bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Anticoagulation in the obese patient with COVID-19-associated venous thromboembolism
Authors: McCormick John Peter , Connaughton John , McDonnell Niamh
Published: June 2021

A 61-year-old obese man who had recently tested positive for COVID-19 presented to the emergency department following an unwitnessed collapse, with a brief period of unresponsiveness. CT pulmonary angiography confirmed the presence of extensive bilateral pulmonary embolism despite the patient reporting full compliance with long-term dabigatran. The patient was initially anticoagulated with low-molecular-weight heparin and was treated with non-invasive ventilation and dexamethasone for COVID-19 pneumonia. He made a full recovery and was discharged on oral rivaroxaban. His case highlighted some of the common problems encountered when selecting an anticoagulation strategy for obese patients, as well as the lack of definitive evidence to guide treatment decisions. These challenges were further complicated by our incomplete understanding of the underlying mechanisms of COVID-19 coagulopathy, with limited data available regarding the optimal management of thromboembolic complications.
Atrioventricular synchronous pacing using leadless pacemaker in a heart transplant patient
Authors: Mistry Amar , Assuvinkumar Shital , Gador Gasem , Somani Riyaz
Published: June 2021

We report the first leadless pacemaker (L-PM) providing atrioventricular synchronous pacing implanted into a heart transplant patient receiving chronic immunosuppressive therapy. The patient presented with syncope corresponding to sinus rhythm with high-grade atrioventricular block. Previously, L-PMs provided only single-chamber ventricular sensing and pacing. A Micra AV lL-PM provides atrioventricular synchronous pacing by tracking mechanical atrial contraction. L-PMs, which now support broader indications, should be considered in patients at greater risk of infection.
Early gastrogastric fistula after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass: successful fistula treatment with self-expandable endoscopic stent
Authors: Süsstrunk Julian , Thumshirn Miriam , Peterli Ralph , Kraljević Marko
Published: June 2021

A 25-year-old patient underwent laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery with an initially uneventful postoperative course. Two weeks postoperatively, the patient presented with acute abdominal pain. CT scan revealed a gastrogastric fistula from the gastric pouch to the gastric remnant. Laparoscopic drainage was performed, and intraoperative endoscopy confirmed a large gastrogastric fistula. Due to intense adhesions between pouch and remnant, a closure by suture of the fistula was not possible. The fistula was initially treated with a fully covered metal stent. After multiple stent migrations despite clip attachment to the mucosa, the stent was changed to a partially covered metal stent. Fistula healing progress was documented every 2 weeks. After 10 weeks of stent treatment, fistula closure was accomplished.

In conclusion, early fistula from the gastric pouch to the gastric remnant is a rare complication and can be managed with endoscopic stent placement.
Oxylipin profiles and levels vary by skeletal muscle type, dietary fat and sex in young rats
Authors: Penner Avery L. , Waytt Victoria , Winter Tanja , Leng Shan , Duhamel Todd A. , Aukema Harold M.
Published: June 2021

Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA)-derived bioactive lipid mediators called oxylipins have been shown to influence muscle growth, inflammation and repair in select muscles. Since individual oxylipins have varying effects and potencies, broad profiling in differing muscle types is required to further understand their overall effects. In addition, diet and sex are key determinants of oxylipin levels. Therefore, to provide comprehensive data on oxylipin profiles in rat soleus (SO), red gastrocnemius (RG), and white gastrocnemius (WG) muscles, female and male weanling Sprague–Dawley rats were provided control or experimental diets enriched in n-3 (ω-3) or n-6 (ω-6) PUFA for 6 weeks. Free oxylipin analysis by HPLC/MS/MS revealed that SO muscle had 25% more oxylipins and 4–13 times greater oxylipin mass than WG muscle. Dietary n-3 PUFA (α-linolenic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid, and docosahexaenoic acid) each increased n-3 oxylipins derived directly from their precursors and several that were not direct precursors, while reducing arachidonic acid derived oxylipins. Dietary linoleic acid had few effects on oxylipins. Oxylipins with a sex effect were higher in females in SO and RG. Oxylipins generally reflected the effects of diet and sex on PUFA, but there were exceptions. These fundamental oxylipin profile data provide groundwork knowledge and context for future research on muscle oxylipin functions.

Novelty: Rat SO compared with RG and WG muscles have a higher number and greater mass of oxylipins. Oxylipins generally reflect diet effects on PUFA in all muscles, but there are notable exceptions. Oxylipins in SO and RG are higher in females.
Spatiotemporal modeling of bycatch data: methods and a practical guide through a case study in a Canadian Arctic fishery
Authors: Yan Yuan , Cantoni Eva , Field Chris , Treble Margaret , Flemming Joanna Mills
Published: June 2021

