bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparison of warfarin versus antiplatelet therapy after surgical bioprosthetic aortic valve replacement
Authors: Christersson Christina , James Stefan K , Lindhagen Lars , Ahlsson Anders , Friberg Örjan , Jeppsson Anders , Ståhle Elisabeth
Published: November 2019

Objectives

To compare effectiveness of warfarin and antiplatelet exposure regarding both thrombotic and bleeding events, following surgical aortic valve replacement with a biological prosthesis(bioSAVR).

Methods

The study included all patients in Sweden undergoing a bioSAVR during 2008–2014 who were alive at discharge from the index hospital stay. Exposure was analysed and defined as postdischarge dispension of any antithrombotic pharmaceutical, updated at each following dispensions and categorised as single antiplatelet (SAPT), warfarin, warfarin combined with SAPT, dual antiplatelet (DAPT) or no antithrombotic treatment. Exposure to SAPT was used as comparator. Outcome events were all-cause mortality, ischaemic stroke, haemorrhagic stroke, any thromboembolism and major bleedings. We continuously updated adjustments for comorbidities with any indication for antithrombotic treatment by Cox regression analysis.

Results

We identified 9539 patients with bioSAVR (36.8% women) at median age of 73 years with a mean follow-up of 3.13 years. As compared with SAPT, warfarin alone was associated with a lower incidence of ischaemic stroke (HR 0.49, 95% CI 0.35 to 0.70) and any thromboembolism (HR 0.75, 95% CI 0.60 to 0.94) but with no difference in mortality (HR 0.94, 95% CI 0.78 to 1.13). The incidence of haemorrhagic stroke (HR 1.94, 95% CI 1.07 to 3.51) and major bleeding (HR 1.67, 95% CI 1.30 to 2.15) was higher during warfarin exposure. As compared with SAPT, DAPT was not associated with any difference in ischaemic stroke or any thromboembolism. Risk-benefit analyses demonstrated that 2.7 (95% CI 1.0 to 11.9) of the ischaemic stroke cases could potentially be avoided per every haemorrhagic stroke caused by warfarin exposure instead of SAPT during the first year.

Conclusion

In patients discharged after bioSAVR, warfarin exposure as compared with SAPT exposure was associated with lower long-term risk of ischaemic stroke and thromboembolic events, and with a higher incidence of bleeding events but with similar mortality.
Revolving doors of tendinopathy: definition, pathogenesis and treatment
Authors: Ahmad Zafar , Parkar Asif , Shepherd Jennifer , Rushton Neil
Published: November 2019

The ultimate cure for the tendon pathology continues to elude current science. Despite great steps in technology, the causation and treatment is still not clear. The number of different theories and treatment modalities in the literature may confuse clinicians and patients. In this paper we outline the definitions, evolution of pathogenesis and treatment for tendinopathy. By highlighting these, the aim of this paper is to guide the practitioner in counselling and treating their patients.
Characteristics and burden of disease in patients with radiographic and non-radiographic axial Spondyloarthritis: a comparison by systematic literature review and meta-analysis
Authors: López-Medina Clementina , Ramiro Sofia , van der Heijde Desirée , Sieper Joachim , Dougados Maxime , Molto Anna
Published: November 2019

Objectives

To compare the clinical characteristics, burden of disease (eg, disease activity, function, quality of life), treatment modalities and treatment effect in patients with radiographic and non-radiographic axial Spondyloarthritis (r-axSpA and nr-axSpA).

Methods

A systematic literature review (2009–2018) was performed using the participants, intervention, comparator and outcomes methodology. Studies reporting outcomes (clinical presentation, burden of disease, treatment modalities and treatment effect) of both r-axSpA and nr-axSpA were included. A pooled analysis was performed (standardised means difference and relative risk for continuous and binary variables, respectively) and random or fixed effects methods were used depending on the heterogeneity of the studies.

Results

60 studies out of 787 references were included. Pooled analysis showed that, compared with patients with nr-axSpA, patients with r-axSpA were more frequently men (69.6% vs 53.6%), smokers (37.7% vs 31.1%) and had higher mean disease duration (8.6 vs 5.0 years) and longer time to diagnosis (6.1 vs 4.2 years). Peripheral manifestations were more prevalent in nr-axSpA, while uveitis and structural damage on MRI of the sacroiliac joints were more prevalent in r-axSpA. C-reactive protein and the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Mobility Index were higher in r-axSpA, while Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index, Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index and Ankylosing Spondylitis Quality of Life were similar in both groups. No significant differences were found with regard to treatment effect.

