bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
DEVELOPMENT OF A GPS-GIS-BASED ROAD SIGNAGE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR SELECTED ARTERIAL ROADS
Authors: Adeleke O. O. , Akande K. O. , Kolo S. S. , Odumosu Joseph , Sijuwola O. O. , Ayanshola A. M.
Published: November 2020

Traffic signs, pavement markings and other road safety assets such as speed bumps are provided on roadway facilities to enhance traffic flow and safety. They will however perform their functions effectively if they meet the basic requirements of i. fulfill a need ii. command attention iii. convey a clear simple meaning iv. command respect from road users and v. give adequate time for proper response. It is noticed and rightfully observed by the Nigeria National Council on Works that these assets on Nigeria roads are not adequately managed and maintained. Some of them are not well positioned, some are missing and some others are damaged. There is therefore the need to assess the existing roadway assets, their conditions and adequacy, and generate a database needed for their effective operation, management and maintenance. The study thus aims at addressing the observed inadequacies by proffering a GPS-GIS-based solution. The objectives are to i. carry out an inventory of existing road signs and markings; ii. determine their adequacy or otherwise and iii. develop a GIS- based road signage management system. It is anticipated that the application of the developed system will enhance the performance of the agencies responsible for the operations of the road assets.
SCOPE OF IMPROVING MECHANICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF CONCRETE USING NATURAL FIBER AS A REINFORCING MATERIAL
Authors: Das Gupta Sristi , Aftab MD Shahnewaz , Mohammod Zakaria Hasan , Karmakar Chaity
Published: November 2020

Using natural (Jute) fiber in concrete as a reinforcing material can not only augment the concrete strength but also restrict the use of synthetic fiber which is environmentally detrimental. To achieve this goal, this study evaluated compressive strength, tensile strength and plastic shrinkage of concrete incorporating â€˜Natural (Jute)â€™ fiber of different length (15 mm and 25 mm) with various mix proportions of 0.10%, 0.2%, 0.3% and 0.4% respectively by volume of concrete. Concrete is vulnerable to grow shrinkage cracks because of high evaporation rate in dry and windy conditions. Incorporating of fibers could abate development of this crack. The large length (25 mm) and higher content (ï€¾ 0.3%) of reinforcing materials (jute fiber) result to the lowering of mechanical properties of JFRC compare to plain concrete. But in the incorporation of short (15 mm) and low fiber content (ï‚£ 0.3%), enhances the mechanical properties of the same JFRC. Inclusion of 0.3% (15 mm length) fiber gave maximum enhancement of both concrete compressive and tensile strength by 12.4% and 58% respectively compared to the non-fiber reinforced concrete. A drastic suppression of crack occurrence and area of crack between non-fiber reinforced concrete and fiber reinforced concretes was attained. Experimental results of incorporating 0.1â€“0.4% fiber with 15 mm length in concrete revealed that plastic shrinkage cracks were decreased by 75â€“99% in contrast to non-fiber reinforced concrete. Therefore, it is concluded that the incorporation of jute fiber in making FRC composite would be one of the favorable methods to enhance the performance of concrete.
Endoscopic placement of covered versus uncovered self-expandable metal stents for palliation of malignant gastric outlet obstruction
Authors: Yamao Kentaro , Kitano Masayuki , Chiba Yasutaka , Ogura Takeshi , Eguchi Takaaki , Moriyama Ichiro , Yamashita Yukitaka , Kato Hironari , Kayahara Takahisa , Hoki Noriyuki , Okabe Yoshinobu , Shiomi Hideyuki , Nakai Yoshitaka , Kushiyama Yoshinori , Fujimoto Yoshifumi , Hayashi Shiro , Bamba Shigeki , Kudo Yasushi , Azemoto Nobuaki , Ueki Toshiharu , Uza Norimitsu , Asada Masanori , Matsumoto Kazuya , Nebiki Hiroko , Takihara Hiroshi , Noguchi Chisio , Kamada Hideki , Nakase Kojiro , Goto Daisuke , Sanuki Tsuyoshi , Koga Tetsuya , Hashimoto Shinichi , Nishikiori Hidefumi , Serikawa Masahiro , Hanada Keiji , Hirao Ken , Ohana Masaya , Kazuyuki Imakiire , Kato Takao , Yoshida Motoyuki , Kawamoto Hirofumi
Published: November 2020

Objective

Stenting is an established endoscopic therapy for malignant gastric outlet obstruction (mGOO). The choice of stent (covered vs uncovered) has been examined in prior randomised studies without clear results.

Design

In a multicentre randomised prospective study, we compared covered (CSEMS) with uncovered self-expandable metal stents (UCSEMS) in patients with mGOO; main outcomes were stent dysfunction and patient survival, with subgroup analyses of patients with extrinsic and intrinsic tumours.

Results

Overall survival was poor with no difference between groups (probability at 3 months 49.7% for covered vs 48.4% for uncovered stents; log-rank for overall survival p=0.26). Within that setting of short survival, the proportion of stent dysfunction was significantly higher for uncovered stents (35.2% vs 23.4%, p=0.01) with significantly shorter time to stent dysfunction. This was mainly relevant for patients with extrinsic tumours (stent dysfunction rates for uncovered stents 35.6% vs 17.5%, p<0.01). Subgrouping was also relevant with respect to tumour ingrowth (lower with covered stents for intrinsic tumours; 1.6% vs 27.7%, p<0.01) and stent migration (higher with covered stents for extrinsic tumours: 15.3% vs 2.5%, p<0.01).

