Compressive strength prediction of admixed HPC concrete by hybrid deep learning approaches

The estimation of compressive strength includes time-consuming, finance-wasting, and laboring approaches to undertaking High-performance concrete (HPC) production. On the other side, a vast volume of concrete consumption in industrial construction requires an optimal mix design with different percentages to reach the highest compressive strength. The present study considered two deep learning approaches to handle compressive strength prediction. The robustness of the deep model was put high through two novel optimization algorithms as a novelty in the research world that played their precise roles in charge of model structure optimization. Also, a dataset containing cement, silica fume, fly ash, the total aggregate amount, the coarse aggregate amount, superplasticizer, water, curing time, and high-performance concrete compressive strength was used to develop models. The results indicate that the AMLP-I and GMLP-I models served the highest prediction accuracy. R2 and RMSE of AMLP-I stood at 0.9895 and 1.7341, respectively, which declared that the AMLP-I model could be presented as the robust model for estimating compressive strength. Generally, using optimization algorithms to boost the capabilities of prediction models by tuning the internal characteristics has increased the reliability of artificial intelligent approaches to substitute the more experimental practices.

Effect of Cisplatin and Gemcitabine With or Without Berzosertib in Patients With Advanced Urothelial Carcinoma: A Phase 2 Randomized Clinical Trial

IMPORTANCE

Preclinical studies suggest that inhibition of single-stranded DNA repair by ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3 (ATR) may enhance the cytotoxicity of cisplatin, gemcitabine, and other chemotherapeutic agents. Cisplatin with gemcitabine remains the standard up-front therapy for treatment in patients with metastatic urothelial cancer.

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether the use of the selective ATR inhibitor, berzosertib, could augment the activity of cisplatin with gemcitabine.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

In a phase 2 randomized clinical trial, 87 patients across 23 centers in the National Cancer Institute Experimental Therapeutics Clinical Trials Network were randomized to receive either cisplatin with gemcitabine alone (control arm) or cisplatin with gemcitabine plus berzosertib (experimental arm). Key eligibility criteria included confirmed metastatic urothelial cancer, no prior cytotoxic therapy for metastatic disease, 12 months or more since perioperative therapy, and eligibility for cisplatin receipt based on standard criteria. The study was conducted from January 27, 2017, to December 15, 2020.

INTERVENTIONS

In the control arm, cisplatin, 70 mg/m2, was given on day 1 and gemcitabine, 1000 mg/m2, was given on days 1 and 8 of a 21-day cycle. In the experimental arm, cisplatin, 60 mg/m2, was given on day 1; gemcitabine, 875 mg/m2, on days 1 and 8; and berzosertib, 90 mg/m2, on days 2 and 9 of a 21-day cycle.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

The primary end point of the study was progression-free survival. The analysis was on all patients who started therapy.

RESULTS

Of the total of 87 patients randomized, 41 patients received cisplatin with gemcitabine alone and 46 received cisplatin with gemcitabine plus berzosertib. Median age was 67 (range, 32-84) years, and 68 patients (78%) were men. Median progression-free survival was 8.0 months for both arms (Bajorin risk-adjusted hazard ratio, 1.22; 95% CI, 0.72-2.08). Median overall survival was shorter with cisplatin with gemcitabine plus berzosertib compared with cisplatin with gemcitabine alone (14.4 vs 19.8 months; Bajorin risk-adjusted hazard ratio, 1.42; 95% CI, 0.76-2.68). Higher rates of grade 3 vs grade 4 thrombocytopenia (59% vs 39%) and neutropenia (37% vs 27%) were observed with cisplatin with gemcitabine and berzosertib compared with cisplatin with gemcitabine alone; consequently, more dose reductions were needed in the experimental arm. Patients in the experimental arm received a median cisplatin dose of 250 mg/m2, which was significantly lower than the median dose of 370 mg/m2 in the control arm (P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

The addition of berzosertib to cisplatin with gemcitabine did not prolong progression-free survival relative to cisplatin with gemcitabine alone in patients with metastatic urothelial cancer, and a trend toward inferior survival was observed with this combination. Berzosertib plus cisplatin with gemcitabine was associated with significantly higher hematologic toxicities despite attenuated dosing of cisplatin with gemcitabine.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02567409.

