bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An Analysis of Eccentricity‐Based Invariants for Biochemical Hypernetworks
Authors: Rashid Muhammad Aamer , Ahmad Sarfraz , Siddiqui Muhammad Kamran , Manzoor Shazia , Dhlamini Mlamuli
Published: October 2021

Biological proceedings are well characterized by solid illustrations for communication networks. The framework of biological networks has to be considered together with the expansion of infectious diseases like coronavirus. Also, the graph entropies have established themselves as the information theoretic measure to evaluate the architectural information of biological networks. In this article, we examined conclusive biochemical networks like t‐level hypertrees along with the corona product of hypertrees with path. We computed eccentricity‐based indices for the depiction of aforementioned theoretical frameworks of biochemical networks. Furthermore, explicit depiction of the graph entropies with these indices is also measured.
Berberine Suppresses EMT in Liver and Gastric Carcinoma Cells through Combination with TGFβR Regulating TGF‐β/Smad Pathway
Authors: Du Haiyan , Gu Jiangyong , Peng Qin , Wang Xiaolan , Liu Lei , Shu Xuanyu , He Qiuying , Tan Yuhui
Published: October 2021

Berberine (BBR), a natural alkaloid derived from Coptis, has anticancer activity. Some researchers have found that it could restrain epithelial‐mesenchymal transition (EMT) of melanoma, neuroblastoma, and other tumor cells. However, it is unclear whether BBR can reverse EMT in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and gastric carcinoma (GC). In our study, BBR inhibited the migration and invasion of HepG2, MGC803, and SGC7901 cells in a dose‐dependent manner. Transcription sequencing assays showed that Vimentin, MMP, and Smad3 were downregulated, but Smad2, Smad6, TAB2, ZO‐1, and claudin 7 were upregulated when treated with BBR. GO Enrichment analysis of KEGG pathway showed that BBR significantly inhibited TGF‐β/Smad at 12 h, then, PI3K/Akt and Wnt/β‐catenin signaling pathways at 24 h, which were closely related to the proliferation, migration, and EMT. The results of the transcriptome sequencing analysis were verified by Western Blot. It showed that the expression of epithelial marker E‐cadherin and ZO‐1 remarkably augmented with BBR treatment, as well as declined mesenchymal markers, including N‐cadherin and Vimentin, decreased transcription factor Snail and Slug. The effects of BBR were similar to those of the PI3K inhibitor LY294002 and TGF‐β receptor inhibitor SB431542. Furthermore, β‐catenin and phosphorylation of AKT, Smad2, and Smad3 were changed dose‐dependently by BBR treatment, which upregulated p‐Smad2 and downregulated the others. Combined with LY or SB, respectively, BBR could enhance the effects of the two inhibitors. Simultaneously, IGF‐1 and TGF‐β, which is the activator of PI3K/AKT and TGF‐β/Smad, respectively, could reverse the anti‐EMT effect of BBR. The Molecular Docking results showed BBR had a high affinity with the TGF‐β receptor I (TGFβR1), and the binding energy was ‐7.5 kcal/mol, which is better than the original ligand of TGFβR1. Although the affinity of BBR with TGF‐β receptor II (TGFβR2) was lower than the original ligand of TGFβR2, the more considerable negative binding energy (−8.54 kcal/mol) was obtained. BBR upregulated p‐Smad2, which was different from other reports, indicating that the function of Smad2 was relatively complex. Combination BBR with SB could enhance the effect of the inhibitor on EMT, and the results indicated that BBR binding to TGFβR was not competitive with SB to TGFβR since different binding amino acid sites. Our experiments demonstrated BBR increased p‐Smad2 and decreased p‐Smad3 by binding to TGFβR1 and TGβFR2 inhibiting TGF‐β/Smad, then, PI3K/AKT and other signaling pathways to restrain EMT, metastasis, and invasion in tumor cells. The effect of BBR was similar on the three tumor cells.
The Upregulation of COX2 in Human Degenerated Nucleus Pulposus: The Association of Inflammation with Intervertebral Disc Degeneration
Authors: Liu Chang , Liang Guoyan , Deng Zhantao , Tan Jing , Zheng Qiujian , Lyu Feng-Juan
Published: October 2021

Intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) is an important risk factor of low back pain. We previously found upregulated markers of fibrosis, the late stage of chronic inflammation, in degenerated IVD with a small number of clinical specimens. Here, we aimed to study on a larger scale the association of cyclooxygenase 2 (COX2), an inflammation and/or pain marker, with IVDD. This study involved 107 LBP participants. The IVD degeneration level was graded on a 1–5 scale according to the Pfirrmann classification system. Discs at grades 1-3 were further grouped as white discs with grades 4-5 as black discs. We recorded baseline information about age, gender, body mass index (BMI), diabetes history, smoking history, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Their association with IVDD was statistically analyzed. The expression level of COX2 was investigated by immunohistochemistry. The total integrated COX2 optical density (IOD), number of COX2-positive cells, and total cell number of each image were counted and analyzed by Image-Pro Plus software. The IOD and number of COX2-positive cells were divided by the total cell number to obtain COX2 expression density (IOD/cell) and COX2 positivity (cell+/cell). As a result, among the baseline information investigated, only age was found to have a significant association with IVDD. The IOD/cell was found to be significantly increased from grade 2 to grade 5, as well as in black discs compared to white discs. The cell+/cell displayed the same trend that it increased in highly degenerative discs compared to their counterparts. In conclusion, the expression of COX2 is associated with IVDD, which highlights COX2 as a biomarker for IVD degeneration and indicates the involvement of inflammation and pain signaling in IVDD.
College Physical Education Teaching Aided by Virtual Reality Technology
Authors: Meng Junniao
Published: October 2021

