Dynamics of information diffusion and disease transmission in time-varying multiplex networks with asymmetric activity levels

While the interaction between information and disease in static networks has been extensively investigated,many studies have ignored the characteristics of network evolution.In this study,we construct a new two-layer coupling model to explore the interactions between information and disease.The upper layer describes the diffusion of disease-related information,and the lower layer represents the disease transmission.We then use power-law distributions to examine the influence of asymmetric activity levels on dynamic propagation,revealing a mapping relationship characterizing the interconnected propagation of information and diseases among partial nodes within the network.Subsequently,we derive the disease outbreak threshold by using the microscopic Markov-chain approach(MMCA).Finally,we perform extensive Monte Carlo(MC)numerical simulations to verify the accuracy of our theoretical results.Our findings indicate that the activity levels of individuals in the disease transmission layer have a more significant influence on disease transmission compared with the individual activity levels in the information diffusion layer.Moreover,reducing the damping factor can delay disease outbreaks and suppress disease transmission,while improving individual quarantine measures can contribute positively to disease control.This study provides valuable insights into policymakers for developing outbreak prevention and control strategies.

What Is the Relation between Aerobic Capacity and Physical Activity Level in Adults with Congenital Heart Disease?

Background:Aerobic capacity(AC)in adults with congenital heart disease(CHD)is often reduced,mainly due to low confidence levels towards physical activity(PA).The main objective of this study was to estimate the association between PA level and AC(measured as peak of oxygen consumption,VO_(2peak))in adults with CHD.Methods:A total of 183 individuals(83 women and 100 men;mean(SD)age 36.9(11.0)years old)from Vall d’Hebron Hospital,Barcelona-Spain in 2019,participated in this cross-sectional study.The AC was assessed by cardiopulmonary exercise testing(CPET)using a treadmill ramp protocol.Considering values of metabolic equivalent of task(MET,MET-min·week-1)obtained by the short International Physical Activity Questionnaire(IPAQ),participants were divided into three categories of PA:health-enhancing PA(HEPA),minimally active,and inactive.Results:Median(SD)PA was 2737.2(2835.7)MET-min·week-1,with 60 participants(32.8%)reporting HEPA,91(49.7%)minimally active,and 32(17.5%)inactivity.Participants demonstrated a mean VO_(2peak) of 28.9(8.8)mL·Kg^(-1)·min^(-1),showing AC values on average 13%lower than expected in a healthy population.Overall,PA and AC were positively associated.Adjusting for sex and age,an increase of 1000 MET-min·week^(-1) was associated with an increase in VO_(2peak) of 0.8 units(95%CI 0.4–1.2;p<0.001).There were no differences in the degree of increase between sexes(p=0.427).Conclusion:These findings suggest that an increase in PA in patients with CHD significantly improves their AC,and hence,could be recommended when the goal is to improve their physical condition.

Mediating role of physical activity in the relationship between psychological distress and intimate relationships among stroke patients

