bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ethnicity and risk of death in patients hospitalised for COVID-19 infection in the UK: an observational cohort study in an urban catchment area
Authors: Sapey Elizabeth , Gallier Suzy , Mainey Chris , Nightingale Peter , McNulty David , Crothers Hannah , Evison Felicity , Reeves Katharine , Pagano Domenico , Denniston Alastair K , Nirantharakumar Krishnarajah , Diggle Peter , Ball Simon
Published: September 2020

Background

Studies suggest that certain black and Asian minority ethnic groups experience poorer outcomes from COVID-19, but these studies have not provided insight into potential reasons for this. We hypothesised that outcomes would be poorer for those of South Asian ethnicity hospitalised from a confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection, once confounding factors, health-seeking behaviours and community demographics were considered, and that this might reflect a more aggressive disease course in these patients.

Methods

Patients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection requiring admission to University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHB) in Birmingham, UK between 10 March 2020 and 17 April 2020 were included. Standardised admission ratio (SAR) and standardised mortality ratio (SMR) were calculated using observed COVID-19 admissions/deaths and 2011 census data. Adjusted HR for mortality was estimated using Cox proportional hazard model adjusting and propensity score matching.

Results

All patients admitted to UHB with COVID-19 during the study period were included (2217 in total). 58% were male, 69.5% were white and the majority (80.2%) had comorbidities. 18.5% were of South Asian ethnicity, and these patients were more likely to be younger and have no comorbidities, but twice the prevalence of diabetes than white patients. SAR and SMR suggested more admissions and deaths in South Asian patients than would be predicted and they were more likely to present with severe disease despite no delay in presentation since symptom onset. South Asian ethnicity was associated with an increased risk of death, both by Cox regression (HR 1.4, 95% CI 1.2 to 1.8), after adjusting for age, sex, deprivation and comorbidities, and by propensity score matching, matching for the same factors but categorising ethnicity into South Asian or not (HR 1.3, 95% CI 1.0 to 1.6).

Conclusions

Those of South Asian ethnicity appear at risk of worse COVID-19 outcomes. Further studies need to establish the underlying mechanistic pathways.
EarLy Exercise in blunt Chest wall Trauma: a feasibility trial (ELECT Trial)
Authors: Battle Ceri , O'Neill Claire , Toghill Hannah , Newey Luke , Hutchings Hayley
Published: September 2020

Background

The aim was to complete a feasibility study that would test the methods of the main trial, that will investigate whether early thoracic and shoulder girdle exercises reduce chronic pain in patients with blunt chest wall trauma, when compared with normal care.

Methods

A single centre, parallel, feasibility randomised controlled trial was completed at a University Teaching Hospital in Wales between June and September 2019. Adult patients with blunt chest wall trauma, admitted to hospital for greater than 24 hours, with no concurrent, immediately life-threatening injuries, were included. The intervention was a simple physiotherapy programme comprising thoracic and shoulder girdle exercises. Feasibility outcome measures included: primary outcomes: (1) 80% or more of identified eligible patients were approached for potential recruitment to the trial (2) 30% or less of approached, eligible patients dissented to participate in the trial; secondary outcomes: (3) follow-up data for patient secondary outcomes can be collected for 80% or more of patients, (4) there should be no greater than 10% increase in serious adverse events in the intervention group compared with the control group.

Results

A total of 19/19 (100%) patients were deemed eligible for the trial and were approached for participation, 5/19 (26%) eligible patients declined to participate in the trial, follow-up data were collected for n=10/14 (71%) patients and there were no serious adverse events reported in either group.

Conclusions

We have demonstrated that a fully powered randomised clinical trial of the EarLy Exercise in blunt Chest wall Trauma Trial is feasible.

Trial registration number

ISRCTN16197429
Improving liaison neurology services
Authors: Fuller Geraint N
Published: September 2020

Liaison neurology (consulting with inpatient ward referrals) is the main way that most patients admitted with neurological disease will access neurology services. Most liaison neurology services are responsive, seeing referrals on request, but they also can be proactive, with a regular neurology presence in the acute medical unit. Fewer than half of hospitals in England have electronic systems, yet these can facilitate the process—allowing electronic responses to advise on investigations before seeing the patient, and arranging follow-up after—as well as prioritising referrals and documenting the process. In this time of COVID-19, there are additional benefits in providing prompt remote advice. Improving the way liaison neurology is delivered can improve patient outcomes and save money by shortening admissions. This hidden work of the neurologists needs to be recorded and recognised.
A 50-year conundrum is conclusively solved: nudibranchs Dendronotus albus (= D. diversicolor) and Dendronotus robilliardi are valid species with compelling evidence from type materials, bibliographic sources, and molecular data
Authors: Martynov Alexander , Fletcher Karin , Korshunova Tatiana
Published: September 2020