In recent years, College PE has received more and more attention. Traditional PE and teaching cannot meet the demand of students in today’s society and cannot attract students’ interest in sports. Under the current situation that the country actively promotes information science education, there is an urgent need to innovate PE teaching methods. VRT is very important to support college PE. In order to improve the quality of university PE and increase students’ interest in sports, this article uses the Internet of Things as a research background and 5G technology as a research topic. It provides technical support for the Internet of Things and research sports colleges on the Internet of Things. This study builds a virtual sports teaching environmental education through VRT. Experimental data were collected by sensors and other types of infrastructure. The experiment counted the number of sports safety incidents that occurred before and after the application of VRT in five universities of A, B, C, D, and E, collected and analyzed the teaching data of PE teachers in five universities, and studied the changes in student learning and interest in sports. These experimental data are used to analyze the impact of the application of VRT in PE on sports safety, PE teachers, and students. The final result shows that, after applying VRT in PE, the five schools have reduced the number of safety incidents in sports by more than 65%. VRT has the greatest impact on the teaching philosophy of PE teachers and the least impact on teachers’ teaching management. After the application of VRT, the number of students who independently engage in PE and sports has increased by more than 20%, and the students’ interest in sports learning and sports has increased. Finally, the application of VRT in the PE of the five schools accounted for 25%, 21%, 11%, 35%, and 30%, respectively. The application of VRT will also indirectly affect the quality of PE in universities.
Investigation of the Crystallographic Perfection and Photoluminescence Spectrum of the Epitaxial Films of (Si2)1-x(GaP)x

0
≤
x
≤
1

Solid Solution, Grown on Si and GaP Substrates with the Crystallographic Orientation (111)
Authors: Saidov A. S. , Saparov D. V. , Usmonov Sh.N. , Kutlimratov A. , Abdiev J.M. , Kalanov M. , Razzakov A.Sh. , Akhmedov A.M.
Published: October 2021

Epitaxial layers of the solid solution of molecular substitution (Si2)1-x(GaP)x (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) on Si (111) and GaP (111) substrates are grown by liquid-phase epitaxy from an Sn solution-melt. Such graded-gap solid solutions allow the integration of well-established silicon technology with the advantages of III-V semiconductor compounds. The structural features, the distribution of the atoms of the components over the thickness of the epitaxial layer, the photoluminescence spectrum of the (Si2)1-x(GaP)x (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) solid solution, and the electroluminescence of the structure n-GaP-n+-(Si2)x (GaP)1-x (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.01) have been investigated. It is shown that the layers of the solid solution have a perfect single-crystal structure with the crystallographic orientation (111), with the size of subcrystallites ∼ 39 ± 1 nm. The epitaxial layer (Si2)1-x(GaP)x (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) is a graded-gap layer with a smoothly and monotonically varying composition from silicon to 100% GaP. The energy levels of atoms of Si2 molecules which are located 1.47 eV below the bottom of the conduction band of gallium phosphide are revealed. Red emission of n-GaP-n+-(Si2)x(GaP)1-x (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.01) structure which is caused by electron transitions with participation of energy levels of Si2 atoms is detected.
Structures Dynamic Property Analysis of Elastic Composite Cylindrical Rolling Element
Authors: Qishui Yao , Qianxu Chen , Jianghong Yu , Wen Yang
Published: October 2021

Elastic composite cylindrical roller bearing is a novel type of roller bearing whose rolling element is designed by innovating the rolling element structure of cylindrical roller bearings. For the purpose of investigating the dynamic properties of the rolling elements with different structural parameters and solving the modes of elastic composite cylindrical rolling element with different filling degrees, first, this study compares elastic composite cylindrical rolling element to solid cylindrical rolling element, in terms of natural frequency and vibration mode. Next, the integration time step is determined, based on the natural frequency of the vibration in the Y direction, the response of various rolling element, under impact loads, is solved. Furthermore, the laws of the energy changes and nodal displacement variations of rolling element are explored, at different filling degrees. Finally, adopting the decay method, the damping ratio of elastic composite cylindrical rolling element, under different structural parameters and external loads, is calculated. According to the results, with the increase of filling degree, the natural frequencies of various orders of elastic composite cylindrical rolling element gradually declined. The damping ratio of rolling elements decreased, as the filling degree increased, while it could be changed by adjusting the structural dimensions of rolling elements. The analysis results of this study provide some theoretical reference for studies on the parameter optimization of rolling element structures, the vibration and noise reduction of elastic composite cylindrical roller bearings.
On Computation and Analysis of Topological Index‐Based Invariants for Complex Coronoid Systems
Authors: Rashid Muhammad Aamer , Ahmad Sarfraz , Siddiqui Muhammad Kamran , Kaabar Mohammed K. A.
Published: October 2021

