bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of CorvisST biomechanical parameters and anterior segment optical coherence tomography for diagnosing forme fruste keratoconus
Authors: Shiga Suguru , Kojima Takashi , Nishida Tomoya , Nakamura Tomoaki , Ichikawa Kazuo
Published: December 2020

Purpose

To investigate the utility of biomechanical property measurements using a Scheimpflug‐based tonometer (SBT) and/or anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS‐OCT) for diagnosing forme fruste keratoconus (FFK).

Methods

In this retrospective interventional case series, 23 eyes with FFK of 23 consecutive patients and 52 eyes of 52 healthy volunteers who visited our keratoconus outpatient clinic were enrolled. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine the causal relationship between FFK diagnosis and each parameter.

Results

When only SBT was used, the corneal stiffness parameter, stiffness parameter A1 (SP‐A1) and the corneal velocity at first applanation were selected as explanatory variables, and sensitivity, specificity and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) were 82.9%, 86.9% and 0.938, respectively. When only AS‐OCT parameters were used, the posterior corneal asymmetric component and central corneal thickness were selected, and the sensitivity, specificity and AUROC were 82.6%, 94.2% and 0.893, respectively. When parameters from both methods were used, SP‐A1 and the posterior corneal asymmetry component derived from Fourier analysis were selected as explanatory variables, and sensitivity, specificity and AUROC were 91.30%, 90.38% and 0.947, respectively. No significant differences in AUROC were observed between diagnoses using each device and the combination of both devices (AS‐OCT versus SBT, p = 0.314; integrated parameters versus AS‐OCT, p = 0.081; integrated parameters versus SBT, p = 0.234).

Conclusion

Optimization of SBT and AS‐OCT parameters allowed for the diagnosis of FFK at a clinically usable level. Forme fruste keratoconus (FFK) diagnosis integrating biomechanical properties with AS‐OCT showed no superiority compared to diagnosis based on a single device.
Distribution of ocular biometry in young Chinese eyes: The Anyang University Students Eye Study
Authors: Sun Yunyun , Wei Shifei , Li Shiming , Cao Kai , Hu Jianping , Yang Xiaohui , Lin Caixia , An Wenzai , Guo Jiyuan , Li He , Fu Jing , Wang Ningli
Published: December 2020

Purpose

To investigate the distribution of ocular biometric parameters and its association to refraction in university students in central China.

Methods

Ocular biometric parameters including axial length (AL), central corneal thickness (CCT), keratometry power (K), anterior chamber depth (AQD) and lens thickness (LT) were measured by an optical biometry in a cohort of university students. Corneal radius of curvature (CR), lens position (LP), lens power (PBennett), vitreous chamber depth (VCD) and AL to corneal radius ratio (AL/CR) were calculated. Cycloplegic refraction was measured using an autorefractor.

Results

A total of 7650 undergraduate students participated in this study, with a mean age of 20.0 ± 1.4 years. The following ocular biometric parameters were measured: AL (24.78 ± 1.21 mm), CCT (539.83 ± 33.03 μm), AQD (3.23 ± 0.25 mm), LT (3.47 ± 0.18 mm), CR (7.79 ± 0.27 mm), LP (4.97 ± 0.23 mm), VCD (17.55 ± 1.15 mm), PBennett (25.00 ± 1.07 dioptres) and AL/CR (3.18 ± 0.15). Male subjects were found to have longer AL, thicker CCT, flatter CR, thinner lens, deeper AQD and VCD than female ones. Myopic subjects were found to have longer AL, thinner CCT, steeper CR, thinner and posterior lens, deeper AQD and VCD, lower PBennett and larger AL/CR than emmetropes and hyperopes. Spherical equivalent (SE) showed a negative correlation with AL/CR (r = −0.914), AL (r = −0.755) and VCD (r = −0.751).

Conclusions

This study provided a range of reference values for the main ocular biometric parameters in young adults and reported their distributions based on gender and refractive status. Our study indicates that SE has a strong correlation with AL/CR ratio, AL and VCD.
Learning Part Generation and Assembly for Sketching Man‐Made Objects
Authors: Du Dong , Zhu Heming , Nie Yinyu , Han Xiaoguang , Cui Shuguang , Yu Yizhou , Liu Ligang
Published: December 2020

Modeling 3D objects on existing software usually requires a heavy amount of interactions, especially for users who lack basic knowledge of 3D geometry. Sketch‐based modeling is a solution to ease the modelling procedure and thus has been researched for decades. However, modelling a man‐made shape with complex structures remains challenging. Existing methods adopt advanced deep learning techniques to map holistic sketches to 3D shapes. They are still bottlenecked to deal with complicated topologies. In this paper, we decouple the task of sketch2shape into a part generation module and a part assembling module, where deep learning methods are leveraged for the implementation of both modules. By changing the focus from holistic shapes to individual parts, it eases the learning process of the shape generator and guarantees high‐quality outputs. With the learned automated part assembler, users only need a little manual tuning to obtain a desired layout. Extensive experiments and user studies demonstrate the usefulness of our proposed system.
Explaining the worldwide distributions of two highly mobile species: Cakile edentula and Cakile maritima
Authors: Shaw Elliot C. , Fowler Rachael , Ohadi Sara , Bayly Michael J. , Barrett Rosemary A. , Tibbits Josquin , Strand Allan , Willis Charles G. , Donohue Kathleen , Robeck Philipp , Cousens Roger D.
Published: December 2020

Aim

If we are able to determine the geographic origin of an invasion, as well as its known area of introduction, we can better appreciate the innate environmental tolerance of a species and the strength of selection for adaptation that colonizing populations have undergone. It also enables us to maximize the success of searches for effective biological control agents. We determined the number of successful colonization events that have occurred throughout the world for two Cakile species and compared the climates from which they originated, in which they established and then spread.

