bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Common Temporization Techniques Practiced in Saudi Arabia and Stability of Temporary Restoration
Authors: Algahtani Fahda N. , Barakat Reem M. , Helaby Bashayer S. , Alhefdhi Manar A. , Binshabaib Munirah S. , Alrasheed Lama A. , Mashyakhy Mohammed H.
Published: November 2021

Introduction. Coronal leakage is detrimental to the long-term success of root canal treatment (RCT). While much emphasis is being placed on the quality of the final restoration, little attention is given to the temporary restoration placed in between root canal treatment appointments. The aim of this study was to survey temporization techniques practiced in Saudi Arabia and the frequency of observing temporary material breakdown or complete loss. Materials and Methods. An online questionnaire was distributed among general dentists, dental specialists, and clinical trainees in undergraduate and postgraduate dental programs. The sample size was estimated at 370 participants. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and chi-square tests. Results. The total number of participants who met the inclusion criteria was 525. The majority of them (94.6%) were practicing two-visit RCT. The most common temporization materials were Cavit (50.3%) followed by glass ionomer cement (32%). The majority (72.6%) of participants claimed they allow a thickness of 2-3 mm for temporary restorations. Many participants (60.4%) used a spacer material during temporization, and the cotton pellet was the most common spacer material. Temporary restoration breakdown or complete loss was a common observation. Although the duration between the two RCT visits was 2 weeks or less for 83.6% of participants, only 19.6% of participants claimed that they rarely observed temporization breakdown. Conclusion. Two-visit RCT is commonly practiced in Saudi Arabia, and endodontists performed significantly more single-visit procedures. Temporization practices may lack uniformity; however, clinicians were more likely to use calcium sulfate-derived material for two weeks or less. They allow for 2-3 mm thickness restoration and use a cotton pellet as a spacer. According to their clinical observation, temporary material breakdown or complete loss was frequent. This mandates further attention in research and education.
Remediation of Cr(VI)/Cd(ІІ)-Contaminated Groundwater with Simulated Permeable Reaction Barriers Filled with Composite of Sodium Dodecyl Benzene Sulfonate-Modified Maifanite and Anhydride-Modified Fe@SiO2@Polyethyleneimine: Environmental Factors and Effectiveness
Authors: Gao Jingqing , Zhai Yalin , Huang Zhenzhen , Ren Peng , Gao Jianlei , Chen Zhijun , Li Shunling
Published: November 2021

A composite material of sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate- (SDBS-) modified maifanite and anhydride-modified Fe@SiO2@PEI (PEI) was used as an adsorbent for the removal of hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) and bivalent cadmium (Cd(II)) from groundwater by using column experiments and simulated PRB test. In this study, the optimum proportion of SDBS-modified maifanite and anhydride-modified Fe@SiO2@PEI was 5 : 1. In the column experiments, it was found that the penetration time increased with the increase of the initial concentrations (30, 60, and 90 mg/L) and the decrease of the flow rates (5.45, 10.9, and 16.35 mL/min) at an influent pH of [Formula: see text]. It was also obtained that the removal rates of Cr(VI) and Cd(ІІ) reached 99.93% and 99.79% at an initial Cr(VI) and Cd(ІІ) concentration of 30 mg/L with the flow rate of 10.9 mL/min, respectively, at 6 h. Furthermore, excellent removal effectiveness of Cr(VI) and Cd(ІІ) (85.94% and 83.45%, respectively) was still achieved in simulated PRB test at a flow rate of 5.45 mL/min with the heavy metal solution concentration of [Formula: see text] mg/L (Cr(VI) and Cd(II) concentration were, respectively, [Formula: see text]5 mg/L); and the adsorbent had not completely failed by the end of the trial. Yoon-Nelson model was successfully applied to predict the breakthrough curves for the assessment of composite material heavy metal removal performance and was in good agreement with the experimental data of the heavy metal removal efficiency. The strong removal ability of the adsorbent could be attributed to the fact that maifanite with a large diameter can provide support and increase the permeability coefficient and porosity and that zero-valent iron (ZVI) can convert Cr(VI) to Cr(III) and improve the adsorption capacity of maifanite. The obtained results suggested that the novel PRB fillers have great significance for preventing and controlling Cr(VI)/Cd(ІІ)-contaminated groundwater.
The Value of Serum Adiponectin in Osteoporotic Women: Does Weight Have an Effect?
Authors: Roomi Ali B. , Nori Wassan , Al-Badry Saad H.
Published: November 2021

Osteoporosis (OP) has been observed to have a deleterious effect on postmenopausal women’s life quality by increasing the risk of fragility fractures. The current research was adopted to verify the role of serum adiponectin, a cytokine released by adipose tissue, as a marker for OP across different body mass index groups, for a better understanding of fatty tissue role in OP. A case-control study recruited 210 eligible postmenopausal women and subgrouped into three groups based on their DEXA scan results: osteoporotic group, osteopenia group, and healthy controls; each includes 70 patients. Three datasets were collected: anthropometric, age, menopause duration, weight, height, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, and fat percentage. Radiological examination estimated the bone mineral density (BMD) for the femoral neck and lumbar spines with their respective T-score. From blood, we measured alkaline phosphatase and calcium by a spectrophotometer and serum adiponectin, phosphate, CTX, and PICP by ELIZA. Total BMD, T-score, serum phosphate, and PICP were significantly higher among healthy controls. Serum adiponectin, CTX, and ALP scored higher levels among OP cases. A strong inverse relationship was proved between serum adiponectin and T-score in osteoporotic and osteopenia groups (−0.427, −0.301). A strong negative relationship was found between serum adiponectin and total BMD in healthy controls (−0.204). All correlations were statistically significant,

