bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analysis of Contact Mechanical Characteristics of Flexible Parts in Harmonic Gear Reducer
Authors: Li Fanjie , Li Xiaopeng , Guo Yajing , Shang Dongyang
Published: March 2021

Harmonic gear reducer is widely used in industrial robots, aerospace, optics, and other high‐end fields. The failure of harmonic gear reducer is mainly caused by the damage of flexible bearing and flexspline of thin‐walled vulnerable components. To study the contact mechanical characteristics of flexible components such as flexible bearing and flexspline in harmonic gear reducer, the contact mechanical model of flexible bearing, vibration differential equation of flexspline, and finite element model of each component in harmonic gear reducer were established. Based on the established model of harmonic gear reducer, the influence of the length of flexspline cylinder and the thickness of cylinder bottom on the stress of flexspline is discussed, respectively, and the motion characteristics of flexible bearing are studied. At the same time, the spatial distribution of the displacement of the flexspline and the axial vibration response of the flexspline are studied. The correctness of the model established in this paper is verified by experiments. The results show that the increase of cylinder length can improve the stress of flexspline in harmonic gear reducer; the wall thickness of cylinder bottom mainly affects the stress at the bottom of flexspline but has little effect on the stress of gear ring and smooth cylinder. Along the axis direction of the flexspline, the radial displacement, circumferential displacement, and angular displacement increase linearly with the increase of the axial distance between the cylinder and the bottom. When the excitation frequency is high, the vibration mode of flexspline shell is mainly axial vibration. The research results will provide a theoretical reference for the optimal design of harmonic gear reducer and improving the service life of flexible parts.
Mitigating Psychological Trauma on Adult Burn Patients Based on Virtual Reality Technology of Smart Medical Treatment
Authors: Ren Hongli , Du Yunpeng , Feng Xiaofen , Pu Jiamin , Xiang Xiaoyan
Published: March 2021

Virtual reality (VR) is one of the hot spots in the computer network world in recent years, which has attracted more and more people’s attention. This study mainly explores the effect of mitigating the psychological trauma of adult burn patients based on the VR technology of smart medical treatment. First, the EEG data are sent to the data processing module through a wireless protocol; then, the data processing module denoises the EEG data and performs feature extraction and feedback parameter calculation; after that, these parameters will be sent to the VR interaction engine; based on this, these parameters change the VR scene to capture and reflect the physiological activities of the patient’s brain in real time; finally, the patient uses the VR scene content presented by the real-time feedback of the captured EEG signal as a guide to making self-adjustment in time, and the electrical signal of captured brain at this time is again transmitted to the next work cycle and continues to feed back and present new VR interactive scenes to guide and intervene in the patient’s self-regulation behavior. The VR feedback training module is responsible for receiving the characteristic data calculated from the EEG acquisition and processing module and converts it into parameter variables that control the VR intervention system. The system user adjusts the state according to the feedback information displayed in the VR scene and generates new EEG signals to promote the realization of self-adjustment. The biofeedback training based on EEG feeds back the intuitive EEG state to the patient, prompting them to learn how to realize self-regulation and achieve the purpose of adjusting the level of mental health. The degree of itching and pain in the VR treatment group was alleviated, and compared with the normal training treatment results, it was statistically significant (P>0.05). This study has a positive effect on the psychological intervention of patients with facial injuries.
Suicidality and Illness Course Worsening in a Male Patient with Bipolar Disorder during Tamoxifen Treatment for ER+/HER2+ Breast Cancer
Authors: Carmassi Claudia , Pardini Francesco , Dell’Oste Valerio , Cordone Annalisa , Pedrinelli Virginia , Simoncini Marly , Dell’Osso Liliana
Published: March 2021

Purpose. Tamoxifen is a selective estrogenic receptor modulator (SERM) drug. In addition to its common use in breast cancer ER+, Tamoxifen has been object of growing interest in psychiatry as antimanic drug. At the same time, clinical concerns about Tamoxifen’s depressogenic effect have been repeatedly raised even without reaching univocal conclusions. We discuss the case of a 45-year-old-male with a diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder type II, treated with Tamoxifen as relapse prevention treatment after surgery for a ER+/HER2+ breast cancer. The patient required two psychiatric admissions in a few-month time span since he showed a progressive worsening of both depressive and anxiety symptoms, with the onset of delusional ideas of hopelessness and failure up to suicidal thoughts. The clinical picture showed poor response to treatment trials based on various associations of mood-stabilising, antidepressants, and antipsychotic drugs. During the second hospitalization, after a multidisciplinary evaluation, the oncologists agreed on Tamoxifen discontinuation upon the severity of the psychiatric condition. The patient underwent a close oncological and psychiatric follow-up during the following 12 months. Methods. Psychiatric assessments included the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS), the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAM-D), the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS), and the Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire Short Form (Q-LES-Q-SF). All questionnaires were administered at the time of the second hospitalization and in a one-year follow-up. Results. Suicidal ideation fully remitted and depressive symptoms markedly and rapidly improved in the aftermath of Tamoxifen discontinuation. The symptomatological improvement remained stable across one-year follow-up. Conclusions. Male patients with a mood disorder history constitute a high-risk group as to Tamoxifen psychiatric side effects. The onset or worsening of depressive symptoms or suicidality should be carefully addressed and promptly treated, and clinicians should be encouraged to consider the possibility of discontinue or reduce Tamoxifen therapy after a multidisciplinary evaluation.
Hydroxyethyl Starch-Based Functionalization of Gold Nanorods: A Possible Alternative to Polyethylene Glycol as a Surface Modifier
Authors: Pandey Asmita , Khadka Sujan , Wan Ying
Published: March 2021

