bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Phase I dose escalation safety and feasibility study of autologous WT1-sensitized T cells for the treatment of patients with recurrent ovarian cancer
Authors: Kyi Chrisann , Doubrovina Ekaterina , Zhou Qin , Kravetz Sara , Iasonos Alexia , Aghajanian Carol , Sabbatini Paul , Spriggs David , O'Reilly Richard J , O’Cearbhaill Roisin E
Published: August 2021

Background

This phase I dose escalation trial evaluated the feasibility of production, safety, maximum tolerated dose, and preliminary efficacy of autologous T cells sensitized with peptides encoding Wilms’ tumor protein 1 (WT1) administered alone or following lymphodepleting chemotherapy, in the treatment of patients with recurrent WT1+ ovarian, primary peritoneal, or fallopian tube carcinomas.

Methods

A 3+3 dose escalation design was used to determine dose-limiting toxicity (DLT). In cohort I, patients received WT1-sensitized T cells dosed at 5×106/m2 (level I) without cyclophosphamide lymphodepletion. In cohorts II–IV, patients received lymphodepleting chemotherapy (a single intravenous dose of cyclophosphamide 750 mg/m2), 2 days prior to the first intravenous infusion of WT1-sensitized T cells administered at escalating doses (2×107/m2 (level II), 5×107/m2 (level III), and 1×108/m2 (level IV)).

Results

Twelve patients aged 23–72 years, with a median of 7 prior therapies (range 4–14), were treated on the study. No DLT was observed, even at the highest dose level of 1×108/m2 WT1-sensitized T cells tested. Common adverse events reported were grade 1–2 fatigue, fever, nausea, and headache. Median progression-free survival (PFS) was 1.8 months (95% CI, 0.8 to 2.6); 1 year PFS rate 8.3% (95% CI, 0.5 to 31.1). Median overall survival (OS) was 11.0 months (95% CI, 1.1 to 22.6); OS at 1 year was 41.7% (95% CI, 15.2% to 66.5%). Best response was stable disease in one patient (n=1) and progressive disease in the others (n=11). We observed a transient increase in the frequencies of WT1-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte precursors (CTLp) in the peripheral blood of 9 of the 12 patients following WT1-sensitized T-cell infusion.

Conclusion

We demonstrated the safety of administration of WT1-sensitized T cells and the short-term increase in the WT1 CTLp. However, at the low doses evaluated we did not observe therapeutic activity in recurrent ovarian cancer. In this heavily pretreated population, we encountered challenges in generating sufficient numbers of WT1-reactive cytotoxic T cells. Future studies employing WT1-specific T cells generated from lymphocytes are warranted but should be done earlier in the disease course and prior to intensive myelosuppressive therapy.

Trial registration number

NCT00562640.

One-sentence summary

The authors describe the first human application of autologous WT1-sensitized T cells in the treatment of patients with recurrent ovarian, primary peritoneal, and fallopian tube carcinomas.
Multiple responses of fine root resource uptake strategies to gravel content in a subtropical plantation
Authors: Fu Xiaoli , Meng Shengwang , Kou Liang , Dai Xiaoqin , Wang Huimin
Published: August 2021

Most forest soils contain substantial amounts of gravel. However, unlike the more widely known root resource uptake behaviors which respond to resource patches in substrate without gravels, how roots respond to substrate containing different gravel levels is poorly understood. We grew roots in substrates with five gravel levels (0%, 10%, 20%, 30%, and 40% of volume) in a subtropical Schima superba Gardn. et Champ plantation, determined fine root dynamics and turnover rate with minirhizotrons, measured fine root morphological, architectural, mycorrhizal colonization, chemistry, and mass allocation. The presence of gravel in the substrate delayed the timing of peak root growth. In the substrate with higher gravel content, plants produced more in roots in autumn, but there were fewer roots in summer and the roots tended to exhibit lower fine root turnover rate and mycorrhizal colonization, but higher root biomass allocation. The higher root biomass in the substrate with higher gravel content was associated with higher root carbon/nitrogen ratio. Our findings emphasize the complexity of root resource uptake behavior in response to gravel content and suggest that incorporating substrate gravel content into root studies may help to improve the prediction of patch exploitation and nutrient acquisition in stony soils.
A Knowledge-Based Deep Learning Architecture for Aspect-Based Sentiment Analysis
Authors: Alexandridis Georgios , Aliprantis John , Michalakis Konstantinos , Korovesis Konstantinos , Tsantilas Panagiotis , Caridakis George
Published: August 2021

