bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Risk of Rash in PD-1 or PD-L1-Related Cancer Clinical Trials: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Tian Yuan , Zhang Chi , Dang Qi , Wang Kaiyong , Liu Qian , Liu Hongmei , Shang Heli , Zhao Junyan , Xu Yuedong , Wu Tong , Liu Wei , Yang Xiaowei , Safi Mohammed
Published: July 2022

Background. Given that immune-related rash was the most frequently reported PD-1 or PD-L1-related skin toxicity, this systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to elucidate its incidence risk. Methods. The meta-analysis was carried out according to the PRISMA guidelines. The random effect model was used in the process of all analyses. Skin rash of all grades and grades 3–5 were calculated and gathered in the final comprehensive analyses. Results. The study included 86 clinical trials classified into 15 groups. Compared with chemotherapy, PD-1 or PD-L1 inhibitors significantly strengthened the risk of developing rash across all grades (OR = 1.66, 95% CI: [1.31, 2.11];

p
<
0.0001

). This trend was significantly stronger when the control group was placebo (OR = 2.62, 95% CI: [1.88, 3.65];

p
<
0.00001

). Similar results were observed when PD-1 or PD-L1 inhibitors were given together with chemotherapy (OR = 1.87, 95% CI: [1.59, 2.20];

p
<
0.00001

), even in patients with grades 3–5. As with other combination therapies, the risk of developing rash for all grades was enhanced when PD-1 or PD-L1 was given together with chemotherapy as the second-line option (OR = 2.98, 95% CI: [1.87, 4.75];

p
=
0.05

). No statistically significant differences could be found in skin rash between the PD-1 and PD-L1-related subgroups. Conclusion. Whether PD-1 or PD-L1 inhibitors were given alone or together with others, the risk of developing rash would be enhanced. Furthermore, the risk of developing rash appeared to be higher when PD-1 or PD-L1 inhibitors together with other antitumor drugs were given as the second-line options. No statistically significant results of developing rash between PD-1 and PD-L1 subgroups were obtained owing to the participation of PD-1 or PD-L1 inhibitors.
Statistical System of Cultural Heritage Tourism Information Based on Image Feature Extraction Technology
Authors: Qin Lulu , Chen Shijun , Huang Junpei , Lin Han
Published: July 2022

This paper presents an in-depth study of a statistical system using image feature extraction technology for cultural heritage tourism information. Based on the specificity of the tourism industry, it combines the technical architecture, framework of image feature extraction, GIS basic design, database design, and other related theories; realizes visual mapping through relevant tourism statistics in GIS; and uses the spatial analysis capability of ArcGIS software to complete the statistical scheme of cultural heritage tourism information data in the context of Internet big data. In this paper, the image preprocessing process is accelerated by the parallel optimization of the filtering operation and down-sampling operation in the relevant image preprocessing algorithm. The preprocessed images can effectively improve the recognition effect of the image feature extraction and classification stage. Based on cultural heritage tourism information mining results, the design and development of the tourism information statistics platform are carried out. The platform is built and developed using GIS secondary development technology and HTML + CSS front-end development technology API, Echarts, and other image feature components. The platform enables the massive and disorganized tourism text information to be displayed in a way that is easier to understand in both maps and text. This paper’s research on critical technologies provides technical support for image feature extraction of tourism statistics, which has specific practical value. Implementing the cultural heritage tourism platform offers a visual operating environment for tourism, enabling cultural heritage tourism businesses to tap into user preferences so that users can effectively access the travel options that interest them, which is conducive to promoting the development of travel recommendation platforms.
Machine Learning and Electrocardiography Signal-Based Minimum Calculation Time Detection for Blood Pressure Detection
Authors: Nour Majid , Kandaz Derya , Ucar Muhammed Kursad , Polat Kemal , Alhudhaif Adi
Published: July 2022

Objective. Measurement and monitoring of blood pressure are of great importance for preventing diseases such as cardiovascular and stroke caused by hypertension. Therefore, there is a need for advanced artificial intelligence-based systolic and diastolic blood pressure systems with a new technological infrastructure with a noninvasive process. The study is aimed at determining the minimum ECG time required for calculating systolic and diastolic blood pressure based on the Electrocardiography (ECG) signal. Methodology. The study includes ECG recordings of five individuals taken from the IEEE database, measured during daily activity. For the study, each signal was divided into epochs of 2-4-6-8-10-12-14-16-18-20 seconds. Twenty-five features were extracted from each epoched signal. The dimension of the dataset was reduced by using Spearman’s feature selection algorithm. Analysis based on metrics was carried out by applying machine learning algorithms to the obtained dataset. Gaussian process regression exponential (GPR) machine learning algorithm was preferred because it is easy to integrate into embedded systems. Results. The MAPE estimation performance values for diastolic and systolic blood pressure values for 16-second epochs were 2.44 mmHg and 1.92 mmHg, respectively. Conclusion. According to the study results, it is evaluated that systolic and diastolic blood pressure values can be calculated with a high-performance ratio with 16-second ECG signals.
HMGB1 Upregulates RAGE to Trigger the Expression of Inflammatory Factors in the Lung Tissue in a Hypoxic Pulmonary Hypertension Rat Model
Authors: Li Wen-Juan , Wen Zhi-Peng , Xing Yan , Yang Jing-Ping , Xu Xi-Yuan , Wang Hong-Yan , Zhu Wen-Yan , Li Yue-Hua
Published: July 2022

