bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Quantification of Marine Picocyanobacteria on Water Column Particles and in Sediments Using Real-Time PCR Reveals Their Role in Carbon Export
Authors: Zhang Jiandong , Li Furun , Long Lijuan , Huang Sijun
Published: December 2022

Picocyanobacteria are the most abundant primary producers in the ocean. However, quantification of picocyanobacteria on the sinking particles and in sediments remains challenging using flow cytometry or epifluorescence microscopy.
A Reproducible and Tunable Synthetic Soil Microbial Community Provides New Insights into Microbial Ecology
Authors: Coker Joanna , Zhalnina Kateryna , Marotz Clarisse , Thiruppathy Deepan , Tjuanta Megan , D’Elia Gavin , Hailu Rodas , Mahosky Talon , Rowan Meagan , Northen Trent R. , Zengler Karsten
Published: December 2022

Microbes associate with plants in distinct soil communities to the benefit of both the soil microbes and the plants. Interactions between plants and these microbes can improve plant growth and health and are therefore a field of study in sustainable agricultural research.
Detection and Typing of Plasmids in Acinetobacter baumannii Using
rep
Genes Encoding Replication Initiation Proteins
Authors: Lam Margaret M. C. , Koong Jonathan , Holt Kathryn E. , Hall Ruth M. , Hamidian Mehrad
Published: December 2022

Though they contribute to the dissemination of genes that confer resistance to clinically important carbapenem and aminoglycoside antibiotics used to treat life-threatening
Acinetobacter baumannii
infections, plasmids found in
Acinetobacter
species have not been well studied. As these plasmids do not resemble those found in other Gram-negative pathogens, available typing systems are unsuitable.
Erratum to: The Second Stage of BTN Neutron Space Experiment onboard the Russian Section of the International Space Station: the BTN-M2 Instrument
Authors: Mokrousov M. I. , Mitrofanov I. G. , Anikin A. A. , Golovin D. V. , Karpushkina N. E. , Kozyrev A. S. , Litvak M. L. , Malakhov A. V. , Pekov A. N. , Sanin A. B. , Tretyakov V. I.
Published: December 2022

An Erratum to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1134/S0010952522330012
Erratum to: Several Articles in JETP Letters
Authors: Sazonova S. V. , Ageev E. I. , Iudin V. A. , Sun Y. , Petrova E. A. , Kustov P. N. , Yaroshenko V. V. , Mikhailova J. V. , Gudovskikh A. S. , Mukhin I. S. , Zuev D. A. , Ryzhkov M. S. , Khudaiberdiev D. A. , Kozlov D. A. , Kvon Z. D. , Mikhailov N. N. , Dvoretsky S. A. , Dolganov P. V. , Dolganov V. K. , Kats E. I. , Sakhin V. , Kukovitsky E. , Talanov Y. , Teitel’baum G. , Morgun L. , Borisov A. , Usoltsev A. , Pudalov V.
Published: December 2022

An Erratum to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1134/S0021364022340045
Erratum to: Several Articles in JETP Letters
Authors: Osipov A. A. , Moiseev S. A. , Perminov N. S. , Zheltikov A. M. , Podlivaev A. I. , Lebed A. G.
Published: December 2022

An Erratum to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1134/S0021364022340069
Simulation and Analysis of the Optical Characteristics of Cylindrical Micropillars with InAs/GaAs Quantum Dots
Authors: Bobrov M. A. , Blokhin S. A. , Maleev N. A. , Kuz’menkov A. G. , Blokhin A. A. , Vasil’ev A. P. , Guseva Yu. A. , Rakhlin M. V. , Galimov A. I. , Serov Yu. M. , Troshkov S. I. , Ustinov V. M. , Toropov A. A.
Published: December 2022

The optical characteristics of vertical cylindrical micropillars with AlGaAs distributed Bragg reflectors and InAs/GaAs quantum dots, which are designed for the fabrication of single-photon sources, have been studied. The effect of parameters such as the inclination angle of sidewalls, partial oxidation of AlGaAs layers, and deviation of quantum dots from the central axis of a micropillar on the Purcell factor and the radiation extraction efficiency has been numerically simulated by the finite-difference time-domain method. The allowable ranges of the listed parameters have been determined for cylindrical vertical 920-nm micropillars. The comparison of the calculations performed with the refined refractive indices of the used materials at cryogenic temperatures with the measured characteristics of the fabricated micropillar structures has confirmed the adequacy of the used models.
Oxford consensus on primary cam morphology and femoroacetabular impingement syndrome: part 2—research priorities on conditions affecting the young person’s hip
Authors: Dijkstra H Paul , Mc Auliffe Sean , Ardern Clare L , Kemp Joanne L , Mosler Andrea Britt , Price Amy , Blazey Paul , Richards Dawn , Farooq Abdulaziz , Serner Andreas , McNally Eugene , Mascarenhas Vasco , Willy Richard W , Oke Jason L , Khan Karim M , Glyn-Jones Sion , Clarke Mike , Greenhalgh Trisha
Published: December 2022

Introduction

Primary cam morphology is highly prevalent in many athlete populations, causing debilitating hip osteoarthritis in some. Existing research is mired in confusion partly because stakeholders have not agreed on key primary cam morphology elements or a prioritised research agenda. We aimed to inform a more rigorous, inclusive and evidence-based approach to research on primary cam morphology and its natural history by working towards agreement on a set of research priorities for conditions affecting the young person’s hip.

