bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Clinical outcomes of KeraVio using violet light: emitting glasses and riboflavin drops for corneal ectasia: a pilot study
Authors: Kobashi Hidenaga , Torii Hidemasa , Toda Ikuko , Kondo Shinichiro , Itoi Motozumi , Tsubota Kazuo
Published: September 2020

Background/aims

We developed a novel technology consisting of violet light (VL)-emitting glasses and defined the combination of VL irradiation and riboflavin treatment as KeraVio. Our goal was to evaluate the clinical results of KeraVio in patients with progressive corneal ectasia.

Methods

Eyes were exposed to VL (375 nm, irradiance 310 μW/cm2)-emitting glasses for 3 hours daily for 6 months, and a riboflavin solution was administered onto the corneal epithelium six times during each 3-hour VL irradiation. The primary end point was a change in the maximum keratometry (Kmax) value over 6 months compared with that over the 1 year before baseline.

Results

The efficacy of KeraVio was evaluated in 20 eyes with severe progression, and its safety was evaluated in all 40 eyes. The mean changes in Kmax over the 1 year before baseline and during the 6-month observation period were 6.03±3.41 dioptres (D) and −0.81±3.34 D, respectively (p=0.002). At 6 months, the Kmax value decreased by more than 2 D in 4 eyes (20%), remained within 2 D in 13 eyes (65%), and increased by 2 D or more in 3 eyes (15%). The corneal stromal demarcation line was identified in 16 eyes (80%), and its depth was 206.3±54.9 μm at 1 month. No significant decrease in endothelial cell density, lenticular opacity or transient corneal haze was noted.

Conclusion

Based on our 6-month results, daily treatment of progressive corneal ectasia with KeraVio can halt disease progression without any safety concerns.

Clinical trial registration number

jRCTs032180217.
Fractal analysis of polypoidal choroidal neovascularisation in age-related macular degeneration
Authors: Serra Rita , Coscas Florence , Pinna Antonio , Cabral Diogo , Coscas Gabriel , Souied Eric H
Published: September 2020

Aim

To describe optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) features of polypoidal choroidal neovascularisation (PCNV) secondary to age-related macular degeneration.

Methods

A retrospective consecutive series of 51 patients with a diagnosis of PCNV, based on clinical and multimodal imaging, was analysed. All patients with PCNV underwent a comprehensive ophthalmological examination, including fluorescein and indocyanine green angiography, structural optical coherence tomography (OCT) and OCTA. Two blinded retinal specialists carefully reviewed OCTA slabs in order to assess the morphological patterns of PCNV lesions. Furthermore, fractal analysis of PCNV en face images on OCTA, including vascular perfusion density (VPD), fractal dimension (FD) and lacunarity (LAC), was performed.

Results

Fifty-one PCNV eyes were included in the study. In all, the branching vascular network appeared hyper-reflective. Polyps showed two different patterns: in 34/51 (67%) eyes, they corresponded to hypo-reflective structures, whereas in the remaining 17 (33%) eyes, they appeared as hyper-reflective lesions. In all PCNV eyes, mean VPD, FD and LAC were 0.76±0.17%, 1.46±0.12 and 2.4±0.87, respectively. No significant difference was found between PCNVs showing a different OCTA pattern, in terms of quantitative OCTA parameters.

Conclusion

Fractal analysis provides quantitative parameters demonstrating that PCNVs with different OCTA patterns share the same neovascular architecture and branching complexity. These new findings improve our ability to interpret OCTA slabs, opening new areas of discussion about this type of neovascular lesion.
Haemoglobin, iron status and lung function of adolescents participating in organised sports in the Finnish Health Promoting Sports Club Study
Authors: Toivo Kerttu , Kannus Pekka , Kokko Sami , Alanko Lauri , Heinonen Olli J , Korpelainen Raija , Savonen Kai , Selänne Harri , Vasankari Tommi , Kannas Lasse , Kujala Urho M , Villberg Jari , Niemelä Onni , Parkkari Jari
Published: September 2020

Objectives

To compare laboratory test results and lung function of adolescent organised sports participants (SP) with non-participants (NP).

Methods

In this cross-sectional study, laboratory tests (haemoglobin, iron status), and flow-volume spirometry were performed on SP youths (199 boys, 203 girls) and their NP peers (62 boys, 114 girls) aged 14–17.

Results

Haemoglobin concentration <120/130 g/L was found in 5.8% of SP and 5.1% NP (OR 1.20, 95% CI 0.54 to 2.68). Ferritin concentration below 15 µg/L was found in 22.7% of both SP and NP girls. Among boys ferritin <30 µg/L was found in 26.5% of SP and 30.2% of NP (OR 0.76, 95% CI 0.40 to 1.47). Among SP iron supplement use was reported by 3.5% of girls and 1.5% of boys. In flow-volume spirometry with bronchodilation test, 7.0% of SP and 6.4% of NP had asthma-like findings (OR 1.17, 95% CI 0.54 to 2.54); those using asthma medication, that is, 9.8% of SP and 5.2% of NP were excluded from the analysis.