Conclusions

Patients with r-axSpA and nr-axSpA share a similar clinical presentation except for peripheral involvement, which is more prevalent among nr-axSpA. Except for a more impaired mobility in r-axSpA, both groups showed a comparable burden of disease, treatment modalities and treatment effect.
Updates in the management of cranial dural arteriovenous fistula
Authors: Baharvahdat Humain , Ooi Yinn Cher , Kim Wi Jin , Mowla Ashkan , Coon Alexander L , Colby Geoffrey P
Published: November 2019

Dural arteriovenous fistula (dAVF) accounts for approximately 10% of all intracranial vascular malformations. While they can be benign lesions, the presence of retrograde venous drainage and cortical venous reflux makes the natural course of these lesions aggressive high risk of haemorrhage, neurological injury and mortality. Endovascular treatment is often the first line of treatment for dAVF. Both transarterial and transvenous approaches are used to cure dAVF. The selection of treatment approach depends on the angioarchitecture of the dAVF, the location, the direction of venous flow. Surgery and, to a lesser extent, stereotactic radiosurgery are used when endovascular approaches are impossible or unsuccessful.
Bondi accretion in the spherically symmetric Johannsen–Psaltis spacetime
Authors: John Anslyn J. , Stevens Chris Z.
Published: November 2019

The Johannsen–Psaltis spacetime explicitly violates the no-hair theorem. It describes rotating black holes with scalar hair in the form of parametric deviations from the Kerr metric. In principle, black hole solutions in any modified theory of gravity could be written in terms of the Johannsen–Psaltis metric. We study the accretion of gas onto a static limit of this spacetime. We utilise a recently proposed pseudo–Newtonian formulation of the dynamics around arbitrary static, spherically symmetric spacetimes. We obtain a potential that generalises the Paczyński–Wiita potential to the static Johannsen–Psaltis metric. We also perform a fully relativistic analysis of the geodesic equations in the static Johannsen–Psaltis spacetime. We find that positive (negative) values of the scalar hair parameter, $$\epsilon _{3}$$ϵ3, lower (raise) the accretion rate. Similarly, positive (negative) values of $$\epsilon _{3}$$ϵ3 reduce (increase) the gravitational acceleration of radially infalling massive particles.
Quantity Leadership for a Dual-Channel Supply Chain with Retail Service
Authors: Dong Ciwei , Yang Liu , Ng Chi To
Published: November 2019

In a dual-channel supply, the manufacturer sells the products by both a traditional channel via the retailer and an online channel directly. Comparing with the direct channel, the retailer may provide additional services to the traditional channel. This paper studies the quantity leadership for a dual-channel supply chain with retail service. The manufacturer decides the wholesale price of the products and its selling quantity via the online channel, and the retailer decides the service level and its selling quantity via the traditional channel. We consider three Cournot competition games: Manufacturer-as-leader game, retailer-as-leader game, and simultaneous game. Optimal solutions are derived for these games. Based on the optimal solutions, we investigate the quantity leadership/followership decisions for the manufacturer and retailer, associated with the changes of some parameters. We observe that when the service sensitivity parameters are low, being a follower is a dominant strategy for the retailer; otherwise, both strategies of manufacturer-as-leader (retailer as the follower) and retailer-as-leader (manufacturer as the follower) are Nash equilibriums. We further conduct the numerical studies to investigate the impacts of parameters related to the retail service, and discuss the insights of the findings.
EFFECT OF TIME DELAY IN A CANNIBALISTIC STAGE-STRUCTURED PREDATOR–PREY MODEL WITH HARVESTING OF AN ADULT PREDATOR: THE CASE OF LIONFISH
Authors: MAJI BANAMALI , TIWARI PANKAJ KUMAR , SAMANTA SUDIP , PAL SAMARES , BONA FRANCESCA
Published: November 2019

The progressive and increasing invasion of an opportunistic predator, the lionfish (Pterois volitans) has become a major threat for the delicate coral-reef ecosystem. The herbivore fish populations, in particular of Parrotfish, are taking the consequences of the lionfish invasion and then their control function on macro-algae growth is threatened. In this paper, we developed and analyzed a stage-structured mathematical model including P. volitans (lionfish), a cannibalistic predator, and a Parrotfish, its potential prey. As control upon the over predation, a rational harvest term has been considered. Further, to make the system more realistic, a delay in the growth rate of juvenile P. volitans population has been incorporated. We performed a global sensitivity analysis to identify important parameters of the system having significant correlations with the fishes. We observed that the system generates transcritical bifurcation, which takes the P. volitans-free equilibrium to the coexistence equilibrium on increasing the values of predation rate of adult P. volitans on Parrotfish. Further increase in the values of the predation rate of adult P. volitans on Parrotfish drives the system into Hopf bifurcation, which induces oscillation around the coexistence equilibrium. Moreover, the conversion efficiency due to cannibalism also has the property to alter the stability behavior of the system through Hopf bifurcation. The effect of time delay on the dynamics of the system is extensively studied and it is observed that the system develops chaotic dynamics through period-doubling oscillations for large values of time delay. However, if the system is already oscillatory, then the large values of time delay causes extinction of P. volitans from the system. To illustrate the occurrence of chaotic dynamics in the system, we drew the Poincaré map and also computed the Lyapunov exponents.
In silico modeling and in vitro activity of vitexin and isovitexin against SGLT2
Authors: Shi Yongheng , Meng Fancui , Liu Jiping , Wang Bin
Published: November 2019

