bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
System Pharmacology-Based Strategy to Decode the Synergistic Mechanism of GanDouLing for Wilson’s Disease
Authors: Zhang Juan , Chen Hong , Bao Yuancheng , Xie Daojun , Yang Wenming , Jiang Huaizhou , Dong Ting , Han Hui
Published: January 2021

Ethnopharmacological Relevance. GanDouLing (GDL) is a Chinese medicinal herb produced by the preparation center of Anhui Hospital of TCM for preventing and treating Wilson’s disease (WD), an ATP7B mutation-inherited disease that affects copper transport and is characterized by liver and nervous system manifestations with variable and often unpredictable manifestations. However, the “multicomponent” and “multitarget” characteristics of TCM make it challenging to clarify the potential therapeutic mechanisms of GDL for WD. Aim of the Study. This study aimed at the systematic encoding of WD potential target for GDL and experimental verification for the relevant core targets, providing a deeper insight into the understanding of the mechanisms of GDL protection underlying WD with liver injury. Material and Methods. Following the strategy of the network pharmacology, we, firstly, predicted the active components of GDL and putative targets for WD. By employing clusterProfiler, the enrichment of functional and pathway terms was analyzed. Further, the protein-protein-interaction network was analyzed by STRING. Lastly, after establishing the toxic-milk mouse (TX) model with GDL treating, Hematoxylin and Eosin stain (HE) and western blotting (WB) for apoptosis biomarker were experimented. Results. Firstly, 324 active compounds have been identified in the GDL formula. Meanwhile, we identified 1496 human genes which are related to WD or liver cirrhosis. Functional and pathway enrichment analysis indicated that NOD-like receptor signaling pathway, bile secretion, calcium signaling pathway, steroid hormone biosynthesis, T cell receptor signaling pathway, apoptosis, MAPK signaling pathway, and so forth can be obviously regulated by GDL. Further, in a mouse model of WD, in vivo experiments showed that GDL treatment can not only reduce the pathological symptoms of the liver but also reduce the apoptosis of hepatocytes. Conclusions. In this study, systemic pharmacological methods were proposed and the mechanism of GDL combined therapy for WD was explored. This method can be used as a reference for the study of other mechanisms of traditional Chinese medicine.
Research on Rock Resistant Coefficient in Lining Tunnels Based on the Generalized Hoek-Brown Failure Criterion
Authors: Zhang Shiyue , Gao Ruiyuan , Meng Qingxiang , Zhang Xiaohu
Published: January 2021

Rock resistant coefficient is a key parameter in rock engineering and can reflect the resistance of surrounding rocks. According to the load-structure method, there are many different formulas in the determination of rock resistant coefficient using elasticity or plasticity theory. Based on the generalized Hoek-Brown failure criterion, this paper develops a closed-form formula for calculating the rock resistant coefficient. The sensibility of different parameters on the rock resistant coefficient is also analyzed. The fact shows that the formula is sensitive to

a

,

σ

c

, and

K

d

comparing with

m

b

and

s

especially when they are in a low value, laying a foundation for the determination of rock resistant coefficient in similar lining tunnels.
Constitutive Model of Solid Backfill Materials and Numerical Simulation of Overburden Movement and Deformation in Backfill Mining
Authors: Ma Chao , Zhang Lianying , Li Bing , Mao Xianbiao
Published: January 2021

Solid backfill mining is an efficient and environmental‐friendly coal mining technology, which can effectively solve the problems of coal gangue pollution, water resource loss, and surface subsidence. Based on the mechanical behavior of backfill materials in the compaction process, volume strain was used to express the deformation modulus, and a constitutive model of backfill materials was proposed in this study. The ABAQUS UMAT was used to develop the numerical calculation subroutine of the model. Finally, the rationality of the model was verified that simulated stress‐strain curves of the backfill materials during the compaction process agree well with experiments. Based on the proposed constitutive model, the influence of three factors (the initial compaction rate of the filling body, the mining height, and the mining depth) on the key strata and surface subsidence was analyzed systematically. The results show that the initial compaction rate and the height of coal seams have significant influences on surface subsidence. When the thickness of topsoil is only changed and the structural composition and lithology of overburden are not changed, the mining depth has little influence on surface subsidence, but a significant influence on surface subsidence range. The influence of mining height and mining depth on the deformation of key strata of overburden and surface subsidence is approximately linear, while the influence of the initial compaction rate is nonlinear.
Application of Biochar in the Remediation of Contaminated Soil with High Concentration of Lead and Zinc
Authors: Zhao Xiaoming , Yang Binbin , Li Yuan , Tang Dongqi , Xu Ke , Li Dongdong
Published: January 2021

