bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prediction of a Potential Mechanism of Intervertebral Disc Degeneration Based on a Novel Competitive Endogenous RNA Network
Authors: Huang Junshen , Li Yuxi , Ye Ziwei , Cheng Ziying , Huang Jiajun , Lu Shixin , Su Kaihui , Liang Yuwei , Li Ming , Huang Lin
Published: June 2021

Low back pain which resulted from intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) is a common health problem that afflicts people all over the world. Due to the lack of an overall understanding of the molecular interactions involved in IDD, we hope to better understand the pathogenetic mechanisms that drive the degenerative process. The purpose of this study is to obtain mRNAs, miRNAs, lncRNAs, and circRNAs associated with IDD gained from public databases and to establish an interaction network. According to the results of microarray analysis and bioinformatics analysis from the contrast of IDD and normal nucleus pulposus tissues, a total of 49 mRNAs, 10 miRNAs, 30 lncRNAs, and 4 circRNAs were obtained and a lncRNA/circRNA–miRNA–mRNA interaction network was constructed. NEAT1–miR‐5100–COL10A1 and miR663AHG/HEIH/hsa‐circ‐0003600–miR‐4741–HAS2/HYAL1/LYVE1 might be potential interaction axes of the molecular mechanism in IDD. The increased expression of NEAT1 might inhibit miR‐5100 and subsequently upregulate the expression of COL10A1, which leads to IDD, while the increased expression of miR663AHG/HEIH/hsa‐circ‐0003600 might inhibit miR‐4741 and indirectly upregulate HAS2/HYAL1/LYVE1, and leads to the protection from IDD. More interaction axes are to be exploited to provide theoretical bases for further study on IDD.
Calculation Method for Grading Size and Grading Bounding Box of Virtual Aggregate Based on DEM
Authors: Zhou Zhigang , Ling Jun
Published: June 2021

The grading size, which can be defined as the side length of the smallest square hole through which an aggregate with irregular shape can directly pass, is an important morphology parameter and can be used to calculate the gradation of mixture material. The grading bounding box, which can be defined as the circumscribed cuboid with central axis length being the grading size, is an important visual tool for observing the size and direction of the aggregate. Virtual test to calculate the grading size of a virtual aggregate is environmentally friendly and efficient, but the result provided by current research is imprecise and the grading bounding box is also rarely mentioned. In this paper, the multilevel complete projection algorithm is proposed to precisely calculate the grading size of a virtual aggregate. The whole process of the algorithm can be expressed by formula after the operation of sphere discretization by converting the virtual aggregate shell into the discrete aggregate. Then, the discrete aggregate is projected onto a complete series of the plane to form several 2D figures, and then, each 2D figure is projected onto a complete series of the orthogonal axis to form orthogonal segments. The grading size can finally be obtained by comparing the length of the above orthogonal segments based on the key central axis length principle. The influencing factors of computational accuracy and efficiency are considered in the algorithm. Finally, the grading bounding box can be built by using the Rodrigues transformation according to the information obtained from the above algorithm.
Three‐Dimensional Physical Simulation and Control Technology of Roof Movement Characteristics in Non‐Pillar Gob‐Side Entry Retaining by Roof Cutting
Authors: Hua Xinzhu , Chang Guanfeng , Liu Xiao , Sun Bingjun , Yang Sen , Wang Enqian , Li Chen
Published: June 2021

An overlying rock structure plays a key role in controlling the roof deformation of nonpillar gob‐side entry retaining by roof cutting. On the bases of the actual geological conditions of II 632 Haulage Roadway at the Hengyuan coal mine, a similar three‐dimensional simulation experiment of roof precutting is conducted. Thereafter, the caving characteristics and migration law of the roof strata in the strike and dip directions are obtained. Moreover, the roof of the retained roadway and key strata of the goaf can form a hinge structure of the key blocks. By monitoring the deformation of the surrounding rock and stress distribution of the roof, the skew deformation characteristics of roadway roof are obtained. By observing the borehole peeping technology, the roof subsidence near the goaf is determined to be greater than that of the solid coal side, and the roof subsidence of the gob‐side entry retained by roof cutting is greater than that of the floor heave and two sides approaching. Results of the three‐dimensional similar simulation experiment indicate that the mechanical structure model of the key block of the retained roadway roof is constructed, and the mechanical analytical solution of the required support resistance of the retained roadway roof is obtained. This study proposes the constant resistance and large deformation anchor cable reinforcement support method to control the roof deformation of the retaining roadway. Through engineering application, the maximum value of the roof and floor movement of the retained roadway is stable at approximately 650 mm. The retained roadway can meet the demand of the next mining face.
Traumatic Dental Injuries: Clinical Case Presentation and a 10-Year Epidemiological Investigation in an Italian Dental Emergency Service
Authors: Murri Dello Diago Alberto , Generali Luigi , Apponi Roberto , Colombini Vittorio , Checchi Vittorio
Published: June 2021

