bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Levels of domain-specific physical activity at work, in the household, for travel and for leisure among 327 789 adults from 104 countries
Authors: Strain Tessa , Wijndaele Katrien , Garcia Leandro , Cowan Melanie , Guthold Regina , Brage Soren , Bull Fiona C
Published: November 2020

Objective

To compare the country-level absolute and relative contributions of physical activity at work and in the household, for travel, and during leisure-time to total moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA).

Methods

We used data collected between 2002 and 2019 from 327 789 participants across 104 countries and territories (n=24 low, n=34 lower-middle, n=30 upper-middle, n=16 high-income) from all six World Health Organization (WHO) regions. We calculated mean min/week of work/household, travel and leisure MVPA and compared their relative contributions to total MVPA using Global Physical Activity Questionnaire data. We compared patterns by country, sex and age group (25–44 and 45–64 years).

Results

Mean MVPA in work/household, travel and leisure domains across the 104 countries was 950 (IQR 618–1198), 327 (190–405) and 104 (51–131) min/week, respectively. Corresponding relative contributions to total MVPA were 52% (IQR 44%–63%), 36% (25%–45%) and 12% (4%–15%), respectively. Work/household was the highest contributor in 80 countries; travel in 23; leisure in just one. In both absolute and relative terms, low-income countries tended to show higher work/household (1233 min/week, 57%) and lower leisure MVPA levels (72 min/week, 4%). Travel MVPA duration was higher in low-income countries but there was no obvious pattern in the relative contributions. Women tended to have relatively less work/household and more travel MVPA; age groups were generally similar.

Conclusion

In the largest domain-specific physical activity study to date, we found considerable country-level variation in how MVPA is accumulated. Such information is essential to inform national and global policy and future investments to provide opportunities to be active, accounting for country context.
World Health Organization 2020 guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour
Authors: Bull Fiona C , Al-Ansari Salih S , Biddle Stuart , Borodulin Katja , Buman Matthew P , Cardon Greet , Carty Catherine , Chaput Jean-Philippe , Chastin Sebastien , Chou Roger , Dempsey Paddy C , DiPietro Loretta , Ekelund Ulf , Firth Joseph , Friedenreich Christine M , Garcia Leandro , Gichu Muthoni , Jago Russell , Katzmarzyk Peter T , Lambert Estelle , Leitzmann Michael , Milton Karen , Ortega Francisco B , Ranasinghe Chathuranga , Stamatakis Emmanuel , Tiedemann Anne , Troiano Richard P , van der Ploeg Hidde P , Wari Vicky , Willumsen Juana F
Published: November 2020

Objectives

To describe new WHO 2020 guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour.

Methods

The guidelines were developed in accordance with WHO protocols. An expert Guideline Development Group reviewed evidence to assess associations between physical activity and sedentary behaviour for an agreed set of health outcomes and population groups. The assessment used and systematically updated recent relevant systematic reviews; new primary reviews addressed additional health outcomes or subpopulations.

Results

The new guidelines address children, adolescents, adults, older adults and include new specific recommendations for pregnant and postpartum women and people living with chronic conditions or disability. All adults should undertake 150–300 min of moderate-intensity, or 75–150 min of vigorous-intensity physical activity, or some equivalent combination of moderate-intensity and vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity, per week. Among children and adolescents, an average of 60 min/day of moderate-to-vigorous intensity aerobic physical activity across the week provides health benefits. The guidelines recommend regular muscle-strengthening activity for all age groups. Additionally, reducing sedentary behaviours is recommended across all age groups and abilities, although evidence was insufficient to quantify a sedentary behaviour threshold.

Conclusion

These 2020 WHO guidelines update previous WHO recommendations released in 2010. They reaffirm messages that some physical activity is better than none, that more physical activity is better for optimal health outcomes and provide a new recommendation on reducing sedentary behaviours. These guidelines highlight the importance of regularly undertaking both aerobic and muscle strengthening activities and for the first time, there are specific recommendations for specific populations including for pregnant and postpartum women and people living with chronic conditions or disability. These guidelines should be used to inform national health policies aligned with theWHO Global Action Plan on Physical Activity 2018–2030and to strengthen surveillance systems that track progress towards national and global targets.
Exploring the impact of COVID-19 and restrictions to daily living as a result of social distancing within veterans with pre-existing mental health difficulties
Authors: Murphy Dominic , Williamson C , Baumann J , Busuttil W , Fear N T
Published: November 2020

Introduction

Data are emerging showing the adverse consequences on mental health of the general public due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Little is known about the needs of veterans with pre-existing mental health difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

Data were collected through a cross-sectional online survey from a randomly selected sample (n=1092) of military veterans who have sought help for mental health difficulties from a veteran-specific UK-based charity. The response rate was 25.2% (n=275). Participants were asked to complete a range of standardised mental health outcomes (post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist, common mental health difficulties (CMDs): 12-Item General Health Questionnaire, difficulties with anger: 5-Item Dimensions of Anger Reactions—Revised and alcohol misuse: Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test) and endorse a list of potential stressors related to changes to daily life resulting from COVID-19. Regression analyses were fitted to explore predictors of mental health severity.

