bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development of attenuated live vaccine candidates against swine brucellosis in a non-zoonotic B. suis biovar 2 background
Authors: Aragón-Aranda Beatriz , de Miguel María Jesús , Lázaro-Antón Leticia , Salvador-Bescós Miriam , Zúñiga-Ripa Amaia , Moriyón Ignacio , Iriarte Maite , Muñoz Pilar M. , Conde-Álvarez Raquel
Published: July 2020

Brucellais a genus of gram-negative bacteria that cause brucellosis. B. abortusandB. melitensisinfect domestic ruminants whileB. suis(biovars 1–3) infect swine, and all these bacteria butB. suisbiovar 2 are zoonotic. Live attenuatedB. abortusS19 andB. melitensisRev1 are effective vaccines in domestic ruminants, though both can infect humans. However, there is no swine brucellosis vaccine. Here, we investigated the potential use as vaccines ofB. suisbiovar 2 rough (R) lipopolysaccharide (LPS) mutants totally lacking O-chain (Bs2ΔwbkF) or only producing internal O-chain precursors (Bs2Δwzm) and mutants with a smooth (S) LPS defective in the core lateral branch (Bs2ΔwadBand Bs2ΔwadD). We also investigated mutants in the pyruvate phosphate dikinase (Bs2ΔppdK) and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (Bs2ΔpckA) genes encoding enzymes bridging phosphoenolpyruvate and the tricarboxylic acid cycle. When tested in the OIE mouse model at the recommended R or S vaccine doses (108and 105 CFU, respectively), CFU/spleen of all LPS mutants were reduced with respect to the wild type and decreased faster for the R than for the S mutants. At those doses, protection againstB. suiswas similar for Bs2ΔwbkF, Bs2Δwzm,Bs2ΔwadBand the Rev1 control (105 CFU). As described before forB. abortus,B. suisbiovar 2 carried a disabledpckAso that a double mutant Bs2ΔppdKΔpckAhad the same metabolic phenotype as Bs2ΔppdKandppdKmutation was enough to generate attenuation. At 105 CFU, Bs2ΔppdKalso conferred the same protection as Rev1. As compared to otherB. suisvaccine candidates described before, the mutants described here simultaneously carry irreversible deletions easy to identify as vaccine markers, lack antibiotic-resistance markers and were obtained in a non-zoonotic background. Since R vaccines should not elicit antibodies to the S-LPS andwzmmutants carry immunogenic O-chain precursors and did not improve Bs2ΔwbkF, the latter seems a better R vaccine candidate than Bs2Δwzm. However, taking into account that all R vaccines interfere in ELISA and other widely used assays, whether Bs2ΔwbkFis advantageous over Bs2ΔwadBor Bs2ΔppdKrequires experiments in the natural host.
A wavelet denoising approach based on unsupervised learning model
Authors: Bnou Khawla , Raghay Said , Hakim Abdelilah
Published: July 2020

Image denoising plays an important role in image processing, which aims to separate clean images from noisy images. A number of methods have been presented to deal with this practical problem over the past several years. The best currently available wavelet-based denoising methods take advantage of the merits of the wavelet transform. Most of these methods, however, still have difficulties in defining the threshold parameter which can limit their capability. In this paper, we propose a novel wavelet denoising approach based on unsupervised learning model. The approach taken aims at exploiting the merits of the wavelet transform: sparsity, multi-resolution structure, and similarity with the human visual system, to adapt an unsupervised dictionary learning algorithm for creating a dictionary devoted to noise reduction. Using the K-Singular Value Decomposition (K-SVD) algorithm, we obtain an adaptive dictionary by learning over the wavelet decomposition of the noisy image. Experimental results on benchmark test images show that our proposed method achieves very competitive denoising performance and outperforms state-of-the-art denoising methods, especially in the peak signal to noise ratio (PSNR), the structural similarity (SSIM) index, and visual effects with different noise levels.
Large-domain stability of random attractors for stochastic g-Navier–Stokes equations with additive noise
Authors: Li Fuzhi , Xu Dongmei , She Lianbing
Published: July 2020

This paper concerns the long term behavior of the stochastic two-dimensional g-Navier–Stokes equations with additive noise defined on a sequence of expanding domains, where the ultimate domain is unbounded and of Poincaré type. We prove that the weak continuity is uniform with respect to all expanding cocycles, which yields the equi-asymptotic compactness by using an energy equation method. Finally, we show the existence of a random attractor for the equation on each domain and the upper semi-continuity of random attractors as the bounded domain is expanded to the unbounded ultimate domain.
A note on singular two-dimensional fractional coupled Burgers’ equation and triple Laplace Adomian decomposition method
Authors: Eltayeb Hassan , Bachar Imed
Published: July 2020

The present article focuses on how to find the exact solutions of the time-fractional regular and singular coupled Burgers’ equations by applying a new method that is called triple Laplace and Adomian decomposition method. Furthermore, the proposed method is a strong tool for solving many problems. The accuracy of the method is considered through the use of some examples, and the results obtained are compared with those of the existing methods in the literature.
Analysis of an improved fractional-order model of boundary formation in the Drosophila large intestine dependent on Delta-Notch pathway
Authors: Sun Deshun , Lu Lingyun , Liu Fei , Duan Li , Wang Daping , Xiong Jianyi
Published: July 2020

