bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Disrupted morphological grey matter networks in early-stage Parkinson’s disease
Authors: Suo Xueling , Lei Du , Li Nannan , Li Wenbin , Kemp Graham J. , Sweeney John A. , Peng Rong , Gong Qiyong
Published: April 2021

While previous structural-covariance studies have an advanced understanding of brain alterations in Parkinson's disease (PD), brain–behavior relationships have not been examined at the individual level. This study investigated the topological organization of grey matter (GM) networks, their relation to disease severity, and their potential imaging diagnostic value in PD. Fifty-four early-stage PD patients and 54 healthy controls (HC) underwent structural T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging. GM networks were constructed by estimating interregional similarity in the distributions of regional GM volume using the Kullback–Leibler divergence measure. Results were analyzed using graph theory and network-based statistics (NBS), and the relationship to disease severity was assessed. Exploratory support vector machine analyses were conducted to discriminate PD patients from HC and different motor subtypes. Compared with HC, GM networks in PD showed a higher clustering coefficient (P = 0.014) and local efficiency (P = 0.014). Locally, nodal centralities in PD were lower in postcentral gyrus and temporal-occipital regions, and higher in right superior frontal gyrus and left putamen. NBS analysis revealed decreased morphological connections in the sensorimotor and default mode networks and increased connections in the salience and frontoparietal networks in PD. Connection matrices and graph-based metrics allowed single-subject classification of PD and HC with significant accuracy of 73.1 and 72.7%, respectively, while graph-based metrics allowed single-subject classification of tremor-dominant and akinetic–rigid motor subtypes with significant accuracy of 67.0%. The topological organization of GM networks was disrupted in early-stage PD in a way that suggests greater segregation of information processing. There is potential for application to early imaging diagnosis.
A digital tool for prevention and management of cold weather injuries—Cold Weather Ensemble Decision Aid (CoWEDA)
Authors: Xu Xiaojiang , Rioux Timothy P. , Gonzalez Julio , Hansen Eric O. , Castellani John W. , Santee William R. , Karis Anthony J. , Potter Adam W.
Published: April 2021

This paper describes a Cold Weather Ensemble Decision Aid (CoWEDA) that provides guidance for cold weather injury prevention, mission planning, and clothing selection. CoWEDA incorporates current science from the disciplines of physiology, meteorology, clothing, and computer modeling. The thermal performance of a cold weather ensemble is defined by endurance times, which are the time intervals from initial exposure until the safety limits are reached. These safety limits correspond to conservative temperature thresholds that provide a warning of the approaching onset of frostbite and/or hypothermia. A validated six-cylinder thermoregulatory model is used to predict human thermal responses to cold while wearing different ensembles. The performance metrics, model, and a database of clothing properties were integrated into a user-friendly software application. CoWEDA is the first tool that allows users to build their own ensembles from the clothing menu (i.e., jackets, footwear, and accessories) for each body region (i.e., head, torso, lower body, hands, feet) and view their selections in the context of physiological strain and the operational consequences. Comparison of predicted values to skin and core temperatures, measured during 17 cold exposures ranging from 0 to −40°C, indicated that the accuracy of CoWEDA prediction is acceptable, and most predictions are within measured mean ± SD. CoWEDA predicts the risk of frostbite and hypothermia and ensures that a selected clothing ensemble is appropriate for expected weather conditions and activities. CoWEDA represents a significant enhancement of required clothing insulation (IREQ, ISO 11079) and wind chill index-based guidance for cold weather safety and survival.
Simulationen von Strömungsakustik in rotierenden Bauteilen zur Entwicklung von Antriebskonzepten der Autos der Zukunft
Authors: Freidhager Clemens , Maurerlehner Paul , Roppert Klaus , Wurzinger Andreas , Hauser Alexander , Heinisch Martin , Schoder Stefan , Kaltenbacher Manfred
Published: April 2021

Die Antriebstechniken der Zukunft, wie z. B. der Elektromotor oder die Brennstoffzelle, erzeugen selbst nur sehr wenig Lärm, wodurch die Akustik der Hilfsaggregate in den Vordergrund tritt. Speziell rotierende Systeme wie die Kühlventilatoren des Elektromotors oder der Turbolader der Brennstoffzelle sind dabei Hilfsaggregate, denen eine große Bedeutung zukommt. Messungen an großen Versuchsaufbauten, um die Mechanismen, die in diesen Systemen Lärm verursachen zu verstehen, sind dabei häufig zu kosten- und zeitintensiv. Demzufolge werden immer häufiger komplexe Simulationen verwendet, um tiefergehendes Wissen über die Strömungsakustik in rotierenden Systemen aufzubauen. In diesem Beitrag präsentieren wir dazu eine Simulationsmethodik und zwei Anwendungen aus der Automobiltechnik.
No evidence for an effect of working from home on neck pain and neck disability among Swiss office workers: Short-term impact of COVID-19
Authors: Aegerter Andrea M. , Deforth Manja , Johnston Venerina , Sjøgaard Gisela , Volken Thomas , Luomajoki Hannu , Dratva Julia , Dressel Holger , Distler Oliver , Elfering Achim , Melloh Markus ,   the NEXpro collaboration group, Barbero Marco , Brunner Beatrice , Cornwall Jon , Da Cruz Pereira Yara , Egli Tobias , Ernst Markus J. , Etzer-Hofer Irene , Falla Deborah , Gisler Michelle , Haas Michelle , Johnston Venerina , Klaus Sandro , Kobelt Gina M. , Lüdtke Kerstin , Nicoletti Corinne , Niggli Seraina , Richard Salome , Sax Nadine , Schülke Katja , Staub Lukas , Zweig Thomas
Published: April 2021

