bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Factors Associated With A Ruptured Perineum On A Vaginal Birth At The Clinic Niar The Terrain Of The Year 2018
Authors: Pemiliana Putri Diah , Sarumpaet Irma Handayani , Ziliwu Dan Sanak
Published: June 2019

Introduction: Ruptured perineum due to pregnancy, parity, age of mother, baby weight, vacuum extraction, trauma tools and episiotomy. Based on data of the World HealthOrganization(WHO) going on 2.7 million cases of rupturperineum in the mother birthing. This figure is expected to reach 6.3 million by the year 2050. The purpose of : this research is to know the factors which Fotor associated with Ruptured Perineum At vaginal birth at the clinic Pratama Medan Tahun2018 N. Method: the research design used in this research is a survey of the analytic approach of using CrossSectional , sampling using the total populationwith the techniques of medical record data collection by using the statiscttestChi Square. Results: the research on test by Chi Square, the data obtained with the data of skunder test results statistc showed no relationship age mom with ruptured perineum with p =0.037 value (p = 0.04), the relationship of the weight of the baby with a ruptured perineum with p =0.041 value (p = 0,041) and the relationship of parity with ruptured perineum with p =0.003value (p = 0.003). at the clinic the year 2018 Pratama Medan N. Based on logistic regression test variable BBL has close relationship ruptured perineum against value of sig 0.61, the value of the Exp (B)/OR largest 2.510 meaning likely or highly influential BBL 2.510 times can cause the occurrence of ruptured the perineum. Conclusion : the results of data analysis and discussion that there is a relationship of maternal Age, Parity and infant's Weight with a Ruptured Perineum in vaginal birth.
Stability analysis of strain-softening slopes based on the gravity increase method
Authors: Yao Wenmin , Ma Chong , Wang Zhang , Chen Xiaolong
Published: June 2019

With traditional slope stability analysis methods, it is difficult to accurately describe the progressive failure process and dynamic variation law of slope stability. The strain-softening constitutive model was therefore used to simulate the progressive failure process of a strain-softening slope based on the gravity increase method (GIM), with the displacement interface employed to determine the sliding surface. A sensitive analysis of the characteristic parameters within the softening stage was then conducted.

The results are as follows:
There are similar space-time evolution laws of residual strength factor and shear strain increment, with failure starting from the slope toe and extending gradually. The sliding surface of strain-softening slopes is located between that of the slope with peak strength and the sliding surface of the slope with residual strength. The stability coefficient shows an exponential growth trend with the increase of residual cohesion and residual plastic shear strain threshold, with a positive linear correlation between the residual friction angle and stability factor. The residual friction angle is the most sensitive factor in slope stability, followed by the residualcohesion, with the residual plastic shear strain threshold being the least sensitive.
Papiloscopia forense e revelação de impressões digitais na cena de um crime: uma ferramenta para o ensino de química com enfoque CTS
Authors: Guerreiro Inaiá Lopes , Sampaio Caroline de Goes
Published: June 2019

O ensino e a aprendizagem de química têm se mostrado um processo cada vez mais difícil. O grande nível de abstração do conteúdo se soma às cobranças das provas externas e cria um clima muitas vezes desmotivador para os alunos e para os professores dentro da sala de aula. É neste contexto que surgem ferramentas pedagógicas alternativas para melhorar o processo de ensino e aprendizagem. O presente estudo buscou mostrar como uma aula de papiloscopia forense, envolvendo um contexto de investigação criminal, junto com uma oficina temática de técnicas de revelação de impressões digitais ocultas pode ser eficiente para ensinar o conteúdo “interações moleculares”, através da relação do ensino de química com enfoque CTS em uma escola de ensino médio localizada em Maracanaú – CE. Para verificar a eficiência da aprendizagem, foram realizados dois questionários com os alunos participantes. Um deles diagnóstico, que pretendeu colher informações sobre o nível de conhecimento dos alunos sobre o assunto e opiniões sobre quais tipos de métodos seriam os mais eficientes para a aprendizagem; e um avaliativo, que teve como objetivo saber a eficiência da oficina. Concluiu-se a importância do uso de recursos didáticos alternativos para tornar as aulas de química mais atrativas aos alunos, despertando neles a curiosidade e o desejo de aprender ao ser usado um tema muito divulgado pela mídia entre os jovens, como é a perícia forense.
Conhecimento da equipe interprofissional acerca do autismo infantil
Authors: Silva Shaiane Àvila da , Lohmann Paula Michele , Costa Arlete Eli Kunz da , Marchese Camila
Published: June 2019

Autismo é caracterizado como uma síndrome do neurodesenvolvimento, e muitos indivíduos que são diagnosticados com autismo apresentam comunicação ineficaz e seus movimentos, atividades e interesses são mais repetitivos, e possuem comportamento mais agressivo. O autista possui muitas características, como a falta de interação social, dificuldades de manter relações com outras pessoas e com a sua própria família, acabam se isolando e vivendo o seu mundo e não percebendo a realidade que os cerca. O objetivo foi analisar o conhecimento da equipe interprofissional acerca do transtorno autístico. Trata-se de um estudo exploratório, descritivo, com abordagem qualitativa; utilizou-se como procedimento técnico o levantamento de dados e estudo de campo de forma transversal. Para análise dos dados utilizou-se a análise de conteúdo de Bardin. Os resultados demonstraram que a maioria dos profissionais consideram o autismo como um distúrbio de ordem neurológica, com prejuízo na comunicação e interação social; 90% dos participantes já realizaram cuidado ao autista, sendo destacado a falta de preparo para a assistência, falta de interação interprofissional e o despreparo dos pais para o cuidado. A estimulação da criança para o seu desenvolvimento foi salientada como fator importante. Concluímos que é fundamental que a equipe interprofissioanl tenha um relacionamento efetivo e auxilie e acompanhe a criança, bem como a família em cada situação vivida, observando a estrutura familiar.
Contribuição da atividade de situações problemas em adição e subtração como objeto educacional para alunos do Ensino Fundamental
Authors: Nascimento Virginia Florêncio Ferreira de Alencar , Delgado Oscar Tintorer , Leite Jardel Sousa , Garcia Mendoza Héctor José
Published: June 2019

