bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Surgical Treatment of Meniscal RAMP Lesion
Authors: Gülenç Barış , Kemah Bahattin , Yalçın Sercan , Sayar Şafak , Korkmaz Oğuzhan , Erdil Mehmet
Published: March 2019

RAMP lesion, defined as peripheral detachment lesion of posterior horn of medial meniscus, has been shown to accompany anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) ruptures and is thought to play an important role in the knee joint stability. In this study, we aimed to present results of postoperative knee function scores and patient satisfaction after surgical repair of RAMP lesion. We included 15 patients who had undergone knee arthroscopy due to RAMP lesion in 2017. We recorded demographic data, diagnosis, pre- and postoperative International Knee Documentation Committee and Tegner–Lysholm scores of all patients. In this study, we included 15 patients: the number of male and female patients was eight and seven, respectively. The mean age of patients was 26.8 (18–35). Associated injuries included ACL rupture in 12 patients, additional medial meniscus lesion in 3 patients, lateral meniscus lesion in 3 patients, and superomedial patellar plicae syndrome in 2 patients. All patients had the same postoperative rehabilitation protocol. Mean preoperative Tegner–Lysholm knee score was 64.4 (53–75), while it was 82.5 (75–89) postoperatively, and mean preoperative and postoperative Visual Analogue Scale score at last postoperative follow-up were 5.26 (2–8) and 1.06 (0–2), respectively. All differences were found to be statistically significant. Meniscal RAMP lesions are commonly associated with ACL ruptures. RAMP repair significantly increases postoperative knee function scores and patient satisfaction following ACL reconstruction.
Maternal and Perinatal Outcomes in Pregnant Women with Cystic Fibrosis
Authors: Osmundo Junior Gilmar de Souza , Athanazio Rodrigo Abensur , Rached Samia Zahi , Francisco Rossana Pulcineli Vieira
Published: March 2019

Objectives To assess the perinatal and maternal outcomes of pregnant women with cystic fibrosis (CF) and severe lung impairment.

Methods This was a series of cases aiming to review the maternal and fetal outcomes in cases of singleton pregnant women with a diagnosis of CF. We have included all of the cases of singleton pregnancy in patients with CF who were followed-up at the obstetrics department of the Medical School of the Universidade de São Paulo, between 2003 and 2016. The exclusion criteria were the unattainability of the medical records of the patient, and delivery at other institutions. A forced expiratory volume in 1 second < 50% was considered as severe lung impairment. We have also analyzed data regarding maternal hospitalization and respiratory exacerbations (REs).

Results Pregnant women with CF and severe lung impairment did not present an association with spontaneous prematurity, fetal growth restriction or fetal demise. All of the cases involved multiple RE episodes requiring antibiotic therapy. The median (range) of events per patient was of 4 (2–4) events.

Conclusion Cystic fibrosis patients with severe lung impairment may achieve successful term pregnancies. However, pregnancies of women with CF are frequently complicated by REs, and this population may require hospital admission during the course of the pregnancy. Cystic fibrosis patients should be followed by a specialized team with experience in treating respiratory diseases.
Endovascular Aneurysm Repair Complicated with Type Ia Endoleak and Presumable Infection Treated with a Fenestrated Endograft
Authors: de Niet Arne , van Schaik Paul , Saleem Ben , Zeebregts Clark , Tielliu Ignace
Published: March 2019

An 81-year-old patient presented to the emergency room 5 years after infrarenal endovascular aneurysm repair, with a Type Ia endoleak and a presumable infection of the graft material with Listeria monocytogenes. He was treated with a custom-made fenestrated endograft to seal the endoleak and lifelong antibiotic therapy to suppress the infection. Full explantation of graft material is not always preferable, and endovascular treatment combined with antibiotic suppressive therapy is in some cases an appropriate alternative.
Public Perception of Facial Fillers
Authors: Hojjat Houmehr , Raad Richard , Lucas Jordyn , Mir Mohammad , Smith Brendan , Carron Michael , Zuliani Giancarlo
Published: March 2019

There has been widespread coverage of cosmetic procedures, particularly facial fillers, as minimally invasive options for facial rejuvenation. The authors' objective was to characterize news media's coverage of facial fillers and its role in shaping public perception of these products over the past decade. Public view plays a significant role in policymaking, assisting patient communication, and addressing preconceived notions. Google News was searched for online news coverage related to “facial fillers” from 2008 to 2017. News articles from various sources were reviewed and analyzed with multiple objectives including complications listed, advantages, disadvantages, physician specialties, overall theme of the articles as positive, negative, or neutral and other parametrics. A chi-square test was used for statistical analysis. Of 426 articles meeting inclusion criteria, international news (20.4%), tabloids (18.8%), online health sites (18.3%), and national news (16.9%) were represented. Of articles containing adequate information, coverage was 44.7% positive, 29.9% neutral, and 26.1% negative with no significant change from 2008 to 2017. In addition, 46.0% of papers discussed complications including vascular injury and blindness associated with fillers, with significant increase by 2017 (p < 0.05). Facial fillers media coverage was overall positive, with broad coverage at both national and international levels. Complications were discussed often, and although vascular injury and vision damage are rare complications of fillers, they were frequently cited, potentially leading the public to believe they occur frequently. There were also significant concerns in the news media about greater regulation of products used as facial fillers, and practitioners administrating them. Altogether, these findings provide a comprehensive overview of patient perception and expectations of an increasingly popular and expanding cosmetic procedure.
Community-Acquired Pneumonia Due to Virus and Mycoplasma pneumoniae Infection in Children Younger than 5 Years
Authors: Sun Huiming , Zhu Wenqing , Chen Zhengrong , Ji Wei , Hao Chuangli , Xinxing Zhang , Wenjing Gu , Wang Yuqing
Published: March 2019

