bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Quality performance for indirect Xa inhibitor monitoring in patients using international external quality data
Authors: Hollestelle Martine J. , van der Meer Felix J.M. , Meijer Piet
Published: May 2020

Objectives

Chromogenic anti-activated factor X (FXa) assays are currently the “gold standard” for monitoring indirect anticoagulants. However, anti-FXa has been shown to vary according to the choice of reagents. In the present study, the performance of anti-FXa measurement was evaluated in order to gain more insight into the clinical applications. Furthermore, the longitudinal coefficient of variation (CV) was studied to investigate whether there is improvement over time.

Methods

Laboratory tests results were evaluated for samples spiked with unfractionated heparin (UFH), low-molecular-weight-heparin (LMWH), fondaparinux and danaparoid sodium. External quality assessment (EQA) data from multiple years were used from more than 100 laboratories.

Results

Comparison of the results for all methods showed significant differences in measured values between the frequently used methods (ANOVA: p < 0.001). The largest differences were observed for LMWH and UFH measurements. These differences may be caused by differences in method composition, such as the addition of dextran sulphate. Substantial interlaboratory variation in anti-FXa monitoring was observed for all parameters, particularly at low concentrations. Our results showed that below 0.35 IU/mL, the CVs for UFH and LMWH increase dramatically and results below this limit should be used with caution.

Conclusions

Our study demonstrates that the choice of the anti-FXa method is particularly important for UFH and LMWH measurement. The variation in measurements may have an effect on clinical implications, such as therapeutic ranges. Furthermore, the longitudinal EQA data demonstrated a constant performance and, in at least 50% of the cases, improvement in the CV% of the anti-Xa results over time.
A novel mitochondrial m.14430A>G (MT-ND6, p.W82R) variant causes complex I deficiency and mitochondrial Leigh syndrome
Authors: Du Miaomiao , Wei Xiujuan , Xu Pu , Xie Anran , Zhou Xiyue , Yang Yanling , Li Dongxiao , Lyu Jianxin , Fang Hezhi
Published: May 2020

Objectives

Leigh syndrome (LS) is one of the most common mitochondrial diseases and has variable clinical symptoms. However, the genetic variant spectrum of this disease is incomplete.

Methods

Next-generation sequencing (NGS) was used to identify the m.14430A > G (p.W82R) variant in a patient with LS. The pathogenesis of this novel complex I (CI) variant was verified by determining the mitochondrial respiration, assembly of CI, ATP, MMP and lactate production, and cell growth rate in cybrids with and without this variant.

Results

A novel m.14430A > G (p.W82R) variant in the NADH dehydrogenase 6 (ND6) gene was identified in the patient; the mutant loads of m.14430A > G (p.W82R) in the patient were much higher than those in his mother. Although the transmitochondrial cybrid-based study showed that mitochondrial CI assembly remains unaffected in cells with the m.14430G variant, control cells had significantly higher endogenous and CI-dependent mitochondrial respiration than mutant cells. Accordingly, mutant cells had a lower ATP, MMP and higher extracellular lactate production than control cells. Notably, mutant cells had impaired growth in a galactose-containing medium when compared to wild-type cells.

Conclusions

A novel m.14430A > G (p.W82R) variant in the ND6 gene was identified from a patient suspected to have LS, and this variant impaired mitochondrial respiration by decreasing the activity of mitochondrial CI.
Dynamic profile and clinical implications of hematological parameters in hospitalized patients with coronavirus disease 2019
Authors: Ding Xiurong , Yu Yanhua , Lu Bichao , Huo Jianbo , Chen Ming , Kang Yanfang , Lou Jinli , Liu Zhizhong
Published: May 2020

Objectives

As people across the world suffer from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), further studies are needed to facilitate evaluating the severity and prognosis of COVID-19 patients. In the study, we aimed to dissect the dynamic profile and clinical implications of hematological findings in hospitalized patients with COVID-19.

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed the hematological findings of 72 patients with COVID-19 admitted from January 21 to February 17, 2020. The final date of follow-up was March 20, 2020. Dynamic profile of vital hematological parameters in severe and non-severe patients was presented at different time points (day 1, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15 after admission), and the correlation of hematological parameters with hospitalization time was indicated.

Results

Of 72 patients with COVID-19, lymphopenia and leukopenia occurred in 39 (54.2%) and 20 (27.8%) patients with COVID-19, respectively. Fifteen (20.8%) patients were defined as severe cases and 57 (79.2%) were non-severe cases. Compared to non-severe patients, leukocyte count, neutrophil count and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) were significantly higher, whereas lymphocyte count was declined in severe patients at each time point. A growing trend in platelet count was found in non-severe patients over the follow-up period. In addition, a positive correlation of NLR with hospitalization time was detected from day 5 after admission.

