bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Work incapacity among family caregivers: a record linkage study
Authors: Mikkola Tuija M , Mänty Minna , Kautiainen Hannu , von Bonsdorff Mikaela B , Haanpää Maija , Koponen Hannu , Kröger Teppo , Eriksson Johan G
Published: February 2022

Background

Family caregiving-related physical and mental health problems may lead to work incapacity in employed caregivers. The aim of this study was to quantify sickness absences and disability pensions (SADP) among high-intensity family caregivers available to the labour market compared with a control population.

Methods

The study sample included all individuals in Finland, who had received caregiver’s allowance and were available to the labour market in 2012 (n=16 982) and their controls (n=35 371). Information on the number of sickness absence (spells >10 days) and disability pension (SADP) days and related diagnoses according to ICD-10 were obtained from national registers for the years 2012–2017. The analyses were adjusted for age, sex, occupational status, education, income and degree of urbanisation.

Results

During the follow-up, 40.9% of caregivers and 39.5% of controls had at least one sickness absence spell and 6.1% and 4.7%, respectively, received disability pension. The mean annual number of SADP days was 23.2 (95% CI 22.3 to 24.1) for caregivers and 18.5 (95% CI 18.0 to 19.0) for controls (adjusted incidence rate ratio (IRR)=1.16, 95% CI 1.10 to 1.22). The number of annual SADP days due to mental disorders was higher in caregivers (7.2, 95% CI 6.7 to 7.8) than controls (4.0, 95% CI 3.8 to 4.3; adjusted IRR 1.58, 95% CI 1.42 to 1.75). There were no differences in SADP days due to cancer, neurological, cardiovascular, respiratory, or musculoskeletal diseases, or external causes.

Discussion

Higher number of SADP days due to mental disorders in caregivers suggests that family caregiving has an adverse effect on work capacity and that caregivers are at increased risk for mental disorders.
High-affinity CD16 integration into a CRISPR/Cas9-edited CD38 locus augments CD38-directed antitumor activity of primary human natural killer cells
Authors: Clara Joseph Andrew , Levy Emily R , Reger Robert , Barisic Stefan , Chen Long , Cherkasova Elena , Chakraborty Mala , Allan David S J , Childs Richard
Published: February 2022

Background

Adoptive transfer of natural killer (NK) cells with augmented antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) capabilities and resistance to CD38 targeting has the potential to enhance the clinical anti-myeloma activity of daratumumab (DARA). Therefore, we sought to develop an efficient CRISPR/Cas9-based gene editing platform to disrupt CD38 expression (CD38 knockout (KO)) in ex vivo expanded NK cells and simultaneously arm CD38KONK cells with a high-affinity CD16 (CD16-158V) receptor.

Methods

CD38KOhuman NK cells were generated using Cas9 ribonucleoprotein complexes. The platform was expanded by incorporating messenger RNA (mRNA) transfection of CD38KONK cells and targeted gene insertion at theCD38locus to mediate gene knockin (KI). The capacity of these gene-edited NK cells to persist and mediate ADCC in the presence of DARA was tested in vitro and in a MM.1S xenograft mouse model.

Results

Highly efficient CD38 gene disruption was achieved in ex vivo expanded NK cells without affecting their proliferative or functional capacity. CD38 KO conferred resistance to DARA-induced NK cell fratricide, enabling persistence and augmented ADCC against myeloma cell lines in the presence of DARA in vitro and in a MM.1S xenograft mouse model. CD38KONK cells could be further modified by transfection with mRNA encoding a CD16-158V receptor, resulting in augmented DARA-mediated ADCC. Finally, we observed that a homology-directed repair template targeted to theCD38locus facilitated an efficient 2-in-1 CD38 KO coupled with KI of a truncated CD34 reporter and CD16-158V receptor, with CD38KO/CD16KINK cells demonstrating a further enhancement of DARA-mediated ADCC both in vitro and in vivo.

Conclusions

Adoptive immunotherapy using ex vivo expanded CD38KO/CD16KINK cells has the potential to boost the clinical efficacy of DARA. By incorporating complementary genetic engineering strategies into a CD38 KO manufacturing platform, we generated NK cells with substantially augmented CD38-directed antitumor activity, establishing a strong rationale for exploring this immunotherapy strategy in the clinic.
How to perform intra-aneurysmal coil embolization after Pipeline deployment: a study from a hemodynamic viewpoint
Authors: Zhang Mingqi , Tian Zhongbin , Zhang Yisen , Zhang Ying , Wang Kun , Leng Xiaochang , Yang Xinjian , Xiang Jianping , Liu Jian
Published: February 2022

Background

Pipeline embolization device (PED) deployment combined with coil therapy for large complex intracranial aneurysms is effective and considered superior to PED deployment alone. However, the optimal strategy for use of coils remains unclear. We used patient-specific aneurysm models and finite element analysis to determine the ideal packing density of coils after PED placement.

Methods

Finite element analysis was used to provide a higher-fidelity model for accurate post-treatment computational fluid dynamics analysis to simulate the real therapeutic process of PED and all coils. We then calculated and analyzed the reduction ratio of velocity to identify the hemodynamic change during PED deployment and each coil embolization.

