Information Exchange Network Research Articles

Inhaled Corticosteroid and Secondary Glaucoma: A Meta-analysis of 18 Studies.

PurposeGuidelines and systematic reviews frequently warn of inhaled corticosteroid (ICS)-induced glaucoma. However, most of the published studies deny it.MethodsWe performed a systematic review of randomized, cohort, nested-case control, cross-sectional studies by using Meta-analyses of Observational Studies in Epidemiology statement. Four major databases, PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Search Manager, and the Web of Science Core Collection as well as meta-analysis were used. Studies comparing incidence, prevalence and intraocular pressure (IOP) between patients who were treated with and without ICSs were included. A random-model meta-analysis was performed using the inverse variance method.ResultsOut of 623 studies screened, 18 with 31,665 subjects were finally included. No significant difference between the 2 groups was observed for crude glaucoma incidence (odds ratio [OR], 0.95; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.86–1.04; P = 0.26; I 2 = 0%; P for heterogeneity = 0.57) as a primary endpoint, adjusted glaucoma incidence (OR, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.65–1.24; P = 0.64), crude prevalence (OR, 1.82; 95% CI, 0.23–14.19; P = 0.57), adjusted prevalence (OR, 1.22; 95% CI, 0.50–2.96; P = 0.66), IOP change during ICS treatment (mean difference [MD] +0.01 mmHg; 95% CI, −0.19–0.20; P = 0.95), and single measurement IOP (MD +0.37 mmHg; 95% CI, −0.24–0.97; P = 0.23). Time-to-event analysis for glaucoma development as one of the secondary endpoints (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.52; 95% CI, 0.28–0.96) suggested a reverse association between ICS and glaucoma.ConclusionsThe ophthalmological side effects of ICSs, such as glaucoma and intraocular hypertension, should not be exaggerated.Trial RegistrationUniversity Hospital Medical Information Network Center Clinical Trial Registry Identifier: UMIN000040351

Технология динамического конфигурирования сетецентрической системы информационной поддержки управления региональной безопасностью.

The article is devoted to the development of software of information and analytical support for regional security management. The authors formulate the concepts of configuration of a network-centric management support system and its dynamic configuration. The conceptual scheme of the configuration in the notation of ER diagrams and its implementation in the form of a configuration file is proposed. The technology for dynamic configuration of multi-level network-centric information and control systems is described. The technology is designed for automated deployment of a network of software agents and their parametric configuration depending on the context of the application problem being solved

Super-strong interactions between multivalent anions and graphene* *Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China for Outstanding Young Scholars (Grant No. 11722548), the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (Grant No. 2019M651462), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. U1932123), the Innovative Research Team of High-Level Local Universities in Shanghai, the Open Project of State Key Laboratory of

Based on the density functional theory (DFT) calculations, we showed that the interactions between different valence anions (, , ) and graphene significantly increased as the valence of anion increased from negative monovalence to negative trivalence. The adsorption energy of on the electron-rich graphene flake (C84H24) is −8.3 kcal/mol. The adsorption energy of on the electron-rich graphene flake (C84H24) is –48.0 kcal/mol, which is about six times that of adsorption on electron-rich graphene flake (C84H24) and is even much larger than that of adsorption on electron-deficient aromatic ring C6F6 (–28.4 kcal/mol). The adsorption energy of on the electron-rich graphene flake (C84H24) is –159.2 kcal/mol, which is about 20 times that of adsorption on the graphene flake (C84H24). The super-strong adsorption energy is mainly attributed to the orbital interactions between multivalent anions and graphene. This work provides new insights for understanding the interaction between multivalent anions and π–electron-rich carbon-based nanomaterials and is helpful for the design of graphene-based DNA biosensor.

