bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Dose-Response Relationship between Alcohol Consumption and the Risk of Type 2 Diabetes among Asian Men: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies
Authors: Han Manman
Published: August 2020

The objective of this review was to provide a summary of the literature on the dose-response relationship between alcohol consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D) in Asian populations, particularly men. The present study was recorded in PROSPERO as CRD 42019121073. We searched the PubMed-Medline, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library for studies published in any language since the database inception to January 2019. Prospective cohort studies were included in the meta-analysis. Relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated for random-effects models and dose-response meta-analyses. In total, 8 prospective cohort studies were included. High alcohol intake was significantly associated with increased risk of T2D (RR=1.16, 95% CI: 1.04–1.29; Q statistic p=0.326) compared to the lowest category of alcohol intake. Nonlinear association was observed between alcohol consumption and T2D risk in men (p=0.003). Dose-wise, consuming ≤57 g/day of alcohol was not associated with the risk of T2D in this study; however, alcohol intake >57 g/day was associated with increased risk of T2D in men. Overall, the association between alcohol consumption and T2D among Asian men was J-shaped. Lifestyle recommendations for prevention of T2D should include advice on limiting alcohol intake. This trial is registered with Prospero registration: CRD 42019121073.
Mitochondrial Respiratory Chain and Its Regulatory Elements SIRT1 and SIRT3 Play Important Role in the Initial Process of Energy Conversion after Moxibustion at Local Skin
Authors: Zhang Ning , Zhao Na , Xie Lu-shuang , Huang Biao , Lin Si-rui , Zhang Qun , Zhu Yuan-bing , Wu Qiao-feng , Yu Shu-guang
Published: August 2020

Objectives. To study how thermal energy is converted after moxibustion at local skin from the view of mitochondrial respiratory chain and its key regulatory elements of sirtuins 1 (SIRT1) and sirtuins 3 (SIRT3). Methods. Two moxibustion temperatures usually used in clinical practice (38°C and 46°C) were applied to Zusanli (ST36) acupoint for 30 minutes in C57BL/6J mice. Local skin samples were harvested at 30 min and 72 h after moxibustion intervention, respectively. The activity of mitochondrial respiratory chain complexes I–V was detected by spectrophotometry. The expression of SIRT1 and SIRT3 protein was detected by immunofluorescence staining or western blot. Results. Moxibustion at 38°C triggered more significant increase of mitochondrial respiratory chain complexes I–V expression. However, the protein expression of SIRT1 and SIRT3 at 46°C showed more obvious enhancement. In addition, the effect of mitochondrial respiratory chain complexes I–V activity on local skin of ST36 acupoint was more obvious at 30 min after moxibustion, while the expression of SIRT1 and SIRT3 protein was more significant at 72 h after moxibustion. Conclusion. Mitochondrial respiratory chain and its key regulatory element proteins SIRT1 and SIRT3 play important role in the initial process of thermal energy conversion stimulated by different moxibustion temperatures in local skin.
Bioinformatics Analysis of Key Genes and circRNA‐miRNA‐mRNA Regulatory Network in Gastric Cancer
Authors: Tian Yiting , Xing Yang , Zhang Zheng , Peng Rui , Zhang Luyu , Sun Yan
Published: August 2020

Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most common malignancies in the world, with morbidity and mortality ranking second among all cancers. Accumulating evidences indicate that circular RNAs (circRNAs) are closely correlated with tumorigenesis. However, the mechanisms of circRNAs still remain unclear. This study is aimed at determining hub genes and circRNAs and analyzing their potential biological functions in GC. Expression profiles of mRNAs and circRNAs were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) data sets of GC and paracancer tissues. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and differentially expressed circRNAs (DE‐circRNAs) were identified. The target miRNAs of DE‐circRNAs and the bidirectional interaction between target miRNAs and DEGs were predicted. Functional analysis was performed, and the protein‐protein interaction (PPI) network and the circRNA‐miRNA‐mRNA network were established. A total of 456 DEGs and 2 DE‐circRNAs were identified with 3 mRNA expression profiles and 2 circRNA expression profiles. GO analysis indicated that DEGs were mainly enriched in extracellular matrix and cell adhesion, and KEGG confirmed that DEGs were mainly associated with focal adhesion, the PI3K‐Akt signaling pathway, extracellular matrix‐ (ECM)‐ receptor interaction, and gastric acid secretion. 15 hub DEGs (BGN, COL1A1, COL1A2, FBN1, FN1, SPARC, SPP1, TIMP1, UBE2C, CCNB1, CD44, CXCL8, COL3A1, COL5A2, and THBS1) were identified from the PPI network. Furthermore, the survival analysis indicate that GC patients with a high expression of the following 9 hub DEGs, namely, BGN, COL1A1, COL1A2, FBN1, FN1, SPARC, SPP1, TIMP1, and UBE2C, had significantly worse overall survival. The circRNA‐miRNA‐mRNA network was constructed based on 1 circRNA, 15 miRNAs, and 45 DEGs. In addition, the 45 DEGs included 5 hub DEGs. These results suggested that hub DEGs and circRNAs could be implicated in the pathogenesis and development of GC. Our findings provide novel evidence on the circRNA‐miRNA‐mRNA network and lay the foundation for future research of circRNAs in GC.
Efficacy and Safety of Aidi Injection as an Adjuvant Therapy on Advanced Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
Authors: Chai Yihui , Chen Yunzhi , Li Wen , Qin Zhong , Gao Jie , Jiang Zhibin , Ge Yuhong , Guan Liancheng , Zhang Mengzhi , Liu Huaiquan , Yu Haiyang , Wang Qingxue , Yang Changfu
Published: August 2020