Results

It was observed that symptoms of common mental disorder and PTSD (69.3% and 65.0%, respectively) were the most commonly reported to have been exacerbated by the pandemic. Lack of social support and reporting increasing numbers of stressors related to COVID-19 were consistently associated with increasing severity of a range of mental health difficulties.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest veterans who had pre-existing mental health difficulties prior to the outbreak of COVID-19 may be at increased risk of experiencing CMDs as a result of the pandemic. Intervening to improve levels of social support and offering practical guidance to better manage any additional stressors relating to the pandemic may provide strategies to help reduce the burden of mental health symptoms.
Developing UK Defence Rehabilitation research priorities: a 2020 clinical practitioner engagement exercise
Authors: Coppack Russell J , Ladlow P , Bennett A N
Published: November 2020

Introduction

Establishing research priorities help to address knowledge gaps and exploit emerging opportunities to develop a clinical evidence base. The previous clinical engagement exercise to determine UK Defence Rehabilitation practitioner-based research priorities was conducted in 2014. The aim of this article is to (1) describe how research priorities are established for UK Defence Rehabilitation; (2) review, reassess and rate the priorities highlighted and set by rehabilitation practitioners following the 2014 survey and (3) identify new rehabilitation research themes and topics reflecting 2020 priorities.

Methods

Stage 1: delegates (n=72) at the October 2019 Defence Medical Services Rehabilitation Conference participated in a series of focus group workshops. Stage 2: an online survey circulated through the military chain of command to all Defence Primary Health Care clinical rehabilitation staff. Stage 3: a thematic analysis of all survey submissions yielding a ranked order of priority by topic.

Results

165 clinical rehabilitation staff completed an online survey. ‘Rehabilitation outcomes’, ‘Psychological factors in rehabilitation’ and ‘Residential/Inpatient treatment paradigm’ emerged as three clear research priorities across all three tiers of UK Defence Rehabilitation. New research priorities emerging from the 2020 survey were ‘lifestyle factors during rehabilitation’, ‘management of pain during rehabilitation’ and ‘anterior knee pain’.

Conclusion

It is essential that funding directed to musculoskeletal rehabilitation focuses on the highest research priorities in the field to ensure optimum health return on investment. The results of this survey will assist in guiding the clinical research being conducted within UK Defence Rehabilitation over the next five years.
Open-label, single-centre, cluster-randomised controlled trial to Evaluate the Potential Impact of Computerisedantimicrobial stewardship (EPIC) on the antimicrobial use after cardiovascular surgeries: EPIC trial study original protocol
Authors: Yuan Xin , Chen Kai , Zhao Wei , Hu Shuang , Yu Fei , Diao Xiaolin , Chen Xingwei , Hu Shengshou
Published: November 2020

Introduction

Inappropriate antimicrobial use increases the prevalence of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria. Surgeons are reluctant to implement recommendations of guidelines in clinical practice. Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) is effective in antimicrobial management, but it remains labour intensive. The computerised decision support system (CDSS) has been identified as an effective way to enable key elements of AMS in clinical settings. However, insufficient evidence is available to evaluate the efficacy of computerised AMS in surgical settings.

Methods and analysis

The Evaluate of the Potential Impact of Computerised AMS trial is an open-label, single-centre, two-arm, cluster-randomised, controlled trial, which aims to determine whether a multicomponent CDSS intervention reduces overall antimicrobial use after cardiovascular surgeries compared with usual clinical care in a specialty hospital with a big volume of cardiovascular surgeries. Eighteen cardiovascular surgical teams will be randomised 1:1 to either the intervention or the control arm. The intervention will consist of (1) re-evaluation alerts and decision support for the duration of antimicrobial treatment decision, (2) re-evaluation alerts and decision support for the choice of antimicrobial, (3) quality control audit and feedback. The primary outcome will be the overall systemic antimicrobial use measured in days of therapy (DOT) per admission and DOT per 1000 patient-days over the whole intervention period (6 months). Secondary outcomes include a series of indices to evaluate antimicrobial use, microbial resistance, perioperative infection outcomes, patient safety, resource consumption, and user compliance and satisfaction.

Ethics and dissemination

The Ethics Committee in Fuwai Hospital approved this study (2020-1329). The results of the trial will be submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal.

Trial registration number

NCT04328090.
Undergraduate exposure to patient presentations on the acute medical placement: a prospective study in a London teaching hospital
Authors: Fung Chee Yeen , Tan Zhin Ming , Savage Adam , Rahim Mahdi , Osman Fatima , Adnan Mohammed , Peleva Emilia , Sam Amir H
Published: November 2020

Objectives

To identify the availability and variability of learning opportunities through patient presentations on an acute medical placement at a teaching hospital.

Design

A prospective study evaluating all acute admissions to the Acute Medical Unit over 14 days (336 hours). Clinical presentations and the day and time of admission were recorded and compared with the learning outcomes specified in the medical school curriculum.

Setting

An Acute Medical Unit at a London teaching hospital.

Outcomes

(1) Number of clinical presentations to the Acute Medical Unit over 14 days and (2) differences between the availability and variation of admissions and presentations between in-hours and out-of-hours.

Results

There were 359 admissions, representing 1318 presentations. Of those presentations, 76.6% were admitted out-of-hours and 23.4% in-hours. Gastrointestinal bleeding, tachycardia, oedema and raised inflammatory markers were over three times more common per hour out-of-hours than in-hours. Hypoxia was only seen out-of-hours. Important clinical presentations in the curriculum such as chest pain and hemiparesis were not commonly seen.

