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While massive efforts have been investigated in adversarial testing of convolutional neural networks (CNN), testing for recurrent neural networks (RNN) is still limited and leaves threats for vast sequential application domains. In this paper, we propose an adversarial testing framework RNN-Test for RNN systems, focusing on sequence-to-sequence (seq2seq) tasks of widespread deployments, not only classification domains. First, we design a novel search methodology customized for RNN models by maximizing the inconsistency of RNN states against their inner dependencies to produce adversarial inputs. Next, we introduce two state-based coverage metrics according to the distinctive structure of RNNs to exercise more system behaviors. Finally, RNN-Test solves the joint optimization problem to maximize state inconsistency and state coverage, and crafts adversarial inputs for various tasks of different kinds of inputs. For evaluations, we apply RNN-Test on four RNN models of common structures. On the tested models, the RNN-Test approach is demonstrated to be competitive in generating adversarial inputs, outperforming FGSM-based and DLFuzz-based methods to reduce the model performance more sharply with 2.78% to 37.94% higher success (or generation) rate. RNN-Test could also achieve 52.65% to 66.45% higher adversary rate than testRNN on MNIST LSTM model, as well as 53.76% to 58.02% more perplexity with 16% higher generation rate than DeepStellar on PTB language model. Compared with the traditional neuron coverage, the proposed state coverage metrics as guidance excel with 4.17% to 97.22% higher success (or generation) rate.

Purpose To assess the efficacy and safety of repeated low-level red-light (RLRL) therapy in myopia control in children. Design Multicenter, randomized, parallel-group, single-blind clinical trial. Participants A total of 264 eligible children aged 8 to 13 years with myopia of cycloplegic spherical equivalent refraction (SER) of -1.00 to -5.00D, astigmatism 2.50D, anisometropia 1.50D, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) > 0.0 logMAR (Snellen 1.0 or 20/20) were enrolled in July to August 2019. Follow-up was completed in September 2020. Methods Children were randomly assigned to the intervention group [RLRL treatment plus single vision spectacle (SVS)] and control group (SVS). The RLRL treatment was provided by a desktop light therapy device which emits red light of 650 nm in wavelength, at an illuminance level of approximately 1600 lux and a power of 0.29 mW for a 4-mm pupil (Class I Classification), and was administered at home under supervision of parents, 3 minutes per session, twice per day with a minimum interval of 4-hours, five days per week. Main outcome measures The primary outcome and a key secondary outcome were changes in axial length (AL) and SER measured at baseline, and 1-, 3-, 6- and 12-month follow-up visits. Participants who had at least one post-randomization follow-up visit were analyzed for treatment efficacy based on a longitudinal mixed model. Results Among 264 randomized participants, 246 (93.2%) children were included in the analysis (n = 117 in the RLRL and n = 129 in the SVS group). Adjusted 12-month axial elongation and SER progression were 0.13 mm (95% CI: 0.09 to 0.17) and -0.20 D (95% CI: -0.29 to -0.11) for RLRL treatment, 0.38 mm (95% CI: 0.34 to 0.42) and -0.79 D (95%CI, -0.88 to -0.69) for SVS. The difference in axial elongation and SER progression were 0.26 mm (95% CI: 0.20 to 0.31) and -0.59 D (95% CI: -0.72 to -0.46) between the RLRL and SVS groups. No severe adverse events (sudden vision loss by 2 lines or scotoma developed), functional visual loss indicated by BCVA, or structural damage seen on optical coherence tomography scans were observed. Conclusions RLRL therapy is a promising alternative treatment for myopia control in children with good user acceptability and no documented functional and structural damages.

Android malware poses a serious security threat to ordinary mobile users. However, the obfuscation technology can generate malware variants, which can bypass existing detection methods and significantly reduce detection accuracy. Aiming at the detection of Android malware obfuscation variants, we propose an efficient anti-obfuscation Android malware detection system MGOPDroid. For different obfuscation technologies, MGOPDroid extracts opcode features with different granularities, combines the TFIDF algorithm and the difference index of opcode feature distribution before and after obfuscation to calculates the weight of opcode features. Then we convert the opcode features into the sequences according to the opcode encoding mapping rules and convert the sequences into grayscale images to achieve feature visualization. A deep learning detection model combined with image enhancement, Resnet, and global average pooling layer is designed to detect malware variants. What’s more, MGOPDroid can be deployed on mobile devices, supports real-time monitoring of application installation and update behavior, and automatically detect malware. Experiments show that the malware detection accuracy for unobfucated samples is 96.35%, and is 94.55% for the obfucated malware. And malware family classification accuracy is 95.31%, while after obfuscating, the classification accuracy rate is 89.96%. On mobile devices, the average time to detect a single application is 3.211 s. Compared with the previous advanced methods, MGOPDroid has obvious advantages in anti-obfuscation effect and efficiency.

Purpose To assess baseline ocular biometric risk factors for progression from primary angle closure suspect (PACS) to primary angle closure (PAC) or acute angle closure (AAC). Design Prospective, observational study. Participants Six hundred forty-three mainland Chinese with untreated PACS. Methods Participants underwent baseline clinical examinations, including gonioscopy, anterior segment OCT (AS-OCT) imaging, and A-scan ultrasound biometry as part of the Zhongshan Angle Closure Prevention (ZAP) Trial. Primary angle closure suspect was defined as an inability to visualize pigmented trabecular meshwork in 2 or more quadrants based on static gonioscopy. Primary angle closure was defined as development of intraocular pressure above 24 mmHg or peripheral anterior synechiae. Progression was defined as development of PAC or an AAC attack. Multivariable logistic regression models were developed to assess biometric risk factors for progression. Main Outcome Measures Six-year progression from PACS to PAC or AAC. Results Six hundred forty-three untreated eyes (609 nonprogressors, 34 progressors) of 643 participants were analyzed. In a multivariable model with continuous parameters, narrower horizontal angle opening distance of 500 μm from the scleral spur (AOD500; odds ratio [OR], 1.10 per 0.01-mm decrease; P = 0.03), flatter horizontal iris curvature (IC; OR, 1.96 per 0.1-mm decrease; P = 0.01), and older age (OR, 1.11 per 1-year increase; P = 0.01) at baseline were associated significantly with progression (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve [AUC], 0.73). Smaller cumulative gonioscopy score was not associated with progression (OR, 1.03 per 1-modified Shaffer grade decrease; P = 0.85) when replacing horizontal AOD500 in the multivariable model. In a separate multivariable model with categorical parameters, participants in the lowest quartile of horizontal AOD500 (OR, 3.10; P = 0.002) and IC (OR, 2.48; P = 0.014) measurements and 59 years of age or older (OR, 2.68; P = 0.01) at baseline showed higher odds of progression (AUC, 0.72). Conclusions Ocular biometric measurements can help to risk-stratify patients with early angle closure for more severe disease. Anterior segment OCT measurements of biometric parameters describing the angle and iris are predictive of progression from PACS to PAC or AAC, whereas gonioscopy grades are not.