Hypoxic pulmonary hypertension (HPH), a form of pulmonary hypertension (PH) caused by hypoxia, could cause serious complications and has a high mortality rate, and no clinically effective treatments are currently available. In this study, we established an HPH preclinical model in rats by simulating clinicopathological indicators of the disease. Our results showed that high mobility group box-1 protein (HMGB1) aggravated the clinical symptoms of HPH. We aimed at establishing protocols and ideas for the clinical treatment of HPH by identifying downstream HMGB1 binding receptors. Our investigation showed that continuous hypoxia could cause significant lung injury in rats. ELISA and western blotting experiments revealed that HPH induces inflammation in the lung tissue and increases the expression of a hypoxia-inducible factor. Testing of lung tissue proteins in vivo and in human pulmonary artery endothelial cells in vitro revealed that the HMGB1-mediated increase in the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) expression promoted inflammation. In summary, we successfully established an HPH rat model providing a new model for preclinical HPH research and elucidated the role of HMGB1 in HPH. Furthermore, we describe that HMGB1 induced inflammation in the HPH model via RAGE, causing severe lung dysfunction. This study could potentially provide novel ideas and methods for the clinical treatment of HPH.
Silencing CAMK2D Promotes the Proliferation of Spermatogonia in the Testis of Experimental Varicocele Rats
Authors: Tang Songxi , Yang Peng , Ding Yilang , Chen Qiang , Huang Hailin , Chen Xi , Zhou Huiliang
Published: July 2022

Varicocele is regarded as the main factor that contributes to male infertility. This study aimed to explore the effect of CAMK2D on spermatogonia in the testis of experimental varicocele rats. The experimental varicocele model was established in rats and treated using different ligation methods. mRNA expression profile analysis was performed on the left testicular tissue isolated from different groups, and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were analysed by bioinformatics methods and identified by qRT-PCR. The effect of CAMK2D, the screened DEG, on the proliferation of spermatogonia was evaluated by CCK-8 assay. The expression level of the c-kit was measured by the immunofluorescence assay and the expression levels of CAMKII, FOXO1, and β-catenin were detected by qRT-PCR and western blotting. Five DEGs (i.e., TMCC3, FLNB, CAMK2D, OPLAH, and EGR1) were screened using the comprehensive analysis of mRNA high-throughput sequencing data. TMCC3 and FLNB were significantly downregulated, and CAMK2D, OPLAH, and EGR1 were dramatically upregulated in the testicular tissue of varicocele rats. The target DEG CAMK2D was obtained through identification by using qRT-PCR. In vitro assays revealed that the proliferation of spermatogonia was significantly facilitated by the silencing of CAMK2D, which resulted in the downregulation of CAMKII, FOXO1, and β-catenin. In conclusion, silencing CAMK2D facilitated the proliferation of spermatogonia in the testis of experimental varicocele rats.
An Operating Status Analysis System of Reactor Equipment Based on Voiceprint Recognition Technology
Authors: Cao Litan , Wei Huabing , Huang Zhi , Shi Minglei
Published: July 2022

In order to find transformer (reactor) faults in time, a transformer working condition detection method and verification system based on voiceprint recognition technology was proposed. In this system, 73 groups of transformer audio were collected by the voice sensor on-site, with a total of about 1800 min. The recognition pattern based on a deep learning convolutional neural network was established. Through experiments, it was found that aiming at the additive superposition problem of transformer sound generated by a stable working condition and unstable instantaneous noise, a new method based on the cosine similarity algorithm was proposed to realize the separation detection of sound pattern superposition. The acoustic signals of the iron core under sinusoidal excitation were mainly frequency components of 100 Hz and 200 Hz. Harmonic excitation would aggravate the noise in this frequency band, and the third harmonic excitation had the greatest influence. Due to DC magnetic bias, the hysteresis loop of the iron core was distorted to a certain pole. In addition to the 100 Hz component, the odd harmonics of 150 Hz, 250 Hz, and 350 Hz and even harmonics of 200 Hz, 300 Hz, and 400 Hz also increased obviously. With the increase of direct current content, the performance of the noise signal became more prominent. A transformer working condition detection and verification analysis system was established.
Ontology of Mathematical Modeling Based on Interval Data
Authors: Dyvak Mykola , Melnyk Andriy , Rot Artur , Hernes Marcin , Pukas Andriy
Published: July 2022

