Search

In PIVOT IO 001 (NCT03635983), the combination of the investigational interleukin-2 agonist bempegaldesleukin (BEMPEG) with nivolumab (NIVO) had no added clinical benefit over NIVO monotherapy in unresectable/metastatic melanoma. Pre-defined baseline and on-treatment changes in selected biomarkers were analyzed to explore the potential mechanisms underlying the clinical observations. In each treatment arm, higher baseline tumor mutational burden or immune infiltration/inflammation was associated with improved efficacy compared with lower levels. On-treatment peripheral biomarker changes showed that BEMPEG + NIVO increased all immune cell subset counts interrogated, including regulatory T cells. This was followed by attenuation of the increase in CD8 + T cells, conventional CD4 + T cells, and systemic interferon gamma levels at later treatment cycles in the combination arm. Changes in tumor biomarkers were comparable between arms. These biomarker results help provide a better understanding of the mechanism of action of BEMPEG + NIVO and may help contextualize the clinical observations from PIVOT IO 001. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diclofenac (DCF) is often detected in diverse aquatic bodies, and ineffective management can lead to detrimental effects on human health and ecosystems. In this study, degradation of DCF by Fe(III) and Mn(II) activating bisulfite (BS) was investigated. In the Fe(III)/Mn(II)/BS system, 93.4% DCF was degraded at 200 μM BS within 120 s, and additional research on 1000 μM BS achieved 88.4% degradation efficacy. Moreover, kinetics fitting of DCF degradation with the different BS concentrations was studied to find the two highest reaction rates (200 and 1000 μM, kobs = 0.0297 and 0.0317 s−1, respectively). Whereafter, SO4•− and Mn(III) were identified as the main active species at these two concentrations, respectively. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations, molecular frontier orbital theory, and surface electrostatic potential (ESP) forecast electrophilic attack sites. DCF degradation pathways by radical and non-radical ways were proposed by attack site prediction and thirteen intermediates identified by UPLC-QTOF-MS. ECOSAR software 2.2 was used for toxicity assessment. This work studied DCF degradation by the Fe(III)/Mn(II)/BS process in the presence of different concentrations of BS, providing a new insight into water purification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Frontal person images contain the richest detailed features of humans, which can effectively assist in behavioral recognition, virtual dress fitting and other applications. While many remarkable networks are devoted to the person image generation task, most of them need accurate target poses as the network inputs. However, the target pose annotation is difficult and time‐consuming. In this work, we proposed a first frontal person image generation network based on the proposed anchor pose set and the generative adversarial network. Specifically, our method first classify a rough frontal pose to the input human image based on the proposed anchor pose set, and regress all key points of the rough frontal pose to estimate an accurate frontal pose. Then, we consider the estimated frontal pose as the target pose, and construct a two‐stream generator based on the generative adversarial network to update the person's shape and appearance feature in a crossing way and generate a realistic frontal person image. Experiments on the challenging CMU Panoptic dataset show that our method can generate realistic frontal images from arbitrary‐view human images. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Symmetry in traffic patterns is a fundamental aspect of intelligent transportation systems, aiming to precisely predict traffic flow in real time despite the complex interplay of spatial and temporal factors. This paper presents a novel method of traffic forecasting that incorporates parameters related to road symmetry into a Graph Convolution Network model. Our model is crafted to dynamically adjust to real-time changes in road conditions, including the presence of symmetric and asymmetric road layouts, which substantially influence traffic flow. We have developed a GCN model that not only accounts for standard traffic flow metrics but also integrates a matrix representing road symmetry. The model undergoes training and validation on the METR-LA dataset, showcasing a significant enhancement in prediction accuracy. In the comparative analysis of state-of-the-art methods, our model demonstrated a significant enhancement in performance, achieving 30.68% improvement in Mean Squared Error (MSE) and a 24.28% improvement in Mean Absolute Error (MAE) over the best-performing method. The implications of our research are profound for urban planners, traffic management systems, and navigation service providers, as it offers a more dependable tool for forecasting traffic conditions, aiding in road design, and refining route planning strategies based on the symmetry of road networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Methods accurately predicting the responses of colorectal cancer (CRC) and colorectal cancer liver metastasis (CRLM) to personalized chemotherapy remain limited due to tumor heterogeneity. This study introduces an innovative patient‐derived CRC and CRLM tumor