bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Outcome of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia in lymphoid blastic phase and Philadelphia chromosome–positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia treated with hyper‐CVAD and dasatinib
Authors: Morita Kiyomi , Kantarjian Hagop M. , Sasaki Koji , Issa Ghayas C. , Jain Nitin , Konopleva Marina , Short Nicholas J. , Takahashi Koichi , DiNardo Courtney D. , Kadia Tapan M. , Garcia‐Manero Guillermo , Daver Naval , Montalban Bravo Guillermo , Cortes Jorge E. , Ravandi Farhad , Jabbour Elias
Published: April 2021

BACKGROUND

Dasatinib monotherapy has demonstrated modest clinical activity in chronic myeloid leukemia in lymphoid blastic phase (CML‐LBP). The outcome of Philadelphia chromosome (Ph)–positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) has dramatically improved with hyperfractionated cyclophosphamide, vincristine sulfate, doxorubicin hydrochloride, and dexamethasone (hyper‐CVAD) in combination with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs).

METHODS

The authors reviewed 85 patients (23 with CML‐LBP and 62 with newly diagnosed Ph‐positive ALL) who received hyper‐CVAD plus dasatinib.

RESULTS

In the CML‐LBP cohort, 19 had prior chronic myeloid leukemia as chronic phase (n = 17; 74%), accelerated phase (n = 1; 4%), or myeloid blastic phase (n = 1; 4%); 4 (17%) presented with de novo CML‐LBP. The BCR‐ABL1 transcript was p210 in 22 patients (96%) and p190 in 1 patient (4%). In the Ph‐positive ALL cohort, p210 and p190 transcripts were detected in 13 patients (21%) and 48 patients (77%), respectively. Patients with CML‐LBP were less likely to achieve deep molecular remission than patients with Ph‐positive ALL: the major molecular response (MMR) rates were 70% and 95%, respectively (P = .007), and the complete molecular response (CMR) rates were 55% and 74%, respectively (P = .16). Survival outcomes were similar for CML‐LBP and Ph‐positive ALL: the 5‐year overall survival (OS) rates were 59% and 48%, respectively (P = .97). Allogeneic stem cell transplantation was associated with a better outcome in CML‐LBP (5‐year OS rate, 88% vs 57%; P = .04). In Ph‐positive ALL, the outcome was driven by deeper molecular remission: the 5‐year OS rates were 63% and 25% with CMR and MMR, respectively (P = .002).

CONCLUSIONS

The outcome of CML‐LBP has improved with hyper‐CVAD plus dasatinib therapy with survival comparable to that of Ph‐positive ALL. Further improvement may be achieved with the use of novel TKIs and targeted agents.
Central nervous system relapse in a child with anaplastic large cell lymphoma: potential for new therapeutic strategies
Authors: Raffa Enass H. , Branson Helen M. , Ngan Bo , Alexander Sarah , Abla Oussama
Published: April 2021

Background

Central nervous system (CNS) relapse is rare in childhood anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) and is associated with a poor prognosis.

Case

We describe an 8‐year‐old boy with ALCL who developed an early CNS relapse without initial CNS disease. Despite aggressive medical management, the patient's neurological status deteriorated rapidly and he died shortly after.

Conclusion

Optimal treatment for children with relapsed ALCL involving the CNS remains unclear. Novel agents, including ALK inhibitors, that have CNS‐penetration might be helpful and pediatric studies are warranted.
Product color emotional design based on a convolutional neural network and search neural network
Authors: Ding Man , Cheng Yu , Zhang Jinyong , Du Guanyi
Published: April 2021

Due to the growing trend of social manufacturing, product design has focused on meeting the emotional needs of users. As a product attribute, color plays an important role in meeting these needs. Therefore, product color emotional design has attracted the attention of researchers. However, a user's perception of the emotional image of product color is highly complex, and it is difficult to define this perception accurately. To this end, based on the theoretical framework of Kansei engineering, this study proposes a product color emotional design method based on a convolutional neural network and a search neural network. First, we implement a semantic differential experiment to ascertain the user's color image. Then we use a convolutional neural network to establish a complex association model between the product color and the user's emotional imagery. Based on this model, the search neural network is used to search and generate the product color design scheme that meets the target image. Finally, a product color design system applicable to practical design problems is developed. An example of the design of a home service robot demonstrates that the proposed method and system provides accurate product color design solutions that meet the needs of the user's emotional image and can be used to develop practical large‐scale applications of product color emotional design theory and methods.
Heterogeneity in African savanna elephant distributions and their impacts on trees in Kruger National Park, South Africa
Authors: Abraham Joel O. , Goldberg Emily R. , Botha Judith , Staver A. Carla
Published: April 2021

Though elephants are a major cause of savanna tree mortality and threaten vulnerable tree species, managing their impact remains difficult, in part because relatively little is known about how elephant impacts are distributed throughout space.

This is exacerbated by uncertainty about what determines the distribution of elephants themselves, as well as whether the distribution of elephants is even informative for understanding the distribution of their impacts.

To better understand the factors that underlie elephant impacts, we modeled elephant distributions and their damage to trees with respect to soil properties, water availability, and vegetation in Kruger National Park, South Africa, using structural equation modeling.

We found that bull elephants and mixed herds differed markedly in their distributions, with bull elephants concentrating in sparsely treed basaltic sites close to artificial waterholes and mixed herds aggregating around permanent rivers, particularly in areas with little grass.

