bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Zonulin as marker of pregnancy induced hypertension: a case control study
Authors: Bawah Ahmed Tijani , Tornyi Henry , Seini Mohammed Mustapha , Ngambire Lincoln Toamsoma , Yeboah Francis Agyemang
Published: April 2020

Background

Zonulin has been implicated in many metabolic disorders including hypertension and obesity. However, there is insufficient information about the involvement of zonulin in pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH) which comprises preeclampsia (PE) and gestational hypertension (GH). This study was therefore aimed at finding the level of this biochemical marker of regulation of tight junctions among women with PIH.

Methods

A total of 88 women with PIH and 60 age and body mass index (BMI) matched healthy pregnant women controls were enrolled. Blood pressure at 11–13 weeks and after 20 weeks of gestation, body mass index (BMI) in addition to serum Zonulin levels and lipid profile were compared between the groups. Student’s t-test was used for comparisons of the mean between the two groups. Correlation analyses were performed using Pearson’s correlation and binary logistic regression was used to evaluate the factors associated with PIH.

Results

Zonulin level was significantly higher in the participants with PIH as compared to the normal pregnant controls 56.81 ± 7.72 ng/ml vs 40.4 ± 8.60 ng/ml p < 0.0001 and had strong positive correlation with PIH (OR = 1.805; CI1.139–1.275; p < 0.0001). However, the association between first trimester lipids and PIH was weak.

Conclusion

The results showed a strong positive correlation between zonulin and PIH, thus changes in intestinal permeability occur in early stages of pregnancy and may be involved in the pathogenesis of PIH.
Identifying a commercially-available 3D printing process that minimizes model distortion after annealing and autoclaving and the effect of steam sterilization on mechanical strength
Authors: Chen Joshua V. , Tanaka Kara S. , Dang Alan B. C. , Dang Alexis
Published: April 2020

Background

Fused deposition modeling 3D printing is used in medicine for diverse purposes such as creating patient-specific anatomical models and surgical instruments. For use in the sterile surgical field, it is necessary to understand the mechanical behavior of these prints across 3D printing materials and after autoclaving. It has been previously understood that steam sterilization weakens polylactic acid, however, annealing heat treatment of polylactic acid increases its crystallinity and mechanical strength. We aim to identify an optimal and commercially available 3D printing process that minimizes distortion after annealing and autoclaving and to quantify mechanical strength after these interventions.

Methods

Thirty millimeters cubes with four different infill geometries were 3D printed and subjected to hot water-bath annealing then immediate autoclaving. Seven commercially available 3D printing materials were tested to understand their mechanical behavior after intervention. The dimensions in the X, Y, and Z axes were measured before and after annealing, and again after subsequent autoclaving. Standard and strength-optimized Army-Navy retractor designs were printed using the 3D printing material and infill geometry that deformed the least. These retractors were subjected to annealing and autoclaving interventions and tested for differences in mechanical strength.

Results

For both the annealing and subsequent autoclaving intervention, the material and infill geometry that deformed the least, respectively, was Essentium PLA Gray and “grid”. Standard retractors without intervention failed at 95 N +/− 2.4 N. Annealed retractors failed at 127.3 N +/− 10 N. Autoclave only retractors failed at 15.7 N +/− 1.4 N. Annealed then autoclaved retractors failed at 19.8 N +/− 3.1 N. Strength-optimized retractors, after the annealing then autoclaving intervention, failed at 164.8 N +/− 12.5 N.

Conclusion

For 30 mm cubes, the 3D printing material and infill geometry that deformed the least, respectively, was Essentium PLA and “grid”. Hot water-bath annealing results in increased 3D printed model strength, however autoclaving 3D prints markedly diminishes strength. Strength-optimized 3D printed PLA Army-Navy retractors overcome the strength limitation due to autoclaving.
Assessment, typo error on Author's response of Post Ischemic Stroke Infections
Authors: Gamal Reda Mohammad AL-Bahy M. , EL-Hady Ashraf EL-Sherbiny Abd , Gad Hassan Kawashty , Aboelmakarem Mohammad Abd EL-Hady M. , Nowar Amir Abdel-Ghaffar Mohammady , Hegazy Haytham Khalifa
Published: April 2020

Background

Infection is a common complication in acute phase after stroke, and even in specialized stroke units, it remains one of the major complications. The relationship between infections and acute ischemic stroke is complex and bidirectional. Infections can result in ischemic stroke, and the rate of infection is increased after ischemic stroke.

Aim of work

The aim of this study is to estimate the incidence of post-stroke infections in the Egyptian patients, with determination of the most common infections, possible risk factors, and their clinical implications.

Methods

The study was conducted on one hundred adult patients with acute ischemic stroke, full medical history, thorough clinical examination, routine laboratory investigations, estimation of erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein, abdominal ultrasound, plain X-ray of the chest, culture and sensitivity, non-contrast computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging for patients with normal CT studies of the brain, duplex study of both carotids and vertebral, ECG, and echocardiography, any further investigations needed and lastly collected data statistically analyzed.

Results

The results of our study showed that 32 patients (32%) developed post-stroke infection. Post-stroke infections increased with higher age and female gender. Post-stroke infections were strongly correlated to the presence of atrial fibrillation, previous stroke, or transient ischemic attacks. The occurrence of post-stroke infection was significantly correlated to stroke severity, size of infarction, and carotid stenosis. Post-stroke infection was also correlated with the occurrence of multiple post-stroke neurological complications. Infections that occurred post-stroke were pneumonia (21%) and urinary tract infection (15%), blood (5%), and subcutaneous infection (3%).

