bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Retinoic acid metabolism-related enzyme signature identified prognostic and immunotherapeutic efficiency in sarcoma
Authors: Xu Huaiyuan , Hu JinXin , Song YiJiang , Chen HongMin , Xu YanYang , Deng ChuangZhong , Zhu XiaoJun , Wu Hao , Song GuoHui , Lu JinChang , Tang QinLian , Xia Liangping , Wang Jin 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
Background: Dynamic balance of retinoic acid metabolism plays a major role in a variety of biological functions including cell proliferation and differentiation, while its dysregulation often leads to cancer progression and disordered immunity. Targeting retinoic acid signaling has shown effectivity in re-educates tumor microenvironment so that they could enhance the efficacy of immunotherapies and received better outcome. However, a comprehensive analysis of retinoic acid metabolism abnormality in sarcoma is still lacking, which limits the development and application of related targeted drugs.Methods: The RA metabolism related enzymes data set was collected from several database. Then we systematically analyzed the molecular features of 19 retinoic acid metabolism-related enzymes based on TCGA/TARGET/GSE datasets and revealed two subtypes with distinct metabolic status and prognostic value. And we further generated a 7 genes signature to predict retinoic acid metabolism index based on LASSO-penalized Cox regression model.Results: Gene set enrichment analysis indicated a set of immune and oncogenic pathways were enriched in poor-prognosis group. Connectivity Map screened 56 potential small molecules specific to different sub-groups. Survival analysis demonstrated significant prognostic difference between high- and low-risk groups among all datasets. Several immune cells including CD8+ T cells, Treg cells, Monocytes, and Macrophages showed different abundance between these groups, and immune checkpoint blockade therapy response prediction indicated potential immunotherapeutic efficiency of poor-prognosis group.Conclusions: Taken together, our study elaborated two different retinoic acid metabolism status of sarcoma, which revealed the metabolic heterogeneity of sarcoma. Robust and powerful metabolic index risk model could provide insightful suggestions to explore the molecular functions and mechanisms of retinoic acid metabolism.
Effect of a Freezing-thawing Cycle on Overall and Inter-variability of Runoff and Soil Loss Components for a Loess Soil
Authors: Gharemahmudli Sudabeh , Sadeghi Seyed Hamidreza , Najafinejad Ali , Darki Behrouz Zarei , Kheirfam Hossein , Behbahani Ali Mohammadian 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
Background: Because control of runoff generation as well as soil loss is influenced by freezing-thawing, proper knowledge and insight into the freezing-thawing process in combination with other hydrological processes is essential for executives and planners. However, such dynamic phenomenon and corresponding consequences have not been studied adequately. The present study was therefore planned to comparatively analyze the effects of a freezing-thawing cycle on hydrologic behaviors of loess soil from northeast of Iran. Towards that, the small-size (0.5×0.50×0.30 m) erosion plots were subjected to a freezing-thawing cycle in accordance with governing conditions on the region of the origin soil. The plots were subjected to a freezing-thawing treatment through inducing cold air until temperature declined to below -20 °C and lasted for three days using a large cooling compartment system, and then were kept in the laboratory with ambient temperature of above 10 °C for two days. The treated plots as well as untreated (control) plots were then exposed to a simulated rainfall with an intensity of 72 mm h-1 and 0.5 h duration while they were placed on a slope of 20%. Results: The results indicated that the hybrid processes of freezing-thawing, and splash and interrill erosions significantly affected runoff generation and soil loss at small plots. So that the time to runoff reduced by 1.65 times in the freezing-thawing treatment compared to that reported for the control treatment. The runoff volume and soil loss also increased at tune of 1.38 and 2.90 times in treated plots in comparison with those measured for the untreated plots. Laboratorial results indicated significant differences (p< 0.006) between runoff and soil loss behaviors in plots subjected to a freezing-thawing cycle and those of control condition. Conclusion: The performance of ice lenses and freezing fronts and creating near-saturation moisture after completing the cycle were evaluated as the most important factors affecting the different soil behaviors under frozen-thawed cycle.
