bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
BRMS1 in Gliomas—An Expression Analysis
Authors: Feldheim Jonas , Kessler Almuth F. , Feldheim Julia J. , Schmitt Dominik , Oster Christoph , Lazaridis Lazaros , Glas Martin , Ernestus Ralf-Ingo , Monoranu Camelia M. , Löhr Mario , Hagemann Carsten
Published: May 2023

The metastatic suppressor BRMS1 interacts with critical steps of the metastatic cascade in many cancer entities. As gliomas rarely metastasize, BRMS1 has mainly been neglected in glioma research. However, its interaction partners, such as NFκB, VEGF, or MMPs, are old acquaintances in neurooncology. The steps regulated by BRMS1, such as invasion, migration, and apoptosis, are commonly dysregulated in gliomas. Therefore, BRMS1 shows potential as a regulator of glioma behavior. By bioinformatic analysis, in addition to our cohort of 118 specimens, we determined BRMS1 mRNA and protein expression as well as its correlation with the clinical course in astrocytomas IDH mutant, CNS WHO grade 2/3, and glioblastoma IDH wild-type, CNS WHO grade 4. Interestingly, we found BRMS1 protein expression to be significantly decreased in the aforementioned gliomas, while BRMS1 mRNA appeared to be overexpressed throughout. This dysregulation was independent of patients’ characteristics or survival. The protein and mRNA expression differences cannot be finally explained at this stage. However, they suggest a post-transcriptional dysregulation that has been previously described in other cancer entities. Our analyses present the first data on BRMS1 expression in gliomas that can provide a starting point for further investigations.
Pitfalls in Oncogeriatrics
Authors: Monfardini Silvio , Perrone Francesco , Balducci Lodovico
Published: May 2023

An oncogeriatric interdisciplinary activity exists only in a minority of high-income countries, and it is almost absent in those with lower incomes. Considering topics, sessions, and tracks in the main meetings and conferences of the major Oncological Societies in Europe and worldwide, the USA excluded, little attention has thus far been paid to the problem of cancer in the elderly. Again, with the exception of the USA, the major cooperative groups, for example, the EORTC in Europe, have only dedicated marginal attention to the research of cancer in the elderly. Despite major shortcomings, professionals interested in geriatric oncology have taken a number of important initiatives to highlight the benefits of this particular activity, including the organization of an international society (Société Internationale de Oncogeriatrie, or SIOG). In spite of these efforts, the authors believe that the management of cancer in the older population is still encountering several important and generalized pitfalls. The main obstacle is the grossly inadequate number of geriatricians and clinical oncologists necessary to an integrated care of the ever-expanding aging population, but other hurdles have been reported. Additionally, the prejudice of ageism can lead to missing potential resources for the development of a generalized oncogeriatric approach.
The Use of Androgen Deprivation Therapy for Prostate Cancer Lead to Similar Rate of Following Open Angle Glaucoma: A Population-Based Cohort Study
Authors: Yang Po-Jen , Lin Chiao-Wen , Lee Chia-Yi , Huang Jing-Yang , Hsieh Ming-Ju , Yang Shun-Fa
Published: May 2023

This study aimed to survey the effect of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) on the development of open angle glaucoma (OAG) in prostate cancer using the data from national health insurance research database (NHIRD) of Taiwan. A retrospective cohort study was conducted and patients were regarded as prostate cancer with ADT according to related diagnostic, procedure and medication codes. Each prostate subject with ADT was matched to one patient with prostate cancer, but without ADT, and two participants without both prostate cancer and ADT; 1791, 1791 and 3582 patients were recruited in each group. The primary outcome was set as the OAG development according to related diagnostic codes. Cox proportional hazard regression was used to estimate the adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of ADT for the incidence of OAG. There were 145, 65 and 42 newly developed OAG cases in the control group, prostate cancer without ADT group and prostate cancer with ADT group. The prostate cancer with ADT group showed a significantly lower risk of OAG development compared to the control group (aHR: 0.689, 95% CI: 0.489–0.972, p = 0.0341), and the risk of OAG development in the prostate cancer without ADT group was similar compared to that in the control group (aHR: 0.825, 95% CI: 0.613–1.111, p = 0.2052). In addition, ages older than 50 years old would lead to higher incidence of OAG development, respectively. In conclusion, the use of ADT will lead to a similar or lower rate of OAG development.
Pathways Related to Colon Inflammation Are Associated with Colorectal Carcinoma: A Transcriptome- and Methylome-Wide Study
Authors: Kibriya Muhammad G. , Jasmine Farzana , Pekow Joel , Munoz Aaron , Weber Christopher , Raza Maruf , Kamal Mohammed , Ahsan Habibul , Bissonnette Marc
Published: May 2023

