bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analysis of Glucocorticoid-Related Genes Reveal CCHCR1 as a New Candidate Gene for Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Brenner Laura N , Mercader Josep M , Robertson Catherine C , Cole Joanne , Chen Ling , Jacobs Suzanne B R , Rich Stephen S , Florez Jose C
Published: August 2020

Glucocorticoids have multiple therapeutic benefits and are used both for immunosuppression and treatment purposes. Notwithstanding their benefits, glucocorticoid use often leads to hyperglycemia. Owing to the pathophysiologic overlap in glucocorticoid-induced hyperglycemia (GIH) and type 2 diabetes (T2D), we hypothesized that genetic variation in glucocorticoid pathways contributes to T2D risk. To determine the genetic contribution of glucocorticoid action on T2D risk, we conducted multiple genetic studies. First, we performed gene-set enrichment analyses on 3 collated glucocorticoid-related gene sets using publicly available genome-wide association and whole-exome data and demonstrated that genetic variants in glucocorticoid-related genes are associated with T2D and related glycemic traits. To identify which genes are driving this association, we performed gene burden tests using whole-exome sequence data. We identified 20 genes within the glucocorticoid-related gene sets that are nominally enriched for T2D-associated protein-coding variants. The most significant association was found in coding variants in coiled-coil α-helical rod protein 1 (CCHCR1) in the HLA region (P = .001). Further analyses revealed that noncoding variants near CCHCR1 are also associated with T2D at genome-wide significance (P = 7.70 × 10–14), independent of type 1 diabetes HLA risk. Finally, gene expression and colocalization analyses demonstrate that variants associated with increased T2D risk are also associated with decreased expression of CCHCR1 in multiple tissues, implicating this gene as a potential effector transcript at this locus. Our discovery of a genetic link between glucocorticoids and T2D findings support the hypothesis that T2D and GIH may have shared underlying mechanisms.
Intraoperative Diagnosis of Subaortic Stenosis in a Young Patient Scheduled for Elective Aortic Valve Replacement
Authors: Elgamal Hany , Borger Michael , Ender Joerg , Meineri Massimiliano
Published: August 2020

A 25-year-old patient with a history of aortic stenosis due to presumed bicuspid aortic valve presented for elective aortic valve replacement. Intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) revealed a trileaflet aortic valve but detected the presence of a subvalvular membrane. Multiplanar reconstruction of the 3-dimensional (3D) dataset measured a cross-sectional area of 0.8 cm2 at the level of this subvalvular membrane. Successful resection resulted in relief of the obstruction. Compared with preoperative transthoracic echocardiography, TEE was able to correctly characterize the nature of the stenosis with area determination accurately provided by application of 3D techniques.
Realism and Dialectic: The Speculative Turn and the History of the Nineteenth-Century European Novel
Authors: Ercolino Stefano
Published: August 2020

A narrative impulse and a scenic impulse: as Fredric Jameson persuasively argues in The Antinomies of Realism, the history of literary realism has been shaped by the dialectic between these two competing drives, each identified by a specific temporality. Yet realism's dialectic between a narrative and a scenic impulse omits something crucial if we are to understand European realist narrative, especially in the second half of the nineteenth century. This article reassesses Jameson's dialectical view of realism in light of the speculative turn in the history of the European novel in 1860s Russian and 1880s French narrative. I will query Jameson's dialectic of realism and subsume it under a larger dialectical framework encompassing a further, temporally neuter impulse. This is the speculative impulse, which will help us reconsider some of the most important developments of nineteenth-century European realism.
Untimely Love: The Aesthetics and Politics of Anachronism inThe Age of Innocence
Authors: Sampson John
Published: August 2020

“Untimely Love” reassesses the aesthetic choices and political implications of Edith Wharton's The Age of Innocence (1920), first by highlighting a surprising overlap between Wharton and the anarcho-feminist Emma Goldman. Wharton's novelistic critique of New York society's marriage rituals, spurred by an unconsummated affair between Newland Archer and his wife's cousin Ellen Olenska, follows Goldman in positing an antagonism between the hierarchies of marriage and the equalizing nature of love. For Wharton, however, this antagonism will not be resolved with free love one day triumphing. To explain her position, the article turns to Jacques Rancière's unresolvable antagonism between “politics” and “the police,” which has an aesthetic analogue in the clash between the formally anarchic modern novel and premodern hierarchies of genre. Wharton unearths 1870s New York like an archeologist to expose how its patriarchal logic polices women's sexuality within and outside marriage, making expressions of love quite rare. Wharton unleashes the disruptive power of love through formal experimentation, temporarily subverting her own historical realism, when she has Ellen and Archer visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art in Central Park, which did not yet exist in the novel's timeframe. The Met's impossible location and its uncataloged holdings open to public viewing upset New York's social and aesthetic hierarchies. It is in this anachronistic and democratic context that Archer first sees “love visible” in the world, rearranging his entire worldview. Wharton, in a related political gesture of aesthetic dissensus, aligns her untimely lovers with the museum's suddenly visible ghosts of history.
The Cost of Juridification: Lineages of Cheap Labor in Twentieth-Century Romania
Authors: Grama Adrian
Published: August 2020

