bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Short‐term clinical risk assessment and management: Comparing the Brockville Risk Checklist and Hamilton Anatomy of Risk Management
Authors: Healey Lindsay V. , Mullally Katelyn , Mamak Mini , Chaimowitz Gary A. , Ahmed Adekunle G. , Seto Michael C.
Published: September 2020

The current article aims to examine the performance of two brief, dynamic risk measures – the Brockville Risk Checklist (BRC4) and one of two versions of the Hamilton Anatomy of Risk Management [HARM‐FV and electronic HARM‐FV (eHARM‐FV)] – scored at regular clinical case conferences for forensic psychiatric patients in two different settings. The eHARM represents a first‐in‐class dynamic risk assessment tool using data analytics.

Two studies are presented from two forensic psychiatric hospitals in Ontario, Canada. The first study compared the HARM‐FV, scored by trained research staff, with the BRC4, scored concurrently by clinical teams, on 36 forensic inpatients. In the second study, trained research staff scored both the BRC4 and the eHARM‐FV on 55 forensic inpatients.

Both studies demonstrated that the BRC4 and both HARM‐FV tools were moderately and positively correlated with each other, with higher agreement for similar domains and items. In both samples, the risk measures performed better at identifying individuals who engaged in repeated or more serious problematic behavior. The HARM‐FV and eHARM‐FV produced higher area under the curve values for subsequent behavior compared with the BRC4. All three tools were effective at detecting future aggression and adverse incidents. We did not directly compare the HARM‐FV and eHARM‐FV.
Visual analytics of video‐clickstream data and prediction of learners' performance using deep learning models in MOOCs' courses
Authors: Mubarak Ahmed A. , Cao Han , Zhang Weizhen , Zhang Wenli
Published: September 2020

The big data stored in massive open online course (MOOC) platforms have become a posed challenge in the Learning Analytics field to analyze the learning behavior of learners, and predict their respective performance, related especially to video lecture data, since most learners view the same online lecture videos. This helps to conduct a comprehensive analysis of such behaviors and explore various learning patterns in MOOC video interactions. This paper aims at presenting a visual analysis, which enables course instructors and education experts to analyze clickstream data that were generated by learner interaction with course videos. It also aims at predicting learner performance, which is a vital decision‐making problem, by addressing their issues and improving the educational process. This paper uses a long short‐term memory network (LSTM) on implicit features extracted from video‐clickstreams data to predict learners' performance and enable instructors to make measures for timely intervention. Results show that the accuracy rate of the proposed model is 89%–95% throughout course weeks. The proposed LSTM model outperforms baseline Deep learning (GRU) and simple recurrent neural network by accuracy of 90.30% in the “Mining of Massive Datasets” course, and the “Automata Theory” accuracy is 89%.
Virtual reality learning environment for enhancing electronics engineering laboratory experience
Authors: Singh Gurjinder , Mantri Archana , Sharma Ojaswa , Kaur Rashpinder
Published: September 2020

Engineering laboratory courses have a significant role in building practical knowledge and enhancing the skills of the students. While working in electronics laboratories, students often operate complicated laboratory equipment and juggle through a set of multiple knobs and buttons to configure the equipment(s). It takes a lot of practice to master the skill of operating the laboratory equipment and it becomes difficult for students to operate the equipment without any prior experience. Virtual reality (VR) is the emerging technology and has the potential to provide a better learning experience to the students. In this paper, a VR‐based learning environment (VLE) is developed, which aims to give prior training to the engineering students about the electronics laboratory hardware. An experimental study was conducted to measure the effectiveness of VR on student knowledge development, learning motivation, and cognition. The study was conducted among the 65 engineering students and they were randomly divided into two groups: treatment group (N = 33) and control group (N = 32). The students of the treatment group were taught with the VR approach and students of the control group were taught with a conventional teaching approach. The outcomes of the experiment indicate that VR has a significant positive impact on student knowledge, learning motivation, and cognition. By interacting with the three‐dimensional virtual models of the laboratory instruments, students were able to demonstrate an improved understanding of the laboratory hardware. Also, the treatment group students mentioned that they were not worried about the equipment malfunction that has further enhanced their confidence and reduced the cognitive load.
Using web‐based gamified software to learn Boolean algebra simplification in a blended learning setting
Authors: Jiménez‐Hernández Eréndira M. , Oktaba Hanna , Díaz‐Barriga Frida , Piattini Mario
Published: September 2020

One of the fundamental topics in the education of students enrolled in computer‐related degrees is that of Boolean algebra. This is because it allows the expression of several problems related to digital design, artificial intelligence, databases, compilers, and formal languages, among others, as a sequence of Boolean operations and variables, which can be dealt with by using Boolean algebra methods to optimize algorithms, minimize digital components, and so forth. This study presents a piece of web‐based software, denominated as MiniBool, which has been developed with the objective of supporting the learning of Boolean algebra in a blended learning setting. This educational proposal gives students the opportunity to reinforce learning at any time and in any place. It additionally increases the learners’ motivation by including gamification, through the use of a ranking that shows the students’ level of participation. MiniBool was evaluated by means of a formal experiment, which was carried out with Discrete Mathematics students at a higher education institution in Mexico, where two groups were formed randomly: A control group, whose members attended classes and reinforced their knowledge in a traditional manner with a pencil and paper, and an experimental group, which learned in a blended learning context, receiving the same classes as the control group, but reinforcing what they had learned using MiniBool. The statistical results obtained indicate that the use of MiniBool has a positive and motivating effect on learning and that a greater academic performance is achieved than when the traditional teaching‐learning method is applied.
Brushwork master: Chinese ink painting synthesis for animating brushwork process
Authors: Yang Lijie , Xu Tianchen , Du Jixiang , Zhang Hongbo , Wu Enhua
Published: September 2020

