bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Directional antennas modelling and coverage analysis for UAV networks with blockage effects in urban environment
Authors: Zhang Hongtao , Li Xueyuan 
Published: February 2023

AbstractIn recent years, the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) as flying base stations (BSs) has attracted widespread attention in both academia and industry. Most of the existing research on UAV networks in dense urban environment focus on omnidirectional antenna patterns, which results in severe interference and overlapping between coverage area due to dominant line‐of‐sight (LOS) links. This paper proposed a directional antennas model with tunable beamwidth and blockage effects in urban UAV networks, and derive the coverage probability of UAV networks in dense urban environment by stochastic geometry tools, where UAVs and users are deployed according to independent Poisson point process (PPP). Specifically, a realistic and mathematically tractable directional antenna pattern is adopted and radiation gain is modelled by a continuous function of the elevation angle. In addition, the blockage effects of the buildings are considered by establishing a three‐dimensional blockage model where buildings are distributed according to PPP with heights followed by Rayleigh distribution. Numerical results match well with simulations and provide optimal deployment parameters for UAV deployments.
Keeping track of language: Can monolingual and bilingual infants associate a speaker with the language they speak?
Authors: Schott Esther , Tamayo Maria Paula , Byers‐Heinlein Krista 
Published: February 2023

AbstractBilingual infants acquire languages in a variety of language environments. Some caregivers follow a one‐person‐one‐language approach in an attempt to not “confuse” their child. However, the central assumption that infants can keep track of what language a person speaks has not been tested. In two studies, we tested whether bilingual and monolingual 5‐, 12‐ and 18‐month‐olds spontaneously form language‐person associations. In both studies, infants were familiarized with a man and a woman, each speaking a different language, and tested on trials where they either spoke the same language or switched to a different language. In Study 1, infants only heard the speaker, and in Study 2, infants saw and heard the speaker. Bilinguals and monolinguals did not look longer for Switch compared to Same trials; there was no evidence in this task that infants form person‐language associations spontaneously. Thus, our results did not support a central assumption of the one‐person‐one‐language approach, although we cannot rule out that infants do form this association in more naturalistic contexts.Highlights
This study investigated whether infants keep track of the language a person speaks, a skill that would be especially relevant in bilingual language environments.
In a familiarization‐test paradigm, monolinguals and bilinguals aged 5‐, 12‐, and 18‐months did not notice when a person switched languages.
The results call in question whether person‐language associations help bootstrap early bilingual language acquisition.
Reduced probability of improving viro‐immunological state in subjects with vertical transmission of HIV reaching adult age: A multicenter retrospective cohort study
Authors: Pennati Francesca , Calza Stefano , Di Biagio Antonio , Mussini Cristina , Rusconi Stefano , Bonora Stefano , Borghetti Alberto , Quiros‐Roldan Eugenia  , Sarteschi Giovanni , Menozzi Marianna , Ferrara Micol , Celotti Anna , Ciccullo Arturo , Giacomet Vania , Izzo Ilaria , Dotta Laura , Badolato Raffaele , Castelli Francesco , Focà Emanuele 
Published: February 2023

AbstractIntroductionYoung adults with vertical transmission (VT) of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) represent a fragile population. This study evaluates factors associated with viro‐immunological outcome of these patients.MethodsWe performed a multicenter study including HIV‐infected subjects with VT ≥ 18 years old from six Italian clinics. Subjects were observed from birth to death, lost to follow‐up, or last visit until December 31, 2019. Condition of “optimal viro‐immunological status” (OS) was defined as the simultaneous presence of HIV ribonucleic acid (RNA) < 50 copies/mL, CD4+ > 500 cells/mm3, and CD4+/CD8+ ratio ≥ 1.ResultsA total of 126 subjects were enrolled. At 18 years of age, 52/126 (44.4%) had HIV‐RNA > 50 copies/mL, 47/126 (38.2%) had CD4+ < 500/mm3, and 78/126 (67.2%) had CD4+/CD8+ < 1; 28 subjects (23.7%) presented in the condition of OS. Having a CD4+/CD8+ ratio ≥ 1 at 18 years of age was related with an increased probability of shift from suboptimal viro‐immunological status (SOS) to OS (HR: 7.7, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.23–14.04), and a reduced risk of shift from the OS to the SOS (HR: 0.49, 95% CI: 0.26–0.92). Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) diagnosis significantly reduced the probability of shift from a viro‐immunological SOS to OS (HR: 0.09, 95% CI: 0.03–0.30). Subjects who had not achieved an OS at 18 years of age had an increased risk of discontinuation of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART, p = .019).ConclusionsOnly a small proportion of subjects with VT of HIV reached the adult age with “OS”. Transition to the adult care with a compromised viro‐immunological condition represents a negative driver for future optimal infection control, with a higher risk of discontinuation of cART and a reduced probability to improve the immunological status later in the years.
Absence of terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase expression in T‐ALL/LBL accumulates chromosomal abnormalities to induce drug resistance
Authors: Xiao Hui , Wang Siqi , Tang Yuejia , Li Shanshan , Jiang Yufeng , Yang Yi , Zhang Yinwen , Han Yali , Wu Xiaoyu , Zheng Liang , Li Yanxin , Gao Yijin 
Published: February 2023

