bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Efficient Schedule of Energy-Constrained UAV Using Crowdsourced Buses in Last-Mile Parcel Delivery
Authors: Pan Yan , Li Shining , Chen Qianwu , Zhang Nan , Cheng Tao , Li Zhigang , Guo Bin , Han Qingye , Zhu Ting
Published: March 2021

Stimulated by the dramatical service demand in the logistics industry, logistics trucks employed in last-mile parcel delivery bring critical public concerns, such as heavy cost burden, traffic congestion and air pollution. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are a promising alternative tool in last-mile delivery, which is however limited by insufficient flight range and load capacity. This paper presents an innovative energy-limited logistics UAV schedule approach using crowdsourced buses. Specifically, when one UAV delivers a parcel, it first lands on a crowdsourced social bus to parcel destination, gets recharged by the wireless recharger deployed on the bus, and then flies from the bus to the parcel destination. This novel approach not only increases the delivery range and load capacity of battery-limited UAVs, but is also much more cost-effective and environment-friendly than traditional methods. New challenges therefore emerge as the buses with spatiotemporal mobility become the bottleneck during delivery. By landing on buses, an Energy-Neutral Flight Principle and a delivery scheduling algorithm are proposed for the UAVs. Using the Energy-Neutral Flight Principle, each UAV can plan a flying path without depleting energy given buses with uncertain velocities. Besides, the delivery scheduling algorithm optimizes the delivery time and number of delivered parcels given warehouse location, logistics UAVs, parcel locations and buses. Comprehensive evaluations using a large-scale bus dataset demonstrate the superiority of the innovative logistics UAV schedule approach.
WiFiTrace
Authors: Trivedi Amee , Zakaria Camellia , Balan Rajesh , Becker Ann , Corey George , Shenoy Prashant
Published: March 2021

Contact tracing is a well-established and effective approach for the containment of the spread of infectious diseases. While Bluetooth-based contact tracing method using phones has become popular recently, these approaches suffer from the need for a critical mass adoption to be effective. In this paper, we present WiFiTrace, a network-centric approach for contact tracing that relies on passive WiFi sensing with no client-side involvement. Our approach exploits WiFi network logs gathered by enterprise networks for performance and security monitoring, and utilizes them for reconstructing device trajectories for contact tracing. Our approach is specifically designed to enhance the efficacy of traditional methods, rather than to supplant them with new technology. We designed an efficient graph algorithm to scale our approach to large networks with tens of thousands of users. The graph-based approach outperforms an indexed PostgresSQL in memory by at least 4.5X without any index update overheads or blocking. We have implemented a full prototype of our system and deployed it on two large university campuses. We validated our approach and demonstrate its efficacy using case studies and detailed experiments using real-world WiFi datasets.
Investigating the Effect of Sensory Concurrency on Learning Haptic Spatiotemporal Signals
Authors: Carson Iain , Quigley Aaron , Clarke Loraine , Hinrichs Uta
Published: March 2021

A new generation of multimodal interfaces and interactions is emerging. Drawing on the principles of Sensory Substitution and Augmentation Devices (SSADs), these new interfaces offer the potential for rich, immersive human-computer interactions, but are difficult to design well, and take time to master, creating significant barriers towards wider adoption. Following a review of the literature surrounding existing SSADs, their metrics for success and their growing influence on interface design in Human Computer Interaction, we present a medium term (4-day) study comparing the effectiveness of various combinations of visual and haptic feedback (sensory concurrencies) in preparing users to perform a virtual maze navigation task using haptic feedback alone. Participants navigated 12 mazes in each of 3 separate sessions under a specific combination of visual and haptic feedback, before performing the same task using the haptic feedback alone. Visual sensory deprivation was shown to be inferior to visual & haptic concurrency in enabling haptic signal comprehension, while a new hybridized condition combining reduced visual feedback with the haptic signal was shown to be superior. Potential explanations for the effectiveness of the hybrid mechanism are explored, and the scope and implications of its generalization to new sensory interfaces is presented.
SplitSR
Authors: Liu Xin , Li Yuang , Fromm Josh , Wang Yuntao , Jiang Ziheng , Mariakakis Alex , Patel Shwetak
Published: March 2021

Super-resolution (SR) is a coveted image processing technique for mobile apps ranging from the basic camera apps to mobile health. Existing SR algorithms rely on deep learning models with significant memory requirements, so they have yet to be deployed on mobile devices and instead operate in the cloud to achieve feasible inference time. This shortcoming prevents existing SR methods from being used in applications that require near real-time latency. In this work, we demonstrate state-of-the-art latency and accuracy for on-device super-resolution using a novel hybrid architecture called SplitSR and a novel lightweight residual block called SplitSRBlock. The SplitSRBlock supports channel-splitting, allowing the residual blocks to retain spatial information while reducing the computation in the channel dimension. SplitSR has a hybrid design consisting of standard convolutional blocks and lightweight residual blocks, allowing people to tune SplitSR for their computational budget. We evaluate our system on a low-end ARM CPU, demonstrating both higher accuracy and up to 5× faster inference than previous approaches. We then deploy our model onto a smartphone in an app called ZoomSR to demonstrate the first-ever instance of on-device, deep learning-based SR. We conducted a user study with 15 participants to have them assess the perceived quality of images that were post-processed by SplitSR. Relative to bilinear interpolation --- the existing standard for on-device SR --- participants showed a statistically significant preference when looking at both images (Z=-9.270, p<0.01) and text (Z=-6.486, p<0.01).
ViscoCam
Authors: An Kecheng , Zhang Qian , Kwong Elaine
Published: March 2021