Surprisingly, we also found that the distribution of elephant impacts, while highly heterogeneous, was largely unrelated to the distribution of elephants themselves, with damage concentrated instead in densely treed areas and particularly on basaltic soils.

Results underscore the importance of surface water for elephants but suggest that elephant water dependence operates together with other landscape factors, particularly vegetation community composition and historical management interventions, to influence elephant distributions.
Image sensor with hybrid emission filter for in vivo fluorescent imaging
Authors: Sasagawa Kiyotaka , Rustami Erus , Ohta Yasumi , Haruta Makito , Takehara Hironari , Tashiro Hiroyuki , Ohta Jun
Published: April 2021

In this paper, we report a method of fabricating an implantable image sensor equipped a bandpass hybrid filter for highly sensitive fluorescence observation. A hybrid filter that combines an interference filter and an absorption filter enables a high excitation light removal performance in an implantable image sensor that does not use a lens. In this study, a thin hybrid filter was successfully mounted on the image sensor using the transfer method by using a laser lift‐off technique. The transferred filter has no crack. It was demonstrated that the prototype device exhibited high excitation light removal performance and was able to acquire a fluorescent image with high contrast.
Human Exposures to Neonicotinoids in Kumasi, Ghana
Authors: Nimako Collins , Ikenaka Yoshinori , Akoto Osei , Bortey-Sam Nesta , Ichise Takahiro , Nakayama Shouta M.M. , Asante Kwadwo A. , Fujioka Kazutoshi , Taira Kumiko , Ishizuka Mayumi
Published: April 2021

Neonicotinoid insecticides (NNIs) are now popular in many agricultural systems across Africa; however, the extent of human exposures to NNIs in African countries is scarcely reported. The present study evaluates neonicotinoid exposures in the consumer population of Kumasi, a cosmopolitan city in Ghana. A total of 75 human urine samples were collected from healthy volunteers (nonfarmers, aged 13–80 yr) and analyzed with a liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry system. Seven NNIs and 3 NNI metabolites were detected in the following pattern (frequency, median concentration, maximum concentration): N-dm-acetamiprid (94.7%, 0.41 µg/L, 8.79 µg/L) > imidacloprid (70.7%, 0.15 µg/L, 211.62 µg/L) > N-(6-chloro-3-pyridylmethyl)-N-ethyl-N′-methylformamidine (62.2%, 0.43 µg/L, 53.85 µg/L) > 2-[N-(6-chloro-3-pyridylmethyl)-N-ethylamino]-2-(methylimino)acetic acid (56.8%, 0.10 µg/L, 3.53 µg/L) > clothianidin (40%, >limit of quantification [LOQ], 0.45 µg/L) > nitenpyram (18.7%, >LOQ, 0.14 µg/L) ≈ thiamethoxam (18.7%, >LOQ, 0.21 µg/L) > dinotefuran (12.0%, >LOQ, 1.01 µg/L) > acetamiprid (2.7%, >LOQ, 0.08 µg/L) ≈ thiacloprid (2.7%, >LOQ, 0.14 µg/L). Approximately 92% of the subjects were found to be exposed to multiple neonicotinoids simultaneously. The mean, median, and maximum imidacloprid equivalent of the relative potency factor of NNIs were found to be 1.6, 0.5, and 22.52, respectively. The median estimated daily intakes of acetamiprid, imidacloprid, and nitenpyram were 0.47, 1.27, and 0.02 µg/kg/d for females and 0.91, 0.66, and 0.08 µg/kg/d for males, respectively. The maximum daily intakes of all the NNIs were <1% of their chronic reference doses (cRfDs), except for imidacloprid and thiacloprid which recorded maximum daily intakes corresponding to 17.97 and 8.28% of cRfDs, respectively. To the best of our knowledge, the present study is the first biomonitoring report on neonicotinoid insecticides in Africa. Environ Toxicol Chem 2021;40:2306–2318. © 2021 SETAC
An intelligent collaborative inference approach of service partitioning and task offloading for deep learning based service in mobile edge computing networks
Authors: Li Xuejing , Qin Yajuan , Zhou Huachun , Zhang Zhewei
Published: April 2021

As the rapid evolution of smart devices and real‐time applications, many new kinds of computation‐intensive services have been emerged successively and the corresponding requirements have been growing dramatically. Extended from cloud computing, mobile edge computing (MEC) is a novel technology which can provide powerful computing resource at the proximity of resource‐restrained mobile devices. Thus, it enables collaboration between edge server and mobile device, which can improve the quality of experience for users. In this article, we propose an intelligent collaborative inference (ICI) approach for real‐time computation‐intensive services in MEC network, which can achieve intelligent service partitioning and partial task offloading. Since machine learning algorithms have been applied in many applications with the advancement of big data and computing power, we focus on the services based on deep‐learning. Particularly, we research a service based on Pose‐Net model to achieve human pose estimation in the field of computer vision. And we design relevant ICI algorithm to achieve fine‐grained video stream processing in consideration of video service requirement, deep neural network (DNN) model structure, mobile device capability, wireless network condition, and cooperative server workload. Based on Python programming language and TensorFlow library, we test the ICI approach with some practical simulation parameters on real hardware platforms. The experiment results show that the presented ICI approach have superior performance in terms of service frame rate and client energy consumption than other benchmark approaches.
Permeability evolution in tectonic coal: The roles of moisture and pressurized water‐injection
Authors: Yanfei Kang , Jinyang Fan , Peng Liu , Junsheng Du , Deyi Jiang
Published: April 2021

