bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Giant secretory multifocal adrenal myelolipoma: a diagnostic dilemma
Authors: Singh Brijesh Kumar , Arumugaswamy Prasanna Ramana , Chumber Sunil , Rathore Yashwant Singh
Published: January 2021

A 38-yearr-old man presented with erectile dysfunction and infertility. On examination, he was hypertensive and detected to have a left flank mass. Blood investigations were unremarkable except raised serum noradrenaline levels. Imaging revealed multiple well-defined fat-containing hypodense lesions in left suprarenal area with largest one measuring 14×16 cm, suggestive of left adrenal myelolipoma. Diagnostic dilemma was posed due to discordance between clinical, biochemical and imaging findings. Left adrenal mass resection was planned keeping the possibility of pheochromocytoma. However, histopathology revealed it to be adrenal myelolipoma. Hypertension was resolved in the postoperative period and serum noradrenaline levels were normalised. Final diagnosis of a secretary adrenal myelolipoma was made, which is an extremely rare entity
Choroidal vascularity index: a step towards software as a medical device
Authors: Betzler Bjorn Kaijun , Ding Jianbin , Wei Xin , Lee Jia Min , Grewal Dilraj S , Fekrat Sharon , Sadda Srinivas R , Zarbin Marco A , Agarwal Aniruddha , Gupta Vishali , Schmetterer Leopold , Agrawal Rupesh
Published: January 2021

The choroidal vascularity index (CVI) is a relatively new parameter, calculated off optical coherence tomography (OCT) images, for the quantitative evaluation of choroid vascularity. It is defined as the ratio of vascular area to the total choroidal area, presented as a percentage. The choroid is an important vascular bed, often implicated in ocular and systemic conditions. Since the introduction of CVI, multiple studies have evaluated its efficacy as a tool for disease prognostication and monitoring progression, with promising results. The CVI was born out of the need for more robust and accurate evaluations of choroidal vasculature, as prior parameters such as choroidal thickness and choroidal vessel diameter had their limitations. In this review, we summarise current literature on the CVI, explain how the CVI is derived and explore its potential integration into future research and translation into clinical care. This includes the application of CVI in various disease states, and ongoing attempts to produce an automated algorithm which can calculate CVI from OCT images.
Using routine databases to evaluate Electronic Palliative Care Co-ordination Systems (EPaCCS)
Authors: Chu Christina Sian
Published: January 2021

In response to the government’s drive to expand Electronic Palliative Care Co-ordination Systems (EPaCCS) across England by 2020, further evidence for this intervention needs to be established quickly. With palliative and end-of-life care research being an underfunded area, the availability and lower costs of routine databases make it an attractive resource to integrate into studies evaluating EPaCCS without jeopardising research quality. This article describes how routine databases can be used to address the current paucity of high-quality evidence; they can be used in a range of study designs, including randomised controlled trials and quasi-experimental designs, and may also be able to contribute quality of life or patient-reported outcome measures.
Behaviour adoption approaches during public health emergencies: implications for the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond
Authors: Jalloh Mohamed F , Nur Aasli A , Nur Sophia A , Winters Maike , Bedson Jamie , Pedi Danielle , Prybylski Dimitri , Namageyo-Funa Apophia , Hageman Kathy M , Baker Brian J , Jalloh Mohammad B , Eng Eugenia , Nordenstedt Helena , Hakim Avi J
Published: January 2021

Human behaviour will continue to play an important role as the world grapples with public health threats. In this paper, we draw from the emerging evidence on behaviour adoption during diverse public health emergencies to develop a framework that contextualises behaviour adoption vis-à-vis a combination of top-down, intermediary and bottom-up approaches. Using the COVID-19 pandemic as a case study, we operationalise the contextual framework to demonstrate how these three approaches differ in terms of their implementation, underlying drivers of action, enforcement, reach and uptake. We illustrate how blended strategies that include all three approaches can help accelerate and sustain protective behaviours that will remain important even when safe and effective vaccines become more widely available. As the world grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic and prepares to respond to (re)emerging public health threats, our contextual framework can inform the design, implementation, tracking and evaluation of comprehensive public health and social measures during health emergencies.
National health system cuts and triage decisions during the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy and Spain: ethical implications
Authors: Faggioni Maurizio P , González-Melado Fermín Jesús , Di Pietro Maria Luisa
Published: January 2021

In this paper, we analyse the most important documents establishing the criteria for the treatment and exclusion of COVID-19 patients, especially in regard to the giving of respiratory support, in Italy and Spain. These documents reflect a tension that stems from limited healthcare resources which are insufficient to save lives that, under normal conditions, could have been saved, or at least could have received the best possible treatment. First, we analyse the healthcare systems of these two countries before the spread of the virus, both of which have seen decreases in the number of intensive care beds and have been marked by financial cuts during the last ten years. It is a fact that a greater number of people, especially those over 70 years of age, have been left without respiratory support treatment, and therefore, there have been a greater number of deaths. It is also a fact that there has been a higher infection rate among healthcare professionals due to the delay in the management of protective measures and the inability to provide adequate care for those in nursing homes, as recognised by WHO. In the context of this health emergency, healthcare professionals have suffered a real ‘moral distress’ because, knowing first-hand the causes of the limitation of resources, they have had to put triage protocols into practice. Finally, we set forth a series of concrete ethical proposals with which to face the successive waves of COVID-19 infection, as well as other future pandemics.
Surgical curriculum concordance: requiem for the educational dream
Authors: Luton Oliver , James Osian Penri , Mellor Katie , Powell Arfon , Hopkins Luke , Robinson David Bryan Thomas , Egan Richard , Lewis Wyn
Published: January 2021