This article explores the relationship between the development of labor law and the cost of labor in Romania between the end of World War I and the 1960s. Drawing on a variety of archival and printed sources, the author argues that the historical trajectory of this peripheral East European country shows in exemplary fashion how the increasing juridification of labor relations was first enabled by policy makers’ concern to neutralize class conflict during the 1920s and then propelled by the collapse of industrial wages and the turn to import substitution in the aftermath of the Great Depression. The state socialist regime after 1945, the author further contends, inherited not merely the cheap labor of the interwar epoch but also the institutional mechanisms for controlling prices and wages set up to manage the economy during World War II, all of which facilitated the expansion of socialist labor law during the first two postwar decades. By the second half of the twentieth century, rapidly industrializing socialist Romania could thus integrate an expanding workforce into a type of employment relationship normally deemed standard: full-time, stable, dependent, and socially protected work. The author concludes by pointing out some of the implications of this Eastern European case study for how we might rethink the twin issues of the cost of labor and the transformation of labor law in our age of precarity.
Circular RNAs in cell differentiation and development
Authors: Di Timoteo Gaia , Rossi Francesca , Bozzoni Irene
Published: August 2020

In recent years, circular RNAs (circRNAs) – a novel class of RNA molecules characterized by their covalently closed circular structure – have emerged as a complex family of eukaryotic transcripts with important biological features. Besides their peculiar structure, which makes them particularly stable molecules, they have attracted much interest because their expression is strongly tissue and cell specific. Moreover, many circRNAs are conserved across eukaryotes, localized in particular subcellular compartments, and can play disparate molecular functions. The discovery of circRNAs has therefore added not only another layer of gene expression regulation but also an additional degree of complexity to our understanding of the structure, function and evolution of eukaryotic genomes. In this Review, we summarize current knowledge of circRNAs and discuss the possible functions of circRNAs in cell differentiation and development.
Localised Collagen2a1 secretion supports lymphatic endothelial cell migration in the zebrafish embryo
Authors: Chaudhury Smrita , Okuda Kazuhide S. , Koltowska Katarzyna , Lagendijk Anne K. , Paterson Scott , Baillie Gregory J. , Simons Cas , Smith Kelly A. , Hogan Benjamin M. , Bower Neil I.
Published: August 2020

The lymphatic vasculature develops primarily from pre-existing veins. A pool of lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs) first sprout from cardinal veins followed by migration and proliferation to colonise embryonic tissues. While much is known about the molecular regulation of LEC fate and sprouting during early lymphangiogenesis, we know far less about the instructive and permissive signals that support LEC migration through the embryo. Using a forward genetic screen, we identified mbtps1 and sec23a, components of the COP-II protein secretory pathway, as essential for developmental lymphangiogenesis. In both mutants, LECs initially depart the cardinal vein but then fail in their ongoing migration. A key cargo that failed to be secreted in both mutants was a type II collagen (Col2a1). Col2a1 is normally secreted by notochord sheath cells alongside which LECs migrate. col2a1a mutants displayed defects in the migratory behaviour of LECs and failed lymphangiogenesis. These studies thus identify Col2a1 as a key cargo secreted by notochord sheath cells and required for the migration of LECs. These findings combine with our current understanding to suggest that successive cell-to-cell and cell-matrix interactions regulate the migration of LECs through the embryonic environment during development.
Positive autoregulation oflag-1in response to LIN-12 activation in cell fate decisions duringC. elegansreproductive system development
Authors: Luo Katherine Leisan , Underwood Ryan S. , Greenwald Iva
Published: August 2020

During animal development, ligand binding releases the intracellular domain of LIN-12/Notch by proteolytic cleavage to translocate to the nucleus, where it associates with the DNA-binding protein LAG-1/CSL to activate target gene transcription. We investigated the spatiotemporal regulation of LAG-1/CSL expression in C. elegans and observed that an increase in endogenous LAG-1 levels correlates with LIN-12/Notch activation in different cell contexts during reproductive system development. We show that this increase is via transcriptional upregulation by creating a synthetic endogenous operon, and identified an enhancer region that contains multiple LAG-1 binding sites (LBSs) embedded in a more extensively conserved high occupancy target (HOT) region. We show that these LBSs are necessary for upregulation in response to LIN-12/Notch activity, indicating that lag-1 engages in direct, positive autoregulation. Deletion of the HOT region from endogenous lag-1 reduced LAG-1 levels and abrogated positive autoregulation, but did not cause hallmark cell fate transformations associated with loss of lin-12/Notch or lag-1 activity. Instead, later somatic reproductive system defects suggest that proper transcriptional regulation of lag-1 confers robustness to somatic reproductive system development.
Integrating fish models in tuberculosis vaccine development
Authors: Saralahti Anni K. , Uusi-Mäkelä Meri I. E. , Niskanen Mirja T. , Rämet Mika
Published: August 2020

Tuberculosis is a chronic infection by Mycobacterium tuberculosis that results in over 1.5 million deaths worldwide each year. Currently, there is only one vaccine against tuberculosis, the Bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG) vaccine. Despite widespread vaccination programmes, over 10 million new M. tuberculosis infections are diagnosed yearly, with almost half a million cases caused by antibiotic-resistant strains. Novel vaccination strategies concentrate mainly on replacing BCG or boosting its efficacy and depend on animal models that accurately recapitulate the human disease. However, efforts to produce new vaccines against an M. tuberculosis infection have encountered several challenges, including the complexity of M. tuberculosis pathogenesis and limited knowledge of the protective immune responses. The preclinical evaluation of novel tuberculosis vaccine candidates is also hampered by the lack of an appropriate animal model that could accurately predict the protective effect of vaccines in humans. Here, we review the role of zebrafish (Danio rerio) and other fish models in the development of novel vaccines against tuberculosis and discuss how these models complement the more traditional mammalian models of tuberculosis.
CRI iAtlas: an interactive portal for immuno-oncology research
Authors: Eddy James A. , Thorsson Vésteinn , Lamb Andrew E. , Gibbs David L. , Heimann Carolina , Yu Jia Xin , Chung Verena , Chae Yooree , Dang Kristen , Vincent Benjamin G. , Shmulevich Ilya , Guinney Justin
Published: August 2020