Location

Worldwide.

Taxon

Sea‐Rockets (Cakile spp.), Brassicaceae.

Methods

We used a high‐throughput sequencing and a genome skimming approach combined with Bayesian Inference phylogenetics to examine variation in entire chloroplast genomes and regions of nuclear ribosomal DNA within native and introduced areas. Databases were used to compare climates between native ranges and introduced regions for multiple clades within each species.

Results

At least seven clades have invaded different regions of the world. In most cases we were able to identify their source regions and climates. The environmental bottlenecks differed in intensity: while some clades colonized into climates that were similar to climates in their native range, other clades had a very broad innate environmental tolerance such that new invasions succeeded beyond the climate range of native populations. We found clear evidence of hybridization—specifically, chloroplast capture—between two species in Australia.

Conclusions

Results here show that these species are sometimes capable of colonizing in climates that are beyond the climate range of native populations. Whether successful colonization beyond native climate niches requires de novo adaptation, or whether it represents an innate broad fundamental niche requires further investigation. Cakile species provide an excellent opportunity to study replicated climate adaptation trajectories.
How Do Religion and Sexual Orientation Affect Support for U.S. Presidential Candidates? Evidence from a Survey Experiment
Authors: Beyerlein Kraig , Klocek Jason
Published: December 2020

A growing body of research has examined how candidates’ religionorsexual orientation affect voting likelihood among the U.S. public. No systematic study, however, has focused on thecombinedeffect of these traits. We draw on the intersectionality literature to develop and test hypotheses for this neglected, but important, combination. Results from an original survey experiment conducted in late June 2019 demonstrate that all respondents, as well as the Republican subgroup, tend to disapprove of a gay, religious candidate relative to other options (i.e., gay, nonreligious; straight, religious; and straight, nonreligious). Even Democrats expressed little support except when a straight, religious candidate was the alternative. Our findings underscore the need to study how overlapping—rather than discrete—traits influence political views and behaviors. They also raise important questions about the future of U.S. identity politics. Efforts to rally Republican and Democrat voters by mixing particular types of traits may not be a very effective strategy.
Type IV secretion systems: Advances in structure, function, and activation
Authors: Costa Tiago R. D. , Harb Laith , Khara Pratick , Zeng Lanying , Hu Bo , Christie Peter J.
Published: December 2020

Bacterial type IV secretion systems (T4SSs) are a functionally diverse translocation superfamily. They consist mainly of two large subfamilies: (i) conjugation systems that mediate interbacterial DNA transfer and (ii) effector translocators that deliver effector macromolecules into prokaryotic or eukaryotic cells. A few other T4SSs export DNA or proteins to the milieu, or import exogenous DNA. The T4SSs are defined by 6 or 12 conserved “core” subunits that respectively elaborate “minimized” systems in Gram‐positive or ‐negative bacteria. However, many “expanded” T4SSs are built from “core” subunits plus numerous others that are system‐specific, which presumptively broadens functional capabilities. Recently, there has been exciting progress in defining T4SS assembly pathways and architectures using a combination of fluorescence and cryoelectron microscopy. This review will highlight advances in our knowledge of structure–function relationships for model Gram‐negative bacterial T4SSs, including “minimized” systems resembling the Agrobacterium tumefaciens VirB/VirD4 T4SS and “expanded” systems represented by the Helicobacter pylori Cag, Legionella pneumophila Dot/Icm, and F plasmid‐encoded Tra T4SSs. Detailed studies of these model systems are generating new insights, some at atomic resolution, to long‐standing questions concerning mechanisms of substrate recruitment, T4SS channel architecture, conjugative pilus assembly, and machine adaptations contributing to T4SS functional versatility.
Comparison of pediatric brain‐dead donors to donation after circulatory death donors in the United States
Authors: Ghavam Ahmeneh , Thompson Nathan E. , Lee Jane
Published: December 2020

In pediatrics, an increasing need for transplantable organs exists. This study aimed to describe the epidemiology of pediatric deceased donors in the United States. This retrospective observational study utilized data from the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) from 2000 to 2015. Patients were stratified based on method of organ donation. Demographic variables and mechanism of death were then compared. A total of 14,481 deceased pediatric organ donors, donation after brain death (DBD) and donation after circulatory death (DCD), were included in the study, of which 8% were DCD donors. A significant difference (p<0.001) existed between the two donor groups with respect to ethnicity and mechanism of death. The annual trend of DCD and DBD donors showed an inverse relationship. During the 15‐year study period the number of DBD donors decreased from 985 to 785 per year while DCD donors increased from 15 to 146 per year. As well, overall organs transplanted per year decreased from 3,475 to 3,117 over the 15‐year study period. Significant differences exist between pediatric DBD donors and DCD donors, specifically with respect to ethnicity and mechanism of death. The number of pediatric DBD donors is decreasing while the number of pediatric DCD is slowly rising, making it increasingly important to be able to characterize these donors to better identify eligible DCD donors to optimize organ utilization.
T cell phenotype in paediatric heart transplant recipients
Authors: Mengrelis Konstantinos , Kucera Filip , Shahid Nadia , Watt Eleanor , Ross Susan , Lau Ching‐In , Adams Stuart , Gilmour Kimberly , Pils Dietmar , Crompton Tessa , Burch Michael , Davies E. Graham
Published: December 2020

