Corneal collagen cross-linking in patients with keratoconus from the Dresden protocol to customized solutions:theoretical basis

Keratoconus is an ectatic condition characterized by gradual corneal thinning,corneal protrusion,progressive irregular astigmatism,corneal fibrosis,and visual impairment.The therapeutic options regarding improvement of visual function include glasses or soft contact lenses correction for initial stages,gas-permeable rigid contact lenses,scleral lenses,implantation of intrastromal corneal ring or corneal transplants for most advanced stages.In keratoconus cases showing disease progression corneal collagen crosslinking(CXL)has been proven to be an effective,minimally invasive and safe procedure.CXL consists of a photochemical reaction of corneal collagen by riboflavin stimulation with ultraviolet A radiation,resulting in stromal crosslinks formation.The aim of this review is to carry out an examination of CXL methods based on theoretical basis and mathematical models,from the original Dresden protocol to the most recent developments in the technique,reporting the changes proposed in the last 15y and examining the advantages and disadvantages of the various treatment protocols.Finally,the limits of non-standardized methods and the perspectives offered by a customization of the treatment are highlighted.

SHEL:a semantically enhanced hardware-friendly entity linking method

With the help of pre-trained language models,the accuracy of the entity linking task has made great strides in recent years.However,most models with excellent performance require fine-tuning on a large amount of training data using large pre-trained language models,which is a hardware threshold to accomplish this task.Some researchers have achieved competitive results with less training data through ingenious methods,such as utilizing information provided by the named entity recognition model.This paper presents a novel semantic-enhancement-based entity linking approach,named semantically enhanced hardware-friendly entity linking(SHEL),which is designed to be hardware friendly and efficient while maintaining good performance.Specifically,SHEL's semantic enhancement approach consists of three aspects:(1)semantic compression of entity descriptions using a text summarization model;(2)maximizing the capture of mention contexts using asymmetric heuristics;(3)calculating a fixed size mention representation through pooling operations.These series of semantic enhancement methods effectively improve the model's ability to capture semantic information while taking into account the hardware constraints,and significantly improve the model's convergence speed by more than 50%compared with the strong baseline model proposed in this paper.In terms of performance,SHEL is comparable to the previous method,with superior performance on six well-established datasets,even though SHEL is trained using a smaller pre-trained language model as the encoder.

A multi-attention RNN-based relation linking approach for question answering over knowledge base

Aiming at the relation linking task for question answering over knowledge base,especially the multi relation linking task for complex questions,a relation linking approach based on the multi-attention recurrent neural network(RNN)model is proposed,which works for both simple and complex questions.First,the vector representations of questions are learned by the bidirectional long short-term memory(Bi-LSTM)model at the word and character levels,and named entities in questions are labeled by the conditional random field(CRF)model.Candidate entities are generated based on a dictionary,the disambiguation of candidate entities is realized based on predefined rules,and named entities mentioned in questions are linked to entities in knowledge base.Next,questions are classified into simple or complex questions by the machine learning method.Starting from the identified entities,for simple questions,one-hop relations are collected in the knowledge base as candidate relations;for complex questions,two-hop relations are collected as candidates.Finally,the multi-attention Bi-LSTM model is used to encode questions and candidate relations,compare their similarity,and return the candidate relation with the highest similarity as the result of relation linking.It is worth noting that the Bi-LSTM model with one attentions is adopted for simple questions,and the Bi-LSTM model with two attentions is adopted for complex questions.The experimental results show that,based on the effective entity linking method,the Bi-LSTM model with the attention mechanism improves the relation linking effectiveness of both simple and complex questions,which outperforms the existing relation linking methods based on graph algorithm or linguistics understanding.