Methods

An international expert panel—the Young Athlete’s Hip Research (YAHiR) Collaborative—rated research priority statements through an online two-round Delphi exercise and met online to explore areas of tension and dissent. Panellists ranked the prioritised research statements according to the Essential National Health Research (ENHR) ranking strategy. Reporting of results followed REPRISE (REporting guideline for PRIority SEtting of health).

Results

A diverse Delphi panel (n=65, Delphi rounds 1 and 2; three ENHR strategy surveys: n=49; n=44; n=42) from 18 countries representing six stakeholder groups, prioritised and ranked 18 of 38 research priority statements. The prioritised statements outlined seven research domains: (1) best practice physiotherapy, (2) rehabilitation progression and return to sport, (3) exercise intervention and load management, (4) primary cam morphology prognosis and aetiology, (5) femoroacetabular impingement syndrome prognosis and aetiology, (6) diagnostic criteria, and (7) screening. The panel recommended areas of tension and dissent for the research community to focus on immediately.

Conclusion

While informing more rigorous, inclusive and evidence-based research, this consensus is a roadmap for researchers, policy-makers and funders to implement research dedicated to reducing the cost and burden of hip disease related to primary cam morphology.
Impact of resistance exercise rehabilitation and whey protein supplementation in elderly patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction with sarcopenia: a study protocol for a randomised controlled trial
Authors: Zhou Mo , Li Rui , Chen Yi , Gao Yan , Wei Yuhao , Lu Meishan , Xi Jieren , Lin Zhizhou , Zheng Xiaoyun , Jiang Hong
Published: December 2022

Introduction

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) affects more than half of the patients with heart failure. HFpEF and sarcopenia can interact with each other and contribute to reduced physiological function and increased mortality in elderly patients. Resistance training (RT) or resistance exercise rehabilitation (RER) may have benefits for elderly HFpEF patients with sarcopenia. Whey protein supplementation (WPS) may increase the effects of exercise on strength and muscle mass, in addition to promoting heart function and quality of life (QoL). However, studies are needed to evaluate effects of RER and WPS in patients with HFpEF with sarcopenia.

Methods and analysis

This is a prospective, randomised, controlled clinical trial in which patients with HFpEF with sarcopenia will be randomly allocated to three groups, control, RT and RT+WP. Participants in all groups will receive basic intervention including standard medicine treatment, home-based aerobic exercise and basic nutritional intervention. The RT group will undergo resistance exercise programmes, and the RT+WP group will receive daily WPS apart from resistance exercise. The study variables will be evaluated at baseline and 12 weeks. Primary outcome measure is the change of 6 min walking distance. Secondary outcomes include parameters of muscle status, cardiac function, nutritional status, QoL and major adverse cardiovascular events. The primary efficacy analysis will follow the intention-to-treat principle.

Ethics and dissemination

This study was approved by Ethics Committee of China-Japan Friendship Hospital for Clinical Research (No. 2022-KY-003). The results of this study will be disseminated via peer-reviewed publications and presentations at conferences.

Trial registration number

ChiCTR2200061069.
How do malaria testing and treatment subsidies affect drug shop client expenditures? A cross-sectional analysis in Western Kenya
Authors: Saran Indrani , Laktabai Jeremiah , Menya Diana , Woolsey Aaron , Turner Elizabeth Louise , Visser Theodoor , O'Meara Wendy Prudhomme
Published: December 2022

Objectives

To examine how drug shop clients’ expenditures are affected by subsidies for malaria diagnostic testing and for malaria treatment, and also to examine how expenditures vary by clients’ malaria test result and by the number of medications they purchased.

Design

Secondary cross-sectional analysis of survey responses from a randomised controlled trial.

Setting

The study was conducted in twelve private drug shops in Western Kenya.

Participants

We surveyed 836 clients who visited the drug shops between March 2018 and October 2019 for a malaria-like illness. This included children >1 year of age if they were physically present and accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.

Interventions

Subsidies for malaria diagnostic testing and for malaria treatment (conditional on a positive malaria test result).

Primary and secondary outcome measures

Expenditures at the drug shop in Kenya shillings (Ksh).

Results

Clients who were randomised to a 50% subsidy for malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) spent approximately Ksh23 less than those who were randomised to no RDT subsidy (95% CI (−34.6 to −10.7), p=0.002), which corresponds approximately to the value of the subsidy (Ksh20). However, clients randomised to receive free treatment (artemisinin combination therapies (ACTs)) if they tested positive for malaria had similar spending levels as those randomised to a 67% ACT subsidy conditional on a positive test. Expenditures were also similar by test result, however, those who tested positive for malaria bought more medications than those who tested negative for malaria while spending approximately Ksh15 less per medication (95% CI (−34.7 to 3.6), p=0.102).

Conclusions

Our results suggest that subsidies for diagnostic health products may result in larger household savings than subsidies on curative health products. A better understanding of how people adjust their behaviours and expenditures in response to subsidies could improve the design and implementation of subsidies for health products.

