bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Defending against Online Social Network Rumors through Optimal Control Approach
Authors: Huang Da-Wen , Yang Lu-Xing , Yang Xiaofan , Tang Yuan Yan , Bi Jichao
Published: October 2020

Rumors have been widely spread in online social networks and they become a major concern in modern society. This paper is devoted to the design of a cost-effective rumor-containing scheme in online social networks through an optimal control approach. First, a new individual-based rumor spreading model is proposed, and the model considers the influence of the external environment on rumor spreading for the first time. Second, the cost-effectiveness is recommended to balance the loss caused by rumors against the cost of a rumor-containing scheme. On this basis, we reduce the original problem to an optimal control model. Next, we prove that this model is solvable, and we present the optimality system for the model. Finally, we show that the resulting rumor-containing scheme is cost-effective through extensive computer experiments.
Individual‐ and Community‐Level Determinants for Complete Vaccination among Children Aged 12‐23 Months in Ethiopia: A Multilevel Analysis
Authors: Debie Ayal , Amare Getasew , Handebo Simegnew , Mekonnen Mesafint Ewnetu , Tesema Getayeneh Antehunegn
Published: October 2020

Background. Childhood vaccination continues to increase dramatically. In spite of the success of immunization programs to date, millions of children continued to die each year, and sub‐Saharan Africa (SSA) accounted for the world’s highest neonatal deaths. Childhood vaccination was designed as one of the most effective ways to reduce child mortalities from fatal vaccine‐preventable diseases. Therefore, this study is aimed at investigating the individual‐ and community‐level determinants of childhood complete vaccination in Ethiopia. Methods. A secondary data analysis was done based on the 2016 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey (EDHS). A total weighted sample of 1,984 children aged 12‐23 months was included for analysis. Considering the hierarchical nature of EDHS data, a two‐level multilevel analysis for assessing individual‐ and community‐level determinants of childhood complete vaccination was done. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), Median Odds Ratio (MOR), Proportional Change in Variance (PCV), and deviance (‐2LL) were used for model comparison and for checking model fitness. Variables with p value < 0.2 in the bivariable multilevel analysis were considered for the multivariable multilevel analysis. In the multivariable multilevel logistic regression analysis, the Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) with 95% Confidence Interval (CI) was reported to declare significant determinants of complete childhood vaccination. Results. Overall complete vaccination status among children aged 12‐23 months was 39% (95% CI: 36.8, 41.2). In the multilevel analysis, secondary or above educated mothers (AOR = 2.48; 95% CI: 1.41, 4.36), richest wealth status (AOR = 2.24; 95% CI: 1.16, 4.32), ≥four ANC visits (AOR = 2.77; 95% CI: 1.90‐4.02), employed mothers (AOR = 1.66; 95% CI: 1.26, 2.18), urban residence (AOR = 1.84; 95% CI: 1.00, 3.51), and children in city administration (AOR = 2.66; 9% CI: 1.53, 4.62) were positively associated with vaccination status. On the other hand, children with a female household head (AOR = 0.68; 95% CI: 0.48, 0.96) were negatively associated. Conclusion. Overall, childhood full vaccination status was low compared with the WHO targets. Maternal education, wealth status, ANC visit, maternal occupation, residence, region, and sex of household head were significant predictors of childhood complete vaccination. As a result, it is better to design a compensation mechanism to the costs associated with childhood vaccination for the poor households and strengthen awareness creation for rural residents to improve the access, utilization, and continuum of vaccination service.
A Mahalanobis Distance Cumulant-Based Structural Damage Identification Method with IMFs and Fitting Residual of SHM Measurements
Authors: Chen Chuang , Wang Yinhui , Wang Tao , Yang Xiaoyan
Published: October 2020

Data-driven damage identification based on measurements of the structural health monitoring (SHM) system is a hot issue. In this study, based on the intrinsic mode functions (IMFs) decomposed by the empirical mode decomposition (EMD) method and the trend term fitting residual of measured data, a structural damage identification method based on Mahalanobis distance cumulant (MDC) was proposed. The damage feature vector is composed of the squared MDC values and is calculated by the segmentation data set. It makes the changes of monitoring points caused by damage accumulate as “amplification effect,” so as to obtain more damage information. The calculation method of the damage feature vector and the damage identification procedure were given. A mass-spring system with four mass points and four springs was used to simulate the damage cases. The results showed that the damage feature vector MDC can effectively identify the occurrence and location of the damage. The dynamic measurements of a prestress concrete continuous box-girder bridge were used for decomposing into IMFs and the trend term by the EMD method and the recursive algorithm autoregressive-moving average with the exogenous inputs (RARMX) method, which were used for fitting the trend term and to obtain the fitting residual. By using the first n-order IMFs and the fitting residual as the clusters for damage identification, the effectiveness of the method is also shown.
The Volatility Forecasting Power of Financial Network Analysis
Authors: Magner Nicolás S. , Lavin Jaime F. , Valle Mauricio A. , Hardy Nicolás
Published: October 2020

