bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of Pompage on Vocal and Respiratory Measurements from Female Teachers: A Randomized Clinical Trial
Authors: Andriollo Débora Bonesso , Frigo Letícia Fernandez , Cielo Carla Aparecida
Published: February 2023

Introduction: Teachers stand out among occupational groups due to their contribution to modern societies, and their voice is the main form of interaction. Objective: The aim of the study was to verify the changes in vocal and respiratory measurements from teachers with vocal and musculoskeletal complaints and with normal larynx after applying a musculoskeletal manipulation protocol of myofascial release using pompage. Methods: Controlled and randomized clinical trial with 56 participants: 28 teachers in the study group and 28 teachers in the control group. Anamnesis, videolaryngoscopy, hearing screening, sound pressure and maximum phonation time measurements, and manovacuometry were performed. The musculoskeletal manipulation protocol of myofascial release using pompage consisted of a total of 24 sessions, 40 min for each session, three times a week, for 8 weeks. Results: There was a significant improvement in the maximum respiratory pressure in the study group after the intervention. The sound pressure level and the maximum phonation time did not change significantly. Discussion and Conclusion: Musculoskeletal manipulation protocol of myofascial release using pompage had a direct effect on the respiratory measurements from female teachers, significantly increasing the maximum respiratory pressure but without affecting sound pressure level and the /a/ maximum phonation time.
Relation Extraction Based on Prompt Information and Feature Reuse
Authors: Feng Ping , Zhang Xin , Zhao Jian , Wang Yingying , Huang Biao
Published: February 2023

To alleviate the problem of under-utilization features of sentence-level relation extraction, which leads to insufficient performance of the pre-trained language model and underutilization of the feature vector, a sentence-level relation extraction method based on adding prompt information and feature reuse is proposed. At first, in addition to the pair of nominals and sentence information, a piece of prompt information is added, and the overall feature information consists of sentence information, entity pair information, and prompt information, and then the features are encoded by the pre-trained language model ROBERTA. Moreover, in the pre-trained language model, BIGRU is also introduced in the composition of the neural network to extract information, and the feature information is passed through the neural network to form several sets of feature vectors. After that, these feature vectors are reused in different combinations to form multiple outputs, and the outputs are aggregated using ensemble-learning soft voting to perform relation classification. In addition to this, the sum of cross-entropy, KL divergence, and negative log-likelihood loss is used as the final loss function in this paper. In the comparison experiments, the model based on adding prompt information and feature reuse achieved higher results of the SemEval-2010 task 8 relational dataset.
Nickel and cobalt coordination complexes: Magnetic investigations and application values on acute pancreatitis combined with abdominal infection
Authors: Wang Jun-Tang , Sun Kai-Hua , Zhang Jin-Gang
Published: February 2023

Two novel coordination complexes, namely, [Ni2(TPT)2(H2O)2] (1) and [Co(TPT)(H2O)2]n (2), based on the 3-(tetrazol-5-yl)-5-(pyrid-2-yl)-1,2,4-triazole ligand were produced by solvothermal
synthesis. Magnetic studies showed that between adjacent metal ions, anti-ferromagnetic coupling existed in complexes 1 and 2. The complexes’ application values against catecholamine vasoactive drug-induced acute pancreatitis complicated with abdominal infection was discussed.
Subsequently, the mechanism was investigated. ELISA analysis was initially used to identify the inflammatory-response levels in acute pancreatitis complicated with abdominal infection after treatment with the complex. Additionally, the C-reactive protein content of plasma was tested through
the immuno-projection turbidimetric approach.
Clinical application study of silver nanowires combined with a synergistic leukocyte filter in cardioplegia after anesthesia
Authors: Su Hong-Li , Lin Xiang , Fu Shan
Published: February 2023

In this report, silver nanowire (Ag NW) samples of different sizes have been successfully synthesized by using the new polyol synthesis method. A new type of polyol process that regulated the size of the Ag NWs was developed by varying the types of control agents. Three as-synthesized
Ag NW 1–3 samples have been produced under 140 °C utilizing NaCl, CuCl2 and FeCl3 as control agents, providing us with novel synthesized methods in designing and synthesizing Ag NWs of diverse sizes. Three as-synthesized Ag NW 1–3 samples
have been systemically characterized through scanning electron microscopy and powder X-ray diffraction. The application values of the samples on cardioplegia after anesthesia combined with a synergistic leukocyte filter were analyzed, and the associated mechanism was studied. The superoxide
dismutase activation in cardiomyocytes was investigated employing real time RT-PCR. The serum lactate dehydrogenase and serum malondialdehyde levels were then determined using ELISA.
Synthesis of Au NPs/Quince nanoparticles mediated by Quince extract for the treatment of human cervical cancer: Introducing a novel chemotherapeutic supplement
Authors: Li Na , Li Guodong , Li RuiNa , Karmakar Bikash , El-kott Attalla F. , Bani-Fwaz Mutasem Z. , Negm Sally , Morsy Kareem
Published: February 2023

