bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
National rates of non-fatal emergency department visits and hospitalisations due to fall-related injuries in older adults 2010–2014 and 2016: transitioning from ICD-9-CM to ICD-10-CM
Authors: Moreland Briana L , Burns Elizabeth R , Haddad Yara K
Published: March 2021

Background

This study describes rates of non-fatal fall-injury emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalisations before and after the US 2015 transition from the 9th to 10th revision of the International Classification of Diseases, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM to ICD-10-CM).

Methods

ED visit and hospitalisation data for adults aged 65+ years were obtained from the 2010–2016 Healthcare Cost and Utilisation Project. Differences in fall injury rates between 2010 and 2014 (before transition), and 2014 and 2016 (before and after transition) were analysed using t-tests.

Results

For ED visits, rates did not differ significantly between 2014 and 2016 (4288 vs 4318 per 100 000, respectively). Hospitalisation rates were lower in 2014 (1232 per 100 000) compared with 2016 (1281 per 100 000).

Conclusion

Increased rates of fall-related hospitalisations could be an artefact of the transition or may reflect an increase in the rate of fall-related hospitalisations. Analyses of fall-related hospitalisations across the transition should be interpreted cautiously.
Multisite medical record review of emergency department visits for unspecified injury of head following the ICD-10-CM coding transition
Authors: Peterson Alexis , Gabella Barbara A , Johnson Jewell , Hume Beth , Liu Ann , Costich Julia F , Hathaway Jeanne , Slavova Svetla , Johnson Renee , Breiding Matt
Published: March 2021

Introduction

In 2016, a proposed International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Edition, Clinical Modification surveillance definition for traumatic brain injury (TBI) morbidity was introduced that excluded the unspecified injury of head (S09.90) diagnosis code. This study assessed emergency department (ED) medical records containing S09.90 for evidence of TBI based on medical documentation.

Methods

State health department representatives in Maryland, Kentucky, Colorado and Massachusetts reviewed a target of 385 randomly sampled ED records uniquely assigned the S09.90 diagnosis code (without proposed TBI codes), which were initial medical encounters among state residents discharged home during October 2015–December 2018. Using standardised abstraction procedures, reviewers recorded signs and symptoms of TBI, and head imaging results. A tiered case confirmation strategy was applied that assigned a level of certainty (high, medium, low, none) to each record based on the number and type of symptoms and imaging results present in the record. Positive predictive value (PPV) of S09.90 by level of TBI certainty was calculated by state.

Results

Wide variation in PPV of sampled ED records assigned S09.90: 36%–52% had medium or high evidence of TBI, while 48%–64% contained low or no evidence of a TBI. Loss of consciousness was mentioned in 8%–24% of sampled medical records.

Discussion

Exclusion of the S09.90 code in surveillance estimates may result in many missed TBI cases; inclusion may result in counting many false positives. Further, missed TBI cases influenced by incidence estimates, based on the TBI surveillance definition, may lead to inadequate allocation of public health resources.
Descriptive exploration of overdose codes in hospital and emergency department discharge data to inform development of drug overdose morbidity surveillance indicator definitions in ICD-10-CM
Authors: Tyndall Snow Leigh M , Hall Katelyn E , Custis Cody , Rosenthal Allison L , Pasalic Emilia , Nechuta Sarah , Davis James W , Jacquemin Bretta Jane , Jagroep Sherani R , Rock Peter , Contreras Elyse , Gabella Barbara A , James Katherine A
Published: March 2021

Background

In October 2015, discharge data coding in the USA shifted to the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM), necessitating new indicator definitions for drug overdose morbidity. Amid the drug overdose crisis, characterising discharge records that have ICD-10-CM drug overdose codes can inform the development of standardised drug overdose morbidity indicator definitions for epidemiological surveillance.

Methods

Eight states submitted aggregated data involving hospital and emergency department (ED) discharge records with ICD-10-CM codes starting with T36–T50, for visits occurring from October 2015 to December 2016. Frequencies were calculated for (1) the position within the diagnosis billing fields where the drug overdose code occurred; (2) primary diagnosis code grouped by ICD-10-CM chapter; (3) encounter types; and (4) intents, underdosing and adverse effects.

Results

Among all records with a drug overdose code, the primary diagnosis field captured 70.6% of hospitalisations (median=69.5%, range=66.2%–76.8%) and 79.9% of ED visits (median=80.7%; range=69.8%–88.0%) on average across participating states. The most frequent primary diagnosis chapters included injury and mental disorder chapters. Among visits with codes for drug overdose initial encounters, subsequent encounters and sequelae, on average 94.6% of hospitalisation records (median=98.3%; range=68.8%–98.8%) and 95.5% of ED records (median=99.5%; range=79.2%–99.8%), represented initial encounters. Among records with drug overdose of any intent, adverse effect and underdosing codes, adverse effects comprised an average of 74.9% of hospitalisation records (median=76.3%; range=57.6%–81.1%) and 50.8% of ED records (median=48.9%; range=42.3%–66.8%), while unintentional intent comprised an average of 11.1% of hospitalisation records (median=11.0%; range=8.3%–14.5%) and 28.2% of ED records (median=25.6%; range=20.8%–40.7%).