Soil contamination in the Panjiachong lead and zinc mining areas has become a severe problem in Hunan Province, China. As the traditional stabilization technology comes with soil degradation, it is urgent to find a novel binder that is more eco‐friendly. It has been proved that biochar can immobilize heavy metals, but limited research has been conducted on the contaminated soil with high concentration. In this study, 5%, 8%, and 10% biochar derived from the rice straw were used to remediate contaminated soil with high concentration of lead and zinc. Portland cement (PC) was adopted as the control group. The results showed that after 56 d curing, the biochar‐treated soil had a neutral pH and EC value and higher soil fertility compared with the PC‐treated soil. The results from the toxicity characteristic leaching procedure test indicated that the biochar is more effective than PC on heavy metal immobilization. Germination index (GI) value was used to evaluate the phytotoxicity of the treated soil; the GI values of treated soil with 8% and 10% biochar were both higher than 80%, while all the PC‐treated groups failed to achieve this GI value, which indicated the potential revegetation is applicable for the biochar‐treated soil.
Effect of Loading Path on the Mechanical Properties of Completely Decomposed Granite Soil Based on the Multiscale Method
Authors: Zhao Yanru , Wen Tiande , Sun Xiaohui , Huang Liping , Chen Rui
Published: January 2021

Mechanical properties of intact completely decomposed granite (CDG) soil, widely distributed in South China, decrease drastically as encountering external load‐related disturbance or soaked by water. In this study, staged triaxial consolidated drained (CD) test and microscopic scanning were conducted using intact CDG specimens extracted from a construction site to investigate the mechanical behavior and microscopic pore distribution. The results show that the stress‐strain relationship reveals a shrinking behavior in the first‐stage loading and a brittle behavior in the second‐stage loading. The development of cracks is affected by the principal stress, which causes the pores and cracks to shrink or partially close. In addition, Esec-1 increases linearly with the increase of confining pressure, but Esec-2 decreases exponentially.
Numerical Simulation Research on Radial Force of Centrifugal Pump with Guide Vanes
Authors: Meng Dongrong , Jiang Ting , Deng Hongling , Hou Gaoyang
Published: January 2021

To reveal the internal unsteady flow state of the guide vane centrifugal pump, in this paper, the standard SST k‐ω turbulent flow model is used for unsteady numerical simulation of the centrifugal pump. The characteristics of the flow field inside the centrifugal pump are analyzed, the resultant force and vector distribution of the radial force of the guide vane and impeller of the centrifugal pump under different flow rates are obtained, which were verified by experiments. The results show that the main reason of radial force of the impeller is the pressure asymmetry in each flow passage. The radial force will show periodic fluctuations due to the rotor‐stator interference between the impeller and the guide vanes under different flow rates. The radial force on the impeller decreases gradually with the increase of the flow, the distribution is hexagonal or hexagonal shape, and the number of impeller blades is the same. The results can provide reference for the design of impeller and guide vane of centrifugal pump.
Solving a Joint Pricing and Inventory Control Problem for Perishables via Deep Reinforcement Learning
Authors: Wang Rui , Gan Xianghua , Li Qing , Yan Xiao
Published: January 2021

We study a joint pricing and inventory control problem for perishables with positive lead time in a finite horizon periodic‐review system. Unlike most studies considering a continuous density function of demand, in our paper the customer demand depends on the price of current period and arrives according to a homogeneous Poisson process. We consider both backlogging and lost‐sales cases, and our goal is to find a simultaneously ordering and pricing policy to maximize the expected discounted profit over the planning horizon. When there is no fixed ordering cost involved, we design a deep reinforcement learning algorithm to obtain a near‐optimal ordering policy and show that there are some monotonicity properties in the learned policy. We also show that our deep reinforcement learning algorithm achieves a better performance than tabular‐based Q‐learning algorithms. When a fixed ordering cost is involved, we show that our deep reinforcement learning algorithm is effective and efficient, under which the problem of “curse of dimension” is circumvented.
Nonproportional Intentionally Mistuned Turbine Blisk Design with Improved Component Modal Synthesis
Authors: Bai Bin , Yang Qi , Zhu Guang Wei , Wu Qi Liang , Li Xin ye
Published: January 2021

An improved component modal synthesis‐based nonproportional mistuning method (ICMS‐NPMM) is proposed to investigate mistuned turbine blisks (MTBs) since the high‐fidelity finite element models (HFEMs) involve large number of computations, which leads to low calculation efficiency. To reduce degrees of freedom and suppress the flutter of MTB, it is divided into mistuned blade structure and tuned disk structure, and the intentional mistuning is considered. Furthermore, the mistuned parameters, nonproportional mistuning, and complex loads are also considered. Firstly, the basic theory of ICMS‐NPMM is investigated; secondly, the model of MTB is established via ICMS‐NPMM; finally, the intentionally mistuned design of modal shape amplitudes (MSAs) is investigated via ICMS‐NPMM. The results indicate that the calculation efficiency is enhanced via ICMS‐NPMM relative to that of via HFEM. In addition, the sensitivity and the flutter are decreased; meanwhile, the amplitude fluctuations of MSAs are distinctly decreased and become comparatively smooth. This investigation provides an important guidance for the vibration characteristic study of complex mechanical structures in engineering practice.
Seismic Performance Evaluation of Buried Sewage Collection Pipelines
Authors: Rahimi Abolfazl , Rezaii Mohammad
Published: January 2021