Purpose : The association between visual impairment (VI) and the risk of dementia has been poorly understood. We sought to investigate the VI-dementia relationship in the UK Biobank Study. Design : Prospective cohort study Methods : A total of 117,187 volunteers (aged 40-69 years) deemed free of dementia at baseline were included. Habitual distance visual acuity worse than 0.3 logMAR units in the better-seeing eye was used to define VI. The incident dementia was based on electronically linked hospital inpatient and death records. Results : During a median follow up of 5.96 years, the presence of VI was significantly associated with incident dementia (HR=1.78, 95% CI: 1.18-2.68, P=0.006). There was a clear trend between the severity of VI and the risk of dementia (P for trend=0.002). Conclusions : We found VI was associated with increased risk of dementia, with a progressively greater risk among those with worse visual acuity. Our findings suggested that visual impairment might be a modifiable risk factor for dementia and highlighted the potential value of VI elimination to delay the manifestation of dementia.

In recent years, researchers have made a great success on the automatic classification and detection of malware utilizing machine learning methods. However, most machine learning based approaches over rely on the training samples such that a new malware family not belonging to the training set cannot be identified. To address such issue, we propose a soft relevance value (s-value), a new evaluating way of feature soft relevance that uses the mixed distance criterion to assess classified results. Specifically, we leverage the mixed distance criterion from pattern recognition to distinguish testing samples as a new family which is not labeled in training set. Finally, we evaluate how s-value can be used to distinguish and classify a new malware family with the malware datasets from the Research Prediction Competition of Microsoft Malware Classification Challenge and Windows (Kaggle). The experimental results show that, the train-ing time is approximately 12 hours, while the prediction time is only ∼0.5 second. Comparing against the Kaggle winner, our time costs for training and pprediction only occupy 16.7% and 3.8% of the winner.s time costs, respectively. The accuracy of classifying malware reaches 99.8%. Such results indicates that our proposed s-value achieves a balance in accuracy, training and prediction time, and outperforms the state-of-the-art machine learning based malware detection approaches. Besides, our method is able to identify new malware families that are not included in the training set.

In this paper, a lead-free halide perovskite CsCu2I3 film with high stability was prepared by the anti-solvent assisted crystallization method. Then, we coupled it with Ga2O3 to prepare a corresponding heterojunction deep ultraviolet (UV) photodetector. After testing, we concluded that the photodetector is sensitive to 254 nm UV light. The photodetector has good reproducibility, and has an ultra-high photo-to-dark current ratio (PDCR) of more than 105. In addition, under a bias of 10 V and an illuminated intensity of 200 μW/cm2, the responsivity (R) and specific detectivity (D*) reached 20 mA/W and 107 cm Hz1/2 W−1 (Jones), and the external quantum efficiency (EQE) is 10%. Meanwhile, the prepared photodetector could operate at zero bias, i.e., self-powered operation, along with a photocurrent of about 1 nA under illumination with UV light intensity of 200 μW/cm2.

Background and aim Autoantibody production are the main risk factors for inflammation of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This study aimed to investigate differences in B lymphocyte subsets (native B, memory B, and plasmablasts) and several cytokines in RA patients and their correlation with the clinical parameters. Methods In total, 81 RA patients (active RA and inactive RA) and 40 healthy subjects were recruited between September 2018 and October 2020. The distribution of B lymphocyte subsets in peripheral blood samples was measured via flow cytometry and the plasma cytokines were detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. The receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was used to evaluate the value of each index for RA diagnosis and activity prediction. Results The percentages of native B and memory B cells in RA patients did not differ significantly from the percentages of those in healthy controls. However, the percentage of plasmablasts in active RA patients was significantly higher compared with healthy subjects and inactive RA patients. The percentage of plasmablasts was significantly related to C reaction protein. ROC curve analysis showed that when the best cutoff value of plasmablasts/B cell was 1.08%, the area under the curve (AUC) for diagnosing RA was 0.831 (95% CI 0.748 ~ 0.915), the specificity was 91.4%, and the sensitivity was 67.5%. The AUC predicted by the combination of plasmablast and anti-CCP for active RA patients was 0.760, which was higher than that of plasmablast and anti-CCP. Conclusion In conclusion, the percentage of plasmablast varies among RA patients in different stages. The percentage of plasmablasts can be used as an early diagnosis marker for RA.

To prospectively study the influence of the volume of the uterine junctional zone (JZ) as a novel predictor of reproductive outcomes in frozen embryo transfer cycles.Among the first 30 patients, intra- and interobserver repeatability was evaluated and expressed as a coefficient of repeatability. The same classification system was used to evaluate the JZ of 142 infertility patients undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF). Ultrasonography was performed on the day before transplantation. The three-dimensional (3D) volume images were then analyzed to obtain the volume of the endometrium (EV), the average thickness of the JZ on the coronal plane, and the volume of the JZ (JZV). The JZV was then divided by the EV. These parameters were compared with the outcomes of clinical pregnancy.The 3D image showed that the JZ achieved a good intra- and interobserver consistency (k = 0.862, k = 0.694). The total pregnancy rate was 47%. There was a highly significant difference between pregnant and non-pregnant women with respect to age (p0.001), JZV (p = 0.003), and JZV/EV (p0.001) on the day before transplantation. Age and JZV/EV were independent factors for predicting the success of IVF transplantation (p = 0.010, p = 0.016). The area under the ROC curve of JZV/EV in predicting clinical pregnancy was 0.688, the cut-off value was 0.54, the sensitivity was 83.8%, and the specificity was 50.0%.Age and JZV/EV are independent factors for predicting the success of frozen embryo transfer cycles in IVF. A smaller JZV/EV was more beneficial for clinical pregnancy.ZIEL: Prospektive Untersuchung des Einflusses des Volumens der Junktionalzone (JZ) des Myometriums als neuartiger Prädiktor für den reproduktiven Outcome nach Transfer im Kryozyklus (Frozen-Embryo-Transfer, FET).Bei den ersten 30 Patientinnen wurde die Intra- und Interobserver-Reproduzierbarkeit bewertet und die Wiederholbarkeit als „Coefficient of Repeatability“ ausgedrückt. Dasselbe Klassifizierungssystem wurde zur Bewertung der JZ von 142 Patientinnen mit Infertilität verwendet, die sich einer In-vitro-Fertilisation (IVF) unterzogen. Die Ultraschalluntersuchung wurde am Tag vor dem Transfer durchgeführt. Die 3-dimensionalen (3D) Volumenbilder wurden anschließend analysiert, um das Endometriumvolumen (EV), die durchschnittliche Dicke der JZ in der koronalen Ebene und das JZ-Volumen (JZV) zu ermitteln. Die Ratio JZV/EV wurde berechnet. Diese Parameter wurden mit dem Ausgang der klinischen Schwangerschaft verglichen.Die 3D-Aufnahme zeigte, dass die JZ eine gute Intra- und Interobserver-Konsistenz erreichte (k=0,862; k=0,694). Die Schwangerschaftsrate betrug insgesamt 47%. Es gab einen hochsignifikanten Unterschied zwischen schwangeren und nicht schwangeren Frauen in Bezug auf Alter (p0,001), JZV (p = 0,003) und JZV/EV (p0,001) am Tag vor dem Transfer. Alter und JZV/EV waren unabhängige Faktoren für die Vorhersage des Erfolgs bei IVF-Transfer (p=0,010; p = 0,016). Die Fläche unter der ROC-Kurve von JZV/EV zur Vorhersage einer klinischen Schwangerschaft betrug 0,688, der Cut-off-Wert lag bei 0,54. Die Sensitivität betrug 83,8 % und die Spezifität 50,0%.Alter und JZV/EV sind unabhängige Faktoren für die Vorhersage eines erfolgreichen Transfers kryokonservierter Embryonen bei IVF. Eine geringere JZV/EV-Ratio war für eine klinische Schwangerschaft günstiger.

