bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Abstract LB052: Melanoma-secreted amyloid beta suppresses neuroinflammation and promotes brain metastasis
Authors: Kleffman Kevin , Levinson Grace , Rose Indigo V. , Blumenberg Lili , Shadaloey Sorin A. , Dhabaria Avantika , Wong Eitan , Galán-Echevarría Francisco , Karz Alcida , Argibay Diana , Von-Itter Richard , Floristán Alfredo , Baptiste Gillian , Eskow Nicole , Tranos James , Chen Jenny , de Miera Eleazar C. Vega Saenz , Call Melissa , Rogers Robert , Jour George , Wadghiri Youssef Zaim , Osman Iman , Li Yue Ming , Mathews Paul , Demattos Ronald , Ueberheide Beatrix , Ruggles Kelly , Liddelow Shane A. , Schneider Robert J. , Hernando Eva
Published: June 2022

Brain metastasis is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in multiple cancer types and represents an unmet clinical need. The mechanisms that mediate metastatic cancer growth in the brain parenchyma are largely unknown. Melanoma, which has the highest rate of brain metastasis among common cancer types, is an ideal model to study how cancer cells adapt to the brain parenchyma. Our unbiased proteomics analysis of melanoma short-term cultures revealed that proteins implicated in neurodegenerative pathologies are differentially expressed in melanoma cells explanted from brain metastases compared to those derived from extracranial metastases. We showed that melanoma cells require amyloid beta (Aβ) for growth and survival in the brain parenchyma. Melanoma-secreted Aβ activates surrounding astrocytes to a prometastatic, anti-inflammatory phenotype and prevents phagocytosis of melanoma by microglia. Finally, we demonstrate that pharmacological inhibition of Aβ decreases brain metastatic burden. Our results reveal a novel mechanistic connection between brain metastasis and Alzheimer’s disease - two previously unrelated pathologies, establish Aβ as a promising therapeutic target for brain metastasis, and demonstrate suppression of neuroinflammation as a critical feature of metastatic adaptation to the brain parenchyma.

Citation Format: Kevin Kleffman, Grace Levinson, Indigo V. Rose, Lili Blumenberg, Sorin A. Shadaloey, Avantika Dhabaria, Eitan Wong, Francisco Galán-Echevarría, Alcida Karz, Diana Argibay, Richard Von-Itter, Alfredo Floristán, Gillian Baptiste, Nicole Eskow, James Tranos, Jenny Chen, Eleazar C. Vega Saenz de Miera, Melissa Call, Robert Rogers, George Jour, Youssef Zaim Wadghiri, Iman Osman, Yue Ming Li, Paul Mathews, Ronald Demattos, Beatrix Ueberheide, Kelly Ruggles, Shane A. Liddelow, Robert J. Schneider, Eva Hernando. Melanoma-secreted amyloid beta suppresses neuroinflammation and promotes brain metastasis [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr LB052.
Abstract LB073: Improving early career faculty research programs: Underrepresented Biomedical Researcher Scholars Program
Authors: Murray Debra , Fernbach Susan
Published: June 2022

According to the U.S. Department of Education in Fall 2018, full-time faculty in degree-granting postsecondary institutions were ~40% White males; 35% White females; 7% Asian/Pacific Islander males; 5% Asian/Pacific Islander females; and 3% each Black males, Black females, Hispanic males, and Hispanic females.1 Under-representation is one of the barriers to success for African American and Hispanic faculty. Barriers to women’s career advancement from underrepresented groups in academic medicine, science, and engineering and obtaining external research funding support for African American faculty do not occur in a vacuum and co-exist with barriers to research productivity overall.2 This data establishes the necessity of increasing representation, creating more accessible research opportunities, building networks, mentoring relationships in STEM-related fields, obtaining a diverse scientific workforce, and ensuring the success of all underrepresented in biomedical research (UBR) trainees and early career faculty. The All of Us Evenings with Genetics (AoUEwG) Research Program provides training to support Early Career Faculty and Senior Postdoctoral fellowship in cancer research. This engagement program includes Evenings With Genetics seminars, where regional and national campus audiences will be introduced to research opportunities available through the All of Us research hub; the Underrepresented Biomedical Researcher Faculty Summit UBRFS), where summit attendees will take part in using the All of Us research hub and receive data science training and professional development; and the UBRFS Scholars Program, where conference participants will receive yearlong support after the summit, including monthly multidisciplinary research team meetings, quarterly meetings, and mentor support. The AoUEwG Research Program aims to increase research productivity among UBR early career faculty and support their promotion to the next career level.