Results

Sixteen consecutive patients underwent PED plus coil procedures to treat internal carotid artery intracranial aneurysms. After PED deployment, the intra-aneurysmal flow velocity significantly decreased (15.3 vs 10.0 cm/s; p<0.001). When the first coil was inserted, the flow velocity in the aneurysm further decreased and the reduction was significant (10.0 vs 5.3 cm/s; p<0.001). Analysis of covariance showed that the effect of the reduction ratio of velocity of the second coil was significantly lower than that of the first coil (p<0.001)—that is, when the packing density increased to 7.06%, the addition of coils produced no further hemodynamic effect.

Conclusion

Adjunct coiling could improve the post-PED hemodynamic environment in treated intracranial aneurysms. However, dense packing is not necessary because the intra-aneurysmal hemodynamics tend to stabilize as the packing density reaches an average of 7.06% or after insertion of the second coil.
Systematic review of the use of CRP in clinical trials for psoriatic arthritis: a concern for clinical practice?
Authors: Houttekiet Charlotte , de Vlam Kurt , Neerinckx Barbara , Lories Rik
Published: February 2022

Background

C reactive protein (CRP) levels are suggested as serum biomarkers in the diagnosis and prognosis of psoriatic arthritis (PsA). However, increased CRP levels are found in less than 50% of PsA patients even in the presence of active disease.

Objectives

To evaluate the role of CRP levels in interventional clinical trials in PsA patients to better understand the trial generalisability, relationship with disease activity and predictive value for treatment response and decision making.

Methods

A systematic review was conducted via PubMed, Cochrane and Embase. We focused on phase III trials in PsA.

Results

Eight of 22 studies applied minimum baseline CRP levels for inclusion. Baseline CRP levels were wide-ranging (0.1–238 mg/L) and lower in studies without CRP in the enrolment criteria. All 22 studies used the American College of Rheumatology (ACR20) response and other endpoints that integrated CRP levels. One of seven studies that evaluated individual ACR-score components revealed a decrease in CRP levels along with improvement of other endpoints. Subanalyses show conflicting evidence on CRP levels as predictor of disease course.

Conclusion

CRP levels were inconsistently used as inclusion criterion in clinical trials, often limiting generalisability of the data. The use of composite scores such as ACR20 or Disease Activity Score-28-CRP is also limited since baseline levels of CRP affects their sensitivity to change. High CRP levels may be an individual predictor for disease progression and response to treatment, but the current conflicting findings and selective patient trial inclusions, do not allow CRP to play a very prominent role in treatment decision making.
Effectiveness of e-cigarettes as aids for smoking cessation: evidence from the PATH Study cohort, 2017–2019
Authors: Chen Ruifeng , Pierce John P , Leas Eric C , Benmarhnia Tarik , Strong David R , White Martha M , Stone Matthew , Trinidad Dennis R , McMenamin Sara B , Messer Karen
Published: February 2022

Objective

To assess the effectiveness of e-cigarettes in smoking cessation in the USA from 2017 to 2019, given the 2017 increase in high nicotine e-cigarette sales.

Methods

In 2017, the PATH Cohort Study included data on 3578 previous year smokers with a recent quit attempt and 1323 recent former smokers. Respondents reported e-cigarettes or other products used to quit cigarettes and many covariates associated with e-cigarette use. Study outcomes were 12+ months of cigarette abstinence and tobacco abstinence in 2019. We report weighted unadjusted estimates and use propensity score matched analyses with 1500 bootstrap samples to estimate adjusted risk differences (aRD).

Results

In 2017, 12.6% (95% CI 11.3% to 13.9%) of recent quit attempters used e-cigarettes to help with their quit attempt, a decline from previous years. Cigarette abstinence for e-cigarette users (9.9%, 95% CI 6.6% to 13.2%) was lower than for no product use (18.6%, 95% CI 16.0% to 21.2%), and the aRD for e-cigarettes versus pharmaceutical aids was −7.3% (95% CI −14.4 to –0.4) and for e-cigarettes versus any other method was −7.7% (95% CI −12.2 to –3.2). Only 2.2% (95% CI 0.0% to 4.4%) of recent former smokers switched to a high nicotine e-cigarette. Subjects who switched to e-cigarettes appeared to have a higher relapse rate than those who did not switch to e-cigarettes or other tobacco, although the difference was not statistically significant.

Conclusions

Sales increases in high nicotine e-cigarettes in 2017 did not translate to more smokers using these e-cigarettes to quit smoking. On average, using e-cigarettes for cessation in 2017 did not improve successful quitting or prevent relapse.
Validation of the Japan Coma Scale for the prediction of mortality in children: analysis of a nationwide trauma database
Authors: Enomoto Yuki , Tsutsumi Yusuke , Tsuchiya Asuka , Kido Takahiro , Ishigami Koji , Togo Masahito , Yasuda Susumu , Inoue Yoshiaki
Published: February 2022

Objective

The Japan Coma Scale (JCS) is widely used in clinical practice to evaluate levels of consciousness in Japan. There have been several studies on the usefulness of JCS in adults. However, its usefulness in evaluating children has not been reported. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the usefulness of the JCS for the prediction of mortality in children.

Methods

This is a multicenter cohort study which used data from a national trauma registry (Japan Trauma Data Bank). This study included patients under 16 years of age who were treated between 2004 and 2015.