Dysphagia patients need to carefully control their intake liquid's viscosity to reduce choking and aspiration risks. However, accurate liquid viscosity measurement requires expensive rheometers still unavailable in daily life. Though the existing approximate testing methods are low-cost, they are not convenient for everyday use as they require either tedious procedures or dedicated apparatus. This paper presents ViscoCam, the first liquid viscosity classification system for dysphagia patients or carers, which only requires a smartphone. It is easy to operate, widely deployable, and robust for daily use. ViscoCam classifies visually indistinguishable liquid of various viscosity levels by exploiting the fact that the sloshing motion of viscous liquid decays faster than thin liquid. To perform a measurement, the user shakes a cup of liquid and their smartphone to induce the liquid sloshing motion. Then, ViscoCam senses the cup's motion using the smartphone's built-in accelerometer or microphone and infers liquid viscosity from the fluid surface motion captured by flashlight camera. To combat changes in camera position, lighting conditions, and liquid sloshing motion, a 3D convolutional neural network is trained to extract reliable motion features for classification. We evaluate ViscoCam's performance in classifying three levels in the IDDSI standard, which is the most up-to-date and internationally adopted one for dysphagia patients. Results show that ViscoCam achieves an overall accuracy of 96.52% in controlled cases. It is robust to unseen liquid heights or container sizes, and >81% accuracy is maintained under extreme testing cases.
A Feature Adaptive Learning Method for High-Density sEMG-Based Gesture Recognition
Authors: Zhang Yingwei , Chen Yiqiang , Yu Hanchao , Yang Xiaodong , Sun Ruizhe , Zeng Bixiao
Published: March 2021

Surface electromyography (sEMG) array based gesture recognition, which is widely-used, could provide natural surfaces for human-computer interaction. Currently, most existing gesture recognition methods with sEMG array only work with the fixed and pre-defined electrodes configuration. However, changes in the number of electrodes (i.e., increment or decrement) is common in real scenarios due to the variability of physiological electrodes. In this paper, we study this challenging problem and propose a random forest based ensemble learning method, namely feature incremental and decremental ensemble learning (FIDE). FIDE is able to support continuous changes in the number of electrodes by dynamically maintaining the matrix sketches of every sEMG electrode and spatial structure of sEMG array. To evaluate the performance of FIDE, we conduct extensive experiments on three benchmark datasets, including NinaPro, CSL-hdemg, and CapgMyo. Experimental results demonstrate that FIDE outperforms other state-of-the-art methods and has the potential to adapt to the evolution of electrodes in the changing environments. Moreover, based on FIDE, we implement a multi clients/server collaboration system, namely McS, to support feature adaption in real-world environment. By collecting sEMG using two clients (smartphone and personal computer) and adaptively recognizing gestures in the cloud server, FIDE significantly improves the gesture recognition accuracy in electrode increment and decrement circumstances.
To See or Not to See
Authors: Hirsch Linda , Schneegass Christina , Welsch Robin , Butz Andreas
Published: March 2021

People visit public places with different intentions and motivations. While some explore it carefully, others may just want to pass or are otherwise engaged. We investigate how to exploit the inattentional blindness (IB) of indirect users in the design of public interfaces to apply to such diverse needs. Beginning with a structured literature study in the ACM Digital Library on IB, we analyzed 135 publications to derive design strategies that benefit from IB or avoid IB. Using these findings, we selected three existing interfaces for information presentation on a large public square and created two additional interfaces ourselves. We then compared users' perceptions through a self-reported photography study (N = 40). Participants followed one of four scripted profiles to imitate different user intentions, two for direct and two for indirect users. We hypothesized that direct users would recognize the interfaces, while indirect users would experience IB and ignore them. Our results show that direct users reported up to 68% of our interfaces, whereas indirect users noticed only 16%. Thus, IB can be exploited to hide interfaces from indirect users while keeping them noticeable to direct users.
Designing Biological Circuits: Synthetic Biology Within the Operon Model and Beyond
Authors: English Max A. , Gayet Raphaël V. , Collins James J.
Published: March 2021

In 1961, Jacob and Monod proposed the operon model of gene regulation. At the model's core was the modular assembly of regulators, operators, and structural genes. To illustrate the composability of these elements, Jacob and Monod linked phenotypic diversity to the architectures of regulatory circuits. In this review, we examine how the circuit blueprints imagined by Jacob and Monod laid the foundation for the first synthetic gene networks that launched the field of synthetic biology in 2000. We discuss the influences of the operon model and its broader theoretical framework on the first generation of synthetic biological circuits, which were predominantly transcriptional and posttranscriptional circuits. We also describe how recent advances in molecular biology beyond the operon model—namely, programmable DNA- and RNA-binding molecules as well as models of epigenetic and posttranslational regulation—are expanding the synthetic biology toolkit and enabling the design of more complex biological circuits.
Reactive Flows in Porous Media: Challenges in Theoretical and Numerical Methods
Authors: Ladd Anthony J.C. , Szymczak Piotr
Published: March 2021