Conclusions

Dynamic changes in vital hematological parameters from severe and non-severe patients had been characterized in the course of hospitalization. During hospitalization, NLR was found to have certain relevance to the hospitalization days and a role in forecasting disease prognosis for patients with COVID-19.
Reporting of D-dimer data in COVID-19: some confusion and potential for misinformation
Authors: Favaloro Emmanuel J. , Thachil Jecko
Published: May 2020

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) represents a new pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome virus coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). A previous pooled analysis clearly identified elevated D-dimer levels as being associated with severity of COVID-19. Since then, several other studies have provided clearer support for this initial evidence. However, potentially under-recognized by those reporting on D-dimer is the considerable variation in reporting units for D-dimer, and thus also the potential for misreporting of D-dimer data based on poor or incomplete reporting. A PubMed search was used to identify recent papers reporting on D-dimers in COVID-19-based studies. We report that: (1) most publications did not identify either the manufacturer or D-dimer product used; (2) most did not identify whether D-dimer values were reported as D-dimer units (DDU) or fibrinogen equivalent units (FEU) (~2 ×  differences); (3) nearly half did not identify normal cut-off values; (4) some did not report numerical findings or units for D-dimer; (5) where reported, most identified units as either mg/L or μg/mL; (6) we identified at least four errors in reporting from 21 papers. It may not be possible to truly standardize D-dimer assays, but it should be feasible to harmonize D-dimer assays to a single unit of measurement.
Validation of a chemiluminescent assay for specific SARS-CoV-2 antibody
Authors: Tré-Hardy Marie , Wilmet Alain , Beukinga Ingrid , Dogné Jean-Michel , Douxfils Jonathan , Blairon Laurent
Published: May 2020

Objectives

Faced with the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the availability and quality of both therapeutic and diagnostic methods, the Belgian authorities have decided to launch a procedure for additional evaluation of the performance of serological tests offered for sale on the national territory. This has been proposed with a double aim: (1) an in-depth verification of the analytical and clinical performances presented by the manufacturer and (2) an economy of scale in terms of centralized validation for all the laboratories using the tests subject to evaluation.

Methods

A retrospective validation study was conducted including the serum of 125 patients in order to determine the analytical and clinical performances of the LIAISON®SARS-CoV-2 from DiaSorin®detecting anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG and to compare its clinical performance with the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test from Euroimmun®, one of the first commercially available tests allowing the detection of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgA and IgG.

Results

The performances of the LIAISON®SARS-CoV-2 satisfied all the acceptance criteria and provided “real world” analytical and clinical performances very close to the ones reported by the manufacturer in its insert kit. Comparison between the LIAISON®SARS-CoV-2 and the ELISA method did not reveal any difference between the two techniques in terms of sensitivities and specificities regarding the determination of the IgG.

Conclusions

This study reports the validation of the LIAISON®SARS-CoV-2 allowing to detect IgG antibodies specifically directed against SARS-CoV-2. The analytical and clinical performances are excellent, and the automation of the test offers important rates, ideal for absorbing an extension of testing.
Biosafety measures for preventing infection from COVID-19 in clinical laboratories: IFCC Taskforce Recommendations
Authors: Lippi Giuseppe , Adeli Khosrow , Ferrari Maurizio , Horvath Andrea R. , Koch David , Sethi Sunil , Wang Cheng-Bin
Published: May 2020

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is the third coronavirus outbreak that has emerged in the past 20 years, after severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). One important aspect, highlighted by many global health organizations, is that this novel coronavirus outbreak may be especially hazardous to healthcare personnel, including laboratory professionals. Therefore, the aim of this document, prepared by the COVID-19 taskforce of the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (IFCC), is to provide a set of recommendations, adapted from official documents of international and national health agencies, on biosafety measures for routine clinical chemistry laboratories that operate at biosafety levels 1 (BSL-1; work with agents posing minimal threat to laboratory workers) and 2 (BSL-2; work with agents associated with human disease which pose moderate hazard). We believe that the interim measures proposed in this document for best practice will help minimazing the risk of developing COVID-19 while working in clinical laboratories.
The free group onngenerators modulon+urandom relations asngoes to infinity
Authors: Liu Yuan , Wood Melanie Matchett
Published: May 2020

We show that, asngoes to infinity, the free group onngenerators, modulon+u{n+u}random relations, converges to a random group that we give explicitly. This random group is a non-abelian version of the random abelian groups that feature in the Cohen–Lenstra heuristics. For eachn, these random groups belong to the few relator model in the Gromov model of random groups.
Boundary properties of fractional objects: Flexibility of linear equations
and rigidity of minimal graphs
Authors: Dipierro Serena , Savin Ovidiu , Valdinoci Enrico
Published: May 2020

The main goal of this article is to understand the trace properties
of nonlocal minimal graphs in

ℝ
3

{\mathbb{R}^{3}}

, i.e. nonlocal minimal surfaces with a graphical structure.

We establish that at any boundary points at which
the trace from inside happens to coincide with
the exterior datum, also the tangent planes
of the traces necessarily coincide with those of the exterior datum.

This very rigid geometric constraint is in sharp contrast with the case
of the solutions of the linear equations driven by the fractional Laplacian,
since we also show that, in this case, the fractional normal
derivative can be prescribed arbitrarily, up to a small error.

We remark that, at a formal level,
the linearization of the trace of a nonlocal minimal graph
is given by the fractional normal derivative of a fractional Laplace problem,
therefore the two problems are formally related. Nevertheless, the nonlinear equations of fractional mean curvature type
present very specific properties which are strikingly different from
those of other problems of fractional type
which are apparently similar, but
diverse in structure, and the nonlinear
case given by the nonlocal minimal graphs
turns out to be significantly more rigid than its linear counterpart.
A case of prenatal diagnosis of single umbilical artery due to thrombosis diagnosed by the ultrasound finding of “wink-sign”
Authors: Goto Minako , Nakamura Masamitsu , Arakaki Tatsuya , Takita Hiroko , Matsuoka Ryu , Sekizawa Akihiko
Published: May 2020

Objectives

Umbilical artery thrombosis is a significant umbilical cord condition that is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. However, no consensus has been reached regarding how umbilical artery thrombosis should be diagnosed or managed because of its rarity and the difficulty associated with an antenatal diagnosis.