The Cancer Research Institute (CRI) iAtlas is an interactive web platform for data exploration and discovery in the context of tumors and their interactions with the immune microenvironment. iAtlas allows researchers to study immune response characterizations and patterns for individual tumor types, tumor subtypes, and immune subtypes. iAtlas supports computation and visualization of correlations and statistics among features related to the tumor microenvironment, cell composition, immune expression signatures, tumor mutation burden, cancer driver mutations, adaptive cell clonality, patient survival, expression of key immunomodulators, and tumor infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) spatial maps. iAtlas was launched to accompany the release of the TCGA PanCancer Atlas and has since been expanded to include new capabilities such as (1) user-defined loading of sample cohorts, (2) a tool for classifying expression data into immune subtypes, and (3) integration of TIL mapping from digital pathology images. We expect that the CRI iAtlas will accelerate discovery and improve patient outcomes by providing researchers access to standardized immunogenomics data to better understand the tumor immune microenvironment and its impact on patient responses to immunotherapy.
Contrasting impact of rural, versus urban, living on glucose metabolism and blood pressure in Uganda
Authors: Sanya Richard E. , Andia Biraro Irene , Nampijja Margaret , Zziwa Christopher , Nanyunja Carol , Nsubuga Denis , Kiwanuka Samuel , Tumusiime Josephine , Nassuuna Jacent , Walusimbi Bridgious , Cose Stephen , Ocama Ponsiano , Grencis Richard K. , Elliott Alison M. , Webb Emily L.
Published: August 2020

Background: The burden of cardiometabolic diseases, including cardiovascular diseases and diabetes, is increasing in sub-Saharan Africa and this has been linked to urbanisation. Helminths, through their immunomodulatory properties, may protect against these disorders. We hypothesised that the rural environment protects against cardiometabolic diseases and that helminths may influence rural-urban disparity of cardiometabolic disease risk.

Methods: We compared metabolic parameters of individuals aged ≥10 years living in rural, high-helminth-transmission and urban, lower-helminth-transmission settings in Uganda. Cross-sectional surveys were conducted in rural Lake Victoria island fishing communities and in urban sub-wards in Entebbe municipality. Helminth infection and outcomes, including insulin resistance (computed using the homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance [HOMA-IR]), fasting blood glucose, fasting blood lipids, blood pressure, body mass index (BMI), waist and hip circumference, were assessed.

Results: We analysed 1,898 rural and 930 urban participants. Adjusting for BMI, exercise, smoking, alcohol intake, age and sex, urban residents had lower mean fasting glucose (adjusted mean difference [95%CI] 0.18 [-0.32, -0.05] p=0.01) and HOMA-IR (-0.26 [-0.40, -0.11] p=0.001) but higher blood pressure (systolic, 5.45 [3.75, 7.15] p<0.001; diastolic, 1.93 [0.57, 3.29] p=0.006). Current helminth infection did not explain the observed differences.

Conclusions: In the Ugandan context, living in rural fishing communities may protect against hypertension but worsen glucose metabolism.
Baudouin de Courtenay – prekursor nie tylko strukturalizmu
Authors: Pajdzińska Anna
Published: August 2020

Baudouin de Courtenay: A Precursor of More than Structural Linguistics

The paper contrasts Jan Baudouin de Courtenay’s approach to language with Neogrammarian views on the one hand, and Ferdinand de Saussure’s approach on the other. Similarly to the Swiss linguist, de Courtenay understood language as a system, but his views on the langue–parole and synchrony– diachrony relationships were more complex. He can also be considered a precursor of sociolinguistics, psycholinguistics, ethnolinguistics, and even gender linguistics.
Kolokacje a analiza semantyczna wyrazu
Authors: Przybylska Renata
Published: August 2020

Collocations and Semantic Analysis of Words

The author presents the application of an electronic text corpus, particularly of NKJP for Polish, to the analysis of syntagmatic expressions, more commonly known as collocations. By querying a corpus, it is possible to obtain reliable data on the frequency of collocations, and to extract cognitively significant expressions.
Czy opis synchroniczny systemu słowotwórczego polszczyzny jest kompletny?
Authors: Jadacka Hanna
Published: August 2020

Is the Synchronic Description of the Word-Formation System in Polish Complete?

