bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ethnomedicinal Uses, Phytochemistry, Pharmacology, and Toxicology of Species from the GenusAjugaL.: A Systematic Review
Authors: Luan Fei , Han Keqing , Li Maoxing , Zhang Ting , Liu Daoheng , Yu Linhong , Lv Haizhen
Published: August 2019

The present review is aimed at providing a comprehensive summary of the botanical characteristics, ethnomedicinal uses, phytochemical, pharmacological, and toxicological studies of the genus Ajuga L. The extensive literature survey revealed Ajuga L. species to be a group of important medicinal plants used for the ethnomedical treatment of rheumatism, fever, gout, sclerosis, analgesia, inflammation, hypertension, hyperglycemia, joint pain, palsy, amenorrhea, etc., although only a few reports address the clinical use and toxicity of these plants. Currently, more than 280 chemical constituents have been isolated and characterized from these plants. Among these constituents, neo-clerodane diterpenes and diterpenoids, phytoecdysteroids, flavonoids, and iridoids are the major bioactive compounds, possessing wide-reaching biological activities both in vivo and in vitro, including anti-inflammatory, antinociceptive, antitumor, anti-oxidant, antidiabetic, antimicrobial, antifeedant, antidiarrhoeal, hypolipidemic, diuretic, hypoglycaemic, immunomodulatory, vasorelaxant, larvicidal, antimutagenic, and neuroprotective activity. This review is aimed at summarizing the current knowledge of the ethnomedicinal uses, phytochemistry, biological activities, and toxicities of the genus Ajuga L. to reveal its therapeutic potentials, offering opportunities for future researches. Therefore, more focus should be paid to gathering information about their toxicology data, quality-control measures, and the clinical application of the bioactive ingredients from Ajuga L. species.
Prioritizing software refactoring opportunities using multi-objective optimization
Authors: Kaur Satnam , Awasthi Lalit. K. , Sangal A. L.
Published: August 2019

Software refactoring aims to improve software quality and developer productivity. It has gained significant attention from both academia and software industry. Therefore, numerous approaches have been proposed to automate refactoring that consider software quality maximization as their prime objective. However, this objective is not enough to generate good and efficient refactoring sequences as refactoring also involves several other uncertainties related to smell severity, history of applied refactoring activities and class severity. To address these concerns, we propose a multi-objective optimization approach to generate refactoring solutions that maximize the (1) software quality, (2) use of smell severity and (3) consistency with class importance. To this end, we use Multi-objective Spotted Hyena Optimizer (MOSHO) to obtain the best compromise between these three objectives. The proposed approach is evaluated on five open source datasets and its performance is compared with five different well-known state-of-the-art meta-heuristic and non-meta-heuristic approaches. The experimental results demonstrate that the refactoring solutions provided by MOSHO are significantly better than other algorithms when class importance and code smell severity scores are used.
A theoretical study on the optical properties of a quantum well with short-range bottomless exponential potential
Authors: Ungan F. , Mora-Ramos M. E. , Sakiroglu S. , Sari H. , Sökmen I.
Published: August 2019

The effects of external applied fields on the electron-related optical nonlinear properties in a short-range bottomless exponential potential quantum well are investigated. The potential profile behaves as inverse square root in the vicinity of the origin and vanishes exponentially toward infinity, supporting a finite number of bound states whose energies and wave functions are determined within the effective-mass approximation. The linear, third-order nonlinear and total optical absorption coefficients (TOACs) as well as the coefficient of relative refractive index changes (RRICs) of the system are calculated from the expressions derived in the framework of the compact density matrix approach. The results obtained after numerical calculations show that with the effect of the static electric and magnetic fields (high-frequency THz laser field), the resonant peak position of the optical response shifts toward higher (lower) energies and the magnitude of the peak increases.
Nonclassical properties and polarization degree of photon-subtracted entangled nonlinear coherent states
Authors: Dehghani A. , Mojaveri B. , Aryaie M.
Published: August 2019

As in two previous papers where nonclassical properties and entanglement dynamics were studied for entangled nonlinear coherent states (ENCS) [D. Afshar and A. Anbaraki, J. Opt. Soc. Am. B 33, 558 (2016).] and for photon-added entangled nonlinear coherent states (PAENCS) [A. Anbaraki, D. Afshar and M. Jafarpour, Eur. Phys. J. Plus 133, 2 (2018).], we study quantum mechanical treatments of photon-subtracted entangled nonlinear coherent states (PSENCS) introduced through applying annihilation operators on the ENCS, where the related nonlinearity functions are assumed to be harmonious. To gain insight into the effectiveness of photon subtracting from ENCS and comparing with the case already discussed as the PAENCS, we present a general analysis of nonclassical properties such as photon statistics and degree of polarization. We also derive the concurrence measure to quantify the entanglement of these states and look for conditions that provide information on whether they become maximally entangled. As a result, we can see that the photon depletion number m plays an important role in nonclassical effects. Especially, depending on whether the photon depletion number m is even or odd, one can observe different nonclassical effects.
Fractional-order adaptive controller for chaotic synchronization and application to a dual-channel secure communication system
Authors: Li Ye , Wang Haoping , Tian Yang
Published: August 2019