A persistent confusion in the identification of two similar species of nudibranch molluscs of the genus Dendronotus Alder and Hancock, 1845, which inhabit shallow Canadian, Russian, and US waters of the northern Pacific Ocean, has caused a considerable taxonomic conundrum for over 50 years. In this study, we present compelling evidence for the first time, including morphological and molecular data as well as a study of type materials, to definitively conclude that Dendronotus albus MacFarland, 1966 was misidentified in the publication of G.A. Robilliard (1970; Veliger, 12: 433–479). This caused the long-term incorrect application of the characters of the real D. albus sensu F.M. MacFarland (1966; Mem. Calif. Acad. Sci. 6: 1–546) (which is still circulated in the literature) to a completely different, though externally similar, species incorrectly named “D. albus” in G.A. Robilliard (1970; Veliger, 12: 433–479). This species was properly described only 3 years ago as Dendronotus robilliardi Korshunova, Sanamyan, Zimina, Fletcher and Martynov, 2016. Using multiple evidence in this study, we firmly conclude that D. robilliardi is a well-supported valid species, whereas “Dendronotus diversicolor” Robilliard, 1970 is a junior synonym of D. albus. We also present rare bibliographic materials that shed light on the source of the misidentification of these species and also confirm the designation of the lectotype for D. albus. Biogeographical data, which are important for conservation and ecological studies, are also presented for D. albus and D. robilliardi in the Canadian and American Pacific Ocean.
Gravitational collapse for the K-essence emergent Vaidya spacetime
Authors: Manna Goutam
Published: September 2020

In this paper, we study the gravitational collapse in the k-essence emergent gravity using a generalized Vaidya-type metric as a background. We also analyze the cosmic censorship hypothesis for this system. We show that the emergent gravity metric resembles closely to the new type of the generalized Vaidya metrics for null fluid collapse with the k-essence emergent mass function, where we consider the k-essence scalar field being a function solely of the advanced or the retarded time. This new type of k-essence emergent Vaidya metric has satisfied the required energy conditions. The existence of the locally naked central singularity, the strength and the strongness of the singularities for the k-essence emergent Vaidya metric are the interesting outcomes of the present work.
Examining the Thermal Stress Effect of Electromagnetic Susceptibility of Automotive CAN Controller
Authors: Wu Jianfei , Li Xiangqian , Li Binhong , Xie Yong , Wang Mengjun
Published: September 2020

CAN controllers are responsible for the processing and transmission of CAN signals, which render them indispensable electronic devices in automotive cyber-physical systems. SJA1000T is one of the most common CAN communication chips which can be implemented through the use of bulk silicon CMOS technology. A susceptibility test platform is built based on the direct power injection method following IEC62132-4 to explore the electromagnetic susceptibility characteristics and the effects of thermal stress on CAN controller. Test results show that the susceptibility threshold curve is corresponded directly to frequency and temperature. The influence of thermal stress on the input and output characteristics of MOSFET is simulated and analyzed to verify the anti-interference ability and reduced reliability of the chip in a high temperature environment.
EADCR: Energy Aware Distance Based Cluster Head Selection and Routing Protocol for Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Panchal Akhilesh , Singh Rajat Kumar
Published: September 2020

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) are used for data collection from the surrounding environment using the enormous amount of sensor nodes. Energy saving is the most fundamental challenge of WSNs which primarily depends on the Cluster Head (CH) selection and packet routing strategy. In this paper, we are proposing an Energy Aware Distance-based Cluster Head selection and Routing (EADCR) protocol to extend the lifetime of WSN using the FCM technique, residual energy of the nodes, their relative Euclidean distances from the Base Station (BS) and cluster centroid. Since the nodes consume a considerable amount of energy during the clustering phase, thus to avoid this, here, we are introducing a new clustering approach where the CH selection is now based on the newly proposed fitness function. We are also providing a new strategy for packet routing using the shortest path technique for routing between node and its destination which reduces the energy consumption of the CHs by employing the multi-hop communication. We also save the energy of the nodes using their Euclidean distances among them, from their CH and from BS. The simulation results exhibit that the EADCR enhances the network lifetime as compared to the other similar algorithms, e.g., FCM, REHR, UCRA–GSO and CCA–GWO under different scenarios. It also saves the residual energy of the network and enhances the network coverage.
Computing the Hausdorff Distance of Two Sets from Their Distance Functions
Authors: Kraft Daniel
Published: September 2020

The Hausdorff distance is a measure of (dis-)similarity between two sets which is widely used in various applications. Most of the applied literature is devoted to the computation for sets consisting of a finite number of points. This has applications, for instance, in image processing. However, we would like to apply the Hausdorff distance to control and evaluate optimisation methods in level-set based shape optimisation. In this context, the involved sets are not finite point sets but characterised by level-set or signed distance functions. This paper discusses the computation of the Hausdorff distance between two such sets. We recall fundamental properties of the Hausdorff distance, including a characterisation in terms of distance functions. In numerical applications, this result gives at least an exact lower bound on the Hausdorff distance. We also derive an upper bound, and consequently a precise error estimate. By giving an example, we show that our error estimate cannot be further improved for a general situation. On the other hand, we also show that much better accuracy can be expected for non-pathological situations that are more likely to occur in practice. The resulting error estimate can be improved even further if one assumes that the grid is rotated randomly with respect to the involved sets.
Approximate Shortest Paths in Polygons with Violations
Authors: Dutta Binayak , Roy Sasanka
Published: September 2020

