bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Predictors of renal damage in systemic lupus erythematous patients: data from a multiethnic, multinational Latin American lupus cohort (GLADEL)
Authors: Reátegui-Sokolova Cristina , Ugarte-Gil Manuel F , Harvey Guillermina B , Wojdyla Daniel , Pons-Estel Guillermo J , Quintana Rosana , Serrano-Morales Rosa M , Sacnun Mónica P , Catoggio Luis J , Soriano Enrique R , García Mercedes A , Saurit Verónica , Alvarellos Alejandro , Caeiro Francisco , Berbotto Guillermo A , Sato Emilia I , Borba Neto Eduardo Ferreira , Bonfa Eloisa , de Oliveira e Silva Montandon Ana Carolina , Da Silva Nilzio A , Cavalcanti Fernando , Vásquez Gloria , Guibert-Toledano Marlene , Reyes-Llerena Gil A , Massardo Loreto , Neira Oscar J , Cardiel Mario H , Barile-Fabris Leonor A , Amigo Mary-Carmen , Silveira Luis H , Portela-Hernández Margarita , Garcia de la Torre Ignacio , Segami María Inés , Chacón-Diaz Rosa , Esteva-Spinetti María H , Alarcón Graciela S , Pons-Estel Bernardo A
Published: December 2020

Aim

A decrease in proteinuria has been considered protective from renal damage in lupus nephritis (LN), but a cut-off point has yet to be established. The aim of this study was to identify the predictors of renal damage in patients with LN and to determine the best cut-off point for a decrease in proteinuria.

Methods

We included patients with LN defined clinically or histologically. Possible predictors of renal damage at the time of LN diagnosis were examined: proteinuria, low complement, anti-double-stranded DNA antibodies, red cell casts, creatinine level, hypertension, renal activity (assessed by the Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI)), prednisone dose, immunosuppressive drugs and antimalarial use. Sociodemographic variables were included at baseline. Proteinuria was assessed at baseline and at 12 months, to determine if early response (proteinuria <0.8 g/day within 12 months since LN diagnosis) is protective of renal damage occurrence. Renal damage was defined as an increase of one or more points in the renal domain of The Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics (SLICC)/American College of Rheumatology (ACR) Damage Index (SDI). Cox regression models using a backward selection method were performed.

Results

Five hundred and two patients with systemic lupus erythematosus patients were included; 120 patients (23.9%) accrued renal damage during their follow-up. Early response to treatment (HR=0.58), antimalarial use (HR=0.54) and a high SES (HR=0.25) were protective of renal damage occurrence, whereas male gender (HR=1.83), hypertension (HR=1.86) and the renal component of the SLEDAI (HR=2.02) were risk factors for its occurrence.

Conclusions

Early response, antimalarial use and high SES were protective of renal damage, while male gender, hypertension and higher renal activity were risk factors for its occurrence in patients with LN.
Impact of risk factors on driving tours: A study based on CA model
Authors: Shi Jing , Baikejul Muladilijiang , Luo Ling
Published: December 2020

Road traffic risk is currently one of the most concerned problems of drive tourists. The motivation of this research is to quantify the impact of driving tour risk factors on road traffic safety and efficiency. Based on the characteristics of tourists’ aberrant driving behaviors while traveling by cars, the most frequently observed driving tour risk factors were explored, the conditions for the occurrence of various dangerous situations during road trips were defined, and a two-lane CA model considering drivers’ lane-changing and car-following behaviors was established to quantify the impact of single factors as well as the superposition of multi-factors on road traffic safety and efficiency. The simulation results indicate that the driving tour risk factors have significant negative impact on road traffic risk by increasing the frequencies of dangerous situations, inducing a reduction in traffic flow, and an increase in traffic congestion. In addition, the superposition of multi-factors, in particular the superposition of “fatigue driving” and “environment,” further increases the risk, specially aggravates the problems of traffic accidents and congestions.
Quantum speed limit time in the presence of disturbance
Authors: Haseli S. , Salimi S. , Dolatkhah H. , Khorashad A. S.
Published: December 2020

Quantum theory sets a bound on the minimal time it takes for a system to evolve from initial state to target state. This bound is called the quantum speed limit (QSL) time. The quantum speed limit time is used to quantify the maximal speed of the quantum evolution. The quantum evolution will be faster if the quantum speed limit time decreases. In this work, we study the quantum speed limit time for an open quantum system in the presence of disturbance in an environment. We use the model which is provided by Ban [Phys. Rev. A 99, 012116 (2019)]. In this model, two quantum systems [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] interact with environment sequentially. At first, quantum system [Formula: see text] interacts with the environment [Formula: see text] as an auxiliary system, then quantum system [Formula: see text] starts its interaction with disturbed environment immediately. In this work, we consider the dephasing coupling with two types of environment that has different spectral density: Ohmic and Lorentzian. We observe that, non-Markovian effects will appear in the dynamics of the second quantum system [Formula: see text] due to the interaction of the first quantum system [Formula: see text] with the environment. Given the fact that the quantum speed limit time reduces due to the non-Markovian feature of quantum evolution, we show that disturbance effects will reduce the quantum speed limit time for the dynamics of the second quantum system [Formula: see text].
Bound state solutions of the Klein–Gordon equation with energy-dependent potentials
Authors: Lütfüoğlu B. C. , Ikot A. N. , Karakoc M. , Osobonye G. T. , Ngiangia A. T. , Bayrak O.
Published: December 2020

