bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Out of date: genetics, history and the British novel of the 1990s
Authors: Riley Natalie
Published: May 2021

This article examines the representation of human genomics in the British historical novel of the 1990s. A form which meditates on the past and its relationship to the present, the historical novel readily lends itself to the exploration of genealogy, heredity and inheritance. Forwarding an understanding of human history, and particularly of family history, as a direct and causal function of the genes, the neo-Darwinian explanation of the genome popular in the 1990s similarly advanced its own teleological relationship between past and present. Reading Jenny Diski’sMonkey’s Uncle(1994), A S Byatt’sBabel Tower(1996) and Zadie Smith’sWhite Teeth(2000), this essay argues that the historical novel provides a unique form with which to critique the deterministic view of heredity promoted by neo-Darwinism. Focusing on moments of textual anachronism, asynchronicity and repetition in these family sagas, it shows how—at its most transgressive—the historical novel imagines temporal disruptions that bring the present into contact with the past in ways that defamiliarise conventions of linearity, order and progress. Refusing the idea of human history as a single, legible line that underpins neo-Darwinian ideas of genetic inheritance, Diski, Byatt and Smith’s novels are able to interrogate both the temporal logics and cultural capital of 1990s genetic science. While the decade was shaped and defined by popular science speculation and large-scale genetic research projects, such as the Human Genome Project (1990–2003), the novels addressed in this essay ultimately suggest the lively and seductive genocentrism of the 1990s to be inadequate to the task of explaining the complexity and meaning of the lived genome. As Diski, Byatt and Smith’s novels anticipate, the question of the uses, meanings and value of the human genome sequence continue to be of relevance within our current, postgenomic era.
Ongoing risk of bladder cancer among former workers at the last benzidine manufacturing facility in the USA
Authors: Millerick-May Melissa L , Wang Ling , Rice Carol , Rosenman Kenneth D
Published: May 2021

Objective

To determine whether there is an ongoing risk of developing bladder cancer in a previously studied cohort of workers exposed to both benzidine and dichlorobenzidine or dichlorobenzidine only in the last benzidine manufacturing plant in the USA.

Methods

Workers (n=488) were identified from the quarterly 941 forms the employer was required to submit to the Social Security Administration from 1960 to 1977. Exposures were assigned based on dates worked and known benzidine/dichlorobenzidine production schedules. Incidence, vital status and cause of death were determined through 2014. Analyses were restricted to white men.

Results

Bladder cancer incidence and mortality were significantly increased (25 incident cases, standardised incidence ratio (SIR) 2.19, 95% CI 1.42 to 3.23, and 5 deaths, standardised mortality ratio (SMR) 3.79, 95% CI 1.23 to 8.84). There were significant increases in incidence and mortality in those exposed to both benzidine and dichlorobenzidine (SIR 3.11, 95% CI 1.97 to 4.67, SMR 4.10, 95% CI 1.12 to 10.50), but not among workers exposed to dichlorobenzidine only (two incident cases, SIR 0.89, 95% CI 0.11 to 3.23 and one death, SMR 2.90, 95% CI 0.07 to 16.15). Bladder cancer incidence and mortality were increased in individuals with >20 years since last exposure with >5 years worked (six observed, SIR 5.94, 95% CI 2.18 to 12.92 and two deaths, SMR 7.93, 95% CI 0.96 to 28.65).

Conclusions

Incidence and mortality due to bladder cancer increased among workers exposed to benzidine but not among workers exposed only to dichlorobenzidine. The risk of incidence and death from bladder cancer remain elevated more than 20 years after last exposure to benzidine in those who worked >5 years.
Bronchial gene expression signature associated with rate of subsequent FEV1 decline in individuals with and at risk of COPD
Authors: Becker Elizabeth J , Faiz Alen , van den Berge Maarten , Timens Wim , Hiemstra Pieter S , Clark Kristopher , Liu Gang , Xiao Xiaohui , Alekseyev Yuriy O , O'Connor George , Lam Stephen , Spira Avrum , Lenburg Marc E , Steiling Katrina
Published: May 2021

Background

COPD is characterised by progressive lung function decline. Leveraging prior work demonstrating bronchial airway COPD-associated gene expression alterations, we sought to determine if there are alterations associated with differences in the rate of FEV1 decline.

Methods

We examined gene expression among ever smokers with and without COPD who at baseline had bronchial brushings profiled by Affymetrix microarrays and had longitudinal lung function measurements (n=134; mean follow-up=6.38±2.48 years). Gene expression profiles associated with the rate of FEV1 decline were identified by linear modelling.

Results

Expression differences in 171 genes were associated with rate of FEV1 decline (false discovery rate <0.05). The FEV1 decline signature was replicated in an independent dataset of bronchial biopsies from patients with COPD (n=46; p=0.018; mean follow-up=6.76±1.32 years). Genes elevated in individuals with more rapid FEV1 decline are significantly enriched among the genes altered by modulation of XBP1 in two independent datasets (Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) p<0.05) and are enriched in mucin-related genes (GSEA p<0.05).

