bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Histone Deacetylase Inhibitor Suberoylanilide Hydroxamic Acid Suppresses Human Adenovirus Gene Expression and Replication
Authors: Saha Bratati , Parks Robin J.
Published: April 2019

Although human adenovirus (HAdV) can cause severe diseases that can be fatal in some populations, there are no effective treatments to combat HAdV infection. In this study, we determined that the pan-histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor SAHA has inhibitory activity against several clinically relevant serotypes of HAdV. This U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved compound affects various stages of the virus lifecycle and reduces virus yield even at low concentrations. We further report that class I HDAC activity, particularly HDAC2, is required for efficient expression of viral genes during lytic infection. Investigation of the mechanism underlying SAHA-mediated suppression of HAdV gene expression and replication will enhance current knowledge of virus-cell interaction and may aid in the development of more effective antivirals with lower toxicity for the treatment of HAdV infections.
Arterivirus nsp4 Antagonizes Interferon Beta Production by Proteolytically Cleaving NEMO at Multiple Sites
Authors: Chen Jiyao , Wang Dang , Sun Zheng , Gao Li , Zhu Xinyu , Guo Jiahui , Xu Shangen , Fang Liurong , Li Kui , Xiao Shaobo
Published: April 2019

The arterivirus nsp4-encoded 3C-like protease (3CL
pro
) plays an important role in virus replication and immune evasion, making it an attractive target for antiviral therapeutics. Previous work suggested that PRRSV nsp4 suppresses type I IFN production by cleaving NEMO at a single site. In contrast, the present study demonstrates that both EAV and PRRSV nsp4 cleave NEMO at multiple sites and that this strategy is essential for disruption of type I IFN production. Moreover, we reveal that EAV nsp4 also cleaves NEMO at glutamine 205 (Q205), which is not targeted by PRRSV nsp4. Notably, targeting a glutamine in NEMO for cleavage has been observed only with picornavirus 3C proteases (3C
pro
) and coronavirus 3CL
pro
. In aggregate, our work expands knowledge of the innate immune evasion mechanisms associated with NEMO cleavage by arterivirus nsp4 and describes a novel substrate recognition characteristic of EAV nsp4.
Draft Genome Sequence of Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Activator Strains Lactobacillus reuteri R2lc and 2010
Authors: Özçam Mustafa , van Pijkeren Jan-Peter
Published: April 2019

Lactobacillus reuteri
R2lc and 2010 are pigmented rat intestinal isolates.
L. reuteri
R2lc has been studied in different animal disease models, including colitis and acute liver injury.
Factors associated with peripheral intravenous cannulation first-time insertion success in the emergency department. A multicentre prospective cohort analysis of patient, clinician and product characteristics
Authors: Carr Peter J , Rippey James C R , Cooke Marie L , Trevenen Michelle L , Higgins Niall S , Foale Aileen S , Rickard Claire M
Published: April 2019

Objectives

This study aimed to identify the incidence of and factors associated with peripheral intravenous catheter/cannula (PIVC) first time insertion success (FTIS) in the emergency department (ED).

Design

Prospective cohort study.

Setting

Two tertiary EDs in Western Australia.

Participants

879 ED patients.

Primary outcome

To identify factors affecting FTIS using univariate and multivariate logistic regression modelling. We created four models:patient factors only; clinician factors only; products and technology factors only and all factors model. We assessed each model’s performance using area under the receiver operating characteristic curve.

Results

A total of 1201 PIVCs were inserted in 879 patients. The mean age was 60.3 (SD 22) years with slightly more females (52%). The FTIS rate was 73%, with 128 (15%) requiring a second attempt and 83 (9%) requiring three or more attempts. A small percentage (3%) had no recorded number of subsequent attempts. FTIS was related to the following patient factors: age (for a 1-year increase in age: OR 0.99, 95% CI 0.983 to 0.998; p=0.0097); and target vein palpability: (always palpable vs never palpable: OR 3.53 95% CI 1.64 to 7.60; only palpable with tourniquet vs never palpable: OR 2.20, 95% CI 1.06 to 4.57; p=0.0014). Clinician factors related to FTIS include: clinicians with greater confidence (p<0.0001) and insertion experience (301–1000 vs <301: OR 1.54, 95% CI 1.02 to 2.34; >1000 vs <301: OR 2.07, 95% CI 1.41 to 3.04; p=0.0011). The finalall factors modelcombining patient factors; clinician factors and product and technology factors has greater discriminative ability than specific factors models. It has a sensitivity of 74.26%, specificity of 57.69%, positive predictive value of 82.87% and negative predictive value of 44.85%.

Conclusion

A clinical decision, matching patients who have no palpable veins and are older, with clinicians with greater confidence and experience, will likely improve FTIS.

Trialregistration number

ANZCTRN12615000588594; Results.
Liver damage in patients living with HIV on antiretroviral treatment with normal baseline liver function and without HBV/HCV infection: an 11-year retrospective cohort study in Guangxi, China
Authors: Qin Fengxiang , Jiang Junjun , Qin Chunwei , Huang Yunxuan , Liang Bingyu , Xu Yuexiang , Huang Jiegang , Xu Zhiliang , Ning Chuanyi , Liao Yanyan , Zang Ning , Lai Jingzhen , Wei Wudi , Yu Jun , Ye Li , Qin Xionglin , Liang Hao
Published: April 2019

Objective

To characterise the association between duration of exposure to antiretroviral treatment (ART) and liver damage in HIV patients with an initially normal baseline liver function and without hepatitis B virus (HBV)/hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study was conducted in HIV-infected individuals with normal liver function parameters at ART initiation and without HBV/HCV infection, from 14 April 2004 to 13 April 2015 in Guigang city, Guangxi, China. The association between duration of ART and liver damage (grade II–IV liver enzyme elevation [LEE] and/or total bilirubin elevation [TBE]), was analysed. Cox regression was used to examine the factors related to liver damage.