The impact of social features underlying inter-organizational networks on learning: insights from Brazilian evidence

PurposeThis paper aims to investigate the impact of social features of an inter-organizational network on organizational learning and, in turn, on its performance. Specifically, this paper focuses on the following social features: proximity among members, trust among members, trust in network management, commitment among members, members’ engagement and exchange of information.Design/methodology/approachThis paper is based on evidence from a survey involving 101 organizations that integrate the Cooperation Networks established in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The authors analyze data by using exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling. Furthermore, they advance to also measuring “subjective” variables to business excellence.FindingsThe authors find that trust in network management and information exchange is positively associated with organizational learning. In turn, organizational learning appears to impact network members’ performance positively. Arguably, no results about the impact of proximity among members, trust among members and commitment among members are interesting to activate a discussion on the role of region cultural dimensions in shaping the impact of social features underlying the inter-organizational networks on organizational learning.Research limitations/implicationsThis study can be enriched by considering moderating variables in the relationships between the social conditions underlying inter-organizational network and learning.Practical implicationsThe authors critically discuss the social features underlying the inter-organizational networks that impact learning among network members and how these aspects may be addressed to improve performance.Originality/valueGiven the focus of this empirical analysis, the authors advance the idea that regional culture is the layer of culture that most powerfully inspires the social features of networks, and shapes organizational learning.

Leveraging blockchain technology for innovative climate finance under the Green Climate Fund

The rapid development of digital technologies such as blockchain and distributed ledger-based systems holds transformative potential for the financial sector. Promising applications include asset management as well as peer-to-peer networks for the transparent exchange of data and information. International climate finance stands to benefit in particular ways from these new opportunities in financial technology. Distributed ledger technologies could be leveraged to support climate action, for example by facilitating transparent and standardized transactions, or by enabling more efficient monitoring and accreditation processes. In view of these promising opportunities, we focus our inquiry on the case of the Green Climate Fund to explore how distributed ledger technologies can be used for innovative climate finance. Based on our analysis of different digital system models and potential use cases, we then discuss some of the technical and political challenges that may arise, for example with regard to standards and safeguards, governance processes, country ownership, and further capitalization. Our findings show that distributed ledger-based systems could benefit the work of the fund in key areas such as multi-stakeholder coordination and impact assessment. However, our analysis also points to the concrete limitations of technology driven solutions. Digital technologies are not a standalone solution to persistent resource allocation and governance challenges in international climate finance, especially because the design and deployment of these digital systems is inherently political.

Social Networks as Drivers for Technology Adoption: A Study from a Rural Mountain Area in Italy

Innovation processes includes social and communicative elements. The role of innovative technology for the development of farming systems is investigated in literature, but only a few studies deal with the influence of networks on the adoption of technologies by farmers. The aim of this paper is to verify if the adoption of smartphones for professional reasons by farmers is influenced by the networks to which farmers belong, the socio-demographic characteristics of the farmers, and their farm’s size. The case study is in the Valtellina valley, a rural mountain area in the north of Italy, where 53 livestock farmers were interviewed. The methodology is based on two steps. First, social network analysis is applied to diagnose the relationships of farmers in terms of connectivity and closeness and to detect the centrality measures of farmers in three different social relationships: production networks, market networks, and information exchange networks. A multiple linear regression model is then applied to test whether centrality measures of the three networks, the farmers’ socio-demographic characters, and the farm’s features drive the adoption of smartphones for professional reasons. Results suggest that the centrality measures in production networks positively drive the adoption of smartphones, while the centrality measures of market and information exchange networks do not have the same effect. At the same time, the farmers’ age negatively affects the use of smartphones for professional reasons, while the size of the herd, and the education and gender of farmers have no significant influence. The study contributes to the debate around the Agricultural Knowledge Innovation System and supports local policies based on the inclusion of farmers in the technological development in rural areas.