Conclusions

Screening for iron deficiency is recommended for symptomatic persons and persons engaging in sports. Lung function testing is recommended for symptomatic persons and persons participating in sports in which asthma is more prevalent.
Prevalence of total hip and knee arthroplasty in former National Football League players: comparison with the general US population and other populations of professional athletes
Authors: Tenforde Adam S , Cortez Bryan , Baker Jillian , Borg-Stein Joanne , Wasfy Meagan , Baggish Aaron L , Zafonte Ross
Published: September 2020

Objectives: To evaluate the prevalence of total hip arthroplasty (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in a population of former National Football League (NFL) players. Methods: Participants were 3913 former NFL players (participation in years 1960–2019) who completed either an online or mailed survey that included self-reported TKA and THA, year(s) of surgery and date of birth. The prevalence of TKA and THA was reported by age category and compared to published cohorts of athlete populations and general population of non-athletes in the USA. Results: 12.3% and 8.1% of sample reported TKA and THA, respectively. The prevalence of both TKA and THA was higher in former NFL players compared to US non-athletes across all ages. Prevalence of TKA was not statistically higher than in other former athlete cohorts but performed at younger ages. The prevalence of TKA and THA was higher than in other cohorts of former NFL players. Conclusion: Former NFL players had higher prevalence of arthroplasty than the general population, suggesting prior participation in American-style football may contribute to elevated risk for arthroplasty at younger ages. Understanding risk factors in style of play, lifestyle and other contributors is important to improve joint health of this population.
#OrthoTwitter: social media as an educational tool
Authors: Sahu Muhammad Arham , Goolam-Mahomed Zahrah , Fleming Simon , Ahmed Usman
Published: September 2020

Aims

The increased use of social media creates opportunity for new, effective methods of delivering medical and clinical education. Twitter is a popular social media platform where users can post frequent updates and create threads containing related content using hashtags. This study aims to investigate and analyse the type of content relating to orthopaedic surgery that is being posted on the platform of Twitter.

Methods

A retrospective search was performed for tweets containing the words ‘orthopaedic surgery’ or ‘orthopedic surgery’ or the use of the hashtag ‘#OrthoTwitter’ between November 2018 to November 2019. A total of 5243 tweets were included.

Results

Tweets containing ‘orthopaedic surgery’ or ‘orthopedic surgery’ most frequently contained promotional or marketing content (30% promotional, 21% marketing), and private organisations were the category of author to which the greatest number of tweets belonged (30%). Tweets containing educational or research content were the least common among all tweets containing ‘orthopaedic surgery’ or ‘orthopedic surgery’ (11%). In contrast, of the tweets containing the hashtag ‘#OrthoTwitter’, 44% contained educational or research content, 15% contained promotional content and no tweets containing marketing content. Furthermore, 87% of all tweets using the hashtag ‘#OrthoTwitter’ were from orthopaedic surgeons, and the least number of tweets were from private organisations (2%).

Conclusion

Twitter is a widely used social media platform regarding orthopaedic surgery. We propose that the hashtag ‘#OrthoTwitter’ can be used to create an online community of orthopaedic surgeons where members can assist one another through sharing reliable and educational content.
Need for global core competencies in Child Health and the Environment: a Canadian perspective
Authors: Buka Irena , Brennan Lesley , Tarrabain Jamal , Aghazadeh Sadra , Brune Drisse Marie Noel
Published: September 2020

Children are the planet’s most valuable resource. Mortality rates and longevity in children are improving; however, morbidity related to early-life exposures is increasing and with it health spending. A focus on identifying and addressing environmental components related to not only chronic childhood illnesses but also major adult mortalities would help contain current healthcare budgets. Child Health and the Environment (CHE) is an emerging discipline dedicated to managing early-life exposures (prenatal and childhood) on health outcomes throughout life. In Canada, as well as around the world, recognition of this area is growing, but progress has been slow and training of physicians is lacking. The WHO works closely with the Children’s Environmental Health Clinic in Canada as well as collaborating centres around the world to build awareness of environmental health issues and promote improved care of children. Core competencies in CHE for physicians would provide an important step forward.
Combined lifestyle factors, all-cause mortality and cardiovascular disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies
Authors: Zhang Yan-Bo , Pan Xiong-Fei , Chen Junxiang , Cao Anlan , Xia Lu , Zhang Yuge , Wang Jing , Li Huiqi , Liu Gang , Pan An
Published: September 2020

Introduction

Unhealthy lifestyles caused a huge disease burden. Adopting healthy lifestyles is the most cost-effective strategy for preventing non-communicable diseases. The aim was to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to quantify the relationship of combined lifestyle factors (eg, cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity, diet and overweight/obesity) with the risk of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality and incident cardiovascular disease (CVD).

Methods

PubMed and EMBASE were searched from inception to April 2019. Cohort studies investigating the association between the combination of at least three lifestyle factors and all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality or incidence of CVD were filtered by consensus among reviewers. Pairs of reviewers independently extracted data and evaluated study quality. Random-effects models were used to pool HRs. Heterogeneity and publication bias were tested.

Results

In total, 142 studies were included. Compared with the participants with the least-healthy lifestyles, those with the healthiest lifestyles had lower risks of all-cause mortality (HR=0.45, 95% CI 0.41 to 0.48, 74 studies with 2 584 766 participants), cardiovascular mortality (HR=0.42, 95% CI 0.37 to 0.46, 41 studies with 1 743 530 participants), incident CVD (HR=0.38, 95% CI 0.29 to 0.51, 22 studies with 754 894 participants) and multiple subtypes of CVDs (HRs ranging from 0.29 to 0.45). The associations were largely significant and consistent among individuals from different continents, racial groups and socioeconomic backgrounds.