In this study, we have prepared mono-dispersed gold nanoparticles using the aqueous extract of Quince. The effective phytocompounds in the extract carried out the function as both reducing and stabilizing agents in the synthesis of Au NPs. The reduction of Au3+ ions
into Au0 NPs was indicated by a visual transform in color from pale yellow to deep red. UV-Vis studies revealed the characteristic surface plasmon resonance band appeared at around 545 nm. FT-IR, TEM, SEM, EDX, XRD, and UV/Vis analytical methods were employed to characterize the
Au NPs/Quince nanocomposite. TEM study revealed globular shaped NPs having particle size around 20–30 nm. Towards its biological implication, MTT method was followed in order to survey the cytotoxicity and inhibition of human cervical cancer against Hela, SiHa, and CCI-PI 19 cell
lines and the corresponding IC50 values were evaluated as 465, 712, and 785 μg/mL respectively. The % cell viabilities diminished dose-dependently over the bio-nanomaterial. To survey the antioxidant properties of Au NPs/Quince, DPPH assay was used and here the
related IC50 value was determined as 72 μg/mL.
Development and characterization of carboxymethyl chitosan/sodium alginate/gelatin methacryloyl hydrogels as wound dressing materials
Authors: Wang Shuai , Han Qingbin , Zhang Dujuan , Liu Jinpan , Shen Zhiyuan , Wei Xiujuan , Li Xiaoguang
Published: February 2023

Oral mucosa and head and neck skin and soft tissue defects caused by open wounds are prone to bacterial infection and can result in tissue necrosis, poor healing, and other complications, all of which affect maxillofacial beauty and function. Ideally, dressings should keep the wound
environment moist and help absorb the exudate on the surface. The CMC/ALG/GelMA hydrogel prepared in this study had the best swelling, flexibility, and elasticity compared with other wound dressing materials, and can significantly promote wound healing and re-epithelization. The prepared hydrogel
can also dramatically facilitate the regeneration of oral mucosa and skin tissue.
Neuroprotection of silver nanowires (Ag NWs) with different sizes in stroke
Authors: Chen Zhi-Cheng , Liu Qian-Zhi , Zeng Xu-Li , Hu Jie-Miao , Liu Mu-Qiang , Lin Song
Published: February 2023

In this report, silver nanowires (NWs) with different sizes have been obtained by using the poly process synthesis method. As-synthesized samples 1, 2, and 3 with high purity and different sizes have been obtained by changing the amount and kind of inorganic agent
in the synthesis procedure. Three samples have been characterized by the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD). The SEM images of Ag NW 1 (74 nm in diameter, 20–30 μm in length), Ag NW 2 with (60 nm in diameter, 30–40 μm
in length), and Ag NWs 3 with (46 nm in diameter, 30–40 μm in length) are obtained. The PXRD results for Ag NWs 1–3 show four typical diffraction peaks at 38.2°, 44.5°, 64.5°, and 77.4°, matching the face-centered cubic lattice for Ag substance
and confirming the purity of the Ag NWs sample. In addition, the relative expression of the PTEN and mTOR was determined with real-time RT-PCR at the mRNA level. The content of inflammatory cytokines during stoke was measured with indicated ELISA assay.
Facile engineering of gold alloying on the constancy of silver with polytetrafluorethylene denture base nanomaterial for antimicrobial investigation
Authors: Jiang Shu , Zheng Ying
Published: February 2023

Herein, nanocomposites comprising Ag–Au-alloy-based nanomaterials ensembled on the polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) were fabricated using the physical vapor deposition method. The Ag-based nanomaterials (AgNMs) undergo oxidation and dissolution in water; therefore, changes in the
shape, optical characteristics, and composition of the nanocomposites were investigated through transmission electron microscopy, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. PTFE@Ag–Au coatings exhibited high antibiofilm efficacy against E. coli WT
F1693 and governed the synergistic effect of antibacterial non-stick PTFE and the Ag–Au alloy. The PTFE@Ag–Au-coated NMs sustained the release of Ag+ ions and inhibited up to 50% bacterial growth after 7 days in relation to the PTFE-coated NMs. The conventional XDLVO
and DLVO theories were used to describe bacterial adhesion and understand the anti-adhesion process. Despite concerns associated with the hazardous effect of excessive Ag release on fibroblast cells, the coating methods precisely controlled Ag loading, thereby reducing metallic-implant-related
bacterial infections.
Personalized colorectal cancer screening: study protocol of a mixed-methods study on the effectiveness of tailored intervals based on prior f-Hb concentration in a fit-based colorectal cancer screening program (PERFECT-FIT)
Authors: Breekveldt Emilie C. H. , Toes-Zoutendijk Esther , de Jonge Lucie , Spaander Manon C. W. , Dekker Evelien , van Kemenade Folkert J. , van Vuuren Anneke J. , Ramakers Christian R. B. , Nagtegaal Iris D. , van Leerdam Monique E. , Lansdorp-Vogelaar Iris
Published: February 2023

Background

In 2014, the national population-based colorectal cancer (CRC) screening program was implemented in the Netherlands. Biennial fecal immunochemical testing (FIT) for hemoglobin (Hb) is used at a cut-off of 47 µg Hb per gram feces. The CRC screening program successfully started, with high participation rates and yield of screening. Now that the program has reached a steady state, there is potential to further optimize the program. Previous studies showed that prior fecal Hb (f-Hb) concentrations just below the FIT cut-off are associated with a higher risk for detection of advanced neoplasia (AN) at subsequent screening rounds. We aim to achieve a better balance between the harms and benefits of CRC screening by offering participants tailored invitation intervals based on prior f-Hb concentrations after negative FIT.