Excess bycatch of marine species during commercial fishing trips is a challenging problem in fishery management worldwide. The aims of this paper are twofold: to introduce methods and provide a practical guide for spatiotemporal modelling of bycatch data, as well as to apply these methods and present a thorough examination of Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus) bycatch weight in a Canadian Arctic fishery. We introduce the spatially explicit two-part model and offer a step by step guide for applying the model to any form of bycatch data, from data cleaning, exploratory data analysis, variable and model selection, model checking, to results interpretation. We address various problems encountered in decision making and suggest that researchers proceed cautiously and always keep in mind the aims of the analysis when fitting a spatiotemporal model. Results identified spatiotemporal hotspots and indicated month and gear type were key drivers of high bycatch. The importance of onboard observers in providing robust bycatch data was also evident. These findings will help to inform conservation strategies and management decisions, such as limiting access to spatial hotspots, seasonal closures and gear restrictions.
Influence of cropping system and soil type on soil health
Authors: Marshall Carolyn B. , Burton David L. , Heung Brandon , Lynch Derek H.
Published: June 2021

There has been a continued adaption and application of soil health tests across all regions of the globe; however, there are challenges related to the interpretation of the results of soil health tests developed in one region but applied elsewhere. To determine the factors that are the most important for interpreting soil health tests in Nova Scotia, a soil health database was constructed using soil samples from diverse cropping systems and soil orders in the region. The Comprehensive Assessment of Soil Health, developed at Cornell University in New York, was adapted and combined with other soil health measures. Principal component analysis (PCA), analysis of variance, and a correlation analysis were applied to the dataset to determine if management (i.e., cropping system) or pedogenesis (i.e., soil order) was more important as a driver of soil health test results. It was determined that cropping systems explained more variance in the dataset than soil order. Although total carbon explained the most variation in the PCA, it was highly correlated to other measures of carbon such as permanganate oxidizable carbon and respiration that may be more responsive to management changes. In addition, autoclaved-citrate extractable protein, a test for nitrogen mineralization, was more related to measures of soil carbon than other measures of soil nitrogen availability. The findings of this study provide a foundation for interpreting soil health testing results for this region and will help indicate which cropping systems and soil management practices have the greatest potential for improving soil health.
Large deviations in weakly interacting fermions: Generating functions as Gaussian Berezin integrals and bounds on large Pfaffians
Authors: Aza N. J. B. , Bru Jean-Bernard , de Siqueira Pedra Walter , Müssnich L. C. P. A. M.
Published: June 2021

We prove that the Gärtner–Ellis generating function of probability distributions associated with KMS states of weakly interacting fermions on the lattice can be written as the limit of logarithms of Gaussian Berezin integrals. The covariances of the Gaussian integrals are shown to have a uniform Pfaffian bound and to be summable in general cases of interest, including systems that are not translation invariant. The Berezin integral representation can thus be used to obtain convergent expansions of the generating function in terms of powers of its parameter. The derivation and analysis of the expansions of logarithms of Berezin integrals are the subject of the second part of the present work. Such technical results are also useful, for instance, in the context of quantum information theory, in the computation of relative entropy densities associated with fermionic Gibbs states, and in the theory of quantum normal fluctuations for weakly interacting fermion systems.
WHAT ARE SPILLOVER TRANSMISSION CHANNELS FROM CHINA’S MONETARY POLICY TO ASIA: BAYESIAN VECTOR AUTOREGRESSIVE APPROACH
Authors: TRINH T. T. PHAM , NHAN P. A. LE , MINH T. H. VU , DAN L. L. VO , MY T. T. BUI , VINH T. H. NGUYEN
Published: June 2021

This study employs Bayesian vector autoregressive method to investigate spillover effects from China’s monetary policy to Asian economies through the exchange rate, domestic demand, and financial channels. The domestic demand channel plays dominant role to the transmission of China’s monetary spillover. While the weak impact of the exchange rate channel could be explained by the positive correlated response of Asian currencies to renminbi shock, the limited influence of the financial channel is due to low financial development and high restrictions on capital flows of China. We suggest Asian authorities should reduce the export reliance on China and prepare macro-prudential instruments to minimize their economies’ vulnerability to foreign shocks.
Universal method to describe multiple localized modes in photonic crystal heterojunction
Authors: Chen Shu-Jie , Zhao Li-Ming , Zhou Yun-Song , Wei Gong-Min
Published: June 2021

A general method is proposed to describe the energy levels of the interface states in one-dimensional photonic crystal (PC) heterojunction [Formula: see text] containing dispersive or non-dispersion materials. We found that the finite energy levels of the interface states for the finite configuration can be described totally by the dispersion relation of the PC with a periodic unit [Formula: see text]. It is further found that this method is also applicable for the case of defect modes. We believe our method can be used to guide the practical application.
On orbits and the finiteness of bounded automaton groups
Authors: Bondarenko Ievgen , Wächter Jan Philipp
Published: June 2021

We devise an algorithm which, given a bounded automaton [Formula: see text], decides whether the group generated by [Formula: see text] is finite. The solution comes from a description of the infinite sequences having an infinite [Formula: see text]-orbit using a deterministic finite-state acceptor. This acceptor can also be used to decide whether the bounded automaton acts level-transitively.
EVALUATION OF TIBIAL COMPONENT ROTATION IN PAINFUL TOTAL KNEE ARTHROPLASTIES BY MRI ENHANCED WITH METAL ARTIFACT REDUCTION TECHNIQUE
Authors: Elkabbani Mohamed , Osman Amr , Helaly Mohamed , Tarabichi Samih
Published: June 2021

Background: Tibial component malrotation is one of the commonest causes of pain and stiffness following total knee arthroplasties, however, the assessment of tibial component malrotation on imaging is not clear-cut. The objective of this study was to assess tibial component rotation in cases with pain following total knee replacement using MRI with metal artifact reduction technique.

