bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of capillary water retention effects on the development of the suction stress characteristic curve
Authors: Maleksaeedi Emad , Nuth Mathieu
Published: November 2019

The suction stress characteristic framework is a practical approach for relating the suction and the water-filled pore volume to the stress state of unsaturated soils. It predicts the effective stress by developing the suction stress characteristic curve from the soil-water retention curve. In this framework, the effective degree of saturation is usually calculated by the empirical water retention model of van Genuchten (published in 1980). In this paper, the use of a generalized soil-water retention model proposed by Lu in 2016, which differentiates the role of capillary and adsorption mechanisms, in the suction stress characteristic framework is studied. A redefinition of the effective degree of saturation is suggested, by choosing the retention state where capillarity approaches zero instead of the residual retention state. The validity of this assumption is examined using experimental data obtained by unsaturated shear strength and retention tests and datasets collected from the literature. The proposed definition is applicable for a variety of soils where capillarity is the dominant mechanism in producing suction stress within the range of suction 0–1500 kPa. In addition, it is observed that the generalized soil-water retention model presents a more realistic prediction of unsaturated shear strength compared with empirical water retention models.
Beam steering performance of bent silicon crystals irradiated with high-intensity and high-energy protons
Authors: Scandale W. , Calviani M. , D’Andrea M. , Esposito L. S. , Garattini M. , Gilardoni S. , Montesano S. , Natochii A. , Rossi R. , Smirnov G. I. , Martin C. L. Torregrosa , Zhovkovska V. , Bagli E. , Bandiera L. , Guidi V. , Mazzolari A. , Romagnoni M. , Murtas F. , Galluccio F. , Addesa F. , Iacoangeli F. , Kovalenko A. D. , Taratin A. M. , Gavrikov Yu. A. , Ivanov Yu. M. , Koznov M. A. , Malkov M. V. , Malyarenko L. G. , Mamunct I. G. , Borg J. , James T. , Hall G. , Pesaresi M.
Published: November 2019

Beam steering performance of bent silicon crystals irradiated with high-intensity and high-energy protons has been studied. In particular, crystals of the type used for collimation and extraction purposes in the Large Hadron Collider and the Super Proton Synchrotron at CERN have been irradiated at the HiRadMat CERN facility with $$2.5 \times 10^{13}$$2.5×1013 440 GeV/c protons, with a pulse length of 7.2 $$\upmu $$μs. The purpose is to study possible changes in bending angle and channeling efficiency due to thermo-mechanical stresses in case of accidental irradiation during accelerator operations. A comparison between measurements performed before and after the irradiation does not show any appreciable performance reduction in either crystal.
Targeting N-Terminal Huntingtin with a Dual-sgRNA Strategy by CRISPR/Cas9
Authors: Wu Junjiao , Tang Yu , Zhang Chun-Li
Published: November 2019

Huntington’s disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant progressive neurodegenerative disorder, caused by a CAG/polyglutamine (polyQ) repeat expansion in the Huntingtin (HTT) gene. The polyQ tract is located in and transcribed from N-terminal HTT of exon 1. HTT is a large multifaceted protein, which participates in a range of cellular functions. Previous studies have shown that truncated HTT, which lacks N-terminus, retains specific functions that can produce neuroprotective benefits. It gives an insight that it is possible to repair HD by removing deleterious N-terminal HTT with CRISPR/Cas9, without compromising functions of remaining HTT peptides. To successfully generate functional truncated HTT proteins, an alternative downstream ATG start codon that is capable of initiating truncated HTT expression is required. In this study, we searched all possible in-frame ATGs before exon 7 and demonstrated that one of them can indeed initiate the downstream GFP expression in plasmids. We then tried to remove endogenous N-terminal HTT with an optimized dual-sgRNA strategy by CRISPR/Cas9; however, we cannot detect obvious traits of truncated HTT expression. Our results suggest that noncanonical ATGs of N-terminal HTT may not be effective in the genomic context, as in the construct context. Nevertheless, our study examined the therapeutic efficacy of downstream noncanonical ATGs for protein translation and also provided an optimized dual-sgRNA strategy for further genome manipulation of the HTT gene.
Correction of Excessive Tibial Plateau Angle and Limb Shortening in a Juvenile Dog Using a Hinged Circular Fixator Construct and Distraction Osteogenesis
Authors: Lewis Daniel D. , Kim Stanley E. , Shmalberg Justin , MacArthur Sandra L.
Published: November 2019

An 18-week-old Rhodesian Ridgeback puppy that was hit by a car sustained a Salter-Harris type III fracture of the left proximal tibial physis and ipsilateral diaphyseal femoral and tibial fractures. The diaphyseal fractures were successfully stabilized with bone plate fixation. Premature closure of the caudal aspect of the proximal tibial physis, secondary to the proximal physeal fracture, resulted in an excessively high tibial plateau angle (TPA) of 50° with a limb length discrepancy of 13% by 24 weeks of age. The deformity was addressed by performing a proximal tibial osteotomy and subsequent distraction osteogenesis to reduce the TPA while concurrently lengthening the crus. A radial osteotomy was performed in the proximal metaphyseal region and the hinged fixator was applied. Distraction was initiated the day following surgery at a rate of 1 mm per day as measured along the caudal cortex of the tibia with a rhythm of three distractions daily. Distraction was terminated 19 days postoperatively. Sequential distraction of the osteotomy resulted in 17 mm of tibial lengthening and a final TPA of 3°. The fixator was removed 52 days after application. Complications included wire tract inflammation involving the wires securing the proximal segment and a calcaneal fracture which required bone plate stabilization. The left pelvic limb was only 8% shorter than the right pelvic limb and the dog had only a subtle lameness 12 months after surgery. The hinged circular fixator construct allowed for both the reduction of the TPA and limb segment lengthening in this dog.
A Western Case of Intravascular Large B-Cell Lymphoma as Unusual Cause of Persistent Fever
Authors: Piccaluga Pier Paolo , Paolini Stefania , Campidelli Cristina , Vianelli Nicola , Bolondi Luigi
Published: November 2019

