bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Study on Corrosion Prevention and Treatment in Long-Distance Oil and Gas Pipeline
Authors: Bai Xiaoqian , Zhao Yu , Xu Lu
Published: November 2019

The use of oil pipelines has become increasingly prominent. The corrosion of buried pipelines seriously affects their service life and quality of oil transported, and even causes leakage and pollution of the environment. Through the analysis of the corrosion mechanism of metal pipeline, this paper understands the causes of corrosion and puts forward effective protection measures.
A Study on Counterintuitive Behavior of Clamped Square Plates under Blast Loading
Authors: Chen Yan , Lin Yuliang , Li Xiangyu , Zhang Yuwu
Published: November 2019

In order to study the counterintuitive behaviour of the clamped square plates under blast loading, numerical simulation and experimental research were carried out on the clamped square aluminium plate. The finite element software is used to simulate the dynamic response of plate under the blast loading. It is found that the counterintuitive behaviour occurred only under the condition when the overpressure is low and the positive pressure time is short. And this deformation mode occurred between elastic deformation and large plastic deformation. The explosion tests were carried out to obtain the counterintuitive behaviour of plates, and the range of the explosion load which caused the counterintuitive behaviour was clarified.
Experimental Study on Glass Sand Well
Authors: Wang Fengchi , Nie Xiaomei , Zhou Jinghai , Kang Tianbei
Published: November 2019

Aiming at the disposal of waste glass, our paper proposes a method of filling sand wells with glass sand formed by mixing waste glass and sand as a backfill material. In this paper, the basic properties of glass sand are studied by penetration test, consolidation test and consolidation bearing capacity test. The results show that the permeability of mixture is better than that of common sand well when glass particles are incorporated into sand. When bearing the same bearing capacity, the average bearing capacity of common sand well is smaller than sand well, and the bearing capacity of the soil in the upper part of the model box is greater than the bearing capacity of the lower soil. The sedimentation of clay with sand well is higher than that of common clay. Glass sand well can accelerate the consolidation of soil in soft soil foundation by utilizing the good permeability of glass and sand.
Establishment and Application Demonstration of Standards for Agricultural Biogas Slurry Returning to Field in Citrus Orchard
Authors: Lan Tao , Xiong Diwen , Chu Qiao , Feng Yang , Kou Linling , Dou Wei , Zhou Xianwen , Deng Shengxing
Published: November 2019

In this paper, we take citrus orchard as target, evaluate the safety of agricultural biogas slurry by comparing the properties of unfermented manure and biogas slurry from 27 farms in Chongqing. The results indicate that the amount of harmful heavy metal element in biogas slurry completely meets the requirements in China agricultural standards “Biogas Fertilizer” (NY/T 2596) and “Organic Fertilizer” (NY 525), indicating the biogas slurry is safe to use as fertilizer. These results provide data support in formulating a stricter standard about the limitations of harmful heavy metal containment ratio in biogas slurry. Biogas slurry can replace chemical fertilizer partly, and can be popularized as a good new type of liquid fertilizer. A certain amount of biogas slurry irrigation can basically meet the supply of nitrogen and phosphorus nutrition, and zero use of chemical fertilizer (nitrogen and phosphorus) come true. However, the content of biogas slurry varies greatly, the measurement of fertilizer efficiency is complex, and it cannot meet the balanced supply of all mineral nutrients, which will lead to the imbalance of nutrient abundance and deficiency. The nutritional diagnosis should be used to monitor the nutritional level of trees, guide the control of abundance and deficiency, enhance the efficiency of citrus orchards to absorb the effective elements of biogas slurry, and improve the yield and quality of citrus. Through monitoring the runoff quality of the orchard returned with biogas slurry, it is found that the runoff quality of the orchard is inferior V. Total phosphorus and granular phosphorus are the main contaminating sources of the outflow runoff in orchard. This indicates that the problems of nitrogen and phosphorus pollution need to be prevented and controlled in the process of returning the biogas slurry to the orchard. It is necessary to establish the landscape system of fruit grass in the orchard and the interception system of flood interception ditches, sediment pockets and buffer ponds in order to sand, retention and reduction of particulate phosphorus. Based on this, a bunch of agricultural biogas slurry returning technology model suitable for modern ecological citrus orchard planting was summarized. The technical standards for biogas slurry harmlessly returning to citrus orchard and technical specification for formula fertilization of citrus nutrition diagnosis, were formed. It has been applied on a large scale in Chongqing three gorges reservoir area and national modern eco-agricultural demonstration base, and has achieved remarkable socio-economic and ecological environmental benefits. The results of this study provide data and technical support for the formulation of two new national standards of "Agricultural Biogas Slurry" and "Technical Specification for Harmless Treatment of Agricultural Biogas Slurry".
Construction Techniques for Strengthening of Dongming Yellow River Road Bridge by the Cable-Stayed System
Authors: Xu Gangnian , Wang Laiyong , Wu Junyan , Zhang Jianjuan
Published: November 2019