In this paper, we investigate the exact bound state solution of the Klein–Gordon equation for an energy-dependent Coulomb-like vector plus scalar potential energies. To the best of our knowledge, this problem is examined in literature with a constant and position dependent mass functions. As a novelty, we assume a mass-function that depends on energy and position and revisit the problem with the following cases: First, we examine the case where the mixed vector and scalar potential energy possess equal magnitude and equal sign as well as an opposite sign. Then, we study pure scalar and pure vector cases. In each case, we derive an analytic expression of the energy spectrum by employing the asymptotic iteration method. We obtain a nontrivial relation among the tuning parameters which lead the examined problem to a constant mass one. Finally, we calculate the energy spectrum by the Secant method and show that the corresponding unnormalized wave functions satisfy the boundary conditions. We conclude the paper with a comparison of the calculated energy spectra versus tuning parameters.
Learning a Twofold Siamese Network for RGB-T Object Tracking
Authors: Kuai Yangliu , Li Dongdong , Qian Que
Published: December 2020

Visual object tracking works as a key component for many instrumentation and measurement applications such as UAV systems, optical tracking and measuring systems. This paper investigates how to implement accurate RGB-T tracking by integrating the complementary information from RGB and thermal sources. Inspired by the success of Siamese networks in the RGB tracking field, we design a twofold Siamese network for RGB-T tracking, which is composed of an RGB branch and a thermal branch. Each branch is a Siamese network, which can be utilized to compute similarities between the search image and the exemplar image. The parameters in the RGB branch are kept the same as SiamFC. The thermal branch is initialized with parameter weights of the trained network in SiamFC and fine-tuned with constructed thermal image pairs to better capture the target characteristics in the thermal data. Two criteria are further proposed to measure the confidence degrees of response maps obtained by these two modalities. The final response map is computed by adaptively fusing them according to their confidence degrees. The maximum location on the final response map is identified as the target location, and the target scale is obtained through a simple multi-scale search. Experiments on the recently public benchmark RGB-T234 demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed method when compared to other state-of-the-art trackers. The high performance of our proposed trakcer makes it easy to be implemented in embedded system.
Electric Transport Properties of a Model Nanojunction “Graphene–Fullerene C60–Graphene”
Authors: Sergeyev D. , Ashikov N. , Zhanturina N.
Published: December 2020

In the framework of the density functional theory and method of nonequilibrium Green functions (DFT [Formula: see text] NEGF), the electric transport properties of the model nanojunction “Graphene–Fullerene C[Formula: see text]–Graphene” were studied. The transmission spectra, the density of states, the current–voltage characteristic (CVC) and the differential conductivity of the nanojunction are determined. The appearance of a feature of the DOS nanotransition is revealed. This is due to the fact that the Lowest Unoccupied Molecular Orbital (LUMO) of C[Formula: see text] becomes closer to the Fermi level of metal substrates than its Highest Occupied Molecular Orbital (HOMO). It is shown that Coulomb stairs associated with the Coulomb blockade effect appear on the CVC of the nanotransition. The same changes are observed on the differential conductivity spectrum in the form of eight distinct peak structures arising with period [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]V. The comparison of the electric transport characteristics of single-fullerene nanodevices with various electrode materials (graphene, gold, platinum) are presented. It was found that the voltage period of Coulomb features [Formula: see text] in a nanodevice with graphene electrodes is less than in nanodevices with platinum and gold electrodes. It was revealed that the considered nanotransition has negative differential conductivity. The results obtained can be useful in calculating promising elements of single-electronics.
Dynamic Walking: Toward Agile and Efficient Bipedal Robots
Authors: Reher Jenna , Ames Aaron D.
Published: December 2020

Dynamic walking on bipedal robots has evolved from an idea in science fiction to a practical reality. This is due to continued progress in three key areas: a mathematical understanding of locomotion, the computational ability to encode this mathematics through optimization, and the hardware capable of realizing this understanding in practice. In this context, this review outlines the end-to-end process of methods that have proven effective in the literature for achieving dynamic walking on bipedal robots. We begin by introducing mathematical models of locomotion, from reduced-order models that capture essential walking behaviors to hybrid dynamical systems that encode the full-order continuous dynamics along with discrete foot-strike dynamics. These models form the basis for gait generation via (nonlinear) optimization problems. Finally, models and their generated gaits merge in the context of real-time control, wherein walking behaviors are translated to hardware. The concepts presented are illustrated throughout in simulation, and experimental instantiations on multiple walking platforms are highlighted to demonstrate the ability to realize dynamic walking on bipedal robots that is both agile and efficient.
Vascular alterations among young adults with SARS-CoV-2
Authors: Ratchford Stephen M. , Stickford Jonathon L. , Province Valesha M. , Stute Nina , Augenreich Marc A. , Koontz Laurel K. , Bobo Landry K. , Stickford Abigail S.L.
Published: December 2020

