bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dynamic Measurement Analysis of Urban Innovation Ability and Ecological Efficiency in China
Authors: Li Xing , Luo Fuzhou
Published: March 2022

To establish the evaluation index system of urbanization innovation level and ecological efficiency, the entropy method is applied to measure the comprehensive index of urbanization innovation level and ecological efficiency, the VAR model is established, and empirical measurement is used to study the internal relationship and dynamic development between urbanization innovation level and ecological efficiency. The empirical results show the following: (1) The overall development of the innovation level in 30 cities in China is uneven, there is a large gap between the urban innovation level in backwards areas and economically developed areas, and there is a certain coupling effect between the urban innovation level and ecological efficiency. (2) There is a long‐term dynamic equilibrium relationship between the urban innovation level and ecological efficiency, which will exert certain pressure on the ecological environment in the process of urbanization. However, the continuous improvement of urbanization will have a positive impact on the improvement of the ecological environment. (3) The improvement of ecological efficiency will also promote the improvement of the urban innovation level. Therefore, this paper puts forwards policy suggestions to promote the harmonious development of urbanization and the ecological environment and provides a reference for realizing the balanced development of urbanization and ecological efficiency in China.
Rising Healthcare Costs and Utilization among Young Adults with Cirrhosis in Ontario: A Population-Based Study
Authors: Ames Jeffrey B. , Djerboua Maya , Terrault Norah A. , Booth Christopher M. , Flemming Jennifer A.
Published: March 2022

Objectives. Chronic diseases account for the majority of healthcare spending. Cirrhosis is a chronic disease whose burden is rising, especially in young adults. This study aimed at describing the direct healthcare costs and utilization in young adults with cirrhosis compared to other chronic diseases common to this age group. Methods. Retrospective population-based study of routinely collected healthcare data from Ontario for the fiscal years 2007–2016 and housed at ICES. Young adults (aged 18–40 years) with cirrhosis, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and asthma were identified based on validated case definitions. Total and annual direct healthcare costs and utilization were calculated per individual across multiple healthcare settings and compared based on the type of chronic disease. For cirrhosis, the results were further stratified by etiology and decompensation status. Results. Total direct healthcare spending from 2007 to 2016 increased by 84% for cirrhosis, 50% for IBD, and 41% for asthma. On a per-patient basis, annual costs were the highest for cirrhosis ($6,581/year) compared to IBD ($5,260/year), and asthma ($2,934/year) driven by acute care in cirrhosis and asthma, and drug costs in IBD. Annual costs were four-fold higher in patients with decompensated versus compensated cirrhosis ($20,651/year vs. $5,280/year). Patients with cirrhosis had greater use of both ICU and mental health services. Conclusion. Healthcare costs in young adults with cirrhosis are rising and driven by the use of acute care. Strategies to prevent the development of cirrhosis and to coordinate healthcare in this population through the development of chronic disease prevention and management strategies are urgently needed.
Analysis and Research on Nonlinear Complex Function Approximation Problem Based on Deep Learning
Authors: Zhou Dapeng
Published: March 2022

Shallow models have limited ability to express high-dimensional nonlinear complex functions. Based on deep learning, a Gaussian radial basis function neural network (RBFNN) is proposed, which is an analysis method of nonlinear complex function approximation based on the Gaussian-RBFNN model. The proposed method can approximate single-variable and binary complex nonlinear functions, and the approximation error is less than 0.1, which can achieve the ideal approximation effect. Finally, the proposed method is applied to analyze the nonlinear complex stock prediction approximation problem, and the effectiveness and practicality of the method are further verified. It can be seen that compared with the BP neural network model, this model performs better in average training time, training standard error, Ratt, RATR, and trmse For RBFNN; the training only needs 50 iterations, while the traditional BP needs 7100 training to gradually converge. In the actual function test, after 275 times of training, the convergence speed gradually tends to be stable, and the predicted value is closer to the actual value. Therefore, the model can be used to analyze practical nonlinear complex function approximation problems.
University Piano Education Visualization System under the Background of Distance Education Based on 5G Network
Authors: Xie Shali
Published: March 2022

University piano education online learning courses supplement learning and have quickly advanced distance education and the essence of improving Internet innovation. Experts of piano education visualization system and distance piano education visualization system are a world specification, which offers various university and online open-source courses, for those who seek an online expert for piano education events. The individual online piano learning course is another choice for learning the education visualization system via progressive Internet correspondence. Past techniques depend on the profound learning piano education system courses of learning and information mining distance education. Existing strategies present specialized difficulties, which include the difficulty of the piano learning via an online network. As such, this study aims to establish a university piano education visualization system framework via a distance education background utilizing the fifth-generation (5G) network; the distance education learning for piano education visualization system course using the 5G network is proposed. The remote sensor shows an assortment of methods for grownups to partake in the online learning preparation. The idea of online communication within a network of instructors and understudies is extraordinary. When considering training-based or execution-based courses, there is a likelihood that the learning system may exhibit an inferior quality of sound, and the sound of the piano notes may lag with time over the network connection. Online learning provides adaptability and internationalization and has the capacity to interface with countless individuals and bring them together in the online learning environment. In this situation, the straightforward transportation and installment of remote sensors, the user of the distance educator 5G network is advised to view it from a commonsense perspective. Furthermore, there is a need to advance online piano education training in instructive exercises.
Prediction and Analysis of Artwork Price Based on Deep Neural Network
Authors: Liu Chen
Published: March 2022

