bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
New U–Pb age constraints on the geological history of the Ganderian Bras d’Or terrane, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia
Authors: van Rooyen D. , Barr S.M. , White C.E. , Hamilton M.A.
Published: February 2019

The northern Appalachian orogen preserves evidence of a complex history of amalgamation of terranes with both Laurentian and Gondwanan affinities. The Ganderian Bras d’Or terrane of central Cape Breton Island is not well represented elsewhere in the orogen and its relationship to other Ganderian terranes is enigmatic, particularly with respect to its pre-Neoproterozoic history. The Boisdale Hills and Kellys Mountain areas contain the oldest metamorphic rocks in the Bras d’Or terrane. Quartzite units in the Boisdale Hills have detrital zircon populations with ages ranging from 3.2 to ca. 1 Ga. Paragneiss units from the Kellys Mountain area contain Meso- to Neoproterozoic detrital zircons, in which the youngest grains indicate that the maximum depositional age is <600 Ma. The detrital zircon populations of rocks from both areas are consistent with Gondwanan provenance for the protoliths, most likely the Amazonian craton. New U–Pb dates for subduction-related dioritic to granodioritic plutons in the Boisdale Hills yielded ages of 560 to ca. 540 Ma. Sedimentary, bimodal volcanic and plutonic rocks from the Bourinot belt in the Boisdale Hills and related plutons in the Kellys Mountain area have ages of ca. 510–490 Ma and are interpreted to have formed during extension related to separation of Ganderia from Gondwana. The southeastern Bras d’Or terrane preserves rocks formed in Pan-African subduction zones on a former passive margin of Gondwana as well as rocks formed during the initial stages of rifting of Ganderia from Gondwana and the subsequent opening of the Rheic Ocean.
Hypergeometric representation of one-loop Higgs decay to two photons
Authors: Phan Khiem Hong
Published: February 2019

In this paper, we derive hypergeometric function representation of one-loop contributing to Higgs decay to two photons in the standard model and its extensions. The calculations are performed at general space–time dimension d. For the first time, analytic results are published for form factors that are valid in arbitrary space–time dimension. Moreover, we confirm against analytic results in previous computations that have been available in space–time dimension d = 4 – 2ϵ at ϵ0 expansions.
Involvement of leukotriene pathway in the development of sevoflurane-induced pica in rats
Authors: Yamamoto Kouichi , Yamatodani Atsushi
Published: February 2019

We previously reported that sevoflurane-induced pica, kaolin ingestion behavior, in rats has the potential to reflect postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) in humans. It is well-known that corticosteroids, which inhibit both prostaglandin and leukotriene syntheses due to phospholipase A2 inhibition, are effective for reducing PONV; however, the precise mechanisms remain unclear. We investigated the involvement of the prostaglandin or leukotriene pathway in the development of sevoflurane-induced pica. We found that sevoflurane-induced pica was effectively inhibited by pretreatment with a leukotriene receptor antagonist (montelukast) or an inhibitor of 5-lipoxygenase (zileuton), rather than an inhibitor of cyclooxygenase (flurbiprofen). Furthermore, we observed that sevoflurane significantly increased urinary leukotriene excretion and 5-lipoxygenase mRNA expression in the spleen, but not hypothalamus. These results suggest that the production of leukotriene may lead to the development of sevoflurane-induced pica in rats, and that inhibition of the leukotriene pathway could be potentially useful for the treatment of PONV.
Relaxant effect of atorvastatin on isolated rat gastric fundus strips: implications for Ca2+-signalling mechanisms
Authors: Kaleli-Durman Deniz , Alp-Yıldırım F. İlkay , Özdemir Osman , Uydeş-Doğan B. Sönmez
Published: February 2019

Statins are determined to have various pleiotropic effects apart from their lipid-lowering properties. Herein, we investigated the direct effects of atorvastatin on gastric smooth muscle tone. Atorvastatin effectively relaxed isolated rat gastric fundus strips precontracted with acetylcholine, potassium chloride, and serotonin. Incubation of the strips with nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, l-NOARG (10−4 M, 20 min), l-type voltage-operated Ca2+ channel (VOCC) blocker, nifedipine (10−6 M, 30 min), KATP channel blocker, glibenclamide (10−5 M, 30 min), or precursor of cholesterol, mevalonate (10−2 M, 45 min) did not change the relaxations to atorvastatin. However, pretreatment of fundus strips with atorvastatin (3×10−5–3×10−4 M, 30 min) inhibited the contractions to calcium chloride (10−4–10−1 M), acetylcholine (10–4 M), and caffeine (20 mM) in the calcium-free medium. Moreover, atorvastatin reduced the contractions induced by sarco-endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase (SERCA) inhibitor, cyclopiazonic acid (10−7–3×10−5 M). The current study demonstrated that atorvastatin produces an acute relaxant effect on gastric fundus strips, which appears to be mediated by several Ca2+-signalling mechanisms such as the blockade of l-type VOCC-independent Ca2+ entry, decrease in smooth muscle Ca2+ sensitivity, inhibition of IP3- and ryanodine-sensitive intracellular stores to mediate Ca2+ release, as well as the activation of SERCA. This acute relaxing effect seems unlikely to be related with nitric oxide, KATP channels, and the mevalonate pathway.
Response to Comment on “Planetary Dependence of Melanoma”
Authors: Zioutas Konstantin , Valachovic Edward , Maroudas Marios
Published: February 2019