Generally, it is regarded as challenge work to grasp the drawing style of an ancient masterpiece in Chinese painting learning. This paper presents a novel approach to the generation of a Chinese ink painting in a certain style and animating its brushwork process with expert skills. In order to demonstrate the techniques of brush and ink inside a stroke, a serials of geometric properties of a brush stroke, are first extracted, then through rational deformation calculation, the best stroke source is mapped onto the stroking path, which is sketched by the user, and finally a new Chinese painting can be synthesized by style migration and natural stroke composition. So with the generated strokes, the lifelike brushwork process of the new painting can be represented dramatically. Actually, by showing the authentic painting process, the tool we implemented helps the learners, who have no profound skills and knowledge in domain of Chinese painting, master the essence of a great painting style, and also provides an easy way to art creation and the comprehension of mysterious Chinese traditional art.
Deep supervised multimodal semantic autoencoder for cross‐modal retrieval
Authors: Tian Yu , Yang Wenjing , Liu Qingsong , Yang Qiong
Published: September 2020

Cross‐modal retrieval aims to do flexible retrieval among different modals, whose main issue is how to measure the semantic similarities among multimodal data. Though many existing methods have been proposed to enable cross‐modal retrieval, they rarely consider the preservation of content information among multimodal data. In this paper, we present a three‐stage cross‐modal retrieval method, named MMCA‐CMR. To reduce the discrepancy among multimodal data, we first attempt to embed multimodal data into a common representation space. We then combine the feature vectors with the content information into the semantic‐aware feature vectors. We finally obtain the feature‐aware and content‐aware projections via multimodal semantic autoencoders. With semantic deep autoencoders, MMCA‐CMR promotes a more reliable cross‐modal retrieval by learning feature vectors from different modalities and content information simultaneously. Extensive experiments demonstrate that the proposed method is valid in cross‐modal retrieval, which significantly outperforms state‐of‐the‐art on four widely‐used benchmark datasets.
Combining Inorganic Chemistry and Biology: The Underestimated Potential of Metal Complexes in Medicine
Authors: Karges Johannes
Published: September 2020

The vast majority of investigated compounds in modern medicine are based on organic molecules. Within the last decades, the field of medicinial chemistry is shifting towards the application of metal complexes. These compounds offer different mechanisms of action in comparison to organic molecules due to their unique properties, making them novel drug candidates. Herein, the successful combination of metal containing compounds and medicine is highlighted by their application for photodynamic therapy.
Are Liaison and Diversion interventions in policing delivering the planned impact: A longitudinal evaluation in two constabularies?
Authors: Kane Eddie , Evans Emily , Mitsch Jurgen , Jilani Tahseen
Published: September 2020

Liaison and Diversion (L&D) has twin objectives: improving mental health outcomes and reducing re‐offending. Early diversion from police custody seems promising, but evidence of benefit is required to sustain such programmes. To test the hypothesis that contact with L&D services while in police custody would lead to improved mental health outcomes and a reduction in type and level of offending, we used a pre–post service use design. National Health Service (NHS) records in two counties were searched for evidence that patients had been involved with L&D services while in police custody during the period July 2009–December 2017. We defined January 2009–July 2014 as the pre‐intervention period and any time after contact as the post‐intervention period. Data from the Police National Computer were gathered for each period for these individuals, to assess their pre‐post L&D contact offending histories. NHS Trust data were similarly gathered to assess their pre‐post use of mental health legislation. 4,462 individuals were identified who had used L&D services in police custody. There were statistically significant reductions in the amount of offending following contact with the L&D service (whether one or two contacts), regardless of offence type. Statistically significant reductions were also observed in use of the four most commonly used legislative powers for detaining patients in hospital on mental disorder grounds, regardless of offending status (prolific/non‐prolific). Our results indicate positive associations between the L&D interventions and change in offending and use of compulsory hospital detention. Whilst our research does not allow a direct causal relationship to be established in either area, the findings go beyond other impact assessments of L&D which have either been with small samples or relied only on qualitative data or expert opinion.
Hormone spiral in treatment of progesterone‐induced stomatitis
Authors: Sandbakk Frank‐Jakob , Løes Sigbjørn , Pedersen Torbjørn Ø.
Published: September 2020

Hormonal changes in the menstrual cycle may cause autoimmune progesterone‐induced stomatitis. This case illustrates that insertion of a hormone spiral can be a treatment option to reduce mucosal lesions and symptoms.
Thorax necrotizing fasciitis following Bezold’s abscess
Authors: Silva Vagner Antonio Rodrigues , Almeida Amanda Sampaio , Lavinsky Joel , Pauna Henrique Furlan , Castilho Arthur Menino , Chone Carlos Takahiro , Crespo Agrício Nubiato
Published: September 2020

