most market-oriented and competitive industries. At the same time, the changes in consumer demand are becoming more and more diversified. In order to meet the diversified and personalized needs of consumers, retail companies must continue to increase investment in services, management, marketing, and branding. This paper combines virtual technology and 5G mobile communication technology to design and realize a set of 3D virtual fitting system. According to peopleʼs fitting needs, the research is carried out from two aspects: clothing style and body type matching degree and clothing fabric drape. In the comparison of body shape test results with conventional body shape judgment experience, the correct rate of the virtual fitting systemʼs body shape judgment was 86%, and the error rate was 14%. In the comparison of online shopping data of consumers on different communication networks, it was found that the speed of different networks is different. The shopping experience has a relatively large impact. As a newly developed network mobile communication technology, 5Gʼs ultra-high speed advantage has a great impact on the consumer experience; in the analysis and comparison of the traditional operation mode and the combination of online and offline operation modes, it is concluded that the traditional marketing model is far from meeting peopleʼs current life needs, and new retail is catering to the consumer needs of people in the new era.
Influences on the Seismic Response of the Gravity Dam‐Foundation‐Reservoir System with Different Boundary and Input Models
Authors: Chen Denghong , Hou Chunping , Wang Feng
Published: March 2021

Dynamic dam‐foundation interaction is great important in the design and safety assessment of the dam structures. Two classic boundary conditions, i.e., the viscous‐spring boundary and the viscous boundary, are employed to consider the radiation damping of the unbounded rock foundation. The input models of seismic excitation of the viscous‐spring boundary and the viscous boundary are derived. The accuracy of the two boundary conditions in the dynamic analysis of the dam foundation is verified through the foundation analysis using an impulsive load. The influences of two boundary conditions and their earthquake input models on the seismic analysis of the Pine Flat and Jin’anqiao gravity dam‐foundation‐reservoir systems are then investigated. The results of displacements, hydrodynamic pressure, and principal stresses show that the agreement between the results of the viscous‐spring boundary and viscous boundary is good. The relative errors of the two models in the Pine Flat and Jin’anqiao gravity dams are both less than 5%. They are both acceptable from an engineering point of view.
An Analysis of Loess Tunnel Failure and Its Mechanism
Authors: Shao Shuai , Shao Shengjun , Li Jun , Qiu Bing
Published: March 2021

A series of changes of mechanical properties such as fracture development, relaxation, collapse deformation, and strength decreasing of the surrounding rock of loess tunnels occur due to shearing and immersing, and loess tunnels will be prone to engineering failures, including large deformation, fissure, ground collapse, landslide, and lining cracking, seriously threatening the construction and operation safety of tunnels. These problems are especially prominent for long‐span loess tunnels. Based on the understanding of features in the construction and operation of the loess tunnel project and proceeding from the perspective of structural evolution of loess, distribution of the shear deformation zone, instability of the excavation face, and adverse effects of geological conditions, the predisposing factors of damage of the surrounding rock and the supporting structure of large‐span loess tunnels, common types of failures, and their formation mechanisms are analyzed in this paper. According to the relationship between the evolution of the loess structure and the law of strength change, an improved Mohr–Coulomb elastic‐plastic, tension‐compression‐shear, constitutive model, considering the loess structural property, is established and applied in numerical calculation. The formation mechanism of different failures in the course of loess tunnel construction is revealed by numerical analysis, in which the structural property of loess, loess strata, geological conditions, and excavating and supporting actions are simulated by the numerical method. A reference is provided for the prevention and remediation of engineering failures of a loess tunnel.
Identification of Prognostic and Therapeutic Biomarkers among FAM83 Family Members for Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Ma Zuyi , Zhou Zixuan , Zhuang Hongkai , Li Zhenchong , Ma Zuguang , Huang Bowen , Liu Chunsheng , Gong Yuanfeng , Zou Yiping , Zheng Zehao , Huang Shanzhou , Zhang Chuanzhao , Hou Baohua
Published: March 2021

