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User-generated contents in social media are not verified before being posted. They could bring many problems if they were misused. Among various types of rumors, the authors focus on the type in which there's mismatch between images and their surrounding texts. They can be detected by multimodal feature fusion in RNNs with attention mechanism, but the relations between images and texts are not well-addressed. In this paper, the authors propose to improve rumor detection by image captioning and RNNs with self-attention. Firstly, they utilize the idea of image captioning to translate images into the corresponding text descriptions. Secondly, these caption words are represented by word embedding models and aggregated with surrounding texts using early fusion. Finally, multi-cell bi-directional RNNs with self-attention are used to learn important features to identify rumors. From the experimental results, the best F-measure of 0.882 can be obtained, which shows the potential of our proposed approach to rumor detection. Further investigation is needed for data in larger scale.

AbstractEfficient adsorbent graphene oxide (GO) and its derivative, i.e., thiol-functionalized graphene oxide (GO-SH), was used for the removal of noxious Pb(II) ion from the aqueous phase. Different amounts, i.e., 60, 80, and 100 mg of cysteamine, were used as functionalizing agent to functionalize the GO with thiol group; hence, three different nanocomposites, i.e., GO-SH1, GO-SH2, and GO-SH3were prepared from the different amount of the cysteamine. The developed nanocomposites were characterized using various analytical techniques such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction analysis. The whole removal and adsorption process was well illustrated and investigated. The impact of influential factors including initial concentration, pH, contact time, temperature, and concentrations cysteamine on the adsorption properties of Pb(II) from aqueous solution was well elucidated and optimized. The obtained equilibrium results were inserted in various adsorption isotherm models such as Langmuir (liner types I, II, III, and IV), Freundlich, Temkin, Helsey, and Dubinin-Radushkevich isotherms, it was found that the Langmuir (type I) model demonstrated was well fitted and in good agreement with the maximum adsorption of Pb(II) ion from aqueous solution. Thermodynamic functions, such as ∆G°, ∆H°, and ∆S° were calculated and it reveals that the adsorption of Pb(II) ion on all the surfaces was spontaneous and endothermic in nature.

Efficient adsorbent graphene oxide (GO) and its derivative, i.e., thiol-functionalized graphene oxide (GO-SH), was used for the removal of noxious Pb(II) ion from the aqueous phase. Different amounts, i.e., 60, 80, and 100 mg of cysteamine, were used as functionalizing agent to functionalize the GO with thiol group; hence, three different nanocomposites, i.e., GO-SH1, GO-SH2, and GO-SH3were prepared from the different amount of the cysteamine. The developed nanocomposites were characterized using various analytical techniques such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction analysis. The whole removal and adsorption process was well illustrated and investigated. The impact of influential factors including initial concentration, pH, contact time, temperature, and concentrations cysteamine on the adsorption properties of Pb(II) from aqueous solution was well elucidated and optimized. The obtained equilibrium results were inserted in various adsorption isotherm models such as Langmuir (liner types I, II, III, and IV), Freundlich, Temkin, Helsey, and Dubinin-Radushkevich isotherms, it was found that the Langmuir (type I) model demonstrated was well fitted and in good agreement with the maximum adsorption of Pb(II) ion from aqueous solution. Thermodynamic functions, such as ∆G°, ∆H°, and ∆S° were calculated and it reveals that the adsorption of Pb(II) ion on all the surfaces was spontaneous and endothermic in nature.

Dysentery is a water- and food-borne infectious disease and its incidence is sensitive to climate change. Although the impact of climate change on dysentery is being studied in specific areas, a study in Iran is lacking. In this study, RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5 scenarios were used to predict the prevalence of dysentery in Iran between 2050 and 2070. This study is a secondary analysis using Geographically Weighted Regression, and 273 cities of Iran were analyzed between March 2011 and March 2017. Bioclimate variables were used as independent variables. Ecological data about the prevalence and incidence of dysentery, which were collected between 2011 and 2017, were used as the dependent variables. The result shows the incidence of dysentery is significantly associated with bioclimate change exposure, in 2050 and 2070, based on RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5. Our findings showed that in the absence of adaptation of the population, an increase in the risk of bioclimate-related diseases is expected by around 95.6% in the mid-century compared with the beginning of the century with regional variations. Based on these findings, the geographical distribution of the disease will also change. In 2050, the pattern of disease distribution would be changed, and the north of Iran will be included in the vulnerable regions. In 2070, the southeastern and northern parts of Iran will have the most vulnerability to climate change. Our study contributes important knowledge to this perspective by providing insightful findings and pieces of evidence for climate change adaptation and mitigation.

