bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Probabilistic Data with Continuous Distributions
Authors: Grohe Martin , Lucien Kaminski Benjamin , Katoen Joost-Pieter , Lindner Peter
Published: June 2021

Statistical models of real world data typically involve continuous probability distributions such as normal, Laplace, or exponential distributions. Such distributions are supported by many probabilistic modelling formalisms, including probabilistic database systems. Yet, the traditional theoretical framework of probabilistic databases focuses entirely on finite probabilistic databases.

Only recently, we set out to develop the mathematical theory of infinite probabilistic databases. The present paper is an exposition of two recent papers which are cornerstones of this theory. In (Grohe, Lindner; ICDT 2020) we propose a very general framework for probabilistic databases, possibly involving continuous probability distributions, and show that queries have a well-defined semantics in this framework. In (Grohe, Kaminski, Katoen, Lindner; PODS 2020) we extend the declarative probabilistic programming language Generative Datalog, proposed by (B´ar´any et al. 2017) for discrete probability distributions, to continuous probability distributions and show that such programs yield generative models of continuous probabilistic databases.
Technical Perspective for
Authors: Suciu Dan
Published: June 2021

When a data analyst runs some query to analyze her data, she often wants to ask some follow-up questions, about the result of the query. Why-questions take many shapes, and occur in many scenarios. Why is a particular tuple in the answer? Why is it not in the answer? Why is this graph decreasing? Why did we observe a sudden burst of error messages in online monitoring? Database researchers have noted the need for why-questions, and the literature contains several approaches, mostly tailored to specific applications. Despite the interest and the work in this area, there is currently no consensus of what an explanation to a query answer should be, and how one should compute it.
Technical Perspective
Authors: Ross Kenneth A.
Published: June 2021

Byte-addressable persistent memory was considered in the data management community as long ago as 1986. Thatte saw the advantages for programmability in unifying the abstractions of byte-addressable RAM with persistence [2]. Thatte's context was object-oriented databases containing a variety data structures that would be awkward to transform into the block-oriented abstractions provided by typical secondary storage. Thatte's proposed physical instantiation of persistent memory was a disk-backed device, although it is unclear whether such a device was ever built. Thatte recognized the importance of recovery to the overall scheme.
Scaling Dynamic Hash Tables on Real Persistent Memory
Authors: Lu Baotong , Hao Xiangpeng , Wang Tianzheng , Lo Eric
Published: June 2021

Byte-addressable persistent memory (PM) brings hash tables the potential of low latency, cheap persistence and instant recovery. The recent advent of Intel Optane DC Persistent Memory Modules (DCPMM) further accelerates this trend. Many new hash table designs have been proposed, but most of them were based on emulation and perform sub-optimally on real PM. They were also piecewise and partial solutions that side-stepped many important properties, in particular good scalability, high load factor and instant recovery.
Pollen-Pistil Interactions as Reproductive Barriers
Authors: Broz Amanda K. , Bedinger Patricia A.
Published: June 2021

Pollen-pistil interactions serve as important prezygotic reproductive barriers that play a critical role in mate selection in plants. Here, we highlight recent progress toward understanding the molecular basis of pollen-pistil interactions as reproductive isolating barriers. These barriers can be active systems of pollen rejection, or they can result from a mismatch of required male and female factors. In some cases, the barriers are mechanistically linked to self-incompatibility systems, while others represent completely independent processes. Pollen-pistil reproductive barriers can act as soon as pollen is deposited on a stigma, where penetration of heterospecific pollen tubes is blocked by the stigma papillae. As pollen tubes extend, the female transmitting tissue can selectively limit growth by producing cell wall–modifying enzymes and cytotoxins that interact with the growing pollen tube. At ovules, differential pollen tube attraction and inhibition of sperm cell release can act as barriers to heterospecific pollen tubes.
Solving the Puzzle of Shape Regulation in Plant Epidermal Pavement Cells
Authors: Liu Sijia , Jobert François , Rahneshan Zahra , Doyle Siamsa M. , Robert Stéphanie
Published: June 2021

The plant epidermis serves many essential functions, including interactions with the environment, protection, mechanical strength, and regulation of tissue and organ growth. To achieve these functions, specialized epidermal cells develop into particular shapes. These include the intriguing interdigitated jigsaw puzzle shape of cotyledon and leaf pavement cells seen in many species, the precise functions of which remain rather obscure. Although pavement cell shape regulation is complex and still a long way from being fully understood, the roles of the cell wall, mechanical stresses, cytoskeleton, cytoskeletal regulatory proteins, and phytohormones are becoming clearer. Here, we provide a review of this current knowledge of pavement cell morphogenesis, generated from a wealth of experimental evidence and assisted by computational modeling approaches. We also discuss the evolution and potential functions of pavement cell interdigitation. Throughout the review, we highlight some of the thought-provoking controversies and creative theories surrounding the formation of the curious puzzle shape of these cells.
DUSP5-mediated inhibition of smooth muscle cell proliferation suppresses pulmonary hypertension and right ventricular hypertrophy
Authors: Ferguson Bradley S. , Wennersten Sara A. , Demos-Davies Kimberly M. , Rubino Marcello , Robinson Emma L. , Cavasin Maria A. , Stratton Matthew S. , Kidger Andrew M. , Hu Tianjing , Keyse Stephen M. , McKnight Robert A. , Lane Robert H. , Nozik Eva S. , Weiser-Evans Mary C. M. , McKinsey Timothy A.
Published: June 2021