AbstractT‐acute lymphoblastic leukemia/lymphoma (T‐ALL/LBL) is a malignant neoplasm of immature lymphoblasts. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TDT) is a template‐independent DNA polymerase that plays an essential role in generating diversity for immunoglobulin genes. T‐ALL/LBL patients with TDT− have a worse prognosis. However, how TDT− promotes the disease progression of T‐ALL/LBL remains unknown. Here we analyzed the prognosis of T‐ALL/LBL patients in Shanghai Children's Medical Center (SCMC) and confirmed that TDT− patients had a higher rate of recurrence and remission failure and worse outcomes. Cellular experiments demonstrated that TDT was involved in DNA damage repair. TDT knockout delayed DNA repair, arrested the cell cycle and decreased apoptosis to induce the accumulation of chromosomal abnormalities and tolerance to abnormal karyotypes. Our study demonstrated that the poor outcomes in TDT− T‐ALL/LBL might be due to the drug resistance (VP16 and MTX) induced by chromosomal abnormalities. Our findings revealed novel functions and mechanisms of TDT in T‐ALL/LBL and supported that hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) might be a better choice for these patients.
Associations between genetically predicted levels of blood metabolites and pancreatic cancer risk
Authors: Zhong Hua , Liu Shuai , Zhu Jingjing , Wu Lang 
Published: February 2023

AbstractPancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most aggressive solid malignancies, which is featured by systematic metabolism. Thus, a better understanding of metabolic dysregulation in PDAC is important to better characterize its etiology. Here, we performed a large metabolome‐wide association study (MWAS) to systematically explore associations between genetically predicted metabolite levels in blood and PDAC risk. Using data from 881 subjects of European descent in the TwinsUK Project, comprehensive genetic models were built to predict serum metabolite levels. These prediction models were applied to the genetic data of 8275 cases and 6723 controls included in the PanScan (I, II and III) and PanC4 consortia. After assessing the metabolite‐PDAC risk associations by a slightly modified TWAS/FUSION framework, we identified five metabolites (including two dipeptides) showing significant associations with PDAC risk at false discovery rate (FDR) <0.05. Integrated with gut microbial information, two‐sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses were further performed to investigate the relationship among serum metabolites, gut microbiome features and PDAC. The flavonoid‐degrading bacteria Flavonifractor sp90199495 was found to be associated with metabolite X‐21849 and it was also shown to be associated with PDAC risk. Collectively, our study identified novel candidate metabolites for PDAC risk, which could lead to new insights into the etiology of PDAC and improved treatment options.
Tissue‐resident CXCR4+ macrophage as a poor prognosis signature promotes pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma progression
Authors: Liao Zhenyu , Ye Longyun , Li Tianjiao , Jin Xing , Lin Xuan , Fei Qinglin , Zhang Huiru , Shi Saimeng , Yu Xianjun , Jin Kaizhou , Wu Weiding 
Published: February 2023