In chemical graph theory, benzenoid systems are interrogated as they exhibit the chemical compounds known as benzenoid hydrocarbons. Benzenoid schemes are circumscribed as planar connected finite graphs having no cut vertices wherein the entire internal sections are collaboratively congruent regular hexagon. The past couple of decennium has acknowledged an extravagant development regarding implementation of information theoretic framework in miscellaneous ramification of science, for instance, in social sciences, biological, physical, and engineering. Explicitly, this tremendous improvement has been outstanding in the field of soft computing, molecular biology, and information technology. The information theory, delineated by Claud Shannon, has no less importance when it was considered. Shannon put forwarded the apprehension of entropy to enumerate upper bounds in transmission rates in telephonic channels, in optical communication, and in wireless. The prestigious feature of entropy is that it entitles the amount of uncertainty in a system. The substantial participation of this paper is to explore characteristics of graph entropies and then keep moving forward to talk about the formation of coronoid polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Likewise, we estimate entropies through precise topological indices established on degree of terminal nodes.
Transportation Infrastructure Project Financing; Highways Capital Structure Design Techniques
Authors: Soleymani Hanieh , Ravanshadnia Mehdi , Montazer Mehdi
Published: October 2021

Whether a private bidder can win a concession depends largely on advanced financial engineering techniques, numerous methods were developed. Meeting large infrastructure needs including its proper maintenance and operation is and will remain a major challenge for the all‐around the in the coming years requiring targeted innovative financing mechanisms. Even though it is recognized that there are three types of financial instruments, equity, mezzanine finance and debt in funding an infrastructure project, the status quo is that previous capital optimization methods did not consider mezzanine finance or simply categorized it into debt‐like or equity‐like instruments. The global infrastructure sector is witnessing a steady growth of private equity investment in mezzanine instruments. The frequent usage of the contingent claim embedded in mezzanine financing makes the traditional model for capital structure optimization invalid. This study presents a more advanced method to optimize capital structure in infrastructure financing. This easily implemented method is based on a two‐stage procedure: I) identification of optimal stopping time for convertible securities, and II) capital structure optimization by a conventional model. The quantitative optimization model can be easily generalized. The global infrastructure sector is witnessing the continued growth of a private equity fund of mezzanine tools. Repeated use of potential claims embedded in mezzanine financing has invalidated the traditional model for optimizing capital structure.
SDNDefender: A Comprehensive DDoS Defense Mechanism Using Hybrid Approaches over Software Defined Networking
Authors: Yu Tianfang , Rui Lanlan , Qiu Xuesong
Published: October 2021

In traditional networks, DDoS attacks are often launched in the network layer or the transport layer. Researchers had explored this problem in depth and put forward plenty of solutions. However, these solutions are only suitable for scenarios such as a single link or victim side network and could not analyse traffic distribution from the angle of the global network. Also, the TCP/IP network architecture lacks abilities to quickly conduct resource deployment and traffic scheduling. When DDoS attacks occur, victims usually could not respond in time. With the superiorities of centralized control mode and global topological view, Software-Defined Networking (SDN) provides a new way to get over the above issues. In this paper, we adopt a combination of diverse technologies to design SDNDefender, a SDN-based DDoS detection and defense mechanism, which is composed of two core components aiming to counter the most popular DDoS attacks including IP spoofing attack and TCP SYN flood attack. We carry out quantitative simulation experiments for evaluating SDNDefender from many metrics. The experimental results show that in contrast to other DDoS defense algorithms, SDNDefender not only efficiently validates spoofed packets and withstands well-known attacks but also defends unknown attacks according to the target’s available resources. Besides, SDNDefender could significantly reduce TCP half-open connections and improve detection accuracy, alleviating attack influences that exhaust the server’s resources and network bandwidth.
On Multi-Index Mittag–Leffler Function of Several Variables and Fractional Differential Equations
Authors: Jaimini B. B. , Sharma Manju , Suthar D. L. , Purohit S. D.
Published: October 2021

In this paper, we have studied a unified multi-index Mittag–Leffler function of several variables. An integral operator involving this Mittag–Leffler function is defined, and then, certain properties of the operator are established. The fractional differential equations involving the multi-index Mittag–Leffler function of several variables are also solved. Our results are very general, and these unify many known results. Some of the results are concluded at the end of the paper as special cases of our primary results.
Development of ANPR Framework for Pakistani Vehicle Number Plates Using Object Detection and OCR
Authors: Salma  , Saeed Maham , ur Rahim Rauf , Gufran Khan Muhammad , Zulfiqar Adil , Bhatti Muhammad Tahir
Published: October 2021

The metropolis of the future demands an efficient Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) system. Since every region has a distinct number plate format and style, an unconstrained ANPR system is still not available. There is not much work done on Pakistani number plates because of the unavailability of the data and heterogeneous plate formations. Addressing this issue, we have collected a Pakistani vehicle dataset having various plate configurations and developed a novel ANPR framework using the dataset. The proposed framework localizes the number plate region using the YOLO (You Only Look Once) object detection model, applies robust preprocessing techniques on the extracted plate region, and finally recognizes the plate label using OCR (optical character recognition) Tesseract. The obtained mAP score of the YOLOv3 is 94.3% and the YOLOv4 model is 99.5% on the 0.50 threshold, whereas the average accuracy score of our framework is found to be 73%. For comparison and validation, we implemented a LeNet Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) architecture which uses the segmented image as an input. The comparative analysis shows that the proposed ANPR framework comprising the YOLOv4 and OCR Tesseract has good accuracy and inference time for a wide variation of illumination and style of Pakistani number plates and can be used to develop a real‐time system. The proposed ANPR framework will be helpful for researchers developing ANPR for countries having similar challenging vehicle number plate formats and styles.
Impacts of Practice Combinations on Organizational Knowledge: Based on March’s Exploration‐Exploitation Model
Authors: Gong Yunhao , Le Yun , Zhang Xinyue , Chen Xiaoyan
Published: October 2021

