bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Real-World Dual Antiplatelet Therapy Following Polymer-Free Sirolimus-Eluting Stent Implantations to Treat Coronary Artery Disease
Authors: Krackhardt Florian , Waliszewski Matthias , Kočka Viktor , Toušek Petr , Janek Bronislav , Hudec Martin , Lozano Fernando , Roman Koldobika Garcia-San , del Blanco Bruno Garcia , Mauri Josepa , Heang Tay Mok , Ahn Tae Hoon , Jeong Myung Ho , Herberger Denny , Tomulic Vjekoslav , Levy Gilles , Sebagh Laurent , Rischner Jérôme , Pansieri Michel
Published: March 2020

Objectives

The objective of this post hoc analysis was to analyze real-world dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) regimens following polymer-free sirolimus-eluting stent (PF-SES) implantations in an unselected patient population.

Methods

Patient-level data from two all-comers observational studies (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifiers: NCT02629575 and NCT02905214) were pooled and analyzed in terms of their primary endpoint. During the data verification process, we observed substantial deviations from DAPT guideline recommendations. To illuminate this gap between clinical practice and guideline recommendations, we conducted a post hoc analysis of DAPT regimens and clinical event rates for which we defined the net adverse event rate (NACE) consisting of target lesion revascularization (TLR, primary endpoint of all-comers observational studies) all-cause death, myocardial infarction (MI), stent thrombosis (ST), and bleeding events. A logistic regression was utilized to determine predictors why ticagrelor was used in stable coronary artery disease (CAD) patients instead of the guideline-recommended clopidogrel.

Results

For stable CAD, the composite endpoint of clinical, bleeding, and stent thrombosis, i.e., NACE, between the clopidogrel and ticagrelor treatment groups was not different (5.4% vs. 5.1%, p = 0.745). Likewise, in the acute coronary syndrome (ACS) cohort, the NACE rates were not different between both DAPT strategies (9.2% vs. 9.3%, p = 0.927). There were also no differences in the accumulated rates for TLR, myocardial infarction ([MI], mortality, bleeding events, and stent thrombosis in elective and ACS patients. The main predictors for ticagrelor use in stable CAD patients were age < 65 years, smaller vessels, treatment of ostial and calcified lesions, and in-stent restenosis.

Conclusion

Within the framework of a post hoc analysis based on a real-world, large cohort study, there were no differences in the combined endpoint of major adverse cardiac events (MACE), bleeding and thrombotic events for clopidogrel and ticagrelor in stable CAD or ACS patients. Despite the recommendation for clopidogrel by the European Society of Cardiology (ESC), real-world ticagrelor use was observed in subgroups of stable CAD patients that ought to be explored in future trials.
Population genetic structures of Puccinia triticina in five provinces of China
Authors: Ma Yutong , Liu Taiguo , Liu Bo , Gao Li , Chen Wanquan
Published: March 2020

To understand the evolution ofPuccinia triticina, we used single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to evaluate theP. triticinapopulation genetic structure in five Chinese provinces, Gansu, Henan, Hubei, Shaanxi and Sichuan from 2013 to 2015. The populations exhibited characteristics of high haplotype diversity but low nuclear diversity. The gene flow was frequent between Gansu and Henan, Gansu and Sichuan and Sichuan and Henan. Genetic differentiation was significant among populations except between Henan and Gansu and between Henan and Sichuan (P < 0.05). TheP. triticinaisolates from the five provinces were grouped into two clusters: Gansu/Henan/Shaanxi/Sichuan and Hubei clusters. AMOVA analysis showed that the populations exhibited genetic variation; the variation percentage reached 87.45%, and the genetic variation within populations was the major source of variation. Our results suggest that the genetic diversity ofP. triticinawas high and that gene flow was frequent between populations.P. triticinapopulation of China had experienced a rapid expansion, which caused some differences between populations. The Hubei population was different from other population due to genetic variation within populations.
Putting Rigorous Evidence Within Reach: Lessons Learned from the New Heights Evaluation
Authors: Zief Susan , Deke John , Neild Ruth
Published: March 2020

Purpose

This article uses an evaluation of New Heights, a school-based program for pregnant and parenting teens in the District of Columbia Public Schools, to illustrate how maternal and child health programs can obtain rigorous evaluations at reasonable cost using extant administrative data. The key purpose of the article is to draw out lessons learned about planning and conducting this type of evaluation, including the important role of partnerships between program staff and evaluators.

Description

This article summarizes the evaluation’s research design, data sources, and lessons learned about ingredients contributing to the successful implementation of this study. The evaluation employed a difference-in-differences design to estimate program impacts using administrative data merged across agencies.

Assessment

Several features of New Heights and its context facilitated an evaluation. First, New Heights leaders could clearly describe program components and how the program was expected to improve specific student education outcomes. These outcomes were easy to measure for program and comparison groups using administrative data, which agencies were willing to provide. Second, buy-in from program staff facilitated study approval, data agreements, and unanticipated opportunities to learn about program implementation. Finally, time spent by evaluators and program staff in conversation about the program’s components, context, and data resulted in greater understanding and a more useful evaluation.

