bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Divergent Symptoms Caused by Geminivirus-Encoded C4 Proteins Correlate with Their Ability To Bind NbSKη
Authors: Mei Yuzhen , Zhang Fanfan , Wang Mingyu , Li Fangfang , Wang Yaqin , Zhou Xueping
Published: August 2020

Geminiviruses constitute the largest group of known plant viruses and cause devastating diseases in many economically important crops worldwide. Geminivirus-encoded C4 protein is a multifunctional protein. In this study, we found that the C4 proteins from different geminiviruses showed differential abilities to interact with NbSKη, which correlated with their symptom determinant capabilities. Moreover, a minidomain of tomato leaf curl Yunnan virus (TLCYnV) C4 that is indispensable for interacting with NbSKη and tethering it to the plasma membrane, thus leading to symptom induction, was determined. Supporting these findings, a recombinant geminivirus carrying the minidomain of TLCYnV C4 induced more-severe symptoms than the wild type. Therefore, these findings expand the scope of the interaction of NbSKη and C4-mediated symptom induction and thus contribute to further understanding of the multiple roles of C4.
Comparative efficacy of different exercise interventions in chronic non-specific low back pain: protocol of a systematic review and network meta-analysis
Authors: Anheyer Dennis , Klose Petra , Koch Anna Katharina , Haller Heidemarie , Dobos Gustav , Cramer Holger
Published: August 2020

Introduction

Chronic non-specific low back pain is a major public health problem. Evidence supports the effectiveness of exercise as an intervention. Due to a paucity of direct comparisons of different exercise categories, medical guidelines were unable to make specific recommendations regarding the type of exercise working best in improving chronic low back pain. This network meta-analysis (NMA) of randomised controlled trials aims to investigate the comparative efficacy of different exercise interventions in patients with chronic non-specific low back pain.

Methods and analysis

MEDLINE, Scopus, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Physiotherapy Evidence Database, SPORTDiscus, Clinicaltrials.gov and the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform search portal were searched on November 2019 and without language restrictions. The search will be updated after data analysis. Studies on adults with non-specific low back pain of at least 12 weeks duration comparing exercise to either no specific intervention (ie, no treatment, wait-list or usual care at the treating physician’s discretion) and/or functionally inert interventions (ie, sham or attention control interventions) will be eligible. Pain intensity and back-specific disability are defined as primary outcomes. Secondary outcomes will include health-related physical and mental quality of life, work disability, frequency of analgesic use and adverse events. All outcomes will be analysed short-term, intermediate-term and long-term. Data will be extracted independently by two review authors. Risk of bias will be assessed using the recommendations by the Cochrane Back and Neck Group and be based on an adaptation of the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool.

Ethics and dissemination

This NMA will be reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses_NMA checklist. The results will be presented in peer-reviewed journals, implemented in existing national and international guidelines and will be presented to health care providers and decision makers. The planned completion date of the study is 1 July 2021.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42020151472.
Association between family functions and antenatal depression symptoms: a cross-sectional study among pregnant women in urban communities of Hengyang city, China
Authors: Zheng Baohua , Yu Yunhan , Zhu Xidi , Hu Zhao , Zhou Wensu , Yin Shilin , Xu Huilan
Published: August 2020

Objective

To explore the prevalence of depressive symptoms among women in late pregnancy, and assess mediating effect of self-efficacy in the association between family functions and the antenatal depressive symptoms.

Design

Community-based, cross-sectional study was conducted among women during the third trimester of pregnancy.

Setting

This study was conducted among pregnant women registered at community health service centres of urban Hengyang City, China from July to October 2019.

Participants

813 people were selected from 14 communities by multi-staged cluster random sampling method.

Main outcome measures

The Family Adaptation Partnership Growth Affection and Resolve Index, the General Self-efficacy Scale and Patient Health Questionnaire were used to access family functions, self-efficacy and antenatal depression symptoms, respectively.

Results

In this study, 9.2% pregnant women reported the symptoms of antenatal depression (95 CI% 7.2% to 11.2%). After adjustment, the results showed that severe family dysfunction (adjusted OR, AOR 3.67; 95% CI 1.88 to 7.14) and low level of self-efficacy (AOR 3.16; 95% CI 1.37 to 7.27) were associated with antenatal depressive symptoms (p<0.05). Furthermore, self-efficacy level partially mediated the association between family functions and antenatal depressive symptoms(β=−0.05, 95% CI −0.07 to −0.03, p<0.05) and the mediating effect accounted for 17.09% of the total effect.

Conclusions

This study reported 9.2% positive rates of antenatal depression symptoms among women in the third trimester of pregnancy in Hengyang city, China. The mediating effect of self-efficacy on the association between family functions and antenatal depression symptoms among women in the third trimester of pregnancy was found in this study, which provide a theoretical basis to maternal and child health personnel to identify high-risk pregnant women and take targeted intervention for them.
Optimizing snowplow routes using all-new perspectives: road users and winter road maintenance operators
Authors: Xu Shuoyan , Kwon Tae J.
Published: August 2020

Snowplowing is an indispensable part of winter road maintenance because it contributes to improving drivers’ mobility and safety. Most prior studies, however, limit focus to operational aspects without considering interaction with road users. This paper aims to minimize travel time in the traffic system while still maintaining the efficiency of plowing activities. The k-truck plowing with the precedence model was formulated to link road users with snowplow activities. The tabu search algorithm then followed to optimize the order of precedence of snowplow routes. Furthermore, the discrete-event simulation was used to quantify the effectiveness of the proposed method based on different scenarios and fleet sizes, and to illustrate the potential benefit of integrating both the operators’ and users’ perspectives. The methodological framework developed herein can be used to design a routing strategy that improves the performance of the snowplow trucks by reducing both plowing completion and road users’ total travel time.
$$\varepsilon '/\varepsilon $$ in the Standard Model at the Dawn of the 2020s
Authors: Aebischer Jason , Bobeth Christoph , Buras Andrzej J.
Published: August 2020