The use of deep learning methods to solve problems in the field of artwork prices has attracted widespread attention, especially the superiority of long short-term memory network (LSTM) in dealing with time series problems. However, the potential for deep learning in the prediction of artwork price has not been fully explored. This paper proposes a deep prediction network structure that considers the correlation between time series data and the combination of two-way LSTM as well as one-way LSTM networks to predict the price of artworks. This paper proposes a deep-level two-way and one-way LSTM to predict the price of artworks in the art market. Taking into account the potential reverse dependence of the time series, the bidirectional LSTM layer is used to obtain bidirectional time correlation from historical data. This research uses a matrix to represent the artwork price data and fully considers the spatial correlation characteristics of the artwork price. Simultaneously, this paper uses the two-way LSTM network to correlate the potential contextual information of the historical data of the artwork price stream and fully perform feature learning. This study applies the two-way LSTM network layer to the building blocks of the deep architecture to measure the inverse dependence of the price fluctuation data. The comparison with other prediction models shows that the LSTM neural network fused with one-way and two-way proposed in this paper is superior to other neural networks for predicting price of artworks in terms of prediction accuracy.
Refinement of Inverse Depth Plane in Textureless and Occluded Regions in a Multiview Stereo Matching Scheme
Authors: Lee Min-Jae , Park Soon-Yong
Published: March 2022

In the multiview stereo (MVS) vision, it is difficult to estimate accurate depth in the textureless and occluded regions. To solve this problem, several MVS investigations employ the matching cost volume (MCV) approach to refine the cost in the textureless and occluded regions. Usually, the matching costs in the large textureless image regions are not reliable. In addition, if an occluded region is also textureless, the matching cost contains a significant error. The goal of the proposed MVS method is to reconstruct accurate depth maps in both large-textureless and occluded-textureless regions by iteratively updating the erroneous disparity. The erroneous disparity in the textureless region is updated by the 3D disparity plane of the region in the inverse-depth space. Then, the surface consensus is computed and used to run the two processes, the surface consensus refinement and the matching cost update. By the iterative update of the 3D inverse depth plane, surface consensus, and matching cost, the performance of the depth reconstruction in the large-textureless and occluded-textureless regions is greatly improved. The performance of the proposed method is analyzed using the Middlebury multiview stereo dataset. The depth reconstruction performance is also compared with several stereo vision methods.
Optimal Deep Learning Enabled Prostate Cancer Detection Using Microarray Gene Expression
Authors: Alshareef Abdulrhman M. , Alsini Raed , Alsieni Mohammed , Alrowais Fadwa , Marzouk Radwa , Abunadi Ibrahim , Nemri Nadhem
Published: March 2022

Prostate cancer is the main cause of death over the globe. Earlier detection and classification of cancer is highly important to improve patient health. Previous studies utilized statistical and machine learning (ML) techniques for prostate cancer detection. However, several challenges that exist in the investigation process are the existence of high dimensionality data and less number of training samples. Metaheuristic algorithms can be used to resolve the curse of dimensionality and improve the detection rate of artificial intelligence (AI) techniques. With this motivation, this article develops an artificial intelligence based feature selection with deep learning model for prostate cancer detection (AIFSDL-PCD) using microarray gene expression data. The AIFSDL-PCD technique involves preprocessing to enhance the input data quality. In addition, a chaotic invasive weed optimization (CIWO) based feature selection (FS) technique for choosing an optimal subset of features shows the novelty of the work. Moreover, the deep neural network (DNN) model can be applied as a classification model to detect the existence of prostate cancer in the microarray gene expression data. Furthermore, the hyperparameters of the DNN model can be effectively adjusted by the use of RMSprop optimizer. The design of CIWO based FS technique helps for reducing the computational complexity and improve the classification accuracy. The experimental results highlighted the betterment of the AIFSDL-PCD approach on the other techniques with respect to distinct measures.
An Improved Cervical Cell Segmentation Method Based on Deep Convolutional Network
Authors: Hao Xueli , Pei Lili , Li Wei , Liu Ying , Shen Hao
Published: March 2022

