bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Semi‐supervised, knowledge‐integrated pattern learning approach for fact extraction from judicial text
Authors: Thomas Anu , Sangeetha Sivanesan
Published: January 2021

Tremendous growth in the availability of judicial documents has demanded the rise of information extraction (IE) techniques that support the automatic extraction of relevant concepts or data from judicial texts. Among various approaches available for IE, ontology‐based IE has proven to be the most appropriate for extracting domain‐specific information from natural language text. Through this article, we propose a knowledge‐driven, semi‐supervised pattern‐based learning (bootstrapping) approach to extract domain‐specific facts from judicial text, starting with a small set of seed facts. In the semantic analysis of legal text, fact extraction is the next step to entity identification, which involves the identification of roles played by each entity in the judicial text. The proposed methodology learns extraction patterns for 12 classes of facts from the judicial text through the integration of the domain ontology called judicial case ontology (JCO). The experimental results were evaluated by human judges and found to be quite promising. One main feature of the proposed methodology is its portability across various domains (such as medical, banking, insurance, etc.) which in turn helps build expert systems in various sectors.
Contact stress analysis and fatigue life prediction of turbine disc–blade attachment with fir‐tree tenon structure
Authors: Yuan Rong , Liao Ding , Zhu Shun‐Peng , Yu Zheng‐Yong , Correia José , De Jesus Abilio
Published: January 2021

Fir‐tree tenon structure, as a commonly used scheme in the connection of turbine blades and discs, plays a critical role in the reliability and integrity of aeroengine turbines. This work mainly deals with the contact and fatigue analyses of a turbine disc–blade attachment with fir‐tree tenon structure. Firstly, based on Hertz contact theory, a three‐dimensional (3D) model of surface‐to‐surface contact is established, and contact stress analysis is performed based on finite element (FE) simulations. The simulated contact stress distribution agrees well with the Hertz contact theory. Particularly, the rounding processing does not relieve the stress concentration. Then, contact stress analysis on the fir‐tree tenon structure is performed, and a stress gradient‐based model is utilized for fatigue life evaluation together with contact stress analysis. Results show that the proposed solution yields acceptable predictions compared with field estimations.
Intensive care nurses' experiences during the COVID‐19 pandemic: A qualitative study
Authors: Fernández‐Castillo Rafael‐Jesús , González‐Caro María‐Dolores , Fernández‐García Elena , Porcel‐Gálvez Ana‐María , Garnacho‐Montero José
Published: January 2021

Background

Because of the COVID‐19 pandemic, health care systems worldwide are working under challenging conditions. Patients, who are seriously ill, require intensive care admission. In fighting COVID‐19, nurses are frontline health care workers and, as such, have a great responsibility providing needed specialized patient care in intensive care units (ICU). However, working conditions and emotional factors have an impact on the quality of the care provided.

Aim

The purpose of the present study was to explore and describe the experiences and perceptions of nurses working in an ICU during the COVID‐19 global pandemic.

Study design

Qualitative research was undertaken, using an empirical approach and inductive content analysis techniques.

Methods

The selected population consisted of ICU nurses from a tertiary teaching hospital in Spain. Data were obtained via semi‐structured videocall interviews from Apr 12th to Apr 30th, 2020. Subsequently, transcribed verbatims were analysed using the template analysis model of Brooks.

Findings

A total of 17 nurses comprised the final sample after data saturation. Four main themes emerged from the analysis and 13 subthemes: “providing nursing care,” “psychosocial aspects and emotional lability,” “resources management and safety” and “professional relationships and fellowship.”

Conclusion

Providing health care by intensive care nursing professionals, during the COVID‐19 pandemic, has shown both strong and weak points in the health care system. Nursing care has been influenced by fear and isolation, making it hard to maintain the humanization of the health care.

Relevance to clinical practice

Implications for practice include optimizing resource management (human and material), providing psychological support, and adequate training for ICU nurses, as well as high‐quality protocols for future emergency situations.
Microstructure Analysis and Reconstruction of a Meniscus
Authors: Zhu Shuang , Tong Ge , Xiang Jian‐ping , Qiu Shuai , Yao Zhi , Zhou Xiang , Lin Li‐jun
Published: January 2021

Objective

To analyze the characteristics of menicus microstructure and to reconstruct a microstructure‐mimicing 3D model of the menicus.

Methods

Human and sheep meniscus were collected and prepared for this study. Hematoxylin–eosin staining (HE) and Masson staining were conducted for histological analysis of the meniscus. For submicroscopic structure analysis, the meniscus was first freeze‐dried and then scanned by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The porosity of the meniscus was determined according to SEM images. A micro‐MRI was used to scan each meniscus, immersed in distilled water, and a 3D digital model was reconstructed afterwards. A three‐dimensional (3D) resin model was printed out based on the digital model. Before high‐resolution micro‐CT scanning, each meniscus was freeze‐dried. Then, micro‐scale two‐dimensional (2D) CT projection images were obtained. The porosity of the meniscus was calculated according to micro‐CT images. With micro‐CT, multiple 2D projection images were collected. A 3D digital model based on 2D CT pictures was also reconstructed. The 3D digital model was exported as STL format. A 3D resin model was printed by 3D printer based on the 3D digital model.

