bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prediction of College Employment Rate Based on Big Data Analysis
Authors: Dong Xuhui
Published: December 2021

This paper uses big data technology to predict the employment rate of colleges and universities. In this paper, combined with the current rental price, daily life consumption, and college students’ personal interests and hobbies consumption and other indicators, the individual is simulated by big data, and the individual is associated by using the AI-driven edge fog computing service optimization algorithm to form a cluster, so as to realize the prediction from element to neural network cluster by using edge computing. In addition, this paper takes the employment data of colleges and universities in Hunan province from June 2020 to May 2021 as the research sample to test the prediction model and makes a comparative analysis with the CNN model and LSTM model. The edge fog computing model in this paper has more analytical indexes as tuples compared to the CNN model, so the results show that the prediction accuracy can reach 83.25%. In this case, there is little difference between the two models of data processing and predictive efficiency. Compared with the LSTM based classification prediction model, this model is edge computing, which greatly improves the data quality of model and data parameters, and the calculation efficiency can be increased by 45%–65%. Therefore, the use of big data technology can provide a reference for the research direction of higher education.
IgG4-Related Sclerosing Cholangitis: Rarely Diagnosed, but not a Rare Disease
Authors: Drazilova Sylvia , Veseliny Eduard , Lenartova Patricia Denisa , Drazilova Dagmar , Gazda Jakub , Grgurevic Ivica , Janicko Martin , Jarcuska Peter
Published: December 2021

IgG4-related sclerosing cholangitis, a biliary manifestation of an IgG4-related disease, belongs to the spectrum of sclerosing cholangiopathies which result in biliary stenosis. It presents with signs of cholestasis and during differential diagnosis it should be distinguished from cholangiocarcinoma or from other forms of sclerosing cholangitis (primary and secondary sclerosing cholangitis). Despite increasing information and recently established diagnostic criteria, IgG4-related sclerosing cholangitis remains underdiagnosed in routine clinical practice. The diagnosis is based on a combination of the clinical picture, laboratory parameters, histological findings, and a cholangiogram. Increased serum IgG4 levels are nonspecific but are indeed a part of the diagnostic criteria proposed by the Japan Biliary Association and the HISORt criteria for IgG4-SC. High serum IgG4 retains clinical utility depending on the magnitude of elevation. Approximately 90% of patients have concomitant autoimmune pancreatitis, while 10% present with isolated biliary involvement only. About 26% of patients have other organ involvement, such as IgG4-related dacryoadenitis/sialadenitis, IgG4-related retroperitoneal fibrosis, or IgG4-related renal lesions. A full-blown histological finding characterized by IgG4-enriched lymphoplasmacytic infiltrates, obliterative phlebitis, and storiform fibrosis is difficult to capture in practice because of its subepithelial localization. However, the histological yield is increased by immunohistochemistry, with evidence of IgG4-positive plasma cells. Based on a cholangiogram, IgG-4 related sclerosing cholangitis is classified into four subtypes according to the localization of stenoses. The first-line treatment is corticosteroids. The aim of the initial treatment is to induce clinical and laboratory remission and cholangiogram normalization. Even though 30% of patients have a recurrent course, in the literature data, there is no consensus on chronic immunosuppressive maintenance therapy. The disease has a good prognosis when diagnosed early.
Laboratory Investigation of Fiber Bragg Grating Strain Sensors for Semirigid Base Asphalt Pavements
Authors: Fu Jiancun , Shen Aiqin , Zhang Huaizhi , Sun Tuanwei
Published: December 2021

Aiming to evaluate the applicability of Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) strain sensors for semirigid pavement monitoring, beam and cylinder specimens with three types of FBG strain sensors embedded in two kinds of classic semirigid pavement materials, asphalt mixture (AC‐25) and cement‐stabilized crushed stones (CSCS), were prepared in the laboratory. Four‐point bending tests and uniaxial‐compression tests were carried out under different loading frequencies and temperatures to evaluate the working properties of these sensors and then obtain the corresponding real sensitivity coefficients (SCs). The experimental results showed that the synchronism, repeatability, and linearity of all these sensors were prominent. However, the real SC results were significantly different from the recommended and dependent on many factors including temperature, the loading frequencies, the stress state, and the type of embedded material to different degrees. The SCs remained stable when the moduli of the embedded materials were high enough; otherwise, the SCs varied. Two SC prediction models that used the modulus of the embedded material as the only independent variable were developed to deal with the problem of instability. The modulus difference level between the sensors and the embedded material could integrate the factors roughly, except for the stress state. It is recommended that the factors above should be considered when using FBG strain sensors in practice, and it is still necessary to perform laboratory calibration in advance.
Improved Facial Expression Recognition Method Based on GAN
Authors: Wang Junhuan
Published: December 2021

