bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Efficacy of vitamin D3supplementation on cancer mortality in the general population and the prognosis of patients with cancer: protocol of a systematic review and individual patient data meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials
Authors: Schöttker Ben , Kuznia Sabine , Brenner Hermann
Published: January 2021

Introduction

Vitamin D insufficiency is much more common among patients with cancer than the general population. Previous meta-analyses of controlled trials showed an approximately 15% reduction of cancer mortality by vitamin D supplementation compared with placebo or no treatment in the general population.

On top of updating the latest systematic review on vitamin D supplementation and cancer mortality in the general population, we aim to conduct the first meta-analyses of trials on vitamin D3supplementation and cancer-specific and overall survival of patients with cancer. Besides, we will conduct for the first time subgroup analyses based on individual patient data collected from randomised controlled trials.

Methods and analysis

A systematic review and individual patient data meta-analysis will be performed on randomised placebo-controlled trials with a vitamin D3intervention. All databases are searched from inception without time restriction. The addressed outcomes are cancer mortality in the general population as well as cancer-specific and overall survival of patients with cancer. The quality appraisal of the studies will be evaluated by the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for randomised trials. Trial results will be reanalysed using adjusted and unadjusted Cox proportional hazard regression models and meta-analyses are planned. Cochran’s Q-Test and the I2index will be used to statistically assess the level of heterogeneity, while sensitivity and subgroup analyses serve to identify potential causes of heterogeneity. Subgroup analyses will be conducted for vitamin D3dosing, follow-up time, age, sex, obesity, vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency, history of cancer and compliance. Publication bias will be assessed by funnel plots and Egger’s test.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethical approval is not required since no human beings are involved in this systematic review. Results will be published in a peer-reviewed journal with open access. They will be presented at conferences and sent to patient advocacy groups and German oncological rehabilitation centres.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42020185566
Conducting focus groups in neurodegenerative disease populations: ethical and methodological considerations
Authors: Jones Annabel , Morgan-Jones Philippa , Busse Monica , Shepherd Victoria , Wood Fiona
Published: January 2021

Background

Involvement of vulnerable populations in research is critical to inform the generalisability of evidence-based medicine to all groups of the population.

Objective

In this communication, we reflect on our previous research, and that of other authors, to identify and explore key ethical and methodological considerations.

Discussion

Focus groups are a widely implemented qualitative methodology, but their use, particularly in vulnerable neurodegenerative disease populations, is not straightforward. Although the risk of harm is generally low in focus group research, neurodegenerative disease populations are particularly vulnerable to issues relating to comprehension and their capacity to consent. Physical and cognitive impairments may also affect social interactions among participants and therefore impact data collection and analyses.

Conclusion

We offer a number of ethical and methodological recommendations to facilitate the processes of recruitment and data collection when conducting focus groups with neurodegenerative disease populations.
PHILEOS (haemoPHILia and ostEoporOSis) Study: protocol of a multicentre prospective case–control study
Authors: Tardy‐Poncet Brigitte , Play Barbara , Montmartin Aurélie , Damien Pauline , Ollier Edouard , Presles Emilie , Garcin Arnauld , Tardy Bernard
Published: January 2021

Introduction

Two meta-analyses showed lower bone mineral density (BMD) in patients with haemophilia (haemophilia type and severity were often not specified) compared with healthy controls. This finding could be related to reduced mobility and sedentary lifestyle, and/or hepatitis C or HIV infection. The aim of this study is to determine osteoporosis prevalence in patients with haemophilia classified in function of the disease type (A or B) and severity, and to evaluate the potential role of regular prophylactic factor replacement (early vs delayed initiation) in preserving or restoring BMD.

Methods and analysis

The haemoPHILia and ostEoporOSis Study is a prospective, controlled, multicentre study that will include patients in France (13 haemophilia treatment centres), Belgium (1 centre) and Romania (1 centre). In total, 240 patients with haemophilia and 240 matched healthy controls will be recruited (1:1). The primary objective is to determine osteoporosis prevalence in patients with severe haemophilia A and B (HA and HB) without prophylaxis, compared with healthy controls. Secondary outcomes include: prevalence of osteoporosis and osteopenia in patients with mild, moderate and severe HA or HB with prophylaxis (grouped in function of their age at prophylaxis initiation), compared with healthy subjects; BMD in patients with HA and HB of comparable severity; correlation between BMD and basal factor VIII/IX levels and thrombin potential; and quantification of plasmatic markers of bone remodelling (formation and resorption) in patients with haemophilia.

Ethics and dissemination

The protocol was approved by the French Ethics Committee and by the French National Agency for Medicines and Health Products Safety (number: 2019-A03358-49). The results of this study will be actively disseminated through scientific publications and conference presentations.

Trial registration number

NCT04384341.
Fecal calprotectin concentration to assess endoscopic and histologic remission in patients with cancer with immune-mediated diarrhea and colitis
Authors: Zou Fangwen , Wang Xuemei , Glitza Oliva Isabella C , McQuade Jennifer L , Wang Jennifer , Zhang Hao Chi , Thompson John A , Thomas Anusha S , Wang Yinghong
Published: January 2021

Background

Immune-mediated diarrhea and colitis (IMDC) is currently diagnosed and monitored by evaluating clinical symptoms. Deep remission is determined by endoscopic and histologic evaluation of the disease process. However, repeating these invasive procedures frequently can become cumbersome. We sought to assess the role of fecal calprotectin (FC) concentration as a non-invasive biomarker of endoscopic or histologic remission.