In [Biophys. Rev. Lett. 14, 1–9 (2018), arXiv: 1812.02482], Socas-Navarro (SN) provided multiple confirmation of the claimed [Formula: see text]88 days melanoma periodicity [K. Zioutas and E. Valachovic, Biophys. Rev. Lett. 13, 75 (2018), https://doi.org/10.1142/S179304801850008X, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dark.2017.06.001.] (which remarkably coincides with the orbital period of Mercury). This greatly strengthens the observation by Zioutas and Valachovic (ZV). Here, we comment on the work by SN, because it objects the interpretation of the observation by ZV. Note that SN objection is based on serious assumptions, which were explicitly excluded by ZV. Further, the conclusion made with a sub-set of data (4%) is statistically not significant to dispute ZV. On the contrary, since the same periodicity appears also in other eight major cancer types, we consider it as a global oscillatory behavior of cancer. At this stage, such a rather ubiquitous cancer periodicity makes any discussion of a small subset of data at least secondarily. Further, we show here that the [Formula: see text]88 days Melanoma periodicity is not related to solar activity. Planetary lensing of streaming low speed invisible massive particles remains the only viable explanation, as it has been introduced previously with a number of physics observations [S. Bertolucci, K. Zioutas, S. Hofmann and M. Maroudas, Phys. Dark Univ. 17, 13 (2017), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dark.2017.06.001.]. We also show that planetary lensing of low speed particles cannot be considered in isolation, because of the dominating Sun’s gravity, at least for the inner planets. Interestingly, gravitational lensing/deflection favors low speed particles.
CM-GANs
Authors: Peng Yuxin , Qi Jinwei
Published: February 2019

It is known that the inconsistent distributions and representations of different modalities, such as image and text, cause the heterogeneity gap, which makes it very challenging to correlate heterogeneous data and measure their similarities. Recently, generative adversarial networks (GANs) have been proposed and have shown their strong ability to model data distribution and learn discriminative representation. It has also been shown that adversarial learning can be fully exploited to learn discriminative common representations for bridging the heterogeneity gap. Inspired by this, we aim to effectively correlate large-scale heterogeneous data of different modalities with the power of GANs to model cross-modal joint distribution. In this article, we propose Cross-modal Generative Adversarial Networks (CM-GANs) with the following contributions. First, a
cross-modal GAN architecture
is proposed to model joint distribution over the data of different modalities. The inter-modality and intra-modality correlation can be explored simultaneously in generative and discriminative models. Both compete with each other to promote cross-modal correlation learning. Second, the
cross-modal convolutional autoencoders with weight-sharing constraint
are proposed to form the generative model. They not only exploit the cross-modal correlation for learning the common representations but also preserve reconstruction information for capturing the semantic consistency within each modality. Third, a
cross-modal adversarial training mechanism
is proposed, which uses two kinds of discriminative models to simultaneously conduct intra-modality and inter-modality discrimination. They can mutually boost to make the generated common representations more discriminative by the adversarial training process. In summary, our proposed CM-GAN approach can use GANs to perform cross-modal common representation learning by which the heterogeneous data can be effectively correlated. Extensive experiments are conducted to verify the performance of CM-GANs on cross-modal retrieval compared with 13 state-of-the-art methods on 4 cross-modal datasets.
Performance of OFDM: FSO Communication System with Hybrid Channel Codes during Weak Turbulence
Authors: Gupta Ritu , Kamal Tara Singh , Singh Preeti
Published: February 2019

The performance of orthogonal frequency division multiplexing- (OFDM-) based free-space optics (FSO) depends on various parameters such as number of subcarriers, base band modulation, nature of laser beam, turbulence modelling, and much more. Various diversity techniques have been studied by researchers for the improvement of signal strength due to fading caused by atmospheric turbulence. In this paper, a novel channel coding scheme formed by serially concatenation of irregular low-density parity check (LDPC) and trellis code modulation (TCM) codes linked by interleaver is proposed. The proposed unified coding scheme is simulated and analyzed using the lognormal scintillation model, which is suitable for weak turbulent conditions. The obtained results are the comparative study of various channel coding schemes in terms of bit error rate (BER) vs. signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Simulation results confirm that newly designed hybrid code outperforms the independently coded and uncoded systems under weak turbulence conditions by reducing the number of errors in the transmitted information that occurs due to fading. It is found that the presented hybrid coded OFDM-FSO system with 16-level quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) provides significant improvement with less decoding complexity and reasonable delay.
Coagulation and Sedimentation of Concentrated Laterite Suspensions: Comparison of Hydrolyzing Salts in Presence of Grewia spp. Biopolymer
Authors: Bernard Kameni Ngounou M. , Sylvere Ndi K. , Patrice Kofa G. , Joseph Kayem G.
Published: February 2019

