bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Studying both patient and staff experience to investigate their perceptions and to target key interactions to improve: a scoping review
Authors: Crubezy Marion , Corbin Sara , Hyvert Sophie , Michel Philippe , Haesebaert Julie
Published: October 2022

Objective

The improvement of patient experience (PE) is related to the experience of staff caring for them. Yet there is little evidence as to which interactions matter the most for both patients and staff, or how they are perceived by them. We aimed to summarise the interactions and the perceptions between patients and staff from studies by using both patient and staff experience data in healthcare institutions.

Design

Scoping review.

Methods

We conducted a scoping review, including studies dealing with PE and staff experience. Two authors independently reviewed each title/abstract and the selected full-text articles. A list of variables (objective, study design, data sources, tools used, results, interactions, perceptions and actions) was charted and summarised using a narrative approach including both qualitative and quantitative data. Studies were grouped according to their objective and the key interactions summarised according to this stratification. The perceptions of patients and staff were identified in the results of selected studies and were classified into four categories: commonalities and disagreements of perceptions, patients’ perceptions not perceived by professionals and professional’s perceptions not perceived by patients.

Results

A total of 42 studies were included. The stratification of studies by type of objective resulted in six groups that allowed to classify the key interactions (n=154) identified in the results of the selected studies. A total of 128 perceptions related to interaction between patient and staff were reported with the following distribution: commonalities (n=35), disagreements (n=18), patients’ perceptions not perceived by professionals (n=47) and professional’s perceptions not perceived by patients (n=28). We separated positive and negative perceptions, which resulted in seven scenarios, each with actions that can be carried out for one or both populations to overcome barriers.

Conclusion

The study of both patient and staff experience allowed the identification of actions that can be taken to change the perceptions of patients and staff.
TOFA-PREDICT study protocol: a stratification trial to determine key immunological factors predicting tofacitinib efficacy and drug-free remission in psoriatic arthritis (PsA)
Authors: Kleinrensink Nienke J , Perton Frank T , Pouw Juliëtte N , Vincken Nanette L A , Hartgring Sarita A Y , Jansen Mylène P , Arbabi Saeed ,   TOFA-PREDICT author group, Foppen Wouter , de Jong Pim A , Tekstra Janneke , Leijten Emmerik F A , Spierings Julia , Lafeber Floris P J G , Welsing Paco M J , Heijstek Marloes W
Published: October 2022

Introduction

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a chronic, inflammatory, musculoskeletal disease that affects up to 30% of patients with psoriasis. Current challenges in clinical care and research include personalised treatment, understanding the divergence of therapy response and unravelling the multifactorial pathophysiology of this complex disease. Moreover, there is an urgent clinical need to predict, assess and understand the cellular and molecular pathways underlying the response to disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs). The TOFA-PREDICT clinical trial addresses this need. Our primary objective is to determine key immunological factors predicting tofacitinib efficacy and drug-free remission in PsA.

Methods and analysis

In this investigator-initiated, phase III, multicentre, open-label, four-arm randomised controlled trial, we plan to integrate clinical, molecular and imaging parameters of 160 patients with PsA. DMARD-naïve patients are randomised to methotrexate or tofacitinib. Additionally, patients who are non-responsive to conventional synthetic (cs)DMARDs continue their current csDMARD and are randomised to etanercept or tofacitinib. This results in four arms each with 40 patients. Patients are followed for 1 year. Treatment response is defined as minimal disease activity at week 16. Clinical data, biosamples and images are collected at baseline, 4 weeks and 16 weeks; at treatment failure (treatment switch) and 52 weeks. For the first 80 patients, we will use a systems medicine approach to assess multiomics biomarkers and develop a prediction model for treatment response. Subsequently, data from the second 80 patients will be used for validation.

Ethics and dissemination

The study was approved by the Medical Research Ethics Committee in Utrecht, Netherlands, is registered in the European Clinical Trials Database and is carried out in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki. The study’s progress is monitored by Julius Clinical, a science-driven contract research organisation.

Trial registration number

EudraCT: 2017-003900-28.
Haemoglobin transfusion threshold in traumatic brain injury optimisation (HEMOTION): a multicentre, randomised, clinical trial protocol
Authors: Turgeon Alexis F , Fergusson Dean A , Clayton Lucy , Patton Marie-Pier , Zarychanski Ryan , English Shane , Docherty Annemarie , Walsh Timothy , Griesdale Donald , Kramer Andreas H , Scales Damon , Burns Karen E. A. , Boyd John Gordon , Marshall John C , Kutsogiannis Demetrios J , Ball Ian , Hébert Paul C , Lamontagne Francois , Costerousse Olivier , St-Onge Maude , Lessard Bonaventure Paule , Moore Lynne , Neveu Xavier , Rigamonti Andrea , Khwaja Kosar , Green Robert S , Laroche Vincent , Fox-Robichaud Alison , Lauzier Francois
Published: October 2022

Introduction

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is the leading cause of mortality and long-term disability in young adults. Despite the high prevalence of anaemia and red blood cell transfusion in patients with TBI, the optimal haemoglobin (Hb) transfusion threshold is unknown. We undertook a randomised trial to evaluate whether a liberal transfusion strategy improves clinical outcomes compared with a restrictive strategy.

