bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
k-Fibonacci Cubes: A Family of Subgraphs of Fibonacci Cubes
Authors: Eğecioğlu Ömer , Saygı Elif , Saygı Zülfükar
Published: August 2020

Hypercubes and Fibonacci cubes are classical models for interconnection networks with interesting graph theoretic properties. We consider [Formula: see text]-Fibonacci cubes, which we obtain as subgraphs of Fibonacci cubes by eliminating certain edges during the fundamental recursion phase of their construction. These graphs have the same number of vertices as Fibonacci cubes, but their edge sets are determined by a parameter [Formula: see text]. We obtain properties of [Formula: see text]-Fibonacci cubes including the number of edges, the average degree of a vertex, the degree sequence and the number of hypercubes they contain.
The dynamic response of a rotor supported by two foil-air bearings with an enhanced model of foil structure
Authors: Quan Nguyen Minh , Hai Pham Minh , Phong Dinh Van
Published: August 2020

Foil-air bearings have presented their advantageous performance due to their different structures when compared to traditional air bearings. However, it is the nonlinear characteristic of this kind of bearing that has drawn studies on dynamic response of the rotor-bearing system, especially rotor stability. In this paper, an improved foil dynamic model with internal bending moment included has been proposed to determine the nominal stiffness of the foil structure. Based on that, the nominal stiffness of the foil structure has been investigated with different geometry parameters of the foil structure. By such means, the stability of the rotor-bearings system has been theoretically studied through an equation system in a common turbocharger structure. The results can be effectively used for designing and suitably selecting some geometry parameters of foil-air bearings to have a good rotor performance in this case.
Decay, amplification and absorption of initial terahertz pulse in resonant two-level medium based on noninteracting array of zigzag nanotubes and armchair nanoribbons
Authors: Sadykov N. R. , Peshkov D. A. , Aporoski A. V. , Belonenko M. B.
Published: August 2020

Theoretical investigation and computer simulation of the evolution of terahertz (THz) radiation in a two-level resonance gain medium was carried out on the basis of Maxwell–Bloch equations, using the slowly varying amplitude approximation. The gain medium is based on a system of noninteracting parallel-oriented metallic carbon nanotubes and nanoribbons. Considering the Maxwell–Garnett theory (MGT), the effective dielectric function (EDF) of the medium was obtained. Due to the large nanotube dipole moment (or large value of oscillator strength) not only THz radiation occurs, but also a totality of periodic pulses generation. Results of simulation totally coincide with the theoretical ones. The equation for the phase by analogy with the self-induced transparency (SIT), taking into account the dissipative processes, was obtained. The obtained equation describes a mathematical pendulum, where friction force is proportional to the velocity and directed to the opposite of particle movement. The friction leads to the fact that the pendulum makes a full rotation around the axis or decays, depending on the absorption properties of a gain medium. It was shown that at the certain properties of a gain medium, the equation coincides with the well-known Sine-Gordon equation. It was obtained, that at the initial pumping [Formula: see text] m[Formula: see text] and at the volume fraction of nanoparticles about 10[Formula: see text], the stationary value of radiation energy in a resonator is about 1 J/m3.
Structures, electronic and magnetic properties of transition metals-doped Mg9O9 tubular clusters
Authors: Li Zhi , Shao Tao-Tao , Zhao Zhen
Published: August 2020

The structures, electronic and magnetic attributes of the transition metal (TM) doping Mg9O9 tubular clusters have been investigated using the PBE functional. The results display that the ScMg9O9 and NiMg9O9 clusters are more structurally stable than the other TMMg9O9 clusters. An Sc atom replaces the Mg atom at the edge site of the Mg9O9 clusters, which leads to the Mg atom transferring to the top of an adjacent O atom. Ni atom prefers to occupy the bridge site of the Mg–O bond at a side of the Mg9O9 clusters. VMg9O9 and FeMg9O9 display more kinetic activity than the other TMMg9O9 clusters. The TM atoms lost certain electrons except for Co, Cu and Zn. The maximum spin value of the TM atoms for the ground-state TMMg9O9 clusters occurs at Mn.
Analyzing Genetic Testing Discourse on the Web Through the Lens of Twitter, Reddit, and 4chan
Authors: Mittos Alexandros , Zannettou Savvas , Blackburn Jeremy , Cristofaro Emiliano De
Published: August 2020

Recent progress in genomics has enabled the emergence of a flourishing market for direct-to-consumer (DTC) genetic testing. Companies like 23andMe and AncestryDNA provide affordable health, genealogy, and ancestry reports, and have already tested tens of millions of customers. Consequently, news, experiences, and views on genetic testing are increasingly shared and discussed on social media. At the same time, far-right groups have also taken an interest in genetic testing, using them to attack minorities and prove their genetic “purity.”

