bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Observer-Based Deconvolution of Deterministic Input in Coprime Multichannel Systems With Its Application to Noninvasive Central Blood Pressure Monitoring
Authors: Ghasemi Zahra , Jeon Woongsun , Kim Chang-Sei , Gupta Anuj , Rajamani Rajesh , Hahn Jin-Oh
Published: April 2020

Estimating central aortic blood pressure (BP) is important for cardiovascular (CV) health and risk prediction purposes. CV system is a multichannel dynamical system that yields multiple BPs at various body sites in response to central aortic BP. This paper concerns the development and analysis of an observer-based approach to deconvolution of unknown input in a class of coprime multichannel systems applicable to noninvasive estimation of central aortic BP. A multichannel system yields multiple outputs in response to a common input. Hence, the relationship between any pair of two outputs constitutes a hypothetical input–output system with unknown input embedded as a state. The central idea underlying our approach is to derive the unknown input by designing an observer for the hypothetical input–output system. In this paper, we developed an unknown input observer (UIO) for input deconvolution in coprime multichannel systems. We provided a universal design algorithm as well as meaningful physical insights and inherent performance limitations associated with the algorithm. The validity and potential of our approach were illustrated using a case study of estimating central aortic BP waveform from two noninvasively acquired peripheral arterial pulse waveforms. The UIO could reduce the root-mean-squared error (RMSE) associated with the central aortic BP by up to 27.5% and 28.8% against conventional inverse filtering (IF) and peripheral arterial pulse scaling techniques.
Atomic layer deposition of a uniform thin film on two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides
Authors: Nam Taewook , Seo Seunggi , Kim Hyungjun
Published: April 2020

Two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides (2D TMDs) is one of the promising materials for future electronics since they have, not only superior characteristics, but also a versatility that conventional materials do not have with a few nanometer thickness. One of the prerequisites for applying these materials to device fabrication is to deposit an ultrathin film below 10 nm with excellent uniformity. However, TMD has quite a different surface chemistry and is fragile to external conditions compared to conventional materials. Thus, thin film deposition on 2D TMD with excellent uniformity using conventional deposition techniques is quite challenging. Currently, the most adequate deposition technique for sub-10 nm-thick film growth is atomic layer deposition (ALD). A thin film is formed on the surface by the reaction between chemical and surface species based on the self-limiting growth manner. Owing to its unique and superior growth characteristics, such as excellent uniformity and conformality, ALD is an essential deposition technique for nanoscale device fabrication. However, since 2D TMD has a lack of reaction sites on the surface, various studies have reported that ALD on 2D TMDs surfaces without any treatment showed an island growth mode or formation of clusters rather than continuous films. For this reason, recent studies have been focused on the deposition of an ultrathin film on 2D TMDs with excellent uniformity. For a decade, there have been various approaches to obtain uniform films on 2D TMDs using ALD. Among them, the authors focus on the most frequently researched methods and adsorption control of chemical species by modifying the process parameters or functionalization of new chemical species that can assist adsorption on the chemically inert 2D TMD surface. In this review, the overall research progress of ALD on 2D TMD will be discussed which would, in turn, open up new horizons in future nanoelectronics fabrication using 2D TMDs.
Cognitive mechanisms underpinning successful perception of different speech distortions
Authors: Kennedy-Higgins Dan , Devlin Joseph T. , Adank Patti
Published: April 2020

Few studies thus far have investigated whether perception of distorted speech is consistent across different types of distortion. This study investigated whether participants show a consistent perceptual profile across three speech distortions: time-compressed, noise-vocoded, and speech in noise. Additionally, this study investigated whether/how individual differences in performance on a battery of audiological and cognitive tasks links to perception. Eighty-eight participants completed a speeded sentence-verification task with increases in accuracy and reductions in response times used to indicate performance. Audiological and cognitive task measures include pure tone audiometry, speech recognition threshold, working memory, vocabulary knowledge, attention switching, and pattern analysis. Despite previous studies suggesting that temporal and spectral/environmental perception require different lexical or phonological mechanisms, this study shows significant positive correlations in accuracy and response time performance across all distortions. Results of a principal component analysis and multiple linear regressions suggest that a component based on vocabulary knowledge and working memory predicted performance in the speech in quiet, time-compressed and speech in noise conditions. These results suggest that listeners employ a similar cognitive strategy to perceive different temporal and spectral/environmental speech distortions and that this mechanism is supported by vocabulary knowledge and working memory.
Effects of a deep-sea mining experiment on seafloor microbial communities and functions after 26 years
Authors: Vonnahme T. R. , Molari M. , Janssen F. , Wenzhöfer F. , Haeckel M. , Titschack J. , Boetius A.
Published: April 2020

Simulated deep-sea mining disturbs the sediment integrity and reduces microbial cell numbers and activities after 26 years.
Cellular backpacks for macrophage immunotherapy
Authors: Shields C. Wyatt , Evans Michael A. , Wang Lily Li-Wen , Baugh Neil , Iyer Siddharth , Wu Debra , Zhao Zongmin , Pusuluri Anusha , Ukidve Anvay , Pan Daniel C. , Mitragotri Samir
Published: April 2020