The association of chronic inflammation with colorectal carcinoma (CRC) development is well known in ulcerative colitis (UC). However, the role of inflammatory changes in sporadic CRC pathogenesis is less widely appreciated. In this study, in the first step using RNA-seq, we identified gene-pathway-level changes in UC-associated CRC (UC CRC, n = 10) and used the changes as a proxy for inflammation in human colon to ask if there were associations of inflammatory pathway dysregulations in sporadic CRC pathogenesis (n = 8). We found down-regulations of several inflammation-related metabolic pathways (nitrogen metabolism, sulfur metabolism) and other pathways (bile secretion, fatty acid degradation) in sporadic CRC. Non-inflammation-related changes included up-regulation of the proteasome pathway. In the next step, from a larger number of paired samples from sporadic CRC patients (n = 71) from a geographically and ethnically different population and using a different platform (microarray), we asked if the inflammation-CRC association could be replicated. The associations were significant even after stratification by sex, tumor stage, grade, MSI status, and KRAS mutation status. Our findings have important implications to widen our understanding of inflammatory pathogenesis of sporadic CRC. Furthermore, targeting of several of these dysregulated pathways could provide the basis for improved therapies for CRC.
PDAC, the Influencer Cancer: Cross-Talk with Tumor Microenvironment and Connected Potential Therapy Strategies
Authors: Mercanti Leonardo , Sindaco Maria , Mazzone Mariangela , Di Marcantonio Maria Carmela , Piscione Mariagrazia , Muraro Raffaella , Mincione Gabriella
Published: May 2023

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is among the leading causes of death by cancer in the world. What makes this pathological condition particularly lethal is a combination of clinical and molecular heterogeneity, lack of early diagnostic indexes, and underwhelming results from current therapeutic protocols. A major cause of PDAC chemoresistance seems to lie in the ability of cancer cells to spread out and fill the pancreatic parenchyma, exchanging nutrients, substrates, and even genetic material with cells from the surrounding tumor microenvironment (TME). Several components can be found in the TME ultrastructure, including collagen fibers, cancer-associated fibroblasts, macrophages, neutrophils, mast cells, and lymphocytes. Cross-talk between PDAC and TME cells results in the latter being converted into cancer-favoring phenotypes; this behavior could be compared to an influencer guiding followers into supporting his activity. Moreover, TME could be a potential target for some of the newest therapeutic strategies; these include the use of pegvorhyaluronidase-α and CAR-T lymphocytes against HER2, FAP, CEA, MLSN, PSCA, and CD133. Other experimental therapy options are being currently studied, aiming to interfere with the KRAS pathway, DNA-repairing proteins, and apoptosis resistance in PDAC cells. Hopefully these new approaches will grant better clinical outcomes in future patients.
LEM Domain Containing 1 Acts as a Novel Oncogene and Therapeutic Target for Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
Authors: Li Xiangling , Jiang Shilong , Jiang Ting , Sun Xinyuan , Guan Yidi , Fan Songqing , Cheng Yan
Published: May 2023

Breast cancer is the most common deadly malignancy in women worldwide. In particular, triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) exhibits the worst prognosis among four subtypes of breast cancer due to limited treatment options. Exploring novel therapeutic targets holds promise for developing effective treatments for TNBC. Here, we demonstrated for the first time that LEMD1 (LEM domain containing 1) is highly expressed in TNBC and contributes to reduced survival in TNBC patients, through analysis of both bioinformatic databases and collected patient samples. Furthermore, LEMD1 silencing not only inhibited the proliferation and migration of TNBC cells in vitro, but also abolished tumor formation of TNBC cells in vivo. Knockdown of LEMD1 enhanced the sensitivity of TNBC cells to paclitaxel. Mechanistically, LEMD1 promoted the progress of TNBC by activating the ERK signaling pathway. In summary, our study revealed that LEMD1 may act as a novel oncogene in TNBC, and targeting LEMD1 may be exploited as a promising therapeutic approach to enhance the efficacy of chemotherapy against TNBC.
Fabrication of New TiO2 Photocatalyst for Removing Organic Dyes and Hazardous VOCs in Air Purifier System
Authors: Lee Ji Won , Jeong Rak Hyun , Shin Ikjo , Boo Jin-Hyo
Published: May 2023

We synthesized an amorphous Ti-based hydroperoxo complex (ATPC) using a facile method involvingonly titanium hydride (TiH2) and H2O2 under mild conditions. We chose TiH2 as the precursor because it has more reactive sites than metal oxides such as TiO2. Qualitative and quantitative optical measurements showed that our synthesized ATPC photocatalysts contained many hydroperoxo groups and various oxidation states of Ti (Ti2+, Ti3+, and Ti4+). Thus, the synthesized ATPC exhibits excellent photocatalytic properties with very fast rates of organic decolorization compared to other conventional visiblelight catalysts. The presence of many hydroperoxo complexes increases the formation of active radicals, which can degrade VOCs such as acetaldehyde in a gas phase. To test the application of the synthesized ATPC, we fabricated a filter system in an air purifier using ATPC coating layers and successfully removed the VOCs. We also proposed a possible photocatalytic oxidation mechanism with ATPC based on this study. It is important to conduct application tests as well as commercialization in photocatalytic experiments.
Cognitive Deficits in Aging Related to Changes in Basal Forebrain Neuronal Activity
Authors: Chaves-Coira Irene , García-Magro Nuria , Zegarra-Valdivia Jonathan , Torres-Alemán Ignacio , Núñez Ángel
Published: May 2023

