bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Combinatorial immunotherapy induces tumor-infiltrating CD8+T cells with distinct functional, migratory, and stem-like properties
Authors: Van Braeckel-Budimir Natalija , Dolina Joseph Samuel , Wei Jie , Wang Xiao , Chen Shih-Hsun , Santiago Pamela , Tu Guanghuan , Micci Luca , Al-Khami Amir A , Pfister Sophia , Ram Sripad , Sundar Purnima , Thomas Graham , Long Hua , Yang Wenjing , Potluri Shobha , Salek-Ardakani Shahram
Published: December 2021

Background

Programmed death (ligand) 1 (PD-(L)1) blockade and OX40/4-1BB costimulation have been separately evaluated in the clinic to elicit potent antitumor T cell responses. The precise mechanisms underlying single agent activity are incompletely understood. It also remains unclear if combining individual therapies leads to synergism, elicits novel immune mechanisms, or invokes additive effects.

Methods

We performed high-dimensional flow cytometry and single-cell RNA sequencing-based immunoprofiling of murine tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) isolated from hosts bearing B16 or MC38 syngeneic tumors. This baseline infiltrate was compared to TILs after treatment with either anti-PD-(L)1, anti-OX40, or anti-4-1BB as single agents or as double and triple combinatorial therapies. Fingolimod treatment and CXCR3 blockade were used to evaluate the contribution of intratumoral versus peripheral CD8+T cells to therapeutic efficacy.

Results

We identified CD8+T cell subtypes with distinct functional and migratory signatures highly predictive of tumor rejection upon treatment with single agent versus combination therapies. Rather than reinvigorating terminally exhausted CD8+T cells, OX40/4-1BB agonism expanded a stem-like PD-1loKLRG-1+Ki-67+CD8+T cell subpopulation, which PD-(L)1 blockade alone did not. However, PD-(L)1 blockade synergized with OX40/4-1BB costimulation by dramatically enhancing stem-like TIL presence via a CXCR3-dependent mechanism.

Conclusions

Our findings provide new mechanistic insights into the interplay between components of combinatorial immunotherapy, where agonism of select costimulatory pathways seeds a pool of stem-like CD8+T cells more responsive to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB).
Cardiometabolic risk, biological sex, and age do not share an interactive relationship with cognitive function: a cross-sectional analysis of the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging
Authors: Falck Ryan S. , Best John R. , Davis Jennifer C. , Barha Cindy K. , Khan Karim M. , Liu-Ambrose Teresa
Published: December 2021

It is unclear whether cardiometabolic risk shares an interactive relationship with age-associated differences in cognition, and whether this relationship varies by biological sex. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis using baseline data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA; 2010–2015) to examine whether 1) cardiometabolic risk has an interactive relationship with age-associated cognition; and 2) interactive effects are sex-dependent. We measured memory, executive function, and verbal fluency in the Comprehensive cohort (N = 25 830; 45–86 years). Each cognitive domain was modeled using restricted cubic splines for age and each cardiometabolic risk factor (HbA1c, HSCRP, TG, and LDL and HDL cholesterol). Sex was included as a predictor in all models. Wald χ2 statistics were used to determine the relative importance of age, cardiometabolic risk, sex, and their interactive effects on cognition. Age was the most important variable in each model (proportion χ2 = 34%–48%). Biological sex was the second most important variable for memory (proportion χ2 = 26%) but was unimportant for executive function and verbal fluency (proportion χ2 = 3%–5%). Cardiometabolic risk factors were unimportant predictors in each model (proportion χ2 = 1%–3%). Two- and 3-way interactions between cardiometabolic risk, age, and sex were also unimportant (proportion χ2 = 0%–2%). Thus, cardiometabolic risk factors did not meaningfully account for age-associated differences in cognition, and these associations (or lack thereof) did not vary by sex.

Novelty: Males have poorer age-associated cognitive performance than females. Females and males differ in cardiometabolic risk across middle and older adulthood. Cardiometabolic risk has a small association with age-associated cognition, and there are no sex differences in this relationship.
Response of vegetation and soil biological properties to soil deformation in logging trails of drained boreal peatland forests
Authors: Lepilin D. , Laurén A. , Uusitalo J. , Fritze H. , Laiho R. , Kimura B. , Tuittila E.-S.
Published: December 2021

In the boreal region, peatland forests are a significant resource of timber. Under pressure from a growing bioeconomy and climate change, timber harvesting is increasingly occurring over unfrozen soils. This is likely to cause disturbance in the soil biogeochemistry. We studied the impact of machinery-induced soil disturbance on the vegetation, microbes, and soil biogeochemistry of drained boreal peatland forests caused by machinery traffic during thinning operations. To assess potential recovery, we sampled six sites that ranged in time since thinning from a few months to 15 years. Soil disturbance directly decreased moss biomass and led to an increase in sedge cover and a decrease in root production. Moreover, soil CO2 production potential, and soil CO2 and CH4 concentrations were greater in recently disturbed areas than in the control areas. In contrast, CO2 and CH4 emissions, microbial biomass and structure, and the decomposition rate of cellulose appeared to be uncoupled and did not show signs of impact. While the impacted properties varied in their rate of recovery, they all fully recovered within 15 years covered by our chronosequence study. Conclusively, drained boreal peatlands appeared to have high biological resilience to soil disturbance caused by forest machinery during thinning operations.
Long-term effects of tillage and nitrogen fertilization on soil C and N fractions in a corn–soybean rotation
Authors: St. Luce Mervin , Ziadi Noura , Chantigny Martin H. , Braun Justin
Published: December 2021

