bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An accurate and efficient two‐phase scheme for detecting Android cloned applications
Authors: Xie Jiahao , Yan Xiai , Lin Yaping , Wei Jianhao
Published: September 2020

The fast‐growing Android application market has attracted more and more application developers. However, many plagiarists use decompiled tools to modify original applications to get clones, which has become a serious threat. For detecting cloned applications, most of the existing schemes do not consider the detected accuracy and time consumption at the same time. In this article, we propose a two‐phase detection scheme to achieve fast and accurate clone detection in large‐scale applications. In the rapid screening phase, a fix‐length minhash summary is constructed for each application and the locality‐sensitive hashing (LSH) algorithm is used to obtain suspicious cloned applications quickly. In the accurate detection phase, by merging and pruning the layout and interaction information of all user interfaces (UIs) at the application runtime, we obtain the birthmark named merged layout tree (MLT), which can resist nested obfuscation and repacking attack. Finally, cloned apps are detected by calculating the similarity between MLTs from suspicious cloned apps. We evaluate our detection scheme in two app datasets (nearly 170,000 Android applications) and compare it with the state‐of‐the‐art clone detection methods. Extensive experiments show that our method has high accuracy and efficiency for clone detection in large‐scale apps.
Correlated data in differential privacy: Definition and analysis
Authors: Zhang Tao , Zhu Tianqing , Liu Renping , Zhou Wanlei
Published: September 2020

Differential privacy is a rigorous mathematical framework for evaluating and protecting data privacy. In most existing studies, there is a vulnerable assumption that records in a dataset are independent when differential privacy is applied. However, in real‐world datasets, records are likely to be correlated, which may lead to unexpected data leakage. In this survey, we investigate the issue of privacy loss due to data correlation under differential privacy models. Roughly, we classify existing literature into three lines: (1) using parameters to describe data correlation in differential privacy, (2) using models to describe data correlation in differential privacy, and (3) describing data correlation based on the framework of Pufferfish. First, a detailed example is given to illustrate the issue of privacy leakage on correlated data in real scenes. Then our main work is to analyze and compare these methods, and evaluate situations that these diverse studies are applied. Finally, we propose some future challenges on correlated differential privacy.
On the Interaction between Deprotonated Cytosine [C(−H)]− and Ba2+: Infrared Multiphoton Spectroscopy and Dynamics
Authors: Cruz‐Ortiz Andrés F. , Taccone Martín I. , Maitre Philippe , Rossa Maximiliano , Pino Gustavo A.
Published: September 2020

Gas‐phase interactions between Ba2+ and deprotonated cytosine (C(−H)) were studied in [C(−H)Ba]+ and [C(−H)BaC]+ complexes by IRMPD spectroscopy coupled to tandem mass‐spectrometry in combination with DFT calculations. For the [C(−H)BaC]+ complex only one [C(−H)KAN1O−Ba‐Canti]+ isomer was found, although the presence of another structure cannot be excluded. This isomer features a central tetracoordinated Ba2+ that simultaneously interacts with keto‐amino [C(−H)]− deprotonated on N1 and neutral keto‐amino C. Both moieties are in different planes as a consequence of an additional NH…O=C hydrogen bond between C and [C(−H)]−. A sequential IRMPD dynamics is observed in this complex. For the [C(−H)Ba]+ complex produced by electrospray ionization two isomers ([C(−H)KAN1OBa]+ and [C(−H)KAN3OBa]+) were identified, in which Ba2+ interacts simultaneously with the C=O group and the N1 or N3 atom of the keto‐amino [C(−H)]−, respectively. A comparison with the related [C(−H)Pb]+ complex (J. Y. Salpin et al., Chem. Phys. Chem. 2014, 15, 2959–2971) is also presented.
The Mediterranean diet increases glucagon‐like peptide 1 and oxyntomodulin compared with a vegetarian diet in patients with type 2 diabetes: A randomized controlled cross‐over trial
Authors: Di Mauro Antonio , Tuccinardi Dario , Watanabe Mikiko , Del Toro Rossella , Monte Lavinia , Giorgino Riccardo , Rampa Lorenzo , Rossini Giovanni , Kyanvash Shadi , Soare Andreea , Rosati Milena , Piccoli Alessandra , Napoli Nicoli , Fioriti Elvira , Pozzilli Paolo , Khazrai Yeganeh M. , Manfrini Silvia
Published: September 2020

Aim

To compare a Mediterranean diet (MED) with a high‐fibre vegetarian diet (HFV) in terms of hunger‐satiety perception through post‐prandial assessment of appetite‐related hormones glucagon‐like peptide 1 (GLP‐1) and oxyntomodulin, as well as self‐rated visual analogue scale (VAS) quantification, in overweight/obese subjects with type 2 diabetes (T2D).

Materials and methods

Twelve T2D subjects (Male to female ratio = 7:5), mean age 63 ± 8.5 years, were enrolled in a randomized, controlled, crossover study. Participants consumed an MED meal as well as an isocaloric meal rich in complex carbohydrate as well as an isocaloric MED meal in two different visits with a 1‐week washout period between the two visits. Appetite ratings, glucose/insulin, and gastrointestinal hormone concentrations were measured at fasting and every 30’ until 210’ following meal consumption.