Unit-Linking PCNN中的彩色图像边缘检测

PCNN模型具有相似群神经元同步发放脉冲的特性,适合于图像分割。对彩色图像的亮度分量进行对数变换,使其更符合人眼的视觉特性;在PCNN进行彩色图像R、G、B三分量分割的过程中,利用遗传算法进行神经元关键参数的选择,利用偏态指标进行迭代控制;在Unit-Linking PCNN模型中实现R、G、B三分量分割图的边缘检测,利用加权合并策略得到最终的边缘检测结果。仿真结果表明,该方法得到的结果体现了图像中更多的轮廓细节,具有很好的自适应性。

A Brief Analysis of the Self-correction Model——from the View of Linking Theory

Based on the theory of the post method pedagogy and the teaching practice，this paper proposes a new teaching model，the self-correction model，and explains it from the point of view of linking theory.

Modeling online social networks based on preferential linking

We study the phenomena of preferential linking in a large-scale evolving online social network and find that the linear preference holds for preferential creation, preferential acceptance, and preferential attachment. Based on the linear preference, we propose an analyzable model, which illustrates the mechanism of network growth and reproduces the process of network evolution. Our simulations demonstrate that the degree distribution of the network produced by the model is in good agreement with that of the real network. This work provides a possible bridge between the micro=mechanisms of network growth and the macrostructures of online social networks.

Correlation between corneal demarcation line depth in epithelium-off and trans-epithelium accelerated corneal cross linking and keratoconus progression

AIM:To compare corneal demarcation line(DL)depth in both accelerated epithelium-off and trans-epithelium cross linking(CXL)using anterior segment optical coherence tomography(AS-OCT)and its relation to maximum keratometry(Kmax)progression in both techniques.METHODS:A prospective comparative interventional study where patients with mild to moderate keratoconus(KC)were classified into two groups:accelerated epitheliumoff and trans-epithelium CXL based on corneal pachymetry.Assessment of corneal DL depth was carried out after 3mo by AS-OCT.Kmax readings were evaluated after one year follow up using the Scheimpflug imaging system.RESULTS:Study included 74 eyes of 44 patients.Group A underwent epithelium-off CXL(41 eyes),while Group B underwent trans-epithelium CXL(33 eyes).At 3mo follow up,mean corneal DL depth in Group A was 219.9±58.4μm while in Group B was 127.2±7.8μm(P<0.05).The mean Kmaxchangedfrom51.9±3.9to51.3±4.2dioptersin Group A and from 53.1±4.1 to 53.6±5 diopters in Group B with insignificant difference in Kmax changes in either group(P>0.05).In addition,no significant change in corneal pachymetry was found in both groups(meanchange at 1y:6.4±4.7 and-10.1±2.3μm in Groups A and B respectively).CONCLUSION:Despite a significantly deeper corneal DL depth created by accelerated epithelium-off CXL technique compared to accelerated trans-epithelium CXL,there is no significant impact on keratoconus progression.

Preparation of cross-linked enzyme aggregates of nitrile hydratase ES-NHT-118 from E.coli by macromolecular cross-linking agent

Cross-linked enzyme aggregates(CLEAs) of nitrile hydratase(NHase) ES-NHT-118 from Escherichia coli were prepared by using ammonium sulfate as precipitating agent followed by cross-linking with dextran polyaldehyde for the first time. In this process, egg white was added as protein feeder for facilitating the formation of CLEAs. The optimal conditions of the immobilization process were determined. Michaelis constants(Km) of free NHase and NHase CLEAs were also determined. The NHase CLEAs exhibited increased stability at varied pH and temperature conditions compared to its free counterpart. When exposed to high concentrations of acrylamide, NHase CLEAs also exhibited effective catalytic activity.

Accelerated versus standard corneal cross linking in the treatment of ectasia post refractive surgery and penetrating keratoplasty: a medium term randomized trial