The task of sentiment analysis tries to predict the affective state of a document by examining its content and metadata through the application of machine learning techniques. Recent advances in the field consider sentiment to be a multi-dimensional quantity that pertains to different interpretations (or aspects), rather than a single one. Based on earlier research, the current work examines the said task in the framework of a larger architecture that crawls documents from various online sources. Subsequently, the collected data are pre-processed, in order to extract useful features that assist the machine learning algorithms in the sentiment analysis task. More specifically, the words that comprise each text are mapped to a neural embedding space and are provided to a hybrid, bi-directional long short-term memory network, coupled with convolutional layers and an attention mechanism that outputs the final textual features. Additionally, a number of document metadata are extracted, including the number of a document’s repetitions in the collected corpus (i.e. number of reposts/retweets), the frequency and type of emoji ideograms and the presence of keywords, either extracted automatically or assigned manually, in the form of hashtags. The novelty of the proposed approach lies in the semantic annotation of the retrieved keywords, since an ontology-based knowledge management system is queried, with the purpose of retrieving the classes the aforementioned keywords belong to. Finally, all features are provided to a fully connected, multi-layered, feed-forward artificial neural network that performs the analysis task. The overall architecture is compared, on a manually collected corpus of documents, with two other state-of-the-art approaches, achieving optimal results in identifying negative sentiment, which is of particular interest to certain parties (like for example, companies) that are interested in measuring their online reputation.
On nonlinear problems of parabolic type with implicit constitutive equations involving flux
Authors: Bulíček Miroslav , Maringová Erika , Málek Josef
Published: August 2021

We study systems of nonlinear partial differential equations of parabolic type, in which the elliptic operator is replaced by the first-order divergence operator acting on a flux function, which is related to the spatial gradient of the unknown through an additional implicit equation. This setting, broad enough in terms of applications, significantly expands the paradigm of nonlinear parabolic problems. Formulating four conditions concerning the form of the implicit equation, we first show that these conditions describe a maximal monotone [Formula: see text]-coercive graph. We then establish the global-in-time and large-data existence of a (weak) solution and its uniqueness. To this end, we adopt and significantly generalize Minty’s method of monotone mappings. A unified theory, containing several novel tools, is developed in a way to be tractable from the point of view of numerical approximations.
Study of transverse momentum and nuclear modification factors distribution of charged particles produced in pp and Pb–Pb collisions at s NN = 2.76TeV and 5.02TeV
Authors: Arif A. , Ali Y. , Haseeb M. , Ali Q. , Tabassam U. , Ahmed M. , Suleymanov M.
Published: August 2021

We have studied transverse momentum distributions of charged particles produced in pp and Pb–Pb collisions at [Formula: see text] TeV and 5.02 TeV in the pseudorapidity interval [Formula: see text] and transverse momentum range [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]GeV/[Formula: see text]. We simulated data using EPOS-LHC, EPOS-1.99 and QGSJETII-04 models. The simulation data is compared with the ALICE experimental data values at [Formula: see text] TeV and 5.02 TeV for pp and most central Pb–Pb collisions. It has been observed that, EPOS-LHC and QGSJETII-04 models explain the experimental results for pp collision at [Formula: see text] TeV and 5.02 TeV. The behavior of nuclear modification factors has been studied. The simulation codes of all three models EPOS-LHC, EPOS-1.99 and QGSJETII-04 overestimate the experimental results at low transverse momentum interval: [Formula: see text] GeV/[Formula: see text], for Pb–Pb collisions at [Formula: see text] TeV and 5.02 TeV. However, only EPOS-LHC model can explain the experimental data at high transverse momentum in the range: [Formula: see text] GeV/[Formula: see text]. EPOS-1.99 and QGSJETII-04 underestimate in the region of Cronin effect and cannot give satisfactory estimates for the [Formula: see text] values for which [Formula: see text] demonstrates stronger suppression because of the collective parton effect. It can be inferred that these effects are not taken into account in EPOS-1.99 and QGSJETII-04 models. These models, however, satisfactorily explain the ALICE experimental data in the ranges of [Formula: see text] for which nuclear modification factor [Formula: see text] shows rising trend.
Criterion for the H∞ Suppression of Overflow Oscillations in Fixed Point Digital Filters Employing Saturation Nonlinearities and External Interference
Authors: Singh Kalpana , Kandanvli V. Krishna Rao , Kar Haranath
Published: August 2021

This paper proposes a novel criterion for suppressing the [Formula: see text] overflow oscillations in fixed point state-space digital filters employing saturation nonlinearities and external interference. The proposed criterion can be used to ensure the exponential stability (ES) and diminish the external interference effects to an [Formula: see text] norm constraint. An example is given to exemplify the utility of the obtained results.
Complexity and Knowledge in Organisational Context: Concepts, Approaches, Boundaries and Relations
Authors: Jorge Carlos Francisco Bitencourt , Valentim Marta Lígia Pomim , Sutton Michael J. D. , de Sordi José Osvaldo
Published: August 2021

The study sought to understand the relationship among organisations, knowledge and complexity so that managers could develop more effective strategies when working with organisational knowledge and complexity. The theoretical framework of the theme was elaborated from Web of Science and then an analysis of identified approximations, relations and boundaries was carried out. Aiming at greater consistency regarding the approximations and boundaries among the studied themes, we sought complex organisations that contemplated knowledge as a resource. The initial search retrieved 95 articles, and after content analysis was performed, we identified 25 articles considering complex organisations as social organisms and knowledge as a resource. In this sense, difficulties were observed regarding the definition of the concept of complex organisation, as well as regarding the understanding of knowledge as a resource. After the analysis of the 25 articles, eight pointed to some characteristic of complex organisations, and this corpus does now allow to relate and identify the impact of knowledge on complexity, or complexity on knowledge. From these considerations, we discuss ways to manage complexity and knowledge as elements inserted in the organisational context.
Pd-catalyzed synthesis of C-C (Sonogashira, Suzuki, Heck, Stille), C-P and C-S linked products using gem -dibromovinyl BODIPY
Authors: Ali Hasrat , Guérin Brigitte , van Lier Johan E.
Published: August 2021

