bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Microarray Analysis of Suppression Subtracted Hybridisation Libraries Identifies Genes Associated with Breast Cancer Progression
Authors: Barraclough Dong Liu , Sewart Susan , Rudland Philip S. , Shoker Balvinder S. , Sibson D. Ross , Barraclough Roger , Davies Michael P. A.
Published: January 2021

Background: A major challenge of cancer research is to identify key molecules which are responsible for the development of the malignant metastatic phenotype, the major cause of cancer death.

Methods: Four subtracted cDNA libraries were constructed representing mRNAs differentially expressed between benign and malignant human breast tumour cells and between micro-dissected breast carcinoma in situ and invasive carcinoma. Hundreds of differentially expressed cDNAs from the libraries were micro-arrayed and screened with mRNAs from human breast tumor cell lines and clinical specimens. Gene products were further examined by RT-PCR and correlated with clinical data.

Results: The combination of subtractive hybridisation and microarray analysis has identified a panel of 15 cDNAs which shows strong correlations with estrogen receptor status, malignancy or relapse. This panel included S100P, which was associated with aneuploidy in cell lines and relapse/death in patients, and AGR2 which was associated with estrogen receptor and with patient relapse. X-box binding protein-1 is also an estrogen-dependent gene and is associated with better survival for breast cancer patients.

Conclusions: The combination of subtracted cDNA libraries and microarray analysis has thus identified potential diagnostic/prognostic biomarkers and targets for cancer therapy, which have not been identified from common prognostic gene signatures.
Staphylococcal SSL5 Binding to Human Leukemia Cells Inhibits Cell Adhesion to Endothelial Cells and Platelets
Authors: Walenkamp Annemiek M. E. , Bestebroer Jovanka , Boer Ingrid G. J. , Kruizinga Roeline , Verheul Henk M. , van Strijp Jos A. G. , de Haas Carla J. C.
Published: January 2021

Bacterial proteins provide promising tools for novel anticancer therapies. Staphylococcal superantigen-like 5 (SSL5) was recently described to bind P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1 (PSGL-1) on leukocytes and to inhibit neutrophil rolling on a P-selectin surface. As leukocytes and tumor cells share many characteristics in migration and dissemination, we explored the potential of SSL5 as an antagonist of malignant cell behavior. Previously, it was demonstrated that rolling of human HL-60 leukemia cells on activated endothelial cells was mediated by P-selectin. In this study, we show that SSL5 targets HL-60 cells. Binding of SSL5 was rapid and without observed toxicity. Competition of SSL5 with the binding of three anti-PSGL-1 antibodies and P-selectin to HL-60 cells identified PSGL-1 as the ligand on HL-60 cells. Presence of sialyl Lewis x epitopes on PSGL-1 was crucial for its interaction with SSL5. Importantly, SSL5 not only inhibited the interaction of HL-60 cells with activated endothelial cells but also with platelets, which both play an important role in growth and metastasis of cancers. These data support the concept that SSL5 could be a lead in the search for novel strategies against hematological malignancies.
Validation of a Fully Automated HER2 Staining Kit in Breast Cancer
Authors: Moelans Cathy B. , Kibbelaar Robby E. , van den Heuvel Marius C. , Castigliego Domenico , de Weger Roel A. , van Diest Paul J.
Published: January 2021

Background: Testing for HER2 amplification and/or overexpression is currently routine practice to guide Herceptin therapy in invasive breast cancer. At present, HER2 status is most commonly assessed by immunohistochemistry (IHC). Standardization of HER2 IHC assays is of utmost clinical and economical importance. At present, HER2 IHC is most commonly performed with the HercepTest which contains a polyclonal antibody and applies a manual staining procedure. Analytical variability in HER2 IHC testing could be diminished by a fully automatic staining system with a monoclonal antibody.

Materials and Methods: 219 invasive breast cancers were fully automatically stained with the monoclonal antibody-based Oracle HER2 Bond IHC kit and manually with the HercepTest. All cases were tested for amplification with chromogenic in situ hybridization (CISH).

Results: HercepTest yielded an overall sharper membrane staining, with less cytoplasmic and stromal background than Oracle in 17% of cases. Overall concordance between both IHC techniques was 89% (195/219) with a kappa value of 0.776 (95% CI 0.698–0.854), indicating a substantial agreement. Most (22/24) discrepancies between HercepTest and Oracle showed a weaker staining for Oracle. Thirteen of the 24 discrepant cases were high-level HER2 amplified by CISH, and in 12 of these HercepTest IHC better reflected gene amplification status. All the 13 HER2 amplified discrepant cases were at least 2+ by HercepTest, while 10/13 of these were at least 2+ for Oracle. Considering CISH as gold standard, sensitivity of HercepTest and Oracle was 91% and 83%, and specificity was 94% and 98%, respectively. Positive and negative predictive values for HercepTest and Oracle were 90% and 95% for HercepTest and 96% and 91% for Oracle, respectively.

