bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Abordajes sobre comunicación y cultura / (FBI) 2: Fascismo de Baja Intensidad
Authors: Fernández Serrato Juan Carlos
Published: January 2021

Antonio Méndez Rubio, Abordajes sobre comunicación y cultura. Temuco: Ediciones de la Universidad de la Frontera, 2020, 231 Págs.
Antonio Méndez Rubio, (FBI) 2: Fascismo de Baja Intensidad. Santander: La Vorágine, col. Textos (in)surgentes , 2020, 158 Págs.
Applications of representation transformation and secular perturbation theory to coupled Duffing equations
Authors: Li Chao-Gang , Wang Mao-Sheng , Fang Quan , Peng Xue-Cheng , Huang Wan-Xia ,   Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Materials Science and Technology, School of Physics and Electronic Information, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu 241002, China
Published: January 2021

In physics, the non-linear mode coupling is an important strategy to manipulate the mechanical properties of a vibrational system. Compared with the single-mode nonlinear system, the complex systems with two- or multi-mode nonlinear coupling have garnered considerable attention, among which the analytical solutions to the coupled Duffing equations are widely studied to solve nonlinear coupling. The fact is that the solving of the Duffing coupling equations generally starts with the eigenmodes solution of the linear equations. The trial solution of the coupled equations is the linear superposition of the eigenmodes. Under the secular perturbation theory and similar conditions, the Duffing coupling equation degenerates into two decoupled equations. However, thus far most of the solution methodologies are too complicated to unravel the underlying physical essence clearly. In this paper, first, by applying the representational transformation to the linear terms of the first-order coupled Duffing equations and the secular perturbation theory for the nonlinear terms, a decoupled expression of the first-order Duffing equations is derived, which can be solved more straightforwardly. Subsequently, in order to verify the correctness of the method, we design a coupled tuning fork mechanical vibration system, which consists of two experimental instruments to provide driving force and receive signals, two tuning forks and springs. The amplitude spectra are measured by an experimental instrument of forced vibration and resonance (HZDH4615), which provides a periodic driving signal for the tuning fork. The numerical fitting by software is employed to clarify the mechanism of the spectrum. Theoretically, the obtained fitting parameters can also evaluate some important attributes of the system. Most strikingly, due to the nonlinear coupling the splitting of the resonant peak and the phenomenon of “hysteresis loop” are clearly observed in the experiment. The research shows that the experimental results perfectly match the theoretical results obtained before. The method of solving coupled nonlinear equations in this article provides a solution and improvement of flexible adoption of nonlinear theory. On the other hand, it can be extended to coupled light and electricity systems, offer certain guidance for understanding the dynamic behavior of coupled systems, and will be conductive to the quantitative examination of numerous nonlinear coupling devices.
Polycomponent doping improved thermoelectric performance of Cu3SbSe4-based solid solutions
Authors: Wang Mo-Fan , Ying Peng-Zhan , Li Xie , Cui Jiao-Lin ,   School of Materials Science and Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China,   School of Materials and Chemical Engineering, Ningbo University of Technology, Ningbo 315211, China
Published: January 2021

 Cu3SbSe4, one of the ternary p-type semiconductor materials with chalcopyrite structure, has aroused much interest in thermoelectrics due to its inherent large effective mass and narrow bandgap. Therefore, many researches have been done, which cover the single and/or multi-element doping to manipulate its band structure and introduce the point defects. Although great achievements have been made in recent years, the mechanism in Cu3SbSe4 with respect to the phonon and electronic transport properties needs further investigating.

 In this work, first, Sn and S are co-doped into Cu3SbSe4 and then the resulting compound is alloyed with Ga2Te3, to improve its TE performance and understand the mechanism by calculating the band structure and crystal structure. The calculation of band structure reveals that an impurity band is created within the bandgap after co-doping Sn and S due to their contributions to the density of the states (DOS), which is directly responsible for the significant improvement in carrier concentration (nH) and electrical property. Therefore, the power factor (PF) is enhanced from 0.52 × 10–3 to 1.3 × 10–3 W·m–1·K–2.

 Although the effect associated with the Ga (Te) residing at Sb (Se) sites on the band structure is limited due to the fact that both the single Ga- and single Te-doped band structure remain almost unchanged, the structural parameters (bond lengths and angles) of the polyhedrons [SeCu3Sb] and [SbSe4] before and after Te and Ga residing at Se and Sb sites respectively change remarkably. This yields the significant distortion of local lattice structure on an atomic scale. Therefore, the phonon scattering is enhanced and the lattice thermal conductivity (κL) decreases from 1.23 to 0.81 W·K–1·m–1 at 691 K. The reduction in κL prevents the total thermal conductivity (κ) from being enhanced rapidly. As a consequence, the highest ZT value of 0.64 is attained, which is much higher than that of the pristine Cu3SbSe4 (ZT = 0.26). In addition, we not only present a synergistic strategy to separately optimize the phonon and electronic properties, but also fully elaborate its mechanism and better understand that this strategy is an effective way to improve the TE performance of the Cu3SbSe4-based solid solutions.
Whole genome phylogenies reflect the distributions of recombination rates for many bacterial species
Authors: Sakoparnig Thomas , Field Chris , van Nimwegen Erik
Published: January 2021

