bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Intelligent Handwritten Character Recognition For Malayalam Scripts Using Deep Learning Approach
Authors: Jose Bineesh , Pushpalatha K. P.
Published: March 2021

Machine Learning, especially Deep Learning has been incorporated into Pattern Recognition and Image Processing for the Handwritten Character Recognition (HCR) research which is always a hot area of research. Foreign scripts are enriched with Handwritten Character Recognition (HCR) studies. But very less research can be seen for HCR in Indian scenario, especially in Malayalam script. This paper provides an overview of different feature extraction and classification techniques used for Handwritten Character Recognition of Malayalam Scripts using Deep Learning Approaches. The accuracy measures of classification of the different algorithms have been given so that the researchers can select a particular algorithm with high performance.
Energy consumption monitoring in smart home system
Authors: Hariharan R S , Agarwal Reema , Kandamuru Madhurya , Abdul Gaffar H
Published: March 2021

Energy Consumption, especially electricity consumption, is one of the serious problems that we are facing in today’s world. There is a need for an efficient system to monitor this energy consumption. Internet of Things opens a way to solve these problems by interconnecting hardware, software and cloud. Therefore, we propose an energy consumption monitoring system for home appliances which can be used to calculate the energy consumption of the household and to keep the user informed about the electricity consumption through an android app where he can view the units of electricity used and a prediction of the bill at the end of the month. The system can also be incorporated with the features of controlling the energy consumed by the appliances as desired by the user and the app will notify if the electricity consumption exceeds a threshold value set by the user.
Evaluation of Speckle Noise Reduction and Feature Enhancement in Prolapsed Mitral Valve Leaflet Echocardiography
Authors: Preethi C , Mohamed Sathik M , Shajun Nisha S
Published: March 2021

Rheumatic heart disease has a substantial impact on morbidity and mortality for both men and women in developing countries. It is a complication of autoimmune phenomenon known as acute rheumatic fever in response to group A streptococcus bacteria. It often causes damage to valves and lacks its functionality. Initial manifestations of prolapsed valves are evident in echocardiography in the form of valve bulging, commissural fusion and restricted leaflet motion. However, these echocardiogram images are inevitably degraded by multiplicative noise known as speckle noise at the time of image acquisition and transmission. Hence despeckling is of vital importance for enhancing ultrasound image quality. In this paper, a comparative analysis of well established despeckling filters compiled for speckle suppression and feature enhancement has been performed. In addition to this, the performance of these filters is validated using different quantitative metrics. The experimental result shows that feature enhanced Fast Non-Local Means (FNLM) filter outperforms other state-of-art filtering techniques in the aspect of higher PSNR value and preserves structural similarity in terms of SSIM value near to unity. In conclusion, the preprocessing intends to suppress speckle noise and enhancing perceived visual quality that aids for further development of virtual cardiac model.
Energy Efficient Cluster Based Algorithm Technique for Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Ramya G. , Nagarajan R. , Kannadhasan S.
Published: March 2021

Wireless sensor network [WSN] energy efficiency is the most critical task of researchers. Power regulation is a very effective technique for interference minimizing in WSN and energy consumption. WSN with several nodes linked to the network, including transmitting power to measure network output. The energy usage is connected to node size and weight. Aggregation data secure in WSN is a highly challenging activity. In this research paper suggested stable aggregation of data using fuzzy logic, based on clustering techniques. The clustering method is done in a network. The distance power consumed and faith value are measured for each cluster. The stable data aggregation using fuzzy logic techniques (FLT) is based on these parameters. The proposed research work would minimize energy usage to increase the lifespan of WSN.
New mechanism for optical super-resolution via anisotropic near-zero index metamaterials
Authors: Wu Qiannan , Wang Jianyang , Sun Baoyin , Fu Yangyang , Xu Yadong
Published: March 2021

In this paper, we propose a new mechanism for obtaining optical super-resolution based on anisotropic near-zero index metamaterials (AZIMs). It is found that AZIMs can not only achieve perfect transmission of electromagnetic energy but also realize a super-resolution lens. Moreover, we find the performance of super-resolution imaging is not sensitive to the loss and impedance mismatching, as analytically and numerically demonstrated. Our findings provide a new way to explore high-resolution optical imaging.
Emergent physics-informed design of deep learning for microscopy
Authors: Wijesinghe Philip , Dholakia Kishan
Published: March 2021

Deep learning has revolutionised microscopy, enabling automated means for image classification, tracking and transformation. Beyond machine vision, deep learning has recently emerged as a universal and powerful tool to address challenging and previously untractable inverse image recovery problems. In seeking accurate, learned means of inversion, these advances have transformed conventional deep learning methods to those cognisant of the underlying physics of image formation, enabling robust, efficient and accurate recovery even in severely ill-posed conditions. In this perspective, we explore the emergence of physics-informed deep learning that will enable universal and accessible computational microscopy.
Systems pharmacology: a combination strategy for improving efficacy of PD-1/PD-L1 blockade
Authors: Zheng Chunli , Xiao Yue , Chen Chuang , Zhu Jinglin , Yang Ruijie , Yan Jiangna , Huang Ruifei , Xiao Wei , Wang Yonghua , Huang Chao
Published: March 2021