Coagulation and sedimentation performances of aluminum sulphate and ferric chloride were comparatively investigated in presence of Grewia spp. biopolymer for the treatment of concentrated laterite suspensions. Jar tests experiments were carried out at different laterite suspension concentrations (10, 20, and 30 g/L) and pH values (5 and 7). The performances of these coagulants were assessed in terms of interfacial settling velocities and sediment concentration factors. Results showed that after addition of Grewia spp. biopolymer, sedimentation velocities were greater when ferric chloride and aluminum sulphate were used alone. When hydrolyzing salts were used alone, the highest settling velocities were obtained with 10 g/L of laterite suspension at pH 5 and settling speeds were 0.22 and 0.28 cm/min for aluminum sulphate and ferric chloride, correspondingly. Addition of Grewia spp. biopolymer led to an increase of settling velocities to 0.56 and 0.57 cm/min, respectively. The sediment concentration factor was also found to be high when Grewia spp. was added. With 30 g/L of laterite suspension, sediment concentration factors at pH 5 were 1.47 and 2.12 for aluminum sulphate and ferric chloride separately. Addition of Grewia spp. biopolymer with aluminum sulphate and ferric chloride produced more compact sludge with sediment concentration factors of 4 and 3.13, respectively. Flocs structures could successfully explain the obtained results.
Chlorpyrifos Suppresses Neutrophil Extracellular Traps in Carp by Promoting Necroptosis and Inhibiting Respiratory Burst Caused by the PKC/MAPK Pathway
Authors: Zhang Qiaojian , Wang Shengchen , Zheng Shufang , Zhang Ziwei , Xu Shiwen
Published: February 2019

Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) are reticular structures formed by myeloperoxidase (MPO), histones, and neutrophil elastase (NE) that are released from neutrophils in response to pathogenic stimuli. Chlorpyrifos (CPF) is wildly used as an organophosphorus pesticide that causes a range of toxicological and environmental problems. Exposure to CPF can increase the production of neutrophils in carps, and this increase can be considered a biomarker of water pollution. To explore a relationship between NETs and CPF and its mechanism of influence, we treated neutrophils from the blood of carp with 1 μg/mL phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA), 0.325 mg/L CPF, or 20 μM necrostatin-1 (Nec-1). The production of MPO and NETs was reduced in the CPF+PMA group compared with that in the PMA group. CPF can cause an increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS), while inhibiting respiratory burst caused by PMA stimulation. We found that the expression levels of protein-coupled receptor 84 (gpr84), dystroglycan (DAG), proto-oncogene serine/threonine kinase (RAF), protein kinase C (PKC), and mitogen-activated protein kinase 3 (MAPK3) in the CPF+PMA group were lower than those in the PMA group, indicating that the PKC-MAPK pathway was suppressed. The expression levels of cylindromatosis (CYLD), mixed lineage kinase domain-like pseudokinase (MLKL), receptor-interacting serine-threonine kinase 1 (RIP1), and receptor-interacting serine-threonine kinase 3 (RIP3) were increased, and the expression levels of caspase 8 were reduced by CPF, indicating that CPF may cause necroptosis. The addition of Nec-1 restored the number of NETs in the CPF+PMA group. The results indicate that CPF reduced the production of NETs by inhibiting respiratory burst and increasing necroptosis. The results contribute to the understanding of the immunotoxicological mechanism of CPF and provide a reference for comparative medical studies.
Noninvasive Predictors of High-Risk Varices in Patients with Non-Cirrhotic Portal Hypertension
Authors: Cunningham Morven E. , Parastandeh-Chehr Gilda , Cerocchi Orlando , Wong David K. , Patel Keyur
Published: February 2019

Non-cirrhotic portal hypertension (NCPH) comprises a heterogeneous group of liver disorders causing portal hypertension without cirrhosis and carries a high risk of variceal bleeding. Recent guidelines, based largely on patients with viral cirrhosis, suggest low likelihood of high risk varices (HRV) in patients with a liver stiffness measurement (LSM) <20 kPa and platelet count >150 × 109/L. In NCPH, LSM is often higher than healthy controls but lower than matched cirrhotic patients. The aim of this study was to assess whether LSM or other noninvasive assessments of portal hypertension could predict HRV in NCPH patients. Methods. Records of patients with NCPH seen at a single centre between 2007 and 2018 were reviewed retrospectively. Primary outcome measure was presence or absence of HRV at gastroscopy within 12 months of clinical assessment. Association of LSM or other clinical features of portal hypertension (spleen size, platelet count, platelet count/spleen length ratio (PSL), LSM-spleen length/platelet count ratio score (LSP)) with HRV and ability of these variables to predict HRV was analysed. Results. Of 44 patients with NCPH who met inclusion criteria, 34% (15/44) had HRV. In a multivariate model, spleen size and PSL correlated with HRV but platelet count, LSM, and LSP did not (spleen size: β = 0.35, p = 0.02; OR 1.42, 95% CI 1.06-1.92; PSL: β = -1.47, p = 0.02; OR 0.23, 95% CI 0.07-0.80). There was no significant difference between spleen size and PSL in predicting HRV (AUROC 0.81 (95% CI 0.66 – 0.91) versus 0.71 (95% CI 0.54 – 0.84), respectively, p = 0.400). Spleen size >17.2cm had sensitivity 78.6% and specificity 64.3% for prediction of HRV. Conclusions. In NCPH patients, spleen size may predict risk of HRV at gastroscopy within 12 months. LSM and platelet count are not useful to assess risk of HRV in NCPH.
A Methodology for Optimizing the Management of Spent Fuel of Nuclear Power Plants Using Dry Storage Casks
Authors: Gomes Ian B. , Saldanha Pedro L. Cruz , Alvim Antonio Carlos M.
Published: February 2019