Case presentation

Here, we describe a case involving decreased fetal movement and non-reassuring fetal status (NRFS) in which acute umbilical artery thrombosis was prenatally diagnosed. Transabdominal ultrasound showed that the cross-section of the umbilical cord had one normal artery and a small deformed echogenic area. A characteristic ultrasound finding known as the “wink sign” contributed to the prenatal diagnosis.

Conclusions

Evaluation of the umbilical cord enabled the estimation and facilitated the subsequent antenatal management.
Is ‘Global Value Chain’ a Legal Concept?
Authors: Eller Klaas Hendrik
Published: May 2020

Today’s organization of production and services along global value chains (GVCs) uses contracts as central building blocks, yet is largely disconnected from contract law’s dominant epistemology and social imaginary. This article charts when, how and why GVCs have appeared on the radar of contract scholars and unravels the related methodological and disciplinary challenges. Rather than treating GVCs as a ‘legal concept’ in a strict sense that might command the application of particular rules, I propose to understand them as a ‘legal heuristic’: GVCs require contract law to revisit its constitutive role for matters of distribution, participation and equality under globalization. Towards this, GVCs need to be understood as organizational arrangement and simultaneously as a stage in the evolution of a global political economy. Beyond the classical confines of ‘contract governance’, this brings into the picture the wide array of formal and informal technologies of ‘contract governmentality’. Together with the material, technological or informational infrastructure, these are referred to as ‘code’ of GVCs, suggested here as focus of future contract law research on GVCs.
Towards a Genealogy and Typology of Governance Through Contract Beyond Privity
Authors: Salminen Jaakko
Published: May 2020

Contracts are used to extend governance on supply chain and platform actors in ways that could not be envisaged when the foundations of current conceptualizations of contractual privity were laid down in the 19th century. This results in a stark contradiction. Firms use contracts to extend governance on actors beyond privity when it suits their interests, for example for reasons of supply-chain-wide cost-management. At the same time, law offers few means of holding a firm liable for the inadequate governance of social, environmental, cultural, and economic sustainability in its supply chain or platform eco-system. I propose two tools for uncovering the multiple societal tensions that this disjuncture between law and contractual practice entails. The first is a genealogy of how contractual paradigms have contributed to the rise of new forms of production, such as centralized mass production in the 19th century, global value chains in the 20th century, and the platform economy in the 21st century. The second is a multidisciplinary typology of the contractual mechanisms used to extend governance beyond privity. My hope is that these two tools will help us better understand, research, teach, and balance the implications of contractual paradigms on the social, environmental, cultural, and economic sustainability of production.
Regulating Contracting in Global Value Chains. Institutional Alternatives and their Implications for Transnational Contract Law
Authors: Cafaggi Fabrizio , Iamiceli Paola
Published: May 2020

Global Value Chains (GVCs) are both instruments to organize production and vehicles to implement transnational standards, to improve sustainability and to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements. GVCs present a very high degree of interdependence among the enterprises. GVCs are not uniform universes. Part of the production process is organized through subsidiaries of the chain leader, partly with independent suppliers linked to the chain leader by long-term and stable contractual relationships, and partly with spot contracts. Hence, different modes of contracting are needed to ensure coordination and uniformity of principles along the chain. The differences within the chain suggest that a modular approach with adaptation to the various types of relationships is more effective than a uniform approach indifferently applied both to intrafirm (subsidiaries) and inter-firm (relationships with independent suppliers) contracting.

While acknowledging the relevance of the institutional and legal framework, including the applicable law, this article focuses on the contractual structure of chain governance. We propose a modular architecture that integrates general principles of global trade in supply chains with local regulations. This approach will better combine the supplier codes, the framework agreements between parties, and the individual contracts that regulate specific exchanges.
Sustainability Clauses in an unsustainable Contract Law?
Authors: Ulfbeck Vibe , Hansen Ole
Published: May 2020

Companies in global value chains respond to the general sustainability agenda in society by inserting sustainability clauses into their contracts and it has been argued that there is a need to develop general contract law (default contract law rules) in order for it to be able to respond to this sustainability agenda. This article firstly examines the basis for this view and three specific areas of interest in this regard. Secondly, it draws attention to the internal tensions that will be created in the chain by on the one hand pursuing sustainability goals, external to the interests of the contracting parties, and on the other hand a consequential need to protect the supplier as the weaker party in the chain.
European Union Litigation
Authors: Esposito Fabrizio , Hacker Philipp
Published: May 2020

This article provides an overview of cases decided by the Court of Justice of the European Union concerning contract law. The present issue covers the period between the beginning of July 2019 and the end of December 2019.
Carleson measure characterizations of the Campanato type space associated with Schrödinger operators on stratified Lie groups
Authors: Wang Yixin , Liu Yu , Sun Chuanhong , Li Pengtao
Published: May 2020

Let

ℒ
=

-

Δ
𝔾

+
V

{\mathcal{L}=-{\Delta}_{\mathbb{G}}+V}

be a Schrödinger operator on the stratified Lie group

𝔾

{\mathbb{G}}

, where

Δ
𝔾

{{\Delta}_{\mathbb{G}}}

is the sub-Laplacian and the nonnegative potential V belongs to the reverse Hölder class