The primary outcome measure was in-hospital mortality. Two models were used to examine each item of the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) and the JCS. Model A included the discrete levels of each index. In model B, data regarding age, sex, vital signs on arrival to hospital, the Injury Severity Score, and blunt trauma were added to each index. The effectivity of the JCS score was then evaluated using the area under the curve (AUC) for discrimination, a calibration plot, and the Hosmer-Lemeshow test for calibration.

Results

A total of 9045 patients were identified. The AUCs of the GCS and JCS were 0.929 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.904 to 0.954) and 0.930 (95% CI 0.906 to 0.954) in model A and 0.975 (95% CI 0.963 to 0.987) and 0.974 (95% CI 0.963 to 0.985) in model B, respectively. The results of the Hosmer-Lemeshow test were 0.00 (p=1.00) and 0.00 (p=1.00) in model A and 4.14 (p=0.84) and 8.55 (p=0.38) in model B for the GCS and JCS, respectively.

Conclusions

We demonstrated that the JCS is as valid as the GCS for predicting mortality. The findings of this study indicate that the JCS is a useful and relevant tool for pediatric trauma care and future research.
In situ erosion measurement tools for electric propulsion thrusters: triangular laser head and telemicroscope
Authors: Bundesmann Carsten , Eichhorn Christoph , Neumann Horst , Scholze Frank , Spemann Daniel , Tartz Michael , Leiter Hans J. , Gnizdor Roman Y. , Scortecci Fabrizio
Published: February 2022

The lifetime of electric propulsion (EP) thrusters depends particularly on the erosion characteristics of operation relevant components, for instance, the grid hole erosion of gridded ion thrusters or the channel wall erosion of Hall effect thrusters. Here two tools for in situ erosion measurements are presented, a triangular laser head for surface profiling and a telemicroscope for high-resolution optical imaging. Both can give access to radial and axial erosion parameters. The measurements can be done in situ without the need for breaking the vacuum and dismounting the thruster, which reduces thruster testing time considerably. In situ measurements can also help to ensure reproducibility of thruster performance conditions and can improve statistics of thruster characterization. The present work describes the fundamentals of both techniques in detail, selected experimental setups are presented, their performance is characterized and critically evaluated. The capabilities and limitations related to erosion measurements of EP thrusters are, exemplary, demonstrated for a gridded ion thruster RIT-22 and a Hall effect thruster SPT-100D.
Nonlinear Mechanics of a Smart Biotensegrity Human Foot Prosthesis
Authors: Brandão Alex , Savi Marcelo A.
Published: February 2022

This work deals with the nonlinear mechanics of smart bioinspired tensegrity structures. A minimal regular tensegrity prism actuated by shape memory alloy (SMA) elements is investigated to represent a human foot. A formulation considering the force density matrix approach is used to model the equilibrium equations of the tensegrity structure based on node mapping. Lagrange multipliers are employed to represent constraints. The SMA thermomechanical behavior is described by considering a modified polynomial constitutive model. Numerical simulations are developed from an optimization procedure employing the Levenberg–Marquardt method. An investigation of the tensegrity capability to model a human foot is carried out analyzing either mechanical or physiological aspects of the tensegrity prosthesis. The mechanical performance is compared with high performance prostheses available on the market, showing that it is an interesting alternative with respect to mechanical resistance. Regarding physiology, foot movements are properly mimicked from SMA actuation.
Interaction of thin-skinned detached faults and basement-involved strike-slip faults on a transform margin: the Moattama Basin, Myanmar
Authors: Morley Christopher K. , Chantraprasert Sarawute , Chenoll Kwanjai , Sootlek Prated , Jitmahantakul Sukonmeth
Published: February 2022

The Sagaing Fault (SF), one of the world's most active strike-slip faults, defines a plate boundary on the eastern West Burma Block margin, from the Andaman Spreading centre, northwards for >1600 km to the eastern Himalayas. In the Northern Andaman Sea the SF traverses the Late Miocene–Recent Moattama Basin. There, 2D and 3D seismic reflection data show highly unusual fault patterns, that overall resemble a giant (area >33 000 km
2
) horsetail structure. A horsetail pattern typically implies loss of displacement at a fault tip, which is potentially incompatible with the SF forming a transform margin. In the thinner, northern part of the Late Miocene–Recent basin three branches of the SF can be identified. These become lost in the thickest (>7 km), central part of the basin, and two branches emerge to the south where the basin thins. The fault patterns are interpreted to represent a previously unknown interaction of thin- and thick-skinned styles, where relatively shallow detached structures and sediment loading have interacted with basement-involved strike-slip faults that form a releasing bend geometry at the basement level. The Moattama Basin demonstrates how very thick sedimentary basins can produce fault patterns that differ from classic structural models.
A Lower Bound on Cycle-Finding in Sparse Digraphs
Authors: Chen Xi , Randolph Tim , Servedio Rocco A. , Sun Timothy
Published: February 2022

We consider the problem of finding a cycle in a sparse directed graph
G
that is promised to be far from acyclic, meaning that the smallest
feedback arc set
, i.e., a subset of edges whose deletion results in an acyclic graph, in
G
is large. We prove an information-theoretic lower bound, showing that for
N
-vertex graphs with constant outdegree, any algorithm for this problem must make Ω̄(N
5/9
) queries to an adjacency list representation of
G
. In the language of property testing, our result is an Ω̄(N
5/9)
lower bound on the query complexity of one-sided algorithms for testing whether sparse digraphs with constant outdegree are far from acyclic. This is the first improvement on the Ω (√
N
) lower bound, implicit in the work of Bender and Ron, which follows from a simple birthday paradox argument.
Study of Kinesthetic Negotiation Ability in Lightweight Comanipulative Decision-making Tasks: Design and Study of a Virtual Partner based on Human-human Interaction Observation
Authors: Roche Lucas , Saint-Bauzel Ludovic
Published: February 2022

