bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ultra‐high frequency ultrasound in the differential diagnosis of oral pemphigus and pemphigoid: An explorative study
Authors: Izzetti Rossana , Nisi Marco , Aringhieri Giacomo , Vitali Saverio , Oranges Teresa , Romanelli Marco , Caramella Davide , Graziani Filippo , Gabriele Mario
Published: January 2021

Objectives

Intraoral ultra‐high frequency ultrasound (UHFUS) is an emerging technique in oral medicine, due to its possibility to provide submillimeter resolution imaging of superficial mucosal structures. In this study, the potential role of UHFUS in the diagnosis of oral pemphigus vulgaris (PV) and mucous membrane pemphigoid (MMP) is assessed.

Materials and Methods

Consecutive patients with suspected oral PV or MMP were enrolled. All patients underwent clinical examination, laboratory tests, intraoral UHFUS scan, and biopsy. Histology and direct immunofluorescence were set as benchmark for diagnosis confirmation. The sensitivity and specificity of UHFUS compared to histology were assessed. Mann‐Whitney test was performed to evaluate the presence of differences in the echogenicity of PV and MMP. P‐value was set at P < 0.05.

Results

Twenty‐five patients were included. Thirteen patients were diagnosed with PV, and twelve with MMP. The UHFUS features of PV and MMP lesions were described. Image analysis showed statistically significant differences between the echogenicity of PV and MMP lesions (P < 0.05). Good concordance between UHFUS and histology was found. UHFUS showed 75% sensitivity in the diagnosis of PV and 66.7% in the diagnosis of MMP.

Conclusions

UHFUS appears a valuable tool in the diagnosis of PV and MMP. Although histology and immunofluorescence remain the gold standard, UHFUS role in the diagnostic algorithm of PV and MMP seems promising as a chair‐side tool consistently enhancing clinical evaluation of oral bullous lesions.
L-functions of GL2n: p-adic properties and non-vanishing of twists
Authors: Dimitrov Mladen , Januszewski Fabian , Raghuram A.
Published: January 2021

The principal aim of this article is to attach and study $p$-adic $L$-functions to cohomological cuspidal automorphic representations $\Pi$ of $\operatorname {GL}_{2n}$ over a totally real field $F$ admitting a Shalika model. We use a modular symbol approach, along the global lines of the work of Ash and Ginzburg, but our results are more definitive because we draw heavily upon the methods used in the recent and separate works of all three authors. By construction, our $p$-adic $L$-functions are distributions on the Galois group of the maximal abelian extension of $F$ unramified outside $p\infty$. Moreover, we work under a weaker Panchishkine-type condition on $\Pi _p$ rather than the full ordinariness condition. Finally, we prove the so-called Manin relations between the $p$-adic $L$-functions at all critical points. This has the striking consequence that, given a unitary $\Pi$ whose standard $L$-function admits at least two critical points, and given a prime $p$ such that $\Pi _p$ is ordinary, the central critical value $L(\frac {1}{2}, \Pi \otimes \chi )$ is non-zero for all except finitely many Dirichlet characters $\chi$ of $p$-power conductor.
Gait Assessment in College Athletes: Do Concussion History, Symptoms, Gender, and Type of Sport Matter?
Authors: Messerschmidt Emily L. , Hall Eric E. , Ketcham Caroline J. , Patel Kirtida , Vallabhajosula Srikant
Published: January 2021

Context:Though previous research has focused on examining the effects of concussion history using a dual-task paradigm, the influence of factors like symptoms (unrelated to concussion), gender, and type of sport on gait in college athletes is unknown.Objective:To examine the effect of concussion history, symptoms, gender, and type of sport (noncontact/limited contact/contact) individually on gait among college athletes.Design:Exploratory cross-sectional study.Setting:Laboratory.Participants:In total, 98 varsity athletes (age, 18.3 [1.0] y; height, 1.79 [0.11] m; mass, 77.5 [19.2] kg; 27 with concussion history, 58 reported at least one symptom, 44 females; 8 played noncontact sports and 71 played contact sports) walked under single- and dual-task (walking while counting backward by 7) conditions.Interventions:Not applicable.Main Outcome Measures:Dual-task cost (DTC; % difference between single task and dual task) of gait speed, cadence, step length and width, percentage of swing and double-support phases, symptom score, and total symptom severity score. Independent samplesttests and 1-way analysis of variance were conducted (αvalue = .05).Results:Self-reported concussion history resulted in no significant differences (P > .05). Those who reported symptoms at testing time showed significantly greater DTC of step length (mean difference [MD], 2.7%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.3% to 5.1%;P = .012), % of swing phase (MD, 1.0%; 95% CI, −0.2 to 2.1%;P = .042), and % of double-support phase (MD, 3.9%; 95% CI, 0.2% to 7.8%;P = .019). Females demonstrated significantly higher DTC of gait speed (MD, 5.3%; 95% CI, 1.3% to 9.3%;P = .005), cadence (MD, 4.0%; 95% CI, 1.4% to 6.5%;P = .002), % of swing phase (MD, 1.2%; 95% CI, 0.1% to 2.3%;P = .019), and % of double-support phase (MD, 4.1%; 95% CI, 0.4% to 7.9%;P = .018). Noncontact sports athletes had significantly greater step width DTC than contact sports athletes (MD, 14.2%; 95% CI, 0.9% to 27.6%;P = .032).Conclusions:Reporting symptoms at testing time may influence gait under dual-task conditions. Additionally, female athletes showed more gait changes during a dual task. Sports medicine professionals should be aware that these variables, while unrelated to injury, may affect an athlete’s gait upon analysis.
Rab7-harboring vesicles are carriers of the transferrin receptor through the biosynthetic secretory pathway
Authors: Deffieu Maika S. , Cesonyte Ieva , Delalande François , Boncompain Gaelle , Dorobantu Cristina , Song Eli , Lucansky Vincent , Hirschler Aurélie , Cianferani Sarah , Perez Franck , Carapito Christine , Gaudin Raphael
Published: January 2021