Methods and analysis

HEMOglobin Transfusion Threshold in Traumatic Brain Injury OptimizatiON is an international pragmatic randomised open label blinded-endpoint clinical trial. We will include 742 adult patients admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) with an acute moderate or severe blunt TBI (Glasgow Coma Scale ≤12) and a Hb level ≤100 g/L. Patients are randomly allocated using a 1:1 ratio, stratified by site, to a liberal (triggered by Hb ≤100 g/L) or a restrictive (triggered by Hb ≤70 g/L) transfusion strategy applied from the time of randomisation to the decision to withdraw life-sustaining therapies, ICU discharge or death. Primary and secondary outcomes are assessed centrally by trained research personnel blinded to the intervention. The primary outcome is the Glasgow Outcome Scale extended at 6 months. Secondary outcomes include overall functional independence measure, overall quality of life (EuroQoL 5-Dimension 5-Level; EQ-5D-5L), TBI-specific quality of life (Quality of Life after Brain Injury; QOLIBRI), depression (Patient Health Questionnaire; PHQ-9) and mortality.

Ethics and dissemination

This trial is approved by the CHU de Québec—Université Laval research ethics board (MP-20-2018-3706) and ethic boards at all participating sites. Our results will be published and shared with relevant organisations and healthcare professionals.

Trial registration number

NCT03260478.
Understanding racialised older adults’ experiences of the Canadian healthcare system, and codesigning solutions: protocol for a qualitative study in nine languages
Authors: Tong Catherine E , Lopez Kimberly J , Chowdhury Diya , Arya Neil , Elliott Jacobi , Sims-Gould Joanie , Grindrod Kelly , Stolee Paul
Published: October 2022

Introduction

Racialised immigrant older adults (RIOAs) in Canada have poorer self-rated health and are more likely to report chronic conditions, while they concurrently experience well-documented challenges in navigating and accessing the healthcare system. There is strong evidence that patient and caregiver engagement in their healthcare leads to improved management of chronic disease and better health outcomes. International research suggests that engagement has the potential to reduce health disparities and improve quality of care. We aim to (1) describe what role(s) RIOAs are/are not taking in their own healthcare, from the perspectives of participant groups (RIOAs, caregivers and healthcare providers (HCPs)); and (2) develop a codesign process with these participants, creating linguistically aligned and culturally aligned tools, resources or solutions to support patient engagement with RIOAs.

Methods and analysis

Using a cross-cultural participatory action research approach, our work will consist of three phases: phase 1, strengthen existing partnerships with RIOAs and appropriate agencies and cultural associations; phase 2, on receipt of informed consent, in-depth interviews with RIOAs and caregivers (n=~45) and HCPs (n=~10), professionally interpreted as needed. Phase 3, work with participants, in multiple interpreted sessions, to codesign culturally sensitive and linguistically sensitive/aligned patient engagement tools. We will conduct this research in the Waterloo-Wellington region of Ontario, in Arabic, Bangla, Cantonese, Hindi, Mandarin, Punjabi, Tamil and Urdu, plus English. Data will be transcribed, cleaned and entered into NVivo V.12, the software that will support team-based analysis. Analysis will include coding, theming and interpreting the data, and, preparing narrative descriptions that summarise each language group and each participant group (older adults, caregivers and HCPs), and illustrate themes.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethics clearance was obtained through the University of Waterloo Office of Research Ethics (ORE #43297). Findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications, presentations and translated summary reports for our partners and participants.
Pausing methotrexate prevents impairment of Omicron BA.1 and BA.2 neutralisation after COVID-19 booster vaccination
Authors: Habermann Elisa , Gieselmann Lutz , Tober-Lau Pinkus , Klotsche Jens , Albach Fredrik Nils , ten Hagen Alexander , Zernicke Jan , Ahmadov Elvin , Arumahandi de Silva Amanthi Nadira , Frommert Leonie Maria , Kurth Florian , Sander Leif Erik , Burmester Gerd R , Klein Florian , Biesen Robert
Published: October 2022

Objective

The level of neutralising capacity against Omicron BA.1 and BA.2 after third COVID-19 vaccination in patients on paused or continuous methotrexate (MTX) therapy is unclear.

Methods

In this observational cohort study, neutralising serum activity against SARS-CoV-2 wild-type (Wu01) and variant of concern Omicron BA.1 and BA.2 were assessed by pseudovirus neutralisation assay before, 4 and 12 weeks after mRNA booster immunisation in 50 rheumatic patients on MTX, 26 of whom paused the medication. 44 non-immunosuppressed persons (NIP) served as control group.

Results

While the neutralising serum activity against SARS-CoV-2 Wu01 and Omicron variants increased 67–73 fold in the NIP after booster vaccination, the serum activity in patients receiving MTX increased only 20–23 fold. Patients who continued MTX treatment during vaccination had significantly lower neutralisation against all variants at weeks 4 and 12 compared with patients who paused MTX and the control group, except for BA.2 at week 12. Patients who paused MTX reached comparably high neutralising capacities as NIP, except for Wu01 at week 12. The duration of the MTX pause after—not before—was associated with a significantly higher neutralisation capacity against all three variants, with an optimal duration at 10 days after vaccination.

