bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
IL-1R8 silencing improves the anti-tumor function of freshly isolated human NK cells
Authors: Landolina Nadine , Mariotti Francesca Romana , Ingegnere Tiziano , Alicata Claudia , Ricci Biancamaria , Pelosi Andrea , Veneziani Irene , Azzarone Bruno Giuseppe , Garlanda Cecilia , Mantovani Alberto , Moretta Lorenzo , Maggi Enrico
Published: March 2022

The inhibitory receptor interleukin-1 receptor 8 (IL-1R8) has been recently recognized to be expressed also by human natural killer (NK) cells. This study was aimed to design and optimize IL-1R8 silencing conditions in human NK cells to precisely establish the activity of such receptor in these cells. Electroporation of freshly isolated or IL-2-cultured NK cells with small interfering RNA (siRNA), resulted in a marked, even though variable, IL-1R8-silencing. Although the expression profile revealed downregulation of most genes involved in several intracellular pathways, some genes related to proliferation, expression of some chemokine receptors, antibody-dependent cell cytotoxicity and cytotoxic activity were upregulated in IL-1R8-silenced NK cells. Furthermore, upon IL-15 activation, the majority of genes involved in NK cell function were upregulated in IL-1R8-siRNA—compared with control—siRNA-transfected NK cells. More importantly, in agreement with these findings, the reduction of IL-1R8 gene expression levels resulted in enhanced expression of NK cell activation markers, production of cytokines and chemokines, and cytotoxic activity against several NK cell targets with different susceptibility to NK-mediated lysis. Similar results were obtained following stimulation with IL-18. All together these data, deeply impacting on the main effector functions of human NK cells, can lead to a better understanding of IL-1R8-mediated regulation on these cells and to the design of new strategies for improving NK cell-mediated anti-tumor responses.
C reactive protein flare predicts response to checkpoint inhibitor treatment in non-small cell lung cancer
Authors: Klümper Niklas , Saal Jonas , Berner Fiamma , Lichtensteiger Christa , Wyss Nina , Heine Annkristin , Bauernfeind Franz Georg , Ellinger Jörg , Brossart Peter , Diem Stefan , Schmid Sabine , Joerger Markus , Frueh Martin , Ritter Manuel , Hölzel Michael , Flatz Lukas , Bald Tobias
Published: March 2022

Biomarkers for predicting response to anti-programmed death-1 (PD-1) immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remain in demand. Since anti-tumor immune activation is a process, early dynamic changes of the acute-phase reactant C reactive protein (CRP) may serve as a predictive on-treatment biomarker. In a retrospective (N=105) and prospective (N=108) ICB-treated NSCLC cohort, early CRP kinetics were stratified after the start of immunotherapy until weeks 4, 6, and 12 as follows: an early doubling of baseline CRP followed by a drop below baseline (CRP flare-responder), a drop of at least 30% below baseline without prior flare (CRP responders), or those who remained as CRP non-responders. In our study, we observed characteristic longitudinal changes of serum CRP concentration after the initiation of ICB. In the prospective cohort, N=40 patients were defined as CRP non-responders, N=39 as CRP responders, and N=29 as CRP flare-responders with a median progression-free survival (PFS) of 2.4, 8.1, and 14.3 months, respectively, and overall survival (OS) of 6.6, 18.6, and 32.9 months (both log-rank p<0.001). Of note, CRP flare-responses, characterized by a sharp on-treatment CRP increase in the first weeks after therapy initiation, followed by a decrease of CRP serum level below baseline, predict ICB response as early as 4 weeks after therapy initiation. Of note, early CRP kinetics showed no predictive value for chemoimmunotherapy or when steroids were administered concurrently. On-treatment CRP kinetics had a predictive value for both major histological NSCLC subtypes, adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. The results were verified in an independent retrospective cohort of 105 patients. In conclusion, CRP flare predicted anti-PD-1 monotherapy response and survival in two independent cohorts including a total of 213 patients with NSCLC, regardless of histology. Due to its wide clinical availability, early CRP kinetics could become an easily determined, cost-efficient, and non-invasive biomarker to predict response to checkpoint inhibitors in NSCLC within the first month.
Endovascular treatment of acute ischemic stroke in patients with pre-morbid disability: a meta-analysis
Authors: Bala Fouzi , Beland Benjamin , Mistry Eva , Almekhlafi Mohammed A , Goyal Mayank , Ganesh Aravind
Published: March 2022

Background

Trials of endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) for acute stroke have excluded patients with pre-morbid disability. Observational studies may help inform consideration of EVT in this population. We aimed to assess the effectiveness and safety of EVT in patients with pre-morbid disability.

Methods

According to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, we searched MEDLINE and Embase for studies describing outcomes in patients with pre-morbid disability (modified Rankin Scale (mRS) 2–5), treated with EVT or medical management (MM). Random-effects meta-analysis was used to pool outcomes including 90-day return to baseline mRS, symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (sICH), and 90-day mortality.

Results

We analyzed 14 studies of patients with pre-morbid disability (mRS 2–5, 1373 EVT and 253 MM). The rate of return to baseline mRS was 30.0% (95% CI 25.3% to 34.7%) in patients treated with EVT. Compared with medical therapy, EVT was associated with a higher likelihood of return to baseline mRS (OR 2.37, 95% CI 1.39 to 4.04) and a trend towards lower mortality (OR 0.68, 95% CI 0.46 to 1.02), with similar odds of sICH (OR 1.01, 95% CI 0.49 to 2.08). In studies comparing patients with versus without pre-morbid disability treated with EVT, similar results were found except that pre-morbid disability, when defined more strictly as mRS 3–5, was associated with mortality (OR 3.49, p<0.001).