Paediatric heart transplantation recipients suffer an increased incidence of infectious, autoimmune and allergic problems. The relative roles of thymus excision and immunosuppressive treatments in contributing to these sequelae are not clear. We compared the immunological phenotypes of 25 heart transplant recipients (Tx), 10 children who underwent thymus excision during non‐transplantation cardiac surgery (TE) and 25 age range–matched controls, in two age bands: 1‐9 and 10‐16 years. Significant differences from controls were seen mainly in the younger age band with Tx showing lower CD3 and CD4 cell counts whilst TE showed lower CD8 cell counts. Naïve T cell and recent thymic emigrant proportions and counts were significantly lower than controls in both groups in the lower age band. T cell recombination excision circle (TREC) levels were lower than controls in both groups in both age bands. There were no differences in regulatory T cells, but in those undergoing thymus excision in infancy, their proportions were higher in TE than Tx, a possible direct effect of immunosuppression. T cell receptor V beta spectratyping showed fewer peaks in both groups than in controls (predominantly in the older age band). Thymus excision in infancy was associated with lower CD8 cell counts and higher proportions of Tregs in TE compared to Tx. These data are consistent with thymus excision, particularly in infancy, being the most important influence on immunological phenotype after heart transplantation.
Impact of sarcopenia in infants with liver transplantation for biliary atresia
Authors: Takeda Masahiro , Sakamoto Seisuke , Uchida Hajime , Shimizu Seiichi , Yanagi Yusuke , Fukuda Akinari , Nosaka Shunsuke , Kasahara Mureo
Published: December 2020

While sarcopenia is an important predictor of LT outcomes in adults, few studies have examined the association of sarcopenia with LT outcomes in pediatric patients. We investigated the clinical influence of sarcopenia on the post‐transplant outcomes in infants with BA. To define sarcopenia in infants, the cross‐sectional area of the tPMA in 93 healthy control infants was measured by computed tomography. Sarcopenia was defined as a tPMA lower than two standard deviations below the mean of healthy control infants. Eighty‐nine infants with BA with a median age at LT of 7.6 months old were enrolled. The clinical characteristics and outcomes of LT were verified in the sarcopenia group (n = 21) and non‐sarcopenia group (n = 68). The sarcopenia group had a significantly longer operation time and greater blood loss during LT than the non‐sarcopenia group (P = .03 and 0.02). The incidence of portal vein stenosis and post‐operative bloodstream infection was also significantly higher in the sarcopenia group than in the non‐sarcopenia group (23.8% vs 4.4%, P = .02 and 28.6% vs 10.3%, P = .04, respectively). The total length of hospital stay did not differ significantly. The 1‐year patient and graft survival rates tended to be lower in the sarcopenia group than in the non‐sarcopenia group (90.5% vs 98.5%, P = .07 and 85.7% vs 97.1%, P = .05, respectively). Sarcopenia in infants with BA may be associated with the patient survival and serve as an effective marker for post‐operative outcomes of LT.
Non-vanishing of class group L-functions for number fields with a small regulator
Authors: Khayutin Ilya
Published: December 2020

Let $E/\mathbb {Q}$ be a number field of degree $n$. We show that if $\operatorname {Reg}(E)\ll _n |\!\operatorname{Disc}(E)|^{1/4}$ then the fraction of class group characters for which the Hecke $L$-function does not vanish at the central point is $\gg _{n,\varepsilon } |\!\operatorname{Disc}(E)|^{-1/4-\varepsilon }$. The proof is an interplay between almost equidistribution of Eisenstein periods over the toral packet in $\mathbf {PGL}_n(\mathbb {Z})\backslash \mathbf {PGL}_n(\mathbb {R})$ associated to the maximal order of $E$, and the escape of mass of the torus orbit associated to the trivial ideal class.
Branching laws for classical groups: the non-tempered case
Authors: Gan Wee Teck , Gross Benedict H. , Prasad Dipendra
Published: December 2020

This paper generalizes the Gan–Gross–Prasad (GGP) conjectures that were earlier formulated for tempered or more generally generic L-packets to Arthur packets, especially for the non-generic L-packets arising from Arthur parameters. The paper introduces the key notion of a relevant pair of Arthur parameters that governs the branching laws for ${{\rm GL}}_n$ and all classical groups over both local fields and global fields. It plays a role for all the branching problems studied in Gan et al. [Symplectic local root numbers, central critical L-values and restriction problems in the representation theory of classical groups. Sur les conjectures de Gross et Prasad. I, Astérisque 346 (2012), 1–109] including Bessel models and Fourier–Jacobi models.
Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment Versus Exercise Program in Runners With Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Zago Julio , Amatuzzi Fellipe , Rondinel Tatiana , Matheus João Paulo
Published: December 2020