Aging is a physiological process accompanied by a decline in cognitive performance. The cholinergic neurons of the basal forebrain provide projections to the cortex that are directly engaged in many cognitive processes in mammals. In addition, basal forebrain neurons contribute to the generation of different rhythms in the EEG along the sleep/wakefulness cycle. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of recent advances grouped around the changes in basal forebrain activity during healthy aging. Elucidating the underlying mechanisms of brain function and their decline is especially relevant in today’s society as an increasingly aged population faces higher risks of developing neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease. The profound age-related cognitive deficits and neurodegenerative diseases associated with basal forebrain dysfunction highlight the importance of investigating the aging of this brain region.
How Light Modulates the Growth of Cyanidioschyzon merolae Cells by Changing the Function of Phycobilisomes
Authors: Krupnik Tomasz , Zienkiewicz Maksymilian , Wasilewska-Dębowska Wioleta , Drożak Anna , Kania Kinga
Published: May 2023

The aim of this study was to examine how light intensity and quality affect the photosynthetic apparatus of Cyanidioschyzon merolae cells by modulating the structure and function of phycobilisomes. Cells were grown in equal amounts of white, blue, red, and yellow light of low (LL) and high (HL) intensity. Biochemical characterization, fluorescence emission, and oxygen exchange were used to investigate selected cellular physiological parameters. It was found that the allophycocyanin content was sensitive only to light intensity, whereas the phycocynin content was also sensitive to light quality. Furthermore, the concentration of the PSI core protein was not affected by the intensity or quality of the growth light, but the concentration of the PSII core D1 protein was. Finally, the amount of ATP and ADP was lower in HL than LL. In our opinion, both light intensity and quality are main factors that play an important regulatory role in acclimatization/adaptation of C. merolae to environmental changes, and this is achieved by balancing the amounts of thylakoid membrane and phycobilisome proteins, the energy level, and the photosynthetic and respiratory activity. This understanding contributes to the development of a mix of cultivation techniques and genetic changes for a future large-scale synthesis of desirable biomolecules.
Acute Progressive Pediatric Post-Traumatic Kyphotic Deformity
Authors: Vachata Petr , Lodin Jan , Bolcha Martin , Brušáková Štepánka , Sameš Martin
Published: May 2023

Cervical kyphosis is a rare entity with challenging management due to the limitations of pediatric age, along with a growing spine. The pathogenesis is made up of a large group of congenital, syndromic and acquired deformities after posterior element deterioration or as a result of previous trauma or surgery. In rare progressive cases, kyphotic deformities may result in severe “chin-on-chest” deformities with severe limitations. The pathogenesis of progression to severe kyphotic deformity after minor hyperflexion trauma is not clear without an obvious MR pathology; it is most likely multifactorial. The authors present the case of a six-month progression of a pediatric cervical kyphotic deformity caused by a cervical spine hyperflexion injury, and an MR evaluation without the pathology of disc or major ligaments. Surgical therapy with a posterior fixation and fusion, together with the preservation of the anterior growing zones of the cervical spine, are potentially beneficial strategies to achieve an excellent curve correction and an optimal long-term clinical outcome in this age group.
Neural Differentiation of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells for a Xenogeneic Material-Free 3D Neurological Disease Model Neurulation from Pluripotent Cells Using a Human Hydrogel
Authors: Valerio Luis Sebastian Alexis , Carrick Frederick Robert , Bedoya Lina , Sreerama Sandeep , Sugaya Kiminobu
Published: May 2023

Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is characterized by synapse and neuronal loss and the accumulation of neurofibrillary tangles and Amyloid β plaques. Despite significant research efforts to understand the late stages of the disease, its etiology remains largely unknown. This is in part because of the imprecise AD models in current use. In addition, little attention has been paid to neural stem cells (NSC), which are the cells responsible for the development and maintenance of brain tissue during an individual’s lifespan. Thus, an in vitro 3D human brain tissue model using induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell-derived neural cells in human physiological conditions may be an excellent alternative to standard models to investigate AD pathology. Following the differentiation process mimicking development, iPS cells can be turned into NSCs and, ultimately, neural cells. During differentiation, the traditionally used xenogeneic products may alter the cells’ physiology and prevent accurate disease pathology modeling. Hence, establishing a xenogeneic material-free cell culture and differentiation protocol is essential. This study investigated the differentiation of iPS cells to neural cells using a novel extracellular matrix derived from human platelet lysates (PL Matrix). We compared the stemness properties and differentiation efficacies of iPS cells in a PL matrix against those in a conventional 3D scaffold made of an oncogenic murine-matrix. Using well-defined conditions without xenogeneic material, we successfully expanded and differentiated iPS cells into NSCs via dual-SMAD inhibition, which regulates the BMP and TGF signaling cascades in a manner closer to human conditions. This in vitro, 3D, xenogeneic-free scaffold will enhance the quality of disease modeling for neurodegenerative disease research, and the knowledge produced could be used in developing more effective translational medicine.
High-Performance and Flexible Metamaterial Wave Absorbers with Specific Bandwidths for the Microwave Device
Authors: Zheng Haiyu , Chen Liangyao , Lee YoungPak
Published: May 2023