Although recombination is accepted to be common in bacteria, for many species robust phylogenies with well-resolved branches can be reconstructed from whole genome alignments of strains, and these are generally interpreted to reflect clonal relationships. Using new methods based on the statistics of single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) splits, we show that this interpretation is incorrect. For many species, each locus has recombined many times along its line of descent, and instead of many loci supporting a common phylogeny, the phylogeny changes many thousands of times along the genome alignment. Analysis of the patterns of allele sharing among strains shows that bacterial populations cannot be approximated as either clonal or freely recombining but are structured such that recombination rates between lineages vary over several orders of magnitude, with a unique pattern of rates for each lineage. Thus, rather than reflecting clonal ancestry, whole genome phylogenies reflect distributions of recombination rates.
Construction and validation of a novel prognostic signature of microRNAs in lung adenocarcinoma
Authors: Li Wanzhen , Liu Shiqing , Su Shihong , Chen Yang , Sun Gengyun
Published: January 2021

MicroRNA (miRNA, miR) has been reported to be highly implicated in a wide range of biological processes in lung cancer (LC), and identification of differentially expressed miRNAs between normal and LC samples has been widely used in the discovery of prognostic factors for overall survival (OS) and response to therapy. The present study was designed to develop and evaluate a miRNA-based signature with prognostic value for the OS of lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), a common histologic subtype of LC. In brief, the miRNA expression profiles and clinicopathological factors of 499 LUAD patients were collected from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Kaplan–Meier (K-M) survival analysis showed significant correlations between differentially expressed miRNAs and LUAD survival outcomes. Afterward, 1,000 resample LUAD training matrices based on the training set was applied to identify the potential prognostic miRNAs. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) cox regression analysis was used to constructed a six-miRNA based prognostic signature for LUAD patients. Samples with different risk scores displayed distinct OS in K-M analysis, indicating considerable predictive accuracy of this signature in both training and validation sets. Furthermore, time-dependent receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis demonstrated the nomogram achieved higher predictive accuracy than any other clinical variables after incorporating the clinical information (age, sex, stage, and recurrence). In the stratification analysis, the prognostic value of this classifier in LUAD patients was validated to be independent of other clinicopathological variables, such as age, gender, tumor recurrence, and early stage. Gene set annotation analyses were also conducted through the Hallmark gene set and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways, indicating target genes of the six miRNAs were positively related to various molecular pathways of cancer, such as hallmark UV response, Wnt signaling pathway and mTOR signaling pathway. In addition, fresh cancer tissue samples and matched adjacent tissue samples from 12 LUAD patients were collected to verify the expression of miR-582’s target genes in the model, further revealing the potential relationship between SOX9, RASA1, CEP55, MAP4K4 and LUAD tumorigenesis, and validating the predictive value of the model. Taken together, the present study identified a robust signature for the OS prediction of LUAD patients, which could potentially aid in the individualized selection of therapeutic approaches for LUAD patients.
New Insight in the Sedative and Anxiolytic Activities of Amaranthus tricolor L. Leaves Extract in Mice
Authors: Jahan Nusrat , Hossain Md. Rabiul , Hossain Muhammad Kamal , Alam Md. Rashadul , Das Shimul
Published: January 2021

Aims: The present study was planned to assess the sedative and anxiolytic efficacy of Amaranthaus tricolor L methanolic extract in vivo.

Place and Duration of Study: Department of Pharmacy, between January 2018 and August 2018.

Methodology: In this experiment, the crude extract of Amaranthus tricolor L. was evaluated for its CNS depressant effect using rodent behavioral models, such as open field, hole cross and rota rod tests for its sedative properties and an elevated plus maze test for its anxiolytic potential, respectively.

Results: In sedative assay, a dose-dependent and statistically significant (p<0.05) suppression of locomotors activity of the mice in both open field and hole cross test was exhibited by theextract at a dose of 200 and 400 mg/kg body weight. The extract also displayed increased percentage of entry into open arms at both doses in anxiolytic potential study. At a dose of 400 mg/kg body weight significant anxiolytic activity (p<0.05) was found compared to the standard diazepam.

Conclusion: The pivotal CNS depressant and anxiolytic activity of the methanolic extract of Amaranthus tricolor L leaves was discovered in this experiment. Further research on the extract's biologically active phytochemicals may provide access to therapeutic intervention.
Effects of Peer and Provider-Based Education Interventions on HIV/AIDS Knowledge and Behaviour-Risk among in-School Adolescents in Ebonyi State, Nigeria
Authors: Chizoba A. F. , Chineke H. N. , Adogu P. O. U. , Nwafia A. E. , Chizoba C. J.
Published: January 2021

Introduction: Adolescents and youths are at high risk due to knowledge gap and behaviour risks related to HIV/AIDS thus need for intervention programs. There is paucity of data on comparative analysis on effect of the education intervention models such as peer-based and provider-based models. This study assessed the effect of peer and provider-based HIV/AIDS education on HIV knowledge and behaviour risk among adolescents and youths in Ebonyi State, Nigeria.

Methodology: This study involved 2 intervention groups (peer-based and health provider-based) and 1 control group. Multistage sampling was used to select participants. HIV education was provided by peers and health providers in the two intervention groups, but hygiene education was given to the control group. Pre-test and post-test questionnaires were deployed to assess baseline and effect of intervention on HIV/AIDS knowledge and behaviour risk. Total participants were 1831 shared among the 3 groups.