Results

As revealed in the HE and Masson images, a meniscus is mostly composed of collagen, with a few cells disseminated between the collagen fiber bundles at the micro‐scale. The SEM image clearly shows the path of highly cross‐linked collagen fibers, and massive pores exist between the fibers. According to the SEM images, the porosity of the meniscus was 34.1% (34.1% ± 0.032%) and the diameters of the collagen fibers were varied. In addition, the cross‐linking pattern of the fibers was irregular. The scanning accuracy of micro‐MRI was 50 μm. The micro‐MRI demonstrated the outline of the meniscus, but the microstructure was obscure. The micro‐CT clearly displayed microfibers in the meniscus with a voxel size of 11.4 μm. The surface layer, lamellar layer, circumferential fibers, and radial fibers could be identified. The mean porosity of the meniscus according to micro‐CT images was 33.92% (33.92% ± 0.03%). Moreover, a 3D model of the microstructure based on the micro‐CT images was built. The microscale fibers could be displayed in the micro‐CT image and the reconstructed 3D digital model. In addition, a 3D resin model was printed out based on the 3D digital model.

Conclusion

It is extremely difficult to artificially simulate the microstructure of the meniscus because of the irregularity of the diameter and cross‐linking pattern of fibers. The micro‐MRI images failed to demonstrate the meniscus microstructure. Freeze‐drying and micro‐CT scanning are effective methods for 3D microstructure reconstruction of the meniscus, which is an important step towards mechanically functional 3D‐printed meniscus grafts.
Practical approach to transfusion management of post‐partum haemorrhage
Authors: Frigo Maria Grazia , Agostini Vanessa , Brizzi Agostino , Ragusa Antonio , Svelato Alessandro
Published: January 2021

Objectives

To describe transfusion management during post‐partum haemorrhage (PPH) and the usefulness of standard or point‐of‐care (POC) laboratory tests for guiding haemostatic management.

Background

PPH is the leading cause of maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity worldwide. Despite the efforts made in recent years, PPH is often burdened by preventable death. Recent data from the active Italian Obstetric Surveillance System (ItOSS) highlighted the following main critical issues: inadequate communication between healthcare professionals, inability to correctly and promptly assess the severity of haemorrhage, delays in diagnosis and treatment, failure to request blood promptly and inappropriate monitoring post‐partum.

Materials and Methods

Data in the literature have been compared with the rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM)‐ and the thromboelastography (TEG)‐guided algorithms applied in the authors' departments.

Results

PPH transfusion therapy may have an empirical approach based on the standard use of blood products or a targeted approach based on coagulation monitoring by laboratory or POC tests. Here, the authors describe how they manage PPH in their departments, according to the Italian guidelines, along with the addition of a ROTEM‐ and a TEG‐guided algorithms developed by themselves.

Conclusion

Although the proposed algorithms have not been validated by trials or observational studies conducted in our departments, we believe that these indications could be useful for supporting clinical practice. Furthermore, we deem it appropriate to emphasise the importance of a multidisciplinary approach and the need for standardised and shared protocols to support the decisions of healthcare professionals.
Effects of shoulder distraction on canine shoulder arthroscopy
Authors: Aoki Koji , Sek Jun‐Yan , de Paula Freitas Fernando , Bates Miriam , Beaufrere Hugues
Published: January 2021

Objective

To evaluate the use of the Leipzig distractor during canine shoulder arthroscopy.

Study design

Experimental, ex vivo.

Sample population

Paired shoulder joints from 15 large breed canine cadavers.

Methods

Standard lateral shoulder arthroscopy was performed with or without the use of the Leipzig distractor (n = 15 each). Joint space width, procedure time, and visibility and palpability of the intra‐articular structures were assessed during the arthroscopy. After the arthroscopic evaluation, each shoulder joint was disarticulated to assess the area and number of iatrogenic articular cartilage injury (IACI) lesions. Sites around the distraction device were assessed for the presence of iatrogenic injury.

Results

With shoulder distraction, median joint space width was 4 mm larger (P = .01), IACI area was 9.5 mm2 lower (P = .003), and there were two fewer total number of IACI lesions (P = .004) compared with nondistracted shoulders. The mean total surgery time was 93 seconds shorter (P = .01) in distracted shoulders. Although distraction was associated with increased visibility of the supraglenoid tubercle (P = .015), no significant differences were found for other intra‐articular structures for their visibility and palpability. Unexpected lesions at the sites around the distraction device were not encountered.

Conclusion

Use of the distraction device decreased the area and incidence of IACI lesions and shortened the arthroscopy time. However, no improvement was found in the visibility or palpability of the intra‐articular structures.