Conclusions

Given the great health benefits, comprehensively tackling multiple lifestyle risk factors should be the cornerstone for reducing the global disease burden.
Urinary calcium indices in primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) and familial hypocalciuric hypercalcaemia (FHH): which test performs best?
Authors: Arshad Muhammad Fahad , McAllister James , Merchant Azhar , Rab Edmund , Cook Jacqueline , Eastell Richard , Balasubramanian Sabapathy
Published: September 2020

Aim

Primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) is much more common than familial hypocalciuric hypercalcaemia (FHH), but there is considerable overlap in biochemical features. Urine calcium indices help with the differential diagnosis, but their reliability in making this distinction is not clear. The aim of this study was to compare urinary calcium values in patients with PHPT and FHH.

Methods

This was a case–control study of patients with PHPT who had successful surgery and genetically proven FHH between 2011 and 2016. Due to low FHH numbers, patients from neighbouring hospitals and outside study period (2017–2019) were allowed to improve power. Data on demographics and urinary calcium were obtained from electronic records and compared between the two groups.

Results

During the study period, 250 patients underwent successful PHPT surgery, while in the FHH arm, 19 genetically proven cases were included. The median (IQR) 24-hour urine calcium excretion (UCE) in the PHPT group was 8.3 (5.6–11.2) mmol/24 hours compared with 3.2 (2.1–6.1) mmol/24 hour in the FHH group (p<0.001). Median (IQR) calcium to creatinine clearance ratio (CCCR) in the PHPT and FHH groups was 0.020 (0.013–0.026) and 0.01 (0.002–0.02), respectively (p=0.001). The sensitivity of urinary tests for PHPT was 96% for UCE (cut-off ≥2.5 mmol/24 hour) and 47% for CCCR (cut-off >0.02). The specificity of the urinary tests for FHH was 29.4% for UCE (cut-off <2.5 mmol/24 hour) and 93% for CCCR (cut-off <0.02).

Conclusions

24-hour UCE is more sensitive in diagnosing PHPT; however, it is less specific in ruling out FHH as compared with CCCR, when the cut-offs suggested by the International guidelines from the fourth international workshop are used. A significant proportion of patients with PHPT would have also required genetic studies if the guidelines were followed.
Part of pain labelled neuropathic in rheumatic disease might be rather nociplastic
Authors: Bailly Florian , Cantagrel Alain , Bertin Philippe , Perrot Serge , Thomas Thierry , Lansaman Thibaud , Grange Laurent , Wendling Daniel , Dovico Calogera , Trouvin Anne-Priscille
Published: September 2020

Pain in rheumatic diseases is primarily due to mechanical or inflammatory mechanism, but neuropathic pain (NP) component is also occurring in many conditions and is probably underdiagnosed. The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of prevalence, pathophysiological and currently available treatment of NP in rheumatic diseases. When associated with clinical evaluation assessing neurological clinical signs and neuroanatomical distribution, Douleur Neuropathique 4 Questions, painDETECT, Leeds assessment of neuropathic symptoms and signs and Neuropathic Pain Questionnaire can detect NP component. Inflammatory or connective diseases, osteoarthritis, back pain or persistent pain after surgery are aetiologies that all may have a neuropathic component. Unlike nociceptive pain, NP does not respond to usual analgesics such as paracetamol and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Entrapment neuropathy, peripheral neuropathy or small-fibre neuropathy are different aetiologies that can lead to NP. A part of the pain labelled neuropathic is rather nociplastic, secondary to a central sensitisation mechanism. Identifying the right component of pain (nociceptive vs neuropathic or nociplastic) could help to better manage pain in rheumatic diseases with pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments.
Recognising the spectrum of scleromyositis: HEp-2 ANA patterns allow identification of a novel clinical subset with anti-SMN autoantibodies
Authors: Landon-Cardinal Océane , Baril-Dionne Alexandra , Hoa Sabrina , Meyer Alain , Leclair Valérie , Bourré-Tessier Josiane , Mansour Anne-Marie , Zarka Farah , Makhzoum Jean-Paul , Nehme Jessica , Rich Eric , Goulet Jean-Richard , Grodzicky Tamara , Koenig Martial , Joyal France , Richard Isabelle , Hudson Marie , Targoff Ira , Satoh Minoru , Fritzler Marvin J , Troyanov Yves , Senécal Jean-Luc
Published: September 2020

Objective

To describe systemic sclerosis (SSc) with myopathy in patients without classic SSc-specific and SSc-overlap autoantibodies (aAbs), referred to as seronegative scleromyositis.

Methods

Twenty patients with seronegative scleromyositis diagnosed by expert opinion were analysed retrospectively for SSc features at myositis diagnosis and follow-up, and stratified based on HEp-2 nuclear patterns by indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) according to International Consensus of Autoantibody Patterns. Specificities were analysed by protein A−assisted immunoprecipitation. Myopathy was considered an organ involvement of SSc.

Results

SSc sine scleroderma was a frequent presentation (45%) at myositis diagnosis. Myositis was the most common first non-Raynaud manifestation of SSc (55%). Lower oesophagal dysmotility was present in 10 of 11 (91%) investigated patients. At follow-up, 80% of the patients met the American College of Rheumatology/EULAR SSc classification criteria. Two-thirds of patients had a positive HEp-2 IIF nuclear pattern (all with titers ≥1/320), defining three novel scleromyositis subsets. First, antinuclear antibody (ANA)-negative scleromyositis was associated with interstitial lung disease (ILD) and renal crisis. Second, a speckled pattern uncovered multiple rare SSc-specific aAbs. Third, the nuclear dots pattern was associated with aAbs to survival of motor neuron (SMN) complex and a novel scleromyositis subset characteriszed by calcinosis but infrequent ILD and renal crisis.

