bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Response to Systemic Therapies in Ovarian Adult Granulosa Cell Tumors: A Literature Review
Authors: Brink Geertruid J. , Groeneweg Jolijn W. , Hooft Lotty , Zweemer Ronald P. , Witteveen Petronella O.
Published: June 2022

For adult granulosa cell tumors (aGCTs), the preferred treatment modality is surgery. Chemotherapy and anti-hormonal therapy are also frequently used in patients with recurrent aGCT. We aimed to review the existing literature on the response to chemotherapy and anti-hormonal therapy in patients with aGCT. Embase and MEDLINE were searched from inception to November 2021 for eligible studies. Objective response rate (ORR) was calculated as the total number of cases with a complete response (CR) or a partial response (PR). Disease control rate (DCR) was defined as the sum of cases with CR, PR or stable disease (SD). A total of 10 studies were included that reported on chemotherapy and 13 studies were included that reported on anti-hormonal therapy. The response rates of the 56 chemotherapy regimens that could be evaluated resulted in an ORR of 30% and DCR of 58%. For anti-hormonal therapy, the results of 73 regimens led to an ORR of 11% and a DCR of 66%. Evidence on systemic therapy in aGCT only is limited. For both chemotherapy and anti-hormonal therapy, the ORR is limited, but the response is considerably higher when patients achieving SD are included. New approaches are needed to provide more evidence and standardize treatment in aGCT.
Combined Curcumin and Luteolin Synergistically Inhibit Colon Cancer Associated with Notch1 and TGF-β Signaling Pathways in Cultured Cells and Xenograft Mice
Authors: Aromokeye Rukayat , Si Hongwei
Published: June 2022

This study aimed to select a combination of curcumin and luteolin, two phytochemicals from food, at lower concentrations with a higher inhibitory effect on colon cancer growth and investigate possible molecular mechanisms of this anti-colon cancer effect. By pairwise combination screening, we identified that the combination of curcumin (CUR) at 15 μM and luteolin (LUT) at 30 μM (C15L30) synergistically suppressed the proliferation of human colon cancer CL-188 cells, but the individual chemicals had a little inhibitory effect at the selected concentrations. This result was also confirmed in other colon cancer DLD-1cells, suggesting that this synergistic inhibitory effect of C15L30 applies to different colon cancer cells. The combination C15L30 synergistically suppressed the wound closure (wound healing assay) in CL-188 cells. We also found that the combination of CUR and LUT (at 20 mg/kg/day and 10 mg/kg/day, respectively, IP injection, 5 days for 2 weeks) synergistically suppressed tumor growth in CL-188 cell-derived xenograft mice. Western blot results showed that protein levels of Notch1 and TGF-β were synergistically reduced by the combination, both in CL-188 cells and xenograft tumors. Tumor pathological analysis revealed that combined CUR and LUT synergistically increased necrosis, but the individual treatment with CUR and LUT had no significant effect on tumor necrosis. Therefore, combined curcumin and luteolin synergically inhibit colon cancer development by suppressing cell proliferation, necrosis, and migration associated with Notch1 and TGF-β pathways. This study provides evidence that colon cancer may be prevented/treated by consuming foods having high levels of luteolin and curcumin in humans.
Myeloid Derived Suppressor Cells Migrate in Response to Flow and Lymphatic Endothelial Cell Interaction in the Breast Tumor Microenvironment
Authors: Roberts LaDeidra Monét , Perez Matthew J. , Balogh Kristen N. , Mingledorff Garnett , Cross Janet V. , Munson Jennifer M.
Published: June 2022

At the site of the tumor, myeloid derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) infiltrate and interact with elements of the tumor microenvironment in complex ways. Within the invading tumor, MDSCs are exposed to interstitial fluid flow (IFF) that exists within the chronic inflammatory tumor microenvironment at the tumor–lymphatic interface. As drivers of cell migration and invasion, the link between interstitial fluid flow, lymphatics, and MDSCs have not been clearly established. Here, we hypothesized that interstitial fluid flow and cells within the breast tumor microenvironment modulate migration of MDSCs. We developed a novel 3D model to mimic the breast tumor microenvironment and incorporated MDSCs harvested from 4T1-tumor bearing mice. Using live imaging, we found that sorted GR1+ splenocytes had reduced chemotactic index compared to the unsorted population, but their speed and displacement were similar. Using our adapted tissue culture insert assay, we show that interstitial fluid flow promotes MDSC invasion, regardless of absence or presence of tumor cells. Coordinating with lymphatic endothelial cells, interstitial fluid flow further enhanced invasion of MDSCs in the presence of 4T1 cells. We also show that VEGFR3 inhibition reduced both MDSC and 4T1 flow response. Together, these findings indicate a key role of interstitial fluid flow in MDSC migration as well as describe a tool to explore the immune microenvironment in breast cancer.
Exploring the Biological and Physical Basis of Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) as a Promising Treatment Frontier in Breast Cancer
Authors: Seneviratne Danushka , Advani Pooja , Trifiletti Daniel M. , Chumsri Saranya , Beltran Chris J. , Bush Aaron F. , Vallow Laura A.
Published: June 2022