We reanalyse the ratio $$\varepsilon '/\varepsilon $$ε′/ε in the Standard Model (SM) using most recent hadronic matrix elements from the RBC-UKQCD collaboration in combination with most important NNLO QCD corrections to electroweak penguin contributions and the isospin-breaking corrections. We illustrate the importance of the latter by using their latest estimate from chiral perturbation theory (ChPT) based on the octet approximation for lowest-lying mesons and a very recent estimate in the nonet scheme that takes into account the contribution of $$\eta _0$$η0. We find $$(\varepsilon '/\varepsilon )^{(8)}_\text {SM} = (17.4 \pm 6.1) \times 10^{-4}$$(ε′/ε)SM(8)=(17.4±6.1)×10-4 and $$(\varepsilon '/\varepsilon )^{(9)}_\text {SM} = (13.9 \pm 5.2) \times 10^{-4}$$(ε′/ε)SM(9)=(13.9±5.2)×10-4, respectively. Despite a very good agreement with the measured value $$(\varepsilon '/\varepsilon )_\text {exp} = (16.6 \pm 2.3) \times 10^{-4}$$(ε′/ε)exp=(16.6±2.3)×10-4, the large error in $$(\varepsilon '/\varepsilon )_\text {SM}$$(ε′/ε)SM still leaves room for significant new physics (BSM) contributions to this ratio. We update the 2018 master formula for $$(\varepsilon '/\varepsilon )_\text {BSM}$$(ε′/ε)BSM valid in any extension beyond the SM without additional light degrees of freedom. We provide new values of the penguin parameters $$B_6^{(1/2)}(\mu )$$B6(1/2)(μ) and $$B_8^{(3/2)}(\mu )$$B8(3/2)(μ) at the $$\mu $$μ-scales used by the RBC-UKQCD collaboration and at lower scales $$\mathcal {O}(1\, \text {GeV})$$O(1GeV) used by ChPT and Dual QCD (DQCD). We present semi-analytic formulae for $$(\varepsilon '/\varepsilon )_\text {SM}$$(ε′/ε)SM in terms of these parameters and $$\hat{\Omega }_\text {eff}$$Ω^eff that summarizes isospin-breaking corrections to this ratio. We stress the importance of lattice calculations of the $$\mathcal {O}(\alpha _{\text {em}})$$O(αem) contributions to the hadronic matrix elements necessary for the removal of renormalization scheme dependence at $$\mathcal {O}(\alpha _{\text {em}})$$O(αem) in the present analyses of $$\varepsilon '/\varepsilon $$ε′/ε.
Efficient designs of reversible BCD to EX-3 Converter with low quantum cost in nanoscale
Authors: Noorallahzadeh Mojtaba , Mosleh Mohammad
Published: August 2020

As an interesting and significant research domain, reversible logic is massively utilized in technologies, including optical computing, cryptography, quantum computing, nanotechnology, and so on. The realization of quantum computing is not possible without the implementation of reversible logic, and reversible designs are presented mainly to minimize the thermal loss because of the data input bits lost in the irreversible circuit. Digital converters, as the most important logic circuits, are used to connect computing systems with different binary codes. This paper first proposes a new reversible gate called Reversible Noorallahzadeh[Formula: see text]Mosleh Gate (RNMG). Then, using the proposed RNMG gate as well as existing NMG1, NMG6, and PG gates, three different designs of reversible Binary-Coded Decimal (BCD) to EX-3 code converter are proposed. Our results indicate that the proposed BCD to EX-3 code converters are superior to previous designs in terms of quantum cost. Moreover, the proposed converters are comparable or better than previous designs in terms of gate count, constant inputs, and garbage outputs.
Tear Down the Method Prisons! Set Free the Practices!
Authors: Jacobson Ivar , Stimson Roly
Published: August 2020

This article explains why we need to break out of this repetitive dysfunctional behavior, and it introduces Essence, a new way of thinking that promises to free the practices from their method prisons and thus enable true learning organizations.
Capacity Evaluation of Diagnostic Tests For COVID-19 Using Multicriteria Decision-Making Techniques
Authors: Sayan Murat , Sarigul Yildirim Figen , Sanlidag Tamer , Uzun Berna , Uzun Ozsahin Dilber , Ozsahin Ilker
Published: August 2020