Citation Format: Debra Murray, Susan Fernbach. Improving early career faculty research programs: Underrepresented Biomedical Researcher Scholars Program [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr LB073.
Abstract LB190: Modulation of SPI1 transcriptional program contributes to the preclinical anti-tumor activity of SMARCA4/SMARCA2 ATPase inhibitors in AML
Authors: Sandoval Gabriel J. , Feldman Katharine , Topal Sal , Adam Ammar , Wu Hsin-Jung , Sappal Darshan , Soares Luis M. , Lahr David L. , Xu Lan , Vaswani Rishi G. , Muwanguzi Jordana , Huang Liyue , Piel Jessica , Collins Mike , Chan Ho Man , Thomenius Michael J. , Bellon Steven F. , Kruger Ryan G. , Decicco Carl P. , Centore Richard C. , Hentemann Martin
Published: June 2022

SPI1 (PU.1) is an ETS family transcription factor that plays a critical role in hematopoietic development and differentiation. Regulation of SPI1 expression has also been implicated in Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) oncogenesis, though its mechanism is incompletely understood. Previously we have identified and characterized a series of novel dual inhibitors of the SMARCA4/SMARCA2 ATPases (also referred to as BRG1/BRM), critical components of the BAF (mSWI/SNF) family of chromatin remodeling complexes; and FHD-286, a related SMARCA4/SMARCA2 ATPase inhibitor, is currently being explored clinically for the treatment of metastatic uveal melanoma and AML (NCT04879017 and NCT04891757). Here we show that AML cell lines are sensitive to BAF ATPase inhibition, resulting in both cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. We demonstrate that BAF ATPase inhibition primarily affects the SPI1 transcriptional profile by regulating SPI1 genomic occupancy at various enhancer elements, resulting in downregulation of key target genes. Using in vivo mouse models of AML, we demonstrate dose-dependent tumor growth inhibition and pharmacodynamic modulation of SPI1 target genes. Together, these data suggest that modulation of SPI1 function may, in part, provide a mechanistic basis for the clinical development of FHD-286 in AML.

Citation Format: Gabriel J. Sandoval, Katharine Feldman, Sal Topal, Ammar Adam, Hsin-Jung Wu, Darshan Sappal, Luis M. Soares, David L. Lahr, Lan Xu, Rishi G. Vaswani, Jordana Muwanguzi, Liyue Huang, Jessica Piel, Mike Collins, Ho Man Chan, Michael J. Thomenius, Steven F. Bellon, Ryan G. Kruger, Carl P. Decicco, Richard C. Centore, Martin Hentemann. Modulation of SPI1 transcriptional program contributes to the preclinical anti-tumor activity of SMARCA4/SMARCA2 ATPase inhibitors in AML [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr LB190.
Abstract LB536: Newly established CAR-T target antigen luciferase reporter cell lines facilitate CAR-T development
Authors: Foulke John , Fera Brian Della , Chen Luping , Tian Fang
Published: June 2022

Adoptive T cell therapy is a type of immunotherapy in which T cells are genetically modified to fight tumors. It has emerged as an exciting new approach for cancer treatment. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-T cells have displayed remarkable efficacy in treating malignant cancers, particularly liquid tumors. CAR-T cells have proven to be a new type of ’living’ therapeutic by harnessing the patients' immune system to recognize specific tumor associated antigens and redirect the engineered T cells to more specifically target tumor cells. A large number of research efforts have been put into developing new CAR structures to increase the scope of targeted cancers and anti-tumor efficacy. Evaluating the biofunction of CAR-T cells in vitro often involves a series of labor-intensive co-culture experiments and immunoassays. Reproducibility also remains a challenge during the validation of new CAR-T cells due to donor-to-donor variation and other factors. In this study, we present a panel of luciferase reporter tumor cell lines that can be utilized to examine the function of CAR-T cells. The panel of selected human tumor cell lines naturally express high levels of CAR-T target antigens on cell surface, such as CD19, CD20 and Her2. After introduction of a Lenti-LUC2 luciferase reporter into the parental cell lines, single cell cloning was performed to isolate stable clones with high luciferase expression. To verify the performance of the target Luciferase reporter cell lines, we used commercially available CAR-T cells expressing CD19, CD20, HER2 and empty vector-transduced T cells as controls in co-culture experiments. The cytotoxicity of the CAR-T cells against target tumor cells was measured using both a luciferase assay and the xCELLigence potency assay. Our results demonstrate that the luciferase reporter system is a relatively simple, robust, and highly sensitive means to measure biological processes. The luciferase reporter cell lines provide an advantage in measuring target cell killing without having to use radioactive 51Cr release assay or pre-labeling the cells in CAR-T functional evaluation. In addition, these reporter cell lines were characterized and authenticated using cell morphology, growth kinetics, and STR analysis. The expression stability of both the target antigen and luciferase was verified by comparing the low passage and the high passage reporter cells. In summary, the well-characterized CAR-T target antigen luciferase reporter cell lines from ATCC provide excellent tools for studying CAR-T biofunction and validating new CAR-T agents for cancer immunotherapy.

