bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Phase Ib study of durvalumab (MEDI4736) in combination with carbon-ion radiotherapy and weekly cisplatin for patients with locally advanced cervical cancer (DECISION study): study protocol for a prospective open-label single-arm study
Authors: Okonogi Noriyuki , Usui Hirokazu , Murata Kazutoshi , Hori Makoto , Kurokawa Tomoya , Fujiwara Tadami , Fujii Yasuhisa , Hanawa Michiko , Kawasaki Yohei , Hattori Yoko , Suzuki Kazuko , Tsuyuki Kyoko , Wakatsuki Masaru , Hasegawa Sumitaka , Yamada Shigeru , Hanaoka Hideki , Shozu Makio , Tsuji Hiroshi
Published: March 2022

Introduction

Concurrent chemoradiotherapy is considered the standard treatment strategy for locally advanced cervical cancer. Most recent reports indicate that patients with bulky tumours or adenocarcinoma subtypes have poorer local control. Carbon-ion radiotherapy (CIRT) with the concurrent use of chemotherapy has shown promising results in such cases of difficult-to-treat uterine cervical cancer. Programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) upregulation was observed in tumour tissue samples from patients who had undergone CIRT. Thus, a combination of CIRT and anti-PD-L1 antibody may suppress metastasis by activating antitumour immune response, in addition to exhibiting strong local effects.

Objective

We will assess the safety and tolerability (primary endpoint) of the concomitant use of durvalumab, an anti-PD-L1 antibody, with CIRT and weekly cisplatin for locally advanced cervical cancer.

Methods and analysis

This study is a non-randomised, open-label, prospective phase 1b study. Up to 10 patients with histologically proven uterine cervical cancer at stage IIB, IIIA, IIIB, IIIC1 or IVA as per International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (2018) staging will be enrolled. All patients will receive CIRT of 74.4 Gy relative biological effectiveness in 20 fractions over 5 weeks (four fractions per week). Weekly cisplatin at a dose of 40 mg/m2will be administrated up to five times. Durvalumab at a dose of 1500 mg/body will be administrated at weeks 2 and 6. Safety and tolerability will be evaluated based on the frequency of dose-limiting toxicities until 92 days after CIRT starts. Patients will be followed-up strictly as per the scheduled protocol for 1 year after CIRT initiation.

Ethics and dissemination

The Human Research Ethics Committees of QST Hospital (#C21-002) and Chiba University (#2021006) have approved this study protocol. The findings will be published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at scientific conferences.

Trial registration number

Japan Registry of Clinical Trials (jRCT2031210083), registered on 12 May 2021.
Ontario COVID-19 and Kids Mental Health Study: a study protocol for the longitudinal prospective evaluation of the impact of emergency measures on child and adolescent mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Korczak Daphne J , Cost Katherine T , LaForge-MacKenzie Kaitlyn , Anagnostou Evdokia , Birken Catherine S , Charach Alice , Monga Suneeta , Crosbie Jennifer
Published: March 2022

Introduction

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the mental health (MH) of children, adolescents and parents. Whereas youth with MH disorders and neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD) may be at higher risk for exacerbations in emotional and behavioural distress, children and adolescents without pre-existing MH disorders or NDD may also experience MH deterioration due to increases in stress, changes in health behaviours, loss of activities/school closures or loss of resources. Little is known about the impact of the COVID-19 emergency measures (EMs) on children’s MH over the course of the pandemic.

Methods and analysis

Longitudinal study of four well-established, pre-existing cohorts in Ontario (two recruited in clinical settings, two recruited in community settings). Primary outcomes include the impact of EMs on six MH domains: depression, anxiety, irritability, inattention, hyperactivity and obsessive–compulsive behaviours. Risk and protective factors related to youth MH profiles and trajectories will be identified. In addition, the effects of school mitigation strategies, changes in MH services and family factors (ie, parental MH, economic deprivation and family functioning) on children’s MH will be examined. Data will be collected via repeated online survey measures selected to ensure reliability and validity for the proposed populations and distributed through the pandemic periods.

Ethics and dissemination

The study was approved by institutional research ethics boards at participating research sites. Results will be disseminated through a robust knowledge translation partnership with key knowledge users. Materials to inform public awareness will be co-developed with educators, public health, and MH and health service providers. Connections with professional associations and MH advocacy groups will be leveraged to support youth MH policy in relation to EMs. Findings will further be shared through conference presentations, peer-reviewed journals and open-access publications.
Study protocol for a double-blind, comparative, randomised Japanese trial of triplet standard antiemetic therapies with or without 5 mg olanzapine to prevent chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting for patients with breast cancer treated with an anthracycline/cyclophosphamide regimen (JTOP-B)
Authors: Ozeki Rie , Iihara Hirotoshi , Shimokawa Mototsugu , Hashimoto Hironobu , Abe Masakazu , Mukohara Toru , Bando Hiroko , Hayashi Toshinobu , Kawazoe Hitoshi , Komoda Masayo , Yanai Takahashi Takako , Saito Mitsue
Published: March 2022

Introduction

Triple antiemetic therapy with neurokinin-1 receptor antagonist, 5-hydroxytryptamine type 3 receptor antagonist, and dexamethasone has been widely recommended for high emetogenic chemotherapeutic (HEC) agents and regimens, including anthracycline combined with cyclophosphamide (AC). The addition of olanzapine (OLZ) 5 mg or 10 mg to the recommended triple antiemetic therapy has demonstrated superiority in antiemetic efficacy compared with the standard triplet therapy for a cisplatin-based HEC regimen. Although OLZ plus the triple antiemetic treatment may also be effective for patients on an AC-based HEC regimen, no study has investigated its efficacy at a lower dose of 5 mg.