The purpose of this study was to determine the clinical features of viral pathogens and Mycoplasma pneumoniae in children hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). M. pneumoniae infection was diagnosed by both serology and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Respiratory viruses were detected by direct immunofluorescence or PCR. Medical records of children younger than 5 years diagnosed with 5-day-old CAP were reviewed. Viral pathogens and/or M. pneumoniae were detected in 388 (15.59%) children in the following three groups: viral monoinfection (n = 321), M. pneumoniae with viral coinfection (n = 17), and M. pneumoniae monoinfection (n = 50). M. pneumoniae monoinfection was characterized by older age, fever, higher neutrophil count, and chest X-ray showing lobar consolidation. Wheezing was more common in children with viral infections. Elevated alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase were commonly seen in children with Mycoplasma infections. The median symptom duration in children with viral coinfection was shorter than in the other two groups (both p < 0.05). M. pneumoniae and respiratory viruses are important etiologic agents for CAP in children younger than 5 years, with characteristic clinical features. M. pneumoniae and viral coinfection are associated with shorter duration of symptoms before admission.
Fatigue device driven by a three degree of freedom tripodal piezoelectric actuator
Authors: Ma Z. C. , Du X. J. , Ma X. X. , Zhao H. W. , Zhang F. , Ren L. Q.
Published: March 2019

A miniature piezoelectric-driven fatigue device with three degrees of freedom is developed. The device integrates two fatigue testing functions, including uniaxial tensile fatigue and tensile-bending combined loading modes. The synchronous tensile-bending loading principle is described, which is applicable for calculating the vector displacements along two orthogonal directions and investigating the anisotropic fatigue properties. Regarding the combined loading mode, maximum load/displacement amplitudes for tensile and bending vector components that could be achieved are 16.9 N/22.8 µm and 3.3 N/5.6 µm, respectively. Based on tensile and tensile-bending combined fatigue loading modes, the displacement responses and fatigue lives at loading frequencies ranging from 1 Hz to 100 Hz are valuated experimentally to indicate the validation.
Structural, magnetic and magnetocaloric properties of Ni43Mn46-xFexSn11 (x = 0, 6, 8, 10) alloys
Authors: Qian Hanyang , Dahal Bishnu , Halbritter Lee , Hu Jing , Huh Yung , Kharel Parashu
Published: March 2019

The structural, magnetic and magnetocaloric properties of Ni43Mn46-xFexSn11 alloys prepared using arc melting and annealing have been investigated. The room temperature x-ray diffraction patterns show that the cubic austenite phase is the main phase in these alloys. The annealed Ni43Mn46-xFexSn11 alloys, except Ni43Mn36Fe10Sn11, show magneto-structural phase transitions, where the transition temperature systematically decreases with the increase in Fe concentration. The Ni43Mn36Fe10Sn11 alloy shows a second-order phase transition from a ferromagnetic to a paramagnetic phase at its Curie temperature. The peak magnetic entropy change and the relative cooling power of the Ni43Mn36Fe10Sn11 alloy measured at 30 kOe are about 2.0 Jkg-1K-1 and 130 Jkg-1, respectively. The absence of magnetic and thermal hysteresis coupled with relatively high cooling efficiency suggests that the Ni43Mn36Fe10Sn11 alloy has potential for magnetic refrigeration.
Annealing influence on magnetic anisotropies of CoFe thin films
Authors: Zhu Weihua , Wu Guanjie , Xue Hongwei , Zhu Zhendong , Jin Q. Y. , Zhang Zongzhi
Published: March 2019

Post-annealing effect on the magnetic anisotropies of cubic CoFe films epitaxially grown on MgO (001) substrates are investigated. X-ray diffraction patterns reveal that the crystallization degree gradually improves with the increase of annealing temperature (Ta), which results in obvious enhancement in both the uniaxial (HU) and biaxial magnetic anisotropy fields. Magnetic hysteresis loops of the unannealed sample show two equivalent easy axes along the CoFe [110] and [11¯0] directions, being in accord with the observed fourfold symmetry of angular remanent magnetization (ARM) curve. Nevertheless, with the increase of Ta, the two easy axis loops become inequivalent due to the increased HU along [110] direction, thus giving rise to a two-step switching behavior for the [11¯0] direction loop at Ta>350°C and the ARM curve transformation from fourfold to twofold symmetry. This work provides a deep insight and an effective approach to control the magnetic anisotropies and magnetization states for practical applications.
Centrality-based identification of important edges in complex networks
Authors: Bröhl Timo , Lehnertz Klaus
Published: March 2019

