bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Founder Mutation in N Terminus of Cardiac Troponin I Causes Malignant Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
Authors: Fahed Akl C. , Nemer Georges , Bitar Fadi F. , Arnaout Samir , Abchee Antoine B. , Batrawi Manal , Khalil Athar , Abou Hassan Ossama K. , DePalma Steven R. , McDonough Barbara , Arabi Mariam T. , Ware James S. , Seidman Jonathan G. , Seidman Christine E.
Published: September 2020

Background:

Cardiac troponin I (
TNNI3
) gene mutations account for 3% of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and carriers have a heterogeneous phenotype, with increased risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD). Only one mutation (p.Arg21Cys) has been reported in the N terminus of the protein. In model organisms, it impairs PKA (protein kinase A) phosphorylation, increases calcium sensitivity, and causes diastolic dysfunction. The phenotype of this unique mutation in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy remains unknown.

Methods:

We sequenced 29 families with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy enriched for pediatric-onset disease and identified 5 families with the
TNNI3
p.Arg21Cys mutation. Using cascade screening, we studied the clinical phenotype of 57 individuals from the 5 families with
TNNI3
p.Arg21Cys-related cardiomyopathy. We performed survival analysis investigating the age at first SCD in carriers of the mutation.

Results:

All 5 families with
TNNI3
p.Arg21Cys were from South Lebanon.
TNNI3
p.Arg21Cys-related cardiomyopathy manifested a malignant phenotype—SCD occurred in 30 (53%) of 57 affected individuals at a median age of 22.5 years. In select carriers without left ventricular hypertrophy on echocardiogram, SCD occurred, myocyte disarray was found on autopsy heart, and tissue Doppler and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging identified subclinical disease features such as diastolic dysfunction and late gadolinium enhancement.

Conclusions:

The
TNNI3
p.Arg21Cys mutation has a founder effect in South Lebanon and causes malignant hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with early SCD even in the absence of hypertrophy. Genetic diagnosis with this mutation may be sufficient for risk stratification for SCD.
Infarct Collagen Topography Regulates Fibroblast Fate via p38-Yes-Associated Protein Transcriptional Enhanced Associate Domain Signals
Authors: Bugg Darrian , Bretherton Ross , Kim Peter , Olszewski Emily , Nagle Abigail , Schumacher Austin E. , Chu Nick , Gunaje Jagadambika , DeForest Cole A. , Stevens Kelly , Kim Deok-Ho , Davis Jennifer
Published: September 2020

Rationale:

Myocardial infarction causes spatial variation in collagen organization and phenotypic diversity in fibroblasts, which regulate the heart’s ECM (extracellular matrix). The relationship between collagen structure and fibroblast phenotype is poorly understood but could provide insights regarding the mechanistic basis for myofibroblast heterogeneity in the injured heart.

Objective:

To investigate the role of collagen organization in cardiac fibroblast fate determination.

Methods and Results:

Biomimetic topographies were nanofabricated to recapitulate differential collagen organization in the infarcted mouse heart. Here, adult cardiac fibroblasts were freshly isolated and cultured on ECM topographical mimetics for 72 hours. Aligned mimetics caused cardiac fibroblasts to elongate while randomly organized topographies induced circular morphology similar to the disparate myofibroblast morphologies measured in vivo. Alignment cues also induced myofibroblast differentiation, as >60% of fibroblasts formed αSMA (α-smooth muscle actin) stress fibers and expressed myofibroblast-specific ECM genes like Postn (periostin). By contrast, random organization caused 38% of cardiac fibroblasts to express αSMA albeit with downregulated myofibroblast-specific ECM genes. Coupling topographical cues with the profibrotic agonist, TGFβ (transforming growth factor beta), additively upregulated myofibroblast-specific ECM genes independent of topography, but only fibroblasts on flat and randomly oriented mimetics had increased percentages of fibroblasts with αSMA stress fibers. Increased tension sensation at focal adhesions induced myofibroblast differentiation on aligned mimetics. These signals were transduced by p38-YAP (yes-associated protein)-TEAD (transcriptional enhanced associate domain) interactions, in which both p38 and YAP-TEAD (yes-associated protein transcriptional enhanced associate domain) binding were required for myofibroblast differentiation. By contrast, randomly oriented mimetics did not change focal adhesion tension sensation or enrich for p38-YAP-TEAD interactions, which explains the topography-dependent diversity in fibroblast phenotypes observed here.