Traumatic dental injuries (TDIs) are very common in the world population, and international literature reports several studies which helped in the definition of international guidelines. The aim of this study is to present two clinical cases of TDI and to investigate epidemiological and etiological aspects of TDIs in patients treated in Modena, Italy, between January 2010 and December 2020. The presented case reports are two explicative clinical cases of successful TDI management with a long-term follow-up. The epidemiological analysis was performed on patients who visited the Dental Emergency Service of the Dentistry and Oral-Maxillo-Facial Surgery Unit of Modena (Italy) over a period of 10 years. Data relating to age, gender, type of trauma, and place of accident were collected. Five-hundred-sixty-five TDIs that occurred to patients from 1 to 68 years old were reported, with a total of 860 injured teeth. The peak age at which TDIs are most represented varies between 2 and 3 years old, and they occurred frequently from 1 up to 7 years old. 57.5% were male, while 42.5% were female. The most common trauma resulted to be the uncomplicated crown fracture (20%), immediately followed by lateral luxation (19%), intrusive luxation (18%), avulsion (17%), and complicated crown fracture (15%). TDIs occurred at home in 44% of cases. The need for more prevention training must be highlighted, due to the fact that many TDIs occur at home and in a preschool age.
An Improved Model Predictive Control Method for Three-Port Soft Open Point
Authors: Wang Zhengqi , Sheng Liusen , Huo Qunhai , Hao Sipeng
Published: June 2021

Soft open point (SOP) is a key power electronic device to improve the flexibility and stability of the distribution network and is becoming a research hotspot. The traditional double closed-loop control of SOP has a complex structure, difficult process of parameter design, and poor output power quality. To solve these problems, finite control set model predictive control (FCS-MPC) has been adopted. Since FCS-MPC involves a large amount of calculation and experiences delay in current tracking, an improved FCS-MPC with delay compensation is proposed for three-port SOP in this paper to replace the inner loop current control strategy. Improved model predictive control combines the two-step prediction method based on the voltage vector and vector angle compensation method. The vector method is used to construct a mathematical model and a prediction model of three-port SOP. Based on FCS-MPC, the two-step prediction method that takes voltage as the target is used to compensate for the current delay problem, and the amount of calculation is reduced by converting the control target. Meanwhile, the vector angle compensation method is used to compensate the future reference value. Finally, a simulation model is built in MATLAB/Simulink. The simulation results under steady state and dynamic conditions show that the proposed strategy can effectively improve the current delay and reduce the amount of calculation. Furthermore, it has better current tracking accuracy and faster dynamic response speed.
Dietary Risk Assessment and Ranking of Multipesticides in Dendrobium officinale
Authors: Gu Meng-Ying , Wang Peng-Si , Shi Shang-Mei , Xue Jian
Published: June 2021

The presence of pesticide residues in Dendrobium officinale (D. officinale), a commonly used herbal medicine, has attracted much attention in recent years. Therefore, this study presents the levels of 141 pesticide residues in forty D. officinale samples, which were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS). And we used a deterministic estimate model to assess chronic and acute dietary exposure risk, as well as the cumulative risks for adults, children, and specific groups of consumers. Furthermore, the residual risk of individual pesticides was sorted by adapting the matrix-ranking scheme. In 92.5% of the samples, 43 pesticides were detected, of which difenoconazole had the highest detection frequency. Multiple residues were detected in 85.0% of the samples, and one sample contained even up to 17 pesticides. The chronic hazard quotient (HQc) and the acute hazard quotient (HQa) were far below 100%, and both cumulative chronic and acute hazard indices (HI) did not exceed 100%. The risk scoring scheme showed that four pesticides were considered to pose a comparatively potential high risk, including difenoconazole, carbofuran, fipronil, and emamectin benzoate. The results indicated that the occurrence of pesticide residues in D. officinale could not pose a serious health problem to the public.
Circular RNA Expression: Its Potential Regulation and Function in Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms
Authors: Han Yanshuo , Zhang Hao , Bian Ce , Chen Chen , Tu Simei , Guo Jiahui , Wu Yihao , Böckler Dittmar , Zhang Jian
Published: June 2021

Abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) have posed a great threat to human life, and the necessity of its monitoring and treatment is decided by symptomatology and/or the aneurysm size. Accumulating evidence suggests that circular RNAs (circRNAs) contribute a part to the pathogenesis of AAAs. circRNAs are novel single‐stranded RNAs with a closed loop structure and high stability, having become the candidate biomarkers for numerous kinds of human disorders. Besides, circRNAs act as molecular “sponge” in organisms, capable of regulating the transcription level. Here, we characterize that the molecular mechanisms underlying the role of circRNAs in AAA development were further elucidated. In the present work, studies on the biosynthesis, bibliometrics, and mechanisms of action of circRNAs were aims comprehensively reviewed, the role of circRNAs in the AAA pathogenic mechanism was illustrated, and their potential in diagnosing AAAs was examined. Moreover, the current evidence about the effects of circRNAs on AAA development through modulating endothelial cells (ECs), macrophages, and vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) was summarized. Through thorough investigation, the molecular mechanisms underlying the role of circRNAs in AAA development were further elucidated. The results demonstrated that circRNAs had the application potential in the diagnosis and prevention of AAAs in clinical practice. The study of circRNA regulatory pathways would be of great assistance to the etiologic research of AAAs.
A Single‐Center Clinical Study to Evaluate Shenxiong Glucose Injection Combined with Edaravone in the Treatment of Acute Large‐Area Cerebral Infarction
Authors: Li Zongqin , Rong Xiaoxia , Luo Jun , Zeng Tao , Huang Pan , Xu Xuejie
Published: June 2021

