bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
N
,
n

-Preemptive-Priority M/G/1 Queues with Finite and Infinite Buffers
Authors: Kim Kilhwan
Published: March 2022

In this paper, we analyze an M/G/1 priority queueing model with finite and infinite buffers under the

N
,
n

-preemptive priority discipline, under which preemption decisions are made based on the number of high-priority customers. This priority queueing model can be used for the performance analysis of communication systems accommodating delay- and loss-sensitive packets simultaneously. To analyze the proposed model, we extend the method of delay cycle analysis and develop a queue length version of it for finite-buffer queues. Throughout our analysis, we demonstrate that by the proposed method the analysis of the complex priority queueing model can be reduced to that of simple delay cycles, so two different preemption modes of the queueing model can be dealt with in a unified way. The numerical study reveals that adjusting the decision variables

N

and

n

allows us to fine-tune system performance for different classes of customers, and

N

operates as a primary control variable, regardless of the preemption mode and service-time distributions.
An Analysis Model of College English Classroom Patterns Using LSTM Neural Networks
Authors: Bai Yu
Published: March 2022

With the advent of the information age, IT represented by mobile computing and neural network has been widely used in various fields of education, and IT has become an indispensable part of university classrooms. Mobile devices can be used to promote teacher-student interaction, and neural networks can be used to update teaching methods. The goal of CET is to help students develop their listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills. Although some studies have discovered a certain level of poor learning adaptability in the practice of AI-supported College English Teaching (CET), the majority of the studies only describe the phenomenon without delving deeper into the causes. The deep integration of AI and education is promoting the growth of a new college English education ecosystem. The research is aimed at understanding the current situation of college students’ English learning adaptability supported by AI, clarifying the influence effect of various influencing factors on learning adaptability and the relationship between learning adaptability and various factors, and proposing strategies to improve students’ learning adaptability through investigation and analysis of college students’ English learning adaptability supported by AI.
Research on Digital Representation of Xiaopi Kiln Ceramic Art Design Based on Computer-Aided Technology and IoT Network
Authors: Gong Baimao , Sukpasjaroen Khunanan , Chankoson Thitinan
Published: March 2022

The development of digital information technology progresses as time passes. Each art category has also experienced its own development and changes. With the rapid advancement of information technology, the traditional ceramic skills left by the older generation can no longer conform to the trend of the times. The digital intervention in traditional ceramic art publishing provides more development space and development mode for the industry and traditional ceramic art publications in terms of dissemination form and dissemination effect. In the current ceramic design, contemporary ceramic art design also has a new development trend of integrating with technology and other art categories. Compared with the traditional ceramic art that pursues craftsmanship, contemporary ceramic art design is more about adding creators’ emotional concepts. In terms of material selection, craftsmanship, and aesthetics, there are big progress. The IoT network assisted digital representation of the Xiaopi kiln ceramic art design discussed in this paper is based on the technical conditions of computer-aided technology. It has the advantages of simple structure, being convenient for continuous cutting and shaping of ceramic pieces, high efficiency, numerical control without manual operation, and ease of use.
Delay in Diagnosis of Autoimmune Polyendocrine Syndrome Type 2 as a Consequence of Misinterpretation of Gastrointestinal Symptoms
Authors: Gonciarz Maciej , Krogulecki Michał , Brodowska-Kania Dorota , Cierniak Szczepan , Kamiński Grzegorz
Published: March 2022

Background. Type 2 autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome (APS-2) is characterized by the presence of at least two of three endocrinopathies: Addison’s disease, autoimmune thyroiditis, and diabetes type 1. The prevalence of APS-2 is estimated to be 1 : 1000 to 1 : 20.000 in the general population. Diagnosis of APS-2 often is delayed due to its rarity and wide spectrum of clinical symptoms. Case Presentation. A 27-year-old presented with a 6-month history of abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, fatigue, and 15 kg of weight loss. The patient was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease in a local hospital and referred to our institution because of treatment failure. Colonoscopy performed in this hospital identified irregular mucosal erosions in terminal ileum, and the microscopy of biopsy specimens demonstrated nonspecific inflammation. On physical examination, the patient appeared cachectic. Blood pressure was 90/60 mmHg. Laboratory results were significant for severe hyponatremia and mild hyperkalemia. Morning cortisol was low, and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) concentration was high. An ACTH stimulation test did not present any increase in serum cortisol, which confirmed primary adrenal insufficiency. Antithyroid peroxidase antibody (anti-TPO) as well as both anti-21-hydroxylase antibodies and antiglutamic acid decarboxylase antibodies (GAD65) were positive. So, the diagnosis of APS-2 was made, and the replacement doses of hydrocortisone and fludrocortisone has brought a rapid improvement in all clinical symptoms; colonoscopy showed normal. Conclusion. The case presented herein highlights rapidly progressive nature of untreated APS-2 and that the diagnosis of APS-2 may be challenging.
Effects of the Training of Aerobic Function on Clinical Symptoms and Quality of Life in Patients with Medium and Advanced Lung Cancer
Authors: Lv Xiangyan , Zhao Yan , Wu Yuqin
Published: March 2022