Conclusion

We have identified and replicated an airway gene expression signature associated with the rate of FEV1 decline. Aspects of this signature are related to increased expression of XBP1-regulated genes, a transcription factor involved in the unfolded protein response, and genes related to mucin production. Collectively, these data suggest that molecular processes related to the rate of FEV1 decline can be detected in airway epithelium, identify a possible indicator of FEV1 decline and make it possible to detect, in an early phase, ever smokers with and without COPD most at risk of rapid FEV1 decline.
Prehospital resuscitation
Authors: Brito Alexandra M P , Schreiber Martin
Published: May 2021

Traumatic injury is the leading cause of death in young people in the USA. Our knowledge of prehospital resuscitation is constantly evolving and is often informed by research based on military experience. A move toward balanced blood product resuscitation and away from excessive crystalloid use has led to improvements in outcomes for trauma patients. This has been facilitated by new technologies allowing more front-line use of blood products as well as use of tranexamic acid in the prehospital setting. In this article, we review current practices in prehospital resuscitation and the studies that have informed these practices.
On the Interplay of Direct Topological Factorizations and Cellular Automata Dynamics on Beta-Shifts
Authors: Kopra Johan
Published: May 2021

We consider the range of possible dynamics of cellular automata (CA) on two-sided beta-shifts [Formula: see text] and its relation to direct topological factorizations. We show that any reversible CA [Formula: see text] has an almost equicontinuous direction whenever [Formula: see text] is not sofic. This has the corollary that non-sofic beta-shifts are topologically direct prime, i.e. they are not conjugate to direct topological factorizations [Formula: see text] of two nontrivial subshifts [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]. We also give a simple criterion to determine whether [Formula: see text] is conjugate to [Formula: see text] for a given integer [Formula: see text] and a given real [Formula: see text] when [Formula: see text] is a subshift of finite type. When [Formula: see text] is strictly sofic, we show that such a conjugacy is not possible at least when [Formula: see text] is a quadratic Pisot number of degree [Formula: see text]. We conclude by using direct factorizations to give a new proof for the classification of reversible multiplication automata on beta-shifts with integral base and ask whether nontrivial multiplication automata exist when the base is not an integer.
A behavioral propagation and competition model based on pressure
Authors: Nian Fuzhong , Yang Yang , Shi Yayong , Ren Jinhu , Cao Renmeng
Published: May 2021

The influence of node behavior by the relevant group behavior in complex networks is a topic of recent interest. In order to measure the direct and indirect influence of the neighborhoods, the behavioral propagation and competition model was established based on the pressure. The pressure is described by the impact of group behavior on nodes, which is related to the length and number of reachable paths between two nodes for measuring the nodal behavioral influence. In addition, the pressure range has an effect on the pressure. By modeling and analyzing the change of nodes motivation and the rules of behavioral propagation, and numerical simulations are performed on the small-world networks and the scale-free networks. The results show that pressure is the major factor in the node behavioral motivation, where the pressure generated from behavior in related group network is dependent on the relative location and number of participators. At the same time, network structure also plays an important role at behavior propagation process. Further, competition arises when multiple behaviors are spread among people, while winning behaviors are widely spread among people.
Optimal timing of investments modeled as perpetual American options in a Levy market
Authors: Adinya Ini , Ekhaguere G. O. S.
Published: May 2021

Using a real option approach, this paper models an arbitrary real life investment, which typically has a long maturity date, as a perpetual American call option in a Levy market. Expressions for the moments, characteristic function and infinitesimal generator of the associated jump-diffusion Levy process, defined by two independent compound Poisson processes and two correlated standard Brownian motions, are derived and these fundamental results are employed to determine the optimal time for investment. An application of the results to a Build Operate and Transfer investment is furnished.
Tiered Sampling
Authors: Stefani Lorenzo De , Terolli Erisa , Upfal Eli
Published: May 2021

We introduce
Tiered Sampling
, a novel technique for estimating the count of sparse motifs in massive graphs whose edges are observed in a stream. Our technique requires only a single pass on the data and uses a memory of fixed size
M
, which can be magnitudes smaller than the number of edges.

Our methods address the challenging task of counting sparse motifs—sub-graph patterns—that have a low probability of appearing in a sample of
M
edges in the graph, which is the maximum amount of data available to the algorithms in each step. To obtain an unbiased and low variance estimate of the count, we partition the available memory into tiers (layers) of reservoir samples. While the base layer is a standard reservoir sample of edges, other layers are reservoir samples of sub-structures of the desired motif. By storing more frequent sub-structures of the motif, we increase the probability of detecting an occurrence of the sparse motif we are counting, thus decreasing the variance and error of the estimate.

While we focus on the designing and analysis of algorithms for counting 4-cliques, we present a method which allows generalizing
Tiered Sampling
to obtain high-quality estimates for the number of occurrence of any sub-graph of interest, while reducing the analysis effort due to specific properties of the pattern of interest.

We present a complete analytical analysis and extensive experimental evaluation of our proposed method using both synthetic and real-world data. Our results demonstrate the advantage of our method in obtaining high-quality approximations for the number of 4 and 5-cliques for large graphs using a very limited amount of memory, significantly outperforming the single edge sample approach for counting sparse motifs in large scale graphs.
Optimal Algebraic Breadth-First Search for Sparse Graphs
Authors: Burkhardt Paul
Published: May 2021

There has been a rise in the popularity of algebraic methods for graph algorithms given the development of the GraphBLAS library and other sparse matrix methods. An exemplar for these approaches is Breadth-First Search (BFS). The algebraic BFS algorithm is simply a recurrence of matrix-vector multiplications with the
n
×
n
adjacency matrix, but the many redundant operations over nonzeros ultimately lead to suboptimal performance. Therefore an optimal algebraic BFS should be of keen interest especially if it is easily integrated with existing matrix methods.

