bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of maternal B12 supplementation on neurophysiological outcomes in children: a study protocol for an extended follow-up from a placebo randomised control trial in Bangalore, India
Authors: Anand Shilpa , Thomas Susan , Jayachandra Mahesh , Thomas Tinku , Strand Tor Arne , Kurpad Anura V , Duggan Christopher P , Srinivasan Krishnamachari
Published: February 2019

Introduction

Vitamin B12 deficiency is highly prevalent in pregnant Indian women. Neuropsychological tests have shown an association between low maternal vitamin B12 status and poorer cognitive performances in the offspring, although findings from these studies have been inconsistent. Vitamin B12 has an important role in the formation of myelin which is important for the transmission speed of neural impulses and myelination in the central nervous system has been linked to cognition. Assessing neurophysiological measures using event-related potentials (ERPs) in children may provide additional information on the effect of maternal vitamin B12 supplementation on offspring brain function. The study examines the effects of oral vitamin B12 daily supplements (50 µg) to pregnant Indian women on child neurophysiological function at 72 months.

Methods and analysis

We previously conducted a double-blind, placebo-controlled study to examine the effects of maternal vitamin B12 supplementation on cognitive outcomes in their offspring using the Bayley scales of infant development, third edition. In this extended follow-up of the same cohort of mother-child dyad, we propose to use ERP to study the long-term impact of maternal B12 supplementation on brain function in children at 72 months of age. We intend to use P300 and mismatch negativity (MMN) as measures of neurophysiological outcomes. The primary outcome of this study will be child neurophysiological measures (as measured by amplitude and latency of P300 and MMN) assessed at 72 months of age in children whose mothers received vitamin B12 compared with neurophysiological status of children whose mothers received placebo.

Ethics and dissemination

The study was approved by the Institutional Ethical Board of St. John’s Medical College and the Harvard School of Public Health Human Subjects Committee. Results obtained will be presented at national and international research meetings and published in peer-reviewed scientific journals.

Trial registration number

NCT00641862.
Qualitative study to identify ethnicity-specific perceptions of and barriers to asthma management in South Asian and White British children with asthma
Authors: Lakhanpaul Monica , Culley Lorraine , Huq Tausif , Bird Deborah , Hudson Nicky , Robertson Noelle , McFeeters Melanie , Manikam Logan , Johal Narynder , Hamlyn-Williams Charlotte , Johnson Mark R D
Published: February 2019

Objective

This paper draws on the data from the Management and Interventions for Asthma (MIA) study to explore the perceptions and experiences of asthma in British South Asian children using semi-structured interviews. A comparable cohort of White British children was recruited to identify whether any emerging themes were subject to variation between the two groups so that generic and ethnicity-specific themes could be identified for future tailored intervention programmes for South Asian children with asthma.

Setting

South Asian and White British children with asthma took part in semi-structured interviews in Leicester, UK.

Participants

Thirty three South Asian and 14 White British children with asthma and aged 5–12 years were interviewed.

Results

Both similar and contrasting themes emerged from the semi-structured interviews. Interviews revealed considerable similarities in the experience of asthma between the South Asian and White British children, including the lack of understanding of asthma (often confusing trigger with cause), lack of holistic discussions with healthcare professionals (HCPs), an overall neutral or positive experience of interactions with HCPs, the role of the family in children’s self-management and the positive role of school and friends. Issues pertinent to South Asian children related to a higher likelihood of feeling embarrassed and attributing physical activity to being a trigger for asthma symptoms.

Conclusions

The two ethnicity-specific factors revealed by the interviews are significant in children’s self-management of asthma and therefore, indicate the need for a tailored intervention in South Asian children.
Changes in the type and amount of spending disclosed by Australian pharmaceutical companies: an observational study
Authors: Parker Lisa , Karanges Emily A , Bero Lisa
Published: February 2019

Objectives

To describe and quantify disclosed payments from the pharmaceutical industry to the healthcare sector, and to examine the impact of the 2015 changes to Australia’s self-regulated system of transparency.

Design

Observational database study.

Setting

Australia.

Participants

Publicly available reports submitted by members of Australian pharmaceutical industry trade organisations, Medicines Australia and the Generic and Biosimilar Medicines Association (GBMA) (October 2011–December 2017).

Exposure

Changes to transparency reporting requirements with the updates of pharmaceutical industry Codes of Conduct in 2015.

Main outcome measures

Elements of healthcare sector spending that members of industry organisations are required to publicly disclose; cumulative amount of disclosed spending (monthly average) in the year prior to and following the revision.

Results

There was a 34.1% reduction in disclosed spending from Medicines Australia member companies in the year after the 2015 changes to the Code of Conduct were introduced ($A89 658 566 in the preceding year, October 2014–September 2015; $A59 052 551 in the following year). The new Code allowed for reduced reporting of spending on food and beverages at events and for sponsored healthcare professionals. However, there was enhanced transparency around identification of individual health professionals receiving payments. GBMA member reporting totalled $A2 580 402 in the year prior to the revision, then ceased.