Conclusions:

Spatial variations in collagen organization regulate cardiac fibroblast phenotype through mechanical activation of p38-YAP-TEAD signaling, which likely contribute to myofibroblast heterogeneity in the infarcted myocardium.
Long-term consistency despite cross-seasonal changes in personality traits of common waxbills
Authors: Guerra Soraia , Gomes Ana Cristina R. , Cardoso Gonçalo C.
Published: September 2020

Tests of long-term consistency in personality differences are not abundant. We studied personality in common waxbills (Estrilda astrild) from one Autumn to the next, and also from Autumn to a subsequent Spring, using a behavioural assay for their proactive-reactive personality axis (mirror test) and for tonic immobility. From one Autumn to the next, individual differences were consistent and the population median behaviours did not change, indicating long-term stability of personality differences. From Autumn to Spring, behavioural differences remained consistent, despite the population shifting to more proactive behaviour and individual differences being accentuated in the proactive-reactive personality axis. This increase in personality differences was not found between the two previous Autumns, suggesting a seasonal rather than longitudinal change, and a possible role for personality differences during the Spring breeding season. We conclude that waxbill personality differences are stable in the long term, despite changes in behaviour between Autumn and Spring.
The Economic World of the populus Romanus
Authors: Russell Amy
Published: September 2020

Rome’s transformation from city-state to territorial empire involved a massive increase in wealth; it also both created and responded to fundamental political changes, in a moment often positioned as the creation myth of republicanism. James Tan has modelled the Republican economy as a three-way relationship between aristocrats, the state, and the people. Aristocrats competed with the state for access to the riches of conquest; simultaneously the state’s dependence on citizen taxation declined. This article examines the relationship between state and people as both practical and ideological. The People were sovereign, yet it was the People who increasingly lost their status as economic and political stakeholders even as their empire grew. The complex relationship between the people and the populus (‘the People’ as an institution) had economic as well as political elements, and is central to how we should apply notions of economic sovereignty to Republican Rome.
The Antitrust Revolution
Authors: Comanor William S.
Published: September 2020

The Antitrust Revolution of the early 1980s arose from various intellectual currents, including specifically the growing acceptance of modern game theory. Its greatest impact, however, lay in the development of revised standards for merger policy. From ones which employed largely a set of per se standards, they rapidly evolved into those more compatible with the Rule of Reason. Large horizontal mergers were routinely approved, and concentration levels in major industries sored. Although efficiency levels were sometimes enhanced, there is little evidence that consumers generally benefited in the form of lower prices. As a result, the new merger policy may have contributed to the observed growing inequality in U.S. distributions of income and wealth.
A case of being the same? Australia and New Zealand’s reading in focus
Authors: Chamberlain Megan C. , Medina Emma J.
Published: September 2020

Australia and New Zealand have participated in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s Programme for International Student Assessment since 2000. Reading literacy was the main focus of the Programme for International Student Assessment in 2000, and at that time both countries’ students generally performed well above the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development average. Nearly 20 years later, in the latest cycle of the Programme for International Student Assessment in 2018, reading literacy was again the main focus. Students’ average reading performance has tracked down in both countries. Large inequities persist between socio-economically advantaged and disadvantaged students, indigenous and non-indigenous students, and genders. The Programme for International Student Assessment gathers a wealth of contextual information that highlights key educational challenges facing both countries, including poor disciplinary climates, declining attitudes towards reading and sense of belonging at school, and increasing bullying. While there are similarities among the two countries’ 15-year-olds, evidence shows practices are diverging at the middle primary schooling level, which may be impacting positively on younger Australian cohorts; these differences are also discussed with respect to early reading experiences.
Effect of Alliance Network Asymmetry on Firm Performance and Risk
Authors: Chakravarty Anindita , Zhou Chen , Sharma Ashish
Published: September 2020

Persistent high failure rates of new product alliances call for identification of factors that might improve alliance outcomes. In this research, the authors identify two attributes of alliance network asymmetry that affect alliance performance and performance uncertainty: differences in the number of prealliance direct ties, which can create asymmetry in the volume of resources of the two firms, and differences in the interconnectivity among prealliance indirect ties, which leads the firms to possess different types of resources. The authors theorize that absolute levels of such asymmetries have curvilinear effects on alliance performance and performance uncertainty, which materialize as a focal firm’s abnormal returns and risk, respectively. They demonstrate that direct tie asymmetry has an inverted U-shaped effect on the focal firm’s abnormal returns and a U-shaped effect on its risk. Indirect tie asymmetry also has a U-shaped effect on the focal firm’s risk. However, the focal firm’s innovation quality and preexisting ties with its partner flatten these curvilinear effects. The findings have implications for partner selection in new product alliances.
Marginal Impacts of Park-and-Ride Facilities in the Twin Cities Region of the US
Authors: Duncan Michael , Cao Jason
Published: September 2020

Understanding the marginal impacts of park-and-ride (P&R) transit facilities can help in planning an efficient transit system. However, these marginal impacts are not well established in a U.S. context. This study helps to fill this gap using a survey of P&R users from the Twin Cities region in which the questions were specifically designed to determine how respondents would react to the removal of a P&R facility. The responses allow for an estimation of the net (or marginal) impact on ridership and vehicle miles traveled (VMT) directly attributable to the presence of P&R facilities. Over 80% of the surveyed P&R users would only use transit if they had access to a P&R facility. They would generate an average of 19 additional VMT per round trip without a P&R option. If access to their current P&R facility was removed but they were given the option to choose an alternative facility, the respondents who would quit using transit dropped to 32% with an average of 10 additional VMT generated, although these numbers vary to some degree when broken down by specific P&R facilities.
Acceptability and Adherence to Peanut-Based Energy-Dense Nutritional Supplement Among Adult Malnourished Pulmonary Tuberculosis Patients in Ballabgarh Block of Haryana, India
Authors: Kumar Rakesh , Krishnan Anand , Singh Manjula , Singh Urvashi B. , Singh Archna , Guleria Randeep
Published: September 2020

Background:

Undernutrition is a leading risk factor for tuberculosis and is associated with adverse treatment outcomes. Energy-dense nutritional supplement (EDNS) may be helpful in managing undernutrition in tuberculosis patients.

