bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
HCC-derived EGFR mutants are functioning, EGF-dependent, and erlotinib-resistant
Authors: Sueangoen Natthaporn , Tantiwetrueangdet Anchalee , Panvichian Ravat
Published: March 2020

Background

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) has emerged as an important therapeutic target. Overexpression of EGFR is frequently observed in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and EGFR activation has been proven to be a potential determinant of primary resistance of HCC cells to sorafenib. In our previous study, we found 13 missense mutations in EGFR exon 19–23 from hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissues, but the functions of these mutations have not been determined. This study aims to determine the kinase activity and sensitivity to erlotinib, a 1st-generation EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), of seven HCC-derived mutants (K757E, N808S, R831C, V897A, P937L, T940A, and M947T).

Results

Using transduction of pBabe-puro retroviral vector with or without EGFR, we constructed and determined the function of EGFRs in NIH-3T3 cells stably harboring each of the seven mutants, as well as the erlotinib-sensitive L858R-mutant, the erlotinib-resistant T790M-mutant, and EGFR wild type (WT). Our results indicate that the seven mutants are functioning, EGF-dependent, EGFRs. Cells harboring six of the seven mutants could generate some level of EGFR phosphorylation in the absence of EGF, indicating some constitutive kinase activity, but all of the seven mutants remain primarily EGF-dependent. Our results demonstrate that erlotinib induces differential degree of apoptosis and autophagy among cells harboring different EGFRs: complete apoptosis and autophagy (cleavage of both caspase-3 and PARP, and marked LC3-II increment) in L858R-mutant; partial apoptosis and autophagy (only cleavage of caspase-3, and moderate LC3-II increment) in WT and HCC-derived mutants; and no apoptosis and minimal autophagy (no cleavage of caspase-3 and PARP, and minimal LC3-II increment) in T790M-mutant. The seven HCC-derived mutants are erlotinib-resistant, as treatment with erlotinib up to high concentration could only induce partial inhibition of EGFR phosphorylation, partial or no inhibition of AKT and ERK phosphorylation, and partial apoptosis and autophagy.

Conclusion

The seven HCC-derived EGFR mutants in this study are functioning, EGF-dependent, and erlotinib-resistant. Erlotinib induces differential degree of apoptosis and autophagy among cells harboring different EGFRs. The degree of inhibition of EGFR phosphorylation by erlotinib is the determining factor for the degree of apoptosis and autophagy amongst cells harboring EGFR mutants. This study paves the way for further investigation into the sensitivity of these HCC-derived mutants to the 3rd-generation irreversible EGFR-TKI, osimertinib.
Most dominant roles of insect gut bacteria: digestion, detoxification, or essential nutrient provision?
Authors: Jing Tian-Zhong , Qi Feng-Hui , Wang Zhi-Ying
Published: March 2020

Background

The insect gut microbiota has been shown to contribute to the host’s digestion, detoxification, development, pathogen resistance, and physiology. However, there is poor information about the ranking of these roles. Most of these results were obtained with cultivable bacteria, whereas the bacterial physiology may be different between free-living and midgut-colonizing bacteria. In this study, we provided both proteomic and genomic evidence on the ranking of the roles of gut bacteria by investigating the anal droplets from a weevil,Cryptorhynchus lapathi.

Results

The gut lumen and the anal droplets showed qualitatively and quantitatively different subsets of bacterial communities. The results of 16S rRNA sequencing showed that the gut lumen is dominated by Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes, whereas the anal droplets are dominated by Proteobacteria. From the anal droplets, enzymes involved in 31 basic roles that belong to 7 super roles were identified by Q-TOF MS. The cooperation between the weevil and its gut bacteria was determined by reconstructing community pathway maps, which are defined in this study. A score was used to rank the gut bacterial roles. The results from the proteomic data indicate that the most dominant role of gut bacteria is amino acid biosynthesis, followed by protein digestion, energy metabolism, vitamin biosynthesis, lipid digestion, plant secondary metabolite (PSM) degradation, and carbohydrate digestion, while the order from the genomic data is amino acid biosynthesis, vitamin biosynthesis, lipid digestion, energy metabolism, protein digestion, PSM degradation, and carbohydrate digestion. The PCA results showed that the gut bacteria form functional groups from the point of view of either the basic role or super role, and the MFA results showed that there are functional variations among gut bacteria. In addition, the variations between the proteomic and genomic data, analyzed with the HMFA method from the point of view of either the bacterial community or individual bacterial species, are presented.

Conclusion

The most dominant role of gut bacteria is essential nutrient provisioning, followed by digestion and detoxification. The weevil plays a pioneering role in diet digestion and mainly digests macromolecules into smaller molecules which are then mainly digested by gut bacteria.
The relationship between the Ottawa Valve Collapse Scale (OVCS) and clinical outcomes in septoplasty patients
Authors: Staibano Phillip , Bonaparte James P.
Published: March 2020