An ontological approach as a tool for managing the processes of constructing mathematical models based on interval data and further use of these models for solving applied problems is proposed in this article. Mathematical models built using interval data analysis are quite effective in many applications, as they have “guaranteed” predictive properties, which are determined by the accuracy of experimental data. However, the application of mathematical modeling methods is complicated by the lack of software tools for the implementation of procedures for constructing this type of mathematical models, creating an ontological model that operates by the categories of the subject area of mathematical modeling, regardless of the modeling object proposed in this article. This approach has made it possible to generate tools for mathematical modeling of various objects based on the interval data analysis for any software development environment selected by the user. The technology of creating the software on the basis of the developed ontological superstructure for mathematical modeling using the interval data for different objects, as well as various forms of user interface implementation, is presented in this article. A number of schemes, which illustrate the technology of using the ontological approach of mathematical modeling based on interval data, are presented, and the features of its interpretation when solving environmental monitoring problems are described.
Prediction Analysis of College Teachers’ Happiness Based on the Graph Convolutional Network
Authors: Ding Haoge
Published: July 2022

College teachers are the source of creativity in the education system, and the happiness of college teachers can be fully ensured in order to cultivate better talents. To address the current problem that the trend of happiness of college teachers is unclear and the direction of enhancing happiness is unknown. We propose a method to predict the happiness of university teachers based on a graph convolution framework. We conduct a comprehensive analysis of teachers’ happiness factors in terms of academic innovation, job satisfaction, and student training rate to achieve a trend prediction of teachers’ happiness and provide a clear direction for improving happiness. We use the graph convolution structure to input the happiness factors as graph nodes into the graph convolution layer. We attach a sparse layer to the temporal convolution structure to obtain the time-scale information of happiness factor nodes in different research cycles. Finally, we cooperate with an e-commerce platform and use mobile app data as the feedback experimental database. The experimental results show that teachers with different years of experience perceive different levels of happiness factors, and different emotional stimuli also affect teachers' perceptions of happiness.
Development and Validation of the Social Media Capital Scale (SMC): A Brand New Measure for Online Social Capital
Authors: Duradoni Mirko , Meacci Sara , Panerai Gabriele , Salvatori Gioele , Guazzini Andrea
Published: July 2022

We conducted a series of studies in order to develop a tool to assess social media capital, that is, more specifically, individual confidence in the use of social media sites and in their application to maintain and increase social capital. In our first study, we created the social media capital (SMC) scale by adapting parts of two already existing instruments and administered it to 6935 people to test its psychometric properties and dimensionality. After having validated the SMC in its final 7-item form, we proceeded to assess its external validity in two subsequent studies, by testing it against measures for Internet self-efficacy (study 2;

n
=
3100

) and motives to use the Internet and social media addiction (study 3;

n
=
244

). Overall, the SMC displayed satisfactory psychometric properties and appears to be a sound measure of social media capital.
Single-Cell Transcriptome Profiling Reveals Intratumoral Heterogeneity and Molecular Features of Ductal Carcinoma In Situ
Authors: Tokura Momoko , Nakayama Jun , Prieto-Vila Marta , Shiino Sho , Yoshida Masayuki , Yamamoto Tomofumi , Watanabe Naoaki , Takayama Shin , Suzuki Yutaka , Okamoto Koji , Ochiya Takahiro , Kohno Takashi , Yatabe Yasushi , Suto Akihiko , Yamamoto Yusuke
Published: July 2022

Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is a precursor to invasive breast cancer. The frequency of DCIS is increasing because of routine mammography; however, the biological features and intratumoral heterogeneity of DCIS remain obscure. To address this deficiency, we performed single-cell transcriptomic profiling of DCIS and invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC). DCIS was found to be composed of several transcriptionally distinct subpopulations of cancer cells with specific functions. Several transcripts, including long noncoding RNAs, were highly expressed in IDC compared with DCIS and might be related to the invasive phenotype. Closeness centrality analysis revealed extensive heterogeneity in DCIS, and the prediction model for cell-to-cell interactions implied that the interaction network among luminal cells and immune cells in DCIS was comparable with that in IDC. In addition, transcriptomic profiling of HER2+ luminal DCIS indicated HER2 genomic amplification at the DCIS stage. These data provide novel insight into the intratumoral heterogeneity and molecular features of DCIS, which exhibit properties similar to IDC.

Significance:

Investigation of the molecular features of ductal carcinoma in situ at single cell resolution provides new insights into breast cancer biology and identifies candidate therapeutic targets and diagnostic biomarkers.
Hypocomplementemic Urticarial Vasculitis Syndrome Masquerading as Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: A Case Report
Authors: Mehta Jiten Prakash , Jang Charley Qi Hua , Fahim Peter , Nguyen Minhtri Khac , Zuckerman Jonathan , Mamita Rosha , Kamgar Mohammad
Published: July 2022