Methods: In 15 consecutive patients presented in our clinic — a high-volume arthroplasty institution — between January 2017 and June 2017 with persistent unexplained moderate to severe pain for at least 6 months following total knee arthroplasties, which were ALL done outside our institution, after exclusion of infection and loosening (tibial or femoral), MRI evaluation of tibial component rotation using metal artifact reduction for orthopedic implants (O-MAR) technique — to improve visualization of soft tissue and bone by reducing artifacts caused by metal implants — was done according to the technique of Berger et al. [Malrotation causing patellofemoral complications after total knee arthroplasty. Clin Orthop Relat Res 144–153, 1998].

Results: Eleven cases showed an internal rotation of tibial components (73.3%), four cases showed a neutral or external rotation of tibial components (26.6%), however, with the presence of abnormal intraarticular fibrous bands in two of them.

Conclusions: Two main conclusions are obtained from this study: Firstly, internal rotation of tibial component must be excluded in all cases of persistent pain following total knee replacement. Secondly, magnetic resonance imaging with the newly developed metal artifact reduction techniques is a very useful tool in evaluating cases of unexplained pain following total knee replacement.
EFFICACY ON PRESSURE-BIOFEEDBACK GUIDED CRANIOCERVICAL FLEXION EXERCISE IN NECK PAIN: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL
Authors: Lwin No No , Myint Thazin , Oo Win Min , San Htar Htar , Tun Myo Tint
Published: June 2021

Objective: Neck pain is a common cause of disability and costly problem, especially in the working population. However, there is a paucity of studies examining the efficacy of pressure-biofeedback guided craniocervical flexion exercise (CCFE) in neck pain. Therefore, this study aims to find out the efficacy of Pressure-Biofeedback guided CCFE on the treatment of neck pain. Methods: This randomized controlled trial included 60 participants with neck pain who were randomly assigned to the experimental group ([Formula: see text]) and control group ([Formula: see text]). The experimental group received pressure-biofeedback guided CCFE for four times per week for four weeks, whereas the control group received physical therapy agents (PTA) (radiant heat and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation). Outcome measures included the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and Neck Disability Index (NDI). Results: The baseline demographics and outcome measurements were not significantly different between the two groups. More significant reduction in VAS of the experimental group was found in comparison with control group at week 2 and week 4, respectively ([Formula: see text]). Regarding the NDI, there was a more significant reduction in the experimental group than the control group at week 4 ([Formula: see text]). Conclusion: Pressure-biofeedback guided CCFE was useful for improving pain and functional disability of neck for the management of neck pain.
A Neuro-Fuzzy Hybrid Framework for Augmenting Resources of Mobile Device
Authors: Anitha S. , Padma T.
Published: June 2021

Due to the drastic exploitation of mobile devices and mobile apps in the day-to-day activities of people, the enhancement in hardware and software tools for mobile devices is also rising rapidly to cater to the requirements of mobile users. However, the progress of resource-intensive mobile applications is still inhibited by the limited battery power, restricted memory, and scarce resources of mobile devices. By employing mobile cloud computing, mobile edge computing, and fog computing, many researchers are providing their frameworks and offloading algorithms to augment the resources of mobile devices. In the existing solutions, offloading resource-intensive tasks is adopted only for specific scenarios and also not supporting the flexible exploitation of IoT-based smart mobile applications. So, a novel neuro-fuzzy modeling framework is proposed to augment the inadequate resources of a mobile device by offloading the resource-intensive tasks to external entities, and also a Bat optimization algorithm is exploited to schedule as many tasks as possible to the augmentation entities thereby improving the total execution time of all tasks and minimizing the resource exploitation of the mobile device. In this research work, external augmentation entities like distant cloud, edge cloud, and microcontroller devices are providing Resource augmentation as a Service (RaaS) to mobile devices. An IoT-based smart transport mobile app is implemented based on the proposed framework which depicts a significant reduction in execution time, energy consumption, bandwidth utilization, and average delay. Performance analysis depicts that the neuro-fuzzy hybrid model with Bat optimization provides a significant improvement compared with proximate computing and web service frameworks on the Quality of Service (QoS) parameters namely energy consumption, execution time, bandwidth utilization, and latency. Thus, the proposed framework exhibits a feasible solution of RaaS to resource-constrained mobile devices by exploiting edge computing.
Charge Optimization in Window Air Conditioner with Commercial LPG (Hydrocarbon Blend)
Authors: Gupta Saurabh , Pendyala Srinivas
Published: June 2021