The chemistry of gem-dibromovinyl derivatives has undergone a renaissance through the application of palladium catalysis and has been applied to pyrrole substituted gem-dibromovinyl BODIPY. gem-Dibromovinyl BODIPYs (substituted at either the [Formula: see text]-position of 8-phenyl or the [Formula: see text]-position of the pyrrole rings) were studied for cross-coupling reactions using Sonogashira, Suzuki, Heck and Stille conditions, and with phosphonates and thiols. The assigned structures were supported by MS and 1H NMR, [Formula: see text]C NMR, X-ray diffraction analysis as well as optical spectroscopy. The conjugates were investigated for their absorption, fluorescence and solvatochromic properties in different solvents. Substitution at the [Formula: see text]-position of 8-phenyl derivatives of gem-diethynyl BODIPYs did not induce any shift in the absorption maximum, while the [Formula: see text]-position pyrrole substituted derivatives showed a red shift. Aromatic compounds gave larger red shifts as compared to the aliphatic substituted analogs.
Everything Is Faster: How Do Land-Grant University–Based Plant Diagnostic Laboratories Keep Up with a Rapidly Changing World?
Authors: Iles Laura C. , Fulladolsa Ana C. , Smart Alicyn , Bonkowski John , Creswell Tom , Harmon Carrie L. , Hammerschmidt Ray , Hirch R. Roz , Rodriguez Salamanca Lina
Published: August 2021

Plant diagnostic laboratories (PDLs) are at the heart of land-grant universities (LGUs) and their extension mission to connect citizens with research-based information. Although research and technological advances have led to many modern methods and technologies in plant pathology diagnostics, the pace of adopting those methods into services at PDLs has many complexities we aim to explore in this review. We seek to identify current challenges in plant disease diagnostics, as well as diagnosticians' and administrators'perceptions of PDLs' many roles. Surveys of diagnosticians and administrators were conducted to understand the current climate on these topics. We hope this article reaches researchers developing diagnostic methods with modern and new technologies to foster a better understanding of PDL diagnosticians’ perspective on method implementation. Ultimately, increasing researchers’ awareness of the factors influencing method adoption by PDLs encourages support, collaboration, and partnerships to advance plant diagnostics.
Caffeine alters thermoregulatory responses to exercise in the heat only in caffeine-habituated individuals: a double-blind placebo-controlled trial
Authors: Hunt Lindsey A. , Hospers Lily , Smallcombe James W. , Mavros Yorgi , Jay Ollie
Published: August 2021

We provide empirical evidence that acute caffeine ingestion exerts a thermoregulatory effect during exercise in the heat in caffeine-habituated individuals but not in nonhabituated individuals. Specifically, caffeine habituation was associated with a greater rise in esophageal temperature with caffeine compared with placebo, which appears to be driven by a blunted skin blood flow response. In contrast, no thermoregulatory differences were observed with caffeine in nonhabituated individuals. Caffeine did not affect sweating responses during exercise in the heat.
Inferences for Joint Hybrid Progressive Censored Exponential Lifetimes under Competing Risk Model
Authors: Almarashi Abduallah M. , Algarni Ali , Daghistani A. M. , Abd-Elmougod G. A. , Abdel-Khalek S. , Raqab Mohammad Z.
Published: August 2021

The aim of this paper is devoted to the problem of comparative life tests under joint censoring samples from an exponential distribution with competing risks model. This problem is considered under the consideration that only two causes of failure are occurring and the units come from two production lines such that the exponential failure time of units is censored under a hybrid progressive Type-I censoring scheme. Maximum likelihood estimation and different Bayes methods of estimation are discussed. The asymptotic confidence intervals as well as the Bayes credible intervals are established. A real data set representing time to failure on two groups of strain male mice receiving radiation is analyzed for illustrative purposes. All theoretical results are assessed and compared through the Monte Carlo study.
Reasonable Determination of Terminal Mining Lines Using the Stress Field with Seismic Wave Excitation in Deep Coalfaces
Authors: Zhu Guang-an , Liu Huan , Su Bo-ru , Jiang Qi-peng , Liu Hai-yang
Published: August 2021

Many field observations have shown that rock bursts occur frequently near the terminal mining line (TML) and dip coal pillar area in deep coalfaces. Taking the “7.26” rock burst in coalface 3302 in Xingcun Coal Mine as an example, the rock burst mechanism was investigated based on theoretical analysis and field observations, and a combined evaluation method using the stress field under seismic wave excitation was established to determine the reasonable TML of coalface 3302. Firstly, the static geological data revealed during roadway excavation were used for preevaluation of rock burst risk at the working face. By theoretically analyzing the stress transfer mechanism of the two types of the roof structure, the computational model of abutment pressure was established and the calculation method giving the abutment stress was proposed. Subsequently, a dynamic evaluation method that adopts microseismic and stress online monitoring system to monitor dynamic information, such as mine tremors and stress during coalface mining, was developed to define stress anomaly areas and then dynamically determine the TML. Finally, the proposed model was used to optimize the position of the TML of LW3302 in Xingcun Coal Mine; findings obtained in this study provide theoretical guidance for safe coal mining. Combined with the results of theoretical analysis (255 m), online stress monitoring (200 m), microseismic (MS) monitoring (262 m), and passive seismic velocity tomography (220–250 m), it can be finally determined that the width of the protective coal pillar for the TML of coalface 3302 should be at least 262 m.
Research on the Impact of Different Force Directions on the Mechanical Properties and Damage Evolution Law of Sandstone with Different Hole Diameters
Authors: Xiao Fukun , Li Renhe , Xing Le
Published: August 2021