This investigation connects two crucial economic and financial fields, financial networks, and forecasting. From the financial network’s perspective, it is possible to enhance forecasting tools, since econometrics does not incorporate into standard economic models, second-order effects, nonlinearities, and systemic structural factors. Using daily returns from July 2001 to September 2019, we used minimum spanning tree and planar maximally filtered graph techniques to forecast the stock market realized volatility of 26 countries. We test the predictive power of our core models versus forecasting benchmarks models in and out of the sample. Our results show that the length of the minimum spanning tree is relevant to forecast volatility in European and Asian stock markets, improving forecasting models’ performance. As a new contribution, the evidence from this work establishes a road map to deepening the understanding of how financial networks can improve the quality of prediction of financial variables, being the latter, a crucial factor during financial shocks, where uncertainty and volatility skyrocket.
Fault-Tolerant Privacy-Preserving Data Aggregation for Smart Grid
Authors: Liu Huadong , Gu Tianlong , Liu Yining , Song Jingcheng , Zeng Zhixin
Published: October 2020

In smart grids (SG), data aggregation is widely used to strike a balance between data usability and privacy protection. The fault tolerance is an important requirement to improve the robustness of data aggregation protocols, which enables normal execution of the protocols even with failures on some entities. However, to achieve fault tolerance, most schemes either sacrifice the aggregation accuracy due to the use of differential privacy or substitution strategy or need to rely on an online trusted entity to manage all user blinding factors. In this paper, a (k,n) threshold privacy-preserving data aggregation scheme named (k,n)-PDA is proposed, which reconciles data usability and data privacy through the BGN cryptosystem and achieves fault tolerance with accurate aggregation using Shamir’s secret sharing without any online trusted entity. Besides, our scheme supports the efficient changing of users’ membership. Specifically, the dynamic secrete key is distributed to n smart meters (SMs) through the threshold secret sharing algorithm. When k or more meters participate in the aggregation, the data service center (DSC) can reconstruct the key to compute the aggregate results, and less than k SMs cannot recover the key. Thus, our solution still works functionally even if up to n−k SMs fail; also, it resists attacks from the collusion of less than k SMs. Moreover, system and performance analyses demonstrate that our scheme achieves privacy, fault tolerance, and membership dynamics with high efficiency.
Short-Term Infectious Diarrhea Prediction Using Weather and Search Data in Xiamen, China
Authors: Wang Zhijin , Huang Yaohui , He Bingyan , Luo Ting , Wang Yongming , Fu Yonggang , Huang Chenxi
Published: October 2020

Infectious diarrhea has high morbidity and mortality around the world. For this reason, diarrhea prediction has emerged as an important problem to prevent and control outbreaks. Numerous studies have built disease prediction models using large-scale data. However, these methods perform poorly on diarrhea data. To address this issue, this paper proposes a parsimonious model (PM), which takes historical outpatient visit counts, meteorological factors (MFs) and Baidu search indices (BSIs) as inputs to perform prediction. An experimental evaluation was done to compare the short-term prediction performance of ten algorithms for four groups of inputs, using data collected in Xiamen, China. Results show that the proposed method is effective in improving the prediction accuracy.
Macroscopic and Mesoscopic Mechanical Properties of Mine Tailings with Different Dry Densities under Different Confining Pressures
Authors: Zhang Zhi-jun , Guo Yao-hui , Tian Ya-kun , Hu Lin , Wang Xi-xian , Zheng Huai-miao , Wu Ling-ling , Song Zhengyang
Published: October 2020

Particle flow numerical simulation software (PFC3D) was utilized to establish the consolidated-undrained triaxial compression test numerical models of mine tailings with different dry densities to deeply investigate the macroscopic and microscopic characteristics of mine tailings in a tailing pond in Hunan Province. Comparing the results of the simulation and the laboratory experiment, the mesoscopic parameters of the particle flow numerical simulation were obtained through continuously adjusting the mesoscopic parameter with the higher degree of agreement between the stress-strain curve, the peak strength, and the elastic modulus as the determining standard. The macroscopic and microscopic characteristics of mine tailings were studied from the perspectives of stress-strain, axial strain-volume strain, coordination number, particle velocity vector, and contact force between particles. After numerous numerical tests, it was found that the PFC3D simulation results are consistent with experiment results of the dry density tailing samples under different confining pressures; compared with the high confining pressure, the simulation test results at lower confining pressures were more with that of the laboratory tests; low density and high confining pressure both have inhibitory effect on the dilatancy characteristics of triaxial samples; with the same confining pressure, the dilatancy tendency of low dry density samples is suppressed comparing with the high dry density samples. The initial coordination number of the numerical model is large, which proves that the contact degree of the model is good to some extent.
Air Pollutant Concentration Forecasting Using Long Short-Term Memory Based on Wavelet Transform and Information Gain: A Case Study of Beijing
Authors: Liu Bingchun , Guo Xiaoling , Lai Mingzhao , Wang Qingshan
Published: October 2020