P

value <0.001. Serum adiponectin can be a valuable marker for reduced bone mineral density among the general populace, irrespective of the body mass index. Further research is warranted to explore therapeutic and preventive applications for this adipocytokine.
Pediatric Peritoneal Epithelial Malignant Mesothelioma Case Report
Authors: Bellew Elizabeth , Lee Samantha , Hiren Patel  , Levy Carolyn Fein , Goldfisher Rachelle , Amodio John
Published: November 2021

We present a 14-year-old boy with peritoneal epithelial malignant mesothelioma (PEMM). While pathology is required to make this diagnosis, radiology plays a crucial role throughout the clinical course of this disease. The key imaging characteristics of peritoneal mesothelioma have been previously well-described in the adult population, but there are rare reports in the pediatric population. This pediatric report highlights the multidimensional use of imaging in this disease, from the initial evaluation to therapeutic supplementation and subsequent follow-up.
Image Mosaic Algorithm-Based Analysis of Pathological Characteristics of Gastric Polyp Patients Using Computed Tomography Images
Authors: Zhu Xiqi , Jiang Jian , Wang Jian , Tang Yue , Ge Xiaoming
Published: November 2021

The application value of image mosaic algorithm (IMA) based CT imaging technology in the analysis of pathological characteristics of gastric polyp (GP) patients was explored in this work. 588 cases of GP patients in the hospital were selected as the research objects, and CT images based on IMA were adopted for examination. The patient’s basic information, image performance, and gastroscopy results were recorded. The results showed that the absolute mean bright error (AMBE) index and information entropy of the IMA are 0.0625 and 7.0385, respectively. The clinical symptoms of patients were mostly abdominal pain (21.4%), abdominal distension (15.6%), and sour regurgitation (17.8%). The common size of GP was no more than 0.5 cm, and the common type was Yamada type II. There were notable differences between single and multiple GPs of different pathological types (

P
<
0.05

). Proliferative polyps were mostly found in the stomach and antrum, while fundus gland polyps were mostly in the stomach and fundus. There was significant difference between the growth location of the hyperplastic polyp and basal gland polyp (

P
<
0.05

). In summary, the CT images of IMA proposed in this paper can not only realize image splicing effectively but also were superior to the traditional SIFT method in the quality of splicing image and were conducive to the analysis of the pathological characteristics of GP patients, which had significant clinical promotion value.
Virtual Reality-Based Analysis of Pressure Ulcer Care Information Related to Medical Equipment for the Prevention of Pressure Ulcer Skin Foam Dressings in the Elderly
Authors: Zhao Na , Tian Zhanhong , Li Yang , Yu Haihua , Yang Yu
Published: November 2021

As the standard of life has increased with the advancement of the time, there has been an increasing stress on healthcare with the aging diet, and pressure sores occur in elderly hospitalized subjects. Of course, the emergence of related medical devices, especially auxiliary foam dressings, is constantly improving. Pressure ulcers are extremely harmful to the elderly. The use of virtual reality technology to simulate the treatment of foam excipients is to test the role of medical devices in virtual reality. In particular, the use of foam dressings in the management of pressure deposits is the most relevant study for this paper, which reviews the relevant literature and conducts a thematic study on patients in a specific urban hospital. The relevant materials were designed, the experiments were designed, and the relevant research data were obtained. Studies show that virtual reality-based preventive medical devices can improve the efficiency of pressure ulcer treatment in hospitals by about 12%. Pressure ulcers have different incidences among people of different ages. The probability is much higher than that of adolescents. Foam dressing is very effective in preventing pressure ulcers. The probability of pressure ulcers after using foam dressing is about 35% lower than that when it is not used.
Dominant Feature Selection and Machine Learning-Based Hybrid Approach to Analyze Android Ransomware
Authors: Gera Tanya , Singh Jaiteg , Mehbodniya Abolfazl , Webber Julian L. , Shabaz Mohammad , Thakur Deepak
Published: November 2021

Ransomware is a special malware designed to extort money in return for unlocking the device and personal data files. Smartphone users store their personal as well as official data on these devices. Ransomware attackers found it bewitching for their financial benefits. The financial losses due to ransomware attacks are increasing rapidly. Recent studies witness that out of 87% reported cyber-attacks, 41% are due to ransomware attacks. The inability of application-signature-based solutions to detect unknown malware has inspired many researchers to build automated classification models using machine learning algorithms. Advanced malware is capable of delaying malicious actions on sensing the emulated environment and hence posing a challenge to dynamic monitoring of applications also. Existing hybrid approaches utilize a variety of features combination for detection and analysis. The rapidly changing nature and distribution strategies are possible reasons behind the deteriorated performance of primitive ransomware detection techniques. The limitations of existing studies include ambiguity in selecting the features set. Increasing the feature set may lead to freedom of adept attackers against learning algorithms. In this work, we intend to propose a hybrid approach to identify and mitigate Android ransomware. This study employs a novel dominant feature selection algorithm to extract the dominant feature set. The experimental results show that our proposed model can differentiate between clean and ransomware with improved precision. Our proposed hybrid solution confirms an accuracy of 99.85% with zero false positives while considering 60 prominent features. Further, it also justifies the feature selection algorithm used. The comparison of the proposed method with the existing frameworks indicates its better performance.
Evaluation of Blended Oral English Teaching Based on the Mixed Model of SPOC and Deep Learning
Authors: Hui Yanli
Published: November 2021