Conclusions

Due to poor patient survival, minor differences between covered and uncovered stents may be less relevant even if statistically significant; however, subgroup analysis would suggest to use covered stents for intrinsic and uncovered stents for extrinsic malignancies.
Cosmological time crystals from Einstein-cubic gravities
Authors: Feng Xing-Hui , Huang Hyat , Li Shou-Long , Lü H. , Wei Hao
Published: November 2020

By including appropriate Riemann-cubic invariants, we find that the dynamics of classical time crystals can be straightforwardly realized in Einstein gravity on the FLRW metric. The time reflection symmetry is spontaneously broken in the two vacua with the same scale factor a, but opposite $${\dot{a}}$$

a
˙

. The tunneling from one vacuum to the other provides a robust mechanism for bounce universes; it always occurs for systems with positive energy density. For a suitable matter energy-momentum tensor we also construct cyclic universes. Cosmological solutions that resemble the classical time crystals can be constructed in massive gravity.
An Empirical Study on Travelers’ Acceptance Intention of Travel Information on Social Networks
Authors: Chen Jian , Li Rui , Fu Zhiyan , Zhang Chi , Yuan Fatao
Published: November 2020

Social networks are new channels for travelers to obtain or share travel information, which has important impacts on their travel decision-making behavior. Therefore, the psychological feelings of travelers and their acceptance intention (AI) of this type of travel information should be explored. In this study, certain psychological latent variables were incorporated into a technology acceptance model to construct an extended model that explores the factors influencing the travelers’ AI of travel information on social networks. This model was validated using survey data collected in Chongqing, China. The influence of each factor on the AI and the interaction between factors were quantitatively described using the structural equation modeling method. The results showed that the perceived risk, perceived trust, and perceived usefulness are the most important factors affecting travelers’ AI; the subjective norm, hedonic motivation, and perceived ease of use also exert a certain degree of influence; the proposed research model has a good interpretation ability for AI, and the explanatory power has reached 52%. This study confirmed the applicability of the constructed model in this research field on the basis of survey data and provided a theoretical reference for ascertaining the attitude of travelers toward travel information available on social networks.
Robust and Blind Audio Watermarking Algorithm in Dual Domain for Overcoming Synchronization Attacks
Authors: Wu Qiuling , Qu Aiyan , Huang Dandan
Published: November 2020

How to effectively resist synchronization attacks is the most challenging topic in the research of robust watermarking algorithms. A robust and blind audio watermarking algorithm for overcoming synchronization attacks is proposed in dual domain by considering time domain and transform domain. Based on analysing the characteristics of synchronization attacks, an implicit synchronization mechanism (ISM) is developed in the time domain, which can effectively track the appropriate region for embedding and extracting watermarks. The data in this region will be subjected to discrete cosine transform (DCT) and singular value decomposition (SVD) in turn to obtain the eigenvalue that can be utilized to carry watermarks. In order to extract the watermark blindly, the eigenvalue will be quantized. Genetic algorithm (GA) is utilized to optimize the quantization step to balance both transparency and robustness. The experimental results confirm that the proposed algorithm not only withstands various conventional signal processing operations but also resists malicious synchronization attacks, such as time scale modification (TSM), pitch-shifting modification (PSM), jittering, and random cropping. Especially, it can overcome TSM with strength from −30% to +30%, which is much higher than the standard of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) and far superior to the other algorithms in related papers.
Analysis of Rolling Force for Extra-Thick Plate with CA Criterion
Authors: Zhang Shun Hu , Deng Lei , Li Peng
Published: November 2020

In order to solve the nonlinear integral difficulty of the Mises yield criterion, a linear yield criterion, called the collaborative approximation (CA) yield criterion, is proposed by the collaborative control method. According to the approximation method, the mathematical expression of the CA yield criterion is derived as a linear function of the three principal stresses. The theoretical results based on the yield criterion in the form of the Lode parameter are verified with the classical test data, and a good agreement is found. Meanwhile, for the purpose of proving the effectiveness of the yield criterion, its specific plastic power is derived and applied to establish the rolling force model of an extra-thick plate. In the modeling, the internal power of plastic deformation is obtained by using the derived specific plastic power, while the shear power dissipation and the frictional power dissipation are obtained by using the methods of strain vector inner product and average velocity integration. Then, the analytical solution of the rolling force is obtained and then extended to the one accounting for the temperature rise. The maximum errors of the predicted rolling torque and rolling force without considering the temperature rise are 12.72% and 11.78%, respectively, while those considering the temperature rise decrease to 3.54% and 5.23%, respectively. Moreover, the influence of relative reduction, friction factor, surface temperature, and the temperature rise of the workpiece on the theoretical results is discussed.
Dose Correlation of Danggui and Chuanxiong Drug Pairs in the Chinese Medicine Prescription Based on the Copula Function
Authors: Zhao Xuan , Lin Wei , Li Jiawei , Chen Yunhui , Patel Anamica , Zhao Hailiang , Han Guoxin , Hao Yiwen , Fu Chaomei , Huang Zejuan , Zheng Mingyue , Hu Peng
Published: November 2020