Methods

We performed a retrospective study of patients with IMDC who were tested for FC at IMDC onset and after IMDC treatment between June 2016 and March 2020. Patient demographics, clinical variables, and FC data were collected and analyzed to determine the optimal cut-off FC concentration to predict endoscopic and histologic remission.

Results

Our sample comprised 77 patients with a median age of 62 years; 66% were male and 94% were Caucasian. Sixty-five patients (84%) achieved clinical remission, 46 (60%) achieved endoscopic remission, and 24 (31%) achieved histologic remission after IMDC treatment. FC concentrations decreased from the time of IMDC onset to the end of treatment (p<0.001). High FC concentrations were associated with evident endoscopic inflammation (p=0.003) and acute/chronic active colitis (p=0.025) which positively correlated with the Mayo Endoscopic Subscore (r=0.615, p=0.001) at the time of IMDC onset. In patients who achieved endoscopic remission after treatment, a significantly lower FC concentration was observed at IMDC onset (p=0.006) and after treatment (p<0.001) compared with those without endoscopic remission. The cut-off FC concentration to predict endoscopic remission was ≤116 μg/g and for histologic remission ≤80 μg/g; these cut-offs had optimal specificity (94% and 85%, respectively) and positive predictive value (0.91 and 0.38, respectively).

Conclusions

FC concentration may serve as a non-invasive biomarker to predict endoscopic and histologic remission in patients receiving treatment for IMDC, minimizing the need for frequent invasive endoscopies. Future prospective studies are needed to provide further insight on the role of this marker in disease surveillance.
Pain management after open liver resection: Procedure-Specific Postoperative Pain Management (PROSPECT) recommendations
Authors: Dieu Audrey , Huynen Philippe , Lavand'homme Patricia , Beloeil Hélène , Freys Stephan M. , Pogatzki-Zahn Esther M , Joshi Girish P. , Van de Velde Marc
Published: January 2021

Background and objectives

Effective pain control improves postoperative rehabilitation and enhances recovery. The aim of this review was to evaluate the available evidence and to develop recommendations for optimal pain management after open liver resection using Procedure-Specific Postoperative Pain Management (PROSPECT) methodology.

Strategy and selection criteria

Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published in the English language from January 2010 to October 2019 assessing pain after liver resection using analgesic, anesthetic or surgical interventions were identified from MEDLINE, Embase and Cochrane databases.

Results

Of 121 eligible studies identified, 31 RCTs and 3 systematic reviews met the inclusion criteria. Preoperative and intraoperative interventions that improved postoperative pain relief were non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, continuous thoracic epidural analgesia, and subcostal transversus abdominis plane (TAP) blocks. Limited procedure-specific evidence was found for intravenous dexmedetomidine, intravenous magnesium, intrathecal morphine, quadratus lumborum blocks, paravertebral nerve blocks, continuous local anesthetic wound infiltration and postoperative interpleural local anesthesia. No evidence was found for intravenous lidocaine, ketamine, dexamethasone and gabapentinoids.

Conclusions

Based on the results of this review, we suggest an analgesic strategy for open liver resection, including acetaminophen and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, combined with thoracic epidural analgesia or bilateral oblique subcostal TAP blocks. Systemic opioids should be considered as rescue analgesics. Further high-quality RCTs are needed to confirm and clarify the efficacy of the recommended analgesic regimen in the context of an enhanced recovery program.
Ultrasound-guided cervical selective nerve root injections: a narrative review of literature
Authors: Ehsanian Reza , Schneider Byron J , Kennedy David J , Koshkin Eugene
Published: January 2021

Background/Importance

Ultrasound (US)-guided cervical selective nerve root injections (CSNRI) have been proposed as an alternative to fluoroscopic (FL) -guided injections. When choosing US guidance, the proceduralist should be aware of potential issues confirming vertebral level, be clear regarding terminology, and up to date regarding the advantages and disadvantages of US-guided CSNRI.

Objective

Review the accuracy and effectiveness of US guidance in avoiding vascular puncture (VP) and/or intravascular injection (IVI) during CSNRI.

Evidence Review

Queries included PubMed, CINAHL and Embase databases from 2005 to 2019. Three authors reviewed references for eligibility, abstracted data, and appraised quality.

Findings

The literature demonstrates distinct safety considerations and limited evidence of the effectiveness of US guidance in detecting VP and/or IVI. As vascular flow and desired injectate spread cannot be visualized with US, the use of real-time fluoroscopy, and if needed digitial subraction imaging, is indicated in cervical transforaminal epidural injections (CTFEIs). Given the risk of VP and/or IVI, the ability to perform and to retain FL images to document that the procedure was safely conducted is valuable in CTFEIs.