Conclusion

Stroke is a major health problem, and infection is one of the commonest post-stroke complications. Post-stroke infection significantly affects clinical outcome and being strongly associated with occurrence of neurological complications.

Abstract: study was conducted on one hundred adult patients with acute ischemic stroke, full medical history, thorough clinical examination, routine laboratory investigations, estimation of erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein, abdominal ultrasound, plain X-ray of the chest, culture and sensitivity, non-contrast computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for patients with normal CT studies of the brain, duplex study of both carotids and vertebral, electrocardiography (ECG), and echocardiography, any further investigations needed and lastly collected data statistically analyzed.
Clinico-pathological significance of immunohistochemically marked tumor-associated macrophage in classic Hodgkin lymphoma
Authors: Abd Allah Mona Y. Y. , Fahmi Maryan Waheeb , EL-Ashwah Shaimaa
Published: April 2020

Background

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAM) are pivotal in remodeling of the tumor immune microenvironment and clinical outcome. Herein, we aim to evaluate the impact of immunohistochemical (IHC) expression of CD68 and CD163 in TAM on clinico-pathological features, patients’ response to therapy and the overall survival (OS).

Results

This retrospective study was performed on paraffin-embedded tissue blocks of 100 classic Hodgkin Lymphoma (cHL) cases diagnosed and treated at our Institution. Immunohistochemical scores of CD68 and CD163 were statistically related to bulky disease (p value = 0.005 for both), tumor stage (p value = 0.02 for both), International Prognostic Score (IPS) (p value = 0.04 and 0.02 respectively), and the overall response rate (ORR) (p value = 0.001). Additionally, CD163 was also statistically related to gender (p value = 0.02), serum albumin level (p value = 0.03), and B symptoms (p value = 0.04). HCV seropositivity did not relate to either CD68 or CD163 score. Using univariate analysis revealed that B symptoms, bulky disease, IPS ≥ 3, and CD163 > 25% were associated with lower OS (p values = 0.003, 0.006, 0.001, and < 0.001 respectively), while after multivariate cox regression analysis, B symptoms, IPS ≥ 3, and CD163 > 25% were related to inferior OS (p values 0.02, 0.02, and 0.003).

Conclusion

CD163 expressing TAM is a powerful predictor for OS in cHL, unlike CD68.
Pretreatment Endocrine Disorders Due to Optic Pathway Gliomas in Pediatric Neurofibromatosis Type 1: Multicenter Study
Authors: Santoro Claudia , Perrotta Silverio , Picariello Stefania , Scilipoti Martina , Cirillo Mario , Quaglietta Lucia , Cinalli Giuseppe , Cioffi Daniela , Di Iorgi Natascia , Maghnie Mohamad , Gallizia Annalisa , Parpagnoli Maria , Messa Federica , De Sanctis Luisa , Vannelli Silvia , Marzuillo Pierluigi , Miraglia del Giudice Emanuele , Grandone Anna
Published: April 2020

Context

Up to 20% of children with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) develop low-grade optic pathway gliomas (OPGs) that can result in endocrine dysfunction. Data on prevalence and type of endocrine disorders in NF1-related OPGs are scarce.

Objectives

The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of endocrine dysfunctions in patients with NF1 and OPGs and to investigate predictive factors before oncological treatment.

Design

Multicenter retrospective study.

Settings and patients

Records were reviewed for 116 children (64 females, 52 males) with NF1 and OPGs followed at 4 Italian centers.

Main outcome measures

We evaluated endocrine function and reviewed brain imaging at the time of OPG diagnosis before radio- and chemotherapy and/or surgery. OPGs were classified according to the modified Dodge classification.

Results

Thirty-two children (27.6%) with a median age of 7.8 years had endocrine dysfunctions including central precocious puberty in 23 (71.9%), growth hormone deficiency in 3 (9.4%), diencephalic syndrome in 4 (12.5%), and growth hormone hypersecretion in 2 (6.2%). In a multivariate cox regression analysis, hypothalamic involvement was the only independent predictor of endocrine dysfunctions (hazard ratio 5.02 [1.802-13.983]; P = .002).

Conclusions

Endocrine disorders were found in approximately one-third of patients with Neurofibromatosis type 1 and OPGs before any oncological treatment, central precocious puberty being the most prevalent. Sign of diencephalic syndrome and growth hormone hypersecretion, although rare, could be predictive of optic pathway gliomas in NF1. Tumor location was the most important predictor of endocrine disorders, particularly hypothalamic involvement.
Coronavirus Infections and Type 2 Diabetes—Shared Pathways with Therapeutic Implications
Authors: Drucker Daniel J
Published: April 2020

Abstract Individuals with diabetes are at increased risk for bacterial, mycotic, parasitic, and viral infections. The severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-CoV-2 (also referred to as COVID-19) coronavirus pandemic highlights the importance of understanding shared disease pathophysiology potentially informing therapeutic choices in individuals with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Two coronavirus receptor proteins, angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP4) are also established transducers of metabolic signals and pathways regulating inflammation, renal and cardiovascular physiology, and glucose homeostasis. Moreover, glucose-lowering agents such as the DPP4 inhibitors, widely used in subjects with T2D, are known to modify the biological activities of multiple immunomodulatory substrates. Here, we review the basic and clinical science spanning the intersections of diabetes, coronavirus infections, ACE2, and DPP4 biology, highlighting clinical relevance and evolving areas of uncertainty underlying the pathophysiology and treatment of T2D in the context of coronavirus infection.
The small GTPase Rab32 resides on lysosomes to regulate mTORC1 signaling
Authors: Drizyte-Miller Kristina , Chen Jing , Cao Hong , Schott Micah B. , McNiven Mark A.
Published: April 2020