Background Lung cancer associated with cystic airspaces, especially solitary multicystic lesion lung cancer, is a rare disease (a rare imaging performance of non-small cell lung cancer). It is difficult to diagnose owing to the lack of a clear definition; therefore, diagnosis of these neoplastic lesions remains challenging. Case presentation We outlined two cases of elderly Chinese men who were admitted to the hospital with a solitary multicystic lesion of the lung and subsequent surgical resection, confirming a diagnosis of adenocarcinoma. Conclusions For solitary pulmonary cystic airspaces (especially solitary multicystic lung lesions), it is important to properly recognise their imaging features. Due to the possibility of malignancies, timely surgery is an effective treatment strategy for early diagnosis.

Ga2O3 is one of the most suitable semiconductor materials for performing deep UV photoelectric detection. In this work, a self-powered deep UV photodetector based on a Ga2O3/BFO heterojunction is fabricated via solution spin-coating and metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) methods. Without biasing driven, the device achieves an extreme low dark current ( ${I}_{dark}$ ) of 8.38 fA, a photo-to-dark current ratio ( PDCR ) of $1.66\times10$ 5, a high specific detectivity ( ${D} \ast $ ) of $6.1\times 10^{12}$ Jones and an open-circuit voltage ( ${V}_{\textit {oc}}$ ) of 0.55 V responding to deep UV irradiation (254 nm in this work). Through analyzing the band diagram of the heterojunction, the intrinsic physical characteristics of the photodetector are discussed. Results show that the photodetector has excellent deep UV signal detecting ability, indicating that Ga2O3/BFO heterojunction is a potential candidate for performing self-powered deep UV photodetection.

In the identification of which stages Alzheimer’s patients are in, the application of the medical imaging technology helps doctors give more accurate qualitative diagnoses. However, the existing research results are not effective enough in the acquisition of valuable information from medical images, nor can they make full use of other modal images that highlight different feature information. To this end, this paper studies the application of deep learning and brain images in the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s patients. First, the image preprocessing operations and the brain image registration process were explained in detail. Then, the image block generation process was given, and the degrees of membership to white matter, gray matter and cerebrospinal fluid were calculated, and the brain images were also preliminarily classified. Finally, a complete auxiliary diagnosis process for Alzheimer’s disease based on deep learning was provided, an improved sparse noise reduction auto-encoder network was constructed, and the brain image recognition and classification based on deep learning were completed. The experimental results verified the effectiveness of the constructed model.

Objective The overall prognosis of benign convulsions associated with mild gastroenteritis (CwG) is favorable, and the incidence of afebrile seizure recurrence with or without gastroenteritis (ASwGI and ASwoGI, respectively) is low. In this study we investigated the prognostic factors associated with afebrile seizure (AS) relapse after the first CwG episode. Methods A hospital-based cohort with an initial CwG episode from January 2012 to October 2019 was followed for at least 19 months. The relapse types were divided into ASwGI and ASwoGI. Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the independent prognostic factors for the recurrence of AS after the initial CwG episode. Furthermore, the clinical characteristics between ASwGI and ASwoGI were compared. Results Among the 868 patients enrolled, 67 (7.7%) experienced a second AS and 71% (48/67) showed gastroenteritis-associated recurrence. Except for five patients with subsequent epilepsy (0.6%), only eight (0.9%) experienced three seizure episodes. The independent predictive factors for the subsequent recurrence of AS were age less than 18 months at onset (odds ratio [OR]: 2.93, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.53-5.63), repeated seizures over 24 h (OR: 4.09, 95% CI: 2.19-7.65), and absence of fever (OR: 2.33, 95% CI: 1.26-4.33) during the first CwG episode. The probability of recurrence of AS for those with one, two, and three predictive factors was 3.23%, 13.35%, and 22.85%, respectively. In addition, the age at onset was significantly lower in the ASwoGI group than in the ASwGI group during the first episode (p Significance The risk of AS relapse after the initial CwG episode is low, and the majority of patients presented with gastroenteritis. The risk can be predicted by age at onset, repeated seizures over 24 h, and absence of fever during the first CwG episode.

In order to determine the relationship between socioeconomic deprivation and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)/nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), we retrospectively reviewed the electronic medical records of 1,430 patients in a large tertiary health care network in New York. These patients underwent liver biopsy over a 10-year period and were included in our study if they had evidence of NAFLD/NASH on liver biopsy. Zip codes were used to obtain data necessary to derive the social deprivation index (SDI) from the US Bureau of the Census. The high-SDI group was compared to the low-SDI group. Univariate and multivariate logistic regressions were performed to assess association between socioeconomic factors and NAFLD parameters, including presence of NASH (NAFLD activity score4), moderate to severe steatosis (33%), and significant fibrosis (S2-S4). We included 614 patients with NAFLD/NASH; the median SDI was 31.5. Hemoglobin A1c values were higher in the high-SDI group compared to the low-SDI group (6.46 vs. 6.12, P = 0.02). Socioeconomic factors, such as private versus public health care, percentage being foreign born, percentage without a car, percentage with higher needs (5 years old and65 years old), and percentage currently living in renter-occupied and crowded housing units, showed statistically significant associations in predicting NASH. After adjusting for patient age, sex, race, body mass index, and diabetes, we saw a significant association between four or more socioeconomic parameters in predicting NASH (odds ratio [OR], 1.71; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.099-2.856; P = 0.0190) and six or more socioeconomic parameters in predicting severe steatosis (OR, 1.498; 95% CI, 1.031-2.176; P = 0.0338) but no significant correlation between the number of socioeconomic parameters and significant fibrosis. Conclusion: Greater number of socioeconomic determinants (four or more) are associated with greater severity of NASH. Awareness of NAFLD/NASH needs to be raised in communities with high socioeconomic deprivation.