Study on the Overshoot Effect of Doped PhOLED with Transient Electroluminescence

The accumulation carriers and the trapped carriers are found in many organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) more or less, which can lead to a great loss of carriers and weaken the performance of devices. We have investigated a host-guest-system containing the green phosphorescent emitter tris[2-phenylpyridinato-C2,N]iridium(Ⅲ) [Ir(ppy)3] and one host material with transient electroluminescence (EL). The charge recombination, accumulation and light emission mechanisms of the phosphorescent organic light-emitting diodes (PhOLEDs) with different host materials were analyzed. The structure was fabricated as ITO/NPB(30 nm)/host: Ir(ppy)3/BCP(10 nm)/Alq3(20 nm)/LiF(0.7 nm)/Al(100 nm),the hosts were CBP, PVK and TAZ respectively. These results showed the transient EL was strongly dependent on host materials. Compared to devices of host material CBP and PVK, only those with the host material TAZ as the emitting layer exhibited strong electroluminescence overshoots between 1 and 3 μs after turning off the voltage pulse at room temperatures. To further elucidate the generality of the overshoots, we monitored their dependence on the dopant concentration. The transient EL results in host-guest-system devices demonstrated a direct link between the strong overshoot effect and charge trapping in the emitting guest molecules. The excessive electrons in the guest sites could be a major factor inducing significant strong overshoot phenomenon in the TAZ: Ir(ppy)3 layer. We attributed these overshoot effect to the electrons accumulated on Ir(ppy)3 sites and accumulated holes in the vicinity of the HBL/EML interface. As a result, we obtained a better understanding of carriers’ dynamics and recombination process of PhOLEDs after turning off the voltage pules. The new understanding of the charge carriers and exciton dynamics of PhOLEDs is instrumental in directing the efforts of developing stable and high-efficiency PhOLEDs.

Assessment of HER2 gene amplification in adenocarcinomas of the stomach or gastroesophageal junction in the INT-0116/SWOG9008 clinical trial

BACKGROUND

Trastuzumab has been approved for patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive metastatic gastric carcinoma; however, relatively little is known about the role of HER2 in the natural history of this disease.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Patients enrolled in the INT-0116/SWOG9008 phase III gastric cancer clinical trial with available tissue specimens were retrospectively evaluated for HER2 gene amplification by FISH and overexpression by immunohistochemistry (IHC). The original trial was designed to evaluate the benefit of postoperative chemoradiation compared with surgery alone.

RESULTS

HER2 gene amplification rate by FISH was 10.9% among 258 patients evaluated. HER2 overexpression rate by IHC was 12.2% among 148 patients evaluated, with 90% agreement between FISH and IHC. There was a significant interaction between HER2 amplification and treatment with respect to both disease-free survival (DFS) (P = 0.020) and overall survival (OS) (P = 0.034). Among patients with HER2-non-amplified cancers, treated patients had a median OS of 44 months compared with 24 months in the surgery-only arm (P = 0.003). Among patients with HER2-amplified cancers, there was no significant difference in survival based on treatment arm. HER2 status was not a prognostic marker among patients who received no postoperative chemoradiation.

CONCLUSION

Patients lacking HER2 amplification benefited from treatment as indicated by both DFS and OS.

CLINICAL TRIAL

INT-0116/SWOG9008 phase III.

Assessment of HER2 gene amplification in adenocarcinomas of the stomach or gastroesophageal junction in the INT-0116/SWOG9008 clinical trial

BACKGROUND

Trastuzumab has been approved for patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive metastatic gastric carcinoma; however, relatively little is known about the role of HER2 in the natural history of this disease.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Patients enrolled in the INT-0116/SWOG9008 phase III gastric cancer clinical trial with available tissue specimens were retrospectively evaluated for HER2 gene amplification by FISH and overexpression by immunohistochemistry (IHC). The original trial was designed to evaluate the benefit of postoperative chemoradiation compared with surgery alone.

RESULTS

HER2 gene amplification rate by FISH was 10.9% among 258 patients evaluated. HER2 overexpression rate by IHC was 12.2% among 148 patients evaluated, with 90% agreement between FISH and IHC. There was a significant interaction between HER2 amplification and treatment with respect to both disease-free survival (DFS) (P = 0.020) and overall survival (OS) (P = 0.034). Among patients with HER2-non-amplified cancers, treated patients had a median OS of 44 months compared with 24 months in the surgery-only arm (P = 0.003). Among patients with HER2-amplified cancers, there was no significant difference in survival based on treatment arm. HER2 status was not a prognostic marker among patients who received no postoperative chemoradiation.

CONCLUSION

Patients lacking HER2 amplification benefited from treatment as indicated by both DFS and OS.

CLINICAL TRIAL

INT-0116/SWOG9008 phase III.

[The development of the ionization chamber and the researching of its characteristics for automatic exposure controlling in the X-ray diagnosis machine]

An ionization chamber for automatic exposure controlling used in X ray diagnosis machine was developped, and its characteristics were measured and researched. The electrodes of measuring field were made of carbon, such couldn't leave it's imaging on the film. In order to increase the ionization efficiency and decrease the thickness and electric capacity between electrodes, the chamber was constructed in multilayers. The chamber we developed can be fixed in different x ray machines convenientlly, there is a fine linearity between it's signal output and the exposures, the beam quality response is uniform and output-timing response is also good.

Spontaneous scrotal emphysema--a cause of scrotal swelling

Scrotal emphysema developed in a 24-year-old man without any sign of infection and without any trauma involved. The condition gradually improved over a few days and at follow-up one week later he was back to his normal state. No clue to the cause was found and it is therefore justifiable to claim that the patient has a 'spontaneous scrotal emphysema'.