This article presents the results of an experiment on physical Human-Human Interaction (pHHI), where human dyads cooperate on a one-dimensional comanipulative task in a novel lightweight teleoperation setup. The results of this experiment show that humans are able to handle asymmetrical information about the task and solve conflicts using only the kinesthetic channel. Data from the pHHI experiment is used to design a virtual partner that can perform the task alongside a human. The virtual partner behavior is based on the observation that initiative is highly correlated to decision-making in our pHHI negotiation scenario. The virtual agent is then evaluated in a physical Human-Robot Interaction (pHRI) experiment. The results of the second experiment show that the virtual partner is able to perform the task without compromising the performances of the dyad and that a similar role distribution is observed in human-human and human-robot dyads. Moreover, the knowledge of the partner’s nature does not seem to influence the performances. The results obtained with the virtual partner are encouraging and could be used to design kinesthetic negotiation algorithms in pHRI settings.

The main contributions of this article are: (1) supporting evidence of the possibility for humans to use the kinesthetic channel as mean of negotiation during physical Human-Human Interaction in the lightest known impedance negotiation tasks (with no virtual mass involved), (2) highlighting of the correlation between initiative and dyadic decision making, (3) design of a simple yet efficient virtual partner algorithm capable of realistic physical Human-Robot Interaction in the one-dimension tracking task used in the experimental setup. This design combines minimum jerk trajectory, switching role ability, decision criteria, and statistical parameters that are detailed in this article.
Non-Dyadic Interaction: A Literature Review of 15 Years of Human-Robot Interaction Conference Publications
Authors: Schneiders Eike , Cheon EunJeong , Kjeldskov Jesper , Rehm Matthias , Skov Mikael B.
Published: February 2022

Going beyond dyadic (one-to-one) interaction has been increasingly explored in HRI. Yet we lack a comprehensive view on non-dyadic interaction research in HRI. To map out 15 years of works investigating non-dyadic interaction, and thereby identifying the trend of the field and future research areas, we performed a literature review containing all 164 publications (2006-2020) from the HRI conference investigating non-dyadic interaction. Our approach is inspired by the 4C framework, an interaction framework focusing on understanding and categorising different types of interaction between humans and digital artefacts. The 4C framework consists of eight interaction principles for multi-user/multi-artefact interaction categorised into four broader themes. We modified the 4C framework to increase applicability and relevance in the context of non-dyadic human-robot interaction. We identify an increasing tendency towards non-dyadic research (36% in 2020), as well as a focus on simultaneous studies (85% from 2006-2020) over sequential. We also articulate seven interaction principles utilised in non-dyadic HRI and provide specific examples. Last, based on our findings, we discuss several salient points of non-dyadic HRI, the applicability of the modified 4C framework to HRI and potential future topics of interest as well as open-questions for non-dyadic research.
Probabilistic Risk-Aware Scheduling with Deadline Constraint for Heterogeneous SoCs
Authors: Chen Xing , Ogras Umit , Chakrabarti Chaitali
Published: February 2022

Hardware Trojans can compromise
System-on-Chip (SoC)
performance. Protection schemes implemented to combat these threats cannot guarantee 100% detection rate and may also introduce performance overhead. This paper defines the risk of running a job on an SoC as a function of the misdetection rate of the hardware Trojan detection methods implemented on the cores in the SoC. Given the user-defined deadlines of each job, our goal is to minimize the job-level risk as well as the deadline violation rate for both static and dynamic scheduling scenarios. We assume that there is no relationship between the execution time and risk of a task executed on a core. Our risk-aware scheduling algorithm first calculates the probability of possible task allocations and then uses it to derive the task-level deadlines. Each task is then allocated to the core with minimum risk that satisfies the task-level deadline. In addition, in dynamic scheduling, where multiple jobs are injected randomly, we propose to explicitly operate with a reduced virtual deadline to avoid possible future deadline violations. Simulations on randomly generated graphs show that our static scheduler has no deadline violations and achieves 5.1%–17.2% lower job-level risk than the popular
Earliest Time First (ETF)
algorithm when the deadline constraint is 1.2×–3.0× the makespan of ETF. In the dynamic case, the proposed algorithm achieves a violation rate comparable to that of
Earliest Deadline First (EDF)
, an algorithm optimized for dynamic scenarios. Even when the injection rate is high, it outperforms EDF with 8.4%–10% lower risk when the deadline is 1.5×–3.0× the makespan of ETF.
Adversarial Deep Learning for Online Resource Allocation
Authors: Du Bingqian , Huang Zhiyi , Wu Chuan
Published: February 2022

Online algorithms are an important branch in algorithm design. Designing online algorithms with a bounded competitive ratio (in terms of worst-case performance) can be hard and usually relies on problem-specific assumptions. Inspired by adversarial training from Generative Adversarial Net and the fact that the competitive ratio of an online algorithm is based on worst-case input, we adopt deep neural networks (NNs) to learn an online algorithm for a resource allocation and pricing problem from scratch, with the goal that the performance gap between offline optimum and the learned online algorithm can be minimized for worst-case input.