We review theoretical and computational research, primarily from the past 10 years, addressing the flow of reactive fluids in porous media. The focus is on systems where chemical reactions at the solid–fluid interface cause dissolution of the surrounding porous matrix, creating nonlinear feedback mechanisms that can often lead to greatly enhanced permeability. We discuss insights into the evolution of geological forms that can be inferred from these feedback mechanisms, as well as some geotechnical applications such as enhanced oil recovery, hydraulic fracturing, and carbon sequestration. Until recently, most practical applications of reactive transport have been based on Darcy-scale modeling, where averaged equations for the flow and reactant transport are solved. We summarize the successes and limitations of volume averaging, which leads to Darcy-scale equations, as an introduction to pore-scale modeling. Pore-scale modeling is computationally intensive but offers new insights as well as tests of averaging theories and pore-network models. We include recent research devoted to validation of pore-scale simulations, particularly the use of visual observations from microfluidic experiments.
University Governance in Meso and Macro Perspectives
Authors: Musselin Christine
Published: March 2021

This review explores the two sides of university governance. From a meso perspective, it deals with universities as organized structures where priorities have to be set, decisions made, budgets allocated, teaching programs developed, and research achieved. This perspective relates to the sociology of organizations, and this review first explores the four founding models that aimed to qualify university governance and how they have helped understanding the evolution of universities in recent years. But at a macro level, university governance deals with universities as a sector and focuses on how they interact with one another, their relationships to the state, and how they are affected by national as well as transnational and global transformations. University governance is studied as a state-steered national system, as a field, or as a competitive arena.
Joint Resource Allocation Optimization of Wireless Sensor Network Based on Edge Computing
Authors: Liu Jie , Zhu Li
Published: March 2021

Resource allocation has always been a key technology in wireless sensor networks (WSN), but most of the traditional resource allocation algorithms are based on single interface networks. The emergence and development of multi‐interface and multichannel networks solve many bottleneck problems of single interface and single channel networks, it also brings new opportunities to the development of wireless sensor networks, but the multi‐interface and multichannel technology not only improves the performance of wireless sensor networks but also brings great challenges to the resource allocation of wireless sensor networks. Edge computing changes the traditional centralized cloud computing processing method into a method that reduces computing storage capacity to the edge of the network and faces users and terminals. Realize the advantages of lower latency, higher bandwidth, and fast response. Therefore, this paper proposes a joint optimization algorithm of resource allocation based on edge computing. We establish a wireless sensor allocation model and then propose our algorithm model combined with the advantages of edge computing. Compared with the traditional allocation algorithm (PCOA, MCMH, and TDMA), it can further improve the resource utilization, reduce the network energy consumption, increase network capacity, and reduce the complexity of the schemes.
The Regulatory Role of α-Ketoglutarate Metabolism in Macrophages
Authors: Liu Shaojuan , Yang Jie , Wu Zhenfang
Published: March 2021

Macrophages are multifunctional immune cells whose functions depend on polarizable phenotypes and the microenvironment. Macrophages have two phenotypes, including the M1 proinflammatory phenotype and the M2 anti-inflammatory phenotype, which play important roles in many inflammatory responses and diseases. α-Ketoglutarate is a key metabolite of the TCA cycle and can regulate the phenotype of macrophage polarization to exert anti-inflammatory effects in many inflammation-related diseases. In this review, we primarily elucidate the metabolism, regulatory mechanism, and perspectives of α-ketoglutarate on macrophages. The regulation of macrophage polarization by α-ketoglutarate may provide a promising target for the prevention and therapy of inflammatory diseases and is beneficial to animal health.
Treating Lumbar Fracture Using the Mixed Reality Technique
Authors: Li Jiaheng , Zhang Hexing , Li Qiang , Yu Shuangqi , Chen Wei , Wan Song , Chen Dong , Liu Rong , Ding Fan
Published: March 2021

The mixed reality (MR) technique has recently been widely used in the orthopedic surgery with satisfactory results reported. However, few studies have focused on the application of MR in the Lumbar fracture (LF). In this retrospective study, our aim is to analyze some findings by investigating the feasibility of MR applied to lumbar fracture treatment. Posterior vertebrectomy has been operated on 7 patients. The MR–based intraoperative three‐dimensional image‐guided navigation system (MITINS) was used to assist implantation of pedicle screws. The feasibility and safety of pedicle screw implantation were assessed by postsurgery radiography. The visual analog scale (VAS) and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) were used to assess the pain level and recovery situation before and after surgery. 57 pedicle screws were safely and precisely placed into three‐dimensional lumbar models by using MITINS. No screw was found outside the pedicle of the models, and it was not necessary for the X‐ray to provide extra locative information during the operation with the use of MITINS. In summary, the application of MITINS is feasible, safe, and accurate while the lumbar fracture surgery is processing, providing satisfactory assistance for spine surgeons.
Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis and Manual Measurements of Neck Circumference Are Interchangeable, and Declining Neck Circumference Is Related to Presarcopenia
Authors: Machino Masaaki , Ando Kei , Kobayashi Kazuyoshi , Nakashima Hiroaki , Tanaka Satoshi , Kanbara Shunsuke , Ito Sadayuki , Inoue Taro , Koshimizu Hiroyuki , Seki Taisuke , Ishizuka Shinya , Takegami Yasuhiko , Hasegawa Yukiharu , Imagama Shiro
Published: March 2021