Conclusion

Results highlight considerations for adapting and standardising drug overdose indicator definitions in ICD-10-CM.
Clinical and immunologic impact of short-course enzalutamide alone and with immunotherapy in non-metastatic castration sensitive prostate cancer
Authors: Madan Ravi A , Karzai Fatima , Donahue Renee N , Al-Harthy Munjid , Bilusic Marijo , Rosner Inger I , Singh Harpreet , Arlen Philip M , Theoret Marc R , Marté Jennifer L , Cordes Lisa , Couvillon Anna , Hankin Amy , Williams Moniquea , Owens Helen , Lochrin Sarah E , Chau Cindy H , Steinberg Seth , Figg William Douglas , Dahut William , Schlom Jeffrey , Gulley James L
Published: March 2021

Background

The standard treatment for non-metastatic castration sensitive prostate cancer (nmCSPC) is androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) or surveillance. This study evaluated the potential synergy of immunotherapy and enzalutamide (without ADT) in nmCSPC. In addition, the immunologic impact of enzalutamide was also evaluated in men with normal testosterone.

Methods

Patients with rising prostate-specific antigen (PSA) after definitive therapy, normal testosterone and no radiographic metastasis were randomized to enzalutamide for 3 months with/without PROSTVAC for 6 months. Thereafter, patients could be retreated with another 3 month course of enzalutamide when PSA returned to baseline. Immune profiles were evaluated in these patients.

Results

Thirty-eight patients were randomized with a median PSA=4.38 ng/dL and PSA doubling time=4.1 months. No difference was observed between the two groups for PSA growth kinetics, but PSA responses to enzalutamide were noteworthy regardless of PROSTVAC. The median PSA decline after short-course enzalutamide without ADT/testosterone lowering therapy was 99% in both courses. The median time to PSA recovery to baseline after each 84-day course of enzalutamide was also noteworthy because of the duration of response after enzalutamide was discontinued. After the first and second 3 month cycle of enzalutamide, PSA recovery to baseline took a median 224 (range 84–1246) and 189 days (78–400), respectively. The most common adverse events related to the enzalutamide were grade 1 fatigue (71%) and grade 1 breast pain/nipple tenderness (81%). The only grade 3 toxicity was aspartate aminotransferase (AST)/alanine aminotransferase (ALT) elevation in two patients. Enzalutamide was independently associated with immune changes, increasing natural killer cells, naïve-T cells, and decreasing myeloid-derived suppressor cells.

Conclusions

Three months of enzalutamide without ADT induced substantial PSA control beyond the treatment period and was repeatable, perhaps representing an alternative to intermittent ADT in nmCSPC. In addition, enzalutamide was associated with immune changes that could be relevant as future immune combinations are developed.

Trail registration number

clinicaltrials.gov (NCT01875250).
Genetic variants associated with expression of TCF19 contribute to the risk of head and neck cancer in Chinese population
Authors: Ji Pei , Chang Jiang , Wei Xiaoyu , Song Xueyao , Yuan Hua , Gong Linnan , Li Yuancheng , Ding Dongsheng , Zhang Erbao , Yan Caiwang , Zhu Meng , Miao Xiaoping , Wu Chen , Jin Guangfu , Hu Zhibin , Shen Hongbing , Ma Hongxia
Published: March 2021

Background

Squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) is one of the most common cancers worldwide and includes cancers arising from the oral cavity, pharynx and larynx. Genome-wide association studies have found several genetic variants related to the risk of SCCHN; however, they could only explain a small fraction of the heritability. Thus, more susceptibility loci associated with SCCHN need to be identified.

Methods

An association study was conducted by genotyping 555 patients with SCCHN and 1367 controls in a Chinese population. Single-variant association analysis was conducted on 63 373 SNPs, and the promising variants were then confirmed by a two-stage validation with 1875 SCCHN cases and 4637 controls. Bioinformatics analysis and functional assays were applied to uncover the potential pathogenic mechanism of the promising variants and genes associated with SCCHN.

Results

We first identified three novel genetic variants significantly associated with the risk of SCCHN (p=7.45×10−7 for rs2517611 at 6p22.1, p=1.76×10−9 for rs2524182 at 6p21.33 and p=2.17×10−10 for rs3131018 at 6p21.33). Further analysis and biochemical assays showed that rs3094187, which was in a region in high linkage disequilibrium with rs3131018, could modify TCF19 expression by regulating the binding affinity of the transcription factor SREBF1 to the promoter of TCF19. In addition, experiments revealed that the inhibition of TCF19 may affect several important pathways involved in tumourigenesis and attenuate the cell proliferation and migration of SCCHN.

Conclusion

These findings offer important evidence that functional genetic variants could contribute to development of SCCHN and that TCF19 may function as a putative susceptibility gene for SCCHN.
Refining the mutational spectrum and gene–phenotype correlates in pontocerebellar hypoplasia: results of a multicentric study
Authors: Nuovo Sara , Micalizzi Alessia , Romaniello Romina , Arrigoni Filippo , Ginevrino Monia , Casella Antonella , Serpieri Valentina , D'Arrigo Stefano , Briguglio Marilena , Salerno Grazia Gabriella , Rossato Sara , Sartori Stefano , Leuzzi Vincenzo , Battini Roberta , Ben-Zeev Bruria , Graziano Claudio , Mirabelli Badenier Marisol , Brankovic Vesna , Nardocci Nardo , Spiegel Ronen , Petković Ramadža Danijela , Vento Giovanni , Marti Itxaso , Simonati Alessandro , Dipresa Savina , Freri Elena , Mazza Tommaso , Bassi Maria Teresa , Bosco Luca , Travaglini Lorena , Zanni Ginevra , Bertini Enrico Silvio , Vanacore Nicola , Borgatti Renato , Valente Enza Maria
Published: March 2021

Background

Pontocerebellar hypoplasias (PCH) comprise a group of genetically heterogeneous disorders characterised by concurrent hypoplasia of the pons and the cerebellum and variable clinical and imaging features. The current classification includes 13 subtypes, with ~20 known causative genes. Attempts have been made to delineate the phenotypic spectrum associated to specific PCH genes, yet clinical and neuroradiological features are not consistent across studies, making it difficult to define gene-specific outcomes.