CRISPR-based bioengineering of the transferrin receptor reveals a new role for Rab7 in the biosynthetic secretory pathway.
Thermal stress reduces pocilloporid coral resilience to ocean acidification by impairing control over calcifying fluid chemistry
Authors: Guillermic Maxence , Cameron Louise P. , De Corte Ilian , Misra Sambuddha , Bijma Jelle , de Beer Dirk , Reymond Claire E. , Westphal Hildegard , Ries Justin B. , Eagle Robert A.
Published: January 2021

Thermal stress reduces pocilloporid coral resilience to ocean acidification by impairing control over calcifying fluid chemistry.
Defects and plasticity in ultrastrong supercrystalline nanocomposites
Authors: Giuntini D. , Zhao S. , Krekeler T. , Li M. , Blankenburg M. , Bor B. , Schaan G. , Domènech B. , Müller M. , Scheider I. , Ritter M. , Schneider G. A.
Published: January 2021

Supercrystalline nanocomposites deform plastically like atomic crystals, even after a boost in strength, and feature compaction.
Single-crystalline epitaxial TiO film: A metal and superconductor, similar to Ti metal
Authors: Li Fengmiao , Zou Yuting , Han Myung-Geun , Foyevtsova Kateryna , Shin Hyungki , Lee Sangjae , Liu Chong , Shin Kidae , Albright Stephen D. , Sutarto Ronny , He Feizhou , Davidson Bruce A. , Walker Frederick J. , Ahn Charles H. , Zhu Yimei , Cheng Zhi Gang , Elfimov Ilya , Sawatzky George A. , Zou Ke
Published: January 2021

Epitaxial TiO(001) film grown by MBE is found to be the only metal and superconductor among 3d transition-metal monoxides.
Antiferromagnetic switching driven by the collective dynamics of a coexisting spin glass
Authors: Maniv Eran , Nair Nityan L. , Haley Shannon C. , Doyle Spencer , John Caolan , Cabrini Stefano , Maniv Ariel , Ramakrishna Sanath K. , Tang Yun-Long , Ercius Peter , Ramesh Ramamoorthy , Tserkovnyak Yaroslav , Reyes Arneil P. , Analytis James G.
Published: January 2021

Collective motion of correlated spins is demonstrated as a way to control antiferromagnetic memory in quantum technologies.
TRIM26 is a critical host factor for HCV replication and contributes to host tropism
Authors: Liang Yisha , Zhang Guigen , Li Qiheng , Han Lin , Hu Xiaoyou , Guo Yu , Tao Wanyin , Zhao Xiaomin , Guo Mingzhe , Gan Tianyu , Tong Yimin , Xu Yongfen , Zhou Zhuo , Ding Qiang , Wei Wensheng , Zhong Jin
Published: January 2021

A genome-wide screening revealed that TRIM26 is a host factor for HCV replication and a new determinant for host tropism.
The structure of enteric human adenovirus 41—A leading cause of diarrhea in children
Authors: Rafie K. , Lenman A. , Fuchs J. , Rajan A. , Arnberg N. , Carlson L.-A.
Published: January 2021

A cryo-EM structure reveals unique traits of a human adenovirus that has acquired gastrointestinal tropism.
A circadian clock in a nonphotosynthetic prokaryote
Authors: Eelderink-Chen Zheng , Bosman Jasper , Sartor Francesca , Dodd Antony N. , Kovács Ákos T. , Merrow Martha
Published: January 2021

Bacillus subtilis
has a circadian clock, extending the field of chronobiology to nonphotosynthetic bacteria.
A thin, deformable, high-performance supercapacitor implant that can be biodegraded and bioabsorbed within an animal body
Authors: Sheng Hongwei , Zhou Jingjing , Li Bo , He Yuhang , Zhang Xuetao , Liang Jie , Zhou Jinyuan , Su Qing , Xie Erqing , Lan Wei , Wang Kairong , Yu Cunjiang
Published: January 2021

A soft, biocompatible, high-performance supercapacitor implant is degradable and can be absorbed within an animal body.
Feeding diverse prey as an excellent strategy of mixotrophic dinoflagellates for global dominance
Authors: Jeong Hae Jin , Kang Hee Chang , Lim An Suk , Jang Se Hyeon , Lee Kitack , Lee Sung Yeon , Ok Jin Hee , You Ji Hyun , Kim Ji Hye , Lee Kyung Ha , Park Sang Ah , Eom Se Hee , Yoo Yeong Du , Kim Kwang Young
Published: January 2021

Mixotrophic dinoflagellate species with low or moderate growth rates but diverse prey cause red tides globally.
Microbe-Mineral Interaction and Novel Proteins for Iron Oxide Mineral Reduction in the Hyperthermophilic Crenarchaeon Pyrodictium delaneyi
Authors: Kashyap Srishti , Holden James F.
Published: January 2021

Understanding iron reduction in the hyperthermophilic crenarchaeon
Pyrodictium delaneyi
provides insight into the diversity of mechanisms used for this process and its potential impact in geothermal environments. The ability of
P. delaneyi
to reduce Fe(III) oxide minerals through direct contact potentially using a novel cytochrome respiratory complex and a membrane-bound molybdopterin respiratory complex sets iron reduction in this organism apart from previously described iron reduction processes.
Swimming Escherichia coli Cells Explore the Environment by Lévy Walk
Authors: Huo Haiyan , He Rui , Zhang Rongjing , Yuan Junhua
Published: January 2021

