bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of single operator cholangioscopy on accuracy of bile duct cytology
Authors: Aly Fatima Zahra , Mostofizadeh Sayedamin , Jawaid Salmaan , Knapik Jacquelyn , Mukhtar Faisal , Klein Robert
Published: August 2020

Introduction

This is the first study to evaluate the accuracy of bile duct brushings since the introduction of single operator cholangioscopy SpyGlass DS system in 2015. The primary aim of our study was to compare the accuracy of cytology brushings against biopsies obtained at endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) and cholangioscopy.

Method

A retrospective search for bile duct brushing specimens was performed and the charts reviewed. The gold standard for definitive diagnosis of malignancy was surgical tissue or compelling clinical evidence of malignancy. Definite negative diagnosis relied on lack of clinical/imaging features of malignancy on follow‐up.

Results

There was no significant difference in diagnostic accuracy of cytology specimens obtained at different procedures. Overall sensitivity for all methods was 59%, specificity 90% and accuracy of 82%. Notably, all four false‐positive cases except for one were from patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis or primary biliary sclerosis. There was no significant difference in sensitivity or specificity between biopsies procured by the two methods. The combined biopsy sensitivity for all modalities was 44% with a specificity of 100%. There was 70% concordance between cytology and biopsy cases. The overall specificity and sensitivity of the combined cytology and biopsy result was 85% and 65.3%, respectively. Ranking of factors that predict clinical diagnosis shows cytology results to surpass other parameters including pancreatic mass, age and stenosis length. Similarly, the presence of two cell populations and three‐dimensional clusters was not nearly as predictive of malignancy as single malignant cells.

Conclusion

Biliary brush cytology specimens performed better than biopsies irrespective of whether they are procured during ERCP or cholangioscopy. The combination of cytology and biopsy had the best accuracy than either one alone.
Role of bronchoalveolar lavage in diagnosing pulmonary infections and malignancies: Experience from a tertiary care center
Authors: Zaidi Ariba , Kaur Harpreet , Gupta Parikshaa , Gupta Nalini , Srinivasan Radhika , Dey Pranab , Rohilla Manish , Rajwanshi Arvind , Bal Amanjit , Agarwal Ritesh
Published: August 2020

Background

Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), is a safe, minimally invasive procedure to sample the terminal airways and the lung parenchyma. Although frequently used, there is lack of contemporary literature regarding the diagnostic utility of BAL for various pulmonary diseases. This study was conducted to evaluate the utility of BAL in diagnosis of various pulmonary pathologies, both infectious and neoplastic.

Methods

This was a retrospective study performed over a period of 2 years. All the BAL samples reported on cytology were studied, their clinical details were retrieved, and the corresponding smears were reviewed. Cyto‐histopathologic correlation was done, wherever possible.

Results

There were a total of 1835 cases (1153 men, 682 women; age, 8 months to 78 years). Of these, 19 (1%) cases were assessed as inadequate for opinion. In 348 (19%) cases, specific infective cause could be identified on BAL cytology alone. Tuberculosis and fungal infections could be diagnosed in 165 (9%) and 178 (9.7%) cases respectively. There were 46 (2.5%) neoplasms, including adenocarcinoma (n = 20), squamous cell carcinoma (n = 5), small cell carcinoma (n = 2), Langerhans cell histiocytosis (n = 1), suspicious for malignancy (n = 15) and metastatic carcinoma (n = 3). Some rare diagnoses were also reported on BAL cytology, including sarcoidosis, actinomycosis, leishmaniasis, pulmonary alveolar proteinosis and metastatic papillary carcinoma of the thyroid.

Conclusion

BAL is a safe and useful procedure for primary diagnosis of infections such as tuberculosis and fungal infections, which has special significance in developing nations where prevalence of such infections is high. In addition, BAL has the potential to diagnose both primary as well as secondary malignant lung lesions.
Hotspots of species loss do not vary across future climate scenarios in a drought‐prone river basin
Authors: Gill Kenneth C. , Fovargue Rachel E. , Neeson Thomas M.
Published: August 2020

Climate change is expected to alter the distributions of species around the world, but estimates of species’ outcomes vary widely among competing climate scenarios. Where should conservation resources be directed to maximize expected conservation benefits given future climate uncertainty? Here, we explore this question by quantifying variation in fish species’ distributions across future climate scenarios in the Red River basin south‐central United States. We modeled historical and future stream fish distributions using a suite of environmental covariates derived from high‐resolution hydrologic and climatic modeling of the basin. We quantified variation in outcomes for individual species across climate scenarios and across space, and identified hotspots of species loss by summing changes in probability of occurrence across species. Under all climate scenarios, we find that the distribution of most fish species in the Red River Basin will contract by 2050. However, the variability across climate scenarios was more than 10 times higher for some species than for others. Despite this uncertainty in outcomes for individual species, hotspots of species loss tended to occur in the same portions of the basin across all climate scenarios. We also find that the most common species are projected to experience the greatest range contractions, underscoring the need for directing conservation resources toward both common and rare species. Our results suggest that while it may be difficult to predict which species will be most impacted by climate change, it may nevertheless be possible to identify spatial priorities for climate mitigation actions that are robust to future climate uncertainty. These findings are likely to be generalizable to other ecosystems around the world where future climate conditions follow prevailing historical patterns of key environmental covariates.
Energy–water and seasonal variations in climate underlie the spatial distribution patterns of gymnosperm species richness in China
Authors: Pandey Bikram , Khatiwada Janak R. , Zhang Lin , Pan Kaiwen , Dakhil Mohammed A. , Xiong Qinli , Yadav Ram Kailash P. , Siwakoti Mohan , Tariq Akash , Olatunji Olusanya Abiodun , Justine Meta Francis , Wu Xiaogang , Sun Xiaoming , Liao Ziyan , Negesse Zebene Tadesse
Published: August 2020

