bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Drivers and Barriers for Successful Special Economic Zones (SEZs): Case of SEZs under China Pakistan Economic Corridor
Authors: Naeem Saira , Waheed Abdul , Khan Muhammad Naeem
Published: June 2020

Over the last three decades, special economic zones (SEZs) have given new impetus to the ever-growing export-oriented industrialization in developing countries. Where various economies have benefited from SEZs, many zones have ended up becoming enclaves with trifling advantage. The SEZs in Pakistan have experienced the same fate and failed to contribute to exports, employment and creating linkages with the domestic economy. Recently under China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), SEZs are proposed to be set up in Pakistan; with a hope to fuel the stuttering economy. However, it is pertinent to first understand the local context and device policies considering stakeholders' perspectives. This study aims to identify the factors for the successful implementation of SEZs derived from the regional context of Pakistan. In-depth interviews are conducted from most relevant stakeholders, who have been involved in the development of SEZs. The results pointed towards the removal of political influence over zones and government taking the lead role in deciding the types of industry to be invited in these zones. Each zone should have a clear vision of development based on its regional advantage. The zone promotions should be based on competitiveness rather than fiscal incentives. Joint ventures and PPP to be encouraged inside the zones for sustainable operations.
The Pneumonia Outbreak: High Isoleucine and High Valine Plus Glycine Contents Are Features of the Proteins of COVID-19 Virus
Authors: Wan Yulin , Yan Sirui , Zhang Ying , An Shanshan , Yang Kaiqiao , Xu Huan , Gan Tao , Cao Weiguo , Liu Qiuyun
Published: June 2020

The current pneumonia epidemic could evolve into a pandemic on a global scale if not effectively contained. The COVID-19 virus possesses a 61-amino acid open reading frame resembling SARS-CoV virulence factor - ORF6 peptide. The isoleucine content is 15.9% in ORF6 of SARS-CoV versus 16.4% of that in SARS-CoV-2. Given the proton affinity in the carbonyl oxygen in isoleucine, augmented proton traffic can enhance proton-ion antiport and prompt cell swelling. Calorie restriction has been confirmed in animal studies to extend lifespan, and its underlying mechanism is not fully known. As the content of essential amino acids in the open reading frame of SARS-CoV-2 reaches 57.4%, a starch/vitamin diet served for short period of time does not give rise to essential amino acids and halts virion production, which could be adopted as prophylactic approach of many viral infections. Plant-based diet or fasting/boiled rice water can also minimize the intake of essential amino acids or all amino acids respectively. Furthermore, several proteins of SARS-CoV-2 possess high valine plus glycine content which is implicated in heart disease, justifying the aforementioned approaches.
Dual Cosmic Horizon Radius of Spacetime Curvature of a Multi-Path Connected Cosmic Topology
Authors: Al-Fadhli Mohammed B.
Published: June 2020

The necessity of the dark energy and dark matter in the present universe could be a consequence of the antimatter elimination assumption in the early universe. In this research, I derive a new model to obtain the cosmic horizon radius and the potential cosmic topology utilising a new construal of space geometry inspired by large-angle correlations of the cosmic microwave background (CMB). A version of the Big Bounce theory is utilised to avoid the Big Bang singularity and inflationary constraints, and to tune the initial conditions of the curvature density. The mathematical derivation of a positively curved universe governed by only gravity revealed two cosmic horizon solutions. Although the positive horizon is conventionally associated with the evolution of the matter universe, the negative horizon solution could imply additional evolution in the opposite direction. This possibly suggests that the matter and antimatter could be evolving in opposite directions as distinct sides of the universe, as in the visualised Sloan Digital Sky Survey. The cosmic horizon radius is found to be accountable for the universal space curvature. By implementing this model, we find a decelerated stage of expansion during the first 10 Gyr, which is followed by a second stage of an accelerated expansion; potentially matching the tension in Hubble parameter measurements. In addition, the model predicts a final time-reversal stage of spatial contraction leading to the Big Crunch of a cyclic universe. The predicted density is 1.14. Other predictions are (1) a calculable flow rate of the matter side towards the antimatter side at the accelerated stage; conceivably explaining the dark flow observation, (2) a time-dependent spacetime curvature over horizon evolution, which could influence the galactic rotational speed; possibly explaining the high speed of stars, and (3) evolvable spacetime internal voids at the accelerated stage, which could contribute in continuously increasing the matter and antimatter densities elsewhere in both sides respectively. These findings may indicate the existence of the antimatter as a distinct side, which influences the evolution of the universe instead of the dark energy or dark matter.
Utilization of Er:YAG Laser in Retrieving and Reusing of Lithium Disilicate and Zirconia Monolithic Crowns in Natural Teeth: An in Vitro Study
Authors: Grzech-Leśniak Kinga , Bencharit Sompop , Skrjanc Lenart , Kanduti Domen , Matys Jacek , Deeb Janina
Published: June 2020