The Dongming Yellow River Highway Bridge (75+7×120+75 m), is a large span prestressed concrete rigid frame and continuous combination beam bridge, which was the first bridge strengthened by cable-stayed system in China. Using towers and stay cable system, the main bridge was transformed to provide vertical support with superstructure. For the foundation reconstruction, bored piles were constructed as new pile foundations on both sides of the original pile foundations. After cofferdam pumping, to ensure the positioning of the protective tubes, the reinforcing bars, concrete cover and concrete piles left in the river bed were removed by using brush drilling rigs, long arm digging machines and frogmen, while the "U-tube" method was used to grout at the bottom of the piles. The diamond wire saw cutting technology was adopted to complete the transformation of the old caps and insert shear nails. Using the post-pouring strip temporary shields, the new caps and old caps were connected until the tensioning of the cables was finished. To ascertain the arrangement of the reinforcement on the floor and the prestressed reinforcement, and then stick the positioning plates on the floors, bonded rebars holes were drilled utilizing the hydraulic core drill that was made. The joists and the brackets are manufactured by the factory and assembled in the construction site. Gantry cranes and angle fine-tuning devices were used to install the joists and brackets, and then the connecting bolts were inserted. Concurrently, material was transported through the hole in the roof of the middle-span, and the steel supports within the box were installed. From the middle towers to the side towers, from the short cables to the long cables, cables were tensioned by batches and levels with constant monitoring throughout the whole process of this tensioning construction. Finally, the external prestressed strands inside the box were adjusted and the bridge deck construction was completed.
Research on Application of Centrifugal Circulating Fluidized Bed in Tin Mud Ore Separation
Authors: Li Huiping , Chen Wenping
Published: November 2019

Tin mud ore separation is always the key to improve the utilization of tin resources. In view of the tin mud ore in Gejiu Yunnan province, the circulating fluidized bed is used for preconcentration. And reasonable separation parameters were determined based on the ore properties. When the tin grade in the feed is 0.3%, we can obtain the rough concentrate whose tin grade is 0.492% and recovery is 67.35%, and 60% of ore as tailings can be discarded. Then desulfurization and flotation was used, and YP-6 as collector, P86 as auxiliary collector and oxalic acid as regulator, a tin concentrate with grade of 4.38% and recovery of 77.18% was obtained by closed circuit test. The tin recovery of original mud ore was 51.02%, and the separation effect was improved.
Application Research on Soil and Water Environmental Pollution Remediation Technology
Authors: Yan Li , Zhao Wang
Published: November 2019

With the continuous acceleration of economic development, the scale of industrialization in China has been expanding, and a large amount of industrial wastewater has been discharged into the soil, resulting in serious heavy metal pollution in soil and water sources. The paper summarizes the physical repair technology, chemical repair technology and bioremediation technology of heavy metals and organic pollutants in water and soil, and analyzes the applicable conditions and influencing factors of various repair technologies. The results provide reference for the selection of site water and soil pollution remediation technology, and provide a theoretical basis for the development of the industry.
Study on Clear Water Acidic Fracturing Increasing Injection Technology in Sandstone Oilfield
Authors: Na Cha
Published: November 2019

In view of the fact that it is difficult for some water injection wells in low permeability oilfields to absorb water and the general effect of conventional measures to increase injection, clean water acid fracturing technology research and field test of sandstone in low permeability reservoirs have been carried out. On the basis of fully investigating the adaptability of acid fracturing in sandstone reservoirs and combining with the actual development of low permeability oilfields in our factory, the technology of clear water fracturing and balanced acid fracturing is organically combined. After a lot of theoretical calculation, the construction parameters are optimized, and the suitable fracturing technology is optimized, which greatly reduces the requirements of surface construction equipment. At the same time, through indoor experiments, the suitable well entry fluids are screened to ensure the construction effect. At present, the technology has been tested in 6 wells and achieved good injection increase effect.
Investigation of Caryota urens fibers on physical, chemical, mechanical and tribological properties for brake pad applications
Authors: Sai Krishnan G , Ganesh Babu L , Kumaran P , Yoganjaneyulu G , Sudhan Raj Jeganmohan
Published: November 2019

The idealization of this research work is to extend the utilization of the naturally available fibers as a key ingredient in the development of a non-asbestos free brake pad. The fibers used in this work are Caryota urens, which is found all over the Asian regions and abundantly available. The compression molding machine was used to develop the non-asbestos free brake pad. The fibers were added in weight percentages of 5, 10 and 15. The various physical, chemical, and mechanical properties were evaluated. Chase test rig was used to evaluate the tribological properties. The combination of Caryota urens fiber with the barytes had a more significant influence on the tribological properties. The brake pad composites with ten weight percent of Caryota urens fibers based brake pads possessed a good coefficient of friction values with less fade values and less fluctuations. Increasing the weight percentage of Caryota urens fibers in the brake pad formulation had a decreasing trend in the wear performance but increased recovery properties.
Empathy and Its Alternatives: Deconstructing the Rhetoric of “Empathy” in Video Games
Authors: Ruberg Bonnie
Published: November 2019