Purpose

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of working from home on neck pain (NP) among office workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

Participants from two Swiss organisations, aged 18–65 years and working from home during the lockdown (n = 69) were included. Baseline data collected in January 2020 before the lockdown (office work) were compared with follow-up data in April 2020 during lockdown (working from home). The primary outcome of NP was assessed with a measure of intensity and disability. Secondary outcomes were quality of workstation ergonomics, number of work breaks, and time spent working at the computer. Two linear mixed effects models were fitted to the data to estimate the change in NP.

Results

No clinically relevant change in the average NP intensity and neck disability was found between measurement time points. Each working hour at the computer increased NP intensity by 0.36 points (95% CI: 0.09 to 0.62) indicating strong evidence. No such effect was found for neck disability. Each work break taken reduced neck disability by 2.30 points (95% CI:  − 4.18 to  − 0.42, evidence). No such effect was found for NP intensity. There is very strong evidence that workstation ergonomics was poorer at home.

Conclusion

The number of work breaks and hours spent at the computer seem to have a greater effect on NP than the place of work (office, at home), measurement time point (before COVID-19, during lockdown) or the workstation ergonomics. Further research should investigate the effect of social and psychological factors.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04169646. Registered 15 November 2019—Retrospectively registered, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04169646.
Genes and hormones of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis in post-traumatic stress disorder. What is their role in symptom expression and treatment response?
Authors: Fischer Susanne , Schumacher Tabea , Knaevelsrud Christine , Ehlert Ulrike , Schumacher Sarah
Published: April 2021

Background

Less than half of all individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) remit spontaneously and a large proportion of those seeking treatment do not respond sufficiently. This suggests that there may be subgroups of individuals who are in need of augmentative or alternative treatments. One of the most frequent pathophysiological findings in PTSD is alterations in the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis, including enhanced negative feedback sensitivity and attenuated peripheral cortisol. Given the role of the HPA axis in cognition, this pattern may contribute to PTSD symptoms and interfere with key processes of standard first-line treatments, such as trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy (TF-CBT).

Methods

This review provides a comprehensive summary of the current state of research regarding the role of HPA axis functioning in PTSD symptoms and treatment.

Results

Overall, there is preliminary evidence that hypocortisolaemia contributes to symptom manifestation in PTSD; that it predicts non-responses to TF-CBT; and that it is subject to change in parallel with positive treatment trajectories. Moreover, there is evidence that genetic and epigenetic alterations within the genes NR3C1 and FKBP5 are associated with this hypocortisolaemic pattern and that some of these alterations change as symptoms improve over the course of treatment.

Conclusions

Future research priorities include investigations into the role of the HPA axis in day-to-day symptom variation, the time scale in which biological changes in response to treatment occur, and the effects of sex. Furthermore, before conceiving augmentative or alternative treatments that target the described mechanisms, multilevel studies are warranted.
Evaluation of cardiac function and systolic dyssynchrony of fetuses exposed to maternal autoimmune diseases using speckle tracking echocardiography
Authors: Duan ShaSha , Ha Si , Li ShuJuan , Wang YaXi , Shi YiLu , Zhao HaiYue , Zhang Lu , Zhang XiaoShan , Wang Yong
Published: April 2021

Objectives

To compare cardiac function and systolic dyssynchrony of fetuses not exposed to and those exposed to maternal autoimmune antibodies using two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (2DSTE).

Methods

An observational study of 52 fetuses, 18 from mothers with autoimmune antibodies (anti-SSA/Ro60, anti-Ro52 or/and anti-SSB/La) and 34 from healthy mothers without antibodies, was conducted. Maternal baseline characteristics, fetoplacental Doppler parameters, and conventional echocardiographic data were prospectively collected. Systolic global and regional longitudinal strain of left and right ventricle (LV and RV) and the time to peak strain of regional myocardium were measured using 2DSTE. We also calculated the differences in time to peak strain between the LV free wall and RV free wall (two-chamber dyssynchrony, 2C-DYS) and the LV dyssynchrony between the septum and LV free wall (one-chamber dyssynchrony, 1C-DYS).

Results

There were no significant differences in conventional systolic and diastolic functional parameters for the LV and RV. No effect modification was demonstrated in a myocardial deformation analysis. However, 1C-DYS was significantly more prolonged in the maternal autoimmune disease group (19.50 [8.00 to 29.25] vs. 28.50 [13.50 to 39.25], P = 0.042).

Conclusions

LV systolic mechanical dyssynchrony in fetuses of mothers with autoimmune antibodies suggests in-utero subclinical damage of the cardiac conduction system.