Results

Of 2119 eligible patients, 12.41% (263/2119) developed liver damage (grade II–IV LEE/TBE) and contributed 4.11/100 person-years crude incidence rate. The highest liver damage incidence was observed in patients with 6–12 months’ ART (15.16/100 person-years). The incidence decreased to 5.56/100 person-years in patients with 12–18 months’ ART and 3.13/100 person years in patients with 18–24 months’ ART, and then maintained at a relatively low and stable level in patients with 2 years’ ART or longer (average of 3.65/100 person-years). Cox regression analysis revealed that current WHO disease stage II, III or IV (compared with stage I) were the risk factors for liver damage, while baseline disease stage II, III (compared with stage I) and current regimen 3TC+AZT+NVP were the protective factors for liver damage.

Conclusions

Liver damage always exists among HIV-infected patients on ART with normal baseline liver function and without HBV/HCV infection. Nevertheless, cumulative ART duration does not increase the risk of liver damage. ART could tend to be long-term, however, monitoring and management of liver damage among patients on ART are also important in clinical therapy.
Changes in ocular signs and symptoms in patients switching from bimatoprost–timolol to tafluprost–timolol eye drops: an open-label phase IV study
Authors: Bourne Rupert Richard Alexander , Kaarniranta Kai , Lorenz Katrin , Traverso Carlo Enrico , Vuorinen Jouni , Ropo Auli
Published: April 2019

Objectives

Bimatoprost–timolol (bimatoprost 0.03%–timolol 0.5% fixed-dose combination [FDC]) and tafluprost–timolol (tafluprost 0.0015%–timolol 0.5% FDC) eye drops are currently the only topical intraocular pressure (IOP)-reducing therapies available as preservative-free (PF) prostaglandin and timolol FDC. The aim of this study was to investigate changes to ocular signs and symptoms when patients with ocular hypertension (OH) or open-angle glaucoma (OAG) switched from PF or benzalkonium chloride (BAK)-preserved bimatoprost–timolol to PF tafluprost–timolol eye drops.

Design

This was a 12-week, open-label, phase IV study.

Setting

Sixteen centres in Finland, Germany, Italy and the UK.

Participants

Patients with OH or OAG (IOP on medication ≤21 mm Hg), treated with PF or BAK-preserved bimatoprost–timolol for ≥4 weeks before screening, and presenting with conjunctival hyperaemia and ≥1 ocular symptom.

Interventions

Patients were switched to PF tafluprost–timolol once daily in the treated eye(s).

Primary and secondary outcome measures

The primary endpoints were change from screening to week 12 in conjunctival hyperaemia and worst ocular symptom. The secondary outcome measures were changes from screening in ocular signs (other than conjunctival hyperaemia) and symptoms at week 12.

Results

Of 123 enrolled patients, 121 were included in the intention-to-treat dataset, of which all were Caucasian and 54.5% were female; 76 patients used BAK-preserved bimatoprost–timolol and 45 used PF drops. Conjunctival hyperaemia and severity of worst ocular symptom following switch to PF tafluprost–timolol significantly reduced from screening to week 12 in all patients (p<0.001). The percentage of patients with ocular signs and symptoms was significantly reduced at week 12 compared with screening (p<0.001). IOP was not affected by the change of treatment.

Conclusions

Switching from BAK-preserved or PF bimatoprost–timolol to tafluprost–timolol reduced both signs and symptoms of ocular surface disease with no clinically relevant effect on IOP.

Trial registration number

EudraCT2014-005273-37; Results.
Surveys of parents and clinicians concerning the minimally important difference of probiotic therapy for prevention of paediatric antibiotic-associated diarrhoea
Authors: Khanpour Ardestani Samaneh , Robinson Joan L , Dieleman Levinus A , Huynh Hien Q , Jou Hsing , Vohra Sunita
Published: April 2019

Objectives

To establish the minimally important difference (MID) that would prompt parents and clinicians to use probiotics for prevention of paediatric antibiotic-associated diarrhoea (AAD) and to obtain parent and clinician opinion about the most important outcomes in clinical trials of AAD.

Methods

In this survey, parents of children presenting to the emergency department of a Canadian tertiary care children’s hospital and paediatricians working in that hospital were approached. A range of potential MIDs were presented and participants selected one that they would require to use probiotics for AAD prevention. In addition, participants were asked to rate a list of outcomes they would consider to be important in clinical trials of AAD.

Results

In total, 127 parents and 45 paediatricians participated. About 51% (64/125) of parents and 51% (21/41) of clinicians responding to the MID question reported they would use probiotics if it reduced the risk of AAD by 39% (ie, reduce the risk of AAD from 19% to 12%). The most important outcomes to parents, in descending order, were need for hospitalisation, prevention of dehydration, disruption of normal daily activities, diarrhoea duration and physician revisit. Paediatricians considered need for hospitalisation along with physician revisit as the most important outcomes. They rated prevention of dehydration, diarrhoea duration and stool frequency as important outcomes as well.