Results

GLP‐1 and oxyntomodulin levels were significantly higher following MED meal compared with HFV meals (210’ area under the curve, p < 0.022 and p < 0.023, respectively). Both MED and HFV meal resulted in a biphasic pattern of GLP‐1 and oxyntomodulin, although MED meal was related to a delayed, significantly higher second GLP‐1 peak at 150’ compared with that of HFV meal (p < 0.05). MED meal was related to lower glucose profile compared with HFV meal (p < 0.039), whereas we did not observe significant changes in terms of self‐reported VAS scores and insulin trend.

Conclusions

In T2D overweight/obese subjects, an MED meal is more effective than a HFV meal in terms of post‐prandial plasma glucose homoeostasis and GLP‐1 and oxyntomodulin release. These changes were not confirmed by VAS appetite self‐assessment over a 210’ period.
Quantification of direct‐acting oral anticoagulants: Application of a clinically validated liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry method to forensic cases
Authors: Wiesen Martin H.J. , Fietz Cornelia , Jübner Martin , Iwersen‐Bergmann Stefanie , Andresen‐Streichert Hilke , Müller Carsten , Streichert Thomas
Published: September 2020

In certain forensic cases, a quantification of direct‐acting oral anticoagulants (DOACs) can be necessary. We evaluate the applicability of a previously described liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC‐MS/MS) methodology for the determination of DOACs in plasma to postmortem specimen. Postmortem internal quality control (PIQC) samples were prepared in pooled blank postmortem heart blood, femoral blood, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and urine as well in plasma. To examine the application of the clinical method to forensic cases, the main validation parameters were reinvestigated using PIQC samples. Postmortem samples of 12 forensic cases with evidence of previous rivaroxaban intake and unknown bleeding disorders were analyzed. Interday variability remained within the acceptance criterion of ±15%. Matrix effects were comparable in blank plasma and postmortem matrix extracts. After 4 weeks of storage in the refrigerator, no relevant decrease of DOACs was evident. After 96 h of storage at room temperature, a slight decrease in edoxaban concentration was observed in CSF and urine, while plasma edoxaban decreased by about 50%. Median (range) rivaroxaban concentrations determined in specimen of forensic cases were as follows: heart blood (n = 6), 17.2 ng/ml (<LOQ, 56.6 ng/ml); femoral blood (n = 12), 27.6 ng/ml (<LOQ, 110.5 ng/ml); CSF (n = 7), 11.7 ng/ml (<LOQ, 17.5 ng/ml); urine (n = 6), 275.7 ng/ml (14.5–870.9 ng/ml). The median heart/femoral blood rivaroxaban ratio was 1.2 (n = 5). Exemplary, a forensic case with detection of edoxaban in femoral blood, CSF, and urine, is presented. DOACs can be detected in postmortem heart and femoral blood, CSF, and urine specimen by LC‐MS/MS. Based on limited forensic cases, no significant redistribution was evident for rivaroxaban, which was found at highest concentrations in urine.
A stochastic model of jaguar abundance in the Peruvian Amazon under climate variation scenarios
Authors: Burrage Kevin , Burrage Pamela , Davis Jacqueline , Bednarz Tomasz , Kim June , Vercelloni Julie , Peterson Erin E. , Mengersen Kerrie
Published: September 2020

The jaguar (Panthera onca) is the dominant predator in Central and South America, but is now considered near‐threatened. Estimating jaguar population size is difficult, due to uncertainty in the underlying dynamical processes as well as highly variable and sparse data. We develop a stochastic temporal model of jaguar abundance in the Peruvian Amazon, taking into account prey availability, under various climate change scenarios. The model is calibrated against existing data sets and an elicitation study in Pacaya Samiria. In order to account for uncertainty and variability, we construct a population of models over four key parameters, namely three scaling parameters for aquatic, small land, and large land animals and a hunting index. We then use this population of models to construct probabilistic evaluations of jaguar populations under various climate change scenarios characterized by increasingly severe flood and drought events and discuss the implications on jaguar numbers. Results imply that jaguar populations exhibit some robustness to extreme drought and flood, but that repeated exposure to these events over short periods can result in rapid decline. However, jaguar numbers could return to stability—albeit at lower numbers—if there are periods of benign climate patterns and other relevant factors are conducive.
Will shrinking body size and increasing species diversity of crustaceans follow the warming of the Arctic littoral?
Authors: Węsławski Jan M. , Legeżyńska Joanna , Włodarska‐Kowalczuk Maria
Published: September 2020

Over thirty species of littoral marine Gammaridea occur along the coasts of the North Atlantic. From one to several species can coexist in a single region. There is an evident, inverse relationship between egg incubation time and temperature (from 14 to >120 days) and consequent trends in the size of the animals on reaching maturity (from 5 mm in warmer waters to 30 mm in the coldest ones) and in lifespan (from <6 months to >5 years). Littoral gammarids are a good example of the shrinking size effect of increasing temperatures and size‐related species diversity. In large species, the annual cohorts of the population (3–5 annual size groups) functionally replace the adults of smaller species. The ongoing warming of the European Arctic seas may extend the distribution limits of boreal species so that more Gammarus species may appear on northern coasts hitherto occupied by just one or at most two species.
Non‐invasive telemonitoring improves outcomes in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction: a study in high‐risk patients
Authors: Nunes‐Ferreira Afonso , Agostinho João R. , Rigueira Joana , Aguiar‐Ricardo Inês , Guimarães Tatiana , Santos Rafael , Rodrigues Tiago , Cunha Nelson , António Pedro Silvério , Pereira Sara Couto , Morais Pedro , Pedro Mónica Mendes , Veiga Fátima , Pinto Fausto J. , Brito Dulce
Published: September 2020

Aims

Non‐invasive telemonitoring (TM) in patients with heart failure (HF) and reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (HFrEF) may be useful in the early diagnosis of HF decompensation, allowing therapeutic optimization and avoiding re‐hospitalization. We describe a TM programme in this population and evaluate its effectiveness during a 12 month period.