One of the systems which is damaged because of earthquake is an urban wastewater network. In this paper, it is tried to study the damages occurred on urban wastewater networks in a selected network. The most important definitions by the network about some branches of the wastewater network and relevant reformations are studied. Then, the function of pipeline networks buried by the previous earthquake is studied and also it is proceeded about the research studies done regarding the relationships dominant on susceptibility in which some of the mentioned relationships are studied. The statistical society of some methods used in this research is studied, and the software applied in this part is introduced. Finally, the data of the output results are analysed in which the results obtained by this research are including the output drawings of the software GIS that demonstrate the occurred damages in applied and clear way. Some suggestions for using the aforesaid results by the researchers and authorities, especially disaster headquarter, have been presented. The results of this study showed that the assumptions and also the modelling process have handled the simulation well and this process is an effective method in decision making.
Fusion of Machine Learning and Privacy Preserving for Secure Facial Expression Recognition
Authors: Ullah Asad , Wang Jing , Anwar M. Shahid , Ahmad Arshad , Nazir Shah , Khan Habib Ullah , Fei Zesong
Published: January 2021

The interest in Facial Expression Recognition (FER) is increasing day by day due to its practical and potential applications, such as human physiological interaction diagnosis and mental disease detection. This area has received much attention from the research community in recent years and achieved remarkable results; however, a significant improvement is required in spatial problems. This research work presents a novel framework and proposes an effective and robust solution for FER under an unconstrained environment; it also helps us to classify facial images in the client/server model along with preserving privacy. There are a lot of cryptography techniques available but they are computationally expensive; on the other side, we have implemented a lightweight method capable of ensuring secure communication with the help of randomization. Initially, we perform preprocessing techniques to encounter the unconstrained environment. Face detection is performed for the removal of excessive background and it detects the face in the real-world environment. Data augmentation is for the insufficient data regime. A dual-enhanced capsule network is used to handle the spatial problem. The traditional capsule networks are unable to sufficiently extract the features, as the distance varies greatly between facial features. Therefore, the proposed network is capable of spatial transformation due to the action unit aware mechanism and thus forwards the most desiring features for dynamic routing between capsules. The squashing function is used for classification purposes. Simple classification is performed through a single party, whereas we also implemented the client/server model with privacy measurements. Both parties do not trust each other, as they do not know the input of each other. We have elaborated that the effectiveness of our method remains unchanged by preserving privacy by validating the results on four popular and versatile databases that outperform all the homomorphic cryptographic techniques.
Expression and Potential Role of MMP-9 in Intrauterine Adhesion
Authors: Li Congqing , Wang Wenyan , Sun Shiying , Xu Youjiang , Fang Ziang , Cong Lin
Published: January 2021

Objective. Intrauterine adhesions affect menstruation and fertility, and endometrial fibrosis is the final manifestation of IUA. MMP-9 is closely related to fibrosis. The purpose of the study was to assess the role of MMP-9 in intrauterine adhesion (IUA) in rats and patients. Methods. 40 rats and 24 women were enrolled in this study. 40 rats were randomly divided into 3 groups: IUA group (

n
=
20

), sham group (

n
=
10

), and control group (

n
=
10

). Rat IUA models were established by intrauterine mechanical and chemical injured. In this study, 12 patients of intrauterine adhesions were detected and underwent TCRA (transcervical resection of adhesion) surgery, and endometrial tissue specimens were obtained during operation. One month later, an office hysteroscopy procedure was performed, and endometrial tissue specimens were obtained during operation again (postoperative group). A group of 12 normal age-matched control individuals served as controls underwent hysteroscopy and endometrial sampling. We used immunohistochemistry to detect MMP-9 expressions in rats and human endometrial tissues and to detect MMP-9 protein levels by Western blotting. In addition, we detected mRNA expression levels with qRT-PCR. Results. The expression of MMP-9 in the IUA rats was reduced compared with that in the sham group and Ctrl group (

P
<
0.05

), and the expression of MMP-9 was also reduced in the IUA patients compared with that in the Ctrl group (

P
<
0.05

). The mRNA levels of MMP-9 in the endometrium reflected similar results (

P
<
0.05

). The MMP-9 clearly increased even in the endometrium after TCRA surgery (

P
<
0.05

). Conclusion. Our study suggests that MMP-9 may play an important role in IUA. In the future, more in-depth research should be conducted on MMP-9.
Analysis of Roof Deformation Mechanism and Control Measures with Roof Cutting and Pressure Releasing in Gob‐Side Entry Retaining
Authors: Sun Bing-Jun , Hua Xin-Zhu , Zhang Yan , Yin Jiadi , He Kai , Zhao Chengxing , Li Yingfu
Published: January 2021