Studying the pattern of species richness is crucial in understanding the diversity and distribution of organisms in the earth. Climate and human influences are the major driving factors that directly influence the large‐scale distributions of plant species, including gymnosperms. Understanding how gymnosperms respond to climate, topography, and human‐induced changes is useful in predicting the impacts of global change. Here, we attempt to evaluate how climatic and human‐induced processes could affect the spatial richness patterns of gymnosperms in China. Initially, we divided a map of the country into grid cells of 50 × 50 km2 spatial resolution and plotted the geographical coordinate distribution occurrence of 236 native gymnosperm taxa. The gymnosperm taxa were separated into three response variables: (a) all species, (b) endemic species, and (c) nonendemic species, based on their distribution. The species richness patterns of these response variables to four predictor sets were also evaluated: (a) energy–water, (b) climatic seasonality, (c) habitat heterogeneity, and (d) human influences. We performed generalized linear models (GLMs) and variation partitioning analyses to determine the effect of predictors on spatial richness patterns. The results showed that the distribution pattern of species richness was highest in the southwestern mountainous area and Taiwan in China. We found a significant relationship between the predictor variable set and species richness pattern. Further, our findings provide evidence that climatic seasonality is the most important factor in explaining distinct fractions of variations in the species richness patterns of all studied response variables. Moreover, it was found that energy–water was the best predictor set to determine the richness pattern of all species and endemic species, while habitat heterogeneity has a better influence on nonendemic species. Therefore, we conclude that with the current climate fluctuations as a result of climate change and increasing human activities, gymnosperms might face a high risk of extinction.
Interactions between serum FSH, inhibin B and antral follicle count in the decline of serum AMH during the menstrual cycle in late reproductive age
Authors: Robertson David M. , Lee Chel Hee , Baerwald Angela
Published: August 2020

Objective

To investigate the hormonal interrelationships during the menstrual cycle in women of late reproductive age with suppressed serum AMH and antral follicle count (AFC).

Methods

Serum hormones (AMH, FSH, LH, estradiol, progesterone, inhibin A, inhibin B), AFC (2‐10 mm) and AMH/AFC ratio (an estimate of AMH/follicle) were assessed every 2‐3 days across the menstrual cycle in 26 healthy ovulatory women aged 18‐50 years.

Results

An 11‐fold fall in AMH/AFC was observed in women aged ≥45 years compared to those 18‐45 years (P < .001). Although women ≥45 years exhibited normal menstrual cycle patterns of serum estradiol, progesterone, LH and inhibin A, FSH was elevated (P < .001) and inhibin B suppressed (P < .001) compared to the younger group. Overall FSH was inversely correlated (r = .55, P < .05) and AMH directly correlated (r = .88, P < .01) with AFC; however, these relationships were curvilinear and more pronounced when AFC was low. Inhibin B was directly linearly correlated (r = .70, P < .01) with AFC across both high and low AMH/follicle groups.

Conclusions

It is hypothesized that the marked fall in AMH/follicle in late reproductive age is attributed to the change in the hormonal interplay between the pituitary and ovary. The fall in AFC leads to a decrease in inhibin B and a concomitant increase in FSH by a recognized feedback mechanism. It is postulated the elevated FSH suppresses AMH either directly or indirectly through oocyte‐specific growth factors leading to a marked fall in AMH/follicle. We propose that pituitary‐ovarian and intra‐ovarian regulatory systems underpin the accelerated fall in AMH/follicle during the transition to menopause.
Sc and Y Heteroalkyl Complexes with a NCsp3N Pincer‐Type Diphenylmethanido Ligand: Synthesis, Structure, and Reactivity
Authors: Fayoumi Ahmad , Lyubov Dmitry M. , Tolpygin Alexey O. , Shavyrin Andrey S. , Cherkasov Anton V. , Ob'edkov Anatoly M. , Trifonov Alexander A.
Published: August 2020

New diphenylmethane [4‐tBu‐2‐(C3H2N2Me‐1)C6H3]2CH2 (1) bearing pendant imidazolyl groups in ortho‐positions of aromatic rings of diphenylmethane skeleton was synthesized using Stille cross‐coupling reaction between bis(4‐(tert‐butyl)‐2‐iodophenyl)methane and Bu3Sn(C3H2N2Me) in the presence of Pd(PPh3)4. Potassium diphenylmethanide [{[4‐tBu‐2‐(C3H2N2Me‐1)C6H3]2CH}K(OEt2)]2 (2K) was prepared by treatment of 1 with an equimolar amount of Lochmann‐Schlosser super base. Rare‐earth metal heteroalkyl complexes {[4‐tBu‐2‐(C3H2N2Me‐1)C6H3]2CH}Ln(CH2SiMe3)2(THF)n (Ln = Sc, n = 0 (2Sc); Y, n = 1 (2Y)) with NCsp3N pincer type diphenylmethanido ligand were synthesized by the selective sp3 CH‐bond activation of the central CH2 group in 1 by Ln(CH2SiMe3)3(THF)2. According to the X‐ray data the diphenylmethanido ligands in 2K and 2Sc perform a tridentate pincer‐type κ3‐N,C,N coordination. Complexes 2Ln were evaluated as catalysts for isoprene polymerization and hydrosilylation of alkenes and alkynes.
A Penta‐EuIII Sandwiched Dawson Selenotungstate and Its Unique Luminescence Properties
Authors: Zhang Yan , Zeng Baoxing , Liu Yifan , Li Pan , Chen Lijuan , Zhao Junwei
Published: August 2020