In this paper, we proposed a high-performance electromagnetic-wave metamaterial absorber which can be used directly for 5G technology. The absorber exhibits a high performance in a tailored frequency range of 28 ± 1 GHz. At both transverse-electric and transverse-magnetic polarization, the absorption exceeds 99% when the electromagnetic wave is incident normally, and the absorption keeps being over 97% as the incident angle increases even to 45 degrees. The absorber is flexible, and it is very suitable for mass production because the production process is simple. In addition, the minimum dimension of the meta-structure is only 0.2 mm, and the cost is relatively low. Similarly, another high-performance metamaterial absorber with a tailored bandwidth at the center frequency of 77 GHz, which is relevant to self-driving cars, was also prepared by a minimal adjustment to the original structure.
Real-World Outcomes of Stage IV NSCLC with PD-L1 ≥ 50% Treated with First-Line Pembrolizumab: Uptake of Second-Line Systemic Therapy
Authors: Rittberg Rebekah , Leung Bonnie , Shokoohi Aria , Pender Alexandra , Wong Selina , Al-Hashami Zamzam , Wang Ying , Ho Cheryl
Published: May 2023

Introduction: Platinum-based chemotherapy was compared to single-agent pembrolizumab in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with PDL1 > 50% in KEYNOTE-024. In this trial, it was found that patients who received single-agent pembrolizumab had improved progression-free survival in addition to overall survival (OS). Based on KEYNOTE-024, only 53% of patients treated originally with pembrolizumab received second-line anticancer systemic therapy with an OS of 26.3 months. Based on these results, the objective of this study was to characterize real-world NSCLC patients who received second-line therapy after single-agent pembrolizumab. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study considering stage IV NSCLC patients diagnosed with BC Cancer between 2018 and 2021 with PD-L1 ≥ 50% who received first-line single agent pembrolizumab. Patient demographics, cancer history, treatment administered, and survival were collected retrospectively. Descriptive statistics were produced. OS was calculated using Kaplan–Meier curves and compared using the log rank test. A multivariate model evaluated characteristics associated with the receipt of second-line therapy. Results: A total of 718 patients were diagnosed with Stage IV NSCLC and received at least one cycle of pembrolizumab. The median duration of treatment was 4.4 months, and the follow-up duration was 16.0 months. There were 567 (79%) patients who had disease progression, of whom 21% received second-line systemic therapy. Within the subset of patients with disease progression, the median duration of treatment was 3.0 months. It would be found that patients who received second-line therapy had better baseline ECOG performance status, were younger at diagnosis, and had a longer duration of pembrolizumab. Within the full population, the OS from the treatment initiation date was 14.0 months. OS was 5.6 months in patients who did not receive additional therapy after progression and 22.2 months in patients who received subsequent therapy. Baseline ECOG performance status was associated with improved OS in multivariate analysis. Conclusion: Based on this real-world Canadian population, 21% of patients received second-line systemic therapy, despite second-line therapy being associated with prolonged survival. In this real-world population, we found that 60% fewer patients received second-line systemic therapy when compared to KEYNOTE-024. Although differences always exist when comparing a clinical and non-clinical trial population, our findings suggest undertreating stage IV NSCLC patients.
Anaesthetic Techniques and Strategies: Do They Influence Oncological Outcomes?
Authors: Murphy Liam , Shaker John , Buggy Donal J.
Published: May 2023

Background: With the global disease burden of cancer increasing, and with at least 60% of cancer patients requiring surgery and, hence, anaesthesia over their disease course, the question of whether anaesthetic and analgesia techniques during primary cancer resection surgery might influence long term oncological outcomes assumes high priority. Methods: We searched the available literature linking anaesthetic-analgesic techniques and strategies during tumour resection surgery to oncological outcomes and synthesised this narrative review, predominantly using studies published since 2019. Current evidence is presented around opioids, regional anaesthesia, propofol total intravenous anaesthesia (TIVA) and volatile anaesthesia, dexamethasone, dexmedetomidine, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications and beta-blockers. Conclusions: The research base in onco-anaesthesia is expanding. There continue to be few sufficiently powered RCTs, which are necessary to confirm a causal link between any perioperative intervention and long-term oncologic outcome. In the absence of any convincing Level 1 recommending a change in practice, long-term oncologic benefit should not be part of the decision on choice of anaesthetic technique for tumour resection surgery.
Image-Guided Intraoperative Assessment of Surgical Margins in Oral Cavity Squamous Cell Cancer: A Diagnostic Test Accuracy Review
Authors: Carnicelli Giorgia , Disconzi Luca , Cerasuolo Michele , Casiraghi Elena , Costa Guido , De Virgilio Armando , Esposito Andrea , Ferreli Fabio , Fici Federica , Lo Casto Antonio , Marra Silvia , Malvezzi Luca , Mercante Giuseppe , Spriano Giuseppe , Torzilli Guido , Francone Marco , Balzarini Luca , Giannitto Caterina
Published: May 2023