The mechanical model of the basic roof fracture structure is established on the basis of key block theory to study the roof breaking mechanism of gob‐side entry retaining under roof cutting and pressure relief, and the analytical formula of roof support resistance is derived when the key block of the basic roof is stable. The influence of roof cutting angle and cutting height on roof support resistance is also analyzed. Determining the cutting seam parameters of the retained roadway roof is necessary to identify the support resistance of the roadway roof due to the correlation between the roof cutting parameters and the support resistance. Taking the II 632 haulage drift of the Hengyuan coal mine as the engineering background, FLAC3D numerical simulation is used in this paper to analyze the influence of different roof cutting angles and cutting heights on the surrounding rock structure evolution of retained roadways. Results show that the roof cutting angle and cutting height respond to the support resistance of the retained roadway roof, and the support resistance required by the roof increases with the roof cutting angle and cutting height. This condition ensures that the side roof of the gob can be cut off smoothly, and the support resistance required by the roof of retained roadways is within a reasonable range. Through theoretical and numerical simulation analysis, the reasonable roof cutting height of II 632 haulage drift is 8 m and the roof cutting angle is 15°. The theoretical analysis and numerical simulation results reveal that the required support resistance to maintain the stability of the roadway roof is 0.38 MPa. The supporting scheme of the roof of the II 632 haulage drift in the Hengyuan coal mine is then designed. Finally, the field industrial test is used for verification. The borehole imaging results show that the overall line of the retained roadway roof is small based on the description of field monitoring results. The deformation of the surrounding rock surface of the retained roadway is less than 100 mm, and the roadway is 40 m from the lagging working face. The deformation rate of surrounding rock decreases with the increase in distance from the working face. The integrity of the retained roadway roof is good, and the deformation of the surrounding rock is effectively controlled.
An Atomic Cross‐Chain Swap‐Based Management System in Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks
Authors: Tan Chenkai , Bei Shaoyi , Jing Zhengjun , Xiong Neal
Published: January 2021

The blockchain‐based management system has been regarded as a novel way to improve the efficiency and safety of Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks (VANETs). A blockchain‐based scheme’s performance depends on blockchain nodes’ computing power composed from the road‐side unit (RSU). However, the throughput of blockchain‐based application in VANETs is limited by the network bandwidth. A single blockchain cannot record large‐scale VANETs’ data. In this paper, we design an atomic cross‐chain swap‐based management system (ACSMS) to boost the scalability of blockchain‐based application in VANETs. The blockchain‐based public‐key encryption with keyword search is further introduced to protect user privacy. The analysis shows that ACSMS achieves cross‐chain swap without loss of CAV security privacy. The simulation results show that our method can realize multiple blockchain‐based applications in VANETs.
Multivariate Analysis of COVID-19 for Countries with Limited and Scarce Data: Examples from Nepal
Authors: Devkota Jyoti U.
Published: January 2021

This paper aims to understand the dynamics of the spread of COVID-19 for Nepal. It is carried out with the help of multivariate statistics techniques. Direct relationships among variables are obvious, as they are easily seen and measured. But, hidden variables and their interrelationships also have a significant effect on the spread of a pandemic. Multinomial logistic regression, odds ratio, linear mixed-effect models, and principal component analysis are used here to analyze these hidden variables and their interrelationships. Also, such studies are very important for countries with limited and scarce data. These countries do not have a backbone of good-quality official records. Understanding the spread of a disease in a developing country also helps in management and eradication of that disease. The multivariate daily data of new cases, deaths, recovered, total cases, total deaths, total recovered, and total infected (isolated) are used here. The daily incidence of new cases is also modeled here using nonlinear regression. Two best nonlinear models are discussed here. ARIMA models are used for analyzing and forecasting the progression of the variables for two months into the future. The impact of government restriction in the form of strict lockdown 1, partially relaxed lockdown 1, completely relaxed lockdown 1, and strict lockdown 2 is minutely analyzed. These controls were exercised to curtail the spread of the pandemic. The role of these controls in curbing the spread of the pandemic is also studied here. The results obtained from this study can be applied to other countries of South Asia and Africa.
Surgical Treatment of Advanced Thyroid Cancer with Tracheal Invasion
Authors: Nguyen Hau Xuan , Le Trinh Huy , Nguyen Hien Xuan , Nguyen Hung Van , Le Quang Van
Published: January 2021

Introduction. Tracheal invasion in thyroid cancer occurs in one-third of locally advanced cases and is the third most common site of infiltration following strap muscles and recurrent laryngeal nerves. Surgical resection plays an important role in the management strategy followed by either radioactive iodine or external beam radiotherapy. Nonetheless, there has been still controversy about the optimal extension of the surgery. Case Presentation. Total thyroidectomy, airway resection and bilateral neck dissection were performed in two cases diagnosed as advanced thyroid cancer with tracheal invasion (stage IV according to McCaffrey). The first case underwent partial tracheal resection and direct anastomosis by the V-shape technique, while the latter one required tracheal resection and permanent tracheotomy. After one-year follow-up, no evidence of tumor recurrence or any postoperative complications were found. Conclusion. Surgical resection still remains the mainstay of management for advanced thyroid cancer in general and for tracheal invasion cases in particular. The decision of surgical resection and tracheal reconstruction methods mostly depends on the extent of tracheal invasion.
Experimental and Numerical Studies on the Negative Flexural Behavior of Steel‐UHPC Composite Beams
Authors: Liu Xinhua , Zhang Jianren , Cheng Zihan , Ye Meng
Published: February 2021