Organizational learning is an important approach for organizations to improve knowledge levels and enhance adaptability to a complex environment. In this paper, based on the exact recreation of March’s classical model on organizational learning, we conduct research systematically on the impacts of different rate combinations of two typical organizational practices, socialization and codification, on the level of organizational knowledge. Environmental dynamism and system openness are taken into account, as contextual variables. The result shows that (1) accelerating codification and slowing down socialization can achieve better outcomes in a stable environment and closed system. (2) Moderate system openness is beneficial for organizational knowledge when in a stable environment. (3) Environmental turbulence has obvious negative effects on organizational knowledge, and the adjustment of rates of socialization and codification only works temporarily, when in the closed system. (4) System openness can relieve the negative correlation between environmental turbulence and organizational knowledge. Furthermore, we discuss some challenges in how to apply research findings in this paper to organizational actual operations and also provide a few suggestions for further studies. Our paper enriches relative literature on March’s agent‐based model, and some results and conclusions obtained in the paper can provide a helpful reference for follow‐up researches in this domain.
Construction of the Luxury Marketing Model Based on Machine Learning Classification Algorithm
Authors: Chen Qiaoshan , Cai Shousong , Gu Xiaomin
Published: October 2021

China has become the world’s largest luxury goods consumer market due to its population base. In view of the bright prospects of the luxury consumer market, major companies have entered and want to get a share. For the luxury goods industry, traditional mass marketing methods are not able to serve corporate sales and marketing strategies more effectively, and targeted marketing is clearly much more efficient than randomized marketing. Therefore, in this paper, based on consumer buying habits and characteristics data of luxury goods, the paper uses a machine learning algorithm to build a personalized marketing strategy model. And the paper uses historical data to model and form deductions to predict the purchase demand of each consumer and evaluate the possibility of customers buying different goods, including cosmetics, jewelry, and clothing.
Effects and Components of Herb Pair Huanglian‐Banxia on Diabetic Gastroparesis by Network Pharmacology
Authors: Liang Guoqiang , Zhang Lurong , Jiang Guorong , Chen Xuanyi , Zong Yang , Wang Fei
Published: October 2021

Diabetic gastroparesis (DGP) is a serious and chronic complication of long‐standing diabetes mellitus, which brings a heavy burden to individuals and society. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is considered a complementary and alternative therapy for DGP patients. Huanglian (Coptidis Rhizoma, HL) and Banxia (Pinelliae Rhizoma, BX) combined as herb pair have been frequently used in TCM prescriptions, which can effectively treat DGP in China. In this article, a practical application of TCM network pharmacological approach was used for the research on herb pair HL‐BX in the treatment of DGP. Firstly, twenty‐seven potential active components of HL‐BX were screened from the TCMSP database, and their potential targets were also retrieved. Then, the compound‐target network and PPI network were constructed from predicted common targets, and several key targets were found based on the degree of the network. Next, GO and KEGG enrichment analyses were conducted to obtain several significantly enriched terms. Finally, the experimental verification was made. The results demonstrated that network pharmacological approach was a powerful means for identifying bioactive ingredients and mechanisms of action for TCM. Network pharmacology provided an effective strategy for TCM modern research.
Relationship between Learning Approaches and Academic Performance of Dental Students: A Cross-Sectional Study in Kermanshah, Iran
Authors: Ziaei Narges , Shaveisi Marzie , Janatolmakan Maryam , Bahramani Roya Safari , Khatony Alireza
Published: October 2021

Background. Learning approaches are a set of skills and strategies used by learners to organize and recall the content. Teachers can adopt appropriate teaching methods if they know the students’ learning approaches. This study was conducted to determine the relationship between learning approaches and academic performance of dental student. Methods. In this cross-sectional study, 128 dental students of Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences were recruited by the stratified random sampling method. The data collection tools were a demographic information form and Approaches and Study Skills Inventory for Students (ASSIST). To determine academic performance, the grade point average (GPA) of the previous semester was used, and students with GPA scores ≤14.99 and ≥ 15 were divided into weak and strong groups, respectively. Data were analyzed by SPSS 17 software using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results. The most common learning approach in most strong (n = 49, 45.4%) and weak (n = 12, 60%) students was the superficial approach. The results of the chi-square test did not show a statistically significant difference between strong and weak students in terms of the learning approach. Conclusion. The results did not show a statistically significant relationship between students’ learning approach and their academic performance. However, since the superficial approach can lead to a decline in academic performance, the professors need to take the necessary intervention measures to improve students’ learning approaches. Further studies with larger sample sizes are recommended to shed more light on this research domain.
[Retracted] Application of Neural Network Model Based on Multispecies Evolutionary Genetic Algorithm to Planning and Design of Diverse Plant Landscape
Authors: Wu Yuqiang , Guo Weiwei , Yang Dinghai
Published: October 2021