Specifically, we leverage two NNs as the algorithm and the adversary, respectively, and let them play a zero sum game, with the adversary being responsible for generating worst-case input while the algorithm learns the best strategy based on the input provided by the adversary. To ensure better convergence of the algorithm network (to the desired online algorithm), we propose a novel per-round update method to handle sequential decision making to break complex dependency among different rounds so that update can be done for every possible action instead of only sampled actions. To the best of our knowledge, our work is the first using deep NNs to design an online algorithm from the perspective of worst-case performance guarantee. Empirical studies show that our updating methods ensure convergence to Nash equilibrium and the learned algorithm outperforms state-of-the-art online algorithms under various settings.
Robot Communication Via Motion: A Study on Modalities for Robot-to-Human Communication in the Field
Authors: Fulton Michael , Edge Chelsey , Sattar Junaed
Published: February 2022

In this article, we propose, implement, and evaluate a motion-based communication system for field robots: robots that operate in dynamic, unstructured, outdoor environments. We perform two pilot studies to guide our development of the system, then evaluate it alongside an audio communication system, an LCD display, and a system of blinking LEDs. We compare the usage of these four systems with three different robots from up to five different viewpoints of interaction in a large study administered via Amazon Mechanical Turk. We contribute in two ways to the development of a more robust form of field human-robot interaction, wherein robots can select the most appropriate communication vector for a given situation and context. First, we contribute a motion-based communication system for field robots along with three baseline systems against which to test it. Second, we present results from our development of this motion system, showing that it is easier to learn than a baseline blinking LED system, viable for use underwater, aerial, and terrestrial field robots, and less negatively affected by adverse viewpoints than other communication methods.
How Do Successful and Failed Projects Differ? A Socio-Technical Analysis
Authors: Joblin Mitchell , Apel Sven
Published: February 2022

Software development is at the intersection of the
social realm
, involving people who develop the software, and the
technical realm
, involving artifacts (code, docs, etc.) that are being produced. It has been shown that a
socio-technical perspective
provides rich information about the state of a software project.

In particular, we are interested in socio-technical factors that are associated with
project success
. For this purpose, we frame the task as a network classification problem. We show how a set of heterogeneous networks composed of social and technical entities can be jointly embedded in a single vector space enabling mathematically sound comparisons between distinct software projects. Our approach is specifically designed using intuitive metrics stemming from network analysis and statistics to ease the interpretation of results in the context of software engineering wisdom. Based on a selection of 32 open source projects, we perform an empirical study to validate our approach considering three prediction scenarios to test the classification model’s ability generalizing to (1) randomly held-out project snapshots, (2) future project states, and (3) entirely new projects.

Our results provide evidence that a socio-technical perspective is superior to a pure social or technical perspective when it comes to early indicators of future project success. To our surprise, the methodology proposed here even shows evidence of being able to generalize to entirely novel (project hold-out set) software projects reaching predication accuracies of 80%, which is a further testament to the efficacy of our approach and beyond what has been possible so far. In addition, we identify key features that are strongly associated with project success. Our results indicate that even relatively simple socio-technical networks capture highly relevant and interpretable information about the early indicators of future project success.
Levels of Automation for a Mobile Robot Teleoperated by a Caregiver
Authors: Olatunji Samuel A. , Potenza Andre , Kiselev Andrey , Oron-Gilad Tal , Loutfi Amy , Edan Yael
Published: February 2022

Caregivers in eldercare can benefit from telepresence robots that allow them to perform a variety of tasks remotely. In order for such robots to be operated effectively and efficiently by non-technical users, it is important to examine if and how the robotic system’s level of automation (LOA) impacts their performance. The objective of this work was to develop suitable LOA modes for a mobile robotic telepresence (MRP) system for eldercare and assess their influence on users’ performance, workload, awareness of the environment, and usability at two different levels of task complexity. For this purpose, two LOA modes were implemented on the MRP platform: assisted teleoperation (low LOA mode) and autonomous navigation (high LOA mode). The system was evaluated in a user study with 20 participants, who, in the role of the caregiver, navigated the robot through a home-like environment to perform control and perception tasks. Results revealed that performance improved in the high LOA when task complexity was low. However, when task complexity increased, lower LOA improved performance. This opposite trend was also observed in the results for workload and situation awareness. We discuss the results in terms of the LOAs’ impact on users’ attitude towards automation and implications on usability.
Exact Distance Oracles for Planar Graphs with Failing Vertices
Authors: Charalampopoulos Panagiotis , Mozes Shay , Tebeka Benjamin
Published: February 2022

We consider exact distance oracles for directed weighted planar graphs in the presence of failing vertices. Given a source vertex
u
, a target vertex
v
and a set
X
of
k
failed vertices, such an oracle returns the length of a shortest
u
-to-
v
path that avoids all vertices in
X
. We propose oracles that can handle any number
k
of failures. We show several tradeoffs between space, query time, and preprocessing time. In particular, for a directed weighted planar graph with
n
vertices and any constant
k
, we show an Õ(
n
)-size, Õ(√
n
)-query-time oracle.