In this paper, an improved fractional-order model of boundary formation in the Drosophila large intestine dependent on Delta-Notch pathway is proposed for the first time. The uniqueness, nonnegativity, and boundedness of solutions are studied. In a two cells model, there are two equilibriums (no-expression of Delta and normal expression of Delta). Local asymptotic stability is proved for both cases. Stability analysis shows that the orders of the fractional-order differential equation model can significantly affect the equilibriums in the two cells model. Numerical simulations are presented to illustrate the conclusions. Next, the sensitivity of model parameters is calculated, and the calculation results show that different parameters have different sensitivities. The most and least sensitive parameters in the two cells model and the 60 cells model are verified by numerical simulations. What is more, we compare the fractional-order model with the integer-order model by simulations, and the results show that the orders can significantly affect the dynamic and the phenotypes.
2PC*: a distributed transaction concurrency control protocol of multi-microservice based on cloud computing platform
Authors: Fan Pan , Liu Jing , Yin Wei , Wang Hui , Chen Xiaohong , Sun Haiying
Published: July 2020

The two-phase commit (2PC) protocol is a key technique for achieving distributed transactions in storage systems such as relational databases and distributed databases. 2PC is a strongly consistent and centralized atomic commit protocol that ensures the serialization of the transaction execution order. However, it does not scale well to large and high-throughput systems, especially for applications with many transactional conflicts, such as microservices and cloud computing. Therefore, 2PC has a performance bottleneck for distributed transaction control across multiple microservices. In this paper, we propose 2PC*, a novel concurrency control protocol for distributed transactions that outperforms 2PC, allowing greater concurrency across multiple microservices. 2PC* can greatly reduce overhead because locks are held throughout the transaction process. Moreover, we improve the fault-tolerance mechanism of 2PC* using transaction compensation. We also implement a middleware solution for transactions in microservice support using 2PC*. We compare 2PC* to 2PC by applying both to Ctrip MSECP, and 2PC* outperforms 2PC in workloads with varying degrees of contention. When the contention becomes high, the experimental results show that 2PC* achieves at most a 3.3x improvement in throughput and a 67% reduction in latency, which proves that our scheme can easily support distributed transactions with multi-microservice modules. Finally, we embed our middleware scheme in the PaaS cloud platform and demonstrate its strong applicability to cloud computing through long-term analysis of the monitoring results in the cloud platform.
Simplified Effective Compressive Strengths of Columns with Intervening Floor Slabs
Authors: Choi Seung-Ho , Hwang Jin-Ha , Han Sun-Jin , Cho Hae-Chang , Kim Jae Hyun , Kim Kang Su
Published: July 2020

The current design codes discuss the effective compressive strengths of columns, which reflect a decrease in load transfer performance that can occur when columns and slabs have different concrete compressive strengths. The effective compressive strength of a column increases as it is confined by the slab, and the design codes mandate three different effective compressive strengths for interior columns (confinement on four sides), exterior columns (confinement on three sides), and corner columns (confinement on two sides). For both corner and exterior columns, the confinement effect of the slab is significantly smaller than that for the interior column, and there is a more marked decrease in load transfer performance. However, there is still a lack of theoretical studies investigating the effective compressive strengths of the corner and exterior columns. Therefore, based on the analysis model established in previous research, this study has proposed an equation for calculating the effective compressive strengths of the corner, exterior and isolated columns without any confinement effects of the slab. In addition, axial loading tests of isolated columns were conducted and the proposed equation was verified.
Impact of ENT resource nurses in improving operating room efficiency
Authors: Aravinthan Kaishan , Holmes Connor , Nair Sreejit P. , Sharma Anil R. , Murphy Russell A.
Published: July 2020

Background

Operating room (OR) efficiency is related to minutes spared from surgical time and has been linked to the make up of surgical teams and operating room workplace. The research on the efficiency of surgical nursing staff members is scant. The current study evaluates the effect of ENT trained OR resource nurses on the efficiency of operating time during ENT procedures.

Methods

Five hundred seventy-three ENT surgery cases from 4 surgeons were retrospectively reviewed. Two hundred forty-two cases had ENT OR nursing staff and 331 cases had non-ENT OR nursing staff. Requested operative times (ROT) and true operative times (TOT) were analyzed. The difference between the TOT and ROT was used to measure operating time efficiency.

Results

Cases with ROT < 30 min (M = -1.19, SD = 5.01) required 3.34 min less than planned for when an ENT nurse was present compared to those with non-ENT nursing staff which required on average 2.15 min (M = 2.15, SD = 5.68) longer than ROT. Furthermore, cases with ROT > 30 min (M = -4.32, SD = 10.85) required 10.85 min less than planned for when an ENT nurse was present. Conversely with non-ENT nursing staff cases with a ROT > 30 min required on average 6.53 min (M = 6.53, SD = 11.85) longer than ROT.

Conclusion

ENT resource nurses were shown to improve OR efficiency in cases less than 30 min and greater than 30 min. Cases that were greater than 30 min showed the largest increase in efficiency. Specialized ENT nursing staff improved efficiency during common ENT surgeries.

