bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Deciphering the mechanism of near-threshold $$J/\psi $$ photoproduction
Authors: Du Meng-Lin , Baru Vadim , Guo Feng-Kun , Hanhart Christoph , Meißner Ulf-G. , Nefediev Alexey , Strakovsky Igor
Published: November 2020

The photoproduction of the $$J/\psi $$

J
/
ψ

off the proton is believed to deepen our understanding of various physics issues. On the one hand, it is proposed to provide access to the origin of the proton mass, based on the QCD multipole expansion. On the other hand, it can be employed in a study of pentaquark states. The process is usually assumed to proceed through vector-meson dominance, that is the photon couples to a $$J/\psi $$

J
/
ψ

which rescatters with the proton to give the $$J/\psi p$$

J
/
ψ
p

final state. In this paper, we provide a compelling hint for and propose measurements necessary to confirm a novel production mechanism via the $$\varLambda _c \bar{D}^{(*)}$$

Λ
c

D

¯

(

∗
)

intermediate states. In particular, there must be cusp structures at the $$\varLambda _c \bar{D}^{(*)}$$

Λ
c

D

¯

(

∗
)

thresholds in the energy dependence of the $$J/\psi $$

J
/
ψ

photoproduction cross section. The same mechanism also implies the $$J/\psi $$

J
/
ψ

-nucleon scattering lengths of order 1 mfm. Given this, one expects only a minor contribution of charm quarks to the nucleon mass.
Bouncing solutions in f(T) gravity
Authors: Skugoreva Maria A. , Toporensky Alexey V.
Published: November 2020

We consider certain aspects of cosmological dynamics of a spatially curved Universe in f(T) gravity. Local analysis allows us to find conditions for bounces and for static solutions; these conditions appear to be in general less restrictive than in general relativity. We also provide a global analysis of the corresponding cosmological dynamics in the cases when bounces and static configurations exist, by constructing phase diagrams. These diagrams indicate that the fate of a big contracting Universe is not altered significantly when bounces become possible, since they appear to be inaccessible by a sufficiently big Universe.
Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells: Facilitators of Cancer and Obesity-Induced Cancer
Authors: Ostrand-Rosenberg Suzanne
Published: November 2020

Immature myeloid cells at varied stages of differentiation, known as myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC), are present in virtually all cancer patients. MDSC are profoundly immune-suppressive cells that impair adaptive and innate antitumor immunity and promote tumor progression through nonimmune mechanisms. Their widespread presence combined with their multitude of protumor activities makes MDSC a major obstacle to cancer immunotherapies. MDSC are derived from progenitor cells in the bone marrow and traffic through the blood to infiltrate solid tumors. Their accumulation and suppressive potency are driven by multiple tumor- and host-secreted proinflammatory factors and adrenergic signals that act via diverse but sometimes overlapping transcriptional pathways. MDSC also accumulate in response to the chronic inflammation and lipid deposition characteristic of obesity and contribute to the more rapid progression of cancers in obese individuals. This article summarizes the key aspects of tumor-induced MDSC with a focus on recent progress in the MDSC field.
Birdsong Learning and Culture: Analogies with Human Spoken Language
Authors: Hyland Bruno Julia , Jarvis Erich D. , Liberman Mark , Tchernichovski Ofer
Published: November 2020

Unlike many species, song learning birds and humans have independently evolved the ability to communicate via learned vocalizations. Both birdsong and spoken language are culturally transmitted across generations, within species-specific constraints that leave room for considerable variation. We review the commonalities and differences between vocal learning bird species and humans, across behavioral, developmental, neuroanatomical, physiological, and genetic levels. We propose that cultural transmission of vocal repertoires is a natural consequence of the evolution of vocal learning and that at least some species-specific universals, as well as species differences in cultural transmission, are due to differences in vocal learning phenotypes, which are shaped by genetic constraints. We suggest that it is the balance between these constraints and features of the social environment that allows cultural learning to propagate. We describe new opportunities for exploring meaningful comparisons of birdsong and human vocal culture.
Multifunctional Films Deposited by Atomic Layer Deposition for Tailored Interfaces of Electrochemical Systems
Authors: Gutierrez Arturo , Choudhury Devika , Sharifi-Asl Soroosh , Yonemoto Bryan T. , Shahbazian-Yassar Reza , Mane Anil U. , Elam Jeffrey W. , Croy Jason
Published: November 2020

A new strategy for electrochemical interfaces that utilizes multilayer films deposited by atomic layer deposition (ALD) is introduced. Manganese-rich and nickel-rich cathode oxides were coated with a novel bilayer film of metal fluorides. Subsequent exposure to prolonged, high-voltage electrochemical cycling vs graphite electrodes revealed that the bilayer film can greatly enhance the high-voltage stability of cathode oxides. In particular, in manganese-rich cells, capacity fade due to manganese dissolution was substantially reduced and impedance rise was virtually eliminated. Furthermore, in nickel-rich NMC-811 cells, impedance rise was reduced by ∼80%, compared to the NMC-811 baseline, after ∼300 h of high-voltage exposure during cycling. The multilayer film strategy presents an exciting opportunity for tailoring designs and materials for electrochemical interfaces in advanced lithium-ion batteries and beyond.
The Influence of Cycling, Temperature, and Electrode Gapping on the Safety of Prismatic Lithium-Ion Batteries
Authors: Cai Zhuhua , Mendoza Sergio , Goodman Johanna , McGann John , Han Binghong , Sanchez Hernan , Spray Ryan
Published: November 2020