Conclusion

Patients pausing MTX after COVID-19 booster showed a similar vaccine response to NIP. Patients who continued MTX demonstrated an impaired response indicating a potentially beneficial second booster vaccination. Our data also suggest that a 1 week MTX break is sufficient if the last administration of MTX occurs 1–3 days before vaccination.
Comparative analysis of signal-to-noise ratio in correlation plenoptic imaging architectures
Authors: Massaro Gianlorenzo , Scala Giovanni , D’Angelo Milena , Pepe Francesco V.
Published: October 2022

Correlation plenoptic imaging (CPI) is a scanning-free diffraction-limited 3D optical imaging technique exploiting the peculiar properties of correlated light sources. CPI has been further extended to samples of interest to microscopy, such as fluorescent or scattering objects, in a modified architecture named correlation light-field microscopy (CLM). Interestingly, experiments have shown that the noise performances of CLM are significantly improved over the original CPI scheme, leading to better images and faster acquisition. In this work, we provide a theoretical foundation to such advantage by investigating the properties of both the signal-to-noise and the signal-to-background ratios of CLM and the original CPI setup.
The carbon footprint of proposed $${\mathrm{e}}^+{\mathrm{e}}^-$$ Higgs factories
Authors: Janot Patrick , Blondel Alain
Published: October 2022

The energy consumption of any of the $${\mathrm{e}}^+{\mathrm{e}}^-$$

e

+

e

-

Higgs factory projects that can credibly operate immediately after the end of LHC, namely three linear colliders (CLIC, operating at $$\sqrt{s}\,=\,380$$

s

=

380

 GeV; and ILC and $${\mathrm{C}}^3$$

C

3

, operating at $$\sqrt{s}\,=\,250$$

s

=

250

 GeV) and two circular colliders (CEPC and FCC-ee, operating at $$\sqrt{s}\,=\,240$$

s

=

240

 GeV), will be everything but negligible. Future Higgs boson studies may therefore have a significant environmental impact. This note proposes to include the carbon footprint for a given physics performance as a top-level gauge for the design optimisation and, eventually, the choice of the future facility. The projected footprints per Higgs boson produced, evaluated using the 2021 carbon emission of available electricity, are found to vary by a factor 100 depending on the considered Higgs factory project.
Fitness Sorted Red Deer-Cat Swarm Optimization-based Autonomous QoS-aware Multicast Communication System in MANET
Authors: Sarangi Sanjaya Kumar , Panda Mrutyunjaya , Behera Prafulla Kumar
Published: October 2022

A mobile ad hoc network (MANET) is a set of autonomous mobile devices connected by wireless links in a distributed manner and without a fixed infrastructure. Mobile Ad-Hoc Networks (MANETs) is considered as an infrastructure-less and constant self-configured network of wireless devices. Here, multicast has emerged as an efficient tool for communication. Recently, distinct research works have been studied in wireless MANETs for designing multicast routing protocols. Multicasting is a procedure used for allowing the users to send the same messages simultaneously to a set of users. Though, it suffers from different problems regarding implementation in ad-hoc networks owing to its shorter battery lifetime, and lack of bandwidth dynamic nature of the mobile devices. Hence, the main aim of this paper is to propose a new QoS-aware multi-cast routing protocol in MANET using the hybrid meta-heuristic algorithm. The proposed routing protocol will focus on the development of a hybrid meta-heuristic-based “reliable neighbor nodes selection” scheme over the Multicast Ad-Hoc on Demand Distance Vector routing protocol (MAODV) protocol. The “reliable neighbor nodes selection” is accomplished by Fitness sorted Red Deer-Cat Swarm Optimization (FRD-CSO) algorithm focusing on the constraints like energy model, mobility model, and reliability pair factor. Once the optimal node selection is performed, the proposed QoS-aware protocol is validated by the route discovery mechanism and route reply process. The simulation has been performed to show the efficiency of the designed multicast routing over other multicast routing protocols that demonstrates the noteworthy enhancement in terms of diverse performance measures.
New Exploration of China Bay Water Governance: Traceability, Deconstruction, and Evaluation of Bay Chief System Policy
Authors: Sun Peng , Zhou Kechong
Published: October 2022

Given the complexity of bay water ecological environment governance, the bay chief system is a pilot policy carried out by the state as an innovative exploration to establish a new model and systematically solve related marine problems. By exploring the evolution path of policies related to environmental governance, this study demonstrates the theoretical logic between environmental policies such as the bay and river chief systems and comprehensively deconstructs the institutional framework of the bay chief system from the aspects of organizational structure, key tasks, and accountability mechanism. In addition, this study evaluates the implementation effect of the bay chief system based on the differences-in-differences method. Results show that: (i) As an institutional innovation of regional environmental governance, the implementation path of the bay chief system has undergone a bottom-top evolution. (ii) The institutional framework of the bay chief system has changed and promoted the original environmental governance model, providing an important manifestation of the modernization of China’s water pollution prevention and curing capacity. (iii) Empirically, the pilot cities of the bay chief system promote economic growth while reducing pollutant emissions, and achieve a win–win situation between emission reduction and growth. This conclusion remains valid after many robustness tests. In the future, further efforts are necessary to enhance the policy effect of the bay chief system according to local conditions and boost sustainable marine development.
AMiner: A Modular Log Data Analysis Pipeline for Anomaly-based Intrusion Detection
Authors: Landauer Max , Wurzenberger Markus , Skopik Florian , Hotwagner Wolfgang , Höld Georg
Published: October 2022