With the deep integration of “internet + education” and the continuous advancement of education reform, blended teaching has become the main method of university education reform. Blended education combines the advantages of traditional education and online education to complement each other. It not only takes advantage of the flexibility and autonomy of online education but also retains the benefits of emotional communication between teachers and students in offline education. With the increase in practical exploration of blended teaching in universities, teaching evaluation is an important part of teaching, and blended teaching evaluation should also attract attention. The purpose of this paper is to study the mixed oral English teaching evaluation based on the mixed mode of SPOC and deep learning. On the basis of analyzing the teaching design principles of the mixed mode of SPOC and deep learning and the principles of constructing the teaching evaluation after half a semester of teaching investigations conducted by the two classes of English majors, the impact of the SPOC and deep learning mixed teaching mode on students’ spoken English was studied through the method of covariance analysis. The experimental results show that the mixed teaching mode of SPOC and deep learning has been able to fully stimulate students’ interest in oral English learning and improve students’ oral English ability, critical thinking of students, ability to solve problems, group cooperation, and effective communication. Self-directed learning and self-reflection have all had a positive impact.
Efficient Removal of 2,4-DCP by Nano Zero-Valent Iron-Reduced Graphene Oxide: Statistical Modeling and Process Optimization Using RSM-BBD Approach
Authors: Jing Qi , Qiao Shuo , Xiao Wenyu , Tong Le , Ren Zhongyu
Published: November 2021

In this study, nano zero-valent iron-reduced graphene oxide (NZVI-rGO) composites were synthesized to remove 2,4-dichlorophenol (2,4-DCP) as an efficient adsorbent. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) indicated that NZVI particles were successfully loaded and dispersed uniformly on rGO nanosheets. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis showed that the interaction between NZVI-rGO and 2,4-DCP promoted the adsorption process. A three-level, four-factor Box-Behnken design (BBD) of the response surface methodology (RSM) was used to optimize the influencing factors including NZVI-rGO dosage, 2,4-DCP initial concentration, reaction time and initial pH. A statistically significant, well-fitting quadratic regression model was successfully constructed to predict 2,4-DCP removal rate. The high [Formula: see text] value (15.95), very low [Formula: see text] value (<0.0001), nonsignificant lack of fit, and appropriate coefficient of determination ([Formula: see text]) demonstrate a good correlation between the experimental and predicted values of the proposed model. The analyses of variance reveal that NZVI-rGO dosage and reaction time have a positive effect on 2,4-DCP removal, whereas the increase of contaminant concentration and initial pH inhibit the removal, whereas the effect of contaminant concentration and initial pH is in reverse, where the change of NZVI-rGO dosage has the greatest effect. The optimum condition is1.215 g/L of NZVI-rGO dosage, 20.856 mg/L of 2,4-DCP concentration, 4.115 of pH, and 8.157 min of reaction time. It is verified by parallel experiments under the optimum condition, achieving the removal efficiency of100%.
Limonin Inhibits IL‐1β‐Induced Inflammation and Catabolism in Chondrocytes and Ameliorates Osteoarthritis by Activating Nrf2
Authors: Jin Jie , Lv Xinhuang , Wang Ben , Ren Chenghao , Jiang Jingtao , Chen Hongyu , Chen Ximiao , Gu Mingbao , Pan Zongyou , Tian Naifeng , Wu Aimin , Sun Liaojun , Gao Weiyang , Wang Xiangyang , Zhang Xiaolei , Wu Yaosen , Zhou Yifei
Published: November 2021

Osteoarthritis (OA), a degenerative disorder, is considered to be one of the most common forms of arthritis. Limonin (Lim) is extracted from lemons and other citrus fruits. Limonin has been reported to have anti‐inflammatory effects, while inflammation is a major cause of OA; thus, we propose that limonin may have a therapeutic effect on OA. In this study, the therapeutic effect of limonin on OA was assessed in chondrocytes in vitro in IL‐1β induced OA and in the destabilization of the medial meniscus (DMM) mice in vivo. The Nrf2/HO‐1/NF‐κB signaling pathway was evaluated to illustrate the working mechanism of limonin on OA in chondrocytes. In this study, it was found that limonin can reduce the level of IL‐1β induced proinflammatory cytokines such as INOS, COX‐2, PGE2, NO, TNF‐α, and IL‐6. Limonin can also diminish the biosynthesis of IL‐1β‐stimulated chondrogenic catabolic enzymes such as MMP13 and ADAMTS5 in chondrocytes. The research on the mechanism study demonstrated that limonin exerts its protective effect on OA through the Nrf2/HO‐1/NF‐κB signaling pathway. Taken together, the present study shows that limonin may activate the Nrf2/HO‐1/NF‐κB pathway to alleviate OA, making it a candidate therapeutic agent for OA.
Viable Supply Chain Network Design by considering Blockchain Technology and Cryptocurrency
Authors: Lotfi Reza , Safavi Soroush , Gharehbaghi Alireza , Ghaboulian Zare Sara , Hazrati Reza , Weber Gerhard-Wilhelm
Published: November 2021