Trial registration number

NCT03810014.
Support for healthcare workers and patients after medical error through mutual healing: another step towards patient safety
Authors: Aubin Diane Louise , Soprovich Allison , Diaz Carvallo Fabiola , Prowse Deborah , Eurich Dean
Published: December 2022

Background

Medical errors, especially those resulting in patient harm, have a negative psychological impact on patients and healthcare workers (HCWs). Healing may be promoted if both parties are able to work together and explore the effect and outcome of the event from each of their perspectives. There is little existing research in this area, even though this has the potential to improve patient safety and wellness for both HCWs and patients.

Methods

Using a patient-oriented research approach with constructive grounded theory methodology, we examined the potential for patients and HCWs to heal together after harm from a medical error. Individual interviews were conducted and transcribed verbatim. We conducted concurrent data collection and analysis according to grounded theory principles. With our findings, we created a framework and visual breakdown of the communication process between patients and HCWs.

Results

Our findings suggest that, after a medical error causing harm, both patients and HCWs have feelings of empathy and respect towards each other that often goes unrecognised. Barriers to communication for patients were related to their perception that HCWs did not care about them, showed no remorse or did not admit to the error. For HCWs, communication barriers were related to feelings of blame or shame, and fear of professional and legal consequences. Patients reported needing open and transparent communications to help them heal, and HCWs required leadership and peer support, including training and space to talk about the event(s).

Discussion

Our resulting framework suggests that if there was an opportunity for an open and purposeful conversation early or before increased emotional suffering, there might be an opportunity to bridge the barriers, and help patients and HCWs heal together. This, in turn, contributes to improved health quality and patient safety.
Paediatric frequent use of emergency medical services: a systematic review
Authors: Scott Jason , Khanom Ashrafunessa , Straw Joanne , Strickland Annette , Porter Alison , Snooks Helen
Published: December 2022

Background

Frequent use of emergency medical services (EMS) is recognised to be a global phenomenon, although paediatric frequent use is poorly understood. This systematic review aimed to understand how paediatric frequent use of EMS is currently defined, identify factors associated with paediatric frequent use of EMS and determine effectiveness of interventions for paediatric patients who frequently use EMS.

Methods

Four electronic databases (Medline, CINAHL, Web of Science and PsycINFO) were searched to September 2022 for primary, peer-reviewed research studies published in English from January 2000. Studies were included that examined frequent use (>1 contact during study period) of EMS or other services with arrival via EMS. Paediatric patients were defined as <18 years of age or otherwise defined by study authors as paediatric/adolescent/children. Data were extracted using a structured proforma, and quality was assessed using the Standard Quality Assessment Criteria for Quantitative Studies but did not influence inclusion decisions. Data were presented using narrative synthesis.

Results

The search resulted in 4172 unique references, with 12 papers included in the review from 7 countries. Four were EMS studies, and eight Emergency Department with arrival via EMS. All studies used retrospective designs, with no interventional studies identified. Paediatric frequent EMS users were more likely to use services for medical reasons rather than trauma, including respiratory complaints, mental health and seizures, but data on gender and ethnicity were inconclusive and silent on socioeconomic status. There was no consistency in definitions of either a paediatric patient or of frequent use.

Conclusion

The broad range of reasons for frequent use suggests that a single intervention is unlikely to be effective at addressing the causes of frequent use. There is a need for further research to better identify the underlying reasons for frequent EMS use among paediatric patients and to develop interventions in this population.
Tackling sport-related concussion: effectiveness of lowering the maximum legal height of the tackle in amateur male rugby – a cross-sectional analytical study
Authors: van Tonder Riaan , Starling Lindsay , Surmon Sean , Viviers Pierre , Kraak Wilbur , Boer Pieter-Henk , Jordaan Esme , Hendricks Sharief , Stokes Keith A , Derman Wayne , Brown James Craig
Published: December 2022

Objective

Rugby union (‘rugby’) is popular globally, with most of its participants being amateur. Concern regarding sport-related concussion (SRC) sustained during rugby is increasing. SRC occurs most frequently in the tackle, yet few interventions have aimed to mitigate this risk factor. This study investigated the influence of a lowered legal tackle height on SRC incidence in amateur rugby.

Design

Cross-sectional analytical study: 2018 (control—standard tackle height) and 2019 (intervention—lowered legal tackle height) seasons.

Setting

South African collegiate student rugby competition.

Participants

Between 800 and 900 male amateur student players (age: 20±1.6 years) in each year.

Intervention

Maximum legal tackle height lowered from line of the shoulder on the ball carrier to the line of the armpit.

Outcome measures

Number of overall (medical attention) and time-loss (≥1 day lost) injuries, head injuries and SRCs in 2018 and 2019 (dependent variables); events associated with injury incidents (independent variables).

Results

There was no statistically significant difference in incidences of time-loss injuries (IRR: 0.79; 95% CI: 0.6 to 1.1; p=0.13), head injuries (IRR: 0.83; 95% CI: 0.5 to 1.3; p=0.42) and SRC (IRR: 0.69; 95% CI: 0.4 to 1.2; p=0.20). In 2018 and 2019, most time-loss head injuries (57%, n=43) and SRCs (55%, n=26) occurred during the tackle.