We study the shortest [Formula: see text]-violation path problem in a simple polygon. Let [Formula: see text] be a simple polygon in [Formula: see text] with [Formula: see text] vertices and let [Formula: see text] be a pair of points in [Formula: see text]. Let [Formula: see text] represent the interior of [Formula: see text]. Let [Formula: see text] represent the exterior of [Formula: see text]. For an integer [Formula: see text], the shortest [Formula: see text]-violation path problem in [Formula: see text] is the problem of computing the shortest path from [Formula: see text] to [Formula: see text] in [Formula: see text], such that at most [Formula: see text] path segments are allowed to be in [Formula: see text]. The subpaths of a [Formula: see text]-violation path are not allowed to bend in [Formula: see text]. For any [Formula: see text], we present a [Formula: see text] factor approximation algorithm for the problem that runs in [Formula: see text] time. Here [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] are geometric parameters.
Ising-FPGA
Authors: Mondal Ankit , Srivastava Ankur
Published: September 2020

The Ising model has been explored as a framework for modeling NP-hard problems, with several diverse systems proposed to solve it. The Magnetic Tunnel Junction– (MTJ) based Magnetic RAM is capable of replacing CMOS in memory chips. In this article, we propose the use of MTJs for representing the units of an Ising model and leveraging its intrinsic physics for finding the ground state of the system through annealing. We design the structure of a basic MTJ-based Ising cell capable of performing the functions essential to an Ising solver. The hardware overhead of the Ising model is analyzed, and a technique to use the basic Ising cell for scaling to large problems is described. We then go on to propose Ising-FPGA, a parallel and reconfigurable architecture that can be used to map a large class of NP-hard problems, and show how a standard Place and Route tool can be utilized to program the Ising-FPGA. The effects of this hardware platform on our proposed design are characterized and methods to overcome these effects are prescribed. We discuss how three representative NP-hard problems can be mapped to the Ising model. Further, we suggest ways to simplify these problems to reduce the use of hardware and analyze the impact of these simplifications on the quality of solutions. Simulation results show the effectiveness of MTJs as Ising units by producing solutions close/comparable to the optimum and demonstrate that our design methodology holds the capability to account for the effects of the hardware.
Is REDD1 a metabolic double agent? Lessons from physiology and pathology
Authors: Britto Florian A. , Dumas Karine , Giorgetti-Peraldi Sophie , Ollendorff Vincent , Favier François B.
Published: September 2020

The Akt/mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway governs macromolecule synthesis, cell growth, and metabolism in response to nutrients and growth factors. Regulated in development and DNA damage response (REDD)1 is a conserved and ubiquitous protein, which is transiently induced in response to multiple stimuli. Acting like an endogenous inhibitor of the Akt/mTOR signaling pathway, REDD1 protein has been shown to regulate cell growth, mitochondrial function, oxidative stress, and apoptosis. Recent studies also indicate that timely REDD1 expression limits Akt/mTOR-dependent synthesis processes to spare energy during metabolic stresses, avoiding energy collapse and detrimental consequences. In contrast to this beneficial role for metabolic adaptation, REDD1 chronic expression appears involved in the pathogenesis of several diseases. Indeed, REDD1 expression is found as an early biomarker in many pathologies including inflammatory diseases, cancer, neurodegenerative disorders, depression, diabetes, and obesity. Moreover, prolonged REDD1 expression is associated with cell apoptosis, excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and inflammation activation leading to tissue damage. In this review, we decipher several mechanisms that make REDD1 a likely metabolic double agent depending on its duration of expression in different physiological and pathological contexts. We also discuss the role played by REDD1 in the cross talk between the Akt/mTOR signaling pathway and the energetic metabolism.
Shifting into high gear: how interstitial cells of Cajal change the motility pattern of the developing intestine
Authors: Chevalier Nicolas R. , Ammouche Yanis , Gomis Anthony , Teyssaire Clémence , de Santa Barbara Pascal , Faure Sandrine
Published: September 2020

We reveal a sharp transition from smooth muscle to interstitial cell of Cajal (ICC)-driven motility in the chicken embryo, leading to higher-frequency, more rhythmic contractile waves. We predict the transition to happen between 12 and 14 embryonic wk in humans. We image for the first time the onset of ICC activity in an embryonic gut by calcium imaging. We show the first KIT and anoctamin-1 (ANO1) in situ hybridization micrographs in the embryonic chicken gut.
Aging impairs alveolar epithelial type II cell function in acute lung injury
Authors: Yazicioglu Tolga , Mühlfeld Christian , Autilio Chiara , Huang Cheng-Kai , Bär Christian , Dittrich-Breiholz Oliver , Thum Thomas , Pérez-Gil Jesús , Schmiedl Andreas , Brandenberger Christina
Published: September 2020