The monitoring of bridge structures during construction has received significant attention in recent years as accelerated construction techniques are being used more frequently. Continuous monitoring systems can verify that quality and safety are maintained during construction by minimizing construction uncertainties and aiding designers to compare the actual behavior of a structure with the design models. Additionally, the behavior of structures in different stages of construction may be important in the definition of abnormal responses (e.g., the loss or reverse of a previously measured dead load) during the life span of a bridge. This paper gives an overview of the monitoring system for substructure construction that was considered for the Ironton–Russell Bridge between Ironton, Ohio, and Russell, Kentucky, during its design and service stages. First, the sensory network of the bridge will be detailed. Second, data processing (which involves two anomaly detection algorithms) and other components of the monitoring system will be presented. Finally, some of the data collected by the monitoring system during construction will be analyzed, and a comparison between the theoretical and actual response to a major vertical posttensioning event will be made. The result showed that the actual response matched the expected response and that the newly developed algorithm has a promising potential for tracking daily thermal responses.

The monitoring of bridge structures during construction has received significant attention in recent years as accelerated construction techniques are being used more frequently. Continuous monitoring systems can verify that quality and safety are maintained during construction by minimizing construction uncertainties and aiding designers to compare the actual behavior of a structure with the design models. Additionally, the behavior of structures in different stages of construction may be important in the definition of abnormal responses (e.g., the loss or reverse of a previously measured dead load) during the life span of a bridge. This paper gives an overview of the monitoring system for substructure construction that was considered for the Ironton–Russell Bridge between Ironton, Ohio, and Russell, Kentucky, during its design and service stages. First, the sensory network of the bridge will be detailed. Second, data processing (which involves two anomaly detection algorithms) and other components of the monitoring system will be presented. Finally, some of the data collected by the monitoring system during construction will be analyzed, and a comparison between the theoretical and actual response to a major vertical posttensioning event will be made. The result showed that the actual response matched the expected response and that the newly developed algorithm has a promising potential for tracking daily thermal responses.

Multiple-span, segmental concrete bridges built by balanced cantilever construction demand precise geometric control so that adjoining tips align at the time the closure segment is cast. When this type of bridge superstructure is cast monolithically on tall piers, moment redistribution, as well as creep, shrinkage, and temperature effects, can cause excessive demand on the exterior end spans and piers of the structure. To compensate, designers often use horizontal forces (jacking) to induce a counteractive moment in the pier columns. However, designers often do not make the effort to ensure that the intended displacement is realized at the needed structural elements. A methodology for measuring deflections of tall pier elements with tiltmeters during construction is presented in this paper for the Jeremiah Morrow Replacement Bridge, Interstate 71, Lebanon, Ohio. Fast-sampling data collection systems and postprocessing algorithms, including thermal effect removal, are detailed. In addition to the deflections from unbalanced cantilever moment during the casting cycle, fast-sampling data for the first horizontal jacking event are discussed and compared with the data collected through traditional laser survey techniques. The data were valuable information. They allowed the designer to fine-tune the geometry setup during the segment casting cycles, and they provided real-time displacement readings that permitted field decisions about the final force application during the jacking event.

The functionalized carbon nanotubes play significant roles in the fields such as preparation of composite materials and biological technologies. This paper explains the covalent functionalization of single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) with biomedical important monomers, 2-hydroxyethylmethacryate (HEMA) and N-vinylpyrrolidone (NVP) by chemical grafting of HEMA and PVP monomers via free radical polymerization. To get carboxylic acid functionalized SWCNTs, first the nanotubes were oxidized with a mixture of nitric acid and sulfuric acid (1:3). Then, the binding of HEMA and NVP onto the surface of SWCNTs was performed by chemical functionalization of HEMA, NVP with acid chloride-bound carbon nanotube by esterification reaction. These results were confirmed by FT-IR and SEM. The cell culture experiments conducted for pharmaceutical applications were used as cancer therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiple-span, segmental concrete bridges built by balanced cantilever construction demand precise geometric control so that adjoining tips align at the time the closure segment is cast. When this type of bridge superstructure is cast monolithically on tall piers, moment redistribution, as well as creep, shrinkage, and temperature effects, can cause excessive demand on the exterior end spans and piers of the structure. To compensate, designers often use horizontal forces (jacking) to induce a counteractive moment in the pier columns. However, designers often do not make the effort to ensure that the intended displacement is realized at the needed structural elements. A methodology for measuring deflections of tall pier elements with tiltmeters during construction is presented in this paper for the Jeremiah Morrow Replacement Bridge, Interstate 71, Lebanon, Ohio. Fast-sampling data collection systems and postprocessing algorithms, including thermal effect removal, are detailed. In addition to the deflections from unbalanced cantilever moment during the casting cycle, fast-sampling data for the first horizontal jacking event are discussed and compared with the data collected through traditional laser survey techniques. The data were valuable information. They allowed the designer to fine-tune the geometry setup during the segment casting cycles, and they provided real-time displacement readings that permitted field decisions about the final force application during the jacking event.