Targeting tumor microenvironment (TME), such as immune checkpoint blockade (ICB), has achieved increased overall response rates in many advanced cancers, such as non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), however, only in a fraction of patients. To improve the overall and durable response rates, combining other therapeutics, such as natural products, with ICB therapy is under investigation. Unfortunately, due to the lack of systematic methods to characterize the relationship between TME and ICB, development of rational immune-combination therapy is a critical challenge. Here, we proposed a systems pharmacology strategy to identify resistance regulators of PD-1/PD-L1 blockade and develop its combinatorial drug by integrating multidimensional omics and pharmacological methods. First, a high-resolution TME cell atlas was inferred from bulk sequencing data by referring to a high-resolution single-cell data and was used to predict potential resistance regulators of PD-1/PD-L1 blockade through TME stratification analysis. Second, to explore the drug targeting the resistance regulator, we carried out the large-scale target fishing and the network analysis between multi-target drug and the resistance regulator. Finally, we predicted and verified that oxymatrine significantly enhances the infiltration of CD8+ T cells into TME and is a powerful combination agent to enhance the therapeutic effect of anti-PD-L1 in a mouse model of lung adenocarcinoma. Overall, the systems pharmacology strategy offers a paradigm to identify combinatorial drugs for ICB therapy with a systems biology perspective of drug-target-pathway-TME phenotype-ICB combination.
Effect of remote ischaemic preconditioning on mortality and morbidity after non-cardiac surgery: meta-analysis
Authors: Wahlstrøm K L , Bjerrum E , Gögenur I , Burcharth J , Ekeloef S
Published: March 2021

Background

Remote ischaemic preconditioning (RIPC) has been shown to have a protective role on vital organs exposed to reperfusion injury. The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the effects of non-invasive RIPC on clinical and biochemical outcomes in patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery

Methods

A systematic literature search of PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, and Cochrane databases was carried out in February 2020. RCTs investigating the effect of non-invasive RIPC in adults undergoing non-cardiac surgery were included. Meta-analyses and trial sequential analyses (TSAs) were performed on cardiovascular events, acute kidney injury, and short- and long-term mortality.

Results

Some 43 RCTs including 3660 patients were included. The surgical areas comprised orthopaedic, vascular, abdominal, pulmonary, neurological, and urological surgery. Meta-analysis showed RIPC to be associated with fewer cardiovascular events in non-cardiac surgery (13 trials, 1968 patients, 421 events; odds ratio (OR) 0.68, 95 per cent c.i. 0.47 to 0.96; P = 0.03). Meta-analyses of the effect of RIPC on acute kidney injury (12 trials, 1208 patients, 211 events; OR 1.14, 0.78 to 1.69; P = 0.50; I2 = 9 per cent), short-term mortality (7 trials, 1239 patients, 65 events; OR 0.65, 0.37 to 1.12; P = 0.12; I2 = 0 per cent), and long-term mortality (4 trials, 1167 patients, 9 events; OR 0.67, 0.18 to 2.55; P = 0.56; I2 = 0 per cent) showed no significant differences for RIPC compared with standard perioperative care in non-cardiac surgery. However, TSAs showed that the required information sizes have not yet been reached.

Conclusion

Application of RIPC to non-cardiac surgery might reduce cardiovascular events, but not acute kidney injury or all-cause mortality, but currently available data are inadequate to confirm or reject an assumed intervention effect.
The impact of progesterone receptor negativity on oncological outcomes in oestrogen-receptor-positive breast cancer
Authors: Davey M G , Ryan É J , Folan P J , O’Halloran N , Boland M R , Barry M K , Sweeney K J , Malone C M , McLaughlin R J , Kerin M J , Lowery A J
Published: March 2021

Background

Oestrogen receptor (ER) status provides invaluable prognostic and therapeutic information in breast cancer (BC). When clinical decision making is driven by ER status, the value of progesterone receptor (PgR) status is less certain. The aim of this study was to describe clinicopathological features of ER-positive (ER+)/PgR-negative (PgR-) BC and to determine the effect of PgR negativity in ER+ disease.

Methods

Consecutive female patients with ER+ BC from a single institution were included. Factors associated with PgR- disease were assessed using binary logistic regression. Oncological outcome was assessed using Kaplan–Meier and Cox regression analysis.

Results

In total, 2660 patients were included with a mean(s.d.) age of 59.6(13.3) years (range 21–99 years). Median follow-up was 97.2 months (range 3.0–181.2). Some 2208 cases were PgR+ (83.0 per cent) and 452 were PgR- (17.0 per cent). Being postmenopausal (odds ratio (OR) 1.66, 95 per cent c.i. 1.25 to 2.20, P < 0.001), presenting with symptoms (OR 1.71, 95 per cent c.i. 1.30 to 2.25, P < 0.001), ductal subtype (OR 1.51, 95 per cent c.i. 1.17 to 1.97, P = 0.002) and grade 3 tumours (OR 2.20, 95 per cent c.i. 1.68 to 2.87, P < 0.001) were all associated with PgR negativity. In those receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy (308 patients), pathological complete response rates were 10.1 per cent (25 of 247 patients) in patients with PgR+ disease versus 18.0 per cent in PgR- disease (11 of 61) (P = 0.050). PgR negativity independently predicted worse disease-free (hazard ratio (HR) 1.632, 95 per cent c.i. 1.209 to 2.204, P = 0.001) and overall survival (HR 1.774, 95 per cent c.i. 1.324 to 2.375, P < 0.001), as well as worse overall survival in ER+/HER2- disease (P = 0.004).