Conclusions

This study shows the limitations of a self-regulatory system around industry disclosure of spending. We advocate for robust regulatory systems, such as legislation, to promote mandatory long-lasting public transparency.
Safety and efficacy of 2% chlorhexidine gluconate aqueous versus 2% chlorhexidine gluconate in 70% isopropyl alcohol for skin disinfection prior to percutaneous central venous catheter insertion in preterm neonates: the ARCTIC randomised-controlled feasibility trial protocol
Authors: Clarke Paul , Craig Jean V , Wain John , Tremlett Catherine , Linsell Louise , Bowler Ursula , Juszczak Ed , Heath Paul T
Published: February 2019

Introduction

Catheter-related sepsis is one of the most dangerous complications of neonatal intensive care and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Use of catheter-care ‘bundles’ has reduced the incidence of catheter-related sepsis, although individual components have not been well studied. Better evidence is needed to guide selection of the most appropriate antiseptic solution for skin disinfection in preterm neonates. This study will inform the feasibility and design of the first randomised controlled trial to examine the safety and efficacy of alcohol-based versus aqueous-based chlorhexidine antiseptic formulations for skin disinfection prior to percutaneous central venous catheterisation in preterm neonates. The antiseptics to be compared are 2% chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) aqueous and 2% CHG in 70% isopropyl alcohol.

Methods and analysis

The Antiseptic Randomised Controlled Trial for Insertion of Catheters (ARCTIC) is a two-centre randomised-controlled feasibility trial. At least 100 preterm infants born at <34 weeks’ gestation and due to undergo percutaneous insertion of a central venous catheter will be randomly allocated to receive prior skin disinfection with one of the two antiseptic solutions. Outcomes include: i) recruitment and retention rates; ii) completeness of data collection; iii) numbers of enrolled infants meeting case definitions for definite catheter-related sepsis, catheter-associated sepsis and catheter colonisation and iv) safety outcomes of skin morbidity scores recorded daily from catheter insertion until 48 hours post removal. The key feasibility metrics will be reported as proportions with 95% CIs. Estimated prevalence of catheter colonisation will allow calculation of sample size for the large-scale trial. The data will inform whether it will be feasible to progress to a large-scale trial.

Ethics and dissemination

ARCTIC has been approved by the National Health Service Health Research Authority National Research Ethics Service Committee East of England (Cambridge South) (IRAS ID 163868), was adopted onto the National Institute of Health Research Clinical Research Network portfolio (CPMS ID 19899) and is registered with an International Standard Randomised Control Trials Number (ISRCTN: 82571474; Pre-results) and European Clinical Trials Database number 2015-000874-36. Dissemination plans include presentations at scientific conferences, scientific publications and sharing of the findings with parents via the support of Bliss baby charity.

Trial registration number

ISRCTN82571474; Pre-results.
Short Graphic Values History Tool for decision making during serious illness
Authors: You John J , Allatt Peter , Howard Michelle , Robinson Carole A , Simon Jessica , Sudore Rebecca , Tan Amy , Bernard Carrie , Swinton Marilyn , Jiang Xuran , Klein Doug , McKenzie Michael , Fyles Gillian , Heyland Daren Keith
Published: February 2019

Objectives

To develop and validate a values clarification tool, the Short Graphic Values History Tool (GVHT), designed to support person-centred decision making during serious illness.

Methods

The development phase included input from experts and laypersons and assessed acceptability with patients/family members. In the validation phase, we recruited additional participants into a before–after study. Our primary validation hypothesis was that the tool would reduce scores on the Decisional Conflict Scale (DCS) at 1–2 weeks of follow-up. Our secondary validation hypotheses were that the tool would improve values clarity (reduce scores) more than other DCS subscales and increase engagement in advance care planning (ACP) processes related to identification and discussion of one’s values.

Results

In the development phase, the tool received positive overall ratings from 22 patients/family members in hospital (mean score 4.3; 1=very poor; 5=very good) and family practice (mean score 4.5) settings. In the validation phase, we enrolled 157 patients (mean age 71.8 years) from family practice, cancer clinic and hospital settings. After tool completion, decisional conflict decreased (−6.7 points, 95% CI −11.1 to −2.3, p=0.003; 0–100 scale; N=100), with the most improvement seen in the values clarity subscale (−10.0 points, 95% CI −17.3 to −2.7, p=0.008; N=100), and the ACP-Values process score increased (+0.4 points, 95% CI 0.2 to 0.6, p=0.001; 1–5 scale; N=61).

Conclusions

The Short GVHT is acceptable to end users and has some measure of validity. Further study to evaluate its impact on decision making during serious illness is warranted.
Advance care plans in dementia: user-centred design
Authors: Harrison Dening Karen , Castle Emma , Scates Caroline , De Vries Kay
Published: February 2019

Objectives

Historically, dementia has not been recognised as a life-limiting condition or one that may benefit from a palliative approach to its care. There are many challenges in providing palliative and end-of-life care to this group of people, some of which may be reduced through advance care planning (ACP) to support people with dementia to have a greater influence on their care at end of life. ACP has been defined as a process of discussing and recording of wishes, values and preferences for future care and treatment held between an individual, family members and their care provider(s) that takes effect when the person loses capacity. The objective of this project was to involve people with dementia and their family carers in co-design of ACP guide and template to prepare for further study related to communication processes in ACP.

Methods

A user-centred design process cycle of development and review was undertaken by Dementia UK which involved people with dementia, family carers, Admiral Nurses and other key stakeholders in developing an ACP guide and template.

Results

Nine cyclical stages were undertaken to achieve the outcome of an ACP guide and template.