Methods and analysis

To assess whether 5 mg OLZ, as compared with placebo, in combination with triple combination therapy, significantly improves nausea and vomiting, we are conducting a randomised, parallel-group controlled clinical trial with a total of 500 patients at 15 study centres in Japan. The primary outcome is the complete response rate, defined as no emetic episodes and no use of rescue medication during 120 hours after the initiation of chemotherapy. Treatment group comparison for the primary endpoint will be done by using the Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel test.

Ethics and dissemination

The study was approved by the institutional review board of Juntendo University Hospital and relevant approval was obtained from all participating centres. All participants will be required to provide written informed consent. The trial results will be reported at conferences and in peer-reviewed journals.

Trial registration number

Japan Registry of Clinical Trials (jRCT) jRCT1031200134; protocol date: 30 July 2020, version: 1.3, approval: 25 August 2020.
Bayesian analysis of amiodarone or lidocaine versus placebo for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest
Authors: Lane Daniel J , Grunau Brian , Kudenchuk Peter , Dorian Paul , Wang Henry E , Daya Mohamud R , Lupton Joshua , Vaillancourt Christian , Okubo Masashi , Davis Daniel , Rea Thomas , Yannopoulos Demetris , Christenson Jim , Scheuermeyer Frank
Published: March 2022

Objective

Clinical trials for patients with shock-refractory out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA), including the Amiodarone, Lidocaine or Placebo (ALPS) trial, have been unable to demonstrate definitive benefit after treatment with antiarrhythmic drugs. A Bayesian approach, combining the available evidence, may yield additional insights.

Methods

We conducted a reanalysis of the ALPS trial comparing treatment with amiodarone or lidocaine with placebo in patients with OHCA following shock-refractory ventricular fibrillation or ventricular tachycardia (VF/VT). We used Bayesian regression to assess the probability of improved survival or improved neurological outcome on the 7-point modified Rankin Scale. We derived weak, moderate and strong priors from a previous clinical trial.

Results

The original ALPS trial randomised 3026 adult patients with OHCA to amiodarone (n=974, survival to hospital discharge 24.4%), lidocaine, (n=993, survival 23.7%) or placebo (n=1059, survival 21.0%). In our reanalysis the probability of improved survival from amiodarone ranged from 83% (strong prior) to 95% (weak prior) compared with placebo and from 78% (strong) to 90% (weak) for lidocaine—an estimated improvement in survival of 2.9% (IQR 1.4%–3.8%) for amiodarone and 1.7% (IQR 0.84%–3.2%) for lidocaine over placebo (moderate prior). The probability of improved neurological outcome from amiodarone ranged from 96% (weak) to 99% (strong) compared with placebo and from 88% (weak) to 96% (strong) for lidocaine.

Conclusions

In a Bayesian reanalysis of patients with shock-resistant VF/VT OHCA, treatment with amiodarone had high probabilities of improved survival and neurological outcome, while treatment with lidocaine had a more modest benefit.
Cumulative impacts of a gravel road and climate change in an ice-wedge-polygon landscape, Prudhoe Bay, Alaska
Authors: Walker Donald A. , Raynolds Martha K. , Kanevskiy Mikhail Z. , Shur Yuri S. , Romanovsky Vladimir E. , Jones Benjamin M. , Buchhorn Marcel , Jorgenson M. Torre , Šibík Jozef , Breen Amy L. , Kade Anja , Watson-Cook Emily , Matyshak Georgy , Bergstedt Helena , Liljedahl Anna K. , Daanen Ronald P. , Connor Billy , Nicolsky Dmitry , Peirce Jana L.
Published: March 2022

Environmental impact assessments for new Arctic infrastructure do not adequately consider the likely long-term cumulative effects of climate change and infrastructure to landforms and vegetation in areas with ice-rich permafrost, due in part to lack of long-term environmental studies that monitor changes after the infrastructure is built. This case study examines long-term (1949–2020) climate- and road-related changes in a network of ice-wedge polygons, Prudhoe Bay Oilfield, Alaska. We studied four trajectories of change along a heavily traveled road and a relatively remote site. During 20 years prior to the oilfield development, the climate and landscapes changed very little. During 50 years after development, climate-related changes included increased numbers of thermokarst ponds, changes to ice-wedge-polygon morphology, snow distribution, thaw depths, dominant vegetation types, and shrub abundance. Road dust strongly affected plant-community structure and composition, particularly small forbs, mosses, and lichens. Flooding increased permafrost degradation, polygon center-trough elevation contrasts, and vegetation productivity. It was not possible to isolate infrastructure impacts from climate impacts, but the combined datasets provide unique insights into the rate and extent of ecological disturbances associated with infrastructure-affected landscapes under decades of climate warming. We conclude with recommendations for future cumulative impact assessments in areas with ice-rich permafrost.
A comparison of soybean maturity groups for phenology, seed yield, and seed quality components between eastern Ontario and southern Manitoba
Authors: Ort N.W.W. , Morrison M.J. , Cober E.R. , McAndrew D. , Lawley Y.E.
Published: March 2022