Centrality is one of the most fundamental metrics in network science. Despite an abundance of methods for measuring centrality of individual vertices, there are by now only a few metrics to measure centrality of individual edges. We modify various, widely used centrality concepts for vertices to those for edges, in order to find which edges in a network are important between other pairs of vertices. Focusing on the importance of edges, we propose an edge-centrality-based network decomposition technique to identify a hierarchy of sets of edges, where each set is associated with a different level of importance. We evaluate the efficiency of our methods using various paradigmatic network models and apply the novel concepts to identify important edges and important sets of edges in a commonly used benchmark model in social network analysis, as well as in evolving epileptic brain networks.
Multi-species plasma transport in 1D direct-drive ICF simulations
Authors: Vold E. , Rauenzahn R. , Simakov A. N.
Published: March 2019

A multi-species plasma ion transport model has been added to the adaptive mesh refinement radiation hydrodynamics code, xRage, to include kinetic transport effects when the particle distributions are near Maxwellian, with deviations proportional to a Knudsen number smaller than one. The model is first verified against self-similar solutions reported previously for the pressure equilibrium case, and next shown to be relatively insensitive to the choice of equation of state for the ions. Simulations are then used to examine Inertial Confinement Fusion dynamics in a 1D spherical geometry characteristic of an Omega implosion with a plastic (CH) shell containing a deuterium-tritium (DT) fuel, and with an added heavy ion impurity, argon. Even in this simplified 1D geometry, several interesting results are apparent. Ion stratification occurs similarly to that reported previously in purely kinetic simulations. The hydrogen in the plastic shell is transported radially inward, carried with the main drive shock, and thus migrates away from the C ions. The fuel D and T ions show the expected stratification with an increase in the lighter species concentration during the shock implosion and a reversal, with heavier species concentrations enhanced after shock expansion from the center. This stratification during burn yields different burn weighted ion temperatures, Ti, for the reactions, Ti[DD] < Ti[DT] < Ti[TT], consistent in their ordering with experiments. The mix widths per ion, measured where concentrations fall to 10% of their interfacial value, are evaluated as a function of time, and these are seen to be significant (of order 10 μm) even at early times, well before the main shock converges and before the shell deceleration. The 1D geometry may be a reasonable approximation for this early time mix and implies that this transport may play a role in reducing or modifying the instabilities driven by initial perturbations, ablation, and Rayleigh-Taylor unstable deceleration. An apparent depletion of the heavier ions seen at the incoming ion shock front warrants further investigation.
Theoretical investigation of metal/n-Ge1−xSnx (0 ≤ x < 0.11) contacts using transfer matrix method
Authors: Wu Ying , Lei Dian , Gong Xiao
Published: March 2019

The carrier transmission properties and the specific contact resistivity for metal/n-Ge1−xSnx contacts with various Sn compositions ranging from 0% to 11% are modelled by the transfer matrix method. It is found that increasing the Sn composition enhances the electron tunneling between metal and Γ valley and lowers the ρc by more than 4 times when the donor concentration (NA) is below 1 × 1020 cm−3; when NA is higher than this, electron tunneling from the L valley dominates and ρc is insensitive to change in the Sn composition. The impact of contact metals on ρc for metal/n-Ge0.89Sn0.11 contacts is also investigated. Metals with a lower effective mass are preferred when NA is below 2 × 1020 cm−3, while for a higher NA, a metal with a higher effective mass is preferred to further lower ρc. This is due to the transition from Γ valley-dominant tunneling to L valley-dominant tunneling with increasing NA.
Repeatable and reproducible formation/rupture of oxygen vacancy filaments in the vicinity of a polycrystalline HfO2 surface
Authors: Hida Sota , Morita Takumi , Yamasaki Takahiro , Nara Jun , Ohno Takahisa , Kinoshita Kentaro
Published: March 2019

We theoretically investigated the dynamics of oxygen vacancies (Vo’s) and the effect of changing their charge states by performing first-principles molecular dynamics simulations at a temperature of 1000 K. Calculations were performed for two structures of HfO2: a slab with (110) surfaces and a bulk single crystal. Our studies revealed that when the charge state of the Vo’s changed from neutral (VO0) to divalent (VO2+), Vo’s repelled each other and dispersed, in both the slab and bulk structures. In contrast, when the charge state of the Vo’s changed from VO2+ to VO0, the Vo’s attracted each other and resumed their original positions only in the slab structure. Therefore, the repeatable and reproducible formation/rupture of a VO filament can occur near the crystal surface, where the symmetry of the bulk crystal is broken. This result is consistent with the experimental results demonstrating that the resistive switching of the resistive random access memory develops in polycrystalline metal oxides rather than in single crystalline metal oxides.
Temporal information gathering process for node ranking in time-varying networks
Authors: Qu Cunquan , Zhan Xiuxiu , Wang Guanghui , Wu Jianliang , Zhang Zi-ke
Published: March 2019

Many systems are dynamic and time-varying in the real world. Discovering the vital nodes in temporal networks is more challenging than that in static networks. In this study, we proposed a temporal information gathering (TIG) process for temporal networks. The TIG-process, as a node’s importance metric, can be used to do the node ranking. As a framework, the TIG-process can be applied to explore the impact of temporal information on the significance of the nodes. The key point of the TIG-process is that nodes’ importance relies on the importance of its neighborhood. There are four variables: temporal information gathering depth n, temporal distance matrix D, initial information c, and weighting function f. We observed that the TIG-process can degenerate to classic metrics by a proper combination of these four variables. Furthermore, the fastest arrival distance based TIG-process ( fad-tig) is performed optimally in quantifying nodes’ efficiency and nodes’ spreading influence. Moreover, for the fad-tig process, we can find an optimal gathering depth n that makes the TIG-process perform optimally when n is small.
Study and design of cavity and MIG of a high-power, 140 GHz gyrotron at UESTC
Authors: Liu Ying-hui , Lei Chaojun , Niu Xin-jian , Wang Hui , Guo Guo , Zhang Shuangshi , Li Hongfu
Published: March 2019