Conclusion

Co-production using a user-centred design approach offers a structured and inclusive approach to developing ACP materials.Authors:
Validation of the revised classification of cognitive and behavioural impairment in ALS
Authors: Iazzolino Barbara , Pain Debora , Peotta Laura , Calvo Andrea , Moglia Cristina , Canosa Antonio , Manera Umberto , Ilardi Antonio , Bombaci Alessandro , Zucchetti Jean Pierre , Mora Gabriele , Chio Adriano
Published: February 2019

Objective

In 2017, the diagnostic criteria for cognitive and behavioural impairment in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) with frontotemporal dementia (ALSFTD-1) have been modified (ALSFTD-2) with the inclusion of a novel category (ALS with combined cognitive and behavioural impairment, ALScbi) and with changes of operational criteria of the other categories (ALS with cognitive impairment (ALSci), ALS with behavioural impairment (ALSbi) and ALS with frontotemporal dementia (ALS-FTD)). We compared the two sets of criteria to assess the effect of the revised criteria on the cognitive classification of patients with ALS.

Methods

Two cohorts of patients with ALS were included in this study: a population-based cohort including patients identified through the Piemonte/Valle d’Aosta register for ALS in the 2014–2017 period (n=321), and a referral cohort recruited at the Turin ALS centre and at the ALS centre of the Maugeri Institute in Milan in the same period (n=205). Cognitive function was classified in blind by two neuropsychologists expert in ALS.

Results

ALSFTD-2 criteria determined a shift of about 15% of patients from their original category to a new one. In both cohorts, about 9% of patients were reclassified to the novel category ALScbi. Among patients previously classified as cognitively normal, 14 (4.3%, population-based cohort) and 19 (9.3%, referral cohort) were reclassified as ALSbi or ALSci. The median survival of the different categories was significantly different with both with sets of criteria.

Conclusions

The new ALSFTD-2 criteria, compared with the old ones, have positive effects on the clinical practice being more sensitive to the early cognitive impairment and having a better prognostic yield.
Re-treatment with abatacept plus methotrexate for disease flare after complete treatment withdrawal in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis: 2-year results from the AVERT study
Authors: Emery Paul , Burmester Gerd R , Bykerk Vivian P , Combe Bernard G , Furst Daniel E , Maldonado Michael A , Huizinga Tom WJ
Published: February 2019

Objectives

To complete reporting of outcomes after total withdrawal of all rheumatoid arthritis (RA) therapy and re-treatment after flare in Assessing﻿Very Early Rheumatoid arthritis Treatment study (NCT01142726).

Methods

Patients with early RA were initially randomised to double-blind, weekly subcutaneous abatacept plus methotrexate, or abatacept or methotrexate monotherapy. At month 12, patients with Disease Activity Score (DAS)28 C reactive protein (CRP) <3.2 had all RA treatments rapidly withdrawn and were observed for ≤12 months or until flare. After ≥3 months’ withdrawal, patients with protocol-defined RA flare received open-label abatacept plus methotrexate for 6 months (re-treatment).

Results 

Proportion of patients in DAS28-CRP–defined remission remained numerically higher in original abatacept plus methotrexate and abatacept arms versus methotrexate arm up to day 253 of withdrawal. At the end of the withdrawal period, few patients remained in remission across all arms: 9/73 (12.3%), 7/50 (14.0%) and 6/53 (11.3%), respectively. For patients entering re-treatment, after 6 months’ re-treatment, 95/124 (76.6%) and 78/124 (62.9%) patients achieved DAS28-CRP <3.2 and <2.6, respectively; mean changes in DAS28-CRP and Health Assessment Questionnaire–Disability Index scores from re-treatment baseline were –2.87 and 0.76, respectively. Re-treatment was well tolerated; exposure-adjusted infection rates per 100 patient-years were lower with abatacept plus methotrexate during withdrawal (7.2) and re-treatment (17.2) versus initial treatment periods of months 0–6 (116.6) and 6–12 (64.6).

Conclusions

Most patients flared within 6 months of therapy withdrawal and few sustained major responses for 1 year. Re-treatment with abatacept plus methotrexate was effective and well tolerated in this controlled setting.
Physician-based on-scene airway management in severely injured patients and in-hospital consequences: is the misplaced intubation an underestimated danger in trauma management?
Authors: Özkurtul Orkun , Struck Manuel F , Fakler Johannes , Bernhard Michael , Seinen Silja , Wrigge Hermann , Josten Christoph
Published: February 2019

Background

Endotracheal intubation (ETI) is the gold standard for the out-of-hospital emergency airway management in severely injured patients. Due to time-critical circumstances, poor patient presentation and hostile environments, it may be prone for mechanical complications and failure.

Methods

In a retrospective study (January 2011 to December 2013), all patients who underwent out-of-hospital ETI before admittance to a level 1 trauma center were analyzed consecutively. Patients with supraglottic airways, being under cardiopulmonary resuscitation and interfacility transports were excluded. The main study endpoint was the incidence of unrecognized tube malposition; secondary endpoints were Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) and in-hospital mortality adjusted to on-scene Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), Injury Severity Score (ISS), Abbreviated Injury Scale head (AIS head), and on-scene time.