The cervical cytology smear test is an effective method for cervical cancer early screening, and segmentation accuracy is essential for computer-aided diagnosis. In this study, an improved cervical nucleus and cytoplasm segmentation method based on a deep convolutional network was proposed. This method consisted of a cellular region proposal and pixel-level segmentation network (CRP-PSN). Data were obtained from the 2014 International Symposium on Biomedical Imaging cervical cell segmentation competition open dataset. In CRP networks, online hard example mining and soft-nonmaximum suppression algorithms were incorporated to solve problems, including background noise, impurities, and other interferences in smear images. For PSN networks, a generative adversarial network-generated adversarial network algorithm and least-squares loss function were used to generate cell region segmentation, thereby improving the cytoplasm segmentation results. Finally, the improved CRP-PSN model was analyzed and compared with other typical cervical cell segmentation methods. The experimental results showed that the proposed model could effectively improve the segmentation accuracy of cytoplasm and nuclei in cervical cytology smear images by 92% and 98.6%, respectively. These findings provided strong support for the application of this method for automated interpretation of cervical cytology smear images and improved diagnostic reliability.
Toxicity, Anti-Inflammatory, and Antioxidant Activities of Cubiu (Solanum sessiliflorum) and Its Interaction with Magnetic Field in the Skin Wound Healing
Authors: Franco Dalenogare Jéssica , de Souza Vencato Marina , Franciele Feyh dos Santos Montagner Greice , Duarte Thiago , Maria Medeiros Frescura Duarte Marta , Camponogara Camila , Marchesan Oliveira Sara , Leite da Veiga Marcelo , de Ugalde Marques da Rocha Maria Izabel , Pavanato Maria Amália , de Freitas Bauermann Liliane
Published: March 2022

Cubiu, an Amazonian fruit, is widely used as food and popular treatment for pathologies that present an inflammatory pattern, such as skin wound healing. However, there is still no confirmation in the scientific literature about the safety profile, as well as the anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and healing actions of cubiu. This study is divided into two experimental protocols using Wistar rats. Thus, the first objective (protocol 1) of this study was to evaluate the toxicity of an oral administration of cubiu extract at different doses for 28 days. The macroscopic and microscopic analyses of the liver and kidney were performed, and the following analysis was determined in plasma: glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase, glutamic pyruvic transaminase, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, glucose, triglycerides, total cholesterol, urea, creatinine, and uric acid. After, we conducted the second protocol aimed to establish the potential antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capacity of cubiu and its interaction with magnetic field in skin wound healing. On days 3, 7, and 14 of treatment, skin and blood samples were collected and analyzed: the oxidative stress biomarkers (reactive substances to thiobarbituric acid, nonprotein thiols, superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione S-transferase), myeloperoxidase enzymatic activity, and cytokines levels (interleukin 1, interleukin 6, interleukin 10, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha). The cubiu has shown to be safe and nontoxic. Both cubiu and magnetic field promoted decreased levels of proinflammatory and prooxidant biomarkers (interleukin 1, interleukin 6, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and reactive substances to thiobarbituric acid), as well as increased levels of anti-inflammatory and antioxidant biomarkers (interleukin 10, nonprotein thiols, and superoxide dismutase), with greater potential when treatments are used in association. Thus, cubiu promotes antioxidant and anti-inflammatory action in skin wound healing, while also improving results of the conventional treatment for skin healing (magnetic field) when used in association.
Image Matching Algorithm Based on the Pattern Recognition Genetic Algorithm
Authors: Si Lipeng , Hu Xiuhua , Liu Baolong
Published: March 2022

Image matching is an important topic in image processing. Matching technology plays an important role in and is the basis for image understanding. In order to solve the shortcomings of slow image matching and low matching accuracy, a matching method based on improved genetic algorithm is proposed. The main improvement of the algorithm is the use of self-identifying crossover operators for crossover operations to avoid premature population maturity. According to the characteristics of the image data, new intersection and mutation operators are defined by the new coding method. The sampling method is used to initialize the population method, introduce an evolution strategy, reduce the number of iterations, and effectively reduce the amount of calculation. The experimental results show that the algorithm can guarantee the matching accuracy and that the calculation time is much shorter than that of the original algorithm. In addition, the image matching calculation time per frame of the algorithm is basically unchanged, which is convenient for engineering applications.
Loop Closure Detection Based on Image Semantic Segmentation in Indoor Environment
Authors: Li Jinming , Wang Peng , Ni Cui , Rong Wen
Published: March 2022

When mobile robots run in indoor environment, a large number of similar images are easy to appear in the images collected, probably causing false-positive judgment in loop closure detection based on simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM). To solve this problem, a loop closure detection algorithm for visual SLAM based on image semantic segmentation is proposed in this paper. Specifically, the current frame is semantically segmented by optimized DeepLabv3+ model to obtain semantic labels in the image. The 3D semantic node coordinates corresponding to each semantic label are then extracted by combining mask centroid and image depth information. According to the distribution of semantic nodes, the DBSCAN density clustering algorithm is adopted to cluster densely distributed semantic nodes to avoid mismatching due to the close distance of semantic nodes in the subsequent matching process. Finally, the multidimensional similarity comparison of first rough and then fine is adopted to screen the candidate frames of loop closure from key frames and then confirm the real loop closure to complete accurate loop closure detection. Testing with public datasets and self-filmed datasets, experimental results show that being well adapted to illumination change, viewpoint deviation, and item movement or missing, the proposed algorithm can effectively improve the accuracy of loop closure detection in indoor environment.
Improvement of Skin Wound Healing for Diabetic Mice with Thermosensitive Hydrogel Combined with Insulin Injection
Authors: Fang Lingling , Wu Haijian , Li Xiaoyan , Fang Jianghua , Zhu Yabin
Published: March 2022