Epithelial cells, such as liver-resident hepatocytes, rely heavily on the Rab family of small GTPases to perform membrane trafficking events that dictate cell physiology and metabolism. Not surprisingly, disruption of several Rab proteins can manifest in metabolic diseases or cancer. Rab32 is expressed in many secretory epithelial cells but its role in cellular metabolism is virtually unknown. In this study, we find that Rab32 associates with lysosomes and regulates proliferation and cell size of Hep3B hepatoma and HeLa cells. Specifically, we identify that Rab32 supports the mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) signaling under basal and amino acid-stimulated conditions. Consistent with inhibited mTORC1, an increase in nuclear TFEB localization and lysosome biogenesis is also observed in Rab32-depleted cells. Finally, we find that Rab32 interacts with mTOR kinase, and that loss of Rab32 reduces the association of mTOR and mTORC1 pathway proteins with lysosomes, suggesting that Rab32 regulates lysosomal mTOR trafficking. In summary, these findings suggest that Rab32 functions as a novel regulator of cellular metabolism through supporting mTORC1 signaling.

This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.
Control of assembly of extra-axonemal structures: the paraflagellar rod of trypanosomes
Authors: Alves Aline A. , Gabriel Heloisa B. , Bezerra Maria J. R. , de Souza Wanderley , Vaughan Sue , Cunha-e-Silva Narcisa L. , Sunter Jack D.
Published: April 2020

Eukaryotic flagella are complex microtubule-based organelles that, in many organisms, contain extra-axonemal structures, such as the outer dense fibres of mammalian sperm and the paraflagellar rod (PFR) of trypanosomes. Flagellum assembly is a complex process occurring across three main compartments, the cytoplasm, the transition zone and the flagellum itself. The process begins with the translation of protein components followed by their sorting and trafficking into the flagellum, transport to the assembly site and incorporation. Flagella are formed from over 500 proteins and the principles governing assembly of the axonemal components are relatively clear. However, the coordination and location of assembly of extra-axonemal structures are less clear. We have discovered two cytoplasmic proteins in Trypanosoma brucei that are required for PFR formation, PFR assembly factors 1 and 2 (PFR-AF1 and PFR-AF2, respectively). Deletion of either PFR-AF1 or PFR-AF2 dramatically disrupted PFR formation and caused a reduction in the amount of major PFR proteins. The existence of cytoplasmic factors required for PFR formation aligns with the concept that processes facilitating axoneme assembly occur across multiple compartments, and this is likely a common theme for extra-axonemal structure assembly.
Automated 3D light-sheet screening with high spatiotemporal resolution reveals mitotic phenotypes
Authors: Eismann Björn , Krieger Teresa G. , Beneke Jürgen , Bulkescher Ruben , Adam Lukas , Erfle Holger , Herrmann Carl , Eils Roland , Conrad Christian
Published: April 2020

3D cell cultures enable the in vitro study of dynamic biological processes such as the cell cycle, but their use in high-throughput screens remains impractical with conventional fluorescent microscopy. Here, we present a screening workflow for the automated evaluation of mitotic phenotypes in 3D cell cultures by light-sheet microscopy. After sample preparation by a liquid handling robot, cell spheroids are imaged for 24 h in toto with a dual-view inverted selective plane illumination microscope (diSPIM) with a much improved signal-to-noise ratio, higher imaging speed, isotropic resolution and reduced light exposure compared to a spinning disc confocal microscope. A dedicated high-content image processing pipeline implements convolutional neural network-based phenotype classification. We illustrate the potential of our approach using siRNA knockdown and epigenetic modification of 28 mitotic target genes for assessing their phenotypic role in mitosis. By rendering light-sheet microscopy operational for high-throughput screening applications, this workflow enables target gene characterization or drug candidate evaluation in tissue-like 3D cell culture models.
CORRUPÇÃO, TRANSPARÊNCIA, BOA GOVERNAÇÃO E DEMOCRACIA: REGIME JURÍDICO-INTERNACIONAL E INTERNO
Authors: Kosta E. Kafft
Published: April 2020

O trabalho ora apresentado alicerça-se em três eixos. O primeiro dos quais (“Intodução ao Tema”) oferece aproximações conceptuais à fenomenologia da corrupção, transparência, boa governação e democracia, sondando – fixados os marcos teóricos preliminares - dinâmicas de articulação e desarticulação entre estes fenómenos. A desagregação do tema ensaiada no segundo eixo (“Desenvolvimento Analítico”) tem como móbil: captar, no essencial, o regime jurídico da corrupção na esfera internacional e no âmbito estadual (num estudo de caso incidente na Guiné-Bissau); pôr em relação os dois regimes jurídicos; proceder à acareação da política e corrupção, bem como da justiça e corrupção – enfrentando, nesta última hipótese - a angustiante questão de “quem guarda o guarda?”; mapear, em tópicos curtos, a ameaça corruptiva no mundo; ponderar a relevância da Lei, da Instituição e do Homem no embate contra a corrupção numa, aparentemente, incontornável distopia. Os resultados axiais sintetizados na “Conclusão” abraçam a interseccionalidade dos pilares “democracia”, “transparência” e “boa governação”, em inconciliável oposição ao anti-valor “corrupção” – a carecer de inteligente e resoluto combate na arena jurídico-normativa, judicial, policial, política e societal.
REFÚGIO NO CONE SUL: ANÁLISE COMPARADA SOBRE O DIREITO DOS REFUGIADOS NA ARGENTINA E BRASIL
Authors: Squeff Tatiana De A. F. R. Cardoso , Pinto Neto Romeu Vaz
Published: April 2020