Objective. To investigate the effects of the training of aerobic function on clinical symptoms and quality of life in patients with medium and advanced lung cancer. Methods. The study objects were 84 patients with medium and advanced lung cancer who were treated in our hospital (July 2019–July 2021) and their materials were retrospectively reviewed. Depending on the different intervention modes, they were equally divided into control group (routine nursing intervention measures) and experiment group (training of aerobic function), with 42 cases in each group. The clinical symptoms and living quality were compared between the two groups. Results. After intervention, affective meaning, behavior/severity, cognitive/mood, and sensory scores in both groups were decreased, and the various indexes in the experiment group were lower compared with the control group (P < 0.05). After intervention, the patients’ clinical symptoms, such as pain, inappetence, insomnia, and dyspnea in the two groups were improved, and the experiment group achieved eminently better improvement compared with the control group (P < 0.05). After intervention, the walking distances in 6 minute walk test (6MWT) in both groups were increased, and the experiment group achieved observably longer walking distance compared with the control group (P < 0.05). After intervention, the patients’ pulmonary function indexes of forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1s (FEV1), and FEV1/FVC% level in the two groups were all improved, and the experiment group had signally better indexes compared with the control group (P < 0.05). After intervention, the patients’ scores of Quality of Life Questionnaire-Core Questionnaire (QLQ-C30) in both groups were decreased, and the experiment group achieved much lower score compared with the control group (P < 0.05). Conclusion. The training of aerobic function has obvious therapeutic effect on medium and advanced lung cancer. This training can mitigate the patients’ cancer-related fatigue and clinical symptoms, improve their pulmonary function, and enhance their athletic ability and quality of life.
A Partitioned DAG Distributed Ledger with Local Consistency for Vehicular Reputation Management
Authors: Li Naipeng , Guo Yuchun , Chen Yishuai , Chai Jinchuan
Published: March 2022

Vehicular reputation maintenance with distributed ledger is aimed at establishing trust among vehicles randomly meeting in a Vehicular Ad-hoc Network (VANET). It is, however, challenging in VANET, as congested areas in road networks, brought by traffic tides or accidents, challenge the ledger performance. Meanwhile, the reputation update is highly dependent on transaction consensus of the distributed ledger. To solve the problem, this paper proposes deploying directed acyclic graph- (DAG-) based distributed ledgers on vehicles, which use the vehicular distribution to adapt the unpredictable reputation update. Specifically, we first propose a partitioned DAG-based distributed ledger to manage vehicular reputation in partitioned VANET. Secondly, we introduce a novel reputation evaluation method to encourage vehicles to contribute to VANET interaction and ledger consensus maintenance, which can remedy the topology churn of the ledger network due to the mobility of VANET. Finally, we design a reputation update method based on the consistency of transactions in the partition to facilitate trust establishment. Experimental results on a real-world dataset show that the proposed ledger and reputation update method is effective and feasible in the large-scale dynamic VANET.
Comparative Assessment and Experimental Validation of a Prototype Phase-Optical Time-Domain Reflectometer for Distributed Structural Health Monitoring
Authors: Filograno Massimo Leonardo , Piniotis George , Gikas Vassilis , Papavasileiou Vasileios , Gantes Charis J. , Kandyla Maria , Riziotis Christos
Published: March 2022

Dynamic characterization and Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) are crucial tools, of increasing demand, for reliable operation and predictive maintenance of large infrastructures, as the percentage of critically ageing infrastructures is growing steadily. We present a minimally invasive and synchronous fiber optic monitoring system for SHM, based on Phase-Optical Time-Domain Reflectometry (Phase-OTDR), and we assess its applicability and performance on a modular Bailey-type bridge of 1 : 2.5 scale. Phase-OTDR systems, along with other fiberoptic-distributed techniques have proven their capabilities in long-range SHM applications, although their complexity and high cost limits drastically their applicability and SHM market penetration. Here, we propose the use of a prototype Phase-OTDR system, featuring customized interrogation instrumentation with a balanced trade-off between performance and cost. Its experimental validation is achieved by comparison with well-established commercial monitoring systems, such as Ground-Based Radar Interferometer (GBRI), laser tracker, and multipoint optical Fiber Bragg Gratings (FBGs), in various excitation conditions and structure-damage scenarios, easily implementable in the model bridge. Finite-element modelling (FEM) and simulations were employed to study the bridge behaviour and provide a reference and comparison framework for the experimental characterization. The Phase-OTDR system successfully detected the structural behaviour in an efficient distributed manner, demonstrating comparable performance to commercial point sensor systems, thus demonstrating its application potential.
Fatigue and Exercise Intolerance as Initial Manifestations of a Nonsyndromic Mitochondrial Disorder Due to the Variant m.3243A>G
Authors: Finsterer Josef , Zarrouk Sinda
Published: March 2022

