Advanced security methods are necessary to introduce effective online voting in the whole world. Elections conducted on paper consume a lot of resources and contribute to the destruction of forests, ...which leads to climate deterioration. Recent online voting experiences in countries, such as the United States, India, and Brazil, demonstrated that further research is needed to improve security guarantees for future elections, to ensure the confidentiality of votes and enable the verification of their integrity and validity. In this paper, we propose a ranked choice online voting system, which addresses these challenges. It eliminates all hardwired restrictions on the possible assignments of points to different candidates according to the voters' personal preferences. In order to protect the confidentiality of the votes, each cast ballot is encrypted using the exponential ElGamal cryptosystem before submission. Furthermore, during voting the system ensures that proofs are generated and stored for each element in the cast ballot. These proofs can then be used to verify the correctness and the eligibility of each ballot before counting without decrypting and accessing the content of the ballot. This validates the votes in the counting process and at the same time maintains confidentiality. The security and performance analyses included in this paper demonstrate that our method has achieved significant improvements in comparison with the previous systems. The outcomes of our experiments also show that our proposed protocols are feasible for practical implementations.
The advancement of convolutional neural networks (CNNs) has markedly progressed in the field of face detection, significantly enhancing accuracy and recall metrics. Precision and recall remain ...pivotal for evaluating CNN-based detection models; however, there is a prevalent inclination to focus on improving true positive rates at the expense of addressing false positives. A critical issue contributing to this discrepancy is the lack of pseudo-face images within training and evaluation datasets. This deficiency impairs the regression capabilities of detection models, leading to numerous erroneous detections and inadequate localization. To address this gap, we introduce the WIDERFACE dataset, enriched with a considerable number of pseudo-face images created by amalgamating human and animal facial features. This dataset aims to bolster the detection of false positives during training phases. Furthermore, we propose a new face detection architecture that incorporates a classification model into the conventional face detection model to diminish the false positive rate and augment detection precision. Our comparative analysis on the WIDERFACE and other renowned datasets reveals that our architecture secures a lower false positive rate while preserving the true positive rate in comparison to existing top-tier face detection models.
Recycled concrete technology can promote the sustainable development of the construction industry, but the insufficient mechanical properties of recycled concrete have become a key constraint on its ...development. By adding waste fibers, the mechanical properties of recycled concrete can be improved, and the problem of disposing of waste polypropylene fibers can be solved. In this article, the effects of recycled brick aggregate content and waste fiber content on the mechanical properties and microstructures of recycled brick aggregate concrete through macroscopic mechanical experiments and microstructure experiments are investigated. The results show that the addition of recycled brick aggregate reduces the mechanical properties of concrete; when the content of recycled brick aggregate is 100%, the compressive strength and splitting tensile strength decrease by 22.04 and 20.00%, respectively. The addition of waste fibers can improve the mechanical properties of recycled brick aggregate concrete, but it is necessary to control the contents of waste fibers in a certain range. When the content of waste fibers is 0.08%, the best improvement effect on the mechanical properties of concrete is achieved; the compressive strength of concrete with a 50% (100%) recycled aggregate replacement rate increases by 6.06% (8.90%), while the splitting tensile strength of concrete with a 50% (100%) recycled aggregate replacement rate increases by 2.30% (6.16%). Through microstructural analysis, the mechanism by which waste fiber improves the mechanical properties of recycled brick aggregate concrete is revealed. The addition of waste fibers has the effect of strengthening the framework inside the recycled brick aggregate concrete, forming a good structural stress system and allowing the recycled brick aggregate concrete to continue to bear loads after cracking. In this study, waste brick aggregate and waste fiber are effectively utilized, which can not only reduce pollution to the environment but also realize the sustainable utilization of resources.
Abstract
Background
This study aimed to compare the use of photon-initiated photoacoustic streaming (PIPS) and conventional needle irrigation (CNI) in conjunction with different concentrations of ...sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) to remove
Enterococcus faecalis
(
E. faecalis
) suspended bacteria and biofilms from root canal systems with different diameters or tapers.
Methods
Artificial root canal samples (n = 480) were randomly divided into three groups (n = 160/group). The canals were prepared to fit file sizes #10/.02, #25/.02, or #25/.06. The size #10/.02 group was incubated for seven days. The size #25/.02 or #25/.06 group was incubated for 2 days. A stable biological model of
E. faecalis
infection was established. The root canals were washed with distilled water or with 1%, 2%, or 5.25% NaOCl combined with CNI or PIPS. Bacterial suspensions and biofilms were assessed using an ATP assay kit and fluorescence microscopy. Image-Pro Plus was used to analyse the average fluorescence intensity to determine the most suitable root canal irrigation solution.