Recognizing facial expressions accurately and effectively is of great significance to medical and other fields. Aiming at problem of low accuracy of face recognition in traditional methods, an improved facial expression recognition method is proposed. The proposed method conducts continuous confrontation training between the discriminator structure and the generator structure of the generative adversarial networks (GANs) to ensure enhanced extraction of image features of detected data set. Then, the high-accuracy recognition of facial expressions is realized. To reduce the amount of calculation, GAN generator is improved based on idea of residual network. The image is first reduced in dimension and then processed to ensure the high accuracy of the recognition method and improve real-time performance. Experimental part of the thesis uses JAFEE dataset, CK + dataset, and FER2013 dataset for simulation verification. The proposed recognition method shows obvious advantages in data sets of different sizes. The average recognition accuracy rates are 96.6%, 95.6%, and 72.8%, respectively. It proves that the method proposed has a generalization ability.
Sensitivity Analysis Strategy to Assess the Salting‐Out Problem during CO2 Geological Storage Process
Authors: Ren Jie , Feng Di
Published: December 2021

The sensitivity analysis of the salting‐out effect on well injectivity is a significant work in the research of geological storage of CO2 in deep saline aquifers, which is helpful in the selection of storage sites and the design of the injection strategy. We conduct a detailed sensitivity analysis about the salting‐out process using the local sensitivity method and two global sensitivity methods. Sensitivity coefficients showed that brine salinity (XNaCl) has the highest sensitivity and interaction effect, the CO2 injection rate (QCO2) has a greater influence in the early stage of the salting‐out process and a smaller influence in the end stage, and the other three parameters (empirical parameters related to the pore distribution m, the liquid residual saturation in the relative permeability function Splr, and the liquid residual saturation in the capillary pressure function Sclr) have a smaller sensitivity. This paper also analyzes the calculation amount of different sensitivity methods and suitable ways of obtaining the sensitivity coefficient and reveals the following. (1) The sensitivity coefficient changes dynamically with time, if only the sensitivity of the final state is taken into account on a long‐time physical process, and some sensitive parameters during the process may be neglected. (2) The selection of the sample size should be based on the convergence of multiple calculations, and the results of the empirical calculation are uncertain. (3) The calculation of Sobol sensitivity is complicated, the results calculated by surrogate model depend on whether the sample is representative enough; on the other hand, it is feasible to use Sti‐Si approximation to characterize the second‐order sensitivity to reduce the computation. The research results not only reveal the sensitivity of the parameters related to the injection well salting‐out problem during CO2 storage in deep saline aquifers but also guide the calculation of global sensitivity analysis with a similar physical process.
Stream Classification Algorithm Based on Decision Tree
Authors: Guo Jinlin , Wang Haoran , Li Xinwei , Zhang Li
Published: December 2021

Due to the rise of many fields such as e-commerce platforms, a large number of stream data has emerged. The incomplete labeling problem and concept drift problem of these data pose a huge challenge to the existing stream data classification methods. In this respect, a dynamic stream data classification algorithm is proposed for the stream data. For the incomplete labeling problem, this method introduces randomization and iterative strategy based on the very fast decision tree VFDT algorithm to design an iterative integration algorithm, and the algorithm uses the previous model classification result as the next model input and implements the voting mechanism for new data classification. At the same time, the window mechanism is used to store data and calculate the data distribution characteristics in the window, then, combined with the calculated result and the predicted amount of data to adjust the size of the sliding window. Experiments show the superiority of the algorithm in classification accuracy. The aim of the study is to compare different algorithms to evaluate whether classification model adapts to the current data environment.
Mechanism and Protection of Radiotherapy Induced Sensorineural Hearing Loss for Head and Neck Cancer
Authors: Shi Wenxia , Hou Xue , Bao Xueying , Hou Wei , Jiang Xuehua , Ma Lixin , Jiang Xin , Dong Lihua
Published: December 2021

Purpose. Radiotherapy‐induced sensorineural hearing loss (RISNHL) is a common adverse effect in patients with head and neck cancer. Given that there are few studies on the pathogenesis of RISNHL at present, we summarized the possible pathogenesis of RISNHL and possible protective measures found at present by referring to relevant literatures. Methods. We performed a comprehensive literature search in the PubMed database, using keywords “sensorineural hearing loss,” “radiotherapy,” and “cancer,” among others. The literature was examined for the possible mechanism and preventive measures of sensorineural hearing loss induced by radiotherapy. Results. We found that the incidence of RISNHL was closely related to the damage directly caused by ionizing radiation and the radiation‐induced bystander effect. It also depends on the dose of radiation and the timing of chemotherapy. Studies confirmed that RISNHL is mainly involved in post‐RT inflammatory response and changes in reactive oxygen species, mitogen‐activated protein kinase, and p53 signaling pathways, leading to specific manners of cell death. We expect to reduce the incidence of hearing loss through advanced radiotherapy techniques, dose limitation of organs at risk, application of cell signaling inhibitors, use of antioxidants, induction of cochlear hair cell regeneration, and cochlear implantation. Conclusion. RISNHL is associated with radiation damage to DNA, oxidative stress, and inflammation of cochlear cells, stria vascularis endothelial cells, vascular endothelial cells, spiral ganglion neurons, and other supporting cells. At present, the occurrence mechanism of RISNHL has not been clearly illustrated, and further studies are needed to better understand the underlying mechanism, which is crucial to promote the formulation of better strategies and prevent the occurrence of RISNHL.
Distributed Finite-Time Consensus Control of Second-Order Multiagent Systems Subject to Communication Time Delay
Authors: Fan Lingling , Wu Chengyan
Published: December 2021