A partir da indagação: de que forma a resolução de problemas pode favorecer o potencial criativo de crianças no processo ensino aprendizagem dos conteúdos das operações de adição e subtração no ensino fundamental no atendimento educacional especializado? Apresenta-se nesse artigo resultado do produto educacional desenvolvido em uma pesquisa de mestrado, que trouxe como proposta uma sequência didática amparada em reflexões importantes sobre a prática do professor de matemática aplicada aos alunos do sexto ano do ensino fundamental. O objetivo é apresentar uma sequência didática a partir das contribuições das atividades de situações problema em criatividade no atendimento educacional especializado. Se pretende explorar o avanço de nível de etapas de aprendizagem nos alunos sobre orientações de um estudo dirigido com o uso da metodologia da Atividade de Situações Problema com base na teoria de Galperin, de modo que os alunos desenvolvessem habilidades de cálculos numéricos na resolução de problemas com as operações de adição e subtração contribuindo assim, na sua independência intelectual e pensamento criativo. Essa proposta está sustentada numa abordagem qualitativa e quantitativa, com enfoque qualitativo para que as análises descritivas a partir das coletas de dados feitas com questionários, entrevistas e guias de observações, subsidiassem todo o delineamento da pesquisa. Tendo resultado favorável a aprendizagem do grupo de alunos nas diferentes etapas de assimilação mediante a aplicação das ações do primeiro para o segundo nível de criatividade. Dessa forma, deseja-se destacar aos professores que atuam no ensino fundamental na disciplina de matemática, um novo olhar para ensinar e motivar os alunos em suas aprendizagens.
Análise comparativa dos sistemas construtivos alvenaria convencional e light steel framing: um estudo de caso em residência uniifamiliar em Teófilo Otoni, MG
Authors: Salomão Pedro Emílio Amador , Soares Alan Deivid Alves , Lorentz Larissa Petrini Alves , Paula Larissa Tatiane Gonçalves de
Published: June 2019

A busca por alternativas construtivas mais eficientes, sustentáveis e rápidas de modo a aumentar a produtividade e atender a demanda crescente do mercado tem sido um dos grandes desafios para a construção civil. A fim de atender esta demanda, um novo método de construção conhecido como Light Steel Framing (LSF) vem sendo uma ótima alternativa, embora seja mais conhecido em países mais desenvolvidos, no Brasil, sua prática vem sendo difundida e utilizada ganhando ainda mais espaço no setor, proporcionando uma construção rápida e com qualidade. Neste trabalhando foi realizado uma analise comparativa entre o sistema Light Steel Framing e Alvenaria Convencional através de um projeto de uma residência modelo de um pavimento com objetivo de apresentar os principais diferenciais entre estes sistemas construtivos em residências unifamiliares. Com os projetos definidos é feito o levantamento quantitativo dos materiais utilizados e são montadas as composições dos principais elementos que diferem entre ambos os sistemas estudados. Através das pesquisas foi possível identificar os custos unitários de cada item e realizar uma análise dos resultados obtidos destacando as principais diferenças. Os resultados mostraram que o sistema LSF  como um sistema industrializado apresenta maior produtividade, possuindo uma construção limpa, seca, e sustentável, além de apresentar baixo peso, porém em relação ao custo da obra o estudo apresentou o sistema LSF como menos vantajoso quando comparado à alvenaria convencional, apresentando ser 18,09% mais caro. Sabendo-se que o sistema Light Steel Framing tem várias vantagens técnicas com maior viabilidade de execução sobre o sistema de alvenaria convencional já comprovado com este estudo. Conclui-se que os profissionais da área da construção civil devem incentivar mais os empresários e construtores a usar este tipo de construção.
‘The Consenting Silence’: Chaperoning the Orphan Sisterhood of Amy Levy'sThe Romance of a Shop
Authors: Richardson Ann-Marie
Published: June 2019

The parentless child of nineteenth-century literature was designed to elicit an inherent sense of social responsibility in Victorian readers. The orphan inadvertently rejects the cultural ideology of the ideal home and therefore embodies society's worst fear. No longer belonging to a family unit, the child is left with an incomplete moral education. Chaperones and guardians are required to “rescue” the orphan from ignorance, and society from their disquieting presence. Amy Levy empathised with the orphan model due to her own sense of otherness, as a result of her race, religion, sexuality, and New Woman ideologies. Levy observed parallels between societal fear of the orphan and that of female agency. Subsequently, the recently orphaned Lorimer sisters of Levy's Romance of a Shop are of marriageable age, yet emancipate themselves from their matchmaking families, becoming each other's chaperones as they open a photography studio. Thus begins a narrative which attempts to reconcile the sisters' wish to quietly persevere in their vocation and voice their innate feminism. This article will explore how speech and silence are used to embody these sisters' torn loyalties to their gender and each other, examining how their shift in social status alters their dialogue and where their silence speaks volumes.
On the nature of ultraluminous X-ray sources
Authors: Fabrika S N , Atapin K E , Vinokurov A S
Published: June 2019