The paper describes sixty years of the development of studies on synchronic word formation in Poland. The period is divided into two stages: 1959–1999, and 1999–2019. The first part recalls the comprehensive, profound characterization of the forty-year period from 1959 to 1999, given by Mirosław Skarżyński in Powstanie i rozwój polskiego słowotwórstwa opisowego. The second part is devoted to the twenty years from 1999 to 2019, and presents the most important changes that occurred in this period in the description of our (sub)discipline of linguistics. It highlights M. Skarżyński’s influence on the direction and essence of those changes, as the personality who inspired and penned groundbreaking works in the field, especially as the editor and collaborator on the third volume of SGS. Not all of the findings presented in this dictionary are sufficiently known in the scientific millieu, primarily due to the dispersion of works that continue previous research. Only after a synthesis of the newest accomplishments is prepared, will it be possible to give a positive answer to the question in the title.
Krakowsko-lwowskie korzenie wrocławskiej slawistyki
Authors: Sokołowski Jan
Published: August 2020

Cracow-Lviv Roots of Wrocław Slavic Studies

The paper discusses the beginnings of Polish and Slavic linguistics at the Univertsity of Wroclaw directly after World War II. It was created by young scholars, linguists, Slavicists and Polonists, who gained their education and academic degrees at the Jagiellonian University and the John Casimir University in Lviv. This group included primarily S. Rospond, L. Ossowski, W. Kuraszkiewicz, S. Bąk, all educated before the war, as well as A. Furdal, much younger than the others and educated already after the war. These scholars received their education under the guidance of the best Polish linguists, Slavicists, Polonists, and Indo-Europeanists. In addition, the paper presents basic information about preparations made in Cracow during the war, to create Polish and Slavic studies at the University of Wroclaw.
Conflitos entre as equipes de saúde na transferência do cuidado pré-hospitalar
Authors: Indruczaki Natasha Da Silva , Miorin Jeanini Dalcol , Pais Volmir Figueiredo , Gemelli Mariana Pereira , Lima Maria Alice Dias da Silva , Dal Pai Daiane
Published: August 2020

Objetivo: compreender as causas dos conflitos entre as equipes de saúde na transferência do cuidado pré-hospitalar sob a perspectiva dos profissionais. Método: estudo qualitativo, descritivo e exploratório, realizado no Serviço de Atendimento Móvel de Urgência (SAMU) de Porto Alegre/RS. Foram entrevistados 28 profissionais do SAMU e observados 135 horas de atendimentos. Empregou-se a análise de conteúdo temática. Resultados: As causas atribuídas aos conflitos foram: (1) a superlotação dos hospitais e a pouca receptividade da equipe: os profissionais do SAMU se sentem culpabilizados pela superlotação dos serviços e punidos por meio da retenção de macas; e (2) a regulação e as (in)definições de fluxos na rede: há lacunas nas pactuações sobre o destino dos pacientes, recaindo aos profissionais o desafio de dar sequencia ao atendimento. Conclusões: o excesso de demandas e a baixa articulação dos serviços na rede causam conflitos entre as equipes de saúde na transferência do cuidado pré-hospitalar.
“A cruel pedagogia do vírus”: lições para compreendermos a crise causada pelo coronavírus e seus desdobramentos
Authors: Miszak Valença de Oliveira Luthiane
Published: August 2020

ResumoA resenha destaca as principais contribuições da obra: “A cruel pedagogia do vírus”, relevante ensaio escrito por Boaventura de Sousa Santos, no ano de 2020, em meio à crise causada pela pandemia do novo coronavírus. Apresenta importantes lições que nos ajudam a compreender os efeitos da crise, bem como identificar as suas diversas causas e implicações ligadas ao cenário econômico, político e social em que vivemos. O autor também propõe alternativas viáveis, as quais indicam a necessidade de mudarmos a forma de nos relacionarmos com os diferentes seres vivos existentes no Planeta. A obra é de extrema relevância, pois nos ajuda a refletir sobre um tema mais que emergente e que tem alterado profundamente a nossa forma de ser, conviver, trabalhar, estudar e que coloca em xeque questões fundamentais em relação ao futuro da nossa existência. Palavras-chave: coronavírus; crise; lições.THE CRUEL VIRUS PEDADOGY:Lessons to understand the crisis caused by the coronavirus and its consequencesAbstractThe review highlights the main contributions of the work: “The cruel pedagogy of the virus”, a relevant essay written by Boaventura de Sousa Santos, in 2020, in the midst of the crisis caused by the pandemic of the new coronavirus. It presents important issues that help us to understand the effects of the crisis, as well as to identify its various causes and implications related to the economic, political and social scenario in which we live. The author also proposes viable alternatives, which indicate the need to change the way we relate to the different living beings on the planet. The work is extremely relevant, as it helps us to reflect on a more than emerging theme that has profoundly altered the way we be, live, work, study and that calls into question fundamental questions in relation to the future of our existence. Keywords: coronavirus; crisis; lessons.LA CRUEL PEDAGOGÍA DEL VÍRUS:Lecciones para comprendernos las crisis provocadas por el coronavirus y sus desarrollosResumenLa reseña destaca las contribuiciones principales de la obra: “A cruel pedagogia do vírus”, importante estúdio escrito por Boaventura de Sousa Santos, en 2020, em torno de las crisis provocada por pandemia del nuevo coronavirus. La obra apresenta lecciones importantes que nos ayudam a compreender los efectos de las crisis, así como identificar sus distintas causas y efectos vinculados al actual escenari econômico, político y social en que vivimos. El escritor tambíén propone alternativas viables, que indican lo necessário para mudarmos la forma de relación com los distintos seres existentes em el Planeta. La obra es muy relevante, pues nos ayuda a refletir sobre el tema em cuestion que modificó nuestra forma de ser, convivir, trabajar, estudiar y que há puesto em duda el futuro de nuestra existência. Palabras clave: coronavirus; crisis; lecciones.
An Efficient Pipeline for Crop Image Extraction and Vegetation Index Derivation Using Unmanned Aerial Systems
Authors: Lyu Beichen , Smith Stuart D. , Xue Yexiang , Rainey Katy  M. , Cherkauer Keith
Published: August 2020

Highlights

This study addresses two computational challenges in high-throughput phenotyping: scalability and efficiency.