In this paper, the window air conditioner performance with commercial LPG as a replacement of HFC134a is assessed with modified capillary lengths for charge optimization. Global Warming Potential (GWP) of commercial LPG is only three, which is neglected compared to HFC134a (1300). Flammability issues will also be reduced in charge optimization and adopting safety standards. Initially, baseline tests are conducted with HFC134a and commercial LPG in the existing system, and optimum refrigerant charge is determined. The simulation study is conducted with modified capillary lengths for charge reduction of commercial LPG. Experimental assessment is conducted for the charge optimization as per IS 1349 (Part 1) for low ambient test conditions (Domestic Test-DT and Export Test A-ETA) and high ambient test conditions (Export Test B-ETB). With the optimized capillary length and optimum charge quantity, 0.4–2.03% higher cooling capacity, 0.62–8.9% lesser power consumption, and 10.49–16.4% higher COP are achieved with commercial LPG than that of HFC134a baseline at low and high ambient test conditions, respectively.
A bank-account-information-based credit scoring method with Bayesian hierarchical modeling
Authors: Yamanaka Suguru , Yamamoto Rei
Published: June 2021

Recent interest in financial technology (fintech) lending business has caused increasing challenges of credit scoring models using bank account activity information. Our work aims to develop a new credit scoring method based on bank account activity information. This method incorporates borrower firms’ segment-level heterogeneity, such as a segment of sales size and firm age. We employ Bayesian hierarchical modeling, which mitigates data sparsity issue due to data segmentation. We describe our modeling procedures, including data handling and variable selection. Empirical results show that our model outperforms the traditional logistic model for credit scoring in information criterion. Our model realizes advanced credit scoring based on bank account activity information in fintech lending businesses, taking segment-specific features into credit risk assessment.
Thyroid-Associated Ophthalmopathy after Radioactive Iodine Therapy for Metastatic Follicular Thyroid Carcinoma
Authors: Murayama Daisuke , Toda Soji , Okubo Yoichiro , Hayashi Hiroyuki , Matsui Ai , Yasukawa Mio , Iwasaki Hiroyuki
Published: June 2021

Thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO) is an inflammation of the extraocular muscles and periorbital connective tissue caused by autoantibodies against common antigens to both the thyroid and orbit. The release of antigens and induction of hypothyroidism caused by radioactive iodine (RAI) therapy may exacerbate TAO. Here, we present the case of a 67-year-old-woman treated with RAI therapy for metastatic follicular thyroid carcinoma who presented with TAO during the course of sorafenib administration. Tg and TgAb levels were gradually decreased with sorafenib and lenvatinib treatment, and TAO was improved without any ophthalmologic treatment.
Adult Intestinal Intussusception Caused by the Gastrojejunostomy Tube: An Endoscopically Treatable Phenomenon
Authors: Zhang Kermit S. , Bansal Jash , Bansal Anmol , Chitnavis Vikas
Published: June 2021

Adult duodenoduodenal intussusception is extremely rare due to the retroperitoneal fixation of the second, third, and fourth parts of the duodenum. A majority of clinically significant intussusception with identifiable etiologies is typically neoplastic with more rare causes including retained food and indwelling enteral tubes, specifically with gastrojejunostomy (GJ) tubes. Herein, we discuss the case of a 23-year-old male who developed duodenoduodenal intussusception upon a PEGJ placement with associated gastroduodenal dilation and telescope phenomenon. To the best of our knowledge, there are no reports of intussusception found to be caused by GJ tubes in the adult population. The reported patient was found to have a 4-cm enteroenteric intussusception without obstruction or ischemia with bowel thickening proximal to the pathology. Although adult intussusception cases are typically managed surgically, we were able to reduce the intussusception via endoscopy due to rapid diagnosis upon presentation and intervention before the bowel wall could be compromised.
Hybrid Precoding Algorithm for Millimeter‐Wave Massive MIMO Systems with Subconnection Structures
Authors: Zhang Xue , Zhao Feng
Published: June 2021

In mmWave massive MIMO systems, traditional digital precoding is difficult to be implemented because of the high cost and energy consumption of RF chains. Fortunately, the hybrid precoding which combines digital precoding and analog precoding not only solves this problem successfully, but also improves the performance of the system effectively. However, due to the constant mode constraint introduced by the phase shifter in the analog domain, it is difficult to solve the hybrid precoding directly. There is a solution which divides the total optimization problem into two stages to solve, that is, first fix the digital precoding matrix, solve the analog precoding matrix, and then optimize the digital precoding matrix according to the obtained analog precoding matrix. In this paper, a high energy‐efficient hybrid precoding scheme is proposed for the subconnection structure. In the first stage, the optimization problem can be decomposed into a series of subproblems by means of the independent submatrix structure of the analog precoding matrix. When the optimized analog precoding matrix is obtained, the digital precoding matrix can be solved by the minimum mean error (MMSE). Finally, the digital precoding matrix is normalized to satisfy the constraint conditions. The simulation results demonstrate that the performance of the proposed algorithm is close to that of fully digital precoding based on subconnection structure and better than that of the existing algorithms. In addition, this paper presents the simulation analysis of the algorithm performance under imperfect channel state information. Simulation results show that when the estimation accuracy of channel state information is 0.8, the spectral efficiency of the proposed algorithm can already be maintained at a good level.
Advanced Applications of Fuel Cells during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Afroze Shammya , Reza Md Sumon , Cheok Quentin , Islam Shafi Noor , Abdalla Abdalla M. , Taweekun Juntakan , Azad Abul K. , Khalilpoor Nima , Issakhov Alibek
Published: June 2021