Methods

This mixed-methods study will be performed within the Dutch national CRC screening program and will consist of: (1) a randomized controlled trial (RCT), (2) focus group studies, and (3) decision modelling. The primary outcome is the yield of AN per screened individual in personalized screening vs. uniform screening. Secondary outcomes are perspectives on, acceptability of and adherence to personalized screening, as well as long-term outcomes of personalized vs. uniform screening. The RCT will include 20,000 participants of the Dutch CRC screening program; 10,000 in the intervention and 10,000 in the control arm. The intervention arm will receive a personalized screening interval based on the prior f-Hb concentration (1, 2 or 3 years). The control arm will receive a screening interval according to current practice (2 years). The focus group studies are designed to understand individuals’ perspectives on and acceptability of personalized CRC screening. Results of the RCT will be incorporated into the MISCAN-Colon model to determine long-term benefits, harms, and costs of personalized vs. uniform CRC screening.

Discussion

The aim of this study is to evaluate the yield, feasibility, acceptability and (cost-) effectiveness of personalized CRC screening through tailored invitation intervals based on prior f-Hb concentrations. This knowledge may be of guidance for health policy makers and may provide evidence for implementing personalized CRC screening in The Netherlands and/or other countries using FIT as screening modality.

Trial registration:ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT05423886, June 21, 2022,https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05423886
FANCD2 inhibits ferroptosis by regulating the JAK2/STAT3 pathway in osteosarcoma
Authors: Li Xujun , Liu Jiangyi
Published: February 2023

Background

This research aimed to investigate the roles of fanconi anemia complementation group D2 (FANCD2) on the regulation of ferroptosis in osteosarcoma progression.

Methods

The function of FANCD2 on cell viability, invasion, migration, and tumor growth were explored. FANCD2 and pathway-related genes were determined by western blot. Ferroptosis-associated markers were determined, including lipid peroxidation, labile iron pool (LIP), ferrous iron (Fe2+), and ferroptosis-related genes.

Results

FANCD2 expression was increased in osteosarcoma cells. FANCD2 knockdown reduced cell viability, invasion, and migration of osteosarcoma cells. FANCD2 knockdown regulated ferroptosis-related gene expression, and distinctly increased the levels of LIP, Fe2+, and lipid peroxidation, and these effects were reversed by a ferroptosis inhibitor Fer-1. In addition, JAK2 and STAT3 expression were reduced by silencing of FANCD2, and STAT3 activator (colivelin) distinctly reversed tumor suppressor effects of FANCD2 silencing on osteosarcoma development.

Conclusion

These findings suggested that FANCD2 silencing could suppress osteosarcoma cell viability, migration, invasion, and tumor growth, and induced ferroptosis by regulating the JAK2/STAT3 axis. These findings may provide novel therapeutic ideas for clinical treatment of osteosarcoma.
Glutaraldehyde-crosslinked Rhizopus oryzae whole cells show improved catalytic performance in alkene epoxidation
Authors: Xu Lili , Qin Yimin , Song Yufeng , Tang Aixing , Liu Youyan
Published: February 2023

Background

Existing methods for alkene epoxidation are based on lipase-catalysed perhydrolysis. However, the inactivation of the expensive lipase enzyme is problematic for enzymatic epoxidation at large scales due to the use of hydrogen peroxide and peracids at high concentrations in the reaction. The immobilisation of whole cells appears to be a promising approach to alleviate this problem.

Results

A green oxidation system containing hydrogen peroxide, Na3C6H5O7, an acyl donor, and glutaraldehyde (GA)-crosslinked cells of Rhizopus oryzae was developed for the epoxidation of alkenes. GA-crosslinked cells of Rhizopus oryzae were adopted as a biocatalyst into the epoxidation system. A variety of alkenes were oxidised with this system, with a 56–95% analytical yield of the corresponding epoxides. The catalytic performance of the crosslinked treated cells was substantially improved compared to that of the untreated cells and the initial reaction rate increased from 126.71 to 234.72 mmol/L/h, retaining 83% yields even after four batches of reactions. The addition of 3.5 mmol Na3C6H5O7 not only acts as an acid-trapping reagent to eliminate the negative effect of the carboxylic acid on the alkene oxide but also forms a saturated salt solution with the aqueous phase, affecting the concentration of H2O2 in the three phases and thus the epoxidation reaction. Organic solvents with a logP value > 0.68 were good at producing hydroxy peracids; however, this method is only suitable for oxidation in a two-liquid phase.

Conclusions

Compared with other lipase biocatalysts, the GA-crosslinked whole-cell biocatalyst is inexpensive, readily available, and highly stable. Therefore, it can be considered promising for industrial applications.
A combined preoperative red cell distribution width and carcinoembryonic antigen score contribute to prognosis prediction in stage I lung adenocarcinoma
Authors: Xu Hengliang , Zhao Guangqiang , Lin Jixing , Ye Qianwen , Xiang Jia , Yan Bing
Published: February 2023

Aims

Hematological markers that can be used for prognosis prediction for stage I lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) are still lacking. Here, we examined the prognostic value of a combination of the red cell distribution width (RDW) and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), namely, the RDW-CEA score (RCS), in stage I LUAD.

Materials and methods

A retrospective study with 154 patients with stage I LUAD was conducted. Patients were divided into RCS 1 (decreased RDW and CEA), RCS 2 (decreased RDW and increased CEA, increased RDW and decreased CEA), and RCS 3 (increased RDW and CEA) subgroups based on the best optimal cutoff points of RDW and CEA for overall survival (OS). The differences in other clinicopathological parameters among RCS subgroups were calculated. Disease-free survival (DFS) and OS among these groups were determined by Kaplan–Meier analysis, and risk factors for outcome were calculated by a Cox proportional hazards model.