Conclusions

In ER+ disease, PgR- tumours have more aggressive clinicopathological features and worse oncological outcomes. Neoadjuvant and adjuvant therapeutic strategies should be tailored according to PgR status.
Opioid Use Associated With Higher Costs Among Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Authors: Szigethy Eva M , Murphy Sean M , Ehrlich Orna G , Heller Caren A , Engel-Nitz Nicole M , Meadows Perry , Allen John I
Published: March 2021

Background

Opioid use by patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has been associated with poorer health outcomes. This study describes socioeconomic characteristics; health utilization trends; and costs of patients with IBD and either no opioid prescriptions, or in 1 of 3 opioid duration categories based on Center for Disease Control guidelines: acute (0–30 days), moderate (31–90 days), or chronic (>90 days). We utilized the Cost of IBD Care Optum research database results for this study.

Methods

The Optum Research Database from years 2007 to 2016 including IBD patients with commercial or Medicare Advantage insurance in the United States was used. Additional inclusion criteria included continuous enrollment with medical and pharmacy benefit coverage for at least 24 months (12 months before and 12 months after the index date of IBD diagnosis). The association between costs and patient characteristics were assessed across a no opioid use group during this period and the 3 opioid duration groups.

Results

Among 51,178 IBD patients, 33,229 (64.93%) were part of the no opioid use group, while 13,635 (26.64%) were in acute, 1698 (3.32%) were in moderate, and 2616 (5.11%) were in chronic use groups, as determined by pharmacy claims data. Patients in the chronic group were more likely to be white (75.38%) compared to all the other groups (no opioid use, acute, and moderate), have attained less education (only high school diploma), have had lower incomes, and have had Medicare instead of commercial insurance. Patients across all opioid prescription groups were more likely to have had diagnoses associated with pain in the prior year, with rates increasing by the length of opioid prescription (63.68%, 80.17%, and 86.11% for acute, moderate, and chronic groups). Compared to the no-use group, the acute group had more ambulatory (outpatient) visits, while the chronic group had fewer. Emergency department visits and inpatient hospitalizations were higher in all 3 opioid groups compared to the no opioid use group. Ambulatory, emergency department, inpatient, and total (medical + pharmacy) costs were higher in all 3 opioid groups, compared to the no opioid use group, even after adjusting for demographic and clinical patient characteristics.

Conclusions

Among patients with IBD, increasing opioid use was associated with higher healthcare resource utilization and, concomitantly, higher healthcare costs during this period.
Impact of coronary calcium score and lesion characteristics on the diagnostic performance of machine-learning-based computed tomography-derived fractional flow reserve
Authors: Koo Hyun Jung , Kang Joon-Won , Kang Soo-Jin , Kweon Jihoon , Lee June-Goo , Ahn Jung-Min , Park Duk-Woo , Lee Seung Whan , Lee Cheol Whan , Park Seong-Wook , Park Seung-Jung , Kim Young-Hak , Yang Dong Hyun
Published: March 2021

Aims

To evaluate the impact of coronary artery calcium (CAC) score, minimal lumen area (MLA), and length of coronary artery stenosis on the diagnostic performance of the machine-learning-based computed tomography-derived fractional flow reserve (ML-FFR).

Methods and results

In 471 patients with coronary artery disease, computed tomography angiography (CTA) and invasive coronary angiography were performed with fractional flow reserve (FFR) in 557 lesions at a single centre. Diagnostic performances of ML-FFR, computational fluid dynamics-based CT-FFR (CFD-FFR), MLA, quantitative coronary angiography (QCA), and visual stenosis grading were evaluated using invasive FFR as a reference standard. Diagnostic performances were analysed according to lesion characteristics including the MLA, length of stenosis, CAC score, and stenosis degree. ML-FFR was obtained by automated feature selection and model building from quantitative CTA. A total of 272 lesions showed significant ischaemia, defined by invasive FFR ≤0.80. There was a significant correlation between CFD-FFR and ML-FFR (r = 0.99, P < 0.001). ML-FFR showed moderate sensitivity and specificity in the per-patient analysis. Diagnostic performances of CFD-FFR and ML-FFR did not decline in patients with high CAC scores (CAC > 400). Sensitivities of CFD-FFR and ML-FFR showed a downward trend along with the increase in lesion length and decrease in MLA. The area under the curve (AUC) of ML-FFR (0.73) was higher than those of QCA and visual grading (AUC = 0.65 for both, P < 0.001) and comparable to those of MLA (AUC = 0.71, P = 0.21) and CFD-FFR (AUC = 0.73, P = 0.86).