The cracking of concrete in the negative moment region for a composite beam subjected to a negative bending moment reduces the beam’s strength and stiffness. To improve the cracking performance of composite beams, this paper presents an experimental investigation on applying ultrahigh‐performance concrete (UHPC) instead of conventional concrete. Three steel‐UHPC composite beams with different forms of joints were designed and tested through a unique rotation angle loading method using a spring displacement control testing setup. The crack distribution, rotation versus crack width, load versus spring displacement, and strains in the UHPC slab and steel girders were measured and studied. Nonlinear finite element analysis using ABAQUS based on the damaged plasticity model of concrete was carried out for comparison with the test results. The experimental and numerical results showed that the use of a UHPC slab can enhance the cracking performance of composite beams. Considering the convenience of construction, a reasonable joint form was suggested, and the appropriate UHPC longitudinal laying length in the negative moment region was proposed to be 0.1 L. Furthermore, a simplified formula for calculating the UHPC crack width was developed based on bond‐slip theory.
VDR Gene Polymorphisms in Healthy Individuals with Family History of Premature Coronary Artery Disease
Authors: Fronczek Martyna , Strzelczyk Joanna Katarzyna , Osadnik Tadeusz , Biernacki Krzysztof , Ostrowska Zofia
Published: January 2021

Aim. The gene encoding the vitamin D receptor (VDR) is considered in many studies to be a good candidate responsible for susceptibility to several diseases such as coronary artery disease (CAD). Epidemiological data show that cardiovascular disease is one of the major health problems in Polish society. Basic studies show that genetic factors play a significant role in the pathogenesis of CAD. We conducted this clinical study to determine if the VDR gene polymorphisms TaqI (rs731236), ApaI (rs7975232), and FokI (rs2228570) could predispose healthy individuals to an increased risk of premature CAD (P-CAD) incidents. Methods. We genotyped 845 subjects in a cohort consisting of 386 healthy volunteers with a documented P-CAD incident in their first-degree relatives and 459 healthy volunteers without family history (FH) of P-CAD. TaqI, ApaI, and FokI polymorphisms in VDR were genotyped using TaqMan assays and the endpoint genotyping method (qPCR). Statistical analyses were performed using the Power Analysis Software STATISTICA v.13.3. Results. Although no statistical significance was found for TaqI and ApaI genotype frequencies, the AA genotype of FokI polymorphism was significantly more frequent in the study group compared to the control group (24.61% vs. 16.99%). The results of logistic regression analysis suggested a significant association between FokI polymorphism and FH of P-CAD in heathy people under the recessive model (OR: 1.26 (1.07-1.49,

p
=
0.007

)); however, the frequency of VDR haplotypes did not differ significantly between the control and study populations. Conclusions. FokI polymorphism is may be associated with FH of P-CAD. FokI polymorphism may predispose to the development of P-CAD among healthy people over the next years.
Linear Mixed Modeling of CD4 Cell Counts of HIV-Infected Children Treated with Antiretroviral Therapy
Authors: Anjullo Belay Belete , Teni Derbachew Asfaw
Published: January 2021

Background. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a major health problem in the world, and failure to implement prevention programs results in an increased number of infections among newborns. The goal of this study was to investigate the evolution and determinants of cluster of differentiation four (CD4) cell count among HIV-infected children who were under antiretroviral therapy (ART). Methods. We follow up a cohort of 201 children aged under fifteen years from October 2013 to March 2017 at Adama Hospital in Ethiopia. To get insight into the data, exploratory data analysis was performed on the change in the longitudinal CD4 cell count. Results. At the baseline, the average number of CD4 cell counts was 468.5 cells/mm3 of blood with a standard deviation of 319.11 cells/mm3. Here, we employed the random intercept and the random slope linear mixed-effects model to analyze the data. Among predictor variables, observation time, baseline age, WHO clinical stage, the history of tuberculosis (TB), and functional status were determinant factors for the mean change in the square root of the CD4 cell count. Conclusions. The finding revealed that the change in the square root of the CD4 cell count increases with an increment of age at diagnosis. Regarding WHO clinical stages of patients, those who were in stage III and stage IV of the HIV/AIDs disease stages relatively had lower CD4 cell counts than stage I patients. This shows the change in the square root of CD4 cell counts of stage III and stage IV patients was 6.43 and 9.28 times lower than stage I patients, respectively. Similarly, we noticed that observation time, the history of TB, and functional status were significantly associated with the mean change in the square root of the CD4 cell count.
Rolling Bearing Fault Diagnosis Based on Domain Adaptation and Preferred Feature Selection under Variable Working Conditions
Authors: Yu Xiao , Chen Wei , Wu Chuanlong , Ding Enjie , Tian Yuanyuan , Zuo Haiwei , Dong Fei
Published: January 2021