This paper studies the consensus problem of a second-order multiagent system (MAS) with fixed communication delay under the structure of leaderless and leader-following systems. By using graph theory and finite-time control scheme, a distributed control protocol is proposed for each agent to reach consensus in a finite time. In practical application, the time delay of states is unavoidable, and for this, the consensus method is supposed to be extended to solve the time-delay problem. Thus, a finite-time consensus protocol with communication time delay is proposed in this paper. Compared with the general consensus method, the reliability and convergence speed of the system are increased by using the finite-time control. In addition, the protocol is distributed, and all agents have only local interactions. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed protocol is verified by two numerical simulations.
Automatic Repair Method for D2D Communication Routing Buffer Overflow Vulnerability in Cellular Network
Authors: Yang BaoPing , Jiang Kun
Published: December 2021

Repairing D2D communication routing buffer overflow in a cellular network is of great significance in improving communication quality and security. Due to the increase of user usage, the communication data are easy to exceed the boundary of the buffer, resulting in the reduction of covered data information. The traditional repair methods mainly repair through the characteristics of covered data information, ignoring the impact of network topology information transmission delay and packet loss during calculation, resulting in the problem of low communication security. A cellular network routing buffer overflow repair algorithm based on the homomorphic analysis of node residual energy is proposed; the cellular network D2D communication routing protocol is designed; the cellular network D2D communication protocol path index is determined; then, the cellular network D2D communication routing protocol is designed by analyzing node residual energy; and the cellular network D2D communication network routing optimization method based on AHP is designed. Big constructs the energy model of cellular network D2D communication network, solves and sets the routing optimization objective function, realizes the control of network routing, and repairs the buffer overflow. The experiment results show that the improved method can effectively reduce the packet loss rate of communication data, improve the anti-interference ability of the system, and ensure the security of network communication.
Identification of ZEB2 as an Immune-Associated Gene in Endometrial Carcinoma and Associated with Macrophage Infiltration by Bioinformatic Analysis
Authors: Zhu Yuanyuan , Lin Xinchao , Zang Yuanlong , Yang Qiaohui
Published: December 2021

Endometrial cancer (EC) is the most common gynecological tumor arising from the endometrium. In this study, we use a published single-cell transcriptome profile of endometrial carcinoma (EC) to reveal the composition of immune cells and found an immunosuppressive environment since the presence of macrophage subtype M2 and exhausted CD8+ T cell markers. We focused on ZEB2 (Zinc finger E-box binding homeobox 2), a well-known player in epithelial to mesenchymal transition process, and we showed that ZEB2 is exclusively expressed in immune cells in single-cell transcriptome and, at the same time, downregulated in TCGA-UCEC (The Cancer Genome Atlas—Uterine Corpus Endometrial Carcinoma) bulk RNA-seq data and negatively associated with tumor purity. Loss of ZEB2 protein in EC in normal endometrium and EC samples was validated in samples using immunohistochemistry (IHC) from HPA (Human Protein Atlas) database. Furthermore, we found ZEB2 was associated with immune infiltrations especially for macrophage using TIMER 2.0. Interestingly, ZEB2 prognostic significance differed under various macrophage and Th2 helper cell content using Kaplan–Meier Plotter analysis. More importantly, we showed that over 11% EC patients have somatic mutations of ZEB2 in EC samples collected from cBioportal and they have a lower body weight, earlier diagnosis age, and better overall survival and disease-free survival status compared with the unaltered group. Analysis in TIMER2.0 suggested that ZEB2 mutation would possibly change the composition of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes. Taken together, by combining the results from single-cell data, bulk TCGA RNA-seq, and other online bioinformatic tools, we provided evidence that ZEB2 might have a unique role in the immune environment of EC. These results would provide a better insight into the pathogenetic process and ZEB2 might further be used an immunotherapeutic target of EC.
Standardized Judgment Method of Shooting Training Action Based on Digital Video Technology
Authors: Qing Guo , Hui HuBao
Published: December 2021

Aiming at the difficulty of standardizing the action of basketball shooting training, a new method of standardizing the action of basketball shooting training is proposed based on digital video technology. The digital video signal representation, video sequence coding data structure, and video sequence compression coding method are analyzed, and the pixels of basketball shooting training action position space are sampled to collect basketball shooting training images. The time difference method is used to extract the movement target of basketball shooting training from a digital video sequence. Based on digital video technology, the initial background image is estimated, and the update rate is introduced to update the background estimation image. According to the pixel value sequence of the basketball shooting training image, the pixel model of the basketball shooting training image is defined and modified. By judging whether the defined pixel value matches the background parameter model, the standardization of shooting training can be realized. The experimental results show that the proposed method has good stability, high precision, and short time in determining the standardization of shooting movement, can correct the wrong shooting movement in real time, and can effectively guide basketball shooting training.
A Two‐Stage Method Based on Multiobjective Differential Evolution for Gene Selection
Authors: Song Shuangbao , Chen Xingqian , Tang Zheng , Todo Yuki
Published: December 2021