This study aimed to analyse the degree of relative variation in speciality-specific competencies required for Certification of Completion of Training (CCT) set by the UK Joint Committee for Surgical Training (JCST) 2021 curriculum. Regulatory body guidance related to operative and non-operative surgical skill competencies required for CCT were analysed and compared. Wide inter-speciality variation was demonstrated in the minimum number of logbook cases (median 815; range 54 to 2100), indexed operations (8; 5 to 24) and procedure-based assessments (35; 6 to 110). Academic competencies related to peer-reviewed publications, communications to learned societies and audits were aligned at zero, zero and three across specialities, respectively. Mandatory courses have been standardised with Advanced Trauma Life Support being the sole pre-requisite CCT for all. JCST certification guidelines have broadly standardised competency domains, yet large discrepancies persist regarding operative indicative numbers and assessments. This article serves as a definitive CCT guide regarding prevailing changes.
Feasibility and acceptability of frequent vaginal self-sampling at home by Rwandan women at high risk of urogenital tract infections
Authors: Verwijs Marijn C , Agaba Stephen , Umulisa Marie-Michele , van de Wijgert Janneke H H M
Published: January 2021

Objectives

To establish temporal links between vaginal microbiota (VMB) data and incident clinical events, frequent longitudinal vaginal sampling is required. Self-collection of swabs at the participant’s home may be useful to avoid overburdening research clinics and participants. One-off vaginal self-sampling for STI or cervical cancer screening programmes has been shown to be feasible and acceptable to women in multiple studies, including in sub-Saharan Africa, but the feasibility and acceptability of frequent longitudinal vaginal sampling in the context of VMB sequencing studies is unknown.

Methods

Twelve participants of a randomised clinical trial in Kigali, Rwanda, self-collected vaginal swabs three times a week for a month. We studied feasibility by comparing DNA concentrations, proportions of samples with >1000 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing reads and VMB composition outcomes of self-collected swabs with clinician-collected swabs. We evaluated the acceptability of self-collection using structured face-to-face interviews and a focus group discussion.

Results

The participants collected vaginal swabs at 131 different time points. One woman stopped self-sampling after one try due to a social harm. All self-sampled swabs generated >1000 rRNA amplicon sequencing reads, and the DNA concentration of self-sampled swabs and clinician-sampled swabs did not differ significantly (Kruskal-Wallis p=0.484). Self-sampled and clinician-sampled swabs generated similar VMB composition data. Participants reported feeling very comfortable during self-sampling (11/12; 91.7%) and that self-sampling had become easier over time (12/12; 100%). They mentioned reduced travel time and travel costs as advantages of self-sampling at home.

Conclusions

Frequent longitudinal vaginal sampling at home is feasible and acceptable to participants, even in the context of a low-resource setting, as long as adequate counselling is provided.

Trial registration number

NCT02459665.
Ceramide and sphingosine-1 phosphate in COPD lungs
Authors: Berdyshev Evgeny V , Serban Karina A , Schweitzer Kelly S , Bronova Irina A , Mikosz Andrew , Petrache Irina
Published: January 2021

Studies of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) using animal models and patient plasma indicate dysregulation of sphingolipid metabolism, but data in COPD lungs are sparse. Mass spectrometric and immunostaining measurements of lungs from 69 COPD, 16 smokers without COPD and 13 subjects with interstitial lung disease identified decoupling of lung ceramide and sphingosine-1 phosphate (S1P) levels and decreased sphingosine kinase-1 (SphK1) activity in COPD. The correlation of ceramide abundance in distal COPD lungs with apoptosis and the inverse correlation between SphK1 activity and presence of emphysema suggest that disruption of ceramide-to-S1P metabolism is an important determinant of emphysema phenotype in COPD.
Neutrino 2020: Theory Outlook
Authors: Senjanović Goran
Published: January 2021

I present a personal vision of what is essential in the field of neutrino mass, both from the point of view of what has been achieved and what could lie ahead. In the process, I offer a logical, theoretical and phenomenological rationale behind my opinions. It is however neither a summary of what was discussed in the conference nor a party-line viewpoint, rather an attempt to dig through the enormous body of material in our field in order to uncover a common unifying thread. The main focus is on the search for a predictive and self-contained theory of the origin and nature of neutrino mass, with the conclusion that the left–right symmetric model plays a special role in this aspect.
Spin-polarized dwell time for electrons in a δ-doped magnetic nanostructure
Authors: Kong Yong-Hong , Li Ai-Hua , Gong Yan-Jun , Fu Xi
Published: January 2021