Context: The effects of an exercise program (EP) for the treatment of patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) are well known. However, the effects of osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) are unclear. Objective: To evaluate the effects of OMT versus EP on knee pain, functionality, plantar pressure in middle foot (PPMF), posterior thigh flexibility (PTF), and range of motion of hip extension in runners with PFPS. Design: This is a randomized controlled trial. Setting: Human performance laboratory. Participants: A total of 82 runners with PFPS participated in this study. Interventions: The participants were randomized into 3 groups: OMT, EP, and control group. The OMT group received joint manipulation and myofascial release in the lumbar spine, hip, sacroiliac joint, knee, and ankle regions. The EP group performed specific exercises for lower limbs. The control group received no intervention. Main Outcome Measures: The main evaluations were pain through the visual analog scale, functionality through the Lysholm Knee Scoring Scale, dynamic knee valgus through the step-down test, PPMF through static baropodometry, PTF through the sit and reach test, and range of motion through fleximetry. The evaluations were performed before the interventions, after the 6 interventions, and at 30-day follow-up. Results: There was a significant pain decrease in the OMT and EP groups when compared with the control group. OMT group showed increased functionality, decreased PPMF, and increased PTF. The range of motion for hip extension increased only in the EP group. Conclusion: Both OMT and EP are effective in treating runners with PFPS.
Recruitment dynamics of non-native largemouth bass within the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta
Authors: Huntsman Brock M. , Feyrer Frederick , Young Matthew J. , Hobbs James A. , Acuña Shawn , Kirsch Joseph E. , Mahardja Brian , Teh Swee
Published: December 2020

Largemouth bass (LMB; Micropterus salmoides) recruitment is limited by a critical developmental period during early life stages, but this mechanism may be less important within non-native habitats. We conducted boat electrofishing surveys in four tidal lakes of California’s Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta (SSJD) from 2010 to 2011 to describe introduced LMB recruitment dynamics. We evaluated growth, proximate composition, and health indices of young-of-the-year (YOY) LMB among tidal lakes and developed an integrated count model to determine how factors known to affect LMB recruitment shape SSJD population structure. Our results show a mismatch among growth, nutrition, and YOY abundance, where the tidal lake with the most abundant and fastest-growing LMB had the poorest nutritional status. The warm winter water temperatures and lack of a hatching-cohort growth advantage suggests overwinter starvation plays a less important role in SSJD LMB recruitment than in many native LMB habitats. Collectively, our results suggest that habitat characteristics (submerged aquatic vegetation) and not overwinter mortality shapes SSJD LMB population structure, a mechanism consistent with contemporary hypotheses about the altered fish community structure of the SSJD.
The ethics of zero-day exploits---
Authors: Wicker Stephen B.
Published: December 2020

Are U.S. government employees behaving ethically when they stockpile software vulnerabilities?
Eye-based Recognition for User Identification on Mobile Devices
Authors: Shao Huiru , Li Jing , Zhang Jia , Yu Hui , Sun Jiande
Published: December 2020

User identification is becoming more and more important for Apps on mobile devices. However, the identity recognition based on eyes, e.g., iris recognition, is rarely used on mobile devices comparing with those based on face and fingerprint due to its extra cost in hardware and complicated operations during recognition. In this article, an eye-based recognition method is designed for identity recognition on mobile devices, which can be implemented just like face recognition. In the proposed method, the eye feature is composed of the static and dynamic features, where the periocular feature extracted by deep neural network from the eye image is used as the static feature, and the motion feature of saccadic velocity is selected as the dynamic feature. The eye images can be captured by the normal camera on mobile devices just like faces, and dynamic features can provide living information to increase the difficulty of forgery. The GazeCapture dataset is used to test the proposed method, because the eye images in this dataset are captured by mobile devices during daily use. The recognition accuracy of the proposed method on the GazeCapture dataset can reach 96.87% only based on the periocular feature and can be enhanced to 97.99% when it is fused with the saccadic feature. The experiment results show that the performance of the proposed method can be comparative to that of iris recognition methods. It demonstrates that the proposed method is a practical reference for the eye-based identity recognition, and the proposed method provides one more biometric choice for mobile devices.
Depth Image Denoising Using Nuclear Norm and Learning Graph Model
Authors: Yan Chenggang , Li Zhisheng , Zhang Yongbing , Liu Yutao , Ji Xiangyang , Zhang Yongdong
Published: December 2020

Depth image denoising is increasingly becoming the hot research topic nowadays, because it reflects the three-dimensional scene and can be applied in various fields of computer vision. But the depth images obtained from depth camera usually contain stains such as noise, which greatly impairs the performance of depth-related applications. In this article, considering that group-based image restoration methods are more effective in gathering the similarity among patches, a group-based nuclear norm and learning graph (GNNLG) model was proposed. For each patch, we find and group the most similar patches within a searching window. The intrinsic low-rank property of the grouped patches is exploited in our model. In addition, we studied the manifold learning method and devised an effective optimized learning strategy to obtain the graph Laplacian matrix, which reflects the topological structure of image, to further impose the smoothing priors to the denoised depth image. To achieve fast speed and high convergence, the alternating direction method of multipliers is proposed to solve our GNNLG. The experimental results show that the proposed method is superior to other current state-of-the-art denoising methods in both subjective and objective criterion.
Vertical Retargeting for Stereoscopic Images via Stereo Seam Carving
Authors: Zeng Kun , Hu Jiangchuan , Gong Yongyi , Wattanachote Kanoksak , Yu Runpeng , Luo Xiaonan
Published: December 2020