COVID-19 was identified all over the world as a pandemic in December 2019. This novel coronavirus affects the lower respiratory area, which causes pneumonia in the human body and transfers from human to human. Every day, the number of new patients and the number of deaths are increasing immensely, while specific drugs for this virus are still being developed. Hospitals are struggling to accommodate patients, resulting in a large number of temporary hospitals. These makeshift hospitals need an uninterrupted power supply to continuously maintain all the electrical facilities. Fuel cells, especially solid oxide fuel cells, play an essential role in meeting the additional energy needs of humankind during this critical moment. SOFCs are able to supply power to those makeshift hospitals from the main hospital building, as well as supplying electricity to locked-down residential areas to ease the strain on the electrical grid during this pandemic situation. As a result of their extensive applicability and numerous uses, SOFCs can be used to address electrical needs challenges in various sectors.
Early Onset Age Increased the Risk of Diabetic Retinopathy in Type 2 Diabetes Patients with Duration of 10–20 Years and HbA1C ≥7%: A Hospital-Based Case-Control Study
Authors: Yuan Jing , Zhang Lin , Jia Pu , Xin Zhong , Yang Jin-Kui
Published: June 2021

Background. The relationship between onset age of diabetes and diabetic retinopathy (DR) is controversy and not concluded. Therefore, this hospital-based case-control study aimed to investigate the influence of diabetes onset age on the development of DR in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D), independent of diabetic duration and HbA1c levels. Methods. A sample of 780 T2D patients with diabetic duration of 10–20 years and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) ≥7% were enrolled in the study. 338 T2D patients with onset age ≤45 years were further selected as cases (early onset) and 79 with onset age ≥ 55 years were chosen as controls (elderly onset). International Clinical Diabetic Retinopathy Disease Severity Scale was applied to estimate the severity of DR. Results. The prevalence of DR and proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) was notably increased in the early onset group. When stratified by duration of diabetes, the impact of younger age on the risk of DR turned to be greatest in patients with diabetic duration ≥15 years (OR = 5.202, 95% CI 2.625–10.310). In groups stratified by HbA1c, the risk of DR was highest in patients with younger onset age and HbA1c ≥ 9% (OR = 3.889, 95% CI 1.852–8.167). Compared with the elderly onset group, the risk of DR (OR = 1.776, 95% CI = 1.326–2.380,

p

 < 0.001) and PDR (OR = 1.605, 95% CI = 1.106–2.329,

p

 = 0.013) in younger diagnosed patients was increased after multivariable adjustment. Conclusions. Age of onset was an independent risk factor for developing DR and PDR. This suggests that it is urgent to closely monitor and treat the metabolic disorders in younger T2D patients to delay the occurrence and progression of DR.
FPETD: Fault‐Tolerant and Privacy‐Preserving Electricity Theft Detection
Authors: Dong Siliang , Zeng Zhixin , Liu Yining
Published: June 2021

Electricity theft occurs from time to time in the smart grid, which can cause great losses to the power supplier, so it is necessary to prevent the occurrence of electricity theft. Using machine learning as an electricity theft detection tool can quickly lock participants suspected of electricity theft; however, directly publishing user data to the detector for machine learning‐based detection may expose user privacy. In this paper, we propose a real‐time fault‐tolerant and privacy‐preserving electricity theft detection (FPETD) scheme that combines n‐source anonymity and a convolutional neural network (CNN). In our scheme, we designed a fault‐tolerant raw data collection protocol to collect electricity data and cut off the correspondence between users and their data, thereby ensuring the fault tolerance and data privacy during the electricity theft detection process. Experiments have proven that our dimensionality reduction method makes our model have an accuracy rate of 92.86% for detecting electricity theft, which is much better than others.
Effects of Exposure Parameters and Voxel Size for Cone‐Beam Computed Tomography on the Image Matching Accuracy with an Optical Dental Scan Image: An In Vitro Study
Authors: Mai Hang-Nga , Lee Du-Hyeong
Published: June 2021

This study is aimed at assessing the effects of exposure parameters and voxel size for cone‐beam computed tomography (CBCT) on the image matching accuracy with an optical dental scan image. CBCT and optical scan images of a dry human mandible were obtained. Different CBCT settings were used: tube voltage, 60, 80, and 100 kVp; tube current, 6 and 8 mA; and voxel size, 100, 200, and 300 μm. Image matching between the CBCT and optical scan images was performed using implant planning software by dental professionals (n = 18). The image matching accuracy in each combination of CBCT settings was evaluated by assessing the linear discrepancy between the three‐dimensionally reconstructed radiological image and the registered optical scan image using an image analysis software program. The Kruskal‐Wallis test and a post hoc Mann–Whitney U test with Bonferroni correction were used to compare the accuracy of image registration between the groups (α = 0.05). Overall, the image matching accuracy was not significantly different between tube voltage and current settings; however, significantly higher image registration errors were found at the combination of 100 kVp tube voltage/8 mA tube current (F = 8.44, P < 0.001). Changes in voxel sizes did not significantly interfere with the image registration results. No interaction was found among voltage, current, and voxel size in terms of image registration accuracy (F = 2.022, P = 0.091). Different exposure parameter settings in tube voltage and tube current did not significantly influence the image matching accuracy between CBCT and optical dental scan images; however, a high radiation dose could be inappropriate. The image matching accuracy was not significantly affected by changing the voxel sizes of CBCT.
Pelvic Abscess after Cesarean Section Treated with Laparoscopic Drainage
Authors: Murayama Yumi , Tanaka Tomohito , Maruoka Hiroshi , Daimon Atsushi , Ueda Shoko , Ohmichi Masahide
Published: June 2021