Result: Total baseline mean knowledge score was 48.8 and behaviour risk was 42.3. Within the intervention groups, significant changes were recorded in terms of knowledge gain and behaviour risk reduction post-intervention (p<0.05). No change was observed in control group. Provider-based group had higher knowledge gain and better behaviour risk reduction than peer-based group (p<0.05).

Conclusion: Baseline HIV knowledge among adolescents and youths was on unimpressive, and behaviour risk was high.  Education resulted in better knowledge and lower behaviour risk in the two groups, but health provider-based group had better outcome than peer-based group. It is recommended that the two models of HIV education intervention be adopted in secondary schools in view of their peculiarities and applicability.
The Outpatient Prescribing Pattern of Aluminum - Magnesium Hydroxide Antacid
Authors: Ahmed Nehad J. , Menshawy Menshawy A.
Published: January 2021

Objective: The present study aims to explore the prescribing trends of aluminum hydroxide - magnesium hydroxide in the outpatient setting.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional study that was conducted in a public hospital in Al Saih. Prescription data was collected retrospectively from electronic patients records in the outpatient section of the hospital.

Results: A total of 146 outpatients received aluminum hydroxide - magnesium hydroxide antacid between 1st of July till the end of December 2018. Most of the patients were female (61.64%). Out of the 146 prescriptions, 145 were written by residents (99.32%) and only 1 prescription was written by a specialist (0.68%). Most of the prescriptions were written by emergency department (91.79%).

Conclusion: The use of aluminum hydroxide - magnesium hydroxide was uncommon but it should be prescribed carefully and a continuous assessment of its prescribing is required to prevent its adverse events and drug interactions.
Antimicrobial Activity of Nypa Fruticans (Nipa) Palm Starch and Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles (ZnONps) in Textile: Solving the Scarcity Using Local Resources
Authors: Lim Karina Milagros R. Cui- , Dagalea Flyndon Mark S. , Adora Nelia M. , Ultra Cherry I.
Published: January 2021

Nanotechnology is an emerging interdisciplinary technology that has been booming in many areas during the recent decade. The application of nanoscale materials and structures, usually ranging from 1 to 100 nanometers (nm), is an emerging area of nanoscience and nanotechnology. In this work, Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles were prepared by wet chemical method using zinc nitrate and sodium hydroxide as precursors and Nypa fruticans (Nipa) starch as stabilizing agent. The antimicrobial property was found effective against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria. It has a clear zone of inhibition against S. aureus and   E. coli.  The scanning electron micrograph exhibited that after several washings the cloth facemask coated with nipa starch and zinc oxide still adheres to the cloth.
Detection and Prevalence of Canine Leptospirosis from Navsari District of South Gujarat, India
Authors: Desai Dhruv , Makwana Pushpa , Solanki Jayesh , Kalyani Irshadullakhan , Patel Dharmesh , Mehta Sudhir , Mavadiya Suresh , Vala Jignesh , Parmar Saurabh
Published: January 2021

Aims: Leptospirosis is endemically prevalent in coastal area of south Gujarat. Generally, pets are vaccinated against Leptospira interrogans but whosoever left unvaccinated, are prone to infection. The present study was conducted to detect canine leptospirosis and its prevalence from south Gujarat.

Place and Duration of Study: A total of 46 serum samples and 33 urine samples were collected from 56 dogs suspected of having leptospira infection. The study was done from September 2019 to May 2020.

Methodology: Serum samples were diagnosed by IgG based ImmunoComb solid phase dot ELISA test for antibody against genus specific Leptospira interrogans. Urine samples were visualized under dark field microscopy (DFM) following laboratory manual on leptospirosis of WHO. Sex and age of dogs were noted to find out the percent positivity and prevalence. Chi square test was applied to find out any significant difference among the age groups.

Results: Out of 46 serum samples, 17 (36.95%) found positive by dot ELISA and out of 33 urine sample, 13 (39.39%) found positive by DFM. Sex wise prevalence found 42.10 percent (16/38) in Male while 55.55 percent (10/18) in female dogs. Age group wise prevalence was recorded 63.63 percent (07/11) in 1- ≤ 3 years group. 27.77 per cent (05/18) in > 3- ≤ 6 years group whereas, 51.85 percent (14/27) in > 6- ≤ 12 years group.