Objectives. To investigate the clinical efficacy and safety of Shenxiong glucose injection combined with edaravone in the treatment of acute large‐area cerebral infarction. Methods. 156 patients with acute large‐area cerebral infarction admitted to our hospital from July 2015 to January 2017 were included in the analysis. The patients were randomly divided into experimental (78 cases) and control (78 cases) groups. Patients in the experimental group were given a 30 mg injection of edaravone in 100 ml of 0.9% sodium chloride solution by intravenous drip, twice a day within 30 minutes and a daily 200 ml injection of Shenxiong glucose by intravenous drip. Patients in the control group were given a 30 mg edaravone injection in 100 ml of 0.9% sodium chloride solution by intravenous drip, twice a day, and the drip was completed within 30 minutes. Patients in both groups were treated for 2 weeks. The levels of fibrinogen (FIB), D‐dimer, interleukin 6 (IL‐6), P‐selectin (CD62P), and hypersensitive C‐reactive protein (hs‐CRP) were evaluated in the two groups of patients. Neurological disability was evaluated using the modified Rankin scale (mRS) and the neurological deficit score (National Institute of Health Stroke Scale, NIHSS). Adverse reactions to the treatments were also recorded. Results. No significant differences in age, gender, medical histories, and blood biochemical indices were observed between the two groups before treatment (P > 0.05). After treatment, the levels of FIB, D‐dimer, IL‐6, CD62P, and hs‐CRP were significantly lower following treatment and compared to the control group (P < 0.05). Also, the mRS and NIHSS scores were significantly lower after treatment and compared with the control group (P < 0.05). The total effective rate of the treatment in the experimental group was significantly higher compared to the control group (P < 0.05). During the treatment period, no obvious adverse reactions were observed in the two groups of patients. Conclusions. In addition to the routine basic treatment of acute large‐area cerebral infarction, the addition of Shenxiong glucose injection combined with edaravone injection can improve platelet aggregation and reduce inflammation by affecting P‐selectin, D‐dimer, and FIB. This treatment approach promotes the recovery of nerve defect function without obvious adverse reactions in patients with acute large‐area cerebral infarction.
Nursing Intervention Based on Smart Medical Care on the Sleep Quality of Cardiology Patients
Authors: Gao Guifang , Su Jingjing
Published: June 2021

With the rapid development of society and the gradual improvement of people’s living standards, patients with cardiovascular diseases have higher standards and requirements for daily health care and quality of life. The main research of this article is based on the observation of the effect of smart medical nursing intervention on the sleep quality of cardiology patients. The convenience sampling method was used to randomly select 80 cardiology patients from the electronic medical record system of the hospital, and the patients were randomly divided into two groups. One group was the control group. The routine nursing method was adopted, and a dedicated nurse paid attention to the sleep status; the other group was the control group. The research group adopts targeted nursing methods. This paper selects three kinds of sensor data as features. When collecting each scene record, it is first divided into sleeping and awake states, and then the classified time is composed of time segments, and these time segments are finally accumulated into sleep duration. Using sleep time, waking time, and sleep duration as input, the participants were divided into good sleepers and poor sleepers. Through a self-made questionnaire survey, the factors that have an adverse effect on the patient’s sleep are divided into 7 aspects. Using the method of internal continuity measurement, Cronbach’s coefficient a is 0.811, suggesting that the internal consistency is better, and the calculation reliability and validity are 86.1% and 83.4%, respectively, suggesting that the table can be used for sleep in hospitalized patients. The

P

values of the study group and the control group were 0.420, 0.764, 0.740, 0.881, 0.842, 0.119, and 0.342

P
>
0.05

. The results show that the application of smart medical services has a certain effect on the patient's sleep quality.
Hypergraphical Metric Spaces and Fixed Point Theorems
Authors: Li Xiaodong , Khan Farhan , Ali Gohar , Gul Lubna , Sarwar Muhammad
Published: June 2021

Hypergraph is a generalization of graph in which an edge can join any number of vertices. Hypergraph is used for combinatorial structures which generalize graphs. In this research work, the notion of hypergraphical metric spaces is introduced, which generalizes many existing spaces. Some fixed point theorems are studied in the corresponding spaces. To show the authenticity of the established work, nontrivial examples and applications are also provided.
Effect of Personal Space Invasion on Passenger Comfort and Comfort Design of an Aircraft Cabin
Authors: Wang Long , Fan Hao , Chu Jianjie , Chen Dengkai , Yu Suihuai
Published: June 2021

Passenger comfort is becoming an important issue with the recent increase in air travel. A common cause of passenger discomfort and distress is the invasion of the passenger’s personal space. This paper presents the results of two studies addressing the environmental psychological characteristics of passengers during personal space invasion (PSI) and how PSI affects cabin comfort design. In study 1, our survey shows that PSI has different effects on the comfort of passengers with different genders, ages, education levels, and interpersonal relationships. From these survey data, we extracted 14 factors of PSI. In study 2, a Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) model was established, with passenger comfort as the target layer, to determine the interrelation between 14 PSI factors. The causal relationships between the 14 factors were visualized by a causal diagram. We established a priority ranking of the 14 aircraft interior design indexes based on the corresponding relationships between the indexes and PSI factors. The findings of this study contribute to the understanding of how PSI impacts passenger comfort and offer strategies to improve the comfort design of aircraft cabins.
A Two-Level Optimization Method for Hypersonic Periodic Cruise Trajectory
Authors: Li Hesong , Wang Yi , Zhou Yunfan , Xu Shangcheng , Su Dan
Published: June 2021