Vertical retargeting for stereoscopic images using seam manipulation-based approaches has remained an open challenge over the years. Even though horizontal retargeting had attracted a huge amount of interest, its seam coupling strategies were not capable to construct valid seam pairs for vertical retargeting. In this article, we propose two seam coupling strategies for vertical retargeting, namely, real mapping and virtual mapping. Our proposed mapping strategies were implemented to address the problems of multiple assignments and missing assignments, which are able to occur in the straightforward generalization from horizontal retargeting to vertical retargeting. On the basis of our proposed method, stereo seams were allowed to lay across occluded regions and occluding regions in stereo images. We maintained the geometric consistency by removing occluded pixels and corresponding occluding pixels in both stereo images. As a result, our method guarantees valid and geometrically consistent stereo seam pairs to be found in the horizontal direction. We generate vertically retargeted stereo images by removing or adding horizontal seam pairs iteratively. We conducted experiments on a number of indoor and outdoor scenes. Experimental results demonstrated that our method overcomes the limitations of vertical retargeting and is effective in preserving the geometric consistency.
Smart Scribbles for Image Matting
Authors: Yang Xin , Qiao Yu , Chen Shaozhe , He Shengfeng , Yin Baocai , Zhang Qiang , Wei Xiaopeng , Lau Rynson W. H.
Published: December 2020

Image matting is an ill-posed problem that usually requires additional user input, such as trimaps or scribbles. Drawing a fine trimap requires a large amount of user effort, while using scribbles can hardly obtain satisfactory alpha mattes for non-professional users. Some recent deep learning–based matting networks rely on large-scale composite datasets for training to improve performance, resulting in the occasional appearance of obvious artifacts when processing natural images. In this article, we explore the intrinsic relationship between user input and alpha mattes and strike a balance between user effort and the quality of alpha mattes. In particular, we propose an interactive framework, referred to as smart scribbles, to guide users to draw few scribbles on the input images to produce high-quality alpha mattes. It first infers the most informative regions of an image for drawing scribbles to indicate different categories (foreground, background, or unknown) and then spreads these scribbles (i.e., the category labels) to the rest of the image via our well-designed two-phase propagation. Both neighboring low-level affinities and high-level semantic features are considered during the propagation process. Our method can be optimized without large-scale matting datasets and exhibits more universality in real situations. Extensive experiments demonstrate that smart scribbles can produce more accurate alpha mattes with reduced additional input, compared to the state-of-the-art matting methods.
GuessUNeed
Authors: Zhao Zhongying , Yang Yonghao , Li Chao , Nie Liqiang
Published: December 2020

Massive Open Online Courses, offering millions of high-quality courses from prestigious universities and prominent experts, are picking up momentum in popularity. Although users enrolling on MOOCs have free access to abundant knowledge, they may easily get overwhelmed by information overload. Therefore, there is a need of recommending technology as a fundamental and well-accepted effective solution. However, differing from many other online recommendations, recommending courses to users on MOOCs faces two challenges. First, users’ knowledge background differs, so does their purpose of learning. Second, online courses are not independent but intertwined with prerequisite relations. Therefore, it is necessary to take these two challenges into account when designing a recommending method. To tackle this issue, in this article, we first propose two algorithms for extracting concept-level and course-level prerequisite relations. We then present the recommending method GuessUNeed based on neural attention network and course prerequisite relation embeddings. The experimental results on real-world datasets demonstrate the superiority of the proposed GuessUNeed method.
Antibiotic Prophylaxis for Cesarean Delivery: A Survey of Anesthesiologists
Authors: Reiff Emily S. , Habib Ashraf S. , Carvalho Brendan , Raghunathan Karthik
Published: December 2020

Background. The most common complication after cesarean delivery is surgical site infection. Antibiotic prophylaxis reduces infectious morbidity and current anesthetic quality metrics include preincision antibiotic prophylaxis. Recently, studies suggest reductions in infectious morbidity with the addition of azithromycin for unscheduled cesarean delivery. Larger doses of cefazolin are recommended for morbidly obese women, but evidence is conflicting. The aim of this study was to survey anesthesiologists to assess current practice for antibiotic prophylaxis for cesarean delivery. Methods. We invited a random sample of 10,000 current members of the American Society of Anesthesiologists to complete an online survey about their current practice of antibiotic prophylaxis for cesarean delivery in November 2017. The survey included questions similar to a previous survey on this topic in 2012. Results. The response rate was 12.2% (n = 1223). Most respondents had at least 15 years of experience (684, 55.9%), work at a nonteaching or community hospital (729, 59.6%), with >500 cesarean deliveries annually (619, 50.6%), and administer obstetric anesthesia several times a week (690, 56.4%). Routine preincision antibiotic prophylaxis was reported by 1162 (95.0%) of the 1223 respondents, a substantial improvement versus the 63.5% reported in the previous study in 2012. For intrapartum cesarean deliveries, 141 (11.5%) administer azithromycin for unscheduled cesarean deliveries. Those who use cefazolin, 509 (42.5%) administer 3 g for morbidly obese women. Conclusion. Adherence to preincision antibiotic prophylaxis for cesarean delivery is very high, a significant improvement within 5 years. A minority of anesthesiologists utilize azithromycin for intrapartum cesarean deliveries. The dose of cefazolin for morbidly obese women varies widely.
A Movie Recommendation System Based on Differential Privacy Protection
Authors: Li Min , Zeng Yingming , Guo Yue , Guo Yun
Published: December 2020