Results

Seventy, 65, and 19 patients were assigned to the RCS 1, 2, and 3 subgroups, respectively. Patients ≥ 60 years (P < 0.001), male sex (P = 0.004), T2 stage (P = 0.004), and IB stage (P = 0.006) were more significant in the RCS 2 or 3 subgroups. The RCS had a good area under the curve (AUC) for predicting DFS (AUC = 0.81, P < 0.001) and OS (AUC = 0.93, P < 0.001). The DFS (log-rank = 33.26, P < 0.001) and OS (log-rank = 42.05, P < 0.001) were significantly different among RCS subgroups, with RCS 3 patients displaying the worst survival compared to RCS 1 or 2 patients. RCS 3 was also an independent risk factor for both DFS and OS.

Conclusions

RCS is a useful prognostic indicator in stage I LUAD patients, and RCS 3 patients have poorer survival. However, randomized controlled trials are needed to validate our findings in the future.
Postoperative radiotherapy for supraglottic cancer on real-world data: can we reduce dose to lymph node levels?
Authors: Xu Yi , Wei Yumei , Wang Jingbo , Zhang Jianghu , Chen Xuesong , Wu Runye , Liu Qingfeng , Qu Yuan , Wang Kai , Huang Xiaodong , Luo Jingwei , Xu Wei , Zhang Ye , Yi Junlin
Published: February 2023

Purpose

To evaluate prognosis for reducing postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) dose to lymph node levels of supraglottic cancer (SC) on real-world data.

Method and materials

Patients were derived from two cancer centers. In center 1, the involved nodal levels (high-risk levels, HRL) and the next level received a dose of 60.06 Gy/1.82 Gy per fraction, while the other uninvolved levels (low-risk levels, LRL) received 50.96 Gy/1.82 Gy per fraction. In center 2, all received 50 Gy/2 Gy per fraction. The rates of high-risk levels control (HRC), regional control (RC), overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS) and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) were calculated by Kaplan–Meier method.

Result

Totally, 124 patients were included (62 in center 1, 62 in center 2). Most patients (106, 85.5%) had a stage T3/N + tumor. The median follow-up was 45 months (range 1–163 months). There were no significant differences in terms of OS (p = 0.126), RC (p = 0.514), PFS (p = 0.195) and DMFS (p = 0.834). Most regional recurrences (4, 80%) occurred within three years of treatment, and all occurred within the target volumes. No regional failure occurred in HRL in center 1, while three (3/4) failures occurred in center 2. Dose reduction prescription to HRL led to a lower HRC rate (100% vs. 90.6%, p = 0.009). While the rates of LRL control (98.4%) were equal between the two centers.

Conclusion

Compared with a standard dose, the reduced dose to involved nodal levels showed inferior regional control for PORT, while uninvolved nodal levels showed equal outcomes. A dose of 50 Gy for HRL may be an unfavorable treatment option for SC.
Molecular surveillance reveals widespread colonisation by carbapenemase and extended spectrum beta-lactamase producing organisms in neonatal units in Kenya and Nigeria
Authors: Edwards Thomas , Williams Christopher T. , Olwala Macrine , Andang’o Pauline , Otieno Walter , Nalwa Grace N. , Akindolire Abimbola , Cubas-Atienzar Ana I. , Ross Toby , Tongo Olukemi O. , Adams Emily R. , Nabwera Helen , Allen Stephen
Published: February 2023

Objectives

Neonatal sepsis, a major cause of death amongst infants in sub-Saharan Africa, is often gut derived. Gut colonisation by Enterobacteriaceae producing extended spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) or carbapenemase enzymes can lead to antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) or untreatable infections. We sought to explore the rates of colonisation by ESBL or carbapenemase producers in two neonatal units (NNUs) in West and East Africa.

Methods

Stool and rectal swab samples were taken at multiple timepoints from newborns admitted to the NNUs at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria and the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital, Kisumu, western Kenya. Samples were tested for ESBL and carbapenemase genes using a previously validated qPCR assay. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis was used to examine colonisation rates at both sites.

Results

In total 119 stool and rectal swab samples were taken from 42 infants admitted to the two NNUs. Colonisation with ESBL (37 infants, 89%) was more common than with carbapenemase producers (26, 62.4%; P = 0.093). Median survival time before colonisation with ESBL organisms was 7 days and with carbapenemase producers 16 days (P = 0.035). The majority of ESBL genes detected belonged to the CTX-M-1 (36/38; 95%), and CTX-M-9 (2/36; 5%) groups, and the most prevalent carbapenemase was blaNDM (27/29, 93%).