Current methods, notably in the GraphBLAS, use a Sparse Matrix masked-Sparse Vector multiplication in which the input vector is kept in a sparse representation in each step of the BFS, and nonzeros in the vector are masked in subsequent steps. This has been an area of recent research in GraphBLAS and other libraries. While in theory, these masking methods are asymptotically optimal on sparse graphs, many add work that leads to suboptimal runtime. We give a new optimal, algebraic BFS for sparse graphs, thus closing a gap in the literature.

Our method multiplies progressively smaller submatrices of the adjacency matrix at each step. Let
n
and
m
refer to the number of vertices and edges, respectively. On a sparse graph, our method takes
O
(
n
) algebraic operations as opposed to
O
(
m
) operations needed by theoretically optimal sparse matrix approaches. Thus, for sparse graphs, it matches the bounds of the best-known sequential algorithm, and on a Parallel Random Access Machine, it is work-optimal. Our result holds for both directed and undirected graphs. Compared to a leading GraphBLAS library, our method achieves up to 24x faster sequential time, and for parallel computation, it can be 17x faster on large graphs and 12x faster on large-diameter graphs.
Graph Neural Networks for Fast Node Ranking Approximation
Authors: Maurya Sunil Kumar , Liu Xin , Murata Tsuyoshi
Published: May 2021

Graphs arise naturally in numerous situations, including social graphs, transportation graphs, web graphs, protein graphs, etc. One of the important problems in these settings is to identify which nodes are important in the graph and how they affect the graph structure as a whole. Betweenness centrality and closeness centrality are two commonly used node ranking measures to find out influential nodes in the graphs in terms of information spread and connectivity. Both of these are considered as shortest path based measures as the calculations require the assumption that the information flows between the nodes via the shortest paths. However, exact calculations of these centrality measures are computationally expensive and prohibitive, especially for large graphs. Although researchers have proposed approximation methods, they are either less efficient or suboptimal or both. We propose the first graph neural network (GNN) based model to approximate betweenness and closeness centrality. In GNN, each node aggregates features of the nodes in multihop neighborhood. We use this feature aggregation scheme to model paths and learn how many nodes are reachable to a specific node. We demonstrate that our approach significantly outperforms current techniques while taking less amount of time through extensive experiments on a series of synthetic and real-world datasets. A benefit of our approach is that the model is inductive, which means it can be trained on one set of graphs and evaluated on another set of graphs with varying structures. Thus, the model is useful for both static graphs and dynamic graphs.

Source code is available at https://github.com/sunilkmaurya/GNN_Ranking
Density Guarantee on Finding Multiple Subgraphs and Subtensors
Authors: Duong Quang-huy , Ramampiaro Heri , Nørvåg Kjetil , Dam Thu-lan
Published: May 2021

Dense subregion (subgraph & subtensor) detection is a well-studied area, with a wide range of applications, and numerous efficient approaches and algorithms have been proposed. Approximation approaches are commonly used for detecting dense subregions due to the complexity of the exact methods. Existing algorithms are generally efficient for dense subtensor and subgraph detection, and can perform well in many applications. However, most of the existing works utilize the state-or-the-art greedy 2-approximation algorithm to capably provide solutions with a loose theoretical density guarantee. The main drawback of most of these algorithms is that they can estimate only one subtensor, or subgraph, at a time, with a low guarantee on its density. While some methods can, on the other hand, estimate multiple subtensors, they can give a guarantee on the density with respect to the input tensor for the first estimated subsensor only. We address these drawbacks by providing both theoretical and practical solution for estimating multiple dense subtensors in tensor data and giving a higher lower bound of the density. In particular, we guarantee and prove a higher bound of the lower-bound density of the estimated subgraph and subtensors. We also propose a novel approach to show that there are multiple dense subtensors with a guarantee on its density that is greater than the lower bound used in the state-of-the-art algorithms. We evaluate our approach with extensive experiments on several real-world datasets, which demonstrates its efficiency and feasibility.
Deep Graph Matching and Searching for Semantic Code Retrieval
Authors: Ling Xiang , Wu Lingfei , Wang Saizhuo , Pan Gaoning , Ma Tengfei , Xu Fangli , Liu Alex X. , Wu Chunming , Ji Shouling
Published: May 2021

Code retrieval is to find the code snippet from a large corpus of source code repositories that highly matches the query of natural language description. Recent work mainly uses natural language processing techniques to process both query texts (i.e., human natural language) and code snippets (i.e., machine programming language), however, neglecting the deep structured features of query texts and source codes, both of which contain rich semantic information. In this article, we propose an end-to-end deep graph matching and searching (DGMS) model based on graph neural networks for the task of semantic code retrieval. To this end, we first represent both natural language query texts and programming language code snippets with the unified graph-structured data, and then use the proposed graph matching and searching model to retrieve the best matching code snippet. In particular, DGMS not only captures more structural information for individual query texts or code snippets, but also learns the fine-grained similarity between them by cross-attention based semantic matching operations. We evaluate the proposed DGMS model on two public code retrieval datasets with two representative programming languages (i.e., Java and Python). Experiment results demonstrate that DGMS significantly outperforms state-of-the-art baseline models by a large margin on both datasets. Moreover, our extensive ablation studies systematically investigate and illustrate the impact of each part of DGMS.
Decreasing the Miss Rate and Eliminating the Performance Penalty of a Data Filter Cache
Authors: Stokes Michael , Whalley David , Onder Soner
Published: May 2021