Fever of unknown origin (FUO) is a common and challenging clinical condition that can be referred, among others, to infections, drug’s effects, various inflammatory disorders, and cancers. Among the latter, lymphomas can indeed cause fever, which is therefore accounted as a lymphoma-related sign in patients’ staging. Intravascular large B-cell lymphoma (IVLBCL) is a very rare tumor, characterized by lymphoma cell accumulation within sinusoids and, despite a very aggressive course, the evidence of this disease is scarce. Two variants are currently recognized, respectively, occurring in either Western (mainly characterized by neurological symptoms and skin involvement) or Eastern countries (with hemophagocytic syndrome, bone marrow, spleen, and liver involvement). We describe an atypical and unprecedented IVLBCL patient, presenting with pronounced features of Eastern cases as well as skin involvement. Due to the scant amount of neoplastic cells, the diagnosis was very challenging, with FUO being the first and for a certain time unique clinical sign. Although lymphoma was suspected, the lack of evidence for neoplastic cells delayed the final diagnosis. Eventually, only autopsy revealed the extensive involvement of different organs and tissues.
Simple Bedside Predictors of Survival after Percutaneous Gastrostomy Tube Insertion
Authors: Sbeit Wisam , Kadah Anas , Mari Amir , Mahamid Mahmud , Khoury Tawfik
Published: November 2019

Background. Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) tube insertion is an increasingly used minimally invasive method for long-term enteral feeding. Identification of simple predictors for short-term mortality (up to one month) after PEG insertion is of paramount importance. Aim. We aimed to explore a simple noninvasive parameter that would predict survival following PEG insertion. Methods. We performed a retrospective study of all patients who underwent PEG insertion at the Galilee Medical Center from January 1, 2014 to December 30, 2018. We collected simple clinical and laboratory parameters and survival data and looked for predictors of short-term mortality. Results. A total of 272 patients who underwent PEG insertion were included. Sixty-four patients (23.5%) died within one month after PEG insertion compared to 208 patients (76.5%) who survived for more than one month. Univariate analysis revealed several short-term mortality-related predictors, including older age (OR 1.1, P=0.005), ischemic heart disease (OR 2, P=0.0197), higher creatinine level (OR 2.3, P=0.0043), and elevated CRP level and CRP-to-albumin ratio (OR 1.1, P<0.0001; OR 1.0031, P<0.0001, respectively). In multivariate logistic analysis, older age (OR 1.1, P=0.019), higher creatinine level (OR 1.6, P=0.074), and elevated CRP-to-albumin ratio (OR 1.1, P=0.002) remained significant predictors of short-term mortality after PEG insertion with an ROC of 0.7274. Conclusion. We could identify several simple parameters associated with high risk of mortality, and we recommend considering using these parameters in decision-making regarding PEG insertion. Further prospective studies are needed to validate our findings.
Preparation and Applications of the Cellulose Nanocrystal
Authors: Yang Yong , Chen Zhou , Zhang Junxiong , Wang Guanchun , Zhang Ruiqian , Suo Dingjie
Published: November 2019

Cellulose widely existed in plants and bacteria, which takes important effect on the synthesis of macromolecule polymer material. Because of its great material properties, the cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) showed its necessary prospect in various industrial applications. As a renewable future material, the preparation methods of the CNC were reviewed in this paper. Meanwhile, the important applications of CNC in the field of composites, barrier film, electronics, and energy consumption were also mentioned with brief introductions. The summarized preparations and considerable applications provided operable ideas and methods for the future high-end and eco-friendly functional composites. Suggestions for potential applications were also discussed.
Power Allocation and User Assignment Scheme for beyond 5G Heterogeneous Networks
Authors: Bakht Khush , Jameel Furqan , Ali Zain , Khan Wali Ullah , Khan Imran , Sardar Sidhu Guftaar Ahmad , Lee Jeong Woo
Published: November 2019

The issue of spectrum scarcity in wireless networks is becoming prominent and critical with each passing year. Although several promising solutions have been proposed to provide a solution to spectrum scarcity, most of them have many associated tradeoffs. In this context, one of the emerging ideas relates to the utilization of cognitive radios (CR) for future heterogeneous networks (HetNets). This paper provides a marriage of two promising candidates (i.e., CR and HetNets) for beyond fifth generation (5G) wireless networks. More specifically, a joint power allocation and user assignment solution for the multiuser underlay CR-based HetNets has been proposed and evaluated. To counter the limiting factors in these networks, the individual power of transmitting nodes and interference temperature protection constraints of the primary networks have been considered. An efficient solution is designed from the dual decomposition approach, where the optimal user assignment is obtained for the optimized power allocation at each node. The simulation results validate the superiority of the proposed optimization scheme against conventional baseline techniques.
The Duration of Preoperative Administration of Single α-Receptor Blocker Phenoxybenzamine before Adrenalectomy for Pheochromocytoma: 18 Years of Clinical Experience from Nationwide High-Volume Center
Authors: Tian Jie , Bao Zhengqing , Yuan Yiming , Fang Dong , Zhan Yonghao , Wang Tianyu , Zhang Zheng , Liqun Zhou
Published: November 2019