Conclusions

There is greater availability of presentations seen out-of-hours and a changing landscape of presentations seen in-hours. The out-of-hours presentation profile may be due to expanded community and specialist services. Medical schools need to carefully consider the timing and location of their clinical placements to maximise undergraduate learning opportunities.
Assessing international alcohol consumption patterns during isolation from the COVID-19 pandemic using an online survey: highlighting negative emotionality mechanisms
Authors: Sallie Samantha N , Ritou Valentin , Bowden-Jones Henrietta , Voon Valerie
Published: November 2020

Objectives

The COVID-19 pandemic has required drastic safety measures to control virus spread, including an extended self-isolation period. Stressful situations increase alcohol craving and consumption in alcohol use disorder (AUD) and non-AUD drinkers. Thus, we assessed how COVID-19 related stress may have affected drinking behaviours in the general population.

Design

We developed an online cross-sectional survey, Habit Tracker (HabiT), which measured changes in drinking behaviours before and during COVID-19 quarantine. We also assessed psychiatric factors such as anxiety, depression (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale) and impulsivity (Short-Impulsive Behavior Scale). Lastly, we related drinking behaviours to COVID-19 specific stress factors.

Setting

HabiT was released internationally, with individuals from 83 countries participating.

Participants

Participants were included if they were 18 years of age or older and confirmed they were proficient in English. The survey was completed by 2873 adults with 1346 usable data (46.9% accurately completed).

Primary outcome measures

Primary outcome measures were change in amount and severity of drinking behaviours before and during quarantine, and current drinking severity during quarantine.

Results

Although drinking behaviours decreased overall during quarantine, 36% reported an increase in alcohol use. Those who increased alcohol use during quarantine were older individuals (95% CI 0.04 to 0.1, p<0.0001), essential workers (95% CI −0.58 to −0.1, p=0.01), individuals with children (95% CI −12.46 to 0.0, p=0.003), those with a personal relationship with someone severely ill from COVID-19 (95% CI −2 to −0.38, p=0.01) and those with higher depression (95% CI 0.67 to 1.45, p<0.0001), anxiety (95% CI 0.61 to 1.5, p=0.0002), and positive urgency impulsivity (95% CI 0.16 to 0.72, p=0.009). Furthermore, country-level subsample analyses indicated that drinking amount (95% CI 9.36 to 13.13, p=0.003) increased in the UK during quarantine.

Conclusions

Our findings highlight a role for identifying those vulnerable for alcohol misuse during periods of self-isolation and underscore the theoretical mechanism of negative emotionality underlying drinking behaviours driven by stress. Limitations include a large degree of study dropout (n=1515). Future studies should assess the long-term effects of isolation on drinking behaviours.
DWI cerebellar infarct volume as predictor of outcomes after endovascular treatment of acute basilar artery occlusion
Authors: Mourand Isabelle , Mahmoudi Mehdi , Dargazanli Cyril , Pavillard Frederique , Arquizan Caroline , Labreuche Julien , Derraz Imad , Gaillard Nicolas , Blanchet-Fourcade Genevieve , Lefevre Pierre Henri , Boukriche Yassine , Gascou Gregory , Corti Lucas , Costalat Vincent , Le bars Emmanuelle , Cagnazzo Federico
Published: November 2020

Background

Preprocedural predictors of outcome in patients with acute basilar artery occlusion (ABAO) who have undergone endovascular treatment (EVT) remain controversial. Our aim was to determine if pre-EVT diffusion-weighted imaging cerebellar infarct volume (CIV) is a predictor of 90-day outcomes.

Methods

We analyzed consecutive MRI-selected endovascularly treated patients with ABAO within the first 24 hours after symptom onset. Successful reperfusion was defined as a modified Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction score of 2b–3. Using the initial MRI, baseline CIV was calculated in mL on an apparent diffusion coefficient map reconstruction (Olea Sphere software). CIV was analyzed in univariate and multivariable models as a predictor of 90-day functional independence (modified Rankin Scale (mRS) 0–2) and mortality. According to receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, the optimal cut-off was determined by maximizing the Youden index to evaluate the prognostic value of CIV.

Results

Of the 110 MRI-selected patients with ABAO, 64 (58.18%) had a cerebellar infarct. The median CIV was 9.6 mL (IQR 2.7–31.4). Successful reperfusion was achieved in 81.8% of the cases. At 90 days the proportion of patients with mRS ≤2 was 31.8% and the overall mortality rate was 40.9%. Baseline CIV was significantly associated with 90-day mRS 0–2 (p=0.008) in the univariate analysis and was an independent predictor of 90-day mortality (adjusted OR 1.79, 95% CI 1.25 to 2.54, p=0.001). The ROC analysis showed that a CIV ≥4.7 mL at the initial MRI was the optimal cut-off to discriminate patients with a higher risk of death at 90 days (area under the ROC curve (AUC)=0.74, 95% CI 0.61 to 0.87, sensitivity and specificity of 87.9% and 58.1%, respectively).

Conclusions

In our series of MRI-selected patients with ABAO, pre-EVT CIV was an independent predictor of 90-day mortality. The risk of death was increased for baseline CIV ≥4.7 mL.
Occupational exposure to antimony trioxide: a risk assessment
Authors: Schildroth Samantha , Osborne Gwendolyn , Smith Anna R , Yip Caryn , Collins Caroline , Smith Martyn T , Sandy Martha S , Zhang Luoping
Published: November 2020

Objectives

The US National Toxicology Program (NTP) recently recommended in its Report on Carcinogens Monograph for Antimony Trioxide that antimony trioxide be listed as ‘reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen’ based on sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity in experimental animals and supporting evidence from mechanistic studies. Our goal was to estimate the possible human cancer risk from occupational exposure to antimony trioxide.