Ultraluminous X-ray sources (ULXs) that are located in external galaxies exhibit X-ray luminosities exceeding those of the brightest black holes in the Milky Way and the Local Group galaxies by hundreds or even thousands of times. New classes of objects have been discovered: ultraluminous X-ray pulsars (ULXPs) and high-velocity outflows whose X-ray-range speed is up to 0.2c. The ULXs and ULXPs fully correspond to concepts of super-Eddington accretion. Five ULXs exhibit quasiperiodic oscillations and a flat-topped noise in the X-ray range power spectrum. Optical spectra of ULXs are very similar to those of SS433, late nitrogen stars (WNL/WR), or LBV (luminous blue variable) stars. The results obtained suggest that ULXs are systems that contain supercritical accretion disks.
High-energy ball milling of nonstoichiometric compounds
Authors: Gusev A I
Published: June 2019

The preparation of nanocrystalline powders of nonstoichiometric compounds such as carbides and oxides by high-energy milling is considered. The modern state of milling models for nonstoichiometric compounds is described. The influence of nonstoichiometry on the particle size of the produced nanopowders is discussed. The model dependences of the size of nanopowder particles on the duration of milling and the composition of nonstoichiometric compounds are compared with the literature experimental results on the milling of nonstoichiometric carbides and oxides. Diffraction methods for the certification of nanopowders according to the size of the nanoparticles, the magnitude of microstrains, and the uniformity of the microstructure are considered in detail. The importance of taking into account the anisotropy of microstrains in milled nanopowders is shown.
The Prevention and Treatment of Neural Arterial Gingival Simplex
Authors: L Mark Cannon , John Peldyak N John
Published: June 2019

Neural Arterial Gingival Simplex is a common systemic disease linked to an invasive periodontal pathogen, Porphyromonas gingivalis as the key initiator. Instead of considering separate pathologic conditions as separate diseases, the health community should view this disease as a single entity, to diagnose and treat accordingly. We discuss the evidence for this hypothesis and the need for definitive research. A strategy to maintain a healthy, resilient microbiome with adjunctive support by probiotics and polyols is warranted. Newer diagnostic and monitoring technologies along with many possible therapeutic agents and protocols are readily available to prevent and treat Neural Arterial Gingival Simplex.
Terrain Awareness Using a Tracked Skid-Steering Vehicle With Passive Independent Suspensions
Authors: Galati Rocco , Reina Giulio
Published: June 2019

This paper presents a novel approach for terrain characterization based on a tracked skid-steer vehicle with a passive independent suspensions system. A set of physics-based parameters is used to characterize the terrain properties: drive motor electrical currents, the equivalent track, the power spectral density for the vertical accelerations and motor currents. Based on this feature set, the system predicts the type of terrain that the robot traverses. A wide set of experimental results acquired on various surfaces are provided to verify the study in the field, proving its effectiveness for application in autonomous robots.
Correction: Sato, M., et al. Total Optimization of Energy Networks in a Smart City by Multi-Population Global-Best Modified Brain Storm Optimization with Migration, Algorithms 2019, 12, 15
Authors: Sato Mayuko , Fukuyama Yoshikazu , Iizaka Tatsuya , Matsui Tetsuro
Published: June 2019

The authors wish to make the following corrections to their paper[...]
Seed Viability of Heracleum mantegazzianum (Apiaceae) Is Quickly Reduced at Temperatures Prevailing in Biogas Plants
Authors: Tanke Anja , Müller Jürgen , de Mol Friederike
Published: June 2019

Heracleum mantegazzianum is an invasive plant species with enormous effect on ecosystems and human health. Mechanical weed management often results in large amounts of biomass. Fermentation in biogas plants can be used for disposal of this biomass contaminated with seeds and for energetic utilization, if spreading of viable seeds with fermentation residues is prevented. Our aim is to quantify the risk of seed survival in mesophilic biogas plants. Seeds were harvested at three ripening stages in central Germany. They were incubated for 0, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, and 8 days at 35 and 42 °C in water baths. Thereafter, seed viability was assessed by a tetrazolium test. Furthermore, germinative capacity of seeds which had passed an incubation of 48 h at 35 °C were tested. After eight days in water bath none of the 1199 tested seeds were viable anymore. The time until half of the seeds died (ED50) ranged from 9 to 65 h, whereby high temperature accelerated the mortality. Germinative capacity was similar to the seed survival rate. The results suggest that fermentation of H. mantegazzianum biomass poses only a low risk of viable seed spread, if the operating temperature of the biogas plant achieves 42 °C and a high retention time is ensured.
Marine Alga Ecklonia cava Extract and Dieckol Attenuate Prostaglandin E2 Production in HaCaT Keratinocytes Exposed to Airborne Particulate Matter
Authors: Ha Jae Won , Song Hyerim , Hong Seong Su , Boo Yong Chool
Published: June 2019