In this article, we set to study the genetic testing discourse on a number of mainstream and fringe Web communities. We do so in two steps. First, we conduct an exploratory, large-scale analysis of the genetic testing discourse on a mainstream social network such as Twitter. We find that the genetic testing discourse is fueled by accounts that appear to be interested in digital health and technology. However, we also identify tweets with highly racist connotations. This motivates us to explore the connection between genetic testing and racism on platforms with a reputation for toxicity, namely, Reddit and 4chan, where we find that discussions around genetic testing often include highly toxic language expressed through hateful and racist comments. In particular, on 4chan’s politically incorrect board (/pol/), content from genetic testing conversations involves several alt-right personalities and openly anti-semitic rhetoric, often conveyed through memes.
Cold-start Point-of-interest Recommendation through Crowdsourcing
Authors: Mazumdar Pramit , Patra Bidyut Kr. , Babu Korra Sathya
Published: August 2020

Recommender system is a popular tool that aims to provide personalized suggestions to user about items, products, services, and so on. Recommender system has effectively been used in online social networks, especially the location-based social networks for providing suggestions for interesting places known as POIs (points-of-interest). Popular recommender systems explore historical data to learn users’ preferences and, subsequently, they recommend locations to an active user. This strategy faces a major problem when a new POI or business evolves in a city. New business has no historical user experience data. Thus, a recommender system fails to gather enough knowledge about the new businesses, resulting in ignoring them during recommendations. This scenario is popularly known as a cold-start POI problem. Users never get recommendations of the new businesses in a city even though they can be relevant to a user. Also, from a business owner’s perspective, such a recommendation strategy does not help its reachability among users. Therefore, it is important for a recommender system to remain updated with new businesses in a city and ensure that all relevant POIs are recommended to a user irrespective of their lifetime. A POI recommendation approach is proposed in this work that can effectively handle the new businesses, or the cold-start POI problem, in a city. We crowdsource descriptions of cold-start POIs from various online social networks. The reviews of users are exploited here to learn the inherent features at the existing POIs and the new crowdsourced POIs. Finally, the proposed approach recommends top-
K
POIs consisting of the existing and new POIs. We perform experiments on the real-world Yelp dataset, which is one of the largest available data resources containing details on a wide range of businesses, users, and reviews. The proposed approach is compared with four existing POI recommendation approaches. The obtained results show that our approach outperforms others in handling cold-start POIs.
Proactively Identifying Emerging Hacker Threats from the Dark Web
Authors: Samtani Sagar , Zhu Hongyi , Chen Hsinchun
Published: August 2020

Cybersecurity experts have appraised the total global cost of malicious hacking activities to be $450 billion annually. Cyber Threat Intelligence (CTI) has emerged as a viable approach to combat this societal issue. However, existing processes are criticized as inherently reactive to known threats. To combat these concerns, CTI experts have suggested proactively examining emerging threats in the vast, international online hacker community. In this study, we aim to develop proactive CTI capabilities by exploring online hacker forums to identify emerging threats in terms of popularity and tool functionality. To achieve these goals, we create a novel Diachronic Graph Embedding Framework (D-GEF). D-GEF operates on a Graph-of-Words (GoW) representation of hacker forum text to generate word embeddings in an unsupervised manner. Semantic displacement measures adopted from diachronic linguistics literature identify how terminology evolves. A series of benchmark experiments illustrate D-GEF's ability to generate higher quality than state-of-the-art word embedding models (e.g., word2vec) in tasks pertaining to semantic analogy, clustering, and threat classification. D-GEF's practical utility is illustrated with in-depth case studies on web application and denial of service threats targeting PHP and Windows technologies, respectively. We also discuss the implications of the proposed framework for strategic, operational, and tactical CTI scenarios. All datasets and code are publicly released to facilitate scientific reproducibility and extensions of this work.
SIERE
Authors: Chen Yu Ju (Edwin) , Sheen Seung Heon , Ascher Uri M. , Pai Dinesh K.
Published: August 2020

Physics-based simulation methods for deformable objects suffer limitations due to the conflicting requirements that are placed on them. The work horse semi-implicit (SI) backward Euler method is very stable and inexpensive, but it is also a blunt instrument. It applies heavy damping, which depends on the timestep, to all solution modes and not just to high-frequency ones. As such, it makes simulations less lively, potentially missing important animation details. At the other end of the scale, exponential methods (exponential Rosenbrock Euler (ERE)) are known to deliver good approximations to all modes, but they get prohibitively expensive and less stable for very stiff material. In this article, we devise a hybrid, semi-implicit method called SIERE that allows the previous methods SI and ERE to each perform what they are good at. To do this, we employ at each timestep a partial spectral decomposition, which picks the lower, leading modes, applying ERE in the corresponding subspace. The rest is handled (i.e., effectively damped out) by SI. No solution of nonlinear algebraic equations is required throughout the algorithm. We show that the resulting method produces simulations that are visually as good as those of the exponential method at a computational price that does not increase with stiffness, while displaying stability and damping with respect to the high-frequency modes. Furthermore, the phenomenon of occasional divergence of SI is avoided.
Role of an active reserve stem cell subset of enteroendocrine cells in intestinal stem cell dynamics and the genesis of small intestinal neuroendocrine tumors
Authors: Sei Yoshitatsu , Feng Jianying , Zhao Xilin , Wank Stephen A.
Published: August 2020