Conclusion

ML-FFR showed comparable results to MLA and CFD-FFR for the prediction of lesion-specific ischaemia. Specificities and accuracies of CFD-FFR and ML-FFR decreased with smaller MLA and long lesion length.
Structural change in the job matching process in the United States, 1923–1932
Authors: Lee Woong , Yoon Yeo Joon
Published: March 2021

This paper explores the structural change in the job matching process in the United States from 1923 to 1932. Bai–Perron test is employed with data from public employment offices. The result shows that there are two structural changes, July 1928 and August 1930. The first breakpoint corresponds to approximately a year before the stock market crash, implying that there was a sign of downturn in the labor market when the economy was still in a period of expansion. The second break point is related to the Great Contraction when the entire economy was going in a downward spiral.
MultiPhATE2: code for functional annotation and comparison of phage genomes
Authors: Ecale Zhou Carol L , Kimbrel Jeffrey , Edwards Robert , McNair Katelyn , Souza Brian A , Malfatti Stephanie
Published: March 2021

To address a need for improved tools for annotation and comparative genomics of bacteriophage genomes, we developed multiPhATE2. As an extension of multiPhATE, a functional annotation code released previously, multiPhATE2 performs gene finding using multiple algorithms, compares the results of the algorithms, performs functional annotation of coding sequences, and incorporates additional search algorithms and databases to extend the search space of the original code. MultiPhATE2 performs gene matching among sets of closely related bacteriophage genomes, and uses multiprocessing to speed computations. MultiPhATE2 can be re-started at multiple points within the workflow to allow the user to examine intermediate results and adjust the subsequent computations accordingly. In addition, multiPhATE2 accommodates custom gene calls and sequence databases, again adding flexibility. MultiPhATE2 was implemented in Python 3.7 and runs as a command-line code under Linux or MAC operating systems. Full documentation is provided as a README file and a Wiki website.
A high-quality, chromosome-level genome assembly of the Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens L.)
Authors: Generalovic Tomas N , McCarthy Shane A , Warren Ian A , Wood Jonathan M D , Torrance James , Sims Ying , Quail Michael , Howe Kerstin , Pipan Miha , Durbin Richard , Jiggins Chris D
Published: March 2021

Hermetia illucens L. (Diptera: Stratiomyidae), the Black Soldier Fly (BSF) is an increasingly important species for bioconversion of organic material into animal feed. We generated a high-quality chromosome-scale genome assembly of the BSF using Pacific Bioscience, 10X Genomics linked read and high-throughput chromosome conformation capture sequencing technology. Scaffolding the final assembly with Hi-C data produced a highly contiguous 1.01 Gb genome with 99.75% of scaffolds assembled into pseudochromosomes representing seven chromosomes with 16.01 Mb contig and 180.46 Mb scaffold N50 values. The highly complete genome obtained a Benchmarking Universal Single-Copy Orthologs (BUSCO) completeness of 98.6%. We masked 67.32% of the genome as repetitive sequences and annotated a total of 16,478 protein-coding genes using the BRAKER2 pipeline. We analyzed an established lab population to investigate the genomic variation and architecture of the BSF revealing six autosomes and an X chromosome. Additionally, we estimated the inbreeding coefficient (1.9%) of the lab population by assessing runs of homozygosity. This provided evidence for inbreeding events including long runs of homozygosity on chromosome 5. The release of this novel chromosome-scale BSF genome assembly will provide an improved resource for further genomic studies, functional characterization of genes of interest and genetic modification of this economically important species.
Non-Governmental Organisations and National Human Rights Institutions monitoring the execution of Strasbourg Judgments: An Empirical Perspective on Rule 9 Communications
Authors: Erken Elif
Published: March 2021

This article considers a scarcely explored perspective in relation to the execution of judgments of the ECtHR, notably, the formal involvement of NGOs and NHRIs. Rule 9(2) of the Committee of Minister Rules’ allows NGOs and NHRIs to participate in the supervision process for the execution of the Court’s judgments by submitting reports (Communications) in which these actors review and assess domestic authorities’ performance with respect to judgment execution. On the basis of interviews with important stakeholders, this article provides an all-round user-based perspective of this Rule 9 mechanism and its perceived impact. Doing so elucidates whether the Rule 9 procedure allows NGOs and NHRIs to engage in the important cycle of reporting and pressuring for change, the conclusions of which are important in assessing if and how Rule 9 works to advance the execution of judgments of the ECtHR.
The cap-specific m6A methyltransferase, PCIF1/CAPAM, is dynamically recruited to the gene promoter in a transcription-dependent manner
Authors: Sugita Ai , Kuruma Soichiro , Yanagisawa Natsuki , Ishiguro Hiroyasu , Kano Ryoya , Ohkuma Yoshiaki , Hirose Yutaka
Published: March 2021