Tillage and nitrogen (N) fertilization can influence soil organic matter (SOM) dynamics, but their interactive effects remain contradictory. A long-term (25 yr) corn (Zea mays L.)-soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.) rotation was used to investigate the effect of tillage [moldboard plow (MP) and no-till (NT)] and N rates (0, 80, and 160 kg N·ha−1) on soil organic carbon (SOC), total N (STN), respiration, and SOM fractions [particulate organic matter (POMC, POMN), mineral-associated organic matter (MAOMC, MAOMN), and microbial biomass (MBC, MBN)]. Results indicate that NT had 27% higher SOC and 24% higher STN than MP in the 0–20 cm depth. Furthermore, SOC and STN stocks (0–20 cm) were 22% and 20% higher, respectively, under NT than MP. There was significant stratification under NT, with a rather uniform distribution under MP. The SOM fractions and soil respiration were 28%–275% and 20%–83% higher at the 0–5 and 5–10 cm depths, respectively, under NT than MP. Interestingly, N fertilizer rate or its interaction with tillage had no impact, except for respiration (tillage × N rate and N rate × depth). Hence, while N addition was required for adequate grain production and increased cumulative plant C and N inputs, our findings indicate that the vertical distribution of SOC, STN, and SOM fractions was affected by tillage, thereby influencing resource accessibility and subsequent dynamics of SOM fractions. Taken together, our results support the adoption of NT and judicious use of N fertilizers for enhancing topsoil SOM storage and fertility under humid temperate conditions.
Direct comparison of PEN and TPB wavelength shifters in a liquid argon detector
Authors: Boulay M. G. , Camillo V. , Canci N. , Choudhary S. , Consiglio L. , Flammini A. , Galbiati C. , Ghiano C. , Gola A. , Horikawa S. , Kachru P. , Kochanek I. , Kondo K. , Korga G. , Kuźniak M. , Kuźwa M. , Leonhardt A. , Łęcki T. , Mazzi A. , Moharana A. , Nieradka G. , Paternoster G. , Pollmann T. R. , Razeto A. , Sablone D. , Sworobowicz T. , Szelc A. M. , Türkoğlu C. , Wang H.
Published: December 2021

A large number of particle detectors employ liquid argon as their target material owing to its high scintillation yield and its ability to drift ionization charge over large distances. Scintillation light from argon is peaked at 128 nm and a wavelength shifter is required for its efficient detection. In this work, we directly compare the light yield achieved in two identical liquid argon chambers, one of which is equipped with polyethylene naphthalate (PEN) and the other with tetraphenyl butadiene (TPB) wavelength shifter. Both chambers are lined with enhanced specular reflectors and instrumented with SiPMs with a coverage fraction of approximately 1%, which represents a geometry comparable to the future large scale detectors. We measured the light yield of the PEN chamber to be  39.4$$\,\pm \,$$

±

0.4(stat)$$\,\pm \,$$

±

1.9(syst)% of the yield of the TPB chamber. Using a Monte Carlo simulation this result is used to extract the wavelength shifting efficiency of PEN relative to TPB equal to 47.2$$\,\pm \,$$

±

5.7%. This result paves the way for the use of easily available PEN foils as a wavelength shifter, which can substantially simplify the construction of future liquid argon detectors.
Nonlinear dynamics of proton beams with hollow electron lens in the CERN high-luminosity LHC
Authors: Mirarchi D. , Appleby R. B. , Bruce R. , Giovannozzi M. , Mereghetti A. , Redaelli S. , Stancari G.
Published: December 2021

The design stored beam energy in the CERN high-luminosity large hadron collider (HL-LHC) upgrade is about 700 MJ, with about 36 MJ in the beam tails, according to estimates based on scaling considerations from measurements at the LHC. Such a large amount of stored energy in the beam tails poses serious challenges on its control and safe disposal. In particular, orbit jitters can cause significant losses on primary collimators, which can lead to accidental beam dumps, magnet quenches, or even permanent damage to collimators and other accelerator elements. Thus, active control of the diffusion speed of halo particles is necessary and the use of hollow electron lenses (HELs) represents the most promising approach to handle overpopulated tails at the HL-LHC. HEL is a very powerful and advanced tool that can be used for controlled depletion of beam tails, thus enhancing the performance of beam halo collimation. For these reasons, HELs have been recently included in the HL-LHC baseline. In this paper, we present detailed beam dynamics calculations performed with the goal of defining HEL specifications and operational scenarios for HL-LHC. The prospects for effective halo control in HL-LHC are presented.
Physics-informed neural networks method in high-dimensional integrable systems
Authors: Miao Zheng Wu , Chen Yong
Published: December 2021