Conclusions

Despite a trend towards reducing injuries, head injuries and SRC, lowering maximum legal tackle height to armpit level did not change SRC incidence in this amateur male rugby cohort. Most time-loss head injuries and SRCs occurred during the tackle. Further tackle-related interventions to reduce SRC incidence require investigation.
Associations of local area level new deal employment in childhood with late life cognition: evidence from the census-linked health and retirement study
Authors: Lee Mark , Harrati Amal , Rehkopf David H. , Modrek Sepideh
Published: December 2022

Background

Emergency employment programmes during the 1930s and 1940s invested income, infrastructure and social services into communities affected by the Great Depression. We estimate the long-term associations of growing up in an area exposed to New Deal emergency employment in 1940 with cognitive functioning in later life.

Methods

Members of the Health and Retirement Study cohort (N=5095; mean age 66.3 at baseline) who were age 0–17 in 1940 were linked to their census record from that year, providing prospective information about childhood contextual and family circumstances. We estimated the association between subcounty-level emergency employment participation in 1940 and baseline cognition and rate of cognitive decline between 1998 and 2016.

Results

Compared with those living in the lowest emergency employment quintile in 1940, those who were exposed to moderate levels of emergency employment (third quintile) had better cognitive functioning in 1998 (b=0.092 SD, 95% CI 0.011 to 0.173), conditional on sociodemographic factors. This effect was modestly attenuated after adjusting for respondents’ adult education, finances and health factors. There were no significant effects of area-level emergency employment on rate of cognitive decline.

Conclusions

Exposure to New Deal employment policies during childhood is associated with long-term cognitive health benefits. This is partially explained by increases in educational attainment among those with greater levels of emergency employment activity in the place where they were raised. Future research should investigate which types of New Deal investments may most be related to long-term cognitive health, or if the associations we observe are due to co-occurring programmes.
Bacterial vaginosis-associated bacteria in cisgender men who have sex with women: prevalence, association with non-gonococcal urethritis and natural history
Authors: Zinsli Kaitlin A , Srinivasan Sujatha , Balkus Jennifer E , Chambers Laura C , Lowens M Sylvan , Morgan Jennifer , Rowlinson Emily , Robinson Tashina S , Romano Sarah S , Munch Matthew M , Manhart Lisa E , Fredricks David N
Published: December 2022

Objectives

Bacterial vaginosis-associated bacterium 2 (BVAB2),Mageeibacillus indolicusandSneathiaspp are highly predictive of bacterial vaginosis (BV) in cisgender women. They have been associated with non-gonococcal urethritis (NGU) in cisgender men in some but not all populations. We evaluated this association in a cross-sectional study of cisgender men who have sex with women only (MSW).

Methods

MSW without gonorrhoea attending a sexual health clinic (SHC) from 2014 to 2018 completed a computer-assisted self-interview, clinical interview and examination. NGU was defined as ≥5 polymorphonuclear leucocytes/high-power field in urethral exudates plus either urethral symptoms or visible discharge. Urine was tested forChlamydia trachomatisandMycoplasma genitaliumusing Aptima (Hologic) and for BVAB2,M. indolicus,Sneathiaspp,Trichomonas vaginalis,Ureaplasma urealyticum,Haemophilus influenzae, herpes simplex virus and adenovirus using quantitative PCR.

Results

Of 317 MSW age 17–71, 67 (21.1%) hadSneathiaspp, 36 (11.4%) had BVAB2, and 17 (5.4%) hadM. indolicusat enrolment. Having ≥3 partners in the past 2 months was the only characteristic that was more common among MSW with than those without these bacteria (BVAB2: 47% vs 23%,M. indolicus: 53% vs 24%,Sneathiaspp: 42% vs 22%; p≤0.03 for all). One-hundred seventeen men (37%) were diagnosed with NGU at enrolment. There was no significant association of BVAB2,M. indolicusorSneathiaspp with NGU (adjusted OR=0.59, 95% CI 0.14 to 2.43; aOR=3.40, 95% CI 0.68 to 17.06; aOR=0.46, 95% CI 0.16 to 1.27). Of 109 MSW with monthly samples, 34 (31.2%) had one of the bacteria at one or more follow-up visits, 22 of which were co-colonised with >1. Median persistence over 6 months did not differ significantly (BVAB2=30.5 days, IQR=28–87;M. indolicus=87 days, IQR=60–126;Sneathiaspp=70 days, IQR=30–135; p≥0.20 for each comparison).

Conclusions

Neither BVAB2,M. indolicusnorSneathiaspp were associated with increased risk of prevalent NGU in MSW attending an SHC.
Schwarzschild–Finsler–Randers spacetime: geodesics, dynamical analysis and deflection angle
Authors: Kapsabelis E. , Kevrekidis P. G. , Stavrinos P. C. , Triantafyllopoulos A.
Published: December 2022