Graphical Abstract
Multi-layered deep learning perceptron approach for health risk prediction
Authors: Bikku Thulasi
Published: July 2020

In today's world, due to the increase of medical data there is an interest in data preprocessing, classification and prediction of disease risks. Machine learning and Artificial Intelligence indicates that the predictive analysis becomes part of the medical activities especially in the domain of medical death prevention. The proposed work is focused on supervised learning methods and their capability to find hidden patterns in the real historical medical data. The objective is to predict future risk with a certain probability using Multi-layer perceptron (MLP) method. In the proposed work, MLP based on data classification technique is used for accurate classification and risk analysis of medical data. The proposed method is compared with traditional classification methods and the results show that the proposed method is better than the traditional methods.
Self-emulsifying formulation of Spinacia oleracea reduces the dose and escalates bioavailability of bioactive compounds to accelerate fracture repair in rats
Authors: Trivedi Ritu , Adhikary Sulekha , Kothari Priyanka , Ahmad Naseer , Mittapelly Naresh , Pandey Gitu , Shukla Mahendra , Kumar Sudhir , Dev Kapil , Choudhary Dharmendra , Maurya Rakesh , Lal Jawahar , Mishra Prabhat Ranjan
Published: July 2020

Background

Spinach (Spinacia oleracea) is a rich source of flavonoids and therefore widely used therapeutically as an antioxidant agent in traditional medicine. The present study was undertaken to study the bone regenerating property of dried Spinacia oleracea extract (DSE) and self-emulsifying formulation of the extract (FDSE) on drill-hole model of fracture repair in rats.

Methods

0.8 mm hole was drilled in the diaphyseal region of femur in adult SD rats. DSE and formulated extract (FDSE) was administered orally and fractured femur was collected after treatment regimen. Micro-CT, transcriptional analysis and measurement of calcein intensity of callus formed at the injured site was performed to study the efficacy of the extract and formulation on bone regeneration. Further, compounds from extract were assessed for in-vitro osteoblast activity.

Results

Micro-architecture of the regenerated bone at injured site exhibited 26% (p < 0.001) and 35% (p < 0.01) increased BV/TV (bone volume /tissue volume) and Tb.N. (trabecular number) for DSE (500 mg.kg− 1). Further, FDSE exhibited similar augmentation in BV/TV (p < 0.01) and Tb. N (p < 0.01) parameters at dose of 250 mg.kg− 1. Analogous results were obtained from transcriptional analysis and calcein intensity at the fractured site. 3-O-Methylpatuletin, one of the compound isolated from the extract stimulated the differentiation and mineralization of primary osteoblast and depicted concentration dependent antagonizing effect of H2O2 in osteoblast apparently, minimizing ROS generation thus affectivity in fracture repair.

Conclusions

The present study showed that bone regenerating property of spinach was augmented by formulating extract to deliverable form and can be further studied to develop as therapeutic agent for fracture repair.

Graphical abstract
Serum zinc and copper levels in a sample of Egyptian epileptic children
Authors: Eissa Mona A. , Abdulghani Khaled O. , Nada Maha A. , Elkhawas Hala M. , Shouman Ahmed E. , Ahmed Nahed S.
Published: July 2020

Background

Epilepsy is among the most common disabling neurological disorders among children. Altered serum levels of zinc and copper may facilitate seizure occurrence and repetition, and antiepileptic drugs may disturb their serum levels affecting disease control and outcome.

Objective

To investigate the association between serum levels of zinc and copper and epilepsy and antiepileptic treatment in a group of Egyptian epileptic children.

Methods

Case-control study on 100 epileptic patients, aged from 2 to 16 years, from neurology outpatient clinic and 50 apparently healthy children with matched age and sex. Venous samples were withdrawn from patients and controls then serum levels of zinc and copper were measured with graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometer-A Analyst 800.

Results

Serum zinc level of patients’ group was significantly lower than that of controls with a mean of 59.1 μ/dL ± 22.7 and 85 μ/dL ± 22.2, respectively (P < 0.01). Serum zinc level of patients with history of febrile seizures was significantly decreased compared to patients without history of febrile seizures with a mean of 41.5 μ/dL ± 20.1 and 67.9 μ/dL ± 19.3, respectively (P < 0.01). Patient on carbamazepine intake showed significantly lower zinc serum level than patients without carbamazepine intake, with a mean of 49.0 μ/dL ± 17 and 61.8 μ/dL ± 23.4, respectively (P < 0.01). A significant negative correlation was noted between the duration of illness of epilepsy and the mean copper serum level (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

Zinc and copper altered homeostasis have mounting evidence about their role in the pathogenesis of epilepsy. Designing treatment plans that selectively restore zinc and copper normal levels may be a beneficial strategy in the future.
Molecular Interaction Between Butorphanol and κ-Opioid Receptor
Authors: Ji Jiafu , Lin Wenzhen , Vrudhula Amey , Xi Jin , Yeliseev Alexei , Grothusen John R. , Bu Weiming , Liu Renyu
Published: July 2020

BACKGROUND:

The misuse of opioids stems, in part, from inadequate knowledge of molecular interactions between opioids and opioid receptors. It is still unclear why some opioids are far more addictive than others. The κ-opioid receptor (KOR) plays a critical role in modulating pain, addiction, and many other physiological and pathological processes. Butorphanol, an opioid analgesic, is a less addictive opioid with unique pharmacological profiles. In this study, we investigated the interaction between butorphanol and KOR to obtain insights into the safe usage of this medication.

METHODS:

We determined the binding affinity of butorphanol to KOR with a naltrexone competition study. Recombinant KORs expressed in mammalian cell membranes (Chem-1) were used for G-protein activation studies, and a human embryonic kidney-293 (HEK-293) cell line stably transfected with the human KOR was used for β-arrestin study as previously described in the literature. The effects of butorphanol on KOR internalization were investigated using mouse neuroblastoma Neuro2A cells stably transfected with mKOR–tdTomato fusion protein (N2A-mKOR-tdT) cells overexpressing KOR. The active-state KOR crystal structure was used for docking calculation of butorphanol to characterize the ligand binding site. Salvinorin A, a full KOR agonist, was used as a control for comparison.