BNCT is a high LET radiation therapy modality that allows for biologically targeted radiation delivery to tumors while reducing normal tissue impacts. Although the clinical use of BNCT has largely been limited to phase I/II trials and has primarily focused on difficult-to-treat malignancies such as recurrent head and neck cancer and recurrent gliomas, recently there has been a renewed interest in expanding the use of BNCT to other disease sites, including breast cancer. Given its high LET characteristics, its biologically targeted and tumor specific nature, as well as its potential for use in complex treatment settings including reirradiation and widespread metastatic disease, BNCT offers several unique advantages over traditional external beam radiation therapy. The two main boron compounds investigated to date in BNCT clinical trials are BSH and BPA. Of these, BPA in particular shows promise in breast cancer given that is taken up by the LAT-1 amino acid transporter that is highly overexpressed in breast cancer cells. As the efficacy of BNCT is directly dependent on the extent of boron accumulation in tumors, extensive preclinical efforts to develop novel boron delivery agents have been undertaken in recent years. Preclinical studies have shown promise in antibody linked boron compounds targeting ER/HER2 receptors, boron encapsulating liposomes, and nanoparticle-based boron delivery systems. This review aims to summarize the physical and biological basis of BNCT, the preclinical and limited clinical data available to date, and discuss its potential to be utilized for the successful treatment of various breast cancer disease states.
The High Proportion of Discordant EGFR Mutations among Multiple Lung Tumors
Authors: Lee Hyunwoo , Park Jin Hee , Han Joungho , Shim Young Mog , Kim Jhingook , Choi Yong Soo , Kim Hong Kwan , Cho Jong Ho , Choi Yoon-La , Kim Wan-Seop
Published: June 2022

The prevalence of multiple lung cancers has been increasing recently. Molecular analysis of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations in individual tumors of multiple lung cancers is essential for devising an optimal therapeutic strategy. The EGFR mutation status in multiple lung cancers was evaluated to determine its therapeutic implications. In total, 208 tumors from 101 patients who underwent surgery for multiple lung cancers were analyzed. Individual tumors were subjected to histological evaluation and EGFR analysis using a real-time polymerase chain reaction. Additionally, EGFR-wildtype tumors were subjected to next-generation sequencing (NGS). EGFR mutations were detected in 113 tumors from 72 patients, predominantly in females (p < 0.001) and non-smokers (p < 0.001). Among patients with at least one EGFR-mutant tumor, approximately 72% of patients (52/72) had different EGFR mutations in individual tumors. NGS analysis of EGFR-wildtype tumors from 12 patients revealed four and eight cases with concordant and discordant molecular alterations, respectively. These findings revealed a high proportion of discordant EGFR mutations among multiple lung tumors. Hence, EGFR analysis of individual tumors of multiple lung tumors is essential for the evaluation of clonality and the development of an optimal treatment strategy.
Prevalence and Prognostic Role of IDH Mutations in Acute Myeloid Leukemia: Results of the GIMEMA AML1516 Protocol
Authors: Messina Monica , Piciocchi Alfonso , Ottone Tiziana , Paolini Stefania , Papayannidis Cristina , Lessi Federica , Fracchiolla Nicola Stefano , Forghieri Fabio , Candoni Anna , Mengarelli Andrea , Martelli Maria Paola , Venditti Adriano , Carella Angelo Michele , Albano Francesco , Mancini Valentina , Massimo Bernardi , Arena Valentina , Sargentini Valeria , Sciumè Mariarita , Pastore Domenico , Todisco Elisabetta , Roti Giovanni , Siragusa Sergio , Ladetto Marco , Pravato Stefano , De Bellis Eleonora , Simonetti Giorgia , Marconi Giovanni , Cerchione Claudio , Fazi Paola , Vignetti Marco , Amadori Sergio , Martinelli Giovanni , Voso Maria Teresa
Published: June 2022

IDH1/2 mutations are common in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and represent a therapeutic target. The GIMEMA AML1516 observational protocol was designed to study the prevalence of IDH1/2 mutations and associations with clinico-biological parameters in a cohort of Italian AML patients. We analyzed a cohort of 284 AML consecutive patients at diagnosis, 139 females and 145 males, of a median age of 65 years (range: 19–86). Of these, 38 (14%) harbored IDH1 and 51 (18%) IDH2 mutations. IDH1/2 mutations were significantly associated with WHO PS >2 (p < 0.001) and non-complex karyotype (p = 0.021) when compared to IDH1/2-WT. Furthermore, patients with IDH1 mutations were more frequently NPM1-mutated (p = 0.007) and had a higher platelet count (p = 0.036). At relapse, IDH1/2 mutations were detected in 6 (25%) patients. As per the outcome, 60.5% of IDH1/2-mutated patients achieved complete remission; overall survival and event-free survival at 2 years were 44.5% and 36.1%, respectively: these rates were similar to IDH1/2-WT. In IDH1/2-mutated patients, high WBC proved to be an independent prognostic factor for survival. In conclusion, the GIMEMA AML1516 confirms that IDH1/2 mutations are frequently detected at diagnosis and underlines the importance of recognizing IDH1/2-mutated cases up-front to offer the most appropriate therapeutic strategy, given the availability of IDH1/2 inhibitors.
Aqueous-Phase Glycerol Conversion over Ni-Based Catalysts Synthesized by Nanocasting
Authors: Morales-Marín Adriana , Iriarte-Velasco Unai , Gutiérrez-Ortiz Miguel Ángel , Ayastuy Jose Luis
Published: June 2022