Conclusion: Fully-automated HER2 staining with the monoclonal antibody in the Oracle kit shows a high level of agreement with manual staining by the polyclonal antibody in the HercepTest. Although Oracle shows in general some more cytoplasmic staining and may be slightly less sensitive in picking up HER2 amplified cases, it shows a higher specificity and may be considered as an alternative method to evaluate the HER2 expression in breast cancer with potentially less analytical variability.
WNT-Pathway Activation in IBD-Associated Colorectal Carcinogenesis: Potential Biomarkers for Colonic Surveillance
Authors: Claessen Marian M. H. , Schipper Marguerite E. I. , Oldenburg Bas , Siersema Peter D. , Offerhaus G. Johan A. , Vleggaar Frank P.
Published: January 2021

Objectives: The Wnt-pathway dominates the sporadic carcinogenesis whereas p53 plays a pivotal role in the colitis-associated counterpart. The expression of Wnt-signaling proteins and p53 during colitis-associated carcinogenesis was determined.

Methods: A tissue microarray was constructed with colonic samples from 5 groups of patients: controls (C, n=10), IBD without neoplasia (IBD, n=12), non-dysplastic IBD with neoplasia elsewhere in the colon (IBD-NE, n=12), dysplastic lesion in IBD (IBD-DYS, n=12), and IBD-associated colorectal cancer (IBD-CRC, n=10). Immunohistochemistry was performed for β-catenin, cyclin D1 and p53. p53 sequence analysis was performed in some cases.

Results: Nuclear β-catenin expression was found in 0%, 0%, 50%, 55% and 100% of the patients in the C-, IBD-, IBD-NE-, IBD-DYS- and IBD-CRC-groups, respectively. Non-dysplastic IBD mucosa with neoplasia detected elsewhere showed nuclear expression in 50% of the cases compared to 0% in IBD mucosa without neoplasia (p=0.02). Cyclin D1 staining had similar expression patterns. Overexpression of p53 was only detected in the IBD-DYS (66.7%) and IBD-CRC groups (50%).

Conclusion: In contrast to previous findings, our results suggest activation of the Wnt-pathway in the early phase of colitis-associated carcinogenesis. Furthermore, as Wnt activation was observed in 50% of the IBD-NE cases, nuclear β-catenin may facilitate detection of neoplasia.
Channel Contention‐Based Routing Protocol for Wireless Ad Hoc Networks
Authors: Mast Noor , Khan Muhammad Altaf , Uddin M. Irfan , Ali Shah Syed Atif , Khan Atif , Al-Khasawneh Mahmoud Ahmad , Mahmoud Marwan
Published: January 2021

With the development of wireless technology, two basic wireless network models that are commonly used, known as infrastructure and wireless ad hoc networks (WANETs), have been developed. In the literature, it has been observed that channel contention is one of the main reasons for packet drop in WANETs. To handle this problem, this paper presents a routing protocol named CCBR (Channel Contention Based Routing). CCBR tries to determine a least contended path between the endpoints to increase packet delivery ratio and to reduce packet delay and normalized routing overhead. Moreover, throughout the active data section, each intermediate node computes its channel contention value. If an intermediate node detects an increase in channel contention, it notifies the source node. Then the source node determines another least contended route for transmission. The advantages of CCBR are verified in our NS2‐based performance study, and the results show that CCBR outperforms ad hoc on‐demand distance vector (AODV) in terms of packet delivery ratio, end‐to‐end delay, and routing overhead by 4% to 9%.
Toward Pleomorphic Reconfigurable Robots for Optimum Coverage
Authors: Samarakoon S. M. Bhagya P. , Muthugala M. A. Viraj J. , Elara Mohan R. , kumaran Selva
Published: January 2021

Buildings are constructed for accommodating living and industrial needs. Floor cleaning robots have been developed to cater to the demand of these buildings. Area coverage and coverage time are crucial performance factors of a floor cleaning robot. Reconfigurable tiling robots have been introduced over fixed shape robots to improve area coverage in floor cleaning applications compared to robots with fixed morphologies. However, area coverage and coverage time of a tiling robot compromised one another. This study proposes a novel concept that considers the ability of a tiling robot to configure both its morphology and size according to the environment. This concept is inspired by the pleomorphism that could be seen in bacteria. In this regard, P‐hTetro, a pleomorphic tiling robot that can reconfigure its morphology and size, is considered. A novel coverage strategy for realizing the size reconfiguration is also proposed. According to this strategy, the robot covers obstacle‐free areas with its maximum size, while an obstacle cluster is covered after shrinking to an optimum size. The optimum size for reconfiguration is determined by the genetic algorithm based on the arrangement of the environment. The performance and behavior of the proposed P‐hTetro have been compared against that of an existing tiling robot which has a fixed size. According to the statistical outcomes, a tiling robot with the ability to reconfigure its size can significantly improve the performance in the aspects of area coverage and coverage time compared to a tiling robot with no ability to reconfigure its size.
Rapid Identification and Quantitative Analysis of Polycarboxylate Superplasticizers Using ATR-FTIR Spectroscopy Combined with Chemometric Methods
Authors: Li Zhiwei , Li Bo , Zhao Zhizhong , Ma Weizhong , Li Wenju , Wang Jiadong
Published: January 2021