Clinical significance

Although additional clinical studies are required to evaluate the effect of the distraction device on pathologic articular conditions and intraoperative manipulation, the use of a shoulder distraction device might improve the outcomes of shoulder arthroscopy by decreasing IACI and arthroscopy time.
Bacteria-specific phototoxic reactions triggered by blue light and phytochemical carvacrol
Authors: Lu Min , Wang Shen , Wang Tao , Hu Sisi , Bhayana Brijesh , Ishii Momoko , Kong Yifei , Cai Yuchen , Dai Tianhong , Cui Wenguo , Wu Mei X.
Published: January 2021

Blue light and carvacrol synergistically promote broad-spectrum bactericide in multidrug-resistant murine burn and skin infections.
Draft Genome Sequences of Four Commensal Strains of
Staphylococcus
and
Pseudomonas
Isolated from Healthy Human Skin
Authors: Janvier Xavier , Boukerb Amine M. , Feuilloley Marc G. J. , Groboillot Anne
Published: January 2021

Staphylococcus
spp. and
Pseudomonas
spp. are widely distributed bacteria in the environment and are found in association with animals and humans. Here, we present the draft genome sequence data of the healthy human skin commensal strains
Staphylococcus aureus
MFP03,
Staphylococcus epidermidis
MFP04,
Staphylococcus capitis
MFP08, and
Pseudomonas fluorescens
MFP05.
Genome Sequence of Acetobacter tropicalis DmPark25_167, a Bacterium Isolated from a Drosophila melanogaster Genetic Model of Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: Goddard Julie A. , Petersen Samara C. , Call Gerald B. , Chaston John M.
Published: January 2021

Here, we report the genome of
Acetobacter tropicalis
DmPark25_167, a bacterial strain isolated from a
Drosophila melanogaster

park
25

mutant. The

park
25

mutant is an established genetic model of Parkinson’s disease. DmPark25_167 has duplicated methionine metabolism and type IV secretion gene alleles compared with another strain of
A. tropicalis
.
Draft Genome Sequence of
Pseudomonas
sp. Strain T2.31D-1, Isolated from a Drilling Core Sample Obtained 414 Meters below Surface in the Iberian Pyrite Belt
Authors: Martínez J. M. , Escudero C. , Leandro T. , Mateos G. , Amils R.
Published: January 2021

We report the draft genome of
Pseudomonas
sp. strain T2.31D-1, which was isolated from a drilling core sample obtained 414 m below surface in the Iberian Pyrite Belt. The genome consists of a 4.7-Mb chromosome, with 4,428 coding sequences, one rRNA operon, and 59 tRNA genes, and a 31.8-kb plasmid.
Survey of Maize Rhizosphere Microbiome Using Shotgun Metagenomics
Authors: Babalola Olubukola Oluranti , Omotayo Oluwadara Pelumi , Igiehon Nicholas Ozede
Published: January 2021

Several processes which occur in the rhizosphere make it a vital region in plant development. However, studies that examine the rhizosphere microbiome and their functional potentials remain scarce. Shotgun metagenomics was employed here to evaluate the functional potentials of the maize rhizosphere microbiome of farms in two South African provinces.
Supplemental Material: Recognition of a Middle–Late Jurassic arc-related porphyry copper belt along the southeast China coast: Geological characteristics and metallogenic implications
Authors: Mao Jingwen , al. et
Published: January 2021

Appendix S1, Figures S1–S4, and Table S1.
Interactions between highly active antiretroviral therapy and over-the-counter agents: a cautionary note
Authors: Federspiel Jerome , Bukhari Melanie J , Hamill Matthew M
Published: January 2021

Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) has dramatically lowered rates of mother-to-child HIV transmission among patients with access to treatment. Barriers to complete viral suppression increase rates of transmission, even with only low levels of viral replication. Here, we present the case of a pregnant patient who developed a detectable viral load in pregnancy, thought to be related to calcium supplement consumption or emesis while using a dolutegravir-based HAART regimen. Ultimately, with adjustments, the patient again reached an undetectable viral load and had an uncomplicated perinatal and neonatal outcome. We discuss new data on the use of dolutegravir in pregnancy and precautions for maintaining viral suppression while on antiretroviral therapy in pregnancy.
Lamotrigine-associated hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis
Authors: Suleman Nawar , Ozdemirli Metin , Weisman David
Published: January 2021

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a rare and life-threatening disorder of excessive immune activation. It is mostly seen in the paediatric population and is rarely observed in adults. HLH can be inherited or acquired and is commonly triggered by activation of the immune system by an underlying viral infection or in immune system deficiency such as malignancy or underlying rheumatological disease. HLH is a difficult entity to diagnose due to the rarity of this disorder, variable clinical presentation and non-specific clinical and laboratory findings. HLH carries a high mortality if left untreated, and therefore prompt diagnosis and initiation of immunosuppressive, immunomodulatory and cytostatic medications are critical to improve survival in affected patients. Here, we present a case of lamotrigine-associated HLH. To our knowledge, only eight other cases of lamotrigine-associated HLH have been reported in adult patients.
Unforeseen progressive outer retinal necrosis in a child following bone marrow transplant
Authors: Sachan Anusha , Lata Suman
Published: January 2021

A 10-year-old boy underwent stem cell transplant for Hodgkin’s lymphoma and developed vomiting and seizure in the postoperative period. An ophthalmic referral was made from intensive care unit, to rule out papilledema. On examination, there was no papilledema in both eyes, instead there were areas of retinal necrosis with no haemorrhages or vitritis in right eye. Cerebrospinal fluid serology was negative for herpes but MRI showed hyperintensity in temporal lobe. A clinical diagnosis of progressive outer retinal necrosis (PORN) was made and fundus picture was documented with help of a smartphone and 20D lens. High-dose intravenous injection acyclovir was started and PORN lesion improved on treatment.
Robust Visual Place Recognition in Changing Environments Using Improved DTW
Authors: Lu Feng , Chen Baifan , Guo Zhaohong , Zhou Xiangdong
Published: January 2021