Conclusion

There is good agreement between parents and clinicians regarding how effective probiotics would need to be in preventing AAD in order to warrant use. This information, along with outcomes perceived to be most important, will help in the design of future clinical trials.
Efficacy and safety of Chou-Ling-Dan granules in the treatment of seasonal influenza via combining Western and traditional Chinese medicine: protocol for a multicentre, randomised controlled clinical trial
Authors: He Jiayang , Li Zhengtu , Huang Wanyi , Guan Wenda , Ma Hongxia , Yang Zi feng , Wang Xinhua
Published: April 2019

Introduction

Chou-Ling-Dan (CLD) (Laggerapterodonta) granules are an ethnic herbal medicine from Yunnan province of China. CLD granules have been used for the treatment of inflammatory conditions and feverish diseases in China, including seasonal influenza, but few evidence-based medicine (EBM) clinical studies have been conducted to assess its efficacy and safety in the treatment of influenza. Here, we performed an EBM clinical trial combining Western Chinese medicine and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) evaluation systems to evaluate the efficacy and safety of CLD granules in the treatment of seasonal influenza.

Methods and analysis

The study is designed as a multicentre, randomised, double-blinded, double-simulation, oseltamivir-controlled and placebo-controlled, parallel-design clinical trial. Eligible subjects (n=318) will be allocated after satisfying the criteria (Western medicine). Subjects will be randomised to receive CLD granules, oseltamivir, or a placebo for 5 days of treatment and with follow-up after treatment to record symptoms and signs and to collect pharyngeal/throat swabs and serum samples for detecting the virus and antibodies. At the same time, the syndrome differentiation criteria of TCM, such as tongue body, furred tongue and type of pulse, will be recorded as determined by doctors of both Western and Chinese medicine. Participants will be instructed to comply with the protocol and to keep a daily record of symptoms. The primary and secondary outcomes and safety indicators will be used to evaluate the efficacy and safety of CLD granules in the treatment of seasonal influenza based on both Western Chinese medicine and TCM evaluation systems.

Ethics and dissemination

The CLD granules clinical trial will be conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and Good Clinical Practice and has been approved by the Ethics Committee of the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University. All participants must provide written informed consent. The results obtained will be disseminated at international medical conferences and in peer-reviewed publications.

Trial registration number

NCT02662426; Pre-results.
Skin antisepsis with chlorhexidine–alcohol versus povidone iodine–alcohol, combined or not with use of a bundle of new devices, for prevention of short-term peripheral venous catheter-related infectious complications and catheter failure: an open-label, single-centre, randomised, four-parallel group, two-by-two factorial trial: CLEAN 3 protocol study
Authors: Guenezan Jérémy , Drugeon Bertrand , O’Neill Rodérick , Caillaud Diane , Sénamaud Clément , Pouzet Catherine , Seguin Sabrina , Frasca Denis , Mimoz Olivier
Published: April 2019

Introduction

Short peripheral intravenous catheters (PVCs) are the most frequently used invasive medical devices in hospitals. Unfortunately, PVCs often fail before the end of treatment due to the occurrence of mechanical, vascular or infectious complications, which prolongs hospitalisation and increases healthcare costs and mortality.

Prevention of these complications is mainly based on the respect of hygiene rules and the use of biocompatible catheters. In critically ill patients, 2% chlorhexidine-alcohol is superior to 5% povidone iodine-alcohol for skin preparation before central venous and arterial catheters; whether this finding can be extended to PVC inserted in the wards remains speculative. Similarly, the use of new technologies such as catheters designed to minimise blood exposure, zero-reflux needleless connectors, disinfecting caps and flushing PVCs before and after each medication administration to maintain catheter patency are of theoretical interest to prevent PVC failure, but little scientific data support their routine use.

Methods and analysis

The CLEAN 3 study is an open-label, single-centre, randomised, two-by-two factorial trial. One thousand patients visiting our emergency department and requiring hospital admission in the wards will be randomised to one of four strategies according to skin preparation and devices used. The two primary endpoints will be (1) the incidence of infectious complications related to the catheters (colonisation, local infection or bloodstream infection) and (2) the time between catheter insertion and catheter failure defined as any premature removal of PVC before end of treatment, other than for routine replacement.

Ethics and dissemination

This protocol has been approved by an independent ethics committee and will be carried out according to the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki and the Good Clinical Practice guidelines. The results of this study will be disseminated through presentation at scientific conferences and publication in peer-reviewed journals.

Trial registration number

EudraCT 2018-A02535-50;NCT03757143.
Outcomes of non-invasive ventilation in ‘very old’ patients with acute respiratory failure: a retrospective study
Authors: Montoneri Gaetano , Noto Paola , Trovato Francesca Maria , Mangano Giuseppe , Malatino Lorenzo , Carpinteri Giuseppe
Published: April 2019

Background

Non-invasive ventilation (NIV) is increasingly used to support very old (aged ≥85 years) patients with acute respiratory failure (ARF). This retrospective observational study evaluated the impact of NIV on the prognosis of very old patients who have been admitted to the intermediate care unit (IMC) of the Emergency Department of the University Hospital Policlinico-Vittorio Emanuele of Catania for ARF.

Methods

All patients admitted to the IMC between January and December 2015 who received NIV as the treatment for respiratory failure were included in this study. Outcomes of patients aged ≥85 years were compared with lower ages. The expected intrahospital mortality was calculated through the Simplified Acute Physiology Score (SAPS) II and compared with the observed mortality.