In this work, we extend the study of Schwarzschi ld–Finsler–Randers (SFR) spacetime previously investigated by a subset of the present authors (Triantafyllopoulos et al. in Eur Phys J C 80(12):1200, 2020; Kapsabelis et al. in Eur Phys J C 81(11):990, 2021). We will examine the dynamical analysis of geodesics which provides the derivation of the energy and the angular momentum of a particle moving along a geodesic of SFR spacetime. This study allows us to compare our model with the corresponding of general relativity (GR). In addition, the effective potential of SFR model is examined and it is compared with the effective potential of GR. The phase portraits generated by these effective potentials are also compared. Finally we deal with the derivation of the deflection angle of the SFR spacetime and we find that there is a small perturbation from the deflection angle of GR. We also derive an interesting relation between the deflection angles of the SFR model and the corresponding result in the work of Shapiro et al. (Phys Rev Lett 92(12):121101, 2004). These small differences are attributed to the anisotropic metric structure of the model and especially to a Randers term which provides a small deviation from GR.
The effect of loop quantum gravitational rainbow functions on the formation of naked singularities
Authors: Akram Moh Vaseem , Bhat Imtiyaz Ahmad , Aziz Anver , Faizal Mir
Published: December 2022

In this paper, we will investigate the consequences of loop quantum gravitational modifications on the formation of naked singularities. The loop quantum gravitational effects will be incorporated in the collapsing system using gravity’s rainbow. This will be done by using rainbow functions, which are constructed from loop quantum gravitational modifications to the energy momentum dispersion. It will be observed that this modification will prevent the formation of naked singularity. Thus, such a modification can ensure that the weak cosmic censorship hypothesis will hold for any collapsing system
High-capacity quantum key distribution based on hyperentangled Bell states and hyper-encoding
Authors: Li Jie , Ye Chongqiang , Li Jian
Published: December 2022

According to the properties of the hyperentangled Bell state and hyper-encoding technology, this paper proposes a high-capacity quantum key distribution protocol with qudits hyper-encoded in polarization and spatial mode degrees of freedom (DOFs). In our protocol, 8 bits of information can be transmitted in one iteration. In contrast, the previous quantum key distribution protocols can only transmit up to 4 or 6 bits in one iteration. Moreover, quantum memory is unnecessary in our protocol. We analyze the relationship between the amount of eavesdropping and the success rate of eavesdropping. With the increase of eavesdropping information, the eavesdropping success probability will decrease sharply. The results show that our protocol is secure. Finally, this protocol is flexible; each qubit has two completely independent DOFs. If one DOF is destroyed, the other can still be used to transmit secure information. The protocol may be useful in the future quantum communication field.
Exploring Web-Based Translation Resources Applied to Hindi-English Cross-Lingual Information Retrieval
Authors: Sharma Vijay , Mittal Namita , Vidyarthi Ankit , Gupta Deepak
Published: December 2022

Internet users perceive a multilingual web but are unfamiliar with it due to communication in their regional language called
Cross-Lingual Information Retrieval
(CLIR). In CLIR, a translation technique is used to translate the user queries into the target document’s language. Conventional translation techniques are based on either a manual dictionary or a parallel corpus, whereas the trending Statistical Machine Translation (SMT) and Neural Machine Translation (NMT) techniques are trained on a parallel corpus. NMT is not so mature for Hindi-English translation, according to the literature, and SMT performs better than the NMT. SMT provides a static translation due to the limited vocabularies in the available parallel corpus. It may not provide the translations for missing or unseen words, whereas the web provides a dynamic interface where multiple users are updating information at the same time. The web may provide the translations for missing or unseen words, and therefore the web is effectively used for technically developed languages like English, German, Spanish, Russian, and Chinese. In this article, different web resources such as Wikipedia, Hindi WordNet and Indo WordNet, ConceptNet, and online dictionary based translation techniques are proposed and applied to Hindi-English CLIR. Wikipedia-based translation approach incorporates three modules—exactly matched, partially matched, and disambiguation—to address the issues of wrong inter-wiki links, partially matched terms, and ambiguous articles. Hindi WordNet and Indo WorNet attribute “English synset” and ConceptNet attributes “Related term” & “Synonymy” are used for obtaining translations. Further, WordNet path similarity is used to disambiguate translations. Various online dictionaries are available that return multiple relevant and irrelevant translations. The proposed approaches are compared to the SMT where the Wikipedia-based approach achieves approximately similar mean average precision to SMT.
Continual Recognition with Adaptive Memory Update
Authors: Yao Xuanrong , Wang Xin , Liu Yue , Zhu Wenwu
Published: December 2022

Class incremental continual learning aims to improve the ability of modern classification models to continually recognize new classes without forgetting the previous ones. Prior art in the field has largely considered using a replay buffer. In this article, we start from an observation that the existing replay-based method would fail when the stored exemplars are not hard enough to get a good decision boundary between a previously learned class and a new class. To prevent this situation, we propose a method from the perspective of remedy after forgetting for the first time. In the proposed method, a set of exemplars is preserved as a working memory, which helps to recognize new classes. When the working memory is insufficient to distinguish between new classes, more discriminating samples would be swapped from a long-term memory, which is built up during the early training process, in an adaptive way. Our continual recognition model with adaptive memory update is capable of overcoming the problem of catastrophic forgetting with various new classes coming in sequence, especially for similar but different classes. Extensive experiments on different real-world datasets demonstrate that the proposed model is superior to existing state-of-the-art algorithms. Moreover, our model can be used as a general plugin for any replay-based continual learning algorithm to further improve their performance.
Algorithm 1033: Parallel Implementations for Computing the Minimum Distance of a Random Linear Code on Distributed-memory Architectures
Authors: Quintana-Ortí Gregorio , Hernando Fernando , Igual Francisco D.
Published: December 2022