A novel fractional-order adaptive non-singular terminal sliding mode control (FONTSMC) method is investigated for the synchronization of two nonlinear fractional-order chaotic systems in the presence of external disturbance. The proposed controller consists of a fractional-order non-singular terminal sliding mode surface and an adaptive gain adjusted with sliding surface. Based on Lyapunov stability theory and stability theorem for fractional-order dynamic systems, the controlled system’s stable synchronization is guaranteed. A dual-channel secure communication system is presented to transmit useful signals based on the proposed synchronization controller. Finally, numerical simulations and comparison with fractional-order PID controller, fractional-order PD sliding mode controller and adaptive terminal sliding mode controller are given to demonstrate the effectiveness and the robustness of the proposed FONTSMC control. The application of the proposed synchronization method is studied in the dual-channel secure communication.
Recovering the cosmological constant from affine geometry
Authors: Boskoff Wladimir-Georges , Capozziello Salvatore
Published: August 2019

A gravity theory without masses can be constructed in Minkowski spaces using a geometric Minkowski potential. The related affine spacelike spheres can be seen as the regions of the Minkowski spacelike vectors characterized by a constant Minkowski gravitational potential. These spheres point out, for each dimension [Formula: see text], spacetime models, the de Sitter ones, which satisfy Einstein’s field equations in absence of matter. In other words, it is possible to generate geometrically the cosmological constant. Even if a lot of possible parameterizations have been proposed, each one highlighting some geometric and physical properties of the de Sitter space, we present here a new natural parameterization which reveals the intrinsic geometric nature of cosmological constant relating it with the invariant affine radius coming from the so-called Minkowski–Tzitzeica surfaces theory.
Effects of interactive video annotations on students' browsing behavior and perceived workload
Authors: Martins Diogo S. , Cunha Bruna C. R. , Yaguinuma Cristiane A. , Zaine Isabela , Pimentel Maria da Graça C.
Published: August 2019

The use of video as instructional content has become popular in web-based learning environments. Even though video is an established media, the way users access and interact with video vary among systems and may influence how students experience and engage on courses. Previous studies have focused on analysing the effects on students' engagement, learning performance and interaction behavior of static features, such as the length of the video and the type of use (e.g. main or supplementary material), and also of interactive features, such as quizzes and annotations. Considering that there are fragments of a video lecture that may be of particular interest, in our study we analyzed the effects on interaction behavior and on students' perceived experience of providing an instructional video enriched with an interactive timeline highlighting points of interest. We offered a content test for a control group and an experimental group. In the former, participants used a video player with a conventional timeline. In the latter, participants used a video player with an additional interactive timeline indicating points of interest, corresponding to topic transitions in the lecture, which provided direct access to the point where a topic is introduced. Our findings indicate that the annotated interactive timeline affected students' behavior and improved their personal experience and efficiency in terms of interaction in video-based tasks. The experimental group significantly performed a lower number of clicks to find information and also reported diminished perceived workload scores when compared to the control group. Also, participants in the experimental group presented a more predictable and patterned search behavior than participants in the control group.
Thermoregulatory adaptations with progressive heat acclimation are predominantly evident in uncompensable, but not compensable, conditions
Authors: Ravanelli Nicholas , Coombs Geoff , Imbeault Pascal , Jay Ollie
Published: August 2019

This study assessed whether, notwithstanding lower resting absolute core temperatures, alterations in time-dependent changes in thermoregulatory responses following partial and complete heat acclimation (HA) are only evident during uncompensable heat stress. Eight untrained individuals underwent 8 wk of aerobic training (i.e., partial HA) followed by 6 days of HA in 38°C/65% relative humidity (RH) (i.e., complete HA). On separate days, esophageal temperature (Tes), arm (LSRarm), and back (LSRback) sweat rate, and whole body sweat rate (WBSR) were measured during a 45-min compensable (37°C/30% RH) and 60-min uncompensable (37°C/60% RH) heat stress trial pre-training (PRE-TRN), post-training (POST-TRN), and post–heat acclimation (POST-HA). For compensable heat stress trials, resting Tes was lower POST-TRN (36.74 ± 0.27°C, P = 0.05) and POST-HA (36.60 ± 0.27°C, P = 0.001) compared with PRE-TRN (36.99 ± 0.19°C); however, ΔTes was similar in all trials (PRE-TRN:0.40 ± 0.23°C; POST-TRN:0.42 ± 0.20°C; POST-HA:0.43 ± 0.12°C, P = 0.97). While LSRback was unaltered by HA ( P = 0.94), end-exercise LSRarm was higher POST-TRN (0.70 ± 0.14 mg·cm−2·min−1, P < 0.001) and POST-HA (0.75 ± 0.16 mg·cm−2·min−1, P < 0.001) compared with PRE-TRN (0.61 ± 0.15 mg·cm−2·min−1). Despite matched evaporative heat balance requirements, steady-state WBSR (31st–45th min) was greater POST-TRN (12.7 ± 1.0 g/min, P = 0.02) and POST-HA (12.9 ± 0.8 g/min, P = 0.004), compared with PRE-TRN (11.7 ± 0.9 g/min). For uncompensable heat stress trials, resting Tes was lower POST-TRN (36.77 ± 0.22°C, P = 0.05) and POST-HA (36.62 ± 0.15°C, P = 0.03) compared with PRE-TRN (36.86 ± 0.24°C). But ΔTes was smaller POST-TRN (0.77 ± 0.19°C, P = 0.05) and POST-HA (0.75 ± 0.15°C, P = 0.04) compared with PRE-TRN (1.10 ± 0.32°C). LSRback and LSRarm increased with HA ( P < 0.007), supporting the greater WBSR with HA (POST-TRN:14.4 ± 2.4 g/min, P < 0.001; POST-HA:16.8 ± 2.8 g/min, P < 0.001) compared with PRE-TRN (12.7 ± 3.2 g/min). In conclusion, the thermal benefits of HA are primarily evident when conditions challenge the physiological capacity to dissipate heat.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY We demonstrate that neither partial nor complete heat acclimation alters the change in core temperature during compensable heat stress compared with an unacclimated state, despite a marginally greater whole body sweat rate. However, the greater local and whole body sweat rate with partial and complete heat acclimation reduced the rise in core temperature during 60 min of uncompensable heat stress compared with an unacclimated state, suggesting the improvements in heat dissipation associated with heat acclimation are best observed when the upper physiological limits for evaporative heat loss are challenged.
Pharmacokinetics of 99mTc-HMPAO in isolated perfused rat lungs
Authors: Clough Anne V. , Barry Katherine , Rizzo Benjamin M. , Jacobs Elizabeth R. , Audi Said H.
Published: August 2019