In this research, a uniaxial acoustic emission experiment was conducted on rock samples with different positions and diameters of the hole, and an analysis was made on the impact of different hole positions and diameters on the mechanical properties, failure, energy conversion, and acoustic emission‐caused damage characteristics and laws of the rock samples. The results reveal as follows: first, due to the existence of holes in rocks, the stress‐strain curve changes at each stage, accompanied by multiple stress drops. And the peak strength gradually reduces with the increase in hole diameter. At different hole positions, the duration that the rock sample passes through at each stage of the stress‐strain curve varies, and the peak strength of the rock with the vertical hole is greater than that of the rock with the horizontal hole. This indicates that the bearing capacity and stability of the rock sample with the vertical hole are greater than those of the rock sample with the horizontal hole of the same diameter. Second, by making a comparison on the failure characteristics of rock samples, it is found that the intact rock shows brittle failure. For the rock sample with the horizontal hole, symmetrical tensile cracks initially appear in the upper and lower parts of the hole and finally form shear failure. As for the rock sample with the vertical hole, Y‐shape failure originally presents and eventually forms N‐shape failure with the increase in hole diameter. Over a comparison with the failure pattern of an intact rock sample, it is demonstrated that the final failure pattern and crack expansion trend on the rock sample vary with the change in the hole position and diameter. Third, as obtained by comparing and analyzing the energy conversion of the rock with different diameters of the hole, the energy conversion in the rock is changed due to the existence of holes, and the increase in hole diameter causes a gradual decrease in the elastic energy stored in the rock and gradual increase in the dissipated energy. And by comparing the energy conversion of the rock with different positions of the hole, it is acquired that the elastic energy conversion ratio of the rock with the vertical hole is higher than that of the rock with the horizontal hole. Furthermore, an explanation was made on the difference in the failure processes of the two types of rocks from the perspective of energy conversion.
Analysis of Different Vascular Accesses on Dialysis Quality and Infection Risk Factors of Hemodialysis Patients
Authors: Wu Huaping , Li Xiang , Zeng Cunliang , Zhang Li , Song Huanhuan , Lv Kaiping
Published: August 2021

Objective. To explore the influence of different vascular accesses on dialysis quality and infection risk factors of hemodialysis patients. Methods. A total of 162 patients with end-stage renal disease admitted to our hospital from February 2018 to July 2020 were divided into two groups: cuff tunnel conduit (CTC) group and native arteriovenous fistula (AVF) group. Peripheral blood was collected before and 6 months after dialysis. The incidence of vascular recirculation was measured, and the risk factors of infection were analyzed. Results. The levels of HB, Alb, CRP, BUN, Scr, and TP after dialysis in the two groups were lower than those before dialysis (

P
<
0.05

). The Kt/V of patients in both groups did not exceed 1.2, and the URR value exceeded 60%. The results of independent-samples T test analysis documented that the Kt/V level of patients in the AVF group was higher than that of those in the CTC group after dialysis (

P
<
0.05

). The results of the urea method revealed that 22 of 68 patients (32.35%) in the CVC group and 21 of 94 (22.34%) in the AVF group had vascular pathway recirculation. The χ2 test showed that there was no remarkable difference in the incidence of vascular pathway recirculation between both groups (

P
>
0.05

). However, the results of the nonurea method revealed that the incidence of vascular pathway recirculation in the AVF group was lower than that in the CVC group (

P
<
0.05

). Multivariate logistic regression was used to further analyze the factors with statistical significance in the single factor results. It showed that age >60 years, dialysis duration >1 year, dialysis times, diabetes, hypertension, and CTC were all independent risk factors causing vascular access infection. Conclusion. If all conditions permit, AVF hemodialysis is a better choice for patients with end-stage renal disease. For the elderly, long-term hemodialysis, and those with diabetes and hypertension, it is necessary to make detailed plans, strengthen the operation proficiency of CTC, and reduce the incidence of infection.
Anti-Inflammatory Effects of the Fraction from the Leaves of Pyrus pyrifolia on LPS-Stimulated THP-1 Cells
Authors: Lee Gilhye , Kim Jung-Hee , Jang Hyun-Jae , Park Ji-Won , Lee Jae-Won , Kwon Ok-Kyoung , Kim Jae-Hong , Ahn Kyung-Seop
Published: August 2021