In real industrial scenarios, with the use of conventional machine learning techniques, data‐driven diagnosis models have a limitation that it is difficult to achieve the desirable fault diagnosis performance, and the reason is that the training and testing datasets are assumed to have the same feature distributions. To address this problem, a novel bearing fault diagnosis framework based on domain adaptation and preferred feature selection is proposed, in that the model trained by the labeled data collected from a working condition can be applied to diagnose a new but similar target data collected from other working conditions. In this framework, an improved domain adaptation method, transfer component analysis with preserving local manifold structure (TCAPLMS), is proposed to reduce the differences in the data distributions between different domain datasets and, at the same time, take the label information of feature dataset and the local manifold structure of feature data into consideration. Furthermore, preferred feature selection by fault sensitivity and feature correlation (PSFFC) is embedded into this framework for selecting features which are more beneficial to fault pattern recognition and reduce the redundancy of feature set. Finally, vibration datasets collected from two test platforms are used for experimental analysis. The experimental results validate that the proposed method can obviously improve diagnosis accuracy and has significant potential benefits towards actual industrial scenarios.
Remaining Useful Life Prediction of High‐Frequency Swing Self‐Lubricating Liner
Authors: Hao Xiuhong , Wang Shuqiang , Chen Mengfan , Pan Deng
Published: January 2021

The remaining useful life (RUL) prediction of self‐lubricating spherical plain bearings is essential for replacement decision‐making and the reliability of high‐end equipment. The high‐frequency swing self‐lubricating liner (HSLL) is the key component of self‐lubricating spherical plain bearings under high‐frequency oscillation conditions. In this study, a RUL prediction method was proposed based on the Wiener process and grey system theory. First, the predictive processing of the wear depth was carried out using the grey model GM(1,1) to reduce the randomness and enhance the inherent regularity of the life test data. A degradation process model was established and the RUL was predicted online with the model parameter estimates based on the Bayesian updating strategy. Finally, examples were provided to elaborate the RUL prediction of the HSLL. The results show that the prediction accuracy of the proposed RUL prediction model is higher than that of the simple Wiener process during the entire residual life cycle of the HSLL. Based on the original wear data, the prediction accuracy of the RUL exhibited a strong dependence on prior samples and was relatively low owing to the larger deviation of the wear rate between the test sample and prior samples.
Comprehensive Evaluation of Blast Casting Results Based on Unascertained Measurement and Intuitionistic Fuzzy Set
Authors: Ma Li , Zhang Jianguo , Xu Chen , Lai Xingping , Luo Qiang , Liu Chendong , Li Kemin
Published: January 2021

In order to make a scientific and accurate evaluation of blast casting results, according to the characteristics of blast casting‐dragline stripping system, effective casting rate, looseness coefficient, limit vibration velocity, powder factor, fragmentation distribution, muck pile shape, boulder generation, damage degree of coal seam step, and dust pollution are selected as the evaluation indicators of blast casting results, and a classification standard is established. The unascertained measure theory was adopted to determine the membership degree of influencing factor indicator, which expanded the expression method of fuzzy information of evaluation indicators. The Analytic Hierarchy Process was used to determine the subjective weight of indicators, the entropy weight method was used to determine the objective weight of indicators, and the intuitionistic fuzzy set was used to express the range of the comprehensive weights of indicators. An evaluation model of blast casting results was constructed based on unascertained measurement and intuitionistic fuzzy set. The measured and processed data of blast casting in Heidaigou Open‐Pit Coal Mine were calculated by the evaluation model. Besides, the sensitivity of indicator weights to the evaluation result of blast casting results was also analyzed. The results show that the blast casting results are level III (well). The effective casting rate ranks first in terms of the influence on the evaluation result, followed by damage degree of coal seam step, muck pile shape, looseness coefficient, powder factor, dust pollution, limit vibration velocity, and boulder generation/fragmentation distribution, and it was proved that the weight fluctuation of the evaluation indicator has no obvious correlation with weight.
Nonfimbrial Adhesin Mutants Reveal Divergent Escherichia coli O157:H7 Adherence Mechanisms on Human and Cattle Epithelial Cells
Authors: Moreau Matthew R. , Kudva Indira T. , Katani Robab , Cote Rebecca , Li Lingling , Arthur Terrance M. , Kapur Vivek
Published: January 2021

Shiga toxin-producing, enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) serotype O157:H7 is a major foodborne pathogen causing symptoms ranging from simple intestinal discomfort to bloody diarrhea and life-threatening hemolytic uremic syndrome in humans. Cattle can be asymptomatically colonized by O157:H7 predominantly at the rectoanal junction (RAJ). Colonization of the RAJ is highly associated with the shedding of O157:H7 in bovine feces. Supershedding (SS) is a phenomenon that has been reported in some cattle that shed more than 104 colony-forming units of O57:H7 per gram of feces, 100–1000 times more or greater than normal shedders. The unique bovine RAJ cell adherence model revealed that O157:H7 employs a LEE-independent mechanism of attachment to one of the RAJ cell types, the squamous epithelial (RSE) cells. Nine nonfimbrial adhesins were selected to determine their role in the characteristic hyperadherent phenotype of SS O157 on bovine RSE cells, in comparison with human HEp-2 cells. A number of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were found amongst these nonfimbrial adhesins across a number of SS isolates. In human cells, deletion of yfaL reduced the adherence of both EDL933 and SS17. However, deletion of eae resulted in a significant loss of adherence in SS17 whereas deletion of wzzB and iha in EDL933 resulted in the same loss of adherence to HEp-2 cells. On RSE cells, none of these nonfimbrial deletion mutants were able to alter the adherence phenotype of SS17. In EDL933, deletion of cah resulted in mitigated adherence. Surprisingly, four nonfimbrial adhesin gene deletions were actually able to confer the hyperadherent phenotype on RSE cells. Overall, this study reveals that the contribution of nonfimbrial adhesins to the adherence mechanisms and functions of O157:H7 is both strain and host cell type dependent as well as indicates a possible role of these nonfimbrial adhesins in the SS phenotype exhibited on RSE cells.
Influence of the Dry Friction Suspension System Characteristics on the Stick‐Slip of Vertical Vibration of a Three‐Piece Bogie
Authors: Lyu Dali , Zhang Qichang , Lyu Kewei , Liu Jiaxing , Li Yulong
Published: January 2021