Conclusion

The New Heights evaluation is a concrete example of how a small program with a modest evaluation budget can obtain evidence of impact. Collaborative relationships between researchers and program staff can enable these informative studies to flourish.
Spatial distribution of sarcoptic mange (Sarcoptes scabiei) in urban foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in Great Britain as determined by citizen science
Authors: Scott Dawn M. , Baker Rowenna , Tomlinson Alexandra , Berg Maureen J. , Charman Naomi , Tolhurst Bryony A.
Published: March 2020

Urban areas may support high densities of wild carnivores, and pathogens can strongly influence carnivore populations. Red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) are hosts of sarcoptic mange(Sarcoptes scabiei), which infects numerous species, and transmission can be density dependent. In Great Britain, urban red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) have recently increased in population density and undergone range expansions. Here we investigate corresponding changes in urban fox mange prevalence. We predicted a higher prevalence closer to historic epi/enzootics and lower prevalence where urban features reduce fox density and movements, i.e. large areas of public green space, and fragmented habitat, as measured by road length and urban perimeter shape complexity. We visually assessed mange symptoms from georeferenced images of urban foxes submitted online by the public, thus surveying private land on a national scale. We measured the proportion of foxes apparently showing mange and used SATSCAN to identify spatial clusters of high infection risk. Landscape features were extracted from urban layers in GIS to determine associations. Although mange was widespread, we identified a single cluster of high prevalence (37.1%) in Northwest and Central England, which exceeded double mean prevalence overall (15.1%) and mirrors the northward expansion of urban fox distribution. Prevalence was positively correlated with perimeter shape complexity and negatively correlated with distance to the nearest city with mange, although the latter association was weak. Our findings show that citizen science can effectively monitor diseases with highly visible symptoms and suggest that fox movements are influential in explaining spatial patterns of prevalence.
An isogeometric numerical study of partially and fully implicit schemes for transient adjoint shape sensitivity analysis
Authors: Wang Zhen-Pei , Xie Zhifeng , Poh Leong Hien
Published: March 2020

In structural design optimization involving transient responses, time integration scheme plays a crucial role in sensitivity analysis because it affects the accuracy and stability of transient analysis. In this work, the influence of time integration scheme is studied numerically for the adjoint shape sensitivity analysis of two benchmark transient heat conduction problems within the framework of isogeometric analysis. It is found that (i) the explicit approach (β = 0) and semi-implicit approach with β < 0.5 impose a strict stability condition of the transient analysis; (ii) the implicit approach (β = 1) and semi-implicit approach with β > 0.5 are generally preferred for their unconditional stability; and (iii) Crank-Nicolson type approach (β= 0.5) may induce a large error for large time-step sizes due to the oscillatory solutions. The numerical results also show that the time-step size does not have to be chosen to satisfy the critical conditions for all of the eigen-frequencies. It is recommended to use β ≈ 0.75 for unconditional stability, such that the oscillation condition is much less critical than the Crank-Nicolson scheme, and the accuracy is higher than a fully implicit approach.
Engaging the Adaptive Subject: Learning Evolution Beyond the Cell Walls
Authors: Affifi Ramsey
Published: March 2020

According to the modern synthesis (MS), evolution is the gradual change of gene frequencies in a population. The MS is closely allied to adaptationist explanations of phenotypes, where organismic form and behavior is treated as previously selected for and owes its genesis to some remote past. However, some new theories of evolution broadly aligned with the extended evolutionary synthesis (EES), in particular developmental plasticity theory and niche construction theory, foreground the fact that evolution is sometimes much more rapid than previously imagined, and occurs through the active engagement of organisms accommodating and modifying their environments. This article describes how these contemporary theories reveal two interconnected sides of being anadaptive subject, a situated agent that modifies itself and its environment as it lives, and contributes to evolution in turn. MS and adaptationism have a generic logical structure that can be taught anywhere, but because developmental plasticity theory and niche construction theory point to an ontology that foregrounds the agency of the organism, they benefit from in situ exploration. I arguebiology as a subjectneeds to adapt, and call for the renewed importance of field studies, outlining some elements of how such studies might be conceived. I close by considering how understanding organisms as adaptive subjects of evolution has important implications for sustainability education.
Mapping mammography in Arkansas: Locating areas with poor spatial access to breast cancer screening using optimization models and geographic information systems
Authors: Young Sean G. , Ayers Meghan , Malak Sharp F.
Published: March 2020

Introduction:

Arkansans have some of the worst breast cancer mortality to incidence ratios in the United States (5th for Blacks, 4th for Whites, 7th overall). Screening mammography allows for early detection and significant reductions in mortality, yet not all women have access to these life-saving services. Utilization in Arkansas is well below the national average, and the number of FDA-approved screening facilities has decreased by 38% since 2001. Spatial accessibility plays an important role in whether women receive screenings.

Methods:

We use constrained optimization models within a geographic information system (GIS) to probabilistically allocate women to nearby screening facilities, accounting for facility capacity and patient travel time. We examine accessibility results by rurality derived from rural–urban commuting area (RUCA) codes.