The minimum distance of a linear code is a key concept in information theory. Therefore, the time required by its computation is very important to many problems in this area. In this article, we introduce a family of implementations of the Brouwer–Zimmermann algorithm for distributed-memory architectures for computing the minimum distance of a random linear code over 𝔽
2
. Both current commercial and public-domain software only work on either unicore architectures or shared-memory architectures, which are limited in the number of cores/processors employed in the computation. Our implementations focus on distributed-memory architectures, thus being able to employ hundreds or even thousands of cores in the computation of the minimum distance. Our experimental results show that our implementations are much faster, even up to several orders of magnitude, than current implementations widely used nowadays.
Congenital heart disease-associated pulmonary dysplasia and its underlying mechanisms
Authors: Li De-Bao , Xu Xiu-Xia , Hu Yu-Qing , Cui Qing , Xiao Ying-Ying , Sun Si-Juan , Chen Li-Jun , Ye Lin-Cai , Sun Qi
Published: December 2022

Clinical observation indicates that exercise capacity, an important determinant of survival in patients with congenital heart disease (CHD), is most decreased in children with reduced pulmonary blood flow (RPF). However, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Here, we obtained human RPF lung samples from children with tetralogy of Fallot as well as piglet and rat RPF lung samples from animals with pulmonary artery banding surgery. We observed impaired alveolarization and vascularization, the main characteristics of pulmonary dysplasia, in the lungs of RPF infants, piglets, and rats. RPF caused smaller lungs, cyanosis, and body weight loss in neonatal rats and reduced the number of alveolar type 2 cells. RNA sequencing demonstrated that RPF induced the downregulation of metabolism and migration, a key biological process of late alveolar development, and the upregulation of immune response, which was confirmed by flow cytometry and cytokine detection. In addition, the immunosuppressant cyclosporine A rescued pulmonary dysplasia and increased the expression of the Wnt signaling pathway, which is the driver of postnatal lung development. We concluded that RPF results in pulmonary dysplasia, which may account for the reduced exercise capacity of patients with CHD with RPF. The underlying mechanism is associated with immune response activation, and immunosuppressants have a therapeutic effect in CHD-associated pulmonary dysplasia.
Effect of Serum Ferritin on the Prognosis of Patients with Sepsis: Data from the MIMIC-IV Database
Authors: Fang Yi-Peng , Zhang Hui-Juan , Guo Zhe , Ren Chun-Hong , Zhang Yun-Fei , Liu Qian , Wang Zhong , Zhang Xin
Published: December 2022

Background. The present study aimed to investigate the prognostic value of serum ferritin in critically ill patients with sepsis by using the MIMIC-IV database. Methods. Data were extracted from the MIMIC-IV database. Adult patients who met the sepsis-3 criteria and had the test of ferritin were included. Patients were divided into subgroups according to the initial serum ferritin. The association between initial serum ferritin and in-hospital mortality was performed by using Lowessregression, logistic regression, and ROC analysis. Subgroup analysis was used to search for the interacting factors and verify the robustness of the results. Results. Analysis of the 2,451 patients revealed a positive linear relationship between serum ferritin and in-hospital mortality. Patients with high-ferritin had a higher risk of in-hospital mortality, but no significant association was found in the low-ferritin subgroup compared with those whose ferritin was in the normal reference range. Serum ferritin had moderate predictive power for in-hospital mortality (AUC = 0.651), with an optimal cut-off value of 591.5 ng/ml. Ferritin ≥591.5 ng/ml acted as an independent prognostic predictor of in-hospital mortality, which increased the risk of in-hospital mortality by 119%. Our findings were still robust in subgroup analysis, and acute kidney injury and anemia were considered interactive factors. Conclusion. High-level serum ferritin was an independent prognostic marker for the prediction of mortality in patients with sepsis. Further high-quality research is needed to confirm the relationship between ferritin and the prognosis of septic patients.
KCNQ1OT1 Influences HK-2 Apoptosis and Inflammation in LPS-Induced Acute Renal Injury via Modulating miR-30a-5p/NLRP3 Axis
Authors: Hou Jing , Fan Jun-Ming
Published: December 2022

Objective. To investigate the influence of KCNQ1OT1 on HK-2 apoptosis and inflammation in ARI and its molecular mechanism. Methods. Normal cultivated HK-2 cells were used as negative control (NC) group. Three different concentrations of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) were used to treat the cells (5 μg/mL, 10 μg/mL, and 20 μg/mL). The groups included si-KCN1OT1+ LPS, si-NC + LPS, miR-30a-5p + LPS, pcDNA-NLRP3+si-KCNQ1OT1 + LPS group, miR-NC + LPS group, and pcDNA + si-KCNQ1OT1 + LPS group. CCK-8 and flow cytometry are used to measure cell viability and apoptosis, while RT-qPCR and Western blotting are used to detect KCNQ1OT1, miR-30a-5p, and NLRP3 mRNA. ELISA was used to detect the levels of TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β in HK-2 cells. The targeting relationship among KCNQ1OT1, miR-30a-5p, and NLRP3 was verified. Results. After the intervention of LPS, the viability of HK-2 cells was decreased, while the apoptosis rates were increased. The mRNA and protein expressions of NLRP3 and KCNQ1OT1 were increased, while the mRNA and protein levels of miR-30a-5p were decreased (