In the past decades, the ever-increasing popularity of the Internet has led to an explosive growth of information, which has consequently led to the emergence of recommendation systems. A series of cloud-based encryption measures have been adopted in the current recommendation systems to protect users’ privacy. However, there are still many other privacy attacks on the local devices. Therefore, this paper studies the encryption interference of applying a differential privacy protection scheme on the data in the user’s local devices under the assumption of an untrusted server. A dynamic privacy budget allocation method is proposed based on a localized differential privacy protection scheme while taking the specific application scene of movie recommendation into consideration. What is more, an improved user-based collaborative filtering algorithm, which adopts a matrix-based similarity calculation method instead of the traditional vector-based method when computing the user similarity, is proposed. Finally, it was proved by experimental results that the differential privacy-based movie recommendation system (DP-MRE) proposed in this paper could not only protect the privacy of users but also ensure the accuracy of recommendations.
Finite-Time Synchronization and Identification between Two Nonlinear Coupled Multiweighted Markovian Switching Delayed Networks with Uncertain Models and External Disturbances
Authors: Chen Xiaofei , Qiu Haifeng , Xu Chong , Sun Zhipeng
Published: December 2020

In this paper, two different nonlinear coupled Markovian switching delayed network models with multiple weights are established, and the effects of parameter and model uncertainties and external disturbances are fully considered. Firstly, based on the finite-time theory, several sufficient conditions for the finite-time synchronization of Markovian switching networks are obtained. Secondly, under the feedback controller with adaptive laws, when the synchronization of the networks is achieved in a finite time, the uncertain parameters of the networks can also be identified as true values. Finally, a representative numerical simulation is given to further illustrate the validity and practicability of the theoretical analysis and proof of this paper.
Growth, Yield-Related Traits and Yield of Lowland Maize (Zea mays L.) Varieties as Influenced by Inorganic NPS and N Fertilizer Rates at Babile, Eastern Ethiopia
Authors: Belay Mekuannet K.
Published: December 2020

Appropriate selection of varieties based on agroecologies and application of the right amount and type of fertilizers based on crop requirements are crucially indispensable to maximize maize production. A field experiment was conducted for two consecutive years under main cropping seasons to evaluate the effect of blended NPS and N fertilizer rates on growth, yield components, and yield of open-pollinated maize varieties at the moisture stress area, eastern Ethiopia. The experiment was comprised of two lowland maize varieties, three blended NPS (50, 100, and 150 kg), and three N levels (43.5, 87, and 130.5 kg) ha−1 using a factorial arrangement under a randomized complete block design with three replications. The results showed that the leaf area index, thousand kernel weight, and biomass and grain yields were significantly influenced by the interaction effect of variety × NPS and N in the first growing season. The number of ears per plant, ear length, ear diameter, number of kernels per ear, and biomass yield were significantly affected due to variety in the second growing season. The maximum growth parameters and yield components were recorded from Baate and 150 kg blended NPS. Grain yield and harvest index were statistically affected by interaction effects of variety × NPS and N in both years. Therefore, the highest grain yield (9.7 t·ha−1) was produced from Baate at a combined application of 150 kg NPS and 130.5 kg N·ha−1. The partial budget analysis also confirmed that the highest net benefit (2,033.4 USD) with the highest marginal rate of return (3106.9%) was obtained at Baate variety where plants were fertilized with 150 NPS and 130.5 kg N·ha−1. In conclusion, an integrated application of 150 NPS + 130.5 kg N·ha−1 to Baate variety is agronomically optimum and economically realistic fertilizer level to get a higher grain yield in the study area.
Late-Onset Metastatic Malignant Spindle Cell Tumour Presenting with Massive Intra-Abdominal Haemorrhage
Authors: Gnanaselvam Pamathy , Lahiru Malintha , Priatharshan Mariathas , Jayarajah Umesh , Kopinath Kathirvetpillai
Published: December 2020

Primary spindle cell sarcoma is a rare tumour. The presentation of acute intra-abdominal bleeding from a metastatic spindle cell tumour has not been previously reported. We report a case of a 40-year-old woman with a history of curative resection of the medial compartment of the right thigh for spindle cell sarcoma presenting with an acute onset abdominal pain and haemorrhagic shock after 5 uneventful years. Emergency exploratory laparotomy was conducted that revealed a retropancreatic mass which had ruptured along its inferior border. Histological evaluation revealed a metastatic deposit of the spindle cell sarcoma. In cases of spontaneous abdominal haemorrhage, it is important to consider the possibility of a ruptured metastatic deposit among the differentials especially in patients with a history of malignancies. Moreover, this is the first reported case of metastatic malignant spindle cell sarcoma presenting with intra-abdominal haemorrhage.
A Low-Profile Antenna Based on Single-Layer Metasurface for Ku-Band Applications
Authors: Abdulkarim Yadgar I. , Awl Halgurd N. , Muhammadsharif Fahmi F. , Karaaslan Muharrem , Mahmud Rashad H. , Hasan Sattar O. , Işık Ömer , Luo Heng , Huang Shengxiang
Published: December 2020