Lung uptake of technetium-labeled hexamethylpropyleneamine oxime (HMPAO) increases in rat models of human acute lung injury, consistent with increases in lung tissue glutathione (GSH). Since 99mTc-HMPAO uptake is the net result of multiple cellular and vascular processes, the objective was to develop an approach to investigate the pharmacokinetics of 99mTc-HMPAO uptake in isolated perfused rat lungs. Lungs of anesthetized rats were excised and connected to a ventilation-perfusion system. 99mTc-HMPAO (56 MBq) was injected into the pulmonary arterial cannula, a time sequence of images was acquired, and lung time-activity curves were constructed. Imaging was repeated with a range of pump flows and perfusate albumin concentrations and before and after depletion of GSH with diethyl maleate (DEM). A pharmacokinetic model of 99mTc-HMPAO pulmonary disposition was developed and used for quantitative interpretation of the time-activity curves. Experimental results reveal that 99mTc-HMPAO lung uptake, defined as the steady-state value of the 99mTc-HMPAO lung time-activity curve, was inversely related to pump flow. Also, 99mTc-HMPAO lung uptake decreased by ~65% after addition of DEM to the perfusate. Increased perfusate albumin concentration also resulted in decreased 99mTc-HMPAO lung uptake. Model simulations under in vivo flow conditions indicate that lung tissue GSH is the dominant factor in 99mTc-HMPAO retention in lung tissue. The approach allows for evaluation of the dominant factors that determine imaging biomarker uptake, separation of the contributions of pulmonary versus systemic processes, and application of this knowledge to in vivo studies.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY We developed an approach for studying the pharmacokinetics of technetium-labeled hexamethylpropyleneamine oxime (99mTc-HMPAO) in isolated perfused lungs. A distributed-in-space-and-time computational model was fit to data and used to investigate questions that cannot readily be addressed in vivo. Experimental and modeling results indicate that tissue GSH is the dominant factor in 99mTc-HMPAO retention in lung tissue. This modeling approach can be readily extended to investigate the lung pharmacokinetics of other biomarkers and models of lung injury and treatment thereof.
Evaporative heat loss insufficient to attain heat balance at rest in individuals with a spinal cord injury at high ambient temperature
Authors: Griggs K. E. , Havenith G. , Price M. J. , Goosey-Tolfrey V. L.
Published: August 2019

The aim of the study was to determine whether climatic limits for achieving heat balance at rest are affected by spinal cord injury (SCI). Twenty-three men [8 able-bodied (AB), 8 with paraplegia (PP), and 7 with tetraplegia (TP)] rested in 37°C and 20% relative humidity (RH) for 20 min. With the ambient temperature held constant, RH was increased by 5% every 7 min, until gastrointestinal temperature (Tgi) showed a clear inflection or increased by >1°C. Tgi, skin temperatures, perceptual responses, and metabolic energy expenditure were measured throughout. Metabolic heat production [AB: 123 (21) W, PP: 111 (15) W, TP: 103 (29) W; means (SD)] and required rate of evaporative cooling for heat balance [Ereq; AB: 113 (20) W, PP: 107 (17) W, TP: 106 (29) W] were similar between groups ( P = 0.22 and P = 0.79). Compared with AB, greater increases in Tgi were observed in TP ( P = 0.01), with notable increases in mean skin temperature (Tsk) for TP and PP ( P = 0.01). A Tgi inflection point was demonstrated by seven AB, only three of eight PP, and no TP. Despite metabolic heat production (and Ereq) being similar between groups, evaporative heat loss was not large enough to obtain heat balance in TP, linked to a shortfall in evaporative cooling potential. Although PP possess a greater sweating capacity, the continual increase in Tgi and Tsk in most PP, although lower than for TP, implies that latent heat loss for PP is also insufficient to attain heat balance.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY In the absence of convective heat loss, at temperatures around 37°C evaporative heat loss is insufficient to attain heat balance at rest in individuals with paraplegia and tetraplegia. This finding was directly linked to a shortfall in evaporative cooling potential compared with required evaporative cooling. In this environment, individuals with both paraplegia and tetraplegia cannot subjectively determine the magnitude of their thermal strain; thus perceptual responses should not be relied upon for this population group.
Energy Harvesting from Vehicle Suspension System by Piezoelectric Harvester
Authors: Zhao Zhen , Wang Tie , Zhang Baifu , Shi Jinhong
Published: August 2019