Results

The mean age was 87.9±2.9 years; the M:F ratio was approximately 1:3. The average SAPS II was 50.1±13.7. The NIV failure rate was 21.7%. The mortality in the very old group was not statistically different from the younger group (20% vs 25.6%; d=5.6%; 95% CI −8% to 19%; p=0.404). The observed mortality was significantly lower than the expected mortality in both the group ≥85 (20.0% vs 43.4%, difference=23.4%; 95% CI 5.6% to 41.1%, p=0.006) and the younger group (25.6% vs 38.5%, difference=12.9%; 95% CI −0.03% to 25.8%, p=0.046). In both age groups, patients treated with NIV for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease had lower mortalities than those treated for other illnesses, although this was statistically significant only in the younger group.

Conclusion

In very old patients, when used with correct indications, NIV was associated with mortality similar to younger patients. Patients receiving NIV had lower than expected mortality in all age groups.
Performing Multi-Target Regression via a Parameter Sharing-Based Deep Network
Authors: Reyes Oscar , Ventura Sebastián
Published: April 2019

Multi-target regression (MTR) comprises the prediction of multiple continuous target variables from a common set of input variables. There are two major challenges when addressing the MTR problem: the exploration of the inter-target dependencies and the modeling of complex input–output relationships. This paper proposes a neural network model that is able to simultaneously address these two challenges in a flexible way. A deep architecture well suited for learning multiple continuous outputs is designed, providing some flexibility to model the inter-target relationships by sharing network parameters as well as the possibility to exploit target-specific patterns by learning a set of nonshared parameters for each target. The effectiveness of the proposal is analyzed through an extensive experimental study on 18 datasets, demonstrating the benefits of using a shared representation that exploits the commonalities between target variables. According to the experimental results, the proposed model is competitive with respect to the state-of-the-art in MTR.
The temperature dependence of the photoinduced soft mode in Sn2P2S6 crystal
Authors: Brekhov K. A. , Ilyin N. A. , Mishina E. D. , Prudkovskii P. A. , Kitaeva G. Kh.
Published: April 2019

In this paper, we present the results of the temperature dependence studies of the photoinduced phonon mode which appears in a ferroelectric-semiconductor Sn2P2S6 (SPS) crystal under the influence of femtosecond laser pulses. We show that its behavior reminds the soft mode one near the phase transition. However, the observed decrease in the oscillation frequency in the vicinity of Curie temperature Tc is much weaker than previously reported. This can be explained by the shadowing of the pure soft mode by its interaction with other photoinduced modes.
Detecting communities by suspecting the maximum degree nodes
Authors: Chen Mei , Zhang Mei , Li Ming , Leng Mingwei , Yang Zhichong , Wen Xiaofang
Published: April 2019

Detecting the natural communities in a real-world network can uncover its underlying structure and potential function. In this paper, a novel community algorithm SUM is introduced. The fundamental idea of SUM is that a node with relatively low degree stays faithful to its community, because it only has links with nodes in one community, while a node with relatively high degree not only has links with nodes within but also outside its community, and this may cause confusion when detecting communities. Based on this idea, SUM detects communities by suspecting the links of the maximum degree nodes to their neighbors within a community, and relying mainly on the nodes with relatively low degree simultaneously. SUM elegantly defines a similarity which takes into account both the commonality and the rejective degree of two adjacent nodes. After putting similar nodes into one community, SUM generates initial communities by reassigning the maximum degree nodes. Next, SUM assigns nodes without labels to the initial communities, and adjusts the border node to its most linked community. To evaluate the effectiveness of SUM, SUM is compared with seven baselines, including four classical and three state-of-the-art methods on a wide range of complex networks. On the small size networks with ground-truth community structures, results are visually demonstrated, as well as quantitatively measured with ARI, NMI and Modularity. On the relatively large size networks without ground-truth community structures, the performances of these algorithms are evaluated according to Modularity. Experimental results indicate that SUM can effectively determine community structures on small or relatively large size networks with high quality, and also outperforms the compared state-of-the-art methods.
Identification of a monoclinic metallic state in VO2 from a modified first-principles approach
Authors: Liang Yongcheng , Qin Ping , Liang Zhiyong , Zhang Lizhen , Yuan Xun , Zhang Yubo
Published: April 2019

Metal-insulator transition (MIT) underlies many remarkable and technologically important phenomena in VO2. Even though its monoclinic structure had before been the reserve of the insulating state, recent experiments have observed an unexpected monoclinic metallic state. Here, we use a modified approach combining first-principles calculations with orbital-biased potentials to reproduce the correct stability ordering and electronic structures of different phases of VO2. We identify a ferromagnetic monoclinic metal that is likely to be the experimentally observed mysterious metastable state. Furthermore, the calculations show that an isostructural insulator-metal electronic transition is followed by the lattice distortion from the monoclinic structure to the rutile one. These results not only explain the experimental observations of the monoclinic metallic state and the decoupled structural and electronic transitions of VO2, but also provide a useful understanding for the metal-insulator transition in other strongly correlated d electron systems.
Inkjet printing high luminance phosphorescent OLED based on m-MTDATA:TPBi host
Authors: Xing Xing , Lin Tong , Hu Yong-Xu , Sun Yu-Ling , Mu Wan-Ying , Du Zhen-Zhen , Liu Ya-Kun , Yang Dong-Fang , Shi Shou-Lei , Zhang Dong-Yu , Cui Zheng
Published: April 2019