Air pollutant concentration forecasting is an effective way which protects health of the public by the warning of the harmful air contaminants. In this study, a hybrid prediction model has been established by using information gain, wavelet decomposition transform technique, and LSTM neural network, and applied to the daily concentration prediction of atmospheric pollutants (PM2.5, PM10, SO2, NO2, O3, and CO) in Beijing. First, the collected raw data are selected by feature selection by information gain, and a set of factors having a strong correlation with the prediction is obtained. Then, the historical time series of the daily air pollutant concentration is decomposed into different frequencies by using a wavelet decomposition transform and recombined into a high-dimensional training data set. Finally, the LSTM prediction model is trained with high-dimensional data sets, and the parameters are adjusted by repeated tests to obtain the optimal prediction model. The data used in this study were derived from six air pollution concentration data in Beijing from 1/1/2014 to 31/12/2016, and the atmospheric pollutant concentration data of Beijing between 1/1/2017 and 31/12/2017 were used to test the predictive ability of the data set test model. The results show that the evaluation index MAPE of the model prediction is 7.45%. Therefore, the hybrid prediction model has a higher value of application for atmospheric pollutant concentration prediction, because this model has higher prediction accuracy and stability for future air pollutant concentration prediction.
Antibacterial and Antifungal Activities of the Leaf Exudate of Aloe megalacantha Baker
Authors: Asmerom Demoze , Kalay Tesfay Haile , Tafere Gebrehiwot Gebremedhin
Published: October 2020

Infectious diseases caused by fungi and bacteria are among the major causes of illness and death worldwide. This is mainly implicated by the antimicrobial resistance of the current treatment regimens. Since plant products are house stores of bioactive compounds, it is essential to screen plant-based antimicrobials to come up with novel medicines that counter the grave consequences of antimicrobial resistance. In the folk medicine of Ethiopia, Aloe megalacantha is used for the treatment of wound, dandruff, malaria, diabetes, impotence, colon cleansing, amoeba, ascariasis, abdominal pain, urine retention, snake bite, and evil eye. Hence, the present study was aimed to evaluate the antibacterial and antifungal effects of the leaf exudate of Aloe megalacantha. Agar well diffusion was employed to determine the antibacterial and antifungal effects. Six bacterial strains, namely, S. aureus (standard), S. aureus (clinical isolate), E. coli ATCC 25922 (standard), E. coli (clinical isolate), K. pneumoniae (standard), and P. aeruginosa ATCC 27853 (standard), and four fungal strains such as C. albicans, C. glabrata, C. tropicalis, and C. krusei were studied. The leaf exudate showed the highest activity against C. krusei with an average zone diameter of 22.49 ± 0.47 mm at 400 mg/mL. Among the bacterial species, S. aureus ATCC 29213 (standard) was the most sensitive with an average zone of diameter of 16.63 ± 0.12 mm at 200 mg/mL. Thus, the present findings support the folklore use of Aloe megalacantha for the treatment of different microbial infections.
Variability in Phytochemical Contents and Biological Potential of Pomegranate (Punica granatum) Peel Extracts: Toward a New Opportunity for Minced Beef Meat Preservation
Authors: Fourati Mariam , Smaoui Slim , Ben Hlima Hajer , Elhadef Khaoula , Chakchouk Mtibaa Ahlem , Mellouli Lotfi
Published: October 2020

Extraction of Tunisian pomegranate peels was employed with different solvents such as ethyl acetate, acetonitrile, and water. Total phenolic and flavonoids contents, antioxidant activity, and antibacterial capacity against five foodborne pathogenic bacteria were evaluated. The highest values of polyphenols (351 mg gallic acid equivalent/g), flavonoids (104 mg quercetin/g), and DPPH and ABTS inhibition were recorded in the ethyl acetate extract followed by the aqueous extract. The latter present the maximum antibacterial potential againstS. enterica,P. aeruginosa, andE. coli. The potential use of the lyophilized aqueous extract (AE), used for safety reason and being rich in phenolic, as biopreservative in minced beef meat was described. AE was incorporated at 0.1, 0.5, and 1% and compared with 0.1% butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT). During 21 days at 4°C, AE at 1% could appreciably retard the microflora proliferation (p<0.05), the accumulation of MetMb and the carbonyl group (p<0.05), slowing down the loss of sulphydryl proteins (p<0.05), and led to a decrease (p<0.05) in primary (peroxide value and conjugated dienes) and secondary lipid oxidation (TBARS) in treated meat. By the 14thday, AE-treated minced meat obtained higher sensory scores than untreated and BHT samples. Based on these results, lipid and protein oxidation changes and sensorial attributes were useful in discriminating meat samples by overall acceptability prediction. Generally, AE at 1% presented the potent preservative effect that could be utilized as an application on meat-substituting synthetic antioxidant.
Deterioration Regularity of Sodium Sulfate Solution Attack on Cemented Coal Gangue‐Fly Ash Backfill under Drying‐Wetting Cycles
Authors: Chen Shaojie , Zhang Zhen , Yin Dawei , Ma Junbiao
Published: October 2020

To research the properties of cemented coal gangue‐fly ash backfill (CGFB) exposed to different concentrations of sodium sulfate solutions under drying‐wetting cycles, the mass changes, uniaxial compressive strengths, sulfate ion contents at different depths, and microstructures of CGFB samples were measured in this study. The results show that the CGFB samples were damaged by salt crystallization in the dry state and attacked by the expansive products in the wet state. The sulfate ion contents in CGFB samples increased with the sulfate concentrations and drying‐wetting cycles and decreased from the surface to the inside of the samples. The damage process of CGFB samples evolved from the surface to the inside. In the early stage of corrosion, sulfate ions adsorbed to the surface of CGFB samples and consumed nonhydrated particles to form acicular ettringite and other products that filled the material pores. For this stage, the driving force of sulfate ions to enter into the CGFB samples was the highest for the samples immersed in 15% sodium sulfate solution, and the masses and strengths increased the fastest. As the drying‐wetting cycles continued, the nonhydrated particles inside the samples were nearly completely hydrated, and the samples were constantly damaged by salt crystallization and dissolution. The corrosion ions entered into the samples and consumed portlandite to produce a large amount of prismatic ettringite and aggravated the internal corrosion of CGFB samples. At the fifteenth drying‐wetting cycle, the higher the salt concentration of the immersion solution was, the faster the masses and the strengths of CGFB samples decreased. Moreover, the surface spalling and failure of CGFB samples were more severe.
A New Unified Solution for Circular Opening considering Different Strength Criteria and the Postpeak Elastic Strain Form
Authors: Shi Xuyang , Zhou Wei , Chen Liang , Cai Qingxiang , Li Ming , Li Zhaolin , Luan Boyu
Published: October 2020