Chronic skin wound caused by diabetic disease is very common worldwide. Moreover, there is a shortage of effective curing technology in clinic. In this work, we developed a novel technology using thermosensitive hydrogel on wound top combined with insulin injection. The efficiency and mechanism of this technology were investigated in a diabetic mouse model. Dorsal-paired 8–10 mm diameter wounds were created in 12 mice. The wound healing rate was determined over a 28-day interval in healthy control (Control), control with diabetes (DControl), poloxamer treatment (Pox), and poloxamer plus insulin injection (Poxin) mice. Histological specimens were observed in all samples. Real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was performed to measure the relative expression of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1) in wound tissues at 7, 14, and 28 days. Compared with DControl animals, those treated with Poxin showed accelerated wound closure and healing rate (p < 0.05); expression of both α-SMA and TGF-β1 was significantly higher than that of the DControl and Pox animals during the first 7 days postoperation, but a significant decrease at day 14. Therefore, we concluded that hydrogel combined with insulin accelerated wound healing. Controlling the glucose level via insulin injection is more beneficial than hydrogel alone for healing chronic wounds, potentially through the increase of α-SMA and TGF-β1 expression in early phase.
Genetic Variability, Correlation, and Path Analysis of Thai Commercial Melon Varieties
Authors: Khomphet Thanet , Intana Warin , Promwee Athakorn , Islam Shams Shaila
Published: March 2022

In the selection phase of melon breeding programs, genetic variability is a critical component for yield improvement. The goals of this study were to discover the variables that affect melon fruit weight and examine genetic variability, correlation, and path analysis of eight melon varieties. The experiment was arranged as a completely randomized block design with 4 blocks. It was conducted between July and September 2021 at the School of Agricultural Technology, Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand. The result found that stem diameter and length, leaf length, width, number, and chlorophyll, day to 50% male and female flowering, and fruit perimeter, height, and weight were highly significant across the varieties. The genotypic coefficients of variation (GCV) of observed variables were all lower than phenotypic coefficients of variation (PCV). Fruit weight (15.462 and 19.865%) had the highest GCV and PCV. High broad-sense heritability was linked to high (H) or moderate (M) genetic advance as a percentage of the mean from stem length (67.606%: H and 21.992%: H), fruit weight (60.586%: H and 24.793%: H), fruit perimeter (76.395%: H and 12.258%: M), and fruit height (69.828%: H and 12.122%: M). The maximum and significant genotypic correlation value was obtained between leaf length and leaf width (r = 1.000). Fruit weight is positively correlated with fruit perimeter (r = 0.940) and fruit height (r = 0.831). According to correlation and path analyses, stem diameter and length, leaf chlorophyll, and fruit perimeter and height were considered variables for fruit weight improvement in the breeding programs. It suggests that the increase in traits with a favorable direct influence on fruit weight may directly contribute to fruit weight.
Erosion Effect on Non-Darcy Hydraulic Characteristics of Limestone and Mudstone Mixture
Authors: Li Chong , He Sifeng
Published: March 2022

In order to study the water inrush mechanism of faulted rock mass, a series of erosion seepage experiments were carried out to test the non-Darcy hydraulic properties of a limestone and mudstone mixture. The test results are employed to verify and modify a classic permeability prediction model. Based on the evolution of mass loss rate, the erosion process can be divided into four stages, i.e., particle rearrangement, severe erosion, mild erosion, and stable seepage. During the erosion, the sample height decreases gradually, the water pressure at outlet grows first and then keeps stable, and the porosity and permeability decrease slightly first, then grow gradually and finally keep stable. The hydraulic properties show a more significant variation in the sample within high mudstone particle contents. Through the comparison of test results and the predicted results by the classic Carman-Kozeny model, it is found that the accuracy of the model is greatly affected by lithology. Based on this investigation, a revised model is proposed which introduces a proportional coefficient related to the rock composition, so as to increase the predicted precision in variable rock composition. The forecast accuracy of the revised model is much higher than the classical one in permeability although it decreases with the increase of mudstone content.
Renovated XTEA Encoder Architecture-Based Lightweight Mutual Authentication Protocol for RFID and Green Wireless Sensor Network Applications
Authors: Nagarajan Manikandan , Rajappa Muthaiah , Teekaraman Yuvaraja , Kuppusamy Ramya , Thelkar Amruth Ramesh
Published: March 2022