1

We then present a space vs. query time tradeoff: for any
q
ε [ 1,√
n
], we propose an oracle of size
n
k+1+o(1)
/

q
2k

that answers queries in Õ(
q
) time. For single vertex failures (
k
= 1), our
n
2+o(1)
/
q
2
-size, Õ(
q
)-query-time oracle improves over the previously best known tradeoff of Baswana et al. SODA 2012 by polynomial factors for
q
≥

n
t

, for any
t
∈ (0,1/2]. For multiple failures, no planarity exploiting results were previously known.
FPGAs in Client Compute Hardware
Authors: Mattioli Michael
Published: February 2022

FPGAs (field-programmable gate arrays) are remarkably versatile. They are used in a wide variety of applications and industries where use of ASICs (application-specific integrated circuits) is less economically feasible. Despite the area, cost, and power challenges designers face when integrating FPGAs into devices, they provide significant security and performance benefits. Many of these benefits can be realized in client compute hardware such as laptops, tablets, and smartphones.
Morphology-Dependent Delamination Performance of Poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) for Corrosion Protection on Iron
Authors: Bai Xiaoxia , Huang Xunfang , Zhao Zhenhuan , Hu Xiujie , Zhou Shuyun , Liang Yanping , Rohwerder Michael
Published: February 2022

Two different types of poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) composite morphologies in organic coatings were prepared by using either PEDOT nanoparticles or PEDOT/carbon nanotubes (PEDOT/CNTs). The PEDOT additives were prepared by emulsion polymerization. The morphology of the resultant samples was characterized by scanning electron microscopy. The composite coatings were prepared by incorporating PEDOT into a polyvinyl butyral (PVB) matrix and applied on an iron substrate. The delamination behavior of the as-prepared samples for corrosion protection was characterized by the scanning Kelvin probe (SKP) technique. The SKP measurements showed that the composite coatings with PEDOT nanoparticles exhibited the best delamination resistance. This could be possibly due to the fact that, for a polarization of the interface, the solid particles have a higher overall stored charge and a good electronic connection at the interface. The performance of the composite coating with 10 vol% of PEDOT nanoparticles was significantly better than for the coatings with 5 vol% and 20 vol%.
Silicon Materials Science and Technology VIII
Authors: Huff Howard R.
Published: February 2022

The International Symposia on Silicon Materials Science and Technology, sponsored by the Electronics Division, has provided a unique historical record of the progress in our understanding of silicon materials over the last 30 years. A common thread throughout the series has been the characterization, annihilation, and, in some cases, the selective utilization of defects to achieve superior integrated circuit (IC) performance, reliability, and yield.
Construction of a Diagnostic Model for Lymph Node Metastasis of the Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma Using Preoperative Ultrasound Features and Imaging Omics
Authors: Zhang Chao , Cheng Lihua , Zhu Weiwen , Zhuang Jian , Zhao Tong , Li Xiaoqin , Wang Wenfeng
Published: February 2022

In this paper, we mainly adopted 337 patients who had undergone the surgery on lymph node metastasis of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) as the sample population. In order to provide clinical reference for the intelligent decision-making in treatment plan and improvement of prognosis, we utilized ultrasound features and imaging features to construct five early diagnosis models for patients based on the ultrasound features, imaging features, and combined features. The model integrated with broad learning system (BLS) showed the best performance, with the area under the curve (AUC) of 0.857 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.811–0.902)) and the accuracy of 0.805 (95% CI: 0.759–0.850). For demographic and clinical features, the prediction effect was also good, with the AUC more than 0.700.
A “Weird” Mitochondrial Fatty Acid Oxidation as a Metabolic “Secret” of Cancer
Authors: Zhelev Zhivko , Aoki Ichio , Lazarova Dessislava , Vlaykova Tatyana , Higashi Tatsuya , Bakalova Rumiana
Published: February 2022

Cancer metabolism is an extensively studied field since the discovery of the Warburg effect about 100 years ago and continues to be increasingly intriguing and enigmatic so far. It has become clear that glycolysis is not the only abnormally activated metabolic pathway in the cancer cells, but the same is true for the fatty acid synthesis (FAS) and mevalonate pathway. In the last decade, a lot of data have been accumulated on the pronounced mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation (mFAO) in many types of cancer cells. In this article, we discuss how mFAO can escape normal regulation under certain conditions and be overactivated. Such abnormal activation of mitochondrial β-oxidation can also be combined with mutations in certain enzymes of the Krebs cycle that are common in cancer. If overactivated β-oxidation is combined with other common cancer conditions, such as dysfunctions in the electron transport complexes, and/or hypoxia, this may alter the redox state of the mitochondrial matrix. We propose the idea that the altered mitochondrial redox state and/or inhibited Krebs cycle at certain segments may link mitochondrial β-oxidation to the citrate-malate shuttle instead to the Krebs cycle. We call this abnormal metabolic condition “β-oxidation shuttle”. It is unconventional mFAO, a separate metabolic pathway, unexplored so far as a source of energy, as well as a source of cataplerosis, leading to biomass accumulation, accelerated oxygen consumption, and ultimately a source of proliferation. It is inefficient as an energy source and must consume significantly more oxygen per mole of ATP produced when combined with acetyl-CoA consuming pathways, such as the FAS and mevalonate pathway.
Arsenic Trioxide Cooperate Cryptotanshinone Exerts Antitumor Effect by Medicating Macrophage Polarization through Glycolysis
Authors: Jiang Tao , Huang Jian-Bo , Xu Chu-Yu , Lv Yuan-Lin , Lu Jun , Zhao Zheng-Qi , Yang Dan-Qian , Lou Zhao-Huan , Zhang Guang-Ji
Published: February 2022