Zikloteka, a documentation centre in cycle mobility. An advanced initiative to collect, process and disseminate documentation on cycling mobility

During the last two decades, a significant volume of materials related to everyday cycling have been produced in Gipuzkoa. This documentation, scattered in many locations until now, represents a considerable heritage of administrative, scientific, technical and citizens’ knowledge produced in this area, as well as underlining the effort undertaken to normalize the use of the bicycle as a means of transport in this territory. The Gipuzkoa Provincial Council and the Cristina Enea Foundation set up the Zikloteka in 2015, a specialized documentation centre in cycle mobility in Gipuzkoa, in order to identify, compile, preserve and disseminate this heritage, which currently contains over 3,800 references. The article presents the main characteristics, services, management system and takes stock of its trajectory. The glossary drawn up to classify the materials is its main contribution in the technical documentation area specialized in mobility. It underlines the collaboration with different entities, such as the Red de Ciudades por la Bicicleta (Cities for Cycling Network), ConBici, and the Network of Environmental Information and Documentation Centres which, complemented by a lengthy search, collection and management process, make it a unique specialized documentation centre in cycle mobility in Europe.

Exploring information exchange among interest groups: a text-reuse approach

ABSTRACT The presence of communication channels plays a key role in how interest groups engage in EU policymaking. However, the capacity of researchers to explain these patterns is constrained by the informal and opaque nature of such interaction. In this paper we develop a novel text-as-data approach which maps the informal patterns of information exchange among the stakeholders that engage with EU policymaking by detecting instances of text reuse among the comment letters submitted by these groups to the same policy proposal. We use this approach to analyse a novel dataset of publicly available comments to a wide a range of EU policies. We find that there are significant differences between the structure of information exchange networks and more formal lobbying coalitions in the EU, as well as between the groups that engage in these forms of coordination.

Short-term responses to high-dose inhaled corticosteroid treatment in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with a fractional nitric oxide concentration over 35 parts per billion: A single-centre pre–post study

Introduction: There is currently no strategy for identifying chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients whose pulmonary function could benefit from inhaled corticosteroids. We investigated whether a 28-day regime of inhaled corticosteroids improved pulmonary function test results among COPD patients with a fractional exhaled nitric oxide concentration > 35 parts per billion. Methods: This single-centre one-arm pre–post trial included COPD patients with a fractional exhaled nitric oxide concentration > 35 parts per billion treated at our institution from September 2018 to August 2019. Patients were administered budesonide (200 μg, 8 puffs daily) for 28 days. The primary outcome measure was the difference between the forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) at baseline and after 28 days of inhaled corticosteroid treatment. Secondary outcomes included differences in COPD Assessment Test scores, %FEV1, and that between the percent forced vital capacity (%FVC) at baseline and after 28 days of treatment. Results: Twenty patients completed the 28-day inhaled corticosteroid regime. The mean difference in FEV1 between day 1 and day 28 was 340 mL (95% confidence interval: −100 to 770 mL; p = 0.122). The mean differences in secondary outcomes were: %FVC, −0.16% (95% confidence interval [CI]: −2.84 to 2.53%; p = 0.905); %FEV1, 1.63% (95%CI: −4.56 to 7.81%; p = 0.589); COPD Assessment Test score, −2.50 (95%CI: −5.72 to 0.72; p = 0.121). Conclusion: The 28-day course of inhaled corticosteroids yielded no significant difference in FEV1 for COPD patients with a fractional exhaled nitric oxide concentration > 35 parts per billion. Trial registration: University Hospital Medical Information Network Center, UMIN000034005. Registered 3 September 2018, https://upload.umin.ac.jp/cgi-open-bin/ctr/ctr_view.cgi?recptno=R000038557

Information access and sharing among prosthetics and orthotics faculty in Ghana and the United States.

Information access is essential for quality healthcare provision and education. Despite technological advances, access to prosthetics and orthotics information in low- and middle-income countries is not ubiquitous. The current state of information access, availability, and exchange among prosthetics and orthotics faculty is unknown. Describe information exchange networks and access at two prosthetics and orthotics programs in Ghana and the United States. Cross-sectional survey, social network analysis. An online survey of faculty at two prosthetics and orthotics programs using REDCap. The survey included a social network analysis, demographics, and prosthetics and orthotics information resources and frequency of use. Descriptive statistics were calculated. Twenty-one faculty members completed the survey (84% response). Ghanaian faculty were on average younger (median Ghana: 27 years, United States: 43 years), had less teaching experience, and had less education than US faculty. Textbooks were the most commonly used resource at both programs. The Ghanaian network had more internal connections with few outside sources. The US network had fewer internal connections, relied heavily upon four key players, and had numerous outside contacts. Ghana and US faculty have two distinct information exchange networks. These networks identify key players and barriers to dissemination among faculty to promote successful knowledge translation of current scientific literature and technology development. Social network analysis may be a useful method to explore information sharing among prosthetics and orthotics faculty, and identify areas for further study.