AbstractMacrophage is an essential part of the tumor immune microenvironment of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. In our study, we explored the CXCR4+ macrophages subset on its prognosis value, immune profile and distinct function in pancreatic cancer progression. Specimens from 102 postoperative pancreatic patients were analyzed by flow cytometry or immune‐fluorescence, and the prognostic value of CXCR4+ macrophages infiltration was further determined by Cox regression. In silico analysis on TCGA, ICGC database and single‐cell sequencing of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma further validated our findings. We found that high CXCR4+ macrophages infiltration was associated with poor overall survival (P < .01) and disease‐free survival (P < .05) as an independent factor. CXCR4+ macrophages exhibited an M2 protumor phenotype with high expression of CD206. The function of CXCR4+ macrophages was further analyzed in the murine orthotopic PDAC model with its tumor promotion effect and inhibition of CD8+ T cells. Mechanistic and RNA‐seq analysis showed that CXCR4+ macrophages participated in extracellular matrix remodeling procedures and especially secreted SPARC through CXCR4/PI3K/Akt pathway promoting tumor proliferation and migration. Our study reveals that CXCR4+ macrophages infiltration is an indicator of poor prognosis of PDAC and targeting these cells was potentially crucial in immunotherapy of PDAC.
Oil price uncertainty and the relation to tanker shipping
Authors: Pouliasis Panos K. , Bentsos Christos 
Published: February 2023

AbstractThis article investigates whether time variation in the returns' co‐movement of oil and Baltic Dirty Tanker Index can be linked to oil market uncertainty. We measure uncertainty using a battery of different proxies considering both parametric and non‐parametric methods and study its role from both statistical and economic perspectives. Using a regression framework combined with regime switching analysis, we show that oil price uncertainty and the future correlation of oil and dirty‐tanker returns are negatively associated. This negative association is more pronounced in highly volatile periods. The identified regimes are directly linked to high‐low crude oil volatility periods with implications on the level of correlation they exhibit to oil returns. Results are robust across crudes and volatility measures. Additional robustness checks corroborate that results hold for individual dirty‐tanker routes and clean‐tanker cargoes.
Investment decisions under uncertainty: Corporate venture capital as a real option
Authors: Shuwaikh Fatima , Hughes Mathew , Brinette Souad , Khemiri Sabrina 
Published: February 2023

AbstractThis paper aims to assess the role of corporate venture capital (CVC) as option‐creating investments and how corporate investors practice CVC options in their investment decisions. Using a sample of 4206 US firms between 1998 and 2019, our results show that sector fit and geographic fit reduce uncertainty and impact investors' decisions on CVC investments. When exogenous uncertainty is mitigated, CVC‐backed companies experience higher investment amounts than independent venture capital funds (IVC)‐backed ones. The results evidence that follow‐on investments motivate IVC‐backed companies to exit via IPOs. At the same time, a prolonged duration for the organisational learning option leads CVC‐backed companies to exit via acquisition. This study helps investors to reduce uncertainty surrounding investments and improve the usefulness of their real options. We also provide implications for how policymakers target and develop an entrepreneurial ecosystem.
TNO‐ESI – Systems Engineering Methodologies for Managing Complexity in the High‐Tech Equipment Industry: Our Roadmap
Authors: Leibbrandt Wouter , Wesselius Jacco , Beenker Frans 
Published: February 2023

ABSTRACTThe high‐tech equipment industry brings complex industrial products to the market with high speed, enhanced functionality, a better cost‐performance ratio, and greater integration into customer workflows. Driven by digitalization, the complexity of these systems continues to grow steeply. To manage this complexity, continuous innovation in systems engineering methodologies is needed. TNO‐ESI targets to 1) create impactful and industrially applicable systems engineering methodologies and 2) provide innovation support to the industry to get these applied in an industrial context. The ESI research program is defined through a roadmapping process that follows two tracks: a roadmap that maps industry needs and related research and development requirements and a roadmap that describes the developments in the expertise areas necessary for addressing these industry needs. In this paper, we describe the ESI mission, our way of working and activities, and explain the roadmapping process and the roadmaps.
Guiding Systems Engineering Research for Enhanced Impact in the Development of Increasingly Complex Cyber‐Physical Systems
Authors: McDermott Tom , Verma Dinesh 
Published: February 2023

ABSTRACTIn 2019, the research council of the Systems Engineering Research Center (SERC), a US Defense Department sponsored university affiliated research center (UARC), developed a set of roadmaps (SERC 2019) structuring and guiding four areas of systems engineering research: digital engineering, velocity, security, and artificial intelligence (AI) and autonomy. This paper presents the development of these roadmaps and the key underlying transformation aspects.
Integrating System Failure Diagnostics Into Model‐based System Engineering
Authors: van Gerwen Emile , Barbini Leonardo , Nägele Thomas 
Published: February 2023