Introduction: Hypocomplementemic urticarial vasculitis syndrome (HUVS) is an infrequent immune complex-mediated condition characterized by nonpruritic urticarial lesions, low serum complement levels, and autoantibodies, associated with systemic manifestations like arthralgia/arthritis, angioedema, ocular inflammation with conjunctivitis, episcleritis, uveitis, renal, gastrointestinal, and pulmonary involvement. HUVS and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) overlap and the criteria for identifying HUVS as an entity distinct from SLE are lacking. Despite the diagnostic criteria established by Schwartz et al. [Curr Opin Rheumatol. 2014;26(5):502–9], differentiation from SLE is sometimes difficult as patients often also fulfill the classification criteria of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR). The prognosis of HUVS depends on the organ system involved. Lung disease results in significant morbidity and mortality and is made worse by smoking. Kidney involvement with glomerulonephritis may ultimately result in end-stage renal disease with the need for kidney transplant. Death may also occur due to acute laryngeal edema. Case Presentation: We pre­sent a case of a 40-year-old female who had a diagnosis of SLE, presented with severe odynophagia, was found to have an erythematous macular rash, and had acute kidney injury attributed to contrast-related injury and cardiorenal syndrome. After the resolution of the AKI, she continued to have hematuria and low-grade proteinuria that led to a kidney biopsy that aided in the diagnosis of HUVS. Discussion/Conclusion: Given the rarity of this disease and the difficulty in differentiating HUVS from other rheumatological diseases such as SLE, further accumulation of cases is necessary to understand the best diagnostic modality for this entity.
Wireless Communication Between Paired Leadless Pacemakers for Dual-Chamber Synchrony
Authors: Cantillon Daniel J. , Gambhir Alok , Banker Rajesh , Rashtian Mayer , Doshi Rahul , Badie Nima , Booth Daniel , Yang Weiqun , Nee Peter , Fishler Matthew , Ligon David , Neuzil Petr , Knops Reinoud E.
Published: July 2022

Background:

Leadless pacemakers (LPs) can mitigate conventional pacemaker complications related to the transvenous leads and subcutaneous pocket surrounding the pulse generator. Although single-chamber leadless pacing has been established, multichamber pacing requires wireless bidirectional communication across multiple LPs to maintain synchrony. This preclinical study demonstrates the chronic performance of implant-to-implant (i2i) communication that achieves synchronous, dual-chamber pacing with 2 LPs.

Methods:

The i2i communication modality employs subthreshold electrical signals conducted between implanted LPs through the blood and myocardial tissue on a beat-by-beat basis. Right atrial and right ventricular LPs were implanted in 9 ovine subjects. The i2i transmission performance was evaluated 13 weeks after implant.

Results:

Right atrial and right ventricular LPs were implanted successfully and without complication in 9 ovine subjects. A total of 8715±457 right atrial-to-right ventricular and right ventricular-to-right atrial transmissions were sent per hour, with a success rate of 99.2±0.9%. Of periods with i2i communication failure when DDD pacing was not possible, 97.3±1.8% were resolved within 6 s.

Conclusions:

For the first time, synchronized, dual-chamber pacing has been demonstrated in a chronic preclinical feasibility study by 2 leadless pacemakers using beat-to-beat, wireless communication, achieving a success rate of 99.2%.
Association of Physical Activity With Bioactive Lipids and Cardiovascular Events
Authors: Hoshi Rosangela A. , Liu Yanyan , Luttmann-Gibson Heike , Tiwari Saumya , Giulianini Franco , Andres Allen M. , Watrous Jeramie D. , Cook Nancy R. , Costenbader Karen H. , Okereke Olivia I. , Ridker Paul M , Manson JoAnn E. , Lee I-Min , Vinayagamoorthy Manickavasagar , Cheng Susan , Copeland Trisha , Jain Mohit , Chasman Daniel I. , Demler Olga V. , Mora Samia
Published: July 2022

Background:

To clarify the mechanisms underlying physical activity (PA)-related cardioprotection, we examined the association of PA with plasma bioactive lipids (BALs) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) events. We additionally performed genome-wide associations.

Methods:

PA-bioactive lipid associations were examined in VITAL (VITamin D and OmegA-3 TriaL)-clinical translational science center (REGISTRATION: URL:
https://www.clinicaltrials.gov
; Unique identifier: NCT01169259; N=1032) and validated in JUPITER (Justification for the Use of statins in Prevention: an Intervention Trial Evaluating Rosuvastatin)-NC (REGISTRATION: URL:
https://www.clinicaltrials.gov
; Unique identifier: NCT00239681; N=589), using linear models adjusted for age, sex, race, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, total-C, and smoking. Significant BALs were carried over to examine associations with incident CVD in 2 nested CVD case-control studies: VITAL-CVD (741 case-control pairs) and JUPITER-CVD (415 case-control pairs; validation).

Results:

We detected 145 PA-bioactive lipid validated associations (false discovery rate <0.1). Annotations were found for 6 of these BALs: 12,13-diHOME, 9,10-diHOME, lysoPC(15:0), oxymorphone-3b-D-glucuronide, cortisone, and oleoyl-glycerol. Genetic analysis within JUPITER-NC showed associations of 32 PA-related BALs with 22 single-nucleotide polymorphisms. From PA-related BALs, 12 are associated with CVD.