Background Population aging has been an emerging public and health concern globally. Balance performance can be applied as an indicator of functional status and a predictor of health outcomes in the elderly. However, reference data of balance performance in the elderly generated from large scale studies have been very limited. In research and geriatric assessment settings, the age and gender specific data on balance performance are indispensable prerequisites for identifying subpopulation with and at risk of impairments and subsequently implementing targeted interventions in clinics and public health to improve their balance performance. Methods A total of 1984 elderly subjects aged 60 to 97 years from community settings in urban China were investigated. The balance performances together with 3 individual domains and 16 items were evaluated using the X16 balance testing scale. Results In the elderly, with age increases each item, individual domain, and overall balance performance scores decreased gradually. Meanwhile, individual variations of individual domains and overall balance performance were all increased over age. Relative to levels of 60- years, postural stability and overall balance performance decreased significantly since 65 years old, static balance and dynamic balance capacities started to decrease significantly since 70 years old. There was no significant difference in each balance domain and overall balance performance between men and women. Across age groups, portions of individuals able to perform task 4, 8 and 11 successfully were the lowest amongst their corresponding domains static balance, postural stability, and dynamic balance, respectively. Similar patterns were observed in both men and women. Balance performances were categorized into poor, fair, and good groups with scores of 0 to 10, 11 to 17, and 18 to 20, respectively. With increases of age, proportions with poor and fair balance capacities elevated stably. Conclusions In the elderly, with advances in age, abilities of overall balance performance, individual domains of static balance, postural stability, and dynamic balance, and successful performances on specific tasks declined gradually and stably. The deterioration started to be obvious since 65–75 years. Men and women had similar patterns.

In cancer research, high-throughput profiling has been extensively conducted. In recent studies, the integrative analysis of data on multiple cancer patient groups/subgroups has been conducted. Such analysis has the potential to reveal the genomic commonality as well as difference across groups/subgroups. However, in the existing literature, methods with a special attention to the genomic commonality and difference are very limited. In this study, a novel estimation and marker selection method based on the sparse boosting technique is developed to address the commonality/difference problem. In terms of technical innovation, a new penalty and computation of increments are introduced. The proposed method can also effectively accommodate the grouping structure of covariates. Simulation shows that it can outperform direct competitors under a wide spectrum of settings. The analysis of two TCGA (The Cancer Genome Atlas) datasets is conducted, showing that the proposed analysis can identify markers with important biological implications and have satisfactory prediction and stability., 13 pages

BackgroundAs a neuroprogressive illness, depression is accompanied by brain structural abnormality that extends to many brain regions. However, the progressive structural alteration pattern remains unknown.MethodsTo elaborate the progressive structural alteration of depression according to illness duration, we recruited 195 never-treated first-episode patients with depression and 130 healthy controls (HCs) undergoing T1-weighted MRI scans. Voxel-based morphometry method was adopted to measure gray matter volume (GMV) for each participant. Patients were first divided into three stages according to the length of illness duration, then we explored stage-specific GMV alterations and the causal effect relationship between them using causal structural covariance network (CaSCN) analysis.ResultsOverall, patients with depression presented stage-specific GMV alterations compared with HCs. Regions including the hippocampus, the thalamus and the ventral medial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) presented GMV alteration at onset of illness. Then as the illness advanced, others regions began to present GMV alterations. These results suggested that GMV alteration originated from the hippocampus, the thalamus and vmPFC then expanded to other brain regions. The results of CaSCN analysis revealed that the hippocampus and the vmPFC corporately exerted causal effect on regions such as nucleus accumbens, the precuneus and the cerebellum. In addition, GMV alteration in the hippocampus was also potentially causally related to that in the dorsolateral frontal gyrus.ConclusionsConsistent with the neuroprogressive hypothesis, our results reveal progressive morphological alteration originating from the vmPFC and the hippocampus and further elucidate possible details about disease progression of depression.

A real-time operating system (RTOS) is an operating system designed to meet certain real-time requirements. It is widely used in embedded applications, and its correctness is safety-critical. However, the validation of RTOS is challenging due to its complex real-time features and large code base. In this paper, we propose Rtkaller , a state-aware kernel fuzzer for the vulnerability detection in RTOS. First, Rtkaller implements an automatic task initialization to transform the syscall sequences into initial tasks with more real-time information. Then, a coverage-guided task mutation is designed to generate those tasks that explore more in-depth real-time related code for parallel execution. Moreover, Rtkaller realizes a task modification to correct those tasks that may hang during fuzzing. We evaluated it on recent versions of rt-Linux, which is one of the most widely used RTOS. Compared to the state-of-the-art kernel fuzzers Syzkaller and Moonshine, Rtkaller achieves the same code coverage at the speed of 1.7X and 1.6X, gains an increase of 26.1% and 22.0% branch coverage within 24 hours respectively. More importantly, Rtkaller has confirmed 28 previously unknown vulnerabilities that are missed by other fuzzers.

AimsTo examine independent and interactive associations of ophthalmic and systemic conditions with incident dementia.MethodsOur analysis included 12 364 adults aged 55–73 years from the UK Biobank cohort. Participants were assessed between 2006 and 2010 at baseline and were followed up until the early of 2021. Incident dementia was ascertained using hospital inpatient, death records and self-reported data.ResultsOver 1 263 513 person-years of follow-up, 2304 cases of incident dementia were documented. The multivariable-adjusted HRs (95% CI) for dementia associated with age-related macular degeneration (AMD), cataract, diabetes-related eye disease (DRED) and glaucoma at baseline were 1.26 (1.05 to 1.52), 1.11 (1.00 to 1.24), 1.61 (1.30 to 2.00) and (1.07 (0.92 to 1.25), respectively. Diabetes, heart disease, stroke and depression at baseline were all associated with an increased risk of dementia. Of the combination of AMD and a systemic condition, AMD-diabetes was associated with the highest risk for incident dementia (HR (95% CI): 2.73 (1.79 to 4.17)). Individuals with cataract and a systemic condition were 1.19–2.29 times more likely to develop dementia compared with those without cataract and systemic conditions. The corresponding number for DRED and a systemic condition was 1.50–3.24. Diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, depression and stroke newly identified during follow-up mediated the association between cataract and incident dementia as well as the association between DRED and incident dementia.ConclusionsAMD, cataract and DRED but not glaucoma are associated with an increased risk of dementia. Individuals with both ophthalmic and systemic conditions are at higher risk of dementia compared with those with an ophthalmic or systemic condition only.

Background Primary tumor resection (PTR) as a treatment option for patients with stage IV pancreatic cancer (PC) is controversial. Patients and methods Stage IV PC patients, with treatment data from the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER), were screened. The main outcomes were overall survival (OS) and cancer‐specific survival (CSS). Results We enrolled 15,836 stage IV PC patients in this study. Propensity score‐matched analyses revealed improved OS and CSS of patients receiving chemotherapy plus PTR versus chemotherapy (median survival time [MSTOS]: 13 vs. 9 months, p = 0.024; MSTCSS: 14 vs. 10 months, p = 0.035), and chemoradiotherapy plus PTR versus chemoradiotherapy (MSTOS: 14 vs. 7 months, p = 0.044; MSTCSS: 14 vs. 7 months, p = 0.066). Multivariate adjusted analyses further confirmed these results. Stratified with different metastatic modalities, multivariate analyses suggested that PTR significantly improved the OS and CSS among patients with ≤1 metastatic organ, and that patients with brain metastasis might not benefit from chemotherapy treatment. Conclusion PTR improves the OS and CSS of stage IV PC patients on the basis of chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy, provided that the metastases involve ≤1 organ. Chemotherapy, however, should be carefully considered in patients with metastases involving the brain., Primary site resection should be recommended for stage IV pancreatic cancer patients, provided that synchronous chemotherapy/chemoradiotherapy was administrated. Chemotherapy, however, may not bring survival benefits for those with brain metastases.