The Ottawa Valve Collapse scale (OVCS) was developed to classify the severity of nasal valve collapse (NVC) in patients with nasal obstruction. The goal of this study was to determine, in patients who have nasal obstruction due to a septal deviation, whether those with a higher OVCS grade will have a reduced improvement in patient-centered clinical outcomes at one-year following septoplasty with inferior turbinate diathermy compared to those with a normal or lower OVCS grade. This study was a prospective study of 78 patients who completed an assessment using the NOSE questionnaire before and at one-year following the surgical intervention. A repeated-measures ANOVA was used to asses for differences in scores between OVCS groups. There was a significant improvement in NOSE scores one year post-septoplasty ( p < 0.01). There was no difference in NOSE score improvement when comparing the grades of the OVCS at one-year (F = 0.09, p = 0.968). Though the OVCS was designed to categorize the severity of NVC preoperatively, there is no evidence that it is helpful in predicting which patients will demonstrate poor results following septoplasty. Future studies are required to further evaluate the OVCS and whether complimentary assessments will improve its clinical utility.
Mechanisms of accidental fall injuries and involved injury factors: a registry-based study
Authors: Unguryanu Tatiana Nikolaevna , Grjibovski Andrej Mechislavovich , Trovik Tordis Agnete , Ytterstad Børge , Kudryavtsev Alexander Valerievich
Published: March 2020

Background

Falls are the leading cause of injury-related morbidity and mortality worldwide, but fall injury circumstances differ by age. We studied the circumstances of accidental fall injuries by age in Shenkursk District, Northwest Russia, using the data from the population-based Shenkursk Injury Registry.

Methods

Data on accidental fall injuries (hereafter: fall injuries) occurring in January 2015–June 2018 were extracted from the Shenkursk Injury Registry (N = 1551) and categorized by age group (0–6, 7–17, 18–59, and 60+ years). The chi-square test and ANOVA were used to compare descriptive injury variables across age groups, and a two-step cluster analysis was performed to identify homogeneous groups of fall injuries by preceding circumstances.

Results

Half of recorded fall injuries in the 0–6 year age group occurred inside dwellings (49%). The largest cluster of falls (64%) mainly included climbing up or down on home furnishings. In the 7–17 year age group, public outdoor residential areas were the most common fall injury site (29%), and the largest cluster of falls (37%) involved physical exercise and sport or play equipment. Homestead lands or areas near a dwelling were the most typical fall injury sites in the age groups 18–59 and 60+ years (31 and 33%, respectively). Most frequently, fall injury circumstances in these groups involved slipping on ice-covered surfaces (32% in 18–59 years, 37% in 60+ years).

Conclusion

The circumstances of fall injuries in the Shenkursk District varied across age groups. This knowledge can be used to guide age-specific preventive strategies in the study area and similar settings.
STRsearch: a new pipeline for targeted profiling of short tandem repeats in massively parallel sequencing data
Authors: Wang Dong , Tao Ruiyang , Li Zhiqiang , Pan Dun , Wang Zhuo , Li Chengtao , Shi Yongyong
Published: March 2020

Background

Short tandem repeats (STRs) are important polymorphism makers for human identification and kinship analyses in forensic science. With the continuous development of massively parallel sequencing (MPS), more laboratories have utilized this technology for forensic applications. Existing STR genotyping tools, mostly developed for whole-genome sequencing data, are not effective for MPS data. More importantly, their backward compatibility with the conventional capillary electrophoresis (CE) technology has not been evaluated and guaranteed.

Results

In this study, we developed a new end-to-end pipeline called STRsearch for STR-MPS data analysis. The STRsearch can not only determine the allele by counting repeat patterns and INDELs that are actually in the STR region, but it also translates MPS results into standard STR nomenclature (numbers and letters). We evaluated the performance of STRsearch in two forensic sequencing datasets, and the concordance with CE genotypes was 75.73 and 75.75%, increasing 12.32 and 9.05% than the existing tool named STRScan, respectively. Additionally, we trained a base classifier using sequence properties and used it to predict the probability of correct genotyping at a given locus, resulting in the highest accuracy of 96.13%.

Conclusions

All these results demonstrated that STRsearch was a better tool to protect the backward compatibility with CE for the targeted STR profiling in MPS data. STRsearch is available as open-source software at https://github.com/AnJingwd/STRsearch.
Minilaparotomy for malfunctioning peritoneal dialysis catheter by nephrologists: experiences at two centers
Authors: Sakurada Tsutomu , Kohatsu Kaori , Yamada Shohei , Sato Hirotaka , Kojima Shigeki , Koitabashi Kenichiro , Kaneshiro Nagayuki , Shibagaki Yugo
Published: March 2020

Catheter malfunction is one of the most important complications of peritoneal dialysis (PD). We have performed minilaparotomy for catheter repair by nephrologists. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of the surgery. The surgery was performed 11 times on 10 PD patients with catheter malfunction (3 man, 7 women; mean age 54.3 ± 14.6 years; 4 diabetes, 3 glomerulonephritis, 3 other) at two hospitals. All patients had inflow and/or outflow obstruction. One patient had inserted the PD catheter using conventional surgical technique, and the remaining nine patients had used Moncrief-Popovich technique. Seven patients with catheters embedded using the Moncrief-Popovich technique showed catheter occlusion at the time of externalization. The remaining three patients experienced catheter obstruction 6.0 ± 2.9 months after commencing PD. The cause of obstruction was fibrin in six patients, wrapping by fimbriae of the fallopian tube in two patients, omentum wrapping in two patients. One patient had no blockage in the catheter. Operative time was 97 ± 46 min, and no intraoperative complications were observed. PD was interrupted for 5.9 ± 3.0 days and was resumed without leakage in all patients. However, catheter malfunction recurred in one patient 3 months after the surgery. The mean hospital stay was 22.4 ± 14.7 days. Minilaparotomy by nephrologists is a safety and suitable for the management of catheter malfunction. In addition, it is necessary to always consider the possibility that the catheter has been occluded at the time of externalization in the Moncrief-Popovich technique.
Impact of soil application with humic acid and foliar spray of milagro bio-stimulant on vegetative growth and mineral nutrient uptake of Nonpareil almond young trees under Nubaria conditions
Authors: Abourayya Mahmoud Sami , Kaseem Nabila Elbadawy , Mahmoud Thanaa Shaban Mohamed , Rakha Amal Masoad , Eisa Ramadan Ahmed , Amin Osama Abdelfattah
Published: March 2020

