bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Vertical Transmission, Risk Factors, and Antimicrobial Resistance Patterns of Group B Streptococcus among Mothers and Their Neonates in Southern Ethiopia
Authors: Dadi Belayneh Regasa , Sime Mulatu , Seid Mohamed , Tadesse Dagimawie , Siraj Munira , Alelign Dagninet , Solomon Zerihun
Published: July 2022

Background. Group B Streptococcus (GBS) contributes to maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality by increasing intrauterine infection or vertical transmission at the time of birth. Despite many efforts to reduce the potential risk of vertical transmission, GBS remains the main cause of serious disease (neonatal sepsis, meningitis, and/or pneumonia) in vulnerable newborns during the first week of life. This study aimed to assess vertical transmission, risk factors, and antimicrobial resistance patterns of GBS among pregnant women and their neonates. Methods. A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted among mothers and their neonates from February to May 2021. A total of 201 pregnant women with their neonates participated in this study. A well-designed questionnaire was used to collect sociodemographic and clinical data. A vaginal swab from mother before delivery and neonatal nasal and ear canal swab samples were taken as soon as after delivery within 30 minutes. Vaginal swabs, neonatal ear canal, and nasal swabs were placed into Todd–Hewitt broth and incubated at 37°C for 18–24 hours at 35–37°C in 5% CO2 conditions and then subcultured on 5% sheep blood agar for 18–48 hours. Presumptive identification of GBS was made by morphology, Gram stain, catalase, and hemolytic activity on sheep blood agar plates. CAMP and bacitracin susceptibility tests were used as confirmatory tests for GBS. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 21.

P

value ≤0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results. Vertical transmission rates of GBS (mother to neonates) were 11.9%. The prevalence of GBS among pregnant women and newborns was 24/201 (11.9%) (95% CI = 7.5–16.9) and 11/201 (5.5%) (95% CI = 2.5–9.0), respectively. The history of prolonged rupture of membranes (AOR = 3.5, CI = 2.2–18.8) and urinary tract infection (AOR = 2.9, CI = 1.7–16.3) were associated factors for maternal GBS colonization. Gestational age of <37 weeks (

p
=
0.008

), low birth weight of <2.5 kg (

p
=
0.001

), and maternal history of vaginal discharge (

p
=
0.048

) were associated factors for neonatal GBS colonization. Low antibiotic resistance was observed for erythromycin 8.6%, clindamycin 5.7%, and chloramphenicol 2.9%. Conclusion. In this study, high vertical transmission (mother to neonates) rate was observed. The prevalence of vaginal GBS colonization of women at delivery was 11.9% and significantly associated with the history of prolonged rupture of membranes and urinary tract infections. Gestational age of <37 weeks, low birth weight of <2.5 kg, and maternal history of vaginal discharge were associated with neonatal GBS colonization. Hence, there is a need for antenatal culture-based GBS screening, risk factor-based interventions, and regular follow-up of drug resistance patterns for proper treatment and management of GBS.
Experimental Studies on Mechanical and Thermal Properties of Polyester Hybrid Composites Reinforced with Sansevieria Trifasciata Fibers
Authors: Premkumar R. , Sathish Kumar K. , Maniraj J. , Felix sahayaraj A. , Jenish I. , Hussain Fayaz , Khedher Nidhal Ben , Aich Walid , Suresh V.
Published: July 2022

In the recent decades, natural fiber reinforced composite (NFRC) plays a vital role in most of the engineering applications including automobile and structural. The demand for novel natural fiber increasing steeply in recent times. Current research work aimed to develop hybrid sansevieria trifasciata fiber (HSTF)/polyester composite, and researchers combined untreated sansevieria trifasciata fibers (USTFs) with NaOH treated sisal fibers (NSTFs) and combined them with a polyester matrix. The reinforced effect of HSTFs was shown to be superior to that of NSTFs. It has the tensile strength of 48.47 MPa, the flexural strength of 69.17 MPa, and the impact strength of 16.34 kJ/m2. The thermal behaviour of the composite increased because of chemical treatment and hybrid composition. Polyester/HSTFs show superior mechanical properties compared to other developed samples.
Applying Lightweight Deep Learning-Based Virtual Vision Sensing Technology to Realize and Develop New Media Interactive Art Installation
Authors: Luo Lanjun
Published: July 2022

The work intends to optimize the situation that interactive art devices and remote control based on traditional technology cannot meet people’s actual needs to a certain extent. With the assistance of Lightweight Deep Learning (LDL) models, Interactive Artistic Installation (IAI) shows excellent creative potential in terms of dimension, space, and sense. Virtual Vision Sensing Technology (VST) explores the emotional semantics in the human-machine environment with the help of interactive art, finds the emotional interaction elements between human and machine, and promotes Human-Computer Interaction (HCI). From the perspective of the media elements of interactive art, this paper reviews the virtual VST that subverts the expression of interactive art. Then, from the perspective of artistic creation, the impact of virtual VST on IAI thinking, methods, and artistic experience is analyzed. Thereupon, a scene construction method is designed where the physical equipment is premodeled. The model is loaded in real time with visual information. The proposed method does not require complex vision and laser scanning equipment or high-configured computer systems. The proposed new media IAI model realizes the real-time loading of the scene model. According to the physical equipment dynamic information obtained by the visual data acquisition system, the proposed method can keep the virtual scene and physical models in motion synchronization. Finally, experiment results corroborate that the environment will significantly interfere with the experimental results. The training data set with boundary occlusion will be more suitable for model training and better test results (about 97% accuracy). Hence, the research content can make the Virtual Reality works have better performance, especially the sense of experience from the perspective of aesthetics. Meanwhile, it also enriches the research theory in the field of new media art installation technology.
Axial Compression Performance of Concrete-Filled Steel Tubular Columns with Different D/t Ratios
Authors: Achuthan Preetha , Prabhu Ganapathy Ganesh , Vimal Arokiaraj George Gabriel , Sivanantham Panneerselvam Arul , Suthagar Subramanian
Published: July 2022