Dosage is essential for studying the compatibility and effectiveness of traditional Chinese medicine. Danggui and Chuanxiong are widely used in traditional Chinese medicine for ailments and treatment of various disorders. 628 traditional Chinese medicine prescriptions containing Danggui and Chuanxiong were extracted from the self‐built prescription database and screened for the three groups of prescriptions, i.e., irregular menstruation, sores, and stroke. We processed and tested the dosage of Danggui and Chuanxiong and selected the optimal copula function, Gumbel copula function, from the Archimedes function family and elliptical copula function family to establish the data model. To establish the presence of a correlation between the dose of Danggui and Chuanxiong, a graph of the joint distribution function of rank correlation coefficients, Kendall’s rank correlation coefficient and Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient, was used. Our results suggest that the model using the Gumbel copula function better reflects the correlation between the dose of Danggui and Chuanxiong. For irregular menstruation, sores, and strokes, Kendall’s rank correlation coefficients were 0.6724, 0.5930, and 0.7757, respectively, and Spearman’s correlation coefficients were 0.8536, 0.7812, and 0.9285, respectively. In all three prescription groups, the dose of Danggui and Chuanxiong was positively correlated, implying that, as the dosage of one drug increases, the dosage of the other increases as well. From the perspective of data mining and mathematical statistics, the use of the copula function model to evaluate the correlation between the prescribed dosage of the two drugs was innovative and provided a new model for the scientific interpretation of the compatibility of traditional drugs. This might also serve to guide the clinical use of traditional Chinese medicine.
Effect of Subantimicrobial Dose Doxycycline Treatment on Gingival Crevicular Fluid Levels of MMP-9 and MMP-13 in Periodontitis Stage 2, Grade B in Subjects with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Attia Mai S. , Alblowi Jazia A.
Published: November 2020

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of using subantimicrobial dose doxycycline as an adjunct in periodontitis stage 2, grade B in subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus. A total of thirty patients were divided into the following two groups with reference to periodontitis, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and administration of the doxycycline drug: Group I: patients with periodontitis stage 2, grade B and type 2 diabetes mellitus who received SRP only. Group II: patients with periodontitis stage 2, grade B and type 2 diabetes mellitus who received SRP and doxycycline 20 mg. The following clinical measurements were recorded at baseline (prior to scaling and root planning) and after one and three months postoperatively: GI, PI, and PD with a periodontal calibrated probe. The levels of both MMP-9 and MMP-13, from 60 GCF samples, were analyzed by ELISA. Patients treated with SRP and doxycycline 20 mg showed a significant reduction of PD, PI, GI, MMP-9, and MMP-13 than patients who received SRP only. Improvements in parameters clinically and biochemically were observed following the adjunctive use of doxycycline subantimicrobial dose therapy for the management of stage 2, grade B periodontitis patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
An Intrusion Detection Method Based on Decision Tree-Recursive Feature Elimination in Ensemble Learning
Authors: Lian Wenjuan , Nie Guoqing , Jia Bin , Shi Dandan , Fan Qi , Liang Yongquan
Published: November 2020

With the rapid development of the Internet, various forms of network attack have emerged, so how to detect abnormal behavior effectively and to recognize their attack categories accurately have become an important research subject in the field of cyberspace security. Recently, many hot machine learning-based approaches are applied in the Intrusion Detection System (IDS) to construct a data-driven model. The methods are beneficial to reduce the time and cost of manual detection. However, the real-time network data contain an ocean of redundant terms and noises, and some existing intrusion detection technologies have lower accuracy and inadequate ability of feature extraction. In order to solve the above problems, this paper proposes an intrusion detection method based on the Decision Tree-Recursive Feature Elimination (DT-RFE) feature in ensemble learning. We firstly propose a data processing method by the Decision Tree-Based Recursive Elimination Algorithm to select features and to reduce the feature dimension. This method eliminates the redundant and uncorrelated data from the dataset to achieve better resource utilization and to reduce time complexity. In this paper, we use the Stacking ensemble learning algorithm by combining Decision Tree (DT) with Recursive Feature Elimination (RFE) methods. Finally, a series of comparison experiments by cross-validation on the KDD CUP 99 and NSL-KDD datasets indicate that the DT-RFE and Stacking-based approach can better improve the performance of the IDS, and the accuracy for all kinds of features is higher than 99%, except in the case of U2R accuracy, which is 98%.
Field‐Obtained Soil‐Water Characteristic Curves of KPK Expansive Soil and Their Prediction Correlations
Authors: Zamin Bakht , Nasir Hassan , Mehmood Khalid , Iqbal Qaiser
Published: November 2020