The homology model of hSGLT2 (human sodium dependent glucose co-transporter 2) was used as a target for diabetes mellitus. Molecular docking and dynamics simulations were carried out on vitexin- and isovitexin-SGLT2 complexes with dapagliflozin as positive control. The results show that both vitexin and isovitexin have weaker binding energies compared to dapagliflozin, indicating that both ligands may exhibit weak anti-diabetic effects through inhibiting SGLT2. The poor binding mode of vitexin and isovitexin may be responsible for their weak anti-diabetic effect. These results are in accordance with the inhibitory activity against hSGLT2 in vitro test with the inhibitory rate 26.3% of vitexin and 11.2% of isovitexin at the dose of 10[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]mol[Formula: see text][Formula: see text][Formula: see text]L[Formula: see text]. The results of calculation and in vitro test may explain the possible inhibiting mechanism of vitexin and isovitexin against SGLT2, and therefore enhance our understanding of the structure-activity relationships of SGLT2 inhibitors.
Plantar Tactile Feedback for Biped Balance and Locomotion on Unknown Terrain
Authors: Rogelio Guadarrama Olvera J. , Leon Emmanuel Dean , Bergner Florian , Cheng Gordon
Published: November 2019

This work introduces a new sensing system for biped robots based on plantar robot skin, which provides not only the resultant forces applied on the ankles but a precise shape of the pressure distribution in the sole together with other extra sensing modalities (temperature, pre-touch and acceleration). The information provided by the plantar robot skin can be used to compute the center of pressure and the ground reaction forces. This information also enables the online construction of the supporting polygon and its preemptive shape before foot landing using the proximity sensors in the robot skin. Two experiments were designed to show the advantages of this new sensing technology for improving balance and walking controllers for biped robots over unknown terrain.
Contact CR-warped product submanifolds of generalized Sasakian space forms admitting Ricci soliton
Authors: Khan Meraj Ali , Alkhaldi Ali H. , Alqahtani Lamia Saeed , Khan Kamran
Published: November 2019

The objective of this paper is to study contact CR-warped product submanifolds admitting Ricci soliton in the setting of generalized Sasakian space forms with a nearly trans-Sasakian structure. More precisely, we obtain some classifications for these warped product submanifolds by using Ricci curvature and Euler–Lagrange equation
Monitoring the encapsulation of chlorin e6 derivatives into polymer carriers by NMR spectroscopy
Authors: Pfister Sara , Sauser Luca , Gjuroski Ilche , Furrer Julien , Vermathen Martina
Published: November 2019

The encapsulation of five derivatives of chlorin e6 with different hydrophobicity and aggregation properties into a series of five poloxamer-type triblock copolymer micelles (BCMs) with varying numbers of polyethylene and polypropylene glycol (PEG, PPG) units was monitored using 1H NMR spectroscopy. NMR chemical shift and line shape analysis, as well as dynamic methods including diffusion ordered spectroscopy (DOSY) and T1 and T2 relaxation time measurements of the chlorin and the polymer resonances, proved useful to assess the chlorin–BCM compatibility. The poloxamers had high capability to break up aggregates formed by chlorins up to intermediate hydrophobicity. Physically entrapped chlorins were always localized in the BCM core region. The loading capacity correlated with chlorin polarity for all poloxamers among which those with the lowest number of PPG units were most efficient. DOSY data revealed that relatively weakly aggregating chlorins partition between the aqueous bulk and micellar environment whereas more hydrophobic chlorins are well retained in the BCM core region, rendering these systems more stable. T1 and T2 relaxation time measurements indicated that motional freedom in the BCM core region contributes to encapsulation efficiency. The BCM corona dynamics were rather insensitive towards chlorin entrapment except for the poloxamers with short PEG chains. The presented data demonstrate that 1H NMR spectroscopy is a powerful complementary tool for probing the compatibility of porphyrinic compounds with polymeric carriers such as poloxamer BCMs, which is a prerequisite in the development of stable and highly efficient drug delivery systems suitable for medical applications like photodynamic therapy of tumors.
Touch-Based Active Cloud Authentication Using Traditional Machine Learning and LSTM on a Distributed Tensorflow Framework
Authors: Gunn Dylan J. , Liu Zhipeng , Dave Rushit , Yuan Xiaohong , Roy Kaushik
Published: November 2019

In this modern world, mobile devices have been paired with the cloud environment to scale the voluminous amount of generated data. The implementation comes at the cost of privacy as proprietary data can be stolen in transit to the cloud, or victims’ phones can be seized along with synced data from cloud. The attacker can gain access to the phone through shoulder surfing, or even spoofing attacks. Our approach is to mitigate this issue by proposing an active cloud authentication framework using touch biometric pattern. To the best of our knowledge, active cloud authentication using touch dynamics for mobile cloud computing has not been explored in the literature. This research creates a proof of concept that will lead into a simulated cloud framework for active authentication. Given the amount of data captured by the mobile device from user activity, it can be a computationally intensive process for the mobile device to handle with such limited resources. To solve this, we simulated a post-transmission process of data to the cloud so that we could implement the authentication process within the cloud. We evaluated the touch data using traditional machine learning algorithms, such as Random Forest (RF), Support Vector Machine (SVM), and also using a deep learning classifier, the Long Short-Term Memory Recurrent Neural Network (LSTM-RNN) algorithms. The novelty of this work is two-fold. First, we develop a distributed tensorflow framework for cloud authentication using touch biometric pattern. This framework helps alleviate the drawback of the computationally intensive recognition of the substantial amount of raw data from the user. Second, we apply the RF, SVM, and a deep learning classifier, the LSTM-RNN, on the touch data to evaluate the performance of the proposed authentication scheme. The proposed approach shows a promising performance with an accuracy of 99.0361% using RF on the distributed tensorflow framework.
A Novel Approach to Synthesize Nitrogen-Deficient g-C3N4for the Enhanced Photocatalytic Contaminant Degradation and Electrocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution
Authors: Li Xiaoxiao , Zhang Kailian , Zhou Man , Yang Kai , Yang Shi , Ma Xiaoshuai , Yu Changlin , Xie Yu , Huang Weiya , Fan Qizhe
Published: November 2019

