bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Survey on Energy-Efficient Strategies in Static Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Lin Deyu , Wang Quan , Min Weidong , Xu Jianfeng , Zhang Zhiqiang
Published: October 2020

A comprehensive analysis on the energy-efficient strategy in static Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) that are not equipped with any energy harvesting modules is conducted in this article. First, a novel generic mathematical definition of Energy Efficiency (EE) is proposed, which takes the acquisition rate of valid data, the total energy consumption, and the network lifetime of WSNs into consideration simultaneously. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that the EE of WSNs is mathematically defined. The energy consumption characteristics of each individual sensor node and the whole network are expounded at length. Accordingly, the concepts concerning EE, namely the Energy-Efficient Means, the Energy-Efficient Tier, and the Energy-Efficient Perspective, are proposed. Subsequently, the relevant energy-efficient strategies proposed from 2002 to 2019 are tracked and reviewed. Specifically, they respectively are classified into five categories: the Energy-Efficient Media Access Control protocol, the Mobile Node Assistance Scheme, the Energy-Efficient Clustering Scheme, the Energy-Efficient Routing Scheme, and the Compressive Sensing--based Scheme. A detailed elaboration on both of the basic principle and the evolution of them is made. Finally, further analysis on the categories is made and the related conclusion is drawn. To be specific, the interdependence among them, the relationships between each of them, and the Energy-Efficient Means, the Energy-Efficient Tier, and the Energy-Efficient Perspective are analyzed in detail. In addition, the specific applicable scenarios for each of them and the relevant statistical analysis are detailed. The proportion and the number of citations for each category are illustrated by the statistical chart. In addition, the existing opportunities and challenges facing WSNs in the context of the new computing paradigm and the feasible direction concerning EE in the future are pointed out.
Cost-effective, Energy-efficient, and Scalable Storage Computing for Large-scale AI Applications
Authors: Do Jaeyoung , Ferreira Victor C. , Bobarshad Hossein , Torabzadehkashi Mahdi , Rezaei Siavash , Heydarigorji Ali , Souza Diego , Goldstein Brunno F. , Santiago Leandro , Kim Min Soo , Lima Priscila M. V. , França Felipe M. G. , Alves Vladimir
Published: October 2020

The growing volume of data produced continuously in the Cloud and at the Edge poses significant challenges for large-scale AI applications to extract and learn useful information from the data in a timely and efficient way. The goal of this article is to explore the use of computational storage to address such challenges by distributed near-data processing. We describe Newport, a high-performance and energy-efficient computational storage developed for realizing the full potential of in-storage processing. To the best of our knowledge, Newport is the first commodity SSD that can be configured to run a server-like operating system, greatly minimizing the effort for creating and maintaining applications running inside the storage. We analyze the benefits of using Newport by running complex AI applications such as image similarity search and object tracking on a large visual dataset. The results demonstrate that data-intensive AI workloads can be efficiently parallelized and offloaded, even to a small set of Newport drives with significant performance gains and energy savings. In addition, we introduce a comprehensive taxonomy of existing computational storage solutions together with a realistic cost analysis for high-volume production, giving a good big picture of the economic feasibility of the computational storage technology.
Announcing biblatex-software
Authors: Di Cosmo Roberto
Published: October 2020

Software, and software source code in particular, is widely used in modern research. It must be properly archived, referenced, described and cited in order to build a stable and long lasting corpus of scienti c knowledge. And yet, up to now there was no speci c support for citing software in the popular BibTeX format that we use for our bibliographies.

We got used to work around this lack of dedicated support by tweaking the @misc entry, citing the user manual, or an article related to a software artifact, or adding in the text or in a footnote urls pointing to a place where one could get the software: the project web page, or a code hosting platform.

These workaround were a manifestation of the fact that software artifacts themselves were not considered rst class citizen in the scholarly world.

With the recent raise of interest on reproducibility of research re- sults, from Artifact Evaluation Committees to the ACM Badges, we have started moving towards giving nally software the aca- demic dignity it deserves.
Language Socialization at the Intersection of the Local and the Global: The Contested Trajectories of Input and Communicative Competence
Authors: de León Lourdes , García-Sánchez Inmaculada M.
Published: October 2020

This article provides a critical review of the theoretical underpinnings of two core concepts in language socialization research: input and communicative competence. We organize our discussion along two major lines of inquiry: ( a) the historical-local and ( b) the language contact–globalization bodies of work. The first part of the article contests the persistent view that input reduces to vocabulary and grammatical structures. To this end, it provides evidence for a more multifaceted approach to input that involves multiparty participant frameworks and multimodality in culturally diverse language socialization ecologies. In this vein, it problematizes language gap studies that are based on middle-class language acquisition models of mother–child dyadic verbal input. The second part of the article challenges monolingual, developmental, and speaker-based models of communicative competence that assume a linear evolution from lesser to greater communicative competence and from more peripheral to more central community membership. It also offers evidence for how communicative competence is socioculturally constructed and, sometimes, interactionally distributed.
Co-impairment of autonomic and glucagon responses to insulin-induced hypoglycemia in dogs with naturally occurring insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus
Authors: Gilor Chen , Duesberg Cynthia , Elliott Denise A. , Feldman Edward C. , Mundinger Thomas O. , Taborsky Gerald J. , Nelson Richard W. , Havel Peter J.
Published: October 2020