A 140 GHz high power gyrotron with a gradually tapered cavity has been investigated and formed at the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China recently. After the study of cold cavities, a set of operating parameters of the optimized cavity is obtained as the TE29,8 mode is selected as the operating mode. The startup-scenarios of the potential competition modes have been investigated by simulation, which is based on a kind of quasi-self-consistent nonlinear theory for gyrotrons. After a lot of calculations, a better startup scenario is confirmed. Under the conditions that the beam voltage varies in 5 kV steps and the beam current and DC magnetic field are of 45 A and 5.64 T, respectively, the gyrotron with the operating mode TE29,8 brings out a theoretical power level of 1.2 MW at 140 GHz, corresponding to an overall efficiency of 35.5%. Meanwhile, the powers of parasitic modes are very low when the gyrotron operates at the proper parameters. At the same time, to study the limit state and its parameters of the designed gyrotron, further research has been carried out.
Effect of atomic ordering on the magnetic anisotropy of single crystal Ni80Fe20
Authors: Kateb Movaffaq , Gudmundsson Jon Tomas , Ingvarsson Snorri
Published: March 2019

We investigate the effect of atomic ordering on the magnetic anisotropy of Ni80Fe20 at.% (Py). To this end, Py films were grown epitaxially on MgO(001) using dc magnetron sputtering (dcMS) and high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS). Aside from twin boundaries observed in the latter case, both methods present high quality single crystals with cube-on-cube epitaxial relationship as verified by the polar mapping of important crystal planes. However, X-ray diffraction results indicate higher order for the dcMS deposited film towards L12 Ni3Fe superlattice. This difference can be understood by the very high deposition rate of HiPIMS during each pulse which suppresses adatom mobility and ordering. We show that the dcMS deposited film presents biaxial anisotropy while HiPIMS deposition gives well defined uniaxial anisotropy. Thus, higher order achieved in the dcMS deposition behaves as predicted by magnetocrystalline anisotropy i.e. easy axis along the [111] direction that forced in the plane along the [110] direction due to shape anisotropy. The uniaxial behaviour in HiPIMS deposited film then can be explained by pair ordering or more recent localized composition non-uniformity theories. Further, we studied magnetoresistance of the films along the [100] directions using an extended van der Pauw method. We find that the electrical resistivities of the dcMS deposited film are lower than in their HiPIMS counterparts verifying the higher order in the dcMS case.
New computational study simulates how the spleen filters red blood cells
Authors: Kim Meeri
Published: March 2019

A new article reports on a computational study that investigates how a red blood cell manages to squeeze through a submicron slit in the spleen’s filtration system.
Outcomes of dermoscope-guided surgical procedures in primary care: case-control study
Authors: Chuh Antonio , Zawar Vijay , Sciallis Gabriel , Fölster-Holst Regina
Published: March 2019

ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION No research has been found regarding outcomes of dermoscope-guided surgical procedures in primary care. AIM To establish whether outcomes of dermoscope-guided procedures performed in primary care settings differ from outcomes for similar procedures, performed without the use of a dermoscope. METHODS A retrospective case-control study design was used. All records of dermoscope-guided procedures performed over a 6-month period were retrieved. For each study procedure, the record of the most recent control procedure without dermoscopy guidance performed on a sex-and-age matched patient was retrieved from before we began performing dermoscope-guided procedures. Primary outcomes were: local inflammation and infections within 2 weeks’ post procedure; relapse in 6 months; and obvious scars in 6 months. Pain affecting activities of daily living in the first week after the procedure was the secondary outcome. RESULTS Records of 39 dermoscope-guided procedures and 39 control procedures were retrieved. No significant difference in local inflammation and infections in 2 weeks was found; relapse in 6 months after the study procedures was significantly lower for dermoscope-guided than control procedures (risk ratio (RR): 0.22; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.05–0.95), and there were fewer obvious scars for dermoscope-guided procedures than control procedures (RR: 0.52; 95% CI: 0.32–0.83), with the number of small lesions (<4 mm) leaving scars in study procedures particularly less than that for control procedures (RR: 0.30; 95% CI: 0.13–0.67). There was no difference in the secondary outcome of pain affecting activities of daily living in the first week following the procedure. CONCLUSION In primary care, dermoscope-guided procedures achieved better outcomes than similar procedures without dermoscope guidance. Performing dermoscope-guided procedures in primary care might lower medical costs.
Social cheating in a
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
quorum-sensing variant
Authors: Chen Ruiyi , Déziel Eric , Groleau Marie-Christine , Schaefer Amy L. , Greenberg E. Peter
Published: March 2019