Conclusion

US guidance remains to be proven as a non-inferior alternative to FL guidance or other imaging modalities in the prevention of VP and/or IVI with CTFEIs or cervical selective nerve root blocks. There is a paucity of adequately powered clinical studies evaluating the accuracy and effectiveness of US guidance in avoiding VP and/or IVI. US-guided procedures to treat cervical radicular pain has limitations in visualization of anatomy, and currently with the evidence available is best used in a combined approach with FL guidance.
The effects of local versus systemic passive heating on the acute inflammatory, vascular and glycaemic response
Authors: Hoekstra Sven P. , Ogawa Takahiro , Dos Santos Miguel , Handsley Greg , Bailey Stephen J. , Goosey-Tolfrey Victoria L. , Tajima Fumihiro , Cheng Jem L. , Leicht Christof A.
Published: January 2021

The aim of this study was to compare the acute cardiometabolic and perceptual responses between local and whole-body passive heating. Using a water-perfused suit, 10 recreationally active males underwent three 90 min conditions: heating of the legs with upper-body cooling (LBH), whole-body heating (WBH) and exposure to a thermoneutral temperature (CON). Blood samples were collected before and up to 3 h post-session to assess inflammatory markers, while a 2 h oral glucose tolerance test was initiated 1 h post-session. Femoral artery blood flow and perceptual responses were recorded at regular intervals. The interleukin (IL)-6 incremental area under the curve (iAUC) was higher for LBH (1096 ± 851 pg/mL × 270 min) and WBH (833 ± 476 pg/mL × 270 min) compared with CON (565 ± 325 pg/mL × 270 min; p < 0.047). Glucose concentrations were higher after WBH compared with LBH and CON (p < 0.046). Femoral artery blood flow was higher at the end of WBH (1713 ± 409 mL/min) compared with LBH (943 ± 349 mL/min; p < 0.001), and higher in LBH than CON (661 ± 222 mL/min; p = 0.002). Affect and thermal comfort were more negative during WBH compared with LBH and CON (p < 0.010). In conclusion, local passive heating elevated blood flow and the IL-6 iAUC. However, while resulting in more positive perceptual responses, the majority of the included cardiometabolic markers were attenuated compared with WBH.

Novelty: The increase in the IL-6 iAUC in response to passive heating is not reduced by upper-body cooling. Upper-body cooling attenuates the plasma nitrite, IL-1ra and femoral artery blood flow response to passive heating. Upper-body cooling leads to more positive perceptual responses to passive heating.
Planar nitrogen compared with planar carbon in a series of compounds: the effect of replacing with nitrogen the potentially planar tetracoordinate carbon of a series of polycyclic alkanes
Authors: Lewars Errol
Published: January 2021

Previous work by Radom and Rasmussen had been extended by the author (E. Lewars. 2019. Can. J. Chem. 97(2): 154) to identify a smaller (C17H16 cf. C23H24) polycyclic alkane with a potentially planar tetracoordinate “central” carbon. Here, the series of alkanes in that latter study were computationally modified by replacing the central carbon with isoelectronic nitrogen, N+. A series of six ammonium ions was found by ab initio calculations to potentially all, with one exception, harbour a planar tetracoordinate nitrogen in a potential energy relative minimum at the MP2/6-31G* and MP2/(large basis) levels, as indicated by the absence of an imaginary vibrational frequency. This is in contrast to the hydrocarbons, where only two such structures were indicated to be relative minima.
A FRACTAL FRACTIONAL MODEL FOR CERVICAL CANCER DUE TO HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS INFECTION
Authors: AKGÜL A. , AHMED N. , RAZA A. , IQBAL Z. , RAFIQ M. , REHMAN M. A. , BALEANU D.
Published: January 2021

In this paper, we have investigated women’s malignant disease, cervical cancer, by constructing the compartmental model. An extended fractal–fractional model is used to study the disease dynamics. The points of equilibria are computed analytically and verified by numerical simulations. The key role of [Formula: see text] in describing the stability of the model is presented. The sensitivity analysis of [Formula: see text] for deciding the role of certain parameters altering the disease dynamics is carried out. The numerical simulations of the proposed numerical technique are demonstrated to test the claimed facts.
DESIGN OF NEURO-SWARMING HEURISTIC SOLVER FOR MULTI-PANTOGRAPH SINGULAR DELAY DIFFERENTIAL EQUATION
Authors: SABIR ZULQURNAIN , BALEANU DUMITRU , RAJA MUHAMMAD ASIF ZAHOOR , GUIRAO JUAN L. G.
Published: January 2021

This research work is to design a neural-swarming heuristic procedure for numerical investigations of Singular Multi-Pantograph Delay Differential (SMP-DD) equation by applying the function approximation aptitude of Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) optimized efficient swarming mechanism based on Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) integrated with convex optimization with Active Set (AS) algorithm for rapid refinements, named as ANN-PSO-AS. A merit function (MF) on mean squared error sense is designed by using the differential ANN models and boundary condition. The optimization of this MF is executed with the global PSO and local search AS approaches. The planned ANN-PSO-AS approach is instigated for three different SMP-DD model-based equations. The assessment with available standard results relieved the effectiveness, robustness and precision that is further authenticated through statistical investigations of Variance Account For, Root Mean Squared Error, Semi-Interquartile Range and Theil’s inequality coefficient performances.
Pore-scale assessment of subsurface carbon storage potential: implications for the UK Geoenergy Observatories project
Authors: Payton Ryan L. , Fellgett Mark , Clark Brett L. , Chiarella Domenico , Kingdon Andrew , Hier-Majumder Saswata
Published: January 2021