The strength criterion is an extremely important basis for evaluating the stability of surrounding rock and optimizing the support pressure design. In this paper, nine different strength criteria are summarized and simplified based on the reasonable assumption. Then, a new unified criterion equation is established, which includes all strength theories proposed by this paper. Meanwhile, a new unified closed‐form solution for circular opening based on the newly proposed unified criterion equation is deduced with the infinite and finite external boundary combining with the nonassociative flow rule under plane strain conditions. In the plastic zone, four different elastic strain assumptions are applied to solving the plastic zone deformation considering the effect of rock mass damage. The solution’s validity is also verified by comparison with the traditional solution. Finally, the influences of strength criteria, dilation coefficient, elastic strain form of plastic zone, and rock mass damage on the mechanical response of surrounding rock are discussed in detail. The research result shows that TR and VM criteria give the largest plastic zone radius, followed by IDP, MC, and MDP criteria, and seem to underestimate the self‐strength of rock mass; The CDP criterion gives the smallest plastic zone radius and may overestimate the self‐strength of rock mass; UST0.5, GSMP, GMC, and GLD criteria that reasonably consider the effect of internal principal stresses give an intermediate range and can be strongly recommended for evaluating the mechanics and deformation behavior of surrounding rock; as the dilation coefficient gradually increases, the dimensionless surface displacement presents the nonlinear increase characteristics; the deformation of plastic zone and the ground response curve, which are closely related to the strength criteria, are also greatly influenced by the elastic strain assumption in the plastic zone and rock mass damage degree. The assumption that the elastic strain satisfies Hook’s law (Case 3) may be more reasonable compared with the continuous elastic strain (Case 1) and thick‐walled cylinders (Case 2) assumptions; in addition, the Young’s modulus power function damage model seems to give more reasonable solution for the deformation of plastic zone and is suggested to be a preferred method for solving plastic displacement. The research results can provide very important theoretical bases for evaluating the tunnel stability and support design reliability of different lithology rock masses in underground engineering.
Broken Spinal Needle in a Morbidly Obese Parturient Presenting for Urgent Cesarean Section
Authors: Shah Saurin J. , Vanderhoef Kristen , Ibrahim Michael
Published: October 2020

Neuraxial anesthesia has become the preferred method of anesthesia for nonemergent cesarean delivery and cases where regional anesthesia is not contraindicated. Multiple cases of broken spinal and epidural needles have been reported in the literature over the last several years; however, the specific incidence of needle breakage is still unknown. Less reliance on general anesthesia and increasing parturient body mass index (BMI) has likely contributed to more reports of broken needles during regional anesthesia for obstetric surgery. We describe a case of a broken spinal needle after attempted spinal anesthetic placement for cesarean delivery in a morbidly obese parturient, subsequent postoperative management, and current treatment recommendations.
A Mathematical Description of the Dynamics of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): A Case Study of Brazil
Authors: Savi Pedro V. , Savi Marcelo A. , Borges Beatriz
Published: October 2020

This paper deals with the mathematical modeling and numerical simulations related to the coronavirus dynamics. A description is developed based on the framework of the susceptible-exposed-infectious-removed model. Initially, a model verification is carried out calibrating system parameters with data from China, Italy, Iran, and Brazil. Results show the model capability to predict infectious evolution. Afterward, numerical simulations are performed in order to analyze different scenarios of COVID-19 in Brazil. Results show the importance of the governmental and individual actions to control the number and the period of the critical situations related to the pandemic.
Modeling a Thermochemical Reactor of a Solar Refrigerator by BaCl2-NH3 Sorption Using Artificial Neural Networks and Mathematical Symmetry Groups
Authors: Meza-Cruz Onesimo , Pilatowsky Isaac , Pérez-Ramírez Agustín , Rivera-Blanco Carlos , El Hamzaoui Youness , Perez-Ramirez Miguel , Sanchez Mauricio A.
Published: October 2020

The aim of this work is to present a model for heat transfer, desorbed refrigerant, and pressure of an intermittent solar cooling system’s thermochemical reactor based on backpropagation neural networks and mathematical symmetry groups. In order to achieve this, a reactor was designed and built based on the reaction of BaCl2-NH3. Experimental data from this reactor were collected, where barium chloride was used as a solid absorbent and ammonia as a refrigerant. The neural network was trained using the Levenberg–Marquardt algorithm. The correlation coefficient between experimental data and data simulated by the neural network was r = 0.9957. In the neural network’s sensitivity analysis, it was found that the inputs, reactor’s heating temperature and sorption time, influence neural network’s learning by 35% and 20%, respectively. It was also found that, by applying permutations to experimental data and using multibase mathematical symmetry groups, the neural network training algorithm converges faster.
Efficacy and Safety Outcomes of Intravitreal Dexamethasone Implant Therapy for the Treatment of Adult Coats’ Disease
Authors: Chen Qingshan , Liang Saying , Wang Xizhen , Hu Chenli , She Jieting , Li Zi
Published: October 2020