Recently, the methods based on Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) have achieved state-of-the-art performance in visual place recognition. CNN is a class of multilayer perceptrons, but unlike common multilayer perceptrons that it is not usually fully connected networks. It can acquire more general image features and make the image processing computationally manageable through filtering the connections by proximity. In this paper, we utilize the deep features generated by CNNs and the dynamic time warping (DTW) algorithm for image sequence place recognition. We propose a novel image similarity measurement, which is derived from cosine distance and can better distinguish match and mismatch. Meanwhile, we improve the DTW algorithm to design a local matching method that can reduce time complexity from O(n3) to O(n). To test the proposed method, four datasets (Nordland, Gardens Point, St. Lucia, and UoA datasets) are used as benchmarks; using two traverses in each dataset with one for reference and the other for testing. The results show high precision-recall characteristics of our method in the cases of severe appearance changes. Besides, our method achieves substantial improvements over the methods using the deep feature representations of a single image for recognition, which reflects that the spatiotemporal information contained in the image sequence is significant for the task of visual place recognition. Moreover, the proposed method also shows to outperform the classical sequence-based method SeqSLAM.
Ridge Estimation for Uncertain Autoregressive Model with Imprecise Observations
Authors: Chen Dan , Yang Xiangfeng
Published: January 2021

The objective of time series analysis is to study the relationship between the data over time and to predict future values. Traditionally, statisticians assume that the observation data are precise, and we can get some exact values. However, in many cases, the imprecise observation data are available. We assume that these data are uncertain variables in the sense of uncertainty theory. In this paper, the ridge method is used to compute the unknown parameters in the uncertain autoregressive model. First, the ridge estimation of the parameters is given. The shrinkage parameter in the ridge estimation is obtained by ridge trace analysis. Based on the fitted autoregressive model, the forecast value and confidence interval of the future data are derived. Then two numerical examples are presented to verify the feasibility of this approach. Finally, the effectiveness of our model in reducing the influence of the outliers is shown by the comparative analysis.
Resilient and Secure Hardware Devices Using ASL
Authors: Alasad Qutaiba , Lin Jie , Yuan Jiann-Shuin , Fan Deliang , Awad Amro
Published: January 2021

Due to the globalization of Integrated Circuit (IC) design in the semiconductor industry and the outsourcing of chip manufacturing, Third-Party Intellectual Properties (3PIPs) become vulnerable to IP piracy, reverse engineering, counterfeit IC, and hardware trojans. To thwart such attacks, ICs can be protected using logic encryption techniques. However, strong resilient techniques incur significant overheads. Side-channel attacks (SCAs) further complicate matters by introducing potential attacks post fabrication. One of the most severe SCAs is power analysis (PA) attacks, in which an attacker can observe the power variations of the device and analyze them to extract the secret key. PA attacks can be mitigated via adding large extra hardware; however, the overheads of such solutions can render them impractical, especially when there are power and area constraints.

All Spin Logic Device (ASLD) is one of the most promising spintronic devices due to its unique properties: small area, no spin-charge signal conversion, zero leakage current, non-volatile memory, high density, low operating voltage, and its compatibility with conventional CMOS technology. In this article, we extend the work in Reference [1] on the usage of ASLD to produce secure and resilient circuits that withstand IC attacks (during the fabrication) and PA attacks (after fabrication), including reverse engineering attacks. First, we show that ASLD has another unique feature: identical power dissipation through the switching operations, where such properties can be effectively used to prevent PA and IC attacks. We then evaluate the proposed ASLD-based on performance overheads and security guarantees.
Power Management of Monolithic 3D Manycore Chips with Inter-tier Process Variations
Authors: Chatterjee Anwesha , Musavvir Shouvik , Kim Ryan Gary , Doppa Janardhan Rao , Pande Partha Pratim
Published: January 2021

Voltage/frequency island (VFI)-based power management is a popular methodology for designing energy-efficient manycore architectures without incurring significant performance overhead. However, monolithic 3D (M3D) integration has emerged as an enabling technology to design high-performance and energy-efficient circuits and systems. The smaller dimension of vertical monolithic inter-tier vias (MIVs) lowers effective wirelength and allows high integration density. However, sequential fabrication of M3D layers introduces inter-tier process variations that affect the performance of transistors and interconnects in different layers. Therefore, VFI-based power management in M3D manycore systems requires the consideration of inter-tier process variation effects. In this work, we present the design of an imitation learning (IL)-enabled VFI-based power-management strategy that considers the inter-tier process-variation effects in M3D manycore chips. We demonstrate that the IL-based power-management strategy can be fine-tuned based on the M3D characteristics. Our policy generates suitable V/F levels based on the computation and communication characteristics of the system for both process-oblivious and process-aware configurations. We show that the proposed process-variation-aware IL-based VFI implementation for M3D manycore chips lowers the overall energy-delay-product (EDP) by up to 16.2% on average compared to an ideal M3D system with no M3D process variations.
Mildly Short Vectors in Cyclotomic Ideal Lattices in Quantum Polynomial Time
Authors: Cramer Ronald , Ducas Léo , Wesolowski Benjamin
Published: January 2021