Graphitic carbon nitride with nitrogen vacancies was successfully synthesized by the three-step method for the calcination of melamine, following urea-assisted hydrothermal and jacjoin calcination approach. The structural, surface, optical and electric properties were characterized by XRD, FT-IR, SEM, TEM, UV–Vis DRS, PL, N2physical adsorption/desorption and electrochemical methods, which proved that this strategy of modifying g-C3N4by nitrogen vacancies not only increased the specific surface area, exposed more active sites, but also inhibited the recombination of photogenerated carriers on the surface of photocatalysts, resulting in the enhancement of photocatalytic and electrocatalytic performances. The photocatalytic activities were measured under visible light irradiation ([Formula: see text][Formula: see text]nm), and their degradation efficiencies could be achieved for 99.8%, 55%, 100% and 99.7% corresponding to that of rhodamine B, acid orange II, methyl orange and methylene blue, respectively. The trapping experiments demonstrated that [Formula: see text] played an important role in the degradation process. In addition, being an active electrocatalyst, nitrogen-deficient g-C3N4showed a lower Tafel slope, smaller overpotential and the more effective electrochemical surface area compared with that of bare g-C3N4in neutral media. This work underlines the importance of defect engineering to promote catalytic performance, which can provide a simple and efficient way for modifying g-C3N4and other N-based catalysts.
An Implication-based Test Scheme for Both Diagnosis and Concurrent Error Detection Applications
Authors: Wang Chih-Hao , Hsieh Tong-Yu
Published: November 2019

This article describes a diagnosis-aware hybrid concurrent error detection (
DAH-CED
) scheme that can facilitate both off-line and on-line test applications. By using the proposed scheme, not only the probability of detecting errors (on-line) but also the diagnosability of the target circuit (off-line) can be significantly enhanced. The proposed scheme combines the implication-based method with the parity check method. In particular, novel algorithms are developed to identify specific implications for enhancing the diagnosability for the modeled faults proactively. Furthermore, a reduction algorithm is also presented to minimize the number of the employed implications, while no loss on probability of detecting errors and diagnosability is also guaranteed. To the best of our knowledge, this issue is not addressed in the literature. To validate the proposed scheme, not only stuck-at faults but also transition faults are considered to simulate the timing-related errors. The experimental results on nine ITC’99 benchmark circuits show that the diagnosability for stuck-at (transition) faults is enhanced by 6.88% (7.78%) by applying the proposed scheme. As for the probability of detecting errors, 97.73% (97.10%) is achieved for errors caused by stuck-at (transition) faults. Moreover, only 3.11% of implications are needed.
Deregulation of Chromosome Segregation and Cancer
Authors: Curtis Natalie L. , Ruda Gian Filippo , Brennan Paul , Bolanos-Garcia Victor M.
Published: November 2019

The mitotic spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC) is an intricate cell signaling system that ensures the high fidelity and timely segregation of chromosomes during cell division. Mistakes in this process can lead to the loss, gain, or rearrangement of the genetic material. Gross chromosomal aberrations are usually lethal but can cause birth and development defects as well as cancer. Despite advances in the identification of SAC protein components, important details of the interactions underpinning chromosome segregation regulation remain to be established. This review discusses the current understanding of the function, structure, mode of regulation, and dynamics of the assembly and disassembly of SAC subcomplexes, which ultimately safeguard the accurate transmission of a stable genome to descendants. We also discuss how diverse oncoviruses take control of human cell division by exploiting the SAC and the potential of this signaling circuitry as a pool of drug targets to develop effective cancer therapies.
Improvement of Oxidative Stability and Microbial Shelf Life of Vanilla Cake by Coconut Oil Meal and Sesame Oil Meal Phenolic Extracts
Authors: Senanayake Chathuri M. , Algama C. Harshani , Wimalasekara Ruwani L. , Weerakoon W. N. M. T. D. N. , Jayathilaka Nimanthi , Seneviratne Kapila N.
Published: November 2019

Phenolic extracts of coconut oil meal (CME) and sesame oil meal (SME) were compared with synthetic antioxidants for the potential of improving shelf life of vanilla cake. CME maintained hexanal (product of chemical spoilage) levels below 0.3 mg/kg in cake up to 14 days. BHT- and SME-added cakes maintained hexanal levels below 2 mg/kg, while control cake with no added antioxidants exceeded this level by day 14. Both CME and SME extended the microbial shelf life up to 13 days, while control and BHT-added cake exceeded the maximum allowed colony count by day 7 and day 11, respectively. The results indicate that the onset of microbial spoilage of vanilla cake is faster than the chemical spoilage, and addition of CME and SME extends both microbiological and chemical stability of cakes beyond day 7 during storage. Over 90% of the antioxidant activity of CME and SME retained after heating at 180°C for 2 h. CME and SME are ideal thermally stable natural alternatives for synthetic antioxidants in vanilla cake.
Tenascin-C Is Increased in Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Is Associated with response to Infliximab Therapy
Authors: Ning Longui , Li Sha , Gao Jianguo , Ding Liang , Wang Chenhui , Chen Wenguo , Shan Guodong , Zhang Fenming , Yu Jinghua , Xu Guoqiang
Published: November 2019