Citation Format: John Foulke, Brian Della Fera, Luping Chen, Fang Tian. Newly established CAR-T target antigen luciferase reporter cell lines facilitate CAR-T development [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr LB536.
Abstract LB545: Structure, dynamics and consequences of replication stress-induced structural variants in hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Bayard Quentin , Cordier Pierre , Péneau Camille , Imbeaud Sandrine , Hirsch Theo Z. , Renault Victor , Nault Jean-Charles , Blanc Jean-Frédéric , Calderaro Julien , Desdouets Chantal , Zucman-Rossi Jessica , Letouzé Eric
Published: June 2022

Oncogene activation leads to replication stress and promotes genomic instability. Here we combine optical mapping and whole genome sequencing to explore in-depth the nature of structural variants (SVs) induced by replication stress in cyclin-activated hepatocellular carcinomas (CCN-HCC). In addition to classical tandem duplications, CCN-HCC display frequent intra- and inter-chromosomal templated insertion cycles (TIC) likely resulting from template switching events. Template switching preferentially involves active topologically associated domains that are close in the 3D genome organization. Template sizes depend on the type of cyclin activation and are coordinated within each TIC. Replication stress induces continuous accumulation of SVs during CCN-HCC progression, fostering the acquisition of new driver alterations and large-scale copy-number changes at TIC borders. Together, this analysis sheds light on the mechanisms, dynamics and consequences of SV accumulation in tumors with oncogene-induced replication stress.

Citation Format: Quentin Bayard, Pierre Cordier, Camille Péneau, Sandrine Imbeaud, Theo Z. Hirsch, Victor Renault, Jean-Charles Nault, Jean-Frédéric Blanc, Julien Calderaro, Chantal Desdouets, Jessica Zucman-Rossi, Eric Letouzé. Structure, dynamics and consequences of replication stress-induced structural variants in hepatocellular carcinoma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr LB545.
Selective Internal Radiation Therapy with Yttrium-90 Resin Microspheres Followed by Gemcitabine plus Cisplatin for Unresectable Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma: A Phase 2 Single-Arm Multicenter Clinical Trial
Authors: Chan Stephen Lam , Chotipanich Chanisa , Choo Su Pin , Kwang Su Wen , Mo Frankie , Worakitsitisatorn Akeanong , Tai David , Sundar Raghav , Ng David Chee Eng , Loke Kelvin Siu Hoong , Li Leung , Ng Kelvin Kwok Chai , Peng Yong Wei , Yu Simon Chun-Ho
Published: June 2022

Introduction: This investigator-initiated clinical trial aims to study the efficacy and safety of administering selective internal radiation therapy with resin yttrium-90 microspheres (SIRT) followed by standard chemotherapy in unresectable intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC). Methods: A phase 2 single-arm multicenter study was conducted in patients with unresectable ICC (NCT02167711). SIRT was administered at dose of 120 Gy targeted at tumor followed by commencement of gemcitabine 1,000 mg/m2 and cisplatin 25 mg/m2 on days one and eight of a 21-day cycle. The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS), and the secondary endpoints include progression-free survival (PFS), response rate according to Response Evaluation Criteria in solid tumors 1.1, toxicity, and time from SIRT to commencement of chemotherapy. Results: Total 31 patients were screened and twenty-four were recruited. All patients completed SIRT and 16 of them underwent subsequent chemotherapy. The median cycle of chemotherapy was 5 (range: 1–8). The median OS was 13.6 months (95% CI: 5.4–21.6) for the intent-to-treat population. Among 16 patients undergoing chemotherapy, the median OS was 21.6 months (95% CI: 7.3–25.2) and the median PFS was 9 months (95% CI: 3.2–13.1). The response rate was 25% (95% CI: 3.8–46.2%), and the disease control rate was 75% (95% CI: 53.8–96.2%). No new safety signal was observed, with fewer than 10% of patients suffering from grade 3 or higher treatment-related adverse events. The median time from SIRT to chemotherapy was 29 (range: 7–42) days. Eight patients could not receive chemotherapy due to rapid progressive disease (n = 4), underlying treatment unrelated comorbidities (n = 2), and withdrawal of consent due to personal reasons (n = 2). Conclusions: Treatment of SIRT followed by standard gemcitabine and cisplatin chemotherapy is feasible and effective for unresectable ICC. Further studies are required to study the optimal sequence of SIRT and chemotherapy.
Modernidade-colonialidade na construção da hegemonia tecnocientífica do concreto armado dos países dependentes
Authors: Cunha Gabriel Rodrigues da , Moassab Andreia
Published: June 2022

Ao longo deste texto, acompanharemos a construção da hegemonia tecnocientífica do concreto armado no contexto do capitalismo dependente latino-americano. Nossa intenção é demonstrar alguns momentos históricos fundamentais que identificamos na construção dessa hegemonia, iniciada com o modernismo arquitetônico no segundo quartel do século passado, seguida pela sua consolidação, a partir da década de 1960, com as políticas habitacionais, finalmente, discutiremos o aprofundamento e a ampliação do seu horizonte, verificados também com as políticas de produção de moradia dos governos de conciliação, no início do século XXI. Nesse recorte temporal, pretendemos apenas identificar alguns elementos que marcaram a reorganização do setor produtivo-industrial da construção civil e da produção do espaço construído. Essa hegemonia representou a construção de uma nova etapa da tecnociência capitalista, carregada de um racismo epistêmico, que subjugou outras opções tenocientíficas, outras práticas construtivas de produção do espaço, especialmente da moradia popular, criando novas contradições ao acesso a ela e à exploração e alienação do trabalho, perpetuando a colonialidade. Nos guiaremos pela Teoria Marxista da Dependência, em diálogo com o pensamento decolonial, visando a compreensão dos processos históricos da construção dessa hegemonia, acompanhados pela agudização da exploração da força de trabalho nos canteiros de obra.
The Construction of Architectural Ideas
Authors: Brant Isabel Caldeira , Malard Maria Lúcia
Published: June 2022