Dual-specificity phosphatases (DUSPs) serve critical roles in the regulation of mitogen-activated protein kinases, but their functions in the cardiovascular system remain poorly defined. Here, we provide evidence that DUSP5, which resides in the nucleus and specifically dephosphorylates extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK1/2), blocks pulmonary vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation. In response to angiotensin II infusion, mice lacking DUSP5 develop pulmonary hypertension and right ventricular cardiac hypertrophy. These findings illustrate DUSP5-mediated suppression of ERK signaling in the lungs as a protective mechanism.
Soluble epoxide hydrolase deletion attenuated nicotine-induced arterial stiffness via limiting the loss of SIRT1
Authors: Hu Shuiqing , Luo Jinlan , Fu Menglu , Luo Liman , Cai Yueting , Li Wenhua , Li Yuanyuan , Dong Ruolan , Yang Yan , Tu Ling , Xu Xizhen
Published: June 2021

We presently show that sEH knockout repressed nicotine-induced arterial stiffness and extracellular matrix remodeling via SIRT1-induced YAP deacetylation, which highlights that sEH is a potential therapeutic target in smoking-induced arterial stiffness and vascular remodeling.
Functional hyperactivity in long QT syndrome type 1 pluripotent stem cell-derived sympathetic neurons
Authors: Winbo Annika , Ramanan Suganeya , Eugster Emily , Rydberg Annika , Jovinge Stefan , Skinner Jonathan R. , Montgomery Johanna M.
Published: June 2021

Here, we present the first study of patient-derived LQT1 sympathetic neurons that are norepinephrine secreting, and electrophysiologically functional, in vitro. Our data reveal a novel LQT1 sympathetic neuronal phenotype of increased neurotransmission and excitability. The identified sympathetic neuronal hyperactivity phenotype is of particular relevance as it could contribute to the mechanisms underlying sympathetically triggered arrhythmia in LQT1.
MCDM Approach for Assigning Task to the Workers by Selected Features Based on Multiple Criteria in Crowdsourcing
Authors: Huiqi Zhao , Khan Abdullah , Qiang Xu , Nazir Shah , Ali Yasir , Ali Farhad
Published: June 2021

Crowdsourcing in simple words is the outsourcing of a task to an online market to be performed by a diverse group of crowds in order to utilize human intelligence. Due to online labor markets and performing parallel tasks, the crowdsourcing activity is time- and cost-efficient. During crowdsourcing activity, selecting the proper labeled tasks and assigning them to an appropriate worker are a challenge for everyone. A mechanism has been proposed in the current study for assigning the task to the workers. The proposed mechanism is a multicriteria-based task assignment (MBTA) mechanism for assigning the task to the most suitable worker. This mechanism uses approaches for weighting the criteria and ranking the workers. These MCDM methods are Criteria Importance Through Intercriteria Correlation (CRITIC) and Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS). Criteria have been made for the workers based on the identified features in the literature. Weight has been assigned to these selected features/criteria with the help of the CRITIC method. The TOPSIS method has been used for the evaluation of workers, with the help of which the ranking of workers is performed in order to get the most suitable worker for the selected tasks to be performed. The proposed work is novel in several ways; for example, the existing methods are mostly based on single criterion or some specific criteria, while this work is based on multiple criteria including all the important features. Furthermore, it is also identified from the literature that none of the authors used MCDM methods for task assignment in crowdsourcing before this research.
Investigation of ANN Model Containing One Hidden Layer for Predicting Compressive Strength of Concrete with Blast‐Furnace Slag and Fly Ash
Authors: Mai Hai-Van Thi , Nguyen Thuy-Anh , Ly Hai-Bang , Tran Van Quan
Published: June 2021

The prediction accuracy of concrete compressive strength is important and considered a challenging task, aiming at reducing costly and time‐consuming experiments. Moreover, compressive strength prediction of concrete using blast‐furnace slag (BFS) and fly ash (FA) is more difficult due to the complex mix design of a composition. In this investigation, an approach using the artificial neuron network (ANN), one of the most powerful machine learning algorithms, is applied to predict the compressive strength of concrete containing BFS and FA. The ANN models with one hidden layer containing 13 neuron number cases are proposed to determine the best ANN structure. Under the effect of random sampling strategies and the network structures selected, Monte Carlo simulations (MCS) are introduced to statistically investigate the convergence of results. Next, the evaluation of the model is concluded over 100 simulations for the convergence analysis. The results show that ANN is a highly efficient predictor of the compressive strength using BFS and FA, with maximum values of the coefficient of determination (R2), root mean square error (RMSE), and mean absolute error (MAE) of 0.9437, 3.9474, and 2.9074, respectively, on the training part and 0.9285, 4.4266, and 3.2971, respectively, for the testing part. The best‐defined structure of ANN is [8‐24‐1], with 24 neurons in the hidden layer. Partial Dependence Plots (PDP) are also performed to investigate the dependence of the prediction results of input variables used in the ANN model. The age of sample and cement content are found to be the two most crucial factors that affect the compressive strength of concrete using BFS and FA. The ANN algorithm is practical for engineers to reduce costly experiments.
Heat Killed Salmonella typhimurium Protects Intestine Against Radiation Injury Through Wnt Signaling Pathway
Authors: Chen Yuanyuan , Cao Kun , Liu Hu , Liu Tingting , Liu Lei , Qin Hongran , Liao Zebin , Hu Xuguang , Li Bailong , Liu Cong , Cai Jianming , Cui Jianguo , Gao Fu , Yang Yanyong
Published: June 2021