In organic light-emitting devices (OLEDs), the high performance of devices depends on balanced charge transfer in emitting layer (EML). However, the balance charge transfer is hard to achieve in the single host material-based EML. In this work, a high luminance co-host based OLEDs is printed. In detail, green phosphorescent material tris[2-(p-tolyl)pyridine]iridium(III) [Formula: see text] is used as dopant, and a hole-transporting material [Formula: see text]-tris[3-methy-lphenyl(phenyl)amino]-triphenylamine (m-MTDATA) blended with an electron-transporting material 1,3,5-tris(phenyl-2-benzimidazolyl)-benzene (TPBi) as co-host. As a result, the optimized printing co-host OLEDs with 10 wt.% [Formula: see text] shows a maximum luminance of [Formula: see text], which is much higher than the CDBP counterpart.
MICROSTRUCTURE AND MECHANICAL PROPERTY CHARACTERIZATION OF MULTILAYER FREE-STANDING DIAMOND/Mo FILMS
Authors: LI LIANGLIANG , HEI HONGJUN , MA YONG , ZHENG KE , GAO JIE , ZHOU BING , HE ZHIYONG , YU SHENGWANG , TANG BIN
Published: April 2019

The monolayer diamond film and free-standing diamond/Mo multilayer films were prepared by combining microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition (MPCVD) and double glow plasma surface alloying (DGPSA) techniques. The result shows that the film grain size decreases from 70–80[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]m to [Formula: see text]–20[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]m with the layer number increasing from the monolayer diamond film with a columnar crystal structure to the seven-layer diamond/Mo films, indicating that the Mo interlayer can effectively reduce the grain size. The Mo2C is formed between the Mo and diamond layers, which can improve the bonding strength. The internal stress of these films depends on the number of Mo interlayers and the Mo2C content. Moreover, the fracture strength and abrasion ratio of multilayer diamond films are effectively improved by adding the Mo interlayer. The four-layer diamond/Mo film system has the highest fracture strength and the seven-layer film system has the highest abrasion ratio.
Influence of Chitosan/Dextran Sulfate Layer-by-Layer Shell on Colloidal Properties of Silver Nanoparticles
Authors: Livanovich K. , Shutava T.
Published: April 2019

Colloidal stability of core–shell nanoparticles consisted of silver core and chitosan/dextran sulfate multilayer shell in NaCl and CaCl2 solutions was investigated. The critical concentration of coagulation and the Hamaker constant were calculated depending on the number of bilayers in the shell on the nanoparticle surface. The colloidal stability of the core–shell nanoparticles significantly increases with the shell growth.
Photophysical Properties of the poly-N-epoxypropylcarbazole Nanocomposite with a Ni Complex
Authors: Kukhta A. , Davidenko N. , Davidenko I. , Mokrinskaya E. , Chuprin N. , Tonkopieva L.
Published: April 2019

Photoconductive and photovoltaic properties of film composites based on poly-[Formula: see text]-epoxypropylcarbazole doped with a derivative of nickel dithiolene are investigated. These composites possess a hole-type photoconductivity. The internal photoeffect is attributed to the photogeneration of charge carriers from the metal complex and the hole transport through the donor fragments of the polymer matrix.
Motion Planning for a Humanoid Mobile Manipulator System
Authors: Wei Yan , Jiang Wei , Rahmani Ahmed , Zhan Qiang
Published: April 2019

A high redundant non-holonomic humanoid mobile dual-arm manipulator system (MDAMS) is presented in this paper, where the motion planning to realize “human-like” autonomous navigation and manipulation tasks is studied. First, an improved MaxiMin NSGA-II algorithm, which optimizes five objective functions to solve the problems of singularity, redundancy and coupling between mobile base and manipulator simultaneously, is proposed to design the optimal pose to manipulate the target object. Then, in order to link the initial pose and that optimal pose, an off-line motion planning algorithm is designed. In detail, an efficient direct-connect bidirectional RRT and gradient descent algorithm is proposed to reduce the sampled nodes largely, and a geometric optimization method is proposed for path pruning. Besides, head forward behaviors are realized by calculating the reasonable orientations and assigning them to the mobile base to improve the quality of human-robot interaction. Third, the extension to online planning is done by introducing real-time sensing, collision-test and control cycles to update robotic motion in dynamic environments. Fourth, an EEs’ via-point-based multi-objective genetic algorithm (MOGA) is proposed to design the “human-like” via-poses by optimizing four objective functions. Finally, numerous simulations are presented to validate the effectiveness of proposed algorithms.
A Multi-Priority Control of Asymmetric Coordination for Redundant Dual-Arm Robot
Authors: Zhang Fuhai , Qu Jiadi , Liu He , Fu Yili
Published: April 2019

The paper develops a multi-priority control method of asymmetric coordination for a redundant dual-arm robot. A novel dual-arm coordination impedance is introduced to the multi-priority control, and then the performance of the object tracking and the redundant joints is improved by the regulation of the relative Cartesian errors between two arms. The control of asymmetric coordination is divided into the main task and the secondary task. The control of the main task can regulate the two end-effectors’ errors and the relative errors by building the model of spatial parallel spring and damping (SPSDM), which establishes the dual-arm coordination impedance relation in Cartesian space. The control of the secondary task optimizes the performance of the redundant joint impedance and joint limit avoidance in null space. Finally, a typical asymmetric coordination experiment of peg-in-hole is carried out to verify the validity and feasibility of the proposed method. The results indicate that the proposed dual-arm coordination impedance can regulate the relative tracking errors between two objects directly, and in the context of the external impact force applied to the two end-effectors, the peg-in-hole dual-arm task can be achieved successfully.
K2: A Novel Data Analysis Framework to Understand US Emotions in Space and Time
Authors: Banerjee Romita , Elgarroussi Karima , Wang Sujing , Talari Akhil , Zhang Yongli , Eick Christoph F.
Published: April 2019