This study was the first to investigate the vascular implications of contracting SARS-CoV-2 among young, otherwise healthy adults. Using a cross-sectional design, this study assessed vascular function 3–4 wk after young adults tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. The main findings from this study were a strikingly lower vascular function and a higher arterial stiffness compared with healthy controls. Together, these results suggest rampant vascular effects seen weeks after contracting SARS-CoV-2 in young adults.
Protective Role of Somatostatin in Sepsis-Induced Intestinal Barrier Dysfunction through Inhibiting the Activation of NF-κB Pathway
Authors: Xu Xin , Zhu Quanli , Li Guoliang , Ma Junjian , Pan Zhijian , Wu Wei
Published: December 2020

Somatostatin (SST) has a protective role in intestinal injury, inflammatory response, and intestinal mucosal barrier in rats with acute pancreatitis. However, its function in sepsis-induced intestinal barrier dysfunction remains largely unknown. A mouse sepsis model was constructed, and SST was injected into the tail vein. Then, hematoxylin and eosin staining (HE) was used to detect the intestinal barrier dysfunction. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect the level of tumor necrosis factor α- (TNF-) α, interleukin- (IL-) 6, and interleukin- (IL-) 10 in the ileum. Expressions of tight junction proteins, zonula occludens- (ZO-) 1 and Claudin-1, and NF-κB p65 in the ileum were detected using western blot and immunohistochemistry as needed. Furthermore, JSH-23 as an inhibitor of the NF-κB pathway was injected into sepsis mice with SST or not. Mice with sepsis showed an obvious intestinal barrier dysfunction with decreasing specific somatostatin receptor subtype (SSTRs), and increasing TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-10 in the ileum. SST could relieve the injury, the decrease of SSTRs, and the increase of TNF-α and IL-6 induced by sepsis and also further enhanced the expression of IL-10. Further analysis showed that ZO-1 and Claudin-1 were reduced in the ileum by sepsis but enhanced by SST. NF-κB p65 was promoted in the ileum by sepsis but inhibited by SST. Further experiments confirmed that NF-κB inhibitor JSH-23 could repair the intestinal barrier dysfunction and enhance the protective effect of SST on the intestinal barrier. SST, with a protective effect on intestinal barrier dysfunction through suppression of NF-κB, could be a potential therapeutic drug for sepsis-induced intestinal barrier dysfunction.
A Differential Game of Industrial Pollution Management considering Public Participation
Authors: Wang Chuansheng , Shi Fulei , Yao Cuiyou
Published: December 2020

In recent years, with the rapid development of economy, industrial pollution problems have become more and more serious. In this paper, a differential game model is proposed for industrial pollution management, in which public participation is taken into consideration. Then, a feedback Nash equilibrium (FBNE) solution is obtained among the government, enterprises, and the public. Finally, a numerical example is given to illustrate the results. The results show that the public participation will take a positive part in forcing enterprises to reduce emissions. Furthermore, with the increase of the probability of the public reporting the illegal discharge of pollutants by enterprises, the probability of enterprises' active emission reduction will also greatly increase
Sorghum Malt Extract as a Growth Medium for Lactic Acid Bacteria Cultures: A Case of Lactobacillus plantarum MNC 21
Authors: Byakika Stellah , Mukisa Ivan Muzira , Byaruhanga Yusuf Byenkya
Published: December 2020

Cultivation of lactic acid bacteria cultures is vital for research and commercial production of fermented foods. However, the conventional growth media used are generally costly. Malt extracts from four sorghum varieties (SESO 1, SESO 3, Epuripur, and Eyera) were evaluated as alternative low-cost growth media for Lactobacillus plantarum MNC 21. Saccharified sorghum malt extracts were inoculated with 4 log cfu/mL MNC 21 and incubated at 30°C for 24 h. MRS broth was the reference medium. Microbial counts, pH, titratable acidity (TA), free amino nitrogen (FAN), and total sugars were measured. Maximum microbial counts in the extracts and MRS broth were 9 and 10 log cfu/mL, respectively. Maximum growth rate in the extracts was 0.7–0.9 log cfu/mL/h and 0.8 log cfu/mL/h in MRS broth. The final pH of the extracts was 3.5–3.6, with an overall increase in TA of 1.2% in Epuripur and 0.2% in other varieties. Final pH and TA of MRS broth were 4.1 and 1.3%, respectively. Total sugars dropped by 95.2% and FAN by 2.1% in MRS broth. In contrast, total sugars and FAN dropped by 5.6–9.1% and 24.9–32.7% respectively, in the extracts. Sorghum malt extracts can be adopted as alternative low-cost growth media for lactic acid bacteria cultures.
Mechanism of Vibration Energy Action on Dynamic Instability of Shock-Type Rockburst Carrier System
Authors: Pengfei Lyu , Xuekai Cui
Published: December 2020