E. coli
cells explore the environment in a random walk of alternating runs and tumbles. By tracking the 3D trajectories of
E. coli
cells in an aqueous environment, we found that their trajectories are superdiffusive, with a power-law shape for the distribution of run lengths, which is characteristics of Lévy walk.
Measurable Genomic Changes in Mycobacterium avium subsp.
hominissuis
after Long-Term Adaptation in Acanthamoeba lenticulata and Reduced Persistence in Macrophages
Authors: Hasan Nabeeh A. , Norton Grant J. , Virdi Ravleen , Epperson L. Elaine , Vang Charmie K. , Hellbusch Brandon , Bai Xiyuan , Chan Edward D. , Strong Michael , Honda Jennifer R.
Published: January 2021

Short-term interaction between
Acanthamoeba
and
M. avium
has been demonstrated to increase infectivity in human and murine models of infection, establishing the paradigm that amoebae “train”
M. avium
in the environment by selecting for phenotypes capable of enduring in human cells. We investigated this phenomenon further by determining the consequence of long-term amoebae adaptation on
M. avium
subsp.
hominissuis
persistence in host cells.
Flucloxacillin and paracetamol induced pyroglutamic acidosis
Authors: Zand Irani Anis , Borchert Grace , Craven Brendan , Gibbons Holly
Published: January 2021

A 75-year-old woman was admitted to a regional hospital with an acute kidney injury (AKI) and nausea on a background of recent treatment forStaphylococcus aureusbacteraemia secondary to pneumonia. The treatment thereof resulted in a high anion gap metabolic acidosis (HAGMA). The pneumonia was initially treated with intravenous piperacillin and tazobactam and the patient transferred to a tertiary hospital. There, the diagnosis ofS. aureusbacteraemia secondary to a pulmonary source was confirmed and treatment was changed to intravenous flucloxacillin and the patient was discharged to hospital in the home (HITH is a service that allows short-term healthcare at home to be provided to people who would otherwise need to be in hospital) to complete the antibiotic course. Five weeks after commencing flucloxacillin, the patient was referred back to hospital with nausea and worsening kidney function with an associated significant HAGMA. The patient has a background of chronic kidney disease and chronic back pain for which she was taking long-term paracetamol. The HAGMA was determined to be due to a pyroglutamic acidosis (PGA), deemed secondary to the combined use of paracetamol and flucloxacillin. This was subsequently confirmed with a plasma pyroglutamic acid concentration level of 7467 µmol/L (reference range 20–50 µmol/L) and a urinary level of 1700 mmol/mol creatinine (<110 mmol/mol creatinine). To our knowledge, this is the highest plasma and urinary levels published to date. Furthermore, considering the common use of paracetamol and penicillins, it is important to recognise HAGMA as a potential complication of co-administration of paracetamol and iso-oxylopenicillin. The HAGMA resolved after cessation of flucloxacillin despite the continuation of paracetamol and without administration of N-acetylcysteine. PGA-related HAGMA appears to be a unique potential side effect of iso-oxylopenicillin rather than other beta-lactams.
Amiodarone-induced type 2 thyrotoxicosis
Authors: Portelli Darryl , Mifsud Simon , Abela Alexia , Fava Stephen
Published: January 2021

The authors present a case of a 55-year-old gentleman with a medical history of atrial fibrillation on amiodarone who presented with weight loss, palpitations and exertional dyspnoea. Thyroid function tests revealed thyrotoxicosis with a free thyroxine (T4) of 117 pmol/L and a thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) of <0.008 mIU/L. Interleukin-6 level was low. The negative TSH-receptor antibody status, the presence of a small thyroid gland with heterogeneous echotexture and decreased internal vascularity on ultrasound together with the relatively quick drop in free T4 and free tri-iodothyronine (T3) levels once prednisolone therapy was added to carbimazole suggested that this was typical of amiodarone-induced thyrotoxicosis (AIT) type 2. Subsequently, carbimazole was discontinued and treatment with prednisolone was continued. This case highlights that AIT management may be challenging and it is of paramount importance to establish the type of AIT present as this will guide management and is key to improving prognosis.
Hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia and pulmonary arteriovenous malformations
Authors: Dunphy Louise , Talwar Ambika , Patel Neil , Evans Alex
Published: January 2021

Hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) also known as Osler-Weber-Rendu syndrome is an autosomal dominant disorder affecting 1 in 8000 individuals. The eponym recognises the 19th-century physicians William Osler, Henri Jules Louis Marie Rendu and Frederick Parkes Weber who each independently described the disease. It is characterised by epistaxis, telangiectasia and visceral arteriovenous malformations. Individuals with HHT have been found to have abnormal plasma concentrations of transforming growth factor beta and vascular endothelial growth factor secondary to mutations in ENG, ACVRL1 and MADH4. Pulmonary artery malformations (PAVMs) are abnormal communications between pulmonary arteries and veins and are found in up to 50% of individuals with HHT. The clinical features suggestive of PAVMs are stigmata of right to left shunting such as dyspnoea, hypoxaemia, cyanosis, cerebral embolism and unexplained haemoptysis or haemothorax. The authors present the case of a 33-year-old woman presenting with progressive dyspnoea during the COVID-19 pandemic. She had a typical presentation of HHT with recurrent epistaxis, telangiectasia and pulmonary arteriovenous malformations. Although rare, PAVM should be considered in individuals presenting to the emergency department with dyspnoea and hypoxaemia. Delayed diagnosis can result in fatal embolic and haemorrhagic complications.
Network graph representation of COVID-19 scientific publications to aid knowledge discovery
Authors: Cernile George , Heritage Trevor , Sebire Neil J , Gordon Ben , Schwering Taralyn , Kazemlou Shana , Borecki Yulia
Published: January 2021

Introduction

Numerous scientific journal articles related to COVID-19 have been rapidly published, making navigation and understanding of relationships difficult.