BACKGROUND Stroke patients often experience psychological distress,which can impact their intimate relationships with spouses,subsequently influencing their treatment and recovery.Physical activity is considered a key rehabilitation method for stroke patients.This paper aims to analyze whether psychological distress affects intimate relationship between spouses through physical activity.AIM To explore the mediating effect of physical activity between psychological distress and intimate relationship in stroke patients.METHODS A total of 256 stroke patients who underwent treatment at the First People’s Hospital of Shangqiu between July 2021 and July 2022 were enrolled in this study.The participants completed questionnaires,including the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale(K10),the Quality of Relationship Index(QRI),International Physical Activity Questionnaire,and a general information questionnaire.Data analysis were performed using SPSS 23.0.The Harman test was employed to detect common method deviations,and Spearman correlation was used for correlation analysis.The mediating effect was assessed using Process 3.4.1,with significance testing of the regression coefficients conducted using the bias-corrected percentile Bootstrap method(5000 iterations,95%confidence interval).Statistical significance was set at P<0.05.RESULTS The results showed that patients scored an average of 21.61±6.44 points on the K10,32.40±6.19 points on the QRI;the median physical activity level according to the International Physical Activity Questionnaire was 1861(566,2846)MET·min/w.The level of physical activity(the physical activity intensity of the patients reflected by the Interna-tional Physical Activity Questionnaire-Long Form scale)negatively correlated with psychological distress and intimacy(P<0.05),and positively correlated with each other(P<0.05),with the correlation stronger at lower physical activity levels compared to higher ones.The mediating effect of physical activity between psychological distress and intimate relationship was calculated to be 40.23%.Bootstrap analysis further validated the results.The mediating effect of psychological distress on intimate relationships through physical activity level was-0.284,with a confidence interval of-0.409 to-0.163,excluding 0,confirming a significant mediating effect of psychological distress on intimate relationships.CONCLUSION Physical activity significantly affects relationship between psychological distress and intimate relationships among stroke patients.Addressing the role of physical activity may have implications for improving patient outcomes and rehabilitation strategies.

Evolution of the Level of Sunspot Activity in Solar Cycles I. Evolution in the Descending Phase

Taking the 13-point smoothed monthly sunspot number,Ri, and the deviation of the 13 associated monthly sunspot numbers from the smoothed one, Di, as a number-pair describing the global level of sunspot activity, the evolution of the level is statistically studied for the period from the month which is just 48 months before the minimum to the minimum in the descending phase, using the observed data of Solar Cycles 10 to 22. Our results show （1） for 46 months （94%） of the studied 49 months it is found that for a given month, the distribution of the 13 pairs which come from the 13 solar cycles on a log Ri - Di plane may be fitted by a straight line with a correlation coefficient larger than the critical one at confidence level a = 5%, and for 36 months （73%） the fitting is even better, for a = 1%; （2） time variations of these two parameters and their correlations in the studied period can be described respectively by functions of time, whose main trends may be expressed by a linear or simple curvilinear function; （3） the evolutionary path of the level of sunspot activity may be represented by a logarithmic function as log/~ = 0.704 lnDi - 0.291.

Characterization and risk factors for unexplained female infertility in Sudan:A case-control study

BACKGROUND Female infertility with unknown causes(unexplained)remains one of the mysteries in the reproductive health field,where the diagnostic evidence is still weak and the proposed treatments still work with unknown methods.However,several studies have proposed some possible causes and risk factors for unexplained female infertility.AIM To characterize and identify factors associated with unexplained infertility in Sudanese women.METHODS A matched(age and body mass index)case-control study was conducted from March 2021 to February 2022.The study samples were 210 women with unexplained infertility(UI)and 190 fertile women of reproductive age who were attending the maternity hospitals and fertility clinics in Khartoum,Sudan.The risk factors of unexplained infertility were identified using a structured,pretested questionnaire containing information on socio-demographic variables,anthropometrics,clinical diagnosis of infertility,behavioral factors,physical activity assessment,diversity,and consumption of different food groups by the study participants.RESULTS The results showed a higher proportion of women diagnosed with UI were residents of rural areas than controls(21.4%vs 11.1%,P<0.05),and previous miscarriages and/or abortions were more common in fertile women compared with infertile women(13.16%vs 5.71%,P<0.05).Additionally,infertile women had a significantly(P<0.05)higher proportion of family history of infertility(explained and unexplained)compared with controls.Finally,after controlling for the effects of potentially confounding variables using multivariable logistic regression analysis,only marital status,family history of infertility,use of modern contraceptives,smoking,caffeine consumption,physical activity level,meals consumed,other vitamin-A-rich fruits and vegetables,and other vegetables were found to be significant(P<0.05)factors associated with unexplained infertility among Sudanese women.CONCLUSION Married women with a family history of infertility who smoke and consume a high amount of caffeine,who live a sedentary lifestyle,and who consume more than two meals free of vitamin-Arich fruits and/or vegetables and/or other vegetables per day are at the highest risk of developing unexplained infertility.