Results
In the CNI and PIPS groups, the ATP value of the 5.25% NaOCl subgroup was the lowest, followed by that of the 2% and 1% NaOCl subgroups. The ATP value of the distilled water subgroup was the highest (
P
< 0.05). When the root canal taper was 0.02, the ATP value of the #10/.02 + PIPS group was significantly lower than that of the #25/.02 + CNI group (
P
< 0.05). The average fluorescence intensity of the #10/.02 + PIPS group was lower than that of the #25/.02 + CNI group (
P
< 0.05). When the apical diameter was #25, the ATP value of the 0.02 taper in the PIPS group was lower than that of the 0.06 taper in the CNI group (
P
< 0.05), and the average fluorescence intensity of the 0.02 taper + PIPS group was lower than that of the 0.06 taper + CNI group (
P
< 0.05). PIPS combined with 2% and 5.25% NaOCl effectively improved the long-term antibacterial effect after irrigation and re-culture for 6 h.
Conclusions
Compared with CNI, PIPS has greater ability to remove bacteria in root canals with a small preparation diameter and a small taper. PIPS with 2% and 5.25% NaOCl exhibited superior antibacterial and bacteriostatic effects.
This study aims to compare the percentage of dentin removed, instrumentation efficacy, root canal filling and load at fracture between contracted endodontic cavities, and traditional endodontic ...cavities on root canal therapy in premolars.
Forty extracted intact human first premolars were imaged with micro-CT and randomly assigned to the contracted endodontic cavity (CEC) or traditional endodontic cavity (TEC) groups. CEC was prepared with the aid of a 3D-printed template, canals were prepared with a 0.04 taper M-Two rotary instrument, and cavities were restored with resin. Specimens were loaded to fracture in an Instron Universal Testing Machine after a fatigue phase. The data were analyzed by the independent samples T test and Mann-Whitney U test, appropriate post hoc tests.
In the premolars tested in vitro, the percentage of dentin removed in the premolars with two dental roots in the CEC group (3.85% ± 0.42%) was significantly smaller (P < 0.05) than in the TEC group (4.94% ± 0.5%). The untouched canal wall (UCW) after instrumentation for TECs (16.43% ± 6.56%) was significantly lower (P < .05) than the UCW (24.42% ± 9.19%) for CECs in single-rooted premolars. No significant differences were observed in the increased canal volume and surface areas in premolars between the TEC and CEC groups (P > 0.05). CECs conserved coronal dentin in premolars with two dental roots but no impact on the instrument efficacy. There were no differences between the CEC groups and the TEC groups in the percentage of filling material and voids (P > 0.05). In addition, the mean load at failure of premolars did not significantly differ between the CEC and TEC groups and there was no significant difference in the type of fracture (P > 0.05).
The results of this study suggest that CEC could not improve the fracture resistance of the endodontically treated premolars. The instrumentation efficacy and the percentage of filling material did not significantly differ between CECs and TECs in premolars.
In this article, a review focusing on the frost resistance of recycled coarse aggregate concrete (RAC) and the bond performance of RAC with rebar under freeze–thaw environment is carried out. The ...results show that there are still some controversies about the advantages and disadvantages of the frost resistance of RAC, and many influencing factors have not been considered. The mass of the RAC pullout specimens shows a trend of first increasing and then decreasing after freeze‒thaw cycles. The failure modes of the RAC pullout specimens after freeze‒thaw cycles include pullout failure, pullout-splitting failure, splitting failure, and rebar yielding failure. The bond performance of RAC with rebar shows a degradation trend after freeze‒thaw cycles, mainly in the decrease in bond strength and the increase in bond slip. The bond performance of RAC specimens is inferior to that of natural aggregate concrete specimens after freeze‒thaw cycles. The bond strength prediction models and the bond–slip constitutive relation prediction models of RAC with rebar after freeze‒thaw cycles have been summarized to ensure that engineers can better understand their applicability. The bond stress distribution between the RAC and rebar in the anchoring area is not uniform and constantly changes with the number of freeze‒thaw cycles. The degradation mechanism of the bond performance of RAC with rebar after freeze‒thaw cycles is analyzed.
Hydrogels have been widely applied to the fabrication of tissue engineering scaffolds via three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting because of their extracellular matrix-like properties, capacity for living ...cell encapsulation, and shapeable customization depending on the defect shape. However, the current hydrogel scaffolds show limited regeneration activity, especially in the application of periodontal tissue regeneration. In this study, we attempted to develop a novel multi-component hydrogel that possesses good biological activity, can wrap living cells for 3D bioprinting and can regenerate periodontal soft and hard tissue. The multi-component hydrogel consisted of gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA), sodium alginate (SA) and bioactive glass microsphere (BGM), which was first processed into hydrogel scaffolds by cell-free 3D printing to evaluate its printability and in vitro biological performances. The cell-free 3D-printed scaffolds showed uniform porous structures and good swelling capability. The BGM-loaded scaffold exhibited good biocompatibility, enhanced osteogenic differentiation, apatite formation abilities and desired mechanical strength. The composite hydrogel was further applied as a bio-ink to load with mouse bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (mBMSCs) and growth factors (BMP2 and PDGF) for the fabrication of a scaffold for periodontal tissue regeneration. The cell wrapped in the hydrogel still maintained good cellular vitality after 3D bioprinting and showed enhanced osteogenic differentiation and soft tissue repair capabilities in BMP2- and PDGF-loaded scaffolds. It was noted that after transplantation of the cell- and growth factor-laden scaffolds in Beagle dog periodontal defects, significant regeneration of gingival tissue, periodontal ligament, and alveolar bone was detected. Importantly, a reconstructed periodontal structure was established in the treatment group eight weeks post-transplantation of the scaffolds containing the cell and growth factors. In conclusion, we developed a bioactive composite bio-ink for the fabrication of scaffolds applicable for the reconstruction and regeneration of periodontal tissue defects.