Results

Out of 1176 patients, 151 underwent out-of-hospital ETI. At hospital admission, tube malpositions were recognized in nine patients (5.9%). Accidental and unrecognized esophageal intubation was detected in five patients (3.3%) and bronchial intubation in four patients (2.7%). Although ISS (p=0.053), AIS head (p=0.469), on-scene GCS (p=0.151), on-scene time (p=0.530), GOS (p=0.748) and in-hospital mortality (p=0.431) were similar compared with correctly positioned ETI tubes, three esophageal intubation patients died due to hypoxemic complications.

Discussion

In our study sample, out-of-hospital emergency ETI in severely injured patients was associated with a considerable tube misplacement rate. For safety, increased compliance to consequently use available technologies (eg, capnography, video laryngoscopy) for emergency ETI should be warranted.

Level of evidence

Level of Evidence IIA.
Multimodal treatment approach in a case of feline ventral abdominal angiosarcoma
Authors: Maldonado‐Moreno Alba , Blanchart Marta , Clemente‐Vicario Pachi , Gonzalez‐Gash Esteban , Feo‐Bernabe Luis
Published: February 2019

A 14‐year‐old male neutered domestic shorthair cat presented for a recurrent angiosarcoma. Previously, the mass was incompletely resected twice at the referring practice with subsequent dehiscence and recurrence. The lesion was re‐excised with dirty margins and the cat was treated with courses of adjunct chemotherapy (doxorubicin and toceranib) until progression of the angiosarcoma was noted four months after surgery. A fourth surgery was performed, resecting the mass en bloc with 2 cm margins and one fascial plane, achieving clean margins. Doxorubicin was resumed postoperatively, but nine weeks later another inguinal mass developed. Electrochemotherapy with intravenous bleomycin was elected as a rescue treatment, which resulted in complete response for three months. One month later, the patient presented with anaemia, tachycardia, tachypnoea and hypothermia. Staging revealed renal and pulmonary nodules. Due to declining quality of life and progressive disease, the owners elected euthanasia, at which time the cat had survived 13 months following initial diagnosis.
Idiopathic eosinophilic polysynovitis in a dog
Authors: Birckhead Alice , Combs Martin , Croser Emma , Jermyn Kieri
Published: February 2019

This case report describes the clinical presentation, diagnosis and management of marked eosinophilic polysynovitis in a five‐year‐old male neutered kelpie dog. The dog was referred following a three‐month history of multifocal lameness and intermittent fever that was unresponsive to NSAIDs or antibiotics. Marked eosinophilic inflammation of multiple joints was documented on synovial fluid analysis. No inciting agent was identified despite extensive diagnostic testing including serology for toxoplasmosis, antinuclear antibody, rheumatoid factor, heartworm antigen, urinalysis and faecal float. The dog responded well to immunosuppressive doses of prednisolone therapy, which was tapered and discontinued after eight months. Follow‐up arthrocentesis revealed the eosinophilic polysynovitis had resolved.
Elucidation of the mechanism and energy barrier for anesthetic triggered membrane fusion in model membranes
Authors: Nguyen Trinh T. , Cramb David T.
Published: February 2019

Membrane fusion is vital for cellular function and is generally mediated via fusogenic proteins and peptides. The mechanistic details and subsequently the transition state dynamics of membrane fusion will be dependent on the type of the fusogenic agent. We have previously established the potential of general anesthetics as a new class of fusion triggering agents in model membranes. We employed two-photon excitation fluorescence cross-correlation spectroscopy (TPE-FCCS) to report on vesicle association kinetics and steady-state fluorescence dequenching assays to monitor lipid mixing kinetics. Using halothane to trigger fusion in 110 nm diameter dioleoylphosphatidylcholine (DOPC) liposomes, we found that lipid rearrangement towards the formation of the fusion stalk was rate limiting. The activation barrier for halothane induced membrane fusion in 110 nm vesicles was found to be ∼40 kJ mol−1. We calculated the enthalpy and entropy of the transition state to be ∼40 kJ mol−1and ∼180 J mol−1K−1, respectively. We have found that the addition of halothane effectively lowers the energy barrier for membrane fusion in less curved vesicles largely due to entropic advantages.
Bogoliubov corrections and trace norm convergence for the Hartree dynamics
Authors: Mitrouskas David , Petrat Sören , Pickl Peter
Published: February 2019

We consider the dynamics of a large number [Formula: see text] of nonrelativistic bosons in the mean field limit for a class of interaction potentials that includes Coulomb interaction. In order to describe the fluctuations around the mean field Hartree state, we introduce an auxiliary Hamiltonian on the [Formula: see text]-particle space that is similar to the one obtained from Bogoliubov theory. We show convergence of the auxiliary time evolution to the fully interacting dynamics in the norm of the [Formula: see text]-particle space. This result allows us to prove several other results: convergence of reduced density matrices in trace norm with optimal rate, convergence in energy trace norm, and convergence to a time evolution obtained from the Bogoliubov Hamiltonian on Fock space with expected optimal rate. We thus extend and quantify several previous results, e.g., by providing the physically important convergence rates, including time-dependent external fields and singular interactions, and allowing for more general initial states, e.g., those that are expected to be ground states of interacting systems.
Global generalized solutions to a multi-dimensional doubly tactic resource consumption model accounting for social interactions
Authors: Winkler Michael
Published: February 2019

