bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
In response to an argument against penile transplantation
Authors: Van der Merwe André
Published: February 2019

Moodley and Rennie’s paper arguing against penile transplantation stated out of context arguments and wrongly quoted statements. The cost of penile transplantation is much less than portrayed. The burden of cases is much less than is communicated. The men on our penis transplantation programme represent the poorest of the poor and are one of the most discriminated against groups of humans on earth. The false hope said to be created by Moodley is indeed not false hope at all as there is a real possibility that most patients on our waiting list may be transplanted. Moodley argues that government has, in the context of penile transplantation, no duty to cure those who lost a penis after ritual circumcision, but only an obligation to prevent this from happening. A ‘yuk’ reaction, similarly described in facial transplantation, may be present in colleagues arguing against penile transplantation.
Bringing narratives from physicians, patients and caregivers together: a scoping review of published research
Authors: Moniz Tracy , Costella John , Golafshani Maryam , Watling Chris , Lingard Lorelei
Published: February 2019

Patients and family caregivers tell different stories about their illness and care experiences than their physicians do. Better understanding of the relationships among these narratives could offer insight into intersections and disconnections in patient, caregiver and physician perceptions of illness and care. Such understanding could support enhanced patient-centred care in medical education and practice. Narrative writing is increasingly common among physicians, patients and caregivers and uniquely positioned to reveal matters of concern to these groups. We conducted a scoping review to identify literature in which first-person narratives from more than one group (physicians, patients and/or caregivers) were considered as ‘data’. A search strategy involving nine databases located 6337 citations. Two reviewers independently screened titles and abstracts. Full-text screening followed (n=82), along with handsearching of grey literature and bibliographies. Of these, 22 met inclusion criteria. Most pieces analysed narratives by patients and caregivers (n=13), followed by patients, caregivers and physicians (n=7) and patients and physicians (n=2). Only nine pieces compared perspectives among any of these groups. The rest combined narratives for analysis, largely patient and caregiver stories (n=12). Most of the 22 papers used descriptive content analysis to derive themes. Themes of humanity, identity, agency and communication intersect between groups but often manifest in unique ways. What is absent, however, is a more interpretive narrative analysis of structure, orientation and characterisation within these narratives, which may reveal even more than their content. This scoping review offers a cautionary tale of lost potential. Many narratives are gathered and analysed but usually only thematically and rarely comparatively. We call for researchers to explore the potential of comparative analysis and the power of narrative inquiry in the field. Comparative narrative analysis may enrich understanding of how differences between perspectives come to be and what they mean for the experience of illness and care.
Large-bore aspiration catheter selection does not influence reperfusion or outcome after manual aspiration thrombectomy
Authors: Tonetti Daniel A , Desai Shashvat M , Casillo Stephanie , Zussman Benjamin M , Brown Merritt W , Jadhav Ashutosh P , Jankowitz Brian Thomas , Jovin Tudor G , Gross Bradley A
Published: February 2019

Introduction

Various large-bore catheters can be employed for manual aspiration thrombectomy (MAT); clinical differences are rarely explored.

Methods

Prospectively collected demographic, angiographic, and clinical data for patients with acute internal carotid artery, middle cerebral artery M1, or basilar occlusions undergoing MAT over 23 months at a comprehensive stroke center were reviewed. We excluded patients in stentriever-based randomized trials/registries. The four most commonly utilized aspiration catheters were analyzed, and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to determine the effect of primary aspiration catheter choice on first-pass success, final reperfusion, and modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score at 90 days.

Results

Of 464 large vessel thrombectomies, 180 were performed via MAT on the first pass with one of four catheters. First-pass success was achieved in 42% of cases overall; this rate did not differ significantly between catheters: 50% for Sofia, 45% for CAT6, 40% for 0.072 inch Navien, and 36% for ACE68, p=0.67. Final Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction 2b or 3 reperfusion was achieved in 94% of cases overall: 97% of cases with CAT6, 95% with Sofia, 92% with Navien, and 92% with ACE68, p=0.70. Mean number of passes for index thrombus (2.0 overall), median procedure time (32 min overall), 90-day good outcome (mRS 0–2, mean 36%), and 90-day mortality (mean 27%) did not differ significantly between patients treated with different initial catheters.

Conclusion

Among large-bore aspiration catheters, catheter selection is not an independent predictor of first-pass success, final reperfusion, or clinical outcome.
Dexmedetomidine infusion as perioperative adjuvant in a dog undergoing craniotomy
Authors: Tayari Hamaseh , Bell Andrew
Published: February 2019

A 10‐year‐old castrated boxer with behavioural change due to a cerebellar meningioma was presented for intracranial surgery. As intracranial structures are virtually incompressible, any volume‐occupying lesions such as meningiomas might raise intracranial pressure compromising cerebral perfusion. To avoid severe neuronal damage, maintaining and optimising the delicate balance between intracranial pressure and perfusion is mandatory. Dexmedetomidine, an α2‐adrenoreceptor agonist, is gaining consensus in human neuroanaesthesia as an adjuvant in patients undergoing craniotomy. Unlike short‐acting opioids, dexmedetomidine does not cause respiratory depression while having analgesic and neuroprotective properties; it provides a significant reduction of perioperative volatile anaesthetic and opioid requirements ensuring haemodynamic stability and smooth recoveries. Due to this dog’s aggressive behaviour and a shortage of remifentanil, dexmedetomidine infusion was chosen as part of the perioperative management of this patient.
The impact of high-intensity interval training and moderate-intensity continuous training regimes on cardiodynamic parameters in isolated heart of normotensive and hypertensive rats
Authors: Jakovljevic Biljana , Nikolic Turnic Tamara , Jeremic Nevena , Savic Maja , Jeremic Jovana , Srejovic Ivan , Belic Branislav , Ponorac Nenad , Jakovljevic Vladimir , Zivkovic Vladimir
Published: February 2019