Water often influences the exploitation of Coalbed methane (CBM) as well as the hydraulically enhanced permeability; it is therefore useful to objectively quantify the permeation properties of a CBM reservoir with different moisture contents. Based on the occurrence of CBM and the laws governing gas flow in CBM reservoirs, gas seepage experiments were carried out on the coal collected from the Baijiao mine in Sichuan, China. Various moisture contents were evaluated using natural coal samples, dry coal samples heated in an oven for various periods, and coal samples wet by soaking them in different pressure water under a constant effective confining stress. Results showed that: (1) The coal moisture decreased gradually with the drying time and increased with the soaking time. When coal is soaked in high pressure water (5–20 MPa), the moisture content in coal will increase from 2.60 to 3.85% with the increasing of water pressure. (2) The permeability of soaked coal decreased with the increasing of gas pressure, while the permeability of natural coal firstly decreased and then increased with the pore pressure decrease. (3) For the coal with higher moisture contents, gas permeability is more sensitive to the reduction of pore pressure, which may be due to the alteration of fracture structure induced by high‐pressure water injection. (4) Moisture content of coal affects the slippage effect in coal pores, and a higher moisture in coal will result in the decrease effective pore throat, incurring a stronger slippage flow and a higher apparent permeability of coal. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Human Factors and Ergonomics and the management of existential threats: A work domain analysis of a COVID‐19 return from lockdown restrictions system
Authors: Salmon Paul M. , Stevens Nicholas , McLean Scott , Hulme Adam , Read Gemma J. M.
Published: April 2021

Following strict “lockdown” restrictions designed to control the spread of the COVID‐19 virus, many jurisdictions are now engaged in a process of easing restrictions in an attempt to stimulate economic and social activity while continuing to suppress virus transmission. This is challenging and complex, and in several regions, new outbreaks have emerged. We argue that systems Human Factors and Ergonomics methods can assist in understanding and optimizing the return from lockdown. To demonstrate, we used work domain analysis to develop an abstraction hierarchy model of a generic “return from lockdown restrictions” system. The model was assessed to identify (a) issues preventing a successful return from lockdown; and (b) leverage points that could be exploited to optimize future processes. The findings show that the aim of continuing to suppress virus transmission conflicts with the aims of returning to pre‐virus economic and social activity levels. As a result, many functions act against each other, ensuring that the system cannot optimally achieve all three of its primary aims. Potential leverage points include modifying the goals and rules of the system and enhancing communications and feedback. Specifically, it is argued that moderating economic aims and modifying how social and community activities are undertaken will result in longer term suppression of the virus.
Drying increases organic colloidal mobilization in the karst vadose zone: Evidence from a 15‐year cave‐monitoring study
Authors: Liao Jin , Hu Chaoyong , Li Xiuli , Ruan Jiaoyang
Published: April 2021

Understanding the hydrological processes of colloids within the karst vadose zone is vital to the security of karst groundwater and providing appropriate paleohydrological explanations of colloid‐facilitated metals in speleothem. This study addresses the mobilization mechanisms driving colloidal organic matter (COM) transport in the karst vadose zone using a 15‐year long monthly monitoring dataset from a cave drip point (HS4) in Heshang Cave, Qingjiang Valley, China. Variations in COM concentrations were reported as the fluorescence difference values of raw and filtered (<0.22 μm) samples at an excitation wavelength of 320 nm and emission wavelength of ~400 nm. A fluorescence humification index (HIX) lower than 0.8 and an autochthonous index (BIX) higher than 1.2 indicated that the origin of COM was mainly from the karst vadose zone, rather than the soil zone. The COM concentration varied from 0.001 to 0.038 Raman Unit (RU), with evident seasonal fluctuations. Rising limbs for COM values occurred prior to rising limbs within a dripwater hydrograph; moreover, the COM peak values corresponding to the beginning of the increasing hydrograph generally suggested that the mobilization of COM reflected the movement of the air–water interface (AWI) in the karst vadose zone rather than rainfall intensity or flow velocity. COM peak values were positively correlated with the antecedent drying duration and negatively correlated with HIX values. These phenomena may be explained by the increased amount of organic matter that was aggregated and absorbed on the surface of carbonate in the karst vadose zone during a longer drying duration. Moreover, the longer drying duration was also beneficial to autochthonous biological activity, which subsequently decreased the HIX value of the organic matter in the karst vadose zone. The movement of AWI and the drying duration are both controlled by the outside weather conditions. This study is therefore conducive to evaluating the security of karst groundwater in response to climate change, and challenges prevailing paleoclimate interpretations of colloid‐facilitated metal abundance timeseries reported from speleothems.
Is euro area lowflation here to stay? Insights from a time‐varying parameter model with survey data
Authors: Stevens Arnoud , Wauters Joris
Published: April 2021

We build a time‐varying parameter model that jointly explains the dynamics of euro area inflation and inflation expectations. Our goal is to explain the weak inflation during the post‐financial crisis economic recovery of 2013–2019. We find that the inclusion of survey data leads to a more muted decline of trend inflation in recent years and more economic slack. Moreover, the impact of economic slack and import prices on inflation has recently strengthened, and survey respondents updated their beliefs more actively over the financial crisis period. Our model compares well against restricted specifications in terms of forecast performance and marginal likelihood.
In vitro comparison of harvesting site effects on cardiac extracellular matrix hydrogels
Authors: Mulvany Emily , McMahan Sara , Xu Jiazhu , Yazdani Narges , Willits Rebecca , Liao Jun , Zhang Ge , Hong Yi
Published: April 2021