Key points• The left ventricular systolic dyssynchrony was significantly more prolonged in the maternal autoimmune disease (AD) fetuses.• Subclinical damage to the left ventricular conduction system of the fetal heart in maternal AD was observed.• Systolic and diastolic functional of the left and right ventricle were preserved in fetuses exposed to maternal autoimmune disease.
Whole exome sequencing and deep sequencing of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma in Japanese patients using the Japanese version of the Genome Atlas, JCGA
Authors: Booka Eisuke , Tsubosa Yasuhiro , Yokota Tomoya , Mayanagi Shuhei , Ishii Kenjiro , Urakami Kenichi , Ohshima Keiichi , Ohnami Shumpei , Nagashima Takeshi , Yamaguchi Ken
Published: April 2021

Background

Recent comprehensive mutation analyses have revealed a relatively small number of driver mutations in esophageal cancer, implicating a limited number of molecular targets, most of which are also implicated in squamous cell carcinoma.

Methods

In this study, we investigated genetic alterations in 44 esophageal squamous cell carcinomas (ESCC) and 8 adenocarcinomas (EAC) from Japanese patients as potential molecular targets, based on data from the Japanese version of The Genome Atlas (JCGA).

Results

Esophageal cancer was characterized by TP53 somatic mutations in ESCC (39/44, 88.6%) and EAC (5/8, 62.5%). In addition to TP53 mutations, somatic mutations in NFE2L2 (16/44, 36.4%), CDKN2A (7/44, 15.9%), and KMT2D (7/44, 15.9%) were more frequently detected in ESCC than in EAC. WRN-truncated type mutations that lead to genomic instability correlate with EAC, but not ESCC. ESCC samples were enriched in ALDH2-associated mutational signature 16 as well as the APOBEC signature. Patients with FAT2 mutations had significantly poorer overall survival compared with those with wild-type status at FAT2 (p < 0.05). Patients with EP300 or PTPRD mutations also had poor progression-free survival compared with respective wild-types (p < 0.05 or p < 0.001).

Conclusions

These findings may facilitate future precision medicine approaches based on genomic profiling in ESCC and EAC.
Maximally Entangled SU(1,1) Semi Coherent States
Authors: Obada A.-S. F. , Ahmed M. M. A. , Ali Hoda A. , Abd-Elnabi Somia , Sanad S.
Published: April 2021

In this paper, we consider a special type of maximally entangled states namely by entangled SU(1,1) semi coherent states by using SU(1,1) semi coherent states(SU(1,1) Semi CS). The entanglement characteristics of these entangled states are studied by evaluating the concurrence.We investigate some of their nonclassical properties,especially probability distribution function,second-order correlation function and quadrature squeezing . Further, the quasiprobability distribution functions (Q-functions) is discussed.
Towards a three-part heuristic framework for technology education
Authors: Nordlöf Charlotta , Norström Per , Höst Gunnar , Hallström Jonas
Published: April 2021

There is not one single global version of technology education; curricula and standards have different forms and content. This sometimes leads to difficulties in discussing and comparing technology education internationally. Existing philosophical frameworks of technological knowledge have not been used to any great extent in technology education. In response, the aim of this article is to construct a heuristic framework for technology education, based on professional and academic technological knowledge traditions. We present this framework as anepistemological tripod of technology educationwith mutually supporting legs. We discuss how this tripod relates to a selection of epistemological views within the philosophy of technology. Furthermore, we apply the framework to the Swedish and English technology curricula, to demonstrate its utility as an analytic tool when discerning differences between national curricula. Each leg of the tripod represents one category of technological knowledge: (1) technical skills, (2) technological scientific knowledge and (3) socio-ethical technical understanding. The heuristic framework is a conceptual model intended for use in discussing, describing, and comparing curriculum components and technology education in general, and potentially also as support for planning and conducting technology teaching. It may facilitate common understanding of technology education between different countries and technology education traditions. Furthermore, it is a potentially powerful tool for concretising the components of technological literacy.
Direct memberships in foreign copyright collecting societies as an entrepreneurial opportunity for music publishers – needs, challenges, opportunities and solutions
Authors: Klingner Stephan , Miller Mihail , Becker Michael , Schumacher Frank
Published: April 2021

In the competitive, increasingly international music business, publishers are developing new ways to increase effectiveness and efficiency of the monetization of the copyrights they own or manage. Driven by various needs, publishers become entrepreneurs in new markets by choosing the path of direct memberships in foreign copyright collecting societies, rather than entrusting sub-publishers or taking the detour through their domestic copyright collecting society. Since with great power comes great responsibility, publishers as entrepreneurs are pursuing various economic opportunities, but at the same time are also facing great challenges. This paper aims at studying the motivation, obstacles and potentials and deriving possible solutions for this step and thus improving the understanding of as well as supporting publishers in this entrepreneurial activity.
Reconstruction scheme for excitatory and inhibitory dynamics with quenched disorder: application to zebrafish imaging
Authors: Chicchi Lorenzo , Cecchini Gloria , Adam Ihusan , de Vito Giuseppe , Livi Roberto , Pavone Francesco Saverio , Silvestri Ludovico , Turrini Lapo , Vanzi Francesco , Fanelli Duccio
Published: April 2021