This study aimed to assess the impact of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) vs. moderate-intensity continuous training (MIT) on cardiodynamic parameters in isolated rat heart. Wistar albino rats were randomly assigned to groups according to running protocol: sedentary control, MIT, and HIIT; spontaneous hypertensive rat (SHR) sedentary control, SHR + MIT, and SHR + HIIT. HIIT groups performed the running in 5 sprints × 45–55 m/min for 30–90 s, with 2 min of rest after each sprint, while MIT groups performed the running of 10–15 m/min for 1 h with 3 min of rest every 100 m; both protocols were implemented 5 days/week over 4 weeks with 1 week of adaptation before protocols started. Isolated rat hearts were perfused according to Langendorff technique at gradually increased coronary perfusion pressures (40–120 cmH2O). Using a sensor placed in the left ventricle, we registered maximum and minimum rate of pressure development in the left ventricle, systolic and diastolic left ventricular pressure, and heart rate. Coronary flow was measured flowmetrically. MIT was connected with cardiac depression in normotensive conditions, while HIIT leads to cardiac depression in hypertensive rats. HIIT induced more significant increase of contractile and relaxation parameters of the isolated rat heart, especially in hypertensive animals.
A Fast and Efficient Add-Compare-Select Structure Using Hybrid Logic Asynchronous Pipeline Design
Authors: Jhamb Mansi , Khera Vinod Kumar , Pant Piyush , Pudi Hinduja
Published: February 2019

Convolutional or trellis codes are today widely used in digital communication networks and multimedia broadcasting systems. TheViterbi decoder is commonly used for decoding trellis codes due to its excellent forward error correction performance. High-performance and low-power Viterbi decoders are in great demand in the communication industry. Despite several significant developments in decoder design and architecture in the past decade, the issue of latency and power dissipation still remains a challenge requiring further investigation and innovation. This paper proposes arobust deep-pipelined Add-Compare-Select (ACS) Unit, based on a hybrid logic asynchronous pipeline design method. The ACS operation forms the primary deadlock on the performance of the decoder hardware. With the proposed structure, the ACS units and hence Viterbi Decoder operate at a 323.3% higher throughput with 76.4% reduced latency and 86.6% reduced power consumption, when compared with QDI based realization of the ACS unit.
Efficient Use of On-Chip Memories and Scheduling Techniques to Eliminate the Reconfiguration Overheads in Reconfigurable Systems
Authors: Hariharan I. , Kannan M.
Published: February 2019

Modern embedded systems are packed with dedicated Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) to accelerate the overall system performance. However, the FPGAs are susceptible to reconfiguration overheads. The reconfiguration overheads are mainly because of the configuration data being fetched from the off-chip memory at run-time and also due to the improper management of tasks during execution. To reduce these overheads, our proposed methodology mainly focuses on the prefetch heuristic, reuse technique, and the available memory hierarchy to provide an efficient mapping of tasks over the available memories. Our paper includes a new replacement policy which reduces the overall time and energy reconfiguration overheads for static systems in their subsequent iterations. It is evident from the result that most of the reconfiguration overheads are eliminated when the applications are managed and executed based on our methodology.
A Lion’s Pride Inspired Algorithm for VLSI Floorplanning
Authors: Laudis Lalin L. , Ramadass N.
Published: February 2019

The complexity of any integrated circuit pushes the researchers to optimize the various parameters in the design process. Usually, the Nondeterministic Polynomial problems in the design process of Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI) are considered as a Single Objective Optimization Problem (SOOP). However, due to the increasing demand for the multi-criterion optimization, researchers delve up on Multi-Objective Optimization methodologies to solve a problem with multiple objectives. Moreover, it is evident from the literature that biologically inspired algorithm works very well in optimizing a Multi-Objective Optimization Problem (MOOP). This paper proposes a new Lion’s pride inspired algorithm to solve any MOOP. The methodologies mimic the traits of a Lion which always strives to become the Pride Lion. The Algorithm was tested with VLSI floorplanning problem wherein the area and dead space are the objectives. The algorithm was also tested with several standard test problems. The tabulated results justify the ruggedness of the proposed algorithm in solving any MOOP.
A 21-Level Bipolar Single-Phase Modular Multilevel Inverter
Authors: Sabyasachi Sidharth , Borghate Vijay B. , Maddugari Santosh Kumar
Published: February 2019

This paper presents a module for single-phase multilevel inverter topology. The proposed module generates maximum 21-level bipolar output voltage with asymmetric sources without H-bridge. This results in reduction in filter cost and size. The module can be cascaded for high voltage applications. The same arrangement of voltage source magnitudes in first module is maintained in the remaining cascaded modules. The proposed topology is suitable for the applications like electric vehicle and emergency services like residences and hospitality industries, etc. A set of comparisons between the proposed and recently published topologies are provided to differentiate between them. The topology is simulated and verified in MATLAB/SIMULINK. A hardware prototype is developed in the laboratory for experimental confirmation with various conditions.
Deep Convolutional Neural Network with Optical Flow for Facial Micro-Expression Recognition
Authors: Li Qiuyu , Yu Jun , Kurihara Toru , Zhang Haiyan , Zhan Shu
Published: February 2019

