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Stochastic geometry has emerged as a powerful tool for modeling cellular networks, especially in dense deployment scenarios where inter-cell interference is significant. Previous studies have extensively analyzed multi-antenna systems with partial channel state information at the transmitter (CSIT) using stochastic geometry models. However, most of these works assume the use of infinite-resolution analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) at the receivers. Recent advances in low-resolution ADCs, such as one-bit ADCs, offer an energy-efficient alternative for millimeter-wave systems, but the interplay between limited feedback and one-bit ADCs remains underexplored in such networks. This paper addresses this gap by analyzing the optimal feedback rate that maximizes net spectral efficiency in dense cellular networks, modeled using stochastic geometry, with both limited feedback and one-bit ADC receivers. We introduce an approximation of the achievable spectral efficiency to derive a differentiable expression of the optimal feedback rate. The results show that while the scaling behavior of the optimal feedback rate with respect to the channel coherence time remains unaffected by the ADC's resolution, the absolute values are significantly lower for one-bit ADCs compared to infinite-resolution ADCs. Simulation results confirm the accuracy of our theoretical approximations and demonstrate the impact of ADC resolution on feedback rate optimization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives The number of people with memory problems who desire or are forced to age in place has been growing rapidly. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has brought significant challenges to the ability of those with memory problems to stay active and age in place. This study investigated the roles of neighborhood environments in helping community-dwelling people with memory problems maintain physical activity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Research Design and Methods We used retrospective online survey data from 75 caregivers who responded on behalf of their care recipients with memory problems living in Texas communities. We used difference-in-difference (DID) estimations based on zero-inflated negative binomial regression models to examine the changes in recreational walking and moderate-to-strenuous exercise before and during the COVID-19 pandemic and whether such changes vary by diversity of walkable neighborhood destinations. Results In the total sample, there was a significant reduction in both recreational walking (Δ change = −45.16 min/week, p  < .001) and exercise (Δ change = −36.28 min/week, p  = .03) after the COVID-19 outbreak. The pandemic's impact on exercise varied by diversity of neighborhood destinations (DID = 0.81, p  = .03). Those living in neighborhoods with diverse walkable destinations experienced less decline in physical activity compared to those living in areas with limited destinations. Discussion and Implications These findings suggest that the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on physical activity among people with memory problems may be partially explained by neighborhood land-use characteristics. Destination-rich, mixed-use neighborhood environments can help people with memory problems stay active even during pandemics such as COVID-19 in the United States and potentially elsewhere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the introduction of deep learning, a significant amount of research has been conducted in the field of computer vision in the past decade. In particular, research on object detection (OD) continues to progress rapidly. However, despite these advances, some limitations need to be overcome to enable real-world applications of deep learning-based OD models. One such limitation is inaccurate OD when image quality is poor or a target object is small. The performance degradation phenomenon for small objects is similar to the fundamental limitations of an OD model, such as the constraint of the receptive field, which is a difficult problem to solve using only an OD model. Therefore, OD performance can be hindered by low image quality or small target objects. To address this issue, this study investigates the compatibility of super-resolution (SR) and OD techniques to improve detection, particularly for small objects. We analyze the combination of SR and OD models, classifying them based on architectural characteristics. The experimental results show a substantial improvement when integrating OD detectors with SR models. Overall, it was demonstrated that, when the evaluation metrics (PSNR, SSIM) of the SR models are high, the performance in OD is correspondingly high as well. Especially, evaluations on the MS COCO dataset reveal that the enhancement rate for small objects is 9.4% higher compared to all objects. This work provides an analysis of SR and OD model compatibility, demonstrating the potential benefits of their synergistic combination. The experimental code can be found on our GitHub repository. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three-dimensional microextrusion bioprinting technology uses pneumatics, pistons, or screws to transfer and extrude bioinks containing biomaterials and cells to print biological tissues and organs. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis can simulate the flow characteristics of bioinks in a control volume, and the effect on cell viability can be predicted by calculating the physical quantities. In this study, we developed an analysis system to predict the effect of a screw-based dispenser system (SDS) on cell viability in bioinks through rheological and CFD analyses. Furthermore, carboxymethylcellulose/alginate-based bioinks were used for the empirical evaluation of high-viscous bioinks. The viscosity of bioinks was determined by rheological measurement, and the viscosity coefficient for the CFD analysis was derived from a correlation equation by non-linear regression analysis. The mass flow rate derived from the analysis was successfully validated by comparison with that from the empirical evaluation. Finally, the cell viability was confirmed after bioprinting with bioinks containing C2C12 cells, suggesting that the developed SDS may be suitable for application in the field of bioengineering. Consequently, the developed bioink analysis system is applicable to a wide range of systems and materials, contributing to time and cost savings in the bioengineering industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The perception of safety significantly influences choices in outdoor activities, profoundly impacting overall well-being. While previous studies have highlighted urban trees' potential to reduce crime rates, the link between urban trees and perceived safety remains uncertain. This study investigates the relationship between urban trees and safety perception in Austin, Texas, USA, with a specific focus on the moderating role of neighborhood cleanliness and environmental justice considerations. Using multinomial logistic regression models, our analysis reveals a positive association between urban tree canopy coverage and safety perception, with a significant interaction between tree canopies and neighborhood cleanliness, further enhancing the sense of safety. Furthermore, we identified an optimal threshold of tree canopy that maximizes this effect. This highlights the crucial role of well-maintained urban green spaces, particularly tree canopies, in bolstering perceived safety. Such insights hold significance for evidence-based urban planning and community development, fostering well-being and safety for all residents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public transportation is an essential component of building sustainable communities. However, its ridership remains low in most cities in the United States. Among the major barriers is the long distance to the bus stops, called the first-mile problem. Using a stated preference survey among 1056 residents of El Paso, Texas, this