Twitter is one of the most popular social media platforms used by millions of users daily to post their opinions and emotions. Consequently, Twitter tweets have become a valuable knowledge source for emotion analysis. In this paper, we present a new framework, K2, for tweet emotion mapping and emotion change analysis. It introduces a novel, generic spatio-temporal data analysis and storytelling framework that can be used to understand the emotional evolution of a specific section of population. The input for our framework is the location and time of where and when the tweets were posted and an emotion assessment score in the range [Formula: see text], with [Formula: see text] representing a very high positive emotion and [Formula: see text] representing a very high negative emotion. Our framework first segments the input dataset into a number of batches with each batch representing a specific time interval. This time interval can be a week, a month or a day. By generalizing existing kernel density estimation techniques in the next step, we transform each batch into a continuous function that takes positive and negative values. We have used contouring algorithms to find the contiguous regions with highly positive and highly negative emotions belonging to each member of the batch. Finally, we apply a generic, change analysis framework that monitors how positive and negative emotion regions evolve over time. In particular, using this framework, unary and binary change predicate are defined and matched against the identified spatial clusters, and change relationships will then be recorded, for those spatial clusters for which a match occurs. We also propose animation techniques to facilitate spatio-temporal data storytelling based on the obtained spatio-temporal data analysis results. We demo our approach using tweets collected in the state of New York in the month of June 2014.
Elevated intracellular trypsin exacerbates acute pancreatitis and chronic pancreatitis in mice
Authors: Zhan Xianbao , Wan Jianhua , Zhang Guowei , Song Lele , Gui Fu , Zhang Yuebo , Li Yinghua , Guo Jia , Dawra Rajinder K. , Saluja Ashok K. , Haddock Ashley N. , Zhang Lizhi , Bi Yan , Ji Baoan
Published: April 2019

Intra-acinar trypsinogen activation occurs in the earliest stages of pancreatitis and is believed to play important roles in pancreatitis pathogenesis. However, the exact role of intra-acinar trypsin activity in pancreatitis remains elusive. Here, we aimed to examine the specific effects of intra-acinar trypsin activity on the development of pancreatitis using a transgenic mouse model. This transgenic mouse model allowed for the conditional expression of a mutant trypsinogen that can be activated specifically inside pancreatic acinar cells. We found that expression of this active mutated trypsin had no significant effect on triggering spontaneous pancreatitis. Instead, several protective compensatory mechanisms, including SPINK1 and heat shock proteins, were upregulated. Notably, these transgenic mice developed much more severe acute pancreatitis, compared with control mice, when challenged with caerulein. Elevated tissue edema, serum amylase, inflammatory cell infiltration and acinar cell apoptosis were dramatically associated with increased trypsin activity. Furthermore, chronic pathological changes were observed in the pancreas of all transgenic mice, including inflammatory cell infiltration, parenchymal atrophy and cell loss, fibrosis, and fatty replacement. These changes were not observed in control mice treated with caerulein. The alterations in pancreata from transgenic mice mimicked the histological changes common to human chronic pancreatitis. Taken together, we provided in vivo evidence that increased intra-acinar activation of trypsinogen plays an important role in the initiation and progression of both acute and chronic pancreatitis.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY Trypsinogen is activated early in pancreatitis. However, the roles of trypsin in the development of pancreatitis have not been fully addressed. Using a genetic approach, we showed trypsin activity is critical for the severity of both acute and chronic pancreatitis.
Stromal prorenin receptor is critical for normal kidney development
Authors: Yosypiv Ihor V. , Sequeira-Lopez Maria Luisa S. , Song Renfang , De Goes Martini Alexandre
Published: April 2019

Formation of the metanephric kidney requires coordinated interaction among the stroma, ureteric bud, and cap mesenchyme. The transcription factor Foxd1, a specific marker of renal stromal cells, is critical for normal kidney development. The prorenin receptor (PRR), a receptor for renin and prorenin, is also an accessory subunit of the vacuolar proton pump V-ATPase. Global loss of PRR is embryonically lethal in mice, indicating an essential role of the PRR in embryonic development. Here, we report that conditional deletion of the PRR in Foxd1+stromal progenitors in mice ( cKO) results in neonatal mortality. The kidneys of surviving mice show reduced expression of stromal markers Foxd1 and Meis1 and a marked decrease in arterial and arteriolar development with the subsequent decreased number of glomeruli, expansion of Six2+nephron progenitors, and delay in nephron differentiation. Intrarenal arteries and arterioles in cKO mice were fewer and thinner and showed a marked decrease in the expression of renin, suggesting a central role for the PRR in the development of renin-expressing cells, which in turn are essential for the proper formation of the renal arterial tree. We conclude that stromal PRR is crucial for the appropriate differentiation of the renal arterial tree, which in turn may restrict excessive expansion of nephron progenitors to promote a coordinated and proper morphogenesis of the nephrovascular structures of the mammalian kidney.
Rapid geometric feature signaling in the simulated spiking activity of a complete population of tactile nerve fibers
Authors: Delhaye Benoit P. , Xia Xinyue , Bensmaia Sliman J.
Published: April 2019