Micro-expression is a kind of brief facial movements which could not be controlled by the nervous system. Micro-expression indicates that a person is hiding his true emotion consciously. Micro-expression recognition has various potential applications in public security and clinical medicine. Researches are focused on the automatic micro-expression recognition, because it is hard to recognize the micro-expression by people themselves. This research proposed a novel algorithm for automatic micro-expression recognition which combined a deep multi-task convolutional network for detecting the facial landmarks and a fused deep convolutional network for estimating the optical flow features of the micro-expression. First, the deep multi-task convolutional network is employed to detect facial landmarks with the manifold-related tasks for dividing the facial region. Furthermore, a fused convolutional network is applied for extracting the optical flow features from the facial regions which contain the muscle changes when the micro-expression appears. Because each video clip has many frames, the original optical flow features of the whole video clip will have high number of dimensions and redundant information. This research revises the optical flow features for reducing the redundant dimensions. Finally, a revised optical flow feature is applied for refining the information of the features and a support vector machine classifier is adopted for recognizing the micro-expression. The main contribution of work is combining the deep multi-task learning neural network and the fusion optical flow network for micro-expression recognition and revising the optical flow features for reducing the redundant dimensions. The results of experiments on two spontaneous micro-expression databases prove that our method achieved competitive performance in micro-expression recognition.
Non-relativistic limit analysis of the Chandrasekhar–Thorne relativistic Euler equations with physical vacuum
Authors: Mai La-Su , Li Hai-Liang , Marcati Pierangelo
Published: February 2019

Our results provide a first step to make the formal analysis rigorous in terms of [Formula: see text] proposed by Chandrasekhar [S. Chandrasekhar, The post-Newtonian equations of hydrodynamics in general relativity, Astrophys. J. 142 (1965) 1488–1512; S. Chandrasekhar, post-Newtonian equations of hydrodynamics and the stability of gaseous masses in general relativity, Phys. Rev. Lett. 14 (1965) 241–244], motivated by the methods of Einstein, Infeld and Hoffmann, see Thorne [K. S. Thorne, The general-relativistic theory of stellar structure and dynamics, in Proc. Int. School of Physics “Enrico Fermi,” Course XXXV, at Varenna, Italy, July 12–24, 1965, ed. L. Gratton (Academic Press, 1966), pp. 166–280]. We consider the non-relativistic limit for the local smooth solutions to the free boundary value problem of the cylindrically symmetric relativistic Euler equations when the mass energy density includes the vacuum states at the free boundary. For large enough (rescaled) speed of light [Formula: see text] and suitably small time [Formula: see text] we obtain uniform, with respect to [Formula: see text] “a priori” estimates for the local smooth solutions. Moreover, the smooth solutions of the cylindrically symmetric relativistic Euler equations converge to the solutions of the classical compressible Euler equation at the rate of order [Formula: see text].
A connection between linearized Gauss–Bonnet gravity and classical electrodynamics
Authors: Baker Mark Robert , Kuzmin Sergei
Published: February 2019

A connection between linearized Gauss–Bonnet gravity and classical electrodynamics is found by developing a procedure which can be used to derive completely gauge-invariant models. The procedure involves building the most general Lagrangian for a particular order of derivatives ([Formula: see text]) and a rank of tensor potential ([Formula: see text]), then solving such that the model is completely gauge-invariant (the Lagrangian density, equation of motion and energy–momentum tensor are all gauge-invariant). In the case of [Formula: see text] order of derivatives and [Formula: see text] rank of tensor potential, electrodynamics is uniquely derived from the procedure. In the case of [Formula: see text] order of derivatives and [Formula: see text] rank of symmetric tensor potential, linearized Gauss–Bonnet gravity is uniquely derived from the procedure. The natural outcome of the models for classical electrodynamics and linearized Gauss–Bonnet gravity from a common set of rules provides an interesting connection between two well-explored physical models.
Statistical Modeling of Wire and Arc Additive Manufactured Stainless Steel 304: Microstructure and Fatigue
Authors: Gordon Jerard V. , Gary Harlow D.
Published: February 2019

Single-bead walls were fabricated using stainless steel (SS) 304 wire and arc additive manufacturing (WAAM). The primary objective is to statistically characterize critical material properties of the build to make comparisons with wrought material. The quality of the build is demonstrated by the size distribution and spatial location of porosity in the build. Deviations in the thermal history as a function of the location in the build, especially as the vertical height of the build increases, cause differences in material properties which are statistically investigated. The material behavior and statistical variances along the horizontal direction of the build compared to perpendicular differences in location is significant. Optical microscopy and electron back-scatter diffraction are used to estimate statistically key geometric properties of grains. A preliminary investigation for fatigue using the strain life approach has been conducted to evaluate the effect of the build process and the location dependence on life. A generalized Weibull distribution is proposed to model the statistical variability of fatigue life data.
On 2-absorbing ideals of commutative semirings
Authors: Behzadipour H. , Nasehpour P.
Published: February 2019