Bezold's abscess is a rare complication of acute otitis media, but it should be recognized and aggressively treated. Otolaryngologists must be aware of this diagnosis, and multidisciplinary care should be provided as soon as possible.
Anetoderma in a patient with a history of primary syphilis
Authors: Hamidi Sepehr , Yashar Sharona
Published: September 2020

Anetoderma is a rare cutaneous disorder presenting with atrophic skin lesions. It can be associated with several autoimmune and infectious diseases. With the current resurgence of syphilis, clinicians must be aware of its association with anetoderma.
Stable improvement in classical B‐cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia with dietary interventions: A personal experience
Authors: Plooij Frans X. , Raemaekers John
Published: September 2020

If the lymphocyte count is still low enough, the first part of the wait‐and‐see approach for asymptomatic Rai stage 0 classical B‐CLL can be used to find out if the lymphocyte counts follow an exponential growth curve. If they do, the whole food, plant‐based (WFPB) diet intervention can be started.
Case report: Magnesium—A new therapeutic target in gestational diabetes mellitus?
Authors: Zhang Kun
Published: September 2020

To date, physicians are not aware of a potential connection between magnesium and gestational diabetes mellitus. This case shows that magnesium supplementation can reduce maternal serum glucose, specifically the hard‐to‐control fasting glucose.
Steric and Electronic Effects of Phosphane Additives on the Catalytic Performance of Colloidal Palladium Nanoparticles in the Semi‐Hydrogenation of Alkynes
Authors: Staiger Lena , Kratky Tim , Günther Sebastian , Tomanek Ondrej , Zbořil Radek , Fischer Richard W. , Fischer Roland A. , Cokoja Mirza
Published: September 2020

We report on the influence of phosphanes on the catalytic activity and selectivity of colloidal, tetraoctylammonium bromide (TOAB) stabilised palladium nanoparticles (NPs) in the semi‐hydrogenation of alkynes to olefins. Full characterisation of the catalytic system (HRTEM, EDX, XPS, IR, NMR) confirmed the formation of spherical particles with a narrow size distribution (1.9±0.5 nm). The catalytic performance of the Pd NPs in the semi‐hydrogenation of 1‐octyne, 2‐octyne and phenylacetylene to the respective olefins and the influences on the selectivity was investigated. The system shows high activities and selectivities at mild conditions (0 °C and 1.0 bar H2 pressure). It was shown that generally, phosphanes lead to an increase of both the reaction rate and selectivity towards the olefin where both steric and electronic effects of the ligand play a crucial role for the catalyst performance. A moderate steric demand of the ligand with a rather weak σ‐donating ability turned out to give the highest catalytic performance.
Water‐Gas Shift Reaction in a Microchannel Ni‐based Catalytic Coated Reactor: Effect of Solvents
Authors: Bazdar Mahsa , Irankhah Abdullah
Published: September 2020

Medium‐temperature shift (MTS) reaction was investigated in a microchannel reactor using the electrophoretic deposition (EPD) method to coat porous layers of Ni‐K/CeO2 catalyst on stainless‐steel plates. The electrolyte suspensions of the catalyst were prepared in isopropanol, ethanol, methanol, and acetone as solvents. All EPD experiments were carried out under similar conditions (i.e., for a contact time of 3 min, at a voltage of 140 V, and in the presence of 0.3 wt % polyethylenimine as the dispersant). The effect of the different solvents on the coated catalytic layers was studied using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and 2D and 3D optical imaging. The experimental results proved that the best performance for the MTS reaction in the plate microreactor was achieved with isopropanol as the solvent.
Thermal Performance Analysis of Ionic Liquid‐Pretreated Spent Coffee Ground Using Aspen Plus®
Authors: Saeed Sana , Shafeeq Amir , Raza Waseem , Ijaz Aamir , Saeed Saad
Published: September 2020

Thermal analysis and gasification study of spent coffee ground (SCG) pretreated with ionic liquids (ILs) is presented. Four ILs, namely, 1‐butyl‐3‐methylimidazolium chloride ([Bmim][Cl]), 1‐ethyl‐3‐methylimidazolium chloride ([Emim][Cl]), tributylmethylammonium chloride ([N1444][Cl]), and trihexyltetradecylphosphonium chloride ([P66614][Cl]), were investigated. The pretreatment was followed by thermogravimetric analysis. The syngas composition was computed using an equilibrium‐based steam‐O2 gasification model developed in Aspen Plus® by varying gasifier temperature and steam/biomass ratio. All ILs reduced the ash content, enhanced the volatility as well as the higher heating value of SCG. IL pretreatment also decreased CO2 and CH4 contents showing environmental benefits of using ILs.
A Superior Flame‐Resistant and Wide‐Temperature Adaptable Yarn Lithium‐Ion Battery with a Highly Conductive Ionogel Electrolyte
Authors: Ma Zhiyuan , Liu Jie , Fei Jinbo , He Ning , Wang Panpan , Wang Jiaqi , Chen Zhe , Ji Zhenyuan , Wang Hua , Ling Wei , Nie Ningyuan , Hu Mengmeng , Huang Yan
Published: September 2020