Periodic cruise has the potential to improve the fuel-saving efficiency of hypersonic cruise vehicle but is difficult to optimize. In this paper, a two-level optimization method for the trajectory of periodic cruise is proposed. Due to that the periodic cruise trajectory can be divided into an acceleration phase where engine works and a glide phase where engine is off, the two-level optimization method is proposed to optimize the trajectory in each phase by the corresponding level. In the first level, Downhill Simplex Method (DSM) is employed to find an optimal angle of attack in the acceleration phase. Subsequently, the optimal trajectory in glide phase is obtained by the Pseudo-Spectral Method (PSM) in the second optimization level. Numerical results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method. Finally, through comparing with steady-state cruise, it is concluded that periodic cruise makes full use of the change of atmospheric density and lift-drag ratio; thus, fuel saving is achieved.
Long Short-Term Memory Neural Networks for RNA Viruses Mutations Prediction
Authors: Mohamed Takwa , Sayed Sabah , Salah Akram , Houssein Essam H.
Published: June 2021

Viral progress remains a major deterrent in the viability of antiviral drugs. The ability to anticipate this development will provide assistance in the early detection of drug-resistant strains and may encourage antiviral drugs to be the most effective plan. In recent years, a deep learning model called the seq2seq neural network has emerged and has been widely used in natural language processing. In this research, we borrow this approach for predicting next generation sequences using the seq2seq LSTM neural network while considering these sequences as text data. We used hot single vectors to represent the sequences as input to the model; subsequently, it maintains the basic information position of each nucleotide in the sequences. Two RNA viruses sequence datasets are used to evaluate the proposed model which achieved encouraging results. The achieved results illustrate the potential for utilizing the LSTM neural network for DNA and RNA sequences in solving other sequencing issues in bioinformatics.
Determining the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Syndrome with the Best Prognosis of HBV-Related HCC and Exploring the Related Mechanism Using Network Pharmacology
Authors: Wu Zhulin , Wei Chunshan , Wang Lianan , He Li
Published: June 2021

Background. In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), TCM syndrome is a key guideline, and Chinese materia medicas are widely used to treat hepatitis B virus- (HBV-) related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) according to different TCM syndromes. However, the prognostic value of TCM syndromes in HBV-related HCC patients has never been studied. Methods. A retrospective cohort of HBV-related HCC patients at Shenzhen Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital from December 2005 to October 2017 was analyzed. The prognostic value of TCM syndromes in HBV-related HCC patients was assessed by Kaplan–Meier survival curves and Cox analysis, and the TCM syndrome with the best prognosis of HBV-related HCC patients was determined. To further study the relevant mechanisms, key Chinese materia medicas (KCMMs) for the TCM syndrome with the best prognosis were summarized, and network pharmacology was also performed. Results. A total of 207 HBV-related HCC patients were included in this research, and we found that HBV-related HCC patients with TCM excess syndrome had better OS. Then, a total of eight KCMMs for TCM excess syndrome were identified, whose crucial ingredients included quercetin, beta-sitosterol, kaempferol, luteolin, and XH-14, and KCMMs could play a therapeutic role through MAPK, JAK-STAT, Wnt, Hippo, and other pathways. Moreover, TP53, SRC, STAT3, MAPK3, PIK3R1, HRAS, VEGFA, HSP90AA1, EGFR, and JAK2 were determined as the key targets. Conclusion. We propose a new research method of “prognosis of TCM syndromes-KCMMs-network pharmacology” to reveal the prognostic value of TCM syndromes and the potential mechanism by which TCM syndromes affect prognosis.
Security in Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks: Challenges and Countermeasures
Authors: Mahmood Jabar , Duan Zongtao , Yang Yun , Wang Qinglong , Nebhen Jamel , Bhutta Muhammad Nasir Mumtaz
Published: June 2021

Recently, vehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs) got much popularity and are now being considered as integral parts of the automobile industry. As a subclass of MANETs, the VANETs are being used in the intelligent transport system (ITS) to support passengers, vehicles, and facilities like road protection, including misadventure warnings and driver succor, along with other infotainment services. The advantages and comforts of VANETs are obvious; however, with the continuous progression in autonomous automobile technologies, VANETs are facing numerous security challenges including DoS, Sybil, impersonation, replay, and related attacks. This paper discusses the characteristics and security issues including attacks and threats at different protocol layers of the VANETs architecture. Moreover, the paper also surveys different countermeasures.
Targeting the Extracellular HSP90 Co-Chaperone Morgana Inhibits Cancer Cell Migration and Promotes Anticancer Immunity
Authors: Seclì Laura , Avalle Lidia , Poggio Pietro , Fragale Giuseppe , Cannata Cristiana , Conti Laura , Iannucci Andrea , Carrà Giovanna , Rubinetto Cristina , Miniscalco Barbara , Hirsch Emilio , Poli Valeria , Morotti Alessandro , De Andrea Marco , Turco Emilia , Cavallo Federica , Fusella Federica , Brancaccio Mara
Published: June 2021