Methods

We performed deep clinical and imaging phenotyping in 56 probands with a neuroradiological diagnosis of PCH, who underwent NGS-based panel sequencing of PCH genes and MLPA for CASK rearrangements. Next, we conducted a phenotype-based unsupervised hierarchical cluster analysis to investigate associations between genes and specific phenotypic clusters.

Results

A genetic diagnosis was obtained in 43 probands (77%). The most common causative gene was CASK, which accounted for nearly half cases (45%) and was mutated in females and occasionally in males. The European founder mutation p.Ala307Ser in TSEN54 and pathogenic variants in EXOSC3 accounted for 18% and 9% of cases, respectively. VLDLR, TOE1 and RARS2 were mutated in single patients. We were able to confirm only few previously reported associations, including jitteriness and clonus with TSEN54 and lower motor neuron signs with EXOSC3. When considering multiple features simultaneously, a clear association with a phenotypic cluster only emerged for EXOSC3.

Conclusion

CASK represents the major PCH causative gene in Italy. Phenotypic variability associated with the most common genetic causes of PCH is wider than previously thought, with marked overlap between CASK and TSEN54-associated disorders.
Mitigating Class-Boundary Label Uncertainty to Reduce Both Model Bias and Variance
Authors: Almeida Matthew , Zhuang Yong , Ding Wei , Crouter Scott E. , Chen Ping
Published: March 2021

The study of model bias and variance with respect to decision boundaries is critically important in supervised learning and artificial intelligence. There is generally a tradeoff between the two, as fine-tuning of the decision boundary of a classification model to accommodate more boundary training samples (i.e., higher model complexity) may improve training accuracy (i.e., lower bias) but hurt generalization against unseen data (i.e., higher variance). By focusing on just classification boundary fine-tuning and model complexity, it is difficult to reduce both bias and variance. To overcome this dilemma, we take a different perspective and investigate a new approach to handle inaccuracy and uncertainty in the training data labels, which are inevitable in many applications where labels are conceptual entities and labeling is performed by human annotators. The process of classification can be undermined by uncertainty in the labels of the training data; extending a boundary to accommodate an inaccurately labeled point will increase both bias and variance. Our novel method can reduce both bias and variance by estimating the pointwise label uncertainty of the training set and accordingly adjusting the training sample weights such that those samples with high uncertainty are weighted down and those with low uncertainty are weighted up. In this way, uncertain samples have a smaller contribution to the objective function of the model’s learning algorithm and exert less pull on the decision boundary. In a real-world physical activity recognition case study, the data present many labeling challenges, and we show that this new approach improves model performance and reduces model variance.
Online Algorithm for Differentially Private Genome-wide Association Studies
Authors: Aziz Md Momin Al , Kamali Shahin , Mohammed Noman , Jiang Xiaoqian
Published: March 2021

Digitization of healthcare records contributed to a large volume of functional scientific data that can help researchers to understand the behaviour of many diseases. However, the privacy implications of this data, particularly genomics data, have surfaced recently as the collection, dissemination, and analysis of human genomics data is highly sensitive. There have been multiple privacy attacks relying on the uniqueness of the human genome that reveals a participant or a certain group’s presence in a dataset. Therefore, the current data sharing policies have ruled out any public dissemination and adopted precautionary measures prior to genomics data release, which hinders timely scientific innovation. In this article, we investigate an approach that only releases the statistics from genomic data rather than the whole dataset and propose a generalized Differentially Private mechanism for Genome-wide Association Studies (GWAS). Our method provides a quantifiable privacy guarantee that adds noise to the intermediate outputs but ensures satisfactory accuracy of the private results. Furthermore, the proposed method offers multiple adjustable parameters that the data owners can set based on the optimal privacy requirements. These variables are presented as equalizers that balance between the privacy and utility of the GWAS. The method also incorporates
Online Bin Packing
technique [1], which further bounds the privacy loss linearly, growing according to the number of open bins and scales with the incoming queries. Finally, we implemented and benchmarked our approach using
seven
different GWAS studies to test the performance of the proposed methods. The experimental results demonstrate that for 1,000 arbitrary online queries, our algorithms are more than 80% accurate with reasonable privacy loss and exceed the state-of-the-art approaches on multiple studies (i.e., EigenStrat, LMM, TDT).
Modelling and Accelerated Testing of Catholyte Stability in Vanadium Flow Batteries
Authors: Buckley D. Noel , Oboroceanu Daniela , Quill Nathan , Lenihan Catherine , Lynch Robert P.
Published: March 2021