Methods

A graph network was constructed from the publicly available COVID-19 Open Research Dataset (CORD-19) of COVID-19-related publications using an engine leveraging medical knowledge bases to identify discrete medical concepts and an open-source tool (Gephi) to visualise the network.

Results

The network shows connections between diseases, medications and procedures identified from the title and abstract of 195 958 COVID-19-related publications (CORD-19 Dataset). Connections between terms with few publications, those unconnected to the main network and those irrelevant were not displayed. Nodes were coloured by knowledge base and the size of the node related to the number of publications containing the term. The data set and visualisations were made publicly accessible via a webtool.

Conclusion

Knowledge management approaches (text mining and graph networks) can effectively allow rapid navigation and exploration of entity inter-relationships to improve understanding of diseases such as COVID-19.
Comparison of the intraocular pressure following an intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide injection for diabetic macula oedema in vitrectomised and non-vitrectomised eyes
Authors: Orii Yusuke , Gozawa Makoto , Takamura Yoshihiro , Takeuchi Yuko , Morioka Masakazu , Yamada Yutaka , Matsumura Takehiro , Sugimoto Masahiko , Inatani Masaru
Published: January 2021

Purpose

To compare the intraocular pressure (IOP) after an intravitreal triamcinolone acetonide (IVTA) between vitrectomised and non-vitrectomised eyes in patients with diabetes and diabetic macular oedema (DME).

Design

Retrospective comparative study

Methods

Medical records of 157 patients (157 eyes) with type 2 diabetes who received IVTA for DME were reviewed, and the best-corrected visual acuity, IOP and optical central retinal thickness (CRT) were compared preoperatively, at 1, 4, 12 and 24 weeks after IVTA between the vitrectomised and non-vitrectomised groups.

Results

IOP significantly increased at 1 (p<0.0001), 4 (p<0.0001), 8 (p<0.0001), 12 (p=0.0019), 16 (p=0.0006) and 20 weeks (p=0.0191) in the non-vitrectomised group, whereas a significant increase was only observed at 1 (p=0.0003) and 4 weeks (p=0.0006) in the vitrectomised group. ΔIOP, IOP changes from baseline, in the non-vitrectomised group was significantly higher than that in the vitrectomised group at 4 (p=0.0014), 8 (p=0.0081), 12 (p=0.0032) and 16 weeks (p=0.0038). No significant difference was observed in logMAR and CRT at any time point after IVTA between the two groups.

Conclusions

After an initial IVTA, increased IOP and ΔIOP from the baseline IOP were significantly more frequently observed in the non-vitrectomised than that in the vitrectomised group. IVTA is a safer and more effective treatment option for DME in vitrectomised than that in non-vitrectomised eyes.
Tyrosine kinase inhibitors in chronic myeloid leukaemia and emergent cardiovascular disease
Authors: Leong Darryl , Aghel Nazanin , Hillis Christopher , Siegal Deborah , Karampatos Sarah , Rangarajan Sumathy , Pond Gregory , Seow Hsien
Published: January 2021

Objectives

(1) Describe how the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in individuals with chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) has evolved; (2) evaluate the risk of MACE associated with the prescription of different CML tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI).

Methods

A population-based retrospective study including all patients (n=4238) diagnosed with CML in Ontario, Canada between 1986 and 2017 and and age-matched and sex-matched individuals who received healthcare but who did not have CML (controls: n=42 380). The cohort was divided into those entering before 2001 vs from 2001 onwards (when TKIs were introduced). We developed competing risks models to compare time-to-event in CML cases versus controls. We adjusted for baseline comorbidities and present subdistribution HRs and 95% CIs. The relationship between TKI use and MACE was assessed by logistic regression.

Results

Before 2001 and from 2001 on, patients with CML had a higher crude incidence of MACE than patients without CML (19.8 vs 15.3 and 20.3 vs 12.6 per 1000 person-years, respectively). After adjustment for cardiovascular risk factors, patients with CML had a lower subdistribution hazard for MACE (0.59, 95% CI 0.46 to 0.76) before 2001; but from 2001, the adjusted subdistribution HR for MACE (1.27, 95% CI 0.96 to 1.43) was similar to age-matched and sex-matched patients. The incidence (9.3 vs 13.8 per 1000 person-years) and subdistribution hazard for cardiovascular death (0.43, 95% CI 0.36 to 0.52) were lower in patients with CML than controls before 2001. From 2001 on, the incidence (6.3 vs 5.4 per 1000 person-years) and subdistribution hazard for cardiovascular death (0.99, 95% CI 0.84 to 1.18) were similar to age-matched and sex-matched patients without CML with a higher risk of cerebrovascular events (8.6 vs 5.6 per 1000 person-years; 1.35, 95% CI 1.00 to 1.83) and peripheral arterial events (6.9 vs 3.0 per 1000 person-years; 1.66 95% CI, 1.15 to 2.39) in patients with CML than patients without CML. Compared with imatinib, there was no difference in the risk of MACE among those prescribed dasatinib (OR 0.67, 95% CI 0.41 to 1.10) or nilotinib (OR 1.22, 95% CI 0.70 to 1.97).