B

q
0

{B_{q_{0}}}

with

q
0

>

𝒬
/
2

{q_{0}>\mathcal{Q}/2}

and

𝒬

{\mathcal{Q}}

is the homogeneous dimension of

𝔾

{\mathbb{G}}

.
In this article, by Campanato type spaces

Λ
ℒ
α

⁢

(
𝔾
)

{\Lambda^{\alpha}_{\mathcal{L}}(\mathbb{G})}

, we introduce Hardy type spaces associated with

ℒ

{\mathcal{L}}

denoted by

H
ℒ
p

⁢

(
𝔾
)

{H^{{p}}_{\vphantom{\varepsilon}{\mathcal{L}}}(\mathbb{G})}

and prove the atomic characterization of

H
ℒ
p

⁢

(
𝔾
)

{H^{{p}}_{\vphantom{\varepsilon}{\mathcal{L}}}(\mathbb{G})}

.
Further, we obtain the following duality relation:

Λ
ℒ

𝒬
⁢

(

1
/
p

-
1

)

⁢

(
𝔾
)

=

(

H
ℒ
p

⁢

(
𝔾
)

)

∗

,

𝒬
/

(

𝒬
+
δ

)

<
p
<
1

 

for

⁢
δ

=

min
⁡

{
1
,

2
-

𝒬
/

q
0

}

.

\Lambda_{\mathcal{L}}^{\mathcal{Q}(1/p-1)}(\mathbb{G})=(H^{{p}}_{\vphantom{%
\varepsilon}{\mathcal{L}}}(\mathbb{G}))^{\ast},\quad\mathcal{Q}/(\mathcal{Q}+%
\delta)<p<1\quad\text{for}\ \delta=\min\{1,2-\mathcal{Q}/q_{0}\}.

The above relation enables us to characterize

Λ
ℒ
α

⁢

(
𝔾
)

{\Lambda^{\alpha}_{\mathcal{L}}(\mathbb{G})}

via two families of Carleson measures generated by the heat semigroup and the Poisson semigroup, respectively.
Also, we obtain two classes of perturbation formulas associated with the semigroups related to

ℒ

{\mathcal{L}}

.
As applications, we obtain the boundedness of the Littlewood–Paley function and the Lusin area function on

Λ
ℒ
α

⁢

(
𝔾
)

{\Lambda^{\alpha}_{\mathcal{L}}(\mathbb{G})}

.
Boundedness of multi-parameter pseudo-differential operators on multi-parameter local Hardy spaces
Authors: Chen Jiao , Ding Wei , Lu Guozhen
Published: May 2020

After the celebrated work of L. Hörmander on the one-parameter pseudo-differential operators, the applications of pseudo-differential operators have played an important role in partial differential equations, geometric analysis, harmonic analysis, theory of several complex variables and other branches of modern analysis. For instance, they are used to construct parametrices and establish the regularity of solutions to PDEs such as the

∂
¯

{\overline{\partial}}

problem. The study of Fourier multipliers, pseudo-differential operators and Fourier integral operators has stimulated further such applications. It is well known that the one-parameter pseudo-differential operators are

L
p

⁢

(

ℝ
n

)

{L^{p}({\mathbb{R}^{n}})}

bounded for

1
<
p
<
∞

{1<p<\infty}

, but only bounded on local Hardy spaces

h
p

⁢

(

ℝ
n

)

{h^{p}({\mathbb{R}^{n}})}

introduced by Goldberg in [D. Goldberg,
A local version of real Hardy spaces,
Duke Math. J. 46 1979, 1, 27–42] for

0
<
p
≤
1

{0<p\leq 1}

.
Though much work has been done on the

L
p

⁢

(

ℝ

n
1

×

ℝ

n
2

)

{L^{p}(\mathbb{R}^{n_{1}}\times\mathbb{R}^{n_{2}})}

boundedness for

1
<
p
<
∞

{1<p<\infty}

and Hardy

H
p

⁢

(

ℝ

n
1

×

ℝ

n
2

)

{H^{p}(\mathbb{R}^{n_{1}}\times\mathbb{R}^{n_{2}})}

boundedness for

0
<
p
≤
1

{0<p\leq 1}

for multi-parameter Fourier multipliers and singular integral operators, not much has been done yet for the boundedness of multi-parameter pseudo-differential operators in the range of

0
<
p
≤
1

{0<p\leq 1}

. The main purpose of this paper is to establish the boundedness of multi-parameter pseudo-differential operators
on multi-parameter local Hardy spaces

h
p

⁢

(

ℝ

n
1

×

ℝ

n
2

)

{h^{p}(\mathbb{R}^{n_{1}}\times\mathbb{R}^{n_{2}})}

for

0
<
p
≤
1

{0<p\leq 1}

recently introduced by Ding, Lu and Zhu in [W. Ding, G. Lu and Y. Zhu,
Multi-parameter local Hardy spaces,
Nonlinear Anal. 184 2019, 352–380].
Component Resolved Equivalent Dose Estimation Using TL Glow Curves of Travertine Samples from Anatolia, Turkey
Authors: Şahiner Eren , Polymeris George S. , Öztürk M. Zeynel , Kadioğlu Y. Kağan , Meriç Niyazi
Published: May 2020