Small intestinal neuroendocrine tumors (SI-NET) are serotonin-secreting well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumors of putative enterochromaffin (EC) cell origin. Recent studies recognize a subset of EC cells that is label-retaining at the +4 position in the crypt and functions as a reserve intestinal stem cell. Importantly, this +4 reserve EC cell subset not only contributes to regeneration of the intestinal epithelium during injury and inflammation but also to basal crypt homeostasis at a constant rate. The latter function suggests that the +4 EC cell subset serves as an active reserve stem cell via a constant rate of dedifferentiation. Characterization of early tumor formation of SI-NET, observed as crypt-based EC cell clusters in many cases of familial SI-NETs, suggests that the +4 active reserve EC cell subset is the cell of origin. This newly discovered active reserve stem cell property of EC cells can account for unique biological mechanisms and processes associated with the genesis and development of SI-NETs. The recognition of this property of the +4 active reserve EC cell subset may provide novel opportunities to explore NETs in the gastrointestinal tract and other organs.
Nicotine evoked efferent transmitter release onto immature cochlear inner hair cells
Authors: Zhang Y. , Glowatzki E. , Roux I. , Fuchs P. A.
Published: August 2020

Sensory organs exhibit spontaneous activity before the onset of response to external stimuli. Such activity in the cochlea is subject to modulation by cholinergic efferent neurons that directly inhibit sensory hair cells (inner hair cells). Those efferent neurons are themselves subject to various modulatory mechanisms. One such mechanism is positive feedback by released acetylcholine onto presynaptic nicotinic acetylcholine receptors causing further release of acetylcholine.
Improving Model Performance on the Stratification of Breast Cancer Patients by Integrating Multiscale Genomic Features
Authors: Hao Yingyi , He Li , Zhou Yifan , Zhao Yiru , Li Menglong , Jing Runyu , Wen Zhining
Published: August 2020

In clinical cancer research, it is a hot topic on how to accurately stratify patients based on genomic data. With the development of next‐generation sequencing technology, more and more types of genomic features, such as mRNA expression level, can be used to distinguish cancer patients. Previous studies commonly stratified patients by using a single type of genomic features, which can only reflect one aspect of the cancer. In fact, multiscale genomic features will provide more information and may be helpful for clinical prediction. In addition, most of the conventional machine learning algorithms use a handcrafted gene set as features to construct models, which is generally selected by a statistical method with an arbitrary cut‐off, e.g., p value < 0.05. The genes in the gene set are not necessarily related to the cancer and will make the model unreliable. Therefore, in our study, we thoroughly investigated the performance of different machine learning methods on stratifying breast cancer patients with a single type of genomic features. Then, we proposed a strategy, which can take into account the degree of correlation between genes and cancer patients, to identify the features from mRNAs and microRNAs, and evaluated the performance of the models with the new combined features of the multiscale genomic features. The results showed that, compared with the models constructed with a single type of features, the models with the multiscale genomic features generated by our proposed method achieved better performance on stratifying the ER status of breast cancer patients. Moreover, we found that the identified multiscale genomic features were closely related to the cancer by gene set enrichment analysis, indicating that our proposed strategy can well reflect the biological relevance of the genes to breast cancer. In conclusion, modelling with multiscale genomic features closely related to the cancer not only can guarantee the prediction performance of the models but also can effectively provide candidate genes for interpreting the mechanisms of cancer.
The Efficacy of Amniotic Membrane Stem Cell (AMSC) Metabolite Product and Vitamin E for Wrinkles, Spots, and Pores in Photoaging
Authors: Rahmadewi Rahmadewi , Retha Retha , Pitasari Dyah Ayu , Kusumastanto Vidyani Adiningtyas , Ardhaninggar Agatha Anindita Ayu , Citrashanty Irmadita , Sari Maylita , Umborowati Menul Ayu , Prakoeswa Cita Rosita Sigit
Published: August 2020

Background. It is expected that a combination of amniotic membrane stem cell metabolite product (AMSC-MP) and vitamin E after fractional CO2 laser as laser-assisted drug delivery (LADD) will provide better effects in photoaging treatment as the combination reaches the target. This promises an option for photoaging therapy in the future. Materials and Methods. Sixty women with photoaged skins were involved in this experimental study. They were then divided into two groups. The treatment group received a topical combination of AMSC-MP and vitamin E, and the control group received AMSC-MP alone after fractional CO2 laser. The treatment was repeated three times. Result. The Janus assessment results showed a significant difference in pores in the third observation, and the average pore improvements in the treatment group were better than the control group. Wrinkle, UV spot, and polar spot did not show any significant difference. Conclusion. A combination of the amniotic membrane stem cell metabolite product (AMSC-MP) and vitamin E after fractional CO2 laser as LADD only improves pores in photoaged skins.
Treatment Satisfaction and Quality of Life among Type 2 Diabetes Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study in West Bank, Palestine
Authors: Khdour Maher R. , Awadallah Heba B. , Al-Hamed Dua’a H.
Published: August 2020

Objectives. This study had the goal of evaluating the role of treatment satisfaction among diabetic patients in the context of health-related quality of life (QoL) and medication adherence. Methods. This study, which utilized a cross-sectional design, was conducted at the Primary Healthcare Unit in the Ministry of Health in Ramallah between Feb. and May 2019. Medication adherence was evaluated with the 4-item Morisky Green-Levine (MGL) questionnaire, treatment satisfaction using the Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medication version 1.4 (TSQM 1.4), and health-related quality of life with the European Quality of Life scale (EQ-5D-3L). Results. Study participants consisted of 380 diabetic patients, of which 220 (57.9%) had high adherence to their medications and 160 (42.1%) had low adherence. Based on the classification of patient responses among the EQ-5D domains, pain/discomfort was the most influenced dimension, with 173 patients (36.1%) reporting problems, (36.1%). Also prominent were anxiety and depression (128 patients, 33.7%) and Mobility (115 patients, 30.3%). A significant relation was observed between QoL and treatment satisfaction (73.8 vs. 69.8; P=0.016). Treatment satisfaction also had a significant association with the anxiety domain (39.4 vs. 28.7; P=0.031). Conclusion. Participants expressed moderate satisfaction with their treatments; more satisfied patients showed greater medication adherence and had better QoL. Anxiety has been shown to be associated with reduced medication adherence and lower QoL.
Human Papillomavirus Prevalence in Oral and Oropharyngeal Rinse and Gargle Specimens of Dental Patients and of an HIV-Positive Cohort from Pretoria, South Africa
Authors: Wood Neil H. , Makua Koketso S. , Lebelo Ramokone L. , Redzic Nina , Benoy Ina , Vanderveken Olivier M. , Bogers Johannes
Published: August 2020