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is an often-fatal malignant tumor with high lethality. Despite advances and significant efficacy in monotherapy, cancer therapy continues to pose several challenges. Novel combination regimens are an emerging strategy for anti-HCC and have demonstrated to be effective. Here, we propose a potential combination for HCC treatment named arsenic trioxide cooperate cryptotanshinone (ACCS). A remarkable synergistic therapeutic effect has been achieved compared with drugs alone in both in vivo and in vitro experiments. Mechanism study indicated that ACCS exerts its therapeutic actions by regulating macrophage-related immunity and glycolysis. ACCS potentiates the polarization of M1 macrophages and elevates the proportion of M1/M2 to remodel tumor immunity. Further molecular mechanism study revealed that ACCS intensifies the glucose utilization and glycolysis in the macrophage by increasing the phosphorylation of AMPK to activating the AMPK singling pathway. In conclusion, ACCS is a highly potential combination regimen for HCC treatment. The therapeutic potential of ACCS as a candidate option for anticancer drugs in restoring the balance of immunity and metabolism deserves further investigation.
Presynaptic NMDA Receptors Influence Ca2+ Dynamics by Interacting with Voltage-Dependent Calcium Channels during the Induction of Long-Term Depression
Authors: Neubauer Florian B. , Min Rogier , Nevian Thomas
Published: February 2022

Spike-timing-dependent long-term depression (t-LTD) of glutamatergic layer (L)4-L2/3 synapses in developing neocortex requires activation of astrocytes by endocannabinoids (eCBs), which release glutamate onto presynaptic NMDA receptors (preNMDARs). The exact function of preNMDARs in this context is still elusive and strongly debated. To elucidate their function, we show that bath application of the eCB 2-arachidonylglycerol (2-AG) induces a preNMDAR-dependent form of chemically induced LTD (eCB-LTD) in L2/3 pyramidal neurons in the juvenile somatosensory cortex of rats. Presynaptic Ca2+ imaging from L4 spiny stellate axons revealed that action potential (AP) evoked Ca2+ transients show a preNMDAR-dependent broadening during eCB-LTD induction. However, blockade of voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels (VDCCs) did not uncover direct preNMDAR-mediated Ca2+ transients in the axon. This suggests that astrocyte-mediated glutamate release onto preNMDARs does not result in a direct Ca2+ influx, but that it instead leads to an indirect interaction with presynaptic VDCCs, boosting axonal Ca2+ influx. These results reveal one of the main remaining missing pieces in the signaling cascade of t-LTD at developing cortical synapses.
Visual Evaluation of Urban Streetscape Design Supported by Multisource Data and Deep Learning
Authors: Feng Guanqing , Zou Guangtian , Wang Pengjin
Published: February 2022

This paper integrates classical design theory, multisource urban data, and deep learning to explore an accurate analytical framework in a new data environment, providing a scientific analysis path for the “where” and “how” of greenways in a high-density built environment. The analysis is based on street view data and location service data. Through the integration of multiple data sources such as street scape data, location service data, point-of-interest data, structured web data, and refined built environment data, a systematic measurement of the key elements of density, diversity, design, accessibility to destinations, and distance to transport facilities as defined in the Five Elements of High Quality Built Environment (5D) theory is achieved. The assessment of alignment potential was carried out. The key factors influencing the aesthetics of the street were identified. Based on an extensive landscape perception-based survey, it was found that although different respondents had different views and preferences for the same street scape, their preferences were overwhelmingly influenced by the visual quality of the street scape aesthetics itself, with higher aesthetic quality of the landscape.
Studies on Modeling and Physicochemical Properties of Oil Extracted from Moringa stenopetala Seed
Authors: Shumi Lema Deme , Bacha Ebise Getacho
Published: February 2022

Moringa stenopetala, locally known as Shiferraw, is an indigenous vegetable tree native to southern Ethiopia and grown mainly for its food value. This study deals with the investigations of physicochemical characteristics of Moringa stenopetala seeds’ oil extracted using solvent extraction with food-grade hexane as a solvent and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) of the extraction parameters. The seeds were collected from Adama located in Oromia, East Shewa Zone of Ethiopia, and they exhibit the average moisture, ash, fiber, protein, and oil contents of 6.3, 4.2, 2.3, 27.5, and 40.2%, respectively. Temperature, extraction time, and particle size had a significant

p
<
0.05

effect on the oil yield. According to the Experimental Design Response Surface Methodology (RSM) and ANOVA analysis, the optimum process parameters’ combination to find the highest oil yield was particle size of 0.83 mm, the temperature at 78.82°C, and extraction time of 5.13 hours. The model predicted oil yield was 39.7 ± 0.32%. The oil from Moringa stenopetala seed exhibits physiochemical characteristics of refractive index (40°C), 1.4625; viscosity 49.4 Cp; density at 25 °C, 0.9317 g/cm−3; saponification value, 191.4; peroxide value, 11.52 millieq O2/kg; iodine value of 89.21; and Acid Value (AV) 2.21 mg KOH/g. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) analysis shows that the oil contains both ester carbonyl (C=O) functional groups saturated and unsaturated fatty acid. The physicochemical properties of Moringa stenopetala seeds were compared with other edible oil properties such as sesame, groundnut, olive, and sunflower seeds. The result shows that in the future Moringa stenopetala could be used as a substitute for other oil-bearing seeds sources, such as soybean, sunflower, and groundnut.
Design and Analysis of Nanchong Sports Public Service Information Platform Based on Multiobjective Optimization
Authors: Li Dujuan
Published: February 2022