The impacts of three diameter/thickness (D/t) ratios (21.22, 25.46, and 31.83) and concrete strengths (40 N/mm2, 50 N/mm2, and 60 N/mm2) on the strength capabilities of concrete-filled steel tubular (CFST) columns are investigated in this study. The central composite design (CCD) of the response surface methodology (RSM) was used to design the trials in order to complete the tests in a cost-effective manner. 13 (9 distinct tests) columns were evaluated according to the CCD experimental design, and the failure mode of the specimens, load–deformation behavior, and ultimate strength capacity were investigated. Concrete strength improves, resulting in a decrease in steel tube confinement on the core. Because the steel tube longitudinal compressive stress (fsl) increases as the D/t ratio lowers, the confinement is reduced by inhibiting the circumferential tensile stress (fsc). The Reynolds stress model’s, analysis of variance (ANOVA), Pareto chart, and contour plot demonstrated that the column D/t ratio, rather than the in-filled concrete strength, has a considerable impact on the CFST column’s strength capability. The proposed design models in different international codes and literature were evaluated for their effectiveness in predicting the strength capacities of CFST columns subjected to axial compression load. Using regression analysis, a simple design model was suggested to predict the axial strength capacities of CFST short columns, taking into account material strength and column shape. In comparison to other existing and suggested design models, the proposed design model of the present study delivers a more accurate and stable forecast.
English Text Analysis System Based on Genetic Algorithm
Authors: Yao Jian , Xu Jin
Published: July 2022

In order to accurately extract the useful information in English, this paper studies English text analysis combined with a genetic algorithm and establishes a text analysis system. In this method, a text tendency analysis algorithm based on a genetic algorithm language model is proposed, and a Doc2vec text feature representation algorithm integrating the LDA model is designed; the parallelization technology of text analysis algorithm is studied, and the parallelization model of the algorithm by using spark big data platform is designed; the process of English text tendency analysis is studied, and a Chinese text analysis system is designed and implemented based on big data platform, including corpus intake, corpus annotation, corpus storage, model training, model verification, and other modules. In order to verify the feasibility of this subject, the accuracy of the Doc2vec text feature representation algorithm of the fused LDA model designed in the prototype system is tested. The experimental results show that the fused text representation model has high recognition degree, and the AUC value of the ROC curve reaches 0.95. At the same time, this paper tests the text analysis-related algorithms involved in the system. The test results show that the parallel algorithm can greatly improve the efficiency of the system.
Color Image Feature Matching Method Based on the Improved Firework Algorithm
Authors: Liu Dujin , Zhu Huawei , Wang Haiyan
Published: July 2022

An improved ORB feature point purification method has been proposed to address the problem of large feature point matching error and low image registration rate in the oriented FAST and rotated BRIEF (ORB) feature point color image matching algorithm. Pure virtual quaternions were used to represent the color image pixels in this method, and an improved FAST algorithm was used to detect the color feature points at first. The firework algorithm has been used to divide the detected feature points into key areas, auxiliary areas, and small influence areas, depending on the degree of attachment. The feature points of the key area and the subsidiary area are the required feature points. In order to further improve the efficiency of matching the color image feature points, the firework explosion radius formula and the explosion number formula in the firework algorithm have been improved, and an improved firework algorithm is proposed. This improved algorithm purifies the quaternion-represented color image feature points. For feature matching, the hamming distance was used. Experiments show that, when compared to the traditional ORB algorithm, the improved algorithm retains the key feature points of the color image with high accuracy, removes a large number of irrelevant feature points and noise points, and provides significantly higher accuracy and efficiency of color image matching.
[Retracted] Depletion of Fibroblast Growth Factor 12 Restrains the Viability, Stemness, and Motility of Colorectal Cancer
Authors: Gao Xueyuan , Liao Zuowei , Su Rukui , Zheng Dongni , Huang Guoyuan , Huang Zhong , Cheng Xueyuan
Published: July 2022