Introduction. Studies on HPV prevalence in the head and neck region of South Africans are sparse. Of the available reports in the literature, there were no studies on the association between HPV-DNA presence in the mouth and oropharynx in relation to high-risk behaviours such as oral sex practice or tobacco and alcohol use. Materials and Methods. Following ethical clearance and informed consent, patients attending a regional HIV-management clinic and patients attending a dental hospital were recruited to this study. The participants completed an interview-based questionnaire obtaining demographic information, data on HIV serostatus, and behavioural data including sexual practices and tobacco and alcohol use, and a rinse-and-gargle specimen was taken. Specimens were analysed for HPV DNA on 3 separate PCR/qPCR platforms. Statistical analyses were performed for associations between the study group and categorical variables, HPV status, and data from the questionnaires. Results. Of 221 participants, 149 were from a general population and 72 from the HIV-management clinic. Smokers comprised 29.4% of the sample, and 45.2% of participants reported to have ever used alcohol. Open mouth kissing during teenage years was confirmed by 64.7% of participants, 40.3% have given oral sex with their mouth, and 44.8% confirmed to have received oral sex from their partner’s mouth. Seven participants (3.2%) had detectable α-HPV DNA, and 1 (0.4%) had detectable β-HPV DNA in their rinse-and-gargle specimens. Two participants were from the HIV-management clinic and 6 from the general dental population (overall 3.6%). Conclusion. Five high-risk HPV, 2 low-risk HPV, and one β-HPV types were detected. The low prevalence of 3.6% compares well to similar studies in different cohorts studied in South Africa and falls within the global oral/oropharyngeal prevalence spectrum. Only 4 participants, all from the HIV-management clinic, had palatine tonsils. No significant relationships were found between HPV presence and demographic data or sexual, oral sexual, tobacco use, or alcohol use, and no associations were seen with numbers of sexual and oral-sex partners.
Willingness to Use Electronic Medical Record (EMR) System in Healthcare Facilities of Bahir Dar City, Northwest Ethiopia
Authors: Berihun Birhanu , Atnafu Desta Debalkie , Sitotaw Getachew
Published: August 2020

Background. Globally, electronic information and communication technology has been applied and much expanded in the healthcare industry. However, in developing counties including Ethiopia, EMR system adoption and utilization for medical practice are still inconsistent, and healthcare institutions which started utilization currently have also failed to sustain. A desirable readiness of healthcare experts is mandatory to expand digital health service delivery. Thus, this study is aimed at estimating the proportion of the willingness of professionals in Bahir Dar city to use EMR and at identifying factors associated with this proportion. Methods. An institution‐based cross‐sectional study was conducted from September 1 to October 30, 2019, among 634 health professionals. Respondents were selected using a simple random sampling method. Data were entered into EpiData version 3.1 and exported to SPSS version 23 for further analysis. Descriptive statistics were computed to describe study variables and presented using tables. Willingness to use the EMR system was computed. Bivariable and multivariable binary logistic regression models were fitted to identify the associated factors. The odds ratio with 95% confidence interval was used to measure the strength of association. Results. A total of 616 health professionals participated in the study with a response rate of 97%. The proportion of willingness to use the EMR system was 85.9%. Among health professionals who were not willing to use EMR, lack of access to EMR training (73.4%) was a major barrier to the willingness to use EMR. A multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that those health professionals who had good computer skill (AOR = 2.5; 95% CI: 1.3‐4.6), good knowledge on EMR (AOR = 2.1; 95% CI: 1‐4.4), gotten EMR training (AOR = 3.8; 95% CI: 1.7‐8.1), EMR guideline access (AOR = 2.8; 95% CI: 1.4‐5.6), and management support (AOR = 2.6; 95% CI: 1.4‐4.8) were more likely willing to use the EMR system. Conclusions. Majority of the professionals were willing to use the EMR system. EMR program should involve computer illiterate, less knowledgeable, those unable to access EMR guidelines, and managerially unsupported professionals. Enhancing health professionals’ attitude and contextualizing EMR training in the healthcare curricula are highly recommended to scale up EMR use.
A System Biology‐Based Approach for Designing Combination Therapy in Cancer Precision Medicine
Authors: Sabzpoushan S. H.
Published: August 2020