Methods:

A longitudinal study was conducted among 102 newly diagnosed pulmonary tuberculosis patients in the Ballabgarh tuberculosis unit in Haryana, India, between September 2018 and February 2019. Participants were provided daily supplementation with 2 sachets of peanut-based EDNS providing 1000 kcal along with the tuberculosis chemotherapy for 2 months. Acceptability was assessed after one month of supplementation. Reported side effects were assessed every 15 days for 2 months and adherence, in terms of proportion of supplement consumed, was assessed on weekly basis for 2 months. Weight was measured at baseline and after 1 month and 2 months.

Results:

Mean age of participants was 33 years (standard deviation: 13.8) and 75.5% of the participants were male. Almost 100% of the participants found the taste, smell, consistency, and color of the EDNS acceptable. Three participants rejected it after one month of consuming EDNS and another 7 rejected after 2 months of consuming EDNS. After consuming EDNS for 2 months, 13.9% of the participants complained of nausea, 11.9% complained of vomiting, 10.9% complained of diarrhea, and 9.9% complained of pain in the abdomen and abdominal fullness or bloating anytime during the period of supplementation. The adherence to EDNS among the participants was reported as 92.6%.

Conclusion:

A peanut-based EDNS was highly acceptable and safe, and the adherence to it was high among patients with pulmonary tuberculosis.
Process simulation and comprehensive evaluation of a system of coal power plant coupled with waste incineration
Authors: Ye Buqing , Shi Bingquan , Shi Mingzhe , Zhang Lijuan , Zhang Rui
Published: September 2020

The technology of coal power plant coupled with waste incineration is considered as a promising technology for fossil fuel conservation and waste disposal. In this paper, a system of coal power plant coupled with waste incineration is simulated by Aspen Plus software, and a conventional coal power plant is also simulated for comparison. Comprehensive evaluation including thermodynamic, economic and environmental impact performances are analysed and compared. Evaluation results indicate that the thermodynamic performance and environmental impact of the system of coal power plant coupled with waste incineration are worse, but the economic performance of the system is obviously better than the coal power plant. When the replacement ratio of waste is 20%, the energy and exergy efficiencies of the system are 38.54% and 37.27%, the internal rate of return and discounted payback period of the system are 21.83% and 9.14 years, and the environmental cost of the system is $3597.73 h-1. Therefore, the technology of coal power plant coupled with waste incineration has technical feasibility and economic advantages, and the environmental impacts need to be considered in the application of the technology.
The Influence of Melatonin on the Daily 24-h Rhythm of Putative Reference Gene Expression in White Adipose Tissues
Authors: Figueira da Costa Tatienne Neder , Andreotti Sandra , de Farias Talita da Silva Mendes , Lima Fábio Bessa , Bargi-Souza Paula
Published: September 2020

In adipose tissue, the expression of hundreds of genes exhibits circadian oscillation, which may or may not be affected by circulating melatonin levels. Using control and pinealectomized rats, we investigated the daily expression profile of Actb, Hprt-1, B2m, and Rpl37a, genes that are commonly used as reference genes for reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR), in epididymal (EP), retroperitoneal (RP), and subcutaneous (SC) adipose tissues. In control rats, Actb expression presented a daily oscillation in all adipose tissues investigated, Hprt-1 showed 24-h fluctuations in only RP and SC depots, B2m was stable over 24 h for EP and RP but oscillated over 24 h in SC adipose tissue, and Rpl37a presented a daily oscillation in only RP fat. In the absence of melatonin, the rhythmicity of Actb in all adipose depots was abolished, the daily rhythmicity of Hprt-1 and B2m was disrupted in SC fat, the peak expression of Rpl37a and Hprt-1 was delayed, and the amplitude of Rpl37a was reduced in RP adipose tissue. Collectively, our results demonstrate that the expression of putative reference genes displays a daily rhythm influenced by melatonin levels in a manner specific to the adipose depot. Thus, the proper standardization and daily profile expression of reference genes should be performed carefully in temporal studies using RT-qPCR analysis.
Finding True Friendships: The Friendship Experiences of Adolescents With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Authors: Maya Beristain Cynthia , Wiener Judith
Published: September 2020