Cyber attacks are omnipresent and their rapid detection is crucial for system security. Signature-based intrusion detection monitors systems for attack indicators and plays an important role in recognizing and preventing such attacks. Unfortunately, it is unable to detect new attack vectors and may be evaded by attack variants. As a solution, anomaly detection employs techniques from machine learning to detect suspicious log events without relying on predefined signatures. While visibility of attacks in network traffic is limited due to encryption of network packets, system log data is available in raw format and thus allows fine-granular analysis. However, system log processing is difficult as it involves different formats and heterogeneous events. To ease log-based anomaly detection, we present the AMiner, an open-source tool in the AECID toolbox that enables fast log parsing, analysis, and alerting. In this article, we outline the AMiner’s modular architecture and demonstrate its applicability in three use-cases.
Cardiovascular Effects of Cydonia oblonga Miller (Quince)
Authors: Amerizadeh Atefeh , Vaseghi Golnaz , Esmaeilian Nazgol , Asgary Sedigheh
Published: October 2022

Cydonia oblonga Miller (quince) is a monotypic genus in the Rosaceae family which used to treat or prevent many medical conditions such as diabetes, cancer, infections, and ulcer. This review will summarize the current state of knowledge available on botany, phytochemistry, and pharmacology of this plant with a focus on its effect on some cardiovascular risk factors such as diabetes, blood pressure, lipid profile, and body weight. Databases of Google Scholar, Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and SID were searched systematically for English published articles with no date limitation. There were no human studies found, and all of the studies were conducted on animals or in vitro models. Reviewing of all 12 included articles showed that different types of quince extract have positive effects on cardiovascular-related factors such as blood pressure, diabetes, glucose metabolism, lipid profile, ROS, body weight, liver dysfunction, and thrombosis. An antihypertensive effect of quince showed to be a magnitude that is comparable to captopril and the lipid-lowering effect of quince showed to be a magnitude that is comparable to simvastatin. However, two studies evaluated the effect of quince fruit extract on insulin levels; one of them reported no positive effect, and the other one reported a significant positive effect. It can be concluded that different parts of quince including leaf, seed, and fruit could be used for improving cardiovascular-related factors including blood pressure, glucose metabolism and diabetes, obesity, and lipid-adjusting purposes. Quince was also found to have strong anti-inflammatory and antioxidant capacity. This study paves the way for further studies on the cardiovascular effect of quince consumption as a beneficial nutraceutical in humans.
Efficient Shot Boundary Detection with Multiple Visual Representations
Authors: Jose Jasmin T. , Rajkumar S. , Ghalib Muhammad Rukunuddin , Shankar Achyut , Sharma Pavika , Khosravi Mohammad R.
Published: October 2022

Due to the unlimited growth of video-capturing devices and media, searching and finding a particular video in this huge database becomes a laborious as well as expensive task. Information-rich shots are the inevitable factor of the content-based video processing (CBVP) system. Hence, shot boundary detection (SBD) becomes the basic step of all content-based video retrieval processes. The accuracy of the existing SBD methods highly suffers from false positives and false negatives due to the presence of multiple variants. An efficient SBD method with multiple invariant features is proposed in this paper. A right combination of invariant features such as edge change ratio (ECR), colour layout descriptor (CLD), and scale-invariant feature transform (SIFT) key point descriptors helped to improve the accuracy level of SBD. As the selected features are invariant to most of the variants in video frames, such as illuminance changes, motion, scaling, and rotation, a markable reduction in false detection is possible. Support vector machine (SVM) classifier is used for the classification of frames into transition frames and shot frames. This proposed method is experimented and analysed with the standard SBD dataset TRECVid 2007 videos. The experimental results are compared with some state-of-art methods, and our method shows better performance with a 97% of F1 score.
Cardiac External Counterpulsation Attenuates Myocardial Injury by Regulating NRF2-mediated Ferroptosisin and Oxidative stress Injury
Authors: Wang ShiXiang , Wang Bin , Guo Guofeng , Chen Youquan
Published: October 2022

Objectives. To explore the role of the external counterpulsation (ECP) myocardial injury by controlling NRF2-mediated ferroptosis and oxidative stress damage in acute myocardial infarction. Methods. Twenty acute myocardial infarction (AMI) participants hospitalized from January 2021 to January 2022 were enrolled. In addition, 20 healthy individuals who had a physical examination at our hospital served as normal controls. Before the AMI patients were given ECP therapy, the blood samples were collected and echocardiography was performed as the data of AMI cohort. Then, the blood samples were collected and echocardiography was performed following the ECP therapy as the data of AMI + ECP cohort. The heart function was assessed by echocardiography test. Results. Our findings demonstrated that ECP could reduce heart damage in patients with AMI. In the current study, we found that ECP could reduce heart damage in patients with AMI through increasing the LV-EF% and enhancing LVEDV and LVESV, and the difference was statistically significant (