In this paper, we have used an agent‐based stochastic tumor growth model and presented a mathematical and theoretical perspective to cancer therapy. This perspective can be used to theoretical study of precision medicine and combination therapy in individuals. We have conducted a series of in silico combination therapy experiments. Based on cancer drugs and new findings of cancer biology, we hypothesize relationships between model parameters which in some cases represent individual genome characteristics and cancer drugs, i.e., in our approach, therapy players are delegated by biologically reasonable parameters. In silico experiments showed that combined therapies are more effective when players affect tumor via different mechanisms and have different physical dimensions. This research presents for the first time an algorithm as a theoretical viewpoint for the prediction of effectiveness and classification of therapy sets.
Comparative Metabolomics Study Revealed Difference in Central Carbon Metabolism between Sika Deer and Red Deer Antler
Authors: Su Hang , Yang Chonghui , Jin Chenrong , Zhang He , Yin Chengcheng , Yang Yang , Chen Haoyuan , Jing Li , Qi Bin , Zhao Daqing , Bai Xueyuan , Liu Li
Published: August 2020

The antler regeneration has been well studied for the past two decades and adopted in the regenerative medicine model for studying on developmental biology. Despite our growing knowledge of functional molecules regulating antler regeneration, we still do not know whether antler from different deer species possess the exact same mechanism or not. Our previous comparative study between sika deer and red deer suggests that the metabolic pathways between them are profoundly different based on protein level. Therefore, the metabolomic technology is used to identify and quantify the metabolites in antler samples, providing interesting insights into differential metabolite profile of antlers between sika deer and red deer. The distinct metabolic characteristics of sika deer compared to red deer provide an opportunity to explain why the red deer antler with a larger size. The enrichment analysis of differential metabolites showed that three pathways including glycine and serine metabolism, methionine metabolism, and pterine biosynthesis had a significant difference between two antler groups.
Calculation of Unloading Area of Internal Gear Pump and Optimization
Authors: Guo Shanxin , Chen Dagui
Published: August 2020

In order to obtain the calculation method of the unloading area of the internal gear pump during oil trapping, a pair of internal gears including an external gear and an internal gear was used as the research object to simulate the oil trapping process. The geometric relationship during the meshing process was established, and the unloading area expression was obtained by using the geometric pattern expansion method with the variable f as the independent variable. Guided by a mathematical model, two improved optimization schemes were proposed for the internal gear tooth profile, and the unloading area expressions sud, suda, and sudb were obtained. Taking the meshing gear pair with module 3 and number of teeth 13/19 as examples, the simulation results were very consistent with the existing literature. The reliability of the model and the feasibility of the optimization scheme are obtained based on the theoretical analysis and calculation results. This calculation method of unloading area can be applied to the same type of gear pump design in the future, providing a reference for the design of high pressure and low noise gear pumps.
Adaptive Control Using Neural Networks and Approximate Models for Nonlinear Dynamic Systems
Authors: El Hamidi Khadija , Mjahed Mostafa , El Kari Abdeljalil , Ayad Hassan
Published: August 2020

In this research, a comparative study of two recurrent neural networks, nonlinear autoregressive with exogenous input (NARX) neural network and nonlinear autoregressive moving average (NARMA-L2), and a feedforward neural network (FFNN) is performed for their ability to provide adaptive control of nonlinear systems. Three dynamical nonlinear systems of different complexity are considered. The aim of this work is to make the output of the plant follow the desired reference trajectory. The problem becomes more challenging when the dynamics of the plants are assumed to be unknown, and to tackle this problem, a multilayer neural network-based approximate model is set up which will work in parallel to the plant and the control scheme. The network parameters are updated using the dynamic backpropagation (BP) algorithm.
Research on Active Intelligent Perception Technology of Vessel Situation Based on Multisensor Fusion
Authors: Ma Ruixin , Yin Yong , Li Zilong , Chen Jing , Bao Kexin
Published: August 2020

In this paper, we focus on the safety supervision of inland vessels. This paper especially aims at studying the vessel target detection and dynamic tracking algorithm based on computer vision and the target fusion algorithm based on multisensor. For the vessel video target detection and tracking, this paper analyzes the current widely used methods and theories. Additionally, facing the application scenarios and characteristics of inland vessels, a comprehensive vessel video target detection algorithm is proposed in this paper. It is combined with a three-frame difference method based on Canny edge detection and a background subtraction method based on mixed Gaussian background modeling. Besides, for the multisensor target fusion, the processing method of laser point cloud data and automatic identification system (AIS) data is analyzed in this paper. Based on the idea of fuzzy mathematics, this paper proposes a method for calculating the fuzzy correlation matrix with normal membership function, which realizes the fusion of vessel track features of laser point cloud data and AIS data under dynamic video correction. Finally, through this method, a set of vessel situation active intelligent perception systems based on multisensor fusion was developed. Experiments show that this method has better environmental applicability and detection accuracy than traditional manual detection and any single monitoring method.
Oral White Sponge Nevus: An Exceptional Differential Diagnosis in Childhood
Authors: Elfatoiki Fatima zahra , Capatas Sophia , Skali Hayat Dahbi , Hali Fouzia , Attar Hicham , Chiheb Soumia
Published: August 2020

White sponge nevus is an autosomal dominant skin disorder characterized by white, irregular, diffuse plaques mainly affecting the oral mucosa. Histological findings of white sponge nevus are characteristic but not pathognomonic. We report a case of an oral white sponge nevus in a 6-year-old girl, which poses a problem in differential diagnosis with oral candidiasis. No treatment was performed because of the benign and asymptomatic nature of the lesions.
TRAIL and Cancer Immunotherapy: Take a Walk on the Short Side
Authors: de Miguel Diego , Pardo Julian
Published: August 2020

Recent work shows that TRAILshort, a membrane-bound short form of TRAIL, is expressed by human cancer cells and protects them from TRAIL-induced cell death. A mAb that selectively targets TRAILshort enhances cancer susceptibility to TRAIL and increases the efficacy of autologous CD8+ T cells in ex vivo primary tumors.