This article analyzes the contemporary discourse that surrounds video games. Specifically, it confronts the rhetoric of “empathy,” which has become a buzzword in North American industry, academic, education, and media conversations about video games and their supposed power to place players into others’ shoes—especially those games created by queer or otherwise marginalized people. Scholars like Wendy Chun and Teddy Pozo and game designers like Robert Yang have spoken out against this rhetoric. Building from their writing, as well as critiques from the creators of queer independent games commonly mislabeled as “empathy games,” this article delineates the discriminatory implications of the term. Rather than simply dismissing “empathy,” however, this article unpacks it, turning to textual artifacts like news stories and industry presentations, as well as the 2016 video game Unravel (ColdWood Interactive), to deconstruct the term’s many meanings and to identity alternative (queerer) models of affective engagement with video games.
Diagnostic accuracy of administrative codes for autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease in clinic patients with cystic kidney disease
Authors: Kalatharan Vinusha , McArthur Eric , Nash Danielle M , Welk Blayne , Sarma Sisira , Garg Amit X , Pei York
Published: November 2019

Background

The ability to identify patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) and distinguish them from patients with similar conditions in healthcare administrative databases is uncertain. We aimed to measure the sensitivity and specificity of different ADPKD administrative coding algorithms in a clinic population with non-ADPKD and ADPKD kidney cystic disease.

Methods

We used a dataset of all patients who attended a hereditary kidney disease clinic in Toronto, Ontario, Canada between 1 January 2010 and 23 December 2014. This dataset included patients who met our reference standard definition of ADPKD or other cystic kidney disease. We linked this dataset to healthcare databases in Ontario. We developed eight algorithms to identify ADPKD using the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (ICD-10) codes and provincial diagnostic billing codes. A patient was considered algorithm positive if any one of the codes in the algorithm appeared at least once between 1 April 2002 and 31 March 2015.

Results

The ICD-10 coding algorithm had a sensitivity of 33.7% [95% confidence interval (CI) 30.0–37.7] and a specificity of 86.2% (95% CI 75.7–92.5) for the identification of ADPKD. The provincial diagnostic billing code had a sensitivity of 91.1% (95% CI 88.5–93.1) and a specificity of 10.8% (95% CI 5.3–20.6).

Conclusions

ICD-10 coding may be useful to identify patients with a high chance of having ADPKD but fail to identify many patients with ADPKD. Provincial diagnosis billing codes identified most patients with ADPKD and also with other types of cystic kidney disease.
Assembly of the 373k gene space of the polyploid sugarcane genome reveals reservoirs of functional diversity in the world's leading biomass crop
Authors: Souza Glaucia Mendes , Van Sluys Marie-Anne , Lembke Carolina Gimiliani , Lee Hayan , Margarido Gabriel Rodrigues Alves , Hotta Carlos Takeshi , Gaiarsa Jonas Weissmann , Diniz Augusto Lima , Oliveira Mauro de Medeiros , Ferreira Sávio de Siqueira , Nishiyama Milton Yutaka , ten-Caten Felipe , Ragagnin Geovani Tolfo , Andrade Pablo de Morais , de Souza Robson Francisco , Nicastro Gianlucca Gonçalves , Pandya Ravi , Kim Changsoo , Guo Hui , Durham Alan Mitchell , Carneiro Monalisa Sampaio , Zhang Jisen , Zhang Xingtan , Zhang Qing , Ming Ray , Schatz Michael C , Davidson Bob , Paterson Andrew H , Heckerman David
Published: November 2019

Background

Sugarcane cultivars are polyploid interspecific hybrids of giant genomes, typically with 10–13 sets of chromosomes from 2 Saccharum species. The ploidy, hybridity, and size of the genome, estimated to have >10 Gb, pose a challenge for sequencing.

Results

Here we present a gene space assembly of SP80-3280, including 373,869 putative genes and their potential regulatory regions. The alignment of single-copy genes in diploid grasses to the putative genes indicates that we could resolve 2–6 (up to 15) putative homo(eo)logs that are 99.1% identical within their coding sequences. Dissimilarities increase in their regulatory regions, and gene promoter analysis shows differences in regulatory elements within gene families that are expressed in a species-specific manner. We exemplify these differences for sucrose synthase (SuSy) and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), 2 gene families central to carbon partitioning. SP80-3280 has particular regulatory elements involved in sucrose synthesis not found in the ancestor Saccharum spontaneum. PAL regulatory elements are found in co-expressed genes related to fiber synthesis within gene networks defined during plant growth and maturation. Comparison with sorghum reveals predominantly bi-allelic variations in sugarcane, consistent with the formation of 2 “subgenomes” after their divergence ~3.8–4.6 million years ago and reveals single-nucleotide variants that may underlie their differences.

Conclusions

This assembly represents a large step towards a whole-genome assembly of a commercial sugarcane cultivar. It includes a rich diversity of genes and homo(eo)logous resolution for a representative fraction of the gene space, relevant to improve biomass and food production.
Volume Growth of Complete Submanifolds in Gradient Ricci Solitons with Bounded Weighted Mean Curvature
Authors: Cheng Xu , Vieira Matheus , Zhou Detang
Published: November 2019

In this article, we study properly immersed complete noncompact submanifolds in a complete shrinking gradient Ricci soliton with weighted mean curvature vector bounded in norm. We prove that such a submanifold must have polynomial volume growth under some mild assumption on the potential function. On the other hand, if the ambient manifold is of bounded geometry, we prove that such a submanifold must have at least linear volume growth. In particular, we show that a properly immersed complete noncompact hypersurface in the Euclidean space with bounded Gaussian weighted mean curvature must have polynomial volume growth and at least linear volume growth.
Heterogeneous Effects of Sustainable Agriculture Practices: Micro-evidence from Malawi
Authors: Maggio Giuseppe , Asfaw Solomon
Published: November 2019