PEGylation refers to the process of functionalizing nanoparticles with polyethylene glycol (PEG) to avoid unspecific uptake by the mononuclear phagocyte system and prolong the circulation half-life of nanomedicines. Immunogenicity and nonbiodegradability are the major limitations in PEGylation that can be resolved by substituting PEG with biofriendly polymers, such as hydroxyethyl starch (HES). In the current study, thiolated hydroxyethyl starch (HES-SH, 130/0.4) was harnessed to stabilize gold nanorods (AuNRs) and compared with PEG-SH-coated AuNRs at different aspects of characterization and photothermal analysis. Our results confirm that AuNRs were functionalized successfully with both HES-SH and PEG-SH, where the initial spectra and colloidal stability of gold nanorods were restored after functionalization. In addition, the photothermal conversion stability of gold nanorods was maintained during both HESylation and PEGylation without affecting the heat generation. In summary, we presume that HES-SH can be used as a surface modifier to stabilize gold nanorods and might be used as a promising alternative to PEG.
Correlation of Gastric Cancer Cells with Seasonal Changes under Microscope
Authors: Jin Qi , Huang Shuo , Sun Yuhong , Wang Yi , Xue Yaguang , Hu Mingming , He Qiyong
Published: March 2021

Today, with the development of medical technology, stomach cancer remains to be one of the most common causes of death associated with cancer. Studies show that the incidence of stomach cancer varies in different areas but is more common in China. Most patients were diagnosed late with local or remote metastasis. The data show that the survival rate within five years is less than 10%. Therefore, it is very important to study the gastric cancer cells systematically, explore the factors that lead to the change of the number of gastric cancer cells, and put forward practical suggestions for the prevention and control of the disease. This paper analyzes the disease-related information of several patients with gastric cancer in a hospital, discusses the growth of gastric cancer cells and season-related factors, and analyzes the single factor of gastric cancer patients and season-related possible factors. In this paper, we choose to observe gastric cancer cells in different seasons under the microscopic environment to further explore the influence of seasons on gastric cancer cells. The results showed that gastric cancer cells grew faster under microscope in spring and summer. We found that the incidence rate of gastric cancer in spring and summer was higher than that in autumn and winter. Diabetic patients and diabetes history are important risk factors of gastric cancer in spring and summer. Therefore, we advocate healthy lifestyle, pay attention to their poor performance in life, and actively help them to correct, which is of positive significance for the prevention and control of gastric cancer.
Coaxiality of Stepped Shaft Measurement Using the Structured Light Vision
Authors: Li Chunfeng , Xu Xiping , Sun Huiqi , Miao Jianwei , Ren Zhen
Published: March 2021

A method is proposed to measure the coaxiality of stepped shafts based on line structured light vision. In order to solve the repeated positioning error of the measured shaft, the light plane equation solution method is proposed using movement distance and initial light plane equation. In the coaxiality measurement model, the equation of the reference axis is obtained by the overall least square method through the center point coordinates of each intercept line on the reference axis. The coaxiality error of each shaft segment relative to the reference axis is solved based on the principle of minimum containment. In the experiment, the coaxiality measurement method is evaluated, and the factors that affect the measurement accuracy are analyzed.
Studies on Microbial Quality, Protein Yield, and Antioxidant Properties of Some Frozen Edible Insects
Authors: Kurdi Peter , Chaowiwat Patspon , Weston Jirathit , Hansawasdi Chanida
Published: March 2021

This research investigated the microbial quality and the protein contents of Thai commercial frozen products of silkworm (Bombyx mori), bamboo caterpillar (Omphisa fuscidentalis), and field cricket (Gryllus bimaculatus). Total mesophilic aerobic counts were about 8-8.4 log cfu/g, while lactic acid bacteria numbers were up to 5.2 log cfu/g samples. Yeasts and mold as well as Enterobacteriaceae numbers were found to be no more than 6.3 and 6.6 log cfu/g, respectively, while Clostridium spp. enumeration detected 3.2-3.6 cfu per gram frozen insect samples. The protein content in cases of cricket and bamboo caterpillar after the Soxhlet defatting method and the Folch lipid extraction combined with isoelectric point precipitation were similar when compared at pH 3.5 or pH 4.5. In contrast, the protein yield from silkworm was higher at pH 3.5 in the Soxhlet defatted sample, as opposed to the Folch method treated sample where higher protein yield was obtained at pH 4.5. Furthermore, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) of field cricket subcritical water (121 or 135°C for 15 or 30 minutes) hydrolysates were also measured on a pilot basis. These tests revealed higher antioxidant activities in treated samples than in the untreated control. The highest DPPH radical scavenging activity and FRAP values were detected in samples treated at 135°C, while the protein content of these samples was lower than that of the untreated control. These results indicate that hydrolytic compounds of proteins and probably other types of cricket materials are possibly involved in the antioxidant activities of the treated defatted cricket samples.
On the Optical Stark Effect of Excitons in InGaAs Prolate Ellipsoidal Quantum Dots
Authors: Bao Le Thi Ngoc , Phuoc Duong Dinh , Hien Le Thi Dieu , Thao Dinh Nhu
Published: March 2021