AIM: To compare the clinical outcomes of the standard corneal cross linking(CXL) and the accelerated CXL in patients with progressive corneal ectasia post refractive surgery and penetrating keratoplasty.METHODS: Totally 120 eyes of 83 patients scheduled to receive either standard CXL(3 m W/cm^2 for a period of 30 min) or accelerated CXL(18 m W/cm2 for a period of 5 min). The main outcomes for comparison were the change in: maximum-K reading(K-max), manifest refractive spherical equivalent(SE), central corneal thickness(CCT), and the best corrected distance visual acuity(CDVA).RESULTS: One hundred and eleven eyes completed the study. The main outcome measurement was the K-max reading. Both group showed significant improvement in the value postoperatively at 6 and 12 mo. The mean change in the standard group was 1.21±0.11 D and in the accelerated group was 0.90±0.05 D at the end of 12 mo postoperatively, with no statistically significant difference between the 2 groups. Similarly, CDVA improved significantly from their preoperative value in the standard group by 2.98±0.11 letters, and in the accelerated group by 2.20±0.06 letters, with no statistically significant difference between the two groups. Both of the SE, and CCT showed no statistically significant difference at the end of follow up period in each group.CONCLUSION: Both standard CXL and accelerated CXL are safe and effective treatment in halting ectasia after corneal refractive surgery. The accelerated CXL results are comparable to the standard CXL with short time exposure of the cornea to ultraviolet irradiation, leading to reduced operation time, reduced operative ocular discomfort, and corneal haze.

Long term efficacy and stability of corneal collagen cross linking for post-LASIK ectasia: an average of 80mo follow-up

This study was designed to evaluate efficacy and stability of corneal collagen crosslinking(CXL) in halting the progression of post-laser in situ keratomileusis(LASIK) ectasia and provide long-term follow-up results with an average of 80 mo. Patients with post-LASIK ectasia were treated with CXL between December 2007 and January 2012. Main outcome measures were uncorrected distance visual acuities(UDVA) and corrected distance visual acuities(CDVA), minimum and maximum keratometry(K) values, spherical and cylindrical refraction, and corneal thickness. The study evaluated 17 eyes for 13 patients(8 men, 5 women) with mean age of 31y(range 23 to 39) and mean follow-up of 80.7±15(range 57 to 102)mo. UDVA and CDVA improved from logMAR 0.53±0.36(20/63) to 0.49±0.4(20/50)(P=0.43) and from 0.18±0.17(20/28) to 0.16±0.16(20/27)(P=0.55) respectively. In 15 eyes UDVA and in 13 eyes CDVA either remained stable or improved ≥1 Snellen lines(88.2%) and(76.5%) respectively. Although statistically insignificant, spherical and cylindrical refraction decreased post-CXL from-1.26±2.87 to-0.38±2.32 diopters(D)(P=0.054) and from-3.80±2.47 to-3.04±2.18 D(P=0.13) respectively. Kmax significantly decreased from 44.23±3.76 to 42.85±3.08 D(P=0.013) and Kmin decreased from 41.07±3.61 to 40.00±2.65 D(P=0.057). Corneal thickness decreased from 470±42 to 460±41 μm, but was statistically non-significant(P=0.063). Therefore, CXL is effective in halting and partially reversing the progression of postLASIK ectasia on the long-term(mean follow-up of more than 80mo), thus highlighting the stability and maintained effect of CXL for such cases.

Linking China's emissions trading pilot schemes

All seven emissions trading pilots in China operate independently.One challenge facing most of them is the low inclusion thresholds for enterprises and the few total covered emissions,which negatively influences the effects of the emissions trading systems(ETSs).Some pilot sites,such as Guangdong,Hubei,Tianjin and Beijing,have indicated their willingness to link their schemes with others.ETS linking could expand scheme coverages and therefore help to reduce the overall costs of achieving the linked schemes' emissions control targets.Linking could also help to address the issues of carbon leakage and reduce price fluctuations.The potential benefits and feasibility of linking different pilot systems are analyzed in this article.The seven pilot regions are at different stages of social and economic development,with significant differences in total emissions and emissions structures as well as carbon abatement potentials and costs.Through linking,more-developed regions such as Beijing,Shanghai and Shenzhen,which are typically considered to face higher mitigation costs,will have the opportunity to achieve their emissions control targets by purchasing carbon units from less-developed regions,which will earn financial revenues from selling the units.To realize this win-win result,a series of policy and technical barriers at both the central government and pilot government levels needs to be overcome.Establishing a unified national emissions trading market would appear to be the ideal solution to these challenges,but it will take considerable time and will not be the short-term solution.In the absence of a unified national scheme,it is recommended that the central government encourage pilot schemes to link,that it develops corresponding national policies to support the linking efforts and that the pilot schemes that are intended to be linked coordinate on certain design elements.Based on the coordinating need,the major elements of an ETS can be divided into four categories:elements that need mutual recognition(cap setting and allowance allocation methods);elements that should be completely identical(compliance mechanisms,price containment measures,banking and borrowing rules,and offset mechanisms);technical elements that are preferably identical and easy to coordinate(MRV standards,technical registry standards);and elements that require no coordination(coverages and scopes).