Although the quality inspection method of polycarboxylate superplasticizers (PCE) based on macroperformance is still widely used, it has the drawbacks of time-consuming and low precision. This study aims to develop a practicable alternative method for quality inspection of PCE. For this, spectra collection, feature extraction, and cluster analysis were performed up on the PCE samples to demonstrate the feasibility of the method. Also, a new similarity calculation method was introduced in this work. Results show that the solid PCE sample for spectrum collection can be prepared using the simple heating method. High-quality spectra can be rapidly collected by infrared spectrometer combined with ATR accessory. Meanwhile, the accuracy of classification and clustering is high, suggesting that the feature extraction method based on principal component analysis (PCA) is effective. In addition, compared with conventional similarity calculation methods of cosine angle and correlation coefficient, the new similarity calculation method achieves better classification results and better generalization ability. This work provides a method of quantitative analysis and rapid identification of PCE for the construction site.
Optimizing the Compaction Characteristics and Strength Properties of Gravelly Soils in terms of Fine Contents
Authors: Zhao Mingzhi , Liu Gang , Deng Longxiang , Li Yangang
Published: January 2021

Gravelly soils are widely adopted as civil construction materials in engineering practice. Although the influence mechanism of fine contents (FCs) on the mechanical behavior of gravelly soils has been emphasized in the previous studies, few discuss the compaction and strength properties concurrently. Besides, FCs of gravelly soils were discussed separately in many cases regardless of the variation in water content. In this study, modified Proctor compaction test and medium‐sized triaxial test were performed to investigate the mechanical properties of gravelly soils containing different magnitudes of fine contents. It is shown that an optimum FC exists for gravelly soils although the value of the optimum FC varies with grading curves of the coarse‐grained portion. By adjusting FC in the gravelly soils, not only could the maximum dry density ρdmax be improved but also the optimum saturation degree Sropt rises significantly, and synchronously, the minimum air void ratio vamin decreases notably. Besides, fine particles are just right to fill with the voids formed by the coarse‐grained skeleton for the optimum FC sample. The soil structure corresponding to the optimum FC status can be termed as a densely filled skeleton structure, which is the densest and most stable. As fine contents increase or decrease from the optimum value, soil structure will loosen and deteriorate the mechanical properties. In addition, the increase in water content has quite different effects on strength properties of gravelly soils with different FCs in a triaxial test due to the opposite effects of pore water softening and negative pore pressure strengthening. Such results are expected to provide guidance for the preparation of gravelly soils in engineering practices.
Energy Dependency of Proton-Induced Outer-Shell Multiple Ionization for 48Cd and 49In
Authors: Zhou Xianming , Wei Jing , Cheng Rui , Chen Yanhong , Zhao Yongtao , Zhang Xiaoan
Published: January 2021

L subshell X-rays of 48Cd and 49In have been measured for the impact of protons with energies from 75 to 250 keV. Obviously, it is found that Lγ2 (abbreviation Lγ2,3 for 48Cd and Lγ2,3,4 for 49In) X-ray emission is enhanced in comparison with Lγ1 X-ray emission. The relative intensity ratios of Lγ2 to Lγ1 X-ray are larger than the atomic data and increase with decreasing proton energy. This is caused by the multiple ionization of outer-shell electrons. To verify this explanation, the enhancements for relative intensity ratio of Lι and Lβ2 to Lα X-ray in experiments are discussed, and the direct ionization cross sections of 4d, 5s, and 5p electrons are calculated using BEA theory.
Study on Fracture and Permeability Characteristics of Unloading Rock with High Water Pressure
Authors: Ma Zhi-tao , Cui Yong-qiang , Lu Ke-yu , Song Dai-fu , Yang Ya-chao
Published: January 2021

Research on the damage and seepage characteristics of unloading rock with high water pressure can help to further understand the mechanism of water inrush in deep mine floor and prevent water inrush. This paper used the RFPA2D-flow finite element software to study the failure and seepage characteristics of unloading rock with high water pressure and high stress and comparatively analyzed the failure modes and seepage characteristics of unloading rock with and without water pressure. The effects of different water pressure differences on the failure of unloading rock and the law of seepage were investigated by analyzing the change of acoustic emission and permeability coefficient with stress. The results showed that the unloading rock without water pressure was brittle failure, and the initial damage of the unloading model with water pressure was earlier than that of the model without water pressure and showed greater brittleness, and its cracks first break through at the bottom of the sample with higher osmotic pressure. With the increase in unloading, the permeability of rock increased gradually until it appeared an abrupt change. The failure mode and permeability law of the rock with different water pressure differences were basically the same, but the greater the pressure difference, the smaller the effective unloading capacity when the permeability coefficient changes suddenly, and the greater the possibility of water inrush in the rock.
Neutrophil-Lymphocyte Ratio as a Prognostic Parameter in NSCLC Patients Receiving EGFR-TKIs: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Tang Mingbo , Gao Xinliang , Sun He , Tian Suyan , Dong Junxue , Liu Zhao , Liu Wei
Published: January 2021

Objective. To research the impact of neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) as a prognostic parameter in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients treated with epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs). Methods. We searched the databases such as the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), EMBASE, PubMed, the European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO), Wanfang, and CNKI for articles illustrating the impact of pretreatment NLR on survival data in NSCLC patients undergoing EGFR-TKIs treatment. We did a meta-analysis for overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Results. We recruited 10 studies in our meta-analysis. Our study suggested that patients with low NLR had better PFS (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.67, 95% confidence interval (CI) = (1.16–2.39), and