In this paper, we study the exciton absorption spectra in InGaAs prolate ellipsoidal quantum dots when a strong pump laser resonant with electron quantized levels is active. Our obtained results by renormalized wavefunction theory show that, under suitable conditions, the initial exciton absorption peak is split into two new peaks as the evidence of the existence of the three-level optical Stark effect of excitons. We have suggested an explanation of the origin of the effect as well as investigating the effect of pump field energy, size, and geometric shape of the quantum dots on effect characteristics. The comparison with the results obtained in the spherical quantum dots implies the important role of geometric shape of the quantum structures when we examine this effect.
Identifying the Influential Latent Edges for Promoting the Co‐SIR Model
Authors: Yang Dan , Pan Liming , Zhao Zhidan , Zhou Tao
Published: March 2021

The network‐based cooperative information spreading is a widely existing phenomenon in the real world. For instance, the spreading of disease outbreak news and disease prevention information often coexist and interact with each other on the Internet. Promoting the cooperative spreading of information in network‐based systems is a subject of great importance in both theoretical and practical perspectives. However, very limited attention has been paid to this specific research area so far. In this study, we propose an effective approach for identifying the influential latent edges (that is, the edges that do not originally exist) which, if added to the original network, can promote the cooperative susceptible‐infected‐recovered (co‐SIR) dynamics. To be specific, we first obtain the probabilities of each nodes being in different node states by the message‐passing approach. Then, based on the state probabilities of nodes obtained, we come up with an indicator, which incorporates both the information of network topology and the co‐SIR dynamics, to measure the influence of each latent edge in promoting the co‐SIR dynamics. Thus, the most influential latent edges can be located after ranking all the latent edges according to their quantified influence. We verify the rationality and superiority of the proposed indicator in identifying the influential latent edges of both synthetic and real‐world networks by extensive numerical simulations. This study provides an effective approach to identify the influential latent edges for promoting the network‐based co‐SIR information spreading model and offers inspirations for further research on intervening the cooperative spreading dynamics from the perspective of performing network structural perturbations.
A Dense Long Short‐Term Memory Model for Enhancing the Imagery‐Based Brain‐Computer Interface
Authors: Zhang Xiaofei , Wang Tao , Xiong Qi , Guo Yina
Published: March 2021

Imagery‐based brain‐computer interfaces (BCIs) aim to decode different neural activities into control signals by identifying and classifying various natural commands from electroencephalogram (EEG) patterns and then control corresponding equipment. However, several traditional BCI recognition algorithms have the “one person, one model” issue, where the convergence of the recognition model’s training process is complicated. In this study, a new BCI model with a Dense long short‐term memory (Dense‐LSTM) algorithm is proposed, which combines the event‐related desynchronization (ERD) and the event‐related synchronization (ERS) of the imagery‐based BCI; model training and testing were conducted with its own data set. Furthermore, a new experimental platform was built to decode the neural activity of different subjects in a static state. Experimental evaluation of the proposed recognition algorithm presents an accuracy of 91.56%, which resolves the “one person one model” issue along with the difficulty of convergence in the training process.
Utilization of a Novel Low-Cost Gibto (Lupinus Albus) Seed Peel Waste for the Removal of Malachite Green Dye: Equilibrium, Kinetic, and Thermodynamic Studies
Authors: Alene Adugna Nigatu , Abate Gietu Yirga , Habte Adere Tarekegne , Getahun Desiew Mekuanint
Published: March 2021

The aim of this study was to investigate the adsorption characteristics of malachite green (MG) dye onto the raw (RLAPW) and activated (ALAPW) surface of Lupinus albus seed peel waste prepared via physicochemical activation under alkaline condition as a dye adsorbent. Proximate analysis, surface area (Sears’ method), point of zero charge (pHzpc), and FTIR analysis were used to characterize the adsorbents. The effects of operational parameters such as pH (4) for ALAPW and pH (6) for RLAPW, adsorbent dose (0.2 g), initial dye concentration (30 mg/L), contact time (60 min), and temperature (298 K) were optimized. The experimental data well fitted with the Freundlich adsorption isotherm with the adsorption capacity of 7.3 mg/g for activated Lupinus albus seed peel waste (ALAPW) and Sips isotherm for raw Lupinus albus seed peel waste (RLAPW) with the adsorption capacity of 6.6 mg/g. The kinetics data well fitted to pseudo-second-order kinetic model for both adsorbents. Thermodynamic study revealed that the bioadsorption process using bioadsorbents was spontaneous and exothermic in nature. Desorption experiment was conducted and showed desorption efficiency at an acidic pH of 2. The results showed that the prepared adsorbents exhibited good adsorption capacity and can be used as an alternative adsorbent for the adsorptive removal of malachite green dyes.
Experimental Study on Bearing Characteristics and Soil Deformation of Necking Pile with Cap Using Transparent Soils Technology
Authors: Xu Zhijun , Guo Zhaoxiang
Published: March 2021