Morbidity and mortality rates in acute lung injury (ALI) increase with age. As alveolar epithelial type II cells (AE2) are crucial for lung function and repair, we hypothesized that aging promotes senescence in AE2 and contributes to the severity and impaired regeneration in ALI. ALI was induced with 2.5 μg lipopolysaccharide/g body weight in young (3 mo) and old (18 mo) mice that were euthanized 24 h, 72 h, and 10 days later. Lung function, pulmonary surfactant activity, stereology, cell senescence, and single-cell RNA sequencing analyses were performed to investigate AE2 function in aging and ALI. In old mice, surfactant activity was severely impaired. A 60% mortality rate and lung function decline were observed in old, but not in young, mice with ALI. AE2 of young mice adapted to injury by increasing intracellular surfactant volume and proliferation rate. In old mice, however, this adaptive response was compromised, and AE2 of old mice showed signs of cell senescence, increased inflammatory signaling, and impaired surfactant metabolism in ALI. These findings provide evidence that ALI promotes a limited proliferation rate, increased inflammatory response, and surfactant dysfunction in old, but not in young, mice, supporting an impaired regenerative capacity and reduced survival rate in ALI with advancing age.
The evolving role of the lung microbiome in pulmonary fibrosis
Authors: Lipinski Jay H. , Moore Bethany B. , O’Dwyer David N.
Published: September 2020

Mucosal surfaces are constantly exposed to a microbiome consisting of microorganisms that heavily influence human immunity and health. In the lung these microorganisms consist of bacteria, viruses, and fungi and exist in a relatively low biomass state. Bacterial communities of the lung modulate local inflammation and correlate with changes in pulmonary physiology and clinical outcomes in patients with lung disease. Instrumental to this progress has been the study of these bacterial communities in the pathogenesis of pulmonary fibrosis, a fatal and progressive disease culminating in respiratory failure. Key pathophysiological mechanisms in pulmonary fibrosis include recurrent idiopathic alveolar epithelial injury, unchecked collagen deposition, mucociliary dysfunction due to muc5b overexpression, hypoxia, and altered host defense. These key mechanisms and their related consequences promote severe progressive architectural lung destruction and loss of local homeostasis. As such, pulmonary fibrosis is an appropriate target disease for the study of the lung microbiome. Herein, we discuss recent advances in our understanding of the role of the lung microbiome in the pathogenesis of pulmonary fibrosis. We highlight fundamental clinical observations and mechanistic insights and identify crucial areas for further discovery science. An improved understanding of how the lung microbiome acts to influence outcomes in patients with pulmonary fibrosis will lead to enhanced therapies for this devastating lung disease.
Developmental programming of peripheral diseases in offspring exposed to maternal obesity during pregnancy
Authors: Shrestha Nirajan , Ezechukwu Henry C. , Holland Olivia J. , Hryciw Deanne H.
Published: September 2020

Obesity is an increasing global health epidemic that affects all ages, including women of reproductive age. During pregnancy, maternal obesity is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes that lead to complications for the mother. In addition, maternal obesity can increase the risk of poor perinatal outcomes for the infant due to altered development. Recent research has investigated the effects of maternal obesity on peripheral organ development and health in later life in offspring. In this review, we have summarized studies that investigated the programming effects of maternal obesity before and during pregnancy on metabolic, cardiovascular, immune, and microbiome perturbations in offspring. Epidemiological studies investigating the effects of maternal obesity on offspring development can be complex due to other copathologies and genetic diversity. Animal studies have provided some insights into the specific mechanisms and pathways involved in programming peripheral disease risk. The effects of maternal obesity during pregnancy on offspring development are often sex specific, with sex-specific changes in placental transport and function suggestive that this organ is likely to play a central role. We believe that this review will assist in facilitating future investigations regarding the underlying mechanisms that link maternal obesity and offspring disease risk in peripheral organs.
Effects of β-adrenergic stimulation on fetal heart rate, heart rate variability, and T-wave elevation during brief umbilical cord occlusions in fetal sheep
Authors: Lear Christopher A. , Beacom Michael J. , Westgate Jenny A. , Magawa Shoichi , Ikeda Tomoaki , Bennet Laura , Gunn Alistair J.
Published: September 2020

Circulating catecholamines are critical for fetal adaptation to hypoxia by regulating fetal heart rate (FHR) and promoting myocardial contractility and peripheral vasoconstriction. They have been hypothesized to contribute to changes in FHR variability (FHRV) and T-wave morphology, clinical indexes of fetal well-being during labor. β-Adrenergic blockade with propranolol does not affect FHRV during labor-like hypoxemia and only attenuated the increase in T-wave height between the episodes of hypoxemia. To further investigate the potential role of catecholamines, we investigated whether pharmacological β-adrenergic stimulation could increase FHRV and T-wave elevation during intermittent labor-like hypoxemia. Nineteen chronically instrumented fetal sheep at 0.85 of gestation received isoprenaline hydrochloride ( n = 7) or saline (control, n = 12), followed by three 1-min complete umbilical cord occlusions (UCOs) separated by 4-min reperfusion periods. Before the UCOs, infusion of isoprenaline increased FHR ( P < 0.001), absolute-T/QRS ratio ( P < 0.001), and one measure of FHRV [root-mean-square of successive RR interval differences (RMSSD), P < 0.05]. UCOs triggered deep FHR decelerations. During UCOs, isoprenaline was associated with increased FHR ( P < 0.001) and absolute-T/QRS ratio ( P < 0.05), but no effect on T/QRS ratio was observed when normalized to baseline before UCOs (normalized-T/QRS ratio). Between UCOs, isoprenaline increased FHR ( P < 0.001) and absolute-T/QRS ratio ( P < 0.05) but did not affect normalized-T/QRS ratio or any measures of FHRV. Arterial pressure was not affected by isoprenaline at any point. Our findings indicate that circulating catecholamines regulate FHR but not FHRV during labor-like hypoxemia and promote T-wave elevation between but not during intermittent fetal hypoxemia.
Maternal low-protein diet on the last week of pregnancy contributes to insulin resistance and β-cell dysfunction in the mouse offspring
Authors: Alejandro Emilyn U. , Jo Seokwon , Akhaphong Brian , Llacer Pau Romaguera , Gianchandani Maya , Gregg Brigid , Parlee Sebastian D. , MacDougald Ormond A. , Bernal-Mizrachi Ernesto
Published: September 2020