In this article, we study the geometry of units and ideals of cyclotomic rings and derive an algorithm to find a mildly short vector in any given cyclotomic ideal lattice in quantum polynomial time, under some plausible number-theoretic assumptions. More precisely, given an ideal lattice of the cyclotomic ring of conductor
m
, the algorithm finds an approximation of the shortest vector by a factor exp (Õ(√
m
)). This result exposes an unexpected hardness gap between these structured lattices and general lattices: The best known polynomial time generic lattice algorithms can only reach an approximation factor exp (Õ(m)). Following a recent series of attacks, these results call into question the hardness of various problems over structured lattices, such as Ideal-SVP and Ring-LWE, upon which relies the security of a number of cryptographic schemes.

N
OTE
. This article is an extended version of a conference paper [11]. The results are generalized to arbitrary cyclotomic fields. In particular, we also extend some results of Reference [10] to arbitrary cyclotomic fields. In addition, we prove the numerical stability of the method of Reference [10]. These extended results appeared in the Ph.D. dissertation of the third author [46].
Astrocytes and Behavior
Authors: Kofuji Paulo , Araque Alfonso
Published: January 2021

Animal behavior was classically considered to be determined exclusively by neuronal activity, whereas surrounding glial cells such as astrocytes played only supportive roles. However, astrocytes are as numerous as neurons in the mammalian brain, and current findings indicate a chemically based dialog between astrocytes and neurons. Activation of astrocytes by synaptically released neurotransmitters converges on regulating intracellular Ca2+in astrocytes, which then can regulate the efficacy of near and distant tripartite synapses at diverse timescales through gliotransmitter release. Here, we discuss recent evidence on how diverse behaviors are impacted by this dialog. These recent findings support a paradigm shift in neuroscience, in which animal behavior does not result exclusively from neuronal activity but from the coordinated activity of both astrocytes and neurons. Decoding how astrocytes and neurons interact with each other in various brain circuits will be fundamental to fully understanding how behaviors originate and become dysregulated in disease.
Transcriptional regulation of lysophosphatidic acid receptors 2 and 3 regulates myeloid commitment of hematopoietic stem cells
Authors: Lin Kuan-Hung , Chiang Jui-Chung , Chen Wei-Min , Ho Ya-Hsuan , Yao Chao-Ling , Lee Hsinyu
Published: January 2021

Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) is one of the lipids identified to be involved in stem cell differentiation. It exerts various functions through activation of G protein-coupled lysophosphatidic acid receptors (LPARs). In previous studies, we have demonstrated that activation of LPA receptor 3 (LPA3) promotes erythropoiesis of human hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and zebrafish using molecular and pharmacological approaches. Our results show that treatment with lysophosphatidic acid receptor 2 (LPA2) agonist suppressed erythropoiesis, whereas activation of LPA3 by 1-oleoyl-2-methyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphothionate (2S-OMPT) promoted it, both in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, we have demonstrated the inhibitory role of LPA3 during megakaryopoiesis. However, the mechanism underlying these observations remains elusive. In the present study, we suggest that the expression pattern of LPARs may be correlated with the transcriptional factors GATA-1 and GATA-2 at different stages of myeloid progenitors. We determined that manipulation of GATA factors affected the expression levels of LPA2 and LPA3 in K562 leukemia cells. Using luciferase assays, we demonstrate that the promoter regions of LPAR2 and LPAR3 genes were regulated by these GATA factors in HEK293T cells. Mutation of GATA-binding sites in these regions abrogated luciferase activity, suggesting that LPA2 and LPA3 are regulated by GATA factors. Moreover, physical interaction between GATA factors and the promoter region of LPAR genes was verified in K562 cells using chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) studies. Taken together, our results suggest that balance between LPA2 and LPA3 expression, which may be determined by GATA factors, is a regulatory switch for lineage commitment in myeloid progenitors. The expression-level balance of LPA receptor subtypes represents a novel mechanism regulating erythropoiesis and megakaryopoiesis.
Spatial receptive field structure of double-opponent cells in macaque V1
Authors: De Abhishek , Horwitz Gregory D.
Published: January 2021

Double-opponent cells in macaque area V1 respond to spatial chromatic contrast in visual scenes. What information they carry is debated because their receptive field organization has not been characterized thoroughly. Using white noise analysis and statistical model comparisons, De and Horwitz show that many double-opponent receptive fields can be captured by either a Gabor model or a center-with-an-asymmetric-surround model but not by a difference of Gaussians model.
Network Pharmacology Analysis of the Therapeutic Mechanisms Underlying Beimu-Gualou Formula Activity against Bronchiectasis with In Silico Molecular Docking Validation
Authors: Shen Xin , Li Hong , Zou Wen-Jun , Wu Jian-Ming , Wang Long , Wang Wei , Chen Hui , Zhou Ling-Li , Hu Yuan-Hui , Qin Xu-Hua , Yang Jing
Published: January 2021