In dogs with naturally occurring, insulin-dependent (C-peptide negative) diabetes mellitus, impairment of glucagon responses is not due to generalized impairment of α-cell function. Loss of tonic inhibition of glucagon secretion by insulin is not sufficient, by itself, to produce loss of the glucagon response. Rather, impaired activation of the parasympathetic and sympathoadrenal autonomic inputs to the pancreas is also required. Activation of the autonomic inputs to the pancreas is sufficient to mediate an intact glucagon response to insulin-induced hypoglycemia in dogs with naturally occurring diabetes mellitus. These results have important implications that include leading to a greater understanding and insight into the pathophysiology, prevention, and treatment of hypoglycemia during insulin treatment of diabetes in companion dogs and in human patients.
Using best subset regression to identify clinical characteristics and biomarkers associated with sepsis-associated acute kidney injury
Authors: Kwong Y. Diana , Mehta Kala M. , Miaskowski Christine , Zhuo Hanjing , Yee Kimberly , Jauregui Alejandra , Ke Serena , Deiss Thomas , Abbott Jason , Kangelaris Kirsten N. , Sinha Pratik , Hendrickson Carolyn , Gomez Antonio , Leligdowicz Aleksandra , Matthay Michael A. , Calfee Carolyn S. , Liu Kathleen D.
Published: October 2020

Sepsis-associated acute kidney injury (AKI) is a complex clinical disorder associated with inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, and dysregulated coagulation. With standard regression methods, collinearity among biomarkers may lead to the exclusion of important biological pathways in a single final model. Best subset regression is an analytic technique that identifies statistically equivalent models, allowing for more robust evaluation of correlated variables. Our objective was to identify common clinical characteristics and biomarkers associated with sepsis-associated AKI. We enrolled 453 septic adults within 24 h of intensive care unit admission. Using best subset regression, we evaluated for associations using a range of models consisting of 1−38 predictors (composed of clinical risk factors and plasma and urine biomarkers) with AKI as the outcome [defined as a serum creatinine (SCr) increase of ≥0.3 mg/dL within 48 h or ≥1.5× baseline SCr within 7 days]. Two hundred ninety-seven patients had AKI. Five-variable models were found to be of optimal complexity, as the best subset of five- and six-variable models were statistically equivalent. Within the subset of five-variable models, 46 permutations of predictors were noted to be statistically equivalent. The most common predictors in this subset included diabetes, baseline SCr, angiopoetin-2, IL-8, soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor-1, and urine neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin. The models had a c-statistic of ∼0.70 (95% confidence interval: 0.65–0.75). In conclusion, using best subset regression, we identified common clinical characteristics and biomarkers associated with sepsis-associated AKI. These variables may be especially relevant in the pathogenesis of sepsis-associated AKI.
Involvement of the CDKL5-SOX9 signaling axis in rhabdomyolysis-associated acute kidney injury
Authors: Kim Ji Young , Bai Yuntao , Jayne Laura A. , Cianciolo Rachel E. , Bajwa Amandeep , Pabla Navjot Singh
Published: October 2020

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common clinical syndrome associated with adverse short- and long-term sequelae. Renal tubular epithelial cell (RTEC) dysfunction and cell death are among the key pathological features of AKI. Diverse systemic and localized stress conditions such as sepsis, rhabdomyolysis, cardiac surgery, and nephrotoxic drugs can trigger RTEC dysfunction. Through an unbiased RNA inhibition screen, we recently identified cyclin-dependent kinase-like 5 (Cdkl5), also known as serine/threonine kinase-9, as a critical regulator of RTEC dysfunction associated with nephrotoxic and ischemia-associated AKI. In the present study, we examined the role of Cdkl5 in rhabdomyolysis-associated AKI. Using activation-specific antibodies and kinase assays, we found that Cdkl5 is activated in RTECs early during the development of rhabdomyolysis-associated AKI. Furthermore, we found that RTEC-specific Cdkl5 gene ablation mitigates rhabdomyolysis-associated renal impairment. In addition, the small-molecule kinase inhibitor AST-487 alleviated rhabdomyolysis-associated AKI in a Cdkl5-dependent manner. Mechanistically, we demonstrated that Cdkl5 phosphorylates the transcriptional regulator sex-determining region Y box 9 (Sox9) and suppresses its protective function under stress conditions. On the basis of these results, we propose that, by suppressing the protective Sox9-directed transcriptional program, Cdkl5 contributes to rhabdomyolysis-associated renal impairment. All together, the present study identified Cdkl5 as a critical stress-induced kinase that drives RTEC dysfunction and kidney injury linked with distinct etiologies.
CD4+ T Cell Profile and Activation Response in Sickle Cell Disease Patients with Osteonecrosis
Authors: Daltro Paula B. , Ribeiro Tiago O. , Daltro Gildásio C. , Meyer Roberto J. , Fortuna Vitor
Published: October 2020