Аспекты совместимости сетевых протоколов, интерфейсов и требований по качеству обслуживания в рамках оценки интероперабельности сетецентрических информационно-управляющих систем.

In the situation of transition from information and control systems to a network-centric architecture and development of net-centric information and control system, the relevance of interoperability assurance in such systems is increasing. An approach to interoperability of network protocols and interfaces, quality of service architectures is proposed as a part of developing a model of technical interoperability of network-centric information and control system based on Russia's state standard no. 55062-2012. It is shown that capabilities of technical interoperability for network protocols and interfaces, quality of service architectures include dimensions of network bandwidth, speed of traffic flows, timeliness of transmission, jitter, probability of packet loss. The current study takes place as a part of Russian Foundation for basic research finance project no. 19-07-00774.

The efficacy of the submucosal injection of lidocaine during endoscopic submucosal dissection for colorectal neoplasms: a multicenter randomized controlled study

BackgroundEndoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is currently a common procedure although it requires a long procedural time. We conducted a prospective study to determine the efficacy and safety of lidocaine injection for shortening the procedural time and relieving bowel peristalsis during ESD.MethodsA multicenter randomized controlled study was conducted in three hospitals. Ninety-one patients who underwent colorectal ESD were enrolled. Patients were randomly divided into two groups using the envelope method: the lidocaine group and saline group. The primary endpoint was the procedural time, and the secondary endpoints were the procedural time in each part of the colon and the grade of bowel peristalsis and the incidence and amounts of antispasmodic drugs use and adverse events.ResultsThe patients’ demographics were not markedly different between the two groups. The mean procedural time in the lidocaine group was not markedly different from that in the saline group. In contrast, at the proximal site, the procedural time in the lidocaine group (57 min) was significantly shorter in the saline group (80 min). The grade of bowel peristalsis in the lidocaine group (0.67) was significantly lower than in the saline group (1.17). Antispasmodic drug use was significantly rarer in the lidocaine group than in the saline group. The incidence of adverse events was not markedly different between the two groups.ConclusionsLocal lidocaine injection is a feasible option for preventing bowel peristalsis, particularly in the proximal colon, leading to a reduced procedural time for ESD and decreased antispasmodic drug use.University Hospital Medical Information Network Center (UMIN number: 000022843).

Intrinsic approaches to prioritizing diagnoses in multi-context systems

Multi-context systems introduced by Brewka and Eiter provide a promising framework for interlinking heterogeneous and autonomous knowledge sources. The notion of diagnosis has been proposed for analyzing inconsistency in multi-context systems, which captures a pair of subsets of bridge rules of a multi-context system needed to be deactivated and activated unconditionally, respectively, in order to restore the consistency for that system. Generally, diagnoses need to be prioritized from some specific perspectives in order to select the most desirable ones to resolve inconsistency. In this paper, we propose a series of intrinsic approaches to prioritizing diagnoses based on the structure of information exchange over contexts in a multi-context system, which allow us to rank diagnoses in cases where no external knowledge is available. We use a heterogeneous graph, termed information exchange network, to formulate the information exchange over contexts via bridge rules in a multi-context system. Then we propose three kinds of approaches to prioritizing diagnoses based on the information exchange network for a multi-context system. Approaches of the first kind focus on ranking diagnoses by evaluating the impact of potential revision according to each diagnosis on direct information exchange over contexts from different perspectives, whilst approaches of the second kind rank diagnoses by evaluating the impact of potential revision according to each diagnosis on betweenness centralities of contexts with regard to the whole information exchange network. The last one uses the betweenness centralities of bridge rules in the information exchange network to prioritize diagnoses directly.