Background. Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a leading cause of cancer‐related death. CRC patients have a poor prognosis due to tumor metastasis and recurrence. Fibroblast growth factor 12 (FGF12), a member of the FGF family, is highly expressed in several cancers. However, little is known about the roles of FGF12 in CRC progression. Methods. The overall survival (OS) of CRC patients was detected via Kaplan–Meier analysis. The FGF12 expression in both CRC tissues and cells was analyzed by qRT‐PCR, immunohistochemistry (IHC), and western blotting (WB). LoVo and SW480 cells were transfected with shFGF12 lentivirus to silence FGF12. In vivo and in vitro experiments were performed to explore the FGF12 functions in CRC, including CCK‐8, Edu, flow cytometry, Transwell, EMT, cancer stemness, and tumor xenograft experiments. Results. FGF12 was upregulated in both CRC cells and tissues. High expression of FGF12 indicated a shorter OS in CRC patients. FGF12 knockdown inhibited the proliferation, invasion, stemness, and EMT of CRC cells. FGF12 knockdown promoted CRC cell apoptosis in vitro. 740 Y‐P (a PI3K/AKT pathway activator) restored the proliferation, stemness, invasion, and EMT in FGF12‐deficient cells and reversed LoVo cell apoptosis induced by FGF12 depletion. Depletion of FGF12 inhibited tumor growth, EMT, cancer stemness, and PI3K/AKT pathway in a xenograft mouse model. Conclusions. FGF12 predicts bad clinical outcome and modulates the viability, stemness, and motility of CRC cells. Our study may provide a new insight for the diagnosis and treatment of CRC.
Detection Storage Time of Mild Bruise’s Loquats Using Hyperspectral Imaging
Authors: Han Zhaoyang , Li Bin , Wang Qiu , Yang Akun , Liu Yande
Published: July 2022

Bruise may cause spoilage, reduce commodity economic value, and give rise to food quality and safety concerns. Therefore, it is crucial to detect whether a loquat is bruised and when it is bruised to save storage and transportation costs. At present, the bruise of loquats is mainly discriminated by the operator’s naked eye, which is affected by personal habits, light intensity, and subjective psychological factors. The detection method is time-consuming, inaccurate, inefficient, and difficult to identify the bruise’s time of loquats. Due to the fact that the color features can be used to perform the conditions of the darkened and brownish regions in bruise’s loquats, the combined spectral information and the color features method is proposed to accurately detect the storage time of mild bruise’s loquats in this study. In order to reduce economic losses, different methods are used to deal with the loquats at the corresponding bruise’s time. Loquats with four types of bruise’s time, including 6, 12, 24, and 36 h, are studied. Models with four types of characteristics, including spectral information, RGB features combined with spectral information, HSI features combined with spectral information, and mixed color features combined with spectral information (mixed-spectral), are established based on linear discriminant analysis (LDA), support vector machine (SVM), and least-squares support vector machine (LS-SVM). The investigated 400 independent samples with four bruise’s time conditions are utilized to assess the classification ability of the proposed methods. The results indicate that the Mixed-RBF-LS-SVM model has the lowest errors, and the accuracies of storage time of mild bruise’s loquats at 6, 12, 24, and 36 h are 100%, 92%, 92%, and 100%, respectively. The overall accuracy of the LS-SVM model based on mixed-spectral is 96%, and it demonstrates that the combined spectral information and color features method can be used to accurately detect the bruise’s time of loquats. Finally, the LS-SVM model based on mixed-spectral is optimized by UVE, SPA, CARS, and GA, respectively; it is found that the UVE-LS-SVM model based on mixed-spectral is the best, and the overall accuracy is 92%. It also lays a foundation for future studies about detecting the bruise’s time of fruits with a high-precision, rapid, and nondestructive measurement.
Pharmacologic Targeting of TFIIH Suppresses KRAS-Mutant Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma and Synergizes with TRAIL
Authors: Moser Russell , Annis James , Nikolova Olga , Whatcott Cliff , Gurley Kay , Mendez Eduardo , Moran-Jones Kim , Dorrell Craig , Sears Rosalie C. , Kuo Calvin , Han Haiyong , Biankin Andrew , Grandori Carla , Von Hoff Daniel D. , Kemp Christopher J.
Published: July 2022

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) typically presents as metastatic disease at diagnosis and remains refractory to treatment. Next-generation sequencing efforts have described the genomic landscape, classified molecular subtypes, and confirmed frequent alterations in major driver genes, with coexistent alterations in KRAS and TP53 correlating with the highest metastatic burden and poorest outcomes. However, translating this information to guide therapy remains a challenge. By integrating genomic analysis with an arrayed RNAi druggable genome screen and drug profiling of a KRAS/TP53 mutant PDAC cell line derived from a patient-derived xenograft (PDCL), we identified numerous targetable vulnerabilities that reveal both known and novel functional aspects of pancreatic cancer biology. A dependence on the general transcription and DNA repair factor TFIIH complex, particularly the XPB subunit and the CAK complex (CDK7/CyclinH/MAT1), was identified and further validated utilizing a panel of genomically subtyped KRAS mutant PDCLs. TFIIH function was inhibited with a covalent inhibitor of CDK7/12/13 (THZ1), a CDK7/CDK9 kinase inhibitor (SNS-032), and a covalent inhibitor of XPB (triptolide), which led to disruption of the protein stability of the RNA polymerase II subunit RPB1. Loss of RPB1 following TFIIH inhibition led to downregulation of key transcriptional effectors of KRAS-mutant signaling and negative regulators of apoptosis, including MCL1, XIAP, and CFLAR, initiating caspase-8 dependent apoptosis. All three drugs exhibited synergy in combination with a multivalent TRAIL, effectively reinforcing mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis. These findings present a novel combination therapy, with direct translational implications for current clinical trials on metastatic pancreatic cancer patients.