Conclusions:

We identified a PA-related bioactive lipidome profile out of which 12 BALs also had opposite associations with incident CVD events.
The Leviathan’s Playing: Retrospective on Mediations with Gray Whales in the Ojo de Liebre Lagoon (Mexico)
Authors: Velazco Fernando Martín
Published: July 2022

“The Leviathan’s Playing” cycle is a multidisciplinary research project interacting with gray whales in the Ojo de Liebre lagoon in the Baja California peninsula (Mexico). The project started with a single premise: to read poetry to the whales. After an encouraging initial response to human lyrical stimulus from these cetaceans, the cycle’s efforts were directed toward developing a mediation system with this species and attempting to understand their behavior during close interactions with humans. This paper discusses the project’s findings from 2017 to 2021.
The Invocation of the ‘Two-Year Rule’ at the International Seabed Authority: Legal Consequences and Implications
Authors: Singh Pradeep A.
Published: July 2022

In June 2021, the Republic of Nauru invoked a treaty provision known as the ‘two-year rule’ at the International Seabed Authority (ISA). Effectively, this provision requires the Council of the ISA to complete the elaboration and adoption of the necessary regulations within two years if requested by a Member State whose national intends to apply for the approval of a plan of work for the exploitation of seabed minerals in the Area. If the Council is unable to complete the elaboration of the regulations within the prescribed time and an exploitation application is submitted, the Council would still have to ‘consider’ and ‘provisionally approve’ the same despite the absence of the exploitation regulations. This article undertakes a detailed analysis of the two-year rule, particularly underscoring its legal consequences and implications, as the ISA pushes forward in developing exploitation regulations in the light of its invocation.
Freedom of Religion and State Secularism under the COVID-19 Crisis: The Case of Italy
Authors: Alicino Francesco
Published: July 2022

This article analyzes the role of religious freedom and the principle of state secularism in Italy under the Covid-19 pandemic. In particular, the author focuses on the Government’s anti-Covid-19 restrictive measures that have limited some fundamental rights, including the right to freely profess and celebrate religious rites in community; which has led to a lively debate. However, unlike in other Western countries, in Italy the debate has been confined to the sphere of scholarly disputes, while judicial scrutiny has been nearly nonexistent. That stimulates interesting questions concerning the pandemic long-lasting effects on important factors of Italy’s principle of secularism, including the method of (state-church) bilateralism and its connections with the right of religious freedom.
The East/West Debate over Politeness: Ideology and Practice
Authors: Cook Haruko Minegishi
Published: July 2022

There has been a debate about whether East and West are different or similar in pragmatics. In this discussion note, I demonstrate that both views stemmed from a similar one-sidedness, namely scholars’ assertion of cultural norms based on ideology rather than actual practice. I discuss the gap between ideology and practice by reviewing recent studies in Japanese that examined actual practice by drawing on naturally occurring data. To better approach this debate, I suggest a direction for future research in contrastive pragmatics in relation to the East/West debate.
Reinstatement of Loxogramme yigongensis (Polypodiaceae), an endemic species from southeastern Xizang, China
Authors: YANG JIAN-JUN , WAN XIA , ZHAO WANG-LIN , LIANG ZHEN-LONG , ZHANG LIANG
Published: July 2022

Loxogramme yigongensis, so far known only from the type specimens collected in 1965 and treated as a synonym of L. grammitoides, is reinstated. Morphologically, these two species are closely related but L. yigongensis differs in having succulent lamina, becoming rugose when dry, lamina lanceolate with acute apex, widest near middle of lamina, and costa not or slightly raised on lower surface. Molecular analyses based on five plastid loci resolved these two species as sister to each other with distinct divergence. In addition, the ploidy level of the two species are reported for the first time.
Reconceptualising ‘Justiciability’: Crafting a Coherent Framework for Australia’s Unique Constitutional Context
Authors: Smith Brandon
Published: July 2022

The concept of ‘justiciability’ in Australian federal jurisprudence has been described by the High Court as a ‘slippery term of indeterminate reference’. With the High Court yet to comprehensively consider the concept of justiciability, Australia’s jurisprudence has failed to develop a coherent doctrine which is apt to govern the outer limits of judicial power under Chapter III of the Constitution. This article argues the transplantation of UK justiciability jurisprudence into Australia’s constitutional context, as well as doctrinal inconsistencies in UK case law, have resulted in applications of the doctrine which undermine key principles of federal judicial power. Drawing on existing case law, this article proposes a reconceptualisation of justiciability into three categories — constitutional competence, institutional capacity and institutional legitimacy — as a principled framework to be applied and developed by Australian jurists going forward.
The New Rich in Their “Palaces”: An Aspect of Urban Transformation in the Former Socialist Countries
Authors: Ruegg François
Published: July 2022