N 6-methyladenosine (m6A), the most abundant modification in eukaryotic mRNAs, plays an important role in mRNA metabolism and functions. When adenosine is transcribed as the first cap-adjacent nucleotide, it is methylated at the ribose 2′-O and N6 positions, thus generating N6, 2′-O-dimethyladenosine (m6Am). Phosphorylated C-terminal domain (CTD)-interacting factor 1 (PCIF1) is a novel cap-specific adenine N6-methyltransferase responsible for m6Am formation. As PCIF1 specifically interacts with the Ser5-phosphorylated CTD of RNA polymerase II (Pol II), which is a marker for the early phase of transcription, PCIF1 is speculated to be recruited to the early elongating Pol II. In this study, subcellular fractionation and immunofluorescence microscopy demonstrated that PCIF1 is mainly localized to the transcriptionally active chromatin regions in HeLa cells. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) revealed that PCIF1 was predominantly localized to the promoter of a broad range of Pol II-transcribed genes, including several protein-coding genes and non-coding RNA genes. Moreover, PCIF1 accumulation on these promoters depended entirely on transcriptional activity and Ser5 phosphorylation of the CTD. These results suggest that PCIF1 dynamically localizes to the Pol II early in transcription and may efficiently catalyze N6-methylation of the first adenosine residue of nascent mRNAs cotranscriptionally.
Sequential conformational changes in transmembrane domains of presenilin 1 in Aβ42 downregulation
Authors: Cai Tetsuo , Tomita Taisuke
Published: March 2021

Alzheimer disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disease worldwide. AD is pathologically characterized by the deposition of senile plaques in the brain, which are composed of an amyloid-β peptide (Aβ) that is produced through the multistep cleavage of amyloid precursor protein (APP) by γ-secretase. γ-Secretase is a membrane protein complex, which includes its catalytic subunit presenilin 1 (PS1). However, much about the structural dynamics of this enzyme remain unclear. We have previously demonstrated that movements of the transmembrane domain (TMD) 1 and TMD3 of PS1 are strongly associated with decreased production of the Aβ peptide ending at the 42nd residue (i.e. Aβ42), which is the aggregation-prone, toxic species. However, the association between these movements as well as the sequence of these TMDs remains unclear. In this study, we raised the possibility that the vertical movement of TMD1 is a prerequisite for expansion of the catalytic cavity around TMD3 of PS1, resulting in reduced Aβ42 production. Our results shed light on the association between the conformational changes of TMDs and the regulation of γ-secretase activity.
Identifying Optimal Program Models and Clinical Tools for Follow-Up Care
Authors: Gilmore Katherine R , Rodriguez M Alma
Published: March 2021

Fifteen years ago, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) issued a report that defined Survivorship Care as a distinct phase of the cancer care continuum. The required domains to meet the health needs of cancer survivors were outlined in the report: cancer surveillance and screening, cancer prevention and lifestyle counseling, management of treatment related persistent or late effects, coordination of care, and psychosocial support services. In response to that report, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center implemented a tiered survivorship care model that is risk based. The core principle is that cancer survivors’ health needs will depend on the cancer treatment and disease-specific risks. We here describe this model for low-, intermediate-, and high-risk cancer survivors, in which comanagement between oncology and primary care providers is risk dependent. Our clinical model defines transition as appropriate when there is a minimal risk of primary cancer relapse, which is specific to each cancer type and disease stage. This model is embedded into disease-specific clinical practice algorithms, aligned with the IOM domains of care. Over the past 10 years, we have successfully transitioned nearly 25 000 patients to disease-specific survivorship clinics, providing care based on the IOM domains. We have learned from our process that expansion of survivorship care into established clinical settings requires engagement of champions and key clinical stakeholders. Future directions for survivorship care should explore the application and potential benefits of telemedicine as a care delivery system to meet the needs of cancer survivors.
Ganoderma lucidum ameliorates the diabetic nephropathy via down-regulatory effect on TGFβ-1 and TLR-4/NFκB signalling pathways
Authors: Hassan Hanan M , Mahran Yasmen F , Ghanim Amal M H
Published: March 2021

Objectives

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is one of the most important complications of diabetes mellitus and it is considered as a principal cause for end-stage renal failure. Ganoderma lucidum (GL) has been studied for its reno-protective effect against different kidney injury models. The aim of our study is to investigate the mechanisms by which GL can improve kidney injury and consequent renal inflammation and fibrosis.

Methods

GL either in a low dose (250 mg/kg, i.p.) or high dose (500 mg/kg, i.p.) was administered to DN rat model, and nephropathy indices were investigated.

Key findings

GL treatment significantly down-regulated kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1) gene expression and inhibited TLR-4 (Toll-like receptor-4)/NFκB (nuclear factor kappa B) signalling pathway. As well, GL treatment significantly decreased the pro-inflammatory mediator; IL-1β (interleukin-1 beta) level and fibrosis-associated growth factors; FGF-23 (fibroblast growth factor-23) and TGFβ-1 (transforming growth factor beta-1) levels. In addition, GL remarkably inhibited (Bax) the pro-apoptotic protein and induced (Bcl-2) the anti-apoptotic protein expression in kidneys. Moreover, GL treatment significantly alleviates kidney injury indicated by correcting the deteriorated kidney function and improving oxidative stress status in DN rats.