In December 2019, cases of pneumonia were detected in Wuhan, China, which were caused by the highly contagious coronavirus. This study is aimed at comparing the confusion regarding the selection of effective diagnostic methods to make a mutual comparison among existing SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic tests and at determining the most effective one. Based on available published evidence and clinical practice, diagnostic tests of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) were evaluated by multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) methods, namely, fuzzy preference ranking organization method for enrichment evaluation (fuzzy PROMETHEE) and fuzzy technique for order of preference by similarity to ideal solution (fuzzy TOPSIS). Computerized tomography of chest (chest CT), the detection of viral nucleic acid by polymerase chain reaction, cell culture, CoV-19 antigen detection, CoV-19 antibody IgM, CoV-19 antibody IgG, and chest X-ray were evaluated by linguistic fuzzy scale to compare among the diagnostic tests. This scale consists of selected parameters that possessed different weights which were determined by the experts’ opinions of the field. The results of our study with both proposed MCDM methods indicated that the most effective diagnosis method of COVID-19 was chest CT. It is interesting to note that the methods that are consistently used in the diagnosis of viral diseases were ranked in second place for the diagnosis of COVID-19. However, each country should use appropriate diagnostic solutions according to its own resources. Our findings also show which diagnostic systems can be used in combination.
Effects of Dexmedetomidine on the Pharmacokinetics of Parecoxib and Its Metabolite Valdecoxib in Beagles by UPLC‐MS/MS
Authors: Hu Jie , Lv Bing-feng , Guo Wen-jing , Wang Bo-wen , Miao Di , Qiu Xiang-jun , Chen Xing-peng
Published: August 2020

A sensitive and reliable ultraperformance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC‐MS/MS) method was developed for the simultaneous determination of parecoxib and its metabolite valdecoxib in beagles. The effects of dexmedetomidine on the pharmacokinetics of parecoxib and valdecoxib in beagles were studied. The plasma was precipitated by acetonitrile, and the two analytes were separated on an Acquity UPLC BEH C18 column (2.1 mm × 50 mm, 1.7 μm); the mobile phase was acetonitrile and 0.1% formic acid with gradient mode, and the flow rate was 0.4 mL/min. In the negative ion mode, the two analytes and internal standard (IS) were monitored by multiple reaction monitoring (MRM), and the mass transition pairs were as follows: m/z 369.1 → 119.1 for parecoxib, m/z 313.0 → 118.0 for valdecoxib, and m/z 380.0 → 316.0 for celecoxib (IS). Six beagles were designed as a double cycle self‐control experiment. In the first cycle, after intramuscular injection of parecoxib 1.33 mg/kg, 1.0 mL blood samples were collected at different times (group A). In the second cycle, the same six beagles were intravenously injected with 2 μg/kg dexmedetomidine for 7 days after one week of washing period. On day 7, after intravenous injection of 2 μg/kg dexmedetomidine for 0.5 hours, 6 beagle dogs were intramuscularly injected with 1.33 mg/kg parecoxib, and blood samples were collected at different time points (group A). The concentration of parecoxib and valdecoxib was detected by UPLC‐MS/MS, and the main pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated by DAS 2.0 software. Under the experimental conditions, the method has a good linear relationship for both analytes. The interday and intraday precision was less than 8.07%; the accuracy values were from ‐1.20% to 2.76%. Cmax of parecoxib in group A and group B was 2148.59 ± 406.13 ng/mL and 2100.49 ± 356.94 ng/mL, t1/2 was 0.85 ± 0.36 h and 0.85 ± 0.36 h, and AUC(0‐t) was 2429.96 ± 323.22 ng·h/mL and 2506.38 ± 544.83 ng·h/mL, respectively. Cmax of valdecoxib in group A and group B was 2059.15 ± 281.86 ng/mL and 2837.39 ± 276.78 ng/mL, t1/2 was 2.44 ± 1.55 h and 2.91 ± 1.27 h, and AUC(0‐t) was 4971.61 ± 696.56 ng·h/mL and 6770.65 ± 453.25 ng·h/mL, respectively. There was no significant change in the pharmacokinetics of parecoxib in groups A and B. Cmax and AUC(0 − ∞) of valdecoxib in group A were 37.79% and 36.19% higher than those in group B, respectively, and t1/2 was increased from 2.44 h to 2.91 h. Vz/F and CLz/F were correspondingly reduced, respectively. The developed UPLC‐MS/MS method for simultaneous determination of parecoxib and valdecoxib in beagle plasma was specific, accurate, rapid, and suitable for the pharmacokinetics and drug‐drug interactions of parecoxib and valdecoxib. Dexmedetomidine can inhibit the metabolism of valdecoxib in beagles and increase the exposure of valdecoxib, but it does not affect the pharmacokinetics of parecoxib.
Influence of Vetiver Root System on Mechanical Performance of Expansive Soil: Experimental Studies
Authors: Wang Guiyao , Huang Yonggang , Li Runfa , Chang Jingmei , Fu Jinliang
Published: August 2020

In order to study the influence of the vetiver root system on the swelling characteristics and crack resistance of expansive soil, vetiver grass root growth and its vertical distribution were investigated by the cultivation test and observation. The expansion rate experiment without load and expansive force tests was conducted on planted grass root soil samples, and the effect of the root content on the expansion rate and force of soil mass was analyzed. Finally, the effects of different vetiver contents on the crack resistance of expansive soil were studied by soil cracking experiments in an outdoor natural environment. The results showed that on account of the reinforcement effect of crisscrossing and winding grassroots, the expansion rate and expansive force can be reduced by the grass roots, and the grass roots can significantly increase the anticracking properties of the root‐soil composites. From the surface down, the inhibition effect of the vetiver root on the expansive soil appeared from low to high and then decreased; the effect was optimal in the layer of 10∼15 cm. Compared with the pure expansive soil, the swelling force of the cultivated root expansive soil growing for 180 d decreased by more than 80%, and the unloaded expansive soil reduced by more than 70%. Compared with pure expansive soil, the swelling force and the unloaded expansion rate of cultivated root expansive soil growing for 90 d decreased by more than 50%.
Robust Waveform Design Based on Bisection and Maximum Marginal Allocation Methods with the Concept of Information Entropy
Authors: Wang Bin , Hao Xiaolei
Published: August 2020