The expansion of soybean [ Glycine max (L.) Merr.] production onto the Canadian Prairies has resulted in new environmental constraints that affect soybean phenology, seed yield, and seed quality. This study examined these factors for 10 soybean cultivars differing in maturity group (MG) rating from 000.9 to 1.3 in southern Manitoba (MB) and eastern Ontario (ON). Detailed climate and phenological data collected at both locations were used to explore the environmental factors and differences in measurements among MG and between locations. In MB, more time was spent in vegetative growth and less time developing flowers and seeds than in ON. The longer vegetative growth stage in MB resulted in more leaves produced on the main stem at flowering than in ON. The leaf appearance rate was consistent between locations and the rate of phenological development in the vegetative stage was greater in ON because of its warmer mean temperature and shorter photoperiod. In MB, seed yield was positively correlated with precipitation in all growth stages and had a strong correlation with precipitation during reproductive development. In ON, increasingly warmer temperatures during reproductive development had the greatest influence on seed yield, particularly in the seed development stage. This study is a baseline for soybean phenology, seed yield, and seed quality components for early MG and will aid in the optimization of soybean breeding and production in the Canadian Prairies.
Optimizing manganese and iron delivery for contrasting cultivars of subirrigated greenhouse-grown pot chrysanthemums
Authors: Donetz Alyna J. , Flaherty Edward J. , Teeter-Wood Katherine , Hoover Gordon J. , Dayboll Chevonne , Shelp Barry J.
Published: March 2022

Excessive fertilizer use in greenhouse floricultural operations results in low-nutrient use efficiency by plants and poses environmental risk. Here, we optimized the usage of fertilizer manganese (Mn) and iron (Fe) by modern cultivars of subirrigated pot chrysanthemum. Mn and Fe (approximately 100% to 6% of industry standards) were provided in an otherwise balanced nutrient solution during vegetative growth, and all nutrients were removed during reproductive growth. Two experiments were conducted for each nutrient in a naturally lit research greenhouse using a split-plot design with four blocks arranged randomly. Mn (5.00–0.3125 µmol L−1) or Fe (10.56–0.66 µmol L−1) was the main plot and cultivar (“Milton Dark Pink”, “Williamsburg Purple”, and “Olympia White”) was the subplot. The cultivars exhibited contrasting phenotypes. However, any treatment effects on plant yield and inflorescence development and quality were minor, so that Mn or Fe use efficiency increased approximately 16-fold with decreasing supply. Even though leaf Mn, zinc, and calcium levels were occasionally correlated inversely with decreasing Fe delivery, the leaf Mn (44.8–121.8 mg kg−1) and Fe (68.5–121.8 mg kg−1) levels were always considered acceptable. These findings contribute to the development of a low-input practice that would improve the sustainability of floricultural crop production.
Performance increase of wave energy harvesting of a guided point absorber
Authors: Hollm Marten , Dostal Leo , Yurchenko Daniil , Seifried Robert
Published: March 2022

The dynamics of a novel wave energy converter based on a guided inclined point absorber are investigated. Thereby, it is studied through simulations and experiments whether different inclination angles of the guided point absorber lead to larger motion amplitudes and velocities in regular and irregular waves, from which energy can be harvested. For that, different simulations and experimental setups are analyzed in the presence of wave forcing. In the case of irregular waves a random non-white Gaussian stochastic process based on a sea spectrum is used. It is shown that the inclination angle has a significant influence on the energy harvesting output. Based on this insight, a simple control strategy is introduced in order to further increase the energy harvesting output.
Neutrino mass and lepton flavor violation in A4-based left–right symmetric model with linear seesaw
Authors: Sahu Purushottam , Patra Sudhanwa , Pritimita Prativa
Published: March 2022

We explore an [Formula: see text] flavor-based left–right symmetric model where neutrino masses and mixing are explained through linear seesaw mechanism. Taking [Formula: see text] flavor symmetry and left–right gauge symmetry together and adding a low-scale seesaw mechanism gives the advantage of (a) getting diagonal structures for both charged lepton mass matrix and Dirac neutrino mass matrix, (b) simpler relations among neutrino observables in the model and (c) large light-heavy neutrino mixing which gives dominant contributions to various lepton flavor violating decays like [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text]. By saturating the experimental bounds on these decays we derive constraints on input model parameters and study analytically as well as numerically the correlation among model parameters and their dependence on experimentally determined neutrino parameters like [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text]. We also study CP-violation via Jarlskog invariants and show extra contributions to CP-violating effects that the model generates due to unitarity violation in the neutrino sector.
Google Earth-aided visualization and interpretation of geochemical survey data
Authors: Zuo Renguang , Yin Bojun
Published: March 2022