An inverse procedure is developed and tested to recover functional and structural information from global signals of brains activity. The method assumes a leaky-integrate and fire model with excitatory and inhibitory neurons, coupled via a directed network. Neurons are endowed with a heterogenous current value, which sets their associated dynamical regime. By making use of a heterogenous mean-field approximation, the method seeks to reconstructing from global activity patterns the distribution of in-coming degrees, for both excitatory and inhibitory neurons, as well as the distribution of the assigned currents. The proposed inverse scheme is first validated against synthetic data. Then, time-lapse acquisitions of a zebrafish larva recorded with a two-photon light sheet microscope are used as an input to the reconstruction algorithm. A power law distribution of the in-coming connectivity of the excitatory neurons is found. Local degree distributions are also computed by segmenting the whole brain in sub-regions traced from annotated atlas.
Electromagnetic interference shielding performance of carbon nanostructure reinforced, 3D printed polymer composites
Authors: Verma Pawan , Bansala Taruna , Chauhan Sampat Singh , Kumar Devendra , Deveci Suleyman , Kumar S.
Published: April 2021

We report the electrical, mechanical and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding performance of polypropylene random copolymer (PPR)/multi-wall carbon nanotube (MWCNT) nanocomposites enabled via customized fused filament fabrication process. The electro-conductive PPR/MWCNT filament feedstocks were fabricated via shear-induced melt-blending process that allows 3D printing of nanoengineered composites even at higher MWCNT loading (up to 8 wt%). The uniform dispersion of MWCNTs in PPR matrix confirmed via Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy facilitates better mechanical, electrical and EMI shielding performance. The results furthermore show enhanced shielding properties and higher attenuation for the nanocomposites printed in 90° direction (~ − 37 dB for 8 wt% MWCNT loading). Effective interfacial adhesion between the beads with lesser extent of voids (confirmed via micro-computed tomography) endorsed low transmission loss in nanocomposites printed in 90° direction compared to samples printed in 0° direction. Surface architected structure (frustum shape) reveals higher specific shielding effectiveness (maximum ~ − 40 dBg−1cm3, + 38%) over the plain structure. The realization of excellent shielding effectiveness (~ 99.9% attenuation) of additive manufacturing-enabled PPR/MWCNT nanocomposites demonstrates their potential for lightweight and strong EMI shields.

Graphical Abstract
Learning about microbial language: possible interactions mediated by microbial volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and relevance to understanding Malassezia spp. metabolism
Authors: Rios-Navarro Andrea , Gonzalez Mabel , Carazzone Chiara , Celis Ramírez Adriana Marcela
Published: April 2021

Background

Microorganisms synthesize and release a large diversity of small molecules like volatile compounds, which allow them to relate and interact with their environment. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are carbon-based compounds with low molecular weight and generally, high vapor pressure; because of their nature, they spread easily in the environment. Little is known about the role of VOCs in the interaction processes, and less is known about VOCs produced by Malassezia, a genus of yeasts that belongs to the human skin mycobiota. These yeasts have been associated with several dermatological diseases and currently, they are considered as emerging opportunistic yeasts. Research about secondary metabolites of these yeasts is limited. The pathogenic role and the molecular mechanisms involved in the infection processes of this genus are yet to be clarified. VOCs produced by Malassezia yeasts could play an important function in their metabolism; in addition, they might be involved in either beneficial or pathogenic host-interaction processes. Since these yeasts present differences in their nutritional requirements, like lipids to grow, it is possible that these variations of growth requirements also define differences in the volatile organic compounds produced in Malassezia species.

Aim of review

We present a mini review about VOCs produced by microorganisms and Malassezia species, and hypothesize about their role in its metabolism, which would reveal clues about host-pathogen interaction.

Key scientific concepts of review

Since living organisms inhabit a similar environment, the interaction processes occur naturally; as a result, a signal and a response from participants of these processes become important in understanding several biological behaviors. The efforts to elucidate how living organisms interact has been studied from several perspectives. An important issue is that VOCs released by the microbiota plays a key role in the setup of relationships between living micro and macro organisms. The challenge is to determine what is the role of these VOCs produced by human microbiota in commensal/pathogenic scenarios, and how these allow understanding the species metabolism. Malassezia is part of the human mycobiota, and it is implicated in commensal and pathogenic processes. It is possible that their VOCs are involved in these behavioral changes, but the knowledge about this remains overlocked. For this reason, VOCs produced by microorganisms and Malassezia spp. and their role in several biological processes are the main topic in this review.
Changes in co-movement and risk transmission between South Asian stock markets amidst the development of regional co-operation
Authors: Khan Muhammad Niaz , Fifield Suzanne G. M. , Tantisantiwong Nongnuch , Power David M.
Published: April 2021