Objectives. Fatigue and exercise intolerance have been only rarely reported as initial- and sole-onset manifestations of a mitochondrial disorder (MID). We present a patient with nonsyndromic MID with fatigue and exercise intolerance as its initial manifestations of the disease. Case Report. A 39 yo female experienced fatigue since age 18 and exercise intolerance since age 21. Later on, she developed Hashimoto thyroiditis, recurrent diffuse headache, and double vision upon exercise. Clinical exam revealed short stature, bilateral ptosis, partially reduced tendon reflexes, and hypertrophic calves. Serum lactate was elevated, and the lactate stress test was abnormal. Workup for suspected MID revealed ragged-red fibers and NADH-deficient muscle fibers, and biochemical investigations revealed a mild complex-I defect. mtDNA sequencing revealed the variant m.3243A>G with a heteroplasmy rate of 70% in the muscle. Conclusions. This case shows that the initial manifestation of a MID can be fatigue and exercise intolerance. MIDs due to the m.3243A>G variant may have a slowly progressive course and only delayed multisystem involvement. The variant m.3243A>G may not only manifest as syndromic MID, particularly MELAS but also as nonsyndromic phenotype. MIDs should be considered as differentials of chronic fatigue even if no other phenotypic manifestation of a MID is present.
[Retracted] Assessment of College Entrepreneurship and Innovation Education Effect for Sci‐Tech Service Industry
Authors: Chang Yongzhi , Liu Yuan
Published: March 2022

Based on the analysis of the importance and necessity of evaluating the college entrepreneurship and innovation (E&I) education effect for the sci‐tech service (STS) industry, from four aspects of top‐layer design, college environment, faculty and learner assessment, an assessment index system for the effect of college E&I education is constructed. Through analytic hierarchy process (AHP), this paper also makes a comprehensive and objective assessment and analysis on the effect of college E&I education, which is oriented to the STS industry. Among the primary layer indicators, the weight coefficient of learner assessment is 0.4444, followed by the faculty, and the weight coefficient is 0.3061. Additionally, this proves that lecturers and learners are the focus and primary body of E&I education activities in colleges for STS industry. The theoretical concept and practical ability of learners is the most important index to test the assessment of E&I education effect. Lecturers’ teaching methods and their own experience are important for the effect assessment of E&I education, and the environment of E&I education is important for the effect assessment of education. The construction of innovative and entrepreneurial lecturers is critical to education effect assessment.
Intelligent Fault Severity Detection of Rotating Machines Based on VMD-WVD and Parameter-Optimized DBN
Authors: Jia Ning , Cheng Yao , Tian Youyuan , Yang Feiyu
Published: March 2022

An intelligent fault severity detection method based on variational mode decomposition- (VMD-) Wigner-Ville distribution (WVD) and sparrow search algorithm- (SSA-) optimized deep belief network (DBN) is suggested to address the problem that typical fault diagnostic algorithms are inappropriate for extremely comparable vibration signals when the samples are insufficient. VMD is used to process the original vibration signal to obtain the band intrinsic mode functions (BIMFs) with different frequencies. WVD produces the two-dimensional spectrum of the key BIMF with the highest variance contribution rate. The input sample of DBN is composed of a characteristic matrix formed by the two-dimensional spectrum of multiple fault signals. DBN’s learning rate and batch size are both tuned globally by SSA, which has a significant influence on network error. The fitness function in the parameter optimization process is the network’s root mean square error (RMSE). Finally, the input samples are loaded into a DBN that has the best structure for detecting severity. Experiments show that, based on VMD-WVD and SSA-DBN, accuracy of the fault severity detection model for rotating machines, which has good generalization ability and robustness, can reach 98%. Compared with BPNN, the traditional DBN, VMD-DBN, VMD-PSO-DBN, and other methods, the proposed algorithm has strong adaptive feature extraction ability and generalization of application.
Construction and Application of a Data-Driven Abstract Extraction Model for English Text
Authors: Peng Hui
Published: March 2022

In this paper, a single English text is taken as the research object, and the automatic extraction method of text summary is studied using data-driven method. This paper takes a single text as the research object, establishes the connection relationship between article sentences, and proposes a method of automatic extraction of text summary based on graph model and topic model. The method combines the text graph model, complex network theory, and LDA topic model to construct a sentence synthesis scoring function to calculate the text single-sentence weights and output the sentences within the text threshold in descending order as text summaries. The algorithm improves the readability of the text summary while providing enough information for the text summary. In this paper, we propose a BERT-based topic-aware text summarization model based on a neural topic model. The approach uses the potential topic embedding representation encoded by the neural topic model to match with the embedding representation of BERT to guide topic generation to meet the requirements of semantic representation of text and explores topic inference and summary generation jointly in an end-to-end manner through the transformer architecture to capture semantic features while modelling long-range dependencies by a self-attentive mechanism. In this paper, we propose improvements based on pretrained models on both extractive and generative algorithms, making them enhanced for global information memory. Combining the advantages of both algorithms, a new joint model is proposed, which makes it possible to generate summaries that are more consistent with the original topic and have a reduced repetition rate for evenly distributed article information. Comparative experiments were conducted on several datasets and small uniformly distributed private datasets were constructed. In several comparative experiments, the evaluation metrics were improved by up to 2.5 percentage points, proving the effectiveness of the method, and a prototype system for an automatic abstract generation was built to demonstrate the results.
A Mathematical Model of the Transmission Dynamics and Control of Bovine Brucellosis in Cattle
Authors: Abagna Stephen , Seidu Baba , Bornaa C. S.
Published: March 2022