In this paper, the physics-informed neural networks (PINNs) are applied to high-dimensional system to solve the [Formula: see text]-dimensional initial-boundary value problem with [Formula: see text] hyperplane boundaries. This method is used to solve the most classic (2+1)-dimensional integrable Kadomtsev–Petviashvili (KP) equation and (3+1)-dimensional reduced KP equation. The dynamics of (2+1)-dimensional local waves such as solitons, breathers, lump and resonance rogue are reproduced. Numerical results display that the magnitude of the error is much smaller than the wave height itself, so it is considered that the classical solutions in these integrable systems are well obtained based on the data-driven mechanism.
EFFECT OF INPUT PARAMETERS ON THE KEY MACHINABILITY ASPECTS OF NITINOL DURING WEDM
Authors: MAJUMDER HIMADRI , YADAO ADIK , MAITY KALIPADA
Published: December 2021

Shape memory alloy (SMA), a distinctive class of material, can possess its preceding form when subjected to definite thermo-mechanical energy. Nitinol, an SMA, having an admirable shape memory effect, super elastic, and biomechanical properties, has developed a vast application in the field of biomedical, automobile, robotics, aerospace, etc. Wire electrical discharge machining (WEDM) technique is employed for machining of electrically conductive materials like SMAs, high tech ceramics, smart materials, etc. This paper is focused on analyzing the effect of different significant input parameters on the vital machinability aspects of SMA nitinol during WEDM. Independent input variables like pulse-on time ([Formula: see text], discharge current ([Formula: see text], wire-speed (WS), wire tension (WT) and flushing pressure (FP) were considered to find out their influence on the kerf width (KW), material removal rate (MRR), arithmetic mean roughness ([Formula: see text], and microhardness ([Formula: see text]h). 3D optical profile, X-ray diffraction analysis, and scanning electron microscopy were also executed on the WEDMed surface to inspect the surface, microstructure, and phase changes in the machined surface. It was detected that [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] and FP were more influential than WT and WS for most of the responses.
Mathematical framework for describing multipartite entanglement in terms of rows or columns of coefficient matrices
Authors: Huang Yi , Yu Huapeng , Miao Fang , Han Tianyong , Zhang Xiujun
Published: December 2021

In this paper, we develop a mathematical framework for describing entanglement quantitatively and qualitatively for multipartite qudit states in terms of rows or columns of coefficient matrices. More specifically, we propose an entanglement measure and separability criteria based on rows or columns of coefficient matrices. This entanglement measure has an explicit mathematical expression by means of exterior products of all pairs of rows or columns in coefficient matrices. It is introduced via our result that the [Formula: see text]-concurrence coincides with the entanglement measure based on two-by-two minors of coefficient matrices. Depending on our entanglement measure, we obtain the separability criteria and maximal entanglement criteria in terms of rows or columns of coefficient matrices. Our conclusions show that just like every two-by-two minor in a coefficient matrix of a multipartite pure state, every pair of rows or columns can also exhibit its entanglement properties, and thus can be viewed as its smallest entanglement contribution unit too. The great merit of our entanglement measure and separability criteria is two-fold. First, they are very practical and convenient for computation compared to other methods. Second, they have clear geometric interpretations.
Coupling BEM and VEM for the Analysis of Composite Materials with Damage
Authors: Lo Cascio Marco , Benedetti Ivano
Published: December 2021

Numerical tools which are able to predict and explain the initiation and propagation of damage at the microscopic level in heterogeneous materials are of high interest for the analysis and design of modern materials. In this contribution, we report the application of a recently developed numerical scheme based on the coupling between the Virtual Element Method (VEM) and the Boundary Element Method (BEM) within the framework of continuum damage mechanics (CDM) to analyze the progressive loss of material integrity in heterogeneous materials with complex microstructures. VEM is a novel numerical technique that, allowing the use of general polygonal mesh elements, assures conspicuous simplification in the data preparation stage of the analysis, notably for computational micro-mechanics problems, whose analysis domain often features elaborate geometries. BEM is a widely adopted and efficient numerical technique that, due to its underlying formulation, allows reducing the problem dimensionality, resulting in substantial simplification of the pre-processing stage and in the decrease of the computational effort without affecting the solution accuracy. The implemented technique has been applied to an artificial microstructure, consisting of the transverse section of a circular shaped stiff inclusion embedded in a softer matrix. BEM is used to model the inclusion that is supposed to behave within the linear elastic range, while VEM is used to model the surrounding matrix material, developing more complex nonlinear behaviors. Numerical results are reported and discussed to validate the proposed method.
One-Shot Relation Learning for Knowledge Graphs via Neighborhood Aggregation and Paths Encoding
Authors: Sun Jian , Zhou Yu , Zong Chengqing
Published: December 2021

The relation learning between two entities is an essential task in knowledge graph (KG) completion that has received much attention recently. Previous work almost exclusively focused on relations widely seen in the original KGs, which means that enough training data are available for modeling. However, long-tail relations that only show in a few triples are actually much more common in practical KGs. Without sufficiently large training data, the performance of existing models on predicting long-tail relations drops impressively. This work aims to predict the relation under a challenging setting where only one instance is available for training. We propose a path-based one-shot relation prediction framework, which can extract neighborhood information of an entity based on the relation query attention mechanism to learn transferable knowledge among the same relation. Simultaneously, to reduce the impact of long-tail entities on relation prediction, we selectively fuse path information between entity pairs as auxiliary information of relation features. Experiments in three one-shot relation learning datasets show that our proposed framework substantially outperforms existing models on one-shot link prediction and relation prediction.
Part-of-Speech (POS) Tagging Using Deep Learning-Based Approaches on the Designed Khasi POS Corpus
Authors: Warjri Sunita , Pakray Partha , Lyngdoh Saralin A. , Maji Arnab Kumar
Published: December 2021