In order to explore the feasibility of applying neural network model to landscape planning, based on the multispecies evolutionary genetic algorithm, a neural network model is proposed in this paper for the system design of diverse plant landscape planning. From the perspective of plant species diversity, this paper discusses landscape planning based on a neural network model. This landscape plan involves more than 180 plant species, mainly shrubs, fungi, and so on. The application of multispecies evolutionary genetic algorithm to landscape planning and design and the application of gene level coding and multispecies parallel evolution strategy to the evolutionary design of neural network have guiding significance for plant landscape planning and design. Compared with the traditional neural network modeling method and genetic algorithm, the proposed method has the advantages of wide network structure search space and simple algorithm calculation and design, independent of specific application background, and has strong application and promotion value. This method makes the model performance evaluation index more comprehensive and accurate and the model solution more reasonable. At the same time, combined with the specific status and corresponding changes of various plants in each season, this paper designs a targeted plan to rationally plan the specific spatial layout of the plant landscape and the combination of different types of plant landscapes, so as to effectively improve the quality of the landscape.
Hyperin Alleviates Triptolide-Induced Ovarian Granulosa Cell Injury by Regulating AKT/TSC1/mTORC1 Signaling
Authors: You Fang , Cao Junyan , Cheng Li , Liu Xiaogu , Zeng Li
Published: October 2021

Premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) is characterized by the loss of ovarian function before 40 years of age and affects approximately 1% of women worldwide. Caragana sinica is a traditional Miao (a Chinese ethnic minority) medicine that improves ovarian function and follicular development. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the effect of active ingredients of C. sinica on POI and determine underlying mechanisms. Herein, the chemical composition of the C. sinica compound was analyzed using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography, which identified hyperin (HR) as one of the main ingredients in C. sinica. Then, interaction targets of HR and POI were predicted and analyzed using network pharmacology and bioinformatics. The effect of HR on triptolide (TP)-induced granulosa cell injury was evaluated, and the underlying mechanism was explored based on bioinformatic results. A total of 100 interaction targets for POI and HR were obtained. The protein-protein interaction network of identified interaction targets emphasized the topological importance of AKT1. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis revealed that HR might regulate POI by modulating the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway. In addition, the KEGG graph of the mTOR signaling pathway revealed that AKT phosphorylation inhibits the TSC1/2, while TSC1/2 activation inhibits the expression of mTORC1. The fundamental experiment revealed that HR increased proliferation, progesterone receptor levels, and estradiol levels decreased by TP in KGN cells. Additionally, HR alleviated TP-induced apoptosis and G1/G1 phase arrest in KGN cells. Western blotting demonstrated that HR increased the phosphorylation of AKT and mTORC1 and decreased TSC1 expression in TP-induced KGN cells. Collectively, our findings revealed that HR alleviates TP-induced granulosa cell injury by regulating AKT/TSC1/mTORC1 signaling, providing insight into the treatment of POI.
An Eco-Cruise Control for Electric Vehicles Moving on Slope Road with Constant Speed
Authors: Zhang Ying , Zhang Yingjie , Liu Zhaohua , Chen Jinchao , You Tao , Du Chenglie
Published: October 2021

The unreasonable actuation of electric vehicle’s motor drive system usually results in a lot of unwanted energy consumption on a slope road. This paper proposes an eco-cruise control (ECC) scheme based on the driving condition estimation to decrease electric vehicle’s energy consumption in the constant-speed cruise control mode. The eco-cruise control scheme is realized by reducing the unreasonable actuation of the motor drive system. The vehicle’s total mass and pitch angle are estimated in real time by using an improved base-vector-based cross iteration estimator (BVCIE). Based on the estimated results, the required torque is predicted. Combining the speed deviation between the desired speed and the real speed, and the torque deviation between the required torque and the real torque, a three-power nonlinear controller of the ECC scheme is designed. The ECC scheme is validated on a slope road with different cruise speeds on a cosimulation platform, and the results indicate that the proposed strategy enjoys a better speed maintenance ability and energy efficiency compared with the benchmarked cruise control.
[Retracted] Empirical Investigation on Compressive Strength of Geopolymer and Conventional Concretes by Nondestructive Method
Authors: Ravali B. , Krishna K. Bala Gopi , Kanth D. Ravi , Chari K. J. Brahma , Prabhu S. Venkatesa , Ramesh R.
Published: October 2021

Need of construction is increasing due to increase in population growth rate. The geopolymer concrete is eco‐friendly than ordinary concrete. Current experimental investigation was conducted on ordinary and geopolymer concrete using nondestructive testing (NDT) tests like ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV) test and rebound hammer (RH) test. Cube specimens of dimensions 150 mm × 150 mm × 150 mm are used to conduct these tests at 7, 14, and 28 days. Proportions considered for concrete are cement‐fly ash‐river sand (100‐0‐100% and 60‐40‐100%), cement‐fly ash‐robo sand (100‐0‐100% and 60‐40‐100%) whereas geopolymer concrete fly ash‐metakaolin is taken in proportions of 100‐0%, 60‐40%, and 50‐50%. Alkaline activators (sodium hydroxide and sodium silicate with molarity 12M) were used in preparing geopolymer concrete. The major objective of the current study is to obtain relation between compressive strength of concrete and UPV values.
Energy‐Optimal 3D Path Planning for MAV with Motion Uncertainty
Authors: Li Yamin , Sun Bowen , Xia Ping , Yang Yang
Published: October 2021