Conclusion

In eligible patients with pre-morbid disability, observational studies suggest that EVT carries a higher chance of return to baseline mRS compared with patients treated with MM or without pre-morbid disability, although with higher mortality than patients without pre-morbid disability. These findings argue against the routine exclusion of such patients from EVT and merit validation with randomized trials.
Meighen Ice Cap: changes in geometry, mass, and climatic response since 1959
Authors: Burgess David O. , Danielson Bradley D.
Published: March 2022

Remote sensing (satellite and airborne) and in situ monitoring measurements indicate that the Meighen Ice Cap has thinned by 10 ± 3 m between 1960 and 2016, resulting in areal shrinkage by 32 km2 (38%) and total mass loss of 0.71 ± 0.2 gigatonnes. Retreat of the ice margin along the North basin by up to 2.5 km accounted for 50% of the total area loss over the 56-year period of this study. A strong inverse relationship between atmospheric summer temperature anomalies, and in situ mass balance measurements (r = −0.74) indicates that accelerated rates of mass loss from the Meighen Ice Cap are largely driven by regional scale summer warming. Increases in summer temperature anomalies by 1.9 °C from 1960–2004 to 2005–2016 coincided with a five-fold increase in surface melt across the Meighen Ice Cap. Since the 1990s, the Equilibrium Line Altitude has been positioned above the summit of the Meighen Ice Cap, resulting in loss of the accumulation zone that persisted for the first three decades of this study. Since the early 2000s, the ice cap summit has thinned by more than 4 m, which is unprecedented in the period of record. Response time calculations based on 2006–2016 average mass balance data indicate that the Meighen Ice Cap, which has been in existence for ∼3500 years, will completely disappear in ∼175 years.
Collaborative field research using drones for whale photo-identification studies in Cumberland Sound, Nunavut
Authors: Young Brent G. , Koski William R. , Kilabuk Ricky , Watt Cortney A. , Ryan Kasey P. , Ferguson Steven H.
Published: March 2022

In conducting Arctic field research, hiring local field guides has long been a necessity for providing field teams with local knowledge and fundamental needs of boat operation and navigation, general field logistics/safety, and traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) of local animal distribution and natural history. As new threats to Arctic wildlife emerge and as field research methods evolve, including local Inuit as long-standing members of research teams has provided additional collaborative benefits through expanded local knowledge, greater efficiency of data collection, and longer temporal sampling which provides the opportunity to study uncommon events. We describe the collaboration between southern-based scientists and local Inuit from the community of Pangnirtung, Nunavut, to conduct field research on marine mammals in Cumberland Sound from 1997 to 2021. Through a keen interest in marine mammal field research, Inuit partners in Pangnirtung have become highly proficient in all aspects of sample and data collection and have received advanced technical training to allow for an expanded role in achieving research objectives. This expanded role includes running field research operations independently, as well as the extensive use of drones to capture photographs of whales for the purposes of photographic-identification and to record behavior. Collaboration with local Inuit also provides benefits through employment opportunities, development of technical skills, and opportunities to actively participate in research that aims to conserve culturally important local wildlife populations.
$$\alpha $$-event characterization and rejection in point-contact HPGe detectors
Authors: Arnquist I. J. , Avignone F. T. , Barabash A. S. , Barton C. J. , Bertrand F. E. , Blalock E. , Bos B. , Busch M. , Buuck M. , Caldwell T. S. , Chan Y.-D. , Christofferson C. D. , Chu P.-H. , Clark M. L. , Cuesta C. , Detwiler J. A. , Drobizhev A. , Edwards T. R. , Edwins D. W. , Edzards F. , Efremenko Y. , Elliott S. R. , Gilliss T. , Giovanetti G. K. , Green M. P. , Gruszko J. , Guinn I. S. , Guiseppe V. E. , Haufe C. R. , Hegedus R. J. , Henning R. , Aguilar D. Hervas , Hoppe E. W. , Hostiuc A. , Kim I. , Kouzes R. T. , Lopez A. M. , López-Castaño J. M. , Martin E. L. , Martin R. D. , Massarczyk R. , Meijer S. J. , Mertens S. , Myslik J. , Oli T. K. , Othman G. , Pettus W. , Poon A. W. P. , Radford D. C. , Rager J. , Reine A. L. , Rielage K. , Ruof N. W. , Saykı B. , Schönert S. , Stortini M. J. , Tedeschi D. , Varner R. L. , Vasilyev S. , Wilkerson J. F. , Willers M. , Wiseman C. , Xu W. , Yu C.-H. , Zhu B. X.
Published: March 2022

P-type point contact (PPC) HPGe detectors are a leading technology for rare event searches due to their excellent energy resolution, low thresholds, and multi-site event rejection capabilities. We have characterized a PPC detector’s response to $$\alpha $$
α
particles incident on the sensitive passivated and p$$^+$$

+

surfaces, a previously poorly-understood source of background. The detector studied is identical to those in the MajoranaDemonstrator experiment, a search for neutrinoless double-beta decay ($$0\nu \beta \beta $$