Background

At present, agricultural production management techniques focus on greater commitment to environmental sustainability. As such, this study was carried out during two successive seasons (2018 and 2019) to investigate the impact of two natural bio-stimulant substances: humic acid (H) and milagro (M) on vegetative growth and nutritional status of Nonpareil almond young trees grown in Experimental Research Station of National Research Centre, Nubaria, El Behera governorate, Egypt. Three-year-old uniform trees were treated at the beginning of growth season by soil application of humic acid (H) and foliar spray of milagro (M) bio-stimulant. There were ten treatments as follows: control (untreated seedlings),10 g humic acid plus 10 ml/l milagro, 20 g humic acid plus 10 ml/l milagro, 30 g humic acid plus 10 ml/l milagro,10 g humic acid plus 20 ml/l milagro, 20 g humic acid plus 20 ml/l milagro, 30 g humic acid plus 20 ml/l milagro, 10 g humic acid plus 30 ml/l milagro, 20 g humic acid plus 30 ml/l milagro, and 30 g humic acid plus 30 ml/l milagro.

Results

The results showed that different treatments improved the vegetative growth of seedlings, stem length, diameter, number of branches and leaves, leaf area, leaf fresh and dry weight, and specific leaf dry weight as well as leaf chlorophylls and minerals content comparing with untreated young trees.

Conclusions

Soil application of 30 g humic acid along with 30 ml/l milagro per young tree as foliar spray was the promising treatment as a new fertilization technique that is non-chemical, low-cost, and environmentally safe for improving growth and nutritional status of Nonpareil almond young trees under Nubaria conditions.
Postoperative change in patellofemoral alignment following closing-wedge distal femoral osteotomy performed for valgus osteoarthritic knees
Authors: Akaoka Yusuke , Nakayama Hiroshi , Iseki Tomoya , Kanto Ryo , Tensho Keiji , Yoshiya Shinichi
Published: March 2020

Purpose

To evaluate the postoperative change in patellar position after medial closed distal femoral osteotomy (DFO) performed for valgus osteoarthritic knees.

Methods

The study included 21 consecutive knees in 20 patients undergoing DFO. A minimum of 2-year follow-up data was obtained for all subjects with a mean follow-up period of 42 months (range 31–59 months). The patellar position was evaluated on plain radiographs preoperatively, 1-year postoperatively, and 2-year postoperatively. For patellar height, the modified Insall–Salvati Index (mISI), modified Caton–Deschamps Index (mCDI) and modified Blackburne–Peel Index (mBPI) were measured on the standing lateral radiographs. Patellofemoral alignment on the axial plane was assessed on skyline views with 30° flexion based on the measurements for lateral patellar tilt (LPT) and lateral patellar shift (LPS). Measured values at pre- and postoperative phases were statistically compared using a two-way analysis of variance.

Results

All indices including mISI, mCDI, mBPI, LPT and LPS showed no statistically significant postoperative changes.

Conclusion

Medial closed-wedge DFO performed for valgus osteoarthritic knees did not significantly influence patellofemoral alignment either on the sagittal or axial plane. Therefore, to highlight the clinical relevance of our findings, medial closed-wedge DFO for the valgus knee does not adversely affect the patellofemoral joint.

Level of evidence

Level IV, case series.
Seismic stratigraphy interpretation by deep convolutional neural networks: A semisupervised workflow
Authors: Di Haibin , Li Zhun , Maniar Hiren , Abubakar Aria
Published: March 2020

Depicting geologic sequences from 3D seismic surveying is of significant value to subsurface reservoir exploration, but it is usually time- and labor-intensive for manual interpretation by experienced seismic interpreters. We have developed a semisupervised workflow for efficient seismic stratigraphy interpretation by using the state-of-the-art deep convolutional neural networks (CNNs). Specifically, the workflow consists of two components: (1) seismic feature self-learning (SFSL) and (2) stratigraphy model building (SMB), each of which is formulated as a deep CNN. Whereas the SMB is supervised by knowledge from domain experts and the associated CNN uses a similar network architecture typically used in image segmentation, the SFSL is designed as an unsupervised process and thus can be performed backstage while an expert prepares the training labels for the SMB CNN. Compared with conventional approaches, the our workflow is superior in two aspects. First, the SMB CNN, initialized by the SFSL CNN, successfully inherits the prior knowledge of the seismic features in the target seismic data. Therefore, it becomes feasible for completing the supervised training of the SMB CNN more efficiently using only a small amount of training data, for example, less than 0.1% of the available seismic data as demonstrated in this paper. Second, for the convenience of seismic experts in translating their domain knowledge into training labels, our workflow is designed to be applicable to three scenarios, trace-wise, paintbrushing, and full-sectional annotation. The performance of the new workflow is well-verified through application to three real seismic data sets. We conclude that the new workflow is not only capable of providing robust stratigraphy interpretation for a given seismic volume, but it also holds great potential for other problems in seismic data analysis.
Activated pathogenic Th17 lymphocytes induce hypertension following high-fructose intake in Dahl salt-sensitive (SS) but not Dahl salt-resistant (SR) rats
Authors: Lee Eunjo , Kim Namkyung , Kang Jinjoo , Yoon Sangwon , Lee Hae-Ahm , Jung Hanna , Kim Sang-Hyun , Kim Inkyeom
Published: March 2020