Cognitive radar can overcome the shortcomings of traditional radars that are difficult to adapt to complex environments and adaptively adjust the transmitted waveform through closed-loop feedback. The optimization design of the transmitted waveform is a very important issue in the research of cognitive radar. Most of the previous studies on waveform design assume that the prior information of the target spectrum is completely known, but actually the target in the real scene is uncertain. In order to simulate this situation, this paper uses a robust waveform design scheme based on signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) and mutual information (MI). After setting up the signal model, the SINR and MI between target and echo are derived based on the information theory, and robust models for MI and SINR are established. Next, the MI and SINR are maximized by using the maximum marginal allocation (MMA) algorithm and the water-filling method which is improved by bisection algorithm. Simulation results show that, under the most unfavorable conditions, the robust transmitted waveform has better performance than other waveforms in the improvement degree of SINR and MI. By comparing the robust transmitted waveform based on SINR criterion and MI criterion, the influence on the variation trend of SINR and MI is explored, and the range of critical value of Ty is found. The longer the echo observation time is, the better the performance of the SINR-based transmitted waveform over the MI-based transmitted waveform is. For the mutual information between the target and the echo, the performance of the MMA algorithm is better than the improved water-filling algorithm.
Diagnostic Value of Plasma miR-181b, miR-196a, and miR-210 Combination in Pancreatic Cancer
Authors: Liu Gongpan , Shao Cunhua , Li Anyun , Zhang Xiaobin , Guo Xingjun , Li Jiangong
Published: August 2020

Purpose. This study was aimed at investigating the roles of plasma miR-181b, miR-196a, and miR-210 in the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer (PC). Methods. Plasma samples were isolated from 40 patients with PC and 40 healthy individuals, respectively. The expression of miR-181b, miR-196a, and miR-210 was detected by qRT-PCR. The level of carbohydrate antigen 199 (CA199) was measured by an electrochemiluminescence (ECL) assay. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to analyze the diagnostic value of miR-181b, miR-196a, miR-210, CA199, and their combinations in PC. Results. The expression of plasma miR-181b, miR-196a, and miR-210 was significantly upregulated in PC patients. The plasma level of CA199 was also significantly increased in PC patients. The expression of miR-181b, miR-196a, and miR-210 was closely associated with lymph node metastasis, clinical stage, and vascular invasion but not correlated with age, gender, and tumor size. miR-181b, miR-196a, and miR-210 have lower AUC than CA199 in the diagnosis of PC. miR-181b+miR-210 and miR-196a+miR-210 also have lower AUC than CA199. It is worth noting that miR-181b+miR-196a+miR-210 has a higher AUC than CA199 in the diagnosis of PC. Conclusion. The combination of plasma miR-181b, miR-196a, and miR-210 had a good diagnostic value for PC.
Academic Insights and Perspectives: Cellular Automata and Production Scheduling
Authors: Chen Yong , Yu Feiyang , Cheng Ziwen , Jin Qiuxia , Pei Zhi , Yi Wenchao
Published: August 2020

The cellular automata algorithm is one of the most important developments recently and is becoming an area of great potential in scheduling problems. There has been an increase in the quality and quantity of publications related to this topic. To formally illustrate the research status of the cellular automata algorithm at the global level, bibliometric analysis was used based on the Web of Science and Scopus databases, and 3086 documents were retrieved from different countries and regions. Institutions, journals, authors, research areas, author keywords, and highly cited articles are discussed in detail. The results show that the USA and China are the dominant countries in this field. The USA is the most active country cooperating with other 47 countries or regions, especially with China. The Journal of Cellular Automata is the most productive journal in this field, and the Democritus University of Thrace is the most productive institution also with the highest h-index. “Computer Science” is the most investigated area, with 544 documents involved. In addition, the major topics focused by author keywords are “genetic algorithm,” “swarm intelligence,” and “evolutionary computation.” In addition, the cellular automata algorithm is viewed as a new and effective method to solve the scheduling problems in manufacturing system; meanwhile, historical developments of the application of cellular automata in scheduling are displayed and analyzed.
Therapeutic Sensations: A New Unifying Concept
Authors: Beissner Florian
Published: August 2020

Physical sensations of tingling, warmth, dull pain, and heaviness are a common phenomenon in mind‐body interventions, such as acupuncture, hypnotherapy, osteopathy, qigong, meditation, and progressive muscle relaxation. Even though there are striking parallels between sensations produced by many different interventions, no attempt has yet been made to understand them from a unifying perspective that combines information from different therapies and practices. Therefore, this narrative systematic review introduces the concept of therapeutic sensations and summarizes studies of their sensory quality, bodily topography, and the meaning that patients attach to them. Furthermore, it highlights the essential role of therapeutic sensations in the development of vital energy concepts, such as qi, prana, pneuma, and orgone, in various traditional medicine systems, body‐oriented psychotherapy, and so‐called energy medicine. Finally, the assessment of therapeutic sensations may help to gain a deeper understanding of such concepts, finding a common language between scientists, patients and practitioners, and bridging the wide gap between materialistic and vitalistic views.
Multivariable Controller Design for the Cooling System of a PEM Fuel Cell by considering Nearly Optimal Solutions in a Multiobjective Optimization Approach
Authors: Pajares Alberto , Blasco Xavier , Herrero Juan M. , Simarro Raúl
Published: August 2020