Forecasting of e-commerce transaction volume using a hybrid of extreme learning machine and improved moth-flame optimization algorithm

The rapid development of e-commerce has resulted in optimization of the industrial structure of Chinese enterprises and has improved the Chinese economy. E-commerce transaction volume is an evaluation index used to determine the development level of e-commerce. This study proposed a model for forecasting e-commerce transaction volume. First, a hybrid moth–flame optimization algorithm (HMFO) was proposed. The convergence ability of the HMFO algorithm was analyzed on the basis of test functions. Second, using data provided by the China Internet Network Information Center, factors influencing e-commerce transaction volume were analyzed. The input variables of the e-commerce transaction volume prediction model were selected by analyzing correlation coefficients. Finally, a hybrid extreme learning machine and hybrid-strategy-based HMFO (ELM-HMFO) method was proposed to predict the volume of e-commerce transactions. The prediction results revealed that the root mean square error of the proposed ELM-HMFO model was smaller than 0.5, and the determination coefficient was 0.99, which indicated that the forecast e-commerce transaction volume was satisfactory. The proposed ELM-HMFO model can promote the industrial upgrading and development of e-commerce in China.

A Sustainable Model for Preventive Services in Rural Counties: The Healthier Together Study.

The Healthier Together study aimed to implement and evaluate a sustainable, rural community-based patient outreach model for preventive care provided through primary care practices located in 3 rural counties in Oklahoma. Community-based wellness coordinators (WCs) working with primary care practitioners, county health departments, local hospitals, and health information exchange (HIE) networks helped residents receive high-priority evidence-based preventive services. The WCs used a wellness registry connected to electronic medical records and HIEs and called patients at the county level, based on primary care practitioner-preferred protocols. The registry flagged patient-level preventive care gaps, tracked outreach efforts, and documented the delivery of services throughout the community. Return on investment (ROI) in participating organizations was estimated by the study team. Forty-four of the 59 eligible clinician practices participated in the study. Two regional HIEs supplied periodic health data updates for 71,989 patients seen in the 3 implementation counties. A total of 45,862 outreach calls were made by 6 WCs, 100,896 high-priority recommendations were offered to patients based on care gaps and 14,043 additional services were delivered. Of all the patients reached, only 1917 (4.2%) were up to date on all prioritized services. Participating primary care practices significantly improved the delivery of preventive services (mean increase: 20.2% across 12 services; P < .001; range: 7% to 43%) and realized a mean ROI of 68%. Health systems that employed the WCs earned a mean revenue of $175,000, realizing a 75% ROI for the outreach program. Although health care is under-resourced and segmented in many rural counties, when stakeholder partnerships are established, they may be able to achieve and economically sustain community-wide health improvement by creating a win-win situation for all partners.

Abstract IA27: An innovative approach to improve clinical trials using adaptive in silico design