Using our standard methodology, we examined the thermal stability of vanadium flow battery positive electrolytes over a range of temperature from 30 to 70 °C with stable lifetimes from 11 min to 87 days. At higher temperatures (45 °C–70 °C) measurements showed excellent reproducibility but at lower temperatures (30 °C–45 °C) showed some scatter. Measurements at higher temperatures are in good agreement with our (single-slope) model which is based on earlier data but there is some divergence from the model at lower temperatures. Arrhenius plots of the data show two linear regimes: one in the range 45 °C–70 °C and another in the range 30 °C–45 °C, the latter having a higher Arrhenius slope. Based on linear least-squares best fits in these two regimes, we have formulated an improved stability model (two-slope model). We use our models to derive expressions for accelerated testing of thermal stability using increased temperature, increased vanadium concentration and decreased sulfate concentration and estimate values for the acceleration factors over a range of test and use temperatures and concentrations. We analyse the effect of changing concentration to counteract the decrease in electrolyte stability at higher temperatures and derive expressions to calculate the necessary concentrations.
Angiotensin II type 1 receptor is involved in flow-induced vasomotor responses of isolated middle cerebral arteries: role of oxidative stress
Authors: Jukic Ivana , Mihaljevic Zrinka , Matic Anita , Mihalj Martina , Kozina Natasa , Selthofer-Relatic Kristina , Mihaljevic Dubravka , Koller Akos , Tartaro Bujak Ivana , Drenjancevic Ines
Published: March 2021

The AT1R blockade impaired the endothelium-dependent, both flow- and acetylcholine-induced dilations of MCA by decreasing vascular NO production and increasing the level of vascular and systemic oxidative stress, whereas it mildly influenced the vascular wall inflammatory phenotype, but had no effect on the systemic inflammatory response. Our data provide functional and molecular evidence for an important role of AT1 receptor activation in physiological conditions, suggesting that AT1 receptors have multiple biological functions.
Cardiac myosin binding protein-C phosphorylation accelerates β-cardiac myosin detachment rate in mouse myocardium
Authors: Tanner Bertrand C. W. , Previs Michael J. , Wang Yuan , Robbins Jeffrey , Palmer Bradley M.
Published: March 2021

Length perturbation analysis was used to demonstrate that β-cardiac myosin characteristic rates of detachment and recruitment in the intact myofilament lattice are accelerated by Pi, phosphorylation of cMyBP-C, and the absence of cMyBP-C. The results suggest that cMyBP-C normally slows myosin detachment, including Pi-dependent detachment, and that this inhibition is released with phosphorylation or absence of cMyBP-C.
A Network Pharmacology-Based Approach to Investigating the Mechanisms of Fushen Granule Effects on Intestinal Barrier Injury in Chronic Renal Failure
Authors: Han Miaoru , Yu Hangxing , Yang Kang , Liu Panying , Yan Haifeng , Yang Zhihua , Yang Hongtao
Published: March 2021

Purpose. Fushen Granule (FSG) is a Chinese medicine prepared by doctors for treating patients with chronic renal failure, which is usually accompanied by gastrointestinal dysfunction. Here, we explore the protective effect of FSG on intestinal barrier injury in chronic renal failure through bioinformatic analysis and experimental verification. Methods. In this study, information on the components and targets of FSG related to CRF is collected to construct and visualize protein-protein interaction networks and drug-compound-target networks using network pharmacological methods. DAVID is used to conduct gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis. Then, it is validated by in vitro experiments. In this study, the human intestinal epithelial (T84) cells are used and divided into four groups: control group, model group, FSG low-dose group, and FSG high-dose group. After the experiment, the activity of T84 cells is detected by a MTT assay, and the expressions of tight junction protein ZO-1, claudin-1, nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor (Nrf2), heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), malondialdehyde (MDA), and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) are examined by immunofluorescence and/or western blotting. Results. Eighty-six potential chronic renal failure-related targets are identified by FSG; among them, nine core genes are screened. Furthermore, GO enrichment analysis shows that the cancer-related signaling pathway, the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway, the HIF1 signaling pathway, and the TNF signaling pathway may play key roles in the treatment of CRF by FSG. The MTT method showed that FSG is not cytotoxic to uremic toxin-induced injured T84 cells. The results of immunofluorescence and WB indicate that compared with the control group, protein expressions level of ZO-1, claudin-1, and Nrf2 in T84 cells is decreased and protein expressions level of HO-1, MDA, and COX-2 is increased after urinary toxin treatment. Instead, compared with the model group, protein expressions level of ZO-1, claudin-1, and Nrf2 in T84 cells is increased and protein expressions level of HO-1, MDA, and COX-2 is decreased after FSG treatment. Conclusion. FSG had a protective effect on urinary toxin-induced intestinal epithelial barrier injury in chronic renal failure, and its mechanism may be related to the upregulation of Nrf2/HO-1 signal transduction and the inhibition of tissue oxidative stress and inflammatory responses. Screening CRF targets and identifying the corresponding FSG components by network pharmacological methods is a practical strategy to explain the mechanism of FSG in improving gastrointestinal dysfunction in CRF.
Evaluation of SMEs’ Credit Decision Based on Support Vector Machine-Logistics Regression
Authors: Xie Rui , Liu Rui , Liu Xian-Bei , Zhu Jia-Ming
Published: March 2021