HSP90 is secreted by cancer cells into the extracellular milieu, where it exerts protumoral activities by activating extracellular substrate proteins and triggering autocrine signals through cancer cell surface receptors. Emerging evidence indicates that HSP90 co-chaperones are also secreted and may direct HSP90 extracellular activities. In this study, we found that the HSP90 co-chaperone Morgana is released by cancer cells and, in association with HSP90, induces cancer cell migration through TLR2, TLR4, and LRP1. In syngeneic cancer mouse models, a mAb targeting Morgana extracellular activity reduced primary tumor growth via macrophage-dependent recruitment of CD8+ T lymphocytes, blocked cancer cell migration, and inhibited metastatic spreading. Overall, these data define Morgana as a new player in the HSP90 extracellular interactome and suggest that Morgana may regulate HSP90 activity to promote cancer cell migration and suppress antitumor immunity.

Significance:

This work suggests the potential therapeutic value of targeting the extracellular HSP90 co-chaperone Morgana to inhibit metastasis formation and enhance the CD8+ T-cell–mediated antitumor immune response.
Tumor Microenvironment–Derived R-spondins Enhance Antitumor Immunity to Suppress Tumor Growth and Sensitize for Immune Checkpoint Blockade Therapy
Authors: Tang Yuting , Xu Qian , Hu Liang , Yan Xiaomei , Feng Xiaomin , Yokota Asumi , Wang Weinan , Zhan Di , Krishnamurthy Durga , Ochayon David E. , Wen Lijun , Huo Li , Zeng Huimin , Luo Yingwan , Huang L. Frank , Wunderlich Mark , Zhang Jiwang , Vivier Eric , Zhou Jianfeng , Waggoner Stephen N. , Huang Gang
Published: June 2021

Natural killer (NK) cells and T cells are key effectors of antitumor immune responses and major targets of checkpoint inhibitors. In multiple cancer types, we find that the expression of Wnt signaling potentiator R-spondin genes (e.g., RSPO3) is associated with favorable prognosis and positively correlates with gene signatures of both NK cells and T cells. Although endothelial cells and cancer-associated fibroblasts comprise the R-spondin 3–producing cells, NK cells and T cells correspondingly express the R-spondin 3 receptor LGR6 within the tumor microenvironment (TME). Exogenous expression or intratumor injection of R-spondin 3 in tumors enhanced the infiltration and function of cytotoxic effector cells, which led to tumor regression. NK cells and CD8+ T cells independently and cooperatively contributed to R-spondin 3–induced control of distinct tumor types. The effect of R-spondin 3 was mediated in part through upregulation of MYC and ribosomal biogenesis. Importantly, R-spondin 3 expression enhanced tumor sensitivity to anti–PD-1 therapy, thereby highlighting new therapeutic avenues.

Significance:

Our study identifies novel targets in enhancing antitumor immunity and sensitizing immune checkpoint inhibition, which provides a rationale for developing new immunotherapies against cancers. It also offers mechanistic insights on Wnt signaling–mediated modulation of anticancer immunity in the TME and implications for a putative R-spondin–LGR6 axis in regulating NK-cell biology.

This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 2945
Germ Line BAP1 Mutation in Patients with Uveal Melanoma and Renal Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Shao Yusra F. , DeBenedictis Meghan , Yeaney Gabrielle , Singh Arun D.
Published: June 2021

Uveal melanoma (UM) and renal cell carcinoma (RCC) can occur sporadically and as a manifestation of BAP1 tumor predisposition syndrome. We aimed to understand the prevalence of germ line BAP1 pathogenic variants in patients with UM and RCC. We reviewed patients managed at Cleveland Clinic between November 2003 and November 2019 who were diagnosed with UM and RCC. Charts were reviewed for demographic and cancer-related characteristics. RCC samples were tested for BAP1 protein expression using immunohistochemical (IHC) staining, and testing for germ line BAP1 pathogenic variants was performed as part of routine clinical care. Thirteen patients were included in the study. The average age at diagnosis of UM was 61.3 years. Seven patients underwent fine-needle aspiration biopsy for prognostic testing of UM (low risk =5, high risk =2). Twelve patients were treated with plaque radiation therapy, and 3 patients developed metastatic disease requiring systemic therapy. The median time to diagnosis of RCC from time of diagnosis of UM was 0 months. RCC samples were available for 7 patients for BAP1 IHC staining (intact =6, loss =1). All patients underwent nephrectomy (total = 3, partial = 8, unknown =2), and 1 received systemic therapy for metastatic RCC. Six patients underwent germ line BAP1 genetic testing. Of these, 1 patient was heterozygous for a pathogenic variant of BAP1 gene: c.1781-1782delGG, p.Gly594Valfs*48. The overall prevalence of germ line BAP1 pathogenic variants in our study was high (1/6; 17%; 95% CI 0–46%). Patients with UM and RCC should be referred for genetic counseling to discuss genetic testing.
The Perception of Premarital Genetic Screening within Young Jordanian Individuals
Authors: Altaany Zaid , Khabour Omar F. , Alzoubi Karem H. , Alkaraki Almuthanna K. , Al-Taani Ghaith
Published: June 2021