Lithium-ion batteries are prevalent in every aspect of modern life (cell phones, laptops, electric vehicles, and energy storage systems for the electric grid). For all applications, the battery safety is an important consideration. Compared to numerous studies on the safety behavior of 18650-type cells, limited research has been conducted to characterize prismatic cells with their unique challenges including how electrode gapping, cycling history, electrolyte degradation, or lithium plating affect the safety. In this paper, a systematic study is reported on prismatic cells cycled at 0 °C, 23 °C, and 45 °C. The safety aspect of the cells with electrode gapping is evaluated using accelerating rate calorimetry (ARC). The evolution of gaps was monitored using X-ray computed tomography. Our study demonstrates that gaps are intrinsic even in fresh cells. The gaps can evolve during cycling and are closely related to the localized lithium plating and electrolyte degradation, which can be more severe for cells cycled at 45 °C. However, the safety behavior is not simply correlated to cell internal structure (e.g. gapping), or the amount of degradation products after cycling; the aging mechanism at different temperatures also plays an important role. Understanding the thermal stability of prismatic cells during their lifecycle is necessary for risk mitigation in numerous applications.
A multimodal and integrated approach to interrogate human kidney biopsies with rigor and reproducibility: guidelines from the Kidney Precision Medicine Project
Authors: El-Achkar Tarek M. , Eadon Michael T. , Menon Rajasree , Lake Blue B. , Sigdel Tara K. , Alexandrov Theodore , Parikh Samir , Zhang Guanshi , Dobi Dejan , Dunn Kenneth W. , Otto Edgar A. , Anderton Christopher R. , Carson Jonas M. , Luo Jinghui , Park Chris , Hamidi Habib , Zhou Jian , Hoover Paul , Schroeder Andrew , Joanes Marianinha , Azeloglu Evren U. , Sealfon Rachel , Winfree Seth , Steck Becky , He Yongqun , D’Agati Vivette , Iyengar Ravi , Troyanskaya Olga G. , Barisoni Laura , Gaut Joseph , Zhang Kun , Laszik Zoltan , Rovin Brad H. , Dagher Pierre C. , Sharma Kumar , Sarwal Minnie M. , Hodgin Jeffrey B. , Alpers Charles E. , Kretzler Matthias , Jain Sanjay
Published: November 2020

Comprehensive and spatially mapped molecular atlases of organs at a cellular level are a critical resource to gain insights into pathogenic mechanisms and personalized therapies for diseases. The Kidney Precision Medicine Project (KPMP) is an endeavor to generate three-dimensional (3-D) molecular atlases of healthy and diseased kidney biopsies by using multiple state-of-the-art omics and imaging technologies across several institutions. Obtaining rigorous and reproducible results from disparate methods and at different sites to interrogate biomolecules at a single-cell level or in 3-D space is a significant challenge that can be a futile exercise if not well controlled. We describe a “follow the tissue” pipeline for generating a reliable and authentic single-cell/region 3-D molecular atlas of human adult kidney. Our approach emphasizes quality assurance, quality control, validation, and harmonization across different omics and imaging technologies from sample procurement, processing, storage, shipping to data generation, analysis, and sharing. We established benchmarks for quality control, rigor, reproducibility, and feasibility across multiple technologies through a pilot experiment using common source tissue that was processed and analyzed at different institutions and different technologies. A peer review system was established to critically review quality control measures and the reproducibility of data generated by each technology before their being approved to interrogate clinical biopsy specimens. The process established economizes the use of valuable biopsy tissue for multiomics and imaging analysis with stringent quality control to ensure rigor and reproducibility of results and serves as a model for precision medicine projects across laboratories, institutions and consortia.
Natural Cinnamaldehyde and Its Derivatives Ameliorate Neuroinflammatory Pathways in Neurodegenerative Diseases
Authors: Hajinejad Mehrdad , Ghaddaripouri Maryam , Dabzadeh Maryam , Forouzanfar Fatemeh , Sahab-Negah Sajad
Published: November 2020

Neurodegenerative diseases are devastating and incurable disorders characterized by neuronal dysfunction. The major focus of experimental and clinical studies are conducted on the effects of natural products and their active components on neurodegenerative diseases. This review will discuss an herbal constituent known as cinnamaldehyde (CA) with the neuroprotective potential to treat neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson’s disease (PD). Accumulating evidence supports the notion that CA displays neuroprotective effects in AD and PD animal models by modulating neuroinflammation, suppressing oxidative stress, and improving the synaptic connection. CA exerts these effects through its action on multiple signaling pathways, including TLR4/NF‐κB, NLRP3, ERK1/2‐MEK, NO, and Nrf2 pathways. To summarize, CA and its derivatives have been shown to improve pathological changes in AD and PD animal models, which may provide a new therapeutic option for neurodegenerative interventions. To this end, further experimental and clinical studies are required to prove the neuroprotective effects of CA and its derivatives.
Soft Separation Axioms and Fixed Soft Points Using Soft Semiopen Sets
Authors: Al-shami T. M.
Published: November 2020