Atmospheric particulate matter (PM) is an important cause of skin damage, and an increasing number of studies have been conducted to discover safe, natural materials that can alleviate the oxidative stress and inflammation caused by PM. It has been previously shown that the extract of Ecklonia cava Kjellman, a perennial brown macroalga, can alleviate oxidative stress in epidermal keratinocytes exposed to PM less than 10 microns in diameter (PM10). The present study was undertaken to further examine the anti-inflammatory effects of E. cava extract and its major polyphenolic constituent, dieckol. HaCaT keratinocytes were exposed to PM10 in the presence or absence of E. cava extract or dieckol and analyzed for their viability, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) release, and gene expression of cyclooxygenase (COX)-1, COX-2, microsomal prostaglandin E2 synthase (mPGES)-1, mPGES-2, and cytosolic prostaglandin E2 synthase (cPGES). PM10 treatment decreased cell viability and increased the production of PGE2, and these changes were partially abrogated by E. cava extract. E. cava extract also attenuated the expression of COX-1, COX-2, and mPGES-2 stimulated by PM10. Dieckol attenuated PGE2 production and the gene expression of COX-1, COX-2, and mPGES-1 stimulated by PM10. This study demonstrates that E. cava extract and dieckol alleviate airborne PM10-induced PGE2 production in keratinocytes through the inhibition of gene expression of COX-1, COX-2, mPGES-1, and/or mPGES-2. Thus, E. cava extract and dieckol are potentially useful natural cosmetic ingredients for counteracting the pro-inflammatory effects of airborne PM.
Improved Control of Forest Microgrids with Hybrid Complementary Energy Storage
Authors: Yu Ming , Zhang Junguo , Liu Hanxing
Published: June 2019

In order to improve the power quality and the fault ride-through capability of islanded forest microgrids, a hybrid complementary energy storage control method is proposed. In this method, mode-based sectional coordinated control is adopted as the basic control scheme, whereas control of the hybrid energy storage, which includes the battery, the supercapacitor, and the wind turbine, utilizes the improved strategy. According to the characteristics of the energy storage units, adaptive control of batteries and supercapacitors are adopted to smooth the low-frequency power fluctuation in the long-term and to suppress the high-frequency component separately, in which predictive control of the converters is utilized to achieve rapid regulation. Furthermore, as a third energy storage unit, the wind power unit was investigated, utilizing the large rotating kinetic energy of the wind turbine to temporally suppress huge power disturbance and avoid load shedding. To verify the effectiveness of the proposed coordination control with hybrid complementary energy storage, simulations of the islanded DC microgrid in forest area were conducted in MATLAB/Simulink, with the results showing that, by utilizing the improved control method, the transient operation characteristics of the system were effectively enhanced.
A Structure for Accurately Determining the Mass and Center of Gravity of Rigid Bodies
Authors: Wang Meibao , Zhang Xiaolin , Tang Wenyan , Wang Jun
Published: June 2019

Measuring the mass and Center of Gravity (CG) of rigid bodies with a multi-point weighing method is widely used nowadays. Traditional methods usually include two parts with a certain location, i.e., a fixed platform and a mobile platform. In this paper, a novel structure is proposed to adjust the mobile platform for eliminating side forces which may load on the load cells. In addition, closed-form equations are formulated to evaluate the performance of the structure, and transformation matrices are used to estimate the characteristics of the structure. Simulation results demonstrate that repeatability of the proposed structure is higher than the traditional one and there are no side forces. Moreover, the measurement results show that the relative error of mass was within 0.05%, and the error of CG was within ±0.3 mm. The structure presented in this paper provides a foundation for practical applications.
Multi-Task Learning Using Task Dependencies for Face Attributes Prediction
Authors: Fan Di , Kim Hyunwoo , Kim Junmo , Liu Yunhui , Huang Qiang
Published: June 2019

Face attributes prediction has an increasing amount of applications in human–computer interaction, face verification and video surveillance. Various studies show that dependencies exist in face attributes. Multi-task learning architecture can build a synergy among the correlated tasks by parameter sharing in the shared layers. However, the dependencies between the tasks have been ignored in the task-specific layers of most multi-task learning architectures. Thus, how to further boost the performance of individual tasks by using task dependencies among face attributes is quite challenging. In this paper, we propose a multi-task learning using task dependencies architecture for face attributes prediction and evaluate the performance with the tasks of smile and gender prediction. The designed attention modules in task-specific layers of our proposed architecture are used for learning task-dependent disentangled representations. The experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed network by comparing with the traditional multi-task learning architecture and the state-of-the-art methods on Faces of the world (FotW) and Labeled faces in the wild-a (LFWA) datasets.
Numerical Study on Gaseous CO2 Leakage and Thermal Characteristics of Containers in a Transport Ship
Authors: Kim Dae Yun , Jeong Chan Ho , Park Beom Jin , Ki Min Suk , Shin Myung-Soo , Lee Seong Hyuk
Published: June 2019

This study investigates numerically gaseous CO2 leakage characteristics inside the containers of a transport ship and examines thermal effects on the structural damage that might happen in the containers. First, with consideration of the phase change, the ejected mass flow rate was estimated using the commercial code of DNV PHAST. Based on this estimated mass flow rate, we introduced an effective area model for accounting for the fast evaporation of liquefied CO2 occurring in the vicinity of a crack hole. Using this leakage modeling, along with a concept of the effective area, the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations for analyzing transient three-dimensional characteristics of gas propagation in a confined space with nine containers, as well as the thermal effect on the walls on which the leaking gas impinges, were conducted. The commercial code, ANSYS FLUENT V. 17.0, was used for all CFD simulations. It was found that there are substantial changes in the pressure and temperature of the gas mixture for different crack sizes. The CO2 concentration at human nasal height, a measure of clear height for safety, was also estimated to be higher than the safety threshold of 10% within 200 s. Moreover, very cold gas created by the evaporation of liquefied CO2 can cool the cargo walls rapidly, which might cause thermal damage.
Human-Touch-Inspired Material Recognition for Robotic Tactile Sensing
Authors: Xie Yu , Chen Chuhao , Wu Dezhi , Xi Wenming , Liu Houde
Published: June 2019