Background: During the past two decades, the attention of public health has been drawn to premarital genetic screening (PGS) programs to reduce birth defects and avoid genetic disorders. In Jordan, the high rate of genetic hemoglobinopathies compelled the government to implement an obligatory PGS program before marriage. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the knowledge, opinion, and practice of young Jordanians concerning PGS. Methods: Using a pretested questionnaire, this cross-sectional study was conducted on a convenience sample from Jordan. The measures included respondents’ demographics, and beliefs/opinions regarding PGS. Results: A total of 432 participants completed the survey. The majority (87.8%) had a positive attitude toward PGS program. Reasons behind this positive attitude were preventing transmission of genetic diseases, reducing family breakdown/psychosocial problems, and financial burdens of having a child with genetic disease. In fact, 49.8% of participants were willing to change their marriage decision in case of receiving incompatible results. Moreover, most of the participants (75.1%) demanded the implementation of a law that prohibits incompatible marriages. A positive attitude toward PGS was found to be associated with female gender and having a university education. Conclusions: Young Jordanians have a positive attitude toward the implementation of PGS. Yet, educational programs should be drawn up to the target population before getting married emphasizing the important role of PGS in the wellness of the community.
Nonculprit Artery Myocardial Infarction and Complex Coronary Lesions in Anterior ST-Elevated Myocardial Infarction Patients: Data from the CIRCUS Study
Authors: Schaaf Mathieu , Croisille Pierre , Py Agathe , Roubille François , Biere Loic , Bochaton Thomas , Perret Thibault , Belle Loic , De Poli Fabien , Hovasse Thomas , Lairez Olivier , Boussaha Inesse , Rioufol Gilles , Prunier Fabrice , Ovize Michel , Mewton Nathan
Published: June 2021

Aims: Periprocedural myocardial infarctions have been reported in the setting of planned percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). We assessed the prevalence of nonculprit artery acute myocardial infarction (NCAMI) and its relationship with coronary artery characteristics, final infarct size, and 1-year adverse clinical outcomes in a population of anterior ST-elevated myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients. Methods and Results: Late gadolinium-enhanced cardiac magnetic resonance (LGE-CMR) studies were performed within 7 days of admission in 129 anterior STEMI patients from the CIRCUS trial treated by primary PCI. Infarct in the noninfarct artery territory (circumflex, right coronary) was assessed on LGE-CMR and T2-weighted images. Eleven (8.5%) patients exhibited NCAMI. The only independent characteristic significantly associated with NCAMI was the presence of multiple complex coronary lesions (odds ratio = 12.9, 95% confidence interval [3.1–53.4]; p < 0.001). There was a significantly increased infarct size in NCAMI patients compared to patients without NCAMI (45.8 ± 20.4% of the left ventricle [LV] vs. 31.0 ± 15.1% of LV, respectively; p = 0.02), with lower LV ejection fraction (46 ± 10% vs. 34 ± 8%, respectively; p < 0.001). Conclusion: NCAMIs are present in 8.5% of anterior STEMI patients and are significantly associated with multiple complex coronary lesions without significant relationship to any revascularization procedural technique. NCAMI was associated with a greater infarct size and reduced LVEF but not worse clinical outcomes at 1 year.
Evidence-Based Practices in the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association
Authors: Bangalore Sripal , Barsness Gregory W. , Dangas George D. , Kern Morton J. , Rao Sunil V. , Shore-Lesserson Linda , Tamis-Holland Jacqueline E. ,   on behalf of the American Heart Association Interventional Cardiovascular Care Committee of the Council on Clinical Cardiology; Council on Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology; Council on Cardiovascular and Stroke Nursing; Council on Cardiovascular Surgery and Anesthesia; and Council on Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health
Published: June 2021

Cardiac catheterization procedures have rapidly evolved and expanded in scope and techniques over the past few decades. However, although some practices have emerged based on evidence, many traditions have persisted based on beliefs and theoretical concerns. The aim of this review is to highlight common preprocedure, intraprocedure, and postprocedure catheterization laboratory practices where evidence has accumulated over the past few decades to support or discount traditionally held practices.
Analysis of 3-Dimensional Arch Anatomy, Vascular Flow, and Postnatal Outcome in Cases of Suspected Coarctation of the Aorta Using Fetal Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Authors: Lloyd David F.A. , van Poppel Milou P.M. , Pushparajah Kuberan , Vigneswaran Trisha V. , Zidere Vita , Steinweg Johannes , van Amerom Joshua F.P. , Roberts Thomas A. , Schulz Alexander , Charakida Marietta , Miller Owen , Sharland Gurleen , Rutherford Mary , Hajnal Joseph V. , Simpson John M. , Razavi Reza
Published: June 2021

Background:

Identifying fetuses at risk of severe neonatal coarctation of the aorta (CoA) can be lifesaving but is notoriously challenging in clinical practice with a high rate of false positives. Novel fetal 3-dimensional and phase-contrast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) offers an unprecedented means of assessing the human fetal cardiovascular system before birth. We performed detailed MRI assessment of fetal vascular morphology and flows in a cohort of fetuses with suspected CoA, correlated with the need for postnatal intervention.