P

 < 0.05). ECP could reduce the levels of oxidative stress and ferroptosis markers in blood samples of AMI patients, which was through the upregulation of NRF2 and HO-1 expression, and the difference was statistically significant (

P

 < 0.05). Taken together, all data implied that ECP was able to attenuate myocardial injury by regulating NRF2-mediated ferroptosis and oxidative stress in AMI patients, and the difference was statistically significant (

P

 < 0.05). Conclusion. Our findings in this research are that cardiac ECP is able to attenuate myocardial injury by regulating NRF2-mediated ferroptosis and oxidative stress injury in AMI patients. This certainly gives the possibility of a clinically effective treatment for AMI patients, although further clinical trials need to be validated.
A Beam Steering Dielectric Resonator Antenna Designed Using Rogers RO4003C Material for S-Band Applications
Authors: Kumari Manisha , Rao Tavanam Venkata , Jayakar S. Arun , Srinivas D. , Padhan Dola Gobinda , Reddy A. Kishore , Reddy P. Rahul , Tura Amanuel Diriba
Published: October 2022

A pattern reconfigurable dielectric resonator antenna emitting at 3.1 GHz is presented in this study. The beam can be steered at 6 degrees, 8 degrees, 14 degrees, and 171 degrees. Three P-i-N diodes are employed in the slots of the ground plane to help steer the beam direction. By changing the state of the three diodes, five states can be obtained. The TE01δ mode is excited using a differential feed technique. Differential feed helps in increasing the gain and reducing the size of the structure. The return loss of each state is less than −25 dB. The gain of the first state is 7.65 dBi, the second and fifth state’s gain is 8.22 dBi, third and fourth state’s gain is 10.6 dBi. This Antenna is designed using Rogers RO4003C material which has low Electrical gravity, low voltage, and high oxidation resistance that makes it appropriate for RF applications. The properties required for RF microwave circuits, matching networks, and controlled impedance transmission lines are present in the RO4003C material. Annealed copper is used for designing the ground plane and feedline which provides excellent conductivity. The antenna is fabricated using the chemical etching process which employs a positive photoresist that gives a higher resolution accuracy for the designed antenna. This process of fabrication has another advantage of inculcating structures from simpler to complex.
An Insight into Mechanical and Metallurgical Behavior of Hybrid Reinforced Aluminum Metal Matrix Composite
Authors: Ashebir Demeke Abay , Mengesha Getinet Asrat , Sinha Devendra Kumar
Published: October 2022

Hybrid reinforced particulate aluminum matrix composite materials (HAMCs) are a breakthrough kind of material made by combining two or more distinct reinforcing components in the aluminum (Al) matrix. Composites with many reinforcing phases offer a superior overall mix of characteristics than composites with only one. This article’s wide literature review of metal matrix composite (MMC) especially for aluminum matrix composites (AMC) was carried out. Discussions of various widely adopted synthesis methods such as stir casting and powder metallurgy have been presented. The effect of various reinforcement ceramic particles such as silicon carbide (SiC), aluminum oxide (Al2O3), graphite (Gr) on the mechanical and metallurgical properties of MMC has been reviewed. The summary of various characterizations such as X-ray diffraction (X-RD), and optical microscopy (OM) including testing such as hardness, tensile, compressive, and tribological behavior has been discussed in detail to demonstrate a full grasp of the many features of HAMCs, such as manufacturing, physicomechanical properties, wear, and corrosion characteristics. Future developments and potentially useful materials as alternative reinforcements are discussed at the end of the review.
The lncRNA NEAT1 Inhibits miRNA-216b and Promotes Colorectal Cancer Progression by Indirectly Activating YY1
Authors: Zhu Yuping , Wang Xuanying , Zheng Linfeng , Li Dechuan , Liu Zhuo , Teng Lisong
Published: October 2022

Background. Nuclear Paraspeckle Assembly Transcript 1 (NEAT1) is commonly considered an oncogene in various cancers. The long noncoding RNA NEAT1 has been reported to be overexpressed in colorectal cancer (CRC). However, the exact role of NEAT1 in CRC remains unknown. Our research aimed to explore the function of NEAT1 in the tumorigenesis and the development of CRC. Methods. Real-time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) was used to detect the NEAT1, miR-216b, and YIN-YANG-1 (YY1) mRNA levels in CRC tissues and cells, then immunohistochemistry (IHC) was used to detect the expression of YY1 in CRC tissues. Luciferase reporter, qPCR, western blot, and DNA pulldown assays were conducted to study the relationships between NEAT1, miR-216b, and YY1. Flow cytometry analysis was performed for cell cycle and apoptosis analyses, and a colony formation assay was performed to test cell proliferation. Transwell assays were performed to detect cell invasion and migration. Results. The NEAT1 expression was significantly upregulated in CRC tissues compared with its expression in normal tissues, and downregulation of NEAT1 suppressed the proliferation, migration, and invasion of CRC cells. Moreover, we found NEAT1 decreased the miR-216b level directly, and the suppression of miR-216b could inhibit the function of downstream YY1. However, overexpression of YY1 accelerated CRC cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. Conclusion. Our results indicated that NEAT1 acted as an oncogene in CRC and promoted the progression of CRC by directly sponging miR-216 b expression to activate the expression of YY1. The NEAT1/miR-216b/YY1 axis may be a novel therapeutic target for CRC.
Intelligent Information Service System of Smart Library Based on Virtual Reality and Eye Movement Technology
Authors: Su Xiao , Chen Nan
Published: October 2022