Brucellosis is one of the most serious diseases that wreaks havoc on the production of livestock. Despite various efforts made to curb the spread of brucellosis, the disease remains a major health concern to both humans and animals. In this work, a deterministic model is developed to investigate the transmission dynamics and control of bovine brucellosis in a herd of cattle. The disease-free equilibrium point of the model is shown to be locally asymptotically stable whenever basic reproduction number

R

0

≤
1

and unstable if

R

0

>
1

. Also, the endemic equilibrium point of the model is shown to be locally asymptotically stable whenever

R

0

>
1

and unstable otherwise. Numerical simulations of the model suggest that vaccination is the most efficient single control intervention. Also, the most efficient pair of control interventions is vaccination and culling of seropositive cattle. However, the best way to control bovine brucellosis in cattle is the combination of the three control interventions (vaccination, culling of seropositive cattle, and observation of comprehensive biosecurity protocols).
Performance Evaluation of Public Management in View of Fuzzy DEA Model
Authors: Zhi Meiping
Published: March 2022

The research on management performance evaluation and governance countermeasures of public utilities, as an important entry point, focus, and flash point of the combination of management science, engineering research, and public management research, not only highlights the implementation and implementation of the scientific outlook on development and correct outlook on political performance, so that the topic has distinct theoretical frontier, practical pertinence, and practical guidance. It also highlights the intersection and integration of multiple disciplines, combines normative research with empirical research, qualitative research with quantitative research, macro research with micro research, and method and technology research with concept innovation and institutional arrangement research, and strives to realize the integration and complementarity of research methods of management science and engineering and public management. The research of public management broadens new horizons, expands new fields, and provides new paradigms, methods, and means. Based on the weight of public utilities management performance evaluation indicators and the selection of empirical samples, this paper studies the basic principles and comparative advantages of fuzzy comprehensive evaluation model and DEA model, makes an empirical evaluation of public utilities management performance, draws evaluation conclusions, and analyzes the key factors affecting and restricting the level of public utilities management performance. From the research level of evaluation technology and methods to the level of institutional arrangement, it is the only way to realize the scientific, standardized, and institutionalized performance evaluation of local government public utilities management. The basic procedures of performance evaluation and the performance evaluation mechanism are introduced, and the establishment and improvement of the information fidelity system and result application system of public utilities performance evaluation are studied. Based on the evaluation conclusion and empirical analysis of public utilities management performance, aiming at the key factors affecting the level of public utilities management performance, this paper puts forward the governance countermeasures of public utilities from the aspects of establishing scientific public utilities management performance concept, innovating public utilities management system, establishing and perfecting public utilities investment management mechanism, and so on.
Rule-Based AI System Application on College English Teaching Path Based on Computer-Aided Technology
Authors: Ye Yanping
Published: March 2022

With the development of the Internet, “Internet Plus” has been widely used in various fields, and the Internet has become a great opportunity to transform CET. People’s demand for education, especially higher education, has also increased rapidly. With the attention and investment of the state in recent years, higher education has developed rapidly, accounting for half of China’s higher education. However, the increase in the number of students has brought great pressure to CET. How to improve the teaching efficiency of large classes is an urgent problem to be solved. The development of sci and tech, especially computer, has brought us new hope. Computer-assisted instruction has been introduced into CET. However, there are some unreasonable points in the design of computer-aided marking system in China, which is not suitable for CET. It is very important to research and design a computer-aided marking system that can expand CET methods and maximize the integration of English instructional resources. This paper introduces the principle, characteristics, and application fields of AI; analyzes the problems faced by CET; and puts forward a CET path based on computer-aided technology.
A Multispecific Anti-CD40 DARPin Construct Induces Tumor-Selective CD40 Activation and Tumor Regression
Authors: Rigamonti Nicolò , Veitonmäki Niina , Domke Clara , Barsin Sophie , Jetzer Sarah , Abdelmotaleb Omar , Bessey Ralph , Lekishvili Tamara , Malvezzi Francesca , Gachechiladze Mariam , Behe Martin , Levitsky Victor , Trail Pamela A.
Published: March 2022

The CD40 receptor is an attractive target for cancer immunotherapy. Although a modest pharmacodynamic effect is seen in patients following administration of CD40-targeting monoclonal antibodies (mAb), the doses that could be safely administered do not result in a meaningful clinical response, most likely due to the limited therapeutic window associated with systemic CD40 activation. To overcome this issue, we developed a multispecific DARPin construct, α-FAPxCD40, which has conditional activity at the site of disease. α-FAPxCD40 activation of CD40 depends on binding to fibroblast activation protein (FAP), a cell-surface protease overexpressed in the stroma of solid tumors. In vitro studies demonstrated that α-FAPxCD40 potently activates human antigen-presenting cells in the presence, but not in the absence, of FAP-positive cells. After intravenous injection, a murine surrogate construct (α-mFAPxCD40) accumulated in FAP-positive tumors, elicited rejection of 88% of these tumors, and induced memory antitumor immunity. Importantly, in contrast to the mouse anti-CD40 tested in parallel, the in vivo antitumor activity of α-mFAPxCD40 was associated neither with elevated blood cytokines nor with hepatotoxicity, both of which contribute to the clinical dose-limiting toxicities of several CD40 mAb. This study demonstrates that α-(m)FAPxCD40 engages CD40 in an FAP-restricted manner, leading to tumor eradication without signs of peripheral toxicity. This distinct preclinical profile suggests that a favorable therapeutic index may be achieved in humans. It further supports the development of α-FAPxCD40, currently tested in a first-in-human clinical study in patients with solid tumors (NCT05098405).
Allogeneic Anti-BCMA CAR T Cells Are Superior to Multiple Myeloma-derived CAR T Cells in Preclinical Studies and May Be Combined with Gamma Secretase Inhibitors
Authors: Metelo Ana M. , Jozwik Agnieszka , Luong Le Anh , Dominey-Foy Delaney , Graham Charlotte , Attwood Charlotte , Inam Shafqat , Dunlop Alan , Sanchez Katy , Cuthill Kirsty , Rice Carmel , Streetly Matthew , Bentley Trevor , Boldajipour Bijan , Sommer Cesar , Sasu Barbra , Benjamin Reuben
Published: March 2022