This paper will employ the transparent soil experiment technology to explore the influences of shallow necking on the vertical bearing capacity of single pile with cap. Model experiment is carried out on one intact pile and nine shallow necking piles. The load‐settlement curves of all piles are obtained, which are used to study bearing characteristics of piles. The displacement fields of soil around piles are employed to investigate the reasons for the loss of vertical bearing capacity of piles with shallow necking. The vertical bearing capacity is greatly reduced which is caused by shallow necking. When the axial dimension of necking is the same, the larger the radial size is, the greater the loss of vertical bearing capacity is. When the radial dimension of necking is the same, the greater the axial size is, the greater the loss of vertical bearing capacity is. The soil near the pile shaft and under the pile cap produces a large area of vertical downward deformation, which causes the relative displacement between the pile shaft and the soil to greatly reduce. Therefore, it is easy that the necking piles with caps develop negative friction, which causes the vertical bearing capacity of piles to reduce. When the radial dimension of the shallow necking is 80% of pile diameter, the pile is easy to be damaged.
A Graph Convolutional Network‐Based Sensitive Information Detection Algorithm
Authors: Liu Ying , Yang Chao-Yu , Yang Jie
Published: March 2021

In the field of natural language processing (NLP), the task of sensitive information detection refers to the procedure of identifying sensitive words for given documents. The majority of existing detection methods are based on the sensitive‐word tree, which is usually constructed via the common prefixes of different sensitive words from the given corpus. Yet, these traditional methods suffer from a couple of drawbacks, such as poor generalization and low efficiency. For improvement purposes, this paper proposes a novel self‐attention‐based detection algorithm using the implementation of graph convolutional network (GCN). The main contribution is twofold. Firstly, we consider a weighted GCN to better encode word pairs from the given documents and corpus. Secondly, a simple, yet effective, attention mechanism is introduced to further integrate the interaction among candidate words and corpus. Experimental results from the benchmarking dataset of THUC news demonstrate a promising detection performance, compared to existing work.
Publicly Verifiable Outsourcing Computation for QR Decomposition Based on Blockchain
Authors: Wang Huimin , Zheng Dong , Zhao Qinglan
Published: March 2021

In the Big Data Era, outsourcing computation has become increasingly significant as it supplies computation resources for clients with limited resources. However, there are still many security challenges such as payment fairness, privacy protection, and verification. In this paper, we propose a secure publicly verifiable outsourcing computation scheme for the large-scale matrix QR decomposition. In the proposed scheme, client can pay for outsourcing services through blockchain-based payment system which achieves the payment fairness. Moreover, to protect privacy, both permutation matrix and block diagonal matrix are applied in encryption process. Meanwhile, to achieve the public verification, the computational complexity is reduced by using the matrix digest technology. It is worth mentioning that our scheme is provable and secure under the co-CDH assumption.
Research on Oscillating Characteristics of the Shear Layer on the Ship Bottom with a Moonpool under the Action of the Current and Wave
Authors: Huang X. H. , Yao X. L. , Shi Z. Y. , Xiao W.
Published: March 2021

For some research vessels, a sonar is installed in the moonpool, and some acoustic detection equipment are installed on the ship bottom behind the moonpool, which helps to avoid the impact of the high-speed flow. The moonpool causes the ship bottom discontinued, forming a particular shear layer oscillation. The shear layer oscillation affects the bubble generation and motion in and behind the moonpool. The sonar and acoustic equipment will malfunction when surrounded by many bubbles. However, there is almost no research on the shear layer oscillation near the moonpool. So, in this paper, by measuring the pressure near the moonpool and monitoring the fluid motion in the moonpool and bubbles’ distribution along the ship bottom, the shear layer oscillation near the moonpool is studied experimentally under the action of the incident current and wave. Furthermore, the effects of the sonar and the moonpool shape are investigated. It can be seen that the shear layer oscillation excites the fluid motion in the moonpool. The sonar forms a complicated boundary in the moonpool, resulting in the increase in the frequency of the shear layer oscillation. The shear layer propagates along the ship bottom in the form of the ship bottom wave. Clarifying the oscillating characteristics of the shear layer along the ship bottom with a moonpool is conducive to the design of moonpools in the research ships, and the detection instruments are arranged in the right place along the ship bottom, so as to make sure the detection instruments work properly and detect the marine environment more accurately.
Body Mass Index and Associated Factors of School Absenteeism by School Feeding Program at Selected Primary Schools in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: A Comparative Study
Authors: Ayehu Solomon Muluken , Sahile Addisu Tadesse
Published: March 2021