Conclusion: Detection and prevalence of canine leptospirosis were studied first time from Gujarat. Overall 46.42 percent (26/56) dogs were diagnosed positive for canine leptospirosis. Dogs having age group of 1- ≤ 3 years found more susceptible. Prevalence was found more in female than male dogs.
Inhibition Lysosomal Degradation of Clusterin by Protein Kinase D3 Promotes Triple‐Negative Breast Cancer Tumor Growth
Authors: Liu Yan , Zhou Yehui , Ma Xinxing , Chen Liming
Published: January 2021

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC), with its lack of targeted therapies, shows the worst mortality rate among all breast cancer subtypes. Clusterin (CLU) is implicated to play important oncogenic roles in cancer via promoting various downstream oncogenic pathways. Here, protein kinase D3 (PRKD3) is defined to be a key regulator of CLU in promoting TNBC tumor growth. Mechanically, PRKD3 with kinase activity binding to CLU is critical for CLU protein stability via inhibiting CLU's lysosomal distribution and degradation. CLU and PRKD3 protein level are significantly elevated and positively correlated in collected TNBC tumor samples. CLU silencer (OGX‐011) and PRKDs inhibitor (CRT0066101) can both result in impressive tumor growth suppression in vitro and in vivo, suggesting targeting CLU and its key regulator‐PRKD3 are promisingly efficient against TNBC. Finally, secreted CLU (sCLU) is found to be elevated in serums from TNBC patients and reduced in serum from TNBC murine models post OGX‐011 and/or CRT0066101 treatment, suggesting serum sCLU is a promising blood‐based biomarker for clinical management of TNBC. Taken together, this study provides a thorough molecular basis as well as preclinical evidences for targeting CLU pathway as a new promising strategy against TNBC via revealing PRKD3 as the key regulator of CLU in TNBC.
Discovery of a Novel Inhibitor of Human Purine Nucleoside Phosphorylase by a Simple Hydrophilic Interaction Liquid Chromatography Enzymatic Assay
Authors: Rabuffetti Marco , Rinaldi Francesca , Lo Bianco Alessandra , Speranza Giovanna , Ubiali Daniela , de Moraes Marcela Cristina , Rodrigues Pereira da Silva Luiz Claudio , Massolini Gabriella , Calleri Enrica , Lavecchia Antonio
Published: January 2021

Human purine nucleoside phosphorylase (HsPNP) belongs to the purine salvage pathway of nucleic acids. Genetic deficiency of this enzyme triggers apoptosis of activated T‐cells due to the accumulation of deoxyguanosine triphosphate (dGTP). Therefore, potential chemotherapeutic applications of human PNP inhibitors include the treatment of T‐cell leukemia, autoimmune diseases and transplant tissue rejection. In this report, we present the discovery of novel HsPNP inhibitors by coupling experimental and computational tools. A simple, inexpensive, direct and non‐radioactive enzymatic assay coupled to hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography and UV detection (LC‐UV using HILIC as elution mode) was developed for screening HsPNP inhibitors. Enzymatic activity was assessed by monitoring the phosphorolysis of inosine (Ino) to hypoxanthine (Hpx) by LC‐UV. A small library of 6‐ and 8‐substituted nucleosides was synthesized and screened. The inhibition potency of the most promising compound, 8‐aminoinosine (4), was quantified through Ki and IC50 determinations. The effect of HsPNP inhibition was also evaluated in vitro through the study of cytotoxicity on human T‐cell leukemia cells (CCRF‐CEM). Docking studies were also carried out for the most potent compound, allowing further insights into the inhibitor interaction at the HsPNP active site. This study provides both new tools and a new lead for developing novel HsPNP inhibitors.
Extraction of nucleic acid in Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae using high electric field pulse application
Authors: Murakami Yuichi , Yamashita Ryo , Sato Takunao , Muramoto Yuji
Published: January 2021

An electroporation that formed the pores on cell membrane after application of high electric field pulses has been used the transformation and the sterilization of cell. In this paper, we reported the extraction method of nucleic acid in Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae using high electric field pulse application. The sample was 1.0 × 10–3 mol/L NaCl aqueous solution contained E. coli and S. cerevisiae. High voltage pulse is applied to the sample at room temperature. These results were shown as the following: (1) When a pulsed electric field of 4 ∼ 13 kV/mm is applied to E. coli and S. cerevisiae, the estimated amount of nucleic acid increases with the increases of strength of applied pulsed electric field. (2) In the case of E. coli, the 2–3 kbp band was confirmed at an electric field of 5 kV/mm or more, and the 10 kbp band was confirmed at an electric field of 8 kV/mm or more. (3) In the case of S. cerevisiae, the 2–3 kbp band was confirmed at an electric field of 9 kV/mm or more. the 10 kbp band could not be confirmed at 13 kV/mm or less.
Synergistic effects of processing parameters on the biochemical and physical properties of tofu made from yellow field pea (Pisum sativum), as determined by response surface methodology
Authors: DePalma Kevin , Smith Brennan , McDonald Armando G.
Published: January 2021

Peas are an underutilized crop that do not require allergen labeling and are rarely genetically modified. Peas contain less protein than soy and vary in protein composition. Because peas contain more starch than soy and less lipids, an alternative procedure for pea tofu production needs to be developed to prevent excessive starch gelatinization while promoting curd development. To accomplish this, a response surface model design was utilized to determine optimal oil addition, cook time, and salt concentration. Treatment ranges were from 0.0% to 4.2% for oil addition, 60–134 min for cook time, and 5.0%–9.2% for MgCl2 addition. Treatments had varying effects on tofu texture. Cook time was directly proportional to the hardness and could be used to match the soft, firm, and extra firm texture targets of conventional soy tofu. Protein secondary structure was not related to gel strength, indicating a system with synergies between multiple components other than protein. This research will help satisfy the growing demand for alternatives to soy‐based foods.
Serotonin depletion during the postnatal developmental period causes behavioral and cognitive alterations and decreases BDNF level in the brain of rats
Authors: Saadati Hakimeh , Sadegzadeh Farshid , Sakhaie Nona , Panahpour Hamdollah , Sagha Mohsen
Published: January 2021

