Weiming Zhang¹, Muhammad Wasim Khan¹, Xueqin Zuo¹, Qun Yang¹, Huaibao Tang^1,2, Shaowei Jin^1,2, Guang Li^1,2,3,*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.8, No.4, pp. 431-446, 2020, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2020.09158 - 24 April 2020

Abstract A novel sunflower-like nanocomposite of SrCo₂S₄ nanoflakes and functionalized multiwall carbon nanotubes (f-MWCNTs) entanglement enveloped in nitrogen-reduced graphene oxide (N-RGO) is prepared by a cheap process. The unique entanglement structure of the material exhibits higher specific surface area, better electrical conductivity and other properties. This helps to reduce the transfer resistance in the photoelectric process of the battery and improve the electrochemical activity, thus increasing the photoelectric conversion efficiency of the battery. The new ternary cobalt-based sulfide material can replace platinum as the counter electrode (CE) material loaded on dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). DSSCs with SrCo₂S₄@f-MWCNTs@N-RGO More >

Davide Piovesan^{1, *}, Roberto Bortoletto²

CMES-Computer Modeling in Engineering & Sciences, Vol.123, No.1, pp. 23-47, 2020, DOI:10.32604/cmes.2020.09231 - 01 April 2020

Abstract Exoskeletons are designed to control the forces exerted during the physical coupling between the human and the machine. Since the human is an active system, the control of an exoskeleton requires coordinated action between the machine and the load so to obtain a reciprocal adaptation. Humans in the control loop can be modeled as active mechanical loads whose stiffness is continuously changing. The direct measurement of human stiffness is difficult to obtain in real-time, thus posing a significant limitation to the design of wearable robotics controllers. Electromyographic (EMG) recordings can provide an indirect estimation of… More >

Lamia Bouafif¹, Noureddine Ellouze^2,*

Sound & Vibration, Vol.54, No.1, pp. 1-15, 2020, DOI:10.32604/sv.2020.08665 - 01 March 2020

Abstract In order to assist physically handicapped persons in their movements, we developed an embedded isolated word speech recognition system (ASR) applied to voice control of smart wheelchairs. However, in spite of the existence in the industrial market of several kinds of electric wheelchairs, the problem remains the need to manually control this device by hand via joystick; which limits their use especially by people with severe disabilities. Thus, a significant number of disabled people cannot use a standard electric wheelchair or drive it with difficulty. The proposed solution is to use the voice to control and… More >

Wenyan Guo^{1, *}, Ting Liu¹, Fang Dai¹, Peng Xu¹

CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, Vol.62, No.1, pp. 337-354, 2020, DOI:10.32604/cmc.2020.06411

Abstract Whale optimization algorithm (WOA) is a new population-based metaheuristic algorithm. WOA uses shrinking encircling mechanism, spiral rise, and random learning strategies to update whale’s positions. WOA has merit in terms of simple calculation and high computational accuracy, but its convergence speed is slow and it is easy to fall into the local optimal solution. In order to overcome the shortcomings, this paper integrates adaptive neighborhood and hybrid mutation strategies into whale optimization algorithms, designs the average distance from itself to other whales as an adaptive neighborhood radius, and chooses to learn from the optimal solution… More >

Jamil S. Syed¹, Kevin A. Nguyen¹, Alfie Suarez-Sariemento¹, Cynthia Leung¹, Marianne Casilla-Lennon¹, Jay D. Raman², Brian Shuch^1,3

Canadian Journal of Urology, Vol.26, No.2, pp. 9699-9707, 2019

Abstract Introduction: Approximately 7% of patients with localized upper tract urothelial cancer (UTUC) are treated without definitive therapy. Understanding outcomes and alternative therapy would aid in counseling older patients with comorbidities.
Materials and methods: We utilized the National Cancer Database to identify patients with localized UTUC managed non-surgically between 2004 and 2013. Patient demographics, comorbidity, tumor grade, and chemotherapy and radiation utilization were recorded. Survival analyses were performed with the Kaplan-Meier method and a Cox proportional hazard regression model.
Results: We identified 3157 (10.9%) patients with localized UTUC who did not receive definitive surgery. Median age was 79 years,… More >