Cesarean section (CS), the rate of which is increasing worldwide, may be associated with complications. Although pelvic abscess after CS is rare, it is difficult to treat. We herein report two cases of pelvic abscess treated laparoscopically after CS. The abscesses of the patients were located in the pouch of Douglas and the uterine scar after CS, respectively. Several days after CS, the patients presented with lower abdominal pain and fever. Laparoscopic drainage was performed because imaging revealed a pelvic abscess that was not amenable to drainage through interventional radiology. The patients recovered from infection and were discharged four days after drainage.
LDHA‐Mediated Glycolytic Metabolism in Nucleus Pulposus Cells Is a Potential Therapeutic Target for Intervertebral Disc Degeneration
Authors: Wu Longxi , Shen Jieliang , Zhang Xiaojun , Hu Zhenming
Published: June 2021

The intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) is considered to be an initiator of a series of spinal diseases, among which changes in the nucleus pulposus (NP) are the most significant. NP cells reside in a microenvironment with a lack of blood vessels, hypoxia, and low glucose within the intervertebral disc. Due to the strong activity of HIF‐1α, glycolysis is the main pathway for energy metabolism in NP cells. Our previous study found that higher SIRT1 expression is beneficial to delay the degeneration of NP cells. In order to find the downstream genes by which SIRT1 acts on NP cells, we used iTRAQ sequencing to detect the differences between degenerated NP cells overexpressing SIRT1 and a control group (human NP cells were derived from surgery) and found that the expression of LDHA changed in the same direction with SIRT1. This suggests that SIRT1 may delay the degeneration of NP cells by regulating glycolysis. We then used a Seahorse XFe24 analyzer to measure the bioenergetic parameters of NP cells and obtained three findings: (a) glycolysis is the main energy metabolism pathway in NP cells, (b) there is a large difference in ATP production between senescent cells and young cells, and (c) SIRT1 can regulate the production of ATP from glycolysis by regulating LDHA. We also found that SIRT1 in NP cells has a positive regulatory effect on c‐Myc which is an upstream gene of LDHA. Through observing IDD‐related indicators such as apoptosis, proliferation, senescence, and extracellular matrix, we found that SIRT1 can delay degeneration, and interference with c‐Myc and LDHA, respectively, weakens the protective effect of SIRT1. Interfering with LDHA alone can also inhibit glycolysis and accelerate degeneration. Overall, we found that the inhibition of glycolysis in Np cells significantly affects their normal physiological functions and determined that LDHA is a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of IDD.
The Effect of Rhythmic Breathing on the Severity of Sternotomy Pain after Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial
Authors: Babamohamadi Hassan , Karkeabadi Masoumeh , Ebrahimian Abbasali
Published: June 2021

Background. Moderate-to-severe pain is reported in up to 75% of the patients in the first 48 hours after cardiac surgery. Evidence suggests that distraction is an effective nursing intervention for controlling short-term and transient pain. Distraction can be achieved by various techniques, including progressive muscle relaxation, meditation, and rhythmic breathing (RB). The present research aimed at evaluating the impacts of RB on the severity of sternotomy pain after Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG). Methods. This randomized, controlled clinical trial was conducted on 60 patients after CABG surgery at the open-heart surgery Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Kowsar Hospital, affiliated to Semnan University of Medical Sciences in Semnan, Iran. The patients were selected through convenience sampling and randomly assigned to two groups, including (1) intervention or RB and (2) control groups. RB was performed in the intervention group every 12 hours (9 a.m. and 9 p.m.) for three consecutive days after the surgery. The control group received only routine care for pain control (opioid analgesics) with no additional interventions. The severity of pain was measured every day in both groups of patients before and after the interventions using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS). Results. The mean postintervention pain scores were significantly different from the mean preintervention scores in the intervention group (

p

 < 0.05). The changes in the mean pain score in the intervention group were also significantly different from the corresponding changes in the controls (

p

 < 0.05). Conclusion. Based on the results, the severity of pain after the intervention was significantly lower in the RB group compared to the control. RB was found to be an effective technique for reducing the patients’ pain and is therefore recommended as a post-CABG pain control technique. Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials: this trial is clinically registered with IRCT20120109008665N7, registered 3 September 2018.
Evaluation of Corrosion Behavior by Measuring Passivation Current Density of Dental Implant Coated with Bioceramic Materials
Authors: Hameed Hanan Ali , Hasan Haider Ali , Alam Mohammad Khursheed
Published: June 2021