Region-time-length algorithm and its application to the study of intermediate-short term earthquake precursor in North China

The Region-Time-Length Algorithm (RTL algorithm) is introduced and improved in the paper. Compared with the original definition, the influence of rupture length on RTL function is emphasized and the weights of epicentral distance function, time function, and rupture length function are ensured to be equal. The retrospective examinations of RTL algorithm in North China have indicated that the anomalies obtained by the improved RTL algorithm show the short or intermediate-short term precursory features in most cases. There are two types of RTL anomalous patterns before the main shock. For the I-type, the variation pattern of the VRTL, numerical values of the VRTL(x, y, z, t) function, is complete and most of them have shown the changing pattern of rising from 0 turning dropping or dropping from 0 turning rising. For the II-type, the variation pattern of VRTL is not complete, which increases or decreases quickly from 0 and there is no evident turning, the main shock generally occurs in the short period around the peak VRTL. The rising of VRTL indicates an increase of seismic activity relative to the background level, which means the enhancement of seismic activity, while the dropping of VRTL indicates the decrease of seismic activity relative to the background level, which represents the seismic quiescence to a certain extent. According to statistical examination results of RTL algorithm in North China, the methods to distinguish the intermediate and short-term anomalies and to estimate the occurrence time of the coming main shock are given in the paper. For both I and II-type RTL anomalies, the R-value, i.e., the forecasting score, is about 0.6 and 0.3 for the 3 months forecasting period and about 0.7 and 0.4 for the 6 months forecasting period. The preliminary discussion is also made for the influences of characteristic time-span t0, characteristic distance r0, and threshold magnitude M0 on computation of VRTL, as well as some other significant problems in application.

Risk of Upper Extremity Biomechanical Overload in Automotive Facility

Objective To assess the risk factors for upper extremity-work-related musculoskeletal disorders（UE-WMSD） on 13 prod ucti on lines in an airbag factory using the threshold limit values-American conference of industrial hygienists-hand activity level（TLV-ACGIH-HAL） method and introduce the ergonomic improvement to reduce the repe titi veness and the peak force（Pf）.Methods Professional exposure level on 13 production lines in a automobile factory was measured using the TLV-ACGIH-HAL method and a further risk was assessed according to the ergonomic improvement.Results The first assessment of 9 produc tion lines showed that the professional exposure level was above the TLV or HAL limit.The second assessment showed that the professional exposure level was below the AL limit on all production lines except 1,in which the professional exposure level was between TLV and HAL.Conclusion The assessment of UE-WMSD-related risk can ide ntif y the riskiest emplacements and evaluate the reduc tion of risk in professional exposure through interventi ons of structuralorganizati onal type.

Impact of asymmetric activity on interactions between information diffusion and disease transmission in multiplex networks

Disease is a serious threat to human society.Understanding the characteristics of disease transmission is helpful for people to effectively control disease.In real life,it is natural to take various measures when people are aware of disease.In this paper,a novel coupled model considering asymmetric activity is proposed to describe the interactions between information diffusion and disease transmission in multiplex networks.Then,the critical threshold for disease transmission is derived by using the micro-Markov chain method.Finally,the theoretical results are verified by numerical simulations.The results show that reducing the activity level of individuals in the physical contact layer will have a continuous impact on reducing the disease outbreak threshold and suppressing the disease.In addition,the activity level of individuals in the virtual network has little impact on the transmission of the disease.Meanwhile,when individuals are aware of more disease-related information,the higher their awareness of prevention will be,which can effectively inhibit the transmission of disease.Our research results can provide a useful reference for the control of disease transmission.