This paper proposes a novel material recognition method for robotic tactile sensing. The method is composed of two steps. Firstly, a human-touch-inspired short-duration (1 s) slide action is conducted by the robot to obtain the tactile data. Then, the tactile data is processed with a machine learning algorithm, where 11 bioinspired features were designed to imitate the mechanical stimuli towards the four main types of tactile receptors in the skin. In this paper, a material database consisting of 144,000 tactile images is used to train seven classifiers, and the most accurate classifier is selected to recognize 12 household objects according to their properties and materials. In the property recognition, the materials are classified into 4 categories according to their compliance and texture, and the best accuracy reaches 96% in 36 ms. In the material recognition, the specific materials are recognized, and the best accuracy reaches 90% in 37 ms. The results verify the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Dynamic Modeling of McKibben Muscle Using Empirical Model and Particle Swarm Optimization Method
Authors: Mat Dzahir Mohd Azuwan , Yamamoto Shin-ichiroh
Published: June 2019

This paper explores empirical modeling of McKibben muscle in characterizing its hysteresis behavior and nonlinearities during quasi-static, quasi-rate, and historic dependencies. The unconventional materials-based actuating system called McKibben muscle has excellent properties of power-to-weight ratio, which could be used in rehabilitation orthosis application for condition monitoring, physical enhancement, and rehabilitation therapy. McKibben muscle is known to exhibit hysteresis behavior and it is rate-dependent (the level of hysteresis depends closely on rate of input excitation frequency). This behavior is undesirable and it must be considered in realizing high precision control application. In this paper, the nonlinearities of McKibben muscle is characterized using empirical modeling with multiple correction functions such as shape irregularity and slenderness. A particle swarm optimization (PSO) method is used to determine the best parametric values of the proposed empirical with modified dynamic friction model. The LabVIEW and MATLAB platforms are used for data analysis, modeling and simulation. The results confirm that this model able to significantly characterize the nonlinearities of McKibben muscle while considering all dependencies.
Diagnosing Various Severity Levels of Congestive Heart Failure Based on Long-Term HRV Signal
Authors: Hua Zhengchun , Chen Chen , Zhang Ruiqi , Liu Guangyuan , Wen Wanhui
Published: June 2019

Previous studies have attempted to find autonomic differences of the cardiac system between the congestive heart failure (CHF) disease and healthy groups using a variety of algorithms of pattern recognition. By comparing previous literature, we have found that there are two shortcomings: (1) Previous studies have focused on improving the accuracy of models, but the number of features used has mostly exceeded 10, leading to poor generalization performance; (2) Previous works rarely distinguish the severity levels of CHF disease. In order to make up for these two shortcomings, we proposed two models: model A was used for distinguishing CHF patients from the normal people; model B was used for diagnosing the four severity levels of CHF disease. Based on long-term heart rate variability (HRV) (40000 intervals–8h) signals, we extracted linear and non-linear features from the inter-beat-interval (IBI) series. After that, the sequence forward selection algorithm (SFS) reduced the feature dimension. Finally, models with the best performance were selected through the leave-one-subject-out validation. For a total of 113 samples of the dataset, we applied the support vector machine classifier and five HRV features for CHF discrimination and obtained an accuracy of 97.35%. For a total of 41 samples of the dataset, we applied k-nearest-neighbor (K = 1) classifier and four HRV features for diagnosing four severity levels of CHF disease and got an accuracy of 87.80%. The contribution in this work was to use the fewer features to optimize our models by the leave-one-subject-out validation. The relatively good generalization performance of our models indicated their value in clinical application.
Stresses Produced in the BK7 Glass by the K+–Na+ Ion Exchange: Real-Time Process Control Method
Authors: Rogoziński Roman
Published: June 2019

The paper presents the results of tests on stresses produced by the K+↔Na+ ion exchange method in BK7 glass. Diffusion ion exchange processes were carried out in glass plates with a surface area of a few cm2. The duration of these processes ranged from several hours to several hundred hours; process temperatures from 370 to 402 degree Celsius were used. The area of the glass in which the ion exchange took place shows refractive changes which are also accompanied by stresses. The planar waveguides produced in this way were tested by optical methods (for wavelength λ = 677 nm) and the refractive index profiles for the Transverse Electric (TE) and Transverse Magnetic (TM) polarization states were determined. On the basis of elasto-optic constants, the resulting stresses were determined. The temperature characteristics of diffusion coefficients of exchanged ions were also determined. Based on them a numerical simulation of real-time diffusion processes was possible, which allowed to predict the stresses arising in the glass. A good agreement between these predictions and the results of measurements was obtained.
Biological Effects of C60 Fullerene Revealed with Bacterial Biosensor—Toxic or Rather Antioxidant?
Authors: Emelyantsev Sergey , Prazdnova Evgeniya , Chistyakov Vladimir , Alperovich Igor
Published: June 2019