In coal mining, the rockburst intensity triggered by the mine earthquake is often greater in the mining area, and the precursor information is more difficult to capture. In this paper, this kind of rockburst is called shock-type rockburst and studied as the research object. Based on the evolution process and the theoretical model of the carrier system, the energy criterion of the occurrence of shock-type rockburst was deduced based on the theories of mathematics and statistical physics. The results showed that the process of shock-type rockburst can go through four stages: inoculation stage, occurrence stage, development stage, and termination stage, and the secondary triggering phenomenon may occur in the occurrence stage. The theoretical model of the shock-type rockburst carrier system was constructed, and the key characteristic parameter of shock-type rockburst was put forward. Then, the energy of mine earthquake was quantitatively characterized in the form of kinetic energy of rock block. Through the combination of the two parameters, the energy criterion of shock-type rockburst was obtained as follows: once the energy of mine earthquake acting on the rockburst source area was 2%–9% of the static energy, shock-type rockburst can occur. Then, this criterion was verified by three typical cases. Finally, based on the distribution conditions of “red seam” overburden in the Yanzhou mining area of China, the secondary triggering principle of rockburst was expounded, that is, the secondary triggering principle of rockburst caused by the shear fracture and sliding settlement of “red seam” overburden. To sum up, a theoretical system for judging the instability of the shock-type rockburst carrier system was formed. This study provides a theoretical basis for earthquake prevention and disaster reduction in coal mining.
Finite-Time Antisynchronization and Parameters Identification of Nonlinear Coupled Multiple-Weight Markovian Switching Complex Networks with Stochastic Perturbations
Authors: Qiu Haifeng , Weng Liguo , Yu Bin , Zhang Yanghui
Published: December 2020

The paper mainly focuses on the synchronization of multiple-weight Markovian switching complex networks under nonlinear coupling mode. Based on the finite-time stability theory, Itô’s lemma, and some inequality technologies, the synchronization criterion of network models in the nonlinear coupling mode is obtained; at the same time, unknown parameters of networks are also identified by an effective controller. In addition, several corollaries are given to illustrate the general applicability of the control rules in the paper. Finally, two typical numerical simulations are given to prove the rationality and feasibility of theoretical analysis of network models.
Pavement Crack Detection and Segmentation Method Based on Improved Deep Learning Fusion Model
Authors: Feng Xiaoran , Xiao Liyang , Li Wei , Pei Lili , Sun Zhaoyun , Ma Zhidan , Shen Hao , Ju Huyan
Published: December 2020

Pavement damage is the main factor affecting road performance. Pavement cracking, a common type of road damage, is a key challenge in road maintenance. In order to achieve an accurate crack classification, segmentation, and geometric parameter calculation, this paper proposes a method based on a deep convolutional neural network fusion model for pavement crack identification, which combines the advantages of the multitarget single-shot multibox detector (SSD) convolutional neural network model and the U-Net model. First, the crack classification and detection model is applied to classify the cracks and obtain the detection confidence. Next, the crack segmentation network is applied to accurately segment the pavement cracks. By improving the feature extraction structure and optimizing the hyperparameters of the model, pavement crack classification and segmentation accuracy were improved. Finally, the length and width (for linear cracks) and the area (for alligator cracks) are calculated according to the segmentation results. Test results show that the recognition accuracy of the pavement crack identification method for transverse, longitudinal, and alligator cracks is 86.8%, 87.6%, and 85.5%, respectively. It is demonstrated that the proposed method can provide the category information for pavement cracks as well as the accurate positioning and geometric parameter information, which can be used directly for evaluating the pavement condition.
Topological Analysis of the Language Networks of Ancient Traditional Chinese Medicine Books
Authors: Zou Qunsheng , Wang Yinyan , Shu Zixin , Yang Kuo , Wang Jingjing , Lu Kezhi , Zhu Qiang , Liu Baoyan , Zhang Runshun , Zhou Xuezhong
Published: December 2020

This study aims to explore the topological regularities of the character network of ancient traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) book. We applied the 2‐gram model to construct language networks from ancient TCM books. Each text of the book was separated into sentences and a TCM book was generated as a directed network, in which nodes represent Chinese characters and links represent the sequential associations between Chinese characters in the sentences (the occurrence of identical sequential associations is considered as the weight of this link). We first calculated node degrees, average path lengths, and clustering coefficients of the book networks and explored the basic topological correlations between them. Then, we compared the similarity of network nodes to assess the specificity of TCM concepts in the network. In order to explore the relationship between TCM concepts, we screened TCM concepts and clustered them. Finally, we selected the binary groups whose weights are greater than 10 in Inner Canon of Huangdi (ICH, 黄帝内经) and Treatise on Cold Pathogenic Disease (TCPD, 伤寒论), hoping to find the core differences of these two ancient TCM books through them. We found that the degree distributions of ancient TCM book networks are consistent with power law distribution. Moreover, the average path lengths of book networks are much smaller than random networks of the same scale; clustering coefficients are higher, which means that ancient book networks have small‐world patterns. In addition, the similar TCM concepts are displayed and linked closely, according to the results of cosine similarity comparison and clustering. Furthermore, the core words of Inner Canon of Huangdi and Treatise on Cold Pathogenic Diseases have essential differences, which might indicate the significant differences of language and conceptual patterns between theoretical and clinical books. This study adopts language network approach to investigate the basic conceptual characteristics of ancient TCM book networks, which proposes a useful method to identify the underlying conceptual meanings of particular concepts conceived in TCM theories and clinical operations.
Streptococcus pneumoniae Coinfection in COVID-19: A Series of Three Cases
Authors: Pal Chaitanya , Przydzial Paulina , Chika-Nwosuh Ogechukwu , Shah Shrey , Patel Pratik , Madan Nikhil
Published: December 2020