The opportunistic bacterial pathogen
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
has a layered acyl-homoserine lactone (AHL) quorum-sensing (QS) system, which controls production of a variety of extracellular metabolites and enzymes. The LasRI system activates genes including those coding for the extracellular protease elastase and for the second AHL QS system, RhlRI. Growth of
P. aeruginosa
on casein requires elastase production and LasR-mutant social cheats emerge in populations growing on casein.
P. aeruginosa
colonizes the lungs of individuals with the genetic disease cystic fibrosis (CF), and LasR mutants can be isolated from the colonized lungs; however, unlike laboratory-generated LasR mutants, many of these CF isolates have functioning RhlR-RhlI systems. We show that one such mutant can use the RhlR-RhlI system to activate expression of elastase and grow on casein. We carried out social-evolution experiments by growing this isolate on caseinate and, as with wild-type
P. aeruginosa
, elastase-negative mutants emerge as cheats, but these are not RhlR mutants; rather, they are mutants that do not produce the non-AHL
Pseudomonas
quinolone signal (PQS). Furthermore, we generated a RhlRI mutant and showed it had a fitness defect when growing together with the parent. Apparently, RhlR QS and PQS collude to support growth on caseinate in the absence of a functional LasR. Our findings provide a plausible explanation as to why
P. aeruginosa
LasR mutants, but not RhlR mutants, are common in CF lungs.
I Want to Break Free
Authors: Miteva Evelina
Published: March 2019

Albertus Magnus is known for his rational approach to explaining various phenomena; a method that would be acquired and
applied by his pupil Thomas Aquinas as well. In this paper, I focus on the concept of freedom, i. e., on the question of what it is that
constitutes the freedom of free will in the account of Albert the Great. I investigate this question from the perspective of natural
philosophy, a field that Albert was particularly interested in. In the first part of the paper, I study Albert’s definition of free will and
its implications as they are tackled in De homine, De anima, and Ethica. Albert regards free will as a
capacity of the rational soul, capable of choosing from opposites. Albert confronts the definitions of free will presented by Augustine,
Bernard of Clairvaux, and Anselm of Canterbury, and in each of these cases he advances his argument from the perspective of psychology. In
the second part of the paper, I identify the topics in which the general definition of free will is applied in a naturalistic context. Those
are the debates on fate and free will, on the question whether animals have free will and, finally, on natural circumstances such as age or
gender, limiting the freedom of free will. Subsequently, I aim at expounding Albert’s balanced, yet not tension-free position in the debate
between determinism and free action. Although several extensive studies on fate in Albert have been produced, the problem of free choice in
Albert’s works remains surprisingly understudied. The present paper intends to open a path for further research and debates on this relevant
topic.
Aquinas’ Balancing Act
Authors: Klima Gyula
Published: March 2019

In this paper, I will primarily argue for the consistency of Aquinas’ conception, according to which the human
soul, uniquely in God’s creation, is both the inherent, material, substantial form of the human body, and the subsistent
immaterial substance underlying the immaterial operations of its immaterial, rational powers, namely, intellect and will. In this
discussion, I will point out that typical challenges to Aquinas’ conception usually rely on semantic or ontological assumptions
that can plausibly be denied in Aquinas’ own conceptual framework. Since the issue of consistency merely assumes the less than
self-evident claim of the immateriality of the human intellect, I will also provide a brief sketch of what I take to be Aquinas’
most promising proof of this claim.
Culture surfaces induce hypoxia-regulated genes in human mesenchymal stromal cells
Authors: Zhang Bo , Kasoju Naresh , Li Qiongfang , Soliman Erfan , Yang Aidong , Cui Zhanfeng , Ma Jinmin , Wang Hui , Ye Hua
Published: March 2019

Culturing human Mesenchymal stromal cells (hMSCs)in vitroin hypoxic conditions resulted in reduced senescence, enhanced pluripotency and altered proliferation rate. It has been known thatin vitrohypoxia affects expression of cell surface proteins. However, the impact of culture surfaces on the hypoxia-regulated genes (HRG) have not yet been reported. This study utilized Next-Generation sequencing to analyse the changes in the gene expression levels of HRG for hMSCs cultured on different culture surfaces. The samples, which were cultured on four different synthesized surfaces (treatments) and tissue culture plate (control), resulted in a difference in growth rate. The sequencing results revealed that the transcription of a number of key genes involved in regulating hypoxic functions were significantly altered, includingHIF2A, a marker for potency, differentiation, and various cellular functions. Significant alternations in the expression levels of previously reported oxygen-sensitive surface proteins were detected in this study, some of which closely correlate with the expression levels ofHIF2A. Our analysis of the hMSCs transcriptome and HRG mapped out a list of genes encoding surface proteins which may directly regulate or be regulated byHIF2A. The findings from this study showed that culture surfaces have an impact on regulating the expression profile of HRG. Therefore, novel culture surfaces may be designed to selectively activateHIF2Aand other HRG and pathways underin vitronormoxia. The understanding of the crosstalk between the regulating genes of hypoxia and culture surfaces may be utilized to strengthen desired hypoxic functions.
A feature-based approach to predict hot spots in protein–DNA binding interfaces
Authors: Zhang Sijia , Zhao Le , Zheng Chun-Hou , Xia Junfeng
Published: March 2019