A survey of the literature indicates that the developmental disruptions in serotonin (5‐HT) levels can influence the brain development and the function. To the best of our knowledge, so far, there are a few studies about the effects of developmental period 5‐HT depletion on cognition and behavior of adult male and female rats. Therefore, in the present study, we examined the effects of postnatal days (PND 10–20) administration of para‐chlorophenylalanine (PCPA, 100 mg/kg, s.c) a 5‐HT synthesis inhibitor, on anxiety‐related behaviors, pain sensitivity, short‐term recognition memory, and hippocampal and prefrontal cortex (PFC) brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) mRNA expression in adult male and female rats. Novel object recognition memory (NORM) and behavioral parameters (anxiety‐like behaviors and pain sensitivity) were evaluated in early adulthood and after that, the hippocampi and PFC of the rat's brain were removed for the determination of BDNF mRNA expression. Our results indicated that the postnatal period administration of PCPA impaired short‐term NORM. The postnatal developmental period treatment with PCPA also increased anxiety‐like behaviors in the open field and elevated plus maze (EPM) tests. Postnatal PCPA treatment increased pain sensitivity in the hot plate test in both male and female rats, especially in female animals. In addition, postnatal days serotonin depletion decreased BDNF level in the hippocampus and PFC of both male and female rats. These findings demonstrate that serotonin plays the main role in neurodevelopment, cognitive functions, and behavior. Therefore, serotonergic system dysregulation during the developmental periods may have more adverse influences on the brain development of rats.
Behavior, process, and scale: Comments on Shimp (2020), “Molecular (moment‐to‐moment) and molar (aggregate) analyses of behavior”
Authors: Baum William M
Published: January 2021

If we study the behavior of organisms, we must understand the ontological status of both “organism” and “behavior.” A living organism maintains itself alive by constantly interacting with the environment, taking in energy and discarding waste. Ontologically, an organism is a process. Its interactions with the environment, which constitute its behavior, are processes also, because the parts of any process are themselves processes. Processes serve functions, and the function of a process must be part of its identity. A process, by definition, extends in time. Time is the fundamental and universal measure of behavior. All processes have the property of scale. Activities of an organism have parts that are themselves activities on a smaller time scale. Scale varies continuously, and behavior may be studied on as large or as small a time scale as seems necessary. When researchers refer to the “structure” of behavior, they refer to smaller‐scale activities. Attaching a switch to a lever or key is convenient, but one should never confuse operation of a switch with a unit of behavior. Shimp's (2020) “molecular” measures are small‐scale measures. The molecular view based on discrete events has outlived its usefulness and should be replaced by a multiscale molar paradigm.
Morph‐anatomic and histochemical study of ileum of goose (Alopochen egyptiacus) with special references to immune cells, mucous and serous goblet cells, telocytes, and dark and light smooth muscle fibers
Authors: Anwar Shimaa M. , Abd‐Elhafeez Hanan H. , Abdel‐maksoud Fatma M. , Abdalla Kamal E. H.
Published: January 2021

The morphological characteristics of the ileum of 20 adult male Egyptian geese were determined using LM, SEM, and TEM. The mean length of the ileum in the male goose was approximately 158.71 mm, representing nearly 10.19% of the total length of the small intestine. The ileum is composed of four layers: mucosa, submucosa, muscular layer, and serosa. The mucosal layer comprises the epithelium, lamina propria, and muscularis mucosa. The mucosa forms finger‐like villi and is invaginated at the bases, forming the crypts of Lieberkühn. The ileum is lined by simple columnar epithelium that contains absorptive dark and light enterocytes with two types of goblet cells (mucous and serous varieties) microfold like cells, dendritic reticulum cells, Paneth cells, and a closed type of enteroendocrine cells. The lamina propria has diffuse lymphoid tissue containing lymphocytes, macrophages, mast cells, plasma cells, and heterophils as well as telocytes. The muscularis mucosa comprises circular smooth muscle fibers extending into the core of the villi. The submucosa is a thin layer of elastic‐rich connective tissue. The muscular level consists of four layers, with light and dark smooth muscle fibers. We described in detail the structure of all cellular components and histomorphometric measurements.
High serum ferritin alone as a predictor of mortality and hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis
Authors: Kohli Shruti , Chadha Ritu , Rastogi Neha , Yadav Satya Prakash
Published: January 2021

We report here utility of high serum ferritin alone as a predictor of mortality and diagnosis of hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH). We compared mortality in patients with high serum ferritin >5000 ng/mL versus <5000 ng/mL and looked for presence of HLH. Mortality was significantly higher (P‐value .0048) in patients with serum ferritin levels >5000 ug/dL. Of 21 patients with high serum ferritin, a median of three criteria were fulfilled to diagnose HLH. All patients had features of immune‐activation, and 76.2% patients had features of immune‐pathology favoring diagnosis of HLH. Serum ferritin can aid in prediction of mortality and help in the early diagnosis of HLH.
Identification of a novel SUOX pathogenic variants as the cause of isolated sulfite oxidase deficiency in a Chinese pedigree
Authors: Du Peng , Hassan Reem N. , Luo Hualei , Xie Jie , Zhu Yue , Hu Qiuyue , Yan Jin , Jiang Weiying
Published: January 2021

Background

Isolated sulfite oxidase deficiency (ISOD) is a life‐threatening rare autosomal recessive disorder caused by pathogenic variants in SUOX (OMIM 606887) gene. The aim of our study was to establish a comprehensive genetic diagnosis strategy for the pathogenicity analysis of the SUOX gene within a limited time and to lay the foundation for precise genetic counseling, prenatal diagnosis, and preimplantation genetic diagnosis.