Methods

We selected data from 2-year inhalation studies in male and female mice conducted by the NTP and performed cancer dose–response analyses using cancer models and benchmark dose methods developed by the US Environmental Protection Agency. In these analyses, we generated benchmark doses and cancer slope factors for antimony trioxide, and then estimated human cancer risk under various exposure scenarios. Typical and worst-case inhalation scenarios in multiple occupational settings were used in risk estimation.

Results

In typical case scenarios, the occupational cancer risk from antimony trioxide was estimated to be 0.025 (25 in 1000) for persons working with flame retardants in plastics and textiles for 40 years. Under worst-case scenarios, the occupational cancer risk was estimated to be 0.11 (110 in 1000) for persons working with flame retardants in plastics and textiles. At the current Occupational Safety and Health Administration Permissible Exposure Limit, the cancer risk for occupational inhalation exposure of antimony trioxide was estimated to be 0.096 (96 in 1000).

Conclusion

The risk estimates calculated in this study suggest that exposure to antimony trioxide at levels present in certain occupational settings results in a large increase in the risk of developing cancer.
The neonicotinoid insecticide thiamethoxam enhances expression of stress-response genes in Zea mays in an environmentally specific pattern
Authors: House Megan A. , Swanton Clarence J. , Lukens Lewis N.
Published: November 2020

Recent studies indicate that thiamethoxam (TMX), a neonicotinoid insecticide, can affect plant responses to environmental stressors, such as neighboring weeds. The molecular mechanisms behind both stable and environmentally specific responses to TMX likely involve genes related to defense and stress responses. We investigated the effect of a TMX seed treatment on global gene expression in maize coleoptiles both under normal conditions and under low ratio red to far-red (R:FR) light stress induced by the presence of neighboring plants. The neighboring plant treatment upregulated genes involved in biotic and abiotic stress responses and affected specific photosynthesis and cell-growth related genes. Low R:FR light may enhance maize resistance to herbivores and pathogens. TMX appears to compromise resistance. The TMX treatment stably repressed many genes that encode proteins involved in biotic stress responses, as well as cell-growth genes. Notably, TMX effects on many genes’ expression were conditional on the environment. In response to low R:FR, plants treated with TMX engage genes in the JA pathway, as well as other stress-related response pathways. Neighboring weeds may condition TMX-treated plants to become more stress tolerant.
Sensitivity to neutrinos from the solar CNO cycle in Borexino
Authors:   BOREXINO Collaboration, Agostini M. , Altenmüller K. , Appel S. , Atroshchenko V. , Bagdasarian Z. , Basilico D. , Bellini G. , Benziger J. , Biondi R. , Bravo D. , Caccianiga B. , Calaprice F. , Caminata A. , Cavalcante P. , Chepurnov A. , D’Angelo D. , Davini S. , Derbin A. , Di Giacinto A. , Di Marcello V. , Ding X. F. , Di Ludovico A. , Di Noto L. , Drachnev I. , Formozov A. , Franco D. , Galbiati C. , Ghiano C. , Giammarchi M. , Goretti A. , Göttel A. S. , Gromov M. , Guffanti D. , Ianni Aldo , Ianni Andrea , Jany A. , Jeschke D. , Kobychev V. , Korga G. , Kumaran S. , Laubenstein M. , Litvinovich E. , Lombardi P. , Lomskaya I. , Ludhova L. , Lukyanchenko G. , Lukyanchenko L. , Machulin I. , Martyn J. , Meroni E. , Meyer M. , Miramonti L. , Misiaszek M. , Muratova V. , Neumair B. , Nieslony M. , Nugmanov R. , Oberauer L. , Orekhov V. , Ortica F. , Pallavicini M. , Papp L. , Penek Ö. , Pietrofaccia L. , Pilipenko N. , Pocar A. , Raikov G. , Ranalli M. T. , Ranucci G. , Razeto A. , Re A. , Redchuk M. , Romani A. , Rossi N. , Schönert S. , Semenov D. , Settanta G. , Skorokhvatov M. , Smirnov O. , Sotnikov A. , Suvorov Y. , Tartaglia R. , Testera G. , Thurn J. , Unzhakov E. , Villante F. L. , Vishneva A. , Vogelaar R. B. , Feilitzsch F. von , Wojcik M. , Wurm M. , Zavatarelli S. , Zuber K. , Zuzel G.
Published: November 2020