Yarn batteries are extensively used in portable, flexible and wearable electronics due to their tiny volume, good flexibility and maximum compatibility with textiles. However, both the flammable organic electrolyte and the hydrogel electrolyte are not capable of solving safety issues. In this work, a poly(ionic liquid)(PIL)‐based ionogel was synthesized as an electrolyte with both superior flame resistance and high ionic conductivity. The flexible Li4Ti5O12//LiFePO4 yarn battery based on the ionogel not only has the safety characteristic of incombustibility, but also guarantees stable electrochemical properties under cold and hot weather conditions.
Stepwise Adsorption of Alkoxy‐Pyrene Derivatives onto a Lamellar, Non‐Porous Naphthalenediimide‐Template on HOPG
Authors: Heideman G. Henrieke , Berrocal José Augusto , Stöhr Meike , Meijer E. W. , Feringa Ben L.
Published: September 2020

The development of new strategies for the preparation of multicomponent supramolecular assemblies is a major challenge on the road to complex functional molecular systems. Here we present the use of a non‐porous self‐assembled monolayer from uC33‐NDI‐uC33, a naphthalenediimide symmetrically functionalized with unsaturated 33 carbon‐atom‐chains, to prepare bicomponent supramolecular surface systems with a series of alkoxy‐pyrene (PyrOR) derivatives at the liquid/HOPG interface. While previous attempts at directly depositing many of these PyrOR units at the liquid/HOPG interface failed, the multicomponent approach through the uC33‐NDI‐uC33 template enabled control over molecular interactions and facilitated adsorption. The PyrOR deposition restructured the initial uC33‐NDI‐uC33 monolayer, causing an expansion in two dimensions to accommodate the guests. As far as we know, this represents the first example of a non‐porous or non‐metal complex‐bearing monolayer that allows the stepwise formation of multicomponent supramolecular architectures on surfaces.
Synthesis of [2,2’]Bifuranyl‐5,5’‐dicarboxylic Acid Esters via Reductive Homocoupling of 5‐Bromofuran‐2‐carboxylates Using Alcohols as Reductants†
Authors: Xie Yi , Yu Bin , Luo Jiajun , Yin Biaolin , Jiang Huanfeng
Published: September 2020

Herein, we describe an environmentally benign and cost‐effective protocol for the synthesis of valuable bifuranyl dicarboxylates, starting with α‐bromination of readily accessible furan‐2‐carboxylates by LiBr and K2S2O8. Furthermore, the bromination intermediate product 5‐bromofuran‐2‐carboxylates were then conducted in a palladium‐catalyzed reductive homocoupling reactions in the presence of alcohols to afford bifuranyl dicarboxylates. One of the final products in this protocol, [2,2’]bifuran‐5,5’‐dicarboxylic acid esters, are essential monomers of poly(ethylene bifuranoate), which can be served as an green and versatile alternative polymer for traditional poly(ethylene terephthalate) that is currently common in technical plastics.
Transition Metal Catalyzed Enantioselective Borylative Cyclization Reactions
Authors: Ji Yuqi , Zhang Min , Xing Mimi , Cui Huanhuan , Zhao Qian , Zhang Chun
Published: September 2020

Due to the significance of corresponding products, enantioselective borylative cyclization reactions have been studied intensively in recent years. Many groups have developed efficient methods to transform unsaturated system into asymmetric cyclic organoboron compounds with the ring‐size range from three‐membered to six‐membered in general. Notably, in some cases, fused rings which contain more than two contiguous chiral centers could be obtained by this kind of strategies. This review summarized and reviewed the recent advances in this field and classified these work according to the species of metal catalysts.
Synthesis, Bioactivity Evaluation,3D‐QSAR, and Molecular Docking of Novel Pyrazole‐4‐carbohydrazides as Potential Fungicides Targeting Succinate Dehydrogenase
Authors: Jiao Jian , Chen Min , Sun Shengxin , Si Weijie , Wang Xiaobin , Ding Weijie , Fu Xincan , Wang An , Yang Chunlong
Published: September 2020

Main observation and conclusion

To screen novel antifungal agents targeting the succinate dehydrogenase (SDH), a series of pyrazole‐4‐carbohydrazides were rationally designed, synthesized, and characterized under the guidance of the structures of succinate dehydrogenase inhibitors (SDHIs). Bioassay resultsin vitroindicated that most of the target compounds exhibited excellent activity againstRhizoctonia solani(R. solani),Fusarium graminearum(F. graminearum),Botrytis cinerea(B. cinerea) andColletotrichum capsica(C. cinerea). Compounds 7d, 7l, 7t and 7x were identified as the most promoting candidates, and their anti‐F. graminearumEC50values were as low as 0.56, 0.47, 0.46 and 0.49 μg/mL, respectively, presenting the similar antifungal activity as that of the commonly used fungicide carbendazim (0.43 μg/mL). The 3D‐QSAR models were built for a systematic structure‐activity relationship profile to explore more potent pyrazole‐4‐carbohydrazides as novel fungicides. Molecular docking of 7d, 7l and 7r with SDH was performed to reveal the binding modes in active pocket and analyze the interactions between the molecules and the SDH protein.
The Fate of Lead (Pb) in Multitrophic Interactions Among Bacteria, Fungi, and Bacterivorous Soil Nematodes
Authors: Iqbal Nadeem , Ahmed Saba , Pervez Arshid , Nazir Rashid , Tang Xiaoyan , Irshad Usman
Published: September 2020