P

value = 0.005) and OS (HR = 1.66, 95% CI = (1.08–2.55), and

P

value = 0.02) in comparison to patients with high NLR. Conclusion. In conclusion, our meta-analysis revealed that lower NLR predicted a better survival (PFS and OS) in patients receiving the treatment of EGFR-TKIs.
Home Interactive Elderly Care Two-Way Video Healthcare System Design
Authors: Yi Chun , Feng Xiqiang
Published: January 2021

This paper explores and analyses the interactive home geriatric two-way video health care system, investigates and analyses the daily lives and behaviours of the elderly in their homes through research interviews, obtains the main needs of the elderly population in their lives, as well as their cognitive and behavioural characteristics, and proposes four service function modules for the elderly in their homes; then, combining service design and interaction design theory, we propose the following four service modules for the elderly in their homes. Given the design methods and processes of the intelligent service system for the elderly at home as well as the interface interaction design principles on the three levels of vision, interaction, and reflection, the intelligent service system platform for the elderly at home was constructed, the interaction design of the mobile device terminal software of the service system platform practiced in the form of APP, and the eye-movement experiment method and fuzzy hierarchical analysis were applied to the design of the intelligent service system for the elderly at home from qualitative and quantitative perspectives. The thesis study provides a new way of thinking to design and provide intelligent service system products for the elderly living at home, which is an important contribution to society’s care for the elderly and their quality of life. The key features of the human skeleton are extracted from the model of abnormal leaning and falling behaviour of the elderly, and the SVM machine learning method is used to classify and identify the data, which enables the identification of the abnormal behaviour of the elderly at home with an accuracy of 97%.
1‐O‐Hexyl‐2,3,5‐Trimethylhydroquinone Ameliorates the Development of Preeclampsia through Suppression of Oxidative Stress and Endothelial Cell Apoptosis
Authors: Jiang Lai , Gong Yanping , Rao Jie , Yang Qiuhong , Gao Na , Li Guiyang , Ma Yuyan
Published: January 2021

1‐O‐Hexyl‐2,3,5‐trimethylhydroquinone (HTHQ), a potent nuclear factor‐E2‐related factor 2 (Nrf2) activator, has potent antioxidant activity by scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS). However, the role of HTHQ on the development of preeclampsia (PE) and the underlying mechanisms have barely been explored. In the present study, PE model was induced by adenovirus‐mediated overexpression of soluble fms‐like tyrosine kinase 1 (sFlt‐1) in pregnant mice. The results showed that HTHQ treatment significantly relieved the high systolic blood pressure (SBP) and proteinuria and increased the fetal weight and fetal weight/placenta weight in preeclamptic mice. Furthermore, we found that HTHQ treatment significantly decreased soluble endoglin (sEng), endothelin‐1 (ET‐1), and activin A and restored vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in preeclamptic mice. In addition, HTHQ treatment inhibited oxidative stress and endothelial cell apoptosis by increasing the levels of Nrf2 and its downstream haemoxygenase‐1 (HO‐1) protein. In line with the data in vivo, we discovered that HTHQ treatment attenuated oxidative stress and cell apoptosis in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) following hypoxia and reperfusion (H/R), and the HTHQ‐mediated protection was lost after transfected with siNrf2. In conclusion, these results suggested that HTHQ ameliorates the development of preeclampsia through suppression of oxidative stress and endothelial cell apoptosis.
Numerical Simulation of Basic Properties of Full‐Steel Slag Aggregate Concrete
Authors: Bian Zhu , Fang Yuan , Yu Feng , Wang Xuliang , Xiang Guosheng
Published: January 2021

In this study, the bit‐level table of orthogonal test is adopted as the coding form of Genetic Algorithm (GA), and a Back Propagation (BP) neural network prediction model of the basic properties of full steel slag aggregate concrete (FSSAC) is established, and the experiment data are validated with good agreement. The impacts of several parameters including the sand ratio, water‐cement ratio, content of steel slag sand, replacement particle size of steel slag sand, content of coarse steel slag, and replacement particle size of coarse steel slag on the compressive strength and expansion rate of the FSSAC are numerically investigated. The results show that the compressive strength of the FSSAC declines with the increase of the sand ratio, water‐cement ratio, content of the steel slag sand, or coarse steel slag while it first increases and then decreases as the replacement particle size of steel slag sand or replacement particle size of coarse steel slag increases. The expansion rate of the FSSAC increases as the sand ratio or content of coarse steel slag increases. With a gradual increase of the water‐cement ratio, content of steel slag sand, replacement particle size of steel slag sand, or replacement particle size of coarse steel slag, the expansion rate of the FSSAC first increases and then decreases. In addition, the impacts of the three most important parameters (i.e., water‐cement ratio, content of steel slag sand, and replacement particle size of steel slag sand) on the stress‐strain relationship of the FSSAC stub columns is further numerically studied.
Transient Elastography in Alcoholic Liver Disease and Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: A Systemic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Cai Changzhou , Song Xin , Chen Xueyang , Zhou Weihua , Jin Qi , Chen Shenghui , Ji Feng
Published: January 2021