A new penta‐EuIII sandwiched Dawson‐type selenotungstate (ST) [H2N(CH3)2]10H3{SeO4Eu5(H2O)8[Se2W14O52]2}·40H2O (1) was constructed by an in‐situ self‐assembly strategy. The unique architectural feature of 1 is that two [Se2W14O52]12– segments graft each other by five Eu3+ ions via oxygen linkers. Meanwhile, a disordered tetra‐coordinate SeIV ion locates on the central symmetric site of the structure. What's more, based on its benign fluorescence properties and excellent water solubility, 1 was prepared to be an efficient chemosensor for the selective detection of the Cu2+ ion in aqueous solution. The detection was found to be 1.24 × 10–3 mm. The fluorescence quenching mechanism of the Cu2+ ion towards the 1‐based sensor might be caused by the LMCT absorption of the Cu2+ ion hindering energy transfer from ST fragments to the Eu3+ ion in 1 in aqueous solution. More interestingly, the Cu2+‐quenched system could be recovered by addition of cysteine (cys) because the strong chelation between cys and Cu2+. The LOD value of detecting cys is 2.17 × 10–4 mm for the continuous “off‐on” chemosensor, which provides a promising prospect of polyoxometalate‐based materials for environmental monitoring and clinical medical testing.
Bio‐Based Polymers Obtained from Modified Fatty Acids and Soybean Oil with Tailorable Physical and Mechanical Performance
Authors: Hernández Emanuel , Mosiewicki Mirna. A. , Marcovich Norma. E.
Published: August 2020

The impending world oil shortage, global climate changes, and environmental pollution encourage the use of natural renewable resources to produce substitutes for petroleum‐derived polymers. In this work, two series of bio‐based thermoset polymers are prepared by free radical polymerization of commercially available acrylated epoxidized soybean oil (AESO) with different amounts of methacrylated oleic (MOA) or lauric (MLA) acids. The characterization of the resulting cured bio‐based copolymers is performed by infrared spectroscopy, dynamic mechanical analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, and tensile tests. Experimental results show that heat resistance index, storage modulus, and crosslinking density increase as the content of AESO in the samples increases, whereas the corresponding glass transition temperatures (Tg) decrease slightly. Samples containing MLA present higher tensile modulus and strength than polymers made from MOA or 100% AESO. All materials are insoluble in water and common organic solvents, show high transparency and water contact angles among 67° and 86.3°, and at least some of the samples demonstrate stress relaxation capacity.

Practical Applications: The properties of the bio‐based polymers obtained in this work can be adapted to different potential applications by selecting both the amount and type of constituents. Their tailorable physical and mechanical performance, malleability at elevated temperatures, moderate wettable surfaces, easy preparation, high content of bio‐carbon, and environmental benefits make these novel bio‐based polymers great candidates not only for structural applications but also as protective or decorative coatings.
Electrochemical Determination of Caffeine Using Bimetallic Au−Ag Nanoparticles Obtained from Low‐cost Green Synthesis
Authors: Masibi Kgotla K. , Fayemi Omolola E. , Adekunle Abolanle S. , Sherif El‐Sayed M. , Ebenso Eno E.
Published: August 2020

A novel caffeine sensor was constructed. The sensor is based on a platinum electrode (PtE) modified with polypyrrole (PPY) and green synthesized Ag−Au bimetallic nanoparticles. The work further describes the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), as well as Ag−Au bimetallic nanoparticles (BMNPs) using the extract of citrus sinensis (sweet orange) peels. The nanoparticles were used to form nanocomposite material supported on polypyrrole (PPY) and, consequently used to modify PtE using drop‐cast method. Synthesized nanomaterials were characterized by FT‐IR, UV‐Vis, XRD and TEM. Electrochemical characterization of the modified electrodes was conducted using the ferrocyanide/ferricyanide redox probe prepared in PBS. PPY/Ag‐AuBMNP modified PtE exhibited faster electron transport properties as well as enhanced catalytic current response as compared to bare‐PtE, PtE/AgNPs, PtE/AuNPs, PtE/Ag‐AuBMNPs and PtE/PPY. By Square‐wave voltammetry (SWV) the PPY/Ag‐AuBMNPs modified PtE yielded a detection limit of 2.02 μM with a sensitivity of 0.75 μA/μM, in the caffeine concentration range of 0 μM to 59 μM. The proposed sensor further demonstrated good selectivity and was successfully applied for the detection of caffeine in commercial samples.
Expression profile analysis and stability evaluation of 18 small RNAs in the Chinese Han population
Authors: Wang Shouyu , Tao Ruiyang , Ming Tianyue , Wang Mengge , Liu Jing , He Guanglin , Zou Xing , Wang Zheng , Hou Yiping
Published: August 2020