RESULTS:

The affinity of KOR for butorphanol is characterized by Kd of 0.1 ± 0.02 nM, about 20-fold higher compared with that of the µ-opioid receptor (MOR; 2.4 ± 1.2 nM). Our data indicate that butorphanol is more potent on KOR than on MOR. In addition, butorphanol acts as a partial agonist of KOR in the G-protein activation pathway and is a full agonist on the β-arrestin recruitment pathway, similar to that of salvinorin A. The activation of the β-arrestin pathway is further confirmed by KOR internalization. The in silico docking model indicates that both salvinorin A and butorphanol share the same binding cavity with the KOR full agonist MP1104. This cavity plays an important role in determining either agonist or antagonist effects of the ligand.

CONCLUSIONS:

In conclusion, butorphanol is a partial KOR agonist in the G-protein activation pathway and a potent KOR full agonist in the β-arrestin recruitment pathway. The structure analysis offers insights into the molecular mechanism of KOR interaction and activation by butorphanol.
Reflection Versus Rebreathing for Administration of Sevoflurane During Minor Gynecological Surgery
Authors: Kermad Azzeddine , Appenzeller Madeleine , Morinello Emanuela , Schneider Sven Oliver , Kleinschmidt Stefan , O‘Gara Brian , Volk Thomas , Meiser Andreas
Published: July 2020

BACKGROUND:

Contemporary anesthetic circle systems, when used at low fresh gas flows (FGF) to allow rebreathing of anesthetic, lack the ability for rapid dose titration. The small-scale anesthetic reflection device Anaesthetic Conserving Device (50mL Version; AnaConDa-S) permits administration of volatile anesthetics with high-flow ventilators. We compared washin, washout, and sevoflurane consumption using AnaConDa-S versus a circle system with low and minimal FGF.

METHODS:

Forty patients undergoing breast surgery were randomized to receive 0.5 minimal alveolar concentration (MAC) sevoflurane with AnaConDa-S (21 patients, reflection group) or with a circle system (low flow: FGF = 0.2 minute ventilation [V′E], 9 patients; or minimal flow: 0.1 V′E, 10 patients). In the reflection group, syringe pump boluses were given for priming and washin; to simulate an open system, the FGF of the anesthesia ventilator was set to 18 L·min−
1 with the soda lime removed. In the other groups, the FGF was increased for washin (1 V′E for 8 minutes) and washout (3 V′E). For all patients, tidal volume was 7 mL·kg−
1 and the respiratory rate adjusted to ensure normoventilation. Analgesia was attained with remifentanil 0.3 µg·kg−1·min−1. Sevoflurane consumption was compared between the reflection group and the low- and minimal-flow groups, respectively, using a post hoc test (Fisher Least Significant Difference). To compare washin and washout (half-life), the low- and minimal-flow groups were combined.

RESULTS:

Sevoflurane consumption was reduced in the reflection group (9.4 ± 2.0 vs 15.0 ± 3.5 [low flow, P < .001] vs 11.6 ± 2.3 mL·MAC h−1 [minimal flow, P = .02]); washin (33 ± 15 vs 49 ± 12 seconds, P = .001) and washout (28 ± 15 vs 55 ± 19 seconds, P < .001) times were also significantly shorter.

CONCLUSIONS:

In this clinical setting with short procedures, low anesthetic requirements, and low tidal volumes, AnaConDa-S decreased anesthetic consumption, washin, and washout times compared to a circle system.
Writing a journal article from your thesis or research project
Authors: Patterson Jean , Gilkison Andrea
Published: July 2020

Background: Many midwives who have completed their thesis or dissertation have not subsequently published their findings in a peer reviewed journal. This means that the potential contribution of their research findings to midwifery knowledge does not reach a wider audience. Aim: The aim of this paper is to alert prospective midwife authors to useful tips and writing strategies and encourage them to write and submit an article to a peer reviewed journal. Discussion: Adapting a large manuscript to the size and shape required by a journal can be a daunting task, requiring trimming and rewriting. Some authors may also experience writer anxiety and a lack of practical support. These issues are addressed, and readers are alerted to steps and strategies for writing well and establishing a simple clear argument. We discuss the practical challenges and offer advice on making time to write, choosing a journal, enlisting the help of a co-author, preparing for submission, and responding to editor or reviewer comments. Conclusion: It is our intention to assist midwives to publish their research, while acknowledging that this work needs to fit around already busy lives. In this article we address the personal and practical issues which may inhibit some midwives from writing, plus discuss tips and strategies to manage the writing tasks.
O contágio como revelação da necessidade de humanização dos homens
Authors: Couto Milene Santos
Published: July 2020

.
Altmetrics and citations: the impact of journal publications
Authors: Noah AO , Pearce I , Modgil V
Published: July 2020

To assess the correlation between the altmetric attention score and citations as measures of impact for scholarly publications within and outside of the urological field, we compared altmetric attention scores and citations in two groups of journal articles, a urological group ( n=13) and a non-urological group ( n=129). All papers were high altmetric score publications.