The study examined the effect of noninvasive crown retrieval/reuse process using erbium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet laser (Er:YAG). Twenty-six extracted human teeth were prepared for a crown. The crown was milled using lithium disilicate (LD) and zirconia (Z) materials, n=13 per group, 3 for scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The crown was luted using composite resin cement and subjected to a laser retrieval process. After the retrieval process, the crown was cleaned, recemented and laser-retrieved two more times, without and with additional tooth reduction mimicking clinical refreshment of dentin. Retrieval time and temperature were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA). Surface changes were observed through SEM. The retrieval times were 267.1±130.43, 220±79.09, 277.1±126.44, 368.4±136.14, 355±159.39, and 419.2±121.36 seconds for first, second, third LD and Z groups, respectively (p=.009). The maximal temperatures were 23.95.1±1.89°C, 24.86±2.01°C, 24.17±1.53°C, 22.88±1.51°C, 24.03±1.74°C, and 21.99±1.32°C for for first, second, third LD and Z groups, respectively (p=.006). Er:YAG laser crown removal is an effective retrieval tool for all-ceramic crowns. Minimal changes to teeth and crowns were observed following laser irradiation.
Cybersecurity Data Science: An Overview from Machine Learning Perspective
Authors: Sarker Iqbal H.
Published: June 2020

In a computing context, cybersecurity is undergoing massive shifts in technology and its operations in recent days, and data science is driving the change. Extracting security incident patterns or insights from cybersecurity data and building corresponding data-driven model, is the key to make a security system automated and intelligent. To understand and analyze the actual phenomena with data, various scientific methods, machine learning techniques, processes, and systems are used, which is commonly known as data science. In this paper, we focus and briefly discuss cybersecurity data science, where the data is being gathered from relevant cybersecurity sources, and the analytics complement the latest data-driven patterns for providing more effective security solutions. The concept of cybersecurity data science allows making the computing process more actionable and intelligent as compared to traditional ones in the domain of cybersecurity. We then discuss and summarize a number of associated research issues and future directions. Furthermore, we provide a machine learning-based multi-layered framework for the purpose of cybersecurity modeling. Overall, our goal is not only to discuss cybersecurity data science and relevant methods but also to focus the applicability towards data-driven intelligent decision making for protecting the systems from cyber-attacks.
Krukenberg's Tumor as an Incidental Finding in a Full-Term Pregnancy: A Case Report
Authors: Nunez-Isaac Orlando Andres , Mendoza-Rosado Felipe , Lopez-Arjona Katheryn , Espinosa-Marron Alan , Davila-Martinez Fernando
Published: June 2020

BACKGROUND Krukenberg tumor is a rare metastatic tumor of the ovary with characteristic histopathological features known as signet-ring cells. It usually presents in women around 45 years of age, however, we present an uncommon case in a 38-year-old pregnant woman. We report this case because of the unusual findings, the uncommon presentation in this younger age bracket, its diagnostic challenge, and poor prognosis. CASE PRESENTATION We describe an unusual case of a young woman with a history of painful vaginal bleeding at 13 weeks of pregnancy and treated for abruptio placentae. In her routine prenatal visit at week 20 of pregnancy, she was found to have a uterine fundus greater than her gestational age and referred to the hospital to discard polyhydramnios. At her admission a pelvic ultrasound was performed with normal findings of a 25 weeks pregnancy, also showing bilateral enlarged ovaries with heterogeneous echogenicity. The MRI showed a left tumoral lesion with dimensions of 22.1 x 13.6 x 16.3 cm, with lobulated regular contours with displacement of peripheral structures and mild compression of the bladder, the left ureter, and the inferior vena cava. The lesion was heterogeneous with irregular borders. The patient was programmed for a cesarean section; during the operation, the abdominal cavity showed bilateral tumors compatible with MRI findings, the ovarian tumors were sent to pathology and the results showed poorly differentiated mucinous adenocarcinoma (WHO III) with extensive signet-ring cells, an indicative of Krukenberg tumor. CONCLUSION: The case presented is rare due to its presentation in a pregnant woman without identifiable risk factors for gastric cancer. The incidental finding suggests the pregnancy masked the clinical presentation of gastric cancer, and the rapid deterioration of the patient is consistent with the aggressiveness described in the literature. The limited descriptions of this neoplasm in our country and the torpid evolution of this case highlight the importance of further studies of this cancer in Mexico.
Isolation and Propagation of Laboratory Strains and a Novel Flea-Derived Field Strain of Wolbachia in Tick Cell Lines
Authors: Khoo Jing Jing , Kurtti Timothy , Husin Nurul Aini , Beliavskaia Alexandra , Lim Fang Shiang , Zulkifli Mulya Mustika Sari , Al-Khafaji Alaa , Hartley Catherine , Darby Alistair , Hughes Grant , AbuBakar Sazaly , Makepeace Benjamin , Bell-Sakyi Lesley
Published: June 2020

Wolbachia are intracellular endosymbionts of several invertebrate taxa, including insects and nematodes. Although Wolbachia DNA has been detected in ticks, its presence is generally associated with parasitism by insects. To determine whether or not Wolbachia can infect and grow in tick cells, cell lines from three tick species, Ixodes scapularis, Ixodes ricinus and Rhipicephalus microplus, were inoculated with Wolbachia strains wStri and wAlbB isolated from mosquito cell lines. Homogenates prepared from fleas collected from cats in Malaysia were inoculated into an I. scapularis cell line. Bacterial growth and identity were monitored by microscopy and PCR amplification and sequencing of fragments of Wolbachia genes. The wStri strain infected Ixodes spp. cells and was maintained through 29 passages. The wAlbB strain successfully infected Ixodes spp. and R. microplus cells and was maintained through 2-5 passages. A novel strain of Wolbachia belonging to the supergroup F, designated wCfeF, was isolated in I. scapularis cells from a pool of Ctenocephalides sp. cat fleas and maintained in vitro through two passages over nine months. This is the first confirmed isolation of a Wolbachia strain from a flea and the first isolation of any Wolbachia strain outside the “pandemic” A and B supergroups. The study demonstrates that tick cells can host multiple Wolbachia strains, and can be added to panels of insect cell lines to improve success rates in isolation of field strains of Wolbachia.
Co-Expression Networks for Causal Gene Identification Based on RNA-seq Data of Corynebacterium Pseudotuberculosis
Authors: Franco Edian F. , Rana Pratip , Queiroz Cavalcante Ana Lidia , da Silva Artur Luiz , Carneiro Folador Adriana R , Azevedo Vasco , Ghosh Preetam , T. J. Ramos Rommel
Published: June 2020

Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis is a Gram-positive bacterium that causes caseous lymphadenitis, a disease that predominantly affects sheep, goat, cattle, buffalo, and horses, but has also been recognized in other animals. This bacterium generates a severe economic impact on countries producing meat. Gene expression studies using RNA-seq is one of the most commonly used techniques to perform transcriptional experiments. Computational analysis on such data through reverse-engineering algorithms leads to a better understanding of the genome-wide complexity of gene interactomes, enabling the identification of genes having the most significant functions inferred by the activated stress response pathways. In this study, we identified the influential or causal genes from four RNA-seq data-sets from different stress conditions (high iron, low iron, acid, osmosis, and PH) in C. pseudotuberculosis, using a consensus-based network inference algorithm called miRsig and identified the causal genes in the network using the miRinfluence tool, which is based on the influence diffusion model. We found that over 50\% of the genes identified as influential have some essential cellular functions in the genomes. In the strains analyzed, most of the causal genes have crucial roles or participate in processes associated with response to extracellular stresses, pathogenicity, membrane components, and essential genes. This research brings new insight into the understanding of virulence and infection by C. pseudotuberculosis.
Lessons for SARS-CoV-2 Study (COVID-19 Disease) From Its Exosome Relatives
Authors: Arsene Pierre
Published: June 2020

Our first modern global pandemic is caused by a nanosized lipid vesicle, called SARS-CoV-2. Its molecular structure and biogenesis have remarkable similarities with Extracellular Vesicles (EVs, most notably exosomes) that are constantly shed by all cells during their life. Their resemblance may not be a coincidence. Growing body of evidence has shown that EVs have significant roles in various biological processes, including viral infection, transmission and anti-viral response. Drawing comparison with the virus might shed light on how we could fight the COVID-19 disease. This may include novel EV research and diagnostics technologies as well as novel EV-based treatments.
A Mini Review on Lanthanum Ferrites-based Exsolved Perovskites as Fuel-flexible Anode for Solid Oxide Fuel Cells
Authors: Lo Faro Massimiliano , Campagna Zignani Sabrina , Aricò Antonino S.
Published: June 2020

Exsolved perovskites can be obtained from lanthanum ferrites, such as La0.6Sr0.4Fe0.8Co0.2O3, as result of Ni doping and thermal treatments. Ni can be simply added to the perovskite by an incipient wetness method. Thermal treatments include calcination in air (e.g., 500 °C) and subsequent reduction in diluted H2 at 800 °C to favor the exsolution process. The chemistry of the nanoparticles exsoluted on the substrate surface can be further modulated by a post treatment in air. These processes allow to produce a two-phase material consisting of a Ruddlesden-Popper type structure and a solid oxide solution e.g. α-Fe100-y-zCoyNizOx oxide. The formed electro-catalyst shows sufficient electronic conductivity under reducing environment at the SOFC anode. Outstanding catalytic properties are observed for the direct oxidation of dry fuels in SOFCs, including H2, methane, syngas, methanol, glycerol and propane. This anode electrocatalyst can be combined with full density electrolyte based on Gadolinia-doped Ceria or with La0.8Sr0.2Ga0.8Mg0.2O3 (LSGM) or BaCe0.9Y0.1O3-δ (BYCO) to form a complete perovskite structure-based cell. Moreover, the exsolved perovskite can be used as a coating layer or catalytic pre-layer of a conventional Ni-YSZ anode. Beside the excellent catalytic activity, this material also shows proper durability and tolerance to sulphur poisoning. In this mini review, preparation methods, physico-chemical characteristics, surface properties of exsoluted and core-shell nanoparticles encapsulated on the metal-depleted perovskite substrate surface, electrochemical properties for the direct oxidation of dry fuels and related electrooxidation mechanisms are examined and discussed.
COVID-19: Recent Findings into Emerging Coronavirus
Authors: Hezam Kamal , Almansoub Hasan A. M. M. , Saleh Fuad A.F. , Almansob Yusra A. M. , Al-Mekhlafi Hanadi , AL-Yousofi Asma , Al-Gheethi Adel , Almezgagi Maged , Al-Shaebi Fadhl , Murshed Dina
Published: June 2020