Purpose. There is no consensus for the optimum duration of preoperative administration of phenoxybenzamine (PXB) before adrenalectomy for pheochromocytoma. The aim of this study is to investigate whether perioperative hemodynamics and postoperative outcomes are related to the duration of PXB administration. Methods. In total, 102 patients managed preoperatively with single α-receptor blocker phenoxybenzamine were enrolled from 469 consecutive patients diagnosed histologically with pheochromocytoma. The patients received surgical treatment in the Department of Urology, Peking University First Hospital, between January 2001 and July 2018. All patients were divided into three groups: Group A (<14 d), Group B (14–30 d), and Group C (>30 d). Patient and tumor characteristics, intraoperative hemodynamics, and postoperative outcomes were recorded and compared among the three groups. Results. These patients included 47 men and 55 women, with an average age of 43 years at the time of surgery. Clinical characteristics, except the status of preoperative biochemical tests (24 hr urine fractioned catecholamine or plasma-fractioned catecholamine) (p=0.020), preoperative hemodynamics, and medicine management and surgical approaches, in the three groups were comparable. Multivariate analyses demonstrated that the size of the tumor (p=0.034) was an independent risk factor for intraoperative hemodynamic instability. Among the three groups, we found no significant difference in intraoperative hemodynamics and postoperative outcomes. Conclusion. The data from the current study indicated that the preoperative management of pheochromocytoma with single α-receptor blocker PXB for more than 2 weeks, after the final dose adjustment, could not further reduce the risk of intraoperative hemodynamic instability or postoperative complications. Thus, our study supports that 14 days would be enough for the duration of preoperative management of pheochromocytoma with single α-receptor blocker PXB in final dose.
Intelligent Time‐Domain Parameters Matching for Shock Response Spectrum and Its Experimental Validation in Active Vibration Control Systems
Authors: Liu Jinxin , Yang Liangdong , Zhang Xingwu , Yan Ruqiang , Chen Xuefeng
Published: November 2019

Shock response spectrum (SRS) test is a kind of vibration test that uses the principle of equivalent damage to simulate complex shock and vibration environment for evaluating product fragility. However, for a certain SRS, neither an analytical nor a unique inverse time‐domain shock waveform (TSW) exists, making the SRS test a very challenging problem. Synthesis of a TSW using a group of wavelets with different frequencies, amplitudes, and phases is considered to be a very promising method. However, it is challenging to find an optimal group of wavelets since there are hundreds of optimization variables and objective functions. In this paper, a novel intelligent parameter matching method for TSW synthesis is proposed for the SRS test. A variable‐weight method has been introduced to combine the effects of hundreds objective functions so that the optimization problem can be solved by using the genetic algorithm. The frequency response function of the shaking system has been taken into consideration in the calculation of the objective function, so the synthesized TSW can be applied directly to the SRS test. In the optimization process, normalized control factors have been formulated for the optimization variables so that they can be tuned in a reasonable small range to avoid irrationality and accelerating convergence in searching process. The effectiveness of the proposed method has been verified experimentally in two active vibration control systems, in which one contains a 500 N minishaker and the other contains a 1‐ton shaking table. It can be seen from the experimental results that the proposed method can accurately synthesize the input TSW for the shaking system, where the output TSW and SRS can accurately meet the time‐ and frequency‐domain specification.
HRCM: An Efficient Hybrid Referential Compression Method for Genomic Big Data
Authors: Yao Haichang , Ji Yimu , Li Kui , Liu Shangdong , He Jing , Wang Ruchuan
Published: November 2019

With the maturity of genome sequencing technology, huge amounts of sequence reads as well as assembled genomes are generating. With the explosive growth of genomic data, the storage and transmission of genomic data are facing enormous challenges. FASTA, as one of the main storage formats for genome sequences, is widely used in the Gene Bank because it eases sequence analysis and gene research and is easy to be read. Many compression methods for FASTA genome sequences have been proposed, but they still have room for improvement. For example, the compression ratio and speed are not so high and robust enough, and memory consumption is not ideal, etc. Therefore, it is of great significance to improve the efficiency, robustness, and practicability of genomic data compression to reduce the storage and transmission cost of genomic data further and promote the research and development of genomic technology. In this manuscript, a hybrid referential compression method (HRCM) for FASTA genome sequences is proposed. HRCM is a lossless compression method able to compress single sequence as well as large collections of sequences. It is implemented through three stages: sequence information extraction, sequence information matching, and sequence information encoding. A large number of experiments fully evaluated the performance of HRCM. Experimental verification shows that HRCM is superior to the best-known methods in genome batch compression. Moreover, HRCM memory consumption is relatively low and can be deployed on standard PCs.
Utility of Tetrahydrobiopterin Pathway in the Assessment of Diabetic Foot Ulcer: Significant and Complex Interrelations
Authors: Al-Nimer Marwan , Ratha Rawa , Mahwi Taha
Published: November 2019