Contamination of potentially toxic metals poses threats to living organisms due to prolonged existence in an ecosystem. The effects of toxic metals on soil microbes have broadly been reported but the study on interactions among soil micro‐ and macro‐organisms under metal stress needs to be elaborated. In current study, the immobilization of lead (Pb) is investigated by using five resistant microbial strains; (2) Bacillus cereus, (1) Bacillus subtilis, (1) Brevundimonas naejangsanensis, and (1) fungal strain Fusarium equiseti isolated from contaminated soil of Hattar, Pakistan. Bacterial and fungal strains and their consortia are tested in the presence/absence of nematodes for Pb immobilization in a medium containing 250 mg L−1 Pb. Single bacterial strains immobilize Pb up to 72%, while in the presence of nematodes, bacterial immobilization potential decreases. An increased Pb immobilization up to 185 mg L−1 is found when bacterial and fungal consortia are inoculated with nematodes. The maximum 80% Pb immobilization is found in bacterial–bacterial combinations with nematodes. This study, reveals that inoculation of bacterial–bacterial consortia in the presence of nematodes enhanced bacterial growth via feeding resulting in higher Pb immobilization. These resistant microbial strains can thus be used to treat contaminated sites for better ecosystem functioning.
Selected 1,3‐Benzodioxine‐Containing Chalcones as Multipotent Oxidase and Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors
Authors: Jeong Geum Seok , Kaipakasseri Swafvan , Lee Sang Ryong , Marraiki Najat , Batiha Gaber El‐Saber , Dev Sanal , Palakkathondi Ashique , Kavully Fathima Sahla , Gambacorta Nicola , Nicolotti Orazio , Mathew Bijo , Kim Hoon
Published: September 2020

Chalcones are considered effective templates for the development of monoamine oxidase (MAO) and cholinesterase (ChE) inhibitors. The present work describes the syntheses of selected 1,3‐benzodioxine‐containing chalcones (CD3, CD8 and CD10), and their inhibitory activities against MAO‐A, MAO‐B, acetylcholinesterase (AChE), and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE). Compound CD8 most potently inhibited MAO‐B with an IC50 value of 0.026 μM, followed by CD10 and CD3 (1.54 and 1.68 μM, respectively). CD8 potently and non‐selectively inhibited MAO‐A (IC50 value of 0.023 μM). On the other hand, CD10 and CD8 inhibited AChE with IC50 values of 5.40 and 9.57 μM, respectively. Kinetics and reversibility experiments showed that all synthesized molecules were competitive and reversible inhibitors, and the Ki values of CD8 for MAO‐A and MAO‐B were 0.018 and 0.0019 μM, respectively. By in vitro and in silico analyses, all compounds were found to have high passive human gastrointestinal absorptions, blood‐brain barrier permeabilities, and non‐toxicities. Molecular docking simulations revealed that docking affinity of each compound for MAO‐B was higher than that for MAO‐A. The results indicate that CD8 is a potent non‐selective MAO inhibitor, and CD10 is an effective selective MAO‐B inhibitor, and both possess AChE inhibitory activity. Therefore, we suggest that CD8 and CD10 be considered potential dual‐targeting inhibitors of MAO and AChE for the treatment of various neurodegenerative disorders.
Association between postoperative complications and long‐term oncologic outcomes following total laryngectomy: 10‐year experience at MD Anderson Cancer Center
Authors: Boukovalas Stefanos , Goepfert Ryan P. , Smith J. Michael , Mecham Elise , Liu Jun , Zafereo Mark E. , Chang Edward I. , Hessel Amy C. , Hanasono Matthew M. , Gross Neil D. , Yu Peirong , Lewin Jan S. , Lewis Carol M. , Diaz Eduardo M. , Weber Randal S. , Myers Jeffrey N. , Offodile Anaeze C.
Published: September 2020

Background

Postoperative complications are an independent predictor of poor survival across several tumors. However, there is limited literature on the association between postoperative morbidity and long‐term survival following total laryngectomy (TL) for cancer.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective review of all TL patients at a single institution from 2008 to 2013. Demographic and clinical data were collected and analyzed, including postsurgical outcomes, which were classified using the Clavien‐Dindo system. Multivariable Cox regression analyses were performed to identify factors associated with overall survival (OS) and disease‐free survival (DFS).

Results

A total of 362 patients were identified. The mean age was 64 years, and the majority of patients were male (81%). The median follow‐up interval was 21 months. Fifty‐seven percent of patients had received preoperative radiation, and 40% had received preoperative chemotherapy. Fifty‐seven percent of patients underwent salvage TL, and 60% underwent advanced reconstruction (45% free flap and 15% pedicled flap). A total of 136 patients (37.6%) developed postoperative complications, 92 (25.4%) of which were major. Multivariable modeling demonstrated that postoperative complications independently predicted shorter OS (hazard ratio [HR], 1.50; 95% CI, 1.16‐1.96; P = .002) and DFS (HR, 1.36; 95% CI, 1.05‐1.76; P = .021). Other independent negative predictors of OS and DFS included positive lymph node status, preoperative chemotherapy, comorbidity grade, and delayed adjuvant therapy. Severity of complication and reason for TL (salvage vs primary) were not shown to be predictive of OS or DFS.