Methods and results

We conducted a single‐centre study of patients discharged from hospital after decompensated HF, allocated into three groups: prospective TM programme, prospective HF protocol follow‐up programme (PFP) with no TM facilities, and retrospective propensity‐matched usual care (UC). TM effectiveness was assessed by all‐cause hospitalizations and mortality; HF‐related hospitalization (HFH), days lost to unplanned hospital admissions/death, functional capacity and quality of life (New York Heart Association, Kansas City Cardiomyopathy Questionnaire, 6 min walk test, and plasma N‐terminal pro‐brain natriuretic peptide) were also evaluated. A total of 125 patients were included [65.9 ± 11.9 years, 32% female, left ventricular ejection fraction 27% (21–32)]. TM was similar to PFP regarding effectiveness; TM reduced all‐cause hospitalization and mortality (HR 0.27; 95% CI 0.11–0.71; P < 0.01) and HFH (HR 0.29; 95% CI 0.10–0.89; P < 0.05) as compared with UC. TM reduced the average number of days lost due to unplanned hospital admissions or all‐cause death as compared with PFP (5.6 vs. 12.4 days, P < 0.05) and UC (5.6 vs. 48.8 days, P < 0.01). Impact on quality of life was similar between TM and PFP (P = 0.36).

Conclusions

In patients with HFrEF and recent HF hospitalization, non‐invasive TM reduced 12 month all‐cause hospitalization/mortality and HFH as compared with usual care. TM also reduced the number of days lost due to unplanned hospital admission/death as compared with either an optimized protocol‐based follow‐up programme or usual care.
Safety of transradial and transfemoral left ventricular compared with transfemoral right ventricular endomyocardial biopsy
Authors: Göbel Sebastian , Schwuchow‐Thonke Sören , Jansen Thomas , Karbach Susanne , Emrich Tilman , Gori Tommaso , Knies Finja , Schulz Eberhard , Münzel Thomas , Keller Karsten , Wenzel Philip
Published: September 2020

Aims

With the present study, we sought to determine the safety of three different endomyocardial biopsy (EMB) access routes in 514 patients admitted for diagnostic workup of heart failure of unknown aetiology.

Methods and results

In this retrospective monocentric cohort study, we analysed 514 consecutive patients with heart failure without evidence of significant coronary artery disease or valvular disease undergoing EMB between November 2013 and December 2018, stratified in three access route groups: transradial arterial left ventricular (LV‐)EMB (323 patients), transfemoral LV‐EMB (138 patients), and transfemoral right ventricular (RV‐)EMB (53 patients). Patients undergoing selective transradial LV‐EMB were older compared with patients undergoing selective transfemoral LV‐EMB or RV‐EMB [transradial LV‐EMB: 56.0 (45.0/64.0) vs. transfemoral LV‐EMB: 53 (42.5/64.5), P = 0.455; transradial LV‐EMB: 56 (45.0/64.0) vs. RV‐EMB: 53 (42.5/64), P = 0.695] and presented more often in New York Heart Association‐functional class III and IV. A total of eight major complications including permanent atrioventricular block requiring pacemaker implantation, pericardial tamponade necessitating pericardiocentesis, stroke and transient cerebral ischaemic attack as well as severe valvular damage, vascular access site complications, and ventricular fibrillation were documented with no significant differences between the groups (8/514, 1.5%). Minor complications such as transient chest pain, non‐sustained electrocardiogram abnormalities, and transient atrioventricular block were rare and equally distributed between groups.

Conclusions

Transradial LV‐EMB is a safe procedure for experienced radial operators and non‐inferior compared with transfemoral LV‐EMB and RV‐EMB. An accurate peri‐procedural and post‐procedural monitoring and follow‐up care should be recommended for all patients undergoing this procedure in order to identify potential complications.
Attenuated immune control of Epstein–Barr virus in humanized mice is associated with the multiple sclerosis risk factor HLA‐DR15
Authors: Zdimerova Hana , Murer Anita , Engelmann Christine , Raykova Ana , Deng Yun , Gujer Cornelia , Rühl Julia , McHugh Donal , Caduff Nicole , Naghavian Reza , Pezzino Gaetana , Capaul Riccarda , Zbinden Andrea , Ferlazzo Guido , Lünemann Jan D. , Martin Roland , Chatterjee Bithi , Münz Christian
Published: September 2020

Immune responses to Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) infection synergize with the main genetic risk factor HLA‐DRB1*15:01 (HLA‐DR15) to increase the likelihood to develop the autoimmune disease multiple sclerosis (MS) at least sevenfold. In order to gain insights into this synergy, we investigated HLA‐DR15 positive human immune compartments after reconstitution in immune‐compromised mice (humanized mice) with and without EBV infection. We detected elevated activation of both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in HLA‐DR15 donor‐reconstituted humanized mice at steady state, even when compared to immune compartments carrying HLA‐DRB1*04:01 (HLA‐DR4), which is associated with other autoimmune diseases. Increased CD8+ T cell expansion and activation was also observed in HLA‐DR15 donor‐reconstituted humanized mice after EBV infection. Despite this higher immune activation, EBV viral loads were less well controlled in the context of HLA‐DR15. Indeed, HLA‐DR15‐restricted CD4+ T cell clones recognized EBV‐transformed B cell lines less efficiently and demonstrated cross‐reactivity toward allogeneic target cells and one MS autoantigen. These findings suggest that EBV as one of the main environmental risk factors and HLA‐DR15 as the main genetic risk factor for MS synergize by priming hyperreactive T‐cell compartments, which then control the viral infection less efficiently and contain cross‐reactive CD4+ T cell clones.
Recent advances in microchip enantioseparation and analysis
Authors: Lu Nan , Kutter Jörg P.
Published: September 2020