This work is concerned with a prototypical model for the spatio-temporal evolution of a forager–exploiter system, consisting of two species which simultaneously consume a common nutrient, and which interact through a taxis-type mechanism according to which individuals from the exploiter subpopulation move upward density gradients of the forager subgroup. Specifically, the model [Formula: see text] for the population densities [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] of foragers and exploiters, as well as the nutrient concentration [Formula: see text], is considered in smoothly bounded domains [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text]. It is first shown that under an explicit condition linking the sizes of the resource production rate [Formula: see text] and of the initial nutrient concentration, an associated Neumann-type initial-boundary value problem admits a global solution within an appropriate generalized concept. The second of the main results asserts stabilization of these solutions toward spatially homogeneous equilibria in the large time limit, provided that [Formula: see text] satisfies a mild assumption on temporal decay. To the best of our knowledge, these are the first rigorous analytical results addressing taxis-type cross-diffusion mechanisms coupled in a cascade-like manner as in (⋆).
EFFECT OF Y2O3 ON MICROSTRUCTURES AND WEAR RESISTANCE OF TiC REINFORCED Ti-Al-Si COATING BY LASER CLADDING ON TC4 ALLOY
Authors: ZHANG H. X. , DAI J. J. , MA Z. W. , WANG X. Y. , ZHANG N. L.
Published: February 2019

In this paper, TiC reinforced composite coatings were fabricated on TC4 alloy by laser cladding Ti,Al,Si, TiC and Y2O3 mixed powders. Microstructures and properties of the clad coatings with and without Y2O3 were discussed by comparative experiments. SEM, XRD and EDS were employed to discover the microstructures and the composition of phases. The hardness and wear resistance of the coatings were tested by the MM200 wear test machine and a HV-1000 digital hardness tester, respectively. The results showed that the coating was majorly composed of Ti5Si3, Ti7Al5[Formula: see text], Ti3AlC2, Ti3Al, Al3Ti, TiAl and Y2O3. The dilution zone exhibited a metallurgical bonding without pores and cracks. Compared with the TC4 substrate, the hardness and wear resistance of the coatings were heightened by 5–6 and 4.5–5.8 times, respectively. With 2.0[Formula: see text]wt.% Y2O3 addition, the microstructure of the coating was refined significantly, and the microhardness and dry sliding wear resistance were enhanced further. The effects of Y2O3 were attributed to heterogeneous nucleation of the residual Y2O3.
POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL-FUNCTIONALIZED MAGNETIC (Fe3O4) NANOPARTICLES: A GOOD METHOD FOR A SUCCESSFUL ANTIBACTERIAL THERAPEUTIC AGENT VIA DAMAGE DNA MOLECULE
Authors: KADHIM WALEED K. ABDUL , NAYEF UDAY M. , JABIR MAJID S.
Published: February 2019

Magnetite (Fe3O4) nanoparticles (MPs) capped with polyethylene glycol (PEG) were prepared by a hydrothermal method, and their antibacterial activity was examined against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Psudomonas aeruginosa. The functionalized NPs were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and Thermogravimetry (TG). The average size of the Fe3O4 was in the range 9–20[Formula: see text]nm, while the functionalized PEG–Fe3O4 had an average size of 5–15[Formula: see text]nm. The PEG–Fe3O4 exhibited superparamagnetism and high saturation magnetization at room temperature. The antibacterial activity of the Fe3O4 and PEG–Fe3O4 were evaluated against E. coli, S. aureus, and P. aeruginosa using the agar well diffusion method. The changes in the morphology of the studied bacterial species were observed via SEM, while the mode of action of the studied agents was determined via the detection of reactive oxygen species (ROS) using Acridine orange-ethidium bromide (AO/EtBr) staining method. The results showed that PEG-functionalized magnetic (Fe3O4) NPs as a novel DNA-mediated antibacterial agent. The PEG–Fe3O4 NPs were observed to destroy the bacterial cells by permeating the bacterial nucleic acid and cytoplasmic membrane, resulting in the loss of cell-wall integrity, nucleic acid damage, and increased cell-wall permeability. The PEG–Fe3O4 NPs could serve as a potential antibacterial agent in future biomedical and pharmaceutical applications.
Dark field Z-scan microscopic configuration for nonlinear optical measurements: Numerical study
Authors: Chis Mihaela , Wang Hongzhen , Cassagne Christophe , Ciret Charles , Boudebs Georges
Published: February 2019

This study deals with numerical simulations to optimize the parameters of the Dark Filed Z-scan (DFZ-scan) in a microscopic configuration for third-order nonlinear (NL) refraction measurements into thin films. The method allows dynamic, transparent, nonlinear phase shifts to be clearly visible. The simulations of such images are obtained for very low-induced refractive indices. Darkfield illumination requires blocking out of the central light which ordinarily passes through and around (surrounding) the NL specimen. A table to approximate circular aperture stop size versus magnification will be given depending on the focusing lens into the tested material.
Mechanical analogies for nonlinear light beams in nonlocal nematic liquid crystals
Authors: Assanto Gaetano , Panayotaros Panayotis , Smyth Noel F.
Published: February 2019