In recent years, differentially expressed small RNAs have been widely used to identify the compositions of forensically relevant biological samples, and a vast number of such RNA candidates have been proposed. Nevertheless, when assessing the expression levels of target small RNAs using relative quantitative analysis methods, credible internal controls are usually required for reliable data normalization. Therefore, the identification of optimal reference genes is an important task. In this study, the expression profile of 18 small RNA reference genes was characterized in the Chinese Han population using TaqMan real‐time quantitative PCR. Systematic evaluations of these candidate genes were performed based on their expression levels and stability in several common types of body fluids (i.e., venous blood, menstrual blood, saliva, semen, and vaginal secretions). Analysis results from the ΔCq method, BestKeeper, NormFinder, and geNorm were integrated by RefFinder for ranking and comparing the candidates in each type of body fluid. Among all the candidates, miR‐191 was identified as the most suitable reference gene because it had a favorable ranking value in all tested samples. In addition, miR‐423, miR‐93, miR‐484, and let‐7i were also shown to be applicable reference genes. Overall, this study provides detailed assessment results of these candidate genes in different body fluids; thus, it could be used as a guide for the selection of reference genes according to their performance in the sample of choice.
Design and analysis of enhanced capacitive radio frequency MEMS switch based on Nb2O5 and HfO2 dielectric for satellite payload applications
Authors: Narzary Trigunesh , R Kumar , Bhattacharjee Rituraj , Brahma Muktimani , P Mohamed Shakeel.
Published: August 2020

An innovative capacitive radio frequency MEMS shunt switch with a unique shaped spring is designed and analyzed using COMSOL Multiphysics 5.4. The proposed switch using Hafnium oxide (HfO2) and Niobium pentoxide (Nb2O5) as the dielectric material between the transmission line and the deflecting gold membrane provides certain advantageous benefits with respect to performance parameters such as low actuation voltage, less spring constant, good isolation, low insertion loss, small size, and high capacitance ratio compared to other designs. A combination of three‐turn meander and C‐ shaped spring having a spring constant of 0.186 N/m helps in achieving convenient actuation voltage. For 1, 1.5, and 2 μm air gaps, the actuation voltages required to bring the switch to ON mode are 1.77, 3.24, and 4.96 V respectively with Nb2O5 as the dielectric layer and 1.8, 3.28, and 5.01 V respectively with HfO2 as the dielectric layer respectively. At 2‐μm air gap, the capacitance ratio is 329 for Nb2O5 and 113 for HfO2. RF analysis using ANSYS HFSS software shows the isolation of −19.41 dB at 11 GHz and insertion loss as low as −0.27 dB at 15 GHz. The proposed switch operating within the range of 1 to 30 GHz gives optimum results compared to other devices and is suitable for wireless communication and satellite payload applications.
An improved ensemble based intrusion detection technique usingXGBoost
Authors: Bhati Bhoopesh Singh , Chugh Garvit , Al‐Turjman Fadi , Bhati Nitesh Singh
Published: August 2020

Network attacks are increasing day by day. In order to detect them, a system has been created, which actively detects intrusions and attacks in a network or an intranet. The system that detects these types of attacks and intrusions is called intrusion detection system (IDS). The attacks are of two kinds, known and unknown. The IDSs are able to protect against known attacks as they are designed specifically for them. As the usage of the Internet is growing every day, the attacks are increasing as well and all of them are not known to an IDS without proper upgradation, which is harmful as it will not be detected by the IDS and leave the system open to threats. Therefore, an IDS should not just detect the known attacks but even provide security from unknown attacks. Motivated by this, in this article, an ensemble‐based IDS using XGBoost is presented. There has been previous research on the topic and with the help of improved technologies, it becomes possible to improve the efficiency and accuracy of the ensemble based IDS. This article proposes to present a scheme that shows the usage of XGBoost with ensemble based IDS can provide better results as XGBoost is based on the tree boosting machine learning algorithms, which helps dealing with a smoother “bias‐variance” trade‐off. The experiment is performed on the KDDCup99 dataset and the recorded accuracy of the proposed method through this experiment is 99.95%.
Plasma fatty acid profile is related to cognitive function in obese Chinese populations (35–64 years): A cross‐sectional study
Authors: Duan Qi , Fan Rong , Lei Ruqing , Ma Weiwei , Ding Bingjie
Published: August 2020

Background

A fast‐growing body of evidence suggests that dietary lipids influence cognition, but the effects of dietary fatty acid (FA) intake and plasma FA profile on cognitive function in obese populations are currently unclear. The present study aimed to investigate the dietary FA intakes and plasma FA composition and their association with cognitive functions in obese and overweight populations aged 35–64 years.

Methods

A total of 672 subjects were recruited and divided into normal‐weight, overweight, and obese groups based on their body mass index (BMI). Dietary information was collected using a semiquantified food frequency questionnaire. Plasma FAs composition was examined using gas chromatography. The mini‐mental state examination and Montreal Cognitive Assessment scales were carried out to assess the cognitive performance of each participant. Dietary FA intake and plasma FA composition were compared with rank transformation followed by one‐way ANOVA analysis across different BMI groups. Spearman rank correlation analysis was used to investigate the correlation between dietary FA intake and plasma FA composition and cognitive functions in normal‐weight, overweight, and obese subjects, respectively.