Expansive clays are found worldwide in arid and semiarid regions. Such soils are considered a natural hazard for civil engineering infrastructures especially when they are lightly loaded. Expansive soils are often unsaturated due to the high absorption capacity of moisture. The damaging effect of expansive soils is intimately related to the distinctive soil‐water characteristic in the surficial soil layers subjected to wetting‐drying cycles. The soil‐water characteristic curve (SWCC) also known as the water‐retention curve shows the fluctuation of suction with the moisture content. It is one of the key parameters that have been developed and used by soil engineers for studying the properties of partially saturated soils. Currently, the SWCCs produced by most of the researchers are grounded on lab testing which is quite different from the field‐obtained curves. In the current study, the SWCCs for Karak expansive soil have been obtained from in situ testing (field). For this purpose, three sites were selected at Amberi Village (Karak) for instrumentation. An open trench of six‐foot depth was excavated in each site and instrumented. Electrical resistivity sensors (G‐blocks) and tensiometers were used for matric suction measurements. The gravimetric moisture content was measured with the help of moisture sensors calibrated with a speedy moisture meter. To check the fluctuation of moisture and suction, these instruments were installed at three different depths, that is, 0–2, 2–4, and 4–6 feet. Based on results, the maximum suction of 705.79 kPa was observed in the site “A” in 0–2‐foot depth (near the ground surface) with a moisture content of 15 percent. The variations in suction and moisture content follow the almost same trend at low suction; however, the trend was slightly different at the moderate suction range. The measured suction showed a strong correlation with the free swell index (FSI) and moisture content. It was found that the upper layers of expansive soil have high suction than lower layers due to more exposure to the environmental agencies and low density.
Evaluation Method of Wind Speed Time-Shifting Characteristics at Multiple Scales and Its Application in Wind Power System
Authors: Wang Han , Han Shuang , Liu Yongqian , Lin Aimei
Published: November 2020

The wind speed sequences at different spatial positions have a certain spatiotemporal coupling relationship. It is of great significance to analyze the clustering effect of the wind farm(s) and reduce the adverse impact of large-scale wind power integration if we can grasp this relationship at multiple scales. At present, the physical method cannot optimize the time-shifting characteristics in real time, and the research scope is concentrated on the wind farm. The statistical method cannot quantitatively describe the temporal relationship and the speed variation among wind speed sequences at different spatial positions. To solve the above problems, a quantification method of wind speed time-shifting characteristics based on wind process is proposed in this paper. Two evaluation indexes, the delay time and the decay speed, are presented to quantify the time-shifting characteristics. The effectiveness of the proposed method is verified from the perspective of the correlation between wind speed sequences. The time-shifting characteristics of wind speed sequences under the wind farms scale and the wind turbines scale are studied, respectively. The results show that the proposed evaluation method can effectively achieve the quantitative analysis of time-shifting and could improve the results continuously according to the actual wind conditions. Besides, it is suitable for any spatial scale. The calculation results can be directly applied to the wind power system to help obtain the more accurate output of the wind farm.
Phytochemical Analysis, Anti‐inflammatory, and Antioxidant Activities of Dendropanax dentiger Roots
Authors: Yang Li , Fang Yiwei , Liu Ronghua , He Junwei
Published: November 2020

Dendropanax dentiger root is a traditional medicinal plant in China and used to treat inflammatory diseases for centuries, but its phytochemical profiling and biological functions are still unknown. Thus, a rapid, efficient, and precise method based on ultra high‐performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time‐of‐flight tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC‐Q‐TOF‐MS/MS) was applied to rapidly analyse the phytochemical profiling of D. dentiger with anti‐inflammatory and antioxidant activities in vitro. As a result, a total of 78 chemical compositions, including 15 phenylpropanoids, 15 alkaloids, 14 flavonoids, 14 fatty acids, 7 phenols, 4 steroids, 4 cyclic peptides, 3 terpenoids, and 2 others, were identified or tentatively characterized in the roots of D. dentiger. Moreover, alkaloid and cyclic peptide were reported from D. dentiger for the first time. In addition, the ethanol crude extract of D. dentiger roots exhibited remarkable anti‐inflammatory activity against cyclooxygenase‐ (COX‐) 2 inhibitory and antioxidant activities in vitro. This study is the first to explore the phytochemical analysis and COX‐2 inhibitory activity of D. dentiger. This study can provide important phytochemical profiles and biological functions for the application of D. dentiger roots as a new source of natural COX‐2 inhibitors and antioxidants in pharmaceutical industry.
Partitioned Strong Coupling of Discrete Elements with Large Deformation Structural Finite Elements to Model Impact on Highly Flexible Tension Structures
Authors: Sautter Klaus Bernd , Teschemacher Tobias , Celigueta Miguel Ángel , Bucher Philipp , Bletzinger Kai-Uwe , Wüchner Roland
Published: November 2020

This article presents a staggered approach to couple the interaction of very flexible tension structures with large deformations, described with the finite element method (FEM), and objects undergoing large, complex, and arbitrary motions discretized with particle methods, in this case the discrete element method (DEM). The quantitative solution quality and convergence rate of this partitioned approach is highly time step dependent. Thus, the strong coupling approach is presented here, where the convergence is achieved in an iterative manner within each time step. This approach helps increase the time step size significantly, decreases the overall computational costs, and improves the numerical stability. Moreover, the proposed algorithm enables the application of two independent, standalone codes for simulating DEM and structural FEM as blackbox solvers. Systematic evaluations of the newly proposed iterative coupling scheme with respect to accuracy, robustness, and efficiency as well as cross comparisons between strong and weak FEM‐DEM coupling approaches are performed. Additionally, the approach is validated against the rest position of an impacting object, and further examples with objects impacting highly flexible protection structures are presented. Here, the protection nets are described with nonlinear structural finite elements and the impacting objects as DEM elements. To allow the interested reader to independently reproduce the results, detailed code and algorithm descriptions are included in the appendix.
Multifarious Chaotic Attractors and Its Control in Rigid Body Attitude Dynamical System
Authors: Wang Yang , Wang Zhen , Kong Dezhi , Kong Lingyun , Qiao Yukun
Published: November 2020