The importance of soft separation axioms comes from their vital role in classifications of soft spaces, and their interesting properties are studied. This article is devoted to introducing the concepts of

t
t

-soft semi-

T

i

i
=
0
,
1
,
2
,
3
,
4

and

t
t

-soft semiregular spaces with respect to ordinary points. We formulate them by utilizing the relations of total belong and total nonbelong. The advantages behind using these relations are, first, generalization of existing comparable properties on general topology and, second, eliminating the stability shape of soft open and closed subsets of soft semiregular spaces. By some examples, we show the relationships between them as well as with soft semi-

T

i

i
=
0
,
1
,
2
,
3
,
4

and soft semiregular spaces. Also, we explore under what conditions they are kept between soft topology and its parametric topologies. We characterize a

t
t

-soft semiregular space and demonstrate that it guarantees the equivalence of

t
t

-soft semi-

T

i

i
=
0
,
1
,
2

. Further, we investigate some interrelations of them and some soft topological notions such as soft compactness, product soft spaces, and sum of soft topological spaces. Finally, we define a concept of semifixed soft point and study its main properties.
Role of the AMPK/ACC Signaling Pathway in TRPP2‐Mediated Head and Neck Cancer Cell Proliferation
Authors: Li Kun , Chen Lei , Lin Zhangying , Zhu Junwei , Fang Yang , Du Juan , Shen Bing , Wu Kaile , Liu Yehai
Published: November 2020

Transient receptor potential polycystic 2 (TRPP2) exerts vital roles in various types of cancer; however, its underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. This study is aimed at investigating whether knockdown of TRPP2 affected the AMP‐activated protein kinase (AMPK)/acetyl‐CoA carboxylase (ACC) signaling pathway and the proliferation of HN‐4, cell line originating from human oral and hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma. In addition, the interactions among AMPK/ACC, AMPK/protein kinase RNA‐like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK)/eukaryotic initiation factor 2α (eIF2α) and TRPP2/PERK/eIF2α signaling pathways, and their association with cell proliferation were also explored. The results showed that the relative expression levels of phosphorylated (p)‐ACC, p‐PERK, and p‐eIF2α in HN‐4 cells were significantly increased following treatment with 5‐aminoimidazole‐4‐carboxamide‐1‐β‐D‐ribofuranoside (AICAR) and significantly decreased in cells treated with compound C. Therefore, consistent with previous studies, the AMPK/ACC and AMPK/PERK/eIF2α signaling pathways were upregulated and downregulated following treatment with an AMPK agonist and inhibitor, respectively. Furthermore, TRPP2 knockdown decreased p‐PERK and p‐eIF2α expression levels and increased those of p‐AMPK and p‐ACC. Additionally, knockdown of TRPP2 increased HN‐4 cell proliferation, while treatment with an AMPK inhibitor or agonist increased or inhibited TRPP2‐specific siRNA‐mediated cell proliferation, respectively. In conclusion, silencing of TRPP2 expression increased HN‐4 cell proliferation via inhibiting the PERK/eIF2α signaling pathway, while the AMPK/ACC signaling pathway was possibly activated by a feedback mechanism to reduce enhanced cell proliferation.
Composite Hydrogel of Poly(acrylamide) and Starch as Potential System for Controlled Release of Amoxicillin and Inhibition of Bacterial Growth
Authors: Torres-Figueroa Ana V. , Pérez-Martínez Cinthia J. , Castillo-Castro Teresa del , Bolado-Martínez Enrique , Corella-Madueño María A. G. , García-Alegría Alejandro M. , Lara-Ceniceros Tania E. , Armenta-Villegas Lorena
Published: November 2020

Novel composite hydrogels of poly(acrylamide) (PAAm) and starch, at different ratios, were studied as potential platforms for controlled release of amoxicillin. The composite hydrogels were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and swelling kinetic measurements. The morphology analysis revealed the presence of starch granules well embedded within the PAAm network. The increase in starch content increased the rate of water uptake and the swelling degree at equilibrium. The amoxicillin release kinetics was sensitive to pH and temperature conditions. The in vitro bacterial growth inhibition of antibiotic-loaded hydrogels was tested though disc diffusion assays with Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, and a carbapenemase producer Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain. The optimal release profile at physiological conditions and the powerful bacteria growth inhibition effects of amoxicillin-loaded hydrogels evidenced its potential for biomedical applications, particularly in oral administration and the local treatment of bacterial infections.
Deep Convolutional Generative Adversarial Network and Convolutional Neural Network for Smoke Detection
Authors: Yin Hang , Wei Yurong , Liu Hedan , Liu Shuangyin , Liu Chuanyun , Gao Yacui
Published: November 2020

Real-time smoke detection is of great significance for early warning of fire, which can avoid the serious loss caused by fire. Detecting smoke in actual scenes is still a challenging task due to large variance of smoke color, texture, and shapes. Moreover, the smoke detection in the actual scene is faced with the difficulties in data collection and insufficient smoke datasets, and the smoke morphology is susceptible to environmental influences. To improve the performance of smoke detection and solve the problem of too few datasets in real scenes, this paper proposes a model that combines a deep convolutional generative adversarial network and a convolutional neural network (DCG-CNN) to extract smoke features and detection. The vibe algorithm was used to collect smoke and nonsmoke images in the dynamic scene and deep convolutional generative adversarial network (DCGAN) used these images to generate images that are as realistic as possible. Besides, we designed an improved convolutional neural network (CNN) model for extracting smoke features and smoke detection. The experimental results show that the method has a good detection performance on the smoke generated in the actual scenes and effectively reduces the false alarm rate.
Thyroid Function in 35 Patients with Gitelman Syndrome
Authors: Zhou Hong , Ren Yan , Lu Chunyan , Li Yuanmei , Tian Haoming , Chen Tao
Published: November 2020