Syed Johar Raza, Caleb Miller, Allison May, Facundo Davaro, Sameer Ahmed Siddiqui, Zachary Hamilton

Canadian Journal of Urology, Vol.26, No.4, pp. 9852-9858, 2019

Abstract Introduction: The use of lymph node density (LND) as a predictor of survival outcomes has been studied with urothelial carcinoma of the bladder. Similar results can be postulated to upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC). This study aims to determine the overall survival of patients with lymph node positive UTUC based on LND, utilizing the National Cancer Database (NCDB).
Materials and methods: Data was derived from NCDB Participant User Kidney Dataset using the histology code ‘transitional cell carcinoma’, utilizing pN+ patients from 2004-2015. LND was calculated as number of positive nodes divided by total number of nodes removed.… More >

Facundo Davaro¹, Allison May¹, Coleman McFerrin², Syed J. Raza¹, Sameer Siddiqui¹, Zachary Hamilton¹

Canadian Journal of Urology, Vol.26, No.5, pp. 9938-9944, 2019

Abstract Introduction: To evaluate the overall survival and pathologic downstaging effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy for upper tract urothelial cell carcinoma.
Materials and methods: The National Cancer Database (NCDB) was queried for patients with stage II-IV upper tract urothelial cell carcinoma undergoing definitive surgical resection (nephroureterectomy) from 2004-2015. Patients with metastatic disease were excluded. Cohorts were stratified by receipt of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox regression were used to evaluate overall survival. Logistic regression was used to predict the odds of pathologic downstaging to non-invasive disease (< pT2). Propensity score matched analysis was performed between groups.
Results: A… More >

B.B. Divya^a , G. Manjunatha^a,† , C. Rajashekhar^a, Hanumesh Vaidya^b, K.V. Prasad^c

Frontiers in Heat and Mass Transfer, Vol.12, pp. 1-9, 2019, DOI:10.5098/hmt.12.15

Abstract The present paper examines the peristaltic mechanism of a Jeffrey fluid through an elastic tube. The influence of velocity slip, convective boundary conditions, and variable liquid properties are taken into account. Closed form solutions are obtained for velocity, flux and temperature fields. In order to linearize the temperature equation, perturbation technique is employed. Also, the flux is determined theoretically via Rubinow and Keller and Mazumdar approach and the results are compared graphically. The effects of various vital parameters on the fluid flow are sketched and analyzed graphically. The findings emphasize the importance of elastic parameters More >

Haiyan Zhang^*†, Yanxia Lu^‡, Surong Wang^‡, Xiugui Sheng^§, Shiqian Zhang^*

Oncology Research, Vol.27, No.3, pp. 335-340, 2019, DOI:10.3727/096504018X15252202178408

Abstract Aberrant expression of microRNA-152 (miR-152) is frequently observed in human cancers including ovarian cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, and gastric cancer. However, its expression and functional role in cervical cancer (CC) are poorly understood. Also, the association between miR-152 and Krüppel-like factor 5 (KLF5) expression in CC remains unclear. In this study, analyzing the expression of miR-152 by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) revealed it was sharply reduced in CC tissues and cell lines. In addition, the negative correlation of miR-152 expression and KLF5 expression was observed. The dual-luciferase reporter assay validated that KLF5 was a More >

Fengxiang Zhang^∗

Computer Systems Science and Engineering, Vol.34, No.4, pp. 171-178, 2019, DOI:10.32604/csse.2019.34.171

Abstract This paper addresses a number of mathematical issues related to multiprocessor global EDF platforms. We present a deadline-d all busy period and backward interference which are important concepts for multiprocessor EDF systems, and some general schedulability conditions for any studied job are proposed. We formally prove that at most m-1 different tasks’ jobs could contribute their execution time to an interval starting with a P_busy−d, and we propose an approach for computing an exact upper bound of the total deadline-d task load in a given interval. Therefore, the proposed results are important foundations for constructing exact More >