Results

Overweight and obese subjects consumed larger amounts of saturated fatty acids (SFAs) compared to normal‐weight participants (p < .05). Obese populations also had higher plasma levels of total SFAs and total monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFAs) than normal‐weight subjects (both p < .05). In addition, plasma levels of SFAs, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), and MUFAs were negatively correlated with cognitive functions in obese subjects but showed no correlation in normal‐weight and overweight subjects.

Conclusions

From current data, we found higher plasma levels of SFA, PUFA, and MUFA in obese populations, which were associated with declined cognition. Lowering plasma FA levels may help maintaining normal cognitive functions in obese people.
Is the synthetic stock price really lower than actual price?
Authors: Hu Jianfeng
Published: August 2020

Conventional wisdom suggests synthetic stock prices are lower than actual prices due to short‐sale constraints and voting premiums. This study finds that such underpricing of the synthetic midquote disappears if arbitrageurs face security borrowing costs. The synthetic spread predominantly contains the actual spread. Synthetic stock overpricing is as common as underpricing but the former is more persistent and more profitable. The difference between synthetic and actual quotes is significantly affected by options market makers' hedging costs and investors' demand for leverage.
Stochastic multifactor models in risk management of energy futures
Authors: Guo Zi‐Yi
Published: August 2020

We adopt Schwartz and Smith's model to calculate risk measures of Brent oil and light sweet crude oil (WTI) futures contracts and Mirantes, Poblacion, and Serna's model to calculate risk measures of natural gas, gasoil, heating oil, RBOB gasoline, PJM Western Hub peak, and off‐peak electricity futures contracts. The models generate well in‐sample goodness of fit and satisfactory out‐of‐sample Value‐at‐Risk and expected shortfall forecasts for all the eight of the analyzed commodities. A simple and flexible estimation method improving upon existing estimation methods is developed.
Immune‐Mobilizing Monoclonal T Cell Receptors Mediate Specific and Rapid Elimination of Hepatitis B–Infected Cells
Authors: Fergusson Joannah R. , Wallace Zoë , Connolly Mary M. , Woon Amanda P. , Suckling Richard J. , Hine Dominic W. , Barber Claire , Bunjobpol Wilawan , Choi Beak‐San , Crespillo Sara , Dembek Marcin , Dieckmann Nele , Donoso Jose , Godinho Luis F. , Grant Tressan , Howe Dawn , McCully Michelle L. , Perot Carole , Sarkar Anshuk , Seifert Florian U. , Singh Praveen K. , Stegmann Kerstin A. , Turner Bethany , Verma Anil , Walker Andrew , Leonard Sarah , Maini Mala K. , Wiederhold Katrin , Dorrell Lucy , Simmons Ruth , Knox Andrew
Published: August 2020

Background and Aims

Therapies for chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection are urgently needed because of viral integration, persistence of viral antigen expression, inadequate HBV‐specific immune responses, and treatment regimens that require lifelong adherence to suppress the virus. Immune mobilizing monoclonal T Cell receptors against virus (ImmTAV) molecules represent a therapeutic strategy combining an affinity‐enhanced T Cell receptor with an anti‐CD3 T Cell‐activating moiety. This bispecific fusion protein redirects T cells to specifically lyse infected cells expressing the target virus‐derived peptides presented by human leukocyte antigen (HLA).

Approach and Results

ImmTAV molecules specific for HLA‐A*02:01‐restricted epitopes from HBV envelope, polymerase, and core antigens were engineered. The ability of ImmTAV‐Env to activate and redirect polyclonal T cells toward cells containing integrated HBV and cells infected with HBV was assessed using cytokine secretion assays and imaging‐based killing assays. Elimination of infected cells was further quantified using a modified fluorescent hybridization of viral RNA assay. Here, we demonstrate that picomolar concentrations of ImmTAV‐Env can redirect T cells from healthy and HBV‐infected donors toward hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells containing integrated HBV DNA resulting in cytokine release, which could be suppressed by the addition of a corticosteroid in vitro. Importantly, ImmTAV‐Env redirection of T cells induced cytolysis of antigen‐positive HCC cells and cells infected with HBV in vitro, causing a reduction of hepatitis B e antigen and specific loss of cells expressing viral RNA.

Conclusions

The ImmTAV platform has the potential to enable the elimination of infected cells by redirecting endogenous non‐HBV‐specific T cells, bypassing exhausted HBV‐specific T cells. This represents a promising therapeutic option in the treatment of chronic hepatitis B, with our lead candidate now entering trials.
Ergodic sum capacity analysis of NOMA‐SWIPT enabled IoT relay systems
Authors: Rauniyar Ashish , Engelstad Paal , Østerbø Olav N.
Published: August 2020

Instead of using the participating relay node only for relaying the data of the source node, in this letter, we have also considered transmitting the data of the IoT relay node (IoTR) along with the source node data based on time switching (TS), power splitting (PS) relaying and NOMA. Therefore, in this context, we investigate the ergodic sum capacity (ESC) analysis of simultaneous wireless information and power transfer (SWIPT) based non‐orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) for the Internet of Things (IoT) relay systems. Furthermore, we also study the effect of both perfect successive interference cancellation (pSIC) and imperfect SIC (ipSIC) on the proposed system. Analytical expressions for the ESC under both pSIC and ipSIC scenarios are mathematically derived and corroborated through Monte‐Carlo simulations. Our result demonstrates that the PS relaying with NOMA is more energy‐efficient than TS relaying with NOMA for the proposed system.
Bacterial co‐infections with SARS‐CoV‐2
Authors: Mirzaei Rasoul , Goodarzi Pedram , Asadi Muhammad , Soltani Ayda , Aljanabi Hussain ali abraham , Jeda Ali Salimi , Dashtbin Shirin , Jalalifar Saba , Mohammadzadeh Rokhsareh , Teimoori Ali , Tari Kamran , Salari Mehdi , Ghiasvand Sima , Kazemi Sima , Yousefimashouf Rasoul , Keyvani Hossein , Karampoor Sajad
Published: August 2020