Geochemical prospecting is an important and effective approach for discovering mineral deposits. Collection, management, visualization, interpretation, modelling and publishing of geochemical survey data remain challenging. The main aim of this study is to illustrate the application of Google Earth in the visualization and interpretation of geochemical survey data using a dataset collected from the Daqiao district, Gansu Province, China. Google Earth, a free web-based program that provides a rich set of global images along with satellite and map data, can be applied to design geochemical sampling strategies, display geochemical sampling location landscapes, collect and manage geochemical survey data, visualize and publish 0D (point), 1D (profile), 2D (raster map) and 3D (superposition of multiple maps) geochemical maps, and interpret and model geochemical patterns using various Google Earth functions and the Keyhole Markup Language.

Thematic collection:
This article is part of the Applications of Innovations in Geochemical Data Analysis collection available at:
https://www.lyellcollection.org/cc/applications-of-innovations-in-geochemical-data-analysis
OpenQASM 3: A Broader and Deeper Quantum Assembly Language
Authors: Cross Andrew , Javadi-Abhari Ali , Alexander Thomas , De Beaudrap Niel , Bishop Lev S. , Heidel Steven , Ryan Colm A. , Sivarajah Prasahnt , Smolin John , Gambetta Jay M. , Johnson Blake R.
Published: March 2022

Quantum assembly languages are machine-independent languages that traditionally describe quantum computation in the circuit model. Open quantum assembly language (OpenQASM 2) was proposed as an imperative programming language for quantum circuits based on earlier QASM dialects. In principle, any quantum computation could be described using OpenQASM 2, but there is a need to describe a broader set of circuits beyond the language of qubits and gates. By examining interactive use cases, we recognize two different timescales of quantum-classical interactions: real-time classical computations that must be performed within the coherence times of the qubits, and near-time computations with less stringent timing. Since the near-time domain is adequately described by existing programming frameworks, we choose in OpenQASM 3 to focus on the real-time domain, which must be more tightly coupled to the execution of quantum operations. We add support for arbitrary control flow as well as calling external classical functions. In addition, we recognize the need to describe circuits at multiple levels of specificity, and therefore we extend the language to include timing, pulse control, and gate modifiers. These new language features create a multi-level intermediate representation for circuit development and optimization, as well as control sequence implementation for calibration, characterization, and error mitigation.
AIGuide: Augmented Reality Hand Guidance in a Visual Prosthetic
Authors: Lee Sooyeon , Aldas Nelson Daniel Troncoso , Lee Chonghan , Rosson Mary Beth , Carroll John M. , Narayanan Vijaykrishnan
Published: March 2022

Locating and grasping objects is a critical task in people’s daily lives. For people with visual impairments, this task can be a daily struggle. The support of augmented reality frameworks in smartphones can overcome the limitations of current object detection applications designed for people with visual impairments. We present AIGuide, a self-contained smartphone application that leverages augmented reality technology to help users locate and pick up objects around them. We conducted a user study to investigate the effectiveness of AIGuide in a visual prosthetic for providing guidance; compare it to other assistive technology form factors; investigate the use of multimodal feedback, and provide feedback about the overall experience. We gathered performance data and participants’ reactions and analyzed videos to understand users’ interactions with the nonvisual smartphone user interface. Our results show that AIGuide is a promising technology to help people with visual impairments locate and acquire objects in their daily routine. The benefits of AIGuide may be enhanced with appropriate interaction design.
Editors’ Choice—A Fruitful Transition of John B. Goodenough from Oxford to the University of Texas at Austin
Authors: Manthiram Arumugam
Published: March 2022

It is a privilege for me to write this brief perspective on the transition of John B. Goodenough from Oxford to the University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin). While most people will tend to retire, Goodenough transitioned to UT Austin at the age of 64 in 1986 and has been making phenomenal contributions during the past 35 years, with a genuine passion for science and profound impact on the society at large. To highlight a few, the contributions at UT Austin include the following: chemistry and physics of high-temperature copper oxide superconductors; battery electrodes and electrolytes, including polyanion family of oxide cathodes, niobium titanium oxide anode, and Prussian Blue cathode; alkali-metal plating/stripping; solid-state batteries; flow batteries; oxygen reduction/evolution reaction catalysts; and solid oxide fuel cell electrodes and electrolytes. Finally, what distinguishes Goodenough more than anything else is his unique personal attributes.
Albumin Protein Adsorption on CoCrMo Implant Alloy: Impact on the Corrosion Behaviour at Localized Scale
Authors: Rahimi Ehsan , Offoiach Ruben , Baert Kitty , Terryn Herman , Fedrizzi Lorenzo , Lekka Maria
Published: March 2022