The friendship experiences of adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) were explored in this qualitative study. Nine 16- to 18-year old adolescents with ADHD participated in semi-structured interviews that were analyzed using a modified grounded theory framework. They reported chronic peer rejection, loneliness, and conflictual relationships with friends in childhood and early adolescence (theme 1). Although many participants reported becoming resigned to being friendless in adolescence (theme 2), the transition to high school where they could find peers who were similar to them helped them develop close friendships (theme 3). The core theme, Finding True Friendships: The Long Journey from Isolation to Acceptance, integrates the findings and illustrates the developmental and contextual factors influencing the friendship experiences of adolescents with ADHD. The participants provided specific suggestions about how parents, teachers, peers, and mental health professionals might support children and adolescents with ADHD who struggle with peer relations and friendships that formed the basis of the discussion of the clinical implications of the findings.
Hit-to-kill accurate minimum time continuous second-order sliding mode guidance for worst-case target maneuvers
Authors: Pushpangathan Jinraj V , Kandath Harikumar , Balakrishnan Ajithkumar
Published: September 2020

The recent research is focused on the development of an advanced interceptor missile that has hit-to-kill accuracy against ballistic targets performing evasive maneuvers. In this paper, a guidance law that achieves hit-to-kill accuracy against ballistic target executing worst-case maneuvers is developed using second-order sliding mode control and optimal control. The guidance law thus developed is continuous and has minimum time convergence for worst-case target maneuvers. The performance of the continuous guidance law with minimum time convergence is evaluated through numerical simulations against ballistic targets executing step maneuvers with changing polarity and weaving maneuvers.
Factors associated with quality of life in cutaneous lupus erythematosus using the Revised Wilson and Cleary Model
Authors: Ogunsanya Motolani E , Cho Sung Kyung , Hudson Andrew , Chong Benjamin F
Published: September 2020

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to characterize the impact of cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE) in adults and identify the clinical and non-clinical factors associated with quality of life (QoL), using the Revised Wilson and Cleary Model.

Methods

101 patients diagnosed with CLE were included in this cross-sectional study. QoL was measured with the Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus Quality of Life (CLEQoL) scale and disease activity and damage with the Cutaneous Lupus Activity and Severity Index (CLASI). Patient demographics, clinical, and disease characteristics were also collected. Descriptive statistics were calculated, and multiple regression was employed to determine significant (p < 0.05) predictors of overall QoL. Data were analyzed using SPSS v24.

Results

The overall regression QoL model was significantly different from zero, (F = 24.96; df = 14, 76; p = <0.001). Disease activity (β = 0.13), pain (β = 0.13), fatigue (β = 0.24), body image (β = 0.62), and side effects (β = –0.13) were significant predictors of overall QoL while controlling for other predictor variables. Patients who experienced higher levels of disease activity, fatigue severity, pain levels, and greater degree of body dissatisfaction had significantly poorer QoL. Fewer side effects experienced from CLE medications were significantly associated with higher QoL.

Conclusions

Study findings support the considerable burden associated with CLE. Several modifiable variables such as pain, fatigue, body image, and disease activity were associated with QoL. Therefore, interventions that incorporate these variables may reduce negative impacts on QoL life and improve health outcomes in CLE patients. Furthermore, given the chronic and recurring nature of the condition, strategies focused on improving QoL are needed for this vulnerable population.
The Influence of the Food and Drug Administration Pregnancy and Lactation Labeling Rule on Drug Information Resources
Authors: Harris John Brock , Holmes Amy P. , Eiland Lea S.
Published: September 2020

Background

Drug information resources are commonly used by health-care providers answering pregnancy-related medication questions. In 2015, the United States Food and Drug Administration approved a new pregnancy and lactation medication labeling content and format, removing the pregnancy category, and using a narrative. Despite labeling requirements changing, it is unknown if drug information resources updated monographs to reflect these changes.

Objective

The primary objective was to evaluate if commonly used drug information resources provide pregnancy information listed similar to the requirements of the Pregnancy and Lactation Labeling Rule (PLLR). Secondary analyses included evaluating the references and inclusion of the pregnancy category rating.

Methods

Pregnancy recommendations for 23 medications were evaluated in 9 drug information resources (Clinical Pharmacology, Drugs in Pregnancy and Lactation, Epocrates®, First Databank, LexiComp® Online, LexiComp® Online Pregnancy & Lactation, In-Depth, Medi-Span®, Micromedex®, and Multum®). The number of references per drug monograph and most recent reference publication year was obtained.

Results

LexiComp® Online Pregnancy & Lactation, In-Depth mimics the new PLLR structure and consistently had the highest number of and most recent references when the medication was included. Drugs in Pregnancy and Lactation was the next most similar in content with the PLLR and second in most references per monograph; however, the most recent reference was the textbook publication year.

Conclusion and Relevance

LexiComp® Online Pregnancy & Lactation, In-Depth and Drugs in Pregnancy and Lactation provided pregnancy information in a format most similar to the PLLR. However, several drug information resources contained pregnancy categories ratings that were to be removed from medication labeling per the PLLR.
Bisphosphonate Versus Bisphosphonate and Calcitonin for the Treatment of Moderate to Severe Hypercalcemia of Malignancy
Authors: Khan Attiya A. , Gurnani Payal K. , Peksa Gary D. , Whittier William L. , DeMott Joshua M.
Published: September 2020

Background

Historically, intravenous (IV) bisphosphonates with calcitonin are the treatment of choice for hypercalcemia of malignancy. However, evidence is lacking.

Objective

The objective of this study was to compare the use of bisphosphonate versus bisphosphonate with calcitonin for moderate to severe hypercalcemia of malignancy.