How researchers can benefit from alternative measures to make their mark.
Numerical investigation of high-speed electrically reconfigurable plasmofluidic channels for particle manipulation
Authors: Ghorbanzadeh Mostafa
Published: July 2020

Exploiting the uniquely tunable optical response and the strong optical Kerr nonlinearity of a graphene sheet conjugated by the propagating leaky surface plasmons (SPs) excited on top of gold (Au) stripes, an efficient and high-speed electrically reconfigurable plasmonic tweezer is presented. It is demonstrated that using a number of electrically and optically isolated Au stripes and topped graphene, metallic, and dielectric nanoparticles (NPs) can be trapped, sensed, guided, and sorted in a controllable manner. Also, numerical simulations show that at high enough SP fields, the fundamental SP mode is laterally self-focused by an induced laterally graded refractive index and consequently experiences weaker edge effects. It is shown that a more confined and enhanced SP mode in the nonlinear regime is beneficial to trapping and sensing applications. The proposed stacked structure of a nonpatterned graphene sheet and Au stripes offers an efficient and powerful method for developing reconfigurable plasmofluidic channels in controlling the trajectory of label-free NPs.
Maximizing optical production of metastable xenon
Authors: Lamsal H. P. , Franson J. D. , Pittman T. B.
Published: July 2020

The wide range of applications using metastable noble gas atoms has led to a number of different approaches for producing large metastable state densities. Here we investigate a recently proposed hybrid approach that combines RF discharge techniques with optical pumping from an auxiliary state in xenon. We study the effect of xenon pressure on establishing initial population in both the auxiliary state and metastable state via the RF discharge, and the role of the optical pumping beam power in transferring population between the states. We find experimental conditions that maximize the effects, and provide a robust platform for producing relatively large long-term metastable state densities.
Average capacity analysis of the underwater optical plane wave over anisotropic moderate-to-strong oceanic turbulence channels with the Málaga fading model
Authors: Xu Guanjun , Lai Jiahui
Published: July 2020

The scintillation index of plane wave propagation in anisotropic underwater turbulence under moderate-to-strong turbulent conditions is analyzed in this paper. A closed-form expression for the average channel capacity of underwater wireless optical communication (UWOC) systems is also proposed based on the Málaga fading model. The newly derived capacity model is effective in evaluating the influence of the link distance, the wavelength, the receiving aperture diameter, the anisotropic factor, the dissipation rate of mean squared temperature, and the eddy diffusivity ratio on the performance of these systems. Simulation results show that applying a large receiving aperture diameter and wavelength can improve the UWOC quality significantly. The contributions of anisotropy, temperature, and salinity also need to be considered in practical UWOC applications. The results reported in this paper will be helpful to researchers designing UWOC systems.
MODELO COMPUTACIONAL PARA A SELEÇÃO DE PORTFÓLIO DE AÇÕES UTILIZANDO A INTERDISCIPLINAR TEORIA DE MARKOWITZ
Authors: Motta Azevedo Junior Geraldo , Manoel Falcão Nunes Carlos
Published: July 2020

O presente artigo aborda o desenvolvimento de um modelo computacional, para apoio atomada de decisão, na seleção de ações mais rentáveis e com menor risco ao investidor.Para a construção do modelo é utilizada a linguagem de programação e o ambiente dedesenvolvimento R, além da plataforma de publicação shinyapp.io; tendo como basede cálculo para o modelo matemático a Teoria de Markowitz. A seleção do períododesejado para a análise dos preços das ações, a seleção das ações, a demonstração e aapresentação dos resultados dos cálculos realizados são disponibilizados através de umaAPI (Application Programming Interface).
ANÁLISE DO LICENCIAMENTO AMBIENTAL DE EMPREENDIMENTOS IMOBILIÁRIOS EM DUAS MEGACIDADES BRASILEIRAS
Authors: Schumann Renato , Linhares Qualharini Eduardo
Published: July 2020

A Agenda do Desenvolvimento Sustentável 2030 estabelece 11 objetivos a seremalcançados. O Brasil desmembrou esses objetivos em metas e dentre eles está a dereduzir o impacto ambiental per capita da poluição do ar e da geração de resíduos sólidos.Este trabalho faz uma análise do processo de licenciamento ambiental para a construçãode empreendimentos imobiliários das duas maiores megacidades brasileiras (São Pauloe Rio de Janeiro) tendo como marco confrontante as metas de redução de poluição doar e de geração de resíduos. Foi verificado que o processo de licenciamento ambientalnessas duas cidades dá grande importância à geração e destinação de resíduos, mas osimpactos à qualidade do ar são relegados a uma análise do processo de licenciamentourbanístico, que podem ser não considerados, como na cidade do Rio de Janeiro, ondea exigência de Relatórios de Impacto de Vizinhança (RIV) para licenciamentos ainda nãoestá regulamentado. Assim, o acúmulo de impactos ditos como pequenos em obras deconstrução civil pode representar um grande risco ambiental para uma determinadaregião.
PROJETO DE UM PÍER PARA UM PORTO FLUVIAL COM DIMENSIONAMENTO ESTRUTURAL DA VIGA PRINCIPAL
Authors: Ricardo Silva Pereira André , Araujo Braz de Oliveira Marcos , Rodrigues de Araujo Ricardo
Published: July 2020

Em vista a importância portuária para o transporte de mercadorias e pessoas tanto noâmbito nacional como nas relações comerciais internacionais, sendo responsável pelamovimentação de quantidades significativas de capital, trata-se de um estudo acercadas ações atuantes em um píer fluvial proposto por Costa (2016). Considera-se o métodode dimensionamento dos respectivos valores em conformidade com normas internacionais, adotando os valores de solicitação mais conservadores para que o resultado obtido seja favorável a segurança. Após o dimensionamento dos esforços elabora-se umamodelagem computacional através do software de modelagem estrutural em 2D, Ftool.Através da modelagem obtém-se as solicitações críticas da estrutura, sendo dimensionada a estrutura para resistir aos esforços de forma segura.
Ritual, Cult Spectatorship, and the Problem of Women's Flesh in Alejandro Jodorowsky's Midnight Movies
Authors: Jaramillo Laura
Published: July 2020