Effect of flow conditions on characteristics and morphological variations of urea deposits during preliminary stage in Urea-SCR Systems–A study using SEM and XRD
Authors: S Sadashiva Prabhu , Nayak Nagaraj Shivappa , Natesan Kapilan 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
Urea-Water Solution (UWS) is sprayed into the diesel engine exhaust gases of automobiles to generate reducing agent NH 3 in Urea-SCR system adopted to diesel engines of modern automobiles for the mitigation of NO x . Although, it is a very efficient technique, the deposit formation at low temperature is a major concern. The growth of deposits not only reduces the efficiency of NH 3 generation, but also generates non-depleting complex compounds. The temperature and Reynolds number have significant effects on these deposit formation. The compositional variation and crystallinity of deposits were experimentally investigated using EDX and XRD with respect to variation in temperature and flow rate at the preliminary stages. The elemental analysis done for different samples using EDX indicates urea as a major constituent in most of the deposits up to 250 0 C for overdosed conditions. The XRD results indicate the evolution of various traces of urea related compounds at different temperature and flow rate. Using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), the morphological variations were studied. The comparative study of morphology of deposits during the initial stages of deposit formation indicates an extent to which growth can takes place and probable areas of deposits for further growth for varying exhaust gas flow rates.
Effect of Doped CeO with Si3N4 Powders on the Densification Mechanism During
Authors: Liu Yao 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
The densification mechanism of doped CeO with Si3N4 powder during Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) was investigated under temperatures ranging from 1500 to 1750 °C at soaking pressures of 30, 40, 50 MPa. Results showed that the relative density of Si3N4 ceramics sintered at 1650 °C and 30 MPa was 97.9%. A creep model was employed to determine the mechanism, which can be interpreted on the basis of the stress exponent (n). The results showed that the mechanism was controlled by liquid phase sintering at low effective stress regime (n=1).
Drug Resistance and Its Related Factors in ART-failure Patients From 2018 to 2019 in Liaoning Province, China
Authors: Wei Qianqian , Zhao Yan , Lv Yani , Kang Xu , Pan Shan , Yao Shujie , Wang Li 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
Background: To understand the prevalence of HIV-1 drug resistance and the mutation patterns in ART-failure individuals in Liaoning Province, China, we conducted a cross-sectional survey.Patients and methods: Plasma samples were collected from HIV-1-positive individuals who experienced ART failure in Liaoning Province between April 2018 and September 2019.Genotype resistance test was performed using an in-house assay on these collected samples. Factors associated with drug resistance were identified by logistic regression analysis.Results: A total of 256 HIV-1-positive individuals experiencing ART failure were tested for drug resistance from April 2018 to September 2019. Of these, the most predominant genotype was CRF01_AE, accounting for 77.73%. The resistance rate to any of the three classes of antiretroviral drugs (NNRTIs, NRTIs, and PIs) was 64.84%. Among 256 ART-failure patients, 62.89% showed drug resistance to NNRTIs, 50.39% to NRTIs, and 3.13% to PIs. G190S (31.25%) and Y181C (25.78%) mutations were the most common NNRTIs resistance mutations, and K65R (29.69%), M184V (28.52%) were the most common NRTIs resistance mutations. Factors associated with drug resistance included current ART regimen, viral load.Conclusion: The high drug resistance rate among ART-failure individuals in Liaoning Province needs more attention. Corresponding strategies for the risk factors associated with HIV drug resistance can better control and prevent the prevalence of resistance.
Using Nonlinear Dynamics of EEG Signals to Decode Hand Movement Directions Under Bimanual Movement
Authors: Wang Jiarong , Bi Luzheng , Fei Weijie 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
Background: Decoding hand movement parameters from electroencephalograms (EEG) signals can provide intuitive control for brain-computer interfaces (BCIs). However, most existing studies of EEG-based hand movement decoding are focused on single hand movement. Since the both-hand movement is common in human augmentation systems, to address the decoding of hand movement under the opposite hand movement, we investigate the neural signatures and decoding of the primary hand movement direction from EEG signals under the opposite hand movement. Methods: The decoding model was developed by using an echo state network (ESN) to extract nonlinear dynamics parameters of movement-related cortical potentials (MRCPs) as decoding features and linear discriminant analysis as a classifier. Results: Significant differences in MRCPs between movement conditions with and without an opposite hand movement were found. Furthermore, using the ESN-based models, the decoding accuracies reached 86.03± 7.32% and 88.45± 6.16% under the conditions without and with the opposite hand movement, 20 respectively. Conclusions: These findings showed that the proposed method performed well in decoding the primary hand movement directions under the conditions with and without the opposite hand movement. This study may open a new avenue to decode hand movement parameters from EEG signals and lay a foundation for the future development of BCI-based human augmentation systems.