P
<
0.05

). The expressions of Bax and Cleaved-caspase-3 were downregulated after silencing KCNQ1OT1 and overexpressed miR-30a-5p. In addition, the viability of HK-2 cells was improved, and the apoptosis was reduced by inhibiting KCNQ1OT1 and overexpressed miR-30a-5p. Thus, KCNQ1OT1 modulated NLRP3 via targeting miR-30a-5p. Overexpression of NLRP3 reverses KCNQ1OT1 inhibition of LPS-induced apoptosis, activity, and inflammation in HK-2 cells. Conclusions. Through modulating the miR-30a-5p/NLRP3 axis, inhibition of KCNQ1OT1 may reduce HK-2 apoptosis and inflammation in LPS-induced ARI.
Study on Drivers’ Visual Load Features in Lighting Environments of Interior Zones of Extra‐Long Tunnels over 10 km
Authors: Zhou Yuantao , He Shiyong , Li Xiaohu , Li Yingying , Du Guoping
Published: December 2022

In extra‐long road tunnels (>10 km), the interior zone accounts for 95% of the total tunnel length. Driving for an extended period in the interior zone of such a tunnel in a monotonous and dimly lit environment causes heavy visual loads for drivers and undermines the safe operation of tunnels and driving comfort. This study investigated the changing patterns of drivers’ visual loads while driving through road tunnels. In a real vehicle experiment, the pupil diameter, fixation duration, electroencephalogram power spectral density, standard deviation of normal to normal, and root mean square of successive differences were used as indicators of drivers’ visual loads. By comparing the differences in psychological and physiological parameters in tunnels of four different lengths, this study discovered the changing pattern of drivers’ visual loads in the interior zone of extra‐long tunnels and merged multi‐source information of various indicators based on the entropy evaluation model to obtain comprehensive visual load values for drivers. The experiment revealed that as the tunnel length increased, the changing patterns of the drivers’ visual load indicators diverged. In particular, the driver’s tension levels began to spike after 180s of driving. The comprehensive visual load values of drivers, combined with the change features of multiple indicators, provide a more accurate and complete assessment of visual loads. The analysis of drivers’ visual load features can provide a theoretical basis for measures to optimise the lighting environment of the interior zone of extra‐long tunnels over 10 km.
Design and Analysis of a Multiple and Wide Nulling Collaborative Beamforming Scheme in the Domain of 3-Dimensional Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Maina Robert Macharia , Langat Philip Kibet , Kihato Peter Kamita
Published: December 2022

Null steering is essential in collaborative beamforming (CB) in wireless sensor networks (WSNs) to ensure minimal radiation power and interference in the direction of unintended receivers. Current research in null steering in CB in WSNs is mainly from the perspective of planar arrangements of sensor nodes and sink(s). Furthermore, there is no research dedicated to the formation of multiple wide nulls during CB in 3-dimension WSNs. Wide nulls are ideal in scenarios featuring mobile unintended sink(s). A new multiple and wide null steering scheme applicable to CB in WSNs is presented in this work (from the perspective of a 3-dimensional random arrangement of static sensor nodes). It is assumed that desired nulling directions are implicitly known at a CB cluster head. A particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm variant is applied in concurrent node transmit amplitude and phase perturbation with an aim of achieving beam steering alongside multiple and wide null steering. The performance of the proposed null steering scheme is validated against a basic null steering approach (with reference to current literature). Furthermore, a comparative null depth, width, and nulling accuracy analysis are done upon varying the count of collaborating nodes and the collaborating cluster radius. An increase in the number of collaborating nodes is found to increase nulling depth at an exponentially decaying rate. An increase in the collaborating nodes’ cluster radius yields a reduction in null width. The contributions of this work to the existing literature are as follows: (i) the design and investigation of a null steering scheme from the perspective of a 3-dimension random arrangement of sensor nodes; (ii) the design of a concurrent beam steering and multiple wide null steering scheme on the basis of concurrent node transmit amplitude and phase perturbation whilst ensuring null depth uniformity; (iii) a statistical analysis of the impact of a count of collaborating nodes and collaborating cluster radius on nulling performance; (iv) investigation of capacity improvement at unintended receivers upon null steering.
Network-Based Elaboration of the Efficacy of the Dachangshu (BL25) and Tianshu (ST25) Points in the Treatment of Functional Constipation in Children through Inflammation, Adipocytokine, or Leptin Pathways
Authors: Xu Yan , Xu Hanying , Wang Xinna , Wen Hongjuan , Guan Huifang , Gao Fa , Xu Hang , Jing Wei , Li Jing , Mei Yan , Li Weibin , Chen Qixiong , Liu Fang , Cui Hongtao
Published: December 2022