ABSTRACTEver‐increasing system complexity is challenging for development engineers and service personnel troubleshooting system failures in the field. This paper presents a systematic, scalable approach to attain a diagnostic model. Automatic transformation into computational models is used 1) at design time to improve the diagnosability of the system, and 2) during operation for guided root cause analysis by calculating the most probable failures and suggesting diagnostic procedures based on available data and observations. The approach combines nicely with model‐based systems engineering, showing the added value of using diagnostic models both during the design of a system and during operation when the system needs to be diagnosed.
NeuroRAN Rethinking Virtualization for AI‐native Radio Access Networks in 6G
Authors: Carbone Paris , Dán Gyorgy , Gross James , Göransson Bo , Petrova Marina 
Published: February 2023

ABSTRACTNetwork softwarization has revolutionized the architecture of cellular wireless networks. State‐of‐the‐art container based virtual radio access networks (vRAN) provide enormous flexibility and reduced life‐cycle management costs, but they also come with prohibitive energy consumption. We argue that for future AI‐native wireless networks to be flexible and energy efficient, there is a need for a new abstraction in network softwarization that caters for neural network type of workloads and allows a large degree of service composability. In this paper we present the NeuroRAN architecture, which leverages stateful function as a user facing execution model, and is complemented with virtualized resources and decentralized resource management. We show that neural network based implementations of common transceiver functional blocks fit the proposed architecture, and we discuss key research challenges related to compilation and code generation, resource management, reliability and security.
Systematic Identification and Analysis of Hazards for Automated Systems
Authors: Putze Lina , Böde Eckard 
Published: February 2023

ABSTRACTThe introduction of automation into technical systems promises many benefits, including performance increase, improved resource economy, and fewer harmful accidents. In particular, in the automotive sector, automated driving is seen as one key element in Vision Zero by eliminating common accident causes such as driving under the influence, reckless behavior, or distracted drivers. However, this is contrasted by new failure modes and hazards from the latest technologies. In this article, we address the problems of finding common sources of criticality for specific application classes and identifying and quantitatively assessing new sources of harm within particular automated driving systems.
Intraoperative application of optical coherence tomography for lung tumor
Authors: Liu Hung‐Chang , Lin Miao‐Hui , Ting Ching‐Heng , Wang Yi‐Min , Sun Chia‐Wei 
Published: February 2023

AbstractOn‐site instant determination of benign or malignant tumors for deciding the types of resection is crucial during pulmonary surgery. We designed a portable spectral‐domain optical coherence tomography (SD‐OCT) system to do real‐time scanning intraoperatively for the distinction of fresh tumor specimens in the lung. A total of 12 ex vivo lung specimens from six patients were enrolled. Three patients were diagnosed with invasive adenocarcinoma (IA), while the others were benign. After OCT‐imaged reconstruction, we compared the qualitative morphology of OCT and histology among malignant, benign, and normal tissues. In addition, through analysis of the quantitative data, a discrete difference in optical attenuation coefficients around the junctional surface was shown by our data processing. This study demonstrated a feasible OCT‐assisted resection guide by a rapid on‐site tumor diagnosis. The results indicate that future deep learning of OCT‐captured image systems able to improve diagnostic and therapeutic efficiency is warranted.
An extracellular vesicular mutant KRAS‐associated protein complex promotes lung inflammation and tumor growth
Authors: Sriwastva Mukesh K. , Teng Yun , Mu Jingyao , Xu Fangyi , Kumar Anil , Sundaram Kumaran , Malhotra Rajiv Kumar , Xu Qingbo , Hood Joshua L. , Zhang Lifeng , Yan Jun , Merchant Michael L. , Park Juw Won , Dryden Gerald W. , Egilmez Nejat K. , Zhang Huang‐Ge 
Published: February 2023