Are the effects of sustainable agricultural practices heterogeneous across agro-ecology and wealth in Malawi? Would a wealth-enhancing policy be associated with increased effectiveness of these practices? Focusing on a nationally representative set of Malawian agricultural households, the article answers the above questions by employing plot-level panel data matched with a set of geo-referenced rainfall and temperature records. The findings suggest a positive correlation between aggregate yield and the adoption of organic fertilizer. A similar result holds for legume intercropping and for hybrid seeds, which are associated to reductions in yield volatility between the two waves. Nevertheless, these effects appear heterogeneous across the agro-ecological zone of adoption, since a reduced number of farmers in selected locations can improve yields through the adoption of these practices. Further exploration suggests that less wealthy households show higher returns when adopting hybrid seeds or legume intercropping. Wealthier households, in contrast, report high yield only when treated with technology-enhancing practices, such as organic fertilizers and soil erosion control measures.
Biochemical and structural analyses of the nucleosome containing human histone H2A.J
Authors: Tanaka Hiroki , Sato Shoko , Koyama Masako , Kujirai Tomoya , Kurumizaka Hitoshi
Published: November 2019

Histone H2A.J, a histone H2A variant conserved in mammals, may function in the expression of genes related to inflammation and cell proliferation. In the present study, we purified the human histone H2A.J variant and found that H2A.J is efficiently incorporated into the nucleosome in vitro. H2A.J formed the stable nucleosome, which accommodated the DNA ends. Mutations in the H2A.J-specific residues did not affect the nucleosome stability, although the mutation of the H2A.J Ala40 residue, which is conserved in some members of the canonical H2A class, reduced the nucleosome stability. Consistently, the crystal structure of the H2A.J nucleosome revealed that the H2A.J-specific residues, including the Ala40 residue, did not affect the nucleosome structure. These results provide basic information for understanding the function of the H2A.J nucleosome.
Incidental haemothorax after sublobar resection: did staple line scratch chest wall?
Authors: Negishi Hideki , Tsubochi Hiroyoshi , Maki Mitsuru , Endo Shunsuke
Published: November 2019

We herein report a case of life-threatening haemothorax that occurred 40 days after pulmonary segmentectomy in a 60-year-old man. The patient uneventfully underwent resection of the apical and posterior segments of the right upper lobe by video-assisted thoracic surgery for early-stage lung cancer. An emergency operation of haemostat for active bleeding from the intercostal artery was successful via a right thoracotomy. The bleeding point was in the vicinity of the staple line dividing the intersegmental plane. This case reveals that scratch by staples can cause haemothorax through incidental injury of the intercostal artery.
Photometry of high-redshift blended galaxies using deep learning
Authors: Boucaud Alexandre , Huertas-Company Marc , Heneka Caroline , Ishida Emille E O , Sedaghat Nima , de Souza Rafael S , Moews Ben , Dole Hervé , Castellano Marco , Merlin Emiliano , Roscani Valerio , Tramacere Andrea , Killedar Madhura , Trindade Arlindo M M ,   Collaboration for the COIN
Published: November 2019

The new generation of deep photometric surveys requires unprecedentedly precise shape and photometry measurements of billions of galaxies to achieve their main science goals. At such depths, one major limiting factor is the blending of galaxies due to line-of-sight projection, with an expected fraction of blended galaxies of up to 50 per cent. This proof-of-concept work explores for the first time the use of deep neural networks to estimate the photometry of blended pairs of galaxies in space-based monochrome images similar to the ones that will be delivered by the Euclidspace telescope under simplified idealized conditions. Using a clean sample of isolated galaxies from the CANDELS survey, we artificially blend them and train two different network models to recover the photometry of the two galaxies. We show that our approach can recover the original photometry of the galaxies before being blended with $\sim 7{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ mean absolute percentage error on flux estimations without any human intervention and without any assumption on the galaxy shape. This represents an improvement of at least a factor of 4 compared to the classical SExtractor approach. We also show that, forcing the network to simultaneously estimate fractional segmentation maps results in a slightly improved photometry. All data products and codes have been made public to ease the comparison with other approaches on a common data set. See https://github.com/aboucaud/coindeblend.
Semidetached double-lined eclipsing binaries: Stellar parameters and rare classes
Authors: Malkov Oleg Yu
Published: November 2019

Semidetached eclipsing systems provide a unique opportunity to derive the basic properties of interacting binaries. The goal of this work is to collect and to make use of data on semidetached systems with available light and radial velocity curve solutions. I have compiled the most comprehensive list to date, of 119 semidetached double-lined eclipsing binaries, containing the orbital parameters and physical parameters of the components. I consider the classification of semidetached binaries and discuss gaps between various classes in the Hertzspung–Russell diagram. I list systems with component parameters that are inverted and briefly discuss their evolutionary state.
Hills and holes in the microlensing light curve due to plasma environment around gravitational lens
Authors: Tsupko Oleg Yu , Bisnovatyi-Kogan Gennady S
Published: November 2019