Family with sequence similarity 83 (FAM83) members were shown recently to have oncogenic effect in a variety of cancer types, but the biological roles and prognostic value of FAM83 family in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma remain unknown. In the current study, the clinical significance and molecular function of the FAM83 family were assessed by multiple bioinformatics analysis. Besides, potential associations between differentially expressed genes (DEGs) of FAM83 family and antitumor immunity were evaluated using TIMER and TISIDB analyses. As the results show, FAM83A, FAM83D, FAM83E, and FAM83H were significantly upregulated in PDAC and were identified as DEGs. Higher expression of FAM83A, FAM83B, FAM83D, FAM83E, and FAM83H were associated with advanced tumor stage or worse patient prognosis. Importantly, the overexpression of DEGs was found to be significantly correlated with activated KRAS and loss of SMAD4, which are important drivers for PDAC. Further, FAM83A, FAM83D, and FAM83H were associated with CD8+ T cell, Gamma Delta T cell, and CD4+ T cell infiltration in PDAC and FAM83H was found closely correlated with some immunomodulators including immunoinhibitors, immunostimulators, and MHC molecules. In conclusion, FAM83A, FAM83D, FAM83E, and FAM83H have significant prognostic value in PDAC and they may play important roles in regulating tumor progression and the immune cell infiltration.
Corrosion Behavior and Failure Mechanism of Prestressed Rock Bolts (Cables) in the Underground Coal Mine
Authors: Wang Qiong , Wang Fengnian , Ren Aiwu , Peng Rui , Li Jian
Published: March 2021

Premature failure of rock bolts (cables) due to stress corrosion cracking (SCC) is a phenomenon that has been reported to occur in the underground environment. In the 1990s, many failure accidents of bolts which occurred in the United Kingdom were caused by SCC [1]. In this study, the corrosion behavior and failure mechanism of rock bolt (cable) samples obtained from the underground coal mine were examined and discussed. Macroscopic observation and weight loss tests were carried out for the bolts’ corrosion characteristics without failure. The results show that the bolts with short service time (1.5–2 yrs) underwent uniform corrosion. However, bolts with longer service time (3–8 yrs) experienced different pitting corrosion degrees. The corroding degree of different parts of bolt samples shows the following decreasing trend: bolt head > bolt end > free section. The absolute corrosion degree increased with the service time, while the corrosion rate was the highest in the early stage and dropped down in the later stage. At the same time, the macro‐ and micromethods were used to analyse the failure mechanism in the broken cable sample. Failure of one cable sample with a medium service life (6 yrs) was found to be controlled by the SCC. It was induced by long‐term action of O, Cl, and S in the surrounding rock environment and resulted in pitting corrosion. The pitting corrosion reduced the outer diameter of the rock cable and its bearing capacity, leading to the final fracture.
Shear Properties and Mechanism of Freeze‐Thaw Interface in Unsaturated Coarse‐Grained Soil from Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau
Authors: Qu Yonglong , Ni Wankui , Niu Fujun , Mu Yanhu , Luo Jing , He Hui
Published: March 2021

Freeze‐thaw interface in unsaturated coarse‐grained soil (CGS) is a weak plane which can cause slope failures in cold regions. This study presents a series of large‐scale direct shear tests on freeze‐thaw interface in CGS through a temperature control system. The tested soil was taken from a high slope in the Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau. It was remolded with three dry densities (1.9, 2.0, and 2.15 g/cm3) and three moisture contents (9.0%, 11.5%, and 14.0%). With testing results, direct shear curves mainly performed as hardening deformation, and they were affected considerably by specimen conditions. The shear strength increased with both the increasing dry density and normal stress, but it was opposite with moisture content changed. The cohesion and internal friction angle increased with the increase in dry density but decreased with the moisture content. The particle movement and water migration of freeze‐thaw interface in CGS during the test were significant, and they had close relations with the shear properties of specimens. And, an empirical model was produced to express the effect of pore ice on the shear strength of interface during the shear test. The tests and analysis in this study may provide useful references for CGS slope stability analysis in high cold regions.
LncRNA Taurine Upregulated Gene 1 as a Potential Biomarker in the Clinicopathology and Prognosis of Multiple Malignant Tumors: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Huang Qi , Wu Jingjing , Wang Hui , Li Na , Yang Zhen , Zhang Mingjun
Published: March 2021

