bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Adaptive Response to Long-Term Nitrogen Starvation in
Escherichia coli
Requires the Breakdown of Allantoin
Authors: Switzer Amy , Burchell Lynn , McQuail Josh , Wigneshweraraj Sivaramesh
Published: June 2020

Bacteria in their natural environments seldom encounter conditions that support continuous growth. Hence, many bacteria spend the majority of their time in states of little or no growth due to starvation of essential nutrients. To cope with prolonged periods of nutrient starvation, bacteria have evolved several strategies, primarily manifesting themselves through changes in how the information in their genes is accessed. How these coping strategies change over time under nutrient starvation is not well understood, and this knowledge is important not only to broaden our understanding of bacterial cell function but also to potentially find ways to manage harmful bacteria. This study provides insights into how nitrogen-starved
Escherichia coli
bacteria rely on different genes during long-term nitrogen starvation.
Curriculum framework for advanced practice nursing in sub-Saharan Africa: a multimethod study
Authors: Christmals Christmal Dela , Armstrong Susan J
Published: June 2020

Objectives

The implementation of advanced practice nursing (APN) programmes in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has been difficult due to lack of SSA-specific curriculum frameworks or benchmarks to guide institutions in developing and implementing APN programmes. A few APN programmes in SSA were benchmarked on western philosophy and materials, making local ownership and sustainability challenging. This paper presents an SSA-specific concept-based APN (Child Health Nurse Practitioner, CHNP) curriculum framework developed to guide institutions in developing relevant and responsive APN curricula in order to qualify CHNP and contribute to a decreased incidence of preventable deaths of children in the SSA region.

Design

A sequential multimethod study design consisting of a scoping review, Delphi study, development of a framework by a curriculum team, and evaluation of the curriculum framework by faculty from 15 universities in SSA.

Setting

This study included universities from East, West, Central and Southern Africa.

Participants

The study included international multidisciplinary health professionals and curriculum development experts from 15 universities in 10 SSA countries.

Results

A concept-based Advanced CHNP curriculum framework was developed. The faculty who evaluated the curriculum framework for applicability within their institutions and the SSA context unanimously stated that the framework is detailed, evidenced-based and could be adapted for other APN specialty areas.

Conclusion

The Child Health Nurse Practitioner curriculum framework is comprehensive, context-specific and has the potential to respond to the special child healthcare needs of SSA. It is adaptable for other APN specialty programmes in SSA. Nursing leaders should lobby for funding and advocate for the introduction of the CHNP programme as a collaborative process between government, clinical services, communities and educational institutions.
Feasibility randomised controlled trial of remote symptom chemotherapy toxicity monitoring using the Canadian adapted Advanced Symptom Management System (ASyMS-Can): a study protocol
Authors: Moradian Saeed , Krzyzanowska Monika , Maguire Roma , Kukreti Vishal , Amir Eitan , Morita Plinio P , Liu Geoffrey , Howell Doris
Published: June 2020

Introduction

Technology is emerging as a solution to develop home-based, proactive ‘real-time’ symptom monitoring and management in cancer care. The Advanced Symptom Monitoring and Management System—Canada (ASyMS-Can) is a remote phone-based symptom management system that enables real-time remote monitoring of systemic chemotherapy toxicities.

Methods and analysis

This study is an open-label, prospective, mixed-method, Phase II, 2-arm parallel group assignment (ASyMS-Can vs usual care) feasibility study in patients with cancer receiving systemic (neo-adjuvant or adjuvant) chemotherapy at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre. A total of 114 patients will be recruited in oncology clinics prior to initiation of chemotherapy. Patients in both arms will complete a demographic and a set of questionnaires at enrolment, mid and end of treatment. Patients in intervention arm will be provided with an encrypted, secure, preprogrammed ASyMS phone for symptom reporting daily for the first 14 days of each chemotherapy treatment cycle up to sixth cycle (16 weeks). Feasibility metrics (recruitment, retention and protocol adherence) and outcomes to assess impact of ASyMS—Can include symptom severity, emotional distress, quality of life and acceptability to patients and clinicians.

Ethics and dissemination

The study has received ethical and institutional approvals from the University Health Network. Dissemination will include presentations at national/international conferences, and publications in peer-reviewed journals.

Trial registration number

NCT03335189.
Is dezocine effective and safe in preventing opioids-induced cough during general anaesthesia induction? A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: He Li-xian , Shao Ken , Ma Jie , Zhao Yuan-yuan , Yao Yun-tai
Published: June 2020

Introduction

Cough is often observed when administrating a bolus of opioids. Opioid-induced cough (OIC) is mostly transient, benign and self-limiting, but could be associated with adverse effects. Numerous pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions have been used to manage OIC with controversial efficacy and safety. Recent studies suggested that, pretreatment of intravenous dezocine (DZC) could completely suppress OIC during anaesthesia induction. To address this knowledge lack, we will perform a systemic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy of DZC on OIC and possible complications. We provide here a protocol that will outline the methods and analyses planned for the systematic review.