Tenascin-C (TNC) is an extracellular matrix glycoprotein expressed in response to inflammation and tissue damage. The role of TNC in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is not well understood. In this study, we analyzed the expression of TNC in the inflamed mucosa of patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn’s disease (CD). Serum TNC levels were determined by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and the levels of TNC in patients with different disease activities were compared. The expression of TNC was derived from a GEO dataset. THP-1 cells were stimulated with TNC to evaluate the proinflammatory role of TNC. We found higher TNC expression in the inflamed mucosa of patients with UC and CD compared with normal controls (NCs). TNC was mainly expressed in the stromal area of the intestinal mucosa. The median serum levels of TNC were significantly higher in UC (median 74.1 ng/ml, range 42.6–102.1 ng/ml) and CD (median 59.2 ng/ml, range 44.0–80.9 ng/ml). We also found that serum TNC levels were correlated with Mayo scores in UC and Crohn’s disease activity index (CDAI) in CD. Through GSE14580, we demonstrated that patients who were nonresponsive to infliximab treatment had higher mucosal TNC mRNA expression. High TNC mRNA expression in the inflamed intestinal mucosa was associated with poor response to infliximab therapy in patients with UC. Furthermore, THP-1 cells stimulated with TNC showed increased expression of IL-6, but not TNF-α, IL-8, MCP-1, or IL-1β. Thus, increased TNC levels may participate in the pathogenesis of IBD and may serve as a biomarker for disease activity and response to treatment with infliximab.
Role of MicroRNA-124 as a Prognostic Factor in Multiple Neoplasms: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Zhou Zijian , Lv Jiancheng , Wang Jingzi , Yu Hao , Lu Hongcheng , Yuan Baorui , Han Jie , Zhou Rui , Zhang Xiaolei , Yang Xiao , Yang Haiwei , Lu Qiang , Li Pengchao
Published: November 2019

Objective. MicroRNA-124 (miR-124) was revealed to be an attractive prognostic tumour biomarker in recent studies. However, the results remain inconclusive. Hence, this meta-analysis was carried out to clarify the precise predictive value of miR-124. Materials and Methods. Relevant studies were searched in PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library up to October 2018. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were extracted from the selected studies. Results. A total of 29 articles investigating the correlation between miR-124 expression and prognosis were initially identified. The pooled HR for overall survival (OS) of high miR-124 expression in multiple cancers was 0.55 (95%CI=0.50–0.61). Disease-free survival (DFS)/progression-free survival (HR=0.48, 95%CI=0.38–0.61) revealed a protective role of increased miR-124 expression. Epigenetic hypermethylation of miR-124 mediated the silencing of its expression, which is correlated significantly with unfavourable survival (OS: HR=2.06, 95%CI=1.68–2.53; DFS/recurrence-free survival: HR=2.77, 95%CI=1.85–4.16). Conclusions. Taken together, our results suggest that miR-124 plays an antioncogenic role in various tumors, such as lung cancer and colorectal cancer. If methylation of miR-124 could be prevented, progression and metastasis would be improved; thus, miR-124 may be a promising biomarker and novel therapeutic target. Further large-scale studies are needed to confirm this possible effect.
Identification of Key Genes and Prognostic Value Analysis in Hepatocellular Carcinoma by Integrated Bioinformatics Analysis
Authors: Wang Meng , Wang Licheng , Wu Shusheng , Zhou Dongsheng , Wang Xianming
Published: November 2019

Emerging evidence indicates that various functional genes with altered expression are involved in the tumor progression of human cancers. This study is aimed at identifying novel key genes that may be used for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) diagnosis, prognosis, and targeted therapy. This study included 3 expression profiles (GSE45267, GSE74656, and GSE84402), which were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). GEO2R was used to analyze the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between HCC and normal samples. The functional and pathway enrichment analysis was performed by the Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery. A protein-protein interaction (PPI) network of the identified DEGs was constructed using the Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Gene, and hub genes were identified. ONCOMINE and CCLE databases were used to verify the expression of the hub genes in HCC tissues and cells. Kaplan-Meier plotter was used to assess the effects of the hub genes on the overall survival of HCC patients. A total of 99 DEGs were identified from the 3 expression profiles. These DEGs were enriched with functional processes and pathways related to HCC pathogenesis. From the PPI network, 5 hub genes were identified. The expression of the 5 hub genes was all upregulated in HCC tissues and cells compared with the control tissues and cells. Kaplan-Meier survival curves indicated that high expression of cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK1), cyclin B1 (CCNB1), cyclin B2 (CCNB2), MAD2 mitotic arrest deficient-like 1 (MAD2L1), and topoisomerase IIα (TOP2A) predicted poor overall survival in HCC patients (all log-rank P<0.01). These results revealed that the DEGs may serve as candidate key genes during HCC pathogenesis. The 5 hub genes, including CDK1, CCNB1, CCNB2, MAD2L1, and TOP2A, may serve as promising prognostic biomarkers in HCC.
Bearing Fault Diagnosis Based on Collaborative Representation Using Projection Dictionary Pair
Authors: Ma Dan , Lu Yixiang , Zhang Yushun , Bao Hua , Peng Xueming
Published: November 2019