Specifically, we focus on extracting crop images and deriving vegetation indices using unmanned aerial systems.

To this end, we outline a data processing pipeline, featuring a crop localization algorithm and trie data structure.

We demonstrate the efficacy of our approach by computing large-scale and high-precision vegetation indices in a soybean breeding experiment, where we evaluate soybean growth under water inundation and temporal change.

Abstract. In agronomy, high-throughput phenotyping (HTP) can provide key information for agronomists in genomic selection as well as farmers in yield prediction. Recently, HTP using unmanned aerial systems (UAS) has shown advantages in both cost and efficiency. However, scalability and efficiency have not been well studied when processing images in complex contexts, such as using multispectral cameras, and when images are collected during early and late growth stages. These challenges hamper further analysis to quantify phenotypic traits for large-scale and high-precision applications in plant breeding. To solve these challenges, our research team previously built a three-step data processing pipeline, which is highly modular. For this project, we present improvements to the previous pipeline to improve canopy segmentation and crop plot localization, leading to improved accuracy in crop image extraction. Furthermore, we propose a novel workflow based on a trie data structure to compute vegetation indices efficiently and with greater flexibility. For each of our proposed changes, we evaluate the advantages by comparison with previous models in the literature or by comparing processing results using both the original and improved pipelines. The improved pipeline is implemented as two MATLAB programs: Crop Image Extraction version 2 (CIE 2.0) and Vegetation Index Derivation version 1 (VID 1.0). Using CIE 2.0 and VID 1.0, we compute canopy coverage and normalized difference vegetation indices (NDVIs) for a soybean phenotyping experiment. We use canopy coverage to investigate excess water stress and NDVIs to evaluate temporal patterns across the soybean growth stages. Both experimental results compare favorably with previous studies, especially for approximation of soybean reproductive stage. Overall, the proposed methodology and implemented experiments provide a scalable and efficient paradigm for applying HTP with UAS to general plant breeding. Keywords: Data processing pipeline, High-throughput phenotyping, Image processing, Soybean breeding, Unmanned aerial systems, Vegetation indices.
Cutting Characteristics of Sugarcane in Terms of Physical and Chemical Properties
Authors: Xie Luxin , Wang Jun , Cheng Shaoming , Du Dongdong
Published: August 2020

Highlights

The cutting mechanism of sugarcane stalks using single-point clamping was analyzed.

Physical properties, chemical composition, and maximum cutting force of sugarcane were explored.

Strong and complicated correlations between physical properties and chemical composition were established.

Stress distributions in sugarcane stalks and the cutting blade were predicted using a finite element model.

Abstract. Research on the cutting characteristics of sugarcane stalks is of great significance to improve harvest mechanization. In this study, perpendicular cutting of sugarcane stalks at six different nodes and internodes along the stalk was tested using a single-point clamping method at three cutting speeds (30, 40, and 50 mm min-1). The physical properties and chemical composition were also measured. At the 50 mm min-1 cutting speed, the maximum cutting forces at nodes and internodes upward along the stalk decreased gradually from 810 to 530 N and from 600 to 440 N, respectively. The maximum cutting force was positively correlated with the cutting speed at the same position. Differences in the microstructures of nodes, internodes, and epidermis were revealed by SEM micrographs. The physical properties and chemical composition of the stalks showed significant correlations. Correlation analysis was used to clarify the complicated interrelationships among these independent variables and revealed the interacting mechanism between physical properties and chemical composition. A finite element model was established to simulate the sugarcane cutting process. Results showed that the simulated cutting resistance of the blade was close to that in the experiments. The maximum Von Mises stress of the sugarcane stalk and blade in the cutting process were about 23.34 and 254.17 MPa, respectively. The results of this study provide guidance for designing and optimizing base-cutters of sugarcane harvesters and similar cutting equipment. Keywords: Chemical composition, Correlation analysis, Cutting characteristics, Microstructure, Physical properties, Simulation.
Efficacy and Safety of Blood Stasis Based Herbal Medicine for Patients with Traffic Accident : A Prospective Observational Study
Authors: Bong Sung Min , Jo Hyo Rim , Jang Woo Seok , Choi Seong Kyeong , Sung Won Suk , Jung Chan Yung , Lee Seung Deok , Kim Kyung Ho , Kim Eun Jung
Published: August 2020

Background: Blood stasis (BS) is commonly used for pattern identification in traumatic injuries, including traffic accidents (TAs). Various studies have identified the efficacy of Korean medicine treatments for TA patients, but studies focusing on the BS-based herbal medicine (BSHM), including Tongdo-san (TDS), are rare.
Methods: This was a single-center, prospective observational study, conducted from August 24th, 2018 to December 27th, 2018, which included 40 TA patients. Participants underwent routine Korean medicine treatments including acupuncture, electronic moxibustion, cupping, physical therapy, and herbal medicine. In the herbal medicine treatment, participants took BSHM with more than 3 days including taking TDS. The primary outcome measures were the scores from a 100 mm visual analogue scale (VAS) and numerical rating scale (NRS). Secondary outcome measures included scores from EuroQol-5 dimension (EQ-5D) and EQVAS questionnaires, the BS and cold/heat indices, and safety assessments.
Results: There were significant improvements in the VAS, NRS, EQ-5D, EQ-VAS scores, and BS index after treatment. In the sub-analysis, VAS, NRS, EQ-5D, and EQ-VAS scores were higher in groups with a higher BS index. The moderate and severe BS index groups showed more improvement than the minor BS index group, and there was a significant difference in the EQ-5D scores. There was no significant differences observed in cold/heat index groups scores.
Conclusion: BS is associated with TA-related symptoms. BSHM, including TDS, may significantly reduce BS, pain, and discomfort.
Acupotomy Treatment for Lumbar Disc Herniation
Authors: Xilin Chen , Xinyi Fu , Zhichao Luo , Wenshan Xin , Quangui Wang , Mira Lee , Changqing Guo
Published: August 2020