Background. Aidi injection (ADI) is being used widely for breast cancer in China. However, the efficacy and safety of it need to be summarized. We conducted a systematic review and meta‐analysis to compare ADI and non‐ADI treatment for advanced breast cancer. Methods. We searched PubMed, EMBASE, CNKI, SinoMed, and CENTRAL from inception to Jan 2020 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with diagnosis of advanced breast cancer that compared the efficacy of ADI with non‐ADI treatment. Two researchers screened the literature, extracted data, and evaluated risk of bias separately. The primary outcomes were overall response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR). The secondary outcomes included the QOL, immune cells, and adverse events. Review Manager software was used for estimating risks of bias of included studies, data analysis, and plotting. The sensitivity analysis and the publication bias test were performed using the R language. I2 and chi‐square tests were used to estimate heterogeneity. If P > 0.1 or I2 < 40%, the fixed‐effect model meta‐analysis was performed. A random or fixed‐effect analysis was used depending on the heterogeneity testing. Weighted mean difference (WMD) or standard mean difference (SMD) was used for analysis of continuous data, and the rate ratio (RR) was calculated for the dichotomous variable, respectively. Results. We included 14 studies with 1006 patients diagnosed as advanced breast cancer in total. The pooled effect showed that ADI increased ORR in advanced BC patients as an add‐on therapy with little heterogeneity (RR = 1.14, 95% CI 1.03–1.27). DCR in BC patients could not be improved by ADI. ADI improved the KPS score in BC patients compared with chemotherapy alone (MD = 3.26, 95% CI 1.74–4.78). There were no improvements on immune markers except CD4/CD8 and NK%. Serum tumor markers CEA and CA153 were decreased while treated with ADI, but only one trial was involved. ADI decreased the numbers of myelosuppression in advanced BC patients, and AST, ALT, γ‐GT, and CK‐MB were all decreased. The sensitivity evaluation indicated that the result of the pooled effect size had good stability. Conclusion. This meta‐analysis suggested that based on the existing evidence, treatment with ADI significantly changed the ORR of patients with advanced BC and improved their quality of life with few side effects. However, more randomized trials involving larger samples should be considered, and detailed mechanisms are needed to be uncovered.
Texture Analysis Improves the Value of Pretreatment 18F-FDG PET/CT in Predicting Interim Response of Primary Gastrointestinal Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma
Authors: Sun Yiwen , Qiao Xiangmei , Jiang Chong , Liu Song , Zhou Zhengyang
Published: August 2020

Objectives. To explore the application of pretreatment 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) texture analysis (TA) in predicting the interim response of primary gastrointestinal diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (PGIL-DLBCL). Methods. Pretreatment 18F-FDG PET/CT images of 30 PGIL-DLBCL patients were studied retrospectively. The interim response was evaluated after 3-4 cycles of chemotherapy. The complete response (CR) rates in patients with different clinicopathological characteristics were compared by Fisher’s exact test. The differences in the maximum standard uptake value (SUVmax), metabolic tumor volume (MTV), and texture features between the CR and non-CR groups were compared by the Mann–Whitney U test. Feature selection was performed according to the results of the Mann–Whitney U test and feature categories. The predictive efficacies of the SUVmax, MTV, and the selected texture features were assessed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. A prediction probability was generated by binary logistic regression analysis. Results. The SUVmax, MTV, some first-order texture features, volume, and entropy were significantly higher in the non-CR group. The energy was significantly lower in the non-CR group. The SUVmax, volume, and entropy were excellent predictors of the interim response, and the areas under the curves (AUCs) were 0.850, 0.805, and 0.800, respectively. The CR rate was significantly lower in patients with intestinal involvement. The prediction probability generated from the combination of the SUVmax, entropy, volume, and intestinal involvement had a higher AUC (0.915) than all single parameters. Conclusions. TA has potential in improving the value of pretreatment PET/CT in predicting the interim response of PGIL-DLBCL. However, prospective studies with large sample sizes and validation analyses are needed to confirm the current results.
Computer Kinesiology: New Diagnostic and Therapeutic Tool for Lower Back Pain Treatment (Pilot Study)
Authors: Honcu Pavla , Zach Petr , Mrzilkova Jana , Jandova Dobroslava , Musil Vladimir , Celko Alexander Martin
Published: August 2020