study addresses this problem by estimating additional transit trips that can be expected from the implementation of hypothetical, free shuttles between one's home and the closest bus stops. Participants reported 7.73 additional transit trips per week (469% increase from the current baseline), including 3.03 additional trips for work, 1.94 for daily errands, 1.64 for leisure or social, and 0.93 for exercise or sports. The percentage of transit non-users dropped from 77.6% (baseline) to 38.2%. With the free shuttle service, respondents would favor bus rapid transit more than regular buses (4.72 vs. 3.00 additional trips). Residents identifying as an existing transit user, being Hispanic/Latino, owning at least one automobile, living within 1 mile of a transit stop, and feeling safe while riding the bus would make significantly more transit trips due to the service. This study suggests that programs to address/reduce the first-mile problem could increase transit demand and, therefore, contribute to creating sustainable and more connected communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three-dimensional bioprinting represents an innovative platform for fabricating intricate, three-dimensional (3D) tissue structures that closely resemble natural tissues. The development of hybrid bioinks is an actionable strategy for integrating desirable characteristics of components. In this study, cellulose recovered from plum seed was processed to synthesize carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) for 3D bioprinting. The plum seeds were initially subjected to α-cellulose recovery, followed by the synthesis and characterization of plum seed-derived carboxymethyl cellulose (PCMC). Then, hybrid bioinks composed of PCMC and sodium alginate were fabricated, and their suitability for extrusion-based bioprinting was explored. The PCMC bioinks exhibit a remarkable shear-thinning property, enabling effortless extrusion through the nozzle and maintaining excellent initial shape fidelity. This bioink was then used to print muscle-mimetic 3D structures containing C2C12 cells. Subsequently, the cytotoxicity of PCMC was evaluated at different concentrations to determine the maximum acceptable concentration. As a result, cytotoxicity was not observed in hydrogels containing a suitable concentration of PCMC. Cell viability was also evaluated after printing PCMC-containing bioinks, and it was observed that the bioprinting process caused minimal damage to the cells. This suggests that PCMC/alginate hybrid bioink can be used as a very attractive material for bioprinting applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(1) Background: The government of South Korea has established a nationwide web- and mobile-based emergency teleconsultation network by designating urban and rural hospitals. The purpose of this study is to analyze the characteristics and effectiveness of the tele-emergency system in South Korea. (2) Methods: Tele-emergency consultation cases from May 2015 to December 2018 were analyzed in the present study. The definition of a tele-emergency in the present study is an emergency consultation between doctors in rural and urban hospitals via a web- and mobile-based remote emergency consultation system (RECS). Consultations through an RECS are grouped into three categories: medical procedure or treatment guidance, image interpretation, and transportation requests. The present study analyzed the characteristics of the tele-emergency system and the reduction in unnecessary transportation (RUT). (3) Results: A total of 2604 cases were analyzed in the present study from 2985 tele-emergency consultation cases. A total of 381 cases were excluded for missing data. Consultations for image interpretation were the most common in trauma cases (71.3%), while transfer requests were the most common in non-trauma cases (50.3%). Trauma patients were more frequently admitted to rural hospitals or discharged and followed up with at rural hospitals (20.3% vs. 40.5%) after consultations. In terms of disease severity, non-severe cases were statistically higher in trauma cases (80.6% vs. 59.4%; p < 0.001). The RUT was statistically highly associated with trauma cases (60.8% vs. 42.8%; p < 0.001). In an analysis that categorized cases by region, a statistically higher proportion of transportation was used in island regions (69.9% vs. 49.5%; p < 0.003). More RUT was associated with non-island regions (30.1% vs. 50.5%; p = 0.001). (4) Conclusions: The tele-emergency system had a great role in reducing unnecessary patient transportation in non-severe trauma cases and non-island rural area emergency cases. Further research is needed for a cost/benefit analysis and clinical outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Many countries and communities in sub-Saharan Africa suffer from inadequate access to healthcare and healthy lifestyles as reflected in their high mortality and morbidity rates. Large-scale interventions like the medical city project presented in this article are necessary to address the significant health burdens faced by populations in this region. Objectives: This article shows how evidence-based approaches and multisectoral partnerships guided the development of the 327-acre Medical City master plan in Akwa Ibom, Nigeria. This is envisioned to be the first-of-its-kind medical city in this medically underserved "healthcare desert." Methods: The five-phased, seven-year (2013–2020) master planning process was guided by the overarching design framework of "sustainable one health" along with its 11 objectives and 64 performance measures. The data/evidence used to guide the planning decision-making process came from case studies, literature reviews, stakeholder interviews, and on-site investigations. Results: The outcome of this project is a comprehensive medical city master plan that includes a self-contained, mixed-use community anchored by a hospital and a primary healthcare village. This medical city provides access to the full range of healthcare services (e.g., curative-to-preventive, traditional-to-alternative) and is supported by multimodal transportation systems and extensive green infrastructure. Conclusions: This project offers theoretical and practical insights on "designing for health" in a frontier market while responding to the complex local contexts that present many unique challenges and opportunities. Those insights provide useful lessons for researchers and professionals interested in promoting health and healthcare services in healthcare deserts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three-dimensional (3D) printed calcium phosphate cement (CPC) scaffolds are increasingly being used for bone tissue repair. Traditional materials used for CPC scaffolds, such as bovine and porcine bone, generally contain low amounts of calcium phosphate compounds, resulting in reduced production rates of CPC scaffolds. On the other hand, cockle shells contain more than 99% CaCO3 in the form of amorphous aragonite with excellent biocompatibility, which is expected to increase the CPC production rate. In this study, 3D-printed cockle shell powder-based CPC (CSP-CPC) scaffolds were developed by the material extrusion method. Lactic acid and hyaluronic acid were used to promote the printability. The characterization of CSP-CPC scaffolds was performed using Fourier transform infrared spectra, X-ray diffraction patterns, and scanning electron microscopy. The biocompatibility of CSP-CPC scaffolds was evaluated using cell viability, Live/Dead, and alkaline phosphatase assays. In addition, CSP-CPC scaffolds were implanted into the mouse calvarial defect model to confirm bone regeneration. This study provides an opportunity to create high value added in fishing villages by recycling natural products from marine waste. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting holds great promise for tissue engineering, allowing cells to thrive in a 3D environment. However, the applicability of natural polymers such as silk fibroin (SF) in 3D bioprinting faces hurdles due to limited mechanical strength and printability. SF, derived from the silkworm Bombyx mori, is emerging as a potential bioink due to its inherent physical gelling properties. However, research on inducing thermosensitive behavior in SF-based bioinks and tailoring their mechanical properties to specific tissue requirements is notably lacking. This study addresses these gaps through the development of silk fibroin-based thermosensitive bioinks (SF-TPBs). Precise modulation of gelation time and mechanical robustness is achieved by manipulating glycerol content without recourse to cross-linkers. Chemical analysis confirms β-sheet conformation in SF-TPBs independent of glycerol concentration. Increased glycerol content improves gelation kinetics and results in rheological properties suitable for 3D printing. Overall, SF-TPBs offer promising prospects for realizing the potential of 3D bioprinting using natural polymers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated whether verbal response time (RT) as a measure of listening effort in speech audiometry could be an indicator for identifying elderly individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Korean sentence recognition tests were conducted in favourable (+5 dB signal-to-noise ratio [SNR]) and adverse (−5 dB SNR) conditions in the presence of noise. Sentence recognition scores (SRSs) and RTs for the two groups were measured and analysed with other demographic variables. Fourteen elderly adults who were diagnosed with MCI and 14 age-matched adults with normal cognition participated in this study. No statistical difference was found between the SRSs of the two groups. RTs for the MCI elderly were significantly longer than the control group. We found significant correlations of RTs with SRSs, Korean Mini-Mental State Examination (K-MMSE) scores, and age at −5 dB SNR. Only the SRSs were correlated with the RTs at +5 dB SNR. This study found that elderly individuals with MCI need a longer time for sentence recognition in noise. These findings suggest that measuring RT in speech audiometry could potentially be a cost-effective and time-saving method that could characterise elderly with MCI at hearing-care clinics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A diboronic acid anthracene-based fluorescent system for detecting blood glucose could be used for 180 days. However, there has not yet been a boronic acid immobilized electrode to selectively detect glucose in a signal-increased way. Considering malfunctions of sensors at high sugar levels, the electrochemical signal should be increased proportionally to the glucose concentration. Therefore, we synthesized a new diboronic acid derivative and fabricated the derivative-immobilized electrodes for the selective detection of glucose. We performed cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy with an Fe(CN)63−/4− redox pair for detecting glucose in the range of 0–500 mg/dL. The analysis revealed increased electron-transfer kinetics such as increased peak current and decreased semicircle radius of Nyquist plots as the glucose concentration increased. The cyclic voltammetry and impedance spectroscopy showed that the linear detection range of glucose was 40 to 500 mg/dL with limits of detection of 31.2 mg/dL and 21.5 mg/dL, respectively. We applied the fabricated electrode to detect glucose in artificial sweat and obtained 90% of the performance of the electrodes in PBS. Cyclic voltammetry measurements of other sugars such as galactose, fructose, and mannitol also showed linear increased peak currents proportional to the concentrations of the tested sugars. However, the slopes of the sugars were lower than that of glucose, indicating selectivity for glucose. These results proved the newly synthesized diboronic acid is a promising synthetic receptor for developing a long-term usable electrochemical sensor system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a fatal clinical condition with high mortality. Computed tomography angiography (CTA) imaging is the preferred minimally invasive modality for the long-term postoperative observation of AAA. Accurate segmentation of the thrombus region of interest (ROI) in a postoperative CTA image volume is essential for quantitative assessment and rapid clinical decision making by clinicians. Few investigators have proposed the adoption of convolutional neural networks (CNN). Although these methods demonstrated the potential of CNN architectures by automating the thrombus ROI segmentation, the segmentation performance can be further improved. The existing methods performed the segmentation process independently per 2D image and were incapable of using adjacent images, which could be useful for the robust segmentation of thrombus ROIs. In this work, we propose a thrombus ROI segmentation method to utilize not only the spatial features of a target image, but also the volumetric coherence available from adjacent images. We newly adopted a recurrent neural network, bi-directional convolutional long short-term memory (Bi-CLSTM) architecture, which can learn coherence between a sequence of data. This coherence learning capability can be useful for challenging situations, for example, when the target image exhibits inherent postoperative artifacts and noises, the inclusion of adjacent images would facilitate learning more robust features for thrombus ROI segmentation. We demonstrate the segmentation capability of our Bi-CLSTM-based method with a comparison of the existing 2D-based thrombus ROI segmentation counterpart as well as other established 2D- and 3D-based alternatives. Our comparison is based on a large-scale clinical dataset of 60 patient studies (i.e., 60 CTA image volumes). The results suggest the superior segmentation performance of our Bi–CLSTM-based method by achieving the highest scores of the evaluation metrics, e.g., our Bi-CLSTM results were 0.0331 higher on total overlap and 0.0331 lower on false negative when compared to 2D U-net++ as the second-best. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the maximum error-free transmission rate of an additive white Gaussian noise channel with a symmetric analog-to-digital converter (ADC) was derived as a composite function of the binary entropy function, Gaussian Q-function, and the square root function, assuming that the composite function was convex on the set of all non-negative real numbers. However, because mathematically proving this convexity near zero is difficult, studies in this field have only presented numerical results for small values in the domain. Because the low-signal-to-noise (SNR) regime is considered to be a major application area for one-bit ADCs in wireless communication, deriving a concrete proof of the convexity of the composite function on small SNR values (non-negative values near zero) is important. Therefore, this study proposes a novel proof for convexity, which is satisfied for all non-negative values, based on the continuity of the involved functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer cachexia is a muscle-wasting syndrome that leads to a severely compromised quality of life and increased mortality. A strong association between cachexia and poor prognosis has been demonstrated in intractable cancers, including glioblastoma (GBM). In the present study, it was demonstrated that ionizing radiation (IR), the first-line treatment for GBM, causes cancer cachexia by increasing the exosomal release of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) from glioblastoma cells. Exosomal PAI-1 delivered to the skeletal muscle is directly penetrated in the muscles and phosphorylates STAT3 to intensify muscle atrophy by activating muscle RING-finger protein-1 (MuRF1) and muscle atrophy F-box (Atrogin1); furthermore, it hampers muscle protein synthesis by inhibiting mTOR signaling. Additionally, pharmacological inhibition of PAI-1 by TM5441 inhibited muscle atrophy and rescued muscle protein synthesis, thereby providing survival benefits in a GBM orthotopic xenograft mouse model. In summary, our data delineated the role of PAI-1 in the induction of GBM cachexia associated with radiotherapy-treated