Background. Quality of education plays a crucial role in the social, economic, and political development of a nation. Primary school is a vital stage in developing the personality and consciousness of school children. Objective. The study assessed the Body Mass Index and factors associated with School Absenteeism at selected primary schools in Addis Ababa, 2018. Methods. A comparative cross-sectional study was undertaken on 324 (162 each group) from selected primary schools of Addis Ababa from May 02 to July 30, 2018. All participants and their families provided written informed consent and assent. A systematic random sampling technique was used to select participants, where the list of students was once identified from the selected schools. An independent t-test was undertaken at

p

value <0.05 as the statistically significant level. And, binary logistics regression was used for the identification of factors statistically associated with school absenteeism, with its respective 95% confidence interval (CI) and

p

value of <0.05 significant level. Findings. There was a statistically significant difference between feeding and nonfeeding participants on average weight, school absenteeism, and BMI for age, at

p
<
0.05

. Participants who enrolled in the school feeding program had a higher average weight than nonfeeding participants (

p
<
0.05

). Participants from the feeding group had lower average school absenteeism than their counter participants (

p
<
0.05

). The average BMI for age was significantly higher among feeding participants than nonfeeding participants (

p
<
0.05

). The odds of having school absenteeism were 1.796 times higher among feeding participants than among nonfeeding participants (AOR: 1.796; 95CI:1.061–3.042,

p
<
0.05

). The odds of sustaining absenteeism from the school were 2.257 times higher among feeding participants than among nonfeeding participants (AOR: 2.257; 95%CI: 1.291–3.948;

p
<
0.05

). Conclusion. A higher number of school absenteeism, average weight, and BMI for age were observed in participants enrolled in the school feeding program than those who did not get enrolled in the feeding program. Large-scale studies were recommended to testify the impacts of school feeding on absenteeism.
The Exploration of Novel Pharmacophore Characteristics and Multidirectional Elucidation of Structure-Activity Relationship and Mechanism of Sesquiterpene Pyridine Alkaloids from Tripterygium Based on Computational Approaches
Authors: Long Chengyan , Yang Yang , Yang Yong , Huang Sixing , Zhang Xiaomei , Du Wei , Yang Dajian , Guo Yanlei , Zhang Li
Published: March 2021

Sesquiterpene pyridine alkaloids are a large group of highly oxygenated sesquiterpenoids, which are characterized by a macrocyclic dilactone skeleton containing 2-(carboxyalkyl) nicotinic acid and dihydro-β-agarofuran sesquiterpenoid, and are believed to be the active and less toxic components of Tripterygium. In this study, 55 sesquiterpene pyridine alkaloids from Tripterygium were subjected to identification of pharmacophore characteristics and potential targets analysis. Our results revealed that the greatest structural difference of these compounds was in the pyridine ring and the pharmacophore model-5 (Pm-05) was the best model that consisted of three features including hydrogen bond acceptor (HBA), hydrogen bond donor (HBD), and hydrophobic (HY), especially hydrophobic group located in the pyridine ring. It was proposed that 2-(carboxyalkyl) nicotinic acid part possessing a pyridine ring system was not only a pharmacologically active center but also a core of structural diversity of alkaloids from Tripterygium wilfordii. Furthermore, sesquiterpene pyridine alkaloids from Tripterygium were predicted to target multiple proteins and pathways and possibly played essential roles in the cure of Alzheimer’s disease, breast cancer, Chagas disease, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). They also had other pharmacological effects, depending on the binding interactions between pyridine rings of these compounds and active cavities of the target genes platelet-activating factor receptor (PTAFR), cannabinoid receptor 1 (CNR1), cannabinoid receptor 1 (CNR2), squalene synthase (FDFT1), and heat shock protein HSP 90-alpha (HSP90AA1). Taken together, the results of this present study indicated that sesquiterpene pyridine alkaloids from Tripterygium are promising candidates that exhibit potential for development as medicine sources and need to be promoted.
D‐(DP)2SGD: Decentralized Parallel SGD with Differential Privacy in Dynamic Networks
Authors: Yuan Yuan , Zou Zongrui , Li Dong , Yan Li , Yu Dongxiao
Published: March 2021

Decentralized machine learning has been playing an essential role in improving training efficiency. It has been applied in many real‐world scenarios, such as edge computing and IoT. However, in fact, networks are dynamic, and there is a risk of information leaking during the communication process. To address this problem, we propose a decentralized parallel stochastic gradient descent algorithm (D‐(DP)2SGD) with differential privacy in dynamic networks. With rigorous analysis, we show that D‐(DP)2SGD converges with a rate of while satisfying ε‐DP, which achieves almost the same convergence rate as previous works without privacy concern. To the best of our knowledge, our algorithm is the first known decentralized parallel SGD algorithm that can implement in dynamic networks and take privacy‐preserving into consideration.
Delays in the Management of Patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke during the COVID-19 Outbreak Period: A Multicenter Study in Daegu, Korea
Authors: Lee Sang-Hun , Mun You Ho , Ryoo Hyun Wook , Jin Sang-Chan , Kim Jung Ho , Ahn Jae Yun , Jang Tae Chang , Moon Sungbae , Lee Dong Eun , Park Hyungjong
Published: March 2021