Gastrointestinal (GI) toxicity caused by ionizing radiation (IR) is a dose limiting factor in radiotherapy and a great threat for individual nuclear-related military missions. However, there are currently no available strategies to effectively prevent the damage on the intestine induced by IR. In the present study, the protective activity of Heat Killed Salmonella typhimurium (HKST) on intestine against IR was investigated. Through mouse intestinal organoids and whole body irradiation of mice, we found that the pretreatment with HKST significantly preserved the structure of small intestine upon IR exposure and promoted the proliferation of intestinal cells post-IR. Further study revealed that the radioprotective effects of HKST were involved in DNA damage response (DDR) signaling. Moreover, the stimulation of DDR signaling by HKST upon radiation damage was mediated by Wnt signaling, in which the inhibition of Wnt signaling diminished the radioprotective effects of HKST. To sum up, our study suggested HKST as a potential radioprotectant used for prevention of IR-induced GI toxicity.
lncRNA GAU1 Induces GALNT8 Overexpression and Potentiates Colorectal Cancer Progression
Authors: Tang Xuemei , Ruan Haoyu , Dong Liu , Li Sihan , Wu Zhiyuan , Guan Ming
Published: June 2021

lncRNA is a key epigenetic regulator in biological processes. In the human cancer transcriptome library MiTranscriptome, we identified GAU1 as the top upregulated lncRNA in colorectal cancer (CRC) by sample set enrichment analysis (overexpression ranking

percentile
=
99.75

%,

P
<

10

−
50

), which is coexpressed with the potential oncogene GALNT8 (Spearman

rho
=
0.67

,

P
=
2.44
×

10

−
23

, TCGA dataset

n
=
184

). Experimental data revealed that GAU1 regulates the expression of GALNT8. The overexpression of either GAU1 or GALNT8 significantly promotes the cell cycle and proliferation of CRC cell lines and correlates with poor prognosis in patients with CRC (

P
=
3.04
×

10

−
2

), while silencing of GAU1 or GALNT8 suppressed the cancer cell proliferation and induced the CRC cell line resistance to oxaliplatin in vitro treatment. Our results suggested that the previously less studied GAU1 and GALNT8 may play as CRC prognosis markers and potential targets for chemotherapy treatment.
Efficient Noninteractive Outsourcing of Large-Scale QR and LU Factorizations
Authors: Yu Lingzan , Ren Yanli , Feng Guorui , Zhang Xinpeng
Published: June 2021

QR and LU factorizations are two basic mathematical methods for decomposition and dimensionality reduction of large-scale matrices. However, they are too complicated to be executed for a limited client because of big data. Outsourcing computation allows a client to delegate the tasks to a cloud server with powerful resources and therefore greatly reduces the client’s computation cost. However, the previous methods of QR and LU outsourcing factorizations need multiple interactions between the client and cloud server or have low accuracy and efficiency in large-scale matrix applications. In this paper, we propose a noninteractive and efficient outsourcing algorithm of large-scale QR and LU factorizations. The proposed scheme is based on the specific perturbation method including a series of consecutive and sparse matrices, which can be used to protect the original matrix and obtain the results of factorizations. The generation and inversion of sparse matrix has small workloads on the client’s side, and the communication cost is also small since the client does not need to interact with the cloud server in the outsourcing algorithms. Moreover, the client can verify the outsourcing result with a probability of approximated to 1. The experimental results manifest that as for the client, the proposed algorithms reduce the computational overhead of direct computation successfully, and it is most efficient compare with the previous ones.
Stereological Study of Changes of GABA‐Immunoreactive Neurons in Spinal Dorsal Horn of SNI Rats
Authors: Liu Hong , Li Weidong , Xu Binbing , Jiang Jiduan , Zhang Yuanyuan , Yang Fan
Published: June 2021

Objective. To observe the changes in the mechanical withdrawal threshold (MWT) and the proportion of GABA‐immunoreactive neurons in spinal dorsal horn (SDH) of the spared nerve injury (SNI) rat model. Methods. Thirty‐six healthy male SD rats were randomly divided into a sham‐operated group (group D, n = 18) and an SNI group (group S, n = 18). The left sciatic nerve trunk and three branches were exposed, two of which, known as tibial and the peroneal nerve, were ligated and cut off. The sural nerve was preserved to build the SNI model in group S. The left sciatic nerve trunk and three branches were only exposed in group D. MWT tests were performed on the medial and lateral sides of the rats’ left hindpaw 1 day before surgery and at 7th, 14th, and 28th day after surgery. Results. In group S, compared with the baseline measured 1 day before surgery, MWT on the medial and lateral sides of the rats’ left hindpaw decreased significantly on the 7th, 14th, and 28th days after surgery (P < 0.05), while in group D, there was no statistically significant difference (P > 0.05). Compared with right SDH, there were not statistically significant reductions in the proportions of GABAergic neurons of left SDH on 7th and 28th day after SNI (P > 0.05); however, the proportion of GABAergic neurons in left SDH significantly decreased, compared with that in right side on 14th day after SNI (P < 0.05). On the same way, the proportions of GABAergic neurons on 7th, 14th, and 28th day after surgery were not statistically different (P > 0.05) in group D. Conclusion. The SNI model could reduce the proportion of GABA‐immunoreactive neurons in the rat’s spinal dorsal horn on the nerve‐injured side, and this change was lasting, which might be related to the transformation of the GABA‐immunoreactive neurons.
Research on Attitude Measurement Method of Special Aircraft Using Geomagnetic Sensor/Gyroscope Based on UKF
Authors: Ping-an Zhang , Wei Wang , Min Gao , Yi Wang
Published: June 2021