This review summarizes recent developments (over the past decade) in the field of microfluidics‐based solutions for enantiomeric separation and detection. The progress in various formats of microchip electrodriven separations, such as MCE, microchip electrochromatography, and multidimensional separation techniques, is discussed. Innovations covering chiral stationary phases, surface coatings, and modification strategies to improve resolution, as well as integration with detection systems, are reported. Finally, combinations with other microfluidic functional units are also presented and highlighted.
Multiple‐input‐multiple‐output antenna with pattern reconfiguration and correlation reduction for WLAN applications
Authors: Gaya Sagiru , Sokunbi Oludayo , Hamza Abubakar , Sheikh Sharif I. M. , Attia Hussein
Published: September 2020

A Yagi‐Uda inspired novel pattern reconfigurable multiple‐input‐multiple‐output (MIMO) antenna array is proposed in this article. The antenna consists of two co‐axially excited microstrip patch radiators with modified ground plane. A conducting strip with an integrated PIN diode is optimally placed midway between two MIMO patch radiators placed at a distance of 0.22 ( is the free space wavelength at 2.4 GHz) apart. By switching the diode OFF or ON, the conducting strip directs or reflects the main beam of the two MIMO elements at an angle of ±30° or ±60°, respectively, thereby, enabling 30° wide band scanning and four switchable beams radiated by the two antennas. The novel MIMO antenna exhibits 17 dB isolation improvement between the two radiators when the diode is switched ON as a result of the beam deflection. For all switching modes, the MIMO antenna demonstrates an average gain and efficiency of 5 dB and 92%, respectively, at the resonance frequency of 2.4 GHz. The novel antenna is fabricated and measured to verify the simulation results. This simple, low‐cost, efficient, and mutually isolated antenna array can be very useful in MIMO WLAN applications.
Experimental and Analytical Investigation of the Response of a Triboelectric Generator Under Different Operating Conditions
Authors: Elbanna Mohamed A. , Arafa Mustafa H. , Bowen Chris R.
Published: September 2020

This article provides experimental and theoretical studies on the effect of operating conditions on the output response of triboelectric generators. The influence of specific parameters is examined in detail, including vibration frequency, impact separation distance, and the type of adhesive between the dielectric and the electrode for a single dielectric layer device operating in contact‐separation mode, with Teflon and copper being the dielectric and electrode materials, respectively. A scotch‐yoke mechanism is designed and fabricated in an effort to understand the effect of varying the operating conditions on the output voltage behavior. The voltage output is compared with an analytical capacitor model at drive frequencies ranging from 1 to 5 Hz and separation distances from 5 to 40 mm to evaluate the model's effectiveness in predicting generator output. The experimental results provide new insights into the behavior of triboelectric generators and how the type of adhesive between the dielectric material and the electrode affects the output signal.
Muscular fatigue measurements for push‐down tasks in ground demolitions
Authors: Li Kai Way , Li Wenbao , Yi Cannan
Published: September 2020

Demolition hammering tasks are physically demanding tasks that could cause muscle fatigue and musculoskeletal disorders. Electromyography (EMG) data have been adopted to assess levels of muscular activity and onset of muscular fatigue for both industrial tasks and physical activities. An experiment simulating a manual demolition task on the ground was performed on 23 healthy male participants. The objectives were to test the hypotheses that the handle height and the force applied to affect the EMG amplitude, the increase of the EMG amplitude, and the decline of the mean power frequency (MPF) of the EMG for performing the tasks. This study also aimed at finding the most fatigued muscles which dominate the end of the sustained push‐down tasks in ground demolitions. The results showed that the EMG amplitude required to perform the tasks was significantly affected by the handle height and force applied. Significant increases in EMG amplitude and decreases in MPF were found. Bicep brachii, tricep brachii, and pectoralis major muscles were the most fatigued muscles that dominated the termination of the tasks. Pushing with body leaning forward to utilize partial body weight was less fatiguing than the other two postures. Elbow flexion is undesirable and should be avoided when performing such tasks.
Small but strong: Mutational and functional landscapes of micronuclei in cancer genomes
Authors: Guo Xihan , Dai Xueqin , Wu Xue , Cao Neng , Wang Xu
Published: September 2020