Conclusions

Gut colonisation of neonates by AMR organisms was common and occurred rapidly in NNUs in Kenya and Nigeria. Active surveillance of colonisation will improve the understanding of AMR in these settings and guide infection control and antibiotic prescribing practice to improve clinical outcomes.
Galectins and galectin-mediated autophagy regulation: new insights into targeted cancer therapy
Authors: Liu Dan , Zhu Hongtao , Li Chuanzhou
Published: February 2023

Galectins are animal lectins with specific affinity for galactosides via the conserved carbohydrate recognition domains. Increasing studies recently have identified critical roles of galectin family members in tumor progression. Abnormal expression of galectins contributes to the proliferation, metastasis, epithelial-mesenchymal transformation (EMT), immunosuppression, radio-resistance and chemoresistance in various cancers, which has attracted cumulative clinical interest in galectin-based cancer treatment. Galectin family members have been reported to participate in autophagy regulation under physiological conditions and in non-tumoral diseases, and implication of galectins in multiple processes of carcinogenesis also involves regulation of autophagy, however, the relationship between galectins, autophagy and cancer remains largely unclear. In this review, we introduce the structure and function of galectins at the molecular level, summarize their engagements in autophagy and cancer progression, and also highlight the regulation of autophagy by galectins in cancer as well as the therapeutic potentials of galectin and autophagy-based strategies. Elaborating on the mechanism of galectin-regulated autophagy in cancers will accelerate the exploitation of galectins-autophagy targeted therapies in treatment for cancer.
Optimized geothermal energy extraction from hot dry rocks using a horizontal well with different exploitation schemes
Authors: Huang Guoshu , Hu Xiangyun , Ma Huolin , Liu Liang , Yang Jian , Zhou Wenlong , Liao Weiyang , Ningbo Bai
Published: February 2023

In the foreseeable future, the geothermal exploitation from hot dry rocks (HDR) using a horizontal well will bear potential. Thus, in-depth studies should be conducted on the selection of injection-production scheme (IPS) and working fluid, design of reinjection parameters, optimization of wellbore structure and materials, and analysis of geological settings. This paper proposed a fully coupled model to study the above scientific questions. For Model A, the working fluid was injected into the annulus and then flowed out of the thermal insulation pipe (TIP). Its temperature passes through two stages of temperature rise and two stages of temperature decline. But for model B, the working fluid was injected into the TIP and then flowed out of the annulus. Its temperature undergoes five stages, four stages of temperature rise and one stage of temperature decline. The results show that the Model A is the best IPS owing to its high outlet temperature, stable thermal recovery, and low fluid injection volume. In Model A, when the working fluid was supercritical carbon dioxide and the liquid injection volume was 135.73 m3/d, the heat recovery ratio (HRR) was as high as 85.40%, which was 17.85% higher than that of the Model B whose working medium was water, and its liquid injection volume was only 25% of that. Meanwhile, over ten years of continuous production, the outlet temperature decreased by 7.5 °C and 18.38 °C in the latter. The optimal working fluid has a low volume heat capacity and thermal conductivity for any IPS. Sensitivity studies showed that for the area that met the HDR standard, the effect of reinjection temperature on the outlet temperature can be ignored. As for Model A, HRR drops sharply by 6.74–9.32% when TIP goes from completely adiabatic to nonzero thermal conductivity. Meanwhile, the horizontal segment length of the TIP is shorter when Model A obtains the optimal outlet temperature compared with Model B. In addition, the correlation between the outlet temperature and different formations of thermophysical properties was seriously affected by the IPS and exploitation period, which was summarized in detail.
A study to determine enzalutamide long term safety and efficacy for men with castration-resistant prostate cancer: A multicenter, prospective DELC study.
Authors: Hatano Koji , Nagahara Akira , Nakata Wataru , Sato Mototaka , Takao Tetsuya , Matsumura Soichi , Nishimura Kensaku , Takada Shingo , Iwanishi Toshichika , Kobayashi Yasuyuki , Ishizuya Yu , Takada Tsuyoshi , Okada Koichi , Inoue Hitoshi , Uemura Motohide , Nonomura Norio
Published: February 2023

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Background: In the PREVAIL study, enzalutamide was demonstrated to be effective in men with chemo-naïve metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). In Japan, enzalutamide was introduced in 2014. Real-world evidence is needed for the long-term safety and efficacy of enzalutamide. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy, safety and prognostic factors in CRPC treated with enzalutamide. Methods: This multicenter, prospective, observational study enrolled 163 Japanese CRPC patients between January 2016 and March 2019. Eligibility criteria were men with chemo-naïve CRPC, no prior treatment with novel androgen receptor signaling inhibitors, and an ECOG- Performance Status ≤ 2. The switching of bicalutamide and flutamide was eligible. Written consent for participation has been obtained from the patient. Enzalutamide 160 mg/day was administered once daily according to usual practice. Data were collected from medical records at baseline and every 3 months until march 2021. The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS), and factors associated with OS were examined. Cox proportional hazards model was used for statistics. The secondary endpoints were PSA response and safety. Results: At a median follow-up of 26.0 months, the median OS was 42.1 months and 24-month OS rate was 69%. Univariate analysis showed that time to CRPC, pretreatment serum PSA, baseline NSE, and baseline interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels were associated with OS. Multivariate analysis revealed that pretreatment serum PSA (hazard ratio [HR] 2.30, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.30-4.10), baseline NSE (HR 2.97, 95%CI 1.24-7.11), and baseline IL-6 (HR 2.32 95%CI 1.32-4.09) were independent risk factors for OS. PSA decline more than 50% was 74% (n=120). Fatigue (30%, n=49), constipation (20%, n=32) and appetite loss (18%, n=29) were the most common adverse events (AEs). Dose reduction/drug discontinuation rates were 20% (n=33) due to AEs and 18% (n=29) due to patient request. Conclusions: The efficacy and safety of enzalutamide in Japanese real clinical practice were comparable to those reported in PREVAIL study. The present analysis also suggests that serum PSA, NSE and IL-6 levels are independent prognostic factors in CRPC patients. Clinical trial information: UMIN000019855 . [Table: see text]
Testing the black hole area law with Event Horizon Telescope
Authors: Wang Deng
Published: February 2023

Hawking's black hole area theorem can be tested by monitoring the evolution of a single black hole over time. Using current imaging observations of two supermassive black holes M87* and Sgr A* from the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT), we find their horizon area variation fractions are consistent with the prediction of the black hole area law at the

confidence level. We point out that whether the black hole area law is valid or not could be determined by future high-precision EHT observations of Sgr A*.
Back to Basics
Authors: Magal Meir , Franklin Barry A. , Dwyer Gregory B. , Riebe Deborah
Published: February 2023

Apply It!