In this work, a Si-doped $\beta $ -Ga2O3 trench Schottky photodiode has been designed and fabricated. This photodiode works as a dual-mode solar-blind ultraviolet sensor with a photo-to-dark current ratio (PDCR) of $3.93\times 10 ^{5}$ , a responsivity (R) of 152.63 A/W, an external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 74653%, rise and decay time of 0.06 s and 0.06 s, under the irradiation of 254 nm ultraviolet light with intensity of $200~\mu \text{W}\cdot $ cm−2. Moreover, it has the potential to be a self-powered photodetector at zero bias. In general, this trench Schottky contact design has a good developing prospect in the field of ultraviolet solar-blind detection with high performances.

Background Protein phosphatase magnesium-dependent 1 delta (PPM1D), also referred to as wild-type p53-induced phosphatase 1 (Wip1) or protein phosphatase 2C delta (PP2Cδ), is an oncogenic nuclear serine/threonine phosphatase belonging to the PP2C family. However, the knowledge regarding PPM1D mRNA expression, tumor immunity, and the prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is scanty. Methods We analyzed PPM1D, including its expression in both the normal and tumor tissue using the Sangerbox database and Tumor Immune Estimation Resource (TIMER). We evaluated its correlation with prognosis in different tumor types by the Kaplan-Meier plotter and Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA). The correlations between PPM1D and the cancer immune infiltrates were determined using TIMER. The correlations between PPM1D expression and gene marker sets of the immune infiltrates were established by both the TIMER and GEPIA. Immunohistochemistry was performed to detect the expression of Wip1 protein encoded by PPM1D in HCC, and the relationship between Wip1 expression and the prognosis of HCC were analyzed. Results We found out that PPM1D mRNA expression was significantly higher in several human cancers, including HCC, than in the corresponding normal human tissues. The PPM1D mRNA high expression in HCC was significantly correlated with poor prognosis. The expression was associated with progression-free survival (PFS) in multiple HCC patients' cohorts (PFS HR = 1.5, P = 0.0066). This was especially in early stage (stage 1) and AJCC_T 1 of HCC. Besides, PPM1D mRNA expression indicated a positive correlation with tumor-infiltrating Monocytes, tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs), M1 Macrophage, M2 Macrophage, dendritic cells (DCs), T-helper (Th) and Treg. Wip1 was higher in HCC than paracancerous tissue. High expression of Wip1 was associated with poor prognosis of HCC. Conclusion Our findings suggested that PPM1D mRNA is critical in activating tumor immunity. Besides, they implied that PPM1D could be a potential prognostic biomarker for cancer progression. Moreover, it correlated with tumor immune cell infiltration in HCC.

The accumulation of soluble β-amyloid aggregates (sAβs) is one of the main culprits in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) progression, which can lead to synaptic dysfunction and subsequent neurodegeneration....

Objective To describe the secular trends in comorbidities and postoperative complications of geriatric hip fracture patients from the Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital Hip Fracture Cohort between 2000 and 2019. Methods We included 2,805 hip fracture patients aged 65 years or older and received surgical treatment from 25 January 2000 to 19 December 2019. Demographic characteristics, comorbidities, postoperative complications, length of hospital stay, and the time to surgery were extracted and examined in each 5‐year period based on the admission year, namely 2000–2004, 2005–2009, 2010–2014, and 2015–2019. Categorical data were analyzed by chi‐squared or Fisher's exact test, with ordinal data by row mean scores difference test and continuous data by one‐way analysis of variance. Trends in comorbidities and postoperative complications were examined by the Cochran–Armitage trend test. Results The average age of the included population was 79.1 ± 7.3 years (mean ± standard deviation), and 69.1% were female. From 2000 to 2019, the proportion of females increased from 59.8% to 73.0% (P for trend, Trends in comorbidities of geriatric hip fracture patients increased from 2000 to 2019 in the PLA General Hospital, mainly for cardiovascular disease burden, hypertension, and type 2 diabetes. Improving concepts and practices of clinical interventions may help reduce postoperative complications, whereas challenges in the management of comorbidities increase.

Background The serum surfactant protein D (SP-D) level is suggested to be a useful biomarker for acute lung injuries and acute respiratory distress syndrome. Whether the serum SP-D level could identify the severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the early stage has not been elucidated. Methods We performed an observational study on 39 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 patients from The Fourth People’s Hospital of Yiyang, Hunan, China. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, correlation analysis, and multivariate logistic regression model analysis were performed. Results In the acute phase, the serum levels of SP-D were elevated significantly in severe COVID-19 patients than in mild cases (mean value ± standard deviation (SD), 449.7 ± 125.8 vs 245.9 ± 90.0 ng/mL, PPP = 0.011), while markedly lower in the recovery period than those in the acute phase (median value, 2.0 vs 9.0, PP = 0.047), while positively correlated with CRP (r = 0.658, PP = 0.002), the duration of nucleic acid of throat swab turning negative (r = 0.668, PPP = 0.008). Multivariate logistic regression model analysis showed that age (P = 0.041, OR = 1.093) and SP-D (P = 0.008, OR = 1.018) were risk factors for severe COVID-19. Conclusions Elevated serum SP-D level was a potential biomarker for the severity of COVID-19; this may be useful in identifying patients whose condition worsens at an early stage.

PURPOSE: To assess anatomic changes after laser peripheral iridotomy (LPI) and predictors of angle widening based on anterior segment (AS) OCT and angle opening based on gonioscopy. DESIGN: Prospective observational study. PARTICIPANTS: Primary angle-closure suspects (PACSs) 50 to 70 years of age. METHODS: Participants of the Zhongshan Angle Closure Prevention (ZAP) Trial underwent gonioscopy and AS-OCT imaging at baseline and 2 weeks after LPI. Primary angle-closure suspect was defined as the inability to visualize pigmented trabecular meshwork in 2 or more quadrants on static gonioscopy. Laser peripheral iridotomy was performed on 1 eye per patient in superior (between 11 and 1 o'clock) or temporal or nasal locations (at or below 10:30 or 1:30 o'clock). Biometric parameters in horizontal and vertical AS-OCT scans were measured and averaged. Linear and logistic regression modeling were performed to determine predictors of angle widening, defined as change in mean angle opening distance measured at 750 μm from the scleral spur (AOD750); poor angle widening, defined as the lowest quintile of change in mean AOD750; and poor angle opening, defined as residual PACS after LPI based on gonioscopy. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Anatomic changes and predictors of angle widening and opening after LPI. RESULTS: Four hundred fifty-four patients were included in the analysis. Two hundred nineteen underwent superior LPI and 235 underwent temporal or nasal LPI. Significant changes were found among most biometric parameters (P < 0.006) after LPI, including greater AOD750 (P < 0.001). One hundred twenty eyes (26.4%) showed residual PACS after LPI. In multivariate regression analysis, superior LPI location (P = 0.004), smaller AOD750 (P < 0.001), and greater iris curvature (P < 0.001), were predictive of greater angle widening. Temporal or nasal LPI locations (odds ratio [OR], 2.60, P < 0.001) was predictive of poor angle widening. Smaller mean gonioscopy grade (OR, 0.34, 1-grade increment) was predictive of poor angle opening. CONCLUSIONS: Superior LPI location results in significantly greater angle widening compared with temporal or nasal locations in a Chinese population with PACS. This supports consideration of superior LPI locations to optimize anatomic changes after LPI.