Cardiac extracellular matrix (cECM) derived hydrogel has been investigated to treat myocardial infarction through animal studies and clinical trials. The tissue harvesting site commonly selects porcine left ventricle (LV) because heart attack majorly takes place in LV. However, little is known about whether the region of cardiac tissue harvesting is critical for downstream applications. In this work, in vitro studies to compare cECM hydrogels derived from adult porcine whole heart (WH), LV, and right ventricle (RV) were performed. The cECM from WH has similar chemical composition compared with cECM from LV and RV. All three types of cECM hydrogels share many similarities in terms of their microstructure, gelation time, and mechanical properties. WH‐derived cECM hydrogels have larger variations in storage modulus (G′) and complex modulus (G*) compared with the other two types of cECM hydrogels. Both human cardiomyocytes and mesenchymal stem cells could maintain high cell viability on all hydrogels without significant difference. In terms of above results, the cECM hydrogels from WH, LV and RV exhibited similarity in material properties and cell response in vitro. Thus, future fabrication of cECM hydrogels from WH would increase the yield, which would decrease processing time and production cost.
The Inspired Life Program: Development of a multicomponent positive psychology intervention for rural adults in Ghana
Authors: Appiah Richard , Wilson Fadiji Angelina , Wissing Marié P. , Schutte Lusilda
Published: April 2021

Although several theories and studies have explored human strengths and mental well‐being at the global level, these insights are rarely tested and translated into practice in sub‐Saharan Africa. This study aims to describe the development of a 10‐session multicomponent positive psychology intervention, the Inspired Life Program (ILP), designed to promote mental health and reduce symptoms of depression and negative affect in rural adults in Ghana. Guided by the Medical Research Council's framework for developing complex interventions, a seven‑step iterative community‐based participatory research approach was adopted to develop the ILP, based on constructs and principles of positive psychology and cognitive‐behavioral model. The final intervention components included a 10‐session, two‐hourly, once‐weekly manualized program designed to promote meaningful and purposeful living, self‐acceptance, personal growth, goal‐setting and problem‐solving skills, and positive thinking through group discussion and activity sessions. We describe the program theory and implementation strategy of the final intervention, and reflect on the challenges and lessons learned from applying this framework in the study context. The development of strengths‐based interventions and practicality of methods to promote positive mental health in rural adults are feasible, and have important policy implications for mental health and social care in sub‐Saharan Africa.
MicroRNA‐124‐3p suppresses PD‐L1 expression and inhibits tumorigenesis of colorectal cancer cells via modulating STAT3 signaling
Authors: Roshani Asl Elmira , Rasmi Yousef , Baradaran Behzad
Published: April 2021

Programmed death ligand 1 (PD‐L1) plays a significant role in colorectal tumorigenesis through induction of regulatory T cells (Tregs) and suppression of antitumor immunity. Furthermore, microRNAs (miRNAs) as the posttranscriptional regulators of gene expression show considerable promise as a therapeutic target for colorectal cancer (CRC) treatment. Considering this, in vitro effects of miRNA‐124 (miR‐124‐3p) on CRC cell tumorigenesis and Tregs differentiation via targeting PD‐L1 were investigated in the current study. Functional analysis showed that miR‐124 is significantly downregulated in CRC tissues as compared with marginal normal samples (p < .0001), and its downregulation was negatively correlated with PD‐L1 expression. Moreover, a specific region in PD‐L1 3′‐untranslated region was predicted as the miR‐124 target and validated using the luciferase assay. Further investigation showed that transfection of HT29 and SW480 cells with miR‐124 mimics significantly reduced PD‐L1 mRNA, protein, and cell surface expression, and inhibited Tregs in coculture models via modulating interleukin [IL]‐10, IL‐2, tumor necrosis factor α, transforming growth factor beta, and interferon gamma expression levels. Besides, miR‐124 overexpression decreased CRC cell proliferation and arrested cell cycle at the G1 phase through downregulation of c‐Myc and induced apoptosis in CRC cells via upregulation of both intrinsic and extrinsic pathways. Also, miR‐124 exogenous overexpression could reduce colony and spheroid formation ability of CRC cells via downregulating CD44 mRNA expression. miR‐124 also diminished MMP‐9 expression and subsequently suppressed cell migration and invasion. We also illustrated that STAT3 signaling was repressed by miR‐124 in CRC cells. Taken together, our findings imply that considering the involvement of miR‐124 in the regulation of PD‐L1 through colorectal tumorigenesis and its remarkable antitumor effects, this miRNA could be regarded as the promising target for the development of therapeutic approaches for colorectal cancer.
Profilin—A master coordinator of actin and microtubule organization in mammalian cells
Authors: Karlsson Roger , Dráber Pavel
Published: April 2021

The last two decades have witnessed a tremendous increase in cell biology data. Not least is this true for studies of the dynamic organization of the microfilament and microtubule systems in animal cells where analyses of the molecular components and their interaction patterns have deepened our understanding of these complex force‐generating machineries. Previous observations of a molecular cross‐talk between the two systems have now led to the realization of the existence of several intricate mechanisms operating to maintain their coordinated cellular organization. In this short review, we relate to this development by discussing new results concerning the function of the actin regulator profilin 1 as a control component of microfilament‐microtubule cross‐talk.
Role of iron and iron‐related proteins in mesenchymal stem cells: Cellular and clinical aspects
Authors: Mehta Kosha J.
Published: April 2021