model for preclinical investigation, utilizing 3d‐bioprinting (3DP) technology. Efficient construction of homogeneous in vitro 3D models of CRC/CRLM is achieved through the application of patient‐derived primary tumor cells and 3D bioprinting with bioink. Genomic and histological analyses affirm that the CRC/CRLM 3DP tumor models effectively retain parental tumor biomarkers and mutation profiles. In vitro tests evaluating chemotherapeutic drug sensitivities reveal substantial tumor heterogeneity in chemotherapy responses within the 3DP CRC/CRLM models. Furthermore, a robust correlation is evident between the drug response in the CRLM 3DP model and the clinical outcomes of neoadjuvant chemotherapy. These findings imply a significant potential for the application of patient‐derived 3DP cancer models in precision chemotherapy prediction and preclinical research for CRC/CRLM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new type of high activity EPEG monomer was selected to react with acrylic acid, hydroxyethyl ester and other small monomers. The optimal process for synthesizing anti mud and slump retention polycarboxylate superplasticizer was determined through orthogonal experiment and single factor influence experiments as follows: Acid-ether ratio 2.0, ester-ether ratio 2.6, dropping time material A 40 min, material B 50min, reaction process without temperature control, primer concentration 60%, reducing agent dosage 0.23%, chain transfer agent dosage 0.69%, terminating phosphate ester dosage 4.30%. The test results of cement paste and concrete show that the synthesized polycarboxylate superplasticizer has good dispersibility and slump retention, and has no adverse effect on the strength of concrete. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coal and organic-rich shale in the Yan'an Formation in the southwestern margin of the Ordos Basin are widely developed, which is an important fact for oil and gas exploration in China that has been widely explored for a long time. In this paper, detailed sequence division and sedimentary environment analyses of the Yan'an Formation in the Pengyang area on the southwestern margin of the Ordos Basin were conducted using field outcrops, drilling cores, logging, wavelet transform and organic geochemistry. The results showed that the succession consists of some units with distinctly different characteristics. Based on the petrographic assemblage and transform wavelet characteristics, the Yan'an Formation in this area can be divided into a long-term cycle, five medium-term cycles, and eleven short-term cycles, among which coal and carbonaceous shale were mainly developed in the short-term cycles I2, III1, III2, V1 and V2. Coal and organic-rich mud shale have been developed in the Yan'an Formation and plant debris in mudstone and coal is common, indicating the development of swamps and shallow water-covered depressions in this area. The sandstones showed parallel bedding, cross-bedding and scours, thus indicating fluvial deposits. The saturated hydrocarbon gas chromatographic parameters of mud shale showed that the pristane/phytane (Pr/Ph) ratio is 2.24–6.22, the Ph/nC18 ratio is 0.15–0.93, and the Pr/nC17 ratio is 0.97–2.78, supporting the finding that the organic matter has mainly originated from terrestrial sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to explore the impact of maintaining an attendance system, CSR, entrepreneurial intention, and machine learning behavior on psychological improvement and employee productivity. The paper utilizes both primary and secondary research to explore the relationship between the variables under consideration. The findings show that CSR has a positive impact on the performance of an employee. The machine learning behavior allows employees to select the right career paths that result in high performance, satisfaction, and productivity. In addition, entrepreneurial intentions improve the productivity of employees within an organization as they desire to create new core values. The attendance management system also positively influences employee productivity as it improves the physiological presence of employees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, deep learning has been used for Wi-Fi fingerprint-based localization to achieve a remarkable performance, which is expected to satisfy the increasing requirements of indoor location-based service (LBS). In this paper, we propose a Wi-Fi fingerprint-based indoor mobile user localization method that integrates a stacked improved sparse autoencoder (SISAE) and a recurrent neural network (RNN). We improve the sparse autoencoder by adding an activity penalty term in its loss function to control the neuron outputs in the hidden layer. The encoders of three improved sparse autoencoders are stacked to obtain high-level feature representations of received signal strength (RSS) vectors, and an SISAE is constructed for localization by adding a logistic regression layer as the output layer to the stacked encoders. Meanwhile, using the previous location coordinates computed by the trained SISAE as extra inputs, an RNN is employed to compute more accurate current location coordinates for mobile users. The experimental results demonstrate that the mean error of the proposed SISAE-RNN for mobile user localization can be reduced to 1.60 m. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An innovative self-centering steel–timber hybrid shear wall (SC-STHSW) system is proposed in this paper. The SC-STHSW system is composed of two subsystems: the posttensioned (PT) steel frame, and the infill light-frame wood shear wall. Slip-friction dampers are used as connectors between the frame and shear wall. A reversed cyclic loading experiment was conducted to investigate the failure modes, hysteretic characteristics, and the loss of posttensioning force in the system. The working mechanism of the subsystems and the interaction between them were explored. Experimental results revealed that the peculiar flag-shaped hysteretic behavior is available in the SC-STHSW system. Under the coupled effects of the PT technology and the slip-friction dampers, the energy dissipation behavior of the system was transferred from the plasticity in primary structural members to the frictional dissipation in the dampers, and the residual deformation of the system was controlled effectively. A detailed numerical model was developed to predict the hysteretic performance of the SC-STHSW system. The model was validated by comparing the experimental and numerical results. This work supports the application of the innovative steel–timber hybrid structural system in practical engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although guidelines recommend extended surgical resection, radical resection and lymphadenectomy for patients with tumor stage (T)1b gallbladder cancer, these procedures are substantially underutilized. This population‐based, retrospective cohort study aimed to evaluate treatment patterns and outcomes of 401 patients using the US Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database from 2004 to 2013. Results showed that median overall survival (OS) was 69 months for lymphadenectomy patients and 37 months for those without lymphadenectomy. Lymphadenectomy also tended to prolong cancer‐specific survival (CSS), although the differences were not statistically significant. OS and CSS were similar for patients who received simple cholecystectomy and extended surgical resection. Cox proportional hazards regression models revealed survival advantages in patients with stage T1bN0 gallbladder cancer compared to those with stage T1bN1, and patients who received simple cholecystectomy plus lymphadenectomy compared to those who did not receive lymph node dissection. In further analyses, patients undergoing simple cholecystectomy who had five or more lymph nodes excised had better OS and CSS than those without lymph node dissection. In conclusion, survival advantages are shown for patients with T1b gallbladder cancer undergoing surgeries with lymphadenectomy. Future studies with longer follow‐up and control of potential confounders are highly warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: Idiopathic portal hypertension (IPH) refers to a relatively rare condition characterized by intrahepatic portal hypertension in the absence of underlying disease such as liver cirrhosis. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 338 patients with IPH that were diagnosed at the pathological consultation center of our hospital. Results: The ratio of male to female patients was 1:1. Mean age at onset was 35.1 ± 16.5 years; male patients on average were 12 years younger than female patients at onset. The median duration from onset to IPH diagnosis was 12 months. In 50 patients, medication use may have been an etiological factor. The most common clinical manifestations were splenomegaly (91.3%) and hypersplenism (68.9%); 57.0% patients presented varicosis, while 25.1% patients had a history of variceal bleeding. Nodular regenerative hyperplasia was found in 22.2% liver biopsies. Among patients for whom laboratory data were available, 65.0%, 50.3%, and 71.4% patients presented leukopenia, anemia, and thrombocytopenia due to hypersplenism. Liver function was mostly in the compensated stage. Female patients showed worse leukopenia and anemia, while male patients were more likely to have abnormal serum transaminase and bilirubin levels. Sixty‐seven patients received surgical or interventional treatment. Conclusions: High‐quality liver biopsy, detailed clinical information, and expert pathologist are necessary for diagnosis of IPH. IPH can occur concurrently with other liver disease such as hepatitis and drug‐induced liver injury. Medication appears to be an important etiological factor for IPH in China. Management approach was largely focused on treatment of portal hypertension and its complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Serum interleukin (IL)-17A level is associated with higher microvessel density and poor prognosis in liver cancer. However, the specific mechanism underlying the role of IL-17A in liver cancer remains controversial. In the present study, the effect of IL-17A on liver cancer cells was examined. IL-17A had no evident impact on vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) production in HepG2 and Huh7.5 cells as determined by reverse transcription-quantitative PCR and ELISA, but it did stimulate angiogenic CXC chemokine secretion, including chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 1 (CXCL1), CXCL2, CXCL3, CXCL5, CXCL6 and CXCL8 in Huh7.5 cells and CXCL2 in HepG2 cells. In addition, the production of angiostatic chemokines such as CXCL10 was not