bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Command Shaping for Sloshing Suppression of a Suspended Liquid Container
Authors: Alshaya Abdullah , Alghanim Khalid
Published: July 2020

The residuals of liquid free-surface wave oscillations induced by a rest-to-rest crane maneuver of a suspended liquid container are eliminated using a command-shaped profile. The dynamics of liquid sloshing are modeled using an equivalent mechanical model based on a series of mass-spring-damper systems. The proposed model considers the excited frequencies of the container swing motion and liquid sloshing modes. The objective is to design a discrete-time shaped acceleration profile with a variable command length that controls the moving crane-jib, while suppressing the sloshing modes. Simulations are conducted to illustrate the command effectiveness in eliminating liquid sloshing with a wide variation range of system and command-designing parameters; liquid depth, cable length, command duration, and the employing of higher sloshing modes in representing the sloshing dynamics. The command sensitivity of the input command to changes of the system parameters are treated as well. A refined and smooth input command based on suppressing the residuals of multimodes is also introduced. Furthermore, the command effectiveness was supported by a comparison with the time-optimal flexible-body control and multimode zero vibration input shaper.
The Relationship Between Self-Regulatory Efficacy and Physical Activity in Adolescents With a Caveat: A Cross-Lag Design Examining Weather
Authors: Wilson Kathleen S. , Spink Kevin S.
Published: July 2020

Purpose: The use of self-efficacy to predict physical activity has a long history. However, this relationship is complex, as self-efficacy is thought to influence and be influenced by physical activity. The directionality of the self-regulatory efficacy (SRE) and physical activity relationship was examined using a cross-lagged design. A secondary purpose was to examine these relationships across differing weather conditions. Methods: Canadian adolescents (N = 337; aged between 13 and 18 years) completed the physical activity and SRE measures 4 times during a school year. Structural equation modeling was used to perform a cross-lag analysis. Results: The relationships between physical activity and SRE appeared to be weather dependent. During a more challenging weather period (eg, cold weather), the relationship between physical activity and SRE was bidirectional. However, no relationship emerged when the 2 constructs were assessed during a more optimal weather period (eg, warm weather). Conclusions: Some support has been provided for the bidirectional nature of the relationship between physical activity and SRE. The relationship appeared to be qualified by climate considerations, suggesting that future research examine how weather may relate not just to physical activity but also to the correlates of physical activity.
Contribution of Segment 3 to the Acquisition of Virulence in Contemporary H9N2 Avian Influenza Viruses
Authors: Clements Anabel L. , Sealy Joshua E. , Peacock Thomas P. , Sadeyen Jean-Remy , Hussain Saira , Lycett Samantha J. , Shelton Holly , Digard Paul , Iqbal Munir
Published: July 2020

Avian influenza viruses, such as H9N2, cause huge economic damage to poultry production worldwide and are additionally considered potential pandemic threats. Understanding how these viruses evolve in their natural hosts is key to effective control strategies. In the Middle East and South Asia, an older H9N2 virus strain has been replaced by a new reassortant strain with greater fitness. Here, we take representative viruses and investigate the genetic basis for this “fitness.” A single mutation in the virus was responsible for greater fitness, enabling high growth of the contemporary H9N2 virus in cells, as well as in chickens. The genetic mutation that modulates this change is within the viral PA protein, a part of the virus polymerase gene that contributes to viral replication as well as to virus accessory functions—however, we find that the fitness effect is specifically due to changes in the protein polymerase activity.
Supplemental Material: Fossilized reproductive modes reveal a protistan affinity of Chitinozoa
Authors: Liang Yan , al. et
Published: July 2020

Extended introduction to the materials and methods, Figures S1–S4, Tables S1 and S2, and supplemental movies (Movies S1–S3).
Peach pit impaction presenting as gallstone ileus
Authors: Syed Abdus Samad , Bonte Alexander , Allaham Laith Adnan , Goodman Elliot R
Published: July 2020

Small bowel obstruction (SBO) secondary to fruit pit impaction is rare. The presence of an ovoid, stony body in the bowel lumen on radiologic imaging in a patient presenting with signs and symptoms of SBO is likely to raise concern for gallstone ileus. We report the case of a 56-year-old man who presented with a 1-day history of intermittent left-sided abdominal pain and nausea associated with a single episode of vomiting. CT scan of the abdomen and pelvis revealed a 3.3 cm impacted stony mass in the terminal ileum resulting in high-grade partial SBO. The mass had a hypodense centre encased within a hyperdense, ridged outer layer. The diagnostic impression was gallstone ileus. The object was removed via enterotomy and was found to be a peach pit.
Emphysematous osteomyelitis of the clavicle: a pleural process?
Authors: Elshikh Amira , Gowda Niraj , Glass Lisa , Maximos Robert B
Published: July 2020

Emphysematous osteomyelitis (EO) is a rare infection associated with intraosseous gas. EO is an often fatal disease with an estimated 34% mortality. We present a case of a 63-year-old man with sternoclavicular EO with pleural involvement and significant subcutaneous emphysema diagnosed by CT. Extension of intraosseous gas into the pleural cavity is an extremely interesting presentation that has not been previously reported. The patient underwent a multidisciplinary treatment approach with surgical debridement and an extended antibiotic course. Intraoperative cultures of the pectoralis muscle and bone biopsy grew pan-sensitiveEscherichia coli. Prompt recognition and treatment are paramount to avoid a potentially fatal outcome. A review of the literature of the previous 46 cases of EO is presented for associated risk factors, the role of surgical management and antibiotic therapy.
Use of a novel telemetric sensor to study interactions of intraocular pressure and ganglion-cell function in glaucoma
Authors: Al-Nosairy Khaldoon O , van den Bosch Jacqueline J O N , Pennisi Vincenzo , Mansouri Kaweh , Thieme Hagen , Choritz Lars , Hoffmann Michael B
Published: July 2020

Aims

(1) To test the feasibility of simultaneous steady-state pattern electroretinogram (ssPERG) and intraocular pressure (IOP) measurements with an implanted IOP sensor. (2) To explore the scope of this approach for detecting PERG changes during IOP manipulation in a model of lateral decubitus positioning (LDP; lateral position).