Practical applications of microaerial vehicle face significant challenges including imprecise localization, limited on‐board energy, and motion uncertainty. This paper focuses on the latter two issues. The core of proposed energy‐optimal path planning algorithm is an energy consumption model deriving from real measurements of a specific quadrotor and utilizing a 2D Gaussian distribution function to simulate the uncertainty of random drift. Based on these two models, we formulate the optimal path traversing the 3D map with minimum energy consumption using a heuristic ant colony optimization. Multiple sets of contrast experiments demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed algorithm.
An Evaluation of Dose-Related HPV Vaccine Effectiveness Using Central Registries in Michigan
Authors: Gargano Julia W. , You Mei , Potter Rachel , Alverson Georgetta , Swanson Robert , Saraiya Mona , Markowitz Lauri E. , Copeland Glenn
Published: October 2021

Background:

Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine effectiveness (VE) evaluations provide important information for vaccination programs. We established a linkage between statewide central registries in Michigan to estimate HPV VE against in situ and invasive cervical lesions (CIN3+).

Methods:

We linked females in Michigan's immunization and cancer registries using birth records to establish a cohort of 773,193 women with known vaccination history, of whom 3,838 were diagnosed with CIN3+. Residential address histories from a stratified random sample were used to establish a subcohort of 1,374 women without CIN3+ and 2,900 with CIN3+ among continuous Michigan residents. VE and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated using cohort and case–cohort methods for up-to-date (UTD) vaccination and incomplete vaccination with 1 and 2 doses, and stratified by age at vaccination.

Results:

Both analytic approaches demonstrated lower CIN3+ risk with UTD and non-UTD vaccination vs. no vaccination. The cohort analysis yielded VE estimates of 66% (95% CI, 60%–71%) for UTD, 33% (95% CI, 18%–46%) for 2 doses-not UTD, and 40% (95% CI, 27%–50%) for 1 dose. The case–cohort analysis yielded VE estimates of 72% (95% CI, 64%–79%) for UTD, 39% (95% CI, 10%–58%) for 2 doses-not UTD, and 48% (95% CI, 25%–63%) for 1 dose. VE was higher for vaccination at age <20 than ≥20 years.

Conclusions:

The statewide registry linkage found significant VE against CIN3+ with incomplete HPV vaccination, and an even higher VE with UTD vaccination.

Impact:

Future VE evaluations by number of doses for women vaccinated at younger ages may further clarify dose-related effectiveness.
Inactivation of AMPK Leads to Attenuation of Antigen Presentation and Immune Evasion in Lung Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Gao Yajing , Päivinen Pekka , Tripathi Sushil , Domènech-Moreno Eva , Wong Iris P.L. , Vaahtomeri Kari , Nagaraj Ashwini S. , Talwelkar Sarang S. , Foretz Marc , Verschuren Emmy W. , Viollet Benoit , Yan Yan , Mäkelä Tomi P.
Published: October 2021

Purpose:

Mutations in STK11 (LKB1) occur in 17% of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) and drive a suppressive (cold) tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) and resistance to immunotherapy. The mechanisms underpinning the establishment and maintenance of a cold TIME in LKB1-mutant LUAD remain poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the role of the LKB1 substrate AMPK in immune evasion in human non—small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and mouse models and explored the mechanisms involved.

Experimental Design:

We addressed the role of AMPK in immune evasion in NSCLC by correlating AMPK phosphorylation and immune-suppressive signatures and by deleting AMPKα1 (Prkaa1) and AMPKα2 (Prkaa2) in a KrasG12D-driven LUAD. Furthermore, we dissected the molecular mechanisms involved in immune evasion by comparing gene-expression signatures, AMPK activity, and immune infiltration in mouse and human LUAD and gain or loss-of-function experiments with LKB1- or AMPK-deficient cell lines.

Results:

Inactivation of both AMPKα1 and AMPKα2 together with Kras activation accelerated tumorigenesis and led to tumors with reduced infiltration of CD8+/CD4+ T cells and gene signatures associated with a suppressive TIME. These signatures recapitulate those in Lkb1-deleted murine LUAD and in LKB1-deficient human NSCLC. Interestingly, a similar signature is noted in human NSCLC with low AMPK activity. In mechanistic studies, we find that compromised LKB1 and AMPK activity leads to attenuated antigen presentation in both LUAD mouse models and human NSCLC.