In this paper, we investigate 2-absorbing ideals of commutative semirings and prove that if [Formula: see text] is a nonzero proper ideal of a subtractive valuation semiring [Formula: see text] then [Formula: see text] is a 2-absorbing ideal of [Formula: see text] if and only if [Formula: see text] or [Formula: see text] where [Formula: see text] is a prime ideal of [Formula: see text]. We also show that each 2-absorbing ideal of a subtractive semiring [Formula: see text] is prime if and only if the prime ideals of [Formula: see text] are comparable and if [Formula: see text] is a minimal prime over a 2-absorbing ideal [Formula: see text], then [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] is the unique maximal ideal of [Formula: see text].
Gradations of cyclic rings and homogeneity of their nil and Jacobson radicals
Authors: Obiedat Mohammad
Published: February 2019

A formula for the number of gradations, up to equivalence, of cyclic rings by cancellative monoids is given. As an application, the nil and Jacobson radicals of cyclic rings are shown to be homogeneous.
Vertex connectivity of the power graph of a finite cyclic group II
Authors: Chattopadhyay Sriparna , Patra Kamal Lochan , Sahoo Binod Kumar
Published: February 2019

The power graph [Formula: see text] of a given finite group [Formula: see text] is the simple undirected graph whose vertices are the elements of [Formula: see text], in which two distinct vertices are adjacent if and only if one of them can be obtained as an integral power of the other. The vertex connectivity [Formula: see text] of [Formula: see text] is the minimum number of vertices which need to be removed from [Formula: see text] so that the induced subgraph of [Formula: see text] on the remaining vertices is disconnected or has only one vertex. For a positive integer [Formula: see text], let [Formula: see text] be the cyclic group of order [Formula: see text]. Suppose that the prime power decomposition of [Formula: see text] is given by [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] are positive integers and [Formula: see text] are prime numbers with [Formula: see text]. The vertex connectivity [Formula: see text] of [Formula: see text] is known for [Formula: see text], see [Panda and Krishna, On connectedness of power graphs of finite groups, J. Algebra Appl. 17(10) (2018) 1850184, 20 pp, Chattopadhyay, Patra and Sahoo, Vertex connectivity of the power graph of a finite cyclic group, to appear in Discr. Appl. Math., https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dam.2018.06.001]. In this paper, for [Formula: see text], we give a new upper bound for [Formula: see text] and determine [Formula: see text] when [Formula: see text]. We also determine [Formula: see text] when [Formula: see text] is a product of distinct prime numbers.
A NEW APPROACH FOR CLASSIFICATION OF ATHEROSCLEROSIS OF COMMON CAROTID ARTERY FROM ULTRASOUND IMAGES
Authors: SMITHA B. , JOSEPH K. PAUL
Published: February 2019

Background and objectives: The diagnosis of carotid atherosclerosis is of vital importance, as this cardiovascular disease may cause myocardial infarction. One-third of deaths in the world occur due to myocardial infarction, commonly known as heart attack. Atherosclerosis is deposition of plaque in artery wall. It could be detected from the features of intima-media complex of the artery wall. This study proposes a new classification approach to distinguish between symptomatic and asymptomatic plaques using non-invasive carotid B-mode ultrasound images. These two types of plaques have diverse impacts on human life. In the first condition, slowly plaque formation reaches life-threatening condition and the second condition is acute in nature. Hence treatment protocol is to be decided based on the type of plaque.

Methods: To locate the intima-media-complex region, the images are segmented using snake-based segmentation algorithm. Several features are extracted using fixed size blocks selected from the segmented region using gray-level co-occurrence matrix. Finally classification is performed using support vector machine. Results: The performance shows improvement in accuracy using lesser number of features than previous works. The reduction in feature size is achieved by incorporating segmentation in the pre-processing stage. In the classifier, 10-fold cross-validation protocol is used for training and testing and an accuracy of 100% is obtained.

Conclusion: This proposed technique could work as an adjunct tool in quick decision-making for cardiologists and radiologists.
AUTOMATION OF MR BRAIN IMAGE CLASSIFICATION FOR MALIGNANCY DETECTION
Authors: AHAMMED MUNEER K. V. , PAUL JOSEPH K.
Published: February 2019

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) plays an integral role among the advanced techniques for detecting a brain tumor. The early detection of brain tumor with proper automation algorithm results in assisting oncologists to make easy decisions for diagnostic purposes. This paper presents an automatic classification of MR brain images in normal and malignant conditions. The feature extraction is done with gray-level co-occurrence matrix, and we proposed a feature reduction technique based on statistical test which is preceded by principal component analysis (PCA). The main focus of the work is to establish the statistical significance of the features obtained after PCA, thereby selecting significant feature values for subsequent classification. For that, a [Formula: see text]-test is performed which yielded a [Formula: see text]-value of 0.05. Finally, a comparative study using [Formula: see text]-nearest neighbor (kNN), support vector machine and artificial neural network (ANN)-based supervised classifiers is performed. In this work, we could achieve reasonably good sensitivity, specificity and accuracy for all the classifiers. The ANN classifier gives better performance with sensitivity of 97.33%, specificity of 97.42% and accuracy of 98.66% on the whole brain atlas database. The experimental results obtained are comparable to the other recent state-of-the-art.
EMPIRICAL MODE DECOMPOSITION-BASED PROCESSING FOR AUTOMATED DETECTION OF EPILEPSY
Authors: MURALIDHAR BAIRY G. , HAGIWARA YUKI
Published: February 2019