Purpose. Preventive medicine is important in an aging society. Presarcopenia is the preliminary stage of sarcopenia. Recent advances in bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) devices have enabled automatic estimation of neck circumference (NC). However, the agreement between and interchangeability of NC measured manually and that calculated with BIA have not been evaluated. We performed these analyses in the context of health checkups and investigated their associations with presarcopenia. Methods. We enrolled 318 participants who underwent anthropometric measurements, including NC measured manually and by BIA; assessment of physical function; and blood testing. We used Bland‐Altman analysis to calculate the agreement between and interchangeability of NC measurements by BIA and by the manual method. We then statistically compared normal participants and those with presarcopenia. Using multivariable analysis, we subsequently investigated significant risk factors for presarcopenia. We defined presarcopenia according to the appendicular skeletal muscle index (aSMI; the ratio of arm and leg skeletal muscle mass to height2). Results. Bland‐Altman analysis showed that bias (BIA‐manual) was negative overall (−1.07), for male participants (−1.23), and for female participants (−0.96). This finding suggests that BIA measurement is an underestimate in comparison with manual measurement. NC measurement by BIA was found to be interchangeable with that by manual methods, inasmuch as the percentage error was less than 5% overall (4.38%), for male participants (3.81%), and for female participants (4.58%). Univariable analysis revealed that NC was significantly smaller in the participants with presarcopenia than in those without. Multivariable analysis, adjusted for confounding factors, revealed that a decrease in NC was significantly correlated with presarcopenia. Conclusions. BIA measurements of NC are interchangeable within about 95% with manual measurements. The decrease in NC measured by BIA was significantly associated with presarcopenia in both genders. NC measurement can be used for early detection of presarcopenia.
Comprehensive Analysis of the Control of Cancer Stem Cell Characteristics in Endometrial Cancer by Network Analysis
Authors: Liu Yun , Chen Peigen , Li Mengxiong , Fei Hui , Huang Jinfeng , Zhao Tingting , Li Tian
Published: March 2021

Background. Cancer stem cells play an important role in endometrial cancer (EC). It is closely related to self-renewal and therapeutic resistance of EC. Methods. In this study, WGCNA (weighted gene coexpression network analysis) was used to analyze the relationship between genes and clinical features. We also performed immune cell infiltration analysis of a key module by using ImmuCellAI (Immune Cell Abundance Identifier). Then, key genes were verified in the GEO database. Finally, causal relationship analysis and protein-protein interaction analysis were performed in DisNor tool and STRING. Result. The mRNA expression-based stemness index (mRNAsi) is significantly lower in normal tissues and is significantly higher in individuals with stage IV or high-grade cancer and those who are obese or postmenopausal. Nineteen key genes (ORC6, C1orf112, RAD54L, SGO2, BUB1, PLK4, KIF18B, BUB1B, TTK, NCAPG, XRCC2, CENPF, KIF15, RACGAP1, ARHGAP11A, TPX2, KIF14, KIF4A, and NCAPH) that were enriched mainly in terms related to the cell cycle and DNA replication were selected by weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA). Based on the key modules, the numbers of NKT cells, NK cells, and neutrophils in the normal group were significantly higher than those in the cancer group. PLK1, CDK1, and MAD2L1, which were correlated with upstream genes, may be an regulated upstream of key genes. Conclusion. PLK1, CDK1, and MAD2L1 which were strongly correlated with upstream genes may be a regulated upstream of key genes.
[Retracted] Multiomics Analysis of Transcriptome, Epigenome, and Genome Uncovers Putative Mechanisms for Dilated Cardiomyopathy
Authors: Liu Li , Huang Jianjun , Liu Yan , Pan Xingshou , Li Zhile , Zhou Liufang , Lai Tengfang , Chen Chengcai , Wei Baomin , Mo Jianjiao , Wei Qinjiang , Yan Wei , Huang Xiannan , Zhang Zhen , Zhang Zhuohua , Huang Meidan , He Fengzhen , Huang Zhaohe
Published: March 2021

Objective. Multiple genes have been identified to cause dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Nevertheless, there is still a lack of comprehensive elucidation of the molecular characteristics for DCM. Herein, we aimed to uncover putative molecular features for DCM by multiomics analysis. Methods. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were obtained from different RNA sequencing (RNA‐seq) datasets of left ventricle samples from healthy donors and DCM patients. Furthermore, protein‐protein interaction (PPI) analysis was then presented. Differentially methylated genes (DMGs) were identified between DCM and control samples. Following integration of DEGs and DMGs, differentially expressed and methylated genes were acquired and their biological functions were analyzed by the clusterProfiler package. Whole exome sequencing of blood samples from 69 DCM patients was constructed in our cohort, which was analyzed the maftools package. The expression of key mutated genes was verified by three independent datasets. Results. 1407 common DEGs were identified for DCM after integration of the two RNA‐seq datasets. A PPI network was constructed, composed of 171 up‐ and 136 downregulated genes. Four hub genes were identified for DCM, including C3 (degree = 24), GNB3 (degree = 23), QSOX1 (degree = 21), and APOB (degree = 17). Moreover, 285 hyper‐ and 321 hypomethylated genes were screened for DCM. After integration, 20 differentially expressed and methylated genes were identified, which were associated with cell differentiation and protein digestion and absorption. Among single‐nucleotide variant (SNV), C>T was the most frequent mutation classification for DCM. MUC4 was the most frequent mutation gene which occupied 71% across 69 samples, followed by PHLDA1, AHNAK2, and MAML3. These mutated genes were confirmed to be differentially expressed between DCM and control samples. Conclusion. Our findings comprehensively analyzed molecular characteristics from the transcriptome, epigenome, and genome perspectives for DCM, which could provide practical implications for DCM.
Dual Role of Insulin-Like Growth Factor (IGF)-I in American Tegumentary Leishmaniasis
Authors: de O Mendes-Aguiar Carolina , Lopes-Siqueira Camilla , Pettito-Assis Fabrício , Pereira-Oliveira Márcia , de Oliveira-Neto Manoel Paes , Pirmez Claude , Da-Cruz Alda Maria , Goto Hiro
Published: March 2021