We theoretically investigate dwell time for electrons in a magnetic nanostructure with a [Formula: see text]-doping, which is formed on [Formula: see text] heterostructure by depositing a ferromagnetic (FM) stripe. We find that dwell time depends strongly on electron-spins owing to Zeeman coupling and broken symmetry. We also demonstrate that spin-polarized dwell time can be manipulated by [Formula: see text]-doping. Thus, electron spins can be separated in time dimension and such a magnetic nanostructure can be employed as a structurally-controllable temporal spin splitter for spintronics device applications.
Projectivity relative to closed (neat) submodules
Authors: Durğun Yilmaz
Published: January 2021

An [Formula: see text]-module [Formula: see text] is called closed (neat) projective if, for every closed (neat) submodule [Formula: see text] of every [Formula: see text]-module [Formula: see text], every homomorphism from [Formula: see text] to [Formula: see text] lifts to [Formula: see text]. In this paper, we study closed (neat) projective modules. In particular, the structure of a ring over which every finitely generated (cyclic, injective) right [Formula: see text]-module is closed (neat) projective is studied. Furthermore, the relationship among the proper classes which are induced by closed submodules, neat submodules, pure submodules and [Formula: see text]-pure submodules are investigated.
A new algorithm for finding fixed points of Bregman asymptotically regular quasi-nonexpansive mapping and solutions of equilibrium problems
Authors: Lotfikar R. , Zamani Eskandani G.
Published: January 2021

In this paper, we propose a new algorithm for finding a common element of the set of fixed points of Bregman asymptotically regular quasi-nonexpansive mappings and the set of zeros of maximal monotone mappings and the set of solutions of equilibrium problems for pseudomonotone and Bregman Lipschitz-type continuous bifunctions in reflexive Banach spaces. Moreover, the strong convergence of the sequence generated by this algorithm is established under some suitable conditions.
Let's Play Global Thermonuclear Energy
Authors: Frazelle Jessie
Published: January 2021

For us to grow and progress as a civilization, we need more investment in providing electricity to the world through clean, safe, and efficient processes. Thermonuclear energy is a huge step forward. This article is mostly focused on the use cases around grid-scale reactors. It's hard to see a future without some sort of thermonuclear energy powering all sorts of things around us.
A Note on the Minimum Wiener Polarity Index of Trees with a Given Number of Vertices and Segments or Branching Vertices
Authors: Noureen Sadia , Bhatti Akhlaq Ahmad , Ali Akbar
Published: January 2021

The Wiener polarity index of a graphG, usually denoted byWpG, is defined as the number of unordered pairs of those vertices ofGthat are at distance 3. A vertex of a tree with degree at least 3 is called a branching vertex. A segment of a treeTis a nontrivial pathSwhose end-vertices have degrees different from 2 inTand every other vertex (if exists) ofShas degree 2 inT. In this note, the best possible sharp lower bounds on the Wiener polarity indexWpare derived for the trees of fixed order and with a given number of branching vertices or segments, and all the trees attaining this lower bound are characterized.
DOK7 Inhibits Cell Proliferation, Migration, and Invasion of Breast Cancer via the PI3K/PTEN/AKT Pathway
Authors: Yue Changli , Bai Yuping , Piao Yingshi , Liu Honggang
Published: January 2021

Recently, increasing attention has been paid to the correlation between the expression of downstream of kinase 7 (DOK7) and the occurrence and development of various tumors. In this study, we clarified the effects of DOK7 in breast cancer. First, we showed that DOK7 expression was obviously reduced in the breast cancer tissues and lower levels of DOK7 linked to more aggressive behaviors and worse prognosis of patients. Furthermore, DOK7 expression of various breast cancer cell lines was lower than that of human noncancerous MCF-10A cells. Overexpression of DOK7 inhibited proliferation, migration, and invasion, while silencing DOK7 expression promoted the malignancy of breast cancer. In addition, overexpression of DOK7 suppressed tumor proliferation and lung metastasis in animal models. Finally, to investigate the possible signaling mechanism, we first found that the level of p-AKT protein was extremely downregulated and the level of PTEN protein was remarkably upregulated after overexpressing DOK7 in breast cancer cells. Repression of PTEN expression using PTEN siRNA or SF1670 (PTEN inhibitor) rescued the tumor-inhibiting effect induced by DOK7 overexpression, suggesting that DOK7 inhibits proliferation, migration, and invasion of breast cancer cells though the PI3K/PTEN/AKT pathway. These results suggest that the downregulation of DOK7 may become a novel breast cancer therapeutic target.
Exploiting Syntactic and Semantic Information for Textual Similarity Estimation
Authors: Luo Jiajia , Shan Hongtao , Zhang Gaoyu , Yuan George , Zhang Shuyi , Yan Fengting , Li Zhiwei
Published: January 2021