Objectives: High-salt or high-fructose intakes are risk factors for hypertension via oxidative stress and inflammation. T helper (Th)17 lymphocytes play an important role in the development of hypertension. We tested the hypothesis that activation of pathogenic Th17 lymphocytes induces hypertension after high-fructose intake in Dahl salt-sensitive (SS) but not Dahl salt-resistant (SR) rats.

Methods: Eight-week-old male SS and SR rats were offered 20% fructose solution or tap water only for 4 weeks. Systolic blood pressure was measured by the tail-cuff method. T lymphocytes (Th17 and T regulatory (Treg)) profiling was determined via flow cytometry. The expression of Th17 -related (interleukin (IL)-17A, IL-17RA,IL-23R and retinoic acid receptor-related orphan receptor (ROR) γt) and Treg-related (IL-10, CD25, forkhead box (Fox)P3, and TGF-ß) factors were measured via ELISA or qRT-PCR. Th17 lymphocytes isolated from high fructose-fed SS rats were intraperitoneally injected into recipient SS and SR rats. Moreover, recombinant IL-23 protein was subcutaneously injected into SS and SR rats to induce hypertension.

Results: High-fructose intake induced hypertension via the activation of pathogenic Th17 lymphocytes in SS but not SR rats. Injection of activated Th17 lymphocytes isolated from fructose-fed SS rats induced hypertension via increase of serum IL-17A in only recipient SS rat. In addition, injection of IL-23 induced hypertension via activation of pathogenic Th17 lymphocytes in only SS rats.

Conclusion: Activation of pathogenic Th17 lymphocytes induces hypertension after high-fructose intake in SS but not SR rats. These results implicate that immunologic tolerance plays an important role in the protection against hypertension in SR.
The effect of vertical extent of stimuli on cockroach optomotor response
Authors: Nuutila Juha , Honkanen Anna E. , Heimonen Kyösti , Weckström Matti
Published: March 2020

Using tethered American cockroaches walking on a trackball in a spherical virtual reality environment, we tested optomotor responses to horizontally moving black-and-white gratings of different vertical extent under six different light intensities. We found that shortening the vertical extent of the wide-field stimulus grating within a light level weakened response strength, reduced average velocity, and decreased angular walking distance. Optomotor responses with the vertically shortened stimuli persisted down to light intensity levels of 0.05 lx. Response latency seems to be independent of both the height of the stimulus and light intensity. The optomotor response started saturating at the light intensity of 5 lx, where the shortest behaviourally significant stimulus was 1°. This indicates that the number of vertical ommatidial rows needed to elicit an optomotor response at 5 lx and above is in the single digits, maybe even just one. Our behavioural results encourage further inquiry into the interplay of light intensity and stimulus size in insect dim-light vision.
Emergent properties of branching morphologies modulate the sensitivity of coral calcification to highPCO2
Authors: Edmunds Peter J. , Burgess Scott C.
Published: March 2020

Experiments with coral fragments (i.e., nubbins) have shown that net calcification is depressed by elevated PCO2. Evaluating the implications of this finding requires scaling of results from nubbins to colonies, yet the experiments to codify this process have not been completed. Building from our previous research demonstrating that net calcification of Pocillopora verrucosa (2–13 cm diameter) was unaffected by PCO2 (400 µtam and 1,000 µatm) and temperature (26.5°C and 29.7°C) we sought generality to this outcome by testing how colony size modulates PCO2 and temperature sensitivity in a branching acroporid. Together these taxa represent two of the dominant lineages of branching corals on Indo-Pacific coral reefs. Two trials conducted over two years tested the hypothesis that the seasonal range in seawater temperature (26.5°C and 29.2°C) and a future PCO2 (1,062 µatm versus an ambient of 461 µatm) affect net calcification of an ecologically relevant size range (5–20 cm diameter) of colonies of Acropora hyacinthus. Like P. verrucosa, the effects of temperature and PCO2 on net calcification (mg d−1) of A. verrucosa were not statistically detectable. These results support the generality of a null outcome on net calcification of exposing intact colonies of branching corals to environmental conditions contrasting seasonal variation in temperature and predicted future variation in PCO2. While there is a need to expand beyond an experimental culture relying on coral nubbins as tractable replicates, rigorously responding to this need poses substantial ethical and logistical challenges.
Marked Disparity in Regional and Transmural Cardiac Mechanics in the Athlete’s Heart
Authors: STEWART GLENN M. , CHAN JONATHAN , KANE GARVAN C. , JOHNSON BRUCE D. , BALMAIN BRYCE N. , YAMADA AKIRA , SHIINO KENJI , HASELER LUKE J. , SABAPATHY SURENDRAN
Published: March 2020

Introduction

Regional heterogeneity of the human heart plays an important role in left ventricular (LV) and right ventricular (RV) function and may contribute to enhanced myocardial efficiency in the athlete’s heart.