Part-of-speech (POS) tagging is one of the research challenging fields in natural language processing (NLP). It requires good knowledge of a particular language with large amounts of data or corpora for feature engineering, which can lead to achieving a good performance of the tagger. Our main contribution in this research work is the designed Khasi POS corpus. Till date, there has been no form of any kind of Khasi corpus developed or formally developed. In the present designed Khasi POS corpus, each word is tagged manually using the designed tagset. Methods of deep learning have been used to experiment with our designed Khasi POS corpus. The POS tagger based on BiLSTM, combinations of BiLSTM with CRF, and character-based embedding with BiLSTM are presented. The main challenges of understanding and handling Natural Language toward Computational linguistics to encounter are anticipated. In the presently designed corpus, we have tried to solve the problems of ambiguities of words concerning their context usage, and also the orthography problems that arise in the designed POS corpus. The designed Khasi corpus size is around 96,100 tokens and consists of 6,616 distinct words. Initially, while running the first few sets of data of around 41,000 tokens in our experiment the taggers are found to yield considerably accurate results. When the Khasi corpus size has been increased to 96,100 tokens, we see an increase in accuracy rate and the analyses are more pertinent. As results, accuracy of 96.81% is achieved for the BiLSTM method, 96.98% for BiLSTM with CRF technique, and 95.86% for character-based with LSTM. Concerning substantial research from the NLP perspectives for Khasi, we also present some of the recently existing POS taggers and other NLP works on the Khasi language for comparative purposes.
Interplay between Mechanical and Electrochemical Properties of Block Copolymer Electrolytes and its Effect on Stability against Lithium Metal Electrodes
Authors: Patel Vivaan , Maslyn Jacqueline A. , Chakraborty Saheli , Sethi Gurmukh K. , Villaluenga Irune , Balsara Nitash P.
Published: December 2021

We have studied the cycle life of two polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane-b-poly(ethylene oxide)-b-polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS-PEO-POSS) block copolymer electrolytes differing primarily in molecular weights and composition using lithium/polymer/lithium symmetric cells. The higher molecular weight electrolyte, labeled H, has a higher storage modulus, G

el
. However, the volume fraction of the conducting phase in the low molecular weight electrolyte, labeled L, is higher and this leads to a four-fold increase in limiting current density, i
L. Measurement of ionic conductivity provides insight into the reason for the observed differences in limiting current density. The average lifetime of symmetric cells with electrolyte L was slightly higher than that of cells with electrolyte H. The combined effect of mechanical and electrochemical properties of electrolytes on the stability of lithium electrodeposition was quantified by examining two dimensionless parameters, i/i
L and G

el
/G

Li
, introduced in the theory developed by Barai and Srinivasan [Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 19, 20493–20505 (2017)]. This theory predicts the regime of stable lithium electrodeposition as a function of these two parameters. Despite large differences in G

el
and i
L between the two electrolytes, we show that similar cell lifetimes are consistent with the theoretical predictions of unstable lithium electrodeposition without resorting to any adjustable parameters.
Electrodeposited Ni-Fe onto Glassy Carbon for the Detection of Methylene Blue
Authors: Bahrololoomi Arash , Bilan Hubert K. , Podlaha Elizabeth J.
Published: December 2021

A composite electrode composed of electrodeposited, nickel-iron nanostructured clusters onto a glassy carbon (GC) disk electrode was used as a working electrode to detect methylene blue at concentrations below 10 μM. The Ni-Fe clusters were prepared by pulse electrodeposition and a lateral composition variation was observed reflective of a local pH change across the Ni-Fe feature. The applied potential for the detection of MB at a pH of 4 was determined through voltammetry, and demonstrated using chronoamperometry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The adsorption of MB influenced both the capacitance, C, and ohmic resistance, R

s
. A peak present in

i

t

1
/
2

vs t chronoamperometry plots decreased with lower MB bulk concentration, while in contrast, the RsC parameters determined from equivalent circuit models of EIS had the opposite behavior having a larger signal with lower MB concentration, and hence providing a way to increase the detection signal at lower MB concentration.
Investigation on Structural and Electrochemical Properties of Olivine-Structured LiMn1−xFexPO4/C Cathode Materials Based on First-Principles Calculation
Authors: Chang Longjiao , Bi Xiaolong , Luo Shaohua , Cao Shiyuan , Wei Anlu , Yang Wei , Liu Jianan , Zhang Fusheng
Published: December 2021