Results:

Under most models, screening capacity is insufficient to meet theoretical demand given travel constraints. Approximately 80% of Arkansan women live within 30 minutes of a screening facility, most of which are located in urban and suburban areas. The majority of unallocated demand was in Small towns and Rural areas.

Conclusions:

Geographic disparities in screening mammography accessibility exist across Arkansas, but women living in Rural areas have particularly poor spatial access. Mobile mammography clinics can remove patient travel time constraints to help meet rural demand. More broadly, optimization models and GIS can be applied to many studies of healthcare accessibility in rural populations.
As Darkness Deepens: The Right to be Forgotten in the Context of Authoritarian Constitutionalism
Authors: Goldmann Matthias
Published: March 2020

There is no point in denying the significance of the Right to be forgotten for the state of judicial dialogue in Europe. It vindicates the position of the BVerfG as a court deserving international recognition for advancing the law in the crucial field of data protection. Nevertheless, restricting the scope of analysis to the narrow context of judicial dialogue misses the wider context of the rise of authoritarian constitutionalism in certain EU Member States. In this respect, it is of the highest significance that the decisions on the Right to be forgotten effectively eliminate the imagined normative hierarchy between domestic and EU law that provided the basis for the BVerfG’s jurisprudence ever since Solange I and Maastricht. Moreover, by reasserting the primacy of EU law, the BVerfG strengthens the position of embattled judges in Poland facing disciplinary action for implementing the primacy of EU law. The concern shown by some members of the First Senate for the situation in Poland corroborates this reading.
The Gender Wage Gap in Early Modern Toledo, 1550–1650
Authors: Drelichman Mauricio , González Agudo David
Published: March 2020

We exploit the records of a large Toledan hospital to study the compensation of female labor and the gender wage gap in early modern Castile in the context of nursing—a non-gendered, low-skill occupation in which men and women performed the same clearly defined tasks. We employ a robust methodology to estimate the value of in-kind compensation, and show it to constitute a central part of the labor contract, far exceeding subsistence requirements. Patient admissions records are used to measure nurse productivity, which did not differ across genders. Female compensation varied between 70 percent and 100 percent of male levels, with fluctuations clearly linked to relative labor scarcity. Contrary to common assumptions in the literature, we show that markets played an important role in setting female compensation in early modern Castile. The sources of the gender disparity are, therefore, likely to be found in the broader social and cultural context.
Antislavery and Imperialism: The British Suppression of the Slave Trade and the Opening of Fernando Po, 1827–1829
Authors: Pardue Jeff
Published: March 2020

This article chronicles the construction of the first permanent foreign settlement on the West African island of Fernando Po (today called Bioko) as part of the British effort to suppress the slave trade in the 1820s. The settlement ended centuries of relative isolation by the indigenous Bubi who hitherto had successfully navigated between occasional trade with outsiders and repelling slave traders. Although British plans ultimately failed, the settlement remained, as did a large portion of the settlers. This article argues that the disruptive power of suppression created the conditions for a colonial shift toward integration of the island into the larger Euro–West African world. While the settlement's influence grew in the short term through its successful leveraging of economic and military resources, it was the landing of liberated slaves that would have the greatest long-term significance, and highlights the (often unintentional) connection between antislavery and imperialism.
Coverage Analysis of Lunar Communication/Navigation Constellations Based on Halo Orbits and Distant Retrograde Orbits
Authors: Gao Zhao-Yang , Hou Xi-Yun
Published: March 2020

With more and more missions around the Moon, a communication/navigation constellation around the Moon is necessary. Halo orbits, due to their unique geometry, are extensively studied by researchers for this purpose. A dedicated survey is carried out in this work to analyse the coverage ability of halo orbits. It is found that a two-satellite constellation is enough for continuous one-fold coverage of the north or the south polar regions but never both. A three-satellite constellation is enough for continuous one-fold coverage of both north and south polar regions. A four-satellite constellation can cover nearly 100% of the whole lunar surface. In addition, the coverage ability of another special orbit – distant retrograde orbit (DRO) – is analysed for the first time in this study. It is found that three satellites on DROs can cover 99·8% of the lunar surface, with coverage gaps at polar caps. A four-satellite constellation moving on spatial DROs can cover nearly the whole lunar surface. By combining halo orbits and DROs, we design a five-satellite constellation composed of three halo orbit satellites and two DRO satellites. This constellation can provide 100% continuous one-fold coverage of the whole lunar surface.
Why Would I Be a Whistleblower?
Authors: Henschke Adam
Published: March 2020

The ethics of whistleblowing are complex and challenging. On the one hand, there are a strong set of moral reasons why someone ought to blow the whistle when he or she learns of wrongdoing. On the other hand, such actions typically come at a significant cost to the whistleblower and may not bring about any significant change. Both aspects prompt us to ask, why would I be a whistleblower? Emanuela Ceva and Michele Bocchiola's Is Whistleblowing a Duty? answers that question by arguing that one has an organizational duty to blow the whistle. Kate Kenny's Whistleblowing: Toward a New Theory reframes the question, showing how hard it has been for members of the international financial industry to blow the whistle and bring about any effective change to that industry. In this review essay, I suggest that analyses of whistleblowing need to take into account evolving technologies, the importance of loyalty, and special contexts such as whistleblowing in the national security sector.
Combining Cognitive Markers to Identify Individuals at Increased Dementia Risk: Influence of Modifying Factors and Time to Diagnosis
Authors: Payton Nicola M. , Rizzuto Debora , Fratiglioni Laura , Kivipelto Miia , Bäckman Lars , Laukka Erika J.
Published: March 2020

Objective:

We investigated the extent to which combining cognitive markers increases the predictive value for future dementia, when compared to individual markers. Furthermore, we examined whether predictivity of markers differed depending on a range of modifying factors and time to diagnosis.