In recent years, cell membrane drug delivery systems have received increasing attention. However, drug-loaded membrane delivery systems targeting therapy in myocardial ischemia–reperfusion injury ...(MIRI) have been relatively rarely studied. The purpose of this study was to explore the protective effect of platelet-membrane-encapsulated Carvedilol on MIRI. We extracted platelets from the blood of adult SD rats and prepared platelet membrane vesicles (PMVs). Carvedilol, a nonselective β-blocker, was encapsulated into the PMVs. In order to determine the best encapsulation rate and drug-loading rate, three different concentrations of Carvedilol in low, medium, and high amounts were fused to the PMVs in different volume ratios (drugs/PMVs at 2:1, 1:1, 1:2, and 4:1) for determining the optimum concentration and volume ratio. By comparing other delivery methods, including abdominal injection and intravenous administration, the efficacy of PMVs-encapsulated drug-targeted delivery treatment was observed. The PMVs have the ability to target ischemic-damaged myocardial tissue, and the concentration and volume ratio at the optimum encapsulation rate and the drug-loading rate are 0.5 mg and 1:1. We verified that PMVs@Carvedilol had better therapeutic effects compared to other treatment groups, and immunofluorescence observation showed a significant improvement in the apoptosis indicators and infarction area of myocardial cells. Targeted administration of PMVs@Carvedilol may be a promising treatment for myocardial reperfusion injury, as it significantly improves postinjury cardiac function and increases drug utilization compared to other delivery methods.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Oral cancer constitutes approximately 2% of all cancers, while the most common type, oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) represents 90% of oral cancers. Although the treatment of OSCC has improved ...recently, it still has a high rate of local recurrence and poor prognosis, with a 5-year survival rate of only 50%. Advanced stage OSCC tends to metastasize to lymph nodes. Thus, exploring new therapeutic strategies for OSCC is therefore an urgent priority. Exosomes, the small membrane vesicles derived from endosomes, have been detected in a wide array of bodily fluids. Exosomes contain a diversity of proteins, mRNAs, and non-coding RNAs, including microRNAs, long non-coding RNAs, piRNAs, circular RNAs, tsRNAs, and ribosomal RNAs, which are delivered to neighboring cells or even transported to distant sites. Exosomes have been associated with the tumorigenesis of OSCC, promote the proliferation, colonization, and metastasis of OSCC by transferring their contents to the target cells. Furthermore, exosomes are involved in the regulation of the tumor microenvironment to transform conditions favoring cancer progression
. In this review, we summarize the crucial role of exosomes in the tumorigenesis and progression of OSCC and discuss the potential clinical application of exosomes in OSCC treatment.
Purpose
Chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH) is key pathological mechanism of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), which induced cardiac dysfunction. Filamin c (FLNC) is a muscle-restricted isoform and ...predominantly expressed in muscle tissue. In this study, we utilized a recently developed CIH rat model to mimic OSA, investigated the expression of FLNC in cardiomyocytes, and examined the correlations of FLNC with active caspase-3 to ascertain whether FLNC regulates the survival of cardiomyocytes.
Methods
Forty Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into normoxia and CIH groups. All rats were exposed either to normoxia or CIH 8 h daily for 6 weeks. Echocardiogram and HE staining were used to examine cardiac pathology, structure, and function. Body weight, heart weight, and blood gas values were recorded, respectively. The FLNC, Bax, Bcl-2, BNIP 3, and active caspase-3 proteins were detected by western blot; FLNC was examined by immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence. Association of FLNC with cardiomyocyte apoptosis was detected by immunofluorescence.
Results
CIH induced cardiac injuries and caused arterial blood gas disorder. FLNC significantly increased in CIH-induced cardiomyocytes than that in normoxia tissues. Pro-apoptotic BNIP 3 and Bax proteins were significantly increased in CIH, whereas anti-apoptotic member Bcl-2 was decreased. Active caspase-3, a universal marker of apoptosis, was significantly increased in CIH group. Co-localizations of FLNC and active caspase-3 were observed in CIH group.
Conclusions
These results suggested FLNC is implicated in the pathogenesis of CIH-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis, and FLNC may serve as a novel cardioprotective target for OSA patients.
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