A morphological strategy consisting of nanocasting synthesis of nickel aluminate spinel precursor was addressed. Two nanocasted catalysts were synthesized involving different template-removal procedures (i.e., Teflon-assisted calcination vs. NaOH washing) for spinel recovery. As a reference, spinel NiAl2O4 supported by SBA-15 and bare nickel aluminate spinel were selected. The obtained solids were characterized in detail, examining their textural, acid–base, structural and compositional characteristics, either in the calcined or reduced forms. The as-obtained catalysts’ performance was evaluated in the aqueous-phase reforming of glycerol at 235 °C and 35 bar. Exhausted samples were also characterized to enlighten changes in catalyst properties during the aqueous-phase reaction. NiAl/SBA-15 and NiAl-NCF catalyst showed very poor catalytic performance for the glycerol transformation. NiAl-NCN catalyst presented improved activity with respect to NiAl, with a 20% higher hydrogen production rate but, as a drawback, higher methane formation for a whole range of glycerol conversions. Exhausted catalyst indicated nickel oxidized in liquid phase reaction.
Telomere Maintenance and the cGAS-STING Pathway in Cancer
Authors: Ebata Hiroshi , Loo Tze Mun , Takahashi Akiko
Published: June 2022

Cancer cells exhibit the unique characteristics of high proliferation and aberrant DNA damage response, which prevents cancer therapy from effectively eliminating them. The machinery required for telomere maintenance, such as telomerase and the alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT), enables cancer cells to proliferate indefinitely. In addition, the molecules in this system are involved in noncanonical pro-tumorigenic functions. Of these, the function of the cyclic GMP–AMP synthase (cGAS)-stimulator of interferon genes (STING) pathway, which contains telomere-related molecules, is a well-known contributor to the tumor microenvironment (TME). This review summarizes the current knowledge of the role of telomerase and ALT in cancer regulation, with emphasis on their noncanonical roles beyond telomere maintenance. The components of the cGAS-STING pathway are summarized with respect to intercell communication in the TME. Elucidating the underlying functional connection between telomere-related molecules and TME regulation is important for the development of cancer therapeutics that target cancer-specific pathways in different contexts. Finally, strategies for designing new cancer therapies that target cancer cells and the TME are discussed.
Dysregulated Ca2+ Homeostasis as a Central Theme in Neurodegeneration: Lessons from Alzheimer’s Disease and Wolfram Syndrome
Authors: Callens Manon , Loncke Jens , Bultynck Geert
Published: June 2022

Calcium ions (Ca2+) operate as important messengers in the cell, indispensable for signaling the underlying numerous cellular processes in all of the cell types in the human body. In neurons, Ca2+ signaling is crucial for regulating synaptic transmission and for the processes of learning and memory formation. Hence, the dysregulation of intracellular Ca2+ homeostasis results in a broad range of disorders, including cancer and neurodegeneration. A major source for intracellular Ca2+ is the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), which has close contacts with other organelles, including mitochondria. In this review, we focus on the emerging role of Ca2+ signaling at the ER–mitochondrial interface in two different neurodegenerative diseases, namely Alzheimer’s disease and Wolfram syndrome. Both of these diseases share some common hallmarks in the early stages, including alterations in the ER and mitochondrial Ca2+ handling, mitochondrial dysfunction and increased Reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. This indicates that similar mechanisms may underly these two disease pathologies and suggests that both research topics might benefit from complementary research.
Proteomic and Metabolomic Profiles of T Cell-Derived Exosomes Isolated from Human Plasma
Authors: Zebrowska Aneta , Jelonek Karol , Mondal Sujan , Gawin Marta , Mrowiec Katarzyna , Widłak Piotr , Whiteside Theresa , Pietrowska Monika
Published: June 2022

Exosomes that are released by T cells are key messengers involved in immune regulation. However, the molecular profiling of these vesicles, which is necessary for understanding their functions, requires their isolation from a very heterogeneous mixture of extracellular vesicles that are present in the human plasma. It has been shown that exosomes that are produced by T cells could be isolated from plasma by immune capture using antibodies that target the CD3 antigen, which is a key component of the TCR complex that is present in all T lymphocytes. Here, we demonstrate that CD3(+) exosomes that are isolated from plasma can be used for high-throughput molecular profiling using proteomics and metabolomics tools. This profiling allowed for the identification of proteins and metabolites that differentiated the CD3(+) from the CD3(−) exosome fractions that were present in the plasma of healthy donors. Importantly, the proteins and metabolites that accumulated in the CD3(+) vesicles reflected the known molecular features of T lymphocytes. Hence, CD3(+) exosomes that are isolated from human plasma by immune capture could serve as a “T cell biopsy”.
Analysis of Physeal Fractures from the United States National Trauma Data Bank
Authors: Fuchs Joseph R. , Gibly Romie F. , Erickson Christopher B. , Thomas Stacey M. , Hadley Miller Nancy , Payne Karin A.
Published: June 2022