Conclusion

Postoperative complications are associated with worse long‐term OS and DFS relative to uncomplicated cases. Patient optimization and timely management of postoperative complications may play a critical role in long‐term survival.
Novel circular RNA 2960 contributes to secondary damage of spinal cord injury by sponging miRNA‐124
Authors: Chen Jun , Fu Bin , Bao Jing , Su Rong , Zhao Haoning , Liu Zhongtao
Published: September 2020

Recent studies have shown that circular RNAs (circRNAs) are involved in many human diseases, but their roles in secondary damage after spinal cord injury (SCI) remain unclear. In the current study circRNA sequencing was performed in the damaged tissues of SCI rats on the seventh day after injury, and related molecular mechanisms were investigated. Quantitative PCR validations of molecules that exhibited significantly altered expression in SCI mice were performed. Gene ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analyses were conducted to assess differentially expressed circRNAs. A novel circRNA‐2960 was the most significantly upregulated in the SCI group. It could downregulate its target molecule miRNA‐124, then exacerbate the inflammatory response and induce apoptosis at the lesion site. Disrupting circRNA‐2960 expression promoted recovery of tissues affected by secondary SCI damage. The results of the present study may provide new insight into the mechanisms of secondary injury in SCI, and a new molecular marker for the diagnosis and treatment of SCI.
Therapy‐related chronic myeloid leukemia in a patient receiving peptide receptor radionuclide therapy for pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor
Authors: Kucukyurt Selin , Yagiz Ozogul Yeliz , Ercaliskan Abdulkadir , Kabasakal Levent , Eskazan Ahmet Emre
Published: September 2020

Background

Therapy‐related leukemia is a well‐recognized clinical syndrome. Peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) is a modern therapeutic approach using radionuclide combined with somatostatin analog peptide for inoperable or metastatic neuroendocrine tumors.

Aims

Hematologic toxicities including late‐onset myeloid neoplasms have been reported after PRRT; however, therapy‐related chronic myeloid leukemia (TR‐CML) following PRRT is a relatively rare entity.

Methods

We present a 64‐year‐old male who received PRRT for pancreas neuroendocrine tumor and then developed TR‐CML 60 months after the initiation of PRRT. The patient responded well to imatinib therapy.

Results

Patients with TR‐CML generally have similar tyrosine kinase inhibitor responses and outcomes when compared to de novo cases.

Conclusions

The physicians should be aware of the short‐ and long‐term hematologic toxicities of PRRT including TR‐CML, and careful monitoring is mandatory in this group of patients.
NLPHub: An e‐Infrastructure‐based text mining hub
Authors: Coro Gianpaolo , Panichi Giancarlo , Pagano Pasquale , Perrone Erico
Published: September 2020

Text mining involves a set of processes that analyze text to extract high‐quality information. Among its large number of applications, there are experiments that tackle big data challenges using complex system architectures. However, text mining approaches are neither easy to discover and use nor easily combinable by end‐users. Furthermore, they should be contextualized within new approaches to science (eg, Open Science) that ensure longevity and reuse of methods and results. This article presents NLPHub, a distributed system that orchestrates and combines several state‐of‐the‐art text mining services that recognize spatiotemporal events, keywords, and a large set of named entities. NLPHub adopts an Open Science approach, which fosters the reproducibility, repeatability, and reusability of methods and results, by using an e‐Infrastructure supporting data‐intensive Science. NLPHub adds Open Science‐compliance to the connected services through the use of representational standards for services and computations. It also manages heterogeneous service access policies and enables collaboration and sharing facilities. This article reports a performance assessment based on an annotated corpus of named entities, which demonstrates that NLPHub can improve the performance of the single‐integrated processes by cleverly combining their output.
An empirical analysis of graph‐based linear dimensionality reduction techniques
Authors: Al‐Omairi Lamyaa J. , Abawajy Jemal , Chowdhury Morshed U. , Al‐Quraishi Tahsien
Published: September 2020

Many emerging applications such as social networks have prompted remarkable attention in graph data analysis. Graph data is typically high‐dimensional in nature, and dimensionality reduction is critical regarding storage, analysis, and querying of such data efficiently. Although there are many dimensionality reduction methods, it is not clear to what extent the performances of the various dimensionality reduction techniques differ. In this article, we review some of the well‐known linear dimensionality reduction methods and perform an empirical analysis of these approaches using large multidimensional graph datasets. Our results show that in linear unsupervised learning methods, the principal component analysis, singular value decomposition, and neighborhood preserving embedding methods achieve better retrieval data performance than other methods of the statistical information category, dictionary methods, and embedding methods, respectively. Regarding supervised learning methods, the experimental results demonstrate that linear discriminant analysis and partial least squares presented almost similar results.
Location privacy preservation through kernel transformation
Authors: Zhang Lefeng , Song Guanghua , Zhu Danyang , Ren Wei , Xiong Ping
Published: September 2020