Conclusions

SSc skin involvement is often absent in early seronegative scleromyositis. ANA positivity, Raynaud phenomenon, SSc-type capillaroscopy and/or lower oesophagal dysmotility may be clues for scleromyositis. Using HEp-2 IIF patterns, three novel clinicoserological subsets of scleromyositis emerged, notably (1) ANA-negative, (2) ANA-positive with a speckled pattern and (3) ANA-positive with nuclear dots and anti-SMN aAbs.
Ghrelin receptor agonist hexarelin attenuates antinociceptive tolerance to morphine in rats
Authors: Baser Tayfun , Ozdemir Ercan , Filiz Ahmet Kemal , Taskiran Ahmet Sevki , Gursoy Sinan
Published: September 2020

Ghrelin, a peptide hormone released from the gastric endocrine glands, shows analgesic activity apart from its various physiological effects. Nevertheless, the effects of ghrelin receptor (GHS-R) agonists on morphine analgesia and tolerance have not yet been elucidated. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of the ghrelin receptor agonist hexarelin and antagonist [d-Lys3]-GHRP-6 on morphine antinociception and tolerance in rats. A total of 104 Wistar albino male adult rats (weighing approximately 220–240 g) were used in the experiments. To induce morphine tolerance, a three-day cumulative dose regimen was used in the rats. Then, randomly selected rats were evaluated for morphine tolerance on day 4. The analgesic effects of hexarelin (0.2 mg·kg–1), [d-Lys3]-GHRP-6 (10 mg·kg–1), and morphine (5 mg·kg–1) were measured at 30-min intervals (0, 30, 60, 90, and 120 min) by tail-flick and hot-plate analgesia tests. The findings suggest that hexarelin in combination with morphine attenuates analgesic tolerance to morphine. On the other hand, ghrelin receptor antagonist [d-Lys3]-GHRP-6 has no significant analgesic activity on the morphine tolerance in analgesia tests. Furthermore, co-administration of hexarelin and morphine increases the analgesic effect. In conclusion, these data indicate that administration of GHS-R agonist hexarelin with morphine enhances the antinociception and attenuates morphine tolerance.
TMEM98, a novel secretory protein, promotes endothelial cell adhesion as well as vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation and migration
Authors: Li Mei , Zhu Hongmei , Hu Xiaoyan , Gao Fuhua , Hu Xinxin , Cui Ying , Wei Xiaoqing , Xie Ce , Lv Guangxin , Zhao Ying , Gao Ying
Published: September 2020

Transmembrane protein 98 (TMEM98) is a novel gene, and its function has not been well investigated. In a prior study, we have shown that siRNA-mediated knockdown of TMEM98 inhibited interleukin-8 (IL-8) promoted endothelial cell (EC) adhesion, as well as vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation and migration in the vascular endothelial and smooth muscle cell dysfunction. Herein, we used gain- and loss-of-function approaches combined with biochemical techniques to further explore the role of TMEM98 in the vascular wall cell. The expression and secretion of TMEM98 was increased in cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and VSMCs treated with IL-8 and platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB). Also, PDGF-BB secretion was increased in TMEM98-treated HUVECs and VSMCs. Thus, it appears that TMEM98 and PDGF-BB form a positive feedback loop in potentiation of EC adhesion, as well as VSMC proliferation and migration. Knockdown of TMEM98 mediated by siRNA inhibited PDGF-BB-promoted EC adhesion by downregulating the expression of ICAM-1 and VCAM-1, as well as impaired the proliferation and migration of VSMCs by suppressing the AKT/GSK3β/cyclin D1 signaling pathway and reducing the expression of β-catenin. Hence, TMEM98 promoted EC adhesion by inducing the expression of ICAM-1/VCAM-1 and triggered VSMC proliferation and migration by activating the ERK and AKT/GSK3β signaling pathways. Taken together, TMEM98 may serve as a potential therapeutic target for the clinical treatment of vascular endothelial and smooth muscle cell dysfunction.
New studies and a short review of heavy neutron-rich transfer products
Authors: Devaraja H. M. , Heinz S. , Ackermann D. , Göbel T. , Heßberger F. P. , Hofmann S. , Maurer J. , Münzenberg G. , Popeko A. G. , Yeremin A. V.
Published: September 2020

We present new results on multi-nucleon transfer reactions in low-energy collisions of $$^{48}\hbox {Ca}+{}^{238}\hbox {U}$$

48

Ca
+

238

U

measured at the velocity filter SHIP of GSI Helmholtz Centre, where we observed around 90 different nuclides from Tl to Am ($$Z=$$

Z
=

81–95). We followed the idea to use uranium targets for the synthesis of neutron-rich MNT products, particularly in the region below lead, which was triggered by model calculations. The $$\gamma $$
γ
, $$\alpha $$
α
and spontaneous fission activities of the populated nuclides have been analyzed for their identification. The cross-sections of the observed isotopes for elements $$Z = $$