Background: Pediatric long-bone physeal fractures can lead to growth deformities. Previous studies have reported that physeal fractures make up 18–30% of total fractures. This study aimed to characterize physeal fractures with respect to sex, age, anatomic location, and Salter–Harris (SH) classification from a current multicenter national database. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed using the 2016 United States National Trauma Data Bank (NTDB). Patients ≤ 18 years of age with a fracture of the humerus, radius, ulna, femur, tibia, or fibula were included. Results: The NTDB captured 132,018 patients and 58,015 total fractures. Physeal fractures made up 5.7% (3291) of all long-bone fractures, with males accounting for 71.0% (2338). Lower extremity physeal injuries comprised 58.6% (1929) of all physeal fractures. The most common site of physeal injury was the tibia comprising 31.8% (1047), 73.9% (774) of which were distal tibia fractures. Physeal fractures were greatest at 11 years of age for females and 14 years of age for males. Most fractures were SH Type II fractures. Discussion and Conclusions: Our analysis indicates that 5.7% of pediatric long-bone fractures involved the physis, with the distal tibia being the most common. These findings suggest a lower incidence of physeal fractures than previous studies and warrant further investigation.
Incorporating Pavement Friction Management into Pavement Asset Management Systems: State Department of Transportation Experience
Authors: Elkhazindar Alaa , Hafez Marwan , Ksaibati Khaled
Published: June 2022

Pavement friction is an important topic addressed by transportation agencies to reduce the number of traffic crashes and fatalities caused by poor friction between tires and pavement surface. Pavement friction management (PFM) provides the essential tools and techniques to effectively evaluate pavement friction conditions and provide informed maintenance decisions using surface treatments. State Departments of Transportation (DOTs) utilize various engineering practices to collect and analyze friction-related data, crash data, and traffic data. In addition, state DOTs tend to employ different techniques and policies to manage the pavement friction depending on budget levels, strategic objectives, and climate conditions. Due to these diversified practices in friction management, in this study, we intend to provide a comprehensive review of the state of the practice among state DOTs. Online surveys were analyzed using descriptive and statistical correlation analyses to study the experience of state DOTs with managing pavement friction, considering feedback from 32 state DOTs in the USA. Exploring the methods to manage the pavement friction used by state agencies will help researchers and officials know more about the strategies towards an effective PFM. It also presents opportunities to enhance the approaches of the followed programs and highlight the gaps of the current practices. The results obtained from the survey identify the practical policies and propose future enhancements to maximize the value of pavement assets and promote safety.
Effect of Si Content on Deposition and High-Temperature Oxidation of Al-Si Coatings Obtained by Magnetron Sputtering PVD Method
Authors: Bauer Peter-Philipp , Klamann Lisa , Swadźba Radosław , Laska Nadine
Published: June 2022

Intermetallic Al-Si-based coatings can greatly increase the oxidation resistance of γ-TiAl alloys. However, the effects of the Si addition are not fully understood. Therefore, it is difficult to determine the Si content that is optimal for oxidation resistance. Therefore, pure Al and several Al-Si coatings with varying Si contents between 1 and 81 at.% were studied. The coatings were produced using a combinatorial magnetron sputtering process. Scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy were used for structure and chemical analysis. The phases were identified by X-ray diffraction. Cyclic oxidation tests at 900 °C were conducted up to 5000 cycles of 1 h each and subsequently evaluated by thermogravimetric analysis. Si addition in the range of 1 to 12 at.% did not deteriorate the oxidation resistance compared to a pure Al coating up for 1000 cycles (1 h) of oxidation at 900 °C, while higher Si contents led to a high mass gain. For oxidation times up to 5000 cycles (1 h), a sufficient thickness of the coatings is crucial for good oxidation resistance. The main effect of Si addition is to enhance the transformation speed of the deposited Al and Si to the high temperature stable Ti(Al,Si)3 phase during the heat treatment. Si additions of up to 12 at.% led to increased initial mass gains and a decrease in the oxidation rates during subsequent exposures compared to pure Al coatings.
Consolidation of Fragile Oracle Bones Using Nano Calcium Sulfate Hemihydrate as a Protectant
Authors: Liu Yan , Lu Ruicong , He Lu , Wang Ximan , Wang Lu , Lv Xinyan , Zhang Kun , Yang Fuwei
Published: June 2022

Herein, a nano calcium sulfate hemihydrate suspension in an alcohol solvent was prepared and explored as a novel protectant for fragile oracle bones. The consolidation method involved first introducing the suspension and then adding water into the bones. Through this method, cohesive calcium sulfate dihydrate formed in the bones and can act as a reinforcing material. The protective effect was studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffractometry (XRD), hardness, porosity, and color difference determination. The results showed that such consolidation increased the strength of the bone samples significantly, and only slightly changed the appearance and porosity of the bone samples, indicating a good prospect for applying nano calcium sulfate hemihydrate in the conservation of indoor fragile bone relics.
Electrochemical and DFT Study of NaNO2/NaNO3 Corrosion Inhibitor Blends for Rebar in Simulated Concrete Pore Solution
Authors: Ress Jacob , Martin Ulises , Breimaier Karl , Bastidas David M.
Published: June 2022