Microarray gene expression data provide a prospective way to diagnose disease and classify cancer. However, in bioinformatics, the gene selection problem, i.e., how to select the most informative genes from thousands of genes, remains challenging. This problem is a specific feature selection problem with high‐dimensional features and small sample sizes. In this paper, a two‐stage method combining a filter feature selection method and a wrapper feature selection method is proposed to solve the gene selection problem. In contrast to common methods, the proposed method models the gene selection problem as a multiobjective optimization problem. Both stages employ the same multiobjective differential evolution (MODE) as the search strategy but incorporate different objective functions. The three objective functions of the filter method are mainly based on mutual information. The two objective functions of the wrapper method are the number of selected features and the classification error of a naive Bayes (NB) classifier. Finally, the performance of the proposed method is tested and analyzed on six benchmark gene expression datasets. The experimental results verified that this paper provides a novel and effective way to solve the gene selection problem by applying a multiobjective optimization algorithm.
Cavernous Nerve Injury Resulted Erectile Dysfunction and Regeneration
Authors: Jiang Nan , Wu Cheng , Zhou Xunrong , Zhai Guanghua , Wu Jian
Published: December 2021

Erectile dysfunction (ED) is an important cause of reduced quality of life for men and their partners. Recent studies have found that cavernous nerve injury (CNI) during prostate cancer surgery and other pelvic surgery results in medically induced CNIED in more than 80% of patients. The efficacy of first- and second-line treatment options for ED is poor. A great deal of research has been devoted to exploring new methods of neuroprotection and nerve regeneration to save erectile function in patients with CNIED, especially in patients with cavernous nerve injury after prostate cancer surgery. In addition, such as neuromodulatory proteins, proimmune ligands, gene therapy, stem cell therapy, and the current cutting-edge low-energy shock wave therapy have shown advantages in basic research and limited clinical studies. In the context of today’s modern medicine, these new therapeutic techniques are expected to be new tools in the treatment of cavernous nerve injury erectile dysfunction. This article presents the main causes, mechanisms, and treatment of cavernous nerve injury erectile dysfunction and combines them with new treatment strategies.
Screening and Identification of Trichoderma Strains isolated from Natural Habitats in China with Potential Agricultural Applications
Authors: Xue Ming , Wang Rui , Zhang Chongyuan , Wang Weiwei , Zhang Fengtao , Chen Di , Ren Sen , Manman Zhang , Hou Jumei , Liu Tong
Published: December 2021

Trichoderma spp. are widely distributed in natural habitats and have been evaluated as a potential biocontrol agent (BCA) for disease control and plant growth promotion. In this study, 1308 Trichoderma strains were obtained from the plant rhizosphere soil, above‐ground plants, and decaying wood from natural habitats in China. Among them, 49 Trichoderma strains showed a good inhibitory effect, especially against Botrytis cinerea, Fusarium oxysporum, and Colletotrichum gloeosporioides with inhibition rate above 85% in the dual culture test. Among these 49 strains, the 13 strains with broad‐spectrum inhibitory effects also significantly promoted the seed germination of five crops (rice, cucumber, tomato, melon, and pakchoi) and root growth of four crop seedlings (watermelon, tomato, eggplant, and chili). Furthermore, these strains showed effective colonization in the rhizosphere and root of cucumber. Trichoderma strains SC012 and NX043 showed the highest chitinase and β‐1,3‐glucanase activity among all strains. Based on the morphological characterization and phylogenetic analysis of the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and translation elongation factor 1 (tef1), twelve Trichoderma strains were identified as Trichoderma asperellum and one as Trichoderma afroharzianum. This study suggests that the 13 Trichoderma strains are promising BCAs and could be developed as biofertilizers and biological pesticides for agricultural applications.
An Automatic Heuristic Design Approach for Seru Scheduling Problem with Resource Conflicts
Authors: Zhan Rongxin , Zhang Jinhui , Cui Zihua , Peng Jin , Li Dongni
Published: December 2021

In current environments, production systems need the ability of quick response to face the volatile markets. Seru production systems, as a new mode of the production system, have the advantages of quick response, high flexibility, and high efficiency. Seru scheduling, which refers to constructing serus with an exact sequence in limited workspace, is an important decision problem in the operational management of seru production systems and can reflect the reconfiguration nature of seru production systems. This study investigates a seru scheduling problem with resource conflicts, whose objective is to minimize the makespan. An automatic heuristic design approach that combines a genetic programming algorithm and structure similarity-based operators is proposed. Comparative experiments are conducted with human-made rules, basic genetic programming, genetic programming-based algorithm, and with some state-of-the-art scheduling algorithms. The results show the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed algorithm.
The Bidirectional Signal Communication of Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis in Hypertension
Authors: Wang Xiaoqi , Chen Zhenzhen , Geng Bin , Cai Jun
Published: December 2021