This work discusses how ideas are constructed in the design process of architecture projects, identifying what enables their emergence, development, selection and elimination. A qualitative and exploratory research method was used. The basic assumption is that ideas are mainly the result of knowledge, although influenced by subjective factors of the designer: criticism acts as a filter of ideation, thus governing the process of selection and disposal of ideas. Theories, assumptions and arguments of other researchers on the subject of creativity were confronted with the findings presented. This revealed a pattern in the construction of ideas during architectural design processes that puts into question the theory in which ideas arise from the interaction between designers and their sketches.
Downwind Development in a Stationary Band Complex Leading to the Secondary Eyewall Formation in the Simulated Typhoon Soudelor (2015)
Authors: Zhu Xue-Song , Yu Hui , Wang Yuqing
Published: June 2022

Previous studies have demonstrated the importance of the downwind development of a rainband in secondary eyewall formation (SEF) in tropical cyclones. However, the details of the transition from rainbands to a secondary eyewall are not well understood. This study examined the convection onset in the early stage of SEF in the numerically simulated Typhoon Soudelor (2015). Results show that the convection onset in the SEF region was associated with the organization of a stationary band complex (SBC), which resulted from the outward propagation of inner rainbands and downwind propagation of secondary rainbands, with convection enhanced in the downwind sector of the SBC. The outward propagation of the inner rainbands involved the mesoscale pressure perturbations-induced unbalanced boundary layer dynamics, which were responsible for the radial outflow above the boundary layer inflow and the related secondary circulation on the inward side of the rainband. In the downwind propagation, secondary rainbands evolved into stratiform precipitation in the downshear-left quadrant, where mesoscale descending inflow continuously occurred and transported low equivalent potential temperature (θe) and dry air downward and downwind, leading to a decrease in low-level θe on the outward side of the rainband. A balanced state of the cold pool dynamics was finally reached in the downwind sector of the SBC between the supergradient-induced vertical wind shear and the low-θe-induced cold pool, resulting in the convection enhancement. Our results strongly suggest that both the unbalanced dynamics and rainband processes were essential in the early stage of SEF.

Significance Statement

The purpose of this study is to better understand how spiral rainbands evolve into a stationary rainband complex (SBC), and the physical processes responsible for the convection enhancement in the downwind sector of the SBC. This is important because it is this downwind convective enhancement that leads to the secondary eyewall formation (SEF). Our results provide the details of the transition from rainbands to a secondary eyewall and suggest that both the unbalanced boundary layer dynamics and rainband processes are essential in the early stage of SEF.
Impact of Optimally Growing Initial Errors on the Mesoscale Predictability of Heavy Precipitation Events along the Mei-Yu Front in China
Authors: Ke Jiaying , Mu Mu , Fang Xianghui
Published: June 2022

Based on the conditional nonlinear optimal perturbation (CNOP) approach, the impact of the optimally growing initial errors on the mesoscale predictability of typical mei-yu front heavy precipitation events over eastern China was explored. First, based on a nonlinear optimization system built using the high-resolution Weather Research and Forecasting Model and particle swarm optimization algorithm, the CNOPs for three heavy precipitation cases were obtained. The CNOPs as the optimally growing initial errors caused the largest forecast errors and made the 24-h accumulated precipitation stronger than any other kind of initial errors. Moreover, the CNOPs showed faster growth and saturation than the random errors in space, highlighting the importance of the initial error with specific spatial structure in the meso- and convective-scale processes. Despite different CNOPs having particular spatial structures, the large amplitudes of the CNOPs at lower levels were mainly located in the rainband along the mei-yu front. Although the spectral energies of the CNOPs increased with increasing scales, the forecast error growth for the CNOPs generally followed the well-known three-stage conceptual model. Moreover, the large-scale and large-amplitude initial errors in the CNOPs were the most influential in terms of the forecast quality. This suggests that reducing large-scale initial errors can potentially improve the forecast accuracy. However, the mesoscale predictability of the mei-yu front heavy precipitation events is inherently limited, for which the moist convection was found to be the main reason.
Algorithmic Transference: People Overgeneralize Failures of AI in the Government
Authors: Longoni Chiara , Cian Luca , Kyung Ellie J.
Published: June 2022