O presente artigo visa analisar sob a perspectiva comparada as questões atinentes ao refúgio em dois países do cone sul, a saber, na Argentina e no Brasil, na tentativa de averiguar, sob um olhar normativo, qual ordenamento jurídico recepcionaria melhor os refugiados em seu território. Nesse sentido, três níveis de comparação são feitos: (1) quanto às regras aplicáveis nos ordenamentos brasileiro e argentino; (2) quanto aos direitos previstos nas normativas domésticas destes Estados, para além daquelas positivadas em nível internacional e acatadas pelos mesmos; e (3) quanto ao procedimento a ser cumprido para requerer-se refúgio nesses países. Para tanto, desde uma análise histórico-descritiva e de um recorte qualitativo, foi realizada uma pesquisa majoritariamente documental e, em menor escala, bibliográfica. Ao final, uma vez obtidos esses elementos, desde uma abordagem exploratória, notou-se que a lei argentina é mais benéfica aos refugiados quando comparada com a lei brasileira, de modo que, se essa informação fosse conhecida, poderia colaborar para um influxo maior de refugiados à Argentina.
Dysregulated epidermal growth factor and tumor growth factor-beta receptor signaling through GFAP-ACTA2 protein interaction in liver fibrosis
Authors: Hassan Sobia , Rubab Zil-e- , Shah Hussain , Shawana Summayya
Published: April 2020

Objective: Viral hepatitis is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Identification of biological pathways involved in hepatic fibrosis resulting from chronic hepatitis C are essential for better management of patients. Constructing the HCV-human protein interaction network through bioinformatics may enable us to discover diagnostic biological pathways. We investigated to identify dysregulated pathways and gene enrichment based on actin alpha 2 (ACTA2) and glial fibrillar acidic protein (GFAP) interaction network analysis in hepatic fibrosis.

Methods: This is an in-silico study conducted at Ziauddin University from March,2019 to September 2019. Enrichment and protein–protein interaction (PPI) network analysis of the identified proteins: GFAP and ACTA2 along with their mapped gene data sets was performed using FunRich version 3.1.3.

Results: Biological pathway grouping showed enrichment of proteins (85.7%) in signalling pathway by epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and Tumor growth factor (TGF)-beta Receptor followed by signaling by PDGF, FGFR and NGF (71.4%) (p < 0.001). SRC, PRKACA, PRKCA and PRKCD were enriched in both EGFR and TGF-beta Signalling pathways.

Conclusion: EGFR and TGF-beta signalling pathways were enriched in liver fibrosis. SRC, PRKACA, PRKCA and PRKCD were enriched and differentially expressed in both EGFR and TGF-beta signalling pathways

doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.36.4.1845

How to cite this:Hassan S, Zil-e-Rubab, Shah H, Shawana S. Dysregulated epidermal growth factor and tumor growth factor-beta receptor signaling through GFAP-ACTA2 protein interaction in liver fibrosis. Pak J Med Sci. 2020;36(4):782-787. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.36.4.1845

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Can antibiotic preference affect bleeding in percutaneous nephrolithotomy? Retrospective comparative study of two commonly used antibiotics
Authors: Akkoç Ali , Aydın Cemil , Uçar Murat , Topçuoğlu Murat
Published: April 2020

Objective: Bleeding is one of the most common and alarming complication of percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL). In this study, we aimed to compare the effects of ciprofloxacin and cefuroxime on the bleeding in PCNL procedures.

Methods: The study was a retrospective analysis of 97 patients who underwent PCNL between February 2011 and June 2017. We just included the patients who had single tract lower pole PCNL for more objective evaluation of bleeding in the study. The patients were divided into two groups as ciprofloxacin group (Group-I, n:40) and cefuroxime group (Group-II, n:56) according to the type of antibiotic used in the operation. Patient age, gender, body mass index, stone size, preoperative INR, preoperative and postoperative platelet counts and difference, operative time, need for blood transfusion, postoperative fever, hospital stay, postoperative hemoglobin and hematocrit drop were analyzed.

Results: There was no statistically significant difference in patients’ gender distribution, body mass index, preoperative INR, preoperative and postoperative platelet counts, preoperative and postoperative platelet difference, duration of operation, hospital stay, postoperative fever and need for postoperative blood transfusion between two antibiotic groups (p > 0.05). Mean patient age was 42,75±16,97 in Group-I and 35,54±14,71 in Group-II (p < 0.05). The mean stone size of Group-I and Group-II were 27,23±7,05 mm and 30,59±8,20, respectively (p < 0.05). The mean postoperative hemoglobin and hematocrit drop were significantly higher in Group-I than in Group-II. The mean hemoglobin drop was 1,73±0,95 for Group-I and 1,28±0,67 for Group-II (p < 0.05). The mean hematocrit drop was 5,17±2,76 for Group-I and 3,80±1,99 for Group-II (p < 0.05).