• Understand the importance of accurate measures of heart rate during submaximal exercise testing to estimate the client's V̇O2max.

• Delineate the most appropriate formula to estimate maximal heart rate for a given population to provide more accurate exercise intensity prescriptions.

• Identify ways to reduce the error in estimating V̇O2max when using submaximal exercise testing.
Effectiveness of BNT162b2 and ChAdOx1 against SARS-CoV-2 household transmission: a prospective cohort study in England
Authors: Clifford Samuel , Waight Pauline , Hackman Jada , Hué Stephane , Gower Charlotte M. , Kirsebom Freja CM , Skarnes Catriona , Letley Louise , Lopez Bernal Jamie , Andrews Nick , Flasche Stefan , Miller Elizabeth
Published: February 2023

Background: The ability of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines to protect against infection and onward transmission determines whether immunisation can control global circulation. We estimated the effectiveness of Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA vaccine (BNT162b2) and Oxford AstraZeneca adenovirus vector vaccine (ChAdOx1) vaccines against acquisition and transmission of the Alpha and Delta variants in a prospective household study in England.

Methods: Households were recruited based on adult purported index cases testing positive after reverse transcription-quantitative (RT-q)PCR testing of oral-nasal swabs. Purported index cases and their household contacts took oral-nasal swabs on days 1, 3 and 7 after enrolment and a subset of the PCR-positive swabs underwent genomic sequencing conducted on a subset. We used Bayesian logistic regression to infer vaccine effectiveness against acquisition and transmission, adjusted for age, vaccination history and variant.

Results: Between 2 February 2021 and 10 September 2021, 213 index cases and 312 contacts were followed up. After excluding households lacking genomic proximity (N=2) or with unlikely serial intervals (N=16), 195 households with 278 contacts remained, of whom 113 (41%) became PCR positive. Delta lineages had 1.53 times the risk (95% Credible Interval: 1.04 – 2.20) of transmission than Alpha; contacts older than 18 years old were 1.48 (1.20 – 1.91) and 1.02 (0.93 – 1.16) times more likely to acquire an Alpha or Delta infection than children. Effectiveness of two doses of BNT162b2 against transmission of Delta was 36% (-1%, 66%) and 49% (18%, 73%) for ChAdOx1, similar to their effectiveness for Alpha. Protection against infection with Alpha was higher than for Delta, 69% (9%, 95%) vs. 18% (-11%, 59%), respectively, for BNT162b2 and 24% (-41%, 72%) vs. 9% (-15%, 42%), respectively, for ChAdOx1.

Conclusions: BNT162b2 and ChAdOx1 reduce transmission of the Delta variant from breakthrough infections in the household setting, although their protection against infection within this setting is low.
Gamelan Melody Generation Using LSTM Networks Controlled by Composition Meter Rules and Special Notes
Authors: Syarif Arry M. , Azhari A. , Suprapto S. , Hastuti K.
Published: February 2023

This study proposes a Gamelan melody generation system based on three characteristics, which are the melodic patterns recognition, composition meter rules that control the duration of notes, and the special notes (pitches) selection which represent ambiguous rules in determining the Gamelan musical mode system. Long-Short Term Memory (LSTM) networks were trained using the sequence prediction technique to generate symbolic based Gamelan melodies. The dataset collected from sheet music was converted into ABC notation format, added with codes representing the composition meter and special notes, and restructured into a character-based representation format. The LSTM network training showed good results in the melodic patterns recognition but the networks take less than 10 attempts for the LSTM network to successfully generate one melody. The evaluation was conducted using experts’ judgment. Three generated melodies were sent to experts to be read, hummed and judged. Overall, the evaluation results showed that the generated melodies can comply with the characteristics of the Gamelan melodic patterns, the composition meter and the special notes.
A Vehicle Sensor Network for Real-Time Air Pollution Analysis
Authors: Zherka Bleron , Tafa Zhilbert
Published: February 2023

Air Pollution (AP) is one of the main threats to global health. Real-time dynamic mapping of pollution distribution is of a crucial importance to the AP reduction and management. Conventional air quality monitoring relies on expensive and cumbersome monitoring stations. Such stations are sparsely deployed over a region – typically one to a few per city. The extrapolation of the dynamic spatiotemporal data away from these stations might be inaccurate. In this paper, we present a participatory Vehicle Sensor Network (VSN) based on low-cost mobile nodes deployed on public (taxi) vehicles. The system enables continuous real-time data acquisition, transmission, and utilization. As compared to the conventional approaches, our system greatly improves sensing coverage. The proposed platform enables the acquisition of a large amount of georeferenced and time-stamped data. It provides real time pollution mapping and historical data view. The system’s operational stability and continuity are examined and confirmed through the analysis of background data collected during 15 days of experimental implementation.
Comparative Analysis of Machine Learning in Predicting the Treatment Status of COVID-19 Patients
Authors: Anggrawan Anthony , Mayadi Mayadi , Satria Christofer , Triwijoyo Bambang Krismono , Rismayati Ria
Published: February 2023

