bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Knowledge of the context, behavior, and expectations of miners in relation to the tin mining policies and practices in Bangka Belitung
Authors: Ibrahim Ibrahim , Haryadi Dwi , Wahyudin Nanang
Published: April 2019

In the last two decades, tin mining in Bangka Belitung Islands has operated in controversy, between groups who oppose the idea of unconventional mining and those expecting the mining to be carefully performed. This is as well as prioritizing sustainability principles. Amidst the controversy, the unconventional mining methods conducted by local people have been preserved. This writing has observed the miners’ perspective of their profession. This study used quantitative methods to explore the miners’ knowledge, context, behavior, and expectations of the politics of tin mining policies and its practices. The data analysis used was frequency table and Kendall’s Tau-b correlation by applying SPSS version 20 Program. This study found that miners were generally aware that the tin wealth in this region provided great contributions to the economy sector. They also realized that their mining broke the regulation and understood that the benefits they gained were less than that gained by businessmen. The miners’ behaviour also showed awareness that mining damages the environment. A behaviour of hesitation was shown in whether they were ready or not to change their profession, the easiness of finding another job, and whether the mining situation that they worked in should be forbidden or firmly dealt with. Nevertheless, the miners hope that recent conditions can be maintained rather than restricted. This study concluded that there were inconsistent political policies at the implementation level, strengthened by the weakness of law culture in society.
Holstein ou Montbéliarde : des différences phénotypiques aux conséquences économiques à l’échelle de l’exploitation
Authors: BALANDRAUD Nathan , MOSNIER Claire , DELABY Luc , DUBIEF François , GORON Jean-Philippe , MARTIN Bruno , POMIES Dominique , CASSARD Anaël
Published: April 2019

Dans un contexte économique instable et difficile, les choix tels que la race utilisée dans les exploitations bovines laitières peuvent être remis en cause. Cet article présente au travers de deux études, l’analyse des différences phénotypiques de vaches de race Montbéliarde (Mo) et Holstein (Ho) et leur intégration au sein d’un modèle bioéconomique. Placées dans des conditions d’élevage équivalentes, les vaches de race Mo produisent environ 12% de lait en moins que celles de race Ho, avec des taux butyreux et protéique supérieurs. L’âge au vêlage est en moyenne inférieur de trois mois chez les vaches Ho, mais leurs performances de reproduction et de santé sont moins bonnes, aboutissant à un intervalle entre vêlages supérieur de 25 jours à celui de la race Mo et une fréquence de mammites plus élevée. Réalisés en excluant les systèmes sous appellation d’origine ou indication géographique contrôlée et en Agriculture Biologique, ces travaux permettent de préciser les différences de réponses à système fourrager équivalent. Les simulations économiques quantifient les conséquences des choix raciaux à l’échelle de l’exploitation dans deux scénarios : i) à même nombre de vaches et ii) à même volume de lait vendu. Ces scénarios sont appliqués à trois cas types conventionnels spécialisés dans la production laitière, mais avec des systèmes fourragers et des niveaux de production laitière contrastés (ensilage de maïs en Bretagne, maïs-herbe en Pays-de- -Loire et tout foin en Auvergne). Sur le plan économique, les simulations où les troupeaux des deux races vendent le même volume de lait montrent que la race Mo est plus rentable quel que soit le système d’élevage (+8 à +23% de résultat courant). Dans la deuxième situation, à nombre de vaches équivalent, les résultats économiques des deux races sont très proches. D’un côté, les besoins alimentaires du troupeau Ho sont supérieurs en conséquence du taux de renouvellement et du niveau d’ingestion des animaux plus élevés. De l’autre, malgré une productivité inférieure, la qualité du lait et la meilleure valorisation des carcasses de la race Mo génère plus de produits. Au final, le troupeau de race Mo permet de dégager entre 1000 et 2900 € de résultat courant supplémentaire par unité de travail homme et par an selon les situations.
Fluctuation Theorem of Information Exchange within an Ensemble of Paths Conditioned at a Coupled-Microstates
Authors: Jinwoo Lee
Published: April 2019

Fluctuation theorems are a class of equalities each of which links a thermodynamic path functional such as heat and work to a state function such as entropy and free energy. Jinwoo and Tanaka [L. Jinwoo and H. Tanaka, Sci. Rep. 5, 7832 (2015)] have shown that each microstate of a fluctuating system can be regarded as an ensemble (or a 'macrostate') if we consider trajectories that reach each microstate. They have revealed that local forms of entropy and free energy are true thermodynamic potentials of each microstate, encoding heat, and work, respectively, within an ensemble of paths that reach each state. Here we show that information that is characterized by the local form of mutual information between two subsystems in a heat bath is also a true thermodynamic potential of each coupled state and encodes the entropy production of the subsystems and heat bath during a coupling process. To this end, we extend the fluctuation theorem of information exchange [T. Sagawa and M. Ueda, Phys. Rev. Lett. 109, 180602 (2012)] by showing that the fluctuation theorem holds even within an ensemble of paths that reach a coupled state during dynamic co-evolution of two subsystems.
Recalling Meyer-Peter and Müller Approach for Assessment of Bed-Load Sediment Transport
Authors: Kuriqi Alban
Published: April 2019

In this paper is discussed sediment transport as a mechanical process that characterises a natural stream or channel flow regime. The objective of experimental work presented in this paper is to recall and to give another prospect of well-known Meyer-Peter and Müller approach for estimation of Shield’s number (θ_c,θ) in laboratory conditions, and calibration of dimensionless MPM number (A). For this purpose two different experiments are conducted, during the first experiment water amount flushed on the flume and bed slope was changed simultaneously until equilibrium state is achieved, meanwhile is estimated the critical Shield’s number (θ_c). While, during the second experiment, water amount was kept constant, only bed slope of flume was continuously tilted, meanwhile sediment, discharge and Shield’s number (θ) was determined for given hydraulic conditions. In addition calibration of dimensionless MPM number (A) was performed, where several iteration were considered until for (A=3.42), sediment discharge measured become almost equal with sediment discharge computed by using MPM formula. After these experiments, is concluded that MPM formula can be used also for other certain initial condition and similar procedure may be adopted to calibrate the dimensionless MPM number (A) .
Electrodeposition of Co-B/SiC Composite Coatings: Characterization and Evaluation of Wear Volume and Hardness
Authors: Villa-Mondragón A. , Martínez-Hernández A. , Manríquez F. , Meas Y. , Pérez-Bueno J.J. , Rodríguez-Valadez Francisco J. , Ballesteros J.C. , Morales-Hernández J. , Méndez-Albores Alia , Trejo G.
Published: April 2019

In the present paper, Co-B/SiC composite coatings were obtained via electrodeposition from colloidal suspensions with different concentrations of SiC particles and subsequent heat treatments at 350 °C. The composition, morphology and structure of the Co-B/SiC composite coatings were analyzed using glow discharge spectrometry (GDS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Hardness and tribological properties were also studied. The results showed that an increase in the SiC concentration in the colloidal suspensions resulted in both an increase in the SiC content and a decrease in the B content in the obtained Co-B/SiC coatings. The Co-B/SiC coatings were adherent, glossy and soft and exhibited a homogeneous composition in all thicknesses. By contrast, an increase in the SiC particle content of the Co-B/SiC composite coating from 0 to 2.56 at.% SiC reduced the hardness of the film from 680 to 360 HV and decreased the wear volume values from 1180 to 23 mm3 N-1 m-1, respectively (that is, the wear resistance increased). Moreover, when the Co-B/SiC coatings with SiC content ranging from 0 to 2.56 at.% SiC were subjected to a heat treatment process, the obtained coating hardness values were in the range of 1200 to 1500 HV and the wear volume values were in the range of 382 to 19 mm3 N-1 m-1.
Staphylococcal Infection in California: Strain Dominancy and Trends, a Good Day Against Superbug
Authors: Witwit Haydar
Published: April 2019

In California, an average of 41,900 patients are diagnosed annually with Staphylococcus bacterial infection; out of these, 24,090 patients have methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection and 17,810 patients have methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) infection. The aim of this paper is to find out whether there is a significant difference in strain dominancy and in what direction. The paper gathered and analyzed data for period of five years of infection rate due to Staphylococcus aureus. This study indicates that a significant difference in dominancy exists, the MRSA infection rate (an average of five years period) is 1.35 times higher than the MSSA infection rate (P-value < 0.05, CI: 95%), but the gap between the two infection rates is decreasing. The infection rate of both MRSA and MSSA is in a path of decline.
The Origin and Evolution of Release Factors: Implications for Translation Termination, Ribosome Rescue and Quality Control Pathways
Authors: Burroughs A.Maxwell , Aravind L
Published: April 2019

The evolution of release factors catalyzing the hydrolysis of the final peptidyl-tRNA bond and the release of the polypeptide from the ribosome has been a longstanding paradox. While the components of the translation apparatus are generally well-conserved across extant life, structurally-unrelated release factor peptidyl hydrolases (RF-PHs) emerged in the stems of the bacterial and archaeo-eukaryotic lineages. We analyze the diversification of RF-PH domains within the broader evolutionary framework of the translation apparatus. Thus, we reconstruct the possible state of translation termination in the Last Universal Common Ancestor with possible tRNA-like terminators. Further, evolutionary trajectories of the several auxiliary release factors in ribosome quality control (RQC) and rescue pathways point to multiple independent solutions to this problem and frequent transfers between superkingdoms including the recently-characterized ArfT, which is more widely-distributed across life than previously appreciated. The eukaryotic RQC system was pieced together from components with disparate provenance, which include the long-sought Vms1/ANKZF1 RF-PH of bacterial origin. We also uncover an under-appreciated evolutionary driver of innovation in rescue pathways: effectors deployed in biological conflicts that target the ribosome. At least three rescue pathways (centered on the prfH/RFH, baeRF-1, and C12orf65 RF-PH domains), were likely innovated in response to such conflicts.
Gas Seeps at the Edge of the Gas Hydrate Stability Zone on Brazil’s Continental Margin
Authors: Ketzer Marcelo , Praeg Daniel , Pivel Maria A.G. , Augustin Adolpho H. , Rodrigues Luiz F. , Viana Adriano R. , Cupertino Jose A.
Published: April 2019

Gas hydrate provinces are present in at least in two areas along Brazil’s continental margin: (1) the Rio Grande Cone in the southeast, and (2) the Amazon deep-sea fan in the equatorial region. The occurrence of gas hydrates in these depocentres was first detected geophysically and has recently been proven by seafloor sampling of gas vents, detected as water column acoustic anomalies rising from seafloor depressions (pockmarks) and/or mounds, many associated with seafloor faults. The gas vents include typical features of cold seep systems, including shallow sulphate reduction depths (<4 m), authigenic carbonate pavements and chemosynthetic ecosystems. In both areas, gas sampled in hydrate and in sediments is dominantly formed by biogenic methane. Calculation of the methane hydrate stability zone for water temperatures in the two areas shows that gas vents occur along its feather edge (water depths between 510-760 m in the Rio Grande Cone and 500-670 m in the Amazon deep-sea fan) but also in deeper waters within the stability zone. Gas venting along the feather edge of the stability zone could reflect gas hydrate dissociation and release to the oceans, as inferred on other continental margins, or upward fluid flow through the stability zone facilitated by tectonic structures recording the gravitational collapse of both depocentres. The potential quantity of venting gas on the Brazilian margin under different scenarios of natural or anthropogenic change require further investigation. The studied areas provide a natural laboratory where these critical processes can be analysed and quantified.
Streamline's Shape Theory
Authors: George Yuvaraj
Published: April 2019

This article attempts to propose a mathematical model and potential explanation regarding the unavoidable impact of a rigid body's peculiar shape on the seamless flow over it. The solid body completely immersed in a Newtonian fluid and respectively has a relative open circuit flow on it will typically experience various observable phenomena. These typical phenomena in laminar flow are explained using the proposed theory rather than conventional approximations or several partial theories. This article respectively represents an understanding of the laminar flow over a rigid body's external surface with due respect to its distinctive shape and size. To formulate a more realistic and simplified mathematical model for open circuit laminar flow over a body, a mathematical model is proposed based on the historical data of aerodynamics and theoretical mechanics. This mathematical model is intended to properly estimate forces on the continuous surface of the body in a laminar flow, to properly explain, understand and predict various phenomena like flow separation, flow transition, down-wash, stalling at the higher angle of attack, stalling velocity and how cambered airfoil can typically generate lift at a zero incidence angle. Most of all a mathematical model and the mechanism of streamline formation in an open-circuit laminar with respect to the shape and size of the body are illustrated.
Introducing the C.O.S.T.A. Postgraduate Research Coaching Model—A Complementary Approach to Supervision
Authors: Costa King
Published: April 2019

Postgraduate research is a massive stumbling block to students who had never had an opportunity of exposure to research methods. A study conducted by the researcher (Costa, 2018) revealed challenges in postgraduate supervision—one of these challenges was lack of exposure to research language by students. Qualitative research and its complexities due to a variety of approaches including rigour determination pose a plethora of challenges to novice researchers. This document presents C.O.S.T.A model as a tool suitable for use by academics and students, with a panoramic view of steps to be taken first to understand foundational concepts and the language of research and secondly to make informed choices on the research methods and design strategy options available for the prospective researcher. Conclusions drawn on the reliability of the model are based on empirical evidence of application of the model observed over a period of 12 months, with some students testifying to have passed their research projects satisfactorily at their respective leading universities in South Africa. Secondary research also provides voluminous sources of success of similar research supervision programmes both in South Africa and abroad.
PEGylated Polyurea Bearing Hindered Urea Bond for Drug Delivery
Authors: Chen Meishan , Feng Xiangru , Xu Weiguo , Wang Yanqiao , Yang Yanan , Jiang Zhongyu , Ding Jianxun
Published: April 2019

In recent years, polyureas with dynamic hindered urea bonds (HUBs), as a class of promising biomedical polymers, have attracted attention as a benefit of their controlled hydrolytic property. The effect of the chemical structures on the properties of polyureas and their assemblies was rarely reported. In this study, four kinds of polyureas with different chemical groups have been synthesized, and the polyurea from cyclohexyl diisocyanate and tert-butyl diamine showed the fastest hydrolytic rate. The amphiphilic polyurea composed of hydrophobic cyclohexyl-tert-butyl polyurea and hydrophilic poly(ethylene glycol) was synthesized for controlled delivery of antitumor drug paclitaxel (PTX). The PTX-loaded PEGylated polyurea micelle more effectively entered into the murine breast cancer 4T1 cells and inhibited the corresponding tumor growth in vitro and in vivo. Therefore, the PEGylated polyurea with adjustable degradation might be a promising polymer matrix for drug delivery.
Thermodynamic Efficiency of Water Vapor / Solid Chemical Sorption Heat Storage for Buildings: Theoretical Limits and Integration Considerations
Authors: Kuznik Frédéric
Published: April 2019

The theoretical limits of water sorbate based chemical sorption heat storage are investigated in this study. First, a classification of \textit{thermochemical heat storage} is proposed based on bonding typology. Then, thermodynamics of chemical solid/gas sorption is introduced. The analysis of the reaction enthalpy from the literature indicates that this value is only slightly varying for one mole of water. Using this observation, and with the help of thermodynamical considerations, it is possible to derive conclusions on energy efficiency of closed and open heat storage systems. Whatever the salt, the main results are 1) the energy required for evaporation of water is, at least, 65% of the available energy of reaction and 2) the maximum theoretical energy efficiency of the system is about 1.8.
Visual Head Counts: A Promising Method for Efficient Monitoring of Diamondback Terrapins
Authors: Levasseur Patricia , Sterrett Sean , Sutherland Chris
Published: April 2019

Generating a range-wide population status of the diamondback terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin spp.) is challenging due to a combination of species ecology and behavior, and limitations associated with traditional sampling methods. Visual counting of emergent heads offers an efficient, non-invasive and promising method for generating abundance estimates of terrapin populations across broader spatial scales and can be used to explain spatial variation in population size. We conducted repeated visual head count surveys at 38 predetermined sites along the shoreline of Wellfleet Bay in Wellfleet, Massachusetts. We analyzed the count data using a hierarchical modeling framework designed specifically to analyze repeated count data: the so-called N-mixture model. This approach allows for simultaneous modeling of imperfect detection to generate estimates of true terrapin abundance. We found detection probability was lowest when skies were overcast and when wind speed was highest. Site specific abundance varied but we found that abundance estimates were, on average, higher in unexposed sites compared to exposed sites. We demonstrate the utility of pairing visual head counts and N-mixture models as an efficient method for estimating terrapin abundance and show how the approach can be used to identifying environmental factors that influence detectability and distribution.
HIV-Associated Cryptococcal Immune Reconstitution Inflammatory Syndrome is Associated with Aberrant T Cell Function and Increased Cytokine Responses
Authors: Meya David B. , Okurut Samuel , Zziwa Godfrey , Cose Stephen , Boulware David R. , Janoff Edward N.
Published: April 2019

Cryptococcal meningitis remains a significant opportunistic infection among HIV-infected patients, contributing 15%-20% of HIV-related mortality. A complication of initiating Antiretroviral therapy (ART) following opportunistic infection is Immune Reconstitution Inflammatory Syndrome (IRIS). IRIS afflicts 10-30% of HIV-infected patients with cryptococcal meningitis (CM), but its immunopathogenesis is poorly understood. We compared circulating T cell memory subsets and cytokine responses among 17 HIV-infected Ugandans with CM: 11 with and 6 without CM-IRIS. At meningitis diagnosis, stimulation with cryptococcal capsule component, glucuronoxylomannan (GXM) elicited consistently lower frequencies of CD4+ and CD8+ T cell memory subsets expressing intracellular cytokines (IL-2, IFN-γ and IL-17) among subjects who subsequently developed CM-IRIS. After ART initiation, T cells evolved to show a decreased CD8+ central memory phenotype. At the onset of CM-IRIS, stimulation more frequently generated polyfunctional IL-2+/IL-17+ CD4+ T cells in patients with CM-IRIS. Moreover, CD8+ central and effector memory T cells from CM-IRIS subjects also demonstrated more robust IL-2 responses to antigenic stimulation vs. controls. Thus, ART during CM elicits distinct differences in T cell cytokine production in response to cryptococcal antigens both prior to and during the development of IRIS, suggesting an immunologic foundation for the development of this morbid complication of CM infection.
Preparation of Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) Perforated Membrane via CO2 foaming and Its Particle Separation Performance
Authors: Ge Chengbiao , Zhai Wentao , Park Chul B.
Published: April 2019

The way in which a perforated structure is formed has attracted much interest in the porous membrane research community. This novel structure gives materials an excellent antifouling property as well as a low operating pressure and other benefits. Unfortunately, the current membrane fabrication methods usually involve multi-step processes and the use of organic solvents or additives. Our study is the first to offer a way to prepare perforated membrane by using a physical foaming technique with CO2 as the blowing agent. We selected thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) as the base material because it is a biocompatible elastomer with excellent tensility, high abrasion resistance, and good elastic resilience. Various processing parameters, which included the saturation pressure, the foaming temperature, and the membrane thickness, were applied to adjust the TPU membrane’s perforated morphology. We proposed a possible formation mechanism of the perforated membrane. The as-prepared TPU membrane had good mechanical properties with a tensile strength of about 5 MPa and an elongation at break above 100%. Such mechanical properties make this novel membrane usable as a self-standing filter device. In addition, its straight-through channel structure can separate particles and meet different separation requirements.
Wearable Enzymatic Alcohol Biosensor
Authors: Lansdorp Bob , Ramsay William , Hamid Rashad , Strenk Evan
Published: April 2019

Transdermal alcohol biosensors have the ability to detect the alcohol that emanates from the bloodstream and diffuses through the skin. However, they have suffered from long-term fouling of the sensor element and drift in the resulting sensor readings over time. Here, we report a disposable cartridge platform that solves the problem of sensor fouling, and an enzymatic detection pathway that minimizes baseline drift for sensitive detection. Laboratory characterization of the enzymatic alcohol sensor demonstrates a linear sensor range of between 0 and 50 mM. Further, we show continuous transdermal alcohol data recorded with a human subject over 48 hours.
Team Approach: Treatment and Rehabilitation of Patients with Spinal Cord Injury Resulting in Tetraplegia
Authors: Zlotolow Dan A. , Lipa Bethany , Pahys Joshua M.
Published: April 2019

» Cervical spinal cord injuries result in limited upper extremity function and often lead to loss of independence.

» Tendon and nerve transfers have been shown to reliably improve upper extremity function.

» Most patients with injuries at or caudad to the C6 level can become independent through tendon and nerve transfers.

» Nerve transfers have expanded the reconstructive options beyond what was available with just tendon transfers and often can allow the patient to obtain 1 or 2 more functions than previously possible.

» Patients and physiatrists can be reticent to consider upper limb surgery because they fear compromising long-term function when a cure for spinal cord injury is discovered.
Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair
Authors: Hurley Eoghan T. , Maye Andrew B. , Mullett Hannan
Published: April 2019

Background:

Rotator cuff tears are a common pathology, with an increasing number of repairs being performed arthroscopically. The purpose of this study was to systematically review the results in the current meta-analyses on arthroscopic rotator cuff repair, looking specifically at double-row repair compared with single-row repair, at whether platelet-rich plasma should be used adjunctively at the time of the surgical procedure, and at the effects of early-motion compared with late-motion rehabilitation postoperatively.

Methods:

MEDLINE, Embase, and the Cochrane Library were screened for meta-analyses on arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. The levels and quality of the evidence were assessed, and the clinical outcomes were evaluated. A significant result was defined as p < 0.05.

Results:

Twenty-four meta-analyses were identified, with 10 meta-analyses on double-row repair compared with single-row repair, 7 meta-analyses on platelet-rich plasma compared with a control, and 7 meta-analyses on early motion compared with late motion. Studies found a significant result in terms of reduced retear rates and/or increased tendon-healing rate for double-row repair (6 of 10 studies; p < 0.05), without a clinically important improvement in functional outcomes (0 of 10 studies). There was a favorable outcome when using platelet-rich plasma in small-to-medium tears in terms of a reduced rate of retear (4 of 4 studies; p < 0.05). However, in the 1 study in which platelet-rich plasma was stratified into pure platelet-rich plasma and platelet-rich fibrin matrix preparation, there was a significantly lower retear rate for tears of all sizes with platelet-rich plasma and not with platelet-rich fibrin (p < 0.05). Range of motion was shown to be significantly better with early motion (5 of 6 studies; p < 0.05) in the majority of the meta-analyses, without an increased risk of retear (6 of 6 studies; p > 0.05).

Conclusions:

The highest Level of Evidence and the highest-quality studies all supported the use of double-row repair, adjunctive platelet-rich plasma, and early-motion rehabilitation postoperatively in arthroscopic rotator cuff repair.

Level of Evidence:

Therapeutic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Proximal Junctional Kyphosis
Authors: Mika Aleksander P. , Mesfin Addisu , Rubery Paul T. , Molinari Robert , Kebaish Khaled M. , Menga Emmanuel N.
Published: April 2019

» Proximal junctional kyphosis, a complication associated with both pediatric and adult spinal deformity surgical procedures, is defined as a proximal junctional sagittal Cobb angle of ≥10° or a proximal junctional sagittal Cobb angle at least 10° greater than the preoperative measurement.

» Several risk factors for the development of proximal junctional kyphosis have been identified using univariate analysis, but many of these factors lose significance when examined by multivariate analysis.

» Future proximal junctional kyphosis studies should include longer follow-up periods and patients with both asymptomatic and symptomatic proximal junctional kyphosis or proximal junctional failure and should examine patient risk factors, spinopelvic parameters, and specific instrumentation techniques.
Characterization of a Novel Pathogenic Mutation Causing Mitochondrial Neurogastrointestinal Encephalopathy
Authors: Habibzadeh Parham , Silawi Mohammad , Dastsooz Hassan , Bahramjahan Shima , Jahromi Shahrokh Ezzatzadegan , Ostovan Vahid Reza , Yavarian Majid , Mofatteh Mohammad , Faghihi Mohammad Ali
Published: April 2019

Background

Mitochondrial neurogastrointestinal encephalopathy (MNGIE) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder caused by mutations in TYMP gene, encoding nuclear thymidine phosphorylase (TP). MNGIE mainly presents with gastrointestinal symptoms and is mostly misdiagnosed in many patients as malabsorption syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, anorexia nervosa, and intestinal pseudo-obstruction. Up to date, more than 80 pathogenic and likely pathogenic mutations associated with the disease have been reported in patients from a wide range of ethnicities. The objective of this study was to investigate the underlying genetic abnormalities in a 25-year-old woman affected with MNGIE.

Case Presentation

The patient was a 25-year-old female referred to our center with the chief complaint of severe abdominal pain and diarrhea for two years that had worsened from two months prior to admission. The clinical and para-clinical findings were in favor of mitochondrial neurogastrointestinal encephalopathy syndrome. Subsequent genetic studies revealed a novel, private, homozygous nonsense mutation in TYMP gene (c. 1013 C>A, p.S338X). Sanger sequencing confirmed the new mutation in the proband. Multiple sequence alignment showed high conservation of amino acids of this protein across different species.

Conclusion

The detected new nonsense mutation in the TYMP gene would be very important for genetic counseling and subsequent early diagnosis and initiation of proper therapy. This novel pathogenic variant would help us establish future genotype-phenotype correlations and identify different pathways related to this disorder.
Removal of chromium (VI) from aqueous solutions using Diospyros discolor seed activated with nitric acid: isotherm and kinetic studies
Authors: Arrisujaya Dian , Ariesta Nina , Maslahat Mamay
Published: April 2019

Diospyros discolor seed activated with nitric acid was investigated for removing Cr(VI) from aqueous solutions. Batch experiments were used to determine the adsorption efficiency, effect of pH, adsorption isotherm, and kinetics. Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption models were used to analyze data of Cr(VI) uptake. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was used to investigate the functional groups and surface morphology was checked using a scanning electron microscope, coupled with energy dispersive spectroscopy. The optimum pH in Cr(VI) uptake was 3.5 and the maximum adsorption efficiency reached 100% at 60 min.
Possible mechanism of infarct formation
Authors: Akhmetov A.T. , Zakhirov K.R. , Sametov S.P.
Published: April 2019

Following the detecting of the effect of dynamic blocking of W/O water-hydrocarbon dispersions (microdroplets of water in a hydrocarbon) a similar phenomenon was observed during the flow in capillaries of a biological disperse medium – a blood (red blood cells in plasma). In the experiments, blood was used with a different content of erythrocytes. Adding a glugicir as a preservative that is traditionally used in donor fences reduces the blood concentration by 10%. Ethylene-diamine-tetra-acetic acid (EDTA) practically preserves the initial concentration. Reducing the pressure to 20 kPa and below approximates the hydraulic conditions to living organisms. It turns out that the dynamic blocking found under such conditions is more stable and can form the basis of one of the possible mechanisms of the infarction.
Determination of well perforation quality by means of pressure impulses
Authors: Ishmukhametova A.A. , Khusainov I.G.
Published: April 2019

The problem of short-wave acoustic logging of a perforated well is presented. The coefficients of reflection and transmission of pressure wave pulses at the boundary between the cased and perforated sections of the borehole are obtained. The conclusion is made about the possibility of using this method for the operational control of the quality of the formation opening.
Stability of the motion of hopping pneumoelastic systems
Authors: Komarov S.S. , Miscactin N.I.
Published: April 2019

The spatial motion of a multi-mass hopping pneumoelastic system is considered. The stability of motion of a pneumoelastic system and the stability of an algorithm for numerical integration of equations are studied.
Mathematical model of natural gas flow in pipelines in the presence of hydrate formation
Authors: Shagapov V.Sh. , Urazov R.R.
Published: April 2019

The flow of wet natural gas in the pipeline is considered in the presence of the formation of gas hydrates on the internal walls of the channel. In the description of the phenomenon, such interrelated processes as phase transformations and mass transfer of water into the composition of gas hydrates, heat transfer between the gas stream and the environment, heat conductivity in the ground are taken into account.
Mechanistic Insights of Chemicals and Drugs as Risk Factors for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Authors: Pan Qingjun , Guo Yun , Guo Linjie , Liao Shuzhen , Zhao Chunfei , Wang Sijie , Liu Hua-Feng
Published: April 2019

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic and relapsing heterogenous autoimmune
disease that primarily affects women of reproductive age. Genetic and environmental risk factors
are involved in the pathogenesis of SLE, and susceptibility genes have recently been identified.
However, as gene therapy is far from clinical application, further investigation of environmental risk
factors could reveal important therapeutic approaches. We systematically explored two groups of environmental
risk factors: chemicals (including silica, solvents, pesticides, hydrocarbons, heavy metals,
and particulate matter) and drugs (including procainamide, hydralazine, quinidine, Dpenicillamine,
isoniazid, and methyldopa). Furthermore, the mechanisms underlying risk factors,
such as genetic factors, epigenetic change, and disrupted immune tolerance, were explored. This review
identifies novel risk factors and their underlying mechanisms. Practicable measures for the
management of these risk factors will benefit SLE patients and provide potential therapeutic strategies.
Recent Advances of Chitosan and its Derivatives in Biomedical Applications
Authors: Ding Fei , Fu Jiawei , Tao Chuang , Yu Yanhua , He Xianran , Gao Yangguang , Zhang Yongmin
Published: April 2019

Chitosan is the second-most abundant natural polysaccharide. It has unique characteristics,
such as biodegradability, biocompatibility, and non-toxicity. Due to the existence of its free amine
group and hydroxyl groups on its backbone chain, chitosan can undergo further chemical modifications
to generate Chitosan Derivatives (CDs) that permit additional biomedical functionality. Chitosan
and CDs can be fabricated into various forms, including Nanoparticles (NPs), micelles, hydrogels,
nanocomposites and nano-chelates. For these reasons, chitosan and CDs have found a tremendous
variety of biomedical applications in recent years. This paper mainly presents the prominent
applications of chitosan and CDs for cancer therapy/diagnosis, molecule biosensing, viral infection,
and tissue engineering over the past five years. Moreover, future research directions on chitosan are
also considered.
GDF-15: A Multifunctional Modulator and Potential Therapeutic Target in Cancer
Authors: Fang Lei , Li Fengzhou , Gu Chundong
Published: April 2019

Various pathological processes are associated with the aberrant expression and function of cytokines, especially those belonging to the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) family. Nevertheless, the functions of members of the TGF-β family in cancer progression and therapy are still uncertain. Growth differentiation factor- 15, which exists in intracellular and extracellular forms, is classified as a divergent member of the TGF-β superfamily. It has been indicated that GDF-15 is also connected to the evolution of cancer both positively and negatively depending upon the cellular state and environment. Under normal physiological conditions, GDF-15 inhibits early tumour promotion. However, its abnormal expression in advanced cancers causes proliferation, invasion, metastasis, cancer stem cell formation, immune escape and a reduced response to therapy. As a clinical indicator, GDF-15 can be used as a tool for the diagnosis and therapy of an extensive scope of cancers. Although some basic functions of GDF-15 are noncontroversial, their mechanisms remain unclear and complicated at the molecular level. Therefore, GDF-15 needs to be further explored and reviewed.
Expression and Significance of Th17 Cells and Related Factors in Patients with Autoimmune Hepatitis
Authors: An Jihong
Published: April 2019

Objective:

This study aims to investigate the expression and clinical significance of
Th17 cells and related factors in peripheral blood of patients with Autoimmune Hepatitis (AIH).

Methods:

A retrospective selection of 100 patients with AIH were included as a study group, and
100 healthy volunteers in the outpatient clinic were selected as the control group. The levels of IL-
17, IL-6, IL-21 and TNF-α in peripheral blood of all subjects were detected by enzyme-linked
immunosorbent assay and the frequency of Th17 cells and Treg cells was detected by flow
cytometry.

Results:

Results showed that the study group had higher levels of serum total bilirubin (TBil),
alkaline phosphatase (ALP), γ -glutamyltranspeptidase (γ-GT), immunoglobulin G (IgG),
immunoglobulin M (IgM), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST)
than the control group, as well as higher levels of IL-17, IL-6, IL-21 and TNF-α in serum. The
frequency of Th17 cells in peripheral blood was higher in the study group, while the frequency of
Treg cells was lower. Also, serum IL-17, TNF-α levels and Th17 cells frequency were positively
correlated with ALT and AST, whereas Treg cells frequency were negatively correlated with ALT
and AST levels.

Conclusion:

Our finding demonstrates that Th17 cell frequency and their related factors IL-17 and
TNF-α, are associated with liver damage, which might be used to monitor AIH disease severity.
Valorization of Fruits by-products to Unconventional Sources of Additives, Oil, Biomolecules and Innovative Functional Foods
Authors: Dimou Charalampia , Karantonis Haralabos C. , Skalkos Dimitrios , Koutelidakis Antonios E.
Published: April 2019

Owning to the increase in the world population as well as the consumer’s awareness on the
health benefits of consumption of fruits, the demand for both fresh and processed fruits has been increased.
The by-product and waste streams generated from fruit processing industries are extremely
diverse, owning mainly to different fruits varieties and the wide range of the processes employed towards
the production of the end fruit-based products. Due to the increasing production and processing
of fruits, disposal of waste and by-product streams has become a serious issue, since these materials
are prone to microbial spoilage. Also, the inappropriate waste management practices pose severe environmental
issues. Furthermore, the costs of drying and storage of fruit processing residues are economically
limiting factors hindering their further exploitation. Therefore, fruit processing by-products
such as peels, seeds and unused flesh are often utilized as fertilizers. On the other hand, plant residues
contain biomolecules such as vitamins, proteins, minerals, antioxidants and aromatic oil. Recovery of
bioactive compounds holds a great potential for their usage in food industry as functional ingredients
and nutraceuticals or in pharmaceutical and in cosmetic applications. So, valorization of plant fruit
processing by-products to high-value added compounds, constitute a promising alternative not only for
addressing fruit residues management issues but also leading to the production of functional food
products of high nutritional value, with several potential beneficial health effects. The aim of this paper
is to highlight current trends in addressing environmental issues caused by the production of high volumes
of specific categories of fruit processing waste streams by investigating their potential usage as
natural raw materials for the recovery of valuable bioactive compounds (such as polyphenols, dietary
fibers or aromatic oil). The extracted nutrients may be used in the industrial food sector for the production
of functional foods, nutraceuticals or even as health promoting natural pharmaceutical ingredients
or additives for the production of innovative enriched foods.

Highlights:
• Fruit processing by product streams are rich in bioactive compounds.

• Integration of fruit by-products and waste streams to value added products such as additives, unconventional
oil, bioactive compounds and novel functional products is a very interesting approach
regarding fruit processing residues exploitation.

• Recovering of biomolecules from fruit residues by non-thermal processes could lead to the efficient
production of highly purified functional ingredients.

• Negative-valued fruit processing residues could be recycled for the production of health promoting
value added products.
Toll-like Receptor as a Molecular Link between Metabolic Syndrome and Inflammation: A Review
Authors: Wong Sok Kuan , Chin Kok-Yong , Ima-Nirwana Soelaiman
Published: April 2019

Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) involves a cluster of five conditions, i.e. obesity, hyperglycaemia,
hypertension, hypertriglyceridemia and low High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. All
components of MetS share an underlying chronic inflammatory aetiology, manifested by increased
levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines. The pathogenic role of inflammation in the development of
MetS suggested that toll-like receptor (TLR) activation may trigger MetS. This review summarises the
supporting evidence on the interactions between MetS and TLR activation, bridged by the elevation of
TLR ligands during MetS. The regulatory circuits mediated by TLR activation, which modulates signal
propagation, leading to the state of chronic inflammation, are also discussed. Taken together, TLR
activation could be the molecular basis in the development of MetS-induced inflammation.
Privacy Protection of Patient Medical Images using Digital Watermarking Technique for E-healthcare System
Authors: Sivaprakash Asokan , Rajan Samuel Nadar Edward , Selvaperumal Sundaramoorthy
Published: April 2019

Background:

Privacy protection has been a critical issue in the delivery of medical images
for telemedicine, e-health care and other remote medical systems.

Objective:

The aim of this proposed work is to implement a secure, reversible, digital watermarking
technique for the transmission of medical data remotely in health care systems.

Methods:

In this research work, we employed a novel optimized digital watermarking scheme using
discrete wavelet transform and singular value decomposition using cuckoo search algorithm
based on Lévy flight for embedding watermark into the grayscale medical images of the patient.
The performance of our proposed algorithm is evaluated on four different 256 × 256 grayscale host
medical images and a 32 × 32 binary logo image.

Results:

The performance of the proposed scheme in terms of peak signal to noise ratio was remarkably
high, with an average of 55.022dB compared to other methods.

Conclusion:

Experimental results reveal that the proposed method is capable of achieving superior
performance compared to some of the state-of-art schemes in terms of robustness, security and
high embedding capacity which is required in the field of telemedicine and e-health care system.
Evaluation of New 99mTc(CO)3 + Radiolabeled Glycylglycine In Vivo
Authors: Şenışık Ahmet M. , İçhedef Çiğdem , Kılçar Ayfer Y. , Uçar Eser , Arı Kadir , Parlak Yasemin , Bilgin Elvan S. , Teksöz Serap
Published: April 2019

Background:

Peptide-based agents are used in molecular imaging due to their unique properties, such as
rapid clearance from the circulation, high affinity and target selectivity. Many of the radiolabeled peptides have
been clinically experienced with diagnostic accuracy. The aim of this study was to investigate in vivo biological
behavior of [99mTc(CO)3(H2O)3]+ radiolabeled glycylglycine (GlyGly).

Methods:

Glycylglycine was radiolabeled with a high radiolabeling yield of 94.69±2%, and quality control of the
radiolabeling process was performed by thin layer radiochromatography (TLRC) and High-Performance Liquid
Radiochromatography (HPLRC). Lipophilicity study for radiolabeled complex (99mTc(CO)3-Gly-Gly) was carried
out using solvent extraction. The in vivo evaluation was performed by both biodistribution and SPECT imaging.

Results:

The high radiolabelling yield of 99mTc(CO)3-GlyGly was obtained and verified by TLRC and HPLRC as
well. According to the in vivo results, SPECT images and biodistribution data are in good accordance. The
excretion route from the body was both hepatobiliary and renal.

Conclusion:

This study shows that 99mTc(CO)3-GlyGly has the potential to be used as a peptide-based imaging
agent. Further studies, 99mTc(CO)3-GlyGly can be performed on tumor-bearing animals.
Transcriptome Analysis of mRNA in Uterine Leiomyoma Using Next-generation RNA Sequencing
Authors: Anjum Shadab , Sahar Tahreem , Nigam Aruna , Wajid Saima
Published: April 2019

Background:

Uterine leiomyoma is a benign smooth muscle tumor of monoclonal nature in the
female reproductive tract and is one of the major health problems. More than 70% of the female population
suffers from uterine leiomyoma in their lifetime and in the advanced condition, it is associated with pregnancy
complications and infertility.

Objective:

Characterization and relative expression of mRNA transcripts through transcriptome profiling in
uterine leiomyoma and adjacent normal myometrium.

Methods:

Uterine leiomyoma tissue of an Indian female, age 32 years, with a family history of leiomyoma
(evident from mother’s hysterectomy for the same pathology) was used. Patient showed 9 multiple large lesions
appearing heterogeneously, deforming the uterine contour and causing distortion and splaying of the endometrial
cavity showing disease aggressiveness was taken for Next-generation sequencing (NGS) to develop
whole transcriptome profile along with the adjacent normal myometrium as control. The validation of the
relative expression of the selective transcripts was done using Real-Time PCR.

Results:

The transcriptome profile indicated 128 genes up-regulated and 98 down-regulated, with the Log2 fold
change ≥ 2 and P ≤ 0.05, highlighting the molecular network closely associated with focal adhesion, hyaluronan
and MAPK-signaling pathways. The mean relative fold change obtained from quantitative PCR as well as the
P-values of 10 selected transcripts evaluated from student’s t-test were as follows: BCAN: 7.93 fold (p-value
=0.0013); AAK1: 2.2 fold (p-value =0.0036); PCBP3: 3.4 fold (p-value =0.0197); MOV10L1: 3.4 fold (p-value
=0.0062); TWISTNB: 1.8 fold (p-value =0.006); TMSB15A: 2.1 fold (p-value =0.0023); SMAD1: 0.8 fold
(p-value =0.0112); ANXA1: 0.6 fold (p-value =0.0012); FOS: 0.6 fold (p-value =0.0191); SLFN11: 0.56 fold
(p-value =0.0001).

Conclusion:

The present study provides a roadmap, towards the analysis of genes and their roles in corresponding
pathways throwing light on their possible involvement in the pathology of the disease.