The emergence of novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) in marked as the highest pathogenic coronavirus that has crossed from the hosts to the human population in the twenty-first century. The spreading of COVID-19 in different chinese cities and around the world is travel-related viral spread with the unprecedented nosocomial outbreaks. It has also shown with high case-fatality rates, indeed to urgent prophylactic and therapeutic settings. Scientific advancements of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic allowed for rapid progress to understand the epidemiology and pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2. This review highlights the the genomic structure of SARS-CoV-2 with the proposed roles of genotype and phenotype of SARS-CoV-2 in pathogenesis and discuss recent results supporting treatment strategies of COVID-19 with a special focus on how these new insights may facilitate rational development of SARS-CoV-2 for targeted therapies in the future.
Using a Network of Locally Developed Low Cost Particulate Matter Sensors for Land Use Regression Modeling of PM2.5 in Urban Uganda
Authors: Coker Eric S. , Joel Ssematimba , Bainomugisha Engineer
Published: June 2020

Background: There are major air pollution monitoring gaps in sub-Saharan Africa. Developing capacity in the region to conduct air monitoring in the region can help estimate exposure to air pollution for epidemiology research. The purpose of our study is to develop a land use regression (LUR) model using low-cost air quality sensors developed by a research group in Uganda (AirQo). Methods: Using these low-cost sensors, we collected continuous measurements of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) between May 1, 2019 and February 29, 2020 at 22 monitoring sites across urban municipalities of Uganda. We compared average monthly PM2.5 concentrations from the AirQo sensors with measurements from a BAM-1020 reference monitor operated at the US Embassy in Kampala. Monthly PM2.5 concentrations were used for LUR modeling. We used eight Machine Learning (ML) algorithms and ensemble modeling; using 10-fold cross validation and root mean squared error (RMSE) to evaluate model performance. Results: Monthly PM2.5 concentration was 60.2 µg/m3 (IQR: 45.4-73.0 µg/m3; median= 57.5 µg/m3). For the ML LUR models, RMSE values ranged between 5.43 µg/m3 - 15.43 µg/m3 and explained between 28% and 92% of monthly PM2.5 variability. Generalized additive models explained the largest amount of PM2.5 variability (R2=0.92) and produced the lowest RMSE (5.43 µg/m3) in the held-out test set. The most important predictors of monthly PM2.5 concentrations included monthly precipitation, major roadway density, population density, latitude, greenness, and percentage of households using solid fuels. Conclusion: To our knowledge, ours is the first study to model the spatial distribution of urban air pollution in sub-Saharan Africa using air monitors developed from the region itself. Non-parametric ML for LUR modeling performed with high accuracy for prediction of monthly PM2.5 levels. Our analysis suggests that locally produced low-cost air quality sensors can help build capacity to conduct air pollution epidemiology research in the region.
SeXX and COVID-19: Tussle between the Two
Authors: Patil Ashlesh , Tripathy Jaya Prasad , Deshmukh Vishwajit , Sontakke Bharat , Tripathi Satyendra C.
Published: June 2020

Novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has affected nearly 7 million individuals and claimed more than 0.4 million lives to date. There are several reports of gender differences related to infection and death due to COVID-19. This raises important questions such as “Whether there are differences based on gender in risk and severity of infection or mortality rate?” and “What are the biological explanation and mechanisms underlying these differences?” Emerging evidence has proposed sex-based immunological, genetic, and hormonal differences to explain this ambiguity. Besides biological differences, women have also faced social inequities and economic hardships due to this pandemic. Several recent studies have shown that independent of age males are at higher risk for severity and mortality in COVID-19 patients. Although susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 was found to be similar across both genders in several disease cohorts, a disproportionate death ratio in men can be partly explained by the higher burden of pre-existing diseases and occupational exposures among men. From an immunological point of view, females can engage a more active immune response, which may protect them and counter infectious diseases as compared to men. This attribute of better immune responses towards pathogens is thought to be due to high estrogen levels in females. Here we review the current knowledge about sex differences in susceptibility, the severity of infection and mortality, host immune responses, and the role of sex hormones in COVID-19 disease.
Functional Analysis of the Acinetobacter baumannii XerC and XerD Site-Specific Recombinases: Potential Role in Dissemination of Resistance Genes
Authors: Lin David L. , Traglia German M. , Baker Rachel , Sherratt David J. , Ramirez Maria S. , Tolmasky Marcelo E.
Published: June 2020

Modules composed of a resistance gene flanked by Xer site-specific recombination sites, the vast majority of which were found in Acinetobacter baumannii, are thought to behave as elements that facilitate horizontal dissemination. The xerCAb and xerDAb genes were cloned, and the recombinant clones used to complement the cognate Escherichia coli mutants. The complemented strains supported resolution of plasmid dimers, and, as is the case with E. coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae plasmids, the activity was enhanced when cells were growing in low osmolarity growth medium. Binding experiments showed that partially purified A. baumannii XerC and XerD proteins (XerCAb and XerDAb) bound synthetic Xer site-specific recombination sites, some of them with a nucleotide sequence deduced from existing A. baumannii plasmids. Incubation with suicide substrates resulted in covalent attachment of DNA to a recombinase, probably XerCAb, indicating that the first step in the recombination reaction took place. The results described show that XerCAb and XerDAb are functional proteins that actively participate in horizontal dissemination of resistant genes among bacteria.
Indications for a Central Role of Hexokinase Activity in Natural Variation of Heat Acclimation in Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Atanasov Vasil , Fürtauer Lisa , Nägele Thomas
Published: June 2020