The growing importance of subsurface carbon storage for tackling anthropogenic carbon emissions requires new ideas to improve the rate and cost of carbon capture and storage (CCS) project development and implementation. We assessed sandstones from the UK Geoenergy Observatories (UKGEOS) site in Glasgow, UK and the Wilmslow Sandstone Formation (WSF) in Cumbria, UK at the pore scale to indicate suitability for further assessment as CCS reservoirs. We measured porosity, permeability and other pore geometry characteristics using digital rock physics techniques on microcomputed tomographic images of core material from each site. We found the Glasgow material to be unsuitable for CCS due to very low porosity (up to 1.65%), whereas the WSF material showed connected porosity up to 26.3% and permeabilities up to 6040 mD. Our results support the presence of a percolation threshold at 10% total porosity, introducing near full connectivity. We found total porosity varies with permeability with an exponent of 3.19. This provides a reason to assume near full connectivity in sedimentary samples showing porosities above this threshold without the need for expensive and time-consuming analyses.

Supplementary material:
Information about the boreholes sampled in this study, additional well logs of boreholes and a summary of the supporting data plotted throughout this article from literature are available at
https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.5260074

Thematic collection:
This article is part of the Geoscience for CO
2
storage collection available at:
https://www.lyellcollection.org/cc/geoscience-for-co2-storage
Knowledge Transfer for Entity Resolution with Siamese Neural Networks
Authors: Loster Michael , Koumarelas Ioannis , Naumann Felix
Published: January 2021

The integration of multiple data sources is a common problem in a large variety of applications. Traditionally, handcrafted similarity measures are used to discover, merge, and integrate multiple representations of the same entity—duplicates—into a large homogeneous collection of data. Often, these similarity measures do not cope well with the heterogeneity of the underlying dataset. In addition, domain experts are needed to manually design and configure such measures, which is both time-consuming and requires extensive domain expertise.

We propose a deep Siamese neural network, capable of learning a similarity measure that is tailored to the characteristics of a particular dataset. With the properties of deep learning methods, we are able to eliminate the manual feature engineering process and thus considerably reduce the effort required for model construction. In addition, we show that it is possible to transfer knowledge acquired during the deduplication of one dataset to another, and thus significantly reduce the amount of data required to train a similarity measure. We evaluated our method on multiple datasets and compare our approach to state-of-the-art deduplication methods. Our approach outperforms competitors by up to +26 percent F-measure, depending on task and dataset. In addition, we show that knowledge transfer is not only feasible, but in our experiments led to an improvement in F-measure of up to +4.7 percent.
Benefits behind barriers in physiology education
Authors: Gopalan Chaya
Published: January 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic forced academics to switch to online teaching whether they were prepared or not. The speed and enthusiasm with which educators embraced online teaching suggest that challenges change the perspective for the better. The teaching challenges with the current coronavirus situation mimic the poliovirus attack Dr. Arthur C. Guyton encountered. Dr. Guyton was forced to switch his career from becoming a cardiovascular surgeon to a physiology educator and a researcher. His immense contributions to the field of physiology is an example of how challenges can bring benefits. Flipped teaching has been gaining attention among educators because of its ability to engage students in learning. The COVID-19 pandemic pushed educators to adopt this instructional design based on its conduciveness to technology, as well as its blend of both asynchronous and synchronous components of online teaching. Just like Dr. Guyton’s enormous impact on medical education and research in spite of the challenges he faced, we must be creative during this pandemic through innovative teaching methods, which will serve as a gift for the future of physiology education.
The impact of ventilation–perfusion inequality in COVID-19: a computational model
Authors: Busana Mattia , Giosa Lorenzo , Cressoni Massimo , Gasperetti Alessio , Di Girolamo Luca , Martinelli Alessandra , Sonzogni Aurelio , Lorini Luca , Palumbo Maria Michela , Romitti Federica , Gattarello Simone , Steinberg Irene , Herrmann Peter , Meissner Konrad , Quintel Michael , Gattinoni Luciano
Published: January 2021

Hypothesizing that the non-aerated lung fraction as evaluated by the quantitative analysis of the lung computed tomography (CT) equals shunt (VA/Q = 0), we used a computational approach to estimate the magnitude of the ventilation–perfusion mismatch in severe COVID-19. The results show that a severe hyperperfusion of poorly ventilated lung region is likely the cause of the hypoxemia observed. The extensive microthrombosis of the pulmonary circulation may represent the pathophysiological mechanism of such VA/Q distribution.
A Kind of Reinforcement Learning to Improve Genetic Algorithm for Multiagent Task Scheduling
Authors: Li Zhipeng , Wei Xiumei , Jiang Xuesong , Pang Yewen
Published: January 2021