Background. The classical Chinese herbal prescription Beimu-Gualou formula (BMGLF) has been diffusely applied to the treatment of respiratory diseases, including bronchiectasis. Although concerning bronchiectasis the effects and mechanisms of action of the BMGLF constituents have been partially elucidated, it remains to be determined how the formula in its entirety exerts therapeutic effects. Methods. In this study, the multitarget mechanisms of BMGLF against bronchiectasis were predicted with network pharmacology analysis. Using prepared data, a drug-target interaction network was established and subsequently the core therapeutic targets of BMGLF were identified. Furthermore, the biological function and pathway enrichment of potential targets were analyzed to evaluate the therapeutic effects and pivotal signaling pathways of BMGLF. Finally, virtual molecular docking was performed to assess the affinities of compounds for the candidate targets. Results. The therapeutic action of BMGLF against bronchiectasis involves 18 core target proteins, including the aforementioned candidates (i.e., ALB, ICAM1, IL10, and MAPK1), which are assumed to be related to biological processes such as drug response, cellular response to lipopolysaccharide, immune response, and positive regulation of NF-κB activity in bronchiectasis. Among the top 20 signaling pathways identified, mechanisms of action appear to be primarily related to Chagas disease, allograft rejection, hepatitis B, and inflammatory bowel disease. Conclusion. In summary, using a network pharmacology approach, we initially predicted the complex regulatory profile of BMGLF against bronchiectasis in which multilink suppression of immune/inflammatory responses plays an essential role. These results may provide a basis for novel pharmacotherapeutic approaches for bronchiectasis.
The Leaf Extract of Coccinia grandis (L.) Voigt Accelerated In Vitro Wound Healing by Reducing Oxidative Stress Injury
Authors: Namchaiw Poommaree , Jaisin Yamaratee , Niwaspragrit Cholticha , Malaniyom Kittiya , Auvuchanon Anyamanee , Ratanachamnong Piyanee
Published: January 2021

The impairment in the regulation of the physiological process in the inflammatory phase of wound healing results in oxidative stress damage, which increases the severity and extends the healing time. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the radical scavenging properties of Coccinia leaf extract and its ability to ameliorate a migration process in vitro. Coccinia is a medicinal plant that was used in ancient times for relieving insect bite itching and swelling. However, the role of Coccinia leaf extract as an antioxidant related to the process of wound healing has never been studied. In this study, we demonstrated that the leaf extract possessed antioxidant properties that acted as a proton donor to neutralize reactive oxygen species with the IC50 value of 4.85 mg/mL of the extract. It could chelate iron with the IC50 value of 21.39 mg/mL of the extract. The leaf extract protected the human fibroblasts and keratinocytes from hydrogen peroxide‐induced oxidative stress by increasing cell survival rate by more than 20% in all test doses. The protective property was dose‐dependently correlated with the decrease in reactive oxygen species formation. In addition, the leaf extract enhanced the cell migration rate of fibroblasts and keratinocytes up to 23% compared with vehicle control. The results suggested that Coccinia leaf extract may be a potential herb for increasing the wound healing process with its antioxidant capacity and can be used as an herbal ingredient for the utilization of skincare products.
Vehicle Type Recognition Algorithm Based on Improved Network in Network
Authors: Zhu Erxi , Xu Min , Pi De Chang
Published: January 2021

Vehicle type recognition algorithms are broadly used in intelligent transportation, but the accuracy of the algorithms cannot meet the requirements of production application. For the high efficiency of the multilayer perceptive layer of Network in Network (NIN), the nonlinear features of local receptive field images can be extracted. Global average pooling (GAP) can avoid the network from overfitting, and small convolution kernel can decrease the dimensionality of the feature map, as well as downregulate the number of model training parameters. On that basis, the residual error is adopted to build a novel NIN model by altering the size and layout of the original convolution kernel of NIN. The feasibility of the algorithm is verified based on the Stanford Cars dataset. By properly setting weights and learning rates, the accuracy of the NIN model for vehicle type recognition reaches 97.2%.
Structural Safety Evaluation of Tunnel Based on the Dynamic Monitoring Data during Construction
Authors: Yan Xiaokun , Li Hu , Liu Feng , Liu Yang
Published: January 2021

It is still a challenge to accurately evaluate the structural safety of tunnel during the process of construction. To address this issue, a safety evaluation approach of tunnel based on the monitoring data during construction is proposed in this study. Firstly, the detailed description of modelling the tunnel excavation, releasing the load acting on the tunnel, and selecting the constitutive relationship of surrounding rock of tunnel is introduced. Secondly, aiming at an actual shallow‐buried tunnel with underground excavation, utilizing the analytical results of deformation of tunnel, the structural safety of tunnel is evaluated by using a reliability‐based method. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed method is demonstrated by using the dynamic monitoring data obtained during the construction of an actual tunnel.
LMTK2 as Potential Biomarker for Stratification between Clinically Insignificant and Clinically Significant Prostate Cancer
Authors: Vezelis Alvydas , Simiene Julija , Dabkeviciene Daiva , Kincius Marius , Ulys Albertas , Suziedelis Kestutis , Jarmalaite Sonata , Jankevicius Feliksas
Published: January 2021