Objectives. Tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) pathway that included generation of neopterin (Neop), biopterin (Biop), and nitric oxide (NO) is altered in type 2 diabetes (T2D). The aim of this study was to assess the biomarkers of BH4 pathway in noninfected DFUs and to relate these levels to the variables of diabetes as well as to the hematological indices.Methods.We performed a cross-sectional investigating study in a Kurdish people including 30 healthy subjects (group I), 66 T2D patients (group II), and 57 DFUs patients (group III). Hematological indices including red cell distribution width (RDW), mean platelet volume (MPV), and platelet distribution width (PDW) were determined by Coulter hematological analysis. Serum BH4 markers including NO, Neop, and Biop were determined by using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technology. The relationship between BH4 markers with glycemic and hematological indices was assessed by Spearman’s correlation and multivariable regression analysis.Results. Neop was significantly increased while PDW was significantly decreased in group III compared with group II patients. Nitric oxide was found to be inversely correlated with age (r=−0.382), duration of diabetes (r=−0.264), mean arterial blood pressure (r=−0.532), body mass index (r=−0.321), RDW (r=−0.322), and PDW (r=−0.284) in group III patients. Circulating Neop and Biop significantly correlated with RDW and erythrocyte sedimentation rate. Multivariable regression analysis revealed that serum Neop predicted the DFUs in 92.5% of group III patients.Conclusion. Tetrahydrobiopterin biomarkers are predictors of DFUs and the significant correlation of neopterin with red distribution width and erythrocyte sedimentation rate indicating the role of neopterin in the vascular and inflammation concerns of noninfected DFUs.
Maternal Deprivation Induces Memory Deficits That Are Reduced by One Aerobic Exercise Shot Performed after the Learning Session
Authors: Sosa Priscila Marques , Neves Ben-Hur S. , Carrazoni Guilherme Salgado , Gomes Gabriela Mendes , Del Rosso Gabriel , Ramborger Bruna Piaia , Rohers Rafael , Mello-Carpes Pâmela Billig
Published: November 2019

During the neonatal period, the brain is susceptible to external influences. Exposure to stressful events during this phase of life influences brain development and impacts adult life. In animals, the maternal deprivation (MD) model is effective in mimicking stress in the early stages of development. In contrast, physical exercise seems to be able to prevent deficits in memory consolidation. Although the effects of chronic exercise in cognition are already well established, little is known about the effects of acute aerobic exercise. Here, male Wistar rats divided into deprived (MD) and nondeprived (NMD) rats were submitted to the object recognition (OR) memory test. Immediately after OR training, some of the rats were submitted to a single aerobic exercise session for 30 minutes. Memory consolidation and persistence were evaluated by retention tests performed 24 h and 7, 14, and 21 days after OR training. We show that a single physical exercise session is able to modulate learning by promoting memory consolidation and persistence in rats with cognitive deficits induced by MD. Hippocampal dopamine levels, measured by HPLC, were not altered after OR training in rats that performed and in rats that did not perform an exercise session; on the other hand, while OR training promoted increase of hippocampal norepinephrine in NMD rats, the MD rats did not present this increase, regardless of the practice or not of exercise.
Bioinformatics Analysis Identified Key Molecular Changes in Bladder Cancer Development and Recurrence
Authors: Chen Qingke , Hu Jieping , Deng Jun , Fu Bin , Guo Ju
Published: November 2019

Background and Objectives: Bladder cancer (BC) is a complex tumor associated with high recurrence and mortality. To discover key molecular changes in BC, we analyzed next-generation sequencing data of BC and surrounding tissue samples from clinical specimens. Methods. Gene expression profiling datasets of bladder cancer were analyzed online. The Database for Annotation, Visualization, and Integrated Discovery (DAVID, https://david.ncifcrf.gov/) was used to perform Gene Ontology (GO) functional and KEGG pathway enrichment analyses. Molecular Complex Detection (MCODE) in Cytoscape software (Cytoscape_v3.6.1) was applied to identify hub genes. Protein expression and survival data were downloaded from OncoLnc (http://www.oncolnc.org/). Gene expression data were obtained from the ONCOMINE website (https://www.oncomine.org/). Results. We identified 4211 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) by analysis of surrounding tissue vs. cancer tissue (SC analysis) and 410 DEGs by analysis of cancer tissue vs. recurrent tissue cluster (CR analysis). GO function analysis revealed enrichment of DEGs in genes related to the cytoplasm and nucleoplasm for both clusters, and KEGG pathway analysis showed enrichment of DEGs in the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway. We defined the 20 genes with the highest degree of connectivity as the hub genes. Cox regression revealed CCNB1, ESPL1, CENPM, BLM, and ASPM were related to overall survival. The expression levels of CCNB1, ESPL1, CENPM, BLM, and ASPM were 4.795-, 5.028-, 8.691-, 2.083-, and 3.725-fold higher in BC than the levels in normal tissues, respectively. Conclusions. The results suggested that the functions of CCNB1, ESPL1, CENPM, BLM, and ASPM may contribute to BC development and the functions of CCNB1, ESPL1, CENPM, and BLM may also contribute to BC recurrence.
Temporal and Spatial Change Monitoring of Drought Grade Based on ERA5 Analysis Data and BFAST Method in the Belt and Road Area during 1989–2017
Authors: Xue Changdi , Wu Hua , Jiang Xiaoguang
Published: November 2019