Characterization of a Porcine Sapelovirus Strain Isolated in China
Authors: Li Nana , Li Benqiang , Tao Jie , Cheng Jinghua , Shi Ying , liu Huili 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
Background: Porcine sapelovirus (PSV) infections have been associated with a wide spectrum of symptoms ranging from asymptomatic infection to clinical signs including diarrhea, pneumonia, reproductive disorders, and polioencephalomyelitis. Although PSV is an important pathogen due to its wide distribution and high prevalence rate, researches on PSV have been relatively few so far.Methods: In this study, we isolated a PSV strain, SHCM2019, from swine faecal specimens from PK15 cells. To investigate the molecular characteristics and pathogenicity of the PSV strain, the genomic sequence of the SHCM2019 strain was analysed, and the clinical manifestations and pathological changes exhibited by inoculated neonatal piglets were observed. Results: Sequencing results showed that the full-length genome of the SHCM2019 strain was 7567 nucleotides in length excluding the 27-nucloetude poly(A) tail. Phylogenetic analyses demonstrated that the virus isolate belongs to PSV and was classified into the China cluster. RNA recombination analysis indicated that there may be a recombination breakpoint upstream of the 3D region in PSVs. Pathogenicity research demonstrated that the virus isolate could cause diarrhoea and pneumonia in piglets. Conclusion: This study presented the isolation of a recombinant PSV strain, SHCM2019 and demonstrated the isolate was pathogenic. Our results may provide a reference for future research investigating of the pathogenic mechanism and evolutionary characteristics of PSV.
Health professionals' sick absenteeism and determinants of incapacity leave approvals in a South African provincial health department
Authors: Ramsamy Roshnee , Ditlopo Prudence , Rispel Laetitia 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
BackgroundA well-performing health workforce is critical to the successful implementation of universal health coverage. Sickness absenteeism influences health worker performance, with potentially negative consequences for quality of patient care and staff morale. Within the South African public sector, incapacity leave is additional sick leave granted at the discretion of the employer.ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to examine approved incapacity leave and its determinants among health professionals in a provincial health department in South Africa.MethodologyElectronic records of approved incapacity leave absences of health professionals employed in the Gauteng Department of Health (GDoH) were obtained from the government’s Personnel Salary Administration System. The period of analysis was 1 January 2016 until 31 December 2016. A structured record review form was used to extract demographic, occupational and medical information on each approved leave episode. STATA ® 15 was used for descriptive and multivariate statistical analysis.ResultsIn 2016, the GDoH approved the incapacity leave of 518 health professionals. The mean age of health professionals with incapacity leave was 46 years (SD ± 10.2 years). Professional nurses accounted for 41.5% of incapacity leave approvals. The main medical reasons for incapacity leave episodes were mental disorders (12.8%) and musculoskeletal disorders (12.0%). The risk factors for incapacity leave among health professionals were: female, 35 years and older, from district hospitals and working in the Sedibeng health district (p < 0.001). The odds of incapacity leave was three times higher for health professionals who were older than 45 years (45 to 54 years – adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 3.0 95% CI 2.3-4.0) (≥ 55 years - AOR 3.1 95% CI 2.3–4.3). The odds of incapacity leave among health professionals was highest for those working in the Sedibeng health district (AOR 2.2 95% CI 1.5–3.3).ConclusionsSickness absenteeism is complex and influenced by individual, workplace and health system factors. The study findings suggest the need to improve the management of incapacity leave in the GDoH, through inter alia, improved information systems, monitoring of sickness absenteeism and the creation of positive practice environments.
