bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Perceptions of cyber bullying in primary and secondary schools among student teachers in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa
Authors: Cilliers Liezel , Chinyamurindi Willie
Published: March 2020

Cyber bullying has become a topical issue among school learners in South Africa. However, there is very little guidance for schools on how to deal with cyber bullying from the South African Department of Basic Education. This study investigated the perceptions of cyber bullying in primary and secondary schools among student teachers in the Eastern Cape. The study made use of a quantitative survey approach to collect data from 150 student teachers at a university in the Eastern Cape. The student teachers were representative of all four of the school phases. The results indicated that cyber bullying is a serious issue at the schools but that the topic has not been incorporated into policy or the school curriculum yet. The recommendation of the study is that the South African Department of Basic Education must provide a standardized policy that schools can use to implement and enforce cyber safety behavior in the schools.
Community pharmacist and family medicine clinic provision of chronic care management services for Medicare beneficiaries with uncontrolled hypertension
Authors: Hoehns James D. , Witry Matthew , Al‐Khatib Arwa , O'Brien Emily , Beninga Jenna , Nichols Robert , Greenwood Joe , Hodder Joanna , Roise Adam
Published: March 2020

Introduction

Pharmacist‐physician collaboration has shown positive results in improving patient outcomes. Chronic care management (CCM) is a reimbursable service for Medicare beneficiaries in the community setting which includes comprehensive care management and other activities. The pharmacist contribution to CCM services and their associated impact on patient health outcomes has not been fully explored.

Objectives

The objectives of this study were to: (a) implement a collaborative CCM service between a community pharmacy and family medicine clinic for their common hypertensive patients; (b) measure blood pressure change for patients receiving the CCM intervention; and (c) report financial viability for the community pharmacy and family practice clinic partnership.

Methods

Single group prospective pilot intervention in an independent community pharmacy and family medicine clinic in a small city in the Midwest United States. Forty‐five patients with uncontrolled hypertension who are patients to both community pharmacy and clinic were recruited, and 26 received CCM interventions in person or over the telephone from the community pharmacists to manage medications for hypertension. Our main outcomes were blood pressure values and financial viability.

Results

Twenty‐six patients received at least one community pharmacist encounter. These patients had an average 7.3 mm Hg decline (P = .006) in systolic blood pressure (SBP) and a 2.4 mm Hg decline (P = .079) in diastolic blood pressure (DBP) at 9 months. The total revenue over the study period was $5842. Total revenue for the community pharmacy and clinic was $2785 and $3057, respectively.

Conclusion

The community pharmacy/clinic collaboration resulted in improved blood pressure control, a new source of revenue for the community pharmacy, and increased revenue for the clinic. Further research is needed on CCM revenue sharing between physicians and pharmacists to generalize the results.
Corrosion resistance of a Nitinol ocular microstent: Implications on biocompatibility
Authors: Nagaraja Srinidhi , Pelton Alan R.
Published: March 2020

Nitinol is commonly used in medical implants due to its unique thermomechanical properties of shape memory and superelasticity. Free nickel has the potential to induce biological responses that may be a concern for permanent implants manufactured from nickel‐containing alloys. Although there are extensive reports on the effects of surface treatments on corrosion behavior in cardiovascular Nitinol implants, there is a lack of data on corrosion resistance and impact on biocompatibility for ocular implants. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine localized corrosion and nickel elution resistance of an electropolished Nitinol‐based ocular device (Hydrus Microstent, Ivantis, Inc.) intended for patients with primary open angle glaucoma. Pitting corrosion susceptibility was characterized by potentiodynamic polarization testing per ASTM F2129. In addition, nickel ion release was quantified with immersion testing to 63 days. The results indicated high localized corrosion resistance as all samples reached polarization potentials of 800 mV without pitting initiation. Maximum nickel elution rates per device were less than approximately 1.1 ng/device/day after the first day of immersion and reduced to less than 0.1 ng/device/day after 7 days. For a patient with bilateral microstents, these nickel concentrations are ×10,000 lower than previously published tolerable intake levels for systemic toxicity. Overall, these corrosion results are in good agreement with literature values of well processed and biocompatible Nitinol devices indicating adverse systemic biological responses are not expected in vivo.
Longitudinal cerebrospinal fluid assessment in a patient with tuberculous meningitis—A case report
Authors: Chen Yuxin , Liu Xiaojin , Zhang Xun , Zhang Zhihua , Zhou Xueqin , Wang Yuqing , Wu Shucai , Zheng Liheng
Published: March 2020

Background

Dynamic assessment of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is essential for diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of tuberculous meningitis, one of the most severe forms of central nervous system (CNS) infection.

Case presentation

A 45‐year‐old man sought care as he developed confusion, clonic convulsion, and coma. Longitudinal, comprehensive analyses of cytological, biochemical, and microbial changes in CSF specimen were assessed for this patient. On day 1 of hospitalization, modified Ziehl‐Neelsen staining of CSF identified positive acid‐fast bacilli, cytological analysis revealed neutrophilic‐predominant pleocytosis (neutrophils 77%), and adenosine deaminase (ADA) was substantially elevated. Therefore, tuberculous meningitis was diagnosed and first‐line standard anti‐tuberculosis treatment was initiated. Interestingly, after 7‐day treatment, the patient was greatly improved, and CSF disclosed a dominant percentage of lymphocytes (82%) as well as macrophages engulfing Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Later, the dose of dexamethasone was reduced, large number of neutrophils (57%) was present and protein level was immediately elevated in CSF specimen, indicating a possible relapse of tuberculous meningitis. Since the clinical condition of the patient was not worsening, the patient was stick to reduced dose of dexamethasone and standard anti‐tuberculosis agents. He was discharged from the hospital on day 34, with 1‐year continuation standard anti‐tuberculosis therapy, and was clinically resolved from tuberculous meningitis.