The textual similarity task, which measures the similarity between two text pieces, has recently received much attention in the natural language processing (NLP) domain. However, due to the vagueness and diversity of language expression, only considering semantic or syntactic features, respectively, may cause the loss of critical textual knowledge. This paper proposes a new type of structure tree for sentence representation, which exploits both syntactic (structural) and semantic information known as the weight vector dependency tree (WVD-tree). WVD-tree comprises structure trees with syntactic information along with word vectors representing semantic information of the sentences. Further, Gaussian attention weight is proposed for better capturing important semantic features of sentences. Meanwhile, we design an enhanced tree kernel to calculate the common parts between two structures for similarity judgment. Finally, WVD-tree is tested on widely used semantic textual similarity tasks. The experimental results prove that WVD-tree can effectively improve the accuracy of sentence similarity judgments.
Laparoscopic Versus Open Hartmann Reversal: A Case-Control Study
Authors: Panaccio Paolo , Grottola Tommaso , Percario Rossana , Selvaggi Federico , Cericola Severino , Lapergola Alfonso , Farrukh Maira , Martino Giuseppe Di , Ricciardiello Marco , Di Sebastiano Pierluigi , Di Mola Fabio Francesco
Published: January 2021

Background. Laparoscopic reversal of Hartmann’s procedure (LHR) offers reduced morbidity compared with open Hartmann’s reversal (OHR). The aim of this study is to compare the outcome of laparoscopic versus open Hartmann reversal. Materials and Methods. Thirty-four patients who underwent Hartmann reversal between January 2017 and July 2019 were evaluated. Patients underwent either LHR (n = 17) or OHR (n = 17). Variables such as numbers of patients, patient’s age, sex, body mass index (BMI), comorbidities, ASA (American Society of Anesthesiology) score, indication for previous open sigmoid resection, mean operation time, rate of conversion to open surgery, length of hospital stay, mortality, and morbidity were retrospectively evaluated. Results. The two groups of patients were homogeneous for gender, age, body mass index, cause of primary surgery, time to reversal, and comorbidities. In 97% of the cases, HP was done by open surgery. Our data revealed no difference in mean operation time (LHR: 180.5 ± 35.1 vs. OHR: 225.2 ± 48.4) and morbidity rate, although, in OHR group, there were more severe complications. Less intraoperative blood loss (LHR: 100 ± 40 mL vs. OHR: 450 ± 125 mL;

p

value <0.001), shorter time to flatus (LHR: 2.4 days vs. OHR: 3.6 days;

p

value <0.021), and shorter hospitalization (LHR: 4.4 vs. OHR: 11.2 days;

p

value <0.001) were observed in the LHR group. Mortality rate was null in both groups. Discussion. LHR is feasible and safe even for patients who received a primary open Hartmann’s procedure. We suggest careful patient’s selection allowing LHR procedures to highly skilled laparoscopy surgeons.
Antioxidant Food Components for the Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Diseases: Effects, Mechanisms, and Clinical Studies
Authors: Zhou Dan-Dan , Luo Min , Shang Ao , Mao Qian-Qian , Li Bang-Yan , Gan Ren-You , Li Hua-Bin
Published: January 2021

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) have gained increasing attention because of their high prevalence and mortality worldwide. Epidemiological studies revealed that intake of fruits, vegetables, nuts, and cereals could reduce the risk of CVDs, and their antioxidants are considered as the main contributors. Moreover, experimental studies showed that some antioxidant natural products and their bioactive compounds exerted beneficial effects on the cardiovascular system, such as polyphenols, polysaccharides, anthocyanins, epigallocatechin gallate, quercetin, rutin, and puerarin. The mechanisms of action mainly included reducing blood pressure, improving lipid profile, ameliorating oxidative stress, mitigating inflammation, and regulating gut microbiota. Furthermore, clinical trials confirmed the cardiovascular‐protective effect of some antioxidant natural products, such as soursop, beetroot, garlic, almond, and green tea. In this review, we summarized the effects of some antioxidant natural products and their bioactive compounds on CVDs based on the epidemiological, experimental, and clinical studies, with special attention paid to the relevant mechanisms and clinical trials.
Simulation Research on the Influence of the Clearance to the Impact Contact Characteristics between Coal Gangue and the Clearance‐Contained Tail Beam Structure
Authors: Yang Yang , Xin Zhengyuan , Zeng Qingliang , Liu Zhihai
Published: January 2021