Conclusion: On the basis of the results of the initial study, the antibiotic preference in patients undergoing surgery may be one of the bleeding factors during and after PCNL.

doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.36.4.1977

How to cite this:Akkoc A, Aydin C, Ucar M, Topcuoglu M. Can antibiotic preference affect bleeding in percutaneous nephrolithotomy? Retrospective comparative study of two commonly used antibiotics. Pak J Med Sci. 2020;36(4):621-626.  doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.36.4.1977

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Flow volume curve: A diagnostic tool in extrathoracic airway obstruction
Authors: Al-Khlaiwi Thamir
Published: April 2020

The flow-volume loop (F/V-loop) is a presentation of inhalation and exhalation of air stream volume during inspiration and expiration. It demonstrates the obstructive, restrictive and mixed pattern lung pathology. Flow-volume loop has been extensively used for evaluating the severity, progression and resolution of various causes of upper-airway conditions.

doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.36.4.2283

How to cite this:Al-Khlaiwi T. Flow volume curve: A diagnostic tool in extrathoracic airway obstruction. Pak J Med Sci. 2020;36(4):846-847.  doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.36.4.2283

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Appointment and Promotion of Faculty in Medical and Dental Institutions: Understanding the Criterion for Assessment of Research Articles
Authors: Ghani Fazal
Published: April 2020

doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.36.4.2344

How to cite this:Ghani F. Appointment and Promotion of Faculty in Medical and Dental Institutions: Understanding the Criterion for Assessment of Research Articles. Pak J Med Sci. 2020;36(4):593-595. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.36.4.2344

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Assessment of plasma nitric oxide concentration and erythrocyte arginase activity in dairy cows with traumatic reticuloperitonitis
Authors: KIRBAS A. , BAYDAR E. , KANDEMIR F,M,
Published: April 2020

The aim of this study was to evaluate plasma nitric oxide (NO) concentrations, erythrocyte arginase (ARG) activity, plasma fibrinogen (Fb) and serum iron (Fe) levels and some biochemical parameters in dairy cows with traumatic reticuloperitonitis (TRP). The animal material of the study consisted of 14 Swiss Brown cows diagnosed with TRP (TRP group) between 4-8 years old brought to Firat University Animal Hospital Clinics and 14 healthy Swiss Brown cows (control group) aged 4-8 years obtained from dairy farms in different regions. Blood samples were taken from the vena jugularis of the animals. Concentrations of plasma NO, Fb, erythrocyte ARG activity, and some biochemical markers were determined after the serum and plasma of the receiving blood were separated. While the NO (318.9±5.8 vs. 270.3±9.6 μmol/L) concentrations of the TRP group were found to be significantly higher than the control group (P<0.001), the erythrocyte ARG activity (29.5±0.5 vs. 35.2±1.0 U/hb) was found to be higher in the control group (P<0.001). It was also observed that total protein (TP) (6.6±0.5 vs. 7.8±0.1 g/dL) (P<0.05) and Fb (914.3±68.6 vs. 265.4±19.8 mg/dL) (P<0.001) concentrations were higher in the TRP group, compared to the control group, while albumin (ALB) (1.9±0.2 vs. 3.1±0.1 g/dL) and Fe (47.00±5.29 vs.106.79±9.44 μg/dL) concentrations were significantly lower than the control group (P<0.001). In addition, a positive correlation was found between NO and Fb concentrations and between erythrocyte ARG activity and Fe concentrations. As a result, it was determined that NO concentrations were increased and erythrocyte ARG activity was not significant in dairy cows with TRP. In addition, increased plasma Fb concentration and decreased serum Fe concentration were determined in dairy cows with TRP. This study demonstrated that plasma NO, Fb and serum Fe concentrations in dairy cows with TRP may be useful markers for prognosis.
Del data-driven al data-feeling: análisis de sentimiento en tiempo real de mensajes en español sobre divulgación científica usando técnicas de aprendizaje automático
Authors: Sánchez-Holgado Patricia , Martín-Merino Acera Manuel , Blanco Herrero David
Published: April 2020

Los cambios producidos en los últimos años en cuanto a modelos de comunicación social han llevado a todos los sectores a adaptarse a los nuevos medios para alcanzar a su público. La comunicación de la ciencia no es una excepción. La manera en que se distribuyen contenidos sobre ciencia está cambiando debido a la presencia creciente de tecnologías, y la red social Twitter se ha convertido en un importante aliado debido a su gran volumen de usuarios. En el presente trabajo, se utilizan técnicas de aprendizaje automático para desarrollar un clasificador —que funciona en tiempo real— de sentimiento relacionados con mensajes publicados en Twitter. Para ello, se descargaron 200 000 tweets destinados a construir un corpus de entrenamiento limpio y procesado de 10 000 textos etiquetados, la mitad positivos y la mitad negativos, sobre ciencia en español. El corpus permite entrenar el modelo de aprendizaje automático y construir un prototipo OpScience, capaz de determinar el sentimiento de mensajes publicados en Twitter en tiempo real. Los resultados relacionados con la exactitud del clasificador corresponden al 72 %. Estos resultados pueden ayudar a darle mayor valor a temas de la comunicación científica en un espacio de debate social y predecir intereses o tendencias futuras, como se pudo comprobar en una prueba en enero de 2019.
Control Policies Approaching Hierarchical Greedy Ideal Performance in Heavy Traffic for Resource Sharing Networks
Authors: Budhiraja Amarjit , Johnson Dane
Published: April 2020