Conclusion

Detailed analyses of cellular composition, biochemical results, and microbial tests of CSF specimen provide the physician direct evidence of the immune surveillance status during tuberculous meningitis, which facilitates early diagnosis, optimal treatment, and improved prognosis.
The epidemiology and clinical features of selective immunoglobulin M deficiency: A single‐center study in China
Authors: Ni Jinyao , Zhang Junwu , Chen Qi , Chen Yanxia , Liu Jinlin
Published: March 2020

Background

Selective immunoglobulin M deficiency (SIgMD) is a rare primary immunodeficiency that is frequently reported in Western countries. However, large epidemiological and clinical studies of SIgMD in China are still lacking. Herein, we describe a cohort of SIgMD subjects in a large tertiary university hospital in China.

Methods

A cross‐sectional study included 139 668 participants at First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University from January 2014 to October 2018 was conducted. Individuals with a serum IgM level less than 0.3 g/L with normal levels of serum IgA and IgG were defined as having SIgMD.

Result

A total of 63 subjects met the criteria for SIgMD(63/139668, 0.045%), with a male‐to‐female ratio of 0.85, aged from 19 to 99 years. The most common clinical manifestation was autoimmune disorders (38/63, 60.32%), while the second most common manifestation was infections (21/63, 33.33%). Neither allergies nor tumors were found among these 63 SIgMD subjects. Most importantly, there were 30 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus among these 63 SIgMD subjects, accounting for 47.62% of all SIgMD subjects.

Conclusion

To our knowledge, we describe here the first large single‐center cohort of adult patients affected by SIgMD in China. The most common clinical manifestation was autoimmune disorders, specifically systemic lupus erythematosus.
CircRNA hsa_circ_0013958 may contribute to the development of ovarian cancer by affecting epithelial‐mesenchymal transition and apoptotic signaling pathways
Authors: Pei Cheng , Wang Han , Shi Cong , Zhang Chuanqi , Wang Min
Published: March 2020

Background

CircRNA plays an important role in the development of tumors, but its mechanism of action in ovarian cancer is still unclear.

Methods

The expression level of hsa_circ_0013958 in 45 pairs of ovarian cancer tissues and cells was quantified by qRT‐PCR, further revealing whether it is related to clinicopathological features and diagnostic value. Next, the effects of hsa_circ_0013958 on the proliferation, migration, invasion, and apoptosis of A2780 and OVCAR‐3 cells were detected by CCK‐8 assay, Transwell assay, and flow cytometry, respectively. Last, the expression levels of epithelial‐mesenchymal transition‐related proteins (E‐cadherin and Vimentin) and apoptosis‐related proteins (Bcl‐2 and Bax) were detected by Western blotting.

Results

Hsa_circ_0013958 was highly expressed in ovarian cancer tissues and cells, and its expression was closely related to patient FIGO stage and lymph node metastasis. Further, in vitro studies showed that knockdown of hsa_circ_0013958 suppressed proliferation, migration, and invasion of ovarian cancer cells but elevated the cell apoptotic rate. The expression levels of both epithelial‐mesenchymal transition‐related proteins and apoptosis‐related proteins were also changed.

Conclusions

Hsa_circ_0013958 may contribute to the development of ovarian cancer by affecting epithelial‐mesenchymal transition and apoptotic signaling pathways.
“Did I see what I really saw?” Violence, percepticide, and dangerous seeing after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement raid
Authors: Langhout Regina D. , Vaccarino‐Ruiz S. Sylvane
Published: March 2020

We use a violence framework to describe an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid, and the subsequent cultural and structural violence that played out in one community after the raid. First, we focus on testimonies given about the ICE raids at two city council meetings, compared with how the raids were characterized in the local paper. We document cultural and structural violence in the newspaper reporting, through ideology and narratives (as forms of cultural violence) and percepticide (as a form of structural violence). We then analyze the process undertaken by 9–12‐year‐old youth researchers to construct a problem definition, and the script they wrote to explain the problem. We describe the “dangerous seeing” they engaged in to decode fictions about violence and create a rupture for solidarity and social action. Finally, we examine how elementary school leadership responded to these youth. Through fieldnotes, we document the cultural violence (via the control of public space) and structural violence (via percepticide and the obscuring of the social origins of social problems) perpetrated by school leadership.
The association between residential mobility and adolescents' health: The mediating role of neighborhood social cohesion
Authors: Cho Youngmin
Published: March 2020

This study examined the relationship between residential mobility, neighborhood social cohesion, and health status in US adolescents. Using data from the 2017 National Child Health Survey, our study showed that high residential mobility is negatively related to adolescents' health. Furthermore, we found that the association between residential mobility and adolescents' health status was mediated by neighborhood social cohesion. These findings suggest that neighborhood social cohesion can be an important mechanism through which residential mobility affects adolescents' health status.
PACAP ameliorates fertility in obese male mice via PKA/CREB pathway‐dependent Sirt1 activation and p53 deacetylation
Authors: Yan Qiuxia , Huang Hongke , Lu Shiyin , Ou Biqian , Feng Jia , Shan Wailan , Li Huixian , Wang Zixian , Hong An , Ma Yi
Published: March 2020