There are various forms of clearance at the connection of various parts of the hydraulic support. However, the influence of clearance has been ignored in various related research studies of the hydraulic support. In order to clearly grasp the accurate impact contact response law between coal gangue and the hydraulic support, the radial clearance in the pin shaft connection structure of the tail beam is considered for the first time in this paper. By constructing the theoretical contact model of the pin shaft connection, the difficulty of studying the interaction between coal gangue and the hydraulic support through theoretical solution is proved. On this basis, the finite element contact simulation analysis method is proposed to study the impact contact behavior between coal gangue and the tail beam. This paper constructed the finite element impacting simulation model between coal gangue and the radial clearance‐contained tail beam structure and carried out impact contact simulation between coal gangue and the multiple clearance‐contained tail beam structure as well as the changing clearance‐contained tail beam structure, respectively, and contact responses of the tail beam structure such as the spring stress, the pin shaft test point stress, acceleration, and velocity of the tail beam test point under different working conditions are obtained. The influence law of clearance on different contact responses is studied, and the differences of contact responses after coal gangue impact between two clearance‐contained tail beam structures and three clearance‐contained tail beam structures are compared and analyzed. Research results show that, in the condition of multiclearance, the amplitude of each contact response when gangue is impacted is greater than that of coal. When the radial clearance of the connection unit increases from 0 to 0.25 mm, the overall fluctuation amplitude of the contact responses decreases. In 3‐clearance state, increase of the radial clearance size of the connection unit will lead to the increase of the spring stress, the stress of the pin shaft test point, and the velocity of the tail beam test point gradually and the decrease of the acceleration of the tail beam test point. Throughout the research, the vibration response of the pin shaft can be taken as coal gangue recognition parameter. The work provides a theoretical basis for the study of the influence law of clearance on hydraulic support and provides a reference for the study of contact behavior between coal gangue and the hydraulic support.
A High-Speed Elliptic Curve Cryptography Processor for Teleoperated Systems Security
Authors: Xiao Yong , Lin Weibin , Zhao Yun , Cui Chao , Cai Ziwen
Published: January 2021

Teleoperated robotic systems are those in which human operators control remote robots through a communication network. The deployment and integration of teleoperated robot’s systems in the medical operation have been hampered by many issues, such as safety concerns. Elliptic curve cryptography (ECC), an asymmetric cryptographic algorithm, is widely applied to practical applications because its far significantly reduced key length has the same level of security as RSA. The efficiency of ECC on GF (p) is dictated by two critical factors, namely, modular multiplication (MM) and point multiplication (PM) scheduling. In this paper, the high-performance ECC architecture of SM2 is presented. MM is composed of multiplication and modular reduction (MR) in the prime field. A two-stage modular reduction (TSMR) algorithm in the SCA-256 prime field is introduced to achieve low latency, which avoids more iterative subtraction operations than traditional algorithms. To cut down the run time, a schedule is put forward when exploiting the parallelism of multiplication and MR inside PM. Synthesized with a 0.13 um CMOS standard cell library, the proposed processor consumes 341.98k gate areas, and each PM takes 0.092 ms.
Time Series Analysis of Production Decline in Carbonate Reservoirs with Machine Learning
Authors: Wang Liqiang , Shao Mingji , Kou Gen , Wang Maoxian , Zhang Ruichao , Wei Zhengzheng , Sun Xiao
Published: January 2021

Classical decline methods, such as Arps yield decline curve analysis, have advantages of simple principles and convenient applications, and they are widely used for yield decline analysis. However, for carbonate reservoirs with high initial production, rapid decline, and large production fluctuations, with most wells having no stable production period, the adaptability of traditional decline methods is inadequate. Hence, there is an urgent need to develop a new decline analysis method. Although machine learning methods based on multiple regression and deep learning have been applied to unconventional oil reservoirs in recent years, their application effects have been unsatisfactory. For example, prediction errors based on multiple regression machine learning methods are relatively large, and deep learning sample requirements and the actual conditions of reservoir management do not match. In this study, a new equal probability gene expression programming (EP-GEP) method was developed to overcome the shortcomings of the conventional Arps decline model in the production decline analysis of carbonate reservoirs. Through model validation and comparative analysis of prediction effects, it was proven that the EP-GEP model exhibited good prediction accuracy, and the average relative error was significantly smaller than those of the traditional Arps model and existing machine learning methods. The successful application of the proposed method in the production decline analysis of carbonate reservoirs is expected to provide a new decline analysis tool for field reservoir engineers.
The Role of Innate Immunity in Pulmonary Infections
Authors: Zhang Huihui , He Fang , Li Pan , Hardwidge Philip R. , Li Nengzhang , Peng Yuanyi
Published: January 2021

Innate immunity forms a protective line of defense in the early stages of pulmonary infection. The primary cellular players of the innate immunity against respiratory infections are alveolar macrophages (AMs), dendritic cells (DCs), neutrophils, natural killer (NK) cells, and innate lymphoid cells (ILCs). They recognize conserved structures of microorganisms through membrane‐bound and intracellular receptors to initiate appropriate responses. In this review, we focus on the prominent roles of innate immune cells and summarize transmembrane and cytosolic pattern recognition receptor (PRR) signaling recognition mechanisms during pulmonary microbial infections. Understanding the mechanisms of PRR signal recognition during pulmonary pathogen infections will help us to understand pulmonary immunopathology and lay a foundation for the development of effective therapies to treat and/or prevent pulmonary infections.
Fixed Points for Contractive Mappings of Integral Type Involving
ω
-Distance and Applications
Authors: Gao Haiyan , Liu Na , Zhao Liangshi
Published: January 2021

In this paper, we use

ω

-distance to prove the existence, uniqueness, and iterative approximations of fixed points for a few contractive mappings of integral type in complete metric spaces. The proved results are used to investigate the solvability of certain nonlinear integral equations. Four examples are given.
The Effects of Oral Consumption of Honey on Key Metabolic Profiles in Adult Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Nondiabetic Individuals: A Systematic Review of Clinical Trials
Authors: Akhbari Marzieh , Jabbari Masoumeh , Ayati Mohammad Hossein , Namazi Nazli
Published: January 2021