A set of prostate tumors tend to grow slowly and do not require active treatment. Therefore, stratification between patients with clinically significant and clinically insignificant prostate cancer (PC) remains a vital issue to avoid overtreatment. Fast development of genetic technologies accelerated development of next-generation molecular tools for reliable PC diagnosis. The aim of this study is to evaluate the diagnostic value of molecular biomarkers (CRISP3, LMTK2, and MSMB) for separation of PC cases from benign prostatic changes and more specifically for identification of clinically significant PC from all pool of PC cases in patients with rising PSA levels. Patients (n = 200) who had rising PSA (PSA II) after negative transrectal systematic prostate biopsy due to elevated PSA (PSA I) were eligible to the study. In addition to PSA concentration, PSA density was calculated for each patient. Gene expression level was measured in peripheral blood samples of cases applying RT-PCR, while MSMB (−57 C/T) polymorphism was identified by pyrosequencing. LMTK2 and MSMB significantly differentiated control group from both BPD and PC groups. MSMB expression tended to increase from the major alleles of the CC genotype to the minor alleles of the TT genotype. PSA density was the only clinical characteristic that significantly differentiated clinically significant PC from clinically insignificant PC. Therefore, LMTK2 expression and PSA density were significantly distinguished between clinically significant PC and clinically insignificant PC. PSA density rather than PSA can differentiate PC from the benign prostate disease and, in combination with LMTK2, assist in stratification between clinically insignificant and clinically significant PC.
Family History of Diabetes and the Effectiveness of Lifestyle Intervention on Insulin Secretion and Insulin Resistance in Chinese Individuals with Metabolic Syndrome
Authors: Zhu Haiqing , Chen Xiaoping , Zhang Bo , Yang Wenying , Xing Xiaoyan
Published: January 2021

Aims. The current study aims to explore if a family history of diabetes can influence the efficiency of lifestyle intervention on insulin secretion and study the insulin resistance in Chinese men and women with metabolic syndrome in a cohort with a 2-year follow-up. Methods. 151 individuals (90 individuals did not have a family history of diabetes (DMFH (-)) and 61 with a family history of diabetes (DMFH (+)) with metabolic syndrome participated in the lifestyle intervention program at baseline and finished with 1-year follow-up. 124 individuals have two-year follow-up data. A family history of diabetes was ascertained by self-report. Lifestyle interventions were individual sessions on lifestyle changes. Results. During the 1-year follow-up, Ln Insulinogenic index (

Δ

baseline
−
1
year

=
0.29
±
0.65

,

P
=
0.001

) and 30-min glucose (

Δ

baseline
−
1
year

=
−
0.41
±
1.71

,

P
=
0.024

) changed significantly in the DMFH(-) group; in the DMFH(+) group, Ln ISIm (

Δ

baseline
−
1
year

=
−
0.22
±
0.60

,

P
=
0.022

) and 30-min glucose (

Δ

baseline
−
1
year

=
0.53
±
1.89

,

P
=
0.032

) changed significantly, and there was no significant change of other parameters. The change of 30 min glucose during a 1-year intervention has shown a significant difference between the two groups (

P
=
0.002

). During the 2 years intervention, Ln Insulinogenic index changed significantly in the DMFH(-) group (

Δ

baseline
−
1
year

=
0.33
±
0.66

,

P
<
0.001

and

Δ

baseline
−
2
year

=
0.43
±
1.17

,

P
=
0.034

). Fasting insulin (

Δ

baseline
−
2
year

=
2.95
±
8.69

,

P
=
0.034

), 2 h insulin (

Δ

baseline
−
2
year

=
23.75
±
44.89

,

P
=
0.002

), Ln HOMA-B (

Δ

baseline
−
2
year

=
0.43
±
1.02

,

P
=
0.009

), Ln HOMA-IR (

Δ

baseline
−
2
year

=
0.53
±
1.04

,

P
=
0.002

), Ln ISIm (

Δ

baseline
−
2
year

=
0.52
±
0.95

,

P
=
0.004

), and Ln Insulinogenic index (

Δ

baseline
−
2
year

=
0.66
±
1.18

,

P
=
0.047

) changed significantly after 2 years of intervention, compared to the baseline in the DMFH(+) group. The change of Ln ISIm (

P
=
0.023

), fasting (

P
=
0.030

), and 2 h insulin (

P
=
0.007

) during the 2-year intervention has shown a significant difference between the two groups. Family history of diabetes was related with a 0.500 unit increase in 2-year ISIm (

P
=
0.020

) modified by lifestyle intervention adjusted for age, baseline BMI, sex, and baseline waist circumference and a 0.476 unit increase in 2-year ISIm (

P
=
0.027

) with extra adjustment for weight change. Conclusions. Patients with a family history of diabetes benefit more from lifestyle intervention in regard to insulin resistance than those without a family history of diabetes adjusting for age, baseline BMI, sex, baseline waist circumference, and weight change.
LNNLS-KH: A Feature Selection Method for Network Intrusion Detection
Authors: Li Xin , Yi Peng , Wei Wei , Jiang Yiming , Tian Le
Published: January 2021