Background and Aims. Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) have become common chronic liver diseases. Recent evidence has shown the value of transient elastography (TE) in the context of ALD/NAFLD. The aim of this study is to investigate the accuracy of TE for diagnosing steatosis and fibrosis in ALD/NAFLD patients. Methods. We retrieved relevant English studies from the databases of PubMed, Embase, the Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library through March 31st 2019. We included studies regarding the diagnosis or staging of steatosis or fibrosis by using controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) or liver stiffness measurement (LSM) measured by TE in patients with ALD or NAFLD. The reference standard of all included studies was liver biopsy. A random-effects model was applied. Statistical analyses were performed using STATA. Results. A total of 62 articles were included and analyzed in our meta-analysis. In patients with ALD/NAFLD, the pooled results revealed that the sensitivity and specificity of CAP were 0.84, 0.83, and 0.78 and 0.83, 0.71, and 0.62 for steatosis grades ≥S1, ≥S2, and =S3, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of LSM for identifying fibrosis grades ≥F1, ≥F2, ≥F3, and =F4 were 0.77, 0.77, 0.83, and 0.91 and 0.80, 0.82, 0.84, and 0.86, respectively. Conclusion. In patients with ALD/NAFLD, CAP was feasible for identifying and screening steatosis, and LSM was accurate for diagnosing fibrosis, especially severe fibrosis and cirrhosis.
Clinical Efficacy of Prodom‐Assisted Urokinase in the Treatment of Male Infertility Caused by Impaired Semen Liquefaction
Authors: Mao Kaiyi , Chen Zongping , Li Mengzhi , Gou Chengren , Zhou Zidong , Yan Yong , Chen Chao , Liu Tong , Zou Chenghong , Yao Yuhong , Li Xu
Published: January 2021

Purpose. To evaluate the clinical efficacy of prodom in the administration of urokinase in the vagina in couples with impaired semen liquefaction. Materials and Methods. Overall, 261 patients with impaired semen liquefaction were randomly divided into prodom‐assisted urokinase treatment (PAUT) group (n = 91), syringe‐assisted urokinase treatment (SAUT) group (n = 86), and traditional treatment (TT) group (n = 84) in the first stage. If the first stage of treatment failed, other treatment methods were initiated instead and the patients were grouped according to the newer treatment method in the second stage. The pregnancy rate, time‐to‐conception, and treatment costs were evaluated in each group. Results. In the first stage, the pregnancy rate in the PAUT, SAUT, and TT groups was 69.23%, 29.07%, and 22.62%, respectively; the time‐to‐conception was 2.66 ± 1.44, 3.69 ± 2.61, and 3.86 ± 3.00 months, respectively; the treatment costs were 658.18 ± 398.40, 666.67 ± 507.50, and 680.56 ± 480.94 $, respectively. The pregnancy rate and time‐to‐conception were different in the PAUT group compared with those in SAUT and TT groups (all P < 0.05). However, the difference in treatment costs was not significant (P = 0.717). In the second stage, 154 nonpregnant patients were divided into nine treatment groups, and the effects of changing TT to PAUT on the pregnancy rate, time‐to‐conception, and treatment costs were observed to be different from those of other treatments (all P < 0.05). Conclusion. Prodom‐assisted urokinase can effectively treat male infertility secondary to impaired semen liquefaction.
Comparison of Amino Acid PET to Advanced and Emerging MRI Techniques for Neurooncology Imaging: A Systematic Review of the Recent Studies
Authors: Stopa Brittany M. , Juhász Csaba , Mittal Sandeep
Published: January 2021

Introduction. Standard neuroimaging protocols for brain tumors have well-known limitations. The clinical use of additional modalities including amino acid PET (aaPET) and advanced MRI (aMRI) techniques (including DWI, PWI, and MRS) is emerging in response to the need for more accurate detection of brain tumors. In this systematic review of the past 2 years of the literature, we discuss the most recent studies that directly compare or combine aaPET and aMRI for brain tumor imaging. Methods. A PubMed search was conducted for human studies incorporating both aaPET and aMRI and published between July 2018 and August 2020. Results. A total of 22 studies were found in the study period. Recent studies of aaPET with DWI showed a superiority of MET, FET, FDOPA, and AMT PET for detecting tumor, predicting recurrence, diagnosing progression, and predicting survival. Combining modalities further improved performance. Comparisons of aaPET with PWI showed mixed results about spatial correlation. However, both modalities were able to detect high-grade tumors, identify tumor recurrence, differentiate recurrence from treatment effects, and predict survival. aaPET performed better on these measures than PWI, but when combined, they had the strongest results. Studies of aaPET with MRS demonstrated that both modalities have diagnostic potential but MET PET and FDOPA PET performed better than MRS. MRS suffered from some data quality issues that limited analysis in two studies, and, in one study that combined modalities, overall performance actually decreased. Four recent studies compared aaPET with emerging MRI approaches (such as CEST imaging, MR fingerprinting, and SISTINA), but the initial results remain inconclusive. Conclusions. aaPET outperformed the aMRI imaging techniques in most recent studies. DWI and PWI added meaningful complementary data, and the combination of aaPET with aMRI yielded the best results in most studies.
Research on Sustainable Development Ability and Spatial‐Temporal Differentiation of Urban Human Settlements in China and Japan Based on SDGs, Taking Dalian and Kobe as Examples
Authors: Cong Xueping , Li Xueming , Li Songbo , Gong Yilu
Published: January 2021