The Euler dynamical equation which describes the attitude motion of a rigid body will exhibit very complex dynamic behaviors under the action of different external torques. Many special types of new chaotic attractors are presented, including hidden attractors, double-body-double-core chaotic attractors, and single-body-three-core-tree-wing chaotic attractors. The position of equilibrium points in several typical cases of the Euler dynamic equation is solved, and the stability of linearized equation at each equilibrium point and its influence on the formation of the chaotic attractor are analyzed. An improved nonlinear relay control law based on Euler angle feedback is developed to stabilize a new chaotic spacecraft attitude motion to an appointed equilibrium point or a periodic orbit.
Fed-SCNN: A Federated Shallow-CNN Recognition Framework for Distracted Driving
Authors: Wang Yaojie , Cui Xiaolong , Gao Zhiqiang , Gan Bo
Published: November 2020

Although distracted driving recognition is of great significance to traffic safety, drivers are reluctant to provide their own personalized driving data to machine learning because of privacy protection. How to improve the accuracy of distracted driving recognition on the basis of ensuring privacy protection? To address the issue, we proposed the federated shallow-CNN recognition framework (Fed-SCNN). Firstly, a hybrid model is established on the user-side through DNN and shallow-CNN, which recognizes the data of the in-vehicle images and uploads the encrypted parameters to the cloud. Secondly, the cloud server performs federated learning on major parameters through DNN to build a global cloud model. Finally, The DNN is updated in the user-side to further optimize the hybrid model. The above three steps are cycled to iterate the local hybrid model continuously. The Fed-SCNN framework is a dynamic learning process that addresses the two major issues of data isolation and privacy protection. Compared with the existing machine learning method, Fed-SCNN has great advantages in accuracy, safety, and efficiency and has important application value in the field of safe driving.
An Algorithm Combining Latent Dirichlet Allocation and Bimodal Network for Evaluating Goal Deviation of Intellectual Property Strategy Execution in China
Authors: Sun Bing , Yu Mingxing , Yang Zaoli
Published: November 2020

China has implemented the intellectual property strategy since 2008 to support innovation-driven development. However, statistical data issued during the “12th Five-Year Plan” (2011–2015) showed that there are certain deviations between the actual and expected intellectual property strategy’s goals. To effectively diagnose the goal deviation, an algorithm combining the latent Dirichlet allocation and bimodal network based on policy text was proposed. In this method, topics in intellectual property policy texts of China’s provincial regions were extracted through the latent Dirichlet allocation model, and a bimodal network centered at provincial administration district-policy topics was constructed. Subsequently, the characteristics of the goal execution deviation of the IPS in the provincial government were explored based on the centrality of the bimodal network and singular value decomposition. Finally, some diagnosis results and conclusions were demonstrated to provide reasonable methods for evaluation of national strategic planning and promoting policy performance.
On the Study of Trigonometric Polynomials Using Strum Sequence
Authors: Mondal Saiful R. , Nisar Kottakkaran Sooppy , Abdeljawad Thabet
Published: November 2020

This article constructs trigonometric polynomials of the sine and cosine whose sums are nonnegative. As an application, those nonnegative trigonometric sums are used to study the geometric properties of complex polynomials in the unit disk. The Strum sequences are used to prove the main outcome.
Research on SBMPC Algorithm for Path Planning of Rescue and Detection Robot
Authors: Wang Lin-Lin , Pan Li-Xin
Published: November 2020

This research aims to improve autonomous navigation of coal mine rescue and detection robot, eliminate the danger for rescuers, and enhance the security of rescue work. The concept of model predictive control is introduced into path planning of rescue and detection robot in this paper. Sampling-Based Model Predictive Control (SBMPC) algorithm is proposed basing on the construction of cost function and predictive kinematics model. Firstly, input sampling is conducted in control variable space of robot motion in order to generate candidate path planning solutions. Then, robot attitude and position in future time, which are regarded as output variables of robot motion, can be calculated through predictive kinematics model and input sampling data. The optimum solution of path planning is obtained from candidate solutions through continuous moving optimization of the defined cost function. The effects of the three sampling methods (viz., uniform sampling, Halton’s sampling, and CVT  sampling) on path planning performance are compared in simulations. Statistical analysis demonstrates that CVT sampling has the most uniform coverage in two-dimensional plane when sample amount is the same for three methods. Simulation results show that SBMPC algorithm is effective and feasible to plan a secure route for rescue and detection robot under complex environment.
17‐Allylamino‐demethoxygeldanamycin Used Alone or in Combination with Sodium Orthovanadate Promotes Apoptosis and Inhibits Invasion of SH‐SY5Y Cells by Modulating PIWIL2
Authors: Tian Xiaohong , Wei Wumei , Wang Xiaohong , Ao Qiang , Fan Jun , Hou Weijian , Bai Shuling , Tong Hao
Published: November 2020