See related article by Aboulnasr et al., p. 5759
Paternally Expressed Gene 10 (PEG10) Promotes Growth, Invasion, and Survival of Bladder Cancer
Authors: Kawai Yoshihisa , Imada Kenjiro , Akamatsu Shusuke , Zhang Fan , Seiler Roland , Hayashi Tetsutaro , Leong Jeffrey , Beraldi Eliana , Saxena Neetu , Kretschmer Alexander , Oo Htoo Zarni , Contreras-Sanz Alberto , Matsuyama Hideyasu , Lin Dong , Fazli Ladan , Collins Colin C. , Wyatt Alexander W. , Black Peter C. , Gleave Martin E.
Published: August 2020

Paternally expressed gene 10 (PEG10) has been associated with neuroendocrine muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC), a subtype of the disease with the poorest survival. In this work, we further characterized the expression pattern of PEG10 in The Cancer Genome Atlas database of 412 patients with MIBC, and found that, compared with other subtypes, PEG10 mRNA level was enhanced in neuroendocrine-like MIBC and highly correlated with other neuroendocrine markers. PEG10 protein level also associated with neuroendocrine markers in a tissue microarray of 82 cases. In bladder cancer cell lines, PEG10 expression was induced in drug-resistant compared with parental cells, and knocking down of PEG10 resensitized cells to chemotherapy. Loss of PEG10 increased protein levels of cell-cycle regulators p21 and p27 and delayed G1–S-phase transition, while overexpression of PEG10 enhanced cancer cell proliferation. PEG10 silencing also lowered levels of SLUG and SNAIL, leading to reduced invasion and migration. In an orthotopic bladder cancer model, systemic treatment with PEG10 antisense oligonucleotide delayed progression of T24 xenografts. In summary, elevated expression of PEG10 in MIBC may contribute to the disease progression by promoting survival, proliferation, and metastasis. Targeting PEG10 is a novel potential therapeutic approach for a subset of bladder cancers.
Pharmacologic Properties and Preclinical Activity of Sasanlimab, A High-affinity Engineered Anti-Human PD-1 Antibody
Authors: Al-Khami Amir A. , Youssef Sawsan , Abdiche Yasmina , Nguyen HoangKim , Chou Joyce , Kimberlin Christopher R. , Chin Sherman M. , Kamperschroer Cris , Jessen Bart , Kern Brent , Budimir Natalija , Dillon Christopher P. , Xu Allison , Clark Jerry D. , Chou Jeffrey , Kraynov Eugenia , Rajpal Arvind , Lin John C. , Salek-Ardakani Shahram
Published: August 2020

Development of antagonistic mAbs that specifically target the immune checkpoint receptor, programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1), is of great interest for cancer immunotherapy. Here, we report the biophysical characteristics and nonclinical antagonistic activities of sasanlimab (PF-06801591), a humanized anti-PD-1 antibody of IgG4 isotype. We show that sasanlimab binds selectively and with similar high potency to human and cynomolgus monkey PD-1 receptor and blocks its interaction with PD-L1 and PD-L2, with no detectable Fc-dependent effector function. The binding of sasanlimab to human and cynomolgus PD-1 is associated with the formation of a stable complex, which is likely to be the main driver of this high-affinity interaction. In vitro, sasanlimab significantly augmented T-cell proliferation and cytokine production in mixed lymphocyte reaction and superantigen stimulation assays. In vivo, sasanlimab accelerated the incidence of GvHD by enhancing T-cell proliferation and cytokine secretion in a xenogeneic model of acute GvHD and halted the growth of MC-38 colon adenocarcinoma tumors in human PD-1 knock-in mice. Pharmacokinetic and toxicokinetic findings from cynomolgus monkey showed that sasanlimab was active and well-tolerated. Taken together, the data presented here support the clinical development of sasanlimab for the treatment of patients with advanced cancers as a single agent or in combination with other immunotherapies.
The Novel Histone Deacetylase Inhibitor, OBP-801, Induces Apoptosis in Rhabdoid Tumors by Releasing the Silencing of NOXA
Authors: Sugimoto Yohei , Katsumi Yoshiki , Iehara Tomoko , Kaneda Daisuke , Tomoyasu Chihiro , Ouchi Kazutaka , Yoshida Hideki , Miyachi Mitsuru , Yagyu Shigeki , Kikuchi Ken , Tsuchiya Kunihiko , Kuwahara Yasumichi , Sakai Toshiyuki , Hosoi Hajime
Published: August 2020