The protein adsorption and both its conformational arrangements and electrochemical interactions on the surface of metallic biomaterials has an immense impact on corrosion/biodegradation and biocompatibility of implantable metals. In this study, we used scanning Kelvin probe force microscopy (SKPFM) to reveal the synergistic effect of various bovine serum albumin (BSA) concentrations and overpotential conditions on BSA protein adsorption mechanisms and its influence on the corrosion behaviour of the CoCrMo alloy in phosphate-buffered saline solution. Electrochemical measurements showed that CoCrMo alloy was more resistant to corrosion in the 2 g l−1BSA protein medium than in the 0.5 g l−1one. The SKPFM analysis revealed a lower surface potential on the regions where BSA was adsorbed forming clusters, than on the un-covered CoCrMo substrate. When the surface overpotential and the protein concentration were increased from the OCP to +300 mV vs Ag/AgCl and from 0.5 to 2 g l−1, respectively, on both protein covering and surface potential were increased. Field emission scanning electron microscopy indicated that localized corrosion eventually occurred at the BSA protein/substrate interface owing to the adsorption of counterions and the difference between the surface potential values.
SPOCK1 with unexpected function. The start of a new career
Authors: Váncza Lórand , Tátrai Péter , Reszegi Andrea , Baghy Kornélia , Kovalszky Ilona
Published: March 2022

SPOCK1, 2, and 3 are considered matricellular proteoglycans without a structural role. Their functions are only partly elucidated. SPOCK1 was detected in the brain as a member of the neural synapses, then in the neuromuscular junctions. It plays a role in the regulation of the blood-brain barrier. Its best-characterized activity was its oncogenic potential discovered in 2012. Its deleterious effect on tumor progression was detected on 36 different types of tumors by the end of 2020. However, its mode of action is still not completely understood. Furthermore, even less was discovered about its physiological function. The fact that it was found to localize in the mitochondria and interfered with the lipid metabolism indicated that the full discovery of SPOCK1 is still waiting for us.
The function of glypicans in the mammalian embryo
Authors: Filmus Jorge
Published: March 2022

Glypicans are proteoglycans that are bound to the outer surface of the plasma membrane by a glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchor. The mammalian genome contains six members of the glypican family ( GPC1 to GPC6). Although the degree of sequence homology within the family is rather low, the three-dimensional structure of these proteoglycans is highly conserved. Glypicans are predominantly expressed during embryonic development. Genetic and biochemical studies have shown that glypicans can stimulate or inhibit the signaling pathways triggered by Wnts, hedgehogs, fibroblast growth factors, and bone morphogenetic proteins. The study of mutant mouse strains demonstrated that glypicans have important functions in the developmental morphogenesis of various organs. In addition, a role of glypicans in synapsis formation has been established. Notably, glypican loss-of-function mutations are the cause of three human inherited syndromes. Recent analysis of glypican compound mutant mice has demonstrated that members of this protein family display redundant functions during embryonic development.
Long noncoding RNAs in induced pluripotent stem cells and their differentiation
Authors: Ilieva Mirolyuba , Uchida Shizuka
Published: March 2022

The breakthrough technology for reprogramming somatic cells into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) has created a new path for science and medicine. The iPSC technology provides a powerful tool for elucidating the mechanisms of cellular differentiation and cell fate decision as well as to study targets and pathways relevant to pathological processes. As they can be generated from any person, iPSCs are a promising resource for regenerative medicine potentiating the possibility to discover new drugs in a high-throughput screening format and treat diseases through personalized cell therapy-based strategies. However, the reprogramming process is complex, and its regulation needs fine tuning. The regulatory mechanisms of cell reprogramming and differentiation are still not elucidated, but significant results show that multiple long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play essential roles. In this mini-review, we discuss the latest research on lncRNAs in iPSC stemness, neuronal, and cardiac differentiation.
Evidence for basic units of upper limb muscle synergies underlying a variety of complex human manipulations
Authors: Saito Hiroki , Yokoyama Hikaru , Sasaki Atsushi , Kato Tatsuya , Nakazawa Kimitaka
Published: March 2022

We expanded upon experiments that investigated motor modularity in upper limb movements in humans. The identification of modular features, including distinct functional muscle weightings, during highly variable manipulation tasks supports a hypothetical neural mechanism in which the CNS combines preexisting basic patterns of muscle synergies rather than framing new patterns to deal with behavioral diversity in the upper limb.
Predicting Prognostic Effects of Acupuncture for Depression Using the Electroencephalogram
Authors: Fan Xiaomao , Huang Xingxian , Zhao Yang , Wang Lin , Yu Haibo , Zhao Gansen
Published: March 2022

Depression is considered to be a major public health problem with significant implications for individuals and society. Patients with depression can be with complementary therapies such as acupuncture. Predicting the prognostic effects of acupuncture has a big significance in helping physicians make early interventions for patients with depression and avoid malignant events. In this work, a novel framework of predicting prognostic effects of acupuncture for depression based on electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings is presented. Specifically, EEG, as a widely used measurement to evaluate the therapeutic effects of acupuncture, is utilized for predicting prognostic effects of acupuncture. Max-relevance and min-redundancy (mRMR), with merits of removing redundant information among selected features and remaining high relevance between selected features and response variable, is employed to select important lead-rhythm features extracted from EEG recordings. Then, according to the subject Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD) scores before and after acupuncture for eight weeks, the reduction rate of HAMD score is calculated as a measure of the prognostic effects of acupuncture. Finally, five widely used machine learning methods are utilized for building the predicting models of prognostic effects of acupuncture for depression. Experimental results show that nonlinear machine learning methods have better performance than linear ones on predicting prognostic effects of acupuncture using EEG recordings. Especially, the support vector machine with Gaussian kernel (SVM-RBF) can achieve the best and most stable performance using the mRMR with both evaluating criteria of FCD and FCQ for feature selection. Both mRMR-FCD and mRMR-FCQ obtain the same best performance, where the accuracy and