Background: The aim of this study was to examine whether the effects of acupotomy therapy were beneficial for the treatment of protrusion of lumbar intervertebral disc.
Methods: The number of patients (n = 80) were equally assigned into treatment group and control group. Treatment group was given acupotomy therapy twice a week, and control group was given acupuncture 3 times a week, for 4 weeks. The beneficial effect and changes in score of the Japan Orthopedic Association (JOA) for low back pain were observed.
Results: Among 40 cases in the treatment group, there were 25 (62.5%) with an excellent effect, 13 (32.5%) with good effect, 1 (2.5%) with a medium effect and 1 (2.5%) with poor effect, with the total experiencing an excellent/good effect of 95.0%. Among 40 cases in the control group, there were 11 (27.5%) with an excellent effect, 17 (42.5%) with good effect, 10 (25.0%) with a medium effect, and 2 (5.0%) with poor effect, with an excellent/good rate of 70.0%. The result of the rank sum test showed Z = -4.923, p < 0.05 in the comparison, indicating a significantly better outcome following acupotomy compared with acupuncture. JOA scores increased in both groups after treatment (p < 0.05), which was more significant in the acupotomy treatment group (p < 0.05).
Conclusion: Acupotomy therapy has a beneficial effect on protrusion of lumbar intervertebral disc.
Traditional Korean Medical Treatment for Dizziness and Gait Instability due to Cerebellar Infarction: A Case Report
Authors: Lee You Jung , Jeong Jae Eun , Choi Yeon Ah , Park Jang Mi , Lee Seung Min , Lee Eun Yong , Lee Cham Kyul , Jo Na Young , Roh Jeong Du
Published: August 2020

This case study reports the effect of Korean medicine treatments on a 73 year-old female who had a cerebellar infarction. She was hospitalized for 120 days (without visiting Western medicine hospital) where she was treated with acupuncture, herbal decoction, pharmacopuncture, chuna, moxibustion and physiotherapy. Following treatment, her symptoms of dizziness were evaluated using the numeric rating scale and showed pain had reduced (3 to 0). The K-Modified Barthel, showed that life performance had improved (15 to 74), and the Berg balance scale showed an improved balance (2 to 32). Steps per minute and gait posture at stance phase for ataxia also showed improvement. This case report shows that Korean medicine treatment is effective in alleviating dizziness and improved gait instability caused by cerebellar infarction.
A Patient with Symptoms Caused by Electric Shock Treated with Traditional Korean Medicine
Authors: Lee Young Rok , Kim Beom Seok , Lee Ye Ji , Kim Hyo Bin , Sung Ki Jung , Cha Hyun Ji , Jeon Ju Hyun , Kim Young Il
Published: August 2020

This case report describes a 60-year-old female patient diagnosed with intercostal neuropathy and vertebral compression fractures which occurred following an electric shock injury. The patient received acupuncture, pharmacopuncture, and herbal medicine administration between February 10th, 2020 and April 25th, 2020. The pain level in the thoracic and left intercostal areas was assessed using the Numerical Rating Scale. The Self-report of the Leeds Assessment of Neuropathic Symptoms and Signs Pain Scale were used to diagnose neuropathic pain. The Neuropathic-Pain -Scale was used to evaluate the degree of neuropathic symptoms. The Oswestry Disability Index and the European Quality of Life-5 Dimensions were used to assess quality of life scales and functional disorder. Following combined Korean medicine treatment, the patient exhibited reduced levels of pain and significant improvement in functional disorder symptoms and quality of life.
Self-dual codes over $\mathbb{F}_{q}+u\mathbb{F}_{q}+u^2\mathbb{F}_{q}$ and applications
Authors: CHOOSUWAN Parinyawat , JITMAN Somphong
Published: August 2020

Self-dual codes over finite fields and over some finite rings have been of interest and extensively studied due to their nice algebraic structures and wide applications. Recently, characterization and enumeration of Euclidean self-dual linear codes over the ring~$\mathbb{F}_{q}+u\mathbb{F}_{q}+u^2\mathbb{F}_{q}$ with $u^3=0$ have been established. In this paper, Hermitian self-dual linear codes over $\mathbb{F}_{q}+u\mathbb{F}_{q}+u^2\mathbb{F}_{q}$ are studied for all square prime powers~$q$. Complete characterization and enumeration of such codes are given. Subsequently, algebraic characterization of $H$-quasi-abelian codes in $\mathbb{F}_q[G]$ is studied, where $H\leq G$ are finite abelian groups and $\mathbb{F}_q[H]$ is a principal ideal group algebra. General characterization and enumeration of $H$-quasi-abelian codes and self-dual $H$-quasi-abelian codes in $\mathbb{F}_q[G]$ are given. For the special case where the field characteristic is $3$, an explicit formula for the number of self-dual $A\times \mathbb{Z}_3$-quasi-abelian codes in $\mathbb{F}_{3^m}[A\times \mathbb{Z}_3\times B]$ is determined for all finite abelian groups $A$ and $B$ such that $3\nmid |A|$ as well as their construction. Precisely, such codes can be represented in terms of linear codes and self-dual linear codes over $\mathbb{F}_{3^m}+u\mathbb{F}_{3^m}+u^2\mathbb{F}_{3^m}$. Some illustrative examples are provided as well.
International normalised ratio as an independent predictor of mortality in limb necrotising fasciitis with sepsis
Authors: Ling XW , Lin K , Jiang XQ , Wu Q , Liu ZJ , Li S , Zhao S , Lin C
Published: August 2020