In this paper, we investigate the influence of the plasma surrounding the gravitational lens on the effect of microlensing. In presence of plasma around the lens, the deflection angle is determined by both the gravitational field of the lens and the chromatic refraction in the inhomogeneous plasma. We calculate microlensing light curves numerically for point-mass lens surrounded by power-law density distribution of plasma. A variety of possible curves is revealed, depending on the plasma density and frequency of observations. In the case of significant influence of plasma, the shape of microlensing light curve is strongly deformed in comparison with vacuum case. If the refractive deflection is large enough to compensate or to overcome the gravitational deflection, microlensing images can completely disappear for the observer. In this case, the remarkable effect occurs: formation of a ‘hole’ instead of a ‘hill’ in the center of microlensing light curve. Observational prospects of ‘hill-hole’ effect in different microlensing scenarios are discussed.
Factors Associated with Music Therapy Board Certification Examination Outcomes
Authors: Hsiao Feilin , Tan Xueli , Tang Jonathan “Jaytee” , Chen Juan
Published: November 2019

The Music Therapy Board Certification (BC) Examination is a high-stakes test that affects test takers’ entry into the profession and reflects the quality of music therapy programs. Accumulating studies in the health sciences have identified the factors that contribute to first-time test takers’ success in passing credentialing examinations. However, these variables have not been investigated in music therapy. The purposes of this study are to investigate recent certificants’ perceptions and experiences of the BC examination and identify the predictors of success on the first attempt. It aims to delineate the factors associated with performance in the BC examination; identify effective strategies and resources for future test takers; and inform educators, internship directors, clinical supervisors, and test administrators regarding areas of concern and necessary support. A sample of 662 recent music therapy board certificants completed a 32-item online survey consisting of checklists, Likert scales, open-ended questions, and the Westside Test Anxiety Scale. Self-reported cumulative grade point average and general test anxiety scores were significant predictors of BC examination success on the first attempt. The results suggest the need for (a) a consistent standard for education programs that includes various theoretical orientations and clinical practice models to better prepare students with content knowledge and (b) program progression policies to identify students at risk of failing the examination and to provide remediation.
Direct observation of damage clustering in irradiated DNA with atomic force microscopy
Authors: Xu Xu , Nakano Toshiaki , Tsuda Masataka , Kanamoto Ryota , Hirayama Ryoichi , Uzawa Akiko , Ide Hiroshi
Published: November 2019

Ionizing radiation produces clustered DNA damage that contains two or more lesions in 10–20 bp. It is believed that the complexity of clustered damage (i.e., the number of lesions per damage site) is related to the biological severity of ionizing radiation. However, only simple clustered damage containing two vicinal lesions has been demonstrated experimentally. Here we developed a novel method to analyze the complexity of clustered DNA damage. Plasmid DNA was irradiated with densely and sparsely ionizing Fe-ion beams and X-rays, respectively. Then, the resulting DNA lesions were labeled with biotin/streptavidin and observed with atomic force microscopy. Fe-ion beams produced complex clustered damage containing 2–4 lesions. Furthermore, they generated two or three clustered damage sites in a single plasmid molecule that resulted from the hit of a single track of Fe-ion beams. Conversely, X-rays produced relatively simple clustered damage. The present results provide the first experimental evidence for complex cluster damage.
Information generation as a functional basis of consciousness
Authors: Kanai Ryota , Chang Acer , Yu Yen , Magrans de Abril Ildefons , Biehl Martin , Guttenberg Nicholas
Published: November 2019

What is the biological advantage of having consciousness? Functions of consciousness have been elusive due to the subjective nature of consciousness and ample empirical evidence showing the presence of many nonconscious cognitive performances in the human brain. Drawing upon empirical literature, here, we propose that a core function of consciousness be the ability to internally generate representations of events possibly detached from the current sensory input. Such representations are constructed by generative models learned through sensory-motor interactions with the environment. We argue that the ability to generate information underlies a variety of cognitive functions associated with consciousness such as intention, imagination, planning, short-term memory, attention, curiosity, and creativity, all of which contribute to non-reflexive behavior. According to this view, consciousness emerged in evolution when organisms gained the ability to perform internal simulations using internal models, which endowed them with flexible intelligent behavior. To illustrate the notion of information generation, we take variational autoencoders (VAEs) as an analogy and show that information generation corresponds the decoding (or decompression) part of VAEs. In biological brains, we propose that information generation corresponds to top-down predictions in the predictive coding framework. This is compatible with empirical observations that recurrent feedback activations are linked with consciousness whereas feedforward processing alone seems to occur without evoking conscious experience. Taken together, the information generation hypothesis captures many aspects of existing ideas about potential functions of consciousness and provides new perspectives on the functional roles of consciousness.
Not Quite the Rule, But No Longer the Exception: Multiple Tobacco Product Use and Implications for Treatment, Research, and Regulation
Authors: Pacek Lauren R , Villanti Andrea C , Mcclernon F Joseph
Published: November 2019

The patterns of tobacco product use in the United States have changed during the past several decades. Currently, a large proportion of tobacco users report using multiple tobacco products (MTPs). The prevalence of MTP use varies significantly by cigarette smoking frequency, as well: nearly half (46.9%) of all non-daily smokers report using other tobacco products within the past 30 days. Despite this, much of extant tobacco dependence treatment efforts, tobacco regulatory science research, and tobacco product research, in general, has focused largely on single product use (ie, cigarette smoking). To effectively design interventions and model the potential impact of regulations on tobacco products aimed at reducing tobacco use, as well as effectively study tobacco users, it is essential to consider actual use patterns in the population of tobacco users. Implications: MTP use is increasingly common in the United States. This commentary highlights the impact that MTP use has for efforts to treat tobacco dependence, tobacco regulatory science efforts, as well as on tobacco research, in general.
Pesticide exposure and lung function: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Ratanachina J , De Matteis S , Cullinan P , Burney P
Published: November 2019

Background

Epidemiological studies have reported associations between pesticide exposure and respiratory health effects, but the quantitative impact on lung function is unclear. To fill this gap, we undertook a systematic review of the available literature on the association between pesticide exposure and pulmonary function.