Methods

PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science as well as Chinese BioMedical Literature & Retrieval System (SinoMed), China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Data and VIP Data will be searched from 1978 to 31 December 2019 to identify all randomised controlled trials comparing DZC with placebo on the incidence and severity of OIC. Primary outcomes of interest include the incidence and severity of OIC. Secondary outcomes of interest include possible complications or adverse effects of DZC. Two authors will independently extract relevant variables and outcome data. For continuous variables, treatment effects will be calculated as weighted mean difference and 95% CI. For dichotomous data, treatment effects will be calculated as OR and 95% CI. Each outcome will be tested for heterogeneity, and randomised-effects or fixed-effects model will be used in the presence or absence of significant heterogeneity. Sensitivity analyses will be done by examining the influence of statistical model and individual trial(s) on estimated treatment effects. Publication bias will be explored through visual inspection of funnel plots of the outcomes. Statistical significance will be defined as p<0.05.

Ethics and dissemination

This study is a protocol of meta-analysis of previously published literatures, ethical approval was not necessary according to the Ethical Committee of Fuwai Hospital. The study will be submitted to a peer-reviewed journal and disseminated via research presentations.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42019141255.
Effective Algorithms for Scheduling Workflow Tasks on Mobile Clouds
Authors: Li Heng , Zhu Yaoqin , Zhou Meng , Dong Yun
Published: June 2020

In mobile cloud computing, the computing resources of mobile devices can be integrated to execute complicated applications, in order to tackle the problem of insufficient resources of mobile devices. Such applications are, in general, characterized as workflows. Scheduling workflow tasks on a mobile cloud system consisting of heterogeneous mobile devices is a NP-hard problem. In this paper, intelligent algorithms, e.g., particle swarm optimization (PSO) and simulated annealing (SA), are widely used to solve this problem. However, both PSO and SA suffer from the limitation of easily being trapped into local optima. Since these methods rely on their evolutionary mechanisms to explore new solutions in solution space, the search procedure converges once getting stuck in local optima. To address this limitation, in this paper, we propose two effective metaheuristic algorithms that incorporate the iterated local search (ILS) strategy into PSO and SA algorithms, respectively. In case that the intelligent algorithm converges to a local optimum, the proposed algorithms use a perturbation operator to explore new solutions and use the newly explored solutions to start a new round of evolution in the solution space. This procedure is iterated until no better solutions can be explored. Experimental results show that by incorporating the ILS strategy, our proposed algorithms outperform PSO and SA in reducing workflow makespans. In addition, the perturbation operator is beneficial for improving the effectiveness of scheduling algorithms in exploring high-quality scheduling solutions.
Research and Analysis of Tunable Differential N-Path Band-Pass Filter
Authors: Song Shuxiang , Liu Guolun , Cen Mingcan , Cai Chaobo
Published: June 2020

Traditional filters usually have low Q and gain values and it is difficult to adjust their center frequencies. Moreover, it is very complicated to analyze their transmission charateristics through conventional methods. Therefore, in this paper, a tunable differential N-path bandpass filter that uses a new adjoint network method to analyze the transmission characteristics of the differential N-path structure is proposed. The filter circuit adopts a novel circuit structure consisting of two differential N-path structures, two transconductance amplifiers and an off-chip transformer. The differential structure eliminates even harmonics, the transconductance amplifier increases the circuit gain and the off-chip transformer acts as a balun, improving the filter’s Q value and achieving impedance matching. Unlike the traditional switching capacitance method used for analyzing the differential circuit structure, the method proposed in this paper does not involve complicated calculus operations. In fact, the method greatly simplifies these complex operations, and the transmission function of the circuit can be obtained through simple algebraic operations. The proposed filter was designed using TSMC 180[Formula: see text]nm CMOS process. Simulation results for a differential four-path bandpass filter formed under 1.2[Formula: see text]V supply voltage show that the gain of the filter is greater than 8.5 dB, the center frequency can be adjusted from 0.1[Formula: see text]GHz to 1[Formula: see text]GHz, the in-band insertion loss S11 is greater than 10 dB, the out-of-band IIP3 is greater than 10 dBm, the out-of-band rejection is 28 dB and the noise figure is less than 2.2 dB at [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]MHz.
Trade with Technology Spillover: A Dynamic Network Game Analysis
Authors: Yeung David W. K. , Petrosyan Leon A. , Zhang Yingxuan
Published: June 2020

This paper presents a general class of dynamic network games to analyze trade with technology spillover. Due to the fact that the benefits of technology spillover are not fully accrued to the technology developer, the positive externalities are under-exploited. The cooperative solution yields an optimal outcome. To reflect the contributions of individual agents to the network, the Shapley value is used as a solution optimality principle in sharing the cooperative gains. A time-consistent payoff imputation procedure is derived to maintain the Shapley value at each stage of the cooperation. A representative model based on the general class of network games with explicit functional form is given. This is the first time that trade with technology spillover is studied in the framework of dynamic network games, further studies along this line are expected.
Skew inverse Laurent series extensions of weakly principally quasi Baer rings
Authors: Mehralinejadian S. , Moussavi A. , Sahebi Sh.
Published: June 2020