F

1

score are 84.61% and 86.67%, respectively. Moreover, lead-rhythm features selected by mRMR-FCD and mRMR-FCQ are analyzed. The top seven selected lead-rhythm features have much higher mRMR evaluating scores, which guarantee the good predicting performance for machine learning methods to some degree. The presented framework in this work is effective in predicting the prognostic effects of acupuncture for depression. It can be integrated into an intelligent medical system and provide information on the prognostic effects of acupuncture for physicians. Informed prognostic effects of acupuncture for depression in advance and taking interventions can greatly reduce the risk of malignant events for patients with mental disorders.
Influence of Treated Wastewater on the Percentage of Protein Content during Fodder Intercropping
Authors: Houshia Orwa , Al-Rimawi Fuad , Zaid Oday , Zaid Motasem , Imoor Jaber , Casey Rami , Daraghmeh Harbi
Published: March 2022

This study aims to explore the potential use of treated wastewater in irrigating fodder crops and its effects on protein contents. A comparison of the protein contents in intercropped fodder plants irrigated with fresh water, and rainfall water, against those irrigated with treated grey water was performed under Palestinian climate conditions. Field experiments with different intercropping mixing ratios were carried out in 2017–2019 at the National Agricultural Research Centre in Palestine (NARC). Measurements of the nutritional value of each mixture specifically the protein contents were carried out to get the optimal and best conditions for preparing animal feed crops with three different water sources used. For alfalfa with vetch, the best result for protein percentages was (on average) obtained from the rain-fed experiment (17.1% protein) followed by the freshwater experiment (12.9% protein) and then by the treated grey-water experiment (12.6% protein). It appears that the best result for alfalfa with barley for protein percentages was (on average) obtained from the treated grey-water experiment (13.0% protein) followed by the freshwater experiment (11.1% protein) and then by the rain-fed experiment (10.5% protein). Statistical analysis of the data showed that percent protein for each specific mixing ratio resulted in significant differences in the protein % for the those irrigated with fresh water compared with the other types of water. The highest protein % was found to be for that irrigated with fresh water (31.9 for 10/90 alfalfa/barley ratio) followed by that irrigated with treated grey water (28.4 for 20/80 alfalfa/barley ratio) and then for the 30/70 ratio irrigated with treated wastewater (22.5%), and then for the 100/0 ratio of alfalfa/barley irrigated with rainwater (19.0). Overall, results of this study showed that cereal-legume intercropping irrigated with treated grey water can be used as a suitable management strategy for producing high-quality and high-quantity forage. Furthermore, the use of treated water can reduce the already strained demand on fresh water due to increase in population among other factors.
Unsteady MHD Flow for Fractional Casson Channel Fluid in a Porous Medium: An Application of the Caputo-Fabrizio Time-Fractional Derivative
Authors: Sunthrayuth Pongsakorn , Alderremy A. A. , Ghani Fazal , Tchalla Ayékotan M. J. , Aly Shaban , Elmasry Yasser
Published: March 2022

Theoretically, this work describes the exact solutions of fractional Casson fluid through a channel under the effect of MHD and porous medium. The unsteady fluid motion of the bottom plate, which is confined by parallel but perpendicular sidewalls, supports the flow. By introducing the dimensionless parameters and variables, the momentum equation, as well as the initial and boundary conditions, has been transformed to a dimensionless form. A mix of Laplace and Fourier transformations is used to get the exact solution for the momentum equation. The constitutive equations for Caputo-Fabrizio’s time-fractional derivative are also incorporated for recovering the exact solutions of the flow problem under consideration. After recovering the exact solutions for flow characteristics, three different cases at the surface of the bottom plate are discussed, by addressing the limiting cases under the influence of the side walls. Moreover, these solutions are captured graphically, and the effects of the Reynolds number

Re

, fractional parameter

α

, effective permeability

K

eff

, and dimensionless parameter for Casson fluid

β

on the fluid’s motion are observed.
Effects of Vitexin, a Natural Flavonoid Glycoside, on the Proliferation, Invasion, and Apoptosis of Human U251 Glioblastoma Cells
Authors: Huang Jinxiang , Zhou Yini , Zhong Xinzhu , Su Fulai , Xu Luning
Published: March 2022