Pyrus pyrifolia Nakai (P. pyrifolia) has been traditionally used in East Asia to treat diseases such as phlegm, cough, hangover, and fever. However, there is no investigation that evaluates the biological activities of the leaves of P. pyrifolia. This study aims at describing the anti-inflammatory effects of PP, a bioactive fraction from the leaves of P. pyrifolia, in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated THP-1 cells. Initially, PP decreased the protein and RNA expression of TNF-α, MCP-1, IL-8, and IL-6 induced by LPS. Moreover, PP attenuated the phosphorylation of p38, JNK, and ERK. In addition, after stimulation with LPS, the degradation of IκB-α was suppressed by PP, and the phosphorylation of IκB-α and p65 was suppressed by PP. Additionally, PP increased HO-1, which controls the production of inflammatory molecules, by activating Nrf2. These results indicated that PP could be used as an anti-inflammatory drug to promote wellness.
New Logarithmic Operational Laws‐Based Complex q‐Rung Orthopair Fuzzy Aggregation Operators and Their Application in Decision‐Making Process
Authors: Garg Harish , Ali Zeeshan , Mahmood Tahir , Aljahdali Sultan , Shah Habib
Published: August 2021

A complex q‐rung orthopair fuzzy set (CQROFS) is one of the useful tools to handle the uncertainties in the data. The main characteristic of the CQROFS is that it handles the imprecise information in the data using the membership degrees such that the sum of the q‐powers of the real parts (also for imaginary parts) of the membership and nonmembership degrees is restricted to the unit interval. Keeping the highlights of this set, in this study, we manifested some new logarithmic operational laws (LOLs) between the pairs of the CQROFSs and investigated their properties. Also, by using these proposed laws, we stated several averaging and geometric operators, namely, logarithmic complex q‐rung orthopair fuzzy weighted averaging (LCQROFWA) and logarithmic complex q‐rung orthopair fuzzy weighted geometric (LCQROFWG) operators and hence stated their fundamental properties. Later on, based on the suggested operators, a multiattribute decision‐making (MADM) algorithm is acted to solve the decision‐making problems. A numerical example has been considered to illustrate the approach and compare their obtained results with several of the existing studies’ results. Finally, the advantages of the suggested algorithms and operators are presented.
An Efficient Polynomial Chaos Method for Stiffness Analysis of Air Spring Considering Uncertainties
Authors: Kong Feng , Si Penghao , Yin Shengwen
Published: August 2021

Traditional methods for stiffness analysis of the air spring are based on deterministic assumption that the parameters are fixed. However, uncertainties have widely existed, and the mechanic property of the air spring is very sensitive to these uncertainties. To model the uncertainties in the air spring, the interval/random variables models are introduced. For response analysis of the interval/random variables models of the air spring system, a new unified orthogonal polynomial expansion method, named as sparse quadrature‐based interval and random moment arbitrary polynomial chaos method (SQ‐IRMAPC), is proposed. In SQ‐IRMAPC, the response of the acoustic system related to both interval and random variables is approximated by the moment‐based arbitrary orthogonal polynomial expansion. To efficiently calculate the coefficient of the interval and random orthogonal polynomial expansion, the sparse quadrature is introduced. The proposed SQ‐IRMAPC was employed to analyze the mechanic performance of an air spring with interval and/or random variables, and its effectiveness has been demonstrated by fully comparing it with the most recently proposed orthogonal polynomial‐based interval and random analysis method.
Detection Fusion of Weak Signal under Chaotic Noise Based on Distributed System
Authors: Zhao Shengli , Zhang Lizhi , Su Liyun
Published: August 2021

In this paper, the problem of signal detection under chaotic noise was considered in the distributed detection fusion system. The problem which is urgent and difficult has important research value. A new detection and fusion mechanism for weak signal under chaotic noise based on a distributed system is proposed. Due to the short‐term predictability of chaotic signals and their sensitivity to small disturbances, observation of each local sensor is reconstructed in phase space according to the Takens delay embedding theorem. The locally weighted regression (LOWESS) model is used to fit the observation of each local sensor in the phase space. Thus, the chaotic noise is stripped out from the observation, and the fitting error without chaotic noise is regarded as the new observation of each local sensor. Based on the new observation without chaotic noise, an optimization model aiming at minimizing the Bayesian risk of the fusion center is established. Under the condition that the observations of local sensors are conditionally independent, the fusion rule and the sensor decision rules are derived. An algorithm is proposed to obtain the fusion rule and local decision rules. The simulation results show that the proposed signal detection and fusion algorithm can effectively detect weak signals under chaotic noise background. Specifically, the fusion performance is obviously better than that of local sensors with low SNR.
Mechanical Response and Structure Optimization of Nanomodified Asphalt Pavement
Authors: Gu Wenjun , Tian Yao , Zhang Xuanyu
Published: August 2021

Nanomaterials are widely used in the preparation of modified asphalt because they can improve the high‐temperature performance of matrix asphalt and have achieved good engineering results. However, the existing research mainly focuses on the material analysis and formula development of nanomodified asphalt and has not yet been involved in the mechanical response of the nanomodified asphalt pavement structure. The mechanical response contains the horizontal tensile stress and the vertical compressive stress of SiO2 modified asphalt pavement. It is unable to propose the matching pavement structure combination for the unique material characteristics of nanomodified asphalt, which leads to the increase of the possibility of pavement diseases and material waste. Hence, considering that semirigid base is the most widely used base type in China, two different structural models of nanomodified asphalt pavement are established according to the current specifications. The effects of pavement thickness, material type, and pavement design parameters on the mechanical response of nanomodified asphalt pavement are analyzed, and then the principle of optimal mechanical performance is taken and the optimal combination of nanomodified asphalt pavement structure is proposed.
Influence of Moisture Content on the Structural Characteristics of Argillaceous Weakly Consolidated Rock Caused by Dynamic Loading in the Coal Mine
Authors: Meng Lingdong , Han Lijun , Zhu Hexuan , Dong Wenlong , Li Wei
Published: August 2021