DNA-binding hot spot residues of proteins are dominant and fundamental interface residues that contribute most of the binding free energy of protein–DNA interfaces. As experimental methods for identifying hot spots are expensive and time consuming, computational approaches are urgently required in predicting hot spots on a large scale. In this work, we systematically assessed a wide variety of 114 features from a combination of the protein sequence, structure, network and solvent accessible information and their combinations along with various feature selection strategies for hot spot prediction. We then trained and compared four commonly used machine learning models, namely, support vector machine (SVM), random forest, Naïve Bayes and k-nearest neighbor, for the identification of hot spots using 10-fold cross-validation and the independent test set. Our results show that (1) features based on the solvent accessible surface area have significant effect on hot spot prediction; (2) different but complementary features generally enhance the prediction performance; and (3) SVM outperforms other machine learning methods on both training and independent test sets. In an effort to improve predictive performance, we developed a feature-based method, namely, PrPDH (Prediction of Protein–DNA binding Hot spots), for the prediction of hot spots in protein–DNA binding interfaces using SVM based on the selected 10 optimal features. Comparative results on benchmark data sets indicate that our predictor is able to achieve generally better performance in predicting hot spots compared to the state-of-the-art predictors. A user-friendly web server for PrPDH is well established and is freely available at http://bioinfo.ahu.edu.cn:8080/PrPDH.
Impact of a tailored surgical approach on autograft root dimensions in patients undergoing the Ross procedure for aortic regurgitation†
Authors: Bouhout Ismail , Ghoneim Aly , Tousch Michael , Stevens Louis Mathieu , Semplonius Trevor , Tarabzoni Mohammed , Poirier Nancy , Cartier Raymond , Demers Philippe , Guo Linrui , Chu Michael W A , El-Hamamsy Ismail
Published: March 2019

OBJECTIVES

The Ross procedure in patients with aortic regurgitation (AR) has been associated with increased autograft dilatation and late reintervention. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of a tailored approach aimed at mitigating that risk on early changes in autograft root dimensions following the Ross procedure in patients with AR.

METHODS

From 2011 to 2018, 241 consecutive patients underwent a Ross procedure with >1 year of follow-up [46 (7) years]. Aortic root dimensions were prospectively measured on serial echocardiograms. Patients with aortic stenosis group (n = 171; 71%) were compared to those with AR or mixed aortic disease (AR group) (n = 70; 29%). Mean length of follow-up was 29 ± 11 months (100% complete). Changes in aortic dimensions were analysed using mixed-effect models.

RESULTS

At 4 years, mean indexed diameters of the annulus, sinuses of Valsalva and the sinotubular junction in the AR group were 12.3 (0.2) mm/m2, 20.0 (0.4) mm/m2 and 16.3 (0.9) mm/m2, respectively, vs 11.9 (0.2), 18.4 (0.3) and 15.5 (0.5) in the aortic stenosis group. Overall, there were no significant differences in the rates of autograft annulus, sinuses of Valsalva and sinotubular junction dimension changes between the aortic stenosis and AR groups up to 4 years after surgery (P = 0.55, P = 0.12, P = 0.59 and P = 0.48, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

Use of a tailored surgical approach, combined with a strict blood pressure control, appears to mitigate clinically significant early dilatation of the autograft root following a Ross procedure in patients with AR. Further follow-up is needed to determine if this will translate into a lower incidence of long-term reintervention.
Pregnancy outcomes in women with cardiovascular disease: evolving trends over 10 years in the ESC Registry Of Pregnancy And Cardiac disease (ROPAC)
Authors: Roos-Hesselink Jolien , Baris Lucia , Johnson Mark , De Backer Julie , Otto Catherine , Marelli Ariane , Jondeau Guillaume , Budts Werner , Grewal Jasmine , Sliwa Karen , Parsonage William , Maggioni Aldo P , van Hagen Iris , Vahanian Alec , Tavazzi Luigi , Elkayam Uri , Boersma Eric , Hall Roger
Published: March 2019

Aims

Reducing maternal mortality is a World Health Organization (WHO) global health goal. Although maternal deaths due to haemorrhage and infection are declining, those related to heart disease are increasing and are now the most important cause in western countries. The aim is to define contemporary diagnosis-specific outcomes in pregnant women with heart disease.

Methods and results

From 2007 to 2018, pregnant women with heart disease were prospectively enrolled in the Registry Of Pregnancy And Cardiac disease (ROPAC). Primary outcome was maternal mortality or heart failure, secondary outcomes were other cardiac, obstetric, and foetal complications. We enrolled 5739 pregnancies; the mean age was 29.5. Prevalent diagnoses were congenital (57%) and valvular heart disease (29%). Mortality (overall 0.6%) was highest in the pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) group (9%). Heart failure occurred in 11%, arrhythmias in 2%. Delivery was by Caesarean section in 44%. Obstetric and foetal complications occurred in 17% and 21%, respectively. The number of high-risk pregnancies (mWHO Class IV) increased from 0.7% in 2007–2010 to 10.9% in 2015–2018. Determinants for maternal complications were pre-pregnancy heart failure or New York Heart Association >II, systemic ejection fraction <40%, mWHO Class 4, and anticoagulants use. After an increase from 2007 to 2009, complication rates fell from 13.2% in 2010 to 9.3% in 2017.