Epilepsy is a chronic illness of the brain characterized by recurring seizure attacks. Electroencephalogram (EEG) can record the electrical activity of the brain and is extensively used to analyze and diagnose epileptic seizures. However, the EEG signals are highly non-linear and chaotic and are difficult to analyze due to their small magnitude. Hence, empirical mode decomposition (EMD), a non-linear technique, has been widely adopted to capture the subtle changes present in the EEG signals. Hence, it is an added advantage to develop an automated computer-aided diagnostic (CAD) system to detect the different brain activities from the EEG signals using machine learning approaches. In this paper, we focus on the previous works which have used the EMD technique in the automated detection of normal or epileptic EEG signals.
ECG BEAT DETECTION AND CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM USING WAVELET TRANSFORM AND ONLINE SEQUENTIAL ELM
Authors: YILDIRIM ÖZAL
Published: February 2019

Electrocardiogram (ECG) signals consist of data containing measurements of electrical activity in the heartbeats. These signals include relevant information used to detect abnormalities such as arrhythmia. In this study, a recognition system is proposed for detection and classification of heartbeats in ECG signals. Heartbeats in the ECG data were detected by using the wavelet transform (WT) method and these beats are segmented with determined periods. For obtaining distinctive features from the beats, multi-resolution WT is applied to these segmented signals, and wavelet coefficients are obtained from different frequency levels. Feature vectors are generated on these coefficients by using various statistical methods. The proposed recognition system is trained on feature vectors by using the Online Sequential Extreme Learning Machine (OSELM) classifier during the learning phase to automatically recognize the signals. Five different beat types were obtained from the MIT-BIH arrhythmia dataset. The multi-class dataset that includes five classes and the binary-class dataset that includes two classes were created among these beat types. Performance tests of the proposed wavelet-based-OSELM (W-OSELM) method were realized with these two datasets. The proposed recognition system provided 97.29% correct beat detection rate from raw ECG signals. The classification accuracy is 99.44% for the binary-class dataset and 98.51% for the multi-class dataset. Furthermore, the proposed classifier has shown very fast recognition performance on ECG signals.
Measuring Data Loss Resulting from Interference
Authors: Baan Willem A. , Jessner Axel , Steenge Jaap
Published: February 2019

This paper presents an observing methodology for calibrated measurements of radio interference levels and compares these with threshold interference limits that have been established for interference entering the bands allocated to the Radio Astronomy Service. The measurement time and bandwidth intervals for these observations may be commensurate with the time and frequency variability characteristic of the interfering signals and the threshold levels may be appropriately scaled from the values presented in ITU-R RA.769 using a 2000[Formula: see text]s reference time interval. The data loss for astronomical instruments may be measured as a percentage of occupancy in the time–frequency domain both for short and long measurement intervals. The observed time–frequency occupancy characteristics for non-geostationary satellite systems and earth stations in the mobile–satellite service may be incorporated into an effective power flux density simulation to obtain the effective data loss and sky blockage due to these services.
Metamorphic constraints on the tectonic evolution of the High Himalaya in Nepal: the art of the possible
Authors: Waters David J.
Published: February 2019

This review presents an objective account of metamorphic, microstructural and geochronological studies in the Greater Himalayan Sequence (GHS) and adjacent units in Nepal in the light of recent research. The importance of integrated, multidisciplinary studies is highlighted. A personal view is presented of strategies for determining pressure–temperature evolution, and of petrological processes at the micro scale, particularly in relation to departures from equilibrium and the behaviour of partially-melted rock systems. Evidence has accumulated for the existence within the GHS of a High Himalayan Discontinuity, marked by differences in timing of peak metamorphism in the hanging wall and footwall, and changes in
P–T
gradients and paths. Whether or not this is a single continuous horizon, it forms at each location the lower boundary to a migmatitic zone capable of ductile flow, and separates the GHS into an upper division in which channel flow may have operated in the interval 25–18 Ma, and a lower division characterized by an inverted metamorphic gradient, and by metamorphic ages that decrease downsection and are best explained by sequential accretion of footwall slices between 20 and 6 Ma. An overall model for extrusion of the GHS is still not resolved.
Code Rototilling
Authors: Neville-Neil George
Published: February 2019

Dear KV, Whenever a certain programmer I work with needs to add a variable to a function and the name collides with a previously used name, he changes all of the previous instances to a new different name so that he can reuse the name himself. This causes his diffs to be far larger than they need to be and annoys the hell out of me. Whenever I challenge him on this, he says that the old usage was wrong, anyway, but I think that’s just him making an excuse.
Single Photon Sources in Atomically Thin Materials
Authors: Toth Milos , Aharonovich Igor
Published: February 2019