A Mathematical Solution to String Matching for Big Data Linking

This paper describes how data records can be matched across large datasets using a technique called the Identity Correlation Approach （ICA）. The ICA technique is then compared with a string matching exercise. Both the string matching exercise and the ICA technique were employed for a big data project carried out by the CSO. The project was called the SESADP （Structure of Earnings Survey Administrative Data Project） and involved linking the Irish Census dataset 2011 to a large Public Sector Dataset. The ICA technique provides a mathematical tool to link the datasets and the matching rate for an exact match can be calculated before the matching process begins. Based on the number of variables and the size of the population, the matching rate is calculated in the ICA approach from the MRUI （Matching Rate for Unique Identifier） formula, and false positives are eliminated. No string matching is used in the ICA, therefore names are not required on the dataset, making the data more secure ＆ ensuring confidentiality. The SESADP Project was highly successful using the ICA technique. A comparison of the results using a string matching exercise for the SESADP and the ICA are discussed here.

Privacy Protection for Big Data Linking using the Identity Correlation Approach

Privacy protection for big data linking is discussed here in relation to the Central Statistics Office （CSO）, Ireland＇s, big data linking project titled the ＇Structure of Earnings Survey - Administrative Data Project＇ （SESADP）. The result of the project was the creation of datasets and statistical outputs for the years 2011 to 2014 to meet Eurostat＇s annual earnings statistics requirements and the Structure of Earnings Survey （SES） Regulation. Record linking across the Census and various public sector datasets enabled the necessary information to be acquired to meet the Eurostat earnings requirements. However, the risk of statistical disclosure （i.e. identifying an individual on the dataset） is high unless privacy and confidentiality safe-guards are built into the data matching process. This paper looks at the three methods of linking records on big datasets employed on the SESADP, and how to anonymise the data to protect the identity of the individuals, where potentially disclosive variables exist.

Self-cleaning Property of Tencel Fabric by Air Plasma and Cross-Linking Treatment Based on TiO_2/SiO_2 Sol-Gel Method

The ionic cross-linking treatment with 3-chloro-2-hydroxypropyl trimethyl ammonium chloride( CHTAC) and 1,2,3,4-butanetetracarboxylic acid( BTCA) was treated on untreated and plasma treated Tencel fabrics,and then TiO_2/SiO_2 sol was applied to the treated samples. Self-cleaning characteristic was investigated using the color measurement spectrophotometer with 7 h UV irradiation. Moreover, the surface morphology, structure change of samples were observed by scanning electron microscopy( SEM) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy( FTIR),respectively. The results revealed that with the increase of CHTAC concentration, breaking strength of Tencel fabric increased,whiteness index decreased,and wrinkle recovery angle first dropped and then rose. It was also found that increasing concentration of BTCA,breaking strength of Tencel fabric decreased,whiteness index and wrinkle recovery angle increased. FTIR studies revealed that CHTAC and BTCA had grafted on Tencel fabric. Nevertheless,the molar ratio of 50∶1 of TiO_2/SiO_2 sol endowed Tencel fabric with better self-cleaning properties,compared with sample treated with pure TiO_2. Furthermore,compared with sample treated with TiO_2/SiO_2 sol alone, the combination of plasma and cross-linking treatment( plasma + CHTAC + BTCA + TiO_2/SiO_2) decreased the value of K/S,and increased the value of ΔE,ensured more efficient photodegradation of methylene blue, and thus got a better performance of self-cleaning.