Diurnal and seasonal changes of abiotic environmental factors shape plant performance and distribution. Changes of growth temperature and light intensity may vary significantly on a diurnal, but also on a weekly or seasonal scale. Hence, acclimation to a changing temperature and light regime is essential for plant survival and propagation. In the present study, we analyzed photosynthetic CO2 assimilation and metabolic regulation of the central carbohydrate metabolism in two natural accessions of Arabidopsis thaliana originating from Russia and south Italy during exposure to heat and a combination of heat and high light. Our findings indicate that it is hardly possible to predict photosynthetic capacities to fix CO2 under combined stress from single stress experiments. Further, capacities of hexose phosphorylation were found to be significantly lower in the Italian than in the Russian accession which could explain an inverted sucrose-to-hexose ratio. Together with the finding of significantly stronger accumulation of anthocyanins under heat/high light these observations indicate a central role of hexokinase activity in stabilization of photosynthetic capacities within a changing environment.
Mask Data Priming Network for Automatic Check-Out
Authors: Xiao Zhen , Zhao Jia , Sun Gang
Published: June 2020

Auto checkout has received more and more attention in recent years and this system automatically generates a shopping bill by identifying the picture of the products purchased by the customers. However, the system is challenged by the domain adaptation problem, where each image of the training set contains only one commodity, whereas the test set is a collection of multiple commodities. The existing solution to this problem is to resynthesize the training images to enhance the training set. Then the composite images are rendered using CycleGAN to make the image distribution of the training set and the test set more similar. However, we find that the detection boxes given by the ground truth of the common dataset contain a large part of the background area, the area will affect the training process as noise. To solve this problem, we propose a mask data priming method. Specifically, we redo the large scale Retail Product Checkout (RPC) dataset and add segmentation annotation information to each item in the training set image based on the original dataset using pixel-level annotation. Secondly, a new network structure is proposed in which we train the network using joint learning of detectors and counters, and fine-tune the detection network by filtering out suitable images from the test set. Experiments on the RPC dataset have shown that our method yields better results. we used an approach that reached 81.87% compared to 56.68% for the baseline approach which demonstrates that pixel-level information helps to improve the detection results of the network.
Nutrient Solution Management System for Smart Farms and Plant Factory
Authors: Ban Byunghyun , Lee Janghun , Ryu Donghun , Lee Minwoo , Eom Tae Dong
Published: June 2020

We present an automated system for nutrient solution management. Prior arts usually measure only pH and EC of the nutrient solutions for maintenance. When EC drops, they just simply add concentrated nutrient to the horticulture bed. Such approach can maintain the density of nutrient solution but cannot maintain the rates of individual ion particles. To prevent nutrition related disorders, fertilization methods with ion selective electrodes are widely introduced. This trend measures individual ion concentration of nutrient solution to maintain appropriate nutrient composition by supplying only insufficient ions. Many researchers have suggested ISE based automated fertilization systems. However, they failed to control a chemical artifact called ion interference effect, which becomes greater at higher density. Our system measures individual concentration of multiple ions and add only deficient nutrients, while handling the ion interference effect issue. To ensure the performance of ion selective electrodes, the system also performs fully automated 3-point calibration 24 times a day. A machine learning algorithm is applied on the sensory parts to remove ion interference effect which make measurement of complex solution with ISE almost impossible. With automated calibration and signal processing technology, the system robustly and continuously maintains nutrient condition for plants. We suggest applying this system on closed hydroponic systems such as smart farms or plant factory, to reduce water consumption and to provide more appropriate environment for the crops.
Treatment Options for K. pneumoniae, P. aeruginosa and A. baumannii Co-resistant to Carbapenems, Aminoglycosides, Colistin and Tigecycline. An Approach Based on the Mechanisms of Resistance to Carbapenems
Authors: Karakonstantis Stamatis , Kritsotakis Evangelos , Gikas Achilleas
Published: June 2020

The management of carbapenem-resistant infections is often based on colistin, tigecycline, aminoglycosides and their combinations. However, in a recent systematic review we found that Gram-negative bacteria (GNB) co-resistant to carbapanems, aminoglycosides, colistin and tigecycline (CACT-resistant) are increasingly being reported worldwide. Clinical data to guide the treatment of CACT-resistant GNB are scarce and based exclusively on few case reports and small case series but seem to indicate that appropriate (in vitro active) antimicrobial regimens, including newer antibiotics and synergistic combinations, may be associated with lower mortality. In this review we consolidate the available literature to inform clinicians dealing with CACT-resistant GNB about treatment options by considering the mechanisms of resistance to carbapenems. In combination with rapid diagnostic methods that allow fast detection of carbapenemase production, the approach proposed in this review may guide a timely and targeted treatment of patients with infections by CACT-resistant GNB. Specifically, we focus on the three most problematic species, namely Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii. Several treatment options are currently available for CACT-resistant K. pneumonia. Newer β-lactam-β-lactamase combinations, including the combination of ceftazidime/avibactam with aztreonam against metallo-β-lactamase-producing isolates, appear to be more effective compared to combinations of older agents. Options for P. aeruginosa (especially metallo-β-lactamase-producing strains) and A. baumannii remain limited. Synergistic combination of older agents (e.g. colistin- or fosfomycin-based synergistic combinations) may represent a last resort option but their use against CACT-resistant GNB requires further study.
In-Silico Assessment of Implications of Simple Sequence Repeats Signature in 98 Genomes of Polyomaviridae
Authors: Laskar Rezwanuzzaman , Jilani Md Gulam , Ali Safdar
Published: June 2020