Micronuclei, small spatially‐separated, nucleus‐like structures, are a common feature of human cancer cells. There are considerable heterogeneities in the sources, structures and genetic activities of micronuclei. Accumulating evidence suggests that micronuclei and main nuclei represent separate entities with respect to DNA replication, DNA damage sensing and repairing capacity because micronuclei are not monitored by the same checkpoints nor covered by the same nuclear envelope as the main nuclei. Thus, micronuclei are spatially restricted “mutation factories.” Several large‐scale DNA sequencing and bioinformatics studies over the last few years have revealed that most micronuclei display a mutational signature of chromothripsis immediately after their generation and the underlying molecular mechanisms have been dissected extensively. Clonal expansion of the micronucleated cells is context‐dependent and is associated with chromothripsis and several other mutational signatures including extrachromosomal circular DNA, kataegis and chromoanasynthesis. These results suggest what was once thought to be merely a passive indicator of chromosomal instability is now being recognized as a strong mutator phenotype that may drive intratumoral genetic heterogeneity. Herein, we revisit the actionable determinants that contribute to the bursts of mutagenesis in micronuclei and present the growing number of evidence which suggests that micronuclei have distinct short‐ and long‐term mutational and functional effects to cancer genomes. We also pose challenges for studying the long‐term effects of micronucleation in the upcoming years.
Investigating the effects of a virtual reality‐based stress management programme on inpatients with mental disorders: A pilot randomised controlled trial
Authors: Tan Hui Lin Emily , Chng Cecilia Mui Lee , Lau Ying , Klainin‐Yobas Piyanee
Published: September 2020

This study aimed to examine the effects and feasibility of a virtual screen‐based stress management programme (V‐DESSERTS) on inpatients with mental disorders. A single‐blinded, pilot randomised controlled trial was conducted in a tertiary hospital in Singapore. Convenience sampling was used and participants were randomised into either the intervention group or the waitlisted control group (WL). The intervention group received individual‐based, twice‐daily sessions of the programme. Each session comprised education and virtual screen‐based relaxation practice. Data were collected through self‐reported questionnaires and physiological measures. The intervention group showed a significant increase in perceived relaxation and knowledge in comparison with the WL group. However, inconclusive results were observed on subjective and objective stress. The findings in this study indicated that the V‐DESSERTS programme is feasible to be implemented for patients with schizophrenia, depression and bipolar disorders.
Automatic skin cancer detection in dermoscopy images by combining convolutional neural networks and texture features
Authors: Alizadeh Seyed Mohammad , Mahloojifar Ali
Published: September 2020

Melanoma is one of the most dangerous types of skin cancer that its early detection can save patients' lives. Computer‐aided methods can be used for this early detection with acceptable performance. In this study, a system is proposed to detect melanoma automatically using an ensemble approach, including convolutional neural networks (CNNs) and image texture feature extraction. Two CNN models, a proposed network and the VGG‐19, were employed to classify images in the CNN phase. Furthermore, texture features were extracted, and their dimension was reduced using kernel principal component analysis (kPCA) to improve the classification performance in the feature extraction‐based phase. The results of each step were then combined to obtain the final diagnosis. The proposed method was evaluated on three databases, that is, ISIC 2016, ISIC 2019, and PH2. The accuracy, average precision, sensitivity, and specificity of the proposed method on the ISIC 2016 dataset were 85.2%, 66%, 52%, and 93.4%, respectively. These evaluation metrics for the ISIC 2019 database were obtained equal to 96.7%, 95.1%, 96.3%, and 97.1%, respectively. Furthermore, the accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of the proposed method on the PH2 dataset were 97.5%, 100%, and 96.88%, respectively. According to the experimental results, the ensemble method improves the evaluation metrics compared to each phase separately. Besides, the proposed approach can increase the performance of melanoma detection, compared to previous studies.
Quantitative proteomics reveals a broad‐spectrum antiviral property of ivermectin, benefiting for COVID‐19 treatment
Authors: Li Na , Zhao Lingfeng , Zhan Xianquan
Published: September 2020

Viruses such as human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), human papillomavirus (HPV), Epstein–Barr virus (EBV), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and coronavirus (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 [SARS‐CoV‐2]) represent a great burden to human health worldwide. FDA‐approved anti‐parasite drug ivermectin is also an antibacterial, antiviral, and anticancer agent, which offers more potentiality to improve global public health, and it can effectively inhibit the replication of SARS‐CoV‐2 in vitro. This study sought to identify ivermectin‐related virus infection pathway alterations in human ovarian cancer cells. Stable isotope labeling by amino acids in cell culture (SILAC) quantitative proteomics was used to analyze human ovarian cancer cells TOV‐21G treated with and without ivermectin (20 μmol/L) for 24 h, which identified 4447 ivermectin‐related proteins in ovarian cancer cells. Pathway network analysis revealed four statistically significant antiviral pathways, including HCMV, HPV, EBV, and HIV1 infection pathways. Interestingly, compared with the reported 284 SARS‐CoV‐2/COVID‐19‐related genes from GencLip3, we identified 52 SARS‐CoV‐2/COVID‐19‐related protein alterations when treated with and without ivermectin. Protein–protein network (PPI) was constructed based on the interactions between 284 SARS‐CoV‐2/COVID‐19‐related genes and between 52 SARS‐CoV‐2/COVID‐19‐related proteins regulated by ivermectin. Molecular complex detection analysis of PPI network identified three hub modules, including cytokines and growth factor family, MAP kinase and G‐protein family, and HLA class proteins. Gene Ontology analysis revealed 10 statistically significant cellular components, 13 molecular functions, and 11 biological processes. These findings demonstrate the broad‐spectrum antiviral property of ivermectin benefiting for COVID‐19 treatment in the context of predictive, preventive, and personalized medicine in virus‐related diseases.
CRISPR/Cas gene therapy
Authors: Zhang Baohong
Published: September 2020

Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR‐associated enzyme (Cas) is a naturally occurring genome editing tool adopted from the prokaryotic adaptive immune defense system. Currently, CRISPR/Cas9‐based genome editing has been becoming one of the most promising tools for treating human genetic diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, neuro‐disorders, and cancers. As the quick modification of the CRISPR/Cas9 system, including delivery system, CRISPR/Cas9‐based gene therapy has been extensively studied in preclinic and clinic treatments. CRISPR/Cas genome editing is also a robust tool to create animal genetic models for studying and treating human genetic disorders, particularly diseases associated with point mutations. However, significant challenges also remain before CRISPR/Cas technology can be routinely employed in the clinic for treating different genetic diseases, which include toxicity and immune response of treated cells to CRISPR/Cas component, highly throughput delivery method, and potential off‐target impact. The off‐target effect is one of the major concerns for CRISPR/Cas9 gene therapy, more research should be focused on limiting this impact by designing high specific gRNAs and using high specificity of Cas enzymes. Modifying the CRISPR/Cas9 delivery method not only targets a specific tissue/cell but also potentially limits the off‐target impact.
Mapping the performance of photobioreactors for microalgae cultivation. Part II: equatorial and tropical climate zone
Authors: Dias Rosangela R , Lasta Paola , Vendruscolo Raquel G , Wagner Roger , Zepka Leila Q , Jacob‐Lopes Eduardo
Published: September 2020

BACKGROUND

Considering that the greatest proportion of microalgae commercial production is realized outdoors, it is critically important to highlight the role of the local climate in the performance of the processes. Currently, there is a tendency to identify locations with suitable climates for the large‐scale implementation of microalgae‐based processes. Therefore, this study proposed to map the performance of photobioreactors for microalgae culture. Fourteen types of climates distributed in 33 geographical locations representative of the equatorial and tropical zones of the world were evaluated. The simulated climatic elements were solar irradiation, temperature and photoperiod.

RESULTS

The results showed that the tropical with dry winter (Aw), tropical with dry summer (As), tropical monsoon (Am), tropical fully humid (Af), hot steppe (BSh) and hot desert (BWh) climates favored the system productivities. The highest biomass productivity (0.347 g L–1 d–1) and lipid (0.048 g L–1 d–1) were registered in the Aw simulation.

CONCLUSION

The results of this study provide a useful database of the effects of climate for the microalgae photoautotrophic production. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry
Ultrasound‐guided interventions during pregnancy for lumbosacral pain unresponsive to conservative treatment: A retrospective review
Authors: Comlek Savas
Published: September 2020

Purpose

Current conventional therapeutic strategies for lumbosacral pain during pregnancy are usually inadequate and data regarding interventional analgesic procedures feasible in pregnant women is scarce. We decided to retrospectively review our experience of ultrasound‐guided pain management procedures in pregnant women with lumbosacral pain unresponsive to conservative treatment.

Methods

Twenty women in the second trimester of pregnancy with lumbosacral pain developed during pregnancy unresponsive to conservative treatments who underwent the following ultrasound‐guided pain interventions were included: sacroiliac joint, caudal epidural, interlaminar epidural, and trigger point injections. All patients were followed up until early postnatal period using Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) scores.

Results

All but one patient achieved satisfactory pain control throughout the pregnancy with a single injection. Significant declines in ODI and VAS scores was attained within the first 2 weeks and first week of intervention, respectively, which was maintained thereafter until early postnatal period.

Conclusions

Injections used for effective interventional pain management in nonpregnant populations seem to represent an effective and safe method also for pregnant women when performed under ultrasound guidance, with rapid onset and enduring duration of action until the time of delivery.
Breakpoint mapping of a t(9;22;12) chronic myeloid leukaemia patient with e14a3 BCR‐ABL1 transcript using Nanopore sequencing
Authors: Zhao Hu , Chen Yuan , Shen Chanjuan , Li Lingshu , Li Qingzhao , Tan Kui , Huang Huang , Hu Guoyu
Published: September 2020

Background

The genetic changes in chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) have been well established, although challenges persist in cases with rare fusion transcripts or complex variant translocations. Here, we present a CML patient with e14a3 BCR‐ABL1 transcript and t(9;22;12) variant Philadelphia (Ph) chromosome.

Methods

Cytogenetic analysis and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) was performed to identify the chromosomal aberrations and gene fusions. Rare fusion transcript was verified by a reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR). Breakpoints were characterized and validated using Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) (Oxford, UK) and Sanger sequencing, respectively.

Results

The karyotype showed the translocation t(9;22;12)(q34;q11.2;q24) [20] and FISH indicated 40% positive BCR‐ABL1 fusion signals. The RT‐PCR suggested e14a3 type fusion transcript. The ONT sequencing analysis identified specific positions of translocation breakpoints: chr22:23633040–chr9:133729579, chr12:121567595–chr22:24701405, which were confirmed using Sanger sequencing. The patient achieved molecular remission 3 months after imatinib therapy.

Conclusions

The present study indicates Nanopore sequencing as a valid strategy, which can characterize breakpoints precisely in special clinical cases with atypical structural variations. CML patients with e14a3 transcripts may have good clinical course in the tyrosine kinase inhibitor era, as reviewed here.
Research interest, experience and confidence of allied health professionals working in medical imaging: a cross‐sectional survey
Authors: Dennett Amy M , Cauchi Travis , Harding Katherine E , Kelly Paul , Ashby Georgina , Taylor Nicholas F
Published: September 2020

Introduction

There is growing interest in developing research culture and opportunities for allied health professionals working in medical imaging. However, little attention has been given to identifying the research interest and needs of this group relative to the other allied health professions. We aimed to measure self‐reported research participation, interest, experience and confidence of allied health professionals working in medical imaging and compare the findings to clinicians working in allied health therapies.