Hypertension is a critical risk factor of cardiovascular diseases. A new concept of microbiota-gut-brain axis has been established recently, mediating the bidirectional communication between the gut and its microbiome and the brain. Alterations in bidirectional interactions are believed to be involved in the blood pressure regulation. Neuroinflammation and increased sympathetic outflow act as the descending innervation signals from the brain. Increased sympathetic activation plays a recognized role in the genesis of hypertension. The present evidence demonstrates that gut dysbiosis is associated with central nervous system neuroinflammation. However, how the gut influences the brain remains unclear. We reviewed the roles of neuroinflammation and gut microbiota and their interactions in the pathogenesis of hypertension and described the ascending signaling mechanisms behind the microbiota-gut-brain axis in detail. Additionally, the innovative prohypertensive mechanisms of dietary salt through the microbiota-gut-brain axis are summarized. The bidirectional communication mechanisms were proposed for the first time that the descending signals from the brain and the ascending connections from the gut form a vicious circle of hypertension progression, acting as a premise for hypertension therapy.
Model Construction and Research on Decision Support System for Education Management Based on Data Mining
Authors: Wang Weidan
Published: December 2021

Based on data mining technology, this paper applies a combination of theoretical and practical approaches to systematically describe the background and basic concepts related to the generation of data mining‐related technologies. The classical data mining process is analyzed in depth and in detail, and the method of building a decision support system for education management based on the B/S model is studied. Not only are the data mining techniques applied to this system, but also the decision tree model with the improved ID3 algorithm is implemented in this thesis, which is further applied to the educational management decision support system of this topic. The load of the client computer is reduced, and the client computer only needs to run a small part of the program. This paper focuses on the following aspects: the overall planning of the educational management decision support system based on data mining technology. From the actual educational management work, we analyze the requirements and design each functional module of this system in detail, applying the system functional structure diagram and functional use case diagram to represent the functional structure of the system and using flow charts to illustrate the workflow of the system as a whole and in parts. The logical structure design, entity‐relationship design, and physical model design of the database have been carried out. To improve the efficiency of the system, the ID3 algorithm was improved on this basis to reduce the time complexity of its operation, improve the efficiency of the system operation, and achieve the goal of assessing and predicting the teaching quality of teachers. The development and design of this system provide an efficient, convenient, scientific, and reliable system tool to reduce the workload of education administrators and, more importantly, to make reasonable and effective use of the large amount of data generated in the management, and data mining techniques are used to extract valuable and potential information from these data, which can be more scientific and efficient for the teaching of teachers and students. It can provide reliable, referenceable, and valuable information for managers to make assessments and decisions.
Artificial Intelligence Technology Assisted Music Teaching Design
Authors: Dai Dan Dan
Published: December 2021

With the continuous improvement of the global economic level and scientific level, information technology has penetrated into all fields of people’s life. Today, the strategy of vigorously promoting educational modernization has created conditions for intelligent music teaching and promoted the in-depth application of artificial intelligence technology in education. Intelligent instructional design supported by artificial intelligence technology is the deep integration of information technology and music teaching. Through the intelligent perception technology, learning analysis technology, and emotional computing technology of artificial intelligence, an intelligent music teaching model is established. The online learning and education platform based on big data intelligence provides teachers with rich teaching methods, provides personalized evaluation and adaptive learning services for students’ learning, and helps improve the efficiency of music teaching. The traditional teaching design model cannot effectively guide the intelligent music teaching and cannot meet the needs of students’ development. Therefore, on the basis of previous studies, the author studies the intelligent teaching design supported by artificial intelligence technology. This study uses new generation information technologies such as big data, Internet of things, mobile Internet, and artificial intelligence to build a complete set of scientific intelligent music teaching design model. Wisdom teaching provides a reference for the whole process before, during, and after class, helps guide teachers to better carry out wisdom teaching, helps students explore cooperative and autonomous learning, and promotes the wisdom transformation of teaching methods and learning methods to a certain extent. Music classroom teaching has become more targeted and effective. Therefore, it is of great significance to cultivate intelligent music talents.
Association of a Healthy Lifestyle Index with Risk of Breast Cancer among Women with Normal Body Mass Index in the UK Biobank
Authors: Peila Rita , Arthur Rhonda S. , Dannenberg Andrew J. , Rohan Thomas E.
Published: December 2021

Background:

A high healthy lifestyle index (HLI), a composite score based on good diet quality, low alcohol consumption, no smoking, moderate to high physical activity, and waist circumference <80 cm, has been consistently associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer. Recently, high levels of body fat were found to be associated with an elevated risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women with a normal body mass index (BMI; 18.5–<25 kg/m2). Whether the HLI is associated with breast cancer risk in women with normal BMI is unknown.

Methods:

We studied 102,572 women aged 40 to 69 years with a normal BMI at enrollment into the UK Biobank cohort study. The HLI was created by assigning to each component higher scores for healthier behaviors and then summing the scores. The HLI was categorized by tertiles and age- and multivariable-adjusted HRs for the association of the HLI with breast cancer risk by menopausal status were estimated using Cox proportional hazards models.

Results:

In postmenopausal women, compared with a low HLI, higher scores were associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer [HRHLI-3rd tertile = 0.76; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.64–0.91]. Findings were similar for premenopausal women, although they did not reach statistical significance, except when smoking status was excluded from the HLI score (HLIwithout smoking: HR3rd tertile = 0.71; 95% CI, 0.56–0.90).