In January 2019, New York's Museo del Barrio canceled a retrospective of the Chilean multimedia artist Alejandro Jodorowsky due to public protest over his claim that he raped the lead actress in his 1970 film El Topo (The Mole). For decades, Jodorowsky's film was synonymous with the cult spectatorship it inspired among its New York audiences, who attended screenings ritualistically. This paper argues for a feminist critique of cult spectatorship that considers Jodorowsky's violence against women as central to the category of cult. By tracing Jodorowsky's evisceration of women's flesh from his early performance practices through his midnight movies, I show how the advent of cult spectatorship marked a historical transition away from classical spectatorship, characterized by absorption and linked to a rational public sphere, toward postmodern spectatorship, characterized by distracted consumption and linked to cybernetic control.
Retrograde Type A Aortic Dissection after Thoracic Endovascular Aortic Repair for Type B Dissection
Authors: Hayakawa Masato , Nagano Takaaki , Nishijima Isao , Shinzato Kento , Ikemura Ryo , Miyagi Kazufumi , Iha Kiyoshi , Senaha Shigenobu , Shimoji Mitsuyoshi , Akasaki Mitsuru
Published: July 2020

Background: A 64-year-old woman presented with dilatation of the distal aortic arch secondary to chronic type B aortic dissection.
Case Report: The patient underwent fenestrated thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) for closure of the entry site, and reconstruction of the left subclavian artery with a covered stent. On the 40th postoperative day, a retrograde type A aortic dissection (RTAD) was observed on computed tomography and she underwent emergency surgery. The entry tear, related to the proximal bare metal stent, was located in front of the aortic arch. A partial aortic arch replacement was performed.
Conclusion: Consideration of the risk factors of RTAD is important when performing TEVAR.
Demography of Attalea nucifera: Sustainable management and conservation of a threatened species of Colombia
Authors: Prada-Ríos Jorge , García Néstor
Published: July 2020

Attalea nucifera is an acaulescent palm native of Colombia that is in risk of extinction. Between 2016-2017 we evaluated the structure and density of populations in six localities of the Magdalena river valley, and studied the population dynamic in the locality of Guaduas, Cundinamarca (VC). Although the population structure differs among locations (X2 = 1819, gl = 25, P < 0.05), populations tend to group according to the degree of habitat perturbation. In four localities an inverted J population structure was observed. A matrix population model showed a finite growth rate (λ) of 0.979 (CI95 % = 0.962–0.997). The demographic processes of the permanence of seedlings, sub-adults and young adults show more elasticity. A transient dynamic simulation projected to 30 years shows that under the scenarios of paddock and cattle lopping the population size decrease drastically. The extinction threshold calculated for the population in the locality VC is of 145 years, but paddock and cattle lopping activities can reduce it to less than 40 years. Although Attalea nucifera persists in very disturbing locations in the Middle Magdalena Basin, the results of population dynamics in the locality VC suggest that it could be less tolerant of environmental disturbances. Thus, it is necessary to increase our knowledge of its population dynamics, as well as seed germination and seedling establishment in different disturbance conditions.
Depredación de Spea multiplicata (Anura: Scaphiopodidae) por Diadophis punctatus (Squamata: Dipsadidae) en un campo de cultivo en el occidente de México
Authors: Dávalos-M Aldo Davalos , Najar-S Jorge Antonio , Cruz-S Daniel
Published: July 2020

Diadophis punctatus es una serpiente de amplia distribución en Norteamérica. Aunque su historia natural está extensivamente estudiada en Estados Unidos de América, se conoce muy poco sobre su dieta en México. El 30 de octubre de 2018 recibimos un ejemplar de Diadophis punctatus que regurgitó un individuo de Spea multiplicata sin digerir. Este es el primer reporte de la interacción depredador-presa de estas dos especies aportando información valiosa sobre su historia natural. Además, se presenta una revisión de las presas de D. punctatus y de los depredadores de S. multiplicata.
Material suplementario Nota corta 78781. Depredación de Spea multiplicata (Anura: Scaphiopodidae) por Diadophis punctatus (Squamata: Dipsadidae) en un campo de cultivo en el occidente de México
Authors: Dávalos-M Aldo , Najar-S Jorge Antonio , Cruz-S Daniel
Published: July 2020

Material suplementario Nota corta 78781. Tablas 1 – 2 y  Fig. 1.
ANALYSIS OF ANNUAL AND SEASONAL AIR TEMPERATURE TRENDS IN CENTRAL PART OF ROMANIA
Authors: Arghius Viorel , Muntean Liviu-Octavian , Baciu Nicolae , Macicasan Vlad , Arghius Corina
Published: July 2020

In the present study, the research was focused on analyzing long-term trends and variability of annual and seasonal air mean temperatures and some parameters related to cold and hot extreme temperatures, based on relevant continuous temperature data (1961-2018 period) provided by three regional weather stations (Cluj-Napoca, Deva and Miercurea-Ciuc). The Mann-Kendall test was used in order to find statistically-significant trends, while the magnitude of trends was estimated using Sen’s slope estimator method. The main results showed a significant increase of mean air temperature, especially in the summer season and for indicators related to hot extreme temperatures. Generally, our findings are consistent with the current global warming and previous study results on temperature variability in Romania. Anyway by comparing our results with those from the other similar studies performed in Romania, it could be observed that the climate became warmer in the study area, so the trend in annual mean and seasonal air temperature has intensified and statistical significance of the results has significantly increased. Also, the intensification of the ,,urban heat island’’ effect could be highlighted in the larger cities, like Cluj-Napoca. This increasing trend entails significant impacts on society, economy and natural ecosystems, which is expected to intensify in the near future.
THE THERMO-HYGROMETRIC INDEX ON THE TERRITORY OF THE SOUTHERN DOBROGEA PLATEAU – A COMPONENT OF THE BALNEOCLIMATERIC TREATMENT
Authors: Grigore Elena , Constantin (Oprea) Dana Maria , Bogan Elena , Cristea Marius-Alin , Tatu Florina
Published: July 2020