Purpose. To evaluate the efficacy and safety outcomes of dexamethasone intravitreal implant in patients with Stage 3A Coats’ disease. Methods. A consecutive case series of adult Coats’ disease managed with or without intravitreal dexamethasone implant (Ozurdex®, Allergan Inc., Irvine, California, USA) injection was retrospectively evaluated. The medical records of all included patients with a minimum follow-up of 6 months were reviewed. The patients were divided into two groups according to the application of dexamethasone implant as a DEX (+) group and DEX (−) group. Laser photocoagulation, anti-VEGF agents, and vitrectomy were performed if necessary. The primary outcomes included best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), central retinal thickness (CRT), and intraocular pressure (IOP) at month 6. Resolution of the exudative retinal detachment (ERD), subretinal fluid (SRF), and vitreous hemorrhage (VH) was also collected. Results. Ten eyes (10 patients) with Stage 3A Coats’ disease were included, and the mean follow-up time was 9.70 ± 4.42 months. The mean age was 44.20 ± 7.42 years, and 80% were male. Six eyes (6 patients) received intravitreal injection of Ozurdex were included in the DEX (+) group, while the other 4 eyes in the DEX (−) group. No significant difference of baseline characteristics including BCVA, CRT, IOP, and follow-up time can be defined between DEX (+) and DEX (−) groups. For the patients in the DEX (+) group, a significant improvement of BCVA was observed from the baseline of 1.28 ± 0.58 to 0.84 ± 0.66 logMAR at month 6 (P=0.03), while the CRT decreased from 970.33 ± 696.49 to 421.00 ± 275.76 μm (P=0.067). For the DEX(−) group, BCVA changed from 0.76 ± 0.74 to 0.96 ± 0.60 logMAR at month 6 (P=0.066), while the CRT from 382.75 ± 17.68 to 412.75 ± 195.53 μm (P=0.525) with no significant difference. IOP was elevated from 13.15 ± 1.74 mmHg at baseline to 18.05 ± 3.57 mmHg at month 6 with a P value of 0.02 for the DEX(+) group and from 14.48 ± 1.70 to 18.83 ± 4.06 mmHg (P=0.076) for the DEX (−) group. After a mean follow-up of 9.70 months, 5/6 (83.3%) eyes in the DEX (+) group and ¼ (25%) eye in the DEX (−) group achieved reattachment of ERD. Conclusion. Intravitreal dexamethasone implant therapy is effective for adult Stage 3A Coats’ disease, which provides a new treatment option for ophthalmologists.
Magnitude of Anemia and Associated Factors among HIV-Infected Children Receiving Antiretroviral Therapy in Pastoral Community, Ethiopia: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Fentaw Mulaw Getahun , Ahmed Yesuf Fatima , Temesgen Abebe Haftom
Published: October 2020

Background. The two major comrbidities (anemia and poor nutrition) are common manifestations of HIV-infected children, which threaten their lives. In Ethiopia, there is limited information on the magnitude and factors associated with anemia among HIV-infected children. Thus, this study was aimed to determine the magnitude and factors associated with anemia among HIV-infected children receiving antiretroviral therapy in the Afar region, Ethiopia. Methods. A cross-sectional retrospective record review was conducted on a sample size of 102 HIV-infected children aged 6 months to < 15 years in selected ART sites of the Afar region from May 1 to 25, 2018. Patient cards from 2009 to 2017 with the required information were considered. A paired sample t-test was used to assess whether there is a significant difference in the hemoglobin level before and after the HAART regimen. Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine predictors of anemia. Statistical significance was determined atp value < 0.05. Result. At baseline, 53.9% of study participants were anemic, from which 8.7%, 36.3%, and 9.8% were mild, moderate, and severe, respectively. There was a statistically significant improvement of hemoglobin level following the one-year course of ART treatment from 10.67 ± 1.82 to 11.5 ± 1.5 (p value ≤ 0.001): an improvement of 0.83 ± 1.74. Children who were moderately and severely stunted were more than five (AOR = 5.16, 95% CI (1.71, 15.56)) and more than twelve (AOR = 12.45, 95% CI (2.62, 59.21)) times more likely to be anemic than children who were not stunted, respectively. Children whose mothers had not attended ANC follow-up were more than three (AOR = 3.68, 95% CI (1.38, 9.81)) times more likely to be anemic than children whose mothers attended ANC. Children who were in clinical stages 3 and 4 were more than five (AOR = 5.07, 95% CI (1.79, 14.37)) times more likely to be anemic than children who were in clinical stage 1 and 2. Conclusion. The magnitude of anemia among HIV-infected children was found to be high, which is 53.9%. Nutritional status (stunting), WHO clinical stage, and history of ANC follow-up were the predictors significantly associated with childhood anemia. Thus, interventions for HIV-infected children should consider those factors.
Sparse GLONASS Signal Acquisition Based on Compressive Sensing and Multiple Measurement Vectors
Authors: He Guodong , Song Maozhong , Zhang Shanshan , Song Peng , Shu Xinwen
Published: October 2020