Improvement in the antenna gain is usually achieved at the expense of bandwidth and vice versa. This is where the realization of this enhancement can be made through compromising the antenna profile. In this work, we propose a new design of incorporating periodic metasurface array to enhance the bandwidth and gain while keeping the antenna to a low-profile scheme. The proposed antenna was simulated and fabricated in order to validate the results in the operating frequency range from 10 MHz to 43.5 GHz. Computer simulation technology (CST) microwave studio software was used to design and simulate the proposed antenna, while LPKF prototyping PCB machine was utilized to fabricate the antenna. Results showed that the antenna generated a gain and bandwidth of 14.2 dB and 2.13 GHz, respectively. Following the good agreement between the numerical and measurement results, it is believed that the proposed antenna can be potentially attractive for the application of satellite communications in Ku-band electromagnetic wave.
High-Temperature Oxidation Behavior of a Cu-Bearing 17Cr Ferritic Stainless Steel
Authors: Zhang Mengqi , Han Ying , Zu Guoqing , Sun Jiapeng , Zhu Weiwei , Chen Hua , Ran Xu
Published: December 2020

The isothermal oxidation behavior of 17Cr-0.85Si-0.5Nb-1.2Cu ferritic stainless steel in air was studied from 850°C to 1050°C by analyzing its weight gain after oxidation. The kinetic curves were plotted using the oxidation weight-gain data, and the structure, surface morphology, and element distribution of the oxide films were analyzed by XRD, SEM, and EDS. The results showed that the oxidation kinetics curves at 850°C and 950°C followed a parabolic law, and a continuous and dense oxide film composed of Cr2O3 and MnCr2O4, FeCr2O4, and Cu-Cr rich spinel was formed, which reveals that the steel displayed good oxidation resistance. When the temperature was increased to 1050°C, the oxidation kinetics curves gradually changed from parabolic to linear after 40 h exposure, which indicated that the oxidation resistance significantly worsened. A lower oxidation resistance was observed at 1050°C due to the formation of a large amount of Fe2O3 on the surface and the volatilization of the inner Cr2O3 layer.
Near-Miss Diagnoses of Solitary Bladder Tumors Highlight the Importance of Immunohistochemical Staining
Authors: Schloegel Van , Alam Syed M. , Dennis Katie , Holzbeierlein Jeffrey , Taylor III John A.
Published: December 2020

We report three cases of prostate adenocarcinoma appearing as bladder masses and misdiagnosed as muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC). Patients were referred for consideration for radical cystectomy after initial pathological diagnosis suggested poorly differentiated bladder cancer. Pathological review of tissue samples and subsequent immunohistochemical (IHC) staining confirmed advanced prostatic adenocarcinoma. Systemic therapy for prostate cancer was then initiated. These cases highlight the importance of patient history, physical exam, and IHC staining in consideration of a bladder mass, as these patients may have been subject to undue morbidity and surgical intervention without accurate pathologic diagnosis.
Identification of Patients with Pentosan Polysulfate Sodium-Associated Maculopathy through Screening of the Electronic Medical Record at an Academic Center
Authors: Higgins Kendall , Welch R. Joel , Bacorn Colin , Yiu Glenn , Rothschild Jennifer , Park Susanna S. , Moshiri Ala
Published: December 2020

Aims. This chart review of a quaternary academic medical center electronic medical record (EMR) aimed to identify patients at risk of development of maculopathy with exposure to pentosan polysulfate sodium (PPS). Methods. A review of electronic medical records of a quaternary medical center of patients with either documented exposure to PPS or diagnosis of interstitial cystitis (IC) from 2007 to 2019 was performed for retinal imaging and visual acuity; the study was conducted in August of 2019. Results. 216 charts were included for analysis, of which 96 had documented eye exams and 24 had retinal imaging done. We identified three patients with maculopathy in the context of long-term exposure to PPS via chart review, and one additional patient was identified by referral. The median PPS exposure duration was 11 years (range 7 to 19 years). Median logMAR BCVA OD 0.6 range was 0.0–1.9 (approximate Snellen equivalent 20/80 range (20/20–20/1600)) and OS 0.7 range was 0.1–1.9 (approximate Snellen equivalent 20/100 range (20/25–20/1600)). Ultrawidefield color fundus imaging and fundus autofluorescence revealed findings of pigmentary changes and patchy macular atrophy. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) demonstrated outer retinal thinning and increased choroidal transmission coincident with areas of atrophy seen on fundus imaging. Conclusions. Less than half of patients at risk for development of maculopathy due to exposure to PPS had received eye examinations, suggesting that those at risk are not receiving adequate screening. We found two patients with PPS maculopathy who had relatively preserved central vision, one patient with bitemporal vision loss, and one patient who developed vision loss in both eyes.
Effects of Organic Soil Amendments on Photosynthetic Traits of Black Pepper (Piper nigrum L.) in an Alluvial Soil
Authors: Sulok Kevin Muyang Tawie , Ahmed Osumanu Haruna , Khew Choy Yuen , Lai Pei Sing , Zehnder Jarroop Augustine Mercer , Wasli Mohd Effendi
Published: December 2020