This paper presents a design for the multivariable control of a cooling system in a PEM (proton exchange membrane) fuel cell stack. This system is complex and challenging enough: interactions between variables, highly nonlinear dynamic behavior, etc. This design is carried out using a multiobjective optimization methodology. There are few previous works that address this problem using multiobjective techniques. Also, this work has, as a novelty, the consideration of, in addition to the optimal controllers, the nearly optimal controllers nondominated in their neighborhood (potentially useful alternatives). In the multiobjective optimization problem approach, the designer must make decisions that include design objectives; parameters of the controllers to be estimated; and the conditions and characteristics of the simulation of the system. However, to simplify the optimization and decision stages, the designer does not include all the desired scenarios in the multiobjective problem definition. Nevertheless, these aspects can be analyzed in the decision stage only for the controllers obtained with a much less computational cost. At this stage, the potentially useful alternatives can play an important role. These controllers have significantly different parameters and therefore allow the designer to make a final decision with additional valuable information. Nearly optimal controllers can obtain an improvement in some aspects not included in the multiobjective optimization problem. For example, in this paper, various aspects are analyzed regarding potentially useful solutions, such as (1) the influence of certain parameters of the simulator; (2) the sample time of the controller; (3) the effect of stack degradation; and (4) the robustness. Therefore, this paper highlights the relevance of this in-depth analysis using the methodology proposed in the design of the multivariable control of the cooling system of a PEM fuel cell. This analysis can modify the final choice of the designer.
Stability Charts for Pseudostatic Stability Analysis of Rock Slopes Using the Nonlinear Hoek–Brown Strength Reduction Technique
Authors: Sun Chaowei , Chai Junrui , Luo Tao , Xu Zengguang , Qin Yuan , Yuan Xiaosa , Ma Bin
Published: August 2020

This paper presents a set of stability charts for the stability assessment of rock slopes that satisfy the Hoek–Brown (HB) criterion under various seismic loading conditions. The nonlinear Hoek–Brown strength reduction technique is used to conduct pseudostatic stability analysis of rock slopes subjected to horizontal seismic excitation. Based on an extensive parametric study, first, a set of stability charts with a slope angle of β = 45° under static and pseudostatic conditions are proposed by using ABAQUS 6.10 software. Second, the slope angle weighting factor (fβ) and the seismic weighting factor (fkh) are adopted to characterize the influence of slope angle (β) and horizontal seismic acceleration coefficient (kh) on the rock slope stability. Finally, the reliability of the proposed charts was validated by three typical examples and two case studies, and the results show that the values of the factor of safety (FOS) obtained from the proposed charts are consistent with the values from other methods. The proposed charts provide an efficient and convenient way to determine the FOS of rock slopes directly from the rock mass properties (γ and σci), the HB parameters (mi and GSI), the slope geometry (H and β), and the horizontal seismic coefficients (kh).
Zagreb-Type Indices of R-Vertex Join and R-Edge Join of Graphs
Authors: Wei Jianxin , Imran Muhammad , Iqbal Muhamamd Azhar , Zaighum Muhammad Asad
Published: August 2020

There are various methods available which are used to search large chemical databases and to predict the physicochemical properties of molecular structures. Using molecular descriptors for this purpose is the simplest of these methods. The Zagreb indices are amongst the oldest molecular descriptors, and their properties have been extensively studied and applied in QSAR/QSPR studies. The Zagreb coindices were recently introduced, attracting the attention of researchers in mathematical chemistry. In this paper, we study Zagreb indices and several other Zagreb-type indices including the general Randić index, sum-connectivity index, F-index, and Zagreb coindices of R-vertex and edge join of two arbitrary graphs.
Prostate Cancer Characteristics in the US Preventive Services Task Force Grade D Era: A Single-Center Study and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Clements Matthew B. , Abdalla Basil , Culp Stephen H. , Costabile Raymond A. , Krupski Tracey L.
Published: August 2020

Background: In May 2012, the US Preventive Services Task Force assigned prostate-specific antigen-based screening a grade D recommendation, advising against screening at any age. Our objective was to compare prostate cancer characteristics pre- and post-recommendation with an adjusted analysis of our data and a pooled analysis including other primary data sources. Methods: We identified all incident prostate cancer diagnoses at our institution from 2007 to 2016. Multivariable log binomial regression was used to determine the relative risk (RR) of metastasis at diagnosis, ≥Gleason Group 4, and high D’Amico risk disease pre- versus post-recommendation. The meta-analysis included primary data studies evaluating these outcomes. Results: At our institution, 287 (44.6%) and 224 (48.8%) patients were diagnosed in the pre- and post-cohorts. The RR of metastatic disease at diagnosis did not differ between groups (p = 0.224), nor did the risk of high D’Amico category disease (p = 0.089). The risk of ≥Gleason Group 4 was 1.58 times higher post-recommendation (p = 0.007). The pooled risk of ≥Gleason Group 4 disease was 1.5 (p < 0.001) post-recommendation and was 1.29 (p = 0.006) for high D’Amico risk disease. Conclusions: While the number of metastatic cases did not differ after the recommendation, the risk of high-grade cancers increased at both a local and aggregated level.
A Rare Case of Lens-Induced Uveitis with Proliferative Vitreoretinopathy and Massive Encapsulation of Fallen Nuclear Material
Authors: Inoue Saki , Imai Hisanori , Tetsumoto Akira , Otsuka Keiko , Nakamura Makoto
Published: August 2020