Objectives. Although several clinical trials have revealed the beneficial effects of honey on metabolic profiles, the results are conflicting. The aim of this study was to systematically summarize the effects of oral consumption of honey on key metabolic profiles in adult patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and nondiabetic individuals. Methods. In total, four electronic databases, including PubMed/Medline, Web of Science, Scopus, and Cochrane library, were searched from 2000 to 31 July 2019 to identify all English language studies that would meet the eligibility criteria. Clinical trials which have examined the effects of oral consumption of any types of honey on anthropometric indices, glycemic status, lipid profiles, and blood pressure in both diabetic and nondiabetic adult subjects were included in the study. Results. Of the 7769 possible relevant studies (including 3547 duplicates) identified in the initial search, finally, 13 clinical trials were included in the systematic review. All studies except three had a parallel design. Of 13 studies, 8 trials did not have placebo/control groups. The included studies examined the impact of oral consumption of honey on glycemic status (n = 12), anthropometric indices (n = 6), lipid profiles (n = 10), and blood pressure (n = 3). Based on the Jadad scale, 5 studies had acceptable methodological quality, and the remaining (n = 8) had low methodological quality. Conclusion. The current systematic review showed that oral consumption of honey might have no significant effects on the modulation of metabolic profiles in nondiabetic subjects. In addition, a high intake of honey might increase glucose levels and worsen other metabolic parameters in patients with T2DM. Due to substantial heterogeneity in study design and limited clinical trials, results, however, should be interpreted with great caution.
Neural Substrates of the Morphological Structure of Chinese Words
Authors: Wang Xuan , Mao Mingze , Zhao Jiayi , Yang Zhiqiang , Li Jie , Ji Hongfei , Zhuang Jie , Li Maozhen
Published: January 2021

Compounding is the dominant morphological type in modern Chinese words; however, its brain mechanisms remain unspecified. Here, we aim to address this issue by manipulating three common morphological structures in Chinese disyllabic words in an fMRI study: parallel, biased, and monomorphemic. Behavioral analyses show no significant difference in reaction times and error rates among these three conditions. No difference in neural activation was observed in direct contrasts among these conditions in univariate contrast analyses. A support vector machine categorization analysis reveals that the left inferior frontal gyrus (LIFG) is the only region in the frontotemporal network that can differentiate the parallel from the biased disyllabic words in neural activation patterns. This finding indicates that the LIFG is the core region responsible for morphological representation universally across different language modalities and morphological structures.
Field Tests on the Stress Characteristics of Enriched Water Tunnel Invert
Authors: Du Mingqing , Li Xiang , Wang Xuchun , Teng Hongwei , Zhang Peng , Zhu Zhen
Published: January 2021

To monitor the changes in the force of the tunnel invert steel bars after the groundwater level changes, field tests were performed to accurately and comprehensively characterize the stress acting on the rebar of a tunnel invert. Changes in stress and temperature were monitored for two layers of rebar (upper and lower) in an actual tunnel invert during its repair. The results showed that the changes in stress followed different paths for the upper and lower layers. After the groundwater is replenished, the maximum tensile stress of the rebar was 17.3 MPa, and the maximum compressive stress was 120 MPa. Major changes in stress were observed 2–6 days after rain. Based on this, the seepage path of groundwater is analyzed. During this period, the compressive stress increased threefold, and the tensile stress increased 9.5-fold. The rebar stress in the tunnel invert followed a Gaussian distribution after stabilizing. Four phases of stress progression are identified and discussed. The results can provide data support and theoretical basis for the treatment of invert floor heave in enriched water tunnel.
A New Implementation of Genome Rearrangement Problem
Authors: Jing Xiaoqian , Shi Haihe
Published: January 2021

Unsigned reverse genome rearrangement is an important part of bioinformatics research, which is widely used in biological similarity and homology analysis, revealing biological inheritance, variation, and evolution. Branch and bound, simulated annealing, and other algorithms in unsigned reverse genome rearrangement algorithm are rare in practical application because of their huge time and space consumption, and greedy algorithms are mostly used at present. By deeply analyzing the domain of unsigned reverse genome rearrangement algorithm based on greedy strategy (unsigned reverse genome rearrangement algorithm (URGRA) based on greedy strategy), the domain features are modeled, and the URGRA algorithm components are interactively designed according to the production programming method. With the support of the PAR platform, the algorithm component library of the URGRA is formally realized, and the concrete algorithm is generated by assembly, which improves the reliability of the assembly algorithm.
A Data‐Driven and Biologically Inspired Preprocessing Scheme to Improve Visual Object Recognition
Authors: Shariatmadar Zahra Sadat , Faez Karim
Published: January 2021