Obesity is strongly linked to male infertility. Testicular spermatogenic cell apoptosis plays an important role in obesity‐related male infertility. Pituitary adenylate cyclase‐activating peptide (PACAP) has been recently shown to exhibit antiapoptotic and antidiabetic effects. However, the effects of PACAP on obesity‐related male infertility remain unknown. The purpose of the current study is to explore the role of PACAP in obesity‐related male infertility. Here, C57BL/6 male mice were fed with a high‐fat diet to induce obesity and then treated with PACAP. PACAP treatment ameliorated obesity characteristics, including body weight, epididymal adipose weight, testes/body weight, serum lipids levels, and reproductive hormone levels in vivo. Additionally, PACAP was shown to improve the reproductive function of the obese mice, which was characterized by improved testis morphology, sperm parameters, acrosome reaction, and embryo quality after in vitro fertilization via silent information regulator 1 (Sirt1) activation and p53 deacetylation. These beneficial effects of PACAP were abolished in obese mice with testis‐specific knockdown of Sirt1. The mechanism studies showed that PACAP selectively binds to the PAC1 receptor to attenuate palmitic acid‐induced mouse spermatogenic cell (GC‐1) apoptosis via the PKA/CREB/Sirt1/p53 pathway. However, this mechanism was inhibited in GC‐1 cells lacking Sirt1. Finally, human semen studies showed that the decline in sperm quality in obese infertile men was partly due to Sirt1 downregulation and p53 acetylation. Our data suggest that PACAP could ameliorate fertility in obese male mice and may be a promising candidate drug for obesity‐induced male infertility.
Requirement of GTP binding for TIF‐90‐regulated ribosomal RNA synthesis and oncogenic activities in human colon cancer cells
Authors: Nguyen Dang Quan , Hoang Dinh Hoa , Nelson Michael , Nigam Lokesh , Nguyen Vo Thanh Thao , Zhang Lianjun , Pham Tram Kim Thi , Ho Huu Duc , Nguyen Dai Dong Thi , Lam Trung Quoc , Tat Trinh To , Elhajmoussa Yasmin , Ly Quoc Trung , Pichiorri Flavia , Pullarkat Vinod , Zhang Bin , Kuo Ya‐Huei , Marcucci Guido , Nguyen Le Xuan Truong
Published: March 2020

Transcription initiation factor 90 (TIF‐90), an alternatively spliced variant of TIF‐IA, differs by a 90 base pair deletion of exon 6. TIF‐90 has been shown to regulate ribosomal RNA (rRNA) synthesis by interacting with polymerase I (Pol I) during the initiation of ribosomal DNA (rDNA) transcription in the nucleolus. Recently, we showed that TIF‐90‐mediated rRNA synthesis can play an important role in driving tumorigenesis in human colon cancer cells. Here we show that TIF‐90 binds GTP at threonine 310, and that GTP binding is required for TIF‐90‐enhanced rRNA synthesis. Overexpression of activated AKT induces TIF‐90 T310, but not a GTP‐binding site (TIF‐90 T310N) mutant, to translocate into the nucleolus and increase rRNA synthesis. Complementing this result, treatment with mycophenolic acid (MPA), an inhibitor of GTP production, dissociates TIF‐90 from Pol I and hence abolishes AKT‐increased rRNA synthesis by way of TIF‐90 activation. Thus, TIF‐90 requires bound GTP to fulfill its function as an enhancer of rRNA synthesis. Both TIF variants are highly expressed in colon cancer cells, and depletion of TIF‐IA expression in these cells results in significant sensitivity to MPA‐inhibited rRNA synthesis and reduced cell proliferation. Finally, a combination of MPA and AZD8055 (an inhibitor of both AKT and mTOR) synergistically inhibits rRNA synthesis, in vivo tumor growth, and other oncogenic activities of primary human colon cancer cells, suggesting a potential avenue for the development of therapeutic treatments by targeting the regulation of rRNA synthesis by TIF proteins.
Clinical correlates in children with autism spectrum disorder and CNVs: Systematic investigation in a clinical setting
Authors: Barone Rita , Gulisano Mariangela , Amore Renata , Domini Carla , Milana Maria Chiara , Giglio Sabrina , Madia Francesca , Mattina Teresa , Casabona Antonino , Fichera Marco , Rizzo Renata
Published: March 2020

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is associated with various molecular mechanisms including copy number variants (CNVs). We investigated possible associations between CNVs and ASD clinical correlates. We evaluated pertinent physical characteristics and phenotypic measures such as cognitive level, severity of ASD symptoms and comorbid conditions in ASD patients consecutively recruited over the study period. Children with causative (C‐CNVs), non‐causative (NC‐CNVs) and without CNVs (W‐CNVs) were compared. Out of 109 patients, 31 imbalances (16 duplications and 15 deletions) were detected in 25 subjects. Seven (6.4%) had C‐CNVs and 18 (16.5%) had NC‐CNVs. Paired post hoc comparisons with Bonferroni adjustment showed that dysmorphisms and microcephaly were significantly more frequent in the C‐CNVs group. Patients with C‐CNVs had more severe autistic core symptoms, while comorbid internalizing behavioral symptoms were more represented among participants with NC‐CNVs. No significant differences were observed for distribution of macrocephaly, intellectual disability, epilepsy, isolated electroencephalogram abnormalities and studied neuroimaging characteristics among groups. Recurrent and rare C‐CNVs highlighting genes relevant to neurodevelopment had a statistically higher occurrence in children with more severe ASD symptoms and further developmental abnormalities. This study documents the importance of measuring the physical and neurobehavioural correlates of ASD phenotypes to unravel the underlying molecular mechanisms in patient subgroups.
Understanding ethical decision‐making in design
Authors: Corple Danielle J. , Zoltowski Carla B. , Kenny Feister Megan , Buzzanell Patrice M.
Published: March 2020