The sustainable development of the human settlements (HS) has become a global universal program. The comparison of cities in different countries is of great significance to provide international experience for future urban construction. Combined with the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), this paper establishes an evaluation index system for the sustainable development ability of urban HS and constructs a three‐dimensional research framework of “development‐coordination‐sustainability,” which compares the sustainable development ability of the HS of Dalian, China, and Kobe, Japan, from 2005 to 2018 and explores the spatial evolution characteristics and obstacle factors of the HS of the two cities. The results show that (1) the development degree of the HS of the two cities is on the rise. The development level of Kobe is always higher than that of Dalian, and the gap is gradually narrowing; Kobe has advantages in natural and residential environment, while Dalian has advantages in cultural and economic environment. (2) The coordination degree of the development of the HS of the two cities has improved steadily, and the coordination degree of Kobe is better than that of Dalian. (3) The sustainability of the development of the HS of the two cities is fluctuating, and the average sustainable growth rate of Dalian is higher than that of Kobe. (4) The sustainable development space of the HS in Dalian presents a pattern of “high in the south and low in the north,” and the spatial characteristics of the subsystems are different; the main obstacles have changed from economic‐natural to economic‐natural‐cultural‐public services, and the obstacles to development in districts are different. (5) The sustainable development space of the HS in Kobe has a high level of development in the southeast, radiating to the surrounding area, and the spatial characteristics of the subsystems are different; the main obstacles have changed from economic‐cultural‐natural to economic‐natural‐population, and the obstacles to development in districts are different. Finally, it puts forward targeted suggestions for the sustainable construction of Dalian. This paper can provide methodological reference for quantitative assessment of the sustainable development of HS and provide policy reference for scientific planning of the construction of HS.
Direct Evidence of Symmetry between Bilateral Human Corneas in Biomechanical Properties: A Comparison Study with Fresh Corneal Tissue
Authors: Xue Chao , Xiang Yaoqi , Song Yi , Shen Min , Wu Di , Wang Yan
Published: January 2021

Purpose. To investigate the difference between the eyes from the same human with respect to the biomechanical properties of fresh corneal tissues and investigate the assumption of similarity of the corneal biomechanical properties between the eyes. Methods. Strip specimens extracted through a small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) surgery were tested using a uniaxial tensile test. The specimens were extracted vertically. Low-strain tangent modulus (LSTM), high-strain tangent modulus (HSTM), and tensile strength (σb) were the biomechanical parameters used in the comparison of the eyes from the same human. Results. Ninety corneal specimens from 45 persons were included in this study. The LSTM of the left and right eyes were 1.34 ± 0.52 and 1.37 ± 0.46 MPa, while the HSTM were 50.53 ± 7.51 and 49.41 ± 7.01 MPa, respectively. There was no significant difference between the eyes in terms of LSTM, HSTM, andσbP=0.813, 0.335, and 0.605, resp.. The LSTM and HSTM were significantly correlated with the spherical equivalent (SE) (P≤0.01, P=0.001, resp.). Conclusions. The assumption that the corneal biomechanical properties of the eyes from the same human are similar has been confirmed for the first time using fresh human corneal tissue. This finding may be useful in further biomechanical studies.
CEACAM7 Is an Effective Target for CAR T-cell Therapy of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Raj Deepak , Nikolaidi Maria , Garces Irene , Lorizio Daniela , Castro Natalia M. , Caiafa Sabrina G. , Moore Kate , Brown Nicholas F. , Kocher Hemant M. , Duan Xiaobo , Nelson Brad H. , Lemoine Nicholas R. , Marshall John F.
Published: January 2021

Purpose:

To investigate whether CEACAM7 represents a novel therapeutic target for treating pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and to generate CEACAM7-targeting CAR T cells to test this hypothesis.

Experimental Design:

We identified CEACAM7 (CGM2), a member of the CEA family of proteins with expression restricted to the colon and pancreas, as a potential CAR T-cell target for PDAC. We probed a panel of PDAC tumor sections as well as patient-derived PDAC cell cultures for CEACAM7 expression. We generated CAR-targeting CEACAM7, and assessed antitumor efficacy of CEACAM7 CAR T cells using in vitro and in vivo models.

Results:

We show here that CEACAM7 is expressed in a large subset of PDAC tumors, with low to undetectable expression in all normal tissues tested. CEACAM7 is also expressed in primary PDAC cultures isolated from patient-derived tumors, with high expression within the cancer stem cell-enriched subset. CAR T cells targeting CEACAM7 are capable of targeting antigen-expressing tumor cells, and mediate remission in patient-derived xenograft tumors.