Neuroblastoma (NB) is one of the most common extracranial solid tumors of childhood and accounts for 15% of cancer deaths. Even with the multimodality treatment protocols, the advanced‐stage tumor overall 5‐year survival rate is less than 50%. Therefore, novel drug therapy targeting cellular signal transduction pathways regulating the apoptotic cascade may be important for the treatment of drug‐resistant NB. In our previous studies, we have demonstrated that 5 μM sodium orthovanadate (SOV) induced the apoptosis of SH‐SY5Y cells. 17‐Allylamino‐demethoxygeldanamycin (17‐AAG) is a geldanamycin‐ (GA‐) derived heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) inhibitor, and it has been shown to have potent antitumor activity in head and neck cancers. However, the effect of 17‐AAG on the apoptosis of NB cells has not been reported. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the effects of 17‐AAG and SOV on the growth and invasion of SH‐SY5Y cells in vitro and explore the related mechanism. In this study, we first investigated the antiviability effect of 17‐AAG on SH‐SY5Y cells, then studied the cell apoptosis and invasion influenced by 17‐AAG and SOV, and assessed the role of PIWI‐Like2 (PIWIL2) and piRNA‐PIWI signaling in it. The results showed that 5 μM 17‐AAG inhibited cell growth and viability and induced apoptosis in SH‐SY5Y cells. Both 17‐AAG and SOV reduced the level of PIWIL2 and Bcl‐xl proteins and inhibited the invasion of SH‐SY5Y cells. In addition, the combined use of the two drugs had greater effect than the single use of any drug.
Strength Training Reduces Fat Accumulation and Improves Blood Lipid Profile Even in the Absence of Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophy in High-Fat Diet-Induced Obese Condition
Authors: Contreiro Catarina Denise Entringer , Caldas Leonardo Carvalho , Nogueira Breno Valentim , Leopoldo André Soares , Lima-Leopoldo Ana Paula , Guimarães‐Ferreira Lucas
Published: November 2020

The aim was to investigate the effect of strength training on skeletal muscle morphology and metabolic adaptations in obese rats fed with unsaturated high-fat diet (HFD). The hypothesis was that strength training induces positive metabolic adaptations in obese rats despite impaired muscle hypertrophy. Male Wistar rats (n = 58) were randomized into two groups and fed a standard diet or a high-fat diet (HFD) containing 49.2% of fat. After induction and maintenance to obesity, the rats were divided into four groups: animals distributed in sedentary control (CS), control submitted to strength training protocol (CT), obese sedentary (ObS), and obese submitted to strength training protocol (ObT). The exercise protocol consisted of 10 weeks of training on a vertical ladder (three times a week) with a load attached to the animal’s tail. At the end of 10 weeks, strength training promoted positive changes in the body composition and metabolic parameters in obese animals. Specifically, ObT animals presented a reduction of 22.6% and 14.3% in body fat and adiposity index when compared to ObS, respectively. Furthermore, these rats had lower levels of triglycerides (ObT = 23.1 ± 9.5 vs. ObS = 30.4 ± 6.9 mg/dL) and leptin (ObT = 13.2 ± 7.2 vs. ObS = 20.5 ± 4.3 ng/mL). Training (ObT and CT) induced a greater strength gain when compared with the respective control groups. In addition, the weight of the flexor hallucis longus (FHL) muscle was higher in the ObT group than in the CT group, representing an increase of 26.1%. However, training did not promote hypertrophy as observed by a similar cross-sectional area of the FHL and plantar muscles. Based on these results, high-intensity strength training promoted an improvement of body composition and metabolic profile in obese rats that were fed a high-fat diet without skeletal muscle adaptations, becoming a relevant complementary strategy for the treatment of obesity.
Repurposing Napabucasin as an Antimicrobial Agent against Oral Streptococcal Biofilms
Authors: Kuang Xinyi , Yang Tao , Zhang Chenzi , Peng Xian , Ju Yuan , Li Chungen , Zhou Xuedong , Luo Youfu , Xu Xin
Published: November 2020

Objectives. Disruption of microbial biofilms is an effective way to control dental caries. Drug resistance and side effects of the existing antimicrobials necessitate the development of novel antibacterial agents. The current study was aimed at investigating the antibacterial activities of the repurposed natural compound napabucasin against oral streptococci. Methods. The minimum inhibitory concentration, minimum bactericidal concentration, minimum biofilm inhibition concentration, and minimum biofilm reduction concentration of Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus gordonii, and Streptococcus sanguinis were examined by a microdilution method. Cytotoxicity of napabucasin against human oral keratinocytes, human gingival epithelia, and macrophage RAW264.7 was evaluated by CCK8 assays. The dead/live bacterium and exopolysaccharide in the napabucasin‐treated multispecies biofilms were evaluated by confocal laser scanning microscopy. Microbial composition within the napabucasin‐treated biofilms was further visualized by fluorescent in situ hybridization and qPCR. And the cariogenicity of napabucasin‐treated biofilms was evaluated by transverse microradiography. Results. Napabucasin exhibited good antimicrobial activity against oral streptococcal planktonic cultures and biofilms but with lessened cytotoxicity as compared to chlorhexidine. Napabucasin reduced the cariogenic S. mutans and increased the proportion of the commensal S. gordonii in the multispecies biofilms. More importantly, napabucasin significantly reduced the demineralization capability of biofilms on tooth enamels. Conclusion. Napabucasin shows lessened cytotoxicity and comparable antimicrobial effects to chlorhexidine. Repurposing napabucasin may represent a promising adjuvant for the management of dental caries.
A Computer Vision-Based Real-Time Load Perception Method for Belt Conveyors
Authors: Zhang Mengchao , Zhou Manshan , Shi Hao
Published: November 2020