Layered materials are very attractive for studies of light–matter interactions at the nanoscale. In particular, isolated quantum systems such as color centers and quantum dots embedded in these materials are gaining interest due to their potential use in a variety of quantum technologies and nanophotonics. Here, we review the field of nonclassical light emission from van der Waals crystals and atomically thin two-dimensional materials. We focus on transition metal dichalcogenides and hexagonal boron nitride and discuss the fabrication and properties of quantum emitters in these systems and proof-of-concept experiments that provide a foundation for their integration in on-chip nanophotonic circuits. These experiments include tuning of the emission wavelength, electrical excitation, and coupling of the emitters to waveguides, dielectric cavities, and plasmonic resonators. Finally, we discuss current challenges in the field and provide an outlook to further stimulate scientific discussion.
Chronic colitis-induced visceral pain is associated with increased anxiety during quiescent phase
Authors: Salameh Emmeline , Meleine Mathieu , Gourcerol Guillaume , do Rego Jean-Claude , do Rego Jean-Luc , Legrand Romain , Breton Jonathan , Aziz Moutaz , Guérin Charlène , Coëffier Moïse , Savoye Guillaume , Marion-Letellier Rachel
Published: February 2019

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are characterized by repetition of flares and remission periods leading to chronic postinflammatory sequelae. Among postinflammatory sequelae, one-third of patients with IBD are suffering from functional symptoms or psychological comorbidities that persist during remission. The aim of our study was to assess functional and behavioral sequelae of chronic colitis in rats with quiescent intestinal inflammation. Chronic colitis was induced by a weekly intrarectal injection of increasing concentrations of trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS) for 3 wk (15–45 mg of TNBS) in 30 rats, whereas the control rats ( n = 24) received the vehicle. At 50 days post-TNBS, visceral sensitivity was assessed by visceromotor response to colorectal distension, and transient receptor potential vanilloid type 1 (TRPV1) expression was also quantified in the colon and dorsal root ganglia. Barrier function and inflammatory response were assessed by studying intestinal permeability, tight junction protein, myeloperoxidase activity, histological score, and cytokine production (IL-6, IL-10, and TNF-α). Anxiety behavioral tests were performed from 50 to 64 days after the last TNBS injection. Chronic TNBS induced 1) a visceral hypersensitivity ( P = 0.03), 2) an increased colon weight-to-length ratio ( P = 0.01), 3) higher inflammatory and fibrosis scores ( P = 0.0390 and P = 0.0016, respectively), and 4) a higher colonic IL-6 and IL-10 production ( P = 0.008 and P = 0.005, respectively) compared with control rats. Intestinal permeability, colonic production of TNF-α, myeloperoxidase activity, and TRPV1 expression did not differ among groups. Chronic TNBS increased anxiety-related behavior in the open-field test and in the acoustic stress test. In conclusion, chronic colitis induced functional sequelae such as visceral hypersensitivity and increased anxiety with a low-grade intestinal inflammation. Development of a representative animal model will allow defining novel therapeutic approaches to achieve a better management of IBD-related sequelae.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY Patients with inflammatory bowel diseases have impaired quality of life. Therapeutic progress to control mucosal inflammation provides us an opportunity to develop novel approaches to understand mechanisms behind postinflammatory sequelae. We used a chronic colitis model to study long-term sequelae on visceral pain, gut barrier function, and psychological impact. Chronic colitis induced functional symptoms and increased anxiety in the remission period. It might define novel therapeutic approaches to achieve a better inflammatory bowel disease-related sequelae management.
Fatty acid-binding protein 3 contributes to ischemic heart injury by regulating cardiac myocyte apoptosis and MAPK pathways
Authors: Zhuang Lingfang , Li Chenni , Chen Qiujing , Jin Qi , Wu Liqun , Lu Lin , Yan Xiaoxiang , Chen Kang
Published: February 2019

Fatty acid-binding protein 3 (FABP3), a low-molecular-weight protein, participates in lipid transportation, storage, signaling transduction, oxidation, and transcription regulation. Here, we investigated the expression and function of FABP3 in ischemic heart diseases and explored the mechanisms by which FABP3 affected remodeling after myocardial infarction (MI). We showed that ischemic or hypoxic conditions upregulated FABP3 expression in vivo and in vitro. Notably, overexpression of FABP3 induced more myocyte apoptosis in the infarction and border areas and aggravated cardiac dysfunction, with lower left ventricular ejection fraction. Meanwhile, overexpression of FABP3 drastically promoted death and apoptosis of neonatal rat ventricular cardiomyocytes under hypoxia. Furthermore, deficiency of FABP3 exerted protective effects against ischemic heart injuries by decreasing cardiac myocyte apoptosis and heart remodeling after MI. We found that overexpression of FABP3 upregulated the phosphorylation of MAPK signaling pathway and decreased phosphorylated Akt levels, which may account for the augmentation of apoptosis and remodeling after MI. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate that deficiency of FABP3 would protect cardiac myocytes from apoptosis and alleviate cardiac remodeling after MI, suggesting FABP3 as a potential target to preserve cardiac function after MI.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY It is an undisputable fact that myocyte apoptosis plays a crucial role in cardiac remodeling and the development of heart failure after myocardial infarction. Here, fatty acid-binding protein 3 deficiency improved myocardial structural remodeling and function by decreasing cell apoptosis and regulating MAPK signaling pathways. We suppose that fatty acid-binding protein 3 may be regarded as a potential intervention approach to preserve cardiomyocytes during myocardial infarction.
Low-protein and methionine, high-starch diets increase energy intake and expenditure, increase FGF21, decrease IGF-1, and have little effect on adiposity in mice
Authors: Chaumontet Catherine , Azzout-Marniche Dalila , Blais Anne , Piedcoq Julien , Tomé Daniel , Gaudichon Claire , Even Patrick C.
Published: February 2019