While data filter caches (DFCs) have been shown to be effective at reducing data access energy, they have not been adopted in processors due to the associated performance penalty caused by high DFC miss rates. In this article, we present a design that both decreases the DFC miss rate and completely eliminates the DFC performance penalty even for a level-one data cache (L1 DC) with a single cycle access time. First, we show that a DFC that lazily fills each word in a DFC line from an L1 DC only when the word is referenced is more energy-efficient than eagerly filling the entire DFC line. For a 512B DFC, we are able to eliminate loads of words into the DFC that are never referenced before being evicted, which occurred for about 75% of the words in 32B lines. Second, we demonstrate that a lazily word filled DFC line can effectively share and pack data words from multiple L1 DC lines to lower the DFC miss rate. For a 512B DFC, we completely avoid accessing the L1 DC for loads about 23% of the time and avoid a fully associative L1 DC access for loads 50% of the time, where the DFC only requires about 2.5% of the size of the L1 DC. Finally, we present a method that completely eliminates the DFC performance penalty by speculatively performing DFC tag checks early and only accessing DFC data when a hit is guaranteed. For a 512B DFC, we improve data access energy usage for the DTLB and L1 DC by 33% with no performance degradation.
Synthesis, Characterization and Performance Study of Biomass Derived Supercapacitor Electrode
Authors: Tripathi Manoj , Bhatnagar Ashish , Pandey Krishna Kumar , Ganesan P.
Published: May 2021

Energy storage using biomass derived electrodes is very interesting and potential field. Replacing commercial activated carbon with biomass derived char may reduce the cost of electrode without affecting the performance significantly. In present study, oil palm shell (OPS) derived char synthesized by microwave pyrolysis is used to prepare an electrode and its performance as an electrode is studied. OPS and OPS char is characterized using ultimate & proximate analysis, TGA-DTA, FT-IR and SEM. Carbon percent in OPS char is found to be 59.42 wt.% as compared to 42.59 wt.% for OPS. TGA affirms that OPS char is thermally more stable than OPS. SEM images incite significant morphological change upon exposure of microwave radiation on OPS. It further shows that smaller pores in OPS have developed into larger pores in OPS char. Adsorption-desorption study of OPS char confirms the porous nature of OPS char. BET surface area of OPS char is 265.90 m2g−1. Electro-chemical study is conducted with three electrode system. Specific capacitance of OPS char derived electrode is 203.30 F g−1. Charging-discharging cycle lowered the specific capacitance. The drop is less significant at lower scan rate. The energy storage cost is also determined which is $ cent 0.05/F.
Development of Transition Metal Oxide Film Coated Platforms for Aptamer Based Electrochemical Detection of Ochratoxin A
Authors: Aydin Kirlangiç İrem , Kara Pınar , Ertaş Fatma Nil
Published: May 2021

A novel aptamer based nanobiosensor for label free detection of Ochratoxin A (OTA) was developed in the present study. Pencil graphite electrode (PGE) surfaces modified with transition metal oxides (MeOx) were used as a platform for immobilizing the 5′aminohexyl linked aptamer sequence representing Ochratoxin A via carbodiimide chemistry. After blocking the residual active surface with bovine serum albumin, aptasensors were incubated with OTA solution to monitor their interaction by Electrochemical Impedance Spectrometry (EIS) in the presence of 5 mM [Fe(CN)6]3−/4− based on the electron transfer resistances (Rct). Operational and solution parameters such as the type of metal oxide (MnOx, MoOx and WOx) and the technique used in their deposition step being cyclic voltammetry (CV) or pulsed deposition (PD) along with the aptamer concentration were optimized by comparing the EIS measurements, and the best performance was obtained with MnOx modified PGEs by PD technique. Selectivity of the designed aptasensor was detected by using Aflatoxin B1 and Zearalenone as nonspecific molecules and from the calibration curves, the limit of detection (LOD) was calculated as 0.03 nM.
Understanding Evolution of Lithium Trivanadate Cathodes During Cycling via Reformulated Physics-Based Models and Experiments
Authors: Mayilvahanan K. S. , Kuang J. , McCarthy A. H. , Wang L. , Takeuchi K. J. , Marschilok A. M. , Takeuchi E. S. , West A. C.
Published: May 2021