This article uses support vector machines, logistics regression, and other methods for the comprehensive evaluation of credit decision-making of small, medium, and microenterprises and comprehensively uses software programming such as MATLAB and SPSS Modeler to solve the problem. The results, such as credit risk evaluation index system, credit risk classification model, and credit decision-making comprehensive evaluation model, are obtained. Finally, this article starts from the credit decision of small, medium, and microenterprises and provides theoretical and practical suggestions for banks to control the risks of small, medium, and microenterprises and their own development.
The Efficacy of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) in Children with Attention Problems, Hyperactivity, and Impulsivity in Dubai
Authors: Al Sehli Saad A. , Helou Maya , Sultan Meshal A.
Published: March 2021

Disruptive behaviors can be associated with significant functional impairment. Early intervention for young children is essential to prevent long-term consequences. Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) is a psychotherapeutic intervention, which has shown to be effective for children with externalizing symptoms. We present the treatment course of PCIT for two kindergarten children. The first has Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and the second has frontal lobe epilepsy. Both presented with attention problems, hyperactivity, and impulsivity associated with significant impairment in multiple settings. Two certified PCIT therapists provided 17 sessions to the parents of the first patient and 25 sessions to the parents of the second patient. Most of the sessions were in-person; however, some were “virtual” due to the circumstances associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Parents of both patients achieved the “mastery” criteria. In both cases, PCIT contributed to improving the disruptive behaviors. PCIT may serve as an effective therapeutic option for young children with externalizing symptoms in Dubai.
An Adaptive Memetic Algorithm for Dynamic Electric Vehicle Routing Problem with Time-Varying Demands
Authors: Wang Na , Sun Yihao , Wang Hongfeng
Published: March 2021

Dynamic electric vehicle routing problem (DEVRP) is an extension of the electric vehicle routing problem (EVRP) into dynamic logistical transportation system such that the demand of customer may change over time. The routing decision of DEVRP must concern with the driving range limitation of electric vehicle (EV) in a dynamic environment since both load degree and battery capacity are variable according to the time-varying demands. This paper proposes an adaptive memetic algorithm, where a special encoding strategy, an adaptive local search operator, and an economical random immigrant scheme are employed in the framework of evolutionary algorithm, to solve DEVRP efficiently. Numeric experiments are carried out upon a series of test instances that are constructed from a stationary VRP benchmark. The computational results show that the proposed algorithm is more effective in finding high-quality solution than several peer algorithms as well as significant in improving the capacity of the routing plan of EVs in dynamic transportation environment.
Investigation on Synthesis of Hydrogel Starting from Vietnamese Pineapple Leaf Waste-Derived Carboxymethylcellulose
Authors: Tuyet Phan Mai Thi , Pham Lan Ngoc , Nguyen Linh Hai , To Linh Phuong
Published: March 2021

Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) is obtained from Vietnamese pineapple leaf waste through etherification. By treating pineapple leaf powder with a solution of NaOH then with HNO3 at 90°C for an appropriate time, cellulose can be efficiently extracted. To obtain CMC, carboxymethylation was performed by reaction of the pineapple cellulose with chloroacetic acid at 60°C for 1.5 h. The optimal conditions for this reaction were established. The resulting CMC had a degree of substitution (DS) of 0.91. The hydrogel was prepared by graft copolymerization of acrylic acid and acrylamide to the synthesized CMC. During that reaction, N,N′methylenebisacrylamide (MBA) served as the crosslinking agent and ammonium persulfate (APS) as the initiator. The maximum hydrogel absorbencies for distilled water and 0.9 wt.% NaCl solution were relatively high, namely, 588.2 g/g and 79.3 g/g, respectively. Additionally, the water swelling and water retention behaviors of the hydrogel in soil were also investigated. The results showed that this hydrogel can be employed as a suitable moisture-holding additive in soil for cultivation purposes.
Imaging Diagnosis and Interventional Treatment for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Combined with Arteriovenous Fistula
Authors: Cai Zheng , Ran Maohui , Song Jiantao , Zhen Wenrui , Li Mingjian
Published: March 2021

In order to explore the imaging diagnosis methods and interventional treatment effects of hepatocellular carcinoma combined with hepatic arteriovenous fistula (HAVF), a total of 120 patients, who were diagnosed as hepatic carcinoma with arteriovenous shunting and underwent medical imaging diagnosis and interventional surgery therapy at a designated hospital by this study from December 2014 to December 2018, were chosen as study subjects. Digital subtraction angiography was performed to analyze the imaging features of hepatocellular carcinoma combined with HAVF in each patient; then, according to these imaging diagnosis results, gelatin sponge or coil was used to block the fistula; mitomycin, carboplatin powder, and lipiodol mixed emulsion was combined or separately utilized for hepatic tumor embolization, in which iodized oil embolization chemotherapy was used for patients with mild paralysis; gelatin sponge granule embolization chemotherapy was used for moderate paralysis patients at their first intervention, and, after about 1 month, if the sputum disappeared, iodized oil embolization was used again; and hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy was used only for patients with severe paralysis. The results show that the central type of HAVF is characterized by early angiography of portal vein and large branches and tumor staining after portal vein’s angiography; the peripheral type of HAVF is characterized by portal vein branching in hepatic tumor and double rail sign accompanied by the arterial branch; 112 cases of patients completed embolization chemotherapy; 8 cases of patients only received chemotherapy perfusion; in 109 cases of patients sputum disappeared or shunt decreased at first treatment; and in 113 cases of patients iodine oil was well deposited or the tumor was stably reduced; most of the symptoms of refractory ascites, diarrhea, and upper gastrointestinal bleeding were controlled or improved, and there were no complications such as pulmonary embolism and hepatic failure. Therefore, HAVF increases the difficulty of interventional therapy, but, as long as the positive and appropriate treatment measures are taken, it can still achieve better curative effect without serious complications, which can effectively alleviate the clinical symptoms of patients and improve the quality of life of patients. The results of this study provide a reference for the further researches on imaging diagnosis and interventional treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma combined with arteriovenous fistula.
Phytochemistry and Pharmacology of the Genus Equisetum (Equisetaceae): A Narrative Review of the Species with Therapeutic Potential for Kidney Diseases
Authors: Boeing Thaise , Tafarelo Moreno Karyne Garcia , Gasparotto Junior Arquimedes , Mota da Silva Luisa , de Souza Priscila
Published: March 2021