Background. Timely treatment is important for patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS). However, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak may have caused delays in patient management. Therefore, we analyzed the prognosis and the time spent at the prehospital and hospital stages in managing patients diagnosed with AIS during the COVID-19 outbreak. Methods. This retrospective study evaluated patients diagnosed with AIS in the emergency department (ED) at five medical centers in Daegu city between February 18 and April 17 each year from 2018 to 2020. Data on the patients’ clinical features and time spent on management were collected and compared according to COVID-19 and pre-COVID-19 summaries. Results. From a total of 533 patients diagnosed with AIS, 399 patients visited the ED before COVID-19 and 134 during the COVID-19 outbreak. During the COVID-19 outbreak, compared with pre-COVID-19, AIS patients had poor National Institute of Health Stroke Scale scores at the initial hospital visit (6 vs. 4,

p
=
0.013

) and discharge (3 vs. 2,

p
=
0.001

). During the COVID-19 outbreak, the proportion of direct visits to hospitals through public emergency medical services (EMS) increased, and the onset of symptoms-to-ED door time via the public EMS was delayed (87 min vs. 68 min,

p
=
0.006

). Conclusions. The prognosis of AIS patients during the COVID-19 outbreak was worse than that of pre-COVID-19 patients with delays at the prehospital stage, despite the need for timely care.
Parking Volume Forecast of Railway Station Garages Based on Passenger Behaviour Analysis Using the LSTM Network
Authors: Gai Songxue , Zeng Xiaoqing , Yuan Tengfei
Published: March 2021

Parking volume forecast is an indispensable part of the parking guidance and information system (PGIS), which is an important component of the intelligent transportation system (ITS). The parking volume forecast of railway stations’ garages will provide information support for garages’ management and will also be a great convenience for car passengers. Parking garages of railway stations serve passengers to arrive or depart stations by car, and their arrival or departure behaviours definitely affect parking volumes. The study results showed that different parking behaviours have different characteristics of the parking duration category. Therefore, passenger behaviour analysis based on parking duration category analysis and time series similarity measures was introduced into the forecast model in this research. Also, a novel parking volume forecast model based on the long short-term memory (LSTM) is proposed. In this paper, the parking volume data of public parking garages of Hongqiao Railway Station in Shanghai of China is used to verify the model, and the proposed model makes it possible for the accurate and real-time prediction of parking volumes which are divided into different parking duration categories. Compared with the ungrouped data model and the conventional forecast model, the proposed parking volume forecast model based on passenger behaviours with the LSTM network achieves a better performance and provides more accurate prediction.
Comparative Effectiveness of Simulation versus Serious Game for Training Nursing Students in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation: A Randomized Control Trial
Authors: Farsi Zahra , Yazdani Mahdieh , Butler Samantha , Nezamzadeh Maryam , Mirlashari Jila
Published: March 2021

Background. The proper implementation of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is crucial in saving patients. Purpose. This study was aimed at evaluating the difference in educating nursing students on CPR when using the traditional simulation training with a mannequin versus a more novel serious game training on the smartphone platform. Methods. This randomized control trial was conducted in 2018-2019. Through purposive sampling, 56 nursing students were selected and randomly assigned to three groups: a simulation-based CPR training, CPR training using a serious game on the smartphone platform, and a control group that received no CPR training. Each student was evaluated pre- and posttraining on CPR knowledge and skill. Results. Both the simulation and serious game training groups increased CPR abilities two weeks after training. The control group did not show improvement in skill or knowledge of CPR. The simulation and serious game intervention groups demonstrated better scores on the knowledge questionnaire and on the CPR skill demonstration in comparison to the control group. However, the simulation group and the serious game group showed no significant difference in knowledge (

9.55
±
2.81

vs.

7.77
±
2.46

;

p
=
0.065

) or CPR skill demonstration (

27.17
±
2.81

vs.

25.72
±
3.98

;

p
=
0.988

). The overall scores for CPR knowledge did not meet minimum expectations (70% score) in either the simulation (47.75%) or serious game (38.85%) group. However, both groups demonstrated adequate CPR skill on demonstration (simulation 87.64% and serious game 83.06%). Conclusions. Both the simulation and serious game training groups were found to increase CPR skill. CPR training would likely benefit from a multimodal approach to education.
Method of Evaluating and Predicting Traffic State of Highway Network Based on Deep Learning
Authors: Liu Jiayu , Wang Xingju , Li Yanting , Kang Xuejian , Gao Lu
Published: March 2021

The accurate evaluation and prediction of highway network traffic state can provide effective information for travelers and traffic managers. Based on the deep learning theory, this paper proposes an evaluation and prediction model of highway network traffic state, which consists of a Fuzzy C-means (FCM) algorithm-based traffic state partition model, a Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) algorithm-based traffic state prediction model, and a K-Means algorithm-based traffic state discriminant model. The highway network in Hebei Province is employed as a case study to validate the model, where the traffic state of highway network is analyzed using both predicted data and real data. The dataset contains 536,823 pieces of data collected by 233 continuous observation stations in Hebei Province from September 5, 2016, to September 12, 2016. The analysis results show that the model proposed in this paper has a good performance on the evaluation and prediction of the traffic state of the highway network, which is consistent with the discriminant result using the real data.
Temperature Effects on Dynamic Properties of Suspended Cables Subjected to Dual Harmonic Excitations
Authors: Zhao Yaobing , Zheng Panpan , Lin Henghui , Huang Chaohui
Published: March 2021