A sparse global navigation satellite system (GLONASS) signal acquisition method based on compressive sensing and multiple measurement vectors is proposed. The nonsparse GLONASS signal can be represented sparsely on our proposed dictionary which is designed based on the signal feature. Then, the GLONASS signal is sensed by a normalized orthogonal random matrix and acquired by the improved multiple measurement vectors acquisition algorithm. There are 10 cycles of pseudorandom codes in a navigation message, and these 10 pseudorandom codes have the same row sparse structure. So, the acquisition probability can be raised by row sparse features theoretically. A large number of simulated GLONASS signal experiments show that the acquisition probability increases with the increase in the measurement vector column dimension. Finally, the practical availability of the new method is verified by acquisition experiments with the real record GLONASS signal. The new method can reduce the storage space and energy loss of data transmission. We hope that the new method can be applied to field receivers that need to record and transmit navigation data for a long time.
Epigenetic Control of Cdkn2a.Arf Protects Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes from Metabolic Exhaustion
Authors: Koss Brian , Shields Bradley D. , Taylor Erin M. , Storey Aaron J. , Byrum Stephanie D. , Gies Allen J. , Washam Charity L. , Choudhury Samrat Roy , Hyun Ahn Jeong , Uryu Hidetaka , Williams Jason B. , Krager Kimberly J. , Chiang Tung-Chin , Mackintosh Samuel G. , Edmondson Rick D. , Aykin-Burns Nukhet , Gajewski Thomas F. , Wang Gang Greg , Tackett Alan J.
Published: October 2020

T-cell exhaustion in cancer is linked to poor clinical outcomes, where evidence suggests T-cell metabolic changes precede functional exhaustion. Direct competition between tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) and cancer cells for metabolic resources often renders T cells dysfunctional. Environmental stress produces epigenome remodeling events within TIL resulting from loss of the histone methyltransferase EZH2. Here, we report an epigenetic mechanism contributing to the development of metabolic exhaustion in TIL. A multiomics approach revealed a Cdkn2a.Arf-mediated, p53-independent mechanism by which EZH2 inhibition leads to mitochondrial dysfunction and the resultant exhaustion. Reprogramming T cells to express a gain-of-function EZH2 mutant resulted in an enhanced ability of T cells to inhibit tumor growth in vitro and in vivo. Our data suggest that manipulation of T-cell EZH2 within the context of cellular therapies may yield lymphocytes that are able to withstand harsh tumor metabolic environments and collateral pharmacologic insults.

Significance:

These findings demonstrate that manipulation of T-cell EZH2 in cellular therapies may yield cellular products able to withstand solid tumor metabolic–deficient environments.
Rethinking Environmental Carcinogenesis
Authors: Kripke Margaret , Brody Julia Green , Hawk Ernest , Hernandez Amanda B. , Hoppin Polly J. , Jacobs Molly M. , Rudel Ruthann A. , Rebbeck Timothy R.
Published: October 2020

The 2010 report of the President's Cancer Panel concluded that the burden of cancer from chemical exposures is substantial, while the programs for testing and regulation of carcinogens remain inadequate. New research on the role of early life exposures and the ability of chemicals to act via multiple biological pathways, including immunosuppression, inflammation, and endocrine disruption as well as mutagenesis, further supports the potential for chemicals and chemical mixtures to influence disease. Epidemiologic observations, such as higher leukemia incidence in children living near roadways and industrial sources of air pollution, and new in vitro technologies that decode carcinogenesis at the molecular level, illustrate the diverse evidence that primary prevention of some cancers may be achieved by reducing harmful chemical exposures. The path forward requires cross-disciplinary approaches, increased environmental research investment, system-wide collaboration to develop safer economic alternatives, and community engagement to support evidence-informed action. Engagement by cancer researchers to integrate environmental risk factors into prevention initiatives holds tremendous promise for reducing the rates of disease.

See all articles in this CEBP Focus section, “Environmental Carcinogenesis: Pathways to Prevention.”
Helicobacter pylori Induces a Novel NF-kB/LIN28A/let-7a/hTERT Axis to Promote Gastric Carcinogenesis
Authors: Shen Li , Zeng Jiping , Ma Lin , Li Shuyan , Chen Chunyan , Jia Jihui , Liang Xiuming
Published: October 2020

Reactivated telomerase is a crucial event in the development and progression of a variety of tumors. However, how telomerase is activated in gastric carcinogenesis has not been fully uncovered yet. Here, we identified a key role of the NF-κB/LIN28A/let-7a axis to promote human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) expression for gastric cancer initiation. Mechanistically, LIN28A expression was upregulated by H. pylori–induced NF-κB activation. And LIN28A, in turn, suppressed let-7a expression, forming the NF-κB/LIN28A/let-7a axis to regulate gene expression upon H. pylori infection. Of note, we first discovered hTERT as a direct target of let-7a, which inhibited hTERT expression by binding to its 3′UTR of mRNA. Therefore, H. pylori–triggered let-7a downregulation enhanced hTERT protein translation, resulting in telomerase reactivation. Furthermore, hTERT enhanced LIN28A expression, forming the positive feedback regulation between hTERT and NF-κB/LIN28A/let-7a axis to maintain the sustained overexpression of hTERT in gastric cancer.