The Equisetum genus, Equisetaceae family, is widely distributed worldwide and may be the oldest nonextinct genus on Earth. There are about 30 known species, which are very often used in traditional medicine with diverse applications. This review aimed to compile scientific reports about Equisetum species with relevant pharmacological properties and/or therapeutic potential for kidney diseases. Our bibliographic survey demonstrates that the most widespread traditional use of Equisetum is as a diuretic, followed by the treatment of genitourinary diseases (kidney diseases, urethritis, kidney stones, and others), inflammation, wound healing, rheumatic diseases, prostatitis, and hypertension. The most popular species from the Equisetum genus with medicinal use is E. arvense L., whose diuretic effect was confirmed in animal models and clinical trials. The species E. bogotense Kunth also demonstrated the beneficial effect of inducing diuresis in both experimental and clinical assays. Several other species have also been studied regarding their therapeutic potential, showing different biological actions. Regarding the chemical composition, it contains many active constituents, such as alkaloids, flavonoids, phenol, phytosterols, saponins, sterols, silicic acid, tannin, triterpenoids, and volatile oils. However, despite the widespread traditional use, many species need to be explored in detail for scientific validation of popular use. Indeed, the species of the Equisetum genus have great potential in the management of kidney disorders.
Farrerol Enhances Nrf2‐Mediated Defense Mechanisms against Hydrogen Peroxide‐Induced Oxidative Damage in Human Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells by Activating Akt and MAPK
Authors: Ma Ning , Yang Xiaolin , Qi Chong , Yu Qinlei , Zhu Chao , Ren Hua
Published: March 2021

Oxidative stress of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) is an essential element contributing to the progression of age‐related macular degeneration (AMD). Notably, the activation of Nrf2 is regarded as an effective strategy for controlling oxidation. The novel 2,3‐dihydroflavonoid compound farrerol, which is extracted from Rhododendron, possesses antioxidant properties. In this study, we investigated the mechanism by which farrerol protects against oxidative damage mediated by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in adult retinal pigment epithelial cell line 19 (ARPE‐19) cells. Farrerol supplementation conspicuously reversed H2O2‐related cell damage through declining the generation of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and MDA and increasing the concentrations of GSH and SOD. According to the results of the apoptosis assay, a farrerol pretreatment decreased the protein expression of the Bax/Bcl‐2, cleaved caspase‐3, PARP, caspase‐8, and caspase‐9 proteins. Furthermore, farrerol markedly activated Nrf2, thereby increasing the levels of antioxidant enzymes downstream of Nrf2, such as HO‐1, NQO1, and GCLM. Knockdown of Nrf2 with a specific siRNA successfully suppressed farrerol‐mediated HO‐1 transcription and partially abolished the cytoprotective effect on ARPE‐19 cells. Meanwhile, farrerol induced Akt and MAPK phosphorylation in a dose‐related way. However, inhibiting Akt and MAPK substantially blocked the cytoprotective functions of farrerol. Therefore, farrerol enhanced Nrf2‐mediated cytoprotection of oxidative damage caused by H2O2, which may be inseparable from the activation of Akt and MAPK.
γδ T Cells in Merkel Cell Carcinomas Have a Proinflammatory Profile Prognostic of Patient Survival
Authors: Gherardin Nicholas A. , Waldeck Kelly , Caneborg Alex , Martelotto Luciano G. , Balachander Shiva , Zethoven Magnus , Petrone Pasquale M. , Pattison Andrew , Wilmott James S. , Quiñones-Parra Sergio M. , Rossello Fernando , Posner Atara , Wong Annie , Weppler Alison M. , Shannon Kerwin F. , Hong Angela , Ferguson Peter M. , Jakrot Valerie , Raleigh Jeanette , Hatzimihalis Athena , Neeson Paul J. , Deleso Paolo , Johnston Meredith , Chua Margaret , Becker Juergen C. , Sandhu Shahneen , McArthur Grant A. , Gill Anthony J. , Scolyer Richard A. , Hicks Rodney J. , Godfrey Dale I. , Tothill Richard W.
Published: March 2021