Abstract Cancer drug discovery and development is being throttled by high attrition rates and skyrocketing clinical trial costs as trials get increasingly more complex. The status quo is not sustainable, and new approaches to preclinical and clinical experimentation are urgently needed as we continue our quest to combat cancer. We have gained significant knowledge in cancer molecular biology in past decades, which has led to the discovery of new biomarkers and novel targeted therapies, yet the traditional clinical trial designs are lengthy and challenged by low patient enrollment due to the inability to identify patients eligible for trials. New paradigms for trial design and conduct must be developed in order to address unmet needs. In recent years, the use of adaptive design methods has gained support in clinical trials to improve study success rate, such as the I-SPY 2 trial. Adaptive clinical trial designs enable a study to address multiple questions concurrently such as appropriate patient population, dose, dosing regimen, and effective drug combinations. This adaptive approach uses accumulating data to modify the ongoing trial to improve the power of the study and treat more patients with more effective treatments. In parallel, computational, or in silico modeling, has also become increasingly useful in identifying patient populations who are phenotypically and genotypically eligible for target-based clinical trials. One of the major challenges we are facing now is integrating the vast amount of data often required to improve clinical trial design and matching patients to clinical trials. Here we present a framework that enables combining both approaches to enhance the discovery, development, and delivery of new therapies. This undertaking is made possible through a data-sharing network, the Oncology Research Information Exchange Network (ORIEN). ORIEN is comprised of numerous cancer centers that have agreed to use the same IRB-approved protocol and consent (Total Cancer Care Protocol) to follow patients throughout their lifetime. Importantly, consented patients also agree to be recontacted for future research and clinical trials. The ORIEN clinical data collection is harmonized through data standards and common data dictionaries among all sites. The acquisition, processing, storage, and release of human tissue are also uniform across all sites, as they follow the same policies and procedures. Collectively, this powerful platform enables prospective, current, and retrospective data analyses and in silico modeling that can be iteratively enhanced with the addition of raw and derived data to identify specific study cohort(s), termed “in silico communit(ies).” Significant effort is needed for updating data and models to keep pace with patient outcomes. Like all adaptive designs, the development and refinement of a robust statistical methodology is also critical for an unbiased evaluation of the data. The key to success for this approach requires devoted collaboration between patients, cancer research community, pharmaceutical industry, and the FDA. Citation Format: Judy Barkal, Ming Poi, William Dalton. An innovative approach to improve clinical trials using adaptive in silico design [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Modernizing Population Sciences in the Digital Age; 2019 Feb 19-22; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2020;29(9 Suppl):Abstract nr IA27.

Abstract 2119: Gene mapping in high-risk chronic lymphocytic leukemia pedigree identifies risk locus at chromosome 2q22.1

Abstract Chronic lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) is an age-related heterogeneous B-cell leukemia. In familial studies CLL has been consistently shown to be one of the most heritable cancers, indicating that genetics play a factor in the risk of developing CLL. However, only a few genes so far have been found to confer disease-risk of CLL. We used shared genomic segment (SGS) analysis in one exceptionally large high-risk CLL pedigree of European ancestry and identified a genome-wide significant 0.93 Mb region on chromosome 2q22.1. This region was inherited through 26 meiosis to seven cases in the pedigree (p=2.0 × 10−7). This region overlaps a locus identified in a previous CLL linkage study, which adds evidence to this as a candidate region harboring disease risk alleles. There are two genes within our SGS region, CXCR4 and THSD7B. In particular, CXCR4, a B-cell chemokine receptor, is a strong functional candidate as it is overexpressed in many cancers, including CLL, and is current drug target for treatment of CLL. Rare germline mutations in CXCR4 have been previously identified in CLL cases and at least one variant (rs56400844) was found to segregate within a CLL pedigree. Interrogation of the germline coding space of the SGS region in five of the seven sharers did not identify any predicted deleterious shared alleles. Many non-coding alleles were shared, but further investigation will be necessary to prioritize those as potentially regulatory or if a haplotype of multiple alleles modulates the transcriptome. We next explored the germline coding space in the SGS region in two other existing data sources: 48 WGS from early onset, clinical high-risk or familial CLL cases and 161 WES from population-level CLL cases as part of the Oncology Research Information Exchange Network (ORIEN) Avatar Program. We identified a coding missense CXCR4 variant (rs377287446, AF= 0.0000559, CADD=26.2) in one case and an extremely rare 3' UTR variant (*290C&amp;gt;T, AF= 0.000007, singleton in gnomAD v3.0) present in two other cases. In summary, in the single largest high-risk pedigree studied to date, we have identified a genome-wide significant small region (&amp;lt;1 Mb) at 2q22.1 which overlaps a previously suggested susceptibility locus for CLL. Exome sequencing of the region in additional local CLL cohorts and previous studies have identified at least three candidate deleterious mutations in CXCR4, a strong functional candidate gene in the locus. Future work will concentrate on deciphering regulatory variants in the inherited SGS region to establish CXCR4 as a susceptibility risk gene for CLL. Citation Format: Julie Ellen Feusier, Michael J. Madsen, Karl Voelkerding, Martha Glenn, Nicola Camp. Gene mapping in high-risk chronic lymphocytic leukemia pedigree identifies risk locus at chromosome 2q22.1 [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 2119.