Significance:

This study utilizes functional genetic and pharmacological profiling of KRAS-mutant pancreatic adenocarcinoma to identify therapeutic strategies and finds that TFIIH inhibition synergizes with TRAIL to induce apoptosis in KRAS-driven pancreatic cancer.
Gain of Chromosome 1q Perturbs a Competitive Endogenous RNA Network to Promote Melanoma Metastasis
Authors: Xu Xiaonan , Wang Kaizhen , Vera Olga , Verma Akanksha , Jasani Neel , Bok Ilah , Elemento Olivier , Du Dongliang , Yu Xiaoqing , Karreth Florian A.
Published: July 2022

Somatic copy-number alterations (CNA) promote cancer, but the underlying driver genes may not be comprehensively identified if only the functions of the encoded proteins are considered. mRNAs can act as competitive endogenous RNAs (ceRNA), which sponge miRNAs to posttranscriptionally regulate gene expression in a protein coding–independent manner. We investigated the contribution of ceRNAs to the oncogenic effects of CNAs. Chromosome 1q gains promoted melanoma progression and metastasis at least in part through overexpression of three mRNAs with ceRNA activity: CEP170, NUCKS1, and ZC3H11A. These ceRNAs enhanced melanoma metastasis by sequestering tumor suppressor miRNAs. Orthogonal genetic assays with miRNA inhibitors and target site blockers, along with rescue experiments, demonstrated that miRNA sequestration is critical for the oncogenic effects of CEP170, NUCKS1, and ZC3H11A mRNAs. Furthermore, chromosome 1q ceRNA-mediated miRNA sequestration alleviated the repression of several prometastatic target genes. This regulatory RNA network was evident in other cancer types, suggesting chromosome 1q ceRNA deregulation as a common driver of cancer progression. Taken together, this work demonstrates that ceRNAs mediate the oncogenicity of somatic CNAs.

Significance:

The function of CEP170, NUCKS1, and ZC3H11A mRNAs as competitive endogenous RNAs that sequester tumor suppressor microRNAs underlies the oncogenic activity of chromosome 1q gains.
NELL1 Regulates the Matrisome to Promote Osteosarcoma Progression
Authors: Qin Qizhi , Gomez-Salazar Mario , Tower Robert J. , Chang Leslie , Morris Carol D. , McCarthy Edward F. , Ting Kang , Zhang Xinli , James Aaron W.
Published: July 2022

Sarcomas produce an abnormal extracellular matrix (ECM), which in turn provides instructive cues for cell growth and invasion. Neural EGF like-like molecule 1 (NELL1) is a secreted glycoprotein characterized by its nonneoplastic osteoinductive effects, yet it is highly expressed in skeletal sarcomas. Here, we show that genetic deletion of NELL1 markedly reduces invasive behavior across human osteosarcoma (OS) cell lines. NELL1 deletion resulted in reduced OS disease progression, inhibiting metastasis and improving survival in a xenograft mouse model. These observations were recapitulated with Nell1 conditional knockout in mouse models of p53/Rb-driven sarcomagenesis, which reduced tumor frequency and extended tumor-free survival. Transcriptomic and phosphoproteomic analyses demonstrated that NELL1 loss skews the expression of matricellular proteins associated with reduced FAK signaling. Culturing NELL1 knockout sarcoma cells on wild-type OS-enriched matricellular proteins reversed the phenotypic and signaling changes induced by NELL1 deficiency. In sarcoma patients, high expression of NELL1 correlated with decreased overall survival. These findings in mouse and human models suggest that NELL1 expression alters the sarcoma ECM, thereby modulating cellular invasive potential and prognosis. Disruption of NELL1 signaling may represent a novel therapeutic approach to short-circuit sarcoma disease progression.

Significance:

NELL1 modulates the sarcoma matrisome to promote tumor growth, invasion, and metastasis, identifying the matrix-associated protein as an orchestrator of cell–ECM interactions in sarcomagenesis and disease progression.
Cancer-Related Reductions in Survival: Extent and Duration Evaluated Using a Large Cohort Study of Twins, 1943–2011
Authors: Villumsen Martin Dalgaard , Ahrenfeldt Linda Juel , Christensen Kaare , Ewertz Marianne , Hjelmborg Jacob B.
Published: July 2022

Background:

The time during which there is an increased risk of death for cancer survivors was evaluated in a large twin study, which allows for matching on shared components such as age, genes, and socioeconomic factors in childhood.

Methods:

By use of data from Danish registers, time to death from initial cancer was studied prospectively in twins in two different settings. The twins were diagnosed with at least one cancer in the period 1943 to 2011. Setting I included 5,680 same-sex twin pairs aged 6 and over, while Setting II included 3,218 twin individuals from age 70 and over. The study provides comparisons within twin pairs and across birth cohorts, age at diagnoses, and time at diagnosis.

Results:

In 2001 to 2011, the 5-year mortality risk for a twin surviving cancer after the age of 70 was twofold that of the co-twin, regardless of sex and zygosity, and it was 1.5-fold if the twin survived the initial 9 months. After 5 to 6 years, the mortality risk corresponded to that of the co-twin. In previous decades, the excess hazard risk was considerably higher for both older and younger cohorts. There were no indications of change in relative survival across old birth cohorts.