Nowadays, using Blockchain Technology (BCT) is growing faster in each country. It is essential to apply BCT in Supply Chain Network Design (SCND) and is considered by the designer and manager of SC. This research indicates Viable Supply Chain Network Design (VSCND) by applying BCT. A new form of two-stage robust optimization is suggested. Facility locations and activation BCT for VSCND is the first stage of decisions; finally, we determine flow transshipment between components in the next stage. The GAMS-CPLEX is used for solving the model. The results show that running BCT will decrease 0.99% in costs. There is an economic justification for using BCT when demand is high. A fix-and-optimize and Lagrange relaxation (LR) generate lower and upper bound to estimate large scale in minimum time. The gap between the main model and fix-and-optimize is better than the LR algorithm. Finally, this research suggests equipping VSCND by BCT that becomes more resilient against demand fluctuation, sustainable, and agile.
Industrial Efficiency Algorithm Based on Spatio‐Temporal‐Data‐Driven
Authors: Lv Hongqu , Cheng Wensi
Published: November 2021

Stochastic frontier model is an important and effective method to calculate industry efficiency. However, when dealing with temporal and spatial data from the industry, it is difficult to accurately calculate the industrial production efficiency due to the influence of spatial correlation and time lag effect. If the traditional spatial statistical method is used, the setting method of spatial weight matrix is often questioned. To solve this series of problems, one possible idea is to design a spatial data mining process based on stochastic frontier analysis. Firstly, the stochastic frontier model should be improved to analyze spatio‐temporal data. In order to accurately measure the technical efficiency in the case of dual correlation between time and space, a more effective spatio‐temporal stochastic frontier model method is proposed. Meanwhile, based on the idea of generalized moment estimation, an estimation method of spatiotemporal stochastic frontier model is designed, and the consistency of estimators is proved. In order to ensure that the most appropriate spatial weight matrix can be selected in the process of model construction, the K‐fold crossvalidation method is adopted to evaluate the prediction effect under the data‐driven idea. This set of spatio‐temporal data mining methods will be used to measure the technical efficiency of high‐tech industries in various provinces of China.
An Improved CEEMDAN Time‐Domain Energy Entropy Method for the Failure Mode Identification of the Rolling Bearing
Authors: Bie Fengfeng , Miao Yi , Lyu Fengxia , Peng Jian , Guo Yue
Published: November 2021

As a key component of a mechanical system, the extraction and accurate identification of rolling bearing fault feature information are of great importance to guarantee the normal operation of the mechanical system. Aiming at that the extraction of rolling bearing fault features and traditional support vector machine parameters affects the overall accuracy of pattern classification, the improved CEEMDAN (complete ensemble empirical mode decomposition with adaptive noise) time‐domain energy entropy‐based model for fault pattern recognition is proposed. The ICEEMDAN method is developed to decompose the signal to obtain the IMF component series. Then, the particular IMF components are selected according to the trend of correlation coefficient and variance contribution rate; meanwhile, the information entropy (power spectral entropy, singular spectral entropy, and time‐domain energy entropy) of the screened IMF components is calculated to construct the feature vector sets, respectively. Finally, the feature vector sets are input into the PSO‐SVM (particle swarm optimization‐support vector machine) based model for training and pattern recognition. The effectiveness of the proposed method of the improved CEEMDAN time‐domain energy entropy and PSO‐SVM model is testified through numerical simulation and experiments on rolling bearing datasets. The comparison proceeded with the other mainstream intelligent recognition techniques indicates the superiority of the method with the diagnostic accuracy of 100% as for the final validation.
Vibro-Fluidized Bed Drying of Pumpkin Seeds: Assessment of Mathematical and Artificial Neural Network Models for Drying Kinetics
Authors: Dhurve Priyanka , Tarafdar Ayon , Arora Vinkel Kumar
Published: November 2021

Pumpkin seeds were dried in a vibro-fluidized bed dryer (VFBD) at different temperatures at optimized vibration intensity of 4.26 and 4 m/s air velocity. The drying characteristics were mapped employing semiempirical models and Artificial Neural Network (ANN). Prediction of drying behavior of pumpkin seeds was done using semiempirical models, of which, one was preferred as it indicated the best statistical indicators. Two-term model showed the best fit of data with R2 − 0.999, and lowest χ2 − 1.03 × 10−4 and MSE 7.55 × 10−5. A feedforward backpropagation ANN model was trained by the Levenberg–Marquardt training algorithm using a TANSIGMOID activation function with 2-10-2 topology. Performance assessment of ANN showed better prediction of drying behavior with R2 = 0.9967 and MSE = 5.21 × 10−5 for moisture content, and R2 = 0.9963 and MSE = 2.42 × 10−5 for moisture ratio than mathematical models. In general, the prediction of drying kinetics and other drying parameters was more precise in the ANN technique as compared to semiempirical models. The diffusion coefficient, Biot number, and hm increased from 1.12 × 10−9 ± 3.62 × 10−10 to 1.98 × 10−9 ± 4.61 × 10−10 m2/s, 0.51 ± 0.01 to 0.60 ± 0.01, and 1.49 × 10−7 ± 4.89 × 10−8 to 3.10 × 10−7 ± 7.13 × 10−8 m/s, respectively, as temperature elevated from 40 to 60°C. Arrhenius’s equation was used to the obtain the activation energy of 32.71 ± 1.05 kJ/mol.
Mathematical Methods for Identification of Core Competitors: Based on Social Networks and Hierarchical Cluster Analysis
Authors: Wen Ming , Li Mingxing , Hu Cheng , Hakro Saifullah , Hussain Abid , Heydari Mohammad , Zadi Kashif Imran , Arzo Shumaila
Published: November 2021