Experience on Commissioning the first Halcyon Linear Accelerator in China
Authors: Yang Bo , Yu Lang , Wang Zhiqun , Wang Bei , Li Wenbo , Zhang Jie , Zhang Xin , Wu Zhufeng , Zhou Zongkai , Sui Hui , Hu Ke , Zhang Fuquan , Qiu Jie 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
Objective: This study is aimed to establish a proper clinical commissioning procedure for the Halcyon 1.0 linear accelerator (linac) with pre-configured reference beam data (RBD) set and to ensure the commissioning results meet the clinical treatment requirements. Methods: Four parts were carried out during the commissioning work on the first Halcyon linac in China, which were according to the characteristics of this linac, the experience of the acceptance tests and commissioning procedure of our existing linacs and treatment planning systems (TPS), reports of AAPM & IAEA and relevant publications with the choice of appropriate quality assurance (QA) tools and procedures. These four aspects were as follows: 1. Commissioning of the Halcyon linac; 2. commissioning of the Eclipse TPS; 3. QA and quality control (QA & QC) of the Halcyon linac; 4. QA & QC of the Eclipse TPS and developing the corresponding procedures. Results: The 3D radius of the isocenter of gantry and collimator rotation from Winston-Lutz test was 0.64mm, the coincidence of the virtual isocenter and the treatment isocenter was quite well, and the maximum travel position deviation was 0.7mm. Percentage Depth Doses (PDDs) was 63.3% at 10cm at the reference setup and the tolerance was within 1%. The Machine Performance Check (MPC) results were within the relevant tolerance, and the gantry isocenter size measured from MPC test was 0.67mm. The pre-configured beam model data was in agreement with the measured data. In the process of rotation, the speed of gantry rotation and multi-leaf collimator (MLC) movement and the control of dose rate were all accurate with all deviations were controlled below 2%. The CT values of Surface and Interior of the carbon fiber treatment couch were -750HU and -950HU, respectively. All MPPG 5.a recommended regular field gamma compare tests met the requirements. The task group 119 test was also performed on Halcyon, the point dose difference for intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and RapidArc techniques were -0.003 ± 0.011 and - 0.012 ± 0.006, respectively, with confidence limits of 0.025 and 0.024. Conclusion: The measured data of the Halcyon linac are in good consistency with the pre-configured beam model data in Eclipse TPS. The commissioning results of the IMRT technique and the RapicArc technique are all within the tolerance ranges recommended by AAPM and relevant publications, which could meet the needs of clinical requirements. The pre-configured data can facilitate the commissioning work and the validation and replace fully collecting beam data, which will be the trend of the commissioning of linac in the future.
Low-dose Radiotherapy for Unstageable Pressure Ulcer:A Case Report
Authors: Lin YuPing , Mao MiaoBin , Guan BingJie , Shi ShengHong , Shi GuiQing , Li XiaoBo , Zheng Rong , Xu BenHua 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
Background：Pressure ulcer is a common complication of long-term bedridden patients, but current treatment strategies have limited efficacy for pressure ulcer. Case presentation：We present a 17-year-old man with unstageable pressure ulcer treated with three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy. We irradiate the posterior lumbosacral pressure ulcer with 3D-CRT using a 6 MV photon beam. The patient was placed in a prone position and a total dose of 50cGy was administered. Then, the healing was evaluated using PUSH scale score on days 8，12 and 3 months after radiotherapy. After radiotherapy, beefy red tissue with a shiny, moist, granular appearance tissue are present in the wound bed, exudate amount was decreased, the depth of the pressure ulcer became significantly shallower and the wound surface area was reduced. PUSH scale score descreased from15 to 7.Conclusion: Radiotherapy could be a promising treatment strategy of unstageable pressure ulcer.