Neutrinos emitted in the carbon, nitrogen, oxygen (CNO) fusion cycle in the Sun are a sub-dominant, yet crucial component of solar neutrinos whose flux has not been measured yet. The Borexino experiment at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso (Italy) has a unique opportunity to detect them directly thanks to the detector’s radiopurity and the precise understanding of the detector backgrounds. We discuss the sensitivity of Borexino to CNO neutrinos, which is based on the strategies we adopted to constrain the rates of the two most relevant background sources,$$pep$$pepneutrinos from the solarpp-chain and$$^{210}$$210Bi beta decays originating in the intrinsic contamination of the liquid scintillator with$$^{210}$$210Pb. Assuming the CNO flux predicted by the high-metallicity Standard Solar Model and an exposure of 1000 days$$\times $$×71.3 t, Borexino has a median sensitivity to CNO neutrino higher than 3$$\sigma $$σ. With the same hypothesis the expected experimental uncertainty on the CNO neutrino flux is 23%, provided the uncertainty on the independent estimate of the$$^{210}\text {Bi}$$210Bi interaction rate is 1.5$$\hbox {cpd}/100~\hbox {ton}$$cpd/100ton . Finally, we evaluated the expected uncertainty of the C and N abundances and the expected discrimination significance between the high and low metallicity Standard Solar Models (HZ and LZ) with future more precise measurement of the CNO solar neutrino flux.
Chiral soliton solutions of perturbed chiral nonlinear Schrödinger equation with its applications in mathematical physics
Authors: Cheemaa N. , Chen S. , Seadawy A. R.
Published: November 2020

In this article, we have discussed the analytical treatment of perturbed chiral nonlinear Schrödinger equation with the help of our newly developed method extended modified auxiliary equation mapping method (EMAEMM). By using this newly proposed technique we have found some quite general and new variety of exact traveling wave solutions, which are collecting some kind of semi half bright, dark, bright, semi half dark, doubly periodic, combined, periodic, half hark, and half bright via three parametric values, which is the primary key point of difference of our technique. These results are highly applicable to develop new theories of quantum mechanics, biomedical problems, soliton dynamics, plasma physics, nuclear physics, optical physics, fluid dynamics, biomedical problems, electromagnetism, industrial studies, mathematical physics, and in many other natural and physical sciences. For detailed physical dynamical representation of our results we have shown them with graphs in different dimensions using Mathematica 10.4 to get complete understanding in a more efficient manner to observe the behavior of different new dynamical shapes of solutions.
Kauffman skein algebras and quantum Teichmüller spaces via factorization homology
Authors: Cooke Juliet
Published: November 2020

We compute the factorization homology of the four-punctured sphere and punctured torus over the quantum group [Formula: see text] explicitly as categories of equivariant modules using the framework developed by Ben-Zvi et al. We identify the algebra of [Formula: see text]-invariants (quantum global sections) with the spherical double affine Hecke algebra of type [Formula: see text], in the four-punctured sphere case, and with the “cyclic deformation” of [Formula: see text] in the punctured torus case. In both cases, we give an identification with the corresponding quantum Teichmüller space as proposed by Teschner and Vartanov as a quantization of the moduli space of flat connections.
Preparation of Carbon Dots for Effective Fluorescence Imaging of Ovarian Cancer Cells and In Vivo Brain Imaging
Authors: Zhuang Yinping , Zheng Shaohui , Liu Qi , Xu Kai , Han Cuiping , Cheng Deqiang
Published: November 2020

Fluorescent carbon dots (CDs) were prepared for targeted cancer imaging and in vivo imaging. The CDs were prepared via one-step hydrothermal pyrolysis of urea and sodium citrate dihydrate. The CDs revealed nice crystalline structure, excellent aqueous stability and good photoluminescence property and high quantum yield. The fluorescent images indicated that the anti-HE4-CDs were specifically internalized by the HO-8910 ovarian cancer cells. Furthermore, the CDs revealed vivid fluorescent signal in the animal imaging test and promising potential in brain imaging. Finally, the CDs also suggested low toxicity after treatment for 1 day, 7 days and 21 days. Therefore, the prepared CDs could be a promising imaging probe for targeted cancer cell imaging and in vivo imaging.
Smartphone-Based Pavement Roughness Estimation Using Deep Learning with Entity Embedding
Authors: Aboah Armstrong , Adu-Gyamfi Yaw
Published: November 2020

The commonly used index for measuring pavement roughness is the International Roughness index (IRI). Traditional method for collecting road surface information is expensive and as such researchers over the years have resorted to other cheaper ways of collecting data. This study focuses on developing a deep learning model to quickly and accurately determine the IRI values of road sections at a cheaper cost. The study proposed a model that uses accelerometer data and previous year’s IRI values to predict current year IRI values. The study concludes that addition of accelerometer readings to previous year’s IRIs increased the accuracy of prediction.
Obsidian
Authors: Coblenz Michael , Oei Reed , Etzel Tyler , Koronkevich Paulette , Baker Miles , Bloem Yannick , Myers Brad A. , Sunshine Joshua , Aldrich Jonathan
Published: November 2020

Blockchain platforms are coming into use for processing critical transactions among participants who have not established mutual trust. Many blockchains are programmable, supporting
smart contracts
, which maintain persistent state and support transactions that transform the state. Unfortunately, bugs in many smart contracts have been exploited by hackers. Obsidian is a novel programming language with a type system that enables static detection of bugs that are common in smart contracts today. Obsidian is based on a core calculus, Silica, for which we proved type soundness. Obsidian uses
typestate
to detect improper state manipulation and uses
linear types
to detect abuse of assets. We integrated a permissions system that encodes a notion of
ownership
to allow for safe, flexible aliasing. We describe two case studies that evaluate Obsidian’s applicability to the domains of parametric insurance and supply chain management, finding that Obsidian’s type system facilitates reasoning about high-level states and ownership of resources. We compared our Obsidian implementation to a Solidity implementation, observing that the Solidity implementation requires much boilerplate checking and tracking of state, whereas Obsidian does this work statically.
Longer Delays in Rehearsal-based Interfaces Increase Expert Use
Authors: Lewis Blaine , Vogel Daniel
Published: November 2020