The appearance of the analysis models, as a physical or mathematic form, has allowed simplifying the graphic representation of the processes specific to bioclimatology. Thus, the bioclimatic index becomes a useful and practical work tool in the scientific research, avoiding a multiple ranges of possible evaluations of the positive or negative potential that the climate of a region has on the human health. The proposed study analyzes the calculated values of the thermo-hygrometric index, for the period between the years 1981-2010. The database was improved with the meteorological data obtained from the five weather stations located in the Southern part of the Dobrogea Plateau. The mathematic formula launched by Kyle W.J. is based on the measured values of the air temperature (ºC) and relative air humidity (%). The obtained results allow us to highlight both the specific bioclimatic areas and the way in which the tourism in the area can be affected. The bioclimatic extension and intensity is rendered by a suggestive and synthetic graphic expression. The maps showing the spatial distribution of the index were obtained by combining the isotherm method with the kriging interpolation specific to the ArcMap.
PLGA+HA/βTCP Scaffold Incorporating Simvastatin: A Promising Biomaterial for Bone Tissue Engineering
Authors: Sordi Mariane Beatriz , da Cruz Ariadne Cristiane Cabral , Aragones Águedo , Cordeiro Mabel Mariela Rodríguez , de Souza Magini Ricardo
Published: July 2020

The aim of this study was to synthesize, characterize, and evaluate degradation and biocompatibility of poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) + hydroxyapatite/β-tricalcium phosphate (PLGA+HA/βTCP) scaffolds incorporating simvastatin (SIM) to verify if this biomaterial might be promising for bone tissue engineering. Samples were obtained by the solvent evaporation technique. Biphasic ceramic particles (70% HA, 30% βTCP) were added to PLGA in a ratio of 1:1. Samples with SIM received 1% (m/m) of this medication. Scaffolds were synthesized in a cylindric shape and sterilized by ethylene oxide. For degradation analysis, samples were immersed in phosphate-buffered saline at 37°C under constant stirring for 7, 14, 21, and 28 days. Nondegraded samples were taken as reference. Mass variation, scanning electron microscopy, porosity analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and thermogravimetry were performed to evaluate physico-chemical properties. Wettability and cytotoxicity tests were conducted to evaluate the biocompatibility. Microscopic images revealed the presence of macro-, meso-, and micropores in the polymer structure with HA/βTCP particles homogeneously dispersed. Chemical and thermal analyses presented similar results for both PLGA+HA/βTCP and PLGA+HA/βTCP+SIM. The incorporation of simvastatin improved the hydrophilicity of scaffolds. Additionally, PLGA+HA/βTCP and PLGA+HA/βTCP+SIM scaffolds were biocompatible for osteoblasts and mesenchymal stem cells. In summary, PLGA+HA/βTCP scaffolds incorporating simvastatin presented adequate structural, chemical, thermal, and biological properties for bone tissue engineering.
A General Approach to Multimodal Document Quality Assessment
Authors: Shen Aili , Salehi Bahar , Qi Jianzhong , Baldwin Timothy
Published: July 2020

The perceived quality of a document is affected by various factors, including grammat- icality, readability, stylistics, and expertise depth, making the task of document quality assessment a complex one. In this paper, we explore this task in the context of assessing the quality of Wikipedia articles and academic papers. Observing that the visual rendering of a document can capture implicit quality indicators that are not present in the document text — such as images, font choices, and visual layout — we propose a joint model that combines the text content with a visual rendering of the document for document qual- ity assessment. Our joint model achieves state-of-the-art results over five datasets in two domains (Wikipedia and academic papers), which demonstrates the complementarity of textual and visual features, and the general applicability of our model. To examine what kinds of features our model has learned, we further train our model in a multi-task learning setting, where document quality assessment is the primary task and feature learning is an auxiliary task. Experimental results show that visual embeddings are better at learning structural features while textual embeddings are better at learning readability scores, which further verifies the complementarity of visual and textual features.
A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Phase II Study of Regorafenib Versus Placebo in Advanced/Metastatic, Treatment-Refractory Liposarcoma: Results from the SARC024 Study
Authors: Riedel Richard F. , Ballman Karla V. , Lu Yao , Attia Steven , Loggers Elizabeth T. , Ganjoo Kristen N. , Livingston Michael B. , Chow Warren , Wright Jennifer , Ward John H. , Rushing Daniel , Okuno Scott H. , Reed Damon R. , Liebner David A. , Keedy Vicki L. , Mascarenhas Leo , Davis Lara E. , Ryan Christopher , Reinke Denise K. , Maki Robert G.
Published: July 2020

Trial Information

Click here to access other published clinical trials.

Lessons Learned

The results from the liposarcoma cohort of SARC024 confirm previously published data and do not support the routine use of regorafenib in this patient population. Continued exploration of novel therapies, including combination approaches, is warranted for a patient population in whom limited treatment options exist.

Background

Regorafenib is a multitargeted kinase inhibitor with a kinase profile overlapping, but distinct from, pazopanib, an agent approved for recurrent and metastatic non-gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST), non-adipocytic soft tissue sarcoma. We conducted a randomized, phase II study of regorafenib versus placebo in refractory liposarcoma patients.