Wireless sensor networks find applications everywhere in day to day activities right from attendance entry systems to healthcare monitoring systems. The evolution of the Internet of Things (IoT) as the Internet of Everything (IoET) makes the wireless sensor network omnipresent and increases the use of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) for the proper identification of devices and sensor nodes which are mostly battery operated. As technology evolves, security threats also increase rapidly. This mandates a strong and energy-efficient green solution. This work attempted to address these issues by effectively deploying the lightweight encryption scheme called Extended Tiny Encryption Algorithm (XTEA). Though the XTEA is lightweight and famous, it is commonly known for various attacks. Our work patches the security threats in the XTEA by applying domain-specific customization, random number utilization, and undisclosed key renewal techniques. Two custom Renovated XTEA Mutual Authentication Protocol (RXMAP) encoder architectures, namely, RXMAP-1 and RXMAP-2, are proposed based on the replacement of accurate computational blocks with approximate blocks. The proposed RXMAP protocol is evaluated for its computational and storage overhead and verified against various security threats using BAN logic formal verification and informal verification. The proposed encoder architectures are simulated for functional verification, and ASIC implementation is done with a 132 nm process node. ASIC implementation results show that the proposed designs RXMAP-1 and RXMAP-2 occupy 53.11% and 53.31% lesser area compared to XTEA I and 52.97% and 53.18% lesser area compared to XTEA II implementation. The total power consumed by the proposed encoder architectures RXMAP-1 and RXMAP-2 is 68.76% and 71.64% lesser than XTEA II implementation, respectively, while maintaining the equal throughput.
Solamargine Inhibits Prostate Cancer Cell Growth and Enhances the Therapeutic Efficacy of Docetaxel via Akt Signaling
Authors: Ge Jianchao , Wang Pengyu , Ma Hangbin , Zhang Jun
Published: March 2022

Prostate cancer (PCa) has become a leading cause of cancer-associated incidence and mortality in men worldwide. However, most primary PCas relapse to castration-resistant PCa (CRPC) after androgen deprivation treatment. The current treatment for CRPC is based on chemotherapeutic drugs such as docetaxel, while the development of chemoresistance and severe side effects limit the therapeutic benefit. Solamargine, a natural alkaloid isolated from a traditional Chinese herbal medicine known as Solanum nigrum, exhibits antitumor activity in various human cancers. In this study, we demonstrated that solamargine substantially inhibited CRPC cell growth in a dose-dependent manner through the suppression of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt signaling. Moreover, solamargine exhibited significant antitumor effects in mouse xenograft models. Bioinformatics analysis of docetaxel-resistant PCa cells indicated that the PI3K/Akt pathway mediated the chemoresistance of CRPC. Furthermore, solamargine significantly enhanced the efficacy of docetaxel in PCa cells. These results reveal the therapeutic potential of solamargine against human PCa.
The Motor Action Analysis Based on Deep Learning
Authors: Zhang TianYu
Published: March 2022

For the slow speed and low accuracy of slow motor action recognition methods, this study proposes a motor action analysis method based on the CNN network and the softmax classification model. First, in order to obtain motor action feature information, by using static spatial features of BN-inception based on CNN network extracted actions and high-dimensional features of 3D ConvNet, then based on softmax classifier structure and realizing taxonomic recognition of the motor actions. Finally, through the decision-layer fusion and time semantic continuity optimization strategy, the motion action recognition accuracy is further improved and the more efficient motion action classification recognition is realized. The results show that the proposed method can complete the motor action analysis and achieve the classification recognition accuracy to 83.11%, which has certain practical value.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging Manifestations of Pediatric Purulent Meningitis Based on Immune Clustering Algorithm
Authors: Wei Dafei , He Pan , Guo Qian , Huang Yuanlu , Yan Hongxia
Published: March 2022

The purpose of this study was to analyze the diagnostic value of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) based on the immune clustering algorithm (ICA) in children with purulent meningitis. In this study, 235 children with suspected pediatric purulent meningitis (PPM) were routinely scanned, and the artificial immune algorithm (AIA) and ICA were applied to image processing. In order to quantitatively analyze the accuracy and precision of the processed image, precision rate was introduced as the evaluation of accuracy, and the True Positive Vis Fox, False Negative Vis Fo, and False Positive Vis Fo were selected as the evaluation indicators. After comparison, the accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of ICA detection were higher than those of AIA and conventional plain scanning, and the differences were statistically obvious (P < 0.05). Comparison on image display effects showed that compared with AIA, the image processed by the ICA algorithm constructed in this study showed the highest definition and contrast and the best denoising effect and image quality, showing a statistically obvious difference (P < 0.05). All in all, the display effect of MRI images of pediatric purulent meningitis based on ICA was more accurate and clearer than that of the traditional image processing, and it can provide a more accurate auxiliary basis in the diagnosis of lesion details. It also showed a higher clinical value for the development of a diagnosis and treatment plan for complicated PPM.
Temporal Trends and Projection of Cancer Attributable to Human Papillomavirus Infection in China, 2007–2030
Authors: Duan Rufei , Xu Kunpeng , Huang Liuye , Yuan Meiwen , Wang Honghao , Qiao Youlin , Zhao Fanghui
Published: March 2022

Background:

Information on temporal trends of cancer attributable to human papillomavirus (HPV) in China is limited.