Conclusions:

This large twin study suggested that for a cancer-treatment survivor diagnosed at age 70 or later, the additional mortality risk was largely absent 5 years later, by which time the survival relative to the co-twin was 60%.

Impact:

Elevated mortality risk after cancer is offset after 5 to 6 years.
Facts and Hopes for Gut Microbiota Interventions in Cancer Immunotherapy
Authors: Davar Diwakar , Zarour Hassane M.
Published: July 2022

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) targeting cytotoxic T-lymphocyte–associated antigen 4 (CTLA-4) and programmed death 1 (PD-1) proteins transformed the management of advanced cancers. Many tumor-intrinsic factors modulate immunological and clinical responses to such therapies, but ample evidence also implicates the gut microbiome in responses. The gut microbiome, comprising the bacteria, archaea, fungi, and viruses that live in the human digestive tract, is an established determinant of host immunity, but its impact on response to ICI therapy in mice and humans with cancer has only recently been appreciated. Therapeutic interventions to optimize microbiota composition to improve immunotherapy outcomes show promise in mice and humans with cancer. In this review, we discuss the rationale for gut microbiome–based cancer therapies, the results from early-phase clinical trials, and possible future developments.
Facts and Hopes for Immunotherapy in Renal Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Yao Chen , Zhang Tian , Wu Tuoqi , Brugarolas James
Published: July 2022

Immunotherapy has made a significant impact in many tumors, including renal cell carcinoma (RCC). RCC has been known to be immunoresponsive since the cytokine era of IFNα and IL2, but only a small number of patients had durable clinical benefit. Since then, discoveries of key tumor drivers, as well as an understanding of the contribution of angiogenesis and the tumor microenvironment (TME), has led to advances in drug development, ultimately transforming patient outcomes. Combinations of anti-angiogenic agents with immune checkpoint inhibitors are now standard of care. Current challenges include patient selection for immunotherapy combinations, resistance acquisition, and optimally sequencing therapies. Further discoveries about RCC biology, the TME, and resistance mechanisms will likely pave the way for the next generation of therapies.
A Phase II Study of Nivolumab plus Gemcitabine in Patients with Recurrent or Metastatic Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma (KCSG HN17–11)
Authors: Jung Hyun Ae , Park Keon-Uk , Cho Sanghee , Lim Jinyeong , Lee Keun-Wook , Hong Min Hee , Yun Tak , An Ho Jung , Park Woong-Yang , Pereira Sergio , Ock Chan-Young , Keam Bhumsuk
Published: July 2022

Purpose:

Although programmed death 1/programmed death ligand 1 (PD-1/PD-L1) inhibitors are promising agents for recurrent or metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitor monotherapy has shown modest efficacy. This study evaluated the efficacy and safety of nivolumab plus gemcitabine in patients with NPC who failed prior platinum-based chemotherapy.

Patients and Methods:

This is a phase II, multicenter, open-label, single-arm study. Patients with recurrent or metastatic NPC received nivolumab 3 mg/kg and gemcitabine 1,250 mg/m2 every 2 weeks until disease progression or intolerable toxicity. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS). The secondary endpoints included objective response rate (ORR), overall survival (OS), and safety. To identify potential biomarkers, whole-exome sequencing, whole-transcriptome sequencing, and immune phenotype analysis based on Lunit SCOPE IO, an artificial intelligence–powered spatial tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte analyzer, were performed.

Results:

Thirty-six patients were enrolled between June 2018 and June 2019. The ORR was 36.1% and disease control rate was 97.2%. With median follow-up of 22.0 months, median PFS was 13.8 months [95% confidence interval (CI), 8.6–16.8 months]. Median OS was not reached, and OS rate at 6 months was 97.0% (95% CI, 80.4%–99.6%). The grade ≥3 treatment-related adverse events were hypertension (2.8%) and anemia (2.8%). In multivariate analysis of mutation of chromatin modifier gene, tumor mutational burden (≥ 2.1 mut/Mb), and somatic copy-number alteration (SCNA) level, the group with high SCNA (> 3 points; HR, 7.0; 95% CI, 1.3–37.9; P = 0.02) had independently associated with poor PFS. Immune phenotype analysis showed that tumors with high proportion of immune-excluded immune phenotype was significantly correlated with poor PFS (HR, 4.4; 95% CI, 1.2–16.2; P = 0.018).

Conclusions:

Nivolumab plus gemcitabine showed promising efficacy with favorable toxicity profiles in patients with advanced NPC in whom platinum-based combination chemotherapy failed.
ITSC-APD en niños y adolescentes con asma: Dos marcadores que parecen predecir un efecto beneficioso sobre la función pulmonar
Authors: Bottelli Matías Carlos
Published: July 2022