A ring [Formula: see text] is called weakly principally quasi Baer or simply (weakly p.q.-Baer) if the right annihilator of a principal right ideal is left [Formula: see text]-unital by left semicentral idempotents, which implies that [Formula: see text] modulo the right annihilator of any principal right ideal is flat. We study the relationship between the weakly p.q.-Baer property of a ring [Formula: see text] and those of the skew inverse series rings [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], for any automorphism [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]-derivation [Formula: see text] of [Formula: see text]. Examples to illustrate and delimit the theory are provided.
Cell cycle period control through modulation of clock inputs
Authors: Almeida S. , Chaves M. , Delaunay F.
Published: June 2020

In this work, we study period control of the mammalian cell cycle via coupling with the cellular clock. For this, we make use of the oscillators’ synchronization dynamics and investigate methods of slowing down the cell cycle with the use of clock inputs. Clock control of the cell cycle is well established via identified molecular mechanisms, such as the CLOCK:BMAL1-mediated induction of the wee1 gene, resulting in the WEE1 kinase that represses the active form of mitosis promoting factor (MPF), the essential cell cycle component. To investigate the coupling dynamics of these systems, we use previously developed models of the clock and cell cycle oscillators and center our studies on unidirectional clock [Formula: see text] cell cycle coupling. Moreover, we propose an hypothesis of a Growth Factor (GF)-responsive clock, involving a pathway of the non-essential cell cycle complex cyclin D/CDK4. We observe a variety of rational ratios of clock to cell cycle period, such as: 1:1, 3:2, 4:3, and 5:4. Finally, our protocols of period control are successful in effectively slowing down the cell cycle by the use of clock modulating inputs, some of which correspond to existing drugs.
Efficient Preparation of Spongy-Like Porous-Activated Carbon from Waste Millfeed Towards High Performance Supercapacitors
Authors: Han Rong-Rong , Zhu Hao-Yan , Li Min-Peng , Yang Wen-Tong , Lu Chun , Zhang Yu-Shan , Zhang Bin-Mei , Liang Xiao-Rong , Liu Mao-Cheng
Published: June 2020

Biomass-based activated porous carbon (PC) with large porosity and high surface area has been considered as potential electrode material for supercapacitors. The spongy-like porous-activated carbon (SPAC) was prepared from millfeed by one-step carbonization/activation with KOH treatment. It shows three-dimensional (3D) spongy-like structure and high specific surface area (1535[Formula: see text]m2[Formula: see text]g[Formula: see text]). The SPAC electrode exhibits a high specific capacitance (237.9[Formula: see text]F[Formula: see text]g[Formula: see text] at a current density of 0.5[Formula: see text]A[Formula: see text]g[Formula: see text]) and a superior cycle stability (the capacitance retention of 95% after 10[Formula: see text]000 cycles at 2[Formula: see text]A[Formula: see text]g[Formula: see text]) in 2[Formula: see text]M KOH electrolyte, while the SPAC reveals a high specific capacitance of 157[Formula: see text]F[Formula: see text]g[Formula: see text] at 0.5[Formula: see text]A[Formula: see text]g[Formula: see text], good electrochemical stability with 93% capacitance retention after 5000 cycles in ionic liquids. Furthermore, the specific capacitance of SPAC//SPAC supercapacitor reaches 82.1[Formula: see text]F[Formula: see text]g[Formula: see text] at a current density of 0.5[Formula: see text]A[Formula: see text]g[Formula: see text] and achieves a high capacitance retention of 75% when the charging current increases to 10[Formula: see text]A[Formula: see text]g[Formula: see text] in 2[Formula: see text]M KOH electrolyte. The SPAC//SPAC supercapacitor possesses a high specific capacitance of 29.6[Formula: see text]F[Formula: see text]g[Formula: see text] at 0.5[Formula: see text]A[Formula: see text]g[Formula: see text] and a preeminent energy density of 27.8[Formula: see text]Wh[Formula: see text]kg[Formula: see text] (at a power density of 640[Formula: see text]W[Formula: see text]kg[Formula: see text]) in ionic liquids. This paper provides a convenient approach to synthesize low-cost biomass-based carbon material for supercapacitor applications.
ANALYSIS OF THE IMPACTS OF THE NDC SCENARIO ON ENERGY AND INDUSTRIAL STRUCTURE IN MAJOR COUNTRIES
Authors: CHANGXIN LIU , JING WU , ZHENG WANG , LEYING WU
Published: June 2020

The IAM model EMRICES was adopted to analyze the energy and industrial structure trends of the major countries in the world. In the aspect of energy consumption, the energy varieties are subdivided and a random shock model is introduced to depict the declining trend of energy intensity in different sectors. In the aspect of industrial structure, CGE model is used to describe the trend of economic growth. The NDC constraints would affect the total economic output and energy consumption of various industries according to the emission reduction cost function in EMRICES. The results show that the global temperature would be 2.61∘C by 2100 under NDC constraints, and it is still unable to achieve the target of 2∘C warming. The global carbon emission mitigation should be paid to more attention. In terms of energy consumption, the proportion of nonfossil energy and natural gas consumption will be greatly increased. The change of industrial competitive advantage represented by location quotient shows that China’s manufacturing competitiveness will decline, but its relative concentration and specialization level are still higher than the global average level. India’s manufacturing development will improve. In the financial sector, the United States would still be the leader.
A Tailless Flapping Wing MAV Performing Monocular Visual Servoing Tasks
Authors: Olejnik Diana A. , Duisterhof Bardienus P. , Karásek Matej , Scheper Kirk Y. W. , van Dijk Tom , de Croon Guido C. H. E.
Published: June 2020