Recent evidence suggests that abnormalities involving CD4+T lymphocytes are associated with the pathophysiology of osteonecrosis (ON); however, few studies have addressed the CD4+T cells in ON related to sickle cell disease (SCD/ON). In addition, T cells producing multiple cytokines simultaneously are often present in the inflammatory milieu and may be implicated in the immune response observed in SCD/ON. In the present study, we aimed to characterize the functional status of CD4+T cells in SCD by simultaneously determining the frequency of IFN-γ+, IL-4+, and IL-17+ CD4+T in cell cultures under exogenous stimuli. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PB-MNCs) from 9 steady-state SCD patients, 15 SCD/ON patients, and 19 healthy controls had functional status of CD4+T cells analyzed. Bone marrow mononuclear cells (BM-MNCs) from 24 SCD/ON patients (SCD BM) and 18 patients with ON not related to SCD (non-SCD BM) were also analyzed. We found that PB-MNC of SCD patients with or without ON presented significantly reduced TCD4+, TCD8+, and TCD4+ naïve cell frequencies and increased frequency of circulating CD4+T cells able to simultaneously produce IFN-γ+/IL4+ and IL-17+/IL4+ compared to healthy controls. Conversely, the polyclonal stimulation of BM-MNC induced an increased frequency of CD4+IFN-γ+ and CD4+IL-17+ in SCD BM compared to non-SCD BM. The increased proportion of CD4+ T cells able to produce a broad spectrum of proinflammatory cytokines after a strong stimulus indicates that the immune system in SCD/ON patients presents an expressive pool of partially differentiated cells ready to take on effector function. It is possible that this increased subpopulation may extend to inflammatory sites of target organs and may contribute to the maintenance of inflammation and the pathophysiology of osteonecrosis in sickle cell disease.
Protective Effects of Two Safflower Derived Compounds, Kaempferol and Hydroxysafflor Yellow A, on Hyperglycaemic Stress-Induced Podocyte Apoptosis via Modulating of Macrophage M1/M2 Polarization
Authors: Li Yuanping , Zheng Dan , Shen Dayue , Zhang Xilan , Zhao Xiaoyun , Liao Hui
Published: October 2020

Objective. The primary initiating mechanism in diabetes nephropathy (DN) is hyperglycemia-induced inflammation in which macrophage and podocyte play important roles. The present research is aimed at exploring the effects of kaempferol (Ka) and hydroxysafflor yellow A (HSYA) on classically activated (M1)/alternatively activated (M2) macrophage polarization and podocyte apoptosis under hyperglycaemic conditions in vitro. Methods. (1) RAW264.7 cells were treated with 11.1 mM glucose (NG), 33.3 mM glucose (HG), Ka 4–8 μM, and HSYA 100–200 μM separately. The expressions of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), tumor necrosis factor- (TNF-) α, mannose receptor (CD206), and arginase- (Arg-) 1 were quantified by Western blotting and real-time quantitative PCR. The collected supernatants from macrophage were named as (NG) MS, (HG) MS, (Ka) MS, and (HSYA) MS. (2) The podocyte survival rate was assessed by Bromodeoxyuridine assay, while TNF-α and interleukin- (IL-) 1β levels were evaluated by Elisa. Results. (1) Compared to the HG group, the Ka and HSYA 100 μM groups decreased iNOS and TNF-α levels and increased Arg-1 and CD206 expressions significantly (protein and mRNA: p<0.05, respectively). (2) The podocyte survival rate of Ka 8 μM was higher than that of HG, and the rates of (Ka) MS and (HSYA 100 μM) MS were higher than that of (HG) MS significantly (all: p<0.05). (3) TNF-α and IL-1β levels of Ka and HSYA 100 μM were significantly lower than those of the HG group, and both levels in the (Ka) MS and (HSYA) MS were lower than those in the (HG) MS group significantly (p<0.05, respectively). Conclusion. The protective effects of Ka and HSYA on podocyte apoptosis under hyperglycemic stress are related to their modulation on M1/M2 polarization and the lowering effects on TNF-α and IL-1β levels.
Cognitive Interviewing during Pretesting of the Prefinal Afrikaans for the Western Cape Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand Questionnaire following Translation and Cross-Cultural Adaptation
Authors: de Klerk Susan , Jerosch-Herold Christina , Buchanan Helen , van Niekerk Lana
Published: October 2020

When patient-reported measures are translated and cross-culturally adapted into any language, the process should conclude with cognitive interviewing during pretesting. This article reports on translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) questionnaire into Afrikaans (for the Western Cape). This qualitative component of a clinical measurement, longitudinal study was aimed at the pretesting and cognitive interviewing of the prefinal Afrikaans (for the Western Cape) DASH questionnaire highlighting the iterative nature thereof. Twenty-two females and eight males with upper limb conditions were recruited to participate at public health care facilities in the Western Cape of South Africa. Cognitive interviews were conducted as a reparative approach with an iterative process through retrospective verbal probing during a debriefing session with 30 participants once they answered all 30 items of the translated DASH questionnaire. The sample included Afrikaans-speaking persons from low socioeconomic backgrounds, with low levels of education and employment (24 of 30 were unemployed). Pragmatic factors and measurement issues were addressed during the interviews. This study provides confirmation that both pragmatic factors and measurement issues need consideration in an iterative process as part of a reparative methodology towards improving patient-reported measures and ensuring strong content validity.
An Investigation on Effectiveness of Grafted Potato Starch as an Adsorbent for Hard Water Treatment
Authors: Mgombezi Desderia , Vegi Maheswara Rao
Published: October 2020