The aim of this study was to demonstrate the effectiveness of the diagnostic and therapeutic medical information system Computer Kinesiology in physiotherapy in patients with low back pain who were not responding to conventional therapy. Computer Kinesiology is primarily intended for the diagnostics and therapy of functional disorders of the locomotor system. This pilot study population included 55 patients (Group 1) with acute and chronic back pain and 51 persons (Group 2) without back pain. The third group was a control group of 67 healthy volunteers with no evidence of musculoskeletal pathologies and no back pain. All 173 subjects were examined three times by the diagnostic part of the Computer Kinesiology method. Groups 1 and 2 were treated after every diagnostics. Group 3 was not treated. The effect was evaluated by H score. Improvements after therapy were defined by reducing the H score by at least 1 point. In Group 1, the H score decreased by at least 1 point in 87.3% (95% CI: 75.5‐94.7) and in Group 2 in 78.4% (95% CI: 64.7‐88.7). There was no change of distribution of H Score grade in Group 3. The improvement neither depended on gender, age, and BMI nor was it influenced by the length of the therapy. This study demonstrated a high therapeutic efficacy of the Computer Kinesiology system in patients with back pain (Group 1) and in persons without back pain (Group 2) who used the Computer Kinesiology system for primary and secondary prevention of back pain.
Bali Belly:Salmonella senftenbergFound in an Infected Ovarian Endometrioma
Authors: Pathiraja P. D. M. , Rafi Junaid , Woolnough Emily , Clare Anna
Published: August 2020

Salmonella is an extremely rare cause of an infected endometrioma. We present a case of a 30-year-old immunocompetent woman presenting with fevers and abdominal pain, on a background of prior endometriosis. Initial antibiotic treatment for pelvic inflammatory disease failed, and the patient progressed to septic shock requiring surgical evacuation of an infected ovarian endometrioma. Microbiological samples from stool, ovary, and peritoneal fluid revealed infection withSalmonella senftenberg. The likely diagnosis was Salmonella enterocolitis with bacterial translocation to an ovarian endometrioma.
Ensemble Learning Prediction of Drug‐Target Interactions Using GIST Descriptor Extracted from PSSM‐Based Evolutionary Information
Authors: Zhan Xinke , You Zhuhong , Yu Changqing , Li Liping , Pan Jie
Published: August 2020

Identifying the drug‐target interactions (DTIs) plays an essential role in new drug development. However, there still has the limited knowledge of DTIs and a significant number of unknown DTI pairs. Moreover, the traditional experimental methods have inevitable disadvantages such as high cost and time‐consuming. Therefore, developing computational methods for predicting DTIs is attracting more and more attention. In this study, we report a novel computational approach for predicting DTI using GIST feature, position‐specific scoring matrix (PSSM), and rotation forest (RF). Specifically, each target protein is first converted into a PSSM for retaining evolutionary information. Then, the GIST feature is extracted from PSSM and substructure fingerprint information is adopted to extract the feature of the drug. Finally, combining each protein and drug features to form a new drug‐target pair, which is employed as input feature for RF classifier. In the experiment, the proposed method achieves high average accuracies of 89.25%, 85.93%, 82.36%, and 73.89% on enzyme, ion channel, G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), and nuclear receptor, respectively. For further evaluating the prediction performance of the proposed method, we compare it with the state‐of‐the‐art support vector machine (SVM) classifier on the same golden standard dataset. These promising results illustrate that the proposed method is more effective and stable than other methods. We expect the proposed method to be a useful tool for predicting large‐scale DTIs.
Study on Fuzzy Neural Sliding Mode Guidance Law with Terminal Angle Constraint for Maneuvering Target
Authors: Wang Xin , Qiu Xue
Published: August 2020

Aiming at the requirement that the guidance law should meet the minimum miss distance and the desired terminal angle at the same time, a sliding mode variable structure control method is introduced. In order to improve the fuzzy variable structure guidance law for maneuvering target attack effect, a neural network to the optimization design is carried out on the guidance law. The neural network is trained by the samples, which is under the condition of different error coefficient of angle, the coefficient of reaching law, and the coefficient of on-off item about target. Fuzzy neural sliding mode guidance law with terminal angle constraint can increase the performance of the large maneuvering target. In addition, on the basis of the traditional PC platform visual simulation system, a new guidance law simulation platform based on embedded system and virtual reality technology is formed. The platform can verify the validity of the guidance law.
Proteomic Analysis of Human Endometrial Tissues Reveals the Roles of PI3K/AKT/mTOR Pathway and Tumor Angiogenesis Molecules in the Pathogenesis of Endometrial Cancer
Authors: Liu Zhen , Hong Zhipan , Qu Pengpeng
Published: August 2020

As one major gynecological malignancy, endometrial cancer (EC) has been widely studied recently. However, its pathogenesis is still unclear to date. In this study, we identified differentially expressed proteins between 30 endometrial cancer tissues and 30 matched normal controls using 2D LC‐MS/MS quantitative proteomics. As a result, we identified 619 differentially expressed proteins among all 2521 proteins being quantified. Further analyses suggested that the changes of fat, amino acid metabolism, peroxisome, extracellular signal, cytoskeleton, and other signaling or metabolic pathways may be closely related to the development of this cancer. Particularly, the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway‐related molecules including PI3K and mTOR, ERK (the molecule of the ERK pathway), SPP1, and ANGPT2 (angiogenesis‐related molecules) are highly associated with the pathogenesis of EC, which were reconfirmed by western blot and immunohistochemistry (IHC) analysis. In summary, our study revealed that the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway and tumor angiogenesis molecules contribute to the pathogenesis of endometrial cancer.
Patient Satisfaction and Associated Factors among Outpatient Health Service Users at Primary Hospitals of North Gondar, Northwest Ethiopia, 2016
Authors: Eshetie Gojjam , Feleke Amsalu , Genetu Muluken
Published: August 2020