In the field of robotics, a major challenge is achieving high levels of autonomy with small vehicles that have limited mass and power budgets. The main motivation for designing such small vehicles is that compared to their larger counterparts, they have the potential to be safer, and hence be available and work together in large numbers. One of the key components in micro robotics is efficient software design to optimally utilize the computing power available. This paper describes the computer vision and control algorithms used to achieve autonomous flight with the [Formula: see text]30[Formula: see text]g tailless flapping wing robot, used to participate in the International Micro Air Vehicle Conference and Competition (IMAV 2018) indoor microair vehicle competition. Several tasks are discussed: line following, circular gate detection and fly through. The emphasis throughout this paper is on augmenting traditional techniques with the goal to make these methods work with limited computing power while obtaining robust behavior.
I Think Therefore You Are
Authors: Esterle Lukas , Brown John N. A.
Published: June 2020

Cyber-physical systems operate in our real world, constantly interacting with the environment and collaborating with other systems. The increasing number of devices will make it infeasible to control each one individually. It will also be infeasible to prepare each of them for every imaginable rapidly unfolding situation. Therefore, we must increase the autonomy of future Cyber-physical Systems. Making these systems self-aware allows them to reason about their own capabilities and their immediate environment. In this article, we extend the idea of the self-awareness of individual systems toward
networked self-awareness
. This gives systems the ability to reason about how they are being affected by the actions and interactions of others within their perceived environment, as well as in the extended environment that is beyond their direct perception. We propose that different levels of networked self-awareness can develop over time in systems as they do in humans. Furthermore, we propose that this could have the same benefits for networks of systems that it has had for communities of humans, increasing performance and adaptability.
Ensuring the Consistency between User Requirements and Task Models: A Behavior-Based Automated Approach
Authors: Rocha Silva Thiago , Winckler Marco , Trætteberg Hallvard
Published: June 2020

Evaluating and ensuring the consistency between user requirements and modeling artifacts is a long-time issue for model-based software design. Conflicts in requirements specifications can lead to many design errors and have a decisive impact on the quality of systems under development. This article presents an approach based on Behavior-Driven Development (BDD) to provide automated assessment for task models, which are intended to model the flow of user and system tasks in an interactive system. The approach has been evaluated by exploiting user requirements described by a group of experts in the domain of business trips. Such requirements gave rise to a set of BDD stories that have been used to automatically assess scenarios extracted from task models that were reengineered from an existing web system for booking business trips. The results have shown our approach, by performing a static analysis of the source files, was able to identify different types of inconsistencies between the user requirements and the set of task models analyzed.
OpenUIDL, A User Interface Description Language for Runtime Omni-Channel User Interfaces
Authors: Moldovan Alex , Nicula Vlad , Pasca Ionut , Popa Mihai , Namburu Jaya Krishna , Oros Anamaria , Brie Paul
Published: June 2020

We extend the concept of cross-device user interfaces into the new, more general, concept of omni-channel user interfaces to better reflect the technological variety offered for developing multi-target user interfaces for interactive applications. We present a model-based approach for developing runtime omni-channel user interfaces for multi-target applications, which consists of: (1) OpenUIDL, a user interface description language for describing omni-channel user interfaces with its semantics by a meta-model and its syntax based on JSON, (2) the definition of a step-wise approach for producing runtime interactive applications based onOpenUIDLwith integration into the development life cycle, (3) the development of a cloud-based, OpenUIDL compliant, Interactive Development Environment that supports the application and the enactment of the step-wise approach and its illustration on several multi-target user interfaces.
UX-Painter: An Approach to Explore Interaction Fixes in the Browser
Authors: Gardey Juan Cruz , Garrido Alejandra , Firmenich Sergio , Grigera Julián , Rossi Gustavo
Published: June 2020

Usability and user interaction improvement is a central task in web development to guarantee the success of a web application. However, designers are barely able to keep up with the current development cycle because their practices are too costly, while interaction issues accumulate in applications that end-users keep suffering. In this work, we propose a method for designers to rapidly explore solutions through visual programming to the interaction problems of an application under development, even when it has been already deployed. The method is realized by a tool called UX-Painter, an exploratory tool for designers to apply quick fixes to interaction issues at the client-side of a web application without the need of any script programming knowledge. The palette of available fixes in UX-Painter are client-side web refactorings, i.e., changes to web page elements that solve specific user interaction problems without changing the underlying functionality. UX-Painter allows designers to quickly set up new versions of a web application by combining refactorings to create alternative designs for user testing or an inspection review. UX-Painter also provides the means to communicate design improvements, as a sequence of refactorings with clear semantics. We show the feedback provided by interviews with designers about UX-Painter's functionality and the results of a user test about its usability.
Low Temperature (<40 °C) Atmospheric-Pressure Dielectric-Barrier-Discharge-jet (DBDjet) Plasma Treatment on Jet-Sprayed Silver Nanowires (AgNWs) Electrodes for Fully Solution-Processed n-i-p Structure Perovskite Solar Cells
Authors: Fan Ching-Feng , Tsai Jui-Hsuan , Liao Ying-Chih , Cheng I-Chun , Hsu Cheng-Che , Chen Jian-Zhang
Published: June 2020