Purpose

This study comprehensively characterized regional and transmural myocardial tissue deformation (strain) in recreationally active (RA) and endurance-trained (ET) men to determine if regional nonuniformity evolves alongside morphological adaptations associated with endurance training.

Methods

Echocardiography was used to measure LV and RV global, regional (apical, mid, basal) and transmural (endocardial, epicardial) longitudinal strain in 30 endurance-trained (ET) (age, 31 ± 2 yr; body mass index, 23.1 ± 0.5 kg·m−2; V˙O2peak, 60.2 ± 6.5 mL·kg−1·min−1) and 30 RA (age: 29 ± 2 yr; body mass index, 23.4 ± 0.4 kg·m−2; V˙O2peak: 42.6 ± 4.6 mL·kg−1·min−1). Nonuniformity was characterized using apex-to-base and transmural (endocardial-to-epicardial) strain gradients.

Results

Global longitudinal strain was similar in ET and RA in the left (−17.4% ± 0.4% vs −17.8% ± 0.5%, P = 0.662) and right ventricle (−25.8% ± 0.8% vs 26.4% ± 1.0%, P = 0.717). The apex-to-base strain gradient was greater in ET than RA in the left (−6.5% ± 0.7% vs −2.7% ± 0.8%, P = 0.001) and right ventricle (−9.6% ± 1.8% vs −3.0% ± 1.6%, P = 0.010). The LV transmural strain gradient was greater than RV in both groups, but similar in ET and RA (−4.7% ± 0.2% vs −4.7% ± 0.2%, P = 0.850), whereas RV transmural strain gradient was greater in ET than RA (−3.4% ± 0.3% vs −1.6% ± 0.4%, P = 0.003). RV apex-to-base and transmural strain gradients correlated with RV end-diastolic area (R = 0.536 & 0.555, respectively, P < 0.01) and V˙O2peak (R = 0.415 & 0.677, respectively, P < 0.01).

Conclusions

Transmural nonuniformity is more pronounced in the left ventricle than the RV free wall; however, RV functional nonuniformity develops markedly after endurance training. Differences in myocardial architecture and exercise-induced wall stress in the left and right ventricles are possible explanations for the marked functional nonuniformity throughout the myocardium and in response to endurance exercise training.
Automated High-Frequency Observations of Physical Activity Using Computer Vision
Authors: CARLSON JORDAN A. , LIU BO , SALLIS JAMES F. , HIPP J. AARON , STAGGS VINCENT S. , KERR JACQUELINE , PAPA AMY , DEAN KELSEY , VASCONCELOS NUNO M.
Published: March 2020

Purpose

To test the validity of the Ecological Video Identification of Physical Activity (EVIP) computer vision algorithms for automated video-based ecological assessment of physical activity in settings such as parks and schoolyards.

Methods

Twenty-seven hours of video were collected from stationary overhead video cameras across 22 visits in nine sites capturing organized activities. Each person in the setting wore an accelerometer, and each second was classified as moderate-to-vigorous physical activity or sedentary/light activity. Data with 57,987 s were used to train and test computer vision algorithms for estimating the total number of people in the video and number of people active (in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity) each second. In the testing data set (38,658 s), video-based System for Observing Play and Recreation in Communities (SOPARC) observations were conducted every 5 min (130 observations). Concordance correlation coefficients (CCC) and mean absolute errors (MAE) assessed agreement between (1) EVIP and ground truth (people counts+accelerometry) and (2) SOPARC observation and ground truth. Site and scene-level correlates of error were investigated.

Results

Agreement between EVIP and ground truth was high for number of people in the scene (CCC = 0.88; MAE = 2.70) and moderate for number of people active (CCC = 0.55; MAE = 2.57). The EVIP error was uncorrelated with camera placement, presence of obstructions or shadows, and setting type. For both number in scene and number active, EVIP outperformed SOPARC observations in estimating ground truth values (CCC were larger by 0.11–0.12 and MAE smaller by 41%–48%).

Conclusions

Computer vision algorithms are promising for automated assessment of setting-based physical activity. Such tools would require less manpower than human observation, produce more and potentially more accurate data, and allow for ongoing monitoring and feedback to inform interventions.
Isolation and initial propagation of guinea pig adenovirus (GPAdV) in Cavia porcellus cell lines
Authors: Kajon Adriana E. , Li Xiaoxin , Gonzalez Gabriel , Core Susan , Hofmann-Sieber Helga , Leng Shuguang
Published: March 2020

Background:  The lack of adequate in vitro systems to isolate and propagate guinea pig adenovirus (GPAdV), a prevalent cause of respiratory illness of varaible severity in laboratory guinea pig colonies worldwide, has precluded its formal characterization to allow for the development of comprehensive diagnostic assays, and for the execution of complex pathogenesis and basic virology studies.

Methods: Two strains of GPAdV were isolated in guinea pig (Cavia porcellus) cell cultures from frozen archival infected animal tissue originated from colony outbreaks of pneumonia in Australia and the Czech Republic in 1996.

Results: Commercially available guinea pig cell lines from colorectal carcinoma (GPC-16), fetal fibroblast (104-C1) and lung fibroblast (JH4 C1), and the tracheal epithelial cell line GPTEC-T developed in this study were able to support viral infection and early propagation. Sufficient viral DNA was recovered from cell cultures to PCR-amplify and obtain sequence data for the complete hexon gene and partial DNA polymerase and penton base genes. Phylogenetic analysis for the three regions of the genome provided strong evidence confirming GPAdV as a unique species in the genus Mastadenovirus.