Merkel cell carcinomas (MCC) are immunogenic skin cancers associated with viral infection or UV mutagenesis. To study T-cell infiltrates in MCC, we analyzed 58 MCC lesions from 39 patients using multiplex-IHC/immunofluorescence (m-IHC/IF). CD4+ or CD8+ T cells comprised the majority of infiltrating T lymphocytes in most tumors. However, almost half of the tumors harbored prominent CD4/CD8 double-negative (DN) T-cell infiltrates (>20% DN T cells), and in 12% of cases, DN T cells represented the majority of T cells. Flow cytometric analysis of single-cell suspensions from fresh tumors identified DN T cells as predominantly Vδ2− γδ T cells. In the context of γδ T–cell inflammation, these cells expressed PD-1 and LAG3, which is consistent with a suppressed or exhausted phenotype, and CD103, which indicates tissue residency. Furthermore, single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) identified a transcriptional profile of γδ T cells suggestive of proinflammatory potential. T-cell receptor (TCR) analysis confirmed clonal expansion of Vδ1 and Vδ3 clonotypes, and functional studies using cloned γδ TCRs demonstrated restriction of these for CD1c and MR1 antigen-presenting molecules. On the basis of a 13-gene γδ T–cell signature derived from scRNA-seq analysis, gene-set enrichment on bulk RNA-seq data showed a positive correlation between enrichment scores and DN T-cell infiltrates. An improved disease-specific survival was evident for patients with high enrichment scores, and complete responses to anti–PD-1/PD-L1 treatment were observed in three of four cases with high enrichment scores. Thus, γδ T–cell infiltration may serve as a prognostic biomarker and should be explored for therapeutic interventions.

See related Spotlight on p. 600
Transient Depletion of CD4+ Cells Induces Remodeling of the TCR Repertoire in Gastrointestinal Cancer
Authors: Aoki Hiroyasu , Ueha Satoshi , Shichino Shigeyuki , Ogiwara Haru , Shitara Kohei , Shimomura Manami , Suzuki Toshihiro , Nakatsura Tetsuya , Yamashita Makiko , Kitano Shigehisa , Kuroda Sakiko , Wakabayashi Masashi , Kurachi Makoto , Ito Satoru , Doi Toshihiko , Matsushima Kouji
Published: March 2021

Antibody-mediated transient depletion of CD4+ cells enhances the expansion of tumor-reactive CD8+ T cells and exhibits robust antitumor effects in preclinical and clinical studies. To investigate the clonal T-cell responses following transient CD4+ cell depletion in patients with cancer, we conducted a temporal analysis of the T-cell receptor (TCR) repertoire in the first-in-human clinical trial of IT1208, a defucosylated humanized monoclonal anti-CD4. Transient depletion of CD4+ cells promoted replacement of T-cell clones among CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in the blood. This replacement of the TCR repertoire was associated with the extent of CD4+ T-cell depletion and an increase in CD8+ T-cell count in the blood. Next, we focused on T-cell clones overlapping between the blood and tumor in order to track tumor-associated T-cell clones in the blood. The total frequency of blood–tumor overlapping clones tended to increase in patients receiving a depleting dose of anti-CD4, which was accompanied by the replacement of overlapping clones. The greater expansion of CD8+ overlapping clones was commonly observed in the patients who achieved tumor shrinkage. These results suggested that the clonal replacement of the TCR repertoire induced by transient CD4+ cell depletion was accompanied by the expansion of tumor-reactive T-cell clones that mediated antitumor responses. Our findings propose beneficial remodeling of the TCR repertoire following transient CD4+ cell depletion and provide novel insight into the antitumor effects of monoclonal anti-CD4 treatment in patients with cancer.

See related Spotlight on p. 601
Direct control of active and reactive power for a grid-connected single-phase photovoltaic inverter
Authors: Radwan Eyad , Nour Mutasim , Baniyounes Ali , Al Olimat Khalid S. , Awada Emad
Published: March 2021

This paper presents a single-phase grid-connected photovoltaic system with direct control of active and reactive power through a power management system of a Photovoltaic inverter. The proposed control algorithm is designed to allow maximum utilization of the inverter’s available KVA capacity while maintaining grid power factor and current total harmonic distortion (THD) requirements within the grid standards. To reduce the complexity and improve the efficiency of the system, two independent PI controllers are implemented to control single-phase unipolar PWM voltage source inverter. One controller is used to control the power angle, and hence the active power flow, while the other controller is used to control the reactive power, and consequently the power factor by adjusting the voltage modulation index of the inverter. The proposed system is modelled and simulated using MATLAB/Simulink. The PV inverter has been examined while being simultaneously connected to grid and local load. Results obtained showed the ability of the PV inverter to manage the active and reactive power flow at, and below rated levels of solar irradiances; resulting in an increased inverter utilization factor, and enhanced power quality. The proposed system, was capable of operating at power factors in the range of 0.9 lead or lag for reactive power compensation purposes and delivered its power at a wide range of solar irradiance variations.
Current mode control of single phase grid tie inverter with anti-islanding
Authors: Lakshminarayanan Sanjay , B M Kiran Kumar , Rao S. Nagaraja , S. Pranupa
Published: March 2021

The aim of this paper is to explore the use of various current mode control (CMC) techniques to design a single phase grid tie inverter integrated with anti-islanding protection. Three types of CMC techniques have been discussed, namely current hysteresis control (CHC), constant frequency control (CFC) and average current mode control (ACMC). The performance of the grid tie inverter in the event of grid voltage failure is also studied to help install an anti-islanding mechanism. The proposed control techniques shall eliminate the use of Phase locked loop (PLL) control as the current reference is generated from the grid voltage itself. All three current mode control techniques of an inverter have been simulated in MATLAB/Simulink to evaluate the performance of the designed inverter. The simulated results show a current THD of less than 5% in all three methods and a good anti-islanding response.
Sliding mode control design of wind power generation system based on permanent magnet synchronous generator
Authors: Laabidine Nada Zine , Errarhout Afrae , El Bakkali Chakib , Mohammed Karim , Bossoufi Badre
Published: March 2021