Degradation of lithium trivanadate (Li

x

V
3
O
8) cathodes has been widely reported in the literature, but studies have offered little insight towards developing a detailed understanding of the evolution of the active material, and have been inconclusive as to the root cause of degradation. Here, we refit a validated physics-based model to discharge curves over the course of cycling at C/5, and use the evolution of the model parameters to track evolution of the cathode. A regularization penalty for adjusting model parameters from the validated model is introduced as a framework to identify which model parameters can explain a significant portion of the observed change in the voltage profile over the course of cycling. SEM reveals that lithium trivandate particles fracture upon cycling at C/5, consistent with the results of the parameter estimation, deactivation of lithium trivanadate and faster diffusion of lithium within the active particles. The physics-based model is then used to design modified cycling protocols which identify the phase transformation during discharge of lithium trivanadate as the driver of the particle fracture and capacity fade.
Finite Element Evaluation of the Effect of Adhesive Creams on the Stress State of Dentures and Oral Mucosa
Authors: Ramakrishnan Anantha Narayanan , Röhrle Oliver , Ludtka Christopher , Varghese Roshan , Koehler Josephine , Kiesow Andreas , Schwan Stefan
Published: May 2021

The base fit between a removable partial denture (RPD) and the underlying soft tissue plays a significant role in its performance. The application of a denture adhesive is hypothesized to result in better retention of RPDs and, as a result, contribute to lower stress on the oral mucosa. The objectives of this study were to observe and compare the distribution of simulated bite forces applied to the RPD through the abutments and soft tissue for models with and without the use of a denture adhesive. Furthermore, we evaluated the possible benefit of using a denture adhesive in lowering stresses on the oral mucosa. The RPD, mandible, oral mucosa, abutment teeth supporting the RPD, and the corresponding abutment periodontal ligaments (PDLs) were modelled as 3D volumes based on computer tomography (CT) datasets. A viscoelastic adhesive layer between the RPD and oral mucosa was incorporated into this base model using Prony series approximation. The layer was developed as a volume extract using the denture surface. Finite element (FE) simulations were performed for the bite force on one of the RPD segments, with the resulting force and moments experienced by the dental structures and oral mucosa compared between the model with the adhesive layer and the base model without. As a result, the contact pressure on the oral mucosa for the model with the denture adhesive decreased to 0.15 MPa as compared to 0.25 MPa for the model without the adhesive. The potential role of denture adhesives in leading to a better fit between the RPD and oral mucosa as well as lowering contact pressures could be used to improve comfort in patients wearing RPDs.
Design of Window Grille Shape-Based Multiband Antenna for Mobile Terminals
Authors: Yu Zhen , Li Yao , Lin Ziheng , Ran Xiaoying
Published: May 2021

Combined with the classic Chinese window grille structure, this paper proposes and designs a multiband microstrip antenna that can be used in wireless mobile terminal equipment. The antenna radiator adopts a rectangular bending structure with four loops, which increases the effective current path of the antenna radiator in a limited space, so that the overall antenna is miniaturized. The branch structure of the four-ring phase set increases the current path of the antenna, making the antenna multiband. The electromagnetic simulation software HFSS was used for antenna modeling and parameter optimization, and the influence of the feed structure, feed mode, and ground plate shape on the antenna was compared and analyzed. The test results show that the antenna can cover four bands, 0.85–1.1 GHz, 1.2–1.8 GHz, 2.40–2.7 GHz, and 5.05–6.3 GHz, and produce 6 main frequency points, 0.9 GHz, 1.3 GHz, 1.6 GHz, 2.55 GHz, 5.3 GHz, and 6.05 GHz. The antenna can cover various navigation systems, Bluetooth, WLAN, ISM frequency band, and 5G (5.725–5.825 GHz).
Acute Airway Obstruction from Megaoesophagus Secondary to Achalasia Evaluated with Flexible Bronchoscope
Authors: Parker Jun D.
Published: May 2021

A 94-year-old female presented to the emergency department with acute expiratory stridor. In the absence of an otorhinolaryngologist, an urgent laryngoscopy was performed using a flexible bronchoscope by an anaesthesiologist in the emergency department leading to a change in management. Subsequent radiographs confirmed severe tracheal compression from megaoesophagus secondary to achalasia as the cause of acute airway obstruction. Use of flexible bronchoscope as a diagnostic tool by an anaesthesiologist to evaluate a patient presenting with signs of acute airway obstruction may lead to a safer and more careful airway management planning. Suggestions are also made regarding establishment of emergency surgical airways when conventional approaches fail.
Knockdown of NOLC1 Inhibits PI3K-AKT Pathway to Improve the Poor Prognosis of Esophageal Carcinoma
Authors: Kong Fanguo , Shang Yansheng , Diao Xingyuan , Huang Jiaguo , Liu Hui
Published: May 2021