The dry friction structure is a commonly used vibration‐damping method for railway vehicles. Insufficient vibration damping performance will cause excessive vibration of the vehicle, which is not conducive to the safety of the vehicle. However, the mechanism of vibration damping and the cause of clamping stagnation have not been well resolved. This paper uses the analytical method, numerical method, and finite element method to analyze the vertical dynamic characteristics of the simple suspension system with dry friction and demonstrates that the numerical method is an effective method to study the dry model. The conditions for the system to produce sticking events were analyzed by the numerical method. The analysis shows that the system′s excitation is too small, which causes clamping stagnation to the system. The reduction of the wedge angle and the friction coefficient are conducive to eliminating sticking. A negative side frame angle is conducive to reducing the high‐frequency energy of the excitation. Decreasing spring stiffness or increasing system mass to reduce system frequency can reduce sticking events. The mutual verification of different methods confirms the correctness of the analysis method and analyzes the cause of sticking or clamping stagnation from the mechanism, which provides a new idea for the design and improvement of the dry friction damping system of railway vehicle bogies.
Development, Biological Characterization, and Immunological Evaluation of Virosome Vaccine against Newcastle Disease in Pakistan
Authors: Rasool Muhammad Hidayat , Mehmood Asif , Saqalein Muhammad , Nisar Muhammad Atif , Almatroudi Ahmad , Khurshid Mohsin
Published: January 2021

Newcastle disease (ND) is a highly fatal, infectious, viral disease, and despite immunization with live and inactivated vaccines, the disease is still endemic, causing heavy morbidity and mortality leading to huge economic losses to the poultry industry in Pakistan. Therefore, the present study was aimed for the first time in the country at using novel virosomal technology to develop the ND vaccine using an indigenous highly virulent strain of the virus. ND virosome was prepared using Triton X‐100, and SM2 Bio‐Beads were used to remove the detergent and reconstitute the viral membrane into virosome. Confirmation was done by transmission electron microscopy and protein analysis by SDS‐PAGE. In vitro cell adhesion property was observed by incorporating green fluorescent protein (GFP), producing plasmid into virosome and in vitro cell culture assay. Sterility, safety, and stability of the vaccine were tested before in vivo evaluation of immunogenicity and challenge protection study in commercial broiler. The virosome vaccine was administered (30 μg/bird) at days 7 and 14 through the intranasal route in comparison with commercially available live and inactivated ND vaccines. Results revealed significantly high (p < 0.05) and clinically protective hemagglutination inhibition (HI) antibody titers at 7, 14, 21, and 28 days postimmunization with the virosome vaccine in comparison to the negative control. The GMTs were comparable to live and inactivated vaccines with nonsignificant (p > 0.05) differences throughout the experiment. Antibody levels increased in all vaccinated groups gradually from the 7th day and were maximum at 28th‐day postvaccination. In the virosome‐administered group, GMT was 83.18 and 77.62 at 21st and 28th‐days postvaccination, respectively. Challenge revealed 100%, 90%, and 80% protection in virosome, live, and inactivated vaccinated groups, respectively. Under given experimental conditions, we can conclude that ND virosome vaccine prepared from the indigenous virus was found to be safe and immunogenic.
Forskolin Protected against Streptozotocin‐Induced Diabetic Cardiomyopathy via Inhibition of Oxidative Stress and Cardiac Fibrosis in Mice
Authors: Zhang Xu , Ke Pei-Xiong , Yuan Xun , Zhang Gui-Ping , Chen Wen-Liang , Zhang Gen-Shui
Published: January 2021