In this paper, a new type of piezoelectric harvester for vehicle suspension systems is designed and presented that addresses the current problems of low energy density, vibration energy dissipation, and reduced energy harvesting efficiency in current technologies. A new dual‐mass, two degrees of freedom (2‐DOF), suspension dynamic model for the harvester was developed for the inertial mass and the force of the energy conversion component by combining with the piezoelectric power generation model, the rotor dynamics model, and the traditional 2‐DOF suspension model. The influence of factors such as vehicle speed, the parameters of the harvester, and road classification on the root mean square (RMS) of the generated electric power is discussed. The results show that the RMS increases with the increase of the speed of the vehicle, the thickness and length of piezoelectric patches and magnetic slabs, and the residual flux density of magnets and road roughness coefficient and with the decrease of the width of piezoelectric patches and magnetic slabs and the space between the stator ring and the rotator ring. In the present research, a power of up to 332.4 W was harvested. The proposed model provides a powerful reference for future studies of energy harvesting from vehicle suspension systems.
Distribution of Choroidal Thinning in High Myopia, Diabetes Mellitus, and Aging: A Swept-Source OCT Study
Authors: Bartol-Puyal Francisco de Asís , Isanta Carlos , Ruiz-Moreno Óscar , Abadia Beatriz , Calvo Pilar , Pablo Luis
Published: August 2019

Purpose. To compare the macular choroidal thinning between young healthy, aged healthy, young high myopic, and aged type 2 diabetic (T2D) patients using the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) grid and three-dimensional (3D) maps. Methods. A prospective study including 102 eyes of 51 healthy young subjects, 60 eyes of 30 healthy aged subjects, 24 eyes of 12 high myopic patients, and 110 eyes of 55 T2D patients. Choroidal thickness (CT) was examined with swept-source optical coherence tomography Triton DRI (Topcon Corporation, Tokyo, Japan). The choroid was automatically segmented using the software algorithm, and mean CT values of a 6 × 6 mm macular cube were exported. 3D maps were created to represent CT, and its values were compared using the ETDRS grid. Results. Mean age was 27.31 ± 3.95, 66.41 ± 7.54, 27.69 ± 3.89, and 66.48 ± 7.59 years in young healthy, aged healthy, young high myopic, and T2D patients, respectively. CT was not shown to be uniform, as superior and central zones were thicker. All ETDRS sectors were always thicker (p<0.05) in young healthy individuals than in the others. It was found that the choroidal sector which got thinner was inferior in case of age (103.28 μm decrease), inferior-nasal in high myopia (86.19 μm decrease), and temporal in T2D (55.57 μm decrease). In addition, the choroid got thinner in those regions where it was thicker in healthy subjects. Conclusions. 3D maps allow a further comprehension of choroidal changes. The choroidal pattern in young healthy individuals resembles a mountain range; with age, a mountain peak; in high myopia, an inverted gorge; and in aged T2D, gathered hills. Not all choroidal regions are affected in a similar way, as it depends on the pathology. The thicker the zone is in healthy subjects, the thinner it becomes with any pathology.
Entropy-Based Block Scrambling Image Encryption Using DES Structure and Chaotic Systems
Authors: Zhang Xuncai , Wang Lingfei , Cui Guangzhao , Niu Ying
Published: August 2019

Traditional encryption algorithms are inefficient when applied to image encryption because image data have the characteristics of large data sizes and strong correlations between adjacent pixels. The shortcomings of the traditional Data encryption standard (DES) encryption algorithm when applied to image encryption are analyzed, and a new image encryption algorithm based on the traditional DES encryption algorithm model, chaotic systems, DNA computing, and select cipher-text output is proposed. Select cipher-text output selects cipher image with the biggest entropy, and it can increase the randomness of cipher image and reduce the risk of encryption system being broken down. This algorithm overcomes the shortcomings of high computational complexity and inconvenient key management that the traditional text encryption algorithm has when applied to image encryption. The experimental results show that the security of this algorithm is verified by analyzing the information entropy, image correlation of adjacent pixels and other indexes. At the same time, this algorithm passes the noise attack test and the occlusion attack test, so it can resist common attacks.
Farmers’ Perceptions of Climate Change Trends and Adaptation Strategies in Semiarid Highlands of Eastern Tigray, Northern Ethiopia
Authors: Kahsay Hailay Tsigab , Guta Dawit Diriba , Birhanu Belay Simane , Gidey Tagel Gebrehiwot
Published: August 2019