Objective. Esophageal carcinoma (ESCA) is a common malignant gastrointestinal tumor. The abnormal expression of NOLC1 is involved in the tumorigenesis of various human tumors, whereas the function and mechanism of NOLC1 in ESCA remain unclear. In this study, we explored the relationship between NOLC1 and poor prognosis of ESCA, and its role and mechanism in the occurrence of ESCA. Methods. The NOLC1 expression in ESCA tissues and cell lines was determined by qRT-PCR, immunohistochemistry, or western blot. The Kaplan–Meier method was conducted to estimate the overall survival. Cox regression analysis was carried out to examine the association between patient characteristics and prognosis. A recombined lentiviral vector containing NOLC1 was applied for transfecting ESCA cells (Eca109 and TE-13) and established a stable cell line with low NOLC1 expression or high NOLC1 expression, in the absence or presence of PI3K inhibitor (LY294002) treatment. Cell proliferation, apoptosis rate, invasion ability, migration ability, and PI3K/AKT pathway were detected by CCK8 assay, flow cytometry, Transwell assay, wound-healing assay, and western blot. Results. NOLC1 overexpression was observed in ESCA tissues and ESCA cell lines (EC9706, Eca109, TE-13, Kyse170, T.TN) compared with adjacent normal tissues and normal esophageal cell line HEEC. NOLC1 overexpression was markedly associated with bigger tumor size, lymph node metastasis, and advanced TNM stage. Patients with NOLC1 overexpression have shorter overall survival than that of those with low NOLC1 expression. NOLC1 overexpression was considered to be an independent poor prognostic factor affecting overall survival. NOLC1 knockdown inhibited proliferation, migration, invasion, and cyclin B1 expression and promoted the apoptosis and cleaved-caspase-3 expression of Eca109 and TE-13 cells. NOLC1 overexpression accelerated proliferation, migration, invasion, and cyclin B1 expression and inhibited the apoptosis and cleaved-caspase-3 expression of ESCA cells via activating PI3K/AKT pathway. Rescue experiments showed that PI3K inhibitor (LY294002) could reverse the phenomenon caused by NOLC1 overexpression. Conclusion. NOLC1 may be a marker for poor prognosis. It can participate in the occurrence and development of ESCA via the PI3K/AKT pathway.
Seepage Behaviour of Fractured Rock Mass Infilling Using Different Transfixion Rates under Cyclic Loading
Authors: Wang Shuren , Zhang Jiyun , Li Zhichao , Yu Yongqiang
Published: May 2021

It is very important to determine the seepage behaviour of fractured rock mass infilling to evaluate the stability of the surrounding rock. The joint transfixion rate is the ratio of the unpenetrated length to the penetration length of a joint in a sample. Samples of the fractured rock mass infilling using different transfixion rates were prepared, and a TCQT-III low-permeability coal-rock triaxial seepage device was used to conduct three cycles of confining pressure-seepage coupling tests. Results show that the permeability is a power function in the confining pressure of the sample, and the permeability changes most significantly with the confining pressures. The permeability of the sample increases exponentially with the joint transfixion rate. The permeability loss is positively correlated with the plastic deformation of the sample; the permeability changes most significantly during the first cycle loading. There is over 60% recovery of the permeability of the sample under cyclic loading for loads that do not exceed the strength of the infilling. The stress sensitivity coefficient decreases as the confining pressure increases and is higher during the unloading stage than that during the loading stage for samples with an incomplete transfixion rate. The conclusions obtained in this study can serve as a reference for grouting applications.
The Current Portrayal of Non-Variceal Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding in a Portuguese Tertiary Center
Authors: Falcão Daniela , Alves da Silva Joana , Pereira Guedes Tiago , Garrido Mónica , Novo Inês , Pedroto Isabel
Published: May 2021

Introduction: Non-variceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding (NVUGIB) is an important healthcare problem whose epidemiology and outcomes have been changing throughout the years. The main goal of this study was to characterize the current demographics, etiologies, and risk factors of NVUGIB. Methods: Analysis of clinical, endoscopic, and outcome data from patients who were admitted for NVUGIB between January 2016 and January 2019 in an emergency department of a tertiary hospital center. Results: A total of 522 patients were included, with a median age of 71 years, mainly men, with multiple comorbidities. Most patients were directly admitted, while the others were transferred from other hospitals. Peptic ulcer disease was the most common cause of NVUGIB and it was followed by tumor bleeding. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy was performed within <12 h after hospital admission in 51.9%. In-hospital rebleeding occurred in 6.9% and overall mortality was 4.2%. Transferred patients had superior Glasgow-Blatchford score (GBS), required more blood transfusion, endoscopic and surgical interventions, and presented higher rebleeding rate, with similar mortality. Complete Rockall score (CRS) and GBS were predictors of endoscopic therapy. Surgery need was only related to CRS. Patients who rebled had superior pre-endoscopic Rockall score (RS), CRS, and GBS. Mortality was increased in patients with higher RS and CRS. Discussion/Conclusion: Ageing and increasing comorbidities have not been related to worse outcomes in NVUGIB. These findings seem to be the consequence of the correct use of both diagnostic and therapeutic tools in an organized and widely accessible healthcare system.
Abstract 12541: Left Atrial Cardiomyopathy and Associations With Left Atrial Structure and Function
Authors: Madison Christopher , Ayers Colby , Pandey Ambarish , McNamara David
Published: May 2021

Introduction:
Abnormally negative P-wave terminal force in lead V1 (aPTFV1 <-5000μV*ms) is an electrocardiographic marker of left atrial (LA) myopathy and is associated with an increased risk of stroke, independent of atrial fibrillation. Whether the LA myopathy associated with aPTFV1 is associated with LA structural/mechanical dysfunction is unknown.

Hypothesis:
aPTFV1 is positively correlated with markers of LA mechanical dysfunction including LA end diastolic volume (LAEDV), systolic volume (LAESV), and ejection fraction (LA EF).

Methods:
Dallas Heart Study participants free of atrial fibrillation with concomitant cardiac MRI (CMR) and ECG were included. Participants were categorized as aPTFV1, defined as <-5000μV*ms, or normal PTFV1 (nPTFV1). Demographics, established cardiovascular risk factors, and CMR markers of LA and LV structure/function were compared. Multivariable forward step-wise logistic regression models tested the association of aPTFV1 with the univariate variables (p<0.1 for entry/exit).