Background. Cytokines and growth factors involved in the tissue inflammatory process influence the outcome of Leishmania infection. Insulin-like growth factor (IGF-I) constitutively present in the skin may participate in the inflammatory process and parasite-host interaction. Previous work has shown that preincubation of Leishmania (Leishmania) amazonensis with recombinant IGF-I induces accelerated lesion development. However, in human cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) pathogenesis, it is more relevant to the persistent inflammatory process than progressive parasite proliferation. In this context, we aimed to investigate whether IGF-I was present in the CL lesions and if this factor may influence the lesions’ development acting on parasite growth and/or on the inflammatory/healing process. Methodology. Fifty-one CL patients’ skin lesion samples from endemic area of L. (Viannia) braziliensis infection were submitted to histopathological analysis and searched for Leishmania and IGF-I expression by immunohistochemistry. Results. In human CL lesions, IGF-I was observed preferentially in the late lesion (more than 90 days), and the percentage of positive area for IGF-I was positively correlated with duration of illness (

r
=
0.42

,

P
<
0.05

). IGF-I was highly expressed in the inflammatory infiltrate of CL lesions from patients evolving with good response to therapy (

2.8
%
±
2.1
%

;

median
=
2.1
%

;

n
=
18

) than poor responders (

1.3
%
±
1.1
%

; median: 1.05%;

n
=
6

;

P
<
0.05

). Conclusions. It is the first time that IGF-I was detected in lesions of infectious cutaneous disease, specifically in American tegumentary leishmaniasis. IGF-I was related to chronicity and good response to treatment. We may relate this finding to the efficient anti-inflammatory response and the known action of IGF-I in wound repair. The present data highlight the importance of searching nonspecific factors besides adaptive immune elements in the study of leishmaniasis’ pathogenesis.
Crosscorrelation and DOA Estimation for L‐Shaped Array via Decoupled Atomic Norm Minimization
Authors: Zhang Yu , Sun Yinan , Zhang Gong , Wang Xinhai , Tao Yu
Published: March 2021

A novel two‐phase method for two‐dimensional (2D) direction‐of‐arrival (DOA) estimation with L‐shaped array based on decoupled atomic norm minimization (DANM) is proposed in this paper. In the first phase, given the sample crosscorrelation matrix, the gridless DANM technique considering the noise and finite snapshots effects is employed to exploit the structure and sparse properties of the crosscorrelation matrix. The resulting DANM‐based algorithm not only enables the crosscorrelation matrix reconstruction (CCMR) but also reconstructs the covariance matrix of the L‐shaped array. Hence, sequentially, in the second phase, the conventional 2D DOA estimators for the L‐shaped array can be adopted for the angle estimation. With appropriate 2D DOA estimators, the resulting proposed algorithms can not only achieve better performance but also detect more source number, compared with conventional crosscorrelation‐based DOA estimators. Moreover, the proposed method, termed CCMR‐DANM, not only has blind characteristic that it does not require the prior information of source numbers but also is more efficient than the existing CCMR‐based counterparts. Numerical simulations demonstrate the effectiveness and outperformance of the proposed method.
Inhibiting ATP6V0D2 Aggravates Liver Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury by Promoting NLRP3 Activation via Impairing Autophagic Flux Independent of Notch1/Hes1
Authors: Wang Ziyi , Wang Hao , Chen Xuejiao , Han Sheng , Zhu Yulin , Wang Hanhua , Cheng Feng , Pu Liyong
Published: March 2021

At present, liver ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury is still a great challenge for clinical liver partial resection and liver transplantation. The innate immunity regulated by liver macrophages orchestrates the cascade of IR inflammation and acts as a bridge. As a specific macrophage subunit of vacuolar ATPase, ATP6V0D2 (V-ATPase D2 subunit) has been shown to promote the formation of autophagolysosome in vitro. Our research fills a gap which has existed in the study of inflammatory stress about the V-ATPase subunit ATP6V0D2 in liver macrophages. We first found that the expression of specific ATP6V0D2 in liver macrophages was upregulated with the induction of inflammatory cascade after liver IR surgery, and knockdown of ATP6V0D2 resulted in increased secretion of proinflammatory factors and chemokines, which enhanced activation of NLRP3 and aggravation of liver injury. Further studies found that the exacerbated activation of NLRP3 was related to the autophagic flux regulated by ATP6V0D2. Knocking down ATP6V0D2 impaired the formation of autophagolysosome and aggravated liver IR injury through nonspecific V-ATPase activation independent of V-ATPase-Notchl-Hesl signal axis. In general, we illustrated that the expression of ATP6V0D2 in liver macrophages was upregulated after liver IR, and by gradually promoting the formation of autophagolysosomes to increase autophagy flux to limit the activation of liver inflammation, this regulation is independent of the Notch1-Hes1 signal axis.
Tuberculosis among Migrant Populations in Sicily: A Field Report
Authors: Prestileo Tullio , Pipitone Giuseppe , Sanfilippo Adriana , Ficalora Antonio , Natoli Giuseppe , Corrao Salvatore , Team I. Ta. C. A. (Immigrant Take Care Advocacy) Team
Published: March 2021