Based on the output information of the three-axis geomagnetic sensor and three-axis gyroscope, a mathematical model for measuring the flight attitude information of special aircraft is established, and the flight attitude of the special aircraft is calculated in real time. To improve the accuracy of calculating the flight attitude of the special aircraft, the model of the pitch and yaw angles based on the Unscented Kalman filter (UKF) is established by using the output expression of the gyroscope and geomagnetic sensor

x

-axis, and then the pitch angle and yaw angle obtained by filtering are brought into the geomagnetic sensor to calculate the roll angle of special aircraft in real time. The simulation results show that compared with the direct calculation of the special aircraft flight attitude angle, the combination of a geomagnetic sensor and gyroscope is more accurate after UKF processing, which verifies the effectiveness and feasibility of the attitude calculation method, and improves the accuracy of flight attitude measurement for special aircraft.
Coaching Parents of Children with Sensory Integration Difficulties: A Scoping Review
Authors: Allen Susan , Knott Fiona J. , Branson Amanda , Lane Shelly J.
Published: June 2021

Aim. To review current evidence regarding the effectiveness of occupational therapy coaching interventions for parents of children with sensory integration difficulties, delivered to individuals or groups of parents. Method. A historical scoping review was completed of empirical research records to summarize what is known and how this information can guide future research. The process was guided by PRISMA guidelines. Inclusion criteria were English language and peer-reviewed empirical studies of parent coaching intervention for children with sensory processing or sensory integration difficulties. Five databases were searched. Papers were critically reviewed using McMaster’s guidelines. Results. Four studies met the search criteria. Three studies took a direct coaching approach with individual parents or families. The fourth study took a mixed educational/coaching approach with groups of parents and teachers. Conclusion. There is some evidence to conclude that occupational therapists can deliver individual parent-focused coaching interventions which impact positively on individual child goals, parental stress, and sense of competence. Group intervention can lead to caregivers’ improved perceived and actual knowledge of sensory integration, as well as a sense of self-efficacy in dealing with sensory-related child behaviors. Current evidence is limited. Suggestions for future research are offered.
Analysis on the Shape and Impact Pressure of the High-Pressure Water Jet during the Hydraulic Flushing Cavity Technique
Authors: Lu Shouqing , Wang Chengfeng , Wang Wei , Li Mingjie , Zhang Dongti
Published: June 2021

A large proportion of minable coal seams in China belong to low-permeability soft coal seams. Such coal seams suffer serious coal and gas outburst hazards and endure a high incidence of major disasters in coal mines. The adoption of the high-pressure water jet (HPWJ) hydraulic flushing cavity can effectively promote the gas drainage efficiency and volume and eliminate the hidden danger of gas disasters. Nevertheless, the shape and impact pressure of rotating HPWJ are rarely researched. In this study, on the basis of the numerical simulation, the axial and radial stress distributions of HPWJ and the energy-gathering effect of a conical-cylindrical combined nozzle were analyzed. It is concluded that the submerged condition will accelerate the attenuation of jet velocity and reduce the impact strength of the jet. The jet diffusion angle grows with the increases in the nozzle diameter and water pressure, and 24° is the optimal contraction angle. Finally, the influences of factors such as the rotation speed on the shape and impact pressure of HPWJ were explored, and the results show that the rotation speed should be controlled within 90 r/min. The research findings lay the foundation of the study on the mechanism of coal crushing by HPWJ and provide technical support for the research and development of drilling and flushing integrated equipment.
Automatic Focusing Method of Microscopes Based on Image Processing
Authors: Zhang Hongjun , Yao Jin
Published: June 2021

Microscope vision analysis is applied in many fields. The traditional way is to use the human eye to observe and manually focus to obtain the image of the observed object. However, with the observation object becoming more and more subtle, the magnification of the microscope is required to be larger and larger. The method of manual focusing cannot guarantee the best focusing position of the microscope in use. Therefore, in this paper, we are studying the existing autofocusing technology and the autofocusing method of microscope based on image processing, which is different from the traditional manual focusing method. The autofocusing method of microscope based on image processing does not need the information such as the target position and the focal length of optical system, to directly focus the collected image. First of all, in order to solve the problem of large computation and difficult real time of traditional wavelet based image sharpness evaluation algorithm, this paper proposes an improved wavelet based image sharpness evaluation algorithm; secondly, in view of the situation that the window selected by traditional focusing window selection method is fixed, this paper adopts an adaptive focusing window selection method to increase the focusing window. Finally, this paper studies the extremum search strategy. In order to avoid the interference of the local extremum in the focusing curve, this paper proposes an improved hill-climbing algorithm to achieve the accuracy of focusing search. The simulation results show that the improved wavelet transform image definition evaluation algorithm can improve the definition evaluation performance, and the improved mountain climbing algorithm can reduce the impact of local extremum and improve the accuracy of the search algorithm. All in all, it can be concluded that the method based on image processing proposed in this paper has a good focusing effect, which can meet the needs of anti-interference and extreme value search of microscope autofocus.
Intelligent Data Mining Based on Market Circulation of Production Factors
Authors: Sun Hefang
Published: June 2021