We experienced a rare case of lens-induced uveitis (LIU) with severe proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) diagnosed upon finding lens nuclear material encapsulated by intravitreal proliferative tissue. A 60-year-old man was referred to our hospital for the treatment of vision loss caused by unexplained uveitis in the right eye (OD). Seven months previously, a complicated cataract surgery that required unplanned anterior vitrectomy and transscleral suture of intraocular lens was performed on that eye at another clinic. Severe inflammation with dense vitreous opacity occurred in the OD postoperatively. Although topical and oral administration of steroids reduced the inflammation 7 months after the surgery, PVR with tractional retinal detachment was developed in the OD. Pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) was performed for the treatment and diagnosis. PPV revealed the presence of lens nuclear fragments within the vitreous, which was approximately 60% the ordinary nucleus size and was encapsulated by intravitreal proliferative tissue. The nuclear fragments were extracted from a superior corneoscleral flap. Intraocular inflammation was reduced with postoperative topical and oral steroid treatments and the retina remained reattached 1 year after the PPV. In conclusion, uveitis with an episode of a complicated cataract surgery may suggest LIU.
Analyzing the Role of DICER1 Germline Variations in Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma
Authors: Canberk Sule , Ferreira Joana C. , Pereira Luísa , Batısta Rui , Vieira Andre F. , Soares Paula , Sobrinho Simões Manuel , Máximo Valdemar
Published: August 2020

Introduction: DICER1 is a member of RNase III family that has a pivotal role in the biogenesis of microRNAs, being important for normal development. Dysregulation of DICER1 has been described in different human tumours; however, there is insufficient data on the risk of thyroid cancer in the presence of germline DICER1 variants, particularly when focusing on the background of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). For this purpose, we ascertained the presence of DICER1 variants in 502 (PTC) cases available from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) research network in a well-characterized pathological context. Material and Methods: in this study we analyzed 502 samples from 502 patients, described as PTC in the TCGA database. Tumour diagnoses were re-evaluated by 2 pathologists (S.C. and M.S.-S.) on slides available from the database, and clinicopathological and demographic data was examined. Data concerning germline and sporadic DICER1 gene variants as well as frequent mutations in the genes involved in thyroid carcinogenesis (e.g., RAS and BRAFV600E) was retrieved from the database. Results and Discussion: We report 1 new germline possibly pathogenic variant, besides 15 others already been identified in ClinVar. We found that the DICER1-positive PTC group more frequently includes PTC variants, namely the oncocytic, follicular, and aggressive (hobnail variant of PTC) variants. A previous association of DICER1 had been demonstrated, mainly with the follicular variant of PTC and follicular thyroid carcinomas. Tumours harbouring germline DICER1 mutations were more frequently “bilateral” and “encapsulated.” The frequent association of DICER1 germline variants with other mutations associated with thyroid cancer can reflect an haploinsufficiency tumour suppressor gene function of DICER1, as suggested from the study of animal models.
A Human Amniotic Membrane Plug to Treat Persistent Macular Hole
Authors: Ventre Luca , Marolo Paola , Reibaldi Michele
Published: August 2020

The human amniotic membrane (hAM) has lately demonstrated interesting potential in its retinal applications. Nowadays, the treatment of persistent macular holes is still a challenge. In this paper, we present a case of a hAM plug used to treat a persistent macular hole, with the purpose of highlighting the critical issues of this new surgical procedure. We performed a 23-G pars plana vitrectomy and inserted a hAM plug (diameter of 1.5 mm) under the neuroretinal margins of the hole (diameter of 657 μm). A complete ophthalmic examination with the assessment of best-corrected visual acuity (logMAR units, ETDRS letter score) and optical coherence tomography (OCT) scans were collected at 1, 4, 6, and 10 weeks after surgery. Visual acuity changed from logMAR 1.0 (1) preoperatively to logMAR 1.0 (2), 1.0 (4), 0.9 (9), and 0.9 (10) at 1, 4, 6, and 10 weeks of follow-up, respectively. The 1 week postoperative OCT did not show neuroretinal adhesion over the plug, but the following visits showed reattachment of the margins with partial neuroretinal ingrowth. These findings suggest that the correct adaptation of the size of the hAM plug to the macular hole is essential to allow the anatomical closure of the hole and potential functional results.
Apolipoprotein CIII Deficiency Protects Against Atherosclerosis in Knockout Rabbits
Authors: Yan Haizhao , Niimi Manabu , Matsuhisa Fumikazu , Zhou Huanjin , Kitajima Shuji , Chen Yajie , Wang Chuan , Yang Xiawen , Yao Jian , Yang Dongshan , Zhang Jifeng , Murakami Masami , Nakajima Katsuyuki , Wang Yao , Liu Enqi , Liang Jingyan , Chen Y. Eugene , Fan Jianglin
Published: August 2020

Objective:

Apo (apolipoprotein) CIII mediates the metabolism of triglyceride (TG)-rich lipoproteins. High levels of plasma apoCIII are positively correlated with the plasma TG levels and increase the cardiovascular risk. However, whether apoCIII is directly involved in the development of atherosclerosis has not been fully elucidated.

Approach and Results:

To examine the possible roles of apoCIII in lipoprotein metabolism and atherosclerosis, we generated apoCIII KO (knockout) rabbits using ZFN (zinc finger nuclease) technique. On a normal standard diet, apoCIII KO rabbits exhibited significantly lower plasma levels of TG than those of WT (wild type) rabbits while total cholesterol and HDL (high-density lipoprotein) cholesterol levels were unchanged. Analysis of lipoproteins isolated by sequential ultracentrifugation revealed that reduced plasma TG levels in KO rabbits were accompanied by prominent reduction of VLDLs (very-low-density lipoproteins) and IDLs (intermediate-density lipoproteins). In addition, KO rabbits showed faster TG clearance rate after intravenous fat load than WT rabbits. On a cholesterol-rich diet, KO rabbits exhibited constantly and significantly lower levels of plasma total cholesterol and TG than WT rabbits, which was caused by a remarkable reduction of β-VLDLs—the major atherogenic lipoproteins. β-VLDLs of KO rabbits showed higher uptake by cultured hepatocytes and were cleared faster from the circulation than β-VLDLs isolated from WT rabbits. Both aortic and coronary atherosclerosis was significantly reduced in KO rabbits compared with WT rabbits.