Backpacks enable a new strategy to control cellular phenotypes in vivo by attaching to macrophages and guiding their phenotypes.
CDK12 inhibition reduces abnormalities in cells from patients with myotonic dystrophy and in a mouse model
Authors: Ketley Ami , Wojciechowska Marzena , Ghidelli-Disse Sonja , Bamborough Paul , Ghosh Tushar K. , Morato Marta Lopez , Sedehizadeh Saam , Malik Naveed Altaf , Tang Zhenzhi , Powalowska Paulina , Tanner Matthew , Billeter-Clark Rudolf , Trueman Rebecca C. , Geiszler Philippine C. , Agostini Alessandra , Othman Othman , Bösche Markus , Bantscheff Marcus , Rüdiger Martin , Mossakowska Danuta E. , Drewry David H. , Zuercher William J. , Thornton Charles A. , Drewes Gerard , Uings Iain , Hayes Christopher J. , Brook J. David
Published: April 2020

CDK12 inhibition reduces mutant transcripts and nuclear foci in DM1 cells and produces splicing correction and phenotypic benefit in a mouse model.
Glucose and the brain: A new target in diabetes
Authors: Vellanki Priyathama
Published: April 2020

Central insulin-independent modulation of K
ATP
channels by hyperglycemia decreases glucose production by the liver.
Chicken Intestinal Mycobiome: Initial Characterization and Its Response to Bacitracin Methylene Disalicylate
Authors: Robinson Kelsy , Xiao Yingping , Johnson Timothy J. , Chen Binlong , Yang Qing , Lyu Wentao , Wang Jing , Fansler Nicole , Becker Sage , Liu Jing , Yang Hua , Zhang Guolong
Published: April 2020

The intestinal microbiota is critical to host physiology, metabolism, and health. However, the fungal community has been often overlooked. Recent studies in humans have highlighted the importance of the mycobiota in obesity and disease, making it imperative that we increase our understanding of the fungal community. The significance of this study is that we revealed the spatial and temporal changes of the mycobiota in the GI tract of the chicken, a nonmammalian species. To our surprise, the chicken intestinal mycobiota is dominated by a limited number of fungal species, in contrast to the presence of hundreds of bacterial taxa in the bacteriome. Additionally, the chicken intestinal fungal community is more diverse in the upper than the lower GI tract, while the bacterial community shows an opposite pattern. Collectively, this study lays an important foundation for future work on the chicken intestinal mycobiome and its possible manipulation to enhance animal performance and disease resistance.
The Effect of Spring Water Geochemistry on Copper Proteins in Tengchong Hot Springs, China
Authors: Srivastava Shreya , Dong Hailiang , Briggs Brandon R.
Published: April 2020

Copper is present in a variety of proteins and is required to carry out essential functions by all organisms. However, in hot spring environments, copper availability may be limited due to the high temperatures and the wide range in pH. The significance of our research is in relating the physicochemical environment to the distribution of copper proteins across hot spring environments, which provides increased understanding of primary functions and adaptions in these environments.
Complete Genome Sequence of Brucella abortus Phage EF4, Determined Using Long-Read Sequencing
Authors: Cicha Calvin , Hedges Jodi , Novak Ian , Snyder Deann , Jutila Mark , Wiedenheft Blake
Published: April 2020

Brucellaphage EF4 was isolated from elk feces. The 38,321-bp double-stranded DNA genome is predicted to contain 72 coding regions, 38 of which have been assigned predicted functions. This phage displays nucleotide similarity to other brucellaphages of the genus
Perisivirus
.
Elevation gaps in fluvial sandbar deposition and their implications for paleodepth estimation
Authors: Alexander Jason S. , McElroy Brandon J. , Huzurbazar Snehalata , Murr Marissa L.
Published: April 2020

Accurate estimation of paleo–streamflow depth from outcrop is important for estimation of channel slopes, water discharges, sediment fluxes, and basin sizes of ancient river systems. Bar-scale inclined strata deposited from slipface avalanching on fluvial bar margins are assumed to be indicators of paleodepth insofar as their thickness approaches but does not exceed formative flow depths. We employed a unique, large data set from a prolonged bank-filling flood in the sandy, braided Missouri River (USA) to examine scaling between slipface height and measures of river depth during the flood. The analyses demonstrated that the most frequent slipface height observations underestimate study-reach mean flow depth at peak stage by a factor of 3, but maximum values are approximately equal to mean flow depth. At least 70% of the error is accounted for by the difference between slipface base elevation and mean bed elevation, while the difference between crest elevation and water surface accounts for ∼30%. Our analysis provides a scaling for bar-scale inclined strata formed by avalanching and suggests risk of systematic bias in paleodepth estimation if mean thickness measurements of these deposits are equated to mean bankfull depth.
Multiple veining in a paleo–accretionary wedge: The metamorphic rock record of prograde dehydration and transient high pore-fluid pressures along the subduction interface (Western Series, central Chile)
Authors: Muñoz-Montecinos Jesús , Angiboust Samuel , Cambeses Aitor , García-Casco Antonio
Published: April 2020