Low-protein diets most often induce increased energy intake in an attempt to increase protein intake to meet protein needs with a risk of accumulation as fat of the excess energy intake. In female adult BALB/c mice, a decrease in dietary casein from 20% to 6% and 3% increased energy intake and slightly increased adiposity, and this response was exacerbated with soy proteins with low methionine content. The effect on fat mass was however limited because total energy expenditure increased to the same extent as energy intake. Lean body mass was preserved in all 6% fed mice and reduced only in 3% casein-fed animals. Insulin response to an oral glucose tolerance test was reduced in soy-fed mice and in low-protein-fed mice. Low-protein diets did not affect uncoupling protein 1 and increased fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) in brown adipose tissue and increased FGF21, fatty acid synthase, and cluster of differentiation 36 in the liver. In the hypothalamus, neuropeptide Y was increased and proopiomelanocortin was decreased only in 3% casein-fed mice. In plasma, when protein was decreased, insulin-like growth factor-1 decreased and FGF21 increased and plasma FGF21 was best described by using a combination of dietary protein level, protein-to-carbohydrate ratio, and protein-to-methionine ratio in the diet. In conclusion, reducing dietary protein and protein quality increases energy intake but also energy expenditure resulting in an only slight increase in adiposity. In this process, FGF21 is probably an important signal that responds to a complex combination of protein restriction, protein quality, and carbohydrate content of the diet.
Comprehensive Genetic Characterization of Human Thyroid Cancer Cell Lines: A Validated Panel for Preclinical Studies
Authors: Landa Iñigo , Pozdeyev Nikita , Korch Christopher , Marlow Laura A. , Smallridge Robert C. , Copland John A. , Henderson Ying C. , Lai Stephen Y. , Clayman Gary L. , Onoda Naoyoshi , Tan Aik Choon , Garcia-Rendueles Maria E.R. , Knauf Jeffrey A. , Haugen Bryan R. , Fagin James A. , Schweppe Rebecca E.
Published: February 2019

Purpose:

Thyroid cancer cell lines are valuable models but have been neglected in pancancer genomic studies. Moreover, their misidentification has been a significant problem. We aim to provide a validated dataset for thyroid cancer researchers.

Experimental Design:

We performed next-generation sequencing (NGS) and analyzed the transcriptome of 60 authenticated thyroid cell lines and compared our findings with the known genomic defects in human thyroid cancers.

Results:

Unsupervised transcriptomic analysis showed that 94% of thyroid cell lines clustered distinctly from other lineages. Thyroid cancer cell line mutations recapitulate those found in primary tumors (e.g., BRAF, RAS, or gene fusions). Mutations in the TERT promoter (83%) and TP53 (71%) were highly prevalent. There were frequent alterations in PTEN, PIK3CA, and of members of the SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex, mismatch repair, cell-cycle checkpoint, and histone methyl- and acetyltransferase functional groups. Copy number alterations (CNA) were more prevalent in cell lines derived from advanced versus differentiated cancers, as reported in primary tumors, although the precise CNAs were only partially recapitulated. Transcriptomic analysis showed that all cell lines were profoundly dedifferentiated, regardless of their derivation, making them good models for advanced disease. However, they maintained the BRAFV600E versus RAS-dependent consequences on MAPK transcriptional output, which correlated with differential sensitivity to MEK inhibitors. Paired primary tumor-cell line samples showed high concordance of mutations. Complete loss of p53 function in TP53 heterozygous tumors was the most prominent event selected during in vitro immortalization.

Conclusions:

This cell line resource will help inform future preclinical studies exploring tumor-specific dependencies.
A Prospective Study of the Effect of Cochlear Implantation on Tinnitus
Authors: Kloostra Francka J.J. , Verbist Julia , Hofman Rutger , Free Rolien H. , Arnold Rosemarie , van Dijk Pim
Published: February 2019

Previous studies have shown diverse and sometimes even contrary results concerning the effect of cochlear implantation on tinnitus and the factors that can influence this effect. The aim of this prospective questionnaire study was to determine the effects of cochlear implantation on tinnitus and explore which factors can influence the effect of cochlear implantation on tinnitus. Forty-four of the patients implanted in our hospital returned 2 questionnaire packages, i.e., one before the cochlear implantation and one 6 months after implantation. Before implantation, 66% of the patients experienced tinnitus. This study shows that cochlear implantation could help to reduce tinnitus and the tinnitus handicap in at least 28% of the patients with preoperative tinnitus. In 72% of the patients the tinnitus remained after implantation. None of the patients developed tinnitus after implantation. A shorter duration of tinnitus prior to implantation, a more fluctuating type of tinnitus, a higher tinnitus handicap prior to implantation, and a round-window surgical approach might have a positive influence on the effect of cochlear implantation on tinnitus, but further research is necessary to confirm these findings.
Acute Intermittent Porphyria: A Report of 3 Cases with Neuropathy
Authors: Alqwaifly Mohammed , Bril Vera , Dodig Dubravka
Published: February 2019