Background. This paper reports the corrosion behavior of uncoated commercially pure titanium and Ti‐6Al‐4V samples and these coated with hydroxyapatite, partial stabilized zirconia (PSZ), and the mixture of partial stabilized zirconia and hydroxyl‐apatite by measuring passivation current density and see if there are any differences between them using electrochemical polarization tests in 37°C Hank’s solution. Materials and Methods. The electrophoretic deposition method (EPD) was elected to keep the coating materials which are HA, PSZ, and the mixture of 50% HA and 50% PSZ on Cp Ti and Ti‐6Al‐4V alloy samples. The electrochemical corrosion test was achieved by exposing the coated and uncoated samples to Hank’s solution which prepared in the laboratory and measuring the polarization potential, passivation current density, and the open circuit potential for all samples. Results. The results indicated that the passivation current density for all Cp Ti and Ti‐6Al‐4V alloy groups that coated with HA, PSZ, and with mixture of 50/50 HA and PSZ was less than uncoated groups. There are no significant differences between all Cp Ti groups when compared with all Ti‐6Al‐4 V alloy groups. The open circuit potential (OCP) for both Cp Ti and Ti ‐6Al ‐4V samples was in the following sequence PSZ > HA > mixture of HA and PSZ > uncoated. Conclusions. Coating significantly decreased the passivation current density of Cp Ti and Ti‐6Al‐4V alloy.
Blasting Vibration Control Using an Improved Artificial Neural Network in the Ashele Copper Mine
Authors: Xu Shida , Chen Tianxiao , Liu Jiaqi , Zhang Chenrui , Chen Zhiyang
Published: June 2021

Blasting is currently the most important method for rock fragmentation in metal mines. However, blast‐induced ground vibration causes many negative effects, including great damage to surrounding rock masses and projects and even casualties in severe cases. Therefore, prediction of the peak particle velocity (PPV) caused by blasting plays an important role in reducing safety threats. In this paper, a genetic algorithm (GA) and an artificial neural network (ANN) algorithm were jointly used to construct a neural network model with a 4‐5‐1 topology to predict the PPV. For this model, the ANN parameters were optimized using the GA, and the deviating direction, horizontal distance, vertical distance, Euclidean distance, explosive type, burden, hole spacing, and maximum charge per delay were used as input information. Moreover, principal component analysis (PCA) was used to extract the first four principal components from the eight input factors as the four inputs of the ANN model. The model was successfully applied to protect an underground crushing cave from blasting vibration damage by adjusting the blasting parameters. Compared with several widely used empirical equations, the GA‐ANN PPV prediction model produced significantly better results, while the Ambraseys–Hedron method was the best of the empirical methods. Therefore, the improved GA‐ANN model can be used to predict the PPV on site and provide a reference for the control of blasting vibration in field production.
Analyzing the Coordination Relationship between Urban Built Environment and Traffic Level
Authors: Li Tian , Jiang Haobin , Jing Peng , Zhang Mengmeng
Published: June 2021

The coordination relationship between urban built environment and transport system is an indispensable field in the study of urban planning. Recent research efforts in built environment and transport system have focused on the effects of built environment on travel behaviors, such as car ownership, choice of travel mode, and travel frequency. These travel behaviors will affect the traffic level. However, research studies on direct assessments of links between built environment and traffic level are still limited. This paper aims to fill this gap by modeling with data envelopment analysis based on Point of Interest (POI) data and floating car data collected in Jinan, China. It is found that the coordination relationship between built environment and traffic level is poor in Jinan. With regard to the built environment input index, the distance from the city center has the greatest influence on the coordination relationship. And for the built environment output index, bus stop influences the coordination relationship most significantly. This research can support the provision of quantitative basis for the formulation of governance priorities for traffic governance policies.
Fast and Versatile Pathway in Fabrication of Polyelectrolyte Multilayer Nanofiltration Membrane with Tunable Properties
Authors: Alghamdi Ahmad M.
Published: June 2021

Thin film composite nanofiltration (NF) membranes are relatively new membranes compared to other types of pressure-driven membranes. However, they attract interest from researchers due to their versatility to be used in various applications. In this work, a new class of NF membrane was successfully fabricated through spin-assisted layer-by-layer assembly by depositing alternate layers of branched polyethylenimine (PEI) and poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate) (PSS) on ultrafiltration polysulfone (PSF) membrane. The suitability of the fabricated membranes for removal of divalent ions was investigated. It was found that the membrane consisting of (PEI/PSS)10–0.05 M NaCl showed MgCl2 rejection rate of 93.95% and permeation flux of 0.9 L/m2·h bar during tests performed using a crossflow permeation cell at a crossflow velocity of 0.65 m/s, MgCl2 feed concentration of 6530 ppm, pressure of 10 bar, temperature of 32.5°C, and pH of 6.5. This result suggests that this new fabrication method is suitable for producing polyelectrolyte multilayered (PEM) NF membranes that exhibit comparable membrane performance to commercial ones.
Design of Hydraulic Bulging Die for Automobile Torsion Beam and Optimization of Forming Process Parameters
Authors: Yang Kefan , Wang Youmin , Fu Kexun
Published: June 2021