AbstractExtracellular vesicles (EVs) contain more than 100 proteins. Whether there are EVs proteins that act as an ‘organiser’ of protein networks to generate a new or different biological effect from that identified in EV‐producing cells has never been demonstrated. Here, as a proof‐of‐concept, we demonstrate that EV‐G12D‐mutant KRAS serves as a leader that forms a protein complex and promotes lung inflammation and tumour growth via the Fn1/IL‐17A/FGF21 axis. Mechanistically, in contrast to cytosol derived G12D‐mutant KRAS complex from EVs‐producing cells, EV‐G12D‐mutant KRAS interacts with a group of extracellular vesicular factors via fibronectin‐1 (Fn1), which drives the activation of the IL‐17A/FGF21 inflammation pathway in EV recipient cells. We show that: (i), depletion of EV‐Fn1 leads to a reduction of a number of inflammatory cytokines including IL‐17A; (ii) induction of IL‐17A promotes lung inflammation, which in turn leads to IL‐17A mediated induction of FGF21 in the lung; and (iii) EV‐G12D‐mutant KRAS complex mediated lung inflammation is abrogated in IL‐17 receptor KO mice. These findings establish a new concept in EV function with potential implications for novel therapeutic interventions in EV‐mediated disease processes.
SARS‐CoV‐2 NSP7 inhibits type I and III IFN production by targeting the RIG‐I/MDA5, TRIF, and STING signaling pathways
Authors: Deng Jian , Zheng Yi , Zheng Sheng‐Nan , Nan Mei‐Ling , Han Lulu , Zhang Jing , Jin Yunyun , Pan Ji‐An , Gao Chengjiang , Wang Pei‐Hui 
Published: February 2023

AbstractSevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) is a poor inducer of innate antiviral immunity, and the underlying mechanism still needs further investigation. Here, we reported that SARS‐CoV‐2 NSP7 inhibited the production of type I and III interferons (IFNs) by targeting the RIG‐I/MDA5, Toll‐like receptor (TLR3)‐TRIF, and cGAS‐STING signaling pathways. SARS‐CoV‐2 NSP7 suppressed the expression of IFNs and IFN‐stimulated genes induced by poly (I:C) transfection and infection with Sendai virus or SARS‐CoV‐2 virus‐like particles. NSP7 impaired type I and III IFN production activated by components of the cytosolic dsRNA‐sensing pathway, including RIG‐I, MDA5, and MAVS, but not TBK1, IKKε, and IRF3‐5D, an active form of IRF3. In addition, NSP7 also suppressed TRIF‐ and STING‐induced IFN responses. Mechanistically, NSP7 associated with RIG‐I and MDA5 prevented the formation of the RIG‐I/MDA5−MAVS signalosome and interacted with TRIF and STING to inhibit TRIF‐TBK1 and STING‐TBK1 complex formation, thus reducing the subsequent IRF3 phosphorylation and nuclear translocation that are essential for IFN induction. In addition, ectopic expression of NSP7 impeded innate immune activation and facilitated virus replication. Taken together, SARS‐CoV‐2 NSP7 dampens type I and III IFN responses via disruption of the signal transduction of the RIG‐I/MDA5−MAVS, TLR3‐TRIF, and cGAS‐STING signaling pathways, thus providing novel insights into the interactions between SARS‐CoV‐2 and innate antiviral immunity.
Analysis on the physiological changes of residents before and during the COVID‐19 pandemic: A cross‐sectional study
Authors: Chen Jinlong , Cheng Xueying , Xu Yue , Shi Tingting , Zhu Chunran , Wang Xu 
Published: February 2023

AbstractPeople's lifestyles have changed dramatically during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic, yet data on physical examinations in the Chinese population before and during the pandemic are rarely reported. The study was based on the data from the physical examination center of Affiliated Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine. We collected the data of physical examinations information between January 2017 and March 2022. The data of participants before December 31, 2019 were classified as “before COVID‐19 pandemic group,” while data after December 31, 2019 were classified as “during COVID‐19 pandemic group.” We used t‐test and χ2 test to compare the differences before and during COVID‐19 pandemic. A total of 72 257 individuals participated in the physical examinations, and finally retained 65 629 individuals for analysis. During the COVID‐19 pandemic, body mass index (BMI), high‐density lipoprotein, total cholesterol levels, as well as pulmonary nodule and thyroid nodule proportion of participants were higher than those before the pandemic, and the levels of systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure of participants were lower than those before the pandemic. Ongoing assessment and surveillance are necessary to assess whether lifestyle changes caused by the COVID‐19 pandemic are likely to increase chronic disease risk in the future.