Study on the Usage Patterns of Linking Adverbials in Chinese EFL Learn⁃ ers’Writings

This research is a corpus-based study on the usage patterns of linking adverbials(LA)by Chinese EFL learners at different proficiency levels,thus shedding light on problems facing students and analyzing underlying causes based on second language acquisition theories.Results show that Chinese high school students show a lack of richness in using LA,while Chinese undergraduates tend to overuse LA in an attempt to reach a superficial coherence.And in general,Chinese EFL learners have problems of overusing listing LA and underusing contrastive LA compared with their English native counterparts.

Preparation of Nano-porous Materials(Ⅱ) by Cross-linking of Amphiphilic Self-assemblies

Amphiphilic block copolymers can exhibit rich and complex morphologies in aqueous solutions, but these structures are usually delicate, easily disturbed by composition change or temperature change. In this work, the use of different methods to cross link block copolymer self assemblies in the presence of a selective solvent and to stabilize the structures is reviewed. In addition, the cross linking reaction kinetics of block copolymer amphiphilic self assemblies is briefly discussed.

QUASILINEAR EQUATIONS USING A LINKING STRUCTURE WITH CRITICAL NONLINEARITIES

It is to establish existence of a weak solution for quasilinear elliptic problems assuming that the nonlinear term is critical.The potential V is bounded from below and above by positive constants.Because we are considering a critical term which interacts with higher eigenvalues for the linear problem,we need to apply a linking theorem.Notice that the lack of compactness,which comes from critical problems and the fact that we are working in the whole space,are some obstacles for us to ensure existence of solutions for quasilinear elliptic problems.The main feature in this article is to restore some compact results which are essential in variational methods.Recall that compactness conditions such as the Palais-Smale condition for the associated energy functional is not available in our setting.This difficulty is overcame by taking into account some fine estimates on the critical level for an auxiliary energy functional.

Linking strategies to optimize the robustness of multimodal transport network

In view of the problem that the multimodal transport network is vulnerable to attack and faces the risk of cascading failure,three low polarization linking strategies considering the characteristics of the multimodal transport network are proposed to optimize network robustness.They are the low polarization linking strategy based on the degree of nodes(D_LPLS),low polarization linking strategy based on the betweenness of nodes(B_LPLS),and low polarization linking strategy based on the closeness of nodes(C_LPLS).The multimodal transport network in the Sichuan-Tibet region is analyzed,and the optimization effects of these three strategies are compared with the random linking strategy under random attacks and intentional attacks.The results show that C_LPLS can effectively optimize the robustness of the network.Under random attacks,the advantages of C_LPLS are obvious when the ratio of increased links is less than 15%,but it has fewer advantages compared with B_LPLS when the ratio of increased links is 15%to 30%.Under intentional attacks,as the ratio of increased links goes up,the advantages of C_LPLS become more obvious.Therefore,the increase of links by C_LPLS is conducive to the risk control of the network,which can provide theoretical support for the optimization of future multimodal transport network structures.

Linking axon transport to regeneration using in vitro laser axotomy

Spinal cord injury has devastating consequences because adult central nervous system （CNS） neurons do not regenerate their axons after injury. Two key reasons for axon regeneration fail- ure are extrinsic inhibitory factors and a low intrinsic capacity for axon regrowth. Research has therefore focused on overcom- ing extrinsic growth inhibition, and enhancing intrinsic regeneration capacity. Both of these issues will need to be addressed to enable optimal repair of the injured sp＋inal cord.

A Study of Human-Land Linking Policy Based on Urbanization Away from Home: A Case Study of Anhui Province

This paper analyzes the features and trends of urbanization away from home in Anhui Province,and believes that the cross-city floating population in the province shows a expanding scale,and dual cores of the province has obvious attractiveness. This paper also analyzes the relations between urban-rural construction land and urban-rural population transformation in the province,and expounds the possibility and necessity of carrying out human-land linking policy northern Anhui-Wanjiang. Based on the factors affecting human-land linking policy,this paper recommends that we should establish cross-regional trading policy system for land development rights in Anhui Province from four key links( urban entry,urban integration,rural exit,common urban-rural development),in order to effectively promote migrant workers' citizenization.