Conclusions

In a contemporary CML population, the risk of MACE and cardiovascular death is at least as high as among age-matched and sex-matched patients without CML and may be higher for cerebrovascular and peripheral arterial events. No difference in the risk of MACE between imatinib, dasatinib and nilotinib was observed.
Letter to the editor: Checking the pulse of adoptive cell therapy for solid tumors. Thoughts from the abstracts submitted to the 35th Annual Meeting of the Society for the Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC 2020)
Authors: Markovska Martina , Marincola Francesco
Published: January 2021

Adoptive cell therapy (ACT) for the treatment of solid malignancies has not met yet the success of hematological malignancies. This is due to additional roadblocks peculiar to its deployment for the former application. While T-cell fitness stands as a prerequisite for all purposes of ACT, selection of optimal tumor-specific antigens, efficient trafficking to neoplastic tissues, and overcoming immune exclusion and/or suppression are challenges pertaining predominantly to solid malignancies. To gain insights about the current interest on the subject in both academia and industry, we surveyed a snapshot of topical activities and checked the pulse of the field by reviewing content extracted from 94 abstracts submitted, under the subject “cellular therapies”, to the 35th Anniversary Annual Meeting of the Society for the Immunotherapy of Cancer.
IMPULSE: the impact of gender on the presentation and management of aortic stenosis across Europe
Authors: Steeds Richard Paul , Messika-Zeitoun David , Thambyrajah Jeetendra , Serra Antonio , Schulz Eberhard , Maly Jiri , Aiello Marco , Rudolph Tanja K , Lloyd Guy , Bortone Alessandro Santo , Clerici Alberto , Delle-Karth Georg , Rieber Johannes , Indolfi Ciro , Mancone Massimo , Belle Loic , Lauten Alexander , Arnold Martin , Bouma Berto J , Lutz Matthias , Deutsch Cornelia , Kurucova Jana , Thoenes Martin , Bramlage Peter , Frey Norbert
Published: January 2021

Aims

There is an increasing awareness of gender-related differences in patients with severe aortic stenosis and their outcomes after surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) and transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI).

Methods

Data from the IMPULSE registry were analysed. Patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS) were enrolled between March 2015 and April 2017 and stratified by gender. A subgroup analysis was performed to assess the impact of age.

Results

Overall, 2171 patients were enrolled, and 48.0% were female. Women were characterised by a higher rate of renal impairment (31.7 vs 23.3%; p<0.001), were at higher surgical risk (EuroSCORE II: 4.5 vs 3.6%; p=0.001) and more often in a critical preoperative state (7.0vs 4.2%; p=0.003). Men had an increased rate of previous cardiac surgery (9.4 vs 4.7%; p<0.001) and a reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (4.9 vs 1.3%; p<0.001). Concomitant mitral and tricuspid valve disease was substantially more common among women. Symptoms were highly prevalent in both women and men (83.6 vs 77.3%; p<0.001). AVR was planned in 1379 cases. Women were more frequently scheduled to undergo TAVI (49.3 vs 41.0%; p<0.001) and less frequently for SAVR (20.3 vs 27.5%; p<0.001).

Conclusions

The present data show that female patients with severe AS have a distinct patient profile and are managed in a different way to males. Gender-based differences in the management of patients with severe AS need to be taken into account more systematically to improve outcomes, especially for women.
Prevalence of autonomic nervous system dysfunction in complex regional pain syndrome
Authors: Lee Ho-Jin , Lee Kang Hee , Moon Jee Youn , Kim Yong-Chul
Published: January 2021

Background

We aimed to investigate the prevalence of dysautonomia in complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) via the combined autonomic nervous system (ANS) function tests, including the deep breathing test (DBT), orthostatic test (OST) and sympathetic skin response (SSR).

Method

We retrospectively examined 263 patients who underwent the combined ANS tests to evaluate CRPS between August 2013 and December 2016. Based on the Budapest clinical criteria, patients were stratified into confirmed-CRPS or suspected-CRPS groups. We performed binary logistic regression analysis using the inverse probability of treatment weighting to investigate the association between the tests and CRPS. Sensitivity and specificity were calculated to assess the diagnostic performance of the ANS tests for CRPS. We compared the results of these tests between the outcomes of sympathetic nerve blocks (SNBs).

Results

Among 247 patients, finally included in this study, 199 patients (80.6%) were diagnosed with CRPS. Abnormal results of overall or each ANS function test showed significant associations with CRPS, excluding OST (overall abnormality: OR 2.44, 95% CI 1.51 to 3.95; p<0.001; DBT: OR 2.57, 95% CI 1.23 to 5.38, p=0.013; OST: OR 1.88, 95% CI 0.92 to 3.84, p=0.085; SSR: OR 2.71, 95% CI 1.38 to 5.32, p=0.004). However, their prevalence in CRPS and their sensitivities for CRPS were low (overall abnormality: 26.1%; each test: <15%). No significant association existed between dysautonomia and SNB outcomes.