The pandemic coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19), caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2), has affected millions of people worldwide. To date, there are no proven effective therapies for this virus. Efforts made to develop antiviral strategies for the treatment of COVID‐19 are underway. Respiratory viral infections, such as influenza, predispose patients to co‐infections and these lead to increased disease severity and mortality. Numerous types of antibiotics such as azithromycin have been employed for the prevention and treatment of bacterial co‐infection and secondary bacterial infections in patients with a viral respiratory infection (e.g., SARS‐CoV‐2). Although antibiotics do not directly affect SARS‐CoV‐2, viral respiratory infections often result in bacterial pneumonia. It is possible that some patients die from bacterial co‐infection rather than virus itself. To date, a considerable number of bacterial strains have been resistant to various antibiotics such as azithromycin, and the overuse could render those or other antibiotics even less effective. Therefore, bacterial co‐infection and secondary bacterial infection are considered critical risk factors for the severity and mortality rates of COVID‐19. Also, the antibiotic‐resistant as a result of overusing must be considered. In this review, we will summarize the bacterial co‐infection and secondary bacterial infection in some featured respiratory viral infections, especially COVID‐19.
Updated information on new coronavirus disease 2019 occurrence, drugs, and prediction of a potential receptor
Authors: Khodaei Forouzan , Ahsan Anam , Chamanifard Mostafa , Zamiri Mohammad Javad , Ommati Mohammad Mehdi
Published: August 2020

The new coronavirus (COVID‐19) was first reported in Wuhan in China, on 31 December 2019. COVID‐19 is a new virus from the family of coronaviruses that can cause symptoms ranging from a simple cold to pneumonia. The virus is thought to bind to the angiotensin‐converting enzyme 2, as a well‐known mechanism to enter the cell. It then transfers its DNA to the host in which the virus replicates the DNA. The viral infection leads to severe lack of oxygen, lung oxidative stress because of reactive oxygen species generation, and overactivation of the immune system by activating immune mediators. The purpose of this review is to elaborate on the more precise mechanism(s) to manage the treatment of the disease. Regarding the mechanisms of the virus action, the suggested pharmacological and nutritional regimens have been described.
Pyoderma gangrenosum in an ulcerative colitis patient during treatment with vedolizumab responded favorably to adsorptive granulocyte and monocyte apheresis
Authors: Shibuya Tomoyoshi , Haga Keiichi , Saeki Michio , Haraikawa Mayuko , Tsuchihashi Hitoshi , Okahara Koki , Nomura Osamu , Fukushima Hirofumi , Murakami Takashi , Ishikawa Dai , Ikeda Shigaku , Nagahara Akihito
Published: August 2020

Pyoderma gangrenosum (PG) is an extra‐intestinal skin lesion in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) as is erythema nodosum. Vedolizumab (VED) is a monoclonal antibody that targets α4β7 integrin and has an intestinal selective mechanism. Despite good therapeutic effects on colitis, the effect on extra‐intestinal manifestations (EIMs) remains unclear. Here we report a case of ulcerative colitis complicated by PG during treatment with VED, which was successfully treated with prednisolone in combination with adsorptive granulocyte and monocyte apheresis (GMA). The patient was a 50‐year‐old woman with a past medical history of extensive ulcerative colitis managed by golimumab (GLM). She developed flare symptoms due to loss of response to GLM, and treatment was switched to VED. Her gastrointestinal symptoms were improved with VED treatment with less frequent bowel movements. However, infiltrative erythema with pain appeared on the right lower leg and right knee, and expanded and gradually ulcerated. Her skin lesions were treated with corticosteroid, but showed poor improvement. Therefore, granulocyte and monocyte apheresis (GMA) treatment was administered in combination with prednisolone. After 3 months, the ulcer gradually improved, and at the time of this writing, the eruptions were nearly replaced by epithelial tissue. This case study showed that patients with UC and EIMS may respond well to combination therapy of VED and GMA. GMA has a very favorable safety profile. On the other hand, the causal connection between VED and PG is still unclear. We believe that a combination therapy involving VED and GMA in IBD patients with EIMs warrants consideration.
Surviving peer review
Authors: Weinstein Robert
Published: August 2020

The process of publishing original work in a peer review journal is not complete at the point where the manuscript is first submitted. The journal editors will submit the manuscript to peer review whereby outside experts are asked to vet the manuscript for scientific merit, originality and quality. Reviewers' comments are meant to help authors strengthen their manuscripts for potential publication. Authors benefit from this feedback and should approach the reviewers as volunteer consultants rather than as critics. Authors should respond to all reviewers' comments, completely and politely addressing the points raised. This article is meant to assist junior or inexperienced authors to understand the process of peer review and to function effectively within the process in order to succeed in having their manuscripts published.
Intellectual capital, liquidity, and bankruptcy likelihood
Authors: Shahdadi K. Moradi , Rostamy A. A. Anvary , Sadeghi Sharif S. J. , Ranjbar M. H.
Published: August 2020