R&D investment is an important way to improve scientific and technological innovation capabilities. In an increasingly competitive market, the rapid changes in science and technology have brought new opportunities for enterprise development. However, if production factors cannot be rationally allocated, low allocation efficiency or low allocation efficiency is likely to occur. The phenomenon of excessive overflow of production factors makes the input factors unreasonable and causes the problem of lowering the economic output of enterprises. Therefore, this article analyzes the feasibility and timeliness of R&D investment from factors of production and enterprise output performance based on data mining. The problem is to optimize the rational allocation of future factors of production and provide assistance in achieving a combination of existing and new factors of production. For this test, we selected the companies listed in the Growth Enterprise Market and the survey period is from 2018 to 2020. The data is taken from the Guotaian database, some of which is obtained by manually reading the company’s annual report, and a multiple regression analysis model is established and tested. The relationship between R&D investment, production factors, and corporate performance is obtained. The group regression method is used to test the impact of production factors on R&D. Whether input and corporate performance have a moderating effect, and the specific moderating and lagging effects of production factors are investigated. Experiments have proved that the nonstandardized coefficient of R&D investment intensity and operating gross profit margin is 0.714, and the T value of 9.296 is positive and significant. Each increase of enterprise R&D investment intensity by 1 will increase operating gross profit margin by 0.714. The coefficient of operating gross profit margin is much smaller than the coefficient of Tobin’s Q value. This shows that the factor of production has a great influence on the relationship between R&D investment and corporate performance. It has the importance of being a specific practical guide for guiding GEM companies in my country with different elemental intensities to carry out R&D activities and improve corporate performance.
The Signal Effect of New Energy Vehicles Promotion on Enterprise Innovation
Authors: Wang Xinyu , Jiang Cailou
Published: June 2021

Entering the promotion catalogue is the basis for China’s new energy vehicle (NEV) enterprises to obtain promotion subsidies. Using a multistage difference‐in‐differences (DID) model with a sample of listed NEV enterprises in China from 2008 to 2017, this paper empirically analyzes the impact of entering the promotion catalogue on the innovation of NEV enterprises. The results indicate that entering the promotion catalogue can significantly promote innovation of NEV enterprises from the perspective of radical innovation, incremental innovation, and external technology introduction of NEV enterprises. In the mediation mechanism examination, this study finds that entering the promotion catalogue promotes innovation in NEV enterprises by increasing corporate profits and easing financing constraints. Based on the conclusions above, this paper recommends to strengthen core technology breakthrough of NEVs, cultivate market demand of NEVs industry, and improve subsidy supervision system of NEVs.
Nonlinear Variable Resistor-Based FCL for Fault Ride-Through Performance Enhancement of DFIG-Based Wind Turbines
Authors: Firouzi Mehdi , Shafiee Mohammadreza , Nasiri Mojtaba
Published: June 2021

Fault ride-through (FRT) requirement is a matter of great concern for doubly fed induction generator (DFIG-) based wind turbines (WTs). This study presents a nonlinear variable resistor- (NVR-) based bridge-type fault current limiter (BFCL) to augment the FRT performance of DFIG-based WTs. First, the BFCL operation and nonlinear control design consideration of the proposed NVR-based BFCL are presented. Then, the NVR-BFCL performance is validated through simulation in PSCAD/EMTDC software. In addition, the NVR-based BFCL performance is compared with the fixed resistor- (FR-) based BFCL for a three-phase symmetrical short circuit fault at the grid side. Simulation results reveal that the NVR-based BFCL provides a smooth and effective FRT scheme and outperforms the FR-based BFCL.
Vaping and Commitment Flu-B Infection Is a Deadly Combination for Spontaneous Pneumomediastinum
Authors: Alam Md Didar Ul , Hussain Khandakar , Garedew Samsone , imtiaz Muhammad
Published: June 2021

Vaping or E-cigarettes were created to deliver nicotine-containing aerosol to users with a flavoring agent without agents such as tars, oxidant gases, and carbon monoxide smoke found in traditional tobacco cigarettes. The use of E-cigarettes is steadily increasing in the United States, especially among the young population. Electronic cigarettes seem capable of causing various injury patterns in the lungs, collectively called E-cigarettes or vaping-associated lung injury (EVALI). Spontaneous pneumomediastinum (SPM) is a rare finding in EVALI. Here, we report a case of spontaneous pneumomediastinum secondary to vaping in a young man with no past medical history except for daily vaping and a recent untreated influenza infection.
Experimental Study on Mechanical Property and Pore Distribution of Limestone Specimens after Heat Treatment under Different Heating Conditions
Authors: Feng Yujie , Su Haijian , Yin Qian , Yu Liyuan , Wang Yingchao
Published: June 2021