Tactile feature extraction is essential to guide the dexterous manipulation of objects. The longstanding theory is that geometric features at each location of contact between hand and object are extracted from the spatial layout of the response of populations of tactile nerve fibers. However, recent evidence suggests that some features (e.g., edge orientation) are extracted very rapidly (<200 ms), casting doubt that this information relies on a spatial code, which ostensibly requires integrating responses over time. An alternative hypothesis is that orientation is conveyed in precise temporal spiking patterns. Here we simulate, using a recently developed and validated model, the responses of the two relevant subpopulations of tactile fibers from the entire human fingertip (~800 afferents) to edges indented into the skin. We show that edge orientation can be quickly (<50 ms) and accurately (<3°) decoded from the spatial pattern of activation across the afferent population, starting with the very first spike. Next, we implement a biomimetic decoder of edge orientation, consisting of a bank of oriented Gabor filters, designed to mimic the documented responses of cortical neurons. We find that the biomimetic approach leads to orientation decoding performance that approaches the limit set by optimal decoders and is actually more robust to changes in other stimulus features. Finally, we show that orientation signals, measured from single units in the somatosensory cortex of nonhuman primates (2 macaque monkeys, 1 female), follow a time course consistent with that of their counterparts in the nerve. We conclude that a spatial code is fast and accurate enough to support object manipulation.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY The dexterous manipulation of objects relies on the rapid and accurate extraction of the objects’ geometric features by the sense of touch. Here we simulate the responses of all the nerve fibers that innervate the fingertip when an edge is indented into the skin and characterize the time course over which signals about its orientation evolve in this neural population. We show that orientation can be rapidly and accurately decoded from the spatial pattern of afferent activation using spatial filters that mimic the response properties of neurons in cortical somatosensory neurons along a time course consistent with that observed in cortex. We conclude that the classical model of tactile feature extraction is rapid and accurate enough to support object manipulation.
Incorporating Pathway Information into Feature Selection towards Better Performed Gene Signatures
Authors: Tian Suyan , Wang Chi , Wang Bing
Published: April 2019

To analyze gene expression data with sophisticated grouping structures and to extract hidden patterns from such data, feature selection is of critical importance. It is well known that genes do not function in isolation but rather work together within various metabolic, regulatory, and signaling pathways. If the biological knowledge contained within these pathways is taken into account, the resulting method is a pathway-based algorithm. Studies have demonstrated that a pathway-based method usually outperforms its gene-based counterpart in which no biological knowledge is considered. In this article, a pathway-based feature selection is firstly divided into three major categories, namely, pathway-level selection, bilevel selection, and pathway-guided gene selection. With bilevel selection methods being regarded as a special case of pathway-guided gene selection process, we discuss pathway-guided gene selection methods in detail and the importance of penalization in such methods. Last, we point out the potential utilizations of pathway-guided gene selection in one active research avenue, namely, to analyze longitudinal gene expression data. We believe this article provides valuable insights for computational biologists and biostatisticians so that they can make biology more computable.
Geology, Fluid Inclusion, and H–O–S–Pb Isotope Constraints on the Mineralization of the Xiejiagou Gold Deposit in the Jiaodong Peninsula
Authors: Chai Peng , Hou Zeng-qian , Zhang Hong-rui , Dong Lei-lei
Published: April 2019

The Xiejiagou deposit is a representative medium-sized gold deposit in Jiaodong the Peninsula, which contains gold reserves of 37.5 t. The orebodies are hosted in the Linglong biotite granite with a zircon LA-ICP-MS U–Pb age of 160.5±1.3 Ma (N=15, MSWD=1.2) and are characterized by disseminated- or stockwork-style ores. Mineralization and alteration are structurally controlled by the NE-striking fault. Three stages of mineralization were identified with the early stage being represented by (K-feldspar) sericite quartz pyrite, the middle stage by quartz gold polymetallic sulfide, and the late stage by quartz carbonate. Ore minerals and gold mainly occurred in the middle stage. Three types of primary fluid inclusions were distinguished in the Xiejiagou deposit, including carbonic-aqueous, pure carbonic, and aqueous inclusions. The primary fluid inclusions of the three stages were mainly homogenized at temperatures of 262–386°C, 192–347°C, and 137–231°C, with salinities of 2.22–8.82, 1.02–11.60, and 1.22–7.72 wt% NaCl equivalent, respectively. These data indicate that the initial ore-forming fluids were a medium temperature, CO2-rich, and low-salinity H2O–CO2–NaCl homogeneous system, and the ore-forming system evolved from a CO2-rich mesothermal fluid into a CO2-poor fluid. Considering the fluid inclusion characteristics, H–O–S–Pb isotopes, and regional geological events, the ore-forming fluid reservoir was likely metamorphic in origin. Trapping pressures of the first two hydrothermal stages estimated from the carbonic aqueous inclusion assemblages were ~224–302 MPa and ~191–258 MPa, respectively. This suggests that the gold mineralization of the Xiejiagou gold deposit occurred at a lithostatic depth of ~7.2–9.7 km. Au(HS)2− was the most probable gold-transporting complex at the Xiejiagou deposit. Precipitation of gold was caused by a CO2 effervescence of initial auriferous fluids.
Comparative Study of Chemical Stability of Two H1Antihistaminic Drugs, Terfenadine and ItsIn VivoMetabolite Fexofenadine, Using LC-UV Methods
Authors: Gumieniczek Anna , Berecka-Rycerz Anna , Pietraś Rafał , Kozak Izabela , Lejwoda Karolina , Kozyra Paweł
Published: April 2019