The frequent data leak scandals of recent years indicate that service providers who hold personal data may not be reliable as they claim. We assert that sensitive user information must be sanitized locally before it is sent to service providers if it is to be protected. The LPPK privacy‐preserving framework presented in this article is a local sanitization scheme, for location‐based services (LBSs). It applies a fog‐computing structure in which a private map is generated by the LBS server with kernel transformation for each user. A fog device then provides location services for each user according to the private map. Without colluding, neither the LBS server nor the fog device can deduce a user's real location. Experiments conducted on real‐world data sets demonstrate that LPPK delivers sufficient query accuracy at a level significantly higher than existing approaches while preserving location privacy.
How does depression facilitate psychological difficulties in children? The mediating role of cognitive emotion regulation strategies
Authors: Melero Silvia , Orgilés Mireia , Espada José Pedro , Morales Alexandra
Published: September 2020

Knowing the processes of emotion regulation that children use to respond to stressful situations is essential to analyse the development of psychopathology. The objectives of this research were to study the use of nine cognitive emotion regulation strategies (CERS) in depressed children, compared with nondepressed children, and to analyse their possible mediating effects on the relationship between childhood depression and several areas related to child psychological adjustment. The sample comprised 336 children (46.7% girls) aged 8–12 years. Participants completed measures on depression symptoms (Child Depression Inventory), psychological strengths and difficulties (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire) and CERS (Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire for Spanish kids). Correlations and multiple regression analyses were conducted to test whether CERS and child gender and age predicted child depression. Mediation analyses were run to identify the CERS that mediate the relationship between depression and daily psychological adjustment. On multiple regression, children who score higher in self‐blame (β = .18, p < .01), catastrophizing (β = .24, p < .001), and other‐blame (β = .14, p ≤ .01) but lower in positive reappraisal (β = −.15, p ≤ .01) and females (β = .10, p < .05) were more likely to present higher scores in depression. The maladaptive CERS “other‐blame” mediated a positive relationship between depression and conduct problems and between depression and peer problems. Other‐blame mediated a negative relationship between depression and prosocial behaviour. In conclusion, this research provides evidence of which specific CERS mediate the emergence of psychopathology in vulnerable children, and provides clues for the proper orientation of psychological interventions in childhood.
Wild carrot diversity for new sources of abiotic stress tolerance to strengthen vegetable breeding in Bangladesh and Pakistan
Authors: Simon Philipp W. , Rolling William R. , Senalik Douglas , Bolton Adam. L. , Rahim M. A. , Mannan A. T. M. Majharul , Islam Ferdouse , Ali A. , Nijabat A. , Naveed Naima Huma , Hussain Rameez , Ijaz Shah Adeel
Published: September 2020

Crop wild relatives (CWRs) of carrot (Daucus. carota L.) including 64 germplasm accessions of D. carota L. subsp. carota, D. carota L. subsp. capillifolius (Gilli) Arbizu, and D. carota L. subsp. gummifer (Syme) Hook. f., as well as two accessions of another 18‐chromosome species, D. syrticus Murb., were grown in field trials to flowering under conditions of heat, drought, and salinity stress in Bangladesh and Pakistan. Plant growth before floral initiation was evaluated and plants were allowed to progress to flowering to evaluate seed production. A wide range of response was observed among entries ranging from no germination or plant death early in development to vigorous growth. Carrot grown under optimal conditions in the greenhouse served as a useful control to estimate tolerance indices in the field. New sources of heat and drought tolerance in subsp. carota and subsp. capillifolius accessions were identified with similar performance in both countries. Ecogeographic analysis demonstrated that environmental parameters at the collection location of germplasm were associated with heat and drought tolerance observed in field trials. Plants evaluated for tolerance were allowed to flower and seed was produced on selected plants with abiotic stress tolerance to develop populations or breeding pools and to initiate the development of carrot better adapted to climatic abiotic stress.
Do appearances deceive? The curious case of CSR activities and shunned companies
Authors: Ullah Saif , S. Mateti Ravi
Published: September 2020

Our article investigates the relationship between the corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities of firms from “shunned” industries and the firms' long‐term value. Contrary to the existing research, we find that these firms' CSR activities are motivated by business or regulatory reasons, and not altruistic ones. We also document that in alcohol and tobacco industries, there is a positive relationship between the number of concerns about the firms' products and the long‐term value of these firms. Additionally, we find that some CSR activities that may, prima facie, look good could actually be exacerbating social problems. Among the “shunned” industries, the gambling industry is the only one that shows a positive relationship between firm value and diversity. The community leaders of certain ethnic groups are alarmed that the gambling industry targets groups with a higher percentage of gambling disorders.
Weak Bonds Joint Effects Catalyze the Cleavage of Strong C−C Bond of Lignin‐Inspired Compounds and Lignin in Air by Ionic Liquids
Authors: Kang Ying , Yang Yongqing , Yao Xiaoqian , Liu Yanrong , Ji Xiaoyan , Xin Jiayu , Xu Junli , Dong Huixian , Yan Dongxia , He Hongyan , Lu Xingmei
Published: September 2020