Implications:

The NF-κB/LIN28A/Let-7a axis was crucial for the overexpression of hTERT upon H. pylori infection during gastric cancer development and may serve as a potential target to suppress hTERT expression for gastric cancer prevention and treatment.
Cell Adhesion Molecules in Plasticity and Metastasis
Authors: Smart Jessica A. , Oleksak Julia E. , Hartsough Edward J.
Published: October 2020

Prior to metastasis, modern therapeutics and surgical intervention can provide a favorable long-term survival for patients diagnosed with many types of cancers. However, prognosis is poor for patients with metastasized disease. Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer, yet in situ and localized, thin melanomas can be biopsied with little to no postsurgical follow-up. However, patients with metastatic melanoma require significant clinical involvement and have a 5-year survival of only 34% to 52%, largely dependent on the site of colonization. Melanoma metastasis is a multi-step process requiring dynamic changes in cell surface proteins regulating adhesiveness to the extracellular matrix (ECM), stroma, and other cancer cells in varied tumor microenvironments. Here we will highlight recent literature to underscore how cell adhesion molecules (CAM) contribute to melanoma disease progression and metastasis.
Environment Influences Tumor Progression and Transcriptional Subtype in a New Model of Pancreatic Cancer
Authors: Pickering Karen A. , Morton Jennifer P.
Published: October 2020

In this issue, Miyabayashi and colleagues describe a novel intraductal model of pancreatic cancer that allows modeling of the transcriptional subtypes of pancreatic cancer. Using this model, they are able to observe subtype switching driven by the microenvironment, a process at least partially mediated by RAS signaling.

See related article by Miyabayashi et al., p. 1566.
Understanding and Overcoming the Inflammatory Toxicities of Immunotherapy
Authors: Dougan Michael
Published: October 2020

Checkpoint blockade immunotherapy has led to impressive therapeutic responses in a wide variety of tumors, but also leads to a spectrum of inflammatory toxicities that can involve any organ system in the body. Although most inflammatory toxicities resolve with systemic immune suppression, fatal toxicities can occur, and interruption and discontinuation of immunotherapy because of toxicity are common. In addition to their clinical impact, these inflammatory toxicities also provide a window into immune regulation in humans. By studying the cellular and molecular mechanisms that drive this inflammation, we have an opportunity to learn how the immune checkpoints, cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen-4 and programmed death-1 and its ligand, maintain immune homeostasis throughout the body. Although we have an increasingly detailed understanding of the mechanisms that drive effective antitumor immunity, we have a rudimentary picture of the mechanisms of toxicity. Most toxicities involve barrier organs, suggesting an important role for interactions with the environment, including the microbiome. Early analyses have implicated cytotoxic T cells, although the antigens recognized by these cells, and the pathways activated by and around them are still unknown. By gaining a detailed understanding of the immune mechanisms of toxicity, we have the potential to develop novel interventions for them. These treatments should take advantage of differences between effective antitumor immunity and the principal drivers of organ inflammation. By targeting these mechanistic differences, we can develop therapies that can be used alongside immunotherapy, blocking inflammatory toxicity while preserving or even enhancing the response to cancer.
Transcriptomic Deconvolution of Dorsal Striata Reveals Increased Monocyte Fractions in Bipolar Disorder
Authors: Batchu Sai
Published: October 2020

Introduction: Accumulating evidence suggests a relationship between the immune system, neuroinflammation, and mood disorders such as bipolar disorder (BD). However, the immunological landscape of critical brain structures implicated with BD, such as the dorsal striatum, has yet to be characterized. This study sought to investigate the immunological composition of dorsal striata in patients with BD. Methods: CIBERSORTx, an established RNA deconvolution algorithm, was applied on RNA-sequencing data developed from dorsal striata of 18 BD patients and 17 controls. A validated gene signature matrix for 22 human hematopoietic cell subsets was used to infer the relative proportions of immune cells that were present in the original brain tissue. Results: Deconvolution of the bulk gene expression data showed that dorsal striata from BD subjects had a significantly greater relative abundance of monocytes compared to control samples. Conclusion: Monocytes may play a role in the pathogenesis of BD in dorsal striata. Further studies are warranted to confirm the computational results presented herein.
A Consensus-Developed Morphological Re-Evaluation of 196 High-Grade Gastroenteropancreatic Neuroendocrine Neoplasms and Its Clinical Correlations
Authors: Elvebakken Hege , Perren Aurel , Scoazec Jean-Yves , Tang Laura H. , Federspiel Birgitte , Klimstra David S. , Vestermark Lene W. , Ali Abir S. , Zlobec Inti , Myklebust Tor Å. , Hjortland Geir O. , Langer Seppo W. , Gronbaek Henning , Knigge Ulrich , Tiensuu Janson Eva , Sorbye Halfdan
Published: October 2020