Background

Little is known about how students engage in ethical decision‐making, especially when designing in messy, real‐life contexts. To prepare ethically competent engineers, educators need a richer understanding of students' ethical decision‐making throughout the course of the design process.

Purpose/Hypothesis

This study examines students' intuitive ethical decision‐making as it emerges throughout the design process as well as when and how students engage in ethical reflection. Outlining these processes enables educators to better structure and support students' ethical reasoning.

Design/Method

We conducted 103 semi‐structured interviews with students in a multidisciplinary service‐learning program. To capture how ethical decision‐making unfolded over time, we sampled 13 students who had participated for multiple semesters on the same projects. The resulting 30 interviews were transcribed, coded, and thematically analyzed. We then explicated when and how students appeared to grapple with the ethical principles of beneficence, nonmaleficence, autonomy, and justice.

Results

The findings trace which ethical principles emerged as salient in each phase of the design process as well as what conditions and activities stimulated students' reflection on their ethical decision‐making.

Conclusions

Although certain phases of the design process appear to prompt consideration of specific principles, students' interactions with users and project partners appeared to stimulate the most reflection on their ethical decision‐making. We discuss how educators can leverage these and other reflection triggers to better structure and support students' ethical reasoning as well as strategies for making intuitive processes more explicit.
MicroRNA‐1249 targets four‐jointed box kinase 1 and reduces cell proliferation, migration and invasion of colon adenocarcinoma
Authors: Dang Wen , Zhu Zhen
Published: March 2020

Background

MiR‐1249 was demonstrated to be dysregulated and related to prognosis in cancers. It has been reported to be significantly down‐regulated in colon adenocarcinoma (COAD). The present study aimed to explore the clinical value and biological roles of miR‐1249 in the progression of COAD.

Methods

miRWalk was applied to predict potential targets of miR‐1249. We investigated the expression patterns of miR‐1249 and its potential target Four‐Jointed Box Kinase 1 (FJX1) in COAD samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) or ONCOMINE database. Kaplan–Meier with a log‐rank test was used to reveal the relationship between overall survival (OS) and miR‐1249/FJX1. The predictive ability of miR‐1249/FJX1 was investigated using univariate and multivariate Cox regression models. CCK‐8 and Transwell assays were performed to determine whether miR‐1249 was connected with cell viability, migration and invasion. A luciferase reporter assay was applied to verify the association of miR‐1249 and FJX1 as its predicted target gene.

Results

We predicted and confirmed FJX1 to be a target gene of miR‐1249. MiR‐1249 was down‐regulated in COAD samples and cell lines. Univariate and multivariate analysis showed that the expression of FJX1 could be regarded as independent predictor for COAD. Moreover, miR‐1249 and FJX1 were respectively the indicators of favorable and poor OS. MiR‐1249 over‐expression repressed cell growth, migration and invasion. Overexpression of FJX1 in cells treated with miR‐1249 mimic abolished the inhibitory effect of miR‐1249 on cell growth, migration and invasion.

Conclusions

miR‐1249 exerts a suppressive effect on cell proliferation, migration and invasion in COAD, which is possibly achieved via modulating FJX1.
Identification of coronavirus sequences in carp cDNA from Wuhan, China
Authors: Conway Michael J.
Published: March 2020

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)‐like coronavirus sequences were identified in two separate complementary DNA (cDNA) pools. The first pool was from a Carassius auratus (crusian carp) cell line and the second was from Ctenopharyngodon idella (grass carp) head kidney tissue. BLAST analysis suggests that these sequences belong to SARS‐like coronaviruses, and that they are not evolutionarily conserved in other species. Investigation of the submitting laboratories revealed that two laboratories from the Institute of Hydrobiology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Wuhan, China performed the research and submitted the cDNA libraries to GenBank. This institution is very close in proximity to the Wuhan South China Seafood Wholesale Market where SARS‐CoV‐2 first amplified in the human population. It is possible that these sequences are an artifact of the bioinformatics pipeline that was used. It is also possible that SARS‐like coronaviruses are a common environmental pathogen in the region that may be in aquatic habitats.
Beyond demographic identities and motivation to learn: The effect of organizational identification on diversity training outcomes
Authors: Rawski Shannon L. , Conroy Samantha A.
Published: March 2020

There is a pressing need for better explanations of diversity training effectiveness so that organizations can administer training programs that facilitate positive intergroup interactions. In this paper, we consider the unique predictive effect of organizational identification on diversity training outcomes beyond the effects of the traditional predictors of demographic‐based identities and motivation to learn across two samples of employees involved in diversity‐related training at their employing organizations. Organizational identification predicted unique variance in voluntary participation in diversity training, diversity training‐related knowledge application, motivation to transfer diversity training, and diversity training‐related organizational citizenship behavior intentions. Research and practitioner implications are discussed based on our findings.
Habitat Selection by Female Elk During Minnesota's Agricultural Season
Authors: Hinton Joseph W. , Freeman Alicia E. , St‐Louis Véronique , Cornicelli Louis , D'Angelo Gino J.
Published: March 2020