Conclusions:

We identify CEACAM7 as a potential therapeutic target in PDAC and describe the development of CEACAM7-targeted CAR T cells with efficacy against PDAC.
Inner-Ear Symptom May Herald Basilar Artery Occlusion
Authors: Aiba Yosuke , Sakakibara Ryuji , Yamaguchi Takashi , Tateno Fuyuki
Published: January 2021

A 75-year-old Japanese man suddenly experienced right cochlear and vestibular dysfunction. Basilar artery occlusion and silent right cerebellar infarction were identified 3 days later. These were treated with intravenous ozagrel (an antiplatelet agent) and edaravone, a free-radical scavenger. The patient did not develop cerebello-brainstem signs. His first sign most probably reflected a right labyrinthine artery occlusion that heralded, or occurred together with, the basilar artery occlusion. This case highlights the possibility that a sudden inner ear dysfunction may herald a basilar stroke. Clinicians should therefore initiate appropriate therapy to prevent life-threatening brainstem complications.
Dynamic Changes in Portal Vein Flow during Decongestion in Patients with Heart Failure and Cardio-Renal Syndrome: A POCUS Case Series
Authors: Argaiz Eduardo R. , Rola Philippe , Gamba Gerardo
Published: January 2021

Introduction: Optimal method for noninvasive assessment of venous congestion remains an unresolved issue. Portal vein (PV) and intrarenal venous flow alterations are markers of abdominal venous congestion and have been associated with acute kidney injury (AKI) in cardiac surgery patients. It is currently unknown if portal vein flow (PVF) alterations in heart failure can be reversed with diuretic treatment and track decongestion. Objective: The aim of this study is to evaluate PVF alterations in patients with ADHF at arrival and after decongestive treatment. Methods: Assessment of venous congestion using point-of-care ultrasound was performed in 12 patients with ADHF (6 patients with left-sided heart failure and 6 patients with right-sided heart failure). Evaluation included inferior vena cava (IVC) size and collapsibility in addition to PV Doppler to determine pulsatility fraction (PF). Results: Increased PV PF (81.75 ± 13%) was found on admission. After effective decongestive treatment, it improved to (17.43 ± 2.2%). Improvement in IVC size and collapsibility was seen in most patients with left-sided heart failure and none of the patients with right-sided heart failure. Improvement in PV PF coincided with return to baseline of Serum Cr in patients that presented with AKI. Conclusions: Evaluation of abdominal venous congestion by point-of-care ultrasound could aid in diagnosis and follow-up of patients with congestive kidney injury.
Sensitivity and Specificity of the Saint Louis University Mental Status Examination to Detect Mild Cognitive Impairment and Dementia in Chinese Population
Authors: Yang Ya-Ping , Huang Ying-Che , Chen Cheng-Sheng , Yang Yi-Ching , Wang Jing-Jy
Published: January 2021

Introduction: The Saint Louis University Mental Status (SLUMS) examination is a common screening instrument to detect mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in Western countries. However, further work is needed to identify optimal SLUMS cutoff scores for screening MCI and dementia in Chinese populations. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the utility and diagnostic accuracy of the SLUMS examination in the diagnosis of dementia and MCI in Chinese population. Methods: A cross-sectional multicenter design was conducted. Patients were recruited from the outpatient department of our neurology and psychiatric clinics. The establishment of the gold standard for the SLUMS-Chinese version (SLUMS-C) to detect MCI and dementia was based on the clinical criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-5 (DSM-5) and related neuropsychological testing conducted by 3 certified dementia specialists. The consistency of the diagnosis process and administering SLUMS-C were established prior to the beginning of the study. Data were analyzed, and sensitivity, specificity, and areas under the curve (AUCs) were calculated. Results: A total of 367 subjects were recruited. The SLUMS-C did not show satisfactory AUCs for the preliminary detection of normal cognitive status and MCI by different educational levels (all AUC 0.32–0.54). However, the SLUMS-C showed acceptable AUCs for the preliminary detection of dementia by different educational levels (all AUC 0.78–0.81). An educational level of senior high school showed the best cutoff, sensitivity, and specificity. The SLUMS-C scores to detect dementia for individuals with at least high school education and less than high school education were <24 and 22, respectively. Conclusions: Our results indicate that the SLUMS-C could be a beneficial and convenient screening instrument to detect dementia in Chinese population. After community screening, a comprehensive clinical evaluation including cognitive assessment, functional status, corroborative history, and imaging confirmation is needed.
Characterization of Lung Tumors that the Pulmonologist can Biopsy from the Esophagus with Endosonography (EUS-B-FNA)
Authors: Christiansen Ida Skovgaard , Svendsen Morten Bo Søndergaard , Bodtger Uffe , Sidhu Jatinder Singh , Nessar Rafi , Salih Goran Nadir , Høegholm Asbjørn , Clementsen Paul Frost
Published: January 2021

Background: According to guidelines, it is possible to biopsy lung tumors “immediately adjacent to the esophagus” with EUS-B-FNA. However, it is unknown what “immediately adjacent” exactly means. Objective: to investigate the possibility of achieving EUS-B-FNA biopsies from a lung tumor depending on the distance from the esophagus and to establish the maximal allowable distance between the tumor and the esophagus. Methods: In a prospective observational study, we included patients with a lung tumor located maximum 6 cm from the esophagus and indication of EUS-B-FNA from the tumor. The tumors were of different sizes. In a plot presenting the tumor size-distance relationship in cases with (biopsy) versus without (non-biopsy) successful EUS-B-FNA, a separation line representing the threshold between the groups were identified and a biopsy-index equation established. The maximal tumor-size corrected distance (TSCD) was calculated using the residuals to the separation line. Results: In total, 70 patients were included. EUS-B-FNA from the lung tumor was possible in 46 patients. All tumors with a distance from the esophagus below 19 mm could be biopsied. The maximal allowable esophagus-tumor distance depended on tumor size. From the separation line, a biopsy-index equation was established with the sensitivity of 93.5%, a specificity of 100%, and total accuracy of 95.7%. The TSCD was 31 mm (sensitivity: 95.7%, specificity 75.0%, and accuracy: 88.6%). Conclusion: We established a biopsy-index equation to predict the achievability of a lung tumor using EUS-B-FNA depending on distance to esophagus and tumor size. A general maximal TSCD was 31 mm.
Psoriasis Exacerbation after Candida Antigen Immunotherapy Injection
Authors: Sarsik Sameh Magdy , Soliman Sarah Hamdy
Published: January 2021