The paper addresses the scarcity of research on the new rich in urban anthropology. It argues that sumptuary spending is meant to establish and display an honourable ascendancy, and stems from a need for public recognition. This is particularly visible in the palaces of the nouveau riche in Eastern Europe. Too often, these buildings are unduly ethnicized; the paper claims that this ideological approach aims at denying Easter European Roma the possibility of taking part in the urban competition of the new rich and at excluding them from the wider urban context of the new rich in the post-Socialist territories, from Bucharest to Batumi and Astana. From Roma businessmen to a parvenu doctor in Cluj, the identity strategies of the new rich resemble each other. They draw on universal artistic heritage to create an image of ancient virtue for their owners.
Simulation of turbulence flow in OpenFOAM using the large eddy simulation model
Authors: Muhammad Noor , Lashin Maha M. A. , Alkhatib Soliman
Published: July 2022

Turbulent flow in fluid dynamics is used to describe fluid motion characterized by unpredictable fluctuations in pressure and flow velocity. Turbulence is generated when an area of fluid flow has an excessive amount of kinetic energy, which exceeds the damping impact of the viscosity of a fluid. The primary goal of turbulence modeling is to establish a mathematical model to predict time-averaged velocity, turbulence kinetic energy, and pressure rather than compute the fully turbulent flow pattern as a function of time, as is done in large eddy simulation (LES) and Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes simulations. Computationally solving the Navier–Stokes equation of motion to simulate turbulent flows necessitates resolving a wide range of length scales and times, all of which impact the flow field. The current study is concerned with the investigation of turbulence kinetic energy through the use of an LES model. The kinetic energy caused by turbulence is analyzed at the outlet and inlet. Along with the pressure, the fluctuations, as well as the mean velocity at the outlet and inlet, are examined. The C++-based programming is done to compute the turbulent flow in OpenFOAM. The computations made in OpenFOAM and Python show great agreement. For a better understanding of readers, graphs and animation are given.
Social impact of mobile libraries on rural children in Taiwan: A qualitative content analysis
Authors: Sung Hui-Yun , Bamkin Marianne
Published: July 2022

Equity of information access regardless of age, gender, origin or background is a guiding principle in library-related policies. It is generally considered that public libraries were founded in order to alleviate social injustice. Their use has enabled individual free access to information, stimulating an informed citizenship and aiding social inclusion. A lack of access to information in rural areas has been recognised as an urgent need which should be tackled globally. The purpose of this study is to examine whether children’s mobile libraries in remote rural areas of Taiwan enhance social impact as an exemplar for similar regions globally. The design of the study adopted a qualitative strategy with generalised findings in order to capitalise on the exploratory, open-ended nature of social inclusion-related issues. It sought to understand how participants perceived the social impact of mobile libraries on children in rural areas, based on their lived experiences. Purposive sampling identified 23 participants from six public library authorities using the criteria of places visited, frequency and longevity of that service. Qualitative interviews with participants were audio recorded, transcribed and in some cases translated. Coding emerged from the analysis of sample interviews and qualitative content analysis was used. Four areas of social impact were identified: Reading development, community connection, social space, equality of opportunity. It was found that mobile libraries have a social impact on children in rural areas, enabling equity of information access and enhancing reading motivations. The children felt valued allowing them to contribute as members of society. No previous research has examined the lived experience of children in rural Taiwan. Different cultural expectations means that assumptions made from research conducted in the UK or America may not apply. This research has filled the gap of validated information about children’s library services, rural mobile libraries and their social impact in non-western countries.
Effect of grease grades on the tribological and vibrational behaviours of a radial ball bearing: Conventional vs. micro-grooved outer races
Authors: Gouda Bansidhar , Tandon N. , Pandey R.K. , Babu C.K.
Published: July 2022

Comparative tribo-dynamic studies of radial ball bearings possessing micro-grooved and conventional outer races, employing three different grades of lithium soap-based greases (NLGI grade 000, 2 and 3), are presented in this paper. This research has been conducted to explore and understand the effectiveness of grease grades on the performance parameters in the presence of a circumferential micro-groove on the outer race as compared to conventional case. Indication of lubricating film thickness formation (in terms of capacitance), frictional torque, vibrations, and rise in temperature have been assessed for the conventional and micro-grooved outer race bearings at different operating parameters ( pH = 0.9 to 1.4 GPa; speed = 1.4 to 4.2 m/s). The micro-grooved bearings (MB) provided the indication of better lubricating film formation in terms of capacitance reduction in the range of 11–19% as compared to the conventional bearing (CB) cases. However, the reduction in frictional torque, vibration and rise in temperature magnitudes have been found in the range of 14–26%, 6–23%, and 10–24% respectively, as compared to the CB cases.
Effects of expressive art therapy on health status of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a community-based cluster randomized controlled trial
Authors: Zuo Xiaowei , Lou Peian , Zhu Yanan , Chen Bi , Zhu Xianghua , Chen Peipei , Dong Zongmei , Zhu Xuan , Li Ting , Zhang Pan
Published: July 2022

Background and objective:

This study was performed to investigate the effect of expressive art therapy (EAT) on the health status of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Methods:

This community-based cluster randomized controlled trial involved patients with COPD from 16 communities in China. Participants received either EAT plus usual care (UC) or UC only. General practitioners were trained in EAT before the intervention. The primary outcomes were depression and anxiety symptoms, measured with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and expressed as the HADS score for depression or anxiety (HADS-D or HADS-A, respectively). The secondary outcomes were the quality of life and dyspnoea, measured with the COPD assessment test (CAT). Dyspnoea was assessed using the modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) dyspnoea scale. Lung function was expressed as the forced expiratory volume in 1 s as a percentage of the predicted value [FEV1 (% pred)]. Outcome data were collected from all participants at baseline, 2 and 6 months.