It is difficult to coordinate the various processes in the process industry. We built a multiagent distributed hierarchical intelligent control model for manufacturing systems integrating multiple production units based on multiagent system technology. The model organically combines multiple intelligent agent modules and physical entities to form an intelligent control system with certain functions. The model consists of system management agent, workshop control agent, and equipment agent. For the task assignment problem with this model, we combine reinforcement learning to improve the genetic algorithm for multiagent task scheduling and use the standard task scheduling dataset in OR-Library for simulation experiment analysis. Experimental results show that the algorithm is superior.
Autolysis in Crustacean Tissues after Death: A Case Study Using the Procambarus clarkii Hepatopancreas
Authors: Huang Xiaoli , Xiong Guanqing , Chen Xia , Liu Ruisi , Li Minghao , Ji Lili , Zhang Xiaoli , Geng Yi , Ou Yangping , Chen Defang , Yin Lizi , Li Liangyu , Yang Shiyong
Published: January 2021

Autolysis is an internal phenomenon following the death of an organism that leads to the degradation of tissues. In order to explore the initial stages of autolysis and attempt to establish reference standards for tissue changes after death, we studied the rapidly autolyzing tissue of the crayfish hepatopancreas. Samples from the hepatopancreas of crayfish were examined 0, 5, 10, 30, 60, and 120 minutes after death. Histological and ultrapathological examinations and evaluations and apoptotic cell counts were conducted to determine the initiation time and degree of autolysis. The results showed that autolysis in the hepatopancreas of crayfish began within 5 minutes. Initially, autolysis manifested in the swelling of hepatic tubular cells and the widening of mesenchyme. Cells undergoing autolysis showed severe organelle necrolysis. Based on these observations, tissue samples should be collected and preserved within five minutes to avoid interfering with histopathological diagnoses.
Credit Evaluation Model of Road Transportation Enterprises Based on the Combination Weighting Method
Authors: Hu Yu-shan , Zhu Chun-lei
Published: January 2021

In the road transportation industry, the high risk of default by enterprises will have a serious impact on consumer interests and market order. To improve the scientific nature of the credit evaluation of road transportation enterprises, this paper establishes a credit evaluation model based on the combination weighting method, considering the information volume, volatility, and difference of the road transportation enterprises data and using normalized constraints of maximum variance to determine the combination weights. The model fully considers the degree of difference between the indicators and makes up for the deviation of the single weighting method. Finally, the paper makes an empirical analysis of 115 road transportation enterprises in a certain province of China and verifies the rationality of the combination weighting model. The results show that the credit level of a road transport enterprise in a certain province is at a medium level. Strengthening the supervision and examination of the management, qualification, and safety production capacity of the enterprise can further improve the credit level of the road transportation enterprise.
Monotone Iterative Method for Two Types of Integral Boundary Value Problems of a Nonlinear Fractional Differential System with Deviating Arguments
Authors: Chen Jungang , Qin Xi
Published: January 2021

This paper concerns on two types of integral boundary value problems of a nonlinear fractional differential system,

i
.
e

., nonlocal strip integral boundary value problems and coupled integral boundary value problems. With the aid of the monotone iterative method combined with the upper and lower solutions, the existence of extremal system of solutions for the above two types of differential systems is investigated. In addition, a new comparison theorem for fractional differential system is also established, which is crucial for the proof of the main theorem of this paper. At the end, an example explaining how our studies can be used is also given.
Intelligent Diagnosis of Subway Traction Motor Bearing Fault Based on Improved Stacked Denoising Autoencoder
Authors: Xu Yanwei , Li Chen , Xie Tancheng
Published: January 2021

Aiming at the problem that the complex working conditions affect the effect of manual feature extraction in bearing fault diagnosis of metro traction motor, a fault diagnosis method of metro traction motor bearing based on improved stacked denoising autoencoder (SDAE) is proposed. This method extracts fault features directly from the original vibration signal through deep learning, reduces the dependence on signal processing technology and diagnosis experience, and solves the problem of unsatisfactory effect of extracting feature values under complex working conditions. The effect of the improved SDAE network structure on the accuracy of bearing fault diagnosis is studied through experiments, and the best network parameters are selected. The test results show that the proposed method can well extract the deep features of the fault under the condition of variable speed and variable load; when using data sets with complex working conditions, the classification accuracy of the proposed method is better than that of many traditional fault diagnosis methods.
Multiclass Event Classification from Text
Authors: Ali Daler , Missen Malik Muhammad Saad , Husnain Mujtaba
Published: January 2021

Social media has become one of the most popular sources of information. People communicate with each other and share their ideas, commenting on global issues and events in a multilingual environment. While social media has been popular for several years, recently, it has given an exponential rise in online data volumes because of the increasing popularity of local languages on the web. This allows researchers of the NLP community to exploit the richness of different languages while overcoming the challenges posed by these languages. Urdu is also one of the most used local languages being used on social media. In this paper, we presented the first-ever event detection approach for Urdu language text. Multiclass event classification is performed by popular deep learning (DL) models, i.e.,Convolution Neural Network (CNN), Recurrence Neural Network (RNN), and Deep Neural Network (DNN). The one-hot-encoding, word embedding, and term-frequency inverse document frequency- (TF-IDF-) based feature vectors are used to evaluate the Deep Learning(DL) models. The dataset that is used for experimental work consists of more than 0.15 million (103965) labeled sentences. DNN classifier has achieved a promising accuracy of 84% in extracting and classifying the events in the Urdu language script.
Pars Plana Vitrectomy versus Intravitreal Injection of Ranibizumab in the Treatment of Diabetic Macular Edema Associated with Vitreomacular Interface Abnormalities
Authors: Elkayal Hassan , Bedda Ahmed M. , El-Goweini Hesham , Souka Ahmed A. , Gomaa Amir Ramadan
Published: January 2021