Rehearsal-based interfaces are designed to encourage a transition from novice to expert, but many users fail to make this transition. Most of these interfaces activate novice mode after a short delay, between 150 and 500 ms. We investigate the impact of delay time on expert usage and learning in three crowdsourced experiments. The first experiment examines an 8-item marking menu with delay times from 200 ms to 2 s. Results show longer delays increase successful expert selections. The second and third experiments generalise this result to a different rehearsal-based menu, a desktop clone of FastTap with 8 items and 15 items. Together, our results show that expert use correlates positively with increased delay time, but can increase errors since users are less risk averse. We also find imperceptible delays of 200 ms can harm long-term retention of menu items. Designers should consider longer delays in rehearsal-based interfaces to encourage a transition to expert usage.
Machine Learning Data Center Workloads Using Generative Adversarial Networks
Authors: Haverkort Boudewijn R. , Finkbeiner Felix , de Boer Pieter-Tjerk
Published: November 2020

In this paper we study the applicability of generative adversarial networks (GANs) for the description and generation of workloads for data centers. GANs are advanced neural networks that can learn complex likelihood functions and can sample from them. The field of workload modeling is concerned with describing and generating realistic workloads for performance evaluation of computer systems, in this paper, specifically for data centers. The characterization of the workload of modern data centers is crucial in order to study the effect of changing workloads on the performance of such data centers.

Previously, a number of statistical fitting techniques have been used to characterize data center workloads. This paper explores whether GANs are sufficiently capable to automatically learn such characterisations from multidimensional data sets. We describe the design and evaluation of a GAN, thereby using real-world data center traces. The learned model is evaluated by comparison to previously proposed fitting techniques.

We find that the resulting GAN is very well able to reproduce a realistic data center workload. Furthermore, the approach does not require (a priori) knowledge or assumptions about the underlying models themselves, which can be seen as an advantage. It is shown that the learning approach does reach comparable quality to other fitting techniques, although still at much higher computational costs.
A General
Authors: Abdul Jaleel Jazeem , Wickeham Alexander , Doroudi Sherwin , Gardner Kristen
Published: November 2020

Large-scale systems are everywhere, and deciding how to dispatch an arriving job to one of the many available servers is crucial to obtaining low response time. One common scalable dispatching paradigm is the "power of d," in which the dispatcher queries d servers at random and assigns the job to a server based only on the state of the queried servers. Such policies incur a much lower communication cost than querying all servers while sacrificing little in the way of performance. However, many "power of d" policies, such as Join-the-Shortest-Queued (JSQ-d) [4], share a notable weakness: they do not account for the fact that, in many modern systems, the servers? speeds are heterogeneous. Unfortunately, such heterogeneity-unaware dispatching policies can perform quite poorly in the presence of server heterogeneity [2].
Muscles from the same muscle group do not necessarily share common drive: evidence from the human triceps surae
Authors: Hug François , Del Vecchio Alessandro , Avrillon Simon , Farina Dario , Tucker Kylie
Published: November 2020

In this study, we demonstrated that the three muscles composing the human triceps surae share minimal common drive during isometric contractions. Our results suggest that reducing the number of effectively controlled degrees of freedom may not always be the strategy used by the central nervous system to control movements. Independent control of some, but not all, synergist muscles may allow for more flexible control to comply with secondary goals (e.g., joint stabilization).
Predicting the Incidence and Prognosis of Bone Metastatic Breast Cancer: A SEER‐Based Observational Study
Authors: Shi Dongning , Bai Junwen , Chen Yibo , Wang Xia , Zhang Yafeng , Liu Hong
Published: November 2020

Background. To determinate the association relationship of breast cancer bone metastasis and cancer characteristics and molecular subtype. Furthermore, to evaluate the impact of molecular subtype on prevalence and prognosis of bone metastasis from the breast cancer base on a large population real‐word program, the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Methods. We collected and analyzed the data obtained from SEER, which showed molecular subtype information for each patient. The prevalence and outcome of bone metastasis in breast cancer were estimated as per the different molecular subtypes. Results. Occurrence of bone metastasis in conformity with four different molecular subtypes in all 42684 breast cancer patients was 6.2, 9.4, 7.9, and 6.4%, respectively. The most unfavorable subtype was the triple‐negative breast cancer (TNBC), followed by the luminal A, luminal B, and HER2 subtypes (hazard ratio [HR] of luminal A compared with TNBC, 0.533, 95% confidence interval, 0.444–0.641; HR of luminal B, 0.482, 95% CI 0.419–0.555; HR of HER2 subtype, 0.542, 95% CI 0.484–0.608). Brain metastasis impacts overall survival (OS) (p < 0.001) fundamentally, and visceral metastases also significantly decreased OS (p < 0.001). Conclusion. Bone metastasis patients present a more favorable oncological survival consequence than other metastases, and the TNBC subtype with bone metastasis showed the poorest tumor outcome compared with the other three molecular subtypes.
Effectiveness of Aqueous Extract of Marine Baitworm Marphysa moribidii Idris, Hutchings and Arshad, 2014 (Annelida, Polychaeta), on Acute Wound Healing Using Sprague Dawley Rats
Authors: Rapi Hannah Syahirah , Che Soh Nor ‘Awatif , Mohd Azam Nurul Shahirah , Maulidiani M. , Assaw Suvik , Haron Mohd Nizam , Ali Abdul Manaf , Idris Izwandy , Ismail Wan Iryani Wan
Published: November 2020