The simple sequence repeats (SSRs) are small 1-6bp tandem repeat elements present across diverse genomes and involved in gene regulation and evolution. Presently we analyzed SSRs in genomes of 98 species of family Polyomaviridae across four genera. The genome size ranged from 3962bp (BM87) to 7369bp (BM85) but maximum genomes were in the range of 5 to 5.5 kb. The GC% had an average of 42% and ranged between 34.69 (BM95) to 52.35 (BM81). A total of 3036 SSRs and 223 cSSRs were extracted using IMEx with incident frequency from 18 to 56 and 0 to 7 respectively. The most prevalent mono-nucleotide repeat motif was “T” (48.95%) followed by “A” (33.48%). “AT/TA” was the most prevalent dinucleotide motif closely followed by “CT/TC”. The distribution was expectedly more in coding region with 77.6% SSRs of which nearly half were in Large T Antigen (LTA) gene. Notably, most viruses with humans, apes and related species as host exhibited exclusivity of mono-nucleotide repeats in AT region, a proposed predictive marker for determination of humans as host in virus in course of its evolution. Each genome has a unique SSR signature which is pivotal for viral evolution particularly in terms of host divergence.
mHealth Communication Framework Using Blockchain and IoT Technologies
Authors: Alam Tanweer
Published: June 2020

The mHealth is a term that is used for mobile health supported by smart devices such as mobile phones, tablets, and wearable smart devices, etc. The smart devices strengthen the efficiency and effectiveness of interaction with patients, physicians, and specialists. Patients nowadays would like to be intimately involved in their diagnosis as well as to make more informed decisions concerning their care. It has begun to measure the success of the quality of treatment. This was a reason that patients trust mHealth to provide them with consistency in their communications with the physicians. Most wireless strategies do not measure up to this standard so that patient engagement ultimately ended up decreasing. The blockchain can boost mHealth through storing and sharing electronic data securely and transparently. It can enhance the accessibility of patient information in real-time. The Internet of Things (IoT) provides a unique identification number to every connected device such as mobile devices, medical devices, and wearable devices. This framework uses the blockchain and IoT technologies together to provide quick help to the patients, monitor remotely, reduce the cost and unnecessarily hospitalization physically and find the real diagnosis. In order to increase patient involvement, mHealth framework with blockchain and IoT technologies has built with the key objective of providing patients with full information on their treatment and diagnosis.
Sickle Cell Disease in the Democratic Republic of Congo: Assessing Physicians’ Knowledge and Practices
Authors: MBIYA-MUKINAYI Benoît , Tumba Disashi Ghislain , Gulbis Béatrice
Published: June 2020

Background: Sickle cell disease is a major public health issue in the DRC while it is still poorly understood by health professionals. The objective of this study was to assess the knowledge and practices of Congolese physicians treating sickle cell disease (SCD) in order to identify areas for improvement in clinical care. Methods: This is a descriptive observational study conducted on Congolese physicians using a questionnaire. Participants were evaluated on a pre-established answer grid. Results: A total of 460 physicians participated, including 81 women (18%) with an average age of 35 years (range 25–60 years). Most physicians were general practitioners. Although self-assessment of their level of knowledge on SCD was estimated as average to good, less than half of the participants (n= 460; 46%) reported adequate management of vaso-occlusive crisis but only 1% of them had received specific training on SCD. Most physicians reported difficulties both in terms of diagnostic (65%) and management (79%) options of SCD patients. This study showed also that 85% of them did not have access to diagnostic tools for SCD. Conclusions: Insufficient knowledge on SCD, poor diagnostic and treatment options may contribute to morbidity and mortality of patients living in the DRC. Interventions aiming at improving physician’s knowledge, patient’s follow-up and treatment access are needed. Specific training alongside existing programs (HIV, malaria), early diagnosis of the disease, and creation of patients’ advocacy groups should improve SCD patient’s care.
Combinatorial Optimization for Multi-Target Tracking
Authors: Ullah Mohib , Mahmud Maqsood , Ullah Habib , Ahmad Kashif , Imran Ali Shariq , Cheikh Faouzi Alaya
Published: June 2020

In tracking-by-detection paradigm for multi-target tracking, target association is modeled as an optimization problem that is usually solved through network flow formulation. In this paper, we proposed combinatorial optimization formulation and used a bipartite graph matching for associating the targets in the consecutive frames. Usually, the target of interest is represented in a bounding box and track the whole box as a single entity. However, in the case of humans, the body goes through complex articulation and occlusion that severely deteriorate the tracking performance. To partially tackle the problem of occlusion, we argue that tracking the rigid body organ could lead to better tracking performance compared to the whole body tracking. Based on this assumption, we generated the target hypothesis of only the spatial locations of person’s heads in every frame. After the localization of head location, a constant velocity motion model is used for the temporal evolution of the targets in the visual scene. Qualitative results are evaluated on four challenging video surveillance dataset and promising results has been achieved.
Application of domain decomposition method for solving problem of contact interaction of axisymmetric bodies
Authors: Galanin Mikhail Pavlovich , Rodin Aleksandr Sergeevich
Published: June 2020