The paper aims at studying the influences of temperature on the suspended cables’ dynamical behaviors subjected to dual harmonic excitations in thermal environments. Significantly, the quadratic nonlinearity and the corresponding secondary resonances are considered. By introducing a tension variation factor, the nonlinear vibration equations of motion could be obtained based on the condensation model. By using Galerkin’s procedure, the continuous model of the nonlinear system is reduced to a set of infinite models with quadratic and cubic nonlinearities. By using the multiple scales method, the resultant reduced model is solved and the stability analysis is also presented in two simultaneous resonance cases. Nonlinear dynamical behaviors with thermal effects are presented using bifurcation diagrams, time‐history curves, phase portraits, frequency spectrums, and Poincaré sections. The numerical results show that thermal effects induce different scenarios. The sensitivities of linear (natural frequency) and nonlinear (quadratic and cubic) coefficients to temperature variations are different. The temperature may increase or decrease the response amplitudes depending on the excitation amplitude and the sag‐to‐span ratio. The inflection point is shifted and exhibited at a smaller or larger excitation amplitude in thermal environments. The resonant range between two Pitchfork bifurcations seems to be reduced when the temperature is decreasing. The response amplitude is very sensitive to temperature, and even an opposite spring behavior may be exhibited due to warming/cooling conditions. However, the periodic motions seem independent of temperature variations.
The Practice of Home Visiting by Community Health Nurses as a Primary Healthcare Intervention in a Low-Income Rural Setting: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study in the Adaklu District of the Volta Region, Ghana
Authors: Diema Konlan Kennedy , Kossi Vivor Nathaniel , Gegefe Isaac , A. Abdul-Rasheed Imoro , Esinam Kornyo Bertha , Peter Kwao Isaac
Published: March 2021

Background. Home visit is an integral component of Ghana’s PHC delivery system. It is preventive and promotes health practice where health professionals render care to clients in their own environment and provide appropriate healthcare needs and social support services. This study describes the home visit practices in a rural district in the Volta Region of Ghana. Methodology. This descriptive cross-sectional study used 375 households and 11 community health nurses in the Adaklu district. Multistage sampling techniques were used to select 10 communities and study respondents using probability sampling methods. A pretested self-designed questionnaire and an interview guide for household members and community health nurses, respectively, were used for data collection. Quantitative data collected were coded, cleaned, and analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences into descriptive statistics, while qualitative data were analysed using the NVivo software. Thematic analysis was engaged that embraces three interrelated stages, namely, data reduction, data display, and data conclusion. Results. Home visit is a routine responsibility of all CHNs. The factors that influence home visiting were community members’ education and attitude, supervision challenges, lack of incentives and lack of basic logistics, uncooperative attitude, community inaccessibility, financial constraint, and limited number of staff. Household members (62.3%) indicated that health workers did not adequately attend to minor ailments as 78% benefited from the service and wished more activities could be added to the home visiting package (24.5%). Conclusion. There should be tailored training of CHNs on home visits skills so that they could expand the scope of services that can be provided. Also, community-based health workers such as community health volunteers, traditional birth attendants, and community clinic attendants can also be trained to identify and address health problems in the homes.
Dietary Fructose Promotes Prostate Cancer Growth
Authors: Carreño Daniela V. , Corro Néstor B. , Cerda-Infante Javier F. , Echeverría Carolina E. , Asencio-Barría Catalina A. , Torres-Estay Verónica A. , Mayorga-Weber Gonzalo A. , Rojas Pablo A. , Véliz Loreto P. , Cisternas Pedro A. , Montecinos Viviana P. , San Francisco Ignacio F. , Varas-Godoy Manuel A. , Sotomayor Paula C. , Castro Maite A. , Nualart Francisco J. , Inestrosa Nibaldo C. , Godoy Alejandro S.
Published: March 2021

Clinical localization of primary tumors and sites of metastasis by PET is based on the enhanced cellular uptake of 2-deoxy-2-[18F]-fluoro-D-glucose (FDG). In prostate cancer, however, PET-FDG imaging has shown limited clinical applicability, suggesting that prostate cancer cells may utilize hexoses other than glucose, such as fructose, as the preferred energy source. Our previous studies suggested that prostate cancer cells overexpress fructose transporters, but not glucose transporters, compared with benign cells. Here, we focused on validating the functional expression of fructose transporters and determining whether fructose can modulate the biology of prostate cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. Fructose transporters, Glut5 and Glut9, were significantly upregulated in clinical specimens of prostate cancer when compared with their benign counterparts. Fructose levels in the serum of patients with prostate cancer were significantly higher than healthy subjects. Functional expression of fructose transporters was confirmed in prostate cancer cell lines. A detailed kinetic characterization indicated that Glut5 represents the main functional contributor in mediating fructose transport in prostate cancer cells. Fructose stimulated proliferation and invasion of prostate cancer cells in vitro. In addition, dietary fructose increased the growth of prostate cancer cell line–derived xenograft tumors and promoted prostate cancer cell proliferation in patient-derived xenografts. Gene set enrichment analysis confirmed that fructose stimulation enriched for proliferation-related pathways in prostate cancer cells. These results demonstrate that fructose promotes prostate cancer cell growth and aggressiveness in vitro and in vivo and may represent an alternative energy source for prostate cancer cells.