The management of spent nuclear fuel assemblies of nuclear reactors is a priority subject among member states of the International Atomic Energy Agency. For the majority of these countries, the destination of such fuel assemblies is a decision that is yet to be made and the “wait-and-see” policy is thus adopted by them. In this case, the irradiated fuel is stored in on-site spent fuel pools until the power plant is decommissioned or, when there is no more racking space in the pool, they are stored in intermediate storage facilities, which can be another pool or dry storage systems, until the final decision is made. The objective of this study is to propose a methodology that, using optimization algorithms, determines the ideal time for removal of the fuel assemblies from the spent fuel pool and to place them into dry casks for intermediate storage. In this scenario, the methodology allows for the optimal dimensioning of the designed spent fuel pools and the casks’ characteristics, thus reducing the final costs for purchasing new Nuclear Power Plants (NPP), as the size and safety features of the pool could be reduced and dry casks, that would be needed anyway after the decommissioning of the plant, could be purchased with optimal costs. To demonstrate the steps involved in the proposed methodology, an example is given, one which uses the Monte Carlo N-Particle code (MCNP) to calculate the shielding requirements for a simplified model of a concrete dry cask. From the given example, it is possible to see that, using real-life data, the proposed methodology can become a valuable tool to help making nuclear energy a more attractive choice costwise.
Combined Reduced Phase Dual-Directional Illumination Digital Holography and Speckle Displacements for Shape Measurement
Authors: Khodadad Davood
Published: February 2019

We present a digital holographic method to increase height range measurement with a reduced phase ambiguity using a dual-directional illumination. Small changes in the angle of incident illumination introduce phase differences between the recorded complex fields. We decrease relative phase difference between the recorded complex fields 279 and 139 times by changing the angle of incident 0.5° and 1°, respectively. A two cent Euro coin edge groove is used to measure the shape. The groove depth is measured as ≈300  μm. Further, numerical refocusing and analysis of speckle displacements in two different planes are used to measure the depth without a use of phase unwrapping process.
Geomagnetic Energy Approach to Space Debris Deorbiting in a Low Earth Orbit
Authors: Feng Guanhua , Li Wenhao , Zhang Heng
Published: February 2019

The space debris removal problem needs to be solved urgently. Over 70% of debris is distributed between the 500 km and 1000 km low Earth orbits (LEO), and existing methods may be theoretically feasible but are not the high-efficiency and low-consumption methods for LEO debris removal. Based on the torque effect of a static magnet interacting with the geomagnetic field, a new spin angular momentum exchange (SAME) method by geomagnetic excitation (without working medium consumption) for LEO active debris deorbiting is proposed. The LEO delivery capability of this method is researched. Two kinds of spin angular momentum accumulation (SAMA) strategies are proposed. Then through numerical simulation under the dipole model and International Geomagnetic Reference Field (IGRF11) model, the results confirm the physical feasibility and basic performance of the proposed method. The method can be applied to the regions of the LEO below 1000 km with different altitudes/inclinations and eccentricities, and with existent magnetorquer technology, only several days of preparation is required for about 104 m·kg mechanism-scale-debris-mass deorbiting, which can be used for deorbiting missions in debris-intensive areas (altitude≤1000 km); without consideration of external effects on the geomagnetic field distribution, it has the same deorbiting capability with that of the LEO below 1000 km when the altitude is over 1000 km. Besides, the method is characterized by explicit mechanism, flexible control strategy and application, and low dependence on the scale. Finally, the key technology requirements and future application of LEO active debris removal and on-orbit delivery by using SAME are prospected.
Uniportal Subcostal Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery: A Feasible Approach for a Challenging Middle Lobectomy in an Obese Patient
Authors: Al Sawalhi Samer , Zhao Deping , Cai Haomin , Jin Yuxing
Published: February 2019

Subcostal access is a novel approach for anatomical lung resection. To perform surgery via this access, specially designed long instruments are required. Subcostal access provides excellent visualization of the mediastinum and anterior lung hilum. We exhibit here a subcostal middle lobectomy with systematic en-block mediastinal lymphadenectomy in an obese 52-year-old male patient with body mass index (BMI=37.7) performed via this single incision. The operation was completed efficiently within 30 minutes with negligible postoperative pain.
STEAM‐ME: A Novel Model for Successful Kaizen Implementation and Sustainable Performance of SMEs in Vietnam
Authors: Nguyen Thanh-Lam
Published: February 2019

The current trend of international integration urges every business organizations to continuously improve their competitive advantage for their survival and sustainable growth. And Kaizen has been a preferable approach in practice. Due to the special role of SMEs in the Vietnam economy, improving their competitiveness is critical. Thus, this study is aimed at identifying determinants of the successful Kaizen implementation and sustainable performance so that SMEs can have proper actions and prioritize their operations within their available resources. Through a formal survey of 213 participants from 62 SMEs which have been successful in implementing Kaizen and appropriate statistical analyses, seven important determinants have been identified, namely, (1) supports from senior management; (2) training; (3) environment; (4) assessment; (5) motivation; (6) mindset; and (7) engagement of all members in the organization. Among them, “mindset” is newly proposed in this study through a qualitative research and found as crucial component in the model. The finding obviously fulfills the existing literature. Moreover, the first letters of the identified factors are orderly congregated as “STEAM‐ME” which is a novel model for the successful Kaizen implementation and the sustainable performance of SMEs in Vietnam. “STEAM‐ME” implies that organizations need to have a new airflow as “steam” to make all of its members refreshed and brimful of energy to gain significant success in implementing Kaizen, and improve their business performance as well as competitive advantage for their sustainable development. Notably, the novel model can efficiently demonstrate organic relationships among its components which all have positive and significant impacts on the successful Kaizen implementation and sustainable performance of SMEs in Vietnam.
A Bilevel Multiobjective Optimisation Approach for Solving the Evacuation Location Assignment Problem
Authors: Hammad Ahmed W. A.
Published: February 2019