High pressure–low temperature metamorphic rocks from the late Paleozoic accretionary wedge exposed in central Chile (Pichilemu region) are characterized by a greenschist-blueschist lithological association with interbedded metasediments that reached peak burial conditions of ∼400 °C and 0.8 GPa during late Carboniferous times. We herein combine new extensive field observations, structural measurements, and geochemical and petrological data on vein and matrix material from Pichilemu transitional greenschist-blueschist facies rocks. The studied veins were first filled by albite, followed by quartz and calcite as well as glaucophane and winchite. Field, structural, and microscopic zoning patterns show that these rocks underwent a protracted sequence of prograde vein-opening events, which have been largely transposed to the main foliation before and during underplating in the basal accretion site near 25–30 km depth. While some of the earliest albite-filled vein sets may have formed after prograde breakdown of sub–greenschist facies minerals (<250 °C), our thermodynamic modeling shows that relatively minor amounts of fluid are produced in the subducted pile by dehydration reactions between 250 and 400 °C along the estimated geothermal gradient. It also confirms that the formation of interlayered blueschist and greenschist layers in Pichilemu metavolcanics is a consequence of local bulk composition variations, and that greenschists are generally not formed due to selective exhumation-related retrogression of blueschists. The early vein sets are a consequence of prograde internal fluid production followed by sets of hydrofractures formed at near-peak burial that are interpreted as a record of external fluid influx. We postulate that such a fractured sequence represents a close analogue to the high-Vp/Vs regions documented by seismological studies within the base of the seismogenic zone in active subduction settings.
Pregnancy outcomes in women with onset of type 1 diabetes mellitus less than 18 years of age
Authors: Stone Roy Gavin , Scully Paul , Troy Emma , Moloney Yvonne , Quinn Anne , Noctor Eoin , Neylon Orla , Slevin John , Murphy Annemarie , O'Gorman Clodagh
Published: April 2020

Background

Pregnancy in women with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is associated with an increased risk of congenital malformations, obstetric complications and neonatal morbidity. This study aims to investigate maternal, perinatal and neonatal outcomes of pregnancies in women with onset of T1DM less than 18 years of age.

Methods

This retrospective cohort study extracted data regarding prenatal, intrapartum and postnatal outcomes of pregnancies in women with onset of T1DM<18 years identified from the diabetes in pregnancy register at University Maternity Hospital Limerick, treated from July 1, 2007 to July 1, 2017.

Results

Seventeen women with onset of T1DM <18 years gave birth to 23 live infants during the period studied. 73.9% of pregnancies were unplanned. Only 21.7% of pregnancies took preconceptual folic acid. 60.9% of infants required treatment for hypoglycemia.

Conclusion

The high prevalence of unplanned pregnancy and poor uptake of prepregnancy care must be improved on in order to improve outcomes for this high-risk group.
Effect of erythropoietin on athletic performance: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Trinh Kien Vinh , Diep Dion , Chen Kevin Jia Qi , Huang Le , Gulenko Oleksiy
Published: April 2020

Introduction

Athletes have attempted to glean the ergogenic benefits of recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEPO) since it became available in the 1980s. However, there is limited consensus in the literature regarding its true performance-enhancing effects. In fact, some studies suggest there is no conclusive evidence; therefore, it is necessary to evaluate and quantify the strength of the evidence.

Objective

To determine the effects of erythropoietin on enhancing athletic performance.

Design

At least two independent reviewers conducted citation identification through abstract and full-text screening, and study selection, and extracted raw data on demographics, descriptions of interventions and all outcomes to predesigned abstraction forms. Outcomes were stratified by treatment periods and dosages. Study quality was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool and Cochrane Grading of Recommendations Assessment Development and Education (GRADE) scale. Where appropriate, quantitative analysis was performed.

Data sources

EMBASE, MEDLINE and SPORTDiscus were searched from their inception to January 2020.

Eligibility criteria

Trials that examined any enhancement in sport in healthy participants aged 18–65 using rHuEPO compared with placebo were included.

Results

Overall, there is low-to-moderate quality evidence suggesting rHuEPO may be more beneficial than placebo in enhancing haematological parameters, pulmonary measures, maximal power output and time to exhaustion independent of dosage. However, these improvements are almost exclusively seen during maximal exercise intensities, which may be less relevant to athletic competition conditions.

Conclusion

Due to heterogeneity among trials, more high-quality randomised controlled trials with larger sample sizes in conditions that mirror actual competition are needed to further elucidate these effects.
Diagnosis, treatment and post‐release monitoring of an eastern black rat snake (Pantherophis alleghaniensis) with ophidiomycosis and traumatic injuries
Authors: Veilleux Jacob , Dombrowski Daniel Steven , Allender Matthew C , Lewbart Gregory
Published: April 2020

Ophidiomycosis, historically known as snake fungal disease, is caused by Ophidiomyces ophiodiicola and has been reported in over 30 species of snakes. In July 2015, an adult female eastern black rat snake (Pantherophis alleghaniensis) was found at Prairie Ridge EcoStation, a North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences (NCMNS) field site in Raleigh, NC, with traumatic lesions consistent with injuries caused by landscaping equipment. The snake was brought to NCMNS Veterinary Services and tested positive via dermal swabs for O ophiodiicola on quantitative PCR (qPCR). The snake was treated with terbinafine (Terbinafine, 250 mg; InvaGen Pharmaceuticals, Hauppauge, NY, USA) nebulised at 2 mg/ml for 30 min every 24 hours for 30 days, and tested negative on further swabs for O ophiodiicola on qPCR before release. From April 2016 to November 2018, the snake was tracked via radio telemetry with physical examinations, bloodwork and qPCR swabs conducted multiple times a year.
Adaptation of restoration target with climate change: the case of a coastal peatland
Authors: Guêné-Nanchen Mélina , D’Amour Noémie , Rochefort Line
Published: April 2020