Method:

Neuropsychological assessment was performed for 2357 participants (60+ years) without dementia from the population-based Swedish National Study on Aging and Care in Kungsholmen. In the main sample analyses, the outcome was dementia at 6 years. In the time-to-diagnosis analyses, a subsample of 407 participants underwent cognitive testing 12, 6, and 3 years before diagnosis, with dementia diagnosis at the 12-year follow-up.

Results:

Category fluency was the strongest individual predictor of dementia 6 years before diagnosis [area under the curve (AUC) = .903]. The final model included tests of verbal fluency, episodic memory, and perceptual speed (AUC = .913); these three domains were found to be the most predictive across a range of different subgroups. Twelve years before diagnosis, pattern comparison (perceptual speed) was the strongest individual predictor (AUC = .686). However, models 12 years before diagnosis did not show significantly increased predictivity above that of the covariates.

Conclusions:

This study shows that combining markers from different cognitive domains leads to increased accuracy in predicting future dementia 6 years later. Markers from the verbal fluency, episodic memory, and perceptual speed domains consistently showed high predictivity across subgroups stratified by age, sex, education, apolipoprotein E ϵ4 status, and dementia type. Predictivity increased closer to diagnosis and showed highest accuracy up to 6 years before a dementia diagnosis. (JINS, 2020,00, 1–13)
Rapid endosperm development promotes early maturity in weedy rice (Oryza sativa f. spontanea)
Authors: Zhao Can , Xu Wenrong , Meng Lingchao , Qiang Sheng , Dai Weimin , Zhang Zheng , Song Xiaoling
Published: March 2020

Early maturity allows weedy rice (Oryza sativa L. f. spontanea) to persist by escaping harvest in paddy fields. A shorter grain-filling period contributes to the early maturity of weedy rice. However, the differences in morphology and endosperm development in the caryopsis between weedy and cultivated rice are largely unexplored. Here, we selected four biotypes of weedy rice and associated cultivated rice (ACR; Oryza sativa) from different latitudes to conduct a common garden experiment. The endosperm development process of the caryopsis was observed by optical microscopy and electron microscopy. Endosperm cell division and starch accumulation rate during grain filling were also measured. The grain development progress in weedy rice was more rapid and earlier than that in ACR. The endosperm development progress of weedy rice was 6 to 8 d earlier than that of ACR. The endosperm cells of weedy rice cellularized earlier and more rapidly than those of ACR, and the starch grains of weedy rice were more sharply polygonal and compactly arranged than those of ACR. The active endosperm cell division period in weedy rice was 4 to 7 d shorter than that in ACR, while the active starch accumulation period of weedy rice was 2 to 8 d shorter than that of ACR. The rapid development of endosperm cells and starch grains leads to the shorter grain-filling period of weedy rice. weedy rice.
Acoustic Observations of Kelvin‐Helmholtz Billows on an Estuarine Lutocline
Authors: Tu Junbiao , Fan Daidu , Lian Qiang , Liu Zhiyu , Liu Wei , Kaminski Alexis , Smyth William
Published: March 2020

Kelvin‐Helmholtz (KH) instability plays an important role in turbulent mixing in deep oceans, coastal seas, and estuaries. Though widely observed and studied in thermohaline‐stratified waters, KH instability has only rarely been observed in sediment‐stratified environments. For the first time, we present direct observations of KH billows on an estuarine lutocline by combining echosounder images with velocity and density measurements. The interaction between velocity shear and the density stratification induced by suspended sediments initiated shear instabilities near the bed, indicated by gradient Richardson number (Ri) < 0.25 in the early stages of the observed billows. Once formed, the instabilities enhanced the vertical mixing of momentum, reducing vertical shear and elevating Ri. Linear instability analysis using measured velocity and density profiles well predicts the vertical location and spatial characteristics of the observed billows. These instabilities are believed to contribute to the vertical mixing, entrainment, and transport of estuarine and coastal sediments.
Modeling Mud and Sand Transfers Between a Macrotidal Estuary and the Continental Shelf: Influence of the Sediment Transport Parameterization
Authors: Diaz M. , Grasso F. , Le Hir P. , Sottolichio A. , Caillaud M. , Thouvenin B.
Published: March 2020