Purpose. To compare the efficacy of pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) versus intravitreal injection (IVI) of ranibizumab (RBZ) in the treatment of diabetic macular edema (DME) associated with vitreomacular interface abnormalities (VMIA). Methods. The records of patients presenting with DME and VMIA throughout 2016 to 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were divided into 2 groups: group I received IVIs of RBZ and group II underwent PPV with internal limiting membrane peeling. The main outcome measures were the change in the LogMAR corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA) and central subfield thickness (CSFT) on optical coherence tomography over 6 months. Results. At 6 months, mean CDVA improved by 0.22 ± 0.21 in group I patients

p
<
0.001

, while in group II, it improved only by 0.09 ± 0.22

p
<
0.115

. Fifty-five percent of group I and 60% of group II patients had stable CDVA (within 2 lines from baseline) at 6 months. Significant improvement in vision (gain of 2 or more lines) was seen in 45% and 30%, respectively. Worsening of vision (loss of 2 or more lines) was seen only in 2 patients in group II, but none in group I. The mean CSFT improved significantly in both groups (by 162 µ and 216 µ, respectively;

p
<
0.001

). The mean CSFT at 6 months was similar in both groups (354 µ and 311 µ, respectively;

p
=
0.172

). Conclusions. Both treatments resulted in anatomical improvement of DME with concurrent VMIA. Visual improvement was more pronounced in the IVI group, although this may have been affected by other confounding factors.
Comparison of Online Tests of Very Short Answer versus Single Best Answers for Medical Students in a Pharmacology Course over One Year
Authors: Neumann Joachim , Simmrodt Stephanie , Teichert Holger , Gergs Ulrich
Published: January 2021

Single best answers (single choice, SC) are the classical tools used in medical examinations on all levels of education. In contrast, very short answer (VSA) probably requires sound prior knowledge and deeper learning than SC, and VSA should make cueing and guessing impossible. Hence, in a basic pharmacology course, we wanted to compare the SC and VSA formats directly at the end of the course and one year later. Medical students (n = 211) were given a formative online test. Two groups were randomly formed (A and B). Participants in group A were first given fifteen single choices (one out of five) pharmacology questions and thereafter fifteen very short answer questions (open question which were to be answered online and semiautomatically assessed). Very similar questions with regard to learning objectives but in opposite order were given to group B. After one year, about half of students from group A were again given the very same questions (AA) or the opposite questions (AB). Likewise, group B was again tested with the opposite questions (BA) or the same (BB). The SC questions in groups A, AA, AB, B, BA, and BB were in sum easier to answer than the corresponding VSA questions. Repeating the test after one year with the same students increased retention of right answers by about 1.5 points. In summary, direct comparison questions in the VSA format are more difficult for our students to answer than questions in the SC format, conceivably because cueing and guessing are eliminated. Knowledge retention is present by repeating the very same examination format online. Retention of knowledge is higher when starting with VSA (group B) both for a subsequent SC format or a VSA format. These data would argue for more use of the VSA format at least in pharmacology examinations.
Nutritional Status and Cardiovascular Health in Female Adolescent Elite-Level Artistic Gymnasts and Swimmers: A Cross-Sectional Study of 31 Athletes
Authors: Jakše Boštjan , Jakše Barbara , Mis Nataša Fidler , Jug Borut , Šajber Dorica , Godnov Uroš , Čuk Ivan
Published: January 2021

Objective. Nutritional status is important for health and competitive achievement. This area remains understudied among elite-level female athletes and is appropriate for research. We examined nutritional status and cardiovascular health markers of two groups of female athletes of the same age and competition period, involved in weight-bearing and a non-weight-bearing sport: gymnasts (n = 17) and swimmers (n = 14); mean age 17.4 and 16.6 years. Methods. Body composition and dietary intake were assessed by bioelectrical impedance and Food Frequency Questionnaire. The concentrations of serum micronutrients (B12, 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25 (OH) D), calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and iron), blood lipids, and blood pressure (BP) were measured. Setting and Participants. A cross-sectional study of 31 athletes from Slovenia. Results. Gymnasts had higher body mass index (21.5 vs. 20.1 kg/m2,

p
=
0.043

) and lower fat free mass (42.4 vs. 46.6 kg,

p
=
0.024

) than swimmers and comparable body fat percentage (22.5 vs. 22.8%). Both groups had low intake of carbohydrates, fibre, polyunsaturated fats, protein (only gymnasts), and micronutrients (11/13 micronutrients gymnasts and 4/13 swimmers) and high intake of free sugars and saturated fats. Both groups also had significantly lower-than-recommended serum levels of 25 (OH) D. All cardiovascular risk factors were within recommended ranges. Gymnasts had higher LDL cholesterol (2.7 vs. 2.2 mmol/L,

p
<
0.011

), and swimmers had higher systolic BP (126 vs. 107 mmHg,

p
<
0.001

). Conclusions. Dietary intake especially in gymnasts was suboptimal, which may reflect in anthropometric and cardiovascular marker differences between gymnasts and swimmers.
Improved Corn Yields When Humic Acid Extracted from Composted Manure Is Applied to Acid Soils with Phosphorus Fertilizer
Authors: Purwanto Benito H. , Wulandari Putri , Sulistyaningsih Endang , Utami Sri N. H. , Handayani Suci
Published: January 2021