Z
=

81–93 as a function of their mass number have been investigated. Excitation energy, total kinetic energy and the influence of nuclear shell effects on the production cross-sections of the observed transfer products have been studied. Also we present a compact review and comparative analysis of various multi-nucleon transfer and fragmentation reactions which are aimed at the synthesis of neutron-rich nuclides along the $$N=126$$

N
=
126

shell closure in heavy nuclei.
Kaon decays shedding light on massless dark photons
Authors: Su Jhih-Ying , Tandean Jusak
Published: September 2020

We explore kaon decays with missing energy carried away by a massless dark photon, $${{\overline{\gamma }}}$$

γ
¯

, assumed to have flavor-changing dipole-type couplings to the d and s quarks. We consider in particular the neutral-kaon modes $$K_L\rightarrow \gamma {{\overline{\gamma }}}$$

K
L

→
γ

γ
¯

and $$K_L\rightarrow \pi ^0\gamma {{\overline{\gamma }}}$$

K
L

→

π
0

γ

γ
¯

and their $$K_S$$

K
S

counterparts, as well as the charged-kaon channel $$K^+\rightarrow \pi ^+\gamma {{\overline{\gamma }}}$$

K
+

→

π
+

γ

γ
¯

, each of which also has an ordinary photon, $$\gamma $$
γ
, in the final state. In addition, we look at $$K_{L,S}\rightarrow \pi ^+\pi ^-{{\overline{\gamma }}}$$

K

L
,
S

→

π
+

π
-

γ
¯

and $$K^+\rightarrow \pi ^+\pi ^0{{\overline{\gamma }}}$$

K
+

→

π
+

π
0

γ
¯

. Interestingly, the same $$ds{{\overline{\gamma }}}$$

d
s

γ
¯

interactions give rise to the flavor-changing two-body decays of hyperons with missing energy and are subject to model-independent constraints that can be inferred from the existing hyperon data. Taking this into account, we obtain branching fractions $${{{\mathcal {B}}}}(K_L\rightarrow \gamma {{\overline{\gamma }}})$$

B
(

K
L

→
γ

γ
¯

)

and $$\mathcal{B}(K_L\rightarrow \pi ^0\gamma {{\overline{\gamma }}})$$

B
(

K
L

→

π
0

γ

γ
¯

)

which can be as high as $$10^{-3}$$

10

-
3

and $$10^{-6}$$

10

-
6

, respectively, one or both of which may be within the sensitivity reach of the KOTO experiment. Furthermore, we find that $${{{\mathcal {B}}}}(K^+\rightarrow \pi ^+\gamma {{\overline{\gamma }}})$$

B
(

K
+

→

π
+

γ

γ
¯

)

and $$\mathcal{B}(K^+\rightarrow \pi ^+\pi ^0{{\overline{\gamma }}})$$

B
(

K
+

→

π
+

π
0

γ
¯

)

are allowed to be maximally of order $$10^{-6}$$

10

-
6

as well, which may be probed by NA62. Complementarily, the hyperon modes can have rates which are potentially accessible by BESIII. Thus, these ongoing experiments could soon be able to offer significant tests on the existence of the massless dark photon.
Observational constraints on Barrow holographic dark energy
Authors: Anagnostopoulos Fotios K. , Basilakos Spyros , Saridakis Emmanuel N.
Published: September 2020

We use observational data from Supernovae (SNIa) Pantheon sample, as well as from direct measurements of the Hubble parameter from the cosmic chronometers (CC) sample, in order to extract constraints on the scenario of Barrow holographic dark energy. The latter is a holographic dark energy model based on the recently proposed Barrow entropy, which arises from the modification of the black-hole surface due to quantum-gravitational effects. We first consider the case where the new deformation exponent$$\Delta $$Δis the sole model parameter, and we show that although the standard value$$\Delta =0$$Δ=0, which corresponds to zero deformation, lies within the$$1\sigma $$1σregion, a deviation is favored. In the case where we let both$$\Delta $$Δand the second model parameter to be free we find that a deviation from standard holographic dark energy is preferred. Additionally, applying the Akaike, Bayesian and Deviance Information Criteria, we conclude that the one-parameter model is statistically compatible with$$\Lambda \hbox {CDM}$$ΛCDMparadigm, and preferred comparing to the two-parameter one. Finally, concerning the present value of the Hubble parameter we find that it is close to the Planck value.
T-odd generalized and quasi transverse momentum dependent parton distribution in a scalar spectator model
Authors: Luo Xuan , Sun Hao
Published: September 2020

Generalized transverse momentum dependent parton distributions (GTMDs), as mother funtions of transverse momentum dependent parton distributions (TMDs) and generalized parton distributions (GPDs), encode the most general parton structure of hadrons. We calculate four twist-two time reversal odd GTMDs of pion in a scalar spectator model. We study the dependence of GTMDs on the longitudinal momentum fraction x carried by the active quark and the transverse momentum $$|\vec k_T|$$

|

k
→

T

|

for different values of skewness $$\xi $$
ξ
defined as the longitudinal momentum transferred to the pion as well as the total momentum $$|\vec \Delta _T|$$

|

Δ
→

T

|

transferred to the pion. In addition, the quasi-TMDs and quasi-GPDs of pion have also been investigated in this paper.
Groomed jet mass as a direct probe of collinear parton dynamics
Authors: Anderle Daniele , Dasgupta Mrinal , El-Menoufi Basem Kamal , Guzzi Marco , Helliwell Jack
Published: September 2020