This study investigates the impacts of intellectual capital on the liquidity of assets and stocks and the bankruptcy likelihood. Multivariate regression models with combined data used to test the hypotheses. Using a sample of 147 companies listed on the Tehran Stock Exchange during 2010–2017, the results indicate that intellectual capital has a positive effect on the liquidity of assets and the liquidity of stocks, and that it has an inverse relation with the bankruptcy likelihood. Moreover, we found that the liquidity of assets has a negative effect on the bankruptcy likelihood. However, the liquidity of stocks has no significant effect on the bankruptcy likelihood. In general, the findings of this study provide evidence of the effective role of intellectual capital in improving the liquidity of assets and the impacts of both the intellectual capital and the liquidity on reducing the bankruptcy likelihood. This study provides evidence of the prominent role of intellectual capital in the intelligent management of corporate liquidity and reducing the likelihood of bankruptcy.
Ab‐initio molecular dynamics and hybrid explicit‐implicit solvation model for aqueous and nonaqueous solvents: GFP chromophore in water and methanol solution as case study
Authors: Raucci Umberto , Perrella Fulvio , Donati Greta , Zoppi Maria , Petrone Alessio , Rega Nadia
Published: August 2020

Solute–solvent interactions are proxies for understanding how the electronic density of a chromophore interacts with the environment in a more exhaustive way. The subtle balance between polarization, electrostatic, and non‐bonded interactions need to be accurately described to obtain good agreement between simulations and experiments. First principles approaches providing accurate configurational sampling through molecular dynamics may be a suitable choice to describe solvent effects on solute chemical–physical properties and spectroscopic features, such as optical absorption of dyes. In this context, accurate energy potentials, obtained by hybrid implicit/explicit solvation methods along with employing nonperiodic boundary conditions, are required to represent bulk solvent around a large solute–solvent cluster. In this work, a novel strategy to simulate methanol solutions is proposed combining ab initio molecular dynamics, a hybrid implicit/explicit flexible solvent model, nonperiodic boundary conditions, and time dependent density functional theory. As case study, the robustness of the proposed protocol has been gauged by investigating the microsolvation and electronic absorption of the anionic green fluorescent protein chromophore in methanol and aqueous solution. Satisfactory results are obtained, reproducing the microsolvation layout of the chromophore and, as a consequence, the experimental trends shown by the optical absorption in different solvents.
Detection of a Hb A2‐Melbourne (HBD: c.130G>A) combined with β‐thalassemia in a Chinese individual
Authors: Li Youqiong , Huang Tongfeng , Mao Tian , Zhang Xiuqun , Liang Liang , Meng Menghui
Published: August 2020

Background

Thalassemia is common in Southeast Asian countries, including China. Hb A2‐Melbourne is a rare hemoglobin variant and has never been reported in China. Here, we report a Hb A2‐Melbourne combined with β‐thalassemia in Chinese individuals which is the second case described in the published reports.

Methods

Complete blood counts (CBC) of a 28‐year‐old female showed signs of thalassemia during a routine screening. Hemoglobin analysis was subsequently performed using capillary electrophoresis (CE) and high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Four common deletional α‐thalassemia detection was carried out using a gap‐polymerase chain reaction (PCR). PCR and reverse dot‐blot were used to detect three non‐deletional α‐thalassemia and 17 types of point mutations in β‐thalassemia. Finally, it was identified by Sanger sequencing. Her husband also had CBC, hemoglobin analysis, and genetic diagnosis.

Results

CBC of the couple showed Hb 103 and 139 g/L, mean corpuscular volume 58 and 63.1 fL, mean corpuscular hemoglobin 19.7 and 20.4 pg, respectively. Hemoglobin analysis revealed Hb X 2.4%, Hb A2 2.8% by CE and Hb X 2.9%, Hb A2 2.4% by HPLC in the female. The results of her husband were Hb A93.5%, Hb A2 5.7%, Hb F 0.8% by CE. Genetic analysis of both spouses detected the same CD 41/42 mutations in β‐globin gene. Sanger sequencing of female identified a mutation of the δ‐globin gene (HBD:c.130G>A), corresponding to Hb A2‐Melbourne.

Conclusion

Hb A2‐Melbourne can lead to misdiagnosis of β‐thalassemia. δ‐globin gene mutation must be carefully examined in routine thalassemia screening.
Elucidating the microscopic and computational techniques to study the structure and pathology of SARS‐CoVs
Authors: Kaniyala Melanthota Sindhoora , Banik Soumyabrata , Chakraborty Ishita , Pallen Sparsha , Gopal Dharshini , Chakrabarti Shweta , Mazumder Nirmal
Published: August 2020

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronaviruses (SARS‐CoVs), causative of major outbreaks in the past two decades, has claimed many lives all over the world. The virus effectively spreads through saliva aerosols or nasal discharge from an infected person. Currently, no specific vaccines or treatments exist for coronavirus; however, several attempts are being made to develop possible treatments. Hence, it is important to study the viral structure and life cycle to understand its functionality, activity, and infectious nature. Further, such studies can aid in the development of vaccinations against this virus. Microscopy plays an important role in examining the structure and topology of the virus as well as pathogenesis in infected host cells. This review deals with different microscopy techniques including electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, fluorescence microscopy as well as computational methods to elucidate various prospects of this life‐threatening virus.
Multimodal neuroimaging in anorexia nervosa
Authors: Alfano Vincenzo , Mele Giulia , Cotugno Armando , Longarzo Mariachiara
Published: August 2020