Artificial intelligence (AI) is pervading the government and transforming how public services are provided to consumers across policy areas spanning allocation of government benefits, law enforcement, risk monitoring, and the provision of services. Despite technological improvements, AI systems are fallible and may err. How do consumers respond when learning of AI failures? In 13 preregistered studies (N = 3,724) across a range of policy areas, the authors show that algorithmic failures are generalized more broadly than human failures. This effect is termed “algorithmic transference” as it is an inferential process that generalizes (i.e., transfers) information about one member of a group to another member of that same group. Rather than reflecting generalized algorithm aversion, algorithmic transference is rooted in social categorization: it stems from how people perceive a group of AI systems versus a group of humans. Because AI systems are perceived as more homogeneous than people, failure information about one AI algorithm is transferred to another algorithm to a greater extent than failure information about a person is transferred to another person. Capturing AI's impact on consumers and societies, these results show how the premature or mismanaged deployment of faulty AI technologies may undermine the very institutions that AI systems are meant to modernize.
Postural Balance in Young Tennis Players of Varied Competition Levels
Authors: Srihi Selim , Jouira Ghada , Ben Waer Fatma , Rebai Haithem , Majdoub Amal , Sahli Sonia
Published: June 2022

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of young tennis players’ expertise on their postural balance (PB) under sensorial conditions with eyes open (EO) and with eyes closed (EC). Our participants were 75 healthy adolescents aged 15–18 years, divided into three groups based on their skill levels: (a) national tennis players (NAT; n = 25), regional tennis players (REG; n =25), and a control group of non-sport practitioners (CG; n = 25). We recorded center of pressure area and mean velocity on a force platform while participants stood in bipedal and unipedal stances in EO and EC conditions for all three groups. Statistical analyses showed that NAT participants swayed less than CG participants in all conditions and less than REG participants in the bipedal stance with EC and in the unipedal stance, both with EO and EC. Thus, tennis practice/experience may have improved PB in this sample, as high-level tennis players had better PB compared to novices, especially in challenging conditions.
Improving Trendelenburg position effectiveness by varying cardiopulmonary bypass flow
Authors: Ho Raymond , McDonald Charles , Pauls Jo P , Li Zhiyong
Published: June 2022

Introduction

Trendelenburg position (TP) is used to transport gaseous emboli away from the cerebral region during cardiac surgery. However, TP effectiveness has not been fully considered when combined with varying the cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) flow. This study simulated the supine and TP at different pump flows and assessed the trapped emboli and embolic load entering the aortic arch branch arteries (AABA).

Methods

A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) approach used a centrally cannulated adult patient-specific aorta model replicating a CPB circuit. Air emboli of 0.1 mm, 0.5 mm, and 1.0 mm ( n = 700 each) were injected into the aorta placed in the supine position (0°) and the TP (−20°) at 2 L/min and 5 L/min. The number of emboli entering the AABA were compared. An aortic phantom flow experiment was performed to validate air bubble behaviour.

Results

TP at 5 L/min had the lowest 0.1 mm mean (±SD) embolic load compared to the supine 2 L/min (55.3 ± 30.8 vs 64.3 ± 35.4). For both the supine and TP, the lower flow of 2 L/min had the highest number of simulated trapped emboli in higher elevated regions than at 5 L/min (541 ± 185 and 548 ± 191 vs 520 ± 159 and 512 ± 174), respectively. The flow experiment demonstrated that 2 L/min promoted bubble coalescence and high amounts of trapped emboli and 5 L/min transported air emboli away from the AABA.

Conclusions

TP effectiveness was improved by using CPB flow to manage air emboli. These results provide insights for predicting emboli behaviour and improving emboli de-airing procedures.
CT-based radiomics to distinguish progressive from stable neuroendocrine liver metastases treated with somatostatin analogues: an explorative study
Authors: Staal Femke CR , Taghavi M , Hong Eun K , Tissier Renaud , van Treijen Mark , Heeres Birthe C , van der Zee Dennis , Tesselaar Margot ET , Beets-Tan Regina GH , Maas Monique
Published: June 2022

Background

Accurate response evaluation in patients with neuroendocrine liver metastases (NELM) remains a challenge. Radiomics has shown promising results regarding response assessment.

Purpose

To differentiate progressive (PD) from stable disease (SD) with radiomics in patients with NELM undergoing somatostatin analogue (SSA) treatment.

Material and Methods

A total of 46 patients with histologically confirmed gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NET) with ≥1 NELM and ≥2 computed tomography (CT) scans were included. Response was assessed with Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST1.1). Hepatic target lesions were manually delineated and analyzed with radiomics. Radiomics features were extracted from each NELM on both arterial-phase (AP) and portal-venous-phase (PVP) CT. Multiple instance learning with regularized logistic regression via LASSO penalization (with threefold cross-validation) was used to classify response. Three models were computed: (i) AP model; (ii) PVP model; and (iii) AP + PVP model for a lesion-based and patient-based outcome. Next, clinical features were added to each model.

Results

In total, 19 (40%) patients had PD. Median follow-up was 13 months (range 1–50 months). Radiomics models could not accurately classify response (area under the curve 0.44–0.60). Adding clinical variables to the radiomics models did not significantly improve the performance of any model.

Conclusion

Radiomics features were not able to accurately classify response of NELM on surveillance CT scans during SSA treatment.
Prognostic accuracy of inflammatory markers in predicting risk of ICU admission for COVID-19: application of time-dependent receiver operating characteristic curves
Authors: Geraili Zahra , Hajian-Tilaki Karimollah , Bayani Masomeh , Hosseini Seyed Reza , Khafri Soraya , Ebrahimpour Soheil , Javanian Mostafa , Babazadeh Arefeh , Shokri Mehran
Published: June 2022

Objective

Intensive care unit (ICU) admission occurs at different times during hospitalization among patients with COVID-19. We aimed to evaluate the time-dependent receive operating characteristic (ROC) curve and area under the ROC curve, AUC(t), and accuracy of baseline levels of inflammatory markers C-reactive protein (CRP) and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in predicting time to an ICU admission event in patients with severe COVID-19 infection.