Bacterial coinfections are not uncommon with respiratory viral pathogens. These coinfections can add to significant mortality and morbidity. We are currently dealing with the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, which has affected over 15 million people globally with over half a million deaths. Previous respiratory viral pandemics have taught us that bacterial coinfections can lead to higher mortality and morbidity. However, there is limited literature on the current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and associated coinfections, which reported infection rates varying between 1% and 8% based on various cross-sectional studies. In one meta-analysis of coinfections in COVID-19, rates of Streptococcus pneumoniae coinfections have been negligible when compared to previous influenza pandemics. Current literature does not favor the use of empiric, broad-spectrum antibiotics in confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infections. We present three cases of confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infections complicated by Streptococcus pneumoniae coinfection. These cases demonstrate the importance of concomitant testing for common pathogens despite the need for antimicrobial stewardship.
Forecasting COVID‐19 Cases Using Alpha‐Sutte Indicator: A Comparison with Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) Method
Authors: Attanayake A. M. C. H. , Perera S. S. N.
Published: December 2020

COVID‐19 is a pandemic which has spread to more than 200 countries. Its high transmission rate makes it difficult to control. To date, no specific treatment has been found as a cure for the disease. Therefore, prediction of COVID‐19 cases provides a useful insight to mitigate the disease. This study aims to model and predict COVID‐19 cases. Eight countries: Italy, New Zealand, the USA, Brazil, India, Pakistan, Spain, and South Africa which are in different phases of COVID‐19 distribution as well as in different socioeconomic and geographical characteristics were selected as test cases. The Alpha‐Sutte Indicator approach was utilized as the modelling strategy. The capability of the approach in modelling COVID‐19 cases over the ARIMA method was tested in the study. Data consist of accumulated COVID‐19 cases present in the selected countries from the first day of the presence of cases to September 26, 2020. Ten percent of the data were used to validate the modelling approach. The analysis disclosed that the Alpha‐Sutte modelling approach is appropriate in modelling cumulative COVID‐19 cases over ARIMA by reporting 0.11%, 0.33%, 0.08%, 0.72%, 0.12%, 0.03%, 1.28%, and 0.08% of the mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) for the USA, Brazil, Italy, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, Spain, and South Africa, respectively. Differences between forecasted and real cases of COVID‐19 in the validation set were tested using the paired t‐test. The differences were not statistically significant, revealing the effectiveness of the modelling approach. Thus, predictions were generated using the Alpha‐Sutte approach for each country. Therefore, the Alpha‐Sutte method can be recommended for short‐term forecasting of cumulative COVID‐19 incidences. The authorities in the health care sector and other administrators may use the predictions to control and manage the COVID‐19 cases.
The Combination of CA125 and NSE Is Useful for Predicting Liver Metastasis of Lung Cancer
Authors: Wang Chu-Feng , Peng Sheng-Jia , Liu Rong-Qiang , Yu Ya-Jie , Ge Qian-Min , Liang Rong-Bin , Li Qiu-Yu , Li Biao , Shao Yi
Published: December 2020

Purpose. Liver metastasis is the final stage of cancer progression and is associated with poor prognosis. Although numerous indicators have been identified as having prognostic value for lung cancer and liver metastasis, liver metastases are still not diagnosed by imaging in many patients. To provide a more accurate method for clinical prediction of liver metastasis, we analyzed multiple factors to identify potential predictive factors for liver metastasis of lung cancer. Methods. Patients first diagnosed with lung cancer between 2002 and 2016 (

n
=
1746

) were divided into two groups, with and without liver metastasis. Serum concentrations of calcium, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), cancer antigen-125 (CA125), cancer antigen-153 (CA153), carbohydrate antigen-199 (CA199), cytokeratin fraction 21-1 (CYFRA21-1), total prostate-specific antigen (TPSA), and neuron-specific enolase (NSE) were analyzed in both patient groups. Results. There was no significant difference in age or sex between the two groups. CA125 and NSE were significantly associated with liver metastasis. Compared with CA125, NSE was more specific, while it was less sensitive (

P
<
0.001

). Further analysis of NSE concentrations was conducted in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer and indicated that NSE concentration differed significantly between those with and without liver metastasis (

P
=
0.023

). We conducted analysis with NSE and CA125 combined, resulting in acceptable sensitivity (51.2%), specificity (72.6%), and area under the curve (0.64) values; sensitivity and area under the curve values were higher than those for individual factors, while specificity was higher than that for CA125. Conclusions. The combination of CA125 and NSE can assist prediction of liver metastasis of lung cancer, providing improved diagnostic accuracy.
Identification of Core Prognosis‐Related Candidate Genes in Chinese Gastric Cancer Population Based on Integrated Bioinformatics
Authors: Li Mengjun , Wang Xinhai , Liu Jun , Mao Xiang , Li Dongbing , Wang Zhouyu , Tang Yifan , Wu Shuangjie
Published: December 2020