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are located in various tissues where these cells show niche‐dependent multilineage differentiation and secrete immunomodulatory molecules to support numerous physiological processes. Due to their regenerative and reparative properties, MSCs are extremely valuable for cell‐based therapy in tackling several pathological conditions including COVID‐19. Iron is essential for MSC processes but iron‐loading, which is common in several chronic conditions, hinders normal MSC functionality. This not only aggravates disease pathology but can also affect allogeneic and autologous MSC therapy. Thus, understanding MSCs from an iron perspective is of clinical significance. Accordingly, this review highlights the roles of iron and iron‐related proteins in MSC physiology. It describes the contribution of iron and endogenous iron‐related effectors like hepcidin, ferroportin, transferrin receptor, lactoferrin, lipocalin‐2, bone morphogenetic proteins and hypoxia inducible factors in MSC biology. It summarises the excess‐iron‐induced alterations in MSC components, processes and discusses signalling pathways involving ROS, PI3K/AKT, MAPK, p53, AMPK/MFF/DRP1 and Wnt. Additionally, it evaluates the endogenous and exogenous saviours of MSCs against iron‐toxicity. Lastly, it elaborates on the involvement of MSCs in the pathology of clinical conditions of iron‐excess, namely, hereditary hemochromatosis, diabetes, β‐thalassaemia and myelodysplastic syndromes. This unique review integrates the distinct fields of iron regulation and MSC physiology. Through an iron‐perspective, it describes both mechanistic and clinical aspects of MSCs and proposes an iron‐linked MSC‐contribution to physiology, pathology and therapeutics. It advances the understanding of MSC biology and may aid in identifying signalling pathways, molecular targets and compounds for formulating adjunctive iron‐based therapies for excess‐iron conditions, and thereby inform regenerative medicine.
STAT3 activates the transcription of lncRNA NR2F1‐AS1 to promote the progression of melanoma via regulating the miR‐493‐5p/GOLM1 axis
Authors: Bai Mei , Wu Zong‐Zhou , Huang Yan‐Li , Ke Jin , Xu Qing , Wang Xiong
Published: April 2021

Background

Long non‐coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are vital regulators during the biological processes of melanoma. The present study aimed to uncover biological functions of lncRNA termed NR2F1 antisense RNA 1 (NR2F1‐AS1) in melanoma and the potential mechanisms.

Methods

Relative levels of NR2F1‐AS1 and miR‐493‐5p in a total of 137 paired primary melanoma tissues and corresponding non‐tumor tissues, as well as three melanoma cell lines, were examined by a real‐time polymerase chain reaction. The clinical significance of NR2F1‐AS1 expression was analyzed statistically. The STAT3 binding motif in the promoter region of NR2F1‐AS1 was identified by JASPAR (http://jaspar.genereg.net). The association between STAT3 and NR2F1‐AS1 was determined by dual‐luciferase reporter and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays. The effects of NR2F1‐AS1 on cell proliferation, migration and were measured by cell counting kit‐8 (CCK‐8), Edu, transwell and wound healing assays. Dual‐luciferase reporter and RNA pull‐down assays were applied to validate the interaction among NR2F1‐AS1, miR‐493‐5p and GOLM1. Furthermore, in vivo experiments were conducted to demonstrate the oncogenic role of NR2F1‐AS1 in melanoma.

Results

Up‐regulated NR2F1‐AS1 and down‐regulated miR‐493‐5p were detected in melanoma tumors and cells. The overexpression of NR2F1‐AS1 was induced by STAT3. High NR2F1‐AS1 expression was correlated to advanced tumor stage and poor prognosis of melanoma. Functional studies using CCK‐8, Edu, transwell and wound healing assays revealed that the proliferative, migratory and invasive capacities of melanoma cells were attenuated by the by inhibition of NR2F1‐AS1. Moreover, NR2F1‐AS1 was able to up‐regulate GOLM1 through recognizing and binding miR‐493‐5p. Furthermore, knockdown of miR‐493‐5p distinctly reversed these inhibitory effects of NR2F1‐AS1 down‐regulation on the tumorigenesis and progression of melanoma.

Conclusions

Our findings demonstrate a key role for NR2F1‐AS1 in melanoma progression via targeting miR‐493‐5p/GOLM1 axis.
Biantennary Alkyl Triazole Glycosides by Double‐click‐Coupling for Water‐in‐Oil‐Emulsification
Authors: Ng Su Han , Mazlee Muhammad Taufiq Firdausi Bin , Heidelberg Thorsten
Published: April 2021

A series of biantennary sugar‐based surfactants reflecting glyco‐glycero‐lipids, in which the ester linkage of the surfactant antipodes was replaced by a triazole, has been synthesized and investigated on their emulsifying potential for water‐in‐oil systems related to hydrofuel. The results suggest beneficial interactions of the triazole with fossil‐derived diesel, whereas corresponding interactions appear to destabilize emulsions in ester‐based biodiesel. The highest emulsion stability was observed for 1,3‐linked glycerol‐isomers, where the glucose‐based ATG outperformed the corresponding xylose‐analogue exhibiting a significantly higher Krafft temperature. Molecular modeling results relate this behavior to chromonic interactions of the triazole rings.
Determination of highly polar compounds in atmospheric aerosol particles at ultra‐trace levels using ion chromatography Orbitrap mass spectrometry
Authors: Kwiezinski Carlo , Weller Christian , van Pinxteren Dominik , Brüggemann Martin , Mertes Stephan , Stratmann Frank , Herrmann Hartmut
Published: April 2021