The equations governing nonlinear light beam propagation in nematic liquid crystals form a [Formula: see text]-dimensional system consisting of a nonlinear Schrödinger-type equation for the electric field of the wavepacket and an elliptic equation for the reorientational response of the medium. The latter is “nonlocal” in the sense that it is much wider than the size of the beam. Due to these nonlocal, nonlinear features, there are no known general solutions of the nematic equations; hence, approximate methods have been found convenient to analyze nonlinear beam propagation in such media, particularly the approximation of solitary waves as mechanical particles moving in a potential. We review the use of dynamical equations to analyze solitary wave propagation in nematic liquid crystals through a number of examples involving their trajectory control, including comparisons with experimental results from the literature. Finally, we make a few general remarks on the existence and stability of optically self-localized solutions of the nematic equations.
On a question of D. Rees on classical integral closure and integral closure relative to an Artinian module
Authors: Jorge Pérez V. H. , Merighe L. C.
Published: February 2019

Let [Formula: see text] be a commutative Noetherian complete local ring and [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] ideals of [Formula: see text]. Motivated by a question of Rees, we study the relationship between [Formula: see text], the classical Northcott–Rees integral closure of [Formula: see text], and [Formula: see text], the integral closure of [Formula: see text] relative to an Artinian [Formula: see text]-module [Formula: see text] (also called here ST-closure of [Formula: see text] on [Formula: see text]), in order to study a relation between [Formula: see text], the multiplicity of [Formula: see text], and [Formula: see text], the multiplicity of [Formula: see text] relative to an Artinian [Formula: see text]-module [Formula: see text]. We conclude [Formula: see text] when every minimal prime ideal of [Formula: see text] belongs to the set of attached primes of [Formula: see text]. As an application, we show what happens when [Formula: see text] is a generalized local cohomology module.
Lattices of subspaces of vector spaces with orthogonality
Authors: Chajda Ivan , Länger Helmut
Published: February 2019

It is well known that the lattice of subspaces of a vector space over a field is modular. We investigate under which conditions this lattice is orthocomplemented with respect to the orthogonality operation. Using this operation, we define closed subspaces of a vector space and study the lattice of these subspaces. In particular, we investigate when this lattice is modular or orthocomplemented. Finally, we introduce splitting subspaces as special closed subspaces and we prove that the poset of splitting subspaces and the poset of projections are isomorphic orthomodular posets. The vector spaces under consideration are of arbitrary dimension and over arbitrary fields.
CONVOLUTIONAL LONG-SHORT TERM MEMORY NETWORKS MODEL FOR LONG DURATION EEG SIGNAL CLASSIFICATION
Authors: BALOGLU ULAS BARAN , YILDIRIM ÖZAL
Published: February 2019

Background and objective: Deep learning structures have recently achieved remarkable success in the field of machine learning. Convolutional neural networks (CNN) in image processing and long-short term memory (LSTM) in the time-series analysis are commonly used deep learning algorithms. Healthcare applications of deep learning algorithms provide important contributions for computer-aided diagnosis research. In this study, convolutional long-short term memory (CLSTM) network was used for automatic classification of EEG signals and automatic seizure detection.

Methods: A new nine-layer deep network model consisting of convolutional and LSTM layers was designed. The signals processed in the convolutional layers were given as an input to the LSTM network whose outputs were processed in densely connected neural network layers. The EEG data is appropriate for a model having 1-D convolution layers. A bidirectional model was employed in the LSTM layer.

Results: Bonn University EEG database with five different datasets was used for experimental studies. In this database, each dataset contains 23.6[Formula: see text]s duration 100 single channel EEG segments which consist of 4097 dimensional samples (173.61[Formula: see text]Hz). Eight two-class and three three-class clinical scenarios were examined. When the experimental results were evaluated, it was seen that the proposed model had high accuracy on both binary and ternary classification tasks.

Conclusions: The proposed end-to-end learning structure showed a good performance without using any hand-crafted feature extraction or shallow classifiers to detect the seizures. The model does not require filtering, and also automatically learns to filter the input as well. As a result, the proposed model can process long duration EEG signals without applying segmentation, and can detect epileptic seizures automatically by using the correlation of ictal and interictal signals of raw data.
Photocatalytic degradation as Davidson–Cole relaxation in time domain
Authors: WANG C. L.
Published: February 2019

Photocatalytic degradation processes of different materials are fitted with Mittag-Leffler function and incomplete gamma function, which are response functions for Cole–Cole relaxation and Davidson–Cole relaxation. The fitting results show that both functions can fit experimental data fairly well. The order of derivative in the kinetic differential equations can be either less, or greater than one. In the case of the order of derivative is greater than one, only incomplete gamma function is reasonable for describing the photocatalytic degradation. This work further confirms the existence of the universality in photocatalytic degradation kinetics.
Combining Multiple Optimized FPGA-based Pulsar Search Modules Using OpenCL
Authors: Wang Haomiao , Thiagaraj Prabu , Sinnen Oliver
Published: February 2019

Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) are widely used in the central signal processing design of the Square Kilometer Array (SKA) as hardware accelerators. The frequency domain acceleration search (FDAS) module is an important part of the SKA1-MID pulsar search engine. To develop for a yet to be finalized hardware, for cross-discipline interoperability and to achieve fast prototyping, OpenCL as a high-level FPGA synthesis approaches employed to create the sub-modules of FDAS. The FT convolution and the harmonic-summing plus some other minor sub-modules are elements in the FDAS module that have been well-optimized separately before. In this paper, we explore the design space of combining well-optimized designs, dealing with the ensuing need to trade-off and compromise. Pipeline computing is employed to handle multiple input arrays at high speed. The hardware target is to employ multiple high-end FPGAs to process the combined FDAS module. The results show interesting consequences, where the best individual solutions are not necessarily the best solutions for the speed of a pipeline where FPGA resources and memory bandwidth need to be shared. By proposing multiple buffering techniques to the pipeline, the combined FDAS module can achieve up to 2[Formula: see text] speedup over implementations without pipeline computing. We perform an extensive experimental evaluation on multiple high-end FPGA cards hosted in a workstation and compare to a technology comparable mid-range GPU.
Multitask Pointer Network for Korean Dependency Parsing
Authors: Jung Sangkeun , Park Cheon-Eum , Lee Changki
Published: February 2019