Most corn planted on tropical acidic soils suffers substantial yield loss caused by low crop phosphorus (P) uptake. Humic acid is recommended to increase crop P uptake since it is capable of competing with P to be bound to soil adsorption complexes. Humic acid extracted from composted manure (MHA) is a good alternative to humic acid because it is more reactive and has a higher complexation ability compared with leonardite. Therefore, the effectiveness of soil-applied MHA combined with P was evaluated to improve corn yields in acidic soils from the aspect of crop nutrient uptake efficiency and crop physiological performance. Two high-yielding corn cultivars that are highly accepted by Indonesian farmers and resistant to downy mildew disease were subjected to five different types of MHA and P combinations. The amount of P fertilizer was equivalent to 120 mg P2O5 kg−1 soil. The H10P1 produced the most significant result

p
<
0.05

in terms of total crop dry weight, grain dry weight, and corn yield. The highest efficiency for P uptake in the leaves and grains was found with H10P1 and H5P1, respectively. Although chlorophyll content was not substantially improved, the stomatal apertures 7 weeks after planting (WAP) were significantly increased

p
<
0.05

with H10P1 and H15P1. The photosynthetic rate and nitrate reductase (NR) activity at 10 WAP were significantly increased

p
<
0.05

with H5P1 and H10P1, respectively. The results clearly indicated significant increases in the efficiency of crop P uptake and physiological performance for stomatal aperture, photosynthetic rate, and NR activity can highly contribute to higher corn yields.
A Study on Intelligent Manufacturing Industrial Internet for Injection Molding Industry Based on Digital Twin
Authors: Wang Zhiyong , Feng Wei , Ye Junlin , Yang Jinbiao , Liu Chun
Published: January 2021

As one of the basic manufacturing industries in China, injection molding industry is faced with the problems of low degree of informatization and intelligence, resulting in low production efficiency and high costs. It is urgent to integrate deeply with new generation of information technology to achieve transformation and upgrade. In this paper, an integrative industrial Internet architecture of “integration of intelligent equipment, intelligent production lines, intelligent workshops, intelligent factories, and intelligent formats” was described. The injection molding intelligent control system, the production management, control platform based on the MES system, and other key technologies were researched. Also, the smart factory architecture based on digital twin was established, and the implementation method of the smart factory digital twin system was elaborated. The feasibility and effectiveness of the method had been verified through the industrial application, which provided the technical supports for the injection molding industrial Internet system. Finally, the intelligent manufacturing industrial Internet cloud platform for injection molding industry was prospected.
Evaluation of Hippo Pathway and CD133 in Radiation Resistance in Small-Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Yang Kui , Zhao Yang , Du Yonghao , Tang Ruixiang
Published: January 2021

Although the Hippo pathway and CD133 have been reported to play pertinent roles in a variety of cancer, knowledge about their contribution to radiation resistance in small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) is limited. In this first-of-a-kind study, we have reported the expression of key Hippo pathway proteins in SCLC patients by immunohistochemical staining. We assessed the involvement of yes-associated protein 1 (YAP1) in radiation resistance by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) and flow cytometry. In addition, we analysed the impact of CD133 on radiotherapy for SCLC. The mammalian Ste20-like serine/threonine kinase 2(MST2), pMST2, and pYAP1 in the Hippo pathway were not significantly associated with the disease stage and survival time in patients with SCLC. However, the pYAP1 expression showed some significance in the “YAP/TAZ subgroup” of SCLC patients. The proportion of CD133 in the SCLC cells was controlled by the YAP1 expression. The CD133 and YAP1 levels were significantly correlation with each other in tissues of SCLC patients. We sorted and isolated the CD133+ and CD133−cells in H69 and found that the cell surface glycoprotein may be associated with the radiation resistance of SCLC.In summary, we have firstly reported the expression of key Hippo pathway proteins in SCLC patients. Furthermore, we also identified that CD133 may be controlled by the expression of YAP1 in the Hippo pathway and that CD133 may be associated with the radiation resistance of SCLC.
Spiral Waves in a Lattice Array of Josephson Junction Chaotic Oscillators with Flux Effects
Authors: Ramakrishnan Balamurali , Ramamoorthy Ramesh , Li Chunbiao , Akgul Akif , Rajagopal Karthikeyan
Published: January 2021