We consider resource sharing networks of the form introduced in work of Massoulié and Roberts as models for Internet flows. The goal is to study the open problem, formulated in Harrison et al. (2014) [Harrison JM, Mandayam C, Shah D, Yang Y (2014) Resource sharing networks: Overview and an open problem. Stochastic Systems 4(2):524–555.], of constructing simple form rate-allocation policies for broad families of resource sharing networks with associated costs converging to the hierarchical greedy ideal performance in the heavy traffic limit. We consider two types of cost criteria: an infinite horizon discounted cost and a long-time average cost per unit time. We introduce a sequence of rate-allocation control policies that are determined in terms of certain thresholds for the scaled queue-length processes and prove that, under conditions, both type of costs associated with these policies converge in the heavy traffic limit to the corresponding hierarchical greedy ideal (HGI) performance. The conditions needed for these results are satisfied by all the examples considered in the above cited paper of Harrison et al.
Nursing, COVID-19 and cardiovascular care
Authors: Eftekhari Helen
Published: April 2020

This month, Helen Eftekhari, BANCC Secretary, looks at the current COVID-19 crisis and its impact on cardiovascular care.
Catching their drift
Authors: Allingham Sue
Published: April 2020

A focus in the new goals on ‘knowing more words’ needs to be countered with an emphasis on sustained shared thinking and encouraging children to articulate their real life experiences.
‘We must spot the gaps’
Authors: Baker Charlotte
Published: April 2020

Promoting a culture of research is essential to continuously improving best practice on the ground and often the most exciting research takes place outside the parameters of academia.
On your bike!
Authors: Davies Sarah
Published: April 2020

Use Bike Week to re-think how you use wheeled vehicles in your setting and make the most of their potential to challenge children's balance, strength and control.
Pancharatnam–Berry phase algorithm to calculate the area of arbitrary polygons on the Poincaré sphere
Authors: Gutiérrez-Vega Julio C. , Rendon Gumaro
Published: April 2020

We introduce a very efficient noniterative algorithm to calculate the signed area of a spherical polygon with arbitrary shape on the Poincaré sphere. The method is based on the concept of the geometric Berry phase. It can handle diverse scenarios like convex and concave angles, multiply connected domains, overlapped vertices, sides and areas, self-intersecting polygons, holes, islands, cogeodesic vertices, random polygons, and vertices connected with long segments of great circles. A set of MATLAB routines of the algorithm is included. The main benefits of the algorithm are the ability to handle all manner of degenerate shapes, the shortness of the program code, and the running time.
Effect of an echo sequence to a trapped single-atom interferometer with photon momentum kicks
Authors: Wang Liyong , Liu Min , Yu Shi , Xu Peng , He Xiaodong , Wang Kunpeng , Wang Jin , Zhan Mingsheng
Published: April 2020

We investigate a single-atom interferometer (SAI) in an optical dipole trap (ODT) with photon momentum kicks. An echo sequence is used for the SAI. We find experimentally that interference visibilities of a counter-propagating Raman type SAI decay much faster than the co-propagating case. To understand the underlying mechanism, a wave-packet propagating simulation is developed for the ODT-guided SAI. We show that in state dependent dipole potentials, the coupling between external dynamics and internal states makes the atom evolve in different paths during the interfering process. The acquired momentum from counter-propagating Raman pulses forces the external motional wave packets of two paths be completely separated and the interferometer visibility decays quickly compared to that of the co-propagating Raman pulses process. Meanwhile, the echo interference visibility experiences revival or instantaneous collapse which depends on the π pulse adding time at approximate integer multiples or half integer multiples of the trap period.
Simultaneous measurement of acoustic pressure and temperature using a Fabry-Perot interferometric fiber-optic cantilever sensor
Authors: Chen Ke , Yang Beilei , Deng Hong , Guo Min , Zhang Bo , Yang Yang , Liu Shuai , Zhao Yaming , Peng Wei , Yu Qingxu
Published: April 2020

A Fabry-Perot (F-P) interferometric fiber-optic cantilever sensor is presented for simultaneous measurement of acoustic pressure and temperature, which are demodulated by a single high-speed spectrometer. The acoustic pressure wave pushes the cantilever to produce periodic deflection, while the temperature deforms the sensor and causes the F-P cavity length to change slowly. The absolute length of the F-P cavity of the fiber-optic cantilever sensor is calculated rapidly by using a spectral demodulation method. The acoustic pressure and temperature are obtained by high-pass filtering and averaging the continuously measured absolute cavity length value, respectively. The experimental results show that the acoustic pressure can be detected with an ultra-high sensitivity of 198.3 nm/Pa at 1 kHz. In addition, an increase in temperature reduces the resonant frequency of the acoustic response and increases the static F-P cavity length. The temperature coefficient of the resonance frequency shift and the temperature response of the sensor are -0.49 Hz/°C and 83 nm/°C, respectively. Furthermore, through temperature compensation, the measurement error of acoustic pressure reaches ± 3%. The proposed dual parameter measurement scheme greatly simplifies the system structure and reduces the system cost.
Averaging speckle patterns to improve the robustness of compressive multimode fiber imaging against fiber bend
Authors: Lan Mingying , Xiang Yangyang , Li Junhui , Gao Li , Liu Yuanhang , Wang Ziyu , Yu Song , Wu Guohua , Ma Jianxin
Published: April 2020