The use of nitrite- and nitrate-based inhibitors provides corrosion protection by the development of passive oxide film on the metal surface in reinforced concrete applications. However, the impact of the nitrite and nitrate ratio in the mixture has not been widely studied. In this study, the corrosion protection provided by NaNO2:NaNO3 inhibitor blends with ratios of 0.5:1, 1:1, and 1:0.5 were studied to maximize corrosion inhibition efficiency. The nitrite species imparted higher corrosion protection, as shown by cyclic potentiodynamic polarization, with an icorr of 1.16 × 10–7 A/cm2 for the 1:0.5 mixture, lower than for both the 1:1 and 0.5:1 mixtures. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy was also performed, with the 1:0.5 mixture consistently displaying high resistance values, showing an Rct of 1.31 × 105 Ω cm2. The effect of temperature was also assessed; the Ea’s of the corrosion reaction were calculated to be 12.1, 9.2, and 4.9 kJ/mol for the 0.5:1, 1:1, and 1:0.5 (NO2−:NO3−) mixtures, respectively. Density functional theory was applied to analyze the molecular properties and to determine the relationship between the quantum properties and corrosion inhibition. The ΔE of NO2− was found to be −5.74 eV, lower than that of NO3− (−5.45 eV), corroborating the experimental results. Lastly, commercially available inhibitor mixtures were investigated and nitrite/nitrate concentrations determined to evaluate their corrosion protection performance; amongst the two inhibitor blends tested, Sika was found to outperform Yara due to its greater NO2− concentration.
Analysis of Composite Coating of Deep Drawing Tool
Authors: Novotný Jan , Hren Iryna , Michna Štefan , Legutko Stanislaw
Published: June 2022

Modern coating methods have become an important part of industrial practice. For some materials and operations, the use of abrasion-resistant and hard coatings is an absolute necessity; for others, they are the key to greater efficiency and productivity. The aim of this work was to apply and subsequently analyze a new type of thin coating micro-layers TiAlN and TiAlCN, applied using HIPIMS coating technology from a physical point of view. In particular, chemical composition (EDS) and microstructure analyses were carried out in the area of applied coatings. Prepared cross-sectional metallographic samples were evaluated using electron microscopy. A detailed microstructural characterization of the individual elements was carried out on the lamellae of the investigated sample using transmission electron microscopy. It was found that this new multilayer micro-coating based on TiAlN + TiAlCN at a thickness of 5.8 µm increases the repeatability of production strokes by 200%. This finding was confirmed by testing the production of cartridges in the real operation of a large manufacturing company.
Stable CsPbBr3 Nanocrystals—Decorated Nanoporous Gold for Optoelectronic Applications
Authors: Satta Jessica , Pinna Andrea , Pia Giorgio , Pilia Luca , Carbonaro Carlo Maria , Chiriu Daniele , Stagi Luigi , Abdullah Qader Abdulqader , Ricci Pier Carlo
Published: June 2022

Halide perovskite colloidal nanocrystals have recently gained much attention thanks to their superior stability compared with their bulk counterpart and to their unique optical properties. In this paper, two systems combining nanocrystals and nanoporous gold are studied to create an optimal metal semiconductor heterojunction that can be used in photocatalysis and photovoltaic devices. The perovskite degradation phenomenon is observed when the nanoporous gold powder is mixed into the hexane suspension of nanocrystals, while the charge separation efficiency is increased by synthesizing the nanocrystals directly onto the gold porous structure. The analysis of the structural and optical properties evidences an energy transfer efficiency of 47%, along with the high structural stability of the hybrid system.
The Continuum of Invasive Techniques for the Assessment of Intermediate Coronary Lesions
Authors: Popa-Fotea Nicoleta-Monica , Scafa-Udriste Alexandru , Dorobantu Maria
Published: June 2022

Ischemic heart disease is one of the most important causes of mortality and morbidity worldwide. Revascularization of coronary stenosis inducing ischemia, either by percutaneous or surgical intervention, significantly reduces major adverse cardiovascular events and improves quality of life. However, in cases of intermediate lesions, classified by a diameter stenosis between 50 and 90% by European guidelines and 40–70% in American counterparts with no clear evidence of ischemia, the indication of revascularization and impact is determined using various methods that altogether comprehensively evaluate the lesions. This review will discuss the various techniques to assess intermediate stenoses, highlighting indications and advantages, but also drawbacks. Fractional flow rate (FFR) and instantaneous wave-free ratio (iFR) are the gold standard for the functional evaluation of intermediate lesions, but there are clinical circumstances in which these pressure-wire-derived indices are not accurate. Complementary invasive investigations, mainly intravascular ultrasound and/or optical coherence tomography, offer parameters that can be correlated with FFR/iFR and additional insights into the morphology of the plaque guiding the eventual percutaneous intervention in terms of length and size of stents, thus improving the outcomes of the procedure. The development of artificial intelligence and machine learning with advanced algorithms of prediction will offer multiple scenarios for treatment, allowing real-time selection of the best strategy for revascularization.
MixPatch: A New Method for Training Histopathology Image Classifiers
Authors: Park Youngjin , Kim Mujin , Ashraf Murtaza , Ko Young Sin , Yi Mun Yong
Published: June 2022