COVID-19 has become a global pandemic that causes many deaths, so medical treatment for COVID-19 patients gets special attention, whether hospitalized or self-isolated. However, the problem in medical action is not easy, and the most frequent mistakes are due to inaccuracies in medical decision-making. Meanwhile, machine learning can predict with high accuracy. For that, or that's why this study aims to propose a data mining classification method as a machine learning model to predict the treatment status of COVID-19 patients accurately, whether hospitalized or self-isolated. The data mining method used in this research is the Random Forest (RF) and Support Vector Machine (SVM) algorithm with Confusion Matrix and k-fold Cross Validation testing. The finding indicated that the machine learning model has an accuracy of up to 94% with the RF algorithm and up to 92% with the SVM algorithm in predicting the COVID-19 patient's treatment status. It means that the machine learning model using the RF algorithm has more accurate accuracy than the SVM algorithm in predicting or recommending the treatment status of COVID-19 patients. The implication is that RF machine learning can help/replace the role of medical experts in predicting the patient's care status.
Benefits and risks of vitamin D supplementation
Authors: Rynio Grzegorz , Masłocha Aleksander , Sufin Patrycja , Dubiel Magdalena , Ziojła Kinga , Książek Anna , Zarańska Julia
Published: February 2023

Vitamin D deficiency is a common problem not only in Poland but also in the world. Studies from previous years indicate its pleiotropic effect and indicate the need for supplementation both in individual risk groups and in the general population. The main sources of cholecalciferol are skin synthesis and intestinal absorption. Vitamin D deficiency adversely affects the cardiovascular, immune and nervous systems. It is also associated with gastrointestinal, metabolic, cancer and autoimmune diseases. Through the immune system, it also affects the respiratory system. Prophylactic doses should depend on age, body weight, seasonal insolation and sun exposure, as well as individual factors such as diet and lifestyle. Excessive supply of vitamin D can lead to hypercalcemia and hypercalciuria, although it is not known how high doses cause toxic effects. Monitoring the exponents of calcium and phosphate metabolism is the basic method of preventing vitamin D toxicity.
On the status of “attestation adverbials” in bipolar questions
Authors: Bogusławski Andrzej
Published: February 2023

The author addresses the properties of the special category of expressions established by Danielewiczowa (2012) and labeled by her “attestation adverbials”. A possible example of the category: He is definitely crazy. The question which the author tries to answer reads: how do expressions of that category fare in bipolar questions?His answer is as follows. On the one hand, primarily, such questions are deviant, on a par with questions embracing hypotheticals like probably, cf. * Has A probably murdered B? / * Is he definitely crazy?.On the other hand, secondarily, such questions are acceptable as metonymical utterances where a demand to receive an objective assertion is combined with a presupposition that someone had claimed not only that ‘such is the case [he is crazy]’, but also (by using the adverbial definitely), that her evaluation was unquestionable, cf. Is he, as Smith said, definitely crazy?.
Słowo o amelioratywach i pejoratywach w kręgu mowy, ze szczególnym uwzględnieniem mownej aprobaty / dezaprobaty działań
Authors: Bogusławski Andrzej
Published: February 2023

Autor twierdzi, że ktokolwiek pochwala czyjąś wypowiedź, która jest jego zdaniem nieprawdziwa, musi z konieczności pochwalać czyjeś powiedzenie czegoś, co jest jego zdaniem prawdą; np. swoje własne zdanie chwalące ową wypowiedź nieprawdziwą. Ktokolwiek pochwala czyjąś wypowiedź, która jest jego zdaniem prawdziwa, nie musi jednocześnie pochwalać niczyjego powiedzenia czegoś, co nie jest jego zdaniem prawdą. Wszystko to łącznie stanowi o tym, że bezwzględna aprobata nieprawdomówności jest niemożliwa (jako wewnętrznie sprzeczna), podczas gdy totalna aprobata prawdomówności i tylko ona jest niesprzeczna wewnętrznie.Autor przedstawia ściśle proporcjonalny obraz aprobaty i dezaprobaty działań. Stosowane pojęcia to: ‘tolerancja’, ‘zero tolerancji’ jako amelioratywy oraz ‘permisywizm’, ‘nietolerancja’ jako pejoratywy. Postawy oznaczone powyższymi pojęciami są zawsze subiektywne.
Nonstationary Reinforcement Learning: The Blessing of (More) Optimism
Authors: Cheung Wang Chi , Simchi-Levi David , Zhu Ruihao
Published: February 2023

Motivated by operations research applications, such as inventory control and real-time bidding, we consider undiscounted reinforcement learning in Markov decision processes under model uncertainty and temporal drifts. In this setting, both the latent reward and state transition distributions are allowed to evolve over time, as long as their respective total variations, quantified by suitable metrics, do not exceed certain variation budgets. We first develop the sliding window upper confidence bound for reinforcement learning with confidence-widening (SWUCRL2-CW) algorithm and establish its dynamic regret bound when the variation budgets are known. In addition, we propose the bandit-over-reinforcement learning algorithm to adaptively tune the SWUCRL2-CW algorithm to achieve the same dynamic regret bound but in a parameter-free manner (i.e., without knowing the variation budgets). Finally, we conduct numerical experiments to show that our proposed algorithms achieve superior empirical performance compared with existing algorithms. Notably, under nonstationarity, historical data samples may falsely indicate that state transition rarely happens. This thus presents a significant challenge when one tries to apply the conventional optimism in the face of uncertainty principle to achieve a low dynamic regret bound. We overcome this challenge by proposing a novel confidence-widening technique that incorporates additional optimism into our learning algorithms. To extend our theoretical findings, we demonstrate, in the context of single-item inventory control with lost sales, fixed cost, and zero lead time, how one can leverage special structures on the state transition distributions to achieve improved dynamic regret bound in time-varying demand environments.