Fiber bend is a major challenge of multimode fiber (MMF) imaging. More robustness against fiber bend is demonstrated in compressive MMF imaging using mean speckle patterns captured at multiple potential bending configurations beforehand, rather than sticking to single patterns at initial configuration. Experiments demonstrate an overall quality improvement on recovered images than previous work, which is important for robust endoscopic application.
Manipulation and control of 3-D caustic beams over an arbitrary trajectory
Authors: Lasry Gabriel , Melamed Timor , Brick Yaniv
Published: April 2020

We present an algorithm for manipulating and controlling 3-D field patterns, with energy confined to the narrow vicinity of predefined 3-D trajectories in free-space, which are of arbitrary curvature and torsion. This is done by setting the aperture field’s phase to form smooth caustic surfaces that include the desired trajectory. The aperture amplitude distribution is constructed to manipulate both the on-axis intensity profile and the off-axis beam-width, and is updated iteratively. Once the aperture distribution is calculated, the radiation from a finite sampled aperture is computed numerically using a Fast Fourier Transform-based scheme. This allows for both verification of the design and examination of its sensitivity to parameters of realistic discrete implementation. The algorithm is demonstrated for the cases of an Airy beam of a planar trajectory, as well as for helical and conical-helical trajectory beams.
Silicon-organic hybrid (SOH) Mach-Zehnder modulators for 100 GBd PAM4 signaling with sub-1 dB phase-shifter loss
Authors: Kieninger Clemens , Füllner Christoph , Zwickel Heiner , Kutuvantavida Yasar , Kemal Juned N. , Eschenbaum Carsten , Elder Delwin L. , Dalton Larry R. , Freude Wolfgang , Randel Sebastian , Koos Christian
Published: April 2020

We report on compact and efficient silicon-organic hybrid (SOH) Mach-Zehnder modulators (MZM) with low phase-shifter insertion loss of 0.7 dB. The 280 µm-long phase shifters feature a

π

-voltage-length product of 0.41 Vmm and a loss-efficiency product as small as aUπL = 1.0 VdB. The device performance is demonstrated in a data transmission experiment, where we generate on-off-keying (OOK) and four-level pulse-amplitude modulation (PAM4) signals at symbol rates of 100 GBd, resulting in line rates of up to 200 Gbit/s. Bit error ratios are below the threshold for hard-decision forward error correction (HD-FEC) with 7% coding overhead, leading to net data rates of 187 Gbit/s. This is the highest PAM4 data rate ever achieved for a sub-1 mm silicon photonic MZM.
Compact and movable ozone differential absorption lidar system based on an all-solid-state, tuning-free laser source
Authors: Liu Pan , Zhang Tianshu , Sun Xinhui , Fan Guangqiang , Xiang Yan , Fu Yibin , Dong Yunsheng
Published: April 2020

The differential absorption lidar (DIAL) has been proposed as an effective method for detecting polluted gases in the atmosphere. In this paper, we present a compact and movable ozone differential absorption (O3-DIAL) based on an all-solid-state and tuning-free laser source. For the first time, solid-state stimulated Raman scattering technology is used in the emitting source of the lidar for wavelength conversion. A high repetition frequency Innoslab laser is used for pumping SrWO4 crystals to get yellow lasers which can achieve up to 70% light-to-light conversion efficiency. Our results demonstrate that using the SrWO4 crystal as the Raman frequency-shifting media of the lidar laser source for obtaining the vertical profiles of tropospheric ozone in the Planetary Boundary Layer (PBL) is a suitable choice. As a compact movable lidar system, the results demonstrate the reliability and stability.
Gap-matching algorithm with the impCEEMDAN in scanning white-light interference microscopy
Authors: Sang Mei , Du Xiangyu , Wang Shuang , Xu Tianhua , Dong Jie , Liu Tiegen
Published: April 2020

Coherence scanning interferometry (CSI) is a common optical measurement method for measuring three-dimensional surface profiles. However, batwings and ghost steps are common obstacles in CSI. In this paper, we proposed a gap-matching algorithm with the improved complete ensemble empirical mode decomposition with adaptive noise (impCEEMDAN) to solve the above two obstacles without any priori knowledge of the surface geometry from the tested sample. A micro-component with 500 nm and 1200 nm step heights and a 10 µm standard step of were used as test samples to evaluate the accuracy of the proposed method. Simulations and experimental results show that this approach can effectively suppress the batwings effect and eliminate the ghost steps. Experiments also confirm that the approach has good accuracy and repeatability.
Effect of nonlocality in spatially uniform anisotropic metamaterials
Authors: Janaszek Bartosz , Szczepański Paweł
Published: April 2020

In this study, we investigate an effect of spatial dispersion in anisotropic metamaterials of regular periodic geometry. We indicate conditions under which a local and nonlocal approach are convergent, as well as the areas of particularly strong nonlocality. Our analysis also reveals that new resonance transitions altering the topology of an iso-frequency surface arise in the presence of spatial dispersion. For the first time, we demonstrate that nonlocality can serve as a new mechanism for tailoring effective dispersion of an anisotropic metamaterial, which opens new venues for novel applications requiring strong direction discrimination of the incident radiation.
Generation and observation of ultrafast spectro-temporal dynamics of different pulsating solitons from a fiber laser
Authors: Chen Jie , Zhao Xin , Li Ting , Yang Jianjun , Liu Jiansheng , Zheng Zheng
Published: April 2020