Conclusions:

These results indicate that apoCIII deficiency facilitates TG-rich lipoprotein catabolism, and therapeutic inhibition of apoCIII expression may become a novel means not only for the treatment of hyperlipidemia but also for atherosclerosis.
Kidney Disease Biomarkers Improve Heart Failure Risk Prediction in the General Population
Authors: Nowak Christoph , Ärnlöv Johan
Published: August 2020

Background:

The kidneys play an important role in heart failure (HF), but it is unclear if renal biomarkers improve HF risk prediction beyond established risk factors. We aimed to assess whether adding biomarkers of kidney disease to conventional risk factors improved 10-year risk prediction for incident HF in a contemporary community sample.

Methods:

We included 450 212 participants in the UK Biobank aged 39 to 70 years without HF who had been assessed in 2006 to 2010 with the urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) based on serum creatinine and cystatin C. There were 1701 incident cases of HF during up to 10.3 years of follow-up (mean 8.2±0.7 years). We used the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study heart failure risk score excluding natriuretic peptides as the base model to which we added eGFR and urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio. Harrell’s C-statistic of ARIC-HF was 0.845 (95% CI, 0.831–0.859).

Results:

Each combination of added kidney measures (creat-eGFR, cysC-eGFR, and urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio) led to significant improvement in risk discrimination, calibration, and reclassification. The optimal pair of added kidney measures was cysC-eGFR and urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ΔC=0.019 [95% CI, 0.015–0.022]). Addition of cysC-eGFR made the largest contribution to reclassification improvement (continuous net reclassification improvement 0.323 [95% CI, 0.278–0.360]).

Conclusions:

In a large community sample, the addition of kidney disease markers to conventional risk factors improved prediction of 10-year HF risk. Our results support including kidney disease markers in the identification of persons at highest risk of HF and demonstrate a possible role of impaired kidney function in HF development in asymptomatic persons.
Novel Micro Crown Orbital Atherectomy for Severe Lesion Calcification
Authors: Redfors Björn , Sharma Samin K. , Saito Shigeru , Kini Annapoorna S. , Lee Arthur C. , Moses Jeffrey W. , Ali Ziad A. , Feldman Robert L. , Bhatheja Rohit , Stone Gregg W.
Published: August 2020

Background:

Percutaneous coronary intervention of severely calcified lesions carries a high risk of adverse events despite the use of contemporary devices. The Classic Crown Orbital Atherectomy System (OAS) was safe and effective for severely calcified lesion preparation in the ORBIT II study (Evaluate the Safety and Efficacy of OAS in Treating Severely Calcified Coronary Lesions) but was not optimized for tight lesions. COAST (Coronary Orbital Atherectomy System Study) evaluated the safety and efficacy of calcified lesion preparation before stent implantation with the Diamondback 360 Micro Crown Coronary OAS, designed for use in tighter lesions.

Methods:

COAST was a prospective, multicenter, single-arm study that enrolled 100 patients with severely calcified de novo coronary lesions at 17 sites in the United States and Japan. The primary effectiveness end point was procedural success, defined as stent delivery with residual stenosis <50% without in-hospital major adverse cardiac events (MACE), and the primary safety end point was freedom from MACE (composite of cardiac death, myocardial infarction, or target vessel revascularization) at 30 days.

Results:

The OAS Micro Crown was inserted in all patients. A stent was delivered with a residual stenosis <50% in all except one patient (99.0%). Procedural success was achieved in 85 (85.0%) subjects versus 391 (88.9%) in ORBIT II (
P
=0.30), and freedom from MACE at 30 days was achieved in 85.0% versus 89.6% in ORBIT II (
P
=0.21). Freedom from MACE was 77.8% at 1 year.

Conclusions:

Prestent preparation of severely calcified lesions using the novel Micro Crown OAS resulted in similar rates of procedural success and freedom from MACE compared with the Classic Crown OAS.

Registration:

URL:
https://www.clinicaltrials.gov
. Unique identifier: NCT02132611.
Cerebrovascular Complications of COVID-19
Authors: Katz Jeffrey M. , Libman Richard B. , Wang Jason J. , Sanelli Pina , Filippi Christopher G. , Gribko Michele , Pacia Steven V. , Kuzniecky Ruben I. , Najjar Souhel , Azhar Salman
Published: August 2020

Background and Purpose:

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) evolved quickly into a global pandemic with myriad systemic complications, including stroke. We report the largest case series to date of cerebrovascular complications of COVID-19 and compare with stroke patients without infection.

Methods:

Retrospective case series of COVID-19 patients with imaging-confirmed stroke, treated at 11 hospitals in New York, between March 14 and April 26, 2020. Demographic, clinical, laboratory, imaging, and outcome data were collected, and cases were compared with date-matched controls without COVID-19 from 1 year prior.