This study provides methodological aspects on the equivalent dose estimation for travertine samples, namely heated calcium carbonate, using the TL multiple-aliquot additive-dose approach. Large equivalent doses (EDs), within the range 750–1300 Gy, were calculated using the plateau method based on the NTL glow curve. Moreover, a component resolved TL glow-peak analysis was carried out, using the integrated intensity of the NTL glow peaks for the ED estimation after deconvolution based on the OTOR model. Three different TL peaks were used, termed P4, P5 and P6. The integrated intensity of TL glow peak P4 resulted in age overestimation (15–26%), compared to the age provided using the plateau method. This overestimation could be attributed to the fact that the temperature range of P4 does not coincide with the plateau region of each sample. Milder overestimation (8–14%) was noticed using the integrated intensity of TL glow peak P6, mostly due to the poor deconvolution resolution. Only the integrated intensity of TL glow peak P5 after deconvolution provides ED values compatible with those yielded using the plateau method, with good accuracy. The present study suggests not using the TL intensity (neither in terms of integrated intensity nor of peak height intensity) for ED estimation; instead it is highly recommended to use either the plateau method, or alternatively integrated intensity of TL peak P5 after deconvolution. Unfortunately, using the peak height of TL P5 is not recommended, due to overlapping with P6.
Modulatory effect of tropisetron in the liver of streptozotocin-induced diabetes in rats: biochemical and histological evidence
Authors: Naderi Roya , Pourheydar Bagher , Ghiasi Rafigheh , Shafiei Fardin
Published: May 2020

Objectives

There is an association between diabetes and liver disorders. Oxidative stress plays a crucial role in the pathology of hepatic abnormalities in diabetes. In this study, the effect of Tropisetron on the oxidative damage and histological alterations in the liver of type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM) were evaluated.

Methods

Thiry-five male Wistar rats were randomly divided into five experimental groups (n = 7): control (C), tropisetron (T), diabetes (D), diabetes + tropisetron (D + T) and diabetes + glibenclamide (D + G). A single injection of streptozotocin (STZ, 50 mg/kg; i.p) was used to induce diabetes. Tropisetron (3 mg/kg; i.p), as a 5-HT3 receptor antagonist and glibenclamide (1 mg/kg; i.p), as a positive control were given once daily for 2 weeks. Finally, animals were euthanized and liver samples were obtained for histopathological examination and biochemical measurements including malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) levels.

Results

There is a significant increase in MDA (p < 0.001) level and a significant decrease (p < 0.001) in SOD and GPx contents in diabetic animals. Tropisetron attenuated MDA levels (p < 0.001) and enhanced SOD (p < 0.05) and GPx (p < 0.01) activities accompanied by histopathological improvement in the diabetes liver. Similar results were achieved in the rats treated with the standard drug, namely: glibenclamide.

Conclusions

Our findings indicate that tropisetron mitigates liver damage in the diabetes rats in part by attenuation of oxidative stress.
Low hormone levels during an attack of systemic capillary leak syndrome normalizing after treatment
Authors: Davion Jean-Baptiste , Sanges Sébastien , Ghulam Amjad , Lambert Marc , Morell-Dubois Sandrine , Yelnik Cécile , Sobanski Vincent , Hachulla Eric , Launay David , Douillard Claire
Published: May 2020

We report herein the case of a patient with low blood levels of different hormones during a systemic capillary leak syndrome (Clarkson’s disease) attack.
Lipid homeostasis in mitochondria
Authors: Tamura Yasushi , Kawano Shin , Endo Toshiya
Published: May 2020

Mitochondria are surrounded by the two membranes, the outer and inner membranes, whose lipid compositions are optimized for proper functions and structural organizations of mitochondria. Although a part of mitochondrial lipids including their characteristic lipids, phosphatidylethanolamine and cardiolipin, are synthesized within mitochondria, their precursor lipids and other lipids are transported from other organelles, mainly the ER. Mitochondrially synthesized lipids are re-distributed within mitochondria and to other organelles, as well. Recent studies pointed to the important roles of inter-organelle contact sites in lipid trafficking between different organelle membranes. Identification of Ups/PRELI proteins as lipid transfer proteins shuttling between the mitochondrial outer and inner membranes established a part of the molecular and structural basis of the still elusive intra-mitochondrial lipid trafficking.
Sino-Russian cooperation as the basis for Greater Eurasia
Authors: Lukin Alexander
Published: May 2020

China and Russia are the main driving forces of Eurasian integration. Russia is pursuing its “pivot to Asia,” while China is branching out to the West through its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The interests of Russia and China meet in Eurasia and their friendly relations have led to several cooperation projects there. The most important are linkages between the Eurasian Economic Union and Silk Road Economic Belt Initiative and the plan to create a broader Eurasian Economic Partnership or Greater Eurasia. This article studies the reasons which led the two countries to intensify their cooperation in Eurasia and the current state and prospects of that cooperation.
Belt & Road initiative and Russia: From mistrust towards cooperation
Authors: Zemánek Ladislav
Published: May 2020

The aim of this article is to analyse relations between China and Russia over the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in the context of deepening Sino-Russian relations and the general rise of Eurasia. China and Russia are pivotal non-Western Eurasian powers in political, economic and military terms and the key motors of Eurasian multi-faceted integration. Both countries pursue their own interests and present their own projects and initiatives. Nevertheless, over the last few years, Sino-Russian cooperation has become strategic and is starting to pursue a new model of globalisation and international order. In the article, I refer to this approach as the “New Eurasian Paradigm” (NEP). I follow Axel Honneth’s Hegelian-based theory of threefold-level recognition Hrubec (2011, p. 267). which I extend and employ at the interstate level to interpret the behaviour of China and Russia and their integration projects in terms of a struggle for political recognition as full, equal members of the global community determining global processes. Both countries thus aim to reform the global order and boost the integration of Eurasia in order to achieve successful development. These common interests are the main reasons behind their mutual strategic collaboration.
The double wave of German and Jewish nationalism: Martin Buber’s intellectual conversion
Authors: Šajda Peter
Published: May 2020