Background: Immunotherapy as wart treatment has been proposed as a successful and well-tolerated treatment option. However, as their action is not confined to the site of injection, the activation of the immune system in a way may alter the immune state of the patient. Case Presentation: A case of 29-year-old patient who experienced psoriasis exacerbation and psoriatic arthritis within days following Candida antigen immunotherapy injection for resistant filiform wart management. Conclusion: Candida antigen injection may cause psoriasis exacerbation, as TNFα and subsequent T-helper 1 induction is crossroad in both psoriasis and Candida antigen immunotherapy. Therefore, we report this case to state that besides the effectiveness of Candida antigen for wart therapy, caution should be considered if used in patients who are susceptible to psoriasis with meticulous follow-up or better to apply an alternative treatment option.
The Risk Factors Associated with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor-Related Pneumonitis
Authors: Asada Mizuho , Mikami Takahisa , Niimura Takahiro , Zamami Yoshito , Uesawa Yoshihiro , Chuma Masayuki , Ishizawa Keisuke
Published: January 2021

Background: Pneumonitis is a serious adverse event in patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), with a mortality rate of up to 20%. The risk factors for ICI-related pneumonitis remain unclear due to the scarce data and infrequent event rate of 0–10% for all grades in patients using ICIs. Objectives: This study evaluated the risk factors for ICI-related pneumonitis using the United States Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) database. Method: To investigate the association between pneumonitis and ICIs, the FAERS database, which contains spontaneous adverse event reports submitted to the US FDA, was utilized. Data between January 2014 and December 2019 were collected. Univariate logistic regression analysis with covariates, including age, sex, and ICI use, was performed to assess the risk of ICI-related pneumonitis. The relative risk of pneumonitis was estimated using by the odds ratio. Results: We identified 4,248,808 reports, including 51,166 cases of those who received eight different ICIs. Nivolumab was the most common ICI (n = 27,273 of 51,166 [53.3%] patients). Reporting rates of pneumonitis were significantly high in ICI users (odds ratio 29.48; 95% confidence interval [CI], 27.49–31.62). Univariate logistic regression analysis showed that pneumonitis risk was significantly associated with age. Age ≤60 years old was associated with an increase in the reported frequency of pneumonitis. Conclusions: Our data suggest that the risk of ICI-related pneumonitis may increase in certain populations, including younger age (age <60 years) and ICIs users. These patients require careful monitoring.
Effect of Argatroban Injection on Clinical Efficacy in Patients with Acute Cerebral Infarction: Preliminary Findings
Authors: Huang Pan , He Xiao-ying , Xu Min
Published: January 2021

Objective: The aim is to observe the effects of argatroban injection and butylphthalide injection on blood flow rheology, clinical efficacy, and safety in patients with acute cerebral infarction. Methods: 344 patients with acute cerebral infarction within 48 h after admission were divided into treatment group and control group, with 172 cases in each group. The control group received routine treatment. The treatment group received argatroban injection 60 mg on the basis of the control group, intravenously guttae (ivgtt) was used for 2 days and then changed to argatroban injection 10 mg, ivgtt bid for 5 days, and the total course of treatment was 7 days. The neurological changes, activities of daily living, and the rheology indicators (fibrinogen [Fib], platelet aggregation rate [Pag], whole blood high shear viscosity [Whsv], hematocrit [Hct]) were compared between the 2 groups, clinical efficacy and adverse drug reactions. Results: After treatment, the total effective rates of the treatment group and the control group were 90.70% (156 /172 cases) and 74.41% (128 and 172 cases), respectively, and the difference was statistically significant (p < 0.05). After treatment, the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale scores of the treatment group and the control group were (7.05 ± 1.97) and (8.30 ± 1.79), respectively, and the Barthel index was (68.02 ± 11.07) and (62.32 ± 11.46), respectively. The difference was statistically significant (p < 0.05). After treatment, the treatment group and the control group were (2.66 ± 0.22) g/L and (3.50 ± 0.22) g/L, respectively, and Pag were (0.68 ± 0.06)% and (0.81 ± 0.09)%, respectively, and Whsv was (6.44 ± 0.76) mPs/s and (6.87 ± 0.91) mPs/s, Hct were (8.19 ± 1.21)% and (10.44 ± 1.04)%, respectively, and the differences were statistically significant (p < 0.05). The incidence of adverse reactions in the treatment group and the control group was 6.97 and 5.81%, respectively, and the difference was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). Conclusion: Argatroban injection is effective in the treatment of acute cerebral infarction, which can significantly improve the hemorheology of patients with good safety.