The thermal effect of rocks not only depends on the temperature level but also may be influenced by the factors including heating environment, heating rate, and cooling method. In this study, approximate vacuum (V) and air circulation (A) heating condition are, respectively, applied on the limestone specimens in the whole heating process. Then, physical, mechanical, and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) tests were carried out to investigate the effect of heating conditions on the rock properties. The results show that heating conditions have significant effects on mechanical properties of limestone specimens (including peak strength, elasticity modulus, secant modulus, and crack initiation stress), which are due to the interference effect on the oxidation and thermal decomposition. It is worth noting that the significant temperature range of the heating condition is 450 ∼ 750°C, during which the mechanical performances of heat‐treated specimens under V condition obviously outperform those under A condition. Combining the NMR results and the microstructure images from scanning electron microscope (SEM) technology, the evolution of pore distribution was revealed. As temperature increases from room temperature to 900°C, porosity increases gradually. However, pore distribution changes from small and medium pores dominating to large pore dominating and then to medium pore dominating. For limestone specimens after high‐temperature treatment above 450°C, mineral crystals may melt and reconsolidate, filling in some of the previously large pores generated by thermal decomposition.
Visual and Keeping Quality of Stored Bulb Onions as Affected by Harvest and Postharvest Treatments
Authors: Kiura Irene N. , Gichimu Bernard M. , Rotich Felix
Published: June 2021

Productivity of onion (Allium cepa L.) in Kenya is constrained by postharvest losses. Most postharvest strategies applicable to onions are applied singularly, and therefore, their combined effects have not been well studied. This study evaluated the combined effects of harvesting stage, curing period, and time of topping on postharvest visual and keeping quality of red bulb onions. The study was carried out in Yatta Sub-County, Machakos County, Kenya. The experimental design was a split-split plot laid out in 3 × 3 × 2 factorial arrangement. The treatments consisted of harvesting stage (25%, 50%, and 75% top fall), curing period (none, 1 week, and 2 weeks) and time of topping (before and after curing). After three months of storage, the bulbs were assessed for visual and keeping quality using incidences of skin rots, skin colour, percent of marketable bulbs, residual weight of the bulbs after curing, and days to 50% sprouting. Bulbs that were harvested at 75% top fall and cured for one or two weeks before topping were found to have significantly better visual and keeping quality. Although seasonal variations were significant for some of the parameters assessed, a similar trend was observed in both seasons. The study recommends harvesting of onions at 75% top fall and curing for at least one week before topping for enhanced visual and keeping quality of harvested bulb onions.
Genome‐Wide Identification and Evolutionary Analysis of Argonaute Genes in Hexaploid Bread Wheat
Authors: Liu Yan-Feng , Wang Li-Min , Zhao Li-Zi , Wang Wei , Zhang Hong-Xia
Published: June 2021

Argonaute (AGO) proteins play a pivotal role in plant growth and development as the core components of RNA‐induced silencing complex (RISC). However, no systematic characterization of AGO genes in wheat has been reported to date. In this study, a total number of 69 TaAGO genes in the hexaploid bread wheat (Triticum aestivum cv. Chinese Spring) genome, divided into 10 subfamilies, were identified. Compared to all wheat genes, TaAGOs showed a significantly lower evolutionary rate, which is consistent with their high conservation in eukaryotes. However, the homoeolog retention was remarkably higher than the average, implying the nonredundant biological importance of TaAGO genes in bread wheat. Further homoeologous gene expression bias analyses revealed that TaAGOs may have undergone neofunctionalization after polyploidization and duplication through the divergent expression of homoeologous gene copies, to provide new opportunities for the generation of adaptive traits. Moreover, quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR) analyses indicated that TaAGO gene expression was involved in response to heat, drought, and salt stresses. Our results would provide a theoretical basis for future studies on the biological functions of TaAGO genes in wheat and other gramineous species.
CIP2A Interacts with TopBP1 and Drives Basal-Like Breast Cancer Tumorigenesis
Authors: Laine Anni , Nagelli Srikar G. , Farrington Caroline , Butt Umar , Cvrljevic Anna N. , Vainonen Julia P. , Feringa Femke M. , Grönroos Tove J. , Gautam Prson , Khan Sofia , Sihto Harri , Qiao Xi , Pavic Karolina , Connolly Denise C. , Kronqvist Pauliina , Elo Laura L. , Maurer Jochen , Wennerberg Krister , Medema Rene H. , Joensuu Heikki , Peuhu Emilia , de Visser Karin , Narla Goutham , Westermarck Jukka
Published: June 2021

Basal-like breast cancers (BLBC) are characterized by defects in homologous recombination (HR), deficient mitotic checkpoint, and high-proliferation activity. Here, we discover CIP2A as a candidate driver of BLBC. CIP2A was essential for DNA damage–induced initiation of mouse BLBC-like mammary tumors and for survival of HR–defective BLBC cells. CIP2A was dispensable for normal mammary gland development and for unperturbed mitosis, but selectively essential for mitotic progression of DNA damaged cells. A direct interaction between CIP2A and a DNA repair scaffold protein TopBP1 was identified, and CIP2A inhibition resulted in enhanced DNA damage–induced TopBP1 and RAD51 recruitment to chromatin in mammary epithelial cells. In addition to its role in tumor initiation, and survival of BRCA-deficient cells, CIP2A also drove proliferative MYC and E2F1 signaling in basal-like triple-negative breast cancer (BL-TNBC) cells. Clinically, high CIP2A expression was associated with poor patient prognosis in BL-TNBCs but not in other breast cancer subtypes. Small-molecule reactivators of PP2A (SMAP) inhibited CIP2A transcription, phenocopied the CIP2A-deficient DNA damage response (DDR), and inhibited growth of patient-derived BLBC xenograft. In summary, these results demonstrate that CIP2A directly interacts with TopBP1 and coordinates DNA damage–induced mitotic checkpoint and proliferation, thereby driving BLBC initiation and progression. SMAPs could serve as a surrogate therapeutic strategy to inhibit the oncogenic activity of CIP2A in BLBCs.