Background. Diabetic cardiomyopathy is one of the cardiac complications in diabetes patients, eventually resulting in heart failure and increasing morbidity and mortality. Oxidative stress is a critical pathological feature in diabetic hearts, contributing to the development of DCM. Forskolin (FSK) was shown to reduce oxidative stress. This study was aimed at investigating the effects of FSK on diabetic hearts and the relevant molecular mechanisms. Methods. Streptozotocin‐ (STZ‐) induced diabetes in mice was treated with FSK through intraperitoneal injection. Cardiac functions were evaluated by echocardiography. Hematoxylin‐eosin and Masson trichrome staining was employed to determine heart morphological changes and cardiac fibrosis, respectively. Cardiac fibrosis‐related markers were detected by western blot. Superoxide dismutase activity, reduced/oxidized glutathione ratio, and malondialdehyde concentration in left ventricles were determined using respective commercial kits. Results. Abnormal cardiac diastolic dysfunction and cardiac fibrosis were observed in diabetic hearts. FSK treatment significantly improved the cardiac diastolic function and attenuated the abnormal morphological change in diabetic hearts. Moreover, FSK treatment in diabetic mice decreased the expression of fibronectin, collagen I, TGF‐β, and α‐SMA and reduced myocardial fibrosis. Furthermore, we observed that FSK significantly blocked oxidative stress in diabetic hearts. Conclusions. Our study demonstrates that FSK protects against the development of DCM in STZ‐induced diabetes in mice. Our study suggests that FSK might be a potential target for drug development in treating DCM.
Security Analysis of Out‐of‐Band Device Pairing Protocols: A Survey
Authors: Khalfaoui Sameh , Leneutre Jean , Villard Arthur , Ma Jingxuan , Urien Pascal
Published: January 2021

Numerous secure device pairing (SDP) protocols have been proposed to establish a secure communication between unidentified IoT devices that have no preshared security parameters due to the scalability requirements imposed by the ubiquitous nature of the IoT devices. In order to provide the most user‐friendly IoT services, the usability assessment has become the main requirement. Thus, the complete security analysis has been replaced by a sketch of a proof to partially validate the robustness of the proposal. The few existing formal or computational security verifications on the SDP schemes have been conducted based on the assessment of a wide variety of uniquely defined security properties. Therefore, the security comparison between these protocols is not feasible and there is a lack of a unified security analysis framework to assess these pairing techniques. In this paper, we survey a selection of secure device pairing proposals that have been formally or computationally verified. We present a systematic description of the protocol assumptions, the adopted verification model, and an assessment of the verification results. In addition, we normalize the used taxonomy in order to enhance the understanding of these security validations. Furthermore, we refine the adversary capabilities on the out‐of‐band channel by redefining the replay capability and by introducing a new notion of delay that is dependent on the protocol structure that is more adequate for the ad hoc pairing context. Also, we propose a classification of a number of out‐of‐band channels based on their security properties and under our refined adversary model. Our work motivates the future SDP protocol designer to conduct a formal or a computational security assessment to allow the comparability between these pairing techniques. Furthermore, it provides a realistic abstraction of the adversary capabilities on the out‐of‐band channel which improves the modeling of their security characteristics in the protocol verification tools.
Differentially Expressed Circular RNA Profile in an Intracranial Aneurysm Group Compared with a Healthy Control Group
Authors: Ma Yonggang , Zhang Baoqing , Zhang Dong , Wang Shuo , Li Maogui , Zhao Jizong
Published: January 2021

Objective. Intracranial aneurysm (IA) is a fatal disease owing to vascular rupture and subarachnoid hemorrhage. Much attention has been given to circular RNAs (circRNAs) because they may be potential biomarkers for many diseases, but their mechanism in the formation of IA remains unknown. Methods. circRNA expression profile analysis of blood samples was conducted between patients with IA and controls. Overall, 235 differentially expressed circRNAs were confirmed between IA patients and the control group. The reliability of the microarray results was demonstrated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Results. Of 235 differentially expressed genes, 150 were upregulated, while the other 85 were downregulated. Five miRNAs matched to every differential expression of circRNAs, and related MREs were predicted. We performed gene ontology (GO) analysis to identify the functions of their targeted genes, with the terms “Homophilic cell adhesion via plasma membrane adhesion molecules” and “Positive regulation of cellular process” showing the highest fold enrichment. Conclusions. This study demonstrated the role of circRNA expression profiling in the formation of IA and revealed that the mTOR pathway can be a latent therapeutic strategy for IA.
Shaking Table Experiment and Energy Analysis of a New Rebar Isolation Pier
Authors: Xiao Yifu , Shang Shouping , Wang Zhen
Published: January 2021

This paper introduces the structure and principle of a new isolation device—rebar isolation pier—which is mainly composed of vertical steel bar and asphalt ointment. It is used to reduce the earthquake action of the building structure. Compared with other isolation devices, the rebar isolation pier has the following advantages: simple structure, convenient construction, low cost, simple maintenance, and easy to fetch material. In the experiment, the test model is a two‐layer frame, and the Taft wave and the Wolong wave were selected to simulate the actual earthquake. In order to study the damping effect of asphalt ointment, two different isolation piers (filled and unfilled with asphalt ointment) were included. The dynamic characteristics and isolation effect of the rebar isolation pier are studied by analysis of acceleration, displacement, and hysteresis loops. At the same time, according to the principle of energy method, the energy balance equation of the rebar isolation pier was proposed, and the total input energy and damping energy are used to analyze the energy of the isolation pier. The results demonstrate that the rebar isolation pier can effectively reduce the natural frequency, acceleration response, and absorbed seismic energy of the structure when the peak ground acceleration reaches 0.3 g, and it still has the potential to withstand greater seismic action.