Introduction

Necrotising fasciitis with sepsis is a life threatening disease. The aim of this study was to analyse the association between international normalised ratio (INR) and mortality in sepsis patients with necrotising fasciitis.

Methods

A retrospective review was undertaken of 106 patients suffering from necrotising fasciitis with sepsis between November 2007 and December 2016. Data on comorbidities, clinical manifestations, laboratory findings, causative microbiological organisms, APACHE II (Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II) score and outcomes were extracted. Logistic regression was carried out to examine the factors affecting mortality.

Results

Forty patients (37.7%) died. There was no significant difference in the white blood count (WBC) for the survivor and non-survivor groups. Non-survivors had a lower mean oxygenation index (OI) (288.7mmHg vs 329.4mmHg, p=0.032) and platelet count (PC) (139.5 vs 214.8 x 109/l, p=0.028), and a higher mean INR (1.9 vs 1.3, p=0.000), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) (54.6 vs 44.2 seconds, p=0.005) and serum creatinine (2.3mg/dl vs 1.4mg/dl, p=0.007). Mortality in patients with INR >1.5 was significantly higher than in those with INR <1.5 when all risk factors (WBC, PC, OI, INR, APTT, creatinine) were considered (odds ratio: 4.414, 95% confidence interval: 1.263–15.428, p=0.020). Even after adjusting for age, sex, bacteraemia, diabetes and hepatic disorders, the data still exhibited elevated mortality for patients with INR >1.5 (odds ratio: 5.600, 95% confidence interval: 1.415–22.166, p=0.014).

Conclusions

INR is a significant independent predictor of mortality in sepsis patients diagnosed with necrotising fasciitis.
Differentiation of burn wounds in an in vivo porcine model using terahertz spectroscopy
Authors: Osman Omar B. , Jack Tan Timothy , Henry Sam , Warsen Adelaide , Farr Navid , McClintic Abbi M. , Wang Yak-Nam , Arbabi Saman , Arbab M. Hassan
Published: August 2020

The accuracy of current burn triage techniques has remained between 50-70%. Accordingly, there is a significant clinical need for the quantitative and accurate assessment of partial-thickness burn injuries. Porcine skin represents the closest animal model to human skin, and is often used in surgical skin grafting procedures. In this study, we used a standardized in vivo porcine burn model to obtain terahertz (THz) point-spectroscopy measurements from burns with various severities. We then extracted two reflection hyperspectral parameters, namely spectral area under the curve between approximately 0.1 and 0.9 THz (−10 dB bandwidth in each spectrum), and spectral slope, to characterize each burn. Using a linear combination of these two parameters, we accurately classified deep partial- and superficial partial-thickness burns (p = 0.0159), compared to vimentin immunohistochemistry as the gold standard for burn depth determination.
Flash X-ray diffraction imaging in 3D: a proposed analysis pipeline
Authors: Liu Jing , Engblom Stefan , Nettelblad Carl
Published: August 2020

Modern Flash X-ray diffraction Imaging (FXI) acquires diffraction signals from single biomolecules at a high repetition rate from X-ray Free Electron Lasers (XFELs), easily obtaining millions of 2D diffraction patterns from a single experiment. Due to the stochastic nature of FXI experiments and the massive volumes of data, retrieving 3D electron densities from raw 2D diffraction patterns is a challenging and time-consuming task. We propose a semi-automatic data analysis pipeline for FXI experiments, which includes four steps: hit-finding and preliminary filtering, pattern classification, 3D Fourier reconstruction, and post-analysis. We also include a recently developed bootstrap methodology in the post-analysis step for uncertainty analysis and quality control. To achieve the best possible resolution, we further suggest using background subtraction, signal windowing, and convex optimization techniques when retrieving the Fourier phases in the post-analysis step. As an application example, we quantified the 3D electron structure of the PR772 virus using the proposed data analysis pipeline. The retrieved structure was above the detector edge resolution and clearly showed the pseudo-icosahedral capsid of the PR772.
Shaping of nanosecond pulses in ytterbium fiber lasers by synchronous sine-wave pump modulation
Authors: Smirnov S. V. , Nyushkov B. N. , Ivanenko A. V. , Kolker D. B. , Kobtsev S. M.
Published: August 2020

In this work, we discovered the possibility of greatly relaxing requirements to the speed and dynamic range of pump power variation and, thus, of reducing synchronous pumping of ytterbium (Yb)-based fiber lasers to a very simple pump modulation yielding a mode-locked pulsed output. We show that even slow (microsecond-scale) low-index (