GBM. Our data also indicated that targeting PAI-1 could serve as an attractive strategy for the management of GBM following radiotherapy, which would lead to a considerable improvement in the quality of life of GBM patients undergoing radiotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: We aimed to identify how the COVID-19 lockdown affected changes, including the potential for longer term sustained changes, in physical activity, as compared to immediately prior to the pandemic. Background: Physical activity's significant role in overall health is known to be influenced by the surrounding environment, such as one's neighborhood, prompting this study of physical activity and its relationship with individual-level and neighborhood-level factors within the pandemic timeline. Methods: A statewide online survey assessed adults' self-reported weekly minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) comparing a typical week immediately prior to the pandemic and during the pandemic (prewidespread vaccination) using negative binomial models. Results: Overall, MVPA decreased during the pandemic, though the decrease was driven largely by the reduction in MVPA outside one's neighborhood. In contrast, MVPA done within one's neighborhood increased over time. This change in MVPA done within one's neighborhood was not uniform across several characteristics including income level favoring those with the highest income (p <.05) and race/ethnicity favoring those self-reporting as non-Hispanic White (p <.05). While several factors, including higher Walk Scores, were associated with higher levels of MVPA without evidence of change over time, evidence of a differential effect over time was seen for other key indicators of social and structural determinants of health including income and race/ethnicity. Conclusions: This study can add to the existing literature surrounding not only COVID-19 but also neighborhood built environmental research seeking to identify factors associated with changes in MVPA, a known indicator of overall health and health-related outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The detection and segmentation of thrombi are essential for monitoring the disease progression of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) and for patient care and management. As they have inherent capabilities to learn complex features, deep convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have been recently introduced to improve thrombus detection and segmentation. However, investigations into the use of CNN methods is in the early stages and most of the existing methods are heavily concerned with the segmentation of thrombi, which only works after they have been detected. In this work, we propose a fully automated method for the whole process of the detection and segmentation of thrombi, which is based on a well-established mask region-based convolutional neural network (Mask R-CNN) framework that we improve with optimized loss functions. The combined use of complete intersection over union (CIoU) and smooth L1 loss was designed for accurate thrombus detection and then thrombus segmentation was improved with a modified focal loss. We evaluated our method against 60 clinically approved patient studies (i.e., computed tomography angiography (CTA) image volume data) by conducting 4-fold cross-validation. The results of comparisons to multiple other state-of-the-art methods suggested the superior performance of our method, which achieved the highest F1 score for thrombus detection (0.9197) and outperformed most metrics for thrombus segmentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strong periodic driving with light offers the potential to coherently manipulate the properties of quantum materials on ultrafast timescales. Recently, strategies have emerged to drastically alter electronic and magnetic properties by optically inducing non-trivial band topologies1–6, emergent spin interactions7–11 and even superconductivity12. However, the prospects and methods of coherently engineering optical properties on demand are far less understood13. Here we demonstrate coherent control and giant modulation of optical nonlinearity in a van der Waals layered magnetic insulator, manganese phosphorus trisulfide (MnPS3). By driving far off-resonance from the lowest on-site manganese d–d transition, we observe a coherent on–off switching of its optical second harmonic generation efficiency on the timescale of 100 femtoseconds with no measurable dissipation. At driving electric fields of the order of 109 volts per metre, the on–off ratio exceeds 10, which is limited only by the sample damage threshold. Floquet theory calculations14 based on a single-ion model of MnPS3 are able to reproduce the measured driving field amplitude and polarization dependence of the effect. Our approach can be applied to a broad range of insulating materials and could lead to dynamically designed nonlinear optical elements.Coherent control and giant modulation of optical nonlinearity in a van der Waals layered magnetic insulator is demonstrated using Floquet engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hazardous environmental exposures are recognized risk factors for falls among older adults. However, the gender differences in the associations of falls with indoor and outdoor environmental hazards are scarce. This study examined the indoor and outdoor environmental risk factors for falls and compared the data for men and women among U.S. older adults using nationally representative data.Methods: We used the 2011 National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) for a cross-sectional analysis of 6680 community-dwelling adults aged ≥65 years in the United States. A series of logistic regressions was used to identify the indoor and outdoor environmental hazards associated with falls stratified by gender after adjusting for sociodemographic, health, and behaviors. We also tested for significant interactions with gender.Results: Compared to men, women had a higher prevalence of falls. In the model adjusted for sociodemographic, health, and behavioral conditions, there were gender differences in the association of falls with the presence of indoor and outdoor environmental hazards. Gender-specific analyses showed that women with the presence of indoor environmental hazards (OR = 1.37, 95% CI = 1.04.-1.79) had higher odds of falls, whereas for men, the presence of outdoor environmental hazards (OR = 1.34, 95% CI = 1.02-1.75) was associated with falls. We also found a significant interaction term between outdoor environmental hazards and gender (OR = 0.65, 95% CI = 0.47-0.90). The interaction plot indicated that the presence of outdoor environmental hazards increased the risks of falling in men but not in women.Conclusions: Significant gender differences exist in the association of falls with indoor and outdoor environmental hazards among older men and women. Our findings suggest that gender-tailored prevention programs to increase awareness of the environmental hazards and gender-specific environmental interventions are needed to help prevent falls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) is a malignant primary brain tumor in which the standard treatment, ionizing radiation (IR), achieves a median survival of about 15 months. GBM harbors glioblastoma stem-like cells (GSCs), which play a crucial role in therapeutic resistance and recurrence. Methods: Patient-derived GSCs, GBM cell lines, intracranial GBM xenografts, and GBM sections were used to measure mRNA and protein expression and determine the related molecular mechanisms by qRT-PCR, immunoblot, immunoprecipitation, immunofluorescence, OCR, ECAR, live-cell imaging, and immunohistochemistry. Orthotopic GBM xenograft models were applied to investigate tumor inhibitory effects of glimepiride combined with radiotherapy. Results: We report that GSCs that survive standard treatment radiation upregulate Speedy/RINGO cell cycle regulator family member A (Spy1) and downregulate CAP-Gly domain containing linker protein 3 (CLIP3, also known as CLIPR-59). We