Drought is a worldwide natural disaster with a wide range of influences and a long duration, which has a huge impact on the agricultural production activities and social economy of local residents. The Belt and Road Initiative has always received much attention due to its special geographical location and great potential for economic development. At the same time, the Belt and Road region is also deeply affected by drought, especially in some countries and regions, where the agricultural infrastructure is weak and the ecological environment is fragile. How to effectively monitor and evaluate drought has become an urgent problem to be solved. In this study, the ERA5 atmospheric reanalysis data were used, and the self-calibrating Palmer Drought Severity Index was combined with Breaks for Additive Seasonal and Trend (BFAST) to study the temporal and spatial distribution of the 1989–2017 monthly scale of drought in different climate regions of the Belt and Road region. The results show that the overall change trend of arid area shows a change of “up-down-up-down.” The winter drought area is larger than the summer drought area, and the drought center gradually moves from the Southeast Asia region in winter to the West–Central Asia region in summer. In the past five years, the drought area decreased gradually at the rate of approximately 0.38 million km2 per year.
Investigating the Impact of Anthropogenic and Natural Sources of Pollution on Quality of Water in Upper Indus Basin (UIB) by Using Multivariate Statistical Analysis
Authors: Baluch Mansoor A. , Hashmi Hashim Nisar
Published: November 2019

Water quality of the Indus River around the upper basin and the main river was evaluated with the help of statistical analysis. In order to analyze the similarities and dissimilarities for identifying the spatial variations in water quality of the Indus River and sources of contamination, multivariate statistical analysis, i.e., principle component analysis (PCA), cluster analysis, and descriptive analysis, was done. Data of 8 physicochemical quality parameters from 64 sampling stations belonging to 6 regions (labeled as M1, M2, M3, M4, M5, and M6) were used for analysis. The parameters used for assessing the water quality were pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), oxygen reducing potential (ORP), electrical conductivity (EC), total dissolved solids (TDS), salinity (%), and concentration of arsenic (As) and lead (Pb), respectively. PCA assisted in extracting and recognizing the responsible variation factors of water quality over the region, and the results showed three underlying factors including anthropogenic source pollution along with runoff due to rain and soil erosion were responsible for explaining the 93.87% of total variance. The parameters which were significantly influenced by anthropogenic impact are DO, EC, TDS (negative), and concentration of Pb (positive), while the concentration of As, % salinity, and ORP are affected by erosion and runoff due to rain. The worst pollution situation for regions M1 and M6 was due to the concentration of As which was approximately 400 μg/l (i.e., 40 times higher than minimum WHO recommendation). Furthermore, the results also indicated that, in the Indus River, three monitoring stations and five quality parameters are sufficient to have a reasonable confidence about the quality of water in this most important reserve of Pakistan.
Root Canal Anatomy of Maxillary First Premolar by Microscopic Computed Tomography in a Chinese Adolescent Subpopulation
Authors: Liu Xiaojing , Gao Meili , Ruan Jianping , Lu Qun
Published: November 2019

Objectives. To investigate the root morphology and root canal anatomy of maxillary first premolar using microscopic computed tomography (micro-CT). Methods. 324 maxillary first premolars were collected and scanned. The root and canal diameter, canal wall thickness, root taper, and cross-sectional shapes were determined in the single root with 1 canal (SR1C), single root with 2 canals (SR2C), and 2 roots with 2 canals (2R2C) by micro-CT. Results. The results showed that single-rooted maxillary premolars were more common than other types. The incidence of SR1C, SR2C, and 2R2C reached 25%, 26.39%, and 26.39%, respectively. Root and canal diameters and canal wall thickness were decreased from coronal third to apical foramen. The three parameters and canal taper showed increases from buccal and palatal (BP) to mesiodistal (MD) aspects. The root canal tapers were smallest of the middle third level. The findings showed the different variations in 2R2C teeth. The root canal cross-sectional morphology in maxillary first premolars is complicated, including round, oval, long oval, flat canal, and irregular canal shapes. The distribution varied in different aspects. Conclusion. Root canal morphology showed a wide variation and complicated structure. The single-rooted teeth were more common in the Chinese adolescent population, and the majority of maxillary first premolars have two canals.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Pregnancy with Intrauterine Growth Restriction: A Pilot Study
Authors: Perrone Serafina , Santacroce Antonino , de Bernardo Giuseppe , Alagna Maria Gabriella , Carbone Salvatore Francesco , Paternò Irene , Buonocore Giuseppe
Published: November 2019