This study examined smallholder farmers’ perception about climate change and variability compared with the observed metrological data and their adaptation strategies in response to the perceived impacts of climate change. The multistage sampling method was employed to select 358 rural farmers in Hawzen and Irob districts located in semiarid highlands of Eastern Tigray, northern Ethiopia. Moreover, areal gridded surface monthly rainfall and temperature data between 1983 and 2015 were collected from National Meteorology Agency of Ethiopia. The results revealed that about 98.56 and 92 percent of farmers perceived a decrease in annual rainfall. In addition, 87 and 90 percent of farmers noticed that temperature was increased in Hawzen and Irob districts, respectively. Harmoniously, the modified Mann–Kendall trend test confirmed that annual rainfall was decreased by 32.38 mm and 121.33 mm during the period of analysis. Furthermore, mean annual temperature increased statistically significant (p<0.001) by about 0.40°C and 0.39°C per decade during the period of analysis cognate with the farmers’ perception. To reduce the perceived impacts of climate change, farmers adopted various farm-level adaptation strategies that vary significantly between the two groups. Soil and water conservation, planting trees, crop varieties, changing crop calendar, biological conservation, and irrigation were among the dominant adaptation strategies, respectively, in the study area. The results of this study provide baseline information for local governments, subsequent researchers, and policy-makers in terms of farmers’ perception of climate change and adaptation strategies.
Effects of Alismatis Rhizoma and Rhizoma Smilacis Glabrae Decoction on Hyperuricemia in Rats
Authors: Cheng Shupin , Sun Hanxiao , Li Xiaomeng , Yan Jiuming , Peng Zihao , You Yiping , Zhang Lishi , Chen Jinyao
Published: August 2019

The combination of Alismatis Rhizoma (AR) and Rhizoma Smilacis Glabrae (RSG), as Chinese herb medicine, has been used for their uric acid-lowering effect. However, the effects and mechanism of the combination of the two medicines have not been fully reported. Therefore, to explore the effects of AR-RSG combination decoction on the treatment of chronic hyperuricemia (HUA) in rats as well as the underlying mechanisms, in this study, at the first stage, a long-term HUA rats model was established by gavage of oteracil potassium plus adenine; allopurinol was used as the positive control, and the uric acid-lowering effects of AR or RSG decoction alone with low and high dose were evaluated, respectively. Serum uric acid (UA) and xanthine oxidase (XOD) were determined mainly, and pathological analysis of the kidney and liver was carried out after sacrifice of the animals. And then, at the second stage, four dose groups of AR-RSG combination treatment were investigated in HUA rats. In addition to the indicators measured at the first stage, the expression of urate anion exchanger 1 (URAT1) in rat kidney was determined by immunohistochemistry. We discovered that the UA levels of the model group in both stages were significantly and steadily higher than those of control groups. AR and RSG alone or in combination possess ability to decrease serum UA level of HUA rats, with effects more marked in the combination groups. The uric acid-lowering mechanism of AR-RSG combination may be related to its inhibiting activity of XOD, improving kidney damage and downregulating the expression of URAT1 in kidney.
Synthesis and Characterization of Reduced Graphene Oxide (rGO) Started from Graphene Oxide (GO) Using the Tour Method with Different Parameters
Authors: Habte Adere Tarekegne , Ayele Delele Worku
Published: August 2019

A new approach to synthesize graphene is oxidizing graphite powder with a mixture of H2SO4/H3PO4 acids and potassium permanganate. Parameters such as reaction time, reaction temperature, and amount of concentration were varied to study the degree of oxidation of graphite to graphene oxide. Currently, an improved method for the preparation of graphene oxide was the most common one. A mixture of H2SO4/H3PO4 (9 : 1 volume ratio) instead of only H2SO4 resulted in increased hydrophilic and oxidized GO without the emission of toxic gas, which differs from the traditional Hummers’ method. The graphene oxide (GO) was converted to reduced graphene oxide (rGO) by chemical reduction using ascorbic acid as the reducing agent. The GO and rGO were characterized by UV-visible spectroscopy, FTIR spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction patterns. The result showed that treating graphite powder with potassium permanganate (1 : 9) and a mixture of concentrated H2SO4/H3PO4 acids at 50°C for 12 hours resulted in a better oxidation degree. The designed synthesis strategy could be easily controlled and is an alternative green approach for the production of graphene oxide and reduced graphene oxide.
Large‐Deformation Failure Mechanism of Coal‐Feeder Chamber and Construction of Wall‐Mounted Coal Bunker in Underground Coal Mine with Soft, Swelling Floor Rocks
Authors: Wang Xingkai , Xie Wenbing , Bai Jianbiao , Jing Shengguo , Su Zhili
Published: August 2019

In traditional vertical coal bunker systems, a coal‐feeder chamber (CFC) must bear the whole weight of the bunker. However, maintenance of CFCs within soft, swelling floor rock is a challenge faced in underground coal mines. Floor‐heave control is a complex problem and is still not well‐solved. Moreover, there is no report on the construction of bunker without a CFC, especially under such weak floor‐rock conditions. Based on the serious CFC collapse case at Xiashijie mine, China, this work analyzed the deformation characteristics, main influencing factors, and failure mechanisms of the CFC using a FLAC numerical model. The results indicate that the intrusion of water weakens the strength of the floor rock and causes significant expansive forces; thus, large deformations and tensile failure occur first in the floor, further causing shearing and tensile damage of the reinforced column and even overall instability of the CFC. Then, a new wall‐mounted coal bunker (WMCB), without building the CFC, is proposed. The FLAC3D program was adopted to study the stability of the rocks surrounding the new bunker, and an optimized reinforcement scheme was determined. More importantly, a self‐bearing system, which includes self‐designed H‐steel beams, H‐steel brackets, and self‐locking anchor cables, was proposed and constructed to bear the whole weight of the bunker. The stability of WMCB was verified by a theoretical safety assessment and field test. The invented WMCB could remain stable in spite of severe floor heave. This work can provide helpful references for the construction of vertical bunkers without CFCs in coal mines with soft, swelling floor rocks.
The Chinese Association for the Study of Pain (CASP): Consensus on the Assessment and Management of Chronic Nonspecific Low Back Pain
Authors: Ma Ke , Zhuang Zhi-Gang , Wang Lin , Liu Xian-Guo , Lu Li-Juan , Yang Xiao-Qiu , Lu Yan , Fu Zhi-Jian , Song Tao , Huang Dong , Liu Hui , Huang You-Qing , Peng Bao-Gan , Liu Yan-Qing
Published: August 2019