In state analysis of rolling bearings using collaborative representation theory, how to construct an excellent redundant dictionary to collaboratively represent the acquired normal or abnormal data has been being a significant issue. Thus, a new method for fault detection and classification of rolling bearings is proposed in this paper. The proposed algorithm mainly consists of three components. First, a wavelet transform is employed to extract features, which takes advantage of the observation that vibration signals under different conditions have similar frequency spectra. This similarity ensures that we can collaboratively represent any test sample by using training samples. Second, under the similarity assumption, a dictionary pair learning strategy is employed to build an overcomplete dictionary pair, which is used to realize an optimal representation of the vibration signal. Meanwhile, the sparse constraint is also taken into account during dictionary training to enhance the robustness of the classification. Finally, the learned dictionary combined with collaborative representation is used to intelligently perform pattern classification of rolling bearings. The effectiveness and superiority of the method are verified by applying the proposed algorithm on the simulated and real vibration signals. The results show that, for different fault categories generated from different fault size and motor loads, our method can rapidly and accurately identify the fault category to which the input sample belongs.
Intradural-Extramedullary Solitary Fibrous Tumor/Hemangiopericytoma with a Negative Result on Fluorodeoxyglucose-Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography
Authors: Tomomatsu Yusuke , Iizuka Yoichi , Mieda Tokue , Hirato Junko , Koshi Hiromi , Sonoda Hiroyuki , Ishiwata Sho , Kakuta Yohei , Honda Akira , Tajika Tsuyoshi , Chikuda Hirotaka
Published: November 2019

Intradural-extramedullary solitary fibrous tumor/hemangiopericytoma (SFT/HPC) is a rare entity. SFT/HPCs can recur after surgery, even if a benign histology of the tumor is observed. We herein report a 68-year-old woman with intradural-extramedullary SFT/HPC. On magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), the intradural-extramedullary mass was isointense on T1-weighted images and hypointense on T2-weighted images with heterogeneous gadolinium enhancement. Whole-body fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG-PET/CT) was also performed, showing no accumulation. We performed surgery for the intradural-extramedullary mass, and the pathological findings of the resected specimen were a benign histology consistent with World Health Organization (WHO) grade I SFT/HPC. She had no evidence of tumor recurrence three years after the surgery for intradural-extramedullary SFT/HPC. 18F-FDG-PET/CT before surgery may be useful for predicting the postoperative behavior of spinal SFT/HPCs.
Zika Virus Targeting by Screening Inhibitors against NS2B/NS3 Protease
Authors: Choudhry Hani , Alzahrani Faisal A. , Hassan Mohammed A. , Alghamdi Asma , Abdulaal Wesam H. , Bakhrebah Muhammed A. , Zamzami Mazin A. , Helmi Nawal , Bokhari Fawzi F. , Zeyadi Mustafa , Baothman Othman A. , Kamal Mohammad A. , Warsi Mohiuddin K. , Ali Ashraf , Jarullah Bushra , Jamal Mohammad S.
Published: November 2019

Zika flavivirus is suspected to cause Guillain-Barre syndrome in adults and microcephaly, along with other congenital abnormalities in infants. Presently, no vaccines or therapeutics are available. Here, we report novel compounds identified by high-throughput virtual screening of Maybridge chemical database and molecular docking studies. We selected viral enzyme NS2B/NS3 serine protease as the therapeutic target because of its important role in viral replication. We selected seven potential compounds as antiviral drug candidates because of their high GOLD fitness score, high AutoDock Vina score, or X-Score binding energy and analyzed the strength of molecular interactions between the active site amino acids and selected compounds. Our study also provides a foundation for similar studies for the search of novel therapeutics against Zika virus.
Xerophthalmia and Its Associated Factors among School-Age Children in Amba Giorgis Town, Northwest Ethiopia, 2018
Authors: Belete Gizachew Tilahun , Fenta Assefa Lake , Hussen Mohammed Seid
Published: November 2019