A method using ion chromatography coupled to high‐resolution Orbitrap mass spectrometry was developed to quantify highly‐polar organic compounds in aqueous filter extracts of atmospheric particles. In total, 43 compounds, including short‐chain carboxylic acids, terpene‐derived acids, organosulfates, and inorganic anions were separated within 33 min by a KOH gradient. Ionization by electrospray was maximized by adding 100 µL min−1 isopropanol as post‐column solvent and optimizing the ion source settings. Detection limits (S/N ≥ 3) were in the range of 0.075–25 μg L−1 and better than previously reported for 22 compounds. Recoveries of extraction typically range from 85 to 117%. The developed method was applied to three ambient samples, including two arctic flight samples, and one sample from Melpitz, a continental backround research site. A total of 32 different compounds were identified for all samples. From the arctic flight samples, organic tracers could be quantified for the first time with concentrations ranging from 0.1 to 17.8 ng m−3. Due to the minimal sample preparation, the beneficial figures of merit, and the broad range of accessible compounds, including very polar ones, the new method offers advantages over existing ones and enables a detailed analysis of organic marker compounds in atmospheric aerosol particles.
The Influence of Microstructure on Sound Absorption of Polyurethane Foams through Numerical Simulation
Authors: Chen Shuming , Lei Shuai , Zhu Junhao , Zhang Tao
Published: April 2021

It exists an unchanging requirement in modern society to achieve an ideal fuel economy using light acoustic packaging with good sound absorption performance. The Polyurethane (PU) foam with excellent damping properties usually has the characteristics of low mass and low density. Therefore, it is often considered as an ideal sound‐absorbing packaging material. With the further research on the PU foam, we have learned that the inherent microstructure of the PU foam has a special effect on its sound absorption performance. In this paper, the authors theoretically demonstrate the effect of cell size, connectivity and relative pore diameter on sound absorption performance by numerical simulation analysis. From the numerical simulation analysis, the results show that the three cellular structure factors have different effects on the parameters of the Johnson‐Champoux‐Allard (JCA) acoustic model, and all of them can improve the sound absorption coefficient of PU foam. Additionally, the further analysis indicates that the relative pore diameter is the most vital factor to improve the sound absorption performance in the entire frequency domain. This research could be applied to industrial production to reduce the amount of acoustic packaging material used in vehicles while improving the acoustic quality of vehicles.
Chaotic behaviors of the prevalence of an infectious disease in a prey and predator system using fractional derivatives
Authors: Ghanbari Behzad
Published: April 2021

The risk of spread infectious diseases in the environment is always one of the main threats to the life of living organisms. This point can be assumed as a clear proof of the importance of studying such problems from various aspects such as computational mathematical models. In this contribution, we examine a mathematical model to investigate the prevalence of an infectious disease in a prey and predator system, including three subpopulations through a fractional system of nonlinear equations. The model characterizes a possible interaction between predator and prey where infectious disease outbreaks in a community. Further, the prey population is divided into two: susceptible and the infected population. This model involves the Caputo‐Fabrizio derivative. One of the basic features of this type of derivative is the use of a non‐singular (exponential) kernel, which increases its ability to describe phenomena compared to other existing operators. To the best of the author's knowledge, the use of fractional derivative operators for this model has not yet been investigated. Therefore, the presented results can be considered as new and interesting results for this model. In some of the acquired simulations, the chaotic behaviors are clearly detectable.
High peak power passively Q‐switched 2 μm solid‐state laser based on a MoS2 saturated absorber
Authors: Gao Tianwen , Zhang Rui , Shi Zechang , Jiang Ziyin , Guo Ao , Qiao Tianxu , He Chenxi , Wang Guoshui , Yang Xiaotao , Cui Jinhui
Published: April 2021

A 2 μm passively Q‐switched Tm:YAP solid‐state laser with MoS2 as saturated absorber was demonstrated in this work. MoS2 two‐dimensional materials were prepared by using the method of chemical vapor deposition. The laser achieved high peak power of 21.2 W and high single pulse energy of 19.5 μJ, while maintaining a short pulse width of 916 ns. This is the first time that the peak power of a Tm:TAP solid‐state laser based on a MoS2 saturated absorber has reached 21.2 W. The beam quality factor was M2x = 1.08 and M2y = 1.10.
Deep learning–enhanced T1 mapping with spatial‐temporal and physical constraint
Authors: Li Yuze , Wang Yajie , Qi Haikun , Hu Zhangxuan , Chen Zhensen , Yang Runyu , Qiao Huiyu , Sun Jie , Wang Tao , Zhao Xihai , Guo Hua , Chen Huijun
Published: April 2021

Purpose

To propose a reconstruction framework to generate accurate T1 maps for a fast MR T1 mapping sequence.

Methods

A deep learning–enhanced T1 mapping method with spatial‐temporal and physical constraint (DAINTY) was proposed. This method explicitly imposed low‐rank and sparsity constraints on the multiframe T1‐weighted images to exploit the spatial‐temporal correlation. A deep neural network was used to efficiently perform T1 mapping as well as denoise and reduce undersampling artifacts. Additionally, the physical constraint was used to build a bridge between low‐rank and sparsity constraint and deep learning prior, so the benefits of constrained reconstruction and deep learning can be both available. The DAINTY method was trained on simulated brain data sets, but tested on real acquired phantom, 6 healthy volunteers, and 7 atherosclerosis patients, compared with the narrow‐band k‐space‐weighted image contrast filter conjugate‐gradient SENSE (NK‐CS) method, kt‐sparse‐SENSE (kt‐SS) method, and low‐rank plus sparsity (L+S) method with least‐squares T1 fitting and direct deep learning mapping.