Methods

15 healthy controls and 15 treated glaucoma patients participated in the study. 8 patients had an IOP sensor (Eyemate-IO, Implandata Ophthalmic Products GmbH) in the right eye (GLAIMP) and 7 had no sensor and with glaucoma in the left eye. (1) We compared PERGs with and without simultaneous IOP read-out in GLAIMP. (2) All participants were positioned in the following order: sitting1 (S1), right LDP (LDR), sitting2 (S2), left LDP (LDL) and sitting3 (S3). For each position, PERG amplitudes and IOP were determined with rebound tonometry (Icare TA01i) in all participants without the IOP sensor.

Results

Electromagnetic intrusions of IOP sensor read-out onto ssPERG recordings had, due to different frequency ranges, no relevant effect on PERG amplitudes. IOP and PERG measures were affected by LDP, for example, IOP was increased during LDRversus S1 in the lower eyes of GLAIMPand controls (5.1±0.6 mmHg, P0.025=0.00004 and 1.6±0.6 mmHg, P0.025=0.02, respectively) and PERG amplitude was reversibly decreased (−25±10%, P0.025=0.02 and −17±5%, P0.025, respectively).

Conclusions

During LDP, both IOP and PERG changed predominantly in the lower eye. IOP changes induced by LDP may be a model for studying the interaction of IOP and ganglion-cell function.
Impact of spectacles wear on uncorrected visual acuity among urban migrant primary school children in China: a cluster-randomised clinical trial
Authors: Zhang Xinwu , Zhou Ming , Ma Xiaochen , Yi Hongmei , Zhang Haiqing , Wang Xiuqin , Jin Ling , Naidoo Kovin , Minto Hasan , Zou Haidong , Rozelle Scott , Congdon Nathan , Ma Yue
Published: July 2020

Objective

To estimate the effect of providing free spectacles on uncorrected visual acuity (VA) among urban migrant Chinese school children.

Design

Exploratory analysis from a parallel cluster-randomised clinical trial.

Methods

After baseline survey and VA screening, eligible children were randomised by school to receive one of the two interventions: free glasses and a teacher incentive (tablet computer if ≥80% of children given glasses were wearing them on un-announced examination) (treatment group) or glasses prescription and letter to parents (control group). The primary outcome was uncorrected logarithm of the minimal angle of
resolution (LogMAR) VA at study closeout, adjusted for baseline uncorrected VA.

Results

Among 4376 randomly selected children, 728 (16.6%, mean age 10.9 years, 51.0% boys) at 94 schools failed VA screening and met eligibility criteria. Of these, 358 children (49.2%) at 47 schools were randomised to treatment and 370 children (50.8%) at 47 schools to control. Among these, 679 children (93.3%) completed follow-up and underwent analysis. Spectacle wear in the treatment and control groups was 68.3% and 29.3% (p<0.001), respectively. Uncorrected final VA for eyes of treatment children was significantly better than control children, adjusting only for baseline VA (difference of 0.039 LogMAR units, 95% CI: 0.008, 0.070, equivalent to 0.39 lines, p=0.014) or baseline VA and other baseline factors (0.040 LogMAR units, 95% CI 0.007 to 0.074, equivalent to 0.40 lines, p=0.020).

Conclusion

We found no evidence that spectacles wear worsens children’s uncorrected VA among urban migrant Chinese school children.
Cohort profile: The Applied Public-Private Research enabling OsteoArthritis Clinical Headway (IMI-APPROACH) study: a 2-year, European, cohort study to describe, validate and predict phenotypes of osteoarthritis using clinical, imaging and biochemical markers
Authors: van Helvoort Eefje M , van Spil Willem E , Jansen Mylène P , Welsing Paco M J , Kloppenburg Margreet , Loef Marieke , Blanco Francisco J , Haugen Ida K , Berenbaum Francis , Bacardit Jaume , Ladel Christoph H , Loughlin John , Bay-Jensen Anne C , Mobasheri Ali , Larkin Jonathan , Boere Janneke , Weinans Harrie H , Lalande Agnes , Marijnissen Anne C A , Lafeber Floris P J G
Published: July 2020

Purpose

The Applied Public-Private Research enabling OsteoArthritis Clinical Headway (APPROACH) consortium intends to prospectively describe in detail, preselected patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA), using conventional and novel clinical, imaging, and biochemical markers, to support OA drug development.

Participants

APPROACH is a prospective cohort study including 297 patients with tibiofemoral OA, according to the American College of Rheumatology classification criteria. Patients were (pre)selected from existing cohorts using machine learning models, developed on data from the CHECK cohort, to display a high likelihood of radiographic joint space width (JSW) loss and/or knee pain progression.