We study the link between parton dynamics in the collinear limit and the logarithmically enhanced terms of the groomed jet mass distribution, for jets groomed with the modified mass-drop tagger (mMDT). While the leading-logarithmic (LL) result is linked to collinear evolution with leading-order splitting kernels, here we derive the NLL structure directly from triple-collinear splitting kernels. The calculation we present is a fixed-order calculation in the triple-collinear limit, independent of resummation ingredients and methods. It therefore constitutes a powerful cross-check of the NLL results previously derived using the SCET formalism and provides much of the insight needed for resummation within the traditional QCD approach.
Molecular dynamics simulation of diffusion for Ni–Zr interface
Authors: Ouyang Yifang , Wu Jizheng , Wen Jiangxia , Chen Hongmei , Zhou Yulu , Tao Xiaoma , Du Yong
Published: September 2020

The molecular dynamics simulation has been performed to study the effects of temperature on interdiffusion of Ni–Zr system. The simulated results indicate that the thickness of Ni/Zr diffusion layer increased with increasing diffusion time, and interdiffusion results in disordered or amorphization in the diffusion zone. During the diffusion process, Ni atoms diffuse crossing the interface more easily and deeply into Zr side than Zr atoms into Ni side. The activation energies of Ni and Zr are 1.25 and 1.28 eV for Ni(100)//Zr(0001) interface, 1.33 and 1.42 eV for Ni(110)//Zr(0001) interface at the temperature range of 950–1100 K, respectively. The microscopic diffusion mechanisms for Ni atoms in Zr lattice have been studied, and the results show that the most possible diffusion mechanism is the interstitial hopping mechanism, while for Zr diffusing in Ni, the vacancy diffusion mechanism is favored. The interdiffusion for case of Ni(110)//Zr(0001) interface is more easy than that of Ni(100)//Zr(0001) interface due to the lower surface energy for the former. In the diffusion zone of Ni–Zr, some typical clusters have been identified, which are similar to those extracted from the Ni–Zr intermetallic compounds, and which are generally consistent with the experimental observations in diffusion couples.
Propagation of dispersive wave solutions for (3 + 1)-dimensional nonlinear modified Zakharov–Kuznetsov equation in plasma physics
Authors: Ali Karmina K. , Seadawy Aly R. , Yokus Asif , Yilmazer Resat , Bulut Hasan
Published: September 2020

In the current study, we instigate the four-dimensional nonlinear modified Zakharov–Kuznetsov (NLmZK) equation. The NLmZK equation guides the attitude of weakly nonlinear ion-acoustic waves in a plasma comprising cold ions and hot isothermal electrons in the presence of a uniform magnetic field. Two different methods are used, namely the sine-Gordon expansion method (SGEM) and the [Formula: see text]-expansion method to the proposed model. We have successfully constructed some topological, non-topological, and wave solutions. In addition, the 2D, 3D, and contour graphs of the solutions are also plotted under the choice of appropriate values of the parameters.
ON TIME CONSISTENCY FOR MEAN-VARIANCE PORTFOLIO SELECTION
Authors: VIGNA ELENA
Published: September 2020

This paper addresses a comparison between different approaches to time inconsistency for the mean-variance portfolio selection problem. We define a suitable intertemporal preferences-driven reward and use it to compare three common approaches to time inconsistency for the mean-variance portfolio selection problem over [Formula: see text]: precommitment approach, consistent planning or game theoretical approach, and dynamically optimal approach. We prove that, while the precommitment strategy beats the other two strategies (that is a well-known obvious result), the consistent planning strategy dominates the dynamically optimal strategy until a time point [Formula: see text] and is dominated by the dynamically optimal strategy from [Formula: see text] onwards. Existence and uniqueness of the break even point [Formula: see text] is proven.
Necessary and sufficient condition for ℳ2-convergence to a Lévy process for billiards with cusps at flat points
Authors: Jung Paul , Melbourne Ian , Pène Françoise , Varandas Paulo , Zhang Hong-Kun
Published: September 2020

We consider a class of planar dispersing billiards with a cusp at a point of vanishing curvature. Convergence to a stable law and to the corresponding Lévy process in the [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] Skorohod topologies has been studied in recent work. Here, we show that certain sufficient conditions for [Formula: see text]-convergence are also necessary.
On the spectral radius of compact operator cocycles
Authors: Backes Lucas , Dragičević Davor
Published: September 2020

We extend the notions of joint and generalized spectral radii to cocycles acting on Banach spaces and obtain a version of Berger–Wang’s formula when restricted to the space of cocycles taking values in the space of compact operators. Moreover, we observe that the previous quantities depends continuously on the underlying cocycle.
Inverse complements of a matrix and applications
Authors: Nayan Bhat K. , Karantha Manjunatha Prasad , Eagambaram N.
Published: September 2020

In this paper, the concept of “Inverse Complemented Matrix Method”, introduced by Eagambaram (2018), has been reestablished with the help of minus partial order and several new properties of complementary matrices and the inverse of complemented matrix are discovered. Class of generalized inverses and outer inverses of given matrix are characterized by identifying appropriate inverse complement. Further, in continuation, we provide a condition equivalent to the regularity condition for a matrix to have unique shorted matrix in terms of inverse complemented matrix. Also, an expression for shorted matrix in terms of inverse complemented matrix is given.
The role of acupuncture during the COVID-19 pandemic: From the historical perspective to practical application
Authors: Chen Yemeng
Published: September 2020