Results

The DAINTY method can generate more accurate T1 maps and higher‐quality T1‐weighted images compared with other methods. For atherosclerosis patients, the intraplaque hemorrhage can be successfully detected. The computation speed of DAINTY was 10 times faster than traditional methods. Meanwhile, DAINTY can reconstruct images with comparable quality using only 50% of k‐space data.

Conclusion

The proposed method can provide accurate T1 maps and good‐quality T1‐weighted images with high efficiency.
Cardiac measurement of hyperpolarized 13C metabolites using metabolite‐selective multi‐echo spiral imaging
Authors: Ma Junjie , Chen Jun , Reed Galen D. , Hackett Edward P. , Harrison Crystal E. , Ratnakar James , Schulte Rolf F. , Zaha Vlad G. , Malloy Craig R. , Park Jae Mo
Published: April 2021

Purpose

Noninvasive imaging with hyperpolarized (HP) pyruvate can capture in vivo cardiac metabolism. For proper quantification of the metabolites and optimization of imaging parameters, understanding MR characteristics such as s of the HP signals is critical. This study is to measure in vivo cardiac s of HP [1‐13C]pyruvate and the products in rodents and humans.

Methods

A dynamic 13C multi‐echo spiral imaging sequence that acquires [13C]bicarbonate, [1‐13C]lactate, and [1‐13C]pyruvate images in an interleaved manner was implemented for a clinical 3 Tesla system. of each metabolite was calculated from the multi‐echo images by fitting the signal decay of each region of interest mono‐exponentially. The performance of measuring using the sequence was first validated using a 13C phantom and then with rodents following a bolus injection of HP [1‐13C]pyruvate. In humans, of each metabolite was calculated for left ventricle, right ventricle, and myocardium.

Results

Cardiac s of HP [1‐13C]pyruvate, [1‐13C]lactate, and [13C]bicarbonate in rodents were measured as 24.9 ± 5.0, 16.4 ± 4.7, and 16.9 ± 3.4 ms, respectively. In humans, of [1‐13C]pyruvate was 108.7 ± 22.6 ms in left ventricle and 129.4 ± 8.9 ms in right ventricle. of [1‐13C]lactate was 40.9 ± 8.3, 44.2 ± 5.5, and 43.7 ± 9.0 ms in left ventricle, right ventricle, and myocardium, respectively. of [13C]bicarbonate in myocardium was 64.4 ± 2.5 ms. The measurements were reproducible and consistent over time after the pyruvate injection.

Conclusion

The proposed metabolite‐selective multi‐echo spiral imaging sequence reliably measures in vivo cardiac s of HP [1‐13C]pyruvate and products.
Stable Pt atomic clusters on carbon nanotubes grafted with carbon quantum dots as electrocatalyst for H2 evolution in acidic electrolyte
Authors: Liang Junwei , Liu Yuxiang , Liu Rongzheng , Zheng Sufan , Si Zhichun , Weng Duan , Kang Feiyu
Published: April 2021

Preparing stable highly dispersed Pt based electrocatalyst is promising to reduce material expense of H2 product via electrocatalytic water splitting. However, it is still a great challenge to obtain stable single atomic Pt catalysts which can be applied in acidic electrolyte. In the present work, we synthesized Pt atomic clusters on carbon quantum dots (CQDs) grafting multiwall carbon nanotube (CNT) (Pt content: 1 wt.%) catalysts and then loading the catalysts on carbon cloth (Pt content: 0.01 mg▪cm–2) for activity test. The overpotential of 29 mV versus RHE was obtained over 1%Pt/CQDs/CNT catalysts at the current density of 10 mA▪cm–2, and the Tafel slope of 22 mV decade–1 was obtained, too. Especially, the catalysts showed significant stability in hydrogen evolution reactions (HER) in acidic solution, of which the overpotential was still smaller than that of 20%Pt/C after 10,000 CV cycles. CQDs provided coordinating sites for dispersing Pt atomic clusters and improved the H+ concentration in adjacent area around the Pt clusters. This method provides a general strategy to design the highly efficient electrocatalysts with ultra‐low precious metals for H2 evolution in acidic electrolyte.
Patient Burden with Current Surveillance Paradigm and Factors Associated with Interest in Altered Surveillance for Early Stage HPV-Related Oropharyngeal Cancer
Authors: Gharzai Laila A. , Burger Nicholas , Li Pin , Jaworski Elizabeth M. , Henderson Caitlin , Spector Matthew , Rosko Andy , Chen Michelle M. , Prince Mark E. , Bradford Carol R. , Malloy Kelly M. , Stucken Chaz L. , Swiecicki Paul , Worden Francis , Schipper Matthew J. , Schonewolf Caitlin A. , Shah Jennifer , Jagsi Reshma , Chinn Steve , Shuman Andrew , Casper Keith , Mierzwa Michelle L.
Published: April 2021

Introduction

Optimal surveillance paradigms for survivors of early stage human papillomavirus (HPV)-related oropharyngeal cancer are not well defined. This study aimed to characterize patient interest in and factors associated with an altered surveillance paradigm.

Materials and Methods

We surveyed patients with Stage I or II HPV-related oropharyngeal cancer treated at a tertiary care institution from 2016 to 2019. Primary outcomes were descriptive assessment of patient knowledge, interest in altered surveillance, burdens of in-person appointments, and priorities for surveillance visits. Ordinal regression was used to identify correlates of interest in altered surveillance.