Conclusions:

In normal BMI postmenopausal women, a high HLI score was associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer.

Impact:

Following a healthy lifestyle may reduce the risk of breast cancer among normal weight postmenopausal women.
Comparison of Performance of Two Stool DNA Tests and a Fecal Immunochemical Test in Detecting Colorectal Neoplasm: A Multicenter Diagnostic Study
Authors: Jin Peng , You Peng , Fang Jingyuan , Kang Qian , Gu Fang , Cai Yunlong , Zhai Huihong , Wang Bangmao , Li Yanqing , Xu Junfeng , Wang Jiheng , He Yuqi , Wang Yang , Dai Min , Sheng Jianqiu
Published: December 2021

Background:

The most widely used noninvasive screening tests for colorectal cancer are fecal occult blood tests. Stool DNA test was developed in recent years. However, direct comparative analyses of these tests within the same population are still sparse.

Methods:

A total of 2,842 participants who visited outpatient clinics or cancer screening centers were enrolled. Stool DNA test-I (KRAS, BMP3, NDRG4, and hemoglobin immunochemical tests), stool DNA test-II (SDC2 and SFRP2 tests), and fecal immunochemical test (FIT) alone were performed and colonoscopy was used as the gold standard among 2,240 participants. Forty-two and 302 participants had colorectal cancer and advanced adenomas (AA), respectively.

Results:

The sensitivity for colorectal cancer of stool DNA test-I, -II, and FIT was 90.5%, 92.9%, and 81.0%, respectively. The sensitivity for advanced neoplasm (AN; colorectal cancer plus AA) of stool DNA test-I, -II, and FIT was 34.9%, 42.2%, and 25.9%, respectively. The specificity of stool DNA test-I, -II, and FIT was 91.4%, 93.3%, and 96.8%, respectively, among those with negative results on colonoscopy. When the specificity of FIT was adjusted to match that of stool DNA tests by changing the threshold, no significant difference was seen in the sensitivities among the three tests for detecting colorectal cancer. For AN, the sensitivity of FIT was higher than DNA test-I and similar to DNA test-II under the same specificities.

Conclusions:

There was no significant advantage of the two stool DNA tests compared with FIT in detecting colorectal cancer or AN in this study.

Impact:

Our findings do not support extensive use of stool DNA tests instead of FIT.
Cutaneous β HPVs, Sun Exposure, and Risk of Squamous and Basal Cell Skin Cancers in Australia
Authors: Kricker Anne , Weber Marianne F. , Pawlita Michael , Sitas Freddy , Hodgkinson Verity S. , Rahman Bayzidur , van Kemenade Cathelijne H. , Armstrong Bruce K. , Waterboer Tim
Published: December 2021

Background:

Sun exposure causes cutaneous squamous (SCC) and basal cell (BCC) carcinomas. Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection might cause SCC.

Methods:

We examined associations of β and γ HPV infection in skin-swab DNA and serum antibodies with skin cancer risk, and modification of the carcinogenic effects of sun exposure by them, in case–control studies of 385 SCC cases, 832 BCC cases, and 1,100 controls nested in an Australian prospective cohort study (enrolled 2006–2009).

Results:

Presence of β-1 and β-3 HPV DNA appeared to increase risks for SCC and BCC by 30% to 40% (P adjusted <0.01). BCC was also associated with genus β DNA, OR = 1.48; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.10 to 2.00 (P adjusted <0.01). Associations were strengthened with each additional positive β HPV DNA type: SCC (OR = 1.07; 95% CI, 1.02–1.12) and BCC (OR = 1.06; 95% CI, 1.03–1.10), Ptrend<0.01. Positivity to genus β or γ in serology, and genus γ in DNA, was not associated with either cancer. There was little evidence that any β HPV type was more strongly associated than others with either cancer. A weaker association of sun exposure with SCC and BCC in the presence of β-3 HPVs than in their absence suggests that β-3 HPVs modify sun exposure's effect.

Conclusions:

Our substantive findings are at the level of genus β HPV. Like SCC, BCC risk may increase with increasing numbers of β HPV types on skin.

Impact:

The consistency in our findings that HPV infection may moderate the effects of sun exposure, the main environmental cause of SCC and BCC, merits further investigation.
Remodeling Chondroitin-6-Sulfate–Mediated Immune Exclusion Enhances Anti–PD-1 Response in Colorectal Cancer with Microsatellite Stability
Authors: Wu Qijing , Huang Qiong , Jiang Yu , Sun Fei , Liang Bishan , Wang Jiao , Hu Xingbin , Sun Mengting , Ma Zhenfeng , Shi Yulu , Liang Yanxiao , Tan Yujing , Zeng Dongqiang , Yao Fangzhen , Xu Xin , Yao Zhiqi , Li Shaowei , Rong Xiaoxiang , Huang Na , Sun Li , Liao Wangjun , Shi Min
Published: December 2021