Methods:

Women carrying a fetus with suspected CoA on echocardiography were referred for MRI assessment between 26 and 36 weeks of gestation, including high-resolution motion-corrected 3-dimensional volumes of the fetal heart and phase-contrast flow sequences gated with metric optimized gating. The relationship between aortic geometry and vascular flows was then analyzed and compared with postnatal outcome.

Results:

Seventy-two patients (51 with suspected fetal CoA and 21 healthy controls) underwent fetal MRI with motion-corrected 3-dimensional vascular reconstructions. Vascular flow measurements from phase-contrast sequences were available in 53 patients. In the CoA group, 25 of 51 (49%) required surgical repair of coarctation after birth; the remaining 26 of 51 (51%) were discharged without neonatal intervention. Reduced blood flow in the fetal ascending aorta and at the aortic isthmus was associated with increasing angulation (
P
=0.005) and proximal displacement (
P
=0.006) of the isthmus and was seen in both true positive and false positive cases. A multivariate logistic regression model including aortic flow and isthmal displacement explained 78% of the variation in outcome and correctly predicted the need for intervention in 93% of cases.

Conclusions:

Reduced blood flow though the left heart is associated with important configurational changes at the aortic isthmus in fetal life, predisposing to CoA when the arterial duct closes after birth. Novel fetal MRI techniques may have a role in both understanding and accurately predicting severe neonatal CoA.
Mediterranean Diet Score, Dietary Patterns, and Risk of Sudden Cardiac Death in the REGARDS Study
Authors: Shikany James M. , Safford Monika M. , Soroka Orysya , Brown Todd M. , Newby P. K. , Durant Raegan W. , Judd Suzanne E.
Published: June 2021

Background

Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is a common cause of death in the United States. Few previous studies have investigated the associations of diet scores and dietary patterns with risk of SCD. We investigated the associations of the Mediterranean diet score and various dietary patterns with risk of SCD in participants in the REGARDS (Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke) study cohort.

Methods and Results

Diet was assessed with a food frequency questionnaire administered at baseline in REGARDS. The Mediterranean diet score was derived based on the consumption of specific food groups considered beneficial or detrimental components of that diet. Dietary patterns were derived previously using factor analysis, and adherence to each pattern was scored. SCD events were ascertained through regular contacts. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to examine the risk of SCD events associated with the Mediterranean diet score and adherence to each of the 5 dietary patterns overall and stratifying on history of coronary heart disease at baseline. The analytic sample included 21 069 participants with a mean 9.8±3.8 years of follow‐up. The Mediterranean diet score showed a trend toward an inverse association with risk of SCD after multivariable adjustment (hazard ratio [HR] comparing highest with lowest group, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.55–1.01;
P
trend
=0.07). There was a trend toward a positive association of the Southern dietary pattern with risk of SCD (HR comparing highest with lowest quartile of adherence, 1.46; 95% CI, 1.02–2.10;
P
trend
=0.06).

Conclusions

In REGARDS participants, we identified trends toward an inverse association of the Mediterranean diet score and a positive association of adherence to the Southern dietary pattern with risk of SCD.
Sex Differences in Stroke Care and Outcome 2005–2018
Authors: Eriksson Marie , Åsberg Signild , Sunnerhagen Katharina Stibrant , von Euler Mia ,   on behalf of the Riksstroke Collaboration
Published: June 2021

Background and Purpose:

Previous studies of stroke management and outcome in Sweden have revealed differences between men and women. We aimed to analyze if differences in stroke incidence, care, and outcome have altered over time.

Methods:

All stroke events registered in the Swedish Stroke Register 2005 to 2018 were included. Background variables and treatment were collected during the acute hospital stay. Survival data were obtained from the national cause of death register by individual linkage. We used unadjusted proportions and estimated age-adjusted marginal means, using a generalized linear model, to present outcome.

Results:

We identified 335 183 stroke events and a decreasing incidence in men and women 2005 to 2018. Men were on average younger than women (73.3 versus 78.1 years) at stroke onset. The age-adjusted proportion of reperfusion therapy 2005 to 2018 increased more rapidly in women than in men (2.3%–15.1% in men versus 1.4%–16.9% in women), but in 2018, women still had a lower probability of receiving thrombolysis within 30 minutes. Among patients with atrial fibrillation, oral anticoagulants at discharge increased more rapidly in women (31.2%–78.6% in men versus 26.7%–81.9% in women). Statins remained higher in men (36.9%–83.7% in men versus 32.3%–81.2% in women). Men had better functional outcome and survival after stroke. After adjustment for women’s higher age, more severe strokes, and background characteristics, the absolute difference in functional outcome was <1% and survival did not differ.