The paper provides an analysis of Martin Buber’s intellectual conversion and shows how it facilitates a deeper understanding of the phenomenon of nationalism. Buber, who is today known mainly as a key representative of dialogical philosophy, was in the 1910s part of the double wave of German and Jewish nationalism which strongly affected the German-speaking Jewish public. Buber provided intellectual support for this wave of nationalism and interpreted World War I as a unique chance for the spiritual unification of European Jewry. Consequent to his conflict with Gustav Landauer Buber underwent a complex intellectual and existential transformation. He abandoned key concepts of his pre-dialogical thought and laid the foundations of his dialogical thought. He rejected his endorsement of Geman nationalism and substantially reevaluated his political positions. The analysis of Buber’s intellectual development sheds light on some important aspects of the dynamics of nationalism.
Frankreich und die Entfesselung des Ersten Weltkriegs. Zur Widerlegung von Robert C. Moore: „Die deutsche Legende vom ‚aufgezwungenen Verteidigungskrieg‘ 1914“
Authors: Schmidt Rainer F.
Published: May 2020

Die Debatte über die Gründe und die Verantwortung für den Ausbruch des Ersten Weltkrieges kommt auch nach mehr als hundert Jahren nicht zur Ruhe. Robert C. Moore hat meinen Beitrag über die französische Kriegsvorbereitungspolitik einer Fundamentalkritik unterzogen, die sich bei näherer Betrachtung sowohl methodisch wie inhaltlich als unhaltbar erweist. Der Kern von Moores Argumentation besteht in drei Punkten: Die Pariser Entscheidungsträger hatten keine Kenntnis vom deutschen Schlieffenplan; in der Amtszeit Raymond Poincarés als Außenminister, Ministerpräsident und Präsident zwischen 1912 und 1914 vollzog sich kein radikaler Kurswechsel in der französischen Balkan- und Russlandpolitik; und meine Ausführungen entwerfen ein Bild des Deutschen Reiches, das dessen alleiniger Verantwortung für die Kriegsauslösung nicht gerecht wird, die zum Krieg drängenden Aktionen der Berliner Reichsleitung in der „Julikrise“ verharmlost und Deutschland in eine „passive Opferrolle“ rückt. Die Widerlegung dieser Behauptungen erfolgt auf Basis von zeitgenössischem Quellenmaterial aus französischen und britischen Archiven sowie durch Dokumente aus dem umfangreichen, gedruckten internationalen Quellenbestand. Diese größtenteils neuen Belege gehen weit über das Fundament meiner bisherigen Darlegungen hinaus, bestätigen und erweitern meine Argumentation und erhärten meine Position in der Sache. Damit wird deutlich, dass Moores Thesen nicht nur inhaltlich gänzlich in die Irre gehen, sondern dass sein gesamter Zugriff auf die Vorgeschichte des Ersten Weltkriegs methodisch obsolet ist und nicht mehr dem aktuellen Stand der internationalen Forschung entspricht. Ein deckungsgleicher Befund ergibt sich bei der Dekuvrierung von Moores unwissenschaftlichem methodischen Vorgehen. In seiner Kritik an meiner Argumentation bedient er sich eines unzulässigen Verfahrens und gelangt somit zu willkürlichen Schlussfolgerungen.
Parental decision-making on human papillomavirus vaccination for daughters in Japan
Authors: Kobayashi Ken-ichiro , Chanyasanha Charnchudhi , Sujirarat Dusit
Published: May 2020

Background

In June 2013, the fear of adverse events compelled the government to withdraw its recommendation of the Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine. Since then, the rate of vaccination among Japanese girls has dropped dramatically.

Objective

This study aims to assess how the Japanese government's policy change against HPV vaccination influenced the degree to which parents in remote areas in Japan accepted the vaccine for their daughters, and to analyze related factors.

Methods

A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to parents with daughters attending secondary schools or high schools in two remote areas of the country.

Results

Out of 700 eligible parents, 246 (35%) responded. The percentage of parents in the “accept group” (those whose daughters had already been vaccinated or those who intended to have their daughters vaccinated) dropped from 54% before the government withdrew its HPV vaccine recommendation to only 4.5% after the withdrawal (1.5% of whom intended to vaccinate and 3% of whom had already had their daughters vaccinated). Vaccine acceptance was higher in parents who were employed as healthcare workers, had been educated through to the completion of high school, had good levels of knowledge about cervical cancer and the HPV vaccine, had low perceived barriers against the HPV vaccine, and received high levels of social support.

Conclusion

The acceptance of HPV vaccination among parents was low overall. Higher acceptance may be possible if the government restores its recommendation and healthcare providers disseminate appropriate information about the HPV vaccination and cervical cancer.
Socio-demographic differentials of cognitive development and nutrition among school children: evidence from the tribal areas of Jharkhand, India
Authors: Kujur Anit , Kumar Dewesh , Kumar Chandramani , Rana Rishabh Kumar , Kashyap Vivek
Published: May 2020

Background

This study attempts to assess the differentials of cognitive development and nutrition of school children in tribal areas of Jharkhand, India.