Objective. Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is a major cause of late stillbirth, though not all compromised babies remain small or are considered growth restricted as pregnancy progresses. Fetal Magnetic Resonance Imaging (f-MRI) represents a second-line tool to study pregnancies with IUGR fetuses. The aim of our study was to evaluate the usefulness of f-MRI on predicting fetal growth and the offspring’s perinatal respiratory outcome. Design. All f-MRI performed between 2014 and 2016 in Siena were analysed. Pregnancies with IUGR (Study group (SG)) were recruited together with a control population (Control group (CG)), coupled for gestational age (GA) at the time of f-MRI (mean GA 31 wks). Neonatal information was collected. The f-MRI protocol consisted of T2w images. Six regions of interest (ROI) were placed as follows: 2 on the lung, 2 on the liver, and 2 on the amniotic fluid. The signal intensities (SI) of each ROI were measured. The SI lung to liver ratio (SI lung/liver) and SI lung to amniotic fluid ratio (SI lung/amniotic fluid) were obtained for each fetus. Each ratio was compared between SG and CG. Therefore, SG was divided into two subgroups: adequate and small for gestational age (AGA and SGA) newborns. All measurements were related to offspring’s perinatal respiratory outcome. Results. SI lung/liver was linearly related with GA at the time of f-MRI and with EFW. SI lung/amniotic fluid was significantly higher in SG than in CG (p=0,014). In contrast, among SG, lower values of SI lung/amniotic fluid were found in the SGA compared to AGA (p=0,036). The days of oxygen supply were higher in the SGA subgroup than in the AGA subgroup (p=0,028). Conclusions. SI lung/liver increases with fetal lung maturation and appears to be useful to estimate intrauterine fetal growth. SI lung/amniotic fluid seems to be a reliable predictive index to distinguish the IUGR fetuses that can recover their growth from those that were born SGA. f-MRI represents a promising frontier to predict IUGR fetus outcome, thus contributing to ameliorate the perinatal management.
Impact of Temperature on the Strength Development of the Tailing‐Waste Rock Backfill of a Gold Mine
Authors: Han Bin , Zhang Shengyou , Sun Wei
Published: November 2019

This study investigated the influencing rules of curing temperature (5, 10, 16, and 20°C), cement ratio (8%, 10%, 12%, and 14%), and mass concentration (70%, 73%, 74%, and 75%) on the strength of backfill. In addition, a scanning electron microscope (SEM) is employed to analyze the microtopography of the backfill. Experimental results indicate that the uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) of the backfill decreases as the curing temperature diminishes; temperature substantially influences the earlier strength of backfill (it is much significant below 10°C). In addition, as the cement ratio rises, the critical point for the impact of temperature on strength gradually moves toward a low‐temperature zone; in pace with the slurry mass concentration increase, the compressive strength of the backfill also rises and its rate of increase enlarges after going beyond the critical concentration. In case the curing temperature is lower than 10°C, the extent of hydration is also low inside the backfill. Through experiments, the critical concentration of slurry in the Jinying gold mine is determined as 73%, and the critical interval of the cement ratio ranged between 10% and 12%. Corresponding measures can be taken to increase the strength of backfill in the Jinying Gold Mine by 129.9%. As a result, backfill collapse is effectively controlled.
Dynamic Analysis of Stochastic Lotka–Volterra Predator‐Prey Model with Discrete Delays and Feedback Control
Authors: Liu Jinlei , Zhao Wencai
Published: November 2019

In this paper, a stochastic Lotka–Volterra predator‐prey model with discrete delays and feedback control is studied. Firstly, the existence and uniqueness of global positive solution are proved. Further, we investigate the asymptotic property of stochastic system at the positive equilibrium point of the corresponding deterministic model and establish sufficient conditions for the persistence and extinction of the model. Finally, the correctness of the theoretical derivation is verified by numerical simulations.
Role and Effective Therapeutic Target of Gut Microbiota in Heart Failure
Authors: Jia Qiujin , Li Hao , Zhou Huan , Zhang Xiaonan , Zhang Ao , Xie Yingyu , Li Yanyang , Lv Shichao , Zhang Junping
Published: November 2019

Although the mechanism of the occurrence and development of heart failure has been continuously explored in the past ten years, the mortality and readmission rate of heart failure is still very high. Modern studies have shown that gut microbiota is associated with a variety of cardiovascular diseases, among which the study of gut microbiota and heart failure attracts particular attention. Therefore, understanding the role of gut microbiota in the occurrence and development of heart failure will help us further understand the pathogenesis of heart failure and provide new ideas for its treatment. This paper introduced intestinal flora and its metabolites, summarized the changes of intestinal flora in patients with heart failure, clarified that intestinal barrier damage and bacterial translocation induced inflammation and immune response aggravated heart failure, and altered intestinal microflora affected various metabolic pathways including trimethylamine/TMAO, SCFA, and Bile acid pathway leads to heart failure. At the same time, regulating intestinal microflora through diet, probiotics, antibiotics, fecal transplantation and microbial enzyme inhibitors has grown up to be a potential treatment for many metabolic disorders.
Uterine Trauma and Intrauterine Fetal Death Caused by Seatbelt Injury
Authors: Muraoka Junsuke , Otsuka Teruo , Yamauchi Aya , Terao Kiminari
Published: November 2019

We present a case of uterine trauma and intrauterine fetal death caused by seatbelt injury. A 37-year-old primigravida at gestational week 24 was involved in a single-car accident when traveling as a front-seat passenger and wearing a three-point seatbelt. Fetal heart rate monitoring patterns revealed fetal demise, and computed tomography revealed intraperitoneal bleeding due to damage to the uterine vessels and placental lacerations across the seatbelt-compressed region. Intensive treatment, including transfusion therapy and surgical laparotomy, prevented the loss of her life but not that of the fetus. Seatbelt use can reduce the overall mortality associated with motor vehicle crashes. Pregnant women must be educated on the proper use of restraints while traveling in motor vehicles.
Tracking Control for Hydrogen Fuel Cell Systems in Zero‐Emission Ferry Ships
Authors: Khooban Mohammad Hassan , Vafamand Navid , Boudjadar Jalil
Published: November 2019