Background: Allergen-specific immunotherapy is currently the only disease-modifying treatment for allergic asthma, and it has been shown to improve control of asthma while reducing both drug use and asthma exacerbations. However, its effects on lung function — especially its longterm effects — remain controversial. We aimed to identify factors associated with a possible beneficial effect of allergen-specific immunotherapy on lung function in asthma by retrospectively evaluating the long-term changes in lung function in children with asthma who received house dust mite subcutaneous immunotherapy (HDM-SCIT). Methods: We enrolled children with asthma who had undergone HDM-SCIT for more than 1 year. Clinical information and lung function measurements were retrieved from the electronic chart system. To characterize the trajectory of lung function change, we performed linear regression analysis to evaluate the maximal expiratory flow at 50% of the forced vital capacity during two periods: before and during HDM-SCIT. Slopes from a least-squares regression line for the two periods, i.e., S1 before HDM-SCIT and S2 during HDM-SCIT, were compared. The subjects were then classified into two groups: an improving group (Group I) defined as S2–S1 > 0, and a declining group (Group D) defined as S2–S1 < 0. The clinical factors at the start of HDM-SCIT were compared between the two groups. Results: A total of 16 patients were analyzed. Eight patients were classified into each of Group I and Group D. The mean ages were 10.5 and 11.8 years, and the mean treatment periods were 4.1 and 3.9 years. Group I had a significantly lower blood eosinophil count and a significantly higher HDM-specific IgE level than Group D. Logistic regression showed a strong relationship between those two markers and the lung function trajectory. Conclusion: Control of the blood eosinophil count in highly HDM-sensitized patients may increase the beneficial effect of HDM-SCIT on lung function.
Pattern of frustration formation in the functional brain network
Authors: Saberi Majid , Khosrowabadi Reza , Khatibi Ali , Misic Bratislav , Jafari Gholamreza
Published: July 2022

The brain is a frustrated system that contains conflictual link arrangements named frustration. The frustration as a source of disorder prevents the system from settling into low-energy states and provides flexibility for brain network organization. In this research, we tried to identify the pattern of frustration formation in the brain at the levels of region, connection, canonical network, and hemisphere. We found that frustration formation has no uniform pattern. Some subcortical elements have an active role in frustration formation, despite low contributions from many cortical elements. Frustrating connections are mostly between-network connections, and triadic frustrations are mainly formed between three regions from three distinct canonical networks. We did not find any significant differences between brain hemispheres or any robust differences between the frustration formation patterns of various life-span stages. Our results may be interesting for those who study the organization of brain links and promising for those who want to manipulate brain networks.
The Role of the Campus Outdoor Environment on University Student Mental Health
Authors: Koning Mallory , Kim Jun-Hyun , Saeidi-Rizi Fatemeh , Durst Noah
Published: July 2022

Background and objective The mental health and wellness of university students has been a pressing concern in recent years in the US and is becoming an even larger issue due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Numerous studies have supported the idea that the natural environment can have a positive impact on mental health, but only a few studies focus on the role of university outdoor campus environments on student’s mental health. The main purpose of this study is to investigate the correlations between university student mental health and their campus’s outdoor environment. Methods An online survey was designed and distributed to students at Michigan State University, USA. Students were asked questions about their overall mental well-being, as well as questions about their environmental perceptions, outdoor activity, views to nature through windows and safety concerns regarding their outdoor campus environment. Results The major findings indicate a significant difference in mental health scores for windows in living quarters, where students with living quarter windows had better mental health scores (MHS) than students without living quarter windows. This study also found a marginally significant difference in MHS for students with classroom windows. Other results of this study include a significant difference in MHS for students’ perception of safety on campus, outdoor work time, and perception of greenspace on campus. Conclusion Future campus planner, landscape architects, university planners, and student counselors will use this study to determine what kinds of outdoor spaces should be created and used to improve the well-being of students.
Effects of Green Space in an Apartment Complex on the Environmental Cognition and Stress Response of Residents
Authors: Kim Su Jin , Choi Hyo Bhin , Kang Minji , Youn Cho Hye , Chung Lee Bom , Lee Juyoung
Published: July 2022

Background and objective With an increasing interest in health-related issues in urban environments, there has been growing attention to the relationship between green space and psychological states of residents in apartment complexes. This study investigated resident perceptions of green space and their stress responses in an apartment complex. Methods The psychological stress responses that arose during residents’ observation of two types of environments―an indoor living room and an outdoor green space―were investigated through a field experiment. Sixteen healthy adult females in child care participated in the within-group comparison study. The semantic differential (SD) method was used to examine environmental perception, and three psychological tests were administered to quantify stress responses to the two environments: the Profile of Mood States (POMS), the Revised Perceived Restorativeness Scale (RPRS), and the Zuckerman Inventory of Personal Reactions Scale (ZIPERS). Results Feeling of pleasure, familiarity, and beauty showed significantly higher scores in outdoor green space than indoor space. In the POMS analysis, significantly more positive mood states were found in outdoor green space than indoor space. The ZIPERS and RPRS data showed that outdoor green space was more suitable for fatigue recovery because it relieved negative emotions and psychological stress to a greater degree than indoor space. Conclusion This field study suggested that green spaces have the potential to reduce psychological stress and restore psychological well-being in female residents. Despite limited exposure to the green space in the apartment complex, improved mood states and positive health-related effects were observed among the participants.
#peacemaker: Cultivating Pluralist Dispositions among Bandung’s Peace Communities Online and Offline
Authors: Lengauer Dayana
Published: July 2022