Introduction. Patient satisfaction with seeking health services is considered as one of the necessary outcomes of health system and measures of health service quality which is directly linked with utilization of the services. The results of this study were crucial and identified important findings for intervention by decision makers on critical need for patient satisfaction improvement as well as to provide evidence for stakeholders in improving quality of outpatient services. This study was aimed at assessing patient satisfaction and associated factors among outpatient health service users at primary hospitals of North Gondar, Northwest Ethiopia. Methods. Facility based cross-sectional study design was conducted in North Gondar from February to March, 2016, among outpatient health service users. Systematic sampling technique was used to get a total of 413 samples. A pretested structured interviewer administered questionnaire was used for data collection. The data were entered to Epi Info version 3.5.1 and exported to SPSS version 20 for analysis. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regression analysis were used to control cofounders and variables with p-value less than 0.05 at 95% CI were considered as significant. Result. This study showed that the overall patient satisfaction was found to be 56.1% at 95% CI (51.0–61.3). Out of all respondents, 218 (53.45%) were males and 130 (31.9%) of respondents were in the age group of ≥45 years. Availability of drugs within the hospitals, patient waiting time at registration room, waiting time to see a doctor after registration, and consulting on treatment options were found to be significantly associated with patient satisfaction. Conclusion. The overall patient satisfaction at North Gondar primary hospitals was rated low as compared to national figures. Hospital management bodies and health care service providers should give attention to improvement of drugs availability and reducing waiting time at registration room and the time length to see a doctor after registration in order to improve patients’ satisfaction.
Association between Body Mass Index and Reproductive Outcome in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Receiving IVF/ICSI‐ET
Authors: Zhou Han , Zhang Dan , Luo Zhuoye , Yang Aimin , Cui Na , Hao Guimin , Wang Wei
Published: August 2020

Objective. To examine the association between body mass index (BMI) and the outcome of in vitro fertilization or intracytoplasmic sperm injection embryo transfer‐ (IVF/ICSI‐ET) assisted reproduction in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) receiving the ultra‐long agonist protocol. Methods. We retrospectively identified all women receiving IVF/ICSI‐ET for the first time using the ultra‐long protocol between January 2013 and January 2018 at our hospital. Only women at ≤35 years of age receiving the first cycle were analyzed. Results. A total of 1782 women were included in the analysis: 42 were underweight, 742 were overweight, 198 were obese, and 800 were normal weight. Gonadotropin dosage and duration were comparable between underweight and normal weight groups but were significantly higher/longer in overweight and obese groups (P < 0.008). The number of oocytes retrieved was significantly lower in overweight and obese groups than in the normal weight group (P < 0.008). The number of transferable embryos was significantly higher in normal weight group than overweight and obese groups (P < 0.008). Embryo implantation rate, clinical pregnancy rate, full‐term birth rate, and live birth rate did not differ among the 4 groups. The cycle cancellation rate was lower in the overweight and obese group than normal weight group (P < 0.008). The miscarriage rate was higher in the obese group than the normal weight group (P < 0.008). In multivariate logistic regression analysis, abnormal BMI was an independent risk for miscarriage (OR: 1.069, 95% CI 1.020, 1.122; P = 0.006). Conclusion. Overweight and obesity are associated with poor outcomes in PCOS patients receiving ultra‐long protocol. Measures to reduce body weight should be encouraged in overweight and obese PCOS women at ≤35 years of age prior to assisted reproductive technology (ART).
The Impact of Preoperative Fasting Duration on Blood Glucose and Hemodynamics in Children
Authors: Hajian Pouran , Shabani Minoo , Khanlarzadeh Elham , Nikooseresht Mahshid
Published: August 2020

Background. Prolonged preoperative fasting is one of the concerns of pediatricians and anesthesiologists in pediatric surgery. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of preoperative fasting duration on blood glucose and hemodynamics in children. Methods. This cross-sectional study was conducted on 50 children who were between the ages of 3 and 12 years in Besat Hospital, Hamedan, Iran. The time of the last solid and liquid meal taken by child were recorded based on interview with the parents. The first blood glucose test was obtained in the operation room, and the second test was performed 20 minutes after induction of anesthesia by glucometer. Systolic blood pressure (SBP), mean arterial pressure (MAP), and heart rate (HR) were recorded before anesthesia induction and in five-minute intervals in the first 20 minutes of surgery. Results. The mean age of the children was 6.63 (SD 1.85) years. Mean blood glucose 20 minutes after surgery was 101.17 (SD 92) mg/dl, which was significantly higher than the baseline values (87.66 (SD 11.84) mg/dl) (P<0.001). The comparison of mean blood glucose level between groups of fasting with different duration for solids (<12 hours and >12 hours) and for liquids (<6 hours and >6 hours) revealed no significant difference in either groups (P>0.05). No significant correlation was observed between blood glucose level at the induction of anesthesia with weight and age (P>0.05). There was a significantly negative correlation between duration of fasting for liquids and SBP (P>0.05). Conclusion. Prolonged preoperative fasting cannot affect blood glucose in children; however, maybe it has impact on systolic blood pressure.
Study on the Similarity of Biomechanical Behavior between Gelatin and Porcine Liver
Authors: Zhao Jiyun , Cao Chao , Li Guilin , Chao Liuyin , Ding Haigang , Yao Yufeng , Song Liangchen , Jin Xin
Published: August 2020