As a rise in sea level is expected with climate change, peat-extracted peatlands located in coastal zones are more vulnerable to saltwater intrusion. Seawater contamination may prevent revegetation of typical bog species (e.g., Sphagnum, ericaceous shrubs) generally intolerant to saline conditions. Spontaneous revegetation was studied in a 27-year post-extracted bog that has been contaminated with seawater in New Brunswick (Eastern Canada). This study aimed (i) to evaluate spontaneous plant regeneration on saline but still acidic, organic soil; and (ii) to relate the recolonized vegetation patterns to the main environmental conditions. Of the seven plant communities found in the sea-contaminated bog, none were typical of bogs, and Sphagnum mosses were poorly represented. Plants communities and chemical properties were rather representative of salt marsh ecosystems (i.e., Carex paleacea, Sporobolus michauxianus, Empetrum nigrum, Myrica gale; neutral pH and nutrient-rich, namely P, Mg, and NH4+). Areas with low levels of spontaneous revegetation were associated with harsh chemical conditions (i.e., acid pH, high electrical conductivity, and nutrient-poor). Considering the aggravating factors that will persist with climate change, restoration of coastal bogs contaminated with seawater should aim to re-establish salt marsh ecosystems, given that spontaneous revegetation patterns and chemical conditions clearly do not allow the establishment of bog plant communities.
Organic acids and root exudates of Brachypodium distachyon: effects on chemotaxis and biofilm formation of endophytic bacteria
Authors: Saleh Dina , Sharma Meha , Seguin Philippe , Jabaji Suha
Published: April 2020

Root colonization by plant-growth-promoting bacteria could not be useful without the beneficial properties of the bacterium itself. Thus, it is necessary to evaluate the bacterial capacity to form biofilms and establish a successful interaction with the plant roots. We assessed the ability of growth-promoting bacterial strains to form biofilm and display chemotactic behaviour in response to organic acids and (or) root exudates of the model plant Brachypodium distachyon. This assessment was based on the evaluation of single strains of bacteria and a multispecies consortium. The strains coexisted together and formed biofilm under biotic (living root) and abiotic (glass) surfaces. Citric acid stimulated biofilm formation in all individual strains, indicating a strong chemotactic behaviour towards organic acids. Recognizing that the transition from single strains of bacteria to a “multicellular” system would not happen without the presence of adhesion, the alginate and exopolysaccharide (EPS) contents were evaluated. The EPS amounts were comparable in single strains and consortium forms. Alginate production increased 160% in the consortium subjected to drought stress (10% PEG). These findings demonstrated that (i) bacteria–bacteria interaction is the hub of various factors that would not only affect their relation but also could indirectly affect the balanced plant–microbe relation and (ii) root exudates could be very selective in recruiting a highly qualified multispecies consortium.
Heavy-Quark expansion for $${{\bar{B}}_s\rightarrow D^{(*)}_s}$$ form factors and unitarity bounds beyond the $${SU(3)_F}$$ limit
Authors: Bordone Marzia , Gubernari Nico , van Dyk Danny , Jung Martin
Published: April 2020

We carry out a comprehensive analysis of the full set of$${\bar{B}}_q \rightarrow D_q^{(*)}$$B¯q→Dq(∗)form factors for spectator quarks$$q=u,d,s$$q=u,d,swithin the framework of the Heavy-Quark expansion (HQE) to order$${\mathcal {O}}\left( \alpha _s, 1/m_b, 1/m_c^2\right) $$Oαs,1/mb,1/mc2. In addition to the available lattice QCD calculations we make use of two new sets of theoretical constraints: we produce for the first time numerical predictions for the full set of$${\bar{B}}_s \rightarrow D_s^{(*)}$$B¯s→Ds(∗)form factors using Light-Cone sum rules with$$B_s$$Bs-meson distribution amplitudes. Furthermore, we reassess the QCD three-point sum rule results for the Isgur-Wise functions entering all our form factors for both$$q=u,d$$q=u,dand$$q=s$$q=sspectator quarks. These additional constraints allow us to go beyond the commonly used assumption of$$SU(3)_F$$SU(3)Fsymmetry for the$${{\bar{B}}}_s\rightarrow D_s^{(*)}$$B¯s→Ds(∗)form factors, especially in the unitarity constraints which we impose throughout our analysis. We find the coefficients of the IW functions emerging at$${\mathcal {O}}\left( 1/m_c^2\right) $$O1/mc2to be consistent with the naive$${\mathcal {O}}\left( 1\right) $$O1expectation, indicating a good convergence of the HQE. While we do not find significantSU(3) breaking, the explicit treatment of$$q=s$$q=sas compared to a simple symmetry assumption renders the unitarity constraints more effective. We find that the (pseudo)scalar bounds are saturated to a large degree, which affects our theory predictions. We analyze the phenomenological consequences of our improved form factors by extracting$$|V_{cb}|$$|Vcb|from$${\bar{B}}\rightarrow D^{(*)}\ell \nu $$B¯→D(∗)ℓνdecays and producing theoretical predictions for the lepton-flavour universality ratiosR(D),$$R(D^*)$$R(D∗),$$R(D_s)$$R(Ds)and$$R(D_s^*)$$R(Ds∗), as well as the$$\tau $$τ- and$$D_q^*$$Dq∗polarization fractions for the$${\bar{B}}_q\rightarrow D_q^{(*)}\tau \nu $$B¯q→Dq(∗)τνmodes.
Free Vibration Investigation of Submerged Thin Circular Plate
Authors: Yang Xi , El Baroudi Adil , Le Pommellec Jean Yves
Published: April 2020