Results:

In total, 360 participants with COPD and comorbid depression were included in the analysis with the control group of 181 receiving UC only and the intervention group of 179 receiving EAT plus UC. The EAT group showed significantly greater improvement in the HADS-D and HADS-A scores than the UC group at 2 months ( p < 0.0001 and p < 0.001, respectively) and 6 months ( p < 0.001 for both). The CAT and mMRC scores were significantly lower in the EAT group than in the UC group at 2 and 6 months ( p < 0.001 for all). The FEV1 (% pred) was significantly higher in the EAT group than in the UC group at 6 months ( p < 0.01).

Conclusion:

General practitioners can deliver EAT interventions. EAT can effectively reduce anxiety and depression symptoms and dyspnoea, improve quality of life and improve the pulmonary function of patients with COPD.
Exploring Older Adults’ Nighttime Trips to the Bathroom Under Different Lighting Conditions: An Exploratory Field Study
Authors: Lu Xiaojie , Luo Yue , Hu Boyi
Published: July 2022

Purpose:

The field study was to understand older adults’ reactions to and use of different low-light conditions while walking to bathrooms in the dark in their homes. Low-light conditions included participants’ usual nightlights and a destination-based LED strip lighting system.

Background:

Older adults encounter fall accidents while going to bathrooms at night due to low illuminance levels. They also fear falling due to previous fall histories or visual impairments. This field study tested and compared a destination-based LED strip lighting system with their usual nightlights on their movement and fear of falls.

Methods:

Fifteen older adults from an independent living facility participated in the within-subject design experiment, walking under two scenarios in random order: with usual nightlights turned on or with the destination-based LED strip lighting system turned on. Body-worn sensors were used to collect participants’ movement behaviors, and subjective questionnaires were used to understand participants’ anxiety under the two low-light conditions. Further, semi-structured interviews were conducted to understand their nightlight usage patterns and their evaluations of the destination-based LED strip lighting system.

Results:

Participants walked more smoothly under the destination-based LED strip lighting system scenario. However, the anxiety states were not statistically different between the two scenarios.

Conclusion:

Visual cues in the dark can benefit older adults’ safe movement. However, the application of the lab-effective LED strip lighting system in home settings should consider older adults’ floor plans and their furniture layout, both indoor and outdoor ambient lighting sources, and their lifestyles.
Identification and validation of a siglec-based and aging-related 9-gene signature for predicting prognosis in acute myeloid leukemia patients
Authors: Shi Huiping , Gao Liang , Zhang Weili , Jiang Min
Published: July 2022

Background

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a group of highly heterogenous and aggressive blood cancer. Despite recent progress in its diagnosis and treatment, patient outcome is variable and drug resistance results in increased mortality. The siglec family plays an important role in tumorigenesis and aging. Increasing age is a risk factor for AML and cellular aging contributes to leukemogenesis via various pathways.

Methods

The differential expression of the siglec family was compared between 151 AML patients and 70 healthy controls, with their information downloaded from TCGA and GTEx databases, respectively. How siglec expression correlated to AML patient clinical features, immune cell infiltration, drug resistance and survival outcome was analyzed. Differentially expressed genes in AML patients with low- and high-expressed siglec9 and siglec14 were analyzed and functionally enriched. The aging-related gene set was merged with the differentially expressed genes in AML patients with low and high expression of siglec9, and merged genes were subjected to lasso regression analysis to construct a novel siglec-based and aging-related prognostic model. The prediction model was validated using a validation cohort from GEO database (GSE106291).

Results

The expression levels of all siglec members were significantly altered in AML. The expression of siglecs was significantly correlated with AML patient clinical features, immune cell infiltration, drug resistance, and survival outcome. Based on the differentially expressed genes and aging-related gene set, we developed a 9-gene prognostic model and decision curve analysis revealed the net benefit generated by our prediction model. The siglec-based and aging-related 9-gene prognostic model was tested using a validation data set, in which AML patients with higher risk scores had significantly reduced survival probability. Time-dependent receiver operating characteristic curve and nomogram were plotted and showed the diagnostic accuracy and predictive value of our 9-gene prognostic model, respectively.