In this paper, a bilevel multiobjective optimisation model is proposed to solve the evacuation location assignment problem. The model incorporates the two decision‐makers’ spaces, namely, urban planners and evacuees. In order to solve the proposed problem, it is first reformulated into a single‐level problem using the Karush–Kuhn–Tucker conditions. Next, the problem is linearised into a mixed‐integer linear programming model and solved using an off‐the‐shelf solver. A case study is examined to showcase the applicability of the proposed model, which is solved using single‐objective and multiobjective lexicographic optimisation approaches. The model provides planners with an ability to determine the best locations for placement of shelters in such a way that the evacuees’ traffic assignment on the existing network is optimised.
Active Essential Oils and Their Components in Use against Neglected Diseases and Arboviruses
Authors: Luna Emanuela Coutinho , Luna Isadora Silva , Scotti Luciana , Monteiro Alex France M. , Scotti Marcus Tullius , de Moura Ricardo Olímpio , de Araújo Rodrigo Santos Aquino , Monteiro Kadja Luana Chagas , de Aquino Thiago Mendonça , Ribeiro Frederico Fávaro , Mendonça Francisco Jaime Bezerra
Published: February 2019

The termneglected diseasesrefers to a group of infections caused by various classes of pathogens, including protozoa, viruses, bacteria, and helminths, most often affecting impoverished populations without adequate sanitation living in close contact with infectious vectors and domestic animals. The fact that these diseases were historically not considered priorities for pharmaceutical companies made the available treatments options obsolete, precarious, outdated, and in some cases nonexistent. The use of plants for medicinal, religious, and cosmetic purposes has a history dating back to the emergence of humanity. One of the principal fractions of chemical substances found in plants are essential oils (EOs). EOs consist of a mixture of volatile and hydrophobic secondary metabolites with marked odors, composed primarily of terpenes and phenylpropanoids. They have great commercial value and were widely used in traditional medicine, by phytotherapy practitioners, and in public health services for the treatment of several conditions, including neglected diseases. In addition to the recognized cytoprotective and antioxidative activities of many of these compounds, larvicidal, insecticidal, and antiparasitic activities have been associated with the induction of oxidative stress in parasites, increasing levels of nitric oxide in the infected host, reducing parasite resistance to reactive oxygen species, and increasing lipid peroxidation, ultimately leading to serious damage to cell membranes. The hydrophobicity of these compounds also allows them to cross the membranes of parasites as well as the blood-brain barrier, collaborating in combat at the second stage of several of these infections. Based on these considerations, the aim of this review was to present an update of the potential of EOs, their fractions, and their chemical constituents, against some neglected diseases, including American and African trypanosomiasis, leishmaniasis, and arboviruses, specially dengue.
α2-HS Glycoprotein in Plasma Extracellular Vesicles Inhibits the Osteogenic Differentiation of Human Mesenchymal Stromal Cells In Vitro
Authors: Wu Xiaohua , Ma Mengjun , Wang Peng , Xie Zhongyu , Wang Shan , Su Hongjun , Deng Wen , Feng Pei , Su Chunyan , Yang Jiewen , Li Jinteng , Tang Su’an , Wu Yanfeng , Shen Huiyong
Published: February 2019

Extracellular vesicles (Evs) contain diverse functional proteins, mRNAs, miRNAs, and DNA fragments, are secreted by various types of cells, and play important roles in cellular communication. Here, we show for the first time that plasma Evs inhibited the osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) in vitro and the level of inhibition was positively correlated with the plasma Evs concentration. Plasma Evs downregulated the expression of markers such as osteocalcin (OCN), Runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2), and Osterix at mRNA levels required for osteogenic differentiation and reduced pSmad1/5/8 levels in MSCs. Furthermore, pSmad1/5/8 levels increased and MSCs underwent normal osteogenic differentiation after Evs-derived α2-HS glycoprotein (AHSG) function was inhibited with an anti-AHSG neutralizing antibody. However, the levels of pERK1/2, active β-catenin, and HES1 were not significantly altered. Therefore, we propose that as essential components of the extracellular microenvironment of MSCs, plasma Evs are taken up by MSCs and subsequently repress osteogenic differentiation through an AHSG-mediated decrease in pSmad1/5/8 levels. Our work identifies plasma Evs as novel regulators of MSC osteogenic differentiation.
Nonlinear Backstepping Control Design for Coupled Nonlinear Systems under External Disturbances
Authors: Kim Wonhee , Kang Chang Mook , Son Young Seop , Chung Chung Choo
Published: February 2019

A nonlinear backstepping control is proposed for the coupled normal form of nonlinear systems. The proposed method is designed by combining the sliding‐mode control and backstepping control with a disturbance observer (DOB). The key idea behind the proposed method is that the linear terms of state variables of the second subsystem are lumped into the virtual input in the first subsystem. A DOB is developed to estimate the external disturbances. Auxiliary state variables are used to avoid amplification of the measurement noise in the DOB. For output tracking and unmatched disturbance cancellation in the first subsystem, the desired virtual input is derived via the backstepping procedure. The actual input in the second subsystem is developed to guarantee the convergence of the virtual input to the desired virtual input by using a sliding‐mode control. The stability of the closed‐loop is verified by using the input‐to‐state stable (ISS) property. The performance of the proposed method is validated via numerical simulations and an application to a vehicle system based on CarSim platform.
A Comparative Analysis of Standardised Threads for Use in Implants for Direct Skeletal Attachment of Limb Prosthesis: A Finite Element Analysis
Authors: Prochor Piotr , Sajewicz Eugeniusz
Published: February 2019