Free vibration of coupled system including clamped-free thin circular plate with hole submerged in three-dimensional cylindrical container filled with inviscid, irrotational and compressible fluid is investigated in this work. Numerical approach based on the finite element method (FEM) is performed using the Comsol Multiphysics software, in order to analyze qualitatively the vibration characteristics of the plate. Plate modeling is based on Kirchhoff–Love plate theory. Velocity potential is deployed to describe the fluid motion since the small oscillations induced by the plate vibration is considered. Bernoulli’s equation together with potential theory is applied to get the fluid pressure on the free surface of the plate. To prove the reliability of the present numerical solution, a comparison is made with the results in the literature, which shows a very good agreement. Then, different parameters effect including fluid density, fluid height, free surface wave, hole radius and hole eccentricity on the natural frequencies of the coupled system is discussed in detail. Some three-dimensional mode shapes of the submerged plate are illustrated. Furthermore, the obtained results can serve as benchmark solutions for the vibration control, parameter identification and damage detection of plate.
Contemporary Social Movements in a Hybrid Media Environment
Authors: Caren Neal , Andrews Kenneth T. , Lu Todd
Published: April 2020

Media are central to the dynamics of protest and social movements. Contemporary social movements face a shifting environment composed of new media technologies and platforms that enable new identities, organizational forms, and practices. We review recent research focusing on the ways in which movements shape and are shaped by the media environment and the ways in which changes in the media environment have reshaped participation, mobilization, and impacts of activism. We conclude with the following recommendations for scholarship in this burgeoning area: move toward a broader conception of media in movements; expand engagement with scholarship in neighboring disciplines that study politics, media, and communication; develop new methodological and analytical skills for emerging forms of media; and investigate the ways in which media are enhancing, altering, or undermining the ability of movements to mobilize support, shape broader identities and attitudes, and secure new advantages from targets and authorities.
Cardiomyoblast caveolin expression: effects of simulated diabetes, α-linolenic acid, and cell signaling pathways
Authors: Russell Jake S. , Griffith Tia A. , Peart Jason N. , Headrick John P.
Published: April 2020

Caveolins regulate myocardial substrate handling, survival signaling, and stress resistance; however, control of expression is incompletely defined. We test how metabolic features of type 2 diabetes (T2D), and modulation of cell signaling, influence caveolins in H9c2 cardiomyoblasts. Cells were exposed to glucose (25 vs. 5 mM), insulin (100 nM), or palmitate (0.1 mM), individually or combined, and the effects of adenylate cyclase (AC) activation (50 μM forskolin), focal adhesion kinase (FAK) or protein kinase C β2 (PKCβ2) inhibition (1 μM FAK inhibitor 14 or CGP-53353, respectively) or the polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) α-linolenic acid (ALA; 10 μM) were tested. Simulated T2D (elevated glucose + insulin + palmitate) depressed caveolin-1 and -3 without modifying caveolin-2. Caveolin-3 repression was primarily palmitate dependent, whereas high glucose (HG) and insulin independently increased caveolin-3 (while reducing expression when combined). Differential control was evident: baseline caveolin-3 was suppressed by FAK/PKCβ2 and insensitive to AC activities, with baseline caveolin-1 and -2 suppressed by AC and insensitive to FAK/PKCβ2. Forskolin and ALA selectively preserved caveolin-3 in T2D cells, whereas PKCβ2 and FAK inhibition increased caveolin-3 under all conditions. Despite preservation of caveolin-3, ALA did not modify nucleosome content (apoptosis marker) or transcription of proinflammatory mediators in T2D cells. In summary, caveolin-1 and -3 are strongly repressed with simulated T2D, with caveolin-3 particularly sensitive to palmitate; intrinsic PKCβ2 and FAK activities depress caveolin-3 in healthy and stressed cells; ALA and AC activation and PKCβ2 inhibition preserve caveolin-3 under T2D conditions; and caveolin-3 changes with T2D and ALA appear unrelated to inflammatory signaling or extent of apoptosis.
Cx30.2 deletion causes imbalances in testicular Cx43, Cx46, and Cx50 and insulin receptors. Reciprocally, diabetes/obesity alters Cx30.2 in mouse testis
Authors: Pelletier R.-Marc , Layeghkhavidaki Hamed , Kumar Nalin M. , Vitale María Leiza
Published: April 2020

Cx30.2 protein content and localization were assessed during development. An account of Cx30.2, Cx43, Cx46, and Cx50, and insulin receptor (IR) responses to Cx30.2, Cx46, or Cx50 deficiency in mouse interstitial tissue (ITf)- and seminiferous tubule-enriched fractions (STf) is given. The impact of high glucose/insulin on Cx30.2 was investigated in spontaneously diabetic and obese db/db and ob/ob mouse testis and anterior pituitary (AP). Cx30.2 labeled contacts in vascular endothelial and Leydig cells and Sertoli cell junctions in stage V–VII. Cx30.2 expression is regulated differently in the interstitium and tubules. Cx30.2 at 30-kDa levels peaked by 28 days in ITf and by 14 days in STf. In STf, deleting Cx30.2 decreased Cx43 and Cx50, whereas deleting Cx50 downregulated Cx30.2. The opposite occurred in ITf. In STf, deleting Cx30.2 upregulated Cx46 except the full-length reciprocally, deleting Cx46 upregulated Cx30.2. In ITf, Cx30.2 deficiency upregulated full-length and phosphorylated Cx46, whereas deleting Cx46 downregulated 48- to 50-kDa Cx30.2. The db/db and ob/ob mouse ITf, STf, and AP showed imbalanced Cx30.2 levels. IRα levels at 135 kDa declined in Cx30.2−/− and Cx50−/− mouse ITf and Cx46−/− and Cx50−/− STf. IRβ at 98 to 110 kDa dropped in Cx30.2−/− and Cx46−/− mice STf suggesting that Cx30.2 deficiency decreases active IR sites. The results show the connexins interdependence and interaction and that altering a single connexin changes the remaining connexins expression, which can modify gap junction-mediated glucose exchanges in contacting cells. Data suggest that glucose/insulin influences Cx30.2 turnover in testis and AP and, reciprocally, that connexins modulate testis glucose uptake and response to insulin.
Neurotransmitter networks in mouse prefrontal cortex are reconfigured by isoflurane anesthesia
Authors: Zhang Xiaoying , Baer Aaron G , Price Joshua M , Jones Piet C , Garcia Benjamin J , Romero Jonathon , Cliff Ashley M , Mi Weidong , Brown James B , Jacobson Daniel A , Lydic Ralph , Baghdoyan Helen A
Published: April 2020