Chronic nonspecific low back pain (CNLBP) is defined as pain or discomfort originating from the waist, which lasts for at least 12 weeks, but no radiculopathy or specific spinal diseases. CNLBP is a complicated medical problem and places a huge burden on healthcare systems. Clinical manifestation of CNLBP includes discogenic LBP, zygapophyseal joint pain, sacroiliac joint pain, and lumbar muscle strain. Further evaluation should be completed to confirm the diagnosis including auxiliary examination, functional assessment, and clinical assessment. The principle of the management is to relieve pain, restore function, and avoid recurrence. Treatment includes conservative treatment, minimally invasive treatment, and rehabilitation. Pharmacologic therapy is the first-line treatment of nonspecific LBP, and it is most widely used in clinical practice. Interventional therapy should be considered only after failure of medication and physical therapy. Multidisciplinary rehabilitation can improve physical function and alleviate short-term and long-term pain. The emphasis should be put on the prevention of NLBP and reducing relevant risk factors.
Src-Dependent DBL Family Members Drive Resistance to Vemurafenib in Human Melanoma
Authors: Feddersen Charlotte R. , Schillo Jacob L. , Varzavand Afshin , Vaughn Hayley R. , Wadsworth Lexy S. , Voigt Andrew P. , Zhu Eliot Y. , Jennings Brooke M. , Mullen Sarah A. , Bobera Jeremy , Riordan Jesse D. , Stipp Christopher S. , Dupuy Adam J.
Published: August 2019

The use of selective BRAF inhibitors (BRAFi) has produced remarkable outcomes for patients with advanced cutaneous melanoma harboring a BRAFV600E mutation. Unfortunately, the majority of patients eventually develop drug-resistant disease. We employed a genetic screening approach to identify gain-of-function mechanisms of BRAFi resistance in two independent melanoma cell lines. Our screens identified both known and unappreciated drivers of BRAFi resistance, including multiple members of the DBL family. Mechanistic studies identified a DBL/RAC1/PAK signaling axis capable of driving resistance to both current and next-generation BRAFis. However, we show that the SRC inhibitor, saracatinib, can block the DBL-driven resistance. Our work highlights the utility of our straightforward genetic screening method in identifying new drug combinations to combat acquired BRAFi resistance.

Significance:

A simple, rapid, and flexible genetic screening approach identifies genes that drive resistance to MAPK inhibitors when overexpressed in human melanoma cells.
Banding Together: A Systematic Comparison of The Cancer Genome Atlas and the Mitelman Databases
Authors: Denomy Connor , Germain Samuel , Haave Bjorn , Vizeacoumar Frederick S. , Freywald Andrew , Weaver Beth A. , Vizeacoumar Franco J.
Published: August 2019

Cytogenetic aberrations at the single-cell level represent an important characteristic of cancer cells relevant to tumor evolution and prognosis. However, with the advent of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), there has been a major shift in cancer research to the use of data from aggregate cell populations. Given that tumor cells harbor hundreds to thousands of biologically relevant genetic alterations that manifest as intratumor heterogeneity, these aggregate analyses may miss alterations readily observable at single-cell resolution. Using the Mitelman Database of Chromosome Aberrations and Gene Fusions in Cancer, we developed an algorithm to parse International System for Cytogenetic Nomenclature notation for quantitative abnormalities. Comparison of the Mitelman database and TCGA demonstrated that the Mitelman database is a powerful resource, and that cytogenetic aberrations captured by traditional approaches used in Mitelman database are on par with population-based genomic analyses used in TCGA. This algorithm will help nonspecialists to overcome the challenges associated with the format and syntax of the Mitelman database.

Significance:

A novel in silico approach compares cytogenetic data between the Mitelman database and TCGA, highlighting the advantages and limitations of both datasets.
Targeting the Chromosomal Passenger Complex Subunit INCENP Induces Polyploidization, Apoptosis, and Senescence in Neuroblastoma
Authors: Sun Ming , Veschi Veronica , Bagchi Sukriti , Xu Man , Mendoza Arnulfo , Liu Zhihui , Thiele Carol J.
Published: August 2019