The argillaceous weakly consolidated rock is a kind of soft rock that will bring great difficulties in the construction process. Specimens of such rock under different moisture contents are taken as the research object. By the Hopkinson pressure bar test (SHPB), the structural and mechanical characteristics of the rock under dynamic impact are analysed. With increasing moisture content, the transmitted wave amplitude decreases gradually, which indicates that the higher the moisture content of the rock is, the easier it is to deform under dynamic impact and the greater its plasticity. The boundary between plastic failure and brittle failure is 10% moisture content. Through a mercury injection test, the porosity variation is analysed. The porosity of the rock decreases with increasing moisture content after the same dynamic impact. The porosity curve can be roughly divided into two sections with a moisture content of 15% as the boundary. Based on a uniaxial compression test, the elastic modulus, peak strength, and residual strength of specimens after dynamic impact are analysed, and the mechanical properties of the rock are revealed. Its mechanical properties can be divided into three sections with a moisture content of 9.18% and 15.19%, and each section has obvious differences.
BERT-m7G: A Transformer Architecture Based on BERT and Stacking Ensemble to Identify RNA N7-Methylguanosine Sites from Sequence Information
Authors: Zhang Lu , Qin Xinyi , Liu Min , Liu Guangzhong , Ren Yuxiao
Published: August 2021

As one of the most prevalent posttranscriptional modifications of RNA, N7-methylguanosine (m7G) plays an essential role in the regulation of gene expression. Accurate identification of m7G sites in the transcriptome is invaluable for better revealing their potential functional mechanisms. Although high-throughput experimental methods can locate m7G sites precisely, they are overpriced and time-consuming. Hence, it is imperative to design an efficient computational method that can accurately identify the m7G sites. In this study, we propose a novel method via incorporating BERT-based multilingual model in bioinformatics to represent the information of RNA sequences. Firstly, we treat RNA sequences as natural sentences and then employ bidirectional encoder representations from transformers (BERT) model to transform them into fixed-length numerical matrices. Secondly, a feature selection scheme based on the elastic net method is constructed to eliminate redundant features and retain important features. Finally, the selected feature subset is input into a stacking ensemble classifier to predict m7G sites, and the hyperparameters of the classifier are tuned with tree-structured Parzen estimator (TPE) approach. By 10-fold cross-validation, the performance of BERT-m7G is measured with an ACC of 95.48% and an MCC of 0.9100. The experimental results indicate that the proposed method significantly outperforms state-of-the-art prediction methods in the identification of m7G modifications.
Initial Parameters Affecting the Multilayer Doubly Curved Concrete Shell Roof
Authors: Do Thi My Dung , Lam Thanh Quang Khai , Nguyen Thi Thu Nga , Ngo Van Thuc , Vu Hoang Hung , Nguyen Trong Chuc , Doan Van Duan
Published: August 2021

Doubly curved shell roof structures have been widely studied and applied in civil buildings, because of their compressive capacity. As a spatial structure, it should increase the space, reduce the thickness of the shell, and create the architecture for the building. In particular, reinforcement is needed to repair the shell surface, forming the multilayer curved shell roof structures. In this multilayer curved shell roof, it is necessary to investigate the influence of thickness of layers, the influence of the location of the steel fibres concrete layer, and the influence of steel fibres content contained in concrete on the state of stress and strain and build relationships, load‐vertical displacement and stress in the x and y directions of the shell in the investigated cases. So, this paper presents an ANSYS numerical simulation study related to the state of stress and strain in double‐layer doubly curved concrete shell roof with the initial parameters being changed such as the thickness of the layers, the location of the steel fibres concrete layer in the structure (the steel fibres concrete layer that is placed above and below the normal concrete layer), and the steel fibres content contained in concrete shell with the size of 3000 × 3000 mm, which is simulated by ANSYS after being experimentally conducted on this curved shell roof; the results of experimental and simulation study are verified by each other. Research results show that the thickness of the steel fibres concrete layer is placed below the normal concrete layer, the percentage of steel fibres contained in the concrete is 2%, and the bearing capacity of the curved shell is optimal.
Tournefortia sarmentosa Inhibits the Hydrogen Peroxide-Induced Death of H9c2 Cardiomyocytes
Authors: Liu Chih-Jen , Wang Lu-Kai , Kuo Chan-Yen , Chen Mao-Liang , Tzeng I-Shiang , Tsai Fu-Ming
Published: August 2021

Tournefortia sarmentosa is a traditional Chinese medicine used to reduce tissue swelling, to exert the antioxidant effect, and to detoxify tissue. T. sarmentosa is also used to promote development in children and treat heart dysfunction. However, many of the mechanisms underlying the effects of T. sarmentosa in the treatment of disease remain unexplored. In this study, we investigated the antioxidant effect of T. sarmentosa on rat H9c2 cardiomyocytes treated with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). T. sarmentosa reduced the cell death induced by H2O2. T. sarmentosa inhibited H2O2-induced changes in cell morphology, activation of cell death-related caspases, and production of reactive oxygen species. In addition, we further analyzed the potential active components of T. sarmentosa and found that the compounds present in the T. sarmentosa extract, including caffeic acid, rosmarinic acid, salvianolic acid A, and salvianolic acid B, exert effects similar to those of the T. sarmentosa extract in inhibiting H2O2-induced H9c2 cell death. Therefore, according to the results of this study, the ability of the T. sarmentosa extract to treat heart disease may be related to its antioxidant activity and its ability to reduce the cellular damage caused by free radicals.
Downregulation of SHCBP1 Inhibits Proliferation, Migration, and Invasion in Human Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Cells
Authors: Zhang Tian , He Xingchen , Yu Guodong , He Zhixu
Published: August 2021