Results:

Eighty-six COVID-19–positive stroke cases were identified (mean age, 67.4 years; 44.2% women). Ischemic stroke (83.7%) and nonfocal neurological presentations (67.4%) predominated, commonly involving multivascular distributions (45.8%) with associated hemorrhage (20.8%). Compared with controls (n=499), COVID-19 was associated with in-hospital stroke onset (47.7% versus 5.0%;
P
<0.001), mortality (29.1% versus 9.0%;
P
<0.001), and Black/multiracial race (58.1% versus 36.9%;
P
=0.001). COVID-19 was the strongest independent risk factor for in-hospital stroke (odds ratio, 20.9 [95% CI, 10.4–42.2];
P
<0.001), whereas COVID-19, older age, and intracranial hemorrhage independently predicted mortality.

Conclusions:

COVID-19 is an independent risk factor for stroke in hospitalized patients and mortality, and stroke presentations are frequently atypical.
Lichens in al-Biruni’s Kitab al-Saydanah fi al-Tibb
Authors: Yavuz Mustafa
Published: August 2020

Lichens are understood to be symbiotic organisms consisting of mycobiont and photobiont partners. This mutual partnership results in the production of unique secondary metabolites, which are used in contemporary pharmacy and medicine. The purpose of this study is to explore the uses of lichens in a particular period of medieval pharmacology: it retraced the relevant Arabic terms for, and descriptions of, lichens in the Kitab al-Saydanah fi al-Tibb, the “Book of Pharmacy in Medicine” written by Abu Rayhan Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Biruni (973-1048). It will be shown that al-Biruni used اشنة (ushnah) for naming epiphytic lichens and حزاز الصخر (hazaz al-sakhr) for saxicolous ones. The information about lichens transmitted in his text is in accordance with that of his contemporary Ibn Sina, the famous physician and philosopher. In that period, the study, transmission and updating of the legacy of Antiquity promoted and influenced the use of lichens in Arabic and Islamic pharmacology and medicine.
CSO s in Sustainable Development in Ethiopia: Past Practices and New Trajectories
Authors: Broeckhoven Nicky , Gidey Desta G/Michael , Reda Kelemework Tafere , Townsend Dina , Verschuuren Jonathan
Published: August 2020

We researched how CSO s working in the area of sustainable development responded to regulatory restrictions on advocacy work using Ethiopia as a case study. We found that the restrictive laws had a severe impact: many CSO s had to shut down or limit their operational capacity to service delivery only. Those that survived continued to do advocacy work, disguised as service delivery. This shows that northern stakeholders should not adhere to a strict division between advocacy and service delivery in their funding policy. They also should focus on long-term CSO engagement and long-term CSO funding. In 2019, regulatory reform reopened political space to some extent. The new law envisions a greater role for self-regulation in the civil society sector while still maintaining some degree of State oversight through registration, reporting and funding allocation requirements. Despite these improvements, the sector is still in need of international support and consistent and reliable funding.
Exploring Localized Muscle Fatigue Responses at Current Upper-Extremity Ergonomics Threshold Limit Values
Authors: Abdel-Malek Daniel M. , Foley Ryan C. A. , Wakeely Fahima , Graham Jeffrey D. , La Delfa Nicholas J.
Published: August 2020

Objective

The purpose of this study was to evaluate localized muscle fatigue responses at three upper-extremity ergonomics threshold limit value (TLV) duty cycles.

Background

Recently, a TLV equation was published to help mitigate excessive development of localized muscle fatigue in repetitive upper limb tasks. This equation predicts acceptable levels of maximal voluntary contraction (% MVC) for a given duty cycle (DC). Experimental validation of this TLV curve has not yet been reported, which can help guide utilization by practitioners.

Method

Eighteen participants performed intermittent isometric elbow flexion efforts, in three separate counter-balanced sessions, at workloads defined by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygenists’ (ACGIH) TLV equation: low DC (20% DC, 29.6% MVC), medium DC (40% DC, 19.7% MVC), and high DC (60% DC, 13.9% MVC). Targeted localized muscle fatigue (LMF) of the biceps brachii was tracked across numerous response variables, including decline in strength (MVC), electromyography (EMG) amplitude and mean power frequency (MnPF), and several psychophysical ratings.

Results

At task completion, biceps MnPF and MVC (strength) were significantly different between each TLV workload, with the high DC condition eliciting the largest declines in MnPF and MVC.

Conclusion

Findings demonstrate that working at different DCs along the ACGIH TLV curve may not be equivalent in preventing excessive LMF. Higher DC workloads elicited a greater LMF response across several response variables.

Application

High DC work of the upper extremity should be avoided to mitigate excess LMF development. Current TLVs for repetitive upper-extremity work may overestimate acceptable relative contraction thresholds, particularly at higher duty cycles.
The More Ethnic the Face, the More Important the Race: A Closer Look at Colorism and Employment Opportunities among Middle Eastern Women
Authors: Bahraini Ahzin
Published: August 2020

Colorism is the intra- and interracial discrimination an individual experiences based on one’s phenotype. Current research focused on colorism among black Americans has found that “dark-skinned blacks have lower levels of education, income, and job status” in the United States. As bias against Middle Easterners rises in the United States, current research regarding this population is scarce. In the context of today’s political climate, the term Muslim has become a misnomer to refer to the Middle Eastern population, with the term Islamophobia specifically referring to Middle Easterners regardless of their religion rather than individuals from regions of the world who practice Islam. Participants ordered job applicants in terms of who they would hire, followed by interviews. Through 16 semi-structured interviews, this project identifies what participants believe are phenotypically Middle Eastern and Muslim facial features. Throughout the study, participants preferred to hire lighter Middle Eastern women.