0
ν
β
β

) in $$^{76}$$

76

Ge. $$\alpha $$
α
decays on most of the passivated surface exhibit significant energy loss due to charge trapping, with waveforms exhibiting a delayed charge recovery (DCR) signature caused by the slow collection of a fraction of the trapped charge. The DCR is found to be complementary to existing methods of $$\alpha $$
α
identification, reliably identifying $$\alpha $$
α
background events on the passivated surface of the detector. We demonstrate effective rejection of all surface $$\alpha $$
α
events (to within statistical uncertainty) with a loss of only 0.2% of bulk events by combining the DCR discriminator with previously-used methods. The DCR discriminator has been used to reduce the background rate in the $$0\nu \beta \beta $$

0
ν
β
β

region of interest window by an order of magnitude in the MajoranaDemonstrator  and will be used in the upcoming LEGEND-200 experiment.
Erratum to: On higher dimensional self-similar axion–dilaton solutions
Authors: Hatefi Ehsan , Vanzan Eleonora
Published: March 2022

A Correction to this paper has been published: 10.1140/epjc/s10052-020-08526-2
A NOVEL HYBRIDIZATION OF SEAGULL ALGORITHM AND COMBINED COMPROMISE SOLUTION (SOA–CoCoSo) IN DRILLING INVESTIGATION OF CARBON NANO-ONION-MODIFIED POLYMER COMPOSITES FOR STRUCTURAL APPLICATION
Authors: KESARWANI SHIVI , VERMA RAJESH KUMAR
Published: March 2022

Carbon nanomaterial (CNM)-reinforced polymer composite is broadly employed in emergent industrial needs due to advanced mechanical properties. In this research paper, a comparatively innovative integrated approach (SOA–CoCoSo) is proposed by using Principal Component Analysis (PCA)-based Combined Compromise Solution (CoCoSo) and Seagull Optimization Algorithm (SOA). This modified module is used in the drilling operation of zero-dimensional (0D) carbon nano-onion (CNO)-reinforced polymer (epoxy) composite. The desired machining performances, namely, surface roughness ([Formula: see text]), thrust force (Th), and Torque (Tr), are optimized to improve the quality and productivity concerns. The control of process constraints, i.e. the wt.% of nanomaterial ([Formula: see text]), spindle speed ([Formula: see text]), and feed rate ([Formula: see text]), was performed to achieve the desired objective value. The drilling experimentation was executed at three different levels of Box–Behnken Design (BBD). The objective function of PCA–CoCoSo was fed as input into the SOA. To acquire a better work efficiency, higher spindle speed, lower feed rate, and incremental wt.% of nanomaterial reinforcement are considered. The results demonstrated that the wt.% of CNO reinforcement and feed rate are the most influential factors for optimal machining performance results. The optimal constraints condition from the SOA–CoCoSo hybrid module is found at a combination of lower level of CNO wt.% (0.5[Formula: see text]wt.%) and feed rate (61[Formula: see text]mm/min) and high value of spindle speed (1500[Formula: see text]rpm). Also, the hybrid SOA–CoCoSo module shows a lesser amount of error percentage than the usual PCA–CoCoSo. The experiments were performed to confirm the feasibility of the suggested hybrid module for optimizing the varying machining parameters. The results indicated that the hybrid method is more efficient than the conventional method.
RNA modification writers influence tumor microenvironment in gastric cancer and prospects of targeted drug therapy
Authors: Song Peng , Zhou Sheng , Qi Xiaoyang , Jiao Yuwen , Gong Yu , Zhao Jie , Yang Haojun , Qian Zhifen , Qian Jun , Tang Liming
Published: March 2022

Background: RNA adenosine modifications are crucial for regulating RNA levels. N6-methyladenosine (m6A), N1-methyladenosine (m1A), adenosine-to-inosine RNA editing, and alternative polyadenylation (APA) are four major RNA modification types. Methods: We evaluated the altered mRNA expression profiles of 27 RNA modification enzymes and compared the differences in tumor microenvironment (TME) and clinical prognosis between two RNA modification patterns using unsupervised clustering. Then, we constructed a scoring system, WM_score, and quantified the RNA modifications in patients of gastric cancer (GC), associating WM_score with TME, clinical outcomes, and effectiveness of targeted therapies. Results: RNA adenosine modifications strongly correlated with TME and could predict the degree of TME cell infiltration, genetic variation, and clinical prognosis. Two modification patterns were identified according to high and low WM_scores. Tumors in the WM_score-high subgroup were closely linked with survival advantage, CD4− T-cell infiltration, high tumor mutation burden, and cell cycle signaling pathways, whereas those in the WM_score-low subgroup showed strong infiltration of inflammatory cells and poor survival. Regarding the immunotherapy response, a high WM_score showed a significant correlation with PD-L1 expression, predicting the effect of PD-L1 blockade therapy. Conclusion: The WM_scoring system could facilitate scoring and prediction of GC prognosis.
Connecting the Dots in a Cross-Cultural Comparison of the Rhetoric of the Chinese “Belt and Road Initiative” and U.S. Westward Expansion
Authors: Schnell James A.
Published: March 2022