This paper documents evidence of changes in the co-movement of stock returns and risk transmission among four South Asian stock markets over periods of regional market reform and global market instability. The sample period (1993–2015) is disaggregated into three sub-periods: before and after the establishment of the South Asian Federation of Exchanges (SAFE) and after the 2008 Global Financial Crisis. The principal components investigation and cointegration analysis conclude that the co-movement among stock returns in this region altered amidst a change in the institutional context and global economic uncertainty. Using a tetra-variate GARCH-BEKK model, we find that, after the establishment of SAFE, the interactions among the markets increased through volatility spillovers, but decreased through shock spillovers. In addition, there were more shock and volatility spillovers in the last sub-period as compared to the first two sub-periods, indicating that risk transmission across countries increased during the period of uncertainty. In particular, the Indian stock market was a risk spreader in South Asia after the setup of SAFE and its influence on the regional stock markets increased even further after the 2008 Global Financial Crisis.
Brazil’s Community Health Workers Practicing Narrative Medicine: Patients’ Perspectives
Authors: Pinto Rogério Meireles , Rahman Rahbel , Zanchetta Margareth Santos , Galhego-Garcia W.
Published: April 2021

Background

Narrative medicine (NM) encourages health care providers to draw on their personal experiences to establish therapeutic alliances with patients of prevention and care services. NM medicine practiced by nurses and physicians has been well documented, yet there is little understanding of how community health workers (CHWs) apply NM concepts in their day-to-day practices from patient perspectives.

Objective

To document how CHWs apply specific NM concepts in Brazil’s Family Health Strategy (FHS), the key component of Brazil’s Unified Health System.

Design

We used a semi-structured interview, grounded in Charon’s (2001) framework, including four types of NM relationships: provider–patient, provider–colleague, provider–society, and provider–self. A hybrid approach of thematic analysis was used to analyze data from 27 patients.

Key Results

Sample: 18 females; 13 White, 12 “Pardo” (mixed races), 12 Black. We found: (1) provider–patient relationship—CHWs offered health education through compassion, empathy, trustworthiness, patience, attentiveness, jargon-free communication, and altruism; (2) provider–colleague relationship—CHWs lacked credibility as perceived by physicians, impacting their effectiveness negatively; (3) provider–society relationship—CHWs mobilized patients civically and politically to advocate for and address emerging health care and prevention needs; (4) provider–self relationship—patients identified possible low self-esteem among CHWs and a need to engage in self-care practices to abate exhaustion from intense labor and lack of resources.

Conclusion

This study adds to patient perspectives on how CHWs apply NM concepts to build and sustain four types of relationships. Findings suggest the need to improve provider–colleague relationships by ongoing training to foster cooperation among FHS team members. More generous organizational supports (wellness initiatives and supervision) may facilitate the provider–self relationship. Public education on CHWs’ roles is needed to enhance the professional and societal credibility of their roles and responsibilities. Future research should investigate how CHWs’ personality traits may influence their ability to apply NM.
Regenerative Potential of DPSCs and Revascularization: Direct, Paracrine or Autocrine Effect?
Authors: Mattei Vincenzo , Martellucci Stefano , Pulcini Fanny , Santilli Francesca , Sorice Maurizio , Delle Monache Simona
Published: April 2021

A new source of mesenchymal stem cells has recently been discovered, the so-called dental pulp derived stem cells (DPSCs) which therefore could represent potentially tools for regenerative medicine. DPSC originate from the neural crest and are physiologically involved in dentin homeostasis; moreover, they contribute to bone remodeling and differentiation into several tissues including cartilage, bone, adipose and nervous tissues. DPSCs have also been shown to influence the angiogenesis process, for example through the release of secretory factors or by differentiating into vascular and/or perivascular cells. Angiogenesis, that has a pivotal role in tissue regeneration and repair, is defined as the formation of new vessels from preexisting vessels and is mediated by mutual and reciprocal interactions between endothelial cells and perivascular cells. It is also known that co-cultures of perivascular and endothelial cells (ECs) can form a vascular network in vitro and also in vivo. Since DPSCs seem to have characteristics similar to pericytes, understanding the possible mechanism of interaction between DPSCs and ECs during neo-angiogenesis is dramatically important for the development of advanced clinical application in the field of regeneration.

Graphical abstract
Anlotinib in the treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma: an open-label phase II study (ALTER-0802 study)
Authors: Sun Yongkun , Zhou Aiping , Zhang Wen , Jiang Zhichao , Chen Bo , Zhao Jianjun , Li Zhiyu , Wang Liming , Bi Xinyu , Zhao Hong , Liu Kan
Published: April 2021

Purpose

This study aimed to assess efficacy and safety of anlotinib as a first- or second-line treatment for advanced or metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma (aHCC) and to identify the predictive plasma cytokines on efficacy of anlotinib.

Methods

It was a phase II clinical study. Patients with aHCC were recruited from October 2016 to April 2019 and divided into two cohorts according to previous tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) therapy. Those without or with prior TKIs were in Cohort 1 or 2, respectively. All patients took anlotinib (12 mg/day, Day1–14, 3 weeks per cycle). The primary endpoint was 12-week progression-free survival (PFS) rate. Relationship between the series plasma cytokine level and the efficacy of anlotinib was analyzed.