Rhabdoid tumor is an aggressive, early childhood tumor. Biallelic inactivation of the SWI/SNF-related matrix-associated actin-dependent regulator of chromatin subfamily B member 1 (SMARCB1)/integrase interactor 1 (INI1) gene is the only common genetic feature in rhabdoid tumors. Loss of SMARCB1 function results in downregulation of several tumor suppressor genes including p16, p21, and NOXA. The novel histone deacetylase inhibitor, OBP-801, induces p21 and has shown efficacy against various cancers. In our study, OBP-801 strongly inhibited the cell growth of all rhabdoid tumor cell lines in WST-8 assay. However, Western blotting and cell-cycle analysis revealed that OBP-801 did not activate the P21-RB pathway in some cell lines. p21 knockout indicated that p21 did not dominate the OBP-801 antitumor effect in rhabdoid tumor cell lines. We discovered that OBP-801 induced NOXA expression and caspase-dependent apoptosis in rhabdoid tumor cell lines independent of TP53. Chromatin immunoprecipitation assay showed that OBP-801 acetylated histone proteins and recruited RNA polymerase II to the transcription start site (TSS) of the NOXA promotor. Moreover, OBP-801 recruited BRG1 and BAF155, which are members of the SWI/SNF complex, to the TSS of the NOXA promotor. These results suggest that OBP-801 epigenetically releases the silencing of NOXA and induces apoptosis in rhabdoid tumors. OBP-801 strongly inhibited tumor growth in human rhabdoid tumor xenograft mouse models in vivo. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase–mediated dUTP nick end labeling and cleaved caspase-3 were stained in tumors treated with OBP-801. In conclusion, OBP-801 induces apoptosis in rhabdoid tumor cells by epigenetically releasing the silencing of NOXA, which is a key mediator of rhabdoid tumor apoptosis. The epigenetic approach for NOXA silencing with OBP-801 is promising for rhabdoid tumor treatment.
The Gut Microbiome Associates with Immune Checkpoint Inhibition Outcomes in Patients with Advanced Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Hakozaki Taiki , Richard Corentin , Elkrief Arielle , Hosomi Yukio , Benlaïfaoui Myriam , Mimpen Iris , Terrisse Safae , Derosa Lisa , Zitvogel Laurence , Routy Bertrand , Okuma Yusuke
Published: August 2020

The gut microbiome (GM) plays an important role in shaping systemic immune responses and influences immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) efficacy. Antibiotics worsen clinical outcomes in patients receiving ICI. However, whether GM profiling and baseline antibiotic can be a biomarker of ICI efficacy in advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains unknown. We prospectively collected baseline (pre-ICI) fecal samples and clinical data of 70 Japanese patients suffering from advanced NSCLC and treated them with anti–PD-1/PD-L1 antibodies as a first-line or treatment-refractory therapy. We performed 16S rRNA V3–V4 sequencing of gene amplicons of fecal samples, and bacteria diversity and differential abundance analysis was performed. The clinical endpoints were objective response rate (ORR), progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and immune-related adverse events (irAE). ORR was 34%, and median PFS and OS were 5.2 and 16.2 months, respectively. Patients who received pre-ICI antibiotic had lower alpha diversity at baseline and underrepresentation of Ruminococcaceae UCG 13 and Agathobacter. When analyzing antibiotic-free patients, alpha diversity correlated with OS. In addition, Ruminococcaceae UCG 13 and Agathobacter were enriched in patients with favorable ORR and PFS >6 months. Ruminococcaceae UCG 13 was enriched in patients with OS >12 months. GM differences were observed between patients who experienced low- versus high-grade irAE. We demonstrated the negative influence of antibiotic on the GM composition and identified the bacteria repertoire in patients experiencing favorable responses to ICI.

See articles by Tomita et al., p. 1236, and Peng et al., p. 1251
Treatment of Pyonephritis Complicated by Septic Shock Using Extracorporeal Device Polymyxin B-Hemoperfusion
Authors: Amoruso Gabriele , Di Venosa Nicola , Rizzi Luigi , Lupo Gianna , Gisotti Armando , Vitobello Giuseppe , Mastrandrea Pasqua , Petta Rocco , Cinnella Gilda
Published: August 2020

Direct hemoperfusion using polymyxin B-immobilized fiber (PMX-DHP) is an established treatment method for septic shock caused by Gram-negative infections. We report one instance in which PMX-DHP therapy has been used successfully in a 33-year-old woman with septic shock from urosepsis. Although there is lack of recommendations in latest Surviving Sepsis Campaign Guidelines, evidence of PMX-DHP efficacy in this subset of patients is growing.
Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia and Autoimmune Disorders in a Hispanic Female
Authors: Martinez-Rico Jessica Carolina , Ancer-Arellano Jesus , Martinez-Moreno Adrian , Ocampo-Garza Sonia Sofia , Ocampo-Candiani Jorge , Chavez-Alvarez Sonia
Published: August 2020

Frontal fibrosing alopecia (FFA) is a cicatricial alopecia characterized by hairline recession. Multiple autoimmune pathologies have been reported in patients with FFA. Despite the fact that FFA etiology remains unknown, there has been described an association with autoimmune disorders probably caused by an altered activity of cytotoxic CD8 T lymphocytes. Moreover, other autoimmune pathologies develop TH1 and TH17 response. Genetics could be responsible, in part, for the role of multiple simultaneous autoimmune disorders. Herein, we describe a case of a female patient with vitiligo, lichen sclerosus, and autoimmune hypothyroidism who developed a pruritic band-like recession of the frontal hairline. More research is needed in this area since autoimmune events in these patients may not be a mere coincidence.
Alpha-Fetoprotein-Producing Early Gastric Cancer with Intramucosal Hepatoid and Fetal Enteric Differentiation
Authors: Iwaya Mai , Riddell Robert , Asano Koji , Kobayashi Kazuo , Uehara Takeshi , Ota Hiroyoshi
Published: August 2020

Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP)-producing gastric carcinomas (AFPGCs) are relatively rare tumors known to have a poor prognosis and commonly found as advanced lesions. Histologically, AFPGCs have been described as having hepatoid and fetal enteric (enteroblastic) morphology and are associated with conventional adenocarcinomas. Prior studies reported a hepatoid component present only in invasive areas and hypothesized that AFPGCs may develop hepatoid features during the process of tumor invasion. We report three cases of AFP-producing early gastric cancer which had an intramucosal hepatoid component. Immunohistochemistry showed that the hepatoid component was diffusely immunoreactive for SALL4, AFP, arginase-1, and HepPar1, and focally for CDX2 and PDX1. An intramucosal transition between the hepatoid component and conventional intramucosal adenocarcinoma was identified. Two patients also had a coexistent fetal enteric component, which was admixed with a hepatoid component. Although at an early stage one patient subsequently developed liver metastasis and a second patient was suspected of having liver metastasis, these were not biopsy-proven. The latter patient had a previous history of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and SALL4 was used on the HCC to distinguish metastatic/further HCC from a gastric metastatic primary with hepatoid differentiation.
Alcoholic Hepatitis: A Common Disease with Uncommon Presentation
Authors: Khatiwada Pratik , Rodriguez Jose A. , Reyes-Corcho Andres
Published: August 2020

Alcoholic liver disease is one of the leading causes of hepatitis, cirrhosis, liver failure, and hepatic carcinoma. Alcoholic hepatitis refers to the acute onset of symptomatic hepatitis. We describe a patient who presented with alcoholic hepatitis with direct hyperbilirubinemia, elevated alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and hypertriglyceridemia. All the imaging and laboratory work excluded obstructive causes, and liver biopsy confirmed the diagnosis. Alcoholic hepatitis is a common condition, but some unusual presentations can lead one to think of uncommon pathologies. This case reflects that alcoholic hepatitis can present with high levels of triglycerides as well as a cholestatic pattern with direct hyperbilirubinemia and ALP without an obvious obstruction cause.
Black Esophagus in the Setting of Alcohol Abuse after External Beam Radiation
Authors: Deliwala Smit S. , Lakshman Harini , Congdon Douglas D. , Elbedawi Mamoon M. , Bachuwa Ghassan , Gurvits Grigoriy E.
Published: August 2020

Acute esophageal necrosis (AEN), black esophagus, or Gurvits syndrome is a rare clinical disorder characterized by a striking endoscopic appearance of necrotic esophageal mucosa, universally affecting the distal esophagus and ending abruptly at the gastroesophageal junction. It has been gaining traction as a demonstrable cause of upper gastrointestinal bleeding in the 21st century. Its pathophysiology is multifactorial affecting men and the elderly disproportionally, with a mortality rate nearing 36%. AEN has been associated with numerous conditions in the past, and we aim to present an unusual case of AEN on the setting of chronic alcohol use.
Spectrums and Prognosis of Kidney Disease in Patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis
Authors: He Dafeng , Wang Rong , Liang Shaoshan , Liang Dandan , Xu Feng , Zeng Caihong , Tang Zheng
Published: August 2020

Background/Aims: Renal involvement was a common extra-articular manifestation of ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Few reports have investigated the pathological characteristics and renal outcomes of AS patients with kidney disease. The aim of this study was to investigate the pathological spectrums and the renal prognosis of AS patients with kidney disease. Methods: This retrospective and observational study was conducted working on 62 patients (47 males and 15 females) with a diagnosis of AS (ACR, 1984) and renal biopsies between 2008 and 2017. The histopathological findings and associated clinical manifestations were collected, and the renal prognoses of patients with kidney disease were evaluated too. Multivariate binary logistic regression analysis was performed to identify risk factors for the occurrence of IgA nephropathy (IgAN). Results: Renal biopsy revealed that IgAN accounted for a majority (74.2%) of the kidney disease with AS, while membranous nephropathies, minimal change disease, focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, and other lesions accounted for a small minority. Multivariate analysis revealed that serum immunoglobulin A >3.45 g/L and immunoglobulin G >9.06 g/L were risk factors for the occurrence of IgAN. With a median follow-up time of 24.3 months, 28 patients (50.9%) reached complete remission, 9 patients (16.4%) had partial remission, and 1 patient had an eGFR decline >30%. No difference was found in prognosis between IgAN and non-IgAN. Conclusion: IgAN occurred in 76.4% of the kidney disease with AS, and higher serum immunoglobulin A and G increased the risk for the occurrence of IgAN. The renal prognosis of kidney disease in AS was good.
Lightning Injury with Multi-System Involvement
Authors: Patankar Ashwini Ramesh , Patil Smita , Chandrakar Santwana
Published: August 2020

Lightning leads to trauma and disability such as burns, hearing loss, blindness, cardiac arrhythmia, cardiac arrest, stroke, kidney injury, and can also lead to death. Such cases are seldom reported, and hence their database is scanty. We present a case of a 40-year-old female with lightning injury with four such manifestations, which is not commonly encountered. We have elaborated on these complications of lightning injury and their timely management, which has led us to good patient outcome.