This paper was accepted by J. George Shanthikumar, data science.

Funding: The authors acknowledge support from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Data Science Laboratory and the MIT–IBM partnership in artificial intelligence. W. C. Cheung acknowledges support from the Singapore Ministry of Education [Tier 2 Grant MOE-T2EP20121-0012].

Supplemental Material: The data files and online appendix are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2023.4704 .
Cream of the Crop
Authors: Beck Chris
Published: February 2023

An ambitious target to reduce waste levels meant everyone at Derbyshire-based Deb Ltd had to pull together. The result saw them named Team of the Year at the 2017 Manufacturing Champions Awards
…And the Levy was Dry
Authors: Beck Chris
Published: February 2023

A year on from the launch of the much-vaunted Apprenticeship Levy, its impact has left a lot to be desired, according to a scathing new report
Exploring the knowledge contributions of carers involved in a group process aimed at co-creating a targeted support intervention
Authors: Malm Camilla , Jönson Håkan , Andersson Stefan , Hanson Elizabeth
Published: February 2023

Patient and public involvement is a way of ensuring that research and practices are more responsive to their target groups. This study, inspired by discourse psychology, explores the knowledge contributions of informal carers who participated in group meetings to co-create a support intervention. Findings highlight that carers’ knowledge is complex, including more than practical caring experiences. Acknowledging carers’ knowledge contributions and involving a heterogeneous sample of carers are key considerations for patient and public involvement in research; otherwise, there is a danger of establishing risks of injustice. Accepting the multifaceted knowledge of carers could increase the validity of research and the relevance of interventions developed.
Rendering them responsible: victim-survivors experiences of Clare’s Law and domestic violence disclosure schemes
Authors: Barlow Charlotte , Walklate Sandra , Renehan Nicole
Published: February 2023

This article presents empirical findings from a British Academy funded project concerned to explore victim-survivor experiences of domestic violence disclosure schemes (DVDS) in the UK. In so doing it draws on the concept of responsibilisation as one way of making sense of the experiences reported. It goes on to suggest a note of caution for the development of these schemes in other jurisdictions, since the failure to take account of victim-survivor voices in relation to DVDS in the UK has contributed to such schemes rendering victim-survivors responsible.
Increased range and contrast in fog with circularly polarized imaging
Authors: van der Laan John D. , Redman Brian J. , Segal Jacob W. , Westlake Karl , Wright Jeremy B. , Bentz Brian Z.
Published: February 2023

Fogs, low lying clouds, and other highly scattering environments pose a
challenge for many commercial and national security sensing systems.
Current autonomous systems rely on optical sensors for navigation
whose performance is degraded by highly scattering environments. In
our previous simulation work, we have shown that polarized light can
penetrate through a scattering environment such as fog. We have
demonstrated that circularly polarized light maintains its initial
polarization state better than linearly polarized light, even through
large numbers of scattering events and thus ranges. This has recently
been experimentally verified by other researchers. In this work, we
present the design, construction, and testing of active polarization
imagers at short-wave infrared and visible wavelengths. We explore
multiple polarimetric configurations for the imagers, focusing on
linear and circular polarization states. The polarized imagers were
tested at the Sandia National Laboratories Fog Chamber under realistic
fog conditions. We show that active circular polarization imagers can
increase range and contrast in fog better than linear polarization
imagers. We show that when imaging typical road sign and safety
retro-reflective films, circularly polarized imaging has enhanced
contrast throughout most fog densities/ranges compared to linearly
polarized imaging and can penetrate over 15 to 25 m into the
fog beyond the range limit of linearly polarized imaging, with a
strong dependence on the interaction of the polarization state with
the target materials.
Comparison of thermal stability of Mo/Si multilayers with different crystallinities of Mo layers
Authors: Song Hongxuan , Zhang Zhe , Liu Xiangyue , Huang Qiushi , Zhou Hongjun , Huo Tonglin , Qi Runze , Zhang Zhong , Xin Zihua , Wang Zhanshan
Published: February 2023

To investigate the thermal stability of Mo/Si multilayers with different initial crystallinities of Mo layers, two kinds of Mo/Si multilayers were deposited by DC magnetron sputtering and annealed at 300°C and 400°C. The period thickness compactions of multilayers with crystalized and quasi-amorphous Mo layers were 0.15 nm and 0.30 nm at 300°C, respectively, and the stronger the crystallinity, the lower the extreme ultraviolet reflectivity loss. At 400°C, the period thickness compactions of multilayers with crystalized and quasi-amorphous Mo layers were 1.25 nm and 1.04 nm, respectively. It was shown that multilayers with a crystalized Mo layer had better thermal stability at 300°C but were less stable at 400°C than multilayers with a quasi-amorphous Mo layer. These changes in stability at 300°C and 400°C were due to the significant transition of the crystalline structure. The transition of the crystal structure leads to increased surface roughness, more interdiffusion, and compound formation.