Methods

This was a retrospective study evaluating patients who received bisphosphonate and/or calcitonin for treatment of moderate to severe hypercalcemia of malignancy. Patients received usual care plus either (1) bisphosphonate or (2) bisphosphonate with calcitonin. The primary outcome was change in corrected serum calcium concentrations 48 hours after treatment. Secondary outcomes included corrected calcium levels, incidence of normocalcemia and hypocalcemia, time to normocalcemia, hospital length of stay, and cost avoidance.

Results

The 48-hour decrease in corrected calcium was less in the bisphosphonate group than in the combination group (2.4 [1.6-3.4] vs 3.9 [3.5-5.3]; P < 0.001). However, initial calcium levels in the combination group were higher than in the bisphosphonate group, and calcium levels at 24, 48, and 72 hours were similar. Secondary outcomes did not differ. Average cost avoidance with bisphosphonate monotherapy was $11 248 per patient and $291 448 per year.

Conclusions and Relevance

In the treatment of moderate to severe hypercalcemia of malignancy, IV bisphosphonate in combination with calcitonin resulted in a higher difference in corrected calcium levels at 48 hours compared with bisphosphonate therapy alone. However, corrected calcium levels in the first 72 hours, time to normocalcemia, and clinical outcomes were similar. The addition of calcitonin increases cost without substantial clinical benefit, and providers may consider avoiding calcitonin.
One Piece of the Jigsaw for the Cancer Recovery Strategy: Prevalence of COVID-19 in Patients With Cancer
Authors: Moss Charlotte , Dolly Saoirse , Russell Beth , Lei Mary , Ghosh Sharmista , Papa Sophie , Sullivan Richard , Van Hemelrijck Mieke , Rigg Anne ,   on behalf of Guy’s Cancer Real World Evidence Programme
Published: September 2020

COVID-19 has forced governments to make drastic changes to healthcare systems. To start making informed decisions about cancer care, we need to understand the scale of COVID-19 infection. Therefore, we introduced swab testing for patients visiting Guy’s Cancer Centre. Our Centre is one of the largest UK Cancer Centers at the epicenter of the UK COVID-19 epidemic. The first COVID-19 positive cancer patient was reported on 29 February 2020. We analyzed data from 7-15 May 2020 for COVID-19 tests in our cancer patients. 2,647 patients attended for outpatient, chemotherapy, or radiotherapy appointments. 654 were swabbed for COVID-19 (25%). Of those tested, 9 were positive for COVID-19 (1.38%) of which 7 were asymptomatic. Cancer service providers will need to understand their local cancer population prevalence. The absolute priority is that cancer patients have the confidence to attend hospitals and be reassured that they will be treated in a COVID-19 managed environment.
Piezoelectric-based dither control for automobile brake squeal suppression under various braking conditions
Authors: Jung HweeKwon , Park Gyuhae , Kim Jeong Kyu
Published: September 2020

Automobile brake squeal noise, which is nonlinear, friction-induced vibration in the frequency range 1–16 kHz, still remains a major problem for the automotive industry. This article presents analytical and experimental investigations into the application of dither control for active suppression of automobile disc brake squeal. Dither is a concept of active control that introduces high-frequency actuation into a system to suppress a much lower frequency disturbance. In this study, a specially designed brake system is built, in which a piezoelectric stack actuator in the piston of a floating caliper brake applies the dither input. In the experiments, squeal noise generated under the drag mode and various dynamic modes are considered. The results indicate that this piezoelectric-based dither control could effectively suppress the brake squeal noise by 5–10 dB and the squeal occurrence by up to 60% under various braking conditions.
A model for the effective COVID-19 identification in uncertainty environment using primary symptoms and CT scans
Authors: Abdel-Basst Mohamed , Mohamed Rehab , Elhoseny Mohamed
Published: September 2020

The rapid spread of the COVID-19 virus around the world poses a real threat to public safety. Some COVID-19 symptoms are similar to other viral chest diseases, which makes it challenging to develop models for effective detection of COVID-19 infection. This article advocates a model to differentiate between COVID-19 and other four viral chest diseases under uncertainty environment using the viruses primary symptoms and CT scans. The proposed model is based on a plithogenic set, which provides higher accurate evaluation results in an uncertain environment. The proposed model employs the best-worst method (BWM) and the technique in order of preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS). Besides, this study discusses how smart Internet of Things technology can assist medical staff in monitoring the spread of COVID-19. Experimental evaluation of the proposed model was conducted on five different chest diseases. Evaluation results demonstrate that the proposed model effectiveness in detecting the COVID-19 in all five cases achieving detection accuracy of up to 98%.
Temporal ambivalences in smartphone use: Conflicting flows, conflicting responsibilities
Authors: Ytre-Arne Brita , Syvertsen Trine , Moe Hallvard , Karlsen Faltin
Published: September 2020