Conclusion

Dysautonomia, as evaluated using the combined ANS tests, were observed in a small portion of patients with CRPS. The diagnostic performances of these tests for CRPS were inadequate for clinical purposes.
Interpretation of undrained shear strength observed in confined triaxial compression tests on compacted clay
Authors: Wong C.K. , Lun M.C.H. , Wong R.C.K.
Published: January 2021

This paper presents an interpretation technique to quantify the effects of compaction state and matric suction on the undrained shear strength of compacted clay under confined undrained triaxial compression. This novel technique is based on the mathematical frameworks of the “stress history and normalized soil engineering property” (SHANSEP) method for saturated soil and the “Barcelona basic model” (BBM) for unsaturated soil. Test data of compacted Calgary till were analyzed and interpreted using the proposed technique. The interpretation technique is very useful in delineating the relative impacts of the factors on the behavioural trends in measured undrained shear strength. It was found that in addition to the initial compacted void ratio and suction, soil structure and failure mode exert significant influence on the undrained shear strength of compacted clay. This technique is attractive to engineering practitioners because the confined undrained compression tests (with no pore-air and pore-water pressure measurement) are much simpler and less time-consuming compared to rigorous laboratory tests on unsaturated soil.
Nonlinear behavior of ground-supported circular reinforced concrete tanks
Authors: Rafieeraad M. , Kianoush M.R. , Moslemi M.
Published: January 2021

This study aims to investigate the effect of various parameters on the seismic behavior of concrete tanks. A finite element method using pushover and time-history analysis is developed to investigate the seismic behavior of circular ground-supported tanks. The response modification factor (R) is evaluated based on nonlinear static and time-history analyses. R-factor is one of the key parameters in seismic design. In liquid containing structures, R-factor in current codes and standards are based on empirical values. Therefore, a justifiable guideline to accurately determine these values is yet to be developed. This study shows that the effect of tank size, material non-linearity, base condition, and earthquake frequency is significant. Also, fixed based and shallow tanks have higher R values compared to hinged based and tall tanks, respectively. Based on the results of this study, it is found that the value of R specified in current practice is not appropriate.
Mobile crowdsourcing-based data collection for user-centered facility maintenance management
Authors: Binalhaj Mohamed , Liu Hexu , Sulaiman Mohammed , Abudayyeh Osama
Published: January 2021

Current facility maintenance management (FMM) practices rely heavily on data collection by facility management professionals and FMM systems and, at times, results in inefficiency in facility condition data collection and decision-making for FMM. This is partially because data collection enabled by existing FMM systems lacks (1) top-down information solicitation on facility conditions, such as crowdsourcing task division, and (2) geo-referenced occupant feedback data. Mobile crowdsourcing has great potential to improve current FMM practices, especially in terms of timely data collection. In this context, this study explores the feasibility of mobile crowdsourcing for FMM data collection and highlights the associated opportunities and challenges. A survey was conducted on a university campus to gain an understanding of the human, data, system, geospatial, and automation characteristics of mobile crowdsourcing for FMM data collection on post-secondary campuses. The survey results were confirmed by FM professionals through a focus group discussion and analyzed to reveal the challenges and recommendations for mobile crowdsourcing for user-centered FMM. A conceptual framework is proposed to apply mobile crowdsourcing to the FMM. This research contributes to the body of knowledge by synthesizing the challenges and opportunities associated with mobile crowdsourcing-based data collection for facility maintenance and providing a framework for its application.
Note on Tsallis holographic dark energy in Brans–Dicke cosmology
Authors: Yadav Anil Kumar
Published: January 2021

In this paper, we have investigated that the power law variation of Brans–Dicke scalar field $$(\phi )$$

(
ϕ
)

with scale factor (a) is not validated by field equations in general for the Universe filled with dark matter and Tsallis type holographic dark energy. However, for specific choice of free parameters $$(\omega = -\frac{3}{2}$$

(
ω
=
-

3
2

and $$n = -1)$$

n
=
-
1
)

which are differ from its values fixed in Ghaffari et al. (Eur Phys J C 78:706, 2018) to describe various physical properties of the Universe in derived model, the power law variation of $$\phi $$
ϕ
with a leads to consistent results. Further, we notice that the energy conservation law for Tsallis holographic dark energy in Brans–Dicke gravity does not hold.
Flexible quantum protocol for nearest private query
Authors: Yin Aihan , Tan Ziliang , Chen Tong , Lin Weibin , Wu Qiutong
Published: January 2021

Nearest private query (NPQ) allows user to query which element in the database is the nearest to his private data without revealing any private information and this query is typically used for location query services. However, the previous NPQ protocol only involved the implementation of its functions and ignored the user’s private experience. In addition, the average number of key bits obtained by the user is only determined by the size of the database. In order to improve the flexibility and practicality of the protocol, we proposed a flexible protocol for nearest private query based on quantum oblivious key distribution (QOKD). The parameter [Formula: see text] was added to the prepared quantum state. The average number of the key bits Alice obtained can locate on any fixed value by adjusting the parameter [Formula: see text] whatever the database size was. In addition, our protocol is flexible and fault-tolerant.
OPTIMAL RESOURCE ALLOCATION FOR A DIFFUSIVE POPULATION MODEL
Authors: BINTZ JASON , LENHART SUZANNE
Published: January 2021

The spatial distribution of resources for diffusive populations can have a strong effect on population abundance. We investigate the optimal allocation of resources for a diffusive population. Population dynamics are represented by a parabolic partial differential equation with density-dependent growth and resources are represented through their space- and time-varying influence on the growth function. We consider both local and integral constraints on resource allocation. The goal is to maximize the abundance of the population while minimizing the cost of resource allocation. After characterizing the optimal control in terms of the population solution and the adjoint functions, we illustrate several scenarios numerically. The effects of initial and boundary conditions are important for the optimal allocation of resources.
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FINANCIAL DEVELOPMENT AND ECONOMIC GROWTH IN LATIN AMERICAN COUNTRIES: THE ROLE OF BANKING CRISES AND FINANCIAL LIBERALIZATION
Authors: SANTANA ALEJANDRO
Published: January 2021