Understanding space‐use patterns by elk (Cervus canadensis) is essential to alleviating human‐elk conflicts, particularly when crop depredation by elk can make it harder to justify to the public the need to restore elk populations to regions with agricultural landscapes. In 2016–2017, we used global positioning system data from 20 female elk to investigate their selection for agricultural cover during the agricultural season (1 May–31 Oct) in northwestern Minnesota, USA. We estimated resource selection functions with resource availability defined at the home range scale. Elk space use was primarily determined by distance to forest cover in areas proximate to agricultural fields. During diurnal periods, elk selected areas with forest cover near agricultural fields planted with legumes and cereal. During nocturnal periods, elk selected for agricultural fields with little to no canopy and that were planted with legumes. We suggest that management of elk in northwestern Minnesota will require practices that discourage the use of agriculture by elk while improving natural habitats within areas managed for elk restoration. We suggest that forestry practices (i.e., thinning and burning) could improve cover and forage openings for elk in restoration areas. Furthermore, managers could work with agricultural producers where elk occur to plant crops favored by elk (i.e., legumes) outside known home ranges and plant fields within home ranges with crops that elk avoided (i.e., hay). Collectively, these practices may shift the ranges of elk herds into restoration areas and lower conflict between the public and elk restoration efforts. © 2020 The Wildlife Society.
Hospitalization Before Liver Transplantation Predicts Posttransplant Patient Survival: A Propensity Score–Matched Analysis
Authors: Wiering Leke , Öllinger Robert , Kruppa Jochen , Schoeneberg Uwe , Dziodzio Tomasz , Jara Maximillian , Biebl Matthias , Dargie Richard , Raschzok Nathanael , Schöning Wenzel , Eurich Dennis , Schmelzle Moritz , Sauer Igor M. , Pratschke Johann , Ritschl Paul V.
Published: March 2020

In contrast to donor factors predicting outcomes of liver transplantation (LT), few suitable recipient parameters have been identified. To this end, we performed an in‐depth analysis of hospitalization status and duration prior to LT as a potential risk factor for posttransplant outcome. The pretransplant hospitalization status of all patients undergoing LT between 2005 and 2016 at the Charité‐Universitätsmedizin Berlin was analyzed retrospectively using propensity score matching. At the time of organ acceptance, 226 of 1134 (19.9%) recipients were hospitalized in an intensive care unit (ICU), 146 (12.9%) in a regular ward (RW) and 762 patients (67.2%) were at home. Hospitalized patients (RW and ICU) compared with patients from home showed a dramatically shorter 3‐month survival (78.7% versus 94.4%), 1‐year survival (66.3% versus 87.3%), and 3‐year survival (61.7% versus 81.7%; all P < 0.001), whereas no significant difference was detected for 3‐year survival between ICU and RW patients (61.5% versus 62.3%; P = 0.60). These results remained significant after propensity score matching. Furthermore, in ICU patients, but not in RW patients, survival correlated with days spent in the ICU before LT (1‐year survival: 1‐6 versus 7‐14 days: 73.7% versus 60.5%, P = 0.04; 7‐14 days versus >14 days, 60.5% versus 51.0%, P = 0.006). In conclusion, hospitalization status before transplantation is a valuable predictor of patient survival following LT.
Amylopectin Multiple Aldehyde Crosslinked Hydrogel as an Injectable and Self‐Healing Cell Carrier for Bone Tissue Engineering
Authors: Vahedi Mohammad , Shokrolahi Fatemeh , Barzin Jalal , Shokrollahi Parvin , Taghiyar Leila , Ashtiani Mohammad Kazemi
Published: March 2020

Despite excellent processing and biological properties of gelatin for use as a cell carrier, none of the gelatin‐based hydrogel cell carriers reported to date offer all characteristics including quick formation, injectability, self‐healing, and durability, which are simultaneously required for an ideal system. Here, a gelatin‐based hydrogel with dynamic Schiff base linkages, so‐called “dynamic hydrogel,” as an injectable cell carrier consisting of gelatin and amylopectin multiple aldehyde (AMPA), with all the required characteristics is reported. Biocompatibility and osteoinductivity of the hydrogel are verified through the culture of human bone marrow‐derived mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs). As live/dead results show, hBMSCs are alive and highly viable ≈85–90% within the hydrogel after 5 days. According to bromodeoxyuridine cell proliferation assay, a significant increase in the number of the cells seeded in the hydrogel confirms its clinical significance for cell therapy. Most importantly, histological visualization using Mason's Trichrome staining indicates secretion of extracellular matrix around the cells loaded in the hydrogel and also expression level evaluation of the crucial osteogenic markers, confirms that the hydrogel can provide osteoinductive support for osteocyte differentiation of hBMSCs after 14 days. Therefore, this hydrogel provides more progress on the path toward bone tissue engineering and further treatment of bone diseases.
Inter‐ and intra‐software reproducibility of computed tomography lung density measurements
Authors: Kirby Miranda , Hatt Charles , Obuchowski Nancy , Humphries Stephen M. , Sieren Jered , Lynch David A. , Fain Sean B. ,   the QIBA Lung Density Committee
Published: March 2020

Purpose

Multiple commercial, open‐source, and academic software tools exist for objective quantification of lung density in computed tomography (CT) images. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the intersoftware reproducibility of CT lung density measurements.