Findings to date

Selection appeared logistically feasible and baseline characteristics of the cohort demonstrated an OA population with more severe disease: age 66.5 (SD 7.1) vs 68.1 (7.7) years, min-JSW 2.5 (1.3) vs 2.1 (1.0) mm and Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score pain 31.3 (19.7) vs 17.7 (14.6), except for age, all: p<0.001, for selected versus excluded patients, respectively. Based on the selection model, this cohort has a predicted higher chance of progression.

Future plans

Patients will visit the hospital again at 6, 12 and 24 months for physical examination, pain and general health questionnaires, collection of blood and urine, MRI scans, radiographs of knees and hands, CT scan of the knee, low radiation whole-body CT, HandScan, motion analysis and performance-based tests.

After two years, data will show whether those patients with the highest probabilities for progression experienced disease progression as compared to those wit lower probabilities (model validation) and whether phenotypes/endotypes can be identified and predicted to facilitate targeted drug therapy.

Trial registration number

NCT03883568
Systematic survey of the causal language use in systematic reviews of observational studies: a study protocol
Authors: Han Mi Ah , Guyatt Gordon
Published: July 2020

Introduction

Sometimes, observational studies may provide important evidence that allow inferences of causality between exposure and outcome (although on most occasions only low certainty evidence). Authors, frequently and perhaps usually at the behest of the journals to which they are submitting, avoid using causal language when addressing evidence from observational studies. This is true even when the issue of interest is the causal effect of an intervention or exposure. Clarity of thinking and appropriateness of inferences may be enhanced through the use of language that reflects the issue under consideration. The objectives of this study are to systematically evaluate the extent and nature of causal language use in systematic reviews of observational studies and to relate that to the actual intent of the investigation.

Methods and analysis

We will conduct a systematic survey of systematic reviews of observational studies addressing modifiable exposures and their possible impact on patient-important outcomes. We will randomly select 200 reviews published in 2019, stratified in a 1:1 ratio by use and non-use of the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE). Teams of two reviewers will independently assess study eligibility and extract data using a standardised data extraction forms, with resolution of disagreement by discussion and, if necessary, by third party adjudication. Through examining the inferences, they make in their papers’ discussion, we will evaluate whether the authors’ intent was to address causation or association. We will summarise the use of causal language in the study title, abstract, study question and results using descriptive statistics. Finally, we will assess whether the language used is consistent with the intention of the authors. We will determine whether results in reviews that did or did not use GRADE differ.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethics approval for this study is not required. We will disseminate the results through publication in a peer-reviewed journals.

Registration

Open Science Framework (osf.io/vh8yx).
Reviewing the womb
Authors: Romanis Elizabeth Chloe , Begović Dunja , Brazier Margot R , Mullock Alexandra Katherine
Published: July 2020

Throughout most of human history women have been defined by their biological role in reproduction, seen first and foremost as gestators, which has led to the reproductive system being subjected to outside interference. The womb was perceived as dangerous and an object which husbands, doctors and the state had a legitimate interest in controlling. In this article, we consider how notions of conflict surrounding the womb have endured over time. We demonstrate how concerns seemingly generated by the invisibility of reproduction and the inaccessibility of the womb have translated into similar arguments for controlling women, as technology increases the accessibility of the female body and the womb. Developments in reproductive medicine, from in vitro fertilisation (IVF) to surrogacy, have enabled women and men who would otherwise have been childless to become parents. Uterus transplants and ‘artificial wombs’ could provide additional alternatives to natural gestation. An era of ‘womb technology’ dawns. Some argue that such technology providing an alternative to ‘natural’ gestation could be a source of liberation for female persons because reproduction will no longer be something necessarily confined to the female body. ‘Womb technology’, however, also has the potential to exacerbate the labelling of the female body as a source of danger and an ‘imperfect’ site of gestation, thus replaying rudimentary and regressive arguments about controlling female behaviour. We argue that pernicious narratives about control, conflict and the womb must be addressed in the face of these technological developments.
Hepatoprotective effect of linagliptin against liver fibrosis induced by carbon tetrachloride in mice
Authors: Abd Elmaaboud Maaly , Khattab Haidy , Shalaby Shahinaz
Published: July 2020

The current study aimed to investigate linagliptin for its potential role in the prevention of liver fibrosis progression. Balb-C mice were randomly allocated into five groups (10 each): (i) control; (ii) mice were injected intraperitoneally with 50 μL carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) in corn oil in a dose of 0.6 μL/g three times per week for four weeks; (iii) linagliptin was administered orally in a daily dose of 10 mg/kg simultaneously with CCl4; (iv) silymarin was administered orally in a daily dose of 200 mg/kg concomitantly with CCl4; and (v) only linagliptin was administered. Hepatic injury was manifested in the CCl4 group by elevation of biochemical parameters (alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP)), and hepatic fibrosis was evident histopathologically by increased METAVIR score and immunostaining expression of alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), as well as increased liver tissue oxidative stress parameters, transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1), and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR). Linagliptin was able to stop the progression of liver fibrosis, evident histopathologically with reduced METAVIR score and α-SMA expression. The possible mechanism may be via suppression of oxidative stress, TGF-β1, and mTOR, which was associated with improvement of serum biochemical parameters ALT and AST. In conclusion, linagliptin might help to protect the liver against persistent injury-related consequences.
Fermion mass splitting in the technicolor coupled scenario
Authors: Doff A. , Natale A. A.
Published: July 2020