Through the design and analysis of the Nanchong sports public service information platform, we can see that in order to improve the city’s sports public service, we should improve the sports public service according to the factors such as the amount of activities, funds, and promotion. In view of the multiobjective optimization of sports public service in Nanchong City, the century establishment and analysis of the information platform were carried out. Its information platform includes intelligent venues, information platforms, sports safety, and other topics so as to achieve the purpose of healthy sports and relaxed sports, improve Nanchong people’s sports interest and experience as a whole, and enhance satisfaction. In order to alleviate the financial difficulties, relevant departments can carry out public welfare activities to sponsor sports public services in Nanchong City. According to the investigation, 29.4% of the randomly asked citizens have high satisfaction, 32.3% have no experience, and 16.5% are dissatisfied, which shows once again that Nanchong people have low awareness of the sports public service platform. In order to realize the good development of sports public service in this city, we should comprehensively promote the development of sports public service and improve citizens’ awareness, experience, and satisfaction.
Clinical Efficacy and Adverse Reactions of Bevacizumab plus Radiochemotherapy in the Treatment of Advanced Gastric Cancer
Authors: Wei Fang
Published: February 2022

Objective. To evaluate the clinical efficacy and adverse reactions of bevacizumab plus radiochemotherapy in the treatment of advanced gastric cancer. Methods. Eighty-six eligible patients with gastric cancer treated in our institution from August 2019 to August 2020 were recruited and concurrently randomly assigned via the random number table method at a 1 : 1 ratio to receive neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy (control group) or bevacizumab (given on the first day of each course of neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy) plus neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy (study group) for 9 weeks (3 weeks as one course). Outcomes include the clinical efficacy and serum tumor marker levels before and after treatment. Patients in both groups were followed up for 12 months after treatment to obtain progression-free survival (PFS). Assessment of patients’ quality of survival was done by the Karnofsky performance score (KPS). The occurrence of adverse reactions in patients during treatment was monitored to evaluate the safety of the treatment protocol. Results. The research group outperformed the control group significantly in terms of total treatment efficiency (

P

 < 0.05). After treatment, serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and glycoantigen 199 (CA199) levels were markedly reduced in both groups, with lower results observed in the research group (

P

 < 0.05). The research group had a significantly longer median PFS than the control group (95% CI: 1.182–2.367, 1.132–2.469,

P

 < 0.05). A significantly higher improvement in quality of survival was observed in the research group than in the control group (

P

 < 0.05). No significant intergroup differences in adverse reactions were reported, and no new safety signals were identified (

P

 > 0.05). Conclusion. Bevacizumab potentiates the treatment outcomes for advanced gastric cancer by effectively attenuating the abnormalities of serum tumor marker levels and prolonging survival, with a high safety profile, in combination with radiochemotherapy versus radiochemotherapy alone.
[Retracted] Intelligent Transportation Design Based on Iterative Learning
Authors: Ma Yinpu , Liu Kai
Published: February 2022

Most of the existing traffic optimization control methods are based on accurate mathematical models. As an uncertain and complex system, the urban traffic system faces difficulty in accurately calibrating the model parameters. Therefore, the existing methods become very difficult in the actual application process. Based on the massive data contained in the urban traffic system and the repetitive characteristics of traffic flow, this paper proposes a hierarchical traffic signal control method for urban road network based on iterative learning control. The simulation results show that the algorithm can achieve better control effect and can solve the problem of urban traffic congestion more effectively than traditional traffic control methods.
DDX3X mRNA Expression in T Cells Is Associated with the Severity and Mortality of Septic Patients
Authors: Liu Yukun , Zhang Yongsheng , Liu Qinxin , Xie Weiming , Wang Xiang , Yang Fan , Gao Wei , Bai Xiangjun , Li Zhanfei , Wang Yuchang
Published: February 2022

Purpose. DDX3X acts as the critical checkpoint of death in stressed cells. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the mRNA expression level of DDX3X in T cells in peripheral blood of patients with sepsis and to explore its correlation with the prognosis of sepsis. Methods. Seventy-nine patients with traumatic sepsis were enrolled in this prospective cohort study. Blood samples were collected within 24 hours after the diagnosis of sepsis or septic shock, and the mRNA expression level of DDX3X in T cells was detected by PCR. Results. The level of DDX3X mRNA in T cells was significantly increased in septic patients as well as in septic shock patients. The level of DDX3X mRNA was negatively correlated with T cell count and positively correlated with acute physiological and chronic health assessment (APACHE) score and sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score (P<0.01). The area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was 0.79 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.68-0.90). A Cox proportional hazard model identified an association between an increased DDX3X mRNA level (≥1.575) and the risk of 28-day mortality (hazard ratio=9.540, 95% CI, 2.452-37.108). Conclusions. High level of DDX3X mRNA in T cells in sepsis is associated with the severity of sepsis and the mortality of patients with sepsis.