Cross-societal differences in cooperation and trust among strangers in the provision of public goods may be key to understanding how societies are managing the COVID-19 pandemic. We report a survey conducted across 41 societies between March and May 2020 (N = 34,526), and test pre-registered hypotheses about how cross-societal differences in cooperation and trust relate to prosocial COVID-19 responses (e.g., social distancing), stringency of policies, and support for behavioral regulations (e.g., mandatory quarantine). We further tested whether cross-societal variation in institutions and ecologies theorized to impact cooperation were associated with prosocial COVID-19 responses, including institutional quality, religiosity, and historical prevalence of pathogens. We found substantial variation across societies in prosocial COVID-19 responses, stringency of policies, and support for behavioral regulations. However, we found no consistent evidence to support the idea that cross-societal variation in cooperation and trust among strangers is associated with these outcomes related to the COVID-19 pandemic. These results were replicated with another independent cross-cultural COVID-19 dataset (N = 112,136), and in both snowball and representative samples. We discuss implications of our results, including challenging the assumption that managing the COVID-19 pandemic across societies is best modeled as a public goods dilemma.

BACKGROUND At present, the value of lipid indicators in evaluating the prognosis of colorectal cancer is still relatively limited. AIM To evaluate the value of a novel parameter for colorectal cancer (CRC) prognosis scoring based on preoperative serum lipid levels. METHODS Four key serum lipid factors, namely, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), apolipoprotein A1 (ApoA1), and apolipoprotein B (ApoB), were detected. Two representative ratios, HDL-C-LDL-C ratio (HLR) and ApoA1-ApoB ratio (ABR) were calculated. The relationship of these parameters with the prognosis of CRC patients including progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) was analyzed by Kaplan-Meier plot and Cox proportional hazards regression. A novel lipoprotein cholesterol-apolipoprotein (LA) score based on HLR and ABR was established and its value in prognosis evaluation for CRC patients was explored. RESULTS Multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis of PFS and OS showed that HDL-C, ApoA1, HLR, and ABR were positively associated with the prognosis of CRC patients. LA score was independently associated with a good prognosis in resectable CRC patients. Data processing of a dummy variable showed that the prognosis of patients with higher LA scores is better than that with lower LA scores. CONCLUSION The newly established LA score might serve as a better predictor of the prognosis of resectable CRC patients.

Working in collaboration with an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle is a new working method for divers. Using gestures to give instructions for the diver is a simple and effective mode of underwater human–robot interaction (HRI). In this paper, a gestures tracking method for under human–robot interaction based on fuzzy control is proposed. Firstly, four object recognition algorithms in terms of gesture recognition are compared. YOLO V4-tiny was an extremely high performance, as the gesture area recognition algorithm. We propose a model based on Siamese Network for gesture classification. A gesture tracking method based on fuzzy control is proposed, analyzing the image from AUV front camera to establish a 3D fuzzy rule set. This method can realize the self-regulation of AUV and keep the diver's gestures in the camera view. The experiment result shows the efficiency of the proposed method.

For the interaction between marine robots and divers in the underwater environment, a method of diver’s gesture recognition and segmentation is proposed. This method first uses the progressive growing training method to optimize the generative adversarial networks, generating high-resolution images with complex content. Then, we use the generative adversarial network model as a data augmentation method and generate high-resolution images. We make the masks of gestures in the new dataset and use the mask R-CNN algorithm for gesture recognition and gesture segmentation. The experimental results show that the generating data improves the accuracy of several object recognition algorithms but cannot completely replace the original data and the mean average precision of gesture recognition is 0.85. The visualization shows the validity and weakness of segmentation.

Data of the train communication network(TCN) is becoming more complicated, which results in higher requirements of the data processing unit-the multifunction vehicle bus controller (MVBC) connected within the TCN. Developing an MVBC is challenging because of the integrated hardware-software solutions to support reactions in real time and dynamic environment. Hence, there is an urgent need for a rigorous design framework to facilitate the development of MVBC. In this paper, we propose a design framework TooMVBC to generate executable MVBC code from formal verified computation model. TooMVBC uses formal computation model MVBChart to capture the specification of the MVBC at high level. First, primitive syntax of MVBChart is designed to model MVBC features ( e.g. hierarchy structure, data flow of the encoder, the control logic of communication protocol), and semantics of MVBChart is formalized for simulation and verification. Then, semantics-preserving code generation algorithms are designed to generate VHDL code for partitioned hardware implementations and C code for partitioned software implementations from verified MVBChart model. The generated code can be loaded into the proposed flexible MVBC hardware architecture directly. Finally, supporting graphical model editor, simulator, verification translator, partitioning and code generator are implemented and seamlessly integrated into TooMVBC . When we apply TooMVBC to design MVBC with the highest class 5 according to the description of the standard IEC 61375, several critical ambiguousness or bugs in the standard are detected during formal verification of the constructed system model.

Purpose Numerous studies have applied a variety of methods to assess paraspinal muscle degeneration. However, the methodological differences in imaging evaluation may lead to imprecise or inconsistent results. This article aimed to provide a pragmatic summary review of the current imaging modalities, measurement protocols, and imaging parameters in the evaluation of paraspinal muscle fat infiltration (FI) in MRI studies. Methods Web of Science, EMBASE, and PubMed were searched from January 2005 to March 2020 to identify studies that examined the FI of paraspinal muscles on MRI among patients with lumbar degenerative diseases. Results Intramyocellular lipids measured by magnetic resonance spectroscopy and FI measured by chemical‐shift MRI were both correlated to low back pain and several degenerative lumbar diseases, whereas results on the relationship between FI and degenerative lumbar pathologies using conventional MRI were conflicting. Multi‐segment measurement of FI at the lesion segment and adjacent segments could be a prognostic indicator for lumbar surgery. Most studies adopted the center of the intervertebral disc or endplate as the level of slice to evaluate the FI. Compared with visual semiquantitative assessment, quantitative parameters appeared to be precise for eliminating individual or modality differences. It has been demonstrated that fat CSA/total CSA (based on area) and muscle–fat index (based on signal intensity) as quantitative FI parameters are associated with multiple lumbar diseases and clinical outcomes after surgery. Conclusion Having a good command of the methodology of paraspinal muscle FI on MRI was effective for diagnosis and prognosis in clinical practice., Heterogeneity in assessing the paraspinal muscle fat infiltration exists in imaging modalities, measurement protocols (including measured level and slices, region of interest definition, and fat detection methods), and imaging parameters (semiquantitative and quantitative parameters).