Methods

Patients with advanced or metastatic, treatment-refractory liposarcoma were randomized 1:1 to receive regorafenib 160 mg or placebo once daily (3 weeks on, 1 week off). Patients with well-differentiated liposarcoma only were excluded. Crossover for placebo was allowed upon progression. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS), according to RECIST version 1.1.

Results

Forty-eight subjects with liposarcoma (34 dedifferentiated, 12 myxoid/round cell, 2 pleomorphic) were enrolled. Median PFS was 1.87 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.92–3.67) months for regorafenib versus 2.07 (95% CI, 1.64–3.44) months for placebo; stratified hazard ratio [HR], 0.85 (95% CI, 0.46, 1.58), p = .62. No responses were seen on regorafenib. One PR was observed on placebo. Median overall survival was 6.46 (95% CI, 4.16–23.48) months for regorafenib and 4.89 (95% CI, 3.02–9.77) months for placebo, stratified HR, 0.66 (95% CI, 0.31–1.40), p = .28). Treatment-related adverse events were similar to the known safety profile of regorafenib.

Conclusion

Regorafenib did not appear to improve PFS in treatment-refractory liposarcoma. No new significant safety signals were observed.
Travel time prediction using gated recurrent unit and spatio-temporal algorithm
Authors: Lee Eun Hak , Kho Seung-Young , Kim Dong-Kyu , Cho Shin-Hyung
Published: July 2020

This paper proposes a method to predict highway travel times using a spatio-temporal algorithm based on a gated recurrent unit (GRU). The spatio-temporal algorithm predicts the travel times considering both spatial and temporal characteristics of travel time. It could reduce the time-lag problems between the experienced and predicted travel times on travel routes. The results of the spatio-temporal GRU were compared to those of the recurrent neural network, long short-term memory, and the GRU models with the conventional algorithm. The predicted travel time of each model also was validated by comparing it to the individual probe vehicle data. The value of travel time analysis was also performed to examine the applicability of the model in urban planning and policy making. It was found that the spatio-temporal GRU predicted link and route travel times were most accurate among the four models.
Cas9 transduction of cancer cell lines v1
Authors: Souster Emily , Goodwin Verity , Jackson Adam , Beaver Charlotte , Ansari Rizwan , Behan Fiona , Garnett Mathew
Published: July 2020

The creation of stably Cas9 expressing cancer cell lines allows targeted and genome-wide gene modification using the CRISPR-Cas9 guide RNA system. The outcome of this process is the production of a cell line with greater than 75% Cas9 activity. Process diagram:
Dissociation of neuronal culture to single cells for scRNA-seq (10x Genomics) v1
Authors: Jerber Julie , Haldane James , Steer Juliette , Pearce Daniel , Patel Minal
Published: July 2020

This protocol outlines a method for dissociating a human pluripotent stem cell-derived neuronal culture to single cells for loading onto a Chromium 10x chip for single cell RNA-sequencing. This protocol makes a distinction between early neuronal progenitors and mature neuronal cultures, as additional steps and reagents are required in order to sufficiently dissociate the latter. These include: - DNase Vial (D2) - PDS Kit Papain Vial Note: In our labs, iPS cells were undergoing a 52-day long differentiation process to dopaminergic neurons (adapted from doi.org/10.1038/nature10648), and were treated under the 'mature' conditions when harvested from day 20 onward, and as 'early neuronal progenitors' on day 11. Example images of neuronal culture from our labs can be found in the Guidelines of this protocol for reference. This protocol assumes use of: - 12-well tissue culture plates (3.8 cm2 surface area per well ) for samples/wells being harvested for dissociation (see Materials). - A NucleoCounter®NC-200™ for purposes of cell counting.
NEBnext library construction and sequencing for SARS-CoV-2:Adapting COVID-19 ARTIC protocol v1
Authors: Giandhari Jennifer , Pillay Sureshnee , Tegally Houriiyah , Wilkinson Eduan , Chimukangara Benjamin , Lessells Richard , Moosa Yunus , Gazy Inbal , Fish Maryam , Singh Lavanya , Sedwell Khanyile Khulekani , Fonseca Vagner , Giovanetti Marta , Carols Alcantara Luiz , de Oliveira Tulio
Published: July 2020

This protocol describes the procedure for generating cDNA from SARS-CoV-2 viral nucleic acid extracts and subsequently producing amplicons tiling the viral genome sequencing. It uses the V3 nCov-2019 primers from the ARTIC network. This is followed by library construction using Nextera Flex, which we found to save 9h of hands on time as compared with original protocol that uses TruSeq for library contstruction. It also describes the pooling of samples and quantitation, prior to sequencing on the Illumina Miseq. It is adapted from the nCov-2019 sequencing protocol from Quick and colleagues, which can be found here:
Supplemental Resources for You Can’t Hide Your Lying Eyes: Honesty Oaths and Misrepresentation v2
Authors: Jobu Babin J , Chauhan Haritima , Liu Feng
Published: July 2020

Abstract Lying about personal qualifications for a job or in college admissions is common and has recently become a high profile issue. In this paper, we explore the decision to misrepresent one’s self and subsequently determine whether honesty oaths impact truthful reporting of a personal characteristic. To do this, we execute a field experiment on Amazon MTurk using a self-reporting task involving worker eye color. We provide empirical evidence that honesty oaths elicit more truthful behavior, primarily impacting “extreme” lies. Oath-taking decreased the cost associated with misreporting personal characteristics by 70%. Oaths marginally decrease shirking.