Objective. In this study, we aimed to analyze thyroid function and related risk factors for thyroid dysfunction in 35 patients with Gitelman syndrome (GS). Methods. This study included 35 patients with GS who were referred to West China Hospital of Sichuan University from Aug 2013 to Jan 2018. General patient characteristics were collected, and thyroid function was assessed. To evaluate the potential contribution of hypokalemia to thyroid dysfunction, 636 patients who were clinically diagnosed with primary aldosteronism (PA) during the same period were included as the control group; these patients were divided into a hypokalemia group (N = 528) and a normokalemia group (N = 108). Logistic regression was used to screen for significant determinants of thyroid dysfunction in the GS patients. Results. Patients with GS had a significantly different prevalence of subclinical hypothyroidism, hypothyroidism, and hyperthyroidism than patients with hypokalemic PA and normokalemic PA (28.6%, 2.9%, and 11.4% vs. 15.5%, 6.1%, and 0.7% vs. 8.3%, 4.6%, and 2.8%, P < 0.001). No significant difference was observed in the distribution of thyroid function between the hypokalemic PA group and the normokalemic PA group (P > 0.05). No significant differences were seen in the positive rates of thyrotropin receptor antibody (TRAb), thyroglobulin antibody (TGAb), and thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPOAb) among the three groups (P > 0.05). In the logistic regression, only sex (OR, 7.4; 95% CI, 1.555‐35.479; P = 0.012) was significantly correlated with thyroid dysfunction in GS patients. Conclusion. GS is complicated with a greater rate of thyroid dysfunction than primary aldosteronism. The risk of thyroid dysfunction in female patients with GS is higher than that in male patients.
Vitamin D and Glaucoma: A Critical Review of the Literature
Authors: Abouzeid Hana , Samer Caroline Flora
Published: November 2020

Primary open-angle glaucoma is a progressive optic neuropathy which can lead to irreversible blindness if untreated. A number of studies have been published suggesting a correlation between the level of serum vitamin D3 and glaucoma or intraocular pressure (IOP). The latter is known to be a major risk factor for glaucoma and is the main target of glaucoma treatment. We give a critical review of the literature, exploring what is known about this matter. While some studies report an inverse association between serum vitamin D3 and IOP, others do not confirm this finding. Similar divergent conclusions came from studies regarding the association between serum vitamin D3 and the presence or severity of glaucoma. The effect of vitamin D3 on IOP decrease has been attributed to both aqueous humor production and trabecular meshwork outflow pathway increase. Vitamin D3 has been shown to play a major role in reducing inflammation, modulating the immune response, and decreasing angiogenesis in the eye and in other organs. It has been suggested that, through its neuroprotective effect, vitamin D3 could be a protective factor for glaucoma and that vitamin D3 deficiency could explain glaucoma occurrence or severity in some patients. Other neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and multiple sclerosis have been similarly related to vitamin D3 deficiency. 1α,25(OH)2 vitamin D3 (calcitriol) supplementation has been shown to be beneficial for lowering IOP in monkeys. Although the studies highlighted in this review show interesting results, their limitations underscore the need for both population-based studies and larger randomized controlled trial with vitamin D3 supplementation. The specific role of vitamin D3 in the pathology of glaucoma remains to be elucidated, together with the possible therapeutic benefit of vitamin D3 supplementation.
LncRNA MALAT1 Regulates miR-144-3p to Facilitate Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition of Lens Epithelial Cells via the ROS/NRF2/Notch1/Snail Pathway
Authors: Ye Wei , Ma Jiyuan , Wang Fang , Wu Tong , He Mengmei , Li Ji , Pei Rui , Zhang Luning , Wang Yafen , Zhou Jian
Published: November 2020

Diabetic cataract is a common complication of diabetes. The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of lens epithelial cells (LECs) is a key event in the development of diabetic cataracts. Metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 (MALAT1) has been reported to be highly expressed in different tissues of diabetic patients. This study is aimed at investigating the function and mechanism of MALAT1 in the regulation of EMT in human LECs under high glucose conditions. MALAT1, α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), fibronectin (FN), and nuclear factor erythroid-derived 2-like 2 (NRF2) were highly expressed in the LECs of diabetic cataract patients and in the human LECs under high glucose conditions; meanwhile, the decreased expressions of E-cadherin and zonula occludens 1 (ZO-1) were detected. Knockdown of MALAT1 could significantly reduce ROS, prevent EMT, arrest S phase cell cycle, and suppress the expression of total NRF2 and its nucleus translocation in LECs. Furthermore, after NRF2 was knocked down, total NRF2, α-SMA, and FN in cells, and NRF2, Notch intracellular domain (NICD), and Snail were decreased in the nucleus. Using bioinformatics methods, we predicted that MALAT1 and NRF2 shared the same microRNA-144-3p (miR-144-3p) combining site. Luciferase reporter coupled with qRT-PCR assays revealed that miR-144-3p was a target of MALAT1, which was confirmed to downregulate miR-144-3p in the LECs. In addition, after transfection of miR-144-3p mimics or inhibitor, western blot assay demonstrated that miR-144-3p negatively regulated the expression of total NRF2, α-SMA, and FN in cells, and NRF2, NICD, and Snail in the nucleus without affecting Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (KEAP1). Finally, we confirmed that transfection of shMALAT1 inhibited NRF2 expression, and its mediated EMT could be rescued by miR-144-3p inhibitor; transfection of pcDNA3.1-MALAT1 promoted NRF2 expression, and its mediated EMT could be reversed by miR-144-3p inhibitor. In summary, we demonstrate that MALAT1 regulates miR-144-3p to facilitate EMT of LECs via the ROS/NRF2/Notch1/Snail pathway.
Defogging Technology Based on Dual-Channel Sensor Information Fusion of Near-Infrared and Visible Light
Authors: Yuan Yubin , Shen Yu , Peng Jing , Wang Lin , Zhang Hongguo
Published: November 2020