High-grade gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (GEP-NENs) are classified according to morphology as well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumours (NETs) G3 or poorly differentiated neuroendocrine carcinomas (NECs). Little data exist concerning which morphological criteria this subdivision should be based on. Uncertainty exists if the NEC group should be further subdivided according to proliferation rate. Clinical data on NET G3 and NEC with a lower Ki-67 range are limited. A total of 213 patients with high-grade GEP-NEN (Ki-67 >20%) were included from the Nordic NEC Registries. Four experienced NET pathologists re-evaluated the cases to develop the best morphological criteria to separate NET G3 from NEC, assuming longer survival in NET G3. Organoid growth pattern, capillary network in direct contact to tumour cells, and absence of desmoplastic stroma were found to best separate NET G3 from NEC. Of 196 patients with metastatic disease, NET G3 was found in 12.3%, NEC with a Ki-67 <55% (NEC < 55) in 29.6%, and NEC with a Ki-67 ≥55% (NEC ≥ 55) in 56.6%. Only in 1.5%, the morphology was ambiguous. Of 164 patients receiving first-line chemotherapy, 88% received platinum/etoposide treatment. Response rate was higher for NEC ≥ 55 (44%) than that of NEC < 55 (25%) and NET G3 (24%) (p = 0.025 and p = 0.026). Median progression-free survival was 5 months for all groups. Median overall survival was 33 months for NET G3 compared to 11 months for both NEC < 55 and NEC ≥ 55 (p = 0.004 and 0.003). Specific morphological criteria can separate NET G3 from NECs and show prognostic significance. High-grade GEP-NEN patients stratified by morphology and proliferation rate demonstrate significant differences in response to chemotherapy and survival.
Internalization of HMGB1 (High Mobility Group Box 1) Promotes Angiogenesis in Endothelial Cells
Authors: Lan Jiaoli , Luo Haihua , Wu Rong , Wang Juan , Zhou Biying , Zhang Yun , Jiang Yong , Xu Jia
Published: October 2020

Objective:

In patients with peripheral artery disease, blockages in arterioles <1 mm cannot be treated surgically, and there are currently few effective medicines. Studies have shown that inflammation in ischemic tissue is related to injury recovery and angiogenesis, but insufficient attention has been paid to this area. Studies have suggested that HMGB1 (high mobility group protein 1), which is released by ischemic tissue, promotes angiogenesis, but the mechanism is not entirely clear. In this study, we tested the internalization of HMGB1 in endothelial cells and investigated a novel proangiogenic pathway.

Approach and Results:

Using green fluorescent protein–tagged HMGB1 to stimulate endothelial cells, we demonstrated HMGB1 internalization via dynamin and RAGE (receptor for advanced glycation end products)-dependent signaling. Using a fluorescence assay, we detected internalized protein fusion to lysosomes, followed by activation of CatB (cathepsin B) and CatL (cathepsin L). The latter promoted the release of VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor)-A and endoglin and upregulated the capacities of cell migration, proliferation, and tube formation in endothelial cells. We identified that the cytokine-induced fragment—a key functional domain in HMGB1—mediates the internalization and angiogenic function of HMGB1. We further confirmed that HMGB1 internalization also occurs in vivo in endothelial cells and promotes angiogenesis in mouse femoral artery ligation.

Conclusions:

In this study, we identified a novel pathway of HMGB1 internalization–induced angiogenesis in endothelial cells. This finding sheds light on the regulatory role of inflammatory factors in angiogenesis through cell internalization and opens a new door to understand the relationship between inflammation and angiogenesis in ischemic diseases.
Comparison of the Postprandial Metabolic Fate of U-
13
C Stearic Acid and U-
13
C Oleic Acid in Postmenopausal Women
Authors: Rodríguez-Morató Jose , Galluccio Jean , Dolnikowski Gregory G. , Lichtenstein Alice H. , Matthan Nirupa R.
Published: October 2020

Objective:

Compare the postprandial fatty acid metabolism of isotopically labeled stearate (U-
13
C18:0) and oleate (U-
13
C18:1).

Approach and Results:

In conjunction with a randomized-controlled crossover trial, 6 hypercholesterolemic postmenopausal women (≥50 years; body mass index: 25.6±3.0 kg/m
2
; LDL [low-density lipoprotein]-cholesterol ≥110 mg/dL) consumed isocaloric diets enriched in 18:0 or 18:1 (10%–15% E) for 5 weeks each. On day 1 of week 5, following a 12-hour fast, participants receive their experimental diet divided into 13 hourly meals beginning at 8
am
. U-
13
C18:0 or U-
13
C18:1 was incorporated into the 1:00
pm
meal (1.0 mg/kg body weight). Serial blood and breath samples were collected over 12 hours and fasting samples at 24 and 48 hours. Plasma and lipid subfraction fatty acid profiles were assessed by gas chromatography-flame ionization detector, isotope-enrichment by liquid chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry, and fatty acid oxidation rate (expired
13
CO
2
) by isotope ratio mass spectrometry. Both diets resulted in similar plasma LDL-cholesterol concentrations. Kinetic curves showed that U-
13
C18:0 had a higher plasma area under the curve (66%), lower plasma clearance rate (−46%), and a lower cumulative oxidation rate (−34%) than U-
13
C18:1. Three labeled plasma metabolites of U-
13
C18:0 were detected:
13
C16:0,
13
C16:1, and
13
C18:1. No plasma metabolites of U-
13
C18:1 were detected within the study time-frame. Higher incorporation of 18:0 in cholesteryl ester and triglyceride fractions was observed on the 18:0 compared with the 18:1 diet.

Conclusions:

The neutrality of 18:0 on plasma LDL-cholesterol concentrations is not attributable to a single factor. Compared with 18:1, 18:0 had higher plasma area under the curve because of lower clearance and oxidation rates, underwent both a direct and a multistage conversion to 18:1, and was preferentially incorporated into cholesteryl esters and triglycerides.