Methodology

A cross-sectional study was carried out in 16 schools of Jharkhand amongst 962 children during the period of November to December 2017. Anthropometry, hemoglobin and IQ tests were assessed along-with their socio-demographic characteristics using standard procedures after obtaining their guardian’s consent. Various tests of significance were used such as an independent sample t-test and Fisher’s exact test along with multinomial logistic regression for determination of predictors for low-normal to borderline IQ among school children.

Results

Stunting and thinness were noted in 38% and 35% children, respectively, whereas anemia and low IQ were observed in more than 4/5th of the total children assessed. Anemia was more common in children >12 years of age and IQ was lower in tribal ethnic children (p < 0.05) amongst socio-demographic characteristics. Among the predictors, only tribal ethnicity appeared to be associated with low IQ [odds ratio (OR)-1.85; 95% confidence interval (CI) – 1.25, 2.75].

Conclusion

Despite various nutrition-related programs being run in government schools, the malnutrition and hemoglobin status of the children presents a poor picture. Cognitive development of children particularly tribal children is unsatisfactory and needs to be worked upon by government agencies.
Enhancement of Cu(II) adsorption on activated carbons by non-thermal plasma modification in O2, N2 and O2/N2 atmospheres
Authors: Wu Long , Cai Yimeng , Tu Jiayong , Wang Shizhe , Kobayashi Noriyuki , Li Zhanyong
Published: May 2020

Activated carbon (AC) was modified by using non-thermal plasma in O2, N2 and O2/N2 atmospheres to increase its Cu(II) adsorption capacity and quantify the influences of the modifying atmospheres. SEM, BET, FT-IR and XPS were used to characterize the surface physical and chemical properties of AC. The results show that the AC modified by using plasma had significantly better Cu(II) adsorption performance than the raw AC. Among the O2, N2 and O2/N2 atmospheres, the AC with plasma modification in N2 showed best Cu(II) adsorption performance and the Cu(II) adsorption capacity was 369.5% higher than the raw AC. The AC modified in O2 atmosphere can form C—COOH groups, while the AC modified in N2 atmosphere can form C—NH2 groups. These two groups are both beneficial for Cu(II) adsorption, where the —NH2 groups are more effective for Cu(II) adsorption compared to —COOH groups. The chemisorption dominated the Cu(II) adsorption on the plasma modified AC and the adsorption performance was dependent on the surface functional groups properties of AC.
Synthesis of cymene in flow reactor over rare earth metal modified zeolite catalyst
Authors: Thakur Ruchika , Halder Gopinath , Barman Sanghamitra
Published: May 2020

In the present investigation transalkylation of cumene with toluene was carried over a series of zeolite containing rare earth metals such as lanthanum (La), cerium (Ce), and praseodymium (Pr). The modified zeolites were further characterized by EDS, XRD, BET and TPD. The surface area and acidities of the modified zeolite catalysts were reported. The transalkylation reactions were carried out varying different parameters such as metal loading (2–10 wt%), temperature (448–573 K), reactant ratio (1–15), and space-time (3.2–9.29 kg h/kmol). Praseodymium-modified X zeolite (PrX) showed the highest cumene conversion (60 wt%) and cymene selectivity (65.7 wt%) compared to the other zeolites. The maximum cumene conversion and cymene selectivity were obtained at 523 K, the toluene-to-cumene ratio of 9:1, and space-time of 9.29 kg h/kmol. Mass transfer resistances were studied in the said reaction conditions.
Determination of efficiency of a five-level multilevel topology utilizing a single bidirectional-blocking-bidirectional-conducting switch
Authors: Rasheed Rabiya , Saju K. K. , Bindu V.
Published: May 2020

Numerical simulation for calculation of losses of a new cascaded multilevel inverter (MLI) topology depending upon a bi-directional-blocking-bidirectional–conducting-switch is summarized in this paper. The numerical circuit simulation is performed in PSIM software by utilizing thermal models of power electronic switches. Calculation of conduction and switching losses of a 73 W inverter by relying on data sheet values has also been made. A comparison of efficiency of 73 W inverter using numerical simulation as well as analytical calculation has also been made. The new proposed inverter is a compound of both unidirectional as well as bidirectional power electronic switches challenging the attempt to reduce device count of the cascaded MLI.
Stochastic electrical energy management of industrial Virtual Power Plant considering time-based and incentive-based Demand Response programs option in contingency condition
Authors: Nosratabadi Seyyed Mostafa , Hooshmand Rahmat-Allah
Published: May 2020

Nowadays, the sustainable energy management of industrial environments is of great importance because of their heavy loads and behaviors. In this paper, the Virtual Power Plant (VPP) idea is commented as a collected generation to be an appropriate approach for these networks handling. Here, Technical Industrial VPP (TIVPP) is characterized as a dispatching unit contains demands and generations situated in an industrial network. A complete structure is proposed here for possible conditions for different VPPs cooperation in the power market. This structure carries out a day-ahead and intra-day generation planning by choosing the best Demand Response (DR) programs considering wind power and market prices as the uncertain parameters. A risk management study is likewise taken into account in the proposed stages for contingency conditions. So, some component changes, like, regular demand changes and single-line outage are prepared in the framework to authorize the suggested concept in the contingency situation. To determine the adequacy and productivity of the proposed strategy, the IEEE-RTS modified framework is examined to test the technique and to evaluate some reassuring perspectives too. By the proposed methodology, the delectability of DR projects is uncovered in industrial networks and the improvement level of load shedding and the lower cost will be achieved.
Evaluation of the effects of weak oscillating magnetic fields applied during freezing on systems of different complexity
Authors: Rodríguez Antonio Carlos , Pérez-Mateos Miriam , Careche Mercedes , Sánchez-Alonso Isabel , Escribano María Isabel , Sanz Pedro Dimas , Otero Laura
Published: May 2020