An innovative system provides intelligent services in the library to both users and the terminal. Compared to the core digital reading room, they can make wise judgments on the retrieval and use of information assets. The implementation of succeeding value management based on the latest technological tools is required for learning to provide knowledge services and fulfil its role as convergence is capable of reacting to varied data needs. The major obstacles to digital libraries are lack of planning and software, import restrictions on equipment, inadequately skilled staff, lack of standards, and a refusal to cooperate. This paper introduces the Eye Movement Technology (EMT) for the intelligent information service system of a smart library (SL) based on virtual reality (VR) strengths as an automated library management system for cost savings and increased output. EMT technology that can identify a person’s appearance and monitor something to look at in real-time is recognized as wearable technology. Visual field position and the gaze vectors for each eye are converted into a data stream that includes the focus origin. Most of the library’s operations can be managed by librarians; in a word, this system allows them to keep track of all of their books’ transactions. The research in EMT-SL technology in the intelligent library system has developed to the point that a wider audience can use it. As a result, eye-tracking in reading rooms and information science research are expected to rise in the future; with the advancement of VR, the computer-generated modelling of images is experienced through special electrical devices, and people can be visible in different climates using traditional VR and augmented reality.
Identification of Differentially Expressed microRNAs Associated with Ischemic Stroke by Integrated Bioinformatics Approaches
Authors: Jiang Shengqiang , Wu Jie , Geng Yan , Zhang Yuting , Wang Yupeng , Wu Jinrong , Lu Chunqu , Luo Guoxuan , Zan Jie , Zhang Yong
Published: October 2022

Ischemic stroke (IS) is one of the leading causes of disability and mortality worldwide. This study aims to find the crucial exosomal miRNAs associated with IS by using bioinformatics methods, reveal potential biomarkers for IS, and investigate the association between the identified biomarker and immune cell pattern in the peripheral blood of IS patients. In this study, 3 up-regulated miRNAs (hsa-miR-15b-5p, hsa-miR-184, and hsa-miR-16-5p) miRNAs in the serum exosomes between IS patients and healthy controls from GEO database (GSE199942) and 25 down-regulated genes of peripheral blood mononuclear cells of IS patients from GSE22255 were obtained with the help of the R software. GO annotation and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis showed that the 25 down-regulated genes were associated with coenzyme metabolic process and were mainly enriched in the N-glycan biosynthesis pathway. Furthermore, we performed the LASSO algorithm to narrow down the above 25 intersected genes, and identified 8 key genes which had a good diagnostic value in discriminating IS patients from the healthy controls analyzed with ROC curve. CIBERSORT algorithm indicated that the abundance of M0 macrophages and resting mast cells was significantly lower than that of the control group. The spearman correlation analysis showed that STT3A was negatively correlated with the proportion of follicular helper T cells, activated NK cells and resting dendritic cells. Finally, GSE117064 showed that has-miR-16-5p was more advantageous for diagnosing stroke. In conclusion, hsa-miR-15b-5p, hsa-miR-184, and hsa-miR-16-5p are identified as specific related exosomal miRNAs for IS patients. These genes may provide new targets for the early identification of IS.
Study on Crack Evolution and Failure Mechanism of Fully Penetrated Fracture Grouting Body
Authors: Wang Hanqing , Li Li , Li Xinwang , Cheng Lichao , Shen Pengfei
Published: October 2022

Grouting is a common method used in reinforcing fractured rock, and it is important to study the crack evolution and mechanical properties of fractured rock after grouting under the influence of different excavation rates and crack geometries. Therefore, a set of grouting molds for small-sized specimens with fully penetrated cracks were designed. The crack formation location and penetration mechanism of grouted bodies with different crack inclinations using uniaxial compression tests with different loading rates were investigated. The crack extension process and energy concentration areas of the grouted plus solid specimens at different stages were revealed from the acoustic characteristic. The results show that the peak strength of crack-grouting sandstone decreases with the increase of crack inclination under the same loading rate. Comparisons of the crack inclination in slurry specimens under different loading rates imply that there is a critical value of crack inclination at 45° which concentrates the damage and cracking of the grouted body under compression within the grouted solidified body. When the crack inclination is small, the specimen is mainly extended from the crack of the rock block at the upper end of the grout consolidation to the lower end of the crack surface, and the acoustic emission ring count data mainly show a rising trend throughout the whole process, when the crack inclination is large, cracks are mainly produced around the surface subjected to grout consolidation and gradually expand to the interior of the grouted body, and there is almost zero growth in the ringing count in the elastic stage (II) and a larger growth in the ringing count in the yielding stage (III) and postpeak stage (IV). This research work can provide disaster prediction and theoretical guidance for the corresponding engineering construction of crack-grouting sandstone.
Construction of Mutually Orthogonal Graph Squares Using Novel Product Techniques
Authors: El-Mesady A. , Bazighifan Omar
Published: October 2022