Water is essential for the life of all living organisms. But water with very high hardness (Ca2+ and Mg2+) is harmful to health. In addition, hard water clogs the pipes in the industries. This study was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of grafted potato starch as an adsorbent for hard water treatment. Four samples of well water from Nzuguni, Ng’hong’hona, Kisasa, and Swaswa of Dodoma municipal were analyzed by the EDTA titrimetric method. The results showed the highest hardness of 547 mg/L in the water sample of Ng’hong’hona from which hardness was removed. The maximum percentage removal of 74.50% was achieved at 80 minutes of optimum contact time. The optimum adsorbent dose is 3.5 g at which 80.7% of removal was achieved. The optimum temperature was 80°C at which 75.8% of removal achieved. An increase in pH increased the percentage of removal up to a pH of 12 with 71.1%. The data obtained showed that the adsorption process fitted Langmuir type II isothermal model and pseudo-second-order kinetic model with correlation coefficients of 0.9994 and 0.9940, respectively. Grafted potato starch has shown higher efficiency in hardness removal, and hence, this adsorbent is highly recommended for the treatment of hard water.
Association of Estrogen Receptor 1 and Tumor Necrosis Factor α Polymorphisms with Temporomandibular Joint Anterior Disc Displacement without Reduction
Authors: Dalewski Bartosz , Kamińska Agata , Białkowska Katarzyna , Jakubowska Anna , Sobolewska Ewa
Published: October 2020

Objectives. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of ESR1 rs1643821 and TNF-α rs1800629 as potential genetic factors regulating anterior disc displacement without reduction-mediated inflammatory pathway. Background. The temporomandibular joint is a complex synovial joint that allows mandibular movement in three directions. Although temporomandibular disorders are widespread, limited data is available on the biochemical characteristics of the displaced disc and quality of the surrounding soft tissue. Changes in degenerative tissue provoke disc displacement which involves secretion of inflammatory markers and sequential conversion of fibroblast-like cells into chondrocyte-like cells. Due to the high occurrence in female adolescents, the potential role of sex hormones in temporomandibular joint disorders has been speculated. Furthermore, anterior disc displacement without reduction severely affects the quality of life. Methods. 124 Caucasian patients with a history of at least one anterior disc displacement without reduction within 3 months were enrolled. Anterior disc displacement without reduction was diagnosed based on clinical examination, diagnostic criteria (DC)/TMD, and cone-beam computed tomography/magnetic resonance imaging (CBCT/MRI). The control group consisted of 126 patients with no temporomandibular joint disorders. Genotyping of two single nucleotide polymorphisms, estrogen receptor 1 (ESR1) rs1643821, and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) rs1800629 was performed. Results. ESR1 rs1643821 showed significant

P

values (using chi-square analysis) revealing the difference in anterior disc displacement without reduction frequencies while TNF-α rs1800629 polymorphism was found to be statistically insignificant when compared to the control group. Furthermore, patients with a genotype of ESR1 rs1643821 showed a decreased probability (

OR
=
0.412

) against anterior disc displacement without reduction when compared to the GG genotype (

OR
=
1

). Conclusion. ESR1 rs1643821 with A allele frequency was lower in patients with anterior disc displacement without reduction compared to the control group. Thus, the rs1643821 variant is significantly associated with susceptibility to the anterior disc displacement without a reduction in European Caucasians. Conversely, TNF-α rs1800629 was a statistically insignificant factor against anterior disc displacement without reduction when compared to the control group.
Research on the Effect of Pediococcus pentosaceus on Salmonella enteritidis‐Infected Chicken
Authors: Lan Dan , Xun XinYu , Hu YaoDong , Li NianZhen , Yang ChaoWu , Jiang XiaoSong , Liu YiPing
Published: October 2020

Salmonella enteritidis can cause significant morbidity and mortality in humans and economic loss in the animal industry. Improving the innate immunity is an effective method to prevent S. enteritidis infection. Pediococcus pentosaceus is a Gram‐positive coccus which had probiotics properties. Numerous previously published studies reported that probiotics were beneficial to gut microbiota by changing the intestinal flora structure and inhibiting the harmful microbial growth to enhance the innate immunity. We investigated the immunological effects of P. pentosaceus on Salmonella‐infected chickens by the following experiment. A total of 120 broilers from AA line were fed and divided into 2 groups (treated and control groups) for the experiment from day 1. The control group was fed with the basic diet, while the treated group was fed with the basic diet adding P. pentosaceus microcapsule with the bacterial concentration of 1 g/kg in the feed and bacterial counts 2.5 × 109 CFU/g. All the birds were given with 0.5 ml of S. enteritidis bacterial suspension (109 CFU/ml) through oral cavity at day 9. The number of dead birds was recorded and used in the analysis. The bacterial culture method and quantitative real‐time PCR analysis were used to evaluate the effects of P. pentosaceus on chickens infected with S. enteritidis and to ascertain the mechanism of the effect. The results showed that the P. pentosaceus could restrain the pathogenicity of S. enteritidis and reduce the death rate from 44.4% to 23.3%. The flora in the caecum exhibited “rising‐declining” trends, and the gene (TLR4, MyD88, TRAF6 NF-κB, IFN-β, TNF-a, IL6, and IL8) expression pattern was different between the experimental and control group. P. pentosaceus as a probiotic may competitively inhibit the growth of S. enteritidis and control the inflammatory response through regulating the gene expression which involved in the toll‐like receptor pathway and inflammation pathway.
Assessment of Maternal Satisfaction and Associated Factors among Parturients Who Underwent Cesarean Delivery under Spinal Anesthesia at University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia, 2019
Authors: Bayable Samuel Debas , Ahmed Seid Adem , Lema Girmay Fitiwi , Yaregal Melesse Debas
Published: October 2020