Nanoparticles have been attracting growing interest for both their antioxidant and toxic effects. Their exact action on cells strongly depends on many factors, including experimental conditions, preparation, and solvents used, which have contributed to the confusion regarding their safety and possible health benefits. In order to clarify the biological effects of the most abundant fullerene C60, its impact on the Escherichia coli model has been studied. The main question was if C60 would have any antioxidant influence on the cell and, if yes, whether and to which extent it would be concentration-dependent. An oxidative stress induced by adding hydrogen peroxide was measured with an E. coli MG1655 pKatG-lux strain sensor, with its time evolution being recorded in the presence of fullerene C60 suspensions of different concentrations. Optimal conditions for the fullerene C60 solubilization in TWEEN 80 2% aqueous solution, together with resulting aggregate sizes, were determined. Results obtained for the bacterial model can be extrapolated on eukaryote mitochondria. The ability of C60 to penetrate through biological membranes, conduct protons, and interact with free radicals is likely responsible for its protective effect detected for E. coli. Thus, fullerene can be considered as a mitochondria-targeted antioxidant, worth further researching as a prospective component of novel medications.
Activation of Membrane Estrogen Receptors Attenuates NOP-Mediated Tactile Antihypersensitivity in a Rodent Model of Neuropathic Pain
Authors: Wright Danyeal M. , Small Keri M. , Nag Subodh , Mokha Sukhbir S.
Published: June 2019

Women manifest a higher prevalence of several chronic pain disorders compared to men. We demonstrated earlier that estrogen rapidly attenuates nociceptin/orphanin FQ (N/OFQ) peptide receptor (NOP)-mediated thermal antinociception through the activation of membrane estrogen receptors (mERs). However, the effect of mER activation on NOP-mediated attenuation of tactile hypersensitivity in a neuropathic model of pain and the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. Following spared nerve injury (SNI), male and ovariectomized (OVX) female rats were intrathecally (i.t.) injected with a selective mER agonist and nociceptin/orphanin FQ (N/OFQ), the endogenous ligand for NOP, and their effects on paw withdrawal thresholds (PWTs) were tested. In addition, spinal cord tissue was used to measure changes in phosphorylated extracellular signal regulated kinase (ERK), protein kinase A (PKA), protein kinase C (PKC), and protein kinase B (Akt) levels. SNI significantly reduced PWTs in males and OVX females, indicating tactile hypersensitivity. N/OFQ restored PWTs, indicating an antihypersensitive effect. Selective mER activation attenuated the effect of N/OFQ in an antagonist-reversible manner. SNI led to a robust increase in the phosphorylation of ERK, PKA, PKC, and Akt. However, mER activation did not further affect it. Thus, we conclude that activation of mERs rapidly abolishes NOP-mediated tactile antihypersensitivity following SNI via an ERK-, PKA-, PKC-, and Akt-independent mechanism.
Plasma microRNA Levels Combined with CEA and CA19-9 in the Follow-Up of Colorectal Cancer Patients
Authors: Pesta Martin , Kucera Radek , Topolcan Ondrej , Karlikova Marie , Houfkova Katerina , Polivka Jiri , Macanova Tereza , Machova Iva , Slouka David , Kulda Vlastimil
Published: June 2019

Colorectal cancer (CRC) ranks among the most common cancers worldwide. Surgical removal remains the best strategy for treatment of resectable tumors. An important part of caring for patients after surgery is monitoring for early detection of a possible relapse of the disease. Efforts are being made to improve the sensitivity and specificity of routinely used carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) with the use of additional biomarkers such as microRNAs. The aim of our study was to evaluate the prognostic potential of microRNAs and their use as markers of disease recurrence. The quantitative estimation of CEA, CA19-9, and 22 selected microRNAs (TaqMan Advanced miRNA Assays) was performed in 85 paired (preoperative and postoperative) blood plasma samples of CRC patients and in samples taken during the follow-up period. We have revealed a statistically significant decrease in plasma levels for miR-20a, miR-23a, miR-210, and miR-223a (p = 0.0093, p = 0.0013, p = 0.0392, and p = 0.0214, respectively) after surgical removal of the tumor tissue. A statistically significant relation to prognosis (overall survival; OS) was recorded for preoperative plasma levels of miR-20a, miR-21, and miR-23a (p = 0.0236, p = 0.0316, and p =0.0271, respectively) in a subgroup of patients who underwent palliative surgery. The best discrimination between patients with favorable and unfavorable outcomes was achieved by a combination of CEA, CA19-9 with miR-21, miR-20a, and miR-23a (p < 0.0001). The use of these microRNAs for early disease recurrence detection was affected by a low specificity in comparison with CEA and CA19-9. CEA and CA19-9 had high specificity but low sensitivity. Our results show the benefit of combining currently used standard biomarkers and microRNAs for precise prognosis estimation.
The Role of Forkhead Box Proteins in Acute Myeloid Leukemia
Authors: Gurnari Carmelo , Falconi Giulia , De Bellis Eleonora , Voso Maria Teresa , Fabiani Emiliano
Published: June 2019

Forkhead box (FOX) proteins are a group of transcriptional factors implicated in different cellular functions such as differentiation, proliferation and senescence. A growing number of studies have focused on the relationship between FOX proteins and cancers, particularly hematological neoplasms such as acute myeloid leukemia (AML). FOX proteins are widely involved in AML biology, including leukemogenesis, relapse and drug sensitivity. Here we explore the role of FOX transcription factors in the major AML entities, according to “The 2016 revision to the World Health Organization classification of myeloid neoplasms and acute leukemia”, and in the context of the most recurrent gene mutations identified in this heterogeneous disease. Moreover, we report the new evidences about the role of FOX proteins in drug sensitivity, mechanisms of chemoresistance, and possible targeting for personalized therapies.
Validation of Immunohistochemistry for the Detection of BRAF V600E-Mutated Lung Adenocarcinomas
Authors: Gow Chien-Hung , Hsieh Min-Shu , Lin Yen-Ting , Liu Yi-Nan , Shih Jin-Yuan
Published: June 2019