CNN-based image processing has been actively applied to histopathological analysis to detect and classify cancerous tumors automatically. However, CNN-based classifiers generally predict a label with overconfidence, which becomes a serious problem in the medical domain. The objective of this study is to propose a new training method, called MixPatch, designed to improve a CNN-based classifier by specifically addressing the prediction uncertainty problem and examine its effectiveness in improving diagnosis performance in the context of histopathological image analysis. MixPatch generates and uses a new sub-training dataset, which consists of mixed-patches and their predefined ground-truth labels, for every single mini-batch. Mixed-patches are generated using a small size of clean patches confirmed by pathologists while their ground-truth labels are defined using a proportion-based soft labeling method. Our results obtained using a large histopathological image dataset shows that the proposed method performs better and alleviates overconfidence more effectively than any other method examined in the study. More specifically, our model showed 97.06% accuracy, an increase of 1.6% to 12.18%, while achieving 0.76% of expected calibration error, a decrease of 0.6% to 6.3%, over the other models. By specifically considering the mixed-region variation characteristics of histopathology images, MixPatch augments the extant mixed image methods for medical image analysis in which prediction uncertainty is a crucial issue. The proposed method provides a new way to systematically alleviate the overconfidence problem of CNN-based classifiers and improve their prediction accuracy, contributing toward more calibrated and reliable histopathology image analysis.
Role of Echocardiography in the Diagnosis and Interventional Management of Atrial Septal Defects
Authors: Rao P. Syamasundar
Published: June 2022

This review centers on the usefulness of echo-Doppler studies in the diagnosis of ostium secundum atrial septal defects (ASDs) and in their management, both in children and adults. Transthoracic echocardiography can easily identify the secundum ASDs and also differentiate secundum ASDs from other kinds of ASDs, such as ostium primum ASD, sinus venosus ASD and coronary sinus ASD, as well as patent foramen ovale. Preliminary selection of patients for device occlusion can be made by transthoracic echocardiograms while final selection is based on transesophageal (TEE) or intracardiac (ICE) echocardiographic studies with optional balloon sizing of ASDs. TEE and ICE are extremely valuable in guiding device implantation and in evaluating the position of the device following its implantation. Echo-Doppler evaluation during follow-up is also useful in documenting improvements in ventricular size and function, in assessing the device position, in detecting residual shunts, and in identifying rare device-related complications. Examples of echo images under each section are presented. The reasons why echo-Doppler is very valuable in diagnosing and managing ASDs are extensively discussed.
Quantum Brain Dynamics and Holography
Authors: Nishiyama Akihiro , Tanaka Shigenori , Tuszynski Jack Adam
Published: June 2022

We describe non-equilibrium quantum brain dynamics (QBD) for the breakdown of symmetry and propose the possibility of hologram memory based on QBD. We begin with the Lagrangian density of QBD with water rotational dipole fields and photon fields in 3+1 dimensions, and derive time evolution equations of coherent fields. We show a solution for super-radiance derived from the Lagrangian of QBD and propose a scenario of holography by the interference of two incident super-radiant waves. We investigate the time evolution of coherent dipole fields and photon fields in the presence of quantum fluctuations in numerical simulations. We find that the breakdown of the rotational symmetry of dipoles occurs in inverted populations for incoherent dipoles. We show how the waveforms of holograms with interference patterns evolve over time in an inverted population for incoherent dipoles. The optical information of hologram memory can be transferred to the whole brain during information processing. The integration of holography and QBD will provide us with a prospective approach in memory formation.
Twin-Field Quantum Digital Signature with Fully Discrete Phase Randomization
Authors: Wu Jiayao , He Chen , Xie Jiahui , Liu Xiaopeng , Zhang Minghui
Published: June 2022

Quantum digital signatures (QDS) are able to verify the authenticity and integrity of a message in modern communication. However, the current QDS protocols are restricted by the fundamental rate-loss bound and the secure signature distance cannot be further improved. We propose a twin-field quantum digital signature (TF-QDS) protocol with fully discrete phase randomization and investigate its performance under the two-intensity decoy-state setting. For better performance, we optimize intensities of the signal state and the decoy state for each given distance. Numerical simulation results show that our TF-QDS with as few as six discrete random phases can give a higher signature rate and a longer secure transmission distance compared with current quantum digital signatures (QDSs), such as BB84-QDS and measurement-device-independent QDS (MDI-QDS). Moreover, we provide a clear comparison among some possible TF-QDSs constructed by different twin-field key generation protocols (TF-KGPs) and find that the proposed TF-QDS exhibits the best performance. Conclusively, the advantages of the proposed TF-QDS protocol in signature rate and secure transmission distance are mainly due to the single-photon interference applied in the measurement module and precise matching of discrete phases. Besides, our TF-QDS shows the feasibility of experimental implementation with current devices in practical QDS system.
Multi-User Measurement-Device-Independent Quantum Key Distribution Based on GHZ Entangled State
Authors: Hua Ximing , Hu Min , Guo Banghong
Published: June 2022