Based on the introduction of complex social network theory and methods, this study reveals enterprises' patent layouts to help Chinese enterprises distinguish the core competitors. This study uses the social network analysis method and the system cluster analysis method to systematically analyze the macro technology development trend and competitors' micro technology innovation points. Based on the structure of enterprise resource investment, a two-dimensional matrix with the keyword “similarity-technological competition intensity” was constructed to accurately identify BYD's core technological competitors. In China, BYD company should regard GX company and ND company as core technology competitors, pay attention to the technology development direction and patent layout of YW company and HD company, and pay attention to the patent dynamics of GLM company and YQ company in specific technological innovation points.
Real‐Time Precise Human‐Computer Interaction System Based on Gaze Estimation and Tracking
Authors: Huang Junhao , Zhang Zhicheng , Xie Guoping , He Hui
Published: November 2021

Noncontact human‐computer interaction has an important value in wireless sensor networks. This work is aimed at achieving accurate interaction on a computer based on auto eye control, using a cheap webcam as the video source. A real‐time accurate human‐computer interaction system based on eye state recognition, rough gaze estimation, and tracking is proposed. Firstly, binary classification of the eye states (opening or closed) is carried on using the SVM classification algorithm with HOG features of the input eye image. Second, rough appearance‐based gaze estimation is implemented based on a simple CNN model. And the head pose is estimated to judge whether the user is facing the screen or not. Based on these recognition results, noncontact mouse control and character input methods are designed and developed to replace the standard mouse and keyboard hardware. Accuracy and speed of the proposed interaction system are evaluated by four subjects. The experimental results show that users can use only a common monocular camera to achieve gaze estimation and tracking and to achieve most functions of real‐time precise human‐computer interaction on the basis of auto eye control.
Osteoarthritis Affects Mammalian Oogenesis: Effects of Collagenase-Induced Osteoarthritis on Oocyte Cytoskeleton in a Mouse Model
Authors: Kolarov Anton Ivanov , Chakarova Irina Valcheva , Hadzhinesheva Valentina Prodanova , Nikolova Venera Pantaleeva , Delimitreva Stefka Metodieva , Markova Maya Dyankova , Zhivkova Ralitsa Stefanova
Published: November 2021

Known as a degenerative joint disorder of advanced age affecting predominantly females, osteoarthritis can develop in younger and actively working people because of activities involving loading and injuries of joints. Collagenase-induced osteoarthritis (CIOA) in a mouse model allowed us to investigate for the first time its effects on key cytoskeletal structures (meiotic spindles and actin distribution) of ovulated mouse oocytes. Their meiotic spindles, actin caps, and chromatin were analyzed by immunofluorescence. A total of 193 oocytes from mice with CIOA and 209 from control animals were obtained, almost all in metaphase I (M I) or metaphase II (MII). The maturation rate was lower in CIOA (26.42% M II) than in controls (55.50% M II). CIOA oocytes had significantly larger spindles (average 37 μm versus 25 μm in controls,

p
<
0.001

), with a proportion of large spindles more than 64% in CIOA versus up to 15% in controls (

p
<
0.001

). Meiotic spindles were wider in 68.35% M I and 54.90% M II of CIOA oocytes (mean 18.04 μm M I and 17.34 μm M II versus controls: 11.64 μm M I and 12.64 μm M II), and their poles were approximately two times broader (mean 6.9 μm) in CIOA than in controls (3.6 μm). CIOA oocytes often contained disoriented microtubules. Actin cap was visible in over 91% of controls and less than 20% of CIOA oocytes. Many CIOA oocytes without an actin cap had a nonpolarized thick peripheral actin ring (61.87% of M I and 52.94% of M II). Chromosome alignment was normal in more than 82% in both groups. In conclusion, CIOA affects the cytoskeleton of ovulated mouse oocytes—meiotic spindles are longer and wider, their poles are broader and with disorganized fibers, and the actin cap is replaced by a broad nonpolarized ring. Nevertheless, meiotic spindles were successfully formed in CIOA oocytes and, even when abnormal, allowed correct alignment of chromosomes.
Deep Learning Algorithm for COVID-19 Classification Using Chest X-Ray Images
Authors: V J Sharmila , D Jemi Florinabel
Published: November 2021

Early diagnosis of the harmful severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), along with clinical expertise, allows governments to break the transition chain and flatten the epidemic curve. Although reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) offers quick results, chest X-ray (CXR) imaging is a more reliable method for disease classification and assessment. The rapid spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has triggered extensive research towards developing a COVID-19 detection toolkit. Recent studies have confirmed that the deep learning-based approach, such as convolutional neural networks (CNNs), provides an optimized solution for COVID-19 classification; however, they require substantial training data for learning features. Gathering this training data in a short period has been challenging during the pandemic. Therefore, this study proposes a new model of CNN and deep convolutional generative adversarial networks (DCGANs) that classify CXR images into normal, pneumonia, and COVID-19. The proposed model contains eight convolutional layers, four max-pooling layers, and two fully connected layers, which provide better results than the existing pretrained methods (AlexNet and GoogLeNet). DCGAN performs two tasks: (1) generating synthetic/fake images to overcome the challenges of an imbalanced dataset and (2) extracting deep features of all images in the dataset. In addition, it enlarges the dataset and represents the characteristics of diversity to provide a good generalization effect. In the experimental analysis, we used four distinct publicly accessible datasets of chest X-ray images (COVID-19 X-ray, COVID Chest X-ray, COVID-19 Radiography, and CoronaHack-Chest X-Ray) to train and test the proposed CNN and the existing pretrained methods. Thereafter, the proposed CNN method was trained with the four datasets based on the DCGAN synthetic images, resulting in higher accuracy (94.8%, 96.6%, 98.5%, and 98.6%) than the existing pretrained models. The overall results suggest that the proposed DCGAN-CNN approach is a promising solution for efficient COVID-19 diagnosis.
Target Tactical Intention Recognition in Multiaircraft Cooperative Air Combat
Authors: Guanglei Meng , Runnan Zhao , Biao Wang , Mingzhe Zhou , Yu Wang , Xiao Liang
Published: November 2021