Background. Spinal anesthesia is the most common anesthetic technique for cesarean delivery. Patient satisfaction is a subjective and complicated concept, involving physical, emotional, psychological, social, and cultural factors. Regular evaluation of maternal satisfaction related to anesthesia service is an important parameter to the required changes and expansion of high-quality care services. We aimed to assess maternal satisfaction and associated factors among parturients who underwent cesarean delivery under spinal anesthesia. Methods. Institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted from February to May 2019. A total of 383 parturients were enrolled to assess maternal satisfaction using a 5-point Likert scale. Both bivariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were done. Variables of

p

value ≤0.2 in the bivariable analysis were a candidate for multivariable logistic regression. A

p

value <0.05 was considered as significantly associated with maternal satisfaction at 95% CI. Results. This study revealed that 315 (82.3%) of the parturients were satisfied. Single spinal prick attempts (AOR = 2.08, 95% CI = 1.05–4.11), successful spinal block (AOR = 7.17, 95% CI = 3.33–15.43), less incidence of postdural puncture headache (AOR = 2.36, 95% CI = 1.33–4.20), and prophylactic antiemetic use (AOR = 0.35, 95% CI = 0.19–0.66) were positively associated with maternal satisfaction. Conclusions. The overall maternal satisfaction receiving spinal anesthesia was considerably low. Single spinal prink attempts, successful spinal block, and less incidence of postural puncture headache can increase maternal satisfaction. Therefore, effective perioperative management, skillful techniques, and using the small-gauge Quincke spinal needle (25–27 gauge) may increase the maternal satisfaction and quality of spinal anesthesia management.
Self-Controllable Mobile App Protection Scheme Based on Binary Code Splitting
Authors: Kim Sungtae , Park Taeyong , Jeon Geochang , Yi Jeong Hyun
Published: October 2020

Mobile apps are booming with the expansion of mobile devices such as smartphones, tablet PCs, smartwatches, and IoT devices. As the capabilities of mobile apps and the types of personal information required to run apps have diversified, the need for increased security has grown. In particular, Android apps are vulnerable to repackaging attacks, so various code protection techniques such as obfuscation and packing have been applied. However, apps protected with these techniques can also be disabled with static and dynamic analyses. In recent years, instead of using such application level protection techniques, a number of approaches have been adopted to monitor the behavior of apps at the platform level. However, in these cases, not only incompatibility of system software due to platform modification, but also self-control functionality cannot be provided at the user level and is very inconvenient. Therefore, in this paper we propose an app protection scheme that can split a part of the app code, store it in a separate IoT device, and self-control the split code through the partial app. In the proposed scheme, the partial app is executed only when it matches the split code stored in the IoT device. It does not require complicated encryption techniques to protect the code like the existing schemes. It also provides solutions to the parameter dependency and register reallocation issues that must be considered when implementing the proposed code splitting scheme. Finally, we present and analyze the results of experimenting the proposed scheme on real devices.
Qualitative Analysis of Commercial Services in MEC as Phased-Mission Systems
Authors: Gong Yuhuan , Mo Yuchang
Published: October 2020

Currently, mobile edge computing (MEC) is one of the most popular techniques used to respond to real-time services from a wide range of mobile terminals. Compared with single-phase systems, commercial services in MEC can be modeled as phased-mission systems (PMS) and are much more complex, because of the dependencies across the phases. Over the past decade, researchers have proposed a set of new algorithms based on BDD for fault tree analysis of a wide range of PMS with various mission requirements and failure behaviors. The analysis to be performed on a fault tree can be either qualitative or quantitative. For the quantitative fault tree analysis of PMS by means of BDD, much work has been conducted. However, for the qualitative fault tree analysis of PMS by means of BDD, no much related work can be found. In this paper, we have presented some efficient methods to calculate the MCS encoding by a PMS BDD. Firstly, three kinds of redundancy relations-inclusive relation, internal-implication relation, and external-implication relation-within the cut set are identified, which prevent the cut set from being minimal cut set. Then, three BDD operations, IncRed, InImpRed, and ExImpRed, are developed, respectively, for the elimination of these redundancy relations. Using some proper combinations of these operations, MCS can be calculated correctly. As an illustration, some experimental results on a benchmark MEC system are given.
Demand Response Management Research Based on Cognitive Radio for Smart Grid
Authors: Yang Tingting , Huang Tiancong , Zhang Haifeng , Li Peiyi , Xiong Canyun , Wu Yucheng
Published: October 2020