Metastatic microsatellite-stable (MSS) colorectal cancer rarely responds to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI). Metabolism heterogeneity in the tumor microenvironment (TME) presents obstacles to antitumor immune response. Combining transcriptome (The Cancer Genome Atlas MSS colorectal cancer, n = 383) and digital pathology (n = 96) analysis, we demonstrated a stroma metabolism–immune excluded subtype with poor prognosis in MSS colorectal cancer, which could be attributed to interaction between chondroitin-6-sulfate (C-6-S) metabolites and M2 macrophages, forming the “exclusion barrier” in the invasive margin. Furthermore, C-6-S derived from cancer-associated fibroblasts promoted co–nuclear translocation of pSTAT3 and GLI1, activating the JAK/STAT3 and Hedgehog pathways. In vivo experiments with C-6-S–targeted strategies decreased M2 macrophages and reprogrammed the immunosuppressive TME, leading to enhanced response to anti–PD-1 in MSS colorectal cancer. Therefore, C-6-S–induced immune exclusion represents an “immunometabolic checkpoint” that can be exploited for the application of combination strategies in MSS colorectal cancer ICI treatment.
Electromotive Drug Administration of Mitomycin C (EMDA/MMC) versus Intravesical Immunotherapy with Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) in Intermediate and High Risk Non Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer
Authors: Zazzara Michele , Nazaraj Arjan , Scarcia Marcello , Cardo Giuseppe , Carando Roberto , Ludovico Giuseppe Mario
Published: December 2021

Background: Although TURB of tumor (TURBT) by itself can eradicate a non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) completely, these tumors commonly recur and can progress to MIBC. It is, therefore, necessary to consider adjuvant therapy in most patients. The primary objective of the present study was to report our experience with EMDA/MMC and BCG, considering efficacy, progression, and recurrence, as adjuvant therapy in NMIBC patients; the secondary objective was to assess the efficacy of EMDA/MMC versus BCG as a comparative treatment. Methods: Between April 2016 and February 2020, a series of 216 patients, with a diagnosis of intermediate- and high-risk NMIBC after TURBT, underwent adjuvant intravesical therapy. In 26 cases with a failure of the treatment, in patients unfit and unwilling for radical cystectomy, a repeated intravesical therapy was performed (2 had a twice repetition). Out of 244 adjuvant therapies, 140 EMDA/MMC and 104 BCG treatments were done. The following data were collected for each patient: baseline demographics and clinical data and perioperative and postoperative data. Overall patients’ adjuvant intravesical therapies were included in a prospectively maintained institutional database, and a retrospective chart review was performed. We collected data on 2 main outcomes, recurrence-free survival (defined as a negative cystoscopy, cytology, and/or histology at the evaluation time point) and progression-free survival (defined as a negative cystoscopy or a nonprogressive tumor recurrence). Results: The NMIBC progression rate was higher in BCG than EMDA/MMC but not statistically significant (respectively, 4.2% vs. 2.5%; p = 0.703). In the overall population, the risk of NMIBC recurrence was higher after BCG than EMDA/MMC (p = 0.025). In the subgroups of 59 paired patients with similar characteristics, no difference was observed between groups in NMIBC progression and recurrence. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that EMDA/MMC and BCG are safe and reproducible approaches as adjuvant treatment in NMIBC. EMDA/MMC permits to achieve a fine oncological management as adjuvant treatment in NMIBC, which is not less than that obtained with BCG.
Validation and Application of Predictive Models for Inadequate Bowel Preparation in Colonoscopies in a Tertiary Hospital Population
Authors: Afecto Edgar , Ponte Ana , Fernandes Sónia , Gomes Catarina , Correia João Paulo , Carvalho João
Published: December 2021

Background: Bowel preparation is a major quality criterion for colonoscopies. Models developed to identify patients with inadequate preparation have not been validated in external cohorts. We aim to validate these models and determine their applicability. Methods: Colonoscopies between April and November 2019 were retrospectively included. Boston Bowel Preparation Scale ≥2 per segment was considered adequate. Insufficient data, incomplete colonoscopies, and total colectomies were excluded. Two models were tested: model 1 (tricyclic antidepressants, opioids, diabetes, constipation, abdominal surgery, previous inadequate preparation, inpatient status, and American Society of Anesthesiology [ASA] score ≥3); model 2 (co-morbidities, tricyclic antidepressants, constipation, and abdominal surgery). Results: We included 514 patients (63% males; age 61.7 ± 15.6 years), 441 with adequate preparation. The main indications were inflammatory bowel disease (26.1%) and endoscopic treatment (24.9%). Previous surgery (36.2%) and ASA score ≥3 (23.7%) were the most common comorbidities. An ASA score ≥3 was the only identified predictor for inadequate preparation in this study (p < 0.001, OR 3.28). The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of model 1 were 60.3, 64.2, 21.8, and 90.7%, respectively. Model 2 had a sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV of 57.5, 67.4, 22.6, and 90.5%, respectively. The AUC for the ROC curves was 0.62 for model 1, 0.62 for model 2, and 0.65 for the ASA score. Conclusions: Although both models accurately predict adequate bowel preparation, they are still unreliable in predicting inadequate preparation and, as such, new models, or further optimization of current ones, are needed. Utilizing the ASA score might be an appropriate approximation of the risk for inadequate bowel preparation in tertiary hospital populations.
Intrauterine Growth Restriction Disrupts the Postnatal Critical Period of Synaptic Plasticity in the Mouse Dorsal Hippocampus in a Model of Hypertensive Disease of Pregnancy
Authors: St. Pierre Mark , Rastogi Neetika , Brown Ashley , Parmar Pritika , Lechner Charles , Fung Camille , Chavez-Valdez Raul
Published: December 2021