Accurately identifying the tactical intention of the target can facilitate the prediction of the opponent’s behavior and improve the efficiency of collaborative decision. We have observed that traditional methods could achieve high recognition rate on conventional tactical intent. Nevertheless, their performance would deteriorate seriously when recognizing cooperative tactical intention in multiaircraft air combat environment. The main reason resides on key features that are difficult to extract for traditional methods. To this end, this paper proposes a novel approach to recognizing tactical intention of multiaircraft cooperative air combat. Specifically, we employ support vector machine (SVM) to forecast the attack intention based on 19 low correlation features. The purpose of the employment of SVM is to avoid local optimization and reduce data dimension. Moreover, we use three models, i.e., dynamic Bayesian network (DBN), radar model, and threat assessment model to extract crucial information regarding maneuver occupancy, silent penetration, and attack tendency. The extracted information would make great contribution to the recognition accuracy of six types of cooperative tactics. Finally, we learn a decision tree model on train samples processed by above two phases to classify different tactical intention. In order to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method, we use data sets from a loop simulation platform. The experimental results have approved the superiority of our method via the comparison to several baseline methods with respect to recognition rate and efficiency. In addition, we underline that our method also performs well on incomplete and uncertain information.
Oncogenic circRNA C190 Promotes Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer via Modulation of the EGFR/ERK Pathway
Authors: Ishola Afeez Adekunle , Chien Chian-Shiu , Yang Yi-Ping , Chien Yueh , Yarmishyn Aliaksandr A. , Tsai Ping-Hsing , Chen Jerry Chieh-Yu , Hsu Po-Kuei , Luo Yung-Hung , Chen Yuh-Min , Liang Kung-Hou , Lan Yuan-Tzu , Huo Teh-Ia , Ma Hsin-I. , Chen Ming-Teh , Wang Mong-Lien , Chiou Shih-Hwa
Published: November 2021

Lung cancers are the leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, and the majority of lung cancers are non–small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC). Overexpressed or activated EGFR has been associated with a poor prognosis in NSCLC. We previously identified a circular noncoding RNA, hsa_circ_0000190 (C190), as a negative prognostic biomarker of lung cancer. Here, we attempted to dissect the mechanistic function of C190 and test the potential of C190 as a therapeutic target in NSCLC. C190 was upregulated in both NSCLC clinical samples and cell lines. Activation of the EGFR pathway increased C190 expression through a MAPK/ERK-dependent mechanism. Transient and stable overexpression of C190 induced ERK1/2 phosphorylation, proliferation, and migration in vitro and xenograft tumor growth in vivo. RNA sequencing and Expression2Kinases (X2K) analysis indicated that kinases associated with cell-cycle and global translation are involved in C190-activated networks, including CDKs and p70S6K, which were further validated by immunoblotting. CRISPR/Cas13a-mediated knockdown of C190 decreased proliferation and migration of NSCLC cells in vitro and suppressed tumor growth in vivo. TargetScan and CircInteractome databases predicted that C190 targets CDKs by sponging miR-142-5p. Analysis of clinical lung cancer samples showed that C190, CDK1, and CDK6 expressions were significantly higher in advanced-stage lung cancer than in early-stage lung cancer. In summary, C190 is directly involved in EGFR–MAPK–ERK signaling and may serve as a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of NSCLC.

Significance:

The circRNA C190 is identified as a mediator of multiple pro-oncogenic signaling pathways in lung cancer and can be targeted to suppress tumor progression.
HER3 Is an Actionable Target in Advanced Prostate Cancer
Authors: Gil Veronica , Miranda Susana , Riisnaes Ruth , Gurel Bora , D’Ambrosio Mariantonietta , Vasciaveo Alessandro , Crespo Mateus , Ferreira Ana , Brina Daniela , Troiani Martina , Sharp Adam , Sheehan Beshara , Christova Rossitza , Seed George , Figueiredo Ines , Lambros Maryou , Dolling David , Rekowski Jan , Alajati Abdullah , Clarke Matthew , Pereira Rita , Flohr Penny , Fowler Gemma , Boysen Gunther , Sumanasuriya Semini , Bianchini Diletta , Rescigno Pasquale , Aversa Caterina , Tunariu Nina , Guo Christina , Paschalis Alec , Bertan Claudia , Buroni Lorenzo , Ning Jian , Carreira Suzanne , Workman Paul , Swain Amanda , Califano Andrea , Shen Michael M. , Alimonti Andrea , Neeb Antje ,   PCF/SU2C International Prostate Cancer Dream Team, Welti Jonathan , Yuan Wei , de Bono Johann
Published: November 2021