For more than a century, conventional marine vessels spatter the atmosphere with CO2 emissions and detrimental particles when operated by diesel motors/generators. Fuel cells have recently emerged as one of the most promising emission‐free technologies for the electrification of ship propulsion systems. In fuel cell‐based ship electrification, the entire marine power system is viewed as a direct current (DC) microgrid (MG) with constant power loads (CPLs). A challenge of such settings is how to stabilize the voltages and currents of the ship’s grid. In this paper, we propose a new modified backstepping controller to stabilize the MG voltage and currents. Finally, to study the performance and efficiency of our proposal, we run an experiment simulation using dSPACE real‐time emulator.
Are Long Noncoding RNAs New Potential Biomarkers in Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors (GISTs)? The Role of H19 and MALAT1
Authors: Badalamenti Giuseppe , Barraco Nadia , Incorvaia Lorena , Galvano Antonio , Fanale Daniele , Cabibi Daniela , Calò Valentina , Currò Giuseppe , Bazan Viviana , Russo Antonio
Published: November 2019

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are emerging as key regulators of genetic and epigenetic networks, and their deregulation may underlie complex diseases, such as carcinogenesis. Several studies described lncRNA alterations in patients with solid tumors. In particular, HOTAIR upregulation has been associated with tumor aggressiveness, metastasis, and poor survival in gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) patients. We analyzed expression levels of other lncRNAs, H19 and MALAT1, in FFPE tissue specimens from 40 surgically resected and metastatic GIST patients, using real-time PCR analysis. H19 and MALAT1 were both upregulated in 50% of GIST patients. MALAT1 lncRNA expression levels seem to be correlated with c-KIT mutation status. The percentage of both H19 and MALAT1 upregulation was significantly higher in patients with time to progression (TTP) < 6 months as compared to patients with TTP > 6 months. The median TTP was significantly lower in patients with both H19 and MALAT1 lncRNA upregulation as compared to those with lncRNA downregulation. These data suggest a potential role for both H19 and MALAT1 lncRNAs as prognostic biomarker for the clinical selection of the best candidate to first-line treatment with imatinib.
Characteristics of Newly Diagnosed Type 2 Diabetes in Chinese Older Adults: A National Prospective Cohort Study
Authors: Lv Fang , Cai Xiaoling , Hu Dayi , Pan Changyu , Zhang Danyi , Xu Jie , Ji Linong
Published: November 2019

Aim. To investigate the metabolic profiles of newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes (NEW2D) in Chinese older adults (≥65 years) and assess the proportion of patients who achieved the targeted goals of blood glucose, blood pressure, and blood lipid. Methods. NEW2D study was an observational, longitudinal, prospective cohort study involving patients who were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes (T2D) within the past 6 months and had a follow-up of 12 months. Participants were divided into younger NEW2D group (aged 20-65 years old) and older NEW2D group (aged ≥65 years old) according to age of diabetes onset. The baseline metabolic profiles were compared and the proportion of patients achieving adequate control of blood glucose, blood pressure, and blood lipids in reference to target goals were assessed during treatment. Results. The older NEW2D (n=1362) had a lower BMI, HbA1c%, diastolic blood pressure, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and total cholesterol, higher systolic blood pressure, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels at baseline. 47.8%, 66.7%, and 39.4% reached the target of HbA1c<7.0%, BP<140/90 mmHg, and LDL−C<2.6 mmol/L, respectively. After 12 months, the proportion achieving above three targets increased to 70.2%, 76.1%, and 47.5%, respectively. The proportions of patients achieving three combined therapeutic targets doubled from 13.5% to 26.7%. Conclusion. The older NEW2D patients have special metabolic profiles compared with younger patients. The control of cardiovascular disease risk factors was suboptimal in older adults with type 2 diabetes.
Association between Lifestyle and Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease Questionnaire Scores: A Cross-Sectional Study of 37 442 Chinese Adults
Authors: Gong Yan , Zeng Qiang , Yan Yi , Han Chaojing , Zheng Yansong
Published: November 2019

The aim of this study was to investigate the distribution characteristics of GerdQ results in a Chinese population and the association between lifestyle and GerdQ scores. Among the 37 442 individuals enrolled from September 2009 to March 2016, 7 449 (19.89%) had a GerdQ score of ≥8 points and 29 993 (80.11%) had a GerdQ score of <8 points. The percentage of men with suspected GERD was significantly higher than the percentage of women with suspected GERD (χ2=111.571, P≤0.001), and the prevalence of GERD was higher in the young and middle-aged populations than in the elderly population. The prevalence of GERD increased gradually with weight gain (χ2=145.227, P≤0.001). With regard to lifestyle, the prevalence of GERD in the subjects who smoked (χ2=119.361, P≤0.001), consumed alcohol excessively, lacked physical activity (χ2=86.916, P≤0.001), and had an excessive intake of oil, meat, fish, and eggs showed an ascending trend (χ2=105.388, P≤0.001). In contrast, an adequate intake of vegetables (≥300 g/d) and fruit (≥200 g/d) was associated with a significantly lower incidence of GERD. Suspected GERD is very common in individuals undergoing health examinations. Unhealthy lifestyles are closely related to the high incidence of suspected GERD. GerdQ scores can play a role in screening for GERD.
Static Aeroelastic Characteristics of Morphing Trailing-Edge Wing Using Geometrically Exact Vortex Lattice Method
Authors: Mao Sen , Xie Changchuan , Yang Lan , Yang Chao
Published: November 2019