Significance:

These results identify CIP2A as a nongenetic driver and therapeutic target in basal-like breast cancer that regulates DNA damage–induced G2–M checkpoint and proliferative signaling.
Antisynthetase Syndrome Masquerading as Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis
Authors: Tzilas Vasilios , Sfikakis Petros P. , Bouros Demosthenes
Published: June 2021

Interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) cover a wide heterogeneous group of disorders, both of unknown and known causes. Accurate diagnosis is essential but, at the same time, presents many challenges. Typically, the distinction between idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and fibrotic hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) can prove extremely difficult. However, another major, but underestimated, challenge is the diagnosis of connective tissue disease-associated ILD (CTD-ILD), specifically when ILD is the initial manifestation or when extrapulmonary manifestations are subclinical. Antisynthetase syndrome (ASyS) is a characteristic example where lung involvement can be the predominant feature in the absence of other evidence suggestive of CTD. In ASyS, lung involvement can be the initial manifestation or muscle involvement can be subclinical with normal muscle enzymes. Furthermore, a negative antinuclear antibody test does not indicate autoantibody negativity in the context of ASyS. Imaging and pathology findings in ASyS are not specific and overlap with other ILDs. Finally, bronchoalveolar lavage can exhibit pronounced lymphocytosis (>30–40%). The latter, in combination with a history of exposure to an inciting antigen, can lead to an erroneous diagnosis of HP with obvious negative impact on patients’ outcome. Herein, we report 3 female patients aged 61, 65, and 70 years and 1 male patient aged 43 years, with ASyS masquerading as HP and analyze the underlying reasons of misdiagnosis, aiming to raise awareness of the need for close collaboration between pulmonologists and rheumatologists.
Early Renal Ultrasound in Congenital Solitary Kidney May Help to Select Patients at Lower Risk of Associated Vesicoureteral Reflux
Authors: Marzuillo Pierluigi , Guarino Stefano , Ursi Davide , Di Sessa Anna , Rambaldi Pier Francesco , La Manna Angela , Miraglia del Giudice Emanuele , Polito Cesare
Published: June 2021

Background: Vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) may be associated with renal dysplasia and reduced renal length (RL). The diagnosis of VUR in children with congenital solitary functioning kidney (CSFK) identifies patients at risk of kidney injury but exposes to invasive procedures. Objective: We aimed to test the hypothesis that an RL >2 standard deviation score (SDS) in the first months of life – reflecting renal hyperplasia – could identify CSFK patients with lower probability of presenting VUR. Method: We retrospectively selected 207 CSFK patients with prenatal diagnosis of CSFK and having undergone renal ultrasound (RUS) both at 0–3 and 10–13 months of life, renal scintigraphy, and cystourethrography/cysto­scintigraphy. We compared the cumulative proportion of an RL >2 SDS by Kaplan-Meier analysis and evaluated the odds to present VUR of patients with an RL >2 SDS both at the first and second RUS. Results: Overall, 3.3% of patients with VUR and 22.0% of patients without VUR presented an RL >2 SDS at the first RUS (p = 0.02). At the second RUS, 53.3% of patients with VUR and 52.5% of patients without VUR presented an RL >2 SDS (p = 0.93). Patients without VUR presented higher cumulative proportion of an RL >2 SDS at 3 months of life than those with VUR (p = 0.02). This difference however disappeared at 11 and 13 months of age (p = 0.17 and p = 0.54, respectively). An RL >2 SDS within 3 months of life presented an OR for VUR of 0.12 (95% CI: 0.02–0.92; p = 0.005), while an RL >2 SDS at 12 months of life presented an OR for VUR of 0.96 (95% CI: 0.45–2.1; p = 0.93). Conclusion: Only an RUS made in the first months of life could identify CSFK patients at lower risk of presenting an associated VUR.
Curcumin Affects Leptin-Induced Expression of Methionine Adenosyltransferase 2A in Hepatic Stellate Cells by Inhibition of JNK Signaling
Authors: Lu Shu , Zhao Hongsheng , Zhou Yajun , Xu Feifan
Published: June 2021