The adsorption of ethidium bromide (EtBr) by single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) and nanoscale of zero valent iron (NZVI) were investigated to assess its possible use as adsorbents. The effect of various factors, namely initial adsorbate concentration, adsorbent dosage, and contact time, were studied to identify adsorption capacity of SWCNTs and NZVI surfaces. The experiment demonstrated the maximum EtBr which was obtained at 5 min to attain equilibrium for SWCNTs and NZVI surfaces. Adsorption data were modeled with the Langmuir, Freundlichand, Temkin isotherms. Langmuir adsorption model was used for the mathematical description of the adsorption equilibrium, and the equilibrium data fitted very well with this model for both surfaces as adsorbents. The study showed that SWCNTs and NZVI surfaces could be used as new and efficient adsorbent materials for the removal of EtBr from aqueous solution. Also, the result showed that the SWCNTs were more effective than NZVI in the removal of EtBr from aqueous solution.

Objective. The analysis of the gene expression of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) is important to clarify the pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and the detection of suitable biomarkers. The purpose of this investigation was to use RNA-sequencing to screen the appropriate differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the PBMCs for the HCC. Methods. The comprehensive transcriptome of extracted RNA of PBMC (n = 20) from patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB), liver cirrhosis, and early stage of HCC (5 samples per group) was carried out using RNA-sequencing. All raw RNA-sequencing data analyses were performed using conventional RNA-sequencing analysis tools. Next, gene ontology (GO) analyses were carried out to elucidate the biological processes of DEGs. Finally, relative transcript abundance of selected DEGs was verified using qRT-PCR on additional validation groups. Results. Specifically, 13, 1262, and 1450 DEGs were identified for CHB, liver cirrhosis, and HCC, when compared with the healthy controls. GO enrichment analysis indicated that HCC is closely related to the immune response. Seven DEGs (TYMP, TYROBP, CD14, TGFBI, LILRA2, GNLY, and GZMB) were common to HCC, cirrhosis, and CHB when compared to healthy controls. The data revealed that the expressions of these 7 DEGs were consistent with those from the RNA-sequencing results. Also, the expressions of 7 representative genes that had higher sensitivity were obtained by receiver operating characteristic analysis, which indicated their important diagnostic accuracy for HBV-HCC. Conclusion. This study provides us with new horizons into the biological process and potential prospective clinical diagnosis and prognosis of HCC in the near future.

Tissue engineering has tried for decades to introduce scaffolds to replace the body's natural ECM, to replace damaged tissues that cannot be repaired or treated by conventional methods. In the present study, an attempt has been made to use human placental extract (PE) as a natural material to modify and simulate an electrospun Polycaprolactone (PCL) scaffold to the natural ECM. PCL and PCL-PE nanofibers were characterized morphologically, and their non-toxicity was also investigated. After that, their osteo-supportive capacities were also investigated by culture of the Wharton's jelly (WJ) derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) on the scaffolds. SEM results demonstrated that PCL and PCL-PE scaffolds were fibrous with nanometer size, bead free and smooth, and these characteristics were not changed significantly while PCL nanofibers coated with PE. In addition, SEM results were also confirmed these scaffold's nano-toxicity when WJ-MSCs properly attached, proliferated and expanded on the surface of scaffolds. Osteo-supportive capacity of the PCL and PCL-PE scaffolds was investigated via ALP activity, calcium content and bone-related gene expression in the WJ-MSCs when grown on the PCL and PCL-PE scaffolds and TCPS and TCPS-PE as controls. The results demonstrated that all bone related markers were significantly increased at the presence of the PE. In addition, this increase was significantly enhanced when PE combined with PCL nanofiber structure. According to the results, PCL-PE nanofibrous scaffold showed that it has a very high ability to support bone differentiation and can be introduced as a suitable candidate for use in bone tissue engineering.