≤

0.5

) sine-wave synchronous modulation of the pump power can result in shaping of a regular train of nanosecond laser pulses. It is revealed that the energy-conservative process of laser pulse shortening against the pump modulation period can take place in the quasi–two-level laser active medium owing to mistiming-induced gain discrimination of the temporal laser pulse profile. Thus, nanosecond pulses with energy up to 50 nJ were obtained in our experimental all-fiber Yb-based laser configuration. Our theoretical modeling reveals routes to much stronger pulse shortening through tunable pump modulation parameters. This discovery allows the establishment of more reliable and easy-to-implement high-efficiency alternatives to other types of high-energy ultralong mode-locked fiber lasers.
3D shape measurement of diffused/specular surface by combining fringe projection and direct phase measuring deflectometry
Authors: Liu Xiaohong , Zhang Zonghua , Gao Nan , Meng Zhaozong
Published: August 2020

The three-dimensional (3D) data of object surfaces, like a precision machine part, play an important role in the fields of aerospace, automotive industry, augmented reality, heritage preservation, smart city, etc. The existing fringe projection profilometry and deflectometry can only measure the 3D shape of diffused and specular surfaces, respectively. However, there are many components having both diffused and specular surfaces. This paper presents a novel method for measuring the 3D shape of diffused/specular surfaces by combining fringe projection profilometry and direct phase measuring deflectometry. The principle and calibration method of the proposed method are elaborated. Experimental studies are conducted with an artificial diffused/specular step having diffused/specular surfaces to verify the measurement accuracy. The results on several objects show that the proposed method can measure diffused/specular surfaces effectively with certain accuracy. Error sources are also analyzed to improve the measurement accuracy.
Tunable terahertz metamaterial absorber based on electricity and light modulation modes
Authors: Wang Jinfeng , Lang Tingting , Hong Zhi , Shen Tingting , Wang Gangqi
Published: August 2020

In this paper, a metamaterial absorber that achieved absorption tuning by electricity and light control has been proposed in the terahertz (THz) regime. The THz absorber exhibits an absorbance of 97.5% at a resonant frequency of 0.245 THz. First, we simulated the absorption spectra under different structural parameters. Then the absorption characteristics are analyzed under different Fermi energies and pump fluences. When the Fermi energy changes from 0 to 1 eV, the peak absorbance decreases from 97.5% to 56.2%. As the fluence of the pump beam increases from 0 to 100 µJ/cm2, the peak absorbance decreases from 97.5% to 42.8%. The amplitude modulation depth T of our designed absorber is approximately 0.55. Electric and magnetic resonances are proposed in this article, which allows for nearly perfect absorption. Finally, the absorption for both transverse electric and transverse magnetic modes were investigated under different incident angles, from 0° to 75° with a step-width of 15°. The absorber can be potentially applied to THz detection, imaging, and sensing.
Nanowire-assisted microcavity in a photonic crystal waveguide and the enabled high-efficiency optical frequency conversions
Authors: Gu Linpeng , Fang Liang , Yuan Qingchen , Gan Xuetao , Yang Hao , Zhang Xutao , Li Juntao , Fang Hanlin , Khayrudinov Vladislav , Lipsanen Harri , Sun Zhipei , Zhao Jianlin
Published: August 2020

We report an indium phosphide nanowire (NW)-induced cavity in a silicon planar photonic crystal (PPC) waveguide to improve the light–NW coupling. The integration of NW shifts the transmission band of the PPC waveguide into the mode gap of the bare waveguide, which gives rise to a microcavity located on the NW section. Resonant modes with

Q

factors exceeding

10
3

are obtained. Leveraging on the high density of the electric field in the microcavity, the light–NW interaction is enhanced strongly for efficient nonlinear frequency conversion. Second-harmonic generation and sum-frequency generation in the NW are realized with a continuous-wave pump laser in a power level of tens of microwatts, showing a cavity-enhancement factor of 112. The hybrid integration structure of NW-PPC waveguide and the self-formed microcavity not only opens a simple strategy to effectively enhance light–NW interactions, but also provides a compact platform to construct NW-based on-chip active devices.
Brain activity during externally and internally guided movements in patients with Parkinsons disease
Authors: Filyushkina Veronika , Popov Valentin , Ushakov Vadim , Batalov Artem , Tomskiy Alexey , Pronin Igor , Sedov Alexey
Published: August 2020

An imbalance in the activity of the basal ganglia in Parkinsons disease is known to result in disturbance of the planning and initiation of mainly self-initiated voluntary movements. The effectiveness of self-initiated movements can be improved by adding an external stimulus. Despite a large number of studies in this area, the neural mechanisms of motor control of these movements and the role of the basal ganglia in their implementation remain unknown.

The aim of the study was to compare brain activity during the execution of externally triggered (ET) and internally guided (IG) movements in normal state and Parkinson's disease. We used functional MRI with block designed paradigm to analyze brain activity caused by voluntary movements. Twenty healthy participants and twenty Parkinson's disease patients (OFF-state) were asked to perform hand movements in response to sound stimuli (ET) and in advance of the stimuli (IG).

We showed that brain activity during externally induced movements is lateralized mainly in the contralateral hemisphere, both in normal and in Parkinson's disease. During the IG movement, brain activity was observed also in the ipsilateral hemisphere, to a greater extent in patients, which indicates difficulty in performing this test. At the same time, in patients, activation was observed not only in the posterior parts of the putamen but also in the anterior ones during IG movements. These results showed that IG movements in patients with PD were made with the participation of both sensorimotor and associative basal ganglia-thalamocortical loops.

This work was supported by RFBR
19-315-90097.