Methods

Two offspring from one set of parents were studied. Next‐generation sequencing (NGS) was used to screen for disease‐causing gene variants in a family with ISOD. Then, Sanger sequencing was performed to verify the presence of candidate variants. Sulfite, homocysteine and uric acid levels were detected in the patients. According to the ACMG/AMP guidelines, the pathogenicity level of novel variants was annotated.

Results

The nonsense pathogenic variant (c.1200C > G (p.Y400*)) and a duplication (c.1549_1574dup (p.I525 Mfs*102)) were found in the SUOX gene in the proband. The nonsense mutation (c.1200C > G (p.Y400*), pathogenic, isolated sulfite oxidase deficiency, autosomal recessive) has been reported as pathogenic and the duplication (c.1549_1574dup (p.I525 Mfs*102), pathogenic, isolated sulfite oxidase deficiency, autosomal recessive) was novel, which was classified as pathogenic according to the ACMG/AMP Standards and Guidelines.

Conclusion

We established the pathogenicity assessment in ISOD patients based on ACMG/AMP Standards and Guidelines and this is the first ISOD patient reported in mainland China. We also discovered that ISOD is caused by SUOX gene duplication mutation, which enriches the spectrum of SUOX pathogenic variants.
Synthesis of brain tumor multicontrast MR images for improved data augmentation
Authors: Kim Sunho , Kim Byungjai , Park HyunWook
Published: January 2021

Purpose

Medical image analysis using deep neural networks has been actively studied. For accurate training of deep neural networks, the learning data should be sufficient and have good quality and generalized characteristics. However, in medical images, it is difficult to acquire sufficient patient data because of the difficulty of patient recruitment, the burden of annotation of lesions by experts, and the invasion of patients’ privacy. In comparison, the medical images of healthy volunteers can be easily acquired. To resolve this data bias problem, the proposed method synthesizes brain tumor images from normal brain images.

Methods

Our method can synthesize a huge number of brain tumor multicontrast MR images from numerous healthy brain multicontrast MR images and various concentric circles. Because tumors have complex characteristics, the proposed method simplifies them into concentric circles that are easily controllable. Then, it converts the concentric circles into various realistic tumor masks through deep neural networks. The tumor masks are used to synthesize realistic brain tumor images from normal brain images.

Results

We performed a qualitative and quantitative analysis to assess the usefulness of augmented data from the proposed method. Data augmentation by the proposed method provided significant improvements to tumor segmentation compared with other GAN‐based methods. Intuitive experimental results are available online at https://github.com/KSH0660/BrainTumor.

Conclusions

The proposed method can control the grade tumor masks by the concentric circles, and synthesize realistic brain tumor multicontrast MR images. In terms of data augmentation, the proposed method can successfully synthesize brain tumor images that can be used to train tumor segmentation networks or other deep neural networks.
Content analysis of identity challenges in patients with haemophilia: A qualitative study
Authors: Dolatkhah Roya , Shabanloei Reza , Ebrahimi Hossein , Ghasempour Mostafa
Published: January 2021

Aims

Inherited bleeding diseases greatly affect education, working, job, social activities and quality of life. We aimed to discover the sources of identity challenges among patients with Haemophilia.

Design

The present study has been designed and performed as a qualitative content analysis research.

Methods

Participants were purposively selected from haemophilia patients referred to our clinic during one year, from March 2018 to April 2019. Data collection was done through semi‐structured, in‐depth interviews using purposeful sampling. Data were analysed based on Granheme and Landman method. The main categories were fear of rejection, losing social roles, discrimination and stigma and marriage breakdown.

Results

Patients with haemophilia encounter several challenges due to physical and social constraints caused by the disease. Such challenges result in disturbances in the self‐identity of the patients.

Conclusion

According to the results of this study, the nurses should plan to have attention to the patients with haemophilia, based on more protection and better supports.
A protocol for cell therapy infusion in neonates
Authors: Baker Elizabeth K. , Wallace Euan M. , Davis Peter G. , Malhotra Atul , Jacobs Susan E. , Hooper Stuart B. , Lim Rebecca
Published: January 2021