Sets of mutually orthogonal Latin squares prescribe the order in which to apply different treatments in designing an experiment to permit effective statistical analysis of results, they encode the incidence structure of finite geometries, they encapsulate the structure of finite groups and more general algebraic objects known as quasigroups, and they produce optimal density error‐correcting codes. This paper gives some new results on mutually orthogonal graph squares. Mutually orthogonal graph squares generalize orthogonal Latin squares interestingly. Mutually orthogonal graph squares are an area of combinatorial design theory that has many applications in optical communications, wireless communications, cryptography, storage system design, algorithm design and analysis, and communication protocols, to mention just a few areas. In this paper, novel product techniques of mutually orthogonal graph squares are considered. Proposed product techniques are the half‐starters’ vectors Cartesian product, half‐starters’ function product, and tensor product of graphs. It is shown that by taking mutually orthogonal subgraphs of complete bipartite graphs, one can obtain enough mutually orthogonal subgraphs in some larger complete bipartite graphs. Also, we try to find the minimum number of mutually orthogonal subgraphs for certain graphs based on the proposed product techniques. As a direct application to the proposed different product techniques, mutually orthogonal graph squares for disjoint unions of stars are constructed. All the constructed results in this paper can be used to generate new graph‐orthogonal arrays and new authentication codes.
Monounsaturated and Diunsaturated Fatty Acids Sensitize Cervical Cancer to Radiation Therapy
Authors: Muhammad Naoshad , Ruiz Fiona , Stanley Jennifer , Rashmi Ramachandran , Cho Kevin , Jayachandran Kay , Zahner Michael C. , Huang Yi , Zhang Jin , Markovina Stephanie , Patti Gary J. , Schwarz Julie K.
Published: October 2022

Obesity induces numerous physiological changes that can impact cancer risk and patient response to therapy. Obese patients with cervical cancer have been reported to have superior outcomes following chemoradiotherapy, suggesting that free fatty acids (FFA) might enhance response to radiotherapy. Here, using preclinical models, we show that monounsaturated and diunsaturated FFAs (uFFA) radiosensitize cervical cancer through a novel p53-dependent mechanism. UFFAs signaled through PPARγ and p53 to promote lipid uptake, storage, and metabolism after radiotherapy. Stable isotope labeling confirmed that cervical cancer cells increase both catabolic and anabolic oleate metabolism in response to radiotherapy, with associated increases in dependence on mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation for survival. In vivo, supplementation with exogenous oleate suppressed tumor growth in xenografts after radiotherapy, an effect that could be partially mimicked in tumors from high fat diet–induced obese mice. These results suggest that supplementation with uFFAs may improve tumor responses to radiotherapy, particularly in p53 wild-type tumors.

Significance:

Metabolism of monounsaturated and diunsaturated fatty acids improves the efficacy of radiotherapy in cancer through modulation of p53 activity.

See related commentary by Jungles and Green, p. 4513
The LncRNA LENOX Interacts with RAP2C to Regulate Metabolism and Promote Resistance to MAPK Inhibition in Melanoma
Authors: Gambi Giovanni , Mengus Gabrielle , Davidson Guillaume , Demesmaeker Ewout , Cuomo Alessandro , Bonaldi Tiziana , Katopodi Vicky , Malouf Gabriel G. , Leucci Eleonora , Davidson Irwin
Published: October 2022

Tumor heterogeneity is a key feature of melanomas that hinders development of effective treatments. Aiming to overcome this, we identified LINC00518 (LENOX; lincRNA-enhancer of oxidative phosphorylation) as a melanoma-specific lncRNA expressed in all known melanoma cell states and essential for melanoma survival in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, LENOX promoted association of the RAP2C GTPase with mitochondrial fission regulator DRP1, increasing DRP1 S637 phosphorylation, mitochondrial fusion, and oxidative phosphorylation. LENOX expression was upregulated following treatment with MAPK inhibitors, facilitating a metabolic switch from glycolysis to oxidative phosphorylation and conferring resistance to MAPK inhibition. Consequently, combined silencing of LENOX and RAP2C synergized with MAPK inhibitors to eradicate melanoma cells. Melanomas are thus addicted to the lncRNA LENOX, which acts to optimize mitochondrial function during melanoma development and progression.

Significance:

The lncRNA LENOX is a novel regulator of melanoma metabolism, which can be targeted in conjunction with MAPK inhibitors to eradicate melanoma cells.
Wnt Signaling in the Phenotype and Function of Tumor-Associated Macrophages
Authors: Tigue Megan L. , Loberg Matthew A. , Goettel Jeremy A. , Weiss William A. , Lee Ethan , Weiss Vivian L.
Published: October 2022

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAM) play an important role in supporting tumor growth and suppressing antitumor immune responses, and TAM infiltration has been associated with poor patient prognosis in various cancers. TAMs can be classified as pro-inflammatory, M1-like, or anti-inflammatory, M2-like. While multiple factors within the tumor microenvironment affect the recruitment, polarization, and functions of TAMs, accumulating evidence suggests that Wnt signaling represents an important, targetable driver of an immunosuppressive, M2-like TAM phenotype. TAM production of Wnt ligands mediates TAM-tumor cross-talk to support cancer cell proliferation, invasion, and metastasis. Targeting TAM polarization and the protumorigenic functions of TAMs through inhibitors of Wnt signaling may prove a beneficial treatment strategy in cancers where macrophages are prevalent in the microenvironment.
Cell Competition in Carcinogenesis
Authors: Madan Esha , Palma António M. , Vudatha Vignesh , Trevino Jose G. , Natarajan Kedar Nath , Winn Robert A. , Won Kyoung Jae , Graham Trevor A. , Drapkin Ronny , McDonald Stuart A.C. , Fisher Paul B. , Gogna Rajan
Published: October 2022