discovered that Spy1 activation and CLIP3 inhibition coordinately shift GBM cell glucose metabolism to favor glycolysis via two cellular processes: transcriptional regulation of CLIP3 and facilitating Glucose transporter 3 (GLUT3) trafficking to cellular membranes in GBM cells. Importantly, in combination with IR, glimepiride, an FDA-approved medication used to treat type 2 diabetes mellitus, disrupts GSCs maintenance and suppresses glycolytic activity by restoring CLIP3 function. In addition, combining radiotherapy and glimepiride significantly reduced GBM growth and improved survival in a GBM orthotopic xenograft mouse model. Conclusions: Our data suggest that radioresistant GBM cells exhibit enhanced stemness and glycolytic activity mediated by the Spy1-CLIP3 axis. Thus, glimepiride could be an attractive strategy for overcoming radioresistance and recurrence by rescuing CLIP3 expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid development of technologies based on virtual reality, image stitching is widely used in various fields such as broadcasting, games, education, and architecture. Image stitching is a method for connecting multiple images to produce a high-resolution image and a wide field of view image. It is common for most of the stitching methods to find and match the feature in the image. However, these stitching methods have the disadvantage that they cannot create a perfect 360-degree panoramic image because the depth of the projected area varies depending on the position and direction between adjacent cameras. Therefore, we propose an advanced stitching method to improve the deviation due to the difference in the depth of each area using the pixel value of the input image after the feature-based stitching. After the feature-based stitching method has been performed, the pixel values of overlapping areas in the image are calculated as an optical flow algorithm, then finely distorted, and then corrected to ensure that the image overlaps correctly. Through experiments, it was confirmed that the problem that was deviated from the feature-based stitching was solved. Besides, as a result of performance evaluation, it was proved that the proposed stitching method using an optical flow algorithm is capable of real-time and fast service. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Memristive electrochemical metallization (ECM) devices based on cation migration and electrochemical metallization in solid electrolytes are considered promising for neuromorphic computing systems. Two-dimensional (2D) layered materials are emerging as potential candidates for electrolytes in reliable ECM devices due to their two-dimensionally confined material properties. However, electrochemical metallization within a single-crystalline 2D layered material has not yet been verified. Here, we use transmission electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy to investigate the resistive switching mechanism of an ECM device containing a single-crystalline 2D layered CrPS4 electrolyte. We observe the various conductive filament (CF) configurations induced by an applied voltage in an Ag/CrPS4/Au device in the initial/low-resistance/high-resistance/breakdown states. These observations provide concrete experimental evidence that CFs consisting of Ag metal can be formed inside single-crystalline 2D layered CrPS4 and that their configuration can be changed by an applied voltage. Density functional theory calculations confirm that the sulfur vacancies in single-crystalline CrPS4 can facilitate Ag ion migration from the active electrode layer. The electrically induced changes in Ag CFs inside single-crystalline 2D layered CrPS4 raise the possibility of a reliable ECM device that exploits the properties of two-dimensionally confined materials. 2D materials: How neuromorphic chips get wired up A 2D layered material has provided critical insights toward improving the stability of devices that can emulate biological synapses. Researchers in Seoul, South Korea, led by Jae-Pyoung Ahn at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology and Bae Ho Park from Konkuk University have used high-resolution microscopy to investigate electrochemical metallization cells, a new type of non-volatile computer memory. These cells, made by infusing insulators with tiny metallic filaments, can mimic the low and high conductivity states of synapses. When the team looked at the structure of a chromium thiophosphate insulator composed of numerous 2D crystal layers, they found that the pathways the filaments follow are guided by specific crystal defects. These findings may help manufacturers produce more reliable electrochemical metallization cells by reducing the likelihood of random, non-uniform filament formation. We report on the formation and rupture of CFs through Ag ion migration inside a single-crystalline 2D van der Waals (vdW) solid electrolyte material within an ECM device structure. This study provides clear experimental evidence that CFs consisting of Ag can be formed inside single-crystalline 2D layered chromium thiophosphate (CrPS4) and their configuration can be changed by an applied voltage. Density functional theory calculations confirm that the Ag ion migration is an energetically favorable process. The electrically induced changes in Ag CFs inside single-crystalline CrPS4 raise the possibility of a reliable ECM device that exploits the properties of two-dimensionally confined materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fear of falling is a major health concern among older adults. Although several studies have addressed general fear of falling in relation to personal factors, little is known about the specific relationship between fear of outdoor falling and perceptions of the outdoor environments. This study is to identify perceived environmental factors and outdoor exposure associated with fear of outdoor falling among assisted living residents aged 65 or older stratified by the amount of time spent outdoors. This study used survey data collected from a multiregional study conducted in 2007 that surveyed residents in 68 assisted living facilities in Houston, Texas; Chicago, Illinois; and Seattle, Washington. Out of 1,043 total participants, this study used a subset of 907 residents who used outdoor areas at least five minutes a day. Multivariate logistic regression was used after controlling for covariates. Approximately 31% of the participants reported having worried about falling while using the outdoor areas in their assisted living community. Multivariate analyses showed that adequately designed walkways (OR = 0.614, 95% CI = 0.405–0.931), comfort levels in using outdoor areas (OR = 0.657, 95% CI = 0.437–0.989), and frequency of outdoor usage (OR = 0.538, 95% CI = 0.368–0.787) were associated with decreased fear of outdoor falling after adjusting for individual factors (i.e. age, sex, health condition, fall history, vision problems, mobility aids). Improved walkways and comfort levels when using outdoor areas, as well as the amount of time spent outdoors, would be helpful in reducing fear of outdoor falling, which can help promote healthy lifestyle among assisted living residents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ionizing radiation (IR) is a high-energy radiation whose biological effects depend on the irradiation doses. Low-dose radiation (LDR) is delivered during medical diagnoses or by an exposure to radioactive elements and has been linked to the occurrence of chronic diseases, such as leukemia and cardiovascular diseases. Though epidemiological research is indispensable for predicting and dealing with LDR-induced abnormalities in individuals exposed to LDR, little is known about epidemiological markers of LDR exposure. Moreover, difference in the LDR-induced molecular events in each organ has been an obstacle to a thorough investigation of the LDR effects and a validation of the experimental results in in vivo models. In this review, we summarized the recent reports on LDR-induced risk of organ-specifically arranged the alterations for a comprehensive understanding of