Currently, LiMnPO4is a highly prevalent cathode material in lithium-ion batteries. However, its low conductivity and Li+diffusion rate limit its practical application. To overcome these inherent defect, we have modified its properties by doping Fe at the Mn site. In the LiMn1-xFexPO4system, the total density of states of electrons near the Fermi level and the energy band of the Fermi surface are obtained by first-principles calculation. The adjustment of the energy band width immediately influences the electronic conductivity of LiMn1-xFexPO4system, which is positively related to the electrochemical performance. According to the results of first-principles calculation, we speculated that x = 1/4 was the optimal doping concentration. Then, the LiMn1-xFexPO4/C systems were compounded by hydrothermal method to verify the first-principles’ hypothesis. The electrochemical tests show that the LiMn3/4Fe1/4PO4/C material has the best cycle performance and rate performance. At the condition of 0.05 C rate, this material possesses an initial discharge capacity of 142.5 mAh g−1. with the capacity retention maintained 93.9% after 100 cycles. The theoretical calculation in consistent with the experimental findings, which accounts for the fact that the first-principles strategy is very effective in the research and development of lithium-ion batteries.
Reactivating Dead Li by Shuttle Effect for High-Performance Anode-Free Li Metal Batteries
Authors: Chen Jie , He Bin , Cheng Zexiao , Rao Zhixiang , He Danqi , Liu Dezhong , Li Xiang , Yuan Lixia , Huang Yunhui , Li Zhen
Published: December 2021

Anode-free Li metal batteries are considered the ultimate configuration for next-generation high energy-density Li-based batteries due to the elimination of excess Li metal. However, the limited Li source aggravates issues such as dendrite growth and “dead” Li formation. Any Li loss caused by the SEI formation and dead Li has a great influence on the performance of the full cell. Here, we introduce LiI with shuttle effect to suppress the Li dendrites and reactivate the dead Li in the anode-free LiFePO4 (LFP) ∣Cu full cells. During cycling, the iodine transforms between I− and I3
−, and a chemical reactions occur spontaneously between I3
− and Li dendrites or dead Li. The generated Li+ in the electrolyte remains active in the following cycling. The anode-free LFP∣Cu cells deliver an initial discharge capacity of 139 mAh g−1 and maintain capacities of 100 mAh g−1 with a capacity retention of 72% after 100 cycles. Both the anode-free LFP∣Cu coin cells and pouch cells with LiI additive show much-improved performances. This work provides a new strategy for high-performance anode-free Li metal batteries.
Probabilistic Hesitant Fuzzy Recognition Method Based on Comprehensive Characteristic Distance Measure
Authors: Liu Ying , Guan Xin
Published: December 2021

The probabilistic hesitant fuzzy set (PHFS) and probabilistic hesitant fuzzy element (PHFE) have drawn the attention of scholars in recent years and have been applied in several disciplines. However, existing PHFE distance measures have several shortcomings. Therefore, in this study, we propose a new PHFE multi-attribute decision-making (MADM) method, based on the comprehensive characteristic distance measure. First, we devise a new PHFE comparison method and then define the comprehensive characteristic distance measure, based on four characteristics. Finally, based on the traditional TODIM method and prospect theory, we propose a new PHFE recognition method. The comprehensive characteristic distance measure avoids the introduction of errors, including an unequal number of elements and order adjustment. Meanwhile, the four characteristics make the measurement results more comprehensive and reasonable, and applicable to a variety of situations while avoiding counterintuitive phenomena. Compared with traditional approaches, the method in this article selects appropriate parameters according to actual situations to obtain more objective conclusions, which results in better flexibility and operability. Besides, the simulation results verify the effectiveness of this recognition method.
Prevalence and Risk Factors for Adrenal Insufficiency in Patients with Multiple Myeloma Receiving Long‐Term Chemotherapy including Corticosteroids: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Yoon Jee Hee , Ahn Seo-Yeon , Jung Sung-Hoon , Lee Je-Jung , Choi Wonsuk , Park Ji Yong , Hong A Ram , Kim Hee Kyung , Kang Ho-Cheol
Published: December 2021

Multiple myeloma (MM) is the second most common hematologic malignancy and requires long‐term and high‐dose corticosteroid‐based chemotherapy. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and clinical predictors of corticosteroid‐associated adrenal insufficiency (AI) in patients with MM receiving long‐term chemotherapy. This retrospective study included patients with MM who were administered corticosteroid‐based chemotherapy and underwent a rapid adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) stimulation test between 2005 and 2018. AI was determined by a peak cortisol value < 18 μg/dL after ACTH stimulation. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory parameters were evaluated, and the prevalence and clinical risk factors of AI were examined. Of 282 patients with MM who received corticosteroid‐based chemotherapy, 142 patients (50.4%) were classified as having AI. There were no differences in age, sex, body mass index, comorbidities, and laboratory findings, including serum sodium levels between the AI and no‐AI groups. In univariate analysis, the cumulative dose of corticosteroid (odds ratio (OR) = 0.99, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.98–0.99; P = 0.020) and megestrol acetate use (OR = 2.63, 95% CI 1.48–4.67; P = 0.001) were associated with the occurrence of AI. Cumulative duration and cumulative dose per duration of corticosteroid use were not associated with the occurrence of AI. However, in the multivariate analysis, only megestrol acetate use was associated with an increased risk of AI (OR = 2.54, 95% CI 1.41–4.60; P = 0.002). Approximately 95.8% of patients with AI had suspicious symptoms or signs of AI. Although clinical symptoms and signs are usually nonspecific, symptomatic patients with MM receiving long‐term corticosteroid therapy have sufficient potential for developing AI, particularly when receiving megestrol acetate. These findings can help alert clinicians to consider adrenal suppression following corticosteroid‐based chemotherapy in patients with MM.
Characterisation of Phantom Limb Pain in Traumatic Lower-Limb Amputees
Authors: Sugawara André Tadeu , Simis Marcel , Fregni Felipe , Battistella Linamara Rizzo
Published: December 2021