Coastal environments are directly influenced by terrigenous inputs coming from rivers through estuaries. Quantifying the amount of nutrients and contaminants transported by sediments from continental areas to the sea is crucial for marine resources protection. However, the complexity of estuarine dynamics makes it difficult to quantify sediment fluxes from field measurements alone and requires numerical modeling. Thus, using a realistic 3‐D hydrodynamic and sediment transport model, this study aims at evaluating the influence of model empirical parameters on sediment fluxes and estimating uncertainties on mud and sand transfers at a macrotidal estuary mouth. A sensitivity analysis, considering changes in sediment transport parameters, revealed that the system is sensitive not only to settling and erosion parameterizations but also to the spin‐up period and the sediment sliding process. Both estuarine circulation and tidal pumping induce a residual up‐estuary transport, which is balanced by seaward export during spring tides. Although more fine sediments are exported within the surface turbid plume during high river discharge, the net mud transport is directed up‐estuary due to increased baroclinic circulation. Besides, model results highlighted a strong seasonal variability in sediment fluxes with a short and high import during high river flow and a long and weak export during low river flow. Uncertainties associated with the simulated fluxes were about 93% for mud and 51% for noncohesive classes, based on the best performing parameter sets for surface suspended sediment concentrations. These results can be reliably extrapolated to similar macrotidal estuarine systems.
Physiological and geometrical effects in the upper airways with and without mandibular advance device for sleep apnea treatment
Authors: Martínez Adela , Muñiz Alfonso López , Soudah Eduardo , Calvo Juan , Suárez Alberto Álvarez , Cobo Juan , Cobo Teresa
Published: March 2020

Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that occurs when the breathing of a person is interrupted during the sleep. This interruption occurs because of the patient has narrowed airways and the upper airways muscles relax, closes in and blocks the airway. Therefore, any forces or reaction originated by the air flow dynamics over the relaxed upper airways muscles could make to close the upper airways, and consequently the air could not flow into your lungs, provoking sleep apnea. Fully describing the dynamic behavior of the airflow in this area is a severe challenge for the physicians. In this paper we explore the dynamic behavior of airflow in the upper airways of 6 patients suffering obstructive sleep apnea with/without a mandibular advancement device using computational fluid dynamics. The development of flow unsteadiness from a laminar state at entry to the pharynx through to the turbulent character in the soft palate area is resolved using an accurate numerical model. Combining the airflow solution with a geometrical analysis of the upper airways reveals the positive effects of mandibular advance device in the air flow behavior (pressure drop). Improved modeling of airflow and positioning of mandibular advance device could be applied to improve diagnosis and treatment of obstructive sleep apnea.
Hyperalignment of motor cortical areas based on motor imagery during action observation
Authors: Al-Wasity Salim , Vogt Stefan , Vuckovic Aleksandra , Pollick Frank E.
Published: March 2020

Multivariate Pattern Analysis (MVPA) has grown in importance due to its capacity to use both coarse and fine scale patterns of brain activity. However, a major limitation of multivariate analysis is the difficulty of aligning features across brains, which makes MVPA a subject specific analysis. Recent work by Haxby et al. (2011) introduced a method called Hyperalignment that explored neural activity in ventral temporal cortex during object recognition and demonstrated the ability to align individual patterns of brain activity into a common high dimensional space to facilitate Between Subject Classification (BSC). Here we examined BSC based on Hyperalignment of motor cortex during a task of motor imagery of three natural actions (lift, knock and throw). To achieve this we collected brain activity during the combined tasks of action observation and motor imagery to a parametric action space containing 25 stick-figure blends of the three natural actions. From these responses we derived Hyperalignment transformation parameters that were used to map subjects’ representational spaces of the motor imagery task in the motor cortex into a common model representational space. Results showed that BSC of the neural response patterns based on Hyperalignment exceeded both BSC based on anatomical alignment as well as a standard Within Subject Classification (WSC) approach. We also found that results were sensitive to the order in which participants entered the Hyperalignment algorithm. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of Hyperalignment to align neural responses across subject in motor cortex to enable BSC of motor imagery.
Measuring Knee Bone Marrow Perfusion Using Arterial Spin Labeling at 3 T
Authors: Li Xiufeng , Johnson Casey P. , Ellermann Jutta
Published: March 2020

Bone perfusion is an essential physiological measure reflecting vasculature status and tissue viability of the skeletal system. Arterial spin labeling (ASL), as a non-invasive and non-contrast enhanced perfusion imaging method, is an attractive approach for human research studies. To evaluate the feasibility of ASL perfusion imaging of knee bone marrow in the distal femoral condyle at a 3 T MRI scanner, a study was performed with eight healthy volunteers (three males and five females, 26 ± 2 years old) and two patients (male, 15 and 11 years old) with diagnosed stage II juvenile osteochondritis dissecans (JOCD). ASL imaging utilized a flow-sensitive alternating inversion recovery method for labeling and a single-shot fast spin echo sequence for image readout. In addition to quantitative knee bone marrow ASL imaging, studies were also performed to evaluate the effects of prolonged post-bolus delay and varied labeling size. ASL imaging was successfully performed with all volunteers. Despite the benefits of hyper-intensive signal suppression within bone marrow, the use of a prolonged post-bolus delay caused excessive perfusion signal decay, resulting in low perfusion signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and poor image quality. Bone marrow perfusion signal changed with the labeling size, suggesting that the measured bone marrow perfusion signal is flow-associated. The means and standard deviations of bone marrow blood flow, spatial SNR, and temporal SNR from the quantitative perfusion study were 38.3 ± 5.2 mL/100 g/min, 3.31 ± 0.48, and 1.33 ± 0.31, respectively. The imaging results from JOCD patients demonstrated the potential of ASL imaging to detect disease-associated bone marrow perfusion changes. This study demonstrates that it is feasible to perform ASL imaging of knee bone marrow in the distal femoral condyle at 3 T.
Inhibitors of Na+/K+ ATPase exhibit antitumor effects on multicellular tumor spheroids of hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Song Yeonhwa , Lee Su-Yeon , Kim Sanghwa , Choi Inhee , Kim Se-Hyuk , Shum David , Heo Jinyeong , Kim A-Ram , Kim Kang Mo , Seo Haeng Ran
Published: March 2020