Frictional Stability of Porous Tuff Breccia Under Subsurface Pressure Conditions and Implications for Shallow Seismicity
Authors: Mizoguchi Kazuo , Uehara Shin-ichi , Hirose Takehiro , Iizuka Sachiko 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
Thick layers of unconsolidated sediments are widespread in the Japan island’s surface, and their frictional properties significantly affect the shallow slip behavior during earthquakes. However, laboratory data on the properties of the shallow zone remain limited. We collected tuff breccia samples from deep borehole cores of the Miocene “Green Tuff” formation, a major surface cover, and performed velocity-stepping friction tests on them under in situ stresses of 2 to 20 MPa to assess the velocity-dependence of frictional strength. The samples exhibit predominantly frictionally stable, velocity-strengthening behavior over the range of normal stress tested, which supports the hypothesis that shallow sediment layers are seismically quiescent. The result is consistent with the low seismicity and attenuation of coseismic slip in the shallow zone observed for the regional earthquakes. Microstructural observations of the postmortem samples through optical and scanning electron microscopies indicate a fabric transition from boundary shear localization to distributed cataclastic flow with increasing normal stress. Our laboratory investigation on depth-variable distribution of friction velocity dependence of a shallow sediment layer would provide further insight into the mechanical role for earthquake rupture dynamics and shallow seismicity.
Promises and partnership in human-robot interaction
Authors: Cominelli Lorenzo , Feri Francesco , Garofolo Roberto , GIANNETTI Caterina , A.MELENDEZ-JIMENEZ Miguel , Greco Alberto , Nardelli Mimma , Scilingo Enzo Pasquale , Kirchkamp Oliver 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
Understanding human trust in machine partners has become imperative due to the widespread use of intelligent machines in a variety of applications and contexts. The aim of this paper is to investigate whether human-beings trust a social robot - i.e. a human-like robot that embodies emotional states, empathy, and non-verbal communication - differently than other types of agents. To do so, we adapt the well-known economic trust-game proposed by Charness and Dufwenberg (2006) to assess whether receiving a promise from a robot increases human-trust in it. We find that receiving a promise from the robot increases the trust of the human in it, but only for individuals who perceive the robot very similar to a human-being. Importantly, we observe a similar pattern in choices when we replace the humanoid counterpart with a real human but not when it is replaced by a computer-box. Additionally, we investigate participants' psychophysiological reaction in terms of cardiovascular and electrodermal activity. Our results highlight an increased psychophysiological arousal when the game is played with the social robot compared to the computer-box. Taken all together, these results strongly support the development of technologies enhancing the humanity of robots.
Improved Progression-Free Survival for Bulky and Non-Bulky Advanced Stage Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma with Consolidative Radiation Therapy: A Bi-Institutional Analysis
Authors: Syed Yusef Ali , Jiang Cecilia , Switchenko Jeffrey , Kirmani Khadija , Kelsey Chris , Khan Mohammad K 
Published: January 2021

Abstract
Background: The role of consolidative radiation therapy (RT) for advanced stage diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is not fully established. Retrospective data provide evidence for the use of consolidative RT in stage III-IV DLBCL and emerging data from randomized studies address the role of RT in bulky disease for these patients.Methods: Patient with stage III-IV DLBCL treated at two institutions who achieved clinical complete response to systemic therapy were included. Kaplan-Meier analysis was performed to determine the impact of consolidative RT. Univariate and multivariable analyses were performed using a Cox proportional hazards model.Results: One hundred eighty-eight patients received systemic therapy consisting of R-CHOP (79%), another Rituximab-based regimen (9%), or chemotherapy alone (12%). Clinical response was assessed using conventional CT or PET-CT. Sixty-eight patients (36%) received consolidative RT (median dose 30 Gy). Consolidative RT conferred a 36.7% absolute benefit in five-year progression-free survival (85.9% vs. 49.2%, log rank p < 0.0001), and a 14.5% absolute benefit in five-year overall survival (87.4% vs. 72.9%, log rank p = 0.0134). On multivariable analysis, consolidative RT was associated with improved PFS (HR 0.23, 95% CI 0.10-0.52, p < 0.001). Patients receiving consolidative RT demonstrated significantly improved PFS for tumors measuring both <5 cm (log rank p = 0.0454) and ³5 cm (log rank p = 0.0003).Conclusions: For patients with stage III-IV DLBCL who achieve clinical complete response after systemic therapy, consolidative RT improves PFS for all patients, including those with non-bulky disease. This benefit persists in the setting of rituximab-based systemic therapy.