Conclusions

Overall, our study indicates the important role of siglec family in AML and the good performance of our novel siglec-based and aging-related 9-gene signature in predicting AML patient outcome.
Revealing the difference of α-amylase and CYP6AE76 gene between polyphagous Conogethes punctiferalis and oligophagous C. pinicolalis by multiple-omics and molecular biological technique
Authors: Jing Dapeng , Prabu Sivaprasath , Zhang Tiantao , Bai Shuxiong , He Kanglai , Zhang Yongjun , Wang Zhenying
Published: July 2022

Background

Conogethes pinicolalis has been thought as a Pinaceae-feeding variant of the yellow peach moth, Conogethes punctiferalis. The divergence of C. pinicolalis from the fruit-feeding moth C. punctiferalis has been reported in terms of morphology, ecology, and genetics, however there is a lack of detailed molecular data. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the divergence of C. pinicolalis from C. punctiferalis from the aspects of transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics and bioinformatics.

Results

The expression of 74,611 mRNA in transcriptome, 142 proteins in proteome and 218 metabolites in metabolome presented significantly differences between the two species, while the KEGG results showed the data were mainly closely related to metabolism and redox. Moreover, based on integrating system-omics data, we found that the α-amylase and CYP6AE76 genes were mutated between the two species. Mutations in the α-amylase and CYP6AE76 genes may influence the efficiency of enzyme preference for a certain substrate, resulting in differences in metabolic or detoxifying ability in both species. The qPCR and enzyme activity test also confirmed the relevant gene expression.

Conclusions

These findings of two related species and integrated networks provide beneficial information for further exploring the divergence in specific genes, metabolism, and redox mechanism. Most importantly, it will give novel insight on species adaptation to various diets, such as from monophagous to polyphagous.
Tumor specificity of WNT ligands and receptors reveals universal squamous cell carcinoma oncogenes
Authors: Chen Cheng , Luo Lunan , Xu Changling , Yang Xia , Liu Ting , Luo Jingyue , Shi Wen , Yang Lu , Zheng Yi , Yang Jing
Published: July 2022

Background

The WNT signal pathway has myriad family members, which are broadly involved in embryonic development and human cancer. Over-activation of WNT-β-Catenin signaling promotes cancer cell proliferation and survival. However, how diverse components of WNT signaling specifically engaged in distinct tumor types remains incompletely understood.

Methods

We analyzed the transcriptomic profiling of WNT ligands and receptors/co-receptors among 26 different tumor types to identify their expression pattern, and further verified these results using clinical oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) samples. At the same time, we also detected WNT7B expression in oral inflammation and carcinoma, and constructed stable WNT7B knockdown OSCC cell lines to study the effects of WNT7B on the cell migration and invasion ability.

Results

We found a group of tumor-specific WNT members, including a panel of squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) specific upregulated WNT ligands and receptors, WNT5A, WNT7B, FZD7 and GPC1. We further revealed a significant correlation between these protein expression characteristics and clinical outcomes of OSCC and LUSC patients. Moreover, WNT7B was demonstrated to contribute to the development of oral chronic inflammation and OSCC, partly due to promoting the invasion ability of tumor cells.

Conclusions

These results demonstrate that the function of WNT ligands and receptors in specific tumors depends on the origination of tumor tissue type. Collectively, they support the use of WNT components as a highly specific target for pan-tissue-type originated tumors.
RHOA protein expression correlates with clinical features in gastric cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Nam Seungyoon , Lee Yeeun , Kim Jung Ho
Published: July 2022

Background

Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most fatal cancers worldwide and is generally only detected after it has progressed to an advanced stage. Since there is a lack of comprehensive data on RHOA protein expression of patients with GC, this study utilized a systematic review and meta-analysis to address the limitation. The objective of this meta-analysis was to link GC clinical features with RHOA protein high- vs. low-expressing patients with GC.

Methods

The PubMed and Web of Science were used for a systematic literature review of GC related to RHOA. The included studies were obtained from two literature databases from past to Aug 31, 2021, by searching keywords. This meta-analysis followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. The odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidential intervals (CIs) for clinical features were estimated according to the high and low protein expression levels of RhoA. The mean effect sizes of ORs were obtained using the random-effects and fixed-effects models of meta-analysis. Heterogeneity of the studies was assesed by using statistics: τ2, I2; and Q values. The symmetry of funnel plots were inspected for publication bias.

Results

Finally, 10 studies including 1,389 patients with GC (735 RHOA-positive and 654 RHOA-negative) were eligible for our meta-analysis to estimate associations between the protein expression and clinical features (e.g., Union for International Cancer Control [UICC] stage progression, differentiation, Lauren histological classification, and vascular invasion). In our meta-analysis, RHOA positive expression was determined to have a statistically significant association with UICC stage progression (P = 0.02) and poorly differentiated status (P = 0.02). The association between RHOA positivity and Lauren subtypes was not statistically significant (P = 0.07).

Conclusions

This meta-analysis suggested that RhoA protein expression in patients with GC was associated with clinical features: UICC stage progression and poorly differentiated status. Our findings are inconclusive but indicate that high RHOA protein expressing patients with GC could predict advanced UICC stages. A large prospective cohort study is required for validation in future.