We discuss fermion mass generation in unified models where QCD and technicolor (or any two strongly interacting theories) have their Schwinger–Dyson equations coupled. In this case the technicolor (TC) and QCD self-energies are modified in comparison with the behavior observed in the isolated theories. In these models the pseudo-Goldstone boson masses are much higher than the ones obtained in different contexts, and phenomenological signals, except from a light scalar composite boson, will be quite difficult to be observed at present collider energies. The most noticeable fact of these models is how the mass splitting between the different ordinary fermions is generated. We discuss how a necessary horizontal (or family) symmetry can be implemented in order to generate the mass splitting between fermions of different generations; how the fermionic mass spectrum may be modified due to GUT interactions, as well as how the mass splitting within the same fermionic generation are generated due to electroweak and GUT interactions.
Construction of a translation-invariant U(N) damped noncommutative gauge model
Authors: Toumi Ouahiba , Kouadik Smain
Published: July 2020

We have built a noncommutative unitary gauge group model preserving translation invariance. It describes the interaction of the Dirac field with the gauge field. The interaction term is expanded as a power series resulting from the introduction of the inverse covariant derivative. The consistency of the model is sustained by the fact that the Ward identity holds at tree level. The pure Yang–Mills action, including the fixing term and the Faddeev–Popov ghost term were constructed. It is striking that the commutator of our covariant derivative contained the torsion tensor, in addition to the field strength from which the Yang–Mills action was built.
General recipe to form input space for deep learning analysis of HEP scattering processes
Authors: Dudko Lev , Vorotnikov Georgi , Volkov Petr , Perfilov Maxim , Chernoded Andrei , Ovchinnikov Dmitri , Shporin Artem
Published: July 2020

Deep learning neural network (DNN) technique is one of the most efficient and general approach of multivariate data analysis of the collider experiments. The important step of the analysis is the optimization of the input space for multivariate technique. In the paper we propose the general recipe how to form the set of low-level observables sensitive to the differences in hard scattering processes at the colliders. It is shown in the paper that without any sophisticated analysis of the kinematic properties one can achieve close to optimal performance of DNN with the proposed general set of low-level observables.
Rip cosmologies, wormhole solutions and big trip in the f(T,𝒯 ) theory of gravity
Authors: Arouko Maxime Z. , Salako Ines G. , Kanfon A. D. , Houndjo M. J. S. , Baffou Etienne
Published: July 2020

Rip cosmological models have been investigated in the framework of [Formula: see text] theory of gravity, where [Formula: see text] denotes the torsion and [Formula: see text] is the trace of the energy–momentum tensor. These phantom cosmological models revealed that at initial epoch a EoS parameter [Formula: see text] tends asymptotically at late phase to [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text]. On the other hand, Wormhole Solutions and Big Trip have been subject to an investigation. The wormhole throat radius [Formula: see text] and the conditions to be satisfied to produce the Big Trip phenomenon have been discussed.
Triphenylamine-substituted zinc porphyrin nanoparticles with photodynamic/photothermal activity for cancer phototherapy in vitro
Authors: Wang Zejiang , Chen Li , Wang Kai , Chau Ho-Fai , Wong Ka-Leung , Fung Yan-Ho , Wu Fengshou
Published: July 2020

An amphiphilic zinc porphyrin complex with a typical donor–acceptor (D–A) structure was synthesized, where the triphenylamine acted as a donor unit while the porphyrin was used as an electronic acceptor. Due to the presence of triethylene glycol moieties on the parent structure, Zn-TPAP could spontaneously assemble to the related nanoparticles (Zn-TPAP NPs) with improved hydrophilicity. The as-prepared Zn-TPAP NPs presented relatively uniform spherical particles with the average particle sizes around 160 nm, which was suitable for tumor accumulation benefiting from the EPR effect. Due to the aggregation of the porphyrin molecules in the assembled nanostructures, Zn-TPAP NPs displayed broadened and red-shifted absorption and quenched fluorescence relative to that of Zn-TPAP. In addition to ROS generation, Zn-TPAP NPs exhibited moderate photothermal effects and the photothermal conversion efficiency was measured as 29%. Zn-TPAP NPs showed good biocompatibility and could generate ROS in the A549 cells. Under light irradiation, Zn-TPAP NPs can efficiently kill cancer cells. Thus, Zn-TPAP NPs could be used as potential nanoagents for cancer treatment through the photothermal/photodynamic synergistic modes.
Elbow Flexion Reconstruction in Brachial Plexus Avulsion Injuries – Results with Intercostal Nerve and Distal Nerve Transfers
Authors: Kang Gavrielle Hui-Ying , Lim Rebecca Qian-Ru , Yong Fok-Chuan
Published: July 2020

Background: The neural surgical options for reconstruction of elbow flexion in brachial plexus injuries depend on the availability of nerve donors. In upper-type avulsion injuries, the ulnar or median nerves, when intact, are reliable intra-plexal donor nerves for transfers to the biceps muscle. In complete avulsion injuries, donors are limited to extra-plexal sources, such as intercostal nerves (ICNs).

Methods: We reviewed our results of ICN and partial distal nerve (ulnar or median) transfers for elbow flexion reconstruction in patients with brachial plexus avulsion injuries. The time taken for recovery of elbow flexion strength to M3 and the final motor outcome at 2 years were compared between both groups.