The majority of human cancers evolve over time through the stepwise accumulation of somatic mutations followed by clonal selection akin to Darwinian evolution. However, the in-depth mechanisms that govern clonal dynamics and selection remain elusive, particularly during the earliest stages of tissue transformation. Cell competition (CC), often referred to as 'survival of the fittest' at the cellular level, results in the elimination of less fit cells by their more fit neighbors supporting optimal organism health and function. Alternatively, CC may allow an uncontrolled expansion of super-fit cancer cells to outcompete their less fit neighbors thereby fueling tumorigenesis. Recent research discussed herein highlights the various non–cell-autonomous principles, including interclonal competition and cancer microenvironment competition supporting the ability of a tumor to progress from the initial stages to tissue colonization. In addition, we extend current insights from CC-mediated clonal interactions and selection in normal tissues to better comprehend those factors that contribute to cancer development.
TWEAK–Fn14–RelB Signaling Cascade Promotes Stem Cell–like Features that Contribute to Post-Chemotherapy Ovarian Cancer Relapse
Authors: Holmberg Ryne , Robinson Mikella , Gilbert Samuel F. , Lujano-Olazaba Omar , Waters Jennifer A. , Kogan Emily , Velasquez Candyd Lace R. , Stevenson Denay , Cruz Luisjesus S. , Alexander Logan J. , Lara Jacqueline , Mu Emily M. , Camillo Jared Rafael , Bitler Benjamin G. , Huxford Tom , House Carrie D.
Published: October 2022

Disease recurrence in high-grade serous ovarian cancer may be due to cancer stem–like cells (CSC) that are resistant to chemotherapy and capable of reestablishing heterogeneous tumors. The alternative NF-κB signaling pathway is implicated in this process; however, the mechanism is unknown. Here we show that TNF-like weak inducer of apoptosis (TWEAK) and its receptor, Fn14, are strong inducers of alternative NF-κB signaling and are enriched in ovarian tumors following chemotherapy treatment. We further show that TWEAK enhances spheroid formation ability, asymmetric division capacity, and expression of SOX2 and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition genes VIM and ZEB1 in ovarian cancer cells, phenotypes that are enhanced when TWEAK is combined with carboplatin. Moreover, TWEAK in combination with chemotherapy induces expression of the CSC marker CD117 in CD117− cells. Blocking the TWEAK–Fn14–RelB signaling cascade with a small-molecule inhibitor of Fn14 prolongs survival following carboplatin chemotherapy in a mouse model of ovarian cancer. These data provide new insights into ovarian cancer CSC biology and highlight a signaling axis that should be explored for therapeutic development.

Implications:

This study identifies a unique mechanism for the induction of ovarian cancer stem cells that may serve as a novel therapeutic target for preventing relapse.
Detection of Proximal Caries Lesions on Bitewing Radiographs Using Deep Learning Method
Authors: Chen Xiaotong , Guo Jiachang , Ye Jiaxue , Zhang Mingming , Liang Yuhong
Published: October 2022

This study aimed to evaluate the validity of a deep learning-based convolutional neural network (CNN) for detecting proximal caries lesions on bitewing radiographs. A total of 978 bitewing radiographs, 10,899 proximal surfaces, were evaluated by two endodontists and a radiologist, of which 2,719 surfaces were diagnosed and annotated with proximal caries and 8,180 surfaces were sound. The data were randomly divided into two datasets, with 818 bitewings in the training and validation dataset and 160 bitewings in the test dataset. Each annotation in the test set was then classified into 5 stages according to the extent of the lesion (E1, E2, D1, D2, D3). Faster R-CNN, a deep learning-based object detection method, was trained to detect proximal caries in the training and validation dataset and then was assessed on the test dataset. The diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and receiver operating characteristic curve were calculated. The performance of the network in the overall and different stages of lesions was compared with that of postgraduate students on the test dataset. A total of 388 carious lesions and 1,435 sound surfaces were correctly identified by the neural network; hence, the accuracy was 0.87. Furthermore, 27.6% of lesions went undetected, and 7% of sound surfaces were misdiagnosed by the neural network. The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV of the neural network were 0.72, 0.93, 0.77, and 0.91, respectively. In contrast with the network, 52.8% of lesions went undetected by the students, yielding a sensitivity of only 0.47. The F1-score of the students was 0.57, while the F1-score of the network was 0.74 despite the accuracy of 0.82. A significant difference in the sensitivity was found between the model and the postgraduate students when detecting different stages of lesions (p < 0.05). For early lesions which limited in enamel and the outer third of dentin, the neural network had sensitivities all above or at 0.65, while students showed sensitivities below 0.40. From our results, we conclude that the CNN may be an assistant in detecting proximal caries on bitewings.