This study quantified eight, small molecule neurotransmitters collected simultaneously from prefrontal cortex of C57BL/6J mouse (n=23) during wakefulness and during isoflurane anesthesia (1.3%). Using isoflurane anesthesia as an independent variable enabled evaluation of the hypothesis that isoflurane anesthesia differentially alters concentrations of multiple neurotransmitters and their interactions. Machine learning was applied to reveal higher order interactions among neurotransmitters. Using a between-subjects design, microdialysis was performed during wakefulness and during anesthesia. Concentrations (nM) of acetylcholine, adenosine, dopamine, GABA, glutamate, histamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin in the dialysis samples are reported (mean ± SD). Relative to wakefulness, acetylcholine concentration was lower during isoflurane anesthesia (1.254 ± 1.118 versus 0.401 ± 0.134, P=0.009), and concentrations of adenosine (29.456 ± 29.756 versus 101.321 ± 38.603, P<0.001), dopamine (0.0578 ± 0.0384 versus 0.113 ± 0.084, P=0.036), and norepinephrine (0.126 ± 0.080 versus 0.219 ± 0.066, P=0.010) were higher during anesthesia. Isoflurane reconfigured neurotransmitter interactions in prefrontal cortex, and the state of isoflurane anesthesia was reliably predicted by prefrontal cortex concentrations of adenosine, norepinephrine, and acetylcholine. A novel finding to emerge from machine learning analyses is that neurotransmitter concentration profiles in mouse prefrontal cortex undergo functional reconfiguration during isoflurane anesthesia. Adenosine, norepinephrine, and acetylcholine showed high feature importance, supporting the interpretation that interactions among these three transmitters may play a key role in modulating levels of cortical and behavioral arousal.
Research on the Definition of Economic Limits for the Development of Unconventional Natural Gas under New Situations
Authors: Li Zuxin , Liu Jianye , Luo Dongkun , Yin Xiuling , Sun Dufen
Published: April 2020

The development of unconventional natural gas in China is facing three new situations: market-oriented pricing reform, intensified competition in state subsidies, and reduced production capacity growth, which may cause the development of unconventional natural gas to be on the edge of economic feasibility. Therefore, the definition of economic limit is even more important. In this paper, through analysis on the historical prices, outputs, and subsidy policies of three unconventional natural gases, methods to estimate future prices, subsidies, and outputs of unconventional natural gas are designed in this paper based on the mean reversion model and the generalized Weng model, respectively; fuzzy data are processed by using probability density function combined with a discounted cashflow method to improve the utilization of original data; the economic limit model for well depth, well spacing, and gas recovery rate is designed through break-even analysis with the subsection function of drilling cost to well depth, the modified Cher Card Geoff empirical formula of recovery ratio to well spacing, as well as the fitting formula of gas recovery rate and stable production time. This model is applied in the case of Deep CBM Block Ji 4&10. According to the estimation and case calculation, in future China, the subsidies for unconventional natural gas will gradually decrease and the gas output will significantly increase, with shale gas taking the leading position and CBM gradually declining; the economic limits of well depth, well spacing, and gas recovery rate of Ji 4&10 are 2,203.2 m, 300 m × 300 m and 469 m × 469 m, and 2.1% and 4.3%, respectively, under the economic infeasibility probability of 90%, and the overall economic infeasibility probability is 58%, indicating that the development of this block is subject to great risks and careful consideration needs to be given.
A Gamma-Poisson Mixture Topic Model for Short Text
Authors: Mazarura Jocelyn , de Waal Alta , de Villiers Pieter
Published: April 2020