Aims

To examine all available literature regarding the relationship between occupational and environmental exposure to pesticides and lung function.

Methods

We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE and Web of Science databases to 1 October 2017 without any date or language restrictions using a combination of MeSH terms and free text for ‘pesticide exposure’ and ‘lung function’. We included studies that met the criteria of our research protocol registered in PROSPERO, and we assessed their quality using a modified Newcastle-Ottawa scale.

Results

Of 2356 articles retrieved, 56 articles were included in the systematic review and pooled in meta-analyses for forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1)/forced vital capacity (FVC), FVC and FEV1. There was tentative evidence that exposure to cholinesterase (ChE) inhibiting pesticides reduced FEV1/FVC and no evidence that paraquat exposure affected lung function in farmers.

Conclusions

Respiratory surveillance should be enhanced in those exposed to ChE-inhibiting pesticides which reduced FEV1/FVC according to the meta-analysis. Our study is limited by heterogeneity between studies due to different types of exposure assessment to pesticides and potential confounders. Further studies with a more accurate exposure assessment are suggested.
Energy System Assessment in Survivors of Breast Cancer
Authors: Cuesta-Vargas Antonio Ignacio , Buchan Jena , Pajares Bella , Alba Emilio , Trinidad-Fernández Manuel , Ruiz-Medina Sofia , García-Almeida José Manuel , Ríos-López María José , Roldán-Jiménez Cristina
Published: November 2019

Background

Survivors of breast cancer commonly report functional limitations, including cancer-related fatigue (CRF) and decreased aerobic capacity. One key gap is addressing the 3 energy systems (aerobic, anaerobic lactic, and alactic), requiring assessment to establish a baseline exercise intensity and duration.

Objective

This study examined the feasibility of energy system–based assessment, also providing descriptive values for assessment performance in this population.

Design

This was a cross-sectional study.

Methods

Seventy-two posttreatment survivors of breast cancer were recruited. Following a baseline musculoskeletal assessment, women attempted 3 energy system assessments: submaximal aerobic (multistage treadmill), anaerobic alactic (30-second sit-to-stand [30-STS]), and anaerobic lactic (adapted burpees). Heart rate (HR) and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) were recorded. Secondary outcomes included body composition, CRF, and upper- and lower-limb functionality.

Results

Seventy of 72 participants performed the 30-STS and 30 completed the adapted burpees task. HR and RPE specific to each task were correlated, reflecting increased intensity. Women reported low-moderate levels of CRF scores (3% [2.1]) and moderate-high functionality levels (upper-limb: 65.8% [23.3]; lower-limb: 63.7% [34.7]).

Limitations

All survivors of breast cancer had relatively low levels of CRF and moderate functioning. Additionally, on average, participants were classified as “overweight” based on BMI.

Conclusion

This study is the first to our knowledge to demonstrate feasibility of energy system assessment in survivors of breast cancer. Using a combination of HR and RPE, as well as baseline assessment of each energy system, clinicians may improve ability to prescribe personalized exercise and give patients greater ability to self-monitor intensity and progress.
Kimura’s disease: effects of age on clinical presentation
Authors: Kakehi E , Kotani K , Otsuka Y , Fukuyasu Y , Hashimoto Y , Sakurai S , Hirotani A , Simizu K , Fujita R , Shoji K , Adachi S , Matsumura M
Published: November 2019

Background

Kimura’s disease (KD) is known to be dominant among young Asian men, but it can also occur in middle- and advanced-aged people. The clinical characteristics of KD, especially by age, are not well known.

Aim

This study was performed to investigate the effects of age on the clinical characteristics of KD.

Design

We conducted a case series study.

Methods

All case studies of patients diagnosed with KD were collected via a PubMed search of studies published until August 2018. The data were analyzed by age group.

Results

In total, 215 studies were reviewed (238 patients; mean age of 36 years). The male:female ratio was 4:1 overall, 17:1 in patients aged <20 years, 4:1 in patients aged 20–39 years and 2:1 in patients aged ≥40 years (P = 0.01). The percentage of patients with pruritus was 15.4% overall, 3.8% in patients aged <20 years, 15.5% in patients aged 20–39 years and 21.7% in patients aged ≥40 years (P = 0.02). The time to diagnosis was 5.3 years overall, 3.2 years in patients aged <20 years, 4.7 years in patients aged 20–39 years and 7.1 years in patients aged ≥40 years (P < 0.01).