Dependency parsing is a fundamental problem in natural language processing. We introduce a novel dependency-parsing framework called
head-pointing--based dependency parsing
. In this framework, we cast the Korean dependency parsing problem as a statistical head-pointing and arc-labeling problem. To address this problem, a novel neural network called the
multitask pointer network
is devised for a neural sequential head-pointing and type-labeling architecture. Our approach does not require any handcrafted features or language-specific rules to parse dependency. Furthermore, it achieves state-of-the-art performance for Korean dependency parsing.
Why Are DNA and Protein Electron Transfer So Different?
Authors: Beratan David N.
Published: February 2019

The corpus of electron transfer (ET) theory provides considerable power to describe the kinetics and dynamics of electron flow at the nanoscale. How is it, then, that nucleic acid (NA) ET continues to surprise, while protein-mediated ET is relatively free of mechanistic bombshells? I suggest that this difference originates in the distinct electronic energy landscapes for the two classes of reactions. In proteins, the donor/acceptor-to-bridge energy gap is typically several-fold larger than in NAs. NA ET can access tunneling, hopping, and resonant transport among the bases, and fluctuations can enable switching among mechanisms; protein ET is restricted to tunneling among redox active cofactors and, under strongly oxidizing conditions, a few privileged amino acid side chains. This review aims to provide conceptual unity to DNA and protein ET reaction mechanisms. The establishment of a unified mechanistic framework enabled the successful design of NA experiments that switch electronic coherence effects on and off for ET processes on a length scale of multiple nanometers and promises to provide inroads to directing and detecting charge flow in soft-wet matter.
TRPA1 channel contributes to myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury
Authors: Conklin Daniel J. , Guo Yiru , Nystoriak Matthew A. , Jagatheesan Ganapathy , Obal Detlef , Kilfoil Peter J. , Hoetker Joseph David , Guo Luping , Bolli Roberto , Bhatnagar Aruni
Published: February 2019

Myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) results in the generation of free radicals, accumulation of lipid peroxidation-derived unsaturated aldehydes, variable angina (pain), and infarction. The transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1) mediates pain signaling and is activated by unsaturated aldehydes, including acrolein and 4-hydroxynonenal. The contribution of TRPA1 (a Ca2+-permeable channel) to I/R-induced myocardial injury is unknown. We tested the hypothesis that cardiac TRPA1 confers myocyte sensitivity to aldehyde accumulation and promotes I/R injury. Although basal cardiovascular function in TRPA1-null mice was similar to that in wild-type (WT) mice, infarct size was significantly smaller in TRPA1-null mice than in WT mice (34.1 ± 9.3 vs. 14.3 ± 9.9% of the risk region, n = 8 and 7, respectively, P < 0.05), despite a similar I/R-induced area at risk (40.3 ±8.4% and 42.2 ± 11.3% for WT and TRPA1-null mice, respectively) after myocardial I/R (30 min of ischemia followed by 24 h of reperfusion) in situ. Positive TRPA1 immunofluorescence was present in murine and human hearts and was colocalized with connexin43 at intercalated disks in isolated murine cardiomyocytes. Cardiomyocyte TRPA1 was confirmed by quantitative RT-PCR, DNA sequencing, Western blot analysis, and electrophysiology. A role of TRPA1 in cardiomyocyte toxicity was demonstrated in isolated cardiomyocytes exposed to acrolein, an I/R-associated toxin that induces Ca2+ accumulation and hypercontraction, effects significantly blunted by HC-030031, a TRPA1 antagonist. Protection induced by HC-030031 was quantitatively equivalent to that induced by SN-6, a Na+/Ca2+ exchange inhibitor, further supporting a role of Ca2+ overload in acrolein-induced cardiomyocyte toxicity. These data indicate that cardiac TRPA1 activation likely contributes to I/R injury and, thus, that TRPA1 may be a novel therapeutic target for decreasing myocardial I/R injury.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY Transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1) activation mediates increased blood flow, edema, and pain reception, yet its role in myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury is unknown. Genetic ablation of TRPA1 significantly decreased myocardial infarction after I/R in mice. Functional TRPA1 in cardiomyocytes was enriched in intercalated disks and contributed to acrolein-induced Ca2+ overload and hypercontraction. These data indicate that I/R activation of TRPA1 worsens myocardial infarction; TRPA1 may be a potential target to mitigate I/R injury.
Energy-Efficient Broadcast Scheduling Algorithm in Duty-Cycled Multihop Wireless Networks
Authors: Chen Quan , Wang Tao , Cheng Lianglun , Tao Yongchao , Gao Hong
Published: February 2019