Background. The lncRNA taurine upregulated gene 1 (TUG1) is a recently identified potential biomarker in cancer. However, its prognostic role in various cancers is inconsistent among published data. We conducted this meta-analysis to comprehensively confirm the prognostic effect of TUG1 in malignant tumors. Methods. We systemically analyzed the prognostic-predictive capacity of TUG1 through amplifying sample sizes and cancer types. STATA 12.0 was applied for this meta-analysis. Results. A total of 57 eligible studies were included in our meta-analysis. The pooled results suggested that overexpression of TUG1 was significantly correlated with unfavorable overall survival (OS) (

HR
=
1.70

,

p
<
0.001

), shorter recurrence-free survival (RFS) (

HR
=
2.40

,

p
≤
0.001

), and shorter event-free survival (EFS) (

HR
=
1.88

,

p
<
0.001

) in patients with cancer. In the subgroup analysis by cancer type, elevated TUG1 expression was associated with poorer survival in patients with gastrointestinal cancer, urinary tumors, gynecological tumors, hematological tumors, and osteosarcoma. However, high expression of TUG1 in respiratory tumors indicated a better prognosis. There was no correlation between high TUG1 expression and OS in patients with head and neck neoplasms or melanoma. Additionally, overexpression of TUG1 was found to be correlated with low-grade tumor differentiation, advanced tumor stage, positive lymphatic metastasis, and positive distant metastasis. Conclusions. High TUG1 expression correlates with poor prognosis and advanced clinicopathological features, verifying the prognostic-predictive capacity of TUG1 in tumors, especially in gastrointestinal cancer, urinary tumors, gynecological tumors, hematological tumors, and osteosarcoma. Meanwhile, the prognostic role of TUG1 in respiratory tumor may be opposite to other tumors.
Upregulation of Serum miR-629 Predicts Poor Prognosis for Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Liu Fayong , Li Tianshui , Hu Ping , Dai Li
Published: March 2021

Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is one of the most common types of cancer worldwide. Accumulating evidence has suggested that aberrant expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) is involved in the carcinogenesis and progression of NSCLC. The current study is aimed at investigating the clinical significance of serum miR-629 in NSCLC. The expression levels of serum miR-629 in patients with NSCLC, patients with nonmalignant lung diseases, and healthy controls were assessed by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Our results showed that serum miR-629 levels were significantly upregulated in NSCLC patients compared to the controls. Serum miR-629 exhibited better performance for discriminating NSCLC patients from healthy controls, compared to the traditional biomarkers CYFRA 21-1 and CEA. In addition, a high serum miR-629 level was positively correlated with adverse clinicopathological parameters including lymph node metastasis, differentiation, and clinical stage. Serum miR-629 was dramatically reduced in the NSCLC cases receiving surgical treatment. Moreover, the patients in the high serum miR-629 group suffered poorer overall survival and disease-free survival than those in the low serum miR-629 group. In conclusion, serum miR-629 might serve as a potential prognostic biomarker for NSCLC.
Metaheuristic-based Deep COVID-19 Screening Model from Chest X-Ray Images
Authors: Kaur Manjit , Kumar Vijay , Yadav Vaishali , Singh Dilbag , Kumar Naresh , Das Nripendra Narayan
Published: March 2021

COVID-19 has affected the whole world drastically. A huge number of people have lost their lives due to this pandemic. Early detection of COVID-19 infection is helpful for treatment and quarantine. Therefore, many researchers have designed a deep learning model for the early diagnosis of COVID-19-infected patients. However, deep learning models suffer from overfitting and hyperparameter-tuning issues. To overcome these issues, in this paper, a metaheuristic-based deep COVID-19 screening model is proposed for X-ray images. The modified AlexNet architecture is used for feature extraction and classification of the input images. Strength Pareto evolutionary algorithm-II (SPEA-II) is used to tune the hyperparameters of modified AlexNet. The proposed model is tested on a four-class (i.e., COVID-19, tuberculosis, pneumonia, or healthy) dataset. Finally, the comparisons are drawn among the existing and the proposed models.