Autonomous object recognition in images is one of the most critical topics in security and commercial applications. Due to recent advances in visual neuroscience, the researchers tend to extend biologically plausible schemes to improve the accuracy of object recognition. Preprocessing is one part of the visual recognition system that has received much less attention. In this paper, we propose a new, simple, and biologically inspired pre processing technique by using the data‐driven mechanism of visual attention. In this part, the responses of Retinal Ganglion Cells (RGCs) are simulated. After obtaining these responses, an efficient threshold is selected. Then, the points of the raw image with the most information are extracted according to it. Then, the new images with these points are created, and finally, by combining these images with entropy coefficients, the most salient object is located. After extracting appropriate features, the classifier categorizes the initial image into one of the predefined object categories. Our system was evaluated on the Caltech‐101 dataset. Experimental results demonstrate the efficacy and effectiveness of this novel method of preprocessing.
A Hybrid Compression Method for Medical Images Based on Region of Interest Using Artificial Neural Networks
Authors: Khaleel Ali Ibrahim , Zahri Nik Adilah Hanin , Ahmad Muhammad Imran
Published: January 2021

The number of medical images being stored and communicated daily is rapidly increasing, according to the need for these images in medical diagnoses. Hence, the storage space and bandwidths required to store and communicate these images are exponentially increasing, which has brought attention toward compressing these images. In this study, a new compression method is proposed for medical images based on convolutional neural networks. The proposed neural network consists of two main stages: a segmentation stage and an autoencoder. The segmentation stage is used to recognize the Region of Interest (ROI) in the image and provide it to the autoencoder stage, so more emphasis on the information of the ROI is applied. The autoencoder part of the neural network contains a bottleneck layer that has one-eighth of the dimensions of the input image. The values in this layer are used to represent the image, while the following layers are used to decompress the images, after training the neural network. The proposed method is evaluated using the CLEF MED 2009 dataset, where the evaluation results show that the method has significantly better performance, compared to the existing state-of-the-art methods, by providing more visually similar images using less data.
Evolution of Lightning Maculopathy: Presentation of Two Clinical Cases and Brief Review of the Literature
Authors: Khadka Simanta , Byanju Raghunandan , Pradhan Sangita , Poon Suchan , Suwal Rinkal
Published: January 2021

Lightning is a naturally occurring atmospheric phenomenon. Though uncommon, it is a potentially devastating and underreported natural calamity. Lightning accounts for the second leading cause of weather-related death in most parts of the world. Among the survivors of lightning injury, more than half of the victims may suffer from some form of ophthalmic injury. The lightning-associated ocular injury varies from a range of anterior segment to posterior segment pathologies. We report on two clinical cases of ocular injuries among the survivors of lightning injury. Anatomical involvement is seen at different levels with presentation as uveitis, pupillary abnormality, maculopathy, and later development of lenticular opacification. Optical coherence tomography (OCT), a noninvasive diagnostic tool, is particularly useful in the evaluation of lighting maculopathy as well as to monitor its progression through the course of time. Visual prognosis depends upon the structures of the eyes affected in the injury. The presence of irreversible retinal damage as well as optic nerve damage often result in poor visual outcome in the absence of significant anterior segment pathology. This report highlights the evolution of maculopathy through the course of time and signifies the importance of long-term follow-up postlightning injury.
Bending Capacity of Concrete‐Encased Underground Electrical Duct Banks under Monotonic Loading: An Experimental Study
Authors: Liu Ting-jin , Cai Liang-yi , Liao Qiang , Yang Yu-bing
Published: January 2021

The bending capacity of concrete‐encased underground electrical duct banks has been the subject of considerable investigation using the load‐structure method; however, the role of high‐density polyethylene (HDPE) conduits and the thresholds of electrical duct banks has not been fully scrutinized. This study examines the bending behaviors of electrical duct banks subjected to monotonic vertical loading in a soil box using an advanced monitoring device to measure the conduit diameter change. An analysis of the experiment shows the effective role of HDPE conduits in improving the bending capacity of electrical duct banks. The results suggest 5% and 7.5% as the deformation rate thresholds with respect to the ultimate states of serviceability and bearing capacity, respectively. The threshold of the longitudinal curvature radius is determined to be 18000 m. Finally, the evolution trends of the stress and deformation rates of HDPE conduits are recommended for the monitoring indexes and control standards of electrical duct banks.
YAICD: Yet Another IMSI Catcher Detector in GSM
Authors: Ziayi Parimah , Farmanbar Seyed Mostafa , Rezvani Mohsen
Published: January 2021

In GSM, the network is not authenticated which allows for man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks. Attackers can track traffic and trace users of cellular networks by creating a rogue base transceiver station (BTS). Such a defect in addition to the need for backward compatibility of mobile networks makes all GSM, UMTS, and LTE networks susceptible to MITMs. These attacks are conducted using IMSI-Catchers (ICs). Most of the solutions proposed for detecting ICs in the literature are based on using specific mobile devices with root access. Also, they cannot identify ICs to which users are not connected. In this paper, we propose an approach called YAICD for detecting ICs in the GSM network. YAICD consists of a sensor that can be installed on Android mobile devices. It detects ICs by extracting 15 parameters from signals received from BTSs. We also established a lab-scale testbed to evaluate YAICD for various detection parameters and for comparing it against existing solutions in the literature. The experimental results show that YAICD not only successfully detects ICs using the parameters but also identifies ICs to which users are not yet connected to the network.
Quyu Shengji Formula Facilitates Diabetic Wound Healing via Inhibiting the Expression of Prostaglandin Transporter
Authors: Lu Yi , Ding Xiaojie , Qi Fei , Ru Yi , Kuai Le , Chen Siting , Yang Yingyao , Li Xin , Li Fulun , Li Bin , Zhou Mi , Ze Kan
Published: January 2021