Multiple myeloma remains an incurable plasma cell malignancy despite the rapidly evolving treatment landscape. Chimeric antigen receptor T cells targeted against BCMA have recently shown great promise in relapsed refractory multiple myeloma; however, all patients ultimately still progress from their disease. Lack of CAR T-cell persistence, impaired T-cell fitness in autologous CAR T-cell products and the presence of an immunosuppressive bone marrow (BM) microenvironment are contributory factors to treatment failure. We generated anti-BCMA CAR T cells from healthy donors (HD) and patients with multiple myeloma at different stages of disease to compare their T-cell profile, fitness, and cytotoxic activity in preclinical studies. We also used an ex vivo assay with multiple myeloma BM biopsies from distinct genomic subgroups to test the efficacy of HD-derived CAR T cells in a clinically relevant model. HD volunteers showed increased T-cell counts, higher CD4/CD8 ratio, and expanded naïve T-cell population compared with patients with multiple myeloma. After anti-BCMA CAR T-cell production, patients with relapsed multiple myeloma had lower frequencies of CAR+ T cells, decreased central memory phenotype, and increased checkpoint inhibitory markers compared with HD-derived products, which compromised their expansion and cytotoxicity against multiple myeloma cells in vitro. Importantly, HD-derived CAR T cells efficiently killed primary multiple myeloma cells within the BM microenvironment of different multiple myeloma genomic subgroups and their cytotoxic activity could be boosted with gamma secretase inhibitors. In conclusion, allogeneic anti-BCMA CAR T cells are a potential therapeutic strategy for patients with relapsed multiple myeloma and should be further developed in the clinic.

Significance:

Multiple myeloma is an incurable cancer of the plasma cells. A new therapy with anti-BCMA CAR T cells — the patient's own T cells genetically engineered to find and kill myeloma cancer cells — has shown encouraging results. Unfortunately, patients still relapse. In this study, we propose to use T cells from HD volunteers, which have a stronger T-cell fitness, higher cancer killing capacity, and are ready to be administered when needed.
Treating Advanced Hepatocellular Carcinoma with Sorafenib: A 10-Year Single Center Experience
Authors: Presa Ramos José , Tavares Sofia , Barreira Ana , Pimenta Joana Liz , Carvalho Sónia , Carrola Paulo , Pinho Inês
Published: March 2022

Introduction: Sorafenib was the first therapy used for systemic treatment of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Multiple prognosis factors associated with sorafenib therapy have been described. Objectives: The aim of this work was to evaluate survival and time to progression (TTP) on HCC patients treated with sorafenib, and check for predictive factors of sorafenib benefit. Materials and Methods: Retrospectively, data from all HCC patients treated with sorafenib in a Liver Unit from 2008 to 2018 were collected and analyzed. Results: Sixty-eight patients were included; 80.9% were male, the median age was 64.5 years, 57.4% had Child-Pugh A cirrhosis and 77.9% were BCLC stage C. Macrovascular invasion (MVI) was present in 25% of the patients and 25% of the subjects had other extrahepatic metastasis. The median survival was 10 months (IQR 6.0–14.8) and median TTP was 5 months (IQR 2.0–7.0). Survival and TTP were similar between Child-Pugh A and B patients: 11.0 months (IQR 6.0–18.0) for Child-Pugh A and 9.0 months (IQR 5.0–14.0) for Child-Pugh B (p = 0.336). In univariate analysis, larger lesion size (LS >5 cm), higher alpha-fetoprotein (AFP >50 ng/mL), and no history of locoregional therapy were statistically associated with mortality (HR 2.17, 95% CI 1.24–3.81; HR 3.49, 95% CI 1.90–6.42; HR 0.54, 95% CI 0.32–0.93, respectively), but only LS and AFP were independent predictive factors, as shown in multivariate analysis (LS: HR 2.08, 95% CI 1.10–3.96; AFP: HR 3.13, 95% CI 1.59–6.16). MVI and LS >5 cm were associated with TTP shorter than 5 months in univariate analysis (MVI: HR 2.80, 95% CI 1.47–5.35; LS: HR 2.1, 95% CI 1.08–4.11), but only MVI was an independent predictive factor of TTP shorter than 5 months (HR 3.42, 95% CI 1.72–6.81). Regarding safety data, 76.5% of patients reported at least one side effect (any grade), and 19.1% presented grade III–IV adverse effects leading to treatment discontinuation. Conclusions: We observed no significant difference in survival or TTP in Child-Pugh A or Child-Pugh B patients treated with sorafenib, as compared to more recent real-life studies. Lower primary LS and AFP were associated with a better outcome, and lower AFP was the main predictor of survival. The reality of systemic treatment for advanced HCC has recently changed and continues to evolve, but sorafenib remains a viable therapeutic option.
Integrin αV Mediates the Effects of Irisin on Human Mature Adipocytes
Authors: Fu Tingting , Li Chuanzhi , Sun Zhongwei , Yan Bing , Wu Yanlin , Huang Zhongxian , Yin Xiao
Published: March 2022