As a natural polymer, gelatin is increasingly being used as a substitute for animals or humans for the simulation and testing of surgical procedures. In the current study, the similarity verification was neglected and a 10 wt.% or 20 wt.% gelatin sample was used directly. To compare the mechanical similarities between gelatin and biological tissues, different concentrations of gelatin samples were subjected to tensile, compression, and indentation tests and compared with porcine liver tissue. The loading rate in the three tests fully considered the surgical application conditions; notably, a loading speed up to 12 mm/s was applied in the indentation testing, the tensile test was performed at a speed of 1 mm/s until fracture, and the compression tests were compressed at a rate of 0.16 mm/s and 1 mm/s. A comparison of the results shows that the mechanical behaviors of low‐concentration gelatin samples involved in the study are similar to the mechanical behavior of porcine liver tissue. The results of the gelatin material were mathematically expressed by the Mooney‐Rivlin model and the Prony series. The results show that the material properties of gelatin can mimic the range of mechanical characteristics of porcine liver, and gelatin can be used as a matrix to further improve the similarity between substitute materials and biological tissues.
Modal-Decomposition-Dependent State-Space Modeling and Modal Analysis of a Rigid-Flexible, Coupled, Multifreedom Motion System: Theory and Experiment
Authors: Tang Qian , Guo Fuyu , Huang Tao , Yang Kaiming , Zhu Yu , Li Min
Published: August 2020

In a multiple degrees of freedom motion system with rigid-flexible coupling, the flexible internal dynamics have a significant negative impact on performance because the degrees of freedom are coupled. Inspired by this problem, a multi-input multioutput state-space model based on modal coordinates is proposed to decouple the rigid body and flexible modes. The closed-loop subspace identification method based on orthogonal is utilized to develop an unbiased standard state-space model. Based on the similarity principle, a modal analysis method is proposed to transfer the standard state-space model to the proposed modal-decomposition-dependent state-space model. Controllability and observability criteria are met to guarantee the minimum realization of the proposed state-space model. Finally, a modeling and modal analysis experiment is conducted on a developed wafer stage of lithographic tool. The results verify the effectiveness and accuracy of the proposed modeling method, as well as the controllability and observability of the proposed model.
Machine Learning in Neuroimaging: A New Approach to Understand Acupuncture for Neuroplasticity
Authors: Yin Tao , Ma Peihong , Tian Zilei , Xie Kunnan , He Zhaoxuan , Sun Ruirui , Zeng Fang
Published: August 2020

The effects of acupuncture facilitating neural plasticity for treating diseases have been identified by clinical and experimental studies. In the last two decades, the application of neuroimaging techniques in acupuncture research provided visualized evidence for acupuncture promoting neuroplasticity. Recently, the integration of machine learning (ML) and neuroimaging techniques becomes a focus in neuroscience and brings a new and promising approach to understand the facilitation of acupuncture on neuroplasticity at the individual level. This review is aimed at providing an overview of this rapidly growing field by introducing the commonly used ML algorithms in neuroimaging studies briefly and analyzing the characteristics of the acupuncture studies based on ML and neuroimaging, so as to provide references for future research.
Cable Force Identification Based on Bending Waves in Substructures
Authors: Huang Jing , Xiao Jun , Zhang Jinxiang , Jiang Fanying , Dai Yang , Zhang Mingjin
Published: August 2020

A method is proposed to study the dynamic characteristics of cable structures from the perspective of traveling waves based on the modified Timoshenko beam axial tension model. Considering the propagation characteristics of the bending wave in a beam structure, once the frequency response of the three measuring points is measured, the wave component coefficients can be obtained by the least squares method, and then the cable force and bending stiffness can be identified with the aim of minimizing the fitting residual. The accuracy of this method is verified by a numerical simulation experiment of the cable vibration. Compared with the traditional frequency method, this method focuses on the cable force identification of the substructure, so the effect of the shock absorber is invalid. Moreover, the cable force of each position of the cable can be calculated reversely by static analysis with the identified cable force of the substructure, which breaks the concept that the cable force is a single value. Furthermore, the cable force can be identified at each frequency sampling point, reducing the impact of the external disturbance.
Bone Marrow Concentrate in the Treatment of Aneurysmal Bone Cysts: A Case Series Study
Authors: Andreani Lorenzo , Shytaj Sheila , Neri Elisabetta , Cosseddu Fabio , D’Arienzo Antonio , Capanna Rodolfo
Published: August 2020

Introduction. A recent attractive option regarding mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) application is the treatment of bone cystic lesions and in particular aneurysmal bone cysts (ABC), in order to stimulate intrinsic healing. We performed a retrospective evaluation of the results obtained at our institution. Methods. The study group consisted of 46 cases with an average follow-up of 33 months. Forty-two patients underwent percutaneous treatment as the first approach; four patients had curettage as first treatment. In all cases, autologous bone marrow concentrate (BMC) was associated too. The healing status was followed up through a plain radiograph 45 days and 2 months after the procedure. Results and Conclusions. At the final follow-up, thirty-six patients healed with a Neer type II aspect, nine healed with a type I aspect, and one patient was not classified having total hip arthroplasty. Bone marrow concentrate is easy to obtain and to manipulate and can be immediately available in a clinical setting. We can assert that the use of BMC must be encouraged being harmless and having an unquestionable high osteogenic and healing potential in bone defects.
Computer-Aided System for the Detection of Multicategory Pulmonary Tuberculosis in Radiographs
Authors: Xie Yilin , Wu Zhuoyue , Han Xin , Wang Hongyu , Wu Yifan , Cui Lei , Feng Jun , Zhu Zhaohui , Chen Zhongyuanlong
Published: August 2020