affected. The supernatant of Huh7.5-IL17A cells promoted endothelial cell chemotaxis, which was attenuated by the C-X-C chemokine receptor type 2 (CXCR2) inhibitor SB225002. Although there was no role of IL-17A in promoting in vitro cell proliferation, IL-17A markedly increased the tumor growth of Huh7.5 cells in both subcutaneous and orthotopic xenograft models with increased vascularization. Taken together, these results demonstrated that IL-17A may stimulate chemokine-induced angiogenesis and promote tumor progression, independent of VEGF signaling. The CXCL-CXCR2 axis may be a novel target for the anti-angiogenesis treatment of liver cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, localization has been one of the research hot spots in Wireless Sensors Networks (WSNs). However, most localization methods focus on the device-based localization, which locates targets with terminal devices. This is not suitable for the application scenarios like the elder monitoring, life detection, and so on. In this paper, we propose a device-free wireless localization system using Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs). The system consists of two phases. In the off-line training phase, Received Signal Strength (RSS) difference matrices between the RSS matrices collected when the monitoring area is vacant and with a professional in the area are calculated. Some RSS difference values in the RSS difference matrices are selected. The RSS difference values and corresponding matrix indices are taken as the inputs of an ANN model and the known location coordinates are its outputs. Then a nonlinear function between the inputs and outputs can be approximated through training the ANN model. In the on-line localization phase, when a target is in the monitoring area, the RSS difference values and their matrix indices can be obtained and input into the trained ANN model, and then the localization coordinates can be computed. We verify the proposed device-free localization system with a WSN platform. The experimental results show that our proposed device-free wireless localization system is able to achieve a comparable localization performance without any terminal device. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To propose a simultaneous acquisition sequence for improved hepatic pharmacokinetics quantification accuracy (SAHA) method for liver dynamic contrast‐enhanced MRI. Methods: The proposed SAHA simultaneously acquired high temporal‐resolution 2D images for vascular input function extraction using Cartesian sampling and 3D large‐coverage high spatial‐resolution liver dynamic contrast‐enhanced images using golden angle stack‐of‐stars acquisition in an interleaved way. Simulations were conducted to investigate the accuracy of SAHA in pharmacokinetic analysis. A healthy volunteer and three patients with cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma were included in the study to investigate the feasibility of SAHA in vivo. Results: Simulation studies showed that SAHA can provide closer results to the true values and lower root mean square error of estimated pharmacokinetic parameters in all of the tested scenarios. The in vivo scans of subjects provided fair image quality of both 2D images for arterial input function and portal venous input function and 3D whole liver images. The in vivo fitting results showed that the perfusion parameters of healthy liver were significantly different from those of cirrhotic liver and HCC. Conclusions: The proposed SAHA can provide improved accuracy in pharmacokinetic modeling and is feasible in human liver dynamic contrast‐enhanced MRI, suggesting that SAHA is a potential tool for liver dynamic contrast‐enhanced MRI. Magn Reson Med 79:2629–2641, 2018. © 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To improve minimally invasive outcomes, we designed a new procedure, lower abdominal laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LALC). This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of LALC versus classical (CLC) and single-incision (SILC) laparoscopic cholecystectomy on reducing systemic acute inflammatory response, improving cosmesis, and postoperative pain relief. Material and methods: Beginning from July 2014, 105 patients meeting the inclusion criteria were randomly assigned to three groups: LALC, CLC, and SILC. The primary endpoint was the determination of systemic inflammatory response to the surgery. Other outcome measures included cosmesis, postoperative pain, and perioperative indices. Results: Each of the three groups consisted of 35 patients. The duration of the operation was significantly longer in the SILC group (p = .005). The rates of adverse events were similar. Changes in interleukin-6 (p = .001) and tumor-necrosis factor-α (p = .016) measured before and after surgery differed significantly; patients who underwent LALC had the smallest change in inflammatory response. Cosmesis scores at one (p = .002) and 12 (p = .004) weeks after surgery favored LALC and SILC. Significant differences in pain scores at four (p = .011) and 12 h (p = .024) postoperatively were also observed. Conclusions: In selected patients, LALC shows more advantages in terms of lower systemic inflammatory response, improved cosmesis, and a favorable postoperative pain profile when compared with CLC and SILC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]