(1) Background: The assessment of resection margins during surgery of oral cavity squamous cell cancer (OCSCC) dramatically impacts the prognosis of the patient as well as the need for adjuvant treatment in the future. Currently there is an unmet need to improve OCSCC surgical margins which appear to be involved in around 45% cases. Intraoperative imaging techniques, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and intraoral ultrasound (ioUS), have emerged as promising tools in guiding surgical resection, although the number of studies available on this subject is still low. The aim of this diagnostic test accuracy (DTA) review is to investigate the accuracy of intraoperative imaging in the assessment of OCSCC margins. (2) Methods: By using the Cochrane-supported platform Review Manager version 5.4, a systematic search was performed on the online databases MEDLINE-EMBASE-CENTRAL using the keywords “oral cavity cancer, squamous cell carcinoma, tongue cancer, surgical margins, magnetic resonance imaging, intraoperative, intra-oral ultrasound”. (3) Results: Ten papers were identified for full-text analysis. The negative predictive value (cutoff < 5 mm) for ioUS ranged from 0.55 to 0.91, that of MRI ranged from 0.5 to 0.91; accuracy analysis performed on four selected studies showed a sensitivity ranging from 0.07 to 0.75 and specificity ranging from 0.81 to 1. Image guidance allowed for a mean improvement in free margin resection of 35%. (4) Conclusions: IoUS shows comparable accuracy to that of ex vivo MRI for the assessment of close and involved surgical margins, and should be preferred as the more affordable and reproducible technique. Both techniques showed higher diagnostic yield if applied to early OCSCC (T1–T2 stages), and when histology is favorable.
Post-Acute COVID-19 Joint Pain and New Onset of Rheumatic Musculoskeletal Diseases: A Systematic Review
Authors: Ciaffi Jacopo , Vanni Elena , Mancarella Luana , Brusi Veronica , Lisi Lucia , Pignatti Federica , Naldi Susanna , Assirelli Elisa , Neri Simona , Reta Massimo , Faldini Cesare , Ursini Francesco
Published: May 2023

As the number of reports of post-acute COVID-19 musculoskeletal manifestations is rapidly rising, it is important to summarize the current available literature in order to shed light on this new and not fully understood phenomenon. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review to provide an updated picture of post-acute COVID-19 musculoskeletal manifestations of potential rheumatological interest, with a particular focus on joint pain, new onset of rheumatic musculoskeletal diseases and presence of autoantibodies related to inflammatory arthritis such as rheumatoid factor and anti-citrullinated protein antibodies. We included 54 original papers in our systematic review. The prevalence of arthralgia was found to range from 2% to 65% within a time frame varying from 4 weeks to 12 months after acute SARS-CoV-2 infection. Inflammatory arthritis was also reported with various clinical phenotypes such as symmetrical polyarthritis with RA-like pattern similar to other prototypical viral arthritis, polymyalgia-like symptoms, or acute monoarthritis and oligoarthritis of large joints resembling reactive arthritis. Moreover, high figures of post-COVID-19 patients fulfilling the classification criteria for fibromyalgia were found, ranging from 31% to 40%. Finally, the available literature about prevalence of rheumatoid factor and anti-citrullinated protein antibodies was largely inconsistent. In conclusion, manifestations of rheumatological interest such as joint pain, new-onset inflammatory arthritis and fibromyalgia are frequently reported after COVID-19, highlighting the potential role of SARS-CoV-2 as a trigger for the development of autoimmune conditions and rheumatic musculoskeletal diseases.
[18F]FES PET Resolves the Diagnostic Dilemma of COVID-19-Vaccine-Associated Hypermetabolic Lymphadenopathy in ER-Positive Breast Cancer
Authors: Nogami Munenobu , Tsujikawa Tetsuya , Maeda Hiroyuki , Kosaka Nobuyuki , Takahashi Mizuho , Kinoshita Naoki , Mori Tetsuya , Makino Akira , Kiyono Yasushi , Murakami Takamichi , Goi Takanori , Okazawa Hidehiko
Published: May 2023

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccination is known to cause a diagnostic dilemma due to false-positive findings on [18F]FDG PET in vaccine-associated hypermetabolic lymphadenopathy. We present two case reports of women with estrogen-receptor (ER)-positive cancer of the breast who were vaccinated for COVID-19 in the deltoid muscle. [18F]FDG positron emission tomography (PET) demonstrated primary breast cancer and multiple axillary lymph nodes with increased [18F]FDG uptake, diagnosed as vaccine-associated [18F]FDG-avid lymph nodes. Subsequent [18F]FES PET revealed single axillary lymph node metastasis in the vaccine-associated [18F]FDG-avid lymph nodes. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study showing the usefulness of [18F]FES PET in diagnosing axillary lymph node metastasis in COVID-19-vaccinated patients harboring ER-positive breast cancer. Thus, [18F]FES PET has potential applications in the detection of true-positive metastatic lymph nodes in patients with ER-positive breast cancer regardless of the ipsilateral or contralateral side, who have received COVID-19 vaccination.
KNN-Based Machine Learning Classifier Used on Deep Learned Spatial Motion Features for Human Action Recognition
Authors: Paramasivam Kalaivani , Sindha Mohamed Mansoor Roomi , Balakrishnan Sathya Bama
Published: May 2023

Human action recognition is an essential process in surveillance video analysis, which is used to understand the behavior of people to ensure safety. Most of the existing methods for HAR use computationally heavy networks such as 3D CNN and two-stream networks. To alleviate the challenges in the implementation and training of 3D deep learning networks, which have more parameters, a customized lightweight directed acyclic graph-based residual 2D CNN with fewer parameters was designed from scratch and named HARNet. A novel pipeline for the construction of spatial motion data from raw video input is presented for the latent representation learning of human actions. The constructed input is fed to the network for simultaneous operation over spatial and motion information in a single stream, and the latent representation learned at the fully connected layer is extracted and fed to the conventional machine learning classifiers for action recognition. The proposed work was empirically verified, and the experimental results were compared with those for existing methods. The results show that the proposed method outperforms state-of-the-art (SOTA) methods with a percentage improvement of 2.75% on UCF101, 10.94% on HMDB51, and 0.18% on the KTH dataset.
Comparative Study on Feature Extraction of Marine Background Noise Based on Nonlinear Dynamic Features
Authors: Ji Guanni , Wang Yu , Wang Fei
Published: May 2023