Conclusions:

The results provide evidence that the immune evasion noted in LKB1-inactivated lung cancer is due to subsequent inactivation of AMPK and attenuation of antigen presentation.
DIRAS3: An Imprinted Tumor Suppressor Gene that Regulates RAS and PI3K-driven Cancer Growth, Motility, Autophagy, and Tumor Dormancy
Authors: Bildik Gamze , Liang Xiaowen , Sutton Margie N. , Bast Robert C. , Lu Zhen
Published: October 2021

DIRAS3 is an imprinted tumor suppressor gene that encodes a 26 kDa GTPase with 60% amino acid homology to RAS, but with a distinctive 34 amino acid N-terminal extension required to block RAS function. DIRAS3 is maternally imprinted and expressed only from the paternal allele in normal cells. Loss of expression can occur in a single “hit” through multiple mechanisms. Downregulation of DIRAS3 occurs in cancers of the ovary, breast, lung, prostate, colon, brain, and thyroid. Reexpression of DIRAS3 inhibits signaling through PI3 kinase/AKT, JAK/STAT, and RAS/MAPK, blocking malignant transformation, inhibiting cancer cell growth and motility, and preventing angiogenesis. DIRAS3 is a unique endogenous RAS inhibitor that binds directly to RAS, disrupting RAS dimers and clusters, and preventing RAS-induced transformation. DIRAS3 is essential for autophagy and triggers this process through multiple mechanisms. Reexpression of DIRAS3 induces dormancy in a nu/nu mouse xenograft model of ovarian cancer, inhibiting cancer cell growth and angiogenesis. DIRAS3-mediated induction of autophagy facilitates the survival of dormant cancer cells in a nutrient-poor environment. DIRAS3 expression in dormant, drug-resistant autophagic cancer cells can serve as a biomarker and as a target for novel therapy to eliminate the residual disease that remains after conventional therapy.
Overcoming Gemcitabine Resistance in Pancreatic Cancer Using the BCL-XL–Specific Degrader DT2216
Authors: Thummuri Dinesh , Khan Sajid , Underwood Patrick W. , Zhang Peiyi , Wiegand Janet , Zhang Xuan , Budamagunta Vivekananda , Sobh Amin , Tagmount Abderrahmane , Loguinov Alexander , Riner Andrea N. , Akki Ashwin S. , Williamson Elizabeth , Hromas Robert , Vulpe Christopher D. , Zheng Guangrong , Trevino Jose G. , Zhou Daohong
Published: October 2021

Pancreatic cancer is the third most common cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. Although gemcitabine is the standard of care for most patients with pancreatic cancer, its efficacy is limited by the development of resistance. This resistance may be attributable to the evasion of apoptosis caused by the overexpression of BCL-2 family antiapoptotic proteins. In this study, we investigated the role of BCL-XL in gemcitabine resistance to identify a combination therapy to more effectively treat pancreatic cancer. We used CRISPR-Cas9 screening to identify the key genes involved in gemcitabine resistance in pancreatic cancer. Pancreatic cancer cell dependencies on different BCL-2 family proteins and the efficacy of the combination of gemcitabine and DT2216 (a BCL-XL proteolysis targeting chimera or PROTAC) were determined by MTS, Annexin-V/PI, colony formation, and 3D tumor spheroid assays. The therapeutic efficacy of the combination was investigated in several patient-derived xenograft (PDX) mouse models of pancreatic cancer. We identified BCL-XL as a key mediator of gemcitabine resistance. The combination of gemcitabine and DT2216 synergistically induced cell death in multiple pancreatic cancer cell lines in vitro. In vivo, the combination significantly inhibited tumor growth and prolonged the survival of tumor-bearing mice compared with the individual agents in pancreatic cancer PDX models. Their synergistic antitumor activity is attributable to DT2216-induced degradation of BCL-XL and concomitant suppression of MCL-1 by gemcitabine. Our results suggest that DT2216-mediated BCL-XL degradation augments the antitumor activity of gemcitabine and their combination could be more effective for pancreatic cancer treatment.
Increased Incidence of Thrombosis in a Cohort of Cancer Patients with COVID-19
Authors: Zavras Phaedon Dimitrios , Mehta Vikas , Goel Sanjay , Pradhan Kith , Billett Henny H.
Published: October 2021

Background: Increased rates of thromboembolism (TE) have been reported in patients with COVID-19, even without prior predisposition to thrombosis. Cancer patients are already predisposed to a hypercoagulable state. This study was designed to assess the TE incidence in COVID-19+ patients with active cancer and its impact on survival. Methods: Data from cancer patients with documented COVID-19 during the dates March 15th–April 10th, 2020, were retrospectively reviewed. Active cancer was defined as disease treated within the past year. Diagnosis and evaluation of thrombosis were done at the clinicians’ discretion. All imaging studies’ reports within 30 days of the COVID-19 positive test were reviewed for identification of new arterial and/or venous TE. Patients were followed for 30 days from the date of COVID-19+ test for development of TE, hospital length of stay (LOS), and mortality. Results: Of 90 patients, 11 (12.2%) were found to have 13 new TE within 30 days of COVID-19+ test: 8 (8.9%) arterial and 5 (5.6%) venous. Arterial TE was primarily new strokes and/or microvascular cerebral disease (7) with 1 splenic infarct. Venous TE was superficial (1) and deep (3) venous thromboses with 1 pulmonary embolism. Peak D-dimer (DD) values were numerically higher in the TE group versus those with no TE, median peak DD, 7.7 versus 3.2 μg/mL, p = 0.25. Kidney disease was more frequent among patients with TE (72.7%) versus those without TE (31.6%), p = 0.02. Prophylactic or therapeutic anticoagulation (AC) in the inpatient setting was more common among those without TE, any AC, TE versus no TE, 9.1% versus 79.0%, p < 0.0001. Only 1 patient on enoxaparin prophylaxis developed TE. Mortality was higher in the TE group than in those without TE (hazard ratio: 2.6; 95% CI [1.2–5.6], p = 0.009). Cancer type, presence of metastases, administration of prior chemotherapy, patient setting (inpatient, intensive care unit, outpatient, emergency department visit), LOS, and ventilation did not correlate with increased incidence of TE. Conclusion: Cancer patients with COVID-19 have high overall TE rates with a significant incidence of arterial events. TE was associated with worse survival outcomes.
Pathological Complete Response of Clinical T4b Ascending Colon Cancer after Preoperative Chemotherapy Using Pembrolizumab
Authors: Yoshida Terufumi , Miki Hisanori , Satake Hironaga , Kobayashi Toshinori , Matsumi Yuuki , Hamada Madoka , Boku Shogen , Shibata Nobuhiro , Ishida Mitsuaki , Sekimoto Mitsugu
Published: October 2021