Methods:

Cancer incidence and mortality during 2007 to 2015 were extracted from the Chinese Cancer Registry Annual Report and the national population from the National Bureau of Statistics. HPV-attributable cancer burden and the average annual percentage change during 2007 to 2015 were estimated and cancer burden during 2016 to 2030 was projected.

Results:

HPV-attributable cancer cases have increased by 3.8% [95% confidence interval (CI), 2.9%–4.8%] annually from 85,125 to 113,558 and age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR) rose by 3.0% (95% CI, 2.5%–3.5%) from 4.67 to 5.83 per 100,000 persons during 2007 to 2015. Cervical, female anal, and vulva cancer cases have increased by 3.8% (95% CI, 2.8%–4.7%), 6.5% (95% CI, 1.2%–12.2%), and 3.7% (95% CI, 1.6%–5.8%) per year. Male anal and oropharyngeal cancer cases have elevated by 7.5% (95% CI, 2.8%–12.5%) and 4.4% (95% CI, 2.4%–6.3%) annually. The increases of cervical and anal cancer were most rapid among those aged 50 and older. HPV-attributable cancer deaths and mortality rate have risen by 4.7% (95% CI, 2.9%–6.7%) and 3.3% (95% CI, 0.9%–5.8%) respectively. HPV-attributable cancer cases and ASIR are projected to reach 214,077 and 9.35 of 100,000 persons by 2030 respectively, with 87.7% being cervical cancer, and anal cancer cases are expected to triple.

Conclusions:

HPV-attributable cancer burden has largely increased in the past and will keep rising for the next decade. Cervical cancer control should be the priority and anal cancer prevention should be addressed.

Impact:

This study supplies fundamental evidence for policy-making on HPV-attributable cancer control.
Basic Concepts and Hormonal Regulators of the Stress System
Authors: Kazakou Paraskevi , Nicolaides Nicolas C. , Chrousos George P.
Published: March 2022

Background: Human organisms have to cope with a large number of external or internal stressful stimuli that threaten – or are perceived as threatening – their internal dynamic balance or homeostasis. To face these disturbing forces, or stressors, organisms have developed a complex neuroendocrine system, the stress system, which consists of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and the locus caeruleus/norepinephrine-autonomic nervous system. Summary: Upon exposure to stressors beyond a certain threshold, the activation of the stress system leads to a series of physiological and behavioral adaptations that help achieve homeostasis and increase the chances of survival. When, however, the stress response to stressors is inadequate, excessive, or prolonged, the resultant maladaptation may lead to the development of several stress-related pathologic conditions. Adverse environmental events, especially during critical periods of life, such as prenatal life, childhood, and puberty/adolescence, in combination with the underlying genetic background, may leave deep, long-term epigenetic imprints in the human expressed genome. Key Messages: In this review, we describe the components of the stress system and its functional interactions with other homeostatic systems of the organism; we present the hormonal regulators of the stress response, and we discuss the development of stress-related pathologies.
A Case of IgG4-Related Disease and Membranous Nephropathy Associated with Thrombospondin Type-1 Domain-Containing 7A
Authors: Hum Ryan Malcolm , Elyoussfi Sarah , Parker Benjamin J. , Reid Graeme , Kanigicherla Durga A.K.
Published: March 2022

Background: IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is a systemic multi-organ inflammatory disorder which affects the kidney 20% of the time. Patients with intrinsic IgG4-related kidney disease (IgG4-RKD) often have tubulointerstitial nephritis (TIN) whereas glomerular lesions like membranous nephropathy (MN) are less common. Antibodies to thrombospondin type-1 domain-containing 7A (THSD7A) have been described in primary MN, but never in association with IgG4-RKD. Case Report: We report the first case of IgG4-MN associated with THSD7A antibodies in serum and positivity on glomerular staining, in a 57-year-old Caucasian male with IgG4-RD affecting the pancreas, liver, lacrimal glands, extraocular muscles, and kidneys. This patient presented initially with glomerular disease including significant proteinuria consistent with MN. Glomerular staining for THSD7A antigen and serum THSD7A antibody titres was positive. Treatment with corticosteroids and cyclophosphamide successfully induced remission with resolution of proteinuria, and improvement in renal function. However, despite maintenance azathioprine, the patient relapsed 39 months later. On relapse, there was minimal proteinuria but a significant rise in creatinine. Subsequent renal biopsy showed less glomerular disease and instead a TIN pattern. Subsequent treatment with Rituximab and corticosteroids successfully induced remission. Conclusion: The role of THSD7A autoantibodies in MN is emerging, and as both IgG4-MN and presence of THSD7A antibody are rare occurrences in themselves, we speculate that there may be an undiscovered association between THSD7A and IgG4-MN. Routine testing for THSD7A in IgG4-MN may help to identify the link.
Blood Pressure and Vascular Cognitive Impairment
Authors: Levine Deborah A. , Springer Mellanie V. , Brodtmann Amy
Published: March 2022