Maternal low-protein diet (LP) throughout gestation affects pancreatic β-cell fraction of the offspring at birth, thus increasing their susceptibility to metabolic dysfunction and type 2 diabetes in adulthood. The present study sought to strictly examine the effects of LP during the last week of gestation (LP12.5) alone as a developmental window for β-cell programming and metabolic dysfunction in adulthood. Islet morphology analysis revealed normal β-cell fraction in LP12.5 newborns. Normal glucose tolerance was observed in 6- to 8-wk-old male and female LP12.5 offspring. However, male LP12.5 offspring displayed glucose intolerance and reduced insulin sensitivity associated with β-cell dysfunction with aging. High-fat diet exposure of metabolically normal 12-wk-old male LP12.5 induced glucose intolerance due to increased body weight, insulin resistance, and insufficient β-cell mass adaptation despite higher insulin secretion. Assessment of epigenetic mechanisms through microRNAs (miRs) by a real-time PCR-based microarray in islets revealed elevation in miRs that regulate insulin secretion (miRs 342, 143), insulin resistance (miR143), and obesity (miR219). In the islets, overexpression of miR143 reduced insulin secretion in response to glucose. In contrast to the model of LP exposure throughout pregnancy, islet protein levels of mTOR and pancreatic and duodenal homeobox 1 were normal in LP12.5 islets. Collectively, these data suggest that LP diet during the last week of pregnancy is critical and sufficient to induce specific and distinct developmental programming effects of tissues that control glucose homeostasis, thus causing permanent changes in specific set of microRNAs that may contribute to the overall vulnerability of the offspring to obesity, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes.
Baroreflex function in Parkinson's disease: insights from the modified-Oxford technique
Authors: Sabino-Carvalho Jeann L. , Cartafina Roberta A. , Guimarães Gabriel M. , Brandão Pedro R. P. , Lang James A. , Vianna Lauro C.
Published: September 2020

Attenuated baroreflex gain may contribute to adverse cardiovascular outcomes, including orthostatic intolerance symptoms typically observed in patients with Parkinson's disease. We found that the baroreflex gain (assessed by the modified-Oxford technique) is attenuated and accompanied by an increased operating range in patients with Parkinson's disease. These findings highlight that cardiovascular perturbations are required to detect baroreflex impairments and that spontaneous indices do not reveal cardiovagal-baroreflex dysfunction in a middle-aged group of patients with Parkinson's disease.
Attitude Control with Auxiliary Structure Based on Adaptive Dynamic Programming for Reentry Vehicles
Authors: Li Xu , Cheng Zhongtao , Wang Bo , Wang Yongji , Liu Lei
Published: September 2020

This paper presents an attitude control scheme combined with adaptive dynamic programming (ADP) for reentry vehicles with high nonlinearity and disturbances. Firstly, the nonlinear attitude dynamics is divided into inner and outer loops according to the time scale separation and the cascade control principle, and a general sliding mode control method is employed to construct the main controllers for the double loops. Considering the shortage of main controllers in handling nonlinearity and sudden disturbances, an ADP structure is introduced into the outer attitude loop as an auxiliary. And the ADP structure utilizes neural network estimators to minimize the cost function and generate optimal signals through online learning, so as to compensate defect of the main controllers’ adaptability speed and accuracy. Then, the stability is analyzed by the Lyapunov method, and the parameter selection strategy of the ADP structure is derived to guide implementation. In addition, this paper puts forward skills to speed up ADP training. Finally, simulation results show that the control strategy with ADP possesses stronger adaptability and faster response than that without ADP for the nonlinear vehicle system.
A Bright Entanglement and Squeezing Generated by an External Pumping Radiation in a Correlated Emission Laser
Authors: Gashu Chimdessa
Published: September 2020