Introdution and Aims: The myokine irisin is critical to modulating adipocytes thermogenesis and influence whole-body metabolism. However, whether there is difference in the effects of irisin on adipocytes derived from different depots remains unknown, and the receptor of irisin on adipocytes is still unclear. In this study, we determine the browning effect of irisin on adipocytes of subcutaneous and visceral human adipose tissue and explore the possibility that integrin αV was the receptor of irisin on human adipocytes. Methods: Human adipose-derived stem cells were isolated from human subcutaneous and visceral white adipose tissues and induced to differentiate into mature adipocytes, and the expression of UCP1 and thermogenic genes in mature adipocytes were examined with or without irisin treatment and compared between groups of different adiposity and different spots. Immunoprecipitation analysis was used to detect the interaction between irisin and integrin αV on adipocytes, and the protein expression of integrin αV in adipocytes was also compared between groups of different adiposity and anatomic position. Results: Irisin treatment could increase the expression level of beige adipocyte marker protein UCP1 and specific thermogenic genes in mature adipocytes derived from subcutaneous white adipose tissue but not in visceral adipose tissue. The results of immunoprecipitation showed that irisin could be attached to integrin αV on mature adipocytes, and there was no significant difference in the gene and protein expression of integrin αV in adipocytes, either derived from subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissue, or derived from obese and normal-weight individuals. Conclusion: The results of the present study indicated that irisin contributed to the transformation of mature white adipocytes to beige adipocytes in human subcutaneous adipose tissue but not in visceral adipose tissue. Integrin αV may mediate the browning effects of irisin on human mature adipocytes, which could provide the potential therapeutic targets for obesity and metabolic syndrome by promoting human brown adipose tissue activity.
Descriptive Epidemiology of Ependymal Tumors in Gironde, France: Results from the Gironde Registry for the 2000–2018 Period
Authors: Laine Gaëtan , Baldi Isabelle , Jecko Vincent , Betancourt Zamira , Bertaud Emilie , Huchet Aymeri , Menegon Patrice , Eimer Sandrine , Chotard Guillaume , Cuny Emmanuel , Gimbert Edouard , Liguoro Dominique , Mollier Olivier , Monteil Pascal , Penchet Guillaume , Vignes Jean-Rodolphe , Wavasseur Thomas , Loiseau Hugues , Engelhardt Julien
Published: March 2022

Background: The Gironde Central Nervous System (CNS) Tumor Registry, in collaboration with the French National Cancer Institute, is the largest population-based registry focused exclusively on primary CNS tumors in France and represents a population of 1.62 million. This report focuses on ependymal tumors to refine current knowledge and provide up-to-date data on the epidemiology of these rare tumors. Material and Methods: All of the ependymal tumors were extracted from the Gironde CNS Tumor Registry for the years 2000–2018. Demographic and clinical characteristics, incidence rates, and time trends as well as survival outcomes were analyzed. Results: One hundred forty-four ependymal tumors were retrieved, which represented 2.3% of all the CNS tumors recorded in the same period. Histological subtype was significantly dependent on age and topography in the CNS. The median age at diagnosis was 46 years. The annual incidence rates varied between 0.15/100,000 (2004) and 0.96/100,000 (2016), with a significant increase over the study period by 4.67% per year. Five-year and 10-year OS rates were 87% and 80%, respectively. Conclusion: An increase in the incidence of ependymal tumors was observed over the past two decades. Further studies are needed to confirm this result and provide etiological clues.
Trends in Prevalence Cases and Disability-Adjusted Life-Years of Parkinson’s Disease: Findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019
Authors: Zhong Qiong-Qiong , Zhu Feng
Published: March 2022