Since the method to remove fog from images is complicated and detail loss and color distortion could occur to the defogged images, a defogging method based on near-infrared and visible image fusion is put forward in this paper. The algorithm in this paper uses the near-infrared image with rich details as a new data source and adopts the image fusion method to obtain a defog image with rich details and high color recovery. First, the colorful visible image is converted into HSI color space to obtain an intensity channel image, color channel image, and saturation channel image. The intensity channel image is fused with a near-infrared image and defogged, and then it is decomposed by Nonsubsampled Shearlet Transform. The obtained high-frequency coefficient is filtered by preserving the edge with a double exponential edge smoothing filter, while low-frequency antisharpening masking treatment is conducted on the low-frequency coefficient. The new intensity channel image could be obtained based on the fusion rule and by reciprocal transformation. Then, in color treatment of the visible image, the degradation model of the saturation image is established, which estimates the parameters based on the principle of dark primary color to obtain the estimated saturation image. Finally, the new intensity channel image, the estimated saturation image, and the primary color image are reflected to RGB space to obtain the fusion image, which is enhanced by color and sharpness correction. In order to prove the effectiveness of the algorithm, the dense fog image and the thin fog image are compared with the popular single image defogging and multiple image defogging algorithms and the visible light-near infrared fusion defogging algorithm based on deep learning. The experimental results show that the proposed algorithm is better in improving the edge contrast and the visual sharpness of the image than the existing high-efficiency defogging method.
Valid Probabilistic Anomaly Detection Models for System Logs
Authors: Liu Chunbo , Pan Lanlan , Gu Zhaojun , Wang Jialiang , Ren Yitong , Wang Zhi
Published: November 2020

System logs can record the system status and important events during system operation in detail. Detecting anomalies in the system logs is a common method for modern large-scale distributed systems. Yet threshold-based classification models used for anomaly detection output only two values: normal or abnormal, which lacks probability of estimating whether the prediction results are correct. In this paper, a statistical learning algorithm Venn-Abers predictor is adopted to evaluate the confidence of prediction results in the field of system log anomaly detection. It is able to calculate the probability distribution of labels for a set of samples and provide a quality assessment of predictive labels to some extent. Two Venn-Abers predictors LR-VA and SVM-VA have been implemented based on Logistic Regression and Support Vector Machine, respectively. Then, the differences among different algorithms are considered so as to build a multimodel fusion algorithm by Stacking. And then a Venn-Abers predictor based on the Stacking algorithm called Stacking-VA is implemented. The performances of four types of algorithms (unimodel, Venn-Abers predictor based on unimodel, multimodel, and Venn-Abers predictor based on multimodel) are compared in terms of validity and accuracy. Experiments are carried out on a log dataset of the Hadoop Distributed File System (HDFS). For the comparative experiments on unimodels, the results show that the validities of LR-VA and SVM-VA are better than those of the two corresponding underlying models. Compared with the underlying model, the accuracy of the SVM-VA predictor is better than that of LR-VA predictor, and more significantly, the recall rate increases from 81% to 94%. In the case of experiments on multiple models, the algorithm based on Stacking multimodel fusion is significantly superior to the underlying classifier. The average accuracy of Stacking-VA is larger than 0.95, which is more stable than the prediction results of LR-VA and SVM-VA. Experimental results show that the Venn-Abers predictor is a flexible tool that can make accurate and valid probability predictions in the field of system log anomaly detection.
Sea Clutter Suppression Method of HFSWR Based on RBF Neural Network Model Optimized by Improved GWO Algorithm
Authors: Shang Shang , He Kang-Ning , Wang Zhao-Bin , Yang Tong , Liu Ming , Li Xiang
Published: November 2020

The detection performance of high-frequency surface-wave radar (HFSWR) is closely related to the suppression effect of sea clutter. To effectively suppress sea clutter, a sea clutter suppression method based on radial basis function neural network (RBFNN) optimized by improved gray wolf optimization (IGWO) algorithm is proposed. Firstly, according to shortcomings of the standard gray wolf optimization (GWO) algorithm, such as slow convergence speed and easily getting into local optimum, an adaptive division of labor search strategy is proposed, which makes the population have abilities of both large-scale search and local exploration in the entire optimization process. Then, the IGWO algorithm is used to optimize RBFNN, finally, establishing a sea clutter prediction model (IGWO-RBFNN) and realizing the prediction and suppression of sea clutter. Experiments show that the IGWO algorithm has significantly improved convergence speed and optimization accuracy. Compared with the particle swarm algorithm with linear decreasing weight strategy (LDWPSO) and the GWO algorithm, the RBFNN prediction model optimized by the IGWO algorithm has higher prediction accuracy and has a better suppression effect on sea clutter of HFSWR.
Research and Development of Palmprint Authentication System Based on Android Smartphones
Authors: Zhang Xinman , Jing Kunlei , Song Guokun
Published: November 2020