The aim of the research was to determine the optimal thread’s shape to be used in implants for direct skeletal attachment of limb prosthesis. In addition, by testing appropriate parameters’ modification of the suitable thread, an attempt was made to maximise its effectiveness. The analyses included three thread types described in the ISO standards: shallow, symmetrical, and asymmetrical. The obtained results suggest that shallow thread ensures the lowest equivalent and directional stress peaks generated in the bone as well as favourable stress patterns and profiles during implant loading in relation to symmetrical and asymmetrical threads. Moreover, shallow thread ensured the generation of single equivalent and directional stress peaks, while symmetrical and asymmetrical threads provided additional stress peak for equivalent as well as for each of directional peaks. Subsequently, optimisation of the shallow thread’s shape was conducted by changing two relevant thread’s parameters (flank angle and rounding arc) which influence the generated stress distribution. The highest reduction of stress peaks was obtained while reducing the rounding arc by 0.2 mm. Therefore, it can be stated that the proposed modification of the HA thread can lead to obtaining a higher biomechanical effectiveness of implants for direct skeletal attachment of limb prosthesis.
Treatment of Recurrent Painful Ophthalmoplegic Neuropathy: A Case Where Pregabalin Was Successfully Employed
Authors: Zamproni Laura N. , Ribeiro Reinaldo T. , Cardeal Marina
Published: February 2019

Recurrent painful ophthalmoplegic neuropathy, previously known as ophthalmoplegic migraine, is a rare condition that affects children and young adults. Its cause and classification are still controversial and, consequently, there are no published treatment guidelines or consensus. Glucocorticoids seem to be beneficial for some patients, but there is no established treatment when failure of this therapy occurs. The aim of this study was to report a case where pregabalin was successfully used after failure of glucocorticoid therapy in a patient with recurrent painful ophthalmoplegic neuropathy.
Immunomodulatory Effects of Robinia pseudoacacia Polysaccharides on Live Vaccine against Infectious Bronchitis in Immunosuppressive Chickens
Authors: Sun Qiuyan , Li Fang , Wang Caixia , Shen Meiyan
Published: February 2019

In order to investigate the immunomodulatory effect of Robinia pseudoacacia Polysaccharides (RPPS) on vaccine against Infectious Bronchitis (IB) in immunosuppressive chickens, the artificial leukemia chicken model was established and then the IB live vaccine (H120 strain) was immunized. The immunomodulatory efficacy of RPPS was determined by the antibody titer, the lymphocyte transformation rate in peripheral blood, the CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocyte levels in peripheral blood, and the cytokine levels in the serum. The results showed that RPPS could not only enhance the immune effect of IB live vaccine but also improve the immunity of immunosuppressive chickens. Thus, the function of RPPS immunopotentiator could be further developed.
Evaluation of Mobility Status after Inguinal Hernia Surgery
Authors: Kubiliute Egle , Venclauskas Linas , Jasaitis Kristijonas , Margelis Ernestas , Kiudelis Mindaugas
Published: February 2019

Background: Many different studies have compared open and laparoscopic-endoscopic inguinal hernia repair techniques according to intraoperative and postoperative complications, recurrence rates, postoperative inguinal chronic pain, quality of life, and costs. Most of the researchers have compared these different inguinal hernia repair techniques using a visual analog scale, a short-form survey instrument, or patients’ return-to-normal-activity time, but there is a lack of objective data concerning pelvic function recovery after these procedures. Aim: To evaluate and compare real hip and leg function recovery times after the application of different inguinal hernia repair techniques using hip and leg mobility, strength, and stability testing for the first time. Patients and Methods: This prospective nonrandomized clinical study included 33 male patients aged 18–75 years hospitalized for primary inguinal hernia repair surgery. The patients were divided into two groups: group 1 (Lichtenstein hernia repair) and group 2 (laparoscopic-endoscopic transabdominal preperitoneal/totally extraperitoneal hernia repair). The two groups were compared in terms of intraoperative and postoperative complications, postoperative recovery time, and hip and leg mobility, strength, and stability functional analysis on the first postoperative day as well as 1, 2, and 4 weeks after surgery. Results: A total of 33 patients were included in the study: 13 in the open hernia repair group and 20 in the minimally invasive hernia repair group. There was no significant difference in early and late postoperative complications and recurrence rates. The surgery time and hospital stay were significantly shorter in the laparoscopic-endoscopic hernia repair group. All pelvic functions in the patients who underwent laparoscopic-endoscopic hernia repair recovered 2 or 3 weeks faster than after Lichtenstein repair. Conclusions: Hip and leg mobility, strength, and stability tests are useful to evaluate the recovery time after inguinal hernia repair and could be used as objective tools for estimating recovery after the application of other inguinal hernia repair techniques. Hip and leg mobility, strength, and stability recover faster after minimally invasive inguinal hernia repair. There is no significant difference between the groups in early and late postoperative complications or recurrence rates.
Cross-Sectional Study to Assess Endoscopic Ultrasound Practice in Portugal
Authors: Costa Juliana M. , Fernandes Dália , Gonçalves Bruno , Gonçalves Raquel , Soares João B.
Published: February 2019