It has been recognized for decades that ERBB signaling is important in prostate cancer, but targeting ERBB receptors as a therapeutic strategy for prostate cancer has been ineffective clinically. However, we show here that membranous HER3 protein is commonly highly expressed in lethal prostate cancer, associating with reduced time to castration resistance (CR) and survival. Multiplex immunofluorescence indicated that the HER3 ligand NRG1 is detectable primarily in tumor-infiltrating myelomonocytic cells in human prostate cancer; this observation was confirmed using single-cell RNA sequencing of human prostate cancer biopsies and murine transgenic prostate cancer models. In castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) patient-derived xenograft organoids with high HER3 expression as well as mouse prostate cancer organoids, recombinant NRG1 enhanced proliferation and survival. Supernatant from murine bone marrow–derived macrophages and myeloid-derived suppressor cells promoted murine prostate cancer organoid growth in vitro, which could be reversed by a neutralizing anti-NRG1 antibody and ERBB inhibition. Targeting HER3, especially with the HER3-directed antibody–drug conjugate U3-1402, exhibited antitumor activity against HER3-expressing prostate cancer. Overall, these data indicate that HER3 is commonly overexpressed in lethal prostate cancer and can be activated by NRG1 secreted by myelomonocytic cells in the tumor microenvironment, supporting HER3-targeted therapeutic strategies for treating HER3-expressing advanced CRPC.

Significance:

HER3 is an actionable target in prostate cancer, especially with anti-HER3 immunoconjugates, and targeting HER3 warrants clinical evaluation in prospective trials.
Mogamulizumab in Combination with Nivolumab in a Phase I/II Study of Patients with Locally Advanced or Metastatic Solid Tumors
Authors: Hong David S. , Rixe Olivier , Chiu Vi K. , Forde Patrick M. , Dragovich Tomislav , Lou Yanyan , Nayak-Kapoor Asha , Leidner Rom , Atkins James N. , Collaku Agron , Fox Floyd E. , Marshall Margaret A. , Olszanski Anthony J.
Published: November 2021

Purpose:

The aim of the study was to determine safety, antitumor activity, and pharmacodynamic profile of mogamulizumab, an anti-CCR4 monoclonal antibody targeting effector regulatory T cells (Treg) in combination with the checkpoint inhibitor nivolumab in patients with locally advanced or metastatic solid tumors.

Patients and Methods:

This was a multicenter, dose-finding (phase I), and dose expansion (phase II) study (NCT02705105) in patients with locally advanced or metastatic solid tumors. There were no dose-limiting toxicities in phase I with mogamulizumab 1 mg/kg every week for cycle 1 followed by 1 mg/kg every 2 weeks plus nivolumab 240 mg every 2 weeks intravenously, and cohort expansion occurred at this dose level.

Results:

All 114 patients treated with mogamulizumab 1 mg/kg plus nivolumab 240 mg in phases I (n = 4) and II (n = 110) were assessed for safety and efficacy. Mogamulizumab plus nivolumab showed acceptable safety and tolerability. Objective response rate was 10.5% [95% confidence interval (CI), 5.6–17.7; 3 complete and 9 partial responses]. Disease control rate was 36.8%. Median duration of response was 14.4 months. Median progression-free survival was 2.6 (95% CI, 2.3–3.1) months, and median overall survival was 9.5 (95% CI, 5.9–13.5) months.

Conclusions:

Combination of mogamulizumab with nivolumab for treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic solid tumors did not result in enhanced efficacy. Tolerability of mogamulizumab 1 mg/kg plus nivolumab 240 mg was acceptable.
Exosomal lncRNA-Mediated Intercellular Communication Promotes Glioblastoma Chemoresistance
Authors: Zhao Weixi , Xie Qi
Published: November 2021

Standard treatment for glioblastoma (GBM) is surgery followed by radiotherapy and chemotherapy, often with the chemotherapeutic agent temozolomide. However, this treatment is not curative. In this issue, Li and colleagues uncover a novel circuit regulating GBM cell resistance to temozolomide that involves exosome-mediated transfer of the long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) lnc-TALC (temozolomide-associated lncRNA in glioblastoma recurrence) to microglial cells. The results provide new targets for therapeutics that could help overcome resistance to temozolomide.

See related article by Li et al., p. 1383. (3).
Neu aufgetretenes bullöses Pemphigoid bei einer Patientin mit COVID-19
Authors: Olson Natalie , Eckhardt David , Delano Angela
Published: November 2021

Der vorliegende Artikel berichtet erstmals über ein bullöses pemphigoidartiges Exanthem in Verbindung mit COVID-19. In dieser Arbeit soll ein ungewöhnlicher dermatologischer Fall im Zusammenhang mit einer COVID-19-positiven Infektion vorgestellt werden, um die Virussymptomatik besser zu verstehen. Eine 37-jährige Frau mit Adipositas Grad 3, Diabetes mellitus Typ II und Hypertonie in der Vorgeschichte stellte sich im September 2020 in der Notaufnahme vor und wurde bis November 2020 ambulant und stationär behandelt. Nach Angaben der Patientin lagen bei ihr selbst oder in der Familie keine Hauterkrankungen vor. Die Patientin war vor der stationären Aufnahme positiv auf COVID-19 getestet worden und kam mit einem schweren persistierenden juckenden Exanthem, das die dermatopathologischen, serologischen und klinischen Kriterien für die Diagnose eines bullösen Pemphigoids erfüllte, ins Krankenhaus. Die histopathologische Untersuchung einer HE-gefärbten Stanzbiopsie aus der Beugeseite des linken Handgelenks ergab eine epidermale Keratinozytennekrose, subepidermale Bläschenbildung mit Eosinophilen, zarte Stränge in der papillären Dermis sowie ein subepidermales Ödem. In der direkten Imunfluoreszenz-Stanzbiopsie aus der Beugeseite des linken Handgelenks zeigte sich eine starke lineare IgG-Färbung in der dermoepidermalen Junktionszone mit einer etwas schwächeren fokalen linearen C3-Färbung. Die antigenspezifische Serologie war mit einem bullösen Pemphigoid vereinbar. Bislang liegen keine Berichte über einen Zusammenhang zwischen einer COVID-19-Infektion und einem bullösen Pemphigoid an der Haut vor; daher stellt dieser Fall eine wichtige Ergänzung der Evidenzlage dar und trägt dazu bei, das bullöse Pemphigoid im Zusammenhang mit einer Virusinfektion zu identifizieren.
The Kynurenine Pathway in Acute Kidney Injury and Chronic Kidney Disease
Authors: Wee Hai Ning , Liu Jian-Jun , Ching Jianhong , Kovalik Jean-Paul , Lim Su Chi
Published: November 2021