Results: 38 patients were included in this study. 27 had ICN transfers to the musculocutaneous nerve (MCN), 8 had partial ulnar nerve transfers and 3 had partial median nerve transfers to the MCN's biceps motor branch. The mean time interval from injury to surgery was 3.6 months. Recovery of elbow flexion was observed earlier in the distal nerve transfer group (p < 0.05). Overall, success rates were higher in patients with distal nerve transfers (100%), compared to ICN transfers (63%) at 2 years (p = 0.018). Patients with distal nerve transfers achieved a higher final median strength of M4.0 [Interquartile range (IQR) 3.5–4.5], compared to M3.5 (IQR 2.0–4.0) in the ICN group (p = 0.031). In the subgroup of patients with upper-type brachial plexus injuries, there were no significant differences in motor outcomes between the ICN versus distal nerve transfers group.

Conclusions: In our entire cohort, patients with distal nerve transfers had faster motor recovery and better elbow flexion power than patients with ICN transfers. In patients with partial brachial plexus injuries, outcomes of ICN transfers were not inferior to distal nerve transfers.
Palmar Dislocations of the 5th Carpometacarpal Joint: Case Report of a Rare Injury and Review of Published Cases
Authors: Lim Zhixue , Sebastin Sandeep Jacob
Published: July 2020

Isolated palmar dislocation of the 5th carpometacarpal joint (CMCJ) is a rare injury that can be easily missed and requires a high index of suspicion to detect. We report a case of an initially missed isolated ulnopalmar dislocation of the 5th CMCJ and a summary of other published case reports comparing methods of fixation and outcomes. We conclude that a delay in diagnosis will significantly reduce the chances of successfully managing this injury via closed reduction.
Complex Irreducible Dorsal Dislocation of Thumb Interphalangeal Joint: Controversies and Consensus in Management
Authors: Alexander Leon
Published: July 2020

Dislocations of thumb interphalangeal (IP) joint are rare injuries due to inherent stability of the joint. This report presents a case of complex irreducible dorsal IP joint dislocation of thumb due to interposition of four structures – volar plate, sesamoid bone, flexor pollicis longus tendon and digital nerve which is perhaps the only case reported so far in literature where more than three structures have been implicated for this joint irreducibility. The author presents a comparative review of similar case reports previously reported in literature listing the controversies in management and forming a broad consensus in the management of these difficult injuries. Finally, an algorithm for the management of these injures has been proposed in this article which maybe helpful for other operators in tackling these injuries so as to deliver predictable treatment outcomes.
Predicting backward erosion piping hazard, Lower Mississippi Valley, USA
Authors: Semmens S. , Zhou W.
Published: July 2020

Backward erosion piping (BEP) is a form of internal erosion and common failure mode along levees. Despite over a century of study, predicting where BEP will initiate is still a considerable challenge. This study proposes a new model for predicting BEP initiation focused on the widest range of applicability. A logit model is trained using data from 15 sites along the Lower Mississippi Valley. The included parameters are independent of geography or geological regime and exhibit recorded or suspected correlations to BEP. Three significant factors (95% confidence interval) are retained for the final model: cumulative clay thickness within the blanket (odds ratio (OR) 0.520), critical gradient (OR 0.001) and exit gradient (OR 63.15). Receiver operating characteristics analysis indicates an area under the curve of 0.823. The model demonstrates 71% classification accuracy, a dramatic 10% increase over previous logit model attempts. Model results are most applicable within 150 m of the levee toe to predict new incidents of BEP initiation. The final model is a useful tool for BEP assessment and mitigation efforts.
Facing Global Health Crises Using Mobile Communications: An international virtual exchange experience
Authors: Barreto Belian Rosalie , Sampaio Leite Lucas , Lima-Filho José Luiz , Geer Laura
Published: July 2020

This work reports on an international virtual exchange experience based on a digital health discipline that embedded a shared module with curricula addressing mobile communications to face health crises. This course took place in the context of COIL through a partnership between the Federal University of Pernambuco and the SUNY Downstate School of Public Health. The purpose of the experience was for students to develop skills to collaborate in teams made up of health professionals from different countries. The students were able to analyze specific population contexts concerning their communication resources and propose mobile communication strategies to face health crises.
The Global Equilibrium Real Interest Rate: Concepts, Estimates, and Challenges
Authors: Kiley Michael T.
Published: July 2020

Real interest rates have been persistently below historical norms over the past decade, leading economists and policy makers to view the equilibrium real interest rate as likely to be low for some time. Various definitions and approaches to estimating the equilibrium real interest rate are examined, including approaches based on the term structure of interest rates and small macroeconomic models. The individual country approaches common in the literature are extended to allow for global trend and cyclical factors. The analysis finds that global factors dominate the downward trend in the equilibrium interest rate across 13 advanced economies. A corollary of this finding is that the U.S. equilibrium rate can be informed by global developments and is recently lower than estimated in U.S.-only studies. The analysis also highlights how the common global trend confounds empirical assessments of the determinants of movements in the equilibrium rate and the need to better integrate term-structure and macroeconomic approaches.
The Experience of a Legal Career: Attorneys’ Impact on the System and the System's Impact on Attorneys
Authors: Reed Krystia
Published: July 2020