The quantum and statistical properties of light generated by an external classical field in a correlated emission laser with a parametric amplifier and coupled to a squeezed vacuum reservoir are investigated using the combination of the master and stochastic differential equations. First, the solutions of the cavity-mode variables and correlation properties of noise forces associated to the normal ordering are obtained. Next, applying the resulting solutions, the mean photon number of the separate cavity modes and their crosscorrelation, smallest eigenvalue of the symplectic matrix, mean photon number, intensity difference fluctuation, photon number variance, and intensity correlation are derived for the cavity-mode radiation. The entanglement produced is studied employing the logarithmic negativity criterion. It is found that pumping atoms from the lower energy state to excited state, introducing the nonlinear crystal into the cavity and coupling the system to a biased noise fluctuation, generate a bright and strong squeezing and entanglement with enhanced statistical properties although the atoms are initially in the ground state.
Detection and Profiling of Antibiotic Resistance among Culturable Bacterial Isolates in Vended Food and Soil Samples
Authors: Muriuki Susan W. , Neondo Johnstone O. , Budambula Nancy L. M.
Published: September 2020

The emergence and persistence of antibiotic resistance remain formidable health challenges. This study aimed at detecting and profiling antibiotic resistance of bacterial contaminants in vended food and the environment. Seventy antibiotic-resistant bacterial isolates were isolated from fried fish, African sausages, roasted meat, smokies, samosa, chips (potato fries), vegetable salads, and soil samples collected from Embu Town and Kangaru Market in Embu County, Kenya. The antibiotic susceptibility test, morphological and biochemical characterization, antibiosis assay, polymerase chain reaction-based detection of antibiotic resistance genes, and sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene were done. Analysis of variance on all measured data was done, and Tukey’s honest test was used to compare and separate mean diameters of zones inhibition. Resistance of bacterial isolates to antibiotics was chloramphenicol (90%), cefotaxime (84.29%), nalidixic acid (81.43%), tetracycline (77.14%), amoxicillin (72.86%), gentamycin (48.57%), streptomycin (32.86%), and trimethoprim + sulphamethoxazole (30%). Isolate KMP337, Salmonella spp., exhibited highly significant antibiosis against S. aureus recording a mean inhibition diameter and standard error (SE) of 16.33 ± 0.88 mm, respectively, at P=0.001. The 70 bacterial isolates belonged to Bacillus, Paraclostridium, Lysinibacillus, Virgibacillus, and Serratia genera. The study isolated Bacillus wiedmannii (KC75) which is a risk group 2 as well as Serratia marcescens (KMP95) and Bacillus anthracis (KS606) which are risk group 3 organisms. The presence of antibiotic resistance genes Tet A, BlaTEM, StrB, Dfr A, Amp, and FloR genes was confirmed by a polymerase chain reaction. Samples from Kangaru Market recorded a higher (88.57%) proportion of resistant isolates as compared to isolates from Embu Town (11.43%). The study confirmed the presence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in vended fast food and the soil in Embu Town and Kangaru Market. This study calls for continuous monitoring of bacterial status and hygienic handling of vended food.
Network Dynamics of a Fractional-Order Phase-Locked Loop with Infinite Coexisting Attractors
Authors: Karthikeyan Anitha , Rajagopal Karthikeyan
Published: September 2020

We have investigated a fractional-order phase-locked loop characterised by a third-order differential equation. The integer-order mathematical model of the phase-locked loop (PLL) is first converted to fractional order using the Caputo-Fabrizio method. The stability of the equilibrium points is discussed in detail in both parameter and fractional-order domain. The proposed fractional-order phase-locked loop (FOPLL) model shows multiple coexisting attractors which was not discussed in the earlier literature of PLL. The significance of these infinite coexisting attractors is that they exist in the operation region of the PLL between [−π,π] which increases the complexity of operation of the PLLs. Mainly when such FOPLLs are used in large-scale networks, the synchronisation of the FOPLLs becomes complicated and will result in unstable control conditions. Hence, studying the network dynamics of such FOPLLs is significant which motivates us to investigate the synchronisation phenomenon of the FOPLLs constructed in a square network. We could show that, because of the multiple coexisting attractors, the FOPLLs show various synchronisation phenomena, and more importantly in the chaotic region for lower fractional-order values, we could show that the FOPLLs are synchronised and this finding is very useful to completely analyse the FOPLL networks in high-frequency operations.
Research on Dynamic Weapon Target Assignment Based on Cross-Entropy
Authors: Hu Lei , Yi GuoXing , Huang Chao , Nan Yi , Xu ZeYuan
Published: September 2020

The weapon target assignment (WTA) is a classical problem of defense-related applications which is proved to be a NP-complete problem. In this paper, a practical and available dynamic weapon target assignment (DWTA) formulation is given which incorporates two meaningful and conflicting objectives, that is, minimizing weapon costs and maximizing combat benefits. As we know, heuristic methods have some shortcomings such as slow convergence speed and local optimum in solving the nonlinear integer optimization problem. To this end, a novel DWTA algorithm based on cross-entropy (CE) method is introduced, where the resources requirement condition for targets is taken into consideration. The CE method associates an estimation problem with the DWTA optimization problem, and then, the estimation problem is transformed into a convex optimization problem. The Karush–Kuhn–Tucker conditions are applied to solve the convex optimization problem, and the iteration formulas to find the optimal solution are deducted. Furthermore, in order to verify the performance of CE method in dealing with the DWTA problem, several simulations in different combat scenarios are implemented. The results reveal that, compared with the benchmark heuristic and Monte-Carlo (MC) methods, there are some notable advantages in solving the DWTA problem based on CE method with regard to the solution quality and time consumption.
The Effectiveness of Minimally Invasive Techniques in the Treatment of Patellar Tendinopathy: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
Authors: López-Royo M. P. , Ortiz-Lucas M. , Gómez-Trullén E. M. , Herrero P.
Published: September 2020