Introduction. There is no diagnosis for phantom limb pain (PLP), and its investigation is based on anamnesis, which is subject to several biases. Therefore, it is important to describe and standardize the diagnostic methodology for PLP. Objective. To characterise PLP and, secondarily, to determine predictors for its diagnosis. Methodology. This is a cross-sectional study involving patients with unilateral traumatic lower-limb amputation aged over 18 years. Those with clinical decompensation or evidence of disease, trauma, or surgery in the central or peripheral nervous system were excluded. Sociodemographic and rehabilitative data were collected; PLP was characterised using the visual analogue scale (VAS), pain descriptors, and weekly frequency. Results. A total of 55 eligible patients participated in the study; most were male, young, above-knee amputees in the preprosthetic phase of the rehabilitation. The median PLP VAS was 60 (50–79.3) mm characterised by 13 (6–20) different descriptors in the same patient, which coexist, alternate, and add up to a frequency of 3.94 (2.5–4.38) times per week. The most frequent descriptor was movement of the phantom limb (70.91%). Tingling, numbness, flushing, itchiness, spasm, tremor, and throbbing are statistically significant PLP descriptor numbers per patient predicted by above-knee amputation, prosthetic phase, higher education level, and greater PLP intensity by VAS (

p
<
0.05

). Conclusion. PLP is not a single symptom, but a set with different sensations and perceptions that need directed and guided anamnesis for proper diagnosis.
AEBP1 Is One of the Epithelial‐Mesenchymal Transition Regulatory Genes in Colon Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Li Dandan , Liu Zhi , Ding Xiaorong , Qin Zhensheng
Published: December 2021

Epithelial‐mesenchymal transition (EMT) is involved in various tumor processes, including tumorigenesis, tumor cell migration and metastasis, tumor stemness, and therapeutic resistance. Therefore, it is important to identify the genes most associated with EMT and develop them as therapeutic targets. In this work, we first analyzed EMT hallmark gene expression profiles among 10,535 pan‐cancer samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and divided them into EMT high and EMT low groups according to the metagene scores. Then, we identified 12 genes that were most associated with high EMT metagene score (R > 0.9) in 329 colon adenocarcinoma (COAD) patients. Among them, only 4 genes (AEBP1, KCNE4, GFPT2, and FAM26E) had statistically significant differences in prognosis (P < 0.05). Next, we selected AEBP1 as a candidate and showed that AEBP1 mRNA levels and EMT biomarkers strongly coexpressed in 329 COAD samples. In addition, AEBP1 was highly expressed and associated with poor clinical outcomes and prognosis in COAD patients. Finally, to explore whether AEBP1‐mediated EMT was related to the tumor microenvironment (TME), we examined AEBP1 expression levels at the single‐cell levels. Our results showed that AEBP1 levels were extremely high in tumor‐associated fibroblasts, which may induce EMT. AEBP1 expression was also positively correlated with the expression of fibroblast biomarkers and also with EMT metascores, suggesting that AEBP1‐mediated EMT may be associated with the stimulation of fibroblast activation. Therefore, AEBP1 may be a promising target for EMT inhibition, which reduces cancer metastasis and drug resistance in COAD patients.
Differences of Key Proteins between Apoptosis and Necroptosis
Authors: Park Min Yeong , Ha Sang Eun , Vetrivel Preethi , Kim Hun Hwan , Bhosale Pritam Bhangwan , Abusaliya Abuyaseer , Kim Gon Sup
Published: December 2021

Many different types of programmed cell death (PCD) have been identified, including apoptosis and necroptosis. Apoptosis is a type of cell death that is controlled by various genes. It is in charge of eliminating aberrant cells such as cancer cells, replenishing normal cells, and molding the body as it develops. Necroptosis is a type of programmed cell death that combines necrosis and apoptosis. In other words, it takes on a necrotic appearance, although cells die in a controlled manner. Various investigations of these two pathways have revealed that caspase‐8, receptor‐interacting serine/threonine‐protein kinase 1 (RIPK1), and RIPK3 are crucial proteins in charge of the switching between these two pathways, resulting in the activation or inhibition of necroptosis. In this review, we have summarized the key proteins between apoptosis and necroptosis.
Analysis of Anesthesia Effect of Dexmedetomidine in Clinical Operation of Replantation of Severed Finger
Authors: Xu Tongsheng , Chen Xiaodong , Li Xin , Wang Mingzhu , Wang Meng
Published: December 2021

Brachial plexus block commonly used in finger replantation has the advantages of simple operation, small side effects, and stable circulation, but it has inherent problems such as imperfect block range, slow onset of anesthesia, and short maintenance time of anesthesia. In order to explore the reliable clinical anesthesia effect, this paper uses experimental investigation methods to study the effect of dexmedetomidine in clinical surgery of replantation of severed fingers. Moreover, this paper uses comparative test methods, uses statistical methods to process test data, and uses intuitive methods to display test results. Finally, this paper verifies the reliability of dexmedetomidine in replantation of severed finger through comparative analysis and verifies that the anesthesia method proposed in this paper has certain user satisfaction through parameter survey.
Design and Implementation of a Multiband Metamaterial-Loaded Reconfigurable Antenna for Wireless Applications
Authors: Saraswat Ritesh Kumar , Kumar Mithilesh
Published: December 2021