Oxidation of lignin to value‐added aromatics through selective C−C bond cleavage via metal‐free and mild strategies is promising but challenging. It was discovered that the cations of ionic liquids (ILs) could effectively catalyze this kind of strong bond cleavage by forming multiple weak hydrogen bonds, enabling the reaction conducted in air at temperature lower than 373 K without metal‐containing catalysts. The cation [CPMim]+ (1‐propylronitrile‐3‐methylimidazolium) afforded the highest efficiency in C−C bond cleavage, in which high yields (>90 %) of oxidative products were achieved. [CPMim]+ could form three ipsilateral hydrogen bonds with the oxygen atom of C=O and ether bonds at both sides of the C−C bond. The weak bonds joint effects could promote adjacent C−H bond cleave to form free radicals and thereby catalyze the fragmentation of the strong C−C. This work opens up an eco‐friendly and energy‐efficient route for direct valorization of lignin by enhancing IL properties via tuning the cation.
Operating characteristics of four‐coil magnetic resonant coupling wireless power transfer under different resonant states
Authors: Wang Meng , Wang Haoran , Zhang Yiming , Shi Yanyan , Yang Lan
Published: September 2020

In wireless power transfer, the transfer efficiency decreases with the increase of the transfer distance. To improve the power transfer performance, the operating characteristics of a conformal coplanar four‐coil magnetic resonant coupling wireless power transfer system are investigated and analyzed under four different resonant states. Based on the complete equivalent circuit model, the transmission coefficient and the input impendence are calculated. The performance of the systems operated under four resonant states is studied and compared. Also, the origin of the difference is specifically analyzed. The simulation results indicate that the wireless power transfer system operated under State 1, the state where the compensated serial capacitance makes the coils work at the frequency of the maximum Q‐factor, shows the most excellent transfer characteristic among the four resonant states. The transmission coefficient can be well maintained above 0.8 within the transfer distance of 30 cm. Experiment has been carried out for validation, and the result indicates that more power can be delivered to the load for the system operated under State 1.
Enhancing the efficacy of immunotherapy using radiotherapy
Authors: Keam Synat , Gill Suki , Ebert Martin A , Nowak Anna K , Cook Alistair M
Published: September 2020

Recent clinical breakthroughs in cancer immunotherapy, especially with immune checkpoint blockade, offer great hope for cancer sufferers – and have greatly changed the landscape of cancer treatment. However, whilst many patients achieve clinical responses, others experience minimal benefit or do not respond to immune checkpoint blockade at all. Researchers are therefore exploring multimodal approaches by combining immune checkpoint blockade with conventional cancer therapies to enhance the efficacy of treatment. A growing body of evidence from both preclinical studies and clinical observations indicates that radiotherapy could be a powerful driver to augment the efficacy of immune checkpoint blockade, because of its ability to activate the antitumor immune response and potentially overcome resistance. In this review, we describe how radiotherapy induces DNA damage and apoptosis, generates immunogenic cell death and alters the characteristics of key immune cells in the tumor microenvironment. We also discuss recent preclinical work and clinical trials combining radiotherapy and immune checkpoint blockade in thoracic and other cancers. Finally, we discuss the scheduling of immune checkpoint blockade and radiotherapy, biomarkers predicting responses to combination therapy, and how these novel data may be translated into the clinic.
Partial absence of PD‐1 expression by tumor‐infiltrating EBV‐specific CD8+ T cells in EBV‐driven lymphoepithelioma‐like carcinoma
Authors: Simoni Yannick , Becht Etienne , Li Shamin , Loh Chiew Yee , Yeong Joe Poh Sheng , Lim Tony Kiat Hon , Takano Angela , Tan Daniel Shao Weng , Newell Evan W
Published: September 2020

Objectives

Lymphoepithelioma‐like carcinoma (LELC) is an uncommon lung cancer, typically observed in young, non‐smoking Asian populations. LELC is associated with Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) infection of lung tumor cells of epithelial origin, suggesting a carcinogenic role of EBV as observed in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Here, we studied the antigen specificity and phenotype of EBV‐specific CD8+ T cells in blood and tumor of one LELC patient positive for EBV infection in lung tumor cells.

Methods

Using multiplex MHC class I tetramers, mass cytometry and mRNA sequencing, we studied EBV‐specific CD8+ T cells at the transcriptomic and phenotypic levels in blood and tumor tissues of the LELC patient.

Results

Lymphoepithelioma‐like carcinoma lung tumor cells were positive for EBV infection. In both blood and tumor tissues, we detected two populations of EBV‐specific CD8+ T cells targeting the EBV lytic cycle proteins: BRLF1 and BMLF1. Transcriptomic analyses of these two populations in the tumor, which can be considered as tumor‐specific, revealed their distinct exhausted profile and polyclonal TCR repertoire. High‐dimensional phenotypical analysis revealed the distinct phenotype of these cells between blood and tumor tissues. In tumor tissue, EBV‐specific CD8+ TILs were phenotypically heterogeneous, but consistently expressed CD39. Unexpectedly, although the LELC tumor cells expressed abundant PD‐L1, these tumor‐specific CD8+ tumor‐infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) mostly did not express PD‐1.

Conclusion

Epstein–Barr virus‐specific CD8+ TILs in EBV‐driven tumor are heterogeneous and partially lack PD‐1 expression, suggesting that anti‐PD1/PD‐L1 immunotherapy may not be an appropriate strategy for disinhibiting EBV‐specific cells in the treatment of LELC patients.