Results:
Among 1,880 participants, 214 had an aPTFV1. Participants with aPTFV1 were more likely to be older, black, and have traditional atherosclerotic risk factors including hypertension, diabetes, smoking, and prior stroke (Table 1). aPTFV1 was associated with larger LAEDV and LAESV, and lower LA EF. Multivariable regression models demonstrated increased LV mass, but no markers of LA structural or mechanical dysfunction were associated with an aPTFV1. Modeling explained little of the variability in PTFV1 (cumulative R
2
= 0.03).

Conclusions:
In a large, multi-ethnic cohort, important differences in traditional cardiovascular risk exist between aPTFV1 and nPTFV1; however, cardiac MRI-derived LA structure/function explain very little of the variability in PTFV1. These data suggest the LA cardiomyopathy associated with aPTFV1 may be a manifestation of electrical rather than structural/mechanical dysfunction.
Abstract 12568: Impact of Aortic Stenosis on Myofiber Stress: Translational Application of Left Ventricle-Aortic Coupling Simulations
Authors: Wisneski Andrew D , Wang Yunjie , Salari Reza , Levine Steve , Yao Jiang , Guccione Julius M
Published: May 2021

Introduction:
Grading aortic stenosis (AS) has traditionally relied on measuring hemodynamic parameters of transvalvular pressure gradient, ejection jet velocity, or estimating valve orifice area. Recent research has highlighted limitations of these criteria at effectively grading AS in presence of left ventricle (LV) dysfunction. We hypothesize that simulations coupling the aorta and LV will provide meaningful insight into myocardial biomechanical derangements that accompany AS. Reference data from the normal ventricle should first be obtained.

Methods:
A multi-domain cardiac model with representative anatomy and material properties was used to create AS simulations. Finite element analysis was performed with ABAQUS FEA®. An anisotropic hyperelastic model was assigned to the aorta and LV passive properties, while time-varying elastance function governed LV active response. Mild and severe AS were created by restricting the aortic valve orifice area.

Results:
Global LV myofiber end systolic (ES) stress (mean±SD) was 9.31±10.33 kPa at baseline (no AS), 13.13±10.29 kPa for mild AS, and 16.18±10.59 kPa with severe AS. Mean LV myofiber ES strains were -22.4±8.7%, -22.2±8.9%, and -21.9±9.2%, respectively. Mild and severe AS had significant stress elevation compared to baseline (mild AS vs base; p<0.01, severe AS vs base; p<0.001) and when compared to each other (p<0.01). See
Figure 1
. Ventricular regions that experienced greatest magnitude ES stress were (severe AS vs baseline) basal inferior (39.87±14.73 vs 30.02±12.08 kPa; p<0.01), mid-anteroseptal (32.29±11.56 vs 24.79±12.00 kPa; p<0.001), and apex (27.99±8.44 vs 23.52±10.19 kPa; p<0.001).

Conclusions:
Isolated AS in a normal heart was simulated, and significantly elevated LV myofiber stress was quantified. This data serves as a comparison to future studies that will incorporate patient-specific ventricular geometries and material parameters, aiming to correlate LV biomechanics to AS severity.
Abstract 12569: Analysis of Deep Learning Models for Prediction of Heart Failure Mortality
Authors: Krittanawong Chayakrit , Johnson Kipp W , Baber Usman , Aydar Mehmet , Wang Zhen , Stewart Matthew P , Halperin Jonathan , Tang Wilson
Published: May 2021

Introduction:
Heart failure (HF) is a leading cause of hospitalization, morbidity and mortality. Deep learning (DL) techniques appear to show promising results in risk stratification and prognosis in several conditions in medicine. However, few methods using DL exist to help quantitatively estimate prognosis of HF. We hypothesized that deep learning (DL) techniques could prognosis of HF using simple variables. We propose application of a custom-built deep-neural-network model to identify mortality in HF patients.

Methods:
Custom-built deep-neural-networks were assessed using survey data from 42,147 participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2016 (NHANES). Variables were selected using clinical judgment and stepwise backward regressions to develop prediction models. We partitioned the data into training and testing sets and repetitive experiments. We then evaluated model performance based on discrimination and calibration including the area under the receiver-operator characteristics curve (C-statistics), balanced accuracy, probability calibration with sigmoid, and the Brier score, respectively. As sensitivity analyses, we examined results limited to cases with complete clinical information available. We validated models’ performance using Mount Sinai database.

Results:
Of 42,147 participants with 4,060 variables, 1,491 (3.5%) had HF and HF mortality was 51.8%. In validation cohort, of 26,333 HF patients, the mortality in HF patients was 405 (1.5%). Final model using only 20 variables (age, race, gender, BMI, smoking, alcohol consumption, HTN, COPD, SBP, DBP, HR, HDL, LDL, CRP, A1C, BUN, creatinine, hemoglobin, sodium level, on statin) was tested. A state-of-the-art deep learning models achieved high accuracy for predicting mortality in HF patients with an AUC of 0.96 (95% CI: 0.95-0.99) in the first cohort and AUC of 0.93 (95% CI: 0.91-0.96) in validation cohort.