Cognitive radio is introduced into the demand response management (DRM) of smart grid with the hope of alleviating the shortage of spectrum resources and improving communication quality. In this paper, we adopt an energy detection algorithm based on generalized stochastic resonance (GSRED) to improve the spectrum sensing accuracy under the circumstances of low signal-to-noise ratio without increasing system overhead. Specifically, a DRM scheme based on real-time pricing is investigated, and the social welfare is taken as the main index to measure system control performance. Furthermore, considering the adverse effects incurred by incorrect spectrum sensing, we incorporate the probability of the DRM system causing interference to primary user and spectrum loss rate into the evaluation index of the system control performance and give the final expression of the global optimization problem. The influence of sensing time on system communication outage probability and spectrum loss rate is elaborated in detail through theoretical derivation and simulation analysis. Simulation results show that the GSRED algorithm has higher detection probability under the same conditions compared with the traditional energy detection algorithm, thus guaranteeing lower communication outage probability and spectrum loss rate.
Temperature Measurement Using Optical Fiber Methods: Overview and Evaluation
Authors: Mikolajek Martin , Martinek Radek , Koziorek Jiri , Hejduk Stanislav , Vitasek Jan , Vanderka Ales , Poboril Radek , Vasinek Vladimir , Hercik Radim
Published: October 2020

The paper deals with the overview of fiber optic methods suitable for temperature measurement and monitoring. The aim is to evaluate the current research of temperature measurements in the interval from temperature close to 0 up to 1000°C. Since the measuring chain is a functional combination of optical methods, optical fiber properties, and other photonic elements together with control electronic circuits, it is necessary to find a suitable compromise between the chosen measurement method, measuring range, accuracy, and resolution. Optical fiber sensors can be used in cases where standard electrical measurement methods cannot be used. These may be areas with high electrical and magnetic interference or critical areas. Therefore, there is intensive development of optical and fiber optic methods based on blackbody and greybody radiation, luminescence, fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs), and interferometers.
Numerical Simulations of GFRP-Reinforced Columns Having Polypropylene and Polyvinyl Alcohol Fibers
Authors: Ali Liaqat , Nawaz Ahsan , Bai Yong , Raza Ali , Anwar Muhammad Kashif , Raheel Shah Syyed Adnan , Raza Syed Safdar
Published: October 2020

The present investigation aims to propose a numerical model for assessing the complex damaging response of glass fiber-reinforced polymer- (GFRP-) reinforced concrete columns having hybrid fibers and confined with GFRP spirals (GFHF columns) under concentric and eccentric compression. Fiber-reinforced concrete (FRC) consists of polyvinyl alcohol fibers (PVA) and polypropylene fibers (PF). A total of six GFHF circular columns were constructed having a circular cross section of 250 mm and a height of 1200 mm. A commercial package ABAQUS was used for the finite element analysis (FEA) of the GFHF columns by using a modified concrete damage plastic (CDP) model for hybrid fiber-reinforced concrete (HFRC). The damaging response of GFRP bars was defined using a linear elastic model. The results depicted that the failure of GFHF columns occurred either in the upper or in the lower half portion with the rupture of GFRP longitudinal bars and GFRP spirals. The decrease in the pitch of GFRP spirals led to an improvement in the axial strength (AS) of GFHF columns. The eccentric loading caused a significant reduction in the AS of columns. The comparative study solidly substantiates the validity and applicability of the newly developed FEA models for capturing the AS of GFHF columns by considering the axial involvement of longitudinal GFRP bars and the confinement effect of transverse GFRP spirals. So, the suggested numerical model having a complex system of equations for HFRC can be used for the accurate analysis of HFRC members.
Trip Cost Estimation of Connected Autonomous Vehicle Mixed Traffic Flow in a Two-Route Traffic Network
Authors: Liu Zhizhen , Chen Hong , Chen Hengrui , Sun Xiaoke , Zhang Qi
Published: October 2020

With the advancement of connected autonomous vehicle (CAV) technology, research on future traffic conditions after the popularization of CAVs needs to be resolved urgently. Bounded rationality of human drivers is essential for simulating traffic flow precisely, but few studies focus on the traffic flow simulation considered bounded rationality in CAV mixed traffic flow. In this study, we introduce random bounded rationality into the hybrid feedback strategy (HFS) under CAV mixed traffic flow to explore the impacts of CAV penetration rate on the trip cost of vehicles. First, we investigated the bounded rationality of drivers, and we found that it follows normal contribution. Then, we proposed HFS considering random bounded rationality and the CAV penetration rate to simulate the traffic condition. The numerical results show that the enhancement of the CAV penetration rate could reduce total trip cost. The research could help us to simulate the CAVs mixed traffic flow more precisely and realistically.
Study on the Composite Structure of Aluminum Foam-Filled Thin-Walled Metal Tube to Reduce the Charge Overload inside the Projectile during the Penetration Process
Authors: Liang Fudi , Liang Zengyou , Deng Dezhi
Published: October 2020