This paper examines the effects of banking crises and financial liberalization on the relationship between financial development and economic growth in a panel of 16 Latin American countries over the period 1973-2005. Applying the dynamic panel method that incorporates Generalized Method of Moments system, the main findings show that financial liberalization did not result in a positive relationship between financial development and economic growth due to the emergence and recurrence of banking crises. Our findings also confirm those of theoretical approaches that suggest financial liberalization can generate banking crises, while bringing into question approaches that support a positive relationship between financial development and economic growth.
Stratigraphic and sedimentological aspects of the worldwide distribution of
Apectodinium
in Paleocene/Eocene Thermal Maximum deposits
Authors: Denison Christopher N.
Published: January 2021

The Paleocene/Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) is characterized by pronounced global warming and associated environmental changes. In the more-or-less two decades since prior regional syntheses of
Apectodinium
distribution at the PETM, extensive biological and geochemical datasets have elucidated the effect of rising world temperatures on climate and the biome. A Carbon Isotope Excursion (CIE) that marks the Paleocene/Eocene Boundary is associated with an acme of marine dinocysts of the genus
Apectodinium
in many locations. Distinctive foraminiferal and calcareous nannofossil populations may also be present.

For this updated, dinocyst-oriented view of the PETM, data from worldwide locations have been evaluated with an emphasis on stratigraphic and sedimentological context. What has emerged is that a change in lithology is common, often to a distinctive siltstone or claystone unit, which contrasts with underlying and overlying lithotypes. This change, present in shallow marine/coastal settings and in deep-water turbidite deposits, is attributed to radical modifications of precipitation and erosional processes. An abrupt boundary carries the implication that some time (of unknowable duration) is potentially missing, which then requires caution in the interpretation of the pacing of events in relation to that boundary. In most instances an ‘abrupt’ or ‘rapid’ CIE onset can be attributed to a data gap at a hiatus, particularly in shallow shelf settings where transgression resulted from sea-level rise associated with the PETM. Truly gradational lower boundaries of the PETM interval are quite unusual and, if present, are poorly known so far. Gradational upper boundaries are more common, but erosional upper boundaries have been reported.

Taxonomic changes have been made to clarify identification issues that have adversely impacted some biostratigraphic interpretations.
Apectodinium hyperacanthum
has been retained in
Wetzeliella
, its original genus. The majority of specimens previously assigned to
Apectodinium hyperacanthum
or
Wetzeliella
(
Apectodinium
)
hyperacanthum
have been reassigned to an informal species,
Apectodinium
sp. 1.
Dracodinium astra
has been retained in its original genus as
Wetzeliella astra
and is emended.
An LSH-based Offloading Method for IoMT Services in Integrated Cloud-Edge Environment
Authors: Xu Xiaolong , Huang Qihe , Zhang Yiwen , Li Shancang , Qi Lianyong , Dou Wanchun
Published: January 2021

Benefiting from the massive available data provided by Internet of multimedia things (IoMT), enormous intelligent services requiring information of various types to make decisions are emerging. Generally, the IoMT devices are equipped with limited computing power, interfering with the process of computation-intensive services. Currently, to satisfy a wide range of service requirements, the novel computing paradigms, i.e., cloud computing and edge computing, can potentially be integrated for service accommodation. Nevertheless, the private information (i.e., location, service type, etc.) in the services is prone to spilling out during service offloading in the cloud-edge computing. To avoid privacy leakage while improving service utility, including the service response time and energy consumption for service executions, a Locality-sensitive-hash (LSH)-based offloading method, named LOM, is devised. Specifically, LSH is leveraged to encrypt the feature information for the services offloaded to the edge servers with the intention of privacy preservation. Eventually, comparative experiments are conducted to verify the effectiveness of LOM with respect to promoting service utility.
On the Anatomy of Predictive Models for Accelerating GPU Convolution Kernels and Beyond
Authors: Labini Paolo Sylos , Cianfriglia Marco , Perri Damiano , Gervasi Osvaldo , Fursin Grigori , Lokhmotov Anton , Nugteren Cedric , Carpentieri Bruno , Zollo Fabiana , Vella Flavio
Published: January 2021

Efficient HPC libraries often expose multiple tunable parameters, algorithmic implementations, or a combination of them, to provide optimized routines. The optimal parameters and algorithmic choices may depend on input properties such as the shapes of the matrices involved in the operation. Traditionally, these parameters are manually tuned or set by auto-tuners. In emerging applications such as deep learning, this approach is not effective across the wide range of inputs and architectures used in practice. In this work, we analyze different machine learning techniques and predictive models to accelerate the convolution operator and GEMM. Moreover, we address the problem of dataset generation, and we study the performance, accuracy, and generalization ability of the models. Our insights allow us to improve the performance of computationally expensive deep learning primitives on high-end GPUs as well as low-power embedded GPU architectures on three different libraries. Experimental results show significant improvement in the target applications from 50% up to 300% compared to auto-tuned and high-optimized vendor-based heuristics by using simple decision tree- and MLP-based models.
A New Noise Reduction Concept for the FFT EIS Method Using the Ergodic Hypothesis for Fuel Cell Measurement
Authors: Egami Masahiro
Published: January 2021