This paper contrasts the current Chinese “Belt and Road Initiative” (BRI) against the opening of the U.S. west in the 19th century using the principles of Western rhetoric as basis for interpretation. Most specifically, Kenneth Burke’s Dramatistic Pentad is used for initial clarification along with explanation of how further understanding can be realized via Fantasy Theme Analysis to better appreciate the expression of rhetorical vision. Recognition of how BRI can be understood differently, depending on the cultural context, is stressed. This is couched in the contextual framing of mass media influences as explained by Marshall McLuhan.
Open–closed–open palaeofluid system conditions recorded in the tectonic vein networks of the Parmelan anticline (Bornes Massif, France)
Authors: Berio Luigi R. , Mittempergher Silvia , Storti Fabrizio , Bernasconi Stefano M. , Cipriani Anna , Lugli Federico , Balsamo Fabrizio
Published: March 2022

Fluid sources and migration pathways can dramatically change during the multiphase tectonic evolution of thrust wedges. We present a multidisciplinary study of syntectonic calcite cements in the Lower Cretaceous carbonates of the external Bornes (SE France), which underwent subaerial exposure during flexural bulging, layer-parallel shortening, folding and post-folding oblique contraction. Based on stable and radiogenic isotopes, trace elements, fluid inclusions and clumped isotope thermometry, we identified two main palaeofluid types. The older iron-rich calcite cements, associated with the pre-folding and early syn-folding stages, precipitated from an
18
O-enriched fluid (

δ

18
O = +8.6 – +11.6‰ VSMOW) at temperatures between 90 and 115°C. The younger calcite cements, associated with the late syn-folding and post-folding oblique contraction stages, have low iron content and precipitated from an
18
O-depleted (

δ

18
O = −7.5 – −4.3‰ VSMOW) meteoric fluid at temperatures between 40 and 80°C. The older fluid reached thermal equilibrium with the host rock at the maximum burial conditions, whereas the second one was probably heated in the inner sector of the belt before migrating towards the foreland.
87
Sr/
86
Sr ratios exclude any contribution from basement-derived ascending fluids, pointing to the migration of meteoric fluids within the laterally continuous fractured Cretaceous units.

Supplementary material:
Details of the sampling sites and a complete dataset are available at
https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.5882212
The Intelligent Process Lifecycle of Active Cyber Defenders
Authors: Sacher-Boldewin Desiree , Leverett Eireann
Published: March 2022

“There are a thousand hacking at the branches of evil to one who is striking at the root.”

Henry David Thoreau

Successful information security requires careful application of tools to goals. The tools must be well used and well configured and require skillful interpretation of results. If problems occur in daily digital forensic workflows, then they must be documented in a systematic manner that aids process improvement.

This article is the third in a series of three articles, where the connection between all the articles is displayed in the “Intelligent Process Lifecycle of Active Cyber Defenders” poster [
1
]. The poster showcases the main cyber defence disciplines and how, if false-positive events are classified in a systematic manner for each service, this information can afterwards be used to identify improvement areas. It focuses on false positives, error states, and common operation problems that occur when identifying and assessing vulnerabilities, as well as problems that happen when the security operations centre (SOC) tries to add a log source for continuous monitoring. For all these problems it also includes suggestions on how to solve or document them if they cannot be solved. We also demonstrate how to map these practical SOC outcome failures into clear risk management categories. That mapping can be used to optimize workflows, improve strategic cyber risk management, as well as deliver valuable metrics.
Clustering Matters: Sphere Feature for Fully Unsupervised Person Re-identification
Authors: Zheng Yi , Zhou Yong , Zhao Jiaqi , Chen Ying , Yao Rui , Liu Bing , Saddik Abdulmotaleb El
Published: March 2022

In person
re-identification (Re-ID)
, the data annotation cost of supervised learning, is huge and it cannot adapt well to complex situations. Therefore, compared with supervised deep learning methods, unsupervised methods are more in line with actual needs. In unsupervised learning, a key to solving Re-ID is to find a standard that can effectively distinguish the difference (distance) between the features of images belonging to different pedestrian identities. However, there are some differences in the images captured by different cameras (such as brightness, angle, etc.). It is well known that the training of neural networks is mainly based on the distance between features, while in unsupervised learning, especially in unsupervised learning methods based on hierarchical clustering, the distance between features plays a more important role in the clustering phase. We improve the accuracy of a deep learning method based on hierarchical clustering under fully unsupervised conditions, starting from both feature and distance metrics. First, we propose to use spherical features, by normalizing the images in the feature space, to weaken the structural differences (length) between features, while saving the feature differences (direction) between different identities. Then, we use the
sum of squared errors (SSE)
as a regularization term to balance different cluster states. We evaluate our method on four large-scale Re-ID datasets, and experiments show that our method achieves better results than the state-of-the-art unsupervised methods.
KR-GCN: Knowledge-Aware Reasoning with Graph Convolution Network for Explainable Recommendation
Authors: Ma Ting , Huang Longtao , Lu Qianqian , Hu Songlin
Published: March 2022