This article explores implications of the central position of the smartphone in an age of constant connectivity. Based on a qualitative study of 50 informants, we ask how users experience and handle temporal ambivalences in everyday smartphone use, drawing on the concepts flow and responsibilization to conceptualize central dimensions of such ambivalences. The notion of conflicting flows illuminates how brief checking cycles expand at the expense of other activities, resulting in a temporal conflict experienced by users. Responsibilization points to how users take individual responsibility for managing such conflicting flows, and to how this practice is difficult and conflict-ridden. We conclude that while individual time management is often framed as the solution to temporal conflicts, such attempts at regulating smartphone use appear inadequate. Our conceptualization of temporal ambivalence offers a more nuanced understanding of why this is the case.
The commodification of time and memory: Online communities and the dynamics of commercially produced nostalgia
Authors: Niemeyer Katharina , Keightley Emily
Published: September 2020

This article addresses the lack of analysis of the specific ways in which the online environment configures the relationship between the processual dynamics of nostalgia which allow for both creative and conservative modes of identification and the commercial exploitation and commodification of the nostalgia produced and articulated in online communities. We introduce an empirical case study of one of the companies operating on Facebook as a nostalgia maker: DoYouRemember.com and consider analytical frameworks for future work on the (online) ‘nostalgia business’ and its economic and political dimensions.
Making, managing and experiencing ‘the now’: Digital media and the compression and pacing of ‘real-time’
Authors: Coleman Rebecca
Published: September 2020

Digital media time is commonly described as ‘real-time’. But what does this term refer to? How is ‘real-time’ made, managed and experienced? This article explores these questions, drawing on interviews with UK-based digital media professionals. Its specific concern is with how accounts of the time of digital media indicate a particular, yet supple, temporality, which emphasises ‘the now’. I draw on current literature that explores how real-time is a temporality capable of being stretched and condensed, or variously compressed and paced. While much of this literature focuses on the technological fabrication of real-time, I explore how ‘the now’ is produced through the interplay between human and non-human practices. Through discussion of the interviews, the article concentrates on social, cultural and affective dimensions of ‘the now’, fleshing out more technologically focused work and contributing to understanding of a prevalent way in which time is organised in contemporary digital societies.
Acoustic response of high-speed deep groove ball bearing by modifying the internal geometry
Authors: Borse Deepak , Tungikar VB
Published: September 2020

In this paper, a mathematical model to predict acoustic responses of high-speed bearing has been developed and demonstrated in an application of Induction motors. Effect on the acoustic behaviour of bearing has studied by modifying the internal geometry, such as the number of rotating elements, curvature ratio, rotating speed with the oval shape of the track raceway due to pre-operational damage. The mathematical model predicts the contact stress, elliptical contact area, noise level dB and Frequencies of waviness pattern. High-speed bearing is tested at four different speeds to monitor acoustic behaviour. This drive end bearing undergoes different rotational speeds; however, the author has simulated the results at a majorly driven constant speed. The author has incorporated application-level testing at the customized test rig. The mathematical model has simulated using coupled governing equations with the help of the Ranga-Kutta method. The simulation and experimental results presented in this paper in the form of a waterfall diagram, FFT spectrum and colour pressure plots. Acoustic characteristics during measurements of the rolling bearing have shown systematically to correlate the mathematical model with an experimental result. Results indicate the remarkable influence of raceway nonconformities of bearing on the noise level. The novelty of research study is to estimate the amplitude of noise level due to waviness generated on rings of bearing after pre-operation damage which is the realistic scenario that occurred after a complaint recorded by the motor manufacturer. The authors believe that this technique enables the bearing designer to choose the appropriate diametric ratio of the ball and track curvature for elliptical contact stress as well as acoustic level. This method is developed specifically for an application of drive-end position ball bearing. Practical use of this method is to determine the Noise level of an electric motor (up to 60 kW capacities) due to improper handling and inappropriate installation of bearing which cause inherent waviness on components.
Shopping dreams: Oneiric imagination, consumption, and identity projects among US young adults
Authors: Sheriff Robin E , Chin Elizabeth J
Published: September 2020

Scholars working in consumer culture studies have long recognized the significance of the imagination in directing consumption. Largely unconsidered in such studies, however, is nighttime dreaming, a state of consciousness in which consumers regularly engage with the meanings, materialities, identity projects, and objective structures associated with consumption. Synthesizing insights from the anthropology of dreaming with emerging models in the neurosciences, we enlarge discussions of the imagination by examining young US women’s dreams about consumption. Contrary to the Freudian notion that dreams are a-historical and limited to intrapsychic concerns, we demonstrate that dreams realistically simulate the routine, cognitive, multisensory, social, and culturally enframed experiences of waking life. Dreamers do more, however, than mechanically rehearse consumption activities—they also often ponder dimensions of consumer culture that trouble them, including inequalities related to social class, gender, and race. In the oblique mode of oneiric subjectivity, they thereby sometimes advance a commentary on the larger cultural arenas in which daytime consumption is performed. Dreaming, we argue, offers a novel lens through which to surface intimate and highly textured aspects of consumer consciousness that are otherwise difficult to scrutinize. Our analysis thus responds to recent calls in consumer studies for expanding the project of probing consumers’ imaginative states and their implicit and emergent moral dispositions.
JetStream Atherectomy for the Treatment of In-Stent Restenosis of the Femoropopliteal Segment: One-Year Results of the JET-ISR Study
Authors: Shammas Nicolas W. , Petruzzi Nicholas , Henao Steven , Armstrong Ehrin J. , Shimshak Thomas , Banerjee Subhash , Latif Faisal , Eaves Britton , Brothers Thomas , Golzar Jaafer , Shammas Gail A. , Jones-Miller Susan , Christensen Lori , Shammas W. John
Published: September 2020

Purpose:

To report the results of a study evaluating JetStream atherectomy for the treatment of in-stent restenosis (ISR).