Background: Despite the increasing number of national departments performing endoscopic ultrasound (EUS), there are no official data regarding clinical EUS practice in Portugal. Objectives: We aimed to evaluate the current practice of EUS in Portugal. Methods: By email, we invited 1 physician of each one of the 26 national Gastroenterology Departments which perform EUS to complete a survey questionnaire available on the Google Forms platform. The online questionnaire was available from September 2017 until February 2018 and was answered only by physicians who perform EUS. Results: A total of 21/26 (80.8%) national Gastroenterology Departments answered the questionnaire. In Portugal, there are 42 echoendoscopes in total; most of the echoendoscopy units have only 1 EUS processor (81%), 1 radial echoendoscope (66.7%), 1 linear echoendoscope (76.2%), 1 anorectal probe (57.1%), but no miniprobes (85.7%). About 81% have histological core acquisition needles. In 81% of the units, there are at least 2 ultrasonographers who perform echoendoscopy together (at least 2 ultrasonographers per EUS) in 47.6% of these departments. The ultrasonographers also performed abdominal ultrasound (US), anal US, and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography in 71.4, 66.7, and 42.9%, respectively. The echoendoscopy units have 2.4 ± 1.1 periods of echoendoscopy per week and 4 ± 1.5 EUS per period (499.2 ± 416.8 EUS per year). Subepithelial lesions and biliopancreatic lesion evaluation as well as gastrointestinal neoplasia staging were the most common EUS indications. The number of FNA (fine-needle aspirations) ranges from 10 to 160/year. Rapid on-site evaluation (ROSE) is available in 60% of units and is performed by the cytopathologist (66.7%) in the majority of cases. The main reason for omitting ROSE is the limited pathology staff. Cytopathological material is prepared by the ultrasonographer in 25% of the units. Air drying (50%) and formalin (50%) are most frequently used to fix and preserve smears, respectively. Pancreatic pseudocyst drainage (66.7%), celiac plexus neurolysis (52.4%) and pancreatic necrosectomy (42.9%) are the most widespread therapeutic procedures. Conclusions: This survey provides the first insight into the current status of digestive echoendoscopy in Portugal. There is a great variability in diagnostic and therapeutic echoendoscopy practice.
Choroidal Nevus with Retinal Invasion in 8 Cases
Authors: Weiss Stephanie J. , Stathopoulos Christina , Shields Carol L.
Published: February 2019

Purpose: Choroidal nevus can cause overlying chronic retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) degenerative features, but frank retinal invasion is exquisitely rare. Procedures: This is a retrospective review of 8 cases of choroidal nevus with retinal invasion with evaluation of clinical and imaging features. Results: At the time of diagnosis of choroidal nevus with retinal invasion, mean patient age was 65 years. Mean tumor basal diameter was 7 mm, and mean thickness was 2.3 mm. Retinal invasion was ophthalmoscopically visible in all eyes. Related features included drusen (n = 4/8) and RPE fibrous metaplasia (n = 2/8). Overlying lipofuscin, subretinal fluid, RPE detachment, and retinal edema were absent. On B-scan ultrasonography, the lesion was dome-shaped (n = 7/7) and echo-dense (n = 6/7). Optical coherence tomography demonstrated outer retinal invasion (n = 8/8) with additional inner retinal invasion (n = 3/8). The tissue was hypoautofluorescent at the site of invasion (n = 6/7). Over a mean follow-up of 40 months, tumor enlargement was detected in 2 eyes and managed with observation (< 1 mm enlargement) or plaque radiotherapy (5 mm enlargement). Nevus hypoautofluorescence was correlated with nevus stability (p = 0.035). Conclusion: Retinal invasion of the choroidal nevus is rare. In this series of 8 cases, only 1 demonstrated transformation to melanoma over a mean interval of 40 months. Long-term monitoring of such lesions is warranted.
A Case of Severe Cholestasis due to Hepatic AL Amyloidosis
Authors: Dias Teresa , Ferreira Diana , Moreira Hélder , Nascimento Telma , Santos Arsénio , Carvalho Armando
Published: February 2019

Introduction: Immunoglobulin light chain-associated amyloidosis results from extracellular tissue deposition of fibril-forming monoclonal immunoglobulin light chains, secreted by a clone of plasma cells. Although the liver is often involved histologically, most cases are clinically asymptomatic, and severe intrahepatic cholestasis as the primary manifestation of the disease is rare. Clinical Case: We report an unusual case of primary amyloidosis in a 71-year-old man, presenting with rapidly progressive cholestasis, associated with hepatomegaly. There are a few reported cases in the literature of cholestasis and acute liver failure as the first manifestations of AL amyloidosis. Conclusion: Infiltrative diseases, such as amyloidosis, must be considered when a patient presents with cholestatic hepatitis. A liver biopsy is essential for the diagnosis of amyloidosis when liver test abnormalities dominate the initial clinical presentation. Liver involvement in patients with amyloidosis is often an indicator of poor prognosis.
Age-Specific Reference Ranges of Prostate-Specific Antigen among Saudi Men as a Representation of the Arab Population
Authors: Rabah Danny Munther , Farhat Karim Hamda , Al-Atawi Mohamed Abdullah , Arafa Mostafa Ahmed
Published: February 2019