Conclusions

GL significantly improved renal function indices through dose-dependent kidney function restoration, oxidative stress reduction, down-regulation of gene expression of KIM-1 and TLR4/NFκB signalling pathway blockage with subsequent alleviation of renal inflammation and fibrosis.
Fleeing as an Activity of Waiting: Visual Representations of the World’s Refugee Situation on Médecins Sans Frontière Sweden’s Website
Authors: Bellander Theres
Published: March 2021

This article explores how the world’s refugee situation is constructed discursively in photographs on the website of Médecins Sans Frontière (MSF) Sweden in order to discern what discourses humanitarian aid communication draws upon to frame the world’s refugee situation as being worthy of support. The main conclusion is that the refugee situation is portrayed as an activity of waiting, where forcibly displaced people are restrained from continuing on with their lives. By highlighting personal experiences, the phenomenon of flight is humanised: Refugees are constructed in need of support, and MSF is constructed as actionable and trustworthy. The website’s visitors, are invited to become a part of and to engage in the life of the refugees and the work performed by the organisation. Due to a combination of different styles of appealing the overall image of the refugee situation draws on discourses of morality, solidarity, ethnical and gender equality.
Caecal volvulus associated with complex small bowel malrotation and congenital bands: A case report and literature review
Authors: Khougali Hussam S , Hamad Yousif , Abdelhamid Ahmed , DiNicola Valerio
Published: March 2021

Caecal volvulus is an uncommon condition and represents only 10% of all colonic volvulus. The mechanism is due to hypermobile cecum twisting around it is own mesentery. A 40-year-old female who was previously fit and well-attended hospital with 2 days history of intermittent abdominal pain, mild distention and constipation. X-rays showed twisted and dilated loops of bowel with right hepato-diaphragmatic bowel loops entrapment. A computed tomography scan was the only confirmatory test of caecal volvulus with intermittent bowel symptoms. Emergency laparotomy revealed complex intraoperative bowel loops malrotation with congenital bands and abnormal position of Duodeno-Jejenal flexure. Open right hemicolectomy was the operation of choice for this complex case. Caecal volvulus must be considered as one of the important differential diagnosis of acute abdomen during initial assessment of patients with intermittent bowel symptoms in emergency department in order to avoid any therapeutic delay.
Asymptomatic pneumoperitoneum or pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis? Easy to make a mistake
Authors: Scoglio Daniele , Pozzobon Maurizia , Battistioli Mauro , Bonotto Gianni , Caronia Vincenzo , Gualandi Orlando , Callegari Paolo
Published: March 2021

Pneumoperitoneum refers to the presence of intraperitoneal free gas outside the viscera. A perforation of a hollow viscus is the main cause and usually indicates a surgical emergency. However, some case of pneumoperitoneum can be completely asymptomatic and secondary to benign conditions that do not require any surgical intervention. In this situation a misleading diagnosis of pneumoperitoneum may occur. The authors are going to present a case of a 79-year-old man with an asymptomatic pneumoperitoneum incidentally detected by CT-scan and subsequently revealed to be pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis (PCI) at diagnostic laparoscopy. PCI is a rare condition characterized by the presence of gas-filled cyst in the submucosa/subserosa of the bowel wall that can easily mimic pneumoperitoneum on radiological imaging. A thorough examination of radiological findings is crucial in preventing unnecessary surgical procedures that may expose patients to potential associated morbidities.
Scheduling strategies for the ESPRESSO follow-up of TESS targets
Authors: Cabona L , Viana P T P , Landoni M , Faria J P
Published: March 2021

Radial-velocity follow-up of stars harbouring transiting planets detected by TESS is expected to require very large amounts of expensive telescope time in the next few years. Therefore, scheduling strategies should be implemented to maximize the amount of information gathered about the target planetary systems. We consider myopic and non-myopic versions of a novel uniform-in-phase scheduler, as well as a random scheduler, and compare these scheduling strategies with respect to the bias, accuracy and precision achieved in recovering the mass and orbital parameters of transiting and non-transiting planets. This comparison is carried out based on realistic simulations of radial-velocity follow-up with ESPRESSO of a sample of 50 TESS target stars, with simulated planetary systems containing at least one transiting planet with a radius below 4R⊕. Radial-velocity data sets were generated under reasonable assumptions about their noise component, including that resulting from stellar activity, and analysed using a fully Bayesian methodology. We find the random scheduler leads to a more biased, less accurate, and less precise, estimation of the mass of the transiting exoplanets. No significant differences are found between the results of the myopic and non-myopic implementations of the uniform-in-phase scheduler. With only about 22 radial velocity measurements per data set, our novel uniform-in-phase scheduler enables an unbiased (at the level of 1 per cent) measurement of the masses of the transiting planets, while keeping the average relative accuracy and precision around 16 per cent and 23 per cent, respectively. The number of non-transiting planets detected is similar for all the scheduling strategies considered, as well as the bias, accuracy and precision with which their masses and orbital parameters are recovered.
Historical Contingency Causes Divergence in Adaptive Expression of the lac Operon
Authors: Karkare Kedar , Lai Huei-Yi , Azevedo Ricardo B.R. , Cooper Tim F.
Published: March 2021