The aim was to determine the effectiveness of minimally invasive techniques (MIT) in patients with patellar tendinopathy. Database searches were performed for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in electronic databases (WOS, Cochrane Central, SportDiscus, and Medline via PubMed and PEDro). The inclusion criteria used were published in English or Spanish and involving adults with patellar tendinopathy (pain on the inferior pole of the patella for a minimum of 3 months), with at least one group receiving MIT. The quality of the relevant RCTs was evaluated using the PEDro scale. The primary outcome was functionality using the VISA‐p questionnaire. Secondary outcome was focused on pain. A total of 1164 studies were screened for possible inclusion in our systematic review. Finally, 10 RCTs were included with a total of 326 individuals. Five RCTs were included in the meta‐analysis. The quality assessment revealed that all the studies included were considered to possess high methodological quality. All studies analyzing MIT such as platelet‐rich plasma (PRP), dry needling, or skin‐derived tenocyte‐like cells, when combined with exercise, proved to be effective for patellar tendinopathy. Moreover, the PRP technique with doses greater than 4 mL together and combined with an exercise program lasting over 6 weeks obtained better results in functionality and pain than other treatments in the short term. However, in the long term, dry needling and skin‐derived tenocyte‐like cells are more effective than PRP. Although the infiltration of drugs was effective at posttreatment, these improvements were not maintained over time and may have secondary effects. Although there are no RCTs analyzing the effectiveness of MIT like percutaneous needle electrolysis, there has been an increasing number of publications achieving excellent results in the last years. However, it is necessary to develop RCTs analyzing not only the effect but also comparing the effectiveness between different MIT such as dry needling and percutaneous needle electrolysis.
An Antiforensic Method against AMR Compression Detection
Authors: Yan Diqun , Li Xiaowen , Dong Li , Wang Rangding
Published: September 2020

Adaptive multirate (AMR) compression audio has been exploited as an effective forensic evidence to justify audio authenticity. Little consideration has been given, however, to antiforensic techniques capable of fooling AMR compression forensic algorithms. In this paper, we present an antiforensic method based on generative adversarial network (GAN) to attack AMR compression detectors. The GAN framework is utilized to modify double AMR compressed audio to have the underlying statistics of single compressed one. Three state-of-the-art detectors of AMR compression are selected as the targets to be attacked. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method is capable of removing the forensically detectable artifacts of AMR compression under various ratios with an average successful attack rate about 94.75%, which means the modified audios generated by our well-trained generator can treat the forensic detector effectively. Moreover, we show that the perceptual quality of the generated AMR audio is well preserved.
Theoretical Study on the Characteristics of Critical Heat Flux in Rectangular Channel of Natural Circulation under Motion Conditions
Authors: Xi Mengmeng , Cai Rong , Chu Xiao , Yang Fan , Ran Xu , Qiu Zhifang , Deng Jian , Tian Wenxi
Published: September 2020

With the wide application of sea-based reactors, the impact of ocean conditions on the safety performance of reactors has gradually attracted attention. In this paper, by establishing the thermal hydraulic transient analysis model and the critical heat flux (CHF) model of natural circulation system, the CHF characteristics in the rectangular channel of natural self-feedback conditions under ocean conditions are studied. The results show that the additional acceleration field generated by ocean conditions will affect the thermal hydraulic parameters of the natural circulation system, that is, the external macroscopic thermal hydraulic field. On the other hand, the boiling crisis mechanism will be affected, that is, the force on the bubble and the thickness of the liquid film. Within the parameters of the study, ocean conditions have a great impact on CHF of natural circulation, and the maximum degradation of CHF is about 45%. The obtained analysis results are significant to the improvement of design and safety operation of the reactor system.
Nonuniformly Spaced Array with the Direct Data Domain Method for 2D Angle-of-Arrival Measurement in Electronic Support Measures Application from 6 to 18 GHz
Authors: Wu Chen , Elangage Janaka
Published: September 2020