To achieve fully-solution processed n-i-p perovskite solar cells (PSCs), jet-sprayed silver nanowires (AgNWs) are used to replace vacuum-deposited Ag film as the top electrode of n-i-p structure PSCs. AgNWs are covered with a layer of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) because of the addition of PVP during the growth process of AgNWs. This PVP will deteriorate the conductivity of AgNWs and become a charge extraction barrier as an electrode of a PSC. A low temperature (<40 °C) atmospheric-pressure dielectric-barrier-discharge-jet (DBDjet) is used to post-treat AgNWs after completing the fabrication of n-i-p PSCs. The average cell efficiency improved from 9.069% (without DBDjet treatment) to 12.09% (DBDjet with scan rate of 0.5 cm s−1), and the best performing cell achieves efficiency of 14.037% (DBDjet with scan rate of 1 cm s−1). DBDjet plasma treatment removes PVP, improving the interfacial contacts among AgNWs and between AgNWs layer and hole transport layer; this in turn increases the cell efficiency. Sheet resistance measurement, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, water contact angle measurement, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy all show evidence of the removal of the PVP layer by DBDjet plasma treatment.
Neutralizing mitochondrial ROS does not rescue muscle atrophy induced by hindlimb unloading in female mice
Authors: Eshima Hiroaki , Siripoksup Piyarat , Mahmassani Ziad S. , Johnson Jordan M. , Ferrara Patrick J. , Verkerke Anthony R. P. , Salcedo Anahy , Drummond Micah J. , Funai Katsuhiko
Published: June 2020

The premise of this study was to examine the efficacy of genetic suppression of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) to attenuate disuse-induced muscle atrophy and muscle weakness. Neutralization of mitochondrial ROS by MCAT expression was insufficient to rescue muscle atrophy and muscle weakness.
Increased sympathetic responses induced by chronic obstructive sleep apnea are caused by sleep fragmentation
Authors: Ferreira Caroline B. , Schoorlemmer Guus H. , Rocha Antonio A. , Cravo Sergio L.
Published: June 2020

Obstructive sleep apnea causes a hyperactive chemoreflex, with increased sympathetic activation. However, it is not clear whether this pathophysiologic mechanism is due to repeated hypoxia or to sleep disruption. The present study suggests that sleep fragmentation contributes importantly to increased sympathetic activation after chemoreceptor stimulation. This suggests that sleep fragmentation has an important role in the sympathetic activation seen in sleep apnea patients.
Sesamol Protects Testis from Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury through Scavenging Reactive Oxygen Species and Upregulating CREMτ Expression
Authors: Wei Si-Ming , Wang Rong-Yun , Chen Yan-Song
Published: June 2020

Testicular torsion/detorsion-induced damage is considered as a typical ischemia-reperfusion injury attributed to excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. ROS may regulate many genes whose expression affects cell-cycle regulation, cell proliferation, and apoptosis. The cAMP-responsive element modulator-τ (CREMτ) gene expression in the testis is essential for normal germ cell differentiation. The present study was aimed at investigating the effect of sesamol, a powerful antioxidant, on testicular ischemia-reperfusion injury and related mechanisms in an experimental testicular torsion-detorsion rat model. The type of our study was a randomized controlled trial. Sixty rats were randomly divided into the following 3 groups: (1) sham-operated control group (n=20), (2) testicular ischemia-reperfusion group (n=20), and (3) testicular ischemia-reperfusion+sesamol-treated group (n=20). Testicular ischemia-reperfusion was induced by left testicular torsion (720° rotation in a counterclockwise direction) for 2 hours, followed by detorsion. Orchiectomy was performed at 4 hours or 3 months after detorsion. The testis was obtained for the analysis of the following parameters, including malondialdehyde level (a sensitive indicator of ROS), CREMτ expression, and spermatogenesis. In the testicular ischemia-reperfusion group, the malondialdehyde level was significantly increased with a concomitant significant decrease in CREMτ expression and spermatogenesis in ipsilateral testis. These results suggest that overproduction of ROS after testicular ischemia-reperfusion may downregulate CREMτ expression, which causes spermatogenic injury. Sesamol treatment resulted in a significant reduction in the malondialdehyde level and significant increase in CREMτ expression and spermatogenesis in ipsilateral testis. These data support the above suggestion. Our study shows that sesamol can attenuate testicular ischemia-reperfusion injury through scavenging ROS and upregulating CREMτ expression.
New Fixed Point Results in F-Quasi-Metric Spaces and an Application
Authors: Ghasab Ehsan Lotfali , Majani Hamid , Karapinar Erdal , Rad Ghasem Soleimani
Published: June 2020