As a multi-particle entangled state, the Greenberger–Horne–Zeilinger (GHZ) state plays an important role in quantum theory and applications. In this study, we propose a flexible multi-user measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution (MDI-QKD) scheme based on a GHZ entangled state. Our scheme can distribute quantum keys among multiple users while being resistant to detection attacks. Our simulation results show that the secure distance between each user and the measurement device can reach more than 280 km while reducing the complexity of the quantum network. Additionally, we propose a method to expand our scheme to a multi-node with multi-user network, which can further enhance the communication distance between the users at different nodes.
Efficiency Comparison of Pro-Growth Poverty Reduction Spending before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Study of Regional Governments in Indonesia
Authors: Rambe Roosemarina Anggraini , Purmini Purmini , Armelly Armelly , Alfansi Lizar , Febriani Ratu Eva
Published: June 2022

During the COVID-19 pandemic, all regions in Indonesia have had negative economic growth. It also increased the poverty rate in the country. The government must allocate pro-growth and poverty reduction programs to maintain economic growth and simultaneously reduce poverty. This study aims to measure the relative efficiency of pro-growth poverty reduction spending of local governments in seven regions in Indonesia. This study compares the efficiency scores before and during the COVID-19 pandemic from 2015 to 2019 and 2020. The inputs are five types of government spending: education, health, economic, social protection, and infrastructure. The outputs are economic growth and poverty reduction. Data envelopment analysis with an output-oriented model and a return to scale variable approach is applied. The results show that the highest average local government efficiency score was in Kalimantan, with the lowest being in Sulawesi. The efficiency scores of local governments in the COVID-19 pandemic differ between regions: it remained stable in Kalimantan, increased in Java-Bali, Sumatra, and Sulawesi, and experienced a decline in Nusa Tenggara, Maluku, and Papua. The study concludes that economic growth and poverty reduction can simultaneously measure government efficiency. To be relatively efficient, local governments need to consider allocating pro-growth poverty reduction spending to improve the conditions of both outputs.
Post-COVID-19 Development of Transnational Education in China: Challenges and Opportunities
Authors: Sun Yao , Li Na , Hao Jian Li , Di Sarno Luigi , Wang Lu
Published: June 2022

Transnational education is education delivered to students in a country other than the country in which the awarding institution is based. While the outbreak of COVID-19 has significantly affected higher education, transnational education has exhibited its resilience against the pandemic, and has been continuously expanding in China. In parallel with the golden opportunities for the expansion of transnational education in China after the pandemic, a series of challenges resulting from the transnational context needs to be taken into due consideration, and to be properly addressed. In this paper, the opportunities and challenges for the post-COVID-19 development of transnational education in China are systematically discussed, based on the transnational education delivery at a Sino-Foreign cooperative university. Following our observations on opportunities and challenges, several suggestions are proposed, to address the potential challenges for the stable post-COVID-19 development of transnational education in China.
Self-Declared Physical Activity Levels and Self-Reported Physical Fitness in a Sample of Italian Adolescents during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Gatti Alessandro , Pugliese Lorenzo , Carnevale Pellino Vittoria , Del Bianco Marco , Vandoni Matteo , Lovecchio Nicola
Published: June 2022

Only 20% of children worldwide reach the suggested physical activity (PA) levels, and the COVID-19 restrictions seemed to have worsened this situation. In addition, physical fitness (PF) is a crucial marker of health and combined with PA could predict future health status. The aim of this study was to compare reported PA and PF levels in a sample of Italian adolescents. We administered the International PA Questionnaire and International Fitness Enjoyment Scale to 208 adolescents aged 16.0 ± 1.5 (N = 166 females, 16 ± 2.0 years) recruited from a high school in the province of Milan (Italy). The majority of the subjects were “Minimally active” but reported adequate PF levels. In particular, subjects who reported a “Very good” PF perception, had a lower PA level. The misperception of reported PA and PF from our sample could reduce the future PA level in adolescents and lead to a negative spiral of disengagement in PA. These findings should lead to more attention on and improvements to PA promotion in the adolescent population after the restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Document-Level Sentiment Analysis Using Attention-Based Bi-Directional Long Short-Term Memory Network and Two-Dimensional Convolutional Neural Network
Authors: Mao Yanying , Zhang Yu , Jiao Liudan , Zhang Heshan
Published: June 2022

Due to outstanding feature extraction ability, neural networks have recently achieved great success in sentiment analysis. However, one of the remaining challenges of sentiment analysis is to model long texts to consider the intrinsic relations between two sentences in the semantic meaning of a document. Moreover, most existing methods are not powerful enough to differentiate the importance of different document features. To address these problems, this paper proposes a new neural network model: AttBiLSTM-2DCNN, which entails two perspectives. First, a two-layer, bidirectional long short-term memory (BiLSTM) network is utilized to obtain the sentiment semantics of a document. The first BiLSTM layer learns the sentiment semantic representation from both directions of a sentence, and the second BiLSTM layer is used to encode the intrinsic relations of sentences into the document matrix representation with a feature dimension and a time-step dimension. Second, a two-dimensional convolutional neural network (2DCNN) is employed to obtain more sentiment dependencies between two sentences. Third, we utilize a two-layer attention mechanism to distinguish the importance of words and sentences in the document. Last, to validate the model, we perform an experiment on two public review datasets that are derived from Yelp2015 and IMDB. Accuracy, F1-Measure, and MSE are used as evaluation metrics. The experimental results show that our model can not only capture sentimental relations but also outperform certain state-of-the-art models.
To Use or Not to Use: Impact of Personality on the Intention of Using Gamified Learning Environments
Authors: Denden Mouna , Tlili Ahmed , Abed Mourad , Bozkurt Aras , Huang Ronghuai , Burgos Daniel
Published: June 2022