Real-time load detection method for belt conveyors based on computer vision is the research topic of this paper. A belt conveyor system equipped with cameras and a laser generator is used as the test apparatus. As the basis for conveyor intelligent speed regulation, two methods from different angles to perceive the load of conveyor belt were proposed, applied, and compared in this paper. Method 1 is based on the area proportion and method 2 is the detection based on laser-based computer vision technology. Laboratory experiments show that both methods can well detect the load on the conveyor belt. Method 2 is more economical and practical under the background of existing technology, also compared to the method 1, which provides a new idea and theoretical basis for the energy-saving control and intelligent development of the conveyor.
Acoustic Velocity Correcting Method for the Tilted Acoustic Tube in Testing of Pile by Ultrasonic Transmission
Authors: Cui Yongqiang , Ma Zhitao , Yang Yachao , Song Daifu
Published: November 2020

The finite element software ABAQUS was used to simulate the detection of piles by ultrasonic transmission. The influence of the tilted acoustic tube on the testing results of the pile was analyzed. The results showed that, when the pile was complete, the velocity of the sound‐depth curve of the received signal was inclined to one side due to the inclination of the acoustic tube and the velocity of the sound seriously deviated from the normal value; when there was a defect in the pile, the signal of the defect was not obvious due to the tilt of the acoustic tube, which was easy to miss or misjudge the defects of the pile. To solve the problem of the inclined acoustic tube, the mathematical model of the position relation of the acoustic tube was established, and the method for correcting the velocity of the sound based on the angle of the acoustic tube was derived. Numerical simulation and engineering examples were used to verify the modified method; the verification showed that the corrected acoustic signal could accurately determine the defects and their positions in the pile, and this method effectively reduced the influence of the tilted acoustic tube on the detection signal, which was beneficial to improve the accuracy of the testing for the pile.
Experimental Study on Grouting Effect and Mechanical Properties of the Rockfill Materials Grouted with SCM
Authors: Deng Cheng-Jin , Dang Fa-Ning , Chen Xing-Zhou , Miao Zhe , Chen Li-Li
Published: November 2020

Insufficient compactness of rockfill materials may potentially cause excessive deformation of a concrete face rockfill dam (CFRD), thus resulting in cracking of the face slab and leakage of the dam body, thereby requiring reinforcement treatment. To date, there are no effective measures in strengthening rockfill materials. In this study, self‐compacting mortar (SCM) was applied to the Shibaozhai CFRD in Gansu Province, China, to test the effectiveness of grouting reinforcement. Simultaneously, an indoor triaxial shear test was conducted to investigate the changes in the mechanical properties of rockfill materials before and after the grouting reinforcement. The on‐site test results showed that the rockfill reached the desired porosity after grouting and grouting reinforcement enhanced the cementation degree of rockfill materials while maintaining uninterrupted drainage capacity, which met the requirements of rockfill grouting for the face rockfill dam. The results of the triaxial shear test indicated that the cohesive force of the rockfill materials rose by 3.95 times and the modulus increased by 7.24 times after grouting reinforcement，significantly enhancing the mechanical and deformation properties of the rockfill. An increase in the content of coarse particles was shown to enhance the stability of cementitious structures, which leads to a better skeleton effect and thereby raises the effectiveness of the grouting reinforcement. The rockfill materials also exhibited strain‐softening characteristics following the grouting reinforcement. The research showed that grouting reinforcement technology is suitable for managing the deformation of high CFRDs or reinforcing ill rockfill dams.
On Uniqueness of New Orthogonality via 2-HH Norm in Normed Linear Space
Authors: Ojha Bhuwan Prasad , Bajracharya Prakash Muni , Mishra Vishnu Narayan
Published: November 2020

This paper generalizes the special case of the Carlsson orthogonality in terms of the 2-HH norm in real normed linear space. Dragomir and Kikianty (2010) proved in their paper that the Pythagorean orthogonality is unique in any normed linear space, and isosceles orthogonality is unique if and only if the space is strictly convex. This paper deals with the complete proof of the uniqueness of the new orthogonality through the medium of the 2-HH norm. We also proved that the Birkhoff and Robert orthogonality via the 2-HH norm are equivalent, whenever the underlying space is a real inner-product space.
Experimental Hazardous Rock Block Stability Assessment Based on Vibration Feature Parameters
Authors: He Zheng , Xie Mowen , Huang Zhengjun , Li Yuan , Sui Zhili , Lu Yongdu , Golosov Andrei M.
Published: November 2020

This paper explores a new approach for assessing the stability of a hazardous rock block on a slope using vibration feature parameters. A physical model experiment is designed in which a thermally sensitive material is incorporated into the potential failure plane of the hazardous rock, and the complete process of hazardous rock collapse caused by strength deterioration is simulated by means of constant‐temperature heat transfer. Moreover, the vibration response of the hazardous rock is monitored in real time by laser vibrometry. The experimental results show that five vibration feature parameters, including the mean frequency, the center frequency, the peak frequency, the mean frequency standard deviation, and the root mean square frequency, are well‐correlated with rock stability. Furthermore, through principal component analysis, the five vibration feature parameters are synthesized into a principal component factor (PCF) as a representative assessment parameter. The results of the analysis demonstrate that the variation in the PCF exhibits three characteristic stages, i.e., “stationary‐deviation‐acceleration,” and can effectively identify the stability evolution trend and collapse precursor behavior of hazardous rock block.
To Explore the Mechanism and Equivalent Molecular Group of Fuxin Mixture in Treating Heart Failure Based on Network Pharmacology
Authors: Yu Yi-ding , Xiu Yi-ping , Li Yang-fan , Xue Yi-tao
Published: November 2020