Methods

In this observational study, we evaluated 724 patients with confirmed severe COVID-19 referred to Ayatollah Rohani Hospital, affiliated with Babol University of Medical Sciences, Iran.

Results

The AUC(t) of CRP and NLR reached 0.741 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.661–0.820) and 0.690 (95% CI: 0.607–0.772), respectively, in the first 3 days after hospital admission. The optimal cutoff values of CRP and NLR for stratification of ICU admission outcomes in patients with severe COVID-19 were 78 mg/L and 5.13, respectively. The risk of ICU admission was significantly greater for patients with these cutoff values (CRP hazard ratio = 2.98; 95% CI: 1.58–5.62; NLR hazard ratio = 2.90; 95% CI: 1.45–5.77).

Conclusions

Using time-dependent ROC curves, CRP and NLR values at hospital admission were important predictors of ICU admission. This approach is more efficient than using standard ROC curves.
Hazard Perception in Driving: A Systematic Literature Review
Authors: Cao Shi , Samuel Siby , Murzello Yovela , Ding Wen , Zhang Xuemei , Niu Jianwei
Published: June 2022

Hazard perception (HP) is the process of detecting and identifying hazards. Drivers’ HP abilities are critical for driving safety. This paper presents a systematic literature review of driver HP, including scientific measures of HP, major human factors affecting HP, and training methods for improving HP skills. Sixty-nine peer-reviewed studies were identified and reviewed. The results showed that common measures of HP include hazard scenario questionnaires, HP reaction time, hazard hit rate, and eye fixation measures such as fixation probability, fixation reaction time, fixation duration, and fixation variance. Major human factors that affect HP include experience, aging, fatigue, distraction, and the use of alcohol and drugs. Various training methods have been developed to train and improve drivers’ HP skills. In general, there is evidence in the literature showing the effectiveness of HP training. A combination of complementary training approaches such as instruction, expert demonstration, and active practice with feedback and attention support the use of picture-, video-, computer-, and simulator-based training methods to improve HP performance in shorter HP reaction time, higher hazard hit rate, and better eye scan patterns (more spread scan, more anticipatory scan). These findings could guide future work developing and designing HP training programs. Three future research areas are identified and discussed: the need for standardized HP tests, long-term testing of HP training programs, and new HP questions and challenges brought by partially automated vehicles.
Identification of Subway Track Irregularities Based on Detection Data of Portable Detector
Authors: Liu Run , Wang Fu-Tian , Wang Zhi-Peng , Wu Cui-Lin , He Hong-Di
Published: June 2022

At present, the detection of subway track irregularities is mainly carried out by track inspection vehicles and track inspection trolleys. Such detections are restricted by subway service time, so they can only be carried out once every few months. This study explored the possibility of using the vibration of the vehicle body collected by a novel portable detector to detect track geometry irregularities. It makes a particular contribution to the dynamic detection of track conditions and the reduction of maintenance costs. Based on the data collected by the portable detector, wavelet transform was used to analyze the vibration of the vehicle body. The results confirmed that this method was effective in enhancing the correlation between vibration accelerations and track irregularities. Second, a data set processed by wavelet transform was resampled by a hybrid sampling method which uses clustering methods and considers data imbalance within each category. In this way, the imbalance ratio of the data set was found to be reduced without changing the original data set structure. Finally, the random forest algorithm and the gradient boost decision tree algorithm were adopted for classifying track regularity and irregularity data. The results showed that both two algorithms, especially the random forest algorithm, performed well for the longitudinal level track irregularity and the alignment track irregularity.
Effects of Road Marking Visibility on Vehicles Driving Along Curves: A Preliminary Study in a Simulated Environment
Authors: Bosurgi Gaetano , Marra Stellario , Pellegrino Orazio , Sollazzo Giuseppe , Villari Massimo
Published: June 2022

The role of road markings is fundamental for traffic safety, as it represents an essential optical driving instrument both for effective drivers and autonomous vehicles. This research aims to evaluate the effects of the decay of road marking visibility along curves, specifically the variability in lateral acceleration. Traditionally, issues related to the correct interpretation of a road alignment were studied by means of trajectory analyses. However, they involved information about the vehicle’s geometrical position without any indication on dynamics. To explore this aspect further, an experiment in a simulated environment involving 21 drivers was performed. They drove along a test road in a standardized scenario considering only three variables: the curve direction (right or left), the deviation angle (70° or 30°), and the road marking visibility percentage (100%, 50%, 10%, and 0%). The results, in differences between theoretical (depending on design speed and curve radius) and effective lateral accelerations, provide further evidence of the strategic role of the markings. However, when markings deteriorate, drivers activate some balancing mechanisms to mitigate the dynamic effects along curves and, in turn, to improve comfort and safety. The proposed procedure is not only of direct practical interest, but it is also fully generalizable to other contexts and issues, involving several other elements that may influence the phenomenon, such as road geometry, visibility conditions, and traffic flow speed.
Comparative Study of Pavement Rehabilitation Using Hot in-Place Recycling and Hot-Mix Asphalt: Performance Evaluation, Pavement Life Prediction, and Life Cycle Cost Analysis
Authors: Ma Yuetan , Polaczyk Pawel , Zhang Miaomiao , Xiao Rui , Jiang Xi , Huang Baoshan
Published: June 2022