Results

Enrolled 26 patients in Cohort 1 and 24 in Cohort 2. In Cohort 1, the 12-week PFS rate was 80.8% [95% confidence interval (CI); 59.8%–91.5%] and median time to progression (TTP) was 5.9 months (95% CI 4.8–6.9). In Cohort 2, the 12-week PFS rate and median TTP was 72.5% (95% CI 48.7%–86.6%) and 4.6 months (95% CI 2.7–10.0), respectively. The median TTP on patients with a baseline plasma level of CXCL1 (C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 1) less than 7.6 ng/μl was significantly longer in both cohorts. The most common grade 3–5 adverse events were hypertension (8%), diarrhea (8%) and hand-foot syndrome (6%).

Conclusion

Anlotinib showed promising efficacy and safety as a first- or second-line treatment with a continuous TKIs treatment strategy in aHCC. The plasma CXCL1 might be a predictor for the efficacy of anlotinib.
Establishment and characterization of 38 novel patient-derived primary cancer cell lines using multi-region sampling revealing intra-tumor heterogeneity of gallbladder carcinoma
Authors: Feng Feiling , Cheng Qingbao , Li Bin , Liu Chen , Wang Huizhen , Li Bin , Xu Xiaoya , Yu Yong , Chen Zishuo , Wu Xiaobing , Dong Hua , Chu Kaijian , Xie Zhenghua , Gao Qingxiang , Xiong Lei , Li Fugen , Yi Bin , Zhang Dadong , Jiang Xiaoqing
Published: April 2021

Gallbladder carcinoma (GBC) is a lethal biliary tract malignant neoplasm. Patient-derived primary cancer cell lines (PDPCs) are appropriate models to explore biological characteristics and potential therapeutics; however, there is a lack of PDPCs in GBC. In this study, we aimed to establish and characterize the GBC PDPCs, and further investigated the intra-tumor heterogeneity (ITH). Multi-region sampling (3–9 regions) of the operable tumor tissue samples was used to establish PDPCs. Short tandem repeat genotyping for cell authentication and karyotyping was performed, followed by whole-exome sequencing and RNA sequencing to assess the ITH at the genetic and transcriptional levels, respectively. Thirty-eight PDPCs were successfully established from seven GBC patients and characterized. ITH was observed with a median of 38.3% mutations being heterogeneous (range, 26.6–59.4%) across all patients. Similar with other tumor types, TP53 mutations were always truncal. In addition, there were three genes, KMT2C, CDKN2A, and ARID1A, with truncal mutations in at least two patients. A median of 370 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) was identified per patient. Distinct expression patterns were observed between major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I and II genes. We found the expression of MHC class II genes in the PDPC samples was closely regulated by CIITA, while that of MHC class I genes were not correlated with CIITA expression. The PDPCs established from GBC patients can serve as novel in vitro models to identify the ITH, which may pave a crucial molecular foundation for enhanced understanding of tumorigenesis and progression.
De novo ulcerative colitis after kidney transplantation treated with infliximab
Authors: Oki Rikako , Hidaka Sumi , Sasaki Akiko , Teshima Shinichi , Mochida Yasuhiro , Miyake Katsunori , Ishioka Kunihiro , Moriya Hidekazu , Ohtake Takayasu , Kobayashi Shuzo
Published: April 2021

Diarrhea is a common complication in kidney transplant recipients. Common causes of diarrhea include infection, side effect from medication, rejection, and malignancy. A less common but important cause of diarrhea is de novo inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This is unexpected, as these patients are already immunosuppressed. Herein, we present the case of a 45-year-old man with end-stage kidney disease because of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis who underwent preemptive kidney transplantation, with his mother as donor. His immunosuppressive regimen included methylprednisolone, mycophenolate mofetil, and tacrolimus. He had no episodes of graft dysfunction, rejection, or infectious events. Two and a half years post-transplantation, he developed bloody diarrhea. After excluding infections, colonoscopy was performed and revealed edematous mucosa and erythema with pigmentation, which are typical findings in ulcerative colitis. Despite therapy with 5-aminosalicylate and granulocyte monocyte apheresis, he presented with massive bloody diarrhea. We initiated infliximab, an anti-tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) agent. He responded very well and achieved remission within 6 months after initiation of infliximab, while administration of the other immunosuppressants was maintained. His course was uneventful and no complications developed. Management of immunosuppressants for de novo IBD after organ transplantation is complicated, because treatment of IBD, graft function protection, and prevention of infection must be considered. Therefore, cooperation between transplantation physicians and gastroenterologists is essential during therapy.
Multidimensional Multiplicative Combinatorial Properties of Dynamical Syndetic Sets
Authors: Qiu Jiahao , Zhao Jianjie
Published: April 2021

In this paper, it is shown that for a minimal system (X, G), ifHis a normal subgroup ofGwith finite indexn, thenXcan be decomposed intoncomponents of closed sets such that each component is minimal underH-action. Meanwhile, we prove that for a residual set of points in a minimal system with finitely many commuting homeomorphisms, the set of return times to any non-empty open set contains arbitrarily long geometric progressions in multidimension, extending a previous result by Glasscock, Koutsogiannis and Richter.
Deep transfer learning: a novel glucose prediction framework for new subjects with type 2 diabetes
Authors: Yu Xia , Yang Tao , Lu Jingyi , Shen Yun , Lu Wei , Zhu Wei , Bao Yuqian , Li Hongru , Zhou Jian
Published: April 2021