Conclusions:
A deep neural network model has shown to have high predictive accuracy and discriminative and calibrative power for prediction of HF mortality. Further research can delineate the clinical implications of DL in predicting HF mortality.
Abstract 12570: Association Between Left Atrial Global Peak Longitudinal Strain and Tgfβ1 in Cardiovascular Surgery Patients
Authors: Yazawa Hiroko , Nakajima Toshiaki , Haruyama Akiko , Hirose Suguru , Inami Shu , Kaneda Hiroyuki , Amano Hirohisa , Saito Fumiya , Obi Shoutarou , Arikawa Takuo , Shibasaki Ikuko , Fukuda Hirotsugu , Toyoda Shigeru , Inoue Teruo
Published: May 2021

Introduction:
Atrial fibrosis plays an important role in atrial remodeling and the development of atrial fibrillation (AF). Transforming growth factor β1 (TGFβ1) is one of the major factors that accelerate atrial fibrosis. Left atrium global peak longitudinal strain (GPLS) measured by two-dimensional speckle tracking (2DS) method has been reported to be a useful method to predict the degree of atrial fibrosis.

Hypothesis:
To investigate the association between GPLS, Af and atrial fibrotic remodeling by analyzing fibrosis-relating gene expression including collagen type 1 (COL1A1), and TGFβ1 in cardiovascular surgery patients.

Methods:
Conventional echocardiography and 2DS method were performed in 117 patients (36 atrial fibrillation (Af) patients, 81 patients with sinus rhythm (SR), average age 69.7 years, 69 males) before cardiovascular surgery including cardiac valve replacement, and CABG. The fibrosis-relating gene expression such as collagen type 1 (COL1A1), COL4A1, TGFβ1, and connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) mRNA were analyzed by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in 39 cases in which LA tissues were removed from the appendage during surgery.

Results:
GPLS was significantly negatively correlated with left atrial diameter (LAD), E/e‘, and left atrial volume index (LAVI). Expression of TGFβ1 in the atrium was positively correlated with expression level of Col1A1, Col4A1, and CTGF mRNA. GPLS was significantly negatively correlated with the expression of Col1A1 (r = -0.418, p = 0.015), TGFβ1 (r = -0.557, p = 0.000), and Col4A1 (r = -0.411, p = 0.013). However, no clear correlation was observed with LAD and LAVI. In multivariate analysis, unlike LAD and LAVI, GSLS was a clear predictor of Col1A1 expression, even when corrected with gender, age, brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), and type of heart rhythm (Af, sinus rhythm). On the other hand, TGFβ1 concentration in blood did not correlate with TGFβ1, Col1A1 and Col41A mRNA expression level in the atrium.

Conclusions:
Low LA GPLS exhibits increased atrial fibrosis reflected by collagen and TGFβ1 expression , irrespectively of heart rhythm (Af or sinus rhythm), and becomes an extremely useful marker for predicting LA fibrosis in cardiovascular surgery patients.
Abstract 12584: Transcription Factor EB Regulates Vascular Smooth Muscle Calcification
Authors: Ishiwata Ryo , Morimoto Yuji
Published: May 2021

Introduction:
Vascular calcification is a strong predictor of cardiovascular-related mortality. Hyperphosphatemia causes phenotypic switches of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs), leading to medial calcification. Recent studies have suggested that dysfunction of the autophagy-lysosomal pathway in VSMCs is a cause of vascular calcification, but the process through which this pathway fails is elusive. Transcription factor EB (TFEB) is a master regulator of lysosome biogenesis; its function in VSMCs is unknown.

Hypothesis:
We assessed the hypothesis that the dysfunction of TFEB in VSMCs is a cause of vascular calcification.

Methods and Results:
We induced vascular calcification in wild type mouse aorta with an
ex vivo
hyperphosphatemia model
.
Addition of inorganic phosphate at a 1.7 mmol/L for five days decreased TFEB protein expression (0.23 ± 0.10-fold vs. day0,
n
= 5-7). Immunohistochemistry and alizarin red staining showed that a decrease in TFEB expression in the tunica media was correlated with the formation of calcification. VSMCs were isolated from rat aorta and were cultured for seven days
in vitro
. Addition of inorganic phosphate dose-dependently decreased TFEB protein expression both in whole cell lysate and in nuclear fraction (0.07± 0.03-fold vs. control,
n
= 5 ; 0.01 ± 0.003-fold vs. control,
n
= 4, respectively) while it rather increased mRNA expression of
Tfeb
(4.48 ± 0.95-fold,
n
= 7 vs. control). The Decrease in TFEB protein by inorganic phosphate was correlated with the accumulation of TFEB in the SDS-insoluble fraction, suggesting the formation of protein aggregates. The Knockdown of TFEB in VSMCs by siRNA exacerbated phosphate-induced calcium deposition (2.93 ± 0.85-fold,
n
= 4 vs. negative siRNA). The addition of inorganic phosphate significantly decreased lysosomal activity determined by LysoTracker dye; and treatment with 20 nmol/L of bafilomycin A, a lysosome inhibitor, further accelerated phosphate-induced calcium deposition (13.6 ± 3.69-fold,
n
= 7 vs. vehicle).

Conclusion:
In conclusion, TFEB expression in VSMCs is downregulated at the protein level by hyperphosphatemia. The diminution of functional TFEB predisposes to vascular calcification, presumably through downregulating lysosomal activity.