In Indonesia, the national motto of ‘unity in diversity’ is challenged, not least by a hardening of religious identities, coupled with rising levels of religious intolerance. In addition to established proponents of religious pluralism, groups of activists strive to sow the seeds of peace among the tech-savvy generation of young urbanites. By adopting the concept of ‘technology of the community’, I analyze the online and offline practices of peace activists in Bandung in 2018 to educate young #peacemakers and create spaces of empathy and solidarity. To address the emotional deprivation as well as aspirations of young people, peace groups rely on various offline and online technologies that straddle notions of comfort and discomfort, of tolerance and engagement. In creating and maintaining spaces of affective interpersonal exchange, these groups become exponents of local arrangements that are conducive to the cultivation of pluralist dispositions beyond national ideology.
Jugaad Infrastructures: Platforming Habituated Ecologies during the Kerala Floods of 2018
Authors: Eapen Gayas
Published: July 2022

Infrastructure has often been approached through the built, and yet hidden, substrates that facilitate modern life. In postcolonial contexts, the rise of platformized solutions tasked with performing infrastructural functions has introduced complexity in theorizing infrastructure. However, provisional and temporary solutions that bring together networks, relationships, and habitations as jugaad (informal or workaround) infrastructure have the potential to address crises beyond neoliberal capture enabled through platformization. This paper uses theories on alternative ways of assembling infrastructures to analyze a rescue portal built during the Kerala floods in 2018. It argues that these complex forms of assembling an infrastructure, even during the moments of imminent existential crisis, face the risk of platformized capture, surveillance, and governance.
The Moral Economy of Platform Work
Authors: Raval Noopur , Lalvani Simiran
Published: July 2022

Gig Economy platforms have become enmeshed in the fabric of urban sociality. While they have substantially disrupted conditions of labouring, participating in the platform economy has also changed social and moral norms globally. Importantly, what constitutes normative moral and prosocial interpersonal behaviour is key to making platforms function as social environments, but these norms are also constantly challenged and rearticulated through everyday practice among different stakeholders. By drawing on long-term fieldwork across gig economy platforms in urban India, we offer a typology of dynamic social and moral norms around tipping, gratitude, politeness and more that sustain platform interactions. The paper’s aim is to re-centre the vitality and dynamism of everyday media practice, social relationships, and cultural values in shaping platforms. Relatedly, moving beyond binaries of exploitation/empowerment, we show how negotiations between agents with differential power contribute to shifts in platform culture that cannot be fully explained through notions of intentionality.
Additions to microfungi in China: Lentithecium yunnanensis sp. nov.
Authors: LU WENHUA , DAI DONGQIN , LU LI , LIU XIANGFU , WEI XIAOMEI , KARUNARATHNA SAMANTHA C. , TIBPROMMA SAOWALUCK
Published: July 2022

We describe a new fungal species of the genus Lentithecium, collected from dead culms of Artemisia sp. in Songhua Reservoir at Kunming, Yunnan Province, China. Multi-gene phylogenetic analyses of LSU, ITS, SSU, and tef1-α sequence data showed that our new fungal strain belongs to Lentithecium and is well separated from all other extant species of Lentithecium. Lentithecium yunnanensis sp. nov. is compared with all the extant species by morphological characteristics, culture characteristics, host, and location information and is the first report of Lentithecium from China on Artemisia. A comprehensive description, a color photo plate of microcharacteristics, and a phylogenetic tree to show the position of the new species are provided.
Boletellus putuoensis (Boletaceae, Boletales), a new bolete from subtropical China
Authors: XU CHANG , ZHANG XU , CHEN YUN-XIA , XUE ROU , LE ZHI-FANG , WANG JIAN-RUI , LI YI , ZENG NIAN-KAI
Published: July 2022

Boletellus putuoensis (Boletaceae, Boletales) from Zhejiang Province, a subtropical region of eastern China, is described as a new species based on morphological and phylogenetic evidence. A detailed description, color photos of fresh basidiomes, and line-drawings of microstructures of the new species are presented as well as comparisons with related species.
The Bounty of Buffers: Spatial Measurement of Displacement and Diffusion of Benefits of Alarms on Burglary
Authors: Lee Seungmug (Zech) , McCrie Robert D.
Published: July 2022

This study analyzes the extent to which alarm systems impact geographical displacement and/or diffusion of benefits on burglary, which regards as a substitute for the absence of capable guardians. A quasi-experimental design with three nested concentric zones—target, buffer, and control—are utilized by incorporating the WDQ conceptual approach with GIS and a parcel map. The datasets include burglary incidents and alarm permit records. Alarms produce a sizeable impact on burglary reduction. No indication of spatial displacement is observed from protected houses to nearby houses. Alarms create a short geographic ambit and a wider spatial range of diffusion of benefits. A burglar alarm can protect the house without displacing burglary to nearby houses and provides neighboring houses with protection as well.
Examining Disparities in Case Dispositions and Sentencing Outcomes for Domestic Violent Extremists in the United States
Authors: Gruenewald Jeff , Klein Brent R. , Hayes Brittany E. , Parkin William S. , June Taylor
Published: July 2022