Broadcasting is a fundamental function for disseminating messages in multihop wireless networks. Minimum-Transmission Broadcasting (MTB) problem aims to find a broadcast schedule with minimum number of transmissions. Previous works on MTB in duty-cycled networks exploit a rigid assumption that nodes have only active time slot per working cycle. In this paper, we investigated the MTB problem in duty-cycled networks where nodes are allowed arbitrary active time slots per working cycle (MTBDCA problem). Firstly, it is proved to be NP-hard and o(ln⁡Δ)-inapproximable, where Δ is the maximum degree in the network. Secondly, an auxiliary graph is proposed to integrate nodes’ active time slots into the network and a novel covering problem is proposed to exploit nodes’ multiple active time slots for scheduling. Then, a ln⁡(Δ+1)-approximation algorithm is proposed for MTBDCA and a (ln⁡(Δ+1)+Δ)-approximation algorithm is proposed for all-to-all MTBDCA. Finally, extensive experimental results demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed algorithm.
Tumor Suppressor miRNA-204-5p Regulates Growth, Metastasis, and Immune Microenvironment Remodeling in Breast Cancer
Authors: Hong Bok Sil , Ryu Han Suk , Kim Namshin , Kim Jisun , Lee Eunshin , Moon Hyunhye , Kim Kyoung Hyoun , Jin Min-Sun , Kwon Nam Hoon , Kim Sunghoon , Kim Donghyun , Chung Doo Hyun , Jeong Kyeonghun , Kim Kwangsoo , Kim Ki Yoon , Lee Han-Byoel , Han Wonshik , Yun Jihui , Kim Jong-Il , Noh Dong-Young , Moon Hyeong-Gon
Published: February 2019

Various miRNAs play critical roles in the development and progression of solid tumors. In this study, we describe the role of miR-204-5p in limiting growth and progression of breast cancer. In breast cancer tissues, miR-204-5p was significantly downregulated compared with normal breast tissues, and its expression levels were associated with increased survival outcome in patients with breast cancer. Overexpression of miR-204-5p inhibited viability, proliferation, and migration capacity in human and murine breast cancer cells. In addition, miR-204-5p overexpression resulted in a significant alteration in metabolic properties of cancer cells and suppression of tumor growth and metastasis in mouse breast cancer models. The association between miR-204-5p expression and clinical outcomes of patients with breast cancer showed a nonlinear pattern that was reproduced in experimental assays of cancer cell behavior and metastatic capacities. Transcriptome and proteomic analysis revealed that various cancer-related pathways including PI3K/Akt and tumor–immune interactions were significantly associated with miR-204-5p expression. PIK3CB, a major regulator of PI3K/Akt pathway, was a direct target for miR-204-5p, and the association between PIK3CB-related PI3K/Akt signaling and miR-204-5p was most evident in the basal subtype. The sensitivity of breast cancer cells to various anticancer drugs including PIK3CB inhibitors was significantly affected by miR-204-5p expression. In addition, miR-204-5p regulated expression of key cytokines in tumor cells and reprogrammed the immune microenvironment by shifting myeloid and lymphocyte populations. These data demonstrate both cell-autonomous and non-cell–autonomous impacts of tumor suppressor miR-204-5p in breast cancer progression and metastasis.

Significance:

This study demonstrates that regulation of PI3K/Akt signaling by miR-204-5p suppresses tumor metastasis and immune cell reprogramming in breast cancer.
Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition Is a Mechanism of ALK Inhibitor Resistance in Lung Cancer Independent of ALK Mutation Status
Authors: Fukuda Koji , Takeuchi Shinji , Arai Sachiko , Katayama Ryohei , Nanjo Shigeki , Tanimoto Azusa , Nishiyama Akihiro , Nakagawa Takayuki , Taniguchi Hirokazu , Suzuki Takeshi , Yamada Tadaaki , Nishihara Hiroshi , Ninomiya Hironori , Ishikawa Yuichi , Baba Satoko , Takeuchi Kengo , Horiike Atsushi , Yanagitani Noriko , Nishio Makoto , Yano Seiji
Published: February 2019

Mutations in the ALK gene are detectable in approximately 40% of ALK-rearranged lung cancers resistant to ALK inhibitors. Although epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a mechanism of resistance to various targeted drugs, its involvement in ALK inhibitor resistance is largely unknown. In this study, we report that both ALK-mutant L1196M and EMT were concomitantly detected in a single crizotinib-resistant lesion in a patient with ALK-rearranged lung cancer. Digital PCR analyses combined with microdissection after IHC staining for EMT markers revealed that ALK L1196M was predominantly detected in epithelial-type tumor cells, indicating that mesenchymal phenotype and ALK mutation can coexist as independent mechanisms underlying ALK inhibitor–resistant cancers. Preclinical experiments with crizotinib-resistant lung cancer cells showed that EMT associated with decreased expression of miR-200c and increased expression of ZEB1 caused cross-resistance to new-generation ALK inhibitors alectinib, ceritinib, and lorlatinib. Pretreatment with the histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor quisinostat overcame this resistance by reverting EMT in vitro and in vivo. These findings indicate that HDAC inhibitor pretreatment followed by a new ALK inhibitor may be useful to circumvent resistance constituted by coexistence of resistance mutations and EMT in the heterogeneous tumor.

Significance:

These findings show that dual inhibition of HDAC and ALK receptor tyrosine kinase activities provides a means to circumvent crizotinib resistance in lung cancer.