This paper aims to implement a new contribution for sliding mode control (SMC) of permanent magnet synchronous generator (PMSG) for wind systems conversion with track the maximum power point tracking (MPPT) power. The SMC is a very popular approach due to its robustness in dealing with the non-linear electrical power systems. In this work, the application of the SMC control is by using the non lineare model of the PMSG. The objective of this work is to control stator active and stator reactive power, and the voltage-frequency for a better injection into the network. The results obtained show better robustness.
Design of eddy current brake for electric motorcycle braking system
Authors: Putra Mufti Reza Aulia , Nizam Muhammad , Tjahjana Dominicus Danardono Dwi Prija
Published: March 2021

Braking systems in motor vehicles generally use a braking system that utilizes friction. The braking performance will decrease caused by using friction rapidly. To overcome this, as an alternative, an electromagnetic braking system can be used by utilizing eddy currents, such as eddy current brakes (ECB). Eddy currents are generated when the rotor pass the magnetic field of the electromagnet. The research aim is to design an ECB system. The performance of the disk design will be determined in this study. The study is about the tendency of the ECB properties. The finite element (FEM) method is used by modeling ECB performance. The experimental results were used to validate the result. The test showed the results of braking using aluminum disk showed the best performance in 12.03 Nm. From these results, the combination of the disks is needed by an appropriate disk design.
Design and simulation of Lidar based control system for wind turbine
Authors: Iqbal Atif , Ying Deng , Akhter Faheem , Panjwani Manoj Kumar , Khan Danish
Published: March 2021

Renewable energy sources could be the main contributor to fulfilling the world’s energy requirement. Wind energy is grabbing the world’s attention due to its abundant nature and reliability. Wind energy is a prominent renewable energy source due to its availability and higher reliability. Despite the aforementioned benefits, there are some challenges such as wind measurement and prediction due to the turbulent nature of the wind. Lidar (light detection and ranging) technology is used in wind turbines to preview the wind and act it accordingly. Wind speed along with the direction is measured by the Lidar before it reaches the wind turbine plane and the control system of the wind turbine utilizes this data for optimal results. It enhances the control system along with it optimizes the output power. This paper presents the Lidar simulation model, which previews the wind earlier than the conventional feedback method. The Lidar simulation model is prepared and implemented on the horizontal axis wind turbine. The simulation is performed in GH Bladed at a 2.0 MW wind turbine. The output results are analyzed with the former method. The power extracted, pitch angle, rotor torque obtained from the proposed methodology proves its efficacy.
Sleep Timing May Predict Congestive Heart Failure: A Community‐Based Cohort Study
Authors: Yan Bin , Li Ruohan , Li Jiamei , Jin Xuting , Gao Fan , Gao Ya , Ren Jiajia , Zhang Jingjing , Wang Xiaochuang , Wang Gang
Published: March 2021

Background

Previous studies have suggested that sleep timing is associated with cardiovascular risk factors. However, there is no evidence on the relationship between sleep timing and congestive heart failure (CHF). We aimed to examine this relationship in this study.

Methods and Results

We recruited 4765 participants (2207 men; mean age, 63.6±11.0 years) from the SHHS (Sleep Heart Health Study) database in this multicenter prospective cohort study. Follow‐up was conducted until the first CHF diagnosis between baseline and the final censoring date. Sleep timing (bedtimes and wake‐up times on weekdays and weekends) was based on a self‐reported questionnaire. Cox proportional hazard models were constructed to investigate the association between sleep timing and CHF. During the mean follow‐up period of 11 years, 519 cases of CHF (10.9%) were reported. The multivariable Cox proportional hazards models revealed that participants with weekday bedtimes >12:00 
am
(hazard ratio [HR], 1.56; 95% CI, 1.15–2.11;
P
=0.004) and from 11:01 
pm
to 12:00 
am
(HR, 1.25; 95% CI, 1.00–1.56;
P
=0.047) had an increased risk of CHF compared with those with bedtimes from 10:01 
pm
to 11:00 
pm
. After stratified analysis, the association was intensified in participants with a self‐reported sleep duration of 6 to 8 hours. Furthermore, wake‐up times >8:00 
am
on weekdays (HR, 1.53; 95% CI, 1.07–2.17;
P
=0.018) were associated with a higher risk of incident CHF than wake‐up times ≤6:00 
am
.

Conclusions

Delayed bedtimes (>11:00 
pm
) and wake‐up times (>8:00 
am
) on weekdays were associated with an increased risk of CHF.
Comparing Knowledge-Intensive and Data-Intensive Models for English Resource Semantic Parsing
Authors: Cao Junjie , Lin Zi , Sun Weiwei , Wan Xiaojun
Published: March 2021

In this work, we present a phenomenon-oriented comparative analysis of the two dominant approaches in English Resource Semantic (ERS) parsing: classic, knowledge-intensive and neural, data-intensive models. To reflect state-of-the-art neural NLP technologies, a factorization-based parser is introduced that can produce Elementary Dependency Structures much more accurately than previous data-driven parsers. We conduct a suite of tests for different linguistic phenomena to analyze the grammatical competence of different parsers, where we show that, despite comparable performance overall, knowledge- and data-intensive models produce different types of errors, in a way that can be explained by their theoretical properties. This analysis is beneficial to in-depth evaluation of several representative parsing techniques and leads to new directions for parser development.