Introduction. Xerophthalmia is a general term applied to all the ocular manifestations from night blindness through complete corneal destruction (keratomalacia) due to vitamin A deficiency. Xerophthalmia is the main contributing factors for childhood blindness in developing countries. However, there is limited evidence that can implicate the current situation. This study aimed to determine the magnitude of xerophthalmia and associated factors among school-age children in Northwest Ethiopia. Methods. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted on 490 children, age range of 6 to 12 years. The study participants were selected through systematic random sampling method. Data were collected using a pretested structured questionnaire and ophthalmic examination with different ophthalmic instruments. The analyzed result was summarized and presented using descriptive statistics. Binary logistic regression was used to determine the factors associated with xerophthalmia. Variables with a p value of <0.05 in the multivariable logistic regression analysis were considered as statistically significant. Results. A total of 484 study participants with a response rate of 98.8 were involved in this study, and their median age was 8 years with IQR of 4 years. The prevalence of xerophthalmia was 8.26% (95% CI: 5.8, 10.7). Family income less than 1000 Ethiopian birr (AOR = 4.65, 95% CI: 1.31, 16.4), presence of febrile illness (AOR = 2.8, 95% CI: 1.49, 6.11), poor consumption of fruits and vegetables (AOR = 3.18, 95% CI: 1.30, 7.80), and nonimmunized status (AOR = 3.43, 95% CI: 1.49, 7.89) were significantly associated with xerophthalmia. Conclusions and recommendations. The prevalence of xerophthalmia was high as compared to the World Health Organization criteria for public health significance. Factors identified for xerophthalmia in this study are low income, the poor dietary practice of fruits and vegetables, and the presence of febrile illness and not immunized. Hence, it is a public problem that needs attention.
Alterations in Surface Electromyography Are Associated with Subjective Masticatory Muscle Pain
Authors: Pietropaoli Davide , Ortu Eleonora , Giannoni Mario , Cattaneo Ruggero , Mummolo Alessandra , Monaco Annalisa
Published: November 2019

Background. Tenderness of masseters and temporalis can be considered a relevant tool for diagnosis of myo-type craniofacial pain disorders, but a limit of pain score systems is that they are based on subjective pain perception. Surface electromyography (sEMG) is a noninvasive and reliable tool for recording muscle activity. Therefore, we investigated whether a correlation exists between tenderness on masseters and temporalis, assessed by subjective pain scale, and muscles activity, evaluated by sEMG, in patients with painful temporomandibular disorder (TMD) and concurrent tension-type headache (TTH). Methods. A cross-sectional study on fifty adult volunteer patients with TMD and TTH, who underwent tenderness protocol according to Diagnostic Criteria for TMD (DC/TMD) guidelines, was conducted followed by sEMG recording of temporalis and masseters. Pearson’s correlation was performed to investigate the correlation between muscular activity and subjective pain scores. Results. An overall moderate correlation between muscle tenderness and sEMG values (y = 1 + 1.2 · x; r2 = 0.62; p<0.0001), particularly in the temporalis, was observed. Segregation of data occurred according to tenderness and sEMG values. At the highest pain score, the mean sEMG absolute value was higher at the temporalis than the masseters. Conclusions. Our study provides evidence that subjective pain perception can be objectively quantified at a magnitude proportional to pain severity. At greater tenderness scores, higher sEMG activity at the level of temporalis could help discriminate clinically prevalent TTH versus prevalent TMD. sEMG confirms to be an accurate tool to reliably objectify the subjective perception of pain. When combined with clinical evaluation and patients’ symptoms, sEMG increases diagnostic sensitivity in the field of myo-type craniofacial pain disorders. This trial is registered with NCT02789085.
Comparative Study of Two Commercial Photovoltaic Panels under Natural Sunlight Conditions
Authors: Cotfas Daniel T. , Cotfas Petru A.
Published: November 2019

Photovoltaic (PV) panels are used for both standalone applications and grid-connected systems. In the former case, the PV panels used vary in size, from very small, for smart solar garden lamps, to standard, in order to ensure the necessary electric energy for a house. For these cases, it is very important to choose the best solution in terms of photovoltaic cell materials. In this paper, a comparative study of two commercial photovoltaic panels, monocrystalline and amorphous silicon, is presented. The two photovoltaic panels are measured in natural conditions, during two years, in Brasov, Romania. The emphasis is placed upon the maximum power generated by the two panels, but the cost and the lifetime are also taken into consideration. The gain in average maximum power for the monocrystalline silicon panel varies from 1.9 times for low irradiance to 2.4 times higher than the one obtained from the amorphous silicon panel, during the test period. The temperature of the monocrystalline silicon panels is lower than that of the amorphous silicon panel in the majority of measurements. The degradation rate determined in two years is 1.02% for the monocrystalline silicon panel and 1.97% for the amorphous silicon panel.
Subchronic Study of a White Kidney Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) Extract withα-Amylase Inhibitory Activity
Authors: Qin Guangqiu , Wang Fang , Liang Huili , Tang Song , Shekh Kamran , Wang Yanwu , Li Bin , Dong Baiqing , Wen Pingjing
Published: November 2019

Common bean extract as a dietary supplement has received increased attention globally owing to itsα-amylase inhibitory activity. The objective of this study was to evaluate the toxicity of a white kidney bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) extract by a repeated-dose 90-day subchronic oral toxicity study in Sprague-Dawley rats. In the subchronic toxicity study, 80 rats were orally administrated with white kidney bean extract at doses of 4, 2, and 1 g/kg body weight daily for 90 days. The results showed that the white kidney bean extract at doses up to 4 g/kg/day did not induce significant changes in body weight, organ weight, food consumption, hematology, serum biochemistry, and histopathology in rats, as compared to the control. The no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) of white kidney bean extract was determined to be >4 g/kg/day for both male and female rats, under the experimental conditions of this study.
A Novel Particle Swarm Optimization with Improved Learning Strategies and Its Application to Vehicle Path Planning
Authors: Lu En , Xu Lizhang , Li Yaoming , Ma Zheng , Tang Zhong , Luo Chengming
Published: November 2019