Fuxin mixture (FXHJ) is a prescription for the treatment of heart failure. It has been shown to be effective in clinical trials, but its active ingredients and mechanism of action are not completely clear, which limits its clinical application and international promotion. In this study, we used network pharmacology to find, conclude, and summarize the mechanism of FXHJ in the treatment of heart failure. From FXHJ, we found 39 active ingredients and 47 action targets. Next, we constructed the action network and was conducted enrichment analysis. The results showed that FXHJ mainly treated heart failure by regulating the MAPK signaling pathway, PI3KAkt signaling pathway, cAMP signaling pathway, TNF signaling pathway, toll‐like receptor signaling pathway, VEGF signaling pathway, NF‐kappa B signaling pathway, and the apoptotic signaling molecule BCL2. Through the research method of network pharmacology, this study summarized the preliminary experiments of the research group and revealed the probable mechanism of FXHJ in the treatment of heart failure to a certain extent, which provided some ideas for the development of new drugs.
Practical Energy Dissipation Control of Near Space Glider on Independent Longitudinal Plane
Authors: Chen Zhigang , Wang Ying , Sun Mingwei , Wang Zenghui , Chen Zengqiang
Published: November 2020

The near-space hypersonic aerodynamic glider has strong maneuverability in wide flight envelope. The glide is generally achieved in a smooth manner with no or weak altitude oscillations in the altitude. The maximum lift-to-drag ratio glide is a typical trajectory that can approximate the maximum glide range, which is a crucial indicator for a glider. However, another important indicator, the minimum glide range, which is used in some time-sensitive missions and is expected to reduce the velocity to a specified threshold in a short longitudinal range, is difficult to be realized. In practice, the excessive velocity or energy is usually dissipated during lateral manipulation, wherein either the entire glide range or the glide time is not shortened. An innovative guidance strategy is proposed for achieving the minimum glide range based on a typical maximum glide scheme and bang-bang control scheme only on the longitudinal plane, and the flight time can be reduced considerably. Then, a practical extended state observer based pitch control is utilized to efficiently track the bang-bang command within a wide velocity envelope to achieve the guidance objective. Extensive simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed methods.
The Prevalence of Intestinal Parasites and Their Associated Factors among Diabetes Mellitus Patients at the University of Gondar Referral Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia
Authors: Ambachew Sintayehu , Assefa Muluneh , Tegegne Yalewayker , Zeleke Ayalew Jejaw
Published: November 2020

Background. Worldwide, more than one-sixth of the population is infected by intestinal parasites, of which the majority live in developing countries. On the other hand, the prevalence of diabetes mellitus has been increasing over recent decades in developing countries. Patients with diabetes mellitus encountered impaired immunity and suffer from the consequences of infection particularly intestinal parasitic infection. Objective. This study is aimed at assessing the prevalence of intestinal parasites and associated factors among diabetes mellitus patients at the University of Gondar Referral Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia. Methods and Materials. An institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted at the University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Referral Hospital from February 15 to March 30, 2018. A total of 234 diabetes mellitus patients were enrolled. A systematic random sampling technique was used to select study participants. Sociodemographic and clinical data were collected using a semistructured questionnaire. A 5-gram stool sample was collected to identify parasitic infection using a direct wet mount and formal-ether concentration technique. Data was entered and analyzed by using SPSS version 20. A

p

value of ≤0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Result. In the current study, the overall prevalence of intestinal parasite infection among diabetics was 45 (19.2%). The parasites identified in this study were Ascaris lumbricoides 15 (6.41%), Entamoeba histolytica/dispar 9 (3.85%), Hookworm 9 (3.85%), Schistosoma mansoni 7 (3%), Enterobius vermicularis 3 (1.3%), and Giardia lamblia 2 (0.9%). Poor educational background (

AOR
=
3.62

; 95% CI (1.038, 12.65);

p
=
0.043

), poor hygiene and sanitation (

AOR
=
4.67

; 95% CI (1.82, 12.07);

p
=
0.001

), and inappropriate latrine usage (

AOR
=
5.41

; 95% CI (1.43, 20.56);

p
=
0.013

) were significantly associated with the prevalence of intestinal parasitic infection among diabetes mellitus patients. Conclusion. The overall prevalence of intestinal parasitic infection among diabetes mellitus patients was relatively high. There should be continued prevention, control, and management of intestinal parasitic infection in such a study population.
Refinements of Some Integral Inequalities fors,m-Convex Functions
Authors: Farid Ghulam , Chu Yu-Ming , Andrić Maja , Jung Chahn Yong , Pečarić Josip , Kang Shin Min
Published: November 2020

In this paper, the refinements of integral inequalities for all those types of convex functions are given which can be obtained froms,m-convex functions. These inequalities not only provide refinements of bounds for unified integral operators but also for various associated fractional integral operators containing Mittag–Leffler function. At the same time, presented results give generalizations of many known fractional integral inequalities.