Marine background noise (MBN) is the background noise of the marine environment, which can be used to invert the parameters of the marine environment. However, due to the complexity of the marine environment, it is difficult to extract the features of the MBN. In this paper, we study the feature extraction method of MBN based on nonlinear dynamics features, where the nonlinear dynamical features include two main categories: entropy and Lempel–Ziv complexity (LZC). We have performed single feature and multiple feature comparative experiments on feature extraction based on entropy and LZC, respectively: for entropy-based feature extraction experiments, we compared feature extraction methods based on dispersion entropy (DE), permutation entropy (PE), fuzzy entropy (FE), and sample entropy (SE); for LZC-based feature extraction experiments, we compared feature extraction methods based on LZC, dispersion LZC (DLZC) and permutation LZC (PLZC), and dispersion entropy-based LZC (DELZC). The simulation experiments prove that all kinds of nonlinear dynamics features can effectively detect the change of time series complexity, and the actual experimental results show that regardless of the entropy-based feature extraction method or LZC-based feature extraction method, they both present better feature extraction performance for MBN.
A Hybrid Parallel Balanced Phasmatodea Population Evolution Algorithm and Its Application in Workshop Material Scheduling
Authors: Han Song , Chen Shanshan , Yan Fengting , Pan Jengshyang , Zhu Yunxiang
Published: May 2023

The phasmatodea population evolution algorithm (PPE) is a recently proposed meta-heuristic algorithm based on the evolutionary characteristics of the stick insect population. The algorithm simulates the features of convergent evolution, population competition, and population growth in the evolution process of the stick insect population in nature and realizes the above process through the population competition and growth model. Since the algorithm has a slow convergence speed and falls easily into local optimality, in this paper, it is mixed with the equilibrium optimization algorithm to make it easier to avoid the local optimum. Based on the hybrid algorithm, the population is grouped and processed in parallel to accelerate the algorithm’s convergence speed and achieve better convergence accuracy. On this basis, we propose the hybrid parallel balanced phasmatodea population evolution algorithm (HP_PPE), and this algorithm is compared and tested on the CEC2017, a novel benchmark function suite. The results show that the performance of HP_PPE is better than that of similar algorithms. Finally, this paper applies HP_PPE to solve the AGV workshop material scheduling problem. Experimental results show that HP_PPE can achieve better scheduling results than other algorithms.
Exploring the Type and Quality of Peer Feedback in a Graduate-Level Blended Course
Authors: Erbilgin Evrim , Robinson Jennifer M. , Jarrah Adeeb M. , Johnson Jason D. , Gningue Serigne M.
Published: May 2023

Most blended graduate courses engage students in peer feedback activities based on sociocultural theories of learning. Despite its growing importance, little is known about the quality and type of feedback that graduate students provide to their peers in online learning settings. This study aimed to explore the quality and type of feedback that graduate students provided to each other during online learning activities that took place in a blended course at a higher education institution in the United Arab Emirates. Volunteer students (n = 24) from four different sections of a graduate course were the participants of this study. The students’ feedback to each other in two online discussion forums and in the final assessment paper were the data sources of this study. Qualitative data analysis methods were used to analyze the data. Based on the related literature, we analyzed the data from three perspectives: the type of feedback function (affirmation/negation, justification/explanation, praise, suggestion, question), the level of feedback (task, process, self-regulation), and the quality of each instance of feedback (ineffective, slightly effective, partly effective, effective) to investigate the nature of the peer feedback in detail. The data analysis indicated that graduate students might need support in providing high-quality feedback to their peers. The findings might help instructors improve the existing online or blended course designs.
NFSP-PLT: Solving Games with a Weighted NFSP-PER-Based Method
Authors: Li Huale , Qi Shuhan , Zhang Jiajia , Zhang Dandan , Yao Lin , Wang Xuan , Li Qi , Xiao Jing
Published: May 2023

Nash equilibrium strategy is a typical goal when solving two-player imperfect-information games (IIGs). Neural fictitious self-play (NFSP) is a popular method to find the Nash equilibrium in IIGs, which is the first end-to-end method used to compute the Nash equilibrium strategy. However, the training of NFSP requires a large number of sample data and the interactive cost of obtaining such data is often very high. Realizing the efficient training of network under limited samples is an urgent problem. In this paper, we first proposed a new NFSP-based method, NFSP with prioritized experience replay (NFSP-PER), to improve the sample training efficiency. Then, a weighted NFSP-PER with learning time (NFSP-PLT) was proposed to control the utilization degree of priority-weighted samples. Furthermore, based on the NFSP-PLT, an adaptive upper-confidence-bound applied to tree (UCT) is used to solve the optimal response strategy, which makes the solving strategy more accurate. Extensive experimental results show that the proposed NFSP-PLT effectively improves the sample learning efficiency compared with the existing works.
Total Ionizing Dose Effects of 60Co γ-Ray Radiation on Split-Gate SiC MOSFETs
Authors: Feng Haonan , Liang Xiaowen , Pu Xiaojuan , Xiang Yutang , Zhang Teng , Wei Ying , Feng Jie , Sun Jing , Zhang Dan , Li Yudong , Yu Xuefeng , Guo Qi
Published: May 2023