Black pepper in Sarawak, Malaysia, is mainly cultivated using the conventional method involving heavy usage of chemical compound fertilizers. Organic soil amendments can reduce the required amounts of chemical fertilizers. So, the objectives of this study were to compare selected properties of soils as well as the physiological performances of mature vines following the application of fermented juices, biochar, and compost. There were five treatments; each replicated five times in a randomized complete block design. Treatments were as follows: (i) FNPK–NPK 15 : 15 : 15 compound fertilizer; (ii) FPJ (fermented plant juice); (iii) FPJBC (FPJ, biochar, and compost); (iv) FFJ (fermented fruit juice); and (v) FFJBC (FFJ, biochar, and compost). The results revealed that combined fermented juices, biochar, and compost positively improved soil bulk density, soil porosity, TOC, C/N ratio, available P, exchangeable K, and exchangeable Ca. The fermented juices incorporated with biochar and compost had favourable effects on the leaf chlorophyll concentration, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), and gas exchange rates such as photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, and transpiration. Pepper leaf chlorophyll, NDVI, and photosynthesis rate were negatively correlated with soil total N. These results suggested that introducing organic soil amendments such as fermented juices, biochar, and compost improved soil physiochemical properties and black pepper physiological traits.
Double-Stranded RNA Dependent Kinase R Regulates Antibacterial Immunity in Sepsis
Authors: Yang Yanliang , Xie Lingli , Zhong Yanjun , Zhong Xiaoli , Meng Ran , Xue Qianqian , Liang Fang , Zhao Kai , Tang Yiting
Published: December 2020

Double-stranded RNA dependent kinase R (PKR) is originally identified as an intracellular sensor of viral infection, but its role in bacterial infection remains largely unknown. Here we report that PKR was an important regulator of antibacterial immunity in sepsis. Genetic deletion of PKR or pharmacological inhibition of its kinase activity markedly increased bacterial loads, organ injury, and mortality in polymicrobial infection induced by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP). In contrast, PKR deficiency or inhibition did not affect bacterial loads, organ injury, or mortality when mice were systemically challenged with Escherichia coli, an abundant microbe in the gastrointestinal tract. PKR deficiency or inhibition markedly decreased the release of interleukin (IL)-1β after CLP. Defect in IL-1 signaling phenocopied PKR deficiency or inhibition in CLP-induced bacterial sepsis. Taken together, these findings identified a critical role of the PKR signaling pathway in antibacterial immunity.
Biodistribution of Intramuscularly-Transplanted Human Dental Pulp Stem Cells in Immunocompetent Healthy Rats through NIR Imaging
Authors: Shahani Pradnya , Kaushal Alka , Waghmare Girish , Datta Indrani
Published: December 2020

Owing to their neural crest origin, dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) are increasingly gaining prominence in treating nervous system disease conditions. However, as per the regulatory bodies [European-Medicines Agency (EMA), Indian-Council of Medical-Research (ICMR)], their biodistribution after transplantation needs to be evaluated for them to be considered for cell-based therapy for clinical trials. There are yet no studies describing the dynamic distribution of human origin DPSCs (hDPSCs) after transplantation in an immunocompetent, physiologically healthy animal model. Here, using near-infrared (NIR)-based whole animal and ex vivo tissue imaging, we assessed the biodistribution of intramuscularly transplanted hDPSCs in immunocompetent healthy Wistar rats. Further validation was done by quantifying gene expression of the human Alu gene in rat tissues. After 24 h of transplantation, an increase in signal intensity and area of signal was observed in the muscle of administration compared to 30 min and 6 h. At hour 24, neither increase in human Alu nor human Ki67 gene expression was seen in the rat muscle, thus confirming that the increase in signal area and intensity at hour 24 was not due to proliferation of the transplanted cells. Rather at hour 24, the NIR-signal intensity in bone marrow increased, suggesting that the NIR-tagged DPSCs have started entering into the blood vessels adjacent to the muscle, and the blood vessels being placed just beneath the subcutaneous layer might be responsible for an increase in signal intensity. Signal intensity increased distinctly in all organs at this timepoint, confirming that the cells entered the bloodstream by hour 24. Lung entrapment of DPSCs was not observed, since signal intensity was least in lungs as compared to the site of injection. Cells were retained for up to 28 days at the site of injection. These findings lay the basis to design the dosage for intramuscular delivery of hDPSCs for degenerative disease models and for future clinical trials.
Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy with oXiris® Membrane in Severe Ebstein-Barr Virus-Mediated Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis: A Case Report
Authors: Samman Karla N. , Baalbaki Hussein , Bouchard Josée , Albert Martin
Published: December 2020

Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), a life-threatening disease with uncontrolled immune activation and inflammatory reaction, often leads to a deadly cytokine storm. In severe Ebstein-Barr virus-triggered HLH receiving standard immunosuppression, continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) with oXiris® blood purification membrane resulted in a timely reduction of inflammatory markers and discontinuation of vasopressors. To our knowledge, this is the first report of successful use of the oXiris® membrane in HLH.