Conclusions: This study demonstrated the feasibility of propagating GPAdV in cultures of immortalized lines of GP cells of a variety of types, thus establishing a critical foundation for the development of a robust culture platform for virus stock production and titration. The generation and analysis of whole GPAdV genome sequences will provide additional data for a comprehensive description of the genetic organization of the viral genome and for a better assessment of genetic diversity between the two isolated strains.
Identification Sus scrofa and Mus musculus as potential hosts of SARS-CoV-2 via phylogenetic and homologous recombination analysis
Authors: Hu Xiaopeng , Li Weixin , He Zhendan , Zhang Fengxue
Published: March 2020

Background: Wuhan Huanan seafood wholesale market is highly suspected as the original place for the outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 previously. Most studies focus on the livestock being sold in the market, neglecting that the livestock living around the city of Wuhan could also be the original hosts.

Methods: First, relative synonymous codon usage was utilized to analyze the potential hosts of SARS-CoV-2; Then cluster SARS-CoV-2 and related coronavirus through the phylogenetic tree. Next, we used Recombination Detection Program to identify the possible recombination region, as well as verifying via Simplot.

Results: Related coronavirus from porcine or murine sources may faciliatate the evolution and reorganization of SARS-CoV-2.

Conclusions: Overall, to our knowledge, this is the first paper to illustrate that swine and mice could be probable reservoirs for the SARS-CoV-2.
Development of Technologies for Business Assessment of Personnel: Practical Experience
Authors: Suvalova Tatyana
Published: March 2020

The aim of the study is to analyze the technology of business valuation of personnel in modern companies and assess the eff ectiveness of their implementation. The goals and main tasks, methods and procedures are defi ned, the requirements are formulated. The functions of the personnel management service in this area are studied. The essence of the “369 degrees” method, the goalbased management method, the KPI method, performance evaluation (Performance Standard), potential assessment (Team LineUp) are summarized, the TLU assessment matrix is provided. Conclusions are drawn both on the positive and negative aspects of the applied techniques. Assessment experience in the German industrial group Adidas AG is considered. The main thing when conducting a business assessment of employees is the disclosure of their potential, ability to solve additional problems, readiness for additional professional growth in the format of a particular business, identifi cation of inclinations, abilities and personal characteristics. It is important to model the future abilities of employees in the context of the strategic objectives of the company.
Nagement of Social Development of Organization in Russia
Authors: Zhukova M. , Suvalov O.
Published: March 2020

The aim of the study is to analyze the mechanism for managing the social development of Russian organizations. The article discusses the historical aspects of social processes, priority areas of the concept of the formation of a new social policy, the goals of modern social programs. A visual mechanism for managing social development is given, recommendations are formulated to ensure its eff ective operation. The domestic methodology for calculating social indicators based on compiling social passports in the context of humanization of labor and social infrastructure is considered. The typical organizational structures of the personnel management system of Western and Russian organizations are analyzed, distinguishing characteristics are noted. In practice, the traditional tool for implementing the mechanism of managing social development is a set of social benefi ts, in connection with which the article provides an analysis of the components of the social package. The characteristic of social, moral, creative incentives, options for intangible incentives in modern Russian companies, methods and specifi c measures of intangible incentives are given.
Increase of Loyalty of the Staff of Hotel Enterprises Based on the Use of Privileges Programs for Employees
Authors: Zhukova M. , Zhukov V.
Published: March 2020

It is impossible to work effi ciently in the hospitality industry, ensure high occupancy of rooms, provide highquality hotel services without professional and loyal staff at the hotel, as hotel employees are one of the components of a hotel product. Therefore, almost every hotel has the task of organizing such a personnel management mechanism that would increase the loyalty of employees, intensify their activities aimed at improving the effi ciency of the hotel. The article considers the peculiarities of the personnel policy in the hospitality sector, presents all groups of material and moral factors that motivate staff to increase the effi ciency of work in a hotel, and also highlights the industry’s main problem — staff turnover on linear positions in hotels. To increase employee loyalty, international hotel operators are actively using privilege programs for their employees. The article analyzes privilege programs for employees of three large hotel operators and, based on a survey of employees of a large Moscow hotel, it is revealed that the privilege program used in the hotel has a number of signifi cant shortcomings and is not a decisive factor in building staff loyalty to the hotel. The article shows that currently for hotels the availability of loyal employees is not so much relevant as it is necessary and expedient to direct the eff orts of the personnel policy to increase the activity of employees, increase their involvement in the company. For this, the authors recommend hotels to use the following various mechanisms and methods: the formation of groups / collectives (project groups) to solve the tasks; targeted management using a variety of personnel control and coordination tools; staff rotation with a change in the nature and content of work; empowerment of employees to eliminate the monotony of labor; organization of a system of continuous training for employees; the use of a variety of material incentive systems.
Adherence to home blood pressure monitoring depending on the frequency of blood pressure measurements during the day
Authors: Voloshyna Olena , Samorukova Viktoriia , Dychko Tetiana , Balashova Iryna , Naidyonova Olena , Chaika Anna , Voloshyn Andrii , Gushcha Sergey
Published: March 2020