Josephson junction devices play a significant role in various physical nonlinear systems because of their complex characteristics. Chaotic phenomenon in various types of Josephson junction devices has been widely reported, but many of those literature studies exempted the analysis into multistability and megastability features of the device. In this work, we investigate the network behaviour using a type of Josephson junction-memristor (JJM) device considering the feedback flux effects while modelling. We have considered both AC- and DC-type external excitation currents, and while considering the AC excitation, the system shows megastability (Ramakrishnan et al. 2020). When analysing the lattice layer network constructed with JJM excited by DC bias current, the network shows a turbulent behaviour thus forming spiral waves. This was not the case when we applied AC bias current for which the network showed a much pattern-like formation confirming localised areas of energy distribution. This energy distribution is due to the homogeneous states of the local nodes which are correlated by the respective periodicity plots. When we apply AC bias current with very low frequency, the network shows small areas of local spirals which are soon dissipated by the inhomogeneous nodes nearby. Thus, we could show that the external bias current plays an important role in the collective performance of the Josephson junction devices.
The Role of Acupuncture Improving Cognitive Deficits due to Alzheimer’s Disease or Vascular Diseases through Regulating Neuroplasticity
Authors: Ji Shaozhen , Duan Jiayu , Hou Xiaobing , Zhou Li , Qin Weilan , Niu Huanmin , Luo Shuyun , Zhang Yunling , Chan Piu , Jin Xianglan
Published: January 2021

Dementia affects millions of elderly worldwide causing remarkable costs to society, but effective treatment is still lacking. Acupuncture is one of the complementary therapies that has been applied to cognitive deficits such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and vascular cognitive impairment (VCI), while the underlying mechanisms of its therapeutic efficiency remain elusive. Neuroplasticity is defined as the ability of the nervous system to adapt to internal and external environmental changes, which may support some data to clarify mechanisms how acupuncture improves cognitive impairments. This review summarizes the up-to-date and comprehensive information on the effectiveness of acupuncture treatment on neurogenesis and gliogenesis, synaptic plasticity, related regulatory factors, and signaling pathways, as well as brain network connectivity, to lay ground for fully elucidating the potential mechanism of acupuncture on the regulation of neuroplasticity and promoting its clinical application as a complementary therapy for AD and VCI.
Analytical Nonstationary 3D MIMO Channel Model for Vehicle-to-Vehicle Communication on Slope
Authors: Liu Kaizhen , Wei Zaixue , Chen Sibo
Published: January 2021

Vehicle-to-vehicle communication plays a strong role in modern wireless communication systems, appropriate channel models are of great importance in future research, and propagation environment with slope is one special kind. In this study, a novel three-dimensional nonstationary multiple-input multiple-output channel model for the sub-6 GHz band is proposed. This model is a regular-shaped multicluster geometry-based analytical model, and it combines the line-of-sight component and multicluster scattering rays as the nonline-of-sight components. Each cluster of scatterers represents the influence of different moving vehicles on or near a slope, and scatterers are, respectively, distributed within two spheres around the transmitter and the receiver. In this model, it is considered that the azimuth and elevation angles of departure and arrival are jointly distributed and conform to the von Mises–Fisher distribution, which can easily control the range and concentration of the scatterers within spheres to mimic the real-world situation well. Moreover, the impulse response and the autocorrelation function of the corresponding channel is derived and proposed; then, the Doppler power spectrum density of the channel is simulated and analyzed. In addition, the nonstationary characteristics of the presented channel model are observed through simulations. Finally, the simulation results are compared with measurement data in order to validate the utility of the proposed model.
Safety and Immunogenicity of LY3415244, a Bispecific Antibody Against TIM-3 and PD-L1, in Patients With Advanced Solid Tumors
Authors: Hellmann Matthew D. , Bivi Nicoletta , Calderon Boris , Shimizu Toshio , Delafontaine Brant , Liu Zhuqing Tina , Szpurka Anna M. , Copeland Victoria , Hodi F. Stephen , Rottey Sylvie , Aftimos Philippe , Piao Yongzhe , Gandhi Leena , Galvao Violeta Regnier , Leow Ching Ching , Doi Toshihiko
Published: January 2021

Purpose:

Investigate the safety and efficacy of LY3415244, a TIM-3/PD-L1 bispecific antibody that blocks TIM-3 and PD-L1 in patients with advanced solid tumors.

Patients and Methods:

A phase I, multicenter, open-label study was conducted in patients with advanced solid tumors. Patients were dosed every 2 weeks intravenously with flat doses of LY3415244 escalating from 3 to 70 mg. The primary endpoints were safety, tolerability, and identification of the recommended phase II dose.

Results:

Between November 2018 and October 2019, 12 patients were enrolled into four cohorts and received at least one dose of LY3415244. Two patients (16.7%) developed clinically significant anaphylactic infusion-related reactions and all patients developed treatment-emergent antidrug antibodies (TE-ADA). ADA titers were sometimes very high and negatively impacted soluble TIM-3 target engagement in most patients. ADA epitope specificity was against both TIM-3 and PD-L1 arms of the bispecific antibody; most TE-ADAs initially targeted the TIM-3 arm after the first dose. Preexisting ADAs against LY3415244 were also detected in normal (unexposed) human serum samples. One patient with PD-1 refractory non–small cell lung cancer had a near partial response (−29.6%).

Conclusions:

This TIM-3 and PD-L1 bispecific format was associated with unexpected immunogenicity targeting both arms of the bispecific antibody, resulting in early study termination. Epitope specificity analysis revealed an initial response toward the TIM-3 arm and presence of preexisting ADAs to the bispecific molecule in the general population. This experience emphasizes the importance of thorough analyses for preexisting ADAs as part of immunogenicity risk assessment of novel antibodies.

See related commentary by de Spéville and Moreno, p. 2669