Methods

A cross‐sectional survey of allied health professionals from medical imaging (radiographers, sonographers and nuclear medicine technologists) was conducted. The primary outcome, the Research Spider survey, measures 10 domains of research interest/experience/confidence on a 5‐point Likert scale. Results were compared to allied health therapy data.

Results

Responses were received by 82 medical imaging allied health professionals (65% response rate). Overall, medical imaging professionals rated themselves as having ‘some interest’ and ‘little experience or confidence’ in research. There was no difference in interest, experience and confidence among different imaging professions (interest P = 0.099, experience P = 0.380, confidence P = 0.212) or allied health therapists (interest P = 0.137, experience P = 0.363, confidence P = 0.791). Participants reported greatest interest in finding and reviewing literature and lowest interest in applying for funding.

Conclusion

There are strong similarities between medical imaging allied health professionals and allied health therapy professionals. Therefore, strategies used to promote research culture in allied health therapy professions could be leveraged to provide opportunities for medical imaging allied health professionals.
Clinical characteristics of 132 healthcare worker cases with COVID‐19: A retrospective study from a single center in Wuhan, China
Authors: Chen Ting , Li Guoju , Liu Hongli , Wan Wei , Zheng Hongmei , Chen Changzheng
Published: September 2020

Many healthcare workers (HCWs) have been confirmed to be infected with SARS‐CoV‐2 in China. A retrospective, single‐center study was conducted. The median age of the 132 HCWs with COVID‐19 was 32 years, with 92 (69.7%) being females. There were 47 (35.6%) doctors, 72 (54.6%) nurses, and 13 (9.9%) other HCWs. Ten of the 132 patients (7.6%) had underlying diseases. The most common symptoms of illness onset were fever (70, 53.0%), cough (66, 50.0%), and fatigue (58, 43.9%). All patients were categorized into mild or moderate COVID‐19 type on admission to hospital, and five (3.8%) progressed to the severe COVID‐19 type. Sixty‐six HCWs patients were included in both the early and later discharged group. In the logistic analysis, the later discharged patients had a longer time for illness onset to hospital admission (per 1 day; OR, 1.10; 95% CI, 1.03–1.18; p = .006), a higher proportion of >3 onset symptoms clustering (OR, 3.11; 95% CI, 1.27–7.62; p = .01), and a higher percentage of other HCWs (OR, 6.20; 95% CI, 1.49–25.80; p = .01). HCW patients were young female nurses with fewer comorbidities, and most were mild or moderate COVID‐19 type. The later discharged patients exhibited characteristics of longer time for illness onset to hospitalization and clustering of onset symptoms.
Distribution and factors associated with serum HBV pregenomic RNA levels in Chinese chronic hepatitis B patients
Authors: Wang Meng‐Lan , Liao Juan , Ye Feng , Tao Ya‐Chao , Wu Dong‐Bo , He Min , Tang Hong , Chen En‐Qiang
Published: September 2020

Correlations between serum hepatitus B virus (HBV) pregenomic RNA (pgRNA), hepatitus B surface antigen (HBsAg), and hepatitus B core‐related antigen (HBcrAg) levels, and influencing factors of serum HBV pgRNA levels in Chinese chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients are rarely reported. This was a retrospective cohort study consisting of 204 outpatients with CHB. Serum levels of HBV pgRNA, HBsAg, and HBcrAg were quantitative measured in frozen blood samples. The linear regression and multivariate logistic regression analysis were performed to determine associated factors of serum HBV pgRNA levels. In this cohort, the median serum HBV pgRNA level was 4.12 log10 copies/ml and 33.33% (68/204) of them had serum HBV pgRNA under low limit of detection (LLD) (<500 copies/ml); and the percentage of patients with serum HBV pgRNA under LLD in hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)‐positive patients was significantly lower than that in HBeAg‐negative patients (15.75% [23/46] vs. 77.59% [45/58], p < .001). Overall, serum HBV pgRNA strongly correlated with HBcrAg (r = 0.760, p < .001), and moderately correlated with HBV DNA (r = 0.663, p < .001) and HBsAg (r = 0.670, p < .001). As compared with HBsAg and HBV DNA, only HBcrAg showed stable correlation with serum HBV pgRNA both in HBeAg‐positive and HBeAg‐negative patients. Serum HBV pgRNA level differed between HBeAg‐positive and HBeAg‐negative patients; and it had better and more stable correlation with serum HBcrAg than serum HBV DNA and HBsAg, irrespective of HBeAg status.
Alendronate enhances osseointegration in a murine implant model
Authors: Vertesich Klemens , Sosa Branden R. , Niu Yingzhen , Ji Gang , Suhardi Vincentius , Turajane Kathleen , Mun Sehwan , Xu Ren , Windhager Reinhard , Park‐Min Kyung Hyun , Greenblatt Matthew B. , Bostrom Mathias P. , Yang Xu
Published: September 2020