Because attorneys are essential to a fair legal process, it is important to understand the experience of a legal career. This article first reviews research on the influence of attorneys on the legal system, focusing on the effect on the influence of trial attorneys on ( a) juries, with a particular focus on attorney skill, behavior, trial decisions (i.e., joinder/severance, jury selection, opening arguments, witness selection, questioning style, cross-examination, objections, closing arguments), and characteristics (gender, race/ethnicity, attractiveness), and ( b) clients. The article then reviews the limited research on the role and impact of attorneys outside the litigation context, followed by the influence of the legal system on attorneys, with a focus on attorney distress (prevalence, causes, and consequences). The review concludes with a discussion of the overall relationship between attorneys and the legal system.
Regulation and Recent Trends in High-Interest Credit Markets
Authors: Malone Carlie , Skiba Paige Marta
Published: July 2020

In this article we review the contested effects of traditional payday loans on borrowers and describe recent regulatory changes to the product. We then provide detail on the institutional features and regulation—to the extent that there is any—of new products emerging to fill demand that remains when payday loans are more strictly regulated. Little is known about the effects of these new loan products on borrowers. What is certain is that state restrictions have led lenders to modify their loans to narrowly evade restrictions on interest rates, loan lengths, loan sizes, and repayment procedures like allowing loans to roll over. We focus on the starkest changes to small-dollar credit regulation that have occurred recently, including the development of high-interest installment loans, so-called flex loans offered by payday lenders, and the fintech creation of earned wage advance products.
Conversations in Law and Society: Oral Histories of the Emergence and Transformation of the Movement
Authors: Morrill Calvin , Edelman Lauren B. , Fang Yan , Greenspan Rosann
Published: July 2020

This article uses oral histories of surviving founders to explore the emergence of law and society as a scholarly movement and its transformation to a scholarly field. The oral histories we draw on come from a unique public archive of interviews with founders of law and society titled Conversations in Law and Society, which is maintained by the Center for the Study of Law & Society (CSLS) at the University of California, Berkeley. We supplement and triangulate the CSLS oral histories with published sources that recount the history of law and society research. Our discussion begins with a brief review of the oral history approach and how the CSLS archive was constructed. We draw on the social movements literature to trace the emergence of the law and society field as a scholarly movement, showing how the movement drew strength from the political opportunities of the 1960s and 1970s; the mobilizing structures through which scholars created space for research and training; and the framing processes that crystallized the meanings, identities, and sentiments of the movement. We then present the founders’ perspectives on the characteristics of law and society as it became a scholarly field.While never becoming institutionalized as a discipline in the academy, law and society nonetheless spawned other scholarly movements and continues to influence research and teaching in social science disciplines and in law schools.
Anodizing Aluminum and Its Alloys in Etidronic Acid to Enhance Their Corrosion Resistance in a Sodium Chloride Solution
Authors: Kikuchi Tatsuya , Suzuki Yusuke , Iwai Mana , Suzuki Ryosuke O.
Published: July 2020

The formation behaviors of the anodic oxide film that forms on various commercially available aluminum plates were investigated by galvanostatic anodizing in etidronic acid, and their corrosion resistances were examined in a 3.5 wt% NaCl solution. High-purity aluminum and A1050, A5052, and A7075 aluminum alloys were galvanostatically anodized in an etidronic acid solution. An amorphous porous oxide film formed on the pure aluminum, the A1050 alloy, and the A5052 alloy, whereas a plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) film formed on the A7075 alloy. The nanopores formed in the porous oxide film could be sealed with hydroxides by immersion in boiling water. Corrosion-resistant pure aluminum with a measured corrosion current density of i
corr = 10−9 Am−2 could be formed by anodizing and subsequent pore-sealing. Although the corrosion current increased due to the presence of alloying elements in the matrix, the fabrication of the corrosion-resistant A1050 and A5052 alloys with i
corr = 10−6 Am−2 could also be achieved by anodizing. Alternately, the corrosion resistance of the A7075 alloy covered with the PEO film was measured to be i
corr = 10−4 Am−2, which is not as small as the i
corr of the A1050 and A5052 alloys due to its open microporous structure.
Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor mediates the beneficial effect of liraglutide in an acute lung injury mouse model involving the thioredoxin-interacting protein
Authors: Zhou Wenyong , Shao Weijuan , Zhang Yu , Liu Dinghui , Liu Mingyao , Jin Tianru
Published: July 2020

Repurposing clinically used drugs is among the important strategies in drug discovery. Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and its diabetes-based drugs, such as liraglutide, possess a spectrum of extra-pancreatic functions, while GLP-1 receptor (GLP-1R) is most abundantly expressed in the lung. Recent studies have suggested that GLP-1-based drugs exert beneficial effects in chronic, as well as acute, lung injury rodent models. Here, we show that liraglutide pretreatment reduced LPS induced acute lung injury in mice. It significantly reduced lung injury score, wet/dry lung weight ratio, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid immune cell count and protein concentration, and cell apoptosis in the lung, and it was associated with reduced lung inflammatory cytokine and chemokine gene expression. Importantly, these effects were virtually absent in GLP-1R−/− mice. A well-known function of GLP-1 and GLP-based drugs in pancreatic β-cells is the attenuation of high-glucose stimulated expression of thioredoxin-interacting protein (TxNIP), a key component of inflammasome. LPS-challenged lungs showed elevated TxNIP mRNA and protein expression, which was attenuated by liraglutide treatment in a GLP-1R-dependent manner. Hence, our observations suggest that GLP-1R is essential in mediating beneficial effects of liraglutide in acute lung injury, with the inflammasome component TxNIP as a potential target.
Inhaled aerosolized nicotine suppresses the lung eosinophilic response to house dust mite allergen
Authors: Gahring Lorise C. , Myers Elizabeth J. , Rogers Scott W.
Published: July 2020