Glioblastoma is a highly aggressive brain tumor characterized by high recurrence and poor prognosis. Vitexin has shown activities against esophageal, liver, lung, colorectal, and ovarian cancers; however, there is little knowledge on the activity of vitexin against glioblastoma. This study was therefore designed with aims to examine the effects of vitexin on proliferation, invasion, and apoptosis of human U251 glioblastoma cells and explore the underlying molecular mechanisms using mRNA sequencing and molecular docking. Vitexin was found to inhibit cell proliferation, colony formation, and invasion and promote apoptosis in U251 cells. mRNA sequencing identified 499 differentially expressed genes in vitexin-treated U251 cells relative to controls, including 154 upregulated genes and 345 downregulated genes. Gene ontology (GO) term enrichment analysis revealed that the upregulated genes were most significantly enriched in intrinsic apoptotic signaling pathway and the downregulated genes were most significantly enriched in positive regulation of cell development and positive regulation of locomotion relating to biological processes, endoplasmic reticulum lumen and side of membrane relating to cellular components, and receptor ligand activity and receptor regulator activity relating to molecular functions. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis revealed that the upregulated genes were involved in the pathways of transcriptional misregulation in cancer and the downregulated genes were involved in FoxO and JAK/STAT signaling pathways. Western blotting assay revealed that vitexin treatment resulted in reduced p-JAK1, p-JAK3, and p-STAT3 protein expression in U251 cells relative to untreated controls, and molecular docking predicted that vitexin had docking scores of –8.8, –10.8, and –10.5 kJ/mol with STAT3, JAK1, and JAK2, respectively. The results of the present study demonstrate that vitexin inhibits the proliferation and invasion and induces the apoptosis of glioblastoma U251 cells through suppressing the JAK/STAT3 signaling pathway, and vitexin may be a promising potential agent for the chemotherapy of glioblastoma.
Euglycemic Diabetic Ketoacidosis after Discontinuing SGLT2 Inhibitor
Authors: Alhemeiri Mohamed , Alseddeeqi Eiman
Published: March 2022

Background. Sodium glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors have been proven to be very effective in the management of type II diabetes. These medications can cause adverse drug reactions such as genital mycotic infections. Another critical adverse drug reaction is euglycemic diabetic ketoacidosis (EDKA) under the setting of other contributing risk factors for developing diabetic ketoacidosis. Case Presentation. We report a case of a 45-year-old gentleman with type 2 diabetes mellitus on empagliflozin, metformin, and glimepiride who presented with abdominal pain, fatigue, and vomiting. Of note, he started a ketogenic diet three days before his presentation and self-stopped his antidiabetic medications two days before his presentation. The patient was found to have euglycemic diabetic ketoacidosis and was treated as per the protocol. He was discharged on metformin and pioglitazone. Two weeks following discharge, canagliflozin was added. Conclusion. Euglycemic diabetic ketoacidosis could still be precipitated despite discontinuation of SGLT2I under a ketogenic diet. Discussion related to the initiation of a ketogenic diet should occur between the care provider and the patient.
Research Trends on Pillared Interlayered Clays (PILCs) Used as Catalysts in Environmental and Chemical Processes: Bibliometric Analysis
Authors: Macías-Quiroga Iván F. , Rengifo-Herrera Julián A. , Arredondo-López Sandra M. , Marín-Flórez Alexander , Sanabria-González Nancy R.
Published: March 2022

Over the last four decades, a large number of studies have been published on pillared interlayered clays (PILCs) used as adsorbent materials and catalysts or supports for transition metals in heterogeneous catalysis. Particularly, PILCs have been used for water treatment through advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) to remove organic pollutants. They have also been studied in various chemical and environmental processes. Because of the growing interest in PILCs, this article is focused on analyzing scientific publications such as research/review articles and book chapters from the last four decades (from 1980 to 2019) through a bibliometric analysis (BA) to visualize and describe research trends on PILCs. By narrowing the bibliographic search to titles, keywords, and abstracts of publications related to PILCs, using Scopus and Web of Science (WoS) (the two scientific databases), a total of 3425 documents have been retrieved. The bibliometric dataset was analyzed by VantagePoint®. The main research trends identified in the last four decades were the use of PILCs in environmental processes (34.4% of total publications) along with chemical processes (petrochemical reactions 17.5%, SCR NOx 10.8%, and decomposition 8.2%). In environmental processes, PILCs have been used in photo-oxidation (32%), CWPO (21.1%), and heterogeneous catalysis (19.4%). Phenols, dyes, and VOCs have been the main pollutants studied using PILCs as catalysts. Fe, Ti, Zr, Cu, and Co are the most supported active phases in PILCs. Other research trends grouped by characterization techniques, countries, research areas, institutes, scientific journals that have published the most on this topic, number of publications per 5-year period, and most frequently used keywords through the last four decades have been identified. It was determined that the number of publications on PILCs has increased since 1980 and the countries with the highest number of publications are China, Spain, and The United States of America.
Acacetin as a Potential Protective Compound against Cardiovascular Diseases
Authors: Wu Chunxuan , Yan Jianhua , Li Wei
Published: March 2022