Conclusions

The proportion of female patients affected the incidence of pruritus, and the time to diagnosis increased as the patients’ age increased. There were no significant age-related differences in region/race, complications, multiplicity, laterality, anatomical distribution, maximum size, eosinophil count, immunoglobulin E level, initial treatment, recurrence or outcomes. This may be useful information for the diagnosis of KD.
Percutaneous coronary intervention outcomes in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus and systemic sclerosis
Authors: Martinez Sara C , Mohamed Mohamed , Potts Jessica , Abhishek Abhishek , Roddy Edward , Savage Michael , Bharadwaj Aditya , Kwok Chun Shing , Bagur Rodrigo , Mamas Mamas A
Published: November 2019

Objective

Patients with autoimmune rheumatic disease (AIRD) are at an increased risk of coronary artery disease. The present study sought to examine the prevalence and outcomes of AIRD patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) from a national perspective.

Methods

All PCI-related hospitalizations recorded in the US National Inpatient Sample (2004–2014) were included, stratified into four groups: no AIRD, RA, SLE and SSc. We examined the prevalence of AIRD subtypes and assessed their association with in-hospital adverse events using multivariable logistic regression [odds ratios (OR) (95% CI)].

Results

Patients with AIRD represented 1.4% (n = 90 469) of PCI hospitalizations. The prevalence of RA increased from 0.8% in 2004 to 1.4% in 2014, but other AIRD subtypes remained stable. In multivariable analysis, the adjusted odds ratio (aOR) of in-hospital complications [aOR any complication 1.13 (95% CI 1.01, 1.26), all-cause mortality 1.32 (1.03, 1.71), bleeding 1.50 (1.30, 1.74), stroke 1.36 (1.14, 1.62)] were significantly higher in patients with SSc compared with those without AIRD. There was no difference in complications between the SLE and RA groups and those without AIRD, except higher odds of bleeding in SLE patients [aOR 1.19 (95% CI 1.09, 1.29)] and reduced odds of all-cause mortality in RA patients [aOR 0.79 (95% CI 0.70, 0.88)].

Conclusion

In a nationwide cohort of US hospitalizations, we demonstrate increased rates of all adverse clinical outcomes following PCI in people with SSc and increased bleeding in SLE. Management of such patients should involve a multiteam approach with rheumatologists.
Differential effect of intermittent hypoxia and sleep fragmentation on PD-1/PD-L1 upregulation
Authors: Cubillos-Zapata Carolina , Almendros Isaac , Díaz-García Elena , Toledano Victor , Casitas Raquel , Galera Raúl , López-Collazo Eduardo , Farre Ramón , Gozal David , García-Rio Francisco
Published: November 2019

Immunosurveillance is compromised in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) as reflected by overexpression of the programmed death cell receptor and its ligand (PD-1/PD-L1) coinhibitory axis. However, the contributions of intermittent hypoxia (IH) and sleep fragmentation (SF) are unclear. We therefore evaluated the expression of PD-1 and PD-L1 on immune cells from mice subjected to IH or SF, and in human cells exposed to IH, oxidative stress, or both conditions. Six-week-old male C57BL/6J mice were exposed to either IH or SF using previously established in vivo models. Moreover, human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were cultured overnight under normoxia, IH, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), or both. Murine splenocytes and human PBMC were isolated, and labeled using surface-specific antibodies for flow cytometry analysis. Compared to control mice, IH induced higher expression of PD-L1 on F4/80 cells and of PD-1 on CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells, whereas no significant changes emerged after SF. In vitro models of IH and oxidative stress showed similar changes for expression of PD-L1 on human monocytes and PD-1 on CD4+ T-cells. Furthermore, H2O2 increased PD-1 expression on CD8+ T-cells, compromising their cytotoxic capacity assessed by perforin expression, similar to IH. No evidence of synergistic effects was apparent. Therefore, PD-1/PD-L1 upregulation reported in patients with OSA appears to be preferentially mediated by IH rather than SF.
Imaging NF‐κB activity in a murine model of early stage diabetes
Authors: Taghian Toloo , Metelev Valeriy G. , Zhang Surong , Bogdanov Alexei A.
Published: November 2019

Early pro‐inflammatory signaling in the endocrine pancreas involves activation of NF‐κB, which is believed to be important for determining the ultimate fate of β‐cells and hence progression of type 1 diabetes (T1D). Thus, early non‐invasive detection of NF‐κB in pancreatic islets may serve as a potential strategy for monitoring early changes in pancreatic endocrine cells eventually leading to T1D. We investigated the feasibility of optical imaging of NF‐κB transcription factor activation induced by low‐dose streptozocin (LD‐STZ) treatment in the immunocompetent SKH1 mouse model of early stage diabetes. In this model, we showed that the levels of NF‐κB may be visualized and measured by fluorescence intensity of specific near‐infrared (NIR) fluorophore‐labeled oligodeoxyribonucleotide duplex (ODND) probes. In addition, NF‐κB activation following LD‐STZ treatment was validated using immunofluorescence and transgenic animals expressing NF‐κB inducible imaging reporter. We showed that LD‐STZ‐treated SKH1 mice had significantly higher (2‐3 times, P < .01) specific NIR FI in the nuclei and cytoplasm of islets cells than in non‐treated control mice and this finding was corroborated by immunoblotting and electrophoretic mobility shift assays. Finally, using semi‐quantitative confocal analysis of non‐fixed pancreatic islet microscopy we demonstrated that ODND probes may be used to distinguish between the islets with high levels of NF‐κB transcription factor and control islet cells.
Fam20C‐mediated phosphorylation of osteopontin is critical for its secretion but dispensable for its action as a cytokine in the activation of hepatic stellate cells in liver fibrogenesis
Authors: Tibaldi Elena , Brocca Alessandra , Sticca Antonietta , Gola Elisabetta , Pizzi Marco , Bordin Luciana , Pagano Mario Angelo , Mazzorana Marco , Donà Gabriella , Violi Paola , Marin Oriano , Romano Antonella , Angeli Paolo , Carraro Amedeo , Brunati Anna Maria
Published: November 2019