Mechanism of Suppressing ASR Using Ground Reactive Sandstone Powders instead of Cement

In order to understand the effect of powders ground from reactive sandstone replacing cement on reducing or suppressing alkali-silica reaction（ASR）, and to identify the mechanism of suppressing ASR by this powders, mortar and paste containing reactive sandstone powders of four replacement levels ranging from 10wt% to 40wt% and four specific surfaces areas ranging from 210 m^2/kg to 860 m^2/kg were studied. The experimental results showed that incorporation of 40wt% reactive sandstone powders could suppress ASR effectively except for mortar containing reactive sandstone powders with specific surface area of 610 m^2/kg, which disagreed with the most results reported that the higher reactive powder specific surface area, the smaller ASR expansion. By means of fl ame photometry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy（FT-IR） and thermo gravimetric analysis（TG）, the mechanism of reactive sandstone powders on reducing or suppressing ASR was soluble alkalis type of reactive sandstone powders and the competition of liberating and bonding alkali of cement paste containing reactive sandstone powders,when the ability of alkali bonding was greater than the ability of alkali liberation, ASR caused by reactive sandstone was supressed effectively.

Impact of preozonation on the bioactivity and biodiversity of subsequent biofilters under low temperature conditions-- A pilot study

The combination of preozonation and subsequent biological granular activated carbon （O3/BAC） filtration is well known as a promising method for the removal of many pollutants. Temperature and nutrients are the dominant factors in external conditions to influence the biological communities. To explore the influence of preozonation under low temperature, the factors such as dissolved oxygen （DO）, dissolved organic carbon （DOC） and NH4^＋-N were analyzed from the sampling ports every week; triphenyl tetrazolium ehloride-dehydrogenase activity （TTC-DHA） and the nitrifying activity were detected along the bed height ofbiofilter at four levels （10. 40. 70 and i 10 cm） on the 90th, 110th, and 130th day; ~nicrobial community, based on 16S rRNA gene-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis （DGGE）, was monitored on the 130th day of the operation. The observed microbial property showed that preozonation had a positive influence on bioactivity, biomass and nitrifying activity. Community analysis showed no significant difference on the biodiversity of nitrifying bacteria between the parallel filters in the inlet end based on the method employed. This result showed that biofilters＇ performance is not correlated well with microbial biodiversity. The elevated functionality in O3/BAC filters can be a result of increased microbial activity, which was promoted by preozonation.

An enhanced segmentation technique and improved support vector machine classifier for facial image recognition

Purpose-One of the challenging issues in computer vision and pattern recognition is face image recognition.Several studies based on face recognition were introduced in the past decades,but it has few classification issues in terms of poor performances.Hence,the authors proposed a novel model for face recognition.Design/methodology/approach-The proposed method consists of four major sections such as data acquisition,segmentation,feature extraction and recognition.Initially,the images are transferred into grayscale images,and they pose issues that are eliminated by resizing the input images.The contrast limited adaptive histogram equalization(CLAHE)utilizes the image preprocessing step,thereby eliminating unwanted noise and improving the image contrast level.Second,the active contour and level set-based segmentation(ALS)with neural network(NN)or ALS with NN algorithm is used for facial image segmentation.Next,the four major kinds of feature descriptors are dominant color structure descriptors,scale-invariant feature transform descriptors,improved center-symmetric local binary patterns(ICSLBP)and histograms of gradients(HOG)are based on clour and texture features.Finally,the support vector machine(SVM)with modified random forest(MRF)model for facial image recognition.Findings-Experimentally,the proposed method performance is evaluated using different kinds of evaluation criterions such as accuracy,similarity index,dice similarity coefficient,precision,recall and F-score results.However,the proposed method offers superior recognition performances than other state-of-art methods.Further face recognition was analyzed with the metrics such as accuracy,precision,recall and F-score and attained 99.2,96,98 and 96%,respectively.Originality/value-The good facial recognition method is proposed in this research work to overcome threat to privacy,violation of rights and provide better security of data.