This paper introduces a 2D angle-of-arrival (AoA) estimator, which has a 6–18 GHz 7-element nonuniformly spaced array (NSA) and a Direct Data Domain- (D3-) based AoA algorithm for a 2D isotropic-element planar array (IEPA). A 2D calibration and data-transformation method is developed to convert the NSA data to the output of the IEPA, so that the NSA-measured data can be used in the D3 algorithm. Using the steering vector (SV) of the IEPA and the results derived from the D3 method, a new 2D AoA searching method is also developed, which offers frequency-independent performance defined by the probability of AoA estimation, when the required estimation accuracy and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) are given. For the applications of electronic support measures, this paper also presents the use of precalculated SV and data-transformation matrix databases built on preselected frequency points and a 2D-angle grid that is close to uniformly distributed directions. The simulation results show that with good SNR (≥15 dB), the estimator can have 50% probability of AoA estimation with root mean square error (RMSE) less than or equal to 1° using just a few samples from the NSA. Moreover, the study focuses on the applications with low SNR by using more samples from the NSA. Results show that the estimator has 52% and 80% probabilities of AoA estimation with RMSE ≤1° and 5°, respectively, for phase- or frequency-modulated radar pulses, when the SNR is within [−10, 0] dB. The study also shows that the estimator prefers a circular-shaped planar array with a triangular interelement pattern, since it presents more symmetrical characteristics from different azimuth angles.
Timing Is Everything: Misincorporation of 8oxodG during Mitosis Is Lethal
Authors: Alnajjar Khadijeh , Sweasy Joann B.
Published: September 2020

Exploiting universal cancer vulnerabilities has been used as an approach for developing targeted therapies. In this issue of Cancer Research, Rudd and colleagues show that the dual-functioning inhibitor TH588 potentiates the accumulation of reactive oxygen species during mitosis in cancer by disturbing mitotic progression and simultaneously inhibiting the hydrolysis of 8oxodGTP. This leads to increased incorporation of 8oxodG into the DNA during mitotic replication and increased toxicity. Understanding the mechanism of this inhibitor lays the groundwork for identifying cancer targets.

See related article by Rudd et al., p. 3530
Destrin Contributes to Lung Adenocarcinoma Progression by Activating Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling Pathway
Authors: Zhang Hui-Juan , Chang Wen-Jing , Jia Cai-Yun , Qiao Ling , Zhou Jing , Chen Qing , Zheng Xiao-Wei , Zhang Jian-Hua , Li Hong-Chao , Yang Zheng-Yan , Liu Zhong-Hua , Liu Guang-Chao , Ji Shao-Ping , Lu Feng
Published: September 2020

Lung cancer, especially lung adenocarcinoma, is one of the most common neoplasms worldwide. However, the mechanisms underlying its initiation, development, and metastasis are still poorly understood. Destrin (DSTN) is a member of ADF/cofilin family. Its detailed biological function remains unknown, although it is reported that DSTN is involved in cytoskeleton remodeling and regulation of actin filament turnover. Recent evidence has shown that high expression of cofilin-1 is associated with invasion and poor prognosis of several types of human tumors, but the detailed mechanism is still entirely unclear, particularly in lung cancer tumorigenesis and malignancy. Here, we report that DSTN was highly expressed in a mouse lung cancer model induced by urethane and in clinical lung adenocarcinoma tissue samples. Its expression level was positively correlated with cancer development, as well as metastasis to the liver and lymph nodes. Consistently, it was directly associated with the poor prognosis of lung adenocarcinoma patients. Furthermore, we also found that DSTN promotes cell proliferation, invasion, and migration in vitro, and facilitates subcutaneous tumor formation and lung metastasis via intravenous injection in vivo. Mechanically, DSTN associates with and facilitates nuclear translocation of β-catenin, which promotes epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Taken together, our results indicated that DSTN enhances lung cancer malignancy through facilitating β-catenin nuclear translocation and inducing EMT. Combined with multivariate analyses, DSTN might potentially serve as a therapeutic target and an independent prognostic marker of lung adenocarcinoma.

Implications:

This finding indicates that DSTN facilitates β-catenin nuclear translocation and promotes malignancy in lung adenocarcinoma.
Influence of Semicircular Canal Dehiscence on Cochlear Implant Outcome
Authors: Matic Jana , Winklhofer Sebastian , Pfiffner Flurin , Roosli Christof , Veraguth Dorothe , Huber Alexander , Dalbert Adrian
Published: September 2020

Introduction: Semicircular canal dehiscence (SCD) is defined as a defect of the bone overlying the semicircular canal. It has a relatively high prevalence of 3% in the general population, which makes it likely that a certain number of patients receiving a cochlear implant (CI) would have it. However, little is known about the influence of SCD on the CI outcome. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the influence of SCD on CI outcome with regard to short- and long-term word perception and hearing preservation. Methods: This study was a retrospective analysis of postoperative word perception ability in the electric-only condition after 6, 12, and ≥18 months and of hearing preservation 4 weeks after surgery in CI recipients with and without SCD. All patients received a preoperative 1.5- or 3-tesla magnetic resonance imaging. Results: Fifty-five patients were included. Forty-eight patients (87%) had no SCD, and 7 patients (13%) had SCD. Mean postoperative word perception scores were 66% in the non-SCD group versus 50% in the SCD group (p = 0.17) after 6 months, 74 versus 64% (p = 0.28) after 12 months, and 77 versus 73% (p = 0.62) after 18 or more months. The mean postoperative hearing loss in patients with functional residual hearing before surgery (n = 34) was 22 dB in the non-SCD group versus 31 dB in the SCD group (p = 0.15). Conclusions: CI outcome is comparable between recipients without and with SCD. Specifically, hearing preservation rate and word perception ability in the electric-only condition seem not affected by SCD. The rate of progress of word perception ability in the first 12 months after cochlear implantation is not influenced by SCD.