Introduction: Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) from hypertensive disease of pregnancy complicates up to 10% of all pregnancies. Significant hippocampal-dependent cognitive and memory impairments as well as neuropsychiatric disorders have been linked to IUGR. Because disturbance of the hippocampal critical period (CPd) of synaptic plasticity leads to impairments similar to those described in IUGR human offspring, we hypothesized that IUGR would perturb the CPd of synaptic plasticity in the mouse hippocampus in our model. Methods: IUGR was produced by a micro-osmotic pump infusion of the potent vasoconstrictor U-46619, a thromboxane A2-agonist, at embryonic day 12.5 in C57BL/6J mouse dams to precipitate hypertensive disease of pregnancy and IUGR. Sham-operated mice acted as controls. At P10, P18, and P40, we assessed astrogliosis using GFAP-IHC. In dorsal CA1 and CA3 subfields, we assessed the immunoreactivities (IR) (IF-IHC) to (i) parvalbumin (PV) and glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) 65/67, involved in CPd onset; (ii) PSA-NCAM that antagonizes CPd onset; (iii) NPTX2, necessary for excitatory synapse formation and engagement of CPd; and (iv) MBP and WFA, staining perineural nets (PNNs), marking CPd closure. ImageJ/Fiji and IMARIS were used for image processing and SPSS v24 for statistical analysis. Results: Although PV+ interneuron numbers and IR intensity were unchanged, development of GAD65/67+ synaptic boutons was accelerated at P18 IUGR mice and inversely correlated with decreased expression of PSA-NCAM in the CA of P18 IUGR mice at P18. NPTX2+ puncta and total volume were persistently decreased in the CA3 pyramidal and radiatum layers of IUGR mice from P18 to P40. At P40, axonal myelination (MBP+) in CA3 of IUGR mice was decreased and correlated with NPTX2 deficits. Lastly, the volume and integrity of the PNNs in the dorsal CA was disrupted in IUGR mice at P40. Discussion/Conclusion: IUGR disrupts the molecular and structural initiation, consolidation, and closure of the CPd of synaptic plasticity in the mouse hippocampus in our model, which may explain the learning and memory deficits observed in juvenile IUGR mice and the cognitive disorders seen in human IUGR offspring. The mechanistic links warrant further investigation, to identify therapeutic targets to prevent neurodevelopmental deficits in patients affected by IUGR.
Cardiac Remodeling and Disease Progression in Patients With Repaired Coarctation of Aorta and Aortic Stenosis
Authors: Egbe Alexander C. , Oh Jae K. , Pellikka Patricia A.
Published: December 2021

Background:

Valvulo-arterial impedance (Zva) is used for assessment of left ventricular (LV) global pressure load in patients with aortic stenosis (AS) and impaired arterial compliance. Because patients with repaired coarctation of aorta (COA) have impaired arterial compliance, we hypothesized that COA patients with greater than or equal to moderate AS (AS-COA group) will have higher Zva, symptomatic progression, and cardiovascular events, as compared to non-COA patients with similar AS severity (AS group).

Methods:

Propensity matching (1:1) of 71 AS-COA and 71 AS patients based on age, sex, body mass index, and aortic valve mean gradient (cohort 1). Of 172 patients, 117 patients (AS-COA [n=62]; AS [n=55]) underwent aortic valve replacement, cohort 2. Cohort 1 was used to assess the relationship between preoperative Zva, cardiac remodeling, and symptomatic progression, while cohort 2 was used to assess the relationship between postoperative Zva, LV mass index regression (reduction in LV mass index after aortic valve replacement), and cardiovascular events.

Results:

The AS-COA group had higher Zva (4.2±0.6 versus 3.5±0.4 mm Hg/mL·m
2
,
P
<0.001), more advanced cardiac remodeling, and higher 5-year incidence of symptomatic progression (85% versus 51%,
P
<0.001). Preoperative Zva was independently associated with cardiac remodeling (r=0.66,
P
<0.001) and symptomatic progression (hazard ratio, 1.06 [1.02–1.10], per mm Hg/mL·m
2
increase in Zva).

The AS-COA group had higher postoperative Zva (3.3±0.5 versus 2.4±0.4 mm Hg/mL·m
2
,
P
<0.001), less robust LV mass index regression at 1-year post–aortic valve replacement, and higher 5-year incidence of cardiovascular events. Postoperative Zva was independently associated with LV mass index regression (r=−0.46,
P
<0.001) and cardiovascular events (hazard ratio, 1.06 [1.02–1.10], per mm Hg/mL·m
2
increase in Zva).

Conclusions:

Adults with AS-COA had higher LV global pressure load, cardiac remodeling, symptomatic progression, and cardiovascular events as compared to non-COA patients with similar severity of AS. Zva can identify patients at risk for adverse outcomes, and perhaps should be used for risk stratification with regards to timing of aortic valve replacement.