Methods

Computed tomography images from 50 participants from the COPDGeneTM cohort study were randomly selected for analysis; n = 10 participants across each global initiative for chronic obstructive lung disease (GOLD) grade (GOLD 0–IV). Academic‐based groups (n = 4) and commercial vendors (n = 4) participated anonymously to generate CT lung density measurements using their software tools. Computed tomography total lung volume (TLV), percentage of the low attenuation areas in the lung with Hounsfield unit (HU) values below −950HU (LAA950), and the HU value corresponding to the 15th percentile on the parenchymal density histogram (Perc15) were included in the analysis. The intersoftware bias and reproducibility coefficient (RDC) was generated with and without quality assurance (QA) for manual correction of the lung segmentation; intrasoftware bias and RDC was also generated by repeated measurements on the same images.

Results

Intersoftware mean bias was within ±0.22 mL, ±0.46%, and ±0.97 HU for TLV, LAA950 and Perc15, respectively. The RDC was 0.35 L, 1.2% and 1.8 HU for TLV, LAA950 and Perc15, respectively. Intersoftware RDC remained unchanged following QA: 0.35 L, 1.2% and 1.8 HU for TLV, LAA950 and Perc15, respectively. All software investigated had an intrasoftware RDC of 0. The RDC was comparable for TLV, LAA950 and Perc15 measurements, respectively, for academic‐based groups/commercial vendor‐based software tools: 0.39 L/0.32 L, 1.2%/1.2%, and 1.7 HU/1.6 HU. Multivariable regression analysis showed that academic‐based software tools had greater within‐subject standard deviation of TLV than commercial vendors, but no significant differences between academic and commercial groups were found for LAA950 or Perc15 measurements.

Conclusions

Computed tomography total lung volume and lung density measurement bias and reproducibility was reported across eight different software tools. Bias was negligible across vendors, reproducibility was comparable for software tools generated by academic‐based groups and commercial vendors, and segmentation QA had negligible impact on measurement variability between software tools. In summary, results from this study report the amount of additional measurement variability that should be accounted for when using different software tools to measure lung density longitudinally with well‐standardized image acquisition protocols. However, intrasoftware reproducibility was deterministic for all cases so use of the same software tool to reduce variability for serial studies is highly recommended.
A fog‐based collaborative intrusion detection framework for smart grid
Authors: Li Wenjuan , Au Man Ho , Wang Yu
Published: March 2020

With the rapid development of information and communication technologies (ICTs), the conventional electrical grid is evolving towards an intelligent smart grid. Due to the complexity, how to protect the security of smart grid environments still remains a practical challenge. Currently, collaborative intrusion detection systems (CIDSs) are one important solution to help identify various security threats, through allowing various IDS nodes to exchange data and information. However, with the increasing adoption of ICT in smart grid, cloud computing is often deployed in order to reduce the storage burden locally. However, due to the distance between grid and cloud, it is critical for smart grid to ensure the timely response to any accidents. In this work, we review existing collaborative detection mechanisms and introduce a fog‐based CIDS framework to enhance the detection efficiency. The results show that our approach can improved the detection efficiency by around 21% to 45% based on the concrete attacking scenarios.
An approximated computational method for fast stress reconstruction in large strain plasticity
Authors: Rossi Marco , Lattanzi Attilio , Cortese Luca , Amodio Dario
Published: March 2020

This article describes a numerical method to reconstruct the stress field starting from strain data in elastoplasticity. Usually, this reconstruction is performed using the radial return algorithm, commonly implemented also in finite element codes. However, that method requires iterations to converge and can bring to errors if applied to experimental strain data affected by noise. A different solution is proposed here, where an approximated numerical method is used to derive the stress from the strain data with no iterations. The method is general and can be applied to any plasticity model with a convex surface of the yield locus in nonproportional loading. The theoretical basis of the method is described and then it is implemented on two constitutive models of anisotropic plasticity, namely, Hill48 and Yld2000‐2D. The accuracy of the proposed method and the advantage in terms of computational time with respect to the classical radial‐return algorithm are discussed. The possibility of using such method to reconstruct the stress field in case of few temporal data and noisy strain fields is also investigated.
Nurses' perceptions of success in self‐management support: An exploratory qualitative study
Authors: Duprez Veerle , Beeckman Dimitri , Van Hecke Ann , Verhaeghe Sofie
Published: March 2020