The effects of weak oscillating magnetic fields (OMFs ≤7 mT at 50 Hz) on freezing were studied in three systems of different complexity. To do so, ferric chloride solutions, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and minced hake muscle experimentally infected with Anisakis L3 were frozen with and without OMF application. OMFs did not affect freezing kinetics of either ferric chloride solutions or minced hake muscle. LDH activity, Anisakis mortality, and water-holding capacity of the hake muscle after thawing were not affected by OMF either. Further studies are needed to evaluate the effectiveness of stronger OMFs in a wider frequency range.
A modified feature fusion method for distinguishing seed strains using hyperspectral data
Authors: Liu Jingjing , Liu Simeng , Shi Tie , Wang Xiaonan , Chen Yizhou , Liu Fulong , Men Hong
Published: May 2020

Precise classification of seeds is important for agriculture. Due to the slight physical and chemical difference between different types of wheat and high correlation between bands of images, it is easy to fall into the local optimum when selecting the characteristic band of using the spectral average only. In this paper, in order to solve this problem, a new variable fusion strategy was proposed based on successive projection algorithm and the variable importance in projection algorithm to obtain a comprehensive and representative variable feature for higher classification accuracy, within spectral mean and spectral standard deviation, so the 25 feature bands obtained are classified by support vector machine, and the classification accuracy rate reached 83.3%. It indicates that the new fusion strategy can mine the effective features of hyperspectral data better to improve the accuracy of the model and it can provide a theoretical basis for the hyperspectral classification of tiny kernels.
Getting others to share goods in Polish and Norwegian: Material and moral anchors for request conventions
Authors: Urbanik Paweł
Published: May 2020

The paper examines the formation of requests for sharing goods in Polish and Norwegian by focusing on the use of imperatives and Can I-interrogatives in informal settings. The study first identifies the contextual, material and embodied configurations that contribute to the selection of constructions. Then, it explores the moral roots of the divergent use of formats in similar configurations across the two languages. Employing a multimodal interactional-linguistic approach to comparable conversational data from Polish and Norwegian reality show corpora, the study demonstrates that the selection of format relies on the object’s control status and the requester’s orientation to contingencies. Imperatives are selected when the object is controlled by the requestee and no contingencies are recognized. Can I-interrogatives mark orientation to contingencies and have two realization patterns: Depending on whether the object is controlled by the requestee or not, they are used as transfer or permission requests, respectively. The study also reveals cultural differences in the selection of imperatives and transfer interrogatives across the languages. The Polish participants most often treated sharing as the requestee’s social obligation, using imperatives in the environments in which their Norwegian counterparts chose transfer interrogatives and marked that the requestee’s readiness to share was not taken for granted.
Attenuation of oxidative stress and neurotoxicity involved in the antidepressant-like effect of the MK-801(dizocilpine) in Bacillus Calmette-Guerin-induced depression in mice
Authors: Rana Proteesh , Bagewadi Harish , Banerjee B.D. , Bhattacharya S.K. , Mediratta Pramod Kumari
Published: May 2020

Background

The emerging line of research suggests that neuro-inflammation and oxidative stress are linked to the development of depression-like behavior. The tryptophan metabolizing enzyme, indolamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO), serves as an important interface between chronic inflammation and depression. IDO is induced by pro-inflammatory cytokines and diverts tryptophan towards the kynurenine pathway, decreasing serotonin synthesis. Further, the metabolites of kynurenine pathway increase brain oxidative stress and also cause N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor-mediated exitotoxicity. The resulting oxidative damage and dysfunction in glutamatergic neurotransmission alters the network connectivity of the brain, which may be the further mechanism for emergence of depression-like symptoms.

Methods

A depression-like illness was induced in mice by injecting Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) suspended in isotonic saline at a dose of 107 CFU I.P. The mice were then divided into different groups and were administered MK-801 or normal saline for the next 21 days, after which a battery of behavior and biochemical tests were conducted to assess them.

Results

The BCG group had significantly reduced sucrose preference index and an increase in immobility time in forced swim test (FST) and Tail Suspension Test (TST) as compared to the saline group. There was also a significant increase in the brain MDA levels and a decline in the brain GSH levels. The hippocampal tissue from the BCG group had significantly more comet cells than the saline group. The NMDA receptor antagonist, MK-801, was able to reverse the BCG-induced depression-like behaviour. MK-801 also showed significant decrease in brain oxidative stress but failed to show significant protection against BCG-induced neurotoxicity observed in comet assay.

Conclusions

The NMDA receptor antagonist, MK-801, mitigated BCG-induced, depressive-like behavior in mice by improving the sucrose preference and decreasing the duration of immobility time in TST and FST. The overall improvement in depression-like behavior was accompanied by a reduction in brain oxidative stress and comet cells, thus suggesting the antioxidant and neuroprotective action of MK-801.