Several variants of domain decomposition method are presented, including overlapping methods (multiplicative and additive Schwarz methods) and nonoverlapping methods (Neumann-Dirichlet and Neumann - Neumann). The results of their application for solving the two-dimensional problem of loading a section of an elastic pipe with pressure are considered. The dependence of the number of external iterations on the grid step and on the number of subdomains has been investigated. It has been shown that the best results are obtained for the two-level Schwarz additive method. This method is generalized to the case of solving the problem with the contact of the column of the body. To take into account the contact between the bodies when solving the local problem in each subdomain, the Neumann -Dirichlet method is used. Results of application of two-level Schwarz additive method for numerical simulation of stress-strain state of fuel element section are presented.
Bent Tibial Nail with Refracture: A Cost-Effective Removal Method
Authors: Pathak Subodh Kumar , Gautam Rakesh Kumar , Anjum Rashid , Sharma Aryan
Published: June 2020

Case:

A 45-year old man presented with a right open tibial fracture with a prominent, fixed deformity because of a retained right tibial intramedullary nail from a previous tibial fracture. After multiple futile intraoperative attempts to extract the bent nail, it was finally sectioned using an industrial drill bit that permitted its removal and revision tibial nailing.

Conclusions:

A tibial fracture resulting in a retained, bent nail presents unique challenges for nail extraction and subsequent exchange nailing. Failed implant removal can be limited by the equipment available in the operating theater. In this setting, the judicious use of inexpensive industrial materials and instruments may be effective in select cases.
Unintentional Epidural Anesthesia Mimicking Cauda Equina Syndrome from Suprafascial Injection of Liposomal Bupivacaine After Lumbar Foraminotomy
Authors: Bodendorfer Blake M. , Shu Henry T. , Lee Catherine S. , Ivey Jessica , Mo Fred F. , Wall Russell T.
Published: June 2020

Case:

This case report describes a 46-year-old woman undergoing right-sided L5 to S1 decompression who received liposomal bupivacaine (LB) for postoperative analgesia and developed unintentional epidural anesthesia with symptoms mimicking cauda equina syndrome. The patient's symptoms resolved 72 hours postoperatively, approximately the length that LB typically lasts. At the 16-month follow-up, the patient demonstrated complete neurological function with no lower extremity strength or sensation deficits.

Conclusions:

Tracking of LB into the epidural space after lumbar surgery may cause transient epidural anesthesia with symptoms that mimic cauda equina syndrome.
DETECTION OF SERUM MACRO MINERALS CONCENTRATION IN REPEAT BREEDING ACEH CATTLE
Authors: Thasmi Cut Nila , Husnurrizal Husnurrizal , Akmal Muslim , Wahyuni Sri , Siregar Tongku Nizwan
Published: June 2020

The purpose of this study was to determine the macro minerals concentration in serum of repeat breeding (RB) Aceh cattle. In this study 16 Aceh cattle were examined; they consisted of 7 fertile Aceh cattle (P1) and 9 Aceh cattle with RB (P2), all of which were 3-8 years old with abody condition score (BCS) of 3-4. Serum collection was carried out for examining the level of serum minerals, including magnesium, phosphorus, sodium, potassium, chloride, and calcium. Data was analysed using T-test. The levels of magnesium, phosphorus, sodium,potassium, chloride, and calcium in P1 vs P2 were 2.18±0.60 vs. 2.20±0.34 mg/dL; 6.18±1.34 vs. 6.48±0.74 mg/dL; 142.71±5.09 vs.142.44±2.29 mmol/L; 4.81±0.76 vs. 4.76±0.51 mmol/L; 104.57±4.35 vs. 107.67±7.36 mmol/L; and 9.07±0.45 vs. 9.90 ± 0.60 mg/dL (P0.05), respectively. It was concluded that the concentration of serum macro minerals do not affect the incidence of RB in Aceh cattle.
Clinical outcome of surgical management for symptomatic metastatic spinal cord compression form prostate cancer.
Authors: Miyoshi Yasuhide , Kawahara Takashi , Yao Masahiro , Uemura Hiroji
Published: June 2020

Background Metastatic spinal cord compression (MSCC) from prostate cancer (PC) influences not only patients’ prognosis but also their quality of life. However, little is known about the clinical outcome of surgery for MSCC from PC. We evaluated both the oncological and functional outcomes of decompression and reconstruction surgery for patients with symptomatic MSCC from PC. Methods We assessed 19 patients who underwent decompression and reconstruction surgery for symptomatic MSCC from PC. Of these 19 patients, 8 had metastatic hormone-naïve PC (mHNPC) and 11 had metastatic castration-resistant PC (mCRPC). Results The median age of the patients with mHNPC and mCRPC was 72 and 65 years, respectively. The median prostate-specific antigen level at the time of diagnosis of MSCC in patients with mHNPC and mCRPC was 910 and 67 ng/mL, respectively. Although two of eight patients (25.0%) with mHNPC were ambulatory preoperatively, six patients (75.0%) were ambulatory postoperatively. Among 11 patients with mCRPC, only 3 (27.3%) were ambulatory preoperatively, while 6 (54.5%) were ambulatory postoperatively. The median postoperative overall survival among patients with mHNPC and mCRPC were not reached and 8 months, respectively. Conclusions Decompression and reconstruction surgery for symptomatic MSCC from PC might contribute to a favorable functional outcome among men with mHNPC and mCRPC. However, its role in improving the oncological outcome remains unclear. The treatment strategy should be chosen by shared decision-making among patients, urologists, radiation oncologists, and orthopedic surgeons.
An Endostatin-Lentivirus (ES-LV)-EPC Gene Therapy Agent for Suppression of Neovascularization in Oxygen-Induced Retinopathy Rat Model
Authors: Ai Jing , Ma Jian , Chen Zhi-Qing , Sun Jun-Hui , Yao Ke
Published: June 2020