Blood glucose (BG) prediction is an effective approach to avoid hyper- and hypoglycemia, and achieve intelligent glucose management for patients with type 1 or serious type 2 diabetes. Recent studies have tended to adopt deep learning networks to obtain improved prediction models and more accurate prediction results, which have often required significant quantities of historical continuous glucose-monitoring (CGM) data. However, for new patients with limited historical dataset, it becomes difficult to establish an acceptable deep learning network for glucose prediction. Consequently, the goal of this study was to design a novel prediction framework with instance-based and network-based deep transfer learning for cross-subject glucose prediction based on segmented CGM time series. Taking the effects of biodiversity into consideration, dynamic time warping (DTW) was applied to determine the proper source domain dataset that shared the greatest degree of similarity for new subjects. After that, a network-based deep transfer learning method was designed with cross-domain dataset to obtain a personalized model combined with improved generalization capability. In a case study, the clinical dataset demonstrated that, with additional segmented dataset from other subjects, the proposed deep transfer learning framework achieved more accurate glucose predictions for new subjects with type 2 diabetes.
Strain Rate Sensitivity of the Additive Manufacturing Material Scalmalloy®
Authors: Jakkula P. , Ganzenmüller G. , Gutmann F. , Pfaff A. , Mermagen J. , Hiermaier S.
Published: April 2021

This work investigates the influence of strain rate on the stress/strain behaviour of Scalmalloy. This material is an aluminium–scandium–magnesium alloy, specifically developed for additive manufacturing. The bulk yield stress of the material processed by Selective Laser Melting is approximately 340 MPa which can be increased by heat-treating to approximately 530 MPa. These numbers, combined with the low mass density of 2.7 g/cm3, make Scalmalloy an interesting candidate for lightweight crash-absorbing structures. As this application is inherently dynamic, it is of interest to study the loading rate sensitivity, which is difficult to predict: Al–Sc alloys exhibit classic strain rate sensitivity with an increased yield stress at elevated strain rates. However, Al–Mg alloys are known to show the contrary effect, they exhibit less strength as strain rate is increased. To answer the question how these effects combine, we study the dynamic behaviour at four different strain rates ranging from 10−3 to 1000 /s using servo-hydraulic and split-Hopkinson testing methods. The resulting data is analysed in terms of strain rate sensitivity of tensile strength and failure strain. A constitutive model based on a simplified Johnson–Cook approach is employed to simulate the tensile tests and provides good agreement with the experimental observations.
Unterschiede in der Wahrnehmung positiven und negativen Feedbacks von Mädchen und Jungen im Leseunterricht der Grundschule
Authors: Hoya Fabian
Published: April 2021

In zahlreichen Untersuchungen konnten geschlechtsspezifische Unterschiede im Lesen bei Kindern im Grundschulalter belegt werden. Im Detail weisen Mädchen im Vergleich zu Jungen sowohl bessere Leistungen als auch eine höhere Motivation und stärker ausgeprägte Selbstkonzepte auf. Diese leistungsbezogenen Unterschiede wie auch differente Erwartungen, die Lehrerinnen und Lehrer an Mädchen und Jungen im Leseunterricht stellen, können zu einem unterschiedlichen Feedbackverhalten führen, das sie gegenüber Schülerinnen und Schülern zeigen. In der vorliegenden Untersuchung wird der Frage nachgegangen, ob Mädchen und Jungen sich vor diesem Hintergrund in der Wahrnehmung des erteilten positiven und negativen Feedbacks ihrer Lehrkräfte im Leseunterricht unterscheiden. Zusätzlich wird untersucht, ob und inwiefern Unterschiede in dem von Grundschulkindern perzipierten Feedback ihrer Lehrkräfte über ihr Geschlecht, ihre Leistungen, ihre Motivation, sowie ihre Selbstkonzepte erklärt werden können. Dabei wurden N = 665 Schülerinnen und Schüler der dritten und vierten Jahrgangsstufe zu dem von ihnen perzipierten positiven und negativen Feedback ihrer Lehrkräfte im Leseunterricht der Grundschule befragt. Darüber hinaus wurden Instrumente zum lesebezogenen Selbstkonzept, zur intrinsischen Lesemotivation und zum Leseverständnis der Kinder eingesetzt. Die Untersuchungsbefunde belegen, dass Mädchen im Vergleich zu Jungen signifikant häufiger positives Feedback und signifikant seltener negatives Feedback ihrer Lehrkräfte im Leseunterricht der Grundschule wahrnehmen. Insgesamt zeigt sich, dass sich geschlechtsspezifische Unterschiede im wahrgenommenen positiven und negativen Feedback von Grundschulkindern stärker über leistungsbezogene Variablen als über ihr Geschlecht erklären lassen.
Gradient local auto-correlation features for depth human action recognition
Authors: Bulbul Mohammad Farhad , Ali Hazrat
Published: April 2021