The hydraulic bulging technology of tubes can provide hollow parts with special‐shaped cross sections. Its manufacturing process can effectively improve material utilization and product accuracy and reduce the number and cost of molds. However, the hydraulic bulging process of parts is very complicated. The size of the tube blank, the design of the loading route, and the forming process parameters will have an effect on the molding quality. Closed tubular torsion automobile beam is considered as the research object to study hydraulic bulging die design and optimize forming process parameters. CATIA software is used to design torsion beam product structure and hydraulic bulging die. AMESim software is employed to design hydraulic synchronous control system for cylinders on both sides of the hydraulic bulging die. Mathematical control model is established and verified in Simulink software. DYNAFORM software is applied to conduct numerical simulation of hydraulic expansion. The supporting pressure, molding pressure, friction coefficient, and feeding quantity are taken as orthogonal experiment level factors. Maximum thinning and maximum thickening rates are taken as hydraulic pressure expansion evaluation indexes to complete the orthogonal experiments. Main molding process parameters are analyzed via orthogonal experiment results and optimized by employing the Taguchi method. Optimal hydraulic bulging parameters are obtained as follows: supporting pressure of 20 MPa, molding pressure of 150 MPa, feeding quantity of 25 mm, and friction coefficient of 0.075. Simulation analysis results indicate that the maximum thinning rate is equal to 9.013%, while the maximum thickening rate is equal to 16.523%. Finally, the design of hydraulic bulging die for torsion beam was completed, and its forming process parameters were optimized.
Vitamin D Deficiency Is Common in Ghana despite Abundance of Sunlight: A Multicentre Comparative Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Sakyi Samuel Asamoah , Antwi Maxwell Hubert , Ahenkorah Fondjo Linda , Laing Edwin Ferguson , Ephraim Richard K. Dadzie , Kwarteng Alexander , Amoani Benjamin , Appiah Seth Christopher , Oppong Afranie Bright , Opoku Stephen , Buckman Tonnies Abeku
Published: June 2021

Background. Vitamin D is a steroid hormone important for the normal functioning of the body. It is produced through skin exposure to sunlight and from the diet. Although Ghana is located in the tropics where sunlight is abundant, factors like culture, diet, skin pigmentation, variation in the ozone layer, and geographical area influence the optimization of vitamin D concentration. It is imperative to evaluate the interplay between sunshine exposure, proinflammatory cytokines, and mediators of vitamin D metabolism and their relationship to vitamin D status in three geographical sections among apparent healthy Ghanaians. Methods and Results. In a cross-sectional study, a total of five hundred (500) healthy blood donors from three geographical areas in Ghana were enrolled. Their age ranged from 17 to 55 years with a mean age of 27.97 ± 8.87 years. The overall prevalence rate of vitamin D deficiency was 43.6% (218/500), with 41.2% (91/221), 45.3% (63/139), and 45.7% (64/140) of vitamin D deficiency being recorded in participants from the Northern Sector (NS), Middle Belt (MB), and Southern Sector (SS), respectively. However, there were no significant differences in the proportions of vitamin D deficiency across various geographical sectors. The median 25-hydroxyvitamin D serum levels were compared among geographical areas (NS, MB, and SS) and there were no significant differences (

P
=
0.275

) after adjusting for confounding factors. 25-Hydroxyvitamin D correlated positively with corrected ionized calcium (rs = 0.622,

P
≤
0.001

) and phosphorus (rs = 0.299,

P
≤
0.001

) and negatively correlated with SBP (rs = −0.092,

P
=
0.039

), vitamin D binding protein (VDBP) (rs = −0.421,

P
≤
0.001

), intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH) (rs = −0.0568, rs ≤ 0.001), IFN-gamma (rs = −0.684,

P
≤
0.001

), and TNF-alpha (rs = −0.600,

P
≤
0.001

). After adjusting for possible confounders, not having knowledge about vitamin D foods, taking fewer vitamin D foods, and higher levels of IF-γ and IL-10 were associated with a higher risk of having vitamin D deficiency. Conclusion. The prevalence of 25-hydroxyvitamin D deficiency is high among the general adult population in Ghana despite the abundance of sunlight. Increasing knowledge on vitamin D diet coupled with a daily intake of vitamin D dietary supplements is likely to reduce the risk of developing 25-hydroxyvitamin D deficiency.
Convolution Neural Networks for Localization of Near‐Field Sources via Symmetric Double‐Nested Array
Authors: Su Xiaolong , Hu Panhe , Gong Zhenghui , Liu Zhen , Shi Junpeng , Li Xiang
Published: June 2021

We present the convolution neural networks (CNNs) to achieve the localization of near‐field sources via the symmetric double‐nested array (SDNA). Considering that the incoherent near‐field sources can be separated in the frequency spectrum, we first calculate the phase difference matrices and consider the typical elements as the inputs of the networks. In order to guarantee the precision of the angle‐of‐arrival (AOA) estimation, we implement the autoencoders to divide the AOA subregions and construct the corresponding classification CNNs to obtain the AOAs of near‐field sources. Then, we construct a particular range vector without the estimated AOAs and utilize the regression CNN to obtain the range parameters of near‐field sources. The proposed algorithm is robust to the off‐grid parameters and suitable for the scenarios with the different number of near‐field sources. Moreover, the proposed method outperforms the existing method for near‐field source localization.