Background: Transplantation of gene transfected endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) has provided novel methods for tumor neovascularization therapy but not for ocular disease therapy. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of endostatin transfected EPCs in retinal neovascularization therapy. Results: Quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) showed the high expression of endostatin in endostatin-lentivirus-EPCs. The neovascularization leakage area and the number of preretinal neovascular cell nuclei were significantly decreased in the endostatin-lentivirus and endostatin-lentivirus-EPC groups, and the effects of these two treatments on inhibiting retinal neovascularization were almost the same. These two groups also showed the greater retinal distribution of endostatin. Intravitreal injections of endostatin-lentivirus-EPCs inhibited retinal neovascularization, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and CD31 expression, and increased endostatin expression in vivo. Endostatin-lentivirus-EPCs targeted and prevented pathologic retinal neovascularization. Conclusions: Gene-combined EPCs represent a potential new therapeutic agent for the treatment of neovascular eye diseases.
Patient Outcomes in Anteromedial Osteoarthritis Patients Over 80 Years Old Undergoing Oxford Unicompartmental Knee Arthroplasty in China
Authors: Cheng Jingbo , Feng Mingli , Cao Guanglei , Li Zheng , An Shuai , Lu Shibao
Published: June 2020

Background: The use of Oxford Unicompartmental Knee Arthroplasty (UKA) has increased rapidly in both Western and Asian populations, with excellent functional outcomes and high patient satisfaction. While previous evidence regarding clinical outcomes and survival rates after Oxford UKA was based on studies in Western populations, the results may be different in Asian patients. The relevance of age for postoperative function after Oxford UKA also remains unclear. Hence, the aim of our study was to clarify the effectiveness and safety of Oxford UKA in Asian patients aged over 80 years.Methods: A retrospective review was performed and included 195 patients (209 knees) who underwent an Oxford UKA between June 2015 and July 2018. We divided the patients into three groups by age: Group 1, 60-69 years; Group 2, 70-79 years; and Group 3, over 80 years. We used the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) score and Western Ontario and McMaster (WOMAC) Universities Osteoarthritis Index score to evaluate the general condition of the patients’ knees before surgery and at last follow-up. We also recorded perioperative and short-term complications.Result: Group 1 consisted of 60 patients (60 knees); Group 2, 70 patients (79 knees); and Group 3, 65 patients (70 knees). The mean follow-up was 21.34 ± 12.04, 22.08 ± 11.38, and 21.76 ± 10.20 months in groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively. At last follow-up, the patients in Group 3 showed lower function scores compared to groups 1 and 2 (P <0.05), but the HSS scores and the WOMAC scores were significantly improved in all three groups. In terms of perioperative and other complications, the three age groups did not differ significantly.Conclusion: Oxford UKA is an effective and safe treatment for osteoarthritis, even in elderly patients in China. Elderly patients have lower knee function scores than younger patients. However, the knee joint pain of the elderly patients was relieved and function improved compared to the preoperative condition.
Prevention and Control of Tuberculosis Relying on a Tuberculosis Dynamic Model Based on the Cases of American
Authors: Wu Yan , Huang Meng , Wang Ximei , Li Yong , Jiang Lei , Yuan Yuan
Published: June 2020

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) which is a preventable and curable disease, is claimed as the second largest number of fatalities and there are 9,025 cases reported in the United State in 2018. Many researches have done a lot of research and achieved remarkable results, but TB is also a serious problem for human being.The study is a further exploration. Methods: In the paper, we propose a new dynamic model to study the transmission dynamics of TB, then use global differential evolution and local sequential quadratic programming (DESQP) optimization algorithm to estimate parameters of the model. Finally, we use Latin hypercube sampling (LHS) and partial rank correlation coefficients (PRCC) to analyze the influence of parameters on the basic reproduction number (R0) and the total infectious (including the diagnosed, undiagnosed and incomplete treatment infectious), respectively. Results: By the research, the basic reproduction is computed as 2.3597 which means TB will be epidemic in US. The diagnosed rate is 0.6082 which means the undiagnosed will be diagnosed after 1.6442 years. The diagnosed will be recovered with an average of 1.9912 years, especially, some diagnosed will end the treatment after 1.7550 years, for some reasons. By the study, it’s shown that there are 2.4% of the recovered will be reactivated and 13.88% of the newborn will be vaccination. However, the immunity will be lose after about 19.6078 years. Conclusion: Through the results of this study, we give some suggestions to help prevent and control the TB epidemic in the United State, such as prolonging the protection period of the vaccine by developing new and more effective vaccines to prevent TB, using the chemoprophylaxis for incubation patients to prevent their conversion into active TB; raising people’s awareness of prevention and control of TB and treatment after illness; isolation treatment for the infected to reduce the spread of TB. According to the latest report, in the announcement came at the first WHO Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Tuberculosis in the Sustainable Development Era, we predict that it’s difficult to control TB in 2030.