Conclusions:

Stroke incidence, care, and outcome show continuous improvements in Sweden, and previously reported differences between men and women become less evident. More severe strokes and older age in women at stroke onset are explanations to persisting differences.
Syntax Role for Neural Semantic Role Labeling
Authors: Li Zuchao , Zhao Hai , He Shexia , Cai Jiaxun
Published: June 2021

Semantic role labeling (SRL) is dedicated to recognizing the semantic predicate-argument structure of a sentence. Previous studies in terms of traditional models have shown syntactic information can make remarkable contributions to SRL performance; however, the necessity of syntactic information was challenged by a few recent neural SRL studies that demonstrate impressive performance without syntactic backbones and suggest that syntax information becomes much less important for neural semantic role labeling, especially when paired with recent deep neural network and large-scale pre-trained language models. Despite this notion, the neural SRL field still lacks a systematic and full investigation on the relevance of syntactic information in SRL, for both dependency and both monolingual and multilingual settings. This paper intends to quantify the importance of syntactic information for neural SRL in the deep learning framework. We introduce three typical SRL frameworks (baselines), sequence-based, tree-based, and graph-based, which are accompanied by two categories of exploiting syntactic information: syntax pruning-based and syntax feature-based. Experiments are conducted on the CoNLL-2005, -2009, and -2012 benchmarks for all languages available, and results show that neural SRL models can still benefit from syntactic information under certain conditions. Furthermore, we show the quantitative significance of syntax to neural SRL models together with a thorough empirical survey using existing models.
The Taxonomy of Writing Systems: How to Measure How Logographic a System Is
Authors: Sproat Richard , Gutkin Alexander
Published: June 2021

Taxonomies of writing systems since Gelb (1952) have classified systems based on what the written symbols represent: if they represent words or morphemes, they are logographic; if syllables, syllabic; if segments, alphabetic; and so forth. Sproat (2000) and Rogers (2005) broke with tradition by splitting the logographic and phonographic aspects into two dimensions, with logography being graded rather than a categorical distinction. A system could be syllabic, and highly logographic; or alphabetic, and mostly non-logographic. This accords better with how writing systems actually work, but neither author proposed a method for measuring logography.

In this article we propose a novel measure of the degree of logography that uses an attention-based sequence-to-sequence model trained to predict the spelling of a token from its pronunciation in context. In an ideal phonographic system, the model should need to attend to only the current token in order to compute how to spell it, and this would show in the attention matrix activations. In contrast, with a logographic system, where a given pronunciation might correspond to several different spellings, the model would need to attend to a broader context. The ratio of the activation outside the token and the total activation forms the basis of our measure. We compare this with a simple lexical measure, and an entropic measure, as well as several other neural models, and argue that on balance our attention-based measure accords best with intuition about how logographic various systems are.

Our work provides the first quantifiable measure of the notion of logography that accords with linguistic intuition and, we argue, provides better insight into what this notion means.
Sustained Attention and Spatial Attention Distinctly Influence Long-term Memory Encoding
Authors: deBettencourt Megan T. , Williams Stephanie D. , Vogel Edward K. , Awh Edward
Published: June 2021

Our attention is critically important for what we remember. Prior measures of the relationship between attention and memory, however, have largely treated “attention” as a monolith. Here, across three experiments, we provide evidence for two dissociable aspects of attention that influence encoding into long-term memory. Using spatial cues together with a sensitive continuous report procedure, we find that long-term memory response error is affected by both trial-by-trial fluctuations of sustained attention and prioritization via covert spatial attention. Furthermore, using multivariate analyses of EEG, we track both sustained attention and spatial attention before stimulus onset. Intriguingly, even during moments of low sustained attention, there is no decline in the representation of the spatially attended location, showing that these two aspects of attention have robust but independent effects on long-term memory encoding. Finally, sustained and spatial attention predicted distinct variance in long-term memory performance across individuals. That is, the relationship between attention and long-term memory suggests a composite model, wherein distinct attentional subcomponents influence encoding into long-term memory. These results point toward a taxonomy of the distinct attentional processes that constrain our memories.
Least kth-Order and Rényi Generative Adversarial Networks
Authors: Bhatia Himesh , Paul William , Alajaji Fady , Gharesifard Bahman , Burlina Philippe
Published: June 2021

We investigate the use of parameterized families of information-theoretic measures to generalize the loss functions of generative adversarial networks (GANs) with the objective of improving performance. A new generator loss function, least kth-order GAN (LkGAN), is introduced, generalizing the least squares GANs (LSGANs) by using a kth-order absolute error distortion measure with k≥1 (which recovers the LSGAN loss function when k=2). It is shown that minimizing this generalized loss function under an (unconstrained) optimal discriminator is equivalent to minimizing the kth-order Pearson-Vajda divergence. Another novel GAN generator loss function is next proposed in terms of Rényi cross-entropy functionals with order α>0, α≠1. It is demonstrated that this Rényi-centric generalized loss function, which provably reduces to the original GAN loss function as α→1, preserves the equilibrium point satisfied by the original GAN based on the Jensen-Rényi divergence, a natural extension of the Jensen-Shannon divergence.

Experimental results indicate that the proposed loss functions, applied to the MNIST and CelebA data sets, under both DCGAN and StyleGAN architectures, confer performance benefits by virtue of the extra degrees of freedom provided by the parameters k and α, respectively. More specifically, experiments show improvements with regard to the quality of the generated images as measured by the Fréchet inception distance score and training stability. While it was applied to GANs in this study, the proposed approach is generic and can be used in other applications of information theory to deep learning, for example, the issues of fairness or privacy in artificial intelligence.