Background. In the EU, tuberculosis (TB) mainly affects vulnerable people, including migrants. From 2014 to 2017, we have estimated the frequency of both tuberculosis and latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) among the migrant population hosted in 41 reception centers in western Sicily (ITaCA network). Materials and Methods. All migrants were consecutively recruited for the screening of TB infection with physical examination and TST in 1,020 migrants and with IGRA in the others 2,690. The screening was carried out 4–8 weeks after landing in Sicily. For all migrants with a positive screening test, chest X-ray and smear examination were performed. LTBI was defined by positivity of TST or IGRA with negative X-ray chest, clinical, and smear examination. Active TB was defined by radiological and/or clinical and/or sputum positivity in a patient with a TST or IGRA positivity. Results. We evaluated a total of 3,710 migrants, of which 89% came from Sub-Saharan countries; 2,811 were males, 899 were females, with a median age of 22 years (IQR: 18–25). TB infection was diagnosed in 501 persons (13.5%) of which 440 (11.8%) had LTBI and 61 had active TB (1.6%): 1 had lymph node TB, 1 had intestinal TB, and 59 had pulmonary TB (38 sputum smear positive TB; no drug-resistant TB were observed). Conclusions. TB screening is critical to early diagnosis and treatment.
The Feasibility and Positive Effects of Wuqinxi Exercise on the Cognitive and Motor Functions of Patients with Parkinson’s Disease: A Pilot Study
Authors: Shen Mengyue , Pi Yan-Ling , Li Zhenlan , Song Tao , Jie Kuncheng , Wang Tian , Guo Wei , Zhuang Jie , Wang Zhen
Published: March 2021

Introduction. Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a chronic degenerative disease of the central nervous system common in middle-aged and elderly people, which has a serious impact on patients’ cognitive and motor functions. Exercise can improve the nonmotor symptoms of PD patients, but the optimal type of exercise for the cognitive function of patients is unclear. Therefore, the purpose of this study is the impact of 12 weeks of Wuqinxi exercise on the cognitive and motor function in PD patients. Methods. Thirty PD patients participated in the study and were randomly assigned to two groups: Wuqinxi group (n = 15) or stretching group (n = 15). All the participants performed a 12-week exercise program twice a week, 90 min/session. The assessments were conducted before and after exercise intervention, included cognitive function (frontal assessment battery (FAB); Stroop test I and II), motor functions (Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale Part III (UPDRS-III); timed up and go (TUG)). Results. We found the FAB and Stroop I scores were significantly higher in the Wuqinxi group than in the stretching group. Participants in the Wuqinxi group significantly improved their UPDRS-III (17.73 ± 9.88) and TUG (10.50 ± 1.79) score after 12 weeks of training intervention. Conclusion. The results show that the use of Wuqinxi for rehabilitation therapy for cognition is feasible, widely accepted, and effective in patients with Parkinson’s disease. This study provides preliminary evidence for further large-scale and controlled studies.
Esophageal Variceal Ligation Monotherapy versus Combined Ligation and Sclerotherapy for the Treatment of Esophageal Varices
Authors: Wang Jianbo , Chen Shenghui , Naga Yehia M. , Liu Junwei , Dai Mugen , Yang Shangwen , Wang Liangjing , Ye Bin
Published: March 2021

Currently, endoscopic variceal ligation (EVL) monotherapy is the standard therapy for managing esophageal variceal hemorrhage. Patients generally need several sessions of endoscopy to achieve optimal variceal ablation, and the varices can recur afterward. Endoscopic injection sclerotherapy (EIS) is an older technique, associated with certain complications. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical efficacy of EVL alone versus combined EVL and EIS in the treatment of esophageal varices. This retrospective study included 84 patients, of which 40 patients were treated with EVL monotherapy and 44 patients were treated with combined EVL + EIS. The main outcomes were rebleeding rates, recurrence at six months, number of treatment sessions, length of hospital stay, cost of hospitalization, and procedural complications. At six months, the rebleeding rate and recurrence were significantly lower in the EVL + EIS group compared to the EVL group (2.3% versus 15.0%; and 9.1% versus 27.5%, respectively). The number of treatment sessions, length of hospital stay, and cost of hospitalization were significantly lower in the EVL + EIS group compared to those in the EVL group (2.3 ± 0.6 versus 3.2 ± 0.8 times; 14.5 ± 3.4 versus 23.5 ± 5.9 days; and 23918.6 ± 4220.4 versus 26165.2 ± 4765.1 renminbi, respectively). Chest pain was significantly lower in the EVL + EIS group compared to that in the EVL group (15.9% versus 45.0%). There were no statistically significant differences in the presence of fever or esophageal stricture in both groups. In conclusion, combined EVL + EIS showed less rebleeding rates and recurrence at six months and less chest pain and was more cost effective compared to EVL alone in the treatment of gastroesophageal varices.
Transferring MINDACT to Daily Routine: Implementation of the 70-Gene Signature in Luminal Early Breast Cancer – Results from a Prospective Registry of the Austrian Group Medical Tumor Therapy (AGMT)
Authors: Westphal Theresa , Gampenrieder Simon P. , Rinnerthaler Gabriel , Balic Marija , Posch Florian , Dandachi Nadia , Hauser-Kronberger Cornelia , Reitsamer Roland , Sotlar Karl , Radl Bianca , Suppan Christoph , Stöger Herbert , Greil Richard
Published: March 2021