SiC power devices require resistance to both single-event effects (SEEs) and total ionizing dose effects (TIDs) in a space radiation environment. The split-gate-enhanced VDMOSFET (SGE-VDMOSFET) process can effectively enhance the radiation resistance of SiC VDMOS, but it has a certain impact on the gate oxide reliability of SiC VDMOS. This paper investigates the impact mechanism and regularity of using the SGE process to determine the radiation resistance and long-term reliability of SiC VDMOS under other identical processes and radiation conditions. Our experimental results show that after 60Co γ-ray irradiation, the degradation degrees of the static parameters of SGE-VDMOSFET and planar gate VDMOSFET (PG-VDMOSFET) are similar. The use of the new process leads to more defects in the oxide layer, reducing the long-term reliability of the device, but its stability can recover after high-temperature (HT) accelerated annealing. This research indicates that enhancing the resistance of SEEs using an SGE-VDMOSFET structure requires simultaneously considering the demand for TIDs and long-term reliability.
Fast Synthesis Method for High-Dimensional Electromagnetic Bandgap Structure Using Deep Neural Network for Power/Ground Noise Suppression
Authors: Sim Seongbo , Kim Myunghoi
Published: May 2023

A deep neural network (DNN)-based method is proposed for the fast synthesis of a high-dimensional electromagnetic bandgap structure (HD-EBG) suppressing the power/ground noise in high-speed packages and printed circuit boards (PCBs). In recent EBG structures, a highly flexible design with high dimensionality is required, which is challenging to rapidly achieve an optimal solution. The proposed synthesis method is developed to solve this issue efficiently. The DNN hyperparameter optimization (HPO) associated with the HD-EBG structure is devised using the orthogonal array of the Taguchi method. By using this approach, the search space for HPO is reduced. For the efficient synthesis of the HD-EBG structure, an inverse modeling approach based on a DNN forward model and genetic algorithm optimization is proposed. The proposed DNN inverse modeling (DIM) is applied to two design examples where the HD-EBG structures with a constant fractional bandwidth and stopband bandwidth extension are synthesized. In the demonstration cases, the proposed DIM achieves the fast and accurate synthesis of the HD-EBG structures compared to the conventional method. With the proposed method, the synthesis time is maximally reduced up to 99.8% compared to conventional synthesis based on the forward model of full-wave simulation.
Bridge of Trust: Cross Domain Authentication for Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) Blockchain over Transport Layer Security (TLS)
Authors: Stodt Fatemeh , Reich Christoph
Published: May 2023

The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) holds significant potential for improving efficiency, quality, and flexibility. In decentralized systems, there are no trust-based centralized authentication techniques, which are unsuitable for distributed networks or subnets, as they have a single point of failure. However, in a decentralized system, more emphasis is needed on trust management, which presents significant challenges in ensuring security and trust in industrial devices and applications. To address these issues, industrial blockchain has the potential to make use of trustless and transparent technologies for devices, applications, and systems. By using a distributed ledger, blockchains can track devices and their data exchanges, improving relationships between trading partners, and proving the supply chain. In this paper, we propose a model for cross-domain authentication between the blockchain-based infrastructure and industrial centralized networks outside the blockchain to ensure secure communication in industrial environments. Our model enables cross authentication for different sub-networks with different protocols or authentication methods while maintaining the transparency provided by the blockchain. The core concept is to build a bridge of trust that enables secure communication between different domains in the IIoT ecosystem. Our proposed model enables devices and applications in different domains to establish secure and trusted communication channels through the use of blockchain technology, providing an efficient and secure way to exchange data within the IIoT ecosystem. Our study presents a decentralized cross-domain authentication mechanism for field devices, which includes enhancements to the standard authentication system. To validate the feasibility of our approach, we developed a prototype and assessed its performance in a real-world industrial scenario. By improving the security and efficiency in industrial settings, this mechanism has the potential to inspire this important area.
Review of Transformer Health Index from the Perspective of Survivability and Condition Assessment
Authors: Li Shuaibing , Li Xinchen , Cui Yi , Li Hongwei
Published: May 2023

As a critical indicator for assessing the survivability and condition of transformers in a fleet, the transformer health index has attracted attention from both asset owners and international organizations like CIGRE and IEEE DEIS/PES. To provide a systematic and comprehensive review for further study or to guide transformer asset management, this paper summarizes the state-of-the-art of the transformer health index, from the early proposed weighted-score-sum approaches to the more recently proposed artificial intelligence algorithm-based methods. Firstly, different methods for determining the transformer health index are reviewed. Each of these is specified as belonging to a certain type on the basis of its formulation and composition schematic. Subsequently, the steps to determine each type of health index are summarized, and examples derived from literature are provided for further illustration. Comparisons are finally carried out in order to better understand the pros and cons of different types of transformer health index, and the future development trends for transformer health indexes are also discussed. This work can serve as a valuable reference for the survivability and condition assessment of transformers in the power industry.
Performance Analysis of WHR Systems for Marine Applications Based on sCO2 Gas Turbine and ORC
Authors: Reale Fabrizio , Calabria Raffaela , Massoli Patrizio
Published: May 2023