Abstract 3338: Intra-tumoral microbes correlate with immune cell fractions in lung cancer biopsies not other cancers

Abstract Exogenous sequences in bacteria have been found in many tumors, but their effect on outcomes remains largely unknown. We hypothesize that intratumoral microbes elicit effects through the recruitment of immune cells, such as CD8+ T-cells that are important for immunotherapy response. Through ORIEN (Oncology Research Information Exchange Network), we obtained RNA-seq data from biopsies of 480 tumors (Melanoma=16, Bladder=104, Colorectal=20 Renal Cell Carcinoma=20, Sarcoma=118, Lung=202) from patients treated at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center. Reads were aligned to human and exogenous genomes using TopHat2 and Kraken2/Bracken, respectively. Human gene expression was deconvolved to relative abundances of immune cells using CIBERSORT. Across cancers, an average of 99.87% of reads were aligned to the human reference genome. The immune cell types CD8+ T-cells, activated dendritic cells and M1 macrophages were significantly enriched in lung cancer (p-values &amp;lt;0.0001), and M2 macrophages were significantly enriched in sarcoma (p-values&amp;lt;0.0001). On the other hand, exogenous reads were aligned to 1328 genomes of bacteria, archaea, viruses and fungi. The phyla with the largest average relative abundances were Proteobacteria, Firmicutes and Actinobacteria, with average relative abundances of 39.5%, 20.1%, and 5.16% respectively. In lung cancer, there was a significant positive correlation between the fraction of CD8+ T-cells and Acinetobacter junii (p-value=0.035), and between activated NK cells and Acidipropionibacterium virtanenii (p-value=0.035). This suggests a mechanism by which intratumoral microbes may affect the immune system and thereby cancer outcomes. Citation Format: Xiaokui Mo, Daniel Spakowicz, Rebecca Hoyd. Intra-tumoral microbes correlate with immune cell fractions in lung cancer biopsies not other cancers [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 3338.

Crosstalk Between Astrocytes and Microglia: An Overview.

Based on discoveries enabled by new technologies and analysis using novel computational tools, neuroscience can be re-conceived in terms of information exchange in dense networks of intercellular connections rather than in the context of individual populations, such as glia or neurons. Cross-talk between neurons and microglia or astrocytes has been addressed, however, the manner in which non-neuronal cells communicate and interact remains less well-understood. We review this intriguing crosstalk among CNS cells, focusing on astrocytes and microglia and how it contributes to brain development and neurodegenerative diseases. The goal of studying these intercellular communications is to promote our ability to combat incurable neurological disorders.

Method for analyzing the stability of information transfer between unmanned aerial vehicles in the formation

The use of a formation consisting of adaptive autonomous mobile agents allows solving a wide range of tasks that are often beyond the capabilities of individual agents. A multi-agent formation is a complex high-order dynamic system, so analyzing the stability of such a system is a complex task. At present, the problem of estimating the stability of a formation formed by substantially nonlinear high-order agents with variable dynamic parameters is not sufficiently considered. This task is particularly important for a formation that is affected by complex unstable environmental conditions, in particular for the formation of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). A method for analyzing the stability of formations of nonlinear agents with different types and orders of transfer function has been developed for studying information exchange in UAV networks. The new approach is based on the use of the Popov frequency criterion and the piecewise linear approximation of the hodograph. A computational experiment was performed to analyze the stability of a formation with transfer functions of various types and orders from the 1st to the 10th. The conducted studies revealed a significant difference in the calculated boundary coefficients of formation stability in the linear and nonlinear modes, which confirms the need to analyze the nonlinear stability under the influence of strong destabilizing influences on the formation.