Chromosomal passenger complex (CPC) has been demonstrated to be a potential target of cancer therapy by inhibiting Aurora B or survivin in different types of cancer including neuroblastoma. However, chemical inhibition of either Aurora B or survivin does not target CPC specifically due to off-target effects or CPC-independent activities of these two components. In a previous chromatin-focused siRNA screen, we found that neuroblastoma cells were particularly vulnerable to loss of INCENP, a gene encoding a key scaffolding component of the CPC. In this study, INCENP was highly expressed by neuroblastoma cells, and its expression decreased following retinoic acid–induced neuroblastoma differentiation. Elevated levels of INCENP were significantly associated with poor prognosis in primary tumors of neuroblastoma patients with high-risk disease. Genetic silencing of INCENP reduced the growth of both MYCN–wild-type and MYCN-amplified neuroblastoma cell lines in vitro and decreased the growth of neuroblastoma xenografts in vivo, with significant increases in murine survival. Mechanistically, INCENP depletion suppressed neuroblastoma cell growth by inducing polyploidization, apoptosis, and senescence. In most neuroblastoma cell lines tested in vitro, apoptosis was the primary cell fate after INCENP silencing due to induction of DNA damage response and activation of the p53–p21 axis. These results confirm that CPC is a therapeutic target in neuroblastoma, and targeting INCENP is a novel way to disrupt the activity of CPC and inhibit tumor progression in neuroblastoma.

Significance:

Dysregulation of INCENP contributes to neuroblastoma tumorigenesis and targeting INCENP presents a novel strategy to disrupt the activity of chromosomal passenger complex and inhibit neuroblastoma progression.
The Use of Ultrasonic Communication to Maintain Social Cohesion in the Javan Slow Loris (Nycticebus javanicus)
Authors: Geerah Daniel R. , O’Hagan Robert P. , Wirdateti W. , Nekaris K.A.I.
Published: August 2019

Only a handful of primate taxa use ultrasonic vocalisations (those ≥20 kHz) to communicate. The extent and uses of ultrasonic communication remain poorly understood, potentially ranging from echolocation, advertisement of reproductive status and resource availability, social cohesion, to predator avoidance. Here, using active acoustics whereby the study subjects were observed throughout their activity period, we describe the first purely ultrasonic call from a strepsirrhine primate (family Lorisidae), recorded in a completely wild setting, and hypothesise about its function. We identified one type of ultrasonic call, the doublet click, from 14 Javan slow lorises (Nycticebus javanicus) produced by males and females of juvenile, subadult and adult ages within their social groups (n = 791, mean = 46.0 kHz). We ran quadratic discriminant function analysis, finding dominant frequency and doublet click duration as the key parameters for identifying individuals’ sex and age. Significantly more vocalisations were produced during affiliative social behaviour, suggesting that the call serves a social cohesion function. Considering the range of other cryptic behaviours, including slow and silent locomotion, and the high degree of territoriality associated with venomous attacks on conspecifics, the call may also serve as a safety strategy, allowing family members to regulate distance from other slow lorises and to communicate cryptically whilst avoiding predators.
Cryptic Communication in a Montane Nocturnal Haplorhine, Tarsius pumilus
Authors: Grow Nanda Bess
Published: August 2019

Crypsis, including visual and auditory concealment, usually manifests in primates as an antipredator strategy. Other factors may also influence cryptic communication style, including habitat structure and phylogenetic history. Compared to less cryptic lowland Sulawesian tarsiers, montane pygmy tarsiers (Tarsius pumilus) exhibit a communication style that lacks scent marks and lower-frequency vocalisations. This study examines why auditory crypsis occurs in montane tarsiers more so than in larger tarsier species and presents the only known spectrograms of T. pumilus in the field. T. pumilus regularly exhibited calls with a dominant frequency of 60–80 kHz (n = 4) in both social situations (duet calls) and stressed contexts. These results indicate that highland, smaller-bodied tarsiers habitually communicate at high frequencies in contexts where Sulawesian and Philippine tarsiers use lower frequencies. While predation threats and habitat acoustics may influence the use of high-frequency vocalisations, this study found that T. pumilus shows an expected relationship between vocal frequency and body mass. These traits may represent a retention of primitive haplorhine traits rather than derived adaptations to a montane environment.
Variation across Species and Levels: Implications for Model Species Research
Authors: Striedter Georg F.
Published: August 2019

The selection of model species tends to involve two typically unstated assumptions, namely: (1) that the similarity between species decreases steadily with phylogenetic distance, and (2) that similarities are greater at lower levels of biological organization. The first assumption holds on average, but species similarities tend to decrease with the square root of divergence time, rather than linearly, and lineages with short generation times (which includes most model species) tend to diverge faster than average, making the decrease in similarity non-monotonic. The second assumption is more difficult to test. Comparative molecular research has traditionally emphasized species similarities over differences, whereas comparative research at higher levels of organization frequently highlights the species differences. However, advances in comparative genomics have brought to light a great variety of species differences, not just in gene regulation but also in protein coding genes. Particularly relevant are cases in which homologous high-level characters are based on non-homologous genes. This phenomenon of non-orthologous gene displacement, or “deep non-homology,” indicates that species differences at the molecular level can be surprisingly large. Given these observations, it is not surprising that some findings obtained in model species do not generalize across species as well as researchers had hoped, even if the research is molecular.
Generic Homo sapiens and Unique Mus musculus: Establishing the Typicality of the Modeled and the Model Species
Authors: Finlay Barbara L.
Published: August 2019