The porphyrias are metabolic disorders due to a defect in the heme biosynthetic pathway. Patients have diverse clinical presentations with neuropathy being frequent in acute intermittent porphyria (AIP). Associated symptoms are abdominal pain and seizures. Three patients presenting with neuropathy were later diagnosed with AIP on the basis of clinical features, erythrocyte porphobilinogen deaminase activity, neuropathic patterns, and nerve conduction studies. Testing for the HMBS genetic mutation confirmed the diagnosis of AIP in 1 patient. The findings from this case series confirm that porphyric neuropathy in AIP is a predominantly motor neuropathy with differing neuropathic presentations ranging from focal motor neuropathy to quadriplegia and respiratory failure.
A Venezuelan Case of Schmid-Type Metaphyseal Chondrodysplasia with a Novel Mutation in COL10A1
Authors: Cammarata-Scalisi Francisco , Matysiak Uta , Velten Tanja , Callea Michele , Araque Dianora , Willoughby Colin E. , Galeotti Angela , Avendaño Andrea
Published: February 2019

Schmid-type metaphyseal chondrodysplasia (MIM 156500) is an uncommon autosomal dominant skeletal dysplasia caused by heterozygous mutations in the COL10A1 gene (MIM 120110) encoding the α1(X) chains of type X collagen. We report an 8-year-old girl with waddling gait, short stature, mild dorsal scoliosis, coxa vara, short lower limbs, bowing of the femurs, genu varum, and metaphyseal fraying and splaying, who is a carrier of a novel heterozygous 2-bp (c.1894_1895dupTA; p.Leu633Thrfs*45) duplication in exon 3 of the COL10A1 gene.
Fabry Disease Prevalence in Renal Replacement Therapy in Turkey
Authors: Yalın Serkan Feyyaz , Eren Necmi , Sinangil Ayse , Yilmaz Vural Taner , Tatar Erhan , Ucar Ali Riza , Sevinc Mustafa , Can Özgür , Gurkan Alp , Arik Nurol , Alisir Ecder Sabahat , Uyar Murathan , Yasar Murat , Gulcicek Sibel , Mese Meral , Dheir Hamad , Cakir Ulkem , Köksal Cevher Şimal , Turkmen Kultigin , Guven Bahtisen , Guven Taymez Dilek , Erkalma Senates Banu , Ecder Tevfik , Kocak Huseyin , Uslu Adam , Demir Erol , Basturk Taner , Ogutmen Melike Betul , Kinalp Can , Dursun Belda , Bicik Bahcebasi Zerrin , Sipahi Savas , Dede Fatih , Oruc Meric , Caliskan Yasar , Genc Ahmed , Yelken Berna , Altıparmak Mehmet Rıza , Turkmen Aydin , Seyahi Nurhan
Published: February 2019

Background: Fabry disease (FD) is an X-linked lysosomal storage disorder resulting from lack of alpha-galactosidase A (AGALA) activity in lysosomes. Objective: In this multicenter study, we aimed to evaluate the prevalence of FD in renal transplant (Tx) recipients in Turkey. We also screened dialysis patients as a control group. Methods: All Tx and dialysis patients were screened regardless of the presence of a primary disease. We measured the AGALA activity in all male patients as initial analysis. Mutation analysis was performed in male patients with decreased AGALA activity and in female patients as the initial diagnostic assay. Results: We screened 5,657 patients. A total of 17 mutations were identified. No significant difference was observed between the groups regarding the prevalence of patients with mutation. We found FD even in patients with presumed primary kidney diseases. Seventy-one relatives were analyzed and mutation was detected in 43 of them. We detected a patient with a new, unknown mutation (p.Cys223) in the GLA gene. Conclusions: There are important implications of the screening. First, detection of the undiagnosed patients leads to starting appropriate therapies for these patients. Second, the transmission of the disease to future generations may be prevented by prenatal screening after appropriate genetic counseling. In conclusion, we suggest screening of kidney Tx candidates for FD, regardless of etiologies of chronic kidney disease.
Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada Disease-Like Uveitis during Nivolumab (Anti-PD-1 Antibody) Treatment for Metastatic Cutaneous Malignant Melanoma
Authors: Obata Shumpei , Saishin Yoshitsugu , Teramura Kazuya , Ohji Masahito
Published: February 2019

Nivolumab is an anti-programmed cell death protein 1 monoclonal antibody that is used to treat metastatic cutaneous malignant melanoma. Although bilateral uveitis has been reported as a side effect of nivolumab administration, there are few reports of Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada disease (VKH)-like uveitis. We report such a case. A 63-year-old woman with metastatic cutaneous malignant melanoma experienced visual loss in both eyes 10 days after her second nivolumab injection. Her decimal best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was 0.7 in the right eye and 0.4 in the left eye. Examination revealed bilateral granulomatous keratic precipitates and posterior synechiae in the left eye. Optical coherence tomography showed multiple sites of serous retinal detachment (SRD) in the left eye and wavy retinal pigment epithelium in both eyes. Fluorescein angiography revealed multiple pinpoint-sized areas of leakage in both eyes and active leakage from the disc in her right eye. Indocyanine green angiography (IA) showed choroidal hyperfluorescence due to choroidal vascular leakage, with hypofluorescent dark spots during the late phase. These findings supported a diagnosis of VKH-like uveitis following nivolumab injections. Nivolumab was discontinued because of headache. Anterior chamber inflammation disappeared 3 weeks after starting topical corticosteroid treatment, and the SRD disappeared within 3 months. Her decimal BCVA recovered to 1.0 in the right eye and to 0.9 in the left eye. Also, the fluorescein angiography and IA findings had improved by 4 months. We concluded that careful follow-up is required after nivolumab treatment because VKH-like panuveitis might develop.