BRAF V600E mutation, a missense mutation in exon 15 resulting in valine substitution for glutamate at position 600 within the kinase domain of BRAF oncogene, is found in a subset of lung adenocarcinoma (ADC). The usefulness of immunohistochemistry (IHC) as an alternative diagnostic tool has not been validated. Moreover, the clinical information of patients with BRAF V600E-mutated lung ADC is limited. We retrospectively identified 31 lung ADCs diagnosed with BRAF V600E mutation by standard molecular sequencing methods and reviewed their clinical characteristics and pathological features. An anti-BRAF V600E monoclonal VE1 antibody for IHC was used to confirm the expression patterns. The series was comprised of 99 cases, 29 with BRAF V600E mutation and 70 without BRAF V600E but with other types or undetected mutations. The majority of BRAF V600E-mutated biopsied tissues were poorly differentiated and micropapillary patterns. Application of the IHC VE1 assay was highly feasible in primary/metastatic sites or effusion blocks, yielding positive findings in 28 of 29 (96.6%) BRAF V600E-mutated tumors and negative results in 69 of 70 (98.6%) tumors harboring other types or undetected mutations. Patients who received pemetrexed/platinum-based rather than mutation-targeted chemotherapy as the first-line therapy for metastatic disease showed median overall survival of 15.5 months. Our findings indicated that VE1 antibody-based IHC analysis demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity to detect BRAF V600E-mutated lung ADCs in tissues from primary or metastatic sites.
Synthesis and Enhanced Cellular Uptake In Vitro of Anti-HER2 Multifunctional Gold Nanoparticles
Authors: Cruz Esteban , Kayser Veysel
Published: June 2019

Nanoparticle carriers offer the possibility of enhanced delivery of therapeutic payloads in tumor tissues due to tumor-selective accumulation through the enhanced permeability and retention effect (EPR). Gold nanoparticles (AuNP), in particular, possess highly appealing features for development as nanomedicines, such as biocompatibility, tunable optical properties and a remarkable ease of surface functionalization. Taking advantage of the latter, several strategies have been designed to increase treatment specificity of gold nanocarriers by attaching monoclonal antibodies on the surface, as a way to promote selective interactions with the targeted cells—an approach referred to as active-targeting. Here, we describe the synthesis of spherical gold nanoparticles surface-functionalized with an anti-HER2 antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) as an active targeting agent that carries a cytotoxic payload. In addition, we enhanced the intracellular delivery properties of the carrier by attaching a cell penetrating peptide to the active-targeted nanoparticles. We demonstrate that the antibody retains high receptor-affinity after the structural modifications performed for drug-conjugation and nanoparticle attachment. Furthermore, we show that antibody attachment increases cellular uptake in HER2 amplified cell lines selectively, and incorporation of the cell penetrating peptide leads to a further increase in cellular internalization. Nanoparticle-bound antibody-drug conjugates retain high antimitotic potency, which could contribute to a higher therapeutic index in high EPR tumors.
Meta-Enrichment Analyses to Identify Advanced Gastric Cancer Patients Who Achieve a Higher Response to S-1/Cisplatin
Authors: Takeuchi Madoka , Ajani Jaffer A. , Fang Xuemin , Pfeiffer Per , Takeuchi Masahiro , van Laarhoven Hanneke W. M.
Published: June 2019

The Multicenter phase III comparison of cisplatin/S-1 with cisplatin/infusional fluorouracil in advanced gastric or gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma study (FLAGS) and the Diffuse Gastric and Esophagogastric Junction Cancer S-1 Trial (DIGEST) have shown that patients with advanced gastric cancer treated with S-1/Cisplatin (CS) have similar overall survival (OS) compared to 5-fluorouracil/cisplatin (CF). The purpose of this analysis was to identify patients who may specifically benefit from CS using meta-enrichment analysis of the combined two datasets. Eleven clinico-pathological factors were selected and a high response enrichable population was determined. The efficacy of CS in the combined data set of 1365 patients (n = 1019 from FLAGS and n = 346 from DIGEST) was analyzed. We identified 683 patients (n = 374 from CS, n = 309 from CF) as the high response enrichable population who were classified as those with Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status (ECOG PS) 1, more than two metastatic sites and low neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (log(NL ratio)). In the high response enrichable population, the median OS in the CS group was 241 days compared to 210 days in the CF group (hazard ratio 0.776; 95% confidence interval 0.658 to 0.915; p-value 0.004). Through meta-enrichment analysis, the high response enrichable population to CS was identified. Our findings show the clinical importance of selecting the appropriate treatment based on specific patient characteristics.
The Impact of CeO2 Loading on the Activity and Stability of PdO/γ-AlOOH/γ-Al2O3 Monolith Catalysts for CH4 Oxidation
Authors: AlMohamadi Hamad , Smith Kevin J.
Published: June 2019