This study examines how strength of ideology, victim status, and other factors shape prosecutorial and sentencing decisions in cases of far-right extremist homicide. We draw from multiple conceptual frameworks to understand how assessments of defendants’ blameworthiness, crime seriousness, and other practical constraints influence the severity of legal outcomes. Our analysis of data from the United States Extremist Crime Database finds that while demographic attributes of homicide participants have little influence on legal outcomes, strong affiliations to domestic extremism and indicators of crime seriousness and risk significantly predict harsher treatment of defendants. We contextualize our findings within the broader criminological sentencing literature and discuss their implications for understanding how the American criminal justice system responds to domestic violent extremism.
Drivers’ Evaluation of Different Automated Driving Styles: Is It Both Comfortable and Natural?
Authors: Peng Chen , Merat Natasha , Romano Richard , Hajiseyedjavadi Foroogh , Paschalidis Evangelos , Wei Chongfeng , Radhakrishnan Vishnu , Solernou Albert , Forster Deborah , Boer Erwin
Published: July 2022

Objective

This study investigated users’ subjective evaluation of three highly automated driving styles, in terms of comfort and naturalness, when negotiating a UK road in a high-fidelity, motion-based, driving simulator.

Background

Comfort and naturalness play an important role in contributing to users’ acceptance and trust of automated vehicles (AVs), although not much is understood about the types of driving style which are considered comfortable or natural.

Method

A driving simulator study, simulating roads with different road geometries and speed limits, was conducted. Twenty-four participants experienced three highly automated driving styles, two of which were recordings from human drivers, and the other was based on a machine learning (ML) algorithm, termed Defensive, Aggressive, and Turner, respectively. Participants evaluated comfort or naturalness of each driving style, for each road segment, and completed a Sensation Seeking questionnaire, which assessed their risk-taking propensity.

Results

Participants regarded both human-like driving styles as more comfortable and natural, compared with the less human-like, ML-based, driving controller. Particularly, between the two human-like controllers, the Defensive style was considered more comfortable, especially for the more challenging road environments. Differences in preference for controller by driver trait were also observed, with the Aggressive driving style evaluated as more natural by the high sensation seekers.

Conclusion

Participants were able to distinguish between human- and machine-like AV controllers. A range of psychological concepts must be considered for the subjective evaluation of controllers.

Application

Insights into how different driver groups evaluate automated vehicle controllers are important in designing more acceptable systems.
A smart PLC-SCADA framework for monitoring petroleum products terminals in industry 4.0 via machine learning
Authors: Rashad Ossama , Attallah Omneya , Morsi Iman
Published: July 2022

The paper introduces a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) / Human Machine Interface (HMI) system incorporated along with machine learning (ML) classifiers. Although some other studies have incorporated ML techniques to predict and control petroleum product terminals in terms of concentration, the proposed framework incorporates Add On Instruction (AOI) programming, PLC, and ML methods to automatically monitor petroleum products terminals. The framework adds an AOI in programming to achieve maximum usage of processor capabilities. Moreover, it uses AOI for programming in cooperation with the ladder diagram (LD). This leads to simplifying the LD graphical programming language, reducing the time of scanning, and making facilitate troubleshooting. The AOI is merged with ML to automate tank level detection and maintain good operational conditions and consequently protect these expensive essential assets. The introduced framework consists of three stages. The first stage is the PLC programming phase where the PLC is created using Add-On instructions. Next, HMI graphic displays are drawn and linked to the PLC tags in the following stage. During the third stage, the actual process readings are applied to the system based on ML algorithms to test its functionality. The proposed system results indicates a reduction in the LD number, highest program size, and maximum time of scanning. The results indicate that the AOI can help to trace the program more easily in fault situations. Besides, additional program instructions could reduce processor memory, system construction costs, and upgrade projects.
Educational level and the use of mental health services, psychotropic medication and psychotherapy among adults with a history of physician diagnosed mental disorders
Authors: Halme Marie , Rautava Päivi , Sillanmäki Lauri , Sumanen Markku , Suominen Sakari , Vahtera Jussi , Virtanen Pekka , Salo Paula
Published: July 2022

Background:

The prevalence of mental disorders is increased among people of low socioeconomic status or educational level, but it remains unclear whether their access to treatment matches their increased need.

Aims:

Our objective was to examine whether educational level as an indicator of socioeconomic status is associated with use of mental health services, psychotropic medication and psychotherapy in Finland.

Method:

Cross-sectional data from a follow-up survey of a longitudinal, population-based cohort study were used to form a sample of 3,053 men and women aged 24 to 68 with a current or previous physician diagnosed mental disorder. The prevalence of mental disorders, mental health service use and educational level were assessed with self-report questionnaire. Educational level was determined by the highest educational attainment and grouped into three levels: high, intermediate and low. The associations between educational level and mental health service -related outcomes were assessed with binary logistic regression. Covariates in the fully adjusted model were age, gender and number of somatic diseases.

Results:

Compared to high educational level, low educational level was associated with higher odds of using antidepressants (OR 1.35, 95% CI [1.09, 1.66]), hypnotics (OR 1.33, 95% CI [1.07, 1.66]) and sedatives (OR 2.17, 95% CI [1.69, 2.78]), and lower odds of using mental health services (OR 0.80, 95% CI [0.65, 0.98]). No associations were found between educational level and use of psychotherapy.

Conclusions:

The results do not suggest a general socioeconomic status related mismatch. A pharmacological emphasis was observed in the treatment of low educational background participants, whereas overall mental health service use was emphasized among high educational background participants.