A comparative study of chemical stability of terfenadine (TER) and itsin vivometabolite fexofenadine (FEX) was performed. Both TER and FEX were subjected to high temperature at different pH and UV/VIS light at different pH and then quantitatively analyzed using new validated LC-UV methods. These methods were used to monitor the degradation processes and to determine the kinetics of degradation for both the compounds. As far as the effects of temperature and pH were concerned, FEX occurred more sensitive to degradation than TER. As far as the effects of UV/VIS light and pH were concerned, the both drugs were similarly sensitive to high doses of light. Using all stress conditions, the processes of degradation of TER and FEX followed the first-order kinetics. The results obtained for these two antihistaminic drugs could be helpful in developing their new derivatives with higher activity and stability at the same time.
Long-Term Outcomes among Kidney Transplant Recipients and after Graft Failure: A Single-Center Cohort Study in Brazil
Authors: Bicalho Paula Rebello , Requião-Moura Lúcio R. , Arruda Érika Ferraz , Chinen Rogerio , Mello Luciana , Bertocchi Ana Paula F. , Lamkowski Naka Erika , Tonato Eduardo José , Pacheco-Silva Alvaro
Published: April 2019

Background. The results of kidney transplantation are impacted by the categories of events responsible for patient death and graft failure. The objective of this study was to evaluate the causes of death and graft failure and outcomes after graft failure among kidney transplant recipients.Methodology. A retrospective cohort study was conducted with 944 patients who underwent kidney transplantation. Outcomes were categorized in a managed and hierarchical manner.Results. The crude mortality rate was 10.8% (n=102): in 35.3% cause of death was infection, in 30.4% cardiovascular disease, and in 15.7% neoplasia and in 6.8%, it was not possible to determine the cause of death. The rate of graft loss was 10.6%. The main causes of graft failure were chronic rejection (40%), acute rejection (18.3%), thrombosis (17.3%), and recurrence of primary disease (16.5%). Failures due to an acute rejection occurred earlier than those due to chronic rejection and recurrence (p<0.0001). As late causes of graft loss, death with the functioning kidney occurred earlier than recurrence and chronic rejection (p=0.008). The outcomes after graft failure were retransplantation in 26.1% and death in 21.4%, at a mean of 25.5 and 21.4 months, respectively.Conclusion. It was possible to identify more than 90% of the events responsible for the deaths of transplanted patients, predominantly infectious and cardiovascular diseases. Among the causes of graft failure, chronic and acute rejections and recurrence were the main causes of graft failure which were followed more frequently by retransplantation than by death on dialysis.
miRNA and mRNA Integration Network Construction Reveals Novel Key Regulators in Left-Sided and Right-Sided Colon Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Yang Likun , Li Lin , Ma Junhong , Yang Shimin , Zou Changlin , Yu Xiangyang
Published: April 2019

Background. The distinction between right-sided and left-sided colon adenocarcinoma has recently received considerable. This study aims to identify key MicroRNA (miRNA) and mRNAs in right-sided colon adenocarcinoma (RSCOAD) and left-sided colon adenocarcinoma (LSCOAD) by TCGA integration analysis.Methods. The miRNA and mRNA expression profiles of a large group of patients with RSCOAD and LSCOAD were obtained from TCGA. The differentially expressed miRNAs (DEmiRNAs) and mRNAs (DEmRNAs) were identified by TCGA integration analysis. The optimal diagnostic miRNA biomarkers for RSCOAD and LSCOAD were identified by Boruta algorithm. We established classification models to distinguish RSCOAD and LSCOAD. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis, DEmiRNA-DEmRNA interaction analysis, and functional annotation were performed. The expression of selected DEmiRNAs and DEmRNAs was validated by qRT-PCR.Results. A total of 2534 DEmRNAs (940 downregulated and 1594 upregulated mRNAs) and 54 DEmiRNAs (22 downregulated and 32 upregulated miRNAs) between RSCOAD and LSCOAD were identified. The feature selection procedure was to obtain 22 optimal diagnostic miRNAs biomarkers in RSCOAD compared to LSCOAD. The AUC of the random forests model was 0.869 and the specificity and sensitivity of this model were 79% and 84.6%, respectively. Three DEmiRNAs (hsa-miR-224-5p, hsa-miR-155-5p, and hsa-miR-31-5p) and five DEmRNAs (CXCR4, SMAD4, KRAS, FITM2, and PLAGL2) were identified key DEmiRNAs and DEmRNAs in RSCOAD compared to LSCOAD. The qRT-PCR results of CXCR4, FITM2, TFAP2A, ULBP2, hsa-miR-224-5p, and hsa-miR-155-5p were consistent with our integrated analysis.Conclusion. A total of three DEmiRNAs (hsa-miR-224-5p, hsa-miR-155-5p, and hsa-miR-31-5p) and five DEmRNAs (CXCR4, SMAD4, KRAS, FITM2, and PLAGL2) may be involved in the pathogenesis of RSCOAD and LSCOAD which may make a contribution for understanding mechanisms and developing therapeutic strategies for RSCOAD and LSCOAD.