This study reports on the activity and stability of PdO/γ-AlOOH/γ-Al2O3 monolith catalysts, promoted with varying amounts of CeO2, for CH4 oxidation. Although the beneficial effects of CeO2 have been reported for powdered catalysts, this study used a cordierite (2MgO.2Al2O3.5SiO2) mini-monolith (400 cells per square inch, 1 cm diameter × 2.5 cm length; ~52 cells), washcoated with a suspension of γ-Al2O3 combined with boehmite (γ-AlOOH), followed by sequential deposition of Ce and Pd (0.5 wt.%) by wetness impregnation. The monolith catalysts’ CH4 oxidation activity and stability were assessed in the presence of CO, CO2, H2O and SO2 at low temperature (≤550 °C), relevant to emission control from lean-burn natural gas vehicles (NGVs). The CeO2 loading (0 to 4 wt.%) did not significantly impact the adhesion and thermal stability of the washcoat, but CeO2 reduced the inhibition of CH4 oxidation by H2O and SO2. The catalyst activity, measured by temperature-programmed methane oxidation (TPO) in a dry feed gas with 0.07 vol.% CH4, showed that adding CeO2 to the γ-AlOOH/γ-Al2O3 washcoat suppressed the activity of the catalysts; whereas, CeO2 improved the catalyst activity when H2O (2 and 5 vol.%) was present in the feed gas. Moreover, adding CeO2 decreased catalyst deactivation that occurred in the presence of 10 vol.% H2O and 5 ppmv SO2 at 500 °C, measured over a 25 h time-on-stream (TOS) period. The highest catalyst activity and stability for CH4 oxidation in the presence of H2O was obtained by adding 2 wt.% CeO2 to the washcoat.
Bone Marrow Involvement in Melanoma. Potentials for Detection of Disseminated Tumor Cells and Characterization of Their Subsets by Flow Cytometry
Authors: Chernysheva Olga , Markina Irina , Demidov Lev , Kupryshina Natalia , Chulkova Svetlana , Palladina Alexandra , Antipova Alina , Tupitsyn Nikolai
Published: June 2019

Disseminated tumor cells (DTCs) are studied as a prognostic factor in many non-hematopoietic tumors. Melanoma is one of the most aggressive tumors. Forty percent of melanoma patients develop distant metastases at five or more years after curative surgery, and frequent manifestations of melanoma without an identified primary lesion may reflect the tendency of melanoma cells to spread from indolent sites such as bone marrow (BM). The purpose of this work was to evaluate the possibility of detecting melanoma DTCs in BM based on the expression of a cytoplasmatic premelanocytic glycoprotein HMB-45 using flow cytometry, to estimate the influence of DTCs’ persistence in BM on hematopoiesis, to identify the frequency of BM involvement in patients with melanoma, and to analyze DTC subset composition in melanoma. DTCs are found in 57.4% of skin melanoma cases and in as many as 28.6% of stage I cases, which confirms the aggressive course even of localized disease. Significant differences in the groups with the presence of disseminated tumor cells (DTCs+) and the lack thereof (DTC−) are noted for blast cells, the total content of granulocyte cells, and oxyphilic normoblasts of erythroid raw cells.
Double-Sided Anti-Reflection Nanostructures on Optical Convex Lenses for Imaging Applications
Authors: Jang Hyuk Jae , Kim Yeong Jae , Yoo Young Jin , Lee Gil Ju , Kim Min Seok , Chang Ki Soo , Song Young Min
Published: June 2019

Anti-reflection coatings (ARCs) from the cornea nipple array of the moth-eye remarkably suppress the Fresnel reflection at the interface in broadband wavelength ranges. ARCs on flat glass have been studied to enhance the optical transmittance. However, little research on the implementation of ARCs on curved optical lenses, which are the core element in imaging devices, has been reported. Here, we report double-sided, bio-inspired ARCs on bi-convex lenses with high uniformity. We theoretically optimize the nanostructure geometry, such as the height, period, and morphology, since an anti-reflection property results from the gradually changed effective refractive index by the geometry of nanostructures. In an experiment, the transmittance of an ARCs lens increases up to 10% for a broadband spectrum without distortion in spot size and focal length. Moreover, we demonstrate ~30% improved transmittance of an imaging system composed of three bi-convex lenses, in series with double-sided ARCs (DARCs).
Phase Evolution and Microstructure Analysis of CoCrFeNiMo High-Entropy Alloy for Electro-Spark-Deposited Coatings for Geothermal Environment
Authors: Karlsdottir Sigrun N. , Geambazu Laura E. , Csaki Ioana , Thorhallsson Andri I. , Stefanoiu Radu , Magnus Fridrik , Cotrut Cosmin
Published: June 2019

In this work, a CoCrFeNiMo high-entropy alloy (HEA) material was prepared by the vacuum arc melting (VAM) method and used for electro-spark deposition (ESD). The purpose of this study was to investigate the phase evolution and microstructure of the CoCrFeNiMo HEA as as-cast and electro-spark-deposited (ESD) coating to assess its suitability for corrosvie environments encountered in geothermal energy production. The composition, morphology, and structure of the bulk material and the coating were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The hardness of the bulk material was measured to access the mechanical properties when preselecting the composition to be pursued for the ESD coating technique. For the same purpose, electrochemical corrosion tests were performed in a 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution on the bulk material. The results showed the VAM CoCrFeNiMo HEA material had high hardness (593 HV) and low corrosion rates (0.0072 mm/year), which is promising for the high wear and corrosion resistance needed in the harsh geothermal environment. The results from the phase evolution, chemical composition, and microstructural analysis showed an adherent and dense coating with the ESD technique, but with some variance in the distribution of elements in the coating. The crystal structure of the as-cast electrode CoCrFeNiMo material was identified as face centered cubic with XRD, but additional BCC and potentially σ phase was formed for the CoCrFeNiMo coating.