Objective: To describe the reference ranges of serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) in Saudi men. Materials/Subjects and Methods: Saudi males, aged 30 and above, were invited to participate in the study. Blood samples were taken from each subject to determine serum levels of PSA. Blood sugar levels, lipid profile, and anthropometric measurements were also obtained. Results: Our cohort consisted of 7,814 men; their mean PSA level was 1.24 ng/mL. The majority (90.5%) had PSA values between 0 and 2.5 ng/mL. The median PSA and the 95th percentile increased steadily with age. There was a sharp increase in the 95th percentile, from 3.8 ng/mL in men between 60 and 70 years old to 6.9 ng/mL in men over 71 years old. The 95th percentiles of PSA serum levels were lower in Saudi men than in the general population. Conclusions: PSA serum levels in Saudi men are lower than in other communities. Creating age-specific reference ranges could improve the sensitivity of the PSA tests by allowing the detection of treatable tumors in younger men if the threshold of 4.0 ng/mL is lowered. Furthermore, unnecessary biopsies among older men may be avoided if the threshold is increased.
Race-Based Differences in Lipoprotein(a)-Associated Risk of Carotid Atherosclerosis
Authors: Steffen Brian T. , Thanassoulis George , Duprez Daniel , Stein James H. , Karger Amy B. , Tattersall Mathew C. , Kaufman Joel D. , Guan Weihua , Tsai Michael Y.
Published: February 2019

Objective—

Lp(a) [lipoprotein(a)] is a well-described risk factor for atherosclerosis, but Lp(a)-associated risk may vary by race/ethnicity. We aimed to determine whether race/ethnicity modifies Lp(a)-related risk of carotid atherosclerotic plaque outcomes among black, white, Chinese, and Hispanic individuals.

Approach and Results—

Carotid plaque presence and score were assessed by ultrasonography at baseline (n=5155) and following a median 9.4 year period (n=3380) in MESA (Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis) participants. Lp(a) concentrations were measured by immunoassay and examined as a continuous and categorical variable using clinically-based cutoffs, 30 and 50 mg/dL. Lp(a) was related to greater risk of prevalent carotid plaque at baseline in whites alone (all
P
<0.001): per log unit (relative risk, 1.05); Lp(a)≥30 mg/dL (relative risk, 1.16); and Lp(a)≥50 mg/dL (relative risk, 1.20). Lp(a) levels over 50 mg/dL were associated with a higher plaque score at baseline in whites (all
P
<0.001) and Hispanics (
P
=0.04). In prospective analyses, whites with Lp(a) ≥50 mg/dL were found to have greater risk of plaque progression (relative risk, 1.12;
P
=0.03) and higher plaque scores (all
P
<0.001) over the 9.4-year follow-up. Race-based differences between whites and black participants were significant for cross-sectional associations and for carotid plaque score following the 9.4 year study period.

Conclusions—

Race was found to be a modifying variable in Lp(a)-related risk of carotid plaque, and Lp(a) levels may have greater influence on plaque burden in whites than in black individuals. Borderline results in Hispanics suggest that elevated Lp(a) may increase the risk of carotid plaque, but follow-up studies are needed.
Improving home haemodialysis: Stability evaluation of routine clinical chemistry analytes in blood samples of haemodialysis patients
Authors: Nonkes Lourens J.P. , Kemperman Hans , Gerritsen Karin G.F. , ten Berg Maarten J. , Boereboom Frans T.J. , Abrahams Alferso C. , van Gelder Maaike K.
Published: February 2019

Introduction: A growing number of dialysis patients is treated with home haemodialysis. Our current pre-analytical protocols require patients to centrifuge the blood sample and transfer the plasma into a new tube at home. This procedure is prone to errors and precludes accurate bicarbonate measurement, required for determining dialysate bicarbonate concentration and maintaining acid-base status. We therefore evaluated whether cooled overnight storage of gel separated plasma is an acceptable alternative. Materials and methods: Venous blood of 34 haemodialysis patients was collected in 2 lithium heparin blood collection tubes with gel separator (LH PSTTM II, REF 367374; Becton Dickinson, New Jersey, USA). One tube was analysed directly for measurement of bicarbonate, potassium, calcium, phosphate, glucose, urea, lactate, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and lactate dehydrogenase (LD); whereas the other was centrifuged and stored unopened at 4 °C and analysed 24 h later. To measure analyte stability after 24 h of storage, the mean difference was calculated and compared to the total allowable error (TEa) which was used as acceptance limit. Results: Potassium (Z = - 4.28, P < 0.001), phosphate (Z = - 3.26, P = 0.001), lactate (Z = - 5.11, P < 0.001) and AST (Z = - 2.71, P = 0.007) concentrations were higher, whereas glucose (Z = 4.00, P < 0.001) and LD (Z = 3.13, P = 0.002) showed a reduction. All mean differences were smaller than the TEa and thus not clinically relevant. Bicarbonate (Z = 0.69, P = 0.491), calcium (Z = - 0.23, P = 0.815) and urea (Z = 0.81, P =0.415) concentrations were stable. Conclusions: Our less complex, user-friendly pre-analytical procedure resulted in at least 24 h stability of analytes relevant for monitoring haemodialysis, including bicarbonate. This allows shipment and analysis the next day.
In Memoriam to Jochen Heinrichs (1969–2018)
Authors: BECHTELER JULIA , HAGBORG ANDERS , QUANDT DIETMAR , SÖDERSTRÖM LARS , VON KONRAT MATT
Published: February 2019

This special issue of Bryophyte Diversity and Evolution is dedicated to Jochen Heinrichs (1969–2018) in commemoration of his outstanding contributions to bryology. His work spanned a diverse spectrum of topics that will be reflected in this special issue by 10 research papers. Therein, and in honor of Jochen, the moss genus Jochenia gen. nov. (Schlesak et al. 2018), the liverwort species Frullania heinrichsii sp. nov. (Atwood et al. 2018), as well as the liverwort amber fossil Geocalyx heinrichsii sp. nov. (Katagiri 2018) are introduced to the scientific community.