When a projectile penetrates a target at high speed, the charge loaded inside the projectile usually bears a high overload, which will consequently severely affect its performance. In order to reduce the overload of the charge during the penetration process, the structure of the projectile was improved by adding two buffers at both ends of the charge. In this study, the mathematical expressions were first gained about the axial buffering force generated by the thin-walled metal tube, aluminum foam, and the composite structure of aluminum foam-filled thin-walled metal tube when they were impacted by the high-speed mass block through reasonable assumptions and stress analysis. During the experiment on the high-speed projectile penetrating reinforced concrete target, the acceleration curve of the charge and the projectile body were obtained. The results show that the maximum overload that the charge was subjected to during the launch and penetration process was significantly reduced, and the change in overload, which the charge was subjected to during the penetration process, was also less obvious.
Holding on to Junk Bonds: Intron Retention in Cancer and Therapy
Authors: Monteuuis Geoffray , Schmitz Ulf , Petrova Veronika , Kearney Padraic S. , Rasko John E.J.
Published: October 2020

Intron retention (IR) in cancer was for a long time overlooked by the scientific community, as it was previously considered to be an artifact of a dysfunctional spliceosome. Technological advancements made in the last decade offer unique opportunities to explore the role of IR as a widespread phenomenon that contributes to the transcriptional diversity of many cancers. Numerous studies in cancer have shed light on dysregulation of cellular mechanisms that lead to aberrant and pathologic IR. IR is not merely a mechanism of gene regulation, but rather it can mediate cancer pathogenesis and therapeutic resistance in various human diseases. The burden of IR in cancer is governed by perturbations to mechanisms known to regulate this phenomenon and include epigenetic variation, mutations within the gene body, and splicing factor dysregulation. This review summarizes possible causes for aberrant IR and discusses the role of IR in therapy or as a consequence of disease treatment. As neoepitopes originating from retained introns can be presented on the cancer cell surface, the development of personalized cancer vaccines based on IR-derived neoepitopes should be considered. Ultimately, a deeper comprehension about the origins and consequences of aberrant IR may aid in the development of such personalized cancer vaccines.
The Effect of the Variability in Fecal Immunochemical Test Sample Collection Technique on Clinical Performance
Authors: Symonds Erin L. , Fraser Callum G. , Bastin Dawn , Berwald Grace , Young Graeme P.
Published: October 2020

Background:

Fecal immunochemical test (FIT) performance can be affected by post-collection variables. Collection technique might also affect fecal hemoglobin concentration (f-Hb). Variation in quantity of feces collected in samples returned in a colorectal cancer detection program, and the effects of under-sampling, were assessed.

Methods:

Collection devices obtained from patients undergoing FIT were assessed for the color (in five classes) of the feces in buffer, mass, and f-Hb. Associations between these were examined in an in vitro study on Hb-spiked feces. Variables possibly associated with under-sampling were investigated using multivariable logistic regression. The effect of low sample mass on clinical performance (false-negative results) was determined.

Results:

Of 6,898 samples collected by 3,449 individuals (46.9% male, median age: 65.3 years), the buffer was lightest in color in 362 (5.2%), and darkest in 420 (6.1%). Samples with the lightest color had a significantly lower f-Hb compared with all darker classes (P < 0.001). Mass was recorded for 650 devices: The lightest colored samples had significantly lower mass (P < 0.05). The correlation between mass and f-Hb was confirmed in vitro (r = 0.897, P < 0.001). Low mass was not associated with age, sex, or technical factors (P > 0.05). Under-sampling related to the lightest color was not associated with false-negative results for colorectal cancer and advanced adenoma, but was for all neoplasia and inflammatory bowel disease.

Conclusions:

Wide variation existed in the amount of feces collected. Under-sampling results in lower measured f-Hb and may increase false-negative results.

Impact:

Color of sample buffer could be used to identify inadequate sampling.
Three Distinct Stroma Types in Human Pancreatic Cancer Identified by Image Analysis of Fibroblast Subpopulations and Collagen
Authors: Ogawa Yurina , Masugi Yohei , Abe Tokiya , Yamazaki Ken , Ueno Akihisa , Fujii-Nishimura Yoko , Hori Shutaro , Yagi Hiroshi , Abe Yuta , Kitago Minoru , Sakamoto Michiie
Published: October 2020

Purpose:

Cancer-associated fibroblasts have emerged to be highly heterogenous and can play multifaceted roles in dictating pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) progression, immunosuppression, and therapeutic response, highlighting the need for a deeper understanding of stromal heterogeneity between patients and even within a single tumor. We hypothesized that image analysis of fibroblast subpopulations and collagen in PDAC tissues might guide stroma-based patient stratification to predict clinical outcomes and tumor characteristics.

Experimental Design:

A novel multiplex IHC-based image analysis system was established to digitally differentiate fibroblast subpopulations. Using whole-tissue slides from 215 treatment-naïve PDACs, we performed concurrent quantification of principal fibroblast subpopulations and collagen and defined three stroma types: collagen-rich stroma, fibroblast activation protein α (FAP)-dominant fibroblast-rich stroma, and α smooth muscle actin (ACTA2)-dominant fibroblast-rich stroma. These stroma types were assessed for the associations with cancer-specific survival by multivariable Cox regression analyses and with clinicopathologic factors, including CD8+ cell density.

Results:

FAP-dominant fibroblasts and ACTA2-dominant fibroblasts represented the principal distinct fibroblast subpopulations in tumor stroma. Stroma types were associated with patient survival, SMAD4 status, and transcriptome signatures. Compared with FAP-dominant fibroblast-rich stroma, collagen-rich stroma correlated with prolonged survival [HR, 0.57; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.33–0.99], while ACTA2-dominant fibroblast-rich stroma exhibited poorer prognosis (HR, 1.65; 95% CI, 1.06–2.58). FAP-dominant fibroblast-rich stroma was additionally characterized by restricted CD8+ cell infiltrates and intense neutrophil infiltration.