The article analyzes the adherence to home blood pressure monitoring (HBPM) with different measurement frequency during the day in 90 patients with hypertension. It was found that after 2 weeks of blood pressure monitoring the greatest was patients' adherence to blood pressure measurement at home once (96.7%) or 2 times a day (90.0%), the lowest - at home pressure measurement every 2– 3 hours during the day (76.6%).The adherence to frequent HBPM (2-3 hours during the day) appeared to be significantly less compared to HBPM once or twice daily, due to more frequent violations of HBPM. Regardless of the frequency of measurements at HBPM, adherence to monitoring is most commonly impaired in working men, compared with women of similar age and employment.
Pollution and Performance: Do Investors Make Worse Trades on Hazy Days?
Authors: Huang Jiekun , Xu Nianhang , Yu Honghai
Published: March 2020

This paper examines the relation between air pollution and individual investors’ trading behavior and performance. Using unique data on stock trades by 87,504 individuals from 34 cities in China, we find a negative relation between air pollution and trade performance. This result is obtained after controlling for investor-year fixed effects and date fixed effects, as well as local weather conditions. More strikingly, abnormal trade performance decreases monotonically with the levels indicating the severity of air pollution. Furthermore, we find evidence suggesting that air pollution makes investors more susceptible to the disposition effect and attention-driven buying behavior. Overall, the results highlight a hitherto-unexplored cost that ambient air pollution imposes on stock market investors.

This paper was accepted by Tylor Shumway, finance.
Social support and satisfaction with antenatal care services among pregnant women in Lagos State, Nigeria
Authors: Ademuyiwa Iyabo Yewande , Farotimi Adekunbi Abosede , Ojo Eunice Abimbola
Published: March 2020

Background/Aims

Maternal and infant mortality remains a major public health challenge in Nigeria. Provision of cognitive support through effective communication with women about their condition or the care required is a critical determinant of satisfaction with maternal care. Effective antenatal care is important in reducing the maternal mortality rate. This study aimed to assess social support and satisfaction with antenatal care services among pregnant women, to improve antenatal care services and birth outcomes.

Methods

This study used a survey research design where 1316 questionnaires were completed by pregnant women across six general hospitals in Lagos State, Nigeria. Participants rated their social support when deciding to use antenatal care services and their satisfaction with these services. Regression analysis was used to determine the association between social support and satisfaction with antenatal care services.

Results

The degree of social support received by pregnant women was very high (average score of 3.51 on a 4-point scale). The level of satisfaction with antenatal care services was also very high (average score of 4.32 on a 5-point scale). Linear regression showed that social support has a significant influence on pregnant women's satisfaction with antenatal care services in Lagos State (r=0.307, P<0.000).

Conclusion

The degree of social support was a significant determinant of satisfaction with antenatal care services. It is therefore recommended that social support for women to attend these services is encouraged.
Poisons affecting the neurological system
Authors: Bates Nicola
Published: March 2020

The brain is susceptible to a variety of poisons. Sedating drugs and chemicals can cause central nervous system (CNS) depression while other substances can cause CNS stimulation, including seizures. These are of particular concern since intractable seizure activity may cause complications, with pyrexia resulting in secondary damage to other organs. The common poisons discussed here that cause neurological effects are metaldehyde and tremorgenic mycotoxins, which can cause rapid onset seizures; cannabis, which can cause prolonged sedation in companion animals; permethrin, which is associated with prolonged seizures, particularly in cats; and ivermectin, which can cause CNS depression, blindness and seizures. Treatment is supportive in most cases; care should be taken when considering the use of emetics since there is a risk of aspiration in seizuring animals. Control of seizure activity is a priority, while intravenous lipid emulsion may also be useful.
Skin on the streets — the eyes have it
Authors: Paterson Sue
Published: March 2020

Increasing numbers of homeless people have dogs who provide invaluable companionship for them. Providing veterinary care for these pets can be challenging, particularly as diagnostic tests are usually not available and treatment regimes have to be tailored to the needs and capabilities of the owner and animal. This article describes how to approach dermatology cases in dogs belonging to the homeless and outlines some of the therapies that can be employed.
Outpatient management of pulmonary emboli: when to ambulate
Authors: Chen Cheng , Millar Fraser R , Jones Anne
Published: March 2020

Pulmonary embolism is a potentially fatal consequence of venous thromboembolism and constitutes a significant proportion of the acute medical take. Standard management has previously required admission of all patients presenting with acute pulmonary embolism for initiation of anticoagulation and initial investigations. However, clinical trial data have demonstrated the feasibility and safety of managing a subset of patients with low-risk pulmonary embolism in the outpatient setting and this has since been reflected in national guidelines. This article provides a practical overview for general physicians with regards to identifying patients with low-risk pulmonary embolism, and when and how to manage these patients on an outpatient basis.
Photocatalytic degradation of Doxycycline in aqueous solution using Fe2O3 andFe2O3-Bi2WO6 catalysts
Authors: El Azzouzi Laila , Qisse Najat , Ennouhi Mariam , Bouziani Asmae , Ellouzi Imane , Mountacer Hafida , Zrineh Abdallah , El Hajjaji Souad
Published: March 2020