Nurses play an important role in supporting patients in self‐managing their chronic conditions. However, it is uncertain how nurses define their success and what might create feelings of disillusionment. This exploratory qualitative study sought to understand the origin, meanings, and processes underlying nurses' feelings of success in supporting patients to self‐manage their life with a chronic illness. Semi‐structured interviews were held with 16 nurses who were purposively sampled. Data were iteratively collected and analyzed (November 2017–September 2018). The origin and meaning of nurses' feelings of success in supporting patients in self‐management converged around the intertwining of “maintaining and promoting health” as a primary goal in chronic care, while an “intrapersonal conflict” arises. Patients maintaining physical health by optimal medical management boost nurses' feelings of success, whereas patients dealing with sub‐optimally provoke “an intrapersonal conflict”. When nurses observe unhealthy patient behavior, this is difficult to accept as it conflicts with their normative ideas of good care and health. Nurses' perception of success is refined by three interconnected processes, namely “keeping on track”, “considering own role,” and “protecting self”. Nurses experienced and processed success differently depending on whether they interacted with patients from a more directive approach or an attuning approach. This study highlighted the fact that nurses expect compliance from patients, and thereby often feel empty‐handed. By adopting a broader perspective of what successful patient behavior is, nurses might be able to provide a more comprehensive meaning to their own success regarding the care of patients living with a chronic illness.
One‐pot synthesis of carbon dots@ZrO2 nanoparticles with tunable solid‐state fluorescence
Authors: Wang Zhongyang , Hasnain Ali , Sun Xujun , Han Ying , Liu Dongshun , Tan Xiaohua , Ren Xiang‐Kui , Feng Yakai
Published: March 2020

In recent years, fluorescent carbon dots (CDs) have been developed and showed potential applications in biomedical imaging and light‐emitting diodes (LEDs) for their excellent fluorescent properties. However, it still remains a challenge to incorporate fluorescent CDs into the host matrix in situ to overcome their serious self‐quenching. Herein, a one‐pot hydrothermal method is used to prepare nano‐zirconia with CDs (CDs@ZrO2) nanoparticles. During the reaction, CDs and nano‐zirconia are generated simultaneously and connected with silane coupling agent. The CDs@ZrO2 nanoparticles exhibit tunable emission wavelength from 450 to 535 nm emission by regulating the content of citric acid in the feed. The quantum yield of the CDs@ZrO2 is up to 23.8%. Furthermore, the CDs@ZrO2 nanoparticles with regulable fluorescence emission can be used for the fluorescent material to prepare white LEDs. The prepared LED has significant white light emission with color coordinates of (0.30, 0.37) and its color rendering index (CRI) is 67.1. In summary, we have developed the solid‐state CDs@ZrO2 nanoparticles with tunable emission by a valuable strategy, that is, one‐pot method, for white LEDs.
Untargeted metabolite profiling and phytochemical analysis based on RP‐HPLC‐DAD‐QTOF‐MS and MS/MS for discovering new bioactive compounds in Rumex algeriensis flowers and stems
Authors: Ammar Sonda , Abidi Jouda , Vlad Luca Simon , Boumendjel Mahieddine , Skalicka‐Woźniak Krystyna , Bouaziz Mohamed
Published: March 2020

Introduction

Natural products with distinctive pharmaceutical activities are considered as the main source of new herbal drugs, functional foods and cosmetic additives. Rumex algeriensis is an endemic medicinal plant with no accessible information about its chemical profile and biological activities.

Objective

In the quest for new sources of biologically‐active compounds, we intended in the present work to undertake a comprehensive characterisation of phytochemical compounds from Rumex algeriensis flowers and stems hydro‐methanolic extract.

Methodology

Chemical profiles were evaluated by a rapid analytical method reversed‐phase high‐performance liquid chromatography (RP‐HPLC) coupled to electrospray ionisation‐quadrupole‐time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (ESI‐QTOF‐MS) and tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) using negative and positive ions modes.

Results

In this work, 44 bioactive compounds were tentatively identified using high mass accuracy data and confirmed by MS/MS experiments, among which five compounds were reported for the first time in the Polygonaceae family. These compounds were classified as sugars, hydroxybenzoic acids, hydroxycinnamic acids, flavonols, flavanones, flavone, flavanols, condensed tannins, hydrolysable tannins and their conjugated derivatives.

Conclusions

The obtained results highlighted that Rumex algeriensis, even though undervalued and unexplored, contributes to the preclinical knowledge that could be considered as a renewable source of nutraceutical compounds that may be exploited in novel herbal medicinal products, in the food, pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries.
Persistent Floating‐Body Effects in Fully Depleted Silicon‐on‐Insulator Transistors
Authors: Park Hyungjin , Colinge Jean-Pierre , Cristoloveanu Sorin , Bawedin Maryline
Published: March 2020

The floating‐body effects (FBEs) are widely documented in the history of silicon on‐insulator (SOI) transistors. The interest herein is threefold: 1) FBEs are revisited in the context of advanced fully depleted SOI with a thickness below 25 nm; 2) direct measurements of floating‐body potential enable in‐depth interpretation; and 3) additional evidence for the role of supercoupling is given. The typical consequences of FBEs (kink effect, parasitic bipolar transistor, transient and hysteresis in drain current, and metastable dip) are investigated and discussed. The critical roles of back‐gate biasing, body thickness, and frequency in the activation of FBEs are outlined. The signature of FBEs is still present in 12–25 nm films but disappears in sub‐10 nm‐thick transistors, due to the supercoupling effect.
Areca catechu—From farm to food and biomedical applications
Authors: Salehi Bahare , Konovalov Dmitry A. , Fru Pascaline , Kapewangolo Petrina , Peron Gregorio , Ksenija Mileski S. , Cardoso Susana M. , Pereira Olivia R. , Nigam Manisha , Nicola Silvana , Pignata Giuseppe , Rapposelli Simona , Sestito Simona , Anil Kumar Nanjangud V. , de la Luz Cádiz‐Gurrea María , Segura‐Carretero Antonio , P. Mishra Abhay , Sharifi‐Rad Mehdi , Cho William C. , Taheri Yasaman , Setzer William N. , Sharifi‐Rad Javad
Published: March 2020