The main goal of the present paper is to obtain several fixed point theorems in the framework of F-quasi-metric spaces, which is an extension of F-metric spaces. Also, a Hausdorff δ-distance in these spaces is introduced, and a coincidence point theorem regarding this distance is proved. We also present some examples for the validity of the given results and consider an application to the Volterra-type integral equation.
Carbonation Depth Model and Prediction of Hybrid Fiber Fly Ash Concrete
Authors: Zhang Jing-shuang , Cheng Meng , Zhu Jian-hua
Published: June 2020

The concrete is weakly alkaline, the alkalinity of the concrete will be reduced after being carbonized, and the protective effect of the concrete on the steel bar will be weakened, even leading to corrosion of the steel bar. In this paper, fly ash is used to replace cement in the same amount, and basalt fiber and polypropylene fiber are added in a certain amount to make hybrid fiber fly ash concrete. Through rapid carbonation test, the influence of carbonation time and fly ash content on carbonation performance of hybrid fiber fly ash concrete is studied. The curve is fitted according to a single factor carbonation model with fly ash content as the main parameter, and the fitting curve and prediction formula are obtained. The results show that, in the same carbonization time, compared with the concrete without fly ash, the concrete with fly ash content of 5%, 10%, 20%, and 30% has average carbonization depth promotion rates of 6.4%, 14.9%, 59.8%, and 73.5%. When the fly ash content varies in the range of 10%∼20%, the carbonation resistance of hybrid fiber concrete changes most sensitively. At the same fly ash content, with the increase of carbonization time, the carbonization depth of concrete increases by 41.7%∼62.3%; Through the verification of the fitting curve and fitting formula obtained after fitting, it is concluded that the error of the prediction formula of carbonation depth of hybrid fiber fly ash concrete is within 9.1%, and the error of carbonation depth of 14 d and 28 d is within 4.3%. Replacing cement with fly ash has certain engineering significance and can achieve the purpose of recycling waste materials.
Totally Robotic Distal Gastrectomy: A Safe and Feasible Minimally Invasive Technique for Gastric Cancer Patients Who Undergo Distal Gastrectomy
Authors: Kuang Yong , Lei Sanlin , Zhao Hua , Cui Beibei , Liu Kuijie , Yao Hongliang
Published: June 2020

Purposes: To explore the safety and feasibility of totally robotic distal gastrectomy (TRDG) for gastric cancer patients who undergo distal gastrectomy. Methods: Consecutive patients with gastric cancer who underwent TRDG (TRDG group) and robotic-assisted distal gastrectomy (RADG) (RADG group) were systematically reviewed at the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University from October 2015 to August 2018. Data were collected and statistically analyzed. Results: A total of 161 consecutive patients were included in this study: 84 cases in the TRDG group and 77 in the RADG group. Clinical characteristics and pathological results were mostly similar in both groups. The TRDG group had a significantly longer anastomotic time (20.6 ± 3.3 vs. 17.5 ± 4.0 min, p ˂ 0.001) but showed no difference in total operating time (167.0 ± 18.0 vs. 162.9 ± 17.6 min, p = 0.159). The postoperative hospitalization in the TRDG group was shorter than that in the RADG group (6.7 ± 1.2 vs. 7.2 ± 1.7 days, p = 0.019). Conversion rate, estimated blood loss, and postoperative complications were similar in both groups. There were no statistical differences in the estimated 2-year disease-free survival and overall survival rate between both groups. Conclusions: Although our current results need to be verified in further studies, TRDG represents a safe and feasible approach to distal gastrectomy and embodies the theory of minimally invasive surgery.
Improved service governance in notary administration system through multi channel access implementation
Authors: Oka Sudana A.A. Kompiang , Chandra Devi Ni Kadek Giofanni , Putra I Made Suwija
Published: June 2020

Notary is an official authorized to make an authentic deed regarding all deeds, agreements and stipulations required by a general rule. Activities carried out at the notary office such as recording client data and file data still use traditional systems that tend to be manual. The problem that occurs is the inefficiency in data processing and providing information to clients. Clients have difficulty getting information related to the progress of documents that are being taken care of at the notary's office. The client must take the time to arrive to the notary's office repeatedly to check the progress of the work of the document file. The purpose of this study is to facilitate clients in obtaining information about the progress of the work in progress, and make it easier for employees to process incoming documents by implementing an administrative system. This system was developed with the waterfall system development method and uses the Multi-Channel Access Technology integrated in the website to simplify the process of delivering information and requesting information from clients and to clients with Telegram and SMS Gateway. Clients will come to the office only when there is a notification from the system via Telegram or SMS notifying that the client must come directly to the notary's office, thus leading to an efficient time and avoiding excessive transportation costs. The overall functional system can function properly based on the results of alpha testing. The results of beta testing conducted by distributing the system feasibility test questionnaire to end users, get a percentage of 96% of users agree the system is feasible to be implemented.
Academic insight on application and challenges of software to develop educational medical english writing
Authors: Arani Jafar Asgari
Published: June 2020