I propose a new noise reduction concept for FFT (Fast Fourier transform) Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) using the ergodic hypothesis. Instead of a conventional time-averaged impedance, an ensemble average of impedances with slightly different frequencies (quasi-ensemble-median value) is defined as an experimentally obtained appropriate impedance. This approximation is acceptable in some conditions and will contribute to faster measurement. By applying this method to a hydrogen fuel cell, a high-accuracy measurement of fuel cell impedance between approx. 0.38 Hz and 10 kHz was performed within three seconds. The results from FRA and the proposed FFT method in the steady state were almost the same. The averaged percentage error throughout the whole of the measured frequencies was around ±1%, and the maximum difference was around −6% at approx. 1 Hz.
G6PD activity contributes to the regulation of histone acetylation and gene expression in smooth muscle cells and to the pathogenesis of vascular diseases
Authors: Dhagia Vidhi , Kitagawa Atsushi , Jacob Christina , Zheng Connie , D’Alessandro Angelo , Edwards John G. , Rocic Petra , Gupte Rakhee , Gupte Sachin A.
Published: January 2021

This study gives detailed mechanistic insight about the regulation of smooth muscle cell (SMC) phenotype by metabolic reprogramming and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) in diabetes and metabolic syndrome. We demonstrate that G6PD controls the chromatin modifications by regulating histone deacetylase (HDAC) activity, which deacetylates histone 3-lysine 9 and 27. Notably, inhibition of G6PD decreases HDAC activity and enriches H3K27ac on myocardin gene promoter to enhance the expression of SMC-restricted genes. Also, we demonstrate for the first time that G6PD inhibitor treatment accentuates metabolic and transcriptomic reprogramming to reduce neointimal formation in coronary artery and large artery elastance in metabolic syndrome rats.
Hypoxia-induced inhibition of mTORC1 activity in the developing lung: a possible mechanism for the developmental programming of pulmonary hypertension
Authors: Mundo William , Wolfson Gabriel , Moore Lorna G. , Houck Julie A. , Park Do , Julian Colleen G.
Published: January 2021

We describe the first study to evaluate a role for the mTOR pathway in the developmental programming of pulmonary hypertension. Our findings suggest that gestational hypoxia impairs mTORC1 activation in the fetal lung and may impede pulmonary vascular development, setting the stage for pulmonary vascular disease in later life.
Regular aerobic exercise counteracts endothelial vasomotor dysfunction associated with insufficient sleep
Authors: Stockelman Kelly A. , Bain Anthony R. , Dow Caitlin A. , Diehl Kyle J. , Greiner Jared J. , Stauffer Brian L. , DeSouza Christopher A.
Published: January 2021

Habitual insufficient nightly sleep (<7 h/night) is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease and events. Endothelial dysfunction, specifically reduced endothelium-dependent vasodilation and increased endothelin (ET)-1-mediated vasoconstriction, is considered to be a major contributing mechanism underlying increased vascular risk with insufficient sleep. In contrast to insufficient sleep, regular aerobic exercise enhances endothelial vasomotor function, reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease and associated events. In the present study, we determined the effects of aerobic exercise training on endothelium-dependent vasodilation and ET-1 vasoconstriction in adults who habitually sleep <7 h/night. After exercise training, although nightly sleep duration was unchanged, endothelium-dependent vasodilation was significantly enhanced and ET-1-mediated vasoconstrictor tone was significantly reduced in adults who sleep <7 h/night. Regular aerobic exercise training can mitigate insufficient sleep-related endothelial vasomotor dysfunction and, in turn, potentially reduce the cardiovascular risk associated with habitual insufficient nightly sleep.
Residential proximity to greenness mitigates the hemodynamic effects of ambient air pollution
Authors: Riggs Daniel W. , Yeager Ray , Conklin Daniel J. , DeJarnett Natasha , Keith Rachel J. , DeFilippis Andrew P. , Rai Shesh N. , Bhatnagar Aruni
Published: January 2021

Previous studies have linked proximity to green spaces with lower cardiovascular disease risk. However, the mechanisms underlying the salutary effects of green areas are not known. In our study of participants at risk of cardiovascular disease, we found that arterial stiffness was positively associated with short-term exposure to PM2.5, PM10, and ozone and inversely associated with greenness. The association between pollution and arterial stiffness was attenuated in areas of high greenness, suggesting that living green neighborhoods can lessen the adverse cardiovascular effects of air pollution.
New insight in understanding the contribution of SGLT1 in cardiac glucose uptake: evidence for a truncated form in mice and humans
Authors: Ferté Laura , Marino Alice , Battault Sylvain , Bultot Laurent , Van Steenbergen Anne , Bol Anne , Cumps Julien , Ginion Audrey , Koepsell Hermann , Dumoutier Laure , Hue Louis , Horman Sandrine , Bertrand Luc , Beauloye Christophe
Published: January 2021

Ever since the discovery of its expression in the heart, SGLT1 has been considered as similar as the intestine and a potential contributor to cardiac glucose transport. For the first time, we have demonstrated that a slc5a1 transcript variant is present in the heart that has no significant impact on cardiac glucose handling.
Folic acid prevents functional and structural heart defects induced by prenatal ethanol exposure
Authors: Ford Stephanie M. , Pedersen Cameron J. , Ford Matthew R. , Kim Jun W. , Karunamuni Ganga H. , McPheeters Matthew T. , Jawaid Safdar , Jenkins Michael W. , Rollins Andrew M. , Watanabe Michiko
Published: January 2021

State-of-the-art biophotonic tools captured blood flow and endocardial cushion volumes in tiny beating quail embryo hearts, an accessible model for studying four-chambered heart development. Both hemodynamic flow and endocardial cushion volumes were altered with ethanol exposure but normalized when folic acid was introduced with ethanol. Folic acid supplementation preserved hemodynamic function that is intimately involved in sculpting the heart from the earliest stages of heart development.