Incorporating knowledge graphs (KGs) into recommender systems to provide explainable recommendation has attracted much attention recently. The multi-hop paths in KGs can provide auxiliary facts for improving recommendation performance as well as explainability. However, existing studies may suffer from two major challenges: error propagation and weak explainability. Considering all paths between every user-item pair might involve irrelevant ones, which leads to error propagation of user preferences. Defining meta-paths might alleviate the error propagation, but the recommendation performance would heavily depend on the pre-defined meta-paths. Some recent methods based on graph convolution network (GCN) achieve better recommendation performance, but fail to provide explainability. To tackle the above problems, we propose a novel method named
K
nowledge-aware
R
easoning with
G
raph
C
onvolution
N
etwork (KR-GCN). Specifically, to alleviate the effect of error propagation, we design a transition-based method to determine the triple-level scores and utilize nucleus sampling to select triples within the paths between every user-item pair adaptively. To improve the recommendation performance and guarantee the diversity of explanations, user-item interactions and knowledge graphs are integrated into a heterogeneous graph, which is performed with the graph convolution network. A path-level self-attention mechanism is adopted to discriminate the contributions of different selected paths and predict the interaction probability, which improves the relevance of the final explanation. Extensive experiments conducted on three real-world datasets show that KR-GCN consistently outperforms several state-of-the-art baselines. And human evaluation proves the superiority of KR-GCN on explainability.
Two Years or More of Co-speculation: Polylogues of Philosophers, Designers, and a Tilting Bowl
Authors: Wakkary Ron , Oogjes Doenja , Behzad Armi
Published: March 2022

This article investigates new relations with things that are expansive and inclusive of the pluralities and differences within our entanglements with technologies. We do this by extending our commitments to the methodological approaches of material speculation and co-speculation that led us to engage in multi-year conversations between ourselves as design researchers, philosophers, and a counterfactual artifact we designed, known as a Tilting Bowl. The philosophers lived with the Tilting Bowl during this period. We call these conversations, polylogues, of which the aim is to co-speculate on a range of new possible relations by which to consider living with technological things. The contributions of our article are two-fold. Firstly, through our polylogues, we offer descriptions of three relations with things. These include (1) non-anthropocentric care: care that is non-anthropocentric and existential; (2) non-presumptive relations: not-knowing in relating to and engaging with things; and (3) ideologized relations: ideologies that frame relations with technologies. Secondly, the article elaborates and critically reflects on co-speculation as a method for relational and situated knowing that can be of benefit to HCI researchers.
Mutant Reduction Evaluation: What is There and What is Missing?
Authors: Zhang Peng , Wang Yang , Liu Xutong , Li Yanhui , Yang Yibiao , Wang Ziyuan , Zhou Xiaoyu , Chen Lin , Zhou Yuming
Published: March 2022

Background.
Mutation testing is a commonly used defect injection technique for evaluating the effectiveness of a test suite. However, it is usually computationally expensive. Therefore, many mutation reduction strategies, which aim to reduce the number of mutants, have been proposed.

Problem.
It is important to measure the ability of a mutation reduction strategy to maintain test suite effectiveness evaluation. However, existing evaluation indicators are unable to measure the “order-preserving ability”, i.e., to what extent the mutation score order among test suites is maintained before and after mutation reduction. As a result, misleading conclusions can be achieved when using existing indicators to evaluate the reduction effectiveness.

Objective.
We aim to propose evaluation indicators to measure the “order-preserving ability” of a mutation reduction strategy, which is important but missing in our community.

Method.
Given a test suite on a
Software Under Test (SUT)
with a set of original mutants, we leverage the test suite to generate a group of test suites that have a partial order relationship in defect detecting ability. When evaluating a reduction strategy, we first construct two partial order relationships among the generated test suites in terms of mutation score, one with the original mutants and another with the reduced mutants. Then, we measure the extent to which the partial order under the original mutants remains unchanged in the partial order under the reduced mutants. The more partial order is unchanged, the stronger the

Order Preservation (
OP
)

of the mutation reduction strategy is, and the more effective the reduction strategy is. Furthermore, we propose

Effort-aware Relative Order Preservation (
EROP
)

to measure how much gain a mutation reduction strategy can provide compared with a random reduction strategy.

Result.
The experimental results show that OP and EROP are able to efficiently measure the “order-preserving ability” of a mutation reduction strategy. As a result, they have a better ability to distinguish various mutation reduction strategies compared with the existing evaluation indicators. In addition, we find that
Subsuming Mutant Selection (SMS)
and
Clustering Mutant Selection (CMS)
are more effective than the other strategies under OP and EROP.

Conclusion.
We suggest, for the researchers, that OP and EROP should be used to measure the effectiveness of a mutant reduction strategy, and for the practitioners, that SMS and CMS should be given priority in practice.
Improving Bandit Learning Via Heterogeneous Information Networks: Algorithms and Applications
Authors: Zhang Xiaoying , Xie Hong , Lui John C. S.
Published: March 2022

Contextual bandit serves as an invaluable tool to balance theexploration vs. exploitationtradeoff in various applications such as online recommendation. In many applications,heterogeneous information networks(HINs) provide rich side information for contextual bandits, such as different types of attributes and relationships among users and items. In this article, we propose the first HIN-assisted contextual bandit framework, which utilizes a given HIN to assist contextual bandit learning. The proposed framework uses meta-paths in HIN to extract rich relations among users and items for the contextual bandit. The main challenge is how to leverage these relations, since users’ preference over items, the target of our online learning, are closely related to users’ preference over meta-paths. However, it is unknown which meta-path a user prefers more. Thus, both preferences are needed to be learned in an online fashion with exploration vs. exploitation tradeoff balanced. We propose the HIN-assisted upper confidence bound (HUCB) algorithm to address such a challenge. For each meta-path, the HUCB algorithm employs an independent base bandit algorithm to handle online item recommendations by leveraging the relationship captured in this meta-path. A bandit master is then employed to learn users’ preference over meta-paths to dynamically combine base bandit algorithms with a balance of exploration vs. exploitation tradeoff. We theoretically prove that the HUCB algorithm can achieve similar performance compared with the optimal algorithm where each user is served according to his true preference over meta-paths (assuming the optimal algorithm knows the preference). Moreover, we prove that the HUCB algorithm benefits from leveraging HIN in achieving a smaller regret upper bound than the baseline algorithm without leveraging HIN. Experimental results on a synthetic dataset, as well as real datasets from LastFM and Yelp demonstrate the fast learning speed of the HUCB algorithm.
Factorization of Binary Matrices: Rank Relations, Uniqueness and Model Selection of Boolean Decomposition
Authors: Desantis Derek , Skau Erik , Truong Duc P. , Alexandrov Boian
Published: March 2022