the biological effects of LDR. We suggested that LDR basically caused the accumulation of DNA damages, controlled systemic immune systems, induced oxidative damages on peripheral organs, and even benefited the viability in some organs. Furthermore, we concluded that understanding of organ-specific responses and the biological markers involved in the responses is needed to investigate the precise biological effects of LDR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An exciton is the bosonic quasiparticle of electron–hole pairs bound by the Coulomb interaction1. Bose–Einstein condensation of this exciton state has long been the subject of speculation in various model systems2,3, and examples have been found more recently in optical lattices and two-dimensional materials4–9. Unlike these conventional excitons formed from extended Bloch states4–9, excitonic bound states from intrinsically many-body localized states are rare. Here we show that a spin–orbit-entangled exciton state appears below the Néel temperature of 150 kelvin in NiPS3, an antiferromagnetic van der Waals material. It arises intrinsically from the archetypal many-body states of the Zhang–Rice singlet10,11, and reaches a coherent state assisted by the antiferromagnetic order. Using configuration-interaction theory, we determine the origin of the coherent excitonic excitation to be a transition from a Zhang–Rice triplet to a Zhang–Rice singlet. We combine three spectroscopic tools—resonant inelastic X-ray scattering, photoluminescence and optical absorption—to characterize the exciton and to demonstrate an extremely narrow excitonic linewidth below 50 kelvin. The discovery of the spin–orbit-entangled exciton in antiferromagnetic NiPS3 introduces van der Waals magnets as a platform to study coherent many-body excitons. A spin–orbit-entangled exciton state in the van der Waals material NiPS3 is observed, and found to arise from many-body states of a Zhang–Rice singlet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Given that one in four older adults suffer potentially preventable falls annually, we aimed to identify areas with (a) delivery gaps of evidence-based programs (EBPs) targeting fall prevention among older adults, namely A Matter of Balance (AMOB), and (b) high rates of fall-related hospitalizations—hotspots. Method: Analyses included multiple geospatially linked datasets. Results: EBPs were delivered ≥1 time in 84 counties in 2012 and 90 counties in 2014. Factors associated with EPB delivery gaps (absence; p <.05) included high-density older adult areas, non-fall-related hospitalization hotspots, lower population density, nonmetropolitan areas, high-density Hispanic adult areas, and areas with limited access to home health care agencies. Hotspots for fall-related hospitalization numbered 64 in 2012 and 62 in 2014. Factors associated with hotspots included low-density older adult areas, having AMOB delivered ≥1 time annually, high population density, and high-density Hispanic adult areas. Discussion: In resource-finite settings (e.g., the aging services sector), identifying high priority areas allows for precise allocation of limited resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strut-support interference effects were investigated at a nominal Mach number of 6. Cylinder and rhombus models are used; moreover, models called half shock-bump (SB) and SB applied to the front and both sides of the shock-bump shape are used. This is beneficial for free-stream flow recovery around the model surface by bumping the compression and expansion waves at a unit Reynolds number of approximately 17.8 × 10 3 / m and a total enthalpy of approximately 1.9 MJ/kg. A quantitative density field analysis is conducted using the background-oriented schlieren technique, which is validated by measuring the shock stand-off distance and density increase rate on a hemisphere model. In this study, flow interference is divided into the measurements of the recompression shock zone thickness as a wake interference and the free-stream flow density recovery beyond the oblique shock as a strut interference. In the SB model, the thickness of the recompression shock zone is approximately 4.4 ± 0.2 mm, which is a reduction of approximately 53% compared with the cylinder model. In the oblique shock wave height measurements, defined by measuring the intersection of the increasing and decreasing points of density, the SB model shows a height of 16.4 mm, which is approximately 33.6% less than the 24.7 mm height of the cylinder model. In addition, the free-stream flow density beyond the oblique shock wave in the SB model is found to have an approximately 10% deviation from the free-stream density of 0.016 kg/m 3 , which is more effective than the 106% higher value in the cylinder model. Through such studies of flow interference, the effect of the SB shape on the strut-support is verified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Memristive electrochemical metallization (ECM) devices based on cation migration and electrochemical metallization in solid electrolytes are considered promising for neuromorphic computing systems. Two-dimensional (2D) layered materials are emerging as potential candidates for electrolytes in reliable ECM devices due to their two-dimensionally confined material properties. However, electrochemical metallization within a single-crystalline 2D layered material has not yet been verified. Here, we use transmission electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy to investigate the resistive switching mechanism of an ECM device containing a single-crystalline 2D layered CrPS4 electrolyte. We observe the various conductive filament (CF) configurations induced by an applied voltage in an Ag/CrPS4/Au device in the initial/low-resistance/high-resistance/breakdown states. These observations provide concrete experimental evidence that CFs consisting of Ag metal can be formed inside single-crystalline 2D layered CrPS4 and that their configuration can be changed by an applied voltage. Density functional theory calculations confirm that the sulfur vacancies in single-crystalline CrPS4 can facilitate Ag ion migration from the active electrode layer. The electrically induced changes in Ag CFs inside single-crystalline 2D layered CrPS4 raise the possibility of a reliable ECM device that exploits the properties of two-dimensionally confined materials.2D materials: How neuromorphic chips get wired up A 2D layered material has provided critical insights toward improving the stability of devices that can emulate biological synapses. Researchers in Seoul, South Korea, led by Jae-Pyoung Ahn at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology and Bae Ho Park from Konkuk University have used high-resolution microscopy to investigate electrochemical metallization cells, a new type of non-volatile computer memory. These cells, made by infusing insulators with tiny metallic filaments, can mimic the low and high conductivity states of synapses. When the team looked at the structure of a chromium thiophosphate insulator composed of numerous 2D crystal layers, they found that the pathways the filaments follow are guided by specific crystal defects. These findings may help manufacturers produce more reliable electrochemical metallization cells by reducing the likelihood of random, non-uniform filament formation.We report on the formation and rupture of CFs through Ag ion migration inside a single-crystalline 2D van der Waals (vdW) solid electrolyte material within an ECM device structure. This study provides clear experimental evidence that CFs consisting of Ag can be formed inside single-crystalline 2D layered chromium thiophosphate (CrPS4) and their configuration can be changed by an applied voltage. Density functional theory calculations confirm that the Ag ion migration is an energetically favorable process. The electrically induced changes in Ag CFs inside single-crystalline CrPS4 raise the possibility of a reliable ECM device that exploits the properties of two-dimensionally confined materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid development of technologies based on virtual reality, image stitching is widely used in various fields such as broadcasting, games, education, and architecture. Image stitching is a method for connecting multiple images to produce a high-resolution image and a wide field of view image. It is common for most of the stitching methods to find and match the feature in the image. However, these stitching methods have the disadvantage that they cannot create a perfect 360-degree panoramic image because the depth of the projected area varies depending on the position and direction between adjacent cameras. Therefore, we propose an advanced stitching method to improve the deviation due to the difference in the depth of each area using the pixel value of the input image after the feature-based stitching. After the feature-based stitching method has been performed, the pixel values of overlapping areas in the image are calculated as an optical flow algorithm, then finely distorted, and then corrected to ensure that the image overlaps correctly. Through experiments, it was confirmed that the problem that was deviated from the feature-based stitching was solved. Besides, as a result of performance evaluation, it was proved that the proposed stitching method using an optical flow algorithm is capable of real-time and fast service. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Hyperthermia (HT), a clinical treatment involving delivery of heat to tumors, has been used in combination with traditional chemotherapy and radiotherapy to enhance their effects. However, the molecular mechanism underlying the high efficacy of combination therapy is not clear. This study was conducted to identify the molecular mechanism underlying the sensitization of lung cancer to radiotherapy by HT. Materials and methods: Nuclear receptor subfamily 4, group A, member 3 (NR4A3) and Krüppel-like factor 11 (KLF11) expression in non-small-cell lung cancer cells was confirmed by performing real-time quantitative reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction. Tumor cell proliferation and apoptosis were assessed via a colony-forming assay and Annexin V/propidium iodide staining. Results and conclusions: Expression profile analysis revealed elevated levels of NR4A3 and KLF11 in A549 lung cancer cells after treatment with HT combined with radiation. We also confirmed that NR4A3 and KLF11 induced apoptosis and inhibited cell proliferation by elevating intracellular reactive oxygen species levels. Knockdown of NR4A3 or KLF11 using siRNA led to decreased effects of radiohyperthermia. Finally, the effect of these two factors on lung cancer progression was evaluated by in vivo xenograft studies. Taken together, the results suggest that NR4A3 and KLF11 are critical for increasing the efficacy of radiotherapy in combination with HT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives Fear of falling is a substantial barrier to walking and has been associated with increased fall risks. This study examines neighborhood environmental risk factors related to fear of outdoor falling in middle-aged and older adults. Research Design and Methods A total of 394 participants aged 50 years or older living independently in the community were recruited between 2013 and 2014 from an integrated health care network serving Central Texas. Fear of outdoor falling and perceived neighborhood environmental variables were assessed using self-reported questionnaires. Logistic regression identified perceived neighborhood environmental variables associated with fear of outdoor falling. Results Sixty-nine (17.9%) of 385 participants reported having a fear of outdoor falling. Compared to those who did not report a fear of outdoor falling, those who reported having a fear of outdoor falling were more likely to be adults aged 65 years or older (odds ratio [OR] = 2.974, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.247–7.094), be female (OR = 4.423, 95% CI = 1.830–10.689), have difficulty with walking for a quarter of a mile (OR = 2.761, 95% CI = 1.124–6.782), and have had a fall in the past year (OR = 4.720, 95% CI = 1.472–15.137). Among the neighborhood environmental characteristics examined, low traffic speed on streets (OR = 0.420, 95% CI = 0.188–0.935), drainage ditches (OR = 2.383, 95% CI = 1.136–5.000), and broken sidewalks (OR = 3.800, 95% CI = 1.742–8.288) were associated with the odds of having a fear of outdoor falling. Discussion and Implications In addition to the individual factors, findings from this study suggest the importance of addressing the environmental risk factors in identifying and reducing fear of outdoor falling among middle-aged and older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During radiotherapy, an inflammatory response might be induced by activating various enzymes involved in membrane lipid metabolism. The eicosanoid pathway associated with cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2), cyclooxygenases (COXs), and lipoxygenases (LOXs) can be induced by radiation, and many lipid metabolites might contribute to cancer-associated inflammation, cell proliferation, and cell survival in cancer. The lipid metabolites are also involved in the establishment of the tumor-associated microenvironment through promotion of angiogenesis and formation of vascular network. These biological activities of lipid metabolites are responsible for malignant progression with the acquisition of radioresistance, leading to unsatisfactory outcome of cancer radiotherapy. Many efforts have been made to identify the mechanisms associated with bioactive lipid metabolites and radiation signaling that lead to radioresistance and to develop potent radiosensitizers to improve therapeutic efficacy. Beneficial outcomes would be achieved by targeting the enzymes, such as cPLA2, COXs, and LOXs, responsible for arachidonic acid metabolism and cancer-associated inflammation during cancer radiotherapy. The current study demonstrated a brief review for the radioresistant effects of bioactive lipid metabolites and their enzymes in cancer and the radiosensitizing effects of inhibitors for the enzymes on cancer therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Randomized, open‐label, comparative, single‐center, Phase 4, 24‐week study comparing pharmacokinetics (PK), safety, and efficacy of once‐daily, prolonged‐release tacrolimus (PR‐T) with twice‐daily, immediate‐release tacrolimus (IR‐T) in adult de novo living‐donor liver transplant (LDLT) recipients in Korea. All patients received intravenous tacrolimus from Day 0 (transplantation) for 4 days and were randomized (1:1) to receive oral PR‐T or IR‐T from Day 5. PK profiles were taken on Days 6 and 21. Primary endpoint: area under the concentration‐time curve over 24 hour (AUC0‐24). Predefined similarity interval for confidence intervals of ratios: 80%‐125%. Secondary endpoints included: tacrolimus concentration at 24 hour (C24), patient/graft survival, biopsy‐confirmed acute rejection (BCAR), treatment‐emergent adverse events (TEAEs). One‐hundred patients were included (PR‐T, n = 50; IR‐T, n = 50). Compared with IR‐T, 40% and 66% higher mean PR‐T daily doses resulted in similar AUC0‐24 between formulations on Day 6 (PR‐T:IR‐T ratio of means 96.8%), and numerically higher AUC0‐24 with PR‐T on Day 21 (128.8%), respectively. Linear relationship was similar between AUC0‐24 and C24, and formulations. No graft loss/deaths, incidence of BCAR and TEAEs similar between formulations. Higher PR‐T vs IR‐T doses were required to achieve comparable systemic exposure in Korean de novo LDLT recipients. PR‐T was efficacious; no new safety signals were detected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aims: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is an emerging metabolic disease. Although it leads to severe hepatic diseases including steatohepatitis, cirrhosis, and hepatic cancer, little is known about therapy to prevent and cure hepatic steatosis, the first step of NAFLD. We conducted this investigation to unveil the mechanism of hepatic steatosis. Methods: We established a novel chronic NAFLD mouse