Photocatalytic degradation of Doxycycline in heterogeneous media constituted by nanoparticles of Fe2O3 and Fe2O3-Bi2WO6 was studied. The Bi2WO6 was prepared by hydrothermal method, and the Fe2O3-Bi2WO6 was obtained by mechanical mixing of Bi2WO6 to an amount of Fe2O3 and their photocatalytic activity to degrade doxycycline (Dox) under UV irradiation supported by H2O2 were studied. The H2O2 reacts with photogenerated electrons leading to the production of hydroxyl radicals (OH●). The Fe2O3 acts like a Fenton reagent, accelerating the production of OH●. In the present study Bi2WO6-Fe2O3/ H2O2 system demonstrate much higher photocatalytic efficiency to degrade Dox than pure Bi2WO6.
Novel pyrazole derivatives as inhibitors of stainless steel in 2.0M H2SO4 media: Electrochemical Study
Authors: Ouakki Moussa , Chahmout Hoyam , Sibous Sarra , Galai Mouhsine , Benzakri Zakaria , Boukhris Saïd , Souizi Abdelaziz , Cherkaoui Mohammed
Published: March 2020

Metallic materials are well known and widely used in various industrial sectors. However, they can be easily corroded in various aggressive environments. The protective action of stainless steel by two organic pyrazole compounds: {1-amino-5,10-dioxo-3-(p-tolyl)-5,10-dihydro-1H-pyrazolo[1,2-b]phthalazine-2-carbonitrile} and {1-amino-3-(2-chlorophenyl)-5,10-dioxo-5,10-dihydro-1H-pyrazolo[1,2-b] phthalazine-2-carbonitrile} in H2SO4 2.0M medium was studied using the electrochemical technics (Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS), potentiodynamic polarization), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Energy Dispersion X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). Polarization curves indicate that both compounds act as anodic inhibitors. A suitable equivalent electrical circuit model was used to calculate the impedance parameters. The adsorption study showed that these compounds are adsorbed to the steel surface according to the adsorption isotherm of Langmuir. Effect of temperature was also investigated and activation parameters were evaluated.
Efficient ion-photon qubit SWAP gate in realistic ion cavity-QED systems without strong coupling
Authors: Borne Adrien , Northup Tracy E. , Blatt Rainer , Dayan Barak
Published: March 2020

We present a scheme for deterministic ion-photon qubit exchange, namely a SWAP gate, based on realistic cavity-QED systems with 171Yb+, 40Ca+ and 138Ba+ ions. The gate can also serve as a single-photon quantum memory, in which an outgoing photon heralds the successful arrival of the incoming photonic qubit. Although strong coupling, namely having the single-photon Rabi frequency be the fastest rate in the system, is often assumed essential, this gate (similarly to the Duan-Kimble C-phase gate) requires only Purcell enhancement, i.e. high single-atom cooperativity. Accordingly, it does not require small mode volume cavities, which are challenging to incorporate with ions due to the difficulty of trapping them close to dielectric surfaces. Instead, larger cavities, potentially more compatible with the trap apparatus, are sufficient, as long as their numerical aperture is high enough to maintain small mode area at the ion’s position. We define the optimal parameters for the gate’s operation and simulate the expected fidelities and efficiencies, demonstrating that efficient photon-ion qubit exchange, a valuable building block for scalable quantum computation, is practically attainable with current experimental capabilities.
Towards polarization-based excitation tailoring for extended Raman spectroscopy
Authors: Grosche Simon , Hünermann Richard , Sarau George , Christiansen Silke , Boyd Robert W. , Leuchs Gerd , Banzer Peter
Published: March 2020

Undoubtedly, Raman spectroscopy is one of the most elaborate spectroscopy tools in materials science, chemistry, medicine and optics. However, when it comes to the analysis of nanostructured specimens or individual sub-wavelength-sized systems, the access to Raman spectra resulting from different excitation schemes is usually very limited. For instance, the excitation with an electric field component oriented perpendicularly to the substrate plane is a difficult task. Conventionally, this can only be achieved by mechanically tilting the sample or by sophisticated sample preparation. Here, we propose a novel experimental method based on the utilization of polarization tailored light for Raman spectroscopy of individual nanostructures. As a proof of principle, we create three-dimensional electromagnetic field distributions at the nanoscale using tightly focused cylindrical vector beams impinging normally onto the specimen, hence keeping the traditional beam-path of commercial Raman systems. In order to demonstrate the convenience of this excitation scheme, we use a sub-wavelength diameter gallium-nitride nanostructure as a test platform and show experimentally that its Raman spectra depend sensitively on its location relative to the focal vector field. The observed Raman spectra can be attributed to the interaction with transverse and pure longitudinal electric field components. This novel technique may pave the way towards a characterization of Raman active nanosystems, granting direct access to growth-related parameters such as strain or defects in the material by using the full information of all Raman modes.
Isolator-free > 67-GHz bandwidth DFB+R laser with suppressed chirp
Authors: Matsui Yasuhiro , Schatz Richard , Che Di , Khan Ferdous , Kwakernaak Martin , Sudo Tsurugi
Published: March 2020

We report on simultaneous realization of > 67 GHz bandwidth, a reflection tolerance up to 12.5 %, and a record-low chirp parameter of 0.6 for a DFB laser integrated with a passive waveguide with 3% reflection coating, called DFB+R laser.
An 8×8 silicon photonic switch module with nanosecond-scale reconfigurability
Authors: Dupuis Nicolas , Proesel Jonathan E. , Boyer Nicolas , Ainspan Herschel , Baks Christian W. , Doany Fuad , Cyr Elaine , Lee Benjamin G.
Published: March 2020

We demonstrate a fully-packaged digitally programmable 8x8 strictly nonblocking electrooptic silicon photonics switch module. We measured fiber-to-fiber loss between 7.5 and 10.5 dB, crosstalk < -30 dB, and reconfiguration time < 10 ns.