Acacetin (5,7-dihydroxy-4′-methoxyflavone) is the major bioactive component of the traditional Chinese medicine “Snow lotus”. As a natural flavonoid compound, it has been shown to have good pharmacological effects such as anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and anti-obesity. Among them, its prominent role in cardiovascular diseases (CVD) has received extensive attention from scholars in recent years. In this review, the protective effects of acacetin on a variety of cardiovascular diseases, as well as the existing problems and prospects, are discussed and summarized. This review also highlights the great potential of acacetin, a natural-derived Chinese medicine, as a cardiovascular agent candidate.
Hypoxic Microenvironment-Induced Reduction in PTEN-L Secretion Promotes Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Metastasis through PI3K/AKT Pathway
Authors: Song Xuyang , He Jinxi , Shi Bingqing , Han Yuning
Published: March 2022

Objective. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of hypoxic microenvironment on PTEN-L secretion and the effects of PTEN-L on the metastasis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and the potential mechanisms. Methods. The expression levels of PTEN-L in NSCLC tissues, cells, and cell culture media were detected. The transfection of PTEN-L overexpression construct or HIF-1α-siRNAs was conducted to manipulate the expression of PTEN-L or HIF-1α. NSCLC cells were introduced into 200 μM CoCl2 medium for 72 hours under 37°C to simulate hypoxia. The proliferation and apoptosis of the A549 cells were determined by the Cell Counting Kit-8 assay and Annexin V-FITC/PI-stained flow cytometry assay, respectively. Wound healing assay and transwell invasion assay were used to measure the migration and invasion of A549 cells. The protein expression of PTEN, PTEN-L, PI3K/AKT pathway-related proteins, and HIF-1α was detected by Western blot. Results. PTEN and PTEN-L are downregulated in lung cancer tissues and cells. The protein expression of PTEN-L in the culture medium of lung cancer cell lines is decreased. The hypoxic microenvironment inhibits PTEN-L secretion. The low level of PTEN-L promotes cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, as well as inhibits apoptosis of A549 cells. The overexpression of PTEN-L attenuated the activation of the PI3K/AKT pathway by the hypoxic microenvironment. The knockdown of HIF-1α upregulates PTEN-L secretion under hypoxia. Conclusions. The hypoxic microenvironment inhibits PTEN-L secretion and thus activates PI3K/AKT pathway to induce proliferation, migration, and invasion promotion, and apoptosis inhibition in NSCLC cells.
Effects of BMI1 Gene on Regulating Apoptosis, Invasion, and Migration of HEC-1B Cells Induced by Ionizing Radiation
Authors: Chen Li , Luo Wenting , Ji Peijun , Li Zhujuan , Yan Yi , Zhou Qin
Published: March 2022

The aim of this study was to examine the role of B lymphoma Moloney murine leukemia virus insertion region 1 (BMI1) gene in regulating the apoptosis, invasion, and migration of human endometrial adenocarcinoma cell line (HEC-1B) cells induced by ionizing radiation. The expression of BMI1 mRNA was detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), and the positive expression of BMI1 was detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining. HEC-1 B cells were randomly divided into three groups: control group, BMI1 overexpression group, and BMI1 inhibitor group. Cell proliferation was detected by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8); cell migration and invasion were detected by Transwell test; cell apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry; and the expression of MMP2, MMP7, MMP9, Rock1, RhoA, P53, P21, and Bax protein was detected by the western blot. The results suggested that the expression of BMI1 mRNA and tissue positive in endometrial cancer tissues was increased significantly. After ionizing radiation, compared with the control group, the proliferation, cell migration, and invasion of HEC-1B cells were increased significantly in the BMI1 overexpression group, while the proliferation, cell migration, and invasion of HEC-1B cells were decreased significantly in BMI1 inhibitor group. The apoptosis rate of BMI1 overexpression group was decreased significantly, while the BMI1 inhibitor group was increased significantly. The levels of MMP2, MMP7, MMP9, Rock1, RhoA and p53, p21, Bax protein in BMI1 overexpression group were significantly increased, while the levels of MMP2, MMP7, MMP9, Rock1, RhoA and p53, p21, Bax protein in BMI1 inhibitor group were significantly decreased. BMI1 is highly expressed in endometrial cancer tissues, and inhibiting BMI1 expression can reduce the proliferation, migration, and invasion of HEC-1B cells after ionizing radiation and promote apoptosis, which offers new insights into the clinical radiotherapy of tumors.
Deep Learning Neural Network Prediction System Enhanced with Best Window Size in Sliding Window Algorithm for Predicting Domestic Power Consumption in a Residential Building
Authors: Tomar Dimpal , Tomar Pradeep , Bhardwaj Arpit , Sinha G. R.
Published: March 2022

Buildings are considered to be one of the world’s largest consumers of energy. The productive utilization of energy will spare the accessible energy assets for the following ages. In this paper, we analyze and predict the domestic electric power consumption of a single residential building, implementing deep learning approach (LSTM and CNN). In these models, a novel feature is proposed, the “best N window size” that will focus on identifying the reliable time period in the past data, which yields an optimal prediction model for domestic energy consumption known as deep learning recurrent neural network prediction system with improved sliding window algorithm. The proposed prediction system is tuned to achieve high accuracy based on various hyperparameters. This work performs a comparative study of different variations of the deep learning model and records the best Root Mean Square Error value compared to other learning models for the benchmark energy consumption dataset.