In order to balance the exploration and exploitation capabilities of the PSO algorithm to enhance its robustness, this paper presents a novel particle swarm optimization with improved learning strategies (ILSPSO). Firstly, the proposed ILSPSO algorithm uses a self‐learning strategy, whereby each particle stochastically learns from any better particles in the current personal history best position (pbest), and the self‐learning strategy is adjusted by an empirical formula which expresses the relation between the learning probability and evolution iteration number. The cognitive learning part is improved by the self‐learning strategy, and the optimal individual is reserved to ensure the convergence speed. Meanwhile, based on the multilearning strategy, the global best position (gbest) of particles is replaced with randomly chosen from the top k of gbest and further improve the population diversity to prevent premature convergence. This strategy improves the social learning part and enhances the global exploration capability of the proposed ILSPSO algorithm. Then, the performance of the ILSPSO algorithm is compared with five representative PSO variants in the experiments. The test results on benchmark functions demonstrate that the proposed ILSPSO algorithm achieves significantly better overall performance and outperforms other tested PSO variants. Finally, the ILSPSO algorithm shows satisfactory performance in vehicle path planning and has a good result on the planned path.
Postablation Modulation after Single High-Dose Radiation Therapy Improves Tumor Control via Enhanced Immunomodulation
Authors: Savage Talicia , Pandey Sanjay , Guha Chandan
Published: November 2019

Purpose:

Radiotherapy (RT) is frequently used for local control of solid tumors using equal dose per fraction. Recently, single high-dose radiation has been used for ablation of solid tumors. In this report, we provide a novel immunological basis for radiation dose fractionation consisting of a single high-dose radiotherapy, followed by postablation modulation (PAM) with four daily low-dose fractions (22 Gy + 0.5 Gy × 4) to reprogram the tumor microenvironment by diminishing immune suppression, enabling infiltration of effector cells and increasing efficacy of tumor control.

Experimental Design:

Palpable 3LL and 4T1 tumors in C57Bl/6 and Balb/c mice were irradiated with the Small-Animal Radiation Research Platform irradiator, and tumor growth and survival were monitored. Immunomodulation of tumor and immune cells in vitro and in vivo characterization of tumor-infiltrating immune effector cells were performed by FACS. For systemic application of PAM-RT, whole-lung irradiation was administered in 4T1-bearing Balb/c mice.

Results:

We report significant tumor growth delays and increased survival in 3LL tumor–bearing mice with PAM. Primary tumor PAM-RT increased infiltration of immune effector cells and decreased Treg in irradiated tumors and secondary lymphoid organs. In a model of murine metastatic breast cancer (4T1), we demonstrated that systemic PAM-RT to the whole lung, 12 days after primary tumor ablative radiotherapy, increased survival with suppression of pulmonary metastases.

Conclusions:

We provide a novel immunologic basis for radiation dose fractionation consisting of a single high dose of radiotherapy followed by daily low-dose PAM-RT fractionation to improve the immunogenic potential of ablative radiotherapy.
Rapid Generation of Sustainable HER2-specific T-cell Immunity in Patients with HER2 Breast Cancer using a Degenerate HLA Class II Epitope Vaccine
Authors: Knutson Keith L. , Block Matthew S. , Norton Nadine , Erskine Courtney L. , Hobday Timothy J. , Dietz Allan B. , Padley Douglas , Gustafson Michael P. , Puglisi-Knutson Danell , Mangskau Toni Kay , Chumsri Saranya , Dueck Amylou C. , Karyampudi Lavakumar , Wilson Glynn , Degnim Amy C.
Published: November 2019

Purpose:

Patients with HER2+ breast cancer benefit from trastuzumab-containing regimens with improved survival. Adaptive immunity, including cytotoxic T-cell and antibody immunity, is critical to clinical efficacy of trastuzumab. Because Th cells are central to the activation of these antitumor effectors, we reason that HER2 patients treated with trastuzumab may benefit by administering vaccines that are designed to stimulate Th-cell immunity.

Patients and Methods:

We developed a degenerate HER2 epitope–based vaccine consisting of four HLA class II–restricted epitopes mixed with GM-CSF that should immunize most (≥84%) patients. The vaccine was tested in a phase I trial. Eligible women had resectable HER2+ breast cancer and had completed standard treatment prior to enrollment and were disease free. Patients were vaccinated monthly for six doses and monitored for safety and immunogenicity.

Results:

Twenty-two subjects were enrolled and 20 completed all six vaccines. The vaccine was well tolerated. All patients were alive at analysis with a median follow-up of 2.3 years and only two experienced disease recurrence. The percent of patients that responded with augmented T-cell immunity was high for each peptide ranging from 68% to 88%, which led to 90% of the patients generating T cells that recognized naturally processed HER2 antigen. The vaccine also augmented HER2-specific antibody. Immunity was sustained in patients with little sign of diminishing at 2 years following the vaccination.

Conclusions:

Degenerate HLA-DR–based HER2 vaccines induce sustainable HER2-specific T cells and antibodies. Future studies, could evaluate whether vaccination during adjuvant treatment with trastuzumab-containing regimens improves patient outcomes.