model through whole body irradiation and verified the model through histological and biochemical analysis. To find molecular mechanism for hepatic steatosis, we analyzed hepatic transcriptomic profiles in this model and selected target molecule. To induce the expression of lactotransferrin (Ltf) and regulate the NAFLD, growth hormone (GH) and coumestrol was introduced to hepatocyte and mice. The universal effect of coumestrol was confirmed by administration of coumestrol to NAFLD mouse model induced by high-fructose, high-fat, and MCD diet. Results: It was observed that decreased hepatic Ltf expression led to excessive hepatic lipid accumulation in NAFLD mouse. Furthermore, we found that GH was decreased in irradiated mice and functioned as an upstream regulator of Ltf expression. It was observed that GH could stimulate Ltf expression and prevent uptake of dietary lipids in hepatocytes, leading to rescue of NAFLD. Finally, we suggested that coumestrol, a kind of isoflavonoid, could be used as an inducer of hepatic Ltf expression through cooperation with the GH signaling pathway both in vitro and in vivo. Conclusions: Hepatic Ltf prevents hepatic steatosis through inhibition of dietary lipid uptake in radiation-induced NAFLD mouse model. We also suggest coumestrol as a drug candidate for prevention of NAFLD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), a member of the highly conserved DNA sliding clamp family, is an essential protein for cellular processes including DNA replication and repair. A large number of proteins from higher eukaryotes contain one of two PCNA‐interacting motifs: PCNA‐interacting protein box (PIP box) and AlkB homologue 2 PCNA‐interacting motif (APIM). APIM has been shown to be especially important during cellular stress. PIP box is known to be functionally conserved in yeast, and here, we show that this is also the case for APIM. Several of the 84 APIM‐containing yeast proteins are associated with cellular signaling as hub proteins, which are able to interact with a large number of other proteins. Cellular signaling is highly conserved throughout evolution, and we recently suggested a novel role for PCNA as a scaffold protein in cellular signaling in human cells. A cell‐penetrating peptide containing the APIM sequence increases the sensitivity toward the chemotherapeutic agent cisplatin in both yeast and human cells, and both yeast and human cells become hypersensitive when the Hog1/p38 MAPK pathway is blocked. These results suggest that the interactions between APIM‐containing signaling proteins and PCNA during the DNA damage response is evolutionary conserved between yeast and mammals and that PCNA has a role in cellular signaling also in yeast. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the AzBio test is well validated, has effective standardization data available, and is highly recommended for Cochlear Implant (CI) evaluation, no attempt has been made to derive a Frequency Importance Function (FIF) for its stimuli. This study derived FIFs for the AzBio sentence lists using listeners with normal hearing. Traditional procedures described in studies by Studebaker and Sherbecoe [(1991). J. Speech. Lang. Hear. Res. 34, 427-438] were applied for this purpose. Participants with normal hearing listened to a large number of AzBio sentences that were high- and low-pass filtered under speech-spectrum shaped noise at various signal-to-noise ratios. Frequency weights for the AzBio sentences were greatest in the 1.5 to 2 kHz frequency regions as is the case with other speech materials. A cross-procedure comparison was conducted between the traditional procedure [Studebaker and Sherbecoe (1991). J. Speech. Lang. Hear. Res. 34, 427-438] and the nonlinear optimization procedure [Kates (2013). J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 134, EL459-EL464]. Consecutive data analyses provided speech recognition scores for the AzBio sentences in relation to the Speech Intelligibility Index (SII). The findings of the authors provide empirically derived FIFs for the AzBio test that can be used for future studies. It is anticipated that the accuracy of predicting SIIs for CI patients will be improved when using these derived FIFs for the AzBio test. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aims: Radiotherapy is applied to patients with inoperable cancer types including advanced stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and radioresistance functions as a critical obstacle in radiotherapy. This study was aimed to investigate the mechanism of radioresistance regulated by surfactant protein B (SP-B). Methods: To investigate the role of SP-B in radioresistance, ΔSFTPB A549 cell line was established and SP-B expression was analyzed. In response to ionizing radiation (IR), the change of SP-B expression was analyzed in A549 and NCI-H441 cell lines. Conditioned media (CM) from NSCLC cells were utilized to evaluate the downstream signaling pathway. The in vivo effects of SP-B were assessed through mouse xenograft model with intratumoral injection of CM. Results: In response to IR, NSCLC cell lines showed decreased SP-B regulated by the TGF-β signaling and decreased SP-B stimulated cell survival and epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Treatment with CM from irradiated cells activated sPLA2, enhanced protein kinase Cδ-MAPKs signaling pathway, and increased arachidonic acid production. We confirmed the in vivo roles of SP-B through mouse xenograft model. Conclusion: Our results revealed that down-regulation of SP-B was involved in the radiation-induced metastatic conversion of NSCLC and provided evidence that SP-B acted as a suppressor of NSCLC progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives Fetal soft tissue can be assessed by using fractional limb volume as a proxy for in utero nutritional status. We investigated automated fractional limb volume for rapid estimate fetal weight assessment. Methods Pregnant women were prospectively scanned for 2- and 3-dimensional fetal biometric measurements within 4 days of delivery. Performance of birth weight prediction models was compared: (1) Hadlock ( Am J Obstet Gynecol 1985; 151:333-337; biparietal diameter, abdominal circumference, and femur diaphysis length); and (2) Lee ( Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 2009; 34:556-565; biparietal diameter, abdominal circumference, and automated fractional limb volume). Percent differences were calculated: [(estimated birth weight - actual birth weight) ÷ (actual birth weight] × 100. Systematic errors (accuracy) were summarized as signed mean percent differences. Random errors (precision) were calculated as ± 1 SD of percent differences. Results Fifty neonates were delivered at 39.4 weeks' gestation. The Hadlock model generated the most accurate birth weight (0.31%) with a mean random error of ±7.9%. Despite systematic underestimations, the most precise results occurred with fractional arm volume (−9.1% ± 5.1%) and fractional thigh (−5.2% ± 5.2%) models. The size and distribution of these prediction errors were improved after correction for systematic errors. Conclusions Automated fractional limb volume measurements can improve the precision of weight predictions in third-trimester fetuses. Correction factors may be necessary to adjust underestimated systematic errors when using automated fractional limb volume with prediction models that are based on manual tracing of fetal limb soft tissue borders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A corpus of recordings of deaf speech is introduced. Adults who were pre- or post-lingually deafened as well as those with normal hearing read standardized speech passages totaling 11 h of .wav recordings. Preliminary acoustic analyses are included to provide a glimpse of the kinds of analyses that can be conducted with this corpus of recordings. Long term average speech spectra as well as spectral moment analyses provide considerable insight into differences observed in the speech of talkers judged to have low, medium, or high speech intelligibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]