Background. SHC SH2 domain-binding protein 1 (SHCBP1), one of the members of Src homolog and collagen homolog (Shc) family, has been reported to be overexpressed in several malignant cancers and involved in tumor progression. However, the expression of SHCBP1 in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) remains unclear, and its clinical significance remains to be further elucidated. Methods. The expression of SHCBP1 mRNA in 35 pair samples of NPC and adjacent normal tissues of NPC was detected by RT-qPCR. The expression level of SHCBP1 protein and mRNA in the selected cells was detected by western blot and RT-qPCR, respectively. The effects of SHCBP1 on NPC in vitro were observed by MTT method, colony formation assay, apoptosis assay, cell cycle assay, wound healing assay, transwell migration assay, and transwell invasion assay. Results. SHCBP1 was highly expressed in clinical tissues and NPC cell lines, and SHCBP1 knockdown significantly inhibited NPC cell proliferation. Overexpression of SHCBP1 promoted NPC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion in NPC cell lines. Silencing SHCBP1 expression can delay cell cycle and inhibit cell apoptosis. Conclusion. Our results suggest that SHCBP1 may promote proliferation and metastasis of NPC cells, which represents that SHCBP1 may act as a new indicator for predicting the prognosis of NPC and a new target for clinical treatment.
Techniques for Progressive Failure Simulation of Hard Brittle Surrounding Rockmass: Taking the URL Test Tunnel as an Example
Authors: Zhong Daning , Chen Jianlin , Zhou Hui , Chen Xiangrong , Jiang Yali , Li Liangquan , Chen Jun
Published: August 2021

Accurate simulation of the failure process of hard brittle surrounding rockmass is very important for the analysis and control of the structural stability in deep underground engineering. In order to simulate the progressive failure process of the hard brittle surrounding rockmass, a continuous discontinuous deformation analysis method that couples the finite element and discrete element is adopted. Taking the URL test tunnel in Canada as an engineering case, the constitutive model of the contact considering the effects of cohesion weakening and friction strengthening is applied, and the 2D approximation to 3D excavation by applying elastic modulus reduction technology is adopted to simulate the range and depth of crack growth of the surrounding rockmass. Then, the comparison between simulated results and on‐site monitoring results is performed, which shows good consistency. At the same time, the key factors in the numerical simulation of progressive failure in hard brittle rockmass are identified, including the number of elements, excavation effects, and constitutive models. The results show that the constitutive model determines the basic form of crack propagation, but in order to accurately simulate the progressive propagation of cracks, the number of elements must be sufficient enough and the effects of 3D excavation must be considered. The analysis accurately simulates the progressive failure characteristics of hard brittle surrounding rockmass under high stress, achieving the purpose of reasonably grasping the degree of damage to the surrounding rockmass, and provides technical reference and support on how to accurately simulate the failure of hard brittle surrounding rockmass using the finite discrete element method.
A Rapid Screening Method for Sibutramine Hydrochloride in Natural Herbal Medicines and Dietary Supplements
Authors: Liang Qi , Zhuang Yue , Ma Jun , Wang Jinyan , Feng Rui , He Ruisi , Luo Zhuoya , Wang Honghao , Zhan Ruoting
Published: August 2021

Herbal weight loss drugs are becoming more widely used in the fight against obesity, but ineffective regulation of these products have resulted in harmful additives. These products may contain adulterants such as sibutramine hydrochloride that may result in serious adverse health events including death. This work established a color precipitation reaction-based rapid screening method for illegal adulteration of sibutramine hydrochloride in natural herbal medicines (NHM) and dietary supplements (DS). While a variety of chromatography- and electrophoresis-based systems have been reported to measure this analyte, they generally suffer from high costs, complicated sample preparation, and a costly analytical infrastructure. In contrast, we present a simple, handheld kit to assay for sibutramine. The performance metrics of this tool include an average detection time of approximately 3 minutes, which is markedly shorter than conventional methods (HPLC or HPLC-MS, etc.), a detection limit of 0.1 mg per aliquot, and an accuracy of 99.02% (n = 820). More strikingly, the sensitivity is 100% (n = 278), and the specificity is 98.52% (n = 542). The rapid test kit developed from this screening method was evaluated by FDA. In summary, this screening method is a rapid, simple, and low-cost tool for the detection of sibutramine in NHM and DS with superior selectivity and sensitivity. For these reasons, this method is especially suitable for underdeveloped settings because it can be employed onsite without any instrumentation. In addition, this approach could rapidly exclude most of the negative samples to boost efficiency in large-scale samples assay. If necessary, positive samples can undergo further alternate testing methods to confirm the positive results of sibutramine hydrochloride content.
Influence of Weather Conditions on the Intercity Travel Mode Choice: A Case of Xi’an
Authors: Li Xiaowei , Ma Qiangqiang , Wang Wenbo , Wang Baojie
Published: August 2021