The use of hot in-place recycling (HIR) for pavement surface rehabilitation has gained increasing attention in recent years with the aim of achieving sustainable pavement. For the purpose of cost saving and the consumption of 100% reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP), an in-place HIR train has been developed to combine various units including preheating, milling, rejuvenating, and compacting. Compared with the conventional hot-mix asphalt (HMA) surface treatment, the HIR technique might result in different pavement performances as a result of the low mixing temperature and insufficient quality control. This study aimed to conduct a comparative analysis of pavement surface rehabilitation using HIR and HMA, including the performance evaluation, pavement life prediction, and life cycle cost analysis (LCCA). HIR and HMA mixes were collected from construction areas and the nearby asphalt plant, respectively. The loose mixes were reheated and compacted for performance testing, including dynamic modulus tests, Superpave IDT tests, and moisture susceptibility tests. The AASHTOWare Pavement ME Design software was adopted to predict the pavement life with two rehabilitation techniques, followed by the LCCA with regard to the prediction results. Test results showed that pavement surface rehabilitation with HIR achieves acceptable performance and economic benefits. However, the HIR mixes are brittle and more susceptible to cracking and, therefore, have shorter pavement service lives than HMA.
Cross-Cultural Investigation of the Effects of Explanations on Drivers’ Trust, Preference, and Anxiety in Highly Automated Vehicles
Authors: Du Na , Robert Lionel , Yang X. Jessie
Published: June 2022

This study explored, in consideration of cultural differences, how explanation timing and permission of the automated vehicle’s (AV’s) actions affected drivers’ trust in, preference for, and anxiety about the AV. We conducted a video-based online survey study with 118 participants in different cultural contexts. Each participant experienced four conditions in highly automated driving: (1) no explanations, (2) explanations given before, or (3) after the AV acted, and (4) the option for drivers to approve or disapprove the AV’s action after explanations. We found that context cultures influenced drivers’ trust in and preference for the AV only when explanations were provided. Participants with higher-context cultures had higher trust in and preference for the AV. Such influence was augmented especially when the AV asked for permission after explanations. Our results have important implications for the design of in-vehicle interfaces. We suggest that AV manufacturers should incorporate cultural differences into AV explanation interface design for global use.
Reliability Analysis of Bridges for Autonomous Truck Platoons
Authors: Sajid Sikandar , Chouinard Luc , Legeron Frederic , Ude Todd , He Eddie , Ajrab Jack
Published: June 2022

Autonomous truck platoon (ATP) deployment on road networks has recently attracted significant interest for its potential economic and environmental benefits. However, the impact of platooning on bridges is a concern because of the differences in their live load characteristics compared with those in the existing bridge design specifications. One of the primary aspects in the safe deployment of ATP is to evaluate the reliability of bridge designed using the existing provisions for live loads from potential configurations of ATP. An analysis procedure is proposed and demonstrated for a simple span steel composite bridge designed according to the existing design provisions. Given that many characteristics of the live load distribution such as the bias factor, coefficient of variation (CoV), and the dynamic amplification factor are presently not known for ATP, a parametric approach is used. The bias factor, dynamic amplification, and CoV are parametrized to calculate the live load distribution and quantify its impact on the reliability index. A two-truck platoon with different headway spacings constituted by different trucks in a single lane scenario is considered. The results indicate that the two single lane bridges designed according to existing design specifications are generally reliable (i.e., achieved the target reliability for which the bridge was initially designed) for the range of ATP live loads investigated when the CoV is less than 0.07, bias close to one and headway distances are above 17 ft. Future studies are suggested to include bridges with multiple spans, other bridge types, and a larger number of trucks in the platoons. The main contribution of this paper is to quantify the reliability indices of selected steel composite bridges designed using the existing specifications but subjected to various configurations of ATP loads and the influence of different components of the live load model attributed to the latter.
A review of the research status of scroll expander
Authors: Wei Junying , Hua Qi , Yuan Liang , Li Gang , Wang Jihong , Wang Jidai
Published: June 2022