Wound healing is a well‐coordinated process that restores skin integrity upon injury. However, some wound treatment poses harmful effects on the skin, which delay the normal wound healing process. Marphysa moribidii, a marine baitworm or polychaete, represents unique ability to regenerate posterior segment after injury, which may be beneficial in the wound healing treatment. The effectiveness of the polychaete as wound healing treatment was discovered through skin irritation, microbial testing, animal wound model, and chemical identifications. Three polychaete extracts (PE) emulsifying ointment (0.1%, 0.5%, and 1.0%) were topically applied to the full thickness wound model once daily for 14 days. Interestingly, PE 1.0% revealed the most rapid wound healing effects as compared to other treatments, including gamat (sea cucumber) oil (15% w/v) and acriflavine (0.1% w/v). Histopathological analysis using Masson’s trichrome staining further confirms that PE treated wound exhibited minimal scar, high collagen deposition, and the emergence of neovascularisation. The extract also displayed a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 0.4 g/ml against Escherichia coli and absence of skin irritation, infectious bacteria, and heavy metals from the extract. Moreover, chemical compounds such as alkaloid, flavonoid, amino acids, and organic acid were detected in M. moribidii extracts, which could contribute to wound healing activity. In conclusion, this study further justifies the beneficial use of polychaete in treating wound healing and could be developed as a novel bioactive agent in nutraceuticals and pharmaceutical drugs.
Improved Strategy for High-Utility Pattern Mining Algorithm
Authors: Wang Le , Wang Shui , Li Haiyan , Zhou Chunliang
Published: November 2020

High-utility pattern mining is a research hotspot in the field of pattern mining, and one of its main research topics is how to improve the efficiency of the mining algorithm. Based on the study on the state-of-the-art high-utility pattern mining algorithms, this paper proposes an improved strategy that removes noncandidate items from the global header table and local header table as early as possible, thus reducing search space and improving efficiency of the algorithm. The proposed strategy is applied to the algorithm EFIM (EFficient high-utility Itemset Mining). Experimental verification was carried out on nine typical datasets (including two large datasets); results show that our strategy can effectively improve temporal efficiency for mining high-utility patterns.
High-Dose Vitamin C Tends to Kill Colorectal Cancer with High MALAT1 Expression
Authors: Chen Jifei , Qin Fengxian , Li Yu , Mo Shanying , Deng Kaifeng , Huang Yujie , Liang Weijun
Published: November 2020

Background. Vitamin C (Vc) deficiency is frequently observed in cancer sites and has been proposed to have an antitumor effect. However, the mechanism of Vc’s killing effect is not clear. Besides, epigenetic alterations exhibit significant effects on colorectal cancer (CRC). This study aimed to explore the mechanism of Vc’s killing effect and its association to epigenetic alterations in CRC. Methods. Cell morphology, apoptosis, proliferation, and cycle were assayed to test Vc’s suppressive function in CRC cell lines. Xenograft and peritoneal implantation metastasis models were performed to evaluate the high-dose Vc’s inhibitory effect on tumor growth and metastasis. Immunohistochemistry was used to measure CD31 expression in solid tumors. A literature summary was applied for screening differently expressed long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in CRC tissues and was closely associated with CRC progression. The qPCR was used to detect the expression of these lncRNAs. The association between Vc and metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 (MALAT1) was evaluated in MALAT1-transfected CRC cells and a xenograft model. Results. Vc was confirmed to function in proliferation suppression, apoptosis induction, and S phase arresting in CRC cell lines. High-dose Vc, but not physiologically low-dose Vc, was identified as a suppressive function on tumor growth in xenograft models and an inhibitory effect on implantation metastasis in peritoneal implantation metastasis mice. Furthermore, a consistent downregulation of MALAT1 induced by Vc was verified among CRC cell lines and tumor tissues from both mouse models. Finally, experiments on MALAT1-knockdown CRC cells and its xenograft model suggested that Vc had a tendency in killing CRC with high MALAT1 expression. Conclusions. Our findings demonstrate that high-dose Vc has more efficiency in suppressing CRC with higher MALAT1 expression. It gives high-dose Vc the possibility of a better curative effect on CRC with overexpressed MALAT1. Further clinical studies are still needed.
Effect of SIS3 on Extracellular Matrix Remodeling and Repair in a Lipopolysaccharide-Induced ARDS Rat Model
Authors: Liang Qiong , Lin Qiqing , Li Yueyong , Luo Weigui , Huang Xia , Jiang Yujie , Qin Chunyan , Nong Jin , Chen Xiang , Sooranna Suren Rao , Pinhu Liao
Published: November 2020