Osteopontin (OPN) is a phosphoglycoprotein secreted into the extracellular matrix upon liver injury, acting as a cytokine stimulates the deposition of fibrillary collagen in liver fibrogenesis. In livers of mice subjected to bile duct ligation (BDL) and in cultured activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs), we show that OPN, besides being overexpressed, is substantially phosphorylated by family with sequence similarity 20, member C (Fam20C), formerly known as Golgi casein kinase (G‐CK), which is exclusively resident in the Golgi apparatus. In both experimental models, Fam20C becomes overactive when associated with a 500‐kDa multiprotein complex, as compared with the negligible activity in livers of sham‐operated rats and in quiescent HSCs. Fam20C knockdown not only confirmed the role of Fam20C itself in OPN phosphorylation, but also revealed that phosphorylation was essential for OPN secretion. However, OPN acts as a fibrogenic factor independently of its phosphorylation state, as demonstrated by the increased expression of Collagen‐I by HSCs incubated with either a phosphorylated or nonphosphorylated form of recombinant OPN. Collectively, our results confirm that OPN promotes liver fibrosis and highlight Fam20C as a novel factor driving this process by favoring OPN secretion from HSCs, opening new avenues for deciphering yet unidentified mechanisms underlying liver fibrogenesis.
The UFM1 cascade times mitosis entry associated with microcephaly
Authors: Yu Li , Li Guangxu , Deng Jing , Jiang Xuan , Xue Jin , Zhu Yingbao , Huang Wen , Tang Beisha , Duan Ranhui
Published: November 2019

Posttranslational modifications enhance the functional diversity of the proteome by modifying the substrates. The UFM1 cascade is a novel ubiquitin‐like modification system. The mutations in UFM1, its E1 (UBA5) and E2 (UFC1), have been identified in patients with microcephaly. However, its pathological mechanisms remain unclear. Herein, we observed the disruption of the UFM1 cascade in Drosophila neuroblasts (NBs) decreased the number of NBs, leading to a smaller brain size. The lack of ufmylation in NBs resulted in an increased mitotic index and an extended G2/M phase, indicating a defect in mitotic progression. In addition, live imaging of the embryos revealed an impaired E3 ligase (Ufl1) function resulted in premature entry into mitosis and failed cellularization. Even worse, the embryonic lethality occurred as early as within the first few mitotic cycles following the depletion of Ufm1. Knockdown of ufmylation in the fixed embryos exhibited severe phenotypes, including detached centrosomes, defective microtubules, and DNA bridge. Furthermore, we observed that the UFM1 cascade could alter the level of phosphorylation on tyrosine‐15 of CDK1 (pY15‐CDK1), which is a negative regulator of the G2 to M transition. These findings yield unambiguous evidence suggesting that the UFM1 cascade is a microcephaly‐causing factor that regulates the progression of the cell cycle at mitosis phase entry.
Novel molecular mechanisms for Prph2‐associated pattern dystrophy
Authors: Chakraborty Dibyendu , Strayve Daniel G. , Makia Mustafa S. , Conley Shannon M. , Kakahel Mashal , Al‐Ubaidi Muayyad R. , Naash Muna I.
Published: November 2019

Mutations in peripherin 2 (PRPH2) have been associated with retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and macular/pattern dystrophies, but the origin of this phenotypic variability is unclear. The majority of Prph2 mutations are located in the large intradiscal loop (D2), a region that contains seven cysteines involved in intra‐ and intermolecular disulfide bonding and protein folding. A mutation at cysteine 213, which is engaged in an intramolecular disulfide bond, leads to butterfly‐shaped pattern dystrophy in humans, in sharp contrast to mutations in the adjacent cysteine at position 214 which result in RP. To help understand this unexpected phenotypic variability, we generated a knockin mouse line carrying the C213Y disease mutation. The mutant Prph2 protein lost the ability to oligomerize with rod outer segment membrane protein 1 (Rom1), but retained the ability to form homotetramers. C213Y heterozygotes had significantly decreased overall Prph2 levels as well as decreased rod and cone function. Critically, supplementation with extra wild‐type Prph2 protein elicited improvements in Prph2 protein levels and rod outer segment structure, but not functional rescue in rods or cones. These findings suggest that not all interruptions of D2 loop intramolecular disulfide bonding lead to haploinsufficiency‐related RP, but rather that more subtle changes can lead to mutant proteins stable enough to exert gain‐of‐function defects in rods and cones. This outcome highlights the difficulty in targeting Prph2‐associated gain‐of‐function disease and suggests that elimination of the mutant protein will be a pre‐requisite for any curative therapeutic strategy.