This research has thrown up many questions in need of further investigation.There was an expressive quantitative-qualitative research, which a common investigation form was used in.The dialogue item was also applied to discover if the contributors asserted the media-based attitude supplements their learning of academic English writing classes or not.Data recounted academic” insights toward using Skype as a sustaining implement for lessons releasing based on chosen variables: their occupation, year of education, and knowledge with Skype discovered that there were no important statistical differences in the use of Skype units because of medical academics major knowledge. There are statistically important differences in using Skype units. The findings also, disclosed that there are statistically significant differences in using Skype units due to the practice with Skype variable, in favors of academics with no Skype use practice. Skype instrument as an instructive media is a positive medium to be employed to supply academic medical writing data and assist education. Academics who do not have enough time to contribute in classes believe comfortable using the Skype-based attitude in scientific writing. They who took part in the course claimed that their approval of this media is due to learning academic innovative medical writing.
Augmented reality and virtual reality in our daily life
Authors: Krishnamurth Vallidevi , K. Nagarajan K. , Prasad D.Venkata Vara , Kumar Ganesh , Natarajan Arjith , Saravanan Shailesh , Natarajan Akshaya , Murugan Shankaran , Rushitaa Dattuluri
Published: June 2020

Augmented reality, the new age technology, has widespread applications in every field imaginable. This technology has proven to be an inflection point in numerous verticals, improving lives and improving performance. In this paper, we explore the various possible applications of Augmented Reality (AR) in the field of Medicine. The objective of using AR in medicine or generally in any field is the fact that, AR helps in motivating the user, making sessions interactive and assist in faster learning. In this paper, we discuss about the applicability of AR in the field of medical diagnosis. Augmented reality technology reinforces remote collaboration, allowing doctors to diagnose patients from a different locality. Additionally, we  believe that a much more pronounced effect can be achieved by bringing together the cutting edge technology of AR and the lifesaving field of Medical sciences. AR is a mechanism that could be applied in the learning process too. Similarly, virtual reality could be used in the field where more of practical experience is needed such as driving, sports, neonatal care training.
que é que resiste, afinal, na resistência à teoria?
Authors: Souza Nabil Araújo de
Published: June 2020

Considerando o caráter paradigmático da obra de Antonio Candido nos estudos literários no Brasil, indagamo-nos pelo que é que resiste, afinal, na resistência à teoria insistentemente ecoada, a partir do mestre uspiano, ao modo de uma profissão de fé. Segue-se, então, uma análise do papel central da historiografia literária na consolidação e perpetuação de uma violência canônica de dupla face no meio acadêmico-escolar brasileiro.
Health Technology Assessment (HTA) and Access Policies
Authors: Stühlinger Verena
Published: June 2020

For patients, innovations in healthcare can be both a great blessing (when saving people’s life or improving quality of life), as well as a curse (when only few people have access, e.g., because of high prices). Thus, when healthcare innovations are proven safe and ready for application, decision makers have to apply access policies and sometimes face difficult assessments. In this context, health technology assessment (HTA) plays a crucial role at European Union level, forming an evidence-based, transparent basis for decision making through joint assessments. However, pricing and reimbursement aspects are exempt from collaborative assessments, since these are in the responsibility of the EU Member States: according to Art. 168(7) TFEU the ‘organisation and delivery of health services and medical care [… including] the allocation of the resources assigned to them’ remain an exclusive competence of Member States. However, future challenges may require further cooperation.
Synesthesia as (Multimodal) Mental Imagery
Authors: Nanay Bence
Published: June 2020

It has been repeatedly suggested that synesthesia is intricately connected with unusual ways of exercising one’s mental imagery, although it is not always entirely clear what the exact connection is. My aim is to show that all forms of synesthesia are forms of (often very different kinds of) mental imagery and, further, if we consider synesthesia to be a form of mental imagery, we get significant explanatory benefits, especially concerning less central cases of synesthesia where the inducer is not sensory stimulation.
Views of State Agency Directors on University Training Programs
Authors: Nelipovich Michael , Dickerson Larry R.
Published: June 2020

Professionalization of rehabilitation services is discussed, on the basis of a questionnaire distributed to state agency directors. The criteria of a profession are considered, and the problems of funding adequate training, whether in the universities or by the agencies themselves.
Strabismus and Amblyopia
Authors: Trief E. , Morse A.R.
Published: June 2020

Strabismus is a misalignment of the eye which can cause a permanent visual problem if not corrected early in life. Amblyopia, lazy eye, occurs when one eye is weaker than the other and the child shows preference for the stronger eye. Several screening devices including external examination of the eye, ability to track, a cover test, acuity tests, and stereoscopic tests can detect strabismus and amblyopia at an early age. Treatment for strabismus and amblyopia include patching therapy, use of glasses, surgery, orthoptics, CAM vision stimulator, or a combination of these techniques.
Isolated Congenital Supernumerary Nostril in an Adult Patient
Authors: Alqabbani Almaha A. , Alateeq Mohammed F. , Alshalaan Zaid
Published: June 2020