In order to solve the problem of energy crisis and take the road of sustainable development, the development of renewable energy and recycling of low-grade waste heat have attracted more and more attention. As a new type of volumetric energy conversion device, scroll expander is wi dely used in Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) waste heat recovery, because of its advantages such as small size and so on. Scroll profile is one of the main factors affecting scroll expander performance. Compared with the traditional constant section scroll profile with same suction volume, volume ratio and shell size, the new type of variable section scroll profile could reduce scroll tooth height, better mechanical properties and improve efficiency, therefore making it more suitable for working under complex operating conditions. In order to reduce the head invasion rate, airflow friction factor, the power loss at the air inlet, and improve the pneumatic power conversion efficiency, a new head correction method is proposed. Although R123, R134 and R245 are the most commonly used working medium in scroll fluid machinery, the selection of working medium in scroll expander is still a key problem. The overall performance of the scroll expander can be improved by designing different inlet shapes and positions or double-symmetrical exhaust ports. The radial leakage caused by axial clearance of scroll expander can be improved by developing new scroll profile to reduce the length of radial leakage line and optimizing the design of scroll top sealing mechanism. The tangential leakage caused by radial clearance can be improved by enhancing the manufacturing precision and installation accuracy of scroll plate and designing the radial variable mechanism. At present, fewer research has been carried out on the leakage of scroll expander. Therefore reducing the leakage loss to improve the performance of scroll expander is of great significance in the future research.
Long-Term Effects of Cigarette Smoking on All-Cause Mortality and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Thai Population: Results From a 30-Year Cohort Study
Authors: Thiravetyan Ben , Vathesatogkit Prin
Published: June 2022

Despite the overwhelming evidences on the health consequences of smoking, studies in Asian population in low-to-middle income countries are very limited. Baseline data of a prospective cohort study were collected in year 1985. Endpoints regarding all-cause mortality and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) were followed for 30 years. Cox proportional hazard models were used for analysis. Participants had an average age of 43 years, 23% were female, and 43% were current smokers. All-cause mortality was significantly higher in ex-smokers (hazard ratio [HR] 1.32) and current smokers (HR 1.70) when compared with never smokers. Participants with any history of smoking had significantly higher risk of developing MACE. Furthermore, all-cause death, cardiovascular death, and MACE increased with increasing pack years. Statistically significant dose-response relationships were established. Therefore, cigarette smoking increased the risk of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, and MACE in Thai population. Results emphasized the importance of tobacco control in Thailand.
Pleomorphic Adenoma of the Palate: A Rare Case in an Adolescent With Cleft lip and Palate
Authors: Sterling David , Kaye Alison , Lypka Michael
Published: June 2022

Benign salivary gland tumors are rarely found in children and adolescents compared with adults. Pleomorphic adenomas (PAs), the most common benign salivary gland tumor, account for only 1% of all head and neck lesions and fewer than 5% of all salivary gland tumors in individuals under the age of 16 years. The data on palatal PA in the first 2 decades of life is confined to published case reports and case series. To date, there has never been a report of palatal PA in a patient with cleft lip and palate. Here we describe an adolescent female with bilateral cleft lip and palate with PA of the hard and soft palate who underwent wide local excision and reconstruction with a buccal fat pad and buccal myo-mucosal flap.
Placental Site Trophoblastic Tumor in Mediastinal Recurrence of Mixed Germ Cell Tumor of the Testis: Report of a Case and Review of the Literature
Authors: Budina Anna , Sharma Tisya
Published: June 2022

We present a rare case of a 42-year-old man diagnosed with a placental site trophoblastic tumor in combination with teratoma in a mediastinal recurrence of a testicular germ cell tumor post-orchiectomy and chemotherapy. To the best of our knowledge, this is the eighth case of placental site trophoblastic tumor in a male reported so far in the English literature. The purpose of this case report is to add data to the existing literature, review the literature, discuss the differential diagnoses with emphasis on morphologic and immunohistochemical differences between trophoblastic tumors, and highlight the management implications of a correct diagnosis.
Investigation of a relationship between serum concentrations of microRNA-122 and alanine aminotransferase activity in hospitalised cats
Authors: Armstrong Susan K , Oosthuyzen Wilna , Gow Adam G , Salavati Schmitz Silke , Dear James W , Mellanby Richard J
Published: June 2022

Objectives

Current blood tests to diagnose feline liver diseases are suboptimal. Serum concentrations of microRNA (miR)-122 have been shown in humans, dogs and rodents to be a sensitive and specific biomarker for liver injury. To explore the potential diagnostic utility of measuring serum concentrations of miR-122 in cats, miR-122 was measured in a cohort of ill, hospitalised cats with known serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activity.

Methods

In this retrospective study, cats were grouped into those with an ALT activity within the reference interval (0–83 U/l; n = 38) and those with an abnormal ALT activity (>84 U/l; n = 25). Serum concentrations of miR-122 were measured by real-time quantitative PCR and the relationship between miR-122 and ALT was examined.

Results

miR-122 was significantly higher in the group with high ALT activity than the ALT group, within normal reference limits ( P <0.0004). There was also a moderately positive correlation between serum ALT activity and miR-122 concentrations ( P <0.001; r = 0.52).

Conclusions and relevance

Concentrations of miR-122 were reliably quantified in feline serum and were higher in a cohort of cats with increased ALT activity than in cats with normal ALT activity. This work highlights the potential diagnostic utility of miR-122 as a biomarker of liver damage in cats and encourages further investigation to determine the sensitivity and specificity of miR-122 as a biomarker of hepatocellular injury in this species.