Significance:

This study identifies increased expression of fructose transporters in prostate cancer and demonstrates a role for fructose as a key metabolic substrate supporting prostate cancer cells, revealing potential therapeutic targets and biomarkers.
Bisphosphonate Use and Breast Cancer Risk among Women with Ductal Carcinoma In Situ
Authors: Li Christopher I. , Flanagan Meghan R. , Tang Mei-Tzu C. , Porter Peggy L. , Malone Kathleen E.
Published: March 2021

Women with a history of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) have an elevated risk of a subsequent invasive breast cancer, but there are few established potentially modifiable factors known to lower this risk. Bisphosphonates are a commonly used treatment for patients with osteoporosis and have been shown to lower risks of recurrence and mortality in patients with invasive breast cancer; however, their use has not previously been investigated within the context of DCIS. Utilizing a population-based nested case–control design, we compared 301 cases of women diagnosed with DCIS and a subsequent breast cancer and 587 individually matched controls (on age, DCIS diagnosis year, primary treatment, histology, grade, and disease-free survival time) who were diagnosed with DCIS but never a subsequent breast cancer. Information on recency and duration of bisphosphonate use was ascertained from patient interviews and medical record reviews. Current users of bisphosphonates had a reduced risk of developing an invasive breast cancer compared with never users [OR = 0.50; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.26–0.99]. Users of bisphosphonates for ≥48 months had a similar reduction in risk (OR = 0.45; 95% CI, 0.24–1.06). This is the first study to document that bisphosphonate use is associated with a lower risk of subsequent invasive breast cancer among women with a history of DCIS. This finding is consistent with the protective effect of bisphosphonates observed in other breast cancer settings. If validated by others, bisphosphonates may be an effective risk-reducing approach with the potential added benefits of its positive impacts on bone health and fracture risk.

Significance:

This study finds that bisphosphonate use among women with a history of DCIS is associated with lower risk of subsequent invasive breast cancer, providing a potential preventative approach for this high-risk population.
A Systematic Review of the Influence of Continuous Positive Airway Pressure on Fetal and Newborn Animal Models: Suggestions to Improve Neonatal Respiratory Care
Authors: Gie Andre George , Hubble Talia Rose , Regin Yannick , Salaets Thomas , Zamora Monica , Deprest Jan , Toelen Jaan
Published: March 2021

Introduction: Prematurely born infants regularly develop respiratory distress syndrome and require assisted ventilation. Ventilation may injure the premature lung and increase the risk of bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), a form of noninvasive ventilation, is commonly used in modern neonatology. Limited clinical data are available on the acute and long-term effect of neonatal exposure to CPAP on the lung. Given the restricted clinical data, newborn animal models have been used to study the influence of CPAP on lung structure and function. The findings of animal studies can guide neonatal care and improve the use of CPAP. Methods: A systematic review of electronic databases (Medline, Embase, and Cinahl) was performed using the medical subject heading terms, “CPAP” or “continuous positive airway pressure” and “animals” and “newborn.” Abstracts were screened for inclusion using predetermined eligibility criteria. Results: In total, 235 abstracts were identified and screened for inclusion. Of these, 21 papers were included. Large (N = 18) and small (N = 3) animal models investigated the effects of CPAP. Pulmonary outcomes included gas exchange, lung structure and function, surfactant metabolism, lung inflammation and injury, and the effect of intrapulmonary therapy. Compared to mechanical ventilation, CPAP improves lung function, evokes less lung injury, and does not disrupt alveolar development. Surfactant administration combined with CPAP further improves respiratory outcomes. Of concern are findings that CPAP may increase airway reactivity. Discussion/Conclusion: CPAP offers numerous advantages over mechanical ventilation for the immature lung. The combination of CPAP and exogenous surfactant administration offers further pulmonary benefit.
O uso de amuletos como prática da religiosidade no Egito do Reino Novo (1550-1070 a.C)
Authors: Arroyo Victoria
Published: March 2021

Neste artigo procuraremos demonstrar como o uso de amuletos no Antigo Egito é uma expressão da religiosidade das pessoas nessa sociedade - aqui entendida como um conceito que abrange piedade, crenças e práticas pessoais. Através de fórmulas mágicas que confirmam a prescrição de amuletos para diversas situações da vida, como parto, mortalidade infantil e ataques de animais perigosos, atestaremos que o emprego de amuletos era considerado uma maneira apropriada de superar essas situações com sucesso. A efetividade dessas prescrições é corroborada pela cultura material em enterramentos no sítio de Gurob que refletem os mesmos padrões de uso em relação a quais tipos de amuletos eram utilizados, a posição em que estavam e com quem eram depositados. Dessa maneira, fontes textuais estudadas juntamente com dados arqueológicos possibilitarão a compreensão dos amuletos como uma prática que expressa crenças religiosas pessoais.