Introduction: Obese patients are often accompanied by hyperleptinemia and prone to develop liver fibrosis. Accumulating data including those obtained from human studies suggested the promotion role of leptin in liver fibrosis. The remodeling of the DNA methylation is an epigenetic mechanism for regulating gene expression and is essential for hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation, a key step in liver fibrogenesis. Leptin increases the expression of methionine adenosyltransferase 2A (MAT2A) which is associated with DNA methylation and HSC activation. Curcumin, an active polyphenol of the golden spice turmeric, inhibits leptin-induced HSC activation and liver fibrogenesis. Thus, the present research aimed to investigate the influence of curcumin on the roles of leptin in MAT2A expression in HSCs. Methods: The in vivo experiments were conducted by using leptin-deficient obese mice. The gene expressions were examined by Western blot, real-time PCR, promoter activity assay, and immunostaining analysis. Results: Curcumin reduced leptin-induced MAT2A expression. JNK signaling contributed to leptin-induced increase in MAT2A level, which could be interrupted by curcumin treatment. Curcumin inhibited leptin-induced MAT2A promoter activity by influencing MAT2A promoter fragments between −2,847 bp and − 2,752 bp and between −2,752 bp and +49 bp. The effect of curcumin on leptin-induced MAT2A expression paralleled the reductions in leptin-induced activated HSCs and liver fibrosis. Conclusion: These results might have implications for curcumin inhibition of the liver fibrogenesis in obese patients with hyperleptinemia.
Malignant Melanoma within a Cellular Blue Nevi Presenting as a Vascular Malformation and the Connection to Sporadic KRAS Mutations
Authors: Tai Felicia , Pereira Vitor M. , Babak Sam , Radovanovic Ivan , Sade Shachar , Teshima Tara Lynn
Published: June 2021

We present a case of malignant melanoma (MM) developing within a vascular malformation showing features of cellular blue nevi. A 47-year-old male presented with acute symptoms of a temporal and zygomatic mass, which were both previously asymptomatic upon development 30 years ago. These masses were diagnosed as vascular malformations upon imaging and were treated with sclerotherapy. Embolization and surgical excision were performed 3 years later due to symptomatic growth. Final pathology reports showed MM with congenital blue nevi. We hypothesize a possible linkage to a sporadic KRAS mutation, linking both presentations of vascular malformation, MM, and cellular blue nevi. A literature search for similar cases is also reported.
Changes in Macular Pigment Optical Density among Pseudophakic Patients following Intake of a Lutein-Containing Supplement
Authors: Hayashi Rijo , Hayashi Shimmin , Machida Shigeki
Published: June 2021

Introduction: Cataract surgery has been reported as a long-term risk of reduced macular pigment optical density (MPOD). This study investigated changes in MPOD in pseudophakic patients after lutein supplementation. Methods: Fifty-seven patients who had no ocular diseases and underwent cataract surgery with concurrent implantation of clear intraocular lenses were included. MPOD was measured before lutein supplementation and every week during 6 weeks of supplementation. Two additional measurements were conducted after the end of supplementation. Results: Compared with baseline, MPOD was increased after 1 week of supplementation (p < 0.01) and remained elevated after cessation of supplementation. After 3 weeks of supplementation, MPOD in females was higher than that in males (p < 0.05). Compared with patients at the highest quintile baseline MPOD, patients of both genders at the lowest quintile had significant increases after 6 weeks of supplementation (p < 0.05). Conclusion: MPOD increased after lutein supplementation in patients who had undergone cataract surgery. With the same amount of lutein supplementation, MPOD increased more in patients with low MPOD at baseline; it also increased more in females than in males. Lutein supplementation is presumed to support increased MPOD, which can reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration, especially in females with low MPOD.
On optimization of manufacturing of a step-down DC-DC converter to increase integration density of elements
Authors: Pankratov E. L.
Published: June 2021

We consider possibility to increase field-effect transistor's density in a switched-capacitor step-down DC-DC converter. Based on this approach we analyzed manufacturing of the converter in a heterostructure with special structure. Some specific sections of the heterostructure must be doped by ion implantation or by diffusion. After this procedure optimized annealing has been done. We also obtained conditions for decreasing of mismatch-induced stress value in this heterostructure. An analytical approach for analysis of heat and mass transport in multilayer structures has been introduced. The approach gives a possibility without crosslinking of solutionson interfaces between layers, take into account (i) spatial variation of parameters of considered processes; (ii) temporal variation of parameters of considered processes; (iii) nonlinearity of considered processes; (iv) mismatch-induced stress.
Substrate integrated waveguide bandpass filter for short range device application using rectangular open loop resonator
Authors: Astuti Dian Widi , Putra Rizki Ramadhan , Muslim Muslim , Alaydrus Mudrik
Published: June 2021

The substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) structure is the candidate for many application in microwave, terahertz and millimeter wave application. It because of SIW structure can integrate with any component in one substrate than others structure. A kind components using SIW structure is a filter component, especialy bandpass filter. This research recommended SIW bandpass filter using rectangular open loop resonator for giving more selectivity of filter. It can be implemented for short range device (SRD) application in frequency region 2.4 - 2.483 GHz. Two types of SIW bandpass filter are proposed. First, SIW bandpass filter is proposed using six rectangular open loop resonators while the second SIW bandpass filter used eight rectangular open loop resonators. The simulation results for two kinds of the recommended rectangular open loop resonators have insertion loss (S21 parameter) below 2 dB and return loss (S11 parameter) more than 10 dB. Fabrication of the recommended two kind filters was validated by Vector Network Analyzer. The measurement results for six rectangular open loop resonators have 1.32 dB for S21 parameter at 2.29 GHz while the S11 parameter more than 18 dB at 2.26 GHz – 2.32 GHz. While the measurement results has good agreement for eight rectangular open loop resonators. Its have S21 below 2.2 dB at 2.41 – 2.47 GHz and S11 16.27 dB at 2.38 GHz and 11.5 dB at 2.47 GHz.