Materials and Methods:

The JetStream XC atherectomy device, a rotational cutter with aspiration capacity, was evaluated in a prospective, multicenter study (JET-ISR) of 60 patients (mean age 70.2±10.8 years; 40 men) with femoropopliteal ISR ( ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT02730234). Lesion length was 19.9±13.5 cm; 33 (55%) were chronic total occlusions and 26 (45%) were TransAtlantic Inter-Society Consensus class D. No drug-bearing device was allowed, and stenting was performed only for bailout. Lesion characteristics and stent integrity were evaluated by an independent core laboratory. The primary endpoint was target lesion revascularization (TLR) at 6 months with bailout stenting considered as TLR. Secondary endpoints included TLR (without bailout stenting) and clinical patency (no restenosis or TLR) at 1 year. The Kaplan-Meier method was employed to evaluate time-to-event endpoints; estimates are given with 95% confidence interval (CI).

Results:

Bailout stenting was required in 6 of 60 limbs (10%). There were no stent fractures or deformities after atherectomy + adjunctive angioplasty reported by the core laboratory. Kaplan-Meier estimates of freedom from TLR at 6 months and 1 year were 79.3% (95% CI 68.9% to 89.8%) and 60.7% (95% CI 47.8% to 73.6%), respectively. When bailout stenting at the index procedure was not considered a TLR event, freedom from TLR estimates at 6 months and 1 year were 89.3% (95% CI 81.2% to 97.4%) and 66.8% (95% CI 54.3% to 74.2%), respectively. Clinical patency rates at 6 months and 1 year were 77.5% (31/40) and 51.7% (15/29), respectively.

Conclusion:

JetStream atherectomy using the XC device and no drug-eluting devices is feasible, with good clinical patency and 1-year freedom from TLR.
SNHG1 represses the anti-cancer roles of baicalein in cervical cancer through regulating miR-3127-5p/FZD4/Wnt/β-catenin signaling
Authors: Yu Xiaolan , Xia Jiyi , Cao Yong , Tang Li , Tang Xiaoping , Li Zhengyu
Published: September 2020

As a flavonoid, baicalein exhibits remarkable anti-cancer roles in several cancers. However, the factors regulating the antitumorigenic roles of baicalein in cervical cancer remain undefined. Here, we revealed that long noncoding RNA SNHG1 is implicated in the tumor-suppressive roles of baicalein. Functional assays demonstrated that ectopic expression of SNHG1 attenuates the roles of baicalein in repressing cervical cancer cell viability, inducing apoptosis, and repressing migration. SNHG1 silencing promotes the tumor-suppressive roles of baicalein in cervical cancer cell viability, apoptosis, and migration. Xenograft assays showed that SNHG1 reverses the tumor-suppressive roles of baicalein in repressing cervical cancer growth in vivo. Mechanistic investigations revealed that SNHG1 directly binds miR-3127-5p and up-regulates FZD4, a target of miR-3127-5p. Via regulating miR-3127-5p/FZD4, SNHG1 activates Wnt/β-catenin signaling. Moreover, SNHG1 reverses the repressive role of baicalein on Wnt/β-catenin signaling. The effect of SNHG1 on the antitumorigenic process of baicalein was abolished by Wnt/β-catenin signaling inhibitor ICG-001. Together, our observations demonstrated that SNHG1 represses the tumor-suppressive roles of baicalein in cervical cancer through regulating miR-3127-5p/FZD4/Wnt/β-catenin axis, and suggested that targeting SNHG1 represents a potential strategy to enhance the tumor-suppressive roles of baicalein in cervical cancer.

Impact statement

Baicalein exhibits anti-cancer roles in several cancers. However, the factors influencing the antitumorigenic efficiencies of baicalein in CC remain largely unclear. Here, we provide convincing evidences that lncRNA SNHG1 attenuates the tumor-suppressive roles of baicalein in CC cell viability, apoptosis, migration, and CC tumor growth. This study further demonstrates that the influences of SNHG1 in the antitumorigenic process of baicalein are achieved through modulating the miR-3127-5p/FZD4Wnt/β-catenin axis. SNHG1 attenuates the repressive role of baicalein on Wnt/β-catenin. Therefore, SNHG1 is a novel modulator of the tumor-suppressive roles of baicalein and SNHG1 represents a therapeutic intervention target to reinforce the tumor-suppressive roles of baicalein in CC.
Postscript: Gaming While Empire Burns
Authors: Dyer-Witheford Nick , de Peuter Greig
Published: September 2020