Background: Parkinson’s disease is a common, age-related progressive neurodegenerative disorder with considerable socioeconomic burdens, although the studies in incremental burdens to the disease’s rapid growth are incomplete and lag behind. We aim to assess global burdens of Parkinson’s disease based on a public database online. Methods: Based on the Global Burden of Disease, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study, we screened a range of indicators including prevalence cases, disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), age-standardized prevalence rates (ASPRs), and age-standardized DALY rate (ASDR). The join point regression was used to assess the indicators, wherein the ASPR and the ASDR were referred to temporal trends for burdens of Parkinson’s disease. Results: Prevalence cases of global Parkinson’s disease were on the rise for 30 years, with an increase of 155.51% during 1990–2019. Temporal trend of ASDRs was on the rise during 1990–2002 but in decline during 2002–2019. The ASPRs had a turning point in 2017 and a decline during 2017–2019 (annual percentage change = −0.51%, p > 0.05). China, India, the USA, Japan, and Germany shared the five highest prevalence cases and DALYs in 2019. The Socio-Demographic Index (SDI) was in relation to a significantly positive ASPR (R = 0.61, p < 0.001) but not a significantly negative ASDR (R = −0.044, p = 0.53), respectively. Conclusions: In this study, a range of indicators for global burdens of Parkinson’s disease were on the rise during 1990–2019. Tremendous efforts should be in place to prevent Parkinson’s disease, especially among the populations of males, with advanced ages, in East Asia, and in regions with high SDI.
Short-Term Postoperative Use of Rivaroxaban to Prevent Radial Artery Occlusion After Transradial Coronary Procedure: The RESTORE Randomized Trial
Authors: Liang Dongjie , Lin Qingcheng , Zhu Qianli , Zhou Xiaodong , Fang Ying , Wang Liangguo , Xiang Guangze , Zheng Kenneth I. , Huang Weijian , Shan Peiren
Published: March 2022

Background:

Adequate procedural anticoagulation is crucial for radial artery occlusion (RAO) prevention in patients undergoing transradial access coronary catheterization, although the effect of postprocedural anticoagulation lack thorough investigation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical value of short-term postoperative anticoagulation with rivaroxaban for 24 hours and 1-month RAO prevention in patients who received transradial coronary procedures.

Methods:

A total of 382 patients were randomized to receive either placebo (control group) or rivaroxaban 10 mg once daily for a period of 7 days (rivaroxaban group) to evaluate the effect of the rivaroxaban in the prevention of 24 hours and 1-month RAO assessed by Doppler ultrasound.

Results:

There was no significant difference in the incidence of 24-hour RAO (8.9% versus 11.5%;
P
=0.398) between the rivaroxaban group and control group (odds ratio, 0.75 [95% CI, 0.39–1.46];
P
=0.399). In contrast, the 1-month RAO (3.8% versus 11.5%;
P
=0.011) was significantly reduced in patients who received rivaroxaban as compared with those who did placebo (odds ratio, 0.22 [95% CI, 0.08–0.65];
P
=0.006). For patients with 24-hour RAO, the rivaroxaban group was associated with higher recanalization rate of the radial artery (69.2% versus 30.0%;
P
=0.027) compared with the control group. No significant differences can be observed between the 2 groups for access-site complications or bleeding events.

Conclusions:

Short-term postoperative anticoagulation with rivaroxaban did not reduce the rate of 24-hour RAO but improved 1-month RAO, because of higher recanalization of the radial artery. However, larger clinical trials are needed to prove our results.

Registration:

URL:
https://www.chictr.org.cn
; Unique identifier: ChiCTR1900026974.
Designing an Automatic Agent for Repeated Language–based Persuasion Games
Authors: Raifer Maya , Rotman Guy , Apel Reut , Tennenholtz Moshe , Reichart Roi
Published: March 2022

Persuasion games are fundamental in economics and AI research and serve as the basis for important applications. However, work on this setup assumes communication with stylized messages that do not consist of rich human language. In this paper we consider a repeated sender (expert) – receiver (decision maker) game, where the sender is fully informed about the state of the world and aims to persuade the receiver to accept a deal by sending one of several possible natural language reviews. We design an automatic expert that plays this repeated game, aiming to achieve the maximal payoff. Our expert is implemented within the Monte Carlo Tree Search (MCTS) algorithm, with deep learning models that exploit behavioral and linguistic signals in order to predict the next action of the decision maker, and the future payoff of the expert given the state of the game and a candidate review. We demonstrate the superiority of our expert over strong baselines and its adaptability to different decision makers and potential proposed deals.1
Richard Simon and the tiers parti
Authors: Mithen Nicholas
Published: March 2022

Recent scholarship has sought to reinterpret the French biblical scholar Richard Simon, viewing him less as the unwitting participant in an agenda of radical secularisation, and more as the culmination of centuries of humanistic learning. This article repositions this rehabilitated Simon within the contested theological landscape of late seventeenth century French Catholicism. Drawing upon Simon’s exchanges with the Jansenist Antoine Arnauld and the Jesuit Dominique Bouhours concerning the translation of the New Testament into French, it argues that Simon’s critical approach to scripture can be seen as—and Simon himself defined it as—representative of a tiers parti. This tiers parti stood outside of the structural divisions within seventeenth century Catholicism between Jansenists and Molinists, between advocates of efficacious and sufficient grace. It deployed historical criticism to bolster the authority of Tradition, to undermine rational and speculative theology, and to mollify intra-confessional division.
Antilogy, Dialectic and Dialectic’s Objects in Plato’s Phaedrus
Authors: Lavilla de Lera Jonathan
Published: March 2022