Conclusions:

This study identified three distinct stroma types differentially associated with survival, immunity, and molecular features, thereby underscoring the importance of stromal heterogeneity in subtyping pancreatic cancers and supporting the development of antistromal therapies.
Serial Circulating Tumor DNA in Predicting and Monitoring the Effect of Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy in Patients with Rectal Cancer: A Prospective Multicenter Study
Authors: Zhou Jiaolin , Wang Changxi , Lin Guole , Xiao Yi , Jia Wenzhuo , Xiao Gang , Liu Qian , Wu Bin , Wu Aiwen , Qiu Huizhong , Zhang Fuquan , Hu Ke , Xue Huadan , Shen Zhanlong , Wang Zhenjun , Han Jiagang , Niu Beizhan , Xu Yaping , Yu Zicheng , Yang Ling
Published: October 2020

Purpose:

We investigated the value of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in predicting tumor response to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT), monitoring tumor burden, and prognosing survival in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC).

Experimental Design:

This prospective multicenter trial recruited 106 patients with LARC for treatment with nCRT followed by surgery. Serial ctDNAs were analyzed by next-generation sequencing at four timepoints: at baseline, during nCRT, presurgery, and postsurgery.

Results:

In total, 1,098 mutations were identified in tumor tissues of the 104 patients being analyzed (median, seven mutations/patient). ctDNA was detected in 75%, 15.6%, 10.5%, and 6.7% of cases at the four timepoints, respectively. None of the 29 patients with pathologic complete response (ypCR) had preoperative ctDNA detected. The preoperative ctDNA-positive rate was significantly lower in the well-responded patients with pathologic tumor regression grade of ypCAP 0–1 than ypCAP 2–3 group (P < 0.001), lower in ypCR than non-ypCR group (P = 0.02), and lower in pathologic T stage (ypT) 0–2 than ypT 3–4 group (P = 0.002). With a median follow-up of 18.8 months, 13 patients (12.5%) experienced distant metastasis. ctDNA positivity at all four timepoints was associated with a shorter metastasis-free survival (MFS; P < 0.05). Multivariate analyses showed that the median variant allele frequency (VAF) of mutations in baseline ctDNA was a strong independent predictor of MFS (HR, 1.27; P < 0.001).

Conclusions:

We show that ctDNA is a real-time monitoring indicator that can accurately reflect the tumor burden. The median VAF of baseline ctDNA is a strong independent predictor of MFS.
Phase I Study of Lysine-Specific Demethylase 1 Inhibitor, CC-90011, in Patients with Advanced Solid Tumors and Relapsed/Refractory Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
Authors: Hollebecque Antoine , Salvagni Stefania , Plummer Ruth , Isambert Nicolas , Niccoli Patricia , Capdevila Jaume , Curigliano Giuseppe , Moreno Victor , Martin-Romano Patricia , Baudin Eric , Arias Marina , Mora Sheila , de Alvaro Juan , Di Martino Jorge , Parra-Palau Josep L. , Sánchez-Pérez Tania , Aronchik Ida , Filvaroff Ellen H. , Lamba Manisha , Nikolova Zariana , de Bono Johann S.
Published: October 2020

Purpose:

Lysine-specific demethylase 1 (LSD1) is implicated in multiple tumor types, and its expression in cancer stem cells is associated with chemoresistance. CC-90011 is a potent, selective, and reversible oral LSD1 inhibitor. We examined CC-90011 in advanced solid tumors and relapsed/refractory (R/R) non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL).

Patients and Methods:

CC-90011-ST-001 (NCT02875223; 2015-005243-13) is a phase I, multicenter, first-in-human dose-escalation study. Nine dose levels of CC-90011 (1.25–120 mg) given once per week were explored. Primary objectives were to determine safety, maximum tolerated dose (MTD), and/or recommended phase II dose (RP2D). Secondary objectives were to evaluate preliminary efficacy and pharmacokinetics.

Results:

Fifty patients were enrolled, 49 with solid tumors (27 neuroendocrine tumors/carcinomas) and 1 with R/R NHL. Median age was 61 years (range, 22–75). Patients received a median of three (range, 1–9) prior anticancer regimens. The RP2D was 60 mg once per week; the nontolerated dose (NTD) and MTD were 120 mg once per week and 80 mg once per week, respectively. Grade 3/4 treatment-related toxicities were thrombocytopenia (20%; an on-target effect unassociated with clinically significant bleeding), neutropenia (8%; in the context of thrombocytopenia at the highest doses), and fatigue (2%). The patient with R/R NHL had a complete response, currently ongoing in cycle 34, and 8 patients with neuroendocrine tumors/carcinomas had stable disease ≥6 months, including bronchial neuroendocrine tumors, kidney tumor, and paraganglioma.

Conclusions:

CC-90011 is well tolerated, with the RP2D established as 60 mg once per week. The MTD and NTD were determined to be 80 mg once per week and 120 mg once per week, respectively. Further evaluation of CC-90011 is warranted.