Background COVID-19 can lead to increased psychological symptoms such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety among patients with COVID-19. Based on the previous mindfulness-based interventions proved to be effective, this protocol reports a design of a randomized controlled trial aiming to explore the efficacy and possible mechanism of a mindful living with challenge (MLWC) intervention developed for COVID-19 survivors in alleviating their psychological problems caused by both the disease and the pandemic. Methods In April 2021, more than 1600 eligible participants from Hubei Province of China will be assigned 1:1 to an online MLWC intervention group or a waitlist control group. All participants will be asked to complete online questionnaires at baseline, post-program, and 3-month follow-up. The differences of mental health status (e.g. PTSD) and physical symptoms including fatigue and sleeplessness between the COVID-19 survivors who receiving the online MLWC intervention and the control group will be assessed. In addition, the possible mediators and moderators of the link between the MLWC intervention and target outcomes will be evaluated by related verified scales, such as the Five Facets Mindfulness Questionnaire. Data will be analyzed based on an intention-to-treat approach, and SPSS software will be used to perform statistical analysis. Discussion The efficacy and potential mechanism of MLWC intervention in improving the quality of life and psychological status of COVID-19 survivors in China are expected to be reported. Findings from this study will shed light on a novel and feasible model in improving the psychological well-being of people during such public health emergencies. Trial registration Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR), ChiCTR2000037524; Registered on August 29, 2020, http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=60034.

Background: Rolling mill vibration has become one of the most widespread and unsolved problems in the rolling industry, which is called "Ghost" vibration. The research on the starting mechanism, vibration characteristics and vibration suppression measures of high-speed tandem rolling mill has always been a hotspot and difficult point in the field of rolling at home and abroad. However, up to now, the research on rolling mill vibration has not formed a relatively complete and widely accepted theoretical system, experimental means and solutions. In production, vibration is often controlled by experience and test, which has a high cost and low efficiency. Methods: In this paper, the research history and achievements of vibration phenomena, vibration mechanism, the stability of the rolling process and vibration control theory of high-speed tandem rolling mill in recent years are summarized. The aim is to reveal the mechanism of rolling mill vibration in the continuous rolling process, the mechanism of rolling mill non-linear vibration instability and its changing law, and to explore the optimization of rolling process and the control method of rolling mill structure so as to improve the rolling process. Results: The evolution of non-linear random torsional / bending vibration and its transfer mechanism to the space coupling vibration of the roll system, the unsteady dynamic friction characteristics of the rolling interface and the mechanism of induced roll chatter, and the non-linear random dynamic behavior of the space coupling vibration of the roll system are revealed. Conclusion: The stability of the rolling process can realize the research and development of highend products considering the stability of the rolling process, and also provide a reference for further research by industry experts.

Depression associated with structural brain abnormalities is hypothesized to be related with accelerated brain aging. However, there is far from a unified conclusion because of clinical variations such as medication status, cumulative illness burden. To explore whether brain age is accelerated in never‐treated first‐episode patients with depression and its association with clinical characteristics, we constructed a prediction model where gray matter volumes measured by voxel‐based morphometry derived from T1‐weighted MRI scans were treated as features. The prediction model was first validated using healthy controls (HCs) in two Chinese Han datasets (Dataset 1, N = 130 for HCs and N = 195 for patients with depression; Dataset 2, N = 270 for HCs) separately or jointly, then the trained prediction model using HCs (N = 400) was applied to never‐treated first‐episode patients with depression (N = 195). The brain‐predicted age difference (brain‐PAD) scores defined as the difference between predicted brain age and chronological age, were calculated for all participants and compared between patients with age‐, gender‐, educational level‐matched HCs in Dataset 1. Overall, patients presented higher brain‐PAD scores suggesting patients with depression having an “older” brain than expected. More specially, this difference occurred at illness onset (illness duration 2 years) in patients. This phenomenon was verified by another data‐driven method and significant correlation between brain‐PAD scores and illness duration in patients. Our results reveal that accelerated brain aging occurs at illness onset and suggest it is a stage‐dependent phenomenon in depression., With the help of prediction model built with two independent datasets, we found stage‐specially accelerated brain aging in patients with depression according to illness duration. Our results reveal that accelerated brain aging occurs at illness onset and suggest it is a stage‐dependent phenomenon in depression.

Thin-film architectures are a staple in a wide range of technologies, such as semiconductor devices, optical coatings, magnetic recording, solar cells and batteries. Despite the industrial success of thin-film technology, mostly due to the easy fabrication and low cost, a fundamental drawback remains: it is challenging to alter the features of the film once fabricated. Here we report a methodology to modify the thickness and sequence of the innermost solid-state thin-film layers. We start with a thin-film stack of amorphous iron oxide and silver. By applying a suitable voltage bias and then reversing it, we can float the silver layer above or below the oxide layer by virtue of the migration of silver atoms. Scanning transmission electron microscopy reveals various sequences and thicknesses of the silver and oxide layers achieved with different experimental conditions. As a proof-of-principle, we show a dynamic change of structural colours of the stack derived from this process. Our results may offer opportunities to dynamically reconfigure thin-film-based functional nanodevices in situ.

Background Bile acid metabolism is a contributing factor that promotes cholelithiasis. Recent studies have suggested novel roles of leptin in the formation of gallbladder stones (GS); however, no evidence confirmed the function of leptin in the formation of primary intrahepatic bile duct stones (PIBDS) . In the current study, the liver tissues of patients with GS and PIBDS were collected to check the mRNA and protein expression levels of BSEP. Methods L02 cells stimulated with leptin were served for the expression of OB-Rb, AMPKα2, and BSEP by quantitative-polymerase chain reaction (q-PCR), Western blot, and immunohistochemistry, respectively. Results The results showed that the level of serum leptin was higher in the GS group than in the control and PIBDS groups. Compared with the control group, the expression levels of OB-Rb, p-AMPKa2, and BSEP decreased significantly in the GS and PIBDS groups. In vitro, compared with the control cells, the protein levels of OB-Rb, p-AMPKa2, and BSEP increased in the L02 cells cultured with leptin. However, these enhancements disappeared when the cells were co-cultured with leptin plus Compound C. Conclusion The present results suggest that cholelithiasis, especially the formation of PIBDS, was connected with leptin, which could regulate bile acid metabolism through the OB-Rb/AMPKa2/BSEP signaling pathway.