Results

Sixty-seven patients completed surveys from February to April 2020 at a median of 21 months since completing definitive treatment. A majority (61%) of patients were interested in a surveillance approach that decreased in-person clinic visits. Patients who self-identified as medical maximizers, had higher worry of cancer recurrence, or were in long-term relationships were less likely to be interested. Patients reported significant burdens associated with surveillance visits, including driving distance, time off work, and nonmedical costs. Patients were most concerned with discussing cancer recurrence (76%), physical quality of life (70%), mortality (61%), and mental quality of life (52%) with their providers at follow-up visits.

Conclusion

Patients with early stage HPV-related oropharyngeal cancers are interested in altered surveillance approaches, experience significant burdens related to surveillance visits, and have concerns that are not well addressed with current surveillance approaches, including physical and mental quality of life. Optimized surveillance approaches should incorporate patient priorities and minimize associated burdens.

Implications for Practice

The number of patients with HPV-related oropharyngeal cancers is increasing, and numerous clinical trials are investigating novel approaches to treating these good-prognosis patients. There has been limited work assessing optimal surveillance paradigms in these patients. Patients experience significant appointment-related burdens and have concerns such as physical and mental quality of life. Additionally, patients with early stage HPV-related oropharyngeal cancers express interest in altered surveillance approaches that decrease in-person clinic visits. Optimization of surveillance paradigms to promote broader survivorship care in clinical practice is needed.
Short sleep duration and physical and psychological health outcomes among adult survivors of childhood cancer
Authors: Lubas Margaret M. , Mandrell Belinda N. , Ness Kirsten K. , Srivastava Deo Kumar , Ehrhardt Matthew J. , Wang Zhaoming , Hudson Melissa M. , Robison Leslie L. , Krull Kevin R. , Brinkman Tara M.
Published: April 2021

Background

To examine associations between phenotypes of short sleep duration and clinically assessed health conditions in long‐term survivors of childhood cancer.

Methods

Survivors recruited from the St. Jude Lifetime Cohort (n = 911; 52% female; mean age 34 years; 26 years postdiagnosis) completed behavioral health surveys and underwent comprehensive physical examinations. Sleep was assessed with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Short sleep was defined as ≤6 h per night with phenotypes of short sleep including poor sleep efficiency (<85%), prolonged sleep onset latency (SOL; ≥30 min), and wake after sleep onset (≥3 times per week). Covariates included childhood cancer treatment exposures, demographics, body mass index, and physical inactivity. Separate modified Poisson regression models were computed for each health category to estimate relative risks (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Multinomial logistic regression models examined associations between sleep and an aggregated burden of chronic health conditions.

Results

Short sleep duration was reported among 44% (95% CI 41%–47%) of survivors. In multivariable models, short sleep duration alone was associated with pulmonary (RR = 1.35, 95% CI 1.08–1.69), endocrine (RR = 1.22, 95% CI 1.06–1.39) and gastrointestinal/hepatic conditions (RR = 1.46, 95% CI 1.18–1.79), and anxiety (RR 3.24, 95% CI 1.64–6.41) and depression (RR = 2.33, 95% CI 1.27–4.27). Short sleep with prolonged SOL was associated with a high/severe burden of health conditions (OR = 2.35, 95% CI 1.12–4.94).

Conclusions

Short sleep duration was associated with multiple clinically ascertained adverse health conditions. Although the temporality of these associations cannot be determined in this cross‐sectional study, sleep is modifiable and improving sleep may improve long‐term health in survivors.
Prevalence and risk factors for vitamin D deficiency in long‐term childhood cancer survivors
Authors: Bhandari Rusha , Teh Jennifer Berano , Herrera Claudia , Echevarria Meagan , Lindenfeld Lanie , Wong F. Lennie , Wilson Karla , Armenian Saro H.
Published: April 2021

Background

Childhood cancer survivors (CCS) have increased risk of developing chronic health conditions, including musculoskeletal disorders. Little is known regarding vitamin D deficiency (VDD, <20 ng/ml) and its association with bone mineral density (BMD) in long‐term CCS. We evaluated the prevalence and risk factors for VDD in a large, diverse population of long‐term CCS, and examined the association between VDD and BMD in patients who underwent guideline‐recommended dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry (DXA) screening.

Methods

This cross‐sectional study included 446 consecutive CCS seen from March 2018 to September 2020. Univariate analyses examined associations between CCS demographics, socioeconomic status, and treatment exposures and VDD. Multivariable logistic regressions identified factors associated with odds of VDD and reduced BMD.

Results

Median age at evaluation was 27.5 years (range 7–67 years); median time from completing therapy was 14.2 years (range 2–65 years). Fifty percent were female, and 45% were Hispanic. Twenty‐four percent had VDD. In multivariable analysis, overweight and obese BMI were associated with VDD (overweight: OR 1.78, 95% CI 1.03–3.07, p = 0.04; obese: OR 2.40, 95% CI 1.39–4.13, p < 0.01; reference: normal/underweight), as was Hispanic or black race/ethnicity (OR 2.40, 95% CI 1.41–4.09, p < 0.01; reference: non‐Hispanic white). In the 118 CCS with DXA results, VDD was independently associated with reduced BMD (OR 3.58, 95%CI 1.33–9.59, p = 0.01).

Conclusions

CCS have a high prevalence of VDD. High BMI and Hispanic or black race/ethnicity were associated with VDD. Survivors with VDD had a greater than threefold risk of reduced BMD. Risk‐based screening may facilitate timely interventions to mitigate VDD and improve BMD in CCS.