Technology acceptance is essential for technology success. However, individual users are known to differ in their tendency to adopt and interact with new technologies. Among the individual differences, personality has been shown to be a predictor of users’ beliefs about technology acceptance. Gamification, on the other hand, has been shown to be a good solution to improve students’ motivation and engagement while learning. Despite the growing interest in gamification, less research attention has been paid to the effect of personality, specifically based on the Five Factor model (FFM), on gamification acceptance in learning environments. Therefore, this study develops a model to elucidate how personality traits affect students’ acceptance of gamified learning environments and their continuance intention to use these environments. In particular, the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) was used to examine the factors affecting students’ intentions to use a gamified learning environment. To test the research hypotheses, eighty-three students participated in this study, where structural equation modeling via Partial Least Squares (PLS) was performed. The obtained results showed that the research model, based on TAM and FFM, provides a comprehensive understanding of the behaviors related to the acceptance and intention to use gamified learning environments, as follows: (1) usefulness is the most influential factor toward intention to use the gamified learning environment; (2) unexpectedly, perceived ease of use has no significant effect on perceived usefulness and behavioral attitudes toward the gamified learning environment; (3) extraversion affects students’ perceived ease of use of the gamified learning environment; (4) neuroticism affects students’ perceived usefulness of the gamified learning environment; and, (5) Openness affects students’ behavioral attitudes toward using the gamified learning environment. This study can contribute to the Human–Computer Interaction field by providing researchers and practitioners with insights into how to motivate different students’ personality characteristics to continue using gamified learning environments for each personality trait.
Decentralized Virtual Impedance- Conventional Droop Control for Power Sharing for Inverter-Based Distributed Energy Resources of a Microgrid
Authors: Buraimoh Elutunji , Aluko Anuoluwapo O. , Oni Oluwafemi E. , Davidson Innocent E.
Published: June 2022

The work presents the power-sharing in a standalone low voltage AC microgrid consisting of three parallel grid supporting inverters using a virtual impedance-based droop system. Typically, isolated microgrids suffer unique challenges regarding voltage, current, frequency regulation, power flow control, and power-sharing due to the absence of a stiff AC grid source. This work investigated the power flow and sharing technical challenges using three inverter-based distributed energy sources, three static loads, and one dynamic load. These distributed energy sources are interconnected with the loads using low voltage line impedance within the microgrid to implement the uneven power distribution. Furthermore, a distributed grid supporting control utilizing virtual impedance is proposed in this work to improve power-sharing. The microgrid model is developed with the MATLAB Simulink environment and validated using the Opal RT OP4510 simulator. The proposed technique ensured improved power-sharing and mitigated the effect of voltage drops introduced through a virtual impedance using combined positive and negative virtual.
Statistical Analysis of Baseline Load Models for Residential Buildings in the Context of Winter Demand Response
Authors: Poulin Alain , Leduc Marie-Andrée , Fournier Michaël
Published: June 2022

By reducing electricity consumption during peak times, peak shaving could reduce the need for carbon intensive resources and defer capacity related investments. Households, where they use electricity for space or water heating, are major contributors to the winter peak demand and promising candidates for related demand response (DR) initiatives. The impact of such initiatives is determined by comparing the actual consumption during a DR event to a baseline, i.e., the estimated consumption that would have occurred in the absence of an event. This paper explores the challenges associated with modeling a baseline in the context of residential winter DR programs with individual performance-based incentives. A sample of more than a thousand residential load profiles was used in this study to provide a statistical comparison of performance metrics for different baseline load models. Arithmetic, regression based, and matching-day models were considered. Results show that adjusted arithmetic models achieve similar performances to the more complex regression model without the need for weather data. These simpler models were also found to be less sensitive to the number of events called during the season. Performing individual adjustments for each of the two daily peak periods also provides better accuracy.
Gasification of Solid Fuels (Coal, Biomass and MSW): Overview, Challenges and Mitigation Strategies
Authors: Shahabuddin M. , Alam Tanvir
Published: June 2022

Currently, hydrogen energy is the most promising energy vector, while gasification is one of the major routes for its production. However, gasification suffers from various issues, including slower carbon conversion, poor syngas quality, lower heating value and higher emissions. Multiple factors affect gasification performance, such as the selection of gasifiers, feedstock’s physicochemical properties and operating conditions. In this review, the status of gasification, key gasifier technologies and the effect of solid-fuel (i.e., coal, biomass and MSW) properties on gasification performance are reviewed critically. Based on the current review, the co-gasification of coal, biomass and solid waste, along with a partial utilisation of CO2 as a reactant, are suggested. Furthermore, a technological breakthrough in carbon capture and sequestration is needed to make it industrially viable.