Deep learning is increasingly applied to safety-critical application domains such as autonomous cars and medical devices. It is of significant importance to ensure their reliability and robustness. In this paper, we propose DLFuzz, the coverage guided differential adversarial testing framework to guide deep learing systems exposing incorrect behaviors. DLFuzz keeps minutely mutating the input to maximize the neuron coverage and the prediction difference between the original input and the mutated input, without manual labeling effort or cross-referencing oracles from other systems with the same functionality. We also design multiple novel strategies for neuron selection to improve the neuron coverage. The incorrect behaviors obtained by DLFuzz are then exploited for retraining and improving the dependability of the models. We present empirical evaluations on two well-known data-sets to demonstrate its effectiveness. Compared with DeepXplore, the state-of-the-art deep learning white-box testing framework, DLFuzz does not require extra efforts to find similar functional deep learning systems for cross-referencing check. But DLFuzz could generate $338.59\%$ more adversarial inputs with $89.82\%$ smaller perturbations, while maintaining the identities of the original inputs. DLFuzz also managed to averagely obtain $2.86\%$ higher neuron coverage, and save $20.11\%$ time consumption with respect to DeepXplore. We then evaluate the effectiveness of strategies for neuron selection, and demonstrated that all these strategies perform better than DeepXplore. Finally, DLFuzz proved to be able to improve the accuracy of deep learning systems by incorporating these adversarial inputs to retrain.

Melanotic neuroectodermal tumor of infancy (MNTI) is a rare, benign neoplasm with a predilection for children that predominantly involves the craniofacial region. Here we report 2 cases of MNTI involving epididymis, placing emphasis on the sonographic features. Both appeared to be hypoechoic, regular shaped masses with abundant blood supplies. The unique sonographic features and age of predilection make it possible to diagnose MNTI within the scrotum by ultrasonography.

Purpose Recent spacecraft attitude control systems tend to use wireless communication for cost-saving and distributed mission purposes while encountering limited communication resources and data exposure issues. This paper aims to study the attitude control problem with low communication frequency under the sampled-data. Design/methodology/approach The authors propose constructive control system structures based on quantization and event-triggered methods for intra-spacecraft and multi-spacecraft systems, and they also provide potential solutions to shield the control system's data security. The proposed control architectures can effectively save communication resources for both intra-spacecraft and multi-spacecraft systems. Findings The proposed control architectures no longer require sensors with trigger-ing mechanism and can achieve distributed control schemes. This paper also provides proposals of employing the public key encryption to secure the data in control-loop, which is transmitted by the event-triggered control mechanism. Practical implications Spacecraft attempts to use wireless communication, yet the attitude control system does not follow up promptly to accommodate these variations. Compared with existing approaches, the proposed control structures can save communication resources of control-loop in multi-sections effectively, and systematically, by rationally configuring the location of quantization and event-triggered mechanisms. Originality/value This paper presents several new control schemes and a necessary condition for the employment of encryption algorithms for control systems based on event-based communication.

Current studies on circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) have been focusing on its potential as biomarkers in liquid biopsy by detecting its content or genetic and epigenetic changes for the evaluation of tumor burden and therapeutic efficacy. However, the regulatory mechanism of cfDNA release remains unclear. Stat3 has been documented as an oncogene for the development and metastasis of breast cancer cells. In this study, we investigated whether Stat3 affects the release of cfDNA into blood and its association with the number of circulating tumor cells (CTCs). The cfDNA level in plasma of patients with breast cancer and healthy volunteers were determined by quantitative real-time PCR. Three mouse breast cancer models with different Stat3 expression were generated and used to established three breast cancer orthotopic animal models to examine the effect of Stat3 on cfDNA release in vivo. Stat3 mediated Epithelial-mesenchymal phenotype transition of CTCs was determined by immunofluorescence assay and Western blot assay. The data showed that Stat3 increased circulating cfDNA, which is correlated with the increased volume of primary tumors and number of CTCs, accompanied with the dynamic EMT changes regulated by Snail induction. Furthermore, the high level of total circulating cfDNA and Stat3-cfDNA in patients with breast cancer were detected by quantitative real-time PCR using GAPDH and Stat3 primers. Our results suggested that Stat3 increases the circulating cfDNA and CTCs in breast cancer.

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text., Background and aims Liver chemistry abnormalities (LCA) are common in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), but their causes and clinical impact have not been adequately studied. We assessed the associations between LCA and clinical characteristics, inflammatory serum markers, in-hospital mortality. Methods Ten thousand eight hundred fifty-six adult patients with COVID-19 hospitalized in 13 hospitals in New York (1 March to 27 April 2020) were analyzed retrospectively. Abnormalities of liver chemistries [aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, or total bilirubin] were defined as absent, mild-moderate (at least one value up to four times elevated), or severe. Results LCA were mild-moderate in 63.9% and severe in 7.6% at admission. Risk factors for severe LCA were male sex and chronic liver disease. Conversely, hypertension and diabetes mellitus were less likely associated with severe LCA. AST elevation correlated weakly to modestly with inflammatory markers. On adjusted analysis, in-hospital mortality was 1.56 times and 1.87 times increased in patients with mild-to-moderate and severe LCA, respectively. Diabetes, hypertension, male sex, and age greater than 60 years was associated with incremental risk of mortality with increase severity of LCA, especially in the first week of hospitalization. HTN was not associated with increased in-hospital mortality unless LCA was present. Conclusion Increasing severity of LCA on hospital admission predicts early in-hospital mortality in COVID-19 patients. Mortality associated with the known risk factors, hypertension, diabetes, male sex, and old age was accentuated in the presence of LCA. AST correlated modestly with inflammatory markers.

Innovation training in engineering is an important facet of technical education in universities across China. Robotics training is a new course that has been developed using an informatization-based engineering training system at the Engineering Innovation Practice Center of the Harbin Institute of Technology. In this study, we propose a pedagogical method that combines virtual and on-site modes of teaching. Feedback obtained from students enrolled in the course showed a positive response to it. They claimed that they gained valuable knowledge from it that enabled them to carry out the relevant tasks in a better manner and more quickly. The feasibility of the proposed scheme was verified by a virtual simulation.

The current evidence regarding the prevalence of subclinical carotid atherosclerosis (SCA) for people living with HIV(PLWH) is inconsistent. In this study, we aimed to synthesize data on the prevalence and association of SCA patients with HIV infection. We searched PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Medline, SinoMed, and CNKI from inception to March 2, 2020. The pooled proportion, odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. For inclusion, SCA was measured by carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), with a B-mode ultrasound machine. Twenty-six studies consisting of 6590 participants were identified. The overall prevalence of SCA was 31.6% (95% CI 13.4‐53.3; I2 = 99%; 4 studies) according to CIMT ≥ 0.78 mm criteria, and 32.3% (19.6‐46.4; 97%; 10 studies) according to CIMT ≥ 0.90 mm criteria. SCA prevalence was higher in Europe, over 40 years old and male. What’s more, PLWH have a higher likelihood of developing SCA comorbidity than HIV-negative controls (pooled OR 2.66, 95% CI 1.57‐4.50, I2 = 74%; 9 studies), even after sensitivity analysis (pooled OR 2.58, 1.54‐4.31, 73%). This study suggests a high prevalence and risk of SCA in the global population with HIV. As a result, subclinical carotid atherosclerosis deserves more attention from policymakers, HIV health-care providers, researchers, and stakeholders.