Conclusion

Rates of maternal mortality or heart failure were high in women with heart disease. However, from 2010, these rates declined despite the inclusion of more high-risk pregnancies. Highest complication rates occurred in women with PAH.
Habitat suitability modelling revealing environmental-driven abundance variability and geographical distribution shift of winter–spring cohort of neon flying squid Ommastrephes bartramii in the northwest Pacific Ocean
Authors: Yu Wei , Chen Xinjun , Zhang Yang , Yi Qian
Published: March 2019

To identify climate-related habitat changes and variations in abundance and distribution of Ommastrephes bartramii in the northwest Pacific Ocean, an habitat suitability index (HSI) model was developed in this study including sea surface temperature (SST), photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), and sea surface height anomaly (SSHA). The catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) of O. bartramii gradually decreased between 2006 and 2015, and the latitudinal gravity centres (LATG) of the fishing effort shifted southward. Correlation analyses suggested that CPUE was positively related to SST, PAR, and the areas of suitable and optimal habitat, but negatively correlated with SSHA and the percentages of poor habitat. A significantly positive correlation was found between the LATG and the average latitude of the most preferred SST, PAR, and the average latitude of the area with an HSI between 0.9 and 1.0. From 2006 to 2015, the annual declined CPUE was highly consistent with the increase in areas of poor habitat and the reduction in areas of suitable and optimal habitats. The south-approaching LATG coincided with the southward migration pattern of the latitude of the HSI area in the range of 0.9–1.0. Moreover, compared to the El Niño events, the La Niña events, and normal climate condition yielded enlarged suitable habitat areas for O. bartramii, and the LATG moved further north.
Defending the “Acquisition-Use Presumption” in Assessing the Likelihood of Nuclear Terrorism
Authors: Bell Mark S
Published: March 2019

In an important article, McIntosh and Storey (2018) challenge the “acquisition-use presumption” that a terrorist organization with a nuclear weapon would inevitably seek to detonate it in an attack. They argue that a terrorist organization with nuclear weapons has more attractive options than conducting a direct nuclear attack, that organizational politics mean that a terrorist organization with a nuclear weapon would be unlikely to seek to detonate it, and that a nuclear attack would escalate the threats the terrorist organization faced. I argue that these arguments are ultimately unpersuasive and that the acquisition-use presumption remains a valid basis for theorizing about the likelihood of nuclear terrorism.
Thermal Tolerance Plasticity in Chagas Disease Vectors Rhodnius prolixus (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) and Triatoma infestans
Authors: Belliard Silvina A , De la Vega Gerardo J , Schilman Pablo E
Published: March 2019

Temperature is recognized as the most influential abiotic factor on the distribution and dispersion of most insect species including Rhodnius prolixus (Stål, 1859) and Triatoma infestans (Klug, 1834), the two most important Chagas disease vectors. Although, these species thermotolerance range is well known their plasticity has never been addressed in these or any other triatomines. Herein, we investigate the effects of acclimation on thermotolerance range and resistance to stressful low temperatures by assessing thermal critical limits and ‘chill-coma recovery time’ (CCRT), respectively. We found positive effects of acclimation on thermotolerance range, especially on the thermal critical minimum of both species. In contrast, CCRT did not respond to acclimation in either. Our results reveal the plasticity of these Triatomines thermal tolerance in response to a wide range of acclimation temperatures. This presumably represents a physiological adaptation to daily or seasonal temperature variation with concomitant improvement in dispersion potential.
A Realis Subjunctive in German
Authors: Csipak Eva
Published: March 2019

The German Konjunktiv II is known for its reportative and irrealis uses. This paper argues for a third, realis, use which is independent of the other two uses. Thus by uttering ‘Da wäre Saft im Kühlschrank there is.[realis subjunctive] juice in the fridge’ a speaker can signal that not only is she certain that there is juice in the fridge, but also that she is offering the juice to an interlocutor. I show that the meaning contribution of the realis subjunctive is strictly not-at-issue, and I develop a multi-dimensional formal semantics that captures both the distribution of the realis subjunctive, and its interaction with operators such as negation and tense. The conditions of use of the construction are modelled in terms of decision theory.
Media Framing Dynamics of the ‘European Refugee Crisis’: A Comparative Topic Modelling Approach
Authors: Heidenreich Tobias , Lind Fabienne , Eberl Jakob-Moritz , Boomgaarden Hajo G
Published: March 2019

The complexity and duration of the so-called ‘European refugee crisis’ created a climate of uncertainty, which left ample room for mass media to shape citizens’ understanding of what the arrival of these refugees meant for their respective country. This study analyses the national media discourses in Hungary, Germany, Sweden, the United Kingdom and Spain for this time period. Applying Latent Dirichlet Allocation topic modelling in five languages and based on N = 130,042 articles from 24 news outlets, we reveal country-specific media frames to track the overall course of the refugee debate and to uncover dynamics and shifts in discourses. While results show similarities across countries, due to media coverage responding to real-world developments, there are differences in media framing as well. Possible sources of these differences such as countries’ geographic location or status as receiving country are discussed.
Imprints of r-process heating on fall-back accretion: distinguishing black hole–neutron star from double neutron star mergers
Authors: Desai D , Metzger B D , Foucart F
Published: March 2019