The early screening and diagnosis of tuberculosis plays an important role in the control and treatment of tuberculosis infections. In this paper, an integrated computer-aided system based on deep learning is proposed for the detection of multiple categories of tuberculosis lesions in chest radiographs. In this system, the fully convolutional neural network method is used to segment the lung area from the entire chest radiograph for pulmonary tuberculosis detection. Different from the previous analysis of the whole chest radiograph, we focus on the specific tuberculosis lesion areas for the analysis and propose the first multicategory tuberculosis lesion detection method. In it, a learning scalable pyramid structure is introduced into the Faster Region-based Convolutional Network (Faster RCNN), which effectively improves the detection of small-area lesions, mines indistinguishable samples during the training process, and uses reinforcement learning to reduce the detection of false-positive lesions. To compare our method with the current tuberculosis detection system, we propose a classification rule for whole chest X-rays using a multicategory tuberculosis lesion detection model and achieve good performance on two public datasets (Montgomery: AUC = 0.977 and accuracy = 0.926; Shenzhen: AUC = 0.941 and accuracy = 0.902). Our proposed computer-aided system is superior to current systems that can be used to assist radiologists in diagnoses and public health providers in screening for tuberculosis in areas where tuberculosis is endemic.
Deep Learning Based Abstractive Text Summarization: Approaches, Datasets, Evaluation Measures, and Challenges
Authors: Suleiman Dima , Awajan Arafat
Published: August 2020

In recent years, the volume of textual data has rapidly increased, which has generated a valuable resource for extracting and analysing information. To retrieve useful knowledge within a reasonable time period, this information must be summarised. This paper reviews recent approaches for abstractive text summarisation using deep learning models. In addition, existing datasets for training and validating these approaches are reviewed, and their features and limitations are presented. The Gigaword dataset is commonly employed for single-sentence summary approaches, while the Cable News Network (CNN)/Daily Mail dataset is commonly employed for multisentence summary approaches. Furthermore, the measures that are utilised to evaluate the quality of summarisation are investigated, and Recall-Oriented Understudy for Gisting Evaluation 1 (ROUGE1), ROUGE2, and ROUGE-L are determined to be the most commonly applied metrics. The challenges that are encountered during the summarisation process and the solutions proposed in each approach are analysed. The analysis of the several approaches shows that recurrent neural networks with an attention mechanism and long short-term memory (LSTM) are the most prevalent techniques for abstractive text summarisation. The experimental results show that text summarisation with a pretrained encoder model achieved the highest values for ROUGE1, ROUGE2, and ROUGE-L (43.85, 20.34, and 39.9, respectively). Furthermore, it was determined that most abstractive text summarisation models faced challenges such as the unavailability of a golden token at testing time, out-of-vocabulary (OOV) words, summary sentence repetition, inaccurate sentences, and fake facts.
Correlations between Excessive Body Mass Index, Body Perception, Physical Activity, and Respiratory Functions among Youths in an Urban Setting of Vietnam
Authors: Nguyen Lan. P. T. , Nguyen Bach X. , Ngo Tam T. , Nguyen Yen H. N. , Phan Hang T.
Published: August 2020

Young adults are susceptible to overweight and obesity and their adverse outcomes. However, limited studies have been conducted to understand this health problem in Vietnamese youths. This study was conducted to examine the rate of overweight and obesity, as well as the relationship between this condition on body perception, physical activity, and respiratory function among young adults in Hanoi, Vietnam. We performed a cross‐sectional survey with 367 students aged 18‐25 years at the Hanoi University of Pharmacy from June 2017 to June 2018. The result showed that the rate of overweight and obesity in our sample was 16.6%. There were 55.7% of overweight/obese students having the misperception of their body image. Results of multivariate regression analysis showed that overweight/obesity increased nearly three times (OR = 2.8, 95% CI: 1.5‐5.0) the ability to be active. Overweight/obese students with physical activity had a better respiratory function. To conclude, this study underlined the associations between overweight and obesity with physical activity, body image, and respiratory function in our young sample. Further longitudinal studies should be warranted to examine their causal relationships.
Structural Optimization and Enhanced Prodrug-Mediated Delivery Overcomes Camptothecin Resistance in High-Risk Solid Tumors
Authors: Nguyen Ferro , Guan Peng , Guerrero David T. , Kolla Venkatadri , Naraparaju Koumudi , Perry Lauren M. , Soberman Danielle , Pressly Benjamin B. , Alferiev Ivan S. , Chorny Michael , Brodeur Garrett M.
Published: August 2020

Camptothecins are potent topoisomerase I inhibitors used to treat high-risk pediatric solid tumors, but they often show poor efficacy due to intrinsic or acquired chemoresistance. Here, we developed a multivalent, polymer-based prodrug of a structurally optimized camptothecin (SN22) designed to overcome key chemoresistance mechanisms. The ability of SN22 vs. SN38 (the active form of irinotecan/CPT-11) to overcome efflux pump-driven drug resistance was tested. Tumor uptake and biodistribution of SN22 as a polymer-based prodrug (PEG-[SN22]4) compared with SN38 was determined. The therapeutic efficacy of PEG-[SN22]4 to CPT-11 was compared in: (i) spontaneous neuroblastomas (NB) in transgenic TH-MYCN mice; (ii) orthotopic xenografts of a drug-resistant NB line SK-N-BE(2)C (mutated TP53); (iii) flank xenografts of a drug-resistant NB-PDX; and (iv) xenografts of Ewing sarcoma and rhabdomyosarcoma. Unlike SN38, SN22 inhibited NB cell growth regardless of ABCG2 expression levels. SN22 prodrug delivery resulted in sustained intratumoral drug concentrations, dramatically higher than those of SN38 at all time points. CPT-11/SN38 treatment had only marginal effects on tumors in transgenic mice, but PEG-[SN22]4 treatment caused complete tumor regression lasting over 6 months (tumor free at necropsy). PEG-[SN22]4 also markedly extended survival of mice with drug-resistant, orthotopic NB and it caused long-term (6+ months) remissions in 80% to 100% of NB and sarcoma xenografts. SN22 administered as a multivalent polymeric prodrug resulted in increased and protracted tumor drug exposure compared with CPT-11, leading to long-term “cures” in NB models of intrinsic or acquired drug resistance, and models of high-risk sarcomas, warranting its further development for clinical trials.

Significance:

SN22 is an effective and curative multivalent macromolecular agent in multiple solid tumor mouse models, overcoming common mechanisms of drug resistance with the potential to elicit fewer toxicities than most cancer therapeutics.
Changes in Peripheral and Local Tumor Immunity after Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Reshape Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Breast Cancer
Authors: Axelrod Margaret L. , Nixon Mellissa J. , Gonzalez-Ericsson Paula I. , Bergman Riley E. , Pilkinton Mark A. , McDonnell Wyatt J. , Sanchez Violeta , Opalenik Susan R. , Loi Sherene , Zhou Jing , Mackay Sean , Rexer Brent N. , Abramson Vandana G. , Jansen Valerie M. , Mallal Simon , Donaldson Joshua , Tolaney Sara M. , Krop Ian E. , Garrido-Castro Ana C. , Marotti Jonathan D. , Shee Kevin , Miller Todd W. , Sanders Melinda E. , Mayer Ingrid A. , Salgado Roberto , Balko Justin M.
Published: August 2020

Purpose:

The recent approval of anti-programmed death-ligand 1 immunotherapy in combination with nab-paclitaxel for metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) highlights the need to understand the role of chemotherapy in modulating the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME).

Experimental Design:

We examined immune-related gene expression patterns before and after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) in a series of 83 breast tumors, including 44 TNBCs, from patients with residual disease (RD). Changes in gene expression patterns in the TIME were tested for association with recurrence-free (RFS) and overall survival (OS). In addition, we sought to characterize the systemic effects of NAC through single-cell analysis (RNAseq and cytokine secretion) of programmed death-1–high (PD-1HI) CD8+ peripheral T cells and examination of a cytolytic gene signature in whole blood.

Results:

In non-TNBC, no change in expression of any single gene was associated with RFS or OS, while in TNBC upregulation of multiple immune-related genes and gene sets were associated with improved long-term outcome. High cytotoxic T-cell signatures present in the peripheral blood of patients with breast cancer at surgery were associated with persistent disease and recurrence, suggesting active antitumor immunity that may indicate ongoing disease burden.

Conclusions:

We have characterized the effects of NAC on the TIME, finding that TNBC is uniquely sensitive to the immunologic effects of NAC, and local increases in immune genes/sets are associated with improved outcomes. However, expression of cytotoxic genes in the peripheral blood, as opposed to the TIME, may be a minimally invasive biomarker of persistent micrometastatic disease ultimately leading to recurrence.
Long-Term Results after Anastomotic Leakage following Rectal Cancer Surgery: A Comparison of Treatment with Endo-Sponge and Transanal Irrigation
Authors: Weréen Alice , Dahlberg Martin , Heinius Göran , Pieniowski Emil , Saraste Deborah , Eklöv Karolina , Nygren Jonas , Pekkari Klas , Everhov Åsa H.
Published: August 2020

Objective: We aimed to evaluate long-term results in patients from regular health care treated with endoscopic transanal closure system, that is, endoscopic vacuum-assisted closure system (EVAC) compared to transanal irrigation. Methods: In this retrospective, medical chart-based, observational study, we included patients with anastomotic leakage after low anterior resection for rectal cancer from 3 Stockholm hospitals 2006–2016 and compared time to first stoma closure in a Kaplan-Meier model and the proportion of patients who were stoma-free at end of follow-up. Results: Anastomotic leakage was found in 81 patients who were followed up in median 5.9 years (min–max: 0.53–13). EVAC was used on 14 (17%) patients and transanal irrigation on 34 (42%) patients. The remaining 33 (41%) patients either got a permanent colostomy or were treated only with antibiotics and percutaneous drainage. Treatment with EVAC or transanal irrigation led to similar rates of stoma closure, both when comparing all patients, and when comparing patients with similar defects. At the end of follow-up, 43% of patients treated with EVAC and 50% of patients treated with repeated irrigation were stoma-free (p = 0.75). Conclusions: We found no evidence of better outcomes in patients treated with EVAC. The study was, however, limited by small sample size.
Comparison between 1.5- and 3-T Magnetic Resonance Acquisitions for Direct Targeting Stereotactic Procedures for Deep Brain Stimulation: A Phantom Study
Authors: Poulen Gaëtan , Chan Seng Emilie , Menjot De Champfleur Nicolas , Cif Laura , Cyprien Fabienne , Perez Jerome , Coubes Philippe
Published: August 2020