Background: For hormone receptor (HR)-positive/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative early breast cancer (EBC), adjuvant chemotherapy (ACT) is recommended in the case of high-risk features only. The MINDACT trial showed that patients with high clinical risk (CR) but low genomic risk (GR) defined by the 70-gene signature (MammaPrint®; 70-GS) did not benefit from ACT. In this registry, we investigated the frequency and feasibility of 70-GS and concurrent 80-gene subtyping (BluePrint®) use in HR-positive, HER2-negative EBC. Furthermore, we recorded the frequency of ACT recommendation and the adherence to it when the “MINDACT strategy” was used. Methods: This prospective registry included patients from 2 Austrian cancer centers. Similar to MINDACT, a modified version of Adjuvant!Online was used to determine CR, and 70-GC was used to determine GR in high-CR patients. ACT was recommended to patients with high CR and high GR. Results: Of 224 enrolled patients, 76 (33.9%) had high CR and 67 (88.2%) received genomic testing. Of those, 43 (64.2%) were classified as low and 24 (35.8%) as high GR, respectively. All 24 patients with high CR and GR (10.7% of all patients) received the recommendation for ACT, but ACT was started in only 15 patients (62.5%). The median time from surgery to the start of ACT was 45 days (range 32–68), and the median time from test decision to the test result was 15 days (range 9–56). Conclusion: We showed that the results of the MINDACT trial are reproducible in an Austrian population. Incorporating 70-GS into the daily clinical routine is feasible and mostly accepted by physicians for the guidance of treatment recommendations.
Clinical Diversity of Cerebral Sinovenous Thrombosis and Arterial Ischaemic Stroke in the Neonate: A Surveillance Study
Authors: Sorg Anna-Lisa , Klemme Mathias , von Kries Rüdiger , Felderhoff-Müser Ursula , Flemmer Andreas W. , Gerstl Lucia , Dzietko Mark
Published: March 2021

Introduction: Incidence, risk factors, clinical presentation, onset of symptoms, and age at diagnosis differ between neonatal arterial ischaemic stroke (AIS) and cerebral sinovenous thrombosis (CSVT). A more accurate and earlier discrimination of these two entities can be of eminent importance. Methods: Active surveillance for AIS and CSVT was performed in 345 German paediatric hospitals. Only MRI confirmed cases were included in our analysis. Patients with AIS were compared to CSVT cases with regard to age at diagnosis, pattern of clinical symptoms, and case characteristics. Results: Data on 144 AIS and 51 CSVT neonatal cases were collected from 2015 to 2017. The frequency of reported AIS cases was 2.8 [95% CI 2.1; 3.9] times higher compared to reported CSVT cases. CSVT patients were more likely to be born premature (CSVT 14/48, 29.2%; AIS 19/140, 13.2%; p = 0.02) and to have signs of perinatal acidosis (30.2% CSVT vs. 13.5% AIS; p = 0.01). Generalized seizures and lethargy were more likely to occur in infants with CSVT (p < 0.0001). Age at onset of symptoms and at time of diagnosis were shifted to older ages in CSVT (p < 0.0001). Discussion/Conclusion: In the neonatal period, AIS is about three times more common than CSVT. A higher proportion of critically ill infants in CSVT and a later onset of symptoms may indicate that perinatal and postnatal complications are more important for CSVT than for AIS.
Risk Factors of Persistent Hydrocephalus in Children with Brain Tumor: A Retrospective Analysis
Authors: Pilotto Chiara , Liguoro Ilaria , Scaravetti Serena , Passone Eva , D’Agostini Serena , Tuniz Francesco , Skrap Miran , Cogo Paola
Published: March 2021