Background. Quyu Shengji Formula (QSF), a Chinese medicine formula widely used in the clinic, has proven therapeutic effects on diabetic ulcers. Nevertheless, the potential mechanism of how QSF cures diabetic ulcer remains elusive. Objective. To assess the mechanism of QSF against wound healing defects in diabetes. Methods. Db/db mice were adopted to determine the therapeutic potential of QSF. Further histology analysis was performed by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining. Moreover, the expression patterns of prostaglandin transporter (PGT), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), and angiogenesis factor vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were evaluated by immunostaining (IHC) analysis, ELISA assay, real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), and western blot analysis in vivo. Human dermal microvascular endothelial cells (HDMECs) and the shRNA interference technique were used to explore the effects of QSF on cell migration, PGT, PGE2, and angiogenesis factor VEGF in vitro. Results. Applied QSF on the wound of db/db mice significantly accelerated wound closure. Reductions of PGT and elevations of PGE2 and increased angiogenesis factor VEGF levels were shown after QSF treatment in vivo and in vitro. Furthermore, QSF promoted HDMEC migration. Inhibition of the expression of PGT by shRNA reversed phenotypes of QSF treatment in vitro. Conclusion. Taken together, our findings reveal that QSF ameliorates diabetes-associated wound healing defects by abolishing the expression of PGT.
N-Acetylcysteine Attenuates Hyperalgesia in Rats with Diabetic Neuropathic Pain: Role of Oxidative Stress and Inflammatory Mediators and CXCR4
Authors: Li Sisi , Li Xuying , Xie Xiangbin , Wei Xiao , Yu Cong , Cheung Chi Wai , Xia Zhengyuan , Tian Guogang
Published: January 2021

Objectives. CXCR4 plays critical roles in the development of diabetic neuropathic pain (DNP) in rats, and its mechanism is unknown. This study was aimed at evaluating the potential therapeutic value of the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC) against DNP in rats and how CXCR4 participates in the formation of DNP. Methods. Control or streptozotocin- (STZ-) induced diabetic Sprague-Dawley rats received vehicle or NAC for four weeks starting one week after STZ injection. Von Frey and Hargreaves Apparatus were used to analyze the behavioral changes of mechanical allodynia and heat hyperalgesia. CXCR4, p-CXCR4, interleukin- (IL-) 6, and tumor necrosis factor- (TNF-) α in the spinal cord and the prefrontal cortex were detected by western blotting. Plasma IL-6, TNF-α, superoxide dismutase- (SOD-) 1, SOD-2, and lipid peroxidation products malondialdehyde (MDA) and 15-F2t-Isoprostane were detected by ELISA. Results. The values of paw withdrawal threshold (PWT) and paw withdrawal latencies (PWL) were reduced in diabetic rats compared to control rats that were concomitant with significant increases of CXCR4, p-CXCR4, IL-6, and TNF-α protein expressions in the spinal cord and prefrontal cortex. The treatment with NAC decreased the IL-6 and TNF-α protein expression and further increased CXCR4 and p-CXCR4 in the spinal cord and the cortex of diabetic rats that were accompanied with enhancement of PWT and PWL. NAC also significantly attenuated or reverted the increases of plasma IL-6, TNF-α, SOD-1, SOD-2, MDA, and 15-F2t-Isoprostane in diabetic rats. Conclusion. It is concluded that NAC treatment could effectively alleviate DNP and that induction of CXCR4 and p-CXCR4 may represent a mechanism whereby NAC attenuates DNP.
Design and Analysis of a Novel Authorship Verification Framework for Hijacked Social Media Accounts Compromised by a Human
Authors: Alterkavı Suleyman , Erbay Hasan
Published: January 2021

Compromising the online social network account of a genuine user, by imitating the user’s writing trait for malicious purposes, is a standard method. Then, when it happens, the fast and accurate detection of intruders is an essential step to control the damage. In other words, an efficient authorship verification model is a binary classification for the investigation of the text, whether it is written by a genuine user or not. Herein, a novel authorship verification framework for hijacked social media accounts, compromised by a human, is proposed. Significant textual features are derived from a Twitter-based dataset. They are composed of 16124 tweets with 280 characters crawled and manually annotated with the authorship information. XGBoost algorithm is then used to highlight the significance of each textual feature in the dataset. Furthermore, the ELECTRE approach is utilized for feature selection, and the rank exponent weight method is applied for feature weighting. The reduced dataset is evaluated with many classifiers, and the achieved result of the F-score is 94.4%.