The family Arecaceae includes 181 genera and 2,600 species with a high diversity in physical characteristics. Areca plants, commonly palms, which are able to grow in nearly every type of habitat, prefer tropical and subtropical climates. The most studied species Areca catechu L. contains phytochemicals as phenolics and alkaloids with biological properties. The phenolics are mainly distributed in roots followed by fresh unripe fruits, leaves, spikes, and veins, while the contents of alkaloids are in the order of roots, fresh unripe fruits, spikes, leaves, and veins. This species has been reputed to provide health effects on the cardiovascular, respiratory, nervous, metabolic, gastrointestinal, and reproductive systems. However, in many developing countries, quid from this species has been associated with side effects, which include the destruction of the teeth, impairment of oral hygiene, bronchial asthma, or oral cancer. Despite these side effects, which are also mentioned in this work, the present review collects the main results of biological properties of the phytochemicals in A. catechu. This study emphasizes the in vitro and in vivo antioxidant, antimicrobial, anticancer, and clinical effectiveness in humans. In this sense, A. catechu have demonstrated effectiveness in several reports through in vitro and in vivo experiments on disorders such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, or anticancer. Moreover, our findings demonstrate that this species presents clinical effectiveness on neurological disorders. Hence, A. catechu extracts could be used as a bioactive ingredient for functional food, nutraceuticals, or cosmeceuticals. However, further studies, especially extensive and comprehensive clinical trials, are recommended for the use of Areca in the treatment of diseases.
Integrated biomarker for type 2 diabetes mellitus and impaired fasting glucose based on metabolomics analysis using ultra‐high performance liquid chromatography quadrupole‐Orbitrap high‐resolution accurate mass spectrometry
Authors: Long Jianglan , Liu Liwei , Jia Qingquan , Yang Zhirui , Sun Zhi , Yan Can , Yan Dan
Published: March 2020

Rationale

The prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is increasing but its early diagnosis in high risk populations remains challenging using only fasting blood glucose (FBG) or hemoglobin A1c measurements. It is, therefore, important to search for an integrated biomarker for early diagnosis by determining metabolites associated with the progression of the disease.

Methods

We recruited 149 participants (51 T2DM patients, 50 individuals with impaired fasting glucose (IFG) and 48 normal glucose tolerance subjects). Their serum samples were analyzed based on a metabolomics approach using ultra‐high‐performance liquid chromatography quadrupole‐Orbitrap high‐resolution accurate mass spectrometry (UHPLC/Q‐Orbitrap HRMS). The changes in metabolites were profiled and evaluated using univariate and multivariate analyses. Furthermore, a biomarker model was established and the potential biomarkers were evaluated using binary logistic regression analysis and receiver operating characteristic analysis with AUC (area under the curve). Pathway analysis of differential metabolites was performed to reveal the important biological information.

Results

Thirty‐eight differential metabolites were identified as significantly associated with T2DM patients and 23 differential metabolites with IFG individuals, mainly amino acids, carnitines, and phospholipids. By evaluating 17 potential biomarkers, we defined a novel integrated biomarker consisting of 2‐acetolactate, 2‐hydroxy‐2,4‐pentadienoate, L‐arabinose and L‐glutamine. The AUCs of the integrated biomarker with IFG and T2DM patients were 0.874 and 0.994, respectively, which showed a superior diagnostic performance. The levels of 2‐acetolactate and 2‐hydroxy‐2,4‐pentadienoate were strongly positively correlated with FBG, while L‐glutamine and L‐arabinose were strongly negatively associated with FBG. After pathway analysis, it was suggested that the majority of the influenced metabolic pathways associated with diabetes referred to amino acid metabolism.

Conclusions

The integrated biomarker could diagnose IFG and T2DM with a superior diagnostic performance. This finding provides support for novel biomarkers in the diagnosis and treatment of diabetes.
Minimalist designs
Authors: Barber Ben , Glock Stefan , Kühn Daniela , Lo Allan , Montgomery Richard , Osthus Deryk
Published: March 2020

The iterative absorption method has recently led to major progress in the area of (hyper‐)graph decompositions. Among other results, a new proof of the existence conjecture for combinatorial designs, and some generalizations, was obtained. Here, we illustrate the method by investigating triangle decompositions: We give a simple proof that a triangle‐divisible graph of large minimum degree has a triangle decomposition and prove a similar result for quasi‐random host graphs.
Facile Molecular Catalysis for Isomerization of Glucose to Fructose Using KMnO4 in Water
Authors: Zandany Anat , Kumar Vijay B. , Gedanken Aharon
Published: March 2020

This research demonstrates the eco‐friendly conversion of glucose to fructose in an aqueous solution of potassium permanganate (KMnO4) via a hydrothermal method.  A series of reactions have been completed at different temperatures, times, and concentrations of the catalyst. The examination of the glucose to fructose transformation was determined by using quantitative HPLC, and 13C‐NMR analyses. 29% fructose yield was found with 68% fructose selectivity, at 90 °C for an 8 h reaction in aqueous solution. The catalytic activity of KMnO4 was correlated with its Lewis acidity. The outcomes of these experiments provided a better understanding of sugar transformations in the KMnO4 aqueous solution. The mechanism of glucose isomerization has been proposed based on supporting transformations utilizing Lewis acids for the isomerization of glucose.