Nicotine of unprecedented concentrations and purity is being inhaled by those using commercially available electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS). The consequences of this route of self-administration on the immunological response to inhaled allergens are not known. In mice, sensitization and inhalation challenge with the common environmental house dust mite (HDM) allergen is an experimental model of this response. When mice were exposed to aerosolized nicotine base (aeroNic) twice daily, 5 days/wk for 8 wk, the HDM-induced recruitment of eosinophils (EOS) was substantially reduced as measured in bronchial alveolar lavage fluid (BALF). Oral nicotine administration had no effect. HDM challenge in the presence of nicotinic receptor subtype α7 (α7)-specific type-1 positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) was alone sufficient to suppress EOS. RNA analysis of alveolar macrophages (AM) collected from BALF after HDM challenge of aeroNic revealed that α7 activation strongly suppresses initiation of Ccl24 (eotaxin 2) transcription. To examine possible cellular signaling mechanisms coupling α7 to Ccl24 transcription, an AM culture model system was used. In AM cultures of freshly collected BALF, Ccl24 transcription was robustly activated by a mixture of IL-4 and IL-10, and this was suppressed by coapplication of type-1 PAMs through a pathway that requires p38MAPK but is independent of Jak2. These results suggest that the EOS response to HDM inhaled allergen is subject to modulation through activation of the α7 receptor and suggest that the allergic response may be substantially modified in ENDS users.
Screening for Anemia and Iron Deficiency in the Adult Portuguese Population
Authors: Robalo Nunes António , Mairos João , Brilhante Dialina , Marques Filipa , Belo Aurora , Cortez José , Fonseca Cândida
Published: July 2020

Anemia and iron deficiency (ID) can impair quality of life and socioeconomic development. We evaluated the prevalence of anemia and ID in the adult Portuguese population in real-life contexts by gender, age, and pregnancy status. We performed a cross-sectional screening in adult individuals in mainland Portugal from 2013 to 2017. Participants completed a survey about demographics and signs or symptoms compatible with anemia, and ID and hemoglobin and ferritin concentrations were determined by point-of-care tests. We estimated and compared prevalence ratios (PR) of anemia and ID using Poisson regression with robust variance and the Wald chi-square test. We collected data from 11,030 individuals (26% men, 64% nonpregnant women, and 10% pregnant women). We found anemia in 51.8% (95% CI 50.1–53.4%) of nonpregnant women in fertile age, 46.6% (95% CI 44.7–48.6%) of nonpregnant women >51 years, 38.2% (95% CI 35.4–41.1%) of pregnant women, and 33.3% (95% CI 31.6–35.1%) of men. The prevalence of ID was 72.9% (95% CI 71.4–74.4%) in nonpregnant women in fertile age, 50.5% (95% CI 48.5–52.4%) in nonpregnant women >51 years, 94.8% (95% CI 93.3–96.0%) in pregnant women, and 28.9% (95% CI 27.3–30.6%) in men. We found significant associations between the prevalence of anemia or ID and nonpregnant women (PR: 1.50, 95% CI 1.42–1.59 or PR: 2.21, 95% CI 2.09–2.35, respectively), manifestation of signs or symptoms (PR: 1.19, 95% CI 1.53–1.23 or PR: 1.22, 95% CI 1.18–1.26), pregnant women (PR: 0.74, 95% CI 0.68–0.80 or PR: 1.30, 95% CI 1.27–1.33), and nonpregnant women ≤51 years (PR: 1.11, 95% CI 1.06–1.17 or PR: 1.42, 95% CI 1.36–1.48). In conclusion, anemia and ID represent moderate to severe public health problems, particularly among women in fertile age and in 3rd trimester, of pregnancy emphasizing the need to raise the public and health professionals’ awareness of these problems and their prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.
Optimization Extraction of Shikonin Using Ultrasound‐Assisted Response Surface Methodology and Antibacterial Studies
Authors: Huang Xiang-Yue , Fu Hua-Lin , Tang Hua-Qiao , Yin Zhong-Qiong , Zhang Wei , Shu Gang , Yin Li-Zi , Zhao Ling , Yan Xiao-Rong , Lin Ju-Chun
Published: July 2020

The objectives of this study were to develop and optimize ultrasound‐assisted extraction (UAE) for shikonin from Arnebia euchroma using response surface methodology (RSM) and to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of shikonin. The maximum yield of shikonin was 1.26% under the optimal extraction conditions (ultrasound power, 93 W; time, 87 min; temperature, 39°C; and liquid‐solid ratio, 11 : 1). Shikonin showed inhibitory activity against standard strains and clinical isolates to varying extents (MICs ranging from 128 to 1024 μg/mL, MBCs ranging from 256 to 2048 μg/mL), and it was more effective for Gram‐positive bacteria as indicated by lower MIC and MBC values. Time‐kill curves revealed that antibacterial activity of shikonin exhibited a dose‐response relationship. In summary, via this study, we identified ultrasound‐assisted RSM as the optimal extraction method for shikonin, which is a potential material for the treatment of bacterial infections.
Emphysema after Sinus Grafting: Importance of Patient’s Information, Early Diagnosis, and Management
Authors: El Hage Marc , Nurdin Nathalie , Bischof Mark , Nedir Rabah
Published: July 2020

The sinus elevation procedure is a safe and predictable technique that allows the placement of implants in atrophic posterior maxillae. However, some recommendations have to be followed by the patient to ensure reliable healing. It is particularly important to avoid inducing trauma in the region concerned and through the sinuses. This report describes a rare complication that occurred after the grafting of a sinus, which was attributed to a violent sneeze a few hours after the intervention. The diagnosis of emphysema following air entry was confirmed by the suddenness of the swelling and associated crepitation, and by the radiographic observation of a delimited radiolucent zone in the grafted sinus. The immediate diagnosis and subsequent management prevented further adverse events. This case report supports the need for complete comprehensive instruction of patients after oral surgery, swift diagnosis, and management of emphysema.
A Histopathological Study of Skin Lesions in Individuals with Oculocutaneous Albinism in Togo in 2019
Authors: Saka Bayaki , Teclessou Julienne Noude , Akakpo Sefako Abla , Gnossike Piham , Doh Kwamé , Adam Saliou , Mouhari-Toure Abas , Mahamadou Garba , Kassang Panawé , Elegbede Moise Yvette , Darre Tchin , Kombate Koussake , Pitché Palokinam
Published: July 2020

Objective. The aim of this study was to study the histopathological patterns of skin lesions in persons with albinism (PWA) in Togo in 2019. Method. During two mobile skin care clinics in 2019, biopsies/excisional biopsies were performed in PWA in case of clinical doubt or in front of lesions suspected to be cancerous for histological examination. Anatomopathological reports were thus analysed. Results. During the two mobile skin care clinics, 115 biopsies/excisional biopsies were carried out in 79 PWA, with a mean age of 24 ± 16.1 years. Histological examination led to a diagnosis in 110 cases (95.6%) and was inconclusive in 5 cases (4 cases of uncertain histological diagnosis and one case of nonspecific histological lesions). Fourteen different histological diagnoses were made, with a frequency ranging from 0.9% (one case) to 26.9% (31 cases). The four most frequent diagnoses in descending order were basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) (31 cases; 26.9%), invasive squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) or Bowen’s disease (23 cases; 20%), keratosis (20 cases; 17.3%), and cysts (seven cases; 6.1%). The 54 skin carcinomas were diagnosed in 33 (41.8%) of the 79 patients who underwent skin biopsies/excisional biopsies. The BCC/SCC ratio was 1.3. No cases of cutaneous melanoma had been diagnosed. Conclusion. Skin cancers represent the main histological diagnosis in PWA (46.9%) in Togo in 2019. The pattern of cutaneous malignancies in PWA shows the same trend as that seen in Caucasians with a predominance of basal cell carcinomas.
Research on Utility Evaluation of Grid Investment considering Risk Preference of Decision-Makers
Authors: Wu Hongliang , Peng Daoxin , Wang Ling
Published: July 2020

Effectiveness evaluations are one of the important ways to guide grid investment and to improve investment efficiency. Improving the effectiveness of grid investment evaluations is studied based on the optimization of the investment evaluation index system and the utility evaluation model. The index system is optimized by establishing an evaluation index system of grid investment effectiveness, considering the redundancy between the indices, and constructing an ISM-DEA model. The utility function model was introduced to fully consider the different risk appetites of decision-makers, and a utility evaluation model that takes risk appetite into account was established. An improved weight integration model based on multiobjective optimization was established by considering the minimum deviation and the trend-optimal objective function when setting the index weights. The calculation results show that the feasibility of the index system optimization model and utility evaluation model constructed in this study is verified under the premise of satisfying the assumptions. By adjusting the risk preference coefficient of decision-makers, the dynamic optimization of the grid investment utility evaluation results can be realized.
A Patient with Double-Negative VGKC, Peripheral Nerve Hyperexcitability, and Central Nervous System Symptoms: A Postinfectious Autoimmune Disease
Authors: Eikeland Birte
Published: July 2020

Research in the last few years has indicated that most voltage-gated potassium channel- (VGKC-) complex antibodies without leucine-rich glioma-inactivated protein 1 or contactin-associated protein-like 2 antibody specificity lack pathogenic potential and are not clear markers for autoimmune inflammation. Here we report on a patient with double-negative VGKC who developed severe peripheral nerve hyperexcitability, central nervous system symptoms with agitation and insomnia, dysautonomia, and systemic symptoms with weight loss, itch, and skin lesions. The disease started acutely one month after an episode of enteroviral pericarditis and responded well to immunotherapy. The patient is presumed to have developed a postinfectious immunotherapy-responsive autoimmune disease. In the setting of anti-VGKC positivity, it seems likely that anti-VGKC contributed to the pathogenesis of the patient’s symptoms of nerve hyperexcitability and that the disease was caused by an acquired autoimmune effect on the neuronal kinetics of VGKC. It is still unknown whether or not there are unidentified extracellular molecular targets within the VGKC-complex, i.e., a novel surface antigen and a pathogenic antibody that can cause affected individuals to develop a peripheral nerve hyperexcitability syndrome. This case highlights the fact that less well-characterized autoimmune central and peripheral nervous system syndromes may have infectious triggers.