The application of binary matrices are numerous. Representing a matrix as a mixture of a small collection of latent vectors via low-rank decomposition is often seen as an advantageous method to interpret and analyze data. In this work, we examine the factorizations of binary matrices using standard arithmetic (real and nonnegative) and logical operations (Boolean and ℤ
2
). We examine the relationships between the different ranks, and discuss when factorization is unique. In particular, we characterize when a Boolean factorization
X = W ∧ H
has a unique
W
, a unique
H
(for a fixed
W
), and when both
W
and
H
are unique, given a rank constraint. We introduce a method for robust Boolean model selection, called BMF
k
, and show on numerical examples that BMF
k
not only accurately determines the correct number of Boolean latent features but reconstruct the pre-determined factors accurately.
Dual-MGAN: An Efficient Approach for Semi-supervised Outlier Detection with Few Identified Anomalies
Authors: Li Zhe , Sun Chunhua , Liu Chunli , Chen Xiayu , Wang Meng , Liu Yezheng
Published: March 2022

Outlier detection is an important task in data mining, and many technologies for it have been explored in various applications. However, owing to the default assumption that outliers are not concentrated, unsupervised outlier detection may not correctly identify group anomalies with higher levels of density. Although high detection rates and optimal parameters can usually be achieved by using supervised outlier detection, obtaining a sufficient number of correct labels is a time-consuming task. To solve these problems, we focus on semi-supervised outlier detection with few identified anomalies and a large amount of unlabeled data. The task of semi-supervised outlier detection is first decomposed into the detection of discrete anomalies and that of partially identified group anomalies, and a distribution construction sub-module and a data augmentation sub-module are then proposed to identify them, respectively. In this way, the dual multiple generative adversarial networks (Dual-MGAN) that combine the two sub-modules can identify discrete as well as partially identified group anomalies. In addition, in view of the difficulty of determining the stop node of training, two evaluation indicators are introduced to evaluate the training status of the sub-GANs. Extensive experiments on synthetic and real-world data show that the proposed Dual-MGAN can significantly improve the accuracy of outlier detection, and the proposed evaluation indicators can reflect the training status of the sub-GANs.
Low-resource Neural Machine Translation: Methods and Trends
Authors: Shi Shumin , Wu Xing , Su Rihai , Huang Heyan
Published: March 2022

Neural Machine Translation (NMT) brings promising improvements in translation quality, but until recently, these models rely on large-scale parallel corpora. As such corpora only exist on a handful of language pairs, the translation performance is far from the desired effect in the majority of low-resource languages. Thus, developing low-resource language translation techniques is crucial and it has become a popular research field in neural machine translation. In this article, we make an overall review of existing deep learning techniques in low-resource NMT. We first show the research status as well as some widely used low-resource datasets. Then, we categorize the existing methods and show some representative works detailedly. Finally, we summarize the common characters among them and outline the future directions in this field.
Sensory TRP Channels in Three Dimensions
Authors: Diver Melinda M. , Lin King John V. , Julius David , Cheng Yifan
Published: March 2022

Transient receptor potential (TRP) ion channels are sophisticated signaling machines that detect a wide variety of environmental and physiological signals. Every cell in the body expresses one or more members of the extended TRP channel family, which consists of over 30 subtypes, each likely possessing distinct pharmacological, biophysical, and/or structural attributes. While the function of some TRP subtypes remains enigmatic, those involved in sensory signaling are perhaps best characterized and have served as models for understanding how these excitatory ion channels serve as polymodal signal integrators. With the recent resolution revolution in cryo–electron microscopy, these and other TRP channel subtypes are now yielding their secrets to detailed atomic analysis, which is beginning to reveal structural underpinnings of stimulus detection and gating, ion permeation, and allosteric mechanisms governing signal integration. These insights are providing a framework for designing and evaluating modality-specific pharmacological agents for treating sensory and other TRP channel–associated disorders.
Effects of Systematic Diet Education Combined with Multidisciplinary Nursing on Nutritional Status and Calcium and Phosphorus Metabolism in Patients with Diabetic Kidney Disease in Uremic Phase after Treatment with Alogliptin
Authors: Guo Ning , Li Na , Zhao Yan , Sun Huaibin , Liu Kao
Published: March 2022