Introduction: Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a well-established treatment for movement disorders. High magnetic fields could have an impact on distortion. We evaluated 1.5- and 3-T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequences for accuracy, precision, and trueness of our MRI-guided direct targeting protocol. Methods: Effects of distortion on MR sequences (T1- and T2-weighted sequences) can be evaluated using a dedicated phantom (Elekta). Field strength capabilities were assessed on Siemens Avanto (1.5 T) and Skyra (3 T) scanners. We assessed the precision of our stereotactic MRI-guided procedure. Results: We focused on the risk of error due to a high field strength. Error values on the localizer box were between 0.4 and 0.7 mm at 1.5 T and between 0.6 and 2 mm at 3 T. The most accurate 1.5-T sequence is the 3D FLASH T1-weighted sequence, which had an accuracy value of 0.6 mm. At 3 T, the accuracy value of the isotropic 3D FLASH T1-weighted sequence was 1.6 mm. Conclusion: Given the millimetric size of stereotactic targets and electrodes, lead implantation for neuromodulation therapy needs to be accurate. We demonstrate that 3-T imaging could not be used for stereotaxy in our MRI-guided direct targeting protocol because of a risk of error induced by distortion.
Clinical Practice Guidelines for Bladder Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Using the AGREE II Instrument
Authors: Maisch Philipp , Retz Margitta , Gschwend Jürgen E. , Koll Florestan , Schmid Sebastian C.
Published: August 2020

Context: Numerous health care organizations have established guidelines on diagnosis and treatment of bladder cancer. However, the lack of a standardized guideline development approach results in considerable differences of the guidelines’ methodological quality. Objective: To assess the methodological quality of all relevant clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) for urinary bladder cancer and provide a reference for clinicians in choosing guidelines of high methodological quality. Evidence Acquisition: A systematic literature search was conducted in Medline via PubMed, 4 CPG databases, and 7 databases of interdisciplinary organizations. CPGs for non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) and muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) with the topics screening, pathology, diagnosis, treatment, and aftercare published in English language between 2012 and 2018 were included. The CPG quality was analyzed using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation (AGREE) II instrument. Evidence Synthesis: A total of 16 CPGs were included for the quality appraisal. Because of predefined criteria, 5 CPGs were “strongly recommended” (American Urological Association NMIBC, European Association of Urology [EAU] NMIBC, EAU MIBC, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, and National Comprehensive Cancer Network), 4 CPGs were “weakly recommended” and 7 CPGs were “not recommended.” Conclusions: The methodological quality of bladder cancer guidelines is diverse. Considering the rapid development of new therapies (e.g., immune checkpoint inhibitors), “living guidelines” of high methodological quality, such as the EAU NMIBC or MIBC guideline, will become more relevant in the future guideline’s landscape.
Papanicolaou Staining and Processing Troubleshooting Exercise Using Digital Pathology: Peer Comparison in an External Quality Assurance Setting
Authors: Pagliuso Julia , Greaves Janelle , Lau Adeline , Badrick Tony
Published: August 2020

Background: The Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia Quality Assurance Programs (RCPAQAP) offers a comprehensive range of External Quality Assurance programs for all disciplines of pathology and is committed to delivering programs to advance outcomes in patient care and promote excellence in laboratory diagnostic and technical proficiency. Proficiency testing in cytopreparatory techniques became available for formal enrolment in 2018. The 2019 technical program focused on the demonstration of a laboratory to troubleshoot problems encountered during staining and processing. The exercise provided a peer comparison of a laboratory’s ability to (1) identify the problem viewed from a digital image and (2) describe the troubleshooting steps to rectify the problem using assessment guidelines. Methods: Ten troubleshooting exercises including whole-slide z-stacked virtual images, a reference slide, and an online Result Entry questionnaire were provided. Common staining and processing problems were demonstrated in these exercises. Multiple-choice responses were made available to participants for each case with 1 response requiring submission. Participants were then allowed free text to describe how they would rectify the problem. Results: Of the 72 participants who participated, 62 participants (86%) achieved a satisfactory assessment, 6 participants (8%) received a borderline assessment, and 4 participants (6%) received an unsatisfactory assessment. The average mark obtained was 32.7 out of a total of 45 marks, which equates to a satisfactory assessment. The highest mark obtained for this survey was 42.5. Conclusions: Quality cytopathology preparatory techniques are integral to mitigating the risk of diagnostic error. The digital pathology platform allowed homogeneity of samples for all participants and appeared to be a satisfactory mode for demonstrating the technical problems to participants. Laboratories participating in this survey showed good performance in identifying processing and staining problems on virtual images and working through the troubleshooting steps. The exercise also identified a method for troubleshooting formalin vapour-affected slides using citrate buffer which may be useful for laboratories following in-house validation.