Most topic models are constructed under the assumption that documents follow a multinomial distribution. The Poisson distribution is an alternative distribution to describe the probability of count data. For topic modelling, the Poisson distribution describes the number of occurrences of a word in documents of fixed length. The Poisson distribution has been successfully applied in text classification, but its application to topic modelling is not well documented, specifically in the context of a generative probabilistic model. Furthermore, the few Poisson topic models in the literature are admixture models, making the assumption that a document is generated from a mixture of topics. In this study, we focus on short text. Many studies have shown that the simpler assumption of a mixture model fits short text better. With mixture models, as opposed to admixture models, the generative assumption is that a document is generated from a single topic. One topic model, which makes this one-topic-per-document assumption, is the Dirichlet-multinomial mixture model. The main contributions of this work are a new Gamma-Poisson mixture model, as well as a collapsed Gibbs sampler for the model. The benefit of the collapsed Gibbs sampler derivation is that the model is able to automatically select the number of topics contained in the corpus. The results show that the Gamma-Poisson mixture model performs better than the Dirichlet-multinomial mixture model at selecting the number of topics in labelled corpora. Furthermore, the Gamma-Poisson mixture produces better topic coherence scores than the Dirichlet-multinomial mixture model, thus making it a viable option for the challenging task of topic modelling of short text.
Antiphotoaging Effects of 3,5‐Dicaffeoyl‐epi‐quinic Acid via Inhibition of Matrix Metalloproteinases in UVB‐Irradiated Human Keratinocytes
Authors: Oh Jung Hwan , Lee Jung Im , Karadeniz Fatih , Park So Young , Seo Youngwan , Kong Chang-Suk
Published: April 2020

UVB exposure is one of the causes of several skin complications including but not limited to premature aging, wrinkle formation, and hyperpigmentation. UV‐induced skin aging is called photoaging, and oxidative stress‐induced overexpression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) is the main reason behind the photoaging‐mediated collagen degradation. Natural origin inhibitors of MMPs are regarded as a promising approach to prevent or treat photoaging. Therefore, the present study investigated the protective effects of 3,5‐dicaffeoyl‐epi‐quinic acid (DCEQA) in human HaCaT keratinocytes against UVB irradiation‐related dysregulation of MMPs. Changes in the mRNA and protein expression and release of MMP‐1, ‐2, and ‐9 were observed after UVB irradiation with or without DCEQA treatment. In addition, the effect of DCEQA on the activation of p38, JNK, and ERK MAPKs was analyzed. Treatment of UVB‐irradiated HaCaT cells with 10 μM DCEQA significantly suppressed the overexpression of both mRNA and protein of MMP‐1, ‐2, and ‐9 while slightly increasing the diminished type I procollagen production. UVB‐induced activation of MAPKs was also ameliorated by DCEQA treatment in a dose‐dependent manner. Results indicated that DCEQA treatment was able to protect keratinocytes from UVB‐induced photoaging by inhibiting the stimulated production of MMPs and the related decrease in collagen production. It was suggested that DCEQA downregulated the collagen degradation via inhibition of MAPK activation, which resulted in decreased MMP activity.
Multiobjective Decision-Making for Technical Characteristics Selection in a House of Quality
Authors: Xie Jianmin , Qin Qin , Jiang Maoting
Published: April 2020

Technical characteristics are an important influencing factor in fuzzy front-end of product innovation design and also an important output of the house of quality. The analysis and decision-making of technical characteristics are conducive to the rational allocation of resources according to their own advantages and the design of products in line with market demand. In view of the multiple objective constraints and internal fuzziness of technical property selection in the house of quality, the traditional methods have great limitations on the decision-making of technical property. Therefore, this paper proposes a multiobjective decision-making method for technical property selection in the house of quality, which aims to calculate and modify the basic importance of technical property. Based on the rough set algorithm, the basic importance of technical characteristics is determined by using the correlation matrix between consumer demand and technical characteristics, and the relative weight of multiple objectives is determined by “least squares.” On this basis, the multiobjective decision-making model of technical characteristic selection is established and calculated. At last, an example of mobile phone product design was used to verify the practicability and effectiveness of the method.
Human Uterine Biopsy: Research Value and Common Pitfalls
Authors: Maclean Alison , Kamal Areege , Adishesh Meera , Alnafakh Rafah , Tempest Nicola , Hapangama Dharani K.
Published: April 2020

The human uterus consists of the inner endometrium, the myometrium, and the outer serosa. Knowledge of the function of the uterus in health and disease is relevant to reproduction, fertility, embryology, gynaecology, endocrinology, and oncology. Research performed on uterine biopsies is essential to further the current understanding of human uterine biology. This brief review explores the value of the uterine biopsy in gynaecological and human fertility research and explores the common problems encountered when analysing data generated from different types of uterine biopsies, with the aim of improving the quality, reproducibility, and clinical translatability of future research.
Bounds on the α-Distance Energy and α-Distance Estrada Index of Graphs
Authors: Yang Yang , Sun Lizhu , Bu Changjiang
Published: April 2020

Let G be a simple undirected connected graph, then DαG=αTrG+1−αDG is called the α-distance matrix of G, where α∈0,1, DG is the distance matrix of G, and TrG is the vertex transmission diagonal matrix of G. In this paper, we study some bounds on the α-distance energy and α-distance Estrada index of G. Furthermore, we establish the relation between α-distance Estrada index and α-distance energy.
Changes in Cervical Neurenteric Cyst Size
Authors: Fujimoto Toru
Published: April 2020

Spinal neurenteric cysts are rare congenital anomalies and the natural history of the cyst is not fully understood. We evaluated a case of spontaneous absorption of a cyst. The patient was a 5-year-old boy who had experienced pain in the bilateral upper extremities 3 days before his admission. Neurological examination revealed severe motor weakness of the upper extremities and mild motor weakness of the lower extremities. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed an extramedullary cystic lesion with a fluid-fluid level in the cervical region. One week later, the pain spontaneously improved with bed rest, and the patient showed good neurological recovery. MRI performed 6 months later revealed spontaneous reduction of the cyst. Enlargement and contraction of the cyst were observed over 3 years on MRI. Since the size of the cyst changes, MRI should be performed annually for patient follow-up.
Religião e Esporte Midiatizado
Authors: Züge João Guilherme
Published: April 2020