The question of how complex human abilities evolved, such as language or face recognition, has been pursued by means of multiple strategies. Highly specialized non-human species have been examined analytically for formal similarities, close phylogenetic relatives have been examined for continuity, and simpler species have been analyzed for the broadest view of functional organization. All these strategies require empirical evidence of what is variable and predictable in both the modeled and the model species. Turning to humans, allometric analyses of the evolution of brain mass and brain components often return the interesting, but disappointing answer that volumetric organization of the human brain is highly predictable seen in its phylogenetic context. Reconciling this insight with unique human behavior, or any species-typical behavior, represents a serious challenge. Allometric analyses of the order and duration of mammalian neural development show that, while basic neural development in humans is allometrically predictable, conforming to adult neural architecture, some life history features deviate, notably that weaning is unusually early. Finally, unusual deviations in the retina and central auditory system in the laboratory mouse, which is widely assumed to be “generic,” as well as severe deviations from expected brain allometry in some mouse strains, underline the need for a deeper understanding of phylogenetic variability even in those systems believed to be best understood.
Vocal Repertoire and Intraspecific Variation within Two Loud Calls of the Small-Eared Greater Galago (Otolemur garnettii) in Tanzania and Kenya
Authors: Bettridge Caroline M. , Kenworthy Simon P. , Butynski Thomas M. , de Jong Yvonne A. , de Kort Selvino R.
Published: August 2019

Vocal repertoires and call structure can provide insights into the behaviour and evolution of species, as well as aid in taxonomic classification. Nocturnal primates have large vocal repertoires. This suggests that acoustic communication plays an important role in their life histories. Little is known about the behavioural context or the intraspecific variation of their vocalisations. We used autonomous recording units and manual recorders to investigate the vocal behaviour and structure of loud calls of the small-eared greater galago (Otolemur garnettii) in Kenya and Tanzania. We describe the vocal repertoire, temporal calling patterns and structure of 2 loud calls of 2 subspecies: O. g. panganiensis and O. g. kikuyuensis. We found considerable intraspecific structural differences in both loud calls. These are congruent with the current subspecies classification. Differences in vocalisations among populations are not consistent with the “acoustic adaptation hypothesis,” rather they are likely a result of geographic variation due to isolation caused by vegetational barriers in southern Kenya.
Speckle Tracking Echocardiography and All-Cause and Cardiovascular Mortality Risk in Chronic Kidney Disease Patients
Authors: Jahn Laura , Kramann Rafael , Marx Nikolaus , Floege Jürgen , Becker Michael , Schlieper Georg
Published: August 2019

Background and Objectives: Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) exhibit a highly increased risk of cardiovascular (CV) morbidity and mortality. Subtle changes in left ventricular function can be detected by two-dimensional (2D) speckle tracking echocardiography (STE). This study investigated whether myocardial dysfunction detected by 2D STE may aid in CV and all-cause mortality risk assessment in patients with CKD stages 3 and 4. Method: A study group of 285 patients (CKD 3: 193 patients; CKD 4: 92 patients) and a healthy control group (34 participants) were included in the retrospective study. 2D STE values as well as early and late diastolic strain rates were measured in ventricular longitudinal, circumferential and radial directions. Patients’ CV and all-cause outcome was determined. Results: In the CKD group all measured longitudinal STE values and radial strain were significantly reduced compared to the control group. Cox proportional hazards regression revealed global longitudinal strain to predict CV and all-cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR] 1.15, 95% CI 1.06–1.25; p = 0.0008 and HR 1.09, 95% CI 1.04–1.14; p = 0.0003). After adjustment for sex, age, diabetes, estimated glomerular filtration rate, and preexisting CV disease, this association was maintained for CV mortality and all-cause mortality (HR 1.16, 95% CI 1.06–1.27; p = 0.0019 and HR 1.08, 95% CI 1.03–1.14; p = 0.0026, respectively). Conclusions: The present study shows that 2D STE detects reduced left ventricular myocardial function and allows the prediction of CV and all-cause mortality in patients at CKD stages 3 and 4.
Peculiar Clinical Findings in Young Choroideremia Patients: A Retrospective Case Review
Authors: Mucciolo Dario Pasquale , Murro Vittoria , Sodi Andrea , Passerini Ilaria , Giorgio Dario , Virgili Gianni , Rizzo Stanislao
Published: August 2019

Purpose: To report peculiar clinical findings in young choroideremia (CHM) patients. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed young (age <20 years at the first evaluation) CHM patients examined at the Regional Reference Center for Hereditary Retinal Degenerations at the Eye Clinic in Florence between 2012 and 2018. We took into consideration patients with ophthalmological examinations, fundus color photographs, fundus autofluorescence (FAF) images, optical coherence tomography (OCT) scans, full-field electroretinograms, and Goldmann visual fields. Results: In our series, we studied 8 young CHM patients (average age 13.8 years, median age 12.5, range 10–20) for a total of 16 eyes. Visual acuity (VA) was 20/20 in 7 patients and 20/25 in both eyes of 1 patient. We identified a peculiar central FAF pattern (detectable in 3 patients), characterized by reduced central hypo-autofluorescence. Long OCT scans showed different forms of parapapillary retinal involvement from the mildest to the most severe form when the macula is still preserved. In 3 patients, at the time of atrophic changes at the posterior pole, it was possible to detect a progressive reduction of foveal pigmentation during follow-up. We found mutations of the CHM gene in all 6 patients who had been screened. Conclusions: CHM is a progressive retinal disorder which involves both the peripheral and the central retina. Using a multimodal imaging approach, we described peculiar central abnormalities underlying the early involvement of the central retina in young CHM patients with a good VA.