This article presents a multiband antenna with the implementation of a metamaterial split-ring resonator (SRR), quasicomplementary split-ring resonator (CSRR), and slots to achieve octaband characteristics for wireless standards. Multiband features are accomplished by the implementation of the slot approach within the radiating section part and loading the SRR and CSRR cells. The electrical dimension is 0.256λ × 0.176 λ × 0.0128λ (32 × 22 × 1.6 mm3) of the proposed design, at a lower frequency of 2.4 GHz. The proposed design indicates the frequency-band reconfigurability nature by using the switching PIN diode placed at the slotted section of the ground plane. During the OFF state of switching, the element structure resonates in eight wireless communication bands covering various high-speed multiple applications of Internet of Things (IoT) regarding wireless standards S-band WLAN (WiFi, Bluetooth, Z-wave, wireless HART, and WBAN), lower C-band (WAIC, satellite communication transmission application), C-band WLAN, X-band (ITU region 2), Ku-band (direct broadcast satellite system and terrestrial microwave communication system service), and K-band (radar communication application) at 2.4, 4.3, 5.8, 8.5, 11.1, 13.9, 16.1, and 18.9 GHz, respectively, with S11 ≤ −10 dB. The antenna achieves an optimum peak gain of 4.23 dBi and radiation efficiency of 82.78% at operating frequency regarding wireless standards. The average efficiency of the proposed design is more than 70% for all resonant modes. The radiation characteristics (gain/efficiency/patterns/impedance matching) are shown in the stable and improved form at achieved wireless modes.
Design and Optimization of Cationic Nanocapsules for Topical Delivery of Tretinoin: Application of the Box‐Behnken Design, In Vitro Evaluation, and Ex Vivo Skin Deposition Study
Authors: Ebrahimi Saeed , Mahjub Reza , Haddadi Rasool , Vafaei Seyed Yaser
Published: December 2021

Cationic nanocapsules represent a promising approach for topical delivery purposes. We elaborated on a novel formulation based on the cationic nanocapsules to enhance the pharmacodynamic efficacy, user compliance, and photostability of tretinoin (TTN). To achieve this goal, TTN nanocapsules were prepared by the nanoprecipitation method. In order to statistically optimize formulation variables, a Box‐Behnken design, using Design‐Expert software, was employed. Three independent variables were evaluated: total weight of the cationic acrylic polymer (X1), oil volume (X2), and TTN amount (X3). The particle size and encapsulation efficiency percent (EE%) were selected as dependent variables. The optimal formulation demonstrated spherical morphology under scanning electron microscopy (SEM), optimum particle size of 116.3 nm, and high EE% of 83.2%. TTN‐loaded nanocapsules improved photostability compared to its methanolic solution. The in vitro release study data showed that tretinoin was released in a sustained manner compared to the free drug. The ex vivo skin permeation study demonstrated that greater drug deposition into the epidermal region rather than the deep skin was observed with a gel containing TTN‐loaded nanocapsules than that of drug solution, respectively. The skin irritation test revealed that the nanoencapsulation of the drug decreased its irritancy compared to the free drug. These results revealed the promising potential of cationic nanocapsules for topical delivery of tretinoin
Training Method and Device of Chemical Industry Chinese Language Model Based on Knowledge Distillation
Authors: Li Wen-Ting , Gao Shang-Bing , Zhang Jun-Qiang , Guo Shu-Xing
Published: December 2021

Recent advances in pretraining language models have obtained state-of-the-art results in various natural language processing tasks. However, these huge pretraining language models are difficult to be used in practical applications, such as mobile devices and embedded devices. Moreover, there is no pretraining language model for the chemical industry. In this work, we propose a method to pretrain a smaller language representation model of the chemical industry domain. First, a huge number of chemical industry texts are used as pretraining corpus, and nontraditional knowledge distillation technology is used to build a simplified model to learn the knowledge in the BERT model. By learning the embedded layer, the middle layer, and the prediction layer at different stages, the simplified model not only learns the probability distribution of the prediction layer but also learns the embedded layer and the middle layer at the same time, to acquire the learning ability of BERT model. Finally, it is applied to the downstream tasks. Experiments show that, compared with the current BERT model distillation method, our method makes full use of the rich feature knowledge in the middle layer of the teacher model while building a student model based on the BiLSTM architecture, which effectively solves the problem that the traditional student model based on the transformer architecture is too large and improves the accuracy of the language model in the chemical domain.
A Specific Risk Evaluation System for Live Virtual Machine Migration Based on the Uncertain Theory
Authors: Zhou Hang , Zhu Xinying , Wang Jian
Published: December 2021