The security problems of online transactions by smartphones reveal extreme demand for reliable identity authentication systems. With a lower risk of forgery, richer texture, and more comfortable acquisition mode, compared with face, fingerprint, and iris, palmprint is rarely adopted for identity authentication. In this paper, we develop an effective and full-function palmprint authentication system regarding the application on an Android smartphone, which bridges the algorithmic study and application of palmprint authentication. In more detail, an overall system framework is designed with complete functions, including palmprint acquisition, key points location, ROI segmentation, feature extraction, and feature coding. Basically, we develop a palmprint authentication system having user-friendly interfaces and good compatibility with the Android smartphone. Particularly, on the one hand, to guarantee the effectiveness and efficiency of the system, we exploit the practical Log-Gabor filter for feature extraction and discuss the impact of filtering direction, downsampling ratio, and discriminative feature coding to propose an improved algorithm. On the other hand, after exploring the hardware components of the smartphone and the technical development of the Android system, we provide an open technology to extend the biometric methods to real-world applications. On the public PolyU databases, simulation results suggest that the improved algorithm outperforms the original one with a promising accuracy of 100% and a good speed of 0.041 seconds. In real-world authentication, the developed system achieves an accuracy of 98.40% and a speed of 0.051 seconds. All the results verify the accuracy and timeliness of the developed system.
Second-Order Differential Equation with Multiple Delays: Oscillation Theorems and Applications
Authors: Santra Shyam Sundar , Bazighifan Omar , Ahmad Hijaz , Yao Shao-Wen
Published: November 2020

Differential equations of second order appear in physical applications such as fluid dynamics, electromagnetism, acoustic vibrations, and quantum mechanics. In this paper, necessary and sufficient conditions are established of the solutions to second-order half-linear delay differential equations of the formςyu′ya′+∑j=1mpjyucjϑjy=0 for y≥y0, under the assumption∫∞ςη−1/adη=∞. We consider two cases whenacj, whereaandcjare the quotient of two positive odd integers. Two examples are given to show effectiveness and applicability of the result.
High-Precision Extraction Method for Blade Tip-Timing Signal with Eddy Current Sensor
Authors: Zhang Ji-wang , Ding Ke-qin , Chen Guang
Published: November 2020

Online monitoring of high-speed rotating blades has always been a hot topic. Of the various methods, the blade tip timing (BTT) technique, based on eddy current sensors, is considered to be the most promising. However, BTT signals are easily influenced by various factors, which means that the accurate extraction of BTT signals remains a challenge. To try to solve this problem, the causes of measurement error were analyzed. The three main reasons for the error were established: the variation in blade tip clearance, the interference of background noise, and the asymmetry of the blade tip shape. Further, pertinent improvement methods were proposed, and a compensation method was proposed for the errors caused by the variation of tip clearance. A new denoising and shaping algorithm based on ensemble empirical mode decomposition (EEMD) was introduced for the errors caused by background noise. Additionally, an optimal installation position of the sensor was also proposed for the errors caused by the asymmetry of the blade tip shape. Finally, simulations and experiments were used to demonstrate the improved methodology. The results show that the measurement error on vibration amplitude and vibration frequency using the proposed method is less than 2.89% and 0.17%, respectively, which is much lower than the traditional method (24.44% and 0.39%, respectively).
The Impact of Liver Transplantation on Hepatocellular Carcinoma Mortality in the United States
Authors: Mahale Parag , Shiels Meredith S. , Lynch Charles F. , Chinnakotla Srinath , Wong Linda L. , Hernandez Brenda Y. , Pawlish Karen S. , Li Jie , Alverson Georgetta , Schymura Maria J. , Engels Eric A.
Published: November 2020

Background:

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) carries a poor prognosis. Liver transplantation (LT) is potentially curative for localized HCC. We evaluated the impact of LT on U.S. general population HCC-specific mortality rates.

Methods:

The Transplant Cancer Match Study links the U.S. transplant registry with 17 cancer registries. We calculated age-standardized incidence (1987–2017) and incidence-based mortality (IBM) rates (1991–2017) for adult HCCs. We partitioned population-level IBM rates by cancer stage and calculated counterfactual IBM rates assuming transplanted cases had not received a transplant.

Results:

Among 129,487 HCC cases, 45.9% had localized cancer. HCC incidence increased on average 4.0% annually [95% confidence interval (CI) = 3.6–4.5]. IBM also increased for HCC overall (2.9% annually; 95% CI = 1.7–4.2) and specifically for localized stage HCC (4.8% annually; 95% CI = 4.0–5.5). The proportion of HCC-related transplants jumped sharply from 6.7% (2001) to 18.0% (2002), and further increased to 40.0% (2017). HCC-specific mortality declined among both nontransplanted and transplanted cases over time. In the absence of transplants, IBM for localized HCC would have increased at 5.3% instead of 4.8% annually.