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a severe and complex psychiatric disorder characterized by intense fear about weight gain and finalized to food‐related control behaviors. Growing interest has been demonstrated about neurobiological processes subtend to AN physiopathology. The present review aimed to collect neurostructural and neurofunctional available data from 2010 to 2019. Results have been organized according to the neuroimaging technique employed, also including a specific section on electroencephalographic results, mostly neglected in previous reviews. Diffuse cerebral vulnerability has been demonstrated and the contribution of several structures has been identified. Insula, cingulate cortex, parietal and frontal areas are primarily involved both by structural and functional perspectives. Moreover, consistent alterations in white matter integrity and brain electrical activity have been reported. Neuroimaging findings give a substantial contribution to AN pathophysiological description, also in order to understand altered but reversible processes in the passage from acute illness phase to disorder's remission, useful also for defining therapy.
Development of a Deep Learning–Based Model for Diagnosing Breast Nodules With Ultrasound
Authors: Li Jianming , Bu Yunyun , Lu Shuqiang , Pang Hao , Luo Chang , Liu Yujiang , Qian Linxue
Published: August 2020

Objectives

Artificial intelligence (AI) has been an important addition to medicine. We aimed to explore the use of deep learning (DL) to distinguish benign from malignant lesions with breast ultrasound (BUS).

Methods

The DL model was trained with BUS nodule data using a standard protocol (1271 malignant nodules, 1053 benign nodules, and 2144 images of the contralateral normal breast). The model was tested with 692 images of 256 breast nodules. We used the accuracy, precision, recall, harmonic mean of recall and precision, and mean average precision as the indices to assess the DL model. We used 100 BUS images to evaluate differences in diagnostic accuracy among the AI system, experts (>25 years of experience), and physicians with varying levels of experience. A receiver operating characteristic curve was generated to evaluate the accuracy for distinguishing between benign and malignant breast nodules.

Results

The DL model showed 73.3% sensitivity and 94.9% specificity for the diagnosis of benign versus malignant breast nodules (area under the curve, 0.943). No significant difference in diagnostic ability was found between the AI system and the expert group (P = .951), although the physicians with lower levels of experience showed significant differences from the AI and expert groups (P = .01 and .03, respectively).

Conclusions

Deep learning could distinguish between benign and malignant breast nodules with BUS. On BUS images, DL achieved diagnostic accuracy equivalent to that of expert physicians.
Significance of Nodal Metastasis in Parotid Gland Acinar Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Moon Peter , Tusty Mahbuba , Divi Vasu , Megwalu Uchechukwu C.
Published: August 2020

Objectives

To evaluate the rate of lymph node metastasis in parotid gland acinar cell carcinoma, to identified factors associated with increased risk of metastasis, and to evaluate the effect of nodal metastasis on survival.

Methods

This is a retrospective cohort study utilizing data from a large population‐based cancer database. Data were extracted from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) 18 database. The study cohort included patients with parotid gland acinar cell carcinoma diagnosed between 2000 and 2015.

Results

The overall rate of lymph node metastasis was 6.8%. T3/T4 (OR 6.17, 95% CI, 3.03 to 13.16) disease along with High Grade (OR 15.95) disease were associated with increased risk of nodal metastasis. Non‐white, non‐Black race was associated with decreased risk. Age and sex were not associated with nodal metastasis. Nodal metastasis was associated with worse OS (HR 6.27, 95% CI, 3.85 to 10.20) and DSS (HR 6.96, 95% CI, 3.81 to 12.73) after adjusting for covariates.

Conclusion

Parotid gland acinar cell carcinoma carries a low risk of nodal metastasis. Both advanced T stage and high grade are associated with increased risk of nodal metastasis. Nodal metastasis is associated with decreased overall survival.

Level of Evidence

3 Laryngoscope, 131:E1125–E1129, 2021
Efficacy of corticosteroid solution administration via Mygind's position for the management of chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps
Authors: Tilak Ashwini M. , Payne Spencer C.
Published: August 2020

Objective

To investigate whether direct steroid application via Mygind's position improved objective and subjective measures of chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis (CRSwNP).

Methods

A retrospective chart review was performed on patients seen by the senior author in a Rhinology Clinic of a tertiary academic center over a 2 year period. Patients whose only change in medical regimen was initiation of corticosteroid administration via Mygind's position were included for this analysis. The main subjective and objective outcome measures were Sino‐nasal Outcome Test‐22 (SNOT‐22) and endoscopy scores, respectively. Patient scores before and after the change in treatment were compared and analyzed using Student's t test and Wilcoxon signed‐rank test.

Results

Twenty‐two patients were identified for inclusion. There was a statistically significant decrease in overall nasal endoscopy scores for both the right (P = .001) and left (P = .001) sides. A statistically significant and clinically meaningful decrease in total SNOT‐22 scores (12.7 points, P = .008) was also seen. Intolerance to the regimen was observed in 5/48 patients reviewed for inclusion (10.4%), with issues including neck pain, burning, pressure, and thrush.

Conclusion

The direct application of topical corticosteroids, specifically via Mygind's position, may improve both objective exam findings and clinical symptomatology in patients with CRSwNP compared to indirect application. Intolerance to the regimen can be observed.

Level of Evidence

4—Case series (with or without comparison).