Acupuncture has valuable therapeutic effects on combating pestilence based on ancient literature and practical experiences acquired during the COVID-19 pandemic in China. Inner Classic of Nei Jing had laid out the principles and therapeutic methods for acupuncture applied to treat febrile diseases and special preventive treatment for pestilence as well, which was an idle sample of Cosmo-Human Correspondence doctrine of Chinese medicine. The author developed a practical protocol for acupuncture in body-resistance enhancement, symptom management, and post-pandemic care during COVID-19 outbreak. The protocol is more suitable for practicing in the western countries. Special precautions of practice during the pandemic and reopening clinic issues aftermath are also introduced.
Analysis and thinking of the COVID-19 infection TCM intervention plan
Authors: Tao Siming , Li Fengsen
Published: September 2020

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) plays an active role in the prevention and control of COVID-19 epidemic. Currently, there are many TCM intervention programs for the COVID-19 infections, and the clinical effect is better. However, there are some problems in the design of actual clinical programs. This paper analyzes the advantages and disadvantages of various TCM interventions for the COVID-19 infection from the perspective of scientific and clinical research. We can scientifically use the TCM theory to guide and design clinical research, and come up with real data and treatment, to provide new models and explorations for the research of the modernization of Chinese medicine.
DAML
Authors: Zhao Ping , Sun Jiaxin , Zhang Guanglin
Published: September 2020

Data aggregation based on machine learning (ML), in mobile edge computing, allows participants to send ephemeral parameter updates of local ML on their private data instead of the exact data to the untrusted aggregator. However, it still enables the untrusted aggregator to reconstruct participants’ private data, although parameter updates contain significantly less information than the private data. Existing work either incurs extremely high overhead or ignores malicious participants dropping out. The latest research deals with the dropouts with desirable cost, but it is vulnerable to malformed message attacks. To this end, we focus on the data aggregation based on ML in a practical setting where malicious participants may send malformed parameter updates to perturb the total parameter updates learned by the aggregator. Moreover, malicious participants may drop out and collude with other participants or the untrusted aggregator. In such a scenario, we propose a scheme named
DAML
, which to the best of our knowledge is the first attempt toward verifying participants’ submissions in data aggregation based on ML. The main idea is to validate participants’ submissions via SSVP, a novel secret-shared verification protocol, and then aggregate participants’ parameter updates using SDA, a secure data aggregation protocol. Simulation results demonstrate that DAML can protect participants’ data privacy with preferable overhead.
Resilience Bounds of Network Clock Synchronization with Fault Correction
Authors: Jiang Linshan , Tan Rui , Easwaran Arvind
Published: September 2020

Naturally occurring disturbances and malicious attacks can lead to faults in synchronizing the clocks of two network nodes. In this article, we investigate the fundamental resilience bounds of network clock synchronization for a system of
N
nodes against the peer-to-peer synchronization faults. Our analysis is based on practical synchronization algorithms with time complexity down to
O
(
N
3
) that attempt to correct the faults by checking the consistency among the following three types of data: (1) the estimated faults, (2) the estimated clock offsets among the nodes, and (3) the measured clock offsets from the potentially faulty peer-to-peer synchronization sessions. Our analysis gives the following three major results. First, the maximum number of faults that can be corrected by the algorithms has a tight bound of ⌊
N
/2 ⌋ − 1 when every node pair performs a synchronization session. Second, by converting the fault resilience problem to a graph-theoretic edge connectivity problem and applying Menger’s theorem, we develop an algorithm to compute the tight bound when not every node pair performs a synchronization session. Third, the number of synchronization sessions to achieve the capability of correcting any
K
faults has a lower bound of ⌈
N
(2
K
+1) / 2 ⌉ ; we also develop an algorithm to schedule the synchronization sessions to approach the lower bound. The above results provide basic understanding and useful guidelines to the design of resilient clock synchronization systems. For instance, our results suggest that, the four-node network achieves the highest degree of resilience that is defined as the ratio of the maximum number of correctable faults to the number of synchronization sessions. Therefore, by organizing a large-scale clock synchronization system into a hierarchy of multiple tiers with each consisting of four-node synchronization groups, we can achieve satisfactory and understood resilience against faults with reduced synchronization sessions.
Graph-based Regularization on Embedding Layers for Recommendation
Authors: Zhang Yuan , Sun Fei , Yang Xiaoyong , Xu Chen , Ou Wenwu , Zhang Yan
Published: September 2020

Neural networks have been extensively used in recommender systems. Embedding layers are not only necessary but also crucial for neural models in recommendation as a typical discrete task. In this article, we argue that the widely used
l
2
regularization for normal neural layers (e.g., fully connected layers) is not ideal for embedding layers from the perspective of regularization theory in Reproducing Kernel Hilbert Space. More specifically, the
l
2
regularization corresponds to the inner product and the distance in the Euclidean space where correlations between discrete objects (e.g., items) are not well captured. Inspired by this observation, we propose a graph-based regularization approach to serve as a counterpart of the
l
2
regularization for embedding layers. The proposed regularization incurs almost no extra computational overhead especially when being trained with mini-batches. We also discuss its relationships to other approaches (namely, data augmentation, graph convolution, and joint learning) theoretically. We conducted extensive experiments on five publicly available datasets from various domains with two state-of-the-art recommendation models. Results show that given a kNN (k-nearest neighbor) graph constructed directly from training data without external information, the proposed approach significantly outperforms the
l
2
regularization on all the datasets and achieves more notable improvements for long-tail users and items.
End-to-End Neural Matching for Semantic Location Prediction of Tweets
Authors: Mousset Paul , Pitarch Yoann , Tamine Lynda
Published: September 2020