As a universal phenomenon in nonlinear optical systems, pulsating behaviors of solitons have attracted increasingly more investigations. While pulsating solitons and their likely generation conditions had been widely theoretical studied, their detailed spectro-temporal dynamics had been hardly reported in experiments. Here, three types of pulsating solitons are experimentally generated and observed in a dispersion-managed, hybrid mode-locked fiber laser. By controllably generating such states through intracavity tuning and leveraging the dispersive Fourier transform technique that maps spectral information into the time domain, real-time ultrafast spectro-temporal evolutions of the pulsating behaviors are revealed. The numerical results further show the generation of the pulsating soliton could be caused by the intracavity spectral filtering effect, consistent with the experimental configurations. Our findings could provide further insights into the complex nonlinear dynamics in lasers and potential ways to the design such systems to deliver targeted soliton outputs for potential applications.
Accelerating Monte Carlo modeling of structured-light-based diffuse optical imaging via “photon sharing”
Authors: Yan Shijie , Yao Ruoyang , Intes Xavier , Fang Qianqian
Published: April 2020

The increasing use of spatially modulated imaging and single-pixel detection techniques demands computationally efficient methods for light transport modeling. Herein, we report an easy-to-implement yet significantly more efficient Monte Carlo (MC) method for simultaneously simulating spatially modulated illumination and detection patterns accurately in 3D complex domains. We have implemented this accelerated algorithm, named “photon sharing,” in our open-source MC simulators, reporting

13.6
×

and

5.5
×

speedups in mesh- and voxel-based MC benchmarks, respectively. In addition, the proposed algorithm is readily used to accelerate the solving of inverse problems in spatially modulated imaging systems by building Jacobians of all illumination-detection pattern pairs concurrently, resulting in a 12.4-fold speed improvement.
Enhanced sensitivity in graphene-based SPR biosensors using electrical bias
Authors: Gollapalli Ravi P.
Published: April 2020

A theoretical framework to increase the sensitivity of graphene-based surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensors by the application of electrical bias voltage across the sensor surface is presented. Graphene layers deposited on thin gold film (50 nm) form the sensor surface system where the surface plasmon is excited. The real and imaginary parts of the refractive index of this gold–graphene system can be controlled by tuning its chemical potential using electrical modulation. Numerical calculations show a promising method to enhance the sensitivity of graphene-based SPR biosensors.
Super terahertz phase shifter achieving high transmission and large modulation depth
Authors: Li Shuai , Wang Jing , Tian Hao , Li Li , Liu Jianlong , Wang Guan Chao , Gao Jiaojiao , Hu Chengpeng , Zhou Zhongxiang
Published: April 2020

We propose an industrial-grade liquid-crystal-based terahertz (THz)
2π-phase shifter with predictable ultra-high amplitude transmittance.
The phase retardation reaches 360.5° at 1.68 THz by analyzing the
birefringence of liquid crystal (LC), and the amplitude transmittance
in 0.3–1.5 THz is over 83%. More than 91.5% transmittance can be
reached by decreasing the scattering of the THz wave in the dynamic
deflection process of LC molecules, and that is close to the
transmittance limit of quartz-based devices. This millimeter-thick
phase shifter reaches full phase modulation and ultra-high
transmittance in a broad THz band, is easy to be integrated in a
quasi-optical system with a compact size and can be utilized as a wave
plate, even an element in a THz phased array.
Escaping the map: American science fiction and its cartographic imagination
Authors: Italiano Federico
Published: April 2020

The beginning of Space Age coincided with the global spread of a subterranean, post-apocalyptic imagination of the bunker. The coexistence of faith in technological progress and fear of a nuclear-caused self-annihilation created a tension between a claustrophilic and a claustrophobic relation to space that deeply shaped American spatial imagination. As I argue in this article, this spatial tension can be profitably illustrated by focusing on the cartographic imagination of science fiction produced in America between the 1950s and the 1980s. Drawing on David Seed and Fredric Jameson among others and focusing on both exemplary novels and films, this article shows to what extent Cold War American science fiction not only translates territorial anxieties into alternative universes or versions of the future, but spatially stages its inner conflict, the tension between a claustrophobic distress on the one hand and an unfulfilled claustrophilia on the other.
Dennis Oppenheim and the cartographic expansion of American sculpture
Authors: Ketcham Christopher
Published: April 2020

Cartography was a model for Dennis Oppenheim’s territorial conception of sculpture and the road map was a site on which he sought to expand sculpture’s boundaries. This article focuses on five works conceived in the late 1960s in which Oppenheim built upon the proprietary claim to space implicit in cartography. Whether plotted on a map or constructed alongside the highway, Oppenheim viewed these sculptures as instruments of spatial orientation and territorial possession, as well as mechanisms to reroute the infrastructures and informational networks of everyday life. In Oppenheim’s sculpture, the liberatory aesthetics of minimalism’s phenomenology is marked with a territorial violence that plays out in cartographic and real space. He sought a way to force the body to register within abstract systems and, in turn, to imprint those abstract systems on the body. The road map was both a model and a site for this exchange.