Object: Hydrocephalus is one of the main complications of brain tumors in children, being present in about 50% of cases at the time of the tumor diagnosis and persisting up to 10–40% of cases after surgical resection. This is a single-institution retrospective study on the variables that may predict the need for treatment of persistent hydrocephalus in pediatric patients presenting with a brain tumor. Methods: Retrospective case note review of 43 newly diagnosed brain tumors in children referred between April 2012 and January 2018 to our regional pediatric neuro-oncology service was carried out. Diagnosis of hydrocephalus was carried out using both preoperative and postoperative MRI to determine Evans’ index (EI) and the fronto-occipital horn ratio (FOHR) from each scan. Simple logistic regression was used to analyze categorical variables as appropriate. A p value <0.05 was considered significant. Results: Forty-three children were analyzed, 26 males and 17 females with a median age at diagnosis 10.4 years (IQR: 5.2–13.5). Hydrocephalus was present in 22/43 children (51%) preoperatively; in 8/22 children (36%) with hydrocephalus undergoing tumor resection, hydrocephalus persisted also in the postoperative period. An EI >0.34 (p = 0.028) and an FOHR >0.46 (p = 0.05) before surgery were associated with a higher prevalence of persistent hydrocephalus and therefore to the need for a cerebrospinal fluid drain device in the postoperative phase. Conclusion: Preoperative identification of children at risk for developing persistent hydrocephalus would avoid delays in planning the permanent cerebrospinal fluid drain devices. This study finds that an EI >0.34 and an FOHR >0.46 at diagnosis could impact on the therapeutic management of children with hydrocephalus associated with brain tumors. Prospective and larger-scale studies are needed to standardize this approach.
Association of Conductive Hearing Loss with the Structural Changes in the Organ of Corti
Authors: Eroglu Sinan , Cevizci Rasit , Turan Dizdar Handan , Tansuker Hasan Deniz , Bulut Erdogan , Dilci Alper , Ustun Selin , Sirvanci Serap , Kaya Ozlem Tugce , Bayazit Dilara , Cakir Burak Omur , Oktay Mehmet Faruk , Bayazit Yildirim Ahmet
Published: March 2021

Objective: The aim of the study was to evaluate the association of conductive hearing loss (CHL) with the structural changes in the organ of Corti. Methods: Twenty ears of 10 healthy adult Wistar albino rats were included in the study. The right ears (n = 10) of the animals served as controls (group 1), and no surgical intervention was performed in these ears. A tympanic membrane perforation without annulus removal was performed under operative microscope on the left ears (n = 5) in 5 of 10 animals (group 2). A tympanic membrane perforation with annulus removal was performed under operative microscope on the left ears (n = 5) of the remaining 5 animals (group 3). Auditory brainstem response testing was performed in the animals before the interventions. After 3 months, the animals were sacrificed, their temporal bones were removed, and inner ears were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The organ of Corti was evaluated from the cochlear base to apex in the modiolar axis, and the parameters were scored semiquantitatively. Results: In group 1, the pre- and post-intervention hearing thresholds were similar (p > 0.05). In group 2, a hearing decrease of at least 5 dB was encountered in all test frequencies (p > 0.05). In group 3, at the frequency range of 2–32 kHz, there was a significant hearing loss after 3 months (p < 0.01). After 3 months, the hearing thresholds in group 2 and 3 were higher than group 1 (p < 0.01). The hearing threshold in group 3 was higher than group 2 (p < 0.01). On SEM evaluation, the general cell morphology and stereocilia of the outer hair cells were preserved in all segments of the cochlea in group 1 with a mean SEM score of 0.2. There was segmental degeneration in the general cell morphology and outer hair cells in group 2 with a mean SEM score of 2.2. There was widespread degeneration in the general cell morphology and outer hair cells in group 3 with a mean SEM score of 3.2. The SEM scores of group 2 and 3 were significantly higher than group 1 (p < 0.05). The SEM scores of group 3 were significantly higher than group 2 (p < 0.05). Conclusion: CHL may be associated with an inner ear damage. The severity of damage appears to be associated with severity and duration of CHL. Early correction of CHL is advocated in order to reverse or prevent progression of the inner ear damage, which will enhance the success rates of hearing restoration surgeries. Subjective differences and compliance of the hearing aid users may be due to the impact of CHL on inner ear structures.
Cochlear Implantation in Chronic Otitis Media with and without Cholesteatoma: Surgical Considerations and Auditory Outcomes
Authors: Gülhan Yaşar Nagihan , Karamert Recep , Tutar Hakan , Uğur Mehmet Birol , Hazır Burak , Bayazıt Yıldırım Ahmet
Published: March 2021

Introduction: Cochlear implant (CI) surgery is a safe and standardized procedure in the presence of normal temporal bone anatomy. However, in the surgery of patients with chronic otitis media (COM), the surgeon may encounter several problems. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of COM with and without cholesteatoma on surgical and auditory outcomes of CIs. Methods: The study group consisted of 39 patients with COM who received CIs. Age- and gender-matched 38 standard CI patients served as controls. The surgical techniques and complications, pure tone audiometry (PTA) scores, speech discrimination scores (SDS), and the International Outcome Inventory for Hearing Aids (IOI-HA) questionnaire results of the groups were compared. Results: The presence of COM was associated with a higher rate of complication than controls. Staging the surgeries, presence or absence of cholesteatoma, and type of surgical technique were not associated with surgical outcomes and complications (p > 0.05). There was no significant difference between the groups in terms of postoperative PTA scores, SDS, and IOI-HA scores (p > 0.05). Conclusion: Postoperative complications like device failure and skin breakdown are increased in cases of COM compared to standard CI surgeries. However, that increase is not associated with staging the surgeries, presence or absence of cholesteatoma, and type of ear surgery performed. It is advocated to close the external ear canal and eustachian tube without mastoid obliteration in the presence of a radical mastoidectomy cavity, which will decrease the postoperative complication rates and allow for radiological follow-up with computed tomography for the possibility of cholesteatoma recurrence. The auditory benefits of CI in patients with and without COM are comparable.