Mergers of compact binaries containing two neutron stars (NS–NS), or a neutron star and a stellar mass black hole (NS–BH), are likely progenitors of short-duration gamma-ray bursts (SGRBs). A fraction ${\gtrsim } 20{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ of SGRBs is followed by temporally extended (≳minute-long), variable X-ray emission, attributed to ongoing activity of the central engine. One source of late-time engine activity is fall-back accretion of bound tidal ejecta; however, observed extended emission light curves do not track the naively anticipated, uninterrupted t−5/3 power-law decay, instead showing a lull or gap in emission typically lasting tens of seconds after the burst. Here, we re-examine the impact of heating due to rapid neutron capture (r-process) nucleosynthesis on the rate of the fall-back accretion, using ejecta properties extracted from numerical relativity simulations of NS–BH mergers. Heating by the r-process has its greatest impact on marginally bound matter, hence its relevance to late-time fall-back. Depending on the electron fraction of the ejecta and the mass of the remnant black hole, r-process heating can imprint a range of fall-back behaviour, ranging from temporal gaps of up to tens of seconds to complete late-time cut-off in the accretion rate. This behaviour is robust to realistic variations in the nuclear heating experienced by different parts of the ejecta. Central black holes with masses ${\lesssim } 3\, \mathrm{M}_{\odot }$ typically experience absolute cut-offs in the fall-back rate, while more massive ${\gtrsim } 6\!-\!8\, \mathrm{M}_{\odot }$ black holes instead show temporal gaps. We thus propose that SGRBs showing extended X-ray emission arise from NS–BH, rather than NS–NS, mergers. Our model implies an NS–BH merger detection rate by LIGO that, in steady state, is comparable to or greater than that of NS–NS mergers.
On a conjecture of additive complements
Authors: Fang Jin-Hui , Chen Yong-Gao
Published: March 2019

For two infinite sequences A and B of non-negative integers, if every sufficiently large integer can be expressed as the sum of two elements taken from A and B, then we call such A, B additive complements. Let A(x) (resp. B(x)) be the counting functions of A (resp. B). Motivated by a result of Sárközy and Szemerédi, the authors proved that if limsupA(x)B(x)/x<3−3 or limsupA(x)B(x)/x>2, then A(x)B(x)−x→+∞ as x→+∞. Afterwards we also posed a natural conjecture that: for additive complements A, B, there exists a set T of non-negative integers with density one such that A(x)B(x)−x→+∞asx∈Tandx→+∞. In this paper, we confirm this conjecture. Furthermore, we obtain a stronger evaluation for the special additive complements.
Integrin binding dynamics modulate ligand-specific mechanosensing in mammary gland fibroblasts
Authors: Lerche Martina , Elosegui-Artola Alberto , Kechagia Jenny Z. , Guzmán Camilo , Georgiadou Maria , Gullberg Donald , Roca-Cusachs Pere , Peuhu Emilia , Ivaska Johanna
Published: March 2019

The link between the modulation of integrin activity and cellular mechanosensing of tissue rigidity, especially on different extracellular matrix ligands, remains poorly understood. Here, we find that primary mouse mammary gland stromal fibroblasts (MSFs) are able to spread efficiently on soft collagen-coated substrates, resembling the soft mammary gland tissue. In addition, MSFs generate high forces and display nuclear YAP at a low matrix stiffness, supported by mature focal adhesions, prominent actin stress fibers, and myosin phosphorylation.

We describe that loss of the cytosolic integrin inhibitor, SHARPIN, impedes MSF spreading specifically on soft type I collagen but not on fibronectin. Through quantitative experiments and computational modelling, we find that SHARPIN-deficient MSFs display faster force-induced unbinding of adhesions from collagen-coated beads. Faster unbinding, in turn, impairs force transmission in these cells, particularly, at the stiffness optimum observed for wild-type cells, and increases actin retrograde flow. Mechanistically, we link the impaired mechanotransduction of SHARPIN-deficient cells on collagen to reduced levels of the collagen-binding integrin α11β1. Our results unveil a collagen-specific mechanosensing mechanism and suggest a key function for integrin activity regulation and integrin α11β1 in MSF mechanotransduction.
Identification of differentially expressed genes in hepatocellular carcinoma by integrated bioinformatic analysis
Authors: Yan Guangxin , Liu Zhaoyu
Published: March 2019

Hepatocellular carcinoma is one of the most common tumors in the world and has a high mortality rate. This study elucidates the mechanism of hepatocellular carcinoma- (HCC) related development. The HCC gene expression profile (GSE54238, GSE84004) was downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus for comprehensive analysis. A total of 359 genes were identified, of which 195 were upregulated and 164 were downregulated. Analysis of the condensed results showed that “extracellular allotrope” is a substantially enriched term. “Cell cycle”, “metabolic pathway” and “DNA replication” are three significantly enriched Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomespathways. Subsequently, a protein-protein interaction network was constructed. The most important module in the protein-protein interaction network was selected for path enrichment analysis. The results showed thatCCNA2, PLK1, CDC20, UBE2CandAURKAwere identified as central genes, and the expression of these five hub genes in liver cancer was significantly increased in The Cancer Genome Atlas. Univariate regression analysis was also performed to show that the overall survival and disease-free survival of patients in the high expression group were longer than in the expression group. In addition, genes in important modules are mainly involved in “cell cycle”, “DNA replication” and “oocyte meiosis” signaling pathways. Finally, through upstream miRNA analysis, mir-300 and mir-381-3p were found to coregulateCCNA2,AURKAandUBE2C. These results provide a set of targets that can help researchers to further elucidate the underlying mechanism of liver cancer.