Conclusions:

LT has provided survival benefit to patients with localized HCC. However, diagnosis of many cases at advanced stages, limited availability of donor livers, and improved mortality for patients without transplants have limited the impact of transplantation on general population HCC-specific mortality rates.

Impact:

Although LT rates continue to rise, better screening and treatment modalities are needed to halt the rising HCC mortality rates in the United States.

See related commentary by Zhang and Thrift, p. 435
Targeting Germline- and Tumor-Associated Nucleotide Excision Repair Defects in Cancer
Authors: Topka Sabine , Steinsnyder Zoe , Ravichandran Vignesh , Tkachuk Kaitlyn , Kemel Yelena , Bandlamudi Chaitanya , Winkel Madsen Mogens , Furberg Helena , Ouerfelli Ouathek , Rudin Charles M. , Iyer Gopa , Lipkin Steven M. , Mukherjee Semanti , Solit David B. , Berger Michael F. , Bajorin Dean F. , Rosenberg Jonathan E. , Taylor Barry S. , de Stanchina Elisa , Vijai Joseph , Offit Kenneth
Published: November 2020

Purpose:

Nucleotide excision repair (NER) gene alterations constitute potential cancer therapeutic targets. We explored the prevalence of NER gene alterations across cancers and putative therapeutic strategies targeting these vulnerabilities.

Experimental Design:

We interrogated our institutional dataset with mutational data from more than 40,000 patients with cancer to assess the frequency of putative deleterious alterations in four key NER genes. Gene-edited isogenic pairs of wild-type and mutant ERCC2 or ERCC3 cell lines were created and used to assess response to several candidate drugs.

Results:

We found that putative damaging germline and somatic alterations in NER genes were present with frequencies up to 10% across multiple cancer types. Both in vitro and in vivo studies showed significantly enhanced sensitivity to the sesquiterpene irofulven in cells harboring specific clinically observed heterozygous mutations in ERCC2 or ERCC3. Sensitivity of NER mutants to irofulven was greater than to a current standard-of-care agent, cisplatin. Hypomorphic ERCC2/3-mutant cells had impaired ability to repair irofulven-induced DNA damage. Transcriptomic profiling of tumor tissues suggested codependencies between DNA repair pathways, indicating a potential benefit of combination therapies, which were confirmed by in vitro studies.

Conclusions:

These findings provide novel insights into a synthetic lethal relationship between clinically observed NER gene deficiencies and sensitivity to irofulven and its potential synergistic combination with other drugs.

See related commentary by Jiang and Greenberg, p. 1833
Assessment of Clinical Characteristics and Mortality-Associated Factors in COVID-19 Critical Cases in Kuwait
Authors: Ayed Mariam , Borahmah Abdulwahab A. , Yazdani Anwar , Sultan Ahmad , Mossad Ahmad , Rawdhan Hanouf
Published: November 2020

Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the clinical characteristics and identify mortality risk factors in intensive care unit (ICU)-admitted COVID-19 patients. Methods: We recruited and analyzed SARS-CoV-2-infected adult patients (age ≥18 years) who were admitted to the ICU at Jaber Al-Ahmad Al Sabah Hospital, Kuwait, between March 1, 2020, and April 30, 2020. The risk factors associated with in-hospital mortality were assessed using multiple regression analysis. Results: We recruited a total of 103 ICU patients in this retrospective cohort. The median age of the patients was 53 years and the fatality rate was 45.6%; majority (85.5%) were males and 37% patients had more than 2 comorbidities. Preexisting hypertension, moderate/severe acute respiratory distress syndrome, lymphocyte count <0.5 × 109, serum albumin <22 g/L, procalcitonin >0.2 ng/mL, D-dimer >1,200 ng/mL, and the need for continuous renal replacement therapy were significantly associated with mortality. Conclusion: This study describes the clinical characteristics and risk factors for mortality among ICU patients with CO­VID-19. Early identification of risk factors for mortality might help improve outcomes.
Evaluation of Accuracy and Agreement of Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography Interpretation of Common Retinal Findings and Diagnoses
Authors: Rabinovitch Tamar , Yehezkeli Veronika , Goldenberg Dafna , Loewenstein Anat , Moisseiev Elad
Published: November 2020

Purpose: To evaluate the accuracy and agreement of optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) interpretation in cases of common retinal findings and diagnoses, and to evaluate the effect of OCT B-scans on OCTA interpretations. Methods: This is a case series consisting of a questionnaire with 8 cases demonstrating common retinal conditions of normal, age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and diabetic retinopathy (DR). Each case included OCTA images, and 58 participants were asked to identify retinal findings and provide a diagnosis. Following OCTA interpretation, the corresponding OCT B-scans were revealed and the participants were asked again to identify retinal findings and provide a diagnosis. The rates of accuracy and agreement for each condition were analyzed. Results: Overall the rates of accurate diagnosis and identification of retinal findings were 37.4 and 61.6%, respectively. Following addition of the OCT B-scans, the rates increased to 61.6 and 79.4%, respectively (p < 0.001 for both). A significant improvement in correct interpretation occurred in the normal and AMD cases, but not in the DR cases. There was no correlation with length of experience or self-reported familiarity with OCTA. Discussion: Considerable variability exists in OCTA interpretation, with mediocre rates of accuracy and agreement between clinicians. Increased familiarity as well as future automation advances will be needed to improve OCTA interpretation accuracy and uniformity.
Multimodal Imaging to Detect in vivo Responses to Aflibercept Therapy in a Mouse Model of Type 3 Neovascularization
Authors: Borrelli Enrico , Zerbini Gianpaolo , Maestroni Silvia , Sacconi Riccardo , Querques Lea , Zucchiatti Ilaria , Bandello Francesco , Querques Giuseppe
Published: November 2020

Purpose: The aim of this study was to characterize the response to aflibercept in a mouse model of type 3 neovascularization, the neoretinal vascularization (NRV) 2 mouse line. Methods: Twelve NRV2 mice were assigned to one of the following groups: (1) 6 mice were injected with aflibercept 3 µg/g at postnatal day (P) 15 (“aflibercept” group), and (2) the remaining 6 mice did not receive any treatment (“placebo” group). The mice were examined at P30 and P44. Results: The NRV mice’s retinas were characterized by regions of depigmentation that were topographically associated with hyperfluorescent lesions seen on fluorescein angiography (FA) images. On optical coherence tomography images, intraretinal neovascularizations were visualized as hyperreflective lesions mainly localized within the outer plexiform and outer nuclear layers. The average number of intraretinal neovascular lesions visualized on FA at P30 was 5.0 ± 2.2 in the aflibercept group and 20.7 ± 2.4 in the placebo group (p < 0.0001). At P44, the average number of intraretinal lesions was still lower in the aflibercept group, although this difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.088). Conclusion: Aflibercept therapy was effective in inhibiting pathologic angiogenesis in the NRV2 mouse model. However, the successive treatment washout resulted in an increase in the number of lesions.
Does Perianal Disease Influence the Efficacy of Combination Therapy in Crohn’s Disease?
Authors: de Sousa Magalhães Rui , Xavier Sofia , Cúrdia Gonçalves Tiago , Dias de Castro Francisca , Rosa Bruno , Moreira Maria João , Cotter José
Published: November 2020

Background: Perianal disease is associated with a disabling course of Crohn’s disease (CD). We aim to study the impact of perianal disease on CD remission rates, after a 1-year course of infliximab in combination therapy with azathioprine. Methods: This was a retrospective, single-center cohort study, including consecutive CD patients on combination therapy, followed for 1 year since induction. The outcome variable was split into clinical and endoscopic remissions. The correlation toward the outcome variable was assessed with univariate and multivariate analysis and a survival assessment, using SPSS software. Results: We assessed 74 CD patients, of whom 41 (55.4%) were female, with a mean age of 36 years. Thirty-nine percent of the patients presented perianal disease at diagnosis (n = 29). We documented 70.3% clinical and 47.2% endoscopic remissions. Several variables had statistical significance toward the outcomes (endoscopic and clinical remissions) in the univariate analysis. After adjusting for confoundment, patients with perianal disease presented an odds ratio (OR) of 0.201 for achieving endoscopic remission (CI: 0.054–0.75, p value 0.017) and an OR of 0.203 for achieving clinical remission (CI: 0.048–0.862, p value 0.031). Sixty-six patients (89.2%) presented an initial response to treatment, from whom, 20 (30.3%) exhibited at least 1 disease relapse (clinical and/or endoscopic). Patients with perianal disease presented higher probability of disease relapse, displaying statistically significant difference on Kaplan-Meier curves (Breslow p value 0.043). Conclusion: In the first year of combination therapy, perianal disease is associated with an 80% decrease in endoscopic and clinical remission rates and higher ratio of disease relapse.
The Diagnostic Value of Cardiac Deceleration Capacity in Vasovagal Syncope
Authors: Zheng Lihui , Sun Wei , Liu Shangyu , Liang Erpeng , Du Zhongpeng , Guo Jingrui , Wu Lingmin , Asirvatham Samuel J. , Yao Yan
Published: November 2020

Background:

Increased parasympathetic activity is thought to play important roles in syncope events of patients with vasovagal syncope (VVS). However, direct measurements of the vagal control are difficult. The novel deceleration capacity (DC) of heart rate measure has been used to characterize the vagal modulation. This study aimed to assess vagal control in patients with VVS and evaluate the diagnostic value of the DC in VVS.

Methods:

Altogether, 161 consecutive patients with VVS (43±15 years; 62 males) were enrolled. Tilt table test was positive in 101 and negative in 60 patients. Sixty-five healthy subjects were enrolled as controls. DC and heart rate variability in 24-hour ECG, echocardiogram, and biochemical examinations were compared between the syncope and control groups.

Results:

DC was significantly higher in the syncope group than in the control group (9.6±3.3 versus 6.5±2.0 ms,
P
<0.001). DC was similarly increased in patients with VVS with a positive and negative tilt table test (9.7±3.5 and 9.4±2.9 ms,
P
=0.614). In multivariable logistic regression analyses, DC was independently associated with syncope (odds ratio=1.518 [95% CI, 1.301–1.770];
P
=0.0001). For the prediction of syncope, the area under curve analysis showed similar values when comparing single DC and combined DC with other risk factors (
P
=0.1147). From the receiver operator characteristic curves for syncope discrimination, the optimal cutoff value for the DC was 7.12 ms.

Conclusions:

DC>7.5 ms may serve as a good tool to monitor cardiac vagal activity and discriminate VVS, particularly in those with negative tilt table test.