The remodeling of the extracellular matrix (ECM) in the parenchyma plays an important role in the development of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), a disease characterized by lung injury. Although it is clear that TGF-β1 can modulate the expression of the extracellular matrix (ECM) through intracellular signaling molecules such as Smad3, its role as a therapeutic target against ARDS remains unknown. In this study, a rat model was established to mimic ARDS via intratracheal instillation of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). A selective inhibitor of Smad3 (SIS3) was intraperitoneally injected into the disease model, while phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) was used in the control group. Animal tissues were then evaluated using histological analysis, immunohistochemistry, RT-qPCR, ELISA, and western blotting. LPS was found to stimulate the expression of RAGE, TGF-β1, MMP2, and MMP9 in the rat model. Moreover, treatment with SIS3 was observed to reverse the expression of these molecules. In addition, pretreatment with SIS3 was shown to partially inhibit the phosphorylation of Smad3 and alleviate symptoms including lung injury and pulmonary edema. These findings indicate that SIS3, or the blocking of TGF-β/Smad3 pathways, could influence remodeling of the ECM and this may serve as a therapeutic strategy against ARDS.
Modeling Drivers’ Stopping Behaviors during Yellow Intervals at Intersections considering Group Heterogeneity
Authors: Li Juan , Zhang Hui , Zhang Yanru , Zhang Xuan
Published: November 2020

Stopping behavior during yellow intervals is one of the critical driver behaviors correlated with intersection safety. As the main index of stopping behavior, stopping time is typically described by Accelerated Failure Time (AFT) model. In this study, the comparison of survival curves of stopping time confirms the existence of group specific effects on drivers. However, the AFT model is developed based on the homogeneity assumption. To overcome this drawback, shared frailty survival models are developed for stopping time analysis, which consider the group heterogeneity of drivers. The results show that log-logistic based frailty model with age as a grouping variable has the best goodness of fit and prediction accuracy. Analysis of the models’ parameters indicates that phone status, maximum deceleration, vehicles’ speed, and the distance to stopping line at the onset of the yellow signal have significant impacts on stopping time. Additionally, heterogeneity analysis illustrates that young, middle-aged, and female drivers are more likely to brake harshly and stop past the stop line, which may block the intersection. Furthermore, drivers, who are more familiar with traffic environments, are more possible to make reasonable stopping decisions approaching intersections. The results can be utilized by traffic authorities to implement road safety strategies, which will help reduce traffic incidents caused by improper stopping behavior at intersections.
Relapsed Symptoms in a Patient Treated for Pubic Symphysis Septic Arthritis/Adjacent Osteomyelitis: Diagnostic Challenges
Authors: Upadhyayula Shankar
Published: November 2020

We describe the case of a 14-year-old girl with relapsed pain following adequate treatment of pubic symphysis septic arthritis with adjacent osteomyelitis. Evaluation of her symptoms was challenging, because magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was not helpful and repeat surgical exploration was not favored. She was treated with a combination of prolonged antimicrobial therapy and local steroid injection. This case highlights the limitations of MRI as a follow-up study for evaluating symptom relapse of acute osteomyelitis.
Multimodular Assessment of a Traumatic Bone Cyst Overlapped with Apical Periodontitis
Authors: Musu Davide , Bardini Giulia , Shemesh Hagay , Dettori Claudia , Cotti Elisabetta
Published: November 2020

Traumatic bone cyst (TBC), a “pseudocyst” that usually affects long bones, is a rare lesion among cystic lesions in the jaws. The most commonly affected site is the posterior mandible. Most of the time, TBC is asymptomatic and discovered during routine radiographic examination. The treatment recommended for TBC is surgical exploration followed by curettage of the bony walls, which also serves as a diagnostic procedure. A 27-year-old Caucasian male with a noncontributory medical history was referred to our department for the endodontic evaluation of the mandibular right first and second molars, which were connected to an extensive asymptomatic osteolytic lesion. A multimodular diagnostic assessment involving CBCT imaging, ultrasound, and histopathologic examination led to a definite diagnosis of a TBC overlapping with apical periodontitis (AP). Subsequently, a multidisciplinary treatment approach was performed, including surgical excision and biopsy of the lesion, endodontic retreatment of the right mandibular first molar, and postsurgical root canal treatment of the second molar. During the follow-up period of five years, the patient was reassessed periodically once a year and showed, in the absence of signs and symptoms, progressive healing of the affected area. The present article reports a case following the CARE guidelines of a TBC combined with AP where a multimodular diagnostic assessment was performed and discusses the possible pathogenetic mechanisms involved in its generation.
Grouting Treatment of Water and Mud Inrush in Fully Weathered Granite Tunnel: A Case Study
Authors: Niu Jiandong , Sun Yong , Wang Bin , Zhang Keneng , Huang Youhan , Huang Shiwu , Yu Jiaqin , Qiu Liangliang
Published: November 2020

When mountain tunnel passes through completely weathered granite strata, water and mud inrush is easy to occur, causing casualties and economic losses. Grouting is a common and effective treatment method for water and mud inrush disaster. The current existing researches focus on theoretical analysis, numerical simulation, and laboratory test, and the researches based on the field of engineering application are few. Based on the fully weathered granite tunnel of Junchang tunnel in Guangxi, this paper studies the grouting treatment of water and mud disaster in the fully weathered granite tunnel. This paper first introduces the geological and hydrological conditions of Junchang tunnel in order to understand the causes of water inrush and mud inrush. Then, the treatment method of full-section curtain grouting is introduced. During the grouting, the combination of exploration and injection is adopted. According to different hydrological conditions, different kinds of grouting materials are adopted. After grouting is completed, Transient Electromagnetic Methods, water inflow analysis, borehole investigation, and P-Q-T method are used to evaluate the grouting effect. According to the reaction of the detection results, the weak part of grouting can be supplemented to improve the grouting quality. The results show that the curtain grouting is effective for the treatment of water-mud inrush disaster in the fully weathered granite tunnel. This study provides a reference for the treatment of water and mud inrush in other similar tunnels.