Responding to a journal issue revisiting Games of Empire, this article begins by surveying the state of digital play amid a conjuncture of pandemic lockdown, anti-racism protest, and looming recession. We go on to address criticism of our book’s outlook on “games of multitude” in the face of the reactionary side of gaming culture expressed by Gamergate. We next outline elements of a research itinerary, were we to update our book’s project, including climate crisis, platform proliferation, organizing and organizations, and video gaming’s violent intersections. We conclude by reasserting the need to attend to emancipatory currents within—and against—game cultures. While gaming’s complicity in energy overconsumption and cultures of domination raises serious questions about its contribution to any postcapitalist future, the struggles that might bring us to this point will be waged by combatants whose subjectivities have been formed within the digital complexes of which gaming is now an integral part.
Synthesis of Hydroxyapatite-Ag Composite as Antimicrobial Agent
Authors: Silva-Holguín Pamela Nair , Reyes-López Simón Yobanny
Published: September 2020

Innovative and improved antimicrobial agents by nanotechnology are developed to control and mitigation of resistant microorganisms. Nanoparticles of metals or oxide metals be able to be toxic to bacteria, demonstrating biocidal behaviors at low concentrations. The integration of silver nanoparticles in ceramic matrices has enhanced the antimicrobial performance, resulting in the search for new composites with improved bactericidal properties. The aim of this study was to prepare and characterize hydroxyapatite-silver nanocomposite and evaluate its antimicrobial properties against various Gram-positive and negative bacteria related to drug-resistance infections. Hydroxyapatite nanopowders were produced by sol-gel and silver nanoparticles were synthesized by reduction of Ag+ions with the simple addition of gallic acid. Hydroxyapatite-silver composite (HAp-AgNPs) was prepared by adsorption of AgNPs at several concentrations. The results of UV–visible spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering, and transmission scanning electron microscopy revealed the existence of AgNPs with diameters around 6 nm. Scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy corroborated the presence of silver disseminated over the surface of hydroxyapatite nanopowders. All HAp-AgNPs composites demonstrated excellent antibacterial effect even at lower silver concentration. HAp-AgNPs composites have a higher possibility for medical applications focused no the control of microorganisms with drug-resistance.
Verification of structural integrity and cooling performance of DRCS cabinet in power plant
Authors: Song Seung-Hun , Cho Jong-Rae , Park Jin-Seong
Published: September 2020

The digital rod control system (DRCS) is an important component in nuclear power plants. Thus, the structural integrity of the isolation cabinet of the DRCS should be verified, considering the seismic loading and cooling performance of the heating source of electric equipment. In general, the structural safety and functionality of the DRCS are verified through ground excitation and flow experiments. Numerical structural analysis and CFD analysis provide preliminary assessments of dynamic behavior and temperature distribution of the cabinet in order to establish guidelines for designing experiments. This also reduces time, cost, and design cycles involved in the experimentation.

Response spectrum analysis was adopted in ANSYS for seismic analysis, which gives the peak response of the structure. The analysis was performed based on required response spectra (RRS), which envelop the floor response spectra (FRS). The maximum stresses are less than the allowable stresses, and the deflections meet the requirements. Electric equipment should operate within a limited temperature range for acceptable reliability. In the direct heat removal approach, six fans are installed as heat sink and air is forced through the heat sink by the fan. The cabinet and internal modules should be designed such that adequate ventilation with the fans is provided to maintain the temperature difference between the inside and outside within 5°C. Flow and thermal analyses were carried out by a CFD program, Icepak. As a result of this analysis, the number and the capacity were determined to meet the design requirement.
Multi-stage open surgical and endovascular treatment of progressive aortic degeneration in a patient with Marfan syndrome
Authors: Cook Jason R , Desmarais Thomas J , Jim Jeffrey
Published: September 2020

Aortic interventions in patients with underlying connective tissues disorders present a unique challenge. The inevitable degeneration of the native aorta can lead to the need for multiple staged interventions with significant risk of complications associated with reoperative aortic procedures. We present a challenging case of progressive aortic degeneration in a patient with Marfan syndrome treated with multi-staged open surgical and endovascular procedures.
Department chair leadership: Exploring the role’s demands and tensions
Authors: Kruse Sharon D.
Published: September 2020

Research exploring the challenges department chairs face has long suggested the role is difficult and lacks tangible reward (Buller, 2012, 2015; Gmelch et al., 2017). Yet, as higher education demographics, settings, and organizational expectations change and chairs function in more uncertain and increasingly complex institutional environments, it is important to understand how chairs describe the challenges they encounter, the ways in which they respond to those challenges, and the knowledge and skills they draw on to do so. Drawing on 45 interviews with chairs across a variety of institution types, this study focuses on chairs’ perceptions of their role, contextualization of their learning, and understanding how orientations toward faculty, staff, and students contribute to their work. Findings suggest chairs struggle to balance their approaches to the work, striving to employ common sense while decision making, humanity when working with others, and savvy when approaching an unavoidable and often overwhelming political landscape, all while possessing limited institutional authority. These are expressed as tensions of task, organization, and role, and the people and relationships that chairs must reconcile, rather than resolve, if they are to be successful.