Benefiting from the convenience of virtualization, virtual machine migration is generally utilized to fulfil optimization objectives in cloud/edge computing. However, live migration has certain risks and unapt decision may lead to side effects and performance degradation. Leveraging modified deep Q network, this paper provided an advanced risk evaluation system. Thorough formulation was given in this paper and a specific integration method was innovated based on uncertain theory. Series experiments were carried on computing cluster with OpenStack. The experimental results showed deep Q network for risk system was reliable while the uncertain approach was a proper way to deal with the risk integration.
An Update of Research Animal Models of Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Authors: Baydi Zineb , Limami Youness , Khalki Loubna , Zaid Nabil , Naya Abdallah , Mtairag El Mostafa , Oudghiri Mounia , Zaid Younes
Published: December 2021

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a group of chronic disorders that includes two main disease forms, Crohn’s disease, and ulcerative colitis. The understanding of the intestinal inflammation occurring in IBD has been immeasurably advanced by the development of the now numerous murine models of intestinal inflammation. The usefulness of this research tool in IBD arises from a convergence of underlying genetic susceptibility, immune system dysfunction, environmental factors, and shifts in gut microbiota. Due to the multifactorial feature of these diseases, different animal models have been used to investigate the underlying mechanisms and develop potential therapeutic strategies. The results of preclinical efficacy studies often inform the progression of therapeutic strategies. This review describes the distinct feature and limitations of each murine IBD model and discusses the previous and current lessons from the IBD models.
Cigarette Smoking and Schizophrenia: Etiology, Clinical, Pharmacological, and Treatment Implications
Authors: Ding Jack Baichao , Hu Kevin
Published: December 2021

Recent data suggests that the prevalence of smoking in schizophrenia remains high. While reports suggest that smoking increases the risk of developing schizophrenia, the potential causative role of smoking in this relationship needs further investigation. Smokers with schizophrenia are more likely to have more intense positive symptoms and lower cognitive function, but diminished intensity of extrapyramidal side effects than nonsmoking patients with schizophrenia. They were also more likely to exhibit aggressive behaviour compared to nonsmokers, which could suggest higher levels of baseline aggression. The significant cost associated with regular tobacco expenditure can detract from investment in key domains. Large‐scale trials have shown that pharmacotherapy for smoking cessation is effective and does not worsen the risk of developing neuropsychiatric symptoms compared to placebo. Electronic cigarette use among schizophrenia patients is high, and there is emerging evidence supportive of its efficacy. Future improvements include large‐scale trials assessing the utility, efficacy, and safety of electronic cigarettes in schizophrenia patients.
Higher Chondrogenic Potential of Extracellular Vesicles Derived from Mesenchymal Stem Cells Compared to Chondrocytes‐EVs In Vitro
Authors: Hosseinzadeh Maryam , Kamali Amir , Hosseini Samaneh , Baghaban Eslaminejad Mohamadreza
Published: December 2021

The inability of cartilage to self‐repair necessitates an effective therapeutic approach to restore damaged tissues. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are attractive options because of their roles in cellular communication and tissue repair where they regulate the cellular processes of proliferation, differentiation, and recruitment. However, it is a challenge to determine the relevant cell sources for isolation of EVs with high chondrogenic potential. The current study aims to evaluate the chondrogenic potential of EVs derived from chondrocytes (Cho‐EV) and mesenchymal stem cells (MSC‐EV). The EVs were separately isolated from conditioned media of both rabbit bone marrow MSCs and chondrocyte cultures. The isolated vesicles were assessed in terms of size, morphology, and surface marker expression. The chondrogenic potential of MSCs in the presence of different concentrations of EVs (50, 100, and 150 μg/ml) was evaluated during 21 days, and chondrogenic surface marker expressions were checked by qRT‐PCR and histologic assays. The extracted vesicles had a spherical morphology and a size of 44.25 ± 8.89 nm for Cho‐EVs and 112.1 ± 10.10 nm for MSC‐EVs. Both groups expressed the EV‐specific surface markers CD9 and CD81. Higher expression of chondrogenic specified markers, especially collagen type II (COL II), and secretion of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) and proteoglycans were observed in MSCs treated with 50 and 100 μg/ml MSC‐EVs compared to the Cho‐EVs. The results from the use of EVs, particularly MSC‐EVs, with high chondrogenic ability will provide a basis for developing therapeutic agents for cartilage repair.
Network Management System for IoT Based on Dynamic Systems
Authors: Alsaffar Mohammad , Hamad Abdulsattar Abdullah , Alshammari Abdullah , Alshammari Gharbi , Almurayziq Tariq S. , Mohammed Mohammed Shareef , Enbeyle Wegayehu
Published: December 2021

The Internet of Things (IoT) has the potential to transform the public sector by combining the leading technical and business trends of mobility, automation, and data analysis to dramatically alter the way public bodies collect data and information. Embedded sensors, actuators, and other devices that capture and transmit information about network activity in real-time are used in the Internet of Things to connect networks of physical objects. The design of a network management system for an IoT network is presented in this paper, which uses the edge computing model. This design is based on the Internet management model, which uses the SNMP protocol to communicate between managed devices, and a gateway, which uses the SOAP protocol to communicate with a management application. This work allowed for the identification and analysis of the primary network management system initiatives for IoT networks, in which there are four fundamental device management requirements for any deployment of IoT devices: provisioning and authentication, configuration and control, monitoring and diagnostics, and software updates and maintenance.