Populations of Escherichia coli selected in constant and fluctuating environments containing lactose often adapt by substituting mutations in the lacI repressor that cause constitutive expression of the lac operon. These mutations occur at a high rate and provide a significant benefit. Despite this, eight of 24 populations evolved for 8,000 generations in environments containing lactose contained no detectable repressor mutations. We report here on the basis of this observation. We find that, given relevant mutation rates, repressor mutations are expected to have fixed in all evolved populations if they had maintained the same fitness effect they confer when introduced to the ancestor. In fact, reconstruction experiments demonstrate that repressor mutations have become neutral or deleterious in those populations in which they were not detectable. Populations not fixing repressor mutations nevertheless reached the same fitness as those that did fix them, indicating that they followed an alternative evolutionary path that made redundant the potential benefit of the repressor mutation, but involved unique mutations of equivalent benefit. We identify a mutation occurring in the promoter region of the uspB gene as a candidate for influencing the selective choice between these paths. Our results detail an example of historical contingency leading to divergent evolutionary outcomes.
Genetic Barriers to Historical Gene Flow between Cryptic Species of Alpine Bumblebees Revealed by Comparative Population Genomics
Authors: Christmas Matthew J , Jones Julia C , Olsson Anna , Wallerman Ola , Bunikis Ignas , Kierczak Marcin , Peona Valentina , Whitley Kaitlyn M , Larva Tuuli , Suh Alexander , Miller-Struttmann Nicole E , Geib Jennifer C , Webster Matthew T
Published: March 2021

Evidence is accumulating that gene flow commonly occurs between recently diverged species, despite the existence of barriers to gene flow in their genomes. However, we still know little about what regions of the genome become barriers to gene flow and how such barriers form. Here, we compare genetic differentiation across the genomes of bumblebee species living in sympatry and allopatry to reveal the potential impact of gene flow during species divergence and uncover genetic barrier loci. We first compared the genomes of the alpine bumblebee Bombus sylvicola and a previously unidentified sister species living in sympatry in the Rocky Mountains, revealing prominent islands of elevated genetic divergence in the genome that colocalize with centromeres and regions of low recombination. This same pattern is observed between the genomes of another pair of closely related species living in allopatry (B. bifarius and B. vancouverensis). Strikingly however, the genomic islands exhibit significantly elevated absolute divergence (dXY) in the sympatric, but not the allopatric, comparison indicating that they contain loci that have acted as barriers to historical gene flow in sympatry. Our results suggest that intrinsic barriers to gene flow between species may often accumulate in regions of low recombination and near centromeres through processes such as genetic hitchhiking, and that divergence in these regions is accentuated in the presence of gene flow.
Censorship at Sea
Authors: Casey Steven
Published: March 2021

In the first months of 1942, the navy exerted tight control over its war correspondents. While allowing them access to ships, it placed so many restrictions on what they could write about that a group of them, led by Robert Casey of the Chicago Daily News, began to complain vociferously. Stanley Johnston of the Chicago Tribune ultimately became the biggest troublemaker. After escaping from the USS Lexington before it sank during the Battle of the Coral Sea, Johnston used the slow journey home not only to write about this experience but also to learn that the navy had received advanced knowledge of the Japanese attack on Midway. His stories on both battles created a major sensation. With the navy convinced that the Tribune had divulged its secret codebreaking operation, the Roosevelt administration even made a failed bid to prosecute it under the Espionage Act.
The Shroud Slips: Guadalcanal
Authors: Casey Steven
Published: March 2021

The Marines’ approach to publicity differed from that of both Douglas MacArthur and Ernest King. While these two commanders sought to control the news agenda from afar, using their own communiqués to reveal only what they wanted the public to know, the Marines pioneered the concept of combat correspondents. Two of them landed on Guadalcanal in early August, where they worked with two civilian correspondents, Richard Tregaskis and Robert Miller. Initially, a combination of tenuous communications and overzealous censorship meant that these correspondents struggled to tell the story of Guadalcanal. But this began to change once the Marines’ position became more secure and, crucially, Tregaskis left the island to write up his famous diary of the campaign.
Atrocities
Authors: Casey Steven
Published: March 2021

For the first two years of the war, the government was extremely reluctant to release information about the atrocities being committed by the Japanese. Officials warned returning civilian internees not to speak to the press about the conditions they had faced as Japanese prisoners. The Office of Censorship applauded the media’s restraint in covering the execution of American airmen captured after the Doolittle raid. And even when Ed Dyess escaped from the Philippines with details about the Bataan death march, senior officials prevented his story from being told. The Chicago Tribune, which paid Dyess $21,000, lobbied hard for a policy change, to no avail. Only after Dyess’s tragic death in a plane crash at the end of 1943, followed by a threat to have a friendly legislator read his story into the Congressional Record, did the government finally lift the veil on this dimension of the Pacific War.
Bloody Battles in the Central Pacific
Authors: Casey Steven
Published: March 2021

As the navy began its first major offensive battles in late 1943, it went to great lengths to ensure a better press. Robert Sherrod of Time magazine was one of the biggest beneficiaries of this new policy, although at Tarawa he was lucky to survive the carnage of invasion day. Sherrod’s reporting on this battle, along with vivid visual images of the fighting, underlined the toughness of the fighting in the central Pacific. His experiences also made him a fierce partisan of the Marines, a fact that subsequently exacerbated the tension between the Marines and the army when Holland Smith relieved Ralph Smith during the Saipan invasion. Sherrod’s reporting on this controversy was extremely controversial, but he became convinced that the main takeaway from Saipan was the media’s continued neglect of the Pacific War.
Conclusion
Authors: Casey Steven
Published: March 2021