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), one of the most common malignant cancers worldwide, is associated with substantial mortality. Because HCCs have strong resistance to conventional chemotherapeutic agents, novel therapeutic strategies are needed to improve survival in patients with HCC. The multicellular tumor spheroid (MCTS) model is a powerful method for anticancer research because of its ability to mimic the complexity and heterogeneity of tumor tissue, the three-dimensional cellular context of tumor tissue, and the pathophysiological gradients of in vivo tumors. However, it is difficult to obtain meaningful results from the MCTS model without considering the conditions of clinical tumors. We, therefore, provided a proof of concept to determine whether spheroid models simulate in vivo tumor microenvironments. Through a high-throughput screening for HCC therapy using the MCTS model, we selected inhibitors of Na+/K+-ATPase (ouabain and digoxin) that could suppress cell growth and migration via inhibition of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition of HCC in vivo and in vitro. The results showed that this model provides a new paradigm for high-throughput drug screening and will significantly improve the efficiency of identifying new drugs for HCC treatment. Through utilization of MCTS models, here we found that inhibitors of Na+/K+-ATPase may be feasible as a novel target to sensitize HCC cells.
Lactobacillus reuteri 5454 and Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis 5764 improve colitis while differentially impacting dendritic cells maturation and antimicrobial responses
Authors: Hrdý Jiří , Alard Jeanne , Couturier-Maillard Aurelie , Boulard Olivier , Boutillier Denise , Delacre Myriam , Lapadatescu Carmen , Cesaro Annabelle , Blanc Philippe , Pot Bruno , Ryffel Bernhard , Chamaillard Mathias , Grangette Corinne
Published: March 2020

Crohn’s disease is linked to a decreased diversity in gut microbiota composition as a potential consequence of an impaired anti-microbial response and an altered polarization of T helper cells. Here, we evaluated the immunomodulatory properties of two potential probiotic strains, namely a Bifidobacterium animalis spp. lactis Bl 5764 and a Lactobacillus reuteri Lr 5454 strains. Both strains improved colitis triggered by either 2,4,6-trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (TNBS) or Citrobacter rodentium infection in mice. Training of dendritic cells (DC) with Lr 5454 efficiently triggered IL-22 secretion and regulatory T cells induction in vitro, while IL-17A production by CD4+ T lymphocytes was stronger when cultured with DCs that were primed with Bl 5764. This strain was sufficient for significantly inducing expression of antimicrobial peptides in vivo through the Crohn’s disease predisposing gene encoding for the nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain, containing protein 2 (NOD2). In contrast, NOD2 was dispensable for the impact on antimicrobial peptide expression in mice that were monocolonized with Lr 5454. In conclusion, our work highlights a differential mode of action of two potential probiotic strains that protect mice against colitis, providing the rational for a personalized supportive preventive therapy by probiotics for individuals that are genetically predisposed to Crohn’s disease.
Insights from Microbial Transition State Theory on Monod’s Affinity Constant
Authors: Ugalde-Salas Pablo , Desmond-Le Quéméner Elie , Harmand Jérôme , Rapaport Alain , Bouchez Théodore
Published: March 2020

Microbial transition state theory (MTS) offers a theoretically explicit mathematical model for substrate limited microbial growth. By considering a first order approximation of the MTS equation one recovers the well-known Monod’s expression for growth, which was regarded as a purely empirical function. The harvest volume of a cell as defined in MTS theory can then be related to the affinity concept, giving a new physical interpretation to it, and a new way to determine its value. Consequences of such a relationship are discussed.
Examining the physical and chemical contributions to size spectrum evolution during the development of hazes
Authors: Zhang Liyuan , Su Junwei , Huang Yu , Wang Qiyuan , Zhang Renjian , Wu Yunfei , Zhang Yue , Cheng Yan , He Yuanping , Lee Shuncheng , Yu Chuck , Gu Zhaolin
Published: March 2020