Cell therapies for neonatal morbidities are progressing to early phase clinical trials. However, protocols for intravenous (IV) delivery of cell therapies to infants have not been evaluated. It has been assumed the cell dose prescribed is the dose delivered. Early in our clinical trial of human amnion epithelial cells (hAECs), we observed cells settling in the syringe and IV tubing used to deliver the suspension. The effect on dose delivery was unknown. We aimed to quantify this observation and determine an optimal protocol for IV delivery of hAECs to extremely preterm infants. A standard pediatric infusion protocol was modeled in the laboratory. A syringe pump delivered the hAEC suspension over 60 minutes via a pediatric blood transfusion set (200-μm filter and 2.2 mL IV line). The infusion protocol was varied by agitation methods, IV-line volumes (0.2-2.2 mL), albumin concentrations (2% vs 4%), and syringe orientations (horizontal vs vertical) to assess whether these variables influenced the dose delivered. The influence of flow rate (3-15 mL/h) was assessed after other variables were optimized. The standard infusion protocol delivered 17.6% ± 9% of the intended hAEC dose. Increasing albumin concentration to 4%, positioning the syringe and IV line vertically, and decreasing IV-line volume to 0.6 mL delivered 99.7% ± 13% of the intended hAEC dose. Flow rate did not affect dose delivery. Cell therapy infusion protocols must be considered. We describe the refinement of a cell infusion protocol that delivers intended cell doses and could form the basis of future neonatal cell delivery protocols.
Dichloroacetate attenuates the stemness of hepatocellular carcinoma cells via promoting nucleus‐cytoplasm translocation of YAP
Authors: Su Duanyu , Lin Zhian
Published: January 2021

The antitumor effects of dichloroacetate (DCA) have been widely explored, however, its roles in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression are still unclear. In the current work, we found that DCA had little effects on HCC cell viability, but could attenuate the stemness of HCC cells, which is evident by decreasing the tumor sphere‐formation ability, ALDH activity and the expression of stemness critical regulators. Mechanistic studies based on RNA‐sequencing data showed that DCA activated the Hippo pathway. Furthermore, we indicated that DCA promoted the nucleus‐cytoplasm translocation of YAP, but not TAZ, another critical executor of Hippo pathway. Moreover, suppressing of Hippo pathway using XMU‐MP‐1, an inhibitor of Hippo pathway, partially abrogated DCA‐induced inhibitory effects on HCC cell stemness. This work suggests that DCA might be a potential inhibitor for HCC progression.
Military Operations
Authors: Høiback Harald
Published: January 2021

Military operations can be a complex and cumbersome undertaking, involving millions of soldiers and tonnes of equipment. Even though war has been part of human experience for time immemorial, systematic thinking about how to prepare, conduct, and use military operations is nonetheless a rather new undertaking. This chapter explores the history of thinking about military operations, broadly defined, and narrows down on operations as the concept is used today.

After the historical exploration, the chapter investigates how military operations can be studied. In principle, there are four different ways to approach operations as a field of study. The most common methods are the historical method and operations research, i.e., making heuristic models of reality. Game theory and axiomatic foundationalism are the other two but are far less used than the former two.

The development of modern military thinking notwithstanding, it is still difficult to convert military power to strategic gains, and the latter part of the chapter explains why. Military commanders and planning groups do not always get the what and why from the political level, making it difficult to find the how. Military operations are also intrinsically difficult because your opponent will try to make it difficult for you. The concept of an operational level of command is also problematic, since it tends to do the opposite of what is intended. Instead of pulling tactics and strategy closer together, it tends to push them apart. And finally, the word “art” in “operational art” is perhaps also an unfortunate misnomer?
Multiscale structural optimization with concurrent coupling between scales
Authors: Murphy Ryan , Imediegwu Chikwesiri , Hewson Robert , Santer Matthew
Published: January 2021

A robust three-dimensional multiscale structural optimization framework with concurrent coupling between scales is presented. Concurrent coupling ensures that only the microscale data required to evaluate the macroscale model during each iteration of optimization is collected and results in considerable computational savings. This represents the principal novelty of this framework and permits a previously intractable number of design variables to be used in the parametrization of the microscale geometry, which in turn enables accessibility to a greater range of extremal point properties during optimization. Additionally, the microscale data collected during optimization is stored in a reusable database, further reducing the computational expense of optimization. Application of this methodology enables structures with precise functionally graded mechanical properties over two scales to be derived, which satisfy one or multiple functional objectives. Two classical compliance minimization problems are solved within this paper and benchmarked against a Solid Isotropic Material with Penalization (SIMP)–based topology optimization. Only a small fraction of the microstructure database is required to derive the optimized multiscale solutions, which demonstrates a significant reduction in the computational expense of optimization in comparison to contemporary sequential frameworks. In addition, both cases demonstrate a significant reduction in the compliance functional in comparison to the equivalent SIMP-based optimizations.
Status of the International Gravity Reference System and Frame
Authors: Wziontek Hartmut , Bonvalot Sylvain , Falk Reinhard , Gabalda Germinal , Mäkinen Jaakko , Pálinkás̆ Vojtech , Rülke Axel , Vitushkin Leonid
Published: January 2021