Preoperative chemotherapy is efficacious in several cancers. However, it is not an established treatment for locally advanced colon cancer, particularly cases with microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H)/deficient mismatch repair. Herein, we report a case of pathological complete response of MSI-H clinical T4b ascending colon cancer to preoperative treatment with pembrolizumab. A 78-year-old man was diagnosed with ascending colon cancer that invaded into the iliacus muscle and enlarged regional lymph nodes. The tumor was classified as T4bN1bM0 stage IIIC according to the 8th Union for International Cancer Control guidelines, with MSI-H status. Based on our initial diagnosis, this tumor could not be resected completely. Thus, the patient underwent preoperative therapy with CAPOX (capecitabine and oxaliplatin combination) plus bevacizumab. After 4 cycles of preoperative CAPOX/bevacizumab, we observed tumor reduction corresponding to a partial response based on the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors criteria. Nevertheless, tumor invasion of the iliacus muscle persisted. Since oxaliplatin-induced peripheral sensory neuropathy was observed, we discontinued treatment with oxaliplatin and changed the regimen to pembrolizumab in anticipation of the therapeutic effect of this immune checkpoint inhibitor against MSI-H tumors. After 2 cycles of therapy with pembrolizumab (200 mg/body on day 1 every 3 weeks), there was drastic tumor regression. In addition, computed tomography indicated that all lymph node metastases had disappeared. Therefore, the patient underwent laparoscopic right hemicolectomy with D3 lymph node dissection. Analysis of the resected specimen showed pathological complete response.
Pneumothoraxmanagement nach bronchoskopischer Lungenvolumenreduktion mit Einwegventilen. Ein aktuelles Expertenstatement
Authors: Wagner Manfred
Published: October 2021

For selected patients with advanced emphysema, bronchoscopic lung volume reduction with one-way valves can lead to clinically relevant improvements of airflow obstruction, hyperinflation, exercise capacity, and quality of life. The most common complication of this procedure is pneumothorax with a prevalence of up to ±34% of the treated patients. Patients who develop a pneumothorax also experience meaningful clinical benefits once the pneumothorax is resolved. Timely resolution of a post-valve treatment pneumothorax requires skilled and adequate pneumothorax management. This expert panel statement is an updated recommendation of the 2014 statement developed to help guide pneumothorax management after valve placement. Additionally, mechanisms for pneumothorax development, risk assessment, prevention of pneumothorax, and outcomes after pneumothorax are addressed. This recommendation is based on a combination of the current scientific literature and expert opinion, which was obtained through a modified Delphi method.
Two new species and new records of lichen-feeding darkling beetles (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae: Helopini) from Turkey with notes on bionomics and trophic relations
Authors: NABOZHENKO MAXIM V. , KESKIN BEKIR , KESKIN NURŞEN ALPAGUT , GAGARINA LUDMILA V. , NABOZHENKO SVETLANA
Published: October 2021

Turkonalassus mavi M. Nabozhenko & B. Keskin, sp. n. and Odocnemis rufocruralis M. Nabozhenko & B. Keskin, sp. n., two distinctive darkling beetle species of the tribe Helopini, are described from the Southeastern Anatolia region of Turkey, based on both their external morphology and genital structures. Turkonalassus mavi sp. n. differs from all congeners by the bluish dorsal surface of the body, the pronotum widest before middle, and wide merged baculi of the median lobe of the aedeagus. Odocnemis rufocruralis sp. n. belongs to the praelonga species-group. Odocnemis rufocruralis sp. n. is similar to O. torosica Nabozhenko & Keskin, 2016, O. terminassianae (Nabozhenko, 2011) and O. kakunini Nabozhenko & Keskin, 2016 but differs from all three taxa by the reddish-brown body with red legs, male apical maxillary palpomere wider than in female, elevate and narrowly separate male protrochanters, and the structure of the very long and narrow apical piece of the aedeagus. New data on distribution, bionomics, and trophic relations of several species of Helopini from Turkey are given. Host lichens are determined for nine species. The majority of studied adult beetles feed on lichens from the families Physciaceae and Parmeliaceae. Some examined taxa feed on Cladoniaceae. Feeding on crustose lichens is registered for the first time for Coleoptera, specifically Odocnemis rufocruralis sp. n. was observed to feed on Pertusaria sp. (on Prunus) in Mardin Province.