China has experienced severe hazes with high concentrations of particulate matter in recent years. The understanding of the size spectrum evolution of submicron particulate matter is critical to making efficient remediation policies to minimize the regional and global environmental impacts from hazes. During a time period of about one month, we monitored five severe haze episodes in Xi’an and four severe haze episodes in Beijing, which were characterized by two distinct kinds of aerosol mass concentration growth processes: accumulative-rise and abrupt-rise. A new method was developed to quantitatively evaluate the physical and chemical contributions to growth processes by analysing the size spectrum evolution data. The results showed that the accumulative-rise processes are governed by primary emissions and the abrupt-rise processes are governed by secondary chemical reactions. The population balance equations (PBE) were used to describe the variation of size spectrum of fine particulate matter, and the respective contributions of the physical aggregation rate and the chemical growth rate. The PBE model is solved using the adjustable direct quadrature method of moments (ADQMOM) to simulate the abrupt-rise process of haze development and to calibrate the contribution of the physical and chemical effects on the size spectrum of aerosol particles.
Towards visible light driven photoelectrocatalysis for water treatment: Application of a FTO/BiVO4/Ag2S heterojunction anode for the removal of emerging pharmaceutical pollutants
Authors: Orimolade Benjamin O. , Arotiba Omotayo A.
Published: March 2020

Pharmaceuticals have been classified as emerging water pollutants which are recalcitrant in nature. In the quest to find a suitable technique in removing them from contaminated water, photoelectrocatalytic oxidation method has attracted much attention in recent years. This report examined the feasibility of degrading ciprofloxacin and sulfamethoxazole through photoelectrocatalytic oxidation using FTO-BiVO4/Ag2S with p-n heterojunction as anode. BiVO4/Ag2S was prepared through electrodeposition and successive ionic layer adsorption/reaction on FTO glass. Structural and morphological studies using XRD, SEM, EDS and diffusive reflectance UV-Vis confirmed the successful construction of p-n heterojunction of BiVO4/Ag2S. Electrochemical techniques were used to investigate enhanced charge separation in the binary electrode. The FTO-BiVO4/Ag2S electrode exhibited the highest photocurrent response (1.194 mA/cm−2) and longest electron lifetime (0.40 ms) than both pristine BiVO4 and Ag2S electrodes which confirmed the reduction in recombination of charge carriers in the electrode. Upon application of the prepared FTO-BiVO4/Ag2S in photoelectrocatalytic removal of ciprofloxacin and sulfamethoxazole, percentage removal of 80% and 86% were achieved respectively with a low bias potential of 1.2 V (vs Ag/AgCl) within 120 min. The electrode possesses good stability and reusability. The results obtained revealed BiVO4/Ag2S as a suitable photoanode for removing recalcitrant pharmaceutical molecules in water.
Author Correction: Cytokine storms are primarily responsible for the rapid death of ducklings infected with duck hepatitis A virus type 1
Authors: Xie Jinyan , Wang Mingshu , Cheng Anchun , Zhao Xin-Xin , Liu Mafeng , Zhu Dekang , Chen Shun , Jia Renyong , Yang Qiao , Wu Ying , Zhang Shaqiu , Liu Yunya , Yu Yanling , Zhang Ling , Sun Kunfeng , Chen Xiaoyue
Published: March 2020

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
Publisher Correction: Impact of alloy fluctuations and Coulomb effects on the electronic and optical properties of c-plane GaN/AlGaN quantum wells
Authors: Roble A. A. , Patra S. K. , Massabuau F. , Frentrup M. , Leontiadou M. A. , Dawson P. , Kappers M. J. , Oliver R. A. , Graham D. M. , Schulz S.
Published: March 2020

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.
Visible-light-driven photocontrol of the Trp-cage protein fold by a diazocine cross-linker
Authors: Preußke Nils , Moormann Widukind , Bamberg Katrin , Lipfert Matthias , Herges Rainer , Sönnichsen Frank D.
Published: March 2020

A specifically designed diazocine cross-linker affords complete conformational control of a small, globular protein by the photoisomeric state.
Comment on “Rivalry in Bacillus subtilis colonies: enemy or family?”
Authors: Matoz-Fernandez Daniel , Arnaouteli Sofia , Porter Michael , MacPhee Cait E. , Stanley-Wall Nicola R. , Davidson Fordyce A.
Published: March 2020

It is well known that biofilms are one of the most widespread forms of life on Earth, capable of colonising almost any environment from humans to metals.
Structure and size control of FePtCu nanocatalysts for high performance hydrogen evolution reaction
Authors: Wu Tianci , Chen Xu , Wang Yi , Wang Hanbin , Liu Yongzheng , Chang Jing , Wan Houzhao , Cheng Sihan , Wang Hao
Published: March 2020

Phase and size controlled FePtCu nanoparticles exhibited superior HER properties under acidic conditions.
Observation of transition cascades in sheared liquid crystalline polymers
Authors: Fox Ryan J. , Forest M. Gregory , Picken Stephen J. , Dingemans Theo J.
Published: March 2020

We observe anomalous shear thickening behavior of a lyotropic liquid crystalline polymer due to the dynamics of the nematic director.
PhotoWeb redshift: boosting photometric redshift accuracy with large spectroscopic surveys
Authors: Shuntov M. , Pasquet J. , Arnouts S. , Ilbert O. , Treyer M. , Bertin E. , de la Torre S. , Dubois Y. , Fouchez D. , Kraljic K. , Laigle C. , Pichon C. , Vibert D.
Published: March 2020