Objective. To explore the effects of systematic diet education combined with multidisciplinary nursing on nutritional status and calcium and phosphorus metabolism in patients with diabetic kidney disease (DKD) in uremic phase after treatment with alogliptin. Methods. A total of 90 DKD patients with uremia admitted to our hospital from January 2020 to January 2021 were selected as the research objects. The subjects were divided into combined group and routine group by random number table method. All patients received alogliptin medication. The combination group received systematic dietary education combined with multidisciplinary nursing after the medication, and the conventional group received conventional intervention. Serum albumin, blood calcium, and other indexes were detected between both groups after intervention. Results. After intervention, compared with the conventional group, all nutritional indexes of the combined group were obviously higher, levels of serum phosphorus and calcium-phosphorus product of the combined group were obviously lower (P < 0.001), the incidence of hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia of the combined group was obviously lower (P < 0.05), the total compliance rate of the combined group was obviously higher (P < 0.05), and the SAS score of the combined group was obviously lower (P < 0.001). Conclusion. With conspicuous intervention effect, systematic diet education combined with multidisciplinary nursing is a reliable method that can improve the nutritional status and levels of calcium and phosphorus metabolism, enhance treatment compliance, and reduce anxiety. Further research will help to provide a better solution for patients. This trial is registered with ChiCTR2200057011.
Electroacupuncture Reduces Fibromyalgia Pain by Attenuating the HMGB1, S100B, and TRPV1 Signalling Pathways in the Mouse Brain
Authors: Hsiao I-Han , Lin Yi-Wen
Published: March 2022

Fibromyalgia is characterized by chronic and persistent widespread pain and generalized muscle tenderness, and it is refractory to treatment. The central nervous system (CNS) plays an important role, pain signalling, in fibromyalgia subjects. Electroacupuncture (EA) has been practiced for thousand years to treat many diseases that involve pain. We established fibromyalgia-like pain in mice using intermittent cold stress and investigated therapeutic effects and modes of action with EA. EA of 2 Hz and 1 mA was performed for 20 min at the ST36 acupoint in mice from Day 3 to Day 5. Our results showed that mechanical and thermal hyperalgesia were induced by intermittent cold stress (Day 5: mechanical: 1.43 ± 0.34 g; thermal: 3.98 ± 0.73 s) and were subsequently reversed by EA (Day 5: mechanical: 4.62 ± 0.48 g; thermal: 7.68 ± 0.68 s) or Trpv1−/− (Day 5: mechanical: 4.38 ± 0.51 g; thermal: 7.48 ± 0.98 s). Activity in the HMGB1, S100B, and TRPV1 pathways was increased in the mouse prefrontal cortex, somatosensory cortex, thalamus, and amygdala with the stress treatment. This increase was attenuated by EA or Trpv1−/−. These results suggest potential targets for the treatment of TRPV1-dependant fibromyalgia pain.
Electroacupuncture Pretreatment Exhibits Lung Protective and Anti-Inflammation Effects in Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Acute Lung Injury via SIRT1-Dependent Pathways
Authors: Luo Dan , Liu Li , Zhang Hai-ming , Zhou Yu-dian , Zhou Min-feng , Li Jin-xiao , Yu Zhao-min , Tang Qian , Yang Shu-rui , Chen Rui , Liang Feng-xia
Published: March 2022

To investigate the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on acute lung injury (ALI), a lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced ALI mouse model was used in this study. Before receiving intratracheal LPS instillation, mice were given EA at ST36 for 7 days as a long-term treatment or one time as a short-term treatment. Lung histopathological examination, lung injury scores, lung wet/dry (W/D) ratio, and inflammatory cytokines included proinflammation factors such as TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 and anti-inflammation factors such as IL-4 and IL-10 in serum and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were detected at the end of experiment. The results show that EA pretreatment ameliorated the lung damage and inflammatory response by LPS. In addition, we found that SIRT1 and its deacetylation of NF-κB were promoted after EA pretreatment in lung tissues. Meanwhile, the expression of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is also enhanced by EA pretreatment. Thus, the present findings suggest that EA could be a potential therapy of ALI.
Solar Power Light‐Driven Improved Photocatalytic Action of Mg‐Doped CuO Nanomaterial Modified with Polyvinylalcohol
Authors: Azharudeen A. Mohamed , Badhusha A. Mohamed Ismail , Khan Mohd Shahnawaz , Prabhu S. Arun , Kumar P. Vijaya , Karthiga R. , Odeibat Hamza A. , Naz Huma , Buvaneswari K. , Islam Md. Rabiul
Published: March 2022

Sonochemical synthesis was used to create novel solar light active Mg‐doped CuO nanoparticles. Through a chemical impregnation method, the produced nanomaterial was changed with PVA (polyvinylalcohol). The optical properties, crystal structure, and surface morphologies of the synthesized nanomaterials were probed by UV‐visible spectroscopy (UV‐vis‐DRS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR), Raman spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR‐TEM), energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (EDX), X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and BET specific surface area studies. The prepared nanomaterials were utilized for the photocatalytic destruction of methylene blue (MB). The photocatalytic activity of PVA‐modified Mg‐doped CuO nanocomposite is magnificent to CuO and Mg‐doped CuO nanomaterials. This is because of the remarkable electron‐hole dissociation and overwhelming increased photocatalytic activity achieved through surface modification. Additionally, the consequence of several reaction factors like pH, catalyst dosage, and MB concentration was deliberated. This research could lead to the development of polymer‐based metal oxide‐doped catalysts for the decomposition of organic contaminants in wastewater.
Transarterial Infusion Chemotherapy with FOLFOX Could be an Effective and Safe Treatment for Unresectable Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma
Authors: Li Shaohua , Deng Min , Wang Qiaoxuan , Mei Jie , Zou Jingwen , Lin Wenping , Shi Ming , Chen Minshan , Wei Wei , Guo Rongping
Published: March 2022