Background. Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the leading causes of cancer‐related mortality worldwide. There are great geographical differences in the incidence of GC, and somatic mutation rates of driver genes are also different. The present study is aimed at screening core prognosis‐related candidate genes in Chinese gastric cancer population based on integrated bioinformatics for the early diagnosis and prognosis of GC. Methods. In the present study, the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in GC were identified using four microarray datasets from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. The samples of these datasets were all from China. Functional enrichment analysis of DEGs was conducted to evaluate the underlying molecular mechanisms involved in GC. Protein‐protein interaction (PPI) network and cytoHubba were performed to determine hub genes associated with GC. Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) and Human Protein Atlas (HPA) were performed to validate the hub genes. Results. A total of 240 DEGs were obtained through the RRA method, including 80 upregulated genes and 160 downregulated genes. Upregulated genes were mainly enriched in extracellular matrix organization, extracellular matrix, and extracellular matrix structural constituent. The downregulated genes were mainly enriched in digestion, extracellular space, and oxidoreductase activity. The KEGG pathway enrichment analysis showed that the upregulated genes were mainly associated with ECM‐receptor interaction, focal adhesion, and PI3K‐Akt signaling pathway. And downregulated genes were mainly associated with the metabolism of xenobiotics by cytochrome P450, metabolic pathways, and gastric acid secretion. The transcriptional and translational expression levels of the genes including COL1A1, COL5A2, COL12A1, and VCAN were higher in GC tissues than normal tissues. Conclusion. A total of four genes including COL1A1, COL5A2, COL12A1, and VCAN were considered potential GC biomarkers in the Chinese population. And ECM‐receptor interaction, focal adhesion, and PI3K‐Akt signaling pathway were revealed to be important mechanisms of GC. Our findings provide novel insights into the occurrence and progression of GC in the Chinese population.
The Instant Effects of Continuous Transcutaneous Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation at Acupoints on the Functional Connectivity of Amygdala in Migraine without Aura: A Preliminary Study
Authors: Luo Wenting , Zhang Yue , Yan Zhaoxian , Liu Xian , Hou Xiaoyan , Chen Weicui , Ye Yongsong , Li Hui , Liu Bo
Published: December 2020

Background. A growing body of evidence suggests that both auricular acupuncture and transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) can induce antinociception and relieve symptoms of migraine. However, their instant effects and central treatment mechanism remain unclear. Many studies proved that the amygdalae play a vital role not only in emotion modulation but also in pain processing. In this study, we investigated the modulation effects of continuous taVNS at acupoints on the FC of the bilateral amygdalae in MwoA. Methods. Thirty episodic migraineurs were recruited for the single-blind, crossover functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study. Each participant attended two kinds of eight-minute stimulations, taVNS and sham-taVNS (staVNS), separated by seven days in random order. Finally, 27 of them were included in the analysis of seed-to-voxel FC with the left/right amygdala as seeds. Results. Compared with staVNS, the FC decreased during taVNS between the left amygdala and left middle frontal gyrus (MFG), left dorsolateral superior frontal gyrus, right supplementary motor area (SMA), bilateral paracentral lobules, bilateral postcingulum gyrus, and right frontal superior medial gyrus, so did the FC of the right amygdala and left MFG. A significant positive correlation was observed between the FC of the left amygdala and right SMA and the frequency/total time of migraine attacks during the preceding four weeks. Conclusion. Continuous taVNS at acupoints can modulate the FC between the bilateral amygdalae and pain-related brain regions in MwoA, involving the limbic system, default mode network, and pain matrix, with obvious differences between the left amygdala and the right amygdala. The taVNS may produce treatment effects by modulating the abnormal FC of the amygdala and pain networks, possibly having the same central mechanism as auricular acupuncture.
Repair of Inguinal Bladder Hernias Concomitant with Localized Prostate Cancer: A Case Report and Review of the Literature
Authors: Hata Kenichi , Takahashi Kazuhiro , Kimura Takahiro , Egawa Shin
Published: December 2020

This study reports two rare cases of inguinal bladder hernias accompanied by localized prostate cancers. They were treated with simultaneous repair of inguinal bladder hernias and open retropubic radical prostatectomy. Additionally, we performed a literature review on previous inguinal bladder hernias case reports. In this present study, the first patient was a 64-year-old man histopathologically diagnosed with prostate cancer; computed tomography for staging of prostate cancer revealed a “Pelvic Mickey Mouse Sign.” The second patient was a 75-year-old man with right inguinal swelling that gradually increased in size for 30 years. He was referred to our department due to nocturia and urge incontinence. His prostate-specific antigen level was 4.17 ng/mL, and a transrectal prostate biopsy revealed prostate cancer. Preoperative imaging studies revealed a right hernia wherein most of the bladder slid beyond the inguinal channel filling the scrotum. Both patients underwent the Lichtenstein technique for inguinal bladder hernias simultaneously with retropubic radical prostatectomy using separate surgical incisions to avoid urinary contamination of the mesh. In our comprehensive review of patients who underwent inguinal bladder hernias surgical repair, there were 51 cases (50 males and 1 female). The mean patient age was60.6±12.3years. Five cases demonstrating concomitant prostate cancer were observed. This present case report is the first to describe two patients who underwent surgeries for the simultaneous repair of inguinal bladder hernias and retropubic radical prostatectomy with separate surgical incisions. Supposedly, this simultaneous approach is suitable for concomitant inguinal bladder hernias and prostate cancer treatment.
Experimental Study on the Impact of Landslide‐Generated Waves against Wharf Pile
Authors: Mu Ping , Wang Pingyi , Han Linfeng , Zhang Jie , Wang Meili
Published: December 2020