The impressive increasing availability of social media posts has given rise to considerable research challenges. This article is concerned with the problem of semantic location prediction of geotagged tweets. The underlying task is to associate to a social media post, the focal spatial object, if any (e.g., Place Of Interest POI), it topically focuses on. Although relevant for a number of applications such as POI recommendation, this problem has not so far received the attention it deserves. In previous work, the problem has mainly been tackled by means of language models that rely on costly probability estimation of word relevance across spatial regions. We propose the Spatially-aware Geotext Matching (SGM) model, which relies on a neural network learning framework. The model combines exact word-word-local interaction matching signals with semantic global tweet-POI interaction matching signals. The local interactions are built over kernel spatial word distributions that allow revealing spatially driven word pair similarity patterns. The global interactions consider the strength of the interaction between the tweet and the POI from both the spatial and semantic perspectives. Experimental results on two real-world datasets demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed SGM model compared to state-of-the-art baselines including language models and traditional neural interaction-based models.
Getting the Country Back to Work, Safely
Authors: Honary Mahsa , Martinez Veronica , Wlazlowski Theodore , Helal Sumi , Oertzen Hans-Henning Von , Honary Souroush
Published: September 2020

This article explains how businesses can use a widely available, low-cost technology to protect their employees from Covid-19 as they return to work. The proposed approach encompasses the need for better management of processes that can limit infection spread, including management of employee movements, physical distancing, segmentation of personnel into groups, and coordination of sanitization activities.
Gaming for Meaningful Interactions in Teleworking Lessons Learned during the COVID-19 Pandemic from Integrating Gaming in Virtual Meetings
Authors: Kleiman Fernando , Meijer Sebastiaan , Janssen Marijn
Published: September 2020

The recent need for social-distancing caused by COVID-19 resulted in working remotely, which can cause loneliness and disconnect from the organization. The pandemic stimulated people to look for novel ways to interact and, at the same time, socialize with each other. The change to home office increased the number of people using digital video calls; however, these impose restrictions on social bonding. In this commentary, we argue that the social bonding capacity of video calls can be increased by using games. Playing games can create a common object with shared goals, which can give players the feeling of being in the same environment, belonging to the same organization, working on joint objectives, and give an enjoyable experience. All work activities will unlikely return to the office after the pandemic is over, and preparing for remote working and socialization is needed. We recommend several avenues for research, including researching the concepts of online socialization and evaluating the effectiveness of gaming.
Atrial Natriuretic Peptide Improves Neurite Outgrowth from Spiral Ganglion Neurons In Vitro through a cGMP-Dependent Manner
Authors: Sun Fei , Zhou Ke , Tian Ke-yong , Wang Jie , Qiu Jian-hua , Zha Ding-jun
Published: September 2020

The spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs) are the primary afferent neurons in the spiral ganglion (SG), while their degeneration or loss would cause sensorineural hearing loss. As a cardiac-derived hormone, atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) plays a critical role in cardiovascular homeostasis through binding to its functional receptors (NPR-A and NPR-C). ANP and its receptors are widely expressed in the mammalian nervous system where they could be implicated in the regulation of multiple neural functions. Although previous studies have provided direct evidence for the presence of ANP and its functional receptors in the inner ear, their presence within the cochlear SG and their regulatory roles during auditory neurotransmission and development remain largely unknown. Based on our previous findings, we investigated the expression patterns of ANP and its receptors in the cochlear SG and dissociated SGNs and determined the influence of ANP on neurite outgrowth in vitro by using organotypic SG explants and dissociated SGN cultures from postnatal rats. We have demonstrated that ANP and its receptors are expressed in neurons within the cochlear SG of postnatal rat, while ANP may promote neurite outgrowth of SGNs via the NPR-A/cGMP/PKG pathway in a dose-dependent manner. These results indicate that ANP would play a role in normal neuritogenesis of SGN during cochlear development and represents a potential therapeutic candidate to enhance regeneration and regrowth of SGN neurites.
Agent-Based Multipath Management for Supporting Sink Mobility in Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Kim Cheonyong , Cho Hyunchong , Jung Kwansoo , Yim Yongbin , Yang Taehun , Kim Sang-Ha , Kim Sangdae
Published: September 2020

In wireless sensor networks, sink mobility support is one of the essential functionalities in many applications. With continuous advancement, future applications will require not only sink mobility support but also high-performance data delivery service. Multipath routing is one of the promising technologies for improving data delivery performance by collaboratively using alternative or redundant multiple routing paths. However, existing multipath routing protocols had not dealt with sink mobility. As a result, they lead to bad performance in terms of energy efficiency due to the end-to-end path reconstruction. Consequently, a novel multipath management scheme is required thereby supporting sink mobility without performance degradation. In this paper, we propose a multipath management scheme for supporting sink mobility. The proposed scheme dynamically constructs multipath along the moving path of a sink. In addition, the proposed scheme provides the path shortening schemes according to the sink’s movement for reducing energy consumption. Our simulation results show that the proposed scheme is superior to existing path management schemes in terms of reliability and energy efficiency.