Background. Transarterial infusion (TAI) chemotherapy with the FOLFOX regimen has shown good efficacy and safety in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, it has not been reported in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC). Methods. The data of consecutive patients with unresectable ICC who underwent TAI with the FOLFOX regimen from November 2016 to September 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. Treatment effectiveness and safety were evaluated and compared using the Kaplan–Meier method, log-rank test, Cox regression models, and χ2 test. Results. Twenty-nine patients were included in the study. The median overall survival (OS) was 16.2 months (95% CI, 13.0–19.4). The median progression-free survival (PFS) was 8.7 months (95% CI, 6.2–11.1). Twenty-seven patients were included in the efficacy analysis. There were 0, 10, 13, and 4 patients with CR, PR, SD, and PD, respectively, based on mRECIST criteria. The ORR was 37.0%, and the DCR was 85.2%. There were 27 patients (93.1%) who experienced grade 1-2 AEs, while only 1 patient experienced grade 3 AEs. Conclusion. TAI with the FOLFOX regimen could be an effective and safe treatment for unresectable ICC.
Event Forecasting in Organizational Networks: A Discrete Dynamical System Approach
Authors: Śliwa Piotr
Published: March 2022

Both inter‐ and intraorganizational networks draw the attention of researchers and practitioners from various disciplines who view them as the fabric of the socioeconomic world. The network perspective is believed to successfully model most of the socioeconomic phenomena, which, in combination with the prospects of continuously advancing tools for automated data mining and machine learning, gives a tempting promise to effectively forecast socioeconomic events occurring in our societies and businesses. Despite their significance, the topic of event forecasting in the context of organizational networks appears unexplored. Therefore, the objective of this study was (1) to fill the theoretical gap by proposing a mathematical model for organizational network event forecasting, rooted in the social science to remain consistent with the theory, and (2) to experimentally evaluate how the model performs on real data and validate if the results support its use in practical applications. An implementation of the proposed model, based on a decision tree classifier, achieved a prediction accuracy of 87% on a longitudinal data sample and thus demonstrated the practical usability of the model.
Use of Seatbelts and Observable Factors among Public Transport Drivers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Authors: Takele Semegnew , Tefera Yifokire , Abegaz Teferi , Mulugeta Hailemichael
Published: March 2022

Wearing of proper seatbelt while driving is scientifically proven to protect from severe and fatal injuries. The aim of this study was to assess the status of proper seatbelt use and observable factors among public transport drivers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The study conducted an inside vehicle observation study among 600 public transport vehicles in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from January to February 2017. Sample vehicles were randomly selected from ten arterial and ten collector road networks. This study used an observational checklist for data collection and logistic regression analysis to find the associated variables with improper seatbelt use. The odds ratio with a 95% CI and a

p

-value of <0.05 were considered for the statistically significant association. The prevalence of proper seatbelt use was 47.5% [95% CI (43.0–51.3)]. Khat chewing [AOR: 2.41, 95% CI (1.04–5.60)], engaged in driving distraction activities [AOR: 2.93, 95% CI (2.08, 4.13)] and being city bus drivers [AOR: 1.66, 95% CI (1.09, 2.52)], were significantly associated with improper seatbelt use. The actual rate of proper seatbelt use among public transport drivers in Addis Ababa was very low compared with the officially known report. Drivers’ behavior and being drivers of large-sized vehicles were associated with improper seatbelt use.
Comparative In Vitro Cytotoxicity Study of Carbon Dot-Based Organometallic Nanoconjugates: Exploration of Their Cell Proliferation, Uptake, and Localization in Cancerous and Normal Cells
Authors: Priyadarshini Eepsita , Meena Ramovatar , Bohidar Himadri B. , Sharma Saurabh Kumar , Abdellattif Magda H. , Saravanan Muthupandian , Rajamani Paulraj
Published: March 2022

Organometallic nanoconjugates have raised great interest due to their bimodal properties and high stability. In the present study, we analyzed the cytotoxicity property of carbon dots (CDs) and a series of organometallic nanoconjugates including gold@carbon dots (Au@CDs) and silver@carbon dots (Ag@CDs) synthesized via an aqueous mode. We aimed to divulge a comparative analysis of cell proliferation, uptake, and localization of the particles in HeLa and HEK293 cell lines. Our results showed dose-dependent cytotoxicity of Au@CDs, Ag@CDs, and CDs. However, Ag@CDs showed the highest inhibition through HeLa cells with an IC50 value of around

50
±
1.0

 μg/mL. Confocal imaging signified the uptake of the particles suggested by blue fluorescence in the interior region of HeLa cells. Furthermore, the TEM micrographs depicted that the particles are entrapped by endocytosis assisted through the cell microvilli. The CDs and Au@CDs were thus observed to be relatively safe up to a concentration of 100 μg/mL and did not induce any morphological changes in the cells. Moreover, the cell proliferation assay of these nanoconjugates against HEK 293 cells signified the nontoxic nature of the nanoconjugates. The results thus revealed two major facts: firstly, the Ag@CDs had potent therapeutic potential, signifying their potential as a promising anticancer drug, and secondly, the CDs and Au@CDs at a defined dose could be used as probes for detection and also bioimaging agents.