Landslide‐generated waves have caused great catastrophic damage to the infrastructure, e.g., dam and wharf, because of the extreme loading in the reservoir area, while the wharf pile is rarely designed to withstand the loading associated with landslide‐generated waves. This experimental study was conducted in a generalized 3D basin to simulate the waves generating process and explore the impact of the dynamic pressure process on the wharf pile. As the phenomenon that landslide‐generated impulse waves impacted on the wharf pile in the form of dynamic pressure, the distribution pattern of the dynamic pressure along the water column was analyzed and revealed specifically. The results indicate that the dynamic pressure was constant below the water surface along the vertical direction and its magnitude was correlated with the wave amplitude as well as wave celerity. On this basis, a multivariate dimensionless analysis was implemented, and the empirical formulas for the dynamic pressure were established. Furthermore, the total force acting on the wharf pile was given. From a practical perspective, these findings could offer guidance to prevent the damage of the impulse wave pressure on the wharf pile.
A 3D Multiobject Tracking Algorithm of Point Cloud Based on Deep Learning
Authors: Wang Dengjiang , Huang Chao , Wang Yajun , Deng Yongqiang , Li Hongqiang
Published: December 2020

3D multiobject tracking (MOT) is an important part of road condition detection and hazard warning algorithm in roadside systems and autonomous driving systems. There is a tricky problem in 3D MOT that the identity of occluded object switches after it reappears. Given the good performance of the 2D MOT, this paper proposes a 3D MOT algorithm with deep learning based on the multiobject tracking algorithm. Firstly, a 3D object detector was used to obtain oriented 3D bounding boxes from point clouds. Secondly, a 3D Kalman filter was used for state estimation, and reidentification algorithm was used to match feature similarity. Finally, data association was conducted by combining Hungarian algorithm. Experiments show that the proposed method can still match the original trajectory after the occluded object reappears and run at a rate of 59 FPS, which has achieved advanced results in the existing 3D MOT system.
Application of Fault Diagnosis of Seawater Hydraulic Pump Based on Transfer Learning
Authors: Miao Yang , Jiang Yuncheng , Huang Jinfeng , Zhang Xiaojun , Han Lei
Published: December 2020

The working environment of seawater axial piston hydraulic pump is harsh, and it is difficult to diagnose due to insufficient fault database. In contrast, pumps of the same type but using hydraulic oil have an adequate fault database and are easy to diagnose. In view of the above situation, a fault diagnosis method of seawater hydraulic piston pump based on transfer learning is proposed. The method decomposes the original sampled fault signal by complementary ensemble empirical mode decomposition (CEEMD) to obtain the intrinsic mode function (IMF) that can characterize the original signal. The singular value decomposition (SVD) is performed on the IMF. Then, the obtained singular value is used as a feature parameter to construct a feature vector. The feature data of seawater hydraulic pump and oil pump are used as target data and auxiliary data to form training data. The training data is trained based on the iterative adjustment of the weight through the TrAdaBoost transfer learning algorithm. Finally, the results of diagnosis and classification are compared with traditional machine learning. When the number of training data is 5 groups, the accuracy of transfer learning is 30.5% higher than that of traditional machine learning. The results show that transfer learning has great advantages in the case of a small number of samples.
Epidemiology and Outcomes of Young-Onset Esophageal Adenocarcinoma: An Analysis from a Population-Based Database
Authors: Codipilly Don C. , Sawas Tarek , Dhaliwal Lovekirat , Johnson Michele L. , Lansing Ramona , Wang Kenneth K. , Leggett Cadman L. , Katzka David A. , Iyer Prasad G.
Published: December 2020

Background:

Esophageal adenocarcinoma is a lethal cancer with rising incidence. There are limited data in younger (<50 years) patients with esophageal adenocarcinoma. We aimed to assess time trends in the incidence and outcomes of “young-onset” esophageal adenocarcinoma using a population-based database.

Methods:

We queried the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results 9 database to identify patients with esophageal adenocarcinoma between 1975 and 2015. Patients were stratified into three age strata: <50, 50 to 69, and ≥70 years. Staging was stratified as localized, regional, and distant. Trends in incidence, disease stage, and survival were assessed in three periods (1975–89, 1990–99, and 2000–2015). Univariate and multivariate models were created to identify predictors of mortality.

Results:

Esophageal adenocarcinoma incidence has increased in patients <50 years of age, with an annual percentage change of 2.9% (95% confidence interval, 1.4%–4.4%) from 1975 to 2015. Young-onset esophageal adenocarcinoma presented at more advanced stages (regional + distant) compared with older patients (84.9% vs. 67.3%; P < 0.01), with increasing proportion of advanced stages over the study period. These patients also experienced poorer 5-year esophageal adenocarcinoma–free survival compared with older patients (22.9%% vs. 29.6%; P < 0.01), although this finding was attenuated on stage-stratified analysis.

Conclusions:

Young-onset esophageal adenocarcinoma, while uncommon, is rising in incidence. Concerningly, the proportion of advanced disease continues to increase. Young-onset esophageal adenocarcinoma also presents at more advanced stages, resulting in poorer esophageal adenocarcinoma–free survival.