A morphing trailing-edge (TE) wing is an important morphing mode in aircraft design. In order to explore the static aeroelastic characteristics of a morphing TE wing, an efficient and feasible method for static aeroelastic analysis has been developed in this paper. A geometrically exact vortex lattice method (VLM) is applied to calculate the aerodynamic forces. Firstly, a typical model of a morphing TE wing is chosen and built which has an active morphing trailing edge driven by a piezoelectric patch. Then, the paper carries out the static aeroelastic analysis of the morphing TE wing and corresponding simulations were carried out. Finally, the analysis results are compared with those of a traditional wing with a rigid trailing edge using the traditional linearized VLM. The results indicate that the geometrically exact VLM can better describe the aerodynamic nonlinearity of a morphing TE wing in consideration of geometrical deformation in aeroelastic analysis. Moreover, out of consideration of the angle of attack, the deflection angle of the trailing edge, among others, the wing system does not show divergence but bifurcation. Consequently, the aeroelastic analysis method proposed in this paper is more applicable to the analysis and design of a morphing TE wing.
Cell-to-Cell Culture Inhibits Dedifferentiation of Chondrocytes and Induces Differentiation of Human Umbilical Cord-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells
Authors: Li Xingfu , Liang Yujie , Xu Xiao , Xiong Jianyi , Ouyang Kan , Duan Li , Wang Daping
Published: November 2019

Background. Human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSCs) possess great promise as a therapeutic to repair damaged cartilage. Direct intra-articular injection of mesenchymal stem cells has been shown to reduce cartilage damage and is advantageous as surgical implantation and associated side effects can be avoided using this approach. However, the efficacy of stem cell-based therapy for cartilage repair depends highly on the direct interactions of these stem cells with chondrocytes in the joint. In this study, we have carried out an in vitro cell-to-cell contact coculture study with human articular chondrocytes (hACs) and hUC-MSCs, with the goal of this study being to evaluate interactions between hACs and hUC-MSCs. Methods. Low-density monolayer cultures of hUC-MSCs and hACs were mixed at a ratio of 1 : 1 in direct cell-to-cell contact groups. Results were analyzed using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), western blot, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and immunofluorescence. Results. A mixed coculture of hUC-MSCs and hACs was found to exhibit synergistic interactions with enhanced differentiation of hUC-MSCs and reduced dedifferentiation of chondrocytes. Mixed cultures after 21 days were found to exhibit sufficient chondrogenic induction. Conclusions. The results from this study suggest the presence of mutual effects between hUC-MSCs and hACs even culture at low density and provide further support for the use of intra-articular injection strategies for cartilage defect treatment.
Development of a Hybrid Chitosan- and Niacinamide-Coupled ZnO Nanoparticle Composite for Sun Protection Application
Authors: Jo Hyun-jun , Joo Sang-Myoung , Kim Jeong Yup , Yu Kook-Hyun , Kim Sang Wook
Published: November 2019

Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO) have long been utilized as UV-protective sunscreen components due to their high durability and lower skin irritation while maintaining capability for blocking UV rays. However, the dispersal and transparency properties of ZnO need to be enhanced in order to improve the capacity for creating effective sunscreen through control of the physiochemical properties of ZnO. In this study, chitosan or niacinamide, which are suitable functional cosmetic compounds and effective skin lightening agents, are combined with ZnO for the development of better UV-protective products. Each biocompatible coating material is individually attached on its surface after the synthesis of ZnO. The size is 70 nm using the sol-gel method. Their morphology and chemical structure are characterized by FT-IR, XRD, SEM, TEM, TGA, and zeta potential. The results indicate that approximately 50% of chitosan and 5% niacinamide were coated on the ZnO. To confirm the capacity of each surface-coated ZnO with chitosan and niacinamide as a sunscreen, we measured their transmission, reflectance, and sun protection factor (SPF) using a UV spectrophotometer and SPF. As a result, the niacinamide-coated ZnO shows remarkably lower transmission and high reflectance against UV rays than that of bare ZnO and chitosan-coated ZnO. Furthermore, niacinamide-coated ZnO exhibits great lightening effects. Consequently, these results demonstrate that niacinamide coating is highly effective for the production of sunscreen emulsions.
Psychogenic Polydipsia Complicated to Hyponatremia Induced Seizure in Schizophrenia: A Case Report from Nepal
Authors: Sharma Pawan , Shah Bigya , Sangroula Modnath , Jirel Richan
Published: November 2019

Psychogenic polydipsia is one of the common cooccurrences with Schizophrenia and if not addressed can lead to fatal consequences. There are some evidences for pharmacological management of this condition but nonpharmacological management starting from psycho-education to behavioural modification therapy involving family members can be a very effective strategy. We report a case from Nepal where psychogenic polydipsia was complicated to hyponatremia and lead to seizure episodes. We emphasize on asking a routine question about polydipsia in every patient of Schizophrenia in clinics.