The increasing importance of terrestrial gravimetry in monitoring global change processes, in providing a reference for satellite measurements and in applications in metrology necessitates a stable reference system reflecting the measurement accuracy achievable by modern gravimeters. Therefore, over the last decade, the International Association of Geodesy (IAG) has developed a system to achieve accurate, homogeneous, long-term global recording of Earth’s gravity, while taking advantage of the potential of today’s absolute gravity measurements. The current status of the International Gravity Reference System and Frame is presented as worked out by the IAG Joint Working Group 2.1.1 “Establishment of a global absolute gravity reference system” during the period 2015–2019. Here, the system is defined by the instantaneous acceleration of free-fall, expressed in the International System of Units (SI) and a set of conventional corrections for the time-independent components of gravity effects. The frame as the systems realization includes a set of conventional temporal gravity corrections which represent a uniform set of minimum requirements. Measurements with absolute gravimeters, the traceability of which is ensured by comparisons and monitoring at reference stations, provide the basis of the frame. A global set of such stations providing absolute gravity values at the microgal level is the backbone of the frame. Core stations with at least one available space geodetic technique will provide a link to the terrestrial reference frame. Expanded facilities enabling instrumental verification as well as repeated regional and additional comparisons will complement key comparisons at the level of the International Committee for Weights and Measures (CIPM) and ensure a common reference and the traceability to the SI. To make the gravity reference system accessible to any user and to replace the previous IGSN71 network, an infrastructure based on absolute gravity observations needs to be built up. This requires the support of national agencies, which are encouraged to establish compatible first order gravity networks and to provide information about existing absolute gravity observations.
Positive Effect of Teriparatide on Areal Bone Mineral Density in Young Women with Anorexia Nervosa: A Pilot Study
Authors: Milos Gabriella , Moergeli Hanspeter , Sob Cynthia , Wisler Doris , Wasila Mariusz , Uebelhart Daniel , Frey Diana
Published: January 2021

The present pilot study investigated the effect of Teriparatide 1–34 rh-PTH (TPT) in young women diagnosed with anorexia nervosa (AN), and markedly compromised Bone Mineral Density (BMD). Patients were included who had (i) very low BMD (defined as Z-Score <  − 2.5 or T-Score <  − 2.5 if available) in at least one of the assessed localizations (lumbar spine L1–L4, total hip, femoral neck) without any previous fragility fracture; or (ii) low bone mineral density (defined as Z-Score <  − 1.5 or T-Score <  − 1.5 if available) in at least one of the assessed localizations (lumbar spine L1–L4, total hip, femoral neck) and at least one previous fragility fracture. Ten patients with an age range of 21–33 were recruited and their bone outcome was assessed after 12, 18, and 24 months. After 24 months of TPT treatment, BMD improved by 13.5% in the spine, 5.0% in the femoral neck, and 4.0% in the hip. Radius cortical bone density (− 2.6%) and radius cortical thickness (− 6.4%) decreased significantly, while in tibia there was no significant decrease. Neither in radius nor in tibia a significant change in trabecular bone parameters occurred. During the treatment, the patients’ body weight did not increase significantly. Patients did not experience severe adverse events; only mild side effects were observed. Although these results emerged from a single-arm prospective study, it seems that AN patients with a severely compromised bone situation can benefit from TPT. Larger studies are needed to ascertain the effect of this promising substance.
Ocean currents as a potential dispersal pathway for Antarctica’s most persistent non-native terrestrial insect
Authors: Bartlett Jesamine C. , Convey P. , Hughes K. A. , Thorpe S. E. , Hayward S. A. L.
Published: January 2021

The non-native midgeEretmoptera murphyiis Antarctica’s most persistent non-native insect and is known to impact the terrestrial ecosystems. It inhabits by considerably increasing litter turnover and availability of soil nutrients. The midge was introduced to Signy Island, South Orkney Islands, from its native South Georgia, and routes of dispersal to date have been aided by human activities, with little known about non-human-assisted methods of dispersal. This study is the first to determine the potential for dispersal of a terrestrial invertebrate species in Antarctica by combining physiological sea water tolerance data with quantitative assessments of ocean current journey times. Fourth instar larvae tolerated sea water submergence for up to 21 days, but submerged egg sacs had significantly reduced hatching success. Using near-surface drifter data, we conclude that ocean current dispersal from Signy Island would not present a risk of species transfer beyond the South Orkney Islands on the tested timescales. However, ifE. murphyiwere to be introduced to the South Shetlands Islands or Adelaide Island, which are located offshore of the Antarctic Peninsula, there would be a risk of successful oceanic dispersal to neighbouring islands and the Antarctic Peninsula mainland. This study emphasises the need for effective biosecurity measures and demonstrates the role that currently undocumented pathways may have in dispersing non-native species.
The impact of upstream turbulence on a plane jet
Authors: Kamruzzaman Md , Rømcke Olav , Hearst R. Jason
Published: January 2021

The influence of upstream turbulence on the flow produced by a plane jet is investigated experimentally with hot-wire anemometry and smoke flow visualisation. An innovative active grid, where each wing can be independently controlled, is used to change the upstream turbulence conditions. Three cases are investigated: a canonical reference case, a case with the same integral scale as the reference case but an order of magnitude increase in turbulence intensity, and a case with both an order of magnitude increase in turbulence intensity and an order of magnitude increase in integral scale compared to the reference case. It is demonstrated that the wake width increases with turbulence intensity, but decreases with integral scale for constant turbulence intensity. In addition, the positional variability of the wake width is highest with high turbulence intensity and a short integral scale. Along the jet centreline, the potential core region is shorter with elevated upstream turbulence intensity; this is reflected in both the mean velocity and the variance. The decay of the centreline mean velocity is also retarded by incoming turbulence. In all, increased incoming turbulence results in increased jet spreading, and a shorter integral scale further increases the spreading.

Graphic abstract