Tendo como base teórica a História Cultural, o presente trabalho visou analisar o papel da mídia e, mais especificamente, do esporte midiatizado na constituição da identidade de Atletas de Cristo (ADC), no período entre os anos de 1994 e 2005. A organização paraeclesiástica, composta por atletas evangélicos (protestantes históricos, pentecostais e neopentecostais), tem como intuito central o proselitismo entre esportistas, sobretudo através da lógica do testemunho na mídia. Essa proposta passou a ser, então, como buscamos evidenciar neste artigo, profundamente marcada pela lógica midiática, tanto de maneira discursiva, quanto na estrutura e manutenção do próprio grupo. Esse papel da mídia foi analisado a partir de um conjunto de 12 edições do Jornal de Atletas de Cristo, principal veículo de expressão do grupo no período em questão. Dentre os resultados obtidos neste breve estudo de caso está uma possível contribuição para o estudo do papel do esporte midiatizado na construção identitária deste grupo religioso.
O Declínio de Cam
Authors: Tieri Lívia Baranowski
Published: April 2020

A grande maioria das reproduções femininas nas artes possuem um papel específico: a propaganda da perfeição doméstica e sexual perante uma sociedade machista. Porém, à mulher negra ficou relegado somente a representação sexual e, a partir do século XIX, com a ascensão das ideias científicas e biológicas, também a etnológica e a racial. Analisaremos neste artigo, então, como o cientificismo contribuiu para a construção da figura da mulher negra no Oitocentos e como a arte - usando de seu caráter épico e pedagógico - foi fundamental para validar o discurso de raça e de gênero, que visava deixar em evidência o espaço que era relegado aos negros e, mais duramente, às mulheres negras, sempre as colocando em papel de inferioridade e hipersexualização. Das aquarelas de Debret, os deformes antropológicos, a latência sexual subtendida e a ocultação dos males físicos e sociais da escravidão; ao orientalismo de Delacroix e Manet, a demonização pela cor e a influência libertina e imoral das negras; e, por fim, o realismo idealista de Modesto Brocos, que marcou a mudança de discurso artístico do último quartel do século XIX e que via na mulher negra a chave para o futuro harmonioso e branqueado do Brasil.
Patient and Institutional Characteristics Influence the Decision to Use Extracorporeal Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation for In‐Hospital Cardiac Arrest
Authors: Tonna Joseph E. , Selzman Craig H. , Girotra Saket , Presson Angela P. , Thiagarajan Ravi R. , Becker Lance B. , Zhang Chong , Keenan Heather T. ,   the American Heart Association's Get With the Guidelines—Resuscitation Investigators
Published: April 2020

BACKGROUND

Outcomes from extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (
ECPR
) are felt to be influenced by selective use, but the characteristics of those receiving
ECPR
are undefined. We demonstrate the relationship between individual patient and hospital characteristics and the probability of
ECPR
use.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We performed an observational analysis of adult inpatient cardiac arrests in the United States from 2000 to 2018 reported to the American Heart Association's Get With The Guidelines—Resuscitation registry restricted to hospitals that provided
ECPR
. We calculated case mix adjusted relative risk (
RR
) of receiving
ECPR
for individual characteristics. From 2000 to 2018, 129 736 patients had a cardiac arrest (128 654 conventional cardiopulmonary resuscitation and 1082
ECPR
) in 224 hospitals that offered
ECPR
.
ECPR
use was associated with younger age (
RR
, 1.5 for <40 vs. 40–59 years; 95%
CI
, 1.2–1.8), no pre‐existing comorbidities (
RR
, 1.4; 95% CI, 1.1–1.8) or cardiac‐specific comorbidities (congestive heart failure [
RR
, 1.3; 95% CI, 1.2–1.5], prior myocardial infarction [
RR
, 1.4; 95% CI, 1.2–1.6], or current myocardial infarction [
RR
, 1.5; 95% CI, 1.3–1.8]), and in locations of procedural areas at the times of cardiac arrest (
RR
, 12.0; 95%
CI
, 9.5–15.1).
ECPR
decreased after hours (3–11 
pm
[
RR
, 0.8; 95%
CI
, 0.7–1.0] and 11 
pm
–7 
am
[
RR
, 0.6; 95%
CI
, 0.5–0.7]) and on weekends (
RR
, 0.7; 95% CI, 0.6–0.9).

CONCLUSIONS

Less than 1% of in‐hospital cardiac arrest patients are treated with
ECPR
.
ECPR
use is influenced by patient age, comorbidities, and hospital system factors. Randomized controlled trials are needed to better define the patients in whom
ECPR
may provide a benefit.
Fertility Restrictions and Life Cycle Outcomes: Evidence from the One-Child Policy in China
Authors: Huang Wei , Lei Xiaoyan , Sun Ang
Published: April 2020

This study considers the experience of china's one-child policy to examine how fertility restrictions affect economic and social outcomes over a lifetime. Using variations in these penalties across provinces and over time, we find that exposure to stricter fertility restrictions when young leads to higher education levels, more white-collar jobs, delayed marriage, and lower fertility rates. Further consequences include lower rates of residing with the elderly and higher household income, consumption, and savings. Finally, exposure to stricter fertility restrictions in early life increases female empowerment. Overall, fertility restrictions imposed when people are young have powerful effects throughout their life cycle.