Constipation commonly occurs during childhood, and more than 95% of cases are classified as functional constipation. If not effectively treated, 20% of patients with childhood constipation can continue to exhibit symptoms into adulthood, which seriously affects their mental health and quality of life. The main feature of acupuncture or acupoint stimulation, a special branch of traditional Chinese medicine, is the selection of different acupoints for different diseases, and many worthy guidelines have been established for matching acupoints. The back-shu and front-mu point combination adheres to an important acupoint compatibility law that has been used since its proposal 2,500 years ago but has not yet been verified by the modern evidence-based experiments. This study focused on the back-shu and front-mu point combination using the Dachangshu (BL25) and Tianshu (ST25) points as examples to explore possible research methods for network acupoint-based stimulation based on existing evidence and to elucidate the mechanisms induced by BL25 and ST25 in the treatment of functional constipation in children (FCC). The study found that BL25 and ST25 have 20 common targets, namely, AQP8, DRD2, VIP, TAC1, IL6R, TNF, FOS, KIT, CHAT, HTR3A, GAS8, SOD3, TRPV1, MPO, CALCA, IL1B, P2RX7, NPY2R, IL10RA, and TPH1, and these targets may provide a strategy for the combined usage of BL25 and ST25. In addition, BL25 and ST25 can affect FCC treatment through inflammation-relatedTh17-cell differentiation, the NF-kappa B signaling pathway, and the Toll-like receptor signaling pathway. Adipocytokines or leptin may also comprise the mechanism through which BL25 and ST25 regulate FCC. In addition, BL25 and ST25 regulate FCC through 13 core targets, namely, NFKBIA, RELA, TNF, IKBKB, IRAK1, TLR4, MYD88, TNFRSF1A, IL1R1, TLR2, IL1B, TRAF6, and TNFRSF1B. In short, this study provides new ideas and methods for studying the mechanism of acupuncture points.
Serviceability Properties of Solid Buoyancy Materials for Deep-Sea HOV
Authors: Zhang Hailong , Ma Guoliang , Zhu Zhiwei
Published: December 2022

Studying the evolution characteristics of damage strength and water absorption behavior of hollow glass beads solid buoyancy materials used for manned submersibles in the hyper-pressure environment will help people to understand the damage mechanism and induced mechanism of buoyancy materials for manned submersibles. To explore the influence mechanism of different pressure, temperature, loading rate and load cycle times on deformation, failure, and water absorption behavior of solid buoyant materials, hydrostatic pressure tests of solid buoyant materials under different conditions are conducted in this study. Based on the test data, the nonlinear characteristics of mechanical properties and water absorption behavior of two buoyant materials are obtained. The results show that the water absorption characteristics of solid buoyant materials are affected by hydrostatic pressure, and the water absorption characteristics increase exponentially as the hydrostatic pressure increases. The loading rate insignificantly affects the compressive strength and water absorption characteristics of both materials. Ambient temperature has a great influence on water absorption characteristics and failure strength of high-strength solid buoyant materials. After cyclic loading, the properties of buoyant materials decreased, and X-ray micro-CT showed that the internal hollow glass beads had a good shape and no significant change in the glass beads breakage rate. The change of solid buoyancy material properties is mainly due to the change of resin base material properties, resulting in material aging and performance attenuation. The research results are helpful to further explore the fracturing evolution and water absorption behavior of solid buoyant materials and then play a guiding role in calculating the counterweight of manned submersible operation and performance prediction and maintenance of buoyant materials for manned submersibles.
A New Identify Disruptive Technologies Algorithm Based on Technology Develop Network
Authors: Li Ran , Yu Wangke , Huang Qianliang , Chen Qin
Published: December 2022

The identification of disruptive technologies is intended to focus on training and incubation in advance and is an important means to accelerate the upgrading of industrial structure and the transformation of developmental mode and seize the commanding heights of future development. Based on summarizing the existing major identification methods of disruptive technologies, this paper concludes the rule that “disruptive technologies are always at the root node of a certain classification in the deeply classified technology development network”. It also proposes a new algorithm to use term frequency-inverse document frequency technology and a patented Subject-Action-Object structure to extract technical features, develop networks based on similarity matrix generation technology, and identify subversive technologies based on the depth classification model. Using patent data, it is found that the technology development network generated by the algorithm proposed in this paper can effectively show the trajectory of technology development by fitting the patent citation relationship. Through this algorithm, we have successfully identified technologies that have had disruptive effects in the field and verified the effectiveness of this algorithm.
Design of Crossed Dipole Yagi–Uda MIMO Antenna for Radar Applications
Authors: Malaisamy K. , Haridoss G. , Arun Pandian J. , Rima Samira Kabir
Published: December 2022

This work proposes, builds, and manufactures a small, high-gain MIMO antenna for radar applications. Using a Parasitic elements such as director & reflector show a simple method for increasing the gain and bandwidth of a Yagi-Uda Antenna. Using a Parasitic elements such as director and reflector show a simple method for increasing the gain and bandwidth of a Yagi-Uda Antenna. Using a nearby parasitic director and reflector. Also, it shows a simple method for increasing the gain and bandwidth of a Yagi–Uda antenna. A strip with a parasitic director is placed close to the top dipole element to improve the gain as well as bandwidth attributes of the Yagi–Uda antenna. The antenna performance parameters are investigated for 1 × 2 MIMO, cross dipole MIMO antenna (1 × 4), and an array configuration (two 1 × 4). It has high gain and operates in the S-band (2 GHz–4 GHz). This antenna supports three bands and has a highest maximum directive gain of 12.5 dBi at 2.5 GHz and a bandwidth of 0.21 GHz. It is made of FR4 substrate. The suggested structure is 120 mm × 70 mm in size. Due to its high gain and less return loss, this antenna is better suited to radar applications.