High blood pressure (BP) is detrimental to brain health. High BP contributes to cognitive impairment and dementia through pathways independent of clinical stroke. Emerging evidence shows that the deleterious effect of high BP on cognition occurs across the life span, increasing the risk for early-onset and late-life dementia. The term vascular cognitive impairment includes cognitive disorders associated with cerebrovascular disease, regardless of the pathogenesis. This focused report is a narrative review that aims to summarize the epidemiology of BP and vascular cognitive impairment, including differences by sex, race, and ethnicity, as well as the management and reversibility of BP and vascular cognitive impairment. It also discusses knowledge gaps and future directions.
Later Stone and Iron Age Cohabitation at the Nsongezi Open-Air Site, Western Uganda
Authors: Kyazike Elizabeth
Published: March 2022

This research at the Nsongezi open-air site examines the intergenerational artefacts at a site where the first Stone Age artefacts were identified in Uganda. The purpose was to examine the nature and cause of the mixed Later Stone Age (LSA) and Iron Age (IA) artefacts in the same stratigraphic context at Nsongezi. The specific objectives included examining the ceramic assemblage, discussing the nature of interactions between the Later Stone Age and Iron Age people and accounting for why and how the mixture of artefacts occurs at Nsongezi. Using a documentary review, archaeological survey, and excavation, the research re-examines the theories of displacement and coexistence concerning theLSAandIAmaterial mixture, which has always been dismissed as a disturbance of stratigraphic contexts. Guided by the Law of superimposition, the association of archaeological material from different cultural periods such as the Later Stone Age and Iron Age artefacts at Nsongezi is attributed to four phenomena. First is the cultural interaction of distinctLSAandIApopulations. Secondly, theLSApopulations may have adopted Iron Age technology and pottery while continuing with some of theLSAtechnology and pottery. Thirdly, the Iron Age populations occupied theLSAsites previously abandoned, and some of theLSApeoples occupied the old Iron Age sites as the two groups crisscrossed the region in shifting agricultural and hunter-gatherer economies. Finally, the mixedLSAand Iron Age deposits might have resulted from post-abandonment taphonomic processes. Therefore, the social interactions between theLSAandIAat Nsongezi challenge the dominant narrative that theIApopulations used their metal technology’s superiority to displace and absorb theLSApeople.
German State Aid for Covid-19 Medicinal Products: A Risk for Solidarity in the European Union
Authors: Plank Kristine
Published: March 2022

To respond to the need for a vaccine against and a treatment for Covid-19, the German Federal Government (German government) used various economic incentives to promote pharmaceutical and biotechnological (biotech) research and development (R&D) as well as manufacturing. More specifically, it decided to subsidise several German companies working in this field. Such domestic measures might, however, present a challenge to European state aid law. It is against this backdrop that this article discusses the compatibility of the payments made with the new ‘crisis-born’ European legal framework for state aid. Furthermore, the article offers some critical comments on the aid’s effects on solidarity and cohesion in the European Union (EU) and the proposals put forward for expanding the EU’s health policy competencies.
The Multilevel Dimension of Rules-Based Disease Surveillance beyond the State
Authors: Villarreal Pedro A.
Published: March 2022

The timely availability of accurate information on disease outbreaks with a potential for cross-border spread is a global public good, allowing for a more effective preparedness and response. An ensuing question for national public health authorities is how such information is attained when it is gathered in territories beyond their jurisdiction. International and regional law norms emerge as an option for providing such a global public good. Therefore, the current article examines existing legal frameworks for ad hoc disease surveillance beyond the state at the international and regional levels, namely: the World Health Organization’s International Health Regulations of 2005; Regulation (EC) No. 851/2004 and Decision No. 1082/2013/EU in the European Union; the Statute of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention within the African Union; and the Protocol from the Economic Community of West African States, which created the West African Health Organisation. The comparison offers broader insights on the role of rules as a vehicle for securing prompt and reliable information of new and re-emerging communicable diseases, such as Covid-19.
Visualizing Tanks
Authors: Hacker Barton C.
Published: March 2022

Rapidly changing technology transformed not only military affairs in the half century before 1914 but also the printing industry. In particular, images of all kinds became available to the public on an unprecedented scale. This allowed governments to call on artists both to propagandize the war effort and record the world-historical events. In the images they created during the Great War, official war artists did much to shape the public perceptions of such novel technologies as the tank. Especially in the robust war art programs of Britain and France, artists emphasized the blank menace of machines without evidence of human agency. Images of implacable machines rearing over blasted landscapes appeared in salons, books, magazines, newspapers, and in the new medium of film. The images sank home. During the interwar period, military mechanization incorporated tanks into armored forces that projected that same menace and invincibility on a larger scale, the very characteristics that commended tank forces to totalitarian regimes.
The Tommy Gun in Jungle Warfare
Authors: Moremon John
Published: March 2022