To explore the influence of weather conditions on the choice of the intercity travel mode of travelers, four modes of traveler transportation were studied in Xi′an, China, in March 2019: airplane, high‐speed rail, conventional train, and express bus. The individual characteristics of travelers and intercity travel activity data were obtained, and they were matched with the weather characteristics at the departure time of the travelers. The Bayesian multinomial logit regression was employed to explore the relationship between the travel mode choice and weather characteristics. The results showed that temperature, relative humidity, rainfall, wind, air quality index, and visibility had significant effects on the travel mode selection of travelers, and the addition of these variables could improve the model’s predictive performance. The research results can provide a scientific decision basis for traveler flow transfer and the prediction of traffic modes choice due to the effects of climate change.
Differential Expression of Long Noncoding RNAs in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease
Authors: Saygili Hamide , Bozgeyik Ibrahim , Yumrutas Onder , Akturk Erdal , Bagis Haydar
Published: August 2021

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) constitute the largest class of noncoding RNAs and play significant roles in the development of cardiovascular pathologies. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate whether 4 candidate lncRNAs – MIAT, MEG3, MALAT1, and MCM3AP-AS1 – have distinct expression levels in patients with obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) and reveal the diagnostic and therapeutic potentials of these lncRNAs for CAD. A total of 90 patients who subjected to coronary angiography were enrolled. Relative expression of lncRNAs were assayed using qRT-PCR methodology. As a result, MIAT was downregulated, while MEG3 was upregulated in CAD patients. Receiver operating characteristic curves demonstrated that these lncRNAs have a high potential to provide sensitive and specific diagnosis of CAD. The calculated area under curve levels indicated that MIAT and MEG3 have high diagnostic value for detecting the presence of significant CAD. However, MALAT1 and MCM3AP-AS1 levels were not sufficiently reliable for CAD development in our cases. Here, we demonstrate that MIAT and MEG3 were differentially expressed in our patients and might be promising biomarkers and therapeutic targets for CAD. These results indicate that MIAT and MEG3 could play chief roles in CAD development.
Comparison of PHI and PHI Density for Prostate Cancer Detection in a Large Retrospective Caucasian Cohort
Authors: Peters Robert , Stephan Carsten , Jung Klaus , Lein Michael , Friedersdorff Frank , Maxeiner Andreas
Published: August 2021

Background: Beyond prostate-specific antigen (PSA), other biomarkers for prostate cancer (PCa) detection are available and need to be evaluated for clinical routine. Objective: The aim of the study was to evaluate the Prostate Health Index (PHI) density (PHID) in comparison with PHI in a large Caucasian group >1,000 men. Methods: PHID values were used from available patient data with PSA, free PSA, and [−2]pro­PSA and prostate volume from 3 former surveys from 2002 to 2014. Those 1,446 patients from a single-center cohort included 701 men with PCa and 745 with no PCa. All patients received initial or repeat biopsies. The diagnostic accuracy was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves comparing area under the ROC curves (AUCs), precision-recall approach, and decision curve analysis (DCA). Results: PHID medians differed almost 2-fold between PCa (1.12) and no PCa (0.62) in comparison to PHI (48.6 vs. 33; p always <0.0001). However, PHID and PHI were equal regarding the AUC (0.737 vs. 0.749; p = 0.226), and the curves of the precision-recall analysis also overlapped in the sensitivity range between 70 and 100%. DCA had a maximum net benefit of only ∼5% for PHID versus PHI between 45 and 55% threshold probability. Contrary, in the 689 men with a prostate volume ≤40 cm3, PHI (AUC 0.732) showed a significant larger AUC than PHID (AUC 0.69, p = 0.014). Conclusions: Based on DCA, PHID had only a small advantage in comparison with PHI alone, while ROC analysis and precision-recall analysis showed similar results. In smaller prostates, PHI even outperformed PHID. The increment for PHID in this large Caucasian cohort is too small to justify a routine clinical use.
Implementación de la política de primera infancia en Cartagena, Colombia
Authors: Arrieta-Flórez Rosaura , Còrdoba Girado Lina Luz , Sayas-Contreras Rafaela
Published: August 2021

(analítico)El interés superior de los niños y las niñas es obligación del Estado colombiano, propuesto por la Carta Política e implementado a través de políticas públicas. Sin embargo, las condiciones materiales no reflejan la prevalencia de la protección integral preconizada por las normas. Este estudio combina el análisis cualitativo y cuantitativo, e indaga las dinámicas de la implementación de la política pública de primera infancia en Cartagena (Bolívar), con captura de información primaria de funcionarios de diferentes niveles de gobierno, agentes comunitarios y organizaciones sociales. Los hallazgos muestran barreras en la implementación de la política en materia de gestión administrativa, articulación institucional, atención educativa e inversión pública, principales causantes del acceso desigual a los derechos de primera infancia en la ciudad.
Palabras clave: Bienestar de la infancia, política social, primera infancia, derechos del niño, cuidado del niño, educación de la primera infancia.
Thesauro: Tesauro de Ciencias Sociales de la Unesco.