Waste heat recovery (WHR) can represent a solution to improve the efficiency of ships’ propulsion, helping to exceed stringent greenhouse gas emission limits. This is particularly suitable in the case of propulsion based on gas turbines due to their medium-high temperature level of the exhaust gases. This study analyzes the performance of a hybrid energy grid, in which the heat is recovered by the exhaust gases of an aeroderivative gas turbine, a GE LM2500+, when the bottoming system is a supercritical CO2 gas turbine. Given the issues and peculiarities related to the onboard installation, where size and weight are fundamental concerns, six WHR schemes have been analyzed. They span from the simple cycle to partial preheated and regenerative, to a cascade layout in which an ORC system receives thermal power by the sCO2 GT. The influence of the seawater temperature on the performance of the hybrid energy system has been also considered. The energetic and exergetic performance comparison of the different schemes has been carried out by using the commercial software Thermoflex. The results showed that an increase in overall performance by up to 29% can be obtained and that the increase in seawater temperature can lead to a decrease in the overall performance.
Analysis of Condensation Flow and Heat Transfer Characteristics Inside Spiral Tubes
Authors: Li Fengzhi , Chen Jie , Jiang Yiqiang , Zheng Wenke
Published: May 2023

Spiral wound tube heat exchanger (SWHE) was confirmed as the core equipment of natural gas liquefaction (LNG). However, there was rare experimental research on large-scale SWHE for LNG, and the theory of heat transfer is not perfect. To investigate the tube-side flow and heat transfer characteristics in spiral tubes, an experimental system was proposed. To ensure the accuracy of the experimental data, the heat transfer coefficients of liquid propane under different conditions were measured, and the data acquired through the experiment were compared with two classical heat transfer correlation (Dittus–Boelter and Geielinski) under the identical working conditions. The applicability of the existing correlation was analyzed using the experimental data, and a novel heat transfer correlation was developed. As indicated by the results, the deviation between the experimental system and the classical correlation under the identical working condition was lower than ±10%. Furthermore, the error comparison between the novel correlation prediction value and the experimental data was less than ±15%.
New Insight into Enhancing Organic-Rich Shale Gas Recovery: Shut-in Performance Increased through Oxidative Fluids
Authors: Cheng Qiuyang , You Lijun , Jia Na , Kang Yili , Chang Cheng , Xie Weiyang
Published: May 2023

Oxidizing stimulation of organic-rich shale reservoirs, as a supplement of hydraulic fracturing, was proposed to enhance shale gas recovery. Previous publications revealed that the interaction between organic-rich shale and oxidative fluids causes the components’ dissolution, which induces lots of pores and microfractures, resulting in rock microfracturing without confined pressure and associated increments of the matrix permeability, and improving unpropped fracture conductivity. However, the enhancement of shale gas recovery with oxidative fluids still lacks an implementation clue targeted for specific engineering problems. In recent years, water–rock interaction inducing microfractures indicates a positive effect of retained fracturing fluid on the stimulation after the fracturing operation, which sheds light in the enhancement of shale gas production by shut-in. The objectives of this study are to provide a new perspective whereby the shut-in performance to enhance shale gas recovery could be increased by the injection of oxidative fluids into the formation during the fracturing operation. Firstly, the mechanisms of shut-in performance increased by oxidative dissolution, which illustrate the increment of the density of fracture networks, the improvement of fracture network conductivity, and the promotion of gas desorption and diffusivity, are demonstrated. Then, the feasibility of using oxidative fluids to increase shut-in performance, which follows the geological and engineering characteristics of organic-rich shale reservoirs, is evaluated. Finally, according to the analysis of production performance for two typical types of shale gas wells, in which one is a low gas production and a high fracturing fluid recovery (LGP-HFR) and the other is a high gas production and a low fracturing fluid recovery (HGP-LFR), a shut-in strategy with oxidative fluids to enhance shale gas recovery is developed. This indicates that the injection of oxidative fluids during the fracturing operation may become a promising and cost-effective approach to enhance shale gas recovery.
Review on Separation Processes of End-of-Life Silicon Photovoltaic Modules
Authors: Ko Jongwon , Kim Kyunghwan , Sohn Ji Woo , Jang Hongjun , Lee Hae-Seok , Kim Donghwan , Kang Yoonmook
Published: May 2023

Solar energy has gained prominence because of the increasing global attention received by renewable energies. This shift can be attributed to advancements and innovations in solar cell technology, which include developments of various photovoltaic materials, such as thin film and tandem solar cells, in addition to silicon-based solar cells. The latter is the most widely commercialized type of solar cell because of its exceptional durability, long-term stability, and high photoconversion efficiency; consequently, the demand for Si solar cells has been consistently increasing. PV modules are designed for an operation lifespan of 25–30 years, which has led to a gradual increase in the number of end-of-life PV modules. The appropriate management of both end-of-life and prematurely failed PV modules is critical for the recovery and separation of valuable and hazardous materials. Effective methods for end-of-life PV waste management are necessary to minimize their environmental impact and facilitate transition to a more sustainable and circular economy. This paper offers a comprehensive overview of the separation processes for silicon PV modules and summarizes the attempts to design easily recyclable modules for sustainable solar module development. Based on the studies summarized in this paper, suggestions are provided for future research.