The supernumerary nostril is a congenital accessory nostril, which is considered to be one of the rarest congenital nasal anomalies with an unknown etiology. We present the first case of a supernumerary nostril in an adult Saudi patient, which is the first such isolated case to be reported among the Middle Eastern Arab countries. An 18-year-old Saudi woman presented to the facial plastic clinic of King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh, with a complaint of an additional small left nasal opening since birth. She underwent circumferential surgical excision of the accessory nostril and its entire tract, following which the overlying skin was sutured. The patient appeared fine postoperatively with a satisfactory nasal appearance. In conclusion, patients with supernumerary nostrils should be thoroughly assessed to eliminate the presence of any other associated congenital anomalies. Early diagnosis and surgical management can facilitate a better reconstructive outcome.
Enalapril inhibits inflammatory osteolysis induced by wear debris in a mouse model
Authors: Ma Huanzhi , Zhang Qin , Shi Jun , Gao Yutong , Sun Chengliang , Zhang Wei
Published: June 2020

Objective

Aseptic loosening, the most frequent complication after total joint replacement, is probably caused by an inflammatory response to the shedding of wear debris from the implant. The only effective treatment is surgical revision. Using a mouse model, we investigated whether enalapril inhibits wear debris-induced inflammatory osteolysis.

Methods

Titanium (Ti) alloy particles were introduced, and calvarial bone from syngeneic mice was implanted into air pouches established in BALB/c mice. Histological and molecular analyses were performed with inflammatory tissue samples obtained from mice treated with and without enalapril.

Results

Enalapril inhibited tissue inflammation and inflammatory osteolysis induced by Ti particles, reducing pouch membrane thickness and decreasing inflammatory cell infiltration. In addition, enalapril inhibited the expression of the inflammatory cytokines vascular endothelial growth factor and tumor necrosis factor-α.

Conclusions

Our study provides evidence that enalapril inhibits Ti particle-induced inflammatory osteolysis, and it may be a potentially useful treatment for aseptic loosening.
The Invisible MGHL Test: Diagnostic Value and Benefits for the Repair of Retracted Subscapularis Tears
Authors: Chauvet Thomas , Haritinian Emil , Baudin Florian , Collotte Philippe , Nové-Josserand Laurent
Published: June 2020

Background:

Some full-thickness subscapularis tendon tears and partial tears of the deep layer are difficult to characterize, leading to misdiagnosis.

Purpose:

To evaluate the association between displacement of the middle glenohumeral ligament (MGHL) and retracted tears of the subscapularis tendon as a possible test to improve diagnosis.

Study Design:

Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

Videos (N = 100) recorded during arthroscopic rotator cuff repair involving a torn subscapularis tendon were analyzed retrospectively to assess the association between the MGHL test (nonvisibility of the MGHL) and other objective anatomic criteria. The invisible MGHL test was defined as positive if the MGHL was initially nonvisible in the beach-chair position and appeared only when the subscapularis tendon was pulled back into position by using a 30° arthroscope from the standard posterior portal. The parameters considered during the initial exploration were (1) visibility of the horizontal part of the subscapularis tendon; (2) visibility of the MGHL in its usual position, crossing the superior border of the subscapularis tendon; (3) exposure of the lateral border of the subscapularis tendon (full-thickness retracted tear); and (4) complete or partial exposure of the lesser tuberosity of the humerus. Tendon retraction was evaluated in 3 stages according to the Patte classification.

Results:

The invisible MGHL test result was positive in 45% of cases. It was positive in 6% of cases (2 of 31) when there was no subscapularis tendon retraction and in 62% of cases (43 of 69) when there was partial or complete retraction ( P < .001). The invisible MGHL test was significantly associated with the width of the tear ( P < .001) and exposure of the lateral border of the subscapularis tendon (full-thickness retracted tear, P = .0002). After repair, the MGHL was visible in its anatomic position in 96% of cases.

Conclusion:

A positive invisible MGHL test is an alternative indication of subscapularis tendon retraction, and the relocation of the MGHL can also be used after repair to assess the proper anatomic repositioning of the subscapularis tendon.
Changing the morphology of one-dimensional titanate nanostructures affects its tissue distribution and toxicity
Authors: Kamal Nahla , Zaki AH , El-Shahawy Ahmed AG , Sayed Ossama M , El-Dek SI
Published: June 2020

The present research investigated the impact of the morphology change of titanate (TiO2) nanostructures on its tissue distribution and toxicity. The TiO2 nanotubes, rods, and ribbons were synthesized by the hydrothermal technique, and the morphology was adjusted by alteration of the hydrothermal duration time. The characterization techniques were X-ray diffraction, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, and the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller method for measuring the surface area. The intravenously administrated dose (5 mg/kg) was injected as a single dose for 1 day and consecutively for 42 days. The quantitative analysis of accumulated TiO2 nanostructures in the liver, spleen, and the heart was performed using an inductively coupled plasma emission spectrometer, and the organs’ toxicity was estimated by histopathological analysis. The prepared nanostructures exhibited differences in morphology, crystallinity, size distribution, surface area, zeta potential, and aspect ratio. The results revealed a tissue distribution difference between the liver, spleen, and heart of these nanostructures, the distribution order was the liver, spleen, and the heart for all TiO2 nanostructures. The toxicity was induced with different degrees. The nanotubes were the most harmful among the three formats. In summary, changes in the morphology of the TiO2 nanostructures change its distribution and toxicity.