Australian soldiers fighting on the Kokoda Trail in New Guinea in 1942 found the Thompson submachine gun to be indispensable. Lessons derived from this battle shaped Australian jungle warfare doctrine. Australian historians acknowledge the tactical use of submachine guns in this battle, which was one of the first in Southwest Pacific Area, but have somewhat overlooked the “Tommy” gun. The emphasis has instead been given to another submachine gun, the Australian-designed Owen gun, which came slightly later. This article examines the use and usefulness of the Tommy gun for Australian soldiers on the Kokoda Trail. It establishes that this gun was tactically and comparatively more important than has been presumed. The manner in which soldiers embraced and utilized the Thompson gun was important for their tactical adaptation to jungle warfare and the defeat of the Japanese.
Development Obscured
Authors: Bergman Yoel
Published: March 2022

Two postwar publications, one by osrd’s veterans and one by Army historians, differ on the key players and events in their joint wwii recoilless project, and a prior mortar one. The osrd’s famed Dr. C. Hickman was the key player in both projects, despite the Army’s account. In 1942–1944, the range of Army’s 4.2-inch (107mm) Mortar (4.2M), was increased, mostly by improving its inner ballistics such as upgrading the propellant charge. To fire directly at bunkers, unfeasible with a mortar, an idea was raised for a recoilless version, based on a nozzle replacing the 4.2M barrel’s rear cap. By 1944, the 4.2-inch Recoilless-Rifle (4.2rr) was ready. In the osrd’s account, most likely written by Hickman himself, Hickman was first to raise the recoilless idea and the appropriate 4.2M changes. Yet in the Army’s account, an officer raised the recoilless idea while Hickman led the 4.2rr detailed design. In the same account Hickman was missing in the story of the 4.2M range increase. Supporting data for Hickman, not appearing in either source, helps clarify the history, specifically Hickman’s patents filed in 1944–1945 on inventing the 4.2rr and improving mortar propellants based on his role in the 4.2M. After the war he received a presidential award for his wwii inventions such as as recoilless, and his 4.2rr/4.2M patents were eventually approved. Being asked to assist Sandia Laboratories in New Mexico on missile development in 1950, he there filed a patent in 1952 (assigned to the Army), to improve the 4.2rr projectile penetration, even though the 4.2rr was retired in 1947. The patent is likely an outcome of Hickman’s 1950–1952, 4.2rr upgrade requested by the Army and probably for use in Korea, due to the faulty 105-mm rr. It is also proposed that Hickman and his work on the 4.2rr for the Army, may have inspired Sandia to develop recoilless in the mid-1950s, specifically the 120 mm and 155 mm short range, light recoilless guns for firing small nuclear warheads that came to be known as the Davy Crockett system. They resembled the 4.2rr and accepted by the Army over other options in 1958, Hickman’s last year for Sandia.
Taxonomic review of the Afrotropical genus Gracililema Krüger with descriptions of three new species (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae: Lithosiini)
Authors: VOLYNKIN ANTON V.
Published: March 2022

The footman moth genus Gracililema Krüger, 2015 is reviewed and three new species are described: Gracililema bettoni sp. n. (Kenya and Ethiopia), G. lydiae sp. n. (northern Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Tanzania, Kenya and Ethiopia) and G. smithi sp. n. (southern Mozambique and eastern South Africa). Adults, except the unknown male of G. proleucodes (Kiriakoff, 1958), together with male and female genitalia of all Gracililema species are illustrated.
Paracanthocobitis hijumensis, a new species of zipper loach from the Arunachal Himalaya, northeastern India (Cypriniformes: Nemacheilidae)
Authors: RIME GEPI , TAMANG LAKPA , DAS DEBANGSHU NARAYAN
Published: March 2022

Paracanthocobitis hijumensis, new species, is described from the Hijum River, a tributary of the upper Brahmaputra River in Arunachal Pradesh, India. Paracanthocobitis hijumensis is distinguished from all five species of the P. zonalternans species complex, viz., P. zonalternans, P. nigrolineata, P. marmorata, P. triangula, and P. phuketensis in having a larger body size (46.5– 65.6 mm SL vs. < 45 mm SL), and a complete (vs. an incomplete) lateral line terminating at the end of caudal peduncle (vs. at or just beyond the dorsal-fin insertion); and from the four species of the P. mandalayensis species complex, P. canicula, P. maekhlongensis, P. mandalayensis and P. pictilis in having a subortibal flap (vs. suborbital groove) in males, and in having fewer dorsal-fin branched rays (9½–10½ vs. 10½–13½), and longer head (23.8–26.0% SL vs. 18.0–20.2). Paracanthocobitis hijumensis, a member of the P. botia complex, differs from the other nine species of this complex by the following combination of characters: presence of an axillary pelvic lobe, greater predorsal distance 47.9–51.8% SL, greater prepelvic distance 52.3–58.8% SL, longer head 23.8–26.0% SL, deeper body 18.4–23.1% SL, smaller eye 14.2–22.5% SL, and fewer branched rays on the dorsal-fin 9½ (12)–10½ (1).