The Japanese surrender in Tokyo Bay in September 1945 exemplified so much about the Pacific War and how it had been reported, from the large number of reporters who were finally in the theater to MacArthur’s effort to dominate the show. For once, the army and navy stood side by side without too much tension, but during the war competition between them had often shaped how the home front had received news from the battlefield. Tension had emerged between the services and the reporters as well, while veteran reporters had often evinced a deep disdain for those they considered dilettante interlopers. Conflict was therefore a hallmark of media-military relations during the Pacific War, but in the final analysis the media invariably acted as an important unifying voice, creating a shared narrative about the war that was rarely questioned by partisan politicians.
Continuity Editing Basics
Authors: Kelly Brine
Published: March 2021

Chapter 6 uses text and storyboards to explore the basics of continuity editing, whose goal is to tell a story on film that flows continuously, clearly, and logically in time and space. Continuity editing respects viewers’ natural assumption that time and space are contiguous from shot to shot. Continuity editing helps filmmakers satisfy their viewers’ expectation that people and objects should not seem to jump instantaneously and unrealistically within a setting or to a new place and time. Continuity editing is the standard for film storytelling. Even directors who have a style in which they frequently use jump cuts and cross the axis nevertheless practice continuity editing much of the time. This chapter is an overview of continuity editing’s main principles, and these ideas and the methods used to implement them are interwoven with the storytelling theme throughout this book.
Beginning Scenes and Using Transitions
Authors: Kelly Brine
Published: March 2021

Chapter 10 examines the ways a new scene can begin. A new scene starts when a story’s action continues in a new setting. Time may be continuous, or it may be reset to a new point in the future or the past. Even when time is continuous with the previous scene, it may seem odd to viewers that they have arrived in a new setting instantaneously. This chapter describes and illustrates several effective ways of beginning a new scene smoothly using in-camera transitions, including wipes, pans, tilts, entrances, and reveals of various kinds. Hard cuts, cutting on action, jump cuts, and several types of fades and dissolves that can be added during editing are also discussed and storyboarded.
Stories about Searching
Authors: Kelly Brine
Published: March 2021

Chapter 13 uses a storyboard to illustrate a range of visual storytelling techniques as they are applied to a short story about a search. The storytelling is suspenseful and cinematic. In many stories a character searches for something or someone, and the techniques that are illustrated here are applicable to a wide variety of stories that could involve any type of search. It is designed to show how effective blocking can dramatize the action. It also demonstrates the application of film grammar to achieve continuity editing. This sequence makes use of objective and subjective coverage, reaction shots, entrances and exits, continuity of screen motion, shot contrast, transitions, and cutting points.
Three-Character Dialogue
Authors: Kelly Brine
Published: March 2021

Chapter 16 describes and illustrates using storyboards the basics of blocking and shooting three-character dialogue. Well-designed coverage supports the drama and creates shots that match and cut well to maintain continuity and simplify editing. In two-characters dialogue scenes, the configuration of the actors is usually quite symmetrical, and their shots can be mirrored so that they match. With three characters the geometry is more complicated, but there are standard templates that can be used to design shots that cut well. Usually some portions of three-character dialogue are exchanges between pairs of characters. These parts of the dialogue can be covered using two-character dialogue templates, and how to integrate this coverage into a three-character dialogue scene using logical and clear eyelines is described and storyboarded. Three-person dialogue involving standing, seated, and walking characters is considered.
Connection
Authors: Ungemah Joe
Published: March 2021

This chapter brings to life how successful relationships in and outside the workplace are established and maintained. The chapter recounts the development of attachment theory and how our earliest interactions set the stage for all our future relationships. Individuals who benefited from secure relationships are likely to navigate the tenuous nature of the modern workplace more effectively. The chapter also takes a tour of John Gottman’s Love Lab, which has become famous for its ability to break down the ingredients of long-lasting and happy marriages, a finding that has profound implications for professional relationships. When the Magic Ratio of positive to negative interactions becomes unbalanced or if any of the Four Horsemen of criticism, contempt, defensiveness, or stonewalling rear their ugly heads, those in a relationship are forewarned to act quickly and decisively.
Reward
Authors: Ungemah Joe
Published: March 2021

This chapter explores the strategies behind reinforcing and motivating behavior. The chapter begins with Petrovich Pavlov’s unwitting discovery of reinforcement triggers that lay at the foundation for how employers reward their workers. A study by B. F. Skinner on superstition demonstrates what happens when the links between behavior and reward are misaligned, while a consideration of the research on learned helplessness demonstrates how employees can become disenfranchised from their work after repeated failure or criticism. The chapter ends with delayed gratification and what preschool children taught us about restraint and future success. Despite an abundance of knowledge about reward, organizations utilize only the tip of the iceberg when motivating employees.
Identity
Authors: Ungemah Joe
Published: March 2021

This chapter tells the story of the North Pond Hermit who lived without social contact for 30 years and the subsequent effect on his identity. As a result of his severe social isolation, Christopher Thomas Knight lost his bearings on where he fit into society and how he should interact with others. The freedom he gained in not being defined came at the cost of becoming disjointed from the world around him. The way social labels and multiple group memberships define personal identity can be understood by the Twenty Statements Test and is brought to life through the case study of Tim Fischer, the former head of diversity and inclusion at Marathon Oil, a company where the average employee is said to “bleed blue.” Identity is in constant flux and, as such, shared identities should be enjoyed for as long as they last.