Background: The kynurenine pathway (KP) is the major catabolic pathway for tryptophan degradation. The KP plays an important role as the sole de novo nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) biosynthetic pathway in normal human physiology and functions as a counter-regulatory mechanism to mitigate immune responses during inflammation. Although the KP has been implicated in a variety of disorders including Huntington’s disease, seizures, cardiovascular disease, and osteoporosis, its role in renal diseases is seldom discussed. Summary: This review summarizes the roles of the KP and its metabolites in acute kidney injury (AKI) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) based on current literature evidence. Metabolomics studies demonstrated that the KP metabolites were significantly altered in patients and animal models with AKI or CKD. The diagnostic and prognostic values of the KP metabolites in AKI and CKD were highlighted in cross-sectional and longitudinal human observational studies. The biological impact of the KP on the pathophysiology of AKI and CKD has been studied in experimental models of different etiologies. In particular, the activation of the KP was found to confer protection in animal models of glomerulonephritis, and its immunomodulatory mechanism may involve the regulation of T cell subsets such as Th17 and regulatory T cells. Manipulation of the KP to increase NAD+ production or diversion toward specific KP metabolites was also found to be beneficial in animal models of AKI. Key Messages: KP metabolites are reported to be dysregulated in human observational and animal experimental studies of AKI and CKD. In AKI, the magnitude and direction of changes in the KP depend on the etiology of the damage. In CKD, KP metabolites are altered with the onset and progression of CKD all the way to advanced stages of the disease, including uremia and its related vascular complications. The activation of the KP and diversion to specific sub-branches are currently being explored as therapeutic strategies in these diseases, especially with regards to the immunomodulatory effects of certain KP metabolites. Further elucidation of the KP may hold promise for the development of biomarkers and targeted therapies for these kidney diseases.
Management of Fetal Supraventricular Tachycardia: Case Series from a Tertiary Perinatal Cardiac Center
Authors: Broom Elisha , Thomas Joseph T. , Petersen Scott , Gooi Alex , Ward Cameron , Gardener Glenn , Kostner Karam , Lee-Tannock Alison , Kumar Sailesh
Published: November 2021

Background: Fetal supraventricular tachycardia is a relatively uncommon cardiac rhythm abnormality which is often associated with adverse perinatal outcomes if untreated. Although there are several treatment modalities and protocols in use globally, there is no consensus as to the most effective antiarrhythmic to manage this condition. Aim: This study aimed to evaluate perinatal outcomes following prenatal maternal therapy for fetal supraventricular tachycardia. Materials and Methods: This was a 20-year retrospective cohort study. Institutional records were reviewed for antenatal therapy choice and maternal and fetal outcomes. Results: Sixty-nine cases met diagnostic criteria for fetal SVT, of which 56 (81%) received maternal antiarrhythmic therapy. Digoxin was the most common, but least effective, first-line therapy in 28 patients, achieving successful rate reversion in 35.7%. Thirty-one patients (55%) required second-line therapy, and this was most successful with digoxin and flecainide polytherapy achieving rate reversion in 17 of 18 cases (94.5%) at a median of 3 days (1.5–7). Hydrops was present in 23 (33%) cases at initial presentation, 16 of which achieved rate reversion. There was minimal difference in treatment efficacy comparing single- or multiple-agent treatment in the setting of hydrops (50% vs. 42.8%). Side effects occurred in 14/56 treated patients (25%) but were severe in only 8 (14.3%) women, most commonly with digoxin and flecainide polytherapy (6 of 8 cases). There were 3 (4%) fetal deaths amongst the study cohort. Conclusions: Digoxin and flecainide polytherapy were well tolerated and successfully achieved rhythm and rate control in fetuses with prenatally diagnosed supraventricular tachycardia. The presence of hydrops was a poor prognostic feature.
Different Therapeutic Strategies in 2 Young Patients with Advanced ALK-Rearranged Lung Adenocarcinoma: “The Light at the End of the Tunnel”
Authors: Caterino Umberto , Cesaro Cristiano , Zamparelli Enzo , Cesaro Flavio , Palma Alba , Lucci Raffaella , Imitazione Pasquale , Casazza Dino , Amore Dario
Published: November 2021

Malignant pleural effusion represents a prognostic negative factor on survival conferring stage IV disease. The median of survival is 5 months and a 5-year survival of about 3%. We describe the therapeutic success obtained from different strategies in anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) inhibitors in 2 young women showing malignant pleural effusion secondary to advanced ALK-rearranged lung adenocarcinoma. This report shows that for patients with EGFR mutations in advanced lung adenocarcinoma-associated malignant pleural effusion, complete response to EGFR TKI inhibitor can be observed mostly if pleural effusion and primary lung adenocarcinoma show the same EGFR mutation status.