Human action classification is a dynamic research topic in computer vision and has applications in video surveillance, human–computer interaction, and sign-language recognition. This paper aims to present an approach for the categorization of depth video oriented human action. In the approach, the enhanced motion and static history images are computed and a set of 2D auto-correlation gradient feature vectors is obtained from them to describe an action. Kernel-based Extreme Learning Machine is used with the extracted features to distinguish the diverse action types promisingly. The proposed approach is thoroughly assessed for the action datasets namely MSRAction3D, DHA, and UTD-MHAD. The approach achieves an accuracy of 97.44% for MSRAction3D, 99.13% for DHA, and 88.37% for UTD-MHAD. The experimental results and analysis demonstrate that the classification performance of the proposed method is considerable and surpasses the state-of-the-art human action classification methods. Besides, from the complexity analysis of the approach, it is turn out that our method is consistent for the real-time operation with low computational complexity.
Identifying maize yield and precipitation gaps in Uganda
Authors: Epule Terence Epule , Dhiba Driss , Etongo Daniel , Peng Changhui , Lepage Laurent
Published: April 2021

In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), precipitation is an important driver of agricultural production. In Uganda, maize production is essentially rain-fed. However, due to changes in climate, projected maize yield targets have not often been met as actual observed maize yields are often below simulated/projected yields. This outcome has often been attributed to parallel gaps in precipitation. This study aims at identifying maize yield and precipitation gaps in Uganda for the period 1998–2017. Time series historical actual observed maize yield data (hg/ha/year) for the period 1998–2017 were collected from FAOSTAT. Actual observed maize growing season precipitation data were also collected from the climate portal of World Bank Group for the period 1998–2017. The simulated or projected maize yield data and the simulated or projected growing season precipitation data were simulated using a simple linear regression approach. The actual maize yield and actual growing season precipitation data were now compared with the simulated maize yield data and simulated growing season precipitation to establish the yield gaps. The results show that three key periods of maize yield gaps were observed (period one: 1998, period two: 2004–2007 and period three: 2015–2017) with parallel precipitation gaps. However, in the entire series (1998–2017), the years 2008–2009 had no yield gaps yet, precipitation gaps were observed. This implies that precipitation is not the only driver of maize yields in Uganda. In fact, this is supported by a low correlation between precipitation gaps and maize yield gaps of about 6.3%. For a better understanding of cropping systems in SSA, other potential drivers of maize yield gaps in Uganda such as soils, farm inputs, crop pests and diseases, high yielding varieties, literacy, and poverty levels should be considered.
A Bayesian fusion technique for maximum power point tracking under partial shading condition
Authors: Gugulothu Ramesh , Nagu Bhookya
Published: April 2021

In this paper, a Bayesian fusion technique (BFT) based on maximum power point tracking (MPPT) is developed for the photovoltaic (PV) system that can exhibit faster and accurate tracking under partially shaded conditions (PSCs). Although the conventional hill-climbing algorithms have fast tracking capabilities, they are prone to steady-state oscillations and may not guarantee global peak under partially shaded conditions. Contrarily, the meta-heuristic-based techniques may promise a global peak solution, but they are computationally inefficient and take significant time for tracking. To address this problem, a BFT is proposed which combines the solutions obtained from conventional incremental conductance algorithm and Jaya optimization algorithm to produce better responses under various PSCs. The effectiveness of the proposed BFT-based MPPT is evaluated by comparing it with various MPPT methods, viz. incremental conductance, particle swarm optimization (PSO), and Jaya optimization algorithms in MATLAB/Simulink environment. From the various case studies carried, the overall average tracking speed with more than 99% accuracy is less than 0.25 s and having minimum steady-state oscillations. Even under the wide range of partially shaded conditions, the proposed method exhibited superior MPPT compared to the existing methods with tracking speed less than 0.1 s to achieve 99.8% tracking efficiency. A detailed comparison table is provided by comparing with other popular existing MPPT methodologies.
Effect of dietary graded levels of Imbrasia belina on the chemical composition and fatty acid profile of meat from broiler chickens
Authors: Moyo Sipho , Jaja Ishmael Festus , Mopipi Keletso , Hugo Arno , Masika Patrick , Muchenje Voster
Published: April 2021

The effect of dietary graded inclusion levels of Imbrasia belina worm meal on meat chemical composition and fatty acid profile of broiler chicken meat was evaluated. A total of 360 chicks were randomly allocated to four dietary treatments, with each treatment group replicated 6 times (n = 15/replicate). The inclusion levels of the I. belina worm meal in the treatments were 0% control = T1, T2 = 4%, T3 = 8% and 12%. A three-phase feeding program of starter (0-14d), grower (15-28d), and finisher (29-35d) was employed for the study. The results showed that crude protein content of breast meat was higher (P < 0.05) in dietary treatments than control, whereas crude fat content of thigh meat was higher (P < 0.05) than in breast meat. The fatty acid composition of breast meat myristic and myristoleic acid levels were significantly reduced (P < 0.05) in treatment groups than the control, whereas the levels of linoleic acid, ⅀PUFA, ⅀PUFA/SFA, ⅀PUFA: MUFA, ⅀(n-6) in thigh meat decreased significantly (P < 0.05) in treatment groups than control. The ⅀(n-3) and atherogenic index in the thigh meat increased significantly (P < 0.05) with incremental levels of I. belina meal. In conclusion, I. belina meal improved the protein content of breast meat and reduced levels of some fatty acids.