Impact:

Patients with esophageal adenocarcinoma younger than 50 years present at more advanced stages with higher esophageal adenocarcinoma–specific mortality compared with older peers. Current diagnostic and management strategies for young-onset esophageal adenocarcinoma may need to be reevaluated.
Proteasome Inhibition Overcomes ALK-TKI Resistance in ALK-Rearranged/TP53-Mutant NSCLC via Noxa Expression
Authors: Tanimoto Azusa , Matsumoto Shingo , Takeuchi Shinji , Arai Sachiko , Fukuda Koji , Nishiyama Akihiro , Yoh Kiyotaka , Ikeda Takaya , Furuya Naoki , Nishino Kazumi , Ohe Yuichiro , Goto Koichi , Yano Seiji
Published: December 2020

Purpose:

In ALK-rearranged non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), impacts of concomitant genetic alterations on targeted therapies with ALK-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (ALK-TKI) are not yet well understood. Here, we investigated genetic alterations related to ALK-TKI resistance using clinico-genomic data and explored effective therapies to overcome the resistance in preclinical models through the identification of underlying molecular mechanisms.

Experimental Design:

We used integrated clinical and next-generation sequencing data generated in a nationwide lung cancer genome screening project (LC-SCRUM-Japan). ALK-rearranged NSCLC cell lines expressing wild-type or mutant TP53 were used to evaluate cellular apoptosis induced by ALK-TKIs.

Results:

In 90 patients with ALK-rearranged NSCLC who were treated with a selective ALK-TKI, alectinib, TP53 comutated patients showed significantly worse progression-free survival (PFS) than TP53 wild-type patients [median PFS, 11.7 months (95% confidence interval, CI, 6.3–not reached, NR) vs. NR (23.6–NR); P = 0.0008; HR, 0.33 (95% CI, 0.17–0.65)]. ALK-rearranged NSCLC cell lines that lost p53 function were resistant to alectinib-induced apoptosis, but a proteasome inhibitior, ixazomib, markedly induced apoptosis in the alectinib-treated cells by increasing the expression of a proapoptotic protein, Noxa, which bound to an antiapoptotic protein, Mcl-1. In subcutaneous tumor models, combination of ixazomib and alectinib prominently induced tumor regression and apoptosis even though the tumors were generated from ALK-rearranged NSCLC cells with nonfunctional p53.

Conclusions:

These clinical and preclinical results indicate concomitant TP53 mutations reduce the efficacy of alectinib for ALK-rearranged NSCLC and the combined use of a proteasome inhibitor with alectinib is a promising therapy for ALK-rearranged/TP53-mutated NSCLC.
Targeted Therapy of TERT-Rearranged Neuroblastoma with BET Bromodomain Inhibitor and Proteasome Inhibitor Combination Therapy
Authors: Chen Jingwei , Nelson Christopher , Wong Matthew , Tee Andrew E. , Liu Pei Y. , La Ting , Fletcher Jamie I. , Kamili Alvin , Mayoh Chelsea , Bartenhagen Christoph , Trahair Toby N. , Xu Ning , Jayatilleke Nisitha , Wong Marie , Peng Hui , Atmadibrata Bernard , Cheung Belamy B. , Lan Qing , Bryan Tracy M. , Mestdagh Pieter , Vandesompele Jo , Combaret Valerie , Boeva Valentina , Wang Jenny Y. , Janoueix-Lerosey Isabelle , Cowley Mark J. , MacKenzie Karen L. , Dolnikov Alla , Li Jinyan , Polly Patsie , Marshall Glenn M. , Reddel Roger R. , Norris Murray D. , Haber Michelle , Fischer Matthias , Zhang Xu D. , Pickett Hilda A. , Liu Tao
Published: December 2020

Purpose:

TERT gene rearrangement with transcriptional superenhancers leads to TERT overexpression and neuroblastoma. No targeted therapy is available for clinical trials in patients with TERT-rearranged neuroblastoma.

Experimental Design:

Anticancer agents exerting the best synergistic anticancer effects with BET bromodomain inhibitors were identified by screening an FDA-approved oncology drug library. The synergistic effects of the BET bromodomain inhibitor OTX015 and the proteasome inhibitor carfilzomib were examined by immunoblot and flow cytometry analysis. The anticancer efficacy of OTX015 and carfilzomib combination therapy was investigated in mice xenografted with TERT-rearranged neuroblastoma cell lines or patient-derived xenograft (PDX) tumor cells, and the role of TERT reduction in the anticancer efficacy was examined through rescue experiments in mice.

Results:

The BET bromodomain protein BRD4 promoted TERT-rearranged neuroblastoma cell proliferation through upregulating TERT expression. Screening of an approved oncology drug library identified the proteasome inhibitor carfilzomib as the agent exerting the best synergistic anticancer effects with BET bromodomain inhibitors including OTX015. OTX015 and carfilzomib synergistically reduced TERT protein expression, induced endoplasmic reticulum stress, and induced TERT-rearranged neuroblastoma cell apoptosis which was blocked by TERT overexpression and endoplasmic reticulum stress antagonists. In mice xenografted with TERT-rearranged neuroblastoma cell lines or PDX tumor cells, OTX015 and carfilzomib synergistically blocked TERT expression, induced tumor cell apoptosis, suppressed tumor progression, and improved mouse survival, which was largely reversed by forced TERT overexpression.

Conclusions:

OTX015 and carfilzomib combination therapy is likely to be translated into the first clinical trial of a targeted therapy in patients with TERT-rearranged neuroblastoma.