Improving distance measurements in large imaging surveys is a major challenge to better reveal the distribution of galaxies on a large scale and to link galaxy properties with their environments. As recently shown, photometric redshifts can be efficiently combined with the cosmic web extracted from overlapping spectroscopic surveys to improve their accuracy. In this paper we apply a similar method using a new generation of photometric redshifts based on a convolution neural network (CNN). The CNN is trained on the SDSS images with the main galaxy sample (SDSS-MGS, r ≤ 17.8) and the GAMA spectroscopic redshifts up to r ∼ 19.8. The mapping of the cosmic web is obtained with 680 000 spectroscopic redshifts from the MGS and BOSS surveys. The redshift probability distribution functions (PDF), which are well calibrated (unbiased and narrow, ≤120 Mpc), intercept a few cosmic web structures along the line of sight. Combining these PDFs with the density field distribution provides new photometric redshifts, zweb, whose accuracy is improved by a factor of two (i.e., σ ∼ 0.004(1 + z)) for galaxies with r ≤ 17.8. For half of them, the distance accuracy is better than 10 cMpc. The narrower the original PDF, the larger the boost in accuracy. No gain is observed for original PDFs wider than 0.03. The final zweb PDFs also appear well calibrated. The method performs slightly better for passive galaxies than star-forming ones, and for galaxies in massive groups since these populations better trace the underlying large-scale structure. Reducing the spectroscopic sampling by a factor of 8 still improves the photometric redshift accuracy by 25%. Finally, extending the method to galaxies fainter than the MGS limit still improves the redshift estimates for 70% of the galaxies, with a gain in accuracy of 20% at low z where the resolution of the cosmic web is the highest. As two competing factors contribute to the performance of the method, the photometric redshift accuracy and the resolution of the cosmic web, the benefit of combining cosmological imaging surveys with spectroscopic surveys at higher redshift remains to be evaluated.
Green economy: waste management and recycling methods
Authors: Tulebayeva Nazym , Yergobek Dimash , Pestunova Galina , Mottaeva Angela , Sapakova Zhansaya
Published: March 2020

With population growth, huge waste is generated every day. Widely used plastics, advanced technology and other materialistic things. This has led to different characteristics of the waste, which has become a difficult problem for the management and disposal of household waste. The article addresses food safety issues. The main objective of the study is to review the implementation of the program for the disposal and disposal of waste. The problem of partial utilization of household waste is relevant, first of all, from the point of view of negative environmental impact.
Risks of the formation of common gas and oil markets of the Eurasian Economic Union in modern conditions
Authors: Lukmanova Marina , Akhmetov Darkhan , Sapanova Ramilya
Published: March 2020

The article identifies, studies and classifies the main risks of forming the EAEU common oil markets, oil products markets and gas markets taking in to account modern political, macroeconomic and technological factors. The analysis of current political, macroeconomic and technological conditions shows that in each of these areas there are risks, the implementation of which leads to a partial or complete cessation of the development of the common EAEU oil, oil products and gas markets. Currently, in the current geopolitical situation, the highest level is characteristic of political risks. In the macroeconomic and technological field, the development of negative scenarios is expected no earlier than in two to three decades.
Introduction of digital technologies in the enterprise
Authors: Obukhova Anna , Merzlyakova Ekaterina , Ershova Irina , Karakulina Kristina
Published: March 2020

Digitalization of an enterprise is necessary to increase the efficiency and sustainability of its functioning through dramatic changes in the quality of management, both technological processes and decision-making processes at all levels of management, based on modern methods of production and further use of information about the state and prediction of possible changes in managed elements and subsystems. For the purposes of designing a digital transformation of an enterprise, it is necessary to develop a classification of digital technologies according to the criterion of accessibility and expediency of their implementation in the enterprise. Thus, key digital technologies are grouped into three groups: basic technologies are technologies without which digital transformation of an enterprise is impossible (cloud technologies, wireless technologies, paperless technologies, etc.); critical technologies are technologies that provide a complete digital transformation of the enterprise (big data, cloud computing, unmanned technologies, etc.); breakthrough technologies - technologies that realize the transition from “analog” to a digital enterprise (artificial intelligence, neural networks, distributed data registry, machine learning, etc.)
Special features of corporate budget planning: contemporary approach
Authors: Bondarenko Tatiana , Panaedova Galina , Gurieva Lira , Belyanchikova Tatiana , Mityushina Irina
Published: March 2020

The purpose of this article was to study budgeting process from the point of its structure, analyze the Russian and European models of budget planning. Russian experts seem to favor a combination of rolling budgeting and top-down approach. Zero based method is preferred for larger projects with strict budgeting culture. For smaller and medium business, there remains lack of attention to budgeting. It is caused by lack of finance, experience and prioritization of other financial management tools. The classical approach used in the beginning stage would definitely be the top-down approach, which despite some its flaws can work well in the beginning stage of business development, when the strategy is rather aggressive and growth-oriented. Larger better-established organizations tend to realize importance of budgeting process and devote greater attention to developing its structure. The combination of methods is rather appropriate and additional investment should be made specifically into the Information System used in the budgeting process, as it is associated with reducing labor costs and accelerating processes. Unfortunately, Russian companies still find it difficult to keep up with development of new techniques on budgeting process overseas. This was shown in detailed comparison of Russian budgeting model with the European one.