Plato’s Phaedrus is a dialogue in which rhetoric is not only discussed, but also displayed. The first half of the plot depicts a rhetorical contest in which Socrates himself offers two opposite speeches on love, a kind of dissoi logoi. The current paper tries to explain that the second half of the dialogue offers the necessary keys to understand that for Plato true rhetoric is nothing but dialectic and that beyond the apparent antilogic exercise carried out by Socrates there can be found philosopher’s dialectical practice itself. Last but not least, the article defends that dialectic does not necessarily deal with Forms.
Ἀθρόα ἐπιβολή: Galen as a Source for Plotinus, 3.7(45).1
Authors: Chiaradonna Riccardo
Published: March 2022

Plotinus’ outline of his method on inquiry on eternity and time in 3.7(45).1.4 includes a reference to ‘concentrated apprehensions of thought’ ([…] ταῖς τῆς ἐννοίας ἀθροωτέραις ἐπιβολαῖς […]). Scholars sometimes argue that Plotinus is here referring to the Epicurean notion of ἀθρόα ἐπιβολή (Epic., Ep. Hdt. 35.9; PHerc. 346, col. 4.24–28). I suggest instead that Gal., mm x.38 Kühn provides the closest parallel to Plotinus’ passage. Further parallels between 3.7 and Galens’ lost On Demonstration suggest that Galen, not Epicurus, is Plotinus’ immediate source.
Proclus’ Theory of Seemingly “Useless” Theorems
Authors: Kiosoglou Sokratis-Athanasios
Published: March 2022

Do all theorems contribute equally in the context of a more geometrico exposition? In this paper it is suggested that Proclus’ account of seemingly useless theorems, as found in his In Euclidem, points to a negative answer to this question. In the first part, I reconstruct Proclus’ theory of seemingly useless theorems. Although not purely constructive, the latter facilitate the refutation of objections, limit argumentative diversity and promote interdisciplinarity (i.e., connections between different sciences). The second part discusses these functions in relation to three concrete examples in the Elements of Physics, thus indicating that this theory crucially informed Proclus’ own practice in his two Elementationes. Finally, I conclude with certain broader remarks about the literary genre of Elementatio.
Effects of Electroacupuncture on the Expression of Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor and Cell Structure in the Gliavascular Net of Cerebral Ischemic Tissues in Hypertensive Rats
Authors: Wan Sai-Ying , Chen Wen-Lin , Wang Xue-Wen , Peng Xiao-Jun , Tan Feng
Published: March 2022

Introduction: This study aims to explore the effects of electroacupuncture on the expression of GFAP and VEGF and cell structure in the glia vascular net of cerebral ischemic tissues in hypertensive rats. Material and Methods: Stroke-prone renovascular hypertensive rat
(RHRSP) models and middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) were established. After two hours of ischemia and at 1, 7, 14 and 28 days after reperfusion, the expression of GFAP and VEGF in rat cerebral ischemic tissues was detected by immunohistochemistry and light microscopy. Results:
Positive GFAP cells were found in the semidarkness area after two hours of ischemic and one day of reperfusion in the control group, and these increased after 14 days, decreased after 14 days, and significantly decreased after 28 days, when compared to the sham group (P < 0.01).
Compared to the control group, GFAP-positive cells significantly increased after 7, 14 and 28 days of ischemic and reperfusion in the electric acupuncture group. Then, this significantly increased and reached the maximum after seven days of reperfusion, but decreased after 14 days. Contrarily,
this significantly decreased after 30 day, but remained higher than that in sham-operated group (P < 0.05). Compared to the control group, the number of positive VEGF cells increased after 7, 14 and 28 days of ischemic and reperfusion in the electric acupuncture group (P <
0.01). Conclusions: Electric acupuncture can promote neurofunctional recovery in the cerebral ischemic area. The mechanism may be correlated with the regulation of the expression of GFAP and VEGF, and the rebuilding of the gliavascular net of cerebral ischemic tissues, thereby decreasing
cerebral ischemic damage.
Effect of miR-34a on the Osteogenic Differentiation of Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells (BMSCs) in Hyperlipidemia Rats
Authors: Liu Jun , Tang Meiling , Tan Shuai , Zhang Heng
Published: March 2022

This study intends to explore miR-34a’s effect on BMSCs osteogenic differentiation of hyperlipidemia. 20 SD rats were equally assigned into control group (normal diet) and high-fat group (research diet). Cells were transfected with miR-34a mimic or negative control followed by
meausring miR-34a, Dvl2, PPAR-γ, ALP, Runx2, and sp7, and ALP activity. The number of mineralized nodules, adipocytes, miR-34a and PPAR-γ expression in high-fat group were significantly increased and Dvl2, ALP, Runx2, and sp7 mRNA showed opposite profiles. Meanwhile,
Runx2, ALP protein, cytoplasm and nuclear blue-black particles, Dvl2 protein and mRNA in miR-34a mimic group were significantly downregulated (P < 0.05). Additionally, the luciferase activity of wild-type plasmid+miR-34a mimic group was significantly lower than mutant group, indicating
that miR-34a targets Dvl2. In conclusion, miR-34a inhibits the osteogenic differentiation of hyperlipidemia BMSCs by inhibiting the expression of Dvl2, Runx2 and ALP activity, indicating that it might be target in the hyperlipidemia treatment.