Administration of bisphosphonates following total joint arthroplasty might be beneficial to reduce aseptic loosening. However, their effects on peri‐implant bone formation and bone–implant interface strength have not been investigated yet. We used a physiologically loaded mouse implant model to investigate the short‐term effects of postoperative systemic alendronate on osseointegration. A titanium implant with a rough surface was inserted in the proximal tibiae of 17‐week‐old female C57BL/6 mice (n = 44). Postimplantation mice were given alendronate (73 μg/kg/days, n = 22) or vehicle (n = 22) 5 days/week. At 7‐ and 14‐day postimplantation, histology and histomorphometry were conducted. At 28 days, microcomputed tomography and biomechanical testing were performed (n = 10/group). Postoperative alendronate treatment enhanced osseointegration, increasing maximum pullout load by 45% (p < .001) from 19.1 ± 4.5 N in the control mice to 27.6 ± 4.9 N in the treated mice, at day 28 postimplantation. Alendronate treatment increased the bone volume fraction by 139% (p < .001) in the region distal to the implant and 60% (p < .05) in the peri‐implant region. At 14‐day postimplantation, alendronate treatment decreased the number of osteoclasts per bone perimeter (p < .05) and increased bone volume fraction (p < .01) when compared with the control group. Postimplantation, short‐term alendronate treatment enhanced osseointegration as demonstrated by increased bone mass, trabecular bone thickness, and maximum pullout load. Alendronate decreased peri‐implant osteoclasts while preserving peri‐implant osteoblasts and endothelial cells, in turn, increasing bone volume fraction. This data supports the postoperative clinical use of bisphosphonates, especially in patients with high risks of aseptic loosening.
Surface‐enhanced Raman scattering of secretory proteins for the cytotoxicity analysis of low‐dose doxorubicin
Authors: Zheng Mengmeng , Gao Siqi , Lin Yamin , Lin Yating , Huang Zufang , Xie Shusen , Yu Yun , Lin Juqiang
Published: September 2020

The cytotoxicity and dose of anticancer drugs must be strictly controlled to achieve better therapeutic effects while reducing side effects. Here, surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) of secretory proteins was employed to analyze the cytotoxicity of doxorubicin at low dose (0.01 and 0.05 μg/ml), which could not be evaluated by the conventional methyl thiazolyl blue tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The variances of SERS signals of secretory proteins between control and doxorubicin‐treated groups became greater gradually with the increase of doxorubicin dosage, and the SERS bands at 660 and 1,375 cm−1 were closely related to the cytotoxicity of doxorubicin. Combined with principal component analysis and linear discriminant analysis (PCA‐LDA), SERS spectra of secretory proteins from different drug dose groups could be distinguished with high sensitivity (97.2%) and accuracy (84.7%), demonstrating promising potential as an alternative nanotechnology for cytotoxicity analysis of low‐dose anticancer drugs.
Activity of Bromelain with Cationic Surfactants and the Correlation with the Change of 1H NMR Signals
Authors: Tian Maozhang , Zhu Jiaxin , Guo Jingjing , Guo Xia
Published: September 2020

This study observed the activities of bromelain in the presence of various cationic surfactants at different temperatures and the conformational changes in bromelain by 1H NMR spectroscopy. We found that the bromelain activity was enhanced by tens to hundreds of micromoles per liter of the surfactant. In the presence of the surfactants, bromelain exhibited good tolerance to a range of substrate temperatures and its thermal stability was also increased. The 1H NMR experiments indicated that when the temperature was increased from 25.0 to 45.0 °C, the protons of bromelain having chemical shifts (δ) between 3.7 and 5.2 ppm moved upfield, while those having δ values between 3.2 and 3.7 ppm moved downfield. In the bromelain/cationic surfactant mixture, the values of δ for the protons in both bromelain and the cationic surfactants decreased, accompanied by the broadening of the half‐peak width of the surfactant protons. These results indicated that both increasing temperature and adding a cationic surfactant made the bromelain chain more flexible and hence, increased the bromelain activity. To the best of our knowledge, this was the first time that the relationship between the protein activity and the 1H NMR data was expounded.
A brief hot‐water treatment alleviates chilling injury symptoms in fresh tomatoes
Authors: Loayza Francisco E , Brecht Jeffrey K , Simonne Amarat H , Plotto Anne , Baldwin Elizabeth A , Bai Jinhe , Lon‐Kan Elena
Published: September 2020

BACKGROUND

Reducing the negative effects of chilling injury (CI) in tomatoes after harvest is essential to ensure good quality and to minimize losses. CI is a postharvest disorder associated with the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the fruit. Therefore, antioxidant accumulation can counteract ROS, alleviating CI symptoms. In this sense, it has been confirmed that a brief hot‐water (HW) immersion promotes the synthesis of antioxidants.

RESULTS

HW treatment at 52 °C for 5 min significantly reduced chilling‐associated decay, from 66.7% to 17.2% in breaker turning (BT) and from 55.8% to 9.8% in mature green (MG) ‘BHN‐602’ tomatoes stored at 5 °C for 2 weeks and from 26.7% to 6.7% in BT tomatoes stored at 5 °C for 1 week. Also, HW treatment significantly increased lycopene content by 17% in BT tomatoes stored at 5 °C for 2 weeks, as well as ascorbic acid by 11%, lipophilic phenolics by 18% and total phenolics by 6.5% in BT tomatoes stored at 12.5 °C for 1 week. Despite the increase of antioxidants, HW treatment did not enhance the sensory aromatic profile, color and antioxidant capacity. Interestingly, HW treatment reduced ripening time by 3 days in MG tomatoes stored at 5 °C for 2 weeks or at 12.5 °C for 1 week.

CONCLUSION

HW treatment applied to MG or BT ‘BHN‐602’ tomatoes can alleviate the development of some CI symptoms, particularly decay, possibly by increasing antioxidants that scavenge ROS. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry