bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Identification of red blood cell antibodies in maternal breast milk implicated in prolonged hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn
Authors: Leonard Alexis , Hittson Boal Lauren , Pary Philippe , Mo Y. Delores , Jacquot Cyril , Luban Naomi L. , Darbari Deepika S. , Webb Jennifer
Published: February 2019

BACKGROUND

Alloantibodies against more than 50 non‐ABO blood group antigens have been implicated in hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn (HDFN) and are expected to wane within weeks after delivery. Persistent anemia leads to the hypothesis of continued exposure to red blood cell (RBC) alloantibodies via breast milk, which has been shown in a murine model and suggested in rare case reports.

CASE REPORT

We report three cases of prolonged HDFN in two neonates with anti‐D HDFN and one with anti‐Jka HDFN. Patient 1 demonstrated 4+ anti‐D serologic testing beyond 2 months; therefore, antibody testing was performed on maternal breast milk.

METHODS

Maternal serum samples were tested for the presence of unexpected antibodies using standard Ortho gel card and 37 °C 60 minutes with anti‐human globulin (AHG) tube saline methods. Antibody titrations were performed using the standard 37 °C 60 minutes to AHG tube saline method. Fresh breast milk samples were tested using the standard 37 °C 60 minutes to AHG tube saline method for both unexpected antibodies and titration study. Fresh breast milk from an O‐positive, antibody‐negative donor was used as control for any reactivity that may have been due to milk solids or proteins alone.

RESULTS

Using a known methodology applied in a novel way to test breast milk for RBC alloantibodies, antibodies against fetal RBCs were identified in the maternal breast milk of three patients.

CONCLUSION

Maternal RBC alloantibodies are present in breast milk and may be clinically significant in patients with prolonged recovery from HDFN.
Serum vascular endothelial growth factor changes and safety after topical anti‐human VEGF antibody bevacizumab in healthy dogs
Authors: Muellerleile Lisa‐Marie , Tichy Alexander , Nell Barbara
Published: February 2019

Objective

To evaluate ocular and general safety of topical anti‐human VEGF bevacizumab and the effect on serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) values in healthy dogs.

Procedures

Nine university‐owned beagles received 0.05 mL of 0.25% bevacizumab eyedrops (Avastin®, Roche) in one eye and 0.05 mL of 0.9% saline solution in the other eye as a control, administered at 12 hours intervals over a period of 28 days. Continuous monitoring for vital parameters and ocular examinations were conducted. Complete blood counts including hematology and coagulation parameters were performed before trial start as well as 24 hours, 7 days, and 28 days after trial start. Measurements of serum VEGF values were obtained using an ELISA‐based approach at days 0, 7, and 28. The experiment was designed as a masked placebo‐controlled study.

Results

No clinical signs of ocular toxicity or systemic incompatibility were noted in any dog at any time point of the study. No signs of pain were present in any dog at any time point. All blood count values remained in normal clinical ranges without relevant variation. There was no significant change in mean serum VEGF values between day 0 and day 7 and between day 0 and day 28.

Conclusions

The results indicate that topical bevacizumab treatment is safe in healthy dogs. However, further studies are needed to assess safety and efficacy in diseased dogs with naturally occurring corneal neovascularization.
Comparison of early posttreatment effects of two steroidal anti‐inflammatory ophthalmic drugs on the ocular inflammatory response induced by paracentesis in healthy canine eyes
Authors: Sato Kazuaki , Iwasaki Kiwako , Nagai Noriaki , Yamashita Yohei , Chikazawa Seishiro , Hoshi Fumio , Kanai Kazutaka
Published: February 2019

Objective

We investigated the early posttreatment effects of two steroidal anti‐inflammatory ophthalmic drugs on blood‐aqueous barrier (BAB) breakdown by paracentesis in dogs.

Animal studies

We studied 21 healthy beagles with normal eyes.

Procedures

Controlled anterior chamber paracentesis (0.5 mL) was performed in one eye of each dog. Control group dogs (n = 7) received no medication, whereas those in the treatment groups received a topical anti‐inflammatory medication (difluprednate [DFBA] ophthalmic emulsion 0.05% [n = 7] or betamethasone [BMZ] sodium phosphate ophthalmic solution 0.1% [n = 7]) at 0, 15, 30, and 45 minutes after initial paracentesis in the paracentesed eyes. Secondary aqueous humor (AH) was collected 60 minutes after initial paracentesis. Protein and prostaglandin E2(PGE2) concentrations in AH were determined using the bicinchoninic acid assay and commercially available immunoassay kit, respectively. All mean values in the three groups were compared using analysis of variance followed by Tukey's post hoc test.

Results

Aqueous protein and PGE2concentrations were markedly increased at 60 minutes following paracentesis. Both concentrations in the secondary AH of the DFBA group were significantly lower than those of the control group; however, treatment with BMZ had no significant effects.

Conclusions

Early postparacentesis treatment with DFBA was more effective than that with BMZ for reducing aqueous protein and PGE2contents in dogs with paracentesis‐induced BAB breakdown. DFBA may be an appropriate treatment during the early stage of anterior uveitis caused by intraocular surgery in dogs.
Nonlinear Buckling and Postbuckling of Shallow Arches With Vertical Elastic Supports
Authors: Zhou Yang , Yi Zhuangpeng , Stanciulescu Ilinca
Published: February 2019

This paper presents an analytical method to investigate the effects of symmetric and asymmetric elastic supports on the nonlinear equilibria and buckling responses of shallow arches. It is found that arches with symmetric elastic supports can bifurcate into secondary paths with high-order symmetric modes. When a small asymmetry exists in the elastic supports, the equilibria of the arch may abruptly split and lead to the occurrence of remote unconnected equilibria. Such unconnected equilibria can be obtained experimentally or numerically using typical path following controls only with prior knowledge of location of these paths. A small asymmetry in the elastic supports may also make a secondary branch shrink into points connecting surrounding equilibria, resulting in the appearance of more limit points. The analytical solutions are also derived to directly calculate critical loads. We find that the magnitude of the stiffness of symmetric elastic supports has no influence on limits loads and bifurcation loads at branching into secondary paths with symmetric configurations, but greatly affect the bifurcation loads of secondary paths with asymmetric configurations. All critical loads are very sensitive to the degree of asymmetry in the elastic supports. The asymmetry in the supports reduces the top values of all pairs of critical loads compared to the case of symmetric elastic supports. The results obtained from the analytical derivations are confirmed using finite element analysis (FEA).
Limits on Transformation Strains for Non-Negative
Dissipation
Authors: Vasoya Manish , Kondori Babak , Benzerga Ahmed Amine , Needleman Alan
Published: February 2019

We consider the maximum value of the magnitude of transformation strain for an Eshelby inclusion set by the requirement of non-negative dissipation. The general formulation for a linear elastic solid shows that the dissipation associated with a strain transformation can be calculated as an integral over the transformed inclusion. Closed-form expressions are given for the maximum transformation strain magnitude in an isotropic linear elastic solid for both cylindrical and spherical inclusions that have undergone transformations corresponding to either a pure volume (or area) change or a pure shear. Most results presented are for transformations in an infinite solid and presume uniform material properties. Examples of the effect of a finite boundary and of differing material properties inside and outside the transformed inclusion are also given. The analytical results indicate that non-negative dissipation typically limits the transformation strain to being a constant of order unity times the critical stress at transformation divided by a relevant elastic modulus.
Parametric Topology Optimization Toward Rational Design and Efficient Prefabrication for Additive Manufacturing
Authors: Jiang Long , Ye Hang , Zhou Chi , Chen Shikui
Published: February 2019

The significant advance in the boosted fabrication speed and printing resolution of additive manufacturing (AM) technology has considerably increased the capability of achieving product designs with high geometric complexity and provided tremendous potential for mass customization. However, it is also because of geometric complexity and large quantity of mass-customized products that the prefabrication (layer slicing, path planning, and support generation) is becoming the bottleneck of the AM process due to the ever-increasing computational cost. In this paper, the authors devise an integrated computational framework by synthesizing the parametric level set-based topology optimization method with the stereolithography (SLA)-based AM process for intelligent design and manufacturing of multiscale structures. The topology of the design is optimized with a distance-regularized parametric level set method considering the prefabrication computation. With the proposed framework, the structural topology optimization not only can create single material structure designs but also can generate multiscale, multimaterial structures, offering the flexibility and robustness of the structural design that the conventional methods could not provide. The output of the framework is a set of mask images that can be directly used in the AM process. The proposed approach seamlessly integrates the rational design and manufacturing to reduce the numerical complexity of the computationally expensive prefabrication process. More specifically, the prefabrication-friendly design and optimization procedure are devised to drastically eliminate the redundant computations in the traditional framework. Two test examples, including a free-form 3D cantilever beam and a multiscale meta-structure, are utilized to demonstrate the performance of the proposed approach. Both the simulation and experimental results verified that the new rational design could significantly reduce the prefabrication computation cost without affecting the original design intent or sacrificing the original functionality.
The Onset of Instabilities in Mixed Convection Boundary Layer Flow Over a Heated Horizontal Circular Cylinder
Authors: Mouloud Smail , Nait-Bouda Faïçal , Sadaoui Djamel , Mendil Fatsah
Published: February 2019

The purpose of this study is to examine the instabilities of a two-dimensional mixed convection boundary layer flow induced by an impinging ascending flow on a heated horizontal cylinder. A significant amount of works is done in recent years on this problem because of its wide range of applications. However, they did not check the stability of the flow in the face of small disturbances that occur in reality. For this, we adopt the linear stability theory by first solving the steady basic flow and then solving the linear perturbed problem. Thus, the governing equations of the basic flow are reduced to two coupled partial differential equations and solved numerically with the Keller-Box method. The corresponding steady solution is obtained, by varying the position along the cylinder’s surface, for different values of Richardson number (λ) and Prandtl number (Pr), up to, respectively, 3000 and 20. To examine the onset of thermal instabilities, the linear stability analysis is done using the normal mode decomposition with small harmonic disturbances. The Richardson number λ is chosen as the control parameter of these instabilities. The resulting eigenvalue problem is solved numerically by the use of the pseudospectral method based on the Laguerre polynomials. The computed results for neutral and temporal growth curves are depicted and discussed in detail through graphs for various parametric conditions. The critical conditions are illustrated graphically to show from which thermodynamic state, the flow begins to become unstable. As a main result, from ξ = 0 to ξ ≈ π/3, we found that forced and mixed convection flow cases are linearly stable in this region. However, in free convection case (λ > 100), it appears that the stagnation zone is the most unstable one and then the instability decreases along the cylinder’s surface up to the limit of its first third, thus giving the most stable zone of the cylinder. Beyond ξ ≈ 1.2, strong instabilities are noted also for low values of Richardson number, and the flow tends to an unstable state even in the absence of thermal effect, i.e., hydrodynamically unstable Ri = 0, probably due to the occurring of the boundary layer separation.
Investigation of Two-Phase Liquid-Droplet Flow With Particle Deposition in the Heat Exchanger
Authors: Yap Y. F. , Li H. Y. , Lou J. , Miao H. Y.
Published: February 2019

This article presents a numerical study of particle deposition in two fluids, i.e., liquid and droplet flow in a single row tube bundle heat exchanger. The tubes in the heat exchanger are modeled as heating sources. Two level-set functions are used to capture the liquid-droplet interface and the liquid-deposit front. The effects of different parameters, including Damköhler number, thermal conductivity of the deposit, viscosity of the liquid, and the heating power of the tube on the flow and heat transfer, are investigated. The deposit profiles on the tube surface are analyzed. Comparison is made for the averaged Nusselt number for the case without and with deposition. It is found that the tube surface has a thicker deposit at the upstream facing side compared with that of the downstream facing side. Generally, the heat transfer rate reduces with the growth of the deposit. Under certain conditions, heat transfer can be increased because of the increase in fluid velocity due to blockage of the flow area by the deposit. The averaged Nusselt number oscillated temporally in response to the droplet movement across the tube. Generally, the temperature at the liquid-deposit front decreases with thicker deposit formed. The averaged Nusselt number along the liquid-deposit front increases to a critical value initially, and it starts to decrease with the growth of the deposit.
Multigrain Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics and Hertzian Contact Modeling of the Grinding Force in Atherectomy
Authors: Zheng Yihao , Liu Yao , Liu Yang , Shih Albert J.
Published: February 2019

This study investigated the grinding force in rotational atherectomy, a clinical procedure that uses a high-speed grinding wheel to remove hardened, calcified plaque inside the human arteries. The grinding force, wheel motion, and ground surface were measured based on a ring-shape bovine bone surrogate for the calcified plaque. At 135,000, 155,000, and 175,000 rpm wheel rotational speed, the grinding forces were 1.84, 1.92, and 2.22 N and the wheel orbital speeds were 6060, 6840, and 7800 rpm, respectively. The grinding wheel was observed to bounce on the wall of the bone surrogate, leaving discrete grinding marks. Based on this observation, we modeled the grinding force in two components: impact and cutting forces. The impact force between the grinding wheel and the bone surrogate was calculated by the Hertz contact model. A multigrain smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) model was established to simulate the cutting force. The grinding wheel model was built according to the wheel surface topography scanned by a laser confocal microscope. The workpiece was modeled by kinematic-geometrical cutting. The simulation predicted a cutting force of 41, 51, and 99 mN at the three investigated wheel rotational speeds. The resultant grinding forces, combining the impact and cutting forces modeled by the Hertz contact and SPH simulation, matched with the experimental measurements with relative errors less than 10%.
Investigation of the Machining Behavior of Ti6Al4V/TiC Composites During Conventional and Laser-Assisted Machining
Authors: Elkhateeb Mohamed G. , Shin Yung C.
Published: February 2019

Conventional machining of Ti6Al4V/TiC composites is a very difficult process, which exhibits a peculiar cutting force pattern where the thrust forces are higher than the tangential forces. This behavior results in rapid tool wear and consequently very short tool life. This study is concerned with describing the reasons for the attendant behavior using experimentally validated 3D finite element simulations and alleviating this behavior via laser assisted machining (LAM). Simulations were conducted using an equivalent homogeneous model (EHM) and a multiscale heterogeneous model (MHM) of the Ti6Al4V/TiC composite. Results showed a good agreement between the tangential forces obtained from experiments, EHM, and MHM for conventional machining and LAM. However, only the MHM was able to successfully predict the unusual high thrust forces. The MHM simulation results showed that the tool/particle interaction along the tool nose region presented the highest resistance due to the high resistance against pushing the TiC particles by the tool into the machined surface. This resistance results from the efficient load transfer capability between the particles and the matrix below the machined surface. When using LAM, the stated resistance was decreased by the reduction in load transfer capability of the Ti6Al4V/TiC workpiece such that the thrust and tangential forces were reduced by 78% and 37%, respectively, according to the MHM simulation. The experimental results showed that the tool wear was improved by 68% by LAM. All the results demonstrated that the MHM successfully captured the underlying machining mechanism of the Ti6Al4V/TiC composites.
Stress Corrosion Cracking Behavior of Tungsten Inert Gas Welded Age-Hardenable AA6061 Alloy
Authors: Gencalp Irizalp Simge , Koroglu Burcak Kardelen
Published: February 2019

The effects of two temper conditions (T4 and T6 heat treatments) upon the stress corrosion cracking (SCC) of AA6061 plates have been investigated in this work. AA6061 alloys were double-side-welded by the tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding method. SCC behavior of both the as-welded and as-received alloys was reported. Optical microscopy (OM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to determine the precipitate structure of the thermal-altered zones and the base metal (BM), and also the hardness variations were examined using microhardness testing (Vickers hardness). The small-size precipitate structures in the T6 tempered alloy and the coarser precipitate structures in the T4 tempered alloy were found by microstructural investigations. As a result, T4 temper heat treatment of this alloy considerably reduced its susceptibility to stress corrosion cracks due to relatively coarse and more separate precipitate morphology. In welded specimens, SCC failure occurred in the area between the heat-affected zone (HAZ) and the base metal. Stress corrosion resistance in the fusion zone was strong in both temper conditions. The aim of this work was to obtain the effects of heat treatment and welding on SCC behavior of the age-hardenable aluminum alloy. The authors conclude that a deep insight into the SCC resistance of AA6061 alloy indicates the precipitate particle distributions and they are the key point for AA6061 alloy joints in chloride solution.
Mechanical Properties and Size Effects of Self-Organized Film
Authors: Burlakova Victoria E. , Tyurin Alexander I. , Drogan Ekaterina G. , Sadyrin Evgeniy V. , Pirozhkova Tatyana S. , Novikova Anastasiya A. , Belikova Maria A.
Published: February 2019

In our research, we have focused on the estimation of tribological and mechanical characteristics of self-organized copper film, formed through a friction of brass-steel pair in aqueous solutions of carbolic acid. We have found out that self-organized copper film formed through a friction interaction of pair brass-steel is nanostructural. The data obtained through the indentation of self-organized copper films indicated size effect. With an increasing load and contact area of interacting bodies, the coefficient of friction first drops sharply with an increasing normal load and then begins to grow. We have found out that the adhesion component of friction contributes to the friction coefficient at small loads. We have shown that the hardness of self-organized copper films formed at friction in aqueous solutions of acids increases upon shifting from acetic to caproic acid.
Uncertainty Quantification of Aerodynamic Icing Losses in Wind Turbine With Polynomial Chaos Expansion
Authors: Tabatabaei Narges , Raisee Mehrdad , Cervantes Michel J.
Published: February 2019

Icing of wind turbine blades poses a challenge for the wind power industry in cold climate wind farms. It can lead to production losses of more than 10% of the annual energy production. Knowledge of how the production is affected by icing is of importance. Complicating this reality is the fact that even a small amount of uncertainty in the shape of the accreted ice may result in a large amount of uncertainty in the aerodynamic performance metrics. This paper presents a numerical approach using the technique of polynomial chaos expansion (PCE) to quantify icing uncertainty faster than traditional methods. Time-dependent bi-dimensional Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes computational fluid dynamics (RANS-CFD) simulations are considered to evaluate the aerodynamic characteristics at the chosen sample points. The boundary conditions are based on three-dimensional simulations of the rotor. This approach is applied to the NREL 5 MW reference wind turbine allowing to estimate the power loss range due to the leading-edge glaze ice, considering a radial section near the tip. The probability distribution function of the power loss is also assessed. The results of the section are nondimensionalized and assumed valid for the other radial sections. A correlation is found allowing to model the load loss with respect to the glaze ice horn height, as well as the corresponding probability distribution. Considering an equal chance for any of the ice profiles, load loss is estimated to be lower than 6.5% for the entire blade in half of the icing cases, while it could be roughly 4–6 times in the most severe icings.
Feasibility Analysis and Optimal Design of Acidizing of Coalbed Methane Wells
Authors: Guo Zixi , Chen Yiyu , Yao Shanshan , Zhang Qiushi , Liu Yongbing , Zeng Fanhua
Published: February 2019

Plugging is a prominent reason for production reduction in coalbed methane (CBM) wells. In order to solve this problem, authors conducted the feasibility analysis and optimal design of acidizing of CBM wells to remove the plugging in Hancheng block (H block) China. First, X-ray diffraction analysis shows that the plugging contains acid-soluble minerals and the field case indicates that acidizing effect is positively correlated with the content of acid-soluble minerals. Inspired by this, authors analyze determining factors of the content of acid-soluble minerals. Well logging parameters (DEN, AC, GR) are selected to establish a neural network model to predict the content of acid-soluble minerals. Furthermore, a feasibility criterion of acidizing of CBM wells is proposed. Then, a forward model and an inversion algorithm are proposed to diagnose the plugging. The multisolution problem of parameters inversion is solved by the Gauss–Marquardt (G-M) algorithm based on the stochastic initial value and maximum probability. Combining this method with the current numerical model of acidizing, authors present an optimal design in order to optimize the volume and injection rate of the acid. Meanwhile, by experimental study, authors propose a new acid formulation. Finally, results have been applied in the field to confirm the feasibility of the acidizing. It turns out that acidizing is an effective stimulation technology for some specific CBM wells, and the feasibility analysis and the optimal design can improve the effect of acidizing of CBM wells.
Crystalline tungsten sulfide thin films by atomic layer deposition and mild annealing
Authors: Mattinen Miika , Hatanpää Timo , King Peter J. , Meinander Kristoffer , Mizohata Kenichiro , Jalkanen Pasi , Räisänen Jyrki , Ritala Mikko , Leskelä Markku
Published: February 2019

Tungsten disulfide (WS2) is a semiconducting 2D material, which is gaining increasing attention in the wake of graphene and MoS2 owing to its exciting properties and promising performance in a multitude of applications. Herein, the authors deposited WSx thin films by atomic layer deposition using W2(NMe2)6 and H2S as precursors. The films deposited at 150 °C were amorphous and sulfur deficient. The amorphous films crystallized as WS2 by mild postdeposition annealing in H2S/N2 atmosphere at 400 °C. Detailed structural characterization using Raman spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy revealed that the annealed films consisted of small (<10 nm) disordered grains. The approach proposed by the authors enables deposition of continuous and smooth WS2 films down to a thickness of a few monolayers while retaining a low thermal budget compatible with potential applications in electronics as well as energy production and storage, for example.
Oxidation and wet-etching behavior of MoAlTi thin films deposited by sputtering from a rotatable MoAlTi compound target
Authors: Lorenz Roland , O’Sullivan Michael , Sprenger Dietmar , Lang Bernhard , Köstenbauer Harald , Winkler Jörg , Mitterer Christian
Published: February 2019

Within the current work, MoAlTi thin films have been developed and deposited by d.c. magnetron sputtering from a cold gas sprayed MoAlTi cylindrical rotatable target, to act as a novel molybdenum-based thin film system with improved oxidation and good wet-etching behavior. Chemical composition, microstructure, oxidation behavior, wet-etching properties, and electrical resistivity of the films are compared to those of a pure Mo reference film. Deviations in the chemical composition of the films with respect to the target are attributed to differences in gas phase scattering of the individual sputtered species. The films deposited are characterized by the formation of an Mo-based body-centered cubic solid solution, resulting in an increased electrical resistivity compared to the pure Mo film. While alloying Mo films with Al and Ti decreases the wet-etching rate in a phosphoric acid-based etching solution, the oxidation behavior could be significantly improved and the metallic-reflecting surface was maintained after annealing for 1 h at 330 °C in air.
In Vitro
Antimicrobial Activity of Diacerein on 76 Isolates of Gram-Positive Cocci from Bacterial Keratitis Patients and
In Vivo
Study of Diacerein Eye Drops on Staphylococcus aureus Keratitis in Mice
Authors: Zhang Hongmin , Liu Susu , Yue Juan , Sun Shengtao , Lv Qixue , Jian Shoujun , Xie Yanting , Han Lei , Zhang Fenfen , Dai Yanfang , Wang Liya
Published: February 2019

Bacterial keratitis is an aggressive infectious corneal disease. With the continuing rise in antibiotic resistance and a decline in the discovery of new antibiotics, new antimicrobial drugs are now required.
Iron Chelator Deferasirox Reduces
Candida albicans
Invasion of Oral Epithelial Cells and Infection Levels in Murine Oropharyngeal Candidiasis
Authors: Puri Sumant , Kumar Rohitashw , Rojas Isolde G. , Salvatori Ornella , Edgerton Mira
Published: February 2019

Candida albicans
, the causative agent of mucosal infections, including oropharyngeal candidiasis (OPC), as well as bloodstream infections, is becoming increasingly resistant to existing treatment options. In the absence of novel drug candidates, drug repurposing aimed at using existing drugs to treat off-label diseases is a promising strategy.
Impact of Preexisting Hepatitis C Virus Genotype 6 NS3, NS5A, and NS5B Polymorphisms on theIn VitroPotency of Direct-Acting Antiviral Agents
Authors: McPhee Fiona , Ueland Joseph , Vellucci Vincent , Bowden Scott , Sievert William , Zhou Nannan
Published: February 2019

HCV genotype 6 (GT-6) is found predominantly in East and Southeast Asia. Clinical studies have focused on patients infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) GT-6a, where high sustained virologic response (SVR) rates to direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) have been achieved.
Candida auris Clinical Isolates from South Korea: Identification, Antifungal Susceptibility, and Genotyping
Authors: Kwon Yong Jun , Shin Jong Hee , Byun Seung A , Choi Min Ji , Won Eun Jeong , Lee Dain , Lee Seung Yeob , Chun Sejong , Lee Jun Hyung , Choi Hyun Jung , Kee Seung Jung , Kim Soo Hyun , Shin Myung Geun
Published: February 2019

Candida auris
is an emerging worldwide fungal pathogen. Over the past 20 years, 61 patient isolates of
C. auris
(4 blood and 57 ear) have been obtained from 13 hospitals in Korea.
Heat Inactivation Renders Sputum Safe and Preserves
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
RNA for Downstream Molecular Tests
Authors: Sabiiti Wilber , Azam Khalide , Esmeraldo Ezembro , Bhatt Nilesh , Rachow Andrea , Gillespie Stephen H.
Published: February 2019

The World Health Organization End Tuberculosis (TB) strategy has called for the development of—and increased access to—effective tools for diagnosis and treatment of TB disease.
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
, the causative agent of TB, is categorized as a highly infectious agent.
The DNase Activity of Kaposi’s Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus SOX Protein Serves an Important Role in Viral Genome Processing during Lytic Replication
Authors: Uppal Timsy , Meyer Dylan , Agrawal Andrea , Verma Subhash C.
Published: February 2019

Kaposi's sarcoma (KS)-associated herpesvirus is the causative agent of multiple malignancies, predominantly in immunocompromised individuals, including HIV/AIDS patients. Reduced incidence of KS in HIV/AIDS patients receiving antiherpetic drugs to block lytic replication confirms the role of lytic DNA replication and gene products in KSHV-mediated tumorigenesis. Herpesvirus lytic replication results in the production of complex concatemeric DNA, which is cleaved into unit length viral DNA for packaging into the infectious virions. The conserved herpesviral alkaline exonucleases play an important role in viral genome cleavage and packaging. Here, by using the previously described Q129H mutant virus that selectively lacks DNase activity but retains host shutoff activity, we provide experimental evidence confirming that the DNase function of the KSHV SOX protein is essential for viral genome processing and packaging and capsid maturation into the cytoplasm during lytic replication in infected cells. This led to the identification of ORF37’s DNase activity as a potential target for antiviral therapeutics.
Gene Expansion and Positive Selection as Bacterial Adaptations to Oligotrophic Conditions
Authors: Props Ruben , Monsieurs Pieter , Vandamme Peter , Leys Natalie , Denef Vincent J. , Boon Nico
Published: February 2019

By combining a genome-centric metagenomic approach with a culture-based approach, we investigated the genomic adaptations of prevalent populations in an engineered oligotrophic freshwater system. We found evidence for widespread positive selection on genes involved in phosphorus and carbon scavenging pathways and for gene expansions in motility and environmental sensing to be important genomic adaptations of the abundant taxon in this system. In addition, microscopic and flow cytometric analysis of the first freshwater representative of this population (
Ramlibacter aquaticus
LMG 30558
T
) demonstrated phenotypic plasticity, possibly due to the metabolic versatility granted by its larger genome, to be a strategy to cope with nutrient limitation. Our study clearly demonstrates the need for the use of a broad set of genomic tools combined with culture-based physiological characterization assays to investigate and validate genomic adaptations.
Examining intervention mechanisms of action using mediation analysis within a randomised trial of a whole-school health intervention
Authors: Bonell Chris , Allen Elizabeth , Opondo Charles , Warren Emily , Elbourne Diana Ruth , Sturgess Joanna , Bevilacqua Leonardo , McGowan Jennifer , Mathiot Anne , Viner Russell M
Published: February 2019

Background

Interventions to modify school environments are effective in promoting young people’s health across outcomes, but mechanisms are poorly understood. We assessed mediation in a trial of the Learning Together intervention, building on the recent publication of results of effectiveness for reducing bullying and benefits across secondary outcomes and generally good implementation fidelity.

Methods

Within a cluster-randomised trial involving 40 English schools, we examined student-reported and staff-reported school climate and student-reported involvement with delinquent peers at 24-month and 36-month follow-up, assessing the reliability of measures and whether these mediated health outcomes at a final follow-up.

Results

Response rates and reliability were good for student-reported but not staff-reported measures. The intervention increased student-reported but not staff-reported-positive school climate but, like effects on student health outcomes, these manifested only at a final follow-up. The intervention reduced student-reported contact with delinquent peers at an interim follow-up. Student-reported potential mediators measured at the interim follow-up were associated with most health outcomes at the final follow-up. Adjustment for student-reported school climate and contact with delinquent peers at the interim follow-up did not reduce the associations between trial arm and our health outcomes.

Conclusion

Despite being constrained by imperfect measures and by the late manifestation of impacts on student-reported school climate undermining ability to assess mediation, our study for the first time provides tentative evidence that mediation of intervention effects via improved climate and disengagement from delinquent peers is plausible. Our study provides the first evidence from a trial that whole-school interventions may work by modifying school environments and student relationships.

Trial registration number

ISRCTN10751359.
Outcomes from an elective medical student Research Scholarly Concentration program
Authors: Radville Laura , Aldous Annette , Arnold Jennifer , Hall Alison K
Published: February 2019

To examine how to increase research career outcomes among medical graduates, we analyzed the impact of the Research Scholarly Concentration at The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences. Residency placement, subsequent scholarship, and career outcomes were compared among 670 graduates who participated in the elective Clinical and Translational Research Scholarly Concentration or no Concentration between 2009 and 2018. We conducted a retrospective study of residency match (highly selective vs less selective), job type (academic vs non-academic), and postmedical school publications (any vs none). We compared the outcomes between Research Scholarly Concentration graduates and those with no Concentration, matched by graduation year (n=335). For Research Scholarly Concentration graduates, we examined the association between research outcomes and duration of research experience before medical school (n=232). Research Scholarly Concentration graduates were more likely to place in a highly selective residency (40.2% vs 21.6%, p<0.0001), 68% more likely to publish after medical school (OR=1.68, 95% CI 1.10 to 2.58), and almost four times as likely to have taken an academic health center job (OR=3.82, 95% CI 1.72 to 8.46) than graduates with no Concentration. Surprisingly, the length of research experience before medical school was not associated with these outcomes among Research Scholarly Concentration graduates. This suggests that a medical school Research Scholarly Concentration is effective in training physician researchers and should be available to both novices and research-experienced matriculants. These data suggest how other medical schools might plan Scholarly Concentration programs to improve research outcomes among medical graduates.
Declines in anogenital warts diagnoses since the change in 2012 to use the quadrivalent HPV vaccine in England: data to end 2017
Authors: Checchi Marta , Mesher David , Mohammed Hamish , Soldan Kate
Published: February 2019

Objectives

In 2008, a national human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programme for females was introduced in England using the bivalent vaccine (HPV16 and 18 only). In 2012, the programme changed to offer the quadrivalent vaccine that includes protection against the two HPV types that cause the majority of anogenital warts (AGW; HPV6 and 11). We present data reporting AGW diagnoses in sexual health clinics (SHCs) in England to the end of 2017, including diagnoses among birth cohorts offered the quadrivalent vaccine.

Methods

Using data from all SHCs across England, we performed ecological analyses to consider rates of AGW diagnoses by age, gender and sexual orientation. We tested for trends over time of diagnoses of AGW in young females, heterosexual males, and men who have sex with men (MSM) between the ages of 15 and 24 years during both bivalent (2009 to 2013) and quadrivalent (2014 to 2017) vaccine time periods using Poisson regression.

Results

Between 2014 and 2017, there was strong evidence for a decreasing trend in the rate of AGW diagnoses at SHC among females aged 15–17 years from 257.5 to 45.7 per 100 000 population (82.3% decline) and same aged heterosexual males from 59.1 to 19.1 per 100 000 population (67.7% decline). The reductions in the incidence of AGW diagnoses in MSM aged 15–17 years were less clear (decreased by 13.6% between 2014 and 2017, from 129.9 to 112.2 per 100 000 population).

Conclusions

The moderate, unexpected declines in AGW seen since the introduction of a high-coverage HPV vaccination programme using the bivalent vaccine are being followed, as expected, by much larger declines among females offered the quadrivalent vaccine and same-aged heterosexual males. Surveillance plans are in place to continue to monitor AGW diagnoses to evaluate the impact of both female and targeted MSM HPV vaccination on early disease outcomes.
Three-dimensional stochastic assimilation of gravity data in Lalor volcanogenic massive sulphide, Manitoba, Canada
Authors: Tirdad Shiva , Gloaguen Erwan , Bouchedda Abderezzak , Dupuis J. Christian
Published: February 2019

We propose a new numerical workflow based on stochastic data integration where we merge a conceptual geological model, drillhole geophysical and geological logs, and surface geophysical data to compute a unified numerical model of a volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) deposit. The first step of the workflow consists in building a three-dimensional (3D) numerical conceptual model of the geology. This conceptual model, as well as geological logs, is then used to generate multiple equiprobable scenarios of the geology by means of multiple-point simulation (MPS). The MPS method studies high-order statistics in the space of a numerical conceptual model, making it possible to reproduce complex geological structures. We then use conventional conditional sequential Gaussian simulation, which is a method based on a node-by-node sequential process, to stochastically populate the geological grid with densities. For this purpose we use available density logs to simulate multiple equiprobable spatial distributions of the density at high spatial resolution within each geological unit separately. The stochastic high-resolution density models are iteratively combined by the gradual deformation method to minimize the difference between measured Bouguer anomaly data and the data computed on the combined realizations of density. Application of the proposed method to the Lalor deposit, a VMS deposit in Manitoba, Canada, produces a density model that honours the geology of the deposit and the Bouguer anomaly data. This unified model has the advantage to include all the available information (geological and density logs and surface geophysics) at scales appropriate for mining applications.
Multiple zero group velocity Lamb modes in an anisotropic plate: propagation along different crystallographic axes
Authors: Karous Soufien , Dahmen Souhail , Bouhdima Mohamed Shili , Amor Morched Ben , Glorieux Christ
Published: February 2019

This paper studies the propagation of symmetric and antisymmetric Lamb waves along a 1 mm thick iodic acid plate (HIO3) in the 1–50 MHz frequency range. The Lamb mode propagation along three crystallographic planes was theoretically investigated, for two mutually orthogonal propagation directions. Several frequencies were found that correspond to Lamb modes with zero group velocity (ZGV) and non-null phase velocity values. The first symmetric Lamb mode, S1, was found to possess only one ZGV point, regardless of the propagation direction; higher order symmetric and antisymmetric modes with up to four ZGV points were found, depending on the propagation plane. The dependence of the ZGV frequencies on each elastic constant (c11, c13, c33, c55) of the HIO3 plate material was also investigated by changing the constant values by 5% and 10%. It was found that c33 and c55 affect the number of the ZGV points, while c11 and c13 affect the frequency of the ZGV points. The existence and frequencies of the ZGV points are strongly dependent on the proximity of standing longitudinal and transverse waves at nearby cutoff frequencies.
Visual Content Recognition by Exploiting Semantic Feature Map with Attention and Multi-task Learning
Authors: Zhao Rui-Wei , Zhang Qi , Wu Zuxuan , Li Jianguo , Jiang Yu-Gang
Published: February 2019

Recent studies have shown that spatial relationships among objects are very important for visual recognition, since they can provide rich clues on object contexts within the images. In this article, we introduce a novel method to learn the Semantic Feature Map (SFM) with attention-based deep neural networks for image and video classification in an end-to-end manner, aiming to explicitly model the spatial object contexts within the images. In particular, we explicitly apply the designed gate units to the extracted object features for important objects selection and noise removal. These selected object features are then organized into the proposed SFM, which is a compact and discriminative representation with the spatial information among objects preserved. Finally, we employ either Fully Convolutional Networks (FCN) or Long-Short Term Memory (LSTM) as the classifiers on top of the SFM for content recognition. A novel multi-task learning framework with image classification loss, object localization loss, and grid labeling loss are also introduced to help better learn the model parameters. We conduct extensive evaluations and comparative studies to verify the effectiveness of the proposed approach on Pascal VOC 2007/2012 and MS-COCO benchmarks for image classification. In addition, the experimental results also show that the SFMs learned from the image domain can be successfully transferred to CCV and FCVID benchmarks for video classification.
EACAN
Authors: Park Taeju , Shin Kang G.
Published: February 2019

Worst-case-based timing verification for the controller area network (CAN) has been the bottleneck to efficient use of its bandwidth. Especially, this inefficiency comes from the worst-case transmission error rate (WCTER) when transmission errors are accounted for. To alleviate this inefficiency, we propose a runtime adaptation scheme,
error-adaptive
CAN (EACAN). EACAN observes the behavior of transmission errors at runtime, and reconfigures the message period based on the observation to meet the timing-failure requirement. We experimentally evaluate the bandwidth utilization of both EACAN- and WCTER-based verification, showing that the former improves the bandwidth utilization by 14% over the latter.
Low-dose infusions of leptin into the nucleus of the solitary tract increase sensitivity to third ventricle leptin
Authors: Harris Ruth B. S.
Published: February 2019

Previous studies suggest that weight loss occurs when leptin receptors in both the forebrain and hindbrain are activated. Experiments described here tested whether this integration is mediated through a neural connection or by leptin diffusion through the subarachanoid space. If the hypothalamus and hindbrain communicated through a neural pathway, then a very low dose of leptin infused directly into the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS) would enhance the response to third ventricle (3V) leptin but would have no effect if infused into the fourth ventricle (4V). A 12-day infusion of 10 ng/24 h into the 4V or the NTS reduced body fat. Leptin at 5 ng/24 h into the 4V or NTS had no effect on food intake or body composition, but infusion of 5 ng of leptin/24 h into the NTS combined with a 3V injection of 0.1 μg of leptin inhibited food intake between 6 and 12 h after injection. Cumulative intake was inhibited for up to 36 h. 3V leptin had no effect on food intake of rats receiving the 4V leptin infusion. Similar results were found using infusions of 5 ng leptin/24 h and a 3V injection of 0.025 μg leptin. These data suggest that activation of leptin receptors in the NTS lowers the threshold for response to leptin in the forebrain through a neural network.
Comparison of Laparoscopic and Conventional Cystotomy/Partial Cystectomy in Treatment of Liver Hydatidosis
Authors: Bektasoglu Huseyin Kazim , Hasbahceci Mustafa , Tasci Yunus , Aydogdu Ibrahim , Malya Fatma Umit , Kunduz Enver , Dolay Kemal
Published: February 2019

Introduction. Hydatidosis is a zoonotic infection and treatment is mandatory to avoid complications. Surgery remains the first choice in the treatment especially for CE2-CE3b cysts. Open or laparoscopic approaches are available. However, comparative studies are limited. Materials and Methods. Data of patients who underwent cystotomy/partial cystectomy for liver hydatidosis between January 2012 and September 2016 (n=77) were evaluated retrospectively. Recurrent cases and the patients with previous hepatobiliary surgery were excluded. 23 patients were operated upon laparoscopically and named as Group 1. 48 patients operated conventionally named as Group 2. Demographics, cyst characteristics, operative time, length of hospital stay, recurrences, and surgery related complications were evaluated. Results. Groups were similar in terms of demographics, cyst characteristics, and operative time. The length of hospital stay was 3.4 days in Group 1 and 4.7 days in Group 2 (p=0,007). The mean follow-up period was 17.8 months and 21.7 months, respectively (p=0.170). Overall complication rates were similar in two groups (p=0.764). Three conversion cases occurred (13%). One mortality was seen in Group 2. Four recurrences occurred in each group (17% versus 8.3%, respectively) (p=0.258). Conclusions. Laparoscopy is a safe and feasible approach for surgical treatment of liver hydatidosis. Recurrence may be prevented by selection of appropriate cases in which exposure of cysts does not pose an intraoperative difficulty.