RisQNet: Rescuing SMEs from Financial Shocks with a Novel Networked-Loan Risk Assessment

In the face of economic downturns, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) within interconnected networked-loans are vulnerable to cascading debt crises, exacerbated by factors like social media-induced financial shocks. Traditional risk assessment models, which mainly rely on financial data, inadequately predict such crises, as evidenced by the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank in 2023. To address this issue, we developed RisQNet, a model that uses temporal graph networks to incorporate diverse risks, including real-time media influences. This approach not only advances risk prediction through news feature extraction and large language models but also enhances risk management strategies with intuitive visualization tools. Validated on a dataset with a total loan volume of USD 3 trillion, RisQNet outperforms the state-of-the-art baseline and achieves 87.1% of AUC. Our collaborative effort with financial regulators and the SME community underpins the model's development, aligning with the UN SDG 8. RisQNet represents a significant step forward in leveraging AI for financial stability, offering a promising approach to combat the propagation of debt crises in financial networks

Evaluation of pharmacological and pharmacokinetic herb-drug interaction between irinotecan hydrochloride injection and Kangai injection in colorectal tumor-bearing mice and healthy rats

Introduction: Kangai (KA) injection, a Chinese herbal injection, is often used in combination with irinotecan (CPT-11) to enhance the effectiveness of anti-colorectal cancer treatment and alleviate side effects. However, the combined administration of this herb-drug pair remains controversial due to limited pre-clinical evidence and safety concerns. This study aimed to determine the pre-clinical herb-drug interactions between CPT-11 and KA injection to provide a reference for their clinical co-administration.Methods: In the pharmacological study, BALB/c mice with CT26 colorectal tumors were divided into four groups and treated with vehicle alone (0.9% saline), CPT-11 injection (100 mg/kg), KA injection (10 mL/kg), or a combination of CPT-11 and KA injection, respectively. The tumor volume of mice was monitored daily to evaluate the therapeutic effect. Daily body weight, survival rate, hematopoietic toxicity, immune organ indices, and gut toxicity were analyzed to study the adverse effects. Healthy Sprague-Dawley rats in the pharmacokinetic study were administered KA injection only (4 mL/kg), or a combination of CPT-11 injection (20 mg/kg) and KA injection, respectively. Six key components of KA injection (oxymatrine, matrine, ginsenoside Rb1, Rg1, Re, and astragaloside IV) in rat plasma samples collected within 24 h after administration were determined by LC-MS/MS.Results: The pharmacological study indicated that KA injection has the potential to enhance the anti-colorectal cancer efficacy of CPT-11 injection and alleviate the severe weight loss induced by CPT-11 injection in tumor-bearing mice. The pharmacokinetic study revealed that co-administration resulted in inhibition of oxymatrine metabolism in rats, evidenced by the significantly reduced Cmax and AUC0-t of its metabolite, matrine (p < 0.05), from 2.23 ± 0.24 to 1.38 ± 0.12 μg/mL and 8.29 ± 1.34 to 5.30 ± 0.79 μg h/mL, respectively. However, due to the similar efficacy of oxymatrine and matrine, this may not compromise the anti-cancer effect of this herb-drug pair.Discussion: This study clarified the pre-clinical pharmacology and pharmacokinetic benefits and risks of the CPT-11-KA combination and provided a reference for their clinical co-administration

Effects of cervical rotatory manipulation on the cervical spinal cord: a finite element study

Abstract Background Little information is available concerning the biomechanism involved in the spinal cord injury after cervical rotatory manipulation (CRM). The primary purpose of this study was to explore the biomechanical and kinematic effects of CRM on a healthy spinal cord. Methods A finite element (FE) model of the basilaris cranii, C1–C7 vertebral bodies, nerve root complex and vertebral canal contents was constructed and validated against in vivo and in vitro published data. The FE model simulated CRM in the flexion, extension and neutral positions. The stress distribution, forma and relative position of the spinal cord were observed. Results Lower von Mises stress was observed on the spinal cord after CRM in the flexion position. The spinal cord in CRM in the flexion and neutral positions had a lower sagittal diameter and cross-sectional area. In addition, the spinal cord was anteriorly positioned after CRM in the flexion position, while the spinal cord was posteriorly positioned after CRM in the extension and neutral positions. Conclusion CRM in the flexion position is less likely to injure the spinal cord, but caution is warranted when posterior vertebral osteophytes or disc herniations exist. </jats:sec

Tunable Bandpass FSS With Wideband Tuning and Low Insertion Loss Based on Waveguide Array

&lt;p&gt;In this paper, we present a tunable bandpass frequency-selective surface (FSS) with wide tuning range. The FSS is composed of a metallic rectangular waveguide array implanted in the double-sided printed circuit board (DSPCB) and an array of embedded varactors with bias network in the backside of the DSPCB. The waveguide array has a frequency-selective transmission peak due to tunneling effect and the transmission frequency is tuned by changing the capacitance of varactors through different bias voltages. One advantage of this configuration is that the varactors together with the bias network are designed on the same layer, which can effectively reduce the overall thickness into only 0.006λc (λc is the free-space wavelength at the highest transmission frequency). On the other hand, the insertion loss associated with the parasitic resistance of varactors is greatly decreased, owing to the novel integrated design of biasing lines with varactors and the nearly-full-metal waveguide array. A prototype is fabricated and measured, showing that by changing the varactor capacitance from 0.12 pF to 1 pF, the passband exhibits a 2.32:1 frequency tuning range from 5.8 GHz to 2.5 GHz with an insertion loss of 0.2 dB-2.6 dB. A polarization-insensitive FSS is also studied in simulations.&lt;/p&gt;</jats:p

Tunable Bandpass FSS With Wideband Tuning and Low Insertion Loss Based on Waveguide Array

&lt;p&gt;In this paper, we present a tunable bandpass frequency-selective surface (FSS) with wide tuning range. The FSS is composed of a metallic rectangular waveguide array implanted in the double-sided printed circuit board (DSPCB) and an array of embedded varactors with bias network in the backside of the DSPCB. The waveguide array has a frequency-selective transmission peak due to tunneling effect and the transmission frequency is tuned by changing the capacitance of varactors through different bias voltages. One advantage of this configuration is that the varactors together with the bias network are designed on the same layer, which can effectively reduce the overall thickness into only 0.006λc (λc is the free-space wavelength at the highest transmission frequency). On the other hand, the insertion loss associated with the parasitic resistance of varactors is greatly decreased, owing to the novel integrated design of biasing lines with varactors and the nearly-full-metal waveguide array. A prototype is fabricated and measured, showing that by changing the varactor capacitance from 0.12 pF to 1 pF, the passband exhibits a 2.32:1 frequency tuning range from 5.8 GHz to 2.5 GHz with an insertion loss of 0.2 dB-2.6 dB. A polarization-insensitive FSS is also studied in simulations.&lt;/p&gt;</jats:p