As an important part of intrusion detection, feature selection plays a significant role in improving the performance of intrusion detection. Krill herd (KH) algorithm is an efficient swarm intelligence algorithm with excellent performance in data mining. To solve the problem of low efficiency and high false positive rate in intrusion detection caused by increasing high-dimensional data, an improved krill swarm algorithm based on linear nearest neighbor lasso step (LNNLS-KH) is proposed for feature selection of network intrusion detection. The number of selected features and classification accuracy are introduced into fitness evaluation function of LNNLS-KH algorithm, and the physical diffusion motion of the krill individuals is transformed by a nonlinear method. Meanwhile, the linear nearest neighbor lasso step optimization is performed on the updated krill herd position in order to derive the global optimal solution. Experiments show that the LNNLS-KH algorithm retains 7 features in NSL-KDD dataset and 10.2 features in CICIDS2017 dataset on average, which effectively eliminates redundant features while ensuring high detection accuracy. Compared with the CMPSO, ACO, KH, and IKH algorithms, it reduces features by 44%, 42.86%, 34.88%, and 24.32% in NSL-KDD dataset, and 57.85%, 52.34%, 27.14%, and 25% in CICIDS2017 dataset, respectively. The classification accuracy increased by 10.03% and 5.39%, and the detection rate increased by 8.63% and 5.45%. Time of intrusion detection decreased by 12.41% and 4.03% on average. Furthermore, LNNLS-KH algorithm quickly jumps out of the local optimal solution and shows good performance in the optimal fitness iteration curve, convergence speed, and false positive rate of detection.
Motion Control of a 4WS4WD Path‐Following Vehicle: Further Studies on Steering and Driving Models
Authors: Zhang Zhonghua , Yang Caijin , Zhang Weihua , Xu Yanhai , Peng Yiqiang , Chi Maoru
Published: January 2021

Further research on motion control of a 4WS4WD path‐following vehicle is carried out in this paper. Focuses are placed on understanding and testing the vehicle path‐following control models developed previously at a deep level. Control models are in relation to parameters introduced, and the effects of these parameters are discovered. Control models are interpreted by dynamic simulation using a 3DOF vehicle model with three cases. Three kinds of planned paths are considered in these cases to test control performances, which include the straight, circular, and sinusoidal paths. Interesting dynamic results are obtained and analyzed qualitatively, e.g., various steering modes. Simulation studies are extended with consideration of a fine vehicle dynamic model established in CarSim and a complex path composed of straight and curved segments. Control models are examined in a complex problem, and results obtained show that they are validated with robustness in dynamic environment.
An Interval Parameter Calculation Method of Asphalt Pavement Structure Design Based on Point Numerical Algorithm
Authors: Tang Limin , Zhao Xiuyan
Published: January 2021

In the asphalt pavement structure design method, the structural analysis and design are generally performed in the form of point values. However, determining the point value form of design parameters based on the statistical analysis theory cannot fully reflect the complex properties such as variability and uncertainty of parameters. In order to further improve the reliability and practicability of pavement design parameters, in this article, we have introduced the interval number representation that can better reflect the complex nature of parameters; but the interval number algorithm is too complicated and common calculation tools and software are difficult to adopt, which limit the wide application of interval analysis to some extent. The article analyzes the algorithm of interval numbers, focusing on the analysis of interval numbers of unary and binary functions. In this way, the point number operation can be used to obtain the interval number result of the function consistent with the interval number algorithm, which avoids the complicated interval number operation process and the interval expansion. The point numerical function algorithm of interval numbers is verified by design parameters and the calculation of asphalt pavement structure such as axle load conversion, cumulative equivalent axis calculation, calculation of foundation layer tensile stress of each structure layer, calculation of mixture penetration strength, fatigue cracking check of asphalt mixture layer, permanent deformation check, and vertical pressure strain test of roadbed top surface. In conclusion, this research provides a simple and easy way to implement the application of mathematical tools for interval analysis, which is suitable for direct use for existing point numerical calculation tools and software.
PES Syndrome Presenting as Severe Hyponatremia in an Asymptomatic Septuagenarian
Authors: Pansare Rahul , Nanthabalan Sangeetha
Published: January 2021

Background. Hyponatremia is commonly seen in hospitalized patients. In euvolemic individuals, syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (SIADH) is a common differential. However, before establishing a diagnosis of SIADH, it is imperative to evaluate for hypocortisolism and hypothyroidism. The finding of endocrine abnormalities determined to be of pituitary origin should prompt evaluation by brain MRI. Furthermore, primary empty sella (PES) is commonly seen as an incidental neuroradiological finding. However, PES in association with endocrine abnormalities is recognized as a separate entity called primary empty sella syndrome (PESS). Case Presentation. We report the case of a 71-year-old male sans neurological symptoms who presented to us with severe hyponatremia in whom we used a stepwise approach which led us to the diagnosis of PESS. This methodical approach was crucial for timely correction of the endocrine abnormalities which in turn rectified hyponatremia. Intriguingly, the presence of an ectopic pituitary which is a very rare entity and the sudden manifestation of his underlying endocrine deficiencies in the 8th decade of life make